#my first published fic in three calendar years good god

[seafleece]

After the transformation (death) of a friend, Shadowheart and Karlach go on a journey to take their effects home.

--

They’re not dead, just gone.

They’re not dead, just gone.

(She tries to think about Omeluum. She tries not to think about how Omeluum is not the name of its old host.)

It’s easiest to pray to Selûne on their behalf. When it’s not about them, she never knows what to say.

[ohmypreciousgirl]

Xicheng AU Rec List

This time I compiled my favorite AU fics for @waterandsilver! Hope everyone will enjoy this list too ♥

Just Two Lost Souls 46,978

Even if it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife, husband, or companion, all Jiang Cheng really wants is to run his company, take care of his pets, and maybe get some sleep. Unfortunately the new job promotion to CEO comes with a loaded social calendar and a need for some sort of companion.

So clearly the most sensible answer is to start dating the man he's had a crush on since he was a teenager.

Because nothing could go wrong there. Sequels: Hold Me Like You Want Me; I Am Yours, If You Are Mine; Jiang Cheng and the Lans; You Get a Torch and a Flame and Burn The Path You Want.

i don't really care how much silence kills me 15,611 [Part 1 of all the lights couldn't put out the dark] It’s been around 2 years since Jiang Cheng has last seen to his brother, and a little over a year since the last time he spoke to him, when they locked eyes at Nie Huaisang’s art exhibition. Jiang Cheng had only come because Huaisang had explicitly promised him he wouldn’t be here. He knows Wuxian and Wangji have just moved back into the area after traveling, and he has every intention of avoiding them at all costs, just like he avoids his college-era crush Lan Xichen. 

But it would seem that the universe has other ideas.

charcoal on newsprint 2,151 [Part 1 of fine art] Xichen distantly realizes that there is no way Huaisang had actually told Jiang Cheng that this is a nude modeling session. He can already hear Jiang Cheng’s clear baritone, dripping with sarcasm, telling the entire dinner table “So, Zewu Jun wanted me naked in front of all his students.” at the next Lan-Jiang family dinner.Uncle is going to have his head. 

Madam Yu is going to skewer him alive before that. Or, Jiang Cheng models for life drawing in his spare time.

Family 2,514 [Part 1 of The Lan-Jiang Family] Jiang Cheng stops dead in the doorway as he takes in the horrendous state the apartment is in; toys and clothes everywhere, new furniture, child-furniture, all over the place, and no matter where Jiang Cheng’s gaze drops, it’s been taking over by stuff that belongs to a child.

A child that is still screaming, almost drowning out Lan Xichen’s attempts to calm it down.

“What the actual fuck is happening here?” Jiang Cheng blurts out and while it does nothing to stop the child from screaming, Lan Xichen freezes.

Worthy of a god 1,859 [Part 1 of The most faithful] Jiang Cheng knows that there is a chance Chifeng-zun will choose him; he is the god of war and rage and ever since Jiang Cheng was old enough to scowl there had been talk at Lotus Pier, how well he would fit with that.

But Jiang Cheng also knows that there is a bigger chance of no god choosing him at all.

Not just a vacation [Part 1 of The best catch] The next night Lan Xichen goes back to the beach. He keeps out of sight at first, hoping to catch the man unawares first, his mind still reeling from the research he did during the day.

It’s probably not what Lan Qiren and Lan Wangji wanted for him when they sent him on this vacation, but Lan Xichen needs to know what’s going on here. The only thing his research turned up were tales of mermaid and Lan Xichen is not ready to believe that.

Until he catches sight of a rather huge tail, flapping out of the water.

What Happens in Vegas Comes Home to Taiwan 3,120 [Part 1 of What Happens in Vegas] What do you do when your brother is getting married to someone you can’t stand?

The answer probably shouldn’t be to marry his brother, but in Lan Xichen’s defense, he didn’t know Las Vegas would allow drunk people to tie the knot at three o’clock in the damn morning.

A Lionheart 19,916 Wherein Xichen is a Crown Prince and Jiang Cheng is his bodyguard.

Emergency Help Wanted 76,819 EMERGENCY HELP WANTED I lied when I got my job. I told them I had a kid so I could leave early from work to pick him up from daycare, take him to doctor's appointments, and occasionally miss a day when he's sick. Long story short, I'm in too deep. I didn't think it through. Looking to rent a kid for bring your child to work day. Must be a boy ages four to six, longish dark hair, likes soccer. Must also be artistic as the macaroni noodle paintings I made seem a little advanced for his age. Also, I will pay extra for someone willing to play the role of husband when dropping him off. He's a prosecuting attorney who often brings his work home. Message me for further details. Serious inquiries only.

how to not fall in love in a broken elevator 2,741 [Part 1 of a guide to falling in love (for runaways and heirs)] Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen get stuck in an elevator together.

Stream 4,494 He’s in love with Lan Xichen.

Jiang Cheng blinks once, twice and allows the feeling to fill him completely, at least once, before he ruthlessly squashes it down and locks it into the deepest parts of himself.

