#this is the ao3 trope i will almost always click

[xiakeponz]

modern au sokp bc xie wei and jiang xuening are giving real ons/fwb to lovers energy 💀🚩

[tsnbrainrot]

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[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is: starryeyedjanai! @starryeyedjanai has 74 fics in the Stranger Things fandom and 60 of them are in the Steddie tag!

@steddieas-shegoes recommends the following works by @starryeyedjanai:

All things end and all things change.

what lurks beneath

nights like this

if i could hold you for a minute (i’d go through it again)

"Janai is one of those authors that can make absolutely anything hot. I could sit and talk for hours about how they characterize Steve and Eddie. I absolutely love everything they write and always make it a priority to open the AO3 email when the notification comes in!" -- @steddieas-shegoes

Below the cut, @starryeyedjanai answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

These two burrowed their way into my brain and just won’t leave. I can’t not write them when I am thinking about them literally all the time and am brimming with new ways for them to fall in love.

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

I’m kind of a sucker for steddie talking via notes, letters, etc. before they ever meet in person. There’s just something so special about them falling in love in unconventional ways before they ever meet in person that hits the spot, you know? I also just really love all the creative AUs that people come up with that I never would have thought of writing.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

I love writing anything that has friends to lovers and especially if they are so, so stupid about it. Idiot4idiot my beloved. friends/acquaintances to lovers is So fun to explore because there are a million ways to do it. I love a good oh moment where things just click into place.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

It is So hard to pick just one!!! So i’ll list a few: One that I have reread a few times that I just really, really love is All I Do Is Want by novemberthorne. There’s just something really special about it—all the emotion in the beginning and then the smut which is just top tier. like a sack of bricks and literally anything by alligator_writes is great off the beaten path by pukner is also really, really great

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

I have a fic idea that I've been thinking about for a while that involves alternate universes, like the metaverse, because if the Upside Down exists, there are probably other dimensions as well.

What is your writing process like?

It is honestly so variable. For the majority of my ficlets, I get an idea and just start hacking away at it intermittently until it’s done, so it’s safe to say that at any given time, I have like eight ficlets that are partially written. I never used to outline because I didn’t really write fics longer than around 5k, but since I’ve started writing longer fics, it is almost necessary for me to have an outline that hits all the major plot points because otherwise I will forget what I have planned. So for anything that I know will be longer than a ficlet, I’ll write out an outline, even just a few bullet points so that I can reference it when I’m writing and not lose sight of where the story is going. 

Do you have any writing quirks?

I use way too many em-dashes and my sentences are sometimes comically long, but the way I write is indicative of how fast my brain is moving, kind of. I typically headcanon Steve and Eddie to both have ADHD, so any fics in their points of view will have their thoughts coming out as fast as my own typically are. And sentence length and structure can really help convey that.

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

I prefer posting once I’ve finished writing because my focus shifts around a lot and it sometimes takes a while for me to actually finish projects (like i had a fic that sat at 16k for months as I worked on other things that caught my attention and then I finally returned to finish the last couple thousand words six or so months later)

Which fic are you most proud of?

I am proud of all of my fics, but I really, really love how All things end and all things change. turned out. Some fics just come together so easily and this was one of them. I outlined the fic and let the idea marinate for a couple months and then I wrote ~20k in about a week and finished the fic.

How did you get the idea for All things end and all things change.?

This fic was for a holiday server exchange so my giftee gave me three prompts and I found ways to incorporate all of the prompts. I saw the prompt for mutual pining roommates and immediately knew I was going to write Eddie taking Steve home to Wayne over the holidays. I originally only planned on using that prompt, but the prompt for a snowy cabin getaway really called to me as I got further along in the fic and needed more tension between them. It was just a really excellent set of prompts.

When writing All things end and all things change., what was something you didn’t expect?

I did not expect it to get so long! My original estimate was 10k, but then I kept adding more to Wayne and Eddie showing Steve how special Christmas could be with people who care about him and then I added the cabin scene which added an easy 5k to the fic and then I was staring at what was, at that time, my longest complete fic. Wild.

What inspired what lurks beneath?

This honestly came out of left field for me because I had only ever written one other fic like it. I was doing kinktober for the first time and had a few different ideas for the prompt for that day and then I saw that the date of that prompt was Joey (@matchingbatebites)’s birthday and remembered her lake monster Eddie ficlet and instantly knew I wanted to explore a different version of lake monster Eddie.

What was your favorite part to write from if i could hold you for a minute (i’d go through it again)?

I really, really loved writing the flashes into the future at the end of the fic. Throughout the fic, there was some yearning and pining from afar and getting to write that everything works out in the end was cathartic.

How do/did you feel writing if i could hold you for a minute (i’d go through it again)?

Oh boy, this fic put me through the ringer. This was written for the steddie big bang and it was the first longer fic that I was attempting to write. I just had so many different ideas for this fic that it made it hard to choose the direction I wanted to go in. I probably have like an additional 20k words that just did not end up in the fic because it contradicted things that did end up in the fic or just didn’t fit with the vibe I was going for. There were times that I felt discouraged and felt like I might never finish it, but I am very pleased with how it turned out in the end! It was extremely rewarding to finally finish it and get it posted in February!

What was the most difficult part of writing nights like this?

Honestly, I don’t remember this one giving me any trouble at all. Once I got the idea in my brain, I think I sat down and wrote all 2.5k in a day. I do not know what my brain was doing during kinktober, but I think I ended up writing like over 60k that month and it was the only time that I’ve ever really been able to sit down and write a ficlet from start to finish like that and it happened with multiple of the ficlets that I ended up writing the day before they were published.

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

I really love the lead up to the smut in my fic catch the embers on my tongue. Like eddie being a little self-deprecating and in awe that steve might feel the same way he does was so fun to write. Also the summary for surface level freak is probably one of my favorite things i’ve written.

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

Some of the projects I’m working on right now are things I can’t really talk about, but look forward to fics from me in the Steddie Summer Exchange, the Steddie Bang 2024, and the ST Sapphic Mini Bang!

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

Whoever nominated me, I am kissing you full on the mouth with tongue (if you’re into that kind of thing)

Thank you to our author, @starryeyedjanai, and our nominator, @steddieas-shegoes! See more of starryeyedjanai's works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[randomshyperson]

Wanda Maximoff x Reader - Pure Heroine Series Part Six - Still Sane

Summary: You and Wanda have been friends for years, but now, you're grown up. Nothing stays as it was. | Album Inspired series "Pure Heroine" by Lorde.

