#sigh. worldbuilding for an au lol

[plinkcat-gif]

i have to do everything myself around here🙄

[cyncerity]

First story of the Hiraeth AU!! i go back to uni tomorrow so i wanted to get one more story out before then lol

no tw!! just a short intro story (i’ll get into other characters and worldbuilding later, this au is more for funny sitcom scenarios than angst or lore. feel free to send asks!)

Ranboo did not remember it being this god damn cold when he went to bed. Sure he had cracked the window a little bit for some fresh air, but in the few hours he’d been asleep, a blizzard must have hit. He quickly got out of bed and slammed the window shut, still barely awake. Enderchest meowed at him, large yellow eyes glowing in the darkness of his dorm room. Poor cat, the cold must’ve woken her up, too. He shuffled over to her bed and pet her, receiving happy purrs as she belatedly fell back asleep. She’d been up half the night calming Ranboo down after a particularly stressful day, so she deserved good rest as much as he did. Ranboo checked the clock. 4:17 am. Great.

He sat back on his bed, flopping onto his back with a tired groan. He laid his head against the pillow, trying to calm his thoughts enough to fall asleep. He laid and counted forwards to a hundred, then backwards, then forwards again for good measure for who knows how long until-

he heard something shuffle.

It was quiet, he hadn’t have heard it if he was fully asleep. So he waited a little while longer…until he heard more shuffling. Great. Fucking awesome, was there a rat in his dorm room? Did his dorm room have an infestation? Fantastic. Well, he was already awake, might as well do something about it. Maybe he could catch it for Aimsey, they would love to see a wild rat, there was a reason they were studying animal sciences.

Ranboo waited a little longer, closing his eyes and pretending to be asleep. He heard the shuffling move around a bit more before moving closer and closer to his bed. He heard a quiet scratching, and then all of a sudden he heard something climb onto his bedside table. He felt around until he found something to catch it with; a blanket that sat folded squarely near his hand. Perfect. Couldn’t be easier.

Ranboo sprung, throwing the blanket over the desk, sweeping up not only the rat but his alarm clock and charging phone. But he caught the rat, that he was sure of. The creature was clawing and screaming in the blanket he was holding, so it probably couldn’t stay in there. Ranboo walked to Enderchest’s carrier in the dim moonlight as he grabbed the moving thing from outside the blanket, dropping his other items to the floor before throwing the creature into the carrier and zipping it shut. It could stay in there until morning before he could get it to Aimsey.

The thing eventually stopped screaming when it wasn’t being held anymore. In the darkness of the room, Ranboo vaguely saw a tail exit the blanket and pointed ears stick out another end. Great, a rat, he was right. He turned back to go to bed, tired of being awake for so long until-

“Hey!!” a higher voice rang out and Ranboo whipped around. Nothing. No one. He could have sworn it sounded so close. Maybe he was just hallucinating from lack of sleep. Professor Sneeg had been assigning more work and Ranboo had been losing sleep to not fall behind, but-

“Hey, wait!” There it was again. “…hello?” Ranboo whispered, unsure if he was actually hearing someone or if it was all in his head. “Hey dickhead! Let me out!” “…what?” Ranboo questioned, looking around. “Down here, dumbass.” Ranboo looked down, only spotting the carrier on the ground. “No, no..” he muttered to himself, sighing. “The rat’s not talking to me, i’ve finally lost it.” “Who are you calling a rat?!” The thing, apparently not a rat, shouted. Looking closer, Ranboo could see eerily human paws (hands?) pressed against the front mesh of the carrier. “…No fucking way.”

Ranboo kneeled down, picking up his discarded phone and looking closer at the carrier. He saw a silhouette of something in the carrier, eyes reflecting back and looking back at him. He took a deep breath and turned his phone flashlight on.

Ranboo had to slap a hand over his mouth to keep from yelling. Whatever was in that carrier was not a rat, not by a long shot. “Try not to freak out.” The thing said a little sarcastically, and oh god, it really can talk. Ranboo fell backwards, scooting away from it. “Wh..what the fuck??” He whispered. God knows the last thing he needs on top of this is a noise complaint. “Can you let me out?” The thing asked again, looking annoyed with its vaguely humanoid face. The top half of its face was covered in blonde fur with darker fur under its eyes and on its nose, somewhat reminiscent of a raccoon. Its clawed hands were fur covered, and Ranboo noticed a disproportionately long tail coiled on the ground near its animalistic feet. It’s eyes were pure black, and behind long rounded ears he could see a long puckered scar and shorter fur on the back of it’s head, like it had been shaved down a while before. But that wasn’t even the weirdest thing. The weirdest thing was that it was clothed. It was wearing layers of dirty, sewn rags and bandages with stitches too little to be done by human hands. It had made itself clothes. Plus, the way this thing carried itself? The way it moved and spoke? It was undeniably, eerily, human.

“What the fuck are you??” “That’s for me to know and you to not find out. Let me go.” “No.” Ranboo said, inching back closer to get a better look at it. “The fuck you mean no?! You can’t trap me here!!” It responded, getting louder in its frustration. Ranboo hurriedly shushed it, the creature’s ears perking and head quirking in confusion. “Quiet! Why are you even in my dorm room?” “Have you seen what it’s like outside? I don’t have the supplies to survive a storm like that. Your room just happened to be the easiest to break into.“ “So you break into my dorm and complain about getting caught?” Ranboo asked, and the creature slumped in defeat. “This has never really happened before. I’m normally sneaky enough that I’ve never even spoken to someone else.” “You mean a human?” “Uh, yeah…definitely. And i’ve certainly never been caught, either.” The creature said, a smug grin forming on its face. “You said to be quiet, huh? How about if you don’t let me out, I scream so loud it’ll wake up everyone in this whole building.” “Try it and i’m throwing the cat carrier outside.” The creature’s grin fell immediately.

“Aw, c’mon man! I told you, I don’t have anywhere else to even go! It’s not like i’m leaving here in a blizzard!” “If you’re not leaving, then I’d like to know where you are. I don’t want you roaming my dorm while i’m asleep.” Ranboo said with a sense of finality as he stood up and walked back to his bed. He checked his phone. Almost 5 am. Only about 6 hours till his next class. Maybe he could skip, he’s sure Charlie would understand. “Wh- how am I even supposed to sleep in here?!” he heard the creature shout, despite the fact that he could no longer see it from his bed. “Shush. You have a blanket.” He could practically see the creatures disgruntled look as he heard it mutter curses to itself before finally using the blanket that had been used to capture it as a makeshift bed.

Maybe it was the exhaustion making Ranboo take all of this far too well, but Ranboo honestly couldn’t care more about this weird new little species at the moment. He just needed the sleep. And who knows, maybe he’d wake up and the cat carrier would be empty and he’d know he was crazy. He didn’t care right now. Though, right now he knew it was real, and he felt a little bad that he was keeping a clearly sapient creature in a cat carrier. He also felt a little bad that he was just calling it ‘the creature.’ “My names Ranboo, by the way. Uh, i’m a guy but i also use they sometimes, i guess?” He introduced awkwardly. There was silence on the other end for a few seconds, before it answered. “Tommy.” it said, sounding resigned. “My names Tommy, I don’t really know but I guess i’m a guy cause. Why not.” Ranboo couldn’t help but laugh slightly at that. “It’s nice to meet you, Tommy. Sorry i threw you in a cat carrier.” It, or he, Ranboo supposed, laughed in response. “Well, let me out tomorrow and we’ll see if I forgive you.” “I can do that. Good night, Tommy.” “Night, Ranboo.”

Yeah, Ranboo thought as he fell asleep, If Tommy really isn’t a hallucination, tomorrow is gonna be weird.

[jazzically]

welcome to yaptown!! population: me!! eps 9 through 11 lesgoooo

magp 9

oh we getting straight into it huh!!

BAHAHAHAH JONNY SAYING "Nooooo" IN MONOTONE

i thought that whole thing was the title of the podcast but then he kept talking so i guess it's just The Podcast

eh

ok so im pretty sure we've established that the dedications at the beginnings have plot relevance

sigh i guess it's kinda sad that sam and alice (or gwen or celia or even whatsherface lori ? lena) don't get to read out statements but tbf they don't seem to me like characters who would do that

not in tHe HeAd aRcHiViSt'S tHeAtEr KiD sTyLe anyway

Sooo in tma the statements were canonically dramatic because the eye likes a bit of flavour - seasoning, if you will - to its spooky stories

but why are they like that in tmagp? (genuine lore question not passive-aggressive criticism)

ooh maybe sam has superpowers like he can call on specific statements the way the archivist could /j

or maybe "chester" is just a butthead who likes yapping at inopportune moments

ooooooooo i did think that artefact storage had a lot of podcast/canon potential. this is one of those worldbuilding bits that isn't hurting the original story in an overexplain-the-mystery type way jonny was talking about in the tma qnas

hehe i see them sneaking in ttrpg

AYE THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD ONE!!!!!! YAAAAHHHHHSSSS CORRUPTION OF POWER SYMBOLISM BABYY

magp 10

:OOO so are the dedications canon or not - ??? am i missing something really obvious??

