#i want to use this year to focus on some of the older wips/ideas that i never finished/started and get them out there

[dragon-tamer-1]

Finally getting close to finishing last year's Flighteningverse Week prompt writing! Man it took so long but I'm nearing the end of the writing!

[writer-haley-e]

I saw some other people doing a WIP questionnaire and I decided to join in and do it. No one tagged me to do this, I’m just doing it cause I want to.

I’m answering for my NaNoWriMo WIP (camp nanowrimo’s tomorrow! Anyone else participating?) which is a post-apocalyptic tragic fantasy where magic was released into the world causing mass death across the world. The MC, Nia, takes in a small horde of children and struggles to keep them fed and cared for while they’re also dealing with a magical world they know nothing about.

Now onto the questions:

1. What was the first part of your WIP that you created?

I first created the ending, which I can’t say without spoiling the story. But it’s a tragedy, and I thought of the ending that makes it a tragedy before any of the characters or worldbuilding or plot.

2. If your WIP was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

I have no idea, but it’s probably be something gentle-ish that reflects the more wholesome/lighthearted bits of the story.

3. Who are your favorite characters you’ve made? Why?

I really like the main characters brother, Andy, who in draft two will be getting his own POV! I know so much more about his character than what’s currently written into the story and I love him so much haha. He’s the kind of guy who always has snacks on him, though you probably won’t notice until he starts eating them. He’s got a girlfriend and baby daughter who he’s so sweet with and I will definitely be showing more of their relationship when I add in his POV to the story. Hes an extrovert who loves to make friends with as many people as he can, and is very ambitious. He does what he can to help others, and despite some of the things he does in the story and before it, he’s a pretty good guy.

I also love two of the child characters that the main character is taking care of, too. I didn’t portray them exactly how I liked in the first draft and will be fixing that in the rewrite. I love who I’m intending them to be haha. Theyre five year old twins, named Anna and Adam, and they’re pretty much always seen beside each other. Most likely because of anxiety after losing all the rest of their family outside their older sister. Anna ends up getting a power that impacts the whole end of the story and I feel bad for the weight she has to carry.

4. What other pieces of media do you think would share a fanbase for your story?

I’m not really sure about specific media’s, but people who enjoy the genres fantasy and tragedy would enjoy it, as well as post-apocalypse fans.

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your WIP?

Sticking to it to finish the first draft probably. I’m so close and I’m not letting myself put it on hiatus, especially because I really want to read the finished product. I enjoy reading my writing, but I have such a hard time finishing anything. I’m maybe 20k words away from finishing this first draft and I will get it done during camp Nanowrimo! Hopefully, at least.

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

There are a handful of chickens and goats, but they’re not very interesting. Just another source of food for the characters. There are mythical creatures, who may not count as animals but are pretty cool! Not to the characters, though. The mythical creatures are just more things to fear and struggle to live alongside.

7. How do your characters get around? (ex: trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

Walking or cars, typically. It hasn’t been so long since most of the world died and the gas is still usable, so they make use of it.

8. What part of your WIP are you working on rn?

I’m about two scenes away from act 3! Probably about 20k from the end and I’m excited to get it written! It’s the part I’ve been looking forward to writing since the beginning stages of planning.

9. What aspects of your WIP do you think will draw people in?

Probably the focus on non-romantic relationships. There’s some found family as well as reconnecting with biological family and friendships and all that. The main character does not have a love story, it’s not a romance. But the connections with the other characters are very important and I hope readers will enjoy it as much as I do.

10. What are your hopes for your WIP?

I hope to get it published one day, and have some kind of audience reading it. I genuinely think it will be an amazing story once finished, and I just want a few other people to think so too.

[fieldsofview]

Talk shop Tuesday in return 🫶

What inspires you to sit down and write? How do you brainstorm ideas for your work and what is the process of planning for WIP?

Oooooh so I think the first question has two different answers for me, so I'm going to answer that last. Also, fair warning this is a very rambling answer 😬

Brainstorming ideas usually happens (at least at the start) against my will. I think at my core I'm a storyteller more than anything else, and the majority of my hobbies over the years reflect that. I tend to just always be thinking of possible ideas and how I could tell them. I used to be really into the OC cosplay sphere on Tik Tok, I've always been both a D&D/TTRPG player and a GM, I used to be a YouTube vlogger back in HS, and, of course, I've been writing in some form or another since I was in elementary school.

The ideas just hit me, randomly, and I let them percolate in my brain because it's fun. Kind of like daydreaming, but with more of a focus on structure and building it into something.

Once an idea has enough of a form in my mind to be at least somewhat viable as a story - like I could pitch the summary to someone who's familiar with the medium and they would get my meaning - then I'll add it to whichever of my myriad of documents that has all my ideas in a place where I won't forget them. Kind of like tucking a book aside to read on a rainy day - I know it's there when I want to pull it out.

Picking something to start as a project is a little more fluid, but usually I have one of those above mentioned ideas that keeps creeping back into the depths of my brain over and over again until it reaches a point where I want to bust out my computer and actually start working on it. I start with a document where I just put every detail, large or small, related to that idea that I can think of. I call it my Brain Dump Doc and I have one for each larger project. Once all the things are out of my brain and on paper, then I can work on molding it into a structured outline and can fix the pieces together into a better narrative to fit the medium I'm working in.

From there, typically *starting* into the project is easy. Especially with writing, usually the idea has been in my head for long enough that I have a really clear picture of how it needs to start and can just put the words on the page in a fit of hyper fixation. This feeling comes and goes, though, with longer projects. I usually have some scenes that are really clear in my mind and then the in-between bits are fuzzier and take work to get through in a way that makes sense. It's also why I'm big on editing. I can get something rough down on the page and then come back to it 3 weeks later with fresh eyes in a way that let's me make it so much better.

I'm a writer who really needs to write linearly, so I have to work through those bits to get to the stuff I know well and am excited about. So sometimes writing really is a desperate push of staring at my screen and putting one sentence down in front of the other, trying to eke out a few hundred words. And other times I'll work through 5k in an afternoon because I'm on a roll. It varies, but especially with longer projects, I usually try to work on it several days a week, even if it's just chipping away in small sections.

I would like to say I write every day - but SMH has proven that I don't. I think I average 5days/week though. And the work shows, considering it's 140k and nearly done!! SMH has been an exercise in proving to myself that I don't have to get stuck in those lulling moments and I can push past them to finish a longer project. I used to have a really hard time with that, and I have a lot of projects that I've abandoned at the 15-40k mark over the years. But, now that I'm older and more aware of my own flaws, I've gotten better at making myself push through because I know the reward of finishing will outweigh any of the struggle of writing.

Thank you for the question and for giving me a space to ramble about my creative process!! <3

[blackbird-brewster]

💘Is there any posted fic you want to rework/re-edit/re-write?

🌈is there a fic that you worked *really fucking hard on* that no one would ever know? maybe a scene/theme you struggled with?

🌿how does creating make you feel?

🎉how often do you celebrate completing & posting a work? how often do you give yourself the credit/validation that you seek from others when you post? (if you don't, you should!)

Thanks for the ask!!! <3

💘Is there any posted fic you want to rework/re-edit/re-write?

Probably all of my early works tbrh. But I've decided to leave them be because AO3 is an archive not only for the main purpose of fandom creations, but also it acts as a sort of time capsule for authors who have been writing for a long time -- meaning, when I read my old works I get to see how far I've come as an author and that's really important to preserve. Although I would love to re-write some older stuff, I'm not going to because to me, preserving that writing in it's original form is really important to serve as a reminder of my progress as a writer.

🌈is there a fic that you worked *really fucking hard on* that no one would ever know? maybe a scene/theme you struggled with?

Oh godddddddddddddddd, You KNOW I'm gonna talk about [Between You and Me]. When I wrote the original one-shot, I decided to play around with flashbacks used to progress the narrative and build tension. It worked really well and I truly adored that formatting, but THEN I decided to expand this one-shot into what would become my 3rd longest fic to date. And in doing so, I chose to stick with the flashback format in every chapter. It was INCREIDIBLY TEDIOUS to plan the chapters with multiple timelines and threads that wove the story together. Thank goodness for you and Doom Them for always listening to me scream about how frustrating it was to plan that fic, especially since both JJ and Tara kept having other ideas about where the story was going. This is one of my FAVE things I've ever written and I think it's a damn shame more people aren't shipping JJ/Tara because 1) they're an amazing ship 2) y'all are missing out on this fic which is honestly fucking amazing.

🌿how does creating make you feel?

As an ADHD/Autistic who struggles with self-worth and tons of mental health shit -- creating feels AMAZING. I felt really lost the last couple of years, because it's the first time since I was 15 that I haven't had a job. I was fired from my dream career unexpectedly at the end of 2020 and I felt so aimless/worthless for the following couple of years. Then one day last July, I opened a new document and started writing again. I was terrified to try to do something I'd been completely unable to engage with in nearly seven years, but I wrote anyway. And like I said in the first reply, my first couple of fics after coming back are a bit rough around the edges and now when I read them, I can see how much I've grown even in the nine months since I started posting again. I'm extremely lucky to be able to write full-time now. I wake up, have breakfast, do my morning routine, then sit down at my desk and write all day. It's very much my 'job' now and when my routine gets interrupted, or I'm having a bad chronic pain day, or I can't write for whatever reason -- I get SO restless, cranky and irritable. Writing brings me endless joy, I love what I do for a living and I am just so grateful to be able to focus on my special interest full-time. I love how many amazing friends I've met over the past nine months, you all have brightened my life even further and I am forever in awe of all of you.

🎉how often do you celebrate completing & posting a work? how often do you give yourself the credit/validation that you seek from others when you post? (if you don't, you should!)

Oh goodness, celebrate is not the term I would use. For sure there is usually a bit of a proud moment when I look at a complete fic and get to move it out of my 'WIP' tag in Evernote, but I always end up getting what I call 'completion crash'. For the few days after finishing a long fic, I usually have no motivation to write and I feel really lost and sort of go through a mini-grieving process because I've gotten to know the characters and I've been so wrapped up in their heads for weeks or months at a time, it's difficult to say goodbye to them. In terms of being able to give myself credit and validation for doing incredible things...I'm still working on that bit.

[Send Fic Writer Asks]

[pat-the-togorian]

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

8! There are some much older titles on my FFN (14), but I've stopped posting new works there.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

43,798! Mostly thanks to month-long challenge attempts in Feb and April of last year! Otherwise, I write *very* briefly.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Star Wars currently! But in the past I've written for Legend of Zelda, Civilization V, Doki Doki Literature Club, RWBY, Octopath Traveler, Pokémon, Kung Fu Panda, and even one Hardy Boys parody fic! In the future, I want to do more with HTTYD and some of the others, likely in a gift fic request form!

