#it’s been zero days since I wrote a story in the tags

[only-one-brain-cell]

Giles: training after school??

Buffy: sure if your not too busy having sex with my mother!

Random student that over hears: this town just keeps getting weirder

Giles: *bumps into a tree*

[comicaurora]

Hi! I finally got the chance to read Aurora a bit ago. It's a wonderful story--all I was expecting and better! I was particularly amazed and delighted by the artwork and visual mechanics used to tell the story, so I wrote a post to yell about how cool it is and break some of it down. (No criticism, just praise.) I'm mostly a hobbyist, so I'm hoping I've done it justice.

That said: zero pressure to read it or respond to this ask. Normally I wouldn't send it since I tagged, but I know Tumblr's notifs are a mess and things get lost very easily. I've been in both the "one (1) word of praise will feed me for a year" and the "oh gods don't talk about my writing/art because anything that seems Off will break my brain" modes before, and I absolutely don't want to push or make you uncomfortable!

If you are comfortable, however, I wanted to ask about your use of what I'm assuming are Screen and blending modes in sound effect words. (I'm only guessing that's the technique, though, so I could be totally wrong about how it's done! I'm mostly experienced in image manipulation in Photoshop.) Making them semi-transparent over the actions is genius :) What inspired you to do that, and are there specific techniques you use to make it work?

Same questions go for using specific colors to distinguish different characters' words and actions. I really noticed it in the cave sequence with Falst and Dainix, since their colors are so vivid in the dark (ex. Falst's little swats and Dainix's swooping kick at 1.20.9). It lends excellent clarity to busy scenes.

Thanks! Have a lovely day, enjoy your break, and happy holidays <3

You're correct about the technique! "Screen" is the blend mode I use most often for sound effects. I stumbled on it mostly through trial and error - I love how sound effects add depth to a comic panel, but it's very easy for them to obscure the art in a way I find counterproductive, so "Screen" lets me put the sound effect directly over the origin of the sound while still letting it be visible through the word. Early chapters didn't have it as much-

Most of the sound effects in early chapters are just solid colors with reduced opacity if I'm feeling fancy. But I started figuring it out around chapter 8 and 9, because Falst is kind of a sound-effect-heavy guy, especially in his fight scenes.

In order to make sure they don't impede the visibility of the action, I'll often soft-erase the top or bottom half of the SFX to reduce its opacity while still leaving it readable.

I'll usually double that up with an outline on the SFX so it's still readable. This is an especially important consideration if the SFX goes over an area of the background that's very bright or glowing.

Color-coding the speed lines and SFX to the character or force causing them isn't a hard and fast rule, but I like using it (in part because it's a habit from the OSP illustrations, where every character has a single pop of color in their lineart) mostly because it sort of codes every sound to make it clear where it's emanating from, or the general feeling of the sound. Since I normally do character-colors for SFX, something like this stands out more jarringly-

Which it's supposed to, but a big lightning strike doesn't register as anything too worrying because it's just Tess up to her usual shenanigans.

It's also very useful for magic effects, because each form of magic has its own associated palette.

And when I had a very complicated fight scene in a dark environment, I used the texture pattern I'd already made for the monster to color its SFX, so when I Screened them onto the panels they didn't obscure too much while still communicating "this is something else."

Changing the weight, lined-vs-not-lined, and opacity of the SFX words also helps to communicate that not every sound has the same feeling. A strong motion is solid and aggressive, but a crackling, unstable sound is more ephemeral and staticky.

It's definitely been a process of learning as I go - looking back at the earlier chapters I can actually see when I first tried various tricks I now use regularly, like doubling and distorting an SFX to produce the effect of a camera-shaking impact. I haven't really seen any other comics that do it like I do, probably because most other comics follow a more traditional production pipeline where text bubbles and sound effects get locked into the composition early, before the inking stage, because traditional physical comics don't have digital-art layers to play with. Adding sound effects to a page is almost the last thing I do before exporting them, and that only works because digital art and layers allow for a ton of flexibility.

[villainofmyownstory]

Light years

masterlist

pairing: Simon “Ghost” Riley x android/hologram!Reader

summary: Many decades of longing. A lot of years of waiting. Hundreds of light years away from an Earth that no longer seemed like a memory, but a fictional story. A fairy tale written by poets. Earth no longer existed, and life on Zeus 2 went on as if the years of intergalactic war had never happened. As if the destruction of most of humanity had never taken place. There were still a few people on the new planet who remembered their lives on Earth. A past that was a memory stinging under the ribs. A small personal utopia for the last living people. Paradise lost.

tags: sci-fi!au, android, angst, ambiguous/open ending

1.4k words

author's note: Unfortunately, most of the 5th chapter of Day Zero, I don't know why, but it disappeared from my files, probably my mistake that I wrote it on my phone…. and I don't know when I will finish the 5th chapter. So I decided to write something else. I have never read sci-fi books, I have only watched a few movies of this genre in my life. Everything I've written here are my own thoughts about this alternate universe I've invented. Let me know what you think.

This story I wrote for @glitterypirateduck #GhostChallenge. I used prompt #’s 9 and 17. Challenge Masterlist

——————————————————————————————————

Wet streets and neon lights are two certainties of any Saturday evening. The man started his motorcycle from the parking lot with a squeal of tires. The vehicle flashed through the streets of the crowded city at high speed despite the heavy rain. Passing through one intersection after another, the man paid no attention to his surroundings. He had one goal in mind. Like every second Saturday of the month. One damn hour. Just one. Sixty minutes.

He cursed Captain Price in his mind, even though he knew the man had a visit this Saturday, sending him and Gaz to a neighboring planet to see if the unrest caused by the robot revolt has been adequately handled by the new authorities. Although they had their cybernetic teammates on the new planet, the captain trusted his human soldiers the most. Only Price and his three subordinates remembered well their service in the former Task Force 141 many decades ago on Earth. Sometimes, on their free evenings, they reminisced about their past lives, like a long-read book or a movie they watched. Memories that seemed so distant. It was hard to tell that they were their own. And yet they were. Earth had once existed. Their lives were different. A better place.

As the man approached his destination, he wondered if the next visit would look the same. Every month he deluded himself that this time it would not be like the previous one. That the clinic's staff would inform him of progress. About a breakthrough.

So much time. It had been so many, many years since they had lived on Earth. So many decades of longing and hope.

White, smooth walls. The floor lined with rectangular snow-white tiles. 134 pieces to be exact. Electronics and many screens on one of the walls. A comfortable chair and an empty space on the other side. He has long known every nook and cranny of these two rooms. The one where he stays during every visit and this small room, behind bulletproof plastic glass.

As on every single Saturday evenly at 7 pm he was greeted by the same artificial, synthetic voice.

"Welcome, you are a visiting guest at medical facility number 3 and your appointment is about to begin. Sit comfortably and enjoy the company of your still living loved ones.Thank you for using our services. To change your monthly subscription package, please head to room 221 on the 2nd floor. Memories from Earth eternally alive. Light years are no longer an obstacle. With us, everything continues uninterrupted. MedZeus 3 at your service. Light years don't matter. Earthly memories at your fingertips."

When silence falls, he counts every breath. Exactly 17, when a light comes on in the room behind the glass. The figure flickers and after a moment is visible in all her divine beauty.

You are as he remembers you. You are the same as you were taken out of his mind. A memory.

"Hi Simon!" The man clenches his tightened fists. Your voice is always the same. Bright, melodious. Joyful. Like every month you stand in the same place. In that fucking white void. So close and so far away. He dreams every day to be able to touch you again. To feel your soft and smooth skin under the pads of his scarred, rough hands. To touch your wavy hair at least once more and smell the fruity sour fragrance of your favourite perfume. He would like to see your rosy cheeks one more time. At least one damn tear in your eyes. Some human emotion.

"How was your service? You look tired. I hope the mission was successful." The same sentences spoken for months. He so longed to hear something different. Sorrow. Longing. Joy. Anger. Anything, some human feeling.

Meanwhile, everything is just as the signed script predicted. The programmed hologram of your character stands dressed in a plain black t-shirt with your favorite band and plain straight jeans. Hair tied in a loose ponytail. Just as he remembered you. Just as he saw you on the last day of his life. Yours.

If you hadn't been so stubborn, if you hadn't said those words. Maybe you would be together now. Light years from Earth. Light years from that life together.

The man slowly gets up from his chair and walks over to the glass. He removes the glove from his hand and stares at the bare palm to the cold transparent wall separating you.

“I miss you.” He finally says while swallowing that damnable, choking tightness in his throat. That bitterness that appears every time he looks at the product of his memories. You're seemingly here. You're so close. But he knows it's not you. You were now the product of his selfish desire. When he was awakened from centuries of hibernation many years ago the first thing he bought in his new reality. In his new life. You.

