#if you've read my fic Power of Three then you know what I'm talking about

[rosalind-hawkins]

"these are my emotional support weird hot guys" is an extremely accurate description of how I write every Yugioh poly ship

every Yugioh poly ship

every Yugioh poly ship

art’s being dumb for me right now so have this

[periprose]

Ps5 Peter Parker x reader inspired by this?

It's one of my favorite MerDer moments on Grey's anatomy 🙈😭

Peter explains something about physics or an idea for a gagdet...

🤣 this image really cracked me up lol thanks for the ask!! I've set the fic to take place in the first game, Peter and Reader are Otto's assistants at Octavius Industries. Please ignore the science mumbo jumbo in this fic.

/

Otto's lab was really cold this time of year. He barely had the funds to make rent in Manhattan, let alone provide optimal heating and other luxuries.

Still, you shiver, searching through your locker for your comfy, oversized jumper. You're just pulling it on when Peter pops up from behind you.

"Hey."

"Jesus!" You flinch and then rub your eyes. "Hey, Peter. How do you get behind me so fast? That's the third time this month I didn't even see you come in."

"Uh... I just have good reflexes, I think." Peter's mouth twists a little, as he tries not to laugh at your jumper. "Are you sure that's up to lab standards? Where's your lab coat?"

"Ah, Otto doesn't mind. He knows I'm cold." You explain, and Peter sighs.

"Well, he never gives me special treatment."

"Probably because you're not as cute as I am." You joke, but Peter nods and you feel a callous level of attraction towards him for being so nonchalant in terms of flirting.

You never really know where you stand with the guy. He's a naturally witty person and you refuse to read into anything any deeper, just for self preservation.

"Hey, I can't disagree with that." Peter laughs that quiet, soft laugh that makes you smile on your own. "Here, I got you a cup of coffee. That should help warm you up."

You look down and see, sure enough, Peter's holding a coffee cup tray, loaded with three cups, surely your usual orders- for you, extra black espresso to stay awake, for Peter, usually some kind of healthy tea hybrid, and for Otto, a large, creamy Italian coffee blend that's particularly expensive (Peter always jokes that Otto wastes funding on things like this).

"Oh, I'll pay you back." You reach back into your locker for your wallet, but Peter stops you with a raise of his hand.

"It's free of charge. No worries." He hands you the cup gently, and your hand skirts across his. You think for a moment.

"Nothing is ever really 'free of charge', Peter." You give him a side glance. In the last couple of months you've known this guy, you've figured out when he has an ulterior motive.

"... Alright, alright. You got me." Peter starts pulling you along by the hand, towards one of Otto's offices filled with white-boards and desks and equipment. You take a sip of your coffee and notice that it's still quite hot- Peter must've been really fast to make it so.

Not that you're complaining, and now that you're warmer you do feel more inclined to listen to him.

"Okay. You know how Otto's neural interface for the experimental arms have been glitching out?" Peter's got a firm look on his face, as you sit and listen.

"Yeah. It's a poor prototype, I think he asked us to leave it alone? He said he'd deal with it." You shrug. "I've moved on to his requests for a tighter, stronger arm. You know I deal with hardware."

"Yes, but even so, the neural interface problem still persists. Otto's lying." Peter looks at the whiteboard, and sees that half of it is covered all over with erratically drawn diagrams and equations. It's fine, he knows he can write what he needs in that space.

"Okay, look." Peter begins drawing a diagram of the neural interface's circuitry. "See how the voltage is really high?"

"Yeah- but isn't that what Doc wanted?" You grimace. "Last time I brought up the voltage issue, he told me to mind my business and continue with soldering. He wants so much power for some reason."

"Right, that's what I'm talking about. Notice how Otto keeps having those outbursts?" Peter sighs, a deeply upsetting look overtaking him. "He's getting a bit aggressive as of late, and I think it's because he can't figure this out."

"You're telling me. Just yesterday he chewed me out for clocking in a bit late." You sniff. "Okay, I was fifteen minutes late, but still."

"I've been there, you don't even have to justify it." Peter laughs, and begins drawing squiggly lines. You can't help but notice how his strangely muscular arms are tense and visible through his lab coat as he scrawls, and you take a sip of your coffee, savoring the view. Looking isn't illegal, you try to rationalize, but you quickly banish these thoughts as Peter looks back with a sly glance, to make sure you're paying attention.

"This is the electricity flow... and it should be heading this way, but the neural interface is made incorrectly and the flow of energy is heading back this way... towards the-"

"The battery of the arms, not the interface." You suddenly realize, and take a scrap piece of paper off the desk, scribbling down notes. "Hmm... maybe the wiring used for the arms is absorbing too much energy? Or the batteries are too big?"

"Maybe, but neural interfaces are tricky business." Peter winces as Otto yells at something in the background of the lab. "I told Otto not to get too involved with it- it's far too easy to accidentally mess with your brain, and then suddenly you've got anger issues or worse-"

"Dementia." You finish his sentence with an equally grim expression. "Okay. I hear you, but how are we supposed to fix it, exactly? I can only think of using different, smaller wires, or a less cost heavy battery- but then it won't move at the speed Otto wants it to."

"Yeah." Peter's shoulders slump a little, and you feel bad. He's always just one dude trying to take on the entire world's problems.

"Peter, it's not your problem, really. You can only do so much- the man has made up his mind, he's going to have to take the brunt of the problem." You try to console him, but Peter has that determined Parker Pride you've seen far too often, and you know he's not going to let it go.

"Wait, wait. Okay..." Peter starts frantically drawing on the board, and seeing that he's running out of space, without missing a beat, begins to draw on the wall.

"Peter! You're drawing on the wall!" You admonish him, and to your shock and utter horror, but not to your surprise, he keeps going. "Now you've completely lost it- it'll take two seconds to erase the board-"

But Peter isn't listening, in that overly stubborn, inventor way that you know you've done before. He's too lost in his own thoughts, and you know that spark will disappear if he takes a moment to stop drawing.

"I'll clean it. It's fine. We got to get a move on." Peter points to the new diagram on the wall. "Look at this."

Peter's drawn a rudimentary depiction of the robotic arm prototypes you've built for Otto, but the battery pack has been split up into several, smaller batteries that extend over the course of the arms. Something about the way the arms move in Peter's drawings look a lot more... smooth, silky, like a cephalopod.

An octopus.

But you are amazed at Peter's capabilities, either way. "Using multiple different batteries, so the energy isn't drawn away from the neural interface in a great capacity?" You blink, a bit amused at Peter's eager expression. "It would work, I think, but only if Otto is willing for a slight decrease in power."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong. We don't need to sacrifice power at all." Peter draws a set of gears, interlocking through the squiddy looking arm, and you clap your hands, clambering up out of your seat, finally enthused by his idea.

"Peter Parker, you genius!" You shake his arm excitedly, and he turns a bit pinker as he watches you, grinning. "Otto wanted the arm to be almost entirely synthetic material- but if it has rotating gears, the less it will jerk around. It'll be faster, smoother-"

"Thus requiring less power anyways, and less power will be redirected into his neural interface. And, hypothetically, no more angry Otto." Peter grins, and you smile up at him. "I mean, it'll still take some tinkering to figure out, but incremental improvements are still improvements, right?"

"Definitely. Plus we can always try to convince him about solar power again." You joke as Peter snickers.

Peter opens his mouth, about to say something to you, but he stares for a moment too long and hesitates, especially because in the nerdy excitement, he had gotten so close to you, and he was a liar if he said he had never checked out his cute co-worker. Any second now, you should be teasing as you usually do- but your eyes are wide and Peter gets the sense you've been swept up in this too.

He's never been so... close. He can make out individual eyelashes, tiny scars, imperceptible to normal people, but not to him.

And his phone buzzes with some kind of alert. He looks it over with bright, concerned eyes, while you take a moment to step back, much to Peter's mild irritation.

"Ah... must be MJ?" You ask, trying so very hard not to sound like a jealous girlfriend, just a curious colleague. You have nothing against MJ- you just feel that she and Peter are so meant for each other, and this is exactly why you've been trying to protect yourself.

Who are you kidding? You and Peter are both so busy- you'd never have time to be his doting, adoring girlfriend. You just have to remember him as a friend.

Already you feel the walls coming into place, your expression turning neutral, your heart becoming steely, when Peter looks at you again, surprised.

He can tell you're holding yourself back- and he doesn't like that. He wants you to come back to him, to be close with him again, and it drives him nuts that it has to be your choice, but he respects that.

"Not MJ. We broke up a while ago." Peter swallows, hoping he's saying the right things. "Uh... I don't think we're going to get back together. She's dating someone else now."

"Oh." You squeeze Peter's shoulder as comfortingly as you can. "Peter, I'm sorry. I would've been less of an ass if I'd known."

"No, don't be." Peter fixes a firm, kindhearted glance at you, taking your hands, the warmth of his own making you feel especially treasured. "You're great."

