#this story might be my longest oneshot yet

[killerandhealerqueen]

Do I think this outline for this oneshot might end up being 20K? Here's to fucking hoping

[rehmes]

Nothing Solitary about Us : ⋆༘ Wriothesley / reader | headcannons . oneshot

‗ content / trigger warning: bigger story / reader background not fully mentioned, reader is a refugee, Wriothesley swooning (in his own way), thoughts of self doubt, fluff/angst?? Like a weird mixture of the two, not beta read, we die like Wriothesley's adoptive parents. ‗word count: 4k ‗ author's note: If you saw when I accidentally posted this the first time . . . no you didn't! Apologies if it's ooc, a little long, or has errors in spelling. English isn't my first language and this is the first time I've written for Wriothesley! Any suggestions to improve will be much appreciated! :D

Wriothesley could still remember the day he saw you, the day that you had come into the Fortress after, purposefully, committing a crime to gain some sort of refugee status; Why you thought to come to a prison, of all places, to receive such a thing baffled him the most. And it had baffled him for the longest time until you had told him why:

You and The Duke first met when The Duke wasn’t even The Duke; Meeting as cellmates in the Fortress, having been put in the same age group for practically everything that the Fortress had to offer at that time. Which wasn't a lot, and with Wrothesley’s lack of enthusiasm to even look in your direction, it made everything a lot more insufferable. But, Wriothesley didn’t know that; He was just intent on staying out of your way and not causing any more trouble for himself. Likewise, the thought of making friends with you did creep into his mind but so did the doubts that you might hate him after you figured out why he was sentenced here. So, it took a lot for Wriothesley and you to actually begin talking, despite being paired for a lot of the backbreaking activities. And, Wriothesley does still remember that day, too: It was after a tiring shift, where you were both thoroughly whipped out and about to crash at the dinner tables. You both had used coupons to buy food, and didn’t even have the energy to sit at different tables, muchless to open the containers containing your dinner. It felt as though every muscle in your bodies had been torn, limb from limb, muscle from tissue and bone, it was excruciating… and you were about sure you could appeal to the Iudex about this being considered some sort of child labor. Maybe even murder if they kept pushing you both like this. Luckily, you guessed, Wriothesley looked a little better in shape than you did, but he was not far lagging behind. With shaking hands he reached out to open his dinner for the night, to only pause and stare down in horror at what was on his tray. It made you nervous to even peek into yours, seeing the way Wriothesley’s face contorted; A corner of his left eye tightening, his eyebrows furrowing down to create visible creases along his forehead, and a scowl you’ve only ever seen when someone bothered him. A look of pure disgust.

Yet, you still checked yours away. You didn’t know that Wriothesley had glanced up to see if you had gotten the same horror as he did, and by some god awful prank (or pure disluck) you also had the conglomeration on your plate. Some weird, mysterious meat that sat on the plate, sometimes twitching like it was still mooing, sometimes resting as meat should rest. Equally unappetizing and making your hunger even more apparent, as you were tempted to taste the horrific creation that came out of that unsanitized kitchen. “You know,” Your voice caught Wriothesley's attention, as his had drifted down to the plate of food in front of him. His eyes shot up and barely met yours, “it could be worse?” You shrugged your shoulders in a joking way, giving Wriothesley an awkward look paired with an even awkwarder smile. He was a bit baffled at your conclusion, “It could be worse?” He questioned, calm and steady, confused and a bit curious on where you were going to go with such a statement.

In his fatigue, he had broken the one rule he had set for himself in this place; Don’t talk to anyone, don’t make yourself known, don’t make any friends. In his fatigue he didn’t believe answering you would be so wrong nor did he believe that you two would ever speak again after his point, so why not entertain you… and himself.

“At least they didn’t puke on our plate?” The joke fell from your lips with the weakest chuckle you could muster. Your eyes drooped and the pain was evident in the way your eyes shined ever so less than normal. Wriothesley was about to respond, yet you managed to get at it before him; “You know, where I came from, if you didn’t have a fire you had to eat your fish cold! Like, ice cold. And there was nothing you could do about it… other descale the thing and pray you didn’t just eat your last meal.” “Is that right?” Wriothesley cocked an eyebrow up, unsure where you had come from yet didn’t enjoy the images that came into his head. Well, one was particularly funny and it was the thought of you trying to bite into a frozen fish and hurting your teeth. Not like he wanted that to happen, maybe. “Well, don’t give the kitchen staff any ideas or maybe they’ll just import that from your weird homeland.” It had been a while since Wriothesley had laughed, and he couldn’t help but chuckle softly alongside you. The conversation was a ridiculous one, especially when first conversations usually went along the lines of introducing yourselves to each other. Yet, oddly to Wriothesley, it felt about right. And from that day, Wriothesley was sure he didn’t know of a day where he didn’t talk to you. Even if it started with a small greeting in the hallway or pointers on how to do a job more efficiently, small conversation gradually turned into the two of you chatting for hours eating lunch or dinner and even trying to talk after lights out. It finally felt like you had escaped your past and had a friend in a place you named your refuge, and Wriothesley finally felt like he had met someone (though this feeling was slow and gradually coming) that would accept him, despite his past doings.