He damn well regretted that decision. He should have buried you long ago, erased your memories as other living people have done. Forget you and live on Zeus 2 like the others. He could eventually start a family, or adopt a small humanoid robot-child. He could even buy himself an android wife. After all, he was an intergalactic soldier. An Earth hero. One of the last humans from Earth. A myth.

That's probably why he couldn't let you go. You were something that kept him alive. Were you? No. For him all the time - you are. He didn't want to be like the others, he didn't allow his DNA to be changed. Even Captain Price was no longer fully human. He was afraid that with making him half human and half robot he would destroy the last part of you that had been in him all along.

Long minutes of silence after saying that three words. I miss you. They caused the figure behind the glass as if trying to process and quickly in gigabytes of stored data to find the answer to his words.

He smiled gently. But maybe the staff of the facility has managed to improve something, maybe there has been some kind of revolution and you will finally be more human. His again.

The hologram twitched slightly, as if it was about to disappear. The man glanced anxiously at his watch, it had been only 17 minutes since the start of the meeting.

“Simon”

Your voice is like behind a fog. His name whispered with the same tenderness when you first confessed your feelings for each other. That rainy November evening when he held you for the first time in his bare arms. When he gave you his heart. When he first said that he…

The man shakes his head. He didn't give them back those intimate memories. No. That's what he didn't transfer to the data cloud. So how is it possible…

“Don't let go, Simon. Never.” Your lips don't move. Your figure again slightly disappears for a fraction of a second. No it can't be true. Maybe this some bug in the system. A badly written code. Maybe a virus crept in, or a hacking attack. He had heard at the base, about recent cyber attacks on medical facilities. Maybe the attacks have reached his planet as well.

The image of your hologram is back to normal. As you do every month, you tilt your head slightly to the side and extend your hand. The man freezes, holding his breath. You always make this gesture at the end of your meetings.

You put up your thumb, index finger and pinkie finger, while keeping your ring finger and your middle finger down.

“I Love You” in Sign Language.

After a moment of hesitation, he extends his hand and his palm shows the same gesture. He rests his forehead on the cold glass closing his eyes.

You are about to disappear. Again you will remain just a part of a recollection. Data stored on the server.

When the man opens his eyes again he continues to see your figure. In white. A braid of tiny white gypsophila and purple eustoma flowers adorns your head. Your hair is loosely undone. Slightly curly hair reaches below your shoulders. A simple white dress covers your body from neck to ankles. Lace sleeves adorn your arms.

Time seems to have stopped. Again. As if there were no light years from earthly life. Like that tomorrow has simply arrived. Your image presented to him.

It wasn't his memory. He had no right to see you in your wedding dress. He did not have time. Tomorrow never came for the both of you.

This is your memory.

[mikuni14]

The last 2 weeks have provided me with amazing experiences from the BL series fan community. Moments when several series with very active fandoms are aired at the same time are very rare, and with the end of 2 series this week, I'm already mourning this wonderful, one-of-a-kind experience.

I have been camping in the following tags for many days and each one is different and unique: Love For Love's Sake I can't put into words what this show and fandom has given me. The number of absolutely insane analyses, meta, touching declarations of love to this series from moved viewers, and beautiful gifs is staggering. The series is excellent, the audience's reaction is also wonderful, it was such a great experience. Which doesn't surprise me, because it was people's reaction to real ART, which is always something special. The series itself is 10/10 for me in every category: love story, plot, actors, emotions, my investment in the story, quality, execution, even the "heat", because even though there were no love scenes, the guys were able to convey that they are very into each other 🥰

Dead Friend Forever I also enjoy the fandom experience immensely, the tag is full of great analysis and meta. The plot is so interesting and full of surprising twists and turns that there is always something new to discuss and come up with wild theories. The series is still ongoing, but for this moment it's also perfect for me and 10/10: love story (hehe), plot, actors, emotions, my investment in the story, quality, execution, also the "heat" (hehe).

Pit Babe I rate the fandom experience as *chef's kiss*. Tag is also full of interesting analyzes and meta, amazing gifs of Way. The fandom is generally very cheerful and unhinged, which is GREAT ✨ But what's most interesting is that if someone who didn't know Pit Babe checked the tag now, they would never guess who the main character and main couple of the series are (and this doesn't only apply to tumblr!). I find this incredibly funny 🤡 I'm not that interested in the series itself, so I won't rate it. I treat it as pure fun and entertainment, so I have zero expectations for the finale, especially since, of course, I've already stumbled upon possible spoilers. Personally, what I will take away from the entire series is my deepened love for Nut and a fascination with Way, whom I want like little girls want a new Barbie doll.

Last Twilight Another wild fandom experience lol I practically didn't visit the tag of this series at all, but I spent the last two episodes there in full camping mode, in a tent and cooking coffee after coffee over the fire 😄 Fans have once again soared to the heights of perfection, writing amazing analyzes and meta responses to the crap of the last episodes. The criticism was precise, justified, systematized, methodical and accurate 👩‍🎓 As with LFLS, it was an intellectual experience. The fans provided better entertainment than the series itself lol

The Sign hmm, for several weeks the tag has been dominated by BillyBabe, which is not strange because only this couple is responsible for BL aspect in this BL series 😄 I rate my fandom experience with The Sign in two categories: "until episode 7" full of amazing meta, analysis, beautiful gifs and enrichment for me as a fan, overall 10/10 and "after episode 7" which I spent mainly on… liking BillyBabe's photos and videos . Which is ok, because, well, I do like them a lot 😉

Two of the above series have already ended, although fans are still present, two more are ending this week. That's why I would like to take this opportunity and say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to all the fans, those who wrote emotional entries, deep and thoughtful meta, funny posts, created beautiful gifs, analyzed endlessly the smallest details and posted photos and videos of their favorite actors. You all made these last few days so interesting and fun. I hope there will be more days like this in 2024! 🥰

And now I'll only have DFF…

[weirdhom0]

Project to read every zero day fanfic on AO3

So yall can read the title, as of like and hour ago ive made a project for myself to read every zd fic on ao3 bc I realized that ive read a concerning amount of caldre fics so I might aswell turn it into something. So far ive read the equivalent of 3 pages on ao3 as of now (60 fics) ive only made this an official thing an hour ago so I havent been smashing out reading every fic on a page back to back to back, ive just been going through pages and reading ones that catch my eye so all the ones ive already read are spread out across 25 pages of all zd fics on ao3, ill try to get through every one but idk bc theres no way im touching 'THE GREAT DILDX IN CALS ASSHXLE!!!' LIKE HELL NAH IM NOT READING THAT SHIIITTTT!!!😭😭😭 Or like 'the great tales of butter on andres belly' IM MOT FUCKING READING THAT you couldnt even play me to skim those fics honestly.

But basically every week or 2 im just gonna be reading a few of them and updating yall on my thoughts and feelings bc oh boy do I have some feelings about these fic, not updates and thoughts on all the individual ones ive read bc hell no im not gonna put that much work into this.

Progress so far + stand outs

like ive said, ive read 60 fics so far and honestly not many stand out to me this far mainly bc their just not very good like their either straight up poorly written smut or regular fics with not alot of flavour to them ofc no hate to the creators all power to them honestly if they have the drive and passion to put their work out there then thats great for them, I just dont have much to say on those types of fics. A MASSIVEEEE thing ive noticed with alot of the fics in the zd fandom are the concerning tags that get put on them like why in the fucking hell are there so many god damn non-con fics??? Its a weird amount that im less then pleased to see and really really dont wanna see more in the future id like to see college au's, coffee shop au's, record store au's (heheheh always gotta throw in a cherry waves reference) or more happy ending fics but idk ig thats just what I want. Kinda random but I just remembered seeing a young royals caldre au fic one time and I havent seen it since im really looking forward to it bc im pretty sure its 15 chapters long I LOOVVVEEE long fics but also I think a young royals caldre fic would be so fire?? Like I see the vision

STAND OUTS!!!!

Not alot of notable fics, just 3, but their 3 damn good fics that are absolute must reads.

(not in specific ranked order)

1. CHERRY WAVES!!!! Brief rundown: its a record store caldre au where cal is an employee and andre is a customer so its a strangers to lovers type thing its also a very music heavy fic (obviously) which I love bc I looovvee music especially the music thats mentioned like deftones, wallows, the smiths ect.