There's a teeny bit of hope working it's way into you, into your silly, girly heart despite all the steel around it, and Peter has a soft smile reserved just for you- you know that smile, you've seen it before when he comforts you when an experiment goes poorly, or when you've had a Eureka moment.

He rubs your hands. "Jeez, you're cold! I know women are usually freezing in the workplace- different body temperatures on average and all that- but I'm going to have to talk to Otto about making it warmer in here."

"Lest I die of hypothermia, right." You snort, and Peter snickers, but he still stays close, as if he's using this as an excuse. "Well, at least I have your hands."

Peter's phone buzzes again, another alert, which he apologetically takes a moment to read after letting go of you. Something about Fisk's thugs making their way through Grand Central Station- he shouldn't leave right now, but he can see your curiosity is piqued.

"Just a news alert. Nothing big." Peter lies, and you don't quite buy it, but you don't want to pry at this moment after he's complimented you and been so nice to warm up your hands.

Otto bursts through the entrance of the room, sighing.

"Will you two lovebirds stop canoodling with each other and test out the circuitry? You know, like I'm paying you to do so with very limited funds?" He barks, and then inhales. "Sorry. Just... try to stay on task. And I know you're young and all... but stop drawing on the walls!"

He leaves, grumbling about youth being too romantic and wishing they would understand sensibility.

You're about to refute whatever Otto said, so Peter doesn't feel uncomfortable, when he speaks first.

"I take it he isn't a romantic." Peter jokes as he grabs some paper towels, and you laugh, feeling that Peter's flirting was more genuine than you thought.

[trainsinanime]

Your favorite fanfic writer doesn't know (but would like to)

Let's talk about comments on fanfics. This is not meant as a guide or call to action, just a bit of observations. Personally, I always saw it as impolite to ask for reviews or kudos or comments or likes or reblogs or whatever. That's not a rational point of view, it just reflects how I am. And people actually telling others that they have to leave any of this feedback? I've blocked folks over that. In my mind that's not okay. I'm not announcing a change of that, this is not a policy, just some deep-seated mental issues, but I want to write down some more things that have been going through my mind, from the perspective of someone who occasionally writes fanfics. My previous suggestion in this regard was mostly to write some fanfic yourself and see what happens and what you'd like to happen, because it's genuinely fun and I think you probably have more to say than you realise.

But there's also another point here, and that is that your favourite fanfic writer has no idea that they are. If you're anything like me, then it will seem like the great writers in your fandom are obvious. Also, the last time you bought Blåhajs, it ended with you having to flee a smoke-filled subway tunnel. The great stories and great writers in your universe are facts of nature. You read a story and you think, "this is the greatest thing I've ever seen." A story rewires your brain chemistry forever. You keep coming back and reading that one fic whenever the mood hits you. It feels obvious that this story is great. How could it not be?

It feels trite to say that the author of that fic doesn't know that unless you tell them, but it's hard to really understand the feeling unless you've been there yourself. You write a story, but is it any good? Maybe you get a lot of kudos, or maybe very little, but what does either of that mean? Kudos can mean literally anything from "loved this" to "didn't close the tab in disgust". Maybe you just got unlucky. Maybe you just got lucky. What do these numbers mean? What is a good number of kudos? 1? 10? 100? 1000? Should I calculate ratios? How do I know whether people like this?

In light of this, a comment where someone just said, "I loved this", has an almost incalculable worth. A comment where someone says they read this over and over again, or quotes lines they loved, or something? You can't imagine how valuable that is. A while ago someone told me "a couple of us are talking about this on Discord, we love it and we keep repeating our favorite lines". I thanked them, but I was too polite to say, "really? What are they saying? Which are your favorite lines? How many people are there who love it? What are their names? Which lines are the favorite ones, please, tell me!". Part of me still regrets that, because I so desperately want to know! I don't think it was a public Discord and I never heard from the others on it, but just the idea that they're out there and they like my story was so powerful. (By the way, it's not on any account that's linked from here, please don't try to find that comment.)

Now, I firmly believe that you, as a reader, don't have to care about any of that. I know there are people who disagree with me on this point, very strongly in fact, but I don't think it's necessarily your job to care. It's great if you do, and I think a lot of you do in fact care, that's why I'm writing this. But if you haven't thought about that or don't feel comfortable leaving comments or whatever, that's fine, that's normal, and you are in fact part of the majority. Any well-adjusted fic author has found ways to deal with this. They have learned to love writing for its own sake, or they love re-reading their own fics, or they have a couple of trusted friends who like their work, or ideally all three. Personally I was scared of Discord for the longest time, but it really helps with that. One person who you sort of know going "hey that's neat" can outweigh just about anything else. (Still, there will be days when you post something and you won't get a response and that just plain sucks, no two ways about it.)

But if you do care, if you think it's important that a fanfic writer knows what they mean to you, not because of any concern about the wider unpaid fan creator economy but just because of the way their work affected you, then this is important. Your favorite fanfic writer probably doesn't know and/or believe that they're anyone's favorite, and even if they do, a reminder or learning that someone knew found them will make them incredibly happy. And obviously, all of that applies at least just as much to all the beginners with potential that are out there. So if you're wondering whether it's worth it leaving a comment that says how much you enjoyed something: It probably is. And if you shared this with others and they loved it, or if this is your favourite fic, or if you enjoy how original it is, or how well it does your favourite tropes, or anything like that, the writer is going to be so happy to hear that.

A final aside: This obviously applies even more when it's about fandoms, pairings, subject matter and in particular ratings that are considered a bit embarrassing. Writers who write stuff that, say, happens to be E-rated for whatever reason, doesn't matter, will probably get fewer kudos and comments just because people are embarrassed to have their names show up in the Kudos and Comment sections. If that's you, just a note that it is perfectly okay to comment anonymously, or to create a second separate account for leaving kudos on, commenting on and maybe even posting the somewhat more risqué stuff. Now I'm not saying I have one of these second accounts, at least I'm not saying that in public, but it is an option worth considering.

[perfectlypreservedpie]

MacCready Fanfiction Recs (Fallout 4)

hey everybody, nobody asked for this but in the midst of writing fallout fanfic I was feeling a special kind of love for my favorite fo4 fanfics and wanted to recommend them in case you hadn't read 'em. Because they are VERY GOOD and writing fanfic is hard, so you gotta give props to those who sweat for your comfort fics.

I'm gonna recommend my top three finished fanfics, and then two more bonus fics that are being updated rn. As a clarifier, these are all Maccready fallout 4 fics. so. keep that in mind.

im tagging the authors and also anybody who wants to join and share their favorites too!

3. THE FATHER(S) AND THE SON(S) on ao3 by @sirmanmister

I'm going to preface this rec by saying this: there is Fanon MacCready. There is canon MacCready. And then there is ascended!whatBethesdawishesitWAS MacCready, which exists solely in this fanfiction. The characterization of Mac is so well written. He is snarky, he is vulnerable. He desperately wants to grow up but doesn't know how. He has the most sick character arc in this story!!!

It's not a romance but instead a coming of age story where the sole survivor becomes a de-facto parent to Mac. The heart of the story is about how to raise a child while you're still trying to grow up yourself. The apocalypse setting lends itself well because the Wasteland is a place where NOTHING is beautiful, but the way that M!Sosu and MacCready care for their sons is beautiful. Which makes it special and worth fighting for.

As a fun fact, I read The Road by Cormac McCarthy for class a week after finishing this fic and I was thinking about this fic the whole time because the themes of fatherhood during an apocalypse hit a lot of the same beats. Maybe my professor would kick me in the teeth by comparing fic to McCarthy, but @sirmanmister YOU ARE MY CORMAC MCCARTHY <3

2. WORKING CLASS HERO on ao3 by @bluegrasskitty

This is the kind of fic you take with you to toilet, to work, in-between classes. It will suck you in. AND THERE'S A SEQUEL TOO YOU GUYS‼️

The sole survivor in this story is the model for the Nuka Cola girl. You know the hot lady in the spacesuit? SHE HAS A BACKSTORY. AND YALL IT MADE ME WEEP. During some point of the story, I sort of stopped rooting for MacCready to be the narrator and just wanted Nora Cabot to take the reins. When I tell you I think of this oc every two to three business weeks. She's an incredible leading lady. I can't look at Nuka Girl posters in the game without thinking of Nora Cabot, my beloved.

the sequel IS SO FIRE. It's the best reimagining of 'what happened after the institute blew up' that I've ever read. im gnawing at the bars of my enclosure actually.

A VERY GOOD PLOT TWIST I CANNOT MENTION TO NEW READERS BUT IF YOU'VE READ IT YOU'LL UNDERSTAND. AND IF YOU UNDERSTAND DM ME I HAVE TO TALK TO SOMEBODY ABOUT IT. HHh.

The amount of world building that @bluegrasskitty puts into this story is insane. They ARE Beth Esda.

As a fun fact, I didn't know that radchickens were canon in fallout. I thought it was a plot device made up by this author to excuse the ability to make cake in this book, but radchickens ARE real. When I was playing Far Harbor last year, I found radchickens and thought that @bluegrasskitty manifested them into existence because they had that kind of power.

that being said, I still think this author has that kind of power.

