#i'm usually not into happy endings i'm very into bittersweet stuff

[tigirl-and-co]

How Finite is Love?

This is a short little piece set in @shirecorn‘s super cool mlp AU! This is just a first pass at it, I’ll definitely refine it if I post it to a fic site. I just HAD to get this out though, the au hits all my sweet spots!

Shining Armor considers the ponies he loves, and how a mortal pony can love goddesses.

Shining Armor held no resentment towards his two favourite mares. It wasn't their fault. They had no choice. Shining wasn't certain he believed in destiny, but whatever happened to his wife and baby sister sure was close.

First it was his wife, and that he could handle. She was an adult. They had fallen in love in highschool, they had grown together, Shining knew how strong Cadance was. If anypony deserved ascension, it was her.

If anypony could weather this, it was them.

He loved his wife with every bone in his body, every fiber of his being, every ounce of magic he could channel. And he knew she felt the same. If she didn't... this never would have happened.

Can love be a curse? Can loving somepony too much damn your soul? Can it save it?

About a month after Cadance gained her horn, Shining Armor decided dwelling on these questions wasn't helpful, and the answers didn't matter. He loved Cadance, and Cadance loved him. He couldn't change the past, wasn't sure if he even would -- but he was dead set on building a happy future.

At least as happy as he could give her. He couldn't guarantee that the love his mortal body held would last into her infinity, but he was determined to try.

He hoped it wouldn't destroy her to leave him behind, when the time came.

He loved her too much for that.

===

He had celebrated when The Sun took notice of Twilight.

The young stallion was oblivious to the looks of quiet worry on his parents' faces, the body language that said they were resigned to a cautious optimism. How could the attention of the source of Equestrian life bring anything but fortune?

He wasn't yet old enough to have heard the whispers. The old fables weren't circulated in school for fear of divine retribution, and Shining Armor was not as studious as his sibling.

Now?

Had he the power, he would have torn The Sun from the sky.

His baby sister, the sweetest and most sensitive mare he had ever known, damned to an eternity of watching her friends die.

She was a child (she was older than Cadance had been) she needed protection (she had brought down false gods) she wasn't ready (The Sun had learned from its mistakes, this new goddess was more than prepared).

She needed him.

Didn't she?

(She did, once.)

He was proud of her, of course. And if he had been watching for the signs, he wouldn't have been surprised.

Twilight Sparkle had always had an innate love for those around her. Before she had locked herself away in that tower amongst the tomes, she had been a kind filly. And even then, she had never quite managed to harden her heart.

She was still openly affectionate with him, with Cadance, with Twilight Velvet and Night Light. She shared her knowledge with them because it was how she said 'I love you.'

Leave it to a goddess to exploit that trait.

When Shining managed to find time to talk with his Twily after she had earned her wings, she had said her job as goddess was 'to spread the knowledge of friendship' and to teach others what friendship truly meant. She sounded excited, happy. She had found a purpose for her research.

Shining Armor wasn't sure if his baby sister hadn't yet considered the consequences of eternal life, or if it simply didn't bother her. He didn't ask.

He realized that while she was still his Twily, and would be until the day he died, she was more. She was Ponyville's friend. She was Celestia's Twilight Sparkle.

She was Equestria's new goddess.

He renewed his vow to remain her BBBFF forever, to keep her safe from turmoil and danger.

He swallowed down his anger and despair that night, in favour of his inevitable role as protector. He had his cutie mark, and he knew what it meant.

===

Shining Armor loved the mares in his life, and he would go to the ends of Equestria to keep them safe and happy, whether they needed him or not.

He was glad, at least, that they would have each other.

[foxy-eva]

Milestone Masterlist

I want to thank everyone who participated in my second Milestone Writing Challenge! I had so much fun reading all those stories and I'm more than happy to share them with everyone else.

Fics marked with * contain smut, so minors DNI!

Spencer Reid x Reader

The Mother Wound by @imagining-in-the-margins

Prompt: Nobody said healing would be easy but they had no idea it would be this hard

Summary: Spencer and Reader bond over having emotionally absent mothers

The image of them as children making it through the dark is very touching. It's a beautifully written, bittersweet story with the ability to bring hope to those who need it.

Crazy Ex by @c-m-stuff

Prompt: Person A needs to find B before it’s too late

Summary: You and Spencer are together. When you found strange pictures of the two of you, you knew, this wasn't good

This story depicts the emotions of Spencer's girlfriend really well. I also love the team dynamics, everyone is trying to do their best despite being terrified of losing Spencer.

Rumoured Nights * by @fortheloveofwonderland

Prompt: Someone has to unexpectedly share a hotel room with their favorite coworker - who apparently really likes to cuddle

Summary: A case in a small town in Alaska forces you and your favourite coworker into sharing a room and a bed. And according to Morgan, Spencer likes to cuddle.

This fic has everything I want for a prompt like this - mutual pining, a bit of awkwardness, everyone knowing except for them and then finally them acting on their desires. I also love the team dynamics you added to the story!

Emily Prentiss x Reader

Dar+ling by @leahseclipse

What a cute story! I really like how comfortable they are with each other. Even though Emily usually is more hesitant to show her feelings, she clearly feels safe around Reader here

Prompt: Person A finally confesses their feelings for B, who has wanted to do just the same for weeks

Summary: Emily finally gets the courage to confess their feelings to the reader, who has just wanted to do it too for a while

Emily Prentiss x Jennifer Jareau

The Way You Felt by @andiebeaword

What a wonderful story! I really like the way you describe their relationship without trying to sugarcoat it. I have a similar view on Jemily - they just weren't meant to have a happy end.

Prompt: Even though their love seemed to never be enough, Person A and B can't let go of each other

Summary: While on a flight to help Spencer, exes J.J. and Emily ultimately come to terms with their buried feelings

Emily Prentiss x Aaron Hotchner

Dance With Me by @pandorasdreamings

I really appreciate it when Emily's complex backstory is mentioned in fics. She is such an interesting person to explore further, especially in the context of her relationships with other characters.

Prompt: Person A thinks they are not worth being taken care of. Person B proves the opposite

Summary: Emily is trying to move on and be happy, but her past keeps creeping up on her. Maybe the solution to her sadness has been in front of her the whole time

Aaron Hotchner x Reader

4 AM by @hotchs-bitch

I absolutely love the softness and delicacy of this story. We rarely see Aaron's vulnerable side and you did a perfect job showing us just that in such a sweet way.

Prompt: Person A didn't know where else to go in a time of need, so they ring B's doorbell

Summary: When Aaron's marriage crumbles and he finds himself alone, there's only one person he wants to turn to

Aaron Hotchner x Haley Hotchner

Question of Timing * by @codename-mom

I always thought Hotch and Haley's relationship is very interesting but I never really considered what it would be like from her perspective. It's nice to get some variety!

Prompt: The couple decides to expand their family

Summary: Aaron finally agreed to make Haley a mother and she realised that the d-day is now. The issue is: how to convinced a husband afraid AF to be a father to do the last step? 

Aaron Hotchner x Derek Morgan

Drown in my Dreams by @masterwords

I was genuinely moved by your story and your writing style. The way you show how vulnerable both men are in a difficult situation like that is very touching.

Prompt: Person A has never shown any weakness until they can’t hold back their tears anymore. Person B is there to wipe them away

Summary: After dealing with Mr. Scratch, Derek just wants to put Hotch on his bike and get the hell out of town. So he does

Aaron Hotchner & Penelope Garcia

Nocturnal Wandering by @codename-mom

I like the way you described the dynamics between Hotch and Garcia. I always thought that their friendship was really special (and very underrated).

Prompt: Person A has never shown any weakness until they can’t hold back their tears anymore. Person B is there to wipe them away

Summary: Garcia was about to leave the sixth floor of Quantico, late at night, when she discovered that someone else was still there. Someone who was not into a good mood and clearly need some help. 

Please make sure to like and reblog these fics to show all those lovely writers some love!

[karliahs]

fic writer interview!!

tysm @plusultraetc for the tag!! <3

How many works do you have on AO3?

50 exactly!

What's your total AO3 word count?

234,906, almost half of which (110k) was written/posted this year. insane!!