Warnings: (+18), mutual Pining, friends to lovers, fluff, some typical trope angst, high school to college, making out, drinking, substance abuse, fighting, implied compulsory heterosexuality. | Words: 1.426k

General Masterlist | AO3 | Wattpad | Pure Heroine Collection |

-&-

The reason for the delay was traffic.

Wanda didn't mind, not as long as her cigarette was lit at least.

The party was going on inside Steve Rogers' apartment, and Brooklyn was full and bustling on the balcony view. The cigarette on her lips came from the box she'd taken from your jacket pocket before you left earlier, and Wanda could smile to herself imagining your grimace when you realized she'd stolen your cigarettes. Perhaps it was a childish way of punishing you for working on her birthday, when after everything that had happened between you, what Wanda wanted most was to keep you by her side, all the time if possible.

While smoking on Steve Rogers' cold balcony, she came to two conclusions: She really was, undeniably and ridiculously in love with you. From here to the moon, and all that cheesy shit they quoted in the movies. Maybe she should get a ring. And the second thing, Wanda wanted to have sex with you tonight.

She blew smoke into the sky, imagining your reaction when she brought up the subject. Flushed cheeks, a hungry look in your eyes, like every time the make-out sessions got heated and she played with the lobe of your ear between her teeth. Maybe she wouldn't say anything. She was just going to wait for everyone to leave the party, and drag you into the bedroom. And pull your hand under her dress so you'd get the message.

The opening of the door took her attention away from the street.

"Hey, birthday girl." It was Natasha, with a casual smile and a leather jacket. She held out her hand, and Wanda handed her the cigarette. "You're not running away from your own party, are you?"

Wanda smiled at the provocation, shaking her head. "I just needed a moment." She mutters, looking down for a moment. "I'm going to tell Y/N tonight that I want to sleep with her."

Nat choked on the drag with a surprised laugh. "Shit, this... is actually good news." She comments good-humoredly. "But to be honest, I thought you two had done that ages ago."

Wanda chuckles, rolling her eyes. "We've almost done it a dozen times." She comments thoughtfully. "Especially when it became official. But then, it just didn't happen. Someone always interrupted, or one of us chickened out." She says sincerely. "I came so close to fucking everything up, Nat. Like, actually fucking us. And I don't think I ever thanked you for calling her that day. Without that, I don't think we would have ever gotten together."

Natasha takes a long drag, shaking her head. "I doubt that very much, Maximoff." She says, gesturing with her cigarette. "You and her have some pretty intense shit going on. Ever since we were kids, you know? More than the Steve and Bucky drama, and I swear to God that's something." The two laugh at the comment. Natasha hands Wanda back her cigarette. "I think if you'd never apologized, you'd end up OD'ing at one of these parties and Y/N would be the person next to your bed."

Wanda looks away, swallowing dry at the mere possibility. When she speaks again, her voice is hoarse. "I don't fucking deserve her."

Nat clicks her tongue indignantly. "Don't say that."

"It's the truth."

"Wanda, shut up." Natasha speaks more seriously and waits for the girl to raise her eyes to her again. "You made a mistake, but there's no one in this world who deserves to be with her more than you do. Have you forgotten how you were there for her with her parents' divorce, or when her grandmother passed away? Because I'm sure she hasn't. And she stays, not just because she's completely in love but because you've already done the same for her. So stop talking shit, and don't let these insecurities try to ruin what you've fought to build."

Wanda hugs Nat around the neck, the girl laughs in surprise but strokes her back. The brunette murmurs a muffled thank you into her friend's hair, and Natasha nods. 

A moment later, the moment is broken with a joke about Wanda not being able to keep her pants on, and they leave the balcony into the party laughing.

-&-

You know there's something different.

From the way Wanda looked at you when you arrived, or kissed you in the hallway, pressing your back against the wall and biting your lip before dragging you into the party.

She stayed on your lap almost all night, between games and small talk, until she made a complete mess of you when she licked the cake icing off the corner of your mouth.

She was wildly flirting with you until the tie around your neck started to tighten.

When the punch ran out, and she asked you to help her get some bottles of wine with her in the kitchen, Wanda ended up pressed against the fridge, your hungry tongue on hers and your hands everywhere.

"What are you up to, Wanda?" Your question came against her jaw as she paused for breath. The girl squirmed between you and the fridge, her skin burning and her hips impatient. 

"I don't know what you're talking about." She lies in a falsely innocent tone directly into your ear. Nails scratching your back under your shirt are returned with a hickey on her collarbone that makes her whimper. 

You gasp affectedly, holding her still with a tight grip on her hips, unable to formulate any new sentence if she kept grinding against you like that. "You've been driving me crazy all night, baby. Would it be rude for us to flee your party? I really want to take you home..."

Truth be told, she was so turned on that all that came out of her throat was a pathetic plea. You kissed her again until her knees gave way and Wanda began to consider taking off her clothes in the middle of Steve Rogers' kitchen.

But somehow, you managed to let go and return to the party with her hand in yours; blurry, automatic goodbyes now that the cake was cut, and Wanda was hugged by everyone before she was outside.

You took her downstairs, hand in hand, which you only released to get into the parked car. Wanda let out a shaky breath and you leaned towards her again.

The thought of the two of you getting home was almost comical now.

Your hands pulled her onto your lap effortlessly, as you gasped into each other's mouths. Wanda sucked on your tongue, her hips grinding against your lap in the hope that you would help her with the hot knot at the tip of her stomach, and a loud whine when your hands wasted no time. Your fingers pushed the fabric of her panties away and sank into her with ease, the warmth welcoming you deep inside.

The kiss was broken with a dirty moan, and you almost came just from the image. Wanda gripped your shoulders tightly, panting against your mouth as she rode your fingers. 

The car rocked gently, and you let your free hand pull her dress down, exposing her breasts. Your fingers moved to play with her nipples, and Wanda moaned against your tongue.

She came just like that, hard and so pretty, for the first time against your hand. In the seat of the car where you had traveled together dozens of times before, looking at you in a way that at the same time was the same and the most unique way she ever did. A hidden message in her stare that you understood with your heart.

You didn't pull out your fingers from her to tell her you loved her as well.

In fact, you sank them deeper and spun them around her warmth to elicit another moan from her. She choked on her own pleading sighs, and you repeated the movements and the words. Wanda moved against your hand and came again before whimpering:

"I love you too, baby."

