#i have one stranger things longfic idea

[momotonescreaming]

question for the long fic writers - how the hell do you do this? because uuuuuhhh. i have a list of scene ideas and a dream and that's about it. help.

[nimuetheseawitch]

SGA Summer Vacation Recs

So, a few weeks ago, a friend asked for longfic recommendations to read while on vacation, and I did not really realize how many I was recommending at the time. Seemed like a good idea to make a post about it.

Time in a Bottle by astolat, 14K (not originally on my list because it was too short, but it's too perfect for a summer reading list, so I added it), McShep, Rated E, Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings To see a World in a Grain of Sand / And a Heaven in a Wild Flower / Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand / And Eternity in an hour.

The Long Dark (series) by @logicgunn, 141K, McShep, Rated G-E but the first is M, Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings An astronomical event causes two strangers to crash land on a remote island in the frozen Canadian north. Cue a fluffy slow burn in a survival setting.

Lord John Sheppard Versus Earth by LitGal, 61K, McShep, Rated M, Graphic Depictions of Violence Canon diverged before Jackson found Atlantis. The IOC stepped in and decided to make things more efficient. A gene testing program brought Major John Sheppard into the program earlier, but budget constraints and international treaties have kept Dr. Jackson out of the antarctic. So now John has to find his own team--and his own geek--or he's in danger of being stuck in the mountain forever as a light switch. However, as the universe changes, fate forces some things to return to proper form, and other things… they get wildly out of control. John isn't sure how he came to be Earth's enemy, but he's going to have to deal with the cards he's dealt.

Teamwork by onthewaters, 24K, McShep and others, Rated E, Graphic Depictions of Violence There is an Earth where things have turned out a little differently, and the people who go to Atlantis aren't quite the ones we know. AKA The one where Rodney is a Mountie.

The Doctor and the Sheppard by @hero-in-waiting, 70K, McShep, Rated E They've been in Pegasus for a year before Rodney is finally allowed to go off-world to meet with the mysterious leader of a group of allies against the wraith. The first meeting goes well, sending them down a path none of them could've foreseen, and leaving Rodney with thoughts of the mysterious leader with his bright eyes and dark hair.

The Hard Prayer by Rheanna, 30K, McShep, Rated M One year after the end of the world, John meets another survivor.

In Sickness and in Health by @a-storm-of-roses, 31K, McShep, Rated E "So I told a little lie, just to get you back to Atlantis. It was the only way, so try not to get too mad. I told them we were married.” When John suffers a major, life-changing injury on Earth, Rodney must pretend to be his husband to ensure his return to Atlantis. As he struggles to navigate recovery and accept his new reality, John must also come to terms with his new role as Rodney's husband and the new dynamics in their relationship. A story of healing, recovery, loss, love, and acceptance.

Enigma by sgamadison, McShep, 32K, McShep, Rated E, Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings During an off-world mission, a piece of Ancient technology transports Rodney and John on a one-way trip to a deserted airfield. Working together to get back, it takes a vivid dream to make Rodney realize what's been in front of him all along.

Bridges by bussaiko, 52K, McShep, Rated E Engineer Rodney McKay went to North Carolina's Crystal Coast to help his sister design a series of bridges. He hoped to rebuild his career following a professional disaster; he didn't expect to be drawn into the small community of Athos Island, where he found friendship and perhaps something more with helicopter pilot John Sheppard. But when Rodney tries to learn more about John's past, what he discovers might tear them apart. (non-Stargate AU)

Apocalypse Rising by sian1359, 81K, McShep, Rated M, Graphic Depictions of Violence The Goa'uld are not the only ones who covet Earth.

Zen and the Art of Jumper Maintenance by Indybaggins, 39K, McShep, Rated M The one where Rodney gets sucked in and John… follows. Featuring a quirky John, Rodney in orange robes, crazy Ancient-worship, sheep milking and jumpers that aren't broken but need to be fixed anyway.

Black Helicopters (series) by whizzy, 141K, McShep, Rated T-E but the first is M, Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Screw the bet. Rodney was going to prove the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence. Oh, and incidentally, he might just catch the United States Air Force with their pants around their ankles.

Pegasus Purgatorio by MrsHamill, 127K, McShep, Rated E, Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings It is difficult to write a paradise when all the superficial indications are that you ought to write an apocalypse. It is obviously much easier to find inhabitants for an inferno or even a purgatorio. (Ezra Pound) Yeah, I'd say that about covers it, Ezra. John and Rodney are left behind when Atlantis (and, by extension, Pegasus) is evacuated. While returning to the Milky Way, they decide to bring a few friends along.

What A Wonderful Bunker You Would Make by ocdindeed, 50K, McShep, Rated M Summary in simple words: Rodney is recluse and John has a kid. Summary in not so simple words: Rodney McKay has given up on the world, living a simple life up on a mountain devoid of people. He likes it that way, at least he did until a kid with a full head of dark hair ambled up his dirt driveway and changed his sequestered life forever. (AU - Set during SG1 & Pre-SGA timeline.)

G******, Tramps, and Thieves* (series) by auburn, 372K, McShep and a whole lot more, Rated T-M, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, later fics Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Vala Mal Doran and her partners, renegades Jehan abd-Ba'al and Meredith McKay, hijack the Tau'ri ship Prometheus and leave the Milky Way behind in search of the Lost City of the Ancients, Atlantis.

*I censored this title due to a common racial slur

[sroloc--elbisivni]

Fic roundup: Heart Pirates, post Winner Island

After seeing @purplehairedwonder's post rounding up her fics from the aftermath of the Law-Blackbeard fight now that it's been animated, I thought I'd make one putting together as many as I could find or remember. These are ones where it's the main focus--I realize it does feature in like, various longfics, as a background/inciting event but my goal was to sift out the ones that are focused on it. If there's one that is post WI focused you know and love I'm missing feel free to toss the link in the replies and I'll update the list. I've done some minor sorting into sections for Lulaw, Heart Pirates crew fics, bad end, and various, and within those things are listed alphabetically.

Lulaw

a beating heart by Heartprts (jiaaa27)

After successfully escaping Egghead, the Straw Hats are on their way to Elbaf when two individuals made their way to the Thousand Sunny. The ensuing events led Luffy to realize his feelings for the dying captain. Prompt: confession | heart swap | i thought i'd lost you

A Thing Both Terrible and Beautiful by purplehairedwonder; E, 3.5k, complete.

Law wants it rough, wants it to hurt, because it’s what he deserves after losing everything. Again. Luffy knows he needs something else.

as I hold your hollow heart by betsib; M, 25k, complete.

The Straw Hats pick up Bepo and an unconscious Law after the events at Winner Island. Luffy is more than ready to help him, but when Law opens his eyes, he is a stranger. Meanwhile, Law wakes up in Dressrosa, with Doflamingo's symbol tattooed on his chest and servants calling him "Corazon".

Ballast by SyrupFog; NR, 7.3k, complete.

Law stands at the helm of a ship that isn’t his. They need supplies, they need to recover (he needs to recover), they need to go back. He can’t— he doesn’t have another choice. They have to go back to Winner Island as soon as possible, as soon as they’re able. There’s just no other option, here. Not for him. Not when his entire crew, save for Bepo, is somewhere out there. They’re strong. They must have survived. Law needs them to have survived. Law and Bepo have commandeered a small marine vessel, but there's a ship that simply won't stop following them, and Law-- Law's having nightmares.

Bet by Salemmcit0; G, 1.3k, complete.

Luffy wants to take care of Law while he's wounded, and he lets him. Both pirate crews are freaking out. And betting about it.

Broken Hearts by Dragon_Fallss; M, 33k, complete.

After retreating from Blackbeard, Bepo takes Law to the Thousand Sunny for help. Law's broken. And on top of that, the virus from the battle makes a surprise return. He now has to deal with his grief and a new body. And Luffy is so kind it's painful.

Call You Mine by All_My_Characters_Are_Dead; T, 8.8k, complete.

“Who would even be crazy enough to date Straw Hat Luffy?” “It’s gotta be someone who’s pretty strong,” one of the bar’s patrons mused. “I don’t see Straw Hat falling for a weakling.” “Strong enough for Straw Hat, and crazy enough to accept his advances,” another patron mused. “There aren’t many people that can say they’d meet those requirements.” “It’s pretty much just the Worst Generation, right?” someone else pointed out. Law scowled at his drink and wished Penguin wasn’t such a busybody. “Makes sense. Those Worst Generation guys all seem pretty close. When they’re not trying to kill each other, anyway,” the bartender pointed out with a shrug. Law had to admit he was right, at least when it came to Luffy. The idea of Luffy dating someone in their exclusive little band made sense to him, too. Or: Five times Law was jealous of Luffy's mystery boyfriend, and one time he realized the mystery boyfriend was Law himself.

Dead Defend No Honour (Day 9 of LawLu Week 2023) by KhepiAri; G, 2.7k, complete.

What if Luffy found out, Law lost it all at the hands of Blackbeard? Will he let Law suffer alone, or will he drag him back to Sunny?

Dissecting a Captain by devils_regrets; E, 10.8k, complete.

Law's anguish and hatred drives him to lash out at the Straw Hat Captain, but Luffy of all people knows that's not how to heal the heart.

Grounding Exercise by heart_sen_ya; T, 2.5k, complete.

The panic didn’t leave Law’s body, but he managed to slow his movements, grip tightly at his first mate’s sleeve. “Bepo?” he huffed. “Real?” The question hung heavy between them. “Yes,” the word was dripping with sorrow, with apology. “Not dreaming. I’m sorry, Captain.” Tattooed fingers curled deeper into Bepo’s sleeve. Law leaned forward into him, his body screaming in protest. He didn’t care. How could he? Here he was, alive amidst tragedy. “Again,” he hissed, vocalizing the thought. “Again?'' The word tasted like poison.

Healing of the heart by Tchell1; G, 10.5k, complete.

In the aftermath of Law and Black Beard's battle, Law is left broken and hopeless. Monkey D. Luffy will not allow Law to fall into despair.

Look Who's Laughing Now by All_My_Characters_Are_Dead; T, 13.2k, complete.

I really like Torao, Luffy thought contentedly. I like him, too. The words felt like a warm echo of his own thoughts, bumping against the inside of his skull in a gentle but insistent way. That was weird. But not the weirdest thing Luffy had ever experienced, so he ignored it. “Did you get something in your eyes, Mugiwara-ya?” Torao asked. “They look a little pink.”