God I love this fic and anyone that's seen my posts will know how much I love it, cherry waves is definitely my favorite out of the 3 so far and I may have just some very low standards for zd fics but this was a genuinely enjoyable read for me. Its long (13 chapters), its a slow burn, its cute, and the best one for me is that its got me hooked into the story without the appeal of ungodly amounts of s3x!! Its good for me bc im literally asexual (the s3x repulsed kind) and borderline aromantic so yeah horray!! There is a chapter where cal and andre get freaky but its not even relevant to the story and the author wrote it to be skippable which bless his heart he is a saint for that, a true sweetheart ty miles💜 not much else to say without spoilers so go read it for yourself, I cant link nor can I tell yall the ao3 acc bc its an orphan acc now so just search up 'cherry waves' on ao3 and try to find it, theres only 8 pages so its not too hard to miss bc its written like 'Cherry waves [COMPLETED!!!]'

2. Televangelism by anonymous Brief rundown: religious cal, non believer andre. Cal is like super super super religious and is constantly talking about god and shit like that and andre is like 'yeah whatever'. Some build up later and boom caldre🎉🎉 its not alot of plot to explain without spoiling it so please go read it, its only one chapter so its not gonna take up that much time

THE WRITING IS PHENOMENAL. BEYOND AMAZING. IT GENUINELY HAD ME CLUTCHING MY PEARLS BC OF HOW GOOD THIS WAS OMGGGGGGGG!!!! initially I was interested in reading it bc I saw the name and it made me think of the song by ethel cain and I thought the fic might have something to do with her song since ik theres some zd ethel cain enjoyers out there. I was shocked by the beautiful wording in this fic, the way the author describes the way cal thinks is just MUAH CHEFS KISS and okay SPOILER PLEASE DONT READ THIS NEXT PART IF YOUR GONNA GO READ THIS FIC CAUSE IT RUINS THE WHOLE ENDING or maybe there were hints in the fic all along and my dumbass wasnt able to pick up on them🤦 the way the author writes the caldre freaky time at the end made it sound like heaven (no pun intended) like it really made me think 'damn I need to get freaky with my homies cause holy shit this is making say gex sound so good rn'. At first when I was reading the end i didnt realize freaky time was happening until a little later then I should have realized um mb gays im too asexual for this shit!!😅😅 But also the way the author writes cals thoughts about the gay freaky time is gorgeous??!! Ugh I love when people write freaky time in a poetic manner that makes it sound like your being banged by an angel and its blasing you with radiant godly energy rather then me reading the words 'yeah baby you like that?' and skimming over the paragraph until I see the word 'came' so ik its over. Other then the freaktastic freaky time, the whole fic is written magnificently and I really love how they write religious characters it was truly enthralling 10000000000/10 would recommend its been a bit since I read it so I might be meatriding off my memory but idk im writing this at 1 im too tired to read it again.

The lucky last, 3. FBI's most wanted by gaygurobian Brief rundown: cal and andre go through with the shxxting (god fucking damnit💀) and cals about to khs when andre is like 'lets escape I have a plan' so they escape from the police and are now on the run from the cops. Caldre caldre caldre🎉🎉 its barely toxic well i mean a little but I dont think having a argument with your bf is toxic. Cal is also transmasc if that adds anything but not really.

THIS FIIICCCCC GOD ITS SOO GOOOOOOOOODDD idk if this was the first zd fic ive ever read or if it was the first GOOD zd fic ive ever read either way it was an og fic for me and the most memorable aswell. I remember so clearly the day I read it and how invested i was in this shit it was crazyyyyy, the writing is amazing and the author could really go places with how talented they are at story telling it was just wow wow wow im speechless. Im being so real when I say I like this cal and andre more then cal and andre in the movie bc ik they both did the same insane act of shxxting up their school but the fic really makes cal and andre more likable and makes them feel like people in a way that I didnt see them in the movie. I dont really sympathize with the cal and andre from the movie and I lowkey dislike them bc ik they probably stunk and were completely dicks, but cal and andre from this fic?? Bro those are my homies they are gannnggggg their genuinely so much more likable in the fic which I mean its a fic yeah ofc their gonna seem more likable especially when they are in the hands of a talented author that knows how to expand on a character even if that character has little to none backstory or atleast not much to work off of to make them likeable as people😮‍💨 thsi fic is written so well that my ass stayed for the freaky time like that shit wasnt even that bad and was actually written well enough to where my brain wont vomit from cringe it really opened my eyes up to well written freaky time AND its perfectly intergraded into the story like its eased into it and it doesnt just come out of nowhere which im happy about. THE END OF THE FIC IS CRAZY THO I WAS SAT IN MY ROOM FOR 10 MINUTES IN SILENCE AFTER FINISHING IT MY JAW WAS ON THE FLOOR AND I HAD TEARS IN MY EYES!!! But yeah this fic is a classic in my eyes the whole fic is truly magnificent its 3 chapters of bliss bro its so so so good, the author is talented as FUCK and has a few other zd fics that ive read but just cant remember but ik they were amazing I just know it.

Thats it hopefully I can get out an update tomorrow this is gonna be one hell of a project thats gonna really hurt my eyes and my soul

[eleventhhourfactor]

Factor's Mario Fics

Realized that I wrote quite a few fics between this and Luigi's Mansion. Decided to make a sub-post for them that can be found on my pinned post so that when I do get around to posting stories for other fandoms, it's not a massive wall of text right then and there.

Anyway, here are my stories, with most recently released at the top of the list. I'll be using the tag #factor's mario fics to make it easier to find these as well.

So You Were Bitten By Dracula Himself

Click here to go straight to AO3.

Status: In Progress.

Fandoms: Super Mario Bros., Luigi's Mansion, Mario & Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog

After being bitten by the vampire of all vampires, Luigi has to adjust to the changes that come along with that. Fortunately, the man in green has plenty of allies by his side—friends and family who'll do what it takes to make sure all's well for a bloodsucker.

Another one based on @profbastard's work, this time from the Castlevania AU. Still ongoing, but I wanted to see what could happen after the big battle with Dracula, and the potential a timeline with a bajillion cross

S(t)ealing the Show on Christmas, Of All Days!

Click here to go straight to AO3.

Status: Complete.

Fandom: Super Mario Bros.

Any number of things could happen at midnight. Marilyn Moretti hadn't counted on seals.

Or: a folklore dimension AU where Mario and Luigi become selkies and eventually have to break that news to their extended family.

For @loud-kid2 and their Folklore AU, which now has me obsessed with selkies.

Bowuigi Halloween 2024

Status: In Progress.

A collection of short stories centered around the Koopa King and the plumber we all love to ship so much. No particular order; read them how you wish.

Light Reading for a Dark Evening

Click this link to go straight to AO3.

Status: In Progress.

Fandoms: Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog, Mario & Sonic

Amy Rose agrees to a tarot reading for Bowser. Her cards turn up quite a few surprises.

Tarot reading couldn't be done with @jayyydez and the Sonic Wikia Zone.

Prompts: bad luck, run/escape, fortune telling, transformation

Nightmares and Days Dreamed

Click this link to go straight to AO3.

Status: Complete.

Fandoms: Super Mario Bros., Paper Mario Series, Mario & Luigi Series.

A nasty curse threatens an eternity of bad dreams to whoever dares to close their eyes.

While Kammy busies herself with a potion, and Kamek does his best to keep Luigi stable, Bowser takes on the task of keeping him calm from the inside.

Prompts: potions, bewitched

Worth a Shot

Click this link to go straight to AO3.

Status: Complete.

Fandoms: Super Mario Bros., Luigi's Mansion

On the night of his fathers' big Halloween bash, Bowser Jr. summons a ghost in an effort to lift Papa's spirits.

The specter he calls upon has other plans.

Prompts: ghost, scream, summoning, costume party.

Out in the Rain

Status: Complete.

Fandoms: Super Mario Bros., Luigi's Mansion

Luigi's been acting stranger than usual after a visit to E. Gadd's lab. Mario finds out why while they take a walk in the rain.

Written for @lu1g199's Plant Luigi AU, wherein Luigi gets into a bit of a lab accident that leaves him half-plant.

Another Point of View

Status: Complete

Fandom: Super Mario Bros.

After messing with a mysterious artifact, Bowser and Luigi have to seize the day without letting their differences get the best of them.

Done for a Friday the 13th Discord server challenge.

Aftereffects

Status: Complete.

Fandom: Super Mario Bros.

After overcoming a powerful curse, Mario’s left with zero memory of what happened, but plenty of physical reminders that something absolutely did.

Based on @wahooitsamee's Ancient Koopa AU, where Mario's dealing with becoming a half-human, half-Koopa hybrid and the changes and insecurities that come with that.

Part 1: Tarragon, Tails, and Koopa Scales

Click this link to go right to AO3.

