#i think i might need my OT3 in some format | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

arsenicpanda · 3 years ago

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coming from an amateur writer, do you have any tips on writing smut?

ngl, I’m an amateur myself, having not finished much smut and still not written the actual act of sex from the perspective of one of the people experiencing it. So idk why you came to me, but I am flattered. I'm not great at advice on the act of writing, but I’ll do my best to talk about process and shit.

1. Read smut. Read lots of it, read varying qualities and varying lengths and as soft-core and hard-core as you’re up for. Read it for fun, just taking it in, and then read it with a critical eye. What works? What doesn’t? Are there any tropes (general, character-specific, or ship-specific) that you like or dislike? Why? What’s especially hot? What makes you cringe? What kind of language do you like? And so on and so forth. Ask questions and answer them.

2. What’s your setup? Like, which characters, which ship, which universe? If it’s an AU, how does the AU change things from canon (especially important if you’re doing ABO, which is its own can of worms I’m not getting into here)? What’s the relationship between your characters and what’s the situation in which they fuck?

3. How do your characters feel about sex in general and with respect to the ship you’re writing? How horny are they in general, for the other character(s) in the ship, and in this specific situation? What are they into and not into? What are their previous experiences (or lack thereof) with sex and romance? What experience do the characters have with each other? Are there specific experiences they might remember and use or is there certain knowledge they do or don’t have about their partner(s) (For established ships, I like to mention previous experiences and knowledge of what the POV character’s partner(s) are into as a way to show that there is real history there. For unestablished ships, I like to include that figuring out process some and the reactions to experiencing stuff for the first time, either in general or within the specific ship, to show that newness of the relationship. Maybe there’s mention of a certain preference the POV character already knows about, or maybe the POV character makes note of a preference they learn during the fic. Stuff like that.)? How loud are they during sex? Are there any sex acts that this ship would engage in no matter what (e.g. I maintain all smut with Jughead that isn’t a quickie should include him giving some amount of oral sex)? How many times can they orgasm? How sensitive are they? What’s their refractory period? And so on, and so forth. Note: once you come up with answers for this section for your ship once, the next time you write smut for them, you’ll really only have to make adjustments according to the universe you’re in, so that’s nice.

4. What kind of fic are you writing? Is it pwp? Smut within plot? A character or relationship piece? Basically, are there any arcs to get through, what are they, and how are they going to relate to the smut? How explicit is the smut? What language do you want to use to refer to genitals and orgasms and such? What POV are you writing in? How much do your characters talk? How “realistic” are things? Are they practicing safe sex, including safe oral sex?

5. What’s actually happening? I like to plan out a smut scene ahead of time so I know how it starts, where they are physically, what the characters are doing (hand, mouth, genital, etc location and movement), how one sex act moves into another, what can be seen/heard/felt/etc based on POV, what’s physically possible at all times, if there are any accessories or toys I need to explain them owning and where they’re kept before the smut, and how it ends. It also helps me make sure the smut doesn’t significantly overlap with something I’ve already written or am planning to write. I also write an outline, which you don’t have to do, but does help if you ever go weeks or months between working on it because then when you come back you don’t have to strain to remember what the plan was. You can also just go with the flow and just write, but definitely keep location of body parts and what the POV character can actually see/hear/etc (for example, if your POV character is blindfolded or bent over, they can’t describe their partner’s face) in mind as you do.

6. Write it. Vary your sentence structure. I find good smut includes not just physical action, but emotion and especially sensation, but you might disagree. If you're struggling with repeated words and shit, maybe look for lists of words to use when writing smut. Probably look up tips for writing smut in general, ask people for advice (which you already are, so good for you!), etc. Draw upon your own experience if you have any, and if you don’t, maybe look into people’s accounts, sex tips, etc and check if any questions you have about sensation have been answered online anywhere, e.g. on reddit. But don’t try and make it perfect all at first; just write it. One approach that’s often effective is to do writing "sprints", that is, sit down for fifteen minutes and just write; you can continue for another fifteen minutes when you're done if you want, but you'd be surprised how much you can get done in fifteen minute segments over multiple days. Also, I recommend writing in google docs with the setting of “Add space after paragraph” (go to Format, then Line & paragraph spacing) for ease of transferring to AO3. Actually, here's a good guide on working from google docs an moving to AO3; look at it before you start. Google docs is also useful for when you have a beta because it lets them make suggestions instead of straight-up changing things themselves. Also, take note of where you use italics and non-italicized punctuation together (this will be useful when you need to publish to AO3).

7. Read it carefully and with a critical eye like you would someone else’s fic up in #1. Make sure that you can follow the action based solely on what you wrote and that nothing impossible or contradictory happens (e.g. teleporting body parts, a single hand in two locations at the same time, people twisting or reaching in physically impossible ways). What do you think is missing, where, why, and how might you fix it?

8. Revise it.

9. Repeat 7 and 8 as much as you desire until you’re satisfied, or at least as satisfied as you can be without peer review.

10. Send it to beta. Like, seriously, send it to beta because, if nothing else, your beta won’t know what’s supposed to be happening in the scene, so they can tell you if you’ve successfully conveyed what happens. If you have anything in particular you are uncertain about or want help with, ask your beta to pay close attention to it. Seriously, betaing is going to be much more effective if your beta knows what they should be focusing on most.

11. Repeat steps 7 and 8.

12. Title it and write a summary. Feel free to ask your beta for help here.

12. Congrats, you’re done! Transfer it to AO3 from google docs and save it as a draft. AO3 by default puts a space between italics and non-italicized punctuation, so go through your list of those combos and manually delete the extra spaces. Now add your title, tags, and summary. Don’t tag side pairings/pairings the fic doesn’t focus on in the relationship section; if you need to warn readers of them, put them in the additional tag sedition. If you’re writing an ot3+ that isn’t an established, feel free to tag the pieces of the ship involved (e.g. Betty/Jughead/Tabitha would also tag Betty/Jughead, Betty/Tabitha, and Tabitha/Jughead). But if the ot3+ is already popular within fandom, only tag the ot3+. Don’t tag characters who aren’t central to the story. Tag all warnings and kinks involved especially.

I think that’s it? I guess I might have overly walked you through, but that’s the process I recommend. I mean, I don’t always follow all the steps (While I get the gist of character/emotional arcs before I start plotting the smut, I often really nail them down after I’ve decided on the events of the smut because the latter is generally what has me writing the smut in the first place and I tend to get ahead of myself. Things would probably be easier if I didn’t do that though), but they’re good guidelines, I think? Regardless, I hope this helps!

#asks #anonymous #writing #smut

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l-egionaire · 4 years ago

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My Willumity Story

Ever since I started reading the pieces of @edasnest also known as @prinxlyart I've fallen down into the Willumity hole and have had this idea for how they got together brewing for a while o. So I thought I'd share it. In a story format a bit similar and a bit different to @prinxlyart pieces.

It started one day during Lunch at Hexside after Amity had yet another Luz induced gay disaster attack. While Luz doesn't notice, Willow (who has known about Amity's crush since the Grudgeby game) did and has had just about enough of seeing her old friend spazz out whenever the human girl so much as breathed on her. So she point blank tells Amity that she needs to just ask Luz out.

And of course, Amity says she can't just ask Luz out. It could scare her away, it could hurt their friendship. (Or, some secret part of her thinks, Luz would reject her and she wouldn't be able to handle that.)

But Willow was persistent and gave Amity an ultimatum: Either ask Luz out by the end of the school day or Willow would ask Luz out herself.

"W-what?! You can't do that!"

"Why not? Its not like she has a girlfriend."

"But-but its not fair! You know I like Luz!"

"Well then Witch up and tell her that. Or I'll take my shot at her."

*sigh* "Okay."

Amity could tell Willow was serious so she tried her hardest to ask Luz out but the words always end up getting stuck in her throat. By the time school was nearly over, she still hadn't managed to muster the courage to tell Luz her feelings. And unfortunately, her last class wasn't one she had with Luz. Once the bell rang, she raced over to where Luz's locker was and found Willow just a bit away from there too. They both noticed Luz getting her things from her locker.

Willow gave Amity a raised brow.

"Well?"

"I-I....just give me until tomorrow?"

Willow just rolled her eyes and before Amity could do anything, she walked straight over to Luz.

"Hey Luz. Would you like to go out on a date with me?"

Luz's eyes bulged out with shock.

"W-what?"

"Uh, if you don't want to its fine-."

"NO! No, I'd love to! Uh, where should we go? What time? Ooh, maybe we could-."

Meanwhile, Amity just watches the whole thing with a look of utter defeat on her face.

That night Willow and Luz went on a date to the Boiling Isles bazaar and Willow was shocked at just how much she enjoyed it. They went to all sorts of fun shops and spots and Luz ended the night by taking her flying on Eda's staff. And when she took her home, Luz even kissed the back of her hand. It was amazing.

Willow just assumed the date would be a one time thing but just two days later Luz asked her if she wanted to go out again.

"Really?"

"Well, yeah. I just thought that since you were interested in one date then maybe...you'd be interested in a second?

"....Sure. I'd like that."

So they went on a second date. And two dates turned to three. Then four, and five, and within a few weeks they became known around Hexside as one of the most popular couple. While some, like Boscha, made some mean jokes about "the two freaks falling for each other" everyone else just gushes about how cute the two of them are together.

But those first few weeks were also the worst of Amity's life. Every time she saw Luz and willow together her heart clenched with jealousy and anger. At school she avoided them whenever she had the opportunity. It had become common for her to go home and cry into her pillow over having lost her chance with Luz.

But, unbeknownst to either Willow or Amity, Luz was facing a crisis of her own. Luz had actually had feelings for Amity for quite some time and while she had come to love and care about Willow as they dated, there was a part of her that couldn't still help but think about how it would feel to go on dates with Amity or if Amity's kiss on her cheek would make her feel the same way Willows did. She felt so guilty that she was still thinking about these things even after dating Willow. Whenever she was around Amity and her heart started fluttering like usual did the sensation was followed by her guts twisting with guilt. It got so bad, she had even stopped having Azura book club meetings which only made them both more miserable.

Things came too a head one day when Amity once again went to a different table to eat lunch instead of going to eat with Luz, Willow, and Gus. Willow had become good at noticing Luz's emotions lately and she could easily see how hurt her girlfriend was from Amity not sitting with them. So she decided to go over to Amity's table and talk to her.

"Amity, you shouldn't be all by yourself. Come sit with us."

"No thanks Willow. I'm fine."

While she knew it was a bit of a low blow, Willow said. "Luz really wants you to sit with us."

Amity gave her a venom filled glare. "Well you would know what Luz wants wouldn't you?"

"Don't be like that."

"Oh I'm sorry, how am I supposed to be?"

"You're supposed to be happy that your friends are happy together! Not acting like a jerk."

"Well excuse me if I'm not thrilled that the two of you are dating!

"Well maybe you should've thought of that before you lost the bet to ask Luz out!"

Suddenly a loud crash came from behind them. They both looked and saw to their horror that Luz had come over to where they were sitting and was now staring at them with wide eyed shock, her tray having fallen from her hands and clattered against the ground.

""Luz! I was just telling Amity-."

"Willow, You....You only asked me out because of a bet?"

Luz's voice cracked with sadness and Amity and Willow looked at each other, trying to think of how to explain.

"No!....Yes? Not exactly-."

"It wasn't really a bet. It was more like a, a, a dare!"

Hearing that only made Luz recoil in shock. "A dare?"

Willow and Amity continued to try and explain but Luz's ears filled with a loud buzzing noise that drowned out anything else. The moment she heard the word "dare" her mind immediately flashbacked to 7th grade when a boy had asked her out on a date and she'd been so excited that someone actually liked her only to be crushed when she heard him and his friends laughing about him doing the dare of "asking out the freak."