OOOOOO A TV INTERVIEW THIS IS COOL AS WELL

THIS IS A SICK STORY WHAT

hahahah gsjg i love how rq basically actualized a magnus archives AU

HE DID NOT JUST ACCIDENTALLY FREE AN ELDRITCH MONSTER OH GEEZ OH NO

magp 11

STOP I LOVE THEM

Of course referring to past tma lore sometimes is inevitable given that we're dealing with The Literal Magnus Institute but it's still very well done. a mystery no matter who listens

sam and alice are giving twilight sparkle and rainbow dash

RRRREEEEEEEE i nearly forgot about jonnys whole "must make every side character important later" thing EEEEEE... the lore goes hard

i realllllly like how natural it feels

it's truly reminiscent of both the beginning and the middle of a story (beginning of sam's story working at the oiap or whatever, middle of the larger plot timeline) - so much so that it's hard to forget the episodes are fictional and are actually being recorded and edited chronologically eeeeeee theres so much setup already and it's only ep 11 props to rq

aaahhhh is lena a villain or not!!!!

what is an external? lol i don't Know Things

mate do people's voices just not change over time? it's bonkers (in a good way) to me how similar jonny (and everyone else tbh) still sounds after five years

[skitskatdacat63]

Tysm for the tags @monacobasedgirldad @schumigrace @fernandoalonzoo sry im a bit late getting to this lol

Are you named after anyone?

My great great grandmother(I think??), though she was named Katarzyna, and I was born Catherine, but go by Catie obviously(this lowkey annoys my mom lmao, especially bcs if I were to have a nickname, it was supposed to be Cate.)

When was the last time you cried?

Today, over classical music. I think I cry at least once a day 😭 I am very emotional

Do you have kids?

Nope :)

What sports did you play/have you played?

I played soccer when I was a kid. Also does marching band count?

Do you use sarcasm?

All the fucking time, literally constantly. And also we sarcastically bully each other in my family, so I have to pull myself back from accidentally insulting people 😭

What is the first thing you notice about people?

Hmmmm, I feel like ive done this tag game before bcs I remember writing this exact answer. But usually I notice if someone is a good conversationalist or not. Like do they like to lead the convo, do they like to listen to the other people, do they talk too much, too little, are they awkward about it? It's just very interesting to me, bcs I think that kinda thing really does instantly show you if you're going to be compatible with a person(as a friend or more etc.) Cause I talk a lot a lot, and I think it's difficult to get along w people who are untalkative but also people who talk an equal amnt if not more djkfkglg.

What is your eye color?

Just brown!

Scary movies or happy endings?

Scary movies definitely. I mean im not opposed to a happy ending obviously, but that's not really what im always looking for in a movie, I guess? Rn I'm trying to think of my top movies, and man, not a lot of them have happy endings 😭 But I literally just watched two horror movies the past wknd so! Even though they make me paranoid

Any talents?

I think I could go on a rant about anything if you gave me a bit of time. I really think I can just talk endlessly. Is that a skill? Or is it just annoying..? But yeah I'm not sure, but I think I'm pretty good at absorbing information and being able to go on and on about it.

Where were you born?

America rahhh 🦅🦅 I like my state a lot even though I feel like all my peers keep saying "ugh I don't want to be in [insert state] anymore" Smh how dare you

What are your hobbies?

Mostly drawing! I draw both F1 fanart(pretty much all selfmade AUs tho) and ocs. I like writing lore and worldbuilding and meta, but not really writing itself. I like reading fic and watching movies as well. And I think one of the main things I do these days tbh is read about history and keep up with politics. I get more and more involved with it as the days go by, but unlike drawing, I don't really have an outlet for it sigh sigh. So that's why a lot of AUs involve history and random other things, bcs its fun to involve my interests with each other!

Do you have any pets?

Yes I do! Two cats and two dogs. The cats are named Jin and Frank. Jin is basically me in cat form, he's so anxious 😭 and Frank is like my brother, he's such a little bastard who loves to hiss all the time. My dogs are named Maisie and Ruby. Maisie is a menace to society, but she is also the most beautiful dog ever, so I forgive her. Her name makes me laugh bcs she's named after this book character, Maisie Dobbs right? So her name tag says Maisie Doggs

How tall are you?

Around 5'4

Favorite subject at school?

Politics >:) But I'm pretty interested in philosophy as well rn. Unfortunately my love for foreign languages has been slipping in the semester or so, bcs my professors on that side kinda suck. So I've been putting more energy into my other major, and now all I can talk about is history, politics and philosophy, etc etc. It's just a lot of fun and very interesting to me!

Dream job?

Man, sometimes I wish I could just be a student forever, I just want to keep learning all about the world and other things. But I'd like a job that's not too static, something that pushes me out into the world a bit, maybe smth in the government or like a non-profit idk yet!

Ahhhh I'm doing this a bit late so I'm not sure who's done it yet, I feel like mostly everyone has :,) I tag anyone who's interested, like seriously I'd love to see people's answers who I haven't yet!!

[dracononite]

7, 19, and 22 for the ask game !!

sorry this is a long one

7. What are your favourite relationships between your OCs? (romantic or platonic!)

oh I love this question. I'll focus just on my main headworld Sparrowmage for this one since character relationships are the main focus of the story.

Ryuuji and Haru. there's a secret third character in this relationship, Jun'ichi, belonging to my girlfriend - the three end up in a polyamorous relationship (all dating each other) and Ryuuji is such a big gentle giant for Haru and she kinda teases him for it LOL. there's a lot of intricacy to the story outside of just their dating, but like. bisexual queen pulling two literal spirit boyfriends is kinda iconic. I could talk about these three all day.

speaking of Haru, she's also besties with Juji, who's friends with Jun and Ryuuji as well. they're the type of friends to do spontaneous silly things, go clothes shopping, buy snacks, talk about dramas and music, have sleepovers and do each other's nails. they are SO cute.

Benjamin and Iosefa are the two that started it all. from the beginning, Benjamin was the "main" character and Iosefa his eventual love interest. The two have a very interesting and nuanced dynamic that I'm still working out... It takes until years after they both graduate for them to get together, because Benjamin has commitment issues and Iosefa has confidence issues. But finding each other again, they both saw how much the other had grown, and the puppy love stage they were in at Sparrowmage quickly grows into an actual relationship.

I love these two wives, Olivine and Jiya. they still need a LOT of fleshing out, but already the dynamic is lovely. Olivine is a trans femme lesbian wyverntaur, and a magical beasts professor. Jiya is a butch lesbian beastfolk who also works at the same academy as a dueling instructor/referee. Olivine is like three times Jiya's size which is the cherry on top. I NEED to draw them together (and finalize Olivine's design oops..)

honorable mention: Reuben and Lucian. these two rich boys fucking haaaate each other they HATE each other. they feud at school. it's so funny.

19. What are some things that inspired your stories? Real events? Maybe a dream?

I mainly pull from various media for worldbuilding inspiration! any narratives are inspired by my life or stories I like.. in order to nail those down I'd probably have to write an essay, so here are some media inspirations:

Sparrowmage: Harry Potter (decided I'd make a magic world of my own, as I have a lot of childhood nostalgia for the first few movies, but... yeah), Pokemon Mystery Dungeon (some of the areas like the academy being on the edge of a big cliff, giant crystal caves, etc). this is the story I've most projected my life events and relationships into

Dungeon RPG (unnamed story/world, but technically an AU for my main sonas?? I guess): Dungeon Meshi, Sword Art Online (yea. I know. look the setting and aesthetics of the first season go fucking hard and that's all I care about). I wanted a classic dungeon RPG setting to make cool areas and monsters and boss battles for. and a whole class/equipment/mount/etc system. sighs dreamily. It's not started in earnest but we're getting there.

Magica Terra: definitely Avatar. the alien planet one. I wanted to create a unique combination of sapient bipedal species (some anthros like insectoids, giants, elf- and troll-like humanoids), megafauna (giant bug creatures, draconic animals, dinosaur-like animals combined with the first two, etc) and magic (the magic system for the planet is quite literally fueled by the cosmic bodies in the same solar system and in the galaxy.. which is actually Arp's Loop. so basically what time of the orbit you're born ties you to the magic of whatever cosmic body is closest / in the most power. this includes the planet's multiple moons, the solar system's sun, recurring comets, etc)

Arp's Loop: it's a space bounty adventure with eldritch horror undertones. Lilo & Stitch, Space Dandy, Interstellar and probably some Star Wars thrown in, just with the alien design though

22. What are all the “kinds” of writing/art you do? (short stories, poetry, screenplays, digital, painting, clay, etc.)

Digital art for business mostly, traditional for fun ONLY. I scrapbook, doodle, very rarely paint.. I don't do any 3d art, I don't have the finesse really. occasionally I'll write poetry on my phone. short stories and blurbs featuring my OCs. I've written chapters for single-player TTRPG challenges but I'm not good at sticking to long projects so those have all been abandoned. I've written quite a few short fanfics in my day. a mini comic here and there.... I'm good at small projects cause I like the thrill of setting up and starting new things. that's probably why I have so many headworlds at this point :')

[angstmongertina]

WIP Wednesday Sentences

True to form, I am immediately late the first week back to participating! I'm so good at this! :D

Anyway, sentences have been written and now I'm going to bed lol.

