#maybe someday I'll tackle it in a fic ...

[goshdangronpa]

As someone who only learned about hanahiki disease quite recently, I believe the trope is ripe for further development. Creative new takes and twists are necessary for keeping any trope fresh and fun. What I'd like to see is for these ideas to retain what I love most about hanahiki: its mythic quality, its intuitive yet rich symbolic value.

Let me break it down: hanahaki disease is unrequited love given agonizing physical form. An ailment of the heart manifesting as ailment of the body and, if left to fester, an ailment of the spirit. The flowers represent love, with the obvious association. We can't control when it blossoms, but we can choose to repress it. And keeping it inside hurts - hence the leaves and thorns growing within the body, impossible to contain.

All that seems obvious enough ... which is great! The symbolism is intuitive without being contrived or half-baked. The metaphor is comprehensive and original. Just like any great myth or fable of old. I find it breathtaking.

The means of resolving the problem also feels deliberate and powerful. Why surgery, as opposed to, say, medicine? I believe it's because surgery can be viewed as an invasion of one's body, violent and forceful and bloody. It's performed in a dark, unfamiliar room by strangers who don't even know you as a person. Moreover, surgery is a drastic measure, a last resort, something that may alter a person forever in body and mind.

The subtrope of surgical removal does clash with the magical nature of the disease. To me, that's the point. Love is not scientific. Okay, there's a whole lot of analysis regarding hormones, brain chemicals, nature and nurture, all the many biological and psychological and sociological reasons why people experience love ... yet even so, love retains a mystery to it. Why we love who we love is a wonder that can't be fully explained.

Yet the hanahaki sufferer sees no wonder in it, only agony. So they decide to forcibly extract it. The voice is cold, calculated, and cynical - all words that traditionally (and sometimes unfairly) characterize science as a discipline.

And all these problems, the pain and the symptoms and the surgery and the threat of death, they're all so pointless!! The quickest and most painless way to cure hanahaki disease is to confess one's love! But the risk of rejection can be so profound that any other agony may feel preferable in the moment. I say that as someone who pined for the same person over an entire school year. All that heartache across all those days was so much more horrible than the "I'm not into you that way" that I eventually received. And that's the power of hanahaki as a storytelling device: for all its fantastical elements and strange logic, it speaks to a fundamental truth, a very real fear.

I don't praise this trope's details to suggest that everything about it is flawless, nor to argue that any variation is pointless. I wrote this so that those who want to riff on the concept can first have an understanding of what, to me, makes it work so well. It's only when writers know the rules of something that they can most effectively break them and make their own.

Hanahaki disease headcanon/ extended idea

HANAHAKI DISEASE is one of my favorite fictional diseases. But I’d like to see it explored in different ways.

It is an illness born from UNREQUITED LOVE that causes flowers to grow in the lungs. The sick person will cough up petals with increasing frequency until they suffocate to death with the flowers fillings their chest.

There is two ways to cure it: first, the love must be reciprocated. The other way is to remove the flowers with a surgery that will also remove all the memories and feelings and the tricky part is that this procedure is PERMANENT. The person will never be able to fall in love for that one person again. 

I see it as a MAGICAL kind of TUBERCULOSIS (or  Consumption) because of the dramatic impact and influence this particularly infection disease had in popular culture. [Today it was replaced by leukemia, I think.]

It bothers me that you can cure a MAGICAL DISEASE with SCIENCE (by having a surgery!). The person is coughing flowers! You can’t cure it with a scalpel! Ok, you CAN, but maybe you shouldn’t…?… 

[The best attempt of using science to cure a broken heart goes to “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”. Great movie! I also think the same principle could be used for the Hanahaki disease]

I know that this surgery is also kind of magic because it removes something intangible, but I like to think that since there are different types of TB, maybe there are different types of Hanahaki disease. Therefore, you can treat each type with a different approach.

Like, instead of surgery, the person could swallow a bunch of CATERPILLARS that would grow and eat the flowers. When the person coughs the butterflies, he/she will be cured from the disease. In worse cases of unrequited love the person could use leaf-cutter ANTS and then, after the ants do their job, lure them out by sleeping with a plate of sugar near the person’s bedhead. So you would have to see the kind of flower the person is coughing to choose the kind of insect to use, or what method would be the best to use .

[Or maybe instead of coughing petals, the person could throw up butterflies that where living in theirs stomach since they felt in love!]

Water with salt and vinegar or other kinds of homemade herbicides could also kill the flowers… and the person wouldn’t be able to fall in love for some time after that.

The idea is so full of possibilities! 

[hischierlovebot]

11, 12 and 17 for the fic writer asks <3

Hello my friend <333

fic writer asks

11. a WIP you’d like to finish someday

Oh there are so many. Right now, that's fake hanahaki, although that one should be getting finished soonish, because I'm 30k deep already and we will come out victorious. other fics that have been on the backburner for a while now are the auswilly fake dating, and the werewolves with no werewolves fic, which has been haunting me for around 2 years? And I hope I can get to those this year!

12. a trope you’re really into right now

Well I recently finished my leverage rewatch so I'm very into heists and cons but tbf most of my free time (dead hours at work) is spent fighting fake hanahaki so there hasn't been that much reading from me! I am, however, itching for the kind of fic that you finish and leaves you feeling hollow because of how good it was so if you have any recs, I'll take them <33

17. talk about your writing and editing process

Man this will be very long and also maybe a bit confusing. I'll post under the cut.

The most important part to understand about my process is that there's no editing. There is a final revision, where I go over the text to polish it and catch stray typos, but I don't really write in drafts: what you get posted to ao3 is what the fic has looked like, most of the time.

So, my process goes a little like this: I get an idea, I write down the scene that comes to mind (most of the times with the longer fics, we're not talking about a fleshed out idea, just a scene that I build the rest of the story around. In soulmates, for example, my goal was to tackle my issues with the concept as a whole, and in fake hanahaki, there's a scene that encapsulates this very well, but that I still can't share for obvious reasons), and then the rest of the story is built around it.

