#the si/oc fic that may never be written

[uchiha-gaeshi]

Please please PLEASE tell me how your Founders SIs would cause problems and make everything worse forever. I always thought the problem with the founders era is that there aren't ENOUGH things going wrong all the time. <3

The Naruto Warring States Era SI/OC Fic That May Never Be Written: The Elevator Pitch

Ok, so I'll try to make this as coherent as I can, but fair warning that there will be lots of rambling. I really wanted to make this as polished as possible, since this is basically like my (long ass fuck) elevator pitch for the fic, but I'm living by the "perfect is the enemy of good" mantra these days, so I don't want to delay this further. I highly encourage y'all to ask me more questions about this, because I've definitely missed certain details. I don't think just one post will do this justice. In the future, I'll probably have a specific tag for this (besides #the si/oc fic that may never be written).

TLDR: Two SIs (self-insert original character) are isekai'd into the Naruto Warring States Period and are born as the younger siblings of Hashirama and Madara. One SI tries to secure peace (post Konoha founding) by forming a world government and making the narutoverse extremely reliant on Konoha's expensive yet life-saving pharmaceuticals. The other basically tries to kill all the daimyo one by one and permanently destroy the feudal system from the bottom up. This is all happening at the same time, and at every point in the story, from birth to death, each SI gets in the way of the other...even though they are (or were) the same person.

Let me first introduce you to the self-insert characters.

Senju Tsukasa (working name, please give me name recs), who is Hashirama's 2nd youngest brother

Uchiha Takaya, who is Madara's 2nd youngest brother

in case you were wondering, both characters are Geminis. Oh, an they're overpowered. Does that help the universe? If anything, it probably makes things worse (this is the "overpowered characters make waves" time period of the overpowered characters shonen manga, the last thing the world needs is another 2 OP shinobi).

Neither character knows of the other's existence...yet. But, that's not the biggest catch. The catch is that they actually lived the same life in the past (i.e. they're *technically* the same person). Both characters, however, have wildly different opinions on how to "fix" canon. Here, I should mention that the characters are technically semi self-inserts in the sense that they have (at least what I think are) common Naruto fandom takes (e.g. "ooohhh Madara just wanted power/was just sad cus his little bro died," "the only bad thing about Hashirama was that he was naive," "if it wasn't for Izuna dying everything in the village would have been peachy" and so on and so forth).

Additionally, while I'm basing some of their personality traits off of me (or, for instance, if Tsukasa is say 12, Tsukasa would have some traits that 12 year old me had...but child soldier edition), I have to give the disclaimer that these characters are, like their canon counterparts, also fictional (so don't look at me funny if they do some crazy shit, it runs in both of their families). Going back on the subject of "fixing" canon, when it comes time to think about that, their first knee-jerk question is "how do I make sure that Madara/my brother doesn't become evil (or doesn't leave Konoha)." But, in their quest to shape the universe, the universe ultimately shapes them.

I'll first start by describing Uchiha Takaya, who I think might be the more interesting character, at least in the beginning of the story.

Figuring out a name for this character was surprisingly simple. I based their name on the headcanon that Madara's siblings' names are inspired from the Five Mountains of Northern Shinshu. Takaya, however, is the odd sixth child (not in terms of birth order), so where do they fit into this naming scheme? Well, (according to Japanese Wikipedia), in some tourist guides, Mount Kousha takes the place of Mount Myouko in the Five Mountains, so I thought "teehee, I'm gonna use that to name my character." An alternative reading for Mount Kousha (高社山 こうしゃさん) is Mount Takayashiro. I layer another headcanon that most Uchiha names are 3 syllables in length, and that's how "Takaya" was derived.

After the initial shock of being a newborn again but with memories of another more comfortable life swimming in their head (along with information about their family's life??? What the hell is going on with that??), Takaya comes to some dawning conclusions:

1) Oh shit, my entire family is gonna die (and not in the sense of oh we're shinobi in the middle of a never-ending war with the Senju, but in the sense that they'll be almost completely gone within 3-5 generations, leaving behind a single child (our boy Sasuke) who has to live with the burden of having no family)

2) their kind older brother Madara becomes... that. And even though there's a very low chance (generally speaking) that they'll live past say 14, Takaya tries their darndest to ensure the wellbeing of their clan and of their brothers as long as they are alive. This is done in two fronts, which eventually combine into one:

a) Finding a way to beef up the Uchiha's medical facilities.

I headcanon that the Uchiha had like *some* medical knowledge; I mean you have to have some kind of procedure when one of your clan members inevitably gets stabbed, slashed, or burned. But, this medical knowledge oftentimes fell short, so many Uchiha shinobi didn't necessarily die on the battlefield but back at the clan compound or the medical tents due to injuries. This is how Izuna probably died, and Tobirama asked of Izuna the next time his clan confronted the Uchiha (or just Madara???) because he might have assumed that the Uchiha had medical knowledge comparable to the Senju (who along with other clans like the Hyuga and Nara are the cream of the crop when it comes to medicine during this time period, at least in my headcanon) and assumed that his nemesis was like recovering from the injury, not dead.

Idk yet how I'll handle things like infection and disease. I'll have to absorb some more SI/OC fanfics (and Warring States Era fanfics in general) so that I'm more familiar with common tropes and can deconstruct them from there. One SI/OC fic I've been meaning to read is Sanitize, which deals with the disease/infection prevention aspect of medical care before Konoha's founding. Regardless, I think that using the Mystical Palm Technique on serious wounds could decrease the likelihood of a wound becoming infected, so it'll be a super useful technique for clans that don't already have knoweldge of this jutsu.

The lack of medical knowledge/techniques becomes apparent to Takaya when one of their siblings dies in a similar manner -- they get injured and die after days, maybe weeks, in agony. They remember the glowy hands technique they saw in the show, and go, "is there a way we could do that to help our clan members?" Honestly, this part is a bit shaky since information during this time is quite siloed, and Takaya quickly learns that you gotta break a few eggs to make an omlette.

b) Securing the bag.

Here, I'm rely on the headcanon that the Uchiha were, relatively speaking, at least poorer than the Senju. I'll need to figure out how big the gap is, however, between the Senju and say the daimyo and rich nobles, the Senju and the Uzumaki (I want them to be bougie shinobi lmao), and the Senju and the Uchiha (I mean after all, the Uchiha gained notoriety for being elite shinobi, so I don't think they'd always be on the brink of starving to death, but I'd like to hash ideas out with others on this). Even if the Senju are relatively well-off, they won't be rich enough to like completely stop relying on mercenary work, and the samurai and other people in the upper echelons of society will make it very clear that the Senju aren't all that because their line of work is inherently dishonourable. Iirc, in the past (in our world) social status and wealth didn't always go hand in hand, so going by that (if I'm not too wrong haha) you could have poor samurai (I think this happened irl) and nobility who for one reason or another lost their wealth, and you could have people in the lower strata of society who were loaded.

Anywho, overtime it becomes clear to Takaya that things between the Uchiha and their longtime rivals aren't as "equal" as they thought, and they along with Izuna (they become the scheming duo heehee) start scheming up multiple "get rich quick" schemes for the Uchiha that extend beyond taking the highest paying mission, inevitably having to duke it out with the Senju, and having at least one person die gruesomely. These schemes include (I should mention that this is gonna be a semi-crack fic):

Taking advantage of Hashirama's gambling addiction early (when he's like 12) and figuring out a way to make his main coping mechanism gambling instead of idk meditating under the trees. This way, even if a mission isn't successful, they still indirectly get the mission money.

Offering medical services for a (very hefty) fee. This might be a first for a shinobi clan to do, and it obviously comes with some risks, but in a war-torn world it is a pretty lucrative field of business. Takaya is very clear, however, that the Uchiha are offering medical services solely for the money, not out of charity or goodwill. Takaya develops a "fuck you I have mine" mentality. While they're extremely empathetic and caring, that compassion only extends to their family, their clan members, and maaaaybe the few allies the Uchiha have. They don't have the emotional capacity to care about anyone else, so they don't. So, if someone begs them to offer medical services for their sick mother and they can't pay, Takaya will walk away with no issue (they will be tossing and turning at night, but that's only because they drank too much water before bed, right?)

Honeypot missions with a twist (this one might be like 70% Izuna's idea tbh). The Uchiha don't really engage in honeypot/seduction missions in the traditional sense (honestly I probably need more exposure to the honeypot/seduction trope) because of the whole securing the bloodline thing, but there are ways around this. Basically, there will be a unit of Uchiha who specialize in a specific kind of seduction mission where they basically pull a Cardi B on unsuspecting clients; that is, they roofie the client and steal their money pouch and any other valuables then leave them to wake up in the middle of a dirt road

(I should note that I am a beginner writer and have very little experience writing actual fics. I'm quite good (I think) at coming up with ideas (often very strange) while I'm showering or cooking, but I'm working on improving my follow-thru game. This process, however, is slow due to executive functioning shit and current life circumstances. So, some ideas or plot bunnies might not make sense. I'd really love to hash out and polish these ideas with more experienced minds.)

In terms of finding a solution to achieve peace with the Senju, that part is... complicated. Why? The Senju, even under Hashirama, haven't really proven themselves as trustworthy enough to be allied with the Uchiha, centuries-long blood feud aside (for reasons I gotta hash out, anyone have ideas?). Additionally, some...other developments arise that make Takaya go, "you know what? Maybe I am sick of war (it always twists their stomach whenever they can't save a patient, especially if that patient is a kid), not to mention it's hurting our clan financials, but I'd rather we maintain our pride and honour during this horrible time than to be at the mercy of the Senju. Also, fuck Hashirama and Tobirama." (dm me if you want to know what that development is, it's a major spoiler and only adds to the crack nature of the potential fic)

But, for *other reasons* (read: Tsukasa, the other SI, may or may not have beaten the shit out of them), they eventually concede to a ceasefire, then later an alliance with the Senju. Overtime, they do learn to extend compassion to other non clan members, as long as they live in Konoha that is. They expand the business model that prevented the Uchiha from *actually* being on the brink of starvation at the end of the Warring States Era in canon (and having not much choice but to create an alliance with the Senju even if they had to make far too many concessions which when added up over many decades contributed to their demise) to Konoha. They know that war between the villages is inevitable, so depending on how I write this (if I ever do), they'll either try to strongarm (either with force or with economic might) the other villages under Konoha's umbrella to eventually form a "world government" of sorts, or have Konoha sit back as the other villages try to destroy each other, swoop in for medical assistance and reap the profit. If Hashirama (Hashirama does not like Madara's younger siblings in this fic, and the feeling is mutual) looks at them sideways for their skewed morals, they'll just go "why r u upset we haven't killed anyone we just jacked up the price of ninja insulin is all."

Oh, I should also mention that if the Tailed Beasts become an issue, both SIs have no problem with granting these creatures the same fate as in canon; the only thing that differs between them is how they approach the Tailed Beasts. While Takaya might go up to say Matatabi and basically tell her "ok, get in to this scroll," Tsukasa might attempt to convince them that they are safer sealed in a scroll or in a person than they are being out and about (you know how Kinkaku and Ginkaku tried to capture Kurama? Maybe they weren't the only ones trying to do so once the Hidden Village system was established).

Now, it's time to talk about Senju Tsukasa, who is child no. 3. Honestly, trying to name the Senju SI was harder than I thought. I just settled on "Tsukasa," which (according to this website at least) can be used to signify one's connection with nature. It's gonna take a while before I find a good name for this character, but for now Tsukasa is the working name for this SI.

Tsukasa, unlike Takaya, honestly isn't really concerned about "fixing" the future up until their teens. They're too busy having panic attacks, trying not to die, and maybe saving their younger siblings along the way (whether or not they succeed in this I cannot say right now 😶) to really thing about that. Oh, and also getting up to stupid shit when they're not training (like putting weed in Butsuma's porridge. The surprising thing is they don't get caught for a looong time, but one day they slip and start bragging about it to their cousins. One of their cousins snitches on them, and they get the ass-whooping of both of their lives). Besides, what can they do? They can heal, but Hashirama's a better healer. They can definitely hold their own in a fight, but Tobirama is quicker on his feet and better at commanding an army. Their strategy is basically "oh, maybe I'll volunteer to heal Izuna when my brother shanks him" (like that would be an easy task. Hint: probably not likely since if Izuna didn't trust the Senju with an alliance, how would he trust them to heal him?). They, along with certain individuals in their life (again I cannot say right now but if you dm me I might spill), if they don't want to outright wipe the Uchiha off the face of the planet (during this time period all clans wanted this end for their rivals), they take the approach of weakening them, and putting them in the position of having no choice but to accept any terms their rivals/nemesis throws in front of them.