As usual, accountability sentences under the cut!

A New Year Reunion: VaLia 'verse LNY Part 2 (2 sentences)

Sighing, Lia shook her head, though she couldn’t quite stop her lips from curving upward. Leave it to those two to make a whole entire mess out of what should have been obvious from the very beginning.

Before the Dawn: ArtemRosa Enduring Light (1 sentence but I added on a partial sentence 'cause why not.)

It’s enough that for a moment, she tries to disappear back into the fading void of nothingness. No pain, no sensation, nothing.

That Which Binds Us: Chrobin slowburn (1 sentence, much to my surprise, so I added a little more)

She audibly sighed, pushing her hair out of her face with a strange sort of exhaustion on her face. Strange, and yet also familiar, from his years of association with Frederick.

Officium et Honestas: SWTOR Regency AU (6 sentences, with many thank you's to @inquisitorhotpants for putting up with me screaming about this and also borrowing some worldbuilding)

Indeed, any moment she did try to steal was interrupted without fail by another visit by polite society or yet another shopping excursion or dress fitting. She could only assuage her frustration by the knowledge that she was far from the only member of the Ton to do so. While it had never been unpopular, patronage of the arts, and particularly of the opera, had become increasingly en vogue in recent Seasons, particularly following the sudden arrival of the new Lady Kallan. Her unexpected and scandalously advantageous marriage to the Ton’s most eligible bachelor had done little to stop her from making patronages to any event which caught her fancy. Her attendance at performances such as the opera, alongside Lord Kallan’s, had brought about a newfound appreciation of the arts, or at least of the societal benefits of feigning such interest. The rumors that the show in question, Varius and Adrijana, was a particular favorite of the lady in question only intensified the frenzy.

New Traditions: Camyon snowy fic (2 sentences that I thank you for as it has enabled my Camyon canon shenanigans)

Much to her relief, he said nothing, waiting until she had regained her composure before clearing his throat. “I apologize for the intrusion. I had wished to inquire after your comfort ,but I fear my presence may be more of a hindrance than assistance.”

Anyway, I am finally done now. Thank you for forcing me to write again, and thank you for reading! <3

[lumienn]

Re-reading my own fic + reaction

Once upon a time, back when Yashahime was airing, I posted a few chapters of my sessrin fic titled 'Ice King, Icing' on AO3. I eventually ran out of steam, life got in the way (as it always does) plus I had some negative experiences within the fandom which got to me.

It's been at least a year since I last touched it, and I barely remember the plot.

So now that I've got my laptop back, it's time for a reread with fresh eyes. Let's see if it's any good!

Chapter 1:

Okay, I'm recalling the story a little now. The end result is a lot better than I thought it was at the time, I put a lot of research into everything (and I needed to, because I know nothing about 90% of the things I was writing about here). I enjoyed reading the worldbuilding just as much as I enjoyed writing and imagining it. This chapter shows glimpses of a modern world where humans and youkai coexist, and how they manage to do it.

While writing, I was worried the setting descriptions may be too much, but it feels just right to me as a reader. There's just a LOT of effort that went into this chapter and I'm glad it shows.

I feel like I should have more criticism for this chapter but somehow I don't. So here's the fun fact of the chapter instead: Rin was originally supposed to work at the cafe Kagome and Sango go to! The original draft had a more detailed description of the cafe for that reason, but I scrapped it and gave her a normal office job because it didn't feel right. I still wanted the cafe to have a personal connection to one of the characters, so I had Kohaku design it instead.

Chapter 2:

So some interesting plot points are introduced in this chapter. This story was basically based on three what ifs- what if Sesshomaru's good side came out before he met Rin? What if he didn't give Rin the choice to travel with him, and sent her away instead? And what if we still had time travel in this modern AU?

This is where the story and Sesshomaru and Rin's relationship deviates from canon. I love canon, obviously, but I was so intrigued by these questions. So Ice King, Icing was born, lol.

I also wanted Rin to roast Sess

I don't have any complaints for this chapter either. I caught a couple of grammatical errors, but shh. Also I was clearly having so much fun writing it.

Fun fact of the chapter: Kagome still has her purification powers and is still a reincarnation of Kikyo. But Inuyasha and Kikyo are inconsequential characters to each other here. Kagome is from the year 2318, and travelled 300 years in the past- to 2018- which is the year this story is set.

Chapter 3:

Another chapter where I was worried the descriptions and story of Rin's life may be too much, but it wasn't. Homegirl is out here living the life we can only dream of :')

We finally get a good chunk of Sess POV here, and the characterization is satisfactory. Again, big sigh of relief- he was SO difficult to write. I also had an evil chuckle reading Rin's flashbacks and Kaede's worries that her childhood saviors may have found her again- yes, lady, that's THE POINT. We are HERE for some hurt/comfort. Also eviler chuckling at my past self for managing to sneak in some Captain America trio references.

This reread is turning out a lot better than I expected. I'm really enjoying this a lot!

Fun fact of the chapter: The subject line of Jaken's email seems to reference the kdrama 'A Business Proposal', but Ice King Icing did it first :) (chapter posted in April 2021, drama released in 2022)

Chapter 4:

Kagome to the rescue! That's all I'll say ;)

Okay no. I shouldn't be surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this chapter, again, the whole fic is a banger. It has everything I want in a sessrin fic- not surprising, because I wrote it myself. I remember writing the balcony scene and Sesshomaru's realization and giggling to myself at how hilarious it was. Plot forcing them to spend time together by making him hide her from his father= a romcom classic that I'll never get tired of.

Fun fact of the chapter (and mild spoiler): the mystery girl that has been following Kagome will be revealed in the next chapter, along with her motives.

Conclusion:

As I said in the chapter notes, this fic isn't abandoned. I've just gone on hiatus from all my fics for a while because irl is taking up all my time and energy. I enjoyed writing this fic a lot though, and I will definitely update and try to complete it. Just not sure when.

[yume-x-hanabi]

4, 6, 12, 19 please tell us about Minah, 27, 30, 37, 49, 61 and 65 for Concubinage, and 74

4. How do you choose which fics to write?

ig it depends on how obsessed my brain is with the random plot bunnies hopping around in my head? When I start thinking up narration sentences, that's when I know a particular idea wants to be written. Doesn't mean I always do it, though (in an ideal world with infinite free time, maybe...)

6. What’s the last line you wrote?

I haven't written in so long I don't even remember 😭

Looking at one of my latest wips, probably this one because it's incomplete lmao:

The room was as dingy as the rest of the inn and smelled vaguely of stale tobacco, but at least the bed was soft and the sheets were clean. He collapsed on the bed with a sigh of relief, head swimming from all the

(wtf was I trying to say? it's a mystery 🤷‍♀️)

12. Do you outline your fics?  If yes, how detailed are your outlines?  How far do you stray from them?

Usually not, and then it comes to bite me in the ass when it's ten months since I plotted the idea and I don't remember what I was planning to do 😅

There's one fic that's an exception cuz it's a fusion AU type of thing so I'm planning carefully how it follows (or not) the original's plot. Well, idk if I'll actually write the fic actually, maybe in this case the outline will be all there is, as a fun exercise for myself XD

19. Do you enjoy creating OCs or do you prefer to stick solely to canon characters?

I love creating OCs, but like, they need a purpose. An OC just for the sake of having an OC or self-insert isn't my kind of thing (no shade to those who do, I'm just not wired that way), but depending on the story I might need to flesh out a supporting cast. And I love it when they slowly take life and develop.

Minah was a really fun case because she was supposed to be a kind of "throwaway" role, only there for a scene or two. She wasn't even planned like she turned out to be (I originally imagined her younger, for example). But then she... just happened lol. Within a few lines of her dialogue I was in love with her and she was just so fun to write, in a way she wormed her way into a bigger role than intended and I'm really glad she did because it works out so well in so many ways. Funny how things go sometimes 😂

honestly my OCs often end up surprising me in one way or another haha. rare are those who stick to the plan

(rest under cut cuz it's getting long)

27. What area of writing do you feel strongest in?

Battle scenes, apparently 8)

30. How much do you edit your fics?  Do you edit as you write or wait until you finish the first draft?

I actually... don't edit that much 😅

ig in a way I edit in my head before I write? I've always been like that tbh, even at school--what I write down (whether fic, essay, translation...) is often very close to the final version. Of course I go over it a couple times once I'm done and tweak a few things here and there, but it's usually minor stuff. Sometimes I end up redoing entire scenes/chapters because I feel something's not working, but it's rather rare when it happens.

