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archaeren · 1 year ago

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How I learned to write smarter, not harder

(aka, how to write when you're hella ADHD lol)

A reader commented on my current long fic asking how I write so well. I replied with an essay of my honestly pretty non-standard writing advice (that they probably didn't actually want lol) Now I'm gonna share it with you guys and hopefully there's a few of you out there who will benefit from my past mistakes and find some useful advice in here. XD Since I started doing this stuff, which are all pretty easy changes to absorb into your process if you want to try them, I now almost never get writer's block.

The text of the original reply is indented, and I've added some additional commentary to expand upon and clarify some of the concepts.

As for writing well, I usually attribute it to the fact that I spent roughly four years in my late teens/early 20s writing text roleplay with a friend for hours every single day. Aside from the constant practice that provided, having a live audience immediately reacting to everything I wrote made me think a lot about how to make as many sentences as possible have maximum impact so that I could get that kind of fun reaction. (Which is another reason why comments like yours are so valuable to fanfic writers! <3) The other factors that have improved my writing are thus: 1. Writing nonlinearly. I used to write a whole story in order, from the first sentence onward. If there was a part I was excited to write, I slogged through everything to get there, thinking that it would be my reward once I finished everything that led up to that. It never worked. XD It was miserable. By the time I got to the part I wanted to write, I had beaten the scene to death in my head imagining all the ways I could write it, and it a) no longer interested me and b) could not live up to my expectations because I couldn't remember all my ideas I'd had for writing it. The scene came out mediocre and so did everything leading up to it. Since then, I learned through working on VN writing (I co-own a game studio and we have some visual novels that I write for) that I don't have to write linearly. If I'm inspired to write a scene, I just write it immediately. It usually comes out pretty good even in a first draft! But then I also have it for if I get more ideas for that scene later, and I can just edit them in. The scenes come out MUCH stronger because of this. And you know what else I discovered? Those scenes I slogged through before weren't scenes I had no inspiration for, I just didn't have any inspiration for them in that moment! I can't tell you how many times there was a scene I had no interest in writing, and then a week later I'd get struck by the perfect inspiration for it! Those are scenes I would have done a very mediocre job on, and now they can be some of the most powerful scenes because I gave them time to marinate. Inspiration isn't always linear, so writing doesn't have to be either!

Some people are the type that joyfully write linearly. I have a friend like this--she picks up the characters and just continues playing out the next scene. Her story progresses through the entire day-by-day lives of the characters; it never timeskips more than a few hours. She started writing and posting just eight months ago, she's about an eighth of the way through her planned fic timeline, and the content she has so far posted to AO3 for it is already 450,000 words long. But most of us are normal humans. We're not, for the most part, wired to create linearly. We consume linearly, we experience linearly, so we assume we must also create linearly. But actually, a lot of us really suffer from trying to force ourselves to create this way, and we might not even realize it. If you're the kind of person who thinks you need to carrot-on-a-stick yourself into writing by saving the fun part for when you finally write everything that happens before it: Stop. You're probably not a linear writer. You're making yourself suffer for no reason and your writing is probably suffering for it. At least give nonlinear writing a try before you assume you can't write if you're not baiting or forcing yourself into it!! Remember: Writing is fun. You do this because it's fun, because it's your hobby. If you're miserable 80% of the time you're doing it, you're probably doing it wrong!

2. Rereading my own work. I used to hate reading my own work. I wouldn't even edit it usually. I would write it and slap it online and try not to look at it again. XD Writing nonlinearly forced me to start rereading because I needed to make sure scenes connected together naturally and it also made it easier to get into the headspace of the story to keep writing and fill in the blanks and get new inspiration. Doing this built the editing process into my writing process--I would read a scene to get back in the headspace, dislike what I had written, and just clean it up on the fly. I still never ever sit down to 'edit' my work. I just reread it to prep for writing and it ends up editing itself. Many many scenes in this fic I have read probably a dozen times or more! (And now, I can actually reread my own work for enjoyment!) Another thing I found from doing this that it became easy to see patterns and themes in my work and strengthen them. Foreshadowing became easy. Setting up for jokes or plot points became easy. I didn't have to plan out my story in advance or write an outline, because the scenes themselves because a sort of living outline on their own. (Yes, despite all the foreshadowing and recurring thematic elements and secret hidden meanings sprinkled throughout this story, it actually never had an outline or a plan for any of that. It's all a natural byproduct of writing nonlinearly and rereading.)

Unpopular writing opinion time: You don't need to make a detailed outline.

Some people thrive on having an outline and planning out every detail before they sit down to write. But I know for a lot of us, we don't know how to write an outline or how to use it once we've written it. The idea of making one is daunting, and the advice that it's the only way to write or beat writer's block is demoralizing. So let me explain how I approach "outlining" which isn't really outlining at all.

I write in a Notion table, where every scene is a separate table entry and the scene is written in the page inside that entry. I do this because it makes writing nonlinearly VASTLY more intuitive and straightforward than writing in a single document. (If you're familiar with Notion, this probably makes perfect sense to you. If you're not, imagine something a little like a more contained Google Sheets, but every row has a title cell that opens into a unique Google Doc when you click on it. And it's not as slow and clunky as the Google suite lol) (Edit from the future: I answered an ask with more explanation on how I use Notion for non-linear writing here.) When I sit down to begin a new fic idea, I make a quick entry in the table for every scene I already know I'll want or need, with the entries titled with a couple words or a sentence that describes what will be in that scene so I'll remember it later. Basically, it's the most absolute bare-bones skeleton of what I vaguely know will probably happen in the story.

Then I start writing, wherever I want in the list. As I write, ideas for new scenes and new connections and themes will emerge over time, and I'll just slot them in between the original entries wherever they naturally fit, rearranging as necessary, so that I won't forget about them later when I'm ready to write them. As an example, my current long fic started with a list of roughly 35 scenes that I knew I wanted or needed, for a fic that will probably be around 100k words (which I didn't know at the time haha). As of this writing, it has expanded to 129 scenes. And since I write them directly in the page entries for the table, the fic is actually its own outline, without any additional effort on my part. As I said in the comment reply--a living outline!

This also made it easier to let go of the notion that I had to write something exactly right the first time. (People always say you should do this, but how many of us do? It's harder than it sounds! I didn't want to commit to editing later! I didn't want to reread my work! XD) I know I'm going to edit it naturally anyway, so I can feel okay giving myself permission to just write it approximately right and I can fix it later. And what I found from that was that sometimes what I believed was kind of meh when I wrote it was actually totally fine when I read it later! Sometimes the internal critic is actually wrong. 3. Marinating in the headspace of the story. For the first two months I worked on [fic], I did not consume any media other than [fandom the fic is in]. I didn't watch, read, or play anything else. Not even mobile games. (And there wasn't really much fan content for [fandom] to consume either. Still isn't, really. XD) This basically forced me to treat writing my story as my only source of entertainment, and kept me from getting distracted or inspired to write other ideas and abandon this one.

As an aside, I don't think this is a necessary step for writing, but if you really want to be productive in a short burst, I do highly recommend going on a media consumption hiatus. Not forever, obviously! Consuming media is a valuable tool for new inspiration, and reading other's work (both good and bad, as long as you think critically to identify the differences!) is an invaluable resource for improving your writing.

When I write, I usually lay down, close my eyes, and play the scene I'm interested in writing in my head. I even take a ten-minute nap now and then during this process. (I find being in a state of partial drowsiness, but not outright sleepiness, makes writing easier and better. Sleep helps the brain process and make connections!) Then I roll over to the laptop next to me and type up whatever I felt like worked for the scene. This may mean I write half a sentence at a time between intervals of closed-eye-time XD

People always say if you're stuck, you need to outline.

What they actually mean by that (whether they realize it or not) is that if you're stuck, you need to brainstorm. You need to marinate. You don't need to plan what you're doing, you just need to give yourself time to think about it!

What's another framing for brainstorming for your fic? Fantasizing about it! Planning is work, but fantasizing isn't.

You're already fantasizing about it, right? That's why you're writing it. Just direct that effort toward the scenes you're trying to write next! Close your eyes, lay back, and fantasize what the characters do and how they react.

And then quickly note down your inspirations so you don't forget, haha.

And if a scene is so boring to you that even fantasizing about it sucks--it's probably a bad scene.

If it's boring to write, it's going to be boring to read. Ask yourself why you wanted that scene. Is it even necessary? Can you cut it? Can you replace it with a different scene that serves the same purpose but approaches the problem from a different angle? If you can't remove the troublesome scene, what can you change about it that would make it interesting or exciting for you to write?

And I can't write sitting up to save my damn life. It's like my brain just stops working if I have to sit in a chair and stare at a computer screen. I need to be able to lie down, even if I don't use it! Talking walks and swinging in a hammock are also fantastic places to get scene ideas worked out, because the rhythmic motion also helps our brain process. It's just a little harder to work on a laptop in those scenarios. XD

In conclusion: Writing nonlinearly is an amazing tool for kicking writer's block to the curb. There's almost always some scene you'll want to write. If there isn't, you need to re-read or marinate.

Or you need to use the bathroom, eat something, or sleep. XD Seriously, if you're that stuck, assess your current physical condition. You might just be unable to focus because you're uncomfortable and you haven't realized it yet.

Anyway! I hope that was helpful, or at least interesting! XD Sorry again for the text wall. (I think this is the longest comment reply I've ever written!)

And same to you guys on tumblr--I hope this was helpful or at least interesting. XD Reblogs appreciated if so! (Maybe it'll help someone else!)

#creative writing #writers block #writblr #writers on tumblr #writing #writers and poets #writerscommunity #fanfic writing #writeblr #writing advice

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iydiamartinx · 2 months ago

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THE TODD-LER PROBLEM

Pairing: Jason Todd x Reader ft. batfam

divider by: cafekitsune & omi-resources word count: 2.9k synopsis: Jason gets hit with a magical regression spell during a mission and ends up… five years old. Still foul-mouthed. Still somehow armed. a/n: Don't ask me how or why I wrote this, it just happened... warning: This is utterly unhinged, its a crack fic

There were many things you expected when you opened your apartment door at 3 a.m.

Your boyfriend, Jason Todd, in full gear. Shrunken to approximately three feet tall. And trying to pick your lock with a paperclip. was not one of them.

You blinked once. Twice. “…Jason?”

The tiny figure looked up, scowling, with his tiny leather jacket zipped to the chin and a modified red helmet under one arm. His helmet was clearly a custom fit because you were almost certain someone on the team had taken the time to resize his gear. Probably Tim. Or Alfred. Or Jason even himself after he’d been cursed into a fun-sized menace.

He tilted his head. “Took you long enough.”

You stared. “You’re three feet tall.”

“Yeah?” he snapped, voice high-pitched but filled with all the rage of a war vet denied his nap. “Well you’re late I've been knockin' forever! an’ I’m cold, and some guy in a sparkly cape turned me into a—” he waved a tiny hand wildly— “a frickin’ gremlin!”

You stared in mild horror.

“I mean child!” he corrected, stomping past your legs and into your apartment like he owned it. “A frickin’ child. I have to use a stool to pee. I’m livin’ in hell.”

“Excuse me—”

He pushed past your legs like an angry little linebacker. “Also, someone tried to feed me carrots at the manor. Carrots. Like I’m a damn rabbit. I had to escape.”

“Jason, are you seriously—”

“—And Alfred was this close to making me take a bubble bath.”

You raised a brow. “You love bubble baths.”

“Adult me loves them. Toddler me has dignity.”

You shut the door with a sigh, already regretting every life choice that had led to this moment. “Fine. One night. But if you pee on anything, I’m calling Bruce.”

30 MINUTES IN...

You stared at the miniature version of Jason Todd standing dead center in your apartment. You still hadn’t gotten over the fact he was now a child.

He stood with his arms crossed. Eyebrows furrowed. Scowling so hard his little nose scrunched up. The resized red helmet was sitting crookedly on his head, and somehow, somehow, he was still wearing a tiny leather jacket like it was battle armor.

“Jason,” you said slowly, kneeling down to his eye level, “where did you get the gun?”

His eyes narrowed, suspiciously smug. “Trade secret.”

“Jason.”

He pouted. “You left your sock drawer unlocked.”

You blinked. “My sock drawer doesn’t have—”

Realization dawned.

You groaned, standing up and rubbing your face. “You hid weapons in my sock drawer?”

“Of course I did,” he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “What if you got mugged doing laundry?”

You turned on your heel, already pulling out your phone. “Zatanna needs to reverse this spell immediately. How is his five year old self more dangerous than his adult one.” You muttered to yourself.

From behind you, Jason stomped his tiny boot. “I am not five! I’m five-and-a-half!”

You didn’t even look back. You just sighed and started texting Alfred for backup.

And possibly restraints.

Or duct tape.

Maybe both.

ONE HOUR IN...

You found him in the kitchen standing on the counter—barefoot, wild-haired, and determined. His tiny arms were stretched high above his head, fingers pawing at the top shelf with the sheer willpower of someone who believed they could reach it if they just tried hard enough.

“What,” you asked slowly, “are you doing?”

“I want Oreos,” he said, like it was obvious.

“There are Goldfish crackers right there,” you offered, gesturing to the open box on the counter beside him.

He looked at you like you’d insulted his ancestors. “I’m not a toddler. I have standards.”

He took them with both hands, giving you a small, pointed sniff of derision—as if your earlier suggestion of Goldfish had been not just offensive, but a personally insult.

Then, without another word, he hopped off the counter and disappeared down the hallway like a sugar-fueled cryptid preparing for war.

TWO HOURS IN...

You finally managed to corral him in front of the television, queued up some harmless cartoon with talking animals, and tiptoed into the kitchen to make yourself a much-needed snack.

When you came back, the cartoon was gone and you found him watching John Wick 3 with unblinking intensity.

You stared in horror. “You are not allowed to watch this.”

He didn’t flinch. “Too late.”

You snatched the remote from the armrest. “You’re five.”

“Five an’ a half!” he shouted, voice pitching up in outrage. “An’ I know all ‘bout vengeance! I lived it! Lemme watch Keanu!”

“No.”

“I will bite you.”

“You already did!”

He smiled. “And I’d do it again.”

You lunged for the remote.

He let out a feral shriek. The sound pierced the air like a banshee’s war cry. There was a flurry of motion, limbs, and one elbow jabbed directly into your ribcage. The remote went flying.

Somehow… you lost.

And there he was, not ten minutes later, curled in a blanket like a smug little gremlin, happily finishing John Wick 3.

You sighed, already pulling out your phone to call in reinforcements.

Alfred picked up on the first ring.

“Please tell me patrol is over,” you whispered, glancing warily toward the living room. “I need backup. Immediate. Preferably armed with sedatives and maybe a priest.”

There was the soft clink of a teacup on saucer before Alfred replied, calm as ever. “Master Grayson and Master Drake should be available in a few hours.”

You groan, “Anyone sooner?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” He said.

You hung up and returned to the living room.

Jason was kicking his feet now, reclined like royalty, humming the John Wick fight music under his breath. Every few seconds he’d mutter something like “yeah, get him, Keanu,” or “double tap, baby,” as if he were part of the director’s commentary.

By the time 300 started, he had risen.

He stood on the couch with all the solemnity of a war general addressing his troops, fists clenched at his sides. Then, with zero warning, he let out a piercing battle cry—“SPARTAAAAAA!”—and began hurling Goldfish crackers across the room like they were flaming javelins.

You didn’t bother trying to stop him.

You just slid slowly down the wall, sat on the floor beside the fridge, and accepted your fate.

THREE HOURS IN...

You were gone for five minutes.

Five.

You’d left him watching Love Island.

He’d finally—finally—fallen asleep, sprawled across the couch. The soft drone of British contestants filled the apartment, and for a precious, fragile moment, there was peace.

Just enough to sneak off for five minutes. That was all the time it took to use the bathroom and splash some cold water on your face in the vain hope that you could survive another hour of this gremlin-sized Gotham menace.

When you returned, Love Island was still playing on the TV and Jason was nowhere in the living room.

“Jason?” you called out.

You heard a noise come from the kitchen

Your stomach dropped.

You rushed in, skidding to a halt just inside the doorway.

The drawer was open.

That drawer.

The one that held the scissors.

The duct tape.

Your spare burner phone.

And, apparently, your last shred of peace.

You turned around slowly—already feeling the weight of regret in your bones.

Tiny Jason stood proudly in your hallway wearing a cardboard chest plate, duct-taped shoulder pads, and your colander on his head.

He raised a wooden spoon like a sword. “I’m Red Hood 2.0,” he declared in a voice that was both too high-pitched and far too serious. “Call me… Lil’ Death.”

You stared at him in exhausted horror.

“…Where’s the rest of the duct tape?”

He gave a wide, toothy grin.

“In mah hair.”

Of course it was.

FOUR HOURS IN...

Alfred had finally sent backup.

It was Damian.

By that point, you didn’t care—anything to give you ten minutes of silence and the chance to remember what breathing felt like.

And for the first ten minutes, it was peaceful.

Too peaceful.

You froze in the hallway, a familiar sense of foreboding slithering down your spine.

Then came the scream.

