#having fitzloved thoughts

[heyitsrink]

It's late and I'm having Fool's Errand Thoughts. Specifically, I'm thinking about the astronomical amount of times in that book when it seemed like Fitz and Beloved were going to kiss but then let the moment fade–or–a conveniently abrupt distraction would shatter the tension (I'm looking at you: care to dance we already do scene, mirror scene, etc.).

I'd bet that Fitz really and truly wanted to kiss Beloved in those moments but held back out of the fear that allowing a kiss from him would result in His Fool leaving again. I wonder if, in the height of these romantically charged moments, Fitz would experience a flashback to the kiss in the mountains and then the image of the Fool flying off on Girl-on-a-Dragon.

Fast forward to the end of Fool's Fate when Beloved kisses Fitz and makes him whole again - The Fool doesn't run off (at least not right away), allowing Fitz to hope that this time might be different.

Not a chance in this tragic hell.

I wonder then, after Fitz emerges from the Skill Pillar, only to find that the Fool is gone, if he couldn't help but remember the kiss as just another omen of His Fool leaving him again. I wonder if he thought about the trade-off of being forged forever if it meant the Fool stayed. I wonder if Fitz would absently touch his lips and then the mark-free spot on his wrist.

So in conclusion: no wonder Fitz was so fucking weird about Kissing Beloved in the final trilogy ("panting into his mouth" - be so for real right now dude).

[p4nishers]

the fucking. contrast between 'For a moment, our gazes held as we mingled in unity. One person. We had always been one person. Nighteyes had voiced it long ago. It was good to be whole again.' and 'I am content' like????? killing myslrf

[smalltownfae]

Unpopular opinion, I guess, since I hear people complain about it all the time, but I love the miscommunication trope. I don't know why people claim it's unrealistic when I see everyone misunderstanding each other on a daily basis. Miscommunication doesn't mean not talking to each other (because I keep hearing "just talk to each other" when this trope is mentioned). It means the characters talk, but not clearly enough and you know what? That is real. People misunderstand me all the time and I am no stranger to misunderstanding other people.

[fickleartdump]

trick or treat! thought I'd do a little Halloween drawing of baby fitzloved. I think going round doing halloween stuff could have temporarily fixed them

[annot8]

Top 20 RotE characters!

My final piece of ranking for this series!

There will be some spoilers in this!

20. Nettle

- If there’s one thing I love, it’s difficult women. Nettle is as harsh as her name suggests. I love young Nettle with her dream magic and how completely kind she is to Thick. And I love older Nettle, who doesn’t mind hurting Fitz’s feeling for Bee’s benefit. She is unforgiving and always strives to do what she thinks is best - even if she doesn’t always know what’s best.

19. Thymara

- Definitely my favourite Rain Wild character. She had my favourite POV in those books as well. I liked how her story paralleled Sintara’s, with her dragon features becoming more beautiful, getting her wings, and her determination to be her own woman. I didn’t love that she ended up with Tats and ended up having a kid with him, but again, it mirrored Sintara’s mating with Mercor.

18. Starling Birdsong

- are we seeing a theme? Starling is so great because she simply does not care if people like her personality. She’s beautiful, she’s talented, and she got her song. The way she destroyed Fitz in Golden Fool was a peak moment in this series. And something i love so much is that no matter how much Fitz complains about her or thinks she’s annoying, he can’t help but like her.

17. Chade Fallstar

- I hate him, I love him, he’s the worst, he’s the best. I’ve said this before - I have complicated feelings about Chade but regardless, they are strong feelings. Ngl, I misjudged his age and thought he was about 80 in the first book so when he made it to the last book?? Incredible. His death got me in a way that I really didn’t expect it to.

16. Dutiful Farseer

- My boy! He had some great development from the most fifteen year old boy ever, to a genuinely good king. I loved his dynamic with Fitz in Fool's Errand. It was really on sight with those two and it was entertaining the entire time. 

15. Selden Vestrit

- I saw someone say once that Selden felt like a random npc who managed to get a nat20 on charisma. He's great in Ship of Destiny, and fantastic in the Rain Wild Chronicles. His bond with Chassim was unexpected but so so lovely. 