Right now, I don't really have Tsukasa's character and purpose in the story before Konoha's founding (besides foiling all of Takaya's diabolical plans) set quite yet. It's just a bunch of plot bunnies that I'll only remember if you ask specific questions.

Compared to Takaya, Tsukasa doesn't really have a reason for sticking it out during this time of constant war besides "Idk let's find out what happens next," and they oscillate between not caring if they die because they've died once and dying again wouldn't hurt, and not wanting to die because even though they don't remember the whole process or how they got to exist in a world that was only a story in their previous life, they remember it felt like being pulled apart (gee I wonder why) and was likely scary and unpleasant.

Their character really starts to shine once the village is founded, and Tsukasa slowly becomes disillusioned with their older brother's dream (i.e. "what do you mean I still gotta go on assassination missions?!?!??"). They were dumb enough to think that once the village is founded without Izuna (or Madara's other stupid little brother unfortunately) dying, everything would be peachy. But of course, in both this life and in the past life, you gotta find a way to pay the bills, and for 99% of the clans that eventually inhabit Konoha that way has been doing shady shit for rich people for as long as they can remember. It's either business as usual, or their counterpart's own interesting methods of not having Konoha rely on violence (at least, Takaya's definition of "violence") and strife for money.

Ever since they were young, Tsukasa has had a visceral disdain for the daimyo and other rich clients who hire the Senju to deal with dirty business they do not out of "honour," lack of skill, or just cowardice. When the Senju and Uchiha eventually form an alliance, Tsukasa proposes to their brothers that they take it a step further and just kill the Fire Daimyo. For reasons (which I gotta think of ugh), Hashirama and Tobirama disagree and they continue on with their livelihoods as usual. After multiple personal and political developments over the span of at least half a decade or so, Tsukasa becomes fed up, leaves Konoha (might bring some friends with them who knows), and decides to create an old-timey Akatsuki with the goal of completely destroying the feudal system, and the shinobi world as they know it. If their methods eventually put Konoha in a recession then too bad so sad.

If all of this sounds kinda dumb, that's kinda the point. The whole story is doomed from start to finish whether or not these characters exist in the story, and the SIs only make *some* things better, if any, while leaving the world in a messier state than they left it. I do have 2 other SIs (around the main timeline) who have a happier ending and aren't as messed up as the Warring States SIs. But, those haven't been fully developed yet and aren't really my focus at this time.

Also, all of this is subject to change at any time. The idea for this potential fic has changed dramatically over time, especially as my understanding of Naruto (the manga) itself has changed over the past few months. Initially, it started off as an interesting thought exercise (what if you were born into the worst fictional world you can think of? What would you do (besides y’know dying right then and there). From there, the thought exercise got crazier and crazier and more unhinged, with some frankly self-indulgent elements interspersed between the horrors™️. Initially these two characters weren't even supposed to be in the same universe at the same time, but eventually they did because I thought it would be funny as fuck. There are a lot of things that live in my head but have yet to be written down, and some things here that are subject to change in the future once I get a solid handle on the characters, whether they are the SIs, the canon characters, the pseudo-canon characters who are practically OCs (class 1 pseudo-canon (at least 1 line): Izuna, Itama, Mito; class 2 pseudo-canon (no lines): Kawarama, Touka, Hikaku), or the slew of *actual* OCs I’ll have to create (I both dread this yet I’m so excited to create them. I already some ideas for a few).

I'm practically begging people to ask me more questions about this; it might actually motivate me to get over the shame and "he/she/they would NOT say that" in my head and actually write for once. Ask me about their OP abilities, ask me about potential ways they get traumatized, ask me any other question you feel like asking :D

[aldritch-ao3]

Hello!! We’ve really been enjoying your fic and wanted to ask a few things, and ramble :p

1. Were there any works (be it original fiction or fanfics) that inspired Playback? Because the SI ‘genre’ (don’t have a better word for it haha) is very broad and well tread and we find your exploration of it very interesting.

2. We were actually somewhat wary of the idea of Freeze Frame for half a second but the way you’re able to utilize it in the narrative is very interesting and well thought out, it balances out well with the characters. But to get to the point: How did the balance out the technique with the story so well?

Uhh… now other stuff :3

SI-ya is a very enjoyable character! Don’t know why but we read him as a very flat affected midwestern guy, with the type of accent you’d hear from Michigan/Indiana.

Thank you for sharing your story and stay safe during Milton!

aaah what a sweet ask ! i'll endeavour to answer it all as best as i can, i love answering these sorts of meta questions they're a real treat for me !!! also its late and im up for my unstoppable editing a chapter at 3am grind so this may not be super coherent and its way too long sorryyyy

1. in regards to other fics - i'm admittedly more a 'time travel fix-it' guy than a SI-genre guy! they so rarely ever click with me in a way i enjoy, and im always sad when the SI isnt like, a fleshed out OC with their own history and whatnot. the only one i can think of that i really enjoyed was cleaning crew ! but i found the JJK fandom played around with them in really fun ways to me (even if i haven't had a ton of time to read a lot).

the tag on playback that denotes it came to me in a dream isn't a joke - i stayed up till like 5am reading all of a gentler world in one sitting, and had the most vibrant dream ive had in months, which the base plot of later became playback.

said dream will one day be written out when it isn't a major spoiler. lmao.

but @ the oc-focus bit, it may be more apt to say i draw off of other time-travel media in how the narrative interacts with the character - a study of resonance and a shot in the dark are some different-fandom favourites of mine that probably influenced me in some way shape or form, and pokemon mystery dungeon: explorers of sky shaped my brain in a way i will never recover from.

2. when it comes to balance, a part of it is very centered in like ... approach, for me. SIya is by nature a thoughtful character who approaches things methodically, and while i started with a very faint idea for freeze frame i let the drawbacks of it come to me as i fleshed him out - drawbacks that would be actual drawbacks catered to the character, and ones he may eventually be able to use to his own benefit. he's the type of smart guy who could probably find some use in its increased resistance and lack of air circulation, but he's also the type of guy to be constantly exhausted because he pushes himself to his limits constantly. he feels responsible for the whole world, and i wanted freeze frame as an ability to both enable and worsen that feeling. the character himself is also a counter to it - he's not the sort to use it wildly or irresponsibly in the way others might. its balanced with the story because it IS the story! SIya the oc and SIya the character themes are inseparable from freeze frame and the story is built for that.

3. midwestern SIya is so funny. everyone ive talked to pictures him with an entirely different accent but all agree he sounds super flat and like. average. its hysterical to me. real bland energy that transcends language. average generic guy voice

i'm really glad people enjoy it so much! i really wasnt at all expecting this much feedback and it's super motivating. it's been nice to have something to focus on aside from the upcoming storm ;w; with any luck, everything will be fine and i'll come back swinging with like 8 new chapters

[aureliagone]

✨How to read fanfic in a fandom you’re not a part of (yet!)✨

Maybe you don’t have Netflix or Amazon Prime, so you can’t watch Lucifer or Sherlock. Maybe the DCU is too daunting to even try to consume all that confusing content. Maybe you just know that Childe/Zhongli is the perfect ship for you, but you’ve never played Genshin Impact.

Have no fear! There are three main ways to get into a new fandom through fanfic—no original fandom content consumption required! (Note: other sources, such as fan wikis and other enjoyer’s headcanons, may enhance your fandom induction.)

The three types of fanfics best suited for fandom noobs are self-inserts/isekai, crossovers, and minor character/OC perspective fics.

Let’s start with self inserts/isekai.

As with all three of these types of fics, self-inserts are good introductory fics because they require the author to explain the world. There are two main subcategories: knowledgeable SIs and clueless SIs. Both work, but clueless SIs are ideal (because you, as the reader, are just as clueless in this new world as the SI is.

I used this method for getting into the Genshin Impact fandom with Bgtea’s absolutely GORGEOUS fic Entirely Out of Spite. It’s a knowledgeable SI, but there’s enough explanation for the reader to get what’s going on (and enjoy it!) There are undoubtedly nuances I missed from never actually playing the game, but I enjoyed the fic nonetheless.

It should be noted that SIs/isekai fics can result in OOC and canon divergences. Please keep this in mind!

Next is the crossover fic!

A crossover requires the characters to explain aspects of their different worlds to each other. For your own sanity, pick a crossover that has your target unknown fandom and a fandom you know well.

I used this method for getting into the My Hero Academia fandom using wonhaebunny’s blackugou widow and Roygkid’s Not a Spare Part, both of which are MCUxMHA crossovers. In the first, Natasha Romanov reincarnates as Bakugou Katsuki, and in the second, Tony Stark shares a body with Midoriya Izuku.

When I first read these, I saw a known character (Tony and Nat) going into an unknown world (MHA). I find this to be more integrating than the reverse (unknown characters going into a known world) because it’s easier for the reader to “learn” the new world with the inserted character if that character is already known to the reader.

As with any crossover, canon and characters may be altered and are not a true representation of canon (obviously lol.) SIs also are prone to some good old unreliable narrator shenanigans.

And finally, the minor character/OC perspective.

This category might be the most effective at explaining actual canon with huge divergences. Because these “outside perspective” fics are more focused on worldbuilding rather than canon plot, they are great character and setting intros.

I used this method for getting into the DCU through carolina_batboys fic Only in Gotham: Craft Store Edition. Basically, an OC works in a Gotham craftstore and various canon characters interact with her. The character slowly learns more about the superheroes (and thus teaches the reader as well.)

Final Thoughts

Fanfic isn’t meant to be read without already knowing the original content being fan-written about. But if you don’t want to watch an entire show just to watch a blond child be an orange dumbass or enjoy some Johnlock fluff, then these tips should get you there. And they work. I’ve never seen or read MHA and now I’ve got 247 bookmarks in the fandom. Best wishes, and happy reading!

[oceangirl24]

15, 38 and 48 for the asks!

Hi! Thanks so much for the asks!

15. What’s your favorite AU that you’ve written?

Ooo, I haven't written an AU in ages. Years ago, when I was big into the seaQuest, I despised the direction the show took in the second season and came up an AU for it. The first attempt was... not good. lol I did start a rewrite a few years later but unfortunately, I never finished it (although I still have the handwritten notes for it). Do I remember a lot of details? Nope! But it's still up on FFN.

38. Did any of your fics get surprisingly popular (whatever that means to you)? Which ones? Why do you think they were so successful?

Warning: Long response, may veer off-topic slightly 😆

This is an interesting question. Honestly until I joined AO3 in 2021, I never thought about popularity or stats. I really didn't know it was thing. I was always on FFN so maybe that's why.

Based on stats across the board on the three sites I post on, it's easily Autumn in Philadelphia.

When I began AiP in 2002, it was one of a kind. No one else wrote Jonathan Turner as a central character and, to my knowledge, Audrey was the first published OC love interest for him. The popularity of the story back then surprised me as it was the era where OCs were heavily criticized and almost every one was labeled a dreaded Mary Sue. I still tear up over those OG comments wanting J and A together, some a decade plus after the last chapter was posted.

Coming back after 19 years away, the BMW fanfiction scene is very different. There are a ton of Jon & Shawn fics now, although I'm not sure how many are Jon-centric. Once I crossed over to AO3 and saw popularity was a thing I noticed that readers seemed to want extremely specific tropes handled in very certain ways for Jon and Shawn in order to bring in the kudos and comments, especially. Since I go in a very different direction with these tropes and have a very different story to tell, I knew I was fighting a losing battle but trying to get out of stats chasing mode was so hard.

Side note: When I started to write again on FFN I contacted everyone who supported me on the story back then, knowing they were likely out of the fandom and their accounts inactive. I just said thank you so much for commenting back then and it was rereading those comments that brought back me back to this story. The response was surprising because I didn't expect to hear anything. Some people responded right away with excitement. Some I heard from months later saying they never check FFN anymore but when they saw who the PM was from, they had to respond. Many said they would be reading. One person said AiP was the first fanfic they ever read and how much they loved it. Audrey was remembered fondly. Someone remembered the RPG I had forgotten about. How cool?