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

darken your door (12,832)

walk a mile (5642)

swan dive (4857)

rescue (3905)

something else to pretend (3,572)

there's a theme here and it's bnha fics i wrote in 2019/2020

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

yes!! with several asterisks i'll get into in a minute. i try to respond to every comment i get because:

i genuinely really appreciate that anyone takes the time to tell me they liked a fic when they could just consume it and say nothing with 0 consequences, so i want to say thank you

some comments have a rly big impact on me - change the way i feel about stuff, contain phrases i remember for a really long time, make me cry, etc - and just like how if someone writes a fic that impacts me then i want to tell them, i want to tell people how much their comment mattered

i often only figure out why i did something or made certain choices in a fic until someone prompts me to talk about it. it's such a useful exercise for understanding my own work better

i genuinely adore rambling about my fics, it's arguably more fun than writing them in the first place

it's really nice getting to chat to commenters and get to know people!

however. there is a 3-4 year period where i didn't reply to any comments at all because i got overwhelmed and then felt like it was too late to try and catch up. this still haunts me a little bit because i got some really lovely impactful comments in that era but it just feels too weird to reply literally like 5 years late 😭

2nd asterisk is some fics i feel kind of embarrassed about and so don't reply to comments on, 3rd is that i'm bad at managing my comments inbox so i'm sure i miss people out by accident sometimes, and 4th is that if i don't have anything nice to say then i won't respond...i get almost no comments i think are intentionally meant to be rude, but sometimes i get ones that rankle for one reason or another and i won't reply if i'm just gonna be tetchy bc again, i don't think they're meant badly

so very much a yes in theory but not in practice 😂

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

bargaining chips i think. the funny thing about that series is that in some ways i think things would ultimately turn out better than in canon (there's a reason the 2nd fic has akechi promise to contact ren if he does survive, a thing that would have paid off in the 3rd fic i never finished). but as of bargaining chips it's very much...this is the POV of a person who thinks the only power they have left in the world is to hurt people

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

my usual ending is like bittersweet and/or hopeful, so for example i feel a lot of things about the cathertic (for me at least) endings for redux and something else to pretend and unwanted, but idk if they can exactly be called happy.

going to my pure silly fluff fics instead where we pretty much start happy and end happy: to work, to rest which ends with the gang being happy about stickers, or class pets which ends with class a getting three (3) cats

Do you write crossovers?

nope!

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

not really! probably the closest was someone commenting on pathologised with just "WHERE IS YUSUKE?" in all caps 🙄 "why isn't my fave dude in your fic" is not a genre of comment i enjoy, though it's usually phrased more politely than that at least

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

nope!

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i'm aware of, though it's apparently fairly rampant in bnha fandom with those "what if deku [x]" youtube videos. i think those are reserved for fics with actual plots though

Have you ever had a fic translated?

i think i've been asked for permission for people to do so before, but i don't think i've ever actually seen anything posted...someone did translate a little section of one fic into spanish in a bookmarker comment once, which was very fun because i remember little bits of spanish from school & years of sporadic duolingo

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

no but i think it would be so fun 👀

What's your all-time favorite ship?

mannnn i just cannot care about romantic ships the way that seems to be so ubiquitous in fandom. even when i try and write romance it ends up as like ambigious tenderness or Friendship With Vibes. the few times i've even written kissing it's been just a build up to a kiss after which the fic immediately fades to black, which is really funny in retrospect like...buddy, is that because you stop caring about what's happening once the kissing starts?

i am fond of erasermic, jontim and shindeku, though i enjoy them as platonic dynamics pretty much the same amount

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

it mostly doesn't bother me to have tons of unfinished WIPs, i don't really put that expectation that everything i start will or should get finished/posted.

so the only one that genuinely bugs me is the third fic in seen and not heard, because i feel like i kind of promised it to people and then didn't deliver, and because it would have properly concluded a series i know a few people really connected with...and because the draft got to like 80% done but i could just never finish it off in a way i was happy with. maybe someday though

there's also a more recent bnha fic draft that i am really fond of in some ways, but i just could not take the discourse i think it would inspire. i might finish it just for me someday

What are your writing strengths?

cribbing all these from comments honestly but i think i'm pretty good at real-feeling emotional responses to situations. emotional realism, maybe? and writing introspection/people thinking and feeling things in general.

my characterisation gets complimented a fair bit, which is funny bc i think i actually take a lot of liberties with canon characters, but i guess i'm decent at couching those liberties in a way that makes it pass muster most of the time. like passing off a counterfeit watch as genuine

i'm somewhat good with grounding things in sensory detail, but that's one of those things i think i'll always be trying to get better at

What are your writing weaknesses?

i've never met a plot in my life and i don't want to. i also can't write longfic. in real-world terms i'm a short story writer and not a novelist - all those structural narrative things people do to make a long-form story work are just mystifying to me. part of that is just driven by what interests me though - i don't read a lot of plotty longfic either

i'm also still working on improving syntax and flow in my prose in general, but that's another one of those endless projects i think

oh also having more than two people in a prolonged dialogue scene is wildly difficult to me

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

i have no thoughts on this matter!

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

merlin! i wrote probably bad merlin fic on ff.net back when i was like 15/16. it's actually the reason i joined tumblr in the first place, bc my fave merlin fic writer had a tumblr and i got curious

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

i'd like to write more about my silly little video game OCs. i've dabbled in it a bit before but i've never really invested in it because i know no one would read it/care. but i'm getting better at writing for myself and it is really fun to have records of these OCs that i love, so i hope i can write some stuff about the protag i make for new dragon age that i'll inevitably get deeply attached to

it's also kind of wild to me that i've never written for homestuck or dangan ronpa given the impact those two things had on my psyche

What's your favorite fic you've written?

my answer to this changes depending on the day but right now...something else to pretend my beloved

wow that got long. not tagging anyone but if you'd like to do it, consider yourself tagged!

[beanghostprincess]

Late to valentines day, but consider queer platonic strawhats.

Luffy, upon hearing about Valentine's Day ((Makino would likely have told him a bit about it as a child, but it got forgotten amidst the trees and critters and love and family and also trauma of living ten years in the woods with criminals and bandits as his company)) goes absolutely APESHIT. A day devoted to LOVE?? HECK YEAH SIGN HIM UP!!!! HE LOVES HIS FRIENDS SO MUCH!!!

Robin, Ussop, Chopper and he all settle across the deck and make crafts. Luffy is very much more focused than usual, both bc Hands Moving, Colors and Glitter Good, and also bc this is IMPORTANT so he's doing his absolute best.

He makes a card for every person on his crew. He also makes stuff for his friends all over, addressed to them by name. He can't send them, not really, because it's hard to remember the addresses (Nami helps with some of those), so the ones he can't send properly (Shanks, Buggy, Boa, etc) he throws into the ocean.

((There's a quiet moment after nightfall when he's sitting on the figurehead, holding a card he worked Extra Hard On. It's addressed to Ace, and Luffy isn't one to really... be sad. He tries not to be. He's worried about seeming weak.

The crew definitely caught on, though. Nami steps up to him, puts a hand on his shoulder. Tugs him back to the deck. She leads him by hand towards the center, where the other's are waiting. Franky is beaming.

He made a little lantern like device. It has a little pocket, and it floats up and up and up, "all the way to the heavens," he exclaims proudly. Nami mentions sending a letter to Bellemere. Chopper has one for Hiriluk. Ussop has one for his mom, Sanji for his own, Zoro to Kuina, Robin to Saul, Brook to the Rumbars, Franky to Tom. Jimbei carries a few, but merely smiles softly at Luffy.

He tries not to cry as they all load up their letters, but he feels better when the only response people have to the wetness on his face is a brief touch or side hug.

It's bittersweet, but somehow he feels better than he has in a very long time.

And with his crew around him, supportive and still there, still staying.... well, Luffy didn't think he could love them any harder. Full of surprises, the lot of them.

Late to Valentine's Day too, don't worry 🫶 And I consider Queer Platonic Strawhats every day of my life actually-

This is,,, So beautiful,,, I'm sure Luffy would absolutely love Valentine's Day to celebrate his love for his friends. Maybe Nami and Sanji tell him that's not exactly how it works, because it's supposed to be romantic, but when he asks them "Why, though?" they don't really, uhh, have an answer for that. So turns out their captain is right and they can use this day to celebrate all types of love!

I adore the idea of Luffy writing letters and cards and throwing them into the sea if he can't send them. It's just beautiful. Maybe in a bottle, pirate style. Maybe fate helps him and somehow those letters end up with the correct people. Who knows?

Also, Luffy would be extra clingy the whole day and Sanji would make a huge dinner for everybody. They'd have so much fun and Luffy would just,, Take a moment to look at all of them being happy for a second and he'd go "Now this is what being a pirate should be!" and it makes me really emotional.

Not to mention the Ace thing,, All of them sending their letters to their dead loved ones in the sky? Do you want to make me cry??? Because you're making me cry.

