#still writing some WIP fics ehe

[starburr]

Alberto: "Wow! The stars are beautiful…"

Giulia: "Yeah, they are!"

Alberto: "You know who else is beautiful?"

Giulia: "Luca?"

Alberto: "Yeah, Luca."

Luca: "Hey I'm right here you know." Alberto and Giulia simultaneously: "And we love you too."

[mirrortouchedsea]

A familiar set of red eyes appeared in the darkness as Kaoru slumped over in his chair. “What’s wrong, little Kaoru?” Rei asked, sliding into a chair across from Kaoru. He picked up one of the books and thumbed through it, seemingly able to read the words despite the dimming candle light. 

“Nothing, just don’t want to go back to studies next week.” Kaoru’s finger traced a circle on the table. “What about you?” 

Rei laughed softly. “It’s nothing you need to worry yourself with.” What a non-answer. By this point Kaoru was aware of the weird disease that impacted the Sakuma family and that Rei was concerned about how it would develop in his younger brother, but the details of it were never specific.

“Is it your brother again?” He couldn’t help but ask. Kaoru had met the younger Sakuma a few times and he was polite enough to his face, though Kaoru suspected he was just putting up an act like everyone else. 

“How astute of you Kaoru,” Rei commented, setting the book down on the table, bored of its contents already. “But no, it’s not about little Ritsu this time.” Kaoru raised an eyebrow but decided to let the conversation drop for now. Rei grabbed another book. “You’ve been reading an awful lot about mermaids recently.” 

[smallblueandloud]

that ds9 modern au seems very interesting 👀

wip wednesday game!

“I’ll see you later,” says Jadzia, pecking Julian on the cheek as the train slows to a stop. “Have fun with Miles!”

“Thanks,” says Julian, smiling at her. “Say hi to Worf for me, will you?”

“Will do,” she says. The train doors open in front of her and everyone piles out, Jadzia caught in the middle of a press of people.

She loves the city -- loves the sheer number of people there are, everywhere she goes. It’s not a very Trill way to think, but then again, no one’s ever accused Jadzia of being too Trill.

[kandicon]

Kandi, have you found a new hyperfixation without me?

I-

Mayyyyyyyyyybbbbbbbbbeeeeeeeeeeeee

Just a little.

In my defense the podcast is 200 episodes long (the shortest episode is 17 minutes, but most frequently they're in the mid 20s) and therefore very time consuming to get into. However if u would like to feel included I can and WILL drop rambles about it at the drop of a hat (my two favs are a facet of the literal personification of all that should not exist, insanity, and deceit who is also partially a guy who was sacrificed to a door by his boss to stop the end of the world (the world wouldn't have ended anyways) and merged with the embodiment of everything listed above and now is very much not happy with having to exist and is having identity issues over it; the other fav is a (dead) goth who burns books and went to kill the guy who's books they all were, but thought the guy he was attacking was too pathetic to be the actual guy he was looking for so he just left halfway thru the murder (spoiler alert: it was the right guy))

Also it is SO much easier to write horror stories about an actual story as opposed to cartoon robots. Like the first fic I started writing after reaching official fic territory was about the character (Helen) who replaced first fav (Michael) as the facet of insanity/delusion/distortion/all that pulling pieces of Michael out of her throat (because when he died and dissolved into door he had to go somewhere), like indepth descriptions about how her esophagus that should not exist because she doesn't exist feels as complete limbs emerge, how it swells and at one point there was the feeling of bones sliding out of the leg further down even as the meat rises (bc it is very much a corpse with bones and meat not that attached any more). And how she has to reach her, long, irregular, sharp hands down her throat-that-should-not-be to pull pieces out. And even as it comes to an end she has to look down and see that the Michael in pieces on her floor is far FAR more human than the one she knew.

I've also half written stuff about both favs (Gerard is the name of the goth) having sweet moments together that I heavily underscore with the fact that they both are pawns to the same person, and their lives will likely end whenever that person wishes. Gerard, however, is the only one aware of this and has no intention of telling Michael about everything (though he knows he should). I <3 doomed characters

Also another short thing abt Gerard being a goth and doing his makeup in the firelight of a burning book that has supernaturally killed ppl, completely ignoring his bleeding body in favor of smudging his eyeshadow juuuuuust right. Also him putting his cigarette out one of his tattoos meant to represent an entity attempting to make him a monster thingy (which was my fav part to write)

[andhumanslovedstories]

chapter eleven of what feels like the most soap opera ass fic I've ever written and then just a bunch of thoughts about writing it, which contains vague spoilers for my plans:

The inception of the fic basically went like this:

haha lol i'd be fun if sqq got real mad at the state of education

what would need to happen in this fic that doesn't happen in canon to motivate him to do something about it

oh shit he didn't unlock OOC so he has to figure out how to be his coddling indulgent self (which he's in denial about) while also being shen jiu

But the thing that really made the story get so much bigger in scope was when I was reading a fic with yqy coming clean to sj, and sj being like, "GASP. I forgive you." And I was "I simply do not believe that this is how it would happen." And I would have moved on with my life, but then I thought, "but like how would it happen." And more importantly, how could this conversation happen within the canon timeline but still involve Shen Jiu, the person this information affects.

The OOC idea and the need for Shen Jiu to be present in this fight scene came together to be like "what if sqq got sj's memories so he could rules-lawyer his characterization more accurately, and ends up being furious on sj's behalf?"

(This, btw, is why I knew I had to get much fonder of YQY and get a much better understanding of his character. When a pillar of your fic idea is a character getting ripped into for his choices, it is sooooooo easy to for it to come off as the author yelling their personal opinions or for it to be completely flat character bashing. Neither are interesting to read or write! Hence the crash-course in YQY appreciation, so now he gets his own emotional arc too. Everyone gets a goddamn plotline.)

Meanwhile I was also thinking about the implications of downloading another person's life into your head. If you have their memories and their body, are you them? What makes you not them? I didn't know! I sort of just kept writing and posting with the assumption that I'd figure something out, which I've finally nailed down btw. That's a relief! Also kinda the fun of WIPs where you're building the railroad track as you're on the train. I end up fanficing my own fanfic. Once stuff is posted, that's the canon, and I look at it and think, "if this was a book I was reading, what is the way I would extrapolate what's there to make a new but coherent story?"

That's why my outline becomes pretty useless after a while. The big picture doesn't change too much--I know roughly where all the major characters are going to be emotionally by the end of the story--but I discover the path I'm going to take there. Which usually means adding stuff. Liu Qingge wasn't going to get a POV, and now every chapter I'm like "fuck am I building a throuple". Ming Fan will have waaaay more a story line than I originally conceived. Early on, I was like "eh I'm not going to go too far into the brothel stuff," and can you guess what is going to be coming up prominently in the next few chapters? God help me.

Actually, there's only one major part of the outline that I cut: Shang Qinghua. He was originally very prominent early on, but turns out having the literal Word of God in a story about slowly discovering backstory is difficult to reconcile. So sadly, he doesn't get a real role. If you're curious, the original plan for him was that SQQ would realize he's a transmigrator much earlier in the canon, but the System would be like [shen jiu would not tell shang qinghua he is a transmigrator. ooc] which would lead to this series of SQQ trying to figure out how he can communicate around this. SQQ at a peak meeting being like, "do you think these DEMONS are PROUD of having made their WAY to us IMMORTALS?" while SQH is like, "AM I HAVING A STROKE?"

