#going off to write that zine fic RIGHT NOW

[aoxue]

Fic Writer Q & A

Via @heyholmesletsgo ! Thanks for the tag! <3

How many wips do you have currently?

Excluding notes and brief scribblings, and counting just projects I've written a substantial amount for? Literally 30. About half of those have seen new writing/edits in the last six months, if we want to define some kind of "active" status.

Which one are you finding the hardest to finish?

Clearly, I struggle to finish my fics broadly 🙃 But I have been fighting tooth and nail with one story for an upcoming zine, and I can't put my finger on why! It's not long or complicated, but it's just been an utter slough to write up. Apart from that, probably Come Back Alive, my Appalachian horror spin on Yi City, just because that one IS quite long and complicated. It's been three and a half years in the works, and I'm still trying to stick the landing in terms of climax and resolution.

What does it usually look like when inspiration strikes for you?

Depends on the sort of inspiration! If a story concept or an idea for a plot point hits me, I'll try to throw it into a document or on a private discord server I have that's expressly for this kind of brainstorming. Other times, a particular line might come to me, and I'll try to capture that in a similar fashion, but that might get me writing for several hours. Inspiration might come from a movie or a TV show, or very often from music.

Do you curate playlists for each fic or is your process different?

Not for every fic, but for the bigger projects, yes! I have about 7 fic playlists between WIPs and fics I've actually posted. Like I said, I often get inspiration from songs, so I like gathering those in one place. My playlists tend to be 1) repositories for songs that already are/could be inspiration for the plot, relationships, or setting (this is especially true for AUs that are far removed from canon!) and/or 2) mixes I can put on the background as I write that can put me in the right headspace/atmosphere without distracting me. Other times I need quiet, or generic instrumentals, or ambient soundscapes -- it all depends.

Do you go balls to the wall and write as you go or are you more organized?

I need to be organized when I write, or I will get frustrated because I can't make sense of what I'm doing with the plot. "Balls to the wall," for me, typically leads to some really pretty paragraphs, or a good, scene, but I'm not all that much closer to a coherent, finished story. I get stuck in the "edit as you write" habit really easily. So I need a roadmap to keep me on track, definitely, and I also need to work on throwing out rougher first drafts.

Tagging anyone who feels like it :)

[lordsardine]

.

[velvees-archive]

art cr: @cokiicookies on twitter

Tags: Love Confessions, Bratfeen, Art Student Feenie, Law Student Bratworth, Ace Attorney-typical cringefail, Canon Divergence

and many others!

HEAVILY inspired by @cokiicookies's bratfeen art on twitter! check out the full comic there!!!

"Hey...so...uh..." Phoenix coughs out, voice scratchy from his most recent line repetitions. It's a small mistake, not unsalvageable. All he has to do is stick to the script. Stick to the script. Stick... His eyes flick down to his note cards. He swears he’d printed them in his best penmanship, atop one of the library's extra premium desks, but everything is spinning and he feels faintly like he's going to throw up. "Did you uh," he starts, letters swirling in his eyes. "Did...you fall out of heaven...?" Genius prosecutor-in-training Miles Edgeworth regards him with a blank stare. Phoenix thinks now would be an opportune time for him to locate the nearest possible bridge and promptly jump off of it. - The joys and woes (mostly woes) of being in love, as told by BratFeen.

so i caved and wrote narumitsu. another huge thank you to @cokiicookies on twitter for allowing me to write an accompanying fic for their work. i attached some of the comic here in an attempt to entice you to look at their comic (well? are you enticed?!), but if you wanna see the full thing, please do give their art a like, a retweet, a comment, and all the love on twitter! fic screenshots below:

misc commentary/musings under the cut :)

the way i wrote feenie inner monologue and narration parallels my informal writing style, so writing his freak outs weren't challenging. consciously changing sentence structures/verbiage to be more or less extra, on the other hand, totally was.

the bulk of my pain came from writing fluff in the first place, stumbling through dialogue exchanges (as always), and attempting larry dialogue...all of which i honestly think i failed at pretty badly HAHA. who cares tho? it's my work!

bratfeen is one of my favorite narumitsu "eras" if you will. i've always wanted to write them. i didn't know the opportunity would come so soon (and at my expense considering i still have a zine fic to finalize for a diff fandom), but i took the shot. the full fic was written over the course of a day which i do not recommend anyone experience. i was on a writing hiatus for months and wrote 8k words as soon as i came back. do you see why i burnt out in the first place?

the easiest part about writing bratfeen is that none of the things i write are exaggerated for the purpose of carrying the plot forward. feenie believing that bratworth is better of a human being than everyone makes him out to be? sounds about right. feenie insisting to others that miles is the best thing since grilled cheese? his raging savior complex says that's likely to occur. feenie fumbling the bag because he thinks miles is the prettiest thing he's ever seen? yeah, 20 y/o feenie would! feenie shoving the asshole who talked shit abt miles? we saw the exact same thing with doug swallow (and we all know how that ended...). all of it is in line w his character. also miles being a try hard. that's a given.

i am hoping i can showcase more of my technical skill aka the angst writer in me with my next work, though i've been closely following fictober (haven't been publishing because, again, zine fic obligations) and have plenty of angsty fics stored in my drafts. i hope you enjoy my poor attempt at humor and fluff. may i muster the strength to finish the rest of my zine fic...please...

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for stalking a grifter even when everyone else let it go?

I’m a writer of fanfiction. I write a lot of short fics for different fandom zines and sometimes run zines myself. I have worked with a ton of different people, all with their own ways of running zines. I never had a problem with any of them until a few years ago when one zine organizer started getting called out for shady behavior. At this point, I had already worked with them on a dozen zines, and because I was always working on multiple at a time I never noticed that some of these Zines never went anywhere. I was busy and I just figured they were sorted.

So, when this started going down and call out posts got made I checked back in to the discord servers and blogs for the zines. Half of them collected money for the zines, and never delivered. Some just stopped production because she’d vanished and stopped replying to anyone. It’s at this point I found out that this person had hundreds of zine projects running at once, and most of them not completed or sent to the people who paid for them. All off of our FREE work.

There was a big blow up. People picked sides. A lot of us creators left and removed our work from the unfinished products. People demanded refunds. The scammer’s supposed mother made an appearance in one server saying she was just stressed and to be nice to her. It was insane. People were scammed out of thousands of dollars. It was really shitty for about ten minutes before everyone on the creator’s side shrugged and moved on. Meanwhile, there are still people out there genuinely upset that they lost pretty big chunks of money and no one could help them.

The thing is, I’ve had experience with this type of scammer before. They don’t want to stop, and they’re notorious for rebranding and starting all over again. So, I kept a causal eye out. I didn’t really spend a lot of time on it, because I’m still busy, but when certain styles of zines popped up on here I would do a quick look over at the mods and check a few profiles. Nothing in the past two years really caught my eye. Until a few days ago when I found a new zine that had her style of promotional stuff, typing/grammar, etc. I almost left it because it wasn’t really my business, but it pissed me off so much that she came right back and would probably scam thousands more out of people in different fandoms. So I triple checked a few things like profiles, etc. and was 85% sure one of the mods for this zine is her. When I mentioned this to a friend who also did work for her zines and got scammed, they acted like I was super weird. Not exactly for looking into it, but explicitly that I “still cared about all that.”

I guess everyone else just kind of moved on, and forgot about it. I thought it was pretty normal to be wary of scammers after being scammed, but the fact that they’re saying I’m weird for still caring that it happened is making me feel like maybe I did something wrong? I haven’t done anything about it yet because I wanted to run it by my friend who shared that experience with me, and now I feel like I’m the crazy one for doing something I thought was pretty normal if not a little wary.

AITA?

[according2thelore]

These ES/LS snippets are truly saving my need for more of your fics.

You very quickly became my favorite wincest author, hitting every one of my favorite tropes(hurt/comfort is my bread and butter too!) And I'm excitedly(and impatiently lol) waiting for your next fics to come out.

Your writing is SO GOOD and I find myself going back to your fics all the time. My first was your love potion fic and that's still one of my absolute favorite samdean fics out there.

This isn’t really an ask so much as it is an appreciation lol. Can't wait for your next fic!

(If this was an ask though, I'd love more thoughts on your ES/LS universe and even MORE hurt/comfort and jealousy lol)

BABE???? OH MY????

i don't even know what to say! this is the nicest compliment!!!!! you're so incredibly kind, and i'm so unbelievably honoured that my work is special to you!

EEP! i can't even express how much this ask means to me!!!! there are literally no words!!!! the love potion fic was meant as a fun little add-on to that month's challenge, but i've been blown away by how much folks have liked it--i live for a little melodrama and H/C, lol!

every writer dreams of getting asks like this one, and just ARGH! i'm kissing you on both cheeks!!!!!

as for upcoming things, my next fic will probably be my teen!chesters piece for the wayward sons zine (it will be HEFTY). charlotte and i were outlining this fic, and it ended up being about five pages of outline. so def a larger one!

because this ask was so incredible and lovely and kind (so kind?? holy shit?? my hand in marriage??) i wrote a little thing for you! i hope you like!

dean rubs his hands on the sides of his jeans, before he catches himself doing it. shit.

he crosses his arms, then realizes that he looks awkward and posed, so he uncrosses them again. he pushes his hair back from his face--but fuck, what if his hair looks weird now? dean checks frantically around for a reflective surface, but the only thing even close to him is a giant telescope, and--even though he briefly considers it--there's no way he'd be able to crawl back up it and down in time.