“YOU LITTLE DEVIL!”

Tiny battle cries echoed from the living room, followed by the unmistakable clang of steel meeting something very much not steel.

You ran in to find Damian standing on your coffee table, sword in hand, while Toddler Jason swung at his legs with a plastic baseball bat wrapped in duct tape and thumbtacks.

“WHAT IS HAPPENING?!”

“He challenged me,” Damian snapped, breath steady as he parried a wild swing with the flat of his blade.

Jason bared his baby teeth, eyes gleaming with chaotic glee. “He tried to steal my Oreos and called me a baby!”

“Because you are,” Damian barked, deflecting another spoon-wrapped strike. “This is undignified!”

“I’m a toddler, you rich goblin!”

You slapped a hand to your forehead. “Jason, drop the bat.”

“NEVER!”

“Damian, he’s five!”

FIVE HOURS IN...

Damian was still on the windowsill, arms crossed, radiating hatred like a heat lamp.

He hadn’t spoken in nearly an hour. Not a single word since the incident—the one where he lost to a sugar-crazed toddler wielding a thumbtack-wrapped baseball bat and unyielding vengeance.

You knew that silence. Knew it too well.

He was plotting something. You just didn’t know what.

Not that you had time to dwell on it—because that was when backup number two finally arrived.

The door swung open and in walked Dick and Tim, both dressed down but wide-eyed, scanning the wreckage of your apartment like first responders to a war zone.

Jason—still pint-sized, still radiating the unholy combination of espresso and anarchy—lit up like a demonic Christmas tree at the sight of them.

“Well, well, look who finally showed up,” he chirped, spinning once in his little leather jacket and cardboard armour. “The Backstreet Boys of Disappointment!”

Dick froze mid-step. “I—what?”

Tim looked at you with the tiredness of a man who’d seen too much. “Is he still feral?”

“Worse,” you muttered. “He’s refueled. He ate three cookies and found my instant espresso jar.”

Dick’s eyes widened. “You gave him caffeine?!”

“I didn’t give him anything! He’s a damn toddler who still retained his lock picking skills!”

Across the room, Jason twirled dramatically and pointed at Tim. “Timmy,” he sing-songed, “wanna play hide and seek? I’ll hide… you seek therapy.”

Tim blinked slowly. “You’ve created a monster.”

You pointed at him with your coffee. “He was with you all when this happened.”

Jason pivoted toward Dick, eyes glinting. “Hey, Disco. How’s that permanent sidekick gig goin’? Still doin’ flips no one asked for?”

Dick narrowed his eyes. “You wanna go, tiny man?”

Jason smirked. “Bring it, Jazz Hands.”

And that’s all it took.

Two minutes later

Jason darted between them like a pinball on fire.

Tim lunged with a blanket like he was trying to trap a wild animal. Jason bit straight through it.

Not metaphorically—actually bit through it.

Dick went in next, trying to cut him off with a broad lunge, but Jason hurled a half-full sippy cup at his face with terrifying accuracy. It burst on contact. Sticky apple juice everywhere.

From the windowsill, Damian observed the descent into madness with narrowed eyes and smug silence. Like an evil cat waiting for the moment to pounce.

He chose his moment well.

With a cry of, “FOR HONOR AND BLOOD!” Damian vaulted from the sill into the fray.

He mostly landed on Tim. But the intent was there.

You stood in the doorway, clutching a first aid kit in one hand and your last shred of sanity in the other. It was unclear which would run out first.

Jason popped up from behind the couch like a goblin jack-in-the-box, eyes gleaming with the unholy thrill of chaos. In one hand, he wielded his modified bat like a sword. In the other, a full roll of duct tape, raised like a grenade.

“I DECLARE A BLOOD FEUD!” he roared.

Tim yelped and ducked just as the tape roll whizzed past his head and smacked into the wall with a dull thunk. “He almost took my eye out!”

“WHO GAVE HIM NEGAN’S BAT?!” Dick yelled, backpedaling fast as Jason swung in his direction with surprising force for someone who barely cleared three feet.

“He made it,” Damian grunted, trying to deflect the strike with a throw pillow.

The swing knocked the pillow clean out of his hands.

In the scramble to dodge the next blow, Dick and Damian collided—feet tangled, limbs flailing—and crashed to the floor in a graceless heap.

“WHO’S THE SIDEKICK NOW, SUCKERS?!” he cackled, arms thrown wide like a gladiator demanding cheers from the crowd.

On the floor below him, Damian and Dick groaned in tandem, still tangled in a heap of limbs and wounded pride.

You stood safely behind the armchair, one hand gripping your phone, filming the chaos. Might as well have some blackmail for later.

“You’re going to regret this when you’re big again,” you warned, deadpan.

“I’LL REGRET NOTHING!” Jason howled, launching himself into Tim’s back like a rabid possum.

Tim shrieked, flailing. “GET HIM OFF! HE’S IN MY HAIR—HE’S IN MY HAIR!”

“He’s like a feral koala,” Dick muttered, as he untangled himself from Damian.

Jason clung tighter, teeth bared, voice giddy with power. “Say sorry for the replacing me and I’ll only ruin your eyebrows!”

“Are we seriously doing this now?” Tim, flailing, shouted, “I didn’t replace you! You died!”

Everything stopped.

For half a second, the air went dead silent.

“TIM!” you and Dick shouted in unison, horrified.

Jason’s response was to let out a piercing shriek of righteous indignation.

“YOU VOTED ME OFF THE ISLAND!”

“WHAT DAMN ISLAND?!”

From the floor, Dick wheezed, “We need to start a support group.”

Damian rolled his eyes. “You’re all weak.”

“I don’t see you winning against him, demon spawn!” Tim barked, still trying to dislodge Jason from his spine. “You surrendered three minutes in!”

“I did not surrender,” Damian snapped.

Tim finally managed to pry him off with a desperate twist and a shove, sending Jason rolling back onto the couch in a tangle of limbs and laughter.

Everyone froze.

Jason huffed, catching his breath where he lay sprawled on the couch. His curls were tousled, cheeks flushed, eyes glittering with unspent mischief. For one brief, shining moment, it almost looked like the storm had passed.

Dick rose to his feet slowly, warily, hands lifted in surrender.

“Okay,” he said, breathless but hopeful. “Can we finally all just… relax—?”

You took a cautious step forward, narrowing your eyes as you noted the look on his face. “Jason. What are you doing now?”

He turned to you slowly, far too slowly, a smile already creeping onto his face.

Dick glanced over, confused, just in time for Jason to pivot on his heel.

“THIS! IS! SPARTAAAAA!!!”

And then his tiny foot shot up and kicked Dick square in the jewels.

Dick dropped like a sack of bricks, letting out a high-pitched strangled wheeze as he crumpled back onto the floor.

“…Who let him watch 300?” Tim groaned, not even pretending to be surprised anymore.

You winced, trying not to look at Dick who was curled into a fetal position.

Jason raised his arms, victorious. “TONIGHT, WE DINE IN—WHAT’S THAT PLACE WITH CHICKY NUGGIES?!”

“…McDonald’s,” Dick croaked weakly from the floor.

Jason nodded solemnly, his reign unquestioned.

“McDonald’s.”

SIX HOURS IN...

You were exhausted.

The apartment looked like a toy store had exploded. There were still thumbtacks embedded in the coffee table, juice stains on the ceiling, and possibly a spoon lodged in the bookshelf. You didn’t want to know.

The others had practically fled—limping, muttering, and swearing.

And Jason? Jason had finally agreed to get ready for bed after a long, drawn-out battle of wills that involved one timeout, two bribes, and exactly ten minutes of him growling about how “Peter Parker wouldn’t last five minutes in Crime Alley.”

Now, he sat on the couch, arms crossed and sulking in a pair of oversized Spider-Man pajamas—the only ones you’d been able to find. His curls were still slightly matted from duct tape, and there was a Band-Aid on his cheek from another brawl he’d got in with Damian.

He glared at you over the rim of his sippy cup.

“This not over,” he mumbled darkly. “I know where you sleep. I’mma get payback.”

“Sure you will, Jason,” you said, trying not to laugh.

“I’ll put ketchup in your shoes.”

You tucked him in on the couch, pulling the blanket around him as he curled up like a tiny, angry cinnamon roll.

He muttered something else under his breath, unintelligible, mostly grumble. “…Night-night,” he muttered, already half-asleep.

THE NEXT MORNING...

Jason woke up full-sized, shirtless, confused, and sprawled across your couch.

He blinked up at the ceiling, brow furrowed, throat dry.

“…What the hell?”

You strolled in, far too cheerful for someone who had survived a toddler warlord just a few hours prior. You tossed your phone into his lap.

You strolled in, tossing a phone into his lap.

“Morning, Lil’ Death. I made a slideshow.”

He looked down at the photos. There he was—pouty, covered in crumbs, mid-battle with his brothers, wearing cardboard chest plate held together with masking tape and colander strapped to his head like a war crown. One had him dead asleep with his face smashed into a pillow, cuddling a stuffed penguin.

Jason groaned into his hands. “Kill me now.”

“I’d rather show Bruce.”

His head snapped up. “You wouldn’t.”

You grinned. “Wanna bet?”

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ochacoca · 2 months ago

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Perhapsss... can u make some timeskip/msby!atsumu x figure!skater reader hcs hehehee

Like.. maybe they could have been schoolmates in highschool and reconnected later i dunno up to u:3

HOW FAST THE NIGHT CHANGES

msby!atsumu x figure skater!reader

IN WHICH you see your teenage crush at a charity event. the same one you'd never forget and never shared your last high school dance with.

now playing ♫ night changes by one direction

word count: 2,126 words

a/n: i giggled like a maniac when i saw this request. i love timeskip atsumu and i love figure skating (i've never tried it but i used to watch ice princess religiously when i was little) also i just saw it said headcannons and i wrote a whole fic 🥀 so sorry

There were probably hundreds of athletes at this venue right now. You and others were invited to a fundraiser gala for Local Youth Sports Programs. You didn't recognize most of the people here. Even though you are an athlete yourself, you never really spend time trying to watch other sports. But none of those people mattered to you when he caught your eye.

You could recognize that blond tuft of hair from a mile away.

Even though the lights at the charity were quite dim and everything else was a bit difficult to make out, there's no way you'd be able to miss Atsumu Miya. He carried himself the same way he did at Inarizaki. He did look a bit taller and his hair was finally toned, but his loud personality never changed.

You couldn't help but stare. Your champagne glass was tucked between your teeth and as you held your gaze on him, creepily might you add, all of those memories came rushing back and felt so fresh. You were so zoned into him, you didn't even notice said man walking up to you.

“Y/N?” He called out to you, his eyes glimmering with disbelief. “Is that you darlin'?”

You froze immediately. You hadn't heard his voice in forever. Eventually after high school, you two went separate ways. With him going pro in volleyball and you going pro in figure skating, you guys never had the time to talk. The occasional ‘Hi’s or ‘How's your day going?’ slowly yet eventually came to an end.

“It's been too long, ‘Tsumu.” You greeted as a fat grin sat on your face, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear as you tried to keep your cool. You could feel the heat all over your body. It started from your head all the way to your toes and you felt exactly seventeen-year-old self again. His voice was just as you remember it: Sweet and soft like honey.

He stepped closer to you as he tucked his hand in his pockets, rocking himself back and forth as he shifted his weight from the ball of his feet to his heel. “I've seen ya on TV all the time.”

You tilted your head and gave him a small smile, playing with the hem of your dress as you tried to calm your nerves. “I've seen you too. You're still just as good as before.”

He still had that same smugness. You knew it immediately as he teasingly squinted his eyes at you. “Just like you. Spinning like a little beyblade in the air.” Atsumu joked.

You rolled your eyes and couldn't help but let out a small laugh. “Stop.” You giggled as you lightly smacked his shoulder.

He laughed with you, then held his hands up in mock surrender. “Okay, sorry sorry.” He said. He nodded his head to the left, pointing in the direction of his table as a silent invitation for you to come sit with him.

You two caught up on everything that's happened in the past few years after graduating from high school, but then you ran out of what to say. There were so many questions you wanted to ask him, but you wanted him to ask them first.

An awkward silence filled the the atmosphere. The air felt heavy as your mind raced with hundreds if not thousands of what if's. Everyone in the background faded out, and the only thing you could hear was the thumping of your heartbeat and soft music.

“You know-”

“Have you-”

You both spoke at the same time and held eye contact with each other. Neither of you could hold in a laugh at the situation.

“You go first.” He offered.

“No, it's fine.” You said as you waved him off. “What were you going to say?”

Atsumu seemed hesitant at first, like he didn't want to say what he had in mind. You could tell by the way he repeatedly opened and closed his mouth before eventually blurting it out. “Do you remember what we said in 3rd year? During English?”

Of course you remembered. It was the only thing you were thinking about ever since he approached and a dark thought at night that keeps you from sleeping.

Atsumu was sprawled out over his desk as he groaned in your ear, complaining about something his brother did that annoyed him so bad he wanted to rip Osamu's hair out of his scalp. You were so used to his dramatics that you zoned him out as you continued to focus on your work.

He stared at you as you worked. You felt his eyes boring onto the side of your face until he grabbed your hand and snatched your pencil out of it. “Tsumu!” You gasped.

He planted his voice dangerously close to yours, your foreheads were practically touching, and you could feel each breath of his slightly graze your lips.

“Need'ya to promise something, okay?” He slurred, most likely from the nap he was taking 5 minutes before.

It took every bone in your body to fight the urge not to kiss him right then and there. “What?” You responded barely above a whisper.

His finger swung back in forth as he pointed between the two of you. “The last song at prom. Dance with me?” He suggested.

You rose an eyebrow as you looked at him with an incredulous look on your face. “Seriously?” You asked flatly.

“What?! We both don't have dates, might as well mingle together while the other couples do whoever knows what.”

“Okay, fine. I promise to dance with you at prom.”

He never showed up. You waited the entire song near the DJ stand, people-watching as couples danced together. You looked around as everyone had a look of love on their face while all you wanted to do was break down and cry. You left the venue as everyone started dispersing. The next day at school, neither you nor Atsumu brought it up again. ‘Maybe he changed his mind or found someone else to dance with.’ You thought to yourself

“Yeah.. yeah, I remember.” You said softly. Your hand immediately flew to your mouth to bite your nails, a bad habit you've picked up from the stress over the years.

There was a pause.

“Where were you?”

“Huh?” You blinked and slightly jerked back your head.

“I waited for ya.” He said. His eyebrows were furrowed and there was a slight pain written in his eyes.

You squinted your eyes in confusion and shook your head in response. “No, I waited for you.” You corrected.

“No. I waited by the punch just like we said!”

You looked at him sharply. “.. You told me to wait by the DJ stand.”

“No I didn't!– Did I?” Atsumu questioned. His face softened from hurt to realization as he looked into your eyes and could see that you were telling the truth.

You gave him a slow nod.

“Oh.” He murmured.

“Yeah..”

It went silent between the two of you again, yet this time it wasn't awkward. It was filled with regret and guilt. You couldn't believe how much time you two wasted off of the fact you couldn't communicate properly. You could only assume Atsumu was thinking the same thing.

“’M sorry darlin’..” He broke the silence. “I really thought ya just.. left me there.”

Your lips curled up. After all these years of you losing sleep over something so minimal, it was all just a misunderstanding. You were relieved, but also so annoyed that the two of you wasted so many years. “I thought you left me there.”

Atsumu tapped his fingers on the table rhythmically as a way to distract himself from the tense situation.

“I guess we both of us were kind of stupid.” He mumbled under his breath, still loud enough for you to hear.

Neither of you said anything after that. You were looking down at your lap and played with your fingers, and you felt his eyes on you. You looked up to see him anxiously biting the inside of his cheek, like he wanted to say something so bad, but he wanted to make sure you felt the same way too.

“Maybe, we can make up for it?” You suggested.

“How?”

“Y'know, I’m not a pro like you are. ‘M gonna eat shit if you put me on that rink.” Atsumu said as he tightly gripped the handrail inside the rink.

What better way was there to make up for your last dance besides going into the empty skating rink you conveniently had the key to. All of those late night practices were really worth it now.

You let out a laugh at the way his knuckles turned white so he wouldn’t slip. You skated over to him and softly held his free hand, tugging it towards you in a way of telling him to let go. “Don't worry. I'll hold your hands.” You turned away too quickly to notice the faint blush that was on his face.

As the two of them skated beside each other, Atsumu wobbled and doubled over more times than any of them could count as he tried to keep his balance.

“You look like a baby giraffe.” You wheezed and wrapped your arms around your stomach to ease the pain of how much you were laughing.

“Sorry, only one of us here has a Japan National Championship for gliding on frozen water.”

Atsumu seemingly got the hang of it after a while. Once you saw that you were able to leave him alone without him faceplanting on the ice, you grabbed your phone and set it on the side of the rink.

You skated back over to Atsumu, who was resting on the wall waiting for you to come back to him. Once you stood in front of him, he stretched out his hand in front of you. “Can I have this dance?” He teased.

You rolled your eyes at him playfully before taking his arms and wrapping them around waist as you rested yours loosely around his neck. “You're so corny.” You mumbled.

