#i guess this one is more a modern noir au

[friendly-neighborhood-boricua]

The Bookshop

Summary: Bouquet in hand, Sirius feels slightly more prepared to see her. A lot has happened in the last five years, and the two have a lot to catch up on.

Notes: Harry Potter universe, famous!AU, rockstar!Sirius x reader, oneshot; part two of The Linguist. Let me know if you like it! Part three coming soon ...

Part 1!

Fistfull of flowers collected and paid for, Sirius continued down the cobblestone alley, eyes peeled for his destination. He had visited Teliska & Rook’s Rare Books once before, when Y/N had first acquired a job at the small shop, but unfortunately hadn’t had the chance to revisit the cozy corner of Paris since. 

Sirius’s heart stuttered for a moment as he rounded another corner and spotted the bookshop; the sign’s gold lettering was crisp as ever despite the faded evergreen color surrounding it and the bay windows framing the tall oak door could probably do with some dusting, but otherwise, the shop was just as Sirius remembered it. He squinted at himself in the reflection of a bakery window, fixing his hair and rolling his shoulders back to fix his posture, holding the bouquet tightly in his left hand. With a breath that Sirius hoped sounded more confident than he felt, he made his way to Teliska & Rook’s Rare Books.

The heavy door opened with a groaning creak and the light tinkling of bells, and Sirius was immediately hit with the scent of old books. He nearly sneezed as a cloud of dust furled up from the ground, rubbing his nose furiously to rid himself of the feeling. 

Once he had recovered his bearings enough to look around, Sirius was surprised at the familiarity of everything. The shop was organized in the same manner it had been nearly five years ago, with one corner designated to modern reads, another serving as home to a cluttered cedar desk where patrons could check out, and the rest of the small building crammed full of bookshelves that reached from floor to ceiling. 

Closing the door behind him, Sirius tentatively stepped into the shop, which seemed alarmingly empty, and peered around. Truthfully, it seemed as if no one had stepped foot in the place in years. Sirius peered down one aisle of bookshelves, then another, until his eye caught on a familiar spine. Twelfth Night. Y/N’s favorite. She always found the classics a bit ridiculous, as her Muggle mother had made her read them all when she was of age, but Twelfth Night was “far too funny not to like”.

Sirius’s lips quirked up into a little grin, and he slid the volume off the shelf, opening it to a random page. To his mild surprise, this edition came with illustrations, though, upon closer inspection, Sirius guessed it wasn’t bought that way. Its previous owner seemed to have doodled the scenes in the margins, turning the book itself into a piece of art.

“Sérieux Noir?” An elderly man—Teliska of Teliska & Rook, if Sirius’ memory served him right—peered around the corner of the aisle in which Sirius stood, wide eyes magnified by Coke bottle glasses. “Sérieux, c’est toi?”

Sirius grinned. The man was very French and never could grasp that his name was ‘Sirius Black’ rather than ‘serious black’. 

“Oui, Monsieur. It’s been a while.”

“So it has, mon fils, so it has!” The lean man hobbled down the aisle towards Sirius, squeezing his shoulder with a falcon’s grip once he was within range. He looked to the bouquet in Sirius’ hand. “I assume you’re looking for our Y/N?”

Sirius smiled subconsciously. “Yes, I was.”

Teliska smiled knowingly. “She’s in the back. Elsie’s been getting sicker lately, so Y/N’s been drowning herself in work. You know how she gets.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Sirius said as the old man guided him down an aisle, then down another towards the back of the shop. “Tell Ms. Rook I send my love.”

Teliska peered at Sirius, magnified eyes holding a grave sort of look, but nodded nonetheless. “I will.” The odd pair stopped at a plain oak door with a brass knob tucked away in the furthest recess of the bookshop, and Sirius’ palms began to sweat. He wiped them hastily on his trousers, exchanging the bouquet from one hand to the other. “She’s just through there. Working on repairing some ancient tome for the Sorbonne. They’re working her to the bone these days—far too much for what they’re paying her  …” 

Teliska muttered on as he hobbled back towards the front of the shop, and Sirius watched the old man’s thin frame as he went, silently begging him to turn around, come back so he could put off the meeting he knew awaited him beyond the oak door with the brass knob. 

But the old man was out of sight soon enough, and Sirius was once again alone in the bookshop, surrounded by books and dust and everything Y/N loved. He faced the oak door again and bit the inside of his cheek. Why was he so nervous? He and Y/N were never really together, so why did he feel bad? What did he even feel bad for?

Sirius huffed out a sharp sigh and forced himself not to think. Just open the door. Open it. And he did. 

If the rest of Teliska & Rook’s was dusty and crammed with books, the back office hadn’t been dusted since the store’s opening and had to be waded through due to the sheer volume of books piled on the floor, in cabinets, on shelves and countertops—any and every square inch of would-be free space was occupied by a book. This time, Sirius did indeed sneeze when he was hit with a waft of dust, cringing immediately after at the harsh disruption to the otherwise silent back office. 

Shutting the creaky oak door as gently as possible, Sirius blinked several times at the maze of stacked books that lay between himself and where he knew Y/N’s desk resided. He was a relatively thin and quite well-built young man, but these narrow, precariously constructed corridors of books weren’t exactly something he had expertise in navigating. Nevertheless, Sirius would try. 

Each step was made with bated breath as Sirius expected any second for half the books in the room to come crumbling down around him, and each time they didn’t was a small miracle. He snuck about the back office for several minutes, trying to find his way towards Y/N’s desk until finally, he came upon a small clearing in the paper forest.

Y/N sat hunched over her desk, eyes focused on the ancient, half-rotted book in front of her as she traced line after line with a latex-clad finger. Sirius found himself unable to move for several moments, simply watching the young woman read through the ancient text, scribbling away what he assumed was the translation without so much as looking at her hand. 

It was only when Y/N’s focus switched from the ancient text to her own notes that she noticed a pair of black combat boots planted at the mouth of the book maze, and her head whipped up to look at the intruder. Sirius and Y/N simply stared at each other for several minutes, Sirius anxiously awaiting Y/N’s reaction to his presence, before Y/N’s shoulders dropped, and the corners of her mouth drew barely upwards.

“Sirius.”

Sirius took the fact that she didn’t seem to despise his very presence as a good sign. “Hi,” he said, and immediately regretted sounding so dense. “I—I brought you these,” he said hastily, an even poorer attempt to rescue the conversation from its already awkward start, and thrust the fistfull of flowers out at Y/N, who huffed out a small giggle. 

“Oh, thank you,” she said simply, rummaging around her desk until she found a small drinking glass filled with water that was probably a day old. She took the flowers from Sirius’s hand—Sirius was struggling more than he had anticipated to keep from hugging the living daylights out of her—and placed them in the makeshift vase before turning back to him. The two stood awkwardly across the small office from each other, the books keeping them from maintaining any real personal space, and Y/N coughed lightly. 

“Can I … can I give you a hug?” 

Sirius blinked dumbly. 

“Ye—of—yeah! Yeah, of course—! Of course.”

Y/N smiled, and the two met in the middle, embracing each other tightly. Sirius sighed into her hair, nose pressed into the crown of her head, and felt his heartbeat calm. They were fine. There was no need to worry—though his throat did swell up slightly when thin fingers found their way over his shoulders and towards the top of his spine. 

Sooner than Sirius would have liked, Y/N pulled away, gazing up at him with a lovely look in her eyes. Now that he had a good look, Sirius began to notice the little changes Y/N had taken on over the years: her hair was, oddly, shorter, as well as choppy, as if she had cut it herself; her eyes were lighter from the sun; the skin at the outer points of her eyes just barely hinted at crows feet. 

“It’s good to see you, Sirius,” Y/N said, lips closing around her beaming smile. 

“It’s good to see you, too,” Sirius said, much more softly than he had wanted as Y/N stepped out of his arms and resumed her spot at her desk.

“How’s your tour going so far?” she asked as Sirius found a wooden stool and dragged it up to the desk’s side. 

“You know about that?” he said, a sudden pressure in his chest beginning. 

Y/N’s brows furrowed. “Sirius, I know I spend all my time on the other end of a book maze—” she motioned to the mass of books he had traversed, “—but I don’t live under a rock.”

Sirius laughed, an embarrassed blush descending on his ears. “Right, right. I mean, I don’t like to assume. You never know.” Y/N nodded in understanding. “But it’s going well. Yeah, it’s fun. Remus has been working on something he won’t show the rest of us—we all think he’s seeing someone on the side—James is finally getting somewhere with Lily—”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Sirius chuckled. “It’s a miracle, truly. We’re all amazed. And … did you hear about the whole deal with Peter?”

Y/N nodded, and Sirius was thankful there was minimal pity in her expression—though there was something he couldn’t quite identify. “How are you all doing after that?”

“Eh, as good as can be expected,” Sirius said with a shrug. “Dorcas’s been on drums for us ever since. She and Marlene are still going strong.”

“Of course they are,” Y/N said with a hint of pride. “The relationships I put together always last.”

Sirius laughed lightly, eyes drifting through the room without really seeing before they landed again on Y/N. 

“And what about you? How’ve you been fairing?”

Y/N shrugged. “Ah, you know, the usual. Helping around the shop, doing some freelance work for the Sorbonne.”

