#me: i’ll never write a 100k+ fic

[prettyboybuckley]

outlining pt 3 of high on you and starting to feel a little too toasty this close to the sun

[ranger-kellyn]

Every time Alone Together by Fallout Boy comes on I’m just like. This is my Suki song. “I don’t know where you’re going but do you got room for one more troubled soul” LIKE!!!!!

[dahldahlbills]

juggling three different writing projects in my head rn i feel like im going insane

[mitsvriii]

"Nothing's New"

In which your partner is never going to pay attention to you, because they’re too focused on their dead lover

Bell’s notes: “writer bell goes too far with this fic-” im /j no ones gonna say that, angst powers pls work tho, like im asdlkfjawel;fjsd;jf;lska, i cant write dude, let me like, plan this out in my head before writing nonsense, LIKE BRO, feral over angst LORD, 100k likes and you get part 2 /jjjj, growling i love angst, MWHAHAHA, sorry ely, yuka, mhie, snob, and zee if you read this 😔😔😔, i listened to “IT Girl” while writing this 😋, got carried away with Ayato’s part oopsies, i believe Guizhong for the ladies but whatever 😔😔😔, cut out Wanderer & Childe in the end because i’m TIRED, not proofread

Story details: Ayato lowkey a bitch, scratch that highkey, reader has self-doubt, Neuvilette doesn’t mean to be mean he just ISSS, GUIZHONG DID NOTHING STOP MAKING HER THE ONE IN BLAME IN THESE ZHONGLI SCENARIOS, oh and I couldn’t be bothered with Xiao’s part like a quarter through he’s such a flexible yet straight character, it’s the way you can tell when I got lazy with each part, chance Xiao & Zhongli are gonna be ooc as i’ve never written anything but short headcanons for them before

Characters & Triggers: Ayato, Neuvilette, Xiao, & Zhongli;  reader has self-doubt, mention of death, mention of martial neglect

Reader details: female reader in Ayato’s part is explicit. female reader in Neuvilette’s part can be interpreted with the way you read it. the other parts, however, shouldn’t have a specified reader type. reader’s personality, race/ethnicity, height, physical descriptions, or anything of the sort is not mentioned. if anything is let me know and i’ll edit it. 

Ayato: No surprise the Yashiro Commissioner doesn’t pay attention to his new wife, the one that he didn’t marry first. You knew that he didn’t love you, and most likely never would because you were, in fact, the second pick. Actually, it was probably in the hundreds based on the amount of marriage arrangement offers Ayato had gotten considering he was one of the biggest figures in Inazuma. It didn’t matter, but he most likely picked you because your clan was a small one to put it lightly, so he most likely chose it, and you, because it wouldn’t be a hassle with the press. But of course, he would choose the person and clan that seemed, “easy”. It hurt seeing some of the people’s sympathetic stares, such as Ayaka’s, Thoma’s, and a few of the older women working in the estate. You got used to the lack of greeting from Ayato when he got off work, the lack of warmth beside you at night. You found it hilarious, although you were hysteric at the time as you had just found out that Ayato was off that day and neglected to see you, that he never, ever laid down in the same bed as you. It doesn’t matter no matter how hard you work around the estate, how long you sit up doing his work, which you soon quit once he yelled at you like a homeless dog, or even the distinct flower you made out of one of Ayato’s favorite sweets that he ignored. Not even a glance at your general direction, either. After a while, you decided to do some digging on his past wife, only to find out that she was in fact near perfect. Perfect reputation, perfect everything, to put it shortly. Shortly after asking Ayaka what happened to her, by pulling the sad, guilty wife card, you found out she was a victim of an assassination attempt that turned into a success. Of course, Ayato and his perfect wife would only be torn apart by death. It was poetic, and it made you sick. So what were you to do but endure the slow torture that you and Ayato’s marriage was? After all, nothing you could do could change how he felt about you. 

Neuvillette: The famous hydro dragon, at least to those who knew his ‘secret’. His past lover, unfortunately, died before him, no doubt to his immortality. Of course, you would soon die, maybe in a few decades but, hey, it wasn’t like he would miss you. You could only wait awake at night as Neuvillette went to fix himself his own meal, despite you staying up to cook him one and await for his return from work. It’s not that was the only time he never paid attention to you, after all the man had most likely been grieving his wife for centuries at this point in time. So what were you to do besides stay and watch this man be emotionally constipated around you? Why did he even marry you in the first place, then? It couldn’t be because his past wife resembled you, and it certainly wasn’t because you both acted the same. Was it because he needed someone to cling to? I mean, you weren’t exactly someone who seemed to not fit the criteria of a compassionate co-worker who would comfort Neuvillette in his times of distress. Did Neuvilette only come to you because you were his way of grieving? It would make partial sense, to cling to the nearest piece of comfort to help with the pain of loss. It made you feel like nothing but an object meant for his emotional wants, but in reality, that’s all you ever are and will ever be to him. 

Xiao: The famous adeptus long ago, had someone close to him. Shame they fell to waste during the archon wars, along with the other adepti. It was no surprise that everyone familiar with Liyue stories knew about the two of them together, which unfortunately included you. It didn’t pain you that much until your oh-so-loveable boyfriend got distracted by two kids playing with a Xiao lantern and one of her. After that, it only devolved into more. The lack of visits to your room in the inn, the lack of responses whenever you left your little notes for him near your meet-up place, and the extreme lack of thank-you-notes whenever you left Xiao almond tofu. It didn’t matter that you started to skip and completely ignore doing all of these things just to see if he would notice because the adeptus failed to appear in your room just to check in to see if you were okay. This behavior was unlike him, at least in the sense of him completely ignoring you. The only answer you could think of, that logically made sense, of course, was that he was reminded of his past loved one because of the run-in with the lanterns you two had while out in Liyue. So in terms, he seemed to disconnect with you because of the memories of his past significant other? You knew the adepti didn’t die peacefully, you could tell that much from the stories, so it wouldn’t be surprising if that also applied to Xiao’s past lover. There was nothing you could do about it though, because if you knew Xiao, he wouldn’t talk about her to you nor push her aside for you.

Zhongli: Guizhong. Of course, you were familiar with the name, everyone in Liyue was. Everyone might be a stretch considering the visitors and children, but the point’s been made. Morax and Guizhong were close. Close in a sense of possibly having relationship affairs but that was only explicit to you because of the way your lover would glace at glaze lilies. You couldn’t call him your lover, could you? Not with the way he would hum to the glaze lilies, the way his eyes would also drift away from you whenever you talked as you took strolls through Guilu Plains, and the way he would opt to tell stories of specific tales of his time as Morax, ones that included Guizhong in some way. It got to the point where you had to make up tasks that you had to do daily just to get away from the walks you two took, not to hear the different-yet-similar stories of Morax and totally not Guizhong. It was childish of you to be doing so, you had yourself convinced, as you couldn’t blame Guizhong for any of it. She had no part of this besides well, besides being your number one stressor for the past few weeks. It was tiring yet somehow for the sake of not wanting a glare or side-eye from Zhongli about his stories, which you never thought you’d get that tired of hearing, you kept your mouth shut, despite how hard it was. You knew it would only take so much more, though, before you said something about it. 

[dearmyloveleys]

Idek what else to say at this point: the relationships (platonic/romantic) in fangs of fortune are SO GOOD

I’ll start off with my fave: baijiu x zhuo yichen. There is something so tragically beautiful about how zhuo yichen lost his older brother and got a younger brother in baijiu. He looked up to his older brother, and baijiu looks up to him. He is slowly learning how to be that older brother that was taken away from him

zhuo yichen x zhuyan: supposedly sworn blood enemies with a blood feud but exudes an immensely enemy to lovers 100k fic vibe. the bickering?? The fighting?? Lowk flirting?? They CONSTANTLY PICK ON EACH OTHER. don’t get me started on how zhuo yichen will have to kill zhuyan later on because of that blood feud.

lilun x zhuyan: ??? lilun is literally that bitter ex??? Jokes aside, the downfall of their relationship makes me cry. Their story is so lovers to enemies coded. It’s the never ending hounding from lilun, and zhuyan doesn’t help because he knows everything that has to do with lilun

pei sijing x wen xiao: why are they so cute together! cold grumpy & quiet x sweet warm & plucky,, they deserve more screen time! All their scenes with each other are so heartwarming tbh. No one talks about the scene where wen xiao writes on sijing’s palm to calm her down.

baijiu x yinglei: the brothers we never knew we needed. They’re so mischievous together I LOVE THEM

ofc wen xiao x zhuyan: are they besties?? a couple of besties??? Idek. If this drama is trying to pass off as het, this main cp isn’t too convincing for me but they’re cute! Would rather them be besties

zhuo yichen x wen xiao: literally the best protective younger brother and older sister duo

zhuyan x baijiu: nothing like a 30000 year old demon scaring the shit out of a 13 year old while also clearly harbouring good intentions, gentleness and care toward him.

And I really love qing geng x fei! I bawled my eyes out at their story

[blixabargelds]

Silly question but is your Superstar AU a large wip? I see a lot of really cool worldbuilding snippets in MOTA tags but I haven’t seen a full fic so maybe I’m just very out of the loop 😅

yes it’s an absolutely ginormous wip 😭 i think i maybe haven’t explained this fully n get asked it a lot so i’ll try break it down with the least spoilers bits jgjgkgjk

it’s Probably going to be structured as a series. our big plan has five of these arcs/ eras so it’ll Probably be five fics in one big series. it kinda does have seasons like a tv show lol

and then each drop down tab on all of these arcs is a big detailed plot breakdown of events in that time that alternate gale (written by me) and john (written by my tumblr-shy bestie elo) pov. so theoretically each one of those would be a chapter in each fic

HOWEVER some of these pov drop downs are much shorter than others so for pacing we might end up fucking w the chapter structure who knows. our plan is like 50k or something alone it’s very detailed we know almost everything that’s going to happen at least to some extent.

these are all scene drafts on our plan doc (text blurred for spoilers obvs)

we have 23 of them so technically we have 23 scenes/ wips but we’ve got way more unfinished scenes in our respective docs.

icr how much we’ve written in total so far it’s near 100k. we’re planning on posting it chronologically with hopefully scheduled weekly updates but we’re pretty much finishing at least a rough version of the whole thing before we feel comfortable polishing n posting it properly from the start. it’s bc it’s so huge and detailed and parts we write later keep changing parts we’ve planned for earlier scenes so we don’t wanna start putting it up before we have our own very clear image of how the entire thing is gna flow start to finish. idk if i can estimate how long it’ll be in total but like. hundreds of thousands of words 😭

so yeah. it’s a huge wip we actively work on p much every day. and we are sorry it’s taking so long to actually get out there properly lmaoo but now u can see why and also well hopefully it’s bc it’s gna be rly good 😭 but bc we have soooo much plan and so many chapters worked on that’s why it’s easy to post snippets, answer questions, fill prompts w the characters etc in the meantime until we get it out to you. and we appreciate them so so soooo much so pls never stop and thank yall for the patience ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[flouqic-jaye]

⊹₊⟡ INTRODUCTION TO ME !

