#they're not the main focus they're not what people would be clicking on the fic for

[flashhwing]

My only filtering issue (unrelated to wanting tags *excluded*) is when I search *for* a character or pairing tag, but a million fics pop up in which that character is there for 5 seconds or barely does anything in the plot. And the [X]-centric tag isn’t used a whole lot in general, so often I’m combing through fics only to find the character doesn’t do much in the story or are just plot device for other characters. This is more of a problem in fandoms with a huge cast of characters. For cases like that, I wish authors would be a bit more mindful of what character and pairing tags they choose to include because the filter function can’t do anything for that. Obviously I know tags also help readers *exclude* characters or pairings they don’t want to see, but in my opinion, if a character/pairing is barely there, it’s worth it to not tag them at all. Unless the character is one of those “[Name] is their own warning” characters 🤔

see this is one where i wish ao3 would actually change how they do things instead of authors coz like. if u got a character that does feature in a fic and therefore should be tagged for accuracy's sake, what you end up with is this -- where someone searching for a character will find so so so many fics where that character is not the focus.

genuinely i think ao3 should introduce like. main characters/side characters as a separate category. i think that would streamline things

[melonthesprigatito]

Before Legends Arceus came out (so, two years ago whoops) I started coming up with my own Hisuian Ancestor and I spent a lot of time brainstorming (cough, cough daydreaming) about a hypothetical scenario of what their encounter would be like in the actual game. I tried to make it realistic as possible by making it seem like an actual event that could happen in the game, and the one thing I have to say is that it serves as the obligatory "Spooky Encounter" that's been in pretty much every Pokémon game since the Old Chateau.

I'm not going to tell you which character is the descendant of this ancestor just yet, because the story is better if you don't immediately know what's going on. All I can say is that this ancestor is the ancestor of a Gen 7 character.

The quest is intended to be more of a post game thing because it eventually leads into an Ultra Beast catching quest involving the space time distortions (which isn't the main focus, more of a bonus quest really). Think of it as a second update story quest like the Daybreak Update. I'm just going to call this entire thing the Nightfall Update I guess.

WARNING: SUPER LONG POST, FULL OF PLOT SUMMARY, HEADCANONS AND ART (Uh.... Don't read the post tags before clicking the blue read more button pretty please. Kinda spoilery

Update (2nd November 2024) : This is a full fanfic now! I'd recommend reading that before reading this post because it's basically massive spoilers. Like, recaps the entire story spoilers because I used this post to make that fic

To start the story quest you have to buy a special charm called the Otherworldly Charm from Lucille in Jubilife Village. Item description: ("A Mysterious charm made of an unknown material, discovered in Obsidian Fieldlands. It bears an inscription of a six pointed star.  Perhaps something will happen if you keep it around.") Why does she have this? Oh, she just found it lying out there in the field and thought it looked neat. Someone must have dropped it.

After you complete your expedition for the day, a short cutscene will occur. A random merchant from the Ginkgo Guild is making his way though the forest when he suddenly hears a noise behind him. He looks around, but it's completely silent. 

All of a sudden the merchant gets ambushed by the Miss Fortune Sisters. Unable to defend himself, he has no choice but to drop his goods and run. The bandits laugh among themselves at the successful robbery. They're still pissed that their scheme to steal the Origin Ore went up in smoke and they're just SOOO frustrated that the Player (in my case Akari) keeps absolutely destroying them in battle so this ambush was a morale boost for them.

Suddenly they hear a noise. Clover suspects it's another poor defenceless merchant unfortunate enough to cross paths with them, about to be robbed blind. A mysterious hooded, deathly pale figure with glowing eyes watches them from the treeline. The bandits are unnerved but launch into their motto anyway, because they're idiots, but become highly offended when the figure doesn't respond or show any sign of emotion at all. How dare they not acknowledge their perfectly rehearsed intro that strikes fear into people's hearts?! Coin says "Forget this, let's just rob them!" and lunges at the ghostly figure and she instantly gets hit with a blast of lightning coming from the figure's hand. 

The screen goes black and it cuts to the beginning of the quest.

Quest [Insert Number Here Because I Forgot How Many Quests Are In This Game]: The Witch of the Woods 

The sidequest continues when you talk to Ginter from the Ginkgo Guild. He is upset because some of the guild's merchants have been suffering from an increased number of attacks from bandits and supplies in the village have started mysteriously vanishing. At the same time, people have spotted a mysterious pale figure sneaking about Jubilife Village in the dead of night, stealing items such as food and clothing and rumours have started to spread around that it might be the evil witch that supposedly lives in a dark cave, deep in the woods at the edge of the Obsidian Fields which has gotten everyone in a panic because they're afraid that the witch might go after their children next.

Ginter doesn't believe in witches so he suspects that this supposed witch might be behind the thefts of the Ginkgo Guild stock, so he wants the player to look into the rumours and put a stop to them. At this point Zisu approaches them because she's heard ALL about this wicked witch and is really eager to join the investigation. As the Captain of the Security Corps, she feels that it's her duty to defend Jubilife Village from any threat so she wants to look into the rumours about this supposed witch so she can come up with a plan to defend the village from them if she needs to.

Current objective: Investigate the rumours in Jubilife Village (I'm using these quest objectives as a way to break up the giant wall of text. I can't remeember if the quest objective does update as you progress because I haven't played in months but whatever)

So Zisu tags along with the player and they start asking around Jubilife Village about the witch to gain more insight into the rumours. Several people recount different bits of information, but the most damning evidence is a tale from one farmer in particular who tells them a story about how one night when he was working in the fields, a big hole opened up in the sky, and what came out of it was this inhumanly pale woman with glowing eyes that spoke in a language he didn't understand. The farmer had the everloving crap scared out of him because he was convinced that this woman was an evil being that emerged from the underworld (a kid friendly way of saying that he thought it was a demon from hell) so he gathered some of the other villagers and they chased the witch off into Necro Forest.

Zisu is excited because "Sweet! Now we have enough evidence! Let's go investigate that forest then!"

Current objective: Head to the Necro Forest, north of the Obsidian Fieldands

What happens next is an escort mission where the player has to take Zisu across the Obsidian Fieldlands by fending off any wild Pokémon to a new area unlocked exclusively by this quest called the Necro Forest (Eterna Forest in the modern day) which is filled with Ghost Types. The background music is the Night Time Field theme no matter what time of day it is, or maybe a remix of the Old Chateau theme.

Later the Miss Fortune Bandits are encountered in the Necro Forest and they're running for their lives as they crash into Akari Barry Style (Charm dragging a paralysed Coin behind her). Charm is immediately aggressive but resists the temptation to battle Akari, especially because she's accompanied by the head of the Security Corps. Zisu asks what happened to Coin, and Clover freaks out about a witch in the woods that casted a lightning spell on Coin.

Akari wants to help Coin but the other two bandits are vehemently opposed to accepting help from some "Galaxy grunts." So Zisu purposefully drops a Cheri Berry on the ground and is like "Oh noooo, I dropped my berry! It would be a shame if it got stolen by bandits!" and Clover begrudgingly "steals" it, and the flee the scene, saying that you'd have to be stupid to go after the witch.

Eventually the Player and Zisu reach the cave which is supposedly the witch's home and at first Zisu doesn't want to go in because she's been pretty spooked the whole time in the forest, then she tries to play it off like she's not scared at all "What? I'm not f-f-frightened or anything! Let's just go!" then she dashes into the cave.

Current objective: Explore the Necro Cavern!

There is no cave in modern day Eterna Forest. The idea is that the land was dug into and smoothed out in order to build the Old Chateau on top of it. Its a small cave with a suspicious lack of Pokémon inside. The music is the cave theme that only appeared in the cave with the torches that you pass though with Ingo. I dunno, I just think that theme should have played in more than one location.

At the end of the cave, they discover an open chamber filled with signs that it's been lived in, such as scraps of food and clothing lying everywhere as well as a makeshift bed on the floor. Zisu finds the stolen merchandise in the far end of the chamber and runs towards it, while the player notices some weird looking metal things lying in the corner. Zisu comes screaming in the opposite direction "IT'S HER! IT'S THE WITCH!" and immediately uses the player as a human shield. The player turns to see a pair of glowing eyes in the darkness, orange pupils with silvery blue irises. As well as the eyes, she has weirdly pale blue skin and she's wearing a stolen dark green torn cloak over some sort of dirty grey and blue futuristic clothing. Her hair is an absolute mess, riddled with sticks and leaves and she has sun burns all over her face.

All in all, she does look like some sort of evil forest witch, and she's started to freak out about the intruders, showing a particularly negative reaction to Zisu in particular and Akari gets dragged into a Pokémon battle. The witch sends out a Poipole aka a Pokémon that no-one in Hisui has ever seen before, and honestly if the player has any Psychic or Ground Types it gets defeated very easily.

After the battle, the witch is still freaking out, but now she just seems more terrified and upset. She quickly grabs a stick and starts brandishing it at Zisu, trying to scare her off. Zisu squeals like a little girl because she thinks the witch is waving some sort of magic wand at them but Akari puts herself between her and the witch and tries to diffuse the situation.

Nothing seems to be working until Akari has the idea to show her the Otherworldly Charm in case it belongs to her because the charm resembles the other strange metallic objects in the cave.

Akari holds the charm out as a peace offering and the woman recognising the charm, hurriedly snatches it out of the Akari's hands and backs away again. It finally hits Zisu that she's not a witch at all, just a really strange looking desperate woman.

The witch calms down a little because now she knows they're not a threat since they're not attacking her and the Player was kind enough to give her the charm back, but she's still really uneasy.

Zisu tries to ask her who she is and what she's doing here, but she doesn't understand a single thing she's saying. The woman shakes her head and tries to respond and it becomes very clear that the woman doesn't speak the Hisuian language at all and Zisu doesn't recognize the language she speaks either.

Zisu is perplexed at how they're supposed to help her when there's a language barrier, but she decides that at least they should tell her their names and try to get across that they want to help her in some way.

Zisu points at herself and says "Zisu", then she points at the player and says "Akari" (or whatever name you picked for your player) and the woman is confused at first, but then she catches on to what she's trying to say, so she points at herself and says "Hijiki."

Hijiki frowns for a moment until she suddenly decides to do charades to try to communicate with them. She mimes writing in a notepad and Zisu grabs a pen and a notepad from her bag and hands it to her.

Hijiki finds it way easier to communicate with drawings so after a while she flips the notepad over again to show them.

The first drawing is an image of a sad face and some strange device that has smoke coming out of it. Zisu is confused and Hijiki gets frustrated and points at the pile of metal objects. She walks over and grabs a small device from the pile and Zisu acknowledges that it even though she has no idea what it is, it looks very broken.

The second image is a crude drawing of several Pokémon: Luxray, Raichu, Electabuzz and Jolteon, surrounded by lightning bolts.

The third image is of lightning striking the device, making it look shiny and new, with a picture of a smiley face beside it.

Zisu is still confused but she deduces that Hijiki needs the Pokémon in the image to fix whatever her strange device is. The idea is that she needs electricity to charge her device again and it's up to the player to go out and catch these Pokémon and bring them back to her. Zisu decides to stay with Hijiki DEFINITELY not because she doesn't want to go back into the forest again, no sirree, she has to protect Hijiki and although Hijiki doesn't want her to stay with her, it's not like she can speak up and object so she just stays silent and anxious.

Current Objective: Catch the Pokémon from Hijiki's drawings and bring them back to her.

One catching quest later, the Player gives Hijiki the Pokémon and she starts tinkering on her device with whatever tools she has on her. The Pokémon strike her device with lightning and when she's finished, she attaches the device to her belt and has a distinctly relieved look on her face.

The device gets switched on and immediately Hijiki starts to speak English (well, the text is English, but in universe she's speaking whatever language the Hisuians speak), much to Zisu's shock. The device she fixed was a universal translator and she's so glad that she can finally explain herself she doesn't have to keep producing those terrible drawings with her embarrassing lack of art skills.

And with that, the truth finally comes out and the mystery is solved. Hijiki explains that she's from another dimension called Ultra Megalopolis and she and her Poipole fell into this dimension through an Ultra Wormhole. She lost most of her memories and woke up scared and alone in the Obsidian Fields, having no idea where she was. When she spotted civilisation, she tried to get help but because of her appearance and the language barrier, she got chased off and fled for her life into the Necro Forest. Because of how badly the first contact went, she assumed that the inhabitants of this world were extremely hostile, (hence why she attacked them on site) so she created a shelter for herself inside a cave to hide from them.