“Mr. Teliska said something about how they don’t pay you enough,” Sirius mentioned, eyeing her with brows raised, and Y/N sighed, irritated. 

“Okay, listen,” she started, and Sirius laughed. 

“Had this conversation a lot now, have you?” he said, and Y/N rolled her eyes. 

“You’ve no idea.” Once Sirius’s giggling subsided, she continued. 

“Ivan thinks that because I’m basically doing research for the Sorbonne, I should be paid as much as a researcher—that I should be paid a salary—but, as I’ve explained to him countless times,”—Sirius began to laugh once again—“I simply don’t have the level of education that the Sorbonne is looking for in their faculty and therefore can’t be paid a faculty salary. I simply don’t have the financial means to go to school again.”

Sirius’ laughter had barely subsided when Y/N was finished, and he nodded understandingly. 

“You know, I could always just give you the money,” he suggested.

Sirius had never heard Y/N laugh so hard in his life. He laughed as well, though to a much lesser extent as he watched her hair bounce through peals of giggles.

“Oh please, Sirius,” Y/N said, delicately wiping a tear from her eye. “That’s absolutely ridiculous.”

“No it’s not.”

“Yes it is,” Y/N insisted, letting out an incredulous breath. “Sirius, I am absolutely not going to take money from you. And I don’t have to work at the Sorbonne anyway. I’m getting by just fine with what I’ve got.”

“Y/N, life isn’t about getting by, it’s about enjoying yourself,” Sirius said, and Y/N shook her head. “Love, you can’t expect me to not try to help you when I’ve got the means to.” The pet name slipped without Sirius’s permission, but he stood his ground as Y/N sunk further into her chair. He knew her well; at the beginning of their friendship, she would have insisted on refusing, and he would have asked if she would do the same in his position, and she would go silent, and Sirius would have won. But Y/N was the smartest person Sirius knew. She didn’t need to go through the whole conversation to know what would be said.

But Y/N’s mildly defeated look made Sirius’s mind itch uncomfortably; he didn’t want to make the rest of this visit awkward or weird in any way.

“Have you eaten today?” he asked, commandeering the conversation away from whatever it was before. Y/N peered up at him, biting her cheek.

“I had a coffee this morning,” she mumbled, and Sirius’s face fell into a disapproving frown. 

“Merlin’s beard, Y/N.”

“Do you want to get lunch?”

“Will you eat something if we go get lunch?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s get lunch.”

Y/N nodded and the two stood, Y/N finding a thin jacket and Sirius standing at the mouth of the book maze as he watched her pack her purse. 

“Ready?” she asked, throwing the strap over her head. Sirius simply nodded, and Y/N drew her wand from her pocket. With a simple wave of the thing, the books blocking the floor between the two and the door flew into the air, some stacking onto other already-precarious piles and others floating close to the ceiling, creating a sort of paper-and-ink trellis under which Y/N walked. Once at the door, Y/N peered back at Sirius, who was looking at the floating books, jaw hanging open. 

“Why didn’t I think of that?”

[vossn]

🩸✨Writing Interview Tag Game✨🩸

Thank you for the tag @ineadhyn ! Really excited to do this.

When did you start writing?

I started writing at age .. eleven, I think? It was a story about a girl getting taken to a parallel world populated by elves to save their world. Pretty cliché, but I also took some inspiration from some historical sources I liked at the time, so it did at least kickstart my knack for worldbuilding.

I wrote some more, I stopped, grew up, graduated, entered fandom spaces and remembered "hey, you used to love writing, what happened?" (depression, mostly). I wrote a modern AU for a game I was playing at the time. I stopped again. You'll never guess why. I made writer friends. I created a character I loved so much that I had to bring their story to paper and later created my novel project. I went from zero to hundred and haven't stopped in 3 years. The rest is history.

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading more than what you write?

One thing I love that I don't really write much are humorous pieces. Those are my catnip. Other than that, I pretty much read what I write!

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

I don't have any big-name authors - but I do have some wonderfully talented friends and acquaintances that, if someone told me our writing was similar, I would be overjoyed. My friend keeps telling me I have a "film noir" style, and I do try to keep that going in everything I write.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

I prefer to write in cafés or libraries. Otherwise just at home on the couch or in bed, and those are far from glamorous. If i tell you I am writing, there is a 90% chance I am wearing nothing but boxer shorts and drinking coffee independently of the hour. I also light some incense or scented candles to write. Y'know, for the Omnissiah

What’s your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Go on a walk. Play some thematically completely unfitting music. Think long and hard about the vibes. Stop every 100m to make notes on your phone. This works best if it is 2am, I wish I was joking.

Alternatively: Swim for about 2km. Be alone with your thoughts and see where it takes you. Good luck remembering those ideas when you leave the water though.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

Religious Imagery and discussion: This one is complicated, because I am technically raised close to atheist, but religion as a concept did have a huge pull on me as a child. If you grow up being told there is something wrong with you, the idea of "Some god made you, and you are exactly the way you are supposed to be" is a magical thing. Of course, reality looks different. Half surprise, half not? When I found out the RT fandom has a whole subsection of fics dealing with the symbols of the Inqusition I was like. well, this calls my name. Also I met some of my closest friends via the discussion of churches as a setting and very angry [redacted] in said churches so. Hello gang. 👋🏻

My ultimate tagline is "Violence as desire and desire as violence" and while the pattern did take me through some introspection, not surprised either.

Repression. Again, are we surprised? No. Not really. I'm generally very aware of my themes, I'd say, but please enlighten me if I forgot something. Submit me to the ordeal of being known etc etc

What is your reason for writing?

I do enjoy it, I have ideas, and those ideas need to out or start paying rent.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

Nope! I enjoy all of them. You can get brownie points for citing favorite lines or saying something that makes me feel seen!

When two people I really look up to in terms of style described my prose as "clean" and "effortless" I just about died, because I never thought of myself that way. Same as when someone observes themes and patterns that even I haven't noticed. Also when a dear person replied to my WIP with "I'm going to eat your fingers", that made me laugh so hard I still think of it.

In short: You have something unhinged to say - Say it. I love comments so wild they have never been heard before.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

"Damn, there is something awfully wrong with that guy but I'm into it. Also that prose fucks."

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

I hate how edgy this is going to sound, but my strength is writing darkness. Overdrawn emotions taken into the extreme - obsession, hatred, desire, but also coldness or hopelessness and despair. I love themes and emotions that don't exactly fall in the middle of the bell curve, because writing them is fun, and there is merit in exploring them. I often joke that my experiences at least enable me to write really weird stuff, but I mainly just favor these topics because it allows me to get really poetic with my language.

TL;DR: I put the lust in bloodlust.

How do you feel about your own writing?

This is a tricky question for me to answer at the moment, because I've been going through it™️ and my perception is clouded by that. Generally I'm pretty confident - I know my strengths and weaknesses and I know what I put out there is okay. On the other hand, I feel like the vulnerability is needed to keep me humble. Whenever I approach something with too much "I can do this!" it turns out dogshit. However, I feel at least that what I provide is unique to some degree.

When you write, are you influenced by what others enjoy or might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

Brother. Please take a look at my ao3 and tell me anything on there can be considered popular /s

I write for an audience of one - what I wrote is what I wanted to read. Quite a few of my works are so limited in their audience that they never make it to posting. I get ecstatic when people show interest, and that is the main reason I share, but I try not to keep an imaginary audience in my head when I write. It hinders me. I love doing gift works, and I approach them with the mindset of "I'm going to give you something that's for you specifically but still has my unique spin on it" and of course factor their enjoyment into my writing, but try not to overthink to the degree it stops my enjoyment.

Let it be said, I love my fandom friends, and want to write them all the things.

Tagging: @redbatchedcumbermayned and @galateaencore (only if you'd like, of course)

[symphonic-scream]

More from the P5 heroes au

Makoto and Haru are tame with PDA. Walking around with an arm around each other, sitting on the same side of the bench on dates, only short, sweet kisses

Queen and Noire? Oh they're bad. And it's all the time. Flirting when they were in the chasing era, flirting while pretending nothing changed, and it's even worse when they're together publicly

Oh and quick thing about Yusuke? Yeah he's from the 1800's or so. He's. He's very not used to modern things like tech or slang. It's, very funny

(now for some plot stuff)

During one of the chases where Makoto usually shoots off ahead on Johanna and "accidentally" loses Haru, the others catch on that she let Noire escape. And, it's not pretty. Accusations are thrown around very strongly, and in the end? Their strategist is removed from the group

This time period lasts 2 or so months. Makoto hides out in Haru's secret hideout, and works with her to help people now as a vigilante, and to clear Haru's name. During this time, the main team are at odds with each other cause. They miss Makoto, and don't believe it's possible she'd work with a serial killer

But rules are rules

Makoto is doing much better at tracking Black Mask without having to worry about making sure the others are okay. Haru is a functioning adult and stops by with her schoolwork and food and shit, and offers in-house date nights too. So, after two or so months, Makoto's pretty sure she's identified his next target

So Queen and Noire go to a public event, where they believe an assassination will occur. However, the Team shows up too. They were tracking Noire and Queen, after all. So you've got this team conflict happening when the true Black Mask shows up to do his thing

And haha guess who was closest to the target? The Iron Willed Queen. She dives in front, taking the shot (with her Iron Will acting as a partial shield), and oh no she's down

(no bullets enter her they bounced off the Will. The impact was enough to break a rib. Or four.)

