#god the post-fiction FUNK i get into

[rusquared]

i never kin kdj but i get close to it whenever im exiting the fog of a gripping fictional series. you really do open your eyes and the real world is waiting for you and you don't want that. if i could hide in the snowfield forever, would i?

[annoyedbyfoolishness]

Maybe It's Nothing....

I have noticed this indescribable feeling of sadness and loneliness here lately. Understandably so, it has been over a year since I have slept with anyone. I call it "being in a funk". In my defense, I have been able to shake it off, but here I am posting about it. I find this method to be very therapeutic though... By writing about my problems, it provides as an outlet to shout; Tears for Fears, "Shout. Shout. Let it all out... These are the things I can do without. Come on! I'm talking to you. Come on." I joined a singles group on Facebook and have discovered that it may not be the right fit for me. I practically got attacked by some random females shooting down my standard of female that I was looking for. I shut that noise down real quick. I have continued posting there and haven't had any problems since. I have only see two ethnic females (black or afro-latino) and rest all white. That's no problem for me as 80% of my relationships have been outside of my race. I have seen other black men post there too, and with little to any comments on their posts. The sad part is that when those "white" women post, you'd think that it applies to "you", but it doesn't. They are speaking to the white men without saying "white men only"... My ex's birthday was yesterday but I didn't wish her any well-wishes. One of my past lovers accepted a friend request from me on Facebook. We chatted today, but she pretty much told me in a nice way to get lost, lol... When a chick leaves you on "read" and doesn't respond to your comment, she ain't trying to mess around with you. On another note, my best friend and I are still tight, but he got a new job and our work schedules clash now. In all honesty, he is actually transitioning on to my level now: working nights, gaining weight, and cherishes his time off to get some much needed rest & relaxation. Like I said, I know how that feels, so I don't much bother him. I empathize with him and put myself in his shoes; I wouldn't want anyone interrupting my sleep or rest on my day off; I really wouldn't want anyone knocking on my door on my day off for that matter. I want new friends! I want a new girlfriend! I just have to be careful for what I wish for because these "new friends" could end up being narcissi tic assholes for all I know. I actually kind of need some people like that in my life that seem to care about but they must be balanced and not one-sided. Another thing that is bothering me is that I have become so lonely that when I see women, it upsets me that I can't have them. I love women! I love they way they are shaped. I love the way they talk, walk, and even the way they pick stuff up off the the floor with that squat method or bending over with their asses always facing me. It hurts... It hurts really bad... I have to get over this though and accept things for the way that they are because this is fact and not fiction. This real life and not an episode in a movie that has a happy ending. I know things will change for the better though because God and my ancestors are bearing witness to this post as well and want to see my happy. They don't want to see my unhappy... I feel a change coming, but I just have to be patient!

[ruthserbel]

thank you for the tag @cinammonelles! c:

I'm tagging: @kunikida-simp, @thriftstorebabayaga, anyone else who wants to~ don't feel like you need to though.

this is a looonnnggg post, so I'm putting it under a read more~

First Ship Ever in Your Life: From what I remember it would have been between these two (I forget which one came first timewise): Bella x Edward (Twilight - yes I was a fan of the series, now I just make fun of it), or Rachel x Jesse (St. Berry - although Lea Michele is a terrible human, still 100% ship this)

The Ultimate Three Ships: Hmm... That's hard because I've kinda stopped 'shipping' things, but I guess I would say (and this one is one I have heard beforehand, so don't judge just me~) Maxi & Ruth [Under the Oak Tree] (I'm sorry, I love Riftan, but like, c'mon...), Miyamura x Hori [Horimiya] (I guess that one is cannon, so unsure if it counts, but I'm adding it), and lastly, Deku x Bandages [My Hero Academia] (mans is always in a bandage - I stg)

The First Crush (Fictional Character/Fandom): Hawkeye from M*A*S*H - 100%. I was like ten at the time, and boy did I like that man. Still do!

Last Song: Might U - From My Hero Academia: Hero's Rising Movie

Last Movie: Watched fully through? First time watching, or re-watching?

Last Movie stated (but not ended): Beauty and the Beast (live action)

Last Movie finished: Fifty Shades of Grey - the last one. Honestly, I just put them on in the background at this point. I know people won't believe me when I say this, but I actually like the story in them, not the other parts. People won't believe me, but it's true.

First Time watching: I honestly forget the name. It was one about a couple who after years of the wife waiting to go on their honeymoon, the husband finally books it (although it was a wine tasting tour). On the plane she meets a rich guy, who invites them to stay on his yacht instead. They end up being roped into a murder mystery.

Favorite Flower: Honestly, kinda feel like it's a lame flower, but buttercups. They aren't interesting in anyway, I just like them.

Currently Reading (you can add a link): Besides all of my weekly webtoons/manhuas/etc. I've been reading Boys Abyss (it's a wild ride for sure), and rereading two series that I read in high school (Hush Hush, and The Paper God series)

Currently Watching: Need to catch up on the latest season of Bungo (got kinda in a funk halfway through and stopped watching many shows, so I'm starting to get around to watching things again)

Last Thing I Wrote (Ship/Fandom) (can add link): The latest chapter of the fanfiction.

Currently Writing (can add link): NPC bios for a DnD campaign I am in. I'm writing two people from my characters home town, so I will add in some things that the party can learn about my character from them, and I will add the insight check numbers and such. I'm kinda excited to do that. :)

[millennialgrandma]

July Wrap Up

Let's just all collectively agree to ignore the fact that my July post is coming to you live from the sunset of August, ok? I could have had this done weeks ago when I took some time off work, but I DIDN'T. It isn't like I read a lot, or even wrote a lot, in July. But life happens and idk, man. I'm in this weird little funk right now.

Things I Wrote

I spent most of July decidedly Not Writing™. Until the last week of the month, naturally, when I spent a couple hours each night putting together my entry for our second "Write This In Your Style" collection. The Bloody At Your Door collection went live on Aug 1, but I'm still counting it as July writing. Especially because it is anyone's guess whether I'll manage to write at all in August (the muse has been a fickle and elusive little bitch).

Anyways, my angsty little open-ended contribution is titled the nature of breaking (dramione, E, 5k). I'm begging you to check out the rest of the collection if you haven't already. I'm astoundingly lucky to call these writers my friends.

Things I Read

Get ready, because I'm about to blow. your. mind. THAT'S RIGHT, FOLKS! I READ A TRADITIONALLY PUBLISHED BOOK! And it is all @eggbagelsjr and @mightbewriting's fault. So what if the only book I read so far this year was a monsterfucking book? IT MADE ME HAPPY.

My fanfic track record for July is pretty abysmal. Outside of a multi-chap group read in the RoR discord server, I managed a handful of completed fics. I blazed through all of the available chapters for a deliciously depraved (new to me) WIP, and caught up on another. I have otherwise fallen behind on pretty much all of the WIPs I'm following.

Fiction:

Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta (approx. 60k words)

Nonfiction:

Fanfiction:

Complete: (approx. 34.2k)

Best in Show by naughtybaguette (dramione, E, 6.6k)

The Nature of Seduction by @dreamsofdramione and @artofcrumbs (panville, E, 6k)

wanna lay my head where the cold wind blows by @one-equaltemper (dramionstoria, E, 7.8k)

Keep Swinging Your Bat My Way by @veelawings (dron, E, 1k)

Group Read: riddle me this by @megamegaturtle (dramione, GA, 8.1k)

Group Read: His Lucky Day by @monsterleadmehome (dramione, E, 5k)

WIPs: (approx. 217.9k)

Fervidity by @kittenshift-17 - Chapters 1 - 26 (dramione/sevmione/dramionbastan(?), E, 215.8k)

Where There's Smoke by @whimsymanaged - Chapter 4 (dramione, E, 2.1k)

Things I'm Currently Reading (Heading into August)

We continued our group read of @pacific-rimbaud's Love and Other Historical Accidents in July, flailing our way through Chapters 6-11. I'm still out here having the goddamn time of my life with this fic (the group finished it mid-August, but I missed the final chapter read and I'm still hanging on because I don't want it to end). I also hopped into another RoR group read for Chosen, by 5moreminutes. I only made it to the first read, so I'm just a couple of chapters in, but this fic is so wonderful and features Hannah Abbott as a side character and OH MY GOD I JUST WANT TO PUT HER IN MY POCKET AND KEEP HER FOREVER.

And since we're already ignoring the lateness of this post, let's also ignore that last month I said my July goal was to cross two fics off my TBR list, hmm? I do not wish to be perceived.

[danzinora-switch]

A Moment for the Personal

So, I’ve been debating for a long time whether or not to share anything here. Is this a writing update? Life update? PSA? Vent/rant/catharsis/inspiring memoir? I have no idea, I just feel the need to get it off my chest.

One of the reasons my writing has slowed down this summer is due to some strong instances surrounding part of my identity. I’m aroace, and while for the most part I just go on living life there were some encounters that really, really, highlighted that difference. Nothing negative or positive, just neutral happenings that threw it into sharp perspective. I am definitely aromantic. I am definitely asexual.

And normally I revel in being different. Why follow the crowd? Why try to fit in? But my ability to revel in this experience was... very limited. There’s no aroace power ballad I can blast in my car. There’s not really an aroace TV show I can watch. There are so few aroace characters out there, and there are fewer aroace stories. So I’d get frustrated and disappointed and feel different... which would make me want to revel in the difference... which would lead back to being unable to... spiral, spiral, etc. etc.

I got in a real funk.

I got out of the funk through having these honest conversations with my friends, and sharing my fears that one day everyone will pair off and leave me second best. And I love my friends to death because they put that to rest. “You will NEVER be second best,” said my college friend to me. 

And about a week later one of my good friends here and I had a full, out of the blue, conversation ABOUT the friendship and how much it means to both of us. This wasn’t prompted by me. He just started talking and the timing was perfect and I think about that conversation all the time because my god, we’re on the same page. We both value and cherish each other and what we have deeply: and it’s non-sexual, non-romantic. I’m ace, he’s gay, it’s going to stay that way. 

Throughout all of this; the funk, the resurrection, even now, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about friendships and the importance and value of platonic bonds and how much they mean to me. I’ve been filled with this craving to see/show/share this kind of love more: on screen, in books, online, etc. After my TMNT series ends, I believe this is what I will work on next. Craft some kind of narrative to emphasize that FRIENDSHIP - this platonic form of love - is real and just as important as romantic and familial love. It’s been weighing on my heart a lot, especially as I deepen my current friendships (especially with my guy friends; because it’s been too long since a man and a woman could be meaningful friends in fiction).

I want that, I have that, I want more of it.

And not just of the ace/aro perspectives; but in general. I feel we deeply need to see more strong, healthy, friendships that are valued as #1 in media, and talk about it in real life. I can’t stop thinking about it.

This whole post isn’t a plug; it’s an honest confession I just want to get out there. But last night I re-stumbled upon this: http://kck.st/3xWNtBg

Dear Luke, Love, Me

It’s an honest-to-god film about a non-sexual relationship between a man and a woman as they face pressures from society to be “normal”. Talk about TIMING...

They haven’t met their crowdfunding goal yet, but holy cow I need them to. I feel this ache in my soul to see and talk about what I experience, and what it means. I haven’t felt this way since the #saverottmnt campaign began. They have until September 18th to meet their goals, and anything helps.

So baby aces, baby aros, everyone out there, really. Tell your friends you love ‘em. Life is short, and no one should be taken for granted. And if you have the same fears I did, talk about them. Good friends listen, great friends get you out of that headspace. We’re not going to die alone. We’re not going to age helplessly. We’re going to remember that love hath none greater than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s FRIENDS.

[concentrated-mug-of-me]

tagged by @davethecryptid so im gonna do this

1. name: thomas

2. gender: male (i do not do funky genders sadly)

3. star sign: pisces

4. height: 5’11″ 

5. Time: 5:15pm (posted at 5:30)

6. Birthday: uhhhhhh not gonna say here

7. Favorite Band: the altogether

8. Favorite Solo Artist: *checks spotify wrapped* uhh harry styles apparently

9. Last Movie: Soul

10. Last Show: The Good Place

11. When did I create this blog: 2020

12. what I post: memes & posts i just like 

13. last thing I googled: alignment charts

14. Other blogs: lmao none

15. do I get asks: usually only in ask games,,,,but i want random asks all the time pls just dump stuff in my askbox

16. why I chose this url: let’s make a music let’s get free of this funk that we’re in make some noise out of tweet suggestions assembling and crafting music that’s divinneeeeeee hello and welcome to let’s make a music the podcast where we pull back the curtain on the songwriting process i’m laura kathryn gilbert

17. following: 40

18. followers: 32

19. avarage hours of sleep: 8, less on school days

20. instruments: flute, piano (barely)

21: what I’m wearing: sweatpants and big fluffy jacket

22: Dream Job: teaching?? idk i havent thought too much about it

23: dream trip: road trip with friends idk where tho just wanna vibe 

24: Favorite Food: uhh garlic bread

25: Last book I read: History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera (my review: everyone go get therapy good god)

26: Favorite Song: This Manhattan Man by The Altogether

27: Nationality: american

28: Fictional Universe I want to live in 1: 17776/20020 (look i just want some TIME and also i would eavesdrop on the space probes in real time)

29: Fictional Universe I want to live in 2: The Good Place (good afterlife system? sign me up)

30: Fictional Universe I want to live in 3: hmmm idk my own daydreams lmao

i tag uhh @genderfluid-and-confuzled @eroticlizardfiction and anyone else who wants to do it

[castiel-kline]

More thoughts on 15x18, because I’m really struggling with it. (I have lots of feelings, and a lot them are Not Pretty)

Let’s talk about the issue of Cas’s “true happiness.”