She then explains that there is no natural light in her world, so it was impossible for her to travel outside of the cave during the day because she got blinded and burned by the harsh sunlight. All she has is the clothes on her back and a few gadgets and tools that were in her backpack, so in order to survive she had no choice but to ambush passing merchants venture into Jubilife Village at night when it was dark and where no one could see her so she could steal supplies for herself.

She's very sorry that she had to steal from the Ginkgo Guild because stealing is a crime in her world as well. She didn't mean to scare anyone and she really wishes she didn't have to live in the wild anymore but she's too afraid of being attacked by the villagers again to try to ask for help.

Zisu is very shocked and saddened by Hijiki's story, and after a few moments be asks her if she wants her to escort her back to Jubilife Village. Hijiki doesn't want to because she'll get attacked, but then Zisu says "No you won't! I'm the Captain of the Security Corps. Everyone trusts me to keep the village safe, so if I say that something is not a threat, they'll listen to what o have to say, so I'll clear up the misunderstanding for you!"

Hijiki is still sceptical. She finds it hard to believe that the villagers will accept her just like that, so Zisu sighs and says "Maybe we should report to Commander Kamado about the situation, and give the village a heads up first?" 

Hijiki thinks that's fair enough. She's willing to wait in her cave for the Akari and Zisu to come back for her.

Current objective: Report back to Captain Kamado!

Zisu and Akari have a meeting with Ginter, and Commander Kamado to discuss their findings. Firstly Zisu reassures Kamado that there's no threat to the village. The witch of the woods was really a faller from another world like Akari and Warden Ingo and one of the Pearl Clan's Wardens. She was driven to stealing for survival after the villagers attacked her and drove her away even though she was lost and confused, and most likely in pain from the suburns.

Kamado is incredulous when Zisu tries to argue that they should take her in. Kamado is against inviting Hijiki to stay in the village. Akari is already on thin ice about being allowed to stay and the villagers only tolerate her because she's been busy quelling the frenzied nobles and slowly earning their trust. To invite someone who's KNOWN TO BE A WITCH would be disastrous. Zisu insists that Hijiki isn't magical, she just has some gizmos from her world that haven't been invented in this world so they only seem like magic. She tries bringing up the Pokéball, it looks like magic too but it's really just an ordinary object.

But Kamado is firm in his decision, even if Hijiki does have technology that seems like magic, what if she were to use her technology against the village? And some of the most superstitious villagers wouldn't accept that she's not dangerous and would still consider her to be a bad omen. Letting Hijiki stay would be too much of a risk.

Zisu is worried and disappointed. Even though she was one of the people who was terrified of the forest witch, now that she's discovered that she's actually an innocent person who's suffering hard, she feels absolutely horrible that they can't do anything help her. Zisu decides that they should at least head back to Hijiki's shelter and tell her what Kamado said. Maybe they could formulate a different plan, maybe the Diamond Clan or Pearl Clan could take her in instead?

Akari and Zisu return to the shelter to find it completely ransacked and Hijiki is nowhere to be found. Zisu finds a ransom note among the rocks. Turns out that the Miss Fortune Sisters had been spying on them ever since they bumped into them. After they found out that Hijiki wasn't really a witch, they wanted to take revenge on her for attacking Coin, so they kidnapped her and stole all her technology. Seeing an opportunity to spite Akari as well, they wrote on the ransom note that they took Hijiki further north to the Alabaster Icelands. If she wants to get Hijiki back she has to go the ice caverns in the Bonechill Wastes.

Zisu is outraged, but warns Akari that it's most definitely a trap. The Miss Fortune Sisters are most likely using Hijiki as bait to lure her into an ambush far away from where she can get help, and they're probably intending to leave her to die in the frozen wastes. But Akari wants to go save Hijiki anyway so Zisu decides to head back to the village to rally some of the Security Corps as backup and tells Akari that she'll meet her in the Icelands.

Current objective: Chase after the Miss Fortune Sisters!

Meanwhile, Hijiki has been thrown into the the ice pit in the Bonechill Wastes and the Miss Fortune Sisters are currently occupied. Clover is whining about how cold it is as Charm and Coin go through Hijiki's belongings.

She had things like her taser, an aura scanner, a GPS, an Ultra Smartphone etc but they can't figure out how any of them work or what they're used for. Clover is whining about all the effort they put in ended up being for nothing because everything "the witch" has is useless junk, but Charm snaps at her. At least they might be able to sell this overworldly technology on the black market after all. Coin isn't convinced. Who would buy useless garbage that don't work?

Coin starts threatening Hijiki into telling them how to use her gadgets, or else she'll sicc Toxicroak on her, but there's just a slight hiccup. Hijiki is unable to understand what they're saying because they took her translator away so all she does is stare blankly at them. All three of them are oblivious to the fact that Hijiki can't speak Hisuian at all, and that they all sound like nothing but enraged gibberish to her.

All this really does is piss them off. Clover starts yelling at her again, just completely exasperated and baffled. She's literally being held captive by bandits and tossed into an ice pit, probably freezing to death. How could she possibly feel so blasé about it????? Does she not realise the situation she's in right now??? Coin has had enough and decides to let Toxicroak attack Hijiki anyway. If they can't get any use out of her things, at least she'll be able to get payback for the "lightning strike"

At that moment, Akari shows up just in time. The Miss Fortune Sisters do their motto and start evil motive-ing about how THIS TIME for sure they'll win against Akari and leave her to perish in the ice forever. This time they're going to attack her with all three of their Pokémon at once instead of one at a time like the last few fights and overwhelm her with numbers.

Charm and Clover release their Pokémon and instead of joining in, Coin decides to sit it out. She tells the other two that she's still going to attack the witch with Toxicroak and that they could stall Akari long enough to let Toxicroak get enough hits in. Charm and Clover start arguing with her because that was NOT the plan, but Coin just tells them to shut up.

Charm and Clover go 3 Vs 1 as Toxicroak attacks Hijiki, with Charm substituting Toxicroak with her Rhydon. Akari beats them because of Main Character Plot Armour and Charm goes full villainous breakdown and just decides to attack Akari herself, but then out of nowhere, Hijiki's Poipole breaks out of it's Pokéball and glues the Bandits to a rock. Akari jumps down the ice pit to save Hijiki and you end up battling Toxicroak with Poipole instead of your Pokémon.

With the bandits finally defeated for good, the Security Corps show up to apprehend them. Akari stays with Hijiki who's in a really rough shape. She tried to avoid Toxicroak for as long as she could, but it eventually weared her down, and now she's lying unconscious at the bottom of the pit. Zisu immediately orders the two Medical Corps people to take Hijiki back to the village to get her medical attention. The medics are like "You want us to WHAT-" because that would involve taking THE WITCH TO THE VILLAGE, but Zisu yells at them again and they have no choice but to do what she says.

A day later

Scene transition to a day later and Akari is waiting in Kamado's office. There was quite a uproar in the village when the Security Corps returned with the famous Miss Fortune Sisters somehow stuck to a rock and near mass panic occured when the Med Corps rushed the rumoured witch of the woods to the hospital room in the Galactic Building. Professor Laventon runs in, very upset. He can't get any work done with the noise of that many people crowded around the entrance trying to catch a glimpse of the witch to see if she's really as terrifying as people say she is. Kamado informs him that he already sent Cyllene to get them to leave.

Pesselle arrives from the hospital room to give them an update on Hijiki's condition. They're currently treating her for Toxic poisoning, as well as suburns and eye damage. Pesselle is clearly shaken and explains that she's never seen anyone like Hijiki in her life, she's not even sure that she's human. For starters, her eyes are extremely unnatural looking and she's so deathly pale that her skin looks pale blue. Not to mention that she appears to have bioluminescent eyes and freckles.

She's willing to take Zisu's word that Hijiki is still a normal human from another world, but she wonders what kind of world would have people who are so obviously weakened by sunlight. Kamado thanks her for her help and Pesselle returns to her duties, not before telling her to bring this supposed witch to his office once she's recovered enough.

Professor Laventon talks to Akari about the strange purple Pokémon that was following Hijiki around because he's having trouble identifying what it is. Rei speculates that if the witch is from another world, then maybe the purple Pokémon is too. Laventon nearly explodes with excitement because they have the chance to document a Pokémon from another world! Maybe he could ask the witch if he could have a look at it, which is something he immediately goes to do. Rei runs after him in a panic.

Zisu enters with Ginter. Ginter confirms that they managed to get back some of the things Hijiki stole from the Ginkgo Guild, though obviously things like food couldn't be recovered. Zisu asks if he wants to press any charges, and Ginter considers for a moment before ultimately deciding not to. From the sound of things, Hijiki went through a lot and he would feel terrible if he added to her suffering. Zisu regretfully tells them that the Miss Fortune Sisters got away. After they were freed from the glue, they used a smoke bomb and escaped in the confusion, though she thinks that hopefully the bandits would think twice about confronting Akari again.

A while later, Pesselle brings Hijiki up to Kamado's office and the poor woman is shaking like a leaf, half from because she's still weak and the other half because she's obviously terrified of Kamado. In a scene echoing Akari's first meeting with Kamado, he stares Hijiki down and she loses her nerve instantly, backing away and hiding behind Akari. Pesselle scolds Kamado because this is clearly no way to treat a patient, but he reminds her that this is an outsider he's dealing with, and he must test her by having her face him in combat like he did with Akari.

Hijiki stammers and tries to say that she has no idea how to do that "creature combat thing" that Akari and the bandits did and Kamado clarifies by saying he meant PHYSICAL combat, not a Pokémon battle. Hijiki freaks out because she'd just die if she did that. Kamado retaliates by saying that surely someone who is capable of survived in the wilds and ambushing Ginkgo merchants MUST be able to fight, and if she wants to prove herself, she has to.

Hijiki takes a deep breath and just edges close to him, hesitating to even touch him AAAAAND Kamado throws her. Cut to black with a CRASH! text box and fade back in to see Hijiki flat out unconscious on the floor again. Cue Pesselle totally ripping him a new one, yelling at him about how that was totally unnecessary, why does he always have to do this, has he no shame, as text box after text box hits the screen going by too fast for the player to read.

Zisu helps Hijiki to her feet but she's distressed because Kamado managed to dislodge her translator from her belt so she doesn't understand him when he says that someone so cowardly and unwilling to fight clearly isn't a threat to anyone. Hijiki quickly retrieves her device and turns back to Kamado, saying

Hijiki: "I'm very sorry, my translator fell off. I don't speak in whatever language this is so I couldn't understand any of that. Could you please repeat what you said, sir?"

Zisu: "He said that someone so cowardly and unwilling to fight clearly isn't a threat to anyone."

Hijiki: "Oh…"

Kamado then says that if she wants to stay in Jubilife Village she has to be able to contribute to society, so what skills does she have? Hijiki thinks for a moment because she can't remember much but she does have a vague idea of what her old job. She remembers that she was probably a Poipole handler which is why she has one with her, and she was one of the people tasked with taking care of them as they were typically adopted as companions or to help with construction because of their glue (kinda a Zookeeper/animal shelter worker kind of deal)

Pesselle speaks up and says that it kind of reminds her of the people who look after the Pokémon in the village's pastures. Kamado turns away, thinking about it. He would half to discuss it with Zisu because that falls under the Security Corps jurisdiction. Zisu barges in like "DID SOMEONE SAY SECURITY CORPS?" at that moment and startles everyone. She's 100% on board with letting Hijiki help at the pastures.

Hijiki interrupts, unfortunately she can't work during the day because the sun is straight up harmful to her so she doesn't know how useful she could be. Zisu turns to her and proposes that she'll give her a lodge in exchange for her services at the pasture on the night shift. They're needing more people who can stay up all anyway.

Hijiki is stunned. They wouldn't really do that for her, would they? One encouraging grin from Zisu is all she needs to accept the offer and become a full fledged member of the Security Corps.

Catching Poipole

Hijiki thanks the player for everything, and as a reward for completing the sidequest, she gives the player her Poipole because she feels that the player would be better at taking care of it in this new world…. If she can catch it that is.

Catching Poipole plays out like a Legendary Pokémon battle like how you catch Enamourus. As in, it flies around attacking you with poison blasts and you have to stun it before you can throw a Pokémon to battle it.

After this, Hijiki just becomes an ordinary NPC that you can talk to near the pastures (though she can only be encountered at night.) Her appearance changes, as she's now in the Security Corps uniform instead of her Ultra Space/ cloak get up.

As a little easter egg, you can have a rematch with her and she battles you with the Pokémon you gave her in the sidequest. She excitedly explains that Zisu taught her how to partake in "creature combat".