But she's back on the team! Once she's healed, and Haru too. Full team now! Ready to go and take down the real Black Mask

Anyways TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS I CANT STOP I LOVE IT TOO MUCH

[solomons-finest-rum]

Fic authors self-rec! ✨ When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you’ve written, then pass on to at least five other writers 🖤

Ah thank you love! You pretty much know the list will always have my favourite creation to date, my mini multi-chapter baby The Elephant in the Room

SUMMARY — What you thought would be a nice private space rented from a nice lady in a nice neighbourhood soon turned to be a living nightmare. Enter: the most eccentric little girl and her even more unconventional father who just so happens to be the criminal boss of Camden Town.

Next up I really like the first one where I dabbled a little with dark academia vibes, Big Bad Wolf

SUMMARY — You were one of the proud group of pioneers — women who fought for their right to higher education and refused to be reduced to the role of a housewife. It was the new era, the new dawn and the beginning of the new semester at the university you taught at—alongside your eccentric husband.

I must give this one a little spotlight because I'm still unsure sometimes how to write modern Alfie but hey, I tried... The Muse

SUMMARY — An eccentric film director and a brilliant actress—you and Alfie used to be a match made in Hollywood heaven. Until you two broke up and you vowed never to make another movie with him again.

I think it was you who inspired me most to think about Edna Solomons as much as I have and here is the fic that proves we're a great team! (Or actually... I'm not so sure Edna took his last name anyway. But I digress.) Hold On

SUMMARY — Alfie and his wife. Healing had surprisingly nothing and everything in common with falling in love.

And here is actually a fic I'll never stop thinking about. I still wish the creativity I had when I wrote this would come back to me to write something equally fun. (and the title of course is the name of my favourite perfume) Thé Noir

SUMMARY — Soulmate!AU. Life is not exactly a bed of roses when your soulmate is none other than Alfie Solomons. This is the story of an unbreakable bond you share, with the heartache of war and the epic love story that follows.

Thank you so much for all the love and all the comments and all the reblogs on these fics! I appreciate this so so much and hope that I can come back to being as creative as I was when I wrote them. But we shall see I guess. Maybe the spark is still there.

[plumsaffron]

Miracubozos roast pt. 9

Are they trying so hard to be Asian but continue to diss Alya and Adrien? Even if those two were annoying at times they didn’t deserve the hate from the so-called Marinette Stans. Besides even though I’m kinda neutral on her, canon Marinette wouldn’t approve of the crazy fans taking things too far. Though I understand why some people detest her and that’s fine by me. Though ngl, there used to be a lot of Adrien/Cat Noir stans before the Lila debut. They’re still coming to his defense even to this day.

Or maybe they’re just hating on white men specifically? For some people claiming to be fighting for equality, they’re dissing white people. That’s not nice, you’re just as bad as the people hating and oppressing the minorities. Most white people in modern times are actually kind, don’t hate on them! At least they aren’t brainwashed by the supremacists!

They’re just like some deviantart users, creating loads of hateful content of fictional characters and series they detest a lot. 💀 A huge waste of time and talent when they could use them for something more positive like any other fictional series that doesn’t have situations where it pisses off the majority.

Oh man, they’re one of the reasons why I deleted my TVTropes account not only due to my lack of logging in but me getting silenced for writing a review on another series. I’m guessing some of those people were that fucking butthurt about it, decided to flag it and a staff member must’ve deleted it. IMDB has more civilized users than TVTropes even when it comes to opinions and reviews.

Fan Crossovers of two or more of my liked/favorite series, without the hatedom or nostalgiatards killing the good mood: 😊👍👌 “Yay! Keep up the good work! You deserve the support! It’s alright if you’re doing an AU as long as you’re being respectful of the source material!”

Fan Crossovers of my favorite series with a series I genuinely dislike/hate, with bashing as a nasty untagged surprise: 💀🖕😡🤬 “Get out of my feed bitch! You’re getting blocked! My favorite series’ characters are way more civilized (even their worst ones) than from the ones I detest! 🙄”

People out here really believing Marinette would be cool with how they react to her friends. That’s a dang shame; Marinette better with dealing with what doesn’t go her way much better than her stans or lots in the fandom. F, cause these watchers have enough resources and awareness. Yet, still, they collapse entirely because Alya/Adrien or her friends weren’t her/their drones.

That kind of makes the senti amok thing amusing to me if they hate the fate of sentibeings because they hate Adrien being a controlled but them viewers want him and other characters to be controlled when things don’t go how they or Marinette wishes. It’s almost like they don’t know who or how people are or met or maybe or are friends with anymore.

It’s funny how people love turning against Adrien (or anyone) because of Lila. Well I guess it shows who they really are and towards him/Cat Noir and how they like choosing when to ignore perspectives and the environment or bigger things in their faces.

A lot of Deviantartists or people there be straight up insane with their content. Only like a few once in a while called these nutty bozos out. Otherwise, Fugly popular accounts their have nothing else better to do but be biased, dig too deeply to overanalyze stuff (usually hyper tiny crumbs) to establish their hatred upon specific characters, and why others should follow their way if the character is not on the hero or protagonist side. They straight up really love not listening to themselves. Also their unhealthy thirst of villainizing normal human behavior of a character they dislike at least. Then there’s a lot of art straight up made to intentional mock or shame who they don’t like (while amusingly making who they do like, worse).

Recently I’ve learned that people wanted XY (Bob Roth’s son) dead cause Jagged Stone. Not even gonna talk really about the Lila insanity they have against her in there or the bizarre stanning for Chloe suffering there. Still, what did XY do that was so offensive?

Seems like the only thing that prevents these unstable people is if who they see are good obedient pups. Not so good character unlikely appearing and unlikely stirring up trouble and leaves people alone just ain’t enough it seems.

[essayofthoughts]

I was tagged by @rightpastnowhere over Here (and for once I’m getting on it in a reasonable time; other people who’ve tagged me in things... I’ll get there. I promise.)

rules: post the names of the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! tag as many people as you have WIPs! 

Because of the sheer bullshit number of WIPs I have, I’m gonna be limiting this to my Critical Role C1 fics. My pinned WIPs list is not even the half of it.

I am also not tagging anyone, firstly because Too Many WIPs and secondly because No. I am where tag games go to die.

ANYWAY. On to the ridiculous number of WIPs.

CR VM Rock Band AU for Nell

Desmond-Cass Fic

Emon is Burning

Niamh - Perc’ahlia Kidfic

Percy-Ripley Hatesex Oh God

PercyVex Stargazing

Piercings Percy for Hannah - Modern AU

SYLDOR ISNT A SHITTY DAD AU

Vampercy Canon AU

CR Daemon AU

Elaina Survives

Eros & Psyche AU

Eventual PROGIA smuts thoughts

Masc!Vex AU

Modern Fake Dating AU I Guess

Perc’ahlia Noir AU

Zahra & Kash Things

Alternate Soulmate AU of Moar Angst

Corrupted Tiefling Percy AU

CR Hogwarts AU

CR Uni AU

Perc’ahlia Sonnie’s Edge AU

Perc’ahlia Witcher AU

Sylas Briarwood gets to live bitches. Like live live. as in not undead, live.

Murder on the Exandrian Express

Happy AU - No Briarwoods Yet AU

Magnus Archives AU

Percy/Vex Twilight AU

Six Swan Brothers but it’s Wolf Siblings AU

Fem!Percy AU

Perc’ahlia Beauty and the Beast AU

01. Teacher Ripley - Percy-Ripley Adopt Kids Spinoff AU

02. PercyRipley Cabin Out In The Woods Spinoff Idea

03. What If More Kids AU of Delia AU

Fic: PercyRipley Alt Briarwoods Escape - Dream Based

Charlie The Bear

Kash backstory writeup

Parent Elections - Gwen & Trinket

Percy dies...

The Little Things - Percy Mourning His Siblings

Vesper Notices...

Werewolf’s Soulmate AU Pt3

Zahra POV

00. Ghost Cass - Kraghammer Arc

01. Ghost Cass - Briarwood Arc to End

PercyVex Soulmate AU

AU of an AU, for Hannah

[REDACTED] (I aint sharing the WIP title of this one because it’s a massive fucking spoiler)

01. FIC DOC - Delia AU - Ripley’s Daughter

02. Arcs 2&3 - Delia AU - Ripley’s Daughter

*stares at the number*

Jesus fuck, when did that happen.

ANYWAY. If you want to ask about any of my WIPs, feel free! I am always happy to ramble about any of them and good odds it’ll make me write more.