They're precious to me.

[taruchinator]

💻 General Audiences

💻 2.6k Words

💻 Written for the Brain Zine!

Brain wasn't blind to his surroundings.

He prided himself on being a man of intuition—someone who simply had an inkling and relied on it on his day-to-day life, be it in battle or while interacting with others.

To say he didn't notice the cases of keyblade wielders being in a state of melancholy after the war would be foolish on his behalf. What could he do to change that?

Hey everyone, Alice here! Welcome back to my KH vault! ^^

I've been meaning to share this story written for the Brain zine about two years ago for a while now, since I'm honestly quite happy with how it came out! I was never much of a Brain fan, but I definitely grew appreciation for him while writing this.

It's meant to be a retelling of the in-game cutscene in which he creates the Spirits in KHUx post-Keyblade War. Wanted to dive into the hows and whys of him creating them, so hopefully you'll enjoy!

Brain wasn't blind to his surroundings.

He prided himself on being a man of intuition—someone who simply had an inkling and relied on it on his day-to-day life, be it in battle or while interacting with others. He was also very bright, both academically and psychologically.

To say the ravenette didn't notice the cases of keyblade wielders being in a state of melancholy would be foolish on his behalf. And it was a number that continued to rise almost at an alarming rate.

“Getting some fresh air?” A voice brought Brain back to reality, as he realized he had been leaning on one of the pillars outside of the prestigious Clock Tower that had once served as a hideout to the Foretellers. The view from above was breathtaking, and also remarkably spacious to all of Daybreak Town in its glory.

Adjusting his fedora in a way that would slightly cover his face, the ravenette smirked. “With all the paperwork and dusty old cabinets, can you blame me?”

His companion—their leader, a fact he'd have to get used to—chuckled softly at the comment. “Fair enough. Out of all of us, I'm kinda glad you're the one who volunteered to sort through the Foretellers' stuff. You seem to know your way around books.”

“Books contain the knowledge that people didn't have the courage to speak aloud. At least that's how I see it. For now, I haven't really found much of use other than what I already gave you…”

“Oh, don't worry! That's not why I'm here. Just wanted to see how you were doing, that's all!” Ephemer scratched at the back of his neck with a sheepish grin, one that had Brain realizing how true and genuine he was, unlike many others he'd met before. Probably one of the qualities Master Ava saw in him.

“Oh? How thoughtful of you then, fearless leader.” Brain rolled his eyes, which caused Ephemer to lightly punch him in the arm in protest, only to end up having a chuckle erupt between them as it echoed through the empty halls. It was rather… nice.

“I wonder how everyone's doing…” Ephemer spoke softly, as if it were more of a thought to himself rather than a question. The albino then proceeded to lean forward as he stared at the town below, admiring the view with a bittersweet gaze twinkling in his eyes. “I know this was all meant to happen, and it was for a greater purpose and all… I just wish the Dandelions didn't have to pay the price for it.”

“So he sees it too. Of course he does, I mean, anyone would.” Wielders could be seen in the distance by Fountain Square—the usual pep in their step gone and replaced with something much somber. As if there was a much heavier weight resting on their shoulders that would never permit them to be the same ever again.

This was the result of war.

“I wonder where he's at.” Ephemer spoke once more, this time curiosity evident in his voice as he leaned forward and squinted at the blobs in the distance. The ravenette couldn't hold back the chuckle that erupted. “Who?”

As if he'd forgotten he wasn't alone, the other boy jolted slightly and then went to scratch at the back of his head once again. A habit of his, Brain could only presume. “A-Ah! It's nothing, just a friend of mine! He isn't technically a Dandelion but he survived the war. Haven't seen him since, though…”

“Well, if he's a friend of yours, I'm sure he's fine. Probably goofing off somewhere.” Brain let himself smile for a moment at the statement, and then went to express what he'd been thinking about before Ephemer arrived. “If something like this was meant to happen in the Book of Prophecies, then I'm sure there must be some way to make it better. We just haven't found it yet. So don't give up so soon, leader.”

Staring in slight disbelief, the albino returned the gesture. “Thanks, Brain. You're right. Just gotta follow the clues laid out for us!”

“May your heart be your guiding key…” Brain nodded alongside his companion.

If there was a way to reverse the effect the Keyblade War had on all the wielders, he was positive he'd find it. As Union Leader, it was now part of his duties. No one deserved the dark hollowness that was brought by this aftermath.

He was going to make things right.

That was the duty of a leader.

The Foretellers' chamber was nothing like he expected.

For people who were meant to be an example to the entire Keyblade wielder population, they certainly didn't put ‘tidiness’ too high up on their priority list. You could probably argue that training would be at the top of that metaphorical list, but organization was the foundation to any good regimen, and this room was anything but organized.

Brain wasn't lying to Ephemer when he mentioned all the dusty old cabinets and scattered paperwork that he'd tried piecing together for the past few days. The place almost seemed ransacked, and as if someone had left in a hurry and didn't even bother to put everything back where it belonged.

Easier for him at least, since he could start a new system without any complications.

The room had hardly any furniture in it, despite what the size might suggest. Filing cabinets, a few bookshelves, the grand round table, and a small working station that most definitely belonged to the Master of Masters.

“You know your eyes are gonna fall off if you keep staring at those all day, right? It's not like if you read them again it will make something new appear!” A high-pitched voice spoke behind the ravenette's shoulder, not startling him in the slightest despite the fact that he was supposed to be alone.

“I actually started collecting lots of data based on the evidence left on these pages. And I wouldn't have been able to do that without thorough research, Chirithy.” Leaning back against the chair, Brain smiled as he turned to face his spirit companion.

The tiny creature merely let out a long sigh as it adjusted itself comfortably on the table. “It's always you and your research. Have you even eaten anything?”

“Some fruit from the Moogle Shop. You don't need to worry about me, I know my limits.” He waved his hand dismissively as he tried to get Chirithy off the book he'd been previously reading, and the small cat-like spirit could only reluctantly agree with a huff. “You say that, but you've barely gotten any sleep this week! I've had to wake you up at least three times just to get you on time for your meetings…”

Brain recalled the instances his companion was referring to, but immediately shook them off as he nodded towards the corner of the room. “If you want to get some load off my shoulder, why don't you tidy up around here? I've been inhaling nothing but dust and cobwebs for at least a few days.”

Turning to look at where the boy was pointing, Chirithy raised its eyebrows as it saw only a broom staring back at them. The spirit crossed its tiny paws, almost looking offended. “You think I'm this place's janitor or something?”

With a shrug, the ravenette picked up the book from before and pretended to start reading again. “I'm just saying, you'd really be helping me out.”

Chirithy stayed silent for a moment, its tiny fedora covering most of its face as they stared down at the floor. It didn't take more than a few seconds before a grumble was heard and the spirit jumped off the table. “Fine! But I'm only doing this because it's my duty as your spirit guardian! Also if someone else comes in here, I'm saying it was your idea!”

The Union Leader laughed as his Chirithy made its way towards the desired spot. “I'm counting on you, partner!”

More grumbling could be heard in the distance. “Yeah yeah, whatever. Just be sure to find something useful in those dumb old- woah!”

The carefree moment was short lived as the sound of collision reached Brain's ears. In its whining, the spirit hadn't noticed the cabinet that the broom had been leaning on, and promptly crashed against the solid surface with enough force to knock it over along with all the contents inside. The ravenette quickly stood up and made his way over. “Chirithy!”

Small clouds of dust had also surfaced from the fall, which caused the keyblade wielder to cough and wave for the puffs to go away. Chirithy suddenly emerged from the chaos—thick dust covered its body, and only a tiny area that appeared to be its nose was left untouched. “I-I'm…fine…”

After realizing his companion was unharmed, Brain visibly relaxed and allowed himself to chuckle at the display. “You know what? That look suits you quite well. Now you look like a black cat! That should teach you to watch where you're going.”

Chirithy began shaking its body to try and get rid of the black coal in its fur. “Hey, it wasn't just me! When you have piles of stuff lying around, how do you expect people not to trip?”

“What are you talking about? I didn't put anything-” The boy was quickly cut off mid-sentence, as he turned behind the creature and found a pile of books he hadn't seen before. Where did those even come from?

Brain walked towards the tumbled pieces of literature and knelt down to pick one of them up. A thick film of dust painted over the cover, and as such he blew at it to try and get some off. What lay underneath was something the ravenette could've never been prepared for.

The Master of Masters' journal.