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Tending to Togrutas - 61

Never That Normal - 39

The Silent World - 20

Skywalker Snared - 16

Pat's Febu-Whump 2023 (28 chapters) - 7

(OC fics and one-shots sure make the numbers uninspiring 😅

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

Yes, I love getting comments, especially from repeat commenters! I always try and thank them and let them know it means a lot. Engagement is priceless.

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

One of the individual chapters in Febu-Whump or Angstpril, most certainly. Leaning towards Chapter 23 of Pat's Febu-Whump, "You'll Have to Go Through Me," in which Pat witnesses several Clone Troopers, including one who terrorized him before he became a Jedi, sacrifice themselves for his sake; becomes Force-inhibited, and is presumed dead by his new found family.

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

Most of them do 🤣 But of the ones I have written, I'd say it's Never That Normal.

8. Do you get hate on your fic?

Not usually. Some of my old stuff got some anonymous reviews, but I'm pretty sure they came from one vindictive person, on personal reasons, rather than fic preference. Oh! And my Pokémon piece was caught up in Blades of Chance's crusade.

9. Do you write smut?

Nope!

10. Do you write crossovers?

I sometimes roleplay crossovers or toy with the ideas, but nothing that's complete enough to publish.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of! Help me out if so!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

It would be news to me! Although it would be an honor!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Yes, @sinvulkt, @ct2002-rema, and @asteral-feileacan consulted on their characters in the prompt challenge fics, and I'm officially co-authored with them and The Jedi Wayseeker on A Questionable Encounter. There are also a few fics with Venom Garage and @christina-stark-skarlet-stileto, such as Across the Stars.

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

I usually just stick with what's canon when reading, and I don't write a lot of romance on my own 😅For reading, though, I like Hiccstrid (HTTYD), Zelink (Legend of Zelda), Link/Orielle (LOZ: Skyward Sword), and laughing from afar at whatever madness my fellow roleplayers (...especially you, Rema...) come up with for their original characters!

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

Maybe my attempt at Angstpril 2023? Some of it is based on roleplaying game sessions none of us remember that well 😅I still hope to post what I did finish, but making it to 30 is unlikely.

16. What’s your writing strengths?

Mechanics, grammar, thesaurus and editing. I love editing (but I'm not taking new jobs rn sorry). I also love writing dialog and short, punchy descriptions.

17. What’s your writing weaknesses?

Sometimes I can make paragraphs too long or make scene transitions a bit vague. Also, when I have a strong internal conception, I don't always remember to explain it fully on paper. I also get caught up in high-school English level bad habits like never using the word "said," which makes my dialog tags laborious and distracting.

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

Never been fond of the idea of, for example, learning Mando'a. For Pokémon, or the dragons in HTTYD, or droids, I try to focus more on their body language, movements, and the mood of their nonverbal vocalizations. I'll mention when people/sentients switch to another language, but requiring the reader to understand the language or translating it directly on the page removes readers from the moment, in my opinion.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

My first fic ever published was for Legend of Zelda! It's only on FFN, titled Shared Memories. The first fanfiction I ever attempted to write was for Wreck-it Ralph (being the first ever work of fanfiction I stumbled across) but alas, I was 14 when I wrote it, and I'm grateful I didn't publish those awkward beginnings.

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

For its sheer merit and the (relative) acclaim it's gotten, I'd choose Gift (Guardians of the Galaxy, on my FFN).

For the experience, Pat's Febu-Whump 2023. It brought out the long-hidden roleplayer in me, deepened my friendships with the creators of the other characters, and has even been printed out by @sinvulkt ! I got to autograph it for them and it was a huge honor! It was a proud finish, and I'm forever grateful to my team and all the reviewers from @fanfictasia.

Speaking of whom... @asteral-feileacan and @christina-stark-skarlet-stileto, would you like to take the same interview? Anyone else is also more than welcome to keep the chain going!

20 Questions For Writers

Wow, thank you so much for the tag @fanfictasia !! I've wanted to participate in something like this forever!! 🎶✨️✨️

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Right now? 66.

"Yes, as a star wars writer, I am very proud of that. No, I do not intend to change it anytime soon."

I really need to focus on (and finish) some of my WIPs, and that mean trying not to disperse my energy amidst one shots (no matter how much i love monthly challenges and fic exchange events). Also I'm very proud of that 66 count and want to appreciate it xd.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

321k words!!

(More or less 100k / year 🎶 little me would never believe that 0.0

My school exam results sure don't, with how they are dropping 🤣)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Star wars mostly (Vaderkin or my OC Sinvulkt), then Marvel (Dr Strange), Dream SMP (Dream), Le Visiteur du Future (Renard) and more recently Batman (Bruce Wayne) as well as Avatar: the last airbender (Zuko).

Plus the original stories I am supposed to write but almost never end up doing xd (the engagement in fandom compared to original stories make the switch hard xd).

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

1. Dreamt of a Never Ending Sky (Dream SMP)

669 kudos

2. To Fly Free Under The Morning Sun (Star Wars)

480 kudos

3. On the Edge of Twilight (Star Wars)

380 kudos

4. Scales of Embers (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

353 kudos

5. Crash Landing on Space Australia (Star Wars)

319 kudos

I'll never know how my Dream SMP fic got so much engagement. Good timing at a moment the fandom was in effervescence, I guess. Scales of Embers scoring so high is also a surprise 0.0. I discovered it had that many kudos today. It’s a shame the Dr Strange fandom is small because I think my Dr Strange WIP What If Doctor Strange Lost His Humanity ? would have deserved a place here. It definitely does in my heart.

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

I try to! As a reader, I always feel super happy when the author shows that they’ve read and appreciated my comments. I know that personality an author who answers make me more likely to want to drop a comment.

As an author, I absolutely want to show how much I love every single comments, so I try to answer them all. But I get a little overwhelmed sometimes, bcs lots of other stuff going on irl or another reason. As such, it can happen that I don't feel the energy to answer a comment on the spot. And if I don't answer it on the spot (using the power of the wiggy dizzy nice happy feeling of getting a comment), I don't necessarily have the energy to answer later on. I currently have something like 60 unanswered comments I think? TT.TT

But rest assured that whether I answered or not, I absolutely adore and cherish every single ones!! Comments are amazing! ✨️.✨️

(This kind of engagement is one of the only reason I managed to settle into such an active rythm of writing after years of trying then dropping the hobby~)

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

Glance at my fics.

Uhhh... This is a hard question here... Many of them have angsty endings XD

Mostly the ones at the beginning (the worst written ones xd). I wonder why~

Also a lot of them don' have endings yet XD

I'll say amidst the 'old' fics from 2021, Day 8 - Screaming (Star Wars) would be the angstier one (or most horrible one ig xd).

But as far as recent fic go... While I haven't finished writing it bcs its wordcount exploded in my face, I already plotted / drafted it a few months ago and I know the ending, so I'll choose:

Batman’s Downfall (To Stand Alone) (Batman)

I noticed my kind of angst doesn’t have much success around these parts 🫠🤣. Oh well. I cherish it all the same :3.

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

Sometimes I think I wrote too many fics. It's hard to select one.

Uhhh... My fluffiest works are one shots in Of Feathers and Freedom serie, but they are part of the series so it’s not really an 'ending'.

...

I'll answer for the crackiest story rather than the happiest ending bcs all my finished fics ending are ominous open ending at best xd.

The Blob Adventures Of Excentrics Jedi (Star Wars)

Because it's cute blob drawings of our crazy team of OC in taaoej, and I love them (although we are all angst lovers in taaoej, so it's more crack-angst, and we don't know the ending bcs there isn't really one. Not yet at least. Hopefully never).

8. Do you get hate on your fic?

Just my own innervoice as far as I'm aware. But then I've always been rather clueless when people tried to 'hate on me'. The message usually just got lost somewhere in dreamspace immensity, never computing.

I've found the fandoms communities really welcoming at the very least!!

9. Do you write smut?

No.

I don't really enjoy reading smut. Nor romance for the matter. I don't think I'd enjoy writing it.

But maybe I'll try one day, for the sake of experimenting all genres.

10. Do you write crossovers?

I never did. I don't know why. Maybe I just never felt the need to mix characters and universes. There are amazing crossovers out there though, so who knows, maybe one day I'll try one.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of. In all honesty, I don't think my works are nearly popular enough to get stolen xd.

My writing style isn’t that good yet, and my dislike of romance when the majority of the fandom community is ship-powered means I end up in a corner quite niche. (A corner I love, that being said. Yay Crack, Angst and Gen~)

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but maybe I'll translate some of mine in french someday. Be it only so that I do write fiction in my native language from time to time.

Anyone that wanna translate my fics, feel free to!!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Yes, To Fly Free Under The Morning Sun (Star Wars)!!

I’m still waiting for my co-author @purpleopossum to come back to me / get back in star wars mood to continue that one. 🫠

Can’t say my hopes are that high up after all this time, but it’s the redemption | healing part of the serie and I don’t really have fun writing alone redemption | healing part... i prefer doing the whole mayhem that create the injury in the first place. And with how long some of my fics hiatus are (and I got no excuse for those xd), it’s only fair for me to wait. (I did write more other works for the dragon Vader serie in the meantime xd).

I made an oath to myself to never leave a work unfinished though, so we’ll see. If in several years purple still doesn’t wish to continue it, or if she inform me she is dropping the story, I’ll try to make some kind of ending. It’s part of the game i guess.

Alternatively, the The Amazing Adventures Of Excentrics Jedi universe is a group of star wars OCs that we made together with @pat-the-togorian , @asteral-feileacan , @ct2002-rema and Xylian. I don’t know if that count as co-writing? We usually write our OCs pov.

But in all cases, co-writting is very fun and I’d definitely do it again if other opportunities arise in the future.

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

The absence of ship is my all-time favorite ship. Otherwise, "main character / digging their own grave" would be my 'favorite ship' since I tend to synch with idiots snarky jerks disasters.

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

To Fly Free Under The Morning Sun (Star Wars) that I mentioned for question 13? 🤣

More seriously, I'll answer On the Edge of Twilight (Star Wars)

Because it's my vent fic. I know the main plot line, I vaguely know the current arc, but no one can predict where the next arc will go. It's all pure impulse and while I have a vague idea of 'ending', I refuse to plan a path towards it. This fic specifically, I want to keep pure impulse. So I'd love for it to become some kind of "The NeverEnding Story". :3

16. What’s your writing strengths?

I write.

No seriously, it's not something I did four years ago appart from vent poems here and there. Writing is in itself a huge writing strenght!