By the time Lan Xichen stops laughing and turns his attention back to Jiang Cheng, it’s as if nothing ever happened. Sequel: Umbrella - Savor

Jiang Cheng knows what he’s worth, after all, and it’s definitely not enough for the First Jade of Gusu.

How to get revenge on your brothers: A Guide by Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen 8,339 “That’s it. That’s the solution.”

Jiang Cheng opened an eye confused. “What do you mean?”

There was a weird light in Lan Xichen’s eyes and for a moment Jiang Cheng thought the other had gone crazy. “We will make them understand what it feels like seeing their brothers being… intimate with each other.”

Talent Hunt Crew Finds Angry Guy Shouting On College Campus, Recruits Him For Vocal Projection Abilities 80,575 Jiang Cheng, resident Angry Guy and heir to a conglomerate empire, has never been the apple of his father’s eye. Quashed under the shadow of his brilliant brother, the music prodigy Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng sees his chance to turn things around when he is recruited by the All-Stars Lan Talent Hunt. One problem: he can’t sing to save his goddamn life.

do you eat pringles with or without the shell? 32,291 Wei Wuxian smiles at him, the bastard. “I’m proud of you for figuring this out. That means Xichen-ge is your gay awakening.”

“Don’t put it like that,” Jiang Cheng sighs but he isn’t wrong.

All This Could Be Yours 17,337 After transferring to the main branch of his family’s publishing business and into his newly-acquired responsibilities as its CEO and managing director, Lan Huan finds himself stressed and burnt out. His brother recommends a solution.

Jiang Cheng is too gay to deal with this shit.

how should i know what tomorrow will bring 1,630 “If they can’t accept the fact that Jin Ling will always be there, then they might as well fuck off.” Jiang Cheng points out.

“Well, sure.” Wei Wuxian concedes. “But you don’t even give them time to know if they want to be involved with you before you’re kicking them away. That’s not how first dates are supposed to go.”

“How would you know,” Jiang Cheng grumbles, annoyed that Wei Wuxian is right. This time. “You haven’t been on a date since like, 2002.”

Children's Secrets 5,225 Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen swap nephews for a weekend. Some revelations are made.

the Magical-Realism of Awkwardness 10,168 Jiang Cheng thinks things can't get worse when he is forced to third wheel Wei Wuxian and Lanzhan's date.

Then Lan Xichen shows up and proves that things damn well can.

(Or, what shapes up to be one of the worst days of Jiang Cheng's life takes an entirely different turn.)

in the incense is tangled a cool moon 3,614 Some loves aren't meant to be, Wanyin knows. 

Pay me in love 2,770 Madame Yu watches Lan Xichen walk away, until he is out of earshot, before she turns towards Jiang Cheng.

“What are you paying him?” she wants to know and Jiang Cheng can do nothing but stare dumbly at her.

“What?” he asks when she doesn’t say anything else.

“Did you really think I would believe you’re dating Lan Xichen, CEO of Lan Enterprises? Nice try, Jiang Cheng. Now tell me what you’re paying him.”

a slight tilt of perception 5,238 It was just a dance. 

Jiang Cheng, trying to avoid the society matrons and their matchmaking-themed whispers, accepted a dance invitation from Lan Xichen, an old friend.

He forgot that his dance partner was probably the most eligible bachelor in the room.

He forgot that was all it could take: a moment, a look, hands intertwined in a dance—and everything could change.

Not at all fake 3,070 “Tomorrow,” Jiang Cheng gives back and then makes a noise as if he’s dying. “Fucking hell, I’m a dead man. If I show up tomorrow without anyone in tow—without someone in tow who can give Lan Wangji a run for his money—then I am dead.”

There’s a beat of silence and then Lan Xichen says “Take me.”

Jiang Cheng blinks a few times, processing the words, but even after a full minute they don’t make any sense.

For better, for worse 6,713 People forget marriage vows are more than pretty words. It's easy to honor them when it comes to good things but they're easily forgotten when it comes to darker times. Lan Huan, however, always keeps them in mind. To love someone like Jiang Cheng, who wears his emotions on his sleeve due his terrible parents, is to remember that love is not simple.

Glow 3,033 [Part 1 of Eldritch!Lans AU] Jiang Cheng carefully turns his head, maybe the absence of his boyfriend is what woke him up, but when he looks at Lan Xichen’s side, he’s met with something so dark it even stands out against the darkness of the night.

There’s a void next to him in bed and Jiang Cheng throws himself out of it, Zidian already crackling and sparking, illuminating the room in a faint purple.

White Lotus in Bloom 7,147 As the Crown Prince from Gusu Lan visiting YunMeng Jiang, Lan Huan was beyond excited to attend the region's famous Lotus Festival, where he meets a boy in purple and black.

Never Had I Ever 56,263 Nie Mingjue is almost certain that Jin Guangyao has an ulterior motive for dating his best friend, Lan Xichen. However despite voicing his concerns, his best friend seems unconvinced and Lan Xichen continues to date the said man. Unable to give up just yet, Nie Mingjue tries a different tactic--convincing his best friend the man is not the right person for him by setting him up. Fortunately for him, Wei Wuxian's youngest brother is very much single and seems to be just the kind of person his best friend needs. Can Jiang Cheng truly change Lan Xichen's mind, or will Nie Mingjue's plan is a disaster from the beginning?