"what are you doing?" he mutters to himself, able to at least recognize that he's acting like a preteen about to meet one of the jonas brothers.

it's just sam.

just sam, kind of, dean's brain quietly corrects. it's just sam, but fucking huge.

it's just sam, but his ridiculous hair has grown and curls softly around his ears, brushes his jaw when he ducks his head. it's just sam, except his arms are bigger than dean's head. dean didn't miss the show the other day when sam came to look for something and lifted a fucking stuffed armchair with one arm.

(dean tried it later, and it took him both hands and two tries to get it off the ground. that thing must be reinforced with some crazy cold war steel or something. definitely.)

dean eyes the main room again. he should just sit at the big table. he eyes the big sword on one of the shelves. no--focus. sam went into "library annex 3" to find a book that he thought dean should absolutely take a look at, and left dean, dazzled, in his wake. so dean is going to sit here and wait, because he's been running out of excuses to see sammy lately.

dean slumps into one of the chairs, sighing. what is wrong with him?

he gets so...easily distracted whenever sammy--future-sam or whatever--starts talking to him. and most of it isn't even his fault, okay? sammy always puffs up whenever either 2006 winchester gets close, a dick-measuring if dean's ever seen one. as soon as sam got a single inch on dean in height, dean's never heard the end of it. but this sammy, older sammy, straightens up and his chest gets all big and--fuck--arms! big arms!!

dean keeps trying to find plausible excuses for sammy to take off his shirt because dean is convinced he has a six-pack under there, and it's his right to know!

"i found it!" a muffled voice from down the hallway, so deep that dean's brain goes a little sideways. and dean feels his whole body lock up, like he's just been thrown out of an airplane.

sam--sammy steps through the doorway, holding up a book triumphantly. his eyes are bright, and he's got little wrinkles at the corners, barely there. his grin is radiant, and dean feels absurdly like he's looking directly at one of those religious frescos with the yellow circles behind everyone's heads. sam would get a kick out of that.

dean whimpers. he straight up fucking whimpers, covering it quickly with a cleared throat.

"great!" he says, too bright. it's not his fault! it's not! dean barely resists the urge to bash his own head in.

so sue him! sam is suddenly huge and old and glad to see dean? he lights up whenever dean walks into a room, greeting him warmly. he seems to find dean adorable, which dean kind of resents, but it's hard to stay mad at sammy when he clearly finds so much delight in seeing him.

and 'sammy' isn't helping. 'sammy' had always been a dean word. it had been an 'us' word, a 'they don't know you like i know you, they can't understand you like i can' word. as soon as dean's own sam--2006 sam--had shrugged off the word, and older sam had donned it, dean knew he was screwed. wires crossed. you can only call so many men 'sammy' before you start to tease them and want to be around them and give them shit and look at their huge fucking tits--wait...no. shit. focus!

"so get this," sammy says, and he slides into the chair next to dean, smooth and graceful and so in touch with every muscle in his body that dean has to catch his breath a little. and his chest does something funny, because sam shows him the book and starts babbling.

he starts babbling. like a two year old sam and an eight year old sam and a twelve and a fifteen and an eighteen year old sam.

it seems impossible that this person--this man, all poise and purpose and focus, whose eyes can cut and soothe, whose stubble scratches when he rubs a hand across his jaw--is still dean's sam. dean's sammy.

and he knows it. and he likes it. this sammy brushes his shoulder and doesn't recoil like it burns. he looks to dean first when something is wrong. dean saw, the other day, how his older self comforted sam after a nightmare, how easily sam contorted himself to fit the shape of older dean's arms. sam likes being dean's. or at least this version of dean.

"anyways, i think that this is probably our most comprehensive record of vampires--their habits, their physiology, their weaknesses. if you wanted to give it a read, i think it'll really come in handy." sam says, still talking like dean cares at all for vampires and not the exact shape of sam's mouth.

dean aches. he feels inadequate. there is something clearly in this dean that is worthy, something that sam finds lovable. or necessary. dean wants to be necessary. dean needs to be necessary.

"yeah." dean says, suddenly, when he realizes that sammy's looking for a response. "that--uh--that sounds great."

"you didn't hear a thing i said, did you?" sammy asks, eyebrow raised, teasing and knowing and fuck--dean's chest collapses. sam knows him.

it's so strange to be known by this...this man. this man who blots out the sun with his shoulders, and has callused hands, and looks at dean like he's proud of him. this man knows him. this man is sammy, and that's all dean every really needs.

"naw." he says, scrubbing a hand in the close-shorn hair at the back of his head, abashed and feeling strange. "'m sorry."

"don't be." sammy rolls his eyes, but it's in good humour. sam--2006 sam, and it's weird that dean has already made that distinction--would genuinely be put out. he thinks dean doesn't take him seriously.

both sams are alien to dean. sam, because his burden is eating him alive. he's terrified of himself, of his powers. furious at what he's becoming and increasingly furious at dean for not taking his own safety seriously. like sam could ever hurt him.

and this sammy, of course, is different. he's physically very different, but also...softer? that's the wrong word. he's easier, maybe. his smiles are soft and he thinks through things before he says them. he doesn't hurt to hold in your hand like sam does, all spikes and hard edges like rock that resents you for holding it. sammy is a stone worn smooth by a river, and dean doesn't know if that makes him a bad brother.

he doesn't want to know, because he can't think about this being another way of failing sam. dean's been failing sam since that first over-long look in 1995.

this sam, at least, dean has a reason for not understanding completely. time has made a stranger of his brother, not circumstance, and time is easier to blame.

"what?" sammy asks, and dean snaps back to the present, abashed again. god. it's like his first fumbling date a fourteen all over again. but wait, no it's not--why did dean think that?

"nothing. sorry. you're just--" dean can't find the words. sammy seems delighted at this, eyes sparking with a challenge like they're both in on a joke.

"i'm..." he prompts, drawing it out. dean sputters. he and sam give each other shit all the time. it shouldn't feel different with this sam, but...it does.

"hi."

dean jerks away, sitting up straight in his chair. sam stands in the doorway. he looks pissed. his hands are balled into fists at his sides, his jaw is set, and he's...not looking at dean.

dean looks to sammy, whose eyes widen. he seems surprised by something. proud of something.

"dean wants to know if we're ready for dinner. what are you doing?" sam asks, words loaded. dean's about to jump in, feeling weirdly guilty. they're just talking about a book, it's not like they were--

"just talking with my little brother." sam says, jostling dean's shoulder with his elbow, like this is all a big joke but what the fuck?? dean's spine melts and drips down his ribs. oh my fucking god.

little brother little brother little brother sam could pin dean down if he wanted to, dean looks down at sam's huge fucking hands oh my god, little brother--

"you--" sam starts, and sammy sits up straighter, tilting his head forward like he's coaching sam through something, but sam's eyes are suddenly on dean, and dean freezes.

he doesn't know what to do under sam's critical gaze. the weight in his stomach is definitely guilt, but dean doesn't know why. dean looks away first.

"we're just talking shop, sam." dean says to his hands. a pause. dean hears sam leave, his footsteps echoing down the corridor.

he better not be going to see that old geezer. dean doesn't like he way he looks at sam.

"we almost had him," sammy says, thoughtful. dean looks up, and sammy is looking down at him with an expression so fond that dean's throat closes. "next time."

dean's heart beats faster.

oh man. he is so fucked.

[maythedreadwolftakeyou]

Rules: make a new post with the names of all the files in your wip folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Tag as many people as you have wips. People send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, then post a little snippet or tell them something about it!

ohhhh well this is going to be humiliating 😭

first of all. bold of this meme to think i have one single cohesive WIP folder rather than store random progress files in 7 different subfolders in various locations on my computer, and a handful just on my phone. HOWEVER. lets see how many i can track down tonight. second of all as i have stated before i am a CHRONIC writer-not-a-sharer so uhhhhh some of these are true WIPs i intend to finish Someday, some are truly abandoned, some were just character explorations i never even intended to share/post in the first place really. i truly do this for Me and everyone else is an afterthought for the most part, though once i start posting something I am pretty committed to Getting It Done Eventually now.

third of all i am leaving out any fic where i have the entirety shared somewhere. i don't move those to a new 'finished' folder or anything, they just live in the same place i originally saved them forever alongside the WIPs. I am ALSO leaving out the secondary documents any longer work has, which is usually "[original file name] Notes" because I like to use a split-screen approach with an outline/cut sections/random notes on the right and the working document on the left. Where the writing/notes are in just one same document, it's in the list as named.

Fanfiction:

Ascension

AndersJustice

BadThingsHappen

Coffee date

DeathOfClanLavellan

Fade regret prison

Fallout from the Fade

Fallout from the Fade (Doc2)

futility1

Gifts

Grannyquizition

Hawke hurt/comfort

hawke/lavellan convo

Headstones

lucanis

Lucanis character touchstones

Lucanis Lighthouse

Lucanis/Rook boat scenes

Lucanis/Rook lighthouse romance scene

marked up for the crows

MemoryViewing

MythalSolasBurial

NOTES Blackbirds poem

NOTES random/assorted

prompt starts

RyderXReyes

SAM&Ryder

solas poem series

SolasmancyPoem [note: this is not the same one i mention below/actually shared, its a diff concept i didn't use]

SPITE ROOK X LUCANIS INTERUPTION

sten

TrevXCullen

TruthSpellRewrite

[untitled phone note with a big mix of stuff in it]

Vivienne_preWEWH

aaaaaaand then there's the original writing. i am cutting off anything I did before 2017 because god i don't want to think about it

4

AVeryShortPoem

dragonpoem

Fynding

FEMS microbio flash fiction

i could be a wolf for you

love songs to the desert

methylation

NaNoWriMo2017

NaNoWriMo2018

outsiders

ORACLE

pandiculation

PoemsWorkbook

questionnaire

Two weeks to launch

VAULT

honestly i'm sure there's like 30 more original WIPs but it's 2:30am and i can't keep digging so i'm leaving it at the contents of the 3 folders i found first

and then i am putting this down here not as part of the game, but just because i opened the specific folder (and 2 other subfolders within it) and started laughing at the Mess. although it's "finished"/posted so not technically a WIP, this is all my version control documents for Like Teeth Against His Heart which was part of a collaborative zine. so instead of winging it I had my bff beta for me so kept re-saving new copies... I actually have NO IDEA which of these is the REAL final one anymore to be honest. in case any artists out there wondered if the final_FINAL_real.jpg thing also happens to writing: yes.