[gellavonhamster]

monthly media recap: july 2023

read:

Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater - a very sweet and kind Regency fantasy romance. One of the reviews on the cover calls it "the definition of a comfort read", and I couldn't agree more. Since this is Tumblr, I feel like I need to add preemptively that maybe don't judge the way the fairy curse in the novel is written (that is, in a way that resembles and, imo, should be read as neurodivergence) before you've learned how it ends

Angélique: The Road to Versailles, Angélique and the King, Angélique and the Sultan, Angélique in Revolt, Angélique in Love, The Countess Angélique, The Temptation of Angélique by Anne Golon - books 2-8 in the Angélique series of historical fiction novels that... didn't age quite well, in my opinion, I'd say a 20th century author could do better even with the caveat that the 17th century people are not by any means supposed to act like modern people. But the plot is so gripping that I can't put these books down, and then there's also this motif of people helping each other even in the bleakest circumstances running through the entire story that makes it worth the occasional cringe for me. However, my cringe level is built on a lot of classic novels that are very much Product of Their Time so idk if I'd recommend these books to anyone. I am having a lot of fun with them, though

I guess it doesn't really count as a book, but it made me spend some time with the French dictionary to read the comics, so - I ordered one of these Three Musketeers zines, the Cavalier Jaune one, and it's a gem (and clearly made with such love for these books) and I'm really glad I got it <3

+ currently reading the next Angélique book

watched:

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) - very cool and creative and heartfelt, loved it!

Д'Артаньян и три мушкетёра / D'Artagnan and Three Musketeers (1978), Мушкетёры двадцать лет спустя / Musketeers Twenty Years After (1992), Тайна королевы Анны, или Мушкетёры тридцать лет спустя / The Secret of Queen Anne or Musketeers Thirty Years After (1993) - finally watched all three of these adaptations of the d'Artagnan romances, I've only seen the first one before in bits and pieces. The first one is delightful and has so much funny stuff I totally forgot about, such as Constance biting her assailants and Rochefort & Milady singing to Richelieu an offensive song the people of Paris wrote about him. The second one is mostly fine, even despite the ridiculously clumsy attempts to retcon the book stuff that wasn't in the first movie (yeah, right, d'Artagnan sacrificed the ring that the queen gave him to try to save Buckingham, and Lord Winter has met the Musketeers before, this was totally included in part one). I didn't like the changed ending, though - I think it's important that it is Athos who kills Mordaunt, what with the possibility of Mordaunt being his son. The third part might be the stupidest attempt at an everybody lives!AU ever, but it gets like 2/5 points for the cast and the okay-ish first episode

Strange Days (1995) - cyberpunk noir, very cool, Angela Bassett as Mace is amazing

Vai viegli būt jaunam? / Is It Easy to Be Young? (1986) - the famous Latvian documentary about the life of Soviet youth, addressing topics from the punk subculture to the war in Afghanistan. A very interesting reflection of a generation; I think some parts are gonna haunt me

Stand by Me (1986) - summer, childhood in all its cruelty, and friendship that changes you forever. I might or might not have cried

Attack the Block (2011) - really enjoyed this one. Good social commentary? In my sci-fi comedy horror about an alien invasion? It's more likely than you think

L'Apollonide: Souvenirs de la maison close (2011) - beautiful and tragic. One of those films that feel like nothing really happens when in truth a lot happens. Also, women are my favourite guy (c)

[amrv-5]

HI PARKER!!! trope meme ask:

time loops/time wonkiness, modern AU, noir AU (I know the answer but STILL), genderswap/genderfuckery, major character death, there was only one bed

LISAAAAAAAA these are all so GOOD????? THANK YOU!!!!!!!! This is JUST what I needed to focus on rn AHHHHHH. So good. So good. All answers are MASH btw of course. I got a one track brain rn:

Time loops/time wonkiness:

No | rather not | I dunno | I guess | Sure | Yes | FUCK yes | Oh god you don’t even know |

Yes. Yes. Love. Yes. Figurative time loops or time dilation or whatever? Where it just FEELS like things are taking forever but they aren’t? Love it. Literal time fuckery? Love it even more. I particularly love to think about the idea of a time loop in MASH as it relates to the sort of meta-angle of syndication. The idea that these characters are all, in some way, trapped reliving the same days of the war over and over for as long as we are watching them…that’s the stuff. Invokes something interesting to me about viewership / media voyeurism that I haven’t really pulled apart but. Fun. Makes me think. Love to play with. Ripe for tragic effect in-fic, fascinating at a meta-level. Fun fun fun fun fun.

Modern AU:

No | rather not | I dunno | I guess | Sure | Yes | FUCK yes | Oh god you don’t even know |

Hard no, I say, writing one. 

To be fair I only started playing with the idea to see if I thought it could be done. Generally my opinion of a modern MASH AU is that it divorces the characters from the circumstances that shape them so entirely that it might as well be playing with OCs. They are so deeply the products of their time and place that I really hate to see them taken out of their context. 

…That said, I’m finding that the modern AU I was chopping at started to work when I shoved them into a desperate modern situation. Instead of sticking them in the front lines of a land war, I shoved them into the front lines of modern American health care. Hawkeye and BJ as trauma/CT surgeons fighting a losing battle against the crushing bureaucracy of the American medical industry kind of…works? IMO? Not nearly as well as their original context, but it does allow Hawkeye to be desperate and angry and disgusted by the perversion of his profession for the profit of massive corporate interests, and it lets BJ be silently resigned to hell, and the both of them are trapped for a certain number of years in a way by medical debt and the fact that what the hell do you do if you quit being a surgeon, when so much of your life and identity revolves around your career? It works because it lets them field despair and lean on each other and shove against massive faceless machines of injustice that profit off exploitation of their skills. Tl,dr; I’m a hypocrite for disliking modern AUs, it’s true, I admit. I'll never say never, but it'd have to be done really intentionally to appeal to me, I think.

Noir AU:

No | rather not | I dunno | I guess | Sure | Yes | FUCK yes | Oh god you don’t even know |

LOVE!!!!!!!! LOVE!!!!!!!! I think it’s soooo sexy. I love noir, I’m a huge Raymond Chandler fan, and kind of subscribe to his writing approach in that frequently vibes and images are more the point of noir than watertight plot. There is very little I enjoy more than the type of stylized, image-focused writing that noir invites. I’ve been hacking away at a noir Beejhawk AU (AS YOU KNOW!!!!!!!! AH!!!!! I am working on. So many things. Help) and a consistent source of fun has been writing these smoky, dim, tense, sexy, ambient scenes where everybody’s circling each other and nobody is on quite the same page. Lots of Hawkeye standing around being lean and sharp and clever and melancholy, and lots of BJ being, and I’ve code-named him the Jackal in this fic where he’s a rouge and disillusioned beat cop with a gun to his head, sort of gleefully sadistic in moments. We know he’s got an in-canon capacity for violence that concerns and upsets him, and it’s been fun to let him take the limiters off and go a little wild with it. And of course how does guilt come back into play, because you KNOW it’s going to be there for him. Waiting. Always. Especially when he initially meets Hawk as a bit of an antagonist figure. God I gotta get back to writing this.

Genderswap/gender fuckery:

No | rather not | I dunno | I guess | Sure | Yes | FUCK yes | Oh god you don’t even know |

YES!!! No. Yes. [Parker is picky as usual alert] SOMETIMES I love it and sometimes it’s meh. I LOVE it when it seeks out to agitate borders of heteronormativity and make things queer. I think it’s soooo fun to get into characters’ psychology (obviously) and I love how many ways that gender swapping or gender fuckery can open itself up to questioning characters’ internal biases and assumptions. If it's just to make a gay ship straight w/no underlying interest in how that would change things, then nah.

That said I think BJ and Hawk are both sooooo fun to get genderfucky with. I think BJ is fun to use to see how he reacts to tearing down some of his intense 50s gender role feelings, and Hawkeye and his whole breeding kink (sorry) etc., so much fun. Drag is fun, gender fuckery is fun, crossing borders is fun, violating gender norms rules and is so cool and fun. I love queer people actually. Love to see it in fic. GET WEIRD W IT! I’ve decided this is actually a solid yes now that I’ve typed it out. GET WEIRD!!!!! I WANNA READ IT!!!!

Major character death: 

No | rather not | I dunno | I guess | Sure | Yes | FUCK yes | Oh god you don’t even know |

NOOOOO AUUUUUGHHHHH. I will personally probably never write it (if it’s not temporary a la vampire!Hawk fic), but I think it CAN be done well but ouuuughhhhh. Hurts. Makes me soooo sad. I’m sure I’ve seen it done well but ohhhhhhhhhh.

There was only one bed:

No | rather not | I dunno | I guess | Sure | Yes | FUCK yes | Oh god you don’t even know |

Answered elsewhere but. I’ll say again that I FUCKING LOVE IT. Love pics that really delve into physical affection and one bed is soooo great for just. Everything about that. Accidental cuddling. Sharing space. Waking up wrapped in each other…..ooohhhhhhh I love. I love. 

Thanks AGAIN for this ask it was soooooo fun to get to really sit down and think through these!!!!!!!!!!!

[internal-bleating]

So it took my subconscious long enough, but I FINALLY had a dream with Jack Horner in it and OF COURSE it was really fucking weird.