Otherwise I'm also a bottomless well of idea. It's pretty neat.

17. What’s your writing weaknesses?

... romance?

Or dialogues. Lastly I have a lot of frustration around the transition from dialogue / transition / dialogue. I feel like I'm crap at properly timing that.

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

It's fun. I do it for games sometimes. Since apparently writing normally is not chllenging enough for my brain sometimes. It did teach me bits of mando'a.

Recently for Sēċan (Star Wars) I decided last minute to put the whole droid dialogue in morse, and I regret none of it.

I'm usually only doing it for one shots though, and never 'official existing' languages until now.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Star wars :p

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

Now that's another hard question, how am I supposed to select one.

I'm gonna answer the whole Of Feathers And Freedom (Star Wars) serie. Bcs wings. :3

Tag time~ (if you wish to)

@purpleopossum @pat-the-togorian @cinderfeather @beguilewritesstuff @purple-iris @dreaminghour @ravenite-void @trickstress333 @bluntblade @doctorgeekery @stewardofningishzida @jenae-0 @trickstress333 @kittonafoxgirl @pastelcourage @salparadiselost @kefalion @charlottevader @ravenstakeflight @starr234 @aelaer @sarcasticfirefighter @mckiwi @linzerj @sonderwalker @exomal @tonhalszendvics @nephilimswitchlight @firejay112 @only-here-for-the-star-wars @ajedilikehisfather @makaronik @chickadeechickadoo @dirtkid123 @numerousbees1106 @akizumy @25centsoda @udekai @wendingways @silvereddaye @in-company-of-misery @wisechaosglitter @kuraiarcoiris @alright-anakin @wyvunn you're more than welcome to join on the interview fun!! (Or to ignore the tagging if not interested xd).

I know I tagged. I lot of people. Some of you may recognise my pseud, some may not. But I thought it would be interesting to hear the answer of the various authors with whom I interacted on ao3 over the years, so I went and digged up those with tumblr I could find from my inbox 🤣

(Hopefully I didn’t bother any of you >.< - otherwise I apologize. Same for if I accidentally tagged a non-writer.)

I'd love to hear your answers! 🎶

[redmoonfever]

Thank you @slice-of-magenta for tagging me!

RULES:

post the top 5 works you’re most proud of that you released in 2022 (not necessarily your most popular)

your top 4 current WIPs that you’re excited to release in the new year

your top 3 biggest improvements in your writing (or art) over the past year

your top 2 resolutions (ways you wish to improve your writing/blog) for the new year

and your number 1 favourite line you’ve written this year!

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1. Top 5 works I’m most proud of:

Kiss It Better (Sciles): This was my first Teen Wolf fic and it was so fun to get to learn the characters better through writing, and who doesn’t love an adorable kid fic? I just found it so fun to try and capture their childlike innocence and how it begins to fade as they grow older.

The Bite (Sciles): This is the only full length fic I’ve written this year. I really like the werewolf Stiles human Scott AU so this is exactly that. It was fun to see how they’d interact differently with other characters when the roles were reversed. 

Friends Who Are Stars (Petekey): This is the last MCR fic I wrote before my Teen Wolf addiction began. I wrote this for an exam in school and I just really love the serenity that it holds. There’s kind of a peaceful hopelessness to it that I like.

As Proud as a Father (Scott + Peter): 1500 words of Peter manipulating Scott to join his pack. I feel like if Peter had taken a different approach with Scott he could’ve got what he wanted (not Scott killing but Scott being on his side). 

Bleeding Red (Sceo): This is a kinda more fucked up one. It borders on noncon because Theo is subtly manipulating Scott. I get so awkward writing smut so there is more focus on emotions than anything physical but I really like how it turned out.

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2. Top 4 current WIPs:

• A fic about Rafael learning about the supernatural and being rightfully outraged about how people have treated his son. Also focuses on Scott’s death,

• I want to write some more of the werewolf Stiles/human Scott AU, so probably some ficlets about how they interact with each other and others after the finale.

• I’ve also started a fic where Scott is the new kid instead of Allison in season one (minus the werewolf shenanigans). Though I’m still wondering if I should make it Scott/Stiles or Scott/Jackson (feedback on that would be appreciated 0.0)

• A fic about Liam’s guilt after the supermoon and him trying to explain to Scott that he’s allowed to be angry when all Scott does is reassure him it’s okay. 

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3. Top 3 biggest improvements:

• I feel like I’m getting better at writing characters true to themselves and how they speak/act.

• My fics are definitely getting a bit longer (though I can’t tell if that’s the novelty of a new fandom). Therefore focusing on themes such as hurt/comfort feel like more of a natural progression in the stories.

• I’m writing a lot more, getting better at coming up with ideas and laying them out before I lose them. (And I’ve stopped using so many commas @.@)

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4. Top 2 resolutions:

• Branch out and write more about other characters. Once I fixate on a character (in this case Scott), I find it difficult to focus on other people so I’d like to try and write about other characters also. 

• I’d like to write another full length fic and actually finish it instead of leaving it in the drafts.

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5. Number 1 favourite line:

This is definitely the hardest one to answer but I think I’m gonna go with

“He wanted them to know how relieved he had felt as his heart gave its last beat.”

Which is a line from Selfish Hate which is about Scott’s thought process when he goes to the hospital after his death. 

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Okay I’m pretty sure everyone I know of on here has already done this but @sees-writes @thiamsxbitch @domesticated-feral

[haztobegood]

My 2022 Fic Fest Participation

This went around last year and there were so many incredible fests throughout the year, so I’m bringing it back for 2022! I love seeing all the creative fests that this fandom comes up with. Thank you to everyone that modded fests and created spaces that inspired some amazing works this year!

Number of fests: 8

Numbers of fics: 8 out of the 13 I posted were written for fests and I also created art for 2 fic fests!

Favorite fest/fic: We're Getting Better With Time for the @1dsilverfoxfest. This fest inspired a ton of incredible fics with older characters that were very fun to read. My fic was about second chances and coming out later in life. I received so many lovely comments on this fic.

Fests you would love to do again this year (if they come back): I look forward to @wankersday and @1dtrickortreatfest every year! They are always a fun challenge.

Tagging: @disgruntledkittenface @reminiscingintherain @fallinglikethis @louandhazaf @allwaswell16 @lululawrence @uhoh-but-yeah-alright @beelou @kingsofeverything @jacaranda-bloom

A list of my creations and reflections is under the cut!

The Phantom Heart for @girldirectionfest NR, 500, Harry/Louis | Post Break-Up

I had this scene drafted in my wip folder for so long, it was meant to be part of a long, angsty getting-back-together fic based on a song, but I lost interest in writing it and I never thought it would see the light of day. When this fest was announced, this scene stuck out to me. I polished it up and really focused on trying to make the angst as heartbreaking as possible. And to challenge myself more, I kept it to 500 words.

That's What I Want  for @harryrarepairfest E, 4k, Harry/Lil Nas X | Mpreg

I knew I wanted to pick a very rare rare pair for this fest. It was based on Lil Nas X’s album promo and Harry’s apparent fascination with pregnancy. When I first got the idea for this fic,  I couldn’t decide which one in the pair should be pregnant. I laughed so hard when I finally figured out the plot for this. And for some reason, pancakes/waffles and syrup became a bit of a motif in my writing this year.

Hex Appeal for @wankersday E, 4k, Harry/Louis | Modern Magical Realism

I started writing this one in July of 2021. When the idea struck, I typed it all out in one night. The rough draft sat untouched until much closer to the fest, when I finished editing it. I have an idea for a prequel that I might try to write for the next round.

Close Our Eyes (Pretend We're Miles Away) for @1dastroficfest E, 5k, Girl Direction Harry/Louis | Thelma and Louise AU

I watched Thelma and Louise one night and I couldn't shake the feeling that I needed to write a girl direction au. I wrote out some of my favorite scenes and focused on finding a way to tell their story without so much focus on the deadbeat husband or the detective. When I received the tarot card prompt Judgment for this fest, I knew this fic was perfect. I used a lot of the imagery from the card in the final scene, as well as the growth of Harry's character throughout the fic to fit the prompt.

We're Getting Better With Time for @1dsilverfoxfest T, 5k, Harry/Louis | Second Chances

This fic came together so quickly, and I learned so much from the process of writing it. I got stuck about halfway through, frustrated because I kept thinking that the story would be told better if I could write a long slowburn fic. But I didn't have time for that. I had to shift my focus and the fic is stronger for it. I thought about all the elements I'd want if I were writing the long fic, and tried to show those elements in a sentence or two. It really improved my descriptions of Harry and his life, and created a much more layered story.

The Rescue for @1dtrickortreatfest NR, 666, Harry/Louis | Short Horror Story

I challenged myself to write something scary this year, and I think it worked. I didn't quite know where I was going with it until I wrote the last 100 words. Having such a short word limit is always a challenge, but creating strong emotions in a condensed space is a lot of fun.

It's All Come and Go for @louisrarepairfest E, 3k, Louis/Orville Peck | Truck Stop PWP

I picked this pairing because there were no other fics on ao3 with this pairing and I thought it would be an interesting challenge. I'd watched a stream of Orville Peck's Coachella set and before he played Drive Me, Crazy he said “Truck stops are like the original Grindr.”

Change of Plans for @1dchristmasfest G, 3k, Harry/Louis | Queer Platonic A/B/O Relationship

Two of the prompts submitted to this fest really stood out to me, and I used parts of both to create this. I was really interested in exploring the experience of an ace omega in an A/B/O world, and what that would mean for their partner as well. While I was writing, a post about queer platonic relationships was going around tumblr and that inspired the rest of Harry and Louis' relationship dynamic.

Art for they say looks can kill (and i might try) by @loveislarryislove for @1dreversebang M, 18k, Harry/Louis | Superheroes

This fic was inspired by my drawing of Louis that I submitted to the fest. I loved the idea of Louis being a vigilante named The Rogue and I decided to draw it in a futuristic, cyberpunk style. The fic that Annika wrote is amazing and brought the idea to life! I also drew this piece based on a scene from the fic.

Art for Baby, I Can Love You Better by @homosociallyyours

This collab was for @onedirectionbigbang and Megan's summary was so inspiring. I love drawing girl direction and I created a few pieces for their fic. I can't wait to read the rest and share my art when it is finished!

2021 summary

[aayakashii]

I'm gonna do this just because I want to hehe ₍ ⋅֊⋅ ₎⸝ all my answers are under the cut so I won't clog the dashboard

1. What song makes you feel better?

This one right here:

2. What is your go to comfort show?

Natsume Yuujinchou and Mushishi <3 fun fact, I chose the name Aya as my internet alias because I used to use ayakashi everywhere as my username and people began calling me Aya and it stuck lol

3. Reading or writing? Why?

Recently, writing because I like the feeling of putting my ideas onto paper and having other people add to them!!!