1. Atom Bomb Baby on ao3 by @starlightwrites

I think you dropped something....my jaw.

fellas. fellas. this is my comfort fic. You ever had a comfort fic? Something you come back to at least once a year to reread to feel something? the fiction equivalent of chicken noodle soup? this is what Atom Bomb Baby is to me. this is peak literature actually. if I ever figure out book binding, im doing this one first.

Plot wise, it's a retelling of Fallout 4's main story through the perspective of MacCready. But (and im wheezing as I say this) it's also so much more THAN THAT.

this fic author understands that MacCready is not a womanizer but is in fact a touch starved loser. and they are CORRECT.

MacCready spends the entire fic like 'uuuhhhh I dunno about this one, boss!'

ITS BEST FRIENDS TO LOVERS RAHHHHHH

it also has a nostalgia feel to me too, because reading it gives me the same feeling as what it was like to play the game for the first time, years ago. maybe it's because I've read it so many times over the years, but reading it feels so satisfying.

The author spends 10 chapters at the end solely dedicated to an epilogue. I wish more stories did this. They go through the wringer in this story, and it's so deeply satisfying to see how cleanly everything gets wrapped up. MacCready and the Lola work really well together as a couple, so it's awesome to see how they work together after the battle is done.

6 out of 5 stars.

BONUS FICS !! aka fics that are still updating! I squeal with joy when I get an ao3 email about these: 1. Best Laid Plans on ao3 by @druidgroves - Georgia Tate is an incredible character and sole survivor! She was a teacher prewar, so it's really fun to get her perspective on the world. She cares a lot about education and libraries and I find her really relatable and endearing. It's a cool thing for a character in an apocalypse to care about! It also makes for fun tension with Mac, who's written as a pragmatic survivor. A great take on familiar characters and their dynamics. - And It's a great slow burn! I'm really enjoying reading it. 2. Long Time Running on ao3 by @twosides--samecoin - If you've ever thought that Med-Tek was too convenient an option for Duncan's cure, this fic was written with you in mind. - RJ goes to Canada and im obsessed with it. - If you're interested in fallout lore, specifically the bit where the U.S annexed Canada and wished that there was more info about that, I would highly recommend this fic. Twosides--samecoin put in THE WORK. The world building they do to explain Canada's side of the Great War is so fun!!! its genuinely such a thrill to read!

I'm tagging the authors who I mentioned, if you all have favorite fics (fallout or otherwise, I'd love to hear em!) Thank you for making good art!

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

Hi!! this is a kinda random question, but I was just thinking about it. So we know that the Druskelle (and presumably most of Fjerda) are bigoted, racist, etc.. Does that stem from their culture and like the wars and stuff or is that part of their religion? I guess hypothetically could Matthias/Maya/your other Fjerdan ocs have corrected their prejudices and still believed in Djel or do the two beliefs contradict? Just wondering what your take is :)

Hi, thanks for the ask!

I absolutely adore religion in the Grishaverse and a while ago I wrote quite a long analysis on Matthias and Inej's relationship with their respective religions, mostly focusing on Djel since I feel I know more about Fjerdan religion than Ravkan having read the soc duology a lot more times than the other books, and I talked quite a bit about some of these things so I'll link that here in case anyone is interested and below I'll put a couple of quotes from that more specifically pertaining to what you've said here. Essentially, I believe that the Drüskelle order is a cult and represents a warped version of Fjerdan religion and that Matthias' journey of self-discovery and of learning to find the version of Djel that he believes in and that aligns with who he wants to be is one of the most beautifully written character arcs I have ever read.

Some quotes from my previous analysis:

"Theoretically, the Drüskelle are raised (forced) to believe the same basic principles of the religion that most of the religious people in the country are [...] However, what’s taken completely further is that the Drüskelle are told that the only way to be truly respected by their god is to take decisive action against Grisha people for their power, because it’s “demonic” and a warping of Djel’s gifts. Now first of all, none of the religious teachings we learn about as the reader even remotely suggest this, which suggest that it’s a baseless prejudice for which religion has been used as an excuse for so long that it’s become culturally ingrained and believed."

"Matthias even shows particular pride that he was personally told the secret of the second glass bridge by Jarl Brum himself"

"And this is the thing, ok, because by claiming that Djel will show the boys the path and then telling them himself (!!!!!!!!) Brum is claiming far more power than a servant of Djel and or Fjerda. No, now he turns himself into a messenger of Djel, a prophet if you will, just to reaaaalllly double down on that religious trauma he’s giving these kids. He is putting himself into the Messiah-like position; he’s saying that Djel sent him to them to tell them that they must kidnap and kill people to earn his love."

"in his own practice Matthias would appear to see Djel as a benevolent god"

"presented himself as a Messiah-like figure and effectively forced these young boys to believe that betraying him is akin to betraying Djel"

Okay I'm restraining myself from adding more to that list because I'm just sitting here reading through the original analysis going "ooo add that" "and that" "that too" and I'll just end up copy and pasting the whole thing if I carry on like this, so if you'd like to read more I should've linked it at the top :)

I'm gonna talk a bit about Djel and relationship with religion in terms of my Fjerdan OCs here, if anyone is interested but hasn't read the fic you don't have to have done to follow the religion info but it's worth knowing that it's set almost entirely in Ketterdam and takes place nearly 10 years after Crooked Kingdom :)

For my Fjerdan OCs religion is very much on my mind whenever I'm writing them, and I find it a very interesting thing to consider. So, I have three Fjerdan OCs in Daughter of the Rain and Snow: Maya, a Tidemaker and our titular character, Celina, a deceased (pre-events of the fic) otkazat'sya whose body was burned and who therefore cannot reach Djel, and Fiona, a Heartrender who lost her relationship with religion a long time ago and has no interest in taking it up again. I'm going to start with Fiona because I haven't really explored her relationship with Djel very much since she has had less scenes than the others thus far, but I tend to have quite fleshed out backstories for my side characters even if they don't make it into the story lol

Fiona is 22 during the events of the fic and has been working with Inej and the crew of the Wraith for almost four years. She made her way to Ketterdam at 17 after her family discovered she was Grisha and threw her out. In a desperate attempt to flee Fjerda - and notably not knowing any Kerch language - she signed an indenture contract with a Kerch merchant who offered her safe passage to the country. She did not know what she was signing, and her contract was written in Kerch, but she just wanted to get out of Fjerda as quickly as possible and this seemed like her only option. She was freed and ended up working with Inej when she was 18. Fiona had battled with her relationship with Djel for a long time after discovering she was Grisha and keeping it secret, but when her parents learnt the truth and started abusing her and eventually turned her out with nowhere to go and no protection to be found she adopted atheism completely, akin to the way Kaz and Wylan found their atheism. -

“Saints speed,” she said to Inej, who echoed the words she knew were said for her benefit alone.

Fiona had given up on Djel, the god she was raised with, and had no interest in taking up another. (Chapter 8) (I feel so weird quoting my own writing)

Religion is very much at the forefront of everything I write considering Maya and Celina, particularly since Celina only appears as a character in Maya's POV chapters (she exists more as a concept to Kaz, Inej, and Aimee, who connect her to things she represents to each of them but whom they never knew as a real person). Maya battling her relationship with Djel is very much in the forefront of the story and one of my favourite chapters is when she goes back to the tree she cut down in anger and prays for it; the chapter is essentially a long monologue of Maya talking to Djel and voicing every side of her argument out loud. I won't list everything here but I'll add this quote from the chapter:

“I’ve tried it every way,” she whispered, failing to fight the sobs that were growing in her throat, “I ignored it, I tried not to use it, I used it for others, I used it for myself, I used it for You. And I have somehow failed You every time. Maybe I deserve to burn now, but they say you are born Grisha. Did You really look at me and always know I would deserve to burn? From the very moment I was born? Perhaps this is all I am in Your grand tapestry of destiny; a game for You to play, a doll that You can take apart and stitch together at wrong angles. I am a broken toy that can be discarded and burnt whilst the world moves on as though I were never here. I made the wrong choices, but I thought they were the only ones left. You could have let me stay at home. You could have let her live - let both of them live. And I never would have done anything like this. I’m so sorry…” her voice broke and she felt the tears flooding over her cheeks as she collapsed over the ruined tree trunk and cried into its empty flesh, “I’m so sorry,” (Chapter 66 on tumblr, chapter 67 on AO3)

And the chapter ultimately ends with Maya asking Djel to teach her how to deserve forgiveness from Inej and the other characters for everything she'd done, or to at least teach her how to forgive Him.