SolasPoem

SolasPoemdraft2

SolasPoemdraft2_aligned

SolasPoemdraft2_aligned_pages

SolasPoemdraft2_alignedEdits

SolasPoemdraft2_aligned notes complete

SolasPoemdraft2_alignedEdits2

SolasPoem_Final

Jade_Solasmancy_Final

Jade_Solasmancy_Final+Previews

Jade_Solasmancy_FinalNotes

PROPOSED_EDITS_Jade_Solasmancy_FinalNotes

Jade_Solasmancy_FinalNotes_condensed

PROPOSED_EDITS_Jade_Solasmancy_FinalNotes_condensed

jesus christ. anyway. can you tell i'm unmedicated for adhd. well! onward and tagging a random assortment of folks because i can NOT tag 50+ entire people:

@m-m-m-myysurana @anonymous-inquisitor @thebookworm0001 @pikapeppa @sageadvice @bdafic @fourthage

but consider this an open invitation to anyone to share this & tag me in you result, bc i wanna see what people are up to and need more writing friends <3

and thank you for the initial tag @baejax-the-great!!

[pricemarshfield]

2024 fic wrapped

i was tagged by @wetcatspellcaster to do this tag game, and i will take any excuse to talk about myself and my writing so hell yeah. let's do it to it. y'all know the drill, below the cut because i'm a yapper. like genuinely good God this is too long

if you got tagged in this but don't have time to read the full post, i shared a fic of yours that i loved this year :) but also i'm tagging you in the game if you want to participate! and if i didn't tag you but you want to do it, consider yourself tagged :)

What's been your biggest learning point this past year?

i feel like i somehow discover this every year but writing's way more fun when you write what you want to read. like whoaaa stepping away from taking requests i don't care about and writing the characters i'm obsessed with is...easier AND more enjoyable? that's crazy. who ever could have guessed this

but also on a more serious answer, i think i've learned that treating my writing as an internal deadline is just not sustainable and doesn't even work. (it works on collaborative projects with ACTUAL deadlines, to be clear to my lovely fellow zine and other project contributors fjdlkf, just not My Personal Fics For Fun.) sure it'd be nice to update every week, or every month, but viewing my hobby like that just stresses me out and then i put off thinking about it and writing at all. writing because i want to and because i enjoy it means i write more and, more importantly, that i enjoy the process of doing it. it also helps that my commenters who were nasty about updates all basically fell off lmao. bye babes, hope you've learned etiquette in whatever fandom you're on now

How has your writing developed this past year?

i think i've gotten MUCH better at hitting character voices this year, which is one benefit of latching onto the nastiest man in the world (raphael) and the weirdest woman to ever exist (my own oc, tav, light of my life and my soul and all that fun stuff). they're so strange and unusual, and i Have to get them right, and because of that when i go back to write...idk, poppy or someone, it's so easy. SO easy. oh, a rich bitch lesbian with an inferiority complex? easy work. tav's experiencing divine madness while fighting a devil to the death but like in a way where they're both horny about it. after writing that (and doing so the way i wanted to!), i find my voice for EVERYBODY is a lot easier to sink into.

i also think i got better at the flow of my sentences and i could not tell you why. i just feel it in my heart. this might just be because of the projects i'm working on Right Now but whatever, if it fits, it fits

Good writing habits?

no longer writing to beat a self-imposed deadline but writing because i want to. not forcing myself to work on a wip if the muse isn't there and instead working on something i AM inspired for or just doing something else. being more intentional with my word choice in ways that will not make sense until chapter 20 of these longfics but I'M kicking my feet and giggling so who care. making sure not All of my wips are for one fandom (or even for fandom at all) so that way if i'm burned out on bg3 or something, i can still write because i want to.

Bad writing habits?

starting so many new wips rather than finishing a fic, oh my god, we're at so many, i think we're at 45 (FORTY-FIVE. NOT A TYPO, NO HYPHEN MISSING) bg3 wips and easily more than half are raphtav alone and it's gonna be at 50 by the end of the month because i have so many ideas and so little time. (more than half of those are multichapter wips. help.) refreshing for comments even when it's been like two minutes rather than not being externally motivated (i. am trying). outlines being a fic in their own right (which is fun but not the purpose of an outline and a habit i am trying! to break).

Favorite thing you wrote?

i am picking like 6 things and no one can stop me #selflove

talk was supposed to be a 3k MAX pwp oneshot to break writer's block, and by god did all 18k words of it accomplish that goal. incredibly nsfw, raphael/tav/haarlep and tav is a freak about it and also not a good person, and i had So Much Fun writing it. it was posted on my birthday as a present to Myself and i might do the same this year with one of the other wips. EXPLICIT before anyone clicks on it, it's not that kinky compared to some other fic out there but it is Very explicit

The Complicated Woman Podcast: Tracker O'Shaughnessey was an exercise in form as much as it was a fic. i used to be a transcriptionist, and i'd been wanting to write a transcript-format fic for Ages, and so when i joined a zine literally named the complicated woman podcast i just had to. that wasn't even the point of the zine but i Did have to. and it slaps! it's been my sample for every (read: one) d20 project i've applied to since and also i love tracker and fig so very much.

eat your young, aka my tav's bad end, has haunted me for more than a year, and FINALLY. i began posting it. updates are going to be slow because every time i sit down to write, tav psychically attacks me with new ideas to make everything worse, and it's great but it takes a minute. both chapters are more than 7k. Help Me (but don't actually because i love it). a lot of people have written "astarion ascends so tav goes to raphael"--which, given fandom, not necessarily a surprise--but i am SO fond of my take on it because tav is so unwell. allying with the devil as "pragmatism". but watch out! you might start to like the guy! (and then. other things). cw canon-typical raphael (but no major archive warnings other than violence)

the ghost of her is a weird little second-person durgezel piece and i'm kind of obsessed with it. it's my durge arcaena's bad end, which is if she Doesn't give into bhaal and lae'zel chooses to go back to vlaakith. i don't know that it's the Best thing i've written but it is one of my Favorites, and that's what matters.

welcome! everything is fine. is my the good place au, and it was supposed to be a oneshot. yes i know that it says 27 chapters. yes i know that just the first two chapters are almost 16k. but it was SUPPOSED to be a oneshot. however the idea of this fic is what launched raphael from "hell yeah, devil with a villain song" to living rent-free in my mind so not really a surprise that it. escalated. (thank you @wretcheddthing, you horrid enabler who Chose to send me "raphael in the good place" when i had just finished house of hope and was unwell about it, and know that this continues to be your fault). making astarion/minsc "soulmates" in this is the funniest decision i've ever made, and i cannot WAIT to get to more of the raphael/tav dynamic in this (she knows, he doesn't know she knows) and also the astarion/tav dynamic but that i can't elaborate on because spoilers. not that a lot of people are reading this one fjdklfjd but that's okay, i'm writing it for me.

this one piece i've shared with maybe 4 people about my oc and her backstory before the world ended slapped severely and i should write more of it.

and then my last answer is one i can't share yet because it's unposted. but it's gonna be sooo fun

Favorite reads?

this one's going to be even longer. i have so much love in my heart, and also i read a lot more than i wrote this year, and i wrote [checks numbers] yikes! i'm not admitting that number!

fic

any and all of these fics are ones i enthusiastically recommend, if i were to gush about why i love all these fics i would hit tumblr's character limit (which. presumably exists) so i've just marked fandom, pairing, and if it's explicit. tags can tell you more <3 so many of these are from my friend molly fjfkd hiiiii molly sorry for tagging you a million times

Against the Tide by domestic_ice - fantasy high, adaine-centric genfic.

and i, reaching by @prettyaveragewhiteshark - arcane, caitlyn/vi, explicit.

Blood in the Wine by @atrueneutral - baldur's gate, raphael/tav, explicit (or will be! it's a slow burn and a VERY good one at that)

break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored by @danielmolloystits - interview with the vampire, armand/daniel & daniel/lestat, explicit.

call me any, anytime by nevermore_evermore - fantasy high, fig & sandra lynn & fabian.

cat scratch fever strut by @dalgursbate - baldur's gate, gale/tav(/haarlep), explicit.

Cooler Than Me by @wetcatspellcaster (hi yes i know you tagged me but i did love this fic dearly this past year, so!) - baldur's gate, astarion/tav.