INTRODUCTION — 𝐉𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐄

Hello tumblr!! My name is Jazmine and you can either call me

Jaz

Jazmine

JJ

Valerie (If we’re close)

Jaye 💙

Jiji

𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐂 — 𝐉𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐓𝐔𝐍𝐄𝐒

Music 🎵 I like:

Rap, Hip hop, K-pop, R&b, Jazz, 2000’s, Hyperpop, Electro, Alt etc

Artists I like: Bryson Tiller, HER, Summer Walker, PartyNextDoor, SZA, Giveon, dhruv, Chris Brown, 702, TLC, Destiny’s Child, 2pac, Biggie, Pop Smoke, A Boogie with a Hoodie, Lil Uzi Vert, Vacations, Arctic Monkeys, 50 Cent, Aaliyah, Gwen Stefani, Kanye West, Cassie, Britney Spears, Amerie, Blu Cantrell, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Usher, Alicia Keys, Madonna, Juice WRLD, XXXTENTACION, Lil Peep, Amy Winehouse, Mary J Blige, Fat Joe, Terror Squad, Drake, J. Cole, Future, Metro Boomin, T-Pain, Lloyd, Kendrick Lamar, Chase Atlantic, Sean Paul, Pingmas, CLASS:Y, Stray Kids, Enhypen, Txt, P1harmony, Ateez, Aespa Boynextdoor, Bts, Riize, NEWJEANS ‼️🤞 etc (I’m too lazy.)

𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 — 𝐉𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

Personally, I’ve never struggled really with shifting as it just came naturally to me bc I was into spirituality before shifting and manifestation etc etc. When I found out about shifting I just knew it would be easy so it was & I minishifted on my first try 🤷‍♀️ My tips for shifters are to just let go, babe, you know you are going to shift and you ALREADY have shifted so why put shifting on a pedestal? Your mind shifts and as soon as you decide that you’ve shifted ! Easy as that.

𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝟐.𝟎 — 𝐉𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒

I have a lot of drs, but most of them I’ve shifted to them a few times

Skz DR (40-45x ??)

Enhypen DR (20-25x)

Ateez DR (5x)

KUARTZ DR ft.@s4ku-sh1ftz (3x)

True beauty DR (8-9x)

TXT DR (1x)

P1h DR (2x)

Sweet Home (1x)

Alice In Borderland (1x)

All Of Us Are Dead (0x)

Alone In The World (0x)

Garfield (0x PLEASE LET ME SEE THIS DR I NEED IT)

EL3VATION (3x)

ru next? (10-12x)

Life in Korea (0x)

Life in China (0x)

Life in Japan (0x)

And the rest of my (0x) DRS

-Supacell

-NYX (Own co-ed group)

-Nexz

-Idol School x AOUAD ft.@s4ku-sh1ftz

-Katseye

-Grown Ups

-Better Cr

-Twice

-Aespa

-Newjeans

-BlackPink

-Cobra Kai

-Chase Atlantic

-Fast & Furious

-Spiderverse

-Call Of Duty

-MAVE (Own gg)

-Bloodhounds

-Strong Girl Nam-soon

-Day Shift

-Jumanji

-Ult K-pop Fan

-Boarding School

-Hierarchy

-Str!pper

-K-pop Mafia

𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝟑.𝟎 — 𝐉𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒

This is lowkey just a promo section but I make shifting script templates and you can check them out on the Linktree (byo) and on my TikTok @ezoxtica please consider dropping temp suggestions if you like the theme of my temps or want a specific theme for a temp I made! <3

𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 — 𝐉𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄

I’m also a writer and upload my works here on tumblr!! I’ll try my best to write a variety of one shot smuts, 100k fics, slow burns etc etc. Send in all the requests you have for these PUHLEASEEE. I need ideas for posting and I love doing peoples reqs. There are obviously some lines that I won’t cross with smuts but if I’m not comfy, I’ll either not reply, or let you know.

𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 — 𝐉𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐅𝐒

I’m a heavy Law Of Assumption user and I believe I have mastered it, I believe in non-dualism & eiypo but my beliefs can change daily and idrc if y’all start yapping about how I switch my beliefs every day #suckonit. I also don’t give af abt no drama on shifttok so if u race change or age down or whatever tf people don’t like on shifttok ur welcome here lol. I really do not gaf

[atlabeth]

everything happens for a reason part 21 - zuko x fem!reader

Meet me in the afterglow

part 20 | masterlist | part 22

a/n: wowwwww we're finally in the happy part of this fic lol. it feels so good to write zuko and yn together after 100k words of them being on opposite sides and hating each other. it was actually kind of hard to write this because it was a lot of chill fluff and it has been a long Long time since ive written that. very sorry this took so long

wc: 5k

warning(s): some discussions of yn and zuko's pasts but overall very fluffy

chapter title comes from afterglow by taylor swift!

Silence.

That was what Y/N woke up to.

No nightmares, no guilt, no flashbacks—just… silence.

And the arms of another around her. Zuko. She reveled in the warmth he provided, sighing contentedly as she shifted to look at him. 

She’d always thought Zuko was beautiful, but he was even more so when asleep. His features relaxed rather than rageful, no longer tainted by her own incessant anger. Pools of gold met her when his eyes flickered open, a gentleness held within them she’d missed dearly. 

“Hi,” she whispered, a smile already tugging at her lips.

“Hi.” His voice was just as soft, his own emerging smile enough to make her melt. “Did you sleep well?”

“Better than I have in months.” Y/N moved her hand over his, and Zuko turned his over to entangle their fingers. “And it’s all thanks to you.”

“It’s the least I can do,” he murmured, and he drew her in for a soft kiss. That was what made her melt. “You know I’m never letting you go again, right?”

A light laugh spilled from her lips. “I don’t want you to.”

“Good.” 

Though she wanted nothing more than to nestle back into Zuko’s embrace, she mustered enough strength to sit up, a small yawn escaping her. “When do you think we should go back?”

Zuko sighed as he sat up next to her, running a hand through his rustled hair. “We have time, Y/N. We’re in your village, the place you grew up. We don’t have to go back until you want to.”

“We are on a timeline though—”

“A timeline that isn’t close to being up yet,” he countered. “Aang doesn’t have to fight my father for a while—a few extra days out here isn’t going to hurt us.” Zuko shrugged. “You deserve a break after all you’ve been through lately, and besides—I’m sure your people wouldn’t mind hosting the savior of the village for a little longer.”

Y/N laughed and pushed him lightly, eliciting a little half-smile from Zuko. “Okay, I get it. Another day would be really nice.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay longer?”

She shook her head. “The rest of today will be enough for me to help get things moving on the repair front. We’ve already been gone two days—any longer than this and Katara will think we’ve died.” 

Zuko chuckled. “Alright.”

“Besides,” she said as she stood up and stretched her arms out, “after all of this is over, I’ll be able to come back anytime I want. And,” Y/N looked at Zuko, “I’ll be able to properly introduce you. As Zuko my boyfriend, and not Zuko the evil prince.”

He grinned. “Your boyfriend? Is that official?”

Y/N groaned and swatted at him. “Get out of here. I have to get dressed.”

“Anything for my beautiful girlfriend,” Zuko said as he got up, still wearing that ridiculous grin while he walked out.

Y/N rolled her eyes as he shut the door, but she couldn’t help but smile. It felt good, joking around like this. Having a lazy morning—waking up with him in the first place. 

And yeah—hearing Zuko call her his girlfriend was pretty nice too. 

She’d been longing for it for a greater time than she knew, and now that she’d worked through her anger, let it go, realized that this was what she wanted? 

It was too great a feeling to put into words.

That small smile remained on her lips as she began to rifle through her belongings, the minuscule amount she’d packed for this trip in a tiny satchel. She wanted to change, but the only other clothes she had were the tunic and pants she’d worn for months in prison. They were sort of the only clothes she owned now. 

The smile faded as she shoved them back into her bag. Maybe she could ask Leya to borrow one of her dresses for the day. That particular memory didn’t need to be resurfaced right now. 

She blew out a loose sigh as she sat back down on the bed, allowing herself a moment to really take it all in. 

Though Y/N had initially planned to get in and get out, the whole ‘taking back the village’ thing really threw a wrench in her hasty excursion. After last night—after the fight, the general, the grave—she was well and truly exhausted. Lao and Leya had immediately offered up the second bedroom of their home to her and Zuko, claiming it was ‘the least they could do after all she’d done’, and in the moment, Y/N wasn’t one to deny it. 

She didn’t realize how worn out she was until she laid down on the bed—true exhaustion and the warmth of Zuko’s arms around her was a deadly combination—and she was out before she knew it. 

It was the best she’d slept in a long time. 

Because she didn’t have a new outfit, she opted for smoothing out the black fabric and her hair, and nodded to herself before she left the room. She was surprised to see Zuko leaning against the wall next to the door, his arms crossed as he stared off at nothing in particular. 

“You waited?”

“Obviously. Life-threatening fights don’t have to be the only time we stick together.” She chuckled a bit as she slipped her hand into his, pleased at how familiar the motion felt.

“Of course.”

“Besides—” Zuko cleared his throat as his eyes darted away for a moment— “I’m kind of scared of Leya and Lao. I don’t think they really trust me.”

“What? Of course they do!” she exclaimed. “You took down the factory with Lao, and you helped in the fight for our village—they wouldn’t have offered you the place if they didn’t.” 

“You weren’t there,” he said dryly. “Lao questioned me the entire way to the factory about you. And he might be okay about me now, but Leya still seems uneasy. They still don’t even know who I really am.” 

“Who you are is Zuko. It doesn’t matter that you’re the prince—you’re Zuko, and you helped them. That’s all they’ll care about.” She gave him a slight nudge. “Things are different out here, away from the Fire Nation. People are tolerant. You’ve seen that while you’ve been away, right?”

