#only one series technically remains a wip!!

[starryevermore]

the house of snow is officially finished <333

[suzukiblu]

So, uh, due to some pretty serious financial issues I'm currently having from estate-related issues, please take this interest check for Ko-fi thank-you sentences!

( for anyone who doesn't remember/know, Ko-fi thank-you sentences are when I write sentences in thanks for Ko-fi donations, minimum of one sentence per dollar--or two sentences, in the case of double-up rounds. donator gets sentences from their story of choice off my WIP list; only restriction is no NSFW picks for minors and please don't, you know, pick completed stories that aren't part of an unfinished series and would therefore technically require me to start a new WIP. )

Relatedly, I'm still working on the obligatory sugar baby AU (currently at 4k/15k), and also a couple of remaining Ko-fi thank-yous from last round--specifically a hundred sentences of "Jason goes home" and a hundred sentences that are dealer's choice. Those two I'm going to finish both of before doing another round, whether I do said round now or in the future, though the obligatory sugar baby AU is gonna take a little bit longer still.

[kiwiana-writes]

Fic Writing Review 2023

Tagged by my fellow stats nerd @stereopticons - thanks pal!

Rules: Feel free to show whatever stats you have. Only want to show Ao3 stats? Rock on. Want to include some quantitative info instead of stats? Please do this. Want to change how yours is presented? Absolutely do that. Would rather eat glass than do this? Please don’t eat glass but don’t feel like you have to do this either.

Words and Fics (fics written in 2023 only)

143,107 words published to ao3. At least 3,900 more guaranteed by the advent fic so... I think I should make a concentrated effort to break 150k, right? 👀

No good way of tracking unpublished words in WIPs written this year. My goal for 2024 is to set up my spreadsheet to track words written as well as published so watch this space.

3 published fandoms: Red White & Royal Blue (book), Schitt's Creek, The Last Of Us (TV show). Technically 1 unpublished fandom in Red White & Royal Blue (film) 😅

Most recent drop: Apart from the daily advent fic drops lilnked above, a PWP interlude in the hockey boyfriend Henry 'verse

Longest (published) fic: By a country fuckin' mile, With so much of my heart (that none is left to protest), aka the Much Ado actor AU, at 65,586 words.

Longest (published) oneshot: Kinda think that I might be his type (Alex and Bea fake date) at 12,864 words

Top Fics by Kudos (fics written in 2023 only)

With so much of my heart (that none is left to protest) [RWRB, Alex/Henry, rated E, 65,586 words]

Kinda think that I might be his type [RWRB, Alex & Bea + Alex/Henry, rated E, 12,864 words]

We were supposed to find this [RWRB, Alex/Henry, rated M, 3,384 words]

Puck It [RWRB, Alex/Henry, rated E, 9,739 words]

Feel your hands in my hair and you whisper my name [RWRB, Alex/Henry, rated E, 2,508 words]

Miscellaneous Data From My Unhinged Spreadsheet about 2023 fics

To no one's surprise, highest percentage of private bookmarks goes to Bukkake Breaky Heart.

Out of 24 fics published in 2023, 14 were explicit, 2 were mature, 7 were teen and up, and 1 was general audiences

3 fics didn't have a title sourced from anywhere. 3 were sourced from literature/poetry, 3 were puns, and the remaining 15 were song lyrics, with 3 each from Taylor Swift and Matt Nathanson.

My highest kudos/hits ratio was on Empty your heart of its mortal dream, aka the Fae Prince Henry fic.

My fandom fic events in 2023

Nilch nada zip in terms of, like, fests. I wanted to do Threesgiving but the words wouldn't come, so a sort-of-threesome-sort-of-foursome will probably appear on some random day in fucking February or something lmao. However while they weren't fandom-specific events, I did do:

Kinktober 2023

Advent 2023

Upcoming Events and Projects for 2024

I have a lot -- a lot a lot a LOT -- of WIPs that will be completed in 2024, so please don't think of this as an exhaustive list, but they are the ones I'm most excited for:

A Practical Arrangement - @clottedcreamfudge has Devised A Punishment if I don't get chapter two out for y'all by Christmas because my usual methods of pushing past my brain bullshit weren't working, so technically this is a 2023 project 🤣 @ships-to-sail and @celeritas2997 have the carrot and CCF has the stick.

Anastasia AU!!! I LOVE this fic and I think it's in the 'meaty one-shot' range buuuuuut we'll see. It might get a little out of control.

Angstapalooza RWRB edition - this is gonna be another long fic, 10-11 chapters, 50k words ish, and I cannot WAIT to make y'all cry sink my teeth into it. My Schitt's Creeks babes know what happens when I deem something 'angstapalooza' lmao.

Hockey Boyfriend Henry part 3, aka the whole reason I started writing the fucking series in the first place lmao

Leverage AU, which I haven't shared anything of yet because it's a post-angstapalooza longfic but I am VERY HYPE FOR.

Rafael Is Surrounded By Disaster Queers, aka the Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead-style Rafael POV... 5+1? Vignettes? set in the Much Ado actor AU verse. Which at this point is just a gift for @inexplicablymine and @cricketnationrise and I wouldn't have it any other way.

STFAU 👀

*infomercial voice* And much, much more!

BUT, 2024 is also for taking original writing seriously. Maybe flash/microfiction on patreon, definitely diving into an original novel. I've thrown in the towel with my contracting agency in the new year and everything. Ack.

Tagging anyone I've tagged above and also @anincompletelist @cha-melodius @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @indestructibleheart @myheartalivewrites and anyone who wants to play because I love data.

[tavyliasin]

Okay I need to be greedy because I can't risk no one asking for the others and I need to know😆😆😆😆

Volo/Abdirak

Lucretius x Ketheric

Emperor x Raphael

Please 🙏

My my, aren't we daring today~ Of course I'll give you a bit of each! I'll put all of them below the cut though so I can include samples, and this is the warning for NSFW below the cut~

Volo x Abdirak

Alright so technically I already did the pairing in the Volo series but I really want to do a bit more with them both, and play on that connection from the Goblin camp.

All I have on it so far is one line I did for another WIP game a while ago...

The long and drawn out screams of the prisoner in the next room were little comfort to the caged wizard – neither was the sound of heavy boots treading far too lightly towards his own cell.

So we're going for some Goblin Camp then maybe meeting again along the road? I'm not fully sold on the direction yet aside from "kinky fun".

Lucretius x Ketheric

Another one I only have a little done from an older WIP game but it's still on my list! Toying with how Ketheric is sort of undead but not undead, and Lucretius is very much accustomed to dealing with the fully dead/undead. So there's a bit of that and a bit of maybe pushing some stronger kink for "you can't kill me in a way that means anything" versus "oh but wouldn't it be fun if we try?"

It was generally considered bad for business for a necromancer to balk or even hesitate when faced with a subject, but similarly most necromancers didn’t expect their quarry to be quite so immune to the dying part.  Lucretius frowned at the groaning mass before her, turning her ire from one skeletal servant to another as her hands found a place on her hips. “Well? What am I supposed to do with this?”  The man in the wheelbarrow groaned, the sound not unlike a death rattle yet still his carcass remained stubbornly animated – it was going to be a long day.

