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#this fic includes one of my favorite lines I've ever written
bamsara · 6 months
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A03 Questions Tag Game
I got tagged by: @kagedbird I tag: @onethirdofimpossible, @coffincrows, (first two that come to mind) and anyone else who wants to do the game
1 – How many works do you have on AO3?
At the time of writing this post, currently 30 fics. (Not including any fics or written works that are not posted to AO3)
2 – What's your total AO3 word count?
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1,066,633
3 – What fandoms do you write for?
Formerly: Don't Starve, FNAF, Dragons Dogma, Invader Zim
Currently: Cult of the Lamb
4 – What are your top five fics by kudos?
Solar Lunacy, Celestial Omens, Bytes of Lunacy, The Rehabilitation of Death, Saturday Insomnia
5 – Do you respond to comments?
I try to but I also get very nervous responding because I often don't know what to say back and I feel like it's almost rude or disrespectful to respond to a comment, esp the very nice ones that are long and in-deph with just a keysmash or a bunch of emojis, but I do read every single one since I have email notifications on for them
I'd like to sit down and respond to many but I really don't want to make it awkward so pls dear god readers forgive me
6 – What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
I don't like unhappy endings. I enjoy angsty stories but I like when it's at least ending happy to me
7 – What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
Not posted? Solar Lunacy
Ongoing? TROD
8 – Do you get hate on fics?
Not really? Most adults (in my experience) know the 'don't like don't read' rule and know basic online etiquette. I've gotten some for discontinuing a fic or switching fandoms though
9 – Do you write smut? If so, what kind?
I don't write or draw NSFW! I like to make some suggestive themes sometimes, but I'm a very ace person, it's not something I do often. (I do have a current running goal that if my friend reaches their donation goal for their medical bills that I would give NSFW a shot, but again its not really my cup of tea)
10 – Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?
Nah I haven't written any cross overs, but I do draw them sometimes. Recently I've been spinning a Alice in Wonderland x COTL crossover in my head.
11 – Have you ever had a fic stolen?
Yep. I've had people copy and paste my work, go in with a thesaurus to change a few words (like changing 'angry' to mad, 'upset' to 'sad', and so forth) to try and avoid detection and re-posted my written work under a different title name. AO3 staff took them down for violating their policy against plagiarism though
12 – Have you ever had a fic translated?
No. I wouldn't mind it so as long as I'm asked before hand, though not on anon so I can actually work with the person to prevent any mistranslations or mishandling, and that I don't want my work posted to other websites
13 – Have you ever co-written a fic?
I think I did when I was a teen but I cannot remember now
14 – What's your all-time favorite ship?
Eh I don't have any favorites, just ones I really focus on for a long while
15 – What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?
Pass.
16 – What are your writing strengths?
I can sit down for hours or several days and work on a writing wip completely in the zone. I cant do it on command but its at least something I can do
17 – What are your writing weaknesses?
Spelling and grammar, and sometimes long running sentences. I just kinda write, theres not really a goal for it to be perfect though so as long as the story gist and vibe is right, im fine with it
18 – Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?
I've done it before but only minor, had a friend help me with it (one or two lines of dialogue) Aside from that, I'm not comfortably fluent enough in anything to do it again without assistance
19 – First fandom you wrote for?
Soul Eater, when I was wayyy too young to be posting anything on the internet. My fanfics I wrote are still on fanfic.net to this day
20 – Favorite fic you've written?
It's inbetween TROD and EE&E right now
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stationintern · 7 months
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Hello there!
I spent Valentine's Day ruining patrons' nights at my restaurant by telling them our computers were down, but what can you do, you know? Other than that, February was a good time. I was able to read a lot more, and prepare a more in depth list for you, even if it's short.
Hope you enjoy!
Bridges by @cavendishbutterfly E, 16.1k
Reading this felt like getting a personal tour of Budapest. The reverence the author has for the location shines through and gives you a lovely look at a new location. I find Harry exploring his sexuality abroad especially interesting- as if being somewhere else allows him a sort of freedom he wouldn't find at home. There's an appreciation for beer in this fic that I appreciate, since beer is one of life's greatest treasures. I especially loved Cho Chang being a main character in this fic. I love seeing her being utilized in such a fun way when she was done so dirty by she who shall not be named.
Thickets by @wolfpants E, 17k
There are some insane lines in this (very positive), along with some very fun portrait dialogue. Gut-wrenching and extremely intimate. Some scenes can leave you feeling like you're intruding on a very personal moment as a reader. I love a Harry Potter who's a bit obsessed with Draco. ALSO, this fic contains one of the hottest wet dreams I've ever read. Do with that what you will.
Polar Night/Midnight Sun by toomuchplor E, 54.3k
Harry is very horny. Like, at times, this fic is so sexually charged it's almost unbearable. In a very good way. The clothing descriptions make me want to touch those mittens and hats so bad. I know they'd be soft and so fucking squishy. A few things this fic includes: one bed, a lack of magic, for a while, that is perfectly reasonable, and Harry's thing for Draco's teeth (they're like a military cemetery, if you even care.) Also, the sexual allure of someone struggling to get into an attic (I get it,) and Draco's daddy issues (typical but welcomed.) Diagnosis: Extensive therapy. For everyone. Even the dog. ALSO, these boys have STAMINA.
Recursion by @tessacrowley E, 132.5k
As I said in a previous post, "Sometimes you just have to zap Draco Malfoy into the past and let him live for years as the wizard Young Sheldon." This fic will give you WHIPLASH, but it won't be nearly as bad as Draco's. This boy(man?) goes through it. Absolutely engrossing. I couldn't stop reading until I was finished. I love a good canon rewrite, and @tessacrowley has now written my two favorite fics in that genre. Their characterization of Draco is always spot-on in whatever context they put him in. Show-stopping, fantastic, wonderful.
See you next month! XX, Moon.
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mrsjoeythehurler · 1 month
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When I Met You
(OC FMC x Liam Mairi)
I’ve decided to write a fic about an OC and Liam Mairi from Fourth Wing. It’s going to follow the events of the first book and I’m so excited to share it with you. This is my first fic I’ve ever written so keep that in mind while reading :)
I hope you enjoy it!
All characters except for Aurora Sallow who is my OC and the FMC of this fic belong to Rebecca Yarros. The plot of Fourth Wing also belongs to Rebecca Yarros.
Content Warnings: most of the warnings that are for Fourth Wing are also going to be for this fic. That includes: Blood, death, injury, violence and war. The only content warning I am adding is panic attacks (2).
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✧・゚: *✧・゚ Aurora Sallow ✧・゚: *✧・゚
It's Conscription Day—a day I'm not particularly happy to take part in, but I don't have a choice.
I was always meant to become a Scribe. I was always meant to look at books all day and spend my time transcribing them. It's what I've been studying for since I could remember.
That all changed when my parents sat me down two days ago to tell me I was required to become a Rider. My whole world was flipped upside down, my entire future ripped away from me in one 20-minute conversation.
The Riders' Quadrant is apparently in need of more Riders. I heard it's because most dragons are uninterested in bonding with humans, and I'm one of the unlucky ones who's been chosen to try and change that.
Looking around me, I see guards mounted on either side of the entrance and walking about. I see people hugging and conversing with their loved ones and the occasional person silently praying, most likely to any gods who will listen to ensure their safety. They're probably going towards the same destination as me.
Sighing, I look down and make sure my outfit is in order before fixing my hair. I tried to dress appropriately for the Riders' Quadrant—well, as appropriately as my closet back home had to offer. I'm wearing a gray long-sleeved shirt and corset, black pants that are a bit too tight for my liking, and my favorite pair of black platform boots. I'm just about to look through my bag to double-check that I have everything when I hear a familiar voice.
It's Violet Sorrengail. We've been classmates for a really long time. She's always been really kind and someone I consider a friend. Like me, Violet always wanted to become a Scribe; we would always talk about our hopes for the future and look forward to reading books all day.
What is she doing in this line?
She's talking to her sister Mira, so I don't want to interrupt, but I want to know why she's not with the Scribes anymore. She was always among the most intelligent people in our class, if not the smartest. She was going to be the best Scribe the Quadrant ever had. I don't see her wanting to give that up, especially considering it was her dream.
The line continues to move slowly, and when there's only one person ahead of me, I start to really feel the anxiety. I don't know how I'm going to do this. I didn't know two days ago, and I sure as hell don't know now. Who knows if I'll even pass the Parapet? I could be slowly walking towards my death right now. Maybe I should have talked to my parents more and tried to convince them that I can't do this and that anyone else out there is a better fit for this than I am. But I hate disappointing people. My parents don't even know that my panic attacks are back. They were so happy and relieved that I was doing better over the last year, but it all fell apart.
"Next!" Someone calls from ahead of the line.
It's a rider, a marked rider. Along with Captain Fitzgibbons, who’s a Scribe. "Aurora Sallow? First Violet Sorrengail, and now you?"
I give him a small smile. "I'm sorry, sir."
He nods. "It will be sad to see you go. Your future as a Scribe looked so bright."
I want to cry. Instead, I keep my small smile in place and try my best to keep my voice level. "Thank you."
As I go through the entrance, I climb the hundreds of stairs.
After what feels like 100 hours, I'm at the top of the turret, and it's raining. The turret is all stone, formed in a circular platform. The river below shines, with the sun glinting off the surface. Darkness runs through it that rivals the deep sea. I shouldn't have looked down.
Straight ahead lies the Parapet. It's a very slim bridge made of stone with nothing on either side to hold onto. It's a test to see how well you would manage while riding a dragon.
I'm screwed.
There are three riders at the entrance, but only one catches my eye—a mountain of a man with black hair and warm, tawny skin. He turns my way, and I can see the scar running through his left eyebrow, and that's when I know who it is. Xaden Riorson.
Xaden is the son of the Great Betrayer, Fen Riorson, who led the Rebellion. All of the children of the rebels were forced to join the Riders' Quadrant in response to their parents' decisions. I bet they hoped Xaden would get killed, but they were wrong. He's a third-year Wingleader now.
And he's also kind of scary.
Once he sees me staring at him, he narrows his eyes. I'm not sure if it's with recognition or disgust.
Then, I decide to wave at him like an idiot.
He turns back to talk to the Rider beside him, pretending I don't exist.
Yeah, I'm so screwed.
"Next!" Another Rider calls, and I step forward.
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purplepixel · 6 months
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Hi I saw in your pinned post that you've read over 1,000 TMNT fics. Do you have a few really good ones you would recommend?
(don't feel any pressure to respond if you don't want to)
Oh boy this is...quite an ask. Especially bc fanfic recs are so personal? What I think is a good fic will be vastly different from other people. I have a really high angst tolerance, so please double check tags with these. Also keep in mind that I mainly read donnie-centric fics.
Here are my personal favorites! My hand slipped and I have more than just a few to recommend...what can I say there are so many good fics.
CRACK BUT READS LIKE CANON
Back To School by Em_H | 10,965 [FINISHED]
Donnie enrolls in April’s school and tries to juggle his packed schedule. A shrek play is included. Do I need to say more?
☆ In Volvunt: a RotTMNT Fanfiction ☆ by kittylittersmoothie | 27,082 [FINISHED]
In which the rest of the bros continuously try and fail to rick roll donnie. A war is started, alliances are made, betrayals occur, this is a hilarious feel good fic. It’s very in line with the show tonal wise and the dialogue is very rise
Mikey's Jam-Packed, Guaranteed to Get Donnie's Memory Back, Friendship Tour! By Eyse | 92,972 [ON-GOING]
Donnie wakes up with no memory of anyone including himself. Que his brothers trying to find ways to get his memory back. Has some of the most wacky adventures and scenarios I’ve ever encountered in a rise fic. Feels like you’re reading the actual show
YOU WILL BE EMOTIONALLY DESTROYED
Quiet Your Mind by daedelweiss | 18,081 [FINISHED]
Fusion Au with the disaster twins set in the bad future timeline. I don’t cry. This one made me cry. Bittersweet ending.
Telepathy (of a Twin Variety) by vosian_nightmare | 24,423 [FINISHED] 
My personal favorite twin telepathy fic. Character study on the disaster twins.
Something Borrowed, Something Blue by Cass_Phoenix | 31,963 [FINISHED]
A Donnie from an alternate reality kidnaps Leo. Or is he bringing him home? This one will fuck with your mind. One of my bookmark notes is “Reality existentialism” 
Firefight by remrose | 94,480 [ON-GOING]
What if donnie gets trapped in the prison dimension with leo? I’m usually not a fan of changing plot points in the rise movie or suicidal leo, but this fic is the exception. It is VERY well written and has some of the best exchanges between the disaster twins. You WILL be scared for the characters and your heart WILL be crushed. Proud to say I was here for this fic since chapter 1 bc that NEVER happens with me
THE CROSSOVERS
Familiar Places, Foreign Faces by Petra4President | 36,434 [ON-GOING]
Rise/2012 Crossover Fic. The Rise Donnie & 2012 Raph fic I didn’t ask for (I read this before watching 2012) but didn’t realize I NEEDED. Donnie gets sent to the 2012 universe and must find a way home. 
A Tale of Spirits by unorthodoxx | 168,344 [ON-GOING]
Rise/Avatar the Last Airbender AU. This one is pretty popular so I won't say anything else except its really good.