First of all, “true happiness” was never in the terms of the deal. The Empty never said Cas had to be truly happy, it only said he had to give himself “permission to be happy.” That ain’t the same thing. I feel like “true happiness” is an unreachable goal. It’s a light at the end of the tunnel that you can never reach because it doesn’t really exist. You can certainly find it in little moments along the way, but it’s not an epiphany. It’s a process. “Permission to be happy,” on the other hand, can be manufactured. It can be, “I feel like crap right now, I hate myself and my life is terrible, but I WILL be happy about watching this movie or hugging my friend.” Example- I did this today. I’ve been in a funk after this episode (hello, crippling attachment to fictional characters!) but I went over to a friend’s house and I met her new dog for the first time. And he jumped on me and I laughed and I thought, well- I still feel like crap. I still have a lot to process. I still have deadlines for actual life stuff looming over me and spiking my anxiety. But I will be happy now for this adorable little fluffball and my friend who I haven’t seen in months. I gave myself permission to be happy. 

And Cas in that scene didn’t look happy to me. He looked miserable. He looked like he was two seconds from shattering. We’ve seen Cas genuinely happy before- 14x08 comes to mind, when he laughed from pure joy at seeing Jack again. When he smiled at that little girl in early season 10. Hell, even season 6 Cas looked 1000 times happier when he went in to hug freshly-re-souled Sam than Cas did in *that* scene. When Cas is happy, there’s a lightness to him. It’s like some weight has been lifted. Cas in this episode wasn’t lightest when the Empty took him, but when he was talking to Jack. And that’s saying something because that was a fucking depressing conversation. 

And the lines everyone is talking about- “What I want is something I know I can’t have.” and “Happiness isn’t in the having. It’s in just being. It’s in just saying it.” 

Oh boy. I saw a post today calling that toxic positivity, and it’s right. Cas basically said I Will Speak the Happiness into Existence Whether I Feel it or Not. 

He also said “I wondered what my true happiness could even look like, and I never found an answer.”

First off, honey, true happiness wasn’t part of the deal. But he did say he never found an answer. Which means, presumably, that whatever was going on in this scene wasn’t true happiness. He just dropped the pretense of it, and gave himself permission to be happy at a very strategic time in order to take out Billie and stop her from killing more people. Dean, yes, but Sam and Jack as well. If there was a chance they were still alive, you can damn well bet that Cas was gonna take it. Because he’s a strategist. He was a soldier for millions of years and he commanded Heavenly armies. I feel like that’s not a job Michael or Raphael or whoever else would give to just anybody. 

So what if what Cas wanted but could never have was happiness? And he forced himself to feel some so the Empty would come, and that’s why he was so “oh wow I love my friend.” And I’m not disputing that there’s love there. I don’t vibe with Destiel and I think something has got to be reciprocated before it can be canon, but whether it was platonic or romantic or something in between or something different altogether those two definitely had something going on. That is in no way an excuse for Dean treating him like crap for years, but we’ve all looked for the best in people, in things, even if they hurt us or disappointed us or really fucking pissed us off. Kinda like what I’m doing right now LMAO

And if you watch closely, Cas takes a fucking minute after he mentions Jack. He looked like he was in so much pain. His voice cracked when he mentioned Sam. In making the choice to sacrifice himself he was condemning himself to never seeing Sam again. Never seeing Jack again. And Sam and Cas love each other so damn much, and Cas loves Jack more than anything else. That was bound to be hard. Probably one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do. 

So of course he focused on Dean. Because he loves him too, even though he probably shouldn’t sometimes, and he mustered up enough happiness for the Empty to come, and found some pride in himself and how he’s grown. I do believe he sort of accepted himself, and let go of some of his self-loathing at the last second. He cobbled together some last-minute peace. I’m proud of him for that. 

But I think I hate it, in all honestly. I DESPISE it as an ending for Castiel. It doesn’t do him justice in the slightest. It doesn’t begin to be in that realm. It was a mess, it was poorly written, he felt out of character (the fucking disconnect from Cas in his scenes with Jack this ep vs. this monstrosity... whoa nelly. I have whiplash). But I have to believe that there’s something like this in there, or I will go insane. I’m far too attached to Cas to just let this go without settling on an interpretation that isn’t “gay angel goes to superhell.” Totally valid to cope with 2012 tumblr humor, but dear god am I really struggling with this. It was bad, but I need to take it somewhat seriously for my own sanity.

And he’s dead. He’s gone, probably permanently. And the knowledge of that alone is enough to make me cry (listen... Castiel has gotten me through some crap in my life. I MISS him) and I will forever be angry that his ending wasn’t even about him. So hopefully my analysis helped you a little bit, if you’re in a Cas-loving pit and clawing your way out like me. 

I just think the timing of it was too perfect for Cas not to have been aware of what he was doing. It was too deliberate. And though I am all for Cas getting some kind of canonical queerness (even though all the SPN angels are technically canonically genderfluid/nonbinary/non-conforming, somewhere in that broad spectrum), I still think what he wanted but could never have was much more to do with himself rather than Dean. He really didn’t have to die, though, certainly not so terribly. I think I actually preferred his death in All Along the Watchtower. I wouldn’t trade late seasons Cas for anything, though, because (excepting this) he was rad. Killing the game. Dadstiel, Sam and Cas’s friendship- I loved watching those flourish in the late seasons. And everything I loved most about it was done so dirty. I’m just so tired. I wish I could mourn him without being angry and bitter at the writers. 

[big-urchin-energy]

About me tag

got tagged by @siarven,, thank you very much this has taken literal hours,, if i’ve been slow replying for a while, this is why skdfhskdjdkjfh

Name/Nickname: maisie

Gender: approximately genderfluid, with a side of ‘no’, ‘yes’, and ‘idk man i just work here’

Star sign: taurus

Height: 158 cm

Time: 10:15pm 1:55am

Birthday: 21 May

Favorite band/group: this is so hard! there are lots and they’re all very predictable! they might be giants and the fratellis have been long-time favourites of mine (and then of course there’s mother mother, the mechanisms, tally hall, etc. you get the idea, and thank god you didn’t ask for solo artists)

Song stuck in your head: dirty imbecile by the happy fits

Last movie: i genuinely do not remember. i watched jojo rabbit in the summer? but i think there’s probably been some more since then

Last show: wandavision

When did I create this blog: late 2013 i think

What do I post about? mostly tma, but usually just whatever takes my fancy. politics as well, or anything else i’m into

Other blogs: @aromichaelshelley (where i put the vast majority of my aro, ace and gender stuff but also posts that are specifically about michael shelley, the love of my life. might start putting fic updates on there as well idk)

Do I get asks: not very often, it’s usually just the chain ones which i’m too lazy to do half the time

Why I chose my url: my friend told me a couple of years ago that i had big street urchin energy which is true

Average hours of sleep: i am currently unemployed and un-studented so i go to sleep whenever and wake up between 8 and 11

Lucky number: i’m not sure if i have one but i like 4 and 0

Instrument: flute but i hardly play anymore,, i really want to but it’s been so long i sound dreadful

What am I wearing: cool skull tshirt over long-sleeved rainbow top, and pyjama pants

Dream job: i think i’d like to be an editor, although i would also love to be unemployed forever, i don’t dream of working fuck capitalism

Dream trip: i’ve never been super into traveling, but if i could afford it i’d love to visit new zealand. there and scotland,, i wanna go all over scotland. i was supposed to go last summer on a scout camp, that would’ve been fun

Favorite food: i feel like it’s kinda a weird one but ever since i was little my mum made pizza but instead of a tomato base it’s spinach and pesto? and it’s soooooooo good, just chopped spinach, pesto and mozzarella on pizza? god tier meal

Nationality: british

Favorite song: okay here we go, we’re getting one of each,,,, For No One is one of my favourite beatles songs and sadly i’m a huge beatles stan (revolver is maybe my favourite album of theirs), i’m not sure i can pick just one tmbg song but for sheer Makes-Me-Smile vibes, We Want a Rock bc i’m weak for audible smiles in songs, Blood and Whiskey by the mechs, because of course it is, i’m only human,, and i can’t for the life of me think of any more that wouldn’t lead me to just. picking 30 songs

Last book I read: Thirteen Storeys by jonny sims (i enjoyed the making fun of rich people)

Top three fictional worlds: i have suddenly forgotten every single piece of media i have ever seen or read oh no,, but i love the Inkworld in Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, the Diskworld comes to mind too, and, because i refuse to say harry potter, i’m gonna say Yonderland from the series Yonderland, because that always seemed like a pretty cool place to be and i feel like i cant just say ‘the world from this fic i read one time’

tagging @chikacupcake and like. whoever else wants to do it but no pressure, you don’t have to, but if you follow me then feel free, it’s fun :))

[insanitysscribblings]

Reyna Writes: High Hopes

Been a while!

Trying to get back in the saddle with this Claudeth thing that won’t leave me alone. So if you’re a FE3H fan, hope you enjoy! <3

~Reyna

________________________________________________________________

The folder thudded against the desk, the weight of its importance impressive...to anyone else. As it happened, his daughter just glanced at it before continuing on with the paperwork already under her nose.

“What’s that?”

“Your new contract.”

Byleth’s pen stayed, her dark eyes flicking up to meet his. Every day, Jeralt was stunned by the spitting image his daughter painted of his wife. Well, the painting was a forgery in one aspect--Byleth’s smiles were a work of fiction.

“I’m not taking new contracts.” Her tone, flatter than usual, brooked no argument. Jeralt frowned. He supposed it was his fault that his child had turned out so stubborn. He had done his best with her, of course, but even so...

When Byleth showed every intention of ignoring the file, Jeralt decided to level with her.

“Look, kid: I know your last contract didn’t...work out.”

Byleth’s brow furrowed ever so slightly. It was enough to let Jeralt know that he was treading into dangerous waters. They did not discuss the Blaiddyd contract in this house.

“But what’re you gonna do, not work for the rest of your life?”

Byleth spun in her chair, giving her father her back. He sighed and rubbed the back of his head. How on earth had his wife talked him into having children?

“Despite what happened, you’re still good at what you do, kid. Damn good. It’d be a shame for you to quit now.”

“I can get another job.”

The notion was half-hearted, and they both knew it. Jeralt seized that wavering tone he could sense just beyond her words.

“Aren’t you just a little curious? This offer came straight from Boss Lady herself.”

Byleth’s head perked up then. Jeralt smirked as she turned just enough to side-glance at him. As much as he hated the hold Rhea seemed to have over his daughter, he would admit that maybe this was just what Byleth needed to shake off the funk she’d been in lately.

“....” Byleth spun back around, her eyes bouncing between the file and Jeralt. Ah, there it was--that little spark of intrigue. That was all Jeralt needed.

“There’s been a stir in the politics game lately,” he explained, turning to the television in the corner of the office. He raised the remote and clicked it on, the sound muted. Sure enough, there he was, splashed across their chosen news station: his daughter’s new assignment. “He’s been saying a lot of stuff that’s a little too idealistic, if you ask me. But his charisma is unparalleled. People’re callin’ him ‘the face of Fodlan’s unification.’” Jeralt set down the remote and eyed his daughter. “Some of the stuff he’s been sayin’ has put a target on his back, too.”

Byleth’s gaze was more unimpressed than usual as she watched the young man onscreen gesticulate in front of an enraptured crowed.

“Is he a politician or a peacock?” she grumbled. Jeralt laughed at that.

“I’ll leave it up for you to decide.” Just as Byleth was slowly reaching for the file, however, Jeralt snatched it up, regarding her raised eyebrows grimly. “But I’m not gonna give ya the job if you’re gonna be half-hearted about it. If you’re gonna do this, kid, ya gotta be sharp. Understand?”

Byleth seemed to understand his meaning: as much as he wanted her to get back in the game, he would not encourage her at the cost of her life. If she wanted the job, she had to let go of the past.

That wasn’t always so easy to do--Jeralt knew that perfectly well. But as much as his own shadows haunted him, he’d be damned if he would let the same fate befall his daughter. He had raised her to be better than him, so better she would be.