And you were still her best friend and the person who could tease her with a breathless giggle: "Really, or is that just the two orgasms talking?"

She chuckled too, more affectedly. "Fuck you."

Your thumb pressed her clit, and Wanda bit your shoulder to stifle a loud moan. "I love you too, asshole." You retorted, kissing her jaw. "But you'll have to say it again tomorrow when you're not riding my fingers."

Wanda bites your mouth to make you shut up.

[practically-an-x-man]

questions for fic writers #s 1, 2, 3, 12, 13, 14, 23, 26, and 30 :)

Thank you so much!!

Questions for fic writers

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

Honestly... Taking Flight. It's in by far the smallest fandom I've written for, but that almost works in its favor because it means the fic is able to stand largely on its own without requiring any background knowledge into the Fablehaven universe. And it's my most recent longfic, so it best reflects my current level of skill and writing style from the first chapter. Plus... I'm just really proud of it, and I wish more people would read it

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

Angst, Fluff, and Hurt/Comfort are the top three. Makes a lot of sense, most of my fics include a blend of all three at some point

3. What are some tropes or details that you think are very characteristic of your fics?

References to birds, references to music, devoted couples facing the horrors of life at each other's side, and romance alongside fast-paced action or angst

12. Are there any tropes you used to dislike but have grown on you?

Hanahaki! I didn't enjoy the idea that only requited love would cure the disease, since it basically put the weight of a person's life on the other reciprocating feelings that they really can't control. But I've seen a version of Hanahaki that's based on the confession, not the love itself, and I like that a lot more

13. Are there any tropes you used to like but don’t anymore?

I don't know about particular tropes, but I think my characters have become a lot stronger and more self-possessed than they used to be (we're talking like... when I was 14-15 and just getting into fanfic here). I don't think it was full "damsel in distress", but there were definitely a lot more OCs in need of rescue rather than working together to rescue themselves. Idk

14. Are there any tropes you would only read if written by a trusted friend or writer?

I mean... I've only ever read Twilight/vampire fics as written by @nebulousfishgills, and I had to look at a wiki just to know who the Volturi were, if that tells you anything. I don't like Twilight at all, but I really like Nebby's writing style and characters

23. What’s a trope, AU, or concept you’ve never written, but would like to?

Hm... I've had a few ideas for a soulmate AU, but I've never put one down on the page. The closest is Heartstrings, but that doesn't quite count.

26. Would you rather write a fic that had no dialogue or one that was only dialogue?

No dialogue. I explained this in more depth in a previous ask, but I feel like building a scene would get stilted and awkward if it relied on only dialogue.

30. Have you ever written something that was out of your comfort zone? If so, what was it, and how did it affect your approach to writing fic thereafter?

I mean... I feel like I'm always a little bit out of my comfort zone in some way or another. Writing is an exercise for me, so I try to pick at least one character detail or writing style that I need to practice and research so that I'll always be engaged in the story.

I will say that writing Desert Song has definitely stretched me in a lot of ways - there are some darker characters, more intense moments, and a few slightly racier scenes than I usually write, and working myself through those moments I feel has made me more well-rounded as a writer in general. The spicy scenes especially... I still don't write smut, but I've gotten a lot more comfortable with spicier scenes in general, and that's also made me better at other types of emotional intensity in scenes I think

[theangrypomeranian]

I was gonna go on anon to ask this bc fear lol but do what scares you until it doesn't scare you ufeelme lmao ANYWAY

Do you have any guidance or advice to someone that has /never/ read fanfic but wants to start? I'm not really a shipper (outside of canon, anyway, like I love boblin but avoid the kids ships even if canon bc of the internet drama I've read. Obviously no judgment on my end, I just don't wanna be involved in it - that anxiety/ chronic stress life babey)

But I've been feeling like having scenes or stories to draw will be the next step in improving my art. I can draw the characters reasonably legible now so wanna draw them interacting with each other more! To encapsulate their dynamics and relationships with one another, any fanfic seems ideal for that! Otherwise I'd just be redrawing scenes and that's fine as is, but it's not necessarily enough? If that makes sense?

With all this in mind, I'm overwhelmed with the prospect of diving in without any knowledge on the fanfic/writing world whatsoever. As I only follow a small handful of writes, and you seem to be one of the most consistent/frequent, I would absolutely love and appreciate your help!

I understand this may either be an unnecessary amount of info, or just a lot/ an intense amount in general lmao, so you don't have to answer this! But I had to try somewhere 👉😎👉 I hope you understand! I'm sure you'll understand 😆🤭

Hello! Sorry for responding so late, work has been taking all of my spoons this weekend and I wanted to be sure I could answer this with the gusto you deserve. (Also I HELLA feel the "do what scares you until it doesn't", I need to start living by that more. Good on you, mate!) For what to read, my number one rule is if I don't think I'll enjoy the story I stay away. AO3's tagging systems is a freaking lifesaver for that imo as you can filter away a lot of stuff you don't want to see, like certain ships or genre tropes or even physical acts of affection/intimacy. Sometimes the summary of a story can also help you decide if it's something you would be interested in. And if there are certain things you DO want to see or certain characters or ships, you can exclusively look for stories that have them (like how I hang out almost exclusively in the Zeke x Tina tag on AO3 lol). Knowing what you do and don't like is crucial for this, though. If nothing else, you can just go onto the Bob's Burgers AO3 tag and scroll through the fics until you see something you want to try reading. And always remember that fanfic is supposed to be FUN, so if you start something and start to not like it there is no shame in clicking out. You are not obligated to keep reading something you don't like, not even if it's posted by someone you DO like. This is supposed to be a fun hobby, after all. I hope this helps you a little bit! And thank you so much for asking me about this, I feel honored. <3 Happy reading!

[mthofferings2023]

black_feather_fiction

See black_feather_fiction’s existing works here.

Preferred contact methods: Tumblr: black-feather-fiction

Preferred organizations: - Center for Reproductive Rights - Native American Rights Fund - RIP Medical Debt - The Bail Project - Transgender Law Center (See the list of approved organizations here)

Will create works that contain: As you can probably tell from my AO3 works, my specialty is angst, hurt/comfort, whump and dark themes. Sometimes I write crack if the mood hits me. In general, angsty and/or whumpy prompts will be much more likely to get me inspired than fluffy ones. I really like writing Loki-centric fics, obviously, since about almost everything I've written for AO3 so far was Loki-centric, lol. I am also a real sucker for the trope of the original Avengers living in Stark Tower in domestic bliss, Clint hiding in the vents, Natasha being creepy and Loki dropping by occasionally to cause trouble and be a little shit. So if you want to ignore everything post TDW or even post Avengers (2012), that's more than fine by me!