37. What fic has been the hardest for you to write?

Probably Fractured Lives? There's a reason it's only gotten five updates in nine years so far. I have to be in a very specific mood to write it, which doesn't happen often. A pity, cuz I liked the concept...

49. What fic of yours would you say is the best introduction to you as a writer?

I'd say The Best Laid Plans. It's got my particular brand of humor, and also some kickass battle scenes :p

Another one would be Strong Currents, cuz worldbuilding (plus getting Gaius and Wingul to have emotional talks lolol)

61. In Concubinage, what’s your favorite scene that you wrote?

Probably Lin and Arst's first kiss. It's such a significant moment<3

65. If you wrote a sequel to Concubinage, what would happen in it?

I am actually vaguely planning a sequel if I can finish it. Basically it'd be the events/plot of the game, but with all the changes in settings brought about by the events of Concubinage. I'll have to think carefully about what will change, what will stay the same, and what will be a slightly different spin on things that'll still happen. I think the main difficulty will be to juggle Milla's journey with Gaius&Wingul being the main characters without them overtaking the plot. And also how close or different it should be to canon...

74. Do you have a fic you wish got a bit more love?

Among my least kudosed ones, I'd say Chaos in the Ballroom (my Tales Big Bang fic). I know it's a bit different from my usual stuff, and relies heavily on knowledge about Agria's side story, but I put a lot of thought in that one.

[cabezadeperro]

hi!! I would love to hear about the director's commentary for "death and a kindness"?

hi friend!!!!!

death and a kindness my beloved ♥️

i'm a huge fantasy fan, even if i don't read it as much as i used to (because i am also the pickiest person alive). this was in a way my homage to that genre, in that i think it is the most "traditional" fantasy thing i have ever written, both in fic and in my own original fiction. still, it's more of a low fantasy than high fantasy lmao

there's a lot of Lore TM to that AU i never shared in any of the fics i published, about cody and rex's childhood before their father was killed and their experience in captivity, and then how they got free and kicked off the rebellion. and also stuff about obi-wan and quinlan and luminar and the force in this 'verse and how they got to where they are, but lbr i am first and foremost a cody person lol

it all got complicated in teh sequel (and i think i chickened out), but i started writing that first fic because i wanted to explore that kind of dynamic, i wanted to explore an AU where their power imbalance and differences in life experience exists in maybe more obvious ways, since i feel that it's one of those things it's very often glossed over in codywan fic. i wanted to write a version of cody who very much doesn't just distrust obi-wan but dislike him (and for good reasons!), and an obi-wan that has embraced all the ruthlessness that i think it is part of his character.

i think that AU is my favourite kind of AU to write: i had a lot of fun exploring the character dynamics in that specific context, and i love that kind of worldbuilding. most of my worldbuilding is vibes-based (i usually don't research a lot lmao i do that enough in my day job, thank you very much), but i think it really came together in that fic.

i also think i was low key stealing stuff without realising from what might be my favourite fantasy series, the malaz books (one of these days i'll make it to the end of the series.......). the whole premise (the rebels and the soldiers for pay) and the vibes are kind of similar to those books'.

also, for what it's worth: i think this might be my favourite part of that fic:

“We looked for you.”  Cody shakes himself and turns to look at his brother. Rex is staring at nothing; his hold on Cody’s arm is so tight it hurts. “We went back after they left and we looked for you among the corpses and found nothing.” Cody still remembers the day he realised that the world was an unjust, cruel place he could make better. That he realised there was very little he wouldn’t do to make his cruel, unjust world better. He fell after he told them it was time to leave. Hit to the head, lost consciousness for a few hours. Someone took him away from the battlefield, hid him in a barn—when he woke up, it was night, and they were searching for him, so he hid his knives and his armour and joined the workers in the fields and when Kenobi’s soldiers set the fields on fire he joined the long, long line of refugees and prisoners as well.  Rex looks exhausted. Cody tugs him closer, places one dry kiss on his brother’s forehead, feels Rex shudder. “I knew you couldn’t be dead, I just thought—” “I would come back from the dead for you. Cross the river, find my bones, fight the lady of the well and win,” Cody tells him seriously. Rex stops, mouth open, and Cody cradles his face with his cold hands, feeling stubble and too-sharp cheekbones. “I would. I will. Alright?” Rex snorts wetly. “Alright.” They rest in silence, eyes closed, foreheads touching. Cody sighs. He steps away, rubbing at his face. He can half-see Kenobi between the trees further down the narrow, winding road, whispering to the horses. “He’s not what I expected,” Rex says suddenly. Cody scowls. “I don’t trust him,” he tells his brother. “He will use us until he can’t and then he will get us out of his way.” The peasants call him the Kind Man. 

[stitchwraith-stingers]

i got u

first off heres my family tree 4 them... its apart of a worldbuilding au i have so it would probably be different from canon but most of it still stands

i have aton of lore for angela bcuz im #crazy sorry if u wanted antony content, she had a fairy godparent when she was 10 (more on this here plus her fae sorry he looks ugly i cant draw old men i love u cirrus) and she was suicidal!! (like me, dw about it) her family was fine she just didnt like sharing her problems and used him as an anchor which prooooobably made her spiral out of control once she accidently lost him, she was semi-verbal during this time, shes also asexual but she has a job so she doesnt care abt that rn, probably shares hazel her old bug books she had where she collected dead ones and looks back on it and goes yeah i mightve been a little bit fucked up..... i dont remember though lol, also the inatentive adhderrrrrrrr

marcus had an alright time, he mostly complained about a ghost haunting the school gym but no one believed him, likes creativity but is bad at it (the fact that hes happy is what matters) he 100% used the fact that angelas family has this 'french middle name' thing going on to his advantage, angela is like were not naming our son james and he goes ok but what about jules as the middle name and she sighs and goes sure 😭😭

i like to imagine antony wasnt happy about gaining a younger sibling, he was like salty about it, but would sneak into hazels baby room and would stare and play w her whenever he got caught he went nooo im just pretending to be nice >:T he would not want to admit it for the first year, like a dad persisting he doesnt want a cat, i like to believe he had a pet iguana and probably snuck it in his dorm room before getting caught, the adhd and ocderrrrrr

i wont talk abt hazel in this i hazelpost enough on my acc take my offerings

If they want to, can someone please share with me their Antony Wells, Hazel Wells, each member of the Wells Family, or just head canons about them all together in either the reblogs or replies ? I want to know more about this silly family, doesn’t matter if it’s headcanons I just wanna know MORE 😭😭 they’re so underrated, especially Antony because I see like no content of him and he’s such a great and silly brother and character 💔💔 he’s one of my favorites. like his crush with Dejah is so cute I’m gonna SOB. You should all give your silly headcanons about this family/j

You should all share art of them as well !! (Only if you feel comfortable to ofc :3)

[caspercryptid]

jayce is an empath, actually

LoL version of Jayce, so enjoy this 40 year old man. A Very Different Superpowers au, worldbuilding as I go.

-----

Jayce Giopara didn't need superpowers.

Why would he? He had his mind. He was brilliant enough that people tended to assume it WAS a superpower, and he wasn't inclined to correct them. He was smart and he was talented and he'd built himself a suit and made himself a hero. No one needed to know his strength was just machinery and his mind was just stubbornness, patience, and practice. No one needed to know he didn't have any powers.

Hadn't.

Hadn't. Had any powers.

Past tense. Because it is 6am, Jayce is at HQ, and he thinks he might be in love with Vi.

This is, of course, impossible. Not just because she's not even remotely his type and a lesbian to boot, or because previously to this moment he'd viewed her with all the sexual possibility of a particularly well crafted desk chair, but because he hadn't felt this way before Caitlyn walked into the room. Love at first sight is one thing. Spontaneous attraction, sure, Jayce had experienced that oh when Viktor someone tilted their head just so and the light caught their cheekbones. That's all well and good, latent attraction clicking into place a little late. That definitely wasn't it. He definitely hadn't found all this adoration for Vi in the last two minutes. In fact, before Caitlyn had come in, all he'd been feeling was an intense hatred for the coffee he was drinking, which had also been kind of strange. He liked his coffee awful. It reminded him of college.

Jayce looks into his coffee, slowly processing the weird warm bloom in his chest. He tries it again. It's much better.

"Hey, Cait?" He asks, interrupting the briefing.

She sighs. "Yes, Jayce?"

"What's the oldest someone's ever manifested their gift?"

She squints at him. "---Ninety." She says. "Someone once set their will on fire while in their death bed."