What's some other stuff about this fic? I've got a lot of thoughts bottled up, in part because I'm kinda snobby tbh in how I post. I'm like "*pushes glasses up my nose* the author's takes on the story should not be unavoidably present when reading the text" so I don't like to use ao3's author's notes. It's ridiculous and not a standard I hold anyone else too, but whenever I find myself wanting to address something in the notes, I know I must feel insecure about that part of the story. So either fix it or don't draw attention to it. But this is fine, you have to come here for this. This is DVD commentary.

My favorite part of writing this fic has been balancing Shen Jiu's character. As I'm fleshing out his sad backstory, I've been wary of essentially woobifying him. Reducing him to just someone who greatly suffered is so boring and flat. He NEEDS to suck. Or more accurately, he needs to be a very imperfect victim. Exasperating at his mildest, despicable at his worst. (Truthfully, I do think I can and should make him worse. Luckily this story is nothing but flashbacks to him at his worst so there's plenty of opportunities.)

This whole mental breakdown section has been an interesting balancing act because it's explicitly about how bad Shen Jiu's life was and now how bad Shen Qingqiu's is. It's the point at which I had to decide how torturous his time at the Qiu manor had been (me and Shen Qingqiu really discovered that together). On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the absolute worst saddest brutalist ideas I had for this era in his life, I'd say I settled on about a 7. Most of it is backstage in my head, but once I locked that down, I could start figuring out how much was bleeding through.

Anyway, it's been fun writing the angstfest of the last few chapters, but oh my god am I ready for a tone shift. There's usually jokes in my works, even the saddest bits, but jokes relieve tension which is the opposite of what I was going for. I didn't want any humor in the YQY conversation, then you have to keep not joking for a while to get the point across. There's still a lot of planned emotional shit, but I'm happy to not be wallowing for a while.

AND GOD AS MY WITNESS THIS STORY WILL NOT BE LONGER THAN 20 CHAPTERS. MAYBE IT'LL EVEN BE LESS!! IT IS DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO BE A WHOLE CANON REWRITE. PROBABLY!! IF TIANLANG JUN HAS ANY SIGNIFICANT SCREEN TIME, PLEASE KNOW THAT I HAVE FAILED.

[bamsara]

A03 Questions Tag Game

I got tagged by: @kagedbird I tag: @onethirdofimpossible, @coffincrows, (first two that come to mind) and anyone else who wants to do the game

1 – How many works do you have on AO3?

At the time of writing this post, currently 30 fics. (Not including any fics or written works that are not posted to AO3)

2 – What's your total AO3 word count?

1,066,633

3 – What fandoms do you write for?

Formerly: Don't Starve, FNAF, Dragons Dogma, Invader Zim

Currently: Cult of the Lamb

4 – What are your top five fics by kudos?

Solar Lunacy, Celestial Omens, Bytes of Lunacy, The Rehabilitation of Death, Saturday Insomnia

5 – Do you respond to comments?

I try to but I also get very nervous responding because I often don't know what to say back and I feel like it's almost rude or disrespectful to respond to a comment, esp the very nice ones that are long and in-deph with just a keysmash or a bunch of emojis, but I do read every single one since I have email notifications on for them

I'd like to sit down and respond to many but I really don't want to make it awkward so pls dear god readers forgive me

6 – What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don't like unhappy endings. I enjoy angsty stories but I like when it's at least ending happy to me

7 – What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Not posted? Solar Lunacy

Ongoing? TROD

8 – Do you get hate on fics?

Not really? Most adults (in my experience) know the 'don't like don't read' rule and know basic online etiquette. I've gotten some for discontinuing a fic or switching fandoms though

9 – Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I don't write or draw NSFW! I like to make some suggestive themes sometimes, but I'm a very ace person, it's not something I do often. (I do have a current running goal that if my friend reaches their donation goal for their medical bills that I would give NSFW a shot, but again its not really my cup of tea)

10 – Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Nah I haven't written any cross overs, but I do draw them sometimes. Recently I've been spinning a Alice in Wonderland x COTL crossover in my head.

11 – Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yep. I've had people copy and paste my work, go in with a thesaurus to change a few words (like changing 'angry' to mad, 'upset' to 'sad', and so forth) to try and avoid detection and re-posted my written work under a different title name. AO3 staff took them down for violating their policy against plagiarism though

12 – Have you ever had a fic translated?

No. I wouldn't mind it so as long as I'm asked before hand, though not on anon so I can actually work with the person to prevent any mistranslations or mishandling, and that I don't want my work posted to other websites

13 – Have you ever co-written a fic?

I think I did when I was a teen but I cannot remember now

14 – What's your all-time favorite ship?

Eh I don't have any favorites, just ones I really focus on for a long while

15 – What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Pass.

16 – What are your writing strengths?

I can sit down for hours or several days and work on a writing wip completely in the zone. I cant do it on command but its at least something I can do

17 – What are your writing weaknesses?

Spelling and grammar, and sometimes long running sentences. I just kinda write, theres not really a goal for it to be perfect though so as long as the story gist and vibe is right, im fine with it

18 – Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I've done it before but only minor, had a friend help me with it (one or two lines of dialogue) Aside from that, I'm not comfortably fluent enough in anything to do it again without assistance

19 – First fandom you wrote for?

Soul Eater, when I was wayyy too young to be posting anything on the internet. My fanfics I wrote are still on fanfic.net to this day

20 – Favorite fic you've written?

It's inbetween TROD and EE&E right now

[onthewaytosomewhere]

okay kiddies it seems to be a slow wednesday (or i've just not seen everything yet - either is likely really) so i'm putting this out here now ... so i don't forget

thanks so much for the tag @firstprincehornyramblings

so today's wip wednesday is a Work-Is-Published cuz well the other thing i've been putting most my work into is for a secret thing and/or it's already been put up on ao3 this week for my firstprince week fics

so today's words are from what i've been affectionately calling star wars firstprince soulmates but is actually now titled soulmates, star wars, and insufferable aresholes (and has some surprise southern philanthropy lolz - tho really is that a surprise in my stuff anymore?)

“Eh, it could have been worse. At least it’s not boring.” The ravishing man holds his hand out to Henry. “I’m Alex, by the way. What can I call you besides blonde hottie?” He chuckles as if he only just realizes what he said. “Sorry, that’s what I’ve been calling you in my head. Well, besides, dude, I’m gonna marry.” Alex runs a hand through his hair and then clamps the other over his mouth as if he can stop any more words from coming out and Henry—he’s falling so hard, and he’s lucky his legs are still holding him upright. Henry finds the wherewithal to answer, even though all his brainpower seems to focus on how his hand feels in Alex’s, how his fingers wrap around his, and how they might feel wrapped around something else. “Henry.” He doesn’t get much else out as he slams his mouth shut after that, afraid his mouth will let any of the slew of horny thoughts pass into the space between them for the stragglers in the theater to hear as they pass them. “Well, Henry, has anyone ever told you that accent of yours should be illegal? It’s fucking lethal.”