It’s been a week and a half since Kamek cast a terrible curse, and Mario’s still having a hard time feeling okay with himself.

What's a kingdom to do except lift his spirits?

Part 2: Literally Lovestruck

TW: sexual content

Click this link to go right to AO3.

It’s been a month since the curse was calmed, but Mario’s still holding Peach out at arm’s length when it comes to bedtime endeavors. What is a Princess to do, then, when her love wakes up feverish and clinging to her for dear life?

Figure out what's going on, of course.

Part 3: Sparks and Butterflies

Click this link to go right to AO3.

Time marches forth for Mario and the Mushroom Kingdom. He's finally marrying the love of his life, getting ready to rule alongside his Princess, and he couldn't feel any better. He's on top of the world and as comfortable as can be with himself.

Then Peach becomes pregnant, and some old fears come roaring back.

Revised on 08/29/2024.

The Fourth and Final Time

Status: Complete.

Fandom: Luigi's Mansion

Luigi takes a terminal spill, and Mario has to pick up the pieces.

Written in collaboration with @giddlygoat, originator of the Ghost Luigi AU.

Tumblr posts:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Enjoy Your Stay at the Last Resort

Status: Complete.

Fandom: Luigi's Mansion

A weeklong stay at a faraway resort would normally be paradise. The idea really loses its appeal when there's ghosts involved.

Post-movie take on a Luigi's Mansion movie, with Luigi teaming up with some unexpected allies to save everyone and trounce the King of the Boos. Loosely based on @profbastard's Syncytium AU.

Off-Hours

Status: Complete.

Fandom: Super Paper Mario

Dimentio's endless interruptions normally keep Team Bleck apart. Throw in some snacks and a bad movie, however, and the jester just might have the stuff to pull them together.

Written for the Super Paper Mario Gift Exchange. Features a work of art by @snakeeyesdraws done for the collaborative nature of the exchange.

[encrucijada]

been meaning to send u this ask for a while but if you want to could you please ramble about zaccai and ismene from your #guard dog relationship tag 🎤 👀 you posted a snippet of writing of them and i’ve had worms in my brain ever since i don’t even know what specifically i want to hear about but i just need to Know About Them (<- girl who is being normal about it)

*pulls up my powerpoint* i'm glad you asked

zaccai and ismene aka guard dog are the god/worshipper dynamic @teddywriting and i decided to create one day because i pointed out we didn't have any, quote, "guard dog dynamics". you know those posts where it's like the dynamic between the guard dog character and the object of their affection who is often incapable from stopping said guard dog from killing whatever they deem dangerous to the object of their affection. yeah those.

their story has been baptised as let sleepers lie. it's high fantasy. it's post-apocalyptic. it's the result of shadow of the colossus being my favourite game and also tears of the kingdom coming out, teddy and i just kinda went insane over botw/totk zelink. here's the summary i wrote for it!

Sword of the Gods, Zaccai, has only one purpose instilled in him: give his life for that of the godling the Old Ones left behind after ending the world. In the wake of a land trying to learn how to live again is Ismene, all that remains of divine blood, and what she is meant to do for the people is unclear. They are alone with all the gods left for them being a temple, a ruined land, and each other.

now what does that even mean.

in this world there used to be gigantic gods people call the "old ones" now, as their language has been lost and no one remembers what they were called. they are what happens if you put the nature gods from princess mononoke (like the wolf chief moro), the colossi of sotc, won shi tong from atla, heavenly warriors from nausicaä of the valley of the wind, and dormin again from sotc in a blender. the main feature of gods in this world is their golden coloured blood, their "old blood", which is burning to the touch—basically what if fire was a liquid. these old ones had their temples built around them and once built the temples were just big enough for them, meaning they could move about inside but could never leave. why exactly they ended the world is inconclusive, but ismene suspects it's because they’d gotten fed up of the situation they were in. godhood is just a gilded cage etc etc.

ground zero of the cataclysm is virtually a wasteland, covered in silver flora. this plant life includes the silver grass and silver trees, which existed before the end of the world and were kind of like a gift the gods gave to the humans as every single part of the flora could be utilised or eaten (ismene and zaccai subsist on the silver trees, basically). they live in the temple from the summary, which was built for ismene but has the dimensions of an old temple... meaning it's way too big for just two (2) people. the cataclysm basically rotted the land and so only the silver flora can grow without being affected. think... nausicaä of the valley of the wind's toxic jungle.

ismene was born from a human woman. what are the details of her conception? no idea. maybe it's a virgen maría situation. she's called "the godling", the olympian to the old one's titans. she looks like a human person, except for the fact she's got golden eyelashes, golden freckles, her eyes shine at certain angles, oh and her blood is also golden... and she's burning to the touch. touching ismene's bare skin is like sticking your hand in an open flame. her tears are also golden! but they're more sparkly. she's has severe agoraphobia and social anxiety from being raised in the temple. the feelings of the old ones sorta translated into her and they were used to being trapped, so she was basically born as a caged animal. she's also very good at sitting still for hours and is bad at human physiological tells, like hunger.

zaccai was originally a troublemaker boy named aleister living in a town like a week's travel away from where the temple is now. he lived with his aunt maeve who runs the inn at the town. he offered himself as a volunteer to be the sword of the gods and they proceeded to basically... make him anew. don't you love it when characters are weapons. all that's required of him is to be good with the sword and to love ismene so much he would die for her, just an average healthy relationship. he likes plants, he doesn't remember aleister's past concretely but he has positive associations to plants so he latched onto them... so he's a gardener. he does most of the things around the temple as ismene is basically a living statue, she's an object of worship and that's it. he cooks, when they travel he manages the camping site, etc.

they're autism4autism 🫶

tidbits about the made-up religion

ismene wears a veil. think a wedding veil but richly laced, ismene makes them herself as it is something for her to do with her long hours of free time. regular people aren't supposed to see her, this simulates how old ones were generally hard to look at as they were... uncanny. but also because members of the highest hierarchy in the old religion wore veils. generally only takes it off around zaccai. she likes wearing it around strangers because it gives her the illusion of privacy

springs and pools! prayer and other rituals are done in the water. there's a pool room in the temple ismene sits in for hours at a time praying. only high priestesses and prophets are allowed into the water without permission, and also zaccai. they can be manmade or natural, natural are preferred.

imagery of the gods is allowed, the springs usually have statues rising from the water to mark them as sacred. the temple has stained glass windows but those are of the "eyes of the old ones". these are inspired by the talismans from the last guardian. they're basically like what crosses are for christians or the triforce are for hylians, they're the Religion Symbol. faithful will have them in their homes, etc. not two are the same.

others besides ismene wear veils too like i said, high priestesses and prophets. though their veils are less... busy?? you can better see the person's face.

the old ones are genderless! but they can be worshiped in male and female capacities for specific means. they are also amoral! they don't work by our code of ethics, they have no code of eithics. they're gods.

after making ismene the old ones went to sleep. where? unclear. underneath the earth is how i've been thinking it, but they could have also jumped into the stars like the giants from hilda or retreated into the ocean. the point is they're asleep, kind of like lovecraft gods, and that's why the book is called let sleepers lie.

the proper way to address ismene is "your grace", zaccai uses "my grace". you call old ones "your majesty". it's fine to also call ismene "godling" or "the godling", older characters have also used "little goddess".

teddy and i had done a few rp threads but we've kinda rebooted and started from scratch, using the previous threads as a loose outline. here's what's happened so far:

ismene and zaccai have been living together for at least two years. ismene thought zaccai was a god like her, the minor god to her primary god. except oops, when they had sex he bled and his blood... was red. not a god. this is know as the Red Blood Incident.

this created a bit of a rift between them they are trying so, so hard to mend. they are all each other has. but they weren’t socialised enough as puppies.

they leave the temple for the first time in those 2(ish) years. they make it to the mountains where they find a commune of faithful who say they live with and worship an old one. among these faithful is a girl around ismene's age named amaryllis (she's important).

ismene and zaccai are brought to the old one... who happens to just be a regular woman. turns out that when you destroy the world and leave it to its own devices so you can raise your new god creates some religious anarchy and people are opportunistic.

ismene is horrified at the sight of this false goddess who has been lying to these people, taking their goods and love and time. ismene orders zaccai to cut off her tongue. so he does! the girl amaryllis helps him hold the false goddess down.

it starts to rain and so our duo is invited to stay at the commune. they find out telling people everything they believed in was a lie, thus shaking their way of life, makes things complicated. zaccai and ismene hang out with the faithful. meeting caspian, who'd been promised by the fraud he could one day have his dead children back. amaryllis tells them the fraud had promised her she'd be reunited with her lost sisters (and also that she'd be a prophet). they meet naida, who had found purpose with the fraud and is pissed now. silas, a painter who came here after his mother died. vesta, the cook who teaches zaccai food just doesn't have to be silver tree byproducts.