I think one of the most important aspects of religion in terms of this and in terms of Maya and Celina's relationship with each other is that even though Celina knows Maya is a Tidemaker neither of them ever talk about it and Maya reached a point where she was actively afraid to bring it up because she didn't know how Celina felt about Grisha and she didn't want to jeopardise not only what is the only relationship she has with anyone right now but arguably what is the first relationship she's ever had that wouldn't be considered abusive (her relationship with her father is kinda up in the air, I know, but considering that he sold her I don't think it's a spoiler to say I hate that man's guts even though y'all have a little bit more to learn about him yet) since realistically Celina was the only person she had a real conversation with for three years and the only other people she spoke to in that time would be clients, Yennefer, and occasionally other girls at the Tulip Mill. Maya even saw Yennefer's death more as vengeance for Celina than she did for herself, saying that Yen's death was for Celina and Kaz's death would be for her before she finds out that Kaz was partially responsible for Celina's death in the worldview that she holds - and as Kaz considers himself no less responsible for her death than Rollins was for Jordie's. I don't know if I'm explaining it quite right but the fear that Maya developed surrounding other people's perspective on Grisha power preventing her from being able to share her feelings with Celina I found a really heart-wrenching detail to write and I was definitely hoping to present the idea that even if religiously the ideas don't contradict - considering that we see Celina adapt her belief in Djel to say that anything that she does at the Tulip Mill will be forgiven because she has no choice over it - culturally speaking it's still such a complex and difficult thing to move past that Maya isn't even sure she can ever express it to the only person she trusts, and I also hoped to touch on this idea with the flashbacks to the Ravkan boy at the Grisha workshop with Maya who didn't trust her because she was Fjerdan even though she was Grisha and had literally fled Drüskelle and her home country

Anyway I hope this made sense, it's starting to feel very rambly and random, and I hope that it was interesting to read. Thanks so much for teh ask and for your interest in the fic! <33

[never-seen-again]

Apologies but I'm being very gay right now. I've read like, half the michie fanfic on AO3 (it's like, eleven of the forty seven, so closer to a fifth [not accounting for background Michie in other fics though, so who knows]).

I'm going to talk about some of those fics, so if you either don't care or don't want to be spoiled for them I'm going to put in a break thingy. Never done that before so sorry if I fuck it up.

So, most of these are what I'd consider to be fix-it fics, like, max doesn't die in the Waylon place. Typically because Richie instinctively grabs max. Some have Richie have an instance of hysterical strength ("See it Fall, Child of War" by jayren404) or blame it on adrenaline ("Nerdy Prudes Are Cool" by InPrisonForSparkling), another has Richie buy precious few seconds enough for the other nerdy prudes to help pull max up ("Won't you pray for me?" By Whowillprayforyou).

All three are great, love 'em. However another work by Whowillprayforyou grabbed me and shook me like a ragdoll: "The Consequence of what you've done"

Here Richie gets bathroom murdered by max, rises as a ghost just like max, and gets a bit mindfucked about the whole 'none of my friends noticed or really cared I died for longer than the conversation they learned about it. And it sorta implies that Richie helps kill Ruth. The drama. The action. The bloodshed.

Anyway, got me thinking about ghost Michie. And like, the absolute clusterfuck of Richie trying to save max, but getting dragged down with him. High stress for the living as now there's two deaths to deal with, but also now max isn't dealing with undeath alone.

I like the dynamics this brings about too. You get Richie who still is wondering why he tried to save max, but now with the guilt of failing to, and also burdening his friends with his death. Max might not even flip on the nerdy prudes in death, since one of them died right along with him, grieving right along side Max for the two weeks leading up to where he hit his breaking point originally. Max might end up struggling with no longer holding power over Richie, since as ghosts they've been somewhat equalized, even if he was going to lessen his hold on the nerds anyway. (Richie totally gets a hang of the ghostly powers first, max learns how to effect the living world first though). Max might finally open up about things alluded to in the musical.

Anyway to get back on track. I think I'm going to write Michie fanfiction. Have I written fanfiction before? no. Am I good at writing dialogue? also no. Is it going to be so very gay? yes.

(also, honorable fanfic mention to "Nerdy Prudes...Can Thrive?" By CloakedApprentice, peter grabs max in this one, having been right next to him, and it's just really cute)

[panda-writes-kpop]

Happy THREE Years of Panda Writes K-pop!

editor katie here... as a professional yapper, I'm saving your feed by putting this below a read more 🤭 apologies in advance, I'm quite sentimental when it comes to these things and I almost started crying after I wrote this 😭 y'all mean so much to me, along with the blog and the friends I've made. okie I got to stop before I keep yapping on and on

tldr: a sweet thank you note for all of your support, plus a rough release date schedule for my writing along with a few ideas I've been playing with for a while 🥰

I swear, this anniversary always sneaks up on me, even though it's only a week and a couple of days after my birthday. Hard to believe that it's already been three years. 🥹 I still feel like that rising high school senior who's trying to express herself through writing about her favorite girlies. ❤️

This blog has taught me so much about myself, my writing, and the world that I live in. Along the way, I made amazing friends and memories that I will always cherish, even if I decide to stop writing (shout out to @foolish-sparrow @kingmaker-a @sanccharine @neon-city-dreams @dark-night-insomniac @ghastlybin for being the best friends a girl could have. I'm still trying to learn and be better every day, and I'm so thankful for your patience and kindness towards me).

None of this would ever be possible without you. Even if you silently follow me and read my fics on occasion, you are the reason that I enjoy writing so much. 🫶 I read every reblog and comment, even if I haven't always responded in the past. (shame on past me, I used to be really shy on the internet until I got fully acquainted to having an online platform of sorts). The likes, comments, and reblogs let me know what fics everyone likes.

And, of course, I have to give a special shout-out to anyone who has every sent me an anon ask or an ask in general. They make my day, especially if you're talking about a fic you like (I literally giggle and kick my feet at the asks, please keep sending them 💙).

Enough of the sentimental yapping (you've all encouraged my yapping habit by being here, now suffer the consequences 😌), I want to talk about some of the fics I have cooking in my brain and (DISCLAIMER: DO NOT HOLD ME TO THIS) a rough estimate of when they might come out.

This week, I would like to write and release the Sana fluff alphabet early in the week and then the Dahyun fluff alphabet later in the week or sometime next week. After that, I will be working on the last two Pirate! Aespa fics along with SuA's birthday fic (Supernatural AU, two-part fic, SuA/Siyeon as the Winchesters iykyk). That should put me nearly at my university's start time, and I do want to have some surprises up my sleeve. But, for the sake of you bearing with me and reading my blabbering, I'll give you some hints. :)

Fic #1 - The Boys AU without the more extreme elements of the show, idol has powers similar to A-Train and is a whole mess

Fic #2 - Criminal Minds AU, idol has the likeness and some attributes of Aaron Hotchner, reader and idol are angry idiots in love with lots of romantic tension that everyone but them notices

Hey, you remember this series? Cool, cool, just making sure... 😉

plus I'd like to work on the slushie prompts so they can be wrapped up this year or sometime next year!

thank you for three amazing years, and here's the to hope that there will be many more years to come.

thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for everything. For every like, comment, reblog, follow, read, anon ask - they're all so precious to me.

thank you for everything. ❤️

~ katie/panda

[village-skeptic]

I was tagged in this "get to know you" meme by both @booksandabeer and @stars-inthe-sky - but it has slightly different questions! I've synthesized them, LOL. Thanks for the tag, you guys!

last song: "The Letter," The Box Tops, followed by "The Letter," Joe Cocker. No one make me choose! The former is a perfect, crisp, driving little pop/soul gem; the latter is a live performance that you've probably heard so often that it's easy to forget just how good it is. It feels like everyone on that recording is operating at the height of their powers, and the result is this towering, ecstatic, howling, joyous track that will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day if you're lucky.

currently reading: a manuscript for work that I wouldn't pick up if it wasn't for work, LOL. Last few books, though: Eleanor Catton, Birnam Wood (def recommend, I keep thinking about this one); Thomas Mallon, Fellow Travelers and Up With The Sun (sometimes you have Questions about an author and the only thing to do is to read more of their work; more on that eventually maybe).

last film: Never Let Me Go. Quite simply, I had trouble entering into the spirit of the thing (the concept doesn't really hold up upon examination and I'm not sure I buy the larger analogy), but the book is supposed to be fantastic, of course. I did enjoy baby Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, and Andrew Garfield though.

currently watching: The final season of The Crown, more out of curiosity than anything else. I'm finding it very...mid? Is that what the kids are saying? The show peaked a while back, but Elizabeth Debicki's performance as Diana continues to be shockingly good and worth the price of admission. Also, as per my recent reads, watching Fellow Travelers, on track to finish up next week. Waiting to say more about that til I've seen the whole series, but I will say that I have gained a lot of respect for Jonathan Bailey!

three ships: I feel a bit like I'm between fandoms right now, but I can always be talked into reading some good Betty/Jughead, Steve/Bucky, and, uh, *looks at her bookmarks* Crowley/Aziraphale.

favorite color: purple!

currently consuming: About to consume some homemade spinach tortellini soup. (Well, okay. Mostly homemade. The tortellini isn't my own. There are limits.)

relationship status: old married :D

first ship: Hmm! I guess maybe Rachel/Tobias, way back to my preteen Animorph days? Although I certainly did not get into fic for shippy purposes, as @stirringsofconsciousness can verify.

currently working on: desperately needed post-holiday cleaning, honestly. And a bunch of little art projects!

tagging (as ever, with no obligation): @lurker-no-more , @jandjsalmon , @pantsaretherealheroes, @ballroompink

[aughtpunk]

A03 Questions Tag Game

I got tagged by: @coffincrows

I tag: @ventela1 @autumn2may @farshootingstar

1 – How many works do you have on AO3?