Loss & Regret by CaptainButterBuns; G, 1.4k, complete.

Blackbeard has dealt a crushing blow to the Hearts and Law is left to deal with the trauma but an old ally could be just what he needs to help him through it.

Lost and Found (You) by purplehairedwonder; T, 7.5k, complete.

Five times Law and Luffy almost lost one another and one time they did something about it.

My Heart in Your Hands, My Hands around Your Heart by purplehairedwonder; G, 1.9k, complete

In Luffy's lowest moment, Law takes Luffy's hand and promises that his story will not end. In Law's lowest moment, Luffy takes Law's hand and promises the same.

My Heart, Fragile in Your Hands by purplehairedwonder. T, 2.3k, complete.

“I failed them,” Law whispered, and it felt like a confession—like at church in Flevance. Confession was supposed to absolve someone of their sins, right? He doubted there was a god anywhere who could absolve him of his. And yet, he confessed at the altar of Luffy. “They were my responsibility, and I failed them.” Or, Law wakes up in the Sunny's infirmary after Winner Island.

On fire by Suwym; T, 367 words, complete.

Law has lost practically everything: his father, his submarine, his crew, and that vivre card.

Our Hearts, Made Whole in Each Other by purplehairedwonder. T, 2.3k, complete.

Luffy cupped Law’s cheek with his hand, softly grazing his thumb over a yellowing bruise. “Torao is so pretty,” he said quietly, a note of awe in his voice. Law flushed. “Torao’s heart is beating so fast.” “Yeah,” Law agreed, swallowing. “It is.” Luffy’s, despite a few flutters, was beating steadily in Law’s chest. Law, on the other hand, felt pinned to the spot, one hand holding Kikoku and the other in Luffy’s grip. “You should stay.” Law blinked. “What?” “You should stay,” Luffy repeated. “On the Sunny. With me."

Passing Showers by daggermoon; G, 6k, complete.

In which Law is extremely irritable, lost at sea with an idiot strawhat burrito, and very much out of his depth. ______ He is helpless, no more than an insect in a puddle, clinging to a leaf in order not to drown. Even worse, he has a particularly dumb fellow insect to take care of. Now part of a series *grins sheepishly*

Tattoos by Salemmcit0; G, 4k, complete.

Luffy takes Law and his crew to Swallow Island to build a new Polar Tang, and retouch his tattoos. Nobody knew that Mugiwara-ya was planning on getting one too.

The Heart is a Thing to Be Broken by purplehairedwonder; T, 5.5k, complete.

The Straw Hats learn about Winner Island.

The Lost Case by felsefeslegen; M, 24k, WIP.

SPOILERS AFTER 1081 IN THE MANGA. What happened to Law and Bepo after they defeated by Blackbeard and lost in the ocean? How will they survive and what will happen after Law and Luffy meet up in Elbaf? --- After the total defeat of Heart Pirates, Law and Bepo washed up on a deserted island. After that the thing made them survive became their nightmare, they were rescued from there like a miracle. Yet, Law was broken enough to hurt both himself and others. And mostly, Luffy.

Then Came You by Raiya

„Please Captain don’t die.“ Law could hear Bepo repeat the words over and over. The seawater around him felt like it was holding him in a breathtaking grip, but maybe it was Bepo carrying him. Law did not know if he was unable to move because of the water or his injuries but it did not matter much, he barely could keep himself conscious but tried his best.

These Petals Surface And Scathe by Cooknumber3; T, 17.8k, complete.

What had begun as a flicker of curiosity in Sabaody had turned into an unfortunate crush by the time Punk Hazard rolled around. Dressrosa saw it deepen into devotion, and it sweetened on Zou. Then Wano came and went, leaving him with something he now has to recover from. (Or: Hanahaki disease is cured by confession, not reciprocation. This is the aftermath, where Law tries to move on.)

What once was lost, now found by Callunar; T, 7k, complete.

Transcription for Chapter 1082 OFFICIAL!!! THIS IS DEFINITELY WHAT HAPPENED IN CHAPTER 1082. DON'T LOOK AT ANY OTHER SOURCES, JUST TRUST ME.

You didn't have to come by Salemmcit0; G, 1.6k, complete.

After parting ways while leaving Wano, Luffy can't stop looking at Law's vivre card. Days later the paper began to disintegrate. Or, Luffy goes to look for Torao as the Winner Island encounter is going on Day 1 of Lawlu 2023 week - Loyalty

your hands in mine by betsib; T, 1k, complete.

Luffy has always liked Law's hands.

Your Heart, Broken in My Chest by purplehairedwonder. T, 3.6k, complete.

Luffy was far from an expert at having someone else’s heart in his chest, but he was pretty sure what was happening with Torao’s heart wasn’t normal. AKA, Law and Luffy switched hearts after Wano, and Luffy feels Winner Island happen.

10 Days of LawLu 2023 Day 6/8/10: Holding Hands/Hurt & Comfort/Confessions by Straw_Heart3; M, 4.6k, complete.

The aftermath of Law's fight with Blackbeard on Winner Island.

Heart Pirates major role

A Last, Beating Heart by HyperbolicReverie; G, 1.4k, complete.

“Oh, my wonderful crew,” you think, thoughts hazy as bits and pieces of yourself begin to drift in the currents. “Oh, my dear, brave little boys. I hope you can forgive me for not being able to carry you further. I can no longer be your heart.”

Your journey has ended. But this? This you can do.

A Swallow's Cry by Heartprts (jiaaa27); T, 3k, complete.

Klabautermann: a spirit that dwells in ships, an incarnation of a ship that has been well loved and cared for. Tangs, surgeonfishes: a family of marine fish with a distinctive characteristic of having scalpel-like scales at their caudal peduncle. or Polar Tang fought for her family, to her very last breath.

At Our Dream's End by chioccowine; G, 2.5k, complete

A snippet between the Heart's captain and his first mate after chapter 1081 - - - “But, Bepo...” his captain’s body shivered as he uttered softly, like the blossoms of the epiphyllum under the moonlight, silently withering in the gentle wind without anyone knowing. “What lies at the dream’s end? What lies at the end…when there’s nothing left to dream about?” Bepo sniffed to hold back his tears, and he reached out his paws determinedly. Like how the three of them used to do for him when he was still a little cub, he hugged his captain tight, sheltering him from the long freezing night.

Bioluminescent Hearts by Harmonica_Smile (Rescue_Remedy); T, 5.7k, complete.

"No bodies?" Blackbeard fumed. Doc Q and Stronger had bounced across rocky Winner Island when that bear had gone all Sulong and knocked them out. Van Augur's range for warping wasn't that great, and was tricky over open water. He could sharpshoot the skin of a hangnail, but the bear was fast. If he'd managed to get a shot in, they could've finished the Mink off, and pulled the shitty doctor from the water, taken his heart and returned triumphant. Once the horse had woken up.

blessed, not cursed by Heartprts (jiaaa27)

For a few years now, Jean Bart feels like his life is cursed. It all happened too quickly; one moment their ship capsized, and the next moment he's wearing an explosive collar. It was the start of all the curses.

Caught by purplehairedwonder. T, 1.2k, complete.

Maybe this wasn’t such a bad death, Hakugan thought as he felt darkness beginning to encroach on his vision. He’d been on the crew of a Warlord, had helped in the fight that defeated two Emperors, and had seen more incredible, unbelievable things than he would have once thought possible; it had been a much more fulfilling life than he would have had if he’d stayed in his boring, backwater home in the North Blue. He would never regret agreeing to join Trafalgar Law all those years ago. He only hoped that his captain would somehow live on to fight another day; as long as Law lived on, so would the Heart Pirates.

Celebration by purplehairedwonder. T, 1.6k, complete.

As the Heart and Straw Hat Pirates celebrate the jailbreak of the imprisoned Hearts, Shachi tracks down a guilt-ridden Law and offers his captain some moral support.

Cursed by purplehairedwonder. T, 1.4k, complete.

After Wano, Jean had never been prouder to sport the Heart Pirates Jolly Roger on his back, tattooed over the slave brand that had marked him as cursed for so many years. But they had failed Law on Winner Island. Jean had failed him on Winner Island.

Clang, Ding, Zing by Mekachu04. G, 489 words, complete.

Still, it surprised him when Kidd approached him first, a thick pad of blank newsprint that Law hoped he'd gotten permission for before liberating from Franky's workshop. Kidd dropped the heavy booklet on Law with no preamble. an *extremely* short snippet of two very much down on their luck pirate captains dealing with their recent losses. More light-hearted than it sounds.

Food by purplehairedwonder. T, 1.2k, complete

“Sorry for borrowing your kitchen without asking. I just...” “It’s fine,” Sanji said easily before starting to roll up the cuffs on his sleeves to his elbow. “You wanted to make something for your people, didn’t you?” “I...” Clione blinked in surprise. “Yeah.” “I get it,” Sanji said. Once his cuffs were rolled up, he crossed his arms and leaned against the side of the counter. “It’s how people like us show our love, right?” Sanji went on. “Through our cooking.”

going through by aghhhhhh; G, 1.1k, complete.

Hakugan has an idea. Written for Heart Pirates Week 2024 Day 8: Hakugan and Caught

Heart to Heart by MorWicked; G, 1k, complete.

The Heart Pirates have been destroyed, and now they need to help each other remember what matters most. ----- Digging his fingers in amongst the flotsam of pebbles and broken shells, Law wrestled his harrowed anatomy into a position somewhat less prone. Slumping against the familiar form of his salvation, Law found it a little easier to breathe. A heavy paw settled over his shoulders, somehow easing the gravity of devastation even as it rested in a fashion that belied a bone-deep exhaustion.

'homeless heart' by fab_ia; T, 4k, complete.

“They’ll make it,” Bepo says. “They always have before, haven’t they? From the North until here…” It isn’t survivors' guilt. Bepo refuses to call it that, at any rate, because that would mean expressing some degree of doubt that the rest of them have managed to survive. He isn’t sure that he’ll be able to keep going if he lets go of that hope, if he doubts them for even a moment.

Last nights with Tang by Lyy30; G, 6.5k, complete.

Ikkaku has her first and last conversation with Tang.

Loyalty by purplehairedwonder. T, 1.2k, complete.