Luz slowly started backing away and choked out "I...I have to go. " Before running off.

Willow and Amity immediately race after her. They found Luz curled into a ball at her locker. Willow went and sat by her side while Amity stood slightly off to the side.

Willow tried reassuring Luz that while the bet may have been why she'd asked her out, she'd come to love Luz and she truly cared for her.

And Luz manages to tearfully fire back that she shouldn't because she was a bad girlfriend.

"Luz, no. You're a great girlfriend-."

"If that were true, then I wouldn't be thinking about Amity the way I think about you!"

Their eyes widened at her response.

"I've had a crush on Amity since before we started dating. And even after we did I-I couldn't stop thinking about what going on dates with her might be like or what kissing her might be like. And I just feel so terrible because you've been so good to me and I don't deserve it!"

Luz continued to weep into her arms. Willow looked at Amity who was completely gobsmacked at Luz's admission and then turned back to Luz.

"Maybe I don't care about that."

Luz raised her head slightly while Amity raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Amity has a huge crush on you."

Now it was Luz's turn to be bug eyed while Amity made a sound like a mix between a choke and a gurgle

"What!?

"Yep. In fact, you were the one she wanted to ask to Grom."

It was then Amity managed to regain her ability to talk.

"Willow! You-I-What are you doing?!"

Luz stood up and looked at Amity.

"Is that true?"

"I, uh, well, you see,.....yes?"

"Amity...."

"Well the way I see it, I like you and Amity likes you and you like me and Amity. So maybe, you shouldn't have to choose which one of us you like more."

"Willow....are you implying what I think you're implying?"

"Yeah, I mean I love a good OT3 as much as the next person but would you really be okay with that?"

Willow rose up from the ground a pressed a quick kiss to Luz's lips.

"What I want most is for you to be happy. And if Amity is what would do that then..."

Willow pulled Luz along as she walked over to Amity was. Then, with a quick twirl and push, moved Amity in front of her so that she and Luz were now just inches apart from each other. Their faces burned bright at their sudden proximity to the other.

"Hi."

"So, you really like me?"

"Of course. I mean, your cute, smart, like Azura books, read to kids. What's not to like?"

"Oh. Wow. ☺"

"And you really like me?"

"Oh yeah. I mean your sweet, and kind, and funny, and brave, and so cool-."

"Okay, Jeezy. Heh. Such a flatterer."

Willow chuckled at how cute they were. "Are you two going to kiss or just stay here all day complimenting each other?"

"Uh, well, we don't have to kiss. I mean we did just start...whatever this is. We could wait if Luz doesn't-."

Before Amity could say another word, Luz pecked her lips against hers. Amity froze and her whole face turned the color of a strawberry, then she fell over.

"Oh my gosh! Amity!"

Willow just watched them with amusement. This looked like the start of a beautiful relationship.

#The Owl House #Owl House #ToH #willow park #willow the owl house #Willow ToH #toh luz #luz owl house #luz noceda #toh amity #amity owl house #amity blight #Lumity #willuz #Willumity #long

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smallblueandloud · 3 years ago

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some leverage: redemption reactions

i finished leverage redemption today! and i don't have anyone to talk to about it so, here we have my reactions for all eight episodes, both positive and negative. please feel free to reblog/comment -- discussions are what i'm here for! (under a cut because spoilers and also this ended up being 2k. whoops!)

EPISODE 1: the too many rembrandts job

the "aww, this guy is trying to pull his first heist! how cute" job

what they chose to do with nate was... interesting. it might just be that i read too many of those cracky "here's how they should explain nate's absence" posts, but i was expecting something funny. the grief permeating this episode -- it makes SENSE, but it was still weird. leverage doesn't usually have sadness like this. pain, yes, rage, certainly, but sadness? not usually

the way sophie immediately spots the signs of a con and slips into a character? phenomenal. i'm here for EXPERTS BEING EXPERTS and this show does NOT disappoint

harry wilson is a really solid character! most impressively, he's not flynn, which is impressive enough that i'm making a whole bullet point about it. i was worried that noah wyle was kinda a one-trick pony, but it appears not! good for him tbh

i'm LIVING for the ot3 moments in this episode. "what happened?" "we happened" YESSSSS!!! i wish we'd had more domesticity, but i know they did what they could

"he gets it from his father" FUCK!!!!!

the discussion about redemption in this episode is FANTASTIC but personally i am still delirious with excitement about "my nana leads a multi-denominational household" so expect those thoughts in 3-5 business days

EPISODE 2: the panamanian monkey job

the "flash electropop concert" job

BREANNA INTRODUCTION! i love her so MUCH, y'all. we only got to see her dynamic with hardison in this one episode, but man, it manages to be one of her best dynamics anyway. i just! i love her! i love the way the team works with her!

"in our field, you're one of the best. but there, you're the only one." god we have ELIOT/HARDISON rights and i am NOT OKAY. just!! them!!!!!! being supportive!!!!!! they have learned how to be sweet with each other! they work together so much better (in part because we're seeing them from harry's outsider pov instead of nate's insider pov, but STILL)

midway through this episode, i thought "huh, leverage always focuses on specific people, when really the problem is systematic, and pretending it's anything different is just an excuse to not fight for change". and then at the end harry talks about how the system itself is broken! i love knowing that john rogers and i were reading the same tweets last summer. it's a good feeling to trust the people making a piece of media

who let noah wyle speak spanish. whoever it was, they need to rescind their permission

god, the parker/hardison in this episode. THE PARKER/HARDISON IN THIS EPISODE! they KILL me friends they KILL ME!

also just like, hardison in this episode in general. he made a star trek reference! he made a doctor who reference! he decides there are other people who need him more! the way they wrote around gina bellman's maternity leave in s2 was good but this was phenomenal.

also i'm here for ot3 crumbs so "is this like the time when eliot wanted us to say no" is going on my ot3-is-canon conspiracy board

this is a tiny detail but eliot taking out the drone with a goddamn ORANGE was so good. he's so good at his job!! they're all so good at their jobs!! i know i literally just talked about this but AAA

EPISODE 3: the rollin' on the river job

the "sometimes you just want to rob a vault wearing a floofy dress, and that's valid" job

i did... not. like. how the villain in this one was an immigrant whose exploitable weakness was a "desperation" to be included in the upper crust. and the fact that they beat him with a literal southern belle who explicitly beats him BECAUSE her family has been in the area for "hundreds of years"? it just feels Iffy.

also iffy about this episode was breanna's characterization. it felt inconsistent. she feels inconsistent across the whole season, but this episode in particular... she tells harry she's only with the team because she's desperate, that she doesn't believe in hope, and then at the end of the episode she tells parker she wants to be there to change the world. and like, even in the first place, she's not here out of desperation! SHE asked to join the team! like, i can see how it all kinda fits together, but it just feels... inconsistent. idk. i think these scripts all could've benefited from an extra round or two of editing.

anyway! i loved the way they tied hardison into these episodes, even though aldis hodge couldn't be there. he has binders! breanna doesn't want to read them! parker did! he put in big letters, "when in doubt, trust the person in the van". i'm just so !!! about how much i love him and how much he loves his team and how much his team loves him. FOUND FAMILY, BABY!

all inconsistencies in breanna's characterization aside, i really liked her speech at the end. i know how she feels! it's really nice to have someone on the team who's from -- not my world, really, but a lot closer than any of the others. it's a nice feeling! i love her a lot. i hope her writing gets more consistent

lol, parker ate eliot's carrot cake. i love the parker/eliot rights we get in this show, they're so domestic and it's wonderful.

EPISODE 4: the tower job

the "hardison made his partners learn klingon" job

watching this episode was what made me go "they're not going to make us sit through a harry/sophie romance... right? right?"

i'm still not sure they're gonna let us avoid it but it COULD work so... i've decided to just not worry about it for now

i liked the number of ways the con goes wrong! it was fun to watch them work on the fly like that. i think them not having a dedicated Mastermind(tm) is a good watsonian explanation for their plans being pretty haphazard in general, but it's good, they think well on their feet

nate was a chessmaster. he had the whole situation in his mind from the beginning, accounting for every possible outcome. parker and sophie are much more adaptive, and it's cool to see. they can rely on their respective skillsets a lot more than nate could

a really solid episode! probably one of the strongest ones in the season. i liked it a lot.

(ALSO as mentioned above the klingon lines were fantastic and not just because they were a star trek reference -- every time eliot and parker both mentioned hardison, together, it added a year to my lifespan)

EPISODE 5: the paranormal hacktivity job

the "sophie was worryingly prepared to fake her death" job

i know why they characterized the client as a skeptic, i really do, and i loved the format of this episode, but also. But Also. she should've been a love interest for breanna and I'm Right.

having a girl's episode was the CORRECT choice. they do crimes in their free time! they fleece newbie, cruel criminals! it's so good!

it would've been cool to have eliot around for the assassin guy, but it was also cool to see the others take him out without having eliot to rely on. it's like getting to see how they'd take out eliot, if they were ever on opposing sides.

PARKER CANONICALLY USES SCRIPTS IT'S THE BEST THING EVER

breanna bristling about letting the criminal into the theater's electric system was so good god i love her so much. she knows hardware! i bet she likes to work with her hands. i bet she stims. i bet she has adhd

actually, sidenote, but i LOVE these headquarters. they look so nice! the stage is so nice! i loved having an episode set in and around it, it was such a good choice.

EPISODE 6: the card game job

the "FINALLY AN EXPLICITLY QUEER LEVERAGE CHARACTER" job

QUEER BREANNA QUEER BREANNA QUEER BREANNA QUEER BR

UNFOLLOW ME NOW THIS IS GONNA BE THE ONLY THING I POST ABOUT FOR THE REST OF TIME

GOD, what a good way to reveal it. it's fully about her! i love queer romances, of course i do, but i don't think i've ever seen a character come out without a romance being their reason for doing so (however indirectly). i still think she should've gotten a date with the client from 1x05, but i really liked this too.

this episode just felt like a love letter to fandom, and i love that. i love how much it shone through. i'm used to writers specifically going out of their way to make fun of fans and laugh at them, so it was just. really nice to have someone stand up and go, no, this is important for a reason! people love this for a reason! it MEANS something!

very fun to watch eliot swordfight. very fun to watch sophie recite a sonnet in her classic fashion. very fun to watch parker work at being a good mentor. breanna was so excited about the card game! they're all so good!

oh, and i guess harry's here too.

EPISODE 7: the double-edged sword job

the "harry is addicted to mobile games, which is a mood" job

hot take alert! i think this is the weakest episode of the season by a LOT. it needed so much more editing. it felt so disjointed, so all over the place. the plot was haphazard but in a muffled way, where you had no idea why they were doing what they were doing. the climax was sudden and didn't make any sense. it was just weird.

i'm not the person to comment on this but it feels kind of lazy to cast an east asian guy to play a socially-awkward tech genius. just a thought.

oh, of course jonathan frakes directed this episode. sometimes his stuff is really good but other times (ahem, ds9 3x02) it's disjointed and all over the place. i'm not even surprised it was him.

idk if i have anything else to say about this. oh! some of the team moments were great -- mostly involving eliot. i loved the moment of him recognizing the headshot, i LOVED the ten seconds of everyone teasing him. he and parker talked about the wellbeing of their friend, the woman whose ex tracked her down!

separate bulletpoint to say how much i LOVED his conversation with breanna outside the house. he's so good at reassuring! he could go deeper there, talking about being better than your worst day, but he knew when not to push! it was so good.

"first off, this guy can't TOUCH hardison" deserves its own bulletpoint because like. y'all. Y'ALL.