I WOULD BOOK BIND THESE
All I have to say about these fics is that they’re REALLY good and BOOK WORTHY
Monsters Among Us by DanzinoraSwitch | 86,136 [FINISHED]
Violet Hues and Holy Blue by SibillaScribbles08 | 115,752 [FINISHED]
I May Be Invisible, but I Still Look Good by Dandy | 124,862 [FINISHED]
MY PERSONAL COMFORT FICS
Things will never be the same (but that's okay) by Petra4President | 14,493 [FINISHED]
Post movie aftermath fic that focuses on the changes created by the events of the movie. Idk what specifically has me rereading this occasionally, but its really well written and a little different than most aftermath fics I've read.
Corrupted Upgrade by Dandy | 25,898 [FINISHED]
Donnie Villain AU with a twist. He really gives off megamind vibes. DO NOT BE FOOLED. THERE’S A REASON EVERYONE IS OUT OF CHARACTER IN THE BEGINNING. I almost slept on this fic and it became one of my favorites. It’s the type of fic that I can read over and over and over.
Turning Purple by Lizardstuff | 48,123 [ON-GOING]
Donnie slowly gets more and more sick post rise movie and the rest of the characters must find out what’s wrong and find a cure. THIS ONE’S FOR YOU, MEDICAL NERDS. Author has done research and any inaccuracies have gone over this EMT’s head. I reread this one every chapter update and every time I’m haunted by “the blueberry french toast paragraph” No I will not explain further, go read it.
MY TOP FIC RECOMMENDATION
Spider's Web with Strings Attached by CurlySwirly | 125,661 [ON-GOING]
Donnie and Leo get kidnapped and are forced to fight in the battle nexus. This is my pick for the most well written fanfic and most in canon characterization with ALL the characters. You will HEAR the characters not just through the dialogue but also through the writing itself. As the reader, you will be beaten down and have your heart crushed mercilessly which makes the pay off the most rewarding, satisfying experience that I've personally ever felt with a fanfic. This fic lives in my head rent free and I think about it at least once a day. It is my all time favorite rise fic and I highly recommend it.
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erithel · 1 month
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I'm surprised you don't include Klance moments in that "fav moments" ask. 😆
Okay, first of all, thanks so much for your blog. Because of you, I start shipping Klance (and I love them). So....
- When did you start shipping Klance (what moment that made you ship them)?
- Can I ask your top favorite fics that you've written (feel free how much that you want to list)? Why they're special to you? Is there a specific inspiration when you wrote them?
- What are your top 5 fav Klance fics ever?
Sorry if you already answered the above questions before (newbie Klance shipper here, just starting last year).
That's fair lol
I'd say I picked my favorite moments based on ones that were truly satisfying, and while I thoroughly enjoyed many klance moments, since they never really paid off, they always left me a bit unsatisfied, so that's why I left them off the list.
To answer your questions:
I think I started shipping klance through stumbling across fanart before even watching the show. There was so much out there when I found it, and it all looked really interesting, and I realized "I want to know more about these two." So I kiiiindof went into the show with a super low-key ship. But if I could pinpoint it, it was probably the "I cradled you in my arms" line that made me go "oh I'm gonna be looking forward to all of their interactions from now on to see where this goes."
I had to check my ao3 to see if I'd even written 5 fics (I have). #1: "Broken Things" This one is special to me for the same reason I was inspired to write it: It was a very tough subject that I was so tired of seeing handled poorly in media. It became even more special when I started receiving comments from people who let me know they had been through similar things and they felt I handled the subject well. #2: "Gone" (a comic, but it still counts) I'm still counting this one even though the experience of posting it turned out to be one that almost made me want to quit before completing the comic. This was also a subject that I had seen handled very poorly, and I wrote it at a time when I had a new understanding of grief, and what it can do to a person. It was very important to me that Lance's side of things was taken seriously, and understood, and unfortunately it really wasn't. But that's kindof why I want to write stories in the first place - to get those thoughts out into the world so they might exist in someone's subconscious, even if they are not fully realized at the time. #3: "Stand Here on the Edge With Me" I started writing this because Chasing Stars was becoming too dark for me to write. I usually stick with angst and love it, but I was writing a really angsty scene where Keith was pining super hard while having their conversation on the lion at sunset and I just thought "wait a minute. What if he's totally fine for once?" and then this fic just kindof materialized. It also has one of my favorite last lines I've written, so that's something to look forward to. ;) #4: "Chasing Stars and Memories" I've always liked stories about traveling to different worlds, and the idea of Klance meeting themselves was always a fun idea to think about. But then I realized that I had never read a fic where only one of them was gender-swapped, and that made it so much more interesting for me, because the angst options just exploded with that one little change. This one's special to me because again, it deals with heavy themes and large emotions and I just adore writing those, and I hope I do them justice and convey the gravity of them. #5: "What If You're Someone I Just Want Around?" I'd always wanted to write a 5-and-1 fic, and I actually wrote this entire one around the third part ("Scared"). It was still pretty early on that I wrote that and I felt like I basically nailed Keith's and Lance's "voices" in that one based on their actual canon selves, so that was a nice little accomplishment at the time!
Basically, my inspiration comes from a lot of emotions, and also because there are specific subjects we see in movies/TV/books that I feel could be handled way better.
I've probably answered the top 5 fics before tbh. I don't know if I have a top 5, but here are 5 I love:
There Nestled Against His Pulse
You're Always Welcome Here
New
In This Moment, You Mean Everything
Terminal Velocity
(Some of these contain NSFW content btw)
There are, of course, many other fics I love, and as always I will recommend anything written by Iybms, Wittyy_Name, or Autumn_Ignited. Sadly, I haven't had the chance to read anything super recently, as I've been trying to read more published books (for pitching reasons), and have been a little disappointed so far unfortunately.
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kasienda · 9 months
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Fanfiction Year in Review 2023
I fill this out every year. It’s become a bit of a tradition for me. Allows me to reflect on everything that I’ve written and kinda think about where I want to go next. And I like it better from the ask games because I don’t have to wait for asks to come in and can compare my answers from one year to the next. ^_^
1 List of fics completed this year in the order they were finished:
Displaced (Ladrien oneshot)
No Regrets (Ladynoir oneshot - smut)
You Don’t Have To Pretend With Me (Platonic Adrino oneshot)
Representation Reveal (S5 Adrinette oneshot)
Kisses in the Rain (S5 AU Love Square - technically multichapter, but it’s shorter than many of my one-shots)
Would Trust You With Everything (Adrino multichapter)
Just An Ordinary Girl (Marichat oneshot)
Love Remains (Ladynoir multichapter)
Spin the Bottle (OT4 with cour four - technically oneshot, but it’s longer than Kisses and has more kisses in it. Haha!)
2 Number of words written: 
Written: 166,114 words
Published: 151,018 words (more than twice 2022’s number!! Go me!!) 
Those numbers are incredibly close together because I haven’t been redrafting as much. Those numbers include six one shots, three completed multi chapters. And another four multi chapter WIPs saw at least one update.
And in another fun milestone! I broke a million words published on Ao3 just this last week!! (I've been writing fic since 2003 and everything I've ever written is on Ao3!)
3 Your most popular fic:
Not Part of the Plan - I suspect that this is mostly because being a teen pregnancy fic, it’s my most tropiest story this year. Haha! 
4 Your personal fav:
Aftermath - This story has usurped Right Behind You as my favorite. I’ve been able to connect to the raw hurt and grief in this story, and there’s something very raw and human about it that others seem to be able to connect to as well. I think it’s some of my best work, and that is also thanks to an amazing beta in @ladyofthenoodle who has lent her expertise in more than one way in making this one more true to lived experience. 
5 Your fav scene:
It’s so hard to pick a favorite!! I narrowed it down to my three favorites in no particular order. 
The last scene in Ch 5 Love Remains - Chat Noir give amnesiac Ladybug a geography lesson from space. It’s got Whole New World vibes, and I just loved the imagery of it.
Ch 4 of Aftermath - I’m particularly proud of Marinette’s panic attack when Adrien tells her she doesn’t have to keep coming over. Like it feels like it comes out of nowhere, but it just totally makes sense. And how it manifests and how she soothes herself (it’s not healthy, but it’s so GOOD!)
Ch 7 of Would Trust You With Everything - The scene where Chat Noir tries to tell Nino who he is, but inevitably doesn’t. And how Nino reassures him through all that. This scene feels so raw, but so heartwarming in light of Adrien’s fears. And I don’t know - it’s beautiful to me.
6 A fic or scene that challenged you:
I really struggled with Right Behind You this year, though it wasn’t for lack of trying! I had started out the year hoping to go back to an update a month here and I only updated it three times throughout 2023. 
This was incredibly frustrating because the initial drafts of scenes would come pretty easily, but I couldn’t seem to make them pop the way the earlier chapters did. The good news is I think I figured out what the issue was. Most of my writing this year has been speed writing. And a big part of that is just where I’ve been emotionally. I’m very very out of practice in editing and redrafting, which this story and Aftermath both definitely need. 
I’ve only been able to edit Aftermath because I’ve had a ton of help. (Thanks Noodles!) Sadly, it’s harder to find betas for rarepairs, but I have succeeded! (Thanks@coffeebanana!)
7 A line of writing you’re proud of: 
“She wanted to be there to see it. To see him.”
This line is way better in context, but I’ve made myself cry about three times with it. And I refuse to explain it because that would give its power away. Guess you’ll just have to go read Aftermath. 
8 A comment that touched you: 
I can never answer this question without mentioning several!! 
Would Trust You With Everything - this story had a ton of enthusiastic followers - way more than rarepair work usually gets, and I wrote this story right after my life fell apart and all the commenters here made throwing this story together just that much more joyful during a time when I REALLY needed it. (I'm looking at you, @bittersweetresilience, @bbutterflies @flightfoot @coffeebanana and so many others that I don't know your tumblr name!!!) Not Part of the Plan Comments - I added sex ed lessons to the end of each chapter here because there’s so much about fertility and pregnancy that people don’t know if typical pregnancy fics are anything to go by, and this seemed to inspire so many people to share their pregnancy stories!!! And these have been so cool because I’ve learned that these stories just don’t often have an opportunity to be shared. And it’s neat that this story with its accompanying lessons could create a space for that!! Aftermath comments - lots of people who have really struggled with moderate to severe depression have apparently felt very seen by this fic. And that a story that is essentially about two characters who feel very alone and like no one can understand can help people feel LESS alone and MORE understood is simply amazing!! I love this story so much!! AHH!! Here's one from @neurovascular-entrapta that meant a lot to me.
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9 Something that inspired your writing:
Grief and the need to feel things in a distant abstract-these-are-story-book-characters kind of way so I don’t have to feel my actual feelings as closely every moment of the day really kept me writing the whole year long.
10 Your proudest accomplishment (that one scene; finally finishing that one fic; posting your first fic; etc):
My writing has been really raw and messy this year, and I can’t keep tenses straight to save my life. But there’s something powerful about the rawness that I really like even as all the grammatical errors and the lack of effort on the technical side of most of my stories has driven me nuts. 
I am proud of myself for being able to get back into the big projects in these last few months after not being able to face them from April to October. And I’ve started participating in a few writing events here and there again in addition to working on my own pet projects. 
11 Do you have any writing goals for the next year?
Well, I wanted to finish Not Part of the Plan in 2023, which didn’t happen only barely! So hoping the last chapter and the epilogue make it out within the next month. Once that’s done I think I want to try and make Aftermath and Right Behind You my primary focus projects this year. And of course, I’m sure new plot bunnies and writing events will take over my brain on occasion. Last year, I said I wanted my writing to become a reliable mental health tool for me again, and I’m glad to say that it definitely was that for 2023. I hope I’m able to use my writing this year to continue my healing journey. 
And maybe go and proofread all of the fics I finished in 2023 to fix all the inconsistent tense issues to prepare them for being bound eventually!
12 Anyone you would like to thank?
SO MANY PEOPLE!
@jennagrinsoverml for being one of my oldest fandom friends! For becoming a real life friend for all that we haven't actually met in person. For all the times you vented to me and listened and sent me pictures of your family and gushed over pictures of mine. I'm lucky to know you!
@ladyofthenoodle - for showing up in my DMs, For being a most insightful beta, for dragging me into a larger community over and over again, for listening to both my real struggles and my first world problems, for being my friend!!
@thelibraryloser - I don't know how to put this into words. But I very much look up to you. For your resilience through difficult times - you are role-model for how to handle this world with grace and kindness. Thank you for your stories!
@coffeebanana - for being so enthusiastic in the creation process before and after! When I have a story that is getting no attention one comment from you makes it so it doesn't matter. You give me all I need.
@bittersweetresilience and @wackus-bonkus-maximus for just being so kind and enthusiastic and supportive of any idea I happen to be talking about in any given moment. I guess for enabling me. Haha!
@blur0se and @mila-beedoodling for sharing your ideas and inspiring me to create new things!!
@asukiess, @chocoluckchipz, @sariahsue, @miabrown007 for creating so many beautiful things and for being kind and engaging in so many conversations!
And now, I'm really nervous that I'm forgetting someone because this is the first time where I feel like I've had more than three fandom friends. Haha! It's a good problem to have I suppose. In general, thank you to the miraculous community for helping me to survive this year. <3 <3 <3
Happy New Year Everyone!!
I invite anyone who wants to, to fill this out! (Or something similar because I think it can be modified for artwork pretty easily). But if you do, please tag me, so I can be a cheerleader for all you've accomplished this year!
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cutestkilla · 3 months
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Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers (except me because obvs I have done it). Spread the self-love ❤
Thank you so much for this ask (and @bookish-bogwitch and @aristocratic-otter too). You're all amazing and your self-recs are too - I cosign them all!