“Brain? What's wrong?” Chirithy's voice brought the boy back to reality as he remained frozen in shock. Quickly standing up, he headed back to the workstation and planted the heavy book on the table. “Chirithy, I think we're finally onto something. I'm gonna need some time to read through this, okay?”

The tiny spirit perked its ears in curiosity, but understood the importance of the situation and simply saluted as he picked up the fallen broom. “Yes, sir! This place will be sparkling clean before you know it!”

As soon as the spirit left to start the sweep, Brain sat down and began flipping away.

He was thankful that after so many days going from one book to the other nonstop, he had learned the skill of skimming through pages in a matter of seconds. And the things that the young wielder was seeing were nothing short of fascinating.

Stories from the Master's youth. Entries on the Foretellers. Speculations on how the Keyblade War would begin and how to prevent it.

But there was one page in particular that immediately caught Brain's eye: ‘Creating The Spirit Chirithys’.

“Is this… a recipe to create a Chirithy?” The ravenette knew that the Masters had created the Chirithys as a means to give guidance to all Keyblade wielders, but he never actually stopped to question the method that was used to bring them to life. If this truly was a step-by-step process on how to create a Chirithy, then he had discovered a gem.

All Chirithys were meant to guide and protect their partners from darkness, and according to the Master's journal, they could also indicate the state of a wielder's heart—whether it still belonged to the light or not.

But above all else, the boy found one trait to be of particular interest: A Chirithy was able to consume its wielder's nightmares and protect them from them.

It was fascinating for certain, but Brain's mind couldn't help but wander into a possibility of something else. Something that could benefit all wielders, especially regarding their current situation. “If Chirithy can consume people's nightmares… What if they could also do that with bad memories? Those that bring nothing but pain and sorrow?”

Memories like those of the Keyblade War.

The prospect was far too enticing to pass on. Flipping through the pages, Brain looked into the strange list of materials he needed for the experiment—from Lux all the way to Fairy Dust. Thankfully, the ravenette had seen most of these scattered around the cabinets in the room.

He quickly gathered everything he could find, and began adding some slowly into a small circular beaker.

If he wanted this to work, he wouldn't just have to replicate a Chirithy, but also modify the spirit into something different. Something unique.

Staring at the instructions on his lap that seemed more like a load of rambling notes, Brain couldn't help but sigh as he massaged his temple in slight frustration.

Something told him it was going to be a long night.

“Aww he's so fluffy!”

“H-He's also a lot heavier than he looks!”

Skuld and Ventus were doting all over the small pink feline spirit, currently snuggling against the blonde's neck and licking away at his cheek. Skuld was scratching at the fluff in the creature's neck, giggling in glee.

“So these spirits are like Chirithy? What exactly are they for?” Ephemer stared from afar at the duo with a smile on his face, yet side eyeing Brain for an answer.

“Turns out the answer was staring us right in the face this whole time. The Book of Prophecies gave us the task to create spirits that will aid wielders in forgetting everything regarding the war.” The ravenette flipped the pages of his own copy until he landed on the aforementioned task left for them.

Ephemer's eyes widened slightly. “Forget the war? You mean… erasing their memories?”

“Exactly. Chirithy has the ability to devour our nightmares, and these little guys would have a similar purpose—erase the memories that cause most pain, in this case being the war. We would be the only ones who would recall the event.” The only ones that would carry the burden. As any leader should.

“I see…” The albino kept his gaze fixated on Ven and Skuld, watching them giggle and laugh at the small creature running around them in circles. His smile changed to a more somber one. “As long as it's protecting them, I don't see why we shouldn't go with it.”

Noticing Ephemer's change in demeanor, Brain elbowed him on the side with a smirk. “Don't you worry, leader. The memories left behind will be nothing but good ones. And besides, its not like only one person will be holding onto this secret. You're not alone. You've got us.”

Returning his smile to normal, the boy elbowed him in return with a wink. “Yeah, you're right. And speaking of not being alone, neither are you. You should get some rest while the rest of us look into the chamber.”

Brain scoffed slightly. “I'm fine, but thank you for the concern.”

Ephemer merely raised an eyebrow. “Your Chirithy said they've caught you passing out in the desk more often than usual.”

“What? When did he-?”

“It smells to me like he could use a shower, too. May I interest you in a little something called soap?” Out of nowhere, Lauriam joined in on the teasing as he walked next to the ravenette with a smug look on his face.

Laughter erupted between the two and Brain could only sigh in defeat.

He was never the type to do things with others in mind. He was a loner for the majority of his life. And yet here he was, being thrusted onto a world with different values and ideas from his own, still it didn't bother him as much as he thought it would.

Maybe Master Ava was right.

The future wasn't decided, no matter what the Book told them. And with a group as unpredictable as theirs, perhaps they stood a chance at making things better.

For everyone.

✦𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐌𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐝 𝐓𝐨 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐌𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬!✦

[sroloc--elbisivni]

questions for ao3 writers

tagged by @secretlystephaniebrown and @radishhqueen! thanks!

i will tag @bobtheacorn @kithnkin @spectralsleuth @decepti-thots @desdemonafictional, and if you see this and want to please consider yourself tagged!

1. how many works do you have on ao3? 108!

2. what's your total ao3 word count? 895,129. (I started the year with vague hopes of hitting a million words--we'll see where I end up after finishing current major non-fic project.)

3. what fandoms do you write for? right now, I've got active WIP docs open for rottmnt, transformers, usagi yojimbo, and one piece.

4. top 5 fics by kudos? Deaged Batgirls, tried to raise you right, Universe Collision, words that it was forming, and Intelligence, or vision, or the truth.

5. do you respond to comments? I try to! Especially if I have something to say more than just 'thanks.' I love talking about my fics.

6. fic you wrote with the angstiest ending: Any way you go you lose, which was specifically written as a bad ending for a different fic.

7. fic you wrote with the happiest ending: Mmh. I write a lot of happy endings, but I think the most uncomplicated/least bittersweet one is probably Heart's still beating, guess I'm pretty lucky.

8. do you get hate on fics? almost never, fortunately!

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind? yes, trending towards kinky.

10. do you write crossovers? sometimes! arguably all the turtles/UY fic I've written is a crossover, though I don't think of them that way because it's usually about blending the canons rather than crashing them into each other.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen? not to my knowledge

12. have you ever had a fic translated? I've had requests, but nothing completed!

13. have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes! A few different ways--written bouncing back and forth, trading off scenes, each person taking one half of a story, each person taking a scene that fits in a larger narrative. it can be really fun.

14. all-time favorite ship? ooooooooough um. hm. hard to say. i've got the most words written for leo/usagi, so i'll go with that even though drifting out of turtles fandom has kind of taken a hard turn into absolute disinterest for me.

15. what's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? hahaha uh. let's say The Days That Follow, which was part of what i consider my first 'real' major fic project, for Young Justice. maybe if i ever get around to watching the post s2 stuff i'll come back to it.

16. writing strengths: I'm good at worldbuilding and I'd like to think that extends to detail and description/immersion in general

17. writing weaknesses: i basically never edit on a macro level and i think i tend towards glibness in a way that leaves holes behind the main action.

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? i used to, and stick the translations in the end notes! and now i probably wouldn't--I'd either indicate the language via dialogue or have the narrator say they don't understand. my priority has become making sure the reader understands.

19. first fandom you wrote for: there's a very old percy jackson oc fic somewhere in the depths of my hard drive from when i was like. 12.

20. favorite fic of yours: i recently reread 'Fathomless' and I'm still so fucking happy with it.

[doobnnoob-tf2]

Hiya :)

Big fan, lurker gradually shifting into ask territory. I love all your stuff :)

What do you think the merc's dreams are like? (If this hasn't been asked before)

Thanks!

I've actually done one for the Mercs' nightmares before, I'm more than happy to tackle the opposite!