Now when I look at stats, I tend to focus more on FFN due to the detail of their stats and every month I have 5-10 people going through the whole story. Which floors me as it is not a short read. It is a complicated story.

Somehow, it's even closing in on 3K on WattPad which amazes me. BMW is largely Reader X or SI. (Are those the right terms? lol).

Maybe popular isn't the right word here. Longevity. I'm really surprised by AiP's longetivity.

Why? The level of detail maybe. Character development? How different it is? No clue.

48. What’s the last fic you read? Do you recommend it?

In a previous answer, the last read was Darlin' by @mrsmungus. Just before that, I read (am reading) Aftermath by  MantaI305ApollosChariot. I dropped off on the MCU movies a while ago, but I really love her Wanda-centric fix-it story. She's amazing at filling me in on canon and what her changes are and why. Very enjoyable to read.

[tozettastone]

For a reincarnation self insert/modern oc fic (SI/OC) Sasuke is a compelling character to inhabit because

he has interesting and fun personal attributes for a power fantasy: we may assume he's rich, we know he gets the sharingan and it's very powerful, and

he is a character that experiences a great deal of pressure from external forces: itachi, orochimaru, the village. These pressures are an easy way to give the SI/OC motivation without having to develop any significant personality traits or desires that might provide internal motivation instead.

I don't think this is lazy writing, because it seems to fulfil the purpose for which SI/OC fics are usually written (amusing writers and readers alike!) quite well. If that's the case then the SI/OC character doesn't need internal motives more complex than the occasional "I like my friends!" or "I don't want to die!" which is about what they get.

The SI/OC characters who are not taking the role of Sasuke kind of need either more complete internal motives, or for the writer to expose different pressures that might be implied in the canonical setting (for example, I've never seen a Tenzo OC but you can imagine that there would be plenty of factors constituting external motivation for that character!), or for the writer to manufacture pressures entirely.

I think... I don't really want to write about a character who is an Uchiha or someone like Tenzo. I think I'd prefer to come up with internal motives. This is troubling because I'll also be stuck with this OC for a while. I'll be annoyed if I get 20k words in and don't like them. -_-;

[aerialflight]

Fic Recs (cause it's always nice to give a shout out and get people into things I'm into rn)

[The Magnus Archives] (I recently finished the podcast and I fell into a hole for a while so here you go)

Sing a Song of Sixpence by Kaiel

Ship: Jon/Martin

In which Jonathan Sims is a Siren, and he fails to notice any new abilities granted to him by the position of Archivist. Or really anything about the Entities at all.

Takes place in season 1 featuring Jonah Magnus’s slow decent into madness

(The new mythology interwoven with tma's worldbuilding is so freaking good and I love how all the characters change and develop because of these changes. Also, f you Elias)

Along Came a Spider by Dribbledscribbles

Ship: implied Jon/Martin

Sasha James is the Archivist, as expected. Martin Blackwood is menaced by Jane Prentiss, as expected. Elias Bouchard weaves his web, as expected.

All goes as it should.

At least until something calling itself Jonathan Sims steps in.

(Web!Jon in this makes me want to weep, it's so freaking good. A pretty long, very excellent oneshot on what could've happened if Jon got taken by the web when he was a kid. And Sasha as the Archivist is ALWAYS so cool, we love her in this house.)

A Break in the Clouds by Ash_Rabbit

“I’m eight.” the kid sniffs as if eight was any different from four, maybe not an unspeakable horror then, just a regular horror. “And I heard that the Magnus Institute deals with-” his little nose scrunches, cute. “-spooky things.”

“Do you have a-” he cracks a grin, and then rethinks it as small hands tighten against their burden.”-spooky thing to deliver?” gods he hopes not, it’s bad enough when adults walk in and lay out all of their baggage, but for a child-

“There’s a spider in this book.” the kid says solemnly, raising his textbook sized parcel. “It ate Evan Pritchard.” a bloody fucking Leitner. Of course an eight year old would find a murder spider book. “This seemed like the best place to bring it.”

(I never thought about what the Original Elias could've been like AND NOW I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT IT BECAUSE OF THIS FIC. I LOVE HIM, HE'S COMPLEX AND HE CARES AND JON CARES AND THEY BOTH CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER. THIS IS THE CONTENT I WANT, OMG. Also, Jon being even smaller than usual is adorable, so cute. No wonder Elias wants to hug him, a LOT.)

See the Line where the Sky meets the Sea by The_Floating_World

Ship: Jon/Martin, Jon/Oliver Banks

When Jon is a child he looks into the infinite abyss of space. The Vast looks back into him.

(One of my all time fave fics in this fandom, no questions asked. I have reread this three times and am open to doing it again, god. Vast!Jon, such a concept. It's written so beautifully and the relationships Jon develops, so good. ugh. My heart. Please please read.)

Sweet As Roses by Prim_the_Amazing

Ship: Jon/Martin

“Come in, Martin,” he says, not looking up from his notes.

“Hi, Jon,” he says, and Jon stops writing at the sound of his voice. “We’re out of the green tea, but we’ve got lemon?”

Jon looks at him. Martin smiles at him in his usual tentative way as he sets the mug of tea down on Jon’s desk. Heat spikes so sharply in his gut that he twitches with it.

“Thank you, Martin,” he says, mouth dry, and he stands up.

“Oh,” he says, sounding almost surprised. He smiles again. “No-- no problem-- um, what are you--”

Jon takes Martin by the shoulders, leans up on the tips of his toes, and kisses him.

(You have no idea how much I howled through this fic, my god. *buries face in hands* The number of times I wanted to cry from sheer hilarity and horror reading this good lord.)

Things Could Always Be Worse by theOestofOCs

Ship: Jon/Martin, Georgie/Melanie

Sometimes, the most horrifying thing of all is what might have been.

Somewhere, Jon could swear he heard a crowd laughing.

Or: in which Jonathan Sims is forced to swap places with his alternate self—a tall, chivalrous hero extraordinaire, who knows neither fear nor nuance—and is sent to the aggressively straight alternate universe the Magnus Archives was never meant to be.

“Whatever place this is,” Jon announced, “I just want to be sure it knows I hate it.”

(I will say this once, THIS IS THE MOST CURSED THING IVE EVER READ EVER. Like holy hell. I can't believe this thing exists. please read it oh please please please)

-

[Supernatural]

heard from your mother (she don't recognize you) by Schmuzz

Ship: Dean/Cas, Jessica/Sam

A man named Cas wakes up in 2003 with no memories, but he's able to piece together a few things:

1. Supernatural creatures exist, and most of them will hurt innocent civilians if he doesn't stop them; 2. He has abilities that no human hunter should have, but he knows enough about human hunters to keep that to himself, and finally; 3. He keeps running into another hunter named Dean Winchester, who seems to be about as lonely as he is if he's willing to put up with those former facts long enough to help Cas unravel the mystery of who (or what) he really is.

For his part, Dean's still (not) dealing with Sam's departure to Stanford, and figures distracting himself with a bit of mystery and intrigue is as harmless as it gets, right? Right.

(THE fic I'm most into right now, been following this from the very start and it's AMAZING. Cas has agency and is making friends and S1 Dean is growing out of John's influence and is becoming a Person and the both of them first being friends then more. The slow burn as their relationship develops, SO GOOD. SO SO DAMN GOOD. *screams* Seriously one of the best spn fics I've read in a long, long time.)

anamnesis by cenotaphy

Ships: Castiel/Dean, Sam/Eileen

Chuck is depowered, Jack is the new god, and the world is free. Dean and Sam get into the Impala and chase down the miles on an endless highway, and their story is finally, finally their own to follow. At least, that's what Dean tells himself. But the diners and motels and painted interstate lines are blurring together and the smallest details keep catching at his brain like tiny fishhooks and he can't quite shake the feeling that not everything is exactly as it should be.

* Fix-it/alternate series finale. Canon-compliant through the end of 15.19.

(THIS IS THE FIC THAT GOT ME THROUGH THE FINALE OKAY. WHY COULDN'T THIS HAVE BEEN CANON. It's Disturbing and honestly plot-wise this makes more sense. Why couldn't we have had this. *screams*)

-

[Avatar: The Last Airbender]

where the stars do not take sides by WitchofEndor

Ship: Sokka/Zuko

When Azula is nine, she becomes an only child. She hears the Fire Lord call for Zuko's life, and in the morning, her mother and brother are gone. Azula may be young, but she isn't naive. She knows what happened to them.

Which makes it all the more surprising when Azula tracks the Avatar down and fights his group of peasant friends, only to find herself staring into an eerily familiar face.

(The fact one of the tags in this fic is, "Sibling Dynamic: Fucked Up But Wholesome" should give you an idea what this fic is like. Chaotic as HELL and I just love Azula here, she loves Zuko so much in her messed up way and Zuko loves her back in the exact same way lol. It's batshit and I am Here For This.)

-

[Naruto]

Eclipse by AislingRoisin (JayBird345) for HybrisAnaideia

Ship: Nara Shikaku/OFC

"In life, it's easier to remain stagnant and wallow in your troubles. But life isn't merely about continued existence, nor is it meant to be gone through alone."

(This is a fic that's slept on and I NEED people to read this. A self-insert fic that I find really interesting in its approach and the worldbuilding for the post-third war shinobi world is fantastic. I feel like there's a certain pattern with self-insert fics, not that is a detriment in any way to how much I enjoy them, so this fic feels fresh to me in a way I haven't read in a while. I am waiting eagerly for this to get updated! Please read!)

On Freedom and Other Formalities by iaso

Ship: Kakashi/Genma/OFC

When push comes to shove, Hiwa Inuzuka doesn't go down easy. Reborn into a new, dangerous world? She puts her past life as a spy to work. Thrown into a war? Hiwa does her duty, for Konoha. And when she's forced into an arranged marriage? All there is to do is beat them to the punch and get married first. Thankfully, Genma Shiranui is willing to lend a hand. Literally. SI/OC

(Listen, LISTEN, it's about the slow burn, the longing, the communication (it both has and hasn't and isn't THAT great??), the messy way you fit three very different people together, it's so freaking good! Also, Kakashi is so Chaotic here this is my fave characterization of him, you can't change my mind. And Genma is a Good Boi who is Doing His Best, along with the Self-insert character who I LOVE SO MUCH, SHE'S FANTASTIC FNEIWOPAF. Sped past this fic in the speed of light, I could not stop reading!)(Honestly, read all of the author's fics, they're all really REALLY good!)

Building a Castle by WhisperingDarkness

Without needing anyone to tell her, Sakura knew that talking to someone no-one else could see or hear would make her weird. It would draw the bad kind of attention to her, something people could make fun of her for.

She didn’t like being weird, but she did like the voice. Her inner voice was helpful and it was a part of her that had always been there. The idea of it not being there would have been so much weirder than anything else.

It was during her first year at the Academy that Sakura realised the voice was not in her head at all, but that it came from a cloudy shape floating next to her.

(Basically a short-ish retelling of Hikaru no Go. Only with more Shogi and Nara and Ninja's)

(Sakura can see ghosts (I'm noticing this is a popular trope for her) and it's really cute haha! Her relationship with Tobirama is sweet and I just enjoyed reading this so much.)

-

[The Magicians]

So Long (And Thanks For All The Books) by IncompleteSentanc (Erava)

Ships: Quentin/Eliot, James/Julia, Quentin/Margo/Eliot

When Quentin is told Julia wasn't admitted to Brakebills, he realizes he has a drastic decision in front of him. If he tells Julia about magic, he'll have his mind wiped as well as hers. But he can't just leave her behind, either. He can't lose his best friend, and he can't let her life a life with her magical potential stolen away from her.

So he makes a third choice.

(Really, and I mean REALLY well-done canon divergent fic, this is the Quentin & Julia friendship fic I have been looking for forever. It explores so much of what could've happened and I just love Quentin here, I really really do. Characterization done so right. I also recommend the author's other works too. Been a follower of them for a long time, they're great.)