Wriothesley interlocked his fingers, resting his elbows on the table, and nestled his chin on the finger net he had made. His eyes were softer than usual, yet that piercing blue. Back then, when you two had simply been inmates trying to work out your frustration and struggles with the world; Now, you laid on the couch in Wriothesley’s office in the fortress, with his coat draped over you like a blanket, napping. From outside eyes, you both would look like the perfect couple, yet he hadn’t even managed to ask you the question yet; But, he had an inkling you understood, just as he did, how he felt about you. Otherwise, Wriothesley couldn’t fathom why you decide to spend your nights in his office, keeping him company, when you could be in the nurse wing with Sigewinne or doing “orderly duties” for the fortress above on the surface. It made a small smile twitch onto his lips seeing you, you always managed to do that; But, it also bubbled the age old question in his mind . . . is this life good enough for you? Wriothesley is usually a calm man, a collected one, who didn’t often question why people came to the Fortress and simply gave them a second chance at peace – well, more frankly, at life. He understood how such a thing could quell the anger that simmered in convicts and made it his life work to make sure everyone was treated as fairly as they worked for. Yet, you? You were a different question. He still wasn’t sure why you had come to the Fortress in the first place, yet had deduced from several conversations you came from the Snezhnaya. Sure, he could go into the room lined with file drawers with the reasons why convicts had been placed into captivity, but that room was one, far too crowded for his taste, and two, he didn’t wish on peaking into your personal life. At least, without your permission. 

Yet, still, the thought always crossed him on why you were here – by choice! Not that you walked in and checked yourself in, yet you committed many crimes to be noticed in Fontaine, trailed in court, then admitted to your crimes to be placed into the Fortress. The thought of doing such a thing made him cross his arms and lean back in the chair, his eyes more settled on your sleeping form and the way his jacket hugged the curves of your body. You always looked so happy on the surface, to see the sky and breathe the fresh air. Wriothesley wouldn’t want to keep you trapped in the Fortress. “I’ve never seen you so pensive before, Duke!” A voice suddenly appeared besides Wriothesley, causing him to jerk out of his train of thought. He sat up straight, a little suddenly, as he quickly turned to notice the all too familiar nurse of the Fortress: Sigewinne. The Duke played off his thoughts with a chuckle, “Ah, yes, well, I was thinking about something, Sigewinne.” He would half-heartedly joke, as the nurse gave him an all too unamused look. ‘No shit’, was what he was sure she was telling him in her head, but he only responded with a cool snicker. “Well, the tea you ordered from Liyue arrived at the Fortress and I came wondering if you wanted some,” The offer hung in the air, and Wriothesley knew the nurse would tag on a remark. “But it seems like you may need to talk out some problems.” She wasn’t an expert on human emotions, but she was better than spilling his mind to an inmate, Wriothesley guessed… or maybe even you. A pensive hum left the Duke’s lips as Sigewinne walked over, a hop away from skipping, and settled her tray with tea onto his desk. Promptly, she would nestle herself properly into a chair on the other side of Wriothesley’s desk, hands resting over her stomach and a pleased smile on her face.

“Go on, Wriothesley! I’m open ears.” Chimed the Nurse. Though only playful sarcasm came from the Duke as he poured himself a cup of tea, “Hmm, talking about my emotions? That seems like such a fun topic.” He knew it was needed, if not wanted. Even more so when Sigewinne didn’t seem too pleased with his half-hearted answer; As she pouted her lips and let out an extensive huff; “As the nurse, I care for everyone in the Fortress and that includes you too, Duke! Please, don’t make my job any harder than it needs to be.” There was an earnest tone in her voice, and Wriothesley knew she was getting better in her studies.

Even more so when she shook her head after his moments of silence, “Your eyebrows are frowned and your eyes rest everywhere but me or,” Wriothesley’s eyes drifted to you when Sigewinne pointed you out. You had shifted in your sleep, now laying on your back. You were peaceful; It made his eyes soften. He remembered when you used to have trouble sleeping by yourself, never feeling safe enough… Now you were sleeping like nothing in the world could ever hurt you. Like those fears of the past were nothing but fears. And they were; Wriothesley will make sure of it.

Sigewinne’s eyes had drifted off to you too. She was silent as she surveyed the way you slept and then the way Wriothesley lingered his attention on you. “You’re still debating whether or not to tell her, huh?” “And where did you hear that?” There’s the cheeky Sigewinne that Wriothesley knew. Of course, he knew her more caring side as the Nurse but he had a hunch that she also knew about why he had been so “thoughtful” – to put it colorfully. Though Sigewinne would shake her head and smile, “You’re very obvious sometimes! I think even Miss Clorinde knows!” That wouldn’t be good. Not at all. “Does she now?” But Wriothesley had to remain cool, collected. Now, it wasn’t that Wriothesley was embarrassed for others to know of his crush on you – well, by this point, it’s lasted so long he was sure he could dub it love, but better safe than sorry if you didn’t return his feelings – but he was simply cautious about other inmates knowing. After all, you were still technically one of them, an inmate. Your sentencing had been for about three years, maybe four, but you never left. You had chosen to stay since the first day you came, technically giving you a life sentence on your own will. So, if the other inmates know about the two of you – or well Writoehsley’s feelings – it could put your life in danger. There was a tick of silence again, something Wriothesley was rather fond of sometimes… like in this case. Yet, his eyes did not miss Sigewinne standing up from her chair and striding over to where you rested on the couch. There was a careful, cautious, way she held her hand out as she checked you.

“She’s still asleep,” Sigewinne noted.

And Wriothesley hummed in response, “I couldn’t tell.” Where was Sigewinne going with this, Wriothesley’s eyes narrowed slightly, though they were not harsh.

“Maybe she’s dreaming about you, Duke!”