Scout: he dreams about being back home. having become one of the best baseball players to exist and staying home and making his Ma proud. he has a job she can brag about, he gets to see her more often, even his brothers treat him with a little more respect for doing better in life than they did. it would make him feel sad that isn't his life, but as soon as he heads to breakfast and sees his teammates all loud and laughing, he knows it's just a nice fantasy and he wouldn't trade this life for anything

Soldier: his dreams focus on him being a war hero out on the battlefield. single-handedly saving his teammates from everything coming their way. all of them praising him as they exit the field for saving them all. the higher-ups even send him a special medal for him to wear with pride. he always wakes up feeling extra ready to get out there and get to work

Pyro: their dreams are very much like Pyroland. colorful, happy, always bustling and overstimulating. but that's how they like their world. it's childish and fun and it's the best part of their day if they're honest. they can hang out with their teammates, or go on wacky adventures that tend to continue somewhat from dream to dream even, or even just pick a spot and sit and chill the whole time they're there. they've mastered lucid dreaming and love having control and doing whatever they please

Demoman: he dreams of traveling. of getting out in the world and going from place to place. learning about the local legends and maybe spending time hunting them all down while he's there. he would want to put a book together about all he's learned. no stress about how many jobs he has, how hard he's working. it's just him and the world and he can live it however he pleases

Heavy: he dreams about retirement. this war ending and he can return home to his Mama and sisters and spend the rest of his days surrounded by them. cooking meals, sharing stories, knowing they're all safe. no more living in fear, or him having to be away from home for so long. it's just him and his family and he writes letters to his teammates

Engineer: he often dreams of farm life. in his dreams he always has his hand back, which leads him to believe he dreams of scenarios in which he/his family didn't get caught up with Mann Co. and all their nonsense. usually he's just enjoying the calm morning air and watching out over the fields, sometimes he's in the middle of chores. they're always peaceful, and yet they sometimes make him wonder if he made the right career choice

Medic: he rarely dreams at all, good or bad. it probably has something to do with his experiments. his dreams are often about having never gotten involved with mercenary work, become a regular doctor, have his own hospital that's world renowned and he's successful. but deep down he knows he'd be unfulfilled in that life. they're very nice dreams, he'll admit. he likes the moment of calm they bring to the otherwise hectic job he works

Sniper: after his parents passed away, a lot of his dreams became bittersweet. he'd dream about them again, about going home and seeing them alive and well. he wakes up and feels the need to go call them before he looks at the phone and remembers there's no one there to answer. it hurts but in a way it makes him think that maybe - just maybe - they're still thinking about him too somewhere out there

Spy: it rare he ever has a good dream. but when he does, it's usually about what his life could have been if he'd chosen to stay with Ma and raise Scout and her other boys. they're bittersweet as well, and often leave him laying in bed and thinking of all the regrets he has for not following through with it all. but instead of dwelling for too long, he goes to find ways to get stuck having to run errands with him, even if Scout annoys him the entire time

I am also SO very sorry it took me so long to get to this. I'd gotten pretty busy during January and got behind on a lot of things

[just-jordie-things]

Spread love to fanfic writers! I am curious about your answers to these questions!

Name a fic you loved writing the most. Name a fic that others loved but you didn’t care for as much. Name a fic you had the most fun writing. Name a fic that you are the most proud of. Name a fic that you wish had gotten more recognition. Name your happiest/saddest/most comedic fics!

I LOVE THESE SORTS OF THINGS!!! sorry i've been so inactive, got a really full plate rn, thank you all for your patience and understanding <3 ___

a fic i loved writing the most: romantic incidents - inumaki toge. when i wrote it it was mostly because there wasn't enough content of him on this app and holy shit did it blow up and get so much more love than i ever could've expected !! i swear that fic put me on the map lmao

a fic that others loved but i didn't care for as much: blue orchids and white lies - nanami kento. i gave writing for him my best shot but i can't help but feel like i didn't characterize him very well. i would like to formally apologize to the nanami girlies and nanami kento himself.

a fic i had the most fun writing: video games - takuma ino every trope in this was fun for me!! roommates, crushing, flirting, eee!! it was fluff

a fic that i am the most proud of: to build a home - gojo satoru idk if this counts bc it's a series but i put so much time and effort into outlining it and y'all i never draft fics i just write from the heart and send it off into the world XD

a fic i wish had gotten more recognition: shades of cool - zen'in naoya... but i totally get why there isn't exactly a hoarde of fangirls for him lmfaooo he's terrible and i'm sick in the head for writin for him

happiest fic: you know you got me in your pocket - okkotsu yuuta. hard to pick this one but i think the vibes of this one was just so soft and fluffy the whole read :)

saddest fic: stuck between the blackest day- fushiguro megumi and no surprises - okkotsu yuuta. they're both bittersweet/happy endings but the subject matter is pretty dark compared to my usual stuff!

most comedic fic: bad at flirting - fushiguro megumi HANDS DOWN i nailed second hand embarassment with this one

___

thanks again for sending me this!! i'm always down to talk about my fics with y'all <3

[andrea-lyn]

@kaydeefalls is the loveliest ever for tagging me in this meme, bc it's an absolute fave, so ty ty!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

494, which definitely excludes some early career stuff I do not share. Yes, it's a lot, but hey, that's hyperfixation for you!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

3,646,862, which means 4mil is the next big target, and knowing me, I'll get there.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently, my WIP folder touches the following fandoms: The Old Guard, Avatar the Last Airbender, XMFC, Interview with the Vampire, Roswell New Mexico (I very much want to write more Roy/Jamie, but just kicking around ideas rn).

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

ready for my close up, mr. dameron (Poe/Finn), aka @swingsetindecember baited me with gogurt and I wrote a fic, and the gogurt is unique, but the baiting is not (see: my entire Mag7 oeuvre)

how to fall in love with a fairytale  (Poe/Finn), aka, I got into the Star Wars fandom at the right time

what a tale my thoughts could tell (Joe/Nicky), aka, I got into the Old Guard fandom at the right time and mind-reading does well

Your Hand In Mine (Poe/Finn), aka, see above

hallelujah, you're still mine (Joe/Nicky), also above

The next couple are still Old Guard/Star Wars, but this year a few newbies have crept into the top page, including Ted Lasso and IWTV, which is very exciting to me!

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes, always, I am a slut for positive reinforcement and I want to give thanks for that.

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

Every once in a while I like to write something that guts me to write and makes me cry. Anyway, The Time Traveling Pilot technically has a bittersweet and happy ending, except it's also super angsty? Love the ouroboros of it all!

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

....take your pick. With minimal exceptions, I'm a happy ending girlie by trade.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I had a run in Roswell New Mexico where I had to turn off guests because I was getting some really random, but vicious comments and I knew why, but it was still exhausting.

9. Do you write smut?

I've noticed as I get older, I've stopped as much, mostly because the tone doesn't seem to match what I'm doing. Don't get me wrong, I'll still include it, but it's usually more in passing than focused.

10. Do you write crossovers?

Hell yes, and I miss them, I need to write more.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, and my biggest piece of advice for any writer is to have an open policy for transformative works on your AO3, because that's how you get awesome translations and podfics!

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Yes, and I love this too, and would love to do more of it. Honestly, sometimes I think that's the only way I'll ever finish the original novel ideas I have.

14. What is your all time favorite ship?

I feel like I don't have all-time faves, but I will say that there are some ships that stick with me even after years and I'll go back to them. Right now, I'd say those two that have longevity are Ronan/Adam, and Kirk/McCoy. Obviously then there are current obsessions like Armand/Daniel and Sokka/Zuko, but those first two just stick.

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

There's only one. Literally, only ONE. I will probably never finish even though there's only a chapter left. It's a modern day Pride & Prejudice AU. It is literally the only fic I've ever abandoned after I started posting (pretty sure it's still on ff.net) and honestly, the only reason I'm not going back to it is because my style has changed too much.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Engaging plot, or so I like to think. I feel like I tend to have fun unique takes on things.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Not describing shit enough. I do a lot of vague things on purpose sometimes because it fits the mood, and sometimes because I'm just too lazy about my prose.

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

So I used to. And then I realized that it's too much work to scroll or highlight, so now I'll just write in italics and denote the language in the prose after.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog or Charmed - I can't remember which came first, but my username comes from the Mary Sues I wrote in both of those fandoms, bc I decided that I might as well own it. And here we are.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

It's always a flip-flop between my Webgott (Love Like The Sea) and this one, Baby, I'm Howling For You (my McDanno supernatural big bang). The latter is probably winning right now because I re-read it the other day and I miss world-building like that, so I'm dying to get back to it.

TAGGING TIME! I'm hitting up @myrmidryad @inell @atthelamppost @graygiantess and anyone else who wants to ramble about fics!

[shippingmyworld]

No hate, just genuinely curious why you don't like the doomed by the narrative trope. It's soooo juciy and there's just so much potential overall, especially when they know it's coming.

I don't mind talking about it more off anon since it's cathartic and helps me process, but the short version is basically that I went through some shit and my mental health was in the pits when I was 18-22 years old. It left some lasting effects that I still struggle with to this day, but one of the ways I coped is by consuming literature. It was my escape into a happier place. That's why when I write, I want to be able to see my characters also reach that happy place in the end, no matter what they've struggled through.