14. Molly Chandler

- I understand why people don't like her. Her character gets in the way of Fitzloved. Soz guys, but I've seen too many female characters get hate because fans were rooting for a mlm ship. Don't get me wrong, its frustrating but Molly never inserts herself in Fitz's life. It the other way around. I think people don't like her less because of who she is and more because of what she represents. She's a simple life, and is the face of Fitz's delusion. But I love her. She's down to earth, she's rough around the edges, she's a simple gal who wants a simple life.

13. Etta

- Etta!!! From a Divvytown prostitute to Queen of the Pirate Isles??? Insane, incredible, showstopping. One thing that I absolutely love about her that I think is overlooked is that, despite how much Kennit was pushing for it and how much Wintrow was pining for her, it did not even cross her mind to get with this 15 year old boy. Kennit is all like 'teach the boys your… skills.' and she's like, ah yes, I will teach him how to use knives. Queen behaviour. 

12. Paragon

- Everyone's favourite murderous boat! His dynamic with Amber is great, and his friendship with Brashen is really underrated! He goes from being a grumpy old man to a bratty little boy in seconds (hmmm maybe the similarities between he and Fitz go past the face). He's unpredictable and he will kill again!

11. Althea Vestrit

- I fell in love with her immediately. She's rude to Kyle and then spends the next two weeks sleeping on the floor so she can be closer to Vivacia. She had my heart from the get go. Her ending will always leave a bitter taste in my mouth but none of it is her fault. She starts off a little immature and really grows into a woman worthy of captaining her own ship.

10. Wintrow Haven

- Ship of Magic!Wintrow has my entire heart. He frustrates me to no end with how he treats Vivacia but his arc is insane. He's generally an honourable guy. He frees the slaves and aids in the overthrowing of his father. He becomes a competent sailor and always shows Etta kindness. And despite his corruption by Kennit, he retains his moral compass and grows to be a good guy. I choose to ignore him in Ship of Destiny (just like Robin Hobb oops-) because I don't know who that man is :)

9. Malta Vestrit

- Without a doubt the best Liveships character. She has some of the best development I've ever seen. She's really the Amy March of Bingtown. She's self-centred, annoying, and that girlllllll. I love her so much. She's so clever and achieves so much.

8. Verity Farseer

- MY KING! treated Fitz like a human being which, in this book, is a step up from how most people treat him - especially when he's a boy. He's always a friendly face, even when he's so bogged down by defending the entirety of the Six Duchies with no thanks. He loved very honestly and had great respect for people who deserved it. And in the end, he made the ultimate sacrifice for his people for his folk. 

7. Bee Farseer

- She's just as much my daughter as she is Molly's, Fitz's, Nighteyes', and Beloved's. She won me over so quickly, and just when I thought I couldn't love her more, she started biting. I hope one day we see more of her!

6. LadyPatience

- You should have been mine???????? Such a fun, unapologetic character. She is so herself. I feel so seen by her constant, ever-changing hobbies and messy room. She and Lacey are the duo of the century.

5. Burrich

- When I read a book and I fancy a character, I tend to stay loyal to that character. I can love all of the characters, but I only love one. I took one look at Burrich and knew i'd found my man. His parenting skills were questionable at time, but he was doing what he thought was right. He gave up his life to raise Chivalry's son. He stepped up and took care of Molly with no expectations. He raised Nettle like she was his own. Just a solid, good man.

4. Nighteyes

- The best parent in this whole series. He's sarcastic, he's clever, and he's got such an entertaining dry sense of humour. He's a great influence on Fitz and he isn't afraid to call him out. The Wit is such a fantastic aspect of this series and the wit-bond that Fitz and Nighteyes share is so so beautiful. 

3. Kettricken

My Queen. I haven't felt this strongly about a character in a long time. Always a beacon of honour in a story of political intrigue, secrets, and betrayal. They really lucked out with this arranged marriage. Not a single person in this story deserved her. 

2. Beloved

- Fool, Amber, Lord Golden, Beloved. What a character. every facet of this character is so interesting and deep and beautiful. Amber was THE character in Liveships, the Fool was THE character in Farseer, Beloved with THE character in Tawny Man. THE CHARACTER OF ALL TIME.