As he struggles to develop his nascent singing abilities, Jiang Cheng finds himself sucked into the whirlwind drama of reality TV, helped along by his adoring siblings, his irritable vocal coach Wen Qing, and strangely enough, the unfairly attractive host of the All-Stars Lan Talent Hunt, Lan Xichen. Somewhere in the glare of the stage lights and an unexpected first love, Jiang Cheng stumbles upon the thing he was searching for all along: the courage to dream — and to attempt the impossible.

Comfort 1,838 Wei Wuxian always pisses him off, this is common between them. Some fights, however, make Jiang Cheng sad enough to lock himself away from people and Lan Xichen has taken on the role of always being there to comfort him.

midnight comforts 1,946 At 11:36 his phone buzzed next to his ear. Lan Huan had a strict sleeping routine, but even so he was a fairly light sleeper. He answered the call—no one he knew would call him this late without reason—and murmured a groggy greeting.

“Lan Huan?”

He sat up, already rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

“A-Cheng?”

“I know it’s late,” he started, voice sounding odd through the phone, “but you,” he stopped again with a gasp. Now that he was more alert, Lan Huan realized with mounting horror that the hitch in his breath, the odd thickness, was from crying. “You said I could come over whenever,” he finished, voice much shakier.

To The Beat 1,859 [Part 1 of Fever]

"The bathroom is over there you fuc--"

His words caught in his throat as he saw the person on the other side. He looked a lot like Wei Ying's boyfriend, but he was smiling and his eyes were somehow kind; comparatively, the most expression he'd ever seen on Lan Zhan's face was mild disdain.

Jiang Cheng must have been staring dumbly for a while because the man cleared his throat. There was a blush rising on his cheeks, and oh fuck, that was kind of cute.

"I apologize for interrupting your night. I was told that this room was where the people who were 'no fun' were supposed to go," the man said. His voice was deep and somehow just as smooth as his skin, which was flawless.

It Took Me So Long To Find You 6,349 [Soulmate AU]

But it didn’t take him too long to realize that he was simply not worthy of the other.

So he hoped at least that they could become friends.

Lotus Pier burned down before Jiang Cheng could think of telling Lan XiChen. And after the Sunshot Campaign, he understood, being Lan XiChen’s soulmate would not just be a burden to the other, it would be a curse.

paint my skies with your skin 15,473 [Soulmate AU] “There’s no point in this, is there?” Jiang Cheng scoffs, “We both know I am not who you want your soulmate to be.”

“Soulmate or not, you have my heart and my ribbon. Only if you want it, Wanyin.”

once upon a dream 18,438 [Part 1 of once upon a dream] An au where your dreams are small snippets of your soulmate’s day. They’d show small things like buying coffee, reading a book, or hanging out with people from their perspective.

The problem was that people always have expectations and Jiang Cheng knows he always falls short of them. Time and time again.

[angst-in-space]

november ‘20 writing progress

total words written: 50.1k

most words written in a day: 3,024

least words written in a day: 268

current yearly total: 233,516

projects worked on:

- sylvix dreamscape fic - finished a draft of the sylvix christmas fic for the sylvix advent calendar event! - finished a draft of the klance hotel au! - worked on altea rising recap summary, and worked a tiny bit on chapter 19

november goals: - win nanowrimo?? lol - finish/submit final draft of my piece for long live zine (note: ok i only didn’t accomplish this bc it’s not due til mid-december, the deadline changed so lol) - finish a draft of the sylvix xmas fic - work on the sylvix dreamscape fic - finish (or at least work on) the kl hotel au?? - uhh at least finish the recap summary thing that i’m writing for altea rising? maybe if i feel extra spicy i’ll actually work on the actual fic lmfao (note: well, i didn’t FINISH the recap summary but i did want to note i worked on it a lot and only have like a chapter and a half left to summarize so YAY!) - perhaps do some more planning on my original story idk

december goals: - reach my yearly goal of writing 250k words....*sweats* - finish/submit final draft of piece for long live zine - finish editing and publish the sylvix xmas fic! - finish/publish [redacted] and [redacted] (two short secret things i’m working on, lol) - work some more on the sylvix dreamscape fic - finish the altea rising recap summary (and....maybe work a little on chapter 19 if i have time)

notes:

WELL UH.....that was certainly....a Month. there was a lot going on in the world, plus doing my part-time editing job, etc. etc. but i somehow managed to win nanowrimo?? which still doesn’t feel real to me, since i haven’t won in like....5 years. so i’m not really sure what possessed me to write so much but I DID IT and that was such a good feeling!

i finished two fics during november which i feel like is an all-time record lmao. but anyway, first of all i finished a draft of the klance hotel au that i started like...last summer, so i’m excited about that!! honestly not sure when i’m gonna publish it because i have three fics i need to publish this month already so uhhh might put that up in january, but we shall see!