4. Whats your favorite feeling?

Lying down in my bed after showering right after I changed sheets, so everything smells clean and feels softer- ̗̀( ˶'ᵕ'˶) ̖́-

5. How do you like to take care of yourself?

By allowing myself to rest when I need it, even if I feel guilty about it. I would say eating treats too, but the guilt afterwards is too big for me to actually feel comfortable later 💀

6. What's your favorite candle scent?

I'm actually not sure because we don't really have scented candle culture here in Brazil... I do know that my fave incense is lavender though!

7. Who do you feel most like yourself around?

My real, actual friends (and most of them I've met online)

8. Whats a fabric/texture that's nostalgic for you?

Duvet!! When I was little I loved snuggling under duvets when the air conditioner was blasting

9. Best childhood moment?

Playing in a plastic pool in my backyard with my childhood dog while my parents listened to music and made barbecue :3

10. When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried? (or just felt really good afterwards)

Everytime I have a discord call with my best friend :D

11. Do you have a comfort item? Tell us about it!

My plushies, all of them are my comfort items!!

12. What calms you down?

My dog, she always manages to make me laugh and focus on her :')

13. Bath or shower to relax?

Shower because I don't have a choice, I don't have a bath 😭

14. Whats something upcoming that you're excited for?

I'm excited to get new lolita dresses soon!

15. Comfort food?

As for snacks: cookies. As for meal: sushi.

16. What's something you want to create soon?

All the fanfic wips on my drafts 😭 I mainly want to write for characters I usually dont write, like Ritsu, Luca and Kaito because I feel like I have neglected them lol but I might write a Lyca fic first since I'm dire need of some comforting 💀 I also want to write the next chapters of a few fics I got going on

17. How do you feel best loved?

When someone takes the time to watch or read or listen to something I like just because I like it. I think there's no bigger proof of love to me than actively getting involved with the things someone likes, just to know them better.

18. What age in life do you think you'll feel most yourself at?

I think I'm myself now and will keep being myself as I grow older.

19. Have you ever written or received a love letter?

Oh brother I've written plenty 💀 received none

20. Tell us about a memory you hold close to your heart.

Ummmm... my primary school's library at the early hours of the morning, like 6AM. The windows were open, it was still a big foggy due to the morning dew evaporating, the air was crisp, the birds were very loud and the room smelled like old books. I still didn't need to drown my thoughts with music at every single moment, so I just sat in silence and flipped through the pages of a few comics until everyone arrived.

21. Tea, Coffee, or hot cocoa?

COFFEE

22. Name of your favorite playlist?

tarot cards and iridescent crystals

23. Have you ever received flowers?

Naur

24. Who is your bestfriend?

A girl I met on twt who lives in another state and who's been my closest friend for 7 years now

25. If your soul was a color, what would it be?

I hope it's lavender! Just because it's my favorite color

26. If you could live anywhere with anyone you want, where would it be and who would you bring?

Maybe Ireland, or Scotland, or Australia, or Japan lmao I'd bring everyone I love obviously

27. Do you like to garden? Have you ever grown something?

I LOVE gardens but I'm awful with plants :( my dad is a great gardener though

28. What are you proudest of?

I think my whole family would like me to say I'm proud of being a physician, but if I'm being honest, I'm proud of being able to connect with people through what I write. I mean, yeah, I truly like being able to treat people, but nothing makes me happier than seeing people read my stuff and actually like it. It's something I've always wanted and I finally found the little niche I want to write for.

29. Are you a kind person?

Well I guess some people would disagree to this, but I try to be hahaha

30. What do your hobbies look like?

I like writing and doing embroidery (although it's been months since I last embroidered something...). I collect a lot of stuff too and I like building mini legos!

✨soft asks✨

What song makes you feel better?

What is your go to comfort show?

Reading or writing? Why?

Whats your favorite feeling?

How do you like to take care of yourself?

What’s your favorite candle scent?

Who do you feel most like yourself around?

Whats a fabric/texture that’s nostalgic for you?

Best childhood moment?

When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried? (or just felt really good afterwards)

Do you have a comfort item? Tell us about it!

What calms you down?

Bath or shower to relax?

Whats something upcoming that you’re excited for?

Comfort food?

What’s something you want to create soon?

How do you feel best loved?

What age in life do you think you’ll feel most yourself at?

Have you ever written or received a love letter?

Tell us about a memory you hold close to your heart.

Tea, Coffee, or hot cocoa?

Name of your favorite playlist?

Have you ever received flowers?

Who is your bestfriend?

If your soul was a color, what would it be?

If you could live anywhere with anyone you want, where would it be and who would you bring?

Do you like to garden? Have you ever grown something?

What are you proudest of?

Are you a kind person?

What do your hobbies look like?

[mdverse]

What are some of your favourite Glee ships and why? I'm thinking like... top five? Or more if you feel like it :)

ooh this is a fun one because anything after my top ship can and will change at the drop of a hat lmao

1: brittana

hopefully this will come as a shock to no one aksdjhfsk,,, brittana is actually a ship i found out about before i watched glee. like i would see all of these compilations on youtube of glee moments out of context, and idk how exactly but it led to seeing clips of brittana. i remember being salty bc some of my friends at the time had seen glee and not a single one of them told me that there was a wlw relationship i would've liked lol.

but yeah there's just something really compelling about getting to see these two girls who start out as background characters with funny one-liners grow into an actual couple that gets happily married in the end. especially because i don't remember really seeing any wlw relationships get any kind of focus or open acknowledgement before brittana? at least not any relationships that lasted more than a couple of episodes? and maybe i just wasn't watching the right shows bc i only started watching glee less than 2 years ago lol but their development on the show, while very flawed thanks to the writers, was just super special for me. and it still is. i have a lot of love for them and even though i haven't drawn much brittana lately, i'd like to think that my love for them shows in some of my older art :)

also? wanting to draw brittana is what got me out of months-long art block and depressive episode where i just did not have any inspiration or motivation to draw anything, and it quickly became the catalyst for so much of the artistic growth i've made over the past almost 2 years. idk if that means much to u guys but to me it really means the world and i don't think i even have the words to explain it asksdhfk i just. i love them a lot.

2: hevans

ok listen to be completely honest, i don't think about hevans that much but once in a while i think about s2 hevans and how that would've been so nice? like,,, s2 sam was so refreshing because he arrived at a time where i was used to seeing the glee boys (finn and puck in particular) being like "oh we get called gay for being in glee club and associating with kurt, a gay kid :( and that's bad :( we don't like the idea of being seen as gay :(" and sam just did not care. he didn't care that singing a duet with another guy might be seen as weird, he didn't care that he might get bullied for it, he just cared that kurt had a lovely voice and he wasn't gonna go back on his promise to sing with kurt. and then we got rumours and kurt not even hesitating to keep sam's secret, even though his friends immediately accused him of cheating on blaine. idk hevans just had this bond in s2 that wasn't explored enough after that, and then sam was dumbed down in s4 and onwards and ugh i miss s2 sam goddammit fuck the writers for turning him into whatever the fuck we got in s4-6

also hevans makes me consider an artist!sam x model!kurt au? like when i drew kurt as the boy with a basket of fruits i could picture sam being a painter and having kurt as his model/inspiration, and i have a second very unfinished wip based on another painting in the same vein. lowkey veering into a picture of dorian grey moment now lol but is that not compelling??? i can't believe i only thought of that just now aksdjhf i love that book,,, also there's yet another painting i'd like to redraw as hevans but who knows when i'll get around to it

3: quinntina

i don't think the writers were ever gonna give us quinntina and idk if there are even many quinntina moments in the show aside from like,,, teeny tiny background moments here and there. also the show butchered them both so i'm not basing this ship in canon at all. i just think they would have an interesting dynamic i guess? popular girl quinn fabray and shy tina cohen-chang possibly wishing they could switch positions for a while because quinn is exhausted from all the pressure she puts on herself and tina wonders what it would be like to be in the spotlight? slowly bonding in glee club because tina realises quinn isn't the bitch tina assumed she'd be, and quinn finds it refreshing to be around a sweetheart like tina? indulging each other's dramatic moments but also keeping each other grounded? the mental image of tina helping quinn dye her hair pink? that time in s6 where we got half a quinntina duet in jagged little tapestry, which for the record, i think would've been a mashup of so far away and ironic? (also, vb au quinntina sharing the brain cells of the friend group?) idk i think it would've been nice and i am once again cursing the writers

4: wildebrams

i don't have much of an actual explanation as to why i like wildebrams because it feels like i haven't seen s4-5 in forever, but iirc their relationship allowed us to see a much softer side to kitty and i really loved that. like,,, kitty being nervous about committing to a relationship but then opening up to the glee club about her feelings for artie? wholesome shit i love it

i can't think of anymore ships rn because i'm not deeply invested in any ships besides brittana but this feels like a solid mini list. i feel like im forgetting a lot of the big ones so feel free to specify any other ships you'd like me to talk about :)

[lululawrence]

Snip Snop Sharing Time

I was tagged by @disgruntledkittenface to share a snippet of my current wip and a number of other people as well that I ignored while I wrote almost nothing for like a month 😂 more like I started a gazillion but nothing felt right so they’re all abandoned now but it’s FINE lmao but!!! I’m back on my shit and finally have an opening for a fic that I feel really really good about! So I’m hoping to do better with keeping up with my tags. I know I say that every time but I MEAN IT lol

Anyway. This is from the opening of my fic that I’m writing for @1dastroficfest !! I’m writing for the Star Card and it’s gonna be older girl direction with a focus on self discovery and acceptance if all goes to plan lol

So! Here we goooooo… sorry it’s so long 😂

The same passion that brought them four kids in four years didn’t leave immediately after they decided they were done having kids and building their family. They would often dream as they carved out what little time they could for each other about how it would all be different when they had as much time together as they wanted without interruptions for needing help using the potty, or because someone was mean, or had a nightmare, or or or. Louis and Marcus loved those years so very much, and watching their daughters grow into the beautiful and amazing young women they were now in college was an incredible gift.

But after a four year marathon of college applications, entrance exams, heartbreak and absolute joy arriving in the form of emails instead of the letters and envelopes Louis and Marcus had been expecting, and the absolute havoc that descended when graduation parties quickly morphed into frantic shopping and packing and moving out of the house for each girl in turn, Louis and Marcus were exhausted and pleased that the craziness of that particular phase of life was finally over.