Her dialogue is mostly showing amazement at how cool everything is in Hisui and how she really wishes she could go out and investigate everything like the Ultra Recon Squad. She realises that Akari wouldn't know who the Ultra Recon Squad is and she explains that they're basically her world's equivalent of the Galaxy Team.

She's heard of the legends about Hisui from Rei and is just as intrigued by them as he is. Though her main complaint is that Hisui is a little… behind, technological wise. Though she expresses interest in the player's Arc Phone as it seems a little out of place in this world…

Since the quest is available during the post game, she talks about how scared she was when "the sky turned red and green" (aka that part of the game when the Player is banished from the village and the sky distorts. She remarks that thought that the Blinding One had escaped from the Tower and drained Hisui of it's light, but apparently it was something else. She figures she shouldn't worry about it since it's not this century's problem anyway. The Tower isn't predicted to break down for another two hundred years anyway (Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon Necrozma foreshadowing!)

Ultimately she doesn't affect the story in any way and her sidequest is completely optional, but it is required if you want to be able to catch Ultra Beasts.

Sidequest: ??? The Beasts from Beyond

To trigger the next quest, you have to enter a Space-time Distortion. The next day, Melli barges in to the Galaxy Team headquarters demanding to speak to someone, ANYONE. He claims that he was minding his business, in the Coronet Highlands when all of a sudden a pile of bricks just up and attacked him! They completely ruined his day and scared Lord Electrode and he demands that someone does something about it! Nobody takes him seriously and Rei just thinks he's gone nuts.

But the next day, Warden Palina shows up, looking really worried. A strange pure white Tentacruel creature showed up in the Coastlands and has been behaving aggressively towards anything that approaches it, and even the Alphas won't go near it. Cyllene calls Akari into her office because she's been getting continuous reports of strange monsters being sighted across all of Hisui that apparently emerged from the space-time distortions.

Hijiki runs in, and quickly excuses herself for interrupting. She's really panicked because she heard from the villagers that Hisui is being invaded by monsters that sound suspiciously Ultra Beasts. She volunteers to help because they're creatures from her homeworld so at the very least she's familiar with them and knows what to expect if Akari goes out and attempts to catch them.

To learn about where to catch the Ultra Beasts, you have to talk to Hijiki. She's heard rumours of monsters and such from the people who visit the pastures to see the Pokémon and she thinks she knows exactly what the monsters really are. She has dialogue talking about each Ultra Beast and a hint as to where it's found.

"There's a ghostly figure floating around the Deadwood Haunt. I don't know much about spirits but it sounds an awful lot like Nihilego. It would float around like a ghost, I think." (Deadwood Haunt, Cobalt Coastlands)

"I heard from someone in the Pearl Clan that an insect with huge muscles is challenging an Alpha Machamp to a flexing contest…. I don't understand, do Buzzwole normally behave like that…?" (Arena's Approach, Alabaster Icelands)

"There's a Pheromosa going wild in the bog. What terrible luck to fall into a wormhole and end up in a place so muddy. It hates getting dirty." (Scarlet Bog, Crimson Mirelands)

"That rude man can't catch a break. Apparently his Electrode is being bothered by a Xurkitree that's trying to eat it's electricity… " (Moonview Arena, Coronet Highlands)

"I've heard that a Celesteela has taken root near the Floaro Gardens. The soil there must be very fertile. It's a giant creature that blasts off like a rocket and- Wait, have rockets been invented here yet? Never mind." (Floaro Gardens, Obsidian Fieldlands)

"I've heard that a sharp creature that looks like paper has been cutting down trees in the Heartwoods. It's Kartana, I'm certain. That Lord Kleavor must be jealous of it's cutting edge sword techniques…" (The Heartwood, Obsidian Fieldlands)

"Oh, this is absolutely terrible! A huge monster is eating giant lumps of ice and snow in that tundra! Sounds very uncomfortable, chewing ice hurts my teeth… Oh wait, what was I saying? Yes! Guzzlord! You must stop it before it consumes everything in sight!" (Avalugg's Legacy, Alabaster Icelands)

"The creature that's that looks like a pile of bricks in must be Stakataka, I'm certain. Where did that unpleasant man say he encountered it? Must have been near some ruins?" (Celestica Ruins, Coronet Highlands)

"Um… What's a volcano anyway? I've never heard of such a thing… Apparently there's been the sounds of explosions coming from the volcano that's making people worried. I don't think the explosions are coming from the volcano itself, sounds more like a Blacephalon is causing them." (Firespit Island, Cobalt Coastlands)

To get Naganadel, talk to Hijiki. She'll explain that Poipole have been selectively bred to be unable to evolve by themselves. They must be taught a special move that lets them evolve that only experienced handlers know how to teach, because it's stronger form is too wild and dangerous for the average civilian to handle. She's seen Zisu teach Akari's Pokémon new moves and tells Akari that she needs to get Zisu to teach Poipole the move Dragon Pulse.

Other stuff

And that's everything I've got about Hijiki. If you haven't worked it out already, she's the ancestor of Zossie from the Ultra Recon Squad. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are kinda my favourite 3DS Pokémon games and there was a time when I was absolutely obsessed with the Ultra Recon Squad and I was so sure that they'd come back as an explanation for being able to catch Ultra Beasts in the post game of future Pokémon games that I felt ROBBED when they never showed up in the Crown Tundra.

So with the dawn of the idea of Hisuian Ancestors, I thought "Wouldn't it be cool if the ancestor of one of the Ultra Recon Squad fell into Hisui and got mistaken for a supernatural creature because the locals thought their technology was magic?" Because of how massively technologically advanced Ultra Megalopolis is, I figured that even if it was 200 years ago, it'd still be way more advanced than Hisui so anyone who fell through a wormhole would be in for a sort of time traveller-esque fish out of water scenario but without the time travel.

Hijiki is Zossie's great great great great great great great great (however many greats that can fit in 200 years) aunt. She can't be Zossie's great great grandmother because the grandmother has to stay in Ultra Megalopolis for Zossie to even exist at all.

The name of Necro Forest has a double meaning. As soon as you walk into it you think "Oh, Necro = Death because of the Ghost Types" but it's also the first foreshadowing that the ancestor is from Ultra Megalopolis. Who stole the light from Ultra Megalopolis? Necrozma.

If you're one of the 47 people who played USUM, you'd remember that the Ultra Recon Squad had to wear full protection against the sun, which Hijiki lacks, hence the sun burns.

Hijiki is scared of Zisu because she's been stealing from the Ginkgo Guild and she recognises that she's part of the village's law enforcement so she was afraid that she came to catch her and punish her for the thefts.

About the whole glowy eyes thing, that's a headcanon I have about how the inhabitants of Ultra Megalopolis have bioluminescent eyes. It's based off official art of the Ultra Recon Squad where Dulse's eyes appear to be glowing in the dark. What is canon is the whole thing where the Ultra Recon Squad has silver irises and pupils that match their hair colour. If you zoom into their concept art you can see it.

I picked the name Hijiki because it has the same seaweed theme naming that the individual members of the Ultra Recon Squad have. The seaweed she's named after has been part of the Japanese diet for centuries. (At least according to Wikipedia.)

But what was that "lightning magic?* It was just an ordinary taser. Hijiki just nonchalantly tased Coin. You can find the taser among Hijiki's other gadgets in the cave

Bonus: my thought process while reading over part of this:

"Ok, so Hijiki jumps Gingko merchants in the woods and mugs robs them. Wait... wasn't Volo a Ginkgo merchant---"

The result:

This post took me two years of procrastination to make-

Update: (2nd November 2024) Somebody made art based on this post so I've decided to add it in

[purpleglitch]

READ @demonstars 'S ROLESWAP!DNF FIC RIGHT NOWW!!!!

-> -> -> -> (CLICK HERE) <- <- <- <-

Ok warning this is very long, i'm gonna ramble about the fic on itself here because UGFHGHHG i cried 😢💖 nunki tqm te debo mi vida entera

Starting with RS!George's pov during the prison break i love that so much, he's so chaotic in this au i really liked how he's the main focus :((( ohhgg the scrungly, and besides dnf being the main relatioship of the story i can't stop thinking about the silly dynamic of george and techno and the vibe of "we're not that close but you're my best friend's lover so i'll help you i guess :/", and them immediatly rushing to hana kingdom looking for dream with the compass.

THE VISUALS!!!! i love love love how it was all described, the imagery, all the plants and flowers surrounding the castle and after reading it, thinking how a big part of it was probably HD's influence on the world trying to keep dream hidden (and trapped), the fact that the kingdom was meant to be a safe place for "war criminals" according to dream, and they both thinking he meant a safe place for george,,, hheartbreakign reading about sapnap's absence in the kingdom to keep an eye on dream and also not appearing during the chase to capture george after breaking out of pandora like MAN. (also FUCK Q) my poor fucking cat george dealing with so much pain for a year im goign to throw uo :(

george knows thanks to techno that dream is going to welcome him back with open arms but still he's scared of the small possibility of dream not being in his room and all the scenarios of why that would be, but not wanting to show that panic to techno so he covers it with insults and deflection. and how for a split second he thought the worst case scenario happened and someone killed dream on their way there (ALSO GEORGE'S PARANOIA MENTION :c ). I love the imagery of dream being like the sun for the flowers and how even the sunflowers are ignoring the actual sun to point directly to a sleeping dream, they're dependent on him, like the world's connection and pure love for its admin but amplified by HD's wish to keep him for himself (or i'm reading too much into it lmao).

I keep thinking about the rs!dteam flashback because it's making me insane,, sapnap adoring dream's admin powers but george not caring too much about it because he cared more about dream himself, and deciding that he's going to protect him and sapnap following him and training together to become dream's bodyguards and if i keep talking about it i will burst into tears,,,,,,,

the fact that the flowers and vines and plants are covering dream even blooming from his own chest and holding him down as he sleeps,,, this would go hard as a painting like if you agree. but also george defending dream and how HE is the one that knows dream the best not even any of their other closest friends like sapnap, punz or even techno, his jealousy demons are insane like if you agree. I also kept jumping on my seat whenever i noticed a referenced to lore we've talked about before like the dnf chains and dream pleading techno to rescue george from pandora ooohhggg the details,,, and techno joking about how it's the last time he does dream a favor but deep down he also cares about him that's his dearest rival and he really doesn't want him suffering :((

PAUSEEEEE I LOVE THE STORYY OF HD, XD AND PVP AND THEIR BATTLE FUCKKKK i was thinking about it because i didnt know what to do to make both pvp and xd die so hd could become a lonely god (and also applying it to dsmp canon with dreamxd) and this way is SO GOOD!!! they were doomed and my chest hurts thinking about them, “Sometimes people do stupid shit for those they love, I dunno,” I'm biting my arm off oh my gODDDD.

AND NOW HD'S BIG ENTRANCE YASSSS, and the reveal of george having talked with hd multiple times in prison and his warning of staying away from dream, and how possesive he is with dream while he's sleeping, I LOVEEEE the way it's added the uncanny valley to hd's appearance, it's my fav hc how xd and hd look so perfectly like dream and george to the point of no humanity, their faces so perfect it's evident they're pretending to be human, trying to replicate all in looks and flaws, like george's pride, and george defeating hd by making him realize that dream never cared for him, he only wanted george and only wanted hd because he was replacing george but also hd wanting dream because he was replacing xd after he died.

and george realizing that it's his fault dream got hurt by hd and him during the dethronement so he wants to free him and let him choose next even if it meant him staying away from george, that's why george telling hd that "life moves on" also soothes his soul, they both lost their lovers (by not being able to stop his fight against their other friend, and by trying to keep him away from conflict he drove him away) so george thought he also needed to move on if dream hates him because of what he did. but finally dream wakes up as hd's curse is lifted and he doesn't hate george, he's angry because he left and didn't came back for him (until now) and they still have feelings for each other YIPPEEEEEEE

can i say that i imagine off screen dream and george taking a bath together and dream tending george's wounds from torture and putting bandages on him and they're soft and cute and cry and TALK and it's an intimate moment where they connect again and it's a new beginning for them together again <3

and george's version of the gods story having a happy ending, giving hd his own happy ending too :( and it's what he believes as the story is mentioned to have multiple versions, so i think that as long as george believes that HD XD and PVP lived and are happy, it would be true :) or idk at this point i kinda zoned out i probably misinterpreted this LMAO SORRYYYY. but anyway DNF CUDDLING!!! THE REAL GOOD ENDING!!! and finally,,,,, dream is finally free from hd's curse to sleep for longer, the flowers are gone. he's gonna wake up to an embrace of his lover and start living <3

I BELIEVE IN HAPPY RS!DNF ENDGAME!!! AGAIN THANK SO MUCH FOR THIS FIC I KEEP SAYING THIS EVERYWHERE I CAN BUT IM SO GRATEFUL FOR THIS AND ALL THE ART YOU'VE MADE AND FOR LISTENING (reading¿) MY SELF INDULGENT STUFF 😭😭💖💖💕💕 i hope this made sense i started zoning out at the end of writing this so i'm really sorry if i misinterpreted some scenes!!! feel free to correct me nunkito :3 and thank u nov for hosting dtblr secret santa i loved this,, ooghghgg

[pixiemage]

(Originally an addon to this post about Ao3 not using an algorithm)

There are FOUR WAYS to get people to read your stories on Archive Of Our Own, and none of them include relying on a nonexistent algorithm to get them to interested parties.