OPEN TAG FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO PLAY ALONG (tag me plz) AND SOME OTHERS BENEATH THE CUT

a very gentle tag ur it!!! @adreamareads @anincompletelist @blueeyedgrlwrites @catdadacd @caterpills

@cha-melodius @cricketnationrise @dragonflylady77 @duchessdepolignaca03 @emmalostinwonderland

@england-would-fall @everwitch-magiks @firenati0n @firstsprinces @suseagull04

@forever-fixating @getmehighonmagic @henryspearl @heysweetheart-writes @hgejfmw-hgejhsf

@inell @inexplicablymine @jmagnabo92 @judasofsuburbia @kiwiana-writes

@littlemisskittentoes @lizzie-bennetdarcy @mikibwrites @myheartalivewrites @ninzied

@orchidscript @piratefalls @porcelainmortal @priincebutt @softboynick

@sophie1973 @sparklepocalypse @stellarmeadow @tailsbeth-writes

@taste-thewaste @theprinceandagcd @thesleepyskipper @thighzp @thinkof-england

@tinyarmedtrex @typicalopposite @zwiazdziarka @indestructibleheart @eusuntgratie

@stratocumulusperlucidus @basil-bird @strwbrryagcd @thedramasummer @cactusdragon517

[claraxbarton]

2024 (hrpf writing) in Review

So, looking back on 2024 and the things I wrote, I just wanted to take a moment to be kind to myself I guess and shout-out my 10 favorite fics I wrote this last year.

The list also has a few of my thoughts about the fics, just because like, I want to.

All below the cut - but first! Thank you so so so SO much to everyone who took the time to leave a comment on any of my fics. I can't say enough how much it means to know folx are out there reading and thinking and feeling about my words.

In no particular order, my favorite 10 fics I either started or finished in 2024:

Gold Rush MattDrai, E, 47k. The fic where Leon is very grumpy and very bitchy and very dumb, and also outed against his will and also against his will falls for Matthew Tkachuk. This took more research than I anticipated, because for some reason I am SO fixated on trying to make my fake things fit into canonical timelines. I think I did a good job developing Leon's voice - both in dialogue and internally. It's so difficult for me to write text message things and yet this fic is SO MUCH OF THAT. I think one of my all time favorite comments was on this fic, someone saying that they actually confused my Leon-press dialogue with real Leon-press and that... made me so happy.

Playing Favorites LarsDunn, E, 15k. Adam has a favorite camboy and then that camboy turns out to be a real person who gets a real job with the Kraken. (oh wow, this fic is like the NY Rangers worst nightmare, eh??) Anyway. Probably my first longer hrpf fic??? Technically started in December of 23, I feel so bad that it took 8 months to finish. Thanks everyone who stuck with that one. This fic let me indulge in my favorite thing - previous Adam/Leon, which will always be so so so close to my heart. I think this fic, like most Kraken centric fic (and like not even mine, how many of us get all heart eyes when we think about her?, was written because of the amazing support of @dwisp.

Each Night MattPoMo, E, 3k. Technically I'm listed the entire series, currently at 3 parts and currently the third is still a WIP. Matthew as a sex worker, Paul still comes to Florida to coach the Panthers. I'm enjoying getting to have Paul work through human feelings, Matthew being a brat, and, of course, all the miscommunication. Seriously am I capable of writing a fic that DOESN'T involve miscommunication? Unlikely.

As It Began WyJoMiro (and WyJoRoope in the series and of course WyJoMiroRoope), 4, 2.5k. Okay, of the 4 fics I'm listing, three involve sexwork. Huh. Moving along. Miro mistakes/assumes Wyatt is a sex worker and that, of course, leads to a four year relationship between Wyatt and Miro and Roope (yes again this is really listing the series and not just the one fic). Really enjoyed getting to write the different POVs with each installation, exploring how all three of these freaks evolve and, oh wow, MORE miscommunication??? In MY fic??

Say Yes (To Heaven)NateJo, E, 55k+ - the first WIP to make the list (which, for those of you wondering, WILL get updated this next week). Okay it's been five months of writing this one, a biological BDSM inspired by the amazing and foundational works of @angry-geno-is-score and @droumack. There's just something about Jo and Nate that is SO compelling, no matter the setting, but like, getting to play in this kind of world setting is fun and painful. I think the things I've enjoyed the most are bringing in outside perspectives - like Sid, and even Nate to an extent, and just trying to unwrap all of the mess.

Heavy Focus McMattDrai, M, 2.7k. Space-opera with space brats Matthew and Brady. This was silly and fun and like, I won't say it's the BEST thing I wrote in 2024, but it WAS one of the fics I had the most fun writing. And I know I skew angst like, maybe TOO hard, but, sometimes it IS fun to write the fun things.

Soft Rock WyJoRoope, RoopeMiro, E, 5.6k. Speaking of fun4fun. This WAS just silly. I'm so lucky that @coffeehound91 lets me shout about things, and we'd been shouting about a LuckyNumberSlevin WyJo thing and she had the great line about WyJo killing Bettman with a butterknife and well, it just unspooled into this fic. And like, let's be real, ALL of my fics that feature Wyatt, Roope and Miro in any combination are entirely the fault of CH and like, I am SO so grateful.

French Exit MattOthers, T, 5k. Another bio-BDSM fic. Another series. I just really love to write BratKing Matthew who is actually a total pushover and this series was really fun to write, because who doesn't want to write feral Panthers things and Matthew finding peace and success there lol.

Deep End NateJo, E, 3k. An a/b/o fic and it is... I still maintain, really, really filthy. I don't think I've ever written something that makes me yikes myself as much as this one does, so it's not a favorite for like, reasons that make sense. But still, this was a sharp turn for my usual and I did it. So. Good job me?

Greatest Hits LarsDunn, LarsLeon, DunnLeon, E, 1.7k. Okay, actually, why have I not further explored these three? I know I wrote several fics when them when I first started in hrpf at the end of '23, but I have move away from them and I just really think THIS fic was so much fun and the dynamics to explore between these three are... a lot.

OKAY that's my 10 favorite fics I wrote for 2024. Again, comments and the kudos and bookmarks mean so much. AND the asks!! Thanks to everyone who sends in asks -UTD anon and others, looking at you <3.

For 2025 I want to finish up the current 14?15? WIPs I've got going, and of course along the way write a lot more.

<3

(seems wild to solicit feedback but like, if you have opinions on my 2024 work I certainly won't NOT want to hear them. Or read them.)

[604to647]

(Late Night) WIP Wednesday Thursday

Thank you for the tags @milla-frenchy @galway-girlatwork @joelmillerisapunk @baronessvonglitter 🥰🥰 Had an odd week and didn't write a lot, but managed to write a little of a lot of different things 🤣 (Unfortunately, no progress on the Acacius Hockey AU except for this and this).

Thank you for the kind reception on my first Dear-uary submission (What's a TomDaya?), the second entry will be for our dear Timothy Rockford and his Shutterbug, and it will be HORNEE (the epistolary form is SEXTING 🫠🤭):

Everything about the photo exudes control, skill, competency.  Your mouth suddenly felt very dry even as your pussy gushed; before you could register its actions, your free hand skimmed up past the hem of Tim’s t-shirt, delicate fingers starting to rub soft circles over the front of your already drenched panties as you gawked at the very picture of dominance and prowess projecting from your phone.