Will not create works that contain: Omegaverse, pure fluff without at least some tension or angst, Dark!Tony, fics hating on the Loki series or on Sylvie, Slyki etc. Dark Themes, especially sexual abuse and rape/non-con: I do write about that, and quite regularly too, but fics that depict it in a positive or uncritical way or go too much into the abuser POV squick/trigger me, especially if a fictional minor is involved, so that would be a no. I usually don't get very inspired by human AUs, coffeshop AUs and the like. Exceptions may occur. No reader-insert or fics focussing on Loki/ofc, Loki/omc or Loki & ofc, Loki & omc.

  -- Fic or Other Writing --

Auction ID: 1037

Will create works for the following relationships: Loki fandom any gen - MCU Loki/Tony Stark - MCU Loki/Thor - MCU Loki/Sylvie - MCU

Work Description: Length: 1000 to 4000 words should work in any case, but experience has shown that if I get inspired by the prompt, I might write a much, much longer fic (my fic for 2022 ended up with more than 45k, lol). Please tell me if you have an upper word limit. Scheduling: Since I have a small gremlin I have to care for, my free time is even more unpredictable by now than it was a year ago. So I won't give any estimates here except that I will try very hard to keep to the soft deadline of one year. Loki/Sylvie: Be aware that I will depict the relationship as a queer and genderfluid one. Loki will not necessarily be considered always male, Sylvie not necessarily always female, and their relationship will definitely not be straight.

Ratings: Mature, Explicit

Can pods bid on this auction? Yes - Podbids welcome!

CLICK HERE TO BID ON THIS WORK

The auction runs from October 22 (12 AM ET) to October 28 (11:59:59 PM ET). Visit marveltrumpshate.com during Auction Week to view all of our auctions and to place your bids!

[voxofthevoid]

Tropes Game

Tagged by @cursedvibes. Thanks, man! This looks fun, and I loved reading your responses <3

Rules

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

-10 -> very dissuaded

0 -> don’t care either way

10 ->  very enticed

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

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

Trope List

Age gap:   7/10

Age gap alone isn’t a selling point for me, especially since there’s a world of difference between, say, 30/40, 20/30, 15/25, 50/500, etc. But if I get into a ship that has an age gap, especially a le problematique one, I will lean into it full tilt, as you can currently see with goyuu. There’s a lot of fun, often fucked-up, things to be done with differing life experiences and maturity levels, and that’s usually interesting to explore. From the reading end, it depends on the individual ship and also how the specific fic approaches it.

Codependency   10/10

Hell to the fuck yeah! I prefer unhealthy relationships over healthy ones (...in fiction, Tumblr), and codependency tends to add a fun flavor. I’m picky about it when reading. I default to it when writing.

Enemies to lovers   10/10

Good stuff, and I’ll never say no to some violent hate sex. I don’t have many ships like this though; it’s mostly something I read. Or make AUs of.

Enemies with benefits   6/10

Fun concept, depends on the execution. I’d prefer that it become enemies to lovers in the end, however.

Fake dating/relationship   -7/10

It’s not an instaquit, and I have read and enjoyed fics with this premise, but the trope itself is something that I’m not a fan of. Mostly because it tends to follow a certain romcom formula that I’m not a fan of.

Found family   -5/10

I’ll read it, and as a theme, it’s fine, but for one, what I often see described as found family is...not. It’s friendship—and that’s my preference anyway. Friends who support and love each other, without the label of family attached. This is a heavily personal preference, obviously.

Friends to lovers   7/10

It’s good; it can be fun. The way friendship evolves into a romantic and/or sexual relationship can also be quite interesting and emotionally fulfilling.

Friends with benefits   7/10

As a central relationship, I’d prefer that it become friends to lovers eventually. The execution matters again because too romcomy, and I get turned off. Throw in some emotional fuckery, and I’m sold. It’s also one of my go-to flavors for minor/background/past relationships when writing. Friends who fuck without strings is a fun concept.

Hurt/comfort   8/10

A solid concept, and depending on the execution, it can range from pleasant to devastating (in a good way).

Love triangle   -10/10

A “proper” love triangle is something I find about as compelling as stale vomit. It’s not an instant nope because I like the sort that evolves into poly—either triads or V-style poly (that is, A/B and C/B, with A and C as metamours). When reading, I prefer the former, and when writing, I prefer the latter.

Mistaken/hidden identity   10/10

Sign me the fuck up. Identity porn is almost as good as actual porn.

Monster fu… relationship   10/10 (100/10)

I have "Monsterfuckers Inc.” as a semi-frequently used fic tag on Ao3. I’ll let you guess just how into this I am. I’m into it for the freaky sex, but typical relationship development is always a plus.

Obsession, possessiveness, etc   10/10

Unhealthy relationships my beloved.

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

Fine in theory, but whether I’m into it depends on the execution. I don’t think I write it much.

Poly   7/10

JJK is the first time I’ve written (and planning to write more) poly relationships, but I’ve read and enjoyed quite a few in previous fandoms. Again, execution matters, but the concept is fun.

pregnancy   nope/10

Major squick, and it seems to be becoming more and more of one these days. Ironically, I’m very into breeding kink and monster-style impregnation (eggpreg, insta-birth-type monster offspring etc.). It’s realistic pregnancy (and the mpreg equivalent of realistic pregnancy) that puts me off.

Second chance   0/10

Rated it neutral because this can be either 10/10 or -10/10 for me depending on how it’s handled. No middle ground lol.

Sex to feelings   10/10

Been there done that. Love the concept, can go rabid over it if done right. I certainly like writing it.

Slowburn   6/10

I’ve read and enjoyed plenty of slowburn fics, but it’s not a formula I’m a fan of. When I write it, it always tends to be the “sex to feelings” sort.

Soulmates   0/10

Another case of either 10/10 or -10/10. The easiest way to get me into it is to play into the horror/angst aspects. “People who fate decreed as belonging to each other” doesn’t appeal much to me.

Tagging (no pressure) @thelionshoarde @actualalligator @stilllostinthedaydream and @sorrythatwasamistake @joeys-piano and anyone else who wants to do it

[pragmatic-optimist]

This week's theme: Rec a fic that starts with the same letter as your username (or, if you like, a part of your username). 