OK last but not least, the further along WIP from a prompt far too long ago, my friend if you're reading this I'm so so sorry I will be tagging you the moment it is ready I promise...

Emperor x Raphael

A prequel, set around the time Emperor was running the Knights of the Shield beneath Baldur's Gate. Raphael is naturally always looking for useful pawns to add to his board, and someone with his fingers (and tentacles) in so many pies is too tempting to pass up.

Looking at heavy BDSM and some switching, testing each other's limits and the differences between them both physically and idealogically. Also, it's high key amusing to think of Raphael's disdain towards a player character sleeping with the Emperor as being based on a jealous ex vibe~

I have a fair bit more than this written so I'll just give the opening paragraphs for now...

“So, tell me,” the nobleman smiled, an expression not unlike a cat with its claws in the tail of its prey, “how is it that an illithid is sat at the head of the table, playing at being a grand protector – a Knight, to use your own title.”   A chill spread through his body – this was no human sat with a glass of wine in his hand, no ordinary man could see through the powerful illusion charms… The self proclaimed Knight felt his concentration on the spell that concealed his nature slipping – not that there was much point in attempting to maintain the ruse, now that it was clear the truth had already been revealed. He allowed the glamour to dissipate, the hood and mask of his cloak finally falling away to expose lilac skin and bright pink eyes set deep beneath his brow, tentacles at least free to move comfortably as the mindflayer switched to psychic communication instead. “You are no ordinary noble.”  “Very astute, Knight,” the man chose to use the claimed title in place of a name now, calm smile remaining in place as he took a sip of the wine. “You may call me Raphael, as for what I can be…that is entirely up to you.”  “Devil,” Knight surmised, deciding the name was as good as any. He was hardly Balduran any more, anyway. The numerous other pseudonyms of his disguises seemed equally pointless in the face of the smiling fiend. “Then you offer a bargain? You will find me a disappointing target, there is nothing I am willing to sell whatever remains of my soul for.”  “A soul is an interesting thing,” the devil smiled, a dark coin appearing between his fingers, lazy hand motions rolling in around the grip between knuckles. “But I find that an ally can have far more value to me than a mere soul.”   “Alliances can be valuable, or dangerous,” he carefully poured a measured sip of wine into his maw, savouring the vintage. It reminded him of a particularly long journey, many centuries past, with the wind in his hair… No wind here, nor hair either. “So which will you be? Valuable, or dangerous?”

I hope that satisfied your curiosity for now!

[zombeesknees]

currently in the life of the angie bee:

my sense of time is strangely broken, because it's almost 6pm but my brain is all, "gosh, it's not even noon yet!" and i have no fuckin idea why.

i've been deodorizing and washing and cleaning the house all day because i feel like there's a particularly sour smell throughout it, but now i'm wondering if it's me, and i don't know why i'm suddenly smelling so sour??? like, it's not a sweat smell, it's a sour, musty smell, and i'm still using the same shampoo and body washes i always do, and it's not as if my diet's changed significantly, so wth is going on??? IS IT A SIGN THAT I'M DYING OF SOME WEIRD DISEASE??? i know folks with diabetes sometimes smell strangely sweet, but i've never heard of something that makes you smell sour. OR IS IT ALL IN MY HEAD AND PSYCHOSOMATIC??? i'm not just gonna go up to someone and be like, "do you think i smell weird?"

quint remains one of the Characters of All-Time (and a Happy Jaws Day to all who celebrate it).

(yeah, i don't celebrate the 4th, what a bullshit holiday, we have nothing to be proud of as a country, especially these days.)

dropped $288 this morning on two and a half weeks-worth of groceries for one person. and that was buying basic, off-brand shit. how the fuck did we get to this.

slight silver lining: i have today, tomorrow, and the full weekend off, and i get to spend time with joel tomorrow AND see shara and nichole on sunday.

i set my reading goal for the year at 50 books (something i didn't come close to achieving last year, thanks to a reading block that set in in march and didn't let up for the rest of the year). and in the last two weeks i hit 54 books (almost all of them new-to-me, which is ALSO amazing). my unmedicated ADHD bullshit may still be preventing me from watching new shows and movies, but at least it's eased off on the reading front.

a new dude joined our book club this week and he's CUTE and likes fantasy and is a high school social studies/history teacher, and we discussed character archetypes for like ten minutes. maybe next club meeting i'll actually give him my number and ask him out.

wimsey has spent a full week in the flower donut collar thanks to scratching his chin raw and bloody. vet recced treating him with revolution in case it's because of mites, washing the wound with a special antibiotic flush, and keeping him in the collar until everything's fully healed/his fur grows back in. makes for a hella grompy flower:

god, leverage really is just the best show. doesn't matter how many times i watch it; i'm forever delighted and impressed with just how well written/constructed/everything it is. that's my emotional support family of thieves, your honor.

i'm getting SO CLOSE to filling out the final gaps in the current sections of my hazeldine WIP, and i really do think i'm gonna have to split it into two volumes instead of making it all vol. 6 as i had originally planned. but IF i do that, that means vol. 6 is gonna HAVE to end on a significant cliffhanger, which i typically try to avoid. (yes, technically all of the previous vols have ended on cliffhangers, since this is a continuing story spread over several volumes. but they haven't been LITERAL cliffhangers, with someone on the verge of death or something.) i don't like when books in a series i'm reading do that, so i try not to inflict that on my own readers. but perhaps i can mitigate it slightly by making sure both vols 6 AND 7 are fully polished/ready for printing, and release them like a month apart or something, so there isn't a huge wait in between...

FINALLY finished the replacement cross-stitch sampler of lighthouses for a gal from work (the first one got lost in the mail beginning of last month). now i can continue working on the Yee Dudes series for my bud jordan <3

but also i'm gonna try to design a pattern for myself re: a dracula joke that keeps popping into my head: descending the castle, lizard-fashion. i'm probably the only person who is THIS delighted/amused by that joke, but i'll enjoy stitching something for myself for a change, lol.

[dndeceit]

Fander Fic Rec Friday (#17)

(Monster Kids and Creature Adoptions)

You're alright by FreePoetryNightmare Zombie AU (Royality, Dukexiety) Rating: G When Roman's family was taken from him by the apocalypse, he made the hard choice to hold on to the one piece of it that remained. Even if Janus would never be the same after he was infected, Roman still loves his son. (He doesn't expect the persistence of that love to be rewarded by reclaiming even more of what he's lost.) Notes: Another bittersweet zombie apocalypse where what is usually the worst outcome still offers a glimmer of hope.

What's a Monster to a kid? What's a kid to a dad? by 8beez Fantasy AU (Gen) Rating: G Virgil is a mostly-retired hunter living on his own until one day he is approached by a young boy named Janus demanding to be trained to hunt monsters. Notes: Janus is a sad, determined little thing and Virgil is doing his best. Seeing these two come together as a family will always be one of my favorite things ever.