It's not that I don't like doomed by the narrative. Hell, I love thriller and horror stuff, it's just that I can't subject myself to stuff like that very often. Like yeah, there's potential for something powerful in it, but at the end of the day doomed by the narrative usually means a bad ending for the character(s) - or at the very best a bittersweet ending. If something is tagged properly and I can take the time to mentally prepare myself, I'll be able to dive in eventually. The reason I can enjoy horror/thriller at all is because I jump in with the mindset that none of the characters will survive to the last page/scene (lol). So if I'm sucker punched by something out of left field it can cause me to unintentionally spiral, which is why I also tend to avoid that trope if it's applied to a ship. I can't tell you how many stories/movies/shows I've dropped mid-way through because a character was killed off with zero foreshadowing, done simply for the shock value of it.

[skellymom]

Vagabonds Questions

What inspired you to write the fic this way?

What scene did you first put down?

Where did the title come from?

Thanks for asking @genericficerblog !

For reference and shameless self promotion, here is the intro and first chapter of my ongoing The Bad Batch Hunter x OC fan fic series:

The subsequent chapters after that are linked at the end of each chapter so you can continue to read uninterrupted (If indeed the links do still work. Message me if they don't please!). I've only just written 1/4 of the story arc so far. There is farther to go. And many surprises in store for the reader. Admittedly, I had hoped to pick up past chapter 8 already...but SUPER burnt during the holidays from working my main job (veterinary technician). So I might not start up the story again until Feb 2024. I need a mental health break.

#1. What inspired you to write the fic this way? When it comes to my OC, I'm a bit of a control freak. So third person omnipresent works for me. I get to share ALL OF THE DETAILS of everyone involved in the fic. However, I do have two first person one shots that work much better when the reader is the only person privy to what they are thinking and the other characters are a bit of a mystery.

Also, with all the horrible crap going on in the world that I have NO control over...it's nice to write something that's a bit escapist. I have control over this universe. And, while characters might encounter hardship and loss, the ending for sure will be happy. It might be bittersweet, but it's cosmically for the best. I feel like I have more control over this world than the one I live in. The one that control is really only an illusion. And, I'm no hero. Just another cog in the machine clicking away.

#2. What scene did you first put down? Actually, the scene with Love force grabbing and rescuing the puppy from the Coruscant meat market. They needed to rescue that poor little soul! However, the very first scene to even pop into my head as an idea was that of Mad trying to fly out of trouble on the Beldame and Love pretty much protecting the ship with their unrestrained Force Shield...with disastrously (or lucky) insane results. Didn't write it down until much, much later.

I LOVE WRITING ACTION SCENES! I tend to write the really meaty scenes first (I have several notebooks that I just scribble stuff down while sitting in front of the fire, with a cup of tea, or whenever I can pick up and write). Then I slowly piece bits together to make the whole of the story. I have ideas whizzing around all the time in my head...I just gotta commit to writing them into reality!!!

#3. Where did the title come from? A "Vagabond" is a person that wanders from place to place without a home or job. Or a person having no settled home. A wanderer or traveler. It usually doesn't have a pejorative meaning as it can have a romanticized connotation, but sometimes can be pejorative as in calling someone a vagrant.

I've always been interested in people who continually move from place to place, either by want or necessity. Most people tend to stay in one place and never go far due to being comfortable with what they know. But, what if you're comfortable with what you don't know? What if settling in too long in one place is stifling? Or constantly moving allows you freedom, opportunities, experiences...maybe even safety? What if your culture ENCOURAGED you to keep moving and embrace the unknown and new experiences?

I have been a bit of a Vagabond most of my life. Moved away from my home state at 21 years old (I would have left sooner...like 10 years old if I had the money, confidence, luck, parental consent, etc. My cousin reminded me that climbing through the bedroom window and running away with just a suitcase would land me in juvenile detention. Plus, she said she would miss me). Two Navy husbands, lots of places I've lived, visited, traveled to and still going whenever I can. Hell, I'd couch surf, floor crash, or whatever it takes to go visit ANYWHERE! And, if I stop moving too long I get restless and a major case of wanderlust.

So, in between saving money and planning to find places to go I write and travel to places in my mind that don't exist. Yep...Mad is ME! Surely you figured that out already. Been dreaming of flying away on adventures since I was a child. I LOVE planet earth. But, sometimes I look up in the sky at night and gaze at the stars...hoping to see a craft touch down in the greenspace behind my house. A band of rag-tag misfits emerge and call over the fence. They traveled an awfully long way through hyperspace lanes and time-space worm holes to come to this tiny blue planet holding life. They say they are looking for a few good Rebels. I turn and yell to my family that I'm off to fight a galactic war and don't wait up for me at dinner. Gotta shoot some imps and steal some intel. Be back tomorrow. <3

[leviathiane]

tagged by @murderkitten666! thank you 🎉❤️

*will be answering this with both my nsfw and sfw account in mind!

20 Questions for Fic Writers

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

105!! damn, didnt realize i crossed over 100. 43 on nsfw, 62 on sfw

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

427,882 on sfw, 147,849 on nsfw! A nice total of 575,731 words across accounts :3 someday when I hit a million, I'll go get a cake or something

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I've written for many fandoms at this point,, I tend to hop around, I get bored easily 😅 To shorten the answer, I am known best for my works in LOZ, one piece, qsmp, and pokemon-- though currently I am writing for solely HXH

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

sfw only* Hunted (LOZ), Warm (LOZ), Within Risk of Reason (OP), Something Shifting (LOZ), and Calling Out (LOZ). Wror was dethroned soundly by my LU LOZ series lmao, that fandom is big on engagement 🥺

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

I try my best to!! My response time varies pretty wildly, though. Could be anywhere from within the hour of posting to.... 5 months later. but i do my best to respond regardless. There's several reasons why: It's a courtesy thing, to me, to reply to people who have taken the time to comment, its fun to discuss things, I want to thank people for particularly kind or analytic comments, and because readers tend to remember a reply and comment more frequently. In the end, it just makes both writer and reader happy to reply.

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

probably Romantic at Heart? (OP) I like hurt no comfort/bad end hanahaki fics, and that's the only one I currently have up. Personally, my saddest fic is An exercise in grief (LOZ), even though its bittersweet in nature rather than straight angsty.

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

That's pretty hard to quantify, a lot of them have happy endings kjsdahbdsa,, maybe Both Haunted and Holy? (OP) There's nothing angsty about it, just a selkie relearning safety and love among his found family in his skin.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

on my nsfw sometimes! Not often, and its usually just a one-off comment a single sentence long. Very easy to ignore, especially on porn. lots of weird purity people who open dark fiction just to call you gross. Brother, you clicked on the fic!

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

sajkdsanj ABSOLUTELY lmfaooo. It ranges, there's some vanilla stuff, but I by-large tend to write darker and often niche content.

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

I don't write crossovers! I read them every so often, but they're not really for me and I definitely don't want to write one.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of! Had art stolen before, though.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Had offers! But nothing posted

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

Of a sort?? I've done round-robin with the boggers, and I've done a BigBang event, and I've co-hosted a collection, and I'm currently cowriting an original piece with a friend irl, but no ao3 fic of mine has another's name on it.

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

impossible question, I'm a multishipper fandom-hopper. There Is no all-time ship, just many many many favorite ships that revolve and orbit in my head as I go. Currently into killugon, though!

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

oof. There's a lot of wips i have, both posted and not posted. I'm of the philosophy that no story is ever unfinished, though. At least not for me! It's only due to the nature of my attention span that i leave things unfinished-- eventually, I will return to the fandom that I left things unfinished, and my interest hopefully last long enough to finish them. it means a long wait, but I believe they'll get done.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Characterization, maybe? Specifically, characterization built through little actions, like how the character fidgets, walks, talks, dresses themselves. Hints that build a person into something real. I'm pretty decent with action scenes, as well.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Dialogue.... and also romance. I despise writing kissing. Romantic intimacy in general makes me kind of cringe to write. Dialogue CAN come easy to me, but only if the character is similar to myself? When I wrote for qsmp, foolish was the easiest I had ever written a character speaking, because he just kind of speaks the way I think. Otherwise, I really struggle. I also have trouble ending things. It always comes off kind of rushed and awkward sounding no matter what I do.

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

I've done it before! Felt cheesy and awkward, though. Though I think that's more because I was writing from the POV of a character adjusting their language over time than anything. This also depends on the language, of course, I could write something in Spanish pretty easily but if I tried to write in a language I'm not familiar in or at least have a friend who knows it, I'm fucked

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Warrior cats! When I was like 10, on FFN. On AO3, my first posted fic was for Moomins in like 2018?