The rules: Tag a fic that starts with the same letter as your username and describe why it's so good / how it has a hold on you. Then tag some people to see what everyone else is reading. Spread the love! Please tag @welcometololaland or tag #fic rec friday so they can compile the masterlist.

Okay, so clearly, I can’t read because I chose fics that started with an “S” for my actual first name and not my URL lol. I tried to fix this, but the amount of fics that start with a “P” in my bookmarks is almost nonexistent. So I’m going to just stick with my incorrectness; forgive me. Lola - thank you for always tagging me; I finally managed to post because looking through my AO3 bookmarks made this “easier.” You know how indecisive I am. Lol. I also promise I tried to keep this short, and this is what keeping it short looks like.😂

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911 Lone Star

Say You’ll Remember Me: This is a Ryderdie WIP by @myemergence, and I really look forward to more. It’s one of my absolute favorite tropes (Amnesia!) and a canon-divergent AU for 2x9 featuring one of the best fictional couples to ever exist. I love Judd and Grace Ryder so much. Jenny nails the angst in that way where it hurts but GOSH it is good. It’s just *chef’s kiss* and I can’t wait to see where the rest of the journey takes us. 

Searching For A Trail to Follow Again:  Paige’s (@sunshinestrand) fics are classic, butterflies in your stomach, grinning from ear-to-ear, romantic comedies. This AU was so charming and, like all of Paige’s writing, leaves you with the biggest smile on your face because you’re just over-the-moon Carlos and TK have found one another in this story and in all her AUs (again and again and again). Contrary to popular belief among certain showrunners, letting characters just be happy is quality and compelling storytelling, and I’m grateful for fic writers like Paige who know that and give us a slice of that joy. 

So Many Somethings: Rae’s (@iboatedhere) AUs are iconic by now, but this one will always be near and dear to my heart. Not just because it’s the You’ve Got Mail AU and it’s an incredible nod to the film, but also because it was the first fic I ever beta-read for her, and the whole process bonded us. Rae, thanks for trusting me! This fic is remarkable, I love the balance of enemies-friends-lovers and the banter. Oh, the Banter™️. Nora Ephron would be proud! 

Sanctuary: If I had to use one word to summarize this fic, it would be ✨DESTINY✨. Honestly, I think all of Kim’s (@reyescarlos) fics have a destiny vibe to them, you can feel that these two characters are meant to be together, and they will find a way. I loved the first meeting in this one; the tension in the scene was palpable, and Kim’s writing always makes you feel like every interaction is happening right in front of you. She’s magic in that way ✨. 

Slowly Becoming Lovers: I love fics that show us the little moments between Carlos and TK, how they fall in love through the little things, and the way Holly (@morganaspendragonss) portrays that journey in these short vignettes is so so SO beautiful. This is one of the fics I have reread the most, according to the AO3 clicks lol, and there is a reason for that. It is truly lovely. Also, the title is inspired by one of my favorite Ben Platt songs, and fits the story perfectly! Highly recommend! 

Red, White, and Royal Blue

Snowed in? Snow problem: This fic is such a blast to read, lol. I laughed so hard, and I still laugh just as hard when I reread it because the ugh!Hunter slander is top-tier. A direct quote: “Well, I’m not bunking in with Hunter or you’ll be dealing with a murder by the end of the day.” Same, Alex. Same. Forever mood.😂 Add to that, “there was only one bed” plus Rae’s (@rmd-writes) ability to write Sexual Tension™️ x 5467893204858, and this college au is a must-read. Also, THE TITLE. YAAASS. A+ pun. No notes. 

Sink Beneath the Waves: This fic. THIS FIC. You know how in every fandom, there are stories that are essentially required reading, this one by @indomitable-love is one of those fics for me in the RWRB fandom. The love, the yearning, the pain, and the utter joy at Henry’s “I’m into making History.” Getting the chance to see these canon plot points from Henry’s POV is a gift, and I’m so grateful this fic exists for us to revisit again and again. 

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I think this has made the rounds already because it is Saturday for me, so consider this an open tag to whoever has fics they would like to share with us! 

[wilmonsfolklore]

heyyy,

1, 2, 4, 36, 41, 46 and 47 for the fanfic asks.

hii thanks for the ask!!! i spend So much time reading fic but I never talk about it this is so exciting!!!

1.            favorite fanfic of all time

My favorite fanfic of all time is Capture by bri_ness on AO3. It's Druck fanfiction, a German remake of Skam. The description of mental health struggles is unmatched to me and the writing style just scratches an itch in my brain. It's really changed the way I think about myself.

2.            favorite writer of the fandom

This is such a hard question because Young Royals has So many awesome writers. Some I can think of right now are starrystoryteller and softwilmcn on AO3 (i dont know their Tumblr's), and @toffeelemon, @stretchoutfics, @alltoowille and @willesworld. I'm jealous of all of their work.

4.            the fanfic you would recommand for somebody not in the fandom

This is a really hard question!! It really depends on what someone is looking for. But I'd probably go with Play My Song by elin98, because it's the first Wilmon fic I ever read. And it's lovely.

36.          your favorite trope

My favorite trope is probably friends to lovers. I sincerely believe that friendship is a good foundation for almost every romantic relationship and reading about the transition between the two never gets old to me.

41.          how do you choose the fic you read

That really depends on the mood. I will probably always click on a title with a lyric I recognise. And I love summaries that are a little piece of the story. Depending on what I'm looking for either a shorter or longer word count. I don't know. Sometimes it's just vibes.

46.          did you stay awake up to an veeeery unreasonable hour to finish a fanfic

Honestly, no! I need my sleep. I do often read fanfiction when I'm supposed to be doing other stuff, so that's basically the same thing. But sleeping is the one thing I can't miss out on if I want to function lmao.

47.          WIP or not WIP

Depends on the mood. I'm trying to get better at reading WIP's but it feels like a bigger commitment since I often forget the plot and need to go a few chapter back every update. So most of the fics I read are completed. But I do know engagement on WIP's is so important, so I try my best. And I usually read WIP's of writers I've enjoyed before.

[icannotreadcursive]

I want you all to know that the way I find fic to read is absolutely bonkers.

I’ve seen a few posts recently (including a poll or two) about fic searching strategies and habits on Ao3) so I’m thinking about this, and I just feel like sharing.

So, I used to just scroll through fandom tags, search by character or ship like a halfway sane person.