The Shadows of the Past, Present and Future series by Kaysigns Supernatural AU (Gen) Rating: G That the bogeyman exists is a fact known to the world at large, a creature that preys on children and can only ever temporarily be slain. Years after his predecessor was defeated, Virgil is the latest incarnation of this monster, but as he watches the children that he's meant to destroy, all he can feel is envy for the love they know with their families. Especially one family in particular... (Thomas, meanwhile, has adopted three children already and wasn't planning on a fourth, but what is he to do when his other sons have already decided they've got a new brother?) Notes: Apart from the wonderful family feels, the worldbuilding behind this one is really intriguing.

The King's Sons series by LonelyThursday Fantasy AU (Intrulogical) Rating: T When King Logan allowed the refugees from a recent disaster to shelter in his castle, he wasn't expecting the plight of two young survivors to change his life. (Remus is somehow less surprised.) Notes: The first fic is technically a WIP, but it flows well enough into the second which works well as a conclusion.

The A famILY of all shapes (and sizes) series by Random_Sanders_Sides_Gt Fantasy AU (Gen) Rating: G Three human friends meet a young giant named Roman who is hiding alone in the woods (only the first of the stray creature kids they would eventually take under their wing). Notes: Found family and family reunions.

A Witch and a Baby by MonkeytheFander Fantasy AU (Gen) Rating: G Logan is a solitary witch until his former mentor drops by, leaving him with a scaled baby boy to raise. Adapting to the unexpected task of being a parent, he makes several new friends along the way. Notes: In which Janus is a squishy bean, and also a plot device to acquire Logan a social life.

WIPs

All Kittens Are Black In The Dark by Jungle321jungle Supernatural AU (Loceit) Rating: G Logan and Janus have been waiting a long time to adopt a baby. Now that Virgil is a part of their family, they aren't about to let a few unexpected challenges ruin it for them. Notes: In which Logan and Janus roll with the punches, and baby Virgil is, occasionally, a cat.

[madamegemknight]

gem you know that now you revealed all your WIPs i'm obligated to ask you for all of them (eSPECIALLY NIA AND ELI HELLO THERE THEY'RE COMING BACK???? 👀👀👀)

EHEHEHEHEHE YAYYYYYYYYYY it is time to share info about all of my WIPs then <3 (or at least the ones I listed lol. if I shared info about all of my wips we would be here for 50 million years -_-)

but you can still come visit me: I've actually talked to you about this WIP before Crispy, just not with it's name! but you can still come visit me is a Fraggle Rock AU/rewrite of Red's Club where after the events of All Work and All Play, Red and Cotterpin try to find each other without breaking the rules of Doozer society and putting Cotterpin in danger - Red wants to make sure Cotterpin is safe after their final conversation, and Cotterpin wants Red to know that her advice to not give up until she was sure there was no other way worked for the best. The title is taken from the first thing Red says to Cotterpin after she realizes she can never be a Fraggle, which lives in my head rent free augh...they are fwiendssssssss...

A Class B Transformation: original fiction about an aromantic person in a fantasy world being cursed by a spell that requires True Love to reverse. Whuh oh gamers!!!! Technically this is completed, but it's going through some major revisions so in the WIP folder it stays for now :P

when you are real: an incredibly self-indulgent Stampy's Lovely World fic about Hit The Target's death and the shift the series took after that moment, going from a straightforward let's play to a let's play/roleplay hybrid with fantastical events. when you are real asks "what if that shift was an actual physical transformation the Lovely World went through between Unexpected Drama and Revelation?" and "what does it mean for something artificial to become Real?" and "what does it even mean to be Real anyways?" and "how do you cope with the realization that what you thought was your friend's weird bit was something he genuinely believed in and that by engaging with it you might have actually killed him?" and "what if the universe really, really wanted you to read a public domain book ?" The title is taken from a line in The Velveteen Rabbit my best friend The Velveteen Rabbit <3

(to the tune of muppet babies) puppet changelinggggg he'll make your dreams come trueeeeeeeee: Currently very barebones, but it essentially boils down to "changeling story, except the changeling is a puppet and the only one who can tell that it's a puppet (and see the puppeteer) is the mother."

Wizard Buddies (or surviving in an 80s fantasy realm for fun and profit): A Kirby/MOTU crossover fic where the Season of Storms strikes again, dragging yet another face-hiding floating wizard who gets easily possessed into Eternia...except this time the wizard in question is Magolor, who has no idea how to get back to Dreamland, and whose friends have no idea where he's gone to. I haven't worked on it for a while because originally the plan was for the fic to end with a big dramatic group battle where Skeletor would get possessed by the remains of the Master Crown and He-Man and Kirby would have to take him down together using a Power Sword Copy Ability, but. uh (looks at magolor epilogue) I don't think that would work anymore actually. So it's on the backburner until I can think of another way to end it!!! Also it is called Wizard Buddies because Magolor and Orko are friends in it :3

A Light In The Code: Original story that asks the question "what if The Velveteen Rabbit was about video games" - it's about the ever-changing nature of online worlds, the decline of spaces for kids on the net, and what happens when you come face to face with a character you modeled after yourself only to realize they're no longer you. Also I put like 50 million muppet references in it and half of the WIP so far is fake fanwiki articles for a fake kids mmo :P

there was only one of you (until you split the world in two) - CGI MOTU fix-it fic tee hee :3 Ork-0 realizes what Eldress' plan is thanks to his memory cog (which the writers kept on forgetting about. sigh.) and runs away from the castle with Teela in S1, with the rest of the Masters on their trail after being convinced by Eldress they're in danger. The title is taken from the Undertale fansong "Dr. Gaster," and here's a snippet:

“The Heir,” she whispers back to him. “The other half of my whole, Orko.”

“Ork-0,” he snaps back. “I’m Ork-0, you know this -”

“Orko,” Eldress repeats as if she hasn’t heard him, “do you not understand what has happened?”

“No, I don’t, because you won’t tell me  -”

“She is me, reborn,” Eldress says to him in a tone he can only describe as a sick mockery of a mother’s affection. “My reincarnation, my other half, more than I could ever be.”

She turns to look at him, a grin plastered upon her face that Ork-0’s memory cog screams is the same one she had worn the day they marched upon Leviathae. “She is Teela Na.”

Nia, Eli, and something insert title here: NIA AND ELI MY SPECIAL BABIESSSSS THEY ARE COMING BACK <333 I have had these dinguses since freshman year of high school, where they were originally ocs for a fanfic I had cooking up, but the fanfic never solidified (and tbh was not the greatest anyways...) so ever since then I have been trying to find an original story for them. I might have found one for them as a spin-off of the events of the aforementioned A Light In The Code????? Not saying anything other than that because I don't want to jinx it but CROSSING MY FINGERS...

