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h-c-u · 2 years ago

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A photograph

Summary: First time you realize that Hotchner has feelings for you.

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x fem!reader (past one-night-stand with Rossi mentioned)

W/C: 4.7k

Rating: PG, age gap

TWs: none

A/N: Another one for a friend who doesn't have Tumblr, but I definitely see myself writing more Hotch in the future :)

Masterlist | List of tags

- Y/N!? What are you doing here, I thought that you'll be coming in a week! - your best friend was super happy to see you earlier than planned, that's why you stood at the door to her bat cave with your phone ready to record her reaction, and it was worth it.

- A slight change of plans! - you stopped the recording and ran to hug her. When it came to your aesthetics, you two were the complete opposite. She was full of color, while you were mostly black and white, but when it came to personalities... You were almost like a one-person split in two. She was your sister in every way except biological, but neither of you cared. You met when she just dropped out of college and you took pity on her, letting her crash on your couch. And everything else was history.

- Oh my god, I love it! - she didn't want to let you go. - How did you get in the building, why did nobody tell me!? - you laughed.

- Oh easy, I bribed Derek and he was the only one that knew I'll be coming early since I needed a visitor's badge. Well, he also told Rossi, so I wouldn't have to be alone tonight. - you explained and took a step back to look at her. You haven't seen each other for a good year, but it was like not even a week passed.

- Bribe...? That man is unbribeble, I've tried! What did you bribe him with!? You better have not told him about Cabo! - the fear in her eyes was real, but you just laughed again. Oh, how much you've missed her...

- No, no embarrassing story. Just a promise. - you smiled

- Tell me, tell me! - she started jumping even though she was in high heels.

- I promised I wouldn't! - you laughed again and finally let go of her forearms.

- Oh, come on! - her disappointment seemed real, even though you knew it wasn't - That's cruel!

- You come on! Do you want me to start breaking your promises...? - she pouted and shook her head. - Then shush. And I was told you're finished for the day, so get your things and let's go! I'm starving!

You took her car to Rossi's since she was the one who would have to go to work the next day, while yours stayed safely in the parking lot; you could come back for it tomorrow. You loved how positive Penelope was and you could talk with her for hours without getting bored because she was one of few people who were actually able to follow your train of thoughts, which skipped some stations and came back to some at random.

When you were there, you took your camera and a wooden box from your bag; you never arrived anywhere empty-handed. It wasn't the first or even the second time you've met the team, so fortunately there was no awkward period of prodding questions.

- Dave! - you hugged the older man and placed a soft kiss on each of his cheeks as a greeting, while he placed a hand on your waist. - I know you're more of a red wine kind of guy, but I found this lovely Armagnac in the south of France and thought of you, so I really hope you'll like it. - you passed him the box and he immediately started reading what was burned into the wood.

- That sounds amazing, thank you so much! - he kissed your cheek, thanking you for the gift, and you finally took your heavy leather jacket off.

- Hi everyone! - and the greeting season has begun. You did your best to have a quick conversation with everyone separately, before the food would be on the table, and you thought that you managed to handle that pretty well, even if you had time to exchange only a few questions. And when the dinner officially started, you quietly stood up, took a few steps back, and quickly took a picture of everyone having fun.

- Oh yeah, I've meant to ask you for ages... - Derek almost jumped. - We all know what a great photographer you are, but what pushed you into it? - you sat back down and hang the camera on the chair before you answered.

- It's a bit of a sad story, actually... - you started - As a kid, I had a best friend... We spent every living second together, and then she got sick. And died. And when her mom asked me if I had any good pictures to use in the obituary, I... didn't. I had a total of 6 pictures of her, and none of us together. - you explained and everyone suddenly got quiet, which made you uncomfortable, but you continued, determined to get to the end. - So yeah, I became obsessed with documenting literally everything in my life, and by taking more and more pictures I got quite good without even knowing. And after years of therapy and all that shabang, I just like to have a physical reminder of good times in my life, even if it's just a selfie. - you smiled and took a sip of wine that Rossi poured you just a minute ago.

- I'm sorry you had to lose someone so young... - Hotchner was the first one to break the silence and you thanked him with a slight nod.

- Let's change the topic! Dave, did you finally get that tattoo removed? - it was a dirty move, to throw him like that under the bus, because everyone's attention instantly shifted to Rossi while you mouthed a "sorry!" in his direction, and he shook his head, pretending to disapprove, but the pretending was obvious enough that you knew he didn't mind. It was a stab in the dark the team didn't know about it because of its placement. And fortunately, Rossi kept his mouth shut, and no one even thought about asking you how exactly you knew about it, because that was a whole other conversation you weren't ready to have just yet.

But eventually, the topic naturally changed, and the team was sharing the best places to get coffee in the city, and even though you didn't like coffee, you paid close attention, because you never knew when this sort of recommendation would be useful.

After dinner and more than a few bottles of wine, you helped Dave with the dishes, while everyone else was slowly getting ready to go home. You, Penelope, and Hotch were the last ones to leave, and you couldn't help but notice that when Aaron was helping you with your jacket, his hands lingered just a bit longer than they should on your shoulders, but instead of questioning it, you blamed it on the wine. The one that you drank? because he wasn't drinking tonight... Fuck. You probably just imagined something you wanted to be there, so you said goodbye to both him and Rossi, quickly took a picture of the two of them talking in the hallway, and you were out.

- I'm gonna ask you something and I need you to be honest with me. - Penelope said in a serious tone, and you immediately got scared, because she rarely used it in your company. And to add to the stress, you were coming down the stairs still a bit buzzed, so there was a quite real risk of imminent death on your mind. - Are you sleeping with Rossi? -you immediately started laughing, but she stopped and looked at you.

- No, God no! I mean there was this one-night stand AGES ago, but that was it. I just like him as a friend. Why do you ask? - you were genuinely curious if it was just a question about a tattoo or if was there anything else.

- Well, I know that specific Armagnac is pricey because I did some research when you gave one to me. I mean, I know it was a different brand, but I still wanted to learn more. And you seem to have some sort of secret language, and the tattoo, and he poured you wine, and moved your chair when you were getting up... It's just... you seemed to be pretty close. - once she started talking there was no stopping until she got to the end.

- First, you know I don't give a fuck about money and that I can afford not to look at the prices, I just found something I knew he'd enjoy, and I knew that I will most likely be invited to dinner when I'll visit you next, so it was an investment because I hate being a guest who comes empty-handed. You and I also seem to have a secret language, considering how quickly we jump in between topics, and even though I love you, I'm never sleeping with you. I know about that tattoo from that one night, that's true... And the wine, the chair - he's a gentleman and I was a guest in his house. You guys are his family, he's more relaxed with you. With me, he's still mindful of his manners. - you explained every worry she brought up, and you ended exactly at the moment you got to her car. - Anything else? - you smiled at her because you noticed that something was still bugging her.

- Why didn't you tell me about that one-night stand...? - she asked, turning the keys in the ignition.

- Because I was embarrassed. It was the first time I visited you here… When there was something wrong with the bathroom and you were staying at Derek’s, so I opted out for a hotel...? I didn't even know you worked together then... I met him at the bar, the conversation was good, the drinks were better, and the hotel room sucked. - And 4 days later you officially introduced him to me. I was honestly surprised that none of you guys clocked how freaking embarrassed I was. - you laughed.

- Oh, they just thought that you were nervous, I remember now... You really didn't know?

- Nope, scout's honor. We had a quick conversation about it in the elevator, and that was it. - you finished explaining, looking out of the window... The view below was amazing, so you reached for the camera, lowered the window, and took a quick picture of a cacophony of white and red lights. After you closed the window and put away the camera, you looked at her and you could just tell that she wanted to ask something more, so you sighed. - Shoot.

- But like was he good? - she blurted out as soon as you gave her permission, and you immediately started laughing.

- Yes, he was very good. - you shook your head in disbelief that she actually asked you that. - Good enough for a fifth and sixth round in the morning.

- Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew! I didn't need to know THAT!

- Bitch, you asked! - now both of you were laughing. - Besides, is it really that surprising? You know I always liked older guys.

- Yeah, but I thought that Hotch would be more up your alley... - you were slowly getting closer to her home, and car conversation always hit differently. Almost like the late-night talks on the white plastic chairs on the patio.

- I didn't say he wasn't. He's not interested though, so I'm not going there. - you said, getting back to looking through the window.

- How do you know he's not interested? - she gasped before she continued. - Did he say something!?

- No, he just never showed any interest, and I'm usually pretty good at knowing when someone is interested. - you smiled, even though she couldn't see it.

- Oh, ok then... Just so you know, and I'm not saying that he is, or that if he is, you would need my permission or anything, but if he was... I wouldn't mind. - she said, parking in the driveway, and you couldn't help but chuckle, considering how she reacted to the news about you and Dave.

- I'll remember that. - you replied while getting out of the car.

The next day you woke up much later than you usually did, but it's not like you had anywhere to be, so you took a quick shower, and after taking a look in the fridge, you decided to eat breakfast somewhere else before you'd get your car from BAU garage.

But when you got out of the apartment, you couldn't help but notice a beautiful park down the street, and you could definitely take some lovely pictures there. And you were right, because you encountered a group of friends who decided that it was a perfect time for a picnic with paint-by-number canvases, and they were all dressed up in beautiful dresses, so when you offered to capture some magic for them, they instantly agreed. You showed them the results and after exchanging contact information, you promised to get them the photos in a week, when you'll edit them.

And since you didn't exactly know the city, you decided to take a shot in the dark, and when you got into the taxi, you asked the driver to take you to the best breakfast place in her opinion in the city, doesn't matter how far. And she did. It took more than 20 minutes, but it was totally worth it because she took you to this Georgian hole-in-a-wall place that was a mix of bakery and restaurant.

You bought a bunch of stuff for the team because it's not like you'll just go there, get into your car and leave.

And as soon as you were leaving, you recognized the cafe on the other side of the street from the conversation yesterday, and you just couldn't ignore it; it was Hotchner's favorite coffee, and you liked making people happy, so you stepped in, and requested the order he mentioned. You also requested for it to be put into your thermal bottle, and asked for a paper cup on the side, because you remembered that he was specifically talking about the blue pattern on the white background, and how it reminded him of the summer sky, and you didn't want for the coffee to get cold.