Dying in slow motion by @librivore42 - dragon age, choose your own adventure.

esmeltar red supernova by @dalgursbate - baldur's gate, karlach/lae'zel/shadowheart, explicit.

give the devil his due by thatsparrow - the devil went down to georgia (yes the song).

i wanna tear you apart by @dalgursbate - baldur's gate, lae'zel/shadowheart, explicit.

let me be your friend(ly) fire by @dalgursbate - baldur's gate, astarion/shadowheart(/tav but mostly shadowstarion), explicit.

lie down & get fleas by @dalgursbate - baldur's gate, raphael/tav, explicit.

make a mess, lioness by @dalgursbate - baldur's gate, raphael/tav, explicit.

of street names & subway wall prophecies by @dalgursbate - baldur's gate, astarion/shadowheart, explicit.

Part of the Hoard by tangerine_blast - fantasy high, adaine-centric genfic.

Pieces Still Stuck In Your Teeth by @wetcatspellcaster - baldur's gate, astarion/tav.

rewind & play it back by @danielmolloystits, interview with the vampire, armand/daniel.

Sansûkh by determamfidd - lord of the rings, Many pairings.

teeter by @pouralaura - baldur's gate, raphael/tav, explicit.

to forgive is human and failure is divine by @dalgursbate - baldur's gate, lae'zel/shadowheart, explicit.

the war you've come to wage against my sins by @prettyaveragewhiteshark - baldur's gate, mizora/tav.

Warding Bond by @bravestworriers - fantasy high, fig/gorgug, explicit but like Barely. it's mostly about the Dynamics and the Messiness of it all (compliment)

when you move (how the whole world moves) by @goldfyshie927 - arcane, caitlyn/vi, explicit.

who will burn who by @pouralaura - baldur's gate, raphael/tav, explicit.

"Good Boy" by AkbaalKiin - baldur's gate, raphael/haarlep, explicit.

truly everything from the fantastic @reallyhatethiswebsite - can find their stuff collated on ao3 here! a lot of it's explicit (and Good at that)

books/comics/graphic novels/you get the gist

i did NOT read enough this year, and that's one of my resolutions for the next year. i physically felt the lack this last year, i Need to read more. what happened to being the girl who got only books for hanukkah for 8 years huh...gonna return to my roots. half of these are rereads too :( i need to dive into a novel again, it'll fix me

Hellblazer's first/original run by a variety of authors (i am not recommending it. but i enjoyed reading it)

Here by Richard McGuire

Last Flight by Liane Merciel

The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

The Sawbones Book: The Hilarious, Horrifying Road to Modern Medicine by Dr. Sydnee McElroy and Justin McElroy

Tevinter Nights by a variety of authors

Biggest win?

finding joy in writing fic again! wahoo, thanks baldur’s gate and d20 ficoff and also d20 zine jam and also all the zines and things i signed up for last year! 🤸

Goals for the new year?

finish personal problem because i need it done please god. it’s been too long. i also want to run a fic-focused fanevent of some kind that doesn’t require discord (i’ll join discords, and i get why events require it, but i want to run something for the discord-avoidant among us. maybe a bg3 exchange <- i am not committing to this yet no one @ me). also i’m gonna finish this lucanis/veryl (my rook)/spite wip if it kills me because i need to exorcise that energy before it makes me fixate on a game that, much as i am enjoying it, is easily my least favorite in the franchise lol. though maybe i'll finish it and it'll change my mind

Your favorite words of the year, aka the words you check each chapter for, making sure you didn't repeat them 788 times?

adverbs, just generally. sorry that ostensibly is a fun word and it's funny to make my 8 intelligence tav use it incorrectly! sue me! i also loved what you added to it by sharing your favorite turns of phrase, dr. wetcat, so i’ll do the same 🤸

"Hubris and ambition both dog his steps even in the retelling, making him out to practically be Karsus reborn, in overreach and skill." from welcome! everything is fine. (sorry gale. for this and also for everything that's gonna happen in this fic...tav's not a fan of wizards and also not of gale specifically </3)

"The look has something wild to it, the whites of her eyes flashing like a cornered animal's, even as she visibly schools her expression into something less vulnerable." from in truth tempest can never be tamed (for real cw on graphic depictions of violence if you choose to read this one, that archive warning is Very Much Needed)

"You can have my simpering submission, my perfect, obsequious obedience, knowing you'll have earned none of it." from talk. this one is my favorite because i love writing characters who are so annoying that they're using the word "obsequious" in bed <3 AND the fic is still hot. go me

"The pawn shop, while also not hiring, let her loiter in the cool air for almost an hour before she had to make the trek back, and she could have cried from the mercy if she’d had any water left in her." from my aforementioned zombie oc piece wahoo. i miss this oc, i should write more of her

"Familiar, alive, and hot in her chest, heart beating and burning and beating ever forward." from what a horror i've become, which i know says it was posted in 2025 but it's from a zine that i worked on last year so! in this post it goes

What are you excited for in the new year?

i get to write more niche stuff for myself and my favorite people hooray. you love to see it. also i'm writing for a fangame which is just incredibly rad and that'll be coming out this year, so hell yeah. also d20 ficoff 2025!! i'm helping mod it! AND i get to write more of my beloved tav khoury, the world's worst woman! fuck yeah! honestly most of all i'm excited to have a year where i'm excited to write? had that stupid catfish situation + a few rude anons that kinda sucked the joy of writing fic from me for a minute and it's nice to have it back.

[darkreflections-zine]

Dark Reflections is now accepting submissions!

Dark Reflections is an all-Trek zine focusing on the Mirror Universe and other dark universes. We welcome the dark, the macabre, the unsavoury and the morally dubious.

Please read the FAQ under the cut before submitting anything. Feel free to join our Discord server for quick answers to questions, hanging out with other submitters, beta reader requests, and work reminders.

Submissions close October 10th. Send submissions to ollieaster@gmail.com

FAQ

What counts as a mirror universe?

According to Fanlore, a mirror universe is any alternate universe which is a dark reflection (pun intended) of the original. Whether this is the mirror universe we see in the shows or in beta canon, or a completely new universe that is simply not as kind to our characters as the original is up to you. Keep in mind that this zine focuses on and embraces the more "evil" aspects of those universes.

What can I submit to the zine?

Writing (fic and poetry) and art (traditional or digital, including comics) can all be submitted. We don't accept manips, meta essays (essays written in-universe may be allowed), mood boards, or anything that can't be printed, such as vids and podfics. Fics must not exceed 25,000 words, though depending on quality and number of submissions we may choose more, shorter works over fewer, longer ones. There is no lower limit for writing. Art must be completed, which means no sketches. Traditional art should be scanned, 300p. Written files should be .docx or .pdf, and art files should be .png, .jpg or .tiff. Links to Google Docs are also accepted.

Is there anything I can't write about?

Despite this zine embracing and encouraging potentially controversial subject matters, there are a few things we won't accept. Generally speaking, though, unless you're writing nazi roleplay erotica (for example) we're not likely to reject your fic on subject matter alone.

What show/ship/characters does the zine focus on?

Ideally, all of them. We'd like for this to be an all-Trek zine. However, if we get an overwhelming majority of one series we may end up rejecting a single work from a different one, even if it normally would have gotten in, just to keep everything cohesive. Either way, we will not accept OC-centric works.

Can I submit a work that has been published somewhere else? e.g. AO3, another zine, ect.

No. We only accept new works.

Does my work need to be beta read before submission?

Preferably, yes. We will edit works which have been accepted and which require it. All works in the zine will match in editing style, though we'll try to keep the author's style intact.

If I submit multiple works, how many are likely to get in?

We would prefer to give as many creators an opportunity to participate as possible, but if there is room or your works are particularly fitting, we will include multiple.

Do I need experience to submit works?

No. We will gladly accept works from new creators.

Do I need to join the discord server to participate?

No. The server gives you easier access to the editor, granting quicker answers to any questions you may have, as well as general accountability and greater sense of community, but that is all.

How do you match fic and art?

Ideally, we will have some solid matches from the get-go. If necessary, we will ask submitters who have volunteered to pinch hit for fics with no art. Art with no matches will separate poems or end up on one of the covers.

Will there be merch?

Possibly.

After the zine is published, can I post my work to AO3/social media?

We reserve printing rights for six months after publication (the day printed zines will be shipped). After that, you may do with your work as you wish.

How much will the zine cost?

This depends on a number of factors. However, we will endeavour to keep the zine as cheap as possible. We cannot legally make money off of fanworks, nor do we wish to. A free pdf copy of the zine will be sent to everyone who has purchased a physical copy, and these digital copies will be available to purchase at a much discounted price.

I have another question that isn't listed here.

Shoot us an ask! All asks are tagged #qna to make finding them easier. Please check if we have answered your question there before sending a new one.

[luthordamnvers]

👀 8, 9, 11, 19, 20, 21, 27

8. What fic meant the most to you to write?

[Answered here]

9. What fic made you feel the happiest to work on?

I'm always suffering when i'm writing 😂

But I guess Hell was the journey (but it brought me heaven) I really enjoyed to craft the story around Ms. Swift lyrics/music, and to explore the established relationship aspect of the fic, it's not something I usually do much. The "Kara POV" chapters were the ones I wrote this year for the most part, and I loved the story in them, it all became coherent with those chapters, and tied it all together at the end with Lena's POV, I think. So yeah, i think I had fun with this one the most.

11. What fic was the most difficult to write?

The one I'm currently writing, for the Dansen Big Bang. It's based/inspired by a pretty terrible movie that I freaking hate, but the synopsis is very Dansen, and I loved it for them. It's just been difficult to write for them, while keeping something from this terrible hallmark movie. And given the structure of it, I don't have my usual guest stars, so it's been a lot of rewriting, reordering and editing. Stuff I rarely do.

But since that's not published, let's go with my other DansenBB piece. Sweetest little part of Destiny  I love the idea of it for Kelly and Alex... But as someone who has never wanted kids of their own, that one was a trip to get in the mindset for it.