Wriothesley is a hard man to crack. He was the Duke of the Fortress, a peacekeeper among the convicted, and yet sometimes when he was with you he couldn’t help but be that ever so lenient. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to confess to you after Sigewinne had come skipping into his office late one day while you were in her Medical Bay. It wasn’t uncommon, of course, being in the Fortress there were few people to speak to you with the kindness Sigewinne does; And you two often had conversations, even nights where you would have quote-on-quote sleepovers. Yet, today you went due to a headache. And, no less than an hour later, Sigewinne came skipping into his office like she had won the lottery – and Wriothesley half-entertained such a ridiculous thought. “What’s the good news, Nurse Sigewinne?” Wriothesley played along with her bubbly demeanor; Enjoying the change of pace from his slow, meticulous work which dragged on for hours on end. He swore to himself when he was half way done, he would go check on you, yet he was only a ¼. Luckily, seemingly, the news had been brought to him. “Well, they’re doing a lot better! It only appeared to be a headache due to not drinking enough water, but that tends to be normal.” Sigewinne reported as she came to a halt beside Wriothesley’s desk. “But, she also spoke rather colorfully about you!"

“Oh?” Wriothesley’s curiosity peaked, though a voice also nagged him about respecting your privacy. “Is that a good thing, or perhaps a bad thing, Nurse Sigewinne?” He knew she wouldn’t be able to tell him much, as there still was patient confidentiality, even in the Fortress. But, by the way Sigewinne’s face beamed and the way her hands animatedly rested upon her hip, he was sure she was about to tell him to shoot his shot… once again. He thought it was enough she had gotten the others to bug him about it, while also still placing stickers upon his back, but he couldn’t stay angered, or even annoyed, at them for long. Or at all. “I can’t say much, but I say you have a very good chance of landing her, Mr. Wriothesley!” Sigewinne beamed, and Wriothesley swore her smile went ear to ear.

Wriothesley was a private man, as private as one can get for being the Duke of a prison, yet you can always tell how he felt about a person from his actions. He was, and is, a man of few words … he always had been since you two were teenagers. And you never failed to take notice of it. Especially when he first began to give you some favor. 

Of course, it was nothing too big, nor grand, when you were teenagers going onto young adults. It was small gestures that would brighten up your day ever so slightly more, like holding open the door for you or walking closer when a nasty group of inmates sent creepy looks your way. He had even gotten into a fight with one of them after they approached you. Wriothesley had walked away for a second, going to get you both your lunch, when he turned around to see the guy grabbing your arm. Seeing you wriggle and writhe under the man’s disgusting touch was more than enough for Wriothesley to send a nasty blow to the side of the guy’s head, which caused him to crack his head open on the floor below.  It had been one of the few complications he had gotten into while at the Fortress, and he never regretted it. At least, that’s what he constantly told you and you had to believe his word. But, that event had been the first time that you felt some sort of pang in your heart regarding the, now, Duke; And it surely wasn’t the last. Especially after you were sure that Wriothesley was sending signals your way constantly by his small actions that always made you feel safer, closer, to him.

Yet, you had always had your own reservations on confessing to the Duke; Mostly having to do with where you came from, why you had left, and who was currently looking for you. You didn’t want Wriothesley, no matter how many times he defended you and said he would punch someone’s lights out if they messed with you, to get hurt because of the people you used to know. So you always waited for him to confess… and then tell him the dangers. But, day by day you compiled more and more reasons as to why Wriothesley might love you, and many more reasons why you loved him back. For one, he was a complete gentleman; To that, while he tended to be a little short and cold, he very much made it apparent that you could tell him anything, or even just lean on him if you needed. When you two walked, sometimes his hand would rest on the small of your back rather than your waist, and he would open the doors for you when you entered a building. Then there was the glares to the inmates who tried to mess with you, which was a little less fun to deal with, but a comfort nonetheless, and the visits to the Medical Bay he’d personally take to check up on your well being. There was, of course, a lot more that Wriothesley did that always made you feel special, more than you could ever count in a lifetime. And you were sure if things were different in your life you would have confessed to him long ago about the feelings that continuously welled in your chest, like a rapid river bashing against a dam begging to be freed yet never feeling such freedom. Man, wasn’t that poetic? 

“Hey, we need to talk.” Wriothesley’s voice was like a net, catching your attention and bringing it to shore – bringing you back to the present moment and back to Wriothesley. You had been at lunch, having brought up your meal you bought with coupons up to Wriothesley’s office and was currently toying with it on his floor. You would usually be sitting on the couch, waiting for the Duke to spare some attention to you which he tended to grace you with more than others. (Seriously! You had watched Neuvillette have to sit and wait for about an hour or more to speak with the Duke as he finished up some paperwork. It was slightly painful). But, you decided to not test your luck that day and possibly stain Wriothesley’s couch with… whatever you were eating. Honestly, you were so lost in thought you had forgotten what they had served, and now looking at it, it was too much of a mess for your brain to piece together. “A talk? That’s never good,” The sly comment shortly dropped from your lips, a snicker across your face as you glanced up at the Duke. His arms were crossed in a somehow pensive and relaxed (you weren’t sure how that's feasible, but he made it work) fashion as he leaned back against his chair, having taken his eyes off of his work for the first time in a few hours. Unknown to you, he hadn’t been able to complete some of the papers that flooded his desk because his mind kept drifting back to you. You. God, you were so perfect in his eyes. Even if he logically knew that no one could be quote-on-quote perfect, he sometimes chose to ignore that fact for you. Only you, really. 