Fitz

- You get it.

[beansterpie]

8, 11, 17, 18, 20, 24, 30 and 33 for fitzfool/fitzloved!

ty for the ask!

8.) What do they love most about the other? Why?

I think what Fitz loves most about his Beloved is his kindness <3 and also his playful/mischeviousness lol, or more like a combination of the two. Beloved often uses the latter to express the former, and I think he was such an important presence in Fitz childhood (and adulthood, once the Tawny Man triology comes around) for caring and fun, considering so many other people in his life were concerned with his usefulness.

And I think the Fool loves Fitz's big heart. He fucks up a lot and is like, one giant ball of bad trauma responses, but he cares really deeply about a lot of things, and he feels strongly. In a world that has been so callous to him, I think that appeals to the Fool a lot. His kindness is also another one-- I find that Fitz is a guy who has a lot of shitty kneejerk reactions, but then he tries to see things from different perspectives and attempts to be accomodating (often to a serious fault lol).

And of course their shared history is a big part of all this. They were bright spots in each other's lives when they were still too little to defend themselves from all the people that wanted to hurt them, and I can't really undermine how important those memories are to both of them.

11.) How do they feel about nicknames/pet names? If they like them, what pet names do they use? If they hate them, why do they feel that way?

Oh I think they'd both really like pet names lol. Casual ones like 'dear' or 'love' or 'sweetheart'. That being said, idk if they'd have anything more specific or unique that they consistently called each other, considering "Beloved" is such a Thing™ between them. I also really like the idea of Fitz eventually gifting the Fool with his own true name, "Keppit". Idk I think it would be a really meaningful gesture, and also it's a very cute name lol.

17.) How well do they communicate? Are they open with their feelings/thoughts or more reserved? Why?

I think once they like, get their heads out of their asses, and finally admit that they have romantic feelings for each other, and will prioritize each other over everyone else, then yeah! Of course, that's the Big Obstacle though, and we see what happens when they don't manage to convey that to each other (so many decades of misunderstandings and missed opportunities like LEGIT).

But if they managed to admit that to each other, then I think they would be able to communicate pretty well, because the Fool's belief that Fitz doesn't return his feelings/his feelings for Fitz would be a burden on him (Fitz) vs Fitz's inherent low self esteem and deep depression and trust issues and heteronormative expectations is what really causes their miscommunications.

18.) How do they care for each other when one of them is wounded/sick?

I think we've basically seen this on Fitz's end, since the Fool goes through periodic bouts of illness whenever he sheds his current skin. (I'm sure the very few non-RotE followers I have who are even reading this are going ????? at that, but I am being literal.) Anyway, when the Fool falls to fever in Assassin's Quest, from what I remember Fitz literally held him almost the entire time, and also had Nighteyes cuddle him from the other side, no? So yeah, I think Fitz would be extremely attentative, maybe to the point of being a bit stifling lol.

And the Fool would also be very attentative, but like, in a slightly more chill way. He'd have great bedside manner, is what I mean lol. Unless it was really serious-- then I think he'd be pretty frantic and quite fragile about the whole thing.

20.) How do they comfort each other when one of them is upset? Is this method of comfort effective?

If they're in a place where they're able to communicate better than in canon lol, like they have an established romantic relationship, then yeah I do think their ways of comforting each other would be effective. I think even in canon, when their communication leaves something to be desired, they're still (usually) a very comforting presence to one another!

And I think largely that would be sitting and listening with understanding. Which the Fool especially is already excellent at, it's Fitz who usually struggles not to get defensive or otherwise put his foot in his mouth lol.

24.) How do their personalities affect their relationship? Do their characteristics compliment each other, or clash often?

I think they compliment each other quite well, for the most part! I think Fitz runs the risk of being like, overly clingly sometimes lol. Which to be clear I think the Fool would like most of the time, but he's also someone who values freedom so if Fitz isn't able to be chill about it, it could become a problem. But the solution to that of course is for Fitz to realize that everything is ok, and This Good Thing isn't going to disappear from his life suddenly.

30.) What are their respective love languages? Do their love languages work well together?