70

2 – What's your total AO3 word count?

552,955

3 – What fandoms do you write for?

In no particular order: Cult of the Lamb, Welcome to Night Vale, Disco Elysium, Good Omens, Overwatch and a bunch of series I've only written one fic in

4 – What are your top five fics by kudos?

Points on a Circle (Overwatch, lots of ships, mainly Yeehan)

Now Streaming: Love! (Overwatch, lots of ships, D.va POV)

White is Not the New Black (Good Omens, Ineffable Husbands)

Fusion is Just a Cheap Tactic to Make Weak Angels Stronger (Good Omens, Ineffable Husbands)

Welcome to Cyber Vale (Welcome to Night Vale, Cecilos)

5 – Do you respond to comments?

I may accidentally skip a few (sorry) but I try to respond to everyone!

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

Another Pyramid, although I'm not sure I would call it angsty. The fic is about two robots (omnics) discussion an opera and the play based on it, and it ends with one of the robots wondering if the more opened-ended play could possibly be about the endless cycle of tragedy and romance, and how that's very fitting in the current war for robot rights.

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

Probably To Forgive is Divine since it ends with the Bishop family back together AND Narinder and Lamb as a couple AND other happy spoilers

8 – Do you get hate on fics?

Okay so I wouldn't call it hate but I will take a moment to talk about the weirdest comment I ever got on a fic: Someone once posted in the third chapter of a fic that they hadn't read the first two chapters (on purpose) and they were only going to read every-other chapter from then on. And then every other chapter they kept posting about how the fic made no sense and kept asking questions that were answered in the parts they skipped.

Yeah I ended up blocking them and deleting the comments. Like, the fuck?

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

I have written smut. I would describe it as "bad".

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

Probably the Good Omens/Pokemon crossover fic The Evils of Truth and Love. Sadly I couldn't figure out anything to do with it plot-wise so it's only just three chapters of silliness.

11 – Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No idea. Imagine someone stealing my work. It'd be like someone stealing my twelve year old hyundai. Like, why?

12 – Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! I know Cyber Vale got partially translated, and one of my Disco Elysium fics was translated into Russian!

13 – Have you ever co-written a fic?

No, I'm not into co-writing.

14 – What's your all-time favorite ship?

Probably X/Zero. Which is funny considering I've never written a ship about them.

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

Dear Notes in a Line and Five Shalle Ryde fans:

I swear I'll come back one day to finish these. Pinky-swear.

16 – What are your writing strengths?

Apparently I have a real knack for writing immortal God/God-like beings/Immortal Robots and I don't know what to do with this power besides writing fanfic.

17 – What are your writing weaknesses?

I am so, so bad at smut. I've tried, you guys. I've really tried. But writing it feels like someone is sandpapering my brain. In another timeline where I can write smut I'm probably making bank on a terrible amazon published erotica series.

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

I try to avoid it myself because I can barely handle English most days. Never mind other languages Do you know how many times I've failed French 1? Six. SIX TIMES.

EDIT: It has been pointed out to me that I've written multiple characters in multiple stories that use ASL. I am not a clever person.

19 – First fandom you wrote for?

NiGHTS Into Dreams! It's called TWiNS and I actually dug it up from the depths of FF.net to post on Ao3 because I'm so proud of my teen self for writing it.

20 – Favorite fic you've written?

Probably As Mayflies, which I wrote one beautiful summer morning while I was feeling very emotional over Sir Terry Pratchett's passing and wrote a little story about how the humans Crowley and Aziraphale meet live forever in their hearts.

[doudouneverte]

Shapeshifter and Valentine's Day | VW (d-four)

a/n: day four of the valentine week i hope you had a great day. here it is the fourth fic and it is in the same univers of my mama!nat fic and liked to write so i hope you'll like. And of course Happy Birthday to the gorgeous Elizabeth Olsen. See you tomorrow for the [Y.B] or [A.D] fic, i don't choose yet.

*not my GIF*

Wanda Maximoff x Romanoff!Reader; Natasha Romanoff x Daughter!Reader; Yelena Belova x Female!reader(aunt-niece); Pietro Maximoff x Female!Reader(best friend)

summary: today it's valentine's day but Wanda seem upset

Type: Fluff

Warning : me who don't know how to write a meal name and nothing else i thinks

word count: 1850

day one | day two | day three | day five | day six | day seven

----------------

You've unlocked a lot of skills since you grew up with your mom, but even if you could lie like a professional, there were three people who were able to tell when you weren't telling the truth: your mom, of course; your auntie Yelena; and your girlfriend Wanda (because of her power). But today you had planned something special, and you couldn't let anyone find it. It was a Tuesday; you came to school like you usually do, and you were greeted by Peter, Ned, and MJ. You talked about everything and nothing before you spotted silver hairs in front of your locker. "Hey Piet, how are you?" you asked, and he looked at where the voice came from.

"Oh, you're here," You looked confused. "Wanda wants to kill you, like literally, and I'm fast but not enough to stop her, so do something," he said and disappeared. You and your friends were stunts. Why would your girlfriend want to kill you? You started to remind yourself the last week to find out if you did something that could upset the Sokovian, but the answer came when you opened your locker. A wave of letters, and at the color and the heart stickers, that was Valentine's letter.

"Wow, you have a lot of fan Y/N" MJ commented, and you started to connect the dots. You picked up the letters and grabbed your things before heading to your math class. At the lunch break, you tried to speak with the witch, but she didn't even look at you. Okay, she gave you a cold treatment, and it was not your fault; that's not fair.

You thought about something to do, and you heard Pietro talk about training this afternoon, and you found a plan. After school, you rush to the compound "Good afternoon, Miss Romanoff, and happy Valentine's Day." Friday greeted you.

"Thanks you, Friday. Do you know where my mom is?" you asked

"Mrs. Romanoff is in the kitchen," the IA replied.

"Thanks you," and you ran to the kitchen, but before you met Maria, Steve, Sam, and Bucky, they seemed to talk about a previous mission, but you didn't mind; you greeted them and continued your course. In the kitchen, you found Natasha with a PBJ sandwich and Yelena, who was trying to cook something else except mac'n'cheese. Okay, it was weird, but you had the whole day to ask more about it. "Hey mom, hey auntie Yelena," you said loudly to not freak them out.

"Hey little poser, how was school?" The blonde asked, and you rolled your eyes at the nickname before replying.

"Horrible," you said, and Natasha frowned and raised her eyebrows. It was not uncommon for you to say 'school was... school' but this time it seems more than that.

"What happened, my love?" your mom asked with concern in her voice. You didn't reply; you just opened your bag and threw all the letters on the table. "What is that?" The sisters asked before they grabbed one letter and started to read it.

"Oh, the little witch is so romantic," your aunt commented.

"It's not from Wanda," you replied, and they both stared at you. They were expecting more: "It's from a girl or a guy in school, I don't know, but Wanda saw one of them put one letter in my locker, and she was upset all the day," when you explained you were making a PBJ sandwich too. You took a bite and spoke again: "I have to do something to tell her it was a misunderstanding, and Pietro tried to tell her, but even he didn't change anything." You took another bite: "I planned something, but I need your help," you said, and they gave you all their attention: "I need someone to distract her while I prepare a special date or something." Your mom was about to say something, but you cut her off: "Don't worry, we will stay at the compound."

"So what do you want to do?" Yelena asked

"I need you to help me cook something for her," you said to the younger widow and looked at the older, "and I need you to reschedule her training to this afternoon to give us the time to prepare anything."

"Hey, I can help in the kitchen too," your mom argued, and you both raised your eyebrows at her. "Okay, maybe I'm not as good as your auntie, but I can do something too, like be your sous-chef." You didn't lower your eyebrows and look at her sandwich; the redhead looked at the sandwich too. "Okay, but you own me a lot of cuddles for this," she said before exiting the kitchen.

After twenty minutes, you finally found a meal to do: chicken paprika. It's her favorite food, so you couldn't fail. Wanda came to the kitchen and said, "Hello, Yelena." She grabbed a bottle of water and some snacks.

"Hey little witch, how was school?" Yelena asked

"Like usual, you know school is school." She started to walk away until Yelena called her.

"Where are you going?"

"Training, Natasha, reschedule for today." She restarted walking when you spoke.

"Don't hurt my mom too much, babe," you said, but she didn't reply and walked away for good. "Oh no, don't worry, you know I love you too much to do something like that, darling. Okay, I love you. Bye,  honey. "I love you too; see you later, detka" you whispered to yourself, and your aunt couldn't hold back her laughter at your antics.

