#pikapeppa LOVES YOU

[pikapeppa]

not to be that bitch but... do we know when the next chapters of the brynn saga are gonna be posted? i miss ur writing <3 hope ur doing well!

Aw this isn't bitchy, this was a really nice way to ask! I just posted the next chapter of Astarion/Brynn! This ask might even have given me the energy I needed to do the final edit and publish it, so thank you! ❤

-- love from your friendly neighbourhood Pika xoxo

[lethendralis-paints]

Dragon Age Day 2023!

Happy Dragon Age Day, dear friends and mutuals! Hope everyone's seen the new official Bioware teaser for DA:D!

To celebrate this occasion I wanted to revisit some of my favourite DA fanart drawn thoughout the years. The series holds a special place in my heart. It helped me to carry on through the darkest times, and thanks to DA fandom I've met wonderful people, some of whom became real life friends. So, buckle in and let's GO!

My journey began with playing DA:O back when it first came out and then revisiting it again in 2018-19 when I needed something to brighten up the days. My passion for this series and dark fantasy reignited and never died out since!

Here are some of the Heroes of Ferelden art commissions I've painted since then:

And now Hawkes:

The one and only Rynne Hawke, belonging to @pikapeppa

2. my Eris Hawke

3. Lovely @serpentsshipmate 's Marian Hawke

+ a couple of awesome commissioned custom Hawke characters

Let's not forget all the amazing Inquisitors out there, including the Fenquisitor from my own playthrough of DAI:

Beautiful locations across Thedas I did my best to capture on canvas (with various success as my skill was growing). Can you guess all of them?

Let's not forget to show some love for our travelling companions!

And a separate category just for Fenris, my best boy, who is singlehandedly responsible for me picking up a pencil and learning how to draw properly:

[hpsaffics]

smut writing guides and resources: an AO3 collection

Collected a bunch of excellent resources -- tumblr and livejournal posts, mostly -- for a Femslash February smut writing workshop on the @hpsaffics discord server, and finally got around to putting it all in an AO3 collection!

Feel free to join the discord (18+) for more discussion and for a multishipping/SALS, sex-positive and supportive community!

A selection of some of them:

day 1: why write smut?

The first rule of writing smut is don’t write smut. by @/letteredlettered

i don’t know why you wouldn’t want to write bad fanfic. that’s the point of it – it’s allowed to be bad. by @/bettsfic

Smut 101: A Tutorial For Beginners by @/pikapeppa

day 2: easing into it

Writing Smut 101: Overcoming Smut Shame by @/slightlyrebelliouswriter23

Mature is ‘and then they made love.’ Explicit is 'and here’s how they did it *exactly*.’ aka the envelope post by @/tinsnip

any tips for writing smut? by @/ao3commentoftheday and others

day 3: characterization & relationship dynamics

Smut 101: Part 2 by d-dangerlove

Smut 102: A tutorial on writing dialogue during sex by @/pikapeppa

Any tips on how to write smut that actually moves the story? by @/ao3commentoftheday and others

day 4: plotting out a scene

Smut 101: Part 3 by d-dangerlove

Essay: The Formula for Writing Sex Scenes by cupidsbow

Sex Writing 101 by @/pasiphile

day 5: getting down to details

The Ultimate Guide to Writing Smut Fic by QuinnAnderson

Smut-Writing for the unSmutty by Vukovich

The Big Book of Writing Sex; A Tactless Resource! by @/RPedia

lesbian smut guide by @/springofviolets

day 6: genderbending & transfic (and omegaverse fic)

day 7: darkfic and kink fic

[collected by @leftsidedown / @broomsticks]

[cha-mij]

I've just realised why I love Kotallo so much, especially when his character is further explored in fics (yes I am looking directly at you @pikapeppa ) . He's Gomez fucking Adams.

[pikapeppa]

I am just overwhelmed with feels right now, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME 😭😭❤❤❤🙏 seriously, I read this very late last night before beddy and then I just put down my phone and pulled up my blankets and was like "I am awash with feels. I am TAKEN AWAY BY THEM."