"Great." He says. "I need to go test a theory."

"what are you-- GET BACK HERE JAYCE--"

He's already gone.

____

He probably should have paid attention to the briefing, he thinks, standing in the middle of the street watching a massive monster spitting acid run by and melt a building. Caitlyn usually didn't get them up before nine without good reason. At least he wore his armor.

He has time to think that he really doesn't have the time for this and then the creature's looking at him, and he can't do anything but freeze up because it's--- curious. The thing isn't angry. It's just curious. And he doesn't really know what to do to that, but it's also hungry. Jayce... Doesn't want to hit it.

Dammit, he really doesn't want to hit it. It's lunging at him and he doesn't want to hit it. He swears and takes off down the street, diving sideways into the first evacuated restaurant he can find. The monster doesn't seem to be able to slow it's roll, so it skids past him, and that gives him enough time to lunge deeper in and grab armfulls of soup bags from the deep freezer. He runs back out, whistling, and the creature turns it's head back towards him.

"FETCH!" he yells, and throws a bag.

It makes a noise that's probably hellish screeching to anyone else, but to Jayce it feels like pure joy, and takes after the bag. Jayce hefts another one, throws it up, and swings the hammer to slam it down the street like he's playing baseball, and he's rewarded with another happy pulse of interest and a sprinting after the bag.

"good boy!" Jayce yells.

"what the fuck?"

Jayce looks up.

Machine herald is on the edge of a building, armor shining in the light, and Jayce can't help a grin.

"just the man I wanted to see." He says.

"now I know you've gone insane."

"come on. Come throw a ball for the puppy before he melts another building."

"Puppy?"

"Viktor."

To Jayce's absolute joy and no small surprise, calling his name works and Viktor jumps down off the edge of the building, landing heavy in front of Jayce. He picks up a bag of soup and throws it twice as far as Jayce managed to hit it, sending the creature sprinting after it.

"Showoff."

"like you aren't."

Jayce opens his mouth to reply, but the curiosity is gone, and the bubbling joy is gone, and instead he feels like he's been hit in the chest.

Love. Love, and fondness, and sadness, and bitterness. Confusion. The confusion that's in the way Viktor's tipping his head at him, even behind the mask.

Jayce grins, can't stop grinning.

"I was right." He says. "You do still have feelings."

Viktor stares at him from behind the mask, confusion warring with concern, and then he says--

"I'm kidnapping you to check your head."

"fair enough."

Jayce is taking the win.

[sitp-recs]

hi liv <3 i just finished by the grace by lettered and i am suddenly really really into wizarding politics. the worldbuilding was INSANE. do you have any drarry fic recs with great political subplot? thanks so much!!!

Isn’t that fic glorious?! I hadn’t read something that powerful and emotionally satisfying since Far From the Tree, thinking about it gets me all emo again *sigh* love this ask, anon! I’m super into politics subplots as well, wish I had more recs to share. I’ve listed my favorites below and if you’re into humorous AUs I strongly rec all of @blamebrampton’s works - their political satires are absolutely brilliant and Little Red Courgette is a must-read in my opinion. Now, if you’re craving something darker with “be gay, do crimes” vibes, I also suggest checking the Revolution/Conspiracy reclist. Enjoy!

A Cold Spot in Hell by @drarrytrash (2020, E, 8k)

When there’s nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire. If you wanted 8k of sexy arson, emotionally difficult arson, general arson, handkerchiefs, dread, and poetry curation, now is really your moment.

And Save Me From Bloody Men by @blamebrampton (2010, T, 10k) - AU

Draco Malfoy once watched others fighting to stop the world falling apart. This time, he's not just watching.

Two Zinnias and the Scent of Lemon by @the-starryknight (2021, M, 16k)

The Ministry didn’t turn bad overnight. Harry didn’t suddenly turn rogue either. Between covert Legilimency links and Polyjuice disguises and running and running and running, Draco has forgotten what it is like to have a safe harbor that isn’t a person. If there’s an art to fighting back, then they’ll find it hand in hand.

Vortex by @xanthippe74 (2020, T, 20k)

Who would want a soulmate who was a schoolyard bully, a Death Eater, and a convicted felon? Certainly not Harry Potter. And Draco is determined to take this secret to the grave.

Black Coffee on a Lonely Night by Femme (2009, M, 21k) - Muggle AU

Draco owns a café in the city. Harry's a MP who comes in every morning, newspapers in one hand, BlackBerry in the other, and orders a triple espresso macchiato.

Offer Up Our Hearts by @tackytigerfic (2019, M, 23k)

Harry Potter has a very nice life, thank you very much. He's a top Curse-Breaker with a lucrative Ministry contract, and exciting prospects ahead.

A Ghost in the Garden by thistle_verse (2016, E, 27k)

Harry and Draco are thrown together on an investigation into a sinister political movement.

The Nobility of Ascent by Lomonaaeren (2020, E, 27k)

Not even his own fame and power are enough to get the Wizengamot to pass laws protecting Muggleborn and orphaned children, so Harry swallows his pride and goes to Draco Malfoy, who can teach him how to convince the prejudiced old bastards to listen to him.

Incongruent by agentmoppet (2015, E, 41k)

The war has left its mark on everyone. The Ministry, as usual, is only too happy to take advantage. But Harry won't let them destroy his home, no matter what he has to do to stop them. And no matter if a certain Draco Malfoy insists on getting him off track.

Antediluvia by @lol-zeitgeistic (2016, E, 56k)

Everyone always forgets about the Merpeople. So did Harry until the day his, Lee’s, and Hermione’s Portkeys land at Reagan National Airport’s Arrivals dais. He’s just had to leave a job he loves and pack his entire life—literally—into his luggage. Then Malfoy and his subplots arrive, and suddenly, saving the world again, one Mermaid at a time, sounds like the perfect excuse to do something he’s always wanted.

Modern Love by @tackytigerfic (2020, E, 61k)

Harry Potter, of all people, knows that life isn’t always fair. And no one gets to be happy all of the time. But surely there’s something more—something better—than a rubbish Ministry job, and a lonely old house, and that feeling that everyone out there is doing a better job of living than Harry is.

A Young Radical's Guide to Love by blamebrampton (2013, T, 66k)

Memories of the war are still fresh, which is all the excuse Decent People need to do appalling things. In this quietly waged conflict, Draco Malfoy is happy to be on the right side of things for once, and even happier to find he’s not alone.

We Are Young (I'll Carry You Home Tonight) by Femme (2012, E, 68k)

Harry and Draco have been falling into bed on and off again since the last election five years ago, much to the amusement--and financial gain--of their circle of friends. But when Harry agrees to work with Draco to put Kingsley Shacklebolt into the Minister's office, they can't work side-by-side again every day and sleep together; that would be courting disaster. Wouldn't it?

Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love by @aibidil (2017, E, 80k)

In which a group of wizards' rights activists goes on the offensive after a prohibition against love potions, forcing the magical world to confront the horror of magic's role in sexual assault and the murky legal nature of consent. Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Draco are swept together to solve the case, and in the process they're made to confront their own love and lust—with and without potions.

Super Rich Kids by @thusspoketrish (2020, E, 81k)

Draco Malfoy has become disillusioned by the glitz and glamour of the scandalous lives of the Post-Second Wizarding War Pureblood Elite. Enter: one existential crisis, one group of thieving cynical friends, and several terrible, terrible decisions.

Any Instrument by @dictacontrion (2015, E, 131k)

Draco Malfoy wouldn't go back to England for anything less than an exceptional case. Being asked to figure out why Harry Potter can't control his magic might be exceptional enough to qualify.

When Times are Dire by aibidil (E, 130k)

Magical Britain is screwed, and it's once again up to Harry to save it. This time, by marrying Draco Malfoy.

This Ain't the Garden of Eden by @romaine2424 (2021, E, 131k)

In 2020, Hit Wizard Harry is starting to enjoy his life. He’s divorced, and no longer Head Auror. His biggest project these days is trying to remodel 12 Grimmauld Place for him and the kids. Draco Malfoy is recovering from his wife’s death. But is happy with his Ministry position as Temporary Head of the Department of Intoxicating Substances, and with his son who he adores. This all changes quickly when Minister Shacklebolt decides not to run for another term.

By the Grace by @letteredlettered (2020, T, 140k)

Harry is an Auror instructor. Malfoy wants to be an Auror.

Tales from the Special Branch series by Femme (E, WIP)

When Gawain Robards asks him to form Special Branch seven-four-alpha, Harry Potter knows they'll have to work outside the confines of the law--even though they are the law.

[cescalr]

For the writing ask game, 7. Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of? 8. What song would make a great fic (to either write or read)? 12. Are there any tropes you used to dislike but have grown on you?

Hey hey! Great choices there, friend.