19. Share your favorite piece of dialogue

Suddenly I have never in my life written a piece of dialogue, my god...

I think this one, maybe?

“I thought you would’ve preferred to go to the DEO, or to The Tower with Alex.” Lena mentioned, while she scribbled something on a piece of paper. “Maybe train a bit with her to calm down.” Kara chortled, while looking at her phone, one mindless game loading. “Yeah, I would, but Alex is in a worse mood than me, and we will end up fighting. I don’t feel like fighting with my sister right now. Everything else is shitty enough.” “My, my, Kara Danvers… Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?” “We both know I do worse things with my mouth that both my mothers are better off without knowing.” “Oh, my God…” “You started it.” Kara shrugged, smiling smugly. “Anyway, why? Are you trying to get rid of me?”

From: Hell was the journey (but it brought me heaven), Chapter 9

20. Share your funniest line

“Because apparently the universe hates me.” Lena commented. “When your ass is ready to fly to Metropolis let me know…”

(A Tale of Two Portals)

It's not funny without the context, but Lena is so done with Andrea(and Sam) on this one. Makes me laugh just to imagine her face.

21. What's something that surprised you while you were working on a fic? Did it change the story?

Maybe because it's recent so it's fresh in my mind, but I got really emotional with the Esme & Alex scene in Sweetest little part of Destiny. Because again, I never wanted kids of my own, and I'm also not adopted, so it surprised me how emotionally devastating it was to write. I wanted a scene like that from the beginning so it didn't really change how I dealt with it, but still, hit harder than I thought it would.

27. How many events did you take part in? (bangs, exchanges, ship weeks, zines, prompt memes, they all count!)

2 events.

I wrote 3 fics for @supergirlmayhem And 2 for my own @dansenbb... If i finish the second one, actually.

I DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN SUPERCORPTOBER'24, despite the ALLEGATIONS....

Thanks so much for all the questions, mel. it was fun I didn't know the answer to half of them 😂

[2024 Fic Year in Review]

[basu-shokikita]

Kloktober 2023 Day 15

Dethklok on Vacation

I wanted to write Dethklok chilling at the beach for this but I already wrote a Skwistok beach fic very recently for the Seasons Zine so I had to think harder for it.

And then, it came to me. The answer was so obvious...

Nathan looked at his surroundings. He had never been happier to see lines, crying babies, lovey-dovey couples or to have excited children bump into him, colored drinks in hand. 

It was their first vacation since the world almost ended, so Nathan was learning to appreciate all those little things he once took for granted.

Oh, and also, they were in Disneyland. Magic Kingdom, to be more specific. It was his favorite, he was a man of classic taste after all. Just the sight of the Cinderella Castle in the distance soothed his heart. Except this time, the crowds did too.

“Nethans, Nethans!” He heard Toki call him enthusiastically and he turned to him.

Toki was wearing Minnie Mouse ears, hand clasping Skwisgaar’s, who was wearing Mickey Mouse ears to match. Not that the latter had been keen to do it, simply given up against Toki’s relentless insistence. Even now, he looked less than excited to be there.

“Skwisgaar and me wants to goes to the Mad Tea Parties!” Toki said. “Cans we?”

Nathan exchanged glances with Pickles and they both shrugged. “Sure.” He said. They normally did everything together, the lines, the food, the attractions unless someone got lost. Things were different this time, though.

Beaming, Toki pulled Skwisgaar by the hand and they went in another direction and Nathan was left seeing their backs. Toki pointed at things, chatting happily while hugging Skwisgaar’s arm. While Skwisgaar didn’t return the affection, he didn’t reject it either and Toki seemed to read that as encouragement to kiss his cheek.

Toki and Skwisgaar had always been close, in their own particular way. Or rather, it was like they were two halves of the same thing. What thing was that? Nathan had no idea. But at some point after the defeated Salacia, that…wholeness seemed to turn into something else. While Nathan would’ve been shocked and even kind of thrown off before, he couldn’t find it in himself to care now. Lots of things lost their impact after surviving the end of the world. Walking into Toki and Skwisgaar kissing wasn’t impressive after witnessing thousands die and realizing your main connection on this Earth had been with the band all along. Hell, maybe they were all a little gay. Maybe he was kind of gay too.

Maybe?

“I’m going to Big Thunder Mountain.” Murderface announced and also left, like a child making use of his independence for the first time. 

Murderface has also changed lately, making less of a fuss about everything he did. It made Nathan wonder if all this time he had been simply seeking their attention and approval. And now that he knew he had it, he could act more naturally. 

Man, he was sure having big thoughts while in the line for “it’s a small world”. It was his ultimate favorite attraction, hands. down. Always made him shed brutal tears seeing those little dolls dressed as people from all over the world and dancing. And he had a feeling this time he would cry even harder over them.

“I fucking love Disneyland!” He said, to himself and anyone that could hear him, really.

Pickled snorted, shoving another handful of loaded fries into his mouth. He was wearing a Goofy Hat, complete with ears, and wayfarer sunglasses so the kids didn’t see how high he was. “I fucken’ missed it, dood.” He said.

“Me too!” Nathan agreed, raising his fists in the air with furor. “This is awesome!”

Pickles smiled. “Yea.”

As he let his arms fall, Nathan inhaled deeply and felt in the air. In the air, even. In everything around him right now. In the child that had dropped his ice cream just now and was about to start crying, in the trees waving with the afternoon breeze, in the sign that said they still had 40 minutes to go. In his friend standing next to him right now, waiting to get in this silly ride with him like there was nothing better he could do. 

“Hey, Pickles?”

“Yea?”

“I love you, man.”

Even with the sunglasses, Nathan could tell Pickles was staring at him with wide eyes.  “Huh?”

Usually, a reaction like that would discourage him from showing any more emotion. Not today, however. “I said I love you!” He repeated, pulling Pickles into a forceful hug and rubbing that dumb, balding head of his. “I do!”

As it happened, Pickles had a tendency to deflect compliments, though this time it was harder while being squeezed between Nathan’s arms. “Ow-What- Nethan did you take sumthin’?” He sputtered against Nathan’s chest.

“Uh, no?” Nathan tried to remember. It was stupid and definitely the kind of stuff he would’ve punched a regular jack-off for saying, but he felt high on life. Yeech, he shook his head, trying to shake off the cringe of even thinking that particular phrase.  “I’m just feeling it, man.”

“O-Okei!” Pickles finally managed to pull away from Nathan’s grasp, one hand holding the plate with the remains of the fries, the other holding his now smushed sunglasses. There was a mark on the bridge of his nose and his face was flushed so funny that it made him look like a fucked up strawberry. “I love ya too, dood.” He said, like he was trying to get it out of the way already.

“Cool.” Nathan smiled. “I already knew that.”

Pickles made an offended noise, though he still broke into a grin. “Now, aren’t ya fucken’ humble.” He shoved Nathan playfully.

“Whatever.” Nathan eyed the fries on Pickles’ hands. “Can I have some?”

“Oh, sure.” Pickles raised his hand, to bring the food closer to Nathan, but when Nathan leaned in, he smashed it against his face. While cold melted cheddar invaded his nostrils, Nathan heard him laugh. “Bet ya didn’t see th’t one comin’!” 

He wanted to get mad, yet he couldn’t. “You’re such an asshole, Pickles.” Nathan chuckled, wiping his face.

“Whatever.” Pickles shrugged, still laughing, which made Nathan burst into laughter in turn.

And so they remained, in hysterics over some dumb prank while the people in front of them threw them judgemental glare.

Happiness was really fucking brutal. 

[stoicman-wbk]

Don’t bite the hand that feeds you fanfics:

Hey, just wanted to rant for a sec about a comment I received earlier on my ongoing Windbreaker fanfic.

I was really excited to see a new comment in my inbox, but then I read it and it said:

“Let's move on to the next chapter...”

This is NOT the motivation commenters think it is. It’s the exact opposite, actually.

Here I am, working a full time job and doing overtime because of the holidays. Here I am during hunting season trying to spend a few mornings in the woods so I can get food to feed me and my family for the next fucking year. Here I am trying to juggle writing my own fic (this one, with no deadline because it’s purely for myself), writing a fic for a Windbreaker gift exchange (due in December), writing for a fan zine (with a check-in in December), creating content for a week-long fan event (also in December), creating a commission for a customer (again, due in December), creating a large hand-made gift for my mother (you guessed it, due in December), plus shopping for the rest of my friends/family even though I still have no idea when I’ll even get a freaking chance to do that.

I cannot prioritize a fanfic that has NO deadline over everything else right now. And I said as much in the notes of my last chapter. I even vaguely explained all the shit I have going on right now, and yes, I know it’s been a few weeks since I updated & my readers are used to me shoveling out chapters once or twice a week like some sort of maniac. And most of my readers have been incredibly kind and understanding, and I greatly appreciate their patience (seriously, I love them).

But y’all have to understand, I am writing in what little spare time I have and posting it for others to read for free. Of course I love my readers and especially the ones that comment regularly. But I do not owe anyone the time and effort that it takes to write. I write because I feel like it, because I enjoy it, and because I have time to do so. So when I don’t have the time and energy to spare, people need to be a little more patient. Please.

Demanding updates does not get fanfics updated faster.

In fact, this one comment single-handedly has caused me to further postpone my update.

I was literally planning to binge-write the next chapter tomorrow since I’ll be off work, but getting this rude comment has made me bitter & I am NOT going to reward this behavior with an immediate update.

So, I’m really sorry to all of my other readers, but you’ll have to be a bit more patient.