I also started working on my first ever Dieter fic (eek!) for @happypedrohours' Bouquets of Pedro Creativity Challenge! The working title is "Crawling Back to You (Dieter's Version)", heavily influenced by Hozier's cover of "Do I Wanna Know"; two quick snippets:

Detox had been a fucking nightmare but Dieter likes the voices in his head now.  They’re gentler with him, more forgiving, thoughtful.  They sound like you.

He couldn’t even bring himself to do you the disservice of asking you to wait, or stay by his side but hidden.  It was beneath you.  And to ask was to break his promise.

Turns out he didn’t even need to ask for you to feel the full weight of his betrayal. 

Hmmm, what else, what else? More The Rockford Portfolio, perhaps? How about some hurt/comfort?

Still, the sting of seeing you with someone else stays with him as he stumbles out of the coffeeshop, vendor's stall, grocery store and Tim tries leaning against the wall, a tree, his car to steady himself.  It doesn’t help in the least.  Doubling over, the pain in his chest balloons and threatens to suffocate him; deep breaths deliver no air to his lungs, the excruciating mass of regret too much in the way.  He can’t breathe.  He can’t breathe.  He can’t.

And... some young!Frankie who's having a rough go of a friends-to-lovers fic:

As soon as he lands, Frankie turns off airplane mode and the sudden influx of cell service after six weeks has his phone practically vibrating out of his hand from all the messages and notifications he’s missed.  He only cares about whether or not there are any messages from you, and when he sees that there are, he reads them in quick succession. There are only seven:

How were the pups this morning? Thanks so much again for walking Mac for me.  I really needed that extra half hour of sleep 😉

How’s your day going so far?  Mine is stupid busy with work, but I should be able to leave on time today!

Frankie!!! Thank you so much for the croissant! I love that bakery.  And thank you for the sweet note, too

Goodnight!

Frankie?  Is everything okay?  I’m worried about you.

Are you going to McKibbon’s tomorrow?

You didn’t come tonight.  Is it because of me?

His chest constricts at the evident change in mood and tone over the span of these messages, and especially at the sadness that radiates from the last one.

Huh. Lots of angst, eh? Yeesh - told you it's been an odd week! Ha!

No tags because I'm so late but anyone who is late like me but wants to share please dooooo 🥰🥰

[cadybear420]

WIP Whenever!

A couple of weeks back I shared a snippet from a fix-it fic for the HSS:CA Book 1 sabotage arc (check it out here if u haven't already. then again updated dialogue from that one is included in this post so eh), where I try to make Ajay more unbiased.

Yesterday I returned to the fic and I just added in some dialogue to incorporate the detail that Ajay is familiar with Danielle's jealous and vindictive ways, and can warn MC about it in a premium scene. I think realistically he would have tried to be unbiased and not jump to any accusations, but would also be suspecting Danielle and at the very least get on her case a bit.

NGL though, I feel like I should also rewrite the scene without the headcanon of MC wanting to be the witch. Because even in the canon situation of MC crushing on Rory and wanting to be the princess, Ajay would still try to be unbiased, sus out Danielle a bit for dying on the hill of MC being guilty, and would still tell off Danielle and the other Dick Assholes for bullying MC. Maybe I'll do both versions, I can do both. We'll see.

Tagging:

@lover-also-fighter-also | @loreofyore | @spadesofgrass

@choicesmc | @somerandomjewelleryonthefloor | @rjschoicesstuff

@rosesnink | @gmsrrn98 | @lilyoffandoms

@dutifullynuttywitch | @aria-ashryver | @aces-and-angels

Once again, script format writing is just for drafting

Cher: Wait… you don’t seriously think– Danielle: What, that you did it on purpose? Erin: Cher is a freshman! How could she know where the cubes are or which was the right one? It was obviously a mistake! Evie: Yeah, I’m right with Erin on this one! What freshman would know how to sabotage a play like that on the first day of school? I’d have been lucky to have even found my way to the auditorium in the first place on my first day!  Trevor: I don’t know… it’s starting to seem more and more like sabotage. Cher: Sabotage? Evie: Don’t be ridiculous, you guys. My broken leg was an accident on Cher’s part, and nothing more.  [Trevor shakes his head] Trevor: No way. I personally took all of the audition props from the prop room and set them in the wings, including the theatre cube with no wheels. Take a look at the prop checkout logs from that day if you don’t believe me. Cher: I didn’t see any cube! Ajay: Cher, are you absolutely sure you didn’t just overlook it? [not sure which dialogue option Cher would answer here… insert this later] Trevor: Erin, Ajay, I’m sorry to say it, but the cube was right there with the other audition props. She would have to be blind to miss it.  Mr. Olson: What are you implying, Trevor? Trevor: Hate to say it, but it really looks like Cher switched the cubes on purpose. Cher: Why would I do that? Trevor: You tell me. Danielle: I’m just throwing this out there… but doesn’t it seem convenient that Evie slips and breaks her leg, and then suddenly Cher waltzes in and gets cast as the princess? Cher: Seriously Danielle? [not sure which in-game response option she’d choose, so brb] [A few others nod along with Danielle] [Also, Cher didn’t even want the princess role in the first place! She wanted the witch! And Evie wanted to be the knight but IDK if that’s relevant here] Cher: Also… (her eyes start to flare) I didn’t even want the princess role. I wanted the role as the fucking witch!  Trevor: Cher, watch your language– Cher: You remember, right Danielle? I freaking begged Ajay to let me and you switch roles!!! Ajay: I definitely remember that. You dropped down on your knees and gave me big puppy-dog eyes and everything! (he chuckles a little, but quickly regains his serious mood) Danielle: Yeah. And how do we know Cher wasn’t just hamming it up to hide her true motives?  Ajay: I don’t know… I mean… sure, she was a bit… over-the-top about it… but she ultimately seemed genuine. Plus, I remember her getting very excited in auditions every time we tried her as the witch.  Danielle: Well, actors are the best liars.  Ajay: I… [a few others continue nodding along with Danielle’s arguments, others frown and roll her eyes. But Ajay starts to narrow his eyes at her…] Ajay: Danielle, you seem to be really dying on this hill that Cher was behind this… (Danielle’s expression wavers a bit) Danielle: I’m just pointing out–  Ajay: Yes, but none of it is any real evidence that Cher was responsible. Honestly, anyone could have tampered with the props.  Aiden: Exactly!   (Cher smiles a bit) Ajay: That being said… (he takes a deep breath in) …they’re not implausible explanations either… (Cher’s face falls into confusion) Cher: You can’t be… you don’t really think I’d do something like that, do you? Ajay: I’m not saying that, Cher. I’m saying… we can’t rule you out as a possibility. I don’t have much reason to believe that you’d pull this off… but I do also trust Trevor’s word that it wasn’t an accident. Especially since I’ve seen people scheme to get lead roles before. And you were the one who retrieved the cube, so that doesn’t exactly look good for you. (Ajay starts to become increasingly distressed here) Maybe it was an accident… maybe it wasn’t… honestly, at this point, I don’t know what the hell to believe!  Erin: You have to believe Cher! She’s our friend! Ajay: I’m sorry, what am I supposed to do? Just ignore that someone got hurt on my watch because of friendship?