EPISODE 8: the mastermind job

the "eliot is more than just a pretty face" job

oh man this post is so much longer than i thought it would be. okay just one more episode and then i'm done.

the callbacks to original leverage were SO well done and made me feel emotions without feeling overbearing.

i didn't like the central premise -- that nate would share so many details with a random insurance agent -- in the first place, but i did like how it allowed them to bring back nate without actually hiring timerty mcasshole.

i liked eliot's insistence that he's more than just the muscle! he is, and it's really good to know, textually, that the writers do too!

me, watching the resolution of the episode: ah, yeah, insurance fraud. a classic!

harry bonding with his guard had "they don't even have dental!" energy and i am SUCH a fan. i know it was all for the con but also give me harry, unable to stop advising people, even when they're actively holding him hostage

parker! on the phone with hardison!!!! ADORABLE

is it just me or was someone else expecting the accountant's name to be something significant? with the way they led up to it, i was waiting for a "sterling" or something else. my sensors were pinging for another tara reveal. i'm still convinced we're gonna get this guy dramatically revealed in the season finale.

a really nice episode! i had a lot of fun with it. and now i want to rewatch the rashamon job, but tbh i ALWAYS want to rewatch the rashamon job.

and that's a wrap! overall, a fun season, i enjoyed it a lot. not as solid as original leverage, but it's the very beginning, and it was put together during a global pandemic, so i'm cutting them some slack. also levar burton is gonna show up at some point. that's a big reason of why i'm cutting them so much slack.

my personal ranking of the episodes is 1x04, 1x06, 1x08, 1x01, 1x02, 1x03, and finally last (and least), 1x07.

what did you guys think of the new season? what was your favorite episode? do you agree with any of my opinions? disagree with any? let me know, please, i'd love to discuss!

#leverage #leverage redemption #leverage spoilers #redemption spoilers #leverage redemption spoilers #sb and l rambles #sb and l watches leverage #levred #this is so much longer than i thought it was gonna be #i shouldn't be surprised but ughhhh i'm so tired

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scarfacemarston · 4 years ago

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GAME TIME: What personality trait/negative would make dating your favorite RDR character difficult?

I brought this question up after receiving an ask about Abigail and I asked the question in my discord server. If this question is cringey, oh well. Formatting is screwed up on mobile but it should show a keep reading thing For the question - I don’t mean stuff like “They’re not real. They died.”. I mean a personality quirk, habit, a situation etc. Compatibility with YOU is optional. What about your ships!? Either Reblog or Tag me with your answer.

I’m predictable as fuck. I chose Abigail or John.. Ot3 would be nice but I’m talking separately for me. TLDR for both - both are stubborn and fiery and I wouldn’t know what to do with an older Jack disrespecting them. I’d alo worry about John’s drinking. Pros: Both romantics, good cuddles, loyalty. If you want me to explain. John:

��John needs boundaries. Dating anyone ever needs healthy boundaries. He has a temper and is stubborn af. If he gets nasty and unhealthy - then that’s not okay. Younger John is sometimes willfully ignorant and a little arrogant. He has times where he is a man child. Then there is the problem with Abigail and Jack. If this an amicable breakup - no problem. If it wasn’t, then there would have to be minimum contact. I could deal with John during RDR 2′s timeline, but I would be far happier dating John older. Rdr 1 John is perfection. We’d run to Canada. Could be a pro or a con - but he wants another child. For me - it’d only work if we adopted because....health. However, I think he is kind of easy to date? He has a lot of trauma and that cannot be ignored not just with him, but any of the gang members. I think someone who is kind, affectionate - but doesn’t allow him to get away with bullshit is the way to win him over. Encourage him. Tell him he did a good job. Say he’s handsome, intelligent, etc. Feed him. That doesn’t make trauma go away, of course. I would also struggle with what to do with Jack as the step-parent. I wouldn’t let him disrespect John or I. Another problem for me is the same as if I dated most male characters. I don’t like traditional gender roles. I do not want to cook and clean and serve all day. I’d want to be like Sadie and Jake where it’s split and from what I can see - John does NOT want to do ANY cooking or cleaning. In fact, he seems kind of mean/demeaning about it at times? I understand he does a lot of hard work and I would do the same with animals. I would need it to be equal. I don’t think he whores around or drinks like Abigail implies he does. I just don’t believe it - but I would worry if he drank too much.

For Abigail: First - same as above - if John and Abigail split amicably - no problem. If not amicable - minimum contact. Like John, Abigail can be fiery and emotional. Boundaries. I don’t see Abigail fighting with anyone else. She usually only fights when she wants Jack to be treated well or if she is scared that YOU are going to hurt yourself. For the most part - she’s reasonable with what she expects from John. (Except helping Mr. Geddes - I’m bitter about that.) I think being logical helps - but stepping away and letting both cool off is smart ,too. Abigail needs an equal that she can feel safe around.Make her feel intelligent and that she is more than just a mother or her past as a working girl. She wants to love and be loved. She knows she doesn’t have as much to offer as some might, but she’s a hard worker. She loves fiercely. She put up with so much shit and anyone who shows her even the smallest bit of kindness is rewarded.I think she can be very cute and girly. She and John are both romantics. She’s very loyal to the point it hurts her. Make her feel heard and loved and I think you’re good to go. Also gives 10/10 cuddles. The only thing that would suck is that you’d have to teach her to cook. However, I think I wouldn’t have to worry about splitting chores with her. She does all the house work AND leaves the house to work at a doctor’s office. I think if I didn’t have an outside job, then my tasks would be different? I don’t think she is as willing to adopt a child, but she might.

FOR BOTH: Again, I would struggle with what to do with Jack. I think Abigail is overall a good parent, but she seems to be at her wit’s end by the time Jack is a teen. This is normal - but she does cry a lot about some of the disrespect she gets. That would really hurt to watch and I wouldn’t put up with it easily. Same with John. Yes, he’s a teen and it’s understandable he’s angry. As the step-mother, that’s really hard because I technically don’t have the right to discipline? Out of curiosity - For those who have been in this situation - what do you do?

I’d be happier with either one - or both. ;) What about your ships!? Either Reblog or Tag me with your answer.

#rdr 2 #john marston x reader #abigail marston x reader #sean macguire x reader #arthur morgan x reader #charles smith x reader #javier escuella x reader #dutch van der linde x reader #hosea matthews x reader #sadie adler x reader #molly o shea x reader #van der linde gang #red dead redemption 2 #feel free to add on

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whoareyouandwhyshouldicare · 5 years ago

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To all my fellow LoVe shippers who are feeling down I have one thing to say.

I can’t make the last 8 minute of season 4 disappear but I can recommend some really great LoVe fanfiction that will make you feel at least a little bit better. So without further ado here are a few of my favorite LoVe fics!

A Hard Habit to Break by mskatej Nothing gets Veronica over her failed relationships better than Logan Echolls.

...And Long For You by AbsolutelyIris It was moments like those Veronica wished she could be like Lilly- storm into his house and curse and yell and damn him to hell before demanding he fuck her...and like with Lilly, he would gladly, if reluctantly, do so.

“Any Love Is Good Love, Baby” by wily_one24 Apparently, Hollywood was wrong, the devil did not wear Prada, the devil wore butch black boots and tiny little skirts.

The Best (and Only) Kept Secret in Neptune by vixleonard Even when they hated each other, Logan and Veronica just couldn't stay away from each other.

The Burdened Vessel by vixleonard Veronica needs a favor only Logan can help her with.

Every Belt That Ever Hit Someone (Is Still Made to Hold Something Up) by igrockspock Logan doesn't get any votes for Most Changed at the ten-year reunion, which is bullshit when you think about it. In the past ten years, everything in his life has changed. He's joined the Navy, dated a pop star, and figured out that Dick Casablancas can occasionally behave like a real human being. Only one thing hasn't changed: he's still in love with Veronica Mars. Oh, and he's suspected of murdering his girlfriend.

"Fear and Loathing in Neptune" by wily_one24 Veronica Mars was going to get herself laid. Series Part 1 of Any Love

A Fine and Endless Cycle by kartography A freshman year at Hearst and the cyclical nature of love

Fireworks by AliLamba Veronica is technically not a virgin, and awkward results ensue. An AU version of LoVe's first time.

For the Sake of a Friend by jacedesbff What if Logan and Veronica were involved in a secret relationship throughout the events of Season 1?

The Game of Trust by Kantayra of Yore (Kantayra) This time Veronica really did trust him, and she knew how to prove it...

Getcha, Getcha, Getcha, Getcha by Kantayra of Yore (Kantayra) Veronica and Logan prank each other. Really, it's shameless the way they flirt...

Give Me The Ocean by scandalpants Post Season 3 AU. Veronica decides what she really wants. Spoiler: it's not Piz.

Home Is Where The Heart Is by: lv63 AU preseries and forward, begins in season 1. this story is all about veronica and her friends. angst, mystery, humor and romance, LoVe and MaDi. summary in prologue.

I Hate You Because by: SilverLining2k6 Mid 1X3 - Meet John Smith. Logan, Veronica, a pool, snark, and a made up drinking game.

i knew you were trouble when you walked in by youcallitwinter And, it's just— Logan had always been her intense high-school romance, sure. But she had, somewhere along the way, in some secret corner of her mind, convinced herself that was all he was; a high-school romance. Explosive, powerful, passionate, and bound to burn itself out eventually

(Im)Perfection by AbsolutelyIris The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.

In a World by: my shangri-la A/U! Exploring the 'what ifs' that could have happened if Lilly Kane hadn't been murdered, and her secrets – and others – had come out anyway. Pairings: Lilly/Logan, past Duncan/Veronica, eventual Logan/Veronica. (Story begins with Lilly as a senior, the rest are juniors.)

In the kind of world where we belong by Anonymous There was always something missing. A Lilly Kane sized hole in both their hearts. Instead of going to see Aaron Echolls on October 3rd Lilly decides to comfort a friend and their lives change forever.A very smutty OT3 take on what might have happened if Lilly had lived.

Kid Things by sowell 5 years after graduation, Logan comes back to Neptune to ask Veronica for help.

King of Mars by: HGRising AU. In which everyone has a story to tell but not everyone gets the chance. And, things make more sense from a different perspective. Ever wonder why Veronica Mars was Lilly Kane's best friend? There's redemption for some and condemnation for others when the secrets come out. And everyone's got a good one.

Landmine by AbsolutelyIris It needed to be forgotten, and quick.

The Long Way Home by AbsolutelyIris "We should take the long way home."

Matching Pink Bikinis by Anonymous Veronica and Lilly wear matching pink bikinis to Logan's for a pool day. This is pure threesome smut, folks.

Pink Lemonade (Logan/Veronica/Lilly) On a trip to Honolulu, Lilly manages to bring Veronica out of her pink, frosty shell. Spoilers/Warnings: This is a threesome fic and therefore includes some femslash.

Playing Hide and Seek With the Truth by: jenwin23 Continuation of the Truth series. The kids go back to school. Old issues remain while more secrets will be revealed, relationships will change and lives will crumble.

The Real Thing by: Josielynn AU. Logan and Lilly are off again/on again. Duncan is dating Meg. Veronica was never friends with Lilly. Logan sees Veronica in her soccer uniform and wants to date her.

Scotch on the Rocks (A FanFic Tribute) by kmd0107 A long time ago...there was an incredibly hot LoVeLy trilogy fic (Pink Lemonade & Sex on the Beach) started over on Live Journal that never got its third part. This is a tribute to what that might have been. Logan POV of the evolving sexual and emotional relationship between himself, Veronica, and Lilly.

Scourging Fire, Blazing Soul by Nerdyesque What if Veronica didn't grow up with the 09ers, but came into their lives prior to Lilly's death? How would her presence affect Duncan, Lilly, Logan, the Kanes, and the Echolls? Also, who is Veronica without Keith Mars' loving protection?