I’m now going to use this time to work on my other projects that actually have deadlines. It’ll probably be better for me to do so anyway. Once I get some of those out of the way, then I will have more time to focus on my ongoing fic.

So yeah, this is just a reminder that it costs nothing to NOT be rude to people who are literally providing you with free entertainment.

And you making demands will cause you to wait longer because I am nothing if not full of spite ☺️

Oh, and if you’re curious, the fanfic is “Promise” which is the latest part of my Suo-centric series, “Cracks in the Mask”

[moon-language-0]

10 Questions for Writers

wasn't gonna do this bc i thought nobody probably really cares about this stuff but since i got double tagged by @meidui and @sunnysideprincess here goes nothing:

1. how many works do you have on AO3?

32 and climbing!

2. what’s your total AO3 word count?

ugh i had to go into my stats to find this number (hate looking at stats) but to my surprise that number is a whopping 816,828! (if added to my ff.net word count that figure grows to 1,062,375 🤯)

3. what fandoms do you write for?

stony exclusively, though i opened up to the idea of writing for steve and/or tony paired with any mcu villain for marvel trumps hate, and now i'm writing a steve/loki (with steve/tony as endgame) fic that's more fun than i would've anticipated! (x) still wouldn't call myself a "multishipper," though -- more of a serial shipping monogamist ;)

4. do you respond to comments? why or why not?

i do! sometimes i'm a bit slow to respond for various reasons (e.g. when people angels comment on my WIPs i like to reply when/right before a new chapter drops), and on a few occasions i've belatedly encountered comments that i forgot to reply to (😱) that i'll immediately rectify, but i very much want to encourage people to keep leaving them. a single comment—even short/sweet ones!—can be like rocket fuel to my creative drive -- and as someone who finds myself running on empty and trying to get by solely on fumes from time to time, getting that boost in my inbox is truly priceless.

5. have you ever had a fic stolen?

not in whole but in part :(

6. have you ever co-written a fic before?

i don't even know how that would work!

7. what’s your all-time favorite ship?

currently steve/tony. once upon a time it was spock/kirk, and the flame burned so brightly that it troubles me to wonder how it ever managed to go out. i collected vintage zines. i made insanely thoughtful fanmixes (one of which i recorded onto cassette tapes one-at-a-time by hand through a painstaking process and distributed to a few like-minded folks, with hand-drawn cover art and liner notes!). i read AMAZING fic that changed my brain and yet i never wrote a single thing! i made a secret spacehusbands clubhouse underneath a pool table during one long and otherwise unhappy summer. i even made spirk-themed patches and pins that sold quite well on etsy, and turned one of my large back pieces into the central design of a fully decked-out jacket (which was made specifically to wear while loitering around disneyland while baked). here's some photographic evidence of all of the above:

8. what are your writing strengths?

smut-crafting is the obvious answer, but i flatter myself to think that i also manage to tap into a particular kind of haunted beauty that hovers about, casting its ethereal moon-shadow over all the most poignant relationships; something i've been obsessed with in life, that i'm compelled to pursue further in writing.

9. what are your writing weaknesses?

keeping it short. my punctuation can get pretty erratic sometimes. also, this might be a cop-out of an answer since it can be interpreted as a 'strength' but it really can throw me for a loop: i tend to let the characters tell the story 'they' want to tell rather than keeping a tight hold on the reins and sticking to my own agenda -- this can lead me off my intended course, for better or worse! as a storyteller i'm a bit of a pushover—always open to sudden inspiration wherever it might issue from—and steve and tony are such *strong* personalities that this openness can be a problem when i 'channel' them.

10. first fandom you wrote for?

harry potter. i was a bit of a snapewife for awhile there (don't judge). ff.net has been having some server issues so i recently logged back on to download my 245k unfinished epic from 2012, and found over a thousand people had left comments! some people were calling it a "masterpiece" and/or "the best fic [they] ever read [for that pairing]" which made me doubtful, so i skimmed over some of the story expecting it to be cringey but uhhh... it actually holds up? i mean, 2011/12 was quite a time for me: i was simultaneously finishing my thesis on "fandom, fanaticism, and religious fervor" and can recall having full-on religious experiences of my own while writing that [truly 'inspired'] fic, so i guess i was onto something after all!

some of these folks have already been tagged but i'm whispering a soft 'hello' into the ears of @carsonian, @soliloquent-stark, @pia-bartolini, @avengersnewb, @tinystark616 & all writers who aren't as averse to mirror-gazing as i can be

[lightwithinthedarknessu]

Getting a chance to share my fic focusing in Vivi for @ff9zine with spot art from the amazing @mariibeann thank you so much for bringing this story to life with your beautiful art!! I had so much fun writing an epilogue for Vivi, he’s such a sweet little guy and deserves all the love.

Leftover Sales are open for @ff9zine ! There are still a few merch items left and a chance at the digital zine. It’s such a gorgeous zine, so if you haven’t yet go on over and take a look at the options here

You can check out the fic here below or on AO3

Summary: The ultimate gift of a journey is one well lived. As Vivi comes to terms with his life, he looks back on the letters he once sent—deciding to compile them together as a last message to all of his friends. One in particular for his dear friend Zidane in hopes he’ll return someday. Set before and after the epilogue.

At One with the Sky

Vivi bobbed his head back and forth, teetering his bum on the edge of a small wooden stool. Life had changed drastically since his dear friend Zidane had gone off on a journey that even now, Vivi wasn’t sure when he’d return. Back then, Zidane had said he was taking life more seriously because of Vivi’s influence. With those words, Zidane went off to save Kuja and never came back.

Vivi knew someday his friend would come back. Just…Vivi might not be there to welcome him. And so, today the little mage decided to put himself to the pen once more. His journey had been filled with nights spent writing in a small “journal” given to him by his Grandpa. Unlike most journals, it was a simple leather folio, bound with black twine that wrapped around a brass button that acted as a simple closure. Vivi gingerly unraveled the twine until he could peek inside. The space was large enough to hold the mage’s quill and pen, alongside a stack of nine completed letters.

Master Vivi, what is that? Steiner had asked him that question once.

Letters to my Grandpa, Vivi had replied, adjusting his hat to stealthily hang over his eyes. He couldn’t bear to explain that at first, he thought it was a “journal.” Over time, and after learning more about the world Vivi had come to know keeping a journal was different than the art of letter writing. Still, in his own way—writing letters was an act of keeping a record of his life.

Zidane was the one who explained the difference. The memory tugged at the edges of Vivi’s whirring heart. Back then, his friend had caught him writing by candlelight after they spent the night at the Black Mage Village. Zidane, being Zidane had swiped the letter Vivi had been writing and began teasing the little mage after he told him to “give his journal back!”

A Journal? Isn’t this a letter? See it reads like one too! Zidane laughed, then began to tease Vivi by reading his letter out loud. Slowly, the rogue’s face fell as he read Vivi’s statement that the little mage probably had a year or so left to live, maybe more. Maybe.

Neither addressed the moment and instead quietly went to sleep. But the next morning, Vivi found a scrawl from Zidane on his letter. He wrote that Vivi shouldn’t think about it too much and just keep moving. Vivi took the words to heart. If Zidane, Dagger, Steiner, Eiko, and Freya were able to keep moving forward—maybe someday he’d stop worrying about it.

Vivi tugged on his hat. The memory made his head feel fuzzy. Tears pooled at the edges of his golden eyes as he looked out the window of Alexandria castle. The sky. Right, the sky was so blue the day Vivi had finally had enough. He was frightened, scared that the feelings plaguing him would never go away. He wanted them to stop.

You don’t have to do everything my way, you know? Vivi…Well…in the end, it boils down to two simple choices. Either you do or you don’t. You’d think with all the problems in this world, there’d be more than two answers. It’s not fair…but that’s the way things are. The choice is yours. I just wanna protect the people I’m with. Doesn’t matter whether I can or not. It’s what I believe.

Those words Zidane spoke took root in Vivi’s heart and slowly but surely, a sense of peace overcame him. It helped Vivi keep searching for the answers he sought—and when he found them—life made no more sense than before. But Vivi kept going. Even when Zidane wasn’t there to encourage him anymore: he remembered those words.

Vivi took a deep breath. Time was fleeting. Life was slowly seeping out of him. But he wanted to leave something and relive his journey one last time.

The little mage set out a leather book cover he had obtained from Queen Garnet.

I’d be honored to hold your memories. Hold them for him—for his return.

Vivi shook away the ache forming in his throat. Words that couldn’t be said. Words of thanks that conveyed a journey well lived. Slowly, the little mage began to unwrap each letter and put it inside the cover. Soon it would be bound by the court archivist.

As he picked up each one, Vivi began to relive his journey.

****

Grandpa, I set off today on my adventure.

It’s been about a week since you faded into the sky. For days I didn’t know what I should do. It was scary, being alone and not hearing your stories anymore. So, today I decided to head to Treno. It was scary at first, there were so many people! But I met a Moogle who gave me a ticket to see, “I Want to Be Your Canary” in Alexandria. I hope it’s as good as your stories. Next time, I’ll tell you tomorrow about what the town is like!

I met a Moogle!

The world is so much bigger and sometimes scarier than I thought it would be. But the sky, it’s so clear and bright here. I keep looking up at it and wondering just how far I can go. I’d like to think I’ll be able to visit everywhere the sky touches.

