#should I be writing my long fic? YES

[lunarharp]

into the deep end - 30k T orufrey fic, focusing on memory trauma, disability, and romance.

the sweet oblivion of the victim, the poisoned freedom of the witch.

for one moment - it had felt like two parts returned - the needed reunion of two disparate halves. no more secrets, no more pain.

the moment you get to give back what you never wanted to take. that moment, under the night-blooming flowers, when they had both let out the same single broken sigh of relief.

but they were never whole to begin with, were they?

qifrey swore he wouldn't say 'sorry' to this man any more if he could help it - sorry is cheap now. he didn't want to be in a position ever again where you only have 'sorry' left. so he just looks down into the threads of his blanket, strains his eye until it hurts, feeling his insides - his throat, heart and head - burn with pain. he expects more, but olly says nothing.

olly says nothing.

[abluescarfonwaston]

I am a simple (trans)man. I see the reboot of Ranma 1/2 and ask- but what if he HAD to stay a girl to stay safe. Because some big bad was actively on the hunt to kill Boy!Ranma or something.

What if Ranma hadn't been caught in the bath by Akane and had gone to school with her, (refusing to wear the school uniform like normal). Watching Akane defeat the army of boy's at the gate only to swoop in and kick Kuno's ass resulting in him falling for 'the pigtailed girl' right away.

What if he'd gotten there and been so excited to have all these guy friends again (its so hard on the road) only to realize they're just trying to date him, not talk to him guy to guy like he'd hoped. (He feels no remorse ordering that fifth Ultra Brownie delight special with their wallet)

Complaining to Akane in the dojo after school as Ranma's personality just starts to peak through and Akane agreeing 'That's why men are Awful'. Ranma withdrawing that little bit back in as he realizes that - no. Akane doesn't get what he's saying- and she would hate him if she really knew him.

Ranma bellowing out for them all to back off because Akane is MY FIANCE. The awe and silence and then 'but that's not even legal' murmurs. HUH?! SAYS WHO??? 'the government...' 'Oh... Huh.'

The divide between how big and powerful Ranma acts verses the moments when he notices how short his arms are. How small he is. Shrinks into an ill fitting body in a way Akane wishes she could stop from her friend.

The horror and Relief that comes with Ryoga's appearance. An old rival who Knows. Knows and is angry and furious but treats him just like he expects to be treated. And maybe his legs Are too short and he still misjudges the distance but there is something so freeing to knowing he is being seen as he really is.

Ranma slipping out of the house early, before sunrise, so he can escape. Pour hot water over his head and just be Himself for a few minutes that day. Even if it's risky. Even if it gets him killed. Because he was willing to die to become strong, but he didn't think that meant losing his manhood first.

Akane spotting a boy training in the park, pausing because for a moment she thought- but it was a trick of the light. They just share a braid, that isn't Ranma. Her friend and 'fiance' Ranma.

Being drawn in my something. By that pigtailed braid or the force of their blows and the smoothness of his movements.

Or maybe by how he keeps kicking the target with his calf instead of his foot. That's a big one.

And she hates men. Absolutely despises the whole lot. But she offers him a correction and he looks at her in such shock.

"Y-yeah. I know. I guess I'm just not used to being tall."

Her offering a suggestion. Him doing it right this time as she nods. Offering to spar.

Didn't you say you'd hate to lose to a man? "Nah I already have a fiance." "What does that have to do with anything?" "Isn't there a thing at your school that if someone beats you they get to take you on a date?" "Oh my god other schools know about that?" "Furinkan is pretty loud." "Yeah it is..."

"Do you like her?" "Who?" "Your fiance." "Oh... I guess. She's kinda cute. But she hates me." "What'd you do?" "Why do you assume I did anything huh?" "Cause youre a boy." "... What about yours then?"

"Mine?"

"You have a fiance don't you?"

"I guess. But she's a girl."

"How'd that happen?"

"My dad's an idiot."

"Yeah. Mine too."