Hmmmmm love languages..... I think acts of service is definitely one for Fitz, spending time together for both of them, words of affirmation for the Fool, as well as giving gifts (his carvings). Ngl I'm not well versed in the concept of specific love languages lol, but I do think they work well together!

33.) How do they flirt? Who’s the worse flirt?

I feel like their flirting would be a lot of coy looks across rooms and comments that don't make sense to anyone else, at least from the Fool's end. And I suppose that depends on their living situation lol. If they're at Buckkeep, then they really can't be public about their relationship (unless the Fool is living as Lady Amber, which would open things up a bit more, but even then propriety is quite important at court), but if they've moved away somewhere private where they can live however they want, then they'd be a lot more obvious about things.

------

Ty for the ask, sorry for the late response!

[parlerenfleurs]

And then say "I was very heteromanlystraight doing it, don't worry"

men will literally say my dream was dead in my arms about their bestie and then resurrect them in the gayest way possible and then hold them as close as a lover through the night and not feel like less of a man because of it. then they’ll kiss next the next chapter

[emmalovesfitzloved]

Can you tell me about Fitzloved?

"OH MY GOSH, AM I ABOUT TO INTRODUCE YOU TAYLOR SWIFT?!"

that's what i first meme when i saw your lovely ask! hahahah

Introductions

So its a fandom based on the epic fantasy series that follows for the most part, 2 soulmates, from their childhood all the way to their older years as they grow from friendship, partners to lovers. And I have to admit, the way it's written is almost euphoric. It's utterly lyrical.

So introductions now put aside, 'Fitzloved' is the ship name for "Beloved" (one of his many names) name of the characters and "Fitz". They are the two ongoing protagonists in one of the most respect and wonderful high fantasy series ever created, Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb. They are the main couple shall we say that span the 16 book series. I think a lot describe it as the "mona lisa of fantasy series" within the genre. It's aesthetic is very much evermore meets folklore meets Merlin. Its veryyyyy cozy fantasy and perfect for the season but also the Fall/winter.

The big 5 writers of fantasy rn i have been told are: Brandon's, Robin Hobb's, GRRM (Although he's lost a lot of respect in the community because of his insane hiatus!), Steven Erickson's (Malazan series) and Joe Abercrombie. While you will see with the Cosmere, Brandon is very much straight to the point, prioritises fights, magic system building and very cohesive ensamble casts. Unlike her peers, Robin Hobb on the other hand, is a delicacy. A slowly made dessert that has sweet and salty tastes if you will. And another defining feature is that her series does not involve a massive war at the epicentre of the fantasy plot, which ironically is rare in high fantasy now a days.

Of Cats and Closed Doors by @tragediegh

HOWEVER. The WAY in which i was introduced to this series is kind of dumb and silly, i.e. very me lol. i stumbled across a fiction on ao3 under 'in a the cabin era way' tag and stumbled across @tragediegh's soul-binding, amazing wonderful fiction called Of Cats and Closed Doors that is still ongoing and she updates mostly weekly! At first, not joking i thought it was an original work, but only well into crying, loving, reading, laughing, did i realise when i looked better at the tags it was actually based on ROTE lol. I was new to ao3 that's my only defence :P

And what @tragediegh and Hobb are doing probably tell from my handle, is make literally my roman empire. Like I reread chapters everyday before going to sleep. It's fr fr my safe space. and what i love is the maturity in which they both write, as they create stakes in different ways. She creates a very tangible atmosphere, a world you can touch, the foods cooked, how they smell, and what the character's rely on. From banquet halls, to the wood carvings the Fool leaves behind, the well lit fireplaces, mugs of ale and coffee on the table, through jewels adorned, to how the dragons gleaming like jewels in the sky… it's simply amazing. You get me. There is NEVER a moment where you feel like it's a slog or dull moment. Like I did sometimes while reading the Stormlight Archive or Outlander (those books in their defence, are longer individually).