It took Zuko a moment, but he nodded. His lips quirked in the smallest smile and he nodded again, as if he was actually starting to believe it. “Okay. Yeah.”

“Yeah,” she repeated. She swung their hands together a bit and started to lead the way. “Now let’s go. It’s nearly noon—we’ve gotta get our day started.”

“If you say so,” Zuko mused, and she just laughed. 

“I do.” 

“It’s good to see the two of you are finally awake,” Leya mused from her cushion as they emerged into the living room. “I was afraid you would sleep the whole day away.” 

“If anyone deserves it,” Lao said, walking over from the kitchen, “it’s them.” 

“Sorry.” Y/N scratched her neck, slightly bashful. “We were exhausted after yesterday.” 

“No need to apologize,” Leya laughed, and she gestured towards the counter. “Help yourselves, please—we made xiaolongbao and egg custard tarts to celebrate. There’s far too much for just the two of us.” 

“Are you sure?” Zuko asked tentatively.

“Of course we’re sure,” Lao said. “We’ve welcomed you into our home. Anything we have is yours, son.” He frowned. “I never did get your name.” 

He paused. “...My name is Zuko.” 

The name struck them like steel, tension immediately thick in the air even if just out of instinct. 

“Like Prince Zuko,” Leya said carefully, “of the Fire Nation.” 

“I don’t think I’m much of a prince anymore,” he frowned. “I did betray my entire country to help the Avatar.” 

Lao glanced at Y/N, the unsaid question obvious. 

“It’s the truth,” she said. “Zuko has been working with us for a good while now. He’s the Avatar’s firebending teacher, and he’s going to help us end the war.” 

“Alright,” Lao said, and he nodded. “Welcome to our home, Zuko. Officially.” 

His brows creased together. “Really?” 

“You’re clearly a good man,” he said. “Not just anyone would do what you’ve done.” 

“That’s not true.” 

“It is,” Lao insisted. “You didn’t have to help free our village, but you fought on the front lines with us.” He smiled wryly. “That makes a man good in my book.” 

“I agree.” Leya’s smile was softer, kinder, but held the same respect. “You’re just as much a hero to our village as Y/N is.” 

Zuko looked like he wanted to protest, but Y/N placed her hand over his and nodded. He deserved the praise. 

“...Thank you,” he finally said, wholly genuine. “You have no idea how much that means to me.” 

“Any friend of Y/N’s is a friend of ours,” Leya said, and her lips quirked up. “Would you like to hear some of the terrible things she did when she was younger?” 

“Leya—” Y/N began, but Zuko shook his head, his own smile growing. 

“Tell me everything.” 

She groaned as he pulled her over to the floor, two cushions already set for them. She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks as she sat down next to him, Leya and Lao launching into a story together from her childhood. 

(She had always been a bit of a terror, especially after she discovered her waterbending. That didn’t mean she wanted Zuko to know about it.) 

((“This is no way to treat the savior of the village,” she complained at one point. She was fully ignored.)) 

After spending far too many hours eating, chatting, and laughing (at Y/N’s expense), she and Zuko set out for the day. Y/N asked Leya for a spare outfit and she obliged immediately, so once again she found herself in Earth Kingdom greens and browns. The soft linen was the nicest reprieve from the scratchy prison clothes she’d been stuck in, and she had to admit—it was nice being back in Earth Kingdom clothes. It was just as much a part of her as the North. 

The rest of the day was busy but fulfilling, working long into the night to make up for the damage from the battle. Most of their efforts were spent architecturally, helping to repair houses that had been damaged and to tear down the Fire Nation estates. 

It might have been property, but it was tainted beyond belief. South Zeizhou would never truly belong to her people again if any trace of the Fire Nation remained. 

Y/N and Zuko had split halfway through the day to help with separate things—for some reason, her people were trusting her with designing. She spent the entire rest of the day running around helping various people, sketching up ideas for buildings and statues and everything else under the sun. It turned out that, when you saved an entire village of an eight year hold, they were just a little grateful. 

(She denied the idea every time someone brought up building a statue of her. She was sure she heard Zuko go behind her back and tell them otherwise.)

She was kept so busy that she didn’t see Zuko again until that night, when she pushed open the door to Leya and Lao’s estate to see him sitting on the floor alone. 

“Zuko,” she said, still getting used to the lightness his name brought her. It was more comforting than anything. “What are you doing up?” 

“I should be asking you that,” he said with a slight smile, setting his bowl down. “You don’t have to work all night, you know.” 

“I lost track of time,” she said sheepishly. “What are you eating?” 

“Jook.” A faint blush tinted his cheeks as he gestured back towards the kitchen. “Leya and Lao turned in a few hours ago—they told me to tell you that you had free reign of their ingredients, but I didn’t want you to have to do it yourself after working so hard all day. So I made you something.” 

Her whole expression softened. “Zuko, that’s so sweet.” She crouched down and pecked him on the cheek, warmth blooming in her chest. “I didn’t even know you could cook, being a prince and all.” 

He chuckled. “Uncle taught me some things when we were in Ba Sing Se. I told him I didn’t need it, but I guess some of it stuck.” 

Y/N took his spoon and tried some of the jook in his bowl. Her eyebrows shot up. “That’s surprisingly good.” 

“Surprisingly?” he asked with mock disdain. “Why can’t it just be normally good?” 

“Because,” she said, “I’ve never tried your cooking before.” 

“That just settles it,” Zuko said. “When we’re back in the Fire Nation, I’ll ask the chefs to teach me some things. That way I can really impress you.” 

“You don’t need to impress me, Zuko,” she said, and she stood up and walked over. “Just spending time with you like this is more than enough. We’ve got a lot of it to make up.” 

He managed a soft laugh, but it was bittersweet. “Yeah. We do.” 

Y/N filled her own bowl with jook and then walked back over, settling down next to Zuko. She placed her hand over his, smiling softly at him. “Tell me about your day.” 

“It’s been… a lot,” he said. “I’ve helped tear down a lot of Fire Nation buildings. I melted a lot of metal.” He chuckled. “If only we brought Toph with us. Her metalbending would make things a lot easier.” 

She laughed. “She’d become the foreman of this place. She could probably redesign everything herself.” 

“What about you?” he asked. 

“I did a lot of healing,” she said. “Turns out that sending a lot of middle-aged men and women that haven’t fought in years into battle against trained soldiers results in a lot of injuries.” 

Zuko frowned. “Was it bad?” 

“Not as bad as it could have been,” Y/N said. “Mostly twists and sprains and artificial cuts. One man got his arm broken, and I have no idea why he didn’t ask for help last night.” She shook her head. “No matter what nation I’m in, men always think they have to act tough.” 

“I’m glad you’re able to help them,” Zuko said. “You know you’re amazing, right?” 

She playfully shoved him. “Stop it.” 

“Never.” He shrugged. “Like you said, I have a lot of time to make up for.” 

“I guess flattery’s a good place to start,” she said coyly. 

“It’s easier if you just accept it,” he said sagely, “because I’m not going to stop.” 

Y/N laughed and leaned against his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her. “What was it like being back and seeing everyone? Did they all recognize you?” 

“Maybe not immediately, but everyone knew my name.” Y/N smiled. “People don’t really forget the only waterbenders in village history.” 

“Do you think this’ll ever be your home again?” Zuko asked.

“It’ll always be my home,” Y/N mused. “It’s where I was born, where I grew up. There’s a part of me in this village, and there always will be. But…” she sighed and shrugged. “I don’t know if I’ll ever live here again. I’ve been traveling all over with my friends for the past couple months, and it just feels like I’ve… outgrown it.”

“I understand,” Zuko said. “You’re different than the girl that grew up here. You’ve changed, and that’s not a bad thing.”

“I know. It just feels like betraying who I am.”

“A part of you is in this village,” Zuko said, “and a part of this village is in you. Just because you’re going somewhere else doesn’t mean you’re forgetting who you are.”

“When did you get so wise?” she asked, craning her neck to look up at him. 

“Years of traveling with my uncle,” he said, and she laughed. 

They spent the rest of the night idly chatting and finishing up their meal, and by the time they turned in, the village was completely dark. 

It was quiet as they settled into bed together, Zuko’s arms around her setting her at ease. She felt safe next to him. 

(Spirits, how she’d missed feeling safe.)

-

“Are you sure you have to leave so soon?” Leya questioned, her gaze watchful even as she stood in the kitchen.

“We have a war to end,” Y/N said, only slightly joking. “I’ll be back sooner than you know.” 

“You’re making us all so proud, Y/N.” Lao patted her on the shoulder, and then he pulled her into a hug. “People will tell stories of you centuries from now, I know it. You’ve made history.” 

“I’m just glad our people are finally free,” she said softly. 

“And you, son.” Lao pulled away and looked down at Zuko, respect in his eyes. “Your path hasn’t been easy, but you’ve made it here. You’re welcome in our corner of the Earth Kingdom anytime.” 

“I’m just doing what’s right,” Zuko said, but she could see the beginnings of his pleased smile. 

“And sometimes that is the hardest thing to do.” Leya came over with a large basket, smile beaming down on the two of them as she handed it to Y/N. “This should be enough for your journey back and to share with the rest of your group.”

Y/N frowned. “Are you sure?”

“Of course we are,” Lao said. “Without the Fire Nation leeching off of us, we’ve got plenty to spare.”

“Thank you,” Zuko said. “This means a lot.”

“It’s the least we can do,” Leya said, and she grasped Y/N’s hands. “Promise me that you’ll be careful.”

“We’ll try our best,” she vowed, and she glanced at Zuko with a smile. “I’ve got a lot of good people with me.”

“You,” Leya pointed at Zuko, tone motherly as ever, “make sure nothing happens to her.”

“That was already the plan,” he said with a chuckle.

“So,” Lao said wryly, “what’s the next thing I should expect from our heroes and the Avatar?” 

Y/N smiled inwardly. “Change is coming. That’s for sure.”

-

The ride back to camp was quiet, but different kind of quiet from before. Y/N and Zuko switched off on flying shifts, occasional conversation filling the gaps—more often than not, though, they just sat together. Her head on his shoulder, his arm around her, her fingers rifling through his hair. 

The fresh air invigorated Y/N. She felt like a whole new person, the dread and anger and heaviness she’d been carrying with her for months steadily dissolving.

Zuko’s constant presence was nice too.