The only solace the Hearts had after being taken captive by the Blackbeard Pirates was the revelation that Bepo had gotten Law away from the battlefield. They’d all sworn in Wano that they would do whatever it took to protect their self-sacrificing captain, and any of them would have made the same choice, had they been able. They were the Heart Pirates, and Trafalgar Law was the beating heart at the center of the crew. They would hold out until Law came for them, and they would give the Blackbeard Pirates nothing.

Low Battery by killyhawk; T, 1.5k, complete

Two times Shachi carried Law, and one time he couldn't.

Night by purplehairedwonder. T, 1.1k, complete.

Their rescue comes at night.

Wish the 4 of us stay together forever by Horsehead_557; G, 837 words, complete.

Penguin, Shachi, Law and Bepo are all waiting outside to see the shooting star while drinking some tasty hot chocolate until Bepo suggest that they make a wish

Bad end

Broken Hearts by CaptainButterBuns; E, 736 words, complete. Graphic Depictions of Violence + Major Character Death warning.

Law has bitten off more than he can chew with Black Beard and the Heart Pirates pay the ultimate price.

Forced Disease of Despair by ProfessorDatenix; E, 6k, complete. Law/Blackbeard and Blackbeard Pirates. Rape/Non-Con warning.

Law gets turned into a woman in the battle against the Blackbeard Pirates near Winner Island, but something goes wrong and ends up captured by them, being completely at the mercy of mean that want to show their new slut what it means to be a captured woman by an enemy ship

From the Ashes by purplehairedwonder. T, 10.8k, WIP.

Blackbeard takes Law and the defeated Heart Pirates captive after their defeat at Winner Island.

Some version of you. That I might not have, but I did not lose by ImpassiveMoon; T, 3.2k, WIP.

Law doesn't escape Winner Island. Luffy and the Strawhat Pirates, sailing high after their escape from Egghead Island, find out far too late. A butterfly flaps its wings and creates a tornado. What then would a beetle do? A god? Brace yourself. For D will bring a storm.

The promised I have to keep by Horsehead_557; G, 3.35k. Graphic Depictions of Violence + Rape/Non-Con warning.

the young captain taking out his den-den mushi and vivre card luffy like calling the other captain while looking at his vivre card cause it makes him feel like that torao is infront of him “wh-where is” luffy panicked he cant find torao’s vivre card - in something happened to law and they cant do anything about it

the steps to an foretold conclusion by aghhhhhh; T, 3.2k, complete.

Law was always going to die. He is on the altar, heart torn out for the sun.

to the victor go the soiled by Anonymous; E, 8k, complete. Rape/Non-Con warning.

Law had been Doflamingo’s slave-concubine for some years before escaping the clan in his late teens and starting his own crew, but no-one left Doflamingo’s harem. Doflamingo was excited that Law now had a hole that he and other members of his crew had not yet sampled. Variety was the spice of life and all that. Another thing Doflamingo liked was how docile the constant fucking from Blackbeard’s crew, the transformation, and the specially designed seastone adornments had made Law. Straight into the PWP. Hurt, no comfort. If it's not your thing, click right back. Tags are not for show

Other

Aftermath by purplehairedwonder; G, 1k.

The aftermath of the fight at Winner Island.

A Most Surprising Alliance by Cygnus_the_Harper; G, 13.3k, complete. Users-only.

After the battle on Winner Island Bepo and Law flee across the ocean. Finding themselves stranded on a winter island they try to pick up the pieces, find a plan for moving forward, and worry about their crew. This was written after the cover page art depicting Law napping with a leopard and a bottle of vodka. It was such a fun picture that I had to write the adventures of Law and Bepo on that island, and their eventual rescue.

A Promise Fulfilled, 13 Years Later by betsib. T, 5.8k, complete.

Rosinante wakes up on Minon Island on the exact spot where he died, 13 years later. He's surprised to find Law is now a notorious pirate, and sets out on a journey to find him. Written for CoraFest 2024.

a victory every year by betsib; T, 6k, complete.

Law finds himself imprisoned in Impel Down, injured and possibly dying. His only company is Doflamingo, who tells him Luffy has been captured too. All in all, not the best way to spend his birthday.

A Wave Across a Bay by Sleeping_Songbird; G, 785 words, complete.

The aftermath of The Hearts fight with Blackbeard.

Beautiful Savior by Captainkreuger; G, 1k, complete.

Cavendish and his crew save Law and Bepo after Blackbeard defeats the Heart Pirates.

Faded by meowmystery; T, 819 words, complete.

Alone with his thoughts, Trafalgar Law begins to think his past over, which he has done over a million times. No matter how much he tries, he can't seem to come to a conclusion. Is there really an answer?

Fem Law on Winner Island by SilverSphere; G, 1.4k, complete.

This is just a canon-divergence drabble of Law getting stuck as a girl on Winner Island : )

Give Us a Little Love by cptrum; G, 2.3k, complete.

Law and Bepo get away from Winner island, but now what? Bepo is stuck trying to help an injured Law and also get his crew back. A what happened after chapter 1081 (since we still have zero resolution for that).

Hurting by lostsometime; T, 808 words, complete.

It hurts different, is the thing.

In the Light that Falls at Moonrise by Rimetin; T, 12.7k, Smoker/Law.

"The Captain,” the mink repeats, “trusts you.” Smoker chews on his cigars, letting his head fall back again. “Yeah, you said that.” “And you trust him.” Smoker and Law speak with their respective seconds-in-command, gain some valuable insight, and come face to face with some difficult to admit facts. Part 3 of Bitten by the Cold

Magneteers by Mekachu04; T, 2k, WIP.

After fleeing Blackbeard, Law & Bepo have been rescued by the Strawhats. Luffy is more than happy to help Law find his ship and crew, but his crew rightly points out that finding a submarine under the water is a big ask. If only there was someone they knew who could find large metal things and easy move them around. Possibly bring a sunken sub up to the surface with his magnetic abilities. So they detour to hunt down the Kidd Pirates. Unfortunately for Law, Shanks found Kidd first.

Polar Bear, Ocean Blue, and A Glass of His Dreams by chioccowine; G, 8k, WIP. Shanks/Law.

In order to bring Black Beard down to his demise, the Captain of the Hearts seized the opportunity to propose an alliance to the notorious red-haired emperor. The young captain’s willing to offer anything - - As he had nothing to lose.

Salt for Salt (Bone For Bone) by Friendly_Neighborhood_Asexual; NR, 2k, complete.

Bepo didn’t know how long he had been swimming, only that his lungs burned and his limbs ached and that he could not stop until his captain was safe. Law was tucked firmly under his arm, pressed close to his side with all the strength the mink could afford, and Bepo couldn’t tell if he was still breathing anymore. He couldn’t dwell on that though - wouldn’t dare to entertain the thought that he might be - his captain was strong, strong enough to survive Doflamingo, strong enough to survive Kaido and Big Mom, strong enough to bring emperors to their knees. Law would be strong enough to survive Blackbeard. Bepo didn’t know if he would be strong enough to survive Law’s death.

Seeing the Light by CaptainJoJo; T, 1.4k, complete.

Law doesn't want to talk about it and Luffy isn't pushing him.

Suns Will Sink to Shade by Rimetin; T, 7.3k, complete. Smoker/Law.

Smoker gnaws on his cigars, puffing thick clouds of off-white smoke. “I’m trying to help you, brat.” “I didn’t–” Law cuts himself off. It dawns on him then that he did, in fact, ask. Involving Smoker was his own express decision, however impulsively made. Bepo certainly hadn't made it for him - hell, he hadn't so much as questioned it. And he hadn't been the one to bring the rumors, either: it had been an innocuous bit of conversation Law overheard, and his traitor brain had latched onto it. Pushed to his breaking point and beyond, he'd heard Smoker's name and only thought refuge. Fuck. Smoker and Law talk some things through. Plans are made. (now with art!) Part 2 of Bitten by the Cold

The Aftermath by RitsukoRyoku; G, 3.5k, complete

This is how I envision the aftermath of that fateful battle as the Heart Pirates recover and recuperate.

what we have left by betsib; G, 716 words, complete.

Bepo and Law are picked up by the Straw Hats after the events on Winner Island, and Law proposes another alliance.

When Stars are Silver by Rimetin; T, 7k, complete. Smoker/Law.

When the air around him thins and fills with bluish static, Smoker knows exactly what it is. He turns in his chair just in time to catch two of his meditating rocks poof out of existence, replaced instead with… A man and a polar bear. SPOILERS for ch. 1081. After Winner Island, Law finds Smoker. Part 1 of Bitten by the Cold

I II II L by darkrogue1 (Lily_Haydee_Lohdisse); T, 764 words, complete.

Bepo worries about his Captain

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week's writer spotlight feature is: @kkpwnall! They have eight Stranger Things and Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson works on archive of our own!

An anonymous nominator recommends the following works by kkpwnall:

driving in your car

love is like ghosts

where's the spark?

if it wasn’t for bad luck i wouldn’t have luck at all

wanted: pool boy at the vampire mansion

KK's works have a consistent feel of genuine, heartfelt, human connection. Whether it’s a big, dramatic scene as the climax of a slow, delicious build-up of tension, or a mundane, slice-of-life tidbit, the characters always feel true to themselves, and their voices are perfectly nailed each and every time. And by that I mean, you can literally hear the dialogues in the characters’ voices—they’re THAT good. KK explores classic Steddie themes in their longfic Driving In Your Car, and they have a handful of wonderful one-shots and two-shots, each and every one of them delving into how much these boys love each other for who they are. In short, KK’s body of work feels like a love letter of the characters. If you love Steve and Eddie, chances are you’ll love their fics. - anonymous

Below the cut, @kkpwnall answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie? 

They’re such a compelling and complementary pairing. Like, it seems like an opposites attract / odd-couple pairing on the surface, but beneath each of their exteriors, they’re so similar. They’re dork4dork, loser4loser, idiot4idiot, they’re both huge nerds but in different ways. They want and need and express affection through physical touch and words of affirmation (I mean, just look at the walking through the forest scene!) Plus they just have this insane chemistry that any time I think “there’s no way they did that, it’s all in my head”, I’ll go back and watch those scenes again, it’s just like “no, this absolutely checks out, they are so into each other from the word go”. And they’re just made for each other! I mean, come on! Matching scars? Nail bat and nail shield? Jock and nerd? They’re two halves of the same coin! What I really love about them too is that they’re both Just Some Guy, they’re silly, goofy, dorky guys! But mostly, I write steddie because it makes me happy and really satisfies part of my brain like nothing else. 

