#it may be why she found it easier to jump backward in the timeline than write a straight sequel

[weekend-conspiracy-theorist]

rereading network effect this time with the foreknowledge that fugitive telemetry is not a sequel to it (and having actually read them chronologically rather than in publishing order), I am forced to conclude that it is actually a fairly satisfactory/hopeful conclusion to murderbot's character arc, so although I so desperately want to see its adventures with ART and its crew, it won't be the end of the world if martha wells never writes a sequel. I'd just be extremely disappointed instead of absolutely heartbroken

[tippenfunkaport]

Long ass author's notes under the jump because it's my post and I do what I want...

Whew! And that's a wrap on Going There at 141,587 words!

So this is my longest fanfic to date and the one that took the longest because of all the rewrites so indulge me for a moment. 

While I didn't start posting this until Dec of 2020, I started writing it about two months after the Season 5 finale ended so this has been just under four years in the making for me. The Season 5 finale of She-Ra dropped May 15th, 2020 but I watching it with my kiddo so it took us several weeks to actually get through it all between school and life. But while I had an absolutely amazing experience watching this show with her from Day One and wouldn’t change it for the world, small children are not the ideal viewing companion if you actually want to pay attention to, say, dialog and it made for a distracted viewing experience. It was easily a month plus later when I actually had the time to re-watch the entire show myself and properly pay attention. This rewatch coupled with listening to ND Stevenson's character playlists and generally spending far too much time thinking about these characters than is normal or healthy while coping with a global pandemic catapulted me fully into obsession town. 

Getting Warmer wasn't just my first SPOP fanfic, it was the first fanfic I'd posted ever. As I’ve mentioned before, I wrote it because I was in a writing workshop at the time and needed something to share with the class and didn’t have anything original in progress atm. (I started lockdown super burned out and my plan during the pandemic was to take a break from writing entirely while my job was COVID-ed. This somehow backfired spectacularly and instead I wrote 2 million words of fanfic in under a year but that’s another story.)  Almost immediately after posting Getting Warmer, I started thinking about writing more missing scene fics set during season 5, my list gradually increasing until I realized at this point I might as well accept that I was apparently writing the fabled longfic. 

Going There had two big metamorphosis moments as I was writing it which added to why it took me so long to post. The first was that I had already written a good chunk of it when the fandom found ND's fic, Don't Go, which threw me into something of a narrative tailspin as it ruined the continuity of what I'd been writing. After some hemming and hawing, I decided it was worth it to go back and rewrite everything to accommodate the new timeline that this new bit of canon gave me. 

The second big shift was that this story originally started with the gang taking off from Etheria (hence why it was called Going There), but at this point I had written the scene with Bow finding the notes (which I had planned to just post as a one-shot) and sort of regretted that Shells wasn’t part of it which led to the realization that... you know what? I might as well just do the whole dang season, let's go. 

So, hilariously, this last section when they were on Etheria was finished first, then the space stuff that I had to rewrite was written next, and the very first section when they were on Etheria I wrote last. Which is completely backwards but just the hilarious way writing works sometimes. 

Honestly, everything about how I wrote this was “wrong” (which I  kind of needed to do during my lockdown breakdown to remind me why I write the way I do) in the sense of proper writing process which is another big reason for the stop and start in posting BUT that was a weird kind of blessing in disguise because now whenever I go back to an really disastrous draft that I did a poor job of planning first, I find myself saying, “Oh well! It’s going to suck, but this’ll be just like rewriting Going There!” Which maybe doesn’t sound helpful but one of of the biggest things with writing is everything is easier when you know you’ve pulled off something similar before. 

(Unfortunately, I also wrote Horse Girl Everyone the same way I wrote Going There which was very bad of me and Past Tippen needs a stern talking to because now Present Tippen has a mess to deal with. There is such a fine line between “haha, it’s only fanfic so I don’t have to care wooooo” and “oh damn it now I just made more work for myself by not caring” and I always seem to be on the wrong side of it.) 

Someday, I would like to start a similar "one-shot collection that can be read continuously," post-war canonverse fic of the Best Friend Squad navigating peacetime and their new relationships (it’ll include everyone but mostly focus on Catradora and Glimbow so I'm calling it Squad Goals), but that will have to wait until I get some of my other WIPs finished. Though I will say that Going There has a direct sequel which is already in progress (What can I say? I got impatient!) called Coming Home that is already over 40k long and barely halfway done so there's plenty to catch up on in the meantime. 