Without her inner dread, supremely thick tension, and a week of sleep deprivation, she was actually able to enjoy the trip back home. It went quicker than the ride there, and she never thought she would be so thankful to see an island. 

Tiny specks in the distance turned into her friends the closer they got, and she and Zuko shared a smile. Y/N was going to have a lot of explaining to do. 

“You guys are finally back!” Sokka exclaimed once they were in hearing distance. “Where did you even go?” 

“You’ve got some nerve leaving like that without a word!” Katara yelled, but the moment Y/N slid off of Appa’s side she barreled over and pulled her into a hug. She knocked the air out of her completely, but Y/N laughed as she wrapped her arms around her in turn. 

“I’m sorry,” she breathed. “It was something important.” 

“She’s been worried sick about you,” Toph spoke up. 

“So have you!” Aang piped in. “You were asking about it y—” 

Toph punched Aang on the shoulder, and he stopped. “What was that for?” 

“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” Toph said, cheeks flushing pink. 

“You didn’t answer my question,” Sokka interrupted. “Where did you two even go?” 

Y/N let out a long deep breath, and Zuko nodded supportively when she glanced at him. “We… went back to my village. The other day was the anniversary of my father’s death, so I went to honor him.” 

“Oh, Y/N,” Katara murmured, and she pulled her back into a hug. “I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you tell us?” 

“I thought it was something I had to do on my own,” Y/N said, pulling away after a grateful moment. “If I had my way, I would have. But Zuko pushed his way on.” 

“It’s not my fault you’re so stubborn,” Zuko said. “Besides, it was obviously the right move.” 

Sokka frowned. “You guys are being really nice to each other.” 

Aang’s eyes lit up. “Did you two have your life changing field trip?” 

It was Y/N’s turn to frown. “Life changing field trip?” 

“That’s what they’re calling it,” Toph explained. “All the trips that they’ve gone on with Zuko to be his friend or whatever. I still haven’t had one.” 

Zuko stared at her. “I woke up with rocks in my bed every day for a week.” 

“Yeah, but we didn’t go anywhere,” she grumbled at the ground. 

Y/N chuckled, though her expression sobered. “I thought I was just going to remember my father, but it turned out that the Fire Nation was still occupying my village. So Zuko and I pushed them out.” 

Katara’s eyebrows shot up. “Just like that?” 

“It wasn’t that easy—” Zuko said, but he was interrupted when Sokka patted—or rather hit—him on the back. 

“Nice going, buddy! That’s how you get your girl back.” 

He glared daggers at Sokka but Y/N just laughed. “It took a lot of fighting and some haphazard plans, but… yeah. We took my village back. My people are free, and I got to see my father’s grave.” 

Katara’s entire expression softened. “I’m so happy for you, Y/N. That’s— that’s amazing. And… is it back?” 

Y/N nodded with a smile, and she formed a ball of water out of the air. “My bending is officially back.” 

Katara screamed and she nearly tackled Y/N with another hug. “Thank the spirits! I knew you could do it!”  

“Life changing field trip always works,” Aang mused. 

“Well, whatever you did, it worked,” Toph said. “I’m happy I don’t have to see the two of you mope around all the time anymore.” 

Zuko frowned. “You can’t see.” 

“Trust me,” Toph muttered, “some things transcend sight.”

Y/N smiled, and she took Zuko’s hand, tears welling in her eyes. “I really missed you guys.” 

-

Later, once they’d unpacked all their things from Appa and properly decompressed, Y/N found herself sitting on her own by the cliffside once again. This time, though, she wasn’t trying to hide her mourning from her friends or foster the burning inside of her chest. Instead, she played with an orb of water in the air, a small smile on her lips at the effortlessness of it all. Not only were they surrounded by water on all sides, but the Fire Nation’s climate meant there would always be moisture in the air. 

Oh, how she’d missed her bending. 

She didn’t flinch when she heard footsteps behind her, able to see the reflection in her orb—instead, she flicked her hand and shot the water back at her visitor. 

“Hey!” Zuko complained, sputtering as it struck him in the face. “What was that for?” 

She giggled as she turned her head. “I had to make sure you remember who you’re dealing with.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, grimacing a bit as he wiped water droplets off his face, “my girlfriend is super powerful and can take down anyone. That doesn’t mean you have to take me down.” 

“Oh, you’re so dramatic.” Y/N smiled as she stood up and flexed her fingers, drawing all the water out of his clothes. “It was barely anything.” 

“This time,” Zuko said, and he gestured around them with a wry smile. “We’ve got a whole ocean around us.” 

“I’m not that powerful,” she said. 

“Maybe,” Zuko said, “but I don’t trust you and Katara together.” 

“You don’t have to worry about that anymore.” She chuckled as she took his hand. “What’d you come over here for?” 

“You’re not allowed to mope around by yourself anymore,” Zuko said. “We’re having a campfire and digging into some of the food Leya gave us.” 

“I’m not moping,” she complained. 

“Not anymore,” Zuko clarified, and he chuckled at her expression. “Still. You have to join us.” 

“Of course,” Y/N said, and they started walking over together. “I’m excited for some actual food after the past few months.” 

Zuko frowned. “I made you jook last night. That was perfectly good food.” 

“You know what I mean,” she groaned. “Yes, it was perfectly good food. I’m just excited for more of Lao’s xiaolongbao. That man makes miracles in the kitchen.” 

“I’ll have to get him to give me the recipe next time we visit,” Zuko mused. 

She looked at him, slightly surprised. “You want to go back?” 

“Of course,” he said. “It’s the place you’re from. And besides,” he shrugged, slightly bolstered, “I am one of the saviors of the village.” 

She laughed and leaned her head against his shoulder. 

“Of course.”

-

“It’s about time you guys got here,” Toph grumbled. “Katara won’t let any of us eat.” 

“They’re here now,” she said, “you can—” 

Katara didn’t even get to finish her sentence before Toph started digging in, and she just shook her head with a sigh. 

“We’re glad that you’re here,” she offered with a slight smile. 

“Katara’s mostly glad that you’re back,” Sokka said, his mouth full of food earning him a glare from his sister. “I think you two have separation anxiety or something.” 

“Can you blame me?” Katara defended. “You were gone for weeks and we had no idea what happened to you. You can’t just up and disappear with Zuko.” 

“To be fair, you tried to do the same thing,” Sokka said. 

“To be fair, you thought Y/N was going to kill Zuko,” Katara shot back. 

Zuko’s eyes widened slightly. “Uh, no. We never went that far.” 

Not with him at least, Y/N thought with the smallest bit of guilt. Not for what she did, but for keeping it from her friends. That was a whole other problem she had to deal with, and definitely not tonight. 

(Maybe not ever.) 

“Let’s talk about something else,” Y/N said, and Zuko put his arm around her, pulling her close. She couldn’t help but smile. “What have you guys been up to while we’ve been gone?” 

“It was only three days,” Sokka said. “We didn’t get up to that much.” But he wouldn’t stop staring at them, and Zuko frowned. 

“What?” 

“Nothing,” he said with a shrug. “I just realized I’ve never been around you two when you actually liked each other.” 

Zuko’s cheeks flushed bright pink as Y/N laughed. “You really haven’t, huh?” 

“Why did you have to say that?” Toph groaned. “Now they’re going to be extra gross.” 

“What, you mean like this?” Zuko pulled Y/N into a kiss, but she didn’t even get the chance to enjoy it before something hit the two of them. 

Y/N pulled away and picked it up, scowling at Sokka. “Is this your shoe?” 

“There are children here!” he complained. “You two really are gross.” 

“I think it’s sweet,” Katara said, and she hit Sokka on the shoulder. “Leave them alone.” 

“I’m just trying to protect the sanctity of this place!” he exclaimed. 

“I’m on Sokka’s side,” Toph piped in.

 As the group devolved into accusations and conversation with occasional pauses for food, she leaned into Zuko’s side and sighed contentedly. 

This was the life she’d been chasing so long. All they had to do was end the war. 

And after everything she’d been through, that seemed like the easiest part of the journey. 

-

Things cooled down after a while, and they began to go their separate ways. Sokka and Suki went off together, Aang went to meditate and clear his mind, and Toph went off to do spirits knows what. Y/N was close to nodding off against Zuko’s side—she was sure he already had himself—when she heard Katara’s voice. 

“Hey,” she said, gesturing away from the fire with her head, “can I have you for a second?” 

Y/N nodded, yawning as she tried to blink the grogginess out of her vision, and the two of them walked over. “What’s up?” 

“This is something I’ve been wanting to give to you for a while, but it hasn’t been the right moment.” Katara grinned. “But it is now.” 

She pulled something out from behind her back, and when she presented it Y/N realized it was a water skin, almost identical to the one she’d given her months ago in Gaoling. 

“Both of ours were taken away at Ba Sing Se, but I was able to get a couple new ones from some of the Water Tribe soldiers when we ran into them. And now that you’ve got your bending back…”

Katara trailed off as she offered it up again, but instead Y/N crushed her in a tight embrace.

“Thank you,” she said, unable to hold back her own smile. “For thinking of me even then.”

“Always,” Katara said, returning the gesture with just as much intensity. When she pulled away, her eyes shone.

“It’s good to see you like this,” she said softly. “Happier. Lighter. You look better than you have in months.” 

“I feel better,” Y/N admitted. “I know that I needed to forgive Zuko, and maybe it was the spirits’ plan to make the road so treacherous. But it feels so good to have him again.” 

“It feels good to not have you two arguing all the time,” she said wryly. 

Y/N chuckled. “Just imagine how I feel.” 

“What do you think is next for you two?” Katara asked. “After the war is over, I mean.”

“I haven’t really thought that far in the future,” she admitted. “After everything, I’m just trying to live in the moment.” 

“I think that’s a perfect idea.” 

Y/N smiled. “So do I.” 