And then, mere months later, almost exactly 26 years after their first kiss, they met with their lawyer to discuss a divorce. There were no hard feelings between them, and it was a quick and civil process to make it all complete.

Louis kept waiting for her mourning to start. After all, they were still friends, but never in her entire remembrance had she ever gone weeks or months without speaking with Marcus. She’d never wanted to. Yet here she was, and what she missed most was company and friendship. She and Marcus had loved each other, and she does believe she would always love him, but over time that love had changed to one of respect.

They had worked together as partners to raise their daughters to the best of their abilities and it had been both of their greatest goals in life. In doing so, they had also done their best to remain close to each other. And they had. But they had also changed as people during that time without ever realizing, and they no longer fit together the way they had all those years ago. They both knew it, Marcus was just the first to be brave enough to talk about it in the same way Louis had been brave enough to kiss him first in their tree house.

She supposed, looking at it that way, she did mourn, but she mourned that the dreams her younger self had clung to in order to get through the rough times would never come to fruition more than she mourned the loss of her relationship, her marriage. Marcus. The sadness never came.

Still, she felt relief when she thought about it and was truly honest with herself.

But as spring came and Louis realized that at the age of 42 she had absolutely no idea what she was doing with her life now, nor really even who she was as a person on her own.

Louis was lost. She was lost in a sea of possibilities and questions surrounding every part of her, and she had no idea where to start. She only hoped that she wouldn’t drown.

Eeee I’m so excited to finally be writing a fic that feels RIGHT again. I’m gonna tag some fellow girl direction enthusiasts because i can! Haha how about @evilovesyou @londonfoginacup @becomeawendybird @homosociallyyours @beelou @jaerie @tommokat @uhoh-but-yeah-alright @sadaveniren @comebackassholes and @haztobegood

[doodlebug-aboo]

I am desperately trying to figure out a way to shove my dnd brain rot and Steddie brain rot into one thing as an au idea and I am having a hard time. Like I have a small idea where it’s a more modern au (simply because I only know 5e I’m sorry) but the entire series is one big dnd campaign with different ‘seasons’ ran by Eddie being the dm, set in a similar setting that Kids on Bikes uses but with regular dnd rules, where it’s a story set in the 1980s but with crazy supernatural and sci fi elements. It would focus more on the relationships between everyone outside of the game, though, because everyone knows the plot of each season already. But there would be some things that explain certain aspects of each season. (Like Dustin getting Dart in season 2 because he decides he wants an animal companion and gets a high animal handling check one time and every time after that he just keeps rolling worse. Steve joining in season 2 because he was dragged in as a chaperone for the younger teens to play dnd with a 20 yr old to begin with and Dustin begging him to join after they finish their first adventure. The older ones there who are not playing the game, aka Jonathan and Nancy, make little quips here and there so Eddie makes up NPCs to be their ‘characters’ so they can help out the party when their real world counterparts make good points. Things like that.) And I am now for once actually finishing watching the show in its entirety so I will have a basic grasp on the story for once. But it would be a lot of work to actually write if I really decided to and it would be a lot of work and I am STRUGGLING. So basically if there are any writers out there willing to let me ramble to them about stuff and help me figure things out so maybe I can actually attempt this, that would be great! I haven’t written anything properly (or finished anything I’ve written, you do not want to know how many wips I have for multiple different fandoms) in a couple years and I’m feeling RUSTY.

[science-lings]

About the unpublished fics, i really like the idea of the last champion. Just wild figuring out that not only he still has the powers of the other champions but he can do more now. I would image that miphas power would be noticed first, maybe by healing quicker outside of battle then he would normally. Or maybe if he is able to do the other powers not centered on himself, maybe something in a battle with an ally too far away from him that's about to be hit and they won't be able to protect themself in time and wild knows he won't be able to make it to them in time to take the hit and suddenly, boom daruks shield is around them.

Also just in general wild and Hyrule both being healers.

Also just love the ideas of the wild&twilight&time stories especially since I think time helping twilight on his journey is the only other time that on older, more experienced, previous hero helped another hero. And they were family. (Also I can not help but feel that after more than 10000 years twilight would be at least once in the ancestry)

Also really love the idea of botw Zelda and link sitting down after the calamity and figuring out how much they were fucked over because of it. Ranging from just the last few years of their childhood (the nice answer) to most if not all of their childhood (the not so nice answer), especially for Zelda since as the princess people knew it would be her bloodline fated to help and then I think it would depend on how well people would be at timekeeping after 10000 years or how many signs of ganons soon to be breakout are there. For link it really depends on when you headcanon he got the mastersword

Also sorry about how long this is, I read through your story ideas and I got thoughts

don't apologize, I love long asks and talking about my WIPs!

-I have many ideas for how he would be able to use the champion's powers and how they would differ from how the champions were able to use them, and how it would affect him to use them. Wild is one of the few without a magic bar. I think that Twilight is the only other one but apparently he was going to have one but they took it out of the game so late that it's still on the box art lmao. Anyway, there isn't really a way to use magic in botw and I want to figure it out. I was thinking that Wild would have more control over Daruks protection but it would only be able to form a partial shield, and he would get Mipha's healing powers closer to how she had them but I'm still debating on whether he would be able to heal himself or not. A lot of this fic idea was based around the parallels between Zelda 1 and BotW so I really wanted to focus on Wild and Hyrule being little magic buddies as well as their normal vibe.

-I've always liked the wolf trio and emphasizing reuniting family and all the found family tropes, how versions of each other are sent to mentor their successor, even though Wolf Link doesn't do much mentoring. He's helping the best that he can and he is very helpful in some cases. Idk each of them has the implication that they used to have a family but they lost them and I think being able to find each other is pretty neat.

-Canonically Zelda's mother dies when she is six and she starts her training a year later, while Link pulls the master sword when he's about twelve. But we know that even at a young age Link was training to be a knight after displaying his incredible skills at four years old. So yeah... there's no way these kids had any form of a childhood. (at least not in the botw timeline.) We know how the pressures of destiny affected both of them. Urbosa even has a diary entry about how she worries about all the other champions (and Zelda but not including Daruk) due to their young ages. She seems to be the only sane responsible adult in both Zelda and Link's lives... I think people focus so much on how they're both over one hundred years old and how mature they have to be after everything they've been through (mostly so they can justify a bunch of smut) and I just wanted to focus on them reclaiming the childhoods that they lost. I want to remind everyone about how young they really are because people really seem to forget...

[finalfantasyix]

Meet The Team Working On A Final Fantasy 9 Remake You’ll Never Get To Play

Final Fantasy 9: Memoria Project is a fan homage like nothing we've ever seen before. “It is no secret that fan projects get shut down all the time,” Dan Eder tells us about Final Fantasy 9: Memoria Project, a fan-driven love letter to the classic JRPG. It isn’t aiming to be a playable remake of the epic adventure though - instead, it’s an aesthetic homage to its timeless world and characters.

It’s somewhat anomalous in the world of community creations, but Eder wants to use this distinct identity to craft something truly special, even if many obstacles stand in the way of making it a reality. But the team keeps moving forward: “Without a doubt, some of the most frequent comments we get from naysayers is ‘have fun with it while it lasts’ or ‘cease and desist incoming’”, Eder explains. “People are understandably skeptical of the longevity potential of yet another passion project. The key difference is that, unlike those projects, Memoria is essentially an elaborate piece of fan art, nothing more - it will have no actual gameplay, will never be released to the public, and is nothing more than a ‘what-if’ scenario. [It’s] no different from any other fan-made piece of artwork. We have never, and will never, make a single dollar out of this project, and are basically doing this for the personal gratification of the fans.”

The genesis of Memoria Project dates all the way back to Eder’s younger years, with dreams of a potential FF9 remake entering his imagination soon after the original game’s launch. That’s no great surprise - millions still regard Final Fantasy 9 as the series’ finest hour. “While it's true that the project really started to pick up steam a few months ago, it wouldn't be a stretch to say I've been planning it since high school,” Eder explains. “I remember scribbling ‘FF9 remake’ on my notepad during classes and writing imaginary new features and battle system mechanics, starting online petitions to remake FF9 for the PS2, sketching drawings depicting scenes from the ‘FF9 sequel’ and whatnot. I could confidently say that my life would probably have been completely different had my older brother not borrowed this game from his friend in the summer of 2000.

“As a non-native English speaker who had never played an RPG up until that point, my first playthrough was a challenging experience to say the least, and I can honestly say that I understood literally nothing of what was going on the first time I finished the game (how I even managed to beat it is a mystery in and of itself). It didn't really matter to me though, since I was absolutely enamored with the incredible cast of characters, jaw-dropping FMV sequences, mesmerizing music, thrilling gameplay, and just the overall atmosphere and charm it exuded at every step. My unconditional love for this game persisted throughout my entire childhood and adult life, and it is one of the central reasons why I chose to become a 3D character artist in the video game industry. In short, this project is my way of thanking this game for everything it has done for me over the past 21 years.”

Eder’s passion for this game can be found across several industry professionals who grew up with games like this and wanted to replicate them, or create something entirely unique to live up to their brilliance. This is very much how Memoria Project found its feet, beginning life as a trivial side activity before blossoming into something infinitely more ambitious. It still has a long way to go, but there’s little urgency to reach the finish line, so the team can take their time and just enjoy the nostalgic indulgence of it all.

“Memoria actually started unofficially as a side project when I reached out to Colin Valek [of] Sucker Punch Studios in early 2020 after I came across his fanart of an environment from FF7,” Eder says. “I had already modeled Princess Garnet, and thought it could be a fun idea to combine our talents to reimagine the opening area of Alexandria. Initially, it was progressing at a snail's pace - we were slowly chipping away at it for over a year without making a lot of progress. While Colin continued modeling the buildings, I created another character - Vivi.”

This glacial pace received a resurgence of sorts in January when the Alexandria scene was finally complete, with Eder and company finally being able to see how much potential the project had if it was opened up to a larger range of creators. “When I posted that WIP screenshot, the response from fellow FF fans was overwhelmingly positive, more than we could have imagined,” Eder remembers. “Very quickly, other people from the gaming industry started reaching out - environment artists, animators, riggers, concept artists. That's when I decided to turn this side project into a full-fledged modern reimagining of the original game, while always making sure to emphasize the fact that this is a non-playable proof-of-concept, since we never have any intention of doing anything to violate Square Enix's copyright. Four months after officially announcing the project, we've grown from a couple of FF fanboys to a huge team of over 20 industry veterans working collaboratively to honor this masterpiece, fueled by our love and adoration for the source material.”