But Grandpa, Alexandria is filled with so many people! I fell over once and almost lost my ticket, but it wouldn’t have mattered if I did. The man at the ticket booth said it was a “fake” and I wouldn’t be able to see the show with it. I wandered around not sure what to do next. But then, another guy as little as me came running through the streets with a ladder! He helped me get a spot on the roof to watch the play. I think I like it better this way, you can see the sky and the tops of the houses for miles. I’ll tell you how the play was later, the show is about to start!

The Evil Forest is really scary…

I’m scared. I don’t know how it happened, but I was taken away from the play on an airship with a bunch of “kidnappers,” a “knight,” and the princess herself! Somehow right after we took off the airship broke apart and we fell into this dark forest. My head feels a bit fuzzy from it all, so much has happened. I know you told me there were things out there that wanted to eat me, but I didn’t think plants would! I passed out after that, then Mr. Blank gave me some yucky medicine to get the seeds out of me. I thought I was going to die. The world really is dangerous.

I hope the princess is ok. My new friends Zidane and Mr. Steiner said I could help save her with my magic. I couldn’t do anything before. I was able to help myself but not the princess. I feel like I’d just be useless. Can I really help? Mr. Steiner called me Master Vivi and seems to believe in me. I’m not sure what to think about that, but I’ll try my best.

Maybe I can be useful too!

I was able to use my magic! I feel better that I was able to be useful. I’m happy to have made friends with Zidane, Mr. Steiner, and maybe I will be with the princess too when she wakes up. I hope she’ll get well soon. Right after defeating the monster, the entire forest attacked us! We barely made it out.

Grandpa, it’s strange. I’m all messed up inside. Mr. Blank worked so hard to save us but—the Evil Forest took him too. I couldn’t do anything again. From now on, I’ll work hard to not be afraid and use my magic to help keep everyone safe. So far, everyone’s said my magic is really useful. That made me really happy. Is it strange to want to be needed by my new friends? I feel like, maybe they can help me find where I belong.

What am I? I never thought about it before…

In Dali, I found dolls that looked like me. What does it mean? Why do they look like me? I don’t know what to think. Zidane said that they only looked a bit like me. Maybe he’s right. They don’t act like me at all, and their clothes are different. But when I got on the airship, they were up and moving—just like me! I tried talking to them—but it’s like they don’t even see me at all. Then another one of the Queen’s mages attacked us. The dolls tried to protect me. And that mage killed them all….

I couldn’t do anything…they were swallowed up by the sky. I got so angry. I asked my friends: “Were those black mages and I…the same?”

Steiner said it didn’t matter, even if they were. And Zidane said that I’m an “individual.” I’ve decided to believe in those words. I’m me and no one else.

Grandpa, I’m so happy to have friends. Maybe they’ll help me find out who I am. I miss you. If you were here—what would you say?

Lindblum’s Grand Castle is so huge!

Dagger,

Thank you for bringing me here! The food was really tasty, I think my Grandpa would have loved it. I even saw something that looked like his sesame buns in one of the shops. It’s so busy and people from all over are trying to live their dreams! I’m sure you know that…you’ve been here before after all.

I was really excited about attending my first festival until Zidane signed me up to hunt the monsters. I never thought I’d be using my magic that way! Zidane won, but I had fun touring the city while hunting monsters.

I felt useful until we saw that Burmecian soldier die. When I heard that the enemy soldiers might be the same black mages—I realized it’s even more important to find out who I am. Dagger, I’m like you—I was really sad to see him die. And scared. I’m scared to find out what I am. Maybe, I’m not even human. But, I feel it’s my duty to visit Burmecia and find out. I think—I understand why you did what you did. In your own way, you’re fighting too.

The rain just won’t stop falling…Burmecia is gone…

Freya,

I’ve never seen so much death before---so much sadness. Grandpa once told me death was a part of life. But, is this really what he meant? I don’t think so. I’d like to ask Zidane, but something aches in my chest. Freya told me that it’s possible the answers I seek will change my life for the worse. But—I think it’s worse if I don’t find out what I am. Thank you Freya, for worrying about me even when you’re the one hurting the most. As we journey together, I hope we’ll both understand someday and be able to turn our anger and hurt into something meaningful.

I don’t understand…

Puck, I’m sorry! Steiner, what can I do?

So many people have died. I keep seeing the Black Mages kill people over and over. I haven’t been able to stop them—tell them that they don’t have to kill. But that’s all they’ve kept saying: KILL. All I’ve been able to do is watch—watch them kill. When will it stop? I don’t understand—why does everyone around me keep dying? How…how can I help?

I’ll keep going. I gotta know why.

I visited a village…filled with mages like me!

Grandpa,

There ARE others like me! They talk and they’re scared of humans! I couldn’t believe it, there was a whole village! It’s in the middle of a dying forest and Black Mage 288 told me they traveled all the way across the ocean to get here. But…I found out something else. One day, a Black Mage will “stop moving.” When Mage 288 told me that, I ran away. Zidane asked me if I was ok, but I lied. I’m scared.

These mages talk and live like me. They have hobbies, jobs, and people they love—friends. They don’t kill, they just live peacefully away from humans. Earlier tonight I asked Black Mage 288 more about it. He said, our lifetimes are limited—it varies but after a year most die. He too fears death; he doesn’t want the others to know—sometimes he’d like to run away too.

“The joy of living with them far outweighs the fear of death. Isn’t it the same for you? Traveling with your friends gives your life meaning.”

I didn’t know how to answer him. I don’t know what to think. What does it mean to live? To exist?

Everyone in the village asked me to see the outside world and tell them all about it. I think continuing my journey will help me find the answer.

It’s not fair, but don’t think about it too much. You should keep writing your letters, Vivi. I know all of us would like to read them, even your friends in the village. So, just keep moving forward. That’s all you gotta do right now. – Zidane

A new friend!

Quina,

I made a new friend, her name is Eiko and she can summon Eidolons just like Dagger! It’s a bit annoying but Eiko likes bossing me around. It’s ok, I think she does it because she’s lonely. Maybe being around friends will make her stop teasing me someday.

I’m learning a lot!

Grandpa, I’m running out of ink…so it may be a while before I write again. Once I can, I’ll tell you all about everything that’s happened. I think…I’m beginning to understand myself more.

Holding onto anger doesn’t help anyone.

Grandpa,

I got so angry after we ran into Kuja again. He’s the source of everything—all the pain and death. But thanks to Zidane I was able to pull myself together. I’m still mad, but I was able to get a new pen and quill in Alexandria at Dagger’s coronation. Kuja…he’s caused a lot of pain for Dagger too. She lost her mom. Brahne was terrible and I hated her too–but seeing her not moving anymore and how hard Garnet cried made me realize something. Life is precious. My existence too—I want to make it all mean something.

I’m so glad I met my friends

Eiko,

Zidane hasn’t been himself lately. He was angry and said things he didn’t mean. But Zidane is like me, he was created too—so maybe that’s why he got so angry back then. I was able to help him like he helped me, I think. Zidane is Zidane again.

I’ve learned that someone be there for you when you need it is important. I think I’d still be angry, lost, and scared if I was alone But my friends helped me realize that it’s ok not to know yet what your existence means. We all still have time to think. I’m so thankful to have met my friends. Regardless of what we face next: I’m ready to face it all.

It’s been a while…

Zidane,

This is my first real letter. Remember when you said I should keep writing them? Well, I’ve learned how to properly write one thanks to Steiner. Everyone’s gone their separate ways now. Garnet is doing well as Queen with Steiner and Beatrice protecting her as always. Eiko was adopted by Regent Cid, can you believe it? She has a family now and seems really happy. Freya went on a journey with Sir Frately. Even if he doesn’t remember her, she’s getting to be with the person she loves. I see Quina now and then eating at places all over. Amouranthe—I hear stories about him everywhere I go. I hope to see him again.

Oh, that’s right! I’m traveling again too and making a big book filled with drawings and stories to share back in the village. I…don’t know how much time I’ll have left. So, Zidane. When you get back. I’m going to ask you a favor, ok? I’d like to meet you again, but even if I don’t—I’ll always remember what you taught me.

I feel like I have so much to say, but there isn’t enough time. So, I plan to write a letter to all my friends. A letter that tells them how thankful I am. Maybe, I can leave more of myself behind that way. Maybe…my memories will become a part of the sky and keep going on with you. I really…love the sky. I hope a part of me keeps journeying with everyone, somehow.

****

Zidane closed the bound record of his friend’s life with a reverence he had never experienced before. The soft light of the sun peeking through the glass latticed windows of Alexandria castle warmed the cold sensation that had been seeping its way into his heart. Vivi really was gone—at least the Vivi who left this journal. He had come back to find so much had changed, and yet so little. It felt overwhelming at first, but Zidane being Zidane sorted through it all quickly with Vivi’s help.

Garnet had handed him the journal with tears kissing her eyelashes. He didn’t fully understand till now what those tears really meant. With a sigh, the former rogue made his way to the top of the castle. The bright sky above was such a deep blue he could almost feel himself falling into its cloudy maw.

“One with the sky, huh? Cheeky kid. Making the sky all about him.” Zidane chuckled. Soon he found himself opening the journal again, staring at that last line. Hastily he scribbled his own words beneath it.

Alright, well if this journey is going to continue with you: then I hope you don’t mind me borrowing your journal. I’ll finish filling out every last page. Till we met again, little guy.

[abalovesfic]

Gonna talk more about The Book of Bill in this Ask. As well as ur answer to my 1st Ask:

"1. Preorders start today actually!!!!! It’s a really great zine and I’m excited to have been a part of it."

Nice!