-

[Game of Thrones]

The Road to Victory by writing_as_tracey

Too late in preparing for the Night King and the Long Night, the last stand at Winterfell is close to falling. Bran takes desperate measures to ensure victory, and Jon, Sansa, and Arya pay the price for it in a time unfamiliar to them, on the cusp of another war. [GoT, time-travel fix it]

(I swear, this fic made me laugh so many times, all the Stark are BAMF and fantastic, and Rhaegar gets Wrecked lol. It's crack btw, and the plot goes in directions you'll never guess and it's amazing hahaha!)

-

[Haikyuu!!] (I am very very late to the fandom but here I am)

Ballare (To Dance) by MidnightSparks

Ship: Iwaizumi Hajime/Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru, and platonic Kageyama & Kentarou (really love their friendship)

Kageyama’s first love is volleyball. His second, however, is ballet.

In one world, Kageyama Tobio is left behind by his parents. In this world, the existence of soulbonds keeps Kageyama’s parents in Miyagi and leaves Kageyama in the care of his grandma and grandpa.

(In which soulmates exist and that changes everything and nothing at the same time.)

(*buries face in hands* I have fallen for this ship so hard and I can't get out fudge me. I understand now. Their DYNAMICS FIEWONPAF)

Kings of Tomorrow by bokubroya (liarielle)

Ship: Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru

On the eve of Tobio’s 16th birthday, he counts down the seconds to midnight, and emerges with Oikawa Tooru’s name on his wrist.

It’s been two years since then, and Tobio thought they had an understanding. A silent, never spoken about understanding that this thing between them is nothing, and they’re going to pretend it doesn’t exist.

Of course, it’s just like Oikawa to change the game and leave Tobio wondering what comes next.

(I am WEAK for soulmate fics between these two, I don't even really like soulmate fics half the times what is WRONG WITH ME-)(Please suffer with me, I'm begging you. Its a good fic, thumbs up.)

-

[Crossover]

Honey and Magic by JustARatherVerySillyWriter, White_Squirrel for Super Carlin Brothers

Fandoms: Matilda (yeah you read that right), Harry Potter

Everyone knew Matilda was a rather extraordinary child, but even she didn't know she was a witch. Matilda Honey receives her Hogwarts letter in the year of the Triwizard Tournament, and soon, she will leave her unique mark on the magical world.

(Do I even need to explain how amazing it is to have Matilda in the wizarding world? And Matilda is a HUFFLEPUFF AND I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL THIS FIC IS GREAT PLEASE READ!!!)

An Eye for an Eye by DpsMercy

Fandoms: The Magnus Archives, Welcome to Night Vale

In which Jonathan Sims is not from the UK but instead, if you took his origins and turned them sideways twice then flipped them over, he technically would be from the US, the town of Night Vale specifically. Elias can’t do shit about it and gets a headache and slowly creeping madness instead.

(Look, I know probably everyone has read this because if they haven't, what have you been DOING with your lives??? Jon interning at Night Vale is Incredible, nothing phases this man, it's Delightful. I laughed so many times reading this, I'm not even kidding right now. Read or perish.)

The Favour by R_Cookie

Fandoms: Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Ship: Original Percival Graves/Harry Potter

Percival is ten years old when his grandfather tries to tell him that he's ensured the greatness of the Graves legacy for him, that he ought to be eternally grateful - but the explanation is hijacked by a stranger who manages to intimidate Chester Graves with an ease never seen before.

or: Hadrian (Harry) Potter is the Master of Death, who grants Graves a boon. Nobody could have known that the Deathly Hallows didn't turn you so much into the 'Master of Death' as into the anthropomorphic personification of Death. And so, Death becomes Percival's guardian angel, and Percival does not spit out his cereal.

(Look, I don't know how I stumbled back into the FBAWTFT fandom either, it just happened and I'm grateful for that. Otherwise, I wouldn't have found this amazing fic. Their relationship is slow and strange and I just love how Percival is characterized here. Also, one of the tag promises that it deviates from canon so I am really, really excited for that! XD)

baby that's what i do by natanije

Fandoms: Naruto, Katekyou Hitman Reborn!

"Are you telling me," Hidan exclaims, incredulous, "that you collect money all this time to give to orphans?!"

Kakuzu pauses. He blinks a few times.

"Huh. I guess I do."

(Tsuna reincarnates as Kakuzu and it's HILARIOUS. HE'S SUCH A MOM HAHAHA)

[carryonmywaywardcaptain]

A Supernaturally Marvelous Fic Challenge

Calling all Supernatural and Marvel fanfic writers!

I don’t know about y’all, but writer’s block and lack of motivation have hit me harder than ever this year. It’s no secret that 2020 has been a giant crap show for a lot of people, but our precious fics and fandoms can be such a great escape from it all. In an attempt to spread some inspiration and feel good vibes, I wanted to make my follower celebration something that might help both writers and readers.

Below you’ll find all sorts of prompts (dialogue, songs, AUs, etc.) because you never know what might inspire you. Since we’ve all had a tough year, there’s a catch! You’ve got to give it a happy ending.

Make it fun. Make it sassy. Make it steamy. But for the love of ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY please wrap it up nicely with good things and a “fluffy” bow. Cool? Cool.

Now, on to the rest:

This is my follower celebration for both blogs, so please consider following @carryonmywaywardcaptain​, @carryoncaptainrogers​, or both!

As you may have guessed from the title, prompts can be written for Supernatural or Marvel (extra love and virtual hugs if you choose to write about Dean Winchester or Steve Rogers because they are the loves of my life. But there’s still plenty of love for the rest of the Avengers & TFW!)

Angst, smut, crack, and fluff are all welcome, but remember to give it a fluffy/positive ending and tag the warnings accordingly (Please steer clear of smut if you’re under 18. Stay young and innocent, babes.)

No limit to how many people sign up for each prompt. Feel free to combine prompts or even combine fandoms in a crossover! Whatever gets your creative juices flowing.

Send an ask with the prompt you want to do and the pairing you’re planning to write (life gets busy, so I’ll do a reminder post before the deadline if it’s helpful for you!). Reader inserts or OCs are both fine.

Tag me in the A/N and use the hashtag #supernaturally marvelous fic challenge by December 20th January 31st. If you’re garbage at deadlines like me, I’m super flexible and won’t hold it against you if you get it done later! I’ll reblog SPN fics on this blog and Marvel pairings over on @carryoncaptainrogers​ so your fics are seen by the fans who need them most :)

Got another idea you want to write and/or read about? Shoot me an ask and maybe I can add it to the mix! 

Make sure to check back once in a while in case more prompts are suggested and added! Without further ado (oof, this is long!):

Some song ideas:

“Boss’s Daughter”- Pop Evil

“Night Moves”- Bob Seger

“It’s Been a Long, Long Time”- Harry James

“I Won’t Say (I’m in Love)”- yes, from Hercules

“Hold You in My Arms”- Ray Lamontagne

“Better Man”- James Morrison

“Perfect for Me”- Justin Timberlake

“When We Were Young”- Adele

“Holding Out For a Hero”- Ella Mae Bowen’s version

“Come Around”- Papa Roach

“From Eden”- Hozier

“To the Man Who Let Her Go”- Tyler Shaw

“What If I Stay”- Chris Young

“Drift Off to Dream”- Travis Tritt

“Take Your Time”- Sam Hunt

“T-Shirt”- Thomas Rhett

“Not Strong Enough”- Apocalyptica, Brent Smith

“What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?”- Lee Ann Womack

“Right Where You Want Me” or “Better With You”- Jesse McCartney (because I love them both and just couldn’t choose lol)

Feel free to suggest songs from the shows/movies! I know the above are random. I tried to have some variety.

AUs, Tropes, etc.:

*gasp* And there was only one bed… (Bed sharing)

Confessing FEELINGS (or “everyone conspiring to make them confess their feelings already”)

Neighbors 

At a concert

Fake relationship for some event/case

Royal/Medieval

Soulmates

A/B/O

Friends/Enemies/Strangers to lovers

Comforting the other person

Dialogue prompts:

“I didn’t mean to turn you on.” “Well, it’s a little late for that!”

"Stop telling me you’re okay.”

“Can you please come and get me?”

“Sometimes you can be a real dumbass, you know that?”

“Because I care about you!”

“I’m right here. I’ve got you.”

“Who did this to you?”

“Well...what if I go with you?”

“Give me a chance to change your mind.”

“Plot twist!” “Screaming ‘plot twist’ doesn’t make this suck any less.”

“What did I say?” “You told me to stay out of trouble.” “And what did you do?” “The opposite of that, obviously.”

“You can do so much better than him. I wish there was some way I could make you believe that.”

“Not enough? You’re...everything.”

“Well this was fun... Let’s never do it again.”

“I need you to do something for me. You owe me a no-questions-asked.”

“Don’t look at me like that! You know what it does to me.”

“Wait! Just...take me instead.”

“You can’t keep it all inside, you know? Bottling it up won’t do any good.”

“I can’t stay away from you. I’m tired of trying.”

“Have you seen you? You’re like a damn dreamboat.”

Random things my kiddos at school have said:

“Hey Mrs. America! Mrs. Captain America.”

“You know what your problem is? DAT attitude.”

“How did it taste?” “Like disappointment.”

“Do we got a fucking problem?”

“When am I not wearing my sassy pants?”

“Words are hard.”

“I’ve been screaming internally my entire life.”

“Can I jump over the fence?” “No, but thank you for asking.”

“That’s not very cash money of you.” “...I don’t know what that means.” “That’s okay. I just felt like saying it.”

“What do you call a blind dinosaur?” “Dead.” [P.S. the answer is Do-you-think-he-saw-rus]

Shenanigan ideas:

Karaoke night at a bar

Thanksgiving dinner

Christmas lights

Slow dancing

Prank War

Ice skating

Mistletoe

Ugly sweater party

Gift exchange

Creating/sharing holiday traditions

Please reblog or tag your favs who might be looking for a little extra inspiration!

CarryOnCap Crew (Forevers):

@abswritesfandoms​  @amanda-teaches​  @cosicas-cuquis​  @crist1216​  @droidyouseek​  @emoryhemsworth​  @ericaprice2008​  @flawless-disaster​  @janeyboo​  @jenn0755​  @ksgeekgirl​  @maresmiley​  @memyselfandmaddox​  @notyourtypicalrose​  @randomparanoid​  @rynabarnesrogers​  @sandlee44​  @scarletsoldierrr​  @shann-the-artist-moon​  @sheerioasteroidpanda​  @shynara51​  @someday-when-you-leave-me​ @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan​  @thisismysecrethappyplace​  @torntaltos​  @waywardbaby​  @waywardrose13​  @weebid​  @whimsicalrobots​  @wintersoldierbaby​  @wintersoldierissucharide  @yesfanficsaremylife​

Cap’s Marvel Crew:

@amoonagedaydreamer​  @bangtan-serendipity​ @bubbabarnes @lilacs-with-lavender​  @msgreenverse​  @nomadstevergxrs​  @palaiasaurus64​  @scarlettsoldier​  @selina-kyle89​  @smokeandnailz​  @troublermalik​  @twittytelly​  @valkirsif​

Cap’s SPN Crew:

@adoptdontshoppets​  @akshi8278​  @alexwinchester23​  @bi-danvers0​  @deangirl7695​  @dean-winchesters-bacon​  @fandomoniumflurry​  @pisces-cutie​  @supernaturalenchanted​  @superromijn​  @waywardnerd67​  @x-waywardaf-x​ 

Other amazing writers came to mind in case you’re interested in participating, feeling inspired to bless us with more of your beautiful work, or wouldn’t mind reblogging/tagging other writers (Please forgive me for spamming you!):

@luci-in-trenchcoats​ @supernatural-jackles​ @evansrogerskitten​ @cajunquandary​​ @after-avenging-hours​ @fvckingavengers​ @mywritingsblog​ @bitsandbobsandstuff​ @prettyyoungtragedy​ @kittenofdoomage​​ @angelkurenai​​ @impala-dreamer​ @redgillan​ @gaybybirth​ @invisibleanonymousmonsters​ @221bshrlocked​ @sgtjbuccky​ @captainrogerss​ @katymacsupernatural​ @buckyofthemyscira​ @captain-rogers-beard-mainblog​ @dancingalone21​ @atc74​ @smol-and-grumpy​ @hannahindie​ @kdfrqqg​ @sis-tafics​ @idreamofplaid​ @deanssweetheart23​ @because-imma-lady-assface​ @covered-byroses​ @captain-kelli​ @heli0s-writes​ @deanwinchesterswitch​ @roonyxx​ @jay-and-dean​ @ladywinchester1967​ @spnfanficpond​

[hawkieloki23]

Name of fic: No Tears Left to Cry

Pairing: Ransom Drysdale x female OC (Tanner)

Plot: Tanner is a forensic scientist and is the adopted sister of Detective Benoit Blanc. She gets tangled up in this murder mystery as she is romantically interested in Ransom Drysdale. What will happen when she meets the family for the investigation of one Harlan Thrombey?