I am so, SO thrilled that you're finding the fic so satisfying and emotionally rich 😭❤ I feel like this reply is so paltry compared to the wonderful words you said, but just -- thank you, thank you so much. THANK YOU.

To anyone who wants to check it out, Becoming Whole is here on AO3! Nearly 600k words (we'll get there), Aloy x Kotallo, rated E for smut!

-- all the love from your friendly neighbourhood Pikapeppa xoxo

I was reading Chapter 42 of @pikapeppa's fic Becoming Whole and I was goddamn sucker-punched by how cute the scene was where the GAIA gang has a sleepover in GAIA's dome. Everything about it is so good and it ticks all the boxes for heartwarming and wistful and emotionally rich while still being in-character and well-written. Not a single moment felt contrived or formulaic, and to be honest, that is what the entire rest of the fic is like, as well; Everything reads so naturally for the setting and the characters that I never once have a problem with suspending my disbelief.

And the dialogue is clever as hell! And not just in a funny way (because there's tons of hilarious conversations), but also in a way that adds emotional depth to scenes.

Like, [brief spoiler] Aloy and Beta talking about how Elisabet would be proud that both clones of her are following in her footsteps by trying to save the world and the people in it, and then the subsequent "Rost would be proud too" and I'm, like, suddenly breathless because the writing carries the reader along so well that you are caught off guard just as much as Aloy is by the comment but you also feel the gravity of that kind of comment and how Needed It Is In That Moment For Aloy.

10/10 fic. If you want to read literally one of the best works of fanfiction that I've read in the past literal more than a decade and if you like the Kotallo/Aloy ship, then this is the fic for you.

Goddamn breathtaking tbh

[kingwuko]

so, random writer question. how do you manage writing so many multi chapter fics at the same time? i feel like you update them all pretty frequently. any tips for writing multiple fics at once?

Hello anon! Wow!! I am really flattered that you sent me this! For one thing, thank you for saying it feels like I update all my fics pretty frequently! I sometimes feel like I'm not updating often enough, so hearing someone say that actually makes me feel good about the frequency I update.

As for the question, how do I manage it and if I have any tips, I will definitely try to share what has been working for me so far. It's long. I'm sorry 🤣

First of all, I really need to credit a different fic writer from a different fandom. @pikapeppa is a fanfic author that I really look up to in terms of her writing style, her update consistency, and for finishing multi chaptered longfics. When I was trying to steel myself for writing Secret, I sent her a asks and she gave helpful advice! She has writing tutorials if you want to check them out.

I also posed a similar question to her about juggling multiple fics at once, and she gave some really kind advice about not giving in to hustle culture and just writing what makes me excited instead of worrying about update frequency!

So, for me, these are the things that help me with juggling all these fics:

1. Taking care of my mental health

I have always love writing, but when I'm in a bad place mentally, it's not happening. I've come a long way and figured out what I needed. When my mental health is well managed, I find joy in writing which is crucial for me to, well, write!

2. Organization

Okay I feel like there might be a better word because I'm like, the least organized person in the world. But, what I really mean is, I keep all my fics separated and labeled in my Google drive. I have folders nested inside folders and do my best to label all my folders and docs. That way I can keep things together that I need for each fic, and I can easily open and reference anything I need.

For example:

This is mostly because I have different back stories and headcanons for each fic, so this helps me keep it all straight. It also makes it quick and easy to look stuff up. I have transcripts saved and an outline and an idea dump where I can look if I need help.

3. Deciding which fic to focus on

This is tricky because I feel like I'm still figuring this out myself. At first I was forcing myself to to rotate them in order, now (at the advice of @pikapeppa ) I write whichever fic I'm most excited about. This is working better for me. I need to shift my mindset when I work on a different fic, because my fics have different tones. If I force myself to shift mindsets, it's trickier. If I just do what I'm most excited about, it feels more natural to get into the right mindset and I write faster! That includes my one shots. Sometimes I'm not working on the next chapter. Sometimes a one shot has my attention.

Comments, asks, and discussions in my discord group actually influence what I'm excited about quite a bit! So if you notice it's been a while since I've updated something, and you comment on it, there's a good chance it'll give me that dopamine rush to naturally shift back to that fic haha.