But then, for the sake of some personal research I went on a kick of searching by additional tags--things like Hanahaki, Possession, Mermaid AU--to see distributions of what kind of fics and fandoms different tropes and kinds of stories were common in.  It was very interesting.  I have done absolutely nothing with this research other than internalize it into my understanding of How Fandom Interacts With Stuff.  It wasn’t even research related to the Metatext Guide.  I’m just Like This.

This is a pretty long explanation, so buckle up and continue under the readmore if you want a glimpse into how weirdly my brain works.

Anyway, I have discovered that searching by tag both does a better job of providing fics that scratch an itch for a certain vibe (which is more often what I’m hunting for than anything about particular characters) and usually provides results that, by filtering, I can narrow down to a much shorter list to actually hunt through.  (I find it frustrating and overwhelming to have like 20+ pages of results to go through for a given ship or something.  It’s partly choice paralysis but mostly frustration that so many of those results will be things I’m not interested in and the need to comb through them by hand when I can’t readily narrow the filters further and the chances of missing something I really would like in between all the chaff, or from later pages of results because I’ve just given up.)

So what I do is pick a tag, search it, then click on it in the tagblock of whatever fic shows up in my initial search.  This takes me to a results page of all the fics tagged with that tag, its variations, and any tags that stack under it.

This is usually a lot of results, but that’s okay.  Now we filter like we’re goddamn sea sponges.

Most of the filtering I do at this point is Excluding.  I will set the language (usually to English because that is my first language), set a length range depending on how I’m feeling, set a recent date rage if this is a tag I’ve looked at before and I don’t wanna reread, etc.  But mostly it’s going down the Exclude section of filters, checking the boxes for fandoms I’m not interested in, ships I don’t like, the “Major Character Death” warning because I’m rarely here for that, “Reader” and “You” under Character because I personally cannot stand reader-insert fic, tags I’m not into, etc--then hit apply filters to reload the refined results, and repeat this process until the top 10 tags shown for every section in the filters is something I’m fine with.

At this point, I copy the URL from my search page and open another copy of it in another tab, Include something--usually a category (like all the m/f fics) or an additional tag (all the Hurt/Comfort)--and then do the whole Exclusion process again with that subset of results.  Doing that, i can almost always whittle down to less than two pages of results to actually comb through--opening fics that look promising as I go.  Once I’ve done that, I close the second search tab, Exclude the secondary search’s Included tag from my main search, then do all that again with a different Included tag’s subset of results.

Yes, the multiple rounds of filtering takes forever.  Yes, I am aware this is a bizarre way to hunt for fics--the fact that it’s such a pain to do is a constant reminder that no one expected anybody to use the search and filter system like this.

I’m dyslexic, though.  The round after round of filtering isn’t as draining on me as sitting there, reading through page after page of summaries and tagblocks--especially because I find the tagblocks difficult to parse, even with a dyslexia friendly siteskin on that does help.  I don’t necessarily trust myself to catch a tag I don’t like; it’s more reliable for me to filter the living daylights out of things.  (This is also part of why I simply do not read fics without summaries.)

If I’m in, say, a Mistaken Identity or Mutual Pining kinda mood, it usually doesn’t matter to me if that takes the form of Deep Space 9 or Sailor Moon--or, hell, with some tags, especially less common ones, I’ll happily read fics for fandoms I’m not even in, which can be a cool way to expand my horizons.

And, developing this method of hunting  fic has given me a way to narrow down and section out overwhelming numbers of results when I do want to search by fandom, ship, or character.  Like when I recently dove into Trigun fic for the first time.

So yeah, that’s how I search Ao3, in case anyone was wondering.

[purlturtle]

2 and 3 for questions for fic writers

Ooooh thank you for these two! (from this list)

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

Alternate Universe (19)

Established Relationship (12)

Post-Canon (11)

POV Alternating (5)

Kid Fic (5)

Now that is a VERY interesting list. Some of these I expected, others I did not! First, a bit of methodology: I left out the Crossover tag (originally at 3rd position) since all the fics I tagged with it are set within the Star Trek universe; it's just a crossover between VOY and TNG. I also left out the AU - Modern Setting tag (4th position) since AO3 subsumes it under the parent tag "AU" as well. 5th position was "Post-Endgame" (for Voyager), which I put together with "Post-Canon", which was right behind it. Which then freed two slots for "POV Alternating" and... Kid Fic!?

I have never considered myself a "kid fic writer" - sure, some of my stories do feature kids, and then when I filtered for that tag I realized I didn't even tag all of those with "kid fic"! 😅 But even then, the number would still be in the single digits, out of 90 fics I've written, and so I think it's okay to go on not considering myself a (specifically) kid fic writer. Like, I write a bit of everything, and kid fic is included in that. That's okay.

On the other end of the list, AU is absolutely NO surprise whatsoever - if anything, I would have thought the number should be higher! (Again, my tagging isn't very consistent though. Can be that.) Like, I don't think we tagged the Advent Calender fics as AU?

Established Relationship is also not a surprise; I do love to explore what comes after the Will They Won't They is resolved into a They Will. It's always itched me, to know what comes next. How do these characters navigate their relationship? How does their dynamic change? Do they make each other better? Worse? How do they change, themselves and each other? This also segues into my writing post canon works; what happens after The End? I love to extrapolate that.

And then we have a... I don't know, "housekeeping" tag? Like, this isn't about the fic's content but its form, giving the reader an idea for what to expect in terms of narration. I've only recently started to use it, that's why the number is so low (should be MUCH higher). I do like to switch POV - even though I have written entire stories from one POV before, switching it up is more compelling for me in terms of writing. Although single-POV stories are a lovely challenge in and of themselves!

Anyway, that was a fun opportunity to reflect on my stories and writing!

3. What are some tropes or details that you think are very characteristic of your fics?

As mentioned above, I want to point here, too, to Alternate Universes - I love the "what if" aspect of it. And to exploring the dynamics between two people in a romantic setting (be it an established relationship or the way there). I've gotten quite a lot of comments on my writing of emotions and character interactions, and it is definitely one of the most compelling things to write, for me. All The Feels! 😅😅

I also want to mention that almost all of my fics have a happy, or at least a hopeful-open ending. I want my characters to end up happy! Or at least to have the perspective of happiness within their grasp! That is definitely characteristic of my writing too. I might put them through it first, but there *is* a happy ending at the end (and if not, then maybe there's a second fic in the series!)

Those were two amazing questions, thank you! <3

[matchbookarmy]

Okay, I'm back. Sorry I needed a bit of a break from things. Just from everything. Not this blog but everything in [gestures vaguely] life.