7. Any worldbuilding you're particularly proud of?

Oh, actually, quite a few! So I'll share a few. For When The Sunset Turns To Gold, And The Universe Decrees, The Red Spider, and most of all In Another Universe (Maybe We Were Happy.) (Can't forget my Ginny Time Travels AU, but that's more than four, so, sad sigh. ;) ) As to why; FWSTG - Narnia books/movies make me sad. Exercise in worldbuilding a universe where the Pevensies get to be happy. AUD - funky little alternate sorting AU where i don't just focus on Hogwarts but also get to dabble in writing the WW's adult population for death and politics having times. They are, uh. Having A Time Of It, for sure. RS - A total conversion au where Ron is spodermans. Very funky. going to be incredibly angsty >:). IAUMWWH - Literally like six whole-ass AUs in one fic. It's a 5 + 1 style of fic but the 5 + 1 took 44k words. What was i thinking. Each chapter is basically standalone, my favourites are all of them but in order in terms of worldbuilding, 3 would take no. 1. Total AU except not really ;). A twist on a coffeeshop AU because I can't help myself and always need to insert murder. Ah well. It worked out - people seemed to like that one :D. But yeah. All told, worldbuilding is my favourite thing like In General To Do When Writing, so that affects this answer quite a bit, I would say. I mean, there's loads more total aus and other things I've written really in depth that I really care about, but I didn't want to bog down this answer with my inability to make decisions.

8. What song would make a great fic to either write or read?

Ohhhhh man so okay so I recently used Kneel and Disconnect by Porcupine Tree to title a new fic of mine, and I was like, listening to The Incident again because it's such a fucking good album, and my guy, their songs are so much fodder, oh god. Could do so much with any Porcupine Tree song, fr. Time Flies, Trains, just... so much.

As for one specific song I think would make a good fic.... hm. I'll be honest I don't do much of that songfic stuff. But, having said that, I make AMVs, and those are a kind of fic, no? So. I've got a whole playlist of songs I'd use for AMVs, to tell a story.

Lol. Anything to get out of actually picking a song :D. I did use Broken Strings in a fic, once, though! So there's that!!

12. Are there any tropes you used to dislike but have grown on you?

Eeeeeeeehhhhhhhh I don't... think so? I think there's loads of the opposite, but I really can't think of one that I didn't like that i do like now. Hmm. Eh. Ah well!

Thanks for the ask!!!!

[kueble]

Does adding to your existing au count for monster march? lol.  Let’s pretend it does.  Here’s a little bit of worldbuilding from demon!Geralt’s POV early in their relationship.

Rated Teen, canon typical violence, 1300 words

---

Life has been rather chaotic lately, and Geralt only has himself to blame.  Well, he has the talkative bard walking next to him to blame.  Jaskier is currently rambling on about some festival he played at last fall, and honestly Geralt gave up focusing on the words hours ago.  But the tone of his voice is light and bouncy, and Geralt lets it wash over him and offers grunts or hums when it seems appropriate.

The constant chatter had taken some time to get used to, because Geralt has been on his own for so long.  Most demons travel on their own, mostly because it’s hard enough to stay fed when there’s only one of you around.  Anything else would be too risky.  

Of course they all regularly meet back in their own realm, because even demons deserve a home.  Geralt sees his brothers and adoptive father once a year at least.  Vesemir rarely leaves their realm anymore, just ventures out when summoned, but the rest of them travel the human world, picking up contracts and making deals as it suits them.

Lambert and Eskel have been known to team up and roam around together, since they are both willing to take on a lot of work Geralt won’t.  Eskel’s so well fed he uses magic for most everything, and Lambert is always up for helping pretty much anyone get revenge, even for the slightest of insults.  The two of them are able to carry on together and still keep their magic flowing and their bellies full.

Sometimes Geralt wishes he didn’t stick to the code he’d created for himself when he was younger.  He’s more likely to talk a possible contract out of their revenge than help carry it through.  Sure, he’s a vengeance demon, but humans bicker over the stupidest things.  No one needs to be murdered because they accidentally plowed their neighbor’s field - metaphorical or not.

He’d come to terms with the constant hunger years ago, had decided it was easier to travel by foot, easier to camp out under the stars, easier to do most things by hand than to carry the heavy weight of a deal he didn’t feel comfortable with.  No, he needed to believe in the justice he was delivering.  He wouldn’t let himself be used as a weapon for something he didn’t think was necessary.

And so he travels light and goes hungry more often than not.  That’s just his lot in life.

Only things are a bit different now, aren’t they?  He chuckles under his breath and turns to watch Jaskier.  He’s still talking, hands flapping around as he tells his story.  He’s young, even for a human, and he hasn’t lost the shine most of them have.  He genuinely thinks the world is a fantastic place, hasn’t been cut down by reality yet, and Geralt hates the fact that it’s only a matter of time.  No one stays this bright and untouched forever.  There’s a pause in the conversation, and Geralt realizes he’s been asked a question.  He looks at Jaskier and offers an inquisitive hmmm which doesn't seem to suffice.

“The inn, Geralt.  Honestly, you need more rest than you let on.  You must be dead on your feet.  Anyway, I was asking about the inn.  We might be able to barter a room if I offer my services for the night.  Shall I try?” Jaskier asks, face hopeful as he looks up at him.

“I suppose a bed would be nice,” Geralt shrugs, and they turn toward the building across the town square.  

Sadly, it isn’t meant to be, and a bulky looking man steps in front of their path and shouts out a quick, “Oi! Demon, we don’t need your kind around here.  Go peddle your trade elsewhere.  We keep a clean town.”

Geralt sighs and waits to see what Jaskier plans to do.  Geralt isn’t one to stick up for himself, because it’s not worth the trouble, but Jaskier simply can’t ignore idiots like this guy.  Sure enough, Jaskier slowly slides his lute strap off his shoulder and hands it to Geralt, who smiles as he takes it.

“Excuse me?  Are you saying my friend is dirty because he’s a demon?” Jaskier hisses out, already rolling up his sleeves as he walks over to the poor man.  Most people give up at this point, but this guy apparently doesn’t see Jaskier as a threat and just starts spouting off more anti-demon nonsense.  

He doesn’t duck the first punch, but manages to turn to the side and avoid most of the second.  By now a crowd is gathering, and Geralt steps closer just in case he’s needed.  Jaskier has an uncanny ability to look like this tiny lithe little thing, but he’s actually a sight to see when he goes feral like this.  His cheeks are flushed, his eyes wild, and he’s already breaking out in a sweat as they scuffle.

He’s quite stunning, actually.

Geralt freezes, looking around as if the gathering crowd could hear his thoughts.  Of course everyone has eyes on the fight, and no one cares about a demon having a mental breakdown on the sidelines.  He watches Jaskier throw one last punch, knocking the brute flat on his back, and realizes that he’s half hard in his trousers.

And fuck, he can unpack that one later, because he is absolutely not doing this right now.

Instead, Geralt calmly slides the lute in front of his body and lets his eyes fall closed.  He doesn’t need to in order to feed, but the crowd is noisy and it helps to block them out and focus.  The energy pouring out of Jaskier is intense, and he opens himself up and takes it in.  Lust demons might have more fun when they feed, but Jaskier’s justified rage is going to fuel him for weeks.

It’s actually nice to be able to feed without having to accept a contract.  Jaskier has been surprisingly good at keeping him well fed since they’ve been together.  The bard simply cannot stand to see any injustice in the world and will throw fists at the drop of a hat.  It’s not always about the way Geralt’s treated, either.  The other day Jaskier verbally attacked a handsy drunk and got him to leave the tavern owner’s daughter alone.  It had been a quick meal, but a filling one.

Geralt hasn’t had this much excess magic in years, and he’s starting to get used to it.  Still, he might need to at least try to avoid situations like this going forward.  As much as he likes having someone jump in to protect him, Jaskier needs his hands to play and he’d moped around for a week the last time he got hurt in a fight.  It’s a sight best to be avoided, if possible; altogether too much pouting and sighing for anyone to ignore.

No one in the crowd notices the flash of blue light that signals the creation of Geralt’s new cloak.  It covers his wings nicely, and will maybe give them some room to breath in the next village.  It’s much too late for tonight, though.  With a heavy sigh, he trudges through the crowd and yanks his bard up from where he’s currently kneeling and shouting down at his opponent.

“We’ll camp tonight,” Geralt grumbles as he makes his way out of town.

“Sure we will.  Wouldn’t want to stick around that cesspool any longer than necessary.  Backwards bunch of fuckers,” Jaskier cries over his shoulder, and Geralt can’t help grinning to himself as they walk away.

Yes, it’s nice to not be starving all the time, but he supposes the company is worth a little trouble, too.

---

Tags list:  @halerune @eya-trying-to-function @honeysuckletook @mayastormborn @dani-dandelino @feraljaskier @jaskierswolf @littoraly-art @lovesight @saphiramalbec @dapandapod @theweirdlynx @tedrakitty @sharinalein @theamazingdevilgivesmehope @iamaqt314

If you’d like to be added/removed, please let me know. Thank you!