“Nah, I think you’ll like this one,” Wriothesley continued, a chuckle present upon his lips that gave his stubble some light. When was the last time he shaved? The thought crossed your mind. You didn’t mind it, of course, you always enjoyed his stubble, it made him look more handsome in your eyes. But, even so, his looks weren’t enough to evade your skeptical side glance and the cock of your eyebrow. Even if Wriothesley snickered, knowing you had been checking him out a little; After all, he sometimes purposely lets his stubble grow out for you. Wriothesley was a man of few words, and even sometimes his words tended to fail him. So, there was a brief moment that his eyes lingered onto yours, and yours lingered right back to his. A beat, maybe even longer, before he stood from his desk and strided over to where you sat on the floor, kneeling down to your height. And, being so close, you could almost see all the words that were swirling in his head in his eyes; The regrets yet also momentums that wanted to pour out, yet he kept locked inside, as he reached a hand out and wiped a smug of food from your cheek. To others, his face might have seemed cold or indifferent, but you could tell there was some sort of attentiveness in his eyes that gave him away. It always had. And, just like Wriothesley, your own eyes and body always tended to give you away to him. The way your eyes crinkled ever so more when you laughed at one of his poorly delivered jokes. The way you always entertained the joke of Sigewinne being your shared child, much to her dismay, and the way you always naturally floated to his presence when he was in a room.

“You’re a horrible liar, you know that, right?” Wriothesley would tease, as a crinkle appeared in the corner of his eye. You knew what he was talking about and it made your heart flip. Both in a good way and a bad way. You would feel guilty putting Wriothesley into the fire that you had forged, which burnt down everything you had ever known beforehand. And yet, you were unaware that Wriothesley was equally as revered as confessing to you due to the likeness that the Fortress might become your shared home. He didn’t want that life for you as much as you didn’t want your life for him. And yet, despite that, Wriothesley was shooting his shot, as despite all the uncertainties that clouded both of your minds, there will still always be a shared affection for one another that wouldn’t fade easily, if ever. So, you snorted and confessed, “You’re not much better yourself, Duke.” Despite your mind screaming at you differently.

And, it was strangely peaceful to get that heavy weight off your chest, even if it felt like your heart was being crushed all the same. Though, if you were able to weather your own struggles with anyone, you know it would be with Wriothesley – in turn, Wriothesley knew that if push came to shove, you’ll be there to lend him the extra strength to deal twice the blow. And so it always felt right, in your hearts, for you two to be together. Yet, why did that new found heavyweight only grow heavier?

Home | Masterlist

[charlotterhea]

I'm thinking about leaving the English Fandom

At least as a writer.

I've just finished posting the translation of one of my longest fics and... Boy, the feedback is depressing. I've planned to start translating the next long thing but I seriously lack any motivation to do so. Yk, translating is exhausting! I already wrote that story once, I went through it several times, and now I am supposed to engage with it yet again only for that sad outcome of verbal engagement I get in return?!

There is a lot I dislike about the German fandom and the way the German archive works, but the comments... the comments!

And currently, ISEM gets translated into Russian and I sometimes take a look at those comments as well and honestly, almost every poorly translated Russian comment excites me more than the majority of the English ones I get.

Why the heck is that? What is wrong with you English folk that you are so notoriously unable to write some decent comments nowadays? I know this has been different! There were authors writing oneshots for the writer of every 1000. comment they got on a story! 1000!!! I didn't even reach 600 for a 70-chapter-long story! WTF?!

I know, I know, I sound very ungrateful right now, but I'm done with being humble and grateful for a bunch of emojis that get thrown my way. I sit at my desk for hours and hours on end, pour my heart onto empty pages, and bring characters and bad-ass-long plots to life - resulting in stories longer than a couple of the HP books combined! -, and a considerable part of what I get in return is some emojis and a generic thank you?! No! I refuse to be grateful for that any longer! There are enough sympathetic posts around trying to encourage readers to at least leave an emoji or a key smash as a comment and yet I have this story that got over 1300 kudos and has more than 500 subscribers and not even the last fucking chapter, not even the finale gets me more than ten comments!

'Oh, but maybe there will be more soon!' you might say but I assure you: No. Most likely there won't because y'all started treating AO3 like fucking Instagram and the likelihood of somebody commenting on a story older than three of four days is LOW! If I don't churn out story after story after chapter after story I just get no feedback at all anymore although I already wrote all that stuff that is right there waiting to be fangirled about!

And the worst thing is: Those old stories are fangirled about! But not in the comments. When did you begin excluding authors? When did you begin seeing us as some bunch of untouchables instead of the dude next door who is just as insane about the same two to ten blorbos as you are? When did you begin to squeal about stories far away from the authors instead of with them in the comments? Y'all are acting like old stories are lava when it comes to comments! The only way I see that old stuff actually still gets read is by the daily kudo mail.

Really, I wish AO3 would turn off kudos. Kudos are such an easy way out of commenting, and all the 'Let me give kudos for each chapter!' posts are a testament to that. Honestly? No! You don't deserve to give kudos for every chapter. You don't deserve to feel like you've sufficiently done your duty by pressing a fucking button! You deserve to be ashamed of reading amazingly crafted stories for fucking free and not even having the decency to cobble some lousy sentences together when you're done consuming!

Oh, you are shy? Well, Brenda, guess what! I was shy about posting that story as well and yet I did so you had a good time after work! Suck it up! Nobody knows who you are anyway! Fuck, log out and write a guest comment if you really have to!