So: this is the first time I've gotten one of these where I actually HAVE 5+ fics (of my own) to choose from 😂 so you know what, even though it's a *somewhat* trivial process, I'm gonna DO THE THING and come up with a Top 5.
1. What's Left (133K, M)
My first fic, and still my favourite. Probably because conceptually, I don't think I'll ever come up with something this cool or interesting again. And also because I got to spend so many words with my version of the Humdrum (who many of you know as Sid), expanding on what we know of him from canon and all the ways he intersects with Simon, and I kind of just love him alot. This is definitely the plottiest thing I've ever written, with lots of twists and turns and what I think is a sort of an arc you can't predict from the start (pioneering the Baz/Humdrum tag!!), and that made it really fun to write, and I hope fun to read too. Also, this is the most painful thing I've written (it starts with Simon dead, folks), which if you know me at all, explains why it would be my favourite. 😂
2. Hiding Out in the Open (48K, M - WIP 5/7 chapters)
This takes the #2 spot for sure because: a) it's also got a decent amount of pain courtesy of an alt-WS divergence setting and b) it's also kinda high concept. And c) I'm writing it as a very drawn out birthday gift for my beloved @artsyunderstudy in honour of what is now OUR beloved psychology podcast of choice, Hidden Brain. My favourite thing about this one is the way I've worked all these real concepts in psychology (and real episodes of Hidden Brain) into the narrative in a way that I think feels organic and true to the characters. It's been a challenging puzzle to solve, but man have I learned some cool things along the way. This one IS a WIP, but I'm going full steam ahead on it, and even though the story is NOT over, ch 5 ends in a decently satisfying place.
3. Slamming and Smashing (18K, E)
My first (and only) E-rated fic! I'm more of a soft smut writer, but I had so much fun writing this one as a gift for @ic3-que3n based on prompts that included: NSFW, Simon slamming Baz into a wall (as referenced in Snow for Christmas), a very specific line from Bram Stoker's Dracula about wild rose, AND an Anastasia AU. This one is pretty low on pain/angst and high on post-canon fluff, but I did still give Baz a *bit* of a breakdown in it 😂. I'm proud of this one because I think it's hot and also because I managed to hit ALL those prompts in one smutty fic, and tell what I think is a pretty relatable story about how hard communicating can be in relationships.
4. Episode 5: The Tardigrade and His Boy (25K, T)
Another gift fic, this time for @raenestee! This was not only an amazingly fun collaboration with @facewithoutheart @aristocratic-otter @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @thewholelemon
@mostlymaudlin and @artsyunderstudy, but I found a way to have the Humdrum front and centre again which makes me so happy. I also cut my teeth writing Shep and Agatha POVs for the first time in this one, which was very fun. And I managed to write one of my most favourite types of fics: one that is both an AU and also secretly canon-compliant. This is my only true AU and I think it's a really fun romp (just like the rest of the series which I highly recommend).
5. This Is Your Place (18K, M)
This one was for Prompt Fest 2022 (a fest to celebrate the anniversary of @carryonprompts where - reminder - you can submit your Carry On fic prompt ideas and maybe someone will write them) and filled this prompt by @bookish-bogwitch:
"@ionlydrinkhotwater wrote this meta: "Omg Simon is such a ho, in retaliation for Baz pulling the open sesame move, he dashes to their room, showers, shaves (nicking his skin so he's a little bit bloody and therefore yummy) and "accidentally" comes out in just pajama bottoms with his tits full out, without the necklace." ... And I want to read a fic where Baz fuckin' Takes. The. BAIT."
What I think I did well in this one is building up both the tension and the empathy between Simon and Baz in a way that makes the payoff feel earned, even though the story only takes place over the course of a few hours, the day Baz gets back to Watford after the numpties. I also really love my Baz inner monologue in this, and that Simon gets to be a little bit smooth, too.
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svltzmans · 10 months
Text
begin again - h.m.
a/n: hi! this is the first angsty fic i've written so i'm very open to suggestions and thoughts lmao, even though everything i write is fluffy at the end bc i can't help myself
warnings: this is kinda sad but it gets better at the end i promise! exes to lovers, maybe a throwaway line about sex or two, as always i wrote this but didn't edit it 😁
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y/n sits in her favorite coffee shop, nursing her mug delicately between her fingers.
the air outside was frigid, with each person walking on the sidewalk bundled up in warm jackets.
y/n had taken a liking to spending time alone in the café, enjoying a cappuccino or two and reading a novel.
something about the gentle hustle and bustle of the shop around her made her feel less alone, yet she felt like she could enjoy her solitude.
her reading glasses are resting on the bridge of her nose, her eyes following the lines of the pages at a quick pace.
y/n finds herself getting engrossed in stories quite often, including finishing an entire book in an hour or two.
realizing that she had finished her coffee in her trance, she brings the mug to the counter for a refill.
just as she starts her conversation with the barista, the door chimes as it opens.
an auburn haired woman walks in, her wavy locks resting effortlessly on her back and shoulders. her cheeks are a shade of pink, clearly from the chill outside. she seems confused, looking around the café like a lost child.
it's when she locks eyes with y/n that she finds what she's looking for.
y/n recognizes the woman as none other than hope mikaelson, her ex-girlfriend.
a shiver runs down her spine when she sees hope approaching.
she thinks it's a sign to walk away, but she doesn't.
she can't.
"hi," hope nearly whispers, her voice shy.
"what are you doing here?" y/n responds, a slight venom coming from every word.
hope doesn't know what to say. her mind scrambles looking for an answer.
"i, uh, coffee," she stutters, hoping that y/n would believe her.
hope knew that this was y/n's favorite café. y/n was fully aware of that.
and hope hated coffee.
nonetheless, y/n decides to just let it go.
"okay," she simply responds, taking her now full mug and sitting back at her table.
hope follows, preparing to sit. she waits for an objection from the girl across from her.
when she doesn't get one, she finally sits.
it's immediately awkward, a tension looming between hope and y/n.
"what's new?" hope asks, trying to break the ice.
y/n looks at hope with disapproval, then diverts her eyes to the ground.
"y/n, can you hear me out? please? i came to... to talk to you."
y/n keeps her head down, tapping her foot on the ground.
"i know i hurt you-" hope starts, before being interrupted by y/n.
"you broke my heart. you didn't 'hurt' me. it was much more than that to me."
hope sighs, briefly resting her head in her hands. guilt washes over her all over again, a feeling that had become familiar since her breakup with y/n.
"i gave you my all. my devotion, my support, my body, everything," y/n continues, growing slightly emotional. she speaks softly as to not disturb the peace of the shop, but the way she speaks makes her sound like she's yelling.
"and you just, ended it. and never explained it to me."
hope looks at y/n, tears welling in her eyes.
"that's why i'm here. i just, i can't stop thinking about it."
y/n takes a deep breath, looking back at her now seemingly exasperated ex.
"i just, i had never felt so strongly before. i was scared."
"scared?" y/n repeats, confusion evident in her tone.
"of the way i felt. it was all new to me. i don't think i had ever been in love before i met you, y/n."
y/n stops herself from softening at hope's words, keeping a blank expression as she explains herself.
"so you broke up with me because you... loved me?"
hope sighs, running a hand through her hair.
"it's more than that, y/n," she responds, defeat in her voice.
"i've been... hurt before. by people i thought i loved. people i thought loved me. i knew that couldn't happen with you. i guess i just... felt like i had to protect myself."
y/n feels her heart break at hope's words, remembering the pain her ex had endured.
"i understand," y/n responds, a single tear running down the side of her face. "it just... it was really hurtful."
"the way i handled it is my biggest regret," hope admits, twiddling her fingers in her lap. "you deserve better, y/n."
y/n focuses on her ex's face. she is truly beautiful, effortlessly looking angelic sitting across from her.
"i want to be the one to give you better," hope continues. "please give me another chance, y/n. i have never wanted something so badly in my life."
y/n can't help but smirk at hope, feeling flattered by her dedication.
"one date. and we'll see what happens from there," y/n responds, seeing the relief on hope's face. "i'm trusting you, mikaelson. i always have."
y/n stands up from the table, returning her mug to the counter and heading for the exit.
hope remains at the table, smiling to herself. she pulls out a small notebook from her pocket, titling the newest page "date ideas."
hope mikaelson knows she loves y/n y/l/n. now, she just has to prove it.
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needlesandnilbogs · 2 months
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writer asks! 13, 36, 81
ask game in question
13. talk about a writing experience that has pleasantly surprised you.
uhh... I have too much of a Complicated relationship with mirrorverse to totally call it pleasant, but it's nice that I've managed to stick with it and I'm still happy to write it most of the time, that should count?
really, a better answer might be the recent fic I published about mb going to the equivalent of the state fair, which popped mostly formed into my head, complete with both format and several lines already written, so it didn't feel like I was ever stuck on it! I liked that a lot lol
36. do you base your characters of real people or not? If so, tell us about one.
Sort of. I steal bits of outfits and personality from people I know for canon characters, but really the one-off OCs are more of real people. Two examples come to mind obviously: high school au mensah, who is very much my school's stage manager during my jr year, a senior who was like the epitome of coolness to me that year and remained enough of an inspiration to be a big part of HSAU Mensah, and Arden fairoak, a character I made up for a one-off mirrorverse thing who is now. not a one-off character. and also is very much based off my high school best friend.
the rest of the mirrorverse one-off OCs, excluding Arden's family who are all except for Bharadwaj named for local libraries, are named and loosely personality based off of historical figures or fictional characters, including: Caroline Bingley and Emma Woodhouse from Jane Austen books, Nikita Gill, Vikram Seth, Fabiola Cabeza de Baca Gilbert...
81. if you could go back in time and give your younger self a piece of writing advice specific to you, what would it be?
Okay, there's two answers to this. both apply to my past self in 7th-9th grade
Generically: Stop being embarrassed of your stuff, idiot. (Expanding slightly more on that, you're not going to be seen as stupid for writing fanfic and (tagging @kellumnights and @clustxr because they'll know who and what I mean and laugh) if kellum could literally do That Story and JdS could do Hot Day in Hotwrong about it, you could totally put your stuff in the writers guild magazine and not just rolls and role-players original flavor.)
extremely specifically, re a thing I started then which became my favorite original universe:
Dear Past!Prime!Bardic,
actually write down exploring frontiers, please. I want that stuff now and I want more than I put on paper.
relatedly, you did not need to write the whole boring story to introduce everyone before you wrote the fun chapter. but thank you (genuinely) for the seven paragraphs of auri lore that I needed in eleventh grade when I restarted it
you did not need to feel so embarrassed about Plory and Ara having A Thing. it was what you needed to write at the time.
stop naming characters after your irl cousins bc eventually they find it and mock you
don't name the main character after yourself. they might be a self insert but you'll make it ten times harder to share it when you're my age because then you have to check every snip and make sure you renamed [name] to Ampara every freaking place.
seriously. names. Ampara, not [name]. Danessa is good, keep that. Savfira is gonna become stupidly hard to get spellcheck to understand but it's fine. Zynnia's great. dump Ariya and find a better R name that still lets you use Rya as a nickname. Ladira, not Lady. also by the way you add a seventh house later.
love,
present!prime!Bardic (PS we change our name.)
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suzy-queued · 1 month
Text
DVD Commentary: Out of Nowhere
I got a request from @doshiart for behind-the-scenes commentary from Out of Nowhere. @shamelessdvdcommentary
Give us some stats - (when you wrote it, word count, how long it took to finish, is it a one-shot/multi-chapter, etc) 86,511 words, 15-chapters. I wrote it between November 2022 - January 2024.
What was the initial inspiration for your story? I love murder ballads. I love graphic novels. So when I saw the book In the Pines at my local library, I snatched it up. This book takes old murder ballads and turns them into short stories, told in graphic format. My favorite one was "Where the Wild Roses Grow," based on the Nick Cave song.
I took some very loose elements from this story: A secluded property, a guy escaping from prison, a person protecting their family's gold. The prisoner wooing the gold protector in order to get close enough to rob them. Doesn't that scream Gallavich?
In the murder ballad there's, well, murder. The prisoner dies by the end. Boy, was I tempted to do that in my story.
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What was your favorite scene to write? In each story, there's a scene that pops in my head early on that I base the whole setup around. It's the one that I'm gleefully waiting to write. For this story, it was the "cleaning guns" scene in chapter 7, when the sexual tension is high and Ian tantalizes Mickey as he works.
How did you come up with the title? My favorite murder ballad of all time is "El Paso" by Marty Robbins. There's a line in that song, "From out of nowhere, Felina has found me."
The placeholder title was "Gallagher Gold."
Are there any little moments or references you hope readers will notice? I made this note early on: "Ian has a high PHYSICAL IQ. Mickey has a high VISUAL IQ." I used that to make character decisions throughout. Ian was good with his body and his posture. He was good at carrying things and balancing things, climbing and shooting. Mickey was obsessive about patterns and puzzles and solving challenges.
Was there anything you struggled to write? If so, how did you overcome this? Chapter 13, oh my god. That's the hardest thing I've ever written. I was dreading it for months. It's a tense culmination of everything the story has been building to: love, betrayal, physical and emotional pain. The land gets torn up, and so does their relationship. I overcame it by taking lots of deep breaths and writing small chunks every day. I made sure that every sentence was exactly what I wanted to convey, without letting the prose take its own (lazier) path.
Favorite line in the story? “I’m not a fucking Viper.”