Byleth straightened her shoulders and gave a firm nod. At that signal, it was only with the barest hint of concern that he handed the file back to her.

“Go get ‘em, kid.”

________________________________________________________________

For the life of her, Byleth just couldn’t understand why anyone believed buildings had to be this big. Did they fancy themselves close to their gods when they built structures that reached the sky? Did the Tower of Babel teach them nothing?

Shaking her head, Byleth quieted that ancient griping at the back of her head. Thoughts that went on diatribes like that often came out of nowhere; whenever she voiced them, her father would laugh and call her an ‘old soul’. That wasn’t quite it...but since she had no other explanation, she would just nod along. It was better than being the alternative.

Her new assignment was situated on the top floor--of course. Byleth suppressed her eye roll as she stepped into the elevator. The tinkling music playing overhead did nothing to settle her nerves, so she did her best to soothe herself with breathing exercises, measuring her breathing as the elevator changed floors. It didn’t bother to stop in between any other floors; Byleth wondered if the elevator she’d been directed to had exclusive access to the top floor, despite having buttons for every other floor. Or was it just coincidence?

Before she could figure it out--and it was part of her job to figure it out--the elevator chimed, and the doors opened right into a lobby of some sorts. As Byleth stepped out of the elevator, the pink-haired woman behind what was presumably the secretary’s desk hopped up in surprise.

“Oh, hi~! Um, excuse me, but are you lost? This is kind of a restricted floor.”

Byleth stepped forward, assessing the woman. Dainty, gilded, hardly a threat...at least, she wouldn’t be, if Byleth couldn’t see that can of mace hidden behind her back. A part of her was impressed.

“I’m Byleth Eisner,” she introduced herself, slowly retrieving her business card from her breast pocket so the ‘delicate flower’ wouldn’t jump the gun and do something regrettable. “Your boss is expecting me.”

The pink-haired woman’s rose-colored eyes took in the business card before she blinked up at Byleth, her lips pursing.

“Is that so...”

She sounded like she didn’t believe Byleth. It wouldn’t be the first time. A part of Byleth was annoyed by the perpetual underestimation she had to go through, but the more practical part of her did what any woman in her position would do: she used it to her advantage.

Before she could ask when she could expect to see the man in question, a door to her right opened, and the man himself stepped into the lobby. He was dressed smartly in a tan suit; Byleth could see the black vest underneath as he was shrugging his blazer into place. He wasn’t focused on the room; his eyes were staring in the distance as he was finishing a phone call.

“--as I said, Lorenz, you catch more flies with honey--yes, I know, he was abominably rude to you, but what do you expect from a dictator? Besides, we only have to make nice until he’s ousted, which from the protests we’ve been seeing, that won’t be long. Now please let it go. Yes, I’m on my way to see you now, when am I not? Honestly, with how much you demand me to see you, the tabloids will start stirring up rumors that we’re sleeping toge--I’m joking! Please calm down before you permanently furrow that alabaster brow of yours, all right? I’ll see you in twenty.”

He finally hung up his phone, tucking it into an inner pocket of his blazer as his eyes found his secretary.

“Lorenz is getting antsy. Can you forward my calls to my cell?”

“Sure, but...” the woman’s eyes flickered to Byleth. “You have a...guest.”

The man was in the process of putting on his sunglasses, so Byleth had to watch him do the exaggerated once-over over them as he took her in. His eyes were a deep shade of green; they reminded her of deep acres of forests, the kind that held ancient secrets hidden from the everyday view of the common man.

“I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure,” he said, pulling his sunglasses off again as his face lit up in a hundred-watt smile. Byleth was interested to see that said smile did not reach his eyes; those remained distant, careful. Calculating. “How can I help you, Miss--?”

“Eisner. Byleth Eisner.” Byleth stepped forward, holding her hand out for a handshake. “I’m your new bodyguard.”

The man paused, reacting a little late in shaking her hand.

“Really?” He looked her over once more, as if he’d missed something. “You’re from Saint Seiros Co.? The woman they call ‘The Ashen Demon’?”

Byleth’s expression was neutral as she gave a nod. She wasn’t particularly fond of that nickname...but work was work.

There was one more glance-over--focused longer on her breasts than she liked--before his eyes met hers once more.

“Well. You’re not what I expected.”

Byleth’s eyebrows flicked upwards.

“I rarely am,” she admitted. That managed to get a genuine smile from the man, much to her surprise.

“I like you,” he decided, quite abruptly as he gave her hand a firm squeeze. “Claude von Riegan.”

“I know who you are.”

“I suppose you do,” he agreed with a laugh. He finally released her hand, carding it through his dark hair. “I suppose you also know why you’re here.”

Byleth nodded.

“You’ve been receiving death threats.”

Claude winced at the simple words, a hand over his heart like they were wounding him physically.

“Just a couple,” he agreed. The pink-haired woman scoffed.

“‘A couple’?! We had to order the post office to stop our mail for a whole month!”

“No one got hurt, Hilda.”

“Still,” she sniffed, her dainty nose wrinkling in disgust. Claude patter her head sympathetically, and was rewarded with a swat and a complaint of messing up her hair.

“So yeah, my granddad figured I could use some extra muscle.” Claude raised his eyebrows at Byleth. “Lots of scary letters threatening my imminent demise. That means papercuts. Thousands of ‘em. Think you can handle it?”

In that moment, Byleth cataloged several things at once: 

One, Claude von Riegan was not a very serious man. At least, he appeared not to be. His true nature had yet to be determined.

Two, it was most likely his grandfather’s idea for him to run for office--in Byleth’s research, she had taken note of the von Riegan family history, and concluded that politics ran in their blood. This most recent iteration of von Riegan was straying a bit from the party line, though...for what reason? Money? Publicity? She’d have to figure that out soon as well.

And three, whoever was taking the time to send him a never-ending barrage of death threats wasn’t playing games. They were serious about wanting his life. Which meant that Byleth certainly had her work cut out for her, whether Claude von Riegan knew it or not.

A shrill tune rang through the air. Claude tutted, frowning at the screen.

“I’d better go. Lorenz is going to start having kittens at this rate. Can you hold down the fort, Hilda?”

“Way ahead of you,” Hilda replied, sitting down at her desk once more and returning to the very busy work of filing her nails. Byleth spared her a glance before she made to follow Claude. This seemed to surprise him.

“Yes?”

Byleth stared at him. What did he mean, ‘yes’?

“I’m accompanying you.” At his blink, Byleth’s gaze went flat. “That is what a bodyguard does.”

“Oh, I’m just meeting Lorenz. There’s no danger there,” Claude assured her with a bright grin. Byleth remained unmoved.

“With all due respect, sir, I would be negligent in my duties if I did not accompany you from now on. What could just be a meeting to you could turn sour very quickly, if you don’t know what to look for.”

Claude’s smile faded, his eyes becoming critical again as he stared at her.

“I really think I’ll be fine,” he insisted. Byleth took a step closer to him.

“You will be,” she agreed, eyes never wavering from his, “because I will be there to protect you. Even if you find it unnecessary.”

Silence fell between them as they sized each other up, Claude testing the metal that surrounded Byleth’s resolve as she took shape of the glass he used to barricade himself from others without them even noticing. The staring match was only interrupted by the clearing of Hilda’s throat.

“Claude, if you don’t leave soon, Lorenz is going to start calling me.”

That must’ve been an undesirable situation; Claude shot her an apologetic grin over his shoulder before he returned to his stride to the elevator.

“Sorry, Hild. I’m going now.” As he pressed the button for the elevator, he turned once more to look at Byleth. “After you, Miss Eisner.”

“Byleth’s fine,” Byleth corrected him, preceding him on the elevator as he requested. His eyes twinkled with interest as he followed her.

“As you wish, Miss Bodyguard.”

Byleth leveled him a flat look. Something told her they were going to be having a lot more battles in this regard. She’d better get to work sharpening her blades.

[preface2adreamplay]

Under Your Spell (Part 14) - Morning After You

Summary: A Jared Padalecki/OFC/Oscar Isaac fiction.

Stef is a musician, recently gone solo. Happy with her life as a forever single person until Jared makes it his mission to get close to her. Her ex, Oscar isn’t sure what to make of her new relationship. Should he step in or leave her be? (For the purpose of this fiction, I have liberated some lyrics from various artists and their videos. This is fiction, with real people mentioned.) Married Jared, single Oscar!

Chapter warnings: Cursing

Chapter WC: 1,928

You doubt and you're desperate, you wear both your cross and your hammer.

Reactions to Twin Flames had been better than she could have ever imagined. The distraction of Jared visiting kept her away from the anxieties of releasing another new song. He had left an hour before the bus pulled away, holding her face in his hands, kissing her like he would never see her again. She missed him already. Already pining for him. He felt the same.

As she made her way across state lines, texts were coming through from everybody she knew.

Jared: I miss you so much. I keep watching this video, wishing we were making it all over again.

Stef: Making the video or making love

Jared: Both :) 

Claire: My god, that video is hawt. Brendan misses you, he’s being a douche rn.

Darius: Mom, that video is amazing, I’m glad I didn’t have to see dad doing those things to you though. Warn me if the next one will be that graphic pls.

Oscar: I was not expecting the video to be like that. It’s both beautiful and confusing. 

Stef rolled her eyes. She could just imagine Oscar’s brows furrowed, thinking over the video. 

Stef: It’s past demons coming for me. I’m allowing them to devour me so I am reborn. I thought you’d be happy for me. Growing up and moving on.

Oscar: So happy for you. x

Several messages popped up from Jared while she drank her third coffee that morning.

Fuck

In trouble

They were Paps

Gen angry. 

HELP ME

Stef snorted with laughter. He was really panicking. 

Chill. I’ll put something up on my twitter about us hanging out, it should take some heat off.

Sure enough, it did. Stef had posted a short tweet about Jared coming to NY to celebrate the release of the song. She tagged her bandmates too. Mentioning that she would see her fans at the next show in Pittsburgh. 

Two more shows in Canada, then home. 

Just before she stepped on stage that night, she shot off a text to Jared.

Stef: Everything ok now?

It was hours before he replied. 

Jared: Still in trouble, will call you later.

They were travelling again, hitting the road as soon as the show was finished. They all stank of sweat and beer. Luckily, they were staying in a hotel the next day. Her phone, on silent, flashed with Jared’s name across the screen. Keeping her voice low while the guys slept, she answered, her heart hammering in her chest.

‘Hey.’

‘Hey you,’ his voice just as low as hers.

‘What’s going on?’

‘Oh, just, Gen not happy we got caught. Photos of us on some gossip website. Did you see?’

‘Nah, I don’t care much for them. I didn’t have food on my shirt did I?’

Jared snorted, the tension easing as he laughed. ‘No. Gen showed me the photos but I told her not to look. We were just having lunch.’

‘Well, don’t look at comments on anything right now, it might upset you.’

Jared sighed heavily. ‘I hate that I’m getting in trouble over this. Can’t I just see my girl without someone else putting it out there for everyone to see?’

‘That’s kind of part of the agreement, honey.’ Stef yawned. She couldn’t help herself, her mind and body were achingly tired. 

‘Yeah, but I broke the rules by going to see you.’

‘What rules?’

‘Well, we date other people when I’m away working. And I’m not working right now, I will be in a week or two but yeah, I may not get to see you all too soon. I’m sorry.’

‘What does that mean for us?’ Stef swallowed a lump in her throat.

‘Nothing baby, I just have to put my energy into my family right now. The kids missed me and I missed them. They’ll be back at school soon...’

‘So, I’ll be put on the back burner.’

‘Nah not like that. Come on.’ He pleaded.

‘It is like that. It’s what we signed up for. It’s not like you’re leaving your wife for me, you have to work between the two of us.’

Jared was silent on his end of the phone, it made Stef feel uncomfortable, she really didn’t know how to move forward in the conversation. 

‘If that’s what you still want,’ Stef said, her voice lower that before. Her fingers winding into her hair nervously.

‘I always want you. Never think that I don’t.’ 

‘But you want to take a break from us for a while?’

‘I don’t want to, but it looks like we have to.’ 

It wasn’t final, but it felt like a kick in the gut. 

Stef couldn’t agree to it, couldn’t say yes or no or fight with him. 

‘Stef?’ His voice came through, she could hear his longing. 

‘Yeah, it’s fine.’

‘No, it’s not. It’s not what you wanted. You told me you didn’t want this to be for everyone else, it was just for us and I promised you that. I said it was just for us. I fucked it up.’

‘I wouldn’t take it back though.’ Feeling as though she couldn’t punish him for everyone else’s reaction to it. It seemed so simple all of a sudden. 

‘No I don’t regret a single thing. Maybe I just need to be a little more careful.’

‘We need to be more careful. I don’t want to talk about shit I know nothing about but I hope your wife isn’t too upset about this.’

‘Yeah well. I’ll have to work to get back in the good books.’