i also finished a draft of the sylvix christmas fic, which i will be publishing on december 16th, so look out for that one!! it’s being beta’d right now and i will probs have to do a bit more editing but over all i’m quite excited about it and can’t wait to post it :’’)  other than that, i’d say most of my efforts went into the sylvix dreamscape fic. right now i think i’m like five(??) chapters into it, and saving up chapters so i can post them one by one on a somewhat regular schedule, but that might still not be for a month or two because i have several other things i need to post in the next few weeks anyway, lol. 

i also worked a ton on the altea rising recap summary which i’m almoooost done with, i just have like a chapter and a half left to summarize so *wheezes* i’m almost there... i also got a teensy bit of progress done on chapter 19 which is the first time i’ve worked on the actual fic in ages dkfdj. not rlly sure when i am going to start updating it again but....i do have a few more chapters of it done, they just need to be edited and whatnot. but idk it may still be a while (oh god it’s been like two years since i updated it huh....sobs violently). 

in addition to that.... i have two other fics i plan on publishing this month, both of which are Secret. one of them is for a fandom/pairing i’ve never written before but i’ve had a lot of fun writing it and i really look forward to publishing it when the time comes! the other is for a lil secret santa exchange and i only have a vague idea of what i’m writing for it but....AAAAH i think it will be fun to write!! 

so uh yeah december is gonna be a bit of a crunch for me bc i have three fics i need to publish, plus a piece i need to submit for a zine...*falls on the floor* but hey it will be cool to actually publish some things this month, so y’all can look forward to that! ;) 

[callioope]

Good Things in 2019

@theputterer and @the-strongest-stars tagged me in the awesome annual end-of-year Good Things meme! I’ve done this in 2018 & 2017 and always think it’s a fun exercise of both reflection and looking forward.

Oh boy, though, my first thought was, what even happened in 2019? (Looking at a calendar helped! It reminded me of a few things I forgot)

It’s been a Rough Year, friends. Between OCD and basically travelling almost every weekend in the latter half of 2019, I am very much ready for a new year and hopefully a new slate.

But this is about the positives!

Personal

Played a lot of Dungeons and Dragons! I am now officially in two campaigns. This year, I endeavored to recruit more women to play, including the wonderful @allatariel. I play both my beloved cleric, Maritsa (who I’ve been playing her years now) and my new character, Noara, a ranger elf with a red panda familiar (yeah, my DM let me do that for funsies, so I could get an animal sidekick but also still try out the Horizon Walker subclass). 

Speaking of red pandas, I accomplished my LIFE GOAL of meeting a red panda face-to-face. I got to feed Harriet at the Cincinnati Zoo for 30 minutes. She was adorable. 

Completed all my dental work and had a clean bill of dental health two cleanings in a row! 

Attended DC’s Around the World Embassy Day event, always fun

Attended Star Wars night at a local library, where I got to participate in a short demo/lesson on how to fence with a lightsaber!

Attended 50th Anniversary Celebration of Apollo 11 / landing on the moon (dude they projected the rocket on the Washington Monument and it looked so cool)

Returned to the NY Ren Faire and upgraded my ren faire garb

Celebrated at THREE friends’ weddings and got to catch up with old friends I hadn’t seen in awhile

Ate ice cream at the Ben & Jerry’s Factory in Vermont

Went to NYCC for the third year in a row. Got to wear 2 costumes this year: a 1920s flapper interpretation of an occamy and my Endor!Leia costume (repeat of 2017). Learned the True Pain of sewing. Created feather shawl for my occamy costume. Learned the True Pain of crafting.

Celebrated one year anniversary with hubbie down where we got married: visited the museum we got married in and actually got a chance to enjoy the exhibits, went to our favorite brunch place down there, got to check out Fleet Week and tour an aircraft carrier and uh... I think it was a missile cruiser? 

Went up to PSU for a women’s hockey game for sister’s birthday (made embarrassing HAPPY BIRTHDAY sign for the cameras); also it was an absolutely wonderful fall drive on the way up there

Got to see The Rise of Skywalker in IMAX at the Smithsonian Air & Space Center with the awesome @allatariel! (thank goodness we had each other to get through that movie lol) also got to reuse my Endor!Leia costume. I did my own braids for the first time ever! (usually my talented sister does them) They looked like braids done by a n00b, but I didn’t care because they were passable and I did them myself and that was a Big Thing for Perfectionist Me (to not just... say screw it and undo it and just. give up. but to just let them be as is)

Worked hard at therapy and self care

Got a Sleep Number bed and holy shit let me tell you. i can actually sleep now.

OH! I almost forgot!!! Started playing Assassin’s Creed! I’ve only ever really played the LEGO Star Wars and Harry Potter video games so like. This was big for me. 

Writing

Finally finished Learning Curve. TBH I was a bit shocked that this was in fact the only fic I published in 2019. What a travesty.

However! I have been writing

@allatariel & I sat down, overanalyzed You’ve Got Mail, and drafted up the outline for my in-universe AU, something I’ve been dreaming of starting for years. Have about 4300 words so far.

