#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

[ghostlycod]

“I have this scene in my head for my fic that I really love but i don’t feel like writing all of the other stuff to get to it.”

I see this comment like 5 times a day in fic writing spaces lol

a scene that you don’t want to write is a scene you don’t want to read. don’t write stuff you don’t want to read.

me, personally: wait until the scenes that get you to that first initial scene you were excited about are just as interesting as that scene too. it won’t be the first, second, or third thing you think of. if u have a scene you really want to write, write that, and keep writing only those exciting scenes that come to you. eventually you have a million interesting scenes for your fic and they become puzzle pieces for you to arrange and then eventually the strings come together and you realize you really do have an interesting way to get to that original scene, and you’re just as excited to write it, if you haven’t already written it when you were brainstorming other scenes earlier in the writing process that you didn’t even realize could carry your story like that.

[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

[starcharmed]

"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

[loptrcoptr]

Me in January, 2024: i really love this new cartoon, might as well open a google doc and write some silly fanfic in it. At least i’ll never show it to anyone

January 2025 me: you will show it to people. Well, not those first two ideas, but the third one, you will

January 2024 me: the third one?

January 2025 me: yeah, you’ll make a whole chapter fic out of it

2024: and actually publish it?

2025: yeah!

2024: but it’s, like, short and I give up on it after a few months, right? Like I always do?

2025: no, it’ll hit 100k words next week. we’re up to like 18 chapters and still going

2024: no fucking way

2025: and you’ll join a discord server and make all these great connections in the fandom and have a really lovely community building experience

2024: a nice fandom community? On discord?! Fuck off, no way

2025: way! It’s great!

2024: wild, dude

2025: yeah

2024: a discord server I like

2025: yeah

2025: and that’s where you’ll meet your girlfriend :)

2024: …

[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 ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[massharp1971]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers! Spread the self-love 💞

Oooh, thanks for the ask! Gosh. This is going to be hard. I have to do this without looking through the list because I'll die of indecision otherwise.

1. Unbroken 16K, M rating

“I’ll protect you. All of you,” he said, because he thought that was what was expected, but much as he desperately wanted it to be true, he knew this wasn’t a storybook. His heart clenched painfully at the thought of something happening to Rodney.

“Dumbass,” Rodney said in between still slightly panicky breaths. “Go read the SGC reports and then come back and tell me who usually saves who. Spoilers: It’s science. It’s always science… still, I appreciate the thought. I believe you want that to be true.”

This fic never fails to get enthusiastic reactions from the readers that venture in. It's not an easy read, as it's about trauma and all the layers of it that go unaddressed in the show. It was one of those stories that demanded to be written. it's ultimately a healing story and one that chimes for a lot of folks.

2. Awakenings >100K, E rating

‘Hi, Mer McKay, PhD, PhD, autistic, genius, gender ambivalent, queer and kinky as fuck, compulsive over-sharer.’ Some people think this is just a smut fic, but what I like is the story - what would happen if McKay knew he was autistic and queer and had come to terms with himself more? Well, in this case, it changes the entire timeline. There are some tough bits about trauma in there too, but it's mainly about John having a sexual awakening, thanks to McKay. Lots of polyamorous and kinky fun and games. Also, of course, a mcsheppy love story.

I'm currently writing the third main part of the series and horribly stuck, but if I'd actually published it, that would be my favourite.

3. Home for Christmas 25K, M rating

He went into another store, intent on buying novelty socks or something equally silly, when suddenly he caught the strains of Judy Garland and the most heartrending Christmas song ever written.

>Someday soon we all will be together If the fates allow Until then, >we'll have to muddle through somehow

John had no resistance anymore – the tears spilled easier than rain in a monsoon, and there was no choice but to duck out of the store and hide himself behind a convenient pillar while he sobbed, not even mustering a shred of masculine indignation to be getting weepy over Judy Garland. Yeah, he was a sad old queer and he didn’t much care anymore who knew it. He didn’t have to care and he didn’t have the energy left.

I wrote this for secret santa but felt it was a bit bleak, having poured all my difficult xmas feels into the fic, but looking back i feel like it might be my perfect xmas fic. It balances the sweetness of Christmas with the reasons we need the lights to chase off the darkest times.

4. Just Friends series 7K, M rating

They talk and they talk. Into the night. John wishes he’d learned to use his mouth for something other than sucking cock long ago.

“I had it all wrong. I thought you just settled…”

Rodney frowns. “For what?”

“For the look of it… power couple. I thought you chose,” he says.

They’re in his room, sprawled against each other, the mood sad.

“I didn’t let myself think you were trapped. Didn’t know how beat she had you.”

“Yes well I pretended to myself,” Rodney says. “Easier to believe the cage is comfortable than dash yourself to pieces on the bars.”

It started as a simple fic, but then the fic needed some follow-up and I ended up writing a whole lot of drabbles. Sharing here because I'm super proud of how drabble-writing developed me as a writer and I love the soft way it all turned out. Expect lots of gentle, sprawling found family and polyam vibes with a mcsheppy centre. It starts with Keller's canonical controlling intensity developing into a truly toxic relationship for Rodney.

5. Time's come to live a real life 4.5K, E rating

“You act like we played a game and you won, and Jen’s the prize,” Ronon says. “Maybe it’s connected to what you just said. You acting like you finally got the rules of this game figured out. Only I’m not an Earther and I don’t play by your rules. To me, whatever game you’re playing? It’s not real.”

Mcdex, with background shepdex, sheplorne and mcshep and kellerdex feels. Ronon can't understand what jennifer and rodney are trying to do with one another and he shakes rodney into a wake-up call. A more Keller-charitable fic about why McKeller is bullshit.

tagging @notenufcaffeine, @sgatazmy, @acrowbyanyothername, @wonkyelk, @dedkake

[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

[isthatmickey]

intro post

i've gif'd. i've written. might as well introduce myself! credit and thanks to @callivich for this idea c:

Name: kimberly

Age: 27

What made you fall in love with Gallavich? 

i’ll be real. i’m down bad for size difference. i saw an edit on tiktok about their hand size difference… oh, i was stoked. it only went downhill from there. i love how raw and angsty they are. their relationship and individual storylines are basically the antithesis of everything i do not consume (cheating, heavy angst, rape, violence), yet here i am. joke’s on me!

How long have you been a fan?

4 months. though, i did try to get into them way long ago, but remember learning about 3x666, so i didn’t commit to them.

Favourite Gallavich moment/scene?

the prison reunion scene will always hold a special place in my heart. it’s the first thing i officially watched (off of tiktok). also, i LOVE coming back to that night scene outside byron’s apartment. the yearning, the jealousy, the love, the understanding, the anger. they both look so good, too, so it’s a real easy rewatch.

Do you write or draw or make edits?

i write and make edits (mainly gifs)! i’m isthat on ao3.

Favourite type of Gallavich fics?

canon divergent, canon compliant, a/b/o (we need more of this), enemies to lovers (also need more of this). 

Favourite Gallavich quote?

mickey: guess what we’ve been doing, daddy? ian: can’t we just, like, wait for each other?

Anything else you'd like to share about yourself?

i have always struggled to read extremely long fics. before gallavich, my highest read wc is 80k in the dbh fandom. 100k in the 1d fandom way back in 2017. i read 2 gallavich 100k+ fics in the span of 2 weeks… that is insane for me. i’ve never consumed fics this long this fast. like i said, these two have me in a chokehold.

[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.” 

-

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[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