Choose a good title! And yes, there is such a thing as a good title, though I'll admit it's rare for me to see a bad one. Even something as simple as "The one where Martyn forgets the milk" is enough to get me wondering what kind of story earned a title like that. Sometimes a song lyric works super well if it fits the vibe of your story, and sometimes coming up with something of your own might work better. Sometimes making a joke in the title draws more attention if you've written a story that will make people laugh, and sometimes choosing a one- or two-word phrase that catches the eye is all it takes. (If I see a fic called "Poppies, Princes, and Paranoia" I might just get curious enough to wonder what in the world is in that story.)

Write a summary! Please. Please, for the love of god, give your story a summary. Every time I come across a fic that says "haha I'm bad at summaries, just read the story lolz" my first instinct is to move on. By saying you're Bad At Summaries, you're also implying that you're bad at writing, and any potential reader won't take the time to click on your fic and give it a chance when it looks like the author isn't confident in their own work. You don't have to write a masterpiece in the summary section. You can say "Tim has a no good, very bad day. Luckily his partner is there to cheer him up." And look! Ta-da! Summary! :D It's short, sweet, and to the point, and it's miles better than saying you don't know how to write one. OR! OR, if you don't like that either, then you can literally take a short and interesting chunk from the story itself and drop it in the summary box. Look! You're doing great! ^^ You've given a taste of your writing, hinted at what's to come, and caught someone's eye. THAT will hook a potential reader far more than laughing about how "bad" you think you are at writing summaries in general. Self-depreciation may work for a social media post, but it doesn't work to sell your writing.

Clearly tag your work! I'm sure I'm not the first person to say this, but putting clear and relevant tags on your story will ALWAYS bring new readers to your story. Many people on Ao3 search specifically by tag to better narrow the massive sea of stories they'll need to choose from. So tag relevant ships and characters (preferably only the ones that are a primary focus in your fic), tag the proper fandoms, define if it's "hurt/comfort" or "angst" or "fluff" or "crack", and add the main plot concepts where needed. (For example, I'm writing an Amnesia AU, so I tagged it as both Amnesia and Temporary Amnesia, because while the amnesia is a lingering factor in the plot, it WILL NOT BE later, and some people are more likely to read if they KNOW the conflict in the plot will be resolved.) And while I understand not wanting to tag certain things for spoiler reasons (though you should add those once they're revealed in a chapter), I DO RECOMMEND tagging relevant warnings, as well as specifying whether the ending will be a GOOD one or a BAD one. Some readers are more or less likely to click on a story based on that alone. I've specifically taken a chance on a sad-sounding story before because the author said it would end happily, and more often than not I wasn't disappointed! I wouldn't have read a sad story otherwise! Tag that shit!***

JUST KEEP WRITING! People will stick around for a good story! It's true that quality of writing will make a good fic stand apart from a great one, and that comes down to skill. That's not to say people won't read a story that's written by a less skilled author, because if you tag and title and summarize your story well, you'll still draw in readers, and most people will stick around to enjoy an interesting story whether it's 2k works or 20k. But the more you write (and the more you READ), the more you'll learn and the more you'll improve. Don't give up just because you're getting less attention than the next writer. If you keep working on your craft, you'll be right up there with them soon enough. I'm in my late 20's and it took me years to get to where I am. I'm not foolish enough to pretend I don't know I'm a quality writer, but I also refuse to call it "talent" because it's much more than that. It's a skill that I honed over years of writing and storytelling. I learned from my peers and I took inspiration from bigger and better writers to work my way up to where I am now. So don't write just to get hits and kudos, write to tell a good story! And when the comments come in, though they may start small, just know that those people are seeing the passion you're putting into your work...and they're just a small taste of the kind of joy you'll be able to share if you stick with your writing. <3

(BONUS: Share your fics on Tumblr and other sites. If you're worried that they won't get seen on Ao3 without help, then feel free to boost awareness by dropping a link and some info elsewhere. I do this every time I post something new, because I know that part of my audience lives on Tumblr! So don't hesitate to utilize the platforms you've got. Tag it properly on here and you'll get a few more reads from folks who are looking for it!)

***Please remember, too, that "Dead Dove, Do Not Eat" is not a replacement for any bad tags. What it actually means is "What's inside is what's labeled on the tin" ...or to put it bluntly: "Please for the love of god, read what I have in the tags, there's probably some uncomfy crap in here, so READ THE LABELS. You have been warned." If you don't add the tags you're Dead Dove-ing, then the Dead Dove tag is pointless and tells your audience nothing. Be kind and be clear. Your readers will thank you for it.

[seethesunny]

4 what is the plot bunny you've been carrying for the longest? optional bonus question: do you ever wonder why you haven't written it yet and experience deep existential dread?

33 do you start with the characters or the plot when writing?

90 do you notice your own voice in your writing style?

Fanfic Writer Ask Game

Hey Ameera! Thanks for passing by :)

4. What's the plot bunny you've been carrying the longest? Do you ever wonder why you haven't written it yet and experience deep existential dread?

Okay so this is kinda tricky because I HAVE played with this concept before (it's one of my favorite things to write), but the "Ellie is Tess and Joel's bio kid who Tess gave away without telling Joel and things happen like canon requires au" Tess POV retelling fic has been a plot bunny of mine since ages and it's been in my head like a little parasite buuuuut nothing has come out of it? At least not being this /canon adjacent/, that's what I mean!

For starters that idea would be overdone by now (and I'm sure people more talented have tackled it well enough) plus mine was also a mix of a Tess origins fic; she's technically Anna in this, or at least that's what Marlene makes Ellie believe, and she's tied to the fireflies while this is all a secret to Joel and only Tommy is aware but he leaves anyway.

Both Joel and Ellie are clearly oblivious, but Joel connects the dots the farther they travel and Tommy confirms this when they reunite + Marlene was supposed to tell the truth in an attempt to get Ellie back and have the cure (you can't let Tess’s sacrifice be in vain, Joel) yet he doesn't spare her life. The last part is going to be recycled for a segment in whumptober, though.

So it hasn't been made and probably won't be made at this point, I can't promise it will 😅 if you want to be devastated the line: "She gave life to Ellie, and gave her life to save her." Is what Joel thinks while he carries her to the car, and he feels no remorse in keeping their daughter alive and safe.

Also you can have this thingy from a random note app between my grocery list and wifi password:

"You know about your parents, girl?" The teenager shakes her head, avoids her eyes, "Marlene never told you anything?"

"Anna." Tess is so confused, but doesn't need to ask when it clicks; a fake story, a lie just like her own reason to give this girl away. "She only told me my mom was named Anna."

They keep walking, Joel is still ahead of them. She sighs relieved.

They will never know.

It's a bit sad, but it's for the best.

33. Do you start with the characters or the plot when writing?

Characters first, then plot! If I have no idea what characters are doing and adding to the plot or how they're supposed to fit, then I can’t work at all haha this is why in my outlines I need to specify their importance to the story so it feels satisfying, you know? It's also that my stories are character centric and they're my main focus 🫠

90. Do you notice your own voice in your writing style?

Annoyingly so! Like I said previously, the more I write, the more I influence everything, and that's very distinct to who I am 🫡 I hope it doesn't come off as pretentious but sometimes you kinda notice those small details only after you've written it, and you understand it's very you.

[shuuen-no-cimory]

To Cook a Lobster, Start by Breaking its Shield [A Projectmoon OC Fanfiction]

Language: English Rating: M

WARNING: Violence, gore, heavy language, Blood, mention of cannibalism– The usual District 23 shenanigans, really.]

PREVIEW: “Oh yes, praise me! I know my dish is so amazing it catches you speechless now!”

She’s fucking insane and he’s royally messed up. How could he mess up his very first escort mission? Not to mention when the client was a person quite THAT important? How would his leader respond TO THIS?

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

Notes: This is a one year old long fanfic of my fixer OC (Theta) and my friend Geppie on Discord's fixer OC (Nero), sets in District 23 Mirror World AU! I did the illust since last year but ony manage to finish this fic yesterday to celebrate 1st year anniversary of our Project Moon TTRPG campaign, Tunas Office! I hope you may enjoy it!

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A shield exists to protect.

A shield has to be sturdy and immovable, no matter what it has to endure.

That’s how a Zwei Fixer is idealistically supposed to be. Whoever asks for their protection, whenever it is, and wherever they have to be, a Zwei Fixer shall be ready to shield them from any trouble. They'll stand for their client, for the people in The City. However, one may have a question: what if they're the one who fell into trouble themselves? Who would wield the shield for them?

This question came to Theta's mind as she sharpened her carving knife. Her eye wouldn't stop bouncing from the glisten over its blade to the Zwei Association badge tucked on the unconscious man's jacket.

Today's batch came in a bit earlier through her backdoor, surprisingly it was a plus-one batch. It might be great to get a free meat stock, but having too much on a day? That'd be wasteful. Not to mention when this plus-one could be quite a trouble to handle if not dealt properly.

"... Guess I shouldn't have been so greedy..." a frown appeared on the corner of her lips while she shed off unnecessary parts of the meat in her hands, "Now, what to do with that one?"

A click of tongue escaped her lips. It's not that she's ungrateful with the bountiful harvest she had today. Hell, these ingredients were scarce in this type of business niche. However, dealing with them is a problem by itself. To immediately cut up the meat right after she had her hands on it would make it last shorter. It wouldn't be fresh enough when she served them inside her meat pie. On the other hand, keeping them alive for a little longer would be even a greater risk to her.

In an honest opinion, she'd never expect there'll be a day where she could catch a man under Zwei's protection AND The escort from Zwei himself. In a package, nonetheless.

Oh, well, fuck it. She should focus on the main batch she's working on for the day. Can't be distracted for too long.

The knife meticulously carved out the meat from the bones, quite satisfactory despite the imperfections of her work. Slicing meat wasn't as different as crafting wooden charms, anyway. Both were delicate works that had to be done precisely with care and attention, any small mistakes could waste a good ingredient.

Just when she put the carved out meat into her basket, she heard a groan. Her head immediately turned to the source.

Oh, thought that Zwei guy had woken up, he was only disturbed while in his slumber. She only had half the usual dosage of sedative left but luckily, this man’s constitution was suck ass.

Theta approached the light haired man and kneeled down right in front of his peaceful figure. What a sight! A man so young and pretty, sleeping like Snow White in the corner of her kitchen!

In a way, he’s sort of an eye-sore.

Even if he looked bulky thanks to the layered Zwei’s outfit, he’s a bit too lean for her liking. That white hair with some black streaks might look great if dipped into some red soup, though. And what’s with the eyepatch? If it means his eyes or left face has injury, that also lessens the quality of his organ. The meat on his arms could possibly be a bit too gamey from intense arm workouts. A Zwei usually needed that type of workout so they could hold their weapon with both hands, or so that’s what her best friend said a long time ago. 

(Also it’s not like he seemed that much younger than her. If anything, they were probably only a year or two apart.)

Once again she checked off the binding she made on his wrists and ankles, shook it lightly to check its fastness. All pockets and hidden compartments on his clothing had been ransacked as well, resulting in a pile of small weapons and a couple of identifications. She didn’t bother to strip this man off, she wasn’t even sure if she’d cook him up, knowing the circumstance. Though she has to deal with different kinds of men every day, Theta was yet no more than a mere feeble chef, fighting against a fixer (especially one who works under an Association) was off the charts. In all fairness, this was also her first time acquiring a game this extraordinary, a little precautions wouldn’t hurt, no?