-

perm tags: @dv0412 @siriuslyslyslytherin @maruchan77 @simonsbluee @kwyloz @masteroperator @louderfortheback

atla tags: @marianne1806 @brown-eyed-thang @akiris

ehfar tags: @chandies-sideblog @zacatecanaaaa @anzanity @randomthingssssss @escapingthoughtsandsecrets @shanksfav @shephard17895 @ilovespideyyy @whats-my-question @selfship-mishaps @ilistentotayswifttocope @i-make-questionable-choices @3leni @thatobsessedreader @lostgreekgod @oriontingz @zerode-unhinged @badpvn @mimi-sanisanidiot @adhdhufflepuff @aquaamethyst96 @hollyismentallyillhelp @holypoetrygarden @islandgayneery @pitrii-petra @jinxed-jk @veras-fanfic-reblogs @cloud-9ine @lucifersidepiece @kiskzawagnerwhore @froggi-00 @eajalova @mrsyixingunicorn10 @xxxxxxdelenaxxxxxx @cafesho @the-natureofme @whoevenfrickinknows @a-bit-late @zukowantshishonourback @settlebackeasy @jemssafespace @wildwallflower24

[uhohdad]

two things you’re never going to see from me is complaints on the portrayal of konig’s character (or anyone else, really) and “rules” on how to write your COD fanfiction.

idk about y’all but when i write it’s incredibly self indulgent. i write about what i want to write to satisfy my own sexual creative needs and i think y’all should do the same. you’re not gonna see me throw a fit if i don’t agree with your portrayal of a fictional man with 3 pieces of confirmed lore. if i disagree that much i just won’t read it? i’m not going to rain on your parade and tell you that you should stop doing your creative outlet and sharing your stories bc i don’t agree with how you want to write his character or bc you don’t follow canon.

you wanna portray him as a stone cold and ruthless killer who thirsts for the blood of his enemies? as the big soft uwu boy everyone hates so much? you want him to be 20y/o, 45 y/o, 60y/o? mean, kind, confident, anxious, smart, himbo, reserved, persistent, wholesome, a pervert? you want to strip this man of everything you know totally OOC and just borrow his appearance for a coffee shop AU? it’s okay! chances are there’s other people out there who were craving just the thing you’re cooking.

no one is doing this for a living, we’re all writing fanfiction about our imaginary boyfriends in CALL OF DUTY as a hobby. it’s just not that serious. this goes for all creative fandom works, too.

i’m personally very picky about my fanfiction, but who’s silly little problem is that? that’s my silly little problem. i’m here for the grind, the chase, the dig. too weak to handle scrolling back 100 pages on ao3 just to find the perfect strangers to enemies to friends to lovers 100k word porn with plot with accurate character potrayal you were looking for? you might be in the wrong business if you can’t handle the hunt, my friend.

y’all are making free content for us to consume. that’s more than enough, and the priority at all times should be to make sure you’re having fun writing. I’d rather you all share your OOC goofy little fics that you felt motivated and inspired to write than a canon friendly story you had to force yourself to get through for our sake.

anyway i’ll go to bat for fic writers any day of the week.

tldr; don’t ever let anyone dictate how you express yourself creatively, give yourself permission to go nuts like a 6 yo old with paste, glitter, and elbow macaroni. free yourself from the weight of the chains of creative stifling and see how close to the sun you can girlboss. let us seethe at the hands of your raw muse.

and as always, thank you for sharing your art with the world.

[obsidianpen]

With all the negative discourse around Tomarrymort I just wanted to share how your writing - particularly NG, helped me through a tough time. I first came across NG not long after my grandmother died. I was having a lot of trouble dealing with my grief. So, being able to immerse myself in such a compelling and well-written story really helped at that time. I am the kind of person who delves deeply into fiction and reading NG helped me take my mind off real life events (not to mention I was inspired to start writing Tomarrymort myself).

💙 I think you stated something really nicely here that gets at the heart of why so many people have so many feelings. Fanfiction - or really any fiction writing - is just that, not real, an opportunity to get out of your own head and away from your own problems and into someone else’s story. People can get really emotional about the stories they cling to that way. Totally understandable and I can see why people have strong feelings when the story maybe doesn’t go a particular route. Feelings of all kinds are valid.

broadcasting your negative feelings by shit talking the author/content creator is not. thats why this is all so upsetting to me, and why I’m certain it bothers so many other people out here writing and posting for free online. I don’t really care if someone likes or doesn’t like what I’m writing - to each their own - but for people to be sharing what they see here on another platform just to btch about how unsafe and hurt they feel, for things I haven’t even written??? As though a creators exist solely to cater and coddle them, specifically? I’m the one who feels legitimately unsafe, and hurt. Writing fanfiction used to be my safe space, and readers like that are the ones making it hostile and scary. Guarantee no one writing 100k+ quality fics is out there being that entitled and shitty. It breeches a sort of social etiquette and respect for the people who are spending so much time creating that used to exist, but more and more seems to not matter to people. I think that’s what is the most disgusting. Ugh I almost wish this had never been brought to my attention at all because it’s really annoying. I’m sure I’m like two days I’ll be over it but I’m still feeling bothered atm.

ANYWAY back to you. Sorry for that tangent. I’m glad my writing has helped you and inspired you, that’s what it is all about 💜💜💜

[hircines-hunter]

20 Questions for Fic Writers!

sorry let me post this on the RIGHT blog! not sure if the other tags stay if I delete it but. Thank you @rakaiawriter for tagging me! Tagging @thequeenofthewinter @umbracirrus @madamefluffnstuff @bostoniangirl21

How many works do you have on A03? 18 works (mostly bc I dont post my oneshots separately).

What's your total word count? 174k on AO3 (I have a lot that is NOT posted and a bunch that’s been scrapped. Like probably another 100k+ more words lol

What fandoms do you write for? TES, Dragon’s Dogma (Eventually one day I’ll write my One Piece things)

Top 5 fics by kudos? Just a Ruin (and Mudcrab) Advocate  54 Kudos Coldfire Codex  29 Kudos Roar of a Wolfborn 25 Kudos Mages’ Guild Fiasco: Journal of Vestige Liselle 22 Kudos Shadows Preserve Us 22 Kudos

Do you respond to comments? I try to! I do keep them in my email though! <3

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? It is not posted anymore, but I wrote out a miniseries for Sifkni’s past. So, if you are reading the newly updated version of Roar of a Wolfborn, you probably never got to experience the angst that was Howls of Whiterun (If you are interested and want to read stuff from 2014/2015 send me a DM I can send the document of trash :3)

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Rage of Dragons and the Vestige - It’s the 3rd part in Liselle’s story. It covers Northern Elsweyr. She gets married to that old man, Abnur Tharn. Gets herself a Khajiiti Wedding bc that’s where they were.

Do you get hate on fics? I have in the past. For my old crack fic for Kingdom Hearts. I’ve recently found my one Dragon’s Dogma fic on a stupid website that says your writing is shitty or whatever. LOL I’m more angry about it, but like, it was written for fun… nothing serious my dudes. ( I can also supply this link but honestly its stupid.) The fic was written in 2014? 2015? And the review was posted in 2019?? XD

Do you write smut? I have but I will not write it anymore. It makes my physically ill sometimes. I get really bad anxiety over it.

Craziest crossover? I have a fic from like…2001? That was just a bunch of my husbandos from all my favorite animes falling in love with me. :3c, but nothing recent. Crossovers are not my things.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? YES! OMG! Someone stole MY fic idea and then TRIED to say I PLAGIARIZED THEM! The absolute! NERVE!

Have you ever had a fic translated? Not that I am aware…. I’ve had people use my translations of doujinshi to make more translations?

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes. It was quickly dropped due to his time constraints and low interest in TES at the time. Attempted to write it myself, but it wasn’t the same.

All-time favorite ship? Abnur Tharn x Liselle Yvette Farkas x Sifkni

What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Frostfalls of Solstheim - I dont know why I EVEN started this, but not sure I will finish it Shadows Preserve Us - I hate this so much. I love Ragna and I love Mercer, but its been so hard to focus on this now. I might rewrite one day.

What are your writing strengths? Fuck if I know.

What are your writing weaknesses? I think I hate it sometimes? I procrastinate A LOT!

Thoughts on dialogue in another language? As someone who inserts random Ta’agra, Jel and Dovahzul into their fics…. :)

First fandom you ever wrote in? Slayers Next??

Favorite fic you've written? Just a Ruin (and Mudcrab) Advocate or Roar of a Wolfborn

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by the amazing, sexy, incredible @wormdebut - thanks, love! ❤️

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Eighteen and and a whole batch of new ones incoming for the @steddieholidaydrabbles - so excited, weeeeeee!!!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

308,387

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Stranger Things

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Hic sunt dracones 

Someone who cares

Possession

See you in a crown

Just add water         

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

Yes, always! (Well, except for the rude ones but I can count those on my fingers, thank God!) Every single comment is so fucking precious to me. You didn’t only take the time to read my story, but you liked it enough to go to that little box and tell me your thoughts? Kissing you, kissing you, KISSING YOU!!! 😘

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

I’m a happy endings gal all the way! If I’m gonna put them through the horrors for hundreds of thousands of words, I damn well wanna give them their happily ever after! That being said, I have this little microfic where tentacle lake monster Steeb enthralls Eddie to lure people to him so that he can eat them. Sorry, Eddie! 

(He’ll absolutely bring him O’Donnell and Principal Higgins, so it’s fine.) 

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

Hic sunt dracones! I mean hello? They are mates and Steve is King and everyone is happy and my boy gets flower crowns and apple pie and hot, hot dragon sex forever after! 

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Someone once felt the need to leave me a very passive aggressive comment on how my Brit slips were “completely ruining the vibe” of my fics (and then I wrote a microfic about British!Steve, I’m still laughing). 

Oh, and then there was that one time I was accused of racism. 

But apart from that, everyone has been lovely and fantastic and supportive and I really love it here. I’ve met so many more lovely people than assholes. 

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

Ummm … I’m the person with the 100k dragon porn fic. Hell yes, I write smut! I love writing smut, all kinds of smut!

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

No, sorry, my brain doesn’t do crossovers. XD 

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope. 

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but I’d be thrilled to see it happen. Any and all transformative works are always welcome, just be sure to tag me because I’d love to see them and you will have my sword and my axe for eternity and I will scream about it forever!

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

I once co-wrote an original work with a friend when we were like 15? We had no idea what the fuck we were doing and it never got finished, but it was a blast!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Steddie. I love them, I’m obsessed with them, I think I’ll be writing fic for them for the rest of my life!

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

I’m committed to finishing all of my WIPs, that’s why I’m a good girl and only ever work on one large fic at a time with smaller projects on the side, but there’s SO MANY I WANNA WRITE STILL!!!!

16. What are your writing strengths?

Several people have told me that I’m really good at scene setting and evoking imagery, at painting very vivid pictures in their minds …  so I guess there’s that. 

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I wish I could write stunning, creative metaphors like @wynnyfryd . The river Styx one from the trailer park AU? Blew me away! I could never come up with that!