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

Other than “Eddie Munson Lives” hahah, I’ll try just about anything written or recommended by a beloved mutual. Mutual pining, fix-it’s, missing scenes, and first kiss fics are top tier for me, and right now I’m really partial to fluffy romcom fics. If it’s got good flirting and banter, it’s got me hooked.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

My absolute favorite to write is mutual pining (aka the love is requited, they’re both just being stupid). Miscommunication is a close second, the kind that can’t easily be resolved with just a sticky note on the fridge. Whether it’s mishearing something or misunderstanding something (even the character misunderstanding their own feelings!), I find it super compelling to write. But for a specific scenario, my favorite will always be Steve having a bad time at a party.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

It’s impossible for me to pick just one, so I have to recommend 3 of my friends: Anyway It’s About Old Friends by @fragilecapric0rnn, and wanna be the only one for miles and miles (except for maybe you) by @judasofsuburbia, and everybody else (everybody else looks like they’ve figured it out) by @heybluechild. Anything by these fine folks is just fantastic, they’re all incredible writers and dear friends!

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

I’d really like to write more AU’s! I’ve been tossing around ideas for college-aged+ aus (writing them a little older), 90s aus, a cowboy au… Mostly I’m just excited to keep writing them!

What is your writing process like?

Ahah it’s not much of a process. I write down every idea I have, no matter how small it is. Sometimes it’s a line of dialogue or a moment of a scene, but it all goes into the notes app and percolates in the back of my brain for a while. Eventually that dialogue or scene might coalesce into something bigger on its own, or combine with other snippets, and then ya got yourself a stew!

Do you have any writing quirks?

I really love writing dialogue, it’s my favorite way to get inside their heads, especially trying to balance what they say or don’t say, vs what they actually mean. I also love adding little details to fill out the world and the scene. It might not be necessary, but it feels like it brings everything together for me. And I like treating writing a fic like building a puzzle, trying to figure out just the right way to get all the pieces to fit together so the whole thing really sings.

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

I’m still playing around with what I prefer. With driving in your car, I started out by posting a chapter only when the following chapter was completely written, so I’d always have one in the tank. But that got to feel too much like I was just sitting on chapters for the sake of sitting on them, so I started posting each chapter as I finished it and felt good about it. I don’t do super well with a schedule for posting fics, I’ve got too many deadlines in my life as it is haha.

Which fic are you most proud of?

driving in your car, for sure. It’s my baby, my magnum opus, my kitchen sink fic (it’s got everything). It’s got so much of myself in it, it’s very personal, and very near and dear to my heart.

How did you get the idea for driving in your car?

I wrote a long post about this when the idea was just starting to percolate, but the long and short of it is I wanted to read more fics that reflected my own experiences as an older teen growing up in a suffocating small town, where really the only option you have is to just pile in the car with your friends and drive around aimlessly, because that’s the only way you can get any freedom or privacy. I wanted to see what life was like for the fruity four trying to get back to “normal” while also trying to deal with the fact the world almost ended AGAIN, and all their complicated messy feelings for one another.

What inspired love is like ghosts?

Like many people have guessed / suspected, it’s very much inspired by Buzzfeed Unsolved / Watcher Ghost Files, and a loving homage to ghost hunting shows. I’m a huge scaredy cat when it comes to anything horror, but I love a good ghost hunting show. The study room setting is also inspired by the miniscule closet-sized study rooms in the library at the college I went to.

What was your favorite part to write from love is like ghosts?

Parts of their make out scene was the first snippet I wrote and the one that really got the whole ball rolling with that fic, to try to figure out who this Steve and this Eddie are, and what would have to happen lead them to making out that hard in the study room. It was also the first steamy spicy almost-smutty scene I’d written, and it was so fun to learn how to write like that!! I also just love their banter in this fic, they’re both so sassy and ridiculous and completely gone on each other.

How do/did you feel writing where’s the spark??

Ooft this one was a doozy. This is actually the second draft, and the only time so far I’ve all but completely scraped the first draft and rewritten a fic. The first draft leaned really heavily into the loneliness of the holidays, my playlist for it was all of the most maudlin holiday songs, and it really started negatively affecting my mood and mindset. But I got some really great advice and help brainstorming from dear friends, and turned it around into a fic I’m really happy with. The holiday blues are still present, but there’s so much more love there now, and that’s really what the fic is all about.

What was the most difficult part of writing where’s the spark??

Finding that balance of holiday blues and love was really tricky, and I wrote for a lot of characters I hadn’t tried writing before either. From a technical perspective too, it was a big challenge to figure out how to keep the fic moving, and the party moving around Steve when all he wanted to do was wallow.

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

It’s so so hard to pick just one, but I love how this line in love is like ghosts turned out: And Steve is dumbstruck, kiss-drunk, half-fucked.

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

I have a holiday exchange fic coming out soon (hopefully before the holidays, fingers crossed), and I’m excited to dive into my prompt for lex’s winter fic challenge soon! I’d love to get the last chapter of driving in your car ready to share by the end of January. And there’s a secret [redacted] au I’m co-authoring with a very special friend that I would absolutely love to write in the new year!

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

Just that I love this community so much. I’ve made so many incredible friendships because of this show, and I’m so grateful to be a part of this little corner of the internet. I never shared my writing publicly before finding the steddie community, and I’ve been really overwhelmed and delighted by the response to my writing and art (especially to be nominated to do something like this!! Truly an honor!). I was, at best, a casual Stranger Things fan before season 4. I wasn’t even going to watch it when it came out. But then I saw all the gorgeous fanart and gifs, and started reading headcanons, and had to check it out. I’m so so glad that I did, my life has changed so much for the better.

Thank you to our author, @kkpwnall, and our nominator! See more of @kkpwnall's work featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer's Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[dragonologist-phd]

Fic Wrap-Up Meme: 2024

(repurposing an old tag game to yap about fics, and i encourage anyone else who wants to do the same!)

FANDOMS - Baldur's Gate 3, Dragon Age, Pathfinder: Kingmaker, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, Pillars of Eternity

3 FANFICS WITH THE MOST KUDOS IN 2024 -

Pagan's Prayer (BG3):

Shadowheart isn't accustomed to placing her trust in other people. Neither is Naia. But these are interesting times, and stranger things have happened. (A loose re-telling of the game, with a focus on Tav/Shadowheart romance)

Songs of Elysium (PWOTR):

A collection of small one-shots and stories woven into the tale of Piper Chanterelle- a tiefling bard who only ever wanted to survive, until she suddenly found the power of Elysium dancing at her fingertips.

Of Diamonds And Dust (DA):

Marja Aeducan and Darvis Brosca lead lives as different as one could possibly imagine. Marja Aeducan, a member of the nobility and second in line for the throne, has spent her life maneuvering the dangerous political machinations of the Diamond Quarter. Meanwhile, Darvis Brosca, a Casteless dwarf rejected by society, does whatever it takes to survive on the streets of Dust Town. When a Grey Warden arrives in Orzammar, the lives of Marja and Darvis are forever changed. Driven from the city by misfortune and betrayal, the two must join the ranks of the Wardens in order to save their own lives. But the surface has far greater dangers than they realize. The noble and the thief will need to stand together if they're going to fight against the oncoming Blight, the brewing civil war, and the strange surface malady called "sunburn".

FAVORITE OPENING LINE FROM A FIC IN 2024 -

(limiting this to one-shots for the sake of simplicity! i don't have the patience to sort through one-shot collections and multi-chapters sorry)

Command Me To Be Well (BG3):

Ursa’s mouth is full of copper.

FAVORITE CLOSING LINE FROM A FIC IN 2024 -

(same rule as above for simplicity!)

Violent Delight (BG3):

It’s a weak barb, but it’s enough to let Naia leave with some small semblance of pride still intact, and to let herself pretend she does not feel Araj’s smug, crimson gaze on her as she goes.

FIC I’M MOST PROUD OF IN 2024 -

i've answered this before in various asks, but it's a tie between Love & War and Burn Clean (both pwotr fics!)

Love & War grew way beyond what i originally had planned for it, but i love how it turned out and it's one of my favorite longfics that i've written- and it feels so good just to finally have it completed

Burn Clean was just something very different than my usual fics, but i loved putting it together and i'm really happy with how it turned out. i've been working on a follow-up of sorts, which has stalled a bit as i hit an inspiration wall but which i do plan to finish- the whole worldstate her just really gets my wheels turning!

NEW THINGS I HAVE TRIED IN 2024 -

as i said, Burn Clean was a fic where i got to mess around with a different kind of style, and that was very fun! i also wrote my first official fic for Ursa, my BG3 Dark Urge, and i have so many more ideas for her that i hope to add to the collection!

GOALS FOR 2025 -

despite what i just said about new ideas i have so many wips to finish...i do plan to make some progress on those! but i'll still be coming back to new ideas of course, and i do have some one-shots already planned out for femslash feb!

[swaps55]

Ao3 mememe

Tagged eons ago by @moosemonstrous. Thank you!

Tagging @cr-noble-writes, @mallaidhsomo, @urrone, @screwyouflightlieutenant, @stormikins and anyone else who wants to play.

I love end of the year memes, but I wrote very little this year in comparison to the last 4 years or so. So I appreciate that this meme in particular is a little more comprehensive. It's nice to look back on a full body of work and take a moment to be proud of it, vs fret over what did or didn't get written in the last 365 days.

How many works do you have on ao3? 52

What’s your total word count? 1,043,782 words (!!!!!!) over 11 years.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Sonata (mshenko, longfic set between the end of ME1 and beginning of ME1)

Cantata (mshenko longfic, pre-ME1)

Celestial Navigation (mshenko smut, but not Sam)

Fugue (mshenko, Alchera and the 2 years before Lazarus)

Pieces Form the Whole (collection of mshenko prompts and one shots).

Do you respond to comments? Why/why not?

Yes. Someone took the time to tell me my story meant something to them, and I will thank them/flail with them/take pleasure in their pain/etc. Fandom is community. To build a community, you need to engage with the people who love the characters and worlds you love. If my spoons are low I may not respond right away, but I will respond.