So first off, I was in this sort of Shrek AU where Shrek never did what he did so Farquad was still running the show with an ironfist and then at some point, idk how or when, Jack Horner sort of took control over from him? He also ruled over everyone with an ironfist(also the fairytale creatures were free to wander around the kingdom instead of being banished). And I think I remember him at some point saying something along the lines of "I want this to be a pleasent place to live but(something threatening about everyone obeying or else idk)"

And now we get into the weird part. The fuckin muppets had this entire underground rebellion opporation going on to take Jack Horner down. Ms. Piggy and Kermit even had a wedding at their secret home base before starting the more serious part of their plan cuz they weren't sure if they'd both make it out of this alive. Also Kermit and Jack had this very dramatic crime noir-esque scene where they both passed eachother on the street and without looking at eachother were like "I'm gonna take your ass down" in low serious voices.

I was pretty much a silent observer from above in most of the dream but there was one part where I was a part of the rebellion as a faceless unknown character with no describable features(I think i was a guy tho cuz I tend to be a guy in my dreams a lot?) and I had a couple of scenes, one of which where I was ranting to somone else in the rebellion about how there was nothing but city now and no more trees and I wanted to see a forest again(cuz Dulock/Far Far Away??? suddenly just, morphed into an endless sprawl of modern city as far as the eye could see and was surounded by a wall to keep everyone from leaving).

And I did somehow end up in a forest?? There were a couple of other people there too but they were all running and hiding from these big mechanical dogs which my dream implied were controlled and answered to Jack Horner(seriously what's up with Jack having machines and pistols and walkie talkies all of a sudden??) and they were hunting down these runaways. I could sort of float so I was able to avoid them for the most part, but then I started to float down and grabbed onto some tree branches to stop myself from sinking far down enough to be in reach of the mech dogs(I was sort of less affected by gravity and thats why I could float I guess). I started using the branches to launch myself back upwards by pushing off them, but then the mech dogs started CLIMBING THE TREES with their metal claws cuz I guess they sensed me. They ended up catching me I think and I was like "well shit there goes my place in the resistance..."

I also vaguely remember a part where there was this big gathering and a commotion happened and I guess it was backstory on how Jack gained control of everything? I can't really remember...

There was also this part where I was kind of just wandering down this endless row of outdoor cooking stations and when I got to the portion with the ovens I started freaking out cuz it was too hot and I was scared I was gonna get burned so that's fun lol.

[a-very-fond-farewell]

Ok, new profile picture new me I guess! so here I am considering to make a list of all the wips I have under my belt just to hold myself accountable (while simultaneously convincing my stupid brain I have no time to join a new fandom... I’m looking at you Evilive):

Let’s split this between fandoms shall we?:

Word of Honor:

- Children of the Red Dust: the modern!au where ZZS is trying to adopt ZCL but WKX’s job as a Mergers & Acquisitions lawyer gets in the way, with a sprinkle of traditional chinese opera on top

20/33 chapters already done, a new one on the way. I feel vaguely positive about this and I think I can manage updating before the end of the year or the beginning of the next. I’ve updated very little this year, compared to 2022 but.. I do love the story and I want to see it through;

- They Got Exits Covered: the sci-fi!au where the author knows nothing about omegaverse trope etiquette and rolls with it anyway

2/3 chapters already done......... fellas is is bad that I can’t bring myself to finish this one? I have re-written the last chapter at least 5 times, I discovered that I hate writing smut (unfathomable, ik, considering I have written even 45k of dirty sex in the past) if it involves baby-making (??), and I hate myself every minute that I have to sit and work on this project so.......... it will take some more time I fear. the premise was good, we stan a good premise and I love the vibe I got going on but.. meh. we will see;

- (unnamed project 1): aka the noir!au that I really want to bring to the surface but currently have no energy to plan out

0/0 done, none, nada. this one is fun bc I really want to write it and I got at least two chapters done in my drafts already. I wanted shorter chapters for this one, little to no dialogue, more ambiance and vibes than plot.. it’s so close to get started...! but I want to PLAN this right. never been much of a planner tho. idk where to start. does anyone know how to go beyond the ‘plot-points checklist’ phase? bc that’s honestly all I can muster for this one and it frustrates me to no end.

Winter Begonia:

- The Way Home: which is the retelling of the entire drama, episode by episode, through the lenses of a heavier, more overt romantic vibe between the leads (basically a drama retelling with additional historical context from the novel and my own research)

14/49 chapters done and I have already drafted most plot points up to the 25th.. but see my issue here. I love this fic. I. Love. This. Fic. but I cannot focus on it until Children of the Red Dust is done, bc I need multiple steps to get this over with:

need to rewatch the drama diligently, while taking notes (would really like a dvd set of this one, but subs alas..);

need to use the existing dialogue of the show and put it on the page, describing how characters move and react on screen;

add my own new fresh scenes to the already existing plot, which takes a lot of time;

research the hell of the time period and the details of the traditional opera technicalities (bc I’m not very smart, I love to suffer and I love this stuff too much to care);

come up with ways to tie everything up nicely without it sounding cringe;

read the actual novel to tweak things and fill up details from side characters’ lives and.. if you know the original story you probably know how annoying some of the characters are, which makes it difficult to handle at times.

so....l..........I need me time to mentally prepare for that ok? but it’s a long term project and I don’t care if I have no readers. I’m cool;

- Everything will Bloom: aka the follow-up to The Way Home............so it means I have to finish that one first

2 drafted chapters done already. but I need me TONS of research for this baby. it will be set in the early 50’s so I want to get this right. which means that I am reading everything I can and sourcing everything I come across as I go and I’ve been doing this for almost 3 years now. I’m not messing around. I want these characters to have a life after the epilogue!

MDZS:

- necRomance: the crack au people still reblog from my tumblr, the idiotic one, you know the gist

80/100 chapters done, not picking it back up. I don’t care for it anymore, it was a crack project anyway. also, not a fan of receiving comments and get excited to open the inbox just to be told to go fuck myself for not finishing this one. so uncool mate! totally got me out of the fandom. I don’t think I’ll ever get back to it so.. yeah. pick your battles folks *shrugs emoji*

STUFF I AM TOTALLY NOT PLANNING DESPITE BEING BUSY WITH IRL STUFF/RESEARCHING/WORKING ON WIPS:

that one Good Omens human!au inspired by an Italian comedy I am not writing;

that one Evilive fix-it I am not fantasizing about on the daily and I really want to dig my teeth into rn;

that one (extremely unnecessary) [insert classic Victorian novel title] epilogue retelling I’ve not lost sleep researching for;

(3 hypothetical original works that will definitely never see the light of day)

———

and that shall be all folks :D please admire my new profile picture, which I took from the manga She loves to cook and She loves to eat and edited to have a sense of continuity with my previous one (which was Jin Ling from the MDZS manhua). please get yourself a treat after reading this! and check out any of my current projects on ao3 if you’d like but please read the tags! most of my stuff is pretty heavy and at times either obscenely long or dead-dove-ish so.. please be careful!

- Niki (they/them) on my way to 30. can I get a wahoo??

my AO3: humble_prompt_machine

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

A New Kind of King

An alternative version of my alternative Kid Arthur concept:

Merlin doesn't catch up with Arthur until the man is already grown, and firmly middle aged. He and Morgan have remained friends all throughout childhood-- through Morgan getting kicked out by her homophobe parents at age 15, Arthur's injury that effectively ends his promising professional football/rugby career, and assorted adult trials and tribulations.

They've weathered it all, and now they live separately in London, with Arthur working construction and enjoying it fairly well. When his excavator unearths Excalibur, Arthur picks it up without thinking twice.

After that, things start... happening. Odd little moments he can't explain, glimmers at the corner of his eyes that are never there when he turns to look closer.

When Merlin announces himself, it's almost a relief to get the explanation he offers. King of Camelot sounds pretty rad. Merlin is certain to show Arthur the best glimpses of his past life as King of Camelot, enticing him into his role.

There's just one catch-- an evil witch, fated to destroy Arthur. If they can find her, and end her before her powers catch up to her, then Arthur and his true legend will rise.

Luckily, Merlin knows just where to find her.

He leads Arthur to the heart of London, to a gentleman's club. They find seats just as a new dancer comes on stage. As she begins to dance, Merlin points. "There she is."

The dancer is beautiful, and fully comfortable in her role. She moves with grace and power, and the audience sits, enraptured.

"She may not have her powers yet, but she has the old magic even now. Look at the way she wraps these weaker men around her finger. Another month, and they would turn on you at a single word from her."

Arthur takes a swig of his beer, and watches.

They close the place down, and as they filter out with the other stragglers, Merlin grabs Arthur's arm. "She's alone-- we should move now."

They slip in a back door, and find the dancer in her dressing room, still in a silk robe. "Um, excuse me?" she says, rising to her feet. "You can't just--"

She freezes when Arthur locks the door behind them.

"I'm very sorry about this, miss," Merlin says. "You may be a very lovely person, but if you knew what you'd become in just a few weeks time, you'd thank me."

"What?"

"He means to kill you, love," Arthur tells her.

"Oh? Well..." Morgan's eyes sharpen, then gleam in a languid smirk. "Fuck you too."

Now it's Merlin's turn to pause.

"We've known you were coming for some time now," Morgan delivers smoothly, even as her hands curl into fists. "I admit, I expected more than...." Her eyes rake him up and down. "This."

"The magic has spread more quickly than I anticipated. Arthur, quick, Excalibur--!"

His words die with sickening crunch, as Excalibur's blade thrusts through his back and out his front. His eyes bounce from the source of his end to Morgan, who steps forward with a frame shaking with rage.