It wasn't perfect. You didn't expect it to be. Atsumu slipped a couple of times and you felt your hands getting more sweaty as you two stared into each other's eyes.

“Y'know… ahh, nevermind.” He started but quickly cut himself off, looking off to the side.

“No, what is it?” You said as you moved your head to be in his gaze again “Tell me.”

“It's just–” He spoke hesitantly and shakily exhaled. “I was kinda.. in love with ya in school.”

Your breath caught in your throat. You blinked rapidly as your eyebrows slowly rose until it practically reached your hairline.

“Really?” You asked him softly, taking the hand that rested around his neck and rubbing his shoulder gently.

“Yeah.. that's the main reason I asked ya to dance with me. Was gonna tell you how I felt, but obviously it didn't go according to plan.”

You let out a soft giggle and buried your face into his face. “Yeah.. not at all.”

The silence between you settled again as the music from your phone bounced off the walls.

“Did.. did youu..” He started.

“Did I what?” You asked him teasingly. You knew what he was going to say. You could tell by the little pout that was on his lips. The same way he pouted while you guys were teenagers.

“Oh come on darlin’, stop teasing me. Ya know what I'm asking.”

You lifted your head from his chest and looked into his eyes, bringing up your hand to rest against his cheek.

“Well, why did you think I said yes?”

His eyes searched yours, widened and surprised. His hand traveled from your waist to meet the side of your face as well. Slowly and carefully, you two leaned in and your lips met one another.

The kiss wasn't messy nor rushed. It was soft and built off years of yearning for each other. It was filled with all the love you two failed to confess years before. The way his lips moved against yours and how is fingers trailed your cheek and your jaw made your knees go weak.

If your seventeen-year-old self were here right now, she wouldn't believe what was happening. But the you now could only smile against his lips and melt against his body, the same way he was melting against yours.

how the fuck did i write this so quickly

©OCHACOCA 2025 | please do not copy, translate, or repost my work onto other platforms!

#rea writes !#haikyuu x reader #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu headcanons #haikyuu smut #atsumu x reader #haikyuu atsumu #miya atsumu #hq atsumu #atsumu x you #atsumu headcannons #atsumu smut #hq x y/n #hq x you #hq x reader #hq fluff #hq

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celestie0 · 8 months ago

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hi my friends! hope you're all doing well. just wanted to come on here and share a little updates w you guys (if you're still here lol)

i guess it's been like a month n a half since i formally went on hiatus, and it's been nice! i got kinda sick for a little bit lmfaooo which was tough to manage w school, but i'm better now

although i took time away from my blog, i still delved in writing here n there. i haven't written anything for kickoff since tbh i'm in such a slump w it. but i still have big plans for stuff that happens after ch13, so hopefully i can just push through this next chapter and get to a better place. thanks so much to anyone that is still interested in the story, it means a lot to me. i know i'm so slow w updates and the story has been going on for almost a year now, but the continued support is so sweet! even though i didn't work on writing it these past one n a half months, i still really love it and plan to finish it.

i'm not sure if many people remember that i had this sort of "apocalypse" gojo x reader au about an asteroid being set to hit the earth in three days, and reader n gojo are ex lovers n the impending end of the world makes them break no-contact...yeah i finished writing the first chapter for it and i really love it so far! it's like set in new york which is really fun haha i love stories where new york is kind of its own "character" if that makes sense...it will definitely be a limited series w only 4 chapters or so, but i kinda wanna finish all 4 chapters before i start posting it bc i don't want it to be a drawn out series in terms of posting since i think it'd be best enjoyed in frequent succession if that makes sense

as for ihm, i think i wrote the most for ihm during my hiatus. i finished three chapters for it, but they are shorter chapters (around 3-4k words). i kinda realized one of my biggest reasons for burnout w my fics were the reaaaaallly long chapters...like didn't i have a 22k chapter for kickoff or sumn lol. idk i can't remember. but anyways, yeah the mindset behind the longer chapters was bc i liked each chapter to kinda have its own conflict, build up, tension then resolution in a sense. but it was exhausting to write that way tbh lol. so i think moving forward, for ihm, i will have shorter chapters. i just don't wanna think to much about things anymore, and write from my heart, bc i have a lot of things planned for ihm, and among the criticism i've received for my writing choices vs my own vision for the story, i've realized during my hiatus that the only way i can finish ihm, or any of my storeis for that matter, is if i just.........stop giving a fuck about it. lol idk if that sounds strange to say, but like, i don't want to over-edit anything. i don't want to think too much about redundancy. i don't want to flower things up or cut stuff out. i'm at the point where imma just write a first draft, check for grammarly errors, and then post it. i guess the reason i'm sharing this is because idk if this means that people may enjoy my writing less since i will admittedly be spending much less time on it than i did before, but tbh i realized i find the most joy while i'm writing, and not while i'm editing. so i want to spend as little time on the latter as possible, and if that changes the quality of my work, then so be it.

anyways, hmm as for hiatus. i guess i'm off hiatus now? i really enjoyed being off of tumblr tbh this app has a lot of questionable content at times (esp in jjk community) and it also did wonders for my studying bc i wasn't spending time doomscrolling or shit posting anymore lmfaooo. but as for writing in particular, i think i will start to post ihm again exclusively. i can't say anything about kickoff or my other projects, but i feel comfortable to start posting ihm again.

sorry, i know that i have kept my replies and ask box off for a long time. but i will open them again once i start posting chapters because i really miss interacting with you guys.

anywho, these are my updates lol i'm like not sure how many of my readers are still here or which ones have moved on but that's ok, i'm grateful to anyone n everyone. hope to see you all soon again!

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thebroccolination · 5 months ago

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[FANWORK EVENT FOR THAI QL FANDOM] COMMENT CARNIVAL

DATES: February 20th-March 31st

EVENT DETAILS: Writers of all kinds thrive off feedback, and it's especially so for fic writers, since one of the main reasons we write fic in the first place is to share stories with our community. Without hearing back from the people in those communities, fic writers can get discouraged from writing and sometimes even stop entirely. On the other hand, some of the brightest, happiest moments a writer can experience come from readers. It's incomparable to know that a story you wrote made someone smile, cry, or laugh out loud, and sometimes the only way you'll know it is if a reader tells you.

With this in mind, I decided to organize a festival for the Thai QL fandom community to show our fic writers a ton of appreciation in a carnival of comments. :D

Welcome to the Comment Carnival!

NOTE: Even though this event is exclusively for the Thai QL fandom, if you'd like to use the same concept or adapt it for your own fandom, please take the idea! I'd be absolutely thrilled to see this spread and for more writers to get love for the creative work they've contributed to their spaces.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE: There are two ways to participate in the Comment Carnival. The first is simply to complete as many of the commenting tasks below as you like. That's it! You'll be boosting writers' spirits with your feedback, and you may make someone's whole day with a kind word or thought about the stories they're creating.

The second way to participate involves a chance at a prize! (Hence the carnival theme.)

Below, you'll find a list of twenty Commenting Tasks to Complete. Once you complete at least ten of those commenting tasks, you can enter into a lottery to receive your very own drabble (traditionally a 100-word morsel of fic) written by one of the carnival's participating writers! If you do all twenty, your name will go into the lottery twice!

The event begins today, and on March 31st, I'll put the qualifying participants into the Picker Wheel and choose ten winners. Those winners may then select a series from the list below along with a pairing and trope (ex: "The Heart Killers, Fadel & Bison, brotherly affection") and our participating writers will post drabbles dedicated to the winners.

COMMENT QUALIFICATIONS: For your comment to qualify for the lottery, it must include the following:

At least three sentences about the fic or how the fic made you feel. ex: "I loved the way you portrayed [character name]! I can so easily imagine them saying all of that in canon. I'm definitely going to read the rest of your fic now!"

Copy & paste one line from the fic that you enjoyed. ex: "[quoted line] I'M SCREAMING!!!"

What led you to the fic (previous familiarity with the author, a rec from someone, randomly found it on a tag, etc.) ex: "My friend sent me this and told me to read it, and I'm so happy they did!"

Essentially, the purpose of the event is to give writers some specific positive feedback. In normal circumstances, it's totally fine to leave a simple, "I loved this!" or, "Thank you for writing this!" but for this event, we're gonna go above and beyond for our beloved writers.

WHERE TO COMMENT: You can comment on any fanfiction site (Wattpad, FFN, etc.) as long as you can provide links to your comments. I've just structured the event around AO3 since that's where I'm based and have the most familiarity.

And now the fun bit!

THE COMMENTING TASKS TO COMPLETE: Comment on a…

• work-in-progress (any kind) • work-in-progress that hasn't been updated in 3 months • work-in-progress that hasn't been updated in 6 months • work-in-progress that hasn't been updated in 9 months • work-in-progress that hasn't been updated in 1 year or more • one-shot with a word count under 5k • one-shot with a word count between 5-10k • one-shot with a word count between 10k-20k • one-shot with a word count between 20k-30k • one-shot with a word count over 30k+ • completed multi-chapter fic • fic with fewer than 10 comments • fic with fewer than 5 comments • fic with no comments • fic from before 2020 • fic from 2020 • fic from 2021 • fic from 2022 • fic from 2023 • fic from 2024 • fic from 2025

To qualify for the lottery, you must provide proof of your comments in the linked form below. Provide a list of at least ten links to your posted comments, and you'll be enrolled in a lottery to win a drabble based on the series of your choice from the list below provided by our participating writers.

SUBMISSIONS: Please submit your links through the form here:

As for where to get links: on AO3, when you post your comment, you'll see a button at the bottom that says "Thread." Clicking on that will create a page that starts from your comment. You can use that link for your form.

[This is my extremely subtle way to hype @faillen's Peaceful Property fic pinkies linked, palms pressed. It's so, so, so, so good.]

COMMENTING ETIQUETTE: When commenting on fic, please abide by these three points:

Offering unsolicited criticism is widely considered to be rude, so please don't critique a fic in your comments.

If it's a work-in-progress, please don't pressure the author for more updates. That's generally not received well by writers. (If you'd like to be encouraging, err on the side of the suggestions below.)

Keep the overall tone positive!

If any comments break etiquette, they'll be disqualified.

COMMENTING SUGGESTIONS: Writers are people, and people react differently to feedback, but we do share general similarities in what we love to receive from readers. Liiike…

Copy and paste parts you particularly enjoyed: The reason I made this a requirement is because I know it's commonly adored among writers. I've had readers apologize to me for copying and pasting half the fic in my comment section. I promise and guarantee you, if you ever did this, I love you. Platonically and all-consumingly. When we're writing, we're mostly on our own in our heads, in our rooms, maybe showing a friend or two snippets as we write. But when we put fic out there, we have no idea what people are going to respond to. Sometimes your favorite line is ours, too! Or sometimes the line you loved most is a line the writer almost erased! Or a line they're second-guessing. Maybe they hate it! Having someone say, "I'll think about this line for weeks," is wonderful beyond words.

CAPSLOCK: Again, be kind, but some of my favorite comments over the years have been someone so emotional about something in the fic the whole comment is just capslock screaming.

Rambling: Listen, there is no greater feeling in the world than getting multiple comments on a fic because a reader wrote so much about the fic they went past the comment box's character limit. If a fic made you feel so much you want to ramble, then please go for it! A writer spent hours working on the thing you love! Odds are good they'll be delighted!

Characterization: For many fic writers, we're trying to emulate the characterization of a character we didn't create, so when someone says, "The way you wrote this made it feel exactly like something [character name] would say/do. You really know this character!" a lot of us are especially giddy about it.

Kindness: Above all, we're just hoping for some kind thoughts. I know how daunting it can be to share your emotional responses with writers, so you can always just say, "This meant a lot to me," or, "This made me smile," and it will mean the world to a writer.

PRIZES: As mentioned, once you submit a form with at least ten qualifying comments, you'll be entered into a lottery to win one of ten drabbles from one of our participating writers! Right now, we have writers who will write for the following series:

23.5

Bad Buddy

Between Us

Dark Blue Kiss

The Eclipse

The Heart Killers

Jack & Joker

KinnPorsche

The Loyal Pin

Manner of Death

My School President

Not Me

Only Friends

Peaceful Property

Pit Babe

SOTUS

Tale of a Thousand Stars

ThamePo Heart that Skips a Beat

This Love Doesn’t Have Long Beans

Until We Meet Again

Wandee Goodday

If you're a writer interested in volunteering to write a drabble for a series we haven't provided, please DM me. :)

Even if you don't intend on participating, please please please reblog this and get the word out that it's happening.

Thank you!

Special thanks to my writing server on Discord for their brainstorming, their advice, and their suggestions to put this event together. <3

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zarvasace · 4 months ago

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I have been tagged by @batrogers!!

1. How many works on AO3? 241

2. Total AO3 word count? 1.25mil. Almost to my 3rd AO3 anniversary :D (that's around 1,170 words every day for three years, not counting nonpublished words! Proud of that rate, even if it's slowing.)

3. Top 5 fics by kudos:

Status? about Four. I think this one hits the sweet spot for a lot of people: not too long, a bit angsty, but sweet.

so i admit that the mud didn't do much for me, about Hyrule. Actually the first fic I ever posted on this account, it's silly and I'm surprised to see it so high

incandescently happy, a post-LU happy ending. Posted little chapters every day for like a month which kept it in people's feeds so I think that's why it's so high

what is a stump supposed to do, a random Hyrule & Four one, honestly baffled why it's up here

Rise and Shine and Fall, my successful (by that I mean actually wrote and posted every day on schedule) Whumptober 2022 extravaganza compilation. I posted it all in one work, so it's higher than most other whump fics of mine, but there's a lot in it!

4. What fandoms do you write for? Zelda. In the past I wrote a tiny bit of Danny Phantom and a fair amount of FE3H!

5. Do you respond to comments? Always!! I admit to being SO VERY BEHIND right now, a couple months' worth. I'm trying to keep up on new ones, but I've had some beautiful wonderful readers going through my catalog and I can't always keep up!! XD

6. Fic with the angstiest ending: I don't write a lot of negative endings, so I think this badge goes to Counterbalance, my LU Darks AU. I'm actually fully in love with this fic, it's probably the best mix of silly and angsty I've ever written. It's full of what are essentially OCs but they're all my babies and I love them.

7. Fic with the happiest ending: incandescently happy, post-LU. The whole fic is essentially a fix-it ending, though LU doesn't have an ending yet. XD

8. Do you get hate? A couple silly comments trying to tell me I'm doing things wrong, but not really no! Oh, also can't forget the ask I got that was "Remember that Jesus is your first reader." I think that was meant to be passive aggressive but there's a chance it was meant like, genuinely? Not sure.

9. Do you write smut? Nah. And I don't plan to. Not my thing! Closest I get are vampire bites XD

10. Do you write crossovers? I swear I've done more but the only ones on my AO3 are a Vidow fic done in an original world (Nothing New Under the Sun (crystals, dumplings, jewelry)), and Blood-Sucker's Guide to High School, a Vidow retelling of a very fun vampire novel.

11. Ever had a fic stolen? Nope, but I did have one of my Vidow fake fic book covers stolen for someone's fake fiverr listing. Got it taken down with a DMCA but I was like, why

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Not to my knowledge.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic? Oh plenty. @enrolio and I spent most of 2020-21 lockdowns and beyond cowriting, mostly original stories (1.7mil) but a lot of fic, too (nothing published, but almost 400k worth.) We're currently in the process of working on a big epic original fantasy series, though that's a long-term project. @batrogers and I have done a few alt-POV-type projects too, which have been super duper fun!! Hope to do more.

In that vein too, I feel like the Bad End Links kind of qualify here—so much of the characters and their stories were brainstormed collaboratively and so many friends have contributed details and fics and art, it feels like a fun group project! I've really enjoyed working on it. :D (the encouragement and hype for it also helps a lot!! I'm really hoping to finish this big project out!)

14. All-time favorite ship? Ahhhh a harder question than you'd think, tbh, even if you're limiting it to fic. I've written the most for Vidow, and they're definitely up there (same with Fourdow though I've done less with them.) I do have to admit that Linhardt/Byleth might take the cake, though. They were the first ship I was ever actually obsessed with, and the first romantic pairing I wrote in fic.

I just really adore Linny in general, and I love how the pairing continues and closes off some of the themes in the Crimson Flower route of FE3H. That's the only route where Byleth doesn't become archbishop-slash-dictator, and I think choosing to live life in a small cottage, not particularly contributing too much to the government, builds nicely upon the themes of becoming human and choosing your own destiny, themes that are really missing from the other routes.

15. WIPs you want to finish but doubt you ever will? My old AO3 account (a couple FE3H fics and not much else) has a series where I wrote the beginning of a fic and then had several different endings planned, each a different ship with Linhardt, but I only ever wrote one. I'd love to read the rest but I have too many other fics calling my name!

16. Writing strengths? Um... Volume and speed? Also AUs. I think I can call myself good at fitting characters into new settings. Also fight scenes are fun and I think I do them well.