Plus all my canonverse fics are in continuity with each other so any of my post-war fics function as sequels to this (just keep in mind that most of my fics are private right now because of AI scraping so you'll need to log into to see most of them).  

I said in the notes that I would eventually like to be completely self-indulgent go back and do a full live re-read of the entire fic as kind of a director’s commentary track so keep an eye out for that in this space at some point in the future. 

What’s next? Well, in the most immediate, in about a week you’ll be getting 7 brand new fics for me for Glimbow Week, one of which is a multi-chapter I wrote as part of the WIP Big Bang. Then as soon as I get a break in my IRL work schedule (this summer has been so crazy), I’ll be back to finishing up my other fics in progress. This is getting long so I’ll wrap this up and then do another update of where I stand with all of those in separate post. 

I want to thank everyone who's been reading this all this time, even though of you that hopped in and out just to read random chapters. It has been so much fun reading all your reactions as we went! 

If you’re not a writer, you cannot possibly imagine how many hours of work went into this absolute labor of love. I went into this fic not really expecting anyone to read it outside of the usual diehard Glimbows and was surprised and delighted when it found readers outside of that usual niche! This was ultimately just a way for me to collect all my own personal headcanons about Season 5 in one place so hearing from so many of you that this became one of your comfort fics or that this felt like the expanded version of Season 5 gives me endless joy!  

Thanks again for reading and joining me on this journey! 

"Hold out your hand," she said, and he did because he always trusted her, even now when everything was unfamiliar and new. She tipped whatever was in her hand into his and pressed his fingers closed around it. "Can you feel it?"  He nodded. Something tingled against his palm, the warmth slightly twitchy, like a living thing. When he glanced down, he saw golden light spilling out from between his fingertips. "What is it?"  Glimmer fit her hand over his, the two of them holding the glow together. "Ask it to do something. Anything."

Gorgeous art by the amazing and talented @dalila-nonsense for the final chapter of Going There which is called...

✨Glow✨

Read on AO3

[marshunter06]

“Didn’t I”- OneRepublic (Romanogers)

AN: Shout out to @lotsofloveish for pushing me to listen to this song giving me inspiration. Tbh this should probs be a multichap fic, but I suck at those. Maybe one day I’ll actually do it...

Didn't I, didn't I, didn't I love you?

Didn't we, didn't we, didn't we fly?

Know that I, know that I still care for you

But didn't we, didn't we say goodbye?

Steve brought back the soul stone last. He has hoped that doing so would immediately bring her back, but it didn’t. He waited even with Red Skull warning him it would not work. He should have been back to his reality, but he couldn’t face it without her. It wasn’t until Clint went looking for him on Voirmir with the same somber expression that gave him the strength to leave.

“I miss her too, but it’s time to go home. Nat would want you to go back.”

——

Natasha opens her eyes, wait, that shouldn’t be possible. She should be dead, she jumped off the cliff. She sits up, observing her surroundings, still in Voirmir and indeed at the bottom of the cliff. She gets up on her feet, the motion makes her muscle ache. It feels too real for someone who shouldn’t be alive. She doesn’t understand. One thing’s for sure, she wouldn’t be able to scale the cliff and get back up. Even if she did, she wouldn’t be able to get back. If she did somehow come back from the dead, no one would know, Clint would’ve taken the ship which leaves her stranded. There has to be another option… She still had the pym particle! It miraculously survived the fall, she could use it to go back to the original timeline as long as the rest of her equipment was still working. This was her only shot, she had to try it.

——

A month has passed since he returned the stones, earth is slowly readjusting to the blip. Things have somewhat gone back to normal. Still Steve is haunted by the loss of his one true love. He tries to busy himself, but then he’ll think he sees her at a coffee shop only to be let down when he can’t find her. He’s starting to lose his reality without Natasha to guide him. She’s always been the one to point him in the right direction, he’s lost without her.

——

It worked, but she was too late. Thanos has been defeated, and Tony had to pay his life to do so. They were supposed to bring everyone back with the stones, now Morgan will grow up without her father by her side. She may have missed the funeral, but nothing is stopping her from paying her respects now.

“Thought I would find you here.”

“I thought you were dead.”

“I could say the same thing about you. How did you know I would be here?”