"You presumed you would be the only one to remember Avalon, sorcerer. That you would be the only one to remember the times you've murdered me. Not this time."

She grabs him by his filthy, ragged hoodie, and leans in to look him dead in the eye.

"It's my turn to live."

When Merlin dies, he disappears like the magic he lives in. There's no blood, no trace he was ever there, save for the sword in Arthur's hand and the tremble in Morgan's limbs as she steps away with a gasping sigh.

"You all right?" Arthur asks, looping her into a hug she melts into. She nods against his chest. "That was him? The geezer from your dreams?"

She nods again. Those dreams she had as a child never went away. They only grew sharper, clear enough to discern the story they'd try to show her. And they'd been preparing ever since.

"Thank you, Arthur."

"What are friends for?" He presses a kiss to her hair and gives a final squeeze before releasing her. "Give Gwen a kiss for me."

"You meeting Lance later?"

Arthur nods. "Gwaine's back on shore leave-- we were gonna take him out for a pint before he ships off again. Think you might wanna join?"

Morgan smiles. "Just might."

When Arthur walks out of the familiar club a few minutes later, it's with a jaunt in his step and Excalibur propped comfortably on one shoulder. See, what Merlin had forgotten about Arthur is that he isn't interested in fame and glory.

He protects his kingdom first-- however small it may be.

[swtorpadawan]

ZEP!

fandom meme Z - Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go (prompts optional but encouraged) Specific to SWTOR in particular and Star Wars in general, I think something that contributes to the divisions in the fandom is the sheer number of writers and creators who've contributed to building this fandom for the past 45 years. The moment George Lucas licensed other people to create in his universe, he opened this floodgate. And that's fine - as far as I'm concerned, he's forfeited his right to say what is and is not "Star Wars", long before he sold the whole thing to Disney. Don't get me wrong - there was a lot to love in the EU. But there was a lot that wasn't very good. There were sooooooo many "conflicting canon" issues… and at one point the primary focus of the writers seemed to be an obsession over who Jaina Solo's boyfriend should be. (I'm fine with it going to Jag. But given that Jaina was rather young at the time this was going on, it shouldn't have been such a deal with the writers.) I don't hate Disney Canon. I don't. I just wish they'd taken the opportunity to tell a more consistent story. The modern the result is, we now see people who can ignore 98 percent of the content of Star Wars and point to one incident that one writer wrote in one book and say "See? The Jedi are just as bad as the Sith!" That's… skewed. I understand the projection. But it throws me sometimes.

E - Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom, if so, what Rex (From TCW/Rebels) is in my Halcyon Legacy in SWTOR. He's nominally retired as a soldier, and is the bartender at the Alliance cantina on Odessen.

I dunno… I thought it was funny.

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas)

I'm the worst at this. I've seen some "detective Noir" AUs, some medeival fantasy AUs, some steampunk…

I guess Star Wars during the fall of the Bronze Age? That might be a niche interest.

Thanks for the asks!

[kiraziwrites]

Here's a hasty and incomplete rec list for this year's @jb-smut-swap, squeaking in shortly before author reveals!

First and foremost, my compliments to the Extremely Mysterious Unknown Author (lol) of my marvelous gift, the star to every wand'ring bark, which managed to fulfill all three of my prompts (make-up sex after a fight, impact play, and that infamous photo of Gwen's titties looking like a landscape) with this lovely triptych of post-canon scenes from a marriage. I am entirely certain I know who wrote this, not least because it's so precisely attuned to my tastes, but I will continue to keep up the pretense until tomorrow.

A few other faves so far, in no particular order:

Tempered (Western AU)

The idea of blacksmith Brienne fills my heart with deep joy and profound lust, and that's just how the Jaime in this story feels. This is the one I am most eagerly awaiting reveals for—I have a guess for the author, but it would require one of my other guesses to be wrong.

Confessions of an Unknown Maiden (Victorian AU)

Somebody wrote pitch-perfect nineteenth-century erotica pastiche, right down to the initial-and-dash disguised surnames, and it's great. I have no idea who wrote it and can't wait to find out.

tonight you're thinking of cities under crowns of snow (detective AU)

This incredibly atmospheric story just nails the tone of a good Nordic noir—the chilly setting, the weary professionalism, the ominous aura of a place where there are many routes to an untimely death—while also giving us some very heated glimpses of a Jaime & Brienne with a complicated past. Also dead certain about the author of this one.

This year's exchange featured two especially good book-based post-canon on Tarth first-time fics—badly in need, and My Love is Blue, both of which are very hot and tender, and feature a Brienne who is inexperienced, but also curious and forthright about her desire. My favorite thing about the former was the dialogue (they're just the right amount of stubborn and semi-inarticulate) and my favorite thing about the latter was the sense of discovery (also, the blue sheep). I have suspicions as to authorship, but none firm enough to put in the spreadsheet!

Shoreline (Industrial Revolution AU, sort of)

This fic really feels like a short story to me, from the striking worldbuilding (which remixes canon in clever ways) to the arc of the relationship. It's unusual and moving, and while the smut is only a small fraction of the story, it's also great. I made a guess for this one but have no idea if I'm right.

What Happens in Dorne (modern AU, threesome)

I am always here for Jaime/Brienne/Addam threesomes, and man does this one deliver—it's hot and sweet and funny, and the anticipation builds just beautifully to the very satisfying smut. I did make a guess for this one, but now I'm second-guessing that guess. Either way, I loved it.

One and Only (modern AU, shibari)

Love a good rope fic, and this one hit some of my favorite switchy notes for this pairing by having Jaime finally tie Brienne after she's done it for him many times. And the Valyrian origins and names of the various ties are a delightful and clever addition!

There's much more, and I haven't finished reading or commenting on them all, but the above are all well worth your time.

[nemo-of-house-hamartia]

WEDNESDAY WIP TAG GAME

GUESS WHAT, MY DEARS??

WE ARE BACK OOOOON WEDNESDAY WIP!!

AND THIS TIME AROUND, TAG GAME EDITION!!!

DIN DIN DIN!

So, first of all, the tags: @lunavadash-creates @giuliettaluce @susann-noir @perawuat @straight-into-the-animus @thatcrazycrowgirl @eclectic--assassin @estel-of-the-eyrie @baddestchineseassassin @hidden-blades-and-tomahawks, @the-forgotten-jenn,@pxiedustnblades @b3k1720 @datnovice and anyone that wishes to participate (do tell me if you want to be tagged, so that I can add you to my list! <3 I'd hate to forget anyone, and my memory is already reaching Dory-Levels! so much for being Nemo lol )

So, without further ado, here is a WIP from "Solstice Dance", a Modern!AU Jottie Ficlet inspired by an Ask that my dear friend @straight-into-the-animus sent me! Hope you will like this! <3

Uncertain, Dottie looked back toward the small cottage. “Jacob...Are you sure it’s fine to leave Emmett with Evie and Henry? They already have their hands full with Lizzie, and I don’t want them to have to worry about Em-” “They will be fine, Dot. Emmett will be fine,”Jacob answered, turning around,”Evie had to look after me all the time, when we were children.” “Then she is certainly more than qualified for the job,” she said, giggling when Jacob turned to give her an offended look, or one that appeared to be, considering the deep darkness around them. “What is that supposed to mean?” he grumbled. “That you were as adorable as Emmett?” she giggled even more , fluttering her eyelashes. “You are lucky I love you, Mrs Frye, or I would have already shoved some snow under that suit you are wearing for implying what I know you are implying,” “As if!” she said, rolling her eyes with a smile. Then, she turned serious again. “But are you sure that they will be fine?” Jacob turned again, hearing the uncertainty in her voice. He shared it as well: it was the first time Emmett was not with them since his birth. He caressed his wife's cheek, tugging a wayward lock away from her face. He wished it wasn’t that bloody cold, so that he could take off his gloves and actually feel her skin against his palms. “Dot, they will be. Both Greenie and Evie insisted on taking care of Emmett for a few hours so that we could have a little time just for me and you,” He kissed the tip of her nose, so cold due to the icy temperature around them. He tugged the scarf that she was wearing and brought it to her mouth, to protect her face from the blasted chilly Swedish air. “Besides,” he then added, “I have been waiting all year to actually show you how to properly skate!” “Wait...are we going to skate? here?” she asked, her eyes widening. “How are we going to do that? There is no skating rink here! The corner of his mouth twitched upwards. He is hiding something, Dorothea thought with a giggle. “And You showing me how to skate?” she giggled again., poking him into his ribs. "Maybe you got this backwards, my darling,"

“Do you even know how to stand on those skates?” he said, smirking with a wink. “Now, Mr. Frye, that’s an impertinent question,” she beamed, raising one of her eyebrows. “If I know how to skate on ice? Have you met me?” He came closer to her, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. “Thank the heavens I have,” he husked with a chuckle, diving down to plant a kiss on her lips. “But I bet you haven’t met me yet,” he whispered against her lips. “Care to show me, then, Mr. Frye?" He let out a small purr at that name. “I love when you call me like that, you know?” She nuzzled her nose against his, looking at him from under her lashes. “Yes, I know. And I also know that it’s time I show you some moves, for a change,” He raised his eyebrows, wiggling them in that way that always made her laugh. “Don’t give me that look, Jacob! Skating is all we are going to do, tonight,” she giggled, poking at his chest. "I wouldn't be too sure about that, love..." He murmured under his breath.