You had to order an Uber to get to the BAU, because there were no taxis in sight, but you eventually got there. Still armed with your visitor's pass, you were able to get into the building and to the 6th floor, but before you caught anyone's attention, you quickly snatched a picture of Morgan joking about something with Reid at his desk, and next Emily laughing at whatever he said.

- Surprise delivery! - you finally exclaimed when you put a cover back on your lens. - Hi everyone! - you walked over to them and put a paper bag full of goodies on Reid’s desk. - I'm not sure where the kitchen here is, but everything is fresh and was still warm when I was buying it.

- You're an angel! After yesterday I overslept and didn't have time for breakfast! - Em quickly started to go through all the baked goods.

- Just remember to share. By the way - Hotch's office...? I have a small surprise for him. - you asked, and Derek pointed at the door upstairs right before he started rummaging through the bag. - Thanks! - you playfully shoved your hip against his and he just laughed. - There's more than enough for everyone, so no hoarding! - you joked and started climbing up the stairs but before you knocked, you quickly took the paper cup from the bag, filled it with a still-hot coffee, and turned on your camera, wanting to catch his reaction when he saw the cup.

- Come in! - he answered after you knocked at the door, and as soon as you entered, he gently smiled, but that smile became huge when he noticed what you were holding in your left hand. And that's when you took a picture, immortalizing it for ages. - You didn't! - you never saw him not composed.

- Oh but I did! It was an accident, but I thought you could use a pick-me-up... I know how hard you all work. - you passed the cup to him, and you noticed that he carefully paced his fingers around it in such a way, that they wouldn't touch yours. - There is also a breakfast from that Georgian place on the other side of the street, but that's downstairs. - you added, and he took the lid off the cup and just inhaled the scent.

- It's my order! It's perfect... Thank you very much, Y/n. How can I repay you...? - he asked, and finally took a first sip, and his face instantly relaxed; you didn't have to be a profiler to just know, it was his guilty pleasure, and you took another quick picture, wanting to remember that. You established that boundary the first time you met the team, and everyone was more than fine with you taking pictures of them, as long as you didn't post them anywhere without consulting with them first, and you never intended to cross that line.

- Oh, come on, it's just a coffee... - you were completely serious, but so was he. - Ok, fine... How about a picture together? I don't think I actually have one of just us. - he gently shook his head because he couldn’t believe that it was all you wanted in return.

- Ok. - he stood up. - How do you want me? - Oh, I want you in so many ways, all right...

- No specific pose... Just be natural and stand just a bit behind me... And let's face the window, so the light will be good. - you directed while flipping the screen, so you would be able to make sure that you were both in the frame and that the cup he was holding was visible. You held the camera at the angle making sure that the shadow wouldn't land on either of you, and Hotch leaned in a bit, so the height difference between you two wasn't abysmal.

You took a quick series of photos to choose the best one later.

- Now we're even. - you smiled and put the cover over the lens. - It was good to see you, but I'm gonna head out... I don't want to interrupt your work.

- Thank you for the coffee, it honestly made my day... - he replied, still smiling, and warming his hands with the cup. - See you at trivia night tomorrow?

- You know it! - you laughed and left his office.

Later that evening, you were editing the pictures you took of a group in the park when Derek arrived with dinner. It's not like you or Penelope couldn't cook, but just... takeout was much tastier. Pen was taking a bath after a long day, so it was only natural to talk. You showed him the pictures, before and after of a few you already edited and he was impressed.

- Emmm... Derek... If I ask for your objective opinion as a profiler and ask you not to tell anyone, would you do it? - you asked when you skipped a few pictures too far and something caught your eye.

- Sure, cupcake... What do you want to know? - he was immediately in, not even knowing what it was about.

- I'm serious about it, ok...? Objectivity is key. - you clarified once more, and he just sighed.

- I promise. Now spill... - you turned the screen of your laptop in his direction.

- Tell me what you see. Not who, but what, ok...? - you requested. The picture in question was a selfie that you took earlier that day of you and Hotchner. It was the first one in a quick series, and somehow you managed to capture something you completely missed in his office... While you were looking directly at the camera with a smile, he was looking at you with an expression you've never seen on his face before, and which you could only describe as... soft.

- Damn. Shit. Ok. - Morgan almost choked on his beer. He was obviously torn, having to analyze Hotchner's body language and expression, but at the same time, you could tell that he already did that instinctively.

- So? - you rushed him because you didn't want Pen to see or overhear the verdict.

- Oh, he's definitely into you. And hides it very fucking well, because none of us realized, and we pick up on the smallest shit... - he took a sip of his drink and you sighed, your heart both heavy and light at the same time.

- And remember, not a word about it. To anyone. You promised. - you said and closed the window with said picture in it.

- I know... Are you going to do anything about it...? - he asked, but before you managed to answer, Pen came out of the bathroom, all pampered after her bath, so you only shrugged in response, but both of you knew that was a lie.

- Uuu! Dinner! What are we having? - Pen asked, completely missing the atmosphere in the room, but as soon as she spoke, you reigned back in your feelings and focused your whole attention on her.

The rest of the evening was uneventful, well - besides Derek trying to cheat in Monopoly, but that was it.

But when there was time to go to bed, and you were alone in the guest bedroom, you couldn't help but open and diligently study every pixel of the picture of you and Aaron.

You've spent the whole morning overthinking what should you do, which wasn't exactly your style, because usually you just did what you wanted, but with him... You didn't want to screw anything up by being too bold, or too timid, and you found yourself just pacing around the apartment to the point that you were able to navigate it with your eyes closed. But finally, you got to the "fuck it" moment.

You ordered an Uber again, hoping that your pass haven't expired just yet, and the closer you were to the BAU, the more nervous you got. But screw that fear. Be afraid and do it anyway, at least that's what Carrie Fisher said, and who were you to disagree with a princess fucking Leia.

You stood in front of the building for a good minute before you actually dared to enter it, but after you did, everything else was a blur until you were standing in Aaron's office. You weren't even sure if you said hi to the team, or if they were even there.

- Y/N, what are...? - he looked at you with a pure surprise painted on his face.

- I'm going to show you something. And then I'm going to give you a minute to do something about it. And if you won't react, I'll leave, and we won't speak about it ever again. Ok? - you interrupted him with a much more confident tone, than you expected to come from your mouth. He still looked confused, but cautiously nodded, because whatever you were talking about - it didn't sound that scary. That was until you turned your phone in his direction, and he could see a picture of the two of you. Seemingly innocent, but the second he saw it, he knew he fucked up.

He couldn't look away from the photo for a good moment, thoughts racing in his head faster than in any life-or-death situation he was ever in. And then it hit him... You didn't want him to explain because you already knew... You were giving him the opportunity to actually do something about it or leave it behind forever. The instant that thought entered his mind, he found himself holding your face in his hands and leaning in to kiss you, not caring in the slightest that anyone could simply walk into his office, hell - he wasn't even sure if you closed the door behind you, because the only thing that mattered right now was, well... you.

And you were so lost in sensation, that you didn't realize that the phone slipped from your hand and landed on the carpeted floor, somewhere before your hands found their way to his neck, trying to pull him even closer than he already was. You felt the warmth radiating throughout your body from every point your bodies touched, fueling the fire that was roaring in between both of your lips. He was demanding and tender at the same time, but you quickly started fighting him for a lead in this dance, and at first, he resisted clinging to the control he still had, but as soon as you wrapped his red tie around your fist and harshly pulled on it, he yielded, and you were now in charge of the pace... And you slowed down, savoring every move, every touch, every breath... The rush already forgotten, because you were showing him that there was no reason to hurry; you weren't going anywhere, and even when this kiss will end, there will be many, many more...

And in the end, he was the first one to back up, although he didn't take his hands from your neck.

- I guess I wasn't as good at hiding it as I thought I was... - he finally broke the silence.

- Oh no, you were. I was convinced for years that you weren't interested... I only realized yesterday, when I saw this picture. Out of the 11 I took; it was the only one. But I have a question... - he moved his hands from your neck first to your shoulders and then to your waist. He raised an eyebrow, which let you know that you could ask that question now. - Why didn't you just say something? - he sighed quietly and started studying your face as if the answer was written somewhere in between your freckles.

- Well, first of all - you're much younger than me, you're living on the other side of the country, and you're Penelope's... - he hesitated for a moment - …"bestest friend in a whole wide world"...? - you couldn't help the light chuckle that escaped from your chest. - And I didn't want things to become awkward.

- Oh, they will still become awkward, but that's normal in the beginning stages of every relationship, so there is no avoiding that. - it's not like he didn't know that, but you weren't sure what else to say, your mind still a little bit foggy.

- Does that mean you would be open to considering a relationship with me? - he asked as if that wasn't obvious.

- No, Aaron. I just came here to throw a hissy fit, and leave... - he laughed quietly, seeing your smile.

- I like how my name sounds on your lips... - he said much quieter, gently stroking your hips with his thumbs.

- Then I will start saying it more... But I think now you should get back to work. - you finally took your hands from his neck, and he released your hips, taking a step back. And as soon as he did, there was a quiet crack, and when you looked down, you realized that he stepped on your phone and cracked the screen.

- Fuck. - you never heard him wear before. - I'm sorry, I'll buy you a new one... - he was so apologetic, and you couldn't help but smile.

- It's fine, honestly... It's just a thing, and I wanted to buy a new one anyway, so don't worry. - he leaned down and assessed the damage, before passing the phone back to you. There was no way you could continue using it in the long run.

- I insist. - well, how could you argue with that? - And let me call you a taxi, since... - he started offering, but you cut him off.

- I wanted to hang with Pen anyways, so there is no need. We're still up for a trivia night tonight, right...? - he nodded, and before you left, he grabbed your hand and pulled it closer to his lips to place a soft kiss on the back of it, without breaking eye contact with you. - And a proper date tomorrow...? - a huge smile bloomed on his face, and he confirmed with a slight nod. - Great, you can choose a place and pick me up at 6. - and with that, you were gone from his office, but the echo of your lips on his, stayed with him for the whole day.

A/N 2: Please don’t feel obligated/pressured to reblog, because I write mostly for myself. A comment would be appreciated though :) Love, G.