And like I said, the thing I LOVE the most with how they make us and fall in love with Fool (one of the protagonists) through the eyes of naive and a socially sometimes challenged Fitz. Fitz himself, is the most passionate, handsome, humble hero i've ever read. He is a bastard prince who from day 0 was neglected, abused, unwanted, un-named, manipulated, gaslit just all around most traumatised character one could read. Which most people end up overlooking and resenting bc he is riddled with insecurities (despite him being a hotttie hot chiseled smokie pie that everyone wants to cuffff) and developed unhealthy copying mechanisms that can effect the readability of the main series. Which is entirely relatable. I strongly believe the hero of Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson that everybody loves, is heavily inspired by Fitz in ROTE. In fact I think Brandon said it was one of his fav series.

But really, the masterpiece of this world is obviously the Fool. When I look at the other characters, its a bit like watching a glorious puppet show - I can see how the strings are moving and what the puppets are made of…But not so with the Fool, he is an infinite mystery and creating a character like that is something I`ll never be able to get out of my head. he is other worldly. Put Tolkien fae and beautiful faeries to shame with his grace, elegance, mysticism. His story with Fitz (the other main character) with that @tragediegh and Hobb are doing imo is one of the greatest love stories of all time.

Gender Identity

And I think also, Fool (also known as Beloved to a special someone 😉) is a lgbtq+ individual, and their identity and how they chose to present and address themselves daily (and not address it!) plays a massive role in the ROTE/OCACD overall. It extremely realistic, how it's writen, where for the most part some characters are confused, don't know how to navigate the topic. Which isn't helped by how private and mysterious the Fool remains. But for the most part, is heart warming, as the gender fluidity of the Fool is openly accepted by his mate (YES MATE) with open arms as he accepts it, and it's got me CRYINGGGG as i type this fr....! These characters were created pre-2000's, which just goes to show how timeless these gender questions and acceptances really are i think!

Music

CANON FOR ME swiftie songs that are FOR fitzloved to get a feel r:

ur loosing me

my tears ricochet

invisible string

stay don't go

the lakes

mastermind (YASSS beloved go manipulate ur boy fitzieee ily)

dress (as of chapter 48 and beyond hopefully alkdfjalkdjfj)

and Fitz's song for me for ever will be:

i see fire live and in session by ed sherran (i just feel the literal passion that fitz has through this song not to mention the howl XD)

Conclusion

So yeah, I cannot recommend enough this ongoing story and series to you.

TLDR: Fitzloved is a ship i read myself to sleep every night and cry about how amazing they are XD

Feel free to ask any more questions about them or even my favourite artists that do ROTE work bc ngl this post was 2x as long as i included artistic work but it was getting too long so i decided to leave that for a more specific ask :)) As you can tell i can just dedicate entire evenings singing from the top of these crusty english rooftops how amazing and life changing these two silly beans are. I hope this was enough of a good overview of my love for them and why! :)) Hopefully one day you will give it a go, and i swear your life will be changed for ever ! <333

[gwenllian-in-the-abbey]

Thanks for the tag @branwendaughterofllyr

1. How many works do you have on ao3(or masterlist)? 20

2. What’s your total ao3 word count? 568,678

3. What fandoms do you write for? ASOIAF/F&B/HOTD and ROTE (Realm of the Elderlings)

4. Top five fics by kudos? All Kings Are Beautiful; Inside a Chrysalis, Writhing; Our Fathers Clad in Red; Sunlight and Air; Unbound and Infinite

5. Do you respond to comments? Yes! I might miss a few here or there, but I try to respond to most comments.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I think it's probably My Sister's Letter, a fic I wrote that takes place several decades after the end of Assassin's Fate

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Sunlight and Air, probably, my ROTE post F&F fix-it

8. Do you get hate on fics? I've gotten a few weird comments on All Kings Are Beautiful, mostly people being weird about me not writing Aegon as a hardass warrior. The most recent one was someone complaining that the fic shouldn't be tagged neutral because Rhaenyra doesn't become queen lol

9. Do you write smut? I have, occasionally, but it's not usually super explicit

10. Craziest crossover? I've never written any crossovers!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Nope!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Not that I know of!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes! Our Fathers Clad in Red is co-written with @aifsaath

14. All time favorite ship? Braime, probably. The rest of my ships are mostly rarepairs and crackships. RegalGold still has me in a chokehold, and of course my beloved Baegon.