‘Good luck with that!’ 

Jared hummed on the other side of the phone. ‘You know what will get me through the next few days? A picture of my girl.’

Stef smiled. ‘Of me now? I look horrid after the show.’

Jared chuckled, ‘Impossible. And send one to me tomorrow too. I need my fix.’

‘Are we talking kinky pictures or...’

‘Well, now that you mention it, the idea is in my head.’ 

Stef bit her lip, curiosity taking over. ‘Maybe I’ll take a sexy picture. You’ll have to wait and see.’

‘Oh, baby don’t make me wait.’

‘He complains! After having me several ways yesterday.’

Jared whimpered. ‘I’m touching myself through my pants right now.’

‘Behave,’ she scolded playfully.

‘I can’t! You make me feel desired.’

‘Hey, can you not quote my lyrics to me!’

Jared started laughing then, feeling the funk of the last few hours draining away. ‘You make me feel so much better about this whole situation.’

‘It’s nothing, Jared. You can move past this. And I’m here until we decide otherwise.’

‘You mean if we decide to break up? Which we’re not.’ Jared pressed, ‘we’re not are we?’

‘No.’ Stef said with finality. 

There was a voice in the background, she heard Jared pulling the phone away from his face. 

‘I gotta go.’

‘Ok, good luck.’ Was all she could say before she heard his weak ‘goodbye.’ 

***

‘Brendan! My little douchebag, you miss me?’ Stef was kneeling on the floor of Claire’s hallway. Brendan was rubbing himself against her legs, annoyed that she had left him and happy that she was back. He couldn’t decide to be excited or just ignore her completely.

‘He was good for most of the time, but he destroyed some shit, as usual!’ Claire spoke to the cat, not Stef. 

Sitting on her back porch in the bright autumn evening, hands around a strong mug of green tea, Stef gagged with each sip. She hated the stuff, but it was all Claire had.

‘So you hear from Richard at all?’ Stef didn’t want to the conversation to get on to Jared. They hadn’t spoken in three days and she missed him desperately. 

‘Yes! Oh my god, we went out last week, that guy is sooooo funny!’ Claire exclaimed. 

‘So, have you fucked him yet?’ Stef asked, remembering Claire asked her the same question about Jared.

‘I did, actually.’

‘And?’

Claire was beaming, ‘that guy is amazing in the sack. He’s amazing anyway.’

‘Woah, Claire. This is starting to sound like love.’

Claire rolled her eyes, ‘maybe. Oh my god. Listen to me.’

‘You’re gushing about a man!’ Stef couldn’t disguise how happy she was for Claire. 

‘I’m seeing him next week too, he’s working on Supernatural so I get to see him and go on set.’

Stef’s heart sank a little, thinking of Claire on set meeting everyone again. Meeting Jared.

Claire nudged her, ‘You’re coming too, you know! I’m not walking on set by myself.’

‘Am I going? Jared hasn’t asked me.’

‘Shush, Richard said he would arrange it with Jared so we can go for dinner. All of us. All the cast, so it won’t look too suspicious for you guys.’

‘That’s nice of him. So he knows about me and Jared?’

‘Yes. And he’s totally cool with it. He said it’s also cool if you want to join us for a threesome.’

‘Oh tell him yes, right now. Tell him I’m ready and waiting.’ 

Claire clapped gleefully, ‘Oh he will be so happy. He’s always wanted to have a brunette and a redhead at the same time.’

‘You know, if I weren’t seeing Jared, I might even consider it.’ Stef imagined herself rolling around in the sheets with Richard, she bet that guy could fuck. 

‘You’re not exclusive are you? It’s more of an open thing, right?’

Stef considered it for a moment, ‘I guess it is. But, I don’t think Jared would be too happy with the thoughts of me and Richard. And you!’

Claire shrugged, ‘As if he’s not sleeping with is wife too.’

‘Please stop, I don’t want to think about it!’ Stef put her head into her hands.

‘Sorry, but he does. That man has a good thing going. Two women on the go.’

‘Am I foolish, Claire? Tell me truthfully.’

Claire reached over and placed her hand in Stef’s. ‘We have been friends for so long, I would tell you if I thought you were being an idiot, in an instant you know I would.’ 

Stef nodded, agreeing.

‘To anyone on the outside looking in, yeah you could be a little foolish. But this is what you want and it’s what he wants. It suits you both. You’re enjoying it now.’

Claire kissed Stef’s hand. ‘So stop thinking too much on it. Just enjoy the love and attention of a good man with a good heart.’

‘You’re right.’

‘Of course I’m right.’

They fell into silence, thinking of the men currently occupying their mental space. 

‘He has a huge dick doesn’t he?’ Claire mused.

‘Totally. And Rich?’

Claire sighed happily, ‘it’s as big as his personality. God, that man is made for me.’

‘Oh I told Jared I would send him a selfie.’ Stef pulled her phone from her pocket.

‘No, let me take it. Pose sexy,’ Claire grabbed the phone and typed in the pin code. 

Stef leaned back against the rail on the porch, her hand in her hair. licking her lips. her gaze cast down.

‘Pull your tits out a bit, perfect.’ Claire showed Stef the photo before whipping it away and texting it to Jared.

‘Bitch, I can send my own messages!’

‘Yeah but you’ll put something boring. Let me.’

Stef laughed, covering her face with embarrassment seeing the picture that was sent to Jared with the tag line. ‘This pussy is so wet thinking of you.’

Brendan was in the lower half of the picture drinking water from a flower pot. 

CHAPTER 15

[clevercatchphrase]

Just some numbers and figures~

So! I finished my fan fiction, You Monster, this week, and it took me exactly 3 and a half years to write/edit/publish. This post at the time of writing, however, is being written a few days before the final chapter goes up, just examining  some numbers and trends around the wordcount and posting rate of my fan fic, because i’m obsessed with numbers and such, and i’m just trying to chew up time and keep myself occupied before the last chapter goes public. There’s literally no point to this post other than to marvel at how long this story is and how long it took me to get it out there, and reflect on what happened to me in The Real World during that time. Care to join me?

In Microsoft Word, this entire story is 609 pages and 209,235 words. The word count is slightly higher on AO3 (which I consider the definitive draft), partly because AO3 counts formatting tags as words for some reason, and because if I make little adjustments to the story, I’ll do it on AO3, but not on the original word file (or corresponding tumblr post for that matter) because I can’t be bothered to. 

According to AO3, I started this fic on January 3rd, 2016, smack dab in the middle of my winter break in my last year of college. I probably started writing it a few days before, maybe in december. I’m not really sure, but I’m kinda surprised I started it so early in the year, especially since I was writing by the seat of my pants for the first 14 chapters or so.

The following pictures highlight what days/months chapters were posted, according to AO3 (I personally think there might be a discrepancy or two due to timezones)

Chapter-wise, the first third of this story (Chapters 1 through 12) was written and posted in 2 months, and TWO THIRDS of the entire story (Chapters 1 through 25 (rounding up)) were written in the first YEAR.

Wordcount-wise, HALF the story (roughly 100k words) was written in one year.

There was a dramatic drop in productivity at the middle/end of 2016 due to Real World Stress, mostly me graduating & getting a job, the presidential elections, and learning a family member was starting to have kidney failure.

God, 2017 was a bad year for me, productivity-wise. In early June I lost said family member due to their kidney failure, and was completely unmotivated to work on You Monster for the rest of the year. I remember forcing myself to write for NaNoWriMo that year, and it helped snap me out of my funk, but I didn’t like how the writing came out and kept pushing off revising and editing the drafts for several weeks. I also remember getting really sick on christmas eve/day with a terrible flu, which made me unable to post the next chapter until January.

I actually felt a lot better mentally and emotionally in 2018. I WOULD have written more in early 2018, but that was also when the Hiveswap Comic Contest started, and lasted for 3 straight months with me doing nothing more than drawing comics for 12 consecutive weeks. Then, after that was over, I started thinking/planning more seriously about writing ANOTHER story, which later became Ghost Switch, and I offically started that halfway through 2018. I originally thought about making Ghost Switch a written work, but it was basically going to be another re-telling of Undertale, which was what I was doing with You Monster anyway, and I didn’t want to write all of that out again, so I decided to make it a comic instead. It was a great decision for me art-wise, because now I’m improving my art skills through weekly comic pages, but it was also a terrible decision art-wise because now I GOTTA KEEP DRAWING POSES AND BACKGROUNDS AND DRAWING PEOPLE IS HARD. 

Back to the point- I forced myself to write this fic again for NaNoWriMo that year, and was terribly upset that I still didn’t finish. But this time, I forced myself to revise and edit my writing until it became something I could tolerate, and posted the next chapter in January (again, but this time because my writing needed far more revisions than last year’s nano draft) 

Getting back into revising and editing DID seriously help me get back in the groove of Wanting To Write, but it was a little trickier now that I was also drawing a comic, and it was hard to manage my time between the two, because when I write, I do it for great stretches at a time. I mean, like, 4 or 5 hours straight of writing. Same goes for comic making, too. sketching the pages can take me two hours, and cleaning/inking/coloring them can take me anywhere from 4 to 6 hours.

Hm. If I included the other fics I wrote during this time, I get the feeling these calendars would look a lot more active and colorful. Maybe i’ll do that for myself later, so I can see how much I posted in 3 years.

This year, I was absolutely determined to finish this story, even if it killed me. I was still struggling to manage my time between writing and art, mostly dedicating a few weeks to make a buffer of comic pages so I could have a couple of weeks dedicated to writing. It was time consuming, and I felt bad when I worked on one but not the other, but I finally got my breakthrough in May, when I had to take multiple trips to an automotive shop for several different car repairs. Instead of just leaving my car there and going home, I brought my writing spirals with me and just wrote and wrote and didn’t stop writing while I waited in their loby. I finally finished the rough drafts of my story after being stuck for 4 hours in a Pepboys, and spent two more full days typing it out. Then, I rested for a week, and spent 3 more revising and editing the remaining bits. I was hoping to get the whole thing done and posted before July ended, but that did not end up being the case. For me, when we finally get to August, we have entered “the end of the year”. Ah, well. Even though I didn’t get the story completely posted before August, I can still take pride in knowing I finished it before the year was half way over~!

NOW FOR SOME NUMBERS!

I personally divide this story into 5 arcs, Ruins, Snowdin, Waterfall, Hotland, and New Home And Beyond (Which is basically anything that can happen after you unlock the true lab in-game)

Ruins

The Ruins arc I consider everything in chapters 1 thorugh 12. It is simultainiously the longest arc (chapter-wise, with 12 chapters which as mentioned earlier, is 1/3rd of the story) and also the shortest arc, only taking up 24k words (Which is an 8th of the entire story, or roughly 12.5%).It was also the quickest writen arc, as it was primarily prologue/first act material. Pretty much all of it was written in that first January. It’s 80 pages long, or 13% of all pages

Snowdin

The snowdin arc (chapters 13 to 22) is just under 25% of the entire story, coming in at 49 thousand words (on the nose!) It is the second longest arc in both word count and in number of Chapters (10, to be exact~) It took me roughly 4.5 months to write this arc. We also spend the most physical in-story time in Snowdin. Almost 3 full days, which is half of the story’s timeline (not counting the 7-8 years in the Ruins. That was all set-up) It’s 172 pages long, or 28% of all pages.

Waterfall

The Waterfall arc (Chapters 23 to 28) is the longest arc wordcount-wise, making up another 25% of the story, coming in at 53.6 thousand words, and dead center when it comes to the number of chapters it makes up (which is 6). Looking at this now, litterally half this story takes place in Snowdin and Waterfall. Roughly one full day is spent in waterfall, from noon of the first day, to roughly late morning of the second. This arc took me 11 months to write/post, and if you read the notes for these corrisponding chapters, you can tell I was not having a good time during it. It’s 178 pages long, or 29% of all pages.

Hotland

The Hotland arc, (chapters 29 to 32) Is the shortest arc chapter-wise, with only 4 (10% of all chapters), and second shortest arc wordcount-wise, coming in at 36 thousand words, or about 18% of the story. It’s also the shortest in-story arc time-wise, seeing as you only spend about half a day here. I did not like writing the hotland arc! Mostly in part because Hotland is my least favorite region in the game. Chapter 32 is probably my least favorite out of all of what I’ve written. It was difficult figuring out what to do with Alphys and Mettaton, seeing as their interactions with you in game heavily focus on you and your human-ness. I am quite glad that each chapter was pretty neatly divided by in-game floors. It was a good way to know where a chapter could end and when I could give the characters some breathing room. It took me over a year to complete the Hotland arc, and most of that time was because I didn’t want to revise and edit what I wrote. It’s 123 pages long, or 20% of all pages.