Just under the wire, I did manage to start my NatGeo AU, which I’ve been dreaming of since my honeymoon in Nov 2018

Started editing/revising my original young adult fantasy novel

Poked a little at my epic fantasy pirate travel novel idea

Books

I read exactly one book, Among the Red Stars, which I enjoyed. It’s about women fighter pilots in Russia in WW2. Inspired by real people.

Music

Saw Panic at the Disco! in concert. I went along with my sister. Not like a huge fan, but they put on a pretty fun show!

Saw Waitress on Broadway!! OH MY GOD. And Sara Bareilles was starring in it. Amazing. I freaking love her music (”How does she know / what a heart sounds like?” gahhh). She was so good, and the show was so good. I literally cried all the way through it just because I was so happy to be there, but also because of the content. Man.

Saw Sara Bareilles again, in concert, in Philly. I love her so much.

Television

Finished Critical Role Campaign 1! Oh man, what a ride. Gosh, I love that show. I really need to catch up in C2 now. I’ve started it but I’m only on episode 26 or 27.

I’m not sure whether I finished The Clone Wars in 2018 or 2019. I think it was early 2019. This show was amazing and this was the character development that Anakin Skywalker needed. I love Ahsoka Tano. I cannot wait for the last season.  

Finished Rebels!!! AGAIN, what a ride!!! I still love Ahsoka Tano. I also love Hera Syndulla and Sabine Wren. Sabine’s Darksaber arc was fantastic.

The Mandalorian OMG BABY YODA!!! Yes, I have succumbed to the adorableness of Baby Yoda. Most adorable SW character forever. But also just an enjoyable story in general. This, this is how you craft a story. still NOT over the darksaber omg. 

The Good Place is continuing to be good. Not as crazy about season 4, but I’m so glad they decided to limit the seasons.

Got my sister to watch Rebels!! And then even a few episodes of The Clone Wars!!! Mwahaha >) 

Finally got around to watching The Great British Bake Off, what a sweet show!

OMG I ALMOST FORGOT Anne With an E!!! Gosh what a wonderful wholesome delightful show. No I haven’t watched S3 yet because I am Lawful Good to a fault and just patiently waiting for it to come on Netflix

Film

So, I woefully neglected to mention The Aeronauts in this post about my favorite movies in the 2010s and that was a Mistake. Because I really enjoyed this one

But otherwise probably check out that list. Because I don’t go to the movies that often, actually, and anything I really loved from 2019 is most definitely listed there.

Did I meet my 2019 Goals?

Writing: Fandom

Finish Learning Curve YES

...and How to Lose a Spy in 10 Days Uh, no, not so much

Begin and complete the in-canon universe You’ve Got Mail AU YES, it is begun but no it is not complete

Try to knock out a few other projects on my 30+ SW ideas Umm, I did start / poke at a few things in addition to the YGM and NatGeo AUs, but nothing really “knocked out”

Try my hand at creating more visual fan works (like moodboards/photosets, step 1, learn proper terminology) ahahahah, no. 

Writing: Original

Query more agents for my completed original novel YIKES, No. But I wasn’t anticipating that I’d decide to heavily edit/revise my manuscript.

Actually get around to deciding which idea I want to work on next and work on it Yeah, sure, I decided. How nice of past!Liz to make this goal so reachable as “deciding” lol

Reading

Be more supportive in helping my friend run Book Club so that it can actually meet more regularly HA, oops. Book Club died, but kind of in favor of being able to start a second D&D campaign. At least that’s the trade off I’m looking at. I had some OCD-related glasses issues this year that inhibited reading a lot.

Try to read at least one book for myself outside of Book Club lol WELL the one book I read this year was not part of Book Club sooo

Goals for 2020

Writing

I’m not going to make this a completion goal, but instead...

...I’d like to just focus on creating a regular writing schedule/habit. Whatever the project, I just want to make sure I carve out significant time each week just to write. I don’t want to set a specific goal like “x hours a week” for now, but I want to make sure that I am writing each week.

To achieve that (because what are goals without maps):

If the words don’t immediately jump onto the page, then I’m going to try outlining or summarizing. I’m going to let go of overthinking how sentences are phrased, and just pretend I’m describing the story idea to a friend.

That blank page is staring at me and I’m just going to fill it with words no matter what I might think of them!

And I’m going to let everything else expand from there. And see how that works.

Edit my original manuscript

Query more agents re: original manuscript

Look into the idea of perhaps forming or joining a writer’s group for original writing oh gosh that is so scary

Other

Get back into reading

Develop a routine for working out

Eat healthier

Continue focusing on therapy goals

Get around to watching: Black Sails, Mad Max: Fury Road, Arrival

Get better at responding to things in general

Tagging: @allatariel, @magalis, @mythologicalmango, @skitzofreak, @threadsketchier, @brynnmclean, @ruby-red-inky-blue, @siachti and anyone else who sees this and wants to do it!

Happy New Year y’all!

[kyloren]

Saw on your blog that you ship Hermione and Draco! Got any fic recommendations for someone who hasn't read anything with that pairing before?