Once she was done with the check up, there’s only one last thing to add. ‘Let’s not scare this man once he wakes up,’ that’s the idea that popped up in her mind. Thus, Theta put a black sack over his head. With this, she didn’t have to look at his sorry mug any longer! 

Theta returned back to her work, moving the fresh ingredients to the freezer and preparing her oven to bake the day’s meat pies batch. After that, she was usually supposed to package her warm pies and serve it for the customer. Once daybreak came, she would close her store and wait for yet another new batch of hunts to step onto her traps. Rinse and repeat, day in and day out. Even after 5 years running this business, these redundant cycles never got any lighter.

Perhaps it’s the time to get some helping hands…? Oh, who was she kidding.

***

The Zwei man felt a great pain on his head. Whatever that shit was, it bonked his head too damn hard. Who the fuck set up a prank THAT dangerous on someone’s back door? And why was it so dark in here? He couldn’t see anything! 

A faint noise of clothing being rubbed and soft hums reached his ears. The voice would be comforting if his nose wasn't assaulted by the odor of rust and decay that wafted in the air. It got stronger each moment until he gagged to death. Urgh, he must cover his mouth-

“... What? Wait, the fuck?”

The black sack that covered the Fixer’s head moved frantically on the corner of Theta’s vision. She stopped polishing her cleaver knife and turned her head to the obnoxious noises which disrupted her humming. Oh, well, the cute escort should’ve woken up from his slumber anytime soon or else she’d dump his body somewhere.

He wasn’t ready when the sack suddenly pulled off from his head. Splashes of crimson replaced the suffocating darkness. Among the gores, a tint of gold staring right at his own bloodshot eye.

“Fine morning isn’t it, sir Zwei Fixer- oh, wait,” Theta pulled out his Nest citizenship out of her breast pocket, waving it right in front of his face, “How rude of me, sorry. I mean, sir Nero? Had a nice nap, didn’tcha?”

Theta kneeled right before the man, a playful smile adorned her round face. That would be a cute encounter if only Nero didn’t feel the piercing tip of her carving knife dug on his throat. Nero held back his breath, shutting up and stared back at the red haired woman. It was good that he knew better to keep his composure, especially in front of a freak like her. After all, if she aimed for his meat, she’d have slit his neck right away, not merely use the tip of her knife to lift his chin up.

“Nap? You mean that blunt force trauma on my head?” He gave her a wary laugh, trying not to shit his pants and puked from the gruesome scenery hanging behind the woman, “Thanks for the nap, my boss would definitely nag at me if he knew I had one while on the clock.”

Speaking of work,

“Right, of course you were at work. It doesn’t make sense some random Fixer would just walk into a Bistro’s backdoor in Street of Flavor. Not a member of Zwei, especially.” She chuckled. Her blade slid down from his neck, poked on the Zwei Association's badge nestled on his chest. “So what was it? Infiltration? Patrols? Ah, maybe an escort mission?”

“Just the usual, run-in-the-mill Fixer work, miss. Don’t think a chef like you would be that interested in it.”

“Aw, not even gonna say a tidbit of it? Fiiiine,” Theta stood up and returned to her kitchen counter. Nero could see there’s something over the counter top, yet the chef’s back obscured it. As she hummed, her hand was busy preparing something, “Are you hungry, Nero? Wanna try Theta’s Bistro’s special delicacy?”

The way this woman used his name–moreover with such friendliness–irked him. What the hell did this woman plan on?

A light step, a little dramatic twirl. She faced him with a proud smile and a pie tray in her hands, “Here’s the special dish today~! I’m glad your friend was there to help me!”

Nero stopped breathing. Time slowed down. The pain on his head crushed his skull. He vomited.

She fucked him hard. He was fucked real hard at that point.

With a delicate placement, a black scarf with red lines was laid on the pie tray. Nero knew for sure it had GREEN lines instead of RED. Some vegetable cuts adorned the tray, circling the dish’s main attraction, The Head of K Corp’s W District Branch Office.

“Oh yes, praise me! I know my dish is so amazing it catches you speechless now!”

She’s fucking insane and he’s royally messed up. How could he mess up his very first escort mission? Not to mention when the client was a person quite THAT important? How would his leader respond TO THIS?

Well, there goes his paycheck for sure. And maybe his position in Zwei too? His reputation as well? And moreover, there goes his client…

“What? Doesn’t have the appetite for it?”

“Oh I wish I could,” he gritted his teeth, his hand groped on his back for any knives. While forcing a smile over his cute face (or that’s how he claimed it to be), he held back his rising bile, "but nah, I had a breakfast already ma'am. Maybe... Later?"

Good. Nice answer, Nero. Surely it won't lead him to doom, right? Refusing a meal that has been prepared specially for him isn't a bad thing, right? Even that… Disappointed sigh… Of her… Means it’s not that bad… right?

The chef hummed a tune as she put the plate down back to the counter, “That’s too bad. Put ‘em aside for a little while and the taste turns horrid! Do you know how hard it is to process their meat and to keep it fresh?” She leaned on the counter with a frown. In a swift moment, the glint of her kitchen knife has found its way back to her hand.

Her gloved hand meticulously wiped the blood off while she continued her rambles, “ There’s a reason why I always try to not process all the ingredients I collect right away whenever I get a bit too much, y’know?” A click of tongue and a smack of tail adorned her angry wiping, “Too soon, and the meat would taste bad before I could use it. Too late, and the ingredient may run or mentally deteriorate and it affects the quality of their meat. It’s a labor of love, sure, but it’s still a bit hard for a single, frail woman like me!”

‘Frail’, yeah sure, Lady.

Oh, luck on Nero as he couldn’t find any of his hidden knives. Did this woman take all of it? Even the one he purposefully hid on his boxer? Well, shit, let’s dillying a bit.

“Why don’t you hire someone, then? Surely some would kill to work with you,” just a bit more time, Nero, he thought to himself. In the midst of it, he chose the last resort he had by trying to fiddle with the rope on his wrists. At least this woman wasn’t that clever since she only used those cheap ropes to tie him up. He could feel the rope fraying slightly from his nail but… The woman approached him again with… a pack of cigarettes?

As she stride toward him, his nails froze while it still dug onto the rope. Each step she took revealed more contour of her face. He could notice some blood and cuts over her chef outfit too, some frayed and burned ends too. The moment she squatted down to be on the same level, the antsy Fixer held back his breath.

Time went like forever when Theta stared at him in silence, as if trying to gouge up the details of each strand of his locks or every inch of his wrinkles. It was the gaze of someone who enjoyed the sight of an interesting specimen, so to speak. Her left hand which held the pack propped her chin, it seemed slightly bigger and sharper than her right hand too. In such proximity, of course Nero himself couldn’t help but examine the eccentric murderer’s face as his way to avoid her penetrating golden eye. Started from some uneven bumps on her cheek, down to the cuts just right below her chin. Oh, is that some burned white splotches under her deep wine-colored hair? A third degree burn mark? Those were nasty. He couldn’t see her other eye under those bangs either, was it even there? And her-

His attention moved to her right hand that pulled a stick out of the pack. A white, cheap cigarette, something his seniors from Backstreet usually enjoy. Theta slipped those between her chapped, crimson lips, dyeing its tip. Was it painted with lipstick? Or was it blood?

“Say, do you smoke, Nero?” She took out another stick. Nero chirped, “Err, nah, I don’t, ma’am.”

“Oh, nice,” Theta put the second stick on Nero’s pale lips. “You know, I dislike smokers though I’m a smoker myself. Hated over smoked meat, yanno? It tastes bitter and harder to cook. The quality dropped soooo low. I’m the quality-over-quantity type, you see.”

A flick of her finger turned the gas on, lighting up the tail of her cigarette, “So I have the deal, let’s have a smoke together. If you’d like to be my assistant, feel free to join me. But of course, I’d rather you not smoke for the sake of your meat quality. That, if you wished to be a dish–”

CLANK CLANK

Her words cut off by the Theta immediately stood up at the alarm-like loud noise. She groaned and returned the pack back to her pocket, “Ah, cunt, I didn’t prepare for another meal yet! Do ya know how painful it is to put a new trap?! COME ON!”

Her hand swiftly fetched her knife and in a blink of eye she stormed off the kitchen.

…

Guess luck was really with him that day?

Nero quickly freed himself. Without wasting another second, he scanned every corner for any hidden exit. Nil. No damn way but the door she stormed off to.

He picked up the cleaver, the most clever weapon he could hold at the moment. Where the fuck did that woman stashed all his weapon? Oh, well, he needed to survive. He took the first step out of the door–

BAM

Theta’s back slammed on the wall just right beside the door, spat blood out, “Ya wankers go 3-in-1 on me? Fucking cowards!”

She immediately dashed toward one of the gruff men, knife thrusted– only to get a hard kick on her stomach. She did manage to slice her target’s arm yet she’s writhing on the floor. She lifted her head to find one of the men’s sole crushed her face.

Theta grabbed the man’s foot, pushing it away, “This is how ya beat your business rivals?”

CRACK. Hard stomp on her back.

“No personal feeling, miss. It’s just work.”

Her breath heaved. That might’ve cracked a bone or two.

As Nero watched the fight–Or rather, it was just the woman got pummeled–went on. He couldn’t get his attention away from the battered red hair. It wasn’t like he enjoyed this display of violence. No, he wasn’t a sick fuck, mind you. If he could, he would’ve already taken his eye away from her, or from the only visible exit from this godforsaken place that was behind one of the men. If he came out now, he’d definitely get pulled into the fight.

��And did the woman just mention ‘business rival?’

“... Shit,”

Theta tried to stand up again, but now she was pinned to the wall with her own knife pointed at her neck. Blood dripped from her lips, down to her jaw.

“Last word before we take you back as a soup, ‘Chef’?”

She spat blood to the side, “I gotta say if your meat came from me, you’d rather eat dirt. Mine’s too rotten.”

Despite how hopeless the fight was, she still tried to keep up her calm demeanor. However, even Nero could notice how her hand and tail were flinching even when the tallest of those men was standing right on his vision. It’s a hopeless situation. And he couldn’t do anything about it. Even better, he always knew how not to do anything about this. Better be smart. Better be safe. Better be smart. Better be safe–

Yet there he was, in a moment where both doing nothing or running would cut his life short.

A distant memory was scratching his brain.

Nero held his breath, biting down the forgotten cigarette between his gritted teeth. He didn’t even realize his grip on the cleaver’s handle tightened.

He wasn’t trying to hold his fear back—it was an urge. And it’s popping inside him. Raking his head.

He shouldn’t just stand. He couldn’t just stand. He doesn't want to just stand idle. He must help. He must help. He must do something. HE MUST DO SOMETHING–

A knife rose high, a blunt force crashed down.

The heavy blade rammed into fresh flesh followed by the shrill shriek. Before the stunned two men made their move against the ambusher that attacked their own, Nero pushed the butchered man on them. It took Nero a moment to detach the cleaver from him, yet Theta used the surprise attack as her chance to buy time. When the man that pinned her loosened his grip, Theta snatched her knife by its blade. A reckless hasty move, but now the tip of that knife had pointed the other way.

Although beaten, she had enough energy to pierced this fuckface on their mug. Another scream roared. The Zwei Fixer flinched, yet he had the desire he needed to fulfill. The desire to do something. And so, as the cleaver on his hand was lifted, it fell down on the last man.

One last cries, and… the house went silent.

…

The voices of two people breathing heavily in the air filled this moment with tranquility.

Two eyes met, one with subtle excitement and another with weariness. That moment was only broken by the thud of Nero who fell into his knees. The butcher’s knife slipped from his grip, his chest thumped erratically. Eaten up by realization, he gulped his spit.

He is too far to back off now.

“What is it, love? Too excited after butchered a man?” Theta sneered while pushing her body up, these screwed up legs staggered to keep her balanced. She heaved a laugh, “I thought y’all fixer supposed to be used by this.”

Reality screwed him to the T once again, but doubled it down now. He knew the shit he had to deal with when he decided to become a fixer, but he never expected THIS is the real shit that squashed him. On his first mission nonetheless.

Should he even return at this point? Would his leader throw him under the bus if his section got obliterated for this mistake? Would this bitch even let him off the hook– Wait, he could just kill her now, right? But at what cost? Would it change anything, really?

“... Lighter.”

Theta tilted her head toward him, “What was it?”

Nero lifted his dread-sunken head. He took off the stick that was already crushed between his teeth, and offered it toward Theta, “I need a smoke.”

She coughed up her cackle at the sight. She dipped her hand and pulled out the lighter, along with a box of cigarettes. Two sticks were pulled out of the box, she gave one to Nero along with her lighter, “you probably couldn’t smoke that one, that’s too wet to light up after you drools on.”