15. What’s a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will? All of my unfinished fics that are published I do plan to finish. I have a WIP in my drafts for a Fitzloved fic set during Fool's Assassin that I will probably never get to.

16. What are your writing strengths? Internality, dialogue, characterization.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Description. I can write good descriptions, but I'm more of a verbal person than a visual person. My co-writer often jokes that I'm the screenwriter and she's the director of photography.

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language? I tend to use italics and dialogue tags, unless the other characters aren't meant to understand what's being said.

19. First fandom you wrote in? Realm of the Elderlings, if you don't count the thinly veiled Star Trek knockoff I wrote when I was thirteen before I knew fanfic existed (pre-internet!)

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? Right now it's Our Fathers Clad in Red, but I'm also very proud of my Realm of the Elderlings Modern AUs. They're niche as fuck but I think they're fun.

no pressure tags: @aifsaath @dearlyfetching @theothermaidoftarth @inthedayswhenlandswerefew @tragediegh @whatevsbla @mellowthorn @spectrum-color

[parlerenfleurs]

@aroaceteddy WILL DO TvT/

WHAT does a girl have to do to get an aching and heart-rending Fitzloved fic where Fitz battles in vain against his own feelings and gets swept up in a romance with Lord Golden?? With just the right amount of angst to spice up the dizzying warmth and sweetess of their first kisses??? *slams table* I want the Fool swooning and crying and Fitz conflicted and angry and so soft and passionate!!?! Do I have to write it myself???? I can't, I don't even own the books anymore and have forgotten half of the characters my pain is never-ending I need this to heal my soul you don't understand,

[oexas]

hi!!! i recently discovered your art and im so so in love with all your fitzloved pieces!! your art inspires me a lot to keep working on my own to maybe reach your level one day. i was wondering if you allow to use your art as pfp? with credits on my profile of course, if not it's totally fine! thank you so much, i hope you're having a great day!!

Hello! This is such a lovely message - the thought of being an art inspiration for anyone is wild to me, so thank you so so much! Of course you can use my art as a pfp with credit :)

[neufdoigts]

When I read assassin's fate I thought kettricken crushing on Fitz for like forty years was out of left field (even tho I wasn't against it I never considered them as a pairing but outside of fitzloved, kett/Fitz is probably the only relationship I would have liked for Fitz I'm with you there nighteyes) but rereading and remembering certain parts of assassin's quest (you are still a comely youth) and royal ass and the times in Tawny Man and f&f when she's kissing him fully on the mouth and shares a bed with him like. Yeah no that revelation wasn't out of left field I just happen to be as stupid as Fitz.

Poor kettricken though. But at no point in the story could they have gotten together and I think kettricken deserves better than Fitz could offer (but the delusional part of me is like she could fix him). I can't really bring myself to actually ship them but they've got a compelling what could have been the one that got away unwalked paths we could have never been together the circumstances were never right we were both already spoken for kinda vibe that I of course find really compelling because I like hurting myself (obviously, I am a rote fan).

Short of the Fool who is his literal soulmate, kett is probably the only person who could have accepted fitz in all of his wit bond bastard prince shadow king assassin ptsd glory. But the Fool is there and kettricken is fully aware of that and knows that fitz never sees her ugh what a good dynamic.

[mellowthorn]

AO3 Tag Game

Thank you for the tag @tragediegh! I've only posted like two fics since I last filled this, so the answers probably won't have changed all that much. But I might as well do it anyway :^)

1. How many works do you have on ao3(or masterlist)? 6 (although one is partially fanart)

2. What’s your total ao3 word count? 100,837

3. What fandoms do you write for? Realm of the Elderlings

4. Top five fics by kudos? After the Sun Has Set, Someone Other Than Us, On This Silent Winter Eve, Ever Your Fool and Indulgence

5. Do you respond to comments? I try, because of how much I love them, though I've not done a good job at it this winter/spring. Idk why I've developed this weird mental block about them, but I'm trying my best to get over it

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Probably Someone Other Than Us?? With Ever Your Fool there's at least a chance that things might turn around after Bee is born, and the rest either lead to canon (which is a tragedy in itself) or have a happy ending.