New Home and Beyond

I don’t consider the True Lab part of Hotland because of in-game story reasons. You can’t access it until you’ve gone to New Home at least once, and once you enter it, you cant leave until you finish it, which, again, takes you to new home. Honestly, once you get to the true lab, you’ve won the game. There is no way to ruin your pacifist playthrough once you get to the lab, and while the amalgamates may kill you, you can’t “lose” once you get this far. That’s why I consider Chapter 33 the start of the New Home arc even though in my story we haven’t seen new home yet (mostly because there are no saves or resets in this story, so we kinda couldn’t have gone there first).

The New Home arc is the second shortest chapter-wise, making up the last 5 chapters (13% of all of them), and is dead-center when it comes to word count, finishing with 46.5 thousand words, or roughly the last 25%. I was actually really excited to write everything from chapter 34 to 36 after having been fantisizing about it in my head for the last two years. I gotta be honest, the end of chapter 37 gave me some trouble. I was still making edits up to a few days before it went public, but I think I got the feelings I wanted across~ It’s 161 pages long, or 26% of all pages.

Extra???

I started keeping a word file for bits of dialogue and scenes that I originally wrote in my spiral, but ultimately cut for one reason or another. Mostly these are just sentences and snippets that sounded redundant, ooc, or were just an alternate dialouge I decided not to use. I didn’t start doing this until chapter 28, according to my files, but according to the masterfile, there were 6.4 thousand words I ended up not using. 

There are, in fact, several bullet points I had originally planned and ended up not using, such as Sans ASKING Undyne to keep an eye on the kid while they were in waterfall, which sounded hypocritical after I wrote him coming to peace with them, as well as having Asgore tuoring the Underground that week, and thus Sans, Papyrus, Undyne and Alphys having to hide Frisk from him once they become friends. (the painkillers Alphys also gave frisk were actually supposed to induce drowsiness in Frisk, making them fall asleep so Alphys could keep them from going to New Home, but this was a point I dropped at the absolute last minute, and you can tell if you re-read chapter 29, because it’s hinted at, but the painkillers are never mentioned again. I figured that plot point was a little too dark for Alphys’ character)

Fun Fact: the zalgo text in Chapter 27 DOES actually have dialouge in it, if you know what to look for. Only one person has asked about it, but no one has yet to decifer it.

AT A GLANCE:

ARC LENGTHS (CHAPTER WISE) SHORTEST TO LONGEST

Hotland (4 Chapters)

New Home and Beyond (5 Chapters)

Waterfall (6 Chapters)

Snowdin (10 Chapters)

Ruins (12 Chapters)

ARC LENGTHS (WORDCOUNT WISE) SHORTEST TO LONGEST

Ruins (24k)

Hotland (36k)

New Home and Beyond (46.5k)

Snowdin (48k)

Waterfall (53.6k)

ARC LENGTHS (PAGE COUNT) SHORTEST TO LONGEST

(Same order as above)

TIME TAKEN TO WRITE/PUBLISH, SHORTEST TO LONGEST

Ruins (1 month)

Snowdin (4.5 months)

New Home and Beyond (~6 months)

Waterfall (11 months)

Hotland (>1 Year)

Other Numbers For Some Reason

Chapters 1 through 19 make up the 1st 50k words (this when Frisk falls into the underground, up to Sans attacking them in the kitchen) 19 chapters

Chapters 20 through 26 make up the 2nd 50k words (when Frisk decides to seek asgore’s help, to when Undyne cuts the bridge) 7 chapters

Chapters 27 through 31 make up the 3rd 50k words (when Frisk dislocates their shoulder to Flowey killing the messenger spider) 5 chapters

Chapters 32 through 37 make up the 4th 50k words (When Mettaton decides to change the programming, to Frisk’s final choice) 6 chapters

Only 5 chapters exceed 10k words, they are chapters 22, 27, 28, 33 and 36

Here’s a visual representation of all the chapters and their word counts in relation to one another. I was so startled by the spikes of chapter 22 and 28 that I had to go back and skim the chapters to remind myself what went down in them and why they were so long. Chapter 22 is papyrus trying to keep the human in snowdin while sans runs some errands, and then the human discovering the skelebro’s deceit. Chapter 28 is the human realizing Undyne tried to murder them, and then escaping from waterfall. I distinctly remembering saying I could have split chapter 28, but I was so tired of writing waterfall that I refused to do so because I just wanted it to end already.

I find it absolutely hilarious how consistant my word count was until chapter 20 (chapter 15 is an outliar), and then everything went off the rails.

Here’s a graph of the total word count, shown to you NaNoWriMo style~ (I spent way too long in excel making both of these charts, please validate me) 

The climb definitely looks a lot less drastic here, as it is always building on itself, but if you look closely, you can see one or two inflection points, roughly around chapter 20 and 28.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’m so glad to finally be done with this story. It’s certainly deviated from what I originally planned, but I think all the changes are for the better. Now I can think about writing other things, like the PTA!AU shorts I’ve been meaning to do. It was fun and it was challenging, and this is literally the longest thing I’ve ever written in my life. Will I ever make a story this long again? Maybe?? If I ever encounter another game with as much character and worldbuilding as Undertale that also just hits me in the feels the same way, I might, but for now I’m going to focus on other projects (most of them still undertale related, but shut up)

Got any questions, comments, concerns for my fic? I’m so glad it’s done, now, and I’d be happy to talk about my thoughts behind it~

[umccall71]

Chapter 6

Characters:Prince Liam x (mc) Lady Saige

Rating:Mature Content includes profanity, sexual content,talks about depression.

Word Count: 2167

Disclaimer: All characters used are sole property of Pixelberry. I am simply borrowing them for entertainment.

Summary:After a summer of a Lifetime Prince Liam thought he could have it all. He was carefree, free, and sharing time with the woman of his dreams. When life as easy a balancing act between love and duty, he realizes his truths are lies, wrong is right, and decisions do have consequences.Lady Saige never imagined she would be one of his consequences. When an act of utter horror throws her world into a tailspin.

Warning: This series contains subject matter of depression and hopelessness .The story may trigger certain individuals. Please be advised. If your reading this series you are acknowledging you are at least 18 +.

~~~~~

Tags

@elles-choices @ao719 @carabeth @lauradowning29 @hopefulmoonobject @indiacater @3pawandme @blackcoffee85 @simsvetements @wughhumans @drakesensworld @romanticatheart-posts @fantasy-of-fiction @choices97 @gibbles82 @furiousherringoperatortoad @marietrinmimi @whenyourheartskipsabeat @kuladekiwi @custaroonie @syphaxs @smalltalk88 @silviasutton1989 @the-soot-sprite @ownworldresident @mfackenthal

~~~~~~~~~~~

Liam spent the next few days inundating Saige with text, voicemails, and constant trill of the phone.He wasn’t getting much sleep, worry prominently displayed with his red tired eyes, and snapping mood. He wasn’t in the mood to socialize with anyone or talk for that matter.He didn’t know what to say to explain the absence of his angel. He found his dreams haunted him with the image of Saige’s dark auburn hair and soft blue eyes. He was fixated on her smile, she would cause a stir inside of him whenever her eyes would crinkle in the corners and her smile spread across her face. No matter what kind day Liam had experienced, Saige was a guaranteed pick me up. He missed the late night phone calls and text… just because. Her voice could soothe the savage beast into a comforting lull.

“Olivia, is Saige still upset? She not answering my calls… any of my calls.”, his voice sounded panic stricken and tired. Olivia felt horribly that he was stuck in limbo not knowing fully what was going on. “Liam.. you sound exhausted, have you slept at all?”, voice laced with worry. “Liam your one of my closest friends, I hate seeing you this way. She’s not answering… because she’s no longer here”, she waited for his mind to process what he had just learned. “What do mean she’s not here? Did she go out for awhile?please Liv, I need to see her.”, his eyes staring at his phone as if to will it to have a different response.

“ You don’t understand, she’s not just out… she has left Cordonia Liam.. I’m so sorry.”, her tone apologetic. He snapped, “why I am just learning this?Where did she go ?”, he felt his heart tightening. “ She made me promise not to say a word. I don’t even know why she left. She simply told me that that she couldn’t remain in our country. I found it odd since all she’d done was rave about the picturesque landscape.”, she explained. Olivia took a deep breath, “Liam, I have to go … I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”, he dropped the phone on the couch of the study. The phone bounced and hit the floor, it was then that he found something under the couch… her thong. “She … she didn’t take her underwear that night?”, confusion etched on his face.”That makes no sense, why would she leave these here?” Liam massaged his temples, a headache setting in.he stuffed the underwear in his pocket and exited the study , bumping into none other than the king.

“ Liam.. where are you off to so quickly? Where is the fire?”, he joked but it fell flat. “Are you okay son? You seem rather preoccupied as of late.”, Constantine firmly squeezed Liam’s shoulder.

“Lady Saige, she’s left Cordonia… it all happened so suddenly. She wasn’t due to leave for another month.”,Liam rambled, not caring if his father were truly paying attention. Constantine grinned, “Well buck up.. we are traveling to Paris in a few days. I need you to be front and center.. game on.”

“And Leo?”, he quirked his brow listening intently. “You know your brother, he can hardly bother to be present for a breakfast, let alone an official visit”, he brushed it off nonchalantly. “Forget that girl, if she’s gone… she’s gone. You can’t bother with such trivial matters.

Liam was seething hearing his father’s dismissal of the woman he had grown to care for deeply. He stuffed his emotions down, not allowing himself to react with the monarch. Liam nodded and turned to walk away. Liam found himself aimlessly wandering the grounds of the palace trying to get a sense of what happened to drive Saige to leave. “She was happy , we were happy… my god why would she leave me without so much as a goodbye?”, he asked himself .Liam considered how Saige had given him something he had never experienced… a shot at love and happiness.

“Saige…come back to me... I miss you so much… wherever you are… I love you.”,he spoke into the evening skies. The smell of roses, fresh cut grass , Jasmine, lingered in the air as he whispered a quiet hope into the evening. “I never got the chance to tell her that I feel like I’m falling in love with her.”, the tears began to free fall. Liam’s eyes were glistening as his heart released what he could no hold inside. He sat alone on the bench in the maze and gave in to a sense of hopelessness and hurt. He reflected back on the many times he intertwined his fingers with Saige’s...the nights he lost track of the countless kisses since there first date and kiss. He remembered how her kisses felt like his home, safe and warm. Liam pulled out his phone and tried once again to dial Saige’s number..only this time , the message had changed, this number is no longer in service. His heart sank, his one lifeline to the woman he had fallen for ...was gone. He shut his phone off, shoved it in his pocket and followed the same path out of the maze. Liam absentmindedly trudged up the stairs to his suite, opened the French doors, pulled a chair directly in front of it as the cool night air numbed his face as the scotch numbed his thoughts.

Over the next three months, Liam followed the same ritual only some nights Drake managed to convince him that he shouldn’t drink alone. Even the trip to Paris, he stared at the diplomats with vacant eyes, and a fleeting interest in the conversations. It became a source of concern for his family and friends. Liam was unresponsive outside of his basic duties. Drake had gone to Bastien asking him to cast a line out to locate Saige, his old friend was far from his jovial self. Bastien agreed to quietly search for Saige in hope of returning that glimmer into the eyes of the prince.

Leo, Olivia,Maxwell,Drake, Kiara, and Penelope got together to discuss a means to intervene with their broken hearted friend. “Liam has been in this funk for months now.. no one seems to be able to get through to him.”, Drake frustration shown. “I have tried to get in touch with Saige, but … radio silence. It’s like she’s dropped off the face of the earth”, Olivia shrugged in defeat. “My little brother had never seemed happier, he was going on dates, he was behaving like.. like…”, he trailed off. “Like a man in love”, Drake chimes in finishing his thought. Things were noticeably different not having Liam around like the early part of the last summer. They all thought how the tides had turned.

***********

Two weeks later Bastien had flagged down Drake to inform him of a recent development of the investigation. He had several feelers out in the states regarding Saige’s whereabouts. “Drake.. I believe we have tracked her down, but there is something that is troubling in our findings”,worry displayed in Bastien’s eyes. The normally reserved, business like, discreet guard was at a loss of what to do next. He handed Drake a tan piece of paper with an address written on it. “We should find her here.”, he lowered his gaze. “Bas… I can’t thank you enough… I’m sure Liam will appreciate this too.”, he clapped him on his back and walked out contemplating how to breathe life back into his best friend.

Drake touched base with Liv with the new development. He knew she had a vested interest since she was close friends with both Liam and Saige. “So Liv do we go looking for her ourselves, or let LI go to her and plead his case to her himself? Hell Liv… she brought out a side of Liam I have never seen before, he surrendered his heart to her that night on the beach.”, he sighed deeply. “Drake , they have to find their way back to each other. As much as I love my two dear friends, they need each other more than ever. Drake nodded slowly, “you are right… I know exactly what has to be done.”