“Where else would you be if you were alive? You’re not that hard to figure out.”

“What do you want from me Yelena?”

“A chance for you to come back home. The rest of the world thinks you’re dead, it’s the perfect cover.”

“You really don’t know me if you think I would agree to that.”

“You can’t hide from your nature Natalia, we’re black widows, we’re meant to work in the shadows.”

“Not this one. I won’t go back.”

“Suit yourself, don’t blame me for what happens next.”

“The red room is gone, you don’t have anything over me anymore.”

“Whatever helps you sleep better at night sister.”

——

It started with just seeing her, but now six months later, he swears he hears her laugh. He was headed back to his place past a packed bar scene when he heard her. He nearly dropped his takeout. There were too many people around, he couldn’t tell where it came from. His mind must be playing tricks on him again, but the sound was so real. He could recognize her voice anywhere.

——

In the end, Natasha knew she couldn’t just let Yelena get away. They were her family first, even though they’re on the wrong side, besides keeping her close makes it easier to figure out her next move. Still she couldn’t stay away from her real home for long. She really has gone soft. She used to be able to go deep undercover for months even years at a time, now she can’t help yearning to be back at Steve’s side. Just one look she would tell herself, any longer than that and she would be found out. Once Hydra is taken care of, then she could go get that life they both talked about.

——

Steve never thought he would have to go without her, but a year later Natasha still wasn’t back. He visits her gravesite often wishing she would give him a sign that she hears him. He can’t fathom a life without her even though he knows she would have wanted him to get one. Either they move on together or not at all. No one could ever compare to her.

Didn't I, didn't I, didn't I love you?

Didn't we, didn't we, didn't we try?

Know that I, know that I still care for you

Tell me why good things have to die

——

A full year passes and Natasha isn’t close to stopping Hydra. Maybe she should ask for help, she knows Sam and Bucky have been following the tracks she’s left behind. She wonders why Steve isn’t with them, but she knows the answer. He’s exhausted and with no one to stop him from being so reckless, he’s a liability to the mission. Grieving both her and Tony’s death really took a toll on him. He hasn't been able to move on. Maybe she should let him know she’s alive, but it would jeopardize the little progress she’s made here. Yelena trusts her and she’s on the inside, she can’t risk this no matter how much she wants to.

——

When word got to Steve that Hydra was starting to thrive once more he knew he had to stop them. He was in no condition though, so when Sam and Bucky offered to go check things out he didn’t fight them. He finds himself doing what Natasha did during those five years before Thanos was finally turned to dust- running the newly built Avengers headquarter. He thinks back to their many long conversations at night when they’ve both had too much to drink. They made countless plans together for when they could find a way to reverse everything. He would take her to all the places he traveled to during the war and they would trade stories. She would take him back to her motherland and give him a glimpse into her past. They would stay up late, not because of a mission, but because they could finally relax and just enjoy being in each other’s company.

Never thought we'd ever have to go without

Take you over anybody else, hands down

We're the type of melody that don't fade out

Don't fade out, can't fade out

——

He never did get to say goodbye to her, and he still won’t. He doesn’t know why he keeps on holding onto the hope she’s alive. It’s almost as if he could feel that she was still with them, did Pepper think that about Tony?

“Hey Cap, you doing okay?”

“Yeah, sorry Sam, I spaced out.”

“You sure you’re up for this?”

“It’s what she would want. It’s been almost two years now. Besides this is her family we’re dealing with.”

“She told you about them?”

“Not entirely, but I know how much Yelena means to her.

——

“So we finally meet, Captain America.”

“You can still do the right thing Yelena. You don’t have to follow Hydra.”

“I’m not like my sister, we have different ideals.”

Before he could get another word out, an explosion interrupts them. He’s thrown backwards, he gets up almost immediately after the fall, but she’s disappeared in the smoke.

“Sam, Buck, are you both alright?”

“Fine. The explosion didn’t quite reach us, in coming Sam!”

“Little busy here Cap.”

“Take care of those guys, I’m going after her.”

He makes it out of the building fairly quickly, he sees a flash of black over on the right towards the field. He immediately follows it, she couldn’t have gotten far. He gets closer and sees that she has a mask on. He didn’t think she brought a friend, but it was obvious he wasn’t chasing Yelena. There was something familiar about this person though. He nearly catches up to her when another explosion sounds in the distance.