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? On This Silent Winter Eve, which was my attempt at writing the fluffiest and sweetest fic that I am capable of.

8. Do you get hate on fics? Can't say I ever have gotten any.

9. Do you write smut? Occasionally.

10. Craziest crossover? I've never written crossover fanfic (if KH fanfic doesn't inherently count, but none of that's published anyway).

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? No

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Nah

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

14. All time favorite ship? Fitzloved!

15. What’s a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Like half of my WIPs are like this haha. Especially when the outline gets out of hand and what was meant to be a oneshot ends up as a multichapter

16. What are your writing strengths? Hmm. Coming up with emotionally devastating scenarios and really wallowing in the characters' self-doubt and misery, for sure.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Descriptions, and any kind of figurative or poetic prose. Pretty much every single environmental description or a simile or a metaphor that I've ever written has cost me an immense amount of pain and tears.

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language? I guess it makes sense if that sort of thing also happens in the source material, but I personally wouldn't do it in any other case.

19. First fandom you wrote in? Uhhhh HP, sadly.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? After The Sun Has Set is my baby, but I am also particularly fond of The Cold Side of the Bed. I'd wanted to write something in a reverse chronological order for a while, and I think the tragic irony it gave to the latter parts worked well.

[spectrum-color]

Gotta reblog this set of tags because this is such a good analysis of the Skill bond as a sexual metaphor.

It also works as a metaphor for “love with no limits,” something that is a major point of contention for those two during the second trilogy. When they are Skill linked, they know every inch of each other. This terrifies Fitz, who tries to keep people at arms length and ensure that they only know the parts of him that he’s comfortable revealing. The fact that Beloved knows him to his core and still loves him is very frightening for someone like Fitz who struggles with a lot of shame and self loathing and fear of rejection and abandonment

listen i'll talk about this more later, but the Golden Fool line

“Then I felt the Fool’s touch on my back... All eternity paused in anticipation of that dreaded, desired touch.”

this line is rewriting my brain chemistry.

[thenightisland]

tagged by the lovely @mellowthorn for a rote Q&A thingy under the cut bc it's long

Favourite RotE Book: assassin's quest and fool's fate are constantly vying for the number one slot and the answer changes day by day

Why: on aq days it's bc that's the book that took this series from "wow i really like this" to "oh i'm going to be obsessed with these for the rest of my life huh." it has, i think, the best ending. it has my favorite chapter (ch 20 jhaampe my beloved). parts of it hit very close to home. on ff days it's bc well ff is insane. no book has ever gotten the reaction out of me that that one did. i do not cry at books; it made me cry seven times. it has such excellent payoff for stuff that was set up in the earliest books (rh queen of playing the long game). most heartwrenchingly beautiful moments on earth just chapter after chapter of them.

Top Three Favourite Characters: i think i am one of the few people whose favorite character genuinely is fitz lol. beloved obv number two. after that the answer also changes every day but i'm very partial to web and kettricken.

Top Three Least Favourite Characters: this may be biased due to me being neck deep in ship of destiny at the moment, but 98% of the men in lst need to be set on fire

Favourite Ship (of the floating kind): paragon

Top Three Favourite Ships (of the people kind): (keeping our venn diagram overlap answers) Fitzloved, Burrich/Chivalry, Patience/Lacey

Would you rather be Witted or Skilled: skilled. it seems so handy with the healing and prolonging your life. and i get traumatized enough by animal death as it is without introducing the wit to that equation.

If you were Witted, what animal would you bond with?: some kind of bird

Would you rather live in the Outislands, the Mountain Kingdom, the Six Duchies, Bingtown, the Rain Wilds, Kelsingra, Jamaillia, the Pirate Isles, or Fool’s Homeland?: practicality says bingtown bc i like being relatively warm and by the ocean and not get fantasy radiation poisoning from where i live but...but kelsingra is so fucking neat

How were you introduced to the books? a friend of mine on here always posted about them and our tastes overlapped so much that despite the fact that at the time i said i didn't like fantasy and wouldn't read it, i figured if this friend of mine liked these books there must be a reason. i read the left hand of darkness bc she posted about it too and when i mentioned reading it to her she was like "lol yeah it's hard for me to separate it from fool's fate" so i thought "maybe it's time to read those books then"