Warnings: Strong language, mentions of murder, arson, suicide, rape and sexual assault, smut, bits of fluff and angst.

Author’s note: I was going to write this on my other account but I didn’t get a chance to, so I’m doing it on this one. I rewrote some stuff from my first written draft, so hopefully it is good as the other one. Enjoy! The faceclaim for Tanner is Mary Elizabeth Winstead. None of the gifs are mine, so credit to the owners.

Chapter 1

“Why do I have to come with you?”

Tanner moaned in the back of her adopted brother’s car, arms and legs crossed. “Because you have to. I am sorry sister but it is not my fault that forensic office got burnt down last week.”

Benoit Blanc replied, gripping the steering wheel as tightly as he can. “And anyways, you will be big help in the investigation. You are a forensic scientist after all.” “Maybe I don’t wanna help when we get there. I could just escape in your car.” “You can’t drive, Tanner. I know that.”

He sighed and rolled his eyes at her moody and narcissistic attitude. She was not normally like this and quite passionate about her job, finding evidence and DNA at a crime scene.

In the backpack next to her, she had  a hazmat suit with matching goggles and a pack of rubber gloves, alongside many different equipment and markers for such an occasion like this.

They arrived at a mansion and Tanner instantly recognised the place. Her slouched position in the back of the car became more attentive. Straighter spine and hands fidgeting.

Legs shaking.

She had a bad feeling about this.

Benoit made his way into the fancy residential house. Tanner barely made it out of the car. As soon as her feet touched the gravel, a pair of brown eyes were soon on hers.

It was Marta Cabara. The nurse.

“Tanner?” Her Ecuadorian accent was as clear as day. A memory came into Tanner’s mind.

----------------------------------

Thanksgiving. 2018.

Harlan insisted Tanner to come to his family’s Thanksgiving, even though she had to go back to her brother.

She spent most of the day with Harlan’s nurse, Marta. She understood how badly-treated she was to the family (well except to Harlan) and she knew she had to spend time with her, despite the fact she was ‘working’.

Of course, there was clear blue eyes watching her every move.

---------------------------------

As Marta made her way towards Tanner, she was greeted with misery.

“Hey Marta. Who died?”

Marta just hung his head low in sorrow. Tanner instantly knew who it was. “No. Not Harlan.”

The first time she met Harlan was a day she would never forget.

---------------------------------

May 14th 2007.

Tanner was standing nervously. Her hands were on edge and her legs were trembling. Mr Harlan Thrombey was sitting opposite her, at his desk downstairs.

“You’re hired.”

She smiled and nodded at him as he timidly handed her job application back.

“Thank you Mr Thrombey.” “Please my dear, call me Harlan.” “Yes. of course Harlan.”

She bowed and walked out of the room, under the careful watch of the rest of the family.

The same blue eyes watching her every move once again.

------------------------------

Marta visibly gulped and fiddled with her long brown hair to stop herself from crying. Tanner hugged her from the side as she was actually quivering, legs shivering, like she knew something that no one else knew.

But Tanner decided to leave it for now.

“He committed suicide. Meg and Fran told me.” Marta explained. “Oh no...” Tanner mourned as she slowly made her way towards the mansion to catch up with her brother.

Little did she knew, Marta threw up behind her back.

Meanwhile, Tanner walked into the room that the police were using for interrogations. She walked towards her brother and stood next to him.

The policemen, Trooper Wagner and Lt. Elliott was in front of them, asking questions to Harlan’s daughter, Linda Thrombey.

Her eyes were straight on Tanner’s. She thought she recognised her, but continued answering questions for the cops.

“So we understand that night the family had gathered to celebrate your father’s 85th birthday.” Lt. Elliott asked her. “Yes.” Linda replied, legs crossed, like she thought she was more important that the police officers present. “How was it?” “The party? Pre-dad’s death? Oh, it was great.”

When Linda left the room, Tanner felt despair and awkwardness in her body.

“Sis, are you okay?” Her brother asked her, putting a hand on her shoulder. “No. I feel like I should tell you something which is probably important for the investigation. But not to the police officers.” Tanner replied, feeling a little insecure. “Please. Tell me.” Benoit reassured her, telling the officers to leave the room for a moment.

Tanner sighed as she explained, “When it was 2007, I came here for a job as Harlan’s research assistant. And I got it. I worked for him until last year at Christmas.” “So how long were you at the forensics office for?” “Same amount of years. I only worked for Harlan in the summer. So it was a part-time job at the office. I wasn’t making a lot of money at the office.”

Benoit sighed and nodded. To Tanner, that meant he understood what she said. He promised that he won’t use it in the investigation. She didn’t want her to be a suspect.

Tanner and Marta was sitting outside, playing with the dogs, stroking them and throwing a tennis ball for them to fetch.

“Your brother... He was asking me all kinds of questions about Richard cheating on Linda, Joni stealing money from Meg’s college fund and Harlan firing Walt from the publishing company.” Marta explained to Tanner.

“He’s so pushy... Don’t worry, I’ll talk to him. I knew he has a look when he’s crushing on someone.” Tanner replied, mumbling the last part.

“What? What does that --” Marta couldn’t believe what Tanner said.

“Nothing!” Tanner quickly interrupted Marta, throwing the green-ish tennis ball for one of the dogs, who was waiting patiently for her to throw it. She looked at the woodland view in front of her.

She had met mostly all of the family except for one.

The one with the clear blue eyes.

-------------------------------

@optimistic-dinosaur-nacho​ @donutloverxo​ @captain-a-rogers​ @navybrat817​ @nbarnes​ @averyrogers83​

[sicparvismorrigan]

Crisis of Faith

The will of God brings a young and impressionable Trinity soldier to the attention of Commander Konstantin.

Tomb Raider/Rise of the Tomb Raider/Konstantin

Viewpoint: 3rd person female Trinity soldier OC

Warnings: blood, descriptions of violence, PTSD, religious fanaticism, stigmata

Word count: ~2.5k [complete]

A short fic I wrote because I wanted to play with Konstantin’s heavily religious side.

Read on Ao3

Death.

Ailish sat up on her cot, freezing cold. She was drenched in sweat and panting heavily. It was pitch black in the gulag and she tried to slow her breathing so she wouldn’t wake her comrades. She listened carefully, there was snoring coming from all directions. Nobody had heard her, not yet.

She was safe. She was surrounded by big men with weapons, nothing could hurt her here. All the prisoners were securely locked up. Ailish reached down and felt the comforting cool steel of her own pistol in its holster.

She breathed in deep and counted 1...2...3... before breathing out again. Her pulse was still racing and she could feel her heart trying to leap out of her ribcage.

Safe. I’m safe.

It had been nearly two years since Yamatai and Ailish still had nightmares. She knew exactly what it was: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She had heard the guys talk, knew some of them struggled too. She had seen a few get discharged because of it. She’d spent a long time trying to convince herself she was fine. But in fact, she really wasn’t.

She needed air. Ailish quietly got out of her cot and shrugged on a few more layers before making sure her pistol was strapped to her body, just in case. She tiptoed past the guys by the light from her torch, and made her way out to the old guardhouse that was their temporary mess area. She just wanted some space to calm down.

Empty, thank God. The embers of the fire were enough to keep the warmth going. She pulled up a chair and settled in to watch the glow.

She kept replaying the last moments of her nightmare over and over in her head, despite trying her best to push it away. They were in that god-awful pit again, suffocating from the fumes. She checked ahead and yelled Clear! back to her second, Charlie. As he moved past her she heard something big land on the rock of the cavern floor behind them. Charlie swung back around and screamed at her to get down as a God-awful roar filled the cave, rattling her bones. He raised his gun to fire and Ailish shrieked at him stopitsgonnablow-

bang bang

 

BOOM

A flash of white light, then darkness. Waking up in terror once again from the memories that haunted her every night. At least she was alive, she had made it out. Charlie hadn’t, she couldn’t save him. She still blamed herself. The guys had tried to convince her again and again it was an accident, but she should have been there. In her dreams, she’d seen Charlie die a hundred times over, each more horrible than the last.

She had never been so close to quitting as she had after Yamatai. She had composed her resignation letter in her head on the helicopter ride back to civilization, but had never written it. Something told her it wasn’t time yet. She’d spent just over three years working with Trinity at that point and never questioned her beliefs before the clean-up mission to that hellhole. By all accounts it was even worse during the Nishimura expedition. She shuddered, it didn’t bear thinking about, how anyone could survive there for any length of time she’d never know. So many bodies. And in some places, the smell, it was unholy.

It didn’t help her sleep at night, but at least she had got a promotion out of it. The salary was great, which was a major reason for her staying put. Ailish was trying to help her parents put her younger sister through Yale, and every cent counted. Her mom and dad had just been grateful, and thankfully hadn’t yet asked where the money had come from. She didn’t want to have to lie. They’d hit the roof if they ever found out. As far as they were concerned, she was still working as a paralegal in Chicago. God, she missed her sister. She hadn’t seen her in months, and now Ailish was off-grid in Siberia. Freezing cold, snowy, desolate Siberia.

She was startled out of her thoughts by a voice outside. A deep voice, American accent. It sounded a lot like the Commander. She really hoped he wouldn’t come into the guardhouse. He was intimidating, and she’d never been in a room alone with him before. He sounded like he was talking on the phone.

“...and what did the doctor say?”

...

“Okay...Ana, are you smoking?”

...

“Yeah, I know, but-“

...

“Listen, she’s on the move. She may even already be in Siberia. I need you back here.”

...

“Got it, see you soon.”

 

Who was Ana? Was it his wife, girlfriend, daughter? Who was the other ‘she’ he was talking about?

Ailish heard footsteps coming up to the door and the latch lifting. Oh boy, here we go. I wasn’t eavesdropping, Commander, I swear.

He stopped dead when she saw her at the table. Obviously not expecting anyone else to be awake at this hour. He slid the cellphone he was carrying into a pocket and nodded at her before closing the door behind him. “Sergeant.”

“Evening-“ Ailish checked her watch. “Ah, morning, Commander. Sorry, sir. I’ll get out of your way.” She slid her chair back to leave.

“Stay. You were here first.” Ailish sat back down immediately, wide-eyed. “What are you doing up so late?”

“I couldn’t sleep, sir.” Not strictly true but she didn’t want to feel like a little schoolkid telling her superior she had a bad dream.

“Likewise.” He pulled up the chair opposite her and sat down with a sigh.

Something was bothering him, he seemed fidgety. Ailish didn’t really know what to do so she started twiddling her thumbs and rambling to fill the silence. “Gee, the weather’s really turned these past few days, huh? Ha ha...kind of makes me wish we were back in Syria. Although it was almost too hot-“

He cut her off. “Moscovitch, isn’t it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“We’re not on duty, you don’t have to call me sir.”

“Uh- yes. Okay, si- eh...Command- uhmm...”

“Konstantin is fine.”

“Okay.” It felt weird. Ailish wasn’t even sure if that was his first or last name. “You can call me Ailish. It’s slightly less of a mouthful than Moscovitch.”

“Don’t hear that name very often.”

“Yeah, it’s a weird one...my parents have always had this fascination with Ireland. It means ‘noble and kind’ or something like that...I dunno...”

He looked at her for a long moment. Ailish opened her mouth to speak again when a wolf howled up in the mountains. She grabbed for her pistol and her other hand tightened on the edge of the table until her knuckles turned white.

Konstantin saw her reaction and frowned. “Relax, it’s just a wolf, they don’t come down here-“

“Yeah, I know.” She started hyperventilating and bit her lip hard to fight back the tears. For God’s sake, don’t cry in front of the Commander. She hated hearing the wolves at night. Rationally, she knew they were miles away, but the sound still caused her pain.

For a moment she was back on Yamatai, wedged in a rocky crevice listening to the snarling as they hunted for her. The smell of rain, tree sap and decay all around. Her hands shaking as she pointed her rifle at the opening, just waiting for jaws and teeth to emerge around the corner and grab at her.