Did the storyline change in any way as you wrote the story? When I started this story, I was sure that I didn't want to do another long multi-chap fic. I outlined it as a 5-chapter short, maybe 30,000 words. Then the "what if" whispers started happening, and it grew to a full 15-chapter outline. Most of the chapters had very short descriptions. One was just "fun and games on the land." One was just "This wasn’t supposed to happen, Gallagher."
Other possible settings included: an abandoned church with a small cemetery, and old hospital, a forgotten amusement park. I wrote "somewhere old-timey that would have land."
What are you most proud about in the story? (plot, characterization, dialogue, twist/cliffhanger, etc) The art! I had so much fun with it. I based the style off the old Penguin classics, like the Grapes of Wrath cover below. (Where they had the little penguin, I put the double-triangle Viper tattoo). I'm also showing my concept sketch for chapter 1 art.
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Are there any ‘behind the scenes’ info you’d like to share? I hand-wrote the story first, and it filled two notebooks:
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Here are some research shots on the land and the equipment:
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I took this photo while I was working. Welcome to the inside of my brain:
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Reading back the story now, is there anything you’d change or add? I was itching to dramatize more of Ian and Mickey's lives while they were apart. It would have been fun to have 5-6 chapters of them learning to be whole humans again. But ultimately, that wouldn't serve the story. I did a time jump instead.
Are there any ‘easter eggs’ in your story - e.g. references to other stories you’ve written, a trope you often use etc? The story is set in Fox River Grove. This entirely happened because @lalazeewrites introduced me to the town in their comments on Estate of Blood and Trust. So the events of EOBAT and OON are taking place in neighboring towns!
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Did you have a beta or a friend who helped you as you wrote? @mzshko helped me figure out the best way to structure chapters 2 & 3. She was patient enough to read an alternate fully-written version of both chapters and tell me which option worked best.
Anything else you’d like the readers to know about the story? Three months into writing this story, I stopped and did a self-analysis because it wasn't igniting. I wrote, "Could it be that I haven't put enough of myself into it?" So I re-evaluated and dug deeper and made it as personal as I could.
I can't emphasize enough how interwoven details of my own life were in this story. I helped my dad install that big aluminum gate in the woods. I used 5-gallon jugs of water to brush my teeth and sponges to bathe. I washed clothes by hand and cooked on a propane stove. I hauled and stacked logs from fallen trees. I had a love/hate relationship with my family's land and ached to be back in civilization, like Ian. My dad used to tell me bedtime stories about escaped prisoners (Mickey?!) roaming the woods and killing small children.
This story is a love letter to my dad, who was dying the entire time I was writing. He passed away in May of 2024.
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This is open to all writers! Pick your favorite story you’ve written or your most popular or the one you think deserves some more love! Or ask your followers to suggest their favorite fic of yours!
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chaosheadspace · 3 months
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For the writer asks, for Library Boys!
2. How'd you get the idea, what kicked this off?
24. How did you celebrate finishing?
25-27 I would love to hear some favorite lines, details, and lore
28. Write a summary for it but badly
Hi TJ, thank you so much for asking! I apologise beforehand, this is almost 2.5K :)
2. How'd you get the idea, what kicked this off?
Originally, @notallsandmen asked me if I would write another enemies to lovers fic after Ill-advised things. By that time I had written a library sex scene for @staroftheendless's smut prompts (yes, the very one where Hob has Dream against the shelf, at least part of that). And I just couldn't stop developing headcanons about them in this AU, how they'd look, what they'd be like, what their background looks like.
I am very much a pantser, and in the beginning the plot was clear to me up to where Dream loses Orpheus and Hob tries to console him. Everything after that was loose points I was trying to connect. I remember having written most of it up until that point and the last chapter and thinking, "not much left now, I think I can start posting". Lol.
Everything that happens between those two points came to me after that, all of Hob's backstory (I struggled with that, he's been kinda hazy in my head), the very thorough dip into the mental illness theme (the bulletpoint in my brain sounded something like "make Murphy feel better and figure out what it is exactly—and see where it took me, two fights, a sex scene and a whole chapter focused on it), Orpheus's journey. This is precisely why I don't like outlining—I do better without. The pacing might be shot to hell, but tbh I don't care about that very much, I care about having put down all I wanted you to see, all I wanted you to know about these two.
24. How did you celebrate finishing?
By taking a break, by finishing the blanket that came with the fic (lol) and by going "I don't think they're all that happy yet" and writing a bunch for the sequel. I'm also gonna commission some art from my Christmas money this year (don't know who yet, but I've got a few scenes I'd like to see).
25-27 I would love to hear some favorite lines, details, and lore
Biggest fun fact that hasn't found it's way into readers focus (hopefully "yet"), is that Matthew is Jessamy's younger brother. At the very start I had a plan about Hob and Murphy being oblivious about that and them getting into a big fight only for those two getting them back together via shenanigans. But then Murphy demanded therapy, and Orpheus demanded screen time, and Hob begged for backstory, and suddenly it didn't fit anymore, tone wise. I'm hoping to fit more Matthew into the sequel.
Favourite lines is rather…uh… I mean, it's 90K 😬
I loved writing them kiss, every single time.
The opening to chapter five holds a special place in my heart (the description of campus on the day of the summer festival), as does the poor philosophy faculty member that keeps calling the stacks for books (this is really not how it works lol). A lot of what happens in non-Dreamling plot is taken from my personal experience. A lot of it happened to me, or to my coworkers. The library I picture them working at is the library I did my apprenticeship in. (I also detest Gorgonzola.) There really are people every year accidentally ordering a cart full of bound journals because they thought they'd get single issues. I always loved doing those and brining them up personally to see the face of the person that ordered them. Was worth the three quarters of an hour of work before and after every time. What I did not include is the small railway system we had. There were little waggons to put the books into, and they'd bring the books upstairs via rails on the ceiling. It's one of the coolest things I've ever seen in my life.
I loved this part:
He can suddenly see right through the thick layer of animosity like glass, and underneath it is a beaten, bloody, hurt thing."
And this one, because it's my Murphy, condensed into a paragraph, in all his confusion and hurt and love:
It feels good to have someone's attention on him, regardless of the kind. Murphy sometimes thinks he shouldn't encourage Hob's temper like that, should maybe apologise, and on his most lonely, sleepless nights he fantasises guiltily about making amends and asking Hob out. But what would Hob gain from that? Murphy has failed at marriage, the most long-term emotional commitment there is. And there is also Orpheus. Murphy loves him more than anything, but he knows that most single people consider children from previous, failed marriages baggage. It's the last thing Murphy wants for Orpheus, to feel secondary because of a relationship.
I also loved writing Orpheus deciding to go with Calliope, just because of how raw it is, and how true it feels. As a patchwork family kid myself, while not having been in the exact situation, I feel very deeply about all of this, and exploring why someone would let their child go, and why someone would encourage them to go, helped me tremendously.
This part I love because it shows the security that Hob gives Murphy even back when they were on bad terms, and just how wrong Murphy is and how deep his self-deception goes:
He starts to taunt Hob again. It's easy, so easy to fall back into it, almost as if they never stopped. Murphy carefully sharpens his tongue again and tries it out on Hob's thick skin. It feels safe. Neither of them mentions the closet and the hugs and Murphy's tears, and he is grateful. It's not real. This is.
This part is a feeling I have very often about emotionally charged situations bc I'm shit at them (the "oh fuck, the jig is up" feeling):
This is it, he realises, this is going to resolve things one way or another. Suddenly Hob wishes Dream had called in sick for a day longer, or two, or had stopped him two days ago when he'd walked out of his office. He can't stand it. He can't face it, either. But he must.
I'm also very proud of this, because it's the turning point of the whole story and I think I executed it rather well. It's the most revised part of the whole story, and the one that took the longest, writing wise:
"Wait wait wait," Hob interrupts him and all blood leaves his face. "What's this about deserving? Did you—Have you used me to punish yourself because you don't think you deserve basic kindness?!" He is so tense that he feels his muscles might spring out of his skin, so angry that he thinks his blood might boil out of his ears. And then. And then all the tension melts out of Dream as he sees him getting angry, relief etched into his face and rimming his eyes with red, and something in Hob breaks. This is the part of Hob he is used to. This is the Hob he knows and is comfortable with. Shame and grief so profound it settles in his bones creeps up from his toes and into his heart. He doesn't want that. He wants, needs it to be different. "Oh love," he says, voice thick with sorrow, and sits down next to Morpheus on his kitchen bench, taking his hands into his own. "Oh darling, no."
I'm throwing this one in, too, because I think I was really fucking funny:
The only positive effect this information has on Hob is that it makes his erection wilt like a candle in front of a blowtorch.
I also loved doing the phone screenshots of their texts with the secret emoji story from the evening before that played out during the phone call chapter, but I don't think anyone picked up on that. It was fun regardless, a nice little easter egg.
I am skimming the story for this and am only on chapter 16. I think I have to reign myself in a bit. Chapter 16 is also kind of a companion chapter to ch13 (where they get their shit together) in terms of emotional intensity. While in chapter 13 they had to painfully try and pull themselves together, to be honest and open even if it hurt, chapter 16 is the culmination of the new start they made for themselves, a little bit of "what if we hadn't been like that from the start" but better, because of course they have been like that, and imo dropping a weight like that lets people fly higher. A tender start would have been sweet and nothing else, but here they're conscious of quite a few of each other's flaws, and know the other is earnestly trying to put the work in, and that makes it as delicious as an overripe peach eaten over the sink, sticky and ecstatic and glorious.
This:
The giggle Hob has been suppressing bubbles up his throat, and he moves quickly to tap his index finger to the soft wet redness. Scandalised, Murphy pulls his head back, smacking his lips. "Bah," he says, taken aback. "Who does that?" "I do," Hob says, still giggling. "Worked, didn't it?" "You," Murphy proclaims, swaying back to him and holding onto his hips, "are the worst." And then he licks a long, wet stripe up the side of Hob's face.
I just love their silly. They need the silly. Even if I forget, they demand it themselves.
All the house/home metaphors I did for Murphy's life, and the sea metaphors I did for his mental health journey.
Also proud that I managed to still keep them real and make them fight and make up and not have them be happy lovey doves all the time (which may seem surprising considering all I put them through, but still). I wanted to be conscious of making their relationship equal, to not have Hob carry Murphy's issues but have him lean on him, too (although he's certainly the stronger one of them, emotionally. Carrying wise, I mean.), to have them give and take in equal measure.
There was also a short snippet of Hob meeting Jessamy, that would originally go into chapter 20. But it didn't fit the tone, and the chapter did better what I wanted from it without it, so it got cut. Generally speaking, there's very little scenes that got cut. I don't care about pacing that much, and even less if a scene is necessary or not. If it's something I want to tell, I'm gonna include it. But there's a few that took the story in a direction that I didn't like, and that I wrote quite early on, that didn't fit the story as it progressed. (notably, for the sequel, Orpheus finding a dog while playing with his best friend and Hob and Murphy adopting it.)
This one, for me, is the best sentence from the recovery chapter:
He needs—no, he wants to take it into his own hands, so that his happiness stops being a thing that other people need to give him."
(I also asked notallsandmen if the sex scene at the end is over the top, and they told me that not only is Murphy on antidepressants, he's also in love, and at that point I threw caution out the window and decided they can as happy and as schmoopy as I want them to be.)
Chapter 22 was entirely unplanned. At one point I realised that while readers have an approximation of Murphy's past, Hob still has no idea what happened :D
I also loved doing the Christmas chapter. I put a lot of thought in what celebrations like this might look for Orpheus as a kid of two cultures. I think some traditions would have been quite important to Calliope, not because I picture her as particularly religious, but because I think she would have liked to keep them while living in England. And I think Murphy would have agreed with her, because he wanted her to be happy, and I don't think that he's got particularly happy memories associated with family celebrations until Calliope, and he might even have seen it as a way to break away from his own family and his own past, just like his marriage in general had been. So the abundance of greek Christmas traditions is very much on purpose.
I also love any and all interactions between Hob and Orpheus.
This one, because it always makes me cry, even when rereading my own story:
“Hello, little sparrow.” He’s sure that his relief bleeds through into his tone, softening his voice to a sweet, velvety caress. Orpheus makes an indefinable sound at the endearment. “You've called every day for a week,” he says, unsure. “I did,” Murphy assents. “Thank you for speaking to me today. I missed you.”
Also loved reusing this one, even if it might be too sugary:
“D’you think it'll work out?” He finally says. “All of it?” Turning his head slightly, Murphy kisses Hob's temple, his cheek, his neck. “We try,” he says, gently. “We try and try, and sometimes that means we fail. But Hob, it also means that more often than not, we make it work.”
I also love the last chapter and the conclusion to bits, but sometimes I worry that it might feel like a haphazardly slapped on bandaid to some readers (which it it very much not. It's another testament to both of their stellar decision making, and it will come to bite them in the ass :D).
This turned into a very long and convoluted ramble, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless.
28. Write a summary for it but badly
I cannot decide, so you're getting all of them (yes, I crowdsourced):
Library 4.0: parkour edition
Dr. D. M. Olympiou's and R. Gadlings guide on how to regulate your behaviour in library spaces using real life negative examples, now with annex detailing the consequences for your private life
'In which library assistant Hob finds himself the prime subject of new subject librarian Dream Olympiou's study onwhether you're being checked out of the library or checked out at the library.' (courtesy of @sleepsonfutons)
Two insecure idiots fuck around and find out…that they’re actually really good together (courtesy of @edgedancer77)
Surrounded by idiots: The four types of human behaviour and how to effectively fumble all of them when it comes to your hot but asshole coworker (based on: Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business (and in Life))
How to hatefuck your way into better mental health (courtesy of @reallyintoscience)
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thedreamlessnights · 4 months
Text
Objection's First Bath
This is my @bg3-apprecimaytion submission for several of the prompts, including fight, swimming, home, and cuddles (AO3 link here if you prefer). It is dedicated to the lovely, wonderful @cinnamontails-ff and her incredible, stunning fic, Magistrate's Advocate.