17. Writing weaknesses? I feel somewhat weak in the plotting and style realms.

18. Thoughts on mixed language dialogue? You can't count on a reader to know not-tagged languages, so that has to be accounted for in the text.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Danny Phantom, in high school or maybe just after. That's late for a lot of fic writers but... there are reasons for that, and a different discussion!!

20. Favorite fic you've ever written? This is an extremely rude question, because I love so many for different reasons. I write things I want to read!! Counterbalance (for the tone) and Blood-Sucker's Guide (for the finished novel plot) are up there but I linked them above, so I'll take the chance to call out a different few—Marvelous Misadventures is way up there, a Wind-focused modern with magic AU. I promise I'm still working on that last chapter (and the epilogue), I just gotta throw everything else aside one month and buckle down. Maybe June, I don't have any fic events planned and 06/23 was the last update. I think some earlier chapters need a refresh as well, once I have the ending written.

I'll also toss White Walls (medwhump, "non consensual body modification: the fic") into this category for how long it is and how proud I am to have finished even a collection this long, and a long walk, a Linked Nexus fic where I did so much math and had so much fun with it. :D

Tagging: @silvrash-797 @toyouhellohowareyou @nopenototdaysatan @skyward-floored :)

#my writing #coffin talk #tag game #long post

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flightfoot · 2 months ago

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Are there any new writers who have talent but haven't reached their full potential yet? I would like to follow someone on their journey.

Hm... this can be tricky to decide on, since it means deicding what their "full potential" is. I think I'll focus on ML writers who have been writing a few different fics, and who mostly did so within the past two years or so.

I adore @liiinerle's fics! She mostly specializes in Marigami, but has written a lot of different sapphic pairings for ML as well. I always look forward to seeing her name pop up on AO3 because I know I'm likely to enjoy whatever she wrote. There's a reason I've put so many of her fics on my reclists.

https://archiveofourown.org/users/linerle

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@raspberrycatapult isn't nearly as prolific as Linerle, but the fics she writes tend to be longer. The standout for me is The Adrien And Marinette Show, which asks the question "What if the Miraculous tv show was actually like the Truman Show, with Marinette and Adrien as the main characters?" I especially appreciate the focus the fic gives to the actors, like a bunch of the class, the parents, etc. It fleshes out the concept in a way that the Truman Show was unable to, given its short runtime.

https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaspberryCatapult/pseuds/RaspberryCatapult

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@uptoolateart has made my reclists several times, and for good reason! She's written a lot of great and impressively long fics. The standout fic for me, personally, is Finding A Way, with Adrien and Marinette getting shipwrecked in Jurassic Park and trying to survive. In general, she writes a lot of good Adrienette-centric longfics with more angsty/adventurous plots.

https://archiveofourown.org/users/UpTooLateArt/works

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@purplecatghostposts is my go-to for great Senticousins fics. They've got some really interesting, angsty concepts they like to write. My personal favorite right now is their ongoing fic "consider the spare", wherein Adrien and Felix were actually twins, but Felix was separated from Adrien, confined to the basement, and Adrien's memory of him was wiped. But since Gabriel could use some help, he lets Felix out as Argos, under the condition that he help him try to get the Miraculous. Of course, it helps that Felix can't disobey Gabriel's direct orders.

https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleCatGhost/pseuds/PurpleCatGhost

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katrinette's written a lot of short-form (for the most part) Adrienette fics, often focusing on AUs, which I adore! Witch AU, Soulmate AU, Vampire AU - they've got a lot. I always look forward to seeing her pop up!

https://archiveofourown.org/users/katrinette/pseuds/katrinette

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ZettaWhyNot burst onto the scene only very recently, with their slew of Chloenette and Alyadrien fics. Unusual shipmates, but hey, it works. They've mostly written AUs so far, with their Chloenette vampire and Chloenette stranded on an island series being the standouts.

https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZettaWhynot/pseuds/ZettaWhynot

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@aidanchaser writes some really good Adrienette AU fics (can you tell that I like that subgenre?) with a special focus on Magic AUs and historical AUs, mostly with a Victorian era kind of feel (I think. I'm not a historian). I particularly like her magic worldbuilding, I love a good magic system!

https://archiveofourown.org/users/AidanChase/pseuds/AidanChase

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@miraclechatbug seems to specialize in Adrien angst fics. My favorite so far is The Sound Within, where Adrien's selectively mute. It's still in progress, but it's promising so far!

https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaron5/pseuds/jaron5

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@nemaliwrites mostly writes more angsty, contemplative character study type fics. I always look forward to seeing them! I especially adore The Parable of the Caller, where Chat was guardian, but gave up the box after defeating Hawk Moth, discovering that he was his father, and without revealing to Ladybug - which meant he lost his memories. I loved Adrien listening to the messages that Chat left for him, slowly figuring out who Chat is and why he would've left messages for him in particular, all while dealing with the aftermath of his father's defeat.

https://archiveofourown.org/users/nemali/works

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@echo-has-queries writes some really creative AUs (I really love that genre), such as an Android!Adrien AU and a Eldritch God!Kwami AU. They're well-written and creative and their fics ABSOLUTELY deserve more attention!

https://archiveofourown.org/users/Echo_elates/pseuds/Echo_elates

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@bbutterflies specializes in Adrino fics, and if you like the pairing, you should absolutely read them! They're usually set in the show universe, more-or-less, but with some canon divergence. My favorite is the Fake Dating AU "the moment I knew (I'd no choice but to love you).

https://archiveofourown.org/users/BecomingButterflies/pseuds/BecomingButterflies

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I think that's the list I'll go with for now! I've got a lot of great authors on here, though it's by no means an exhaustive list. I hope you find some good fics from this, these authors all deserve more attention!

#ask #miraculous ladybug #ml fanfic rec

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saynomorefic · 6 months ago

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2024 fandom review

Ty for tagging me @willesredlights @phneltwrites @grounded-parasocial <3

This is going to be a mishmash of formats I've seen, so thanks everyone for giving me ideas

Fics written

I started watching and writing YR this year, so 2024 has really been huge for me in returning to fandom and fic writing. I wrote 27 works (plus tumblr ficlets) and 117k words, by far the most I've written!

First fic posted in 2024: You Kill Me (WIP) 2024-02-06

My love letter to Young Royals. Anyone who has read this, thank you and sorry, it's deeply personal and my raw initial reaction to watching the show.

Last fic posted in 2024: Ghosts of Simons Past 2024-12-23

Silly little christmas fic!

Fav fic I've written: Let's take this overboard (WIP) 2024-06-25

My Mediterranean yacht AU! Ah my beloved. Thank you to everyone for showing this story love. It's still going, I'm just putting the pieces together. How do you pick a direction when you have so many?

It's been a big year of writing :) I haven't written creatively for about 9 years, so it's safe to say Young Royals and this community have ignited a creative spark I didn't know I had in me. When I was a kid my dream was to be a writer. Getting emotional here, but it's hitting me that in a way, that dream has come true in a way! I know fanfic is not technically professional writing, but in a way it's cooler - we don't get to just message our favorite "real" authors whenever we want, nor do bigger authors get to experience being in a club of writers like this! (actually I wouldn't know, but w/3).

Thank you to every single person who has sat down and read my little stories, you guys truly don't know what you have given me and how much it means.

Fics read under the cut <3

Fics read

I can't give a number, but I have bookmarked 117 fics since 2024-02-11, and it's safe to say I've read at least 4x that.. so uh.. it's a lot :''))

This is a list of favs after going through my bookmarks, and definitely not an exhaustive list of all the fics I've read and loved from this past year. Thank you to ALL writers out there for your amazing work <3

First fic I bookmarked/ read: objects in motion by Capiche

Last fic I read: Under the Mistletoe by @vvachillessongvv (so cute!)

Some favorites I've read this year:

Stairway to Heaven by @unfortunate17

the person responsible for finding young royals, and this was one of the very first fics I read! Heartbreaking and wonderful.

Something Real as Pain by @crownedwille

I love how this story directly engages with power differences between Wilhelm and Simon, and I'm so proud of these two <3

be the place you call your home by @phneltwrites

I love them so much. No one does post-canon like you! such a unique writing voice and characterizations to match <3

Faroe Gone by @groenendaelfic

Pining Simon. Pining Wilhelm. Remote island-farm-cottage sex. What more could you want?

We Left Footprints When We Passed By by @in-amor-veritas

One of the first long fics I read, and these two will never leave me.

darling, lost in the darkling woods by Ripki on ao3

honorable mention to Align, but this noir gripped me like no other.

Fright Fest! by @enjoythesilentworld

I adore everything about this, horrorific, whumpy and visceral <33

sleep, dream, you, repeat (live, die next to me) by @espejonight28738

This little gem! The Midsommar AU. So so good, so well written.

bittersweet ecstasy (I pick my poison and it's you) by wthbaby (ao3)

An amazing ABO fic that's more werewolf /fantasy than anything!

The initiation - sorry if we got a bit rough by @silvagrey

A really interesting look at the aftermath of Wilhelm's initiation ritual, and a type of canon divergence I've never seen!

A Glimpse of Us by @simons-purplehoodie

An early love, read this in April and was swept away.

Look at us by @willesredlights

So hot, so sweet, and bonus that it was a gift for me! <33

to color with two by @wildcalendula

I love the way they communicate about sex here. So tender and loving and lovely. Just this whole series!

The Way We Were by queerofthemonth (ao3)

Damaged popstar Simon. Sad Kronprins Wilhelm. Fuck.

Cock by @stretchoutfics

Just so much to say about pining and sexuality crisis Wilhelm. It feels so realistic, and I love their communication here.

One, two, three (Not only you and me) by @skibasyndrome

So much communication, so much trust, so much honesty. And the LAPDANCING? Also, thank you so much for every kinktober contribution, promise we are all very grateful <3

Where We Left Off by @gulliblelemon

So tender, they will literally be in my heart forever. It's time to re-read!

come closer and see into the dark (WIP) by @bigalockwood

I can't decide what's better, unique magical ghosts or juicy slow burn interpersonal relationships at the YR ghost agency. Love <3

losing a friend is the hardest part by psyanky on ao3

God do a love break ups and second chances. And everything psyanky writes.

We're Going to Be Friends (Lilac Grove) by wilmonlibrarian on ao3

I'm so in love. Borrower Simon is adorable, and it blows my mind how this author created this whole world.

I am awaiting you (WIP) by @toffeelemon and thatgayprince (pls help me tag on tumblr!)

I am so in love with Princess Simon and Wille here. Uadhakjsdha

i've got power in my hands (and it's yours for the taking) by @starvalisedham

The library fight from August's POV. There are LAYERS here, and I love how much is up to interpretation reg. his perception of Wilmon.

maybe now maybe here tonight by @dreamyelectronicmusic

I love a getting back together fic, and the writing! I'm in awe.

My Home for All Time by @hergrandplan

Amazing contributions for Wille's month! Every ficlet and morsel.

words written down by @caramelpenguin

Every single one. how do I pick? Thank you for always sharing these beautiful snapshots with us <3

this is the golden age of something good and right and real (Painter AU) series by @alltoowille

I couldn't choose bc the first part was INSANE. and then I read it and realized there was 50k+ after? Think I ascended. Thank you <3

and last but not least obviously by @grapehyasynth

Changed me. Changed how I write, and then changed me again.

Final reflections

I wanted to say I loved helping celebrate Wilmonhits5k on ao3, and big thanks to everyone who participated through fic recs and commenting.

I have to mention the people that keep this fic world turning through fic recs, making gifs, fandom engagement, and more! @simonsapelsin @youngroyals-events @kruemel8 @sillyunicorn @grounded-parasocial @books-books-smolderinglooks @impossibleknots @sillylittleflower and too many more to list. You guys are truly the best <3

If we have never chit chatted, feel free to come say hi! <3 Happy new year to you all, and here's to more YR magic in 2025.

#yr fic rec #fandom in review 2024 #saynomorefic #love you all <3

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eatmen2live · 11 days ago

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Call of the Songbird - Chapter 1

Summary:

Story starts after X2 but closer to X3 and into until the end, with a twist. Mixed with sugar, spice, and everything nice!

Ao3 / Ch 2

A/N:

This bug has been in my brain for over a year now and I've been my own worst enemy. Ongoing series. First time posting on Tumblr if I'm missing potential warnings/tags please let me know. Wrote this because the world can never have enough Logan fics. So I hope you love it!

WC: 9.2k

There are times within one’s life when opportunities to overcome personal fears present themselves. Whether they be demons from the past, debilitating fears, or even mistakes that were buried, there’s scarcely ever a right time to confront them. Some moments appear abruptly and without warning. Those are the moments that define many as an individual and can even define their trajectory in life. For some rise as heroes, triumphant over the darkness while others run and live a life of avoidance. In her moment, she felt the fear so potently, gripping her throat and squeezing every breath from her lungs. Every hair on her body stood and the need to run grew with every thunderous beat of her heart. She should have known that nothing for her would be peaceful, when she’d caused so much pain and destruction. But she believed this was her punishment, her atonement. Running for most of her life she lived in seclusion and fear. She wasn’t brave, and she didn’t consider herself strong, but she loved deeply. Loved deeply enough that she felt she had no choice but to do something, be something. Being one of the few that could do something, she could not forgive herself if she didn’t. Even though it went directly against who she was and what she’d always done. Doing nothing and staying away meant everyone would be safe. This time she couldn’t, and knew it’d be her last. There couldn’t be a better testament to the change inside her that had come from finding companionship, loyalty, and love. Never could she have imagined herself fighting valiantly against the dread that was rooted in her bones. When she thought of them, thought of him, she felt strong. Strong enough to do what she needed to. They could fight against her as much as they wanted but her love for them was stronger. She may not be a hero, but she was a friend, a sister, and a lover. And it was more than enough for her to face anything that stood before her. Even if it was her own death.

— Several months prior —

When she arrived, there was a harsh chill in the air. Springtime was around the corner, but the Winter cold still lingered in the mornings. There must have been endless days of rain for such a dense fog to settle over the expansive hidden landscape. It was startlingly quiet and apparently even too early for the birds to sing. Her burning dry eyes were a statement to the time, and she refrained from rubbing them for the nth time. The only source of light was being generated from the beginnings of the rising sun. It cast an eerie filter over the land, muting the color of what she could only describe as an estate. She would have whistled if not for a deepening anxiety of being alone so deep in the forest. She tried not to think too deeply about what creatures could be lying deep within.

The property sat far beyond the gates she stood outside of, and it was a daunting sight. If the walls that connected to the iron gates surrounded the entire property, she couldn’t tell as they faded into the dense brush on either side. She could only guess how long it took the groundskeepers to maintain it. Carefully curated trees lined the long-paved road that led up to the front of the building. It circled at the end and was further complimented by strategically placed shrubbery. Matching the identity of the school as one for gifted children. A too-big-to-miss bronze plaque on the wall displayed ‘Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters’ and she felt the stiff brush of cynicism. Gifted, was a kind way to put it. She’d sooner call it a curse, but that wouldn’t be a welcoming tag for the school.

Feelings of doubt arose, and she thought maybe she hadn’t thought things through fully before accepting the invitation. That it would be better if she turned back now. Her reaction would make it seem as if she hadn’t spent her early morning mulling over what she’d gotten herself into, for hours, in a silent car with a taxi driver that didn’t want to be awake either. It still didn’t feel real to her, and she felt it’d be more believable if it turned out to be a scam. But when presented with the opportunity, she couldn’t let it pass her by. When two powerful mutants showed up on her doorstep, whilst no one should’ve been able to find her, invaded her mind and made her promises that caused her eyes to burn, she booked a one-way trip before the doorway cooled. She was a grown woman chasing a dream that she believed died inside her a long time ago. Now that she was here, she felt foolish and desperate.

Her hand felt stiff from the tight grip she had on the handle of her bag and she suddenly turned to leave.

“Please see the children, at least, before you leave.” A familiar voice pierced her thoughts.

Her knees shook, and she immediately turned into herself as the words resounded inside her head.

“I give you my word that no harm shall come to you inside these walls. Just as you are welcome to pass these gates, as you please.”

Before the promise finished echoing in her mind the gates in front of her opened, causing her to jump. Thankful that there was no one around to witness her reaction, she stood stiffly before the open gates, as if waiting for something else to happen. Nothing came but the running of her nose. As she scrambled for a tissue, she didn’t miss the fact that the speaker’s telepathy could not only sense her presence the moment she arrived but also reach her. It wasn’t surprising, as she’d gone to great lengths to hide and the owner of this school could still find her. She was only surprised they hadn’t located her sooner and even a small part of her felt disappointed.

A chilled breeze passed by her causing her to shiver but the wind brought something more than the cold. Her hearing was sensitive to the fresh sounds that emerged from the direction of the main building. Soft giggles, quiet conversations, and sleepy good mornings filled her senses. Children, she could only assume from the distance, exited the front and sides of the building. Enough time had passed that the sun had risen and showered the scenery in the golden light of dawn. Curiosity had encouraged her steps towards the estate. She’d forgotten her earlier fears of crossing the threshold, in favor of finding out what lied beyond. The sounds of joy were inviting her in. Rubbing her eyes, the light from the sun hitting the dew left by the previous night’s rain made everything sparkle.