I’ve never been asked to give a Dramione fic rec list to anyone outside of DMs, so here’s hoping my list would actually be good. *fingers crossed*

* marks WIPs.

canon (ish?): 

lost and found by Anuna: “Draco Malfoy, a single father and a Curse Breaker employed at Ministry of Magic wants few things from his life. He mostly wants to be left alone. However, his work, his reputation and his mother’s schemes are to prevent him from being left alone as he wishes. Working with Hermione Granger doesn’t help much either.” post-Hogwarts, disregards Cursed Child. [you need an ao3 account to read this one.]

a primer for the small weird loves by unicornesque: “In the glow of the fires, her unkempt hair was a halo, her eyes were Baltic amber, and he was panicking.“ Born and raised in France, Draco Malfoy attends Beauxbatons and leads a privileged, well-ordered existence. He meets Hermione Granger for the first time at the Triwizard Tournament, and that’s when things get… strange. But kind of wonderful, too.” Wildly Canon Bending. [this is the one that makes me cry. every. single. time!]

gravity by luckei1: “It’s about arranging stacks of books, wall colours, and jumping off a cliff.”

the redemption of draco malfoy by luckei1: “Can Draco be saved from his Deathly Hallows fate of being a snivelling coward?” Alternative DH.

heavy lies the crown by luckei1: “For seven years, Draco has carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, and just when he thinks he’ll be released, something happens that will make him seek help from the last person he could have imagined.” Canon Divergence.

grey tuesdays by luckei1: “Hermione goes on holiday for three reasons. A calendar date, her mother, and spontaneity.”

++ just everything that luckei1 writes is solid gold. unfortunately, one of my favourite fanfics of hers — Elephant Walk — was published on dramione.org and is now unavailable till further notice.

unexpected* by @avdubs & @hexrmionegranger (oeuvre24): “Hermione was not expecting Harry to outshine her in Potions, and she was certainly not expecting an unlikely friendship with Draco Malfoy to form because of it.” Alternate HBP.

clean by @olivieblake: “Malfoy’s handsome face was contoured into a condescending smirk. “No faith in that giant brain of yours, Granger?” She looked up at him defiantly. “Maybe I don’t have faith in you!” she said, raising her voice. Malfoy only looked at her. “You’ll find I’m very surprising.”” Alternative HBP, first instalment of the This World or Any Other series.

red hands by Bex-chan: ““Comparatively, he was a wolf and she was a sparrow.” A story without an ending, but a story nonetheless. A story about Firewhiskey, tea, and murder.” Wartime one-shot. 

the disillusionment of draco malfoy* by Little Witch1: “…and His Accomplice Hermione Granger.” Canon Bending.

it is the cause, my soul by DrSallySparrow: “Having completed her N.E.W.T.s Hermione decides to pursue a niggling interest in muggle literature and study at Oxford. Little does she know, she isn’t the only Hogwarts alum looking for answers among the dreaming spires. When a performance of Othello brings her together with two former enemies, sparks can’t help but fly.” post-Hogwarts, disregards Cursed Child.

the unseen army* by meupclose: “It is not us to fear my dear; for we are the assassins built for a revolution within the very frame work of evil. Believe me love, this is the price of peace. I will be successful in my plans, in my leadership. I will help in the downfall of Voldemort.” Canon Bending. [for me, this is the fic that got away. it’s been WIP for years.]

for her favour by Captainraychill: “A man in love is always apprehensive.” Alternative HBP. [okay, so this fic was deleted ff.net, so I had to track it down to fictionhunt.com]

the sorting by KathSilver: “Dumbledore stated that sometimes he thought students were sorted too soon, Minerva McGonagall took this to heart and resubmitted 7th years to be sorted again. What will happen when their world is turned upside down, and where will they find comfort?” Eight Year AU.

shadows of ourselves by InkFairy: “Draco Malfoy has played both sides of the war for years, but when Voldemort gives him an ultimatum—bring him Hermione Granger or die—she surprisingly agrees to be handed over to the Dark Lord. Together, they take pureblood society by storm as Master and Madam Malfoy, all while trying to help the Order find and destroy the last Horcruxes and defeat Voldemort forever.” Wartime Canon Divergence. 

blind my eyes, sew them shut by Greenaleydis: “After a close brush with the Death Eaters, Hermione awakens blinded and on the run with a familiar snarky Slytherin. In hiding, Hermione and Draco must find a way to survive - and somehow thwart a plot that could alter their very world.” Wartime Canon Divergence. 

unforgiveable* by EStrunk: “Draco is part of the Dark Lord’s Inner Circle, but secretly using his post to bring the Dark Lord down. Hermione is his contact in the Order and he is soon going to discover that she means far more to him than that.” post-DH.

seven days in april by inadaze22: “They were still the same people with the same problems on either side of a bathroom door.” Canon Divergence. 

the gates of istanbul by pagan: “A Death Eater attack in Istanbul throws together two unlikely allies. As they unwillingly cooperate to reach safety, attraction and emotions flare up between them.” post-Hogwarts, canon bending.

god given solace by bluesuitharold: “Draco comes into his Veela heritage and must attempt to survive through all the trials that entails.” Alternative DH, veela!Draco.