#my writing #Criminal Minds fanfiction #Aaron Hotchner fanfiction #Aaron Hotchner x reader #aaron hotchner x y/n #🖤

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threebooksoneplot · 1 year ago

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Question for G :)) how was your fanauthor workshop experience? I don't know if I should apply it sounds interesting but at the same time almost no reviews or whatsoever. Thank you!

well I ended up doing it a second time, so I'd say it was pretty damn good! I think the reason there are "no reviews" is mostly due to tumblr's format not really lending itself to that? @fanauthorworkshop isn't marketing itself as a product so much as a pedagogical (educational) extension of the existing fandom gift economy—an exchange where you both learn stuff and share/teach stuff!

this answer is mildly off-podcast-topic and it's gonna get super long and wordy, so it's under a cut lol you're welcome

my Fanauthor Workshop experience

personally, I found the FAW perfect for me. I was at the point in my fic writing where I was getting some lovely comments and glowing praise, but also wishing the world in general took fanfiction more seriously, as a craft to be practiced and discussed, something with both intrinsic and literary merit. @bettsfic's first episode as a guest on Fansplaining really resonated with me and kind of spoke to that desire (it's a must-listen for anyone on the fence about applying to the FAW!!)

but I had never studied creative writing at a university level, and barely knew what a crit letter was. I found the FAW was the perfect way to learn that sort of thing in a low-stress environment! I didn't struggle with feelings of burdensome obligation the way I had with schoolwork; rather I was excited to read everyone else's writing and see what it had to teach me. I also loved having an appropriate venue to air all my writing opinions, lol. I found I was so motivated that I managed to attend every FAW session even though it conflicted with family vacations two years in a row. I wrote crit letters from the lobby of a restaurant in a national park because it was the only place with wifi. I even Zoomed into one session from a random public library in Durango, where I managed to alarm everyone else in the irl vicinity with my enthusiastic discussion of fictional cannibalism (shoutout to the story we workshopped that day, it SLAPPED.)

personally, I approached the FAW with the very specific goal of Having Fun first and letting the writing stuff come second (ie, not putting too much pressure on myself when it came to choosing and polishing my own workshop pieces, and not worrying too much about how they were received.) I still ended up getting some AMAZING critiques and responses to my two (very different) pieces—I was deeply impressed by everyone's insights, how much they were able to pick up on, and how willing they were to meet me at my level. the other pieces we workshopped ranged all over the place in technical ability, from "giohvnsksbnf this writing is so good I'm gonna fucking eat glass" to "this person is clearly just starting out as a writer, but even if their prose has some technical mistakes, their story has Good Bones and their critiques and discussion observations have been spot on."

my big secondary goal was to Make Friends and there I succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. I now have SO many cool FAW mutuals, a few of which I have hung out with IRL and the rest of which I totally WOULD hang out with IRL if given the opportunity. they're all uniquely creative and clever people who I probably wouldn't have met otherwise, so that's kind of the biggest Win for me. it's so cool knowing I have all these people I could DM out of the blue and be like "hey, would you mind looking over this short story/beta-ing this fic chapter?" and end up with some great insights. there's also an FAW Discord where anyone can kind of bring fandom- and writing-related questions to the floor, as well as share recs and self-promote projects (or in my case, recruit podcast guests who I know have been pre-screened for both their chill lack of pearl-clutching and their basic fiction-analyzing skills, lol.)

I would recommend the Fanauthor Workshop if:

you're a self-taught writer who's done most of your learning in the fanfiction space and you're curious about how writing is actually taught in academic settings

alternatively, you're a writer from an academic background who chafes at some of the more restrictive rules in traditional workshops/you're tired of the irl Guy in Your MFA -types who refuse to or can't engage with your work on its level

you're ok with doing some "homework" (writing two crit letters per week) on the honor system

you're down to read original work in a wide variety of genres/read fic from fandoms you're not in (maybe even fandoms/pairings/characters you don't personally like)

you like what you read in @oficmag

you wish fanfiction was taken more seriously as a craft

your favorite trad-published writers all seem to be workshop alumni (eg: I swear half of my favorite writers are Clarion grads)

you have work you'd like to publish and/or submit someday but you're not sure if it's ready/not sure where to start

you follow writing advice blogs or send them asks

you wish people would leave "concrit" (constructive criticism) on your fics

you wish people would leave concrit on your fics but you're worried they might be too mean or not "get" your work

you wish people would analyze your work and give critique without letting their personal value judgments get in the way (and you're ready to do the same in turn)

you worry your work is too niche, kinky, queer, romance-focused, or "weird" for a traditional workshop (note: but it doesn't have to be any of these things. people also workshopped gen and the equivalent of coffee shop AUs!)

you'd like to hear perspectives that don't come from cishet dudes

you enjoy Class Participation and discussions (or maybe you're no longer a student and miss that kind of thing!)

you think @bettsfic seems like a good teacher (spoiler: she REALLY is)

you like the idea of a creative writing class with no grades or possibility of "failure"

you'd like to meet people you probably wouldn't meet in any other setting, and make some cool friends from other fandoms

if even a couple of these bullet points sound like you, you'd probably get a lot out of the FAW!! I hope the next session of FAW-ers have a blast. I'll be lurkin the Discord rooting for y'all

#asks #fanauthor workshop #anonymous

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kuwdora · 9 months ago

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Okay, a late entry for the January posting meme... January 21 - what's one of your favorite fandom related memories? lyntergalactic

I have so many favorite memories, it’s very hard to pick one….. but it is Festivids Eve so I’m gonna talk about my excitement about this vid exchange. Cause it’s my favorite moment right now because I feel like I’m staying up late with milk and cookies waiting for Santa to arrive. I have so many great memories and VID RECS in this long post.

Festivids started in 2009 as a vid exchange for rare fandoms. Which was great because I think a lot of vidders really needed this so we could celebrate and get exposed to a whole bunch of new small and rare fandoms, unheard of media and literary sources that hadn't been really been vidded before.

Each year there’s a guest-the-vidder post, and @bingeling has been great about organizing live watches on discord. Sometimes I miss a few vids here and there during the initial weekend of go-live because it’s SO MANY VIDS, but then I always catch people’s recs or vid posts in the following weeks.

It’s just a joy to keep finding new things that I never realized I wanted and needed in my life because there’s so many interesting media and books out there to make vids for and people’s imaginations and technical skills continue to blow my mind.

Way back in 2009 when I signed up for the very first exchange I got assigned to Sol-se and matched up on the source/fandom that I had introduced her to: Little Mosque on the Prairie. We literally spent weeks months and years talking about Little Mosque on the Prairie, being a fandom of two. AO3 was in its early days yet so there wasn’t even any fic, okay. So when I got matched up, made the vid, the guest the vidder post happened and everyone guessed it was me. Everyone likes to claim that they made all the vids so I said that I indeed did make it, of course I did. Yet I was still able to cast doubt in Sol-se’s mind about whether or not I had made it because?? Who knew, maybe there was someone else who happened to get into the show and make an awesome vid for it. It was very fun hypothesizing with her in DMs about who could have made the vid if it wasn’t in fact me. It all comes back to love.

The first vid I made for Festivids in 2009: All For Swinging You Around.

Little Mosque on the Prairie. Ensemble. LOVE. Y’all I had bought Little Mosque DVDs through the CBC website back in the day and was still learning how to rip things. Aspect ratios. Scan lines. It was a TIME I do not miss. Though I do still have the DVDs and probably could rip them better now.

My other favorite memories from festivids is (aside from all of the vids) are the vids made for ME over the years!

2009 When You’re Strange by colls, a Sanctuary vid featuring music by Echo and the Bunnyman. A++ song choice and Amanda Tapping’s face will always inspire me. Sanctuary did so much with so little and this is such a great vid for a fantastic lil’ genre Canadian show.

2012 Meant to Fly by e-transitions. This is a Modern Family vid focusing on Manny, Gloria and Jay who were my favorite of the extended family on that show. Manny in particular is my favorite! This is Nicki Minaj’s Starships and it’s super sweet and endearing look at family coming together and reaching new heights together. And shenanigans. All of my favorites things.

2013 Fame by chaila (also on tumblr here). This is a vid for the show Transparent and focuses on Maura. Do you know what it’s like to get a gift from someene whose fanworks you have loved and admired for years?? I was so blown away by the cover chaila found for this vid. Mree’s vocals are so evocative and still has this powerful determination in the vocals. It’s really, incredibly moving. I was so lucky to receive a gift like this.

2015 Simple Machine by sol-se. This is for a 2014 webseries called Caper which I can’t even remember how I found. I think I was on an Amy Berg kick and was trying to watch everything she’s written for. The vid focuses on Penny who is an inventor who created a super suit and of course a white dude came along and tried to take credit for all of her inventions and hero’ing, so that’s what this vid follows. The show was incredibly dorky and sweet. Superhero fanfic, low-budget staffed with people who were able to call in a lot of favors for cameos along the way. The show also has Beth Riesfgraf and Harry Shrum, too! Along with a few others.

And of course Solvi delighted in being able to make me a vid for ANOTHER SHOW where we were a fandom of two. :D the vid is great and I have a strong affinity for Guster’s music because I listened to so many of sdwolfpup’s vids with that music when I first started vidding.

2019 I GOT SIX VIDS in 2019. I pretty much cried when go-live happened because??? How??? I guess I just had really appealing requests that year. So let me tell you about them.

Little Lion Leo by turquoisetumult. This is for the AMC version of Humans which is a parallel present/scifi show based on the Swedish version of the show Äkta människor. I had actually vidded Leo for the Swedish version but I really really adored Colin Morgan’s portrayal of Leo Elster. Mumford and Sons is such a mainstay in vidding circles and for good reason: the musicality is so gripping and the vocals area always so intense and lovely. That means it’s perfect for Leo and his angst and pain. THE BLOOD! The feelings. Trying to survive with his synth family in a world that wants to end them.

I just rewatched the vid and I immediately want to rewatch the show now, omg. Gemma Chan was extraordinary in the show and the show had a fantastic approach to discussing the the ethics and actual legal standing of artificial humans that I hadn’t other shows touch upon that well.