The school was coming alive, and the noise increased. So did the number of children she saw, and even some adults. There were dozens of things happening at once she didn’t know what to focus on. She slowed her pace as she felt overwhelmed by the number of people that were outside. Zeroing in on a voice that rose above the rest, she heard the strong yet soothing voice of a woman. When she spotted her, she saw someone that was just as beautiful as her voice. Dark rich skin and stark white hair shimmered in the sunlight. Her presence was magnetic, and the children that gathered around her hung on to her every word. The woman was familiar, and she recognized her as the other half of the pair that showed up at her doorstep. At the time the cover of darkness mostly hid her but now that she could take her in her entirety, she was clearly someone special. It was as if she was a student then, engrossed and listening in on the lesson of the day.

Unfortunately, not too long after she tuned in, the sound of a not-so-distant explosion interrupted the tranquility of the morning’s lesson. Adrenaline flooded her system as she scanned the area for a threat, an action reminiscent of a startled deer. On the opposite end of the main building, there was a group of children loudly blaming one another for who or what caused the blast. From the side of the building, an adult male rounded the corner to come chastise the children and remind them of safe practices. He didn’t come down on them too harshly and by the attitude of the children she could tell they got into mischief often. She didn’t recognize him but assumed he was another teacher. A large visor obscured half of his face but she could tell that he was handsome, and his smile was kind when he spoke to the rowdy teens. Some of the pressure that weighed on her was relieved because there seemed to be warm relationships between the children and their guardians. That this wasn’t a militaristic stronghold for these gifted students. She sent a last prayer to whatever gods may be listening, that this wasn’t too good to be true. Smiling faintly, she made her way inside as children breezed past her, dropping hurried excuses, and entered a beautiful traditional foyer.

“Take your time.” The voice resonated in her head once more.

The disembodied voice that took residence in her mind startled her and images of what she believed was the route to his office projected into her mind; she was dumbfounded. As if she’d made the walk a dozen times, she now knew the way. Those who were moving around her, in the high traffic area, threw her concerned looks. Apparently, she was the only one who’d heard him. Ducking her head, she hurried quickly down the next hall to save herself from further humiliation.

As she passed through busy corridors, she could examine a handful of different classrooms. There was no lack of diversity among the student’s classrooms and it looked like they didn’t hide away the children whose mutations were visible. Some children could make the elements dance on their fingertips, objects move, and even themselves bend the laws of physics. It was an understatement to say that she was awed. That the building still stood, despite housing so many mutations, left her impressed. They explained what they were building here, when they’d met, but the reality was much more powerful. It moved her but also scared her. There were many more children than guardians and from what she was told the school experienced many times of inactivity. Only recently has the school celebrated a few years of stability. They invited her for this reason.

The school was a campus, with a variety of amenities. Rooms, kitchens, recreational areas, and even a library. Nerves of excitement fluttered within her as she made her way to Professor Xavier’s office. He’d come to her home not too long ago and now she was in his. This was his domain, and she was at a great disadvantage. He was difficult to read, and that was unnerving for someone like her who’d spent years observing others. He was a powerful mutant, and that made her wary of him, but she didn’t fully distrust him. Like the woman she’d spotted on the grounds, his presence also drew you in. He was persuasive, knew all the right things to say and read her like a book. She didn’t have a hard time believing that those with similar backgrounds congregated here and she briefly wondered how many people had heard the same pitch.

The closer she got to her destination the more devoid of people it became. She was alone in the hall, so it wasn’t difficult for her to catch the back and forth between the two individuals on the other side of the shut office door, further down the corridor.

“Don’t do this to me Professor. I have better things to do than have some pup nipping at my heels.” A rough male voice said.

The first speaker was unfamiliar. The deep, accented voice sounded exasperated.

“Logan, I wouldn’t ask you to do something if there was someone better suited to the task.” She recognized The Professor’s voice.

It didn’t sound like there was much room for argument with his tone, but Logan did not share her belief.

“I’m not the nurturing type! Ask Ro, she’s great at this. Hell, call Scott! He can finally make himself useful.” Logan exclaimed.

Neither name rang a bell in her head, but while there was respect for ‘Ro’ there was, apparently, no love lost between Logan and Scott.

“My goodness Logan you would think I was asking you to be the chaperone to two love struck teenagers.” The Professor’s voice rose with incredulity.

“Never again, Professor!” Logan quickly met him with an objection.

There was a moment of pause before the sound of soft chuckles from both men floated through the door. Once the moment had passed, The Professor’s serious tone returned.

“In all seriousness Logan, she’s… special.”

By this point, she’d already figured they were likely discussing her arrival and who would fill the position of being her guide. It wasn’t unrealistic for her to assume The Professor knew that she had arrived outside the door. But it was clear he’d called Logan ahead of time to appoint him to the duty as well as to introduce them. She was more surprised that The Professor believed that the man she now knew as Logan would readily accept his request. Enough of his personality had shown that he wasn’t a simple person. But the professor’s frankness took her aback. Unabashed in calling her special as she stood by. It was kind of him to say even though she may not have viewed it as a positive. There may have been a time she thought she was, but it’d been quite some time since she thought of herself in favorable measure.

“We’re all pretty special Professor.” Logan’s sardonic tone cut through.

Her eyes rolled at the comment. She swore she could hear his smirk and figured Logan thought himself a funny man, but she couldn’t bring herself to share the sentiment. As far as first impressions went, this one wasn’t shaping up to be the best, and she hadn’t even technically met him. Evidently, she hadn’t learned her lesson after years of eavesdropping on conversations she should have never heard. But here, she didn’t see the threat of death or punishment being a likely outcome if they caught her, so she continued to observe.

Logan may not have been easy, but the professor clearly wasn’t one to back down either. The weight of the silence was heavy within the office, and her anticipation grew.

An exasperated sigh finally broke the drawn silence.

“You know better than anyone that those who walk through these doors has a story, and they all need something different. What she needs is something you can provide best. You have a way about you Logan that even I don’t have.” The Professor said.

The high praise caused her to raise an eyebrow, and she’d imagine Logan himself was likely stunned at the statement. From a man who seemed to do anything, that was a hell of a compliment.

“It helps that you have luck with the quiet ones.”

The Professor’s voice had taken on a light, teasing tone and she could hear a smile through his words. He clearly cared for Logan, and she was extremely curious to hear that story. Just the thought of the professor showing up to his door on a random night giving him the same pitch he’d given her made her silently snicker. She couldn’t imagine Logan being the type to be welcoming, or give in as easily as she had, but then again, she’d only known about him for less than a few minutes.

She mentally had scoffed at the idea of being quiet, but understood as she kept her silent sentry outside the office doors. Wondering when she would be called in to introduce herself. She wondered, if in the silence that followed, the professor was giving Logan the same knowing look he’d given her when he’d found her. The one that convinced her, in a moment’s time, to make this the last place she disappeared to.

The deeper sigh that broke the silence told her who the clear winner was, and she no longer felt so bad about being on the losing end of The Professor’s persuasion.

“Thank you, Logan, I promise you’ll find this more beneficial than you think.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say Professor. Now will the rat hiding outside come in, already! The entire neighborhood could hear you breathing over the door handles!” Logan shouted through the doors.

She jumped at being addressed. She couldn’t believe he’d called her a heavy breathing rat! Despite, indeed, hovering outside the office. She ignored the heat that rose to her cheeks and took hold of the ornate handles, entering the room.

The office matched the rest of the mansion. With engraved wood furnishings, earth toned fabrics, and large paned windows that let in copious amounts of light. The energy in the room was comfortable and gave off a sense of security. It didn’t match the idea she had in her head when she thought of being called to ‘the principal’s office’. But it helped calm her nerves, even if the feeling of wariness lingered, as she now stood inside the den of dozens of superpowered mutants, facing the one who led them.

Professor Charles Xavier looked the same as when he approached her outside of her beat-up van. It was her home, her life for over a decade and the first time someone like him made their way to it. Despite his disability, when he first appeared she could sense there was something dangerous about him. Also, because no one approached suspicious isolated vans at night wearing a suit for no reason. And he didn’t come alone. The woman she’d spotted outside had been with him that night, watching them from afar in a similar garb. Her paranoia being at an all-time high, she thought they’d caught her.

Well, they had caught her, but it wasn’t by those who haunted her dreams. He’d shared with her they’d been searching for her for years but that her moving footprint made it difficult to track her. It wasn’t the most tactful thing to say to someone who’d avoided detection purposely, but she also shamelessly took pride because it seemed her tireless efforts were not in vain. But he’d quickly caught her attention after sharing the fact that he knew she was in danger and from what or who it was that she was running from. She had appreciated his forthrightness as he explained who he was, why he’d approached her, and what he could provide her.

At the point she was in her life, she’d felt as if she’d lived multiple lifetimes. She was exhausted, tired of running, and many nights she’d asked herself why she even bothered. So, when the professor appeared with the promise of everything when she had nothing, it was the greatest risk she’d ever take or her last. Best-case scenario, it was both.

Here they met for the second time. The easy setting made him appear less daunting and more approachable than the harsh light of a parking lot lamp post. He was a dapper older man, clean shaven with a youthful look. His face naturally creased from the effects of time but he didn’t have prominent worry lines. She thought his appearance supported an even and collected nature. While his overall appearance was welcoming, his eyes were unnerving. His serene smile did nothing to damper the intensity of his gaze. All-knowing, she thought. He intimidated her and rightfully so.

“Alright kid, hurry and say your piece, The Professor and I have some business to discuss.” Logan spoke up.

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes in front of her host, she turned to take in Logan and finally put a face to the name. From behind, his visage matched the bass in his voice. He was tall, regardless of the hunch he sported as his hands were dug into his pockets and he had a well-trained body. The stained white tank he sported wasn’t modest and left little to the imagination. His well-worn jeans and boots were an extreme contrast to The Professor’s suit. His hair was wild, almost as dark as hers, and shooting off in every direction. To her, his hair tufts resembled horns or even cat ears.

An awfully fake cough concealing a short bark of laughter came from the professor’s direction. Surprised, she’d forgotten that he could be privy to her thoughts at will and became uncomfortable. Even so far as to take a physical step back towards the office doors.

“Forgive me, my dear. Knowing your thoughts allows me to better quell your fears. I promise you I will not be looking for anything beyond what is necessary to ensure your comfort and safety. As well as those of the children.” Once more, his voice rang in her head.

Just because she understood the reasoning didn’t mean it made her feel any better about it.

“C’mon kid, we don’t have—” Logan began.

As he turned to chastise her, he stopped himself after seeing her. She watched him as he processed she wasn’t a student, let alone anyone he’d seen before. She could see through his surprised expression that the gears in his head were turning. He eyed her warily, and she swore she’d seen his nostrils flare once or twice. She wondered if he’d thought of her as a threat that encroached on his territory. It seemed he was just as wary of her as she was of him and The Professor. She wasn’t one for confrontation but she’d learned that in the first few seconds of silence when meeting someone, there was more said than whatever followed. Furrowing her brow in response she returned the look.

The sound of a clearing throat took them away from their silent standoff and she gave The Professor her full attention, stealing glances at Logan as he spoke.

“Logan, this is Serena, the recent addition to our teaching staff I mentioned to you earlier.” Charles said, introducing her.

Serena faced Logan fully, extending her hand in introduction, tipping her head in acknowledgement as the professor introduced her. Logan eyed her hand briefly then her face with a guarded look before replacing it with a smirk and raised brow. Removing a hand from his pocket he wiped what she thought looked like motor oil or grease on his faded jeans before returning her greeting. The smug look on his face irked her, and she braced herself. Assuming he’d crush her hand in a brutish show of dominance.

There weren’t many times in Serena’s life where she was glad to be wrong, but this was one of them. He took her hand in his gently and lightly shook it once before releasing it with a softness that surprised her. He held her sharp gaze all the while and when her expression shifted, his smirk deepened. Annoyed, she dropped her hand with less care. Still feeling the warmth from his hand and roughness of his palms as he slid his hand from hers, she crossed her arms to quell the feeling. Averting her gaze, she turned back towards the seated gentleman.

“Well, Professor, you weren’t lying about the quiet part.” Logan mocked.

He mirrored her stance and crossed his arms. Leaning back into his full height. The move made Serena feel as if he was sizing her up and stood taller in response. Logan noticed and showed her a toothy smile. Not even had she known him a day, and she wanted to throttle him. The professor must’ve seen something in her face or read her violent thoughts and took the chance to continue his earlier introduction.

“Logan, behave yourself. She’s going to be our new Music instructor. You know how long the children have been asking for one.”

In response, she’d knelt to retrieve her favorite new gift the professor had given her when they’d first met. It was a life-changing tool that had heavily influenced her decision to come to the school. A bribe at its core but still a gift. It was more advanced than anything she’d seen before and imagined it’d cost a fortune.

While she rummaged in her bag, the two men were silent. A brief glance showed her the two men intensely focused on one another. She figured they were holding a mental conversation she was not a part of. After pulling out a square tablet and tinkering with it for a few moments an unfamiliar voice joined the conversation.

“I promise to teach the children to the best of my abilities and only ask for patience in return.” A disembodied voice flooded the room.

She’d dubbed it her ‘talking assistant’ and it meant everything to her. She treasured it. Even if it may have sounded like something unholy was being blended. The sound broke whatever silent conversation was being had between the two men and for as quickly as Logan snapped his head in her direction she’d hoped he pulled something. The incredulous look he gave her brought a devilish smile to her face.

---

If Logan hadn’t clearly expressed his annoyance before, he hoped his irritation was now apparent to everyone in the room. He wasn’t the type to be shy about expressing how he felt. The new kid or Serena as The Professor had introduced, was clearly a brat regardless of her age. Not only did he have better things to do but now he was being asked to babysit a haunted fucking Speak and Spell.

“Logan.” The Professor said his name with such censure; he figured the professor heard his crude thoughts but didn’t find the connection as funny as he did.

“Not at all.” Charles followed up.

“Professor!”

“Logan, please.” Charles took their conversation telepathically as his voice rang in Logan’s head.

He knew The Professor wouldn’t back off easily. Not that he ever did.

“Don’t ‘Logan, please.’ Me!” Logan answered mentally.

There was a brief, tense silence before The Professor continued.

“I need you to watch over her, Logan.”

If Charles would’ve requested that from anyone other than him he wouldn’t have batted an eye but because he was almost desperately requesting Logan’s guardianship, it didn’t sit well with him. The Professor rarely needed anything from anyone, let alone him, unless… It was something big. If he was involving Logan, it meant that there was a serious threat. His mind fell silent in anticipation except for the thrumming of his heartbeat, which sounded off like an alarm.

“Professor...” Logan let his address trail off.

Luckily, The Professor was quick to address him.

“They’re after her Logan... They have been for a long time and so have we. It was by chance and opportunity that we could finally catch her when we did. Luckily. Not only for us but for her as well.” Charles gave him a heavy look.

Logan understood what the professor was trying to convey to him. He was very familiar with how this story went. It hadn’t been too long since the same happened to Rogue. Her screams still haunted him even years past the ordeal, and even she hadn’t been the same since. He still carries the guilt with him even if Rogue already made it clear to him that there was nothing to forgive. But Logan knew he was still responsible; he promised her, and he couldn’t even hold that promise for more than a few seconds. Magneto or not. He still punished himself for it, punishes himself for the things he’s done, hasn’t done, and the people he’s lost …

“Logan.”

A pitying voice was the last thing he wanted to hear. That would only ignite the anger in him and it wouldn’t be fair to unleash that on some girl that had no clue about the shit show she just stepped into.

“C’mon, kid. I’ll take you around.” He said aloud.

He was already turning away and towards the door. Signaling the end to the conversation between him and Charles. The Professor wouldn’t press him and understood that this was his way of agreeing. Logan felt his eyes on his back as he headed out the office, and didn’t bother to check if the girl was following him. He didn’t need to see her to know that she was grabbing her bag and excusing herself from the professor’s office.

“We’ll speak about the details tomorrow morning, Serena. You’ve had quite the day already. Take the rest of the day to settle into your space.” The Professor said kindly.

Logan heard no response after and was thankful he didn’t have to hear her device go off again. But unfortunately for him the peace was short-lived. They were making their way down the corridor and out of the secluded hall when he heard the clicking of her nails against that demonic toy of hers.

“I’m not a kid.” She stated through her device.

“Everyone’s a kid to me, kid.” He said with a grin.

He would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy grating other’s nerves with that. There was no one here who could contest his seniority and if he didn’t relish that fact, he wouldn’t be himself. It was the least life could do for him when he couldn’t even remember most of it. That blank part of his mind frustrated him to no end and even if a part of him felt he’d forgotten for a reason, the rest of him felt the constant feeling of missing something. He’d been able to access parts but Logan didn’t believe it’d ever be enough. But for as much as he’d searched it was difficult for him to make peace with the fact that it most likely would have to. And Logan had no problem, making it everyone’s problem.