Sex on the Beach (Logan/Veronica/Lilly) NC-17 Lilly's chapter in my Drinks Series. Nobody wants to talk about what happened in Hawaii, and it's driving Lilly crazy. How could she possibly make what happened less awkward? By making it happen again, of course!

Some Truths Hurt by: jenwin23 Jumping off point: V gets Duncan's journal in Echolls' Family Xmas. AU from there but many canon events happen too. All characters in the VM-verse make an appearance, but it is a LoVe story. In script format-but give it a try, it's well written.

The Third Kane by: Mac-alicious Lilly, Duncan and Veronica Kane rule the social scene in Neptune. The three are loyal and inseparable. They once believed there was nothing that could come between them. They didn't count on Logan Echolls.

Time, Make It Go Faster Or Just Rewind by kmd0107 Logan being ‘the real-Logan’ is so familiar that she almost can’t help but give in to it, even if it’s just a one night pass. She’ll embrace this moment out of time and the walls and armor can go back up tomorrow.AU from 1x4 Wrath of Con

Truths Too Big to be Told by: jenwin23 Sequel to Some Truths Hurt. It's summer time and more than the weather is hot. Neptune is embroiled in class warfare, Veronica is looking into the mystery of another dead girl, the fallout from Lilly's case continues, and more secrets will be revealed.

I’m also throwing in some of my favorite MaDi (Mac and Dick) fics because Dick needs a hug too.

The ABCs of Mac and Dick by: jenwin23 The ABC challenge with Mac and Dick. Created for Madi lover at VM Santa 2010 at livejournal. Cross-posted. In letter order, not in chronological order.

Bodycount by: BIFF1 Cassidy and Mac meet a little earlier and a little blood-lust gives him an entirely different problem when it comes to forming a real relationship with Mac. AU with MAJOR season two SPOILERS! Mac/Cass, Mac/Dick, Mac/Cass/Dick

Casablancas Kryptonite By: BIFF1 "You just don't get it. She's like kryptonite or something." Dick looked at his brother and thought about those blue eyes that cut and the way her mouth twisted around insults. Yeah maybe she was kyptonite. Casablancas kyptonite because isn't he just as weak.

Casual? By: BIFF1 It's just sex. Casual sex. no attachments, just good hot sex. But that was the summer and now school is about to start up again and Veronica's back from Virginia and can tell that something is up. They can stop, no problem...

The Charm Bracelet by: DalWriter Future Fic. Who Knew Prince Charming Would be Dick Casablancas? Mac reminisces as she looks at a charm bracelet Dick gave her.

Commitment Buffers by: BIFF1 Dick and Mac live with Logan and Veronica in their attempt to have some sort of commitment buffer between them. Only problem with the arrangement is that Mac and Dick tolerate each other at best which is a big improvement as far as their concerned. However living in such close quarters may prove difficult when it becomes obvious that they may actually sort of like each other.

Dark Day by: BIFF1 It's Cassidy Casablancas' birthday and the two people closest to him are falling apart. She just wants to hide away from the world for the rest of the week, just drink and cry and be with someone who gets it and no one gets it more than Dick. Not as angsty as it sounds, promise. Now complete with happy ending!

Electrify by: BIFF1 A guilt trip from Logan has landed Dick in a crowded tent with Mac. With a lightening storm raging outside he can't sleep and it appears neither can she.

Rendezvous by: BIFF1 A collection of one-shots. In which Dick and Mac are forced together by fate or friends and hook up. Because I apparently really like writing them hooking up.

Secret Santa By: BIFF1 Saw this homemade sweater from hell prompt from VMficRec. It's a November challenge but I couldn't help myself. Just some fun when Mac pulls Dick's name for Secret Santa. She figures a six pack and porn until he makes a big deal about not wanting anything handmade. She can't really help herself, she spends the month knitting Dick a sweater.

#veronica mars #LoVe #Logan Echolls #logan x veronica #fanfiction #fan fiction #season 4 fix it #veronica mars fanfiction #fanfic #logan deserved better

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mia-cooper · 5 years ago

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Fanfiction Questions

from here

Fandom Questions

1. What was the first fandom you got involved in?

Involved as in ‘frantically read every book I could get my hands on, daydreamed about being part of that universe and wrote stories/made art inspired by the books, if not actual fanfiction’? Mm, probably The Chronicles of Narnia when I was six or seven. The next great obsession was The Silver Brumby when I went through my horse stage around age 12, and then Sweet Valley High when I was 15. Hahaha.

2. What is your latest fandom?

Marvel! I’m not into comics and I’m definitely not interested in consuming every last bit of canon material or memorising the variations of every universe, but I love (most of) the movies and Agents of SHIELD is pretty cool.

3. What is the best fandom you’ve ever been involved in?

Star Trek Voyager. No contest. I venture to suggest that the older fandoms, the ones that are all about defunct shows, are a hell of a lot more chilled. Maybe because we’ve come to terms with our shitty canon endings and learned that liking the ship you hate doesn’t make someone problematic, unlike some newer fandoms I could name (Yes I’m talking about you, Game of Thrones fans. What the fuck.)

4. Do you regret getting involved in any fandoms?

I’ve dipped a toe into one or two fandoms for shows or books I’ve really enjoyed and backed the fuck out when the vibe gets weird (oh hey, it’s GoT again), but nope. No regrets.

5. Which fandoms have you written fanfiction for?

All the Star Treks except TOS, and a Trek/MCU crossover. I’d like to write more for MCU someday. Plus I’ve written longhand entire notebooks full of teen romance shit that bore an uncanny similarity to SVH, and my first short story was a fantasy fic that featured a girl whose guardian was a wise talking lion who led her into mystical secret worlds, which is kind of familiar.

6. List your OTP from each fandom you’ve been involved in.

Wow. I’m going to define ‘involved in’ as ‘cared enough about to have an OTP’, but I’m guaranteed to forget a ton. In no particular order:

Voyager: Janeway x anyone who can get her off

Discovery: Lorca x Cornwell or Pike x Tyler x Burnham (or any combination of)

DS9: Kira x Jadzia Dax

TNG: Picard x Vash, I guess? I don’t really have any TNG ships

ENT: T’Pol x Trip x Hoshi (or any variation therein)

MCU: Cap x Widow

AoS: Coulson x Skye... no May... no Skye... I don’t know

CAOS: Madam Satan x Zelda

Timeless: Garcy

The Good Place: Eleanor x Tahani

The 100 (shut up): toss up between Clarke x Bellamy and Kane x Abby

Veronica Mars: Veronica x Leo (first run), Veronica x Logan (s4)

Orphan Black: Cosima x Delphine

BSG: Apollo x Starbuck

SG1: Sam x Jack

Arrow: Olicity (so over the show now though)

This Life: Milly x Egg

Yeah you know what... I’m drawing a blank. I can’t think of any other shows where I’ve been invested in The Romance that much.

7. List your NoTPs from each fandom you’ve been in.

I’m too tired to do every fandom, and besides, I can come around to almost any ship if the headcanons (or fics) are convincing enough. I do have a few hard no-gos, but they might be someone else’s OTP so I’ll shut up about them.

8. How did you get involved in your latest fandom?

Reluctantly. The MCU movies are not something I ever thought I’d enjoy beyond a dull evening’s entertainment. I never expected to get attached to the characters. And yet.

9. What are the best things about your current fandom?

Voyager is my forever fandom and the only one where I’ve really interacted with other fans. The best things about it? In general, everyone is just cool, accepting, open and basically awesome. And talented. I love my Party Bus people.

10. Is there a fandom you read fic from but don’t write in?

Sure. The 100, Veronica Mars and Agents of SHIELD are the ones I’d dip into more frequently. I really enjoy crossovers between Trek and BSG or the Stargate variants, too.

Ship Questions for your Current Fandom

11. Who is your current OTP?

Janeway x Chakotay.

12. Who is your current OT3?

Janeway x Chakotay x Paris.

13. Any NoTPs?

A few.

14. Go on, who are your BroTPs?

Janeway & Tuvok! Also Torres & Chakotay, and I’d have killed for more Janeway & Torres in canon. (If they kissed sometimes that would be okay too)

15. Is there an obscure ship which you love?

Yeah. Paris x Seven. There are like two fics in existence, and yet ... the potential! (Sorry, B’Elanna)

16. Are there any popular ships in your fandom which you dislike?

Nope.

17. Who was your first OTP and are they still your favourite?

Janeway x Paris. And they’re still way up there, but not quite at the top.

18. What ship have you written the most about?

84% of my fics feature Janeway x Chakotay as either the primary or secondary pairing... holy shit.

19. Is there a ship which you wished you could get behind, but you just don’t feel them?

Paris x Torres. I mean, I feel them. I just don’t generally feel the need to write about them.

20. Any ships which you surprised yourself by liking?

Chakotay x Seven. In another universe, it could’ve been beautiful.

Author Questions

21. What was the first fanfic you ever wrote?

Actual story that was clearly fanfic? A farcical drunken romp told in the 24th century equivalent of email format called PADDemonium (see what I did there?)

22. Is there anything you regret writing?

Lol, a few things that should probably have never seen the light of day for various reasons, some of them leola related. But I’ve only deleted two fics that I can recall.

23. Name a fic you’ve written that you’re especially fond of & explain why you like it.

Relieved. It’s a 30k AU Chakotay moral dilemma backstory that brings in DS9 characters, Section 31 and his longstanding history with AU Janeway. I did so much research for it (way back in the days before memory alpha and chakoteya.net) and I’m really proud of how I wound in canon stuff across series but changed a few key bits and pieces. Only problem is, it’s a sequel to ...

24. What fic do you desperately need to rewrite or edit?

... Pressure, which I can’t even read without cringing. My characterisation of Janeway, even Angry Maquis AU Janeway, is way over the top and there are moments that verge on Mills and Boon and give me first, second and third hand embarrassment. God, I’d love to rewrite it. Actually, that’s a lie. I want someone else to rewrite it so I can read it without covering my eyes and moaning.

25. What’s your most popular fanfic?

Desperate Measures, by about 70,000 light years, lol. Although Fragile Things beats it on bookmarks.

26. How do you come up with your fanfic titles?

You know what? A fair percentage of the time, I think of the title first and come up with a plot second. Aside from that, I prefer shorter, punchier titles that clearly tie into the story (Flight Risk, Speechless), though sometimes it’s song lyrics (Burn Our Horizons, your body like a searchlight) or a literary quote (Required to Bear, All the Devils are Here) or a turn of phrase from the story itself (The Prisons You Inhabit). Hey that was fun. Thanks for letting me pimp the shit out of my stories.

27. What do you hate more: Coming up with titles or writing summaries?

Ugh, it depends on the day. Summaries are harder, I think. I never want to give away too much of the plot, but there has to be enough there for people to know whether they’ll bother clicking. Funny story: I actually ran the stats on this a few months back. Here they are for your edification:

Fics with a one line plot summary = 54%

With two or three line plot summary = 18%

With a short snippet directly from the fic = 16%

With a snippet + a one line explanation = 3%

With a one line plot summary plus a line to date the fic (eg "set in season 3", “episode tag to Worst Case Scenario") or the fic prompt = 7%

And finally, a quote from something other than the fic = 2% (that's only 3 fics).

28. If someone were to draw a piece of fanart for your story, which story would it be and what would the picture be of?

Ooh. I’ll say the final scene in Explosive.

29. Do you have a beta reader? Why/Why not?

I used to regularly ask @jhelenoftrek and @littleobsessions90 to beta for me, and both of them are brilliant at it. Lately I’ve been posting without sending my stuff off for editing. This is partly because I’m impatient to get stuff out there, partly because I don’t have as much time to write/edit, and partly because I’m a little less focused on improving my writing and more on enjoying it for its own sake.