“Steve we’ve got more company. Sam and I are on the way to you.”

He narrowly dodges a grenade Yelena throws at him. He throws his shield at her in return knocking her down. Instead of focusing on Steve, she shouts at the other widow he was chasing.

“Get out of here now!”

The masked widow runs off while Yelena gets up. Steve picks up his shield deciding not to run after the other person.

“You’re not getting away from me this time.”

“Watch me.”

She strikes first, knowing he would block it. He strikes back, but she moves out of the way. Neither of them noticed until it was too late, a widow bite shot out hitting Yelena. On the other end of it was the same person she told to run away.

“Who are you?”

She doesn’t answer him, instead she gestures for him to look behind him, another explosion ensures. It knocks all three of them back. Steve recovers first he looks for the two widows, he sees the ripped mask first then he sees her.

“Nat?”

“I’m sorry Steve.”

Smoke surrounds them in an instant. By the time it fades they’re both gone. She’s gone. Again.

We had our moments, didn't we? (Oh)

So much that we will never be (Oh)

[negatedtale]

FAQ

HELLO, [USER NAME NOT FOUND]! YOU’VE BEEN CONNECTED TO  

N E G A T E D T A L E

Q: What is this?

A: This is an Undertale Alternate Universe/Alternate Timeline blog featuring a story inspired by the game and the fanbase that has grown around it! At the moment, this is a story that heavily features OCs (fandom-based original characters), but canon characters from Undertale will make an appearance as well.

The story so far: You and others have been connected to a strange device that allows you to speak to a skeleton named Aster, who is lost in a void. Despite her cryptic statements and unwillingness to answer certain questions, it appears that she trusts the people speaking to her. Eventually, she reveals that there may be a way out of her situation—and that it will involve jumping backwards in time to her past.

You can read from the beginning starting HERE and jump to specific story points from HERE.

Q: Who are you?

A: I’m Muse! You can find my personal blog @museconfused where I reblog a lot of my fandoms, ships, art references, and other assorted nonsense, and you can see just my art @confusedmuseart! If you need to talk to me, you can message me on either of those blogs or on here by making it clear it’s not an ask meant for a character!

Q: When does this update?

A: There is a minimum of one update a week, usually on Mondays at 7 PM PST! Any additional updates are on a “when I have time to finish them” basis. Any delays in updates will be announced on the blog!

Q: Why wasn’t my question answered?

A: This could be for any number of reasons! Your question may have been a duplicate, or it could be a response to a post where planned updates have already moved the topic along. It could also have been previously answered in another question! Or, I could be holding on to your ask for a future event or other storytelling purposes. ;)

Q: My ask wasn’t directed at that character and/or that future event!

A: Please refer to the last part of the previous question, and be aware that when you send in an ask, I may wait on it a bit.

Q: Can I dub this comic?

A: Sure! But please send me a message first to talk about it! That being said, if you monetize your dubs (ex: you put YouTube ads on your videos), then I will likely not be comfortable with it. Since I plan for this AU to have cameos that use other’s designs, I am not comfortable with monetizing this AU at all. If you do not monetize your fandubs and/or you are willing to not monetize a dub of Negatedtale, then let’s talk!

Q: The links don’t work on mobile/the image is blurry/something else is broken!

A: Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do about the many ways that Tumblr mobile breaks itself. (For instance, no matter what I do, my version of mobile never shows the ‘Previous’ link…) Please view this blog on a mobile browser instead of the Tumblr app if you are having issues navigating. All of that said, if a link is missing or broken and you’re not on mobile, please let me know!

As for blurry images, believe me, I have tried everything. No matter how I resize or cut up the pages, Tumblr posts them to the dash as blurry. It really sucks. Ironically, they look fine on mobile, so try viewing the pages there or click on the images on the dash to see them in the resolution they’re supposed to be at. Additionally, I also post Negatedtale updates on its main site here and my DA account if it’s easier for you to read there!

Q: I’ve seen you roleplay as Aster on a Discord server!

A: Awesome! Odds are she’s let more than a few spoilers slip though, so let’s keep the secrets to the RP so that people are still surprised, ok? Also, please be aware that not everything I RP ends up as canon on this blog in order to keep things consistent with the story. :D

Q: I have some other question/problem with the blog!

A: If it’s not addressed here, please feel free to send an ask or message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!