Now, the project has over 20 developers from Sucker Punch, Ubisoft, Rare, Unbroken Studios, and more all diving into this labour of love in their spare time, with composers and voice actors also contributing their talents to help make this glimpse into the world of Final Fantasy 9 worth celebrating. But Eder is aware of being overly enthusiastic, knowing that fan projects like this often doom themselves by undertaking something that isn’t feasible with so few resources.

“One of the most common traps for these kinds of fan projects is being overly ambitious,” Eder says. “Since all of us are actively working in the video game industry, we understand the importance of milestones, short term goals, and taking things one step at a time. For now, we are focusing our efforts on the opening sequence of the game, which mainly revolves around Vivi and his exploration of Alexandria. Where we go from here is still being discussed, but one thing I can say for sure is that Vivi will not be the only main character we're planning to include.” I’m told that Memoria is aiming to look indistinguishable - at least from a graphics perspective - from something you’d see in a triple-A blockbuster, and it seems the team has the pedigree to back that claim up.

Visuals are the entire point after all, since turning this project into a playable piece of media would require far more resources to create. By narrowing its focus, Memoria is able to deliver something special while also hopefully avoiding the ire of Square Enix. “The fact that this is a non-playable project definitely makes it easier for us to tailor the experience in a way that would truly allow the audience to be fully immersed in the world without having to worry about technical limitations,” Eder tells me. “Creating actual functional gameplay is a completely different ball game, one that we never had any intention of even discussing given the copyright limitations. This gives us a lot of leeway with how we are going to portray the world of Gaia in terms of character interaction, camera movement, [and] scene transitions. We have a lot of cool plans for the near future - please look forward to it!”

As for the sad truth of fan projects like this often being wiped from existence by publishers throwing out cease and desist letters, Eder is confident that Memoria occupies a niche where this won’t happen. It’s not a commercial or even playable product - it’s a piece of fan art, albeit an endlessly elaborate one. If the tides were to change, Eder believes companies should welcome the enthusiasm for experiences like this.

“If I were to be completely honest, I think it could be a potentially brilliant decision by Square Enix to do something wildly unexpected and invest in a project like this,” Eder states. “There's a considerable amount of hype, talent, motivation, and pure, unadulterated passion behind it. It's not something I would expect, but I think it could be incredibly helpful in regaining some of the trust and reverence that this legendary company was known for during its golden years.”

(source)

[ruzek-halstead]

there’s one thing on my mind (it’s all for you)

i didn’t have a wip for jatp fanworks appreciation week, so i made one?? but i got too into it and finished it in a few hours. thanks to @ourstarscollided for sending in the incredible prompt that led to this fic!! 

home didn't seem like home anymore for luke patterson, and so he was desperate to find a new place to write music. after an especially brutal fight with his mother, he finds himself in front of l.a. books. he isn't expecting to get much out of it, it was solely a last resort. but then he sees her, julie molina, and he ends up coming back every week just to keep seeing her.

bookstore au

masterlist

If three years ago, someone were to tell Luke, he would actively be spending his Friday night in a small, but cozy book store, he would have laughed in their face.

He was a rockstar. If he wasn't jamming it out at some club with his boys, he was doing something wrong.

But life didn't always work out in his favour, and it wasn't long before he decided he couldn't write out of his home anymore. Home. Sometimes the mere word made him laugh. Home was supposed to be warm, welcoming and loving, and he felt none of those things every time he walked through the front door. It was starting to take a toll on him. Not only on his mental health, but also in his creative abilities. The songs he was writing in his bedroom had taken a dark turn, so dark they felt more like a cry for help than anything else.

So, he decided it was time to find another place to write songs; somewhere that could get his creative juices flowing. When Reggie first suggested this bookstore on the corner of Madison, Luke pinched his brows, not understanding how that was a viable solution. Reggie defended his suggestion by saying bookstores were quiet and he would be surrounded by millions of words of inspiration.

Luke never took Reggie's suggestion until one brutal fight with his mom left him pulling at his hair, desperate to leave the house. He would go anywhere at this point, but his fingers were itching to grab his pencil and book; there was so much he just needed to get out onto paper. If he didn't, he would explode. So, he grabbed his song book, a few pencils and stuffed everything into his backpack before he hopped out his window. At first, he just started walking to nowhere in particular. In the back of his mind, he was intending to drop by Alex's, but instead he found himself standing in front of L.A. Books.

He walked in with the intention of taking one quick walk around and most likely walking right back out. He was pissed off at the world and he didn't think Shakespeare would solve his issue.

But then he saw her.

She was stocking a book shelf, putting up new books as far as he could tell. Her curls kept getting in way of her vision and she was continuously tucking them behind her ears. He could only see the side of her face at this point, but when she was approached by a younger girl to help locate a book, Luke quite literally forgot how to breathe. She was stunning in every which way; her soft smile to the young girl made an unconscious smile spread over his own lips. There was no specific thing about her that drew him to her, but for some reason, he was rooted to the floor. Even when she started moving in his direction, leading the girl to a new section, he couldn't even move just enough to grab a book and look like he wasn't creepily stalking her.

But she only sent him a warm smile as she walked by.

So, maybe Reggie wasn't so wrong about this place after all.

After that, Luke found himself stopping by at least once a week, maybe twice if things at home were really bad. It was a quiet establishment for the most part, and Luke found a corner table that was perfect for his writing. He knew his song writing was starting to take a hit; he knew that. But since he started writing in the bookstore, an obvious shift was clear in the words he scribbled down.

Even the boys noticed.

"What the hell is this?" Alex had demanded one late night after Luke handed him his songbook so he could filter through it. They'd mostly been playing their old originals while Luke worked on some new stuff, and he was finally starting to share.

Luke frowned, biting his lip nervously. "What? Is it that bad?"

"Reg, look at this," Alex ignored Luke, reaching over to show the other brunette. "When were you going to tell us?"

Luke merely blinked, gaze flickering between the two. Reggie, to his credit, looked just as confused, meanwhile Alex was fighting a smirk. "Dude, I'm so confused. What the hell are you talking about?"

Alex placed the book down in his lap, finally letting the smirk take over. "When were you going to tell us you were in love?"

Luke immediately started to sweat. "What?"

"If you're writing these love songs about me, I'm flattered," Alex teased, to which Luke could only roll his eyes and snatch the book back into his possession. "But you know I'm taken."

"I'm not in love," Luke muttered under his breath.

And he wasn't. He would stand by that.

But he'd be lying if he said he didn't stop by the bookstore solely to see his curly-haired goddess. Every time, he would look at her and a sudden burst of inspiration would blindside him and he would be writing into his book without even realizing. He wasn't going to tell the boys that, though.

After about a month of hidden glances and polite smiles, he figured it was about time to say something. He also figured it could only look a little strange, him being at a bookstore every week and never buying anything. To his credit, many others took advantage of their tables to work quietly; he wasn't the only one. But he was the only one who couldn't take his off the employee with kind eyes and a mega-watts smile. Sometimes she came over to organize the tables, or wipe them down, and so Luke decided it was now or never.

"Hi," he blurted one night when she came to grab a stray book someone had left on his table. Her gaze lifted to meet his. Her face broke out into a warm smile and he nearly broke his pencil from how hard he was holding it.

Luke's eyes dropped to her name tag. He'd never been close enough to read it (with the exception of the first time he saw her, but he was understandably starstruck and couldn't focus on anything).

Julie.

He debated saying something else, it almost looked like she was waiting for him too, but the words were caught in his throat. He merely sent her a pained grin as she retreated. God, that was awkward.

Over the next few months, his confidence grew some, but he was never able to hold a full conversation with her. He was working up to it, but in the meantime, he was content in his corner writing songs about the girl who had unknowingly captured his heart.

This week had been particularly gruelling. School had taken a lot out of him (every mark counted for college admissions) and his parents were on his ass about his grades. He knew he had to do well, even if he wanted to pursue music, he needed the grades to get into a good music program; he knew that. He didn't need his mom yelling at him about it every day. So, this Friday he'd spent the entire evening at L.A. Books, anything to just get away for a bit. He knew it was almost closing time; there weren't many customers left and he could see Julie cleaning up out of the corner of his eye.

He was trying not to spend all his time watching Julie, instead focused on his latest creation. So, he didn't see Julie apprehensively watching someone shove a few books into his backpack. He was young, but probably a bit older than Julie. Why he would want to steal some books, Julie had no idea, but it was the wrong day to mess with Julie Molina.

She hadn't had her best week either, and watching someone blatantly try to steal like he was, severely pissed her off. Protocol be damned, Julie stalked over to the individual and blocked his exit. Protocol insisted on not confronting the shop-lifter by any means, but Julie was too annoyed to care.

"Are you going to pay for those books you put in your backpack or can I have them back?"

Julie was impressed with how confident she sounded. Even when he met her glance head-on, she wasn't the least bit intimidated.

"What? Sorry, I think you're thinking of someone else," he replied, but after meeting her gaze the first time, he couldn't hold it as he spoke.

"Just give me the books and I won't call the police," Julie reasoned. She sounded exhausted, and that was because she was; this was honestly the last thing she needed this week, and yet, here she was.

But as soon as the man noticed her change of tone, his mouth twisted into a scowl. "I already told you, you have the wrong guy."

"I saw you put them in your backpack!" Julie argued, her anger crawling back up her throat.

"No, you didn't, because I didn't do anything!" He replied angrily. "Are you going to move, now?"

Julie stood her ground. It was probably quite comical, considering she was a full head shorter than him, but she wasn't moving. "No. Give me back the books."

The man let out a furious snarl. "Get out of my way, bitch."

His words didn't offend her in the slightest. Honestly, she felt sorry for him, that this was how he was raised to treat women, especially someone as young as her. But she was perceptive, and she could tell he was getting agitated and possibly aggressive. She didn't know this guy, she didn't know what he was capable of.

Luke had kept his eye on Julie the entire time, he always did. But as soon as he realized what she was doing, he swore under his breath. He tried to keep his distance, to let her do her thing, but the second the man called Julie a bitch, Luke was up and out of his chair, ready to throw hands.

There was a point in his life where he wouldn't even think about the consequences of his actions, but as he approached, he caught Julie's eyes and figured punching this random guy in the face probably wasn't the best course of action. So, he hung back, close enough to be noticed, but not enough to be considered a threat.

Or so he thought.

The man noticed Julie's eyes focused on something behind him, so he whirled around to see Luke. What with his height and obvious biceps (that were currently on display because what were sleeves anyway?), the man scoffed.

"Is he coming to your rescue or something? Need someone to fight your battles?"

Luke merely raised his eyebrows.

The fact that he was saying all this to a high school girl seriously baffled him.