This fic is truly one of the most amazing things I've ever read. Astarion's character development is just so well written that you almost forget how far he's come, until you go back to reread it - only to go on the fantastic journey once again. His and Zoraya's relationship is everything to me, and I'm so, so thankful for this beautiful tale and the hard work you've put into it, Cin! Have the most incredible birthday ever, and enjoy this silly little tribute to our favorite kitty, Objection!
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When Objection had been nothing more than a mewling kitten, he’d vowed that nothing in Faerûn would ever make him admit defeat.
After all, he’d always known that he was meant for greatness, and greatness required a certain amount of gravitas. The pitiful followers he would inevitably gain on his rise to power would grovel at his feet at the sight of his immaculate fur, impeccable mannerisms, and flawless composure.
Until about three days ago, everything had gone to plan. 
He’d quickly risen to a position of power among the other idiots who lined the streets of the city. Soon, everyone had looked to him for everything from which rats to hunt to which shopkeepers were acceptable to rob – and, as he’d sworn to himself, he’d never admitted defeat. The very premise of defeat was for weaklings, and the Baron of the Lower City’s West End was anything but. 
Still, one had to allow for exceptions. Especially when one was lying in a ditch, covered in filth, and starved down to the bone.
Perseverance was an admirable trait, but Objection did not feel like being particularly admirable at the moment. Especially when no one was around to see his failure. 
Even then, as shallow breaths scraped through his ribs, he could see the events of the past seventy-two hours flashing through his mind. 
Mutiny. He wanted to claw himself for being so foolish. How had he not seen it coming? It was a common thing among cat districts – he should have been prepared! But several years of being the Baron had made him too comfortable, and he’d let his normal defenses slip. His set of rules, meticulously crafted to keep him safe, had been ignored, and here was the result.
Betrayal. Failure. And he, the mighty Objection of the Lower City’s West End, had no strength to do anything but the one thing he’d promised he would never do – admit defeat.
But what was the use? He wasn’t stupid enough to deny the fact that he was dying; his other eight lives had been used up in extremely courageous and majestic circumstances, and he was on his last one. He’d been reckless, and he was paying for it. Perhaps he even deserved this treatment.
No, he thought suddenly, his tail flicking in irritation. He’d kept the imbeciles alive, and this was how they repaid him? Treason? Treachery? Of course he didn’t deserve this ridiculous treatment! He was born for greatness! He deserved to be gazed at in awe, admiration, and a healthy amount of fearful respect! 
The simpletons would surely pay for their idiocy. Rat populations would be overhunted, and the nitwits would soon starve. Shopkeepers would cast them out, leaving more and more dangerous traps for them to fall into. Other cat districts in the city would turn them to ash. As they deserved. 
Perhaps he would even see it happen. Perhaps he’d become a ghost among the streets, wreaking havoc on his wrongdoers. If that was the case, he could die happy. 
But even Objection could not see what was coming next. For, as he closed his eyes to allow death to take him, he suddenly found himself cruelly disturbed. Footsteps rudely disrupted his intended passing, and grating voices soon cast themselves over his ears. 
A gasp. A halting of footsteps. A grimy hand, palpating his body.
“Is he alive?”
The voice of a woman. Tolerable. It carried the sweet, mild fragrance of a perfume he could not recognize.
“Barely,” came the reply. 
This voice, he hated. This voice came with the smell of metal and oil and sweat, assaulting his senses even halfway to the grave. And, to his horror, the owner of the voice was the one who picked him up by the scruff like a godsdamned kitten, and wrapped him in a filthy cloth, cradling him like an infant.
Unhand me, imbecile! he hissed, wildly batting his paws out around him. But, to his horror, he found himself being ignored. 
Being carried like that was humiliating. Disgusting, even. And yet, as he soon discovered, it was warm. Even in all his pride, Objection could not resist that. 
After all, perhaps this was a sign. An opportunity to get revenge on those who had harmed him. If the gods were providing him a second chance, who was he to deny them? Yes – the fools would personally receive his fury. What a sweet sight it would be.
So, he allowed the fool and the woman to carry him away from the ditch and treat him like the royalty he was.
As it turned out, the woman’s name was Zoraya – or, at least, that was what the foul-smelling one called her. He didn’t bother learning the imbecile’s name. He wasn’t important.
No, Zoraya was the special one. She was sensible. Quick-witted. The type of woman who’d clearly worked hard all her life. He admired that quality in her. 
But more importantly, she was the one who scratched him under the chin, the one who looked at him as if he was something special (which he was, of course). She was the one who retrieved a high-end feast for him, cuts of meat, cheese, and bread that only the nice shops carried. And she was the one he allowed to scoop him back into a clean blanket and bring him to his new home.
It wasn’t much. The paint on the walls was chipped, there was a foul, nearby scent of soot, and the yard was overgrown. But, it was warm, and all the walls were intact. The rest could be fixed once he’d fully recovered.
Inside, the area was equally sparse, but it would do. He was, unfortunately, in the role of a beggar, and he could not afford to be a chooser at the moment. The poor girl had clearly done her best to decorate.
As the night waned on, Objection decided that Zoraya was turning out to be a perfect fit as a roommate. She pet his head when he gave her permission, fed him delectable treats, and set up his new, comfortable bed in the main bedroom. It was the respect he deserved, and he was very much enjoying it.
“You know… I think I’ll call you Objection,” she said as she carried him to the kitchen, feeding him another treat as she gently placed him down. 
She was smart enough to call him by his name, and that was when he truly decided to keep her. 
A sentiment which changed very quickly when he saw the bin of water she intended to use on him. 
As a rule, Objection despised water. The only time he touched it was to allow it to nourish him, to quench his thirst. Nothing else. If she truly meant to subject him to this horror, then she would learn of her mistake very quickly. He was quickly recovering his strength, after all, and even her big, pitiful brown eyes would not dissuade him from a silent kill.
“Come on, Objection,” she said, tapping her hand on the counter to urge him closer. When he stayed where he was, she placed a treat halfway between where he stood and the bin.
The insult of it all. As if he, the Baron of the Lower City’s West End, would fall for tricks like that. In response, he flattened his ears and hissed.
Her face fell, and she stepped closer. “I’m really sorry,” she said, “but you’re covered in… I don’t even know what. Not to mention the fleas. We have to clean you off, alright?”
Fleas.
Fleas?
Like some disgusting gutter cat – he, Objection, having fleas?
It was preposterous. Inconceivable. Even the notion of it was so incredibly offensive that his entire being froze in place, allowing her to seize the opportunity to snatch him up and coat him in a horrid, foul-smelling substance up to the neck.
And thus began their battle.
She drenched him in water; he scrambled to get away. She lathered him up; he let out a deafening yowl. Again and again, she tried to get him to remain still for her – compliant, like an idiotic servant.
Instead, he splashed, hissed, sloshed water on her counters, crawled up onto her shoulder and dug his claws into the skin, and even released his secret weapon: a terrified, heartbreaking meow that could melt the hearts of even the fiercest creatures.
Yet, apparently, Zoraya held some form of immunity to it. Was she a warlock? A paladin? Did she have a secret connection to the gods that allowed her to contain this evil?
He had no answers. Clearly, whatever supernatural powers she contained gave her an advantage, and for the second time that day, he found himself admitting defeat.
So, he was given a bath. Scrubbed from the neck down. Humiliated. Enraged. Exhausted.
But the subjected torture did not stop there. No. He found himself fluffed by a towel, ruining his perfect fur and making him look absolutely ridiculous. How dare she subject him to this treatment! She would pay, along with the rest of those who had betrayed him. In fact, he would destroy all mankind for their crimes against him! Elves, humans, tieflings – the lot! All would be desiccated!
Once she had finally finished, she offered him another treat. Oh, how she had erred. He hissed again at her ridiculous peace offering, his tail swishing violently, and she sighed.
“I know, I know,” she said, scooping him up into her arms. “I’m sorry, Objection. I had to.”
He felt the immediate urge to bite her for her lies, but at the memory of her supernatural abilities, decided it was safer to lie low for now. He would plot out his revenge, and attack when he was sure he could defeat her. 
At the very least, he was warm again, and his belly no longer ached with hunger. The state of his fur would take ages to correct, but she hadn’t committed the ultimate misdeed of cutting it. And, when she brought him into her bed, she laid him down in a soft, comfortable blanket, and he fell into the most fantastic sleep of his life.
Overall, it could have been much worse.
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Two months later
Generally, Objection liked to think of himself as a merciful ruler. There were exceptions, of course, but he could turn a blind eye to mistakes every now and again. No one was perfect, not even him, so how could he hold it against his lesser subjects?
So, with this fact in mind, he had recently decided to forgive Zoraya for her crimes.
It was true – he had spent the last several weeks plotting out revenge. But over time, he’d softened to her. She was a good housemate. She brought him a number of delicious treats. She was reliable, tidy, and hardworking. She’d apologized multiple times for her misdeed. 
So, in all his grace, he had chosen to put all memory of the bath behind him.
After all, the state of his fur had been quickly repaired, and there were much more important concerns than exacting destruction on all elvenkind. In fact, there were still the nitwits out there who had betrayed him. Really, truly betrayed him, unlike Zoraya. 
At least she’d meant well in her attempt to clean him, flea insinuations aside. The idiots who roamed the streets had only wanted to destroy him. He could not allow himself to be distracted from his true goal – the traitors had to receive exactly what they deserved.
And thus, once he’d fully recovered from his brush with death, he began to plot his revenge. 
He’d learned from his previous mistakes; there was no room for error. One misstep, and he would find himself just as he’d started: on death’s door, laden with regret. No – any softness or comfort was unacceptable, and every detail needed to be plotted out with meticulous precision. 
Patience, he told himself. All good things to those who wait.
With Zoraya near, it was easier to bide his time. He liked to stretch out on the windowsill that faced the street, his immaculate fur growing warm under the golden rays of the sun, purring as Zoraya scratched behind his ears. 
Mostly, he watched. He watched day and night, observing everyone and everything that passed by, from the orange butterflies that flitted across the yard to the crickets that sang in the evenings, chirping their nightly lullaby. 
He watched the crowds that milled by during the busiest hours of the day, when Zoraya went to work, and those that returned in the evenings on their way home from their various occupations. He knew the bakers, and the healers, and the tailors. He knew the children that ran past, squealing in delight as they caught sight of him.
Most importantly, though, he watched the other cats. Some of them were out of his jurisdiction, but the others he knew all too well. His once-loyal subjects, prowling the streets. They never noticed his watchful gaze through the window, nor saw his silhouette on the outskirts of the yard, but he saw them. He saw the patterns of their movements, the rats they hunted, the orders they followed. 
At night, when Zoraya was asleep, he snuck out of the house and roamed the streets. As he did, he made mental lists, noting every difference that had followed in the months since his attempted murder. The fools hadn’t even bothered to move the main den, and the careful defenses he’d put in place to keep them safe had all fallen.
Most insulting of all, the cat who’d taken his place as the leader was an idiot named Mittens. From what Objection could see, Mittens did absolutely nothing – aside from lounging around and preening, of course, like one of the peacocks Objection had once seen in the Lower City. 
It was a repulsive sight. Revolting. And yet, it was an opportunity.
Never, not in all of his life, had Mittens raised a paw to another one of his kind. He knew nothing of the wit nor the strength it took to rule, nor of the ferocity it took to stay alive in a position like that. He’d be completely defenseless without the guards stationed nearby. 
They would be easy enough to deal with. As Objection had predicted, without someone clever keeping them in line, the nearby rat populations had all been overhunted. Soon, there would be no rats left to find, but for now, the cats were overfed and softened in their comforts. 
So, as with everything else, he watched. Studied their movements. The alleyways where he could pick them off one by one. The lapses in patrols. 
Piece by piece, night by night, his revenge slotted into place. He perfected it; ran the situations through his mind over and over, determined to account for every possibility. And, when it was finally ready, he acted.
It was a clear, moonlit night. Zoraya had already gone to sleep, leaving the bedroom door cracked open for him to inch through when he was ready to join her. He would happily do so later, but not until he had finished his work. 
One of the windows never liked to close properly. It was jammed open, and Zoraya had remedied this with a large bundle of rags to keep any stray insects out. As he had done so many times before, Objection crept over to it, careful not to disturb any of the papers on the nearby counter, and used his fangs to tug the cloth barrier out of the way. When he had enough room to press underneath, he snuck through, pawed the rags back into place, then gracefully leapt into the yard. 
The outer walls were easy enough to scale, and it wasn’t long before he found himself back in familiar streets, this time stalking his prey.
The night lay silent. The air was balmy and sweet, and his heart thrummed steadily between his ribs as he moved, the sound deafening in his ears. It was all too easy to slink down the streets toward his goal, and that unnerved him. He had planned, yes, but there was always the risk of execution going awry. No plan was completely foolproof, no matter how polished.
The anticipation was unbearable.
When he finally arrived at his first location, he stretched out among the shadows and waited. It didn’t take long. Along came one of the guards on his patrol, sniffing at the stone as he passed through his route. Objection’s paw silenced him before he had even the chance to cry out.