[too-young-to-fall-in-love]

Turned Night Into Day

summary:

There's no reason why Illya should want to talk to him. Really, there isn't. So why's he showing up at his hotel room with a bottle of Scotch and something like an apology on his lips? Or, most of Amor Magnus Doctor Est chapter 8 in Napoleon's POV!! <3

notes:

inspired by Amor Magnus Doctor Est by @cha-melodius

tags:

POV Napoleon Solo, Napoleon solo has no self confidence, insecure Napoleon solo, Reunions, the happy ending to just like me, Mild Sexual Content, inspired by another fic, Napoleon Solo Needs a Hug, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Professors

excerpt:

“I’m sorry,” Illya whispers, the words ringing like a gunshot in the otherwise dead quiet of the room. Of all the things Napoleon was expecting, it was definitely not that. “I heard what you and Gaby were talking about,” and “Did you really get Victoria fired to try and win me back?” seemed the most obvious. He’s only able to stare at Illya as the words rattle around in his head. In the silence of the room it seems that Illya might want to take it back. He finds himself hoping he will, because while there’s nothing he wants more than Illya, he’s only good for being left behind. He hopes equally as much that he won’t, because even in the face of reality he still wants him more than he’s ever wanted anything else. “What for?” he asks, head tilted to the side, brow furrowed. Illya huffs out a sound that could be a laugh, but it’s too harsh, too bitter to be classified as such. It’s so sudden that Napoleon actually flinches from it. “Everything,” he answers, like it’s obvious. Like he’d done anything wrong. Leaving him may have been the best decision Illya’s ever made. He can’t imagine how that could be wrong. “For blaming you when it wasn’t really your fault. For shutting you out. For not—” Illya’s voice catches in his throat, and he takes another swallow of liquor. Napoleon shuts his eyes against Illya’s next words, “for not being there for you when I should have been.” A feeble sense of hope takes root in his heart, growing until it threatens to choke him.

read more on ao3

[keeponquinning]

JQ drabble / blurb coming at you.

okay but like.... seeing pedro's esquire video and shoot, i can't help but think of like a slightly jealous joseph looking at you engrossed with mr. pascal, and he's just like, ".... I'm your favorite, though, right?"

making you look up immediately like, "...what? seriously?"

"I mean.... Not like you've looked at me like that in a while..."

you're just so amused about this, but you're trying to hide it, because whether he's being serious or not, he has such a pout on. "baby. it's different. like...you two are different!"

that was not the response he hoped for, "sorry? different how?"

"well, we're dating for one. and... y'know... He's just....daddy."

you've never seen his eyebrows furrow that quickly, "...and what? I'm not daddy? not daddy enough for you?"

"....you're not his level of daddy...." he scoffs. "You're younger than him! so, like.... it's different."

"okay, but... Let's just say... We go somewhere, yeah? And he happens to be there..."

it takes all of you not to laugh, "You're being so cute right now..."

"..yeah, adorable, shut up. I'm... how long would it be for you to ditch me and go over to him?"

everything in you tells you not to smile, but you can't help it, stretching wider than you thought possible, "....w e l l..."

"Oh my god, you're going to leave me for him."

"What the fuck—"

"No, no, you're going to leave me. You've planned this, probably. Seduced me, and done it well..."

"Mmm, I did have fun seducing you."

His face softens, lips lightly smiling, "...I did have fun being seduced..." He watched you smile at him, and he took a deep breath. Rising from his seat and wandered toward you. "He'd probably fall for you, you're very easy to fall for."

You snorted, giving a shrug, "Well, that was the plan. Have you fall for me, have this relationship with you, had to fuck you a few times to want to make it official," he chuckled at that. "..and then on the off chance that you get invited to some invite with him, for me to tag along... And thus, the real master plan comes into place, and Pedro and I can go off into the sunset, with his tight jeans and dad sweaters, while you, my former love, are in shambles and devastated by me."

He sighed, shaking his head, "I feel so used."

Shrugging, you reply, leaning back in your seat, "The things we do for true love."

His brown eyes look at you, bending down and leaning over you in your seat, "Can I be used by you until that happens, then?"

"Mmm...." you hummed, raising your hands to place around his neck. "I dunno... that was the plan, but, lately... Kinda felt the plan changing a bit... Like I'm falling for you and that's a problem."

"Ooh, am I charming you, darling?" he asked, grazing his lips against yours, slowly giving a kiss.

You chuckle, kissing him back, nice and slow, groaning softly. "I think you are. That's so not part of the plan, how dare you."

He's smiling now, lips pressed against the side of your neck as he kisses, bites and licks. "To use your words against you, the things we do for true love." You chuckle at that, and he weighs down further on top of you, his hands digging to the waistband of your shorts. He suddenly pops his head up, looking at you with curious eyes. "...right, okay, but, I am your favorite, though, right?"

"Oh my god," you groaned, rolling your eyes, though there's a smile there. "Okay, look, on the list of white men... You're definitely on the top of the list."

His lips twitch, biting back a laugh, instead, giving a nod. "Right, well, as far as us white men... That is impressive. Top spot?"

"Mmm..... Top three, easily."