[shadowdianne]

Fic writer review [Or a fic writer tag game if you prefer]

I was tagged by @naralanis and I can already see her grin all the way from where I am xd Thank you, dear, for the tag, let’s see what are my answers, shall we.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

*bursts out laughing* Adding both pseuds I have… 535 according to the account info but by counting them all I’m reaching 541 so I’m guessing it’s counting some drafts I need to re-find.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

I seriously hated you for this one xd I was going to do it by hand by I decided one-third there that I value my mental stability a little bit more xd according to the stats page back at a03 that number would be 1257884. It may be wrong. I think there should be a few more numbers up there but the majority of my works are one-shots so *shrugs* There’s also the fact that counting my ao3 things only is shaving off like half of it Xd Anyway, can we laugh at the fact that I’m a pain in the ass and that I’ve written a lot? More than I should have, that’s for sure

3. How many fandoms have you written for?

Trick question because I haven’t crossposted everything I wrote back in ffnet and I actually erased some fics from my account back there so the numbers are a little blurry there.

When I had the entirety of my work posted both in ffnet and a03 I had written for: Twilight (Bella/Alice) Glee (Faberry and there were a couple Pezberry and I don’t fucking remember the pairing name for Santana and Quinn), Harry Potter (Hermione/Ginny, Hermione/Narcissa, Hermione/Bellatrix) OUAT (SwanQueen and several oneshots focusing on the mad hatter and the blue fairy solely back at ffnet that were written in Spanish and never translated), I actually had a veeeery old au prompt of Frozen (Elsanna in where I wrote them as non sibilings), Rizzoli and Isles (Rizzles), Dishonored 2 (Emily Kaldwin/Alexi Mayhew), Lara Croft and Wonder Woman, Supergirl (SuperCorp/Supercat) I had a 100 one -or maybe two??- (Clexa), The Shannara Chronicles (Amberle/Eretreia [Or Princess Rover], Rwby [Blake Belladona/Yang], The Worst Witch (Hecate Hardbroom and Pippa Pentangle), The Half of it, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Madam Satan/Zelda Spellman) and… I think that’s it(?) I may be forgetting some but probably nothing important if I’m not remembering it lol.

4. Top 5 fics by kudos?

Ah, we are going to go there, uh? Xd My works are not the kudos and comment getting type Xd So I was quite surprised when I went to check this.

1: Cracked it I wrote this one back in 2017, it was a prompt done by an anon: Lena is nerding with one of her projects at home, mumbling mostly to herself because she’s stuck and Kara casually mentions how to solve the problem like it’s nothing. I really had some fun with this. It was back when some us, SQeeners were fully doing the jump between OUAT and SuperGirl (I mean, there had already been some crossover as for fandom is related but this when the girls were actually getting their conjoined voice within the fandom)

2: Dateless I honestly needed to check what this one was about but I think I can see why this one shot has the amount of kudos it has. It’s a short and sweet idea and responds to the Teachers Au that went SO well with SQ. Everyone thinks they hate each other and try to set them up with other people whilst they, in truth, are dating. I don’t remember if I wrote them as married rather than dating but despite being from 2017 as well is one cheeky enough to be cool Xd I probably would edit some lines now *shudders*

3: After you I truly didn’t expect this one to be top 3. Makes me think of a lot of things, if I’m being honest Xd. After you was a one shot written almost feverishly as an answer to the fabulous drawings that Sejic did of both Lara Croft and Wonder Woman back at 2018 or something. It’s just Lara and Diana being himbos but not at all with each other.

4: How about… How about is one I remember perfectly, it was my answer to the ending of the Half of it film. I had SOME thoughts about it, let’s just stop there Xd I really liked the film itself but I think and I thought at the time that my response to wishing for a final scene at the very end of the credits responds to me being in a different personal moment than the characters. I really wanted to explore my feelings about it and so I wrote about them finding each other again after some time passes. It was also something I wrote after quite the hiatus so I took it as something I could write about without focusing too much on the why.

5: Come to me

Ahh, SuperCorp Xd I remember this one actually. A friend of mine and I were talking about descriptions, and she mentioned quite off-handedly how she wanted a fic in where Kara’s back was described. I complied… more or less.

Fun tidbit, despite the big volume of my work is obviously set in ouat there’s only 1 SQ fic there as you can see, the others are either SuperCorp or the random one shots I created for Wonderwoman/Lara Croft and The half of it. *sighs in deep thought* I’m also not going to look too much into how almost all of the fics were posted and written back in 2017. Nope, not at all.

*Small voice screaming you peaked in 2017 and everything else is garbage jumps back and forth*

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

I tend to always respond, yup. I truly value comments. I might have gone for spells of time in where I didn’t have the mental capacity to check in old fics because I truly didn’t know what to answer but I treasure every single comment and you all who comment know that I can start to ramble in the answers xd -sorry about that- I really really REALLY love interaction.

6. A fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending:

Ok, Nara, come on, this one is a catch for me. I’ve written angst in far too many fics to remember the angstiest one :P I have the most recent one, though, that is the easy one to think about: Goodbye.Written for @delirious-comfort. I’m just going to say “Kisses with their last dying breath” as an idea of what awaits inside but I’ve written about death and loss and angst quite a lot. There were some I wrote back to SQ with Regina needing to kill Emma during the Dark Swan arc that, to this day, I still love and some others in where Regina is the one that dies, again and again, trapped by magic while Emma watches. I have the loss in mental destruction form and… I REALLY like my angst y’know xd

7. Do you write crossovers?

Not counting Lara and Wonder Woman not really! I think it comes from the fact that I loooove worldbuilding as a whole and some pairings would require all my focus into making the world perfect which in turn would make me self conscious on the OOCness of it all.

8. Ever received hate on a fic?

*snorts* I’ve received hate due to the pairing I’ve written about, how I’ve written about it, the amount I’ve written, how slow or quick I can be, the usage of some tropes, the lack of usage of those same tropes… Let’s just go with: yuuuup.

9. Do you write smut?

I’ve written smut, yeah! But I can already see the pointed looks of some so let’s elaborate Xd I write smut when asked and sometimes when not asked but there’s a part of me I like to call a terrible tease that prefers writing the beginning of a scene, taunt it, focus on what happens before the sex scene per se as I find it more enjoyable to write. The process of escalation is always the best for me to see what can I do it by using both dialogue and descriptors tbh, so I tend to tease more than show.

9. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

A few weeks ago I’d have said: Maybe(?) But trying to follow the trail of some other fics that had been stolen from some friends -I think it was me trying to find more about the page that stole something from your Nara!- I found some pages in where my fics had been reposted. In some it was stated that the person posting the fic wasn’t the author but I had never been contacted in order to see if I’d say yes to such a thing and in some others the page was locked up but I could still see someone was pretending to be the author. I did the thing and got some of those down.

Pointed note: Ask me if you want to post or translate or anything. I will look into you and answer you if you seem honest about the thing. But despite every joke and self-deprecating comment those 500 and then some fics represent MY time so very kindly I say fuck off to those who wish to steal from me and if I catch you… you don’t really want to see me angry, trust me.

10. Ever had a fic translated?

I’ve given permission to some, yeah, but never heard it back from them so I’m guessing it didn’t stick.

12. Have you ever co-written a fic?

I’ve written series alongside other authors as @stregaomega for example. And some others that are unpublished -looking at you @carsonnieve - I’ve also done collabs… but fics co-written in the sense of two authors same chapters I don’t have anything posted I’m afraid :P

13. All-time favourite ship?

*snorts*, I guess the obvious answer is SQ uh? And I do think they were the ones that allowed me to read and write SO much. The one I feel more strongly about, however, is Bering and Wells from Warehouse 13.

14. WIP you want to finish, but don’t think you ever will?

All of them counts as a valid answer? But if I only could finish one that would be Arcadia. With A forgotten Promise second and the one I did as an Assassins Creed AU third. (I don’t remember the name so there’s no link, sorry xd)

15. Writing strengths?

Uhhhh, you REALLY want me to say that? I don’t fucking know!! To me everything I write is garbage. I always try to go for the feelings so I guess. Dunno xd I’ve been told I’m good at worldbuilding and to be honest is what I enjoy the most.

16. Writing weaknesses?

Everything Xd Pacing? What I hate the most sometimes is dialogue, I would count it as a weakness but I’m always far too focused on description rather than dialogue. I don’t think it’s a bad thing per se but it’s something that I don’t do as much.

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

I’m conflicted. Always. Majorly because I think that having bilingual characters in fanfiction is portrayed and expected in a way that I don’t feel it’s honest with how bilingual people -us- talk. So if I go by what I know I do I think it’s not what readers hope to see when it comes to that and if I go for how canonically is hoped to be found I don’t think it’s logical. But that’s me and my overthinking Xd If I have the option I like to do it.