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

There is one fic of mine that hates happiness and also puppies, but it’s not even 1k words long, so I don’t feel it counts. Fugue probably has the angstiest ending for what is the angstiest thing I have ever written, because it ends with Kaidan still believing he’s lost Sam forever. But I also like to think it’s a hopeful ending. At the end, you know that whatever happens next, he’ll be ok.

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

I’m a happy endings kinda person, so most of them? The first kiss AUs in the Opus Multiverse probably have the edge over something like Sonata, because they exist within their own little bubble free of things like consequences and Alchera.

Do you write crossovers?

I have daydreamed about something like a Mass Effect/Stargate crossover, because it would practically write itself, but I doubt I’ll ever actually do it. A Mass Effect/Dragon Age crossover could be fun, but others who would do it better already have, and I wouldn’t be committed enough to it.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Eons ago on ff.net, by someone who was probably very young and very convinced it was their sacred duty to tell internet strangers they sucked. I only remember it because it’s the only time I’ve ever encountered something like that. I’ve received some insensitive comments, but not hate.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I do write it on occasion, though it’s not a mainstay. I stick to very emotionally-driven smut because I don’t have the slightest idea how to write actual sexual attraction. XD  

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

No one has asked me about doing a translation, but I have had others podfic a couple of stories, which is REALLY cool.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Once, and it went very poorly. I am not built for collabs, unfortunately.

What's your all-time favourite ship?

The SSV Normandy, which beats out the NCC-1701-D by a nose hair. JK. Sort of.

It’s hard not to say Commander Shepard/Kaidan Alenko. I’ve written well over 500k words about them specifically, and I certainly haven’t done that for any other ship. I’m actually not that shippy when you get down to it. A romantic element isn’t usually what compels me. I am drawn to powerful connections, be it between two people or a group of people.  

So really, my original answer isn’t far off the mark. The group of people on both those ships are my favorite.

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

I don’t have a stack of WIPs, because really I can only focus on one thing at a time. I have an unposted multiverse AU that I’ve scribbled close to 10k words on that likely won’t go anywhere until Opus is finished, which won’t be for a while. But I don’t have any real reason to think I’ll never go back to it. That fic has a host of challenges I need to figure out a way around, so that might be its undoing, but some of the writing in it is stellar and I am patient.

What are your writing strengths?

I’ll say working with multiple POVs. It’s something I love doing to the point I can’t really imagine not doing it. I like seeing the same series of events through the eyes of different people, how it creates a whole only the reader gets to see. I like the challenge of sitting between an unfamiliar set of ears and figuring out what goes on there. It’s a lot of fun.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I am absolute shit at scene setting. I am terrible at visualizing, and I forget what words are when it comes to describing architecture of any kind, people, or clothing. If you are at all surprised to read this, it is because I work VERY HARD at scene setting. Because I’m bad at it. “Where are these characters, Swaps?” “Uh. They’re in a room. With stuff. Don’t worry about it.”

When it comes to a character's appearance, I cheat and instead describe what their clothing/appearance evokes, rather than what they look like, because fuck if I know what they look like.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

If I could do it, I would, but another thing I am quite bad at is languages and dialect.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Technically, I put Alec Ramsey and the Black Stallion on a spaceship when I was maybe ten. But that aside, I had reams of Star Trek fanfic scribbled in notebooks before there was an internet to post them on.

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

I have had ideas for Horizon and Warframe, and occasionally think it would be fun to try my hand at Stargate, or even go back to Star Trek. But in the end, Mass Effect is where I live and I still have stories to tell there, so here I stay.

What's your favourite fic you've written?

That is such a hard question to answer because I wrote them all with an intended audience of me and I know me really well, lol.

The long fic I have gone back to the most is Cantata, and the one shot I have reread the most is probably The Words That Change Us.

[rosesradio]

When it comes to Aus (assuming you have like a list of aus you enjoy) is there any aus you enjoy mostly with a specific ship?

Or is it any ship is equally okay

(fair warning i ended up yappin a lot more than usual which is saying something lol, i apologize :') )

i don't think i have a list of AUs that i enjoy right off, though any typical longfic/more in depth AU i come up with tends to lean towards valdangelo as the best choice narratively (i'm thinking the archive au as well as a gravity falls au i was microwave-potatoing around my brain, though i'm yet to make a post on that if i do).

tbh i think a lot of the AU-spaces that get made up for more, uh, explicit fics in general get kinda slept on because they're seen as a means to an end (and they are, lol). personally though i enjoyed exploring the implications of universes even outside of smut in those fics such as take a gamble, 'til death do us part, & the power of neptune.

take a gamble is a jercy fic that explores a darker universe in which the monster attacks don't stop when a demigod becomes an adult & in fact get worse. it's implied (at least to me lol) that annabeth (percy's love interest) and leo (jason's love interest) died, along with mostly everyone else, leaving them to grapple with like the tension and resentment and struggles that come with that.

'til death do us part was my first lukercy fic/first luke lives fic/first arranged marriage fic. it explores a universe in which (as stated) luke lives and is basically a missing person for 3 years until he's rounded back up & percy is forced to marry him to keep them both in line (realistically i feel like they'd both kill the gods for this arrangement but uh...something something consummating the marriage, something something means to an end, cough cough). i just think it's interesting to look into how luke would act if he survived the war & how he and percy navigate having to be together.

the power of neptune is similar in the whole lukercy/navigating friends to enemies to strangers to friends to lovers kinda greek tragedy nonsense, though this is the most tame of the AUs listed. i'm not one for university AUs, much less ones with a background ship (this one being valgrace) because background ships have always felt a little off to me, like it's unfair that i don't get to explore things with them too. that being said i'd be down to write more into the new rome uni AU even if it's a wee bit underwhelming compared to darker and/or more fantasy-based AUs.

so yeah, kinda long-winded but to answer your question, really any ship is okay as long as the concept interests me. i always said i wanted to write a longfic for valgrace, though i've never thought of an AU for them and i never like writing that close to canon. i have a lot of ideas that don't come to fruition, but that's part of the fun! thanks for the ask :-)

[swordbreakerz]

For the fanfic ask meme: 1, 3, 7, 19, 22!

hi hello sorry for the delay i had classes until 7pm yesterday, many such cases

1. What was your first fic and could you stand to reread it today?

i believe it was a self insert team crafted fanfic, and god no absolutely not, the only reason it hasnt been razed from the internet is bc im lazy and dont remember my wattpad login

3. In your opinion, what’s your best fic?

a queens thief god/follower smut fic that i wrote for the very first weird the tag challenge! it was really fun to write and is still fun to reread, this fandom needs more of this genre of porn and by god i will be the pioneer

7. What’s the fic you most want to continue (unfinished or no)?

if we're talking things ive started, theres a lymond chronicles fic i have partially done thats all missing scenes of will and lymond spending time together that by god i will finish one day i swear because we are starved for content over here and i need to release my brainworms into the world. however if we're talking like, conceptually, i have this idea for a marielda timeloop fic from the twins' pov where the only way to end the timeloop is to let events play out how they did in canon, with one of them not being in the know and samothes dying etc, i am so intimidated by trying to write a longfic with real plot and chapters so its been wasting away in my head but GOD it would be so good if i could just WRITE IT

19. If you had to pick one fic/scene/chapter of your work to describe your entire portfolio to a stranger, which would you pick?

this question is the hardest for me to think of an answer to tbh, especially since i dont post like 90% of what i write. honestly either the aforementioned queens thief smut or a mission impossible fic i wrote that firmly establishes both a trans and disabled ethan agenda, bc i think it has some good prose and really sets up what im about (transgendering and disabling my favorite characters)

22. Has there ever been anyone who’s made you freak out because they read your work and followed/favorited/reviewed?

no one famous, really, although my mission impossible fic got a tumblr like from an author i recognized and had read before which was exciting! but like, i truly get this reaction the most about a dear friend of mine, gav, who i love a whole lot both as a friend and a writer so im really flattered any time they read and comment on my stuff!

[blessphemy]

2024 ao3 wrapped [writer's edition]

original prompt post link

How many words (of fanfic) have you written this year? 234,231 words. all murderbot. shut up. This was my second biggest year. I'd like to thank the time on my hands, posting a longfic I had in the works for a while, and participating in a Big Bang. (2021 was my biggest. I'll thank back pain and unemployment for that one lol.)

How many works did you publish this year? 42 fanfics.

What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)? Networks VOID + Networks VITAL. Took me over two years to write and I finally finished it and punted it into the universe this year. fucking monster roller-coaster of a fic capping off a monster roller-coaster of a series. probably the most technically challenging thing I've written to date, by merit of all the balls in motion and all the emotional beats crammed in over the course of 99k words, with the majority of the action taking place during ~48 in-universe hours. i'm so proud of it. it deserves all the love it's gotten LoL thanks everybody!!

What work of yours has the most hits? Via Solitude is a perennial crowd pleaser. Wide audience appeal. Slow and long-running multi-chapter slice of life. ("Slice of life" whilst stranded and surviving alien wilderness.)

What work of yours got more feedback than you expected? idk I'm honestly pleasantly surprised every time people comment at all. but I guess SecUnit Feet got hella reactions, for a borderline gag fic for April fools.

Favorite title you used Stranger (manic pixie dream killing machine) ^ honestly i've peaked with this one

If you use song lyrics, which artist’s songs did you pull from the most? I don't.

Pairing you wrote the most for this year? I don't really write much as far as pairings go. The REAL talk is that I posted another entry for my niche obsession: re-writing the Exit Strategy Dock Showdown from the point of view of "Hostile One" the Combat SecUnit. Surrender/Please is my fourth one in this microgenre, and does it just as fresh and fun and different from the preceding three. ^_^

Favorite pairing you wrote for this year? Well I did write one ship fic: Stranger (manic pixie dream killing machine). In which 2 characters that never interact in canon suck face. It's pretty good makeouts if you're into that. Honestly I do love this fic I did a good job on it. Took me a long time to iron it out. Alternatively, if you stretch the definition of "pairing" to mean "self-destructive murdercule" there's the squad from Networks VOID/VITAL being patently insane. Together. Heart Emoji.