a past erased by Ariel_Riddle: “His face contorted with a mixture of rage, indecision, and determination. Hermione did not care, she ran all the way up to him before flinging herself in his arms, wrapping herself tightly around him—she would never let go.” Alternative HPB & DH.

alternative universe:

fortuna major by @olivieblake: “She’s with Ron, he’s with Astoria, and nothing a cheap psychic on the Venice Boardwalk says is going to change that. Or will it?” Muggle AU.

a muggle-born magic by Musyc: “Physician’s daughter Hermione Granger finds herself in need of a way to pay off her father’s debts after his death. Draco Malfoy finds himself in need of a tutor for his son, Scorpius, who appears to be incapable of magic and must learn to survive in a world without it.” Regency AU.

time travel: 

once, maybe twice in a lifetime by Ally147: “It’s still. Placid. An unbroken sheet of glass rippling with low, late afternoon sunlight. Nothing at all to be afraid of, really. Stupid that she still is, after all these years.” Canon Bending, Time Travel

regrets collect like old friends by ScotlandEvander: “Traveling into the past, Draco Malfoy finds himself in his eleven-year-old body with all his memories from the past seventeen years. Using this knowledge, he sets out change time. His first mission: befriend Harry Potter.” Time Travel, first instalment in the Rewritten in Time series. [I talk a lot about my love for time travel fics and this is among my favourite ones! Dramione doesn’t happen until later instalments though, so mind that.] 

eternity in an hour by hiddenhibernian: “The doomsday prophets were right: the end is nigh. This time, having the right wand won’t be enough to save either wizards or Muggles. Hermione’s younger self would have been horrified by what she is planning to do, but she stopped caring about such things a long time ago.”

turn back this cursed clock* by @wingsofmercury: “As the Battle of Hogwarts rages around him, he curses the decisions that led to this moment. His wand is gone, his family ruined, and Harry Potter-the supposed savior-is dead. There is nothing left for him but ignominy and death, so Draco Malfoy heads to his sanctuary, the only safe place he’s ever known, and begs the Room of Requirement to grant one last request.” Time Travel. [so this is technically not Dramione, at least, not yet. It only has four chapters so far.]

.

.

I have read more, but either the stories have been deleted, or the links no longer work *cough* looking at you dramion.org *cough* so it’s fruitless. I hope you enjoy these recommendations, whoever you are, nonster.

[arse-blathanna]

February 2018 Fic Roundup

For the month of February I am attempting to do the thing where I am punctual in posting my end of month roundup post. This got really long and I’m not sorry, but it’s all going under a cut anyways. It was a big month for me. 

If you want to know what’s coming in March, here’s my calendar. It’s up to date. I promise. 

Oneshots

So it was the month of February and that meant that the big driving force behind everything was Femslash. I wanted to really work with pairings that I hadn’t touched before, and there were a couple of events that I was more than happy to participate in. 

Freelancers Don’t Cry  - [Ao3]

Freelancers don’t cry- especially in the locker room where anyone can see them. South knows this, but Connie is new and could probably use a guide. South is happy to provide.

This is the fic that made me realize just how much I actually love Agent South Dakota and Agent Connecticut. it was just a lot of fun to write and I liked being able to weave in little bits of foreshadowing for how things would go in the future for our Freelancers. Also, South’s internal dialogue was fun as all hell to write. 

Hotter Than The Sun - [Ao3]

There are lot of things about Blood Gulch that are kind of awful. It's always hot and gross, and 90% of the people there suck.

The other 10%? In Kai's opinion- that's Tex, and she's always hot.

Have I ever mentioned that I absolutely love writing Kaikaina Grif? Or that she’s 100% the most fun character to write for? No? Well she is and I love writing her point of view because of just how much there is to play with in how she thinks and talks alone. This fic? I like this fic. I hope you guys like this fic too.

Bloom and Grow- [Ao3] [FFN]

With the ashes of war settled, Blake is finally able to come home. The only problem is that she has no idea what to do with her future now that she’s done fighting. Ilia can help.

Catmeleon week was this month! RWBY5 did quite a bit with Ilia and Blake both, and the plot involving Menagerie was actually pretty interesting. I was left wondering what things might look like for its future once everything in Remnant calmed down. There was conveniently a prompt for that. 

From Square One- [Ao3] [FFN]

Ever since the incident at Vale's docks, Weiss knows that she's been tiptoeing around Blake's presence. It's time to fix that, and some honesty is a good place to start.

You know what was also in the month of February? Monochrome Week! One of the periods in the timeline of RWBY that I never really knew how to deal with was that awkward time just following the ending of Season 1. It was a nice chance to dabble in that time period and play with some of the things that we see come later in Blake and Weiss’ canon relationship. All in all, it was a lot of fun to work on. 

Elegance- [Ao3]

Agent South Dakota is really the person least suited to go on a mission at some uptight party. Really, this isn't something that she belongs in at all. Carolina's better suited for the job. They just have to get in, get out, and try not to leave too much of an impression.

This should be easy.