The other three guards went just as quickly. One slap of the paw, a quick tussle, and then, only the sound of their breathing. 
The next part of the plan was more difficult. Guards had consistent patrols, nightly routines he could count on, but the locations of the other cats were anyone’s guess. And, unfortunately, the other cats were the most important part of his revenge plot.
On the night of the mutiny, three cats had been the ones to orchestrate his downfall – Ollie, a grey tabby with a clipped ear, Tilly, a calico with a missing eye, and Luna, a black and white shorthair. If anyone needed to pay, it was them. Regaining his respect as their leader was just a bonus.
What this meant was that he was forced to climb up onto the nearby roofs, hoping he’d catch sight of them before it was too late.
Ollie, luckily, seemed to have found a puddle of some wine outside the Elfsong Tavern, and was licking it off the stone. By the time he noticed Objection, he had a pawful of claws to his neck.
His eyes went wide. Objection? he asked, his voice slurred from the wine. Are you a ghost?
Not quite, came Objection’s reply. His paw moved, and the deed was done. 
Tilly was next – bragging loudly outside of a bakery about a fat rat she’d recently managed to catch. 
The cat next to her, Snowy, flicked her tail in annoyance. Fat rats are the easiest rats to catch, Tilly, she hissed. Then she hopped up the window, slinking away into the shadows.
Felines these days, Tilly grumbled to herself. Really. You try to make a friend…
Objection didn’t bother with the formalities of a conversation. Clearly, the stupidity of his subject would ruin it. He struck fast, struck quietly, and left the evidence out of sight.
Undoubtedly, Luna was the most dangerous of all his prey. She was the one who’d first attacked him, and the one who’d left him for dead in a ditch. She was almost certainly the one who’d first dreamed up the whole endeavor, and she was the one he wanted most to pay for what she’d done.
As it turned out, she was also the only one who heard him coming. Her ears perked up at the sound of his steps, and her back tensed. Despite that, she remained where she was, calmly cleaning her paw.
Objection, she said. 
In the flesh. 
He stepped closer, allowing his fur to shine in the silver moonlight. He knew well how he looked – nothing like the starved, injured cat they’d left in a ditch. Strong. Powerful. Ready, this time, for her betrayal.
I didn’t think you’d be foolish enough to come back, she told him, casually inspecting her paw. What do you want? 
He arched his back, flattening his ears and hissing. What do you think? he asked.
Very slowly, her eyes narrowed, but she kept them fixed in front of her, still focused on her paw. Oh. You’re here to fight? she sighed. Fine. I’ll finish the job properly this time.
And, with a flash of black fur, she pounced.
He was ready for it. He leapt out of the way of her blow, claws skidding on the stone as he caught himself. As she whirled around to face him, he darted forward and clawed her in the side, dodging back as she hissed in pain.
My, my, she drawled, a little breathless, circling in front of him. You’ve improved, Objection.
Before he could answer, she barreled toward him, her claws drawn and her lips curled up into a snarl. Another dodge. Another strike. The fight became a deadly dance, balanced with blows, accompanied by hisses and heavy breaths.
She was fierce, but so was he. She was nimble, but so was he. Every move she made, he knew like the back of his paw. Perhaps it was how the moment of betrayal had seared its way into his mind – he recalled her tricks far too well, and it was clear that her pathetic tricks were all she had.
Finally, in the middle of a dodge, she stumbled. He took the opportunity to strike, sweeping at her legs to break her balance, and she landed on her back with a loud yowl.
It was perfect. The moment he’d been dreaming of for months. And yet, just as he was about to land the final blow, one of the doors to the nearby houses opened. 
Panting, Luna stayed where she was, clearly hoping the shadows would conceal her.
“What’s all this noise, then?” the woman asked. She stepped out of her doorway, caught sight of Luna, and gasped. “Oh, goodness!” she exclaimed. “Don’t worry, little darling! I’ll get you fixed up in no time!” 
With careful hands, she scooped Luna up into her arms, clinging on tighter as the cat tried her best to get away.
Release me! Luna cried. Put me down, you fool! I’ll make you pay for your crimes!
“Just you wait,” the woman cooed, not seeming to notice the cat’s protests. “We’ll be thick as thieves, you and I! I’ve always wanted a cat, you know. I’ve just started sewing, too – I can make you little dresses, and you can wear them all around the house! How does that sound, little kitty?”
No, Luna cried. No!!!
As the door closed, her cries fell silent. All things considered, Objection thought it was an apt punishment: eternal humiliation. 
 Now, there was only Mittens. 
He was right where Objection had expected him to be – lying back on his throne, surrounded by fish bones and rat corpses, purring up a storm.
Mittens, he said. 
Eh? Mittens grunted, not bothering to move. Who disturbs me?
Your rightful ruler, you idiot, Objection hissed.
That got him to move. He jumped three feet in the air, landing on his feet and gazing down at Objection with wide eyes. It can’t be, he said. You’re dead!
Objection sat, his tail flicking against the cobblestone as he observed his replacement up close. It was a pitiful sight. Mittens smelled of ale and rotten cheese, and he was already trembling like a leaf.
Well? Would you like to test if I’m real? Objection drawled.
Mittens took a step back, hissing. Don’t come any closer! he warned. Guards? Guards! Kill this intruder!
Objection tilted his head. No one is coming, Mittens. 
After a moment, Mittens seemed to realize that Objection was right – no one was coming to his rescue. 
Wh- What do you want? Mittens asked. Leave me be!
Step down, and never return. 
It was a calm, simple suggestion, but Mittens gaped at him as if he’d just assigned an advanced calculus problem. You can’t mean that! he exclaimed. You - you can’t make me!
Objection flattened his ears, narrowing his eyes. I most certainly can, he said, flashing his claws. Would you like to see?
For a moment, Mittens hesitated. Then, with a reluctant yowl, he ran into the shadows, bounding away as fast as he could.
Revenge never tasted sweeter than it did then, watching the so-called ruler of the Lower City’s West End running like a coward, abandoning his throne. 
When he had disappeared, Objection turned to see his old friend, Barsik, observing in the distance.
Still alive, friend? Barsik asked. I thought you might be. It’s good to see you.
And you, Objection replied. I couldn’t stand by while these fools created a mess in my absence.
You’ve done well, Barsik told him. You aren’t staying?
It was a nice thought, but there was a warm bed waiting for him. No, he responded. I must return to where I belong.
Barsik blinked slowly, bowing his head. I understand, he said. What shall I tell the others?
Objection thought for a moment. Tell them that the true Baron of the Lower City’s West End has retired. 
And with that, his tail held high in success, he headed home. 
It didn’t take long. The streets were mostly empty, and the path was clear. Finally, he would be able to rest knowing that he had executed his plan – and rather perfectly, at that.
Once he had finally made his way back inside, he licked himself clean, crept through the bedroom door, and leapt into Zoraya’s bed. 
She stirred at his movements, blinking at him through heavy eyes. “Objection?” she asked drowsily. “What have you been up to?”
In response, Objection curled up next to her chest, closed his eyes, and purred.
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lovelyhan · 2 years
Note
what are your svt fic recs??? like your holy grail??
took me a while to put this together BUT here it is!
disclaimer that i've been a carat for like . a month so it's a stretch to say i've read a lot of svt content. tho from what i've consumed so far, my favorites are listed under the cut :>
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i'll start with the ones i found on ao3 first hehe
push it down (sooner or later it all comes out) by dontflailmenow × tags: s.coups x reader; camboy!cheol, enemies to lovers
the first EVER svt fic i've read, and it was just so WOW!!!! basically, reader recently broke up w her ex, which is seungcheol's best friend. cheol and mc aren't on the best of terms (always arguing etc.) so when she realizes that the camboy she's been lusting over to get over her ex turns out to be cheol, some...problems start to arise i'm pretty sure i saw this one around tumblr but i'm too lazy to find the op's blog i'm so sorry HEUUUHEU but i really loved it to pieces, and it ultimately flung me into svt fanfic tumblr altogether :D
The bore next door by HoneyAteez × tags: wonwoo x reader; blind dates, suffocation via cock LOL
another fic that i am fairly sure is cross-posted on tumblr too, but can't be assed to find -- your mother sets you up with good neighbor jeon wonwoo, and he turns out to be the worst sexual deviant on the face of the earth, fucking the soul out of your body right after the first date.
Walking in Traffic by versigny × tags: mingyu x reader; soulmate au, teens being teens
literally crying as i type this because it's one of the most beautiful coming of age stories i've ever read, and it was written back when i was still in mf HIGH SCHOOL 😭 reader and gyu find out they're soulmates way too early, and pretty much despise each other growing up, but they eventually come to terms with their soul bond along the line.
close proximity by chilligyu × tags: mingyu x reader; roommates, LOTS OF ANGST
there's no explicit smut in this one, but the plot twists and the narration itself threw me in for SUCH a goddamn loop that it would be a hate crime not to include this here. mingyu becomes reader's roommate upon bff!wonwoo's recommendation, and they and up falling for each other, and [gets dragged off stage because spoilers]
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now for the tumblr recs!
sapiosexual by @smileysuh × tags: s.coups x reader; sugar daddy au, psych daddy!cheol,,,,
it's a pretty straightforward sugar daddy au, but what makes it different is how it's written, y'know? cheol clearly lays all of the details for he and reader to agree on, making sure all the boundaries are clear and there aren't any blurred lines. seungkwan as your best friend is also a really enjoyable addition (he's the one who coined the term psych daddy LOL), AND i just love the author's humor in general.... quirofilia [bursts out laughing]
A Break by @smileysuh (again bc i'm obsessed w their work) × tags: mingyu x reader x wonwoo; svt as babysitters, budding poly
so op has an entire assortment of meanie poly fics, but this one is probably my most favorite bc it touches on a more endearing and responsible side to mingyu :') he and reader just can't sit down and fuck because he's busy worrying about their child every ten minutes LOL. enter jeon wonwoo, who is not only baby saebyeok's favorite uncle, but has been pining for the reader since time immemorial. of course, gyu has known all along, and asks them if they're both down to have a threesome (this is literally a terrible way to summarize the story, but i suggest you just read it &lt;3) OH OH bonus: hoshi tries to sacrifice the baby to the tiger gods in a summoning circle made of tiger plushies. if that doesn't sell this fic for you, i don't know WHAT will
Love, Actually by @haet-sal × tags: jun x reader; cheating but not really? whipped single dad!jun
aka the fic that catalyzed my jun brain damage. reader works as jun's secretary but she isn't very...good at her job, but he keeps her around anyway bc 1.) his kid likes her, and 2.) HE likes her. problem is: she has a boyfriend-not-boyfriend, but Because that boyfriend-not-boyfriend is an asshole, she kind of uses jun as a constant rebound, poor guy (it has a happy ending tho i promise!!)
an untitled dk friends 2 lovers by @husbandhoshi × tags: dk x reader; idiots in love
this is actually preceded by 2 more drabbles from the op, but i'm linking this one specifically bc it made me physically long for big dick boyfriend lee seokmin. the thing i like most about smut written for dk is that he's ALWAYS so fun and endearing and lovable in bed, and what's more is that this one's a friend to lovers fic, so there's YEARS worth of pining and puppy love to spice up the sex hehehehehehe it really really deserves more recognition !!
right where you left me by @tonicandjins × tags: wonwoo x reader; exes getting back together, ANGST
i have a shitty memory so i can't go into the specifics on what this fic is about. it's one of the first ones i read on tumblr, but it's been a hot minute but i DO remember writhing in bed right after reading it, so it definitely earns a spot on the rec list! reader and wonwoo lived together in their hometown, but had to break up when wonwoo moves to seoul and he just couldn't make any compromises. bonus points for best friend hoshi on this one &lt;;3
that's pretty much it for now! i'm so sorry if any of the authors mentioned didn't want to be tagged 🤒🤒 i just thought i'd share my thoughts abt ur work while sharing them w the rest of my followers UEUEUEUE
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cecilysass · 2 months
Text
20 Questions for 20 Writers
tagged by @baronessblixen and @randomfoggytiger
1. How many works do you have on AO3? 24
2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 364,789
3. What fandoms do you write for? Only X-Files, although sometimes I have thoughts.
4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? Chicken Dinner, Pause, The Kaleidoscope, The Boy on the Beach, The Marriage Spectacular
5. Do you respond to comments? Not every time. I do in bursts. I feel guilty if I respond to some and not others, so sometimes I just respond to none, especially if it's a long story and I'm posting chapters everyday. I wish it were otherwise, because I sincerely do like engaging with comments.
6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I've answered this question before, and I think I decided it was either (1) Opposition and Synthesis, which is a post-Requiem fic that no one has read, written between season 7 and 8, on Gossamer or (2) Ice Water, which was a fic I wrote for an exchange, also beginning of season 8, which is on AO3. Both of them have the same source of angst, which is the season 8 overall angst: missing Mulder.
7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Most of my fics have happy endings. I do try not to sew things up too tightly--I prefer to keep it a little open-ended, with the possibility that things could still be complicated, because I guess that feels more real to me. And more in universe, I suppose.
8. Do you get hate on fics? Not very often. Sometimes. There was someone recently on a fic who went on a rant about me hating Mulder, but it mostly made me laugh. (Y'all. Let me assure you. This girl does not hate Mulder. She is a ridiculous Mulder champion.) I haven't been that upset by hate on my fics. I've been more upset by seeing hate on other people's.