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

sfw only* An exercise in grief. I reread that fic, and maybe only that fic of my own posted sfw writing. It was all my feelings and grief about AOC and mipha and hopeless, angry, bittersweet, guilty grief combined in a dense like 4.4k of words and it bothered me for a bit how slow it was for people to pick it up. That fic means a lot to me! It was raw in a way few of my fics do.

Tagging @touchmycoat, @midnightluck, @ruthlesslistener, @tciddaemina, @hergan416, @timeskip , @authenticaussie , and @ashyronfire ! Any mutual untagged, feel free to do as well :3

[abovetherainandroses]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Storm here! 🌩 Tysm for the tag @27-royal-teas! <3 I haven't done a tumblr meme thing in forever! And I don't really have any friends on this blog so I don't have anyone to tag, but if you're a writer who follows me, consider yourself tagged! (And also come be my friend)

This got long! I talk too much! Answers are below the cut!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

So I have two accounts lol, because for some reason I decided to make a separate RPF account even though I have other embarrassing things on main account anyway?? Anyway, I currently have 100 fics on my main and 5 on my RPF account.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

Across both accounts, 379,693 words for an average of 3.6k per fic. Longfic? I don't know her.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I usually write for one fandom at a time, but I will revisit/cycle through fandoms. Currently it's Fall Out Boy. Previously, I was writing some MCU stuff (mostly Spider-Man). Also wrote a handful of Good Omens stuff back when S1 came out. I have the most fics posted for Haikyuu (volleyball manga/anime) lol.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Oops I only have 5 fics so far on my RPF account and I'm still debating whether I want this account directly linked to my main.

But I will take this opportunity to tell anyone who needs it not to put too much stock into kudos!! Kudos count relies on a lot of factors, but a big two are fandom/ship size and when you post the fic relative to the height of the fandom's activity. (Getting in early with a fic right after a new movie/season/etc. comes out so you're one of the first fics for the New Thing can be huge too.)

External validation is obviously very nice but if you rely too much on it, you're not gonna have a good time.

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

Comments make my entire life and I always want to respond to them, but I inevitably fall off because the brain energy isn't there, and I keep putting it off, and putting it off, and putting it off, and then it feels too late. But seeing as I only have 5 fics on my RPF account, I recently went and responded to everything, even if it was years late. In the past few weeks I've actually gotten responses to some comments I left on fics like 3 years ago so it inspired me, haha.

I myself am not always good at leaving comments (continuous goal to get better at it), so I really appreciate the people who take the time to leave kind comments for me and I want to express that appreciation.

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

I don't usually write angsty fic... I'm too softhearted. That said, I have made a few forays into angst, but Your Mileage May Vary on which one is the angstiest. Is it the major character death? Is it the one where they're soulmates with the last words they'll say to each other written on their skin, and in the end it's not death that separates them, but their own inability to have a functional relationship with each other?

Or is it the one I didn't even think was super angsty and tagged "bittersweet ending" but then it made a bunch of people cry? I'm still like "...my bad" about that one lmao.

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

Fluff is my lifeblood and almost all of my fics have a happy ending. I couldn't tell you which was the happiest, haha. Again, I'm incredibly softhearted, and also a big sap. I cannot deny this!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Thinking very hard... I have been posting fic for............. several years so it is possible I am forgetting something but nothing comes to mind! I have always felt too relatively unknown for haters, which is just fine by me.

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

"What kind" lol. What does that even mean. Listen, my kink is holding hands during sex and being ❤️ in love ❤️ (I mentioned I'm a softhearted sap, right??)

Sometimes I might explore some light kink but nothing too hardcore imo.

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

Again, I've been writing/posting fic for several years, so I could be forgetting something, but I don't remember ever writing a true crossover. Though in my personal definition of fandom terms, crossover = characters from fandom A meet characters from fandom B. I have written a few fusion AUs in my time (characters from fandom A existing in the world of fandom B), which you could say falls under the crossover umbrella. For example, I've written Kingdom Hearts characters in a Pacific Rim AU and Haikyuu characters in Dragon Age AU.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of. Though I did once see (this was a SUPER long time ago) someone repost my fic on tumblr the same day I posted it on FFN, even though I also posted the full text of the fic on tumblr myself. They credited my FFN account, at least, but like. Hey. Don't do that.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, I've had some fics translated into various languages! It's definitely an honor that people want to share some of my stuff in other languages and take the time to do that translation work. I try to ask people keep translations on AO3 but it hasn't always succeeded so there are some translations of my works floating around on foreign language fic sites... Ah well.

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

I successfully co-wrote one (1) fic with one of my friends years ago. I've tried a few other times to co-write fics (including with the same person) but none of them ever finished... Co-writing fic is hard! Idk how to do it effectively. I've done a handful of fic/art collabs with my wife though!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

I don't know that I have a single all-time favorite ship, but Peterick is definitely the current fave. I........ adore them. So much.

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

Listen, I am a hoarder of WIPs and a clinger to delusions that they will one day be finished. But okay, one of my peterick WIPs from 2016-2017 that I really liked but highly doubt I'll ever finish is a no-band, dating show AU where Pete is the eligible bachelor on a queer offshoot of the Bachelor/Bachelorette and Patrick (through machinations by Joe) ends up as a contestant on the show. Patrick is camera shy and does not want to be there, but he made a deal with Joe to stay til he was eliminated. Pete, who just went through a public and messy divorce with Ashlee, does not want to be there, but he was guilt-tripped into using his moderate fame to help bring viewership to the underfunded little queer show.

Pete finds out Patrick never wanted to be there in the first place and offers to eliminate Patrick. I will copy/paste the next bit from my gdoc:

"[...] pete’s like what if…i didn’t eliminate you and we just stayed friends and hung out and stuff and patrick finds himself agreeing bc pete’s a really nice dude and they have a lot of interests in common

But then Patrick keeps sticking around through the weeks and Patrick and Pete fall in love and both end up having separate private crises because they agreed to be friends. Patrick sees Pete spending time with other candidates and clearly being attracted to them and it sucks because now Patrick is in love with Pete and Pete isn’t considering him at all. Meanwhile Pete is having a good time with the other candidates and sure there’s lust there and even some like but he can’t stop thinking about how perfect Patrick is for him except for oh wait Patrick doesn’t even want to BE here and Pete was the one who convinced him to stay and now he’s fucking in love with him."

Blah blah blah, stuff happens, Pete eliminates Patrick in the last few weeks then when he has to make the choice between the final two candidates, calls Patrick and confesses to him instead, blah blah blah, happy ending.

Anyway. I wrote 11k of that fic and I was about 1/3 of the way through. It will never be finished. But now I've told you all about it and that's good enough, right?

16. What are your writing strengths?

Internal narration and emotions. Tightly focused fics that span 1-3 scenes. Spelling and grammar.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Longfic or fic with several scenes that take place over an extended stretch of time. Related to that, coming up with external plot events rather than just internal conflict HAHA. Describing the setting/environment so the characters don't just exist in a nebulous empty space.

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

As with most of my preferences re: fic, it depends on the execution. It can feel clunky and maybe even cringey, or it can feel natural and realistic. Just be intentional about how you're using it. Also, it always helps if you know a fluent speaker who can review it for you but understandably you may not always have someone like that.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Warrior... cats...

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

This is impossible to answer hahahaha. Certainly if we look at my main AO3. But if we're looking at my grand total of 5 (as of yet) RPF fics, I can say that I'm still quite fond of get us right (quitters never win), a fob AU fic where everything is the same but they all have minor superpowers, featuring empath!Patrick and telepath!Pete.

Aaaaand we are done! If you got this far, I am giving you cookies.

[pipermca]

I am accepting @altraviolet's challenge (from the post here) for the fic writer questionnaire. This looks like fun! *cracks knuckles*

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

90

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

1,133,042 (holy shit)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I mostly write for Transformers these days. I do have a little short story cooking for Centaurworld; maybe I'll get that jotted down some day.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

I can definitely see how writing for a popular ship will skew your stats on your fics, and smut gives bonus points. 😅

Frag the Police. Jazz/Prowl, NSFW

Claim Rejected. MegOP, SFW

Peer Review. Starscream/Wheeljack, NSFW

Anamnesis. Jazz/Prowl, SFWish (has plug-n-play interfacing)

Public Indecency. Jazz/Prowl, NSFW

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes! I love comments and I want to pass on that appreciation. 💗

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

Hmm. Even my darker stories usually have a bit of light in the end, since I am a sucker for happy (if possibly bittersweet) endings. But the story Atrocity (please mind the tags on that one) leaves Bluestreak in a bad place at the end, and nothing is really resolved.