If it's a long fic, or a more complex one, say soulmates or hanahaki, to name hrpf examples, then I need to figure out the plot before I write it. It's something that only really happens with these fics because I can't write if I'm not satisfied with what I've written before.

I think of it as building blocks. I need to have a solid foundation to build on, because if it's wobbly, then I keep worrying it's going to bring down the rest of the structure, and there's nothing I hate more than spending hours on a thing, only for it to be absolutely pointless. Sometimes I get stuck with the base and I can't continue until i figure it out, but I can focus on other stuff, that helps me see the whole picture a little clearer. It's why I tend to write out of order, and, afterwards, I take all the pieces and line them up until they make sense. Currently, fake hanahaki is 60 pages long, and there's only like 45% in order. The rest are disconnected scenes that would probably confuse the fuck out of a reader, and that I have to line up to figure out what's still missing.

Once that's done, then the fic is pretty much done. Because I can't write if I'm not satisfied with the build up of a scene, I've gone over them a bunch of times, so there's no need for further rewrites. They were done as the scene was written. What it needs is a final revision to catch any typos, and then it's ready to go out.

If you're wondering, yes, this means that I rarely if at all use beta readers, also because I worry about annoying them with how much I write and switch wips and fandoms lol there are no deleted scenes either because if they weren't going to make it then they never got written and if they were on the page then I just have to figure out where they go. Is this method of mine the most efficient? Probably not, but it's what works with me and I don't think my works turn out that bad so I'm going to stick with it.

And I think that was it lol sorry for how lengthy this was, and let me know if there's anything that wasn't clear!

[xx3bvvx]

Anthor fic that wasn't planned but.... who cares

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

Kim Rok Soo had just finished reviewing the latest mission details when he noticed Choi Jung Soo sneaking around the office with a suspicious grin. It didn't take long for Rok Soo to realize what was going on. He had caught glimpses of Jung Soo hiding something behind his back and heard muffled giggles.

Rok Soo walked over to where Jung Soo was trying to hide behind a stack of filing cabinets. "Jung Soo," he said in a low, calm voice, "what are you up to?"

Jung Soo nearly jumped out of his skin, spinning around with wide eyes. "N-nothing, Rok Soo-ya! Just, uh, organizing some files!"

Rok Soo raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Really? Because it looks to me like you're planning another one of your pranks."

Jung Soo's face flushed. "Uh, well... maybe. But it's just a harmless joke! It'll be fun!"

Rok Soo crossed his arms, smirking. "You know, if the team leader finds out about this, you'll be in a lot of trouble. But, if you agree to do my share of the paperwork for a week, I might just forget what I've seen."

Jung Soo's eyes widened. "That's blackmail, Rok Soo!"

Rok Soo's smirk widened. "Call it what you want. Do we have a deal?"

Jung Soo sighed, knowing he was trapped. "Fine, fine. I'll do your paperwork. Just don't tell anyone."

"Deal," Rok Soo said, clapping Jung Soo on the shoulder. "Now, get to work."

As the week went on, Rok Soo enjoyed the rare luxury of a lighter workload. Meanwhile, Jung Soo grumbled and muttered under his breath as he tackled Rok Soo's paperwork on top of his own.

One afternoon, as Jung Soo was finishing another stack of reports, he looked up at Rok Soo with a pout. "You know, this isn't fair. I was just trying to have some fun."

Rok Soo shrugged, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Think of it as a lesson. Next time, maybe you'll be more careful with your pranks."

Jung Soo groaned but couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, alright. You win this time, Rok Soo-ya. But I'll get you back someday."

Rok Soo chuckled. "Looking forward to it, Jung Soo. Just remember, I'm always one step ahead."

Despite the extra work, Jung Soo found that he didn't mind too much. In a strange way, the blackmail had brought them closer, and he couldn't deny that Rok Soo's cleverness was something he admired, even if it did get him into trouble.

Choi Jung Soo had been planning his revenge for days. He decided on a classic: the old water bucket on the door prank. Simple, yet effective.

He spent the morning setting it up, carefully balancing the bucket on top of the door to Rok Soo's room. All he had to do now was wait for Rok Soo to walk in.

Finally, the moment arrived. Rok Soo, carrying a stack of papers, approached his room, completely unaware of the impending trap. He pushed the door open, and the bucket tipped over, drenching him in cold water.

Jung Soo burst out laughing, doubling over at the sight of Rok Soo standing there, soaked and stunned. "Gotcha, Rok Soo-ya!"

Rok Soo wiped water from his face, his expression slowly turning from shock to annoyance. "Really, Jung Soo? This is your revenge?"

Jung Soo grinned, still chuckling. "It worked, didn't it?"

Before Rok Soo could respond, Lee Soo Hyuk appeared in the hallway, drawn by the commotion. He took one look at the scene — Rok Soo dripping wet and Jung Soo laughing hysterically — and his expression darkened. "What is going on here?"

Jung Soo's laughter died instantly. "Uh, team leader... it was just a harmless prank."

Soo Hyuk sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Jung Soo, this is not the time for pranks. You both have work to do, and now Rok Soo is soaked."

Rok Soo nodded, still glaring at Jung Soo. "Thanks for the shower, Jung Soo."

Soo Hyuk crossed his arms. "Jung Soo, you're responsible for cleaning up this mess. And since you seem to have so much energy for pranks, you'll be taking on extra duties for the next week."

Jung Soo's face fell. "But team leader—"

"No buts," Soo Hyuk interrupted. "This behaviour is unacceptable, and you need to learn to be more responsible."

Jung Soo sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Yes, team leader."

Rok Soo couldn't help but smirk as he walked past Jung Soo. "Looks like the prank backfired, huh?"

Jung Soo glared at him but didn't say anything, knowing he had no one to blame but himself.

As he started cleaning up the mess, Jung Soo couldn't help but think about how to avoid getting caught next time. Because there would definitely be a next time. He wasn't going to let Rok Soo have the last laugh. But for now, he'd just have to endure the extra work and the teasing from his team leader.