30. What inspires you to write?

Little bits of episode dialogue I haven’t noticed before, other people’s fanfiction, stray conversations, fic prompts, song lyrics, random headcanons, fever dreams, dares ...

31. What’s the nicest thing someone has ever said about your writing?

I’ve been really lucky with comments on my fic. The least helpful comment I’ve ever received was on one of my early 30k fics and all it said was “Did you have to take the name of the lord in vain?” Which is kind of funny. The nicest thing anyone’s ever said? I’m very partial to the feedback that starts “I don’t even like this pairing/genre/trope/show but you made me love it”, and particularly “I’ll read anything you write, I don’t care what it’s about.” But all comments are gold. The little heart button is cool too.

32. Do you listen to music when you write or does music inspire you? If so, which band or genre of music does it for you?

I’m not someone who can tune out music I love, or leave it in the background to inspire me. If it’s on, I’m fully invested in it. I’m that annoying person in the car who flips radio stations every three seconds until I find something I like and then it’s on 11 and I’m singing along to it. I’m also really picky but extremely eclectic, although there are genres I can’t stand (anything with autotune makes me stabby). That said, sometimes I find a song that I can’t stop listening to for weeks and often that perfect combination of music and lyrics will inspire me to write a fic. For example, I just plotted out an entire J/C story because of this song.

33. Do you write oneshots, multi-chapter fics or huuuuuge epics?

All of the above. Although I’m not sure if my longest epic is huuuuuge or just huuuge.

34. What’s the word count on your longest fic?

101,467.

35. Do you write drabbles? If so, what do you normally write them about?

I have two drabble collections. One is all J/C, full of responses to random prompts and I add to it sporadically. The other is episode additions set on Kathryn Janeway’s birthday (May 20) and added to annually.

36. What’s your favourite genre to write?

Angst, definitely. Sometimes it’s smutty angst or fluffy angst or hurt/comfort angst, but often it’s just fucking unrelenting angst. And I’m okay with that.

37. First person or third person - what do you write in and why?

I did the stats on this once, too, haha. Pretty sure I came out fairly even on first and third person with a smattering of second person in there. I’m probably even-ish on present vs past tense, too. I make it a point to mix it up to avoid my writing getting stale or same-y. And sometimes a fic doesn’t really click for me until I try it in a different POV or tense or from a different character’s perspective.

38. Do you use established canon characters or do you create OCs?

I mostly write for canon characters - the fun is in all the different ways you can interpret and imagine them - but I’ve been known to throw in the odd OC, or focus on a character who only got a brief cameo appearance, or write about someone who only appears in beta canon, or who only rates a mention on screen.

39. What is your greatest strength as a writer?

Oh, wow. I’m not sure. I guess the thing I value most about my own writing is my willingness to try different styles, characters, pairings and so on. The thing I strive for most is characterisation that feels true, and I really love it when I get comments on that. Exploring a character in a way that rings true with a reader is the best thing ever.

40. What do you struggle the most with in your writing?

Overly long sentences and adverb abuse, haha. No, truthfully, there comes a point in most of my fics, particularly the longer ones, when I really just want to scrap it because in my heart I know it’s dreadful. Usually that passes once I slog through the ‘I don’t wanna’ stage because I’m a bloody-minded bitch, but sometimes fics do get left in the dust half-written. Honestly, though, they’re the ones that probably should stay there.

Fanfiction Questions

41. List and link to 5 fanfics you are currently reading:

This is hilarious because I was just talking on discord about my problematic ‘to read’ pile. My unread AO3 subscription emails currently number 29 and my phone browser has 71 tabs open. So here are 5 random picks from that list of exactly 100 fics I should be reading:

Sex on the Beach (E, Janeway/Chakotay) by @traccigaryn

The Ruby Ring (T, Janeway/Chakotay, Janeway/Tighe) by @trinfinity2001

Earth is But an Idea (T, Janeway/Chakotay, Carter/O’Neill) by @caladeniablue

Home (E, Janeway/Chakotay) by Cassatt

Wise Up (E, Janeway/Chakotay) by KimJ

42. List and link to 5 fanfiction authors who are amazing:

Only five? Shit. Okay. In no particular order, these are five of the writers I keep coming back to:

quantumsilver (also here)

northernexposure

LittleObsessions

Helen8462

Cheshire

But there are so many others. My chosen fandom is chock full of amazing talent.

43. Is there anyone in your fandom who really inspires you?

All of the authors above for various reasons, but also august because her writing is so spare and delicate and devastating, and runawaymetaphor because she writes the most delicious Janeway/Paris, and @seperis because I read In the Space of Seven Days literally 20 years ago and I still haven’t recovered, and I could be here all night raving on this topic but there are still many questions to get through.

44. What ship do you feel needs more attention?

Janeway x Paris. I’m so happy there’s been a little bit of a resurgence in J/P fics lately. Thanks, @curator-on-ao3, you’re doing the lord’s work.

I’ll also take Janeway x Johnson content any day of the week.

45. What is your all time favourite fanfic?

What the hell? I can’t pick just one! Ugh!

... but okay, here’s the first one that came to mind when I tried to think about this: if you came this way by tree. I’m not sure I’d call it my favourite, but it’s one I revisit often. Ugh, there are so many other fics I’m thinking of now that I really want to list.

46. If someone was to read one of your fanfics, which fic would you recommend to them and why?

Oh, that’s hard. I should probably pick an angsty smutty J/C because that’s a fair proportion of what I write and it’s good to let a new reader know what they can expect. But honestly, I think the best fic I’ve written is The Uncharted Sea. (It’s safe for work. Maybe not for makeup.)

47. Archive Of Our Own, Fanfiction.net or Tumblr - where do you prefer to post and why?

The Archive, of course. Where else can I find ad-free hosting on a stunningly user-friendly interface with absolutely no moralising content restrictions and the world’s best tagging system? That Hugo award is well deserved.

Tumblr is good for headcanons and meta and gifsets and a few other formats that I’m less likely to post on AO3 because I’d feel like I was pissing off people who subscribe to me by giving them some random garbage.

I also have my own website, but I’m not really sure why. Sometimes I post fic there that doesn’t make it to tumblr or AO3.

48. Do you leave reviews when you read fanfiction? Why/Why not?

I try to. Honestly I do. I love it when I get reviews, so I figure paying it forward is the least I can do. I’m less scrupulous about leaving comments when I’m busy or reading on my phone.

49. Do you care if people comment/reblog your writing? Why/why not?

I mean, I love it when people reblog, but I certainly don’t expect it. @arcadia1995 is amazing for reblogging stuff *blows kisses*

Nobody owes fanfic writers shit, but I feel like there’s a tacit agreement that if you like what you just read for free and you’re on a platform that makes it easy to do so, you leave a review or at least a kudos, because I’m not gonna lie, posting a fic you’ve worked super hard on and seeing it get very few kudos or comments is a bit deflating. I’m sure a lot of us have been there.

50. How did you get into reading and/or writing fanfiction?

During Voyager’s original run I was trawling the internet for Endgame spoilers (I don’t know why; I usually love surprises) and I guess I googled (or whatever the 2001 equivalent of googling was) something like “how does voyager get home” and somehow I stumbled across Revisionist History. At first I had no idea what I was reading - was this a lost story pitch that somehow got leaked? A professional novella commissioned by the showrunners?

Then I started following links and discovered yahoo groups and webrings and Trekiverse and fanfiction.net and all sorts of incredible things I’d never guessed at, including the now defunct ‘archipelago of angst’, a collection of Voyager writers who focused mainly on a darker Janeway than most of the other fic writers I was encountering, and I was hooked. So I wrote a few of my own pieces, and then I lost interest for 15 years. I’m still not sure how I got dragged back in.

51. Rant or Gush about one thing you love or hate in the world of fanfiction! Go!

Honestly, in what other way can I indulge my obsessions, hone my skills and talk about it endlessly with like-minded people? Where else can I instantly find a plethora of fiction about the exact topic I feel like reading about on my mobile device and for free? Fanfiction is fucking amazing and I’m so glad it exists in my life.

#miamemes #fanfiction #fanfic asks

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momestuck · 6 years ago

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Epilogues

Oh boy, we’re back.

So if anyone’s not heard The News this 13/4/2019, Homestuck’s gone and done its epilogue(s) at last.

I am now several hours behind the hype curve, so no doubt the kind of person who reads this blog has already read the upd8 and developed an Opinion. Nevertheless, the duty falls upon me to liveread this.

So, it starts with an AO3 joke. Obvious comments out of the way:

“oh hey it’s well known fanfic author Cepheid_Variable” (which answers my question of whether Hussie’s still the only author: no)

“damn that’s a hefty content warning”

“this is a nice way to repeat the theme that ‘canon’ is less important than the personal and collective understandings developed by each reader, by presenting the ‘canon’ ending as just another fanfic”

of course, not every interpretation is created equal in terms of its social reception. Homestuck has already touched on discourses of ‘good fandom’ vs ‘bad fandom’ with the Calliope/Caliborn dichotomy; no doubt, with Hussie inviting a fanfiction writer on board, he took care to make a choice of a generally respected author

It continues the joke by being straight up prose. Physics terms are thrown about like a series of slightly dubious similes. The prose gets purpler and purpler until...

Your name is John Egbert, and you have just had a terrible, deeply pretentious nightmare. You snap out of bed, soaked in sweat, your heart hammering like a fire alarm. It is just as you feared. You’ve been dreaming in anime again. And you have no idea what it could mean.

Haha, got you again, suckers. Cake: had, and eaten. (Also, act 7 was literally anime so... yeah, sure thing.)

[ @drc4ble tells me there’s another level to this troll, in that Cephied_Variable is quoting a part of her own fic in this intro.]

You’ve always been confused about what, exactly, they contribute to the global economy. But it’s pretty cute how much they love playing at being suburban businessmen.

“cw: capitalism” indeed

So, in the idyllic world we saw in the credits upd8, all is not so well for the beta kids. John is 23, which means it is now, in canon as well as out, 10 years since the comic began.

Rose starts dropping some exposition, drawing on her Seer of Light abilities; of note is the ‘breakdown of boundaries’ between the different incarnations of the kids she describes:

ROSE: It’s not about gaining additional power, so much as the gradual dissolving of the boundaries between your own awareness and that of your many doomed selves who perished in other timelines.

ROSE: It’s a slow and apparently rather uncomfortable accretion of knowledge. Perhaps I’m the only one to notice any change, since my aspect explicitly relates to knowledge.

Jade has apparently detected that godtier!Calliope destroyed the Green Sun, ‘from this frame of reference’.

In much more important news than the end of the universe(s), we get confirmation of Jadedavekat OT3, or something like it:

she’s been gallivanting around with Dave and Karkat under whatever perplexing social arrangement they have settled on.

Another interesting turn of phrase:

ROSE: You will need to travel back into canon and defeat Lord English.

‘Canon’ is certainly a choice of words, given this is being presented as a fanfic. This is spelled out, which I’m going to quote at length:

ROSE: In other words, there is an important distinction between events which can be considered to occur inside canon, outside canon, and those which are not canon at all.

ROSE: The day we went through that door and claimed our reward, we passed a threshold between continua marked by differing degrees of relevance, truth, and essentiality.

ROSE: Those are the three pillars of canon.

JOHN: what?

Rose shoots you an irritated look. You know what that look means. It’s reserved for the sort of bozo who just said “what” once too often.

ROSE: Any event said to take place inside canon will have nonzero values of relevance and essentiality, while maintaining an absolute foundation in truth, by definition.

ROSE: Whereas events outside canon have diminished values of relevance and essentiality. Or, for the most part, can be considered neither relevant nor essential at all.