[f1crecs]

Fic Rec List - Fernando/Lance

you might enjoy: Canadian Fest, eh - for more Lance content.

If your fic is on this list and you don’t want it to be, please let me know and I will remove it immediately, no questions asked. I have contacted most of the authors on this list, but sometimes people fall through the gaps - just pop me a message🤍

have a pairing you want me to do next? please read the faqs and then head to my inbox.

don’t forget to give the authors featured on this list some love in the form of kudos, bookmarks, and comments!

i won't lie to you, anon... I thought we'd agreed on Strollonso as the pairing name. 🤭 my vote still goes to Lando.

i hope you enjoy these ❗️🤍

nsfw: El Dick Plan by @waddlingpenguin | E | 800 Lawrence and Fernando have a misunderstanding at the dinner table. This fic is hilarious - unashamedly unhinged, just as Strollonso should be, and so unbelievably funny. This was one of the first Lance/Fernando fics I read. I think it rearranged my brain a little bit.

'In fact, Lance literally has his foot so far up Fernando’s pant leg that Stoffel is surprised he’s not choking on Canadian toes each time he opens his mouth to talk to the engineers.'

shatter my life apart (see me for somebody else) by @vicsy | M | 1.4k An exploration of Lance and Fernando's relationship. This is a stunning fic. This author has just the most beautiful writing style - it's like poetry, and flows in the most stunning way. This is as much a love letter to Lance as it is to Strollonso - I really, really loved this one.

'Fernando Alonso is a perpetual wildcard and Lance builds his attitude around this little image, prepared for some sort of psychological warfare but it never happens.'

nsfw: victor's spoil by venerat | E | 1.9k Following Fernando's first pole for Aston Martin, Lance is invited to his room - a Winner's Room AU. The vibes here are suitably unhinged/rancid/possessive. If I were to recommend a fic to help someone get Strollonso, to understand the essence of who they are together, I would recommend this one. I love everything this author writes.

'Imagining Fernando with them makes Lance want to chew through wire. Again: fucked up, truly and extensively. He’s just really fucked up about Fernando.'

nsfw: I make two grand an hour by @kritischetheologie | E | 3.1k Lance meets Fernando for the first time at a sponsor event. I adored this fic. It is so funny and well-characterised and hot. One thing that I really love about this author is their ability to weave in detail - you could read their fics over and over again, and still pick up something new each and every time. It just makes for the richest, most delicious stories that draw you in every last time.

'(Lance had almost just said fuck it and gone into banking when he graduated two years ago, like he’d always known he probably would eventually, ever since the day he showed up at St. Andrews and realized that the entire world economy ran on fake numbers on a half-dozen computer screens, but the whole point of trust funds was supposed to be not having to be boring. Who the fuck else was going to make art? Humanity needed him to be living dramatically, falling in love with a thousand beautiful men whose lips he could immortalize in poetry.)'

nsfw: green light, red wine (and i don't feel fine) by @vicsy | E | 9k (wip) Fernando is a crime boss caught in a long-standing feud with Lawrence Stroll - things get complicated when he meets Lance. This fic is fantastic. The vibes are unmatched. This author has such a beautiful, almost melodic writing style, which I love. Also. This is fucking hot. 10/10.

'There aren’t many opportunities Fernando deliberately missed in his life. He wouldn’t be on top if he did. Right next to him, clad in a tight white t-shirt, sits an opportunity for a power move, the one Fernando would take all the way.'

nsfw: silver platter by @wewentcarracing | E | 9.7k Lance and Fernando grow closer, much to Esteban's dismay. This is delicious. Full of unhinged and intense moments. Every word of this is perfection; something I particularly appreciate about this author is their ability to build tension - you won't be able to put this story down once you've started it. Perfection.

'Lance laughs, off-guard and delighted. Fernando has this way of deciding what's true in his own mind and then forcing it into reality with brute strength alone. He's decided that Lance will make it to the podium this year, and so he will. It feels so, so good to hear coming from another driver—any driver, really, but the fact that it’s Fernando. Two-time WDC. Veteran. It doesn't feel like he's being toyed with; it feels real.'

nsfw: Not Even Jail by @baldrmoon | E | 9.9k (wip) Lance is a rookie detective with a new partner - they've met before. This is such a fantastic start to what I know is going to be an incredible story. The world-building here is fantastic. A world away from F1, but with so many of the dynamics and relationships mirrored in a totally new setting that feels very organic and true-to-life. It's just very well done, and I am excited to see what the author does next!

'Lance was charmed almost despite himself. The guy – Fernando, Lance made a mental correction, – smiled, a bit sideways, narrowing his eyes. Lance immediately felt flustered under his intense stare.'

[harlotofupdog]

AO3 Ask Game

Thank you for the tag @missunderstoodlyrics, and thanks lovely @cheeseplants for kicking it off!

What fandoms do you write in?

Just Good Omens! Though I did throw some Top Gear smut into writers chat one evening and I still think there's something there…

How many words have you published in 2024?

I published my very first fic on the 31st of December last year, and everything else has been this year - sooooo not counting collabs, 138,904. It's nowhere near as much as some, but I'm v happy. It's a lot more than I ever expected.

What is your greatest achievement this year?

Getting to the end of Storm Jizz! I never finish anything - my tiny sparrow brain is constantly distracted by the next shiny thing, and just knowing that I'm actually capable of finishing something a little longer is so confidence-giving.

What are your favourite top three fics you’ve written this year?

Someone is Calling Him Shorewards AKA Storm Jizz - I dunno, I just like it. I'd absolutely recommend @nosferatini's podfic over actually reading it though.

Spookake - eh, ghost jizz innit.

Zip Wire (Too Fast for Love) - v silly.

What was your biggest pit of despair moment?

There's not been a specific moment, but I've done a good bit of wallowing in self-pity about fics (both reading and writing). Something I've struggled with is trying to maintain creative momentum when I'm travelling, and I would like to have more discipline there instead of just getting in a sulk.

What have you learned?

That 'groyne' is a word (yes thank you Google Docs).

What fic did you want to do but never made it off the ground?

Oh, some weirdness, who knows. I have silly ideas all the time and it's for the best that most of them don't see the light of day.

Did you beta any fics? Any favs you want to shout out?

Yesssss!!!!! I am currently beta-ing Still We Know Each Other So Well by @paperclipninja, and it is gorgeous and delightful and all the things. I adore this fic and it's been an absolute privilege tagging along for the ride, chapter by chapter. It's soft, sweet, and mysterious, and I urge everyone to read it because you will fall in love.

I'm also beta-ing In Headlights AKA DEER FIC by @doonarose, and good lord - Doons is the absolute queen of smut and this fic is so ridiculously hot, with the most wonderful, considered characterisations of these dorks. It's an absolute feast and everyone should be reading it.

What three fics have you read this year that you love?

Soooooo many more than three. Like, SO many more. I'm going to stick with finished fics just to narrow it down slightly, but I have a few WIPs I'm following that I am obsessed with as well (Still We Know Each Other So Well, Scorn and the Saint-Maker, In Headlights!).

A Little Life by @gaiaseyes451 - I will never, ever get over this one. It was a masterclass in beautiful, evocative writing that tore me to shreds while at the same time being one of the loveliest things I've ever read. I cannot rave about this fic enough - it absolutely transcends fandom and Aziracrow, and I know I will read it again and again.