You don't have time? Well, you bloody well did have time to read the 6k+ words I churned out, so stop whinging about the five minutes it takes to write three sentences of gratitude!

You don't know what to say? Honey, you just read 6k+ words and there is not a single thing on your mind to say about it?! There was not a single line you could copy and say something like 'I laughed out loud at that!' or 'You had me in tears about this!' or 'I couldn't believe he fucking said that!'? Then why are you even reading the story?!

Stop those lame excuses and start commenting on fics! Start showing some fucking gratitude for the work writers do just for you to consume it like a bloody Netflix series! We don't get a single penny for the hours we spend in front of a screen! We cannot earn money with fanfiction! We cannot open commissions to get our rent paid! All we get are comments and most of them are a fucking shame considering the amount of work they are supposed to show appreciation for!

So, if in 2024 you still silently consume stories or keep chicken out of writing a couple of cohesive sentences by throwing some heart emojis in the writer's vague direction you deserve to be robbed of the kudos button and to be ashamed of yourself because you're actively supporting the death of fandoms and with that one of the few free sources of joy we still have. One of the few spaces no corporation uses to squeeze some money or data out of us and I cannot believe that this still has to be spelled out. Fandom is a group project and nobody likes the idiots sitting by, contributing nothing, and still getting all of the benefits.

Phew. I needed to get that out of the system. And now I'll go and contemplate translating another story. But after posting this I probably won't get comments anymore anyway because it's always the wrong people who feel addressed by shit like this.

Well, whatever...

[caeli0306]

guys the rq fic is 5.6k words and i only JUST introduced xaden into the story. this might be my longest oneshot fic yet. oh lordy

[only-lonely-stars]

10, 17, 23!!!!!!

(Ask game here!) Thanks for the ask Fabro! :D

10. what is the longest amount of time you’ve let a draft rest before you finished it?

You know, I've never paid too much attention to that, funnily enough! Usually when I write a story, I post pretty regularly as I draft. If rewriting a very old fic which I posted and then took down counts, then four years (The Gift of New Life). Otherwise, probably no more than about 3 months (Hair As Gold As Straw).

17. talk about your writing and editing process

Oh this is a fun one! I may as well do a little step-by-step rundown here.

Come up with an idea. If I know I want to draft it immediately, I start right then and there. Usually the inspiration is pretty strong, and sometimes it can be incredibly visual (though music is also very important for my process). If I don't want to write it immediately, it goes in a document I keep just for ideas I haven't written yet.

Write an outline. I've ranged from incredibly detailed (and therefore useless) to a couple of bullet points. At this step, I might also record voice memos, as talking about my ideas sometimes helps me process them.

Start drafting. I usually draft in chapters if it's not a oneshot, so I might end up moving around where chapters start and end as I edit. Usually I have a major event I want to happen during that chapter, and everything else revolves around it.

Edit, draft, proofread and edit. I know people say not to edit what you've already written, but for me, editing helps me re-engage after I've put it down for a bit. Having an outline usually means that I don't need to do very many large-scale edits (though not always).

Post before I can get too self-conscious about the quality of my work. When I'm excited that's not usually an issue, but I will always find something to nitpick. The antidote to unhelpful critique, I've found, is to ignore it!

When I'm writing, I usually want music to listen to. I stick to music I already know, as words don't usually bother me. For big projects, I make playlists of songs that remind me of themes, characters, or plot points. Also having a snack or at least a water bottle nearby is essential.

23. pick three keywords that describe your writing

Realist, hopeful, and fun. Do with that what you will.

Thanks for the ask. <3 My askbox is still open!

[yourlocalartsonist]

MONTLY MFIP UPDATE

8/13 | Month 1 | Next Month

Hey hey hey folks! Been a while, I know but we’re here now! If you’re wondering “what the fuck is this” basically I decided to take notes from my bestie @yosajaeofficial and do monthly updates for MFIP the way they do em for their story JMC so it doesn’t look like I’m dead :D (BTW Please go check out the Jayce Myles Comics, it’s gonna be a rise comic and hasn’t debuted yet but Jae’s been working super hard on it and I guarantee if you guys like MFIP, then you’ll love the JMC too so give em a follow to stay updated~)

Anywhizzle, I know I don’t update often but truth be told, I don’t usually have much publishable material. Most of the MFIP related artwork I do are usually things I can’t reveal till future chapters. They’re lore-significant and would be kinda spoilerish if I posted them before the chapters are ready so womp womp on me. All the other art I do are either for different stories, sketches, or just not things I really wanna publish at least as their own posts. I do, however, wanna show I’m not speaking out my ass so I’mma show a few of em here actually :3

First one’s like one of my favorite things ever even if it’s pretty simple. I just wanted to explore Salena’s dynamics with some of the villains and sketch em out for funsies but only got as far as Meatsweats and Kendra. Still one of the funniest shit to me ESPECIALLY the random ass beef Salena and Meatsweats have. It came out of fucking nowhere but both have accepted it as just their dynamic now. Funfact, it wasn’t even planned; I accidentally made Meatsweats the villain for chapters 1 and 3 and decided “fuck it, the bond is funny” so now they’re mortal enemies for no reason other than pure coincidence💀✨

Wanted to show this one because it’s cute and I love it. It’s one of my more recent sketches (hence the brush being changed) I did on a day I wasn’t really feeling too well and kinda craved Raph’s big-brother comfort. I might go in and actually finish this one ngl cuz it’s just really sweet to me

SPOILER!