ROSE: But such events can’t be said to be untrue either. Instead, it’s better to regard their truth value as highly conditional.

ROSE: Are you still following?

In short: what happens in the ‘C’ universe, stays in the ‘C’ universe; it is not ‘essential’, either in the carefully-constructed-timeline sense, or, I think it’s implied, in the development of plot and theme in the story. This is one perspective on how John, Rose etc. choose to return to ‘canon’, but we are implicitly invited to come up with our own.

More precisely, everything after ‘today’ is declared non-canon, which is to say we have completely free rein; everything before ‘today’ is outside of canon, meaning we have explicit invitation to decide what happens ‘off screen’, but I presume we need to accept such things as, e.g. Rose and Kanaya getting married and the rest of the credits upd8.

But because they’re about to enter the 無 state of non-canon, they must tie up the comic’s major loose end, and deal with Lord English - since their ‘escape’ depends on that being canon.

It’s exactly as dumb-clever-convoluted as I want Homestuck to be, at this stage.

Further caveats on this whole ‘canon authentication’ gig: by reaching the ‘victory state’, Rose and all the other main characters have relinquished their ability to play a major role in canon, so John - who retains his retcon powers - has to go it alone. Or not quite alone - he has to pick up different versions of the MCs, from different points in the timeline.

So this is going to be a total fanservice fest huh. But then, I mean who would come back three years later to read a Homestuck epilogue but the kind of nerd who cares very very much about minute details of canon?

Anyway, that aside, back to shipping discourse. Roxy and Callie’s relationship is underlined, while being explicitly vague about the details of that ‘weird, ambiguous’ relationship. The narration has John dwelling on unrequited feelings for Roxy. Also there’s a mention of the ring of life, which is a plot detail I had totally forgotten about. Three years, huh.

Going to highlight this quote:

Suddenly, Calliope bolts upright.

CALLIOPE: of coUrse! what was i thinking.

CALLIOPE: this decision is far too important to be made on an empty stomach.

Callie is exactly right to check if her friend has eaten when he’s suffering an anxiety attack :) :)

Unfortunately she then makes him make another decision... which might imply Homestuck is going to return to a reader-prompted format, or at least a poll, which they’re testing out here. I don’t know. Anyway, the ride never ends, etc. etc.

#momestuck

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adelmortescryche · 7 years ago

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Fic Writers Week - Day One

Almost missed out on participating in time, because I’ve been sick and out of touch with the actual date. But! I noticed that it was the 11/26 in time, and here I am, @ficwritersweek. (you’ve probably already heard it a whole lot, but. this is such a lovely idea.)

Day 1: Words of Validation

There’s always those comments that stick, the ones that help you push through a story or personal favorites that you just have to reread from time to time. Writers, this is the day to share some of those!

Since it’s day one and I’m a writer/creator alongside being a reader, I just wanted to give a shout out to all the wonderful people who choose to read and comment on my stuff! I wish I could just name everyone who’s commented or left a kudos on my fics, but that probably isn’t too feasible in terms of post length, eh. *wry grin*

I used to be better at responding to people immediately, but health reasons, both mental and physical, have made it harder for me to reply as quickly or as often as I used to. But the comments I’ve received have not only given me something to look forward to, but they also fill me with joy and delight, almost leaving me feeling euphoric, because they let me know that I’ve made other people happy. And have given them something to be excited about.

I’m hesitant to add actual screenshots or too many long-running excerpts from people’s comments, since I know not everyone is comfortable with what they say being aired in a relatively public setting like this, but let’s see how to show some appreciation anyway. I’ve given excerpts where I can, too.

Here’s a couple commenters and comments that stuck with me, over time. I don’t actually know if all of you are on tumblr, but if you (or anyone else who recognizes you) are here and happen to see this, hit me up so I can tag you properly? *winces* Sorry for how long this got, guys, I found it really difficult to control myself!

MidnightCharm18188, whose comment on He Says She Says made me almost ridiculously happy. The fic was written when I was a lot younger and a lot more confused about my own orientation, etc., so having someone show up and tell me it felt like a relatable and realistic description of asexuality made me very relieved. And made it easier to consider writing other asexual takes on characters, like Tsuna in Cloud!Tsuna, well after this fic was posted.

@typervoxilations (here’s hoping this is actually your tumblr, since I’ve only interacted with you on ao3) - she’s shown up on a bunch of my KHR fics and dear god, comments like hers make me happy to be a writer. Long, ramble-y, filled with lots of thoughts about the canon and how it relates to the fic, and seemingly ready to throw ideas back and forth any time. *grins* Bless you for whatever you’ve said to me till date, friend, even if we don’t talk as much as we used to!

@msleilei for what they said on my fic On Courting, and actually leaving a review on both ffnet and ao3. Angsty X27 really is rare these days, isn’t it. Or it used to be, at least. There were so many oddly fluffy X27 fics coming out around the time I posted this fic, so your comment made me laugh out loud. *grins*

Like...dude. I'm just sitting here, browsing through the list and I saw an angsty X27 and I'm like, that's rare nowadays so I'm curious and holy mother of god I didn't even stay for the X27, I'm mostly impressed with how you told their story and how you built the world... it's fucking amazing I mean seriously. Ugh. I can't even express myself properly

Hope for what they said on my fic On Courting, because it managed to capture so many thoughts I had in my head while writing the fic.

Therefore this story is in all honesty the very antipodal of what I loved about the series. It's raw in the most honest and inconceivable way whether it be about the workings of the mafia or in the portrayal of the emotional and mental damage experienced by the individuals all originating from the strain of the mafia. The story is intricate with layer upon layer in ways the manga never was, the characters are no more two dimensional than me or you, they exude complexity, unprecedented. So when I read it for the first time months ago, it left me utterly taken aback. It was everything I hadn't sought out in the manga, but I loved every single damn thing about this story.

Friend, even if you never see this post, you made me happy to have posted that fic. Since it’s the first purely KHR fic I ever wrote.

Tripucchi, whose comments make me scream when they show up. Every damn time, seriously.

Witch of Perception, who’s left comments on even my weirder fics. Thank you for everything you’ve said, I grin rather happily whenever I see a comment from you pop up. Especially this one from Expectations, though, because it was one of those fics that I really hesitated to post. For obvious reasons, I think. And this comment made me happy to have bitten the bullet and posted it.

To be quite honest, I mostly read this because you wrote it. It wasn't something I'd have clicked on without some other incentive (in this case, it's that I know for a fact that I've loved everything I've read of yours, so I was practically guaranteed good writing), for all that I really like the idea of this OT3-- but man am I glad that I did.

I adored this Byakuran's characterization, and her relationship with this Tsuna. I love that sharp edge that you gave to this Tsuna, too, and the in-between conversations the two had, and what worldbuilding they gave. The Guardians' bickering and bantering was fun; I loved this Kikyou... and this Gokudera and Yamamoto. Basically everyone and everything. So, all in all I'm very glad you posted this. I feel like there isn't nearly enough of this pairing, and certainly not enough of this OT3. Thank you for the story, and I look forward to the other one.

asoftheart, who left me with this gem in Amber Heart, the first part of my Cloud!Tsuna series.

Okay so I finally got around to reading this and god was it perfect! The more of your KHR pieces I read the more delighted I become. I feel like I'm discovering Lys Ap Adin and Branch's works all over again!

Do I need any more reasons to want to squeak with joy about it? Do I? No, I don’t think I do. And yet the rest of your comment made me squeal loudly anyway.

Temper Tantrum and narue naru chan, for leaving comments on all my KHR fics, one after another, in what seemed like a single sitting. I was watching my inbox with wide eyes and a lot of glee, guys, thank you for blowing it up.

StarryNightSkyinaBottle, for their comment on It Takes Two.

This story absolutely enraptured me, I was giddy the whole way through. The flow dragged me along for the ride and the feeling of dread and of loneliness broke my heart. When it was revealed that it was HDW!Tsuna taking over the whole time, I wanted to shout to the rooftops (but i shan't, bc it's 6:47am and I don't want to wake anyone up). I had a bit of an inkling when "Self sabotage. It had to be." popped up, that part also broke my heart, but it definitely opened the doorway to figuring out the whole story and I love you for that.

I haven’t had the chance to respond to you on ao3 yet, but here I am saying that your comment captures so much of what I was trying to put across in the fic. Thank you.

aHostileRainbow, for their comment on Age as Fireflies at Dusk, because it made me cackle rather maniacally. With a whole lot of empathy, too, because THIS IS EXACTLY HOW I REACTED TO OTHER WRITERS I KNOW GETTING INTO THE YOI FANDOM DAMNIT.

What the fuck am I doing here I am not in this fandom at all but you wrote an amazing SAO crossover and now I'm hooked and I DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR ANOTHER FANDOM YOU TERRIBLY TALENTED PERSON. This is unfairly lovely.

bonehandledknife(lady winter)’s comment on c.02 of A Heart of Blades, which was a transcript of a real time chat they had with a friend while reading this chapter. I can’t even begin to describe how excited I was while reading this comment, seriously. I think I self-combusted with delight. And it’s sadly not in a format conducive to excerpts, and is probably too long to screenshot to share here. Friend, I suspect I might have scared you off with my exuberance, but know that the comments you left on this fic made me very happy.

hundredpercentwool’s comment on c.02 of A Heart of Blades.

...This image signals what the dynamics of their relationship will be like in the this AU, with Victor being Victor, but Yurri being more of a pillar of strength that Victor can lean on. I do think that they can or will be alternatively leaning on each other for their various weaknesses and personal demons. In Canon, Yuuri leaned on Victor more than the other way around and it was Victor descending to Yuuri from the heavens like some divine being to be his coach. But in this AU, it was more like Yuuri appearing to Victor in his numb despair, like a Muse appearing to an artist, and Victor really throwing himself after Yuuri because Yuuri seems to have some kind of secret strength about him that amazes Victor.

This is just an excerpt, but this comment helped me cotton onto something that I hadn’t actually noticed while writing the fic myself! Talk about comments that are inspirational and food for thought, whoof. Thank you so much, Elaine.

@onceabluemoonwrites, whose comments leave me with an unhealthily red face and a heart full of joy. How in the world am I supposed to give any excerpts of your comments, friend, you build them so well with fic-excerpts and gifs and reactions and- aaaah.

@voxofthevoid, for their comment on With War Drums Blazing. We didn’t actually know each other too well when you left this comment, D, so in retrospect I know exactly why you reacted this way to it. But I’d just been happy to get a comment that captured what I loved about the idea, back then. *grins*

I adore the altered dynamic here and am glad to hear it's high on your list on probable long fics. Yuuri as Death is a wonderful concept and his softer and sharper sides are wonderful representations.

Viktor, with that weird blend of efficiency and remorse, makes a fascinating character and it's amazing how much you've packed into these few thousand words.

And, obviously, @insanescriptist, who’s probably the singular cause of the majority of my weirder KHR fic ideas. Including the ones that I haven’t actually managed to finish writing and posting yet. I hope I’ve made obvious just how much fun I have throwing ideas back and forth with you, friend. SO much fun. I can’t even mention individual comments - I love them all. And they feel like a conversation, anyway, so it’s probably redundant to mention individual comments...

Again, thank you everyone who’s left me comments on my fics! Even if I haven’t mentioned you by name here, I read every comment I get. And they all make me squeal and flail in happiness. And make me run about telling everyone who’ll listen about the lovely words I’ve received. I mean, look at all you lovely people, taking the time to talk about why you like what you’ve read. You’re all so-

For all that my responses have slowed down because of ill health, as mentioned above, I hope to get back to all of you! Tumblr seems to be making me a bit more active and interactive, at the least, so there’s that. *awkward grin*

#ficwritersweek #day one #katekyo hitman reborn #yuri!!! on ice #khr #yoi #comments #i appreciate each and every one of you guys #you're so kind to me #even if ive gotten terrible about responding #i will respond #i will #reader appreciation #harry potter #hp #tagging that even if there's only one fic mentioned from that fandom #stop with the self flagellation adel #this is supposed to be a happy post

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itsclydebitches · 7 years ago

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Preacher Summer Secret Santa Gift: A Three Flower Bouquet

Title: A Three Flower Bouquet

Summary: Jesse's said before that their lives resemble the start of a bad joke: an ex-preacher, a rich wedding planner, and a foul-mouthed bum all walk into a flower shop...