Her words ticked Nero off, but he still snatched it off her hand. He huffed as he shifted himself onto a more comfortable sitting position. He never do this before but fuck it, he light up the smoke just like how he saw his coworker done it. A woman’s laugh burst uncontrollably when Nero coughed up for being too hasty. What a lame person, but an entertaining one at that.

“Take it easy,” the laugh wind down to a giggle. The chef took the lighter from Nero, and lit her stick as well. A short inhale taken before she blew it toward him, “hope we can work well, dearest Sous-chef Nero Westenfluss.”

Ah, what a way to start her shift today. Guess the best meal is always the partner who comes through the back door, after all.

[somevagrantchild]

Tagged by @hekateinhell! Thank youuu! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you’ve written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💗

Since this is my VC sideblog, I'm only choosing from my VC fics 🦇 Not in any particular order:

A Bridge (1,200) Louis/Lestat Later Rue Royale era. During a lonely brooding walk, Louis unexpectedly meets an equally brooding Lestat on a bridge near the river. Set not long before their family starts falling apart, things are still good between them--but are they ever, really? Semisweet and angsty (my favorite flavor) I wrote this little fic while I was in the hospital waiting room while my mom was having surgery. It's one of my oldest stories, and the very first one I wrote entirely on my own (I usually co-write with friends), and I'm still proud of it, especially as it's more focused on Louis's POV (third person) and I'd previously only ever really written from Lestat's. I was in an artsy phase, and I wanted to focus on using bridge symbolism in a sort of opposite way from what might be expected.

The Center of it All (1,500) A few years after Queen of the Damned, Lestat is having an introspective night, remembering his time working on his first book and how differently he felt about Akasha before he actually met her. Cynical and self-effacing. This is my most underrated fic, and I wish more people would give it a chance! People don't click on it because it's not in any ship tags, and is really just a Lestat solo moment, though he does describe an old conversation with his TVL era lawyer, Christine. But it's another early work for me, and I wrote Lestat's internal monologue in first person, trying to capture his voice from the way he writes his own books, as well as being a bit meta about the way Anne write. I think I did a pretty good job, and wish this little fic would get some love!

Under the Stars (6,400) Louis/Lestat earlier Rue Royale era, set during regency times. A strange woman in their neighborhood has Louis concerned about the safety of their dark secret, but Lestat isn't taking his worries seriously. Classic Loustat repressed mutual pining with an adorable ending. I wrote this for a Secret Santa exchange, and the prompt was my giftee's headcanon that Lestat pretends to be Claudia's dead mother's brother, while Louis is her father, and that's how they get by with their neighbors not knowing they're gayyyy (and also vampires). I'd watched Bridgerton recently, and am pretty much always in the mood for a Regency Romance, so decided to set it in that era with some Jane Austen flair, focusing on Lestat's POV (third person) and how much he doesn't want to admit he's desperate for Louis's attention. The idea of them needing to trick the neighbors led me to the idea of, what if one saw through it?? But I took it in a sweet and humorous direction for some Christmas fluff (rare for me!) and this has since become my most popular solo fic on ao3 by far! Although it has pining, it's romantic and not so angsty for once from me.

The Bear in the Snow (4,100) Lestat & Armand. After Blood Communion ends, Lestat still isn't sure where he stands with Armand, and he's been stressing about it. On Christmas Eve, Armand gets Lestat to stalk him out into the snowy forest, where he tells a story from his own childhood in a subtle/manipulative (but in a good way) attempt to begin to bridge the rift between them. This was another Secret Santa gift, and the prompt from the giftee was a story about young Andrei having some soft time with his parents. I don't write Armand very often at all, but I was excited for the challenge--except writing a VC fic with no vampires?? I wound up coming up with the framing device and telling it from Lestat's POV (a cop out for me lol he's my default voice), but since the main story is Armand speaking aloud, telling a story about hunting bears with his father, a lot of it is his first person voice as well. Lestat and Armand's angsty obsessive frenemy dynamic is one of my absolute favorite parts of the entire series, but I'd never been brave enough to write any of it without a co-author before, so I'm really proud of how this one turned out.

The Hour Before Dawn (6,400) Louis/Armand set when their relationship is falling apart, shortly before Louis goes to see Lestat in the crumbling house in New Orleans (so early 1970s according to IWTV or 1920s according to TVL) Louis has been growing even more distant, and Armand is desperate to keep him. When Louis returns home to their apartment in New York after some unexpected days away, Armand resorts to playing his trump card. Of all my old co-written fics from years ago, this one still really sticks with me. It was my very first time writing Armand, and dark, desperate, needy Armand, at that. It's third person, but more omniscient than from either of their POV's in particular. My prose focus was on extreme subtlety and only hinting at Armand's true feelings and motivations through physical actions and his word choices (and lack thereof), leaving a lot between the lines for the reader to pick up on only from external clues. Kind of the opposite of my co-written stories now, which are all extremely internal-heavy, where you read every single little thought and feeling going on with every character (and that's why they're millions of words long 😆). This one is sparse and mysterious and soso bittersweet and angsty 😋

I think all my VC pals have been tagged already, so branching out of the fandom and tagging @gaslightgallows @les-gnossiennes-fantomatiques @nellachronism

[aelaer]

A/B/O for the ask game? 😭 Personally i wouldn't touch the stuff with a ten foot pole (not that im judging anyone who might like it dgkkgfd)

D-

I don't seek it out and rarely, rarely click it. The original a/b/o universe of heats and what basically constitutes as non-con being "natural" and "normal" squicks the fuck outta me. I'm squicked in the same way for "slavery is natural and a normal part of society" fics. I know that the authors (very very very very likely) don't agree with the protagonists in these stories, but I cannot empathize with the characters living peacefully in such societies and so I just can't get into the story. And because it's a huge societal issue rather than the one character being messed up, there's no backdrop of decency and morality to fall back onto, leaving the whole world as an icky squicky no-no that I don't want to read.

Also, I really hated how women were usually written as non-existent in these stories and how this was not pointed out by the writing community in the past. :|

However, in the decade plus that the trope's existed, a lot of folks have made a lot of their own interpretations of it and deconstructing of it and making it more interesting (and less women-erasing), which is why it's a D- rather than an F. Some fics squeak through my filter. It's never going to be a favorite, but I'll click on the link if it's:

Starring my favorite character, obviously.

A fish out of water type story where the protagonist finds the classic (or close enough to the classic) a/b/o world just as horrifying as the majority of folks would find it in reality, or

A heavily modified a/b/o world where sex isn't the main driver of the story. Part of my exasperation with a/b/o is the focus on sex, mating, and breeding, so if the focus is on, say, improving civil rights, or it's just another aspect of modern Western society where terrible people may judge you for your gender (like those may do about sex, gender, or race in the real world), but it isn't the *main focus* of the story, I'll give it a go. Just like I give long, plot-focused narratives that happen to have romance as a side-plot a go.

I have two fics in the MCU that I can recall that were A/B/O that I enjoyed, one for each reason listed above.

Most of the sex scenes in fics are a big "whatever" to me already and I have exactly one (1) author out of the thousands of authors (I've read a lot) I've read over the years where the sex scenes were engaging because that author was basically a poet who remains still one of the most technically apt writers I've ever encountered in fan fiction. I don't remember her because the fic's plot was my favorite plot ever, or because the pairing appealed to me; I remember her because she is fucking masterful at the technical aspects of writing with one of the strongest vocabularies I've ever read in fan fiction. I aspire to be at her level of writing one day. It was difficult reading, it was like poetry, and that seems to be the only way to get me to be interested in a sex scene. If you make me pull out a dictionary in a sex scene, you win my interest. I want SAT level vocabulary about emotions and feelings ahahaha.

So yeah, a/b/o's focus on sex makes it generally unappealing from the get-go.

But wait Laer, you say, you can't just mention a handful of fics and not link them! So yeah, I dug them up. They're not personal favorites--a/b/o never will be for me--but they're well crafted stories written by talented writers.

The "Stephen gets trapped in an A/B/O world and you bet he hates the fuck out of it" one, with the rare pair of *Sam Wilson* and also Christine, which was just fantastic, and it's a whodunnit on top of it with a mix of magic: Children of the Old Moon by old_blue. Take a look at the tags before reading; it's a doozy, but again, very well-crafted.

The "A/B/O is just a passing mention and it's barely been mentioned which is super great (at least to my memory)" is actually not finished; it's a short story with super long chapters. Going In Circles by cryptonomicon features two rarepairs in Stephen/Steve Rogers and Stephen/Bucky, and it's actually a sequel so you should read the first part first, perhaps. It was last updated about 21 months ago, so if you decide to read and review, be encouraging rather than demanding, haha! I don't remember a major cliff-hanger or anything, but if you're looking for different, this is definitely different. Again, good writer.

As for the "only author who made me admire the craft of writing in a sex scene", that would be Francesca_Wayland, a BBC Sherlock writer, specifically with the first fic on her account. I don't often have to pull up a dictionary when I read anymore and it was one thing that I really enjoyed doing in the mid 2000s (because I'm a nerd), so encountering her back in 2017 or 2018 was a delight. Why yes, I am absolutely not the target audience for 99.9% of mature romance stories :P

The ask meme: Ask me about a trope and I'll grade it.

[joeys-piano]

Trope Game

Tagged by my good man, @voxofthevoid. Who, in my egregious opinion, is the king for tropes I likely will never write for. I shall tag, if they humble accept, the following individuals: @somuchanemoia, @feu-eau, @bowties-are-cool3000, @fandomgirl394, @astralalmighty, @rebrandedbard, @flowercrown-bard, and any others!

Rules: How much do these tropes affect your decision to click on a fic?

-10 -> very dissuaded

0 -> don’t care either way

10 ->  very enticed

nope -> if it’s a hard no and you’d never click on a fic with that tag or or you even have the tag blocked or you’d insta click out of the fic if it wasn’t tagged.

Bonus points for explaining the rating and whether it’s conditional.

Spoiler alert: I'm neutral with a lot of the tropes presented in this game because I strongly believe that the strength of the writer is often more important than the tropes they're using to tell the story. If I can feel the writer's confidence and I vibe with what they're giving to me in the summary, hell yeah I'll click and read on it. Tropes are nice to haves; they are not the be-all and end-all of a story and they don't compensate for what I identify as weak writing.

Age gap   0/10

If it's there, it's there. That's all there is to it. It's not a selling point nor is it anything I actively look for. I think it's a funny coincidence that some of my favorite pairings have had vocal hatred from certain pockets of the internet because "age gaps" -- the phrase -- is thrown so vehemently that the words themselves sound like a dog whistle for a specific type of person who is not only immature, but who seemingly doesn't understand that the internet and is what you make of it through what you show yourself. And if something honestly bothers you and it doesn't hurt anybody IRL, you can just fuck off and enjoy the things you like instead of pulling shit out for something other people enjoy and think that an "age gap" is some sort of valid argument.

Codependency   0/10

Depends on the strength of the writer. Like with age gaps, if it's there it's there. I don't actively seek it out and nor is it a selling point for me.

Enemies to lovers   0/10

If it's there, it's there. This would also depend on the strength of the writer, too and what type of introspection is going into the work. Because I'm more interested in the realization and what the characters are going to do about it. And if I can vibe with what the writer is doing, cool. But again, it's not a selling point for me and I don't actively seek this one out.

Enemies with benefits   0/10

I'm starting to get the trend that I'm a really nonchalant reader who sticks around if I vibe with the writer's direction and strengths. I would have to see the accompanying tags to determine if this is something I want to read, and well -- the summary, too. But the tag, on its own, doesn't sway me either way.

Fake dating/relationship   0/10

Depends on the strength of the writer. I don't often read these kind of stories, mostly because the summaries I've seen for these kind of stories doesn't draw me in. Not the tag, itself. So if I see a strong writer doing something in this space, I'll check it out.

Found family   -5/10

It doesn't interest me. I'll still check it out if I look at the summary and am intrigued with the writer's direction/writing style/writing strength. But other than that, I have no real interest for this trope. I prefer it being in the background than as the main focus of the work. I think if personally, I identified with found family in my own life, my answer would be vastly different. But in this current reality, I don't. I can appreciate and respect that it provides a welcoming space for areas in the queer community who often can't be heard in the crowd. And that it gives a space for those writers to come in with their own flavor and build into the fandom jungle.