9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I have. It's always a struggle for me, possibly because I'm not a super visually oriented person. I have betas who help me with this a lot, and I'm grateful to them. I do tend to want smut to feel organic to the story; I don't like when it feels tacked on. (Although listen, I don't judge anyone who wants that either; fanfic is for fun lol.)
10. Do you write crossovers? No.
11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? I don't think so.
12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Someone asked me if they could translate one of my fics to Russian once. I assume that happened.
13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Not yet, but mulling that over with some co-authors now.
14. What’s your all-time favorite ship? Mulder and Scully. Sometimes I admit I will also read some Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet.
15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I have many WIPs. Maybe 8-10. I don't post WIPs any more because that experience is too stressful for me; I prefer to wait until the whole thing is done and post then.
16. What are your writing strengths? I revise and rewrite a lot. Dialogue. I used to think I was bad at plotting, but I'm getting better.
17. What are your writing weaknesses? I get certain phrases and words in my head and keep reusing them without thinking about it. Then my beta makes fun of me for saying "scowl" 150 times in one chapter. Also, I struggle with visualizing a space and how characters are moving in it. My betas are always like: "What side of the table is he sitting on?" "Where is her leg?" "Is she on the side of the couch with the fish tank or no?" I don't think of these things very well naturally.
18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? All of my fic is in English, my first and best (by far) language. I would never write in another language unless I had a native speaker willing to help me with this. I included a few lines of Spanish in one fic, but I double and triple checked that. (And it was almost nothing! )
19. First fandom you wrote for? X-Files, unless you count things I wrote as a kid about books.
20. Favorite fic you’ve written? This is hard, but I do love Boy on the Beach, which I researched quite a bit and very carefully plotted out. I also like We're Not Here To Talk About Personal Problems, which was the first fic I wrote for an exchange, an X-Cops post-ep, and really felt like me getting back into new fic.
Randomfoggytiger's additional questions:
1. Is writing a hobby or way of life?
A hobby, but also kind of a way of life, as it's tangential to how I make money, and it's always something I've done regularly.
2. A journal full of writing notes or a clean, completed manuscript?
Is this what I prefer? Clean, completed manuscript then. I don't like paper journals at all, so while I do have notes, they're only in Google Docs.
3. Who (or what) is your writing inspiration?
I don't have a specific event, person, or work of art. I will say I think I am influenced by having had some training writing for the stage. I often write dialogue first and then fill in everything else around it. And I think about plays I've read or seen a lot when I write.
4.Which is worse: someone you "idolize" reading your first draft or listening to you sing?
First draft. I revise a lot. And I'm an amazing singer, or at least I am so far as you know.
5. Has writing from someone else's POV ever changed your own perspective?
I feel like I should say yes, but no, not that I can remember specifically.
6. Tumblr, AO3, LiveJournal, or FFN?
AO3
7. AO3 wordcount, and are you satisfied with it?
364,789 - Am I satisfied? I don't know. Do I win something at a particular number? Assuming no, the number doesn't really matter to me. I would be sad if I never posted anything again though, because I enjoy it.
8. What movie/book/fic gripped you irrevocably? I really loved From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler when I was a kid.
9. What's the highest compliment you could ever be given, and have you been given it? I've received such generous feedback on my fic of every kind, and honestly I could never hope to say which kind was the best. I'm grateful for that. I will say that someone told me on Pause that my D.C. geography was spot on, and I was really thrilled about that, since I spent quite a bit of time "driving" from Georgetown to Alexandria on Google Maps / Street View to see what it would be like.
10. What defines your writing style?
Dialogue. Angst. I don't know. What else? It's hard for me to see!
Tagging: @phillippadgettwrites @atths--twice
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sumiink · 10 months
Text
Sumi's Fic Recs
I've been saving a list of fan fiction I like for years now and thought I should share it!
Fandoms include Danny Phantom, DPxDC, Batman, DCMK, BNHA, and Miraculous Ladybug, Legend of Zelda (Linked Universe), Mob Psycho 100, and Genshin Impact. Links, summaries, and comments under the cut.
Danny Phantom
Phantom of Truth by Haiju
NOTE: An edited/updated version of the sequel (Shadow of a Doubt) is also on AO3, but not finished. The finished, unedited version can be found on FF.net here.
Summary: Locked away in a secret government lab with Phantom as her sole object of study, nothing stands between Maddie and the truth... except, perhaps, herself.
Review: You can’t talk about Danny Phantom fanfic without bringing up Phantom of Truth. This one defines the vivisection genre. It’s written in Maddie’s perspective and you can see her character in every little detail of the writing.
Treading Water by TheFullCatastrophe
Summary: "This is the story of why we had to start calling Danny Fenton, Danny FINton. Get it, Danny? 'Cause you have FINS? Oh, I kill me." - a summary by Tucker Foley.
Review: Mermaid AU! Another classic fandom fic, this one with great worldbuilding and some dark, realistic vibes that make the ghosts (well, mermaids) really feel dangerous.
Modern Day Ghost Girl by MemoryWriter
Summary: Wendy Manson, 14-year old freshman in Casper High. Recently she's been able to sense ghosts, and on the day Wendy's paranormal curiosity gets the best of her, her project partner and ex-best friend Shane happens to follow her. When she meets a mysterious ghost in the abandoned apartment, what of her identity will she be discovering?
Review: One of the first fics I ever read, so it holds a special place in my heart.
Outside Looking In by Ellen_Brand
Summary: Casper High's new psychiatrist has some interesting interviews ahead of him.
Review: A great outside perspective into Danny. Also I just like Cade!
Phantom’s Sketchbook by AkoyaMizuno
Summary: Mr. Lancer finds himself in an unparalleled situation, he has access to something which can give him incredible insight into the personal workings of Amity Park's local ghost teen hero, Danny Phantom.
Review: Another fandom classic! A must read for the student/teacher relationship between Mr. Lancer and Danny.
You Should Be Dead by SapphireDragon11
Summary: Dash and Kwan are horrified to discover they've accidentally killed their classmate, but perhaps even more so when he shows up at school the next day. With his secret on the line, Danny soon discovers Dash and Kwan are the least of his worries.
Review: An epic story of Danny going up against incredible odds! One of my absolute favorites!
DPxDC
But I Want to Be Let In, Not Out by TheWritingOwl
NOTE: Actually a series of one-shots!
Summary: Growing up with the Fentons, Danny resigned himself to the fact that he would never see Damian again. However, when he gets summoned to Gotham after becoming the Ghost King, he finds himself reuniting with his long lost twin.
Review: Some nice demon twins au with batfam elements- all the stuff I like in a DPxDC fic.
close enough to be whole again by hailsatanacab
Summary: “If you ever find yourself in danger, go to Bruce Wayne. He will help you.”     His mother had loved him, in her own way. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have helped him escape. If she hadn’t, she would have dragged him back to the League of Assassins, to Grandfather. If she hadn’t, he’d be dead.     She loved him, but she loved the League more.     Jack and Maddie Fenton loved him too, they did, but they loved their work more.     They loved their work more.     --     After his parents react poorly to his reveal, Danny escapes to the only person he thinks can help him - Bruce Wayne. He doesn't know what to expect when he gets there, but it has to be better than where he is, surely? He certainly doesn't expect to be reunited with his long lost twin brother Damian. It's funny how things work out that way.     Danny is 16 years old, not Phantom Planet compliant
Review: More angsty demon twins AU with secret identity shenanigans, what’s no to love?
Recognized by AgentIanLegend
Summary: When they heard the fateful words "Recognized: Robin - B01," nothing could have prepared them for the web of secrets which would unravel as Daniel Fenton and Richard Grayson search for answers.
Review: An epic story will all kinds of twists and turns. Very will written with great pacing and tight storytelling!
Batman
hand in unloveable hand (a chokehold) by britishparty
Summary: Tim Drake is eleven years old when he’s grabbed off the streets of Bristol while he’s on his way home. It will be okay, he tells himself: they’ll call his parents, and they’ll pay the ransom, and he’ll get to go home.
There are pictures of Batman and Robin on the camera he was carrying. A lot of pictures.
They don’t call his parents. They call Black Mask.
- or: the one where Black Mask kidnaps Tim and tries to groom him into a ruthless heir, and Tim tries to figure out how to destroy him from the inside out.
Review: Tim is great in this. This one is full of scheming and mind games and all that good stuff.
From When He Sprang by WereDog15
Summary: January 2012. For the last four years, Jason Todd has been living on the streets of Gotham, doing whatever he can in order to survive on his own. But one night, as he emerges from his dwelling in Gotham’s underground tunnels, he encounters the legendary dynamic duo of Batman and Robin.A little bit of help can go a long way, but Jason's world is ripped apart as he is unintentionally put in the path of one of the deadliest secret societies that the world has ever known.Discover the story of the event that changed their lives forever, and put Jason on the path to becoming the second Robin.
Review: THIS FIC. It’s creative, it’s dark, it’s gory - this one makes me feel like I’m back in middle school reading The Hunger Games for the first time. This fic does not pull any punches.
Liminal Spaces by Calamityjim
NOTE: A multi-part series with some extra one-shots too
Summary: Bruce's habit of collecting strays is not limited by dimension. Or When Young Justice Batman comes across an angsty, seemingly abandoned by his Batman Tim Drake, he decides to step up to the plate and parent the crap out of him.
Review: Oh this one is a long, epic story with all kinds of twists and turns. And lots and lots of emotional batfam moments.
A Gentlekid Thief by Blazonix
Summary: Tim didn't mean to become the notorious thief Red X; it just sort of happened. Just like how he somehow wound up being Batman’s greatest nemesis - his therapist. He would like to remind whatever higher forces are out there that he is still only 12.
Review: Funny and clever!
From the Shadows by Wolfsbanesparks
NOTE: Shazam crossover
Summary: All Billy Batson wanted was to survive a particularly rough week living on the streets of Fawcett City. The last thing he was looking for was a new family. All Bruce Wayne wanted was to learn a bit more about his upbeat teammate under the guise of official Wayne Enterprises business. But he could never turn his back on a child in need. Especially one as surrounded by mystery as Billy. OR   Billy gets adopted by the Batfamily while trying to deal with a strong magical enemy.
Review: I’m always a fan of gen fic that also has an overarching story and great villain!
Shutterbye by katiesparks
Summary: The more I research it, the more I know it has to be true. Dick Grayson is Robin. And that means Bruce Wayne is Batman. All the pieces fit. I move my Dick and Bruce Wayne things into the Batman and Robin box and buy an extra lock for it.
Review: One-shot written from a young Tim’s perspective. The writing style really brings his character to life.
Surveillance by smilebackwards
NOTE: A multi part series
Summary: Tim knows antagonizing Lex Luthor wasn’t exactly his safest move but the point is really driven home by the bullet to the shoulder. Or: The AU where Jason never died and Tim is a civilian who contributes to crime fighting by taking surveillance photos and leaving them on the desktop of the Batcomputer.
Review: Gotta love some ‘stalker Tim gets involved in hero stuff without actually wearing a cape’ stuff.
Detective Conan & Magic Kaito
(Don’t) Believe What You Know by discordiansamba
NOTE: This fic is actually a rewrite, buuuuuut I saved the older, longer version if you want to read that one instead. Available here (I just copy and pasted it, so formatting may be a little weird)
Summary: For as long as he's known him, Hattori Heiji has always seemed to gotten mixed up in cases with a sort of... supernatural touch. Honestly, Conan's never thought much of it- it's not as if the things that go bump in the night are actually real, and they've got countless cases behind them to prove just that.But after getting mixed up in a strange case in Osaka and learning a disturbing secret from Heiji's past, its left Conan wondering if there's more his friend isn't telling him. So he does what any good detective would- investigate.He's just... not sure he was ready for the answers.
Review: I am a huge of discordiansamba’s writing! It very descriptive and the stories tend to have a lot of interesting moving parts. This fic in particular is great for its worldbuilding and the magical, dangerous adventures Heiji gets involved in. And Heiji trying to hide stuff from Conan always makes for some good tension.
Blood and Snow by discordiansamba
Summary: Heiji Hattori has never believed in the supernatural. Things like vampires have always been a bunch of nonsense to him. But the supernatural is about to prove itself very real.
Review: If you like the last one, you’ll like this one too – another supernatural adventure focusing on Heiji!
Unprofessional Opinion by Ellen_Brand
Summary: A series of psychologicalpersonality profiles of our boys... with guest shrink Cade Maboroshi!
Review: I just like Cade! And an outsider’s perspective is always fun, especially in this writing style.
The Case of the Magic Bullet Murder by MirrorandImage
NOTE: Technically a sequel, but I didn’t read the first one and wasn’t lost. There’s also a third fic that’s good too!
Summary: As always Conan stumbles across another body; and this time the prime suspect is this high school kid named Kuroba Kaito. Sequel to The Case of the Hidden Epidemic.
Review: We get to see Conan interact with Kaito, and that always makes for fun secret identity shenanigans. And we even get to see Kaito get involved in solving a case!
Insanity, Apparently by Taliya
NOTE: A series of one shots
Summary: Takagi Wataru would like to register a complaint to whichever deity thought it would be hilarious to toss him into odd situations with Kaitou KID. Repeatedly. Because this was far beyond his pay grade.
Review: A fun story with a mix of characters you don’t see very often.
Be a Better Me by Lisa_Telramor
Summary: Kaito thought that the Robot Incident ended with the destruction of his copycat robot. He couldn't have guessed how wrong that assumption was when he is injured months later.
Review: Wonderfully angsty and doesn’t shy away from the horror of Kaito’s new reality.