“Oh, shit.” This was going to be a bad episode. She’d had panic attacks increasingly often and could spot the signs of one approaching. Fortunately they usually hit when she was alone or could sneak away, but now she had no such luxury. Ailish knew this one had her beat.

Konstantin’s mouth tightened. “Language.”

She had time to blurt out “Terribly sorry sir!” before she slid off the chair onto the floor and crawled under the table.

The tears were now pouring out and rolling down her cheeks. What an embarrassment. She’d fought so hard to prove she was equal to the guys, and now she was being a silly little girl.

She felt the Commander’s boot gently tapping her back. “Mos- Ailish? Are you okay?”

“I will be, in a minute.” She panted.

Through the panic she heard the other chair scraping backwards. To her surprise Konstantin crouched and got down to her level under the table, facing her. Was he supposed to do that?

“You’ve normally got it together, Moscovitch.” Oh no, back on a last name basis. She’d definitely messed up. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”

Ailish shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. “Just need a sec.”

The only sounds in the room were her panting and the low crackle of logs in the burner. She felt his gloved hand on her shoulder.

He quietly spoke. “Listen, I read the Yamatai report.” It was strange, how calming his voice was.

Ailish looked up, misty-eyed. “Yeah?”

He nodded. “I didn’t know they’d be sending a woman.”

“I’m just as capable-“

“Quiet. I’m saying it’s impressive you completed the mission, and even led part of the way, that place sounded like a nightmare.”

“It was.” Charlie, I should have saved you.

“And I am sorry you lost Corporal Collins. I know you were close.”

“Yeah...” she sniffed loudly. Her heart still hurt, so much. “He was like a brother. Charlie would have done anything for me. And I would have done the same for him.”

His eyes softened. “I know what that’s like.”

It meant a lot to Ailish, getting commiserations from a Trinity leader. Normally, you could forget about that sort of thing. Rourke had co-ordinated the Yamatai mission and hadn’t said a word to her when he had met them back on the mainland for debriefing. Dominguez had been silent too, though he had been one of those who had approved her promotion. They could be a heartless, insensitive bunch sometimes.

But she hadn’t expected the Commander to have a soft side. He actually reminded her of Charlie. Konstantin had a scarred-up face but there were similarities for sure. Blonde hair, blue eyes, they walked with the same purpose. He wasn’t bad-looking actually, as long as the light was dim.

Ailish eventually rallied and crawled back into her chair, still breathing quickly. Konstantin sat down too, regarding her with something akin to concern.

“Tell me the real reason you’re here by yourself in the middle of the night.”

She swallowed hard. “I...I have nightmares still.”

He shook his head. “I think you should talk to someone about this. If you’re serious about staying with Trinity. It would be a shame to bail out now that you’re a Sergeant.”

“I’m fine.” Ailish mumbled.

“You’re really not. I know someone who might be able to help, a doctor.”

“No, honestly...” Please no doctors, they might kick her out. She needed the money for Ellen’s tuition, she had to stay.

“I trust her, she’s with Trinity. Her name’s Wilkens. If I order you to see her you can’t say no.”

“Then I suppose it’s settled.” Great, just great.

“Indeed.”

He suddenly pulled his gloves off and took her hand in his. Ailish fought not to pull back out of his grasp. Was this really appropriate? Her free hand was reaching for her pistol when she realised he was just checking her pulse.

“Much better. Almost back to normal.”

She managed a small smile. “Thank you Commander.”

Ailish realised her hand felt strange under his, like a bug was crawling on her. She glanced down and started. “Your...uh, your hand is bleeding.”

Fresh blood was running down between her fingers onto the table. It was creepy as hell, she tried not to shiver. She’d been a bit squeamish about blood since she’d seen a literal underground river of it in Japan.

He didn’t react, just looked straight into her eyes. Ailish didn’t know what he expected her to do. She could still feel it trickling down her skin. Was he not alarmed that his hand had just started pouring blood? She was becoming visibly uncomfortable when he finally answered her.

“They’re old wounds. It happens sometimes.” He held up his other hand, palm facing towards her. “See?” That one was also dripping crimson.

Ailish almost gagged. Ugh, now she knew why he wore gloves all the time, even in the heat of Syria. What was the name for those wounds? Stigmata, or something like that. A sign of divine favour, apparently.

The urge to ask how he got them was overwhelming. Actually, she better not, it was maybe a touchy subject. The Commander could be...violent. She’d seen what he could do when he was pissed off. She had the fleeting thought that maybe he would hurt her, or worse, if the mood took him. Everyone else was asleep, who would know?

He spoke, jolting her back to reality. “Did you pray on Yamatai, Ailish?”

She nodded, not breaking the eye contact. “Yes sir, for my life, almost constantly.”

“And you truly believe in what we are trying to accomplish?”

“Yes sir.”

“Hmmm...”

There was a long pause, he seemed to be having an internal conversation she wasn’t privy to. Finally he nodded. “Keep your faith, Ailish. You have already been tested, and you’re still here. I believe you are destined for something greater, like myself.”

“Sir?”

He smiled at her, but it was cold and calculating, he reminded her of a shark. His eyes were suddenly dark and empty. 

“The name Ailish is Celtic, yes. But did you know it has a different meaning in Hebrew?”

“You know Hebrew?” She asked in surprise. He ignored her.

“Your name means consecrated to God.”

She wasn’t sure she liked his train of thought. Ailish knew he was one of the more devout members of Trinity, but she didn’t know how deep it ran.

“I’m sorry, Commander, I’m not sure what you’re getting at...”

“I want to keep a closer eye on you, Sergeant. You report directly to me now, do you understand?”

“Yes sir.” She nodded, albeit reluctantly.

“And let me talk to Wilkens. We’ll help you, don’t skip out on Trinity yet.” He finally let go of her bloodstained hand. Ailish could smell it, metallic.

Konstantin stood up, pulling his gloves on. “I have a feeling we’re going to need you for something important.”

Ailish was dumbfounded, what had she agreed to? She didn’t like not knowing, but the Commander wasn’t a man you just said no to.

As he opened the door with a blast of cold air Konstantin turned back, giving her that empty smile again. “Get some sleep, Sergeant. That’s an order.”

“O...kay.” The door clicked shut, and he was gone.

Ailish glanced down at the mess on her hand. She felt like she’d been marked in some way.

Stigmata.

What did he mean?

Consecrated to God. What was it that Konstantin, or some other higher power had planned for her?

What was her purpose?

***

Thank you for reading!

~ Anyone who has read Behind Trinity Lines will recognise the character of Dr. Joanna Wilkens, I couldn’t not include her somehow! She is awesome and I love her. All credit to @BrittanyTheScrivener on Ao3 for Jo’s character. Her work is brilliant, if you haven’t read it I highly suggest you do

~ Sergeant Ailish Moscovitch, her family and Corporal Charlie Collins are my characters, all other characters mentioned are property of the Tomb Raider creative team and I take no ownership of them

~ I feel I should mention that nothing in this work is intended to cause offence or be blasphemous in any way. I myself am not religious at all but I am respectful of those who choose to be and anything I’ve written is only exploring character traits already displayed in the Tomb Raider video games

~ I have no current plans to update this with more chapters, it was intended to be a one-shot. I just really wanted to play with Konstantin’s heavily religious side. But if there is interest I might continue the story...what exactly does Konstantin have planned for Ailish? Where does she fit in with the events in Rise of the Tomb Raider? What will Ana think of her? What would happen if Ailish and Lara ever crossed paths? This could get interesting...

[siryouarebeingmocked]

ME: Oh boy, a new fic in that Popular SI Fic Genre! I wonder if it's going to be good!

>story is a blatant ripoff of the most popular and influential story of the Genre, almost word for word

>>author admits it >SI is non-binary, in an idealized androgynous body >author says they're really excited about being 'casually trans' in the story >>which means they think nonbinaries are trans >author also says they like reading Popular SI Fic Genre stories with "queer and trans" protagonists.

>absolutely nothing about the story so far is interesting or original, unless you think being trans is inherently interesting*

You know, when you write a story in a genre chockablock with lazy wish fulfillment wankery, and your story is blatantly, unironically lazy wish fulfillment wankery even by the standards of the genre, perhaps you should sit down and reconsider.

For the record, I’d have the same reaction if the story was “the most popular story in the Genre, but the Self-Insert is Afro-Caribbean”, and I’m Afro-Caribbean. It’s just Diversity™. Minority Idolatry.

PS: Also, I didn’t even register how the user's username is something like "Totally_Queer" and the custom subtitle underneath is something like "I'm here, I'm queer, and LGBTphobes I scare".

I'm surprised they don't have a trans flag in the icon.

They're the sort of person who is interested in transhumanism just because it's a "queer" thing, and says the original story they are ripping off 'fell flat' because it didn't include LGBT themes alongside the occasional transhumanism. And claims diversity will be in the story because "diversity is natural for humanity" and diversity is "depicting the world accurately".

No, it's really not. Well, not necessarily.

Accessible mass transit and mass immigration are relatively recent phenomenons. Most people in history never got more than a short distance from their home town or birthplace. Even today, there are loads of communities that aren't very diverse at all. In the case of this person's specific interests, gay and bi people are fairly rare, and actual trans people are even rarer.

Even if you include "non-binary" people and "non-dysphoric" trans people, the folks who subscribe to that stuff are an overwhelming minority, no matter how much Tumblr and Twitter may make it seem otherwise.

If you walked up to me on the street and said "SYABM, I want you to pretend to be someone who has an unhealthy focus on LGBT identity", I would use this person as a template.

* And I say this as someone who's actually written a fic where an OC Peggy Sue male character ends up in an OC female body, just for yuks. And ends up dating a woman, just for character development. Also, I killed off the other potential love interest early on. Oops. Oddly enough, nothing would change if it had been an M/F relationship except the names and pronouns.

In retrospect, I clearly did not think this all through, and if I could turn back time, I'd simplify a lot of things about the character just to cut down on the needless complexity.

[uchiha-gaeshi]

Is anyone willing to take a commission for two Naruto si/oc characters 👀

[spork-guitar]

Lucky Lady Chapter 15

@sapphicsovereign​ @gingerdaile​ @catsssmeow​

Let me know if you want to be tagged!

Original prompt by @gale-of-the-nomads​

Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14.

Hi. I think you can probably guess what this is - an apology, another excuse for not posting in weeks. With everything that’s happening in the world and in my personal life, I just had to take some time off for my own mental health. I won’t bore you with the details, but I haven’t written a word since early June. Some days I couldn’t get out of bed for hours, some days I considered giving up writing for good. I'm going to continue, but if I had any semblance of a posting schedule before, I definitely don’t anymore. I’m sorry for the few of you that still read this. I know it’s frustrating to be invested in a story and have it go unfinished for a long time, believe me. But as of now, I still plan to finish this fic. It may take a while, but I’d like to believe things are looking up for me. My apologies, again. Thank you for being patient.

That being said, this chapter is (hopefully) less depressing than that. This is an example of a chapter that was never part of the plan but happened anyway, which is about 80% of my content in any given story. Oh, and I threw in an OC... and gave him a backstory... and it’s about twice as long as any other chapter so far... and I swear none of that was supposed to happen, but... enjoy?

 Adrien adjusted his tie for the nth time, only to have his hand swatted away by the meticulous designer who had spent months working on a unique suit just for him. It was silly, really, because no matter how much hard work and effort the man put into the ensemble, it just looked and felt like every other suit he’d worn before. The only difference he could see was the price tag. Sure, he knew from a fashion standpoint what the benefits were of certain pocket styles and fabric choices, but other than that, it was just a suit. 

He had heard about brides-to-be suddenly “feeling like a bride” when they tried on the right dress, but he supposed they were already excited about the prospect of getting married, having found the person they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with. Adrien couldn’t relate. At this point, he knew he was wearing his wedding suit. It was what he would wear the day he married Lila. He would smile and tell her how beautiful she looked, because there would be cameras filming his every move. He would be the perfect husband, the perfect son, the perfect model, etc., etc. Every second he spent with her in public for the rest of his life would be perfectly scripted and planned out to make them look like the perfect couple, but something about that made him dread getting married even more.