Choi Jung Soo was not having a good day. It was barely noon, and Jung Soo was already exhausted. The first part of his punishment involved cleaning up the mess he'd made with the water bucket, which took longer than he expected. Every time he thought he was done, he found another puddle or wet spot that needed attention.

"Jung Soo-ya, you missed a spot," Rok Soo called out from the doorway, barely concealing his smirk.

Jung Soo grumbled under his breath, mopping up the last of the water. "I hope you slip in it," he muttered, too quietly for Rok Soo to hear.

After the cleaning, Soo Hyuk handed him a stack of paperwork. "Since you have so much energy for pranks, you can help with these reports."

Jung Soo's shoulders sagged. "But team leader, I've never done these kinds of reports before."

"You'll learn," Soo Hyuk replied firmly, handing him a pen. "You need to understand the importance of responsibility."

Jung Soo spent the next several hours hunched over his desk, his head pounding from staring at the endless forms and documents. Every mistake he made earned him a stern look from Soo Hyuk, who was monitoring his progress closely.

"These numbers need to add up, Jung Soo," Soo Hyuk said, pointing at a particularly messy column.

Jung Soo sighed deeply, erasing his errors and starting over. His hand ached from writing, and his eyes were starting to blur from the strain. "This is torture," he muttered to himself.

To make matters worse, Rok Soo seemed to take every opportunity to walk by and check on his progress, offering unsolicited advice that only added to Jung Soo's frustration.

"Jung Soo, you should really pay more attention to detail," Rok Soo said, peering over his shoulder. "Otherwise, you'll never finish."

"Thanks, Rok Soo," Jung Soo replied through gritted teeth. "Really helpful."

By the evening of the evening rolled around, Jung Soo was mentally and physically drained. He still had a pile of paperwork left, and his stomach growled loudly, reminding him that he'd skipped lunch.

Just as he was about to take a break, Soo Hyuk appeared again. "Don't forget, you have extra training sessions after this."

Jung Soo's heart sank. "But team leader, I'm exhausted. Can't we do it tomorrow?"

Soo Hyuk shook his head. "You need to understand the consequences of your actions. We'll start as soon as you finish that stack."

With a resigned sigh, Jung Soo turned back to his work, the thought of the upcoming training weighing heavily on him. He knew he had no choice but to push through, but he couldn't help feeling a deep sense of misery and regret.

"Why did I think that prank was a good idea?" he muttered to himself, shaking his head. "I really need to stop underestimating Rok Soo."

As he continued to work, he glanced over at Rok Soo, who was engrossed in his own tasks. Despite the day's events, there was a small part of Jung Soo that couldn't help but admire Rok Soo's dedication and focus.

But for now, all Jung Soo could do was endure his punishment and hope that the next few days would pass quickly. And maybe, just maybe, he'd learn his lesson about pulling pranks on Kim Rok Soo.

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

Choi Jung Soo stood in the middle of the training ground, panting heavily. His muscles ached from the rigorous exercises, and sweat dripped from his forehead. Across from him, Lee Soo Hyuk watched him with a critical eye, arms crossed over his chest.

"Again," Soo Hyuk commanded, his voice firm.

Jung Soo groaned inwardly but didn't dare to protest. He picked up his training sword and got back into his stance. Soo Hyuk wasn't known for being lenient, especially not after Jung Soo's recent prank that had disrupted the team's workflow.

"Your footwork is sloppy," Soo Hyuk pointed out as they began their sparring session again. "Focus on your balance."

Jung Soo tried to adjust his stance, but his tired legs struggled to keep up. Soo Hyuk moved with the precision and grace of a seasoned warrior, his strikes coming fast and hard. Jung Soo barely managed to block them, his arms trembling from the effort.

"You're hesitating," Soo Hyuk said, landing a light blow on Jung Soo's shoulder. "In a real battle, hesitation can get you killed."

Jung Soo nodded, gritting his teeth. He knew Soo Hyuk was right, but it was hard to focus with exhaustion clouding his mind. He forced himself to push through, ignoring the burning pain in his muscles.

"Good, now counterattack," Soo Hyuk instructed.

Jung Soo lunged forward, aiming for Soo Hyuk's side. His strike was met with a swift parry, and Soo Hyuk's sword came down on his wrist, making him drop his weapon.

"Too predictable," Soo Hyuk said. "You need to be more creative with your attacks."

Jung Soo picked up his sword again, frustration mounting. He knew he was better than this, but the day's events had drained him. Still, he wasn't about to give up. He took a deep breath and steadied himself, determined to prove his worth.

They continued sparring, with Soo Hyuk relentlessly pointing out Jung Soo's mistakes and pushing him to do better. Every time Jung Soo thought he had improved, Soo Hyuk found another flaw to correct. It was grueling, but Jung Soo knew it was necessary.

After what felt like an eternity, Soo Hyuk finally called for a break. Jung Soo collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.

"You've got potential, Jung Soo," Soo Hyuk said, handing him a bottle of water. "But you need to work on your discipline and focus. Training isn't just about physical strength; it's about mental fortitude too."

Jung Soo nodded, too exhausted to speak. He took a long drink of water, grateful for the brief respite. He knew he had a long way to go, but he was determined to become a better fighter, for himself and for his team.

"Thanks, team leader," he finally managed to say. "I'll keep that in mind."

Soo Hyuk nodded. "Good. Now rest for a bit, but don't get too comfortable. We've still got more training to do."

Jung Soo groaned but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips. Despite the harsh training, he appreciated Soo Hyuk's dedication to making him better. Deep down, he knew that this was exactly what he needed to grow stronger.

"Alright," he said, sitting up. "Let's do this."

Soo Hyuk smiled. "That's the spirit, Jung Soo. Now, let's get back to work."

Jung Soo pushed himself off the ground. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the next round of training with Soo Hyuk.

"Ready?" Soo Hyuk asked.

Jung Soo nodded, gripping his sword tightly. They began again, Soo Hyuk's strikes coming fast and relentless. Despite his exhaustion, Jung Soo found a rhythm, blocking and countering with more precision. He could feel himself improving, bit by bit, with each clash of their swords.