"She didn't even look at you; you're really fucked up, little poser," you sighed, and you both started to cook. It was hard, like really hard and tiring, and you failed twice, but now it was 9 p.m. and you finally made something that looked and tasted like Wanda's paprishka. You were glad and decided to take a shower before seeing your pouty girlfriend. On your way to your mom's room, you met Pietro.

"Hey little spider, how is my sestra?" He asked and walked with you.

"She was mad the last time I saw her; she didn't even look at me." Pietro lands his hand on your shoulder to show you his support, "But don't worry, Piet, I decided to make something that will bring my girlfriend back," and without another word you rush to the bedroom, then to the bathroom.

You needed this shower; like, really, the day was exhausting with Wanda, who was in a bad mood, your mom, who pouted because you didn't want to cook with her, and Yelena, who almost killed you when she tried to show you how skilled she was with a knife. Yeah, you needed this time alone. After changing yourself, you rush to Wanda's room, but before you steal a rose from the bouquet Tony wanted to offer to Pepper (they won't see), you were here in front of the door, and you were... stressed? Yeah, of course, because you know she could decide to not forgive you or, worse, not talk to you, and that would mean you did all this for nothing.

'Knock knock' the witch looked at the door and waited a little longer before hearing someone knock again. "Come in," she said, and you opened the door. She saw your face and the apology look on it; she saw the rose; and she saw your smile when she didn't throw you across the hallway after seeing it was you. Honestly, she had already "forgiven" you, and she wanted to apologize. No,  she needed to apologize. It was not really your fault if they put letters on your locker, but it was too much for her.

"Hey Wands, I want to apologize for this morning. I should've known..." She cut you off.

"Y/n stop." and you did "You don't have to apologize; I should do it, and I'm sorry. I knew it was not your fault if you received those letters, but I was scared that maybe you would want to be with them, so I acted like a child. I know I shouldn't be jealous or something; I know you love me, but I needed to be mad at someone, and I can't hurt people, so I was mad at you. You didn't deserve it, and I'm really sorry. Forgive me, Y/n, please."

You were speechless. You came to apologize and remind her that she was the only one you wanted, but now you didn't really know what to do, so you had to improvise. "Okay, I accept your apology on two conditions." She nodded hesitantly. "One, you took this rose because I think I cut myself with a thorn." She took the flower carefully, and she smirked. "And two, I want you to kiss me; like, really, I missed you all day. I start to know what Tony feels when Pepper is busy with work—"you were cut off when she crashed her lips against yours.

When she pulled away, you wanted to complain, but you both heard a voice from the doorframe: "It was like the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life." Pietro said you both blushed before you noticed what he had in his hands.

"Pietro, what do you eat?" You asked and secretly hoped he would not say what you thought.

"Oh, someone made the dinner and we were about to eat that's why I'm here." You were about to say something, but the speedster was... faster. "I don't know who prepared this paprishka, but it's pretty good." he look at Wanda "not good as yours but it's good you should taste"

"Pietro, that was not for you," they both looked at you, "it was for my date with Wanda," you added, and the witch blushed. Suddenly, Yelena appeared next to your best friend.

"Y/n, they are ruining your date with the little witch," she said, and then looked at the boy. "Oh, is it good?" She asked, and he nodded, "Good because we spent a lot of time to do this." She then looked at you and said, "You should come to eat and have 'family dinner'." She made air quotes, and you laughed.

When she and Pietro left to eat, you were alone with Wanda. "I think I hate them," you said, and she chuckled.

"We both know it's not true," she replied.

"Yeah, but I wish I could."

"If you hate them, can you keep loving me?"

"Always," and you kissed her. "Now let's go before they finish everything." You stood up and started to walk to the kitchen.

"Y/N?" Wanda called you, and you turned around to look at her "I love you."

You blushed. "I love you too, Wanda," you replied, giving her an air kiss. "Now the first at the kitchen, choose the film for tonight." You started to run.

"Hey, that's not fair!" the Sokovian started to run too. "I hate you, Y/N!" she yelled.

"We know it's not true!" you yelled back.

---------------------

[maingh0st]

🚀 Do you like to outline your fic first or create as you go?

✍️ What’s your ideal writing setup?

✨️ Out of the comments you’ve received on your fics, what are two or three of your favorites?

hi!!! from this ask game

🚀 Do you like to outline your fic first or create as you go?

editor ellen brock has this great video about types of novel writers, and I am 100% what she calls a "methodological pantser." I outline a bit first, then write, then revisit the outline and make adjustments, then tweak what I just wrote & use that momentum to write the next chunk, repeat and repeat ad nauseam. it's a very circular writing process, and it took me a long time to realize that wasn't a bad thing.

a lot of writing advice online seems oriented toward people who plan everything ahead of time and then draft it all in one linear go, so I always felt bad about myself when I tried that and would inevitably run out of momentum 30% through my project. like the nanowrimo ethic is "just charge forward; don't delete anything/revise what you've written because that'll slow you down," but every time I've finished nanowrimo, I've ended up with a pile of hot garbage because I was fighting against my own creative process! anyway, if you suspect you have a writing process like mine, give yourself space to work with it and cultivate it!! it makes writing so much more fun for me

✍️ What’s your ideal writing setup?

comfy on my couch, sipping a gin & tonic (glass of red wine also acceptable, or a cortado on the rare occasion I have time to write during the day), power thesaurus tab open, scrivener doc fullscreen, classical lofi playing in the background :)

✨️ Out of the comments you’ve received on your fics, what are two or three of your favorites?

I love and am so thankful for all comments (people read my work! that's crazy!) but a few things are always extra special to me:

readers talking about their emotional resonance with the fic - someone said head on my heart left them breathless, which 😭

people pointing out specific lines that really struck them - you left a comment like this on chapter 9 of mniwyd that highlighted a line which I hadn't thought much of—it's so cool to see unexpected things really stick out to readers :)

comments on the craft!! @sheepfulsheepyard left the sweetest comment when I was in a lull complimenting my prose & characterization and it singularly motivated me to keep revising 🖤

I am so so lucky to have a handful of readers who comment regularly on mniwyd. if I haven't mentioned you here, know that I'm thinking of you & that every time I see your name in my inbox, I am kissing you on the mouth

[comfortlesshurt]

Saw that post about fic-writing-related questions to ask you and so:

1. What's the word that appears most in your current draft?

2. What's your preferred writing font?

3. Where do you get your inspiration? (And is it possible to learn this power?)

4. What's your favourite place to write?

5. Talk about your writing and editing process

6. What's the most interesting topic you've researched for a fic?

7. How do you recharge when you're not feeling creative?

8. Besides writing, what are your other hobbies?

omg yes, thank you!

I just started something last night but it's only 40 words, so I'm gonna jump over to a more substantial WIP to get a better answer for this one. For chapter 6 of the bigger fic I'm working on, the top three are: Keith, Shiro, and time. (Or if you want to exclude names, time, when, and enough!)

I picked Times New Roman 12pt when I was like... 12, and I never abandoned it.

It jumps around! Over the past year, it's honestly mostly been from reading others' fics! (Which is also why I've gotten more fanatic about using the "Inspired By" feature on AO3 recently, because I fully think it's okay to take inspiration from others, but the other person deserves a little boost in reads too!) In the past, I've pretty exclusively relied on other people giving me prompts, but I had to figure out something else when I desperately wanted to write and there was no outside interest.

This one's probably boring, but I can't stand writing on my phone or a laptop, so I exclusively write at my desktop in my living room.

For writing: 1) Get idea (the hardest part). 2) If it's multi-chapter and I know that from the start, I'm not allowed to write anything until there's a basic outline jotted down. 3) The actual writing: Active writing doc on one monitor, outline on the other (if it's a multi-chapter work where I need to keep track of how the current part interacts with other parts), and Spotify in the background! For editing: I'm awful about it. I'm one of those people who edits as I write even though it frustrates me every time. BUT in exchange, the final editing is a lot easier because I've already edited it during every drafting session. I try to do the editing at the start because then it doubles as me reminding myself what I've already written and might give me ideas for what I want to write in the rest of this session. The final editing session after the writing is done is usually just me googling synonyms for the words I think I overused!

Oh man, I'm sure I'm blanking on something more interesting from further in the past, but a recent one has been the actual timeline for Voltron. Like, I always knew it was set in the future, but I never thought about exactly when since the show seems to be intentionally vague, and I had to dig into fan theories to get a good answer to that. Usually if I need to research something, I'll stick to an overview because I will go overboard if I give my brain half a chance, and a brief overview is usually enough to avoid writing anything completely wrong and immersion-ruining.

Ooh, I switch hobbies for a bit! I used to think you can't really call it a hobby if you don't do it almost every day, but that's a silly idea and I've given it up. If I don't feel like writing, I don't write. Usually, I'll get really into reading again during those times, but I might also go back to playing the guitar or drawing. It doesn't matter what it is, as long as it's fun and it's not writing. I just do that until I feel like writing again. That keeps me from associating writing with being frustrated and upset since I only write when I actively want to.

Oops, kinda went into them above already! But other than those ones, I also obsess over statistics, coding, and general math nerd stuff since those are what I went to college for. There are probably other hobbies, but of course they've all popped out of my head now that I'm trying to think of them!