Share a quote you love: somewhat abridged for length's sake, from RA, and was one of those bits i count as early warning sign of my impending obsession lol:

“ ‘Not all men are destined for greatness,’ I reminded him

‘Are you sure, Fitz? Are you sure? What good is a life lived as if it made no difference at all to the great life of the world? A sadder thing I cannot imagine. Why should not a mother say to herself, if I raise this child aright, if I love and care for her, she shall live a life that brings joy to those about her, and thus I have changed the world? Why should not the farmer that plants a seed say to his neighbor, this seed I plant today will feed someone, and that is how I change the world today?’

‘This is philosophy, Fool. I have never had time to study such things.’

‘No, Fitz, this is life. And no one has time not to think of such things. Each creature in the world should consider this thing, every moment of the heart’s beating. Otherwise, what is the point of arising each day?…You create possibilities….I have seen the end of the world, Fitz. Seen it woven as plainly as I’ve seen my birth. Oh, not in your lifetime, nor even mine. But shall we be happy, to say that we live in the dusk rather than the full night? Shall we rejoice that we shall only suffer, while your offspring will be the ones to know the torments of the damned? Shall this be why we do not act?’ ”

also and underrated one from FA:

“Oh, the things we discover and the things we learn, much too late. Worse are the secrets that are not secrets, the sorrows we live with but do not admit to one another.”

i have also thought about "every nuance of his grace as familiar to me as the drawing of breath" literally every day but that's a given if there's a sappy line you can be sure i am thinking about it nonstop without a moment's peace

[lairn]

I was tagged by @gwenllian-in-the-abbey. Thanks, time to review some stats!

How many works do you have on AO3?

6

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

13,400 (is there a non-manual way to do this?)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Realm of the Elderlings and only RotE, haha

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

When you only have 6 works this doesn't say much! Patience in Winter I'd Rather Die Alone Weak Willed Loomings or, A Short Tale of Woe Never Know Peace (surprised anyone even saw this one)

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

Yes, virtually always. If anybody takes the time to share their thoughts with me, I at least want to thank them.

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

I was just noticing all my stuff ends with a little bummer even if the tone beforehand was more pleasant. But probably Weak Willed.

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

Unfortunately, probably I'd Rather Die Alone. Or Patience in Winter.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No, very few people read them to begin with! I'd be confused to receive hate, although it's not impossible it would happen.

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

A lot of what I've written is based on prompts. My default would probably be no smut and so far I've only written erotic (sub)text once. But maybe I'd write it if I got a request. It's just not my natural impulse.

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

Before I had an AO3 I started a NBC Hannibal/Minority Report crossover, haha! I only wrote a few paragraphs, and as soon as Hannibal showed up I quit. Much easier to write Will Graham's voice.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I really doubt it.

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

No, but I've done a little beta reading.

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

I'm not really a shipper. If I see enough fan-content of a ship, it wins me over but not passionately. Serizawa/Reigen is an example. But I do feel pretty strongly that Fitz and The Fool have a queer relationship. I'm more in the QPR camp, but really enjoy the romantic fitzloved shippers' works. And sometimes the thought crosses my mind, "Oh Fitz, you fucked that gold man."

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

I don't have any unless that Hannibal story counts. The recent Malta one took so long I thought I might not finish.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Mm, I think I can get a pretty good sense of characters and their voices. I'm not sure how clearly that translates to the page, but the clarity exists in my head.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I like including sense details (sight, sound, smell, etc.) but I'm not sure if they enhance things or are more intrusive. Dialogue feels bad, man.

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

I haven't and probably won't. If the characters understand it, I'd probably write in English and indicate it was said in another language.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I wrote an additional chapter to add to the end of One Hundred Years of Solitude for a high school assignment. I think it counts because we had the option to do an analytical essay, but I was so excited about the book that I had to take the creative writing option. Nobody else did I think.

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

Maybe Weak Willed. I feel like it's fun to read and someone did fanart of it!

tagging: @smalltownfae