As some of you know, my phone broke back over the summer and I lost all of my open tabs and where I was on my journey. That definitely was a setback and I didn't know how I wanted to handle it.

But now that I've had time to think about it, I've decided to.... restart my journey.

Lol.

Now I know you probably think I'm insane, but here are my reasons. When I first started reading I was only reading MCU based fic because I thought you had to choose a fandom on AO3. It wasn't for a while before I figured out I could just click on the ship's tag and see everything. So I was severely lacking in 616 fic. Also I didn't read everything when I started. I tended to skip AUs, a lot of the more kinky stuff. As I read more I opened myself up to a lot more types of fics.

And then finally my last reason is I want to change the way I interact with fic and fandom. I want to comment more and read WIPs and I dunno. I want to share and spread my enthusiasm. I also want to pull back in some ways, *except* on this blog. I want to get to know you and gush with you all about these two guys we love so much and all the creativity that gets poured into this fandom and this ship and these characters, the blood the sweat and the tears of it all.

So feel free to message me about anything. I try to be good about answering requests, though, I don't always have a fic that perfectly matches what you want.

I was thinking there's the findingstony blog that finds specific fic that you know exists, but maybe this would be a good place for people to submit things that they are looking for that they haven't already found. Like more general requests of tropes or plots that you want to read. Again I'll do my best to match you with something, but I'll also put them out to my followers (I don't have a ton but we'll see what the community can do).

Anyway, I'd like this to be a community to talk about all these things we love. I know I still have 2-3 unanswered asks, and I haven't forgotten them. For the person who asked for heartwrenching angst with or without a happy ending, I'm trying to decide if I want to rec you the most heart-shattering fic I have ever read. 🤔🤔🤔 (Are you open to Tony being evil?)

Anyway, does this restart mean that I may never get to some truly amazing fics at the end of the alphabet? Almost certainly. There are over 55k Stony fics on AO3. The first time I did this was a ship that had about 500 fics. I read them all in a couple months. I'm not going to complain about having too much good stuff.

But you can feel free to send in your own recs as well. Again, I'd love this to be a community, and a conversation.

Okay, well... I'm off to read. A couple of notes.

I will attempt to read every fic. There will be some that I do not finish. It might just be that it's not to my personal taste.

When I say everything, I do mean *everything*, which means that I may rec some fics that have content that you don't like. I will tag my posts accordingly. I'm not here to debate the ethics of fictional depictions of fictional characters in a fictional relationship with anyone.

I'm going to post as I go through. It's just easier for me that way. Also this way you can literally see my journey, lol. Posts will be scheduled for Saturdays, one post per week, unless my drafts start to get really full, in which case I'll bump it up to two posts per week.

Sometimes I may open a fic and save it in an open tag if I'm not in the right headspace for it, or if I want to read it but I'm not connecting with it at the moment. Or, if it's a really long fic, sometimes I'll intersperse other shorter fics in between chapters. So just because I skip a fic doesn't mean I didn't like it, or I thought it was bad.

Though I will give everything a shot, in general, kid fic is just not my thing, so you're unlikely to see many recs with that topic. But feel free to send in your own fic recs if there's something you really love. I'm sure others would love it as well.

I also generally tend to be not a fan of kink involving bodily fluids other than spit, sweat and semen, but I will give them a chance. Just don't expect a lot of recs for those. Also I'm not really a fan of age play. It's just not my thing.

The only hard pass for me is anything that tries to villainize Steve for MCU Civil War. That's a hard no for me.

Okay, I accidentally added a poll and it won't let me delete it, so....

Lmao - that was supposed to say goodness not goddess. 🙃🙃🙃 This is why I don't do polls. I am far too much of a mess to handle this kind of responsibility.

[smallchaoscryptid]

2, 3 and 29 (for in any other universe)!! -kai

2. Go to your AO3 “Works” page, to the sidebar with all the filters, and click the drop-down arrow for “Additional Tags.” What are your top 3-5 most used tags? Do you think they accurately represent your writing habits? Hurt/Comfort (Accurate I sure do love hurt/comfort) Wilbur Soot Needs A Hug (I don't write much Wilbur anymore but when I did a good hug would have fixed him.) Angst (I love angst. I love making people emotionally feel pain it's fun) Alternate Universe - Fae (I think that my first thought was "Man, I haven't written a Spiderbit fae au" means the answer is yes.) Angst with A Happy Ending (Yes. I can't write angst without making everyone happy in the end. Real life and canon may not give everyone happy endings but I sure will.)

3. What are some tropes or details that you think are very characteristic of your fics? Love is always a big deal in my fics and it's not always like romantic love but it's almost always there. There is also a 'two people against the world' theme in my fics.

29. What songs would be (or are) on a playlist for [insert fic]? Explain your choices if you want! Kai targeted me with this one because they know I have playlists for most of my fics because it's what I turn on when I go to write most of the time. I need to organize most of them in fic plot order... (I would also love to talk about all my aus and their playlists if anyone wants to ask about them. Would also give me an excuse to organize them.) In Every Other Universe It Doesn't End Well Playlist If I was to treat it like a soundtrack: (Anything not mentioned is there for vibes.) Familia By Nicki Manaj, Anuel AA, Bantu - Plays during both of The Warehouse Scenes with Cucurucho. Way Up by Jaden - Plays during the first scene with Roier as Spiderman where he stops Cellbit from killing a man and the scene in the alley where Cellbit gets punched by the guy they are fighting. Sparks Fly by Taylor Swift - It is just the entire push and pull of Spiderbit throughout the whole fic. Roaring 20s By Panic! - Plays while Cellbit is being moody tm on the rooftop before the first confession. Memories By Thutmose + Let Go By Beau Young Prince - Would play after Cellbit is rescued and they are walking back/ first get to Roier's house. Self Love by Metro Boomin and Coi Lerray - This plays during The Second Confession Scene. It is also where I got the title from.

[booksandabeer]

Hi J! I hope you’re having a lovely Sunday! ☺️

I’ve come across quite a few of your comments on AO3 and have see a few of your fic recs. You always put so much thought into your reviews and comments. It’s very inspiring. Your response to your most recent ask about the “legendary stories” was so well written. I hope it doesn’t seem weird, but I’m always excited to come across a comment of yours as a reader, so I can only imagine how your words make the writers feel.

So, with all that said, I’d like to pick your brain a bit and ask a couple of random questions (if feel like answering): Do you have a favorite and least favorite trope? Have you ever read a fic featuring your least favorite trope and it turned out better than expected?