When the man tried to step around Luke, he side-stepped to be in his way again. Luke didn't smirk, didn't show any facial emotion. It was enough to unnerve him.

With an angry huff, he reached into his backpack to pull out the two books in question. He slammed them into Luke's chest as he stormed past him, muttering, "I don't need this crap."

The moment they heard the door slam closed, Luke's eyes slid over to Julie. Her face was blank, but her eyes were stormy, angry even. He didn't blame her; that guy was a right dick. He hesitantly handed the books back to her. Her gaze flickered to the books and back to him. She probably had no idea how absolutely intimidating she looked.

But then she smiled. A proper, full smile that had Luke merely staring. "Thank you," she said, reaching forward to grab the books. He was hoping she'd say more, but instead she took the books and walked away to put them back in their place.

It was fine, because she had talked to him and he was so ridiculously happy about that. He had also helped her out in that less than stellar situation, but not overbearingly so that he treated her like a damsel in distress who couldn't handle herself. Julie definitely held her own, but he wouldn't be able to live with himself if something happened to her and he was right there sitting in his corner. Pleased with himself and how the situation played out, he skipped back to his seat in the corner, feeling more inspired than ever to finish the current song he was working on.

He glanced up one more time, surprised to catch Julie's sparkling brown eyes already looking at him. She immediately averted her gaze, mouth twitching as she held back a smile.

That was when he decided, no more pining around; it was time to officially ask her out.

What was the worst that could happen? She would say no. And he'd be okay with that, because it was 2021 and respecting women and their decisions shouldn't even be questioned. He'd be disappointed, sure, but for now, he was still holding out hope that maybe she would be into him too.

It was nearing eight, and Luke could tell when he saw the remainder of customers heading for the door. He spotted Julie making her way over too, getting ready to lock the door behind the last customer. He gathered up his things and shoved them into his backpack as slowly as possible. His heart was hammering in his chest and his palms were sweaty; he was actually nervous to ask Julie out.

How couldn't he be? She was absolutely gorgeous.

Luke made it to the door, taking a deep breath before he met her eyes.

Julie stepped in front of him, blocking his exit.

He stumbled in his step, grabbing onto the door frame to keep from toppling straight into her.

"Sorry," she mumbled, tucking a curl behind her ear. For the first time literally ever, Luke observed the tell-tale signs of her shy and apprehensive behaviour. She was always so confident, so in tune with what she seemed to want, this was unusual to him. Not only because of that, but he'd never been this close to her, and he was suddenly finding it extremely hot (and he was barely even wearing a shirt).

Luke tugged on his backpack strap, because he needed to do something. He needed to focus, or else he'd end up doing something stupid, like blurt out that he was in love with her. "No, it's okay. I actually wanted to ask you something anyway."

Her sparkling brown eyes widened for a split second. "Actually, I want to ask you something — are you free to grab a coffee?"

It was safe to say Luke's brain started to short-circuit.

"Uh, what?"

He was so intensely focused on gathering the courage to ask her out, he didn't even know how to reply when she suddenly flipped the plan on him.

He started to lose his mind even more when a soft blush spread over Julie's cheeks. "I'm just closing up, and I could really use a dose of caffeine. I'd really like if you came with me."

Luke can't do more than simply stare at her; his body was failing on him. Julie held his gaze, biting her lip apprehensively with a nervous smile because he wasn't saying anything, and she really hoped she didn't misinterpret his signals. But then he finally fights for control of his body again, and a soft grin spreads onto his lips. "Yeah. I'd really like that."

She matched his grin, closed and locked the door behind her. "I only have a few more things to do. Just a few more minutes."

"No worries," he replied, shoving his hands into his front pockets. "Oh! I'm Luke, by the way."

Julie mulled over the name for a moment. "Julie," she responded.

"I know," he mumbled, eyes solely focused on hers. Even when she looked to him in surprise, he couldn't focus on anything but her eyes. God, she was so gorgeous. "Your name tag," he added, just to ease her fears about him being a stalker (I mean, he was there almost every week...).

Luke leaned against one of the tables as he waited for Julie to finish closing up. He watched her silently, unable to remove the excited smile from his lips the entire time he waited. When she told him he was ready, he diligently held open the door for her and then waited, hands dug into his front pockets, as she locked up behind them.

There was a coffeeshop right around the corner, and as they both started walking in that direction, there was an unspoken agreement, that was where they wanted to go. Luke hated himself and his weirdly awkward nature on their walk over. He couldn't find any words to say to her, none. He chanced a few glances in her direction, but she seemed content with just walking in silence, so he went with the flow.

Once again, he held the door open for her and smiled when looked at him with amused eyes. Julie headed straight for a table near the window, removing her jacket and setting it on the back of her chair. Luke followed, lingering when she didn't sit back down.

"I can go order," he offered, "What would you like?"

Julie looked up at him with a smirk, and dear God, his knees nearly buckled. "I invited you. It's my treat."

"Oh, come on," he nearly whined. "Let's not do this, please."

Julie pursed her lips. She was a very determined person, and if he didn't know that yet, he'd be quick to learn. "I invited you. It's only fair."

He ran a hand through his hair, shooting her the most charming smile he could manage. "Julie, I've been waiting to take you out for months. Please let me buy you a coffee."

All her determination died there and then on the tip of her tongue.

"Okay," she replied with a cheeky smile. She diligently took a seat. "I'll take an iced coffee, please."

Luke nodded, once again, skipping away from her for the second time that night. He ordered Julie an iced coffee (and a cookie because who doesn't like cookies) and a regular coffee for himself. He was already jittery enough but he could never say no to coffee.

"Here you go." He said softly, placing her treats in front of her.

Julie took a quick sip of her coffee and narrowed her gaze on Luke. "I want to hear more. You said you've been waiting to take me out for months."

Luke had never felt him blush so quickly before in his life. He nearly choked on the coffee he was currently drinking. "It sounds really creepy when you say it like that."

"I know you've been coming to the shop for months," she continued, breaking apart her cookie. She wasn't looking at him, and it honestly made Luke all the more nervous. She made him nervous. "And you've never bought anything, but you're always writing in a book."

"I needed a quiet place to write music and I found your shop."

Julie nodded along, humming. "I catch you looking at me a lot."

Luke scratched the back of his head. "Well, honestly, that's not entirely my fault. I can't help but stare at beautiful things."

Julie looked up at him with a smirk. "That was smooth. I feel like it's only fair I be as honest." She leaned her elbows onto the table, leaning in close. Luke started sweating again. "I always look for you during my shifts."

It was as if the air was entirely knocked out of his lungs. It was the reassurance he was looking for, the acknowledgement that his feelings weren't one-sided, but it was a lot to take in at once.

"You're the reason I come back every week," he admitted, the words flowing freely out of him now that he knew with certainty she felt something for him too.

Julie leaned back in her chair. Her eyes tracked his movements, mostly because she didn't know what to say next. Where do they go from here?

Who makes the next move?

"I'll keep dropping by. But under one condition," Luke reasoned, hiding his smirk with his coffee mug.

Julie found herself leaning in again. There was something about him that was so alluring, always drawing her in for more. "What's that?" She didn't want to give her real answer: anything.

"I'll keep coming by if you give me your number," he told her, running his finger around the rim of his mug. "Maybe go on another date with me?"

Julie didn't reply at first; she kept him waiting until he looked at her with curious eyes. She kept him on the hook, just enough that for a moment, he wavered in his confidence. "I'd love to give you my number."

He let out an obvious sigh of relief. Julie was definitely going to wreck him in the most beautiful of ways.

"And that date?"

Julie clicked her tongue, monitoring the way his eyes absentmindedly dropped to her lips. "I'll decide that after you walk me home. But your chances are looking pretty good."

A delicious smirk crawled over Luke's mouth, and now it was all Julie could focus on.

"Then I guess I should up my game," he winked, shrugging as he added, "Just in case."

When Luke walked Julie home hours later, she confidently latched onto his hand, mostly just to give him an ego boost because he acted like the perfect gentleman all night. And when he lingered at the door, unsure whether it was too soon to kiss her or not, she leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss dangerously close to the corner of his lips.

"How's next Friday night?"

It took Luke a moment to form the words after that, but he was anxiously waiting for her response.

"I'm off at eight, you know where I'll be." Even with all the coy flirting, she couldn't help but shoot him an excited grin.

Luke stuffed his hands back into his front pockets and started retreating down her walkway. "I'll, uh — I'll text you."

Julie leaned against the front door. "I'll be waiting."

And somehow, after months of pining on both ends, all it took was one attempted theft to bring Luke and Julie together.

It would take a lot more than that to separate them now.

x

taglist: @grootsgillespie || @jayhalsteadcpd || @moreflowersthanweeds || @well-hes-just-too-cute || @echocharm17618 || @leopard-print-slippers || @jandthephantoms || @scribblingfangirl || @n0wornever || @simpformolina || @only-trust-fictional-characters || @snowmione18 || @tellurphantoms || @knitsessed || @elitharavenclaw || @wakeupfantoms || @uselessnerdnherblahg || @katie-navarro || @bookwormswillruletheworld || @lmaohuh || @thatsmyverb || @sophiphi || @kybee1497 || @lukewearingbeanies || @sapphireamethystvsco || @constantly-singing || @helloilovejatp || @your-typical-ingenue || @nonickslander || @s-h-a-d-o-w-s || @asdfghjkl-fanfics |

[palbabor-writes]

hullo there

question, question. 

i got a WIP idea & i did a little world building to spark some joy - so now i have these bullet points, and i’ll likely write this, but i wanna see if anyone is interested in me doing a post... cuz it’s... levi... again... 

*insert sweat emoji*

and a, uh, college AU...

anyway, more under the cut. 

lemme know what you think? pwease?

Teaches Real Analysis for Graduate students

It’s a tough class to slip into; only offered in Fall and Summer & only available the first three days of Senior and Graduate registration

You’ve looked over the class schedule - asked around the campus - got your advisor on speed-dial - you’re determined to get in this Fall

Come hell or high water - you’re walking the fucking stage in December 

But there’s a snag

Apparently the professor you want, the one you’ve known for the last three years, and have a great rapport with, is taking this semester off

Something about over work? Or maybe it was a time share that was about to expire?

Whatever it is - it’s a goddamn wrench in your finely tuned plans

At 7am, Monday morning, you’re at your desk, mug of coffee in one hand, fingers of your right diligently poised over the trackpad

Click, click, return, one final strike of the keyboard, and you’re in

Registered for MAT 8811 Complex Analysis & Number Theory (Fall:1) MWF 8am - 10:45am

And with professor…

Who?

One Ackerman, L.

Huh, you ponder, stiff legs stretching under the table as you cup your steaming mug to your lips. Never heard of him.