"2. I do plan on finishing at least The Helpful Lie, I think I owe the fic that much and I have so much of it mapped out. That being said…"

I really do hope u will at least finish this fic someday. As well as Illumine and Cosmic Twins. And etc. I love these TAU fics dearly after all. However, I can wait. I have waited years for more of something, and I can take a long to post and stuff myself. And I can do the same with these things.

"3. Spending time in the Psych fandom has been so rewarding. This was the right time for me to transition into something else. I’m gonna put this vaguely for privacy’s sake— I needed a new fandom if I was going to engage healthily again. And honestly, I think in 7 months Psych has given me more support and community than 12 years in Gravity Falls ever did. (But that’s luck, considering I went to Psych con and met the people who live in my phone.) (And probably also demographics.)"

I am sad u feel like the GF community couldn't always give u the stuff that the Psych community did. I have had great times in the GF fandom(s) myself personally. Saying that, I am happy Psych and it's community is is making u happy right now.

"4. Obvi Gravity Falls and TAU are still the loves of my life and rn there’s this beautiful meld of Psych and Gravity Falls coexisting in my brain. Book of Bill was great and it reinvigorated something in me. So yes, I’ll come back eventually and write more but for now, I’m invested in my little queer detectives"

And I hope to see u and I am excited to see u come back more in/to the GF and/or TAU fandom(s) someday (like new chapters and/or fics. Etc.), but like I said, I am happy you are having fun with Psych right now. And/or having fun with a blend of Psych and Gravity Falls in ur mind.

Also, "Book of Bill was great and it reinvigorated something in me",

Cool!

Gonna talk more about this, but I will save that for it's separate Ask.

Thank you for ur Answer to my previous Ask.

:)

1/?.

Oof. Uhhhhhhhh.

I think it’s just the helpful lie I’ll be finishing. (Maybe cosmic twins.) I can’t go back to Illumine. I do not like to contradict canon and though I didn’t know Book of Bill would be a thing a the time, I still don’t like that my story arc was off and the fic is too far gone to change anything. I won’t delete it but I’m not finishing it.

I love the game of canon too much. I like having to work within its confines even if I’m going off the rails with an AU. It challenges me as a writer. So Illumine has lost its appeal, but The Helpful Lie has certainly gained some. I have thoughts about my dumb triangle son…

And ok ok… it’s not that Gravity Falls/ Tau wasn’t a great fandom with tons of love and support. It is! And forgive me if this gets TMI. But I felt like I would never be good enough for this fandom. All of my fic, cosplay the freaking fanzine I started, my whole thesis, every single academic conference I went to specifically to talk about the show, all of the work I put into to Gravity Falls: I was essentially destroying myself for a fandom that wouldn’t love me back with the same passion. I still LOVE Gravity Falls with my whole heart and soul. But that burnout still hurt me.

So this step back has been good.

And Psych is oddly different. I think the fandom is old enough now to be kind of its own thing— but going to Psych con was the eye opener. I was worried about being the new kid on the block in this fandom from 2006. But complete strangers have shown up for me, tried to help push my academic career by promoting my writing and trying to get me celebrity interviews (which didn’t work out but damn— I’ve never had folks do me those favors before just because they want me to succeed), among other things. It changed my perspective a lot to have total strangers hug me and tell me I had done so much.

That was very ranty and emotional because I’m super sleep deprived (Bill my son please hop into my brain and joy ride me around, leaving me to wake up in a Taco Bell and with half a chalupa. This flesh puppet is ripe for the takin’). But things have been good different in this new corner of the internet. And when I’m ready I’m gonna finish the helpful lie so that I can feel good about it and not like I’m jumping through hoops.

Oh and the blending in my brain looks like memes

[ronsenburg]

for the ask game ✅ 😠 🔥? If that’s too many just pick whichever you wanna answer!

yay, thank you 🩷 gonna do these out of order.

😠 — my least favorite part of my writing process is definitely writing transitions. I tend to follow the “write the parts you’re excited about while you’re excited” school of thought… so when that’s done I’m usually left with clusters of decent scenes like little islands that need bridges to connect them together. I’m usually not excited to write those, so they can end up feeling more like a chore and it shows.

🔥— I have a couple of self-identified weaknesses that I feel like I’ve been making a lot of progress on lately. A big one is editing. I used to be really bad at the idea of having “bad first drafts” that I’d come back and rework later. I want things to be perfect immediately and can struggle with moving on to the next part when the previous wasn’t just right yet. There are so many WIPs sitting in my folder that are literally just languishing away because I couldn’t get my brain to move on. But I’m making a lot of progress in ‘getting shit out of my head’ lately, and really feeling successful in editing, which in turn is allowing me to write more. So, big win! I’ll take it.

✅ — it’s so funny, because this is the one I want to ask everyone else (because I’m always so curious how the author’s favorite lines match up with reader’s favorites) but I was also dreading someone asking me about it because its really hard lol. I don’t really have favorite lines, just favorite bits, so I’m cutting my answers???

I still think that Youngblood is the best thing I’ve ever written, I don’t know why. But this is the end of that and after I wrote it I remember sitting there and just staring at the wall for ten minutes, grief stricken. I feel like being loved by Klavier would be such a curse for Daryan. So bittersweet. I like how I wrote a younger Klavier in this scene specifically.

I include this scene from Not So Gentle Encouragement in every zine application I’ve ever sent lol. It’s literally my favorite thing, it’s saved that whole fic from being nuked off ao3. The idea that they both have such complicated feelings about Kristoph is something I wish everyone talked about more. This whole scene (from here until klavier wakes up the next day) just turned out so romantic and 1000% my aesthetic and I love it deeply.

This has been sitting in my drafts for ages now and I’m obsessed with it. It’s supposed to go into a later chapter of tactility, but who knows. Stranded on an away mission, Felix hurt and going through a nasty withdrawal from the inhibitor drugs, Sylvain tying himself into knots over his own emotions inadvertently contributing. *chefs kiss*

[machiroads]

Fic Year in Review 2024!

Not the most productive year writing-wise, but here's a snapshot of what did go out the door!

NEW FIC

waiting on the seasons to change, waiting for the curtain to fall

The fic I wrote when I actually should have been writing my zine fic. Probably for the best that it's not in the zine because it ended up being pretty dark!

Sometimes you get possessed by an idea and write 12k of the most batshit worldbuilding

I love urban fantasy, the FFXII AU also somewhat counts as urban fantasy and I really want to get back onto that one at some point

Consistent with the theme of the fic, I inadvertently prophesized Taisho-era Aizawa in official art, and while I did not imagine him having a hat he still looks bangin

When the Battle's Lost and Won

Part 3 of Lullabies for Insomniacs (aka the Nine Lives Extended Universe)

I genuinely did not expect Kuroboro to die in the finale so I had to rewrite LITERALLY EVERYTHING I had drafted

It was originally going to be a 4-parter with rotating perspective (Aizawa > Mic > Shirakumo > Aizawa) (Moon > Sun > Cloud > Stars) but on the rewrite it just made sense to go back to Aizawa's perspective only.

Still trucking through this into 2025, I had hoped to get this one out faster but Life Happens. I made a big post about it. We'll see if work gets any less stupid into the new year (not optimistic but eh)

Overcooked

Gets an honourable mention because I did finish it, it's just not publicly available yet

This is my erasermic zine fic, and I sure as shit hope you all get to see it in 2025 but production is. slow. No comment.

The boys go to a cooking class for kids. It's cute.

MORE ART

I am still flabbergasted that people make art of my fics, and I have been blessed with two new beautiful pieces this year:

From the wonderful @obsessed-dragon, the boys taking a snooze at the end of the Fortuneteller AU

BlackSpiderEyes also spruced up their art from the MerPirates AU

I KNOW YOU LIKE STATS

This chart is still in comic sans because I think it's funny

I wrote a blurb about this in last year's post, but TL;DR the bookmark-to-kudos ratio is my metric of how many people loved a fic vs how many people just liked it.

9L is still lapping the rest of the pack, and also was still pretty well-read this year! That's a long-ass line between the 2023 and 2024 kudos datapoints. Was it S7? Was it the manga finale? Some secret third thing? I shant speculate but I do have to hand it to myself: it is still, 2 years later, The big damn Eraserhead recovery fic.

Nutstang's bookmarks:kudos ratio decreased this year, but it's still firmly in "cult classic" territory, with the 3rd highest ratio of all my fic

Legitimately surprised to see the Fortuneteller AU's ratio so high (0.39), which is noticeably higher than 9L's ratio even (0.32). It's middling as far as kudos goes (it is an Extremely Specific AU after all), but for those that did like it enough to leave a kudos, almost 40% loved it enough to bookmark.

WTBL&W is trending middle of the pack right now, though it's still very much in progress. When 9L finished, it got a pretty noticeable bump because sometimes people don't like reading WIPs! It's also billed explicitly as a sequel, so that might also be deterring some folks, but I cannot possibly divorce the two. IT IS WHAT IT IS.

STILL COOKING

I WILL FINISH LULLABIES FOR INSOMNIACS IN 2025 she says. There are maybe 2 chapters left of L&W (though they will be Large Boys), and then Kintsugi which is kind of partially written? It seems like an achievable goal, though when I started posting L&W over the summer, finishing that before the end of 2024 seemed achievable and we are still trucking our way through chapter 4 of 5ish, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I am forking The Way of the House Hero off into its own miniseries because it's techincally? canon divergent now so who tf knows about that one

The Pilot/ATC AU and the FFXII AU are still on the backburner but they still hold a special place in my heart

ANYWAYS

Thanks for reading my self-indulgent nonsense. I hope to continue creating more self-indulgent nonsense next year.