Hello Jae!

First of all, thank you very much for your absolutely lovely message and your kind words. 😘 I did indeed have a lovely Sunday, thank you very much! I hope Monday is treating you well?

I'm a bit of a serial commenter... it's true! See, the thing is, I get to read all these wonderful, lovingly crafted stories by people who put so much time, care, and passion into creating them--and I get to read them for free! So I figure the least I can do is try and put a miniscule fraction of the time and thought it took to write them, and for me to read them, into composing a somewhat meaningful & appreciative comment. I don' t know if I always succeed at the former, but as long as the latter sentiment comes through, I consider it a success!

Also, I don't think it's weird at all to read or get excited about other people's comments. In fact, I think it's a GREAT way to find new fics and authors. I found some of my favorite stories by clicking on the ao3 profiles of people I repeatedly noticed commenting on the same fics or otherwise leaving thoughtful feedback, and they were either writers themselves or had great bookmark collections ("Bookmark Creeping" is one of my favorite pastimes).

Now for the questions you asked:

Do you have a favorite and least favorite trope?

That is a very broad question! Where to even begin?😳 Also with fanfic, I'm always a bit unsure what exactly is considered a trope/a genre/kink because sometimes the lines tend to get a little blurry. Well, let's look at it through a Stucky-lense, shall we? Obviously, I'm a sucker for Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers, and Slow Burns; I feel like those are baked into the ship, right? I'm also a bit of an Angst Queen, and I love nothing more than to get absolutely destroyed by a fic as long as there is the promise for at least a bittersweet ending that will gently put me back together. Also, I go WILD for wound care (bonus points if it comes with kissing) and I love a well-deployed(!) pet name.

Now when it comes to things I don't personally enjoy all that much? Hm. I don't read crack fic because it's just not for me and because I feel like it often clashes with the more serious aspects of Steve and Bucky's backstories. I also tend to avoid either super-fluffy (curtain fic, Kidfic, Highschool AUs) or super dark/kinky stuff (heavy BDSM, HTP, Non-Con as a kink). Ymmv, of course and I absolutely do not think it's a "bad" thing to enjoy reading these things!

Have you ever read a fic featuring your least favorite trope and it turned out better than expected?

For the longest time, I only ever read canon verse stories or at least somewhat canon-adjacent, like Shrinkyclinks/Shrunkyclunks, but almost no Modern/No Power AUs. At some point last year I think I got a bit canon-tired (because when you read almost exclusively Steve/Bucky, let's face it, a lot if it is by its very nature just really sad shit). So over the past year I got a bit more adventurous in my reading and I've dicovered so many wonderful stories! Like I said above, I usually tend to avoid Kidfics at all costs (I don't hate children or anything; I just don't want to read about them all that much... Oh God, I sound like a horrible person, don't I? 😬🙈)... Anyway, over the past few months, I've found immense joy in reading @zenaidamacrouras1's stories--and almost all of them feature child characters of various ages. And I didn't just like the stories despite the kids but because of them! Wild! Who would've thought? But I am now a person who enjoys Kidfic, and in fact I have one lined up for tonight!

Also, and I don't know if this is of any interest to you--I would very much understand if it isn't--but there is a series called Called to Heel by Bagheera, which basically pushes all of my NOPE buttons, starting with the fact that it's Bucky/Zemo (!) with some past unrequited Steve/Bucky, and here's only a small selection of the tags: Past HTP implied; Pet Play; Past Rape/Non-con; Rough Sex; Dom/Sub. So, according to everything I just wrote above, I should hate this; it should not work for me at all. And to be fair, it's definitely not what I would call a *fun read*. It's also one of the best fics I have EVER read, part 2 in particular is a goddamn masterpiece, and it's one of the smartest and most complex character studies of both Zemo and Bucky I've come across. So. You really never know what might end up working for you, I guess.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Hope this is ok and answers your questions a little bit?

[ectogeo-rebubbles]

'questions for fic writers' asks

2, 12, 21

go crazy, ecto! 💖

Yay, thanks for the ask! <3

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

Fluff, Getting Together, Episode Related, Established Relationship, Mutual Pining. Hmm, yeah, that about sums up my writing! ^_^ I love to make them get together, and I love their to be misunderstandings and pining but not enough that it's incompatible with a fluffy tone, and I love to steal and tweak the plot of an episode in order to do all of that haha. (Actually, honestly I'm surprised that established relationship is in the top 5 lmao, I feel like I write mostly getting together fics, but I guess that my own impression of my body of work is a little bit off! I do also love it when they are already together and get put into a Situation. <3)

12. Are there any tropes you used to dislike but have grown on you?

Hmmm, well, there's some tropes that I don't enjoy in theory but almost every time I've read a fic with them I've thought they were done well (a testament to the quality of garashir writers I think). Examples would be soulmate AUs and Hanahaki disease. Like, I still don't inherently like those tropes on their own merits, but y'all out there keep writing such good fics for them that I can't just universally be a hater of the tropes either, how very dare! XD

21. If you wrote a “missing scene” in [insert fic], what would it be?

So, despite the fact that I THRIVE in the missing scene spaces left open by canon, I have a really hard time imagining adding scenes to my fics other than the ones that ended up in them, bc once I've finished them I have already deeply considered whether to show a particular thing or not lollll. When people ask me if I'll be writing a sequel/followup to a fic of mine (a rare occurrence, thanfully) I'm always similarly baffled, bc I already wrote and posted exactly the part of the story that I wanted to tell XD But I am given to understand that other people aren't all like this lol, and often enjoy writing followups and missing scenes from their own fics, instead of just being done with a concept and moving on to something new once the fic is posted. XD

Okay enough tangential ranting about one of my weird writer quirks lol, time for AN ACTUAL ANSWER. In spectre, I was gonna have a humorous epilogue where Julian space skyped Felix to confront him first about the dangers of putting rogue AIs into holoprograms just to mess with him and then about the even more considerable dangers of trying to play matchmaker when one of the parties is an ex-Obsidian Order agent. Garak was going to be on the call too, and he'd be protective and sinister and threatening to the point that Julian would have to sternly clarify - partially to Felix but mostly to Garak - that Garak was in fact joking. Anyway, I never figured out how to make that scene work without Julian explaining ALL of the insane events of the fic in dialogue, which seemed boring to write, to me, and I realized the fic didn't need it anyway lol.

(for this ask game)