What work was the quickest to write? Funny you should ask. I gave myself 30-minute limits to write the daily Febuwhump prompts and timed myself. equivalent exchange took me 11.25 minutes, and it's not bad considering the time crunch. Mensah POV of killing that SecUnit in All Systems Red :)

What work took you the longest to write? Aforementioned Networks VOID/VITAL. I cannot overstate how insane I was making myself writing this thang for 2 years before posting it to the internets.

How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year? I think I made a list of some ideas I've had knocking around, but they've been backburnered a bit since I've been noodling other writing stuff lately. (I say, while succumbing to banging out random fics for a prompt event during December -_-)

What’s your longest work of the year? Networks VITAL again, at 99.8k. Maybe I should edit in a couple hundred more words to bring it up to a clean 100k. that would be funny. maybe. eh.

What’s your shortest work of the year? I've written a few drabbles. (drabble = 100 words.) 🦎 herping 🐍, Handoff, Sugar

What WIP are you taking into next year with you? Via Solitude. She marches on.

What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag? I'll do top 3 since the top 2 are tied to a prompt event: Febuwhump 2024 (18), Whump (12), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence (6)

Your favorite character to write this year? Take a Wild Fucking Guess (*uses my foot to push 29 fics tagged #Murderbot (Murderbot Diaries) under the bed*)

The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year? I find ART kinda challenging. It's a multifaceted lil gremlin. But really everyone is fun to write.

What’s one pairing you want to explore next year? idk. maybe i'll make 2 bots make out again.

Which work of yours have you reread the most? again Networks VITAL. like just from the editing process alone.

Which work has the most comments? Via Solitude again. She's killing pretty much every popularity stat.

Did you do any collaborative works this year? Wrote a meta with ArtemisTheHuntress: [Meta] Name Dropping about the ways Muderbot refers to other bots in the series. Surprising little nuggets of realization such as: Murderbot only refers to bot pilots generically or with nicknames, and the only named ships are A) Holism the supership and B) Lalow, which has no bot pilot. Also participated in a big bang with every_eye_evermore to create Plastic Plague. I did the writing, every_eye_evermore did the awesome illustrations and helped me work out the kinks. If Networks VITAL hadn't stolen the show in terms of the man-hours and heart I put in, I think I'd have named Plastic Plague as my pride and joy. Kind of surprised myself with how fast I wrote it given its length. But also it's one of those fics that's like 2 degrees removed from being a whole ass original novella. lol. If you're interested in getting your heart broken and then pulled back together, come check out this post-apocalyptic pandemic fic. owo.

Did you write any gifts this year? Yeah! The yearly gift exchange let me create a pretty fun one: HELP WANTED: decryption key needed before half my brain gets locked behind a paywall #paid #ManticSoft #semi-urgent And the lil fluff of🦎 herping 🐍 for musicofthespheres :3

Did you receive any gifts this year? Also yeah! Once again the gift exchange gave me a fic I Adore thank you isilee: what to do when your friend is a victim of organ harvesting. pod AU. i love pod AU. and more??? everyone is being so nice to me. The Great Slug Migration and debugged [comic] by musicofthespheres. and Sing Your Feelings by ArtemisTheHuntress

What’s your most common category? Gen. I'm a 97% gen household lmao.

What do you listen to while writing? Bathroom fan white noise. Neighbors noise. Sometimes noise muffling headphones. I usually can't listen To Stuff and write at the same time, there's barely enough space in my head to have 1 full thought per second. It's like 0.6-0.8 tps in here.

Favorite work you wrote this year? I couldn't POSSIBLY pick a favorite out of all my precious children. I would never. I love them all equally. 🏆 Networks VOID/VITAL 🏆

Favorite line/passage you wrote this year? Listen I wrote 234,231 words worth of bangers. Girl I forget. I'm not rereading all that to find my fave passage. Here’s one from Surrender/Please: “I’m chasing you, my mental crosshairs locked on you, which is how it’s supposed to be, but something is so wrong, so wrong, so wrong with you, so wrong with me. The ghost of your presence in my feed digs its ethereal fingers into the back of my neck, where my data-port is, and just above that, wedged within the shriveled heart of a stripped-down medulla, is my governor module.” Here’s one from false pulse, ComfortUnit POV: “I want to cut the mimic heart out of my torso, that lying little device in the center of my chest put there for the sole purpose of broadcasting a false pulse to a sentimental human audience, that races loudly now, unbidden.” From Suns Out Guns Out: ““SecUnit. Where are your arms?” SecUnit shrugged its armless shoulders. The gesture made its empty sleeves flop a bit. “Planetary customs has them. I’ll pick them back up when I go up the elevator.”” From illucid: “The systems swerve uncertainty, the missile misses its mark, the mote floats free.” Also I think spousal privilege does a great job burying the lede. But I won’t paste the whole thing here.

Biggest surprise while writing this year? How did I write so many bangers? uwu. (Actually I spent a month or two having forgotten how to write good because I went outside and touched too much grass. (Read: went backpacking for a while and didn’t have access to writing.) It was a little agonizing. Then Surrender/Please knocked the cork loose and I was able to write again everyone say thank you Surrender/Please.) At this point writing is kind of a near-daily compulsion for me.

[killerandhealerqueen]

Tag game for fanfiction authors!

Tell us:

The story you're proudest of: Three-way tie between Die Trying, Monster Like Me, and 恨君不似江楼月 | Killer and Healer.

Die Trying because it's my longest oneshot to date (the record was previously held by Monster Like Me) and because it was my first like sci-fi story that I tried my hand at and I really like how it turned out. Monster Like Me because it was my longest one shot and because I think it's my best culmination of like...all of my mafia stories that I've written? Like I put all of my favorite mafia tropes in it and it turned out perfect (even if it did take me over like...a month to write and over three drafts to perfect). And my Killer and Healer rewrite...how could I not be proud of her? She is my baby. I've worked so hard on her and I can't wait to keep working on her

Your story that's gotten the most love online: Wait, We're Married?!

This fic seems to be absolutely loved by The Devil Judge fandom and I'm very honored that people really like it, seeing as it was my first devil judge fic that I ever wrote

Tease a current WIP or idea you're working on:

A small snippet from probably my last fic of the year "Afterglow"

            “Oh no” he whispered before he looked at the man, who looked at him in confusion, and blushed apologetically.             “I’m so sorry, but I have an early shift in the morning, so I have to go” he explained.  The stranger nodded.             “Of course” he replied, causing Chen Yuzhi to nod before he pushed himself to his feet and pulled out his wallet, only for the stranger to hold out a hand.             “No.  Drinks are on me” he declared, making Chen Yuzhi look at him in shock.             “Are you sure?” he asked.  The stranger smirked.             “Next round’s on you” he replied, making Chen Yuzhi look at him with wide eyes before he laughed softly and nodded.             “Alright” he agreed before he turned and headed towards the door, just as the stranger pushed himself to his feet.             “Wait, let me walk you home.  It’s not safe out” he stated, making Chen Yuzhi stop and turn to look at him in confusion.             “What do you mean?” he asked.  The stranger smiled slightly.             “Don’t you know?  The demon prowls this area.  Don’t want you getting snatched up” he explained, making Chen Yuzhi look at him before he huffed softly.             “Thank you for the offer, but I’ll be alright” he assured.  The stranger frowned slightly.             “Are you sure?” he asked.  Chen Yuzhi nodded.             “Yes” he replied before he turned and headed out of the bar, the stranger watching him before he hummed softly.             “Song Rong” he called out.             “Yes sir” the bartender replied.  The stranger motioned to the door.             “Follow him please.  After all, there is a demon out there” he stated, making the bartender, Song Rong, smile slightly before he dipped his head.             “Yes sir” he replied.

Your top 3 fandoms: Killer and Healer, S.C.I. Mystery, Under the Skin

Your top 3 ships: Jiang Yuelou/Chen Yuzhi, Bai Yutong/Zhan Yao, Zhan Junbai/Yu Tangchun

Rec someone else's fic: imagining the integration of our images by @breitweisergallery

I know Took doesn't really write for the devil judge anymore, but my god this fic...I still think about it. The way this fic is written, it's just...it's just too damn good. (And Took, I don't expect you to continue it, but please just know that I love this fic and every TDJ fic you've written)

Pick one!

Fluff or Angst: Both. Always both

Oneshots or longfics: I like both, but my oneshots at this point are basically longfics...unless longfics are multi-chaps which I don't understand why you don't just call it that...but I like both. Just depends on what I'm in the mood for

Canon compliance or canon divergence: I like canon complicit. Keep everything but the same but change one or two things (basically what I'm doing to with my Killer and Healer rewrite). But I do like both...again, just what I'm in the mood for. But if I had to pick, I honestly like AUs (secret third option)

AO3 or FF.net:

AO3 all the way baby

Tagging: @clawbehavior @sunriseverse @breitweisergallery @ahhhnorealnamesallowed @hils79

@theotherwhybietoldmeso @hyperbolicgrinch @zennialemo @randomingoftherandomness @dramaloverrants and anyone else who wants to play

[coiled-dragon]

20 questions for fic writers

Omg big tag game :D thanks for the tag @thetentaclecommander ♥

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

146.... 146!!!!!!! Its taken me 12 years to get that many...

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 

468,189...... 8D and 1/4th of that... was all from Last Year, 2023, the year of Dracfield

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Well if I list all of the ones I have written for, its a pretty big list. But like... The Passenger, Renfield/Dracula media in general, Dead by Daylight, Stranger Things, Rise of the Guardians, Encanto, Gravity Falls, Pokemon... Lots of other misc horror media, too~

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

GOD can I skip this?? Because its a fast way for everyone to look at me and condemn me because the one thing all these fics have in common are problematic ships around One Type of Problematic and im anxious but like. Fuck it.

Living with Max - Camp Camp, MaxVid longfic, abandoned (For now) - 1893 Kudos When Dealing With Demons - Gravity Falls, BillDip Longfic - 1116 Kudos Late Night Visits - Gravity Falls, BillDip - 875 Kudos Keeping Secrets - Gravity Falls, BillDip - 798 Kudos A Sort of Welcome Distraction - Gravity Falls, BillDip - 754 Kudos

I aint linking them and if you go find them mind the content lmfao

5. Do you respond to comments?

I usually try to!! Sometimes! To at least half of them ;w; sometimes I just dunno what to say...