Raising Hell by bingeling which is a vid for the movie Ready or Not which was one of my favorite movies from 2019. Samara Weaving and that wedding dress getting progressively more fucked up throughout the film as she fucks up the that shitty family?? Kill the bad rich people, those fuckers.Beautiful. Cathartic. This is on top of the well-known fact that I fucking love Kesha’s music (I’ve vidded Kesha 9 times since 2010). Bingeling’s editing here is punchy as hell and this SONG!!!!!!! It makes me crack the fuck up, especially with the lyrics at 1:49. It’s perfect. My heart. My heart. Kesha! Everyone is trying to murder her and she murders them instead. Badass woman with a wedding dress, bandolier and sneakers.

Pity Party by winterevanesce. This is also for Ready or Not. Phenomenal song choice. I have no idea who the artist is and never heard of her before but that doesn’t matter. This song was made for this vid. The editing on this vid is orgasmic. I literally am slack-jawed each time I watch this vid. I cannot emphasize that enough. I love it when people know exactly what I want and need in my vidding soul.

The Middle by turquoisetumult. This is a Fleabag vid! Featuring Fleabag and Fleabag/Priest. It’s a poignant cover of the song, too! It’s so sweet and makes me ache so much for Fleabag because heyooo, shit is hard, esp when you tend to fuck things up along the way. I love how this vid makes want her to do better and have better things in her life. That hope! So good.

When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? By starlady. Star Trek Discovery, Mirror Philippa and Michael. This is to Billie Eilish’s song “Bury a Friend” which I had never heard before but it is dark. It is sexy. The tone of the song and the synth-y beats and clicks drive me up the wall with the editing in the vid. Philippa’s sinister competence. That confidence. Starlady and I go way, way back and of course she could make me something that hits ALL OF MY FUCKING BUTTONS. I have long been vocal about how much I love Star Trek and women. And villain women and anti-heroes. Hhhhhnngh. Dark sexy vid of my Empress.

You Should See Me in a Crown, by AurumCalendula. Star Trek Discovery, Mirror Philippa. TO BILLIE EILISH. Because Billie Eilish's music screams Philippa! lmao. Everybody knows exactly what my fucking type is and I AM HERE FOR IT FOREVER. This vid features more of the Mirrorverse episodes and Philippa and HHHHNNGHHHHH. I am so loved by being seen because y’all know me so well. Aurum’s editing always has me glued to the screen. I am also here for Philippa’s face, oh my god. NOTE: Click on the dropbox link in the end notes to stream it. Aurum’s got all their videos private while dealing with some copyright strikes on their account (ugh YouTube).

Those are just the vids made for me. There are many more vids that I have recced for festivids over the years and so much more to come!

The 2023 Festivids Collection currently has 137 fanvids and 111 fandoms right now. A bounty!! Barbie vid! Bottoms1 Cycling RPF?! Vids for books! Hong Kong action films! Janelle Monae and musicals. And more omg.

Festivids. Featuring lots of great fannish memories and great vids. Highly recommend. It's also been a great way for people getting into vidding to make their first vid, too! I love this exchange.

#i haven't participated since 2019 because i have absolutely only wanted to vid the witcher netflix and games the last few years lol #i still have 3 witcher vids planned for the upcoming year and probably more after that. also need to revisit vidding the games #January posting meme #january posting meme 2024 #festivids #vids #fanvids #vidding #viddingdora #squeedora #fan vids #vid rec

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inexplicablymine · 1 year ago

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IM ATTACKING YOU RIGHT BACK 🧚‍♀️🧚‍♀️🧚‍♀️ how did you get into fandom/writing fic and how do you come up with inspiration for fic ideas? is there a specific place or time of day that strikes you?

Ahem… BUCKLE IN FOLKS this is a long af answer but I have the time. So sit down with your popcorn. Lola this all your fault 🥰

How did you get into fandom: I have (brace yourselves) read in fandom for over 15 years before participating in any way shape or form outside of just enjoying it from the comfort of my screen. I read or watched something many moons ago and said I want more and tada I was initiated. But I stuck around for so long because of the sheer creativity, and talent, and ingenuity of people globally to come together and say “we want more and if you won’t give us more we will do it ourselves.”

I was that reader that lurked with guest kudos and left random inane comments from accounts you could never trace back to one place. When I mean read I mean… if I did have an AO3 account or an ffnet account during that period of time, the sheer number of works in the history would be of concern to everyone.

How did you get into writing fic: As for writing in general, I have a stack of journals I’ve kept since middle school, and an itch in my fingers that feels like I am broken if I am not writing. From the minute I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up “author” was the answer and it’s always sat at the back of my subconscious like one of those rocks in the bottom of your shoe. There are too many stories rattling around in my head that want to get out, but I took a break for 8 years of writing anything except my journal entries because the world can be a cruel place.

I started writing again just this year in June, and it was really a case of “write the things you want to see in the world,” + it’s time to get back on the horse + the thirst to participate more than just sit on the outside peering in at the inside jokes of chapter end notes and tumblr links I never clicked on. I joined a single discord, had a breakdown, and bon appetite here we are 3 months later with an actual AO3 account, a Tumblr, and a WIP list that is at least 15 works long 4 of which are 25+ chapter outlines.

(This truly was fueled by an idea I had this March for a RWRB full length mystery novel law-case thriller that I could NOT get out of my head, it now has 37 chapters outlined and is getting written this fall/winter to be posted next year)

Where does your inspiration come from: My inspiration comes from everything everywhere all at once. (Not meant to be a reference but it was too good not to use). A not so succinct list of places I’ve found inspiration:

the truth is stranger than fiction: my first day post for FirstPrince week is a “there was only one tent” situation that actually happened on a camping trip this summer. I screamed internally the entire time it was going down.

Songs: I could never write while listening to music except I absolutely will imagine storylines from it. The song Delilah by Mikolas Josef and Mark Neve is going to produce a smutty RWRB one shot of a ski weekend hookup

Co-Authoring: I am currently working on two different co-authored fics. One with @celaestis1 that was just us lovingly yelling at eachother in the DM’s until an outline was made and now every chapter we write makes me more and more giddy. The other is a RWRB x PJO au with @read-and-write- and @userd0esn0texist that is genuinely the most ridiculous fun I have ever had plotting. There is a full blown super six prophecy y’all are not ready.

Prompts: my first two works ever (ever!) were based off of the same prompt for a gift fic exchange. “Don’t look at me I thought we were getting ice cream” (you can read the results of that prompt here or here) I’m participating in @thebrownstone FirstPrince Week which has 7 prompts and @halloweenhuh with two different prompts as well. Sometimes it’s the best way to get the juices flowing.

Asking for it: if someone asks “hey is there a fic that does this” and I haven’t found it, it is really easy to think “hmmm but maybe I could write it” and then the dominos fall and I’m stuck with a problem of my own creation

Fulfilling a need or gap in the fandom: honestly, my current WIP I’m posting is an Ace!Alex fic because well… we need more ace fic in general, but also more ace fic that is happy, and positive, and loving. I love a good whump fic as much as the next person, but sometimes you just need some serious fluff. (Also my first two fics are Demi!Alex so maybe I have just stumbled into this on accident though many of my upcoming fics differ from this pattern)

I want it I got it: truly most of my WIP’s started from a “wouldn’t it be funny” idea that then morphed very quickly into an out of control spiral in my notes app.

Betas: the backbone of fandom and honestly the people who help me take incoherent ramblings and make them something readable. So many amazing ideas come from betas leaving comments in my gdocs and for that I am forever thankful

Is there a specific place or time of day that strikes you?: HA I uhhhhhh will wake up in a cold sweat at 4:37 in the morning with a fic idea, I’ll come up with one walking to work, I’ll get an idea standing in like for groceries. Genuinely my notes app is always open. All of the random ideas I get from a line, to a more fleshed out plot idea go into a note or the matching doc called “table scraps” and then if they evolve from there they get their own note or document for them.

First 🧚🧚 Nice Ask Day 🧚🧚 answer and I can’t wait to ask/answer more

#nice ask day #ao3 #red white and royal blue #fanfiction #inexplicablymine answers #ao3 author #author ask game #inexplicablymine

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trashyswitch · 9 months ago

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Update

As of last weekend, I had decided to dedicate my fanfic writing times to only the weekends. Before now, I had been writing every time I had a spare moment. Though this sounds unhealthy, it was actually my chosen hobby for wind-down time. But with school being my number 1 priority right now, I decided to make the weekends my wind down time. Meaning my writing will only happen on the weekends. So that means my chance of uploading fanfics will lessen to the weekends. See more by clicking ‘Keep Reading’!

School has been going well, albeit very busy. I just had my first test today, and I feel pretty good about it. The classes involve a lot of reading and note-taking, which is what is taking up a lot of my time now. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been manageable.

I’m making friends in-person (something I’ve struggled with for at least 2 years), and I even got to meet an online friend in-person last weekend! Shoutout to @gamequeenanya! With me in a city for college, we were a lot closer! Meaning we could finally meet in-person and hang out! It was AMAZING! We took Polaroids, exchanged gifts, went thrift shopping, and had a lot of fun together! I look forward to the next hang out day!! ❤️

I went grocery shopping at Walmart yesterday, and even bought myself the Five Nights at Freddy’s Movie on DVD!

I’m SO HAPPY! I considered buying myself a FNAF poster, but I changed my mind. I can’t splurge on everything…I have to save at least some money.

My new schedule will be:

Tuesday: Class all day/time with friends

Wednesday: Class in Morning & clean up day @ dorm

Thursday: Class/time with friends

Friday-Monday: Free Time for Tumblr (writing/uploading/updating), extra time for studying & cleaning,

OR:

going home to spend time with family!

So that’s my plans for the next while! Updates are likely going to be every weekend. So look out for this weekend’s fanfic! I believe the next one will be a Super Mario Wonder fanfic based on Loody (from AO3)’s prompt!

So, there’s the update. I’ll see you this weekend! ❤️

~Pocket

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lynxmoonrising · 4 months ago

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An Introduction Post

Hello hello! ♡ This is my blog about my practice and journey. Scroll below for the blog, posts, reblogs and chaos.