Stuck On You by @zin-lynn-c - I beta'd this one and it was such an utter, utter joy and a gift to get those chapters just a teensy bit early. This is the fic that has everything - humour, angst, smut, gorgeous prose and storytelling, the BEST Agnes Nutter, and so much more. Instant classic, go wrap your eyeballs around it if you haven't already.

Give Me Jizz or Give Me Death - A Choose Your Own Jizz (CYOJ) Adventure by the most amazing band of smutgoblins, along with transcendental cover art by @ineffablecrankshaft - I cannot list top three fics without including this absolute INSANITY that was my birthday gift. It is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most phenomenal, absurd, wonderful gift I've ever received in my actual life, and I treasure the fuck outta it.

What ideas are percolating for next year?

SPIES! CRUSADES! BADGERS! GHOSTS! PIGEONS!

Who do you want to thank?

@paperclipninja for being the ultimate beta, collab partner, cheerleader, chatter and all-round excellent pal. Somehow, despite both being absolute chaos demons, we get things done (about 40% of the time, at least): writing, beta, ridiculous songs, "online research", solving the problems of the world, and everything else besides. Couldn't do it without ya, Clip, and I mean that!

@zinlynn-c for all the cheering, limericks, gasbagging and ghost hunting. If you had told me this time last year that I'd end up sitting in the stairwell of a sixteenth century manor at midnight chatting to its resident ghost with another smutgoblin, I wouldn't have believed it. I still actually can't!

@nosferatini - I can't quite reconcile the idea of Nos as one single person. I suspect she is actually a team of psychologists, an entire theatre troupe, David Tennant, four project managers, and a choir of slightly creepy British children in a trenchcoat. How? Just how do you do it? Nos, you're beyond wonderful, and it's an absolutely privilege to wobble about on the outer curve of your brilliant orbit.

Ridiculous, leg-humping gratitude to all the brilliant, talented artists who contributed art to Storm Jizz - @vavoom-sorted-art, @wingsofopal, @castle-behind-the-rocks, and @ineffablecrankshaft. I am in awe of all of you, thank you soooo much.

Every single person who read, commented, loved, or hated anything I wrote. I appreciate and treasure ever little feeling.

Huge thanks to the @goodomensafterdark community for letting me join in on the fun. Can't wait for another year of goblinery.

I tried to figure out who had been tagged and who hadn't, but omg effort, so just no pressure tagging a bunch of writers: @firstvisittoearth, @paperclipninja, @e-rated-beardo, @doonarose, @zin-lynn-c, @fuzzygoblin, @happynachohologram, @hermiola, @ladybracknellssherry

[krchar]

Introducing: My Basiliadean Headcanons II

Ok... this is part II of my overthinking... (part I) it is so long, it is only for the strong with the brainrot

I gave some issues too much thought when writing my fics

5. Basiliade and romantic love This is quite an issue, when you dive into Basiliade for the ships lol.. so I thought about it damn lot So.. we see Orube is surprised at the huge role of romantic love in the lives of Earthlings.

We also know that Basiliade, at least in elite classes, is quite a strict society based on firm hierarchies, not very prone to attachment – as is seen in the memory of Orube's father (the guy is hot tho)

although the society might clearly favour other kinds of attachment and love – like that between master and apprentice (and Orube is also surprised the girls seem to put love before friendship sometimes). It is possible that romantic love is just not as important in the society - even on Earth it had a lesser role at times, than the extreme one it has now in the Western media. It can also be looked down upon, as drawing a person from more important spheres of life. When I wrote H/Y, I presumed their relationship would be secret - I joked on everyone actually having an inkling in the Garden, cause I thought the reality of such society is always different than the ideal - but generally I kept love as something you are not open about. Of course, H/Y are two males, so it might have appeared as an issue of homophobia - as it is common to presume homophobic tendencies for any made up world. My reasons for their secrecy and restraint were actually more complex, but I regrettably might not have made it very clear - although I have some, eh, WIPs mentioning hetero relations of warriors as problematic, too. Still, to add some self-reflection, I suppose including the secrecy might’ve felt natural to me, because I have the homophobic trope internalized like most people. But my reasons were 1) The society viewed as strict, non-individualistic and focusing on other spheres. Basiliade comes from the comics’s orientalistic tropes, so I think it is based on these classic patterns emphasized in Western portrayal of the Far East. Still, I keep thinking of a 17th century Chinese play that I have seen years ago, a story of two lovers divided by dramatic events and seeking each other - then meeting with all the drama, then a monk tells them their love means nothing - and they realize she is right and stop feeling the love. As a then ca. 15 yo European, I was shocked. Still I felt like - oh, yeah, the Far East, classic - bc I am a Westerner, like the authors of the comics. 2) Warrior lifestyle - I see masters as an icon of the strict society - they live for a task and they subordinate their personal desires to it. Note e.g. the hints of Orube's difficult and humbling training, her painful parting from her family, which refuses to acknowledge her pain, Yarr's self-diminishing after an apparent mistake etc. I mean, there's this:

but I think this refers to a bit of a different level - keeping your values, your identity, but not being self-centered. In a fic I also followed Orube's unfamiliarity with love and made Yarr a bit confused about his crush, although now I think that at his age (ca. 39 then), he might have had a better idea... but I also made it specific to his warrior life, that he is just not used to love, although he does know it from theatre - cause I think it might have a role, but it is problematic, unofficial, left for art, fringe culture, stories of old times and not the present. And definitely not for the daily life of masters. 3) For masters also the rank must play a role - and this could be extended to class in the general society. Strong hierarchies commonly build great barriers between people. Specifically H & Y in my story are divided by several years in duty, but much more by those two cursed years of them being master and apprentice, which, apparently, might connect and divide you at once, for life. Even in canon, it is interesting, how Y. keeps the custom of respect, when they meet, even though by now he may just as well have a rank much higher than H had, when he had left. Y. keeps this mostly formally, while they seem to speak quite equally at times, but it is there. H. was once his superior, and so he is forever. I hc that, generally, in such society, love over the borders of class would not be favoured, and for masters difference of rank would make the situation even more problematic, than it already is.

Still this all is based on the orientalistic trope - it is not impossible that some masters were quite unhinged and nobody cared.. or that, as I mentioned, the society had a certain facade, but inside everything was very different - I think I was using the latter idea mostly

Well but... these were my thoughts.. yours?

[bi-bats]

trick or treat!! 3-sentence fic or wip sneak peak? (up to u!)

HELLOOOOO MY BELOVED!! HAPPY HALLOWEEENNNNNNNN

For YOU I have a snippet of the one shot I'm working on that was like. supposed to be a drabble for the prompt you sent me and has gotten. long. lmao.

also it's going to be a fic with smut in it and I haven't even gotten to the smut yet and it's already 2.5k words lmao

so here my TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO WRITING JAYTIM

~ ✨ ~

“Do you… well… I mean… I could give you a massage?”

Jason blinks at him.

“Did… I’m sorry. Did you just say you could give me a massage?”  

Tim’s face burns furiously hot. What does he say, no? 

Well. He kind of wants to say no, actually. Maybe he can just gaslight his way out of this one—

No, no. Jason heard. 