After what felt like hours, Soo Hyuk finally lowered his sword. "That's enough for today. You've made progress, Jung Soo."

Jung Soo let out a sigh of relief, dropping his sword. "Thanks, team leader."

Soo Hyuk handed him another bottle of water. They sat in silence for a moment, catching their breath.

"Come on, let's head back to the office," Soo Hyuk said, standing up. "We need to get Rok Soo and grab some dinner. My treat."

Jung Soo's eyes lit up at the mention of food. "Really? Something expensive, right?"

Soo Hyuk chuckled. "Yes, something expensive. You two deserve it."

They made their way back to the office, where they found Kim Rok Soo buried in paperwork.

"Rok Soo, we're heading out for dinner," Soo Hyuk announced.

Kim Rok Soo looked up, surprised. "Dinner? Now?"

"Yes, now," Soo Hyuk said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "You've been working hard, and we all deserve a break."

Jung Soo grinned, draping an arm over Rok Soo's shoulders. "Come on, Rok Soo-ya, it's team leader's treat! Something expensive!"

Rok Soo sighed but couldn't hide the small smile that tugged at his lips. "Alright, alright. Let's go."

They left the office together, the sun setting on the horizon as they walked through the city. Soo Hyuk led them to an upscale restaurant.

As they were seated and handed menus, Jung Soo's eyes widened at the selection. "Wow, this place is fancy," he said, glancing at Rok Soo.

Rok Soo nodded. "Yeah, it is."

Soo Hyuk ordered a variety of dishes, ensuring they got to try a bit of everything. As they ate, the tension from the day's training and work melted away, replaced by laughter and camaraderie.

Jung Soo couldn't help but feel grateful for moments like these. Despite the hardships and the constant danger, they had each other. And that was something worth celebrating.

"Team leader, this is amazing," Jung Soo said, savoring a bite of his steak.

Soo Hyuk smiled. "I'm glad you're enjoying it. You both deserve it."

Rok Soo, for once, seemed content. As they finished their meal and sat back, satisfied, Soo Hyuk raised his glass.

"To our brotherhood," he said. "May we continue to grow stronger together."

Jung Soo and Rok Soo clinked their glasses with his, a silent agreement passing between them. No matter what challenges lay ahead, they would face them together as a team.

And for tonight, at least, they could enjoy the simple pleasure of good food and each other's company.

With that, the record stopped, and Kim Rok Soo wiped his bloody nose.

[boasamishipper]

tagged by @film-in-my-soul and @icemankazansky - thanks guys!! ❤️❤️❤️

Everyone deserves to toot their own horn and be proud of their work! So, this tag game is fairly simple.

Promote 5 works that you're really proud of and share a little about why you're so proud of them! Then tag as many people as you like. You can reblog this post and add on to it (why not create a giant reclist to throw around?) or steal this header (and border if you like) and make your own post.

tagging @bornforastorm @lookforanewangle @apartmentsmoke @maverickcalf @saltyfilmmajor @hacash @academicgangster @onekisstotakewithme and anyone else who sees this and wants to do it

Make A Wrong One Right

Top Gun, Iceman Kazansky/Maverick Mitchell, Goose Bradshaw & Maverick Mitchell

Maverick makes a wish and wakes up thirty years in the past. He reacts accordingly.

I've written a lot of Top Gun fics (sixty-three, to be precise, which is insane all on its own) but this fic is far and away the one I'm most proud of. Not only did I get to throw in all my favorite things (angst with a happy ending!! time travel!! magical realism!! back to the future references!!), I got the chance to explore in a more subtle way just how much Mav loves Ice, and tackle fun existential questions like, Would you change the past if it meant you might lose the future you love? And I feel like I balanced all of the above and stuck the landing really well! (Honestly, the whole story was worth writing just for the bit in chapter three where Mav calls Ice 'baby' without thinking and Ice bluescreens so hard he drops what he's holding.)

there's a raging fire in my heart tonight

Top Gun&MCU, Iceman Kazansky/Maverick Mitchell, Carol Danvers/Maria Rambeau, Carol Danvers & Iceman Kazansky, Iceman Kazansky & Tony Stark, MCU/Coherent Storytelling

“Carol, you can’t bring a civilian into this—” “Civilian?” The temperature in the room seems to drop twenty degrees as Ice steps forward, flinty-eyed and deadly serious. “I’m a captain. And I earned my rank, which is more than I can say for you, Rogers. Thanos killed my husband. You want to stop me from helping you out, you’re going to have to shoot me.” Silence stretches out, long and fraught with tension. Then Stark laughs out loud, and everyone turns to look at him. “What?” he says. “I like this guy.”

This was the first Top Gun fic I ever published, and the first Top Gun fic I wrote on my own. (At the time, I was working on baby, baby, i'd get down on my knees for you with the fantastic @academicgangster, without whom I never would have gotten into Top Gun or on the Tom Cruise train at all.) Naturally my first foray into this fandom ended up being this chaotic, complicated beast of a fic, where I wrote my faves Iceman Kazansky and Tony Stark and Carol Danvers side by side, fixed all my issues with Avengers: Endgame, and gave everyone the happy ending they deserved (especially after all the additional angst I put them through). I had a blast writing this fic and rambling about all the details with Cain (without her support this fic would never have left our tumblr DMs). There were a lot of plot points to juggle, and I managed to juggle them all. So though I've definitely grown as a writer in the (oh god) five years since, I still look back on this fic very fondly, and very proudly. And who knows, maybe someday I'll go back to this series and write more of Ice accidentally acquiring a son in Tony Stark and a granddaughter in Morgan. (Famous last words, I know.)

Judge Leon AU

Night Court (1984) / Night Court (2023), Dan Fielding/Harry Stone, Dan Fielding & Leon, Olivia Moore/Donna "Gurgs" Gurganous, Neil Valluri/Gabby

When his court-assigned public defender quits on his first night as an arraignment judge at Manhattan Criminal Court, Leon decides to reach out to his old foster father, Harry Stone, for advice. He finds Harry's widower, Dan Fielding, instead.

shot:

chaser:

I could not tell you for the life of me why the hands down angstiest fics I've ever written ended up being for an 80s sitcom whose plotlines include a ventriloquist's dummy committing suicide and my blorbo getting so horny he had to fuck a firehose about it, but here we are!! Over sixty-four thousand words later!!