Fandom: Preacher

Words: 4,574

Warnings: None (except maybe cursing, but if that bothered you you wouldn’t be watching this show lol)

Pairings: Jesse/Cass/Tulip

Where to Read it: Below the cut or on AO3 (AO3 recommended for formatting)

A/N: Hello, @homelygrantaire!! I come bearing a gift! Just so you know I had a blast writing an OT3 flower shop AU, so I really hope you enjoy this little present. Happy Summer Secret Santa!

A Three Flower Bouquet

Week One

Jesse had once read in National Geographic that there were only six degrees of separation between him and every other person on Earth. A friend's colleague's niece's kindergarten buddy grew up to be the wife of the barista who once served the President a cappuccino, that sort of deal. He'd never put much stock in that kind of science-y nonsense, though it might go a long way towards explaining how the hell the three of them kept ending up in here together.

A former preacher, a bum, and a renowned wedding planner all walk into a flower shop...

"We're the beginning of a bad joke," Jesse muttered, hefting his watering can like a pistol. He aimed it at Tulip's head. "What can I do you two for?"

"I need BIG flowers," Cass said promptly at the same time that Tulip went, "The Montoya order." They turned to glare at one another. Jesse just shook his head.

And so the day began.

***

The first time Tulip walked into his shop she was all figurative fire and brimstone—except for the literal fire at the end of her cigarette. She'd commanded the small space with all the ferocity of an army general, laying out a series of rare and rather large orders that she'd need from him within the coming months. At no point did she give her name—which, Jesse would come to learn later, was because she assumed everyone should already knew it—and paid him no heed when Jesse insisted that this was too large a job for his small, out of the way establishment.

She needed tulips, dammit, and she needed them now.

Jesse had been wrist deep in soil at the time and he’d felt is oozing between his fingers, this woman already grating on his nerves, spine, and driving a steak straight through to the back of his skull. He had to take a deep breath and deliberately release his fists, lest he crush the fragile roots just a hairsbreadth below. Jesse turned with a smile.

"I've got some," he said, probably sounding less amiable and more like he was constipated. While passing a kidney stone. God he hated these richie-rich types. "I've also got a contact an hour out who can make up the rest, but it'll take a bit. Really, ma'am, you're better off hitting a larger store."

The look she'd turned on his was pure in its intensity. Jesse's shop was filled with a color and life that didn't belong in Annville's desert, but this woman didn't belong in his shop, not with that sharp tailored suit and three-inch heels. She'd torn the sunglasses from her face and for the first time Jesse got a look at searing black eyes.

"I'm Annville born and bred," she drawled. "I'm loyal."

Jesse couldn't help punctuating her words with a disbelieving laugh. "You're Annville?"

"Fuck yes I am, you got a problem with that?" And one hand curled into a waiting fist, actually rearing back in preparation.

Oh damn. She was Annville. Alright.

Jesse had raised his muddied hands in surrender and went behind the counter to clean up, getting the order forms ready as she prattled on about her work as a wedding planner, her name in the magazines, how the flowers had best be fresh despite the climate because the Livington's were not an easygoing couple.

Jesse weathered her prattling about wanting whites, or maybe pinks, no, wait, maybe something two-toned, and each time she changed her mind it was another scratch out with the pen. By the time he actually got to flip the order around for her to sign it Jesse had determined that small town pride and stunning good looks didn't make up for this kind of nonsense.

Except then she signed Tulip O'hare and suddenly Jesse's day was fantastic.

"You're a Tulip," he said slowly, "in need of tulips..." Jesse looked up with a stunning grin and Tulip, bless her, just rolled her eyes instead of decking him good.

"Yeah, like I've never heard that one before." She threw his pen back on the counter. "I'll be here next Thursday. You'd best have my flowers."

"You doubt me?"

"Oh good god yes."

He'd laughed because yeah, their 'good god' had doubted him too and Jesse had eventually decided that growing things was better than sticking a dead, white collar on his neck every morning. He'd shed his chain like some kind of dog, mangy and still a little bit feral. But now Jesse had bright colors, heady scents, and the picture of someone like Tulip O'hare just begging that he come through for her. Jesse let his eyes follow the sharp lines of her bodyand thought that he could get used to this kind of clientele.

"Thursday then," he agreed. "It's a date."

"It's definitely not."

Tulip had put her cigarette out in his potted iris and honestly? If it had been anyone else Jesse would have had them leaving his store in pieces.

But she was something entirely.

***

Cass was something else too. Holy shit.

Jesse rubbed at his forehead, unconcerned that he was smearing soil over his skin. What had begun as a headache had blossomed (ha) into a migraine of epic proportions, all due to the skinny little twerp half sitting on his counter. Cass had come in for the first time exactly 69 minutes after Tulip left—a fact Jesse only knew because he was that obsessed with when he could close shop—and if that number didn't encompass the man's entire being, Jesse didn't know what would.

He'd known Cass for a handful of seconds. It was one handful too much.

"Back up," Jesse said. He sighed. "You want a cactus?"

"Yep."

"But mine are too pretty?"

Jesse gestured to the small collection of cacti sitting over by the windowsill, most of them in teeny-tiny pots that people found cute and not too intimidating to take care of. They still weren't overly popular though. People could see dry, prickly brush on their way to work everyday, or outside their bedroom window, free for the taking. No, they came to Jesse for the lush and the colorful, things he either had to import or that he grew himself, so slow that sometimes it was hard to part with them. No one in Annville wanted to buy a freaking cactus.

Except this asshole.

"Look at 'em!" Cass said. His voice held enough indignation that Jesse did look again, half expecting the view to change. "They're stupidly pretty. All fuckin' green an'... an' small." Cass pushed his hands palm to palm to demonstrate their smallness, looking pretty angry about it.

Jesse just stared. "...thank you?"

"It won't do. How they hell am I supposed to give Laura somethin' like that? She'll think I actually like her." Cass shook his head despairingly. "The fuck am I supposed to do now?"

That day had felt like something straight out of the Twilight Zone. Jesse was a small town boy with a small town business and he'd gotten used to his routine over the years. That routine sure as hell didn't include a stranger than normal customer, let alone two back-to-back... and yet, let it never be said that Jesse Custer couldn't roll with the punches.

"One sec," he said.

Jesse's backroom was a mess of tools, soil, and vegetation. On his bench was a pot of very dead petunias, the poor things all shriveled and brown. It wasn't his fault the damn things were finicky in this weather and honestly Jesse wasn't bemoaning the loss of those pink flowers, not when they were that cheap to come by. The plan had been to take back the pot and move on. Now Jesse snagged the whole thing, a few dead leaves trailing behind him.

He set the pot down in front of Cass. "This Laura of yours... she the one down at the auto-shop?"

"Yeah! One in the same."

"That woman's a piece of work."

"You're telling me."

"So how about giving her this?"

It was surreal to be presenting that run-down plant like it was something actually worth selling, but sure enough Cass' eyes lit up at the prospect. In that moment Jesse saw the whole situation clearly, how a man like Cass might think that breaking things off with a shitty gift—rather than just some good, old fashioned honesty—might be the way to go. Decked out in a whole collection of ratty clothes, Cass looked like the kind of creative asshole you only ran into once in a blue moon. He wore at least three torn shirts that as a whole nearly succeeded in covering his chest. His jeans were colored over in marker, like a freaking middle schooler's, and that was definitely weed doodled down on his left knee. The only reason Jesse knew his name was because Cass had a "Hello! My name is ____" sticker plastered on his stomach and he could only guess where he'd picked that up. Maybe one of the church's monthly events. It would fit. Jesse was pretty sure the guy was homeless. He kinda smelled homeless.

"I had my heart set on a cactus," Cass sighed. "But I guess a dead thing is better than just a looks-dead thing. Here," he rummaged in his jeans and pulled out three super wrinkled dollars, jellybeans, and a nearly empty packet of Camels. "Does this cover the shit you weren't even planning to sell?"

Jesse raised an eyebrow as he slid the offering across the counter. He left the jellybeans. "How were you gonna pay me if you wanted the cactus?"

"Duh. Was gonna pay you with a kiss. Gotta move on sometime, don’t I?"

Cass winked, grabbed his dead plant, and sauntered out the door with what he probably thought was a seductive strut. Despite the absurdity, Jesse did find himself staring at Cass' ass.

"Aw hell," he said.

***

Week Five

In the two years since he'd chucked the collar, beat up a few old contacts, collected their funds, and started up his shop, Jesse hadn't seen anyone of particular interest come through the door. Emily often came in on the church's behalf, asking for whatever was fresh and cheap to put up front. Jesse honestly didn't know if she did that because they really didn't have the funds, or because she couldn't stand to look at him long enough to actually choose something herself. Probably both. She'd taking his defrocking worse than most.

Others mostly picked up flowers on their way to and from service. For their windowsills. Their gardens. Local weddings, funerals, stupid boys looking to make up with their girls (of which Cass was in the obvious minority). Jesse had resigned himself to a life of flower mediocrity until those two assholes had plowed through at sixty miles an hour.

It wouldn't have been so bad if they didn't keep showing up together.

"I thought you ran a clean establishment, Jesse."

Tulip said it with all the rancor he'd come to expect of her, looking none too subtly at Cass’ grimy attire. A month had passed since she'd grudgingly complimented the tulips he'd provided and in that time she'd no more warmed to Cass than she had to dressing down. Today was a blue, pleated skirt; bright yellow top; killer heels and jewelry fine enough that it could probably feed Jesse for the rest of his miserable life.

Tulip kept a healthy distance between her fine clothes and Cass' scruffy self.

"It's a flower shop," he said. "These things grow in dirt." Cass shook a nearby plant for emphasis. "Manure, luv. Or does your fancy little life not cover some literal day-to-day shit? If you do go is it on a porcelain throne?"

Jesse slowly and carefully leaned his head into his palm. It wouldn't do for Tulip to see him laughing.

He had to hand it to her though, she was a master of manipulation. Tulip kept scrolling through her iPhone, occasionally holding up some pic or another against one of Jesse's flowers, typing out some notes, took a pic of her own... it was only after three long, agonizing minutes had passed that she looked up and said blandly, "Sorry. Did you say something?"

"Jesus fuckin' christ."

"Better question." Jesse raised his hand like a schoolboy. "Are you two assholes actually going to buy something?"

"I like your orchids," Tulip said, for the first time actually taking her eyes off Cass. "But I think they're a little classy for the Taitts. They're humble folk, you know? They need something bright with those white table cloths, just nothing that's going to distract from Laura's dress—it's not a very nice dress, can't afford anything more eye-catching. I do worry about the bridesmaids upstaging her—so maybe those sunflowers. Yeah, over there..." She completely missed Cass 'yapping' with his hand behind her back.

"I've only got enough for five vases," Jesse warned.

"That's fine. Humble, like I said. They've only got enough people for five tables anyway."

As Tulip rummaged for her credit card Cass slipped to the floor (he'd been sitting on the table with the lilacs, a smudge of pale brown amongst all the purple) and sauntered up behind Tulip. Like a kid faced with a dog, too stupid to know he'd get bit, Cass curved his hands around her waist and leaned into Tulip's back. He pressed briefly there before peeking out over her shoulder.