🌿 About Me Debs | She/her | Slavic | Living in Ireland

Aside from the magical and spiritual I am also a big bookworm, friend of nature, 90s Geocities Internet nostalgee, husky mom, cat mom, chinchilla mom, music nerd, singer, pianist writer, occasional artist, obsessive tea drinker, wannabe scientist, behaviorist, dog trainer, pet care advisor, lover of travel, dragon enthusiast, carebear collector, Heroes of Might and Magic devotee-- I mean fan, comic book geek, Halloween queen, knitter/crocheter, amateur genealogist, polyglot, a fun lesbian aunt(I have no nieces or nephew. I'm your aunt now), Duolingo streak bragging person, crafty crafter, and an autistic wreck whose sensory issues all go away as soon as it's grey and rainy outside, or better yet, as soon as Autumn arrives. (I dislike Summer with a passion.)

You can usually find me straying off a path and heading deeper into the forest, reading a book, doing magical wibbly-wobbly stuff, listening to or playing music that ranges from 80s glam metal through classical through Dutch rap to symphonic metal, studying an outrageous topic the average person has no interest in hearing of, writing, or having a breakdown over having to clean the house. (Hey, breakdowns are healthy. I promise. They are. I promisewhydoesittakeme5hourstocleanmykitchen?!)

I'm super-duper-Alice-Cooper friendly, and a real chatterbox, so if you want to ask me anything, talk to me about your own practice, ask me for advice or info, get a reading, get help with your own reading, or literally just talk, I'm a message away!

I used to be on Tumblr years ago and organized a yearly Pagan/Witchcraft Themed Gift Exchange for a couple of years. Keep you eyes peeled as I am going to bring this back this year!

Oh, and I kind of really love dragons.

🕸️ My practice I have had a pull to the divine and spiritual since I was a child, being approached by Kemetic deities when I was very young but have been actively practicing for 13 years. As you can see from my personal blurb above, I'm a pretty mixed and positively chaotic person, and my spiritual practice is no different. I love to help in any and all aspects that I'm familiar with, and I'm also always constantly learning myself(I'm kind of obsessed with continuous learning). I'm a spiritual sponge and absorb whatever I work with and get happily attached to my deities, spirits and practices, so I don't ever really stop practicing something. Here are some but not all branches of my path:

Kemetic devotee

Slavic polytheist

Freja & Skadi Follower (Restarting my relationship with Them after some years)

Solitary eclectic hedge witch (Ask me to elaborate if you wish)

Hecate Follower (Beginner)

Spirit work

Ancestry/communication with the dead

Nature work

Draconic magic

Constant personal study of mythology, history, language and culture of the paths I follow and others.

Pagan: There's a lot, I know. If you struggle with describing my practice when talking about me, you can just call me "pagan".

🔮 What I Do

Divination (Cards, runes, tea leaves, incense smoke, candle flame and wax, crystals, Slavic divination, and others)

Sigils

Herbal Recipes*

Crystal prescriptions*

Spells

Rituals (Ask me for details)

Devotional writing (Prayers, poetry, hymns)

Devotional art (of any deity, even if I don't follow Them)

Animal/pet healing*

* Important disclaimer = * = I do not give medical healing or medical prescriptions. I am NOT a licensed medical professional. I have education and extensive work experience in animal health/illness/first aid and care but I am NOT a vet. None of my prescriptions or healing include medical diagnoses or the use of medicine. Please consult with a medical professional for physical ailments, disease, injury, mental health. My crystal and herbal prescriptions and healing are not to be used as a substitute for professional medical/mental health help. They are there to be used as a boost and cleansing of energy and spirit, and can be used in conjunction with already-prescribed professional treatments. For herbal recipes, please ensure you are aware of any contraindications and interactions with anything you may already be taking.

DNI if you're a cun- please be nice. We're a respectful bunch. Don't talk shit about mental illnesses, I have some too. (A whole alphabet of abbreviations, I'm at a point where I'm anticipating a diagnosis of PhD.) See? We can laugh about our own mental health for the sake of healing, but don't be a judgy bitch. If you're in any way a homophobe, transphobe, acephobe, arophobe, anyone else who falls under the category of LGBTQI+phobe, racist, ableist, and insert any other shitty quality here. Also, I'm an adult, I talk about adult things, I don't post explicit things but there may be mentions of adult stuff or sexyjokes. So if you're a minor, well, I can't stop you from using the internet so it's your own risk what you do on the web, but be safe, and I'll tag anything that mentions that kind of stuff as "ac mention"(stands for adult content mention) - you might wanna block that tag. Also if I follow anyone and you don't want me to follow you let me know and I'll unfollow.

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medusapelagia · 9 months ago

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Black and Gold - Steddie VDay Exchange

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I got super lucky and my Valentine was @jellyfish-confetti who made an incredible art for me (thank you so much!) that you can either find here on Tumblr or in the uncensored version on Twitter.

And now it's my turn to share my fic for the Steddie VDay Exchange! (And my first 9x9 moodboard!)

Does a Magical/Medieval/Soulmates/Supernatural AU make sense? I don't know but I had a lot of fun writing it and I hope Salchica (my giftee) will like it!

Rating: Mature Relationship: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson TW: vampires, blood, implied reference to torture, injuries, character death (read the note on AO3) WC: 10751

READ ON AO3

A little snippet under the cut

Eddie sighs, looking at the boy at his side who is avoiding him as much as he can, which is quite hard given the fact they are sitting so close next to each other. It would be almost fun if the boy wasn’t his future husband and this wasn’t their engagement dinner. “Do you like music?” He asks, to break the ice. The chestnut-haired boy at his side lifts his eyes for the first time in the entire evening and stares at Eddie, confused. “So… sorry?” He stutters, trying his best to be polite. “I asked you if you like music.” Eddie repeats. “I do. Is that a problem?” “What kind of music?” Eddie asks again. “I… I don’t know?” The boy replies, unsure. Eddie smiles fondly at the terrified boy “You don’t have to lie to me.” Eddie whispers, then he penetrates the weak defenses of the boy's mind and tells him with his psychic powers "I can read your mind." The boy startles, almost falling from the chair, but Eddie is quick to grab him, letting his fangs show when he smiles at him and chuckles "Did you forget?" "No, no, I didn't, it's just... it's the first time that has happened to me." That's something Eddie can understand, it was Eddie's decision to let the boy live with his parents even though he was showing the vampire mark. He wanted him to enjoy his life as much as he could, knowing that they wouldn’t get married until the boy’s twenty-first birthday. At the time it seemed only fair to let him stay with his family till the day of the wedding. The vampire stares at the boy: his cheeks are blushing with a sweet shade of red and his heart is beating fast and loud. He takes a quick glimpse of the boy's memory and sees him studying books about vampires, texts so old they are still full of superstitions. "I don't know what these people taught you,” the vampire says, pointing to the general direction of the room, “but you don't have to be scared of me. You are my soulmate and I will never hurt you, no matter what." The boy stares at the vampire, his lower lip trembling when he asks "Aren't you... aren't you going to kill me?" "Yes and... no.” he whispers with a smirk “I will give you the gift of eternal life." "By killing me."

#black and gold

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erabundus · 10 months ago

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@momijiba &&. said... i know i have been saying this almost once a week but your reblogging that one gifset back in november 2022 is what got me into the genshin rpc and i don't think i would ever have gotten to meet you, runa, spence, gem, saint, ventium, velvet and others. i am so incredibly happy with having such an amazing friendship with you. i'm happy that i get to write with you and talk with you about anything and everything. you are a place of comfort and where i won't be heavily judged on silly brain moments. and as my partner in kazuren brain rot i want to thank you for helping me write kazuha's story and helping me develop him into the character he is today. i enjoy our threads very much and it's always fun to see what ren and kazuha are up to, from silliness to being very fluffy and domestic. i never have written a ship for this long or at least it has so much development and it makes me smile just thinking about all the things that they went through. ANYWAY!!! thank you avalon for being my friend, rp partner and just being an amazing human being. i'm super excited for us to meet in the future but until then i'm so excited to hang out and write more with you~

i still think it's so funny how we ended up meeting by a stroke of random chance. see: me reblogging a wanderer gifset as a reward because i speedran the first fungi event at the last possible second. ( and i STILL procrastinate on events to this day! ) roleplay to me is a creative outlet as much as it is a social one, and i've met so many of my closest friends through this hobby. but i've never clicked with anyone as much as i clicked with you — and i know i've mentioned that before, but it really boggles my mind how almost immediately talking to you felt like speaking with someone i had known for a long time. you're such a kind and welcoming person. i am such an anxious, shivering chihuahua with a social battery even smaller than ren's — but our conversations are something i look forward to very much. you inspire me to try and self-improve, both so i can be a better friend, but also so i can just overall be the best self i possibly can when we do finally get to meet.

i just remember on my birthday i couldn't stop talking about all of the wonderful things you did for me. ( it really blew me away; i never had a friend go out of their way like that before. ) or the gifts we exchanged. or the ask you sent me to read while i was on that super long road trip. or the messages while i'm at work. or spending new years together in genshin. or all of the dozens of other little acts of kindness you've done since we first met. you go so so far out of your way for the people you care about and i think anyone would be super fortunate to call you their friend, milla.

also! i have to talk about kazuren!

i absolutely adore them so much! i've been writing on tumblr for a very long time, but i've never had the opportunity to write a ship with this much development and enthusiasm and just mutual BRAINROT behind it! i love exchanging little headcanons, i love coming up with new plots, i love that they have their own pet names and inside jokes. they bring me so much serotonin, and i'm looking forward to what we get to write with them in 2024!

#momijiba #𝟎𝟎𝟏 : 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. ◟ ooc .◝#( also i am queueing this to post at a time when i am definitely asleep so you won't be able to yell at me if you're awake 😇)

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the-family-fortune · 11 months ago

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i just found your blog and gotta say, i really love what you've done with the place ('the place' being canon). your galochio backstory is super cool!!! i also have a question: i read that mina joins the psychonauts at 18, i assume thats when she first meets raz? what's their relationship like? also, since the curse is real in your version of canon, what's raz's relationship to hydrokinesis? does he use it or nah? also also: do you have an ao3 or anything? i'd love to read your writing, but tumblr exchanges really arent the most ideal format for reading long stories

Hiiiii there!!