[thephantomchronicles]

20 Questions For Fanfiction Writers

I was tagged by @alyssoid (thank you🥰🥰)

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

102 :D

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

1,145,734

3. What are your top five fics by kudos?

I’d Like to Be My Old Self Again (But I’m Still Trying to Find It) (743 - Spider-Man: No Way Home)

A tie between Life Is a Risk, but We Will Take It (384 - JATP) and I’m Only One Call Away (384 - 911 Lone Star)

Our Best Days Are Yet Unknown (333 - JATP)

a voice i can't forget (323 - JATP)

Will You Hold Her Tight and Not Let Go? (320 - JATP)

4. What fandoms do you write for?

Mainly Julie and the Phantoms (with a side of the Shadowhunter Chronicles), but I've written a lot about Legacies too and I'm currently going through a Thundermans phase

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

I try to! If you take the time to say you liked my fic, I will take the time to say thank you - Sometimes I feel like i get repetitive, but honestly every time I say thank you I really mean it❤️

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Although I would argue that it's essentially a happy ending, I have to say i'm talking to a memory (haunted by the moments of what we used to be)

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

All of my fics have happy endings, I'm not sure what would count as the happiest one - maybe Life Is a Risk, but We Will Take It mainly because it was never supposed to turn into a series so I kind of closed the story in a very ✨The End✨ way

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Happy to say I haven't gotten any and hope it remains like that😅

9. Do you write smut?

I don't

10. Do you write crossovers?

well, yes😅 At 48 (and a half) parts the JATP X Shadowhunters crossover is nearly done

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I know👀

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

No, but I think I would find it really hard, I need to be in charge of everything when I'm writing😅

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

I really don't think I can just pick one, it depends on my hyperfixation at the time😅 But Malec has always been a favorite of mine and I will always love Juke and Willex❤️

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

I actually have two active WIPs right which are both getting finished (one of them pretty soon, the other one I'm pretending is not there, but it's definitely getting finished😅) There was a Juke pregnancy fic that I started years ago though and I really tried to keep writing it but it just wasn't meant to be

16. What are your writing strengths?

I'd say probably writing about the emotional state the characters are in, the angstiest the better😅 I think some of my best writing parts have been when characters are going through Something

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I've said it once and I'll keep saying it - describing people's appearances and places in detail, I really don't know how to casually say oh this person looks like that without making it obvious that I'm trying to tell you what they look like😅 Which is one of the reasons why I love fanfiction, readers already know what everyone looks like

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

Well, English is not my native language so technically everything I've written has been in a different language😅 But yeah, if it makes sense within the story I'll try to go for it, but usually only if it's a language I (or someone I know) knows so I can check it first because I really don't want it to sound insanely wrong and the Internet isn't always helpful - I once added my own native language in a fic for a few lines of dialogue so that was fun :D

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Well, officially Julie and the Phantoms, unofficially I think probably Teen Wolf

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

So far i'm talking to a memory (haunted by the moments of what we used to be) still remains my favorite - I put my blood sweat and (literal) tears into this fic, I will forever be proud of it

No pressure tagging @writerownstory @mac-lilly

[mojo-bro-tho]

WIP still Wednesday

Back at it again with it still technically being Wednesday for me so I’m sharing a snippet for for the next chapter of Blood Sugar which is now actually tilted correctly!

Chapter 9: Alas, Poor Emmrich

Emmrich sauntered back into his classroom, umbrella at his side and being slipped into the caddy he kept by the door that rarely anyone used these days. “Good morning, everyone!” He called out jovially and received mostly incoherent muttering in response. “Yes, yes, I see the weather has claimed a few of you already.” Dreary days in Nevarra were commonplace, but they held the same effect regardless. A handful of chuckles came his way.

“Please take your seats so that we may begin, and I’m sure everyone’s essays have made their way to the podium?” Another series of mumblings. He took a glance at the stand that typically housed the projector, a fair amount of papers sat atop it. And a couple of his students shuffled towards it to add to the stack. Emmrich found himself approaching his own desk, readjusting the sleeves of his pinstripe button-up shirt.

His satchel was soon opened, quietly pulling the case that held his glasses from within and wordlessly slipping the frames on. A circle of blue weighed in his peripherals. He looked back to the desk as if to pretend he still hadn't seen it, when something else captured his attention. It took him a second to notice but… one of his handkerchiefs sat beside the bag.

He had no recollection of taking it out that day. Did he leave one behind yesterday? No, that couldn’t be it. And the handkerchief was certainly his, the small embroidery on the corner of the neatly folded fabric confirmed that. As he went to pick it up, he noticed something poking out from one of the edges. A scrap of notebook paper. With his thumb and pointer finger, he pinched the page and slowly slid it away from the fabric.

‘The Crows send their regards from the back of the room.’

Recognition came from just the handwriting alone, but the message provided instant understanding. His gaze flicked up to the top rows, trying to keep his expression neutral while frantically searching the faces there. Sure enough, in the middle section, taking an end seat to his right, was a woman he had fought to not think about for the last five days. Rook. Even from a distance he was certain it was her.

He watched her gather the back of her softly dampened hair into her hand, securing it with a claw clip and allowing the front ends to remain free. With the desk obscuring her body, he could only make out the fact that her arms were bare from a thin strapped top the color of slightly withered violets. And when she saw him take in her visage, she smiled.

Full of condemnation or arrogance, he couldn’t be sure. But it was not kind. The smallest peek of teeth, and the slanting of sharply lined eyes were meant to cut into him. She leaned forward, resting her cheek against a propped arm. His lungs felt heavy, while his intensities wished to float and have all his insides meet in the middle of his torso. Hovering like a fog. He couldn’t stare long. And with her out of his sights his mind had the room to form thousands of questions.

Why was she here? How did she get in? Was she allowed to do this? Did her job send her? Should he call her down and send her away? Endless questions that didn’t show on his face but Rook noticed them dripping off his bangles. Anxious little twinkles from motions he didn’t need to make.

[winterhartarts]

YOU HAVE A TORUNN TOO? :D

I DO LMAO I’ll share about mine if you want!!! And please feel free to share about yours!!! 😍

Sharing a current ongoing WIP of her (she’s posing with three of my other Inquisitors) & also a snapshot of her from a finished piece I did for the DA Createathon this year 🥰 And her original (more or less) design from Inquisition I definitely tweaked over the years of having her as an Inquisitor OC 💖

Also have a write-up about her I also shared with that server, which I’ll quote here!!! (Note that I originally wrote this info about her pre-Veilguard!)

Torunn Adaar (she/her) is technically a Tal-Vashoth by birth, and she’s keenly aware of what her parents went through during their time in Par Vollen while living under the Qun. One of her biological mothers was a Saarebas, had her mouth sewn shut, and she was controlled similar to how we see Ketojan/Saarebas in DA2, except she only managed to escape when her partner, an until right then devoted member of the Antaam (at least, she seemed to be on the surface to most people, anyway) managed to kill the wielder and free her from her bonds (insert Pirates of the Caribbean quote here).