Damn. 

He tries to say yes, but it tilts up into a question at the end. 

“Yes?” 

Jason blinks at him, and Tim’s skin feels too tight. The material of the couch is suddenly itchy on the back of his arms, but the heat on his face distracts him from it. Mostly.

“…Okay.” 

There’s a stutter in Tim’s breathing, the slightest hitch between in and out, right after Jason answers. It’s unnoticeable.

If you aren’t a bat.

Jason raises an eyebrow, because of course he fucking noticed.

Tim can’t just sit there while Jason looks at him like that, so he moves. 

He shifts forward on the couch, scooting an inch or two closer and waving his hands in what he hopes is a gesture indicating ‘turn around so I can rub your shoulders’ and not ‘I have no idea what to do with my hands right now this is so awkward why did I offer this oh my god’. 

He’s probably fine. The gesture for that would have had more flapping. 

Probably. 

It still takes Jason a second to get in gear. He shrugs, tilting his head to the side in a way that says something like ‘eh, why not’, which isn’t exactly what Tim had been hoping for when offering to touch a guy he’s had a crush on since he knew what crushes were, but he’s letting Tim do it, so it’s better than rejecting—

Jason slides his shirt off in a smooth motion, reaching over the back of his head to grab the neck of it and tug it off. 

It’s like one of those fucking thirst trap reels on Instagram.

Tim was just watching him move over on the couch while his thoughts went on a little spiral, and then Jason reached for the back of his shirt, and bam.

The lights drop, the music starts, the speed slows down, and Tim can see every ripple in the muscles of Jason’s forearm, every inch of skin revealing as he lifts the shirt, every angle of the dips in his spine, every scar, every scab, every damn freckle — for god’s sake, he can even see about a half an inch of elastic above the top of his pants. 

It’s red. 

Of course it’s red. 

Tim takes a deep breath, trying to disguise it by shifting closer to Jason, who’s sitting with his back to Tim, his arms threaded through the shirt in his lap. 

He can do this. He can do this. 

It’s just a massage. 

“Come on, Timbo. Let’s see what those scrawny fingers got.” 

Tim lets out an exasperated scoff, and Jason’s shoulders shake two or three times as he chuckles. 

He considers digging an elbow into Jason’s spine, just to be an asshole, but he has a better plan. 

He’s going to wow him. It’s going to be the best damn massage in his life. 

Scrawny fingers, Tim grumbles in his head as he places his hand down on Jason’s left shoulder. 

Immediately, Jason flinches and lets out a noise of surprise, and Tim flinches back because he’s surprised.

Great start.

“Jesus fuck, your fingers are like ice!” 

“Sorry, sorry,” Tim mutters, even though he isn’t, not really. Still, he rubs his hands together quickly, just a few times to get some of the cold out of them. 

He puts his hands back on Jason’s shoulders, and Jason stiffens, but he doesn’t flinch away this time. 

Okay. Good. 

Tim starts applying pressure, rubbing up and down the muscles, and after a few moments, it’s easier to shift into a more clinical headspace, even with the warmth of his skin seeping through Tim’s fingers. 

“Where is it bothering you?” he asks. 

“Oh, uh. By my spine. And…” Jason pauses for a moment while Tim’s palm digs into the meat of his shoulder, and when he resumes speaking, his voice is a little higher. “…my neck.” 

Tim nods, letting his palm dig in again. He wishes he had lotion or something. Jason’s skin drags against his every time he moves his hand, and it’s uncomfortable. Also, Jason’s skin is warm, flushing pink under the area he’s been rubbing, and… a little bit up his neck, too actually. The tips of his ears are pink, Tim realizes as he works his way up to the crook of Jason’s neck. 

He digs his thumb into the muscle right by the top of Jason’s shoulder, and he’s just starting to lose himself in it when he hears a breathy noise, almost like… 

No. No, Tim’s making shit up. Jason did not audibly moan. Tim is putting things where he wants them to be, because that’s what he wants.

On the next roll of his palm, Jason says, “Ngh, Christ, Tim.”

With Tim’s hand frozen on his shoulder, he can feel the way Jason tenses, has a front row seat to the burst of color across his neck.

Thank god they’re in Jason’s apartment. In Jason’s living room. With Jason’s cameras recording. He doesn’t have to memorize the way that sounded coming out of Jason’s mouth.

No, he can go hack into his files and save it as a clip and then back it up on three separate servers, and then also a hard drive, and maybe also on a USB in a lockbox buried in the woods somewhere, because he doesn’t think he can live another moment of his life without having access to the way his name sounded coming out of Jason’s mouth. 

“Sorry,” Jason mutters, and he sounds… meek? It’s weird, but Tim doesn’t think he’s ever heard Jason sound shy. 

“No worries,” Tim says, feeling like he’s regained some ground. 

“You can… make noise,” Tim adds. 

Immediately, he feels like he’s lost that ground. 

Jason clears his throat a little. “No, it’s — it’s fine, I’m good. You can, uh. Keep going.” 

A grin tugs across his mouth as he resumes his massage, listening to the way Jason’s breathing is getting heavier. 

“I thought my fingers were scrawny?”

[greentrickster]

WIP game

Rules: You will be given a word. Share one sentence/excerpt from your wip(s) that start with each letter of that word.

@shadow-pixelle tagged me with ECHO, so congrats - have some 'Got a Light?' (my RWBY fic) snippets! And, to have some extra fun, since they're all from the same fic, I'll get one snippet from each of the first two books I've written this fic in and two from the current book (because it's the biggest), and you'll get the sentences in the order I wrote them... but not necessarily in the order they'll come in the fic, because I'm writing non-chronologically. ;D Enjoy!

E

"Easy for you to say," Jaune gives up on meditating (because he's weak) to glare at Roman, "You're probably just saying that because you had a stupid one, like- like bad luck or making your pockets bigger or something!"

...Branwen had flinched at the first suggestion. Interesting. Neo'll have to look into that. More importantly, however, Roman has frozen in place, dust crystal fallen to the ground beside him. He stares straight up into the sky unmoving for a good twenty seconds before he lets his arm fall across his eyes with a distraught groan.

"Dangit, that second one actually sounds like an amazing- that would have been so useful for shoplifting or, hells, just storing extra ammo without ruining the lines of my suit- dammit, now I'm sad, thanks a lot."

C

"Consider: would any of you say you are quite the same people now that you were at the beginning of the school year? How about ten years ago?" he smiles at the range of reactions this elicits. "To me, it is much the same, albeit on a far larger scale. It seems as though we each carry a certain amount of... ourselves, for lack of a better word, with us to each new life.

"For example, it may surprise you to know that, in regards to myself, while I have heard many times that I seem to have gained a certain level of maturity overnight when my memories and powers are unlocked, oddly little in my personality or mindset of my new life seem to change beyond that. I will confess, it inspires a certain amount of curiosity these days, whenever the end of a current life draws near, as to what new myself I will have become the next time my memories return."

H

"Hey, what about all the nice things you were gonna say to Pyrrha?!"

"They will be formatted as an extremely flattering eulogy!!!"

Qrow is drawn away from this amusing interaction by Neo, who has removed a glove and stolen a fistful of bacon with her bare hand, wiggling it enticingly at Qrow with a big smile.