Guide you home by Tobina
NOTE: Uses Guide & Sentinel tropes, which I’d never heard of before but I guess it used to be popular in fanfic in the 90’s? Basically Sentinels have superpowers and Guides help them control it. The two tend to be lifelong partners, but it can be romantic or familial or platonic.
Summary: As a Level 5s Sentinel and skillful detective, Kudou Shinichi helps the Tokyo Police Department whenever they get stuck with a case, his Guide Ran at his side to ground him when needed. After a KID heist, it becomes clear that Guides are dissapearing and Shinichi and his western counterpart Hattori Heiji are knee-deep into the case, especially because this one hits far too close to home for comfort. When then even phantom thief Kaitou KID gets involved, things are bound to get... interesting.
Review: A GREAT story that does a good job with worldbuilding and characters’ relationships. While it focuses on Conan, my favorite part of this fic is the arc the Kaito goes through and the way this story takes a look at his motivations and moral compass.
It's Raining Men, Hallelujah by Asuka Kureru
Summary: Conan already has some kind of corpse magnet power, but when Heiji is in his orbit the corpses actively come to them. From above. Witness.
Review: A fandom classic! Short and hilarious.
Inconceivable by joisbishmyoga
Summary: In the face of a DNA analysis Kaito can't deny, he begins uncovering the rest of his family's secrets. Too bad he's not the only one looking.
Review: An epic story that has a takedown of the Black Org AND twin AU, what’s not to love?
Secrets in Indigo by Sinnatious
Summary: A throwaway comment about Kaitou KID’s eye colour sets Kaito on an uncomfortable path of discovery.
Review: I can’t give too many spoilers! An overall great story with great writing as Kaito discovers secrets and also tries to keep them hidden.
The Young Royals of Deduction by joisbishmyoga
NOTE: One shot
Summary: The Exclusive Interview with Four Children Taking the Investigative World by Storm
Review: Short but fun!
My Hero Academia
The Thin Gray Line by A_ToastToTheOutcasts
Summary: The beauty of the era of quirks wasn't the amazing abilities; it was that nobody sane would even entertain the thought that Kuroko, the most wanted vigilante in all of Japan, was Quirkless.
Review: A vigilante AU with a badass Deku (or, in this case, Kuroko) who puts the whole Hero Commisison to shame. The rivalry between Deku and Bakugou is so intense in this fic, I love it.
Yesterday Upon the Stair by PitViperOfDoom
Notes: When you’re done with this, there’s also a fun related one-shot by another author called U.A. Unsolved by kabukichou (ameliafromafairytale)
Summary: Midoriya Izuku has always been written off as weird. As if it's not bad enough to be the quirkless weakling, he has to be the weird quirkless weakling on top of it. But truthfully, the "weird" part is the only part that's accurate. He's determined not to be a weakling, and in spite of what it says on paper, he's not actually quirkless. Even before meeting All-Might and taking on the power of One For All, Izuku isn't quirkless. Not that anyone would believe it if he told them.
Review: An epic story full of secrets and ghosts!
Hero Class Civil Warfare by RogueDruid (Icarius51)
Summary: Heroes lead by Bakugo. Villains lead by Midoriya. Seven days prep time. Three days for Izuku Midoriya to show why they should be glad he's not a real villain.
Review: Badass Deku going all out and scaring his classmates. This one uses nearly every character from class 1-A and 1-B and manages to make everyone have an impact on the story!
Tales of the Jade Mantis by Chess_Blackfyre
NOTE: A multi-part series
Summary: The adventures of Inko Midoriya, Number One Vigilante in all of Japan, and her complicated relationship with the Number One Hero, All Might. However, it's not all about kicking butt and taking names, watch as the telekinetic in the leather jacket struggles with things like brutal mentors, working in customer service, and trying to be a good single parent.
Review: The only fic I’ve found with Inko as a vigilante! Quite the journey, this one goes over her career as a vigilante and what comes after when Izuku suddenly has a quirk. I love the weird adventures Inko gets up to and the interesting people she meets. One of my all time favorites!
Monochrome Skies by QuantumPoint
Summary: Midoriya Izuku died four years ago. Midoriya Izuku dead in a housefire when his mother didn’t notice him come home early. Midoriya Izuku dead because heroes failed to hear the screams of a scared child. Midoriya Izuku dead alone and scared.His mother mourned him but went on with her life. The heroes swore to be better, but still made the same mistakes. And for four years, everyone believed he was until Aizawa caught sight of a well-known vigilante and decided to investigate. Everyone believed it until Yagi bumped into a kind child on the street and tried to give him hope.
Review: I can’t say much because spoilers, but if you’re an artist, read this.
brilliant lights will cease to burn (by my hands i’ll reignite them) by novalotypo
NOTE: It’s a Card Captor Sakura crossover, but honestly I’ve never seen that and as far as I can tell this doesn’t have much to so with that show. It’s BNHA characters and world with some Card Captor magic elements.
Summary: Midoriya Izuku is quirkless. This, he knows very well.This is also what he knows:Weekends and vacations are reserved for walking neighborhood dogs. The elderly are the most powerful people on Earth. Local gods are picky eaters. Trust is a feeble, feeble thing. Magic cards are incredibly difficult to seal, especially when the world thinks you're a vigilante. Heroes are not magicians, but magicians can be heroes.Becoming a cardcaptor wasn't on Izuku's bucket list, but he'll be damned if he doesn't make the best out of it.
Review: Deku doesn’t have a quirk, so he gets sucked up into some magical card captor responsibilities and goes all out, as he does. This one has an analytical Deku, otherworldly magic, creepy villains, and some tension between a vigilante Deku and hero society as a whole. One of my absolute favorites!
Quirk: Knife! by brightredwings
Summary: Izuku Midoriya is unlucky, to say the least and life hasn't exactly been kind. Things weren't so bad in the beginning, but once he was diagnosed quirkless, well, it all went to shit. Everyone grew to hate him, even his best friend and own father.Was it really that impossible to become a hero without a quirk? It doesn't really matter because to Izuku, the term hero is flexible. He'll be his own hero because he's learnt from his own experience, people are selfish and the only one he can rely on is himself.Left alone to fend for himself in the world, Izuku goes out to change things on his own terms, despite his methods being slightly illegal. Keyword, slightly. It's only illegal if he gets caught, right?
Review: A long story with great arcs for a lot of League of Villains character, and a beautiful ending. Some pretty intense angst with happy endings for everyone.
Roses are red and they taste like shit by Unbreakable_Red_Riot
Summary: Katsuki was really fucking sick of the smell of flowers.
Review: Ah, yes, KiriBaku with hanhaki disease. Mostly from Bakugou’s point of view, so you get to see all his frustration and a ton of drama. Also looks into some other characters like Midoriya and Todoroki, which is a nice touch.
The Beauty of a Beast by starofgems
Summary: Once upon a time a lonely beast lived in a manor deep in the forest. He dreamed of the day his true love appeared to break his curse... When a beauty finally appears in his life, it is not quite as he imagined. For who could have thought a beauty would be more of a beast. Or The beauty and the beast AU nobody asked for but here it is.
Review: A very sweet love story. (KiriBaku)
The Deaf Hero: Deku by BeyondTheClouds777
Summary: His whole life, Izuku was told that he couldn’t do it. That he should give up while he still had the chance. That someone like him—Deaf, Quirkless—could never become a hero.But Izuku wasn’t going to give up. Not now and not ever. (OR, the one where nearly everything's the same, but Izuku is Deaf.)
Review: Right what it says on the tin. Deku’s added deafness creates more tension between Deku and Bakugou, his classmates, and even other heroes. Things get angsty but Deku always stays determined, which I love.
Miraculous Ladybug
Where Have All The Heroes Gone and Where Are All The Gods? by Anthemyst
NOTE: This is actually part 5 of a series, but I just started with this one and didn’t feel lost. Just know that in this story, Gabirel isn’t Hawkmoth. Most of this was written before Season 1 ended, I think.
Summary: On their fourteenth birthday, the Agreste triplets' world is turned upside down. Their government has been overthrown, their city taken, and superheroes all over Europe have suddenly and mysteriously vanished-including, to their shock, their parents. They'll need to work together, and become the heroes Paris needs, if they're going to save both their parents and their country.
Review: A next-gen fic that got me into ML fanfic in general! It’s got a fun dystopian vibe and the Agreste kids are all fleshed out very nicely. One of my absolute favorites!
Not A Bit by CaptainOzone
Summary: "Sometimes, being a brother is even better than being a superhero," says author Marc Brown. Félix Agreste has been both, and he can't have said it better himself. (AKA The Brothers AU I wanted to read but had to write myself when I realized this AU has a depressing lack of fic to its name)
Review: I’m always a fan of fic that has Marinette and Adrien AND Felix and Bridgette.
Legend of Zelda (Linked Universe)
Looking for Group by Tashilover
Summary: People want to be a Hero so badly, they're willing to bribe, lie, cheat, and beg. Twilight knows there's a Hero amongst the people in this college town. It's just a matter of finding them.
Review: The modern setting keeps things fresh, yet this story is still full of legends, danger, and a fight of good vs evil!
Mob Psycho 100
tomorrow isn’t always another day by suitablyskippy
NOTE: One shot
Summary: It’s like Reigen’s been waiting for the question. He stops dead on the pavement, grips Mob by the shoulders, and stares down into his eyes with an expression as haunted as though every ghost the pair of them has ever exorcised has taken up residence behind it. “Mob,” he says. “Mob,” he says again. “Tell me, Mob. Look at me and tell me. Tell me truthfully. Do I look cursed to you?”Mob looks at him, and tells him truthfully. “No.”“Well, you didn’t look very long,” says Reigen. “Let’s just stand here for a moment, like so, and you can have another look, a nice long look, and really think about it...” (There's nothing strange about being called back to exorcise the same haunted photocopier six days in a row. It must just be a very haunted photocopier.)
Review: THIS WHOLE CONEPT IS HILARIOUS
Genshin Impact
Traveler’s search for Scaramouche by Scuriel
NOTE: A choose your own adventure story!
Summary: Ei wants Traveler to search for Scaramouche and get back her gnosis. They have many decisions to make along the way.
Review: Don’t see something like this very often! There are actually a lot of different outcomes.
47 notes · View notes
novemberthorne · 1 month
Note
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 💞
Thank you so much for the ask! 💕 What a fun idea! I'd love to share some of my favorites! 🥰
Something Lost, Something Found (90k, rated E)
I've obviously gotta include this one, because wow, what an absolutely amazing experience it was to write and post this and to get to see everyone's thoughts and comments through the whole story!! ❤️
"I'm…" Steve starts, like he's actually about to tell him. Oh God. He's about to tell him. Eddie's staring, and Steve sees how his hand is searching the seat behind himself for the remote, probably to kill the movie, because Steve's being so weird it's making him worried. He sighs again, breath trembling from stress and he buries his face in his hands. Leg still bouncing in place. The TV gets turned off and the room fills with silence, and he hears Eddie shuffling around next to him. "Steve—" "I have a pussy now."
The Train Fic (23k, rated E)
This story was written as a birthday gift for my beloved partner ❤️ I worked on it for every single day for over two months. I was completely immersed in it, and despite the experience being very different than most my other fics, it's one of my favorite writing experiences ✨ever!✨
“Just… hang out together on the train?” Steve asks to clarify, because it was a strange idea. "Yeah. Let's indulge in a little escapism together, and I'll show you what the journey is all about. Okay?" Steve feels baffled. “Are you… high?” Eddie just laughs. “No, that’s not—” “Your thing?” “Exactly. Clever boy.” And Steve might just be the most naive guy on the planet, but he believes him. “It’s your choice, though. Trust your gut, alright?” “Right,” Steve says carefully, looking at Eddie with a careful look. At least he doesn’t look offended by Steve’s blatant hesitation. “It’s not a no, I’m just…” Eddie leans in a little, and he gives Steve’s arm a friendly nudge. “You don’t have to make excuses or explanations for being cautious, Steve. Think about it over the day, okay? You know where to find me.”
Who Embraces The Monsters (10k, rated M)
I love monster stories, and for some strange reason, this is the only one I've ever written! I need to change that...
"I'll never fucking forget you," Steve tells Eddie genuinely, letting himself feel all those vulnerable things he usually just swallows down. Eddie just looks. The black ink under his skin has spread into his face, and it's pulsing, shifting under the surface, moving like a living thing. It's seeped into his eyes, black bleeding into the white of them and starting to take over. Then Eddie smiles, and it's a monster's smile. "Go," he just says. And despite every cell in his body rioting against it, Steve leaves.
All I Do Is Want (11k, rated E)
The first fic I ever posted in the fandom 💕 and it got such a beautiful reception, it definitely sealed the deal for me to keep going!
"Eddie," he says quietly, because he doesn't trust his voice not to break right now. "Mhmm?" "Maybe we shouldn't. Tonight." He says carefully, and despite himself he shifts his hips back, depriving them both of the contact. It felt so nice, and he wants it so bad, but he thinks it would be a bad idea to have sex here. At least right now.
Secret Smile, Wistful Eyes (30k, rated M)
This fic was such an educational writing experience for me, and also such a personal, emotional journey. It was also my first chaptered fic I ever posted, very exciting!
"Seriously? You never even, like, suspected it?" "No?" Eddie says, feeling kind of like he's floating, maybe even dreaming. He's usually good at subtext, he can read between lines well enough to confidently put most things together. But this was something else entirely, another thing that would rock his entire understanding of the world, surreal to the point where he knows it's not actually going to sink in until Steve says it out loud.
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