I also wanted to show a sneak peek at one of the chapter artworks that I mentioned earlier I cannot post yet. I’m not revealing any of the context or what chapter it’s from, but trust me y’all are in for a ride🤭✨✨✨

Alrighty, so that’s all I have for the art section. It’s not all though since I do wanna talk about the actual chapter progress itself in this next section

So, all y’all know the last chapter posted was chapter 9 and the one I’m working on currently is chapter 10. It’s got 19 pages so far in the docs but still kinda near the beginning. Chapter 9 was HUGE for me to write and I kinda think it’s the longest chapter I’ve written in general even including chapters from other stories I’ve written in the past so it really put me through a trip. I’m really happy and proud with how it turned out but it did burn me out a little so I’ve spent most of my summer break resting and regaining my energy. I’ve dabbled into other projects, other stories, AUs, etc. A lot of it was self-indulgent stuff which may still be posted on a separate account but it does mean I wasn’t progressing much with MFIP itself. I never abandoned it though or even properly stepped away from it tbh, it stayed in my mind and I kept having ideas that I added to my notes or just random brainrot I liked expanding on. It also gave me a chance to approach chapter 10 with a new lens cuz it had to be mentally reworked a few times to properly convey what I wanted it to. It’s still not fully figured out but it’s planned out in my head enough for me to ball it when writing the actual chapter itself as usual

I’ve also been working on some oneshots too! They’re kinda optional treats for anyone who wants to read em. They do have significance in the story but it’s not gonna leave you completely lost about the lore or anything if you choose not to read them. I’ll be posting at least the first one soon, I’m not sure yet cuz the order is indeed important for the timeline sake. But anywho, expect to see some of that as fun bonus content!

Now that the chapter update’s done, I did wanna talk more to you guys about writing and the story itself. I know I’ve become incredibly slow at updating the story but I do wanna reassure you guys that I still love MFIP and have a lot of passion for it, as well as working on it as hard as I can. The reason these chapters take longer is ironically because of that. I used to be able to pump out a chapter within a few weeks but those were the REALLY early days. My chapters grew to be much longer than I ever thought they’d be and they’re filled to the brim with important details and crucial moments that I can’t take out or rush without it feeling sloppy and lacking. The quality’s also increased thanks to my wonderful team editing the chapters for any typos or continuity errors and working on MFIP with as much passion as I am but that means they need to be given enough time to do their jobs properly. My love for MFIP is greater than it’s ever been and that’s saying something cuz I was quite obsessed since day one. But since there’s so much to do and I wanna be able to make the quality worthwhile, it takes me much longer to complete chapters. On top of that, there’s obviously life stuff going on too. I still have to focus on college and study for it, especially since I’m majoring in physics, and I have to take care of my mom a lot since she’s a breast cancer survivor (officially been a decade now🦾) so we got A LOOOOOOT of doctor appointments every month. It’s just our normal. I do wish there was a way I could work faster or increase the amount of hours in a day but hey, at least we’re all waiting together. I can promise you this much: if I ever decide to drop the story—which I believe is VERY HIGHLY UNLIKELY—I’ll be sure to let y’all know. I won’t ghost or randomly delete it out of nowhere someday. As far as I’m aware, I have full intent to keep this story going and keep communication clear between us :3

But yea, all in all, I think that’s all from me for this month’s update!

I hope this was a satisfying update to read (and to know the story ain’t abandoned—) and I hope next month I’ll have some cool things to show too. Maybe I’ll consider showing a written WIP next month? I’m not too sure since I usually like keeping my chapters a surprise till they’re fully done but I’ll consider it depending on how far the chapter is. For now though, I must bid y’all farewell! I’ll still be here to answer asks or do fun tag games and maybe post here and there if I have something. If ya made it this far, thank you for reading and enjoy the rest of your day everyone. Love ya guyssss🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

ROTTMNT: Moths Fly In Packs

[sluttysnails334]

sluttysnails 2023 A03 Recap!

I am stealing this idea from PCE, so I will tag them for credit, @1moreoffkeyanthem

Total Works: 20!

12 Oneshots

3, twoshots, 2 threeshots, (they aren't full series so it felt weird to included them in that lol)

4 Series ( I technically only have one, but in my head a series is anything that is more than 3 chapters.)

1 Stick of Truth story

Most Kudos: Sliverstone and Goldfeather, 288

Most Comments: Also Sliverstone and Goldfeather, comment thread 98, comments 221

Most hits/bookmarks: it is ALSO Sliverstone and Goldfeather, it's sweeping this year everyone. It has 6,083 hits, and 49 Bookmarks

Longest Work: Sliverstone and Goldfeather, and it's still not done yall because it's #lazygirlwinter it is currently at 37,611 words

0 TFBW stories, sadly

Most written pairing: CREEKKK my oxygen, my life source, can never get enough of them fr

Work that made me cry while writing: Are We Still Friends? The first fanfic I ever posted. It wasn't sad tears, I was just happy I finished writing it, and was really proud of it lol.

Favorite Character to write from: Tweek, especially in S&G he is lowkey like my self insert, if I was like a fictional blonde gay man

Favorite AU: I like my SOT AU, even though the work has 2 chapters, lol, but I've written some of it, and just haven't posted it yet.

Least Fav Work: I Watch The Moon, it was the second thing I ever posted, and like it's not awful, but I would just write it so differently now, and I do think I might rewrite it at a later date.