silas asks if he can paint ismene so they can have a reference to make a statue out of her. silas doesn't see a goddess. silas sees a hot girl he thinks he can charm but she's too autistic and demisexual to know what flirting is. (he tries to lift her veil to look at her face and zaccai almost kills him lol).

they visit the fraud who is being cared for by a man named rupert, who happens to be a doctor. ismene learns her name is rosa and she did this because, why not, if she could make a place for herself at the top of the food chain why not take it. she gave people purpse. zaccai meanwhile is getting his arm treated by rupert because ismene burned him to prove she was the real deal, rupert implies he knows zaccai. they don't discuss further.

smaller details

"knowledge or faith" is the philosphy of the task ismene (and zaccai by proxy) have set upon themselves. they need to find the knowledge of the old religion the old ones did not explain. they need faith for the new goddess

"do you wish my skin was like hers?" not being able to touch is Killing them. ismene and zaccai share a bed because it's safest (and also because they were literally made and built codependent). meeting amaryllis did no good to ismene's self-esteem. that's a girl who can touch the man you love without hurting him

ismene just burned zaccai on his shoulder blade for stepping into the pool without her say-so. act of incredible violence carried with the intimacy of a lover or whatever

"maybe i am not a god you pray to."

totally unrelated: the amount of times teddy and i have said "weird possessive sex would fix them" is unreal

THERE IS WAY MORE BUT I AM GONNA LEAVE IT THERE AHHHH THANK YOU CRÉME ILY 💖

[queeenpersephone]

20 questions for 20 writers

tagged by @katebishopofearth ilysm lizzy <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 53

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 455,252 (almost half a mil)

3. What fandoms do you write for? so many. predominately, marvel, the x files, shadow and bone, the librarians, the umbrella academy, game of thrones (a few years ago). but i have a few i've only written one or two fics for.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? like one of yours, ye multitudinous ocean (pjo) (2283 kudos) - delicate (marvel) (2005 kudos) - are you there, chloe? it's me, god (lucifer) (1428 kudos) - it will be a heaven of black-red roses (marvel) (1208 kudos) - a ring around the moon (s&b) (1170 kudos). the crazy thing? the top one i posted this year.

5. Do you respond to comments? ALWAYS. nearly every one, even if it's just 'this was great'. i only don't reply if it's just emojis (which are still appreciated! i just don't know what to say lol) or if it's like a rude demand for sequels or to update. i don't mind asking for a sequel, but just be nice about it.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? ooo that's hard. objectively though, it has to be the whole thing would fracture which is a strange daisy x coulson fic (agents of shield) where daisy, inspired by watching doctor who with fitzsimmons, causes the apocalypse when coulson is killed.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? that's a really hard question! new years day in terms of payoff (ironwidow) and now when weather turns to may (all my sisters fly to me) (doctor who, companions traveling together without the doctor) in terms of canon divergence lol. it's the epitome of everyone lives, nobody dies.

8. Do you get hate on fics? not very frequently! i think i'm in good fandoms (or good parts of fandoms at least) it's shocking considering that i ship some pretty touchy ships. i think i've gotten the most on ironwidow fics tbh. i always delete it without responding so i think that's why i get so little - zero interaction policy.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? oh yeah, although i held out for a long time. what kind? like mildly explicit? it's usually in a darker context, i suppose.

10. Do you write crossovers? i have! and forth he hastened (and grasped at moonbeams glistening), which is a lotr/game of thrones crossover. it was for a friend - i don't typically like crossovers, but it was fun!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? yep - i've had some very kind people reach out to inform me, and i've always been successful in taking them down.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? yes! it's a huge compliment.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? yes! one. it's since been removed as my friend took down all of her work due to receiving hate

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship? this is pretty much an impossible question. if you put a gun to my head, i would still say it's a tie between the doctor and rose and natasha and tony. the doctor and rose changed my brain chemistry, and ironwidow basically taught me how to write.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? ooo i have this game of thrones soulmate!au where sansa's soulmates (one romantic, three platonic) are varys, jon, petyr, and daenerys. i have the whole timeline, and i posted three parts of it in a series. i genuinely love the concept so much and i've written a lot for it, but my love of the show took a huge hit in s8 and i don't plan on writing more of it.

16. What are your writing strengths? i think i'm pretty talented at dialogue. i've written poetry my whole life, so poetic descriptions are kinda my thing.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? there's so many things to improve on! general descriptiveness, getting better at showing emotions instead of telling them. writing longer stories is definitely difficult for me.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? i've done it, but infrequently. i don't even like indicators of accent (ie, strollin' instead of strolling) i think it can be offensive very easily. except endearments! love endearments in other languages, but i usually do some research to make sure i'm accurate.

19. First fandom you wrote for? i THINK harry potter? or pirates of the caribbean. fanfiction.net is down so i can't check. no i will not be telling y'all my fanfic.net handle it's better this way.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? hi this is an impossible question. holistically, it's probably like one of yours, ye multitudinous ocean, a pjo fic that was ripped from my soul either this year. i believe it's one of the best things i've ever written, and has also gotten the best response of any fic i've written. in terms of plot, easily new year's day, which is a marvel rewrite with ironwidow as the focus. the yellow roses of texas (fiveya) is the most symbolic, layered, complex fic i've ever written and i love it to death. honestly, and it's gimmicky to say, i wrote a fic for the sorcerer's apprentice when i was 13 (with a mary sue OC and everything) that had a great response on fanfic.net and it made me want to do this for the rest of my life. so yeah. maybe that one.

yay i loved this! thank you again lizzy for tagging me.

Tagging: @rappaccini, @baronessblixen, @hedgehodgy, @gingerteaonthetardis, @imissthembutitwasntadisaster,

@impulsive-astrophile, @scullysflannel @repeatinglitanies, @scullysexual @thatfragilecapricorn30

pretty sure all these folks write/have in the past! feel free to ignore <3

[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.

[arokel]

8(?) days of TBITB

Late to the party because I have mono and my energy levels have been approximately zero all week, but I'm speed running the days I missed! Thanks so much to @seasidesandstarscapes for the fun idea <3

1. December 18 - choose a fic/artwork and talk about how you came up with the premise, what the process was like, anything you want to share!!!

I guess I'll talk about People Like Me, because that one had the longest gestation period lmao

The inspiration behind it was I was seeing a lot of fics with the "period typical homophobia" tag where the homophobia seemed to stay in the period itself and not touch any of the actual characters, if that makes sense? That is to say that the setting sort of had the trappings of 1930s homophobia, but all the main boys were kind of anachronistically chill. And I realized that I was guilty of it too because honestly it makes for more enjoyable fics a lot of the time, so I thought, what would happen if I wrote a fic with *actual* period-typical homophobia?

The basic premise came to me pretty quickly but I tossed around a lot of options for which boy would be the pov character and which boy would be gone - for a long time it was Jim, not Chuck, but in the end I realized having Jim's captain energy around was nice and that there was something to explore in losing the fun-loving spirit Chuck brings to the group. I did toss in a little platonic Chuck/Roger betrayal because I just can't help myself.

I wrote this one straight through in order without an outline (which was a challenge for me) with one exception - I wrote the final few paragraphs of Joe, Dutch and Shorty seeing Chuck before I wrote anything else and kind of used that as my guiding thread for where I wanted Shorty to be emotionally by the end of the story.

It was kind of a nerve-wracking process lmao, because I was really unsure how it would be received! I actually toned down most of the homophobia from my initial ideas of what each boy would say because I felt like it was just gratuitous and I didn't want to write trauma porn, but I was still worried people would be angry with me for writing it. But the response has been lovely!

2. December 19 - Hardest scene to write/draw?

Somehow I just could NOT write the middle parts of Don't Try to Talk, and I whined about it incessantly to @borealopelta for like three weeks. Sorry about that :(

Or I guess you could say the next chapter of May I Have This Dance, since, you know, I haven't written it.

[redlightspellsdaanger]

20 Questions for Fic Writers - Big thanks to the mega fabulous @kaossbells for tagging me!  

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 

22 (look at that, Jenson's racing number...) 

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 

635,019

3. What fandoms do you write for? 

Only F1 now. In the past I've mostly written for Muse. I've also written for BBC Sherlock. I have been writing since I was a kid, though, so there was a lot of stuff that didn't even make it online, let alone to AO3 lol 

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? 