In all seriousness, though, I'm extremely proud of this series. I have a lot of issues with New Night Court (I have a post in my drafts about that), namely that it lacks the edge and darkness that made the original so good, and this series gave me the opportunity to restore that edge and really make us feel Harry's loss, as well as the loss of almost all the other main cast members. I get to be goofy (a man holds the gang hostage on the advice of members of his favorite subreddit) and I get to be angsty (delve deeply into Dan's low self-worth and depression and grief post-Harry's death) and in all the spaces between, I get to write about how much Harry and Dan loved each other (and develop Leon and Dan's growing bond), and I do it all very, very well. (Certainly better than the NNC writers. Let me into the writers' room, guys!! Help me help you!!)

Austin Alone

9-1-1 Lone Star, Billy Tyson/Owen Strand

After the reopening of the 126, Billy and Owen give being friends with benefits a try. Inconvenient feelings ensue. / Season 3 AU, Owen-centric.

I co-wrote this fic with the lovely @lilalbatross while season 3 was still airing, and not only were we so in tune with the characters and the show that our fic accidentally predicted the future (exploration of Owen's abandonment issues! Owen getting trapped in a collapsed building!), but this fic set my standards so high that now the show can no longer reach it. (To be fair, this is largely because Lone Star decided to become the Tarlos and Wyatt Show above all else, but that's a rant for another day.) I'm proud as hell of this fic for a lot of reasons - I got Billy and Owen's voices down pat, put them in mortal peril that was realistic to the show, and wrote some banger lines of dialogue and prose that made me take honest to god victory laps around my house. The entirety of (the very long) chapter 6 might be some of my best work of all time.

For A Minute There I Lost Myself

Ted Lasso, Nathan Shelley & Original Male Character(s), Nathan Shelley & Ted Lasso, Nathan Shelley & Rupert Mannion

Nathan Shelley and the road to redemption.

[sigh] Really it's such a shame that Ted Lasso never got a season three and so we never got to see Nate grow and thrive at West Ham and bond with his players and stand up to Rupert and become more confident in himself and his ability as a coach and apologize to Ted and just in general have a redemption arc that was not centered on some random one-dimensional mean waitress or his ability to play the violin. But at least we have this fic!

I wrote FAMTILM for Yuletide in 2021. I'd never written Nate's POV before - all my Ted Lasso fics up to this point were about Sam and Dani - so I'm proud of myself for being able to capture the nuances of Nate's voice and write the slow growth of Nate's self-esteem and realization that he was in the wrong and his affection for his players (particularly Višnjić and Roubeni, who are in my top ten favorite OCs I've ever created). I'm also very proud of myself for taking what could have been a 30k word story and telling it just as well in under 8k, and writing a full Natedemption arc in less than a month that turned out to be ten times better than what Sudeikis and co accomplished in twelve bloated episodes.

[the-artist-grimm]

Is there a full written out fic of your au, or is it all on here?

Just a lot of Lore Dumps, art, and comics!

I've tried writing little one-shots for practice but I struggle with making them flow nicely enough to where I'm confident in posting them-I can do base dialogue, symbolism, laying out plots, characters personalities/arcs, ect, but describing scenes or a character's thoughts/observations in a way that sounds natural is where I get tripped up when writing-I seem to work better visually in that regard.

I really respect people who can write out big grand fics! Maybe someday I'll tackle that type of project, or post a one-shot or two, but for now this blog is where everything is! (which I need to go through and sort-the story really started getting its footing mid September-ish so a lot of my August stuff is not entirely canon anyone for some things)

[theartofdreaming1]

Fanfic Tagging Game

I got tagged by the lovely @wurzelbertzwerg - thank you! 💕

1. How many works do you have on AO3? - 30

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

111,591 words (at the moment)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently, I'm writing for The Quarry and the Batfam fandom (primarily DickBabs and BatCat)... I have posted fics for The Flash TV series and Brooklyn 99 on AO3 in the past... plus, some other stuff that is only on my old fanfiction.net account (although I've been considering updating my old Young Justice fics, so I may post them on AO3 some day)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Um, Rush Hour, Partners, Knight in Shining Armor, Loveable Nerds and Superheroes and Thank You, Becky Cooper - except for Partners, these are all Flash fics, which is wild, because aside from Rush Hour and Loveable Nerds and Superheroes, both of which I'm still quite proud of, I don't necessarily think that my Flash fics are my best works, but okay ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

5. Do you respond to comments?

Sometimes? I often don't know what to say in response 😅- but I appreciate every single one of them sooo much! 💕

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

Okay... so this question prompted me to do some re-reading of my older fics... and honestly? Nothing on my AO3 account had an angsty ending to begin with ^^; So I had to go waaaay back, to my old ff.net account - and I think my Young Justice fic "Pain" had the angstiest ending (and even then, it's pretty moderate... even 17-year-old me was fairly mellow ;)

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

Hmmh... Maybe my Flash fic "Coming Home"? It certainly has a very warm and fuzzy ending ☺️

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not that I can recall, no...

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

Nope; smut is not for me

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

No, I don't really write crossovers (only multiple fandoms that already share a universe, i.e. Batfam-comic fandom)

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of...

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope!

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

Nope - since I'm a very slow writer, I wouldn't want to punish any potential co-writer of mine with that curse either...

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

To write? Hmmh... BatCat and DickBabs for sure! (Plus, LauraMax are getting there, too... I just need to give them some time to cement their position ;)

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

Oh boy, there are plenty of fics I'm worried I'll never finish... but I choose to stay optimistic enough to think that I will, someday, finish all the WIPs that I want to finish... (please, writing Gods, please help me accomplish this task!!!!)