Works that mean the most to me: Are We Still Friends, Sliverstone and Goldfeather, Camp Cottonwood, why didn't you call me back?, Love Like You, now you suck! god only knows where I'd be without you, ( all for diff reasons, might do a separate post on why)

Favorites:

We can leave the Christmas lights up 'til January

kissin' I hope they caught us,

baby you've got something in your nose ( probably my favorite style thing I've written tbh)

feeling:

how am I supposed to pretend, that I never want to see you again,

and you never knew how much I really liked you

running through the six with my woes!

Most Bizarre Fic: Either now you suck! or my man is my man, is your man, heard its his man too.

okayyyyy, lol this was fun, i love writing fan fiction and I had a really tough year and the South Park fandom has been so welcoming and I've made a lot of friends through it, that I will cherish for years to come.

THANK YOU for reading my fics if you do, even if you only ever read one, and if you haven't read my fics ever, thank you for just following me on here!! thank you for EVERYONE for baring with me and not finishing and/or taking literal months to update my stuff, you guys are the real ones. 🥹🥹🥹🥹

EVERYONE HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR AND 2024!!! 🎉🥳🍾🎈🎊🤸🏽‍♀️🤪

you can find me on a03 as sluttysnails!!! (sorry idk how to link it lol)

[catsandgoodbooks]

20 Questions for Writers

Tagged by @bleue-flora (I am sorry it took so long it's been like a month I was procrastinating)

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

22, because my brain hates to stay focused on one idea at a time and I just have to make everything worse. I've got a lot more half-formed ideas and three-paragraph beginnings of fanfiction too <3

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

124,920 - that's...a lot. And it's only been about a year, so yay!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Dream SMP. I'm lurking in a couple other fandoms (mostly the Locked Tomb and Dragon Age), but I haven't written anything for those yet.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

1. Off the Planned Course

Not that surprising because it's one of the fics I've been writing the longest, is the longest of my actual stories (so not counting Whumptober stuff), and it also has the most people reading it (I blame including the Syndicate for that). It's probably my favorite too, so the validation is really nice (even if I keep getting writer-blocked by it).

2. Unfortunate Circumstances

Also one of the long ones, so it makes sense that it's on this list. Also, literally the second Dream SMP fic idea I ever had, so it's great that it's still going.

3. Easier Said Than Done

This one I kind of feel bad about - I decided to change a few details a while ago and I'm still not done with editing the old stuff so I can start on new chapters, so I really haven't been writing much for it recently (i.e in the past six months). Maybe this will get me to work on it again but I wouldn't hold out hope. It's not abandoned, but it's still basically on hiatus.

4. Shared Scars

I really like this one, but I didn't really expect anyone would read it because it was just a random AU with no basis in canon about two side characters, y'know? It's just really fun to write.

5. Dive Deep Into The Dark

This one is the one that surprised me, because it's just a collection of Whumptober oneshots that I wrote in like an hour each. But, hey, apparently people liked that, so yay?

5. Do you reply to comments? Why or why not?

Whenever I can, because they're taking the time out of their day to read my stuff and going the extra step of leaving a comment, and because I just like talking about my stories and stuff <3

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Okay, this and the next question are kind of difficult because I am allergic to finishing anything, ever, and that means I have to stick to oneshots, but I'd say either everything I've ever written for a Whumptober prompt (because those are all terrible, basically) or Old Habits Die Hard (Old Reliances Die Harder) because it's an angsty canon-compliant (ish) oneshot where nothing is resolved and everything is just terrible. In my longer fics, I don't really plan for tragic endings, because the ending should be happy even if the journey there wasn't, or else the whole things sad and there's not really any point.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Again, only oneshots count for this, so I'd probably say burn the scorecards, balance out the scales, because the ending is hopeful and probably the best possible outcome via rivals duo.

8. Do you get hate on your fic?

Not really, which is great. The most I ever get is a confused comment or someone making assumptions, and that's all fine.

9. Do you write smut?

No, and I don't plan to.

10. Do you write crossovers?

No, but I have some ideas I might write that involve crossovers and I might write them eventually.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, I have not <3

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

No, but I would like to in the future.

14. What‘s your all-time favorite ship?

Drunz, for sure. It's the ship that really got me into the fandom and I've always liked that sort of toxic codependence even though they're terrible for each other.

15. What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

All of them? Well, besides that, I'd probably have to say Off the Planned Course, because, although I really love it, I have no idea how to end that thing or when.

16. What’s your writing strengths?

Absolutely no idea, maybe internal monologues? It's hard to evaluate your own writing.

17. What’s your writing weaknesses?

Dialogue. 100% dialogue. I get in my head about if it sounds natural or if anyone would ever say that or if I'm writing a character right and then it turns about clunky because I'm too busy worrying about it.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I don't have a problem with it, but you should provide translations in that situation so the readers have context and know what's going on.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Dream SMP

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

Probably Off the Planned Course, there are some chapters were I was just having the time of my life writing that thing even if they were immediately followed by two months of struggle.

Not tagging anyone because it's been ages and I'm bad at doing anything quickly so yeah. Also, it's my birthday today and time is really fucking weird <3

[rockyroadkylers]

Weekend WIP game

Rules: List your WIPs below (if you only write one fic at a time, feel free to include future WIPs/ideas!) then answer the following questions. Then, tag as many people as you have WIPs (or more).