Torunn’s got two moms, the Saarebas and the former Antaam. Saarebas is a trans woman, and the two decided to conceive Torunn (so she’s not adopted) post-escape from the Qun. This is also why the magic flows more easily into her via the bloodline connection to her Saarebas mother, but Antaam is also why she’s really decent as a mage merc while fighting in battles.

I haven’t figured out a name for either Torunn’s Saarebas or Antaam, but I plan to, because part of her (Torunn’s) story is learning that they chose a name to give her with the intention of breaking the Qun norm of not naming anyone officially, and also the unofficial add-on about that that we learned in Inquisition regarding taking up a nickname (instead of a series of numbers) as a “name.” But, it’s ALSO to do with the idea that she (Torunn) is freely able to decide to change her name at any point, because it’s HERS and that’s her right as an individual (rights and freedoms both her parents did not have before leaving the Qun). Her parents aren’t anti-collectivist either for the record, but they also like being able to be autonomous individuals as well if able. Freedom and self-expression is a major theme in their relationship and desire to break free from the Qun, as well as in wanting strike out in a new life together outside of Par Vollen & their assigned roles in the Qun. Outside of it, they feel they can all be happier and do whatever they want without being beholden to strict laws governing their “place in the world.” This, however, does leave Torunn with some intrigue regarding the culture she is connected to, and she has conflicting feelings regarding her own identity as a qunari born outside the Qun with parents who left the Qun (and not on the best of terms).

Also, Torunn eventually specializes her magic into necromancy, as she finds spirits and the dead a lot easier to learn things most of the living world would rather she never even hear about. That, and she has a very sweet and strong connection with the spirit who inhabits her skull she carries (info on whom & which I’m still figuring out).

Torunn is an asexual lesbian, as well, and eventually falls in love with and marries Josephine Montilyet, with whom she has the sweetest relationship 🥹 They support one another while allowing each other the space in which to grow and understand the world better, and never let work fully separate them. After Trespasser, Torunn moves with Josie when she moves back to Antiva, and lives with her as she manages her family’s estate (and does underground Inquisition business here and there, as in my over-arching world state, the Inquisition officially disbands but remains an underground secret organization, of which Josie and Torunn do still have some hand in aiding). Josie’s family adore her, which was a relief to Torunn, as after hearing what high society elsewhere (Orlais and Ferelden, specifically) referred to her as during her time as joint Inquisitor with the others, she was definitely concerned her beloved’s family would be just as racist and unwelcoming. It’s been a wonderful surprise, and a nice life they both lead together.

[citrus-cactus]

Citrus' Art Summary 2023!

The year is almost over, so here's my art summary for 2023! I got this template from here. This is my third year in a row being able to populate every month with a finished(/digital) piece (and really, I did a LOT more than what's shown here!), so that feels like something to celebrate!

Technically some of these choices don’t match up with their post dates; I counted some months as “when I was primarily working on them” and some as “when I actually published them,” but the sentiment remains. Like I said, it was a busy year! :)

Some more rambling + links to all featured artwork beneath the cut:

I remember last year I was quite worried about/was actually teetering on the edge of artistic burnout. There were definitely some months during this year that I felt a bit overwhelmed (particularly during the summer, when I was working on a 5-illustration series in a style that was DEFINITELY outside my norm, PLUS a bunch of other stuff), but I also appreciated the stylistic variety, and doing a lot of sketchbook drawings/marginalia that were(/are) just for me, so they never had to be "finished” or even "good." Even though almost everything pictured here is Digimon(/anime) art, I did experiment with a more "realistic" style for the Dracula Daily series (Aug/Sept), as well as trying to relearn the "Disney" style I started drawing in waaaaaaay back in high school, only now with a LOT more understanding of facial structure and anatomy. Largely, this style shake-up has been incredibly freeing (these are still sketchbook-only studies at this point, but I'm planning on some digital illustrations in the Disney style in 2024). I'm sure they still look pretty anime-influenced, and I'm not sure I'll ever truly be able to escape that, but honestly I don't mind; the anime aesthetic IS a part of my preference/style!

Let's see, the prevailing fandoms for what's shown here are Digimon Survive and Adventure 02. I really want to draw more Survive art next year!! Really happy with the collabo between @vidramon and myself (July), and honestly most (if not all) of these pieces. I worked hard, I branched out, I took on some really ambitious projects, and finished a ton of things (looking at you, March! That Knight drawing was a WIP for an entire year, but I finished it instead of abandoning it, which is what usually happens when things sit around that long!). Ultimately, I believe I told (and helped tell!) some great stories through my creative projects and art this year, which is my true goal forever and always.

Honestly I'm happiest with April's drawing. That one was a ton of fun to do, but I would have to work really hard to replicate that coloring style because I don't remember my brushes/settings, ahaha. Sadly this is how it usually goes with coloring for me; I make it up as I go almost every single time, which is why series are so difficult for me. I am nothing if not inconsistent -_-;

I would be remiss to mention that a huge part of my productivity this year was due to setting and tracking monthly goals for myself. I gotta thank everyone on the @campdigimonth server for their help in keeping me organized and motivated throughout the year! I plan on continuing my creative check-in posts in 2024.

Next year, I want to a) make more Survive art (particularly with Survive Week coming up), b) draw some more flippin' gargoyles (CRIIIINGE, but no, cringe is dead, I'mma do what I want!), and c) keep working on my personal project! And I am, once again, thinking about bookbinding. That's a "maybe" for next year as well!

Descriptions and links to the full artwork pictured for each month:

January: Survive Week, Day 5

February: Survive Gang Aromantic Week

March: Knight Unryuuji and Friend

April: “Rose-Tinted” fic illustration

May: Happy Birthday Vi!

June: Happy Birthday Haru Shinkai!

July: Happy 1st Anniversary Survive! (aka BEST SOCK FRIENDS)

August: Dracula, September 13

September: Dracula, September 20

October: Adv 02 Countdown Event, Day 7

November: “Boo!” on the Cob

December: Digimon Secret Santa 2023

[postalninja]

well, OBVIOUSLY i need to know more about "oops 3", the best title ever

And that, ironically, is the only one on the list that isn't technically a wip, because it's essentially done except for needing a real title? lol The reason it remains in wip folder jail for the moment is because it is part of my Knight and the Princess series and happens after the events of The Head That Wears The Crown... which is, itself, still unfinished. So oops-3, whatever I end up calling it, will only be posted after that fic is done. The working title is a reference to the fact that H'aanit, Olberic, and Primrose get drunk and have an accidental threesome. Hence - oops! it's a threesome! :D I look forward to posting it, especially since it's a bit of silly sexy fun after the heavy events of the main series, and I'm quite fond of it. And hey, if anyone has any ideas for a real title, please let me know! XD

[procrastinatorproject]

Bed Rest (Seven) for the WIP ask game, please. Also, if you want to talk about the other Bed Rest fics, too.