I have a couple of different "verses" for Mina; there are some verses where she does in fact leave her family at 18 and join the Psychonauts, where she meets Razputin and learns SEVERAL fun new things for the first time, like how the Aquatos are still alive and her entire family is off their rockers.

There are also verses in which they meet while still children... where Mina realizes that the Aquatos are still alive and her entire family is off their rockers.

And while I do have verses where all this happens and sometimes she DOESNT realize that her family is nuts, that does tend to be the overwhelming theme of her narrative - escaping an abusive household and realizing that you can be a better person than how you were raised, that you deserve love and acceptance for who you are HOW you are, without terms and conditions.

More often than not, Raz is the one that helps her understand just how messed up the Galochio family is; he's an Aquato but he's... nice to her? It sort of sparks a crisis that she has to grapple with, come to terms with on her own and make her own conclusions instead of just blindly believing that the Aquatos are all lying, treacherous bastards like her family's told her.

As for the curse, I think generally speaking a psychic's powers (being hereditary in that Raz and Mina both inherited their hydro from further down the Galochio line) aren't impacted by the curse in a physical sense, but that if Razputin does not receive proper training on hydrokinesis he could still struggle with it psychologically (which, really, is how it exists in canon anyway.)

I DO have an AO3 but unfortunately none of me and @razputinrp's.. rp's... are up there. We do have some google docs, though.

Thicker Than Water: One of our first threads, in which Razputin is orphaned by the curse at a young age and taken in by the Galochios. It goes about as well as you would expect.

Blood is Thicker: A retelling of Thicker Than Water, except this one includes Mithra as a major antagonistic force. My character concept of Zalto's wife hadn't existed when we wrote Thicker Than Water, and we wanted to see how things would change with her in the picture. It... goes about as well as you would expect.

La Festa (Part I, II, III): Razputin is deployed on a mission to infiltrate the Galochio family reunion. Mina has to help him navigate the high-strung family culture without outing himself as an Aquato, which would be a lot easier if Zalto's wife, Mithra, hadn't come back from Italy just in time to ruin everything. Mithra's first appearance in our threads (Fun fact: She was originally called Leona, before we were GIFTED an actual canon name halfway through this story when Psy2 came out!).

The Resurrection: Our Whumptober Challenge Thread, where we tried to fit every single one of the 31 daily prompts into one story, and mostly succeeded. Reader Beware, it does get rough. Raz and Mina are deployed on a reconaissance mission to gather intel about Delugionist movement in the Grulovian Wilds, and get a little more than they bargain for with the duo leaders of the cultist group, Moses and Ilya, who are trying to resurrect the Deluge of Grulovia.

Sea Life: A cryptid AU in which the Galochios are a pod of sirens and the Aquatos are a herd of selkies; I believe this was written before the release of Psy2 so we still did not know a lot about the interns. Mina, a young siren, finds herself stranded in a lagoon after wandering too close to the shore during a high-tide storm. Razputin, a selkie living on land, tries to help her get back to the ocean despite never having been there himself because of his herd's curse and the pod of bloodthirsty sirens that are waiting for them to dare return.

All of these are full-length, complete stories from beginning to end and in my opinion some of our best work. While we have... MANY many more than just these few (we've been writing for a WHILE and burning through a LOT of plot ideas) this is what I was able to grab since my other laptop where I keep most of my hard copies of these full files is currently uh. missing its top half. don't worry about it.

Enjoy the stories!! That ought to keep you busy for a while, at least!! XD

#psychonauts 2 #psychonauts #galochio #razputin aquato #zalto galochio #psychonauts raz #these are all like #NOVEL sized documents #La Festa's full series is over #what #160K alone?#yeah

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anamazingangie · 1 year ago

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all daemyra edition 😎

Long Fic: My longest fic is Significance at almost 90k!

Ficlet/Drabble: I deleted my collection on Ao3 but my prompt fills for tumblr all count as 'ficlet's' I think.

Extra Kinky Fic: I think Trials, the insertion kink is strong.

ABO: not for long!

Gift or Exchange Fic: I wrote Definitions for a V-day exchange! Most recently and more casually I wrote closer to god for luthien.

Unhappy Ending: All Dragons go to Heaven, mostly Rhaenyra POV in canonverse :( Very different for me, I'm usually super HEA minded.

Gen Fic: Idk if this counts because the fic is still very much daemyra, but my closest and most wholesome work is probably Finders Keepers which is about them acquiring all the green children and raising them.

Universe Fusion: I've written a lot of AU's inspired by other worlds with elements of Westeros, but idk if those count? The first one that comes to mind is magically meant to be which has major Cinderella elements.

Canon Divergence AU: Throwback to my first fic! Baelon!Lives, au from there. the end of a dance and the beginning of something better.

Archive Warnings Used:

Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings / Most of my fics tbh

Major Character Death / I think the one I linked for unhappy ending is the only real one? But also Anything, I guess.

No Archive Warnings Apply / Premium my beloved!

Rape/Non-Con / A couple now, but Rogue Prince most blatantly.

Underage / A lot of my fics have canon-typical underage which is why I use "choose not to use warnings" but things like this is a modern AU with that warning because Rhaenyra is 17.

Trope That Makes Me Icky: Cheating! I've written it a couple times now but Being Strong was the first. I also dislike parent/child incest a lot in every other fandom but have written it in it's a dream and it's a bit of a dance .

Character-centric Fic: The crisis verse as a whole is quite Daemon-centric. Practice is unique because it is Alicent-centric.

This was fun! 🥰 | BLANK TEMPLATE HERE from @the-ace-with-spades

#fic recs #things i've written #angie writes #daemyra #daemyra fanfic

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z-h-i-e · 10 months ago

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New Year Fanfic Asks - Part 1/5

My good friend Anonymous, who is responsible for many shenanigans in my inbox, has asked for all of the questions to be answered from the New Year Fanfic Asks. I am splitting the answers into five parts so I don't break Tumblr.

1. Do you have a word-count goal for the upcoming year?

Absolutely not. I try to write a little every day. I usually write at least 100K words per year.

2. Will you participate in any fandom exchanges or fic challenges, etc?

I do a lot of pinch hitting. I can put together stories rather quickly, so I’m sure I’ll end up doing some of that. Already finished my MSV entry, so I’m on deck if needed. Unsure about TRSB this year. I might like to have a summer off on the writing side; potentially I might still throw a piece of art in there because I have one I started working on during the pandemic I might actually get finished in time this year. There’s also the ones I help run–so I’ve got at least one thing into Screw Yule, I’m working on the parts of B2MEM that I am responsible for (super fun theme this year), and then later in the year we’ll have Scribbles & Drabbles again.

3. Do you anticipate writing for a new fandom this year? Which one?

Uncertain. I have nothing planned, but when I was in bed having mindful time this morning before I got up, I was thinking on the fact that I spent about twenty years deeply rooted in one fandom, and now I have spent a little over 20 years rooted in another fandom, and it feels like I’m due for some sort of change. I feel like I’ve been setting myself up with all of the shuffling things onto AO3 and making lists and whatnot for the inevitability of change. I don’t think that change is a fandom, though. Right before the pandemic, I had arranged a lot of time and expectations to work on some original fiction I’ve dabbled in since 2006, but when the pandemic happened, I had to just manage life, the universe, and everything with choices related to keeping my sanity in a world where there were a lot of people relying on me to keep them calm. It was also at the start of the pandemic that we learned our dog had a major heart issue, and that led to medication and regular procedures and I don’t even want to think about the money it took to keep him around another two years (but, honestly, in hindsight, I’d still do it all again, because we were told 18 months max, and he made it just past his 10th birthday). I think I am finally in a place again where I can start to consider planning time for that.

4. Do you think you’ll stop writing for a fandom this year? Which one?

I don’t think of things as stopping writing for a fandom – I wrote a short ThunderCats scene last year – it’s more like, going on hiatus.

5. Which WIP is first on your list to complete this year? Will you post a snippet?

This question came through earlier, and I answered with Phoenix. I’m going to double down on that, but I’ll provide a different snippet under the cut and resume answering questions in another post…This snippet is a Thranduil/Finrod scene, or at least, the teasing beginning of one.

Immediately after Thranduil and Felagund were seated, a plate with steamed salmon, mixed green vegetables, and wild rice was placed before each of them simultaneously. A second item was set before Felagund, between him and the plate. It was a long, rectangular wooden box, inlaid with ivory. He looked at it curiously as Thranduil motioned for the wine to be poured.

“That is a small gift, from me to you,” said Thranduil as the servants stepped off into the shadows. He lifted his wine bowl. “You have been hard at work, and with the next few days off, I thought you might enjoy it. I was going to save it, but then, for what am I waiting?”

Felagund pressed his lips together and traced his fingertips along the edge of the box.

“Of course, it is your choice whether to open it now or wait until after dinner,” said Thranduil. He picked up the wine bottle and topped off the bowl. “Either way, I intend to fuck you with it this evening.”

Felagund’s gaze snapped up to focus on Thranduil, who now had a forkful of spinach and was keeping watch on Felagund’s movements. As he looked back down to the box, Felagund lifted the lid up with both hands. He let out an audible breath. “This is...exquisitely crafted. Is it a rep,uh, rep-replica of–?”

“Yes.” Thranduil continued to eat calmly. “When we first arrived, you asked for something I cannot give you at this time. This, I can give. I hope you do not find it too crude.”

The lid of the box closed. Felagund looked down at the ornate box for a few seconds before he placed the napkin from his lap onto the table. Thranduil watched, and drank from his bowl of wine. Felagund pushed his chair back and stood up.

“Of course, if you prefer to wait for the real thing…” Thranduil paused as Felagund picked up the box and carried it to the other end of the marble table, one hand on the table to keep his balance. The box was set down next to the wine bowl. “If it displeases you–”

Felagund grasped Thranduil’s face in both hands and leaned down to kiss him deeply, tongue mimicking the suggestion Thranduil made for later that night. Then Felagund said, “Now.”

Thranduil arched a brow. “I thought you were hungry.”

After he leaned down again and kissed Thranduil a second time, Felagund said, “I hunger for something only you can feed me.”

One of Thranduil’s hands came up behind Felagund’s neck. He kneaded, and Felagund groaned. “Alright. Get on your hands and knees over there,” said Thranduil, motioning with his other hand.