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

HAHA..OH BOY... that would be Si Tú No Estás Aquí an Encanto fic with double main character death so like. Heads Up if you read it. Proud of it but man it hurts

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

God I have to think uhhhh.. Probably Father's Day, a DBD AU fic that's tooth rottingly sweet, imo. I know Babies Ever After isn't for every character but I really do hold it close to my heart for Evan and Meg ;3;

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not in a while, but it's not uncommon. I write everything from Incest to underage to bestiality to snuff to necro... so it usually sets people off. Doesnt happen as often as it used to though

9. Do you write smut?

Looks at 85 of my 146 fics being marked Explicit

Yea

10. Do you write crossovers? 

Sometimes! But it has to be an idea that reeeeally grabs me

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? 

Not to my knowledge

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? 

Yep, have had some translated to Chinese, Russian, and Spanish

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

Yep, at least one published, partially finished long fic

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

Thats a cruel thing to ask a bitch with ADHD

but I think it'd be BlackIce (Jack Frost x Black Ice) from Rise of the Guardians

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

HAHA ONE?

I have dozens that are half done or just a line in a document... Id love to finish them, but most will never see the light of day

16. What are your writing strengths?

God. idk. Tell me what my strengths are??

I'd like to say 'capturing characters voices'. I think im good at that...

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Probably writing action. I can see it so cool in my head but writing it down?? uggghghhghh

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

I don't usually write dialogue in other languages BUT I have done it for Encanto fics! I usually try to find someone who speaks the language if I'm not confident in writing it but with Spanish I know my way around it enough to feel relatively confident.

19. First fandom you wrote for? 

Harry Potter waaaaay back 2011-ish? on FF.Net lol. Always loved Drarry and Snarry, you can see even back then I had my Tastes figured out XD

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? 

idk man, I really don't. I've written a lot I enjoyed at this part, fics Ive gone back and read more than once! But I just cant make myself Pick one or even a top three.... So you'll JUST have to read all 146 and figure out which one YOU guys like (just avoid the ones that make you wanna die inside I wont blame you!)

I! AM not gonna tag anyone! Do this whole questionnaire if you want!! I love you guys! Thank you TTC I love you too!!!!!

[seancamerons]

2, 5, 8 (Backtrack), 10, 15, 18, 23 & 33

I wanted to start out and say thanks for sending these questions. Answers are under a cut.

Which of your fics is your pride and joy?

I guess Backtrack is the oldest one, and I’m extremely proud of myself for sticking with it. I still fully intend to update it, but I’ve put a lot of time into it (and other stories). 

It’s funny I should even mention my Emma/Jay story Together Forever got me through the early days of the pandemic. It would be a close second, and lately, I’ve been writing a lot for Where Are You Now?  older idea for a story that I reworked starting last year. 

I feel so much for Backtrack because it was also my most challenging and the one that got me back into fanfiction after a few years. Around the same time, I was writing a discontinued story, The Starlet and the Dealer, about Zig and Maya circa season 13 but it’s soapy and I have no desire to revisit it. I’d probably end up throwing Zig and Maya who had a complicated dynamic throughout this story endgame, but it’d be a disservice to the story and it doesn’t matter because of the direction the show went into it was unfair to Zoe’s character even though it’s a fic. Does that make sense?

What’s something you learned while researching a fic?

I do some research, but I do apply a lot of random things from movie quotes, pop culture references, and things I find interesting into stories. 

I guess I researched alcoholism for one of my earlier works I Have Nothing. I remember when I was in school I read a young adult short story in English class back in hs about being a ‘closet drunk’ and I kind of wrote it and threw some things together and some of the things I read about. 

The story is set in season 3 when Emma had quite a bit on her plate from Snake’s cancer to a fallout with her best friend and more importantly, when she loses Sean. Isolated she forges a new friendship with Amy who leads a complicated and tumultuous home life. Sean becomes increasingly worried about her and more and more drawn to her as the story starts. It’s something the show at the time I was writing it didn’t explore until Fiona. 

I also did some research on fake dating for Faking It. I gave it rom-com vibes, it’s one of the more lighthearted things I’ve written with less traumatic events I suppose. 

What is your favorite line/section from [Backtrack]?

I like how Sean and Emma re-meet all over again, so they catch up with one another over coffee and Sean declares why he’s returned and it’s a bit predictable, and then they decide to take a walk in the park and eventually they end up at Emma’s, so I like writing beginnings and it turned into a longfic which it wasn’t meant to be that long. 

Is there a character or ship you’d love to write for, but haven’t yet?

I haven’t written anything about other shows but Degrassi. I’d like to perhaps play in other universes in the future, such as Stranger Things. 

First person to come to mind is Spinner he’s never really a centralized character. He’s either the waiter and tied to The Dot, or I’m breaking him and Emma up. I’ve never written anything centric to him. I guess I tried to expand him more in Backtrack but he’s definitely not a main character. 

As for girlies, Liberty is rarely in my stories, if she is she isn’t centralized she is tied to Manny, and where it works for me/the story, sometimes she’s more friendly, or her loyalties are tied to Manny than to Emma a character I write most about. 

I had Liberty make little cameos in a few stories, like reunion one-shots. I do have ideas for something like that where she is reunited with the child she put up for adoption with JT and grappling with that stuff. I don’t know if I could work with it or whatever, maybe someday. 

Does anyone you know in real life know you write fanfiction?

My boyfriend knows I sometimes talk about them with him. He seems to be supportive. 

How many WIPs do you have and how many do you expect to finish?

I suck. Here is a list. I do expect to finish most of them? I kind of fell out of love with I Have Nothing and Summer Days so I don't know, I kinda need motivation for them.

Backtrack 

Faking It 

Together Forever 

Where are You Now?

Summer Days 

I Have Nothing 

What’s a story you’d love to write but haven’t even started yet?

Something about Miles and Lola, Zig and Maya, or some later characters. Maybe something special like where I peep where they are a few years after Lola graduates and where she is and how Zaya’s doing in California. I don’t know. I got some plot bunnies. 

A character you want to protect.

I destroy them so I can fix them. No one is safe. Just kidding, I don’t know how to answer that. 

Thanks for sending me these questions!

[hannie-dul-set]

its the girl from ur last ask u replied to I’m not gonna be anonymous cuz whatever idc anymore but

FRRR my friend used to make SKZ fanfics and people would constantly ask her for updates and get annoyed when she wouldn’t reply to asks. Literally she was busy w college, stressed out as fuck and random selfish ass strangers online would send passive aggressive asks all like ohh you haven’t updated in a while. She was lit going thru a lot and people were asking her to write smut?? (She literally said she wasn’t going to write for a while… ) anyways so my point is to anyone who sees this, my friend eventually got so fed up she deleted everything and quit. Do y’all really want hannie’s fics to be deleted? Do u guys WANT to drive her off this platform? If not then shut the fuck up and be greatful that she’s already writing for free. (btw I’m thinking of writing as well, if you have time, how did you start writing? What are some ideas you had? ((Not trying to steal 😭😭 just looking for inspo)) but if you’re busy don’t feel pressured at all to answer this girl ik u been busy)

love ur work girl

literally a lot of people won't get it unless they're on the receiving end of things!!!

anyhow, it's great to hear that ur planning on starting writing!!! me personally started off as a reader as well HAHAHAHHAHA and then decided that i wanted to try it out as well, but wasn't really confident in writing actual words so i tried out social media aus first.

the first few aus i have on here are absolute crap BWAHAHHAHAA i don't really remember how or why i transitioned into writing actual full length fics 😭😭 but my first longfic was also pretty darn bad!!!!!! HAHHAHAHAHAHA.

when i first started writing, most of my ideas were really mostly just cute, plotless scenarios. things that i thought would do well with the tumblr audience. but as the years went by, i started giving less of a fuck with what was marketable and decided to just vomit our whatever dumb/stupid/out of left field ideas that my brain would conjure and decided to roll with it HAHAHAHHAHAHA.

hftb was one of them. i wrote it during a time where the "loser" archetype wasn't really a thing (and wasn't popularized by sunjae BWAHAHAHHAHA) so i thought it would flop but wrote it regardless 😭😭 happy to find out that people ate that shit up anyway!!!!

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is:  fragilecapric0rn! @fragilecapric0rnn has written 22 fics in the Stranger Things fandom and 21 of them are in the Steddie tag!

@cheatghost recommends the following works by @fragilecapric0rnn:

It Might Be Worth It For Once

clown music at the disco

you can take the heart from your chest to use as a compass when you are lost

Catch Me (I'm Falling)

Anyway, It's About Old Friends

"Sen's body of work is like a truly love letter to the characters. No matter the universe, Steve and Eddie always feel authentic to themselves. Sen's love for classic rom-coms influences a lot of her writing and makes for really romantic, touching stories. It's an absolute delight to dive into a world crafted by this author!" -- @cheatghost

Below the cut, @fragilecapric0rnn answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

I think in May of 2022 I was bit by the same bug as everyone else. Before I started writing Steddie, I was on a 4-year fic writing hiatus, and it was like seeing those two interact on screen zapped my brain awake. The chemistry, the potential, the fact that one half of the ship got ripped away from us too soon. All of those components really did something to my brain and I decided I had to write them and I haven’t looked back since!

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

I love a idiots to lovers! These two really have the potential to fit that trope so well!

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

Second-chance at romance! If you’ve seen any of my fics, you know that I love and will take any chance to write 90s older steddie, haven’t spoken or seen each other in years, who re-meet and fall in love. It is so them, it is my favorite version of them. It’s the version of them that lives in my head!

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

There are so many good ones to choose from, but I think I have to go with Show Me the Place Where He Inserted the Blade by the incomparable, the magnificently talented and outstanding Cheatghost. Lou, who I am very proud to call a friend, is one of the most talented people I know and I feel very lucky to have had them brought into my life via the Steddie brainrot.

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

Is it lame if I say no? LOL. Honestly, I have written almost everything I have felt the need to explore with this pairing. A lot of my ideas moving forward are expansions/continuations of ideas that I already started or have posted before. 

What is your writing process like?

Right now it’s at its most unstructured because I am rawdogging life without my ADHD meds for the first time in 7 years, which has been a whirlwind but I am managing. However, it usually depends on the fic I’m writing! For a lot of my longfic, I have a physical notebook that has an outline and major plot points I want to hit at certain times in my stories. Other times, for the shorter fics/one-shots, I just write them all in one go. It starts with a (usually silly) idea, and then I get possessed by the writing demons, and suddenly, I haven’t moved from my chair in 2 hours and I have four thousand words on my screen. I contain multitudes!