Adrien frowned at his reflection in the mirror. His hair was combed, suit clean, tie straight, shoes shined, and he felt less like himself than he had in ages. He knew the person looking back at him in the glass, but it wasn’t him. It wasn’t right.

He rolled his shoulders and tugged at the collar of his dress shirt, effectively loosening his tie and earning him an exasperated sigh from the man in front of him.

“Ay, M. Agreste, please. If you don’t stand still, we’ll never finish in time, and I have another customer coming in half an hour!” A thick Italian accent made his French harder to understand, but Adrien got the message.

“Sorry, M. Bertinelli,” he half-mumbled.

The stout man raked his fingers through his thin gray hair. “Alphonso. We’ve been through this. M. Bertinelli was my father, God rest his soul.”

“Wasn’t his name also Alphonso?”

“Si, si. But to me, he was papà. At work, he was M. Bertinelli. The only person who ever called him Alphonso was mia madre, Lucia. The angels took her too soon.” He bowed his head, eyes downcast.

Adrien tugged at the collar of his suit uncomfortably… again. “I, uh… I know a little about that.”

Alphonso regarded him with a kind smile, picking a piece of lint off his lapel. “You would, wouldn’t you? How long has it been? Ten years?”

He scratched his neck, looking away from the man’s persistent gaze. “Yeah, almost.”

Someone just beyond the fitting room knocked softly on the door, and it creaked open hesitantly after a second. “Are you decent?”

Ladybug. Adrien smiled. “Yeah, come on in.” She stepped into the room and waved shyly at M. Bertinelli. Her gaze turned to him, eyes widened and cheeks flush. She looked him up and down, as if trying to memorize every little detail of his pricey ensemble. By the time her eyes met his again, he was sure his face was every bit as red as hers.

Suddenly, as if remembering why she came into the room in the first place, Ladybug stared intensely at her tablet and cleared her throat. “Uh, I don’t want to bother you, monsieur. I’ll only be a minute. You have a fencing lesson with M. D'argencourt at his private court in...” She paused, scrolling through the day’s schedule. “...thirty minutes, so we should be leaving within the hour.”

Adrien was pretty sure her openly gaping at him for multiple seconds had effectively cleared his mind of any coherent thought other than a long string of exclamation points, but M. Bertinelli had him covered. “Not to worry, bella. I’ll have him out of here in plenty of time.” With a hand on her shoulder, he led her back out the door. “I’ll call you when we’re finished.” Once she was out of earshot, he chuckled, waggling a suit brush at him. “You like her,” he said matter-of-factly.

“What?”

“Oh, don’t pretend with me, ragazzo. I can see it a mile away. The way you smiled when she walked in the room, how you blushed when she looked at you.” He lowered his voice to a whisper and leaned in. “You’re not exactly subtle, ragazzo, and neither is she.” Adrien felt his face heat again as Alphonso laughed merrily. “Besides, I’ve been in love before.”

Adrien shrugged off his suit jacket and loosened his tie, draping them carefully over the back of a chair. “How do you know it’s love? I haven’t known her very long. It could just be… I don’t know, something else? Love is a strong word to use.”

Alphonso shook his head insistently, setting the brush on the vanity counter. “It’s just like it was with my late wife, Rosa Maria. When I met her, she was with my old friend Claudio, who treated her poorly. A shame, really. Rosa was the sweetest woman I ever knew, and Claudio? Well, he was something else. I thought I’d live my whole life in love with a woman I’d never have, but love is a funny thing, ragazzo. I had just about given up when she up and left him one day. Came knocking at my door, telling me she loved me all along. Of course, Claudio didn’t like that very much, but it worked out for me and my Rosa. It will work out for you, too.”

“You think so?”

“Of course! You don’t live to be fifty-seven without learning a few things about life. Now, get out of that suit before you wrinkle it.”

“Don’t you have to alter it?”

“It fits you like a glove, ragazzo. I knew it would.” He took the discarded jacket from the chair and put it on a mannequin across the room. “You know, that might be a good analogy. The right girl will fit like a good suit - comfortable, nice-looking, and affordable as long as you’ve got a rich padre.”

“What should I do about Ladybug?”

Alphonso shrugged. “Whatever needs to be done. Don’t worry yourself too much, anyway. Things have a way of working themselves out, and you’re a pretty smart kid. But if you want some advice from a man who’s been put through the ringer a few times, I think you should tell her how you feel before it’s too late.”

Adrien frowned. “It might already be too late. My wedding is in eighteen days, and everything’s ready. I can’t back out now.”

“Well, if you go through with it, that’s fine. Your wife better be over the moon. She’s got herself the handsomest boy in Paris.” 

“Thanks, Alphonso.”

He patted Adrien on the cheek and ruffled his hair with a fond smile. “Ah, get outta here. But if you never need a listening ear, I’ve got two of ‘em, and I can always pretend your suit doesn’t fit quite right so you can come back. I sure wouldn’t mind the company.”

Adrien laughed politely, not sure if he meant it, but secretly wishing he did. Alphonso treated him like family, like the son he never had, and he acted more like a father than Gabriel ever had. “You know what? I’ll let you know.”

“See you around, Adrien.”

…

Ladybug stood up as he walked back into the waiting room, clasping her hands behind her back. “All done?”

He rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. “Yep. Let’s get out of here.” She snickered, quickly clapping a hand over her mouth to sober herself. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it’s just… your hair is a mess. It must have happened when you changed back, because it looked fine when I was in there earlier.”

Adrien ran a hand through his hair and swooped it to the side. “Better?”

“Mostly. There’s a little part…” She pointed to the left side of her head, and he patted down the right side, mirroring her. “No, the other side.” He followed her instructions, but to no avail. She clicked her tongue, reaching out. “May I?”

He kept his voice steady (he hoped) and his expression neutral. “Of course.” With gentle fingers, she quickly found the problematic tuft of hair and combed her fingers through it a few times to tame it down. When she was done, she brushed a few strands out of his face, nails gently scraping his forehead and over to his ear. 

Satisfied, she smiled, completely oblivious to his inner turmoil, and patted him on the head like a dog. Maybe a cat. “All good! Let’s go.”

Well, that was just plain unfair. The way she could touch him like it was nothing, like the world around them didn’t just cease to exist when she smiled at him. Truthfully, Adrien was touch starved, and he knew it. It had been years since the last time he willingly hugged someone, so he was automatically hyper aware of every time Ladybug casually touched him. Every electric brush of their fingertips when she handed him his schedule, every playful smack when he made a bad joke, every time she got close enough that he could feel her breath teasing his skin like a light summer breeze.

He futilely tried to console himself with the thought that she would still be his bodyguard after the wedding, but if anything, that made it worse. He would spend years, perhaps the rest of his life knowing she was off limits. Right there, a few houses, a room, a meter away, but he couldn’t have her. 

But how, he wondered, do you simply coexist with someone who doesn’t know how every tiny little thing she does turns his whole world upside down? He knew he was unlucky, but even for the Powers That Be, that seemed a little excessive.

[my-one-true-l]

hi. Im sorry to bring this to yu, but you seem nice si. I recently started writing a fic and the prson that beta for me said that no one likes ocs and that I shuld rethink my fic. What do you think I shuld do?

Hello Dear Anon.

Umm...tell your beta to get fucked?

In all Seriousness though...Yes, there are people that aren’t fans of OCs and then there are people that love them.  I for one love reading an OC, especially in DN because the canon lends itself to them well. (I’m guessing since you’re asking me you’re writing a DN fic?) If you have a character (or many) that you want to bring to life in a DN fic, please do. I would love to read it.

So what do I think you should do?

You should write the story you want to tell and that goes for everything.

You want to write an OC? Go for it!

Have a rare pair you want to show some love to? Hell yes!

You unabashedly want to write a self-insert? I stan you hard!

You want to take on a juggernaut ship, but think it’s all been done before? I can assure you that, even if it has, it hasn’t been done from your perspective or written in your style so get on it!

A quick (not so quick) note on beta readers...I can only speak from  my experience, but as someone who betas for a lot of people and has read a lot of different interpretations of characters, I would never tell someone that what their working on isn’t going to be liked. That just isn’t helpful. I’m not here to tell you to write what I want you to write. I’m here to help you make your story exactly what you want it to be. I tell all my writers to write what they love. You’re audience will find you. Even if it’s 2 people. You gave them something that they wanted to read and that’s awesome.

Also, and this is just a suggestion. Find a beta that is open to OCs. People say they don’t like OCs because it isn’t canon, but what i find is that usually and OC is a new love interest and people don’t like that because it conflicts with something they ship. It’s a fan fiction for the love of Ryuk! How many people hard line respect canon? Isn’t that just the same story Ohba told?

Also, always let your beta know what your looking for from them up-front. If all you want is a proof reader, make that clear from the get-go. If you want help cross-referencing something you researched and are worried you didn’t cover or represent it well, let them know. They may know someone with experience in that area that would be a better help to you if they can’t devote that kind of time to it. If English isn’t your first language, find someone that will help you make your fic sound the way you want. 

If you don’t think you and your beta are a good match, then keep looking. 

I also might suggest finding more than one beta. As a writer,I found this works well for me. 

I have 3 beta readers for my works. 

One that is a casual fan that knows the canon and likes DN, but isn’t invested in the story. 

One that is a big fan and is a writer themselves, but doesn’t write much for the fandom 

one that is a crazy DN lover like I am. 

I find that this spectrum gives me the best feedback, so find what works for you. You don’t want someone that will blindly love everything you do, but you also don’t need someone giving you their opinion on “how they would have written it”. 

I’m going to say the same thing my best friend said to me when someone gave me shit about the content of one of my long fics...

You’re not writing it for them, You’re writing it for you. If they don’t like it, they don’t have to read it. 

[loopy777]

Do you think it's possible to write a "person from our world winds up in the ATLA world" fic without it being utterly cliche? I'm thinking that the only way it wouldn't be the same "self-insert falls in love with Zuko" story would be if such a character dedicates themselves to inventing an ATLA equivalent of Braille or something, rather than joining the Gaang. Or would that still make for a bad story?

I’m not sure inventing Braille is going to save the story if the character still joins the gAang, falls in love with Zuko, tags along on the events of the cartoon, etc. The way to avoid cliche is to simply avoid cliche, but I do wonder if doing so would ruin the very purpose of this type of story, because I’ve only ever seen it as a vehicle for Self-Insert.

The reason I never have any interest in SI stories is because they’re watery wish-fulfillment power fantasies. I have no need of such things, and never had. When I wanted fantasies, I would spin them out of my imagination and then leave them to fade into dust; I would never think of writing such a thing down, or publishing it on the internet for others to read. The same goes for stories featuring OCs that are meant to be stand-ins for the author/audience.

I realize that this makes me fairly unusual. Perhaps the publishers of such fanfics are really looking for validation in the form of approval for their Self-Insert. I’m fortunate in that I’ve always gotten plenty of validation in my life.

So for most SI stories, avoiding cliche is entirely missing the point. The only reason to worry about not falling into cliche is to create a story that is interesting and engaging to audiences; cliches are fine for a story that’s just meant to be comfort/junk food. And since Self-Inserts are all about the wish-fulfillment, cliches are not only fine, they’re the entire purpose. It’s about the storyteller and audience wanting to be in a typical love story and/or to hang out with their favorite characters. Avoiding cliche only matters if the plot matters, and the plot does not always have to matter at all.

Thus, to make a Self-Insert interesting to someone like me, who doesn’t want wish-fulfillment and is bored by cliche, they have to be made into a real character. They need a functional psychology that governs their thoughts and actions. They need a personality that supplies a unique voice. They need wants and needs that drive their actions and conflict to create the opportunity to change. Simply put, they need to be interesting.

But by the time the Self-Insert has been given all this, is it still a Self-Insert, or simply an OC?

So now we’re back to the original question: is it possible for a story to be written with a character from our modern world coming to the AtLA World? Sure, if the character in question is a good OC with a proper arc, a compelling conflict, and an interesting way of resolving the conflict. If you nail that part, then they can marry Zuko and invent Braille for Toph or whatever, because it’s always all about Character. A good character will drive an engrossing plot, which comes together to be a good story. Functionally, what’s the difference between a story that ends with Mai and Zuko marrying, and a story where an OC marries Zuko? The OC might be from our world and not named Mai, true, but if the OC is as interesting as Mai, then the story should be as interesting as if it had Mai instead of the OC.