I also don't reply to comments on the latest chapter until I've posted the next one. It's kind of a carrot on a stick for myself. If I make myself wait to reply til I post the next chapter, it's another incentive that helps me get excited!

4. Writing

I'm so sorry to say this. But in order to write fics, you have to. Well. Write. I know this is very upsetting for me to hear sometimes. 🤣

Theres tons of posts out there about how to write if you're struggling or you're stuck. I'm sure they have better advice than I do. But what works for me are the following things:

Outline, then write the chapters in order. Some people prefer to write out of order, to write the scenes they're excited first. But for me, writing in order gives me something to look forward to. It's easier to get through the less exciting but crucial scenes and chapters if I know I have a really fun scene right around the corner.

Write badly. My first drafts are pretty rough. There's lots of cringe. Terrible grammar. Incomprehensible sentences. Weird ideas that sounded good in my head but just do not work in writing. Sometimes I don't even know what I want to say, and I just throw some brackets in: [transition here]. For dialogue I'll write it in script form first before adding dialogue tags. Honestly once you get past the uncomfortableness of writing badly, it gets easy. It's word vomit. But guess what, no one has to see it but me!

Write whenever the mood strikes (as long as it's safe to do so). I figured out pretty quick that if I didn't jot ideas down when they hit me, they'll be gone later. If I waited to write until I had the perfect environment, I would never get any writing done (I have four kids and job, my environment is never perfect for writing 😅). This is why I write in Google docs. I can write on my computer (which I prefer) but I can also write ANYWHERE on my phone. I tend to do quite a bit of micro writing throughout the day. Between clients at work. Waiting in the school pickup line. Laying in bed before I fall asleep. Taking a walk (carefully and in a low/no car traffic path!) any moments throughout the day that I get a few minutes of peace and quiet. Just don't write when you're driving obviously 🤣

Edit when I am feeling good. All those brackets I throw in have to get resolved eventually. If I go through and edit when I'm feeling really good and focused, it's much easier. If I try to edit when I'm distracted or having a bad day, it's probably not gonna be great or I'll probably get stuck and struggle.

Use a beta reader. Okay. Listen. There are a million fics out there that aren't beta read. Obviously tons of writers do great without them. Not me. In addition to the fact that having a beta reader just makes my work more polished and understandable, it also gives me some external accountability. My beta reader, @badgermolebender, doesn't even really do anything extra to encourage me to write, it's just KNOWING that they're there, for some reason, helps me to write. And there are plenty of people out there who will beta read and also gently nudge you to write by checking in occasionally. 'hey how's the next chapter coming along? Need to bounce some ideas around? Let me know!' (psst if you want a beta reader for a Wuko fic, or any Lok fic, I'm available!!!! Even other fandoms if I know them!)

5. Be kind to myself.

Writing fanfic is a hobby. It's supposed to be enjoyable, for the most part! We can't hold ourselves to the same standards as people who write novels for a living. They have editors, they get paid for publishing, they have deadlines pushing them forward; and I'm sure other things I don't know about because I don't write novels for a living!!! We just have our fandom community and our free time. So we aren't going to be churning out novel length fics as quickly as R.L. Stine. You'll have gaps where life got in the way and a fic gets put on hold. It's fine. Just pick it back up when you can.

I have no idea if any of that is helpful, but that's my writing method these days. Look, I'm just a boring thirty-something trying to live my best life after neglecting myself in my twenties. I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm having fun!

[vorchagirl]

Ask Meme

The lovely @hazelestelle tagged me - thank you!

Three Ships: Gina & Kaidan (shenko), Pandora & Subject Zero Kaidan (shenko), and Harry + Cerys + Reyes (carreyder)

Last Song: Planet Hell - Nightwish

Last Film: Carrie 2: The Rage (I've been on a 90s/2000s nostalgia binge recently)

Currently Reading: Swan Song by Robert McCammon and lots of fanfic, lol. I'm currently reading fics by @tlcinbflo @ashenlavellan @heroofshield & @alyssalenko - I've got a lot to catch up on by other authors.

Currently Craving: a bagel with cream cheese!