Thank you @happiness-of-the-pursuit for tagging me! (technically you tagged my main, @mainstreamelectricalparade, but this is my RWRB blog, so I'm responding here, LOL)

1. WIP List:

(bolding stuff I'm actively working on, since now that I've finished my current project, most of these are still in the very early stages 😂)

It's Nice to Have a Friend sequel (canon-divergent childhood friends-to-lovers AU)

INTHAF tabloid/social media companion fic

Actor AU enemies-to-friends-to-lovers (child actor Alex, non-actor Henry, technically)

the Bond AU (actually also an actor AU where Henry has the opportunity to follow in his father's footsteps and be the next generation's James Bond... but so does Alex 👀)

Tangled AU (Henry is Rapunzel, Alex is Flynn, you can guess where that's going)

I technically have other WIPs, but they're from a different fandom and thinking about them doesn't really spark joy right now, so I'm not going to include them here 😅

2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest?

Um... I think the child actor Alex outline is currently longer than any of the others, and I have the opening scene written for it, so I'll say that one 😂

3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest?

Ooh... at this stage, it's so hard to tell! It could honestly be any of them, I haven't even started working on some of them properly, yet, so I have no idea if they'll be oneshots or fully-fledged longfics. Currently, my best guess would be the sequel for the childhood friends AU, but... that could change.

4. Which WIP is your favourite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?

I wouldn't say I have a favorite, yet... I've done the most outlining for the child actor Alex AU, just because we had a full-on conversation about it in the server, so a lot of the hard work was done for me 😂 I'm joking, obviously, I still have a lot of work to do, but the server gave me some great ideas, so I'm very excited about that fic. A close second is the childhood friends sequel, though, because that AU is my baby <3

5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?

Hmm... A little nervous about the Tangled AU, maybe? I'm not sure why, I just find fics based on movies to be difficult, because I want to stay true to the story, but also make put my own spin on it and make it just different enough that it's not, like, an exact replica. I also have to find ways to work around the scenes with singing and dancing in them 😂 but that will be the easy part, tbh.

6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

Maybe the childhood friends AU tabloid/social media fic? I've never really done anything like it before. I have to come up with a whole bunch of headlines, write excerpts of news articles, make social media posts, and tie them all together neatly in a cohesive timeline that ties into the original fic. I've maybe bitten off more than I can chew, but there's no pressure to get anything posted before I'm ready! I think people are more excited for the sequel, anyway 🤭

7. Which of your WIPs will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why?

Umm... I might not get a full-on beta, but the sequel for the childhood friends AU isn't just going to be about Alex and Henry's budding romantic relationship, it's also going to be continuing to deal with topics such as the aftermath of Arthur's death, Bea's experience with rehab, Henry starting therapy, and so on, so I'll probably ask some friends from the server to check some stuff over if there's anything I'm not sure about.

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of writer's block?

Technically, no, because I've barely gotten started on any of them 😂

9. Which WIP has your favourite OC? Tell us about them?

None of my WIPs have OCs, yet (though I imagine that will change once I really get into the actual writing), but my fully-posted fic, It's Nice to Have a Friend, has two: Robert, Catherine's equerry, and Judy, the head cook at Kensington Palace. I love them both, tbh, a mother could never choose a favorite child 😊

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

lmao, I don't write sexy stuff 😂 The sexiest thing I've ever written is a brief moment in the epilogue of It's Nice to Have a Friend, where I blink-and-you-miss-it implied that Alex and Henry had sex after getting engaged 😂

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

That's probably gonna be the sequel 😅 I'm gonna make it as fluffy as I can, but it's gonna be an immediate continuation following chapter 10 of It's Nice to Have a Friend, which means long distance. Plus, like I said in question 7, Henry's still got his grief and Bea's recovery to work through, so it's not going to be the smoothest ride.

12. Which WIP has the best characterisation (in your humble opinion)?

There's no way not to make this sound like a humble brag but I've gotten a lot of comments on It's Nice to Have a Friend that have told me my characterizations are really good, so assuming I'm consistent in the sequel, that will probably remain true there, as well. Although, the two enemies to lovers AUs I have... I don't have any interactions between the boys written down for either of those fics, yet, but that's pretty on-brand for them 😂

13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)?

Uhhh... not entirely sure what this means 😅 Like, overall universe setting, or like a specific scene? I think either way I'm gonna have to go with the childhood friends AU, because I'm just completely in love with it. I can't help it, that AU is my baby 😂 Although I am getting super into the child actor Alex AU, as well!!!

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

DEFINITELY the childhood friends AU! I spent five weeks writing the original fic, and I've been thinking about a sequel for at least two. I only started actually outlining it after I finished writing the first one, but there's no way I can say I've worked harder on anything else, even though the original fic and the sequel are technically two separate fics.

15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why?

The sequel 😂 I can't help it, It's Nice to Have a Friend is the fic that made me fall back in love with writing, and I'm positive that the sequel will continue that legacy. Although I'm feeling really good about the way the child actor Alex AU is turning out, as well!

16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

Uh... maybe? Except, I couldn't really tell if it was just a vague, generic Alex and Henry dream, or if I was actually dreaming about them in the childhood friends 'verse.....

17. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other fics don't?

Well, yeah, I mean, before I started writing for RWRB, I was almost exclusively a platonic fluff writer in the Iron Dad fandom (just check my Ao3 page 😂), so almost everything more complex than a toddler with an ear infection adds a new challenge for me, but I'm loving it, so far.

18. Which WIP is the funniest or has the most humour?

Uh... I'll get back to you on that when I actually have stuff written for any of them 