Seven's installment literally consist of only this handful of sentences so far:

“I understand that your xB physiology renders you much more resilient than humans, and I’m willing to give you a lot of leeway, but I draw the line at exposure to hard vacuum. You’re coming to sickbay with me right now.” Seven arched her eyebrow and drew a rasping breath. “Deactivate —” “No,” Emil said calmly. “You’re on medical lockout from all computer systems and will remain so until I give you a clean bill of health. Now, will you come downstairs voluntarily? Or will I have to ask Ms Musiker to drag you?”

I do like it quite a bit :D But haven't managed to do all the writing that needs to go around it yet.

As for the other Bed Rest fics... When I started writing them, it was just Soji, then I had an idea for Raffi, then Ian, Rios... and eventually, it settled in my brain as "one day, this series will have a story of Emil telling people to lie the fuck down already for every major and a whole lot of minor characters from Star Trek: La Sirena" 😅

We'll see how far I get. The one I wrote for Picard doesn't actually fit the description as well as I'd like it to, and I should probably just post it as a short slice of life standalone (it's basically done and I find it pretty funny, if I say so myself).

And the Agnes WIP that is still technically labelled "bed rest" also veered into a different direction (much more emotional angst and post-Borg-trauma, less the sickfic vibe I'm going for with the rest of the series). So I might turn that into a standalone at some point, though it would involve having to acknowledge season 2 happenings, even in a strongly altered form...

BUT! A while ago, @regionalpancake pointed out that probably a bunch of OC stories in my "never to be pulished" folder would only need very minor rewrites to work for Agnes (and for readers who haven't spent the last four years in my brain and thus don't know the reams and reams of intricate worldbuilding that underly the Private Stories). And I think that assessment is very accurate for the fic currently titled "Check up", which also has some holo bits in it that I just... adore so much! And want to share with the world! Like...

Emil nodded. “Your fever has gone up in the last few hours.” Her eyes went wide. “I thought the meds would help with that?” The EMH tilted his head and his expression turned slightly admonishing. “They are helping. They’re supporting your body’s immune system in fighting off the virus. Which inevitably involves a certain level of fever.” He lowered his scanner and frowned. “Honestly, you’re nearly as bad as the captain with his impatience. Healing takes time. The human body isn’t a machine where you can replace a broken part and everything just runs smoothly again straight away.” “Well now.” Over at the table, Ian leaned back in his chair and tucked his hands under his arms. “A repair is rarely done with a simple replacement. There’s always adjustments that need to happen afterwards and usually a lot of recalibration to —” “Yes, thank you Ian,” Emil said curtly without turning around, “I was speaking metaphorically.” “I’m just saying that if you want the repair done properly, you can’t just shove a new part in place and call it a day. There are a lot of protocols and follow-ups that need to happen.” “Actually, that makes the metaphor better, don’t you think?” Enoch mused. “Even with a machine, repairs take time and don’t lead to instantaneous improvement.” Ian leaned towards the ENH. “Yes, but he said the human body wasn’t like a machine, so he got the metaphor exactly backwards.” Emil rolled his eyes as the two holograms at the table started to argue over whether an accidentally good metaphor was still good if it was deployed incorrectly. Behind them, Emmet was leisurely swapping cards from his hand for better ones from the discard pile.

So that one is probably gonna be Agnes's installment (eventually).

Beyond that, who knows? There are still a few crew members (organic, cybernetic, and holographic) that need to have a moment with their snarky ship's physician! And one of these days, I will finally get over myself and edit the two paragraphs that have thus far kept me from posting Rios's part of the series 😅

I really enjoy the bed rest stories, though. I will never get enough of Emil being an exasperated, snarky, but ultimately really kind and competent doctor! And since there aren't as many stories of that out there in the wild as I'd like, I guess I'll just have to keep writing them myself XD

---

(I'm still very happy to answer questions or post snippets of the many things in my WIP folder :D Here's the original list of titles if you want to see what's available!

[girl-mercury]

20 asks for writers

tagged by @noblealice

how many works do you have on Ao3? 50

what's your total Ao3 word count? 203,210

what fandoms do you write for? A bunch-- Once Upon a Time, Our Flag Means Death, The Adventure Zone, MCU, Tomorrowland, and Newsflesh all have more than one fic.

what are your top five fics by kudos? -close enough to touch -in silent screams, in wildest dreams -hand me your hand -open up the door, let the light in -comforts of the household gods

do you respond to comments? I try to respond to each of them.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Probably Double Vision, an OUAT fic about Belle's possible cursed Storybrook life

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? It's hard to pick, I try to end on happiness or at least hope, but we rise as we fall might be the happiest

Do you get hate on fics? If I ever have, it's been blocked from my memory.

Do you write smut? Yep! It's a pretty recent thing, though, because it hasn't really been what I was interested in in the past, and just a few ship dynamics in recent years have lent themselves to some very specific smut.

Do you write crossovers? Sure.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I'm aware of!

Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes! Recently someone translated in silent screams, in wildest dreams into Chinese, and I just got a request to translate Comforts of the Household Gods into Russian.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes, although I don't think any of them are online at this point.

What’s your all time favourite ship? You would ask me to choose my favorite child??????

What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I started a fic like 18 years ago about Jack Bristow and Irina Derevko from Alias years after the show ends (nobody dies, everybody lives, the two of them remain married and constantly bitching at each other) uncovering a plot at their retirement community and absolutely annihilating some mercenaries.

What are your writing strengths? I think I'm pretty good at character voices.

What are your writing weaknesses? Plot. I can do it, but my god does it take a long time to figure out logistics.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? Only that I haven't figured out a way to do it that I don't hate. Italics help, I think, even though I know the arguments against them; for languages not in a Roman alphabet, I don't like the anglicization and the correct alphabet looks wrong, I don't know what the answer is there.

First fandom you wrote for? Technically Narnia or Men in Black: The Animated Series, if we're counting fic when I didn't know fic existed; Lord of the Rings I think was the first posted online in fandom.

Favourite fic you’ve written? Oh gosh. I don't think I can pick.

Tagging @lindsayribar and @shinyopals, but only if you want/haven't done it already!

[kg-clark-inthedark]

🍓🥤❄️ and 🪲 but only if you want to

🍓⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction?

So (as is many young girls’ right of passage it seems) around 10 y/o I became obsessed with the Warrior Cats series. I had all these wonderful cat OCs running around in my head but no outlet for them because the friend I usually role played with hadn’t read the series. However, I shared a room with my older brother back then and he wrote a TON of fiction as a young teen. He read his stories out loud to me on nights when we couldn’t sleep. He was 13 so it was mostly just indulgent, self-insert one-shots. Not fanfic technically, but definitely the same vibes (and little me was riveted lmao). I was inspired by his writing to try putting the stories I had in my head about my warrior cat OCs on paper. And voila, a little fanfic writer was born! (Now I’m also reminded of years later when I stumbled upon my little sister’s self-insert one direction fanfic and I was soooo fucking proud, like ahh the family business continues 🥹)

🥤⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love

Nobody’s surprised by this but it’s gonna have to be @uncontrol-freak’s Abyssal. First fic that inspired me enough to make fanart about it. Just has a very particular atmosphere, and it’s a unique corvosider au that I’m enjoying as of late. (And sometimes they let me preview upcoming chapters and ohhhh jeez it gets so so good I am barking 👹)

❄️⇢ what's your dream theme/plot for a fic, and who would write it best?