I also admire @wingedquill for being able to be concise and still so fucking intense in their fics! I'm a wordy bitch myself and always in awe of that skill.

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

I’ve never been in a situation where I was faced with the decision, but I think I’d rather describe it instead of typing out the actual words? Such as “they exchanged a few sentences in Spanish”. I’m only fluent in one language besides English, so I feel like I’d either need to get help or include a horrifically mangled Google translation and end up being unintentionally hilarious.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The first fandom I published for was Stranger Things. 

The first fandom I wrote for was Harry Potter, back before it went to shit (Wolfstar shipper of the very first hour here)

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Hic sunt dracones, my beloved! This fic is everything I ever wanted, both in terms of writing and the echo it received. I still daydream about these two (and have another bonus drabble coming in December). 

Zero-pressure tags: @cranberrymoons, @gorgeousgreymatter-x, @lexirosewrites

[ifyougoillfollow]

Fic Writer Interview

Oooh, this looks fun! Thanks @plusultraetc for tagging me!

-- How many works do you have on AO3?

16. Huh. Didn’t think it was that many tbh. Yay me? :D

-- What's your total AO3 word count?

97,793! Almost 100k! Yipee!

Fun Fact: Before my latest fic, it was at a nice, very satisfying 88,888. I’d like to say that’s why it took me over a year to upload another fic, but well. I’d be lying lolol.

-- What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

a definite sign of what we will be (someday)

be my fictional obsession (my newest daydream)

you know i make you wanna scream

like sugar and cyanide

like heaving through corrupted lungs (‼)

(^ Didn’t think she’d make the cut! Proud of her!!)

-- Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I love responding to comments!! It’s a wonderful excuse to ramble about my writing and share my thoughts about my beloved blorbos with like-minded souls. Unfortunately, I am. Shy. I’m usually good at responding when a fic first drops because the sheer adrenaline/euphoria of finally posting something propels me out of my shell, but once that wears out. Help.

I do read and cherish every single comment I receive tho - and I’m very lucky to receive such thoughtful comments, too! Just know that if you’ve ever commented on any of my fic – ily <33

-- What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

Uh. All of them? Aldkjfskfj okay, that’s a lie, but tbh it’d be easier to point at the ones that don’t have kinda bummer endings. I love me some angst. :3

The title for Angstiest def has to go to ‘friend make sense of me’ tho. Yowch.

-- What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

Oh, ‘be my fictional obsession’ for sure. Although ‘strawberry soju' is a strong contender, ultimately ‘bmfo’ is simply Sillier, so she takes the crown. :3

-- Do you write crossovers?

Not really! Though I have toyed around with writing AUs in other settings, the most recent of which is a BBC Merlin AU, which, let me tell you, has been tons of fun, even if I’ll probably never get around to finishing it lol.

-- Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I was about to say no because everyone has always been so lovely to me, but then I remembered that one person who bookmarked ‘like sugar and cyanide’ only to call it ‘lame’ for being self-indulgent and not ending with EraserMic getting together. Which was kinda funny ngl, because, like, my guy. The Unresolved Romantic Tension is right there in the tags, and also I repeatedly dunk on myself for being self-indulgent in just about every chapter note, so like, move along, sister, this is not the fic you’re looking for lmaoo.

-- Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Nope! Love me some innuendo and crass humor, but the most I ever see myself doing is a fade to black or maybe some vague allusion to the act (← see, I just did it), because it is simply not my cup of tea.

-- Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope, but I’d be open to it for sure!

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

Another no, though I’m not sure I’d be a good fit for it tbh. I’m a bit precious about my writing process. 😅

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

Oh god, this is a Question. I mean, I have to say EraserMic given how much of my (fan) life it has consumed these past years, even if I do have some complicated, and at times contentious, thoughts and feelings about it.

QPR MicNight is right up there, though! I have just as complex and much less contentious feelings about QPR MicNight, my beloved. <3

I have so many QPR MicNight WIPs, you guys. One of these days, I’ll even finish one. orz

-- What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

CRIES. ALL OF THEM.

Okay, non-dramatic answer is ‘as the mists roll in at midnight,’ which is a WIP I started and finished outlining back in 2021 (it even got a title!) and then never got past the second chapter.

It’s a sort of house horror AU, featuring EraserMic, QPR MicNight, unexplained happenings in the woods, and a haunted inn that just wants to keep you safe. I love it so so much that I kind of got overwhelmed by my love for it, and thus my need for it to be perfect, and now I fear I shall never get back to it. </3

The same is true for so many of my WIPs, if I’m being honest. Shout out to Midnight Time Loop AU, ‘a song for a song,’ and ‘you know i make you wanna scream,’ the latter of which is the reason I no longer post multi-chap WIPs. rip.

-- What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue and narrative voice. I get so many niceys comments on both, especially my narrative voice for Mic, which makes my heart do a happy dance every time. :)

-- What are your writing weaknesses?

Establishing and describing setting, unfortunately. The struggle to not end up with characters talking and introspecting in The Void all the time is real. OTL

Also there's the more technical stuff like my abuse of adverbs, em-dashes, and run-on sentences, as well as my point-blank refusal to kill my darlings at times, but I like to chalk all that up to Style, Vibes, and This Hobby is Supposed to Be Fun, Damnit, so we don't count any of that. :3

-- What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

No strong thoughts in particular, just the usual 'as long as it's done well' caveat. Though I do like when honorifics and such are sprinkled in here and there, hence why I tend to do so in my fic. I find it serves as a helpful reminder that these characters are Japanese, and thus hopefully helps to stave off some of that dreaded, inevitable Americanization of everything.

-- What was the first fandom you wrote for?

BNHA, which, let me tell you, came as a surprise not just to me, but also to anyone who knows me irl. I was famously Not Very Much Into Anime for most of my life. Go figure.

-- What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

BBC Merlin!

I watched (and was obsessed with) the show way back when, but have only recently gotten into the fandom, and good GOD has it been a struggle to not hop right in to writing fic for it, especially for Gwen/Morgana, my beloved toxic yuri queens. Only reason I haven’t is because I’m loathe to add to my already heaping WIP pile.

-- What's your favorite fic you've written?

Oof, this is a hard one.

‘strawberry soju’ has my heart right now because it felt like such a different undertaking than most of my previous work (it’s a 9k, non-linear, Aizawa POV one-shot! There’s actual kissing in it!) and also because I learned a lot while working on it. I didn’t have a real outline when I started writing, only a premise, one or two strong images of interactions I wanted to include, and several themes I wanted to touch on. It was a struggle working with such bare bones at times, but I'm glad I kept at it, because I'm proud of how much of the core themes and concepts came through in the final result.

However. If I’m being honest, my real answer to this question is the fic I wrote for Something Just Like This, an EraserMic zine I contributed to that is currently in production. I wrote that fic back in February, and it’s been absolute hell not being able to share it this whole time because I’m just so goddamn proud of it!! I won’t say anything else because I could go on forever about it and I’m contractually obligated to not spill the beans, but GOD I can’t wait for you all to read it. 🥺

-

Okay, that's enough yapping for now, but this was so much fun!! Thanks again for tagging me! <3

As for me, I'll tag @scream-mans-friend (no pressure!!) and anyone else who wants to take a crack at this. c:

[sequinsmile-x]

Stained Glass Windows - Chapter Thirty

Life was complicated, but they wouldn't have it any other way.

-x-

Hi friends!!

First off, as you can see there is a new banner for this fic!! I thought that given this is Chapter 30 (!!!) it was time for a new one.

I was never going to leave you hanging too long with the cliffhanger from last the chapter, because whilst I am mean I am not *that* mean, so here we are only two days later.

Not only is this the 30th chapter of this fic, it also brings the total word count for SGW so far to over 100k. Which is just...wild to me. Thank you so much to all of you for your love for this fic. This has quickly become one of my favourite things to write and the fact you guys interact with it and love it to means the world.

Please do let me know what you think of this chapter!

-x-

Words: 4k

A full list of warnings for the fic can be found on the Series Master List and will be updated as we go along.

Read over on Ao3, or below the cut

“What is taking the doctor so long?” She asks, wincing as the nurse tightens the compression bandage around her wrist. It barely hurts, the injury that had been confirmed to be nothing more than a sprain the least of her worries. She still hadn’t felt the baby move, and whilst that wasn’t entirely unusual, she could sometimes go hours without feeling anything at all, something her doctor assured her was normal for her stage of pregnancy, it was all she could focus on. 

The nurse smiles at her, “We do only have one OB on staff here and she is currently with another patient, so she will be with you as soon as she can be.” 

Emily all but growls, her fear turned into anger, but Aaron cuts her off before she can shout at the undeserving nurse. His hand wrapped firmly around his fiancee’s as he tried to hold her together. 

“That’s ok,” he says, although it felt anything but. He was impatient too, his concern for their unborn baby increasing with every passing moment, but he knows he has to keep Emily calm, and to do that he had to stay calm too, “We understand.” 

The nurse nods and steps away, “I will page her again for you,” she says before looking at Emily, “Your wrist should be fine in a week or so. Try not to use it too much in the next couple of days and ice it when you can.”

Aaron watches as Emily doesn’t acknowledge the nurse talking to her at all, her eyes fixed on the ultrasound machine that had been wheeled into her cubicle upon their arrival as if she was willing for the image of their baby to appear on the screen. Aaron smiles tightly at the nurse and nods. 

“Thank you.” 

They fall into silence once they are alone and it’s tense, the sound of the walk-in clinic they were in bustling around them. Like everything else in Franklin, it was small, nothing like the facilities they were used to back home. Aaron watches Emily closely, his hand tight around her right one just as it had been ever since they got out of the SUV. 

“You still have my engagement ring, right?” She asks absentmindedly, not turning to look at him. The doctor she had seen for her wrist made her remove it in case of any swelling.  

She hated not wearing it. She’d never been someone who clung to belongings. She’d moved so much when she was young and for practical reasons, there were only so many items she would take from place to place. It was only since she and Aaron got together that she started to see more meaning in physical things, and her engagement ring was one of the more important ones. It was a physical manifestation of their love for each other, a promise for everyone to see. 

“I have it,” he assures her, patting the pocket he’d slipped it into.

She nods, finally turning to look at him with a tight smile on his face, “I probably need to stop wearing it soon anyway…Reid told me that the further along I get the more my hands will swell.” 

“I’ll buy you a necklace to wear it on,” he says, squeezing her good hand. His eyes drift to her stomach, her bandaged arm resting on top of it, and he swallows thickly, pushing down any fear that was trying to climb up his throat, “Have you felt anything?”