The kid may not say a word, but she didn’t have to with that sorry excuse of a poker face. All it took was one look at her and he knew she wanted to strangle him. That had to be a record for him. Usually, he had to break people down over time before they lost their patience with him and started wishing him physical harm. He quietly chuckled to himself. He may have been everyone’s senior, but he sure as hell didn’t act like it. She was all pouts, furrowed brows, and sharp eyes. It made him want to push her buttons until they jammed, so he picked up his pace. She was shorter than him but an average height for a woman, so she’d have to put in extra effort to keep pace with him.

The sound of clicking nails elicited an eye roll from him, but not before he noticed the increased speed in her tapping.

“My name is Serena, not Kid.” She messaged.

“Got it, bub”

“Serena.”

“Heard, little lady.”

“Serena.”

Logan didn’t respond.

“Serena. Serena. Serena”

The awful toy repeated her name multiple times causing Logan to fold over and fall into a fit of laughter. Between the huffing, puffing, and furious tapping of her fingers he found he couldn’t hold character. She was such a brat! All she needed to do was accept that she wouldn’t win against him and let him have his way. Just like everyone else did. He was stubborn with having his way so others rarely tried to go against him or what he wanted. Except for Charles of course, and someone else that was much more stubborn than him...

It didn’t miss Logan that it’d been a while since he’d laughed that freely. He rarely went beyond the periodic chuckle or snort. But it was just the two of them in this hallway, and she didn’t know a thing about who he was or how he was supposed to act. Between his breaks for air, he heard her as she came around to confront him, sneakers tapping lightly against the wood-stained floors.

Lucky, or perhaps unluckily, for her, confronting Logan was one of the many ways to get him fired up and his favorite thing. He even took the time to wipe at fake tears as he stood up to be addressed, knowing it would agitate her further and after watching her reaction he knew he’d succeeded. Logan loved it. Her face glowed with the heat of her anger and her dark eyes shined with fury. It didn’t help that her scowl made her lower lip swell charmingly. Resting his hands on his waist, he cocked his head to the side, waiting for the sound reminiscent of that of a drowning weasel. When no sound came and she made no move other than to bore holes into his face with her glaring look, he spoke up.

“Thanks for the laugh, sweetheart.”

With an offended gasp and admonishing look she bowed her head to deliver another message. Before she could, Logan quickly stopped her by catching her hand. It’d happened too quickly for her to avoid him, and he felt her flinch in his grasp. He knew he hadn’t hurt her, but he’d clearly offended her by the scandalized look she gave him.

“Serena. I got it.” Logan held her gently and lowered his face to her level as he addressed her genuinely.

He watched as her eyebrows almost took flight. Eyes wide like saucers, she openly stared into his own. Taken aback by her surprising reaction he mirrored her stare. The silence was deafening, and the air was still between them. Her long curled lashes framed almost black irises. He struggled to find her pupils and found himself lost in his search. Large, upturned eyes investigated him, and he wondered what they looked for. His senses heightened as he focused in on the scent that came from her, the same one that’d he’d picked up the moment she’d entered the office earlier. She smelled of sunshine and warmth. The scent of comfort, and it reminded him of sweeter things. But she also smelled of fear and pain. It wasn’t fresh or something he’d caused, this was something that had established itself deep under her skin, something that festered. The aroma sometimes hung around the children that freshly entered this school and thankfully dissipated with time but it was a scent Logan never liked to pick up. Nothing good ever came from that fragrance and it never failed to worsen his feeling of something important being forgotten.

The erratic fluttering of her lashes broke the spell between them, and she snatched her hand from his slack grip. Cradling the hand he’d just held to her chest, she stepped back and turned from him. Logan didn’t like that. He scowled and wondered what she’d seen that’d elicit such a negative reaction. What did she see? A man with an insufferable ego or one that didn’t even know who he was? It bothered something deep inside him. She’d acted as if he’d hurt her and he now felt as if he was being shunned. She said and did nothing as she hid herself from him. Her inaction made him feel insecure and guilty that somehow maybe he had hurt her. Insecurity, guilt, or fear were emotions that never sat well with Logan. In that moment, his discomfort pressed him to create a problem with her, and with her back turned to him, the instinctual part of him wanted to show her why she should never turn away from a predator, especially if injured.

A shake of her tight curls accompanied by a grating familiar voice, interrupted his reach for her.

“Continue the tour.”

She made no other acknowledgement besides throwing a coy look at him over her shoulder. She gave him a brief but pointed look before turning from him once again and he shook off the influence of his inner nature. The underlying smell of fear still lingered on her but there were no emerging scents revealing she wasn’t okay. Logan was more than willing to move on from whatever had just happened after she broke the uncomfortable tension that hung in the air. She was an odd one, that was for sure, and Logan was getting the feeling that he was in for it now, but he found he didn’t mind. It’d been a while since something, or someone had come around this place and brought some life back into it. Lord knows this place had been too somber, and that meant something coming from him. They’d lost enough, and it’d clearly been affecting the children. Even if half the time he wanted nothing to do with this place, too many memories, he knew that change didn’t take well here. The Professor was the headteacher for a reason, because what better way to lift spirits than with music and a fresh addition. Not that he was looking forward to the screeching of badly played instruments and off-key notes. The thought made him wince. He would need to make it a point to learn Serena’s teaching schedule and avoid those days.

“As you wish, princess.” He said as he strode past her with a halfhearted bow.

He stole a quick glance up at her from under his dark lashes; she was scowling again. Smirking with satisfaction, he quickly straightened back up and turned on his heel, continuing forward at a speedy pace. He heard a disgruntled sound come from behind before he heard the padding of sneakered feet. A devious grin graced his face as he led her to where her quarters would be.

They’d made their way to their first stop without incident and Logan broke the silence with the announcement of their arrival.

“I’m assuming this will be your classroom, since it’s the only room with a piano in it and all that.”

He’d brought them to another room that had carved wooden walls and large windows that let the sunshine in, with a view of the back of the mansion. The room routinely hosted a beautiful view of the sunset; she was lucky to call it hers.

“No one really uses this room. Well, not that I know of, but you can probably tell by all the shit that’s lying around in here. I’m sure the professor will somehow rope me into getting this room cleared out for you.” As he spoke it didn’t seem as if she was hearing him.

As soon as he opened the door to the room, her eyes began to scan and drink in the room. She had slowly made her way to the windows against the wall that overlooked the recreational areas where the children played. The land stretched on into the distance and into the surrounding forest. He knew how she felt, he’d felt the same when he had first arrived. Logan watched as she went flush against the window, placing a hand on the glass. He bit back a snarky comment about leaving fingerprints and opted to let her have her moment. Logan came up beside her quietly but far enough as to not disturb her. Everyone who entered this school had their moment. How could they not? There were children outside playing, laughing, and simply loving life. Not only that, but they were also mutants. Mutants were free in this space, it wasn’t perfect, but it was a far cry from what awaited them beyond these walls. From what he could remember he couldn’t think of ever seeing or even hearing about anything similar in his lifetime. He took it in just as she did and closed his eyes, letting the sun soak into his skin. He inhaled deeply and found her comforting scent again. The feeling of peace and tranquility settled over him. Quiet, the professor called her but just because she couldn’t speak didn’t mean everything else about her was. She was a spitfire.

He wondered what her mutation was. Did it affect her ability to speak? He had little more time to theorize as the smell of salt cut through the air. His attention snapped to the woman beside him. She was as still as a statue except for the tears that rolled slowly down her cheeks and her quickened breath. Logan felt damned and panicked. Crying, especially crying women was not his forte, he isn’t proud of it but he’s usually the one causing it, not stopping it. He felt extremely awkward. Exchanging his weight between his legs, he was unsure whether to leave or stay.

Logan reminded himself that she was his responsibility and went with a firm hold on the shoulder, a classic. Not wanting to make her uncomfortable he turned his attention back out to the fields as the sun set. It really was a bonus of living here, being able to watch the sky burst into a rainbow of color before the day ended. He heard the fabric of her clothes rustle but refused to look at her until her shoulder shook. Logan cursed the gods believing he’d made it worse. He threw ‘Plan A’ out the window and went in with his ‘Plan B’, the double shoulder grab, another classic, and brought her to face him. She covered her face with her hands, a crown of curls shielding her.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. C’mon now I thought you said you weren’t a kid.” He said with a light shake to her shoulders.

Logan was regretting staying and trying to be supportive. Cursing himself for not minding his own business. He wondered if staying at the school so often had made him softer. Until he realized the muffled noises he was hearing weren’t sobs but muffled laughter. Now, it was his turn to be embarrassed, and he was usually shameless.

He reacted with a light shove of annoyance, causing her to shake with even more suppressed laughter.

“Alright, alright! Really little girl, aren’t you supposed to be a teacher?”

Her giggling stopped as she gave him a judgmental look.

“Point made.” Logan said with a toothy grin.

“Now let’s get you to where you’ll be staying, you crybaby.”

Logan couldn’t believe she’d gotten him with something so simple. The last thing he’d imagined was that she’d mess with him when she’d barely known him. But it wasn’t unwelcomed when so many here walked eggshells around him like he’d slice them in half if they looked in his direction. Logan knew he had a temper, but he wasn’t some wild animal. Yes, he annoyed easily and preferred to be left alone but he didn’t bite unless provoked. The kids, outside of Rogue, didn’t really approach him even if she did so freely. And with his teammates sometimes it felt as if they just tolerated him because the professor wanted him there. Logan couldn’t confidently say what others thought of him because he ultimately did not care. He did as he pleased and however others felt about it was their problem.

He made to flee the scene as she enjoyed herself at his expense. But wanted to ensure that he could at least get the last laugh.

“Oh, and before I forget. Your nose is running.” He said over his shoulder, as he passed her on the way out the door.

With the sound of an alarmed gasp and the furious rustling of fabric behind him, Logan left the room with a laugh of triumph. The girl was fun all right, and he no longer found the idea of watching over her as bothersome as he initially believed it would be.

---

Midnight had long since passed but Serena’s mind was active despite her exhaustion. She’d made herself thoroughly comfortable since being shown to her room. As soon as she was alone, she’d locked her door and checked the entire room for anything that looked off. Recently dusted surfaces, fresh linens, and miniature toiletries were all she found. But she had almost cried when she found a personal bathroom waiting for her. Living out of her van had gotten her used to truck stops and gas station showers. When money was right, a couple days in a motel. They got the job done, and she was thankful for them, but it wasn’t a personal bathroom. She finally had a little space she could make her own. Her own space to feel clean and to keep clean. To fill with anything her heart desired, now that she’d have a steady stream of income. Whether it would last, Serena decided she’d make the most of it while it was hers.

She’d stayed in the bath long after her fingers pruned. Then spent the rest of her evening watching the sunset through the bay window in her room. Watched until the sherbet colors faded and made way for the sparkling midnight sky. She’d even gotten into bed wearing the soft cotton pajamas they’d left out on the bed for her and waited for sleep to come but it never did. Her mind was active with her new reality and all that she’d seen. She wondered when the last time she slept in an actual bed and not a shoddy cot in the back of her van was. It was a question she knew the answer to but didn’t want to think too hard about. At least not for tonight. It was supposed to be a happy day for her. The answer to unspoken prayers that had gone unanswered throughout the years. The most proper job she’d ever had, and for as much as she knew, it was safe. No seedy characters or shady jobs that had no problem hiring someone who didn’t speak and had no traceable background for dangerous jobs. No longer having to risk her life just to live another day. She felt she should celebrate, but she wanted to curl up into a ball and cry instead.

The feeling of anxiety had made itself comfortable under her skin. She could only continue to question and ask herself if she truly was safe. Dozens of unknown mutants surrounded her, and she questioned if she was living with a false sense of security. Serena wondered if she should have felt a sense of camaraderie now that she was around on her own but the familiar feeling of loneliness persisted. It gnawed at her, deep within her bones. Fear and loneliness had been constant companions to her over the years. She’d kept to herself and didn’t get close to anyone. She didn’t ask questions and minded her business. Took her pay and never spoke of it to anyone. The position she found herself in didn’t allow her to get close to anyone for long before she was gone again. Off to find the next town where no one knew or cared to know her. Anyone who had, most likely thought she was dead or was dead. The hope she felt in her heart this evening was a stark contrast to what she’d felt at the front gates of the academy this morning. And yet, a deep dark part of her felt that a monster like her didn’t deserve any of it. She’d suffered for a reason. That she was a killer, a murderer, and one that didn’t deserve to live.

It was more than she could have asked for and the last thing she expected the night Charles Xavier appeared outside her van, hidden in the corner of an abandoned parking lot. He offered her an opportunity and a future. A chance to lie down roots without the threat of having to leave after a few months. Told her they had room for her and even a job. She initially became angry and thought him one of those religious posing scammers. The ones that promised help to the homeless then spirited them away never to be seen again. She’d been on the streets long enough to know all the tricks and was thankful for those who pitied the young girl she was. Enough to warn her of the dangers. But they hadn’t warned her about people who could show you what dreams looked like. He was a mutant like she was and there were more just like them living here. Told her how they routinely found others just like her. Showed her the things he could do, and she believed maybe he could protect her from what chased her. Then he’d looked into her and told her what he knew. She thought that her time had come, and the reaper wore a well-tailored suit. But he wasn’t her reaper, nor did he pass judgement on her. He even tried to comfort her, but it didn’t matter to her because no matter what he said, she’d damned herself and there was nothing he could do to convince her otherwise. Eventually, she’d realized he had no need for her past except for one of her buried passions, and that was music. By that point in their conversation, she knew that there was nothing she could hide from him, and she would be a fool to turn down his offer. Serena, a teacher. She couldn’t have ever planned this for herself and a music teacher at that! She’d ask herself what she’d done to deserve this but maybe it was just a reprieve from her suffering, and she prayed to anyone that’d listen that she hoped she’d paid the price for her mistakes. That this was forgiveness from something bigger than her when she couldn’t forgive herself. Next thing she’d known she’d booked the first flight out of the town she was in, courtesy of Charles Xavier.

Though the negative emotions plagued her, a small seed of hope grew. Maybe this time she could find some peace and community. There were times she felt childish that she still craved connection at her age. Even when she’d seen the hurt and pain it could bring, she still craved it. When she saw the children, she felt a part of her that was envious. The ones that were found soon enough, unlike her, but she didn’t want those feelings to feed into something unhealthy. She knew the what ifs would haunt her and did her best not to let her mind wander down that road since there was nothing waiting for her there. But what she could do was be thankful that she was here now. Serena didn’t want to sour this for herself more than she already had, and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d cried so much. It felt as if she’d been living in a perpetual state of limbo for years and had finally broken free. As if she’d held her breath for so long and now that she exhaled, she couldn’t stop gasping for air. She was tired of shedding tears so she racked her brain for something else to distract her and the something that invaded her thoughts was Logan. Now that was certainly a distraction.

Irritating. Is what she would call him. Serena saw him as a headstrong bully. Where she craved peace, he craved chaos, and she believed a part of him knew it too. She knew his type and usually avoided them but here she didn’t have to tolerate the bullying. Logan seemed to be mostly tame, otherwise she couldn’t imagine Professor Xavier allowing him to be here. So, she felt a little bolder when defending herself. His tactics were childish and harmless, mostly. Between his name calling and attempts to embarrass her she felt confident enough to push back, believing that no actual harm would come to her. If she’d met him in the back alleys, she used to scurry around, she would have never even crossed his path. But this was a new life and a new opportunity, why couldn’t she be more than what she was. Maybe even what she once was... and it felt a bit liberating. Despite his image and crude mannerisms, he had shown her he could be gentle even if unpolished. Any time he’d touched her or grabbed her she’d expected rough carelessness, but it was quite the opposite. His holds and touches were mindful. As if he was always aware of how much pressure he applied. And when she’d break contact, she didn’t have to provide much resistance. Serena was used to rough treatment and carelessness of her person but usually there wasn’t much she could do but accept it. She even appreciated his gentleness when he tried to comfort her earlier. From the moment she’d entered the classroom, reality hit her like a train. She hadn’t seen let alone touched an instrument in years, yet it would now be her job. A classroom that she has ownership and responsibility over. And the children that lived as freely as they could in this pocket of what seemed like heaven to her, would be her students. She hadn’t noticed the tears that fell from her eyes until she felt a hand on her shoulder. That one was heavy with intent and when she’d looked at him, he’d avoided her gaze, discomfort plain on his face. She’d given him an appreciative smile, but he’d kept his gaze averted. As he kept vigil, his strong features stood out in his profile and were enticing, but he was trouble if Serena ever saw it. And though she’d fallen asleep that night vowing to stay away from it, trouble always had a way of finding its way back into her life.

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namii-88 · 1 month ago

Text

boboiboy galaxy au

pairings: elements x reader

TW: none

summary: having an attractive best friend/crush is not for the weak.

(a/n: hello! I'm back! I've been trying to find the motivation write fics for these past two years but I've either been busy or too lazy. I have so many ideas and hopefully I can share them with you guys. Anyways, I haven't proofread this yet and wrote this at like 2 am so I hope you guys enjoy!)

Obnoxious laughs, teasing smiles, and hushed whispers. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the girls seated next to your table were interested in Boboiboy—well, Boboiboys. Tok Aba thought that by having all five of his elements, excluding Solar and Blaze, work together as waiters could result in less work for himself and attract more customers. Well, he's not wrong; each one of them has a certain appeal that is evident even with their tier 1 forms.