Drake makes the slow stroll to Liam’s suite knowing he’d find him there ever since she left without a word. He reached the large mahogany doors, he paused before wrapping his knuckles against the door. He waited for Liam to call out to enter… silence. He knocked again, this time granted entrance. Liam looked up , his sullen blue eyes met Drake’s chestnut brown looking for explanation.Drake let’s out a breath he didn’t realize he was hiding from the moment he reached the door to his friend’s room. Liam tears his gaze away and trains his eyes on the horizon in front of him, facing the massive gardens. He lifted the tumbler of scotch to his lips, sipping slowly as he stared off into the sun beginning to set over the maze. “What do you need Drake?,he chided, “I’m sure your not here for the company. Hell, I hardly want my own company these days”, he laughed dryly. The absence of Liam’s sense of humor was not lost in Drake. “Liam… the only thing I want from you is my old friend back. Man I know that it stung to lose Saige so suddenly, but you’ve got to get out of this rut man. I’m sure she wouldn’t want you sitting around wallowing in self pity. You deserve better than that LI.”, he attempt to share some wisdom and encouragement. This was not the drake from his childhood , where the less words spoken, the better.Pain flashed in Liam’s eyes, “ she was better for me… she gave me hope that I could actually have someone to love, possibly someone to love me”, he leaned his head back , eyes darted back and forth across Drake’s face.

“Liam… here a glimmer of that hope.”, he hands him the folded , nondescript paper. He patted his friend on the shoulder and turned heading to the door. Liam stared at the paper and then to Drake , confused, “what is this?” Drake stopped in his tracks, “consider it a little sage advice.”, he smiled softly. Liam’s eyes widened at his meaning.in that moment he frantically opened the paper and carefully studied the words, the address, the possibility of getting to see her again. Liam stood and walked over to the door , he pulled Drake into a hug realizing what this paper could mean for him. “Thank you brother… I’ll never forget this.”, lips pulled into a thin before Drake saw a hint of a smile cross Liam’s lips. “I’ll leave you to it LI.. I’m sure you’ve got somethings to do.” Drake gripped the door knob and left his best friend to ponder his next step.

Liam walked over and picked up god phone… he glanced at the lock screen, it was a picture of he and Saige the night of their first date at the restaurant. He smiled, allowing himself to think back to a time when they both were happy. In that moment Liam went to closet,pulled out a travel bag and began tossing clothing and toiletries inside. He skimmed the travel site for the next flight to the states, suddenly he heard a light knock on the door to his personal quarters. “Come in “, he looked up to see Bastien standing before him, a small head nod in acknowledgement. “ Sir… when you are ready… a private plane has been arranged to take you to your destination. You may not be the crowned prince, but we cannot have you taking a commercial flight , that’s a risk I cannot accept.”, Bastien smiled. “Liam grabbed his bag and followed Bastien out of his room and the palace. Liam sat in the backseat of the waiting SUV as it made its way to the tarmac under the dark cover of night. Bastien handed Liam an envelope bearing a password under an assumed name, an ID, stacks of American currency, and the name and number of a hotel that had been booked for him. “I wish I could come with you, but my absence would be noticed. There are two discreet guards that will be looking after your well being and there in case you need any help along the way.”, Liam huffed Bastien and headed up the steps to the private plane. He got himself settled into the seat, fastening his seatbelt, and glancing out the window , mind racing with what if’s. Liam knew there was a lot at stake in going . A voice came over the speakers announcing that they were now cleared for take off. Liam thought to himself, in a matter of hours I could be coming face to face with my sweet angel again after all this time. Don’t worry my angel… I can’t wait to hold you in my arms again…. Liam settled in for the long night as the plane climbed into the inked sky.

[ibwhellospring]

Hello Spring Writing Event FAQ

I’ve decided to compile a list of questions I’ve seen on the main post, and others I could think about, so should anyone have a doubt it can be explained in one place. If your question/s isn’t/aren’t answered here, by all means ask me (here or over at my main @itsbuckysworld​), and I’ll do my best to answer you and include the question in this list.

READ THESE BEFORE ASKING PLEASE. 

I can’t begin the event on May 1st.

Absolutely no problem. I myself, the supposed “host”, will be out of the country and busy come May, but I’ll try to write in advance or just catch up/continue when I come back/am able to resume. You can do so as well if you want or just join whenever you can. 

I can’t do continuous days.

Neither can I! it’s not a race to see who keeps up with things the most or finishes first. It’s an exercise to practice writing and work out the creative muscles. Do it at your own pace, pick back up where you left off and have fun. 

 What if I can’t complete the challenge?

Well, for starters this isn’t a challenge. There isn’t a time limit or a prize. You can’t fail or succeed at this event. If you do 1 prompt or all 31 that’s fine and either way I’m grateful to you for participating.

Where do I sign up?

There’s no sign up. Just go ahead and do ya thang following the prompt of whatever day you’re on.

How do I tag it for you to find/reblog? What’s the tag for this event?

Tag your pieces using #IBW: Hello Spring 2019 and make sure it’s in the first five tags so it shows up when I search it. If you want, tag this blog (this one, not my main please) in your piece directly. Another tag to help you keep track of what day and maybe even make it easier for people to find on your blog, should you want to use it: is #ibwhellospringdayx replacing the x with the day of the prompt the piece is for. 

How long should it be?

These are short stories just to go quickly and serve as a creative exercise so 450 words. You can always do more but you HAVE to use the read more feature.

What else should be there?

I’d recommend the usual. The pairing of the piece if needed, the category of the writing with it’s proper warnings should it need any and the day and prompt that it fills. If you want you can follow this template. 

Is it just prose or can it be poems or headcannons etc?

You can write however your heart desires. Full paragraphs, AU’s, in a TFLN (texts from last night) format, Headcanon format or whatever you want

Is smut allowed?

Yes, but do mark it as explicit, put a read more feature no matter how long or short the piece is. Rape, abuse, non-consensual will be ignored.

Is it fictional characters only?

Yes, it’s fictional character only in the sense that I’m not recommending writing for the real person that plays the part. For example writing about Chris Evans. Write, instead, about any of his characters.

No, it’s not fictional characters only in the sense that OC’s are 100% welcome. If you want to use these prompts to help character development for your own pieces of fiction, go right ahead.

Are ships welcomed?

Yes they are but pedophilia and incest will be ignored and reported. If you have characters that are family and/or underage, write only platonic fiction for them. Also I’m on the fence about pieces that age up a character, so I might reserve the right to reblog them or not.

Can I add photos/gifs to my piece?

Yes, give credit to the owner if it’s not your piece of media, and if it’s explicit it has to be under a read more cut. 

I don’t write, can i draw instead?

I know this is called a WRITING EVENT, and was intended as so but fuck it, who am I to stop you from making fan art if any of my prompts inspired you to do so. God that’d make me cry of joy. BE CREATIVE! use this to help yourself out of a creative funk or whatever you need. 

Can I post on other websites?

Yes, but I beg of you that you post the piece in full here on tumblr. After all this is a tumblr event and this is where I’ll be giving updates and keeping an eye on stuff. 

Does my piece HAVE to have the word in it?

No. Your piece can be inspired by the word of the prompt. Only dialogue prompts should be directly on the piece, and you can alter them like for example separating them with pauses, or laughter or babbling from your character whatever you want. Just have it be there in essence.

What do you mean by first/last kiss?

You can write either a first kiss or a last kiss or about both. Same with good/bad luck. 

Can I post two pieces in the one day?

I’d recommend you don’t. Part of the fun of this is creating/having daily content. 

Can I write one piece for two prompts?

I’d recommend you don’t. Part of the idea is that you have to create or imagine something for each word, that’s the sorta challenge-y part of this. It can be easy to select all the words that relate and get them done with in one sitting but that’s not the point of this. While two prompts can be related (in a part one and part two and so on if needed, kinda manner) please don’t kill two birds with one stone, that’s not what this is for. 

Can my pieces be related to each other then?

Yup, if and however you want, you can relate them.

You’re a marvel blog, is this event Marvel only?

Not at all, it’s open to all and any fandom.

Will you reblog everything?

No. I am only one human and can only spot and read so much, besides I’m not in every fandom so you might write about characters I know nothing about, and while sure I can reblog it and give feedback on the writing itself, it’s not going to be of much help or much impact. 

If your question isn’t answered above, drop by any of my asks (here and/or over at @itsbuckysworld) and let me know so I can answer you and add it to this list.

[fabulousfabstuff]

Discothèque

Rien de très intéressant par ici, juste la liste complète de la collection de synecdoques vinyles(299) qui envahissent mon appartement.