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

I have lots of fics with really happy endings! But in terms of having no hanging ends, I think The Renegade and the Hound might be the happiest. 🤗 The last chapter of that fic is all warm fuzzies for the characters.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not yet. 😄 I've gotten some vaguely critical comments sometimes but I wouldn't call that hate.

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

Ooooh yeah. I write it all. I'll even write the weird stuff there's no terms for. Give me that weird-ass smut.

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

I tend to write fusions rather than traditional crossovers, but the weirdest one was very recent: The Spark and the Lightning, which is the War for Cybertron game crossed/fused with Dune.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I am aware of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! The fic Becoming has been translated into Russian.

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

Sort of? A friend and I tossed little bits of a story back and forth several years ago, each of us building on what the other had just written. I have the bits all collected, but I'm not sure if it'll ever see the light of day.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Bluestreak/Hound. 💗

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

It's in the Alt Modes and Alchemy AU. Basically it's the events of the climax of The Renegade and the Hound and a period immedately afterwards, but from Perceptor's POV. It's written as a half diary/half academic paper. The title is:

On the Restoration of Cybertron: An Analysis and Personal Account, or A Treatise on the Effects of the Destruction of the Matrix of Leadership on Cybertron and its Inhabitants from an Alchemical Perspective, and a Personal Account of said Event as Recalled by Perceptor of Iacon, Head Alchemist of Optimus Prime.

It's hella fun, and I'd love to finish it, but it keeps moving out of my "currently working on" stack into the "shelved" stack. :/

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm good at worldbuilding and writing those juicy emotional scenes.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Finishing stuff. 😅 But seriously, I have a tendency to go back and rework stuff I've written (but not yet posted) instead of working forward on getting more words down. I love editing too much I think. >.<

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

It's fine? It should be clear to the reader what the dialogue says without them having to Google Translate it. Anything that stops a reader and takes them out of the flow of the story is a Bad Thing imo.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Hahaha! I think the first actual fanfic I wrote was in the Time Quintet series (specifically after reading A Swiftly Tilting Planet) by Madeleine L'Engle. I think I was about 8 or 9.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Hmm. My favourite long fic is Mind, Body, and Soul (which was long and self-indulgent and I said everything I wanted to say about the Big Themes of the story). My favourite short fic is probably Datastream, mostly because I dipped into Cybertronian brains and weird sci-fi elements, mixed with formatting to help tell the story. :)

That was fun! Consider yourself tagged if you want to play along.

[n0rmandysr1]

20 Questions For Fic Writers

Tagged by @natsora cheers!

Tagging @swaps55 @mallaidhsomo @gardensystemtv no pressure!

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

24

2. what’s your total ao3 word count?

903,419

3. what fandoms do you write for?

Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Baldur's Gate, Critical Role

4. what are your top five fics by kudos?

wipe me clean with dirty hands (Baldur's Gate)

Encroachment (Mass Effect)

Fianchetto (Mass Effect)

Vendetta (Mass Effect)

Offside (Critical Role)

5. do you respond to comments?

Always, but it sometimes takes me a while

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

don't you know (i dream of you): Perfect Machine is probably angstier but I haven't quite finished the last chapter, so of my finished fics, this one is it, given the character death and it all being about grief post Baldur's Gate 3.

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

Honestly my fics with happy endings aren't finished yet and they're more...bittersweet with explorations of trauma than straight up happy lmaoo.

8. do you get hate on fics?

I've gotten some weird comments before but honestly not really a lot of hate. Juust a few that crack me up like the person who thought i hate men because Emilia saves Kaidan in Encroachment...which canonically happens.......

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

BG3 has made me write much more smut than I used to. Used to be an occasionally thing but more often now. All wlw pretty much.

10. do you write crossovers? what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Not really, no.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

Yep. One of my DA fics got translated into russian

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

Yes, I co-write with a couple of buddies.

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

Hard question. Used to be Ash/femshep easily, but now probably a tie between Tav/Karlach and Ash/Shep

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

Hmm, I think I have intention and capability to ifnish the majority of my WIPs. The only onee that might fit ismy post war ME fic, mostly cause I'm not entirely sure what I really want to do with it outside of some ideas I want to explore.

16. what are your writing strengths?

Characters and combat

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

Description sometimes of like, surroundings and that stuff. I find character stuff more interesting so can sometimes be a bit too bare bones with that.

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

Nah. II do one off words sometimes but if a character is speaking in another lanmguage I'll usually write it in english with mention that they;re talking in another language.

19. first fandom you wrote for?

Eragon llmao. That was my mediocre book series I loved as a teenager what can I say.

20. favorite fic you’ve ever written?

I have a big soft spot for Encroachment. it was the first big fic I finished, it was born out of me wanting to see the ash/shep milscifii fic I wanted in the world. I've gotten some very loyal readers over the last six years I appreciate immensely.

[pisoprano]

Thanks, @kasienda for tagging me!

20 Questions for Fic Writers

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Just three. (Okay technically there are five other 'fics' that I posted on Ao3 that are all privated now, but they're just early versions of chapters I had in a couple of my Fanfiction.net fics that I posted on Ao3 first for meta reasons).

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

35,050 on Ao3, but on Fanfiction.net there's another 132,182.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently I'm just doing Miraculous Ladybug.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

She's the Peacock (350)

Runaway Catwalker (259)

The People You Call Home (167)

And the two early Chapter 3s of the privated fic-chapters have a tie with 2 kudos each.

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

When I was posting on Fanfiction.net, I usually didn't unless I was answering a direct question. On Ao3, I'm trying to be better at it--though I don't always reply to every comment and sometimes things fall through the cracks, I try to reply to everyone who's left at least one substantial comment. Eventually. Probably.

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

Either RLatCE (which is deliberately unsatisfying for meta reasons), or She's the Peacock (which is open-ended in it's angstiness).

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

As the only other fic I've properly finished right now, it's GWatCE, though it certainly has a bittersweetness to it so YMMV on "happy". Once I finish The People You Call Home, it'll definitely take that the spot, that fic is 97% pure sugar candy.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not really.

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

I have an extremely low tolerance for reading sex scenes (even an intense kissing scene can be too much sometimes), so no, I'm probably not going to write smut anytime soon. You'll maybe get an oblique reference to sex happening somewhere offscreen at best.

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

How are we defining 'crossover' here? I did end up stealing the basic concept of the Well of Lost Plots from Jasper Fforde for RLatCE/SLatCE, but it only superficially resembles how Fforde uses that setting.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Does it count that someone once added my fic to Goodreads? Because that did happen (Goodreads was very nice about taking the page down when I asked them to).

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not to my knowledge.

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

The closest I've come to this is clowning on in the replies of a tumblr post (it's much easier to go "Surprise! I have added to your thing!" than it is to ask someone if they want to work together to write something, like how do people even do that without exterior constraints putting you together??).

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

Love Square. All sides are good because it's all the same two people at the end of the day and they are made for each other.

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

At this point, SLEatCE is dangerously close to being dead. I was already having a hard time writing the thing to the point where I told myself that I'd start posting again once I finished writing it, and then Rowling's attitudes and actions started becoming more apparent and it feels like that continuing this fic would be a tacit endorsement of her political beliefs... A part of me wants to at least post all the stuff I have written, but (besides the fact that I've got other WIPs holding my attention for the foreseeable future) I should at least write one more scene that acknowledges my complicated feelings on finishing SLEatCE in any capacity--the fic certainly is meta enough to warrant it.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Probably dialog. Practically all my scenes are written with the dialog first, so it's the thing I practice most often.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Description. Things like grounding details and nonverbal subtext are things I don't remember to do very often--and when I do, it tends to be fairly basic when compared to the lusciousness of other authors' prose.

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

I would only consider writing non-English dialogue if I knew exactly what the words meant--and seeing as my best non-English language is still pretty much garbage, that means I'd most likely be quoting a famous and/or common phrase, which seems a bit weird to include as a random part of a character's dialog. So it's unlikely to happen unless I've got a specific reason.

As for reading fics with foreign dialogue, I don't mind, I just hope the translation is provided and that the writer knows enough about the language and its culture to get the foreign language passages right (machine translation may be pretty good nowadays for giving you the gist of things you don't understand in a pinch, but it's not a substitute for creating natural language).

19. First fandom you wrote for?

HP

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

Pretty much all of them have been my favorite at some point, but at the moment, it's probably Runaway Catwalker.