Tagging: @tlcinbflo @juleshawke @illusivesoul @ashenlavellan @hawkeykirsah @bioware-bard @acciokaidanalenko @pikapeppa @heroofshield @silurisanguine @shadoedseptmbr @vela-ad-astra @astanne and anyone else who wants to join in!

[cicadaknight]

Finished binding volume 1 of Becoming Whole!

@pikapeppa thank you for being so lovely and sharing your writing with the world! (And for hyping me up and sending me pretty photomode screenshots)

[johaerys-writes]

WIP Wednesday

It's been one hell of a week you guys (it's only Wednesday, I know, but I'm just about ready for weekend lmao) and my brain has been craving some simple fun, and what's more fun than making poor Patroclus miserable?

So here's an excerpt from the next chapter of As Fate Would Have It (omegaverse with a side of angst and pining 👀🔥):

There is only one place where Patroclus doesn’t follow Achilles. And that is the prince’s very own, secluded training yard: the place where he every day, without fail, practises his spear and his sword and his bow in perfect solitude, with no other eyes on him but the gods’.  

Patroclus had found that odd. He had thought that since Peleus had gone to the trouble of bringing world-renowned instructors for everything else, the person he would bring to instruct Achilles in the arts of war would be the most famed and skilled yet. Patroclus had been eager to meet them, but once they’d reached the door of the yard, Achilles had sharply told Patroclus that he was to train alone, and was not to be disturbed by anyone under any circumstances.

Not even by you, my most trusted and beloved companion, he’d said, and inclined his head with practised, ceremonious politeness, before he’d turned around and left him alone in the shadows of the hallway.  

“‘Trusted and beloved’, my ass,” Patroclus scoffs quietly to himself, words muffled behind the rim of his cup. How does Achilles even come up with the things he says? There is no love between them. Anyone with eyes can see that. 

He slants a baleful look up at the dais, at the king’s table, where Achilles is talking with Phoenix, his childhood tutor. Phoenix is laughing at his own joke and Achilles smiles, the smile only barely reaching his eyes. Patroclus doubts Achilles has even a modicum of love in his icy bones; if he does, he has none at all to spare for Patroclus, or any other servant. For that is what Patroclus truly is, therapon or not. Achilles had seemed more than happy to dismiss him earlier, giving him only a sharp and somewhat sour nod when Patroclus had asked for permission to sit with his friends. 

Patroclus looks away, willing himself to be glad that he chose to sit with Eurydamas, Automedon and Alcimedon tonight, rather than wilt of boredom by the prince’s side. 

Tagging forth to: @baejax-the-great @juliafied @cataaliinaa @annalyia @figsandphiltatos @pikapeppa @elveny @vimlos @mary-aries @darlingpoppet @cosmicvoidance @heypax and anyone else who'd like to share a snippet of their work!

[pikapeppa]

Hiii! I just finished your Chamomile and Gwent series and I loved it sooooo much 😭❤️. As a huge fan of the books and games I feel like it's hard to find fics about game Geralt (he's still the best and hottest version of Geralt. I will preach this until the day I die). Just wanted to drop by and say that you're such talented and a great writer! I'm definitely rereading ❤️

I'm so thrilled that you enjoyed Chamomile and Gwent!! I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU, game Geralt is the best and hottest version IMO too, and I love the way that his voice/speech patterns are in TW3 so so much 😭❤❤❤

Thank you so so much for taking the time to drop me the love!! I hope that the series will bring you joy and comfort again in the future! 🥰

For anyone who wants to check out the series: it is here on AO3! Geralt x f!Reader, NSFW for smut, 3 fics spanning 600k+ words.

-- love from your friendly neighbourhood Pika! xoxo

[alyssalenko]

15 questions for 15 friends

Tagged by @pikapeppa and @illusivesoul thank you, my lovelies!

ARE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? My middle name was my mother's grandmother's middle name.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Last night when my sister cut my hair. It needed to be done and I know it'll grow back it just sucks

DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Nope

WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY/HAVE YOU PLAYED? Badminton, tennis, and basketball (I hated basketball though. Only did it for 1 quarter and then never again).