--Nemo

[p-artsypants]

P-Artsypants Fic Masterpost!

This information is always available on my blog. 

Find most, if not more, of these fics on:

Fanfiction.net | Archive of Our Own | Wattpad

(~AU’s, *Finished, ❤️Author’s Favorites)

Kingdom Hearts

~❤️Rage Awakened AO3 | FF.net- Ten years ago, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus lost their fellow apprentice, Sora, in Deep Jungle. Now, they are to return with two new students, Riku and Kairi, to lock the heart of the world. All the while, something watches from the trees. Feral!Sora AU

My Kingdom for a Heart AO3 | FF.Net - The curse of being one of the Princesses of heart, is that there’s always someone out to get you. As Xemnas looked failure in the face, he reached out in a last ditch effort and destroyed Kairi’s heart. Now her friends must travel the worlds again. Sora, to find a way to recover Kairi’s heart, and Riku, to make amends to those he has wronged. All the while, the darkness grows. [Unfinished, on permanent hiatus]

Miraculous Ladybug

One Shots

*❤️Amalgam- When an young man is rejected for being ‘incompatible’ he turns into the akuma ‘Amalgam’ able to fuse two people together. And later Adrien and Marinette would debate if it was lucky or unlucky that they got hit. (Also Available in Russian)

*Sing We All Noel- After receiving the worst Christmas present ever from his father, Chat Noir finds himself out on the streets with nowhere to go on Christmas Eve. Thankfully, Ladybug finds him and brings him home.

*Speechless- In a world where everyone has a soulmark, the first words their soulmate will say to them, Marinette is born without one. But Adrien Agreste has two. Curious, considering he’s mute.

*❤️Tunnels of Love- The night started out with an accidental kiss from Adrien Agreste, and ended with her bleeding in the Catacombs of Paris. Ladybug, the wielder of the miraculous of good luck. Yeah right. (Some blood)

*The Reveal That Wasn’t- First Parts My ending to kittybug’s Tumblr Prompt

*What A Mess We’re In- Ladybug has a lot on her mind, and when Chat Noir bugs her enough, she tells him she’s going to confess to her Crush, Adrien Agreste. Chat’s reaction is not what she’s expecting.

*Oblivi-oh no! - A retelling of Oblivio, except Ladybug is the only one to lose her memory. How will Chat deal?

*Bad Day (3 chapters) - Marinette was Ladybug! This was Adrien’s luckiest day ever! Except it wasn’t, because all his good luck was used up in one go. Turns out this might be the worst day of his life.

*One Win, So Many Losses- Marinette was forced to break up with Adrien. It had been a low blow from Gabriel, to be sure. But she was Ladybug. She’d find a solution…right? An alternate ending to Chat Blanc, where Adrien doesn’t Cataclysm the akuma.

*❤️Five Minutes- Gabriel has had enough of all these girls fighting over Adrien. He decides it’s high time Adrien picks one, and arranges the perfect opportunity for him to do so. Each candidate has five minutes to present why they’d be a good girlfriend. Marinette decides to take this opportunity to shoot her shot.

~*Panache- Every eligible maiden was invited to the Prince’s ball. That included Marinette, scullery maid in her own household. But her stepsisters destroyed her dress, and she can’t go to the ball in rags. Or can she? (Cinderella!AU)

*Perfect, No Matter What-In which Gabriel sets the bar even lower for himself, a reveal happens because of pain medication, and the new guardian actually goes to Chloé for advice.

*Crushed- Stuck under a collapsed building together, Chat Noir and Marinette have a heart to heart.

*Lovelace- Convinced that he's unlovable, Adrien is quickly thrown for a loop when Marinette confesses her love for him out of the blue. An akumatization and reveal later, he changes his mind about being unlovable.

Long Fics

*❤️Longest Night- (FF.net | Ao3) - The day started out sucky to begin with. Her crush ousted to the class and Adrien. Lila taking pride in exacting her revenge. But by the time patrol was over, a young man was dead, and Ladybug’s identity was at risk. Lila was the least of her concerns. Good thing Adrien was taking it all like a champ. (Rated M for scenes of torture)

*❤️Nine Lives- (FF.net) When Adrien Agreste is scheduled to go to a Military School in Germany, Chat Noir must make a critical decision. Does he give up his Miraculous? Or does he give up his life as Adrien? I’ll save you the trouble of guessing, he gives up being Adrien.

*Tender Words- When Marinette finally gets the guts to confess her feelings for Adrien, some things go so wrong, and other things go so right.

*Integrity- Overwhelmed with her responsibilities, guilt, and drama, Marinette has an emotional breakdown in front of everyone, and even hands over her earrings in a moment of weakness. Only for a few seconds, but the damage was done. Adrien’s pretty quick on the uptake like that.

~Much Obliged- Everyone deals with grief differently. Some take to drinking, others devote themselves to charity. Adrien Agreste? Well, he became a cowboy. Marinette Dupain-Cheng is a witch, one of very few in the world. She knows what it’s like to be doubted, and assumed delusional. Maybe that’s why they got along so well. Or maybe it’s just because they both like big hats. AU where everything is the same, except instead of superheroes, Adrien is a Cowboy and Marinette is a witch. (Unfinished) (Based on a AU by @bugaboo-n-bananoir)

*I’ll Handle This- “I’ll solve all your problems,” Plagg had said. “You just have to agree to it.” A fixed relationship with his father, Lila to stop bothering him, and Ladybug to fall in love with him? Who wouldn’t agree to that? Except Plagg was the God of Destruction and Chaos and had a more…hands-on approach. Adrien just wants his body back. (Body swap fic)

The Ghost of Smokey Joe- Adrien Agreste was acting bizarre. Stilted body language, plastic smile, and he seemed to have forgotten how close they were. Before she can get the truth out of him, Marinette finds herself as the sole heir to the Gabriel brand and the mansion, following the murder-suicide of both Adrien and Gabriel Agreste. The mystery continues as Tikki explains that Adrien was Chat Noir...but if Adrien is six feet under, why is Chat Noir still running around?

How To Train Your Dragon

One Shots

The Vikings Have Their Tea (FF.Net | AO3)

Arranged Marriage- Takes place at the beginning of HTTYD

❤️Breathe- Survival of the fittest

~Childhood Friends- At the Sandbox

❤️Easy Fix- In which Hiccup has a bad day

~Fashion Designer- Astrid needs a fill in

❤️Frozen- In Which Astrid takes a Dip and things get frisky (Rated M)

❤️Headache- In Which Hiccup hits his head….really hard

❤️Heir- In Which Hiccup is Picked (Longer version by FateCharms)

Illness- In Which Stoick is a dad

~Illusionist- Trick gone wrong

~In the Walls- In which there’s a poop ghost

~Knocking On The Wrong Door (2) - A chance encounter

❤️Messages- Astrid is Frustrated with Hiccup’s obliviousness

~To Mirkwood- Hiccup is not a dwarf

~Monster Falls- Hiccup and Astrid take a dip

❤️Mute- In which there’s a quiet stranger

~Music Video (ImgHS)- He didn’t expect it

❤️Operation: Lovebirds- In Which the gang makes a plan, and Hiccup gets Drunk

~Over- Too many nightmares

~Partners in Crime- A normal day at work

~Pirate- Astrid is the greatest treasure

~Prince- He doesn’t want to be a broken King

❤️Sorting Things Out- In Which Astrid gets her ducks in a row

~The Dragon and The Dame- Beauty and the Beast Au

The Pit- In Which Hiccup is rescued

Hide and Seek- Part 1

Lost and Found- Part 2

Long fics:

*❤️Infernal Responsibility- Being the son of the chief takes brains, courage, and a lot of patience. But at his father’s the request for marriage, Hiccup decides he has had enough. When he seeks out a life of ease, he runs into more than what he bargained for.

*❤️Roses and Lilies- “Astrid, you and I both know you’re much tougher than I am. You’re more brave, and a better fighter…but just for a little while…could we pretend that I’m the one protecting you?” “Oh gods yes!” (Also Available in Spanish!)

*~What the Water Gave Me- The sea is a wild and dangerous thing, something that cannot be foretold or predicted. Hiccup discovered this many years ago, in human naiveté. Yet, what was meant as a sacrifice became a new life, one like no one could comprehend. He now finds himself once more in the unknowing hands of those that sentenced him to death. He only prays things will be different this time. Merman!AU

*Parasite- Soulsnatcher Dragons are rare but deadly. But, As Hiccup finds out, it’s the eggs you have to watch out for.

*~320 State Street- Gobber’s Goods. A Hardware Store that was rumored to have everything you needed. She thought she only needed a job. Turns out, she needed a lot more than that. (A Modern AU no one asked for)

*~❤️The North Tower- When Finn Hofferson died, Astrid inherited his castle in Wales…and a whole lot more. Something sinister lurks in the North Tower.

*~❤️Boy Toy- AO3 - At the age of 21, Princess Astrid lawfully has to pick a husband. But when the perfect groom is nowhere to be found, she requests the toymaker to create one for her. It’s safe to say that everyone in the kingdom is a little concerned. (Pinocchio!AU I guess?)