ARTISTTitle24 CARAT BLACKGhetto: Misfortune's WealthA TRIBE CALLED QUESTWe Got It From Here…thank You 4 Your ServiceABBEY LINCOLNThat's HimAL GREENLet's Stay TogetherAL GREENI'm Still In Love With YouAL GREENI Can't StopALAIN BASHUNGChattertonALAIN BASHUNGFantaisie MilitaireALAIN BASHUNGL'imprudenceAMY WINEHOUSEBack To BlackANDERSON .PAAKMalibuANDERSON .PAAKOxnardANDREYA TRIANALost Where I BelongANDREYA TRIANAGiantsARETHA FRANKLINAretha ArrivesARETHA FRANKLINLady SoulARNOHuman IncognitoART BLAKEY QUINTETA Night At Birdland, Vol.2ART BLAKEY QUINTETMoanin'ARTO LINDSAY / AMBITIOUS LOVERSEnvyAYOTicket To The WorldBANKSGoddessBARBARA LYNNHere Is Barbara LynnBENJAMIN CLEMENTINEAt Least For NowBENJAMIN CLEMENTINEI Tell A FlyBERNARD WRIGHTMr. WrightBETTY DAVISIs It Love Or DesireBETTY HARRISThe Lost Queen Of New Orleans SoulBETTYE LAVETTENearer To YouBILL EVANS TRIOSunday at The Village VanguardBILL WITHERSBill Withers' Greatest HitsBILLIE HOLIDAYLadyBILLIE HOLIDAYLover ManBILLY COBHAMCrosswindsBILLY COBHAMMagicBILLY COBHAMSpectrumBILLY COBHAMTotal EclipseBILLY OCEANTear Down These WallsBLACK SABBATHBlack SabbathBLOOD ORANGECoastal GroovesBLOOD ORANGECupid DeluxeBLOOD ORANGEFreetown SoundBLOOD ORANGENegro SwanBOBBY WOMACKThe Bravest Man In The UniverseBREAKBOTStill WatersBRIGITTE FONTAINE13 Chansons Décadentes Et FantasmagoriquesCARIBOUOur LoveCARIBOUSwimCHAKA KHANHello HappinessCHARLES BRADLEYChangesCHARLES BRADLEYVictim Of LoveCHARLES BRADLEYNo Time For DreamingCHARLOTTE GAINSBOURGRestCHET BAKERChetCHET BAKERChet Baker SingsCHET BAKERIt Could Happen To YouCHRISTIAN SCOTTStretch MusicCLAUDE LUTERClaude LuterCOMMONLike Water For ChocolateCOURTNEY PINEJourney To The Urge WithinCURTIS MAYFIELDSuperflyCURTIS MAYFIELDCurtisCYMANDECymandeD'ANGELOBrown SugarD'ANGELOVoodooD'ANGELOBlack MessiahDEPECHE MODEDelta MachineDEPECHE MODEExciterDEPECHE MODEPlaying The AngelDEPECHE MODESpiritDIANA ROSSDianaDOMINIQUE A.AuguriDOUNIAH & HIGH JOHNDream BabyEL COCODancing In ParadiseEL MICHELS AFFAIRReturn To The 37th ChamberEL MICHELS AFFAIRSounding Out The CityELLA FITZGERALDLive At The Deutschlandhalle In BerlinELLA FITZGERALD & LOUIS ARMSTRONGElla And LouisELLA MAIElla MaiERIK TRUFFAZMantisERIK TRUFFAZThe MaskERYKAH BADUBaduizmERYKAH BADUNew Amerykah: Part One (4th World War)ERYKAH BADUNew Amerykah Part Two: Return Of The AnkhERYKAH BADUWorldwide UndergroundESPERANZA SPALDINGChamber Music SocietyESPERANZA SPALDINGEmily's D+evolutionESPERANZA SPALDINGJunjoESPERANZA SPALDINGRadio Music SocietyESPERANZA SPALDING12 Little SpellsFATIMAAnd Yet It's All LoveFATIMAYellow MemoriesFEISTMetalsFEISTPleasureFEISTThe ReminderFREDDIE HUBBARDBreaking PointFUGEESThe ScoreGASPARD SOMMERAsking QuestionsGOTYEMaking MirrorsGRACE JONESIsland LifeGREGORY PORTERLiquid SpiritGREGORY PORTERTake Me To The AlleyGREGORY PORTERWaterGURUJazzmatazz, Vol.1HERBIE HANCOCKMaiden VoyageHI-TEKHi-teknologyIBEYIIbeyiIBEYIAshICE-TPowerIGGY POPPost Pop DepressionIGGY POPFreeJ DILLADonutsJACK WHITELazarettoJAINZanakaJAMES BROWNSlaughter's Big Rip-offJAMES BROWNThe PaybackJAMES BROWN & THE FAMOUS FLAMESPlease, Please, PleaseJAMES BROWN & THE J.B.'SGet Down With James Brown: Live At The Apollo Volume IVJANE BIRKINLolita Go HomeJANELLE MONÁEThe Electric LadyJAY-ZAmerican GangsterJAY-ZThe Blueprint² The Gift & The CurseJHENÉ AIKOSouled OutJIMI TENOROrder Of NothingnessJIMMY SMITHThe Sermon!JOE HENDERSONPage OneJOE SIMONGet DownJOHN COLTRANEBlue TrainJORJA SMITHLost & FoundJOSHUA REDMAN QUARTETMoodswingJOSÉ JAMESNo Beginning No EndJOSÉ JAMESWhile You Were SleepingJOSÉ JAMESYesterday I Had The Blues: The Music Of Billie HolidayJOY DIVISIONUnknown PleasuresJUSTIN TIMBERLAKEThe 20/20 ExperienceKANYE WESTMy Beautiful Dark Twisted FantasyKASHIFCondition Of The HeartKATE BUSHNever For EverKELISFoodKELLY FINNIGANThe Tales People TellKENNY DORHAM WITH CANNONBALL ADDERLEYBlue SpringKENNY DORHAM WITH SONNY ROLLINSJazz ContrastsLAURYN HILLThe Miseducation Of Lauryn HillLEE MORGANThe SidewinderLEE MORGANCornbreadLEE MOSESTime And PlaceLEON BRIDGESComing HomeLEON BRIDGESGood ThingLIANNE LA HAVASBloodLIANNE LA HAVASIs Your Love Big Enough?LYN COLLINSThink (About It)MACEO PARKERLife On Planet GrooveMADLIBShades Of Blue (Madlib Invades Blue Note)MADONNALike A VirginMADONNAThe First AlbumMADVILLAINMadvillainyMALIA, BORIS BLANKConvergenceMARLENA SHAWThe Spice Of LifeMARLENA SHAWWho Is This Bitch, Anyway?MARVA WHITNEYIt's My ThingMARVIN GAYEMidnight LoveMARVIN GAYETrouble ManMARVIN GAYEWhat's Going OnMARY WELLSBye Bye Baby, I Don't Want To Take A ChanceMARY WELLSMary Wells Sings My GuyMASSIVE ATTACKBlue LinesMASSIVE ATTACKProtectionME'SHELL NDEGÉOCELLOPour Une Âme Souveraine A Dedication To Nina SimoneMICHAEL KIWANUKAHome AgainMICHAEL KIWANUKALove & HateMICHAEL KIWANUKAOut Loud!MILES DAVISKind Of BlueMINNIE RIPERTONLes Fleurs The Minnie Riperton AnthologyMORCHEEBACharangoMORCHEEBAFragments Of FreedomMORPHINECure For PainMOUNT KIMBIELove What SurvivesMÉLISSA LAVEAUXCamphor & CopperMÉLISSA LAVEAUXDying Is A Wild NightMÉLISSA LAVEAUXRadyo SiwèlN*E*R*DNothingN.W.A.Straight Outta ComptonNASIllmaticNAS & DAMIAN MARLEYDistant RelativesNICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDSMurder BalladsNICK WATERHOUSENick WatherhouseNINA SIMONEPastel BluesNINE INCH NAILSHesitation MarksNIRVANANevermindNORAH JONESCome Away With MeNORAH JONESFeels Like HomeNU GUINEANuova NapoliOVERCOATSYoungOXMO PUCCINOL'arme De PaixOXMO PUCCINOLa Voix LactéeOXMO PUCCINORoi Sans CarrosseOXMO PUCCINOLa Nuit De RéveilPJ HARVEYLet England ShakePJ HARVEYTo Bring You My LovePJ HARVEYWhite ChalkPARCELSParcelsPEDERAnd He Just Pointed To The Sky...PINK FLOYDThe WallPORTISHEADPortisheadPRINCESign "O" The TimesPRINCELovesexyPRINCE1999PRINCEArt Official AgePRINCE & 3RDEYEGIRLPlectrumelectrumPUBLIC ENEMYApocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes BlackPUBLIC ENEMYFear Of A Black PlanetR+R=NOWCollagically SpeakingRAPHAEL SAADIQThe Way I See ItRICK JAMESReflectionsRICK JAMESStreet SongsROBERT GLASPER EXPERIMENTBlack RadioROBERT GLASPER EXPERIMENTBlack Radio 2RODOLPHE BURGERGoodROLAND KIRKThe Inflated TearROY AYERSCoffyROY AYERS UBIQUITYA Tear To A SmileROY AYERS UBIQUITYEverybody Loves The SunshineRYO FUKUIMellow DreamRYO FUKUISceneryRYO FUKUIA Letter From SlowboatSADEDiamond LifeSADELove DeluxeSADELovers RockSADEPromiseSADESoldier Of LoveSADEStronger Than PrideSANTIGOLDMaster Of My Make BelieveSANTOGOLDSantogoldSERGE GAINSBOURGAux Armes Et CæteraSERGE GAINSBOURGBest Of - Gainsbourg - Comme Un BoomerangSERGE GAINSBOURGCouleur CafeSERGE GAINSBOURGL'étonnant Serge Gainsbourg (N°3)SERGE GAINSBOURGLa JavanaiseSERGE GAINSBOURGLe Poinçonneur Des LilasSERGE GAINSBOURGSerge GainsbourgSHADOWSweet Sweet DreamsSHANNONLet The Music PlaySHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS100 Days, 100 NightsSHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGSDap-dippin' With...SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGSGive The People What They WantSHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGSI Learned The Hard WaySHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGSNaturallySHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGSSoul Time!SOLANGEA Seat At The TableSOLANGEWhen I Get HomeSONNY ROLLINSVolume TwoST GERMAINTouristSTAN GETZ / JOÃO GILBERTO FEATURING ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIMGetz / GilbertoSTEVE WINWOODBack In The High LifeSTEVIE WONDERHotter Than JulySTUFF COMBEStuff Combe 5 + PercussionTAKUYA KURODARising SonTALKING HEADS77TEDDY PENDERGRASSWorkin' It BackTHE CUREPornographyTHE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTETTime Further Out (Miro Reflections)THE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTETTime OutTHE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET FEATURING: PAUL DESMONDRecorded Live At Newport Jazz FestivalTHE DELIJazz CatTHE DOORSL.A. WomanTHE DOORSMorrison HotelTHE DOORSStrange DaysTHE DOORSThe DoorsTHE DOORSWaiting For The SunTHE ISLEY BROTHERSWinner Takes AllTHE PHARCYDEPlain RapTHE ROOTSHow I Got OverTHE S.O.S. BANDDiamonds In The RawTHE STOOGESRare PowerTHE STOOGESThe StoogesTHE YOUNG GODSData Mirage TangramTONY ALLENThe SourceTOWER OF POWERBump CityTROMBONE SHORTYFor TrueWAYNE SHORTERSpeak No EvilWENDY RENEAfter Laughter Comes Tears: Complete Stax & Volt Singles + Rarities 1964-1965WILLIE HUTCHThe MackWU-TANG CLANEnter The Wu-tang (36 Chambers)YELLOTouch YelloYOUN SUN NAHLentoOriginal Sound Track AlbumCLIFF MARTINEZ - DriveOriginal Sound Track AlbumHERBIE HANCOCK - Blow-upOriginal Sound Track AlbumISAAC HAYES - ShaftOriginal Sound Track AlbumJ.J. JOHNSON / JOE SIMON / MILLIE JACKSON - Cleopatra JonesOriginal Sound Track AlbumMILES DAVIS - Ascenseur Pour L'échafaud (Lift To The Scaffold)Original Sound Track Album Original Sound Track AlbumJackie BrownOriginal Sound Track AlbumPulp FictionOriginal Sound Track AlbumPRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION - Purple RainOriginal Sound Track AlbumVinyl: Music From The Hbo Original Series Volume 1VARIOUSThai Funk Volume OneVARIOUSWake Up You! The Rise And Fall Of Nigerian Rock 1972-1977 Vol. 2VARIOUSWe Out Here

[ritacaroline]

Starshine                         Ch. 19    Jimmy Page         Fan Fiction

Sequel to In The Light

Clare and John Henry were home at their kitchen table. He was just giving her one last kiss and a warm hug before exiting. On his way, for a few errands and later, a morning practice at the studio. Clare was just finishing off the last of her salami and watermelon fruit roll up sandwich. It had extra mayo on a seeded roll, with a side of herring. “Mmmm, that was divine,” she said aloud to herself. Only a small fart was heard by the house keeper nearby, this time. Just a little one. She picked up the phone to call Linda, who had a late starting workday on her agenda.

Linda : Hello ?

Clare : Hi Lin. It’s me, Clare. How’s it goin, my girl ?

Lin : Oh, it’s goin. Ok, I guess. I feel ok, work’s ok. I do miss Rob. I love him still, though I’m also very angry. I miss his company. We used to be constantly talking. And his comments and discussion were always so funny and uplifting. And now I’ve been cheated on and what’s worse, I’m fucking lonely. No man to hold and kiss. Nothin. 

Clare : Oh, my darling. I’m so sad to hear that. And I so understand the feeling, we’ve all been in that place before and it sure does suck. Hey, want to have a girl’s night out tonight ? I’ll round up all the local lawbreakers. We could get slammed on tequila at that Mexican place, Aunt Chilada’s ? What do you think ? 

Linda : Yeah, that could be fun. I’m in. But, I’m having a hard time in general, just draggin myself out to work. Even my clients are starting to notice at the salon. Can’t seem to lift myself outa this funk. 

Clare : Well, I do have an interesting proposition for you. I happened across someone’s business card, from the New York tour last Spring. It was the security guard who watched over Jill and I. Remember the really tall blond guy, Julian ?

Lin : Yeah, I do. He was phenomenal. I love a tall man. And his eyes, the blue eyes, threw me for a loop.

Clare :  I’m so glad you remember him, and in a good way. Well, it just so happens that I’ve learned he’s available. And in a private discussion which we had, he remembers you well, and he’s quite interested in a nice get together with you. How does that land on your hedgerow ?

Lin : Uhhmm, ? I don’t know. Haven’t been thinking in that direction. But, maybe. Yeah, I’ll toss it around in my head. He was pretty handsome and friendly.

Clare : Hey, what could it hurt ? Even if doesn’t turn out to be a true love connection, he may be able to offer you a great way to take the tension off. Ya know, girl ? If I were single, I promise you, I’d try that out in a heartbeat.

Lin : I see what you’re saying. And in that light, I’ve decided my answer is yes. Give him my number, I’ll be glad to do him. I mean, see him. 

Clare : Oooh, I know what you meant, baby ! 

Meanwhile, at Preston Hospital, London, Jill worked at her lab bench. She chatted quietly with her assistant, as they waited during the resting time for the test samples to ready. 

Rachel : So, Miss Jill, I see you’re sporting a glamorous engagement ring. It’s spectacular. How did you meet your fiancé ?

Jill : Oh, thank you. We met at my workplace at New York General Hospital. New York, New York baby. He was a patient I met at the out patient lab station. 

Rachel : Wow, you can actually meet someone worthwhile at a blood drawing station ?

Jill : Oh yeah. This guy was glorious from the get go. And it only got better.

Rachel : Wow, you’re restoring my faith in the belief that great things can happen, just by random luck.

Jill : Well, meeting him was incredible random luck. Everything else that happened after that was pure magic. He is heaven on Earth, sorry to brag, but Hell, I’m in love. 

Rachel : What’s his name ?

Jill : It’s Jim.

Rachel :  Jim, that’s a sweet name. I have a boyfriend, he’s Gordon. We met in school. After graduation, he’s going on to be a photographer and an artist. He’s begun his own photography business recently. He also draws and paints beautifully. I’m really proud of him. 

Jill : Oh, how awesome. He sounds great.

Rachel : Yes. He’s got a strong hold on my heart. And, he’s my first boyfriend. 

Jill : I understand. How exciting. 

With that, the timer went off and back to work it was. Rachel began the next step in the process and just then the phone rang. Jill stepped away, and picked it up in the side room, a small private area. 

Jill: “Hematology Lab. Jill speaking.”

Jim : Hello, this is the London bureau of fashion, my name is Leland McPairington. May I ask if you’re dressed appropriately for work today, Miss ?“ 

Jill : Hmm, let me take a look, hold on. Ok, well I’ve got on a deep rust color skirt, it’s kind of short. But all the men here seem to approve of it. Uhm, also a gold color top, and some sexy lingerie. Black lace.  However, no one can see it. It’s only for my sexy man, when I see him at 4. 