DO YOU USE SARCASM? It's like a second language to me

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? What they're wearing--their fashion

WHAT'S YOUR EYE COLOUR? brown

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings. There are only a few scary movies I can watch

ANY TALENTS? I play oboe, I have a really good memory (in most cases), and I love to sing

WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Missouri

WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES? Cosplay, Gaming, writing and reading. Usually I would say drawing but I haven't sat down with art in a long time.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? Not for a long time

HOW TALL ARE YOU? 5'2"

FAVOURITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL? I assume besides Drama and Band, I really liked Biology (and Language Arts when I got to write stuff)

DREAM JOB? At this point? Heiress or Lottery Winner. I am tired of working.

I am tagging @starsandskies @hunnybadgerv @vorchagirl @soldiermom1973 @thefrostyshepard @darth-salem-emperor-of-earth @thefathersbride @heroofshield and anyone else who wants to play! ❤️

[everybodylovesaloy]

RARE PAIR ROUND-UP MASTER LIST

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone that participated in the round-up!! We had some really amazing contributions, I recommend literally every single one of them. PLEASE give some love to these authors if you enjoyed their works, it's tough to get eyes on rare pair fics so toss some kudos and comments their way!

Fic:

Radiance by @mehoymalloy (Regalla/Nasadi)

Always by @pikapeppa (Fashav/Vanasha)

Steady by @garbage-dono (Atekka/Hekarro)

Sacred Lands by @bluntblade (Talanah/Nakoa)

One day we'll meet again by @melikochan (Tom Paech/Charles Ronson, Tilda van der Meer/Elisabet Sobeck, Alva/Federa, Chekkatah/Ikkotah)

Heavy in Your Arms by littleboxofwonders (Fashav/Ritakka)

bury these old knives by @foibles-fables (Atekka/Ritakka)

A Meeting of Ice and Sea by @dinokieranmadness (Ikrie/Seyka)

a wanderer, now by @souls-that-have-senses (Hekarro/Rost)

Art:

Leave Your Titles by the Door by @sorbetowl (Avad/Ersa)

Accompanying Art for Heavy in your Arms by @murmart (Fashav/Ritakka)

Thank you SO MUCH again to all the talented participants! You all did amazing!!

[crackinglamb]

WIP Tag Game

Tagged by @pikapeppa, thank you! 🥰

Tagging @lilbittymonster, @theluckywizard, @fadedsweater, @anneapocalypse and @rosella-writes. No pressure!

Ye olde rules: If you’re tagged, make a new post and share 1-2 (a few) sentences from your most recent unposted WIP(s) with zero context -- Let your followers guess!

...I seem to have many WIP's at the moment. I know, y'all are shocked. Shocked, I tell you. Some of these will be obvious, although I did my best to keep the context of the scene inscrutable. Even better, they're just shared in the order they appear in on my desktop. (One of them will be posted today.)

#1

My Rose. My brave, brave Rose. He smiled at her again, and this time it was full of warmth. Of love. And then it faltered. “Oh.”

“What?”

He blinked at her, looking a little bit confused. And then he collapsed right back down on the floor.

#2

“Have there been grumblings about Meeran’s new merc?” he asked, apropos of nothing.

“Yeah, actually. Some dog-lord who escaped Ostagar or something. We haven’t crossed paths.”

“Let me know if you do, I’m...curious.”

“Why?”

#3

“In position, Chief,” she said softly. As she'd walked to him, she'd debated how she should phrase it. He'd been 'Bull' for so long that it wouldn't likely make a difference in his head. 'Hissrad' was right out, it would only reinforce the memories. But 'Chief'...that was something only the man who'd left Seheron behind was called. She drew one of her daggers and held it steady. He couldn't see it, but he would have heard her pull it from its sheath. Now that she was close to him, she could see that he was trembling all over. “What's out there?”

The question took a long time to penetrate, but eventually he drew a breath that didn't shudder. His stance changed slightly from wholly defensive to more observational. “I saw something move.”

#4

“Hey,” she said, cupping his face in her hands so he couldn’t help but look at her. “It’s gonna be fine.”

“How many times has that been true?”

“Hasn’t failed me yet. And I’m 243 years old.”