“Don’t you think I’d tell you if I had?” She snaps, her nerves fraying by the second. She watches as his eye flash with hurt, a quick moment she knows anyone other than her would miss. A side of himself that he would only show her, and even now would occasionally try to keep from her in some misguided attempt to protect her. She sighs, guilt replacing the brief fury she’d felt, and she squeezes his hand, lifting them to her lips to kiss his knuckles, “I’m sorry honey. I didn’t mean to…I’m sorry.”

He shakes his head and shifts the chair he’s sitting in closer to her bed, “You have nothing to apologise for, sweetheart,” he says, cupping her hand between both of his, “Nothing at all.” 

The curtain surrounding their cubicle is pulled open and a woman in a white coat smiles at them, “Hi, I’m Doctor Cooper, the OBGYN, I’m so sorry for the wait.”

“It’s ok,” Emily says as if she hadn’t been ready to burn the place to the ground just to get someone to check on her baby.

Doctor Cooper sits on a stool next to the ultrasound machine, “I believe you had a bit of a fall?” 

Emily opens her mouth to reply but finds herself unable to, her voice catching in her throat, and she looks at Aaron, an edge of desperation in her eyes.

“She slipped on some ice outside where we’re staying,” he says, “She landed on her back, but because we had to come here for her wrist we thought we’d best get her checked out.” 

“And how far along are you?” Doctor Cooper asks, smiling kindly.

“24 weeks. I haven’t felt the baby move since I fell,” Emily explains, holding onto Aaron’s hand so tightly she’s surprised her nails don’t break his skin.

“Any bleeding or cramping?” She asks and Emily shakes her head, “Ok well I see no real cause for concern, but let's have a look at baby anyway,” she says, “If you can lift up your shirt for me?”

Emily lets Aaron help her even though at every other scan she’d batted his hands away as she chastised him for coddling her. Right now she knows she needs it. She needs the sometimes overbearing way he loved her because it was the only thing holding her together. 

“Do you know what you are having?” Doctor Cooper asks, and they are both silent, fear neither one will admit to yet forcing them to hold their breath, “So I don’t accidentally blurt it out?”

Aaron is the one to snap out of it and clears his throat as he looks at Doctor Cooper, “No, we don’t know,” he says, kissing Emily’s knuckles, “We decided to wait until the baby is born.”

She smiles as she squeezes the gel onto Emily’s stomach. It was cold, it wasn’t kept in a warmer like it was at her doctor’s at home, but she doesn’t flinch. She barely reacts as she keeps her eyes fixed on the ceiling, counting the tiles so she could do something other than worry about her baby.

“I wanted to do that when I had mine,” Doctor Cooper says casually, clearly trying to keep them both calm, holding the Doppler in her hand and pressing it into Emily’s belly, “Sadly that would have meant not looking at my baby’s ultrasounds, which was never going to happen. A curse of the trade,” she presses a few buttons and looks at the screen in front of her, “And you have no need to worry, your baby looks perfectly healthy.”

They both look at the screen at the same time, met with the sight that never got old no matter how many scans they had. The baby was shifting around, its little hand up by its face, and Emily feels her breath catch in her throat. 

“Did you hear that sweetheart, Nugget is ok,” he says his relief palpable, and he looks at the doctor, feeling the need to explain the name when she raises an eyebrow, “It’s a nickname because we don’t know what we’re having.”

She smiles at him, “My wife called our son ‘Cooplet’ when I was carrying him,” she says, shaking her head, “I think Nugget is better.”

Emily still hadn’t spoken, her eyes fixed on the screen as she watches her baby move, her voice caught in her throat as she swallows thickly, “The baby is ok?”

Doctor Cooper nods, her patience never wavering, “Nugget is perfectly fine.”

Emily looks back at the screen her eyes shining, as she watches the baby wiggle around, “Why can’t I feel that?” 

“You are only 24 weeks so your baby is still quite small, and it is your first pregnancy so movement can still be a little inconsistent for another couple of weeks, plus the baby sleeps a lot of the day,” Doctor Cooper explains softly, as she presses a couple of buttons and the familiar wooshing of the heartbeat fills the small space, “But before long you’ll be wishing you had some reprieve from the kicks and punches. Everything looks and sounds perfect,” she assures them, “You did the right thing coming in, and if you experience any cramping, bleeding or changes to what you’re used to you should go see your doctor, but I’m happy to discharge you today.” 

Emily nods, her eyes fixed on the screen again as she watches the baby move around, and she heaves in a breath. It catches on every rib, making her chest stutter as all the fear she’d been pushing down since Aaron helped pick her up off the ground escapes all at once, pouring down her face and burning her skin. Her vision goes blurry with her tears and she covers her face with her bandaged hand. 

Aaron only takes a second to spring into action, standing up from his seat and sitting on the edge of her bed, cupping her face in his hands as he makes her look at him.

“Emily, sweetheart, the baby is ok,” he says, smiling at her in a way he hopes is reassuring as he presses his forehead into hers, “Nugget is ok.” He looks at Doctor Cooper who stands up, offering him a tissue to give to Emily as she wipes the remaining gel from her stomach. 

“I’ll go pick up the pictures I just printed for you and her discharge paperwork,” she says, making it clear she was giving them a few minutes. Aaron nods his thanks and then turns all his attention back to Emily. 

She presses her face into his shoulder and grasps at his back, her fists gathering the material of his sweater as she sobs, her tears scorching his skin. All he can do is hold her as she calms down, his hand running up and down her back as she lets everything out. He whispers nonsense against her head intermittently with pressing kisses against her hair, never relenting in his care for her. She slowly starts to calm down but doesn’t let go, if anything she holds him even tighter. 

“I was so…” she chokes out, her voice ragged, and she can’t even say it. Can’t even put into words how she’d been feeling for the last hour or so. But she doesn’t need to because he understood, just like he always did. 

“I know, baby,” he says, turning his head to kiss her cheek, “I know. But everything is ok.”

She opens her mouth to respond but is cut off as she feels a kick from her belly, and she knows Aaron has felt it too from where she is pressed up against him when he pulls back to look down at her stomach, a wry laugh escaping them both. 

“Well, Nugget clearly has your sense of dramatic timing,” he says dryly, smiling at her when she narrows her eyes, a look he’s sure was meant to be cutting diminished by how swollen and red they are from crying. 

She blows out a steady breath as she leans in to hug him again, drawing the comfort she needed that only he could provide her, “I could say the same about you.”

___

Emily lets him look after her when they get back to their room at the inn. 

She knows he needs it, that he needs to fuss, so she doesn’t say anything even when he tucks the bedding around her like she’s watched him do with Jack countless times.

Like she’d one day soon watch him do with the baby she was carrying. 

She looks down at the new ultrasound picture in her hand that Doctor Cooper had given them and she stares at it intently, running her finger over the slope of her baby’s nose. 

“I think Nugget has your nose,” Aaron says as he climbs into bed next to her, sitting on top of the covers. She rolls her eyes at the comment he’d made at every scan ever since the baby started to actually look like a baby.

“Poor Nugget,” she quips, and he puts his arm around her shoulders and kisses her forehead before he places his hand on her stomach.

“Lucky Nugget,” he replies, kissing her forehead again, “Because that means they will look just like you.” 

She shakes her head at him but lets it slide, knowing this was one argument she’d never win, and she places the picture down on the nightstand next to her, “You can go back to the case if you need to,” she says, placing her hand over his on her stomach, “You’re not the one who was told to have bed rest for the rest of the day.” 

He pulls back and frowns at her, forcing her into eye contact, “Did you hit your head? Am I going to have to take you back to that clinic and get you checked for a concussion?”

“What?” She asks, scrunching her face up in confusion, “No.” 

“Because that’s the only reason I can think of why you would think I’m going to leave you here alone for the rest of the day.” 

She sighs, huffing out a laugh as she once again shakes her head, “Aaron-”

“Morgan has it,” he says, tucking some of her hair behind her ear before he cups her cheek“And he’s updating me with what I need to know.”

“What if you’re needed-”

“I’m needed here,” he says, cutting her off, stopping her from arguing with him any further, “I’m right where I should be - with you.” 

It was moments like these that made her grateful she was the second woman who was lucky enough to be loved by him. Sometimes she couldn’t tell if it was because she understood him better than Haley had or because he’d learnt from his mistakes in his first marriage. She usually put it down to both. She didn’t expect these things from him and she understood the difficulty of his job, of how much sat squarely on his shoulders, how so often the choice of what he could do was out of his hands. The balance of his own life versus that of the knowledge of what could happen to complete strangers the very thing that had led to the scars she can see peeking out of the top of his shirt. But he also had learnt from his mistakes. He knew when he could step back, when it was the right thing to do to be selfish, and she wondered if she should feel more guilty for being so happy she was the one benefiting from it. 

“Ok,” she says, turning her head to kiss the palm of his hand, “If you’re going to stay you may as well get into bed with me.” 

He nods, and she doesn’t need to ask twice. She watches as she stands and changes into his sweatpants and sweater, carefully laying his suit over a chair so it didn’t crease. She spots a tear she hadn’t noticed earlier over one of the knees of his pants where he’d the floor next to her and she sighs, chewing the inside of her cheek as she thinks about everything that had been haunting her since she thought something was wrong with her baby 

He climbs into bed with her, immediately warming up the space under the covers, and she curls into his side, her head against his shoulder. 

“I’ve…I’ve been thinking,” she says, drifting off as she thinks about the fact once she’s said it she can’t take it back. That things would change forever before she was truly ready for them to 

He waits several seconds before he prompts her, “Are you going to tell me what you’ve been thinking about?” 

“I think this should be the last case I come along on with the team,” she says quietly. For a moment it hangs between them and she turns to look at him, watching as her words register. 

“Em-”

“I know I said 28 weeks, and I know I’ve been so insistent but…” she stops, blowing out a breath as she tries to gather herself, the tears that were never too far away these days pressing at the back of her eyes, “For fuck sake,” she says, chastising herself as she wipes under her eyes, “I swear to god I’ve cried more these last few months than I have in my entire life.” 

He smiles at her and pulls her closer, his fingers trailing comforting circles on her shoulder, “You’re pregnant, sweetheart. That’s going to happen,” he says and she hums in response. He kisses the side of her head, “Why do you want to stop now?” 

She scoffs and pulls away, her eyes wide and shining as she looks at him, “Are you kidding me? You remember what happened today right?” 