Oh, hmmm. This one is kind of stumping ngl. I feel like I enjoy writers specifically for the themes and plots they come up with, so to assign one to someone else would be difficult. Not sure I have an answer for this one, I’m sorry. In general though I like character-centric plots, where a lot of the story’s motion takes place in shifts in dynamic or changes for the characters themselves.

🪲⇢ add 50 words to your current wip and share the paragraph here

Alastor speaks dispassionately, as if he were still merely discussing the weather. The defensive panic underneath is almost imperceptible, but it shows through the set of his jaw and his animal-like tension, as though he could spring at me at a moment's notice. He lays his fingers out flat when he notices me watching them dig anxiously into his thigh, but between the pale, splayed appendages his trousers remain wrinkled where they were pulled into his grip.

(It’s 77 words my bad, but once I hit 50 I had to finish the paragraph as intended. Corvo and Alastor are having a talk 😶)

[phoenixtakaramono]

Writer Tag

Thanks for the tag, @deliciouskeys! (You can read their version here!)

I tag: @fuckingpajamas, @bebop-and-oysters, @plasticfangtastic, @officially-tilly, and/or anyone who's a writer that I've forgotten to tag here and wants to participate! <3 And, ofc, no pressure, especially if you've already done this before or don't want to!

How many works do you have on AO3?

12 apparently if you count series as part of "works." Excluding series however, I only consider 6 of them as my "main fics" (actual long fic works I'm proud of and will still be working on).

What's your total AO3 word count?

...642,283 words as of 3/2/24. *eyes it* Considering all my works are either slowburns and/or long fics, and there are a couple butchlander threadfics I haven’t gotten around into turning into AO3 long fics yet, that word count is only going to get even longer.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

As of 2024

The Untold Tale (3.8K kudos, SVSSS) Green and Gold (1.3K kudos, Harry Potter & InuYasha) Finders Keepers (574 kudos, TFTBL & Borderlands) A Prince and His Baron (548 kudos, Helluva Boss & Hazbin Hotel) Truce (521 kudos, The Boys (TV))

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! (*´∇｀*) However I do have a peculiar method when it comes to picking and choosing which comments I prioritize replying to first. It depends on various circumstances my whim and if I recognize the comment from one of my regulars. It’s also heavily impacted by the timing of when I see it. As a multifandom and multiwork writer, I become hyper-focused immersing myself in the one fandom of whichever WIP I’m currently working on, intentionally put blinders on to keep myself focused. For example, if I’m currently in the process of writing TUT, I will mostly only respond to comments related to it; if I’m working on TNotG, I mostly only respond to unread TNotG comments—or, since I have multiple works in that fandom, I will respond to unread comments for another WIP as long as it’s the same fandom. Idk how to describe it 🤷🏻‍♀️ but this process of quarantining myself in a fandom one at a time works for me.

At the very least before the new chapter is updated for a work, I’m pretty good at getting to and responding to every comment remaining which I haven’t been able to get to yet—whether it’s answering questions or thanking my readers for taking the time to read the fic. ♥️

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

Finders Keepers. Out of all my works, it's the only one with a bittersweet ending. It's the only one of my WIPs literally tagged Major Character Death. Our Male Lead gets to finally be the hero he'd always wanted to be (literally saving the world from a AI robot takeover)—and have his heroism acknowledged by everyone in the planetary system. He'd mended bridges with his daughter. And he was able to get the love of his life back, robot or no robot. It's a story about Handsome Jack's character development and, at the end of the journey, a hero's ultimate sacrifice would've completed his arc as the main character. The blow is softened a tad because he gets to perish holding hands with the corpse of the young, brilliant scientist whom the android's personality is based off of. The android he'd fallen in love with and had staged this whole dramatic end-of-the-world rescue mission for would've been desperately kissed (their last kiss) before being shoved into a space shuttle, and be given his last order by his beloved master to raise his daughter in her father's absence. It's a very human painful story I'd wanted to tell, haha. I'd wanted to try telling a poignant Shakespearean tragedy, but make it space opera.

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

Technically they’re all Happy Endings so I consider the main six all tied in that aspect. I’m a big weepy baby when it comes to fictional romances and the main characters’ conflicts with other characters, so I feel I ought to reward them at the end for all the pain and suffering we’ve put them through, haha. I enjoy satisfying Happy Endings with a hint of an open-ended future where the reader can imagine the possibilities themselves and their journey in that universe even after the story is concluded.

Do you write crossovers?

Yes. It's the one fic I wrote back in 2014 that made me decide a couple years later to create an AO3 account for it, because I originally had the intention to make the fanfiction(dot)net version S/F/W and for AO3 to be the N/S/F/W version. ...The pairing might seem strange, but trust me, that Sesshomaru/Harry Potter fic of mine? Every writer has their breakout fic; Green and Gold was mine. I'm always so surprised whenever couple of my readers and even my writer friends, all from other fandoms, tell me they knew me from having read G&G.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Two separate times. One person on fanfiction(dot)net took a friendly fight in G&G a lil too seriously and, outraged that I did not make the story's romantic leads fight to the death instead of the friendly duel in the story, they wrote at the end of their review: "I just think you suck at writing action.” Whereby, after seeing that comment, outta spite, I definitely made sure to include action scenes in almost all my works from then on. :) If you're that anon, so sorry that you'll have to read this writer's poor action sequences.

Another anon had a strange hate b*ner for Hermione as a character and wanted Ron to divorce her in my story, and then went on to pretend to be three different anons circle-jerking each other about how they agreed with the OP after I'd politely informed him "no, a divorce for these secondary characters isn't something I plan on writing in this story." And then they had the gall to tell me, "well, if you think that way, I think marriage's just not for you," lmaooooo. I have a thick skin so I wouldn't necessarily call these instances "hate" though. "Reader entitlement"/ "backseat writing" is more apt. I don’t like being told what to do—especially when it’s a free fic that I’m writing on my free time; it’s not like you’re paying me to write it. Us writers know our own fics like the back of our hand so if we tell you something ain’t happening, why continue to argue with and try to influence the writer? You might as well write your own fics while at it. These two instances though were memorable for how hilarious they were and I always joke about them as humorous can-you-believe-an-actual-human-being-wrote-this anecdotes to my friends.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I am beholden to whatever the story demands of me. But generally speaking, unless it’s a creative choice to use euphemisms to adhere to censorship guidelines I am looking at you, Twitter, for sh@dowb@nning me for my Sugar Daddy AU threadfic (I have made my peace with the fact I am forever Search Suggestion B@nned there) or I feel it’d be more genre appropriate to use flowery language to suggest something spicy’s happening before fading to black, I am 99.99% of the time quite explicit when it comes to the graphic details. At the very least, my claim to fame is a male client I know irl has read two of my smut threadfics (the butchlander Fix-It AU threadfic and the Sugar Daddy AU threadfic) and told me it’s made him question his sexuality, ahhh.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

...Art, yes (I always see my art reuploaded on Pinterest, annoyingly enough...and there's one time I saw my art reposted on someone else's Loona RP-centric Twitter account as their status update...mind you, if I see my art reuploaded, it's an instant block from me). Fic...no? I sure hope not. I would be incredibly ticked off if I find out someone has. I will say, though, awhile back, I'd noticed someone had posted G&G to a Czech (?) or Slavic-language site—but they'd linked back and credited me as the author so I didn't make a fuss. I tried searching for it again recently on Google Search (I remember the site page was a lilac color), but it doesn't pop up now. :/ I think either they removed it or the site went down.