Friends to lovers   7/10

More often than not, when I'm writing a shippy fic or am itching to read one, this is on my mind. I don't actively seek out this tag because this concept can show up in pretty much any kind of story in some way that just clicks as to why the characters involved have such good chemistry with each other. I have a soft spot for this one, explicitly defined or not.

Friends with benefits   0/10

If it's there, it's there. I'm not actively seeking it out and nor is it a selling point. But if I think the story has a stronger writer who knows what they're doing, I'll give it a chance.

Hurt/comfort   8/10

You must be mistaken. I don't seek it out. Rather, it seeks for me. I'm particularly picky about how this trope is handled, so your summary and opening have got to be strong in my mind or I'll be backspacing sooner than later to preserve time for a story I'll like.

Love triangle   nope/10

Hell no.

Mistaken/hidden identity   9/10

Oof. It's not a tag I seek out, but when I see these pop up on AO3 and there is a strong writer handling the reins, how could I pass it up? The shit slaps, peep.

Monster fu… relationship   9/10

Yes, I'm a monsterfucker. Next question. But if you sprinkle cannibalism on top of that, I'll shove my schedule into the dirt to make time to read this thoroughly.

Obsession, possessiveness, etc   -3/10

This is the interesting case of it's fun to write, but not so fun to read. Because it heavily depends on the writer. And frankly, I've read things I don't vibe with that I've resorted to writing my own stuff because I know what my taste is.

Opposites (like grumpy×sunshine, etc)    0/10

Depends on the characters, honestly. If I don't care for the characters, I ain't here for it.

Poly   3/10

I like ships. I like ships with Character A with Character B, and C, and D, etc... And if they can all be in a big loving thing, that's great. It grabs my attention because it's not that hard to find on AO3 when you see all the relationship tags. It greatly depends on the writer if it'll be enjoyable to read.

pregnancy   0/10

If it's there, it's there. I'll backspace when I stop vibing with things.

Second chance   0/10

Depends very heavily on the writer and what the plot is. Because it can get nasty (backspace nasty) real quick.

Sex to feelings   10/10

Gets my seal of approval. There's introspection, vulnerability, the emotional intimacy, and it's just - it's such a nice package. Doesn't matter if it's angst-ridden or so fluffy it makes you have cavities. Oh, such a delight.

Slowburn   -7/10

Bruh, unless the plot is really that good and the writer is baller, I ain't got time to just sit there and wait 50,000 words before something happens. Nah, I've got limited energy as is. I'll just skip on along to established relationship or something to get my fix going.

Soulmates   fuck no/10

You have to be a very strong writer with a very strong plot to get me to sit down and actually read this kind of thing. And I can only name one writer who's broken through this strong wall I have against this trope.

[crimeronan]

1, 2, 9, 50

https://at.tumblr.com/crimeronan/questions-for-fic-writers/e96m9cn3gf0u

just answered 9 here!

What fic of yours would you recommend to someone who had never read any of your work? (In other words, what do you think is the best introduction to your fics?)

hmm. i think the answer would vary depending on the fandom, but if we're assuming i'm picking one for EVERYBODY regardless of whether they've read the source material, then we never were good at doing what we're told is best by far. it's set in an AU with enough focus on individual character exposition that it's easy to follow like an original work even if you've never read the dreamer trilogy

on top of that, it has the biggest amount of Stuff I Care About and themes you'll find prevalent in my other writing: messy character dynamics, unreliable narration, people making bad mistakes, people digging deep holes, people loving each other desperately but not being emotionally equipped to deal with things.... it has the most intense close POV internal narration aside from a couple owl house fics and it was a major heart project.

2. Go to your AO3 “Works” page, to the sidebar with all the filters, and click the drop-down arrow for “Additional Tags.” What are your top 3-5 most used tags? Do you think they accurately represent your writing habits?

okay the top 5 tags are making me laugh.

hurt/comfort

fluff

past abuse

trauma

and polyamory.

i don't write a whole lot of pure fluff these days (most of those works are from like 6 or more years ago) but other than that: yeah. that's my brand.

50. Answer any question of your choice, or talk about whatever you want to talk about!

hmmm, i'll go with "what's your favorite AU that you've written?" because it's 100% the fairy market AU for the raven cycle & dreamer trilogy. that's a fic universe positing that instead of being a bunch of traumatized teens from a small town, the main characters from that series all have magical black market ties & meet when they're older, darker, and worse. it's a lot of fun to explore an AU where the premise is "Everyone Is Fucking Terrible" when they're also, like... still funny and cute.

[pixiemage]

There are FOUR WAYS to get people to read your stories, and none of them include relying on a nonexistent algorithm to get them to interested parties.

Choose a good title! And yes, there is such a thing as a good title, though I'll admit it's rare for me to see a bad one. Even something as simple as "The one where Martyn forgets the milk" is enough to get me wondering what kind of story earned a title like that. Sometimes a song lyric works super well if it fits the vibe of your story, and sometimes coming up with something of your own might work better. Sometimes making a joke in the title draws more attention if you've written a story that will make people laugh, and sometimes choosing a one- or two-word phrase that catches the eye is all it takes. (If I see a fic called "Poppies, Princes, and Paranoia" I might just get curious enough to wonder what in the world is in that story.)

Write a summary! Please. Please, for the love of god, give your story a summary. Every time I come across a fic that says "haha I'm bad at summaries, just read the story lolz" my first instinct is to move on. By saying you're Bad At Summaries, you're also implying that you're bad at writing, and any potential reader won't take the time to click on your fic and give it a chance when it looks like the author isn't confident in their own work. You don't have to write a masterpiece in the summary section. You can say "Tim has a no good, very bad day. Luckily his partner is there to cheer him up." And look! Ta-da! Summary! :D It's short, sweet, and to the point, and it's miles better than saying you don't know how to write one. OR! OR, if you don't like that either, then literally take a short and interesting chunk from the story itself and drop it in the summary box. Look! You're doing great! ^^ THAT will hook a potential reader far more than laughing about how "bad" you think you are at writing summaries in general. Self-depreciation may work for a social media post, but it doesn't work to sell your writing.

Clearly tag your work! Other folks above me have already said this, but putting clear and relevant tags on your story will ALWAYS bring new readers to your story. Many people on Ao3 search specifically by tag to better narrow the massive sea of stories they'll need to choose from. SO tag relevant ships and characters (preferably only the ones that are a primary focus in your fic), tag the proper fandoms, define if it's "hurt/comfort" or "angst" or "fluff" or "crack", and add the main plot concepts where needed. (For example, I'm writing an Amnesia AU, so I tagged it as both Amnesia and Temporary Amnesia, because while the amnesia is a lingering factor in the plot, it WILL NOT BE later, and some people are more likely to read if they KNOW the conflict in the plot will be resolved.) And while I understand not wanting to tag certain things for spoiler reasons (though you should add those once they're revealed in a chapter), I DO RECOMMEND tagging relevant warnings, as well as specifying whether the ending will be a GOOD one or a BAD one. Some readers are more or less likely to click on a story based on that alone. I've specifically taken a chance on a sad-sounding story before because the author said it would end happily, and more often than not I wasn't disappointed! I wouldn't have read a sad story otherwise! Tag that shit!

JUST KEEP WRITING! People will stick around for a good story! It's true that quality of writing will make a good fic stand apart from a great one, and that comes down to skill. That's not to say people won't read a story that's written by a less skilled author, because if you tag and title and summarize your story well, you'll still draw in readers, and most people will stick around to enjoy an interesting story whether it's 2k works or 20k. But the more you write (and the more you READ), the more you'll learn and the more you'll improve. Don't give up just because you're getting less attention than the next writer. If you keep working on your craft, you'll be right up there with them soon enough. I'm in my late 20's and it took me years to get to where I am. I'm not foolish enough to pretend I don't know I'm a quality writer, but I also refuse to call it "talent" because it's much more than that. It's a skill that I honed over years of writing and storytelling. I learned from my peers and I took inspiration from bigger and better writers to work my way up to where I am now. So don't write just to get hits and kudos, write to tell a good story! And when the comments come in, though they may start small, just know that those people are seeing the passion you're putting into your work...and they're just a small taste of the kind of joy you'll be able to share if you stick with your writing.

(BONUS: Share your fics on Tumblr and other sites. If you're worried that they won't get seen on Ao3 without help, then feel free to boost awareness by dropping a link and some info elsewhere. I do this every time I post something new, because I know that part of my audience lives on Tumblr! So don't hesitate to utilize the platforms you've got. Tag it properly on here and you'll get a few more reads from folks who are looking for it!)

A few of these are probably referring to the date posting bug thing, but AAAAAAAAAAAH!

[mymainwastoocluttered]

I still haven't figured out how to use ao3's tag system ( ´△｀)

Crash course time!

This is gonna be really long, but hopefully I manage to explain things properly and clearly! You can ask if you don't understand anything. Also, this was made with the mobile version of the site, but I'm sure you can find your way in desktop with this guide too!

Introduction to a work:

Let's use this fic as an example. Thank you, kind author, for posting this and providing us with content.

As you can see, there's the name of the fic and the name of the author. Right under, is the Fandom tag. In this case, it's "Twisted Wonderland (Video Game)". If you click on it, you'll open the library of ALL twist fics available in AO3.

First of all, take a look at the squares at the side. You "read" them from left to right, starting on the upper left.

There's a Rating System that goes: G (General Audiences), T (Teen and Up), M (Mature) and E (Explicit)¹. The rating system is optional, but still very useful.

Then there's the Relationships, Pairings And Orientations Categories: F/F (female/female); F/M (fem/male); M/M (male/male); Gen (not romantic or sexual, or relationships which are not the main focus of the work); Multi (multiple relationships are the focus of the work, or a relationship with multiple partners) and Other (which are any relationships that don't fit the others)². Also optional, but useful if you're looking for a specific dynamic.

Next one is Content Warnings, which needs to be explained together with the Archive Warnings, but, basically, they're an easy way to tell if the author used Archive Warnings or not. In this case, the orange ?! means that the author used the "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" tag.

The last one tells you if the fic is finished or not.

If you ever forget any of this, you can click on the squares and a guide will pop up and explain it!

Onto the tags:

There are four types of tag in AO3, and they appear on this order: Archive Warnings; Relationship Tags; Character Tags and Additional Tags.

Archive Warnings are THE most important (to the point they're obligatory!). They're going to tell you if the content of the work is potentially triggering or not. There are six of them:

Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings: basically, "dead dove, do not eat". This tag means that there could potentially be triggering stuff in the work, but the author chose not to tell the reader (there are many reasons as to why an author would do this). It's the usual "fuck around and find out" you'd have with a book, except at least you'll open this work knowing there might be something you won't be able to stomach.

No Archive Warnings Apply: self-explanatory, but this means there's none of the triggering content the AW warn you about is present. That does not mean there's no triggering content whatsoever, but we'll talk more that in Additional Tags.

Graphic Depictions of Violence: self-explanatory, under this tag you'll find things like torture and beatings and such, all told in great detail.

Major Character Death: self-explanatory, you're killing off an important character in the fic? This is the tag. (If you allow the joke, this is where Yuu goes when people want to write about fae immortality)

Underage: if the work has underage characters (characters under the age of 18) doing the sex that's the tag.

Rape/Non-con: self-explanatory №8181.

Relationship Tags: they're what you use if you're looking for a ship (or multiple ships) in particular. Note the difference: Character/Character = romantic relationship; Character & Character = non-romantic (usually platonic) relationship.

Character Tags: they tell you which characters are in the work. Usually tells which characters are important in the work.

Additional Tags: they the blood of the tags. Here's where you will find all your answers! Here's where the author will tell you stuff like "slow burn", "dubious consent", "enemies to friends to lovers", "fisting", "angst", "I wrote this instead of sleeping"... All those helpful tags that will tell you more of what to expect from the fic you're about to read, and they can help you find more works like the one you just opened!

How to use the filter system:

For this, as a "main tag", we'll use the "Jade Leech/Reader" tag which I already had open for. Reasons. Start by clicking the "filters" button so the filtering options will appear.

Once you do, your screen will be like this (please pardon the terrible numbers, finger drawing had never been my forte):

Sort By: here is where you can sort by "last updated" (default), "date posted", "hits", "kudos", etc...

Include: here you will include tags in your search. For example, you want to find a fluffy fic with Jade, you use the include function, and now the search will only show works with the tag "fluff". More on this later.

Exclude: the opposite of the previous one. Let's say you don't want to read Jade angst tonight, you use the exclude function and now your search will not show any works with the tag "angst" anymore. More on this later.

More Options: I don't use this one much, honestly, but it is very self-explanatory. They make your search more precise to what you're looking for.