16. What are your writing strengths?

Umm... I like to think that my writing is quite, um, pleasant? What I mean is, that it's pretty accessible (not too convoluted or complex, but also not boring) and while I sometimes write angsty/tense/sad moments, my stories generally have happy endings... And even though my writing isn't exactly groundbreaking, I still stand by all the ideas/concepts behind every story I've written so far, so... yeah...

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

The process of writing itself (I have to fight for every single word I commit onto the page... I swear, me and writing are engaged in the most tedious wrestling match nobody ever wants to see... ever). I get excited for a particular story, start to jot down some basic ideas, maybe even put in some research for a few points that need to get tackled beforehand - and then psyche myself out of being able to write down that dang story 😩 (Doesn't help that I have a hard time making decisions and get super intimidated when faced with all the possible directions a story could go)

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

Depends on the context - if we're talking about two foreigners (e.g. Germans) that are talking to each other in their native tongue and maybe don't want to be understood by the people around them (who, for the sake of this argument, are all English speakers) - then, maybe I would give it a whirl, because it would fit the idea behind the conversation (especially if it's a short exchange that people, who would be interested in learning what the Germans said, could look up via Google translate) - but, imo, this only works in very specific circumstances and for short exchanges - otherwise it can get tedious real quick... and personally, I don't like writing in German and don't feel confident enough in my Spanish skills to attempt it for that language, so writing English all the way is it for me

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Um... a quick look at my old, old fanfiction.net account tells me that my first posted fanfic was for the "Sonny With A Chance" fandom when I was 14 years old - the writing is a little... rough, for sure 😅 (although, to be fair, this was written at a point when I had only had, like, 3-4 years of proper English class... all things considered, it's not that bad)

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Don't make me choose, I can't pick just one!

I very, very much love my BatCat fic "The Chase" - it just feels like pure Selina, the pacing of it is great and I think it portrays Bruce/Selina's relationship dynamic so very well (plus, it has some of my favorite sentences I've ever written in there!)

I also love Partners for being the longest, most ambitious story I've written so far (yes, despite the fact that I still need to add that epiogue!) and On the Reciprocal Attraction of Heavenly Bodies has the potential to become my best fic of them all, with the Austen-esque writing style and all the historical and literary research I plan on putting into it... I'm certainly very fond of the two chapters that already exist.

And This Is Not Over, But Just the Beginning is so fun and challenging in a different way; being a Quarry fic, with the whole werewolf element, it's darker and more angsty than anything I've written in a long time - but that's what makes it so fascinating for me to write (and read)

I'll tag @queenofbaws @thychesters @rosegardeninwinter @icequeen-07 @clearbluewaters and @mollywog - only if they want to, of course! :)

[serenescribe]

Ao3 wrapped 🥳👏

6, 10, 12, 29

ao3 wrapped [writers edition] [2024 edition]

6. Favorite title you used most of my titles tend to be song lyrics, so they're nothing too notable, but i quite liked the once (and many) prince(s), if only because it's a play on the title "the once and future king" in reference to king arthur!

the irony is that i didn't quite remember where i heard it from, nor the significance behind it, until i took an arthurian class recently ;; apparently the once and future king symbolises the fact that king arthur is said to come back and save britain in its time of need. given that au's silver and how he keeps reincarnating over and over for the sake of his people who cling to him as a symbol of hope... yeah, it's quite a fitting reference

(alternative answer: i am so stupidly proud of naming a fic about periods red wine supernova. sorry, i am not immune to silly names)

10. What work was the quickest to write? oh god, i don't fucking remember LMAO. i write fast in general, so that's one thing, but you're also asking me to remember how long it took me to write stuff earlier this year when i have the memory of a goldfish

that being said, it's my most recent fic but i definitely remember spending not more than 2 hours, 3 at absolute maximum, on i'm sat there, holding on for the bomb. it didn't take me THAT long and i was kind of surprised how quickly i wrote it. so in recent memory, it's the quickest o7

12. How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year? ha. haha. ha. ha

well i'm taking glaciers into the new year with me, bastard child that it is. i've still got that locked in the freezer epel fic that i REALLY want to return to and finish someday, somehow. i've got another bthb fic focused on adaine that i just about barely started but haven't continued, and i have an ortho fic that i'll probably chip at slowly with the intentions of gifting it to my best friend once it's done, whenever that may be. and that's just everything off the top of my head.

this is actually more wips than i'm used to holding at any one time. i'm usually more of a "focus on and finish one fic" writer...

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year? technically already answered here, but seeing as you're a twst girlie... i guess i'll share a little bit that i really like from the aforementioned ortho fic (though do NOT expect it to be finished anytime soon when my priorities lie elsewhere for now!)

i like the dichotomy in flow! i like how i went from one very long, rambling, run-on paragraph to a shorter one, and then one single sentence with four lines. it's a fun rhythm, and it really makes that last sentence hit all that much harder.

anyways, i'll get back to this someday. contrary to my very diasomnia focused past, i do love a lot of the twst cast, and i'm especially fond of the shrouds — it's just that idia's mode of speaking has put me off writing them for way too long ;v; thank god ortho doesn't speak like that (though i will have to tackle the elder shroud eventually... uuugh maybe that's why i'm procrastinating returning to this)

[edwin-paynes-bowtie]

given Anna and Ari have a very heated relationship in canon, will the fic contain explicit scenes or mentions to it?

There will not be explicit scenes in any of the Beginning of Everything stories, but I'm sure there will be allusions to it and discussions of sex.

I'm generally uncomfortable writing sex scenes until I have a very solid grasp on writing the character dynamic. This is my first Ari/Anna fic where they're not just minor background characters, so it's unlikely that I'll be writing anything E-rated about them for a while. That's why all my smut is Wessa and Thomastair - I know them well. But maybe someday! I do like Arianna and would be excited to tackle this when I'm more comfortable with them.

Idk if you like Herondaisy, but I think I'm approaching the point with them where I could write smut!

[weregreatatcrime]

Hey, I’ve been going over some of the other stories you’ve written, what’s Claire’s Quirk in the Trollhunters AU with Quirks? Assuming that it’s not a spoiler if you ever come back to the story.