Felagund looked over his shoulder. “Here?”

Thranduil grasped Felagund’s chin to turn his head back. “You did say ‘now’.”

#fanfic asks #thranduil/finrod #bling kings

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machihunnicutt · 7 years ago

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Worth It - sarchengsey, pynch gift fic

Hiya, this fic is for the @trc-exchange !! It is my gift for @221fandomwitches who, upon searching, I believe has changed their URL to @alexdamnvers so I’m including both lol. They gave me many lovely suggestions and I went with sarchengsey owning a bookstore + pynch and Opal being cute on the farm. Hope ya like it!

Worth It

Blue heard him before she saw him. The bell on the front door dinged and she popped up from the receipts and paper towels and books that hadn’t been priced yet she was arranging on the shelves behind the counter to grin at who she assumed was new customer but was actually one of her boyfriends, looking very frazzled.

“Jane, have you seen Boots?” Richard Gansey III’s eyes flitted from the magazine stands to the rare book section he’d spent two hours dusting because he kept getting distracted by ornate covers and musty pages and would flip through the oldest books with a look of utter delight on his face, making small sounds of surprise or amusement as if he hadn’t selected every volume in the collection.

Blue rolled her eyes. “Hey Henry!” She called through the empty shop. He was restocking books in the farthest shelves.

Henry leaned out from behind the shelf, his arms full of fluffy white cat, and Blue heard a sigh of relief from Gansey.

“Yeah?” Henry called. “Oh hey Gansey boy, you’re back.”

“Henry why did we let Gansey name the cat?”

Henry put Boots down on the hardwood floor and she bounded forward. Gansey knelt down to meet her and she nuzzled against his leg happily. Blue was convinced that she only liked him best because he named her.

Henry laughed. “We’re lucky he didn’t name her after some dead Welsh princess.”

Gansey looked up, glancing at the two of them disapprovingly as he adjusted his glasses and pushed his overgrown hair from his eyes.

“I’ve been looking for her since my class ended. I accidentally let her out and you guys were busy and I didn’t want to worry you so I…” He was doing that anxious rambly thing again so Blue cut in.

“It’s fine honey, she came back after you left and I let her in.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t say anything,” he said. When he stood Blue got a better look at the bags beneath his eyes and the paleness of his normally tan skin. He had exams coming up and didn’t have much time to sleep between class, his TA job, and his time at the bookstore (not that Gansey was ever great in the sleeping department.) She worried about him sometimes. The three of them might have bitten off more than they could chew opening up a bookstore by themselves.

The idea had sprung from a late night conversation in the backseat of the Pig. Gansey had parked the car under the clear expanse of navy and bright stars. It was summer. Blue was stretched out between her boys, laying uncomfortably on the assorted clips she’d shoved in her hair. They only had a few days of summer left before Gansey had to go back to Oxford for his senior year, Henry to his internship in New York, and she to her last semester studying rainforests in Costa Rica.

Their lives thus far had seemed a strange mismatch of rigorous structure followed by the complete lack thereof. After their cross country roadtrip (in which the biggest decisions were which snacks to get at 7-11, and what motel to spend the night in) they’d split off in exciting, but painfully distant directions for college. Now, nearing the end of their undergrad years and close together for a fleeting moment, Blue wondered what came next.

It wasn’t something she often had the opportunity to wonder. Fate screwed with a girl’s brain like that. After years of being told what her love had to mean by the women of Fox Way and what she did and didn’t have the chance to be from greasy tables at Nino’s, it felt odd to be in control. She didn’t think she’d be able to go to college, much less abroad. She thought about Adam in the forests. Though the birds had brighter feathers and the humidity was heavy in a way it never was in Cabeswater, she thought he’d like it there. She’d never told him, but he was the reason she started thinking college could be in the cards for her. Savings and scholarships and belief that she could be something beyond what people saw for her had compiled into almost 4 years of finding things about herself she never knew were there.

“I’m going to miss you guys when I go back,” Henry had muttered, and she looked over at him. The moonlight highlighted his content, even expression. He had never been afraid of the distance, or if he had he hadn’t let it stop him from arranging weekly video chats between the three of them, and two very active group messages (“Squadsey” - Henry, Gansey, Blue, Adam, Ronan, and “Henry’s Faves <3” - Henry, Gansey, Blue.) He was working as a media intern for a tech company in New York City, which by his description involved too much coffee fetching and had early hours that prevented him from styling his hair the way he liked it.

“You know we can do anything we want after this year?” She said, it was almost a whisper, and it surprised her. Gansey and Henry both turned to look at her. She focused her eyes on the blurring brightness of the stars.

“What do you mean?” Gansey asked.

“I mean what have you always wanted to do that you haven’t already?”

She saw his face go red and she readjusted on the seat so she could lean forward and turn down the radio. “Go on, I know there’s something.”

“I’m terribly happy with everything I have right now Jane,” he replied, earnestly, she could tell.

“Yeah, but there’s still something,” Henry said. “And we’ve got our whole lives ahead of us. Or, in your case, your whole second life.”

Blue laughed and swatted at his arm. “Henry’s right. What do you want to do Gansey?”

“What do you want to do Blue?” He shot back at her, reaching up to fix one of her hair clips that’d gone askew.

She thought for a moment. “I want to make something. Or build something. I don’t know what. I just want to do it with the two of you.”

“I’ve always wanted to own a bookshop,” Gansey said quietly.

“A bookshop?” Henry repeated, grinning wildly.

“Really?” Blue echoed. “In Henrietta?”

“Yeah Jane,” he said, confidence building. “We could have rare books and bestsellers and invite local poets and writers to come give readings and…” She saw him take in the happy look on her face before he continued. “You could make art to put on the walls and we could have free coffee at the counter and a cat.”

“You want to get a cat?” She said.

“Every good bookshop has a cat, Blue,” Henry put in and then she couldn’t stop laughing because Gansey had clearly put thought into this and there was no real reason they couldn’t just open their own bookshop in Henrietta. Between them they had the money, though she knew there would be arguments and negotiations in that respect. Gansey knew a thing or two about books after years of scouring obscure stores and libraries for the Glendower search. Henry would be great at advertising the place and teaching them the finer points of business sense. She certainly had the work ethic for it. Who knew how long they could keep it up but it could be worth a try.

“Let’s do it,” she had said definitively.

“I agree,” Henry said.

“It won’t be easy,” Gansey warned. The collar of his polo was flipped up on one side.

“When has anything we’ve done been easy?”

“Fair point, Jane.”

Two years later they had the cat and the old books and the coffee and more, really. If you looked hard enough you could spot several dream shelves (that somehow held twice as many books and made pages smell like nutmeg) in with the average ones. Their Yelp reviews were stellar, as Henry often reminded her, and business was surprisingly steady. It was a lot of work but so far it seemed to be paying off.

She and Henry worked at the shop full time, and Gansey practically did seeing as he spent all the time he wasn’t in class (or driving the 30 minute commute to campus) at the shop.

Blue was happy. She liked talking to customers and playing whatever music she damn well pleased during her shifts (a complaint she had for her shifts at Nino’s). She liked reading when things got slow and watching Henry dangle toys in front of Boots or lead customers around with easy charisma.

“Blue?” Gansey had picked up Boots and was cradling her gently in a way that reminded her of the way Ronan handled Chainsaw.

“Yeah?” she replied.

“I asked if everything was going well today,” he repeated.

“We’ve been pretty busy,” Henry said, eyeing the empty coffeepot on the counter. “Blue only had a cup and a half and we need to make more.”

“I can make it,” Gansey said with an urgency that was unwarranted for a pot of coffee.

He set Boots down and scooped up the coffee pot but she stopped him with a hand on his wrist. “Wait a minute, if you spent all your time looking for the cat, then you didn’t get lunch did you?”

He avoided her eyes sheepishly, which meant yes.

“We’ve talked about this.”

“I know we have.”

“Call in your last coupon Blue!” Henry called. He had migrated back to the farther shelves.

“Excellent idea,” she replied.

“Oh no, don’t bother them. I’ll find something,” Gansey said.

“Shut it, I need to talk to Adam anyway,” she said authoritatively.

“Yeah Gansey, listen to your girlfriend.”

“Or alternatively listen to your boyfriend. We’re in agreement on this,” she quipped.

“Fine, fine,” he said, but he was grinning. “You call them. I’ll make more coffee.”

***

Adam’s hands were covered in flour when he picked up the phone. It was Ronan’s phone, but by now they were used to sharing (sweaters, the couch, descriptions of nightmares).

“Hello?” He had to speak louder than normal given that Opal was scream-singing (he wasn’t sure she knew how to actually sing) Christmas carols at the top of her lungs in the next room.

“Good afternoon Adam,” Blue said, sounding teasingly chipper. “How are things at home on the farm?” She always said at home on the farm like his life was now a black and white family sitcom with a laugh track. It wasn’t, but it was similar in a way that that felt thoroughly comforting and only a little scary for the unknowable Adam Parrish.

“Ronan is helping Opal make sugar cookies,” he said.

“Wow, I’m going to need lots of pictures of that immediately.”

“I’m aware,” he replied, smile tugging at the corners of his lips. His time home at the farm had consisted of more of these sugar-coated, domestic things than he’d anticipated, not that he was complaining. “What’s up?”

“I was wondering if I could cash in on my final birthday coupon from Lynch. The one about the free homemade lunch? But if you’re too busy with the cookies I’ll…”

“No, I can talk him into it. I’ve been meaning to stop by the shop anyway so I can bring it.”

“Perfect, see you later then.”

“Bye Blue.”

“Bye Adam. Tell Opal she has a lovely singing voice.”

When Adam walked back into the kitchen Ronan was scolding Opal for sticking her hands in the eggs (she hadn’t stopped singing), and Chainsaw was making tracks in the rolled out dough.

“I’m back,” he said, sliding in beside them and picking Opal up from the stepstool on which her hooved feet were balanced. He silently moved her to the sink and Ronan flipped on the faucet as Adam held her hands under the water. “Blue says you have a lovely singing voice,” he said. She turned over her shoulder and smiled at him. She had flour on her nose and egg in her hair.