It doesn't take much for that face to charm anyone.

It hasn't even been 20 minutes, and they've managed to garner a crowd of people, mostly consisting of teenage girls. Yaya, Ying, and I were lucky to have been here before the store opened, so we didn't have much trouble finding a table.

A scoff almost escapes my lips when I see a girl try to touch Gempa's arm. Causing him to pull away immediately and let out an awkward laugh. I don't usually consider myself a jealous person, especially since I don't have the right to be jealous in the first place, but I can't help but get pissed off seeing my friends uncomfortable.

I let my gaze wander to see how the other elements were dealing with the situation.

The usually stoic Halilintar still had that brooding expression that tells you to 'piss off' without him having to say anything. Just a single glare from him can scare off anyone, maybe excluding Gempa. If Halilintar felt uncomfortable, he hid it really well. Any comment unrelated to food or his service will be met with a "Did I ask?" or will just be ignored completely. Even with his cold demeanor, he seems to have the most girls fawning over him.

You knew that having a famous best friend slash crush wouldn’t be easy. The heavy feeling in your gut wouldn’t go away, though.

Before he could meet your gaze, a chorus of high-pitched laughter gets your attention that can be heard from the table behind you. You turn around to what seems to be a group of cheerleaders laughing at whatever Taufan said. He laughed awkwardly and said, "That wasn't a joke?"

His comment was only met with giggles and comments about how funny and cute he was. He thanked them, but you can tell that he is growing more annoyed with their lack of proper responses. It took him 15 minutes to just get their orders and another 5 minutes more to finally leave their table. He sighed in relief and tiredly walked back to the area Tok Aba was in, but not before looking at your table.

You met his gaze and gave him a smile and an encouraging thumbs-up, which seemed to lift up his spirits as he straightened his back and happily skipped to where he was headed.

You chuckle at the adorable display as you turn back to see how Ais and Duri were doing.

"-that's probably why she was so upset. Right, y/n?"

"Y/n?"

"Helloo? Earth to Y/n?"

"Y/N!" You flinched harshly as Ying shouted in your ear, slamming the table down harshly in surprise. You wince and cover your ears. "Ow, what was that for?" Yaya sighs and gives you a look, "We've been calling for your attention for a while now."

You gave them a sheepish smile. "Really? My bad, my mind was occupied with… other stuff." Ying, who was sitting next to you, hums, "By stuff, you mean Boboiboy, right?" Yaya gives you a teasing smile as she takes a bite of her chocolate cake. You feel your cheeks getting warmer. "I don't know what you mean." You avoid their gaze by taking a sip of your hot chocolate.

"Come on, Y/n! Don't think we haven't noticed you staring at him—I mean them—this entire time. It looked like you were ready to pounce on the girls when they got too close," Ying points out, “or laughed too loudly,” Yaya added. Yaya gives you glances while occasionally stirring her hot chocolate, "Anyone could tell that you're jealous."

"I—wha—I am not! I don't—," your lips press into a line before continuing. "As his… friend, I'm only annoyed with how uncomfortable they're getting, especially since it's interfering with their work," you try to reason with them, but it feels as though you were also trying to convince yourself. Ying slowly nods, but a suspicious look still lingers on her face. "Right..." Yaya chuckles and adds, "If that's what you say, Y/n!"

You nod, grateful that they dropped the conversation quickly and grabbed the cup of your hot chocolate, but before you could take a sip, a weight was suddenly pressed against your back and arms wrapped around your neck. You almost dropped your cup in surprise but managed to slam it down on the table. You already knew who it was even without looking. "Ais! What are you doing?"

"Recharging..." he mumbles, his face resting on top of your head. You haven't had the time to see how he's been doing, and you can guess what he went through based on the others' experiences. Especially with his lazy personality, he must’ve had it worse than the others.

You wonder why Blaze and Solar didn’t work instead of him but realize that someone might get burned by the end of the day if Blaze got too annoyed and Solar’s ego—which is already big enough—will inflate with all the attention.

You feel Ais’ arms hug you tighter. Hugs weren’t rare between you two, especially in moments when Ais is especially tired, but you don’t usually do it in public. You can feel people staring at you two, but it somehow didn’t bother you. You sigh but make no effort to remove him. "Did you have to surprise me in the process?" He chuckles quietly in response.

Gempa’s voice was suddenly heard in the background, “Ais! Stop slacking off and bothering Y/n!”

“Yeah! Besides, if we have the choice, we’d rather hang out with her. It’s no fair if you’ll have her all to yourself,” Duri suddenly appeared beside you with a pout on his face. He was sitting on the floor peeking on top of the table. You chuckle, “Hi Duri, how’s work?” The pout on his face seemed to get deeper as he dramatically sighed, “Tiring. I’d rather choose serving old people than annoying teenage girls.”

You could almost laugh at that; you knew that it was rude, but it made you feel better.

You hold your laugh back and tried to put on a serious expression. “Duri, that’s a rude thing to say,” you scold. “Hmm? Is it really?” His pout disappears and gives you a cheeky smile. “I can see you trying to hide your smile, N/n!” he points at the growing smile on your face. “I don’t care if it's rude as long as you find it funny,” he giggles as you sigh in acceptance. You’d normally not enable his bad behavior, but you’ll let it pass just this once.

The weight on your shoulders suddenly disappears; startled, you look behind you. You see Ais getting pulled back by the collar of his clothes by Halilintar. Ais looked half asleep and subtly annoyed by the sudden interruption of his ‘recharging.’

“Go back to work,” Halilintar instructs Ais and drops him. “You too, Duri. Both of you stop bothering Y/n.” He gives you a glance, his face slightly softening before turning to leave and go back to work.

Ais lets out a quick yawn and gives you a small wave before begrudgingly going back to work. Duri stands up straight and gives you a hug from the side, rubbing his cheek on yours. He leaned in to whisper, “Don’t get too jealous, N/n, you know that you’ll always be our favorite.” He gives you a peck on the cheek before pulling away and going back to work.

You didn’t even have the time to process what he said before you remembered that Ying and Yaya were with you. “Just friends, huh?” Ying snickers, “That blush says otherwise, N/n,” Yaya teases while smiling coyly. You covered your face with your hands, “This doesn’t mean anything!”

Yaya and Ying laughed, “If it makes you feel any better,” Yaya leaned in closer as if telling a secret, “the girls around us got really annoyed when they were giving you attention.” You feel slightly better hearing that.

You honestly forgot you were jealous in the first place when Ais and Duri personally came to your table and talked to you. You probably shouldn't think too much of it but you felt touched that they always managed to consider you. Your face heats up again remembering Duri’s words.

Their favorite, huh?

Word Count: 1,464

#boboiboy #boboiboy x reader #boboiboy elementals

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enjoythesilentworld · 6 months ago

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2024 fandom review!

thank u for the tag @willesredlights sorry it took me literally ages to get to it

lets pretend we're not almost two weeks into the new year ok? and what a year it has been. holy shit.

~ Fics written ~

I'll be honest I did go a little batshit crazy this past year. 314k words across 19 published works, plus god knows how much more unpublished on tumblr. listen, I was deep in the ??? phase of my master's (still am, lets be honest) and desperately looking for a new creative outlet. I've always been a writer, always loved dreaming up stories, but I have never quite connected to a universe as much as I have to this one. I resonate with so many of the characters, and i just feel like there is so much room to play and explore. i will continue to add in old people OCs to my fics wherever and whenever i get the chance.

First fic: for the tree's sake (M, 48k) aka tree boys inspired by the trip that eventually led to my discover of young royals in late '23, and my darling baby. yes, that airplane ride that seems weird and random is based on truth!

Fav fic: just if for a minute (T, 53k) aka fake married idiots i greatly enjoyed making Wille suffer for just under 53k. that confrontation scene took days off my life and yet i am so proud of how it turned out.

Honorary mention to Growing towards the light, which was a dream to work on and create with my dear sweet friend Lia. there is one braincell between the two of us and it's full of nature facts and dick jokes. and beautiful stories about getting lost in the wilderness and finding yourself along the way. and tent-dick jokes.

Last fic: Wille på Hyllan (T, 13k) aka christmas shenanigans! another collab with my dearest friends which was hilarious to write and so silly and imo an example of one of the greatest perks of being in a fandom: meeting some of the most incredible people ever. also, dick-lights and dick-tomtar and dick-cookies. what more could you want?

~ Fics Read ~

if i tried to go through my history and tell you how many fics i read this year i would never make this post. i'd be here counting and trying to copy links forever. i read hundreds of fics. i enjoyed all of them, thoroughly. i got a lot better at leaving comments (sometimes). i was consistently and repeatedly blown away by the genius brains we have in this little Swedish corner of the internet.

if you are a writer i love you and i give u a kiss on the forehead.

also: i recently made a lil rec list here.

~ Other Stuff? ~

i had two big, busy months this year. three? : May, Wille's month & July, Simon's month i cannot believe i wrote 62 stories in 62 different universes (give or take a few). that's kind of stupid! but oh my god it was so fun!! some of my favs: -> Food, where Wille and Simon meet and embark on a mistakenly booked couples food tour in Barcelona -> Fashion/Style, aka the Met Gala AU aka the thing that turned into something so much bigger than i could have ever imagined. literally i thought people were gonna hate it. so, thank u for not hating it. and for letting it become 15k+ of pwp. -> Secret, friends to lovers RAHHHHHH -> Home (Improvement), aka grumpy home renovator Simon idk i just feel like this should become a full-blown fic one day

and oh boy who can forget about Kinktober from wax kinks in 17th century Italy to desperate love confession in the middle of wildfires to... whatever that was in the confessional (idk, that's between them and God).

2024...

I did some painting: x x I wrote some real weird lil ficlets: x x and I met dozens of incredible people. thank u for liking my stupid rambling posts from 3am and my silly little ficlets and for reading my stories and telling me about your stories and saving me from the Frankfurt airport and yelling with me about stuff thats definitely not in the Bible and sharing your time and space and art and care.

@bigalockwood @hergrandplan @gulliblelemon @saynomorefic @pagegirlintraining @skibasyndrome @sobadbad @impossibleknots @piebingo @theaviatorthatcouldnotfly @misfithive @sillylittleflower @zee-has-commitment-issues @purplehoodiesandclementines @justfriendsbestthings

giving u a big hug. and! this is by no means an exhaustive list. if ur reading this we are bffs. send me a message ok? ok. y'all keep me sane and happy and i am so grateful for you! live love wilmon

#i hate vulnerability but i had to tell yall how much u mean to me #and wow what a year it has been #all laid out like this its crazy #300k+ and no plans on stoppin 😎#you can pry my laptop from my cold dead hands #yr fandom review #jay reflects???#nosy hours

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iamnmbr3 · 2 months ago

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not really into hp, i followed you for something different years ago, but i'm sorry about the hate you get for being in the hp fandom. honestly i think those sorts of asks you get actually demonstrate really well a general problem we see on the internet. bc social media was originally for interacting with friends & people of similar interests, but for the past like 10 years (at least, idk i'm gen z & it was like 10 years ago that i really started being on the internet but it's entirely possible that this was happening before that) there's also been a big push for social activism on the internet. which is fine, it's a great way to spread information. but somehow people have blended using social media for activism and for entertainment to the point that people nowadays think you can use fandom for activism (which...you can't. shipping mlm or whatever isn't activism). which has caused a lot of problems bc they also combine this with purity culture in many ways (you can't ship x bc it's bad, if you like this movie you're a fascist sympathizer, x book from the '70's is bad bc of outdated language despite that it was groundbreaking for the time, all classics are bad bc they were written by white men hundreds of years ago, etc).

idk, i don't understand why ppl are so against the hp fandom. obviously jkr is horrible. but i havent seen a single hp fan on tumblr that's been pro-jkr. & i've seen tons of trans and otherwise queer people that are still in the fandom, as well as people from other minorities she's said horrible things about. but it feels like people are more focused on hating jkr than supporting trans people (which is actually is a criticism i have in many different things) & that extends to hating anything remotely hp related including random people. & if it's really that big of a concern, people should block the tag. if it's going to upset you, block it. it's not that hard. i block so much random stuff just bc i find it annoying (ie the met gala).

but, yeah, random person on tumblr talking about hp isn't going to hurt anyone or give jkr money. you already have the books (& movies if you care about them) probably since before jkr was the way she is. no more money spent. & honestly as long as you don't give jkr money nothing anyone on tumblr does is going to help her. i'd say that most people can't do anything on social media that'll help jkr. like unless you're an influencer on tiktok & promoting it & not openly anti-jkr, you're probably not helping jkr at all. (also random side note bc i like browsing at thrift stores, if anyone wants anything hp related i've seen a ton of hp shirts, books, etc at thrift stores lately. like i said i'm gen z so my parents have the books but i don't. i will thrift them someday if i ever decide i want them).

but i do find it concerning that people think they can tell a hp fan that they are supporting transphobia but they probably do nothing to help trans people. when really the best way to combat jkr is not to attack harry potter but to attack transphobia by donating to relevant causes, protesting, etc. especially if you live in the uk due to current events.

also side note i see lots of people saying "harry potter was always bad all along." i'm sorry but the amount of money jkr made in such a short amount of time and the massive affect hp had on pop culture is proof against that. or did people forget that every other fandom has hundreds of fics that are hogwarts aus. & i've started to see the same thing happen with neil gaiman's stuff. which first off i doubt jkr even really thought about trans people when she wrote the books, the books were written during a time when queer rights weren't that good & the average person never even thought about queer people. it's not a manifesto as much as she wants to say it is today, it was just a story. a story that was written fairly well. it has its flaws, but nothing's perfect. i don't think we should retroactively say hp is the worst series ever just bc jkr sucks. same with gaiman. bc that's just purity culture wrapped up in supposed wokeness. "my pure books written by my pure author." listen, jkr's bigotry doesn't make her books badly written.

sorry for the kinda confusing rant, i'm not focusing very well rn lol so it's kinda all over the place. but sorry about this crap. & i hope that people will start actually trying to do something to help queers instead of sending anons to random fandom blogs.

So many great insights here! Thanks for sharing. I agree completely. I like Shakespeare. It doesn't mean I think that we should go back to the way society was in the 1600s. Also, liking something "pure" doesn't make you a good person. You have to actually do the work of being a good person. No shortcuts. Also thank you for the kind words! So nice of you to send words of support along with your interesting well articulated thoughts!

#And thanks for sticking around lol. I'm curious what you originally followed me for.#asks #fandom #Harry Potter

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k-fic-collection · 1 month ago

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Author Appreciations T-1

To celebrate The K-Fic Collection’s one year anniversary, we decided that we’d host an Author Appreciation Event!

What that means, is that for the past couple of weeks, we had a form and our asks open for people to anonymously send notes of love and appreciation for k-pop authors on Tumblr.

We received many notes and fic recommendations from many lovely people, and as promised we’ve compiled them into several posts based on alphabetical order.

We hope you enjoy reading the lovely notes and fics recommended below!

Appreciations for @wheeboo

“rania!!!! i think she has this way of creating moments within her stories that just feel so comforting, like a little escape to something soft. their work holds some of the most butterfly-inducing moments, down to tiny details that not everyone thinks of -- but rania does, and it's very much like a ribbon tying it all together.”

“Wheeboo has a lot of fics that have brought so much comfort to me. they also do a great job in writing stories that have very unique characters it's almost like I am in it too. They're also very relatable and I've seen them interact with people in their inbox with a lot of happiness and joy. They are a very lovely and talented writer!”

Recommended works by wheeboo

Catnaps

tell me that you love me

“I think this is my favorite story of theirs. the concept is written very well and has the good amount of romance, angst, and comfort. I esp love how they wrote joshua and the other characters in the story, and there's so many pretty quotes from here and the descriptions are wonderful. it's a very beautiful story :)”

Love

“Another good comfort story they have written. Wheeboo did a great job in writing what love is in the different love languages and especially with my bias from svt Wonwoo! He's a perfect fit for this concept and it just brings me so much comfort how reassuring this fic. I love to reread it from time to time”

paging dr. heartthrob

“I love this fic too. it does a great job in showing what burnout feels like and I am so in love with the tropes used. All the characters don't feel like side characters but they all play a different part in the story. i think wheeboo does a really great job at writing best friends to lovers stories and i'm all for it”

Appreciations for @wonustars

“Your fics are just so good, I have binged read a few already and I'm just so in love. I was sad that you won't be continuing writing here in Tumblr but I hope you had a good time while you were here. Thank you for writing”

Appreciations for @yoongihan

“Thea is such an unbelievably kind friend and a wonderful author! She is such a safe space when it comes to looking for advice about writing, and not to mention, her fics are so well done in terms of characterization. She truly embodies what it means to be an author, not just a writer in her work 💙”

Recommended works by yoongihan

Happenstance

“This fic feels like magic — it had me wishing I could run away to Scotland and have a meet cute of my own.”

Rebound

“It takes a special fic to give me a whole new ult bias and this fic did that for me!”

We're Friends

“This is one of the best (if not the best) Jeongin stories on tumblr!”