"I feel like I'm being mocked," he states, examining it with each eye suspiciously.

"You're not," Torchwick says, finally calm again and theatrically wiping his eye, "She just likes watching birds eat. Used to sneak into kitchens at restaurants so she could get table scraps for it."

...eh, fair enough. Qrow obliges and daintily tugs a strip of bacon free with his beak, holding it with one claw to peck at. Neo beams.

O

"Oh, um- yes! He says... 'Thinking of mew.'"

Ruby glances up from skimming her texts to see Weiss staring blankly ahead.

"...he's a dork," she says, voice dazed, "He's an enormous dork."

"Weiss-" Uncle Qrow groans, only for Jaune to hold his hand up.

"Don't bother, Mr. Branwen, I've got this."

"Kid, it's Qrow."

Jaune ignores him, going to put a steadying hand on Weiss's shoulder. "Look, I'm sorry you have to find out this way, but the thing about guys is... we're all dorks. And Neptune is our king."

"...I see." Weiss nods, and Ruby goes back to her own texts, "Is it a bad sign that I still like him, even though he's flawed?"

"I mean, he didn't realize you wanted to keep seeing him after the dance until you cried at him for flirting with other girls," Nora comments, "You kinda already knew that he wasn't perfect."

"I suppose that's true... In that case, I'm going to respond in kind! Nora, I require your assistance!"

---

(Told you guys it's not as dire as my research subject list makes it sound!)

I'll be tagging @fullbattleregalia and @elektricangel, along with anyone else who wants to play - your word is LIFE (because my fic's about Roman coming back as a ghost and I'm funny).

[helianskies]

so last december 31st, i wrote a not-so-little post covering my 2023 and hopes for 2024. and i figured, well, why not do it again? so here's a little-ish post on how my year has been as a writer, and what i'm looking forward to in 2025 - my ninth year writing!

.°˖✧ INTRODUCTION

last year, i started my post with a bit of a moan because there was a lot of negativity going on that was bogging me down. this year, i feel i've had a bit of a better time. i've no complaints to lodge with anyone, other than the odd comment on a fic that has left me questioning why i'm still here (some people need to learn some tact or etiquette or straiht up manners!) - but, i am. i am here. and i'm still writing. cheers to that!

.°˖✧ 2024 REVIEW

time to look at the fics i've written this year! to pick three that i think are my favourites:

'Holiday' ⇝ i forgot i wrote this until i was scrolling back, and as soon as i saw it i smiled to myself. a bit of nationverse and another study of Antonio, with a sprinkling of TurkSpa

'Fortuna' ⇝ i still think about this one often, there'll be more stand-alones snippets from this au to come, i'm sure!

'Make A Wish' ⇝ it took three years for me to write this figurative revenge, just for maiva, but i love how it turned out. we love a mischievous, devious, wicked port ;)

following that, here are some of my favourite aus that have come from this year too!:

the au that is 'Fortuna', see above! nothing like a bit of crime and casinos to keep us going :)

the kingdoms au in 'Ripple'. this fic is a snippet from a world of a long-fic that i've been mulling over for, ooh, two years? there's a lot that needs sorting, but it's like a peek into a world i really hope to share one day. one day!

the ghoulish pirate au from 'Storm's End'! i wrote this fic somewhat desperately to round up hetaween, but it's an au i'd very much like to keep up!

the vineyard au as in 'Nightcap' UGGHHHHH i think i have a habit of putting Ned in business-y jobs eh. managers... accountants... he's a type, but it just makes sense!

as ever, there are tons of aus that have also been born this year that you've not seen. last year, i said i wanted to share my ideas more, and i don't actually think i've done that... food for thought!

and on that note, there are some general things from year i've taken note of that are a mix, i guess. just observations. things i've achieved or haven't achiever either way! things i'm proud of, or not proud of! who cares?:

i am on top of my ao3 inbox. since i cleared it out aat the end of 2023, i have not let it get too busy to be unmanageable, and feel i'm doing better at replying! it's nice!

i promised myself i would return to hetaween with a vengeance, and i sure did! i think this has been by best year to date and i'm so happy with everything i wrote! c:

'For Me?' and 'Bitter Teeth' - ouch! i haven't updated either since july, and i have to admit, i'm not rushing back. like there's a niggly feeling of 'that's a loooong break' but when i tell you i have zero motivation, i mean i actually have about -4 motivation to keep going on these two at the moment. just saying.

i got back on the ficlets and prompts yessss, it's been nice to slip back into writing short things here and there (particularly with point 3 on this list in mind!)

it's also been nice to, on occasion, have a go with different pairings. like it's very rare, but... i'm open to dabbling. with certain characters. and ships. those who know will know 👀

.°˖✧ 2023's HOPES

in 2023, there were some things i said i hoped 2024 would hold for me, or that i'd do. based on that list, here's what i have and haven't done:

i [also] hope 'Bitter Teeth' keeps going strong. i hope i let myself take breaks without feeling so guilty. i hope i get more into historical hetalia again. i really want to explore the implications of the events of 'Let Me Go'. i hope i learn to love my unfinished works or abandoned wips. i hope i start sharing more of my ideas. i hope i learn it's okay to not always want to write the same characters over and over, even if they are my favourites. really, i just want to keep moving forward. i want to keep writing. i want to keep loving writing. i want to keep exploring. i want to not succumb to negativity as much. i want to indulge even more in what i want and what i feel like.

a mixed bag. but overall, these are outcomes i'm happy with! i've generally had a more positive year with writing, slumps in motivation aside, and that's as good as it gets!

.°˖✧ 2025's HOPES

looking to 2025, then, i suppose there are some things i'd hope will happen.

importantly, i'd like to get back on board with 'For Me?' and 'Bitter Teeth'. if i could finish the former, that would be good, but with how i'm feeling at the moment, if i can update them at all i would like to think that 2025 helia will be happy (she'd better be!).

i also hope that i take the plunge and start a new multi-chapter fic with you. there are two options on the table at the moment, so i'm hoping one catches in 2025 and i find the courage to just go for it. to take that plunge and write. time to bring out a nice, big cast again, just like the old days of AE!

as a string of thoughts, i hope that in 2025 i explore more - more characters, more time periods, more ideas. i hope i find courage to share ideas or aus without worrying whether or not anyone will like them. now i really want to try more historical hetalia. i wouldn't mind indulging in a sequel or two to some of the fics i've written in past years. i hope that i have another amazing round of event fics. i hope i continue to love the random aus as much as the old classics. i hope i stay positive, learn and love, and stay proud of what i can do.

i hope i also become a better reader. i hope i read more fics. i hope i leave more comments. i hope i share more writing, be it stories written by people i know, or people i don't. i hope i read something different to what i'm used to, that's outside my little comfort zone. and i hope i learn things because of it.

.°˖✧ CONCLUSION

in all, 2024 was a pretty darn good year, both personally for me and as a writer. through it all, i just have to thank the friends i have here who talk with me, listen to my nonsense, share their ideas, and just... are amazing. so many people inspire me and i don't think i say it. so thank you. i love you. i hope you know who you are. and, to wrap up this review, i present you with cookies, hugs, and wishes for a very happy new year! 🍪🎉🍪🎉🍪🎉