[nebulouscoffee]

Hey! I'm really sorry that life has been so rough lately, I'm keeping you in my thoughts 🙏 here are some things I'd love to hear your thoughts about, & feel free to make it as long & detailed as you want! 1/your favourite piece of Bajoran worldbuilding (from the show or from a fic you've read or from your own headcanons - you decide!); 2/your favourite type of alien clothing on any star trek (or single favourite alien outfit) & why you like it; 3/what your concept for Ben & Kasidy's child is: who they are, who they grow up to be, etc.; & finally, 4/your opinions about the clock Ben builds in "Dramatis personae". Here you go! Take care <3

... this is so incredibly sweet, thank you😭😭 I really truly appreciate it, as well as all of these Very interesting questions❤️❤️

Ahhh it's hard to pick, I love so much about Bajoran worldbuilding! First of all the non-linearity of their religion is SO COOL & mind-blowing to think about, & I really love the way it- by its very nature- allows you to re-contextualise so much of the show's lore. Like- is Joseph Sisko written into ancient Bajoran prophecies thanks to his non-linear affair with a Prophet?? Do those prophecies inform or influence traditional archetypes of love in Bajoran culture?? Did Kira grow up learning about an archetype of corporeal love based entirely on Joseph Sisko, the father of an alien man who would decades later become her boss??? I don't know!! But I can write fic about it!!! (And then not post it!!!🙈😂) I do headcanon that dominant Bajoran cultures all have strong archetypical figures, it just makes sense to me given their caste system & that "three brothers" story Kira tells Ben & just how much emphasis they as people place on roles and duty and their place in the world (and on their world). I also love the recurring theme that they greatly value (and like, listen to) their planet. They talk about Bajor like it's a living organism, one big ecosystem they are all a part of, and whenever there are floods, famines, earthquakes, etc, they pay attention, as if its a bug in the immune system- such an interesting contrast to Cardassia, where they plundered their own resources & then came for others. There's this whole collective spiritual (rather than strictly political or social) connectivity that I find very fascinating- something about Kira thinking of herself as simply an empty "vessel" to the powers that safeguard her planet & connect her to her fellow Bajorans. It makes me wonder about their large diaspora, & the sort of pain Bajorans like Ro may carry around over that forced separation. Oh, and that they have Fire Caves. Like those Fire Caves were really just hanging around the whole time huh. Also that Proper hasperat is apparently supposed to be made with a brine so strong your eyes water. So that's five things!

2. Garak's Watermelon Suit.

3.

Lol jk. Garak does have some fire 'fits tho (that red and black tunic with the embroidery? A Look🙌) Anyway,

2. I also think Lenara's purple formal dress was really pretty! And most of Quark's outfits are killer tbh. The detail!

Kira's dress from 'Fascination' was fun- and I like both Winn Adami costumes a lot, the vedek robes with the opera house hat & also the golden kai robes. Again, there's a lot of cool details (esp with that elliptical Bajoran symbol & patterned fabric which the 90s quality completely nukes.) Oh, and speaking of hats- all of Guinan's hats are iconic, and Jadzia's Klingon wedding dress was pretty cool too. Basically I am terrible at choosing things; I just now remembered Spock's Goth Chic robe from TMP and that reminded me SNW has been doing some really cool things with T'Pring's wardrobe-

3. The siskasidy baby!!! I have named this baby so many different things in post-canon fics lol, everything from Jennifer to Sarah to Jadzia ("Jazzy", or "Jazz" for short- I think this is my favourite, given how Avery Brooks seems to be irl about jazz.) I don't think I have any real headcanons about who they grow up to be (I'd love to hear any ideas you may have!) but I did come to terms with Ben missing out on their first year(s?) by imagining he sort of spiritually shares consciousness with several Bajorans over that time period (very much consensually, like this is an experience that allows these Bajorans to walk with the Prophets for a time & also enriches Ben's- and the Prophets'- understanding of Bajoran life) and these Bajorans befriend Kasidy & look out for her and the baby <3

4. Lmaooo I have SO many feelings about this clock. Like WHY did he build a CLOCK. *frantic strings across conspiracy board* I know, I know, the writers were probably just going for something random at the time, it was, at heart, a goofysilly s1 episode that easily could've been on TNG or VOY- but it really does become sort of mind-blowing when you consider it in the grander scheme of Ben's arc. Plus- they kept it in his office throughout the series!! They put it in JAKE'S HOME in the alternate 'Visitor' timeline!! I do think that episode implies their weird behaviours also came from somewhere within them (that's how I like to explain Kira Your-taste-in-men-frightens-me Nerys flirting with Weird Aliens Odo & Dax anyway😂), so I like to think Ben just has this deep ponderance of time & temporality just like. Sitting within him somewhere. The clock was actually from an ancient Gamma Quadrant civilisation whose memories possessed them all, but I still feel like that last shot where Ben sets off the timepiece he (for some reason) built from scratch and lets it tick was Symbolic somehow. Like- this man is part-Prophet!! He was conceived non-linearly his birth was arranged he was always meant to discover the Celestial Temple aka the path to- you guessed it- the Gamma Quadrant!! Something something Events Set In Motion

[jennycalendar]

Hi! I'm new here (here being your blog, calendiles fandom, and also just...Buffyverse fandom in general? I haven't been here that long haha) and I finally got around to checking out your work on AO3 and uuuhhh you've written SO MUCH!!! So first of all, THAT'S AMAZING, GOOD JOB!! But second of all, I have no idea where to start reading... Can I maybe get like a rec from you of your top 5 faves? (Not fan faves, but YOUR faves, fics/series you're most proud of, etc.) Please and thank you :)

oh, wow, this is so sweet <333 hello! i have seen your fic in the buffyverse tag and lurked more than once there. expect some reviews at SOME point when my brain will allow me, because you are adding some excellent sapphic/nonbinary representation to the buffyverse in a very lovely way. i deeply appreciate your energy.

as for my top five faves -- i appreciate your specification that they have to be MY top five faves, because i really was about to just point to the braveryverse as smth that i think you personally might like. (not a single straight person, found family, etcetc). but my personal top five is a lil different than the stuff that's the most popular w/ fandom at large. (not by too much though.)

all of these range from "a little lengthy" to "novel-length" but i think they are worth it! and they are also all complete! (except for the first one on the list, which has a sequel in the works, but everything PUBLISHED is complete!)

1. never mind the years of wasted time

so this is my long-standing baby that i am blogging about all the time! it's so important to me! i cannot overemphasize how much this 'verse means to me. it's an improbable little everybody lives/nobody dies au set about three years after canon, and in my heart it does kind of stand as a spiritual follow-up to canon, in that the emotional place that giles starts the story is very much a continuation of the emotional place that he ends canon in. there are so many details within the main fic (what you make) that i cannot pack into a single summary (giles and jenny's eight-year-old son, who she left sunnydale to raise! giles and buffy trying to figure out how to reckon with the concept of giles being a parent to a kid that isn't her! jenny's adoring extended family! a subplot that is literally just all about how giles's parents met and fell in love! giles and jenny's individual baggage from their complicated parents and how that informed the decisions they made with each other and with/for the kids they were in charge of!) also it is impossible to read the fic and come away NOT loving art or alice or nora. nora is literally my url now because i tricked myself into loving her so hard by writing her all the time.

anyway yes! top of my list, this is the thing i am the most proudest of, it is literally novel-length and i have been considering learning book-binding just because i want the physical experience of making it into something that i can hold.

2. as day follows night

this is also long but um, less long? this is The Faith Fic. i don't really know how to talk about it without spoiling it (or if i've already talked about it and spoiled it, or if the tags will spoil it...) but suffice it to say that this fic is about faith right after killing the deputy mayor, and her decision to ally herself with an all-powerful witch. or more like "attach herself." like to the witch's skirts. and hang on while the witch drags her around trying to get her to let go. (this girl has some attachment issues). it's got fuffy it's got fairy tales it's got the force of platonic love being the most powerful force in the world <3 and i think it is the first long fic i ever wrote where i had an outline and a plot that made sense and consistent tone throughout!

3. the tale of princess imogen

FAIRYTALE CALENDILES WHAT MORE CAN I EVEN SAY??? also some background fuffy and tillow bc obviously! anyway this whole fic is about jenny the witch pining helplessly for giles the acting monarch and losing her mind a little when princess buffy lets it slip that he's in love with some dark-haired lady who's constantly hanging around the castle all the time. and then subsequently coming up with a Magic Plan to ruin his chances of ever being able to win this dark-haired lady over, because what if she's bad for the kingdom? what if she's just trying to grab at power? THIS IS FOR POLITICAL REASONS SHE IS VERY NORMAL.

4. illumination

this one is about giles and jenny both realizing that they share the experience of being closeted bisexual individuals in a het-passing relationship & subsequently figuring out how to process this. (so obviously chapter three is pegging. but it's THEMATICALLY IMPORTANT pegging. and if explicit stuff isn't your cup of tea, the first two chapters are totally sfw!)