18. First fandom you ever wrote for?

Belice! Or Bella/Alice. Worst first fic ever but oh, well, I’m always saying that :P

19. What’s your fav fic you’ve written so far?

Uhh… Don’t make me do this XD Agh, I don’t know. I’ve always been very vocal about Metallic Ink because I let myself enjoy the process of creating a magic system almost out of zero and that was fun. Despite hating some of the writing process and that I’d do it differently now I think I’m going to stick with that answer. Or anything that had any steampunk-based undertone. To be honest I like more thinking of concepts, I had one in where Emma was a thief and it involved the robbery of a ring that was Regina’s one way ticket to freedom I then later repurposed that I adored thinking about so let’s go with…. Yeah, I love having the option of changing things up a little and focus on how characters would fit in different aesthetics for this one Xd

Annnd… these are four pages, gods. I’m just going to tag @waknatious @carsonnieve @stregaomega here and see what they do- Enjoy the questionnaire ladies :P

[wordstro]

omg okay so here are yeosang’s and wooyoung’s more indepth backstories in the hero/villain au because in between working on my wips I’ve been thinking about this universe as a whole a LOT lol. this also includes everyone else's powers (the backstories aren't as in depth yet) as well just a little worldbuilding establishment:

yeosang’s powers are persuasion. he was always a quiet, shy boy who liked to keep to himself. he wasn’t always quiet though, not until the day he activated his powers. when he was 13 years old, he’d been upset about something he didn’t even remember, that’s how insignificant it was, and he screamed and shouted at his parents. his mother sighed, and his father crossed his arms over his chest and said stop being a brat and tell us what happened. ironically, yeosang hated being told what to do. he stomped his foot in anger and shouted, “leave me alone! go away!”

then he turned and stomped up the stairs and slammed the door shut. when he emerged from his room hours later and tiptoed to the kitchen in search of food. the apartment was eerily quiet, the tv still running and the lights still on. he’d gone to sleep peacefully that night, unknowing that his parents would never return.

to this day he did not know where they were.

he’d lashed out a boy prodding at him during gym class, still reeling from his parent’s abandonment. he remembered the boy’s insult. you’re so useless and ugly. no wonder your parents left you, he’d spat. yeosang saw red. he hissed, “go jump off a bridge, asshole.” the boy’s eyes went blank and he turned away. yeosang stared after him in confusion but the bell rang and he was herded back to the school. the next day he learned that the boy jumped off the highway bridge still dressed in his gym uniform.

that’s when yeosang knew what he could do.

he did not speak and kept to himself since then, festering in guilt, always on the look out for his parents. in high school, he met a boy with a big smile on his face and mischief in his eyes. he witnessed one of yeosang’s bouts of anger, when he cornered some bully behind the school where the CCTVs were broken and kids came to smoke and skip class and he told him to forget about his victims and leave them alone, to focus on his grades and family and stop bullying innocent people. he’d owed one of the bully’s victims for her help with keeping him from failing math. jung wooyoung witnessed it all. the boy’s blank eyes and listless nod, yeosang’s test afterwards, everything. before yeosang could persuade wooyoung to forget, wooyoung flicked a finger and blue flames sparked to life at the tip of his fingers.

yeosang suppressed the relief and a sudden onslaught of tears at the sight, the knowledge that he was not alone anymore.

wooyoung used it to light his cigarette and wordlessly offered it to yeosang. yeosang grimaced.

i hate smoking, he’d said. me too, wooyoung replied with a grin, tossing the cigarette to the ground and grinding it with his heel. he swung his arms over yeosang’s shoulder and the rest was history.

yeosang spoke again and wooyoung helped him control his powers and outbursts. yeosang promised he would follow wooyoung to the ends of the earth. and he did, to the hero-villain alliance where he acted as a villain, to the underground meetings, to the coup, to his fights with a team he’d come to love just as strongly as he loved wooyoung. he followed wooyoung through everything and he would do it again and again. still, why did he feel so guilty? why did he feel so much regret?

wooyoung can control fire. his backstory was nothing horrifying. it was kind even compared to the others. he’d simply lost control one day, overwhelmed by emotions as teenagers are, and he burned down his house with his family still in it. he’d left severe burns on his mother and brother, but no one died. when the police came to investigate, his parents covered for him.

his mother reminded him that she loved him and stroked the tears from his face, reminded him that he’d made a mistake and she forgave him for it.

his brother said he forgave him too, but the fear in his eyes remained and wooyoung saw it. he worked to remove it but he saw it. it stayed with him. the fear changed him. not death nor hatred, just the way people looked at him when they found out what he could do, even when he played a hero.

when he and yeosang joined the hero-villain alliance, he’d basked in the kindness in their eyes and though he told himself that he would stop being soft, that he only cared for the people he cared for and that’s it, just his parents who were too old and exhausted and his brother who feared him and yeosang, the team wormed their way into his heart. he loved them. he really did.

they taught him to embrace his softness. they taught him to care. he’d been chosen as a hero by management. but he saw the injustice done to his kind. he despised the fear the public felt towards his villain counterparts, his best friends. it angered him.

because it wasn’t fucking fair. though wooyoung was soft he never agreed with peaceful protests. he believed in fighting and sacrificing for the greater good. peaceful protests rarely changed anything. the ends justified the means. always. so he staged a coup. he had to. for his people. for the world. for the greater good. he betrayed the people he loved most in the world and he would do it over and over again. for the greater good.

jongho’s powers are invulnerability/absolute durability. he has indestructible skin. it’s said he could withstand a nuclear bomb, but no one lets him try it no matter how many times jongho asks. jongho likes danger. it’s the only thing that keeps him entertained and gets him through the numbness he feels every single day. they made him a villain and jongho wondered if they knew that he feigned his optimism. he wondered if they knew how much he despised himself. he wondered if they knew that he used to beat people up just to feel something.

san’s power is intangibility. he can phase through objects by vibrating his molecules to pass through objects. recently he learned to phase his body parts so when someone tries to attack him, they fly straight through him. he tries to learn the science behind it but frankly he doesn’t care. jongho asked once if he could make his molecules turn into a nuclear beam, eyes alight with hope. san would always scold him, but he could see the sincerity in jongho’s eyes. san joined the hero-villain alliance last, plucked from jail for petty theft and given a second chance.

he loved too deeply, and he grew attached too quickly. it was a fatal flaw of his.

so when they betrayed him, yeosang and wooyoung especially, he grew so angry, he was terrified of the force of it. he never knew he could hold so much resentment, but he figures that if he could hold so much love, he could hold just as much hatred too. he fought with a vengeance with anger, but more than anything, with deep, deep hurt.

mingi’s power is light manipulation. he can manipulate light, blind people, create burning heat from it, and even create entire illusions by fracturing light particles. he’d blinded people with his power and he casted an illusion of himself, forever living in his hometown, suffering the consequences of a crime he should have been, and he fled. he’d met yunho on the streets before the hero-villain alliance and they quickly became best friends, brothers even.

hongjoong’s power is dimensional storage. he can store objects and people away for safekeeping. he’s been told that if he trained hard enough, long enough, he could advance his skills. he could manipulate space itself, erase people from existence, create wormholes and paradoxes, warp reality. it would be hard for him.

wooyoung spoke of the possibilities with twinkling eyes.

hongjoong couldn’t admit that his powers terrified him. he still couldn’t bury the guilt of what he did when he couldn’t control his powers. he still didn’t know which dimension he placed his hometown in, whether they were still alive, and it’s nearing twenty years since the accident.

that’s why hongjoong advocated for peace, for treaties and regulations. he hoped for the best in people because that’s all that kept him going. he didn't want to fight. he advocated for his team every single day. he loved them.

that’s why he ignored the signs that wooyoung was up to something until it was too late. every day since then he fought to bring them back, to right his shortcomings.

bonus:

technically this ateez hero/villain au takes place in the same timeline as the astro hero/villain au i have on here on AO3. so the juxtaposition between how fluffy and how much of a fun time astro/the ioi unit/etc are having vs ateez shows how much public opinion of people with powers changed over such a short period of time. especially as super powered people began emerging in droves.

astro’s stories take place when people with superpowers just started emerging. and villains and heroes hated each other but it wasn’t ever as serious as it now is. superheroes were a commodity. no one was extremely afraid of ppl with powers to the point of murder and villains only stole for the paycheck. that’s why they were all best friends. but as the government began to start regulating people with superpowers and ppl began to protest their existence, more government-run academies opened up and all of astro joined the hero-villain alliance as a team. that’s when they joined the biochemical weapons sector. at first it was fine - they didn’t work out on the field often but they hoped with their research they could help their kind and learn more abt themselves. until the experimentation got worse, more invasive, forced. eunwoo was the sole survivor. he lost his shit, but they managed to contain him at a high security facility. when jongho broke him out, eunwoo swore he would avenge them.