As a rule, you usually don’t bother with those professor aggregator sites

It’s all bullshit. 

You should know, you were an adjunct last spring, and the reviews you got were middling at best.

Who cares if anyone thinks he’s easy

This is a graduate math class for fucks sake - nothing is easy when you’re working on a masters

But your dawdling keystrokes have another idea in mind, and before you can blink you’re clacking their name into the search function

Oh. 

He’s… got some good reviews. Fair. Easy to understand, and… bite-sized? Okay

A strange adjective for a math professor but whatever… guess time will tell

August 22nd 

It’s too hot for this, you think, adjusting your backpack straps as you dash up the last flight of stairs. Why can’t we start in September? It doesn’t even feel like fall when the temps are hovering in the mid 90’s (32 for my celsius babes)

Thankfully, Professor Ackerman is in one of the older classrooms - so it’s spacious, cool, and blissfully dim - what with recessed fluorescents that likely haven’t been changed since their installation in the mid 1960s

You take a seat toward the back, flicking on your laptop and arranging your materials 

Not that you’ll use them today

Syllabus day is always easy - a waste of time, really. If there’s one thing that should be compiled into an email, it’s this

So you open up a few windows, poke around on a couple of websites, order some shoes, and, oh, looks like two of your favorite shops have a sale on. Maybe today won’t be so bad after all

You’re just about to toss another item into your cart when the overhead projector starts up that low pitched whine 

Blinking, you look up from the brightness of your screen to the front of the lecture hall

Odd. You didn’t think… you saw the professor even come in… and… why are the light still dimmed?

Was he sitting in one of the seats?

You look around at your peers, but most are simply tugging out binders, notepads, one is clicking on a recording device, no one is acting like anything is out of the ordinary so you shift your focus back to your screen - adding an additional pair of shoes to your already overburdened cart

Treat yourself, right?

You’re so engrossed in your rapid fire clicks and the frantic recitation of your card number that you don’t see the powerpoint flicker to life

Or the sharp eyes of the man who’s taken a seat on the bottom lip of the raised platform

There’s always one, he muses, tapping his electronic clicker against the heel of his booted foot

They think they’re slick; what with all that engrained tech, the subtle narrowing of their gaze, a distracted pass here, a well timed question there - well, we’ve all gotta learn things the hard way sometimes, don’t we?

“That’s all I have for you,” a deep voice calls out, making you jump in your poorly padded seat. “Textbook is for sale at one of those kiosks the school bookstore sets up. But the link I provided on the slide should take you to a free to use PDF. Stick it to the man and all that jazz. Any questions?”

Yes, you think, slamming your laptop closed. Like when did a presentation start? And where the hell even are you?

Finally, you spot him. He’s perched on the steps, legs haphazardly crossed, elbows resting on his raised knees. There’s… an intensity to him. Maybe it’s that jet black hair, or the cold look in his sleep weary eyes, but something about this man just oozes a loud and clear, “don’t fuck with me,” vibe

And you, idiot that you are, just missed his entire… lecture? What the hell even was that? Did he just toss some slides up and call it a day?

As the class filters out he remains where he is - but when you step up beside him, he graces you with a bored stare

“Yes?”

Best course of action… be… honest?

“Hi,” you blurt, molars gripping indentations into the side of your mouth. “I… I’m in, uh, your class.”

He blinks dispassionately. “You don’t say?”

Crap. “Yeah, and, er, I didn’t… I think I missed some of your presentation. With the lights half off I didn’t… see you start it.”

“Half?” he questions, knocking a few rogue strands of onyx hair from his brow. “That’s odd. Cuz from where I’m sitting, it looked like you missed all of it. Lemme guess…” And here he pauses to give you a swift once over with his pewter eyes. “Online shopping?”

What a… a… your outrage dies in your throat when he swivels back to your widened gaze

Something about this… feels...

He waits for your reply, untangling his legs and bracing his hands behind him as he peers up at you. “Go on,” he taunts, a black brow arching sardonically. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

notes: (ᓀ ᓀ)

[heyitsani]

WIP Wednesday

Okay, at the request of @mlim8 I whipped up a piece of the Beauty and the Beast AU piece for JD week.  Everything else I have done for this story gives away major plot pieces, so I wrote this yesterday just because she wanted something for this story.  

This scene is my version of the all too familiar exchange his life for yours scene. The story will be told entirely from Dick’s POV and loosely follows the Disney movie storyline.  There are just modifications to fit the Batman world versus the fantasy of the movie.

Completely unedited and subject to minor changes, but it’ll mostly stay the same.  Feel free to dm me if you want to scream about this or any of my other pieces that are coming.  I love making new friends!

Also thanks to Mel for letting me continue to bounce my ideas off her!  You’re the best!

Pulling up to the same place where Bruce had parked the batmobile, Dick frowned when he noticed the car was no longer there. They were far enough away from the majority of the city that thieves wouldn’t have gotten to it, but that didn’t account for whatever magic that had been used to protect this area. So he carefully set his motorcycle into stealth mode and left it tucked between two smaller buildings in the area. If he was lucky, it would be there to get him and Bruce back to the cave once he found the other man.

“I’m approaching now, Agent A,” he reported to Alfred through the comms, sticking to the shadows as he approached. He kept one eye on the grounds and the other on any possible movement around him. “I didn’t notice it last time, but you can actually see the current.” He moved to stand about a foot away from the now just slightly visible wall of magic. He looked up, trying to see how far it went, but after about ten feet, the angle didn’t provide a good look.

It almost reminded him of heat waves that came off the pavement during the worst of Gotham’s summers.

Reaching out a hand, Dick carefully touched the wall and jerked a hand back when it felt like he had been zapped by one of his escrimas. “It feels like electricity,” he said into the comm but the reply he got back was crackled and broken. And that meant he was probably on his own. “I’m not sure if you can hear me anymore, but I’m going in. Call for the League and the Robins. Find a magic user and get them here if you can. I’ll bring him back, Alf.” And with a deep breath, he stepped forward and into the wall of magic.

And when he came out on the other side, he bent forward with his hands on his knees as he gasped for breath. “That is not a good time,” he groaned to himself as he tried to pull himself together. With a few more deep breaths, Dick straightened and gasped in surprise at the sight of what was on the other side of the wall.

The image projected on the city side of the wall was what he remembered the area to look like. Three large, abandoned warehouses and their various grounds surrounding them. Gray and boring, weathered from the lack of upkeep and use. But what was before him seemed almost gothic in comparison. In fact, it looked like some of the older buildings of the city. Gargoyles and all. The plain concrete walls had been replaced with stone, vines that had not been there two years ago had begun to creep up them giving them an even more aged look.

The grounds themselves were green and reminded him far more of the Manor than what he would have expected a warehouse to look like. They also looked immaculately kept. It was almost as if whoever had done the spell had taken a gothic castle and placed it on the edge of Gotham while making every one in the city believe the warehouses remained.

It made Dick feel like he had a rock in his stomach. This was a very powerful spell.

Scouting the area as best he could, Dick carefully made his way forward with his escrimas in hand and ready for a fight. He didn’t know what he was bound to encounter, but he wasn’t going to chance not being prepared. Not when it might be Bruce’s life on the line.

When the grounds revealed little information, Dick snuck his way inside through one of the windows in the front and quietly made his way through the main foyer. The more he saw of the building, the heavier the pit in his stomach got.

The sound of fierce whispering hit his senses as he came to the base of a set of stairs.

Nightwing, it is Nightwing.

He frowned, looking around to try and find the source.

Nightwing can do it.

He wanted to ask what exactly the whisperers thought he could do, but instead he remained silent and looked up the stairs. There was a faint light further up and like a moth, Dick made his way toward it. The whispers got quieter and quieter the further up he went. Until they had vanished all together and he was standing at the top of the stairs, looking at something that he was struggling to understand. It looked like cells but it wasn’t making sense in his head.

Of course, if this really was some sort of medieval structure, it would make sense for their to be a tower with cells for keeping prisoners. But what that even what this was.

The sound of movement from one of the ones on the right caught his attention and with barely a thought, he rushed forward to peer inside. “Batman!” He cried, latching his escrimas on his back before gripping the bars of the cell door. “Are you okay?!” He questioned as he looked the older man over.

“Nightwing,” the name came out as a groan and Dick frowned. Bruce looked roughed up, but he didn’t look like he was in that bad of condition. “You have to leave. Get out of here now. Before it takes you like it took them all.”

“What are you talking about? I’m not going to just leave you here,” he shook his head before searching his utility belt for his lock pick so he could get the cell open and get Bruce out of there. He had just about gotten the lock open when a loud crash sounded behind him and he was flying toward the cells on the other side of the small hallway.

“What are you doing here?!” The question was practically growled, and Dick tried to focus on the source but all he could see was a shadow and a pair of glowing green eyes. “You don’t belong here. Leave!”

Shaking his head, Dick looked over at Bruce before looking back to the shadow. “I’m not leaving without Batman.”

“Yes, you are,” the shadow growled. “He’s my prisoner. He’s cursed to remain.”

Dick carefully stood to his feet and grabbed his escrimas, moving into a fighting stance. “I’m not leaving without him. So either you give him to me or I take him.”

“Nightwing, no!���

But Dick ignored Bruce’s call and carefully moved so he was standing in front of his mentor’s cell. He didn’t know who or what it was he was facing, but he had fought enough in his years to be adaptable. “Dick, please just go. Get out while you can.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“One of you is leaving before I really lose my temper.”

That gave Dick pause. “One of us?” The shadow seemed to tilt it’s head and Dick considered the idea building in his mind. He could get Bruce out of there. He could get Bruce home to Alfred. And Bruce would figure out a way to get him out of there. He could do that. Dick would never be able to figure out how to combat magic like this. He wasn’t sure even their magic users in the League would be able to. But Batman always found a way. “Take me instead.”

“What?”

“No!”

“You heard me. Take me instead. Release Batman and I’ll take his place.”

“You…” the shadow paused, sounding almost awed. “You would do that for him?”

“Yes.”

“Dick don’t do this, please.”

Turning his head just slightly to lock eyes with Bruce, Dick pursed his lips. “I have to. You’ll figure it out. You’re already there. I trust you.” The man frowned but understanding filled his eyes and he gave Dick a firm nod. Turning back to the shadow, Dick latched his escrimas again and raised his chin. “I’ll stay as long as I have to if you promise to let him go safely on the other side of the magical wall.”

There was silence before the shadow moved like liquid, shoving Dick out of the way and getting Bruce out of the cell. In a blink of an eye, the pair were gone and Dick was left alone wondering what he was supposed to do now.