Search within results: from the site's description: “Searches all the fields associated with a work in the database, including summary, notes and tags, but not the full work text”. Y'know the search function in your browser? Kinda like that. There's a very helpful guide hidden behind that blue question mark that will definitely explain better than I.

Language: self-explanatory, you'll be shown all (and only) the works in the language you picked. You can only pick one language.

Look at the time! It is LATER, so let's talk about that stuff we said we would!

So, how do the Include/Exclude function work? Well, every time you click a category, you'll be given options os tags to filter. At the end of every tag, you'll se a number between parentheses, those tell you the amount of works with that tag are currently appearing in your search! All you need to do is select and filter.

Still in the Jade Leech/Reader tag, I chose to Exclude the Non-con tag, because I don't wanna see them. So I just clicked on it and filtered it. See how the number is zero now? It's because I excluded the tag, so it does not appear in my search results anymore, and I will be seeing 0 non-con fics.

A tag will not appear on the list if there's no works with them in the "main tag" you're searching. There are, however, exceptions! Remember the Relationship, Character and Additional Tags? Well, there's a limit of how many of those will appear in the listing (the ones who appear are the ones with the highest amount. Bigger the number, closer to the top!).

That's when something very useful comes in: the "other tags to include/exclude" boxes! There you can type the tag you want to include/exclude, and the site will usually give you suggestions. For example, let's say I want to find some Jade slow burns, but there's none in the listing. Just typing "slow" is enough for it to be suggested to me:

Then I just click "sort and filter" and BAM! I can now see all slow burn fics of Jade Leech/Reader that do not include non-con.

... only five? Someone feed me :c

Anyway, that's the gist of it! I hope this helps!

Please keep in mind that AO3 is an archive, and you're required to tailor your own experience! Use the filters freely, as much as you can, scroll past anything you dislike, close works you don't like, stay safe and happy reading!

Of course, it's not a 100% system, because it's made and used and maintained by humans, but it is already a HUGE evolution from the lawless land the internet used to be. Let us all thank the AO3 staff for he incredible service they provide~

(is is obvious that I absolutely love AO3?)

Footnote:

¹ The difference between M and E can vary, but think of it as, like, E being M++. If you're going to explain a gore/sex scene in great detail, for example, use E.

[thewritegrump]

I've decided to open up commissions!

People have asked about it a couple of times in passing, and so I decided that I'd love to offer up my writing skills. It's been hard making ends meet, so every bit would help me get by. o(*￣▽￣*)ブ

I'm currently primarily interested in writing Osomatsu-san fanfiction, so that's what this post will focus on.

If you're not familiar with my work, you can click this link to go to my ao3 profile.

Price: $1 (USD) per 100 words

Details below the cut!

Feel free to message me with any inquiries or questions either to this account or to my main account @harmacytechnician ( •̀ ω •́ )✧

Even if you're not interested in a commission, you can still help by reblogging this!

Things I Will Write:

-NSFW

-Platonic

-BLMatsu*

*I will only write AUs where they're not related. This is non-negotiable. Just make them roommates or something, I don't care.

-Gore

-Furry

-Angst

-Dubious Consent

-Original Characters

-Self-Insert

-CharacterxReader

-Multi-Chapter Fics

-Polycules

Things I Will Write Based On A Case-By-Case Scenario:

-Kinks (I'm open to a LOT of kinks, and you can always ask if you're not sure if I'll write it or not.)

-Non-Con

Things I Will NOT Write:

-Incest

-Racist, sexist, queerphobic, ableist, or otherwise bigoted content

-Pedophilia

-Bestiality (Furries do not count.)

Highlighted Examples Of My Work:

-Something Super Sweet (1 Chapter, 7,000 Words)

-Online Lover (5 Chapters, 16,200 Words)

-Akatsuka Warriors (17 Chapters, 74,300 Words)

FAQ:

Q: How long will it take for you to complete a commission?

Depends on the length and my current availability! I want to say about one week for a fic that's 5,000 words or less.

Q: How involved will I be in the process?

As involved as you want to be. The more direction you give me, the better! I want the fic to be exactly what you have in mind. (*^▽^*)

Q: Will you do any edits once you finish the commission?

After I finish writing it, I'll send it to you to read through. I'll do one round of minor edits free of charge, but if you want something major reworked that would take a lot of rewriting, then there will be an additional charge for that.

Q: When do you collect payment?

I ask for payment when I'm halfway done with the commission. If it's going to be multiple chapters, I'll charge each chapter separately and have you pay when I'm halfway done with each chapter.

Q: How do you collect payment?

I prefer Venmo, but PayPal is also acceptable.

[pebblysand]

[LET'S TALK WRITING!] - [9 DEC 2021]

The wonderful @whathefawkes tagged me in this so I'll make it today's advent calendar entry :). Thank you!!

My goals are... aspirational, lol. Please don't hold me to them.

1) Read more. sadly, I find myself not reading as much fanfiction as i would like to. i think there's two reasons for this: 1) i've been writing so much myself, this year, that i find myself very brain dead at the end of the day writing-wise, which is typically when i would read. i've read very few books this year as well because of this, much fewer than i would like. and, certain fics that i would love to read are on the heavier side (as in, i need to think and for my brain to be functioning to read them) and i just can't get myself in the right headspace. like, kudos to those who are reading castles at the moment because i would not have the brain space to read it, if i wasn't writing it lol. and 2) i also struggle to find fics that i actually want to read on the fandom. i just don't seem to have the same tastes as everybody else and so i spend a lot of time clicking and "ugh, no, i don't want to read that, next." as someone who comes from little fandoms, i think potter just has too many options and things are bloody hard to find! so, anyway, i'd love to read a bit more, find new gems that make my heart go boom more often. (though, i will say, @debfinite gave me excellent recs, the other day, i just need to get to them - see point 1) haha).

2) Finish Castles. now, look. we're beyond aspirational here. given the decision i took today to split the next "chunk" into three chapters rather than two, that means we're going to go to 18 chapters, probably over 200,000 words. which is... ridiculous. but point is, i would really have liked to finish castles by the end of 2021 (clearly lolz) and would like to finish it by the end of 2022 (ideally september? that would be the 2 year anniversary?). but i've mapped out the year (on the basis of 16 chapters) and we're already going into may 2023 at the earliest for a finish date. so, i don't know. the fact of the matter is that i have a life and also no matter which way i look at it it takes me six weeks to churn out a chapter so we shall see. i would just like to finish it because in my head, there's only ever space for one, big project and as much as i love castles, i'd love to Get It Done, to see what the next thing will be.

3) Adopt better (healthier) writing habits. for reasons that would take too long to explain, i've ended up in a situation where writing has been, in 2021, either my main focus (jan - may), or a very time-consuming side-hustle (afterwards). this is not the first time this has happened (for example, i churned out 100,000 words between march 2017 and may 2018 whilst maintaining a full-time job) but each time, it's been a struggle. this year in particular, i've found it incredibly hard to deal with the fact that my writing space, my work space, my random life admin space and my leisure space are now all blended into one room. my job has gone fully remote forever and i'm at a stage where i cannot look at my living room anymore. and, because the pandemic has made our world smaller and we don't really have much going on outside of home, i've just found myself feeling guilty for any and all time i spend at home not writing. comparing myself to people who are in busier situations (say: have kids, partners, sick parents, etc.) and still somehow manage to churn out more work than i do. i rarely compare myself to people in terms of quality, but i definitely do in terms of productivity. and, at times, writing (be it fic or otherwise) has began to feel more like a chore than something i wanted to do. i've literally cancelled social engagements countless times because "i need to write" and forgive me for being blunt but this doesn't even bring me money! but then i look at other people and i'm like: well this person has a child, and a full-time job, and this, and that, and they're still releasing a one-shot/week and doing original writing, so what the fuck am i doing? and then i write every hour under the sun, and burn myself out so, i don't know what the solution is. for 2022, i would like to be like: 'okay, here are x number of hours i will spend on this and the rest of my time is mine.' without feeling guilty about it. the line is always hard to navigate when your passion becomes "work".

4) Take writing classes (and stick to them). not technically fanfic, but i hope will help with fanfic. i've talked about this a few times before but i've never taken a single writing course (i did take a couple of classes, got into an argument with the teacher and walked out) or opened a single writing book my whole life. and, while i don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, i'm at a stage now where i feel like i lack the vocabulary/theory for a lot of the things i do intuitively. additionally, i also feel like my writing has sort of plateau-ed lately (at least in terms of style/prose - i've learnt a lot of other things) and i'd love to progress/learn more. i've signed up for a class next semester at my local open university so we'll see what that brings. i'm sort of excited for it.

5) Be more out there. man, i've seen all these people on tiktok talk about fanfiction, be proud of writing fanfiction and still i remain in the closet. i think this dates back from being "found out" once when i was fourteen in school and people making jokes about it. this is even more stupid because tbh, it's not like i was bullied or anything, it was literally, my friend and i used to have this blog where we wrote stories about the sims, then someone found out, made a couple of jokes about it for a day, and it was never mentioned again. yet, since then, i have this bizarre shyness when it comes to writing - even telling people i write, without telling them why, is something i struggle with. when my first short story got published, i stammered my way telling a couple of friends despite the fact that i absolutely wanted to scream it from the rooftops. it's such a bizarre thing and i catch myself dreaming about saying: fuck this, and opening a tiktok account to talk about writing and fanfiction. is that a goal? man, i don't know if i'm brave enough lol.

.

tagging: everyone and no one? honestly, if you see this and wanna do it, be my guest but most of my tumblr friends are super busy atm so no pressure!

[nights-nonsensical-ramblings]

aah thank you for the tag!

Three ships: I too don't really ship and 98% of the time i want to 'nope' out cuz i don't click with shipping in general. (The more I like a character the less I enjoy shipping for them). I have had some 'aw that's cute' moments but some very specific circumstances have to be met for that to happen. (It's not the main focus, it's nothing deeper than a wholesome moment, they're introduced to me as a couple...)

it's not really shipping, but i feel relief when characters who are commonly shipped with my favs are in a relationship with someone else cuz then my fav can be single😅

First ship: When I was a kid I had some stuff that I thought was shipping but now i know I just liked the characters being affectionate and wholesome and had no interest in the romantic stuff

Last song: "Irish lullaby" (a.k.a Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral) specifically the cover by Lady Prudence

Last movie: The FNAF movie! I am still so amazed at the energy of everyone in the theatre when i watched it

Currently reading: Whatever cool knux stuff comes from the server for one and i've got a couple of books sitting around that i want to read/reread but haven't started yet, (House of leaves, Max brooks -Zombie survival guide, Fazbear fright step closer) but i've actually been going back to some of my favourite bbc merlin 'Immortal Leon' fics (A head canon that i will not let go of)

Currently watching: There's no show I'm actively watching right now, I'm just putting on long form video essay type things to have in the background while i work on stuff.

Currently consuming: ...the plastic top from a sushi soy sauce. ...which I should not be chewing. ...I'm gonna go get some gum or my eucalyptus lollies to stop me from doing that.

Currently craving: hmm. I don't know actually. I am hungry, but i don't know what I want.

@the-chozo-lord @guardian-of-da-gay @charleecat-bat @ft173

how about you guys give this a go? (no pressure if you don't want to)

Uhh... I think a majority of the other people I would think to tag have already been tagged, so I guess if you see this feel free to chuck your addition in.

Tagged by @bluberrie-hedgehog and decided to start a new post cause the other one was getting really long. My answers are gonna be BOOOORINGGGG

Three ships: I don’t really ship characters, but I admit to liking Shadamy. I've read some really sweet fics with them. (I do like Callie/Wade, though!)

First ship: Uhh, not sure I ever really had a ship I cared enough about to focus on.

Last song: I dunno, something on the 60s channel on Sirius XM

Last movie: The Barbie movie, which I liked a lot more than I was expecting to!

Currently reading: Gah, I haven't really been in a reading mood for a while. I go through phases. I think it was the latest chapter of @stillafanofsonic 's fic

Currently watching: Gonna watch the next ep of Lower Decks tonight and will probably hold off on the next ep of Loki for tomorrow.

Currently consuming: Nothing - there's too much candy in the house and I'm trying so hard to be good!

Currently craving: Oatmeal creme pie. Currently have those in the house too, so that craving may become reality soon.

Toldja it'd be boring.

Just gonna throw out some names, and if you wanna, great, if not, that's great too!

@quazart @wingsofthesun @sayurime @nights-nonsensical-ramblings @aphantimes

Whatevs, though. No pressure!