“The baby is fine-”

“The baby is fine, I know,” she says, rubbing her stomach, smiling when the baby kicks, “I know. But if something had gone wrong that place wouldn’t have been equipped to do anything, or to provide neo-natal care if god forbid I went into labour and the baby was born.”

The thought makes him tense up, his body freezing as nausea churns in his stomach, “Em.”

“I just…I think it realised that if the worse had happened we’d have been all of the way across the country from home, with no access to our doctor or the facilities at the hospital we’ve chosen,” she says, her chin trembling as she shakes her head, “And as much as I don’t want to stop yet, I have to think of Nugget. I have to put them first because I never came first,” she lets out a noise that was somewhere between a laugh and a sob, “Did I ever tell you I was almost born on a plane?”He shakes his head and wordlessly reaches out to wipe a tear from her cheek. “Yeah, Mother carried on travelling despite having high blood pressure and being told not to. She went into labour at 37 weeks and they rushed her to the hospital when they landed back in DC.” 

“It’s not the same sweetheart,” he says gently, “You would never do that.”

“I know,” she says, swallowing thickly, “But this is a choice I can make to protect our kid and I think I have to do it.” 

He looks at her carefully and sees how resolute she is and he nods, “I’ll support whatever you want to do sweetheart, you know that.” 

She smiles and leans forward, the kiss they share tasting of her tears, “I’ll miss working with you,” she says, her lip trembling, “I know I’ll still be technically on the team until I go on maternity leave,” she says, cupping his face and stroking his jaw, “But I’ll miss it.” 

“I’ll miss working with you too,” he says before he kisses her and pulls her into a hug. They stay in their embrace, mourning the end of something that had brought them what they were about to start. The beginning in the end that they’d known was coming, even if they hadn’t expected it so soon.

“I need you to promise me something,” she says softly as she pulls back, cupping his cheek as he places his hand on her bump, both of them smiling when the baby kicks, something they both loved even more than they had yesterday. 

“Anything.”

She smiles because she knows he means it, that he’d pull the moon from the sky if she asked for it, but she also knows him well enough to understand what she was asking was bigger than that. 

“You need to promise me that you won’t take any unnecessary risks-”

He sighs, shaking his head as he cuts her off, “Em-”

“I know the job is dangerous, I know there are things you won’t be able to avoid but you can’t run into houses after unsubs wielding a gun when you’re unarmed without your vest. You can’t bait serial killers or purposely crash a car-” she huffs out a laugh despite what she’s saying and he does too, “You can’t do any of that if I’m at home pregnant with your kid because…” she drifts off, smiling when he wipes a tear away from her cheek, “Because you just can’t. So please, I need you to promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”

He nods, agreeing automatically, knowing that she was right. A part of him had always known he was only a piece of Haley’s family. A strange justification he would use when he put himself in unnecessary danger that, if the worst would happen, Haley would have other people around her. Her parents and Jessica.

It was different now. Emily would have the team, but it wasn’t the same and he knew it. He was her family and she was his, along with Jack and the baby nestled between them. He couldn’t do it to her, he wouldn’t. 

“Ok sweetheart,” he says, resting his forehead against hers, “I promise.” 

She beams at him, the relief in her smile the only assurance he needs that he’s done the right thing, and she leans in to kiss him fiercely. When she pulls back she leans her head against his shoulder, the final bit of tension that had lived in her chest all day giving way as she finally relaxes. 

“I think Nugget and I need a nap,” she says, the exhaustion immediate and overwhelming, as she yawns into his shirt. 

“You two nap, and I’ll be right here,” he assures her, shifting them so they were laying down and she was curled up in his arms. 

“You promise?” She asks, tucking her head into his neck to shield herself from the daylight streaming in through the curtains. 

“I promise,” he says, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. He trails his hand up and down her back, a surefire way to make her drift off to sleep, “Em?” He asks, and she hums in response, still shifting around against him to find the comfort that was starting to allude her more and more, “You were born three weeks early?”

“Yeah,” she says, yawning again, “I was meant to be a Scorpio,” she says, chuckling, “Something Pen always says makes sense,” she adds, and she feels him hum more than she hears it. She pulls away just enough to look up at him, “What?”

“Nothing,” he says, smiling at her and pushing her hair away from her face, “It’s just…that probably means we were probably supposed to have the same birthday. Different years obviously. But same day.” 

She does the math in her head and huffs out a laugh. It meant nothing really, she knew that, but a small, romantic, part of her that she hadn’t known existed before him makes her think that maybe, just maybe, it means they were meant to be. 

“Yeah,” she says, laying her head back down against him, “I guess it does.” 

-x-

Tag list:

@ssa-sparks, @lukeclvez, @lyds102, @glockleveledatyourcrotch, @hotchnissenthusiast, @danadeservesadrink, @ssamorganhotchner, @emilyprentissisgod, @notagentprentiss, @freesiasandfics, @emilyshotchniss, @thecharmingart, @paulitalblond, @hancydrewfan, @camille093, @whitecrossgirl, @moonlight-2-6, @rawr-jess, @florenceremingtonthethird, @jareauswife, @ms-black-a, @beebeelank, @aubreyprc, @zipzapboingg, @psychopath-at-heart, @criminalmindsgonewrong, @fionaloover, @kinqslcys, @prentissinred, @ccmattis-22, @denvivale317, @thrindis, @hotchsguccitie, @cmfouatslota77, @alexblakegf, @aliensaurusrex, @prentissxhotch, @emobabeyy, @victoiregranger, @stormyweatherth, @wanderingdreamer009, @ssablackbird, @luhwithah, @lex13cm, @prentiss-theorem, @dont-emily-me, @mrs-ssa-hotch, @jocyycreation, @itsmytimetoodream, @hotchnissgroupie, @controversialpooh, @capsshinyshield, @canuck-eh

Join my tag list here!

[dreamykrimi]

What does this mean?

Well, it means I'm finally finishing Sweater Weather! Surprised? 

I never intended to abandon Sweater Weather. My life took several hard turns in 2017, and as traumatic as it was, it really did change for the better! But that left very little time or motivation for writing. I've had the bones of the last few chapters for years, and I've added to them little by little. In the last year I've become serious about finishing this fic, and I'd love to tell you all about why, but I'll save the personal stories for later. For now, stay tuned: I will be posting one chapter per week until we’re caught up. Each one shot is now a chapter, and has been edited, rewritten, and polished within an inch of its life with the help of my lovely betas. My writing has grown since 2017, and I hope you like the changes I've made. We worked really hard to make Sweater Weather into something worth coming back to. Once we are caught up to Cider Sweet, I’ll continue to post the new chapters that I have finished. As of right now, Sweater Weather is set to be a 100k+ fic in its entirety. 

HOWEVER! I have a confession to make. I have an ALMOST completed version of Sweater Weather ready to publish. I have several thousand words of content that you have never seen ready to go, but the last chapter has been slippery for me. It's hard for me to finish projects like this, projects that have meant so much to me. I want to get it right, and that's a lot of pressure. So I have a request! Please leave a comment and talk to me about this fic. If you loved it or it meant something to you or just made you feel something- anything- please let me know. Your comments inspire me so much, and it's the thing I've missed the most about Sweater Weather. You have all been so kind to me. Please, I'm asking for that kindness again now to help push me through the end of this fic! 

REGARDING THE ORIGINAL FICS: The individual oneshots from 2017 are going to be removed. I won’t take down the AO3 listing, because it would break my heart to lose the comments and bookmarks and kudos that people have left there over the years. However I will be removing the body of text from each fic and replacing it with a link to the new fic. This is your notice to save the originals NOW if you want a copy. I know I get terribly sentimental about things like this, and if that’s you, too, then you may want to make arrangements now. Some of you have told me that you have printed or even handwritten copies of this fic, and I am so flattered by that. But I’m also a bit embarrassed. My old work is just that, old. This new version of Sweater Weather that I’ve been working on is the one I want everyone to be able to save, print, bind, and return to. That’s part of why I wanted to do this. I want to give you a version that I’m truly proud of. But if you’re a silly little freak like me who holds onto old things like they’re treasure, well, this is your chance to be a silly little freak. 

I’ll be posting this message on my tumblr and adding it as a new chapter to each oneshot to make sure that everyone has a chance to see it. I will make another post on my tumblr when I’m ready to start posting the new version and removing the old ones. I don’t know exactly when that will be, but it should be soon! Keep an eye out for me!

[theflirtmeister]

Share what ideas are wallowing in ur mud pit so we can be filthy fantasizers together

fuck it i'm never going to write this because i hate writing police fiction (hey, who here was around for the dead boy walking 100k vampire fic) but ANYWAY:

strahm is a smalltown cop, he does boring police stuff, perez is his fellow police officer and they are besties, one day strahm comes into work and perez is like "hey, crazy old lady says that someone has broken into (well known abandoned house called the castle), can you go check it out"

and strahm is like "ughhh i want to do proper policework, i don't want to go arrest dumb kids breaking into houses" and perez is like “noooo you have to because I don’t want to” so strahm gets in his little cop car and zooms over to the castle

and yeah it’s true, there’s lights on and someone is moving about, and strahm bangs on the door and is like “POLICE!!” and waits on the front door step kicking his foot against the wall and finally the door creaks open…

and the biggest fucking guy is standing there, and his face is all ripped up, and strahm literally does a fucking double take because uhhhhh who the fuck is this hot guy covered in blood!!

And the guy is like “what the fuck do you want” and strahm is like “did you break and enter” and the guy says “NO, im here legally” and marches off to get paperwork and yep, the guy legally owns the property and it says his name is john kramer.

and strahm is like “well JOHNATHAN I’ll see you around” and Johnathan is like “LOL U SUCK POLICE OFFICER STRAHM” and slams the door

and thus begins the love affair of strahm and hoffman!! they spend the entire fic chasing each other and driving each other insane!! Lawrence turns up at one point and strahm assumes they’re dating!!

also obviously Hoffman is plotting jill’s murder the entire time and is secretly leaving evidence that strahm is the jigsaw apprentice!! but oh no.... hot police officer is v hot and they end up fucking a lot <3

probably ends with hoffman revealing his crimes to strahm and is like RUN AWAY WITH ME!! and strahm is like.... OKAY and they thelma and louise it

I have written one line for this fic and it’s this:

“Look out,” Perez says. “Frankenstein’s monster is back.” “Shut up,” Strahm says. “He’ll hear you.”