“Only technically,” he said with a scoff and figured that was exactly what she’d intended.

#5

They didn’t know how long they sat there in the hall, watching the stream of mourners come and go. Time passed, but they didn’t count it. They itched to run, to flee from this oppressive feeling in their chest, but they couldn’t quite find the energy to make good on it. The shadows were long when Rose appeared at their side with a cuppa, still steaming.

She kissed their forehead and said nothing and was gone before they could so much as thank her for it. She had to be utterly knackered after this day, and they really ought to get off their bum and help her. But they couldn’t find the motivation for that either.

[elveny]

15 questions for 15 friends

Thank you for the tag @awordwasthebeginning ♥

ARE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?: Nope, not that I know, at least

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?: ... ... I honestly don't know. Last week or so?

DO YOU HAVE KIDS?: Yes, twin boys.

WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY/HAVE YOU PLAYED?: I used to do Kickboxing. I now go to the gym halfway regularly and also do Yoga.

DO YOU USE SARCASM?: Yes. Mostly with people I know both understand it and can deal with it.

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?: General appearance. A special "vibe" if they seem to belong to groups I also belong to (queer, gamers, LARPers...).

WHAT'S YOUR EYE COLOUR?: Green.

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?: Happy endings. I don't like scary movies at all.

ANY TALENTS?: Yeah. I'm a creative person and sing very lovely. Oh, and I read really fast.

WHERE WERE YOU BORN?: Southern Germany.

WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?: Gaming, reading, gardening, writing, drawing, singing.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS?: Two darling black cats.

HOW TALL ARE YOU?: 1,78m

FAVOURITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL?: Art.

DREAM JOB?: Aahahahahahahahaha. I don't have one. If I could I wouldn't work at all in a "normal job" but fill my days with creative endeavours, traveling, and a variety of volunteer work.

Tagging forth - as always without pressure and with love - to @curiousthimble @pikapeppa @johaerys-writes @kunstpause @okami-zero @barbex @lynmars79 @sarsaparillia @captainderyn @cecilyacat @pigeontheoneandonly @greyias @nayci @storyknitter @keldae and all who want to grab it ♥

[auntie-coagulant]

WIP Tag Game

Tagged by my enabler the marvelous @pikapeppa!

Ye olde rules: If you’re tagged, make a new post and share 1-2 (a few) sentences from your most recent unposted WIP(s) with zero context -- Let your followers guess!

Snippet #1

"Steel, you're so gorgeous like this," he groans and Erend feels the thrumming of it on his tongue, every word and the desperate timbre of them punching him in the mouth until he wants to bite down over that hammering pulse.

Snippet #2

“Oh, come on Vadi - it doesn’t bite!” Petra teases, and he can practically hear the ‘Not that you’d mind’ that she, thankfully, only says with the knowing arch of her brows.

“Insufferable wench,” he grumbles, wrapping his fingers around the glass. “I hate you.”

Erend is still doing his best to clear the aftereffects of inhaling whatever constitutes a ‘Chainscrape Sour’ when Avad turns to look at him.

“Whatever happens, make sure she doesn’t record it” Avad gestures at his Focus. “I’ll never live it down.”

Snippet #3

Aloy looks at her ruined face in the mirror and thinks that maybe Nil has a point with the whole mask thing. 

No one is going to confuse me with Beta now. 

At least her hair would grow back. She scrubs a shaky hand over the fuzz of her scalp.

Eventually.

Too bad the same couldn’t be said of her eye.

Tagging anyone who wants to play buuut especially my lovelies @erudite-princess @eclectus and @mayalli

[ashalle-art]

WIP Wednesday <3

So I'll throw you this bit of progress on Caitlin 💖🔥 Hopefully finishing her soon :3

Tagging (Like always, no pressure, just feel loved <3)

@hobo-apostate @diccix, @charlatron, @zuendwinkel @scharoux @pikapeppa @jentrevellan @briarfox13 @a-shakespearean-in-paris @briarfox13 @kittynomsdeplume @gaeadene @starsandskies @fiannans @schoute @dalish-rogue @magical-warlock @waryfalcon