That’s how math works.

I’ve always said that a good storyteller can make cheese molding on a plate sound interesting. And “person from our world winds up in the ATLA world” ficis at least two steps above molding cheese.

Maybe three.

[singingrainbows]

Naruto Fanfiction Recs

So, I love fanfiction. I also love sharing my favorites (and ones I quite liked even they weren’t favs), and making rec lists. So here goes. :D

I'll make a list later with some of what I consider the best of the best, but the following are still good and well worth checking out. :3

Note: AS=Author's Summary MS= My Summary MT= My Thoughts

Naruto Sensei: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5621668/1/Naruto-Sensei

AS: ”Sasuke was not really happy with his team. The shy Hyuuga, and the laziest person he'd ever known where not people he'd have picked. But he never expected how a blue-eyed, blond-haired, and newly minted jonin would transform them all into a true team. A journey in a dangerous world, and a fight to get out from the shadow of his brother, the Godaime Hokage Itachi Uchiha.” AU

MS: Naruto was born five years earlier, changing everything. Much of the past is shrouded in mystery, but it is clear that Minato never became Hokage, Danzo seized power, and Naruto grew up very differently. Naruto really is Naruto, the same soul just born earlier and shaped differently. The story takes place in the canon timeline, but of course, nothing is the same. Naruto becomes a sensei to his old genin teammate's little brother, a lazy Nara and a shy Hyuuga who somehow compliment eachother perfectly. Meanwwhile, trouble is brewing both outside and inside Konoha, and Kakashi is sent to investigate the former. Nothing is as it seems, danger lurks, and the Chunin exams are just around the corner. MT: The writing style doesn't flow as easily as some; it seems like English might not be the author's first language, and so while most of the grammar is technically correct and the story is tecnically well written, it just doesn't always quite fit; and takes some getting used to, but the story is excellent and intrigeing, and the characterization is spot on. Well worth checking out, though reading it can be a bit tiring to some, and so it's not a qucik read. Still the best I've come across in that particalar au genre.  The only caveat is that it may well be a dead fic. I don't know if it ends on a cliffhanger (as I havn't finished it yet), but if you can live with possibly never getting the complete story, then it’s absoloutely worth the read.

Broken Tool: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4998676/1/Broken-Tool

AS: ”At the age of 10, Naruto is an honorary ANBU member, and soon to be Fifth Hokage, but when his last mission goes wrong, he quits the life of a shinobi. When Konoha is on the edge of destruction, will he rise up once more? Or will he watch as Konoha falls?” MT: The best ANBU!Naruto AU I've come across. Despite some occasional typos and grammar/spelling issues, which can initially make things a bit confusing (like the author initially writing the wrong ages), stick with it 'cause the story is truly quite intrigueing. Great characterization overall and engaging and memorable OC's. Excellent and definately worth checking out for anyone who likes au's and badass Naruto. HOWEVER this may also be a dead fic, and the latest chapter leaves plenty unresolved. But who knows, maybe fresh readers and reviews will inspire the author take it up again. * shrug *

Hush: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3867325/chapters/8641519

AS: ”He really hated hospitals. The novelty of being in one again disappeared as quickly as it came when Tsunade forced a cup full of pills down his throat. Being stranded in another world really wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Especially when people start dying and Naruto is at a complete loss of what to do.”

MS: The war dragged on for years, and the weary survivors tried a last desperate gamble. They meant to send him back in time, to stop the war before it happened. Of course, things didn't exactly work out that way. Now Naruto's stuck in an alternate universe, haunted by the ghosts of his past, and forming an unexpected friendship with Uchiha Itachi. Eventual ItaNaru.

MT: The writing has a few grammar, tense and flow issues, but overall is fairly well done. An interresting exploration of how Itachi and Sasuke could have turned out if their lives had been happier. (Though I don't really agree with the interpretation of Sasuke; but then, the Uchiha here are a lot less strict; quite the opposite; they spoil him rotten and let him get away with everything.) Unique and intrigueing AU world. Not just au in that the timeline diverged somewhere/somewhen, but in the sense that some people's personalities are quite different. This isn't necessarily the just world as it could have been if Minato survived, and the Uchiha never died. No things seem to have diverged before that. However the AU world's mysterious history, conspiracies and stories are quite interresting. Not a perfect fic, its comedy scenes can be very hit and miss, and young Sasuke can be incredibly grating, but when the fic remembers to focus, it's really very good at times. Some excellent angst, and the prospect of unraveling the mysteries keept me reading through the less interresting parts. I don't love this interpretation of Naruto, since it plays up the ”dense, lovable idiot” trope that I personally always saw as being largely a mask; but I could live with it. The pairing is not one I generally go for, but it's fluffy, cute and unless you despize slash or just the very idea of the pairing, it's perfectly readable.Falwas aside it’s worth checking out, especially if you have a weakness for dimension travel fic like me. :D  Itachi fans should adore it. Good mix of character development, angst, fluff, worldbuilding and humor.

A Different Genealogy: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5496016/1/A-Different-Genealogy

AS: ”When Kakashi woke up that morning he hadn't really expected Sasuke to awaken his Sharingan, let alone Naruto! It was simply illogical! There was no way Naruto could be related to the Uchiha Clan… SasuNaru, FemNaru, Incest, ItaIno, Slight ShikaNaru.”

MS: In very different world, with a very different history, Uzumaki Naruto is smartmouthed tomboy with more than one secret in her past. Just who were her parents anyway?

MT: Now you may have noticed the ”incest” tag, and while that would drive me away nine times out of ten, there is the odd exception. In this case, the characters don't find out they're related until they're already in a relationship, one that is brilliantly developed. Anyway this fic is well written, fun, engaging, sweet, and very interresting in its changes. Ino has a twin. Sasuke and Itachi have a loving father and clan, but their mother died when Sasuke was baby, and that's just the beginning. The author is quite talented and her stories always have charm and life to them. She has a knack for exploring the character's interpersonal relationships. The friendships are great fun to read. Also the mystery of Naruto's past is intrigueing. I have yet to finish this fic, let alone make it to the sequel, but I've read enough to definately reccomend it. Lots of slice of life and fluff, but it does have more going for it than that. :)  

The Price of Living: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5492959/1/The-Price-of-Living

AS: ”Knowledge of the future is not the safest thing to possess, she learned... [realistic SI/OC]”  

MS: In the wake of a natural disaster, a girl finds herself stranded in a world that should have been fictional, with only her little sister's friend for company. She just wanted to keep them safe, but it doesn't take long before their unique chakra systems catch the attention of a monster. Angst/Suspense.

MT: An overused cliche that's done right for once. While the grammar isn't perfect (another case of English likely not being the author's first language), the story is still competently told and fairly well written all things considered. It's quite compelling, but it's also full of angst and suspense, and there's no guarrantee the two girls will make it out with their lives or that their relationship won't be irrevocably shattered by Orochimaru's manipulations. This is not a happy story. But it's not nessicarily going to be a full tragedy either. I've only read the first few chapters, so things might take a turn for the better later. But this fic is all about exploring the darker aspect of the Naruto world and just how dangerous it would be for a civillian. It's not for everyone, but for those who do like the genre, it's worth checking out. :)

[inrainbowz]

Annual Writing Self-Evaluation

*All answers should be about works published in 2017.

I wasn’t tagged by anyone ‘cause I have No Friends but I saw that going around and wanted to reflect (and gloat ‘cause I’m proud)

1. List of works published this year: Well I was productive so let’s go! (they’re here btw)

Shadowhunters fandom: 7 OS, 1 three-part fic and 12 or 13 chapters of that long-WIP I started in ‘16

BnHA fandom: a new one I stumbled into late in the year. I wrote a long WIP and published 8 parts of an AU since mid-november x)

Kaamelott fandom (french): I decided out of the blue to finally watch the two finale seasons an proceeded to spill 3 OS in rapid succession

Plus a Merlin OS as a Christmas Fanfic Exchange and an OS Xover Stranger Things/X-Men. I also worked on my originals but didn’t publish anything.

For a total of 288 870 words written and 195 914 words published!

2. Work you are most proud of (and why):

I have to say my BnHA Canon Rewrite. It’s the first time I take up on a work like this where I try to reinterpret the canon and fuel it with a bunch of OCs and the reaction have been amazing so yeah.

3. Work you are least proud of (and why):

I don’t know? If I published it, I liked it so...  Maybe my Malec WIP cause I’m neglecting it lately... Shame on me

4. A favorite excerpt of your writing:

Un extrait en français d’une de mes fics Kaamelott que j’aime beaucoup:

« J'aurais donnée n'importe quoi pour rester tu sais, pour pas te laisser tout seul. Je suis désolé. » « Pourquoi tu t'excuses ? C'était de ma faute. » « Mais non Arturus. Tu méritais pas ça. » Arhtur émit un rire sans joie qui lui secoua douloureusement la poitrine.« Le mérite, le mérite... Le mérite, ça existe pas. Si y'a bien un truc que je retiendrais de ce bordel, c'est ça. Y'a la chance, y'a le hasard, y’a la poudre aux yeux, mais le mérite a rien à voir là-dedans. » « Moi je pense pas. Je pense que tu mérites de vivre. » « Et pourquoi est-ce que je mériterais pas de mourir ? »

And in english, let’s have one that I like because I found myself funny, from a Malec Arranged Marriage AU:

He dropped to one knee. Alec looked mildly horrified, staring at Magnus like he had grown a second head. Magnus tried not to laugh.

“Alexander Alec Lightwood, those seven minutes we have spent together have been the most magical times of my long life. I can’t imagine us being apart now, and I hope you’ll agree. Alexander Alec Lightwood, would you make your parents and my superiors the happiest people in existence and accept to marry me?”

The boy rolled his eyes but he was clearly amused too. The others weren’t – his parents looked ready to burst and Catarina was shaking her head with a resigned expression. The Lightwood girl looked entertained at least. He winked at her and she stifled a laugh – that was a small win. He locked gaze with the boy who sighed deeply and waited enough time for it to be awfully awkward and for Magnus’s knee to hurt.

“If I must,” he finally breathed out.

The collective sigh of relief told Magnus that he hadn’t been the only one they expected to ruin it all. He jumped back to his feet with the widest smile possible and turned to the Lightwood parents.

“He said yes!” he exclaimed with a fake delighted tone. Maryse and Robert didn’t dignify this with an answer.

5. Share or describe a favorite comment you received:

@bhairoo reviewed almost all the chapters as she went through my Malec WIP and was so nice and cool it made me start on the next chapter after being stuck for weeks.  TeraBum also left amazing compliments on that fic, very uplifting. Kyotokiki makes hilarious recaps of some bits of chapters in my bnha fics and I had a long exchange about that fic in the comments with Merlenyn that was really cool! I also like people crying, screaming or cursing me, it means a job done right.

6. A time when writing was really, really hard:

I’m a machine and dumb as a brick so I never ask myself any questions, so writing is never hard. Writing on what I’m supposed to write on is the problem x) my main problem this year was that I wrote to much fanfic when I should have been working on my novel.

7. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you:

All those OCs I work into my bnha fanfic. How did I dare to that. That was wild.

8. How did you grow as a writer this year:

I started writing on very long works where I usually stick to OS and short stories, so I had to kick myself into making some sort of planning in order not to get lost.

9. How do you hope to grow next year:

I hope I’ll write even more and manage to wrap up said long works, and I hope I’ll make my debuts in the pro writing words...

10. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc):

@dupond-and-dupont as always, who listens to my rambling even for fandoms she knows nothing about, corrects my original works and is always there when I’m doubting myself. And @tried-being-normal who scolds me every day to write less fanfic and more novel XD (I wrote this post on my free time I swear!)

11. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year:

That AU with Magnus stranded in a foreign airport and Alec trying to help him despite the language barrier is full of real-life anecdotes ^^

12. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers:

Just write. Writing is cool. Keep writing to save your soul.

13. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year:

Well, I don’t know if my fanfics will be finished this year, but my main big objectives is to finish my novel. Well. That’s scary.

14. Tag five writers/artists whose answers you’d like to read.

@dupond-and-dupont even if she never answers these stuff XD I don’t really know whose an active writer around here actually... @real-life-sucks-ass, @andersandrew, @ any of you, be free