5. private life

i am actually really proud of this one! this is set in season four and it's about xander walking in on giles kissing a man and having to reckon with a lot of complicated internalized biphobia. i love xander so much. of course he has to make this list. (and this is DEFINITELY the shortest fic on this list lmao.)

also honorable mentions to north star and it's the principle of the thing, which are the fics that i write when i'm not feeling like writing a Big Complicated Interlock-y project, so if you wanna read something of mine that will (uh, someday) be updated and is still in progress, that would be where to go right now until the what you make sequel shows up! north star is essentially a (mostly) scooby genfic that's set in season six where willow resurrects jenny to prove herself to giles, and it deals with the fallout of that. it's the principle of the thing is a super trope-y fic about giles and jenny getting green card married in the middle of season one because that's what you do when your workplace enemy might have to leave :) you propose marriage so he can't :) it's normal :) she's normal :) she's fine :) do not look her in the eye

[skyyknights]

20 Questions For Fic Writers

Tagged by @zeldaelmo @nocturne-side-blog @aegon-targaryen !! Thank you all!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

59 in total, but only 46 are available to the public 😅 I think I ended up putting some of the ones I wasn't as fond of, or ones that I just didn't feel like updating ever again, to a private collection lol

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

212,020!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

hooboy.

Legend of Zelda, mainly, but also: How to Train Your Dragon, Miraculous, LOTR, 1917, MCU, Narnia, Endeavour, and a few other extremely obscure fandoms hardly anyone else is in XD

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

the faces left behind (LU which I know many people hate but I like it so don't judge lol)

Marinette Has Cookies (Of Course Chat Showed Up) (what an annoying title actually??) (Miraculous)

Just Allergies? (How to Train Your Dragon)

Juli's Tree (Flipped)

The Power of a Hot Drink (Skyward Sword)

wow I am... not good at coming up with fic titles 😂 nowadays I just pick a song lyric from a song that applies and slap it on the title but other than that they're pretty horrible 💀

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

Yes! Although sometimes if there's really no way to respond to it I just mark it as read.

...also usually it takes me a while to get the motivation to reply. I've been known to take months before answering a comment 😬

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

Oo hm... I can't decide so instead I shall dump a handful of them

One Last Look - Skyward Sword Zelink, after that scene

Age - Sksw Zelink through the years, with a bittersweet ending

Golden Sands - this is one of the first fics I ever posted (originally posted on Wattpad... oof). but basically it's about the robot Skipper from Skyward Sword, thinking about his past life while broken and unable to move in the present.

Incomprehensible - POV of other hobbits in the Shire, unable to understand why the four Travelers act the way they do, or why eventually their number drops to three.

Regrets - Joandeavour talking about... tough things :(

Please, Ada - Babey™ Legolas wanting to hang with his father and his father does NOT want to hang with him is the happiest way I can describe it

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

Take three because I'm indecisive.

Worthy - Edmund Pevensie coming to terms with the fact that he is loved

Spidey - Spideychelle being oblivious. that is all

Rainy Days - TP Zelinkkkkkk

there's definitely more but I think those are probably some of the happiest

8. Do you get hate on fics?

My fics usually have a pretty small reception so I don't think so? The most would be someone saying the plotholes of the fic were killing them which then sent me, a major overthinker, into overdrive, even though it's not that bad XD so no, thankfully, I don't think I've ever gotten any (although anon hate is another thing entirely. LOL)

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

nope! don't ever plan to either

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

erm. I don't think I ever have?? I've read one or two before, but I don't believe I have ever actually written one

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so XD

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

again, idt so!!

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

nope! It's a dream of mine though, Noct and I have several things planned >>>>>>:)

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

oh boy.

so

this is a tricky question

and

the answer is.

all of them

ok jokes aside I genuinely cannot narrow it down, so I'll list... my top five, I guess.

Zelink, Joandeavour, Spideychelle, Rudy/Liesel, and Hiccstrid

(Hm. Thinking about it Joandeavour is probably my favorite just because it's so heartbreakingly tragic, but Zelink is a very very very close second)

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

hah.

Probably this, a fix-it Spideychelle fic that I have a lot written for but idk if I'll ever have the guts to do much else with it

16. What are your writing strengths?

d. description I guess?? I've never been a good judge at what I'm good at XD

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I tend to be a bit Victor Hugo-esque with my sentences, aka I have to control myself so the sentence doesn't stretch on for five paragraphs

and we don't talk about my old fics <3

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

I mean? For LOTR I would definitely sprinkle in elvish just for the vibe of it, also because he did so, but I would also provide translations. For real-world...hmm. I think I did throw in three or four German words in The Book Thief fic I posted recently, but again, the author himself did so, and I think so long as you're not adding a full, necessary sentence that the reader is then required to look up in order to understand what's going on, and if you instead just use a curse word or a muttered phrase of annoyance or something in the other language, I think that's fine.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

LOTR, I believe. Hand-written in seventh or eighth grade XD

(And then I wrote dozens of unfinished Loz fics in the notes app on my mom's ancient phone she didn't use anymore, fics that completely misunderstood any of the games because I hadn't played them yet. It pains me to think about those fics).

(also this is not counting those "add on to the end of the story!" assignments teachers used to give out in middle school)

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

oh hot dang lemme see

againnnn we are doing several (look my decision making has been ATROCIOUS lately, I cannot be faulted <3)

you feel like home - SkSw Zelink, a teeny tiny bit of angst but mostly fluff (also Link nearly throws hands with Scrapper which is a bonus. When I tell you I cranked that fic out in a day after getting so salty with Scrapper I nearly snapped my wiimote in half)

would I run off the world someday - a very recent TP Zinc fic!! It has traces of Midlink; essentially, it's about Link refusing to stop grieving Midna, and thus hurting himself and Zelda, who is in love with him due to having shared a soul with Midna. It's basically a 4+1 fic and does end happy with the promise of future Zelink, very different from my normal Zelink stuff though

annnd...

Forbidden - Zinc week fic that didn't get as much attention as my other two ZW fics, but I actually really really love it so. <3 I just. idk I love the prose of that fic, I suppose :) and the ending hehe

I do have a few other favorites but I think it's unfair to include them because they're unfinished lol

tagging: @aheavenscorner @minstrelsmusings @onewingedsparrow (sorry if you've already been tagged oops)

[steddieas-shegoes]

Random questions for the inbox game: If you had any two super powers what would they be? What are your favorite accessories you wear? Silliest or worst gift someone has gotten you? Meal,you don't get to eat often, but you've been craving the most recently? What is something you have bookmarked to possibly buy when it goes on sale (or if not one item what store are you waiting to have a cool sale)? Something you've tried,or watched, recently that you thought you'd hate but ended up liking? I personally think ST will end on a sad note since there has been talk of expanding the universe apparently (sounds like a bad idea to me…unless they were just referring to that play. but I think Ryan R*nolds wanted a crossover of sorts with D*adpool idk) BUT If it ends on a GOOD note and has a finality to it, do you think Stranger Things will have one of those cliche movie credit sequences that says what the characters go on to do? If so what do you vaguely think it'll say for your fave 5 characters?

I would want to be able to fly (never have to pay for airfare again) and to be invisible (never have to pay for ANYTHING again).

I am not much of an accessories person, but I do wear my hat that says absolutely not at least a few times a week (when I'm too lazy to wash my hair).

I don't think I've ever gotten a bad gift, but I did receive an "I love ketchup" shirt for Christmas when I was in middle school because I put that shit in and on everything. Everything. Mac and cheese, eggs, steak, chicken, any form of potato. I still do love ketchup, and will put it on any of those, but I've definitely toned it down.

Anything from Homecomin' at Disney Springs. It's known as a joke to everyone who knows me that if we go out, I am almost always going with a pasta dish. But they don't even have pasta at that restaurant and it's one of my favorite places to eat. Everything I've had on the menu is so good, especially brunch. God, the cheesy potatoes. I'm drooling.

Most of my bookmarked stuff right now is hockey related items for Liam 😂 I also am always happy to spend money at bookstores.

Does writing count? I technically have only been on here for about three months actively posting my own stuff. I think I figured I'd post a few things and then go back to reading fics other people wrote and now I'm writing in all my free time because I love it so much.

This question is making me very emotional because I don't want it to end. I rarely get into shows or movies to the extent of which I have for Stranger Things. I think it will have a bittersweet ending. There's no way everyone is making it out alive and I am very attached to all of these characters. I don't think they will do the cliche thing there, but I just have this weird feeling that there will be some end credit scene that just goes black and says something like "The previous recordings are based on a true story" or something Blair Witchy like that. I have a bad feeling Steve is gonna be a goner. No, I'm not prepared for it and I won't be taking questions. I also think that either Will or El will sacrifice themselves and either end up dead or extremely hurt. I have a small concern Max is not waking up, but I think they will keep her in a coma for most or all of the season whether she wakes up or not. I think Dustin is gonna be so fucking traumatized they should do a spinoff that's just him in therapy.

Thank you so much for these questions you're amazing ❤️