He was silent a moment, this seeming to placate him a moment, before he let out a sigh. "One of them isn't Garfield, is it?"

"...if I call you daddy tonight, can I like...not answer that?"

His eyes looked over you, licking his lips before he gave a nod, "Y e a h, deal." Rising up and taking a hold of your hands, pulling you up and into another kiss almost immediately. His hands wrapped around your waist and pulling you close to him, tongues met, a breathy moan from both as your tastes mingled and appreciated from one another, you could feel the affect you have on him, could feel him harden against you as you pulled away, walking toward his bedroom. He takes a moment to look as you go through the bedroom door, desire and lust overtaking him. And then — "It's not fucking Obi-Wan, is it?"

"Daddy."

"Right, forgotten, coming."

[theoldmixer]

The jukebox blows a fuse

Paul didn’t like Stu.

There he admitted it.

He could play nice, Stuart was John’s friend after all. But really all Paul wanted to do every time he saw him was to rip the stupid sunglasses off his face.

Finally posted the Jealous!Paul in Hamburg fic that I've had in the works forever.

[queerofthedagger]

everyone write 100 lines of "'creator chose not to use archive warnings' is proper tagging no matter what else is in that fic and if you OPEN a fic tagged as such it's entirely on you whatever you find in there" before going back to any discourse on dark fic and antis i am BEGGING

[konshokoentaiko]

i need to write a lawlight au where l and light are contestants on an idol survival show à la idol producer (2018)

[itwoodbeprefect]

i DID IT, i finally FINISHED one of ten or so attempts at bad buddy fanfiction!! 🎸 With every guitar string scar on my hand 🎸, 1527 words, extreme domestic patpran fluff warning!!

[camels-pen]

hiiii if anyone has some sanuso or zosopp prompts, i would appreciate it if you shared them in my inbox uwu

[spaghett-onaplate]

a celebratory post: i have just experienced the most fruitful writing 24 hours of my entire life. at 3:30am last night, i started a new fic, wrote maybe 3k in the hours before I slept? continued the next evening at 5pm, and since then the document has reached the grand total of... 12.5k words!! :D

[procrastinatorproject]

New game: Share your three best fanworks. No thinking, just the three that instinctively occur to you. Then copy-paste this ask to anonymously share with as many people as you want.

Okay. A) I love this! Thank you so much, nonnie, for a brilliant idea!

B) Whoof. That's tough 😅

Without thinking:

My very first fic. It is finished, it has pacing, it has an arc, it has an actual story... The prose might need a bit of polishing, but I think it's still some of my best work!

My most artistic fic:

I just... I don't know. I feel like it's very personal and almost has something lyrical about it and I feel very deeply about it, even if it is perhaps a little pretentious.

The third one is hard, though...

I'm very torn between something like A Night at the Opera, which I'm still extremely proud of, In the Palm of his Hand, which I love and hope to finish one day, and even The Cake is a Lie. Though the last two are probably not nearly as good in their current published form as they are in my WIPs, where I have additional material that really adds A Lot to them 😅

But I feel like I also want to put one of my metas here, because I have a bunch of those and they're important to me and feel like they're out of contention for this sort of thing. So here's my probably favourite bit of meta writing:

I love Rios and Agnes! And I find their budding relationship fascinating and gentle and lovely and want to think about it more. And this was such a great way to look at their interactions and psychology, and to explain why I think they make sense together.

(Also: it always reminds me of the incredible "Your Light on Me" by @regionalpancake and the gorgeous Love Comes Softly by @smhalltheurlsaretaken, which is essentially the same argument but as an amazing fic (and gorgeous podfic by @thelaithlyworm). And these kinds of connections always make everything better 🥰)

[dangerous-advantage]

why is usagi yoimbo so fucking good? (an analysis.)

usagi yojimbo is one of the most interesting, well-told, intelligent, heartfelt stories i have ever read. it's stories are nuanced and likable, supported by characters and relationships you root for.

it's simple, balanced, and when things get serious, you feel it.

and if anyone had recommended it to me, i probably wouldn't have read it.