No, You Go First- AO3 - The Chief of Berk was a headstrong viking, stubborn and full of pride, and willing to do whatever it takes to keep his village safe. But for a moment, he puts that aside, and listens to his son. In which Hiccup convinces his dad not to make him go through Dragon Training, and the subsequent changes that follow.

*In Due Time- AO3 - As another illness sweeps through Berk, Gothi needs another ingredient for her medicine…one that doesn’t exist anymore. Fortunately, she kept that old spell book around for such an occasion. Big Hiccup is sent to five years into the past, and his younger self sent to take his place in the future. But it’s only a few days, what could go wrong?

Trollhunters: Tales from Arcadia

❤️Arcadia or Bust- In Which Arcadia welcomes back it’s underground citizens.

Teen Titans

Oneshots:

~Big Brother- Don’t turn out the light (Horror)

Dear Jason- Bruce Writes a letter

Just Drawing- Bruce thinks about Robin

The Prisoner- Starfire is Guilty

Of Mustard and Three Foot Purple Tongues- A collection of Oneshots and Drabbles

Long Fics (*Finished):

*~❤️Carol of the Bells- High in the dark Bell Tower of Notre Dame, there lives a mysterious bell ringer. Legend tells of the angel who fell from the sky, and the curse she bares. There are few who know her true identity though; her master, the priest, and the acrobat that performs on the streets below. Based loosely on ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ RobxStar and slight BBxRae

*No Escape- Three years ago, Starfire escaped an Alien race called the Gordanians, to arrive on Earth. They’re back, and ready to put Starfire back where she belongs, behind reinforced Titanium bars. Robin���s not about to let her go…if only he hadn’t got captured first. How does it feel to be the alien, Robin?

*Now you Know My Pain- When the new Villain, Gender Bender, comes to down, the Titans find themselves in an odd situation. They’ve been turned into the opposite gender against their will! Now in order to change back, they must learn to understand the gender they’ve turned into. Rated T for obvious reasons. A great read if you’ve ever wondered why girls or guys do [blank].

*Paint it Black- Robin disappeared three months ago. Now, Jump City’s crime rate is mysteriously being taken care of by a normal, albeit strange, teenage boy who goes by the name Black. As the Titans befriend this lunatic, they begin to see a relation between him and their missing leader. Will they be able to find Robin, or will Black turn them all insane as himself? Actually, contains NO OC.

*Saving Grace- “When I’m done with you, you won’t be able to walk upright or speak coherent sentences and all you’ll see is my mask and my voice repeating in your head…Weak. Richard Grayson, I am not tough, I am everything that you fear.” Happy Ending! Smudge of RobStar. NO Slash!

Other Fandoms

Final Fantasy XV

❤️Requiem for Pitioss-“O King. The god’s have heard your cries. Know that we weep with you. The Oracle’s calling has not yet been fulfilled. But…Lunafreya as you know her cannot return the way she was.” Noctis looked up, hopeful. “But she can return!” Canon divergence from Chapter 9. Happy ending. Some spoilers.

Final Fantasy X

I Do…I Guess? - “I would…like to ask you something.” “Shoot.” “Well…if it’s not too much…I’d like to ask you…to marry me.” Knowing what’s to come during her pilgrimage, Yuna asks Tidus to marry her, strictly for convenience and having an official next of kin, of course. Starts after Luca and how this decision would affect the rest of the story.

Beauty and the Beast

*❤️Behold the Beast- A Oneshot alternate ending to the Animated Film

Cinderella

*❤️Midnight- “When the clock strikes twelve, the spell will be broken,” the fairy godmother had warned. A retelling of the story, when Cinderella doesn’t escape the ball in time. Oneshot

*So This is Love- What if Jaq and Gus hadn’t made it in time to help Cinderella? A new twist on the ending of the classic Fairytale, and what lies beyond the story. She still gets her happy ending and her Prince, and her step family gets their just deserts.

Sleeping Beauty

*❤️A Love Song Back To Me- Maleficent saw the loophole that stared her in the face. Prince Phillip would break the curse in time, for sure. After all, he was betrothed to Aurora. So in an effort for her evil plan to stay in action, Maleficent takes care of the young prince herself. Phillip never imagined having to live off the land like the birds above. Alternate twist on the classic Disney tale.

Escaflowne

Down Feathers- Hitomi’s depressed. She’s been away from Van too long, he comes back to visit her…but what if something went wrong with the transfer? (Not finished. Never will be finished. Mwahaha) Circa 2012

*Angel’s Wounds- Fanelia’s been victorious in their most recent battle with Basrum. Unfortunately, someone is wounded and just seeks solace in his love that lives so far away. Post Anime.

Momma Look Sharp- With the war between Fanelia and Basrum finally coming to a close, the kingdom is celebrating. The young king, however, is suffering from an experience unlike any he had before. Van finally seeks solace in his wife.

[inquisitoracorn]

Writer Tag Game

Thank you @melisusthewee, @5lazarus, @morganlefaye79 and @noire-pandora for the tags! If anyone else tagged me and I didn’t thank them I’m really sorry, Tumblr is having a tag fit again. 

I’m a bit late but I will tag forward: @musetta3 @drag-on-age @kittynomsdeplume @johaeryslavellan @blarrghe and @another-rogue-trevelyan if you’ve all been tagged already feel free to ignore me or write me in so I can give it a read <3

1.  How many works do you have on AO3?

Six in total, but my WIPs are legion.

2.  What’s your total AO3 word count?

72,044

3. What are you top 5 fics by kudos?

Why, the smut is first of course!

1. On an Ambassadorial Note (I should have made that Ambassadorian....how did I miss this???????) - the Inquisitor and Dorian exchange letters and the servants find them - 61 

2. What Shouldn’t Be - solavellan angst - 27 

3. Nothing, again - short smutty modern AU pavelyan - 23

4. Two Songs and Three Serpents - my magnum opus, Inquisitor Jonathan Trevelyan’s backstory, my pride and joy, fourth in the ranking at 13 :))))

5. We are here for you - short angsty talk between Trevelyan and Solas - 6

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

Always or almost always. It’s a nice thing to do.

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

It’s a tie between What Shouldn’t Be and the fic that didn’t make it into the ranking, Who is the Lamb and Who is the Knife, written after another prompt. The solavellan one is an AU where Solas has torn down the Veil and bitterly remembers all that he’s lost, nothing hopeful about it. The other one is part of a set of ideas I have for a dark!inquisitor AU, where Dorian dies and Trevelyan is on a revenge quest that’s of course ultimately futile. That one is really painful for me and they’re both bitter and hopeless and written when I was very moody :))))

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

The smut :)))) Nothing, again ends kinda cute.

7. Do you write crossovers? If so, what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

A crossover would mean my brain should be capable of sticking like glue to TWO fandoms at the same time at least! And it can barely handle the one, so nope :))) I can barely write different setting AUs tbh.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

No. When I finish Two Songs and Three Serpents, and if it gets around a little more, then I kinda expect to and I wouldn’t be surprised. But the odds of that happening are really small. 

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

I have, and I plan to write more :))) I’m not as good at that as most of the ones I read, but I like writing it and it clearly works for some other people too.

10.  Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

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

A couple of years ago I started writing some Vampire The Masquerade fanfic based on a roleplay campaign run by a friend of mine, we both loved one of the characters and decided to write more. Unfortunately we both quickly got busy with other things and never made it very far with writing it. Quite a bit of that character inspired Jonathan though (even the name is recycled from it) so I guess I still channeled that somehow :))

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

That’s like asking my about my favourite song! Is this the moment I reveal to Tumblr that I used to be an enthusiastic wolfstar shipper? Or stucky? I have a thing for friends getting together :))) 

As for DA, it’s definitely any inquisitor/Dorian, the only thing I love more than Dorian is a happy and loved Dorian.

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

Let’s not be discouraging shall we :))))

So far I have one little WIP about the Inquisitor’s shenanigans in the Frostback Basin because I loved JoH, and also one in which Jonathan and Dorian have a small fight and one of the Inquisition scouts takes it upon himself to repair it. Both of them have been moved to the queue because I am fully caught up writing TSTS at the moment. 

15. What are your writing strengths?

I’ve been told it’s description, and it’s true I can’t stop describing settings, it is sooooo much fun! It’s where most of my creativity is for sure. 

16.  What are you writing weaknesses?

Narrative voice, especially when it comes to emotion and a character’s thought process. It seems to flow much more smoothly for other writers, and sometimes I read something I wrote and it feels a little shallow by comparison. I tend to bury the character’s emotions in little details and pray they translate clearly :))

17.  What are your thoughts one writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I love making up words. I’m also bad at it. They sound very awkward.

18.  What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Death Note, when I was 12! I can’t remember the name, my username, or even the website I posted it to. It was never finished, I was 6 chapters in when someone commented that I haven’t posted in a while and that they had been waiting and to whoever posted that I’M SO SORRY but it was really bad :))

I think I deleted it too...

19.  What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

Two Songs and Three Serpents. It’s easy when there isn’t much to choose from :))) But it makes up 63k out of those 72k, it’s my best shot at writing I’ve ever made and very dear to me.