Here's where my memory issues kick in. I remember vaguely that I had plans for some form of precognition quirk? Or maybe just a psychic quirk of some kind??? I don't remember what it was. I remembered she has a third eye that controls the ability and that she was self-conscious about the eye for some reason, thus hiding it behind bangs

Unfortunately most of my old fics I won't ever be continuing just because I. Can't recall what I wanted to do with them, OR I remember enough to know I had COOL plans, but don't remember the plans and know I won't be able to do them justice. I suppose I'm not opposed to discussing what I DO remember since it's extremely unlikely I'll continue some of them

There's a couple of em that I could continue if I get the inspiration bug back (like mha tmnt reincarnated fic, my beloved, I'll return to you someday......) but it does depend on my inspiration levels and some other stuff. Losing memories and mental function for so long has had a huge effect on me, understandably, so going back to those fics I treasured Before is hard. I love them but it feels like a whole different person wrote them. Maybe I'll work up the courage to fiddle with them again but for now I'm just happy to be creating again at all. New stuff is easier to tackle because actively Trying To Remember and dig through my head can give me some episodes and is just extra mentally taxing. Which I have to do because like, I can't go without Remembering things, but it's something I try to avoid when it's not very important. Some things are easy to dig up and others cause Problems for dumb reasons lol

[swtorpadawan]

Name one of your favorite tropes. What is a trope you’ve always wanted to subvert? Is there a fact/detail about your muse that you think would surprise people if you told them about it? (Easy Meme for a Burnt Out Mun)

Easy Meme for a Burnt Out Mun Name one of your favorite tropes.

I don't know if its a proper trope, but I like a fic where its "before" and "after". Say - part one - we see two characters in their youth, interacting and talking. We see who they are. In part two, its years later and these two characters meet again. Look how different they are! Look how the decisions they made in part one changes who they become in part two!

What is a trope you’ve always wanted to subvert?

I sometimes find "enemies-to-lovers" troubling, since it often hand-waves abusive situations. I dunno. Maybe I'll tackle that someday. ( cough Teeanah )

Is there a fact/detail about your muse that you think would surprise people if you told them about it?

Corellan Halcyon has a minor spinal condition as a result of an incident when he was a youngling. It doesn't impede him in battle at all, but its uncomfortable for him to sit down normally. He actually rigged the pilot's chair of his ship to accommodate himself. The number of people who know about this condition can be counted on one hand.

Thanks for the asks!

[polkadotpatterson]

10. Top three favourite fic tropes. & 30. Describe a fic that almost happened, but then it didn't.

10. Top 3 favourite fic tropes

This is interesting bc tropes aren't something I actively think about when writing, or even when looking for fics to read? But, that being said:

-Found family! The trope of all time. The Talkers are a found family and the Patterson-Gloom family is a found family within that found family and I love them 🥺

-Angst with a happy ending. Yes, I want to stab my readers in the heart, but that doesn't mean I won't patch them up again afterwards! Things might be rough sometimes, but they get better.

-Ok I'm not sure if this is an actual trope, but as you've pointed out, I have a tendency to write people who are learning how to be people. This is probably most evident in some fics I haven't posted yet, notably the replicas and CV, but it also very much applies to Dot trying to regain their sense of humanity after the blessing and then the squiddishness, learning to stop thinking of themselves as more of a pitcher than a person.

30. Describe a fic that almost happened, but then it didn't.

My first fic that didn't happen was actually before my first fic that did happen! The first big blaseball moment I experienced was Landry Violence's incineration, and it really made me want to write something... except I wasn't a Tiger, and I was intimidated by the thought of writing for a new fandom, and by the time I got into blaseball I had lost a lot of confidence in my writing. I wanted to write something about Landry! But ultimately I didn't, and it was over a month later before I wrote anything for blaseball at all. What might have happened if I'd started earlier? I don't remember any details of what the fic idea was, unfortunately, but maybe someday I'll tackle Landry's incineration, who knows?

[lalaurelia]

2021 Fic in Review

It's more than a month overdue, but whatever. Getting sick and bonking my head pretty hard ought to give me some leeway.

So, let's see how 2021 was for my writing.

total number of completed stories: 1 game, 5 fics, 3 fics in collab. Game's a collab too, but since all the text and game code in it are mine, I'm counting it.

total word count: 22123 words, not counting the collabs. If we're throwing WIPs into this, that's about 15K more. Oh, and there are also stories I've only written in Russian, that's prolly about 4K more. A lot of writing, and not much to show for it, huh XD

fandoms written in: Gotham and Gobblepot. I've a one-track mind.

looking back, did you expect to write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d expected? I always hope to be writing more. But the past year has been difficult and a little soul-sucking, so I'm counting any writing I've done during it as a major win. And, like, I didn't expect to be making a game, which was a very fun and interesting experience that I really hope to repeat someday.

what’s your own favorite story of the year? I don't have any particularly strong feelings about any of the written ones... except maybe the Halloween WIP. But I'm really happy with how the game turned out.

did you take any writing risks this year? The game, really. I've always loved games, I've always wanted to make one of my own. This one is a bit of a testing sample, seeing what was possible, what I could do with it considering plot/relationship/game mechanics. I now know more and could tackle something bigger and more complex.

As for fics... no. I'm trying ways of writing that are new to me, but I don't consider them risks, that's just experimenting. No one but myself would probably notice anything XD

do you have any fanfic or profit goals for the new year? Finish at least some of the WIPs. Maybe print some of my oldies in a book form, but page layouts and typesetting are very fiddly, so I'm not sure how well that would go.

best story of the year? One day I will figure out what "best" is. If it's best written, I don't have one. It's a WIP. It's prolly always gonna be a WIP lol

most popular story of the year? The game and Nothing But Roses share the top spot~

story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion: To be honest, I expected Swimming Lessons to be accepted a little better. But oh well. It's not like I can affect readers' preferences.

most fun story to write: It's either the game or I'm shutting up about it XD

story with the single sexiest moment: Well, Black and Gold is alright as things go. But you know it by now. It's either the game, or a WIP lol

sweetest story: Stubborn String. It's kind of based on a memory I find sweet, so.