Except miracle of fucking miracles, the pretty doggie didn't bite.

"Uh," Jesse said.

"You better be cleaner than you look," Tulip muttered, still shifting through her purse. Cass waved his arms in demonstration and wow. He was clean. Relatively, at least. Jesse was still trying to re-boot his brain when Tulip said, "Ah!"

"No, no." Cass pushed her wallet back down. "This is on me, luv."

Tulip scoffed. "You can pay for five bouquets?"

"Well, not in the traditional sense, but Jesse and I have got a tab going, don't we?"

They most certainly did not. Cass' 'tab,' established after his first dead-plant purchase, consisted of promises he never kept and a pair of lethal puppy-dog eyes he wielded with precision. Over the last few weeks Jesse had given the man not perfect, but still serviceable flowers in exchange for all sorts of stupid trinkets and words. He liked to think that he gave Cass lilies and irises because he felt bad for the freeloader. It probably had more to do with Cass' obscenely pouty lips.

He was pouting right now, clearly begging Jesse to help a guy out. His arm moved numbly and somehow (dammit) Jesse ended up signing over the month's largest order for free.

"Enjoy," he said automatically, still staring at Cass' hand wrapped just under Tulip's breast. There were 'thank you's and sly glances and when they finally left the shop, Jesse followed them like the scoundrel he was. An apron, muck boots, and pollen dusted t-shirt sort of ruined his look though.

Still, Jesse could move silent when he needed to and what he found in his spying were his two favorite customers hoofing it to Tulip's Fiat 124 Spider, a car so fucking immaculate that it had no place on Annville's dusty streets. It seemed a shame then for the two of them to immediately start defiling it, both literally and figuratively: Tulip hiking Cass up onto the hood of the car, straddling him as he kept them balanced, the kiss that sent flecks of spit down to sizzle on the paint job, Cass' muddied boots leaving streaks on the tire. It wasn't any voyeuristic guilt that finally turned Jesse away. Just the disappointment that neither of those figures were him.

Of course, all that changed when Cass came back twenty minutes later.

"Crush my sunflowers in your enthusiasm?" Jesse muttered, forgetting for a moment that good, respectable businessmen didn't follow their customers out of doors and watch them going at it like bunnies on a sheet of hot metal. He ducked his head over seed packets and thus missed Cass turning the little sign from 'open' to 'closed.'

In fact, Jesse determined not to notice Cass at all until he was making himself at home between his legs.

Cass dropped to his knees and looked up with a rakish grin. If there was a god in this world maybe he wasn't so disappointed in Jesse's career change after all.

"Told you I'd pay you back," Cass said. He pinched a mouthful of jeans between his teeth and tugged, running hands up under apron and shirt. "Just didn't say how, now did? Think this'll clear up my tab?"

The answer Jesse gave was tangled as a vine because by then Cass was pulling down the zipper, palming the wet spot on Jesse's jeans, breathing deep like he enjoyed the scent of both of them together. Jesse gave up on words entirely and when he looked up there was Tulip standing just outside the storefront, watching them with a cigarette between her lips. There was a sunflower in her hair. She caught Jesse's eye and winked.

"Fuck you both," Jesse muttered, tugging hard at Cass’ hair.

He pulled off only for a moment. “Pretty sure that’s the point, eh?”

***

Week 13

So. Those two showing up at the same time—probably not a coincidence after all.

"Do you even like each other?" Jesse asked one Saturday morning, re-potting a Peperomia. "Do you like me? I'm honestly curious."

"You're serviceable," Tulip said as Cass licked his finger and made a sizzling sound. Right. Jesse didn't know why he bothered. It wasn't like any of them were built for straight answers, the kind of lovey-dovey declarations you got in the movies and on TV. Besides, didn't actions speak louder than words and all that shit?

If they did, their actions told Jesse that they were both complete and utter assholes. Also that they had nowhere better to go.

"This place is awful on my allergies," Tulip moaned, pulling a Kleenex from her purse. "And I was supposed to Skype with a potential client an hour ago." She checked her phone and shrugged, too lazy to move from the tiny chair Jesse had dragged out from the back room. Tulip flapped her hand at her face in a sad attempt to start up a breeze. "And your air conditioning sucks."

"Non-existent," Jesse countered. "Its been busted for weeks. The hot house stuff likes it, but..." He trailed off, staring at Cass who'd scrounged up an ancient GameBoy. He leaned against Tulip's legs and periodically peeled her skirt off of his bare back. It was that kind of heat. "Hey. You could fix the damn thing. Earn your keep if you're gonna hang out here all day."

"No," Tulip said. She kept fanning her face, eyes closed.

"Maybe," Cass said. Which meant 'no.' Dammit.

"Excuse me?"

The three of them turned as an older woman snuck in through the door, opening it so slow and careful that the bell barely rung. Her nerves didn't seem to ease when she spotted Cass and Tulip. If anything, she looked like she wanted to sneak back out.

"Welcome to Flowerworks," Jesse said, hurrying up to the front. "Sorry. Ignore them. They're just friends of mine."

"Is that what we are?" Tulip murmured and Jess flipped her the bird behind his back. The client latched onto his arm as Jesse carefully guided her away from his two fools. Her hand was brittle and fluttered like a bird against his arm.

In fact, the entirety of her looked frail, too thin and breakable for a place like Annville. Hair that was white and thin as cotton candy waved about her shoulders, and her dress—powder blue with a sensible belt—hung on her awkwardly, too big despite the 'XS' tag Jesse could see peaking out from the collar. She looked like a good breeze or a decent curse would send her topping to the ground, and Jesse hurried her over to the remaining chair next to the chrysanthemums, lest she fall and break something here where awful things like suing might get involved. Jesse then took a healthy step back once she was settled. Old people gave him the creeps.

"It's good of you to come in, Mrs...?"

Her mouth worked silently. The woman looked up at Jesse and her expression told him that he'd said something unexpectedly shocking, crude even. Finally, she smiled, but it was a small, awful thing.

"Sawyer," she said. "But I suppose it's 'Ms.' now. My husband died last night."

Behind him, Jesse heard the strangled noise that Tulip made and Cass' tiny "...aw shit." Mrs. Sawyer didn't seem to hear. She reached out a bony hand and gripped the edge of Jesse's apron, the parody of a small child and her mum.

"Howard needs white lilies," she said urgently, gaining some energy. "Although, yes, he never expressed any interest in flowers. Said they were commercial gimmicks. What's the point in spending money on something that's just going to die?" Her voice broke hard on the last word. "But they're coming for him later and I can't leave his grave bare I just can't I—"

"We have lilies," Jesse interrupted gently. He gripped her hand." Plenty of white."

"I woke up next to him," Mrs. Sawyer said. "I've done that every morning,” and all at once she sobbed and put her head between her hands.

This wasn't the first time Jesse had dealt with a distraught customer, but usually they were more composed than this: just slight, hiccupping cries or silent tears that slipped down the cheeks. He was used to anniversaries and useless birthdays, not the immediate aftermath. He floundered, turning to Cass and Tulip, only to find that their support was already underway. Tulip left at a brisk walk to the café down the street, returning with tea and plenty of chocolates. Cass filled the silence with any sort of prattle that seemed to soothe her. As Jesse bundled his best lilies in a black bow, he heard him telling Mrs. Sawyer that he'd once been a preacher. When she looked up with a disgusting amount of hope Jesse couldn't meet her eye.

Mrs. Sawyer left with their awkward condolences. She didn't pay a cent.

"Fucking hell," Cass said. He leaned into Jesse's shoulder as Mrs. Sawyer shuffled out of view.

"Yeah," Tulip agreed.

"What a mess she is. Like a broken doll or somethin'. It's fucking awful." He lit a cigarette with shaking fingers and for once Jesse didn't yell at him for getting smoke around his flowers. Cass took a draw, passed it to him, and Jesse next passed it to Tulip. Cass blew the smoke up at the ceiling, nice and slow.

"Think that'll be us someday?" he asked.

"Can only hope so."

***

Week 27

Flower shops felt like they were always standing still. There was something about the slow growth of the plants, the heady scents that added a dream-like atmosphere, and the contrast to the outside world that made it all... removed. Despite flipping the 'open' sign to 'closed' each evening, Jesse had the distinct feeling that time never actually passed here. Maybe it was a quality that all stores possessed. Maybe it was just his.

Or maybe it had something to do with Tulip kissing him.

"Hey, hey, hey," she pulled back and pinched Jesse's side, merciless. "Don't fuck up the hair. I've got a video call at 2:00."

"Plenty of time to fix it," Jesse murmured, starting in on her neck instead.

"You obviously know nothing about hair care."

"I know some other things though..."

Tuesdays were always slow for some reason and Jesse felt no guilt in dragging Tulip to the back room, especially not after she'd been gone two weeks, supervising a wedding in Oklahoma. She's brought back a sweat-stained invitation and a piece of stale cake that Cass had still eaten with relish. He'd gone out to 'work' (hustling the locals at poker) while Tulip had remained.

She was something to behold now, stretched out across his table, her skirt hiked up and her shirt pulled down. Cass was quick blowjobs behind the counter and late night secrets he’d never admit to in the morning. Tulip was slow and worshipful. She gave you nothing but absolute focus. It was rare for any of them to end up in an actual bed.

Jesse slid off the end of the table so he could put his mouth to work below. Tulip's thighs were the color of his soil, stretch marks pale like veined leaves, she trembled as gently as a petal.

He stupidly wanted to tell her that she was prettier than any flower in this store. Jesse knew she'd kick him for it.

Panting, Tulip propped herself up on one elbow and grinned. She reached behind her, fumbled, and snapped off the plant nearest to her. It was a little spring of aster.

"Got you a flower," she whispered.

"You stole it from me."

"Do you care?"

He really, really didn't.

***

Week 52

Six degrees of separation. They couldn't brag about knowing the president or the pope, but fate had certainly brought three distinct people together. More importantly, it refused to let them go.

"We should go on a trip." Cass said it with all the enthusiastic optimism of a toddler. "Just fuckin' drive outta this joint for a while. You know, see the sights, take in the open road, go all the way to the sea." He raised his hand and squinted, the horizon just beyond his reach.

Jesse snorted. "And who's paying for this idiotic romp?"

"Don't need no cash. You just drive an' shit. Take whatever you're given."

"Just drive," Jesse said. "With that gas you can't pay for. On the food we can't buy—"

"Don't be a shit spoil-sport about it."

"I'm rich," Tulip offered. She looked up from her phone when the room was silent too long. "What? I am. So if we're going anywhere it's in something nicer than whatever beat-up trash you're picturing."

"A camper."

"Absolutely not."

"Where would we go?" Jesse asked, because suddenly it all seemed possible, in as much as the three of them ever planned for anything. Not just the trip either, but that they'd be around each other long enough for more trips. Vacations. Growing old. Life.

"Anywhere." Cass skipped around the room until he found the oxeye daisies. He plucked one and not for the first time Jesse marveled that he wasn't run out of business by these two.

"Who'd watch the store?"

Tulip shrugged. "Wait it out. Cancel orders for a while, sell what you have, give a few things to Emily. She can keep them in the church..." For once Tulip wasn't smirking or glowering his way. "It'll be here when we get back."

"Suppose it will," and just like that Cass knew he had won.

He slid back onto the counter, messing up papers and knocking the poor cash register nearly off the side. Cass twirled the daisy between his fingers before plucking off a petal.

"Hey!" but before Jesse got indignant, Cass spoke.

"He loves me, he loves me not. She loves me, she loves me not..."

Oh. Alright. So the three of them watched, confident in where they'd finally land.

#Preacher #AMC Preacher #Preacher Secret Santa #Jesse/Tulip/Cass #Preacherfic #yay posting gifts!

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