“What did Sargent want?” Ronan said gruffly, but without malice

“She’s redeeming her last birthday coupon. We’re making her lunch.”

“I thought those coupons expired?” He growled. He’d managed to get Chainsaw off the dough and onto his shoulder.

“There are no expiration dates when it comes to friendship,” Adam deadpanned and Ronan laughed in a way that still managed to make Adam breathless. It sounded like something Noah would say without a trace of irony, but he didn’t voice this thought.

“Touche Parrish,” Ronan said.

“They’re going to have to be fine with sandwiches because I’m not making anything fancy with the kitchen a mess,” Ronan said. “And I do say they because I know I’m really feeding the three headed monster.”

“Can I put the cookies in the oven Kerah?” Opal chimed, drying her hands on her skirt and getting them covered with flour again in the process.

“Have Parrish help you,” he said, already opening up the cabinet and locating the loaf of bread there.

Adam put oven mitts on Opal’s hands and guided her in the placement of the cookie sheet. This was their 4th batch. Needless to say they were going to have a lot. He got her set up at the kitchen table frosting some of the cooled cookies as Ronan assembled sandwiches (peanut butter and jelly for Blue, ham and cheese for the other two). He gave him a hand spreading the jelly.

“We made a lot of cookies,” he said quietly, stealing a glance over at Ronan. His hair was starting to grow out. It made him look softer.

“Damn right we did,” he replied, meeting his gaze. He had about as much flour on his plaid shirt as Opal had all over her person. “We might even have enough extra for you to take back to Boston,” he muttered, almost an afterthought.

“I’ve got two more weeks Ronan,” he sighed.

“I know that,” he said, nearly apologetic. Adam knew he wasn’t bringing it up to be mean. Long distance had sucked the first time Adam left for Harvard and would suck when his vacation was over and he had to leave again. They were making it work. They’d been through worse.

Ronan kissed him goodbye when the sandwiches were done and then turned to Opal, who had managed to get sprinkles all over the floor, and inspected her masterpieces of abstract expressionism via cookie.

Gansey waved at him through the window before he’d even reached the door. “Adam, how are you?” he asked brightly as the entrance bell rang. Blue was busy with a customer, but she gave him a curt salute.

“Good, today is cookie making day.”

Gansey had his enigmatic expression that reminded him of the Gansey in an Aglionby tie, who’d convince him to go exploring after he got off work.

“Brilliant,” he said. “What are you up to tonight?”

“Stop hogging him,” Blue called from the cash register. She had finished the transaction and was beckoning the both of them over to her. Adam presented the bag of sandwiches and Opal’s cookie artwork and she handed Gansey his ham and cheese. “Lynch is quite the chef today,” she said, going for a cookie before her sandwich.

“I was going to ask the three of you--assuming Henry is here somewhere--to go to the holiday lighting tonight. Opal is very excited,” he explained. So was Ronan, he didn’t disclose. He’d told Adam that he’d always gone to the town square lighting as a kid. It was a rare and exhilarating happening when Ronan talked about growing up.

“Henry’s in the back blasting bubblegum pop and taking inventory,” Gansey said. “But we can pass along the message.”

“We’ll be there,” Blue said. “Actually, Henry’s printed flyers for the shop to hand out.”

“Great, see you tonight then,” he said. Adam never ceased to be impressed with the work the three of them had done to put the bookshop together. They’d always been spontaneous and ambitious when they put their heads together, but this time their quirks had been combined in something that was really beautiful. It was weird to watch them all become real, adult people. It was certainly hard to watch himself, rewarding, but hard.

“I’ve got a book for you to look at before you go Adam,” Gansey said, hurriedly depositing his sandwich on the counter and disappearing amongst the shelves. Gansey generally had a book on education or literary history for him. A lot of them he’d read before (he did teach 100 level English classes when he wasn’t at home on the farm), but he’d become comfortable with Gansey’s enthusiasm, and rapt attention when Adam recounted stories of teaching anxious teens how to write short stories.

“He looks tired,” Adam said, when he was gone.

Blue frowned. “I know. And you like, invented being tired so you’d know.”

“His exams are over with soon?” He asked.

“Not soon enough.”

“Talk to him,” Adam suggested. He wasn’t the foremost authority on healthy communication, but he was working on it.

“I will, thanks Adam.”

Gansey returned with the book, a volume on etymology he hadn't read, and talked about it animatedly while Adam flipped through the pages.

“Thanks for the sandwiches,” Blue said, once they were done. “Send Lynch my best.”

“I’ll try but he might not accept it,” Adam smirked.

***

The streets were packed. Henrietta residents swarmed and Gansey was reminded of his model in Monmouth. He’d started working on it again on nights when he couldn’t sleep. He hadn’t told Henry or Blue this. He had a gloved hand full of flyers and was having a fair bit of success passing them out to families and teenagers who were underdressed for the cold.

“You good Gansey boy?” Henry appeared and clapped him on the shoulder. The lights weren’t set to turn on for another hour or so, and they’d separated to cover ground with flyers. “Cold yet?”

“Not with these gloves,” he said, holding up a hand to show off the lumpy orange gloves Blue knitted him. They were his favorite present she’d given him. Henry had a matching pair in green.

“Alright,” Henry said. “I’m going to make another circle around the square. Blue’s almost out of flyers. I told her to find you when she’s done. Then the three of us can meet up with the others.”

Gansey nodded and Henry disappeared into the mass of people. Crowds could make them both a bit nervous (there was room to be suffocated in the excitement), but tonight he wasn’t afraid.

Gansey handed out the rest of his flyers and stared up at the unlit strings of lights overhead. The air was chilly and laced with expectation. Nights like tonight made him think of Noah, Noah who loved things that glittered or shown in the dark.

“Hey,” suddenly Blue was at his side again, pressing her hand into his. He could feel her warmth through the glove and sucked in a deep breath.

“Hey Jane.”

“How are you feeling?” He knew she was worried about him. He hated that he worried her. Class and the shop and the people he loved were worth the exhaustion, but he hated that she worried. He was proud of what they’d built together.

“I’m great Blue, how are you?”

“I’m better than great,” she replied. “Shall we find Henry?”

The three of them met with Ronan, Adam, and Opal at a spot on the courthouse lawn. Ronan had brought a self-heating dream blanket and they all spread out on it. Blue braided Opal’s hair as she chattered excitedly in half-English, half-Latin about what she was asking Santa for. Adam had Ronan’s leather jacket around his shoulders and the two of them were sitting so close they were practically sharing a scarf.

“This is what it’s all about,” Henry whispered to him as the lights turned on. Gansey looked over at him, stretched out beside him on the blanket. He looked at ease in a way that never failed to make Gansey feel warm and present. “Everything’s glowing.”

The six of them walked back to the shop. Blue had suggested watching a movie on the TV in the back room since it was closer to the square than any of their homes, and offered Opal hot chocolate that she couldn’t pass up.

Gansey stopped in front of the shop when they arrived, just staring up at the sign and asking for a moment while the rest of them filed inside. It had begun to snow. Henry kissed him on the cheek and Blue gave him a fleeting look of concern before they left him alone outside. The snow was melting on the ground. It wouldn’t stick until later in the season, he knew, but it was still pretty.

He wasn’t sure why he’d stopped. Sometimes he just needed a second to collect himself, to remind himself that he was here and alive and that he deserved all the happiness that bubbled up in his throat and slipped down his spine in an energy that was often akin to anxiety.

After five minutes Blue poked her head out the door. “Ready to come back in?” she asked gently.

“Yeah,” he said slowly.

“You know you can talk to me. You can talk to any of us.”

“I know. Thank you.”

“I love you Gansey.”

“I love you too Blue. I’m sorry I make you worry.”

She opened the door wider and crossed the foot of sidewalk to wrap her arms around him. When she buried her face in his chest he was reminded of their late night drives back in high school. Everything had felt so heavy then. Affection had felt like something dangerous. Now, he hugged her back.

“It’s okay,” she said.

“I’m proud of what we’ve made, all three of us,” he said. Repeating the thought aloud made it concrete.

“I am too,” Blue said.

***

Ronan Lynch sat beside Adam on the couch and watched the entirety of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Halfway through the movie Adam leaned his head on Ronan’s shoulder and a feeling clawed at Ronan’s chest. He didn’t want him to leave again but he knew he needed to. Adam was right, they still had two weeks.

The lights on the square made everything seem open and revealed. You couldn’t hide in a place where gold lit up the dark and danced in Adam Parrish’s eyes.

He looked over and watched Adam’s eyelashes flutter. It had been a long day. The two of them had been trying to suck every good moment out of every day they had together.

“Hey Parrish,” he whispered, before he lost the nerve. The lights outside were still burned into his vision.

“Hmm?”

“We’re going to be okay. When you go back to Harvard and we’re long distance again...I know that we’re going to be fine.”

Adam tilted his head up to look at him. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Good, I know that too.”

“Good,” he parroted back, trying not to look as open and fearful as he felt.

When they’d walked back to the shop and the sign came into view, Ronan had nearly stopped when Gansey did. He’d been the one to make the sign (well, dream it up at least), but nevertheless he forgot it was there.

Blue had come up with the name. She’d brought it up with the group of them during a game night. He wanted to be remembered. She’d said. And he is.

According to Henry, the sign caused a bit of confusion in their first few weeks. People often asked which one of them shared the shop’s name. It was worth a bit of confusion.

Snow had started to collect around the letters: Noah’s Books.

On the couch beside him Adam had shifted again. His hand found Ronan’s in the blankets.

When he, Adam, and Opal walked home the snowfall had picked up. Flakes swirled in the breeze and he made sure Opal kept her hat on. She stuck her flushed face up toward the sky and spun around, closing her eyes against the flecks of snow.

“I’m in a snowglobe!” She announced.

Adam glanced over at him. They didn’t need to say it, but Ronan did anyway.

“She sounds like Noah,” he said.

“Yeah, she does,” he replied. And the night was radiant.

#trcexchange2017 #alexdamnvers #sarchengsey #pynch #the raven cycle #blue sargent #richard gansey iii #adam parrish #henry cheng #ronan lynch #opal lynch-parrish #trc fic #awi's fic #this is my first gift exchange on tumblr and it was super fun!!

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