Dance Me To The Moon (F1 / Sebastian Vettel), Zero Minus Ten (Muse), Everything of Nothing (Muse), Never Dream of Dying (Muse) and Resistance (Muse) 

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

Absolutely. Unfortunately it's very common that readers do not give the authors any feedback. So if someone goes out of their way to show any kind of support or, as some very kind people do, leave detailed reviews, I will be incredibly grateful and make sure to let them know. 

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

I often end my stories in a positive note, even the ones who have a vague or open ended finale. But I'd say a Muse one-off I wrote in 2009 called "Il Coma" was heavy for my standards. Also Never Dream of Dying, but that was part of a trilogy so not sure it counts. (well, the readers at the time were not pleased with the TBC, let's put it that way LOL)

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

Currently, on AO3, I think Dance Me To The Moon. I don't want to spoil but it's a romance so.... haha  

8. Do you get hate on fics? 

I don't remember ever getting hate tbh.  

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

Oh, yeah. Lots. Ha. All kinds. M/M. F/M. Threesomes. I've done PWP. I've done kink. I've done romance. I've done dubious/non-con. I've (literally) written smut sitting in a church. I've gotten to the point where I'm sort of getting bored of writing it.  

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

Yes. I once wrote a Muse / BBC Sherlock crossover - Showbiz. It was incredibly fun to plot. It was well received, too, so I enjoyed that! The Mb-7 universe trilogy is also a crossover of sorts between Muse and Daniels Craig's James Bond, because characters such as M and Q feature.  

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? 

If I did, I never noticed.  

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? 

I was once asked for permission for someone to translate a story, I felt very honoured! 

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

Yes, the whole MB-7 trilogy was co-written with one of my best friends. 

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

In F1 I will have to say Sebastian with Jenson or with Mark. (although in reality I like him with everyone lol). But Mulder / Scully from The X Files and Matt Bellamy / Dom Howard from Muse are probably my OTPs.

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

I don't really have WIPs because although I have a lot of ideas and have plotted things in detail that never materialised, I only start writing once I am 100% I will write it in full.

The only exception - and therefore a regret I never finished - is a sequel to the BBC Sherlock / Muse crossover. I wrote a few pages and sadly that was it.

16. What are your writing strengths? 

Hard for me to answer this. But I try to make the characters as realistic and true to life as possible. I also make it a point of having a decently structured plot.  

17. What are your writing weaknesses? 

Oh, god, where to start. I feel immediately restricted in how and what I write because my command of English (as second language) is not as good as I wish it would be. Then I'm also a very slow writer and edit endlessly. I tend to repeat ideas and certain expressions. I don't know, we could be here all day lol  

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

Very cool! I love languages and especially in F1 it's very fitting.  

19. First fandom you wrote for? 

It was a TV show and I don't remember the name, I was a kid. The first one I do remember was for an American band called Matchbox 20.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? 

This is SO hard to reply! I'm going to leave out one-shots (which kills me cos there is a few I still love) and mention only chaptered stuff:

Dance Me To The Moon (F1) because I never thought I'd be able to write a romance and I was so incredibly proud of myself, was fully emerged in it and I will carry these two with me for the rest of my life.

Resistance  (Muse) because it was the first time I wrote a novel length thriller that I felt had all I wanted and it was such an enjoyable process.

Everything or Nothing (Muse) because it was the first of the MB-7 trilogy, it was co-written, we adored our villain, the huge amount of nods to James Bond. And it kicked off a series with a level of plot intricacy that I will never be able to top.

Showbiz (Sherlock / Muse) because it was such a crazy crossover but I had so much fun dissecting Sherlock and I was very happy with the result.

Honourable nod to a figure skating fanfic I wrote with Alexei Yagudin / Michelle Kwan, years ago. It was self-indulgence of the greatest kind and I loved writing every word of it. I have no idea if it's online anywhere atm. I wish I could remember the title!

tagging @magnycours2004, and anyone who would like to participate!!!

[thisliminalspacedaydreams]

Hi, probably weird question, but can you offer any tips on how to co-write, like two different authors working on the same fic? How does that work?

hello there is actually nothing i would rather do let me give you the unabridged version because I think people romanticise it and it's important to be real. I'm going to give you all of my experiences and why I did it and which ones worked and which ones didn't.

HERE IT IS :

2-Let's start with @greenvlvetcouch who was my first duo writing experience. I was heavily part of an online thing at the time and I met him there, and we somehow (I genuinely can't remember how but I think it was me) ended up DMing about something, which actually pretty quickly evolved into me throwing a concept idea into the chat, and it just took off. We ended up losing our minds over the library scene from God Eater and that was that. I had read Zar and Jude's fic where every 15 min they switched (I think??) and I'm not a "minute" writer so I suggested to Green we did 700-1200 words each and pass it back. I also have a background in theatre, and I am part of a improv group in my city so improv games was part of my curriculum and I've always LOVED IMPROV GAMES, especially in small groups. (this is relevant for later). That's how God Eater was written. it happened very organically. We wrote it all in four months, in a doc, and didn't talk about publishing it until we realized that actually it was going to be a thing we were super proud of, that we would want to post it. The writing experience itself had none of the stress of "what if it's bad". We just wrote until we were done with no expectation. There were a lot of inconsistencies we fixed when we were done and TA-DA.

Since then Green has been a writing partner for a lot of published and unpublished works. We have several projects, some which we started and never finished because we lost the interest, some that we might publish, we don't know. I think he and I are aligned on the fact that writing is meant to be this fun thing and if the joy isn't there when writing, then the project dies. We had a LOT of really cool fun projects that only lived inside our mutual DMs and I think it still makes them real and great. They just weren't tangible enough to see the light of day. Green and I's writing process isn't *super* involved. We rarely fangirl over each other's works. I think we've reached a healthy balance of we *know* we love each other's writing, so we don't need to tell each other that. We will when a line slaps particularly well but other than that we mostly just hype the story up which is our way of saying we love working together.

Which is a perfect segway into inthesquare and I's writing process (hi I still don't know if I can tag you so imma send it to you after).

2-I'm currently writing a story with her, and our start was very different. I read this fic from hers and lost my mind. I cried and was very upset, it was such a great story, so I left a comment (as one does). What would you know, a few days later I get a comment on my fic about how she freaked out because she liked *my* work. So we literally met the most organically way possible: through ao3 comments. Then the normal pipeline happened: Tumblr, then Discord, then Whatsapp.

I wrote one fic that felt very much like something she would do and asked her to participate and add bits and bobs, she said yes, I was overjoyed. And then a few months ago I popped in and was like... *you like myths, right?* and TADA we have the amaranth hymns.

The writing process with us is very different. We each write until we're done with a scene (which usually ends up capping at 1500/2000 words-ish). We are posting as we go, we have 0 plan, zero foresight, we're just hoping for the best, rocking with a Pinterest board and voice noting each other at 3am going "hey do what was this thing you wrote and what does it mean?" "oh cool" "and so does this mean that X? Cuz we need to Y then" "Yes, right". We're problem solving as we go, and I think we're both kind of unbothered and unstressed about it: the story will write itself, we're just along for the ride. We also don't really hype each other up (a little ya know, when a line slaps), but we *do* talk about the fic itself a lot, which I think is our way of showing our engagement. We talk about the fic because we like writing it (I have a point to make later on bear with me).

3- You remember how i LOVE improve games, right????? WELL. There is a game called the "yes" game. A scene starts, you have a theme and a concept and you can't backtrack. Whatever the person throws your way you have to work with it....hence the "yes". You can only move forward, never back. That's how Raise Hell was created. I asked a bunch of my friends if they wanted to create a frankenstein fic, some said yes, some said no, and Raise Hell got started. I knew all of these people beforehand, so that made it easier. We still want to finish this fic but ya know, life got away from us.

What ended up happening is that there were no "writing" rule aside from : you must write enough to propel the next person. Give the next person *something* to work with. So what accidentally ended up happening is each person ended up writing a chapter.

Now let's talk about the rest:

As stated before, I love writing with people: I have the bandwith to work on numerous fics at once (it keeps my brain fed and entertained, I like the community of it), I like it, and thus I seek it.

But I think (and THIS is my point) that people romanticise it and it can stress people out. This is what I mean:

I started writing fics with several other writers because *I like it and I seek it and it brings me joy*, but some writers didn't like feeling like they were one in a lineup.

I wrote 30k with a writer and then the story died and we never picked it back up.

I have had two people I was writing with tell me they didn't like it because I wasn't 'involved' enough (by this I think what they meant was that I wasn't showing enough hype and enthusiasm for their writing).

I had one person tell me that our writing didn't match up and it felt weird and they didn't want to continue.