(spoilers for usagi yojimbo: volume two; jizo. fair warning: this will probably go long.)

i picked up uyv2 on a whim. i wasn't really planning on reading it, and if i did, i didn't think i would particularly like it.

but it was related to my current hyperfixation (they didn't have 'the last ronin' in stock, which was what i was looking for), and it was a special day, so i thought, "fuck it, i'll buy this."

a couple days later, i finished it and immediately needed more. yada yada, tale as old as time.

but what exactly made it so good? a lot of people will get into media and be hooked by the very first installment. usagi yojimbo, for me, required a little bit of faith.

i started with uyv2: issue one, aka 'shades of green.' if you're a tmnt fan, this is a great jumping off point, because it lures you in with tmnt lore all while putting intrigue in your mind about what these other guys are doing, i guess.

there are callbacks to past comics that might interest you by creating a greater sense of lore and history. you'll find yourself eventually wandering back and maybe reading the next installment, just because.

this is very good, because the next installment following the shades of green arc (at least, in the usagi yojimbo saga: book one') are the "side stories," which will stick in your mind until your thoughts are overtaken by the funny rabbit guy, and you give in.

i love shades of green as much as the next guy, but damn, those side stories fuck. even if you didn't give a shit about the turtles and only read the stories (and maybe the origin tale), it is my belief that you would know basically everything you need to know.

jizo is what originally "hooked" me. in the og comics, it was a side story for the first part of the shades of green arc, which was ingenious, seeing as it's fucking amazing.

in my humble opinion, jizo is an example of sakai at his best. it's eight pages long with three panels per page, each following the same composition. its so simple, and yet, throughout my read-through of volume two, i found myself returning to it again and again.

it starts off with an image of a road, with a series of travelers passing by. a woman toting a small stone statue brings it to the edge of the road and starts on an iconic sakai infodump, with might disinterest some, but fully delighted my autistic mind!

(here she is, by the way.)

she explains (by talking to the statute) that said statue is a representation of 'jizo-sama,' "guardian of the souls of lost children. her son was murdered five days ago on this very road, and the ones responsible, a party of bandits, have not yet been caught.

her hope is that by praying to the statue, nobody else will suffer the same fate.

she also explains some lore-- that the souls of lost children are "doomed to pile stones in the dry river bed of souls." by offering pebbles at the statue's base, she hopes to ease her sons' burden.

she then leaves, noting a chill in the air, and promises to bring back a coat for the statue the following day, in order to keep it warm.

now, by all accounts, this is an example of bad storytelling. just info-dumping is uninteresting to the audience, and clunky. well, here we are reminded that actually, if your story is worth telling, nobody gives a shit if you commit "writing sins" (see 'lord of the rings' for more examples of this. yes, uy is good enough to be compared to lotr.)

but anyway, the day progresses. there are lots of fun details in these scenes --

--like this guy ^, who we meet/meet another person akin to later on in volume two (music from heaven). we also see a couple of people make offerings on their way past, which is nice (:

night falls, and with it comes-- holy shit-- its the funny rabbit guy again!

he's alone, just passing by. he doesn't even seem to notice the statue on the side of the road.

we then get some of my all-time favorite uy panels, and a perfectly-executed scene showcasing some of usagi's core beliefs and character.

so the bandits (yes, those bandits) attack. and usagi five-v-one's them. the guards come, clean things up, etc etc. more usagi characterization shines through. and usagi leaves.

all the while, jizo-sama observes.

but wait. if you're anything like me, you might notice a small detail between in two frames.

that's right-- the statue of jizo smiles. which could be creepy in any other context, but its only for a single panel, so you might assume it was just a quirk of the artwork on that one page.

but, no.

in the morning, the woman comes back.while wrapping the statute in a coat, she says, "huh? your expression has changed-- you look more at peace-- but that's impossible! isn't it?"

she ultimately decides not to worry about it, but does mention that it'll probably cause more people to be willing to give offerings as well. which leaves us with our final panel.

so. what exactly does jizo accomplish?

well, a lot of things. it sets up worldbuilding for the more 'mystical' side of uy, introduces us to sakai's ability to make you feel like you've been punched in the gut in a good way, and characterizes usagi using only eight of the twenty-four panels that make up this story. in which, he doesn't say a word.

but beyond that. why does this work so well?

for me, a part of it is the inversion of the idea of "fate." let me explain-- in a lot of stories like this, there's this underlying trope of the "chosen one" or that things will end up a certain way. while these stories aren't bad, i generally find myself uninterested in the idea of beings beyond our comprehension pulling the strings for characters that are "special."

these characters are chosen ones. they're supposed to know everything that will go down, because they're important. whether or not fate actually plays a part, you get this idea that they were always supposed to be 'chosen,' in some way or another.

uy doesn't do that. while there is some "meddling" implied, it's not because usagi is the specialest boy ever. he's just some guy making his way through japan while trying not to starve. just... figuring himself out.