“holy crap, thats wrong, even for you!” story: You know what, I'll never have anything for this one, because there are no wrong things to write about. It's fiction. There may be something wrong about the execution of your theme and the way some things are addressed, but nothing a person with critical thinking can't get over.

story that shifted my own perceptions of the characters & most unintentionally telling story: The Halloween WIP. Funny, how Jim and Oswald still manage to surprise me when I write about them. I love this.

hardest story to write: That's another WIP. I'm not sure I even want to finish it, to be honest, but... I suppose I should, as a challenge, because it expands on the idea that I do not like. I just. I don't see much point to it other than I've promised I would write it. I've somewhat conflicted feelings about it.

biggest disappointment: Wanted to finish WIPs. Ended up too overworked to write consistently.

biggest surprise: The game. I loved it. I'm amazed we made it. It was difficult in a very satisfying way. On the not game-related note, I'm just happy I'm trying new writing things, they do urge me to write a little more.

I'm not sure who to tag, but if you see this and want to give it a go (if you haven't already), do it, and feel free to tag me :) I'd love to see how other writers tackle this stuff.

[heleneplays]

3, 4, 10, 22, 30

HI REN!!!!!! HOW ARE YOU 👀👀👀 *sends my hugs and love*

3. What was Jacob’s friendship with Duncan and Olivia like? What was their dynamic before and during working for R?

El had heard of the stories of the Cursed Vaults from Marie, which is why he searched for them in his spare time just to disprove it... until the first curse was activated, which he made a decision to find the vaults and break the curses; because it seemed none of the staff were bothering at all.

He met Duncan Ashe in the train briefly, but never interacted until he saves the Slytherin student from being the next victim of the cursed ice.

Soon, the year ends and they manage to enter after a long period of self-training to combat the cold...

Olivia Green comes in to their crew a year later, when she wanted in on their trainings. She also introduced them on how to properly cast a Riddikulus; and other defensive spells.

Their friendship isn't cemented until the year after, when they tackle the Forest Vault together...

4. Is Jacob physically and/or mentally different after he is released from the vaults? How does he change?

El... I know JC said our Jacobs didn't age or change-- but I call bs and pull my story card.

El changed-- Mentally, he'd been conserving his strength, but always kept track of the date by piggybacking on the bond he shared with Helene.

He sends her a gift during her birthdays; utilizing his legilimency abilities to grant her good dreams, before directing her to each secret place he made per year in the bowels of the school with an image of the butterflies he used to conjure for her when they were little.

Other than that, his forced isolation skyrockets his paranoia, and the rest are spoilers to my personal rewrites.

10. What happened to Olivia Green? Is she an evil agent of R or was she wrongfully manipulated like Jacob?

In my canon, Olivia Green is definitely NOT an agent of R. She's a victim as much as El, and has since lied low in order to pass their surveilance.

and honestly... Olivia's the only member of the group who gets out of Hogwarts, relatively fine.

22. Does MC trust Dumbledore?

Helene trusts Dumbledore as much as she does Cyrus, which is a big, fat, HELL NAH!

She does know the headmaster holds power over her, given her position as a student in his school; and has long been disillusioned with him way before she started at Hogwarts... which is why she complies, when needed-- but otherwise remains to be her own agent.

30. Answered!

ANYways thanks so much for sending an ask!!!!!!

I have an unpublished Olivia Green-El Adler-Duncan Ashe fic somewhere in my drafts, maybe i'll post it for further reference someday,,,,

[notoriousjae]

Are you ever going to finish 72 Rules of Cat Grant? Pretty pretty please?????

The answer is a firm absolutely probably. A 'someday'

Funnily enough, I'm horrible about checking my tumblr messages and I'm even more horrible about answering them in a timely manner, but I do get this question at least once a month. Which...let's be real, is absolutely humbling. I'm touched.

I'll be honest with you, because I think a lot of fic writers aren't honest when they get these questions: I love them. A lot. I still know the entire story and still know exactly the path I want them to take--I know exactly what was going to happen...and honestly, I hit a few hard-to-write roadblocks and it just stemmed me from continuing. I reached a few scenes that gutted me in writing and made it difficult for me to continue and instead of pressing on, I let it fall to the wayside. It haunts me. I took a writer's easy way out--instead of working through the emotions I knew I had charted ahead of myself, I stopped the story in a way I have so little capability to stop real life. I knew bad things were coming--that bad things were going to happen--and I had an agency with that story I so rarely have. I could stop myself from going through these feelings along with everyone else reading the story. I didn't want to keep writing the storyline I was, because the middle was hard to write, even if I felt like it was important.

Juvenile? Oh, yeah, definitely. I should have just written it--that story was so important to me. It's still important to me, especially knowing what was to come for them. But...I hesitated, and now time's passed. So know that each day I think about that story like an old lover, faded memories of should have beens in the background, and I feel so horrible for everyone who was reading it that just got dropped in the middle. Supercat is still very, very dear to my heart...

But I'll be honest: because of that I wanted them to stay happy, and the part where I left the fic seemed like the greatest moment to leave them, before life ultimately got in the way. I've wished I could do that for myself thousands of times in the smallest and biggest of ways and maybe it's still a mental roadblock for me, tackling that fic. Tackling that relationship. And, yes, tackling the very painful second half of the fic that was to come.

I've mentally moved on a bit. I'd love to say 'oh of course I'll finish it' and I do mean that it's every intention of mine to finish it, someday, but it's not likely going to happen very soon. My focus has shifted--my priorities have moved.

I can't tell you how humbled I am that it had such an impact on you that you're asking me about it, now. That so many people have asked about it, or thanked me for it. It's still surprising to me that anyone has ever read a single thing I've written, let alone it's affected them so deeply, so I'm genuinely sorry that I left such a loose end on the piece.

I'd like to finish it, someday, when I can push through the writer's block I caused for myself. Maybe if I keep writing obscure wlw for literally every television show, game, and movie I play/watch I'll push past it :)

Thank you again, anon, and I hope someday I'll be able to answer this question with 'Yes! It's finished!' but until then, I appreciate you.