Appreciations for @yoonia

“I have been following Dia for years and devour everything she's written. Every genre and every AU that she writes is incredible and I enjoy her wide variety of fics, plus being able to write so many different tropes is such a skill. As a writer myself, it's so impressive and I think it's an honor to know her and to be able to read her works.”

“The Queen!!! Wonderful fics, every single one of them!!”

“Dia is truly a magician! I don’t know how she does it, but I’m truly just in awe of and so inspired by her ability to write. The attention and care she puts into world-building is second to none, and she always has the best and most encouraging tips for when you’re stuck with writing!”

Recommended works by yoonia

Carousel

“Carousel has been my all time favorite fanfic - across all fandoms - ever since I started reading it back when there were only 4 chapters released at the time. I come back to this whenever I need a pick-me-up as it's a comfort fanfic and I just love the way Dia writes. I can truly put myself into the story and lose myself for hours.”

Of Bears and Bonds

“I would sell my entire soul to see Of Bears and Bonds adapted to the big screen, it’s that good!”

Appreciations for @100vern

“An EXCEPTIONALLY talented writer and the only fanfic writer to EVER make me genuinely weep like a baby.”

“i think there’s beautiful rhythm to how jewel writes that pulls you in and doesn’t let go. it feels natural, effortless and just generally has you hooked the whole way through”

Recommended works by 100vern

a word from our sponsors

by the time i've figured out what it's worth

she, by proxy

Thank you to everyone who sent in notes. We’re really happy that you participated in this event and helped us to show appreciation for some of the wonderful writers of k-pop Tumblr!

Appreciation compilation posts: A-C. D-E. F-G. H. I-L. M. N-R. S. T-1.

Run and created by Head Librarian Chee and Head Librarian JiJi. Updated: 13/06/2025.

#Author Appreciation Event compilation post for T-1

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wetcatspellcaster · 6 months ago

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2024 fic wrapped

I was tagged by @cursedhaglette to do this tag-game, but I found the focus on stats made me a little uncomfortable! (also, no one needs to know how many words I wrote while having multiple breakdowns last year, truly).

But, I didn't want to ignore Mia's tag! so instead, I'm going to take @cinnamontails-ff wrapped tag-game, just bc I sympathise with the logic and I like this set of questions a lot more!

Thank you Cin for coming up with questions that don't focus so much on productivity. And thank you again, Mia, for including me in the original game :) hopefully this is an acceptable substitute!

What's been your biggest learning point this past year?

I guess, what it feels like to be a 'popular' author - and the answer is, 'both good and bad, in fact, extremely mixed'. Obviously, many parts of it are wonderful: more people interacted with my work in the height of the BG3 fandom than I've ever had before, I felt like my writing mattered and I enjoyed every conversation I had about it. I also felt under a lot more scrutiny, very hyperaware of how I acted in 'public' (ie. on this blog), and aware of the people I'd disappoint with the directions I took my stories and what I chose to include. I also had to watch the baffling half-life of modern fandom! BG3's 6 month peak and 1yr trough was wild to me, as someone who joined dragon age 8yrs after the game was released. But I've decided I actually really like the middle-road of interaction, with much less noise and dedicated, recurring readers who I recognise and who make me smile and laugh every single time they comment or tag my work. I'll probably never experience whatever the fuck Pieces was ever again, and I'm honestly... ok with that, currently? Not to sound awful, but I'm not sure I liked it lmao.

In terms of my writing, my biggest learning point was "you're good at this, actually". Chanting this to myself in the mirror while I white-knuckle the sink.

How has your writing developed this past year?

I'm genuinely not certain. Pieces was certainly my most ambitious story yet, but a lot of the outlining of that took place in 2023 so it feels like the development happened then... though I suppose landing the dismount was something I worked very hard to do. I guess the main development this year was that a lot of what I wrote was extremely, extremely angsty. I wrote Pieces, I wrote This Is Not A Love Story. and I gave Rosalie to Orin :))))) this doesn't necessarily surprise me, given the way my writing often reflects things I'm dealing with in my life, and I've been trying to both recover from - and desparately stave off a relapse into - depression. I think that I can see why I keep making characters into the worst versions of themselves (this goes for Astarion, Rosalie - bc Pieces Rosalie is NOT in a good place, Gale and my Durge) and then watching them claw their way back to happiness in the hope of proving to myself that that's possible.

But jfc, it all got a little heavy. I've decided that 2025 is the Year of the Rom Com™.

Good writing habits?

Committing myself exclusively to what I want to read and sticking to my guns - which means I actually finish the thing, rather than getting into my own head about it.

Stretching my comfort zone a little (writing something vaguely smutty, writing something very different in style, switching genres for a bit) without losing my own voice.

Not falling into any jealousy/existential crises about my own writing, which I guess is much easier when you're experiencing a bout of 'success', but I've managed to keep it up even after the success began tailing off :)

I wrote a lot of words last year. I'm not putting the stat down but god. It was a lot.

Bad writing habits?

Overwriting everything. Everything. All the time. Party Favours was so short!!! I used to write novellas!!! Why are my chapters so fucking long now?????

Having multiple fic wips when I promised myself I'd wind down fanfic and start writing original work again :')

I wrote a lot of words last year. I think I did this bc I was extremely unhappy, and productivity is how I define myself. when I feel bad, I write and post bc it makes me feel good. And I felt very bad this year. So anyway, I think my wordcount is both a good thing and also a wee cry for help :'))))

Favorite thing you wrote?

Chapter Twenty-Three of Pieces (Mephistopheles consultation and my Ascended!Astarion meta-reveal)

Chapter Four of Cooler Than Me (putting the blorbos in a formal-wear situation)

I also liked my sex scene in Pieces :') it was tame but it was written for me specifically x

Favorite reads?

for fic!

long summer days can lead to lazy vices by @pouroverpaloma

eyes like fire by demonsbanebard

only once by @bearhugsandshrugs

and of course stitched into your sleeve by the bestie (@violacae)!!! my first ever gift fic!!!

for literature!

The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by HG Parry

Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan

Deeplight by Frances Hardinge

Biggest win?

god. I'm endlessly grateful for my gift fic and for my fanart, but... it's got to be bookbindings. I used to daydream, about somebody ever wanting to have my fic bound, but I thought it was impossible and would never happen! I now know of 3 copies of my work that exist in the world :D and the ones I've seen were fucking gorgeous, like oh my fucking god.

I am also very proud I finished Pieces! It was my most ambitious project, and writing the ending presented even more challenges than I expected - as I discovered how much you write yourself into a corner when you resoul Astarion. I still haven't managed to read the completed work in full yet, but I'm proud it exists :)

Goals for the new year?

finish outstanding wips, and then see where my writing takes me next. I want to write original work, but I also don't want to make it a resolution. As long as I continue to enjoy writing, that's what matters most to me!

Your favorite words of the year, aka the words you check each chapter for, making sure you didn't repeat them 788 times?

I think I use '[x character] froze' a lot, but rather than focusing on my repetitions I want to focus on some of my favourite turns of phrase that I managed to pull from the ether! :)

'before her brief courtship with death threatened to become a commitment' - from the risk and the reward

'We can all still be butchered. We cut away the parts of ourselves to make us fit' - from this is a love story.

"He played an androgynous, morally-grey vampire, of indeterminate gender! In a nice coat! Anyone who had two working eyes and a relevant Kinsey Score read the porn, back in the day!” - from cooler than me

What are you excited for in the new year?

act 3 astarion characterisation for honest lie! the first big romance moment in cooler than me! and then just romcoms! 2025 is the year of the romcom! I want to write exclusively happy things!!!!

tagging: @cursedhaglette (as it's a different set of questions lmao), @imscissorbladez, @violacae, @eraserspiral, @scaryanneee, @sitting-in-the-sink, @pricemarshfield, @pouroverpaloma and anyone else who wants to give this a whirl. anyone is welcome, and if you tag me in it I'll share x

#tags #tag games #fic wrapped 2024 #my writing

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skibasyndrome · 3 months ago

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writing tag game!

first off thank you sooooo so so so so much to @hergrandplan, @lollygirlpops, @filmspring, @enjoythesilentworld, @caramelpenguin, @iwouldnevergetintofanfic & @gulliblelemon for tagging me, love you guys 💜💜💜 and so sorry for being so late to the party!

1.How many works do you have on AO3?

43! 38 of those are YR fics, the rest are from a former fandom

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

232,639 words. which is... okay? I suppose? I always feel like I'm way too slow of a writer and like my tendency to only write oneshots and not multi-chaptered fics is something that I need to address some day, but tbh I'm pleasantly surprised that I had all these words in me! and that sometimes I write 15k that's just a single blowjob lol

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Young Royals, babyyyyy! I'm very one-track-minded when it comes to fandoms, I'm usually only interested in one thing at the time, and for the past one and half-ish years that's been my beloved yr <3

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

You crave the Applause / Yet hate the Attention my beautiful, wonderful one-time-I-tried-to-write-a-multichapter-fic-and-it worked-out <3 I really think this is sitting this high up because there are multiple parts to it (and maybe because it was one of the first fics i posted, back in 2023)

Lavender Haze strangers to club hookup wilmon, my beloved <3 I posted this a few days before s3 aired and it feels like it was the end of an era almost. I love that I still sometimes get comments on this one!

All this shit is new to me AKA pt. of Lavender Haze. Again, I think the multi-chaptered-ness is really helping this one. and I promise some day I will actually manage to finish this fic!!! and if it's the last thing i do!!!

Flash The Camera, You're A Star! co-written with @pagegirlintraining and we still wonder how this one hit the way it hit lmao. but good for cameraman Wille, that silly, silly fool <3

I've never met arms like yours hehehehehe, kinktober '24's bestseller, AKA snuggly cuddly cockwarming wilmon. honestly? I Get It (TM)

5. Do you respond to comments?

So 😭😭😭 at what point of being delayed will I have to reply to this with "no"??? 😭😭😭 see the thing is... I really want to and I still very much plan on replying to the lovely comments I've gotten during the past few months, but every time I sit down and want to start, everything I have to say feels very inadequate 🥲 which is super ridiculous, but idk, so many of those comments mean so much to me, and I want to take the time to reply in a way that's worthy of the comment and then. I don't 🥲 So I guess the answer has to be "no" for now, even though it really pains me. But I leave them all as marked unread so that one day I can go back and finally try to put into words how much they mean to me <3

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

If I'm allowed to include my little tumblr ficlets into the ranking then it's DEFINITELY this one over here

If ficlets don't count: I don't think there's one that's veeeery angsty? Sharpen your teeth, sink into me has an overall angstier tone and a sense of desperation to it that isn't necessarily resolved (also because I see it as a little peek into a fic universe I have yet to write more of), and Maybe I could hold you in the dark has a similarly open ending (and used to be a ficlet, so maybe that's that). For someone who enjoys angst so much I reeeaaaally don't write enough of it I'm afraid. Need to remember to write more angst!!!

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

Everything else? 😅 I think most of my fics exist as these tiny windows into wilmon's relationship that's either just starting or firmly established, so there's almost always a sense of "these two have got it. they'll be fine" when we leave them. One that maybe feels particularly happy and "we can leave them here, they'll be fine" is Kyss mig med dina röda läppar.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not really. I've had a weird anon message here and there from time to time, but nothing too serious.

9. Do you write smut?

I think the right question to ask would be whether I write anything that isn't smut at this point 😅 I mean that's definitely hyperbole and I do have the occasional t-rating peeking through, but I really think I've found my niche as a mostly-smut writer. It's just what I'm most comfortable with and what comes easiest to me, funnily enough. There's something about writing that physical aspect of their relationship and the different ways this can look, depending on their circumstances, that is very compelling and beautiful to me and I love that, so far, people seemingly haven't gotten sick of my writing about it yet. Because that's definitely one of my fears, that I'm being too repetitive and that nobody will want to read the 40th smut oneshot written by me. But... idk. I'd like to believe that I try to make every single one somewhat unique and interesting <3

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

I don't! I think the reason might be that I'm always only interested in one fandom at the time? But idk, crossovers aren't something I read most of the time either tbh, I'm just happy with my blorbos having their own universe.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Waaaaay back in the early days, I think it happened twice or three times maybe that someone copied my fic and reposted it claiming it was theirs. I only found out because people messaged me about it, and I thiiiink some of them are still up actually, but this was only on tumblr, so I doubt anyone would find either of our posts these days.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I've had a couple of requests (and told them yes), but I haven't seen any of the results. That seems to be a bit of a common experience from the answers other people gave, haha.

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

Yesssss, I could eat that boy for lunch was co-written by @pagegirlintraining, @iwouldnevergetintofanfic and me, Flash The Camera, You're A Star! i wrote with @pagegirlintraining and Birthday Boys with @iwouldnevergetintofanfic.

@hergrandplan and I also have a very rough idea of a fic we want to write some day when we have time that I am veeeery much looking forward to working on 👀

And, I know that's not the question, but overall I think many of my fics thrive from me talking to other people about them. I love throwing around ideas with people and yelling about scenarios or concepts and a good number of my fics wouldn't exist if I hadn't had a friend to talk about them with <3 aaand there are certain fic outlines that only exist in my chats with some dear friends. so shoutout to the besties who listen to my ideas and shot ideas back and encourage the brainrot, ily <3

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

Why would this question come into MY HOME and attack me like that??? jk jk jk.

I actually really, really hope to finish all the unfinished WIPs I still have out there, partially published. I don't like the idea of abandoning them and I also kind of want to prove to myself that I can stick with things, because while I do mostly post oneshots I reeeeeally want to write a couple of multi-chaptered fics in the future. And I can't trust myself to do that if I abandon my other fics.

15. What are your writing strengths?

Taking a character and really picking apart their psyche hehe <3 I loooooove introspective stories, I love getting lost in the thoughts and worries and ideas of characters, I love pausing the histoire to check in with the characters. And I've been told that I do it well, soooo <3

Also. Just generally? Smut? Is that a strenght? I know some people struggle with it and like, I have my own set of struggles around it, but it's still the "genre" I'm most at ease with and as a avid reader of smut I like that the thing I maybe most enjoy reading is also the thing I most enjoy writing. That's just kinda neat in itself, no matter if it's like... objectively a strenght or whatever.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

I thiiiink this question is meant to be answered with something regarding style or anything else to do with the actual writing, not the process, but tbh I don't believe in objectively "correct" ways to write and I write rambly and overly detailed because I love to read rambly and overly detailed as well so. I'm going with process instead.

Sticking with things? Planning ahead? Structure? Going about things systematically instead of just... going with the flow? I think the thing that most frustrates me about my own writing is how easy it is for me to get out of the flow and how difficult it is a lot of the time to get back to projects I used to be very passionate about.

I love the way I go about writing, and I love that I have a more explorative process and I think for oneshots this works perfectly fine, like, having a handful of rough ideas, just starting somewhere and letting the story tell itself. But for longer projects this just isn't very sustainable? And I have so many stories to tell that kind of need to be longer fics.

In general, I think the very flow-based approach i have to writing is simultaneously one of the things I enjoy most about it, but also one of those things that make it most difficult for me. Which is. That sure is something.

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

I don't usually mind reading it and I've actually tried it before in my own writing, but since then I've sort of moved away from it for my own fics? For no reason in particular tbh, but it's just easier and more immersive to write when I stick to one language.

18. First fandom you wrote for?

One Direction 🫡 I said to someone the other day that the 1d to yr pipeline is strong, because I keep coming across form 1d fic writers hehe

19. Favorite fic you’ve written?

I suffer terrrrribly from recency bias. My favorite fics at any given moment are mostly some of the most recently written ones. For the moment the fics I feel the most proud of might be

1. Real short leash (but I like it tight), very much one of those fics that I wrote for myself and like. three other people who were supporting me throughout, but idk. I have a lot of love for this one in my heart. it feels bold, I felt brave for posting it, I feel good about the way I created the characters, I genuinely love so many things about it, which isn't a feeling I get for a lot of my own fics usually. It feels... special in a lot of ways. And I'm genuinely proud of myself for becoming a writer who feels good about having posted a fic like that, after spending so much time being scared of posting more "out there" fics. these two genuinely mean so much to me and I'm grateful for everyone who gave them a chance <3<3<3<3<3

2. Moon go down (do it again) this one just has such a... calmness to it. it feels so settled and so peaceful and like such an interesting moment in the life of a very interesting version of them. and I was so happy to see that this story touched so many readers <3 that was such a beautiful surprise to me <3<3<3

I've been offline for a while, so I have nooo idea who's been tagged before and who hasn't. I've really sorry if I'm repeating tags, but I'm (no pressure) tagging @shouldntbearevolution, @grapehyasynth, @saynomorefic, @bigalockwood, @earlgrey-lateatnight, @dreamyelectronicmusic, @vvachillessongvv, @the-impala-is-my-home, @willesworld & and if anyone who's reading this rn would like to answer these: great news! you've been tagged as well!💜

#tag game #yr fanfic #wilmon fanfic #young royals #tales from the google docs #god I LOVE YAPPING ABOUT WRITING AAAAAAAAAAH thank you to everyone who tagged me <3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

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