This was probably my overall favorite fic that I wrote for femslash february. The story was one that was just stuck in my head for several days before I added it to my official roster and got started on it. I can genuinely say that there wasn’t a single moment where I didn’t enjoy writing the story or the way that things were coming out in the final product. I’m just really happy with it. 

Multichapter Fics

As far as February of 2018 has gone, the things that I’m working on in the multi-chapter category have been a little bit more than a surprise. The month ended up feeling like it was productive on an almost unprecedented level, even though my output was probably about the same. For all three of my multichapter fics, I saw them either closing their third acts, or major changes happening in their plots, or changes in structure or something which to me has been very real. 

So here’s looking forward to March. 

Evening Report - [Ao3] [FFN] [Fic Tag]

Blake Belladonna has one job in her life, and its to provide accurate information in a timely manner. A relatively mundane story is all that it takes to throw her into direct contact with Weiss Schnee, whose family secrets could make or break Blake’s career as a journalist.

Chapter 13/30: black and blues -  [Ao3] [FFN]

A quick trip to the airport and a sleepover help clear up a lot of the more fine points of Weiss' current arrangement.

Chapter 14/30: play the game -  [Ao3] [FFN]

A new player enters the game.

So the first thing that you might notice looking at this is that there is finally a stated ending point for this fic. The month of February kind of breezed by with this fic and I was mostly tying up loose ends where I was in the story. I finished writing the epilogue chapter last night! The update schedule will be staying the same. 

Published this month was only the halfway point for the story. There is still much, much more to come and my hope is that you all like where this goes and where it will eventually end up. 

Currently Writing: Nothing. This fic is in the editing and updating only stage of its existence.

Next Chapter: Chapter 15 - March 9th. Chapter 16 - March 23.

The Bones of a God - [Ao3] [FFN] [Fic Tag]

Once upon a time, monsters roamed the entire world, so plentiful that they needed countless numbers to fight them off. 13 years ago, that changed. Grimm died off suddenly and stopped proliferating. Now the few Creatures of Grimm that are left are too large and powerful to be taken down in “the old ways.”

That doesn’t make them any less of a threat.

The real problem comes when people decide it’s for the best that they start picking sides in a war starting anew

Chapter 33/?: Into The Woods - [Ao3] [FFN]

In the woods, anything can happen.

Chapter 34/?: Special Interests - [Ao3] [FFN]

Unexpected meetings occur all around.

I’ve talked about this fic to some extent and what’s happening with it, and there’s actually quite a lot that I need to go over in a formal setting. For simplicity’s sake, I’ve decided to present this information to you in the form of a numbered list. 

I am expecting to be finishing writing Bones Book 1 by the end of March, with it clocking in at around 50 chapters in total. The update schedule is going to remain the same until Evening Report finishes publishing. After that, the story will return to weekly status. 

The fic currently posted is going to be renamed at a later date to “The Bones of a God - Book One: Ichor” and will be made the first part of a series because this is going to be the best way to split the story up and will allow me to make some changes.

After Book One is finished, I am going to start writing a story that takes place 20 years before the events of the story’s start. This is going to focus on a cast of five characters when they were younger. Those characters will be the adult POV characters present in Book Two. Five chapters in total, will be posted after Book One is finished posting. 

I have started the planning of Book Two to some degree. Once I’m ready to start work on it, I’m going to do just that. 

Currently Writing: Chapter 47 out of what I’m expecting to be a 50 chapter fic.

Next Chapters: Chapter 35 - March 2nd. Chapter 36 - March 16. Chapter 37 - March 30

always at your six -  [Ao3] [Fic Tag]

The Mother of Invention went down barely a year ago, and the time in between has been rough for York and Delta. It’s been tough for Tex too, but she has information, and she needs someone to help her get some things before someone can beat her to it.

It’s a good thing York’s out of work.

Chapter 2/?: sympathetic - [Ao3]   Tex, York, and Delta move forward on their mission- starting with some grand theft..

This fic has been consistently a lot of fun to work on for me, and the first one with a soundtrack type playlist that I can actually listen to on repeat without getting bored with it. I’ve had to change a lot of things though on my end, so I’m currently writing the first interlude chapter for this fic. I’m considering amping up my update schedule to twice a month, but haven’t made a real decision yet. 

The main thing to know is that the scope of what this was supposed to be has gotten blown out of the water and also that I love Agent South Dakota. 

Currently Writing: Interlude One - South Dakota. To be posted after chapter 5 in the story. Main story has reached the end of Chapter 9. Will write Chapter 10 and Interlude Two after Interlude One is complete.

Next Chapters: Chapter 3 - March 22.

Prompts and Tumblr Only

The Scrap Blog saw its updates on the seventeenth of the month as planned. Chapters 3-4/20 in the Emercury Stripper AU “things in the dark” are now available for reading. The masterpost for that fic can be found here.

There was also an old North Dakota/York fic I wrote several months back posted there. Tristesse.

Arrowhead - A Pyrrha/Cinder Drabble that I wrote for... some reason. 

Locus/Donut Romcom AU Prompt

Ilia and Ironwood Meeting Prompt