I have had one person tell me I hurt their feelings because I made them feel like their writing wasn't good enough by the way I edited.

I think it's important to mention that co-writing *is* a skill and it's not something that will work for everyone.

I have a graveyard of fics and a few friendships that died because of that, too. I'm not a big hyper. I do edit a lot. I show my enthusiasm in ways that perhaps isn't obvious enough. I don't praise other people's writing that much because in my mind, the fact we're writing together is proof enough that I love their writing, but that actually isn't always enough.

And I think the difficult part of all of this is that writing is a very personal endeavour. When you expose your guts to another person and they do not react the way you want them to, it's not very easy I think to say "Hey, you hurt my feelings because you didn't tell me you loved this and that". That's another layer exposed and because talking about hurt feelings is hard and uncomfortable, sometimes it will drag on and take proportions that lead to broken friendships.

So you do have to be careful.

...But I also don't know how, in the sense that *before* you start writing with someone, you won't *know* how they will react to the duo process.

What I'm saying is it' a gamble and actually I have lost more than I have won, BUT I still don't regret trying. I personally have had good experiences every single time. I have grown and I have learned.

I know for instance that writing with Green and Inthesquare is a great experience because we approach writing in the same way and we are all very confident in our own writing. We like how we write. We like how the other person writes. We know that, we don't feel the need to say it.

But I think I tend to forget that some writers (even really good ones!!) can feel self-conscious about their own writing and need more praise than what I give.

So bearing all that in mind here is my advice:

-Talk about what you need from the experience BEFOREHAND. How much hype, can I edit, how much editing can I do, etc etc. When green and I edit our works, we fully destroy each other's parts. We will go in and add and remove a LOT, to the point where it really becomes kind of undetectable, who wrote what, because we're in each other's lines everywhere. This isn't something that will feel good for everyone. When I write with inthesquare, we *barely* edit each other's work. The separation is much more obvious, and I don't really know why this is? It just is? We just kind of never edited the other person's part. And it works really beautifully, too. My point is these are two very different approach yet there isn't one better than the other, it's just different.

Some people do not like when you tinker with their writing too much. Some people do not like when you tinker with their writing at all. Make sure you know what each person is comfy with.

-Decide on a plan: are we writing each for a set amount of time? Of words? Are we each doing a chapter? The only rule is the one you make up.

-Don't put pressure on the work. See where it goes. If it dies, let it.

-I would advise against posting as you go if this stresses you out. That way if the story doesn't finish, no stress.

-Start with someone who you feel very confident writing with. Someone you know, who knows you, where the communication canals are OPEN. You're gonna need to be able to tell each other if someone does something that wasn't appreciated.

Not all co-writing will end up with a fully fledged fic. Not all co-writing will end up being a good experience. If the person you really want to write with doesn't want to write with you, don't take it personally. It just do be like that.

But I'm the kind of person who really has come to love it, and while I'm a lot more picky now with who I write (because I'd love to like, not lose more friends), I think I will always seek it out, especially with the people with whom it's been a success before. I love, love, loveeeeee writing with my friends. I find it so rewarding and fun and great and I have nothing bad to say about it. I just really, really love it.

And if you've made it till here just know I have ONE fic I wrote with 2 other writers that we published under anon. and it's just out there. Doing its thing.

[xoniarainforest]

Got tagged by @kiki-shortsnout and this seems fun, so let’s do it!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Great question! None! Mainly because I started using AO3 last year and I have natural anxiety towards the publish button.

(You may not understand, but that button… that button scares me.)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

I have a very prideful zero. My goal this year is to try publish at least a 1k word count fic? I think it’s a fair step towards conquering my fear with that publish button.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Various Minecraft YouTubers (MCYT). I’ve been in this fandom for years, wrote about lots of peeps, but my current obsession is GeminiTay o/ (and maybe a little bit of Ethoslab. I never watch the guy before and I’m finally discovering his charm whoops)

DanganRonpa. As in writing OCs in the killing game aspect. I barely written anything about the characters other than my top 5 favourites though.

Undertale and its AUs. Especially the AUs, I remember being so crazy about it. Still do, but a bit more tone down in these past years. I write them during my need of comfort days. I have this one incomplete story from the fandom that I intend to finish it one day.

Marvel. This is my current biggest obsession. Specifically FrostIronStrange, following up with the Avengers.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

I’m gonna answer this based on other websites that I’ve published since my AO3 page is empty. I don’t normally publish my fics cuz I’m a bit awkward in sharing, but amongst the ones I do share to public (they are mostly taken down at this point):

Méng Yǒu

Five Nights at Team Crafted

Three Peaks Castle

Colours

Dream. Glitch. World.

5. Do you respond to comments?

Most of my comments are from my friends so yes!

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

Probably that one Marvel series about an immortal child entity who travels through the multiverse determined to help solve the universal problems/threats in every universe/dimensions that they visits. It’s a series of never ending one shots because she never stops travelling. Obviously there are bound to have some very angsty endings where they fail to save the whole universe. Or she saved the universe, but she had to make hard decisions that affects them deeply.

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

Uhm… the world is saved from not being converted into a coded game? If you don’t consider fluff fics about typical daily life. Now that I think about it, there’s never a ‘true’ happy ending with my fics. I usually write the ‘to achieve the ultimate win, you lose something along the way’.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Nope. My fics typically don’t get discovered by people. Let alone by haters.

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

When I’m feeling horny. I write very questionable porn with plot fics. Don’t ask. I swore to never share them.

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

Yes! I love writing crossovers between two of my favourite fandoms! I think the craziest would be MCYT x FNAF. Cuz it’s my first ever crossover fic and it holds a special place in my heart.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope. I think people prefer stealing works that are both great and completed. Sadly I’m neither great nor have I ever publish a complete fic to the public.

12. Does not exist apparently

Like my works? I have a ton that I have completed but never share to anyone.

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

Does co-writing a comic counts? I’ve co-written a short comic series with an irl friend before. It was only shared amongst my group of friends.

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

FrostIronStrange is definitely at the top. It’s one of the very few romance shippings that I do since I normally do platonic or familial ships like Gemtho, SansxToriel, CharaxFriskxAsriel, Grian and Pearl etc.

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

Most of my long fics. Don’t get me wrong, I love all of them and I’m not abandoning them, but I have this problem where once I finish outlining the plot of my fics, my brain automatically files them as completed and places them at the easily forgotten corner even though I didn’t finish writing them. Plus I have a habit of jumping around between different stories… listen, I write for fun okay? I enjoy writing for the sake of writing so I don’t really care if it gets complete or not. Thinking about ‘must complete’ gives me stress and I don’t think it’s worth carrying that pressure when life itself is already stressful.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Worldbuilding, plot making, character backgrounds.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Grammar, dialogue writings, endings.

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

I constantly writes in both English and Chinese, so that’s not an issue for me.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Team Crafted from the very old MCYT fandom

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

I like all of my fic. Case closed.

(You are never gonna force me to pick one. NEVER)

Who to tag next for the game?

I’m tagging everyone who has seen this post and hasn’t done the answers yet. So TAG, YOU’RE IT!

[kaviary-blog]

20 Q’s for Fic Writers

I got tagged by the wonderful @wedonthaveawhile

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

None. That might change soon. But I’ve got like 9 here on tumblr

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

Zero

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently mostly Hogwarts Legacy but I’ve been writing little fics and stories since I was in elementary school

But to give a taste of what I did… when I was a small child I wrote a multi chapter story about fruit (fruit fandom was all the rage). I’ve written for Undertale, FNaF, Miraculous Ladybug, Mass Effect. Maybe more than I’m remembering and they will never see the light of day. (Most of what I wrote was original ideas instead of fanfic)

4. Top five fics by kudos?

Horrors of the Scriptorium parts 1&2, That Which Lurks Behind, Never Knew Her Name, After the Nightmare

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes! I try to and I love feedback and talking to people

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

Pluv says Never Knew Her Name has the biggest gut punch but I write alot of angst so…. Idk

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

After The Nightmare. Kinda the only non angst fic I have and even then.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I have

9. Do you write smut?

I have not

10. Craziest crossover?

Those exist solely in my brain and the ears of my sister

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I seriously doubt it

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Probably not

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

Not really. I have characters I share with people. But even in my youth I don’t think I co-authored anything

14. All time favorite ship

SHAKARIAN!!! Garrus x Femshep

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

So so many. The amount of ideas that have barely even taken shape is a whole other list entirely

16. What are your writing strengths?

Tearing your heart out. Idk

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Fluff. Idk how to be happy

18. Thoughts of dialogue in a different language?

Super cool when done right! (Don’t ask me what that means. I’m not fluent in any other languages)

19. First fandom you wrote in?

Uhhhh. I think the first fic I ever wrote I was really little and it was about Rapunzel. (Her and her kids in the future and like, half of them died. Angst even back then)

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Ummm of the ones I’ve posted here…. I’m really proud of That Which Lurks Behind

But usually when I write something I forget I wrote it. I write bastard words with my evil fingers and make it everyone else’s problem.