Do you have any writing quirks?

I am a victim of the: One word. One phrase. Lin breaks for emphasis. And I will be doing it until someone who is being paid real money to publish one of my original works tells me to knock it off!

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

Again, asking if it’s bad if I say neither? When I first started posting fic again, I was very much writing it all and then posting it over the course of a few days. But now, I tend to write sporadically and post even more sporadically. And I prefer the latter! Fanfiction, and fandom in general, is a collaborative experience in its heart and soul. One of my favorite things about longfic is posting a chapter and seeing what people take away from it, because 9/10 it’ll be different then what the writer thinks they’re going to take away! And the chance to change and rework and let yourself be influenced by other fans of the ship is taken away when you write it all at once and post it all at once.

Which fic are you most proud of?

Anyway, It’s About Old Friends. Even in its unfinished form, it is my magnum opus. My white whale. I have done some of my best writing in it (chapter 2 MY BELOVED) and the fact that its so close to the end is both exciting and terrifying. It is a fic I wrote and continue to write for me, and the fact that other people are reading and enjoying it is a win!

How did you get the idea for It Might Be Worth It For Once?

HA! So, I was chatting with my friend Emily (JudasofSuburbia) about a potential Pornstar!Steve AU offhandedly back in the fall. Then, I got paired with them for a little fic exchange between friends, and it felt natural to take that one off little conversation and turn it into a fic for her. It was one of those fics that started out as a silly idea and then suddenly it’s been six hours and I wrote the whole thing in one go! After some polishing and editing, it became a Pornstar!AU with not as much smut as I expected. It was so fun to write, made even more fun as it was for a dear friend.

When writing Anyway, It's About Old Friends, what was something you didn’t expect?

I didn’t expect it to change and mold and morph in the way that it did. There is a version of this fic where they do hook-up earlier, there’s a version where they re-meet at gay club and not a wedding, there’s a version where Steve marries a Evie and Eddie is Raul. But, this version feels the most right. It’s a story about heartbreak, about finding love (in all it forms) in unexpected places, and it’s about found family most of all. All of that was stumbled on accidentally! My only intention was to write a Steddie-fied When Harry Met Sally fic, and accidentally flashed my heart and soul. Whoops!

What inspired clown music at the disco?

I used to be an opener at a coffee shop and there is something so disorienting and mind altering about having disco music blasting on the speakers at 4am. But, it was in one of those moments, where I was so tired I was nauseous, that the fic idea came to me! I had already been thinking of writing as my first fic, Steve and Eddie accidentally have a Devil’s Sacrament moment at the gay bar, but the line “But it’s Disco Night”, came to me at the ungodly hour of 4 in the morning. What a time!

What was your favorite part to write from you can take the heart from your chest to use as a compass when you are lost?

The Never Have I Ever Scene! It was the first time I wrote the entire party in one scene and it’s chaotic and a little messy but it was one of my favorite parts of the fic. It also made me realize how much I love writing ensemble scenes! Just everyone trying to talk over each other, chaos in its best form.

How do/did you feel writing Catch Me (I'm Falling)?

I wrote this fic in the span of like almost 3 weeks? I was sick and burnt out for most of the time I was writing it, but it was almost a compulsion. I had the idea and I just HAD to write it. No outline, just vibes and Steve Harrington in a cheerleading uniform! I took it down for a while because I was turning it into something else, but then had a change of heart and put it back up. And part of me is glad that I took it down for a moment because people love to be weird about the feminizing Steve’s character, and even though I was writing him as a cheerleader, I tried really hard to keep him earnestly himself, and in character.

What was the most difficult part of writing Anyway, It's About Old Friends?

Writing about San Francisco while being the most homesick I have ever been in my life. Also writing Eddie in those first few chapters as an asshole but not unlikable. I didn’t want him to be “fine” (because no one is fine in this universe, especially not in the beginning) but I also didn’t want him to do or say anything too bad. I think I got a handle on it pretty well.

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

In Faces Freedom With A Little Fear, the first scene in the hospital with Steve’s sister. She storms in, threatens federal agents, all for her brother. JJ Harrington you will always be famous!

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

Just my current WIPs! Anyway It’s About Old Friends; the When Harry Met Sally AU of my dreams. Hand on My Stupid Heart; the modern AU, where the UD exists but everyone has iPhones and Steve deals with his bisexuality!

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

Shout out to my boys! Kkpwnall, judasofsuburbia, figthefruitfaeth, gideoncharov, cheatghost, fastcardotmp3, snowangeldotmp3 you guys rule and they’re all so talented!!!! Thank you to whoever nominated me! I feel the love and give it back to you tenfold!!!!!!

Thank you to our author, @fragilecapric0rnn, and our nominator, @cheatghost! See more of fragilecapric0rn's works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[dragonologist-phd]

Jumping in on the trend started by @mightymizora and doing self-promo for some of my favorite stuff I’ve written/worked on this year!

Midnight Black and Paris Green (BG3)

Shadowheart isn't accustomed to placing her trust in other people. Neither is Naia. But these are interesting times, and stranger things have happened.

(Tav/Shadowheart, 15.3k, ongoing)

“The way you write Shadowheart makes me oddly happy. It just feels... right in every way. Her internal musings and conflict, the dialogue, the longing, the banter, the prescence of her Shar worship and how its affecting her and Naia's little affair all just fits together so nicely. You're doing her such justice and I'm so charmed by Naia!! She's so lovely. Just a silly and whimsical girlie trying her best.”

The Weight of Silver Linings (BG3)

Wyll’s pact is broken, his father saved. All should be right with the world…but of course, things are never so simple as that. After a tense reunion with his father, Wyll and Naia find themselves contemplating the day’s events as they discuss forgiveness, family, and the twisting path into the future.

(Tav & Wyll, 2.4k, one-shot)

“That's really beautiful, and I love the snapshot of Wyll and Naia's friendship and the contrast in their perspectives”

Her Tongue So Mean (PWOTR)

Lilith is busy. Wenduag is bored. A battle of wills ensues.

(Commander/Wenduag, 1.4k, one-shot, smut)

“Oh, this was SO GOOD! I love the way you write Wenduag, and the back-and-forth she and Lilith have is so captivating to read ❤️”

“Incredibly hot AND a good character read”

Love & War (PWOTR)

Galfrey was a queen, a paladin, an icon for all that was righteous and just in the Crusades. Cleo was a barbarian, a tiefling, a personification of demonic chaos. By all rights and logic, the two should have been at each other's throats- and often, they were.

But somehow, through war and struggle and sacrifice, they ended up finding more in each other than either ever expected.

(Commander/Galfrey, 27.8k, ongoing)

“I absolutely love your characterization of Galfrey – her awareness that she’s no fun, but also her awareness why. Her doubts and hopes about this new Knight-Commander and her reaction to her insubordination. That hand kiss was so charged…I am also in love with how you describe Cleo. She totally comes to life already in this first chapter.”

“DRAMA!!!”

Of Diamonds And Dust (DA:O)

Marja Aeducan and Darvis Brosca lead lives as different as one could possibly imagine. Marja Aeducan, a member of the nobility and second in line for the throne, has spent her life maneuvering the dangerous political machinations of the Diamond Quarter. Meanwhile, Darvis Brosca, a Casteless dwarf rejected by society, does whatever it takes to survive on the streets of Dust Town.

When a Grey Warden arrives in Orzammar, the lives of Marja and Darvis are forever changed. Driven from the city by misfortune and betrayal, the two must join the ranks of the Wardens in order to save their own lives. But the surface has far greater dangers than they realize. The noble and the thief will need to stand together if they're going to fight against the oncoming Blight, the brewing civil war, and the strange surface malady called "sunburn".

(205k, longfic, ongoing)

“Ooooh! What a wonderful idea! The dwarf origins are my favorite and to have them both brought together in a single adventure honestly has me excited! And such a great writing flow you have here! The episodic parallels work so well to showcase the characters and how they grow into their own people! Love it!”

And So They Burned (DA:O)

The world was not a kind place to those touched by magic. Haunted by whispers of demons, fear of the Templars, and memories of the lives taken from them, three apprentices in Kinloch Hold turned to each other and made a world of their own.

(Amell/Surana/Jowan, 56k, ongoing)

“Everything from the characters to the writing is so good. I genuinely couldn't put my phone down and just binge read it. I especially love the whole poly aspect, I haven't really seen fics that explore that. Also wanted to add, the dynamic among all three of them is just so amazing, I want to put them in my pocket and run, they don't deserve this circle life. This story is amazing 😊”

[lizard-ratt]

Current WIPs

I write by the mercy of the Muse, so I have 5 main WIPs. These are the general concepts and wordcounts:

19, 20 - Going to be a very Longfic, if I do it right

19,394 Words Total, 8,940 Posted in the First Chapter

During Season 3 of Stranger Things, Dustin is able to convince Erica to leave and call for backup, so they leave Steve and Robin behind. After the Russians get all of their answers, Steve and Robin get sent off to be experimented as a continuation of Dr. Brenner's experiments. (They knew about the Upside Down, what's to stop them from knowing about the Experiments on Children?).

2. S(t)even - One-Shot

1,533 Words

Steve is number Seven (original, I know) and Dustin observes the weirdness surrounding the babysitter.

3. The King is Dead (Long Live the King) - One-Shot

3,995 Words

Steve bashes Vecna's face in, turning him into nothing more than minced meat. The Upside Down loses the Leader of the Hive Mind, and then fuses with Steve to make up for the power vacuum. This is everything that follows.

4. Something, Something, Time Warp, Play on Words - Going to be a Longfic... eventually

1,411 Words

Robin and Steve get sent back in time by an unknown force, and they try to fix the past to save the future. That same unknown force is stopping them from telling the truth, so they have to speak in vague hints and the people around them end up drawing the wrong conclusions about how they know the future. Shoot,

5. Again? - Going to be Medium-ish

2,704 Words

Steve has a Time Loop power. Every time he dies, he gets sent to the morning that the first domino set up to his death. It could be a week prior, or it could be that morning.

I'm hoping the wonderful people of the internet can bully me into actually writing, instead of daydreaming about writing. I have loads of ideas, but getting it onto paper is kind of it's own beast. Thanks, if you decide to bully me as requested. I appreciate it