Now with AI being a genuine threat to creatives, instead of locking my fics, my workaround was coding my more popular AO3 works following a workskin tutorial as a preventative countermeasure to prevent users from selecting the text; this way it's one additional step they'd have to take to feed my fics into their AI machines so hopefully it acts as a deterrent. It's the reason why you can't highlight, copy & paste the text in TUT, Truce, TNotG, G&G, P&B, and FK (I know this also makes it harder for some of you who want to highlight specific passages to me down in the Comments section, many apologies to my lovely readers 🙏).

Have you ever had a fic translated?

If someone actually does take on the herculean feat of translating any one of my long fics from English into a foreign language, godspeed, soldier. I know it's a lot. I also know, based on past feedback, that my writing style would be exceptionally difficult to translate.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Technically, yes. But to be honest, Evocation was more of a BnHA RP between me and my writing friend that we'd edited and turned into fic format for anyone who wanted to read a religious human/ demon ShigaDabi fic. And he very much excels at writing horror. I wasn't into the BnHA fandom but my friend was, so I'd read up to a certain arc of the manga to understand the appeal and be able to RP Dabi for him. And that's how Evocation exists. There's a lot more exciting content we did not publish yet, but considering this was a co-written fic between us and we'd both moved onto different interests by now, I'm not comfortable continuing it without him so I do not foresee this fic will be updated.

What's your all-time favorite ship?

Almost all my AO3 fics are about my favorite ships, hahaha. As of 2024, I'd say it's probably Butchlander, Tomarry, Bingyuan, Bingqiu, Stolitz, and Chaggie. Of these, Tomarry (mind you, it has to be TMRHP aka Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr/ Harry Potter and not LVHP) is probably the one ship that's persisted the longest of these I'd listed (your girl liked it ever since high school and while I haven't read any in the recent years, I still like it for nostalgia purposes).

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

I put these under the status of "Temporary Hiatus" because my intention is to always come back and see if people are still interested to see me continue. It's these two: Green and Gold (Sesshomaru/HP, timetravel fantasy romance), and Finders Keepers (Rhack, sci-fi android/human romance). G&G is put here because this was originally written between my high school (secondary school) and my university years, so this is like baby Phoenix writing. FK is here only because I think the fandom is dead so if I were to continue it, I don't think there's an audience, ahhh. Of these two stories, I think G&G has a higher chance of being continued because we're already 16 chapters in and I do not think the HP fandom is gonna die anytime soon. And it is one of my more popular fics. It's possible I might continue FK because this was my first experimental foray into the sci-fi genre, so it's more of a writing exercise for me to experiment and practice with the genre.

What are your writing strengths?

Worldbuilding. Vibrant descriptions and characterizations. I've heard my stories are descriptive enough that readers can see an "inner cinema" inside their head as they're reading it, and I think that's super neat. :) A secret writing strength I joke about having is writing spicy scenes. But because all my main works on AO3 are slowburns, almost no one knows about it yet, haha (the only exclusion is if you've read my Twitter threadfics or A Prince and His Baron).

What are your writing weaknesses?

Redundancy and editing down. My g*d, I'm really bad at paring down; you're looking at a writer who'd written 103+ pages once for a PWP chapter. And that was after I'd reduced the original earlier draft down to the bare necessities. And, mind you, I write in Arial, font size 9 on Google Docs before I upload to AO3. As for redundancy, sometimes I need it as a creative choice to emphasize something important for the readers but, most of the time, it takes me several passes through the drafts before I realize where I've repeated myself—and will thusly delete any unnecessary redundant sentences or scenes I manage to catch.

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

Nowadays I will still do it if it's a short one or two words, but I would only use it to highlight a character's linguistic quirk. But for longer sentences, it depends on the necessity of it in a story (for example, if I need to showcase a duck-out-of-water situation or it's a private conversation in a foreign language spoken between characters for secrecy reasons). Chances are though that I won't write entire dialogues in a foreign language if I do not have someone in my immediate circle to help me translate the sentences and/or I cannot use a specific phrase in a language that I know has been 100% verified online by the online community to be grammatically correct, because it's one of the first things that can immediately take a reader out of the immersion if they eff up the phrase or grammar.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

...I'm too lazy to try to log into my old fanfiction(dot)net account to check, but I believe my first fandom I'd written for was either Yu-Gi-Oh or Black Cat.

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

Mmm...probably Chaggie (Charlie/Vaggie). I haven't written a sapphic wlw couple in my own works yet (since the main couple are mlm), but I am a bibliophile irl who very much also enjoys reading the sapphic baihe genre with my danmeis. So it'd be a shame if I didn't expand my horizons. But six works is a lot on my plate, as well as my unfinished Twitter long threadfics. As an experiment though, I had written a brief 25-tweet Chaggie threadfic when S1 aired—and found I very much enjoy writing about these two characters. So I'd be very interested to eventually write Chaggie in P&B, when they finally show up as supporting characters to Stolas and Blitzo.

What's your favorite fic you've written?

The Untold Tale. That's gotta be it, hands-down, because it's a rare opportunity for me, as the writer, to write something about my own culture. It's meta humor/ satire buried beneath an authentic story about romance, and it's a love letter to SVSSS as well as small cultural Easter Eggs to the Chinese culture and TV C-drama clichés and even a couple C-novel tropes I want to introduce to my readers for funsies. I just have a lot of fun writing TUT because I get to be sneakily meta whilst being flowery with the prose. If people want to ask me what my best writing is in my writing portfolio, I'd direct them over to TUT.

Green and Gold, for being the foundational rockbed which made me fall in love with writing. Because without G&G, its younger siblings (my other WIPs listed above) you see today would not have existed on AO3. It's a crackship that's treated seriously in the fic itself with a lot of heart and my youthful writing vigor, haha—and I think that's why it's still read by people today despite its crazy premise.

Truce, however, is my personal favorite among my most recent works. It might be a 4-chaptered PWP + epilogue oneshot but, my god, it's become a whole-ass novel. I think it's very reflective of my true writing style though, without the atmospheric and stylistic C-novelesque writing style that TUT is trying to emulate, especially because Truce takes place in a modern setting and I'm not trying to be intentionally fancy with it writing purple prose.