Jim : Oh, how lovely you sound. Your man must love you in that lingerie. He’s fucking lucky. You sound like a goddess. I hope he keeps you happy, you know, at home ??

Jill : Oh my Lord, he is the end all of lovers. So loving, so hot, his lips drive me insane. His hands, Oh my God. There’s not another man on this planet who can satisfy me and make my blood race like this man can. 

Jim : Wow, Miss, you sound awfully happy with your choice. I hope he appreciates you. I mean, I’m personally starting to sweat, just hearing about this situation.

Jill : But, Leland, don’t you have your own girl ?

Jim : Yes, yes I do in fact. I have no idea why she would choose me, though. I adore her. Every tiny thing she does turns me inside out. And I love her more and more every day. Even if I’m sad, her smile brings me to paradise. And her beautiful green eyes, oh my God. They sparkle like diamonds. And her lips, well, ….kissing her is the joy of my life, she makes my heart pound. I can’t ever get enough of her. And when we make love, Lord above. I can’t, I can’t…I’m confused just thinking about it, that’s how intense and spectacular it is.

Jill : Oh my God, I love you so much.

Jim : uhhh, ok ? Isn’t that a little unprofessional of you, Miss ?

______________________________________________________

Next Ch. (20) https://ritacaroline.tumblr.com/post/185729929196/starshine-ch-20-jimmy

Chapter Index for “Starshine” is located at bottom section of Ch.1 , click here : https://ritacaroline.tumblr.com/post/184383708541/starshine-ch-1-jimmy-page-fan

Link to “In The Light” - original fan fic - https://ritacaroline.tumblr.com/Fan%20Fiction

JimJam Mistresses @tremble-and-shake @ledoftherings @gimmeeshelter @adonna1964 @justanotherzosofangirl @starchild0985 @girlofthemoon75 @bonscottintheimpala @12909168 @jullz @cherryfloyd @tenementcrazylittlefruitcake @save-me-from-the-gallows-pole @soy-laprincessa @marauderofworlds @ultrabitchystudentperfectionus @satanspizzadeliveryguy @misspenylane @zi-zidane @catherine0627 @pagingpage-the-original @amythesticon @strangerspassinginthestreet @ thezeppelinbeatles @pour-some-sugar-on-mee  @carryfire18  @j-james-thlk @70shoney @strange-broo @page-daddy @nadianad1337 @yerawizardjimmeh @jimmyypagey @magnetacuddles84 @rock6880 @ledxzeppelin @kinkyspice  @thelandofnevermore  @my-golden-lion  @itsblackbetty  @magnetacuddles84   @luvejimmy  @palenickelsaladparty @jennmarieetn @honeydewgroupie  @how-many-more-times-blog   @loveinher-eyess @rocknrollababes-blog   @princesssofpeace @frauweide @dontyouhearmecallingyou @zozjaa @miniaturewinnerwonderland @http-jinx @chennington @venicebeachx @wanna-be-groupie @where-the-hot-springs-blow @basementmermaid @crying-over-rock-legends @cherrrywitch  @rocknrollababes @scarletrossetti  @sixpackonthefrontseat @miamorjimmypage @boomervonlouder

[so-shiny-so-chrome]

Witness: KirkyPet

Creator name (AO3): KirkyPet 

Creator name (Tumblr): kirkypet 

Link to creator works: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KirkyPet/works

Q: Why the Mad Max Fandom?

A: I was actually quite fixated on Fury Road after watching it on DVD. I didn’t expect to particularly like it - I’d never seen the previous Mad Max movies (I finally have!) - but I was transfixed. And I didn’t particularly ship Furiosa and Max until the haemothorax/transfusion scene (although then I very much did). There were just so many layers of detail and backstory there waiting to be explored, because so little was actually said or explained. It’s like a neutron star of fic-fodder. And I didn’t discover ao3 til summer 2016 so I spent a full year wandering around like a lost soul. So, yeah. Quite a huge deal for me really.

Q: What do you think are some defining aspects of your work? Do you have a style? Recurrent themes?

A: Music. Minor characters looking on and commenting on the protagonists (big fan of Thomas Hardy’s more comedic efforts, where this happens a lot). Reasonably happy endings.

Q: Which of your works was the most fun to create? The most difficult? Which is your most popular? Most successful? Your favourite overall?

A: Maybe the small town modern AU (Ordinary People), because it was a nice change from the Wasteland setting. I’m not very Wasteland-minded at all. But the Bladerunner AU (Do Androids Dream etc) and the new Firefly AU are lots of fun because the two sets of movie worlds mesh together way better than I’d expected. 

The most difficult? - My Wasteland headcanon stuff. It’s too fluffy and not remotely violent which doesn’t really ring true. I’m very aware that my Furiosa is hardly ever violent, or my Max particularly mad. But that’s the great thing about fanfiction - the infinite versions of characters and scenarios. Surprisingly the Blues Brothers AU is quite tricky. I can’t quite make Jake Blues and Furiosa the same person. But it’s an excuse to listen to great tunes. And Jessie will make a comeback in that one though (she’s not dead, I should make that clear). 

On the old kudos-to-hits ratio, the Firefly AU is taking off surprisingly well, but it’s quite smut-focused so that might well account for it ;) early days yet. Bladerunner AU is doing well for a multi-chapter. Up Around The Bend (an oldie, the escape from the Citadel) is hanging in there. 

Most successful? I’m happy enough with all of them, except maybe I Kissed A Girl. Please don’t read that. Favourite overall - It’s a toss-up between Ordinary People (a chance to explore my headcanon in a modern small town setting) and the Bladerunner AU (it makes me weep). 

Q: How do you like your wasteland? Gritty? Hopeful? Campy? Soft? Why?

A: Hopeful and silly and everyone has access to a record player somehow. This is why I stick to writing AUs these days. But I’ll happily read all of the above!!! And entirely intend to!

Q: Walk us through your creative process from idea to finished product. What's your prefered environment for creating? How do you get through rough patches?

A: Watch a film, browse tumblr, listen to music, get an idea. Have a good think about it, think about it some more, find a starting point, write it down, go from there. Maybe stick a draft on tumblr if I’m not sure if it’s going to fly. Write it anyway. 

For OCs, figure out what someone looks like. That’s weirdly essential for me. Zal (Furiosa’s Dad) is Ed Harris, Young Val (Furiosa and Max’s grownup daughter) is Alicia Vikander and Toots (rescued-kid-turned-Wasteland-son-in-law) is Didier Drogba (bit of a blast from the past but hey). I was getting nowhere with Blues Mothers Jessie until I recast her as Sofia Boutella (because if Max is getting a generational update, she needs one too). And Firefly AU’s Mister Jobassa is Jakob Oftebro. All very pretty people, but what are you gonna do? But they’re only these people in MY head - they can be whoever the reader wants them to be. Oh, and Pin from Ordinary People was 100% an actual real tour guide I met on holiday once. 

Preferred environment? Usually while half asleep in bed, or walking, or In the gym, or watching tv - world building seems to be something that happens away from the keyboard. Writing itself is exclusively on my phone so can and does happen anywhere at all. Rough patches are usually caused by guilt that I’m not spending enough time on the day job :P

Q: What (if any) music do you listen to for help getting those creative juices flowing?

A: I listen to music all the time anyway, mainly upbeat pre-90s tunes. Disco, funk, ska, motown, anything like that. And it always find its way into the writing. Sometimes artificially (where I’m on a song-lyrics-as-title theme - it took ages for some of the Wasteland fics) but most times it can help shape the story in a BIG way. I can’t listen to certain songs now without reliving a chapter or a whole fic - Dionne Warwick’s Do You Know The Way To San José is Bladerunner!Furiosa’s Green Place song, and Ash’s Angel Interceptor is StarTrek!Max’s flying music - it’s noisy enough but also speaks to me about a longing to not be alone in the universe. Concrete and Clay is smalltown!Max’s bittersweet lament for Jessie and Twistin’ The Night Away is the final party scene in Cheedo’s update of The Rivals. Some fics wouldn’t have been written at all if it wasn’t for a particular song. The Black Keys’ Heavy Soul was my original Wasteland Furiosa/Max ship theme back in 2015, before I’d even heard of ao3 - that’s the closest I’ve come to a song fic. Caleb was only Caleb because of a line in Symarip’s Skinhead Moonstomp, and I was so desperate to write a fic with Leo Sayer’s You Make Me Feel Like Dancing In it that it was the final excuse for a whole modern mirrorverse to my Wasteland headcanon series. Bet you’re sorry you asked now. But I’ll have to go and put together a Kirkyverse OST list.

Q: What is your biggest challenge as a creator?

A: To put the damn thing down and walk away. To not assume it’s awful if I don’t get a kudos in the first thirty hits. Thumb cramp from phone-typing.

Q: How have you grown as a creator through your participation in the Mad Max Fandom? How has your work changed? Have you learned anything about yourself?

A: I didn’t write at all before the Mad Max fandom. Apart from a ghost story when I was about seven (it did win a prize tbh) and a truly god awful Stephen King rip-off when I was fourteen (which makes me nauseous from embarrassment when I think of it). So a fair bit, it’d probably be fair to say. It would be impossible not to, you know, from zero :) My work has changed from spinoffs of inspirational fics (thanks Squid!) to ‘well, I suppose I’ve got a head canon, let’s see if I can make this work’ to ‘goddammit I’ll finish this if it kills me’. Then I missed my exit on the Roundabout of Fic Endings and had to go round again in a modern AU mirror verse. Now it’s all movie mashups, which is lots of fun and probably never-ending. During which time I have learned that crossovers are my favourite to write. And that writing fanfic is probably not a temporary fad :)

Q: Which character do you relate to the most, and how does that affect your approach to that character? Is someone else your favourite to portray? How has your understanding of these characters grown through portraying them?

A: I don’t really have a favourite tbh. They’re all their own people and do their own thing. Writing them is very dependent on their environment, and it’s often surprising how they behave and where they end up. It feels a bit like they’re on Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Q: Do you ever self-insert, even accidentally?

A: Hah yes. The first one was Zephyr the annoying visitor in Witches and Ogres. Young Val’s social awkwardness in As was very much on loan from me. 

Q: Do you have any favourite relationships to portray? What interests you about them?Furiosa and Max are pretty much always there - sometimes it’s probably platonic, and sometimes there’s a third person involved (nothing posted yet but but but). It depends on the fic.

Q: Do you prefer to create in one defined chronology or do your works stand alone? Why or why not?

A: One big long chronology for the headcanon series (childhood to old age), then a whole bunch of little universes for everything else.

Q: To break or not to break canon? Why?

A: Not to break, as much as I can. But it depends.

Q: Share some headcanons.

A: Furiosa was never actually a wife - she was captured but dodged the whole Vault experience. Max is the original Max, of Jessie and Sprog fame. Toecutter was Joe’s younger self - he scooted around on motorbikes and raised hell before deciding to settle down and take the Citadel. AU Toast and Dag are twins (from a shady mob family). Furiosa’s Dad is a friendly Wasteland bandit. 

Q: If you work with OCs walk us through your process for creating them. Who are some of your favourites?

A: They’re supplementary characters who make the plots fit together, and sources of conflict or humour (usually both). I think I like Ordinary People’s Alexa and Mallory best. Although the Irish War Boy crew in Beyond the Pale were fun to write. Ace’s trio of love interests (Brick, Big Dave and Caleb/Pin) are a consistent theme. Sometimes I steal characters from other sources (stand up Christopher Brookmyre) when it’s convenient.

Q: What sparks your many wonderful AUs?

A: Movies, tv, gifs, tumblr prompts and general chitchat (thankyou btw!!!)

Q: A lot of your fics are light-hearted and hopeful, which is great to see for the apocalyptic Mad Max world. Your thoughts on that? What is it about the characters that inspires you to reframe them?

A: I just really like comedy and am committed to winkling it into every fictional scenario whether it’s appropriate or not. Glad people don’t hate it!

Q: Who are some works by other creators inside and outside of the fandom that have influenced your work?

A: Well, it was Squid’s ( @sacrificethemtothesquid )Length and Breadth of Fury Road that got me out of the starting blocks! Christopher Brookmyre’s The Sacred Art of Stealing was a big influence on my headcanon series, as was a particular Coronation Street storyline from some years back :) 

Q: Tell us about a current WIP or planned project.

A: Blues Brothers AU series (Sweet Home Chicago) -Wasteland Star Trek First Contact AU (Angel Interceptor) -Firefly AU (Our Mister Jobassa) -His Dark Materials AU (unnamed as yet, just brewing in my head, hope it just stays there for the meantime) -Will combine all the headcanon works into one long fic sometime. That’s everything from Witches and Ogres through to Ordinary People. Probably be called ‘All the Things that I’ve Done’ (basically the two lives of Furiosa: Wasteland and mirrorverse).

Thank you @kirkypet