in thise story, the only people who know the full extent of the narrative are ourselves and the statue of jizo. the woman shows no indication that she's heard of the bandits' capture, and for usagi, this is just another night.

it's meaningful because we get to see all these parts of the story come together, while knowing we are the only ones this is meant for. this isn't a grand story or some epic of old. it's just a small, intimate moment of retribution.

the gods-- or, in this case, jizo-sama-- doesn't care about heroism outside of this moment. it's left vague whether or not the statue or any being it represents put this moment into fruition. if anything, it could just be a coincidence, and the statue is smiling at in gratitude.

regardless, it feels so much more meaningful than if it had been done any other way. usagi is just a character traversing these lands, weaving in and out of stories, many he will never know the full extent of. and that feels real. genuine.

i do think that this changes a bit, later on in the comics, but this beginning sense-- that usagi is just travelling through a greater world, pulled this way and that for no particular reason (unless otherwise noted) is very refreshing for a series like this.

jizo does a lot of other stuff, too-- like that core characterization i mentioned above-- but this post is long enough. i wanted to get more into other aspects of why uy is so good, but there's just so much, and honestly, you should read it yourself if you haven't already to find out what. (at the very least, read jizo-- it's short, but very, very good.)

i might do more of these for the rest of uyv2 and how it hooked me, but for now, i this this works well enough to begin answering the question of why this series is so good.

(okay, i caved-- the core characterization is his unwillingness to fight unless it's necessary. now, go read jizo!)

[maulfucker]

I can't even joke about wanting a show about Maul fucking because first of all they would try to make him straight (which he absolutely isn't) and second of all you knowwww he didn't fuck before he had his legs cut off. he was too busy being a moody teenager and going on murder vacations. so it would have to be set post AotC. so for him to fuck they would have to canonize cybernetic dicks.

[bluevelvt]

obikin where a good handful of padawans end up having a small crush on their master in the way of having a crush on a hot teacher where you know it can’t really go anywhere but it’s still there, anakin is one such padawan

obi-wan is somewhat aware of this, he’s not oblivious and he was once a padawan and there were definitely “who has the hottest master” talks with other teenage padawans, so he’s not judging anakin for being a little too into sparring matches where obi-wan ends up pinning him to the ground

he has also known his padawan would be and is attaractive, but it has always been in the context of “that girl we met on our mission was clearly flirting with you” and similar sorts of teasing

once the aotc kicks off and anakin reunites with padmé, he’s thinking “this could be an absolute disaster, but i really like her and i can actually be with her” and the he has crush on obi-wan fades away

skip ahead to anakin being knighted, where he is no longer obi-wan’s padawan but his equal, his brother as obi-wan says

this changes things, as much of the resentment(? don’t know how to best describe it) anakin had towards obi-wan is gone and obi-wan feels like he can truly be friends with anakin now that he doesn’t have to be his master and guide him

their bond becomes much closer and after anakin has his lada wan braid cut, grows his hair out, and starts looking like a jedi knight and not a padawan, the way obi-wan acknowledged that anakin is objectively handsome has changed into a much more subjective “fuck, he is really attractive”

and obi-wan just starts noticing more things about anakin that he found charming in him before but now it’s in a different manner and he feels like a silly teenage padawan with a crush now and not anakin

anakin has had a similar kind of realisation, where the things he loves about obi-wan haven’t really changed and has only grown to appreciate more and certain things he didn’t like before have started to grow on him now that they are equals in their relationship and he was still going to think obi-wan is hot no matter what

eventually, the crush he had on obi-wan starts to pop back up, even stronger this time and unlike before where obi-wan was unattainable, it’s slightly more possible that anakin could actually be with him

so they��re left both secretly crushing on each other, feeling like their sixteen again and trying to avoid thinking about it but hey… they’ve been a somewhat unusual pair with a very close bond so maybe, just maybe, something could happen

[cuteniarose]

thoughts on ming-hua x p'li??

Unfairly attractive OTP rare pair that deserve a lot more love than they get, what else can I say?

[thelionheartedo3]

a song in the air

summary: Nate's been gone for two very long weeks when Ely receives a nighttime visitor.

pairing: Nate Sewell x f!Detective

rating: gen

wc: 2.4k

A look to the closed door tells her the light is off; not a necessity for someone who could see in the dark, she thinks, especially with the night light plugged in by the sink. (That had been deemed a necessity after she had first moved in and banged her hip on the counter so many times she had had a semi-permanent bruise until she got the damn thing.) Only two people have a spare key to her apartment—and somehow she doubts Adam’s used his to come use her shower in the middle of the night.

[read the rest on ao3]