No pressure tags: @cuffmeinblack, @eternalremorse, idk who else. Everyone I know has done it

[nv-writing-archive]

Hello, it is me again back with another writing pompt.

Right, have you ever thought that you could win as arsonist without igniting? well, my friend look no further than this story screenshot of the arso game I wrote on reddit, I can't remember the numbers because it was one of my first neutral killing games.

I wrote it over a year ago, but the game I talk about is at least 3 years old.

the eyes are the ears of the deaf

Rating: Teen and Up

Warnings: Major Character Death

Categories: Gen

Relationships: None

Characters: "Bodyguard", Arsonist, Consigliere, Jailor, Werewolf, Lookout, Mafioso

Additional Tags: Asphyxiation, Description of Corpses

Notes: is it really a town of salem gameplay oneshot by yours truly without the implied/graphic deaths and executions?

Also, I might start accepting requests for ToS2, but that will have to wait

Word Count: 800

"To see is to believe."

The consigliere had a lot to say about that statement, but given that a rope was ready to snap his neck off at any moment, he could only come up with a couple erratic strings of words in his desperation.

"This is utterly bullshit!" The consigliere tried to kick his way out of the gallows. "Kill me, and all of you will die to the arsonist and werewolf!"

"Quit bluffing," the bodyguard scoffed as she referred to the entire gathering. "There is no arsonist! You're just trying to deflect attention away from your mafioso!"

"Maybe we should hear him out?" a claimless man decided to speak up. "I don't mind lynching this, but what if there is an arsonist?"

The jailor laughed from up the platform. "Do you seriously believe his bluff? I have almost all of the claims down, and I assure you, there won't be a room for one. Now, guilty I say."

"No! You're making a big mistake! Put me down!"

"The votes have been cast, and the town has decided to lynch you by a guilty vote of eight to zero!" the trial official cuts him off with firmness before lowering his voice. "Any last words?"

The consigliere glared at the crowd as he took his last breath. "May you remember this moment when the arsonist has burned this town to ashes."

As the jailor flipped the lever, the platform from below him disappeared, but to his horror, he was one of the unlucky ones whose necks didn't snap from the fall.

The bodyguard shivered at the thought of the same thing happening to her— the sliver of a chance at a slow, painful, and humiliating death. She would rather take the jailor's axe — quick, clean, and unseen.

When the wet choking noises came to a slow halt, the trial official announced, "It is too late to continue voting. Come back tomorrow."

On one hand, jinxing herself had been a passing thought long before she wound up in jail instead of home. She quietly muttered curses to herself for entertaining the thought.

"I'm a bodyguard. I've been protecting you since day one. The lookout can vouch for me."

On the other hand, she didn't have a reason to worry too much because the lookout could simply vouch for her, but that didn't make jail any less terrifying. The jailor was quiet too, almost hesitant and unsure of themself, but they gave her an affirmative hum not too long after, and she sighed in relief.

When she was freed later that night, she found that her house had been broken into; a werewolf would have ransacked the place, but her door was simply lockpicked— the mafia. At any other given time, she would have been fuming, but for once, she felt a little less angry because she could use it to solidify the trust between her and the jailor.

The trials came to a standstill until then when the werewolf and the mafia stopped killing for a couple nights. With a lack of other town investigatives, they barely had the grounds to lynch anyone.

Shortly after those uneventful nights however, the bodyguard suddenly finds a corpse at the trial grounds with a bullet to the head and ghastly eyes wide open in shock.

"It was him. I saw him kill them!" The lookout had gone ballistic on the veteran claim with screams that could be heard moments away from the trial grounds. "He's the mafioso! The last mafia!"

And so, he quietly accepts his death to the noose that day, but not without leaving his last words.

"Burn, all of you."

By the next morning, she awoke to the lookout's disembowelled guts and a brooding town square.

"It's just the werewolf left," sighed the jailor, "but everyone here has solid claims. I'm genuinely at a loss."

Everyone really was at a loss if they were so crass as to throw about random accusations that went nowhere. Whoever the werewolf was, they were a pretty good actor.

'What if the werewolf kills me?' The terrified bodyguard thought to herself. 'What if the jailor dies?'

The next morning came too soon for her liking, but then, her emotions started going over the moon. With one gruesome meal and a headless townie down, it would be the three of them left— the jailor who lost his executions, the hungry werewolf, and a relieved bodyguard.

"I trust you," the jailor whispered to her, and she excitedly nodded as they vote up the werewolf who had nothing left to say in the matter. Well, he had nothing to say to the town at least. Most of his threats were empty.

"Thank you."

She pulled out a match and lit it up.

"I'll be sure to spare you."

[tina-mairin-goldstein]

@sarcasticsciencefictionwriter tagged me! Thanks for the tag!

How many fics do you have on AO3?

20.

2. What's your total word count on AO3?

211,799.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Hannibal (TV), Fantastic Beasts, Doctor Strange, and Pokémon.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

His Shadow Suspended on Dust (Hannibal TV, Will/Hannibal)- 182

Autumnal (Hannibal TV, Will/Hannibal)- 154

For Remembrance (Holes in the Floor of the Mind) (Hannibal TV, Will/Hannibal)- 71

Estivel (Hannibal TV, Will/Hannibal)- 70

The Kissing Bough- 45

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes, I do! When I first started out, I was very nervous and shy, so I didn't always, but I try to respond to every comment. Unless you pester me about updating. I'm not going to respond to any of those any more.

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

No Man in the Mirror (Fantastic Beasts)- It's about Percival Graves thinking of the man he was before Grindelwald, and deciding that man was gone, hence the title. He no longer sees that man in the mirror, no longer sees anyone.

Or, Haven't Been the Same (Since I Expired), another FB Percival story where his identity has been stripped away, and he, um, sort of steals Grindelwald's, becoming Grindelwald himself.

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Hmm, I think it would depend on how you classify it, so here are the three:

More (Harry Potter, Luna/Rolf)- Luna and Rolf get their twins at the end, after suffering through a lot of heartache to have them.

The Kissing Bough (Fantastic Beasts, Newt/Tina)- It's a SOD ending extended scene with a Newtina kiss. So that's happy, I guess.

For Remembrance (Holes in the Floor of the Mind) (Hannibal TV, Will/Hannibal)- Uh, won't spoil, but after Hannibal gets amnesia, they eventually get to a happy place.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not so far.

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

Nope, don't write smut. I recently wrote two sex scenes in La Sposa del Mostro, but I don't think they count as smut. They weren't particularly detailed. Kind of cringe, actually, but I've got a body count of zero, so that's to be expected.

10. Do you write crossovers? If so, what's the craziest one?

Another hard one! I would say probably my Hannibal/Caraval crossover, or one that's in the early stages with Hannibal/The Third Day (HBO). Probably the latter, considering I have not actually seen The Third Day, just snippets, though both have psychological things that tie in nicely.

Oh, wait, or my Pokémon Anime/The Jewel by Amy Ewing. It's like a magical, less graphic version of The Handmaid's Tale crossed over with Pokémon XYZ anime. So yeah, that one's crazy.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I know of.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Trying to with sarcasticsciencefiction writer, but I think I'm just going to have to suck it up and write the Winchester boys myself.

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

I'm dividing this between straight and gay couples, because it's tied.

Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter and Newt Scamander/Tina Goldstein (closely followed by The Ancient One/Kaecilius).

15. What are your writing strengths?

Violence, action, gore, certain emotions.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

Humor, certain emotions, romance.

17. Thoughts writing dialogue in another language?

I like putting it in, especially when I have a character whose native language isn't English, or if they know a lot of different languages. I'll place a note at the bottom with the translation.

18. First fandom you wrote for?

Pokémon Adventures. My favorite childhood fandom.

19. Favorite fic you've written?

Oh, wwwwhhhhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?

His Shadow Suspended on Dust (Hannibal TV, post-fall Will/Hannibal omega verse). I love the tone I got it set in, even if I don't really like writing from Jack's POV.

(Beneath the Brine, my first Hannibal fic, will always have a special place, though)

No-pressure tagging- @keepmeinmind-01, @creative-girl, @pragnificent, @inastarlesssky, and any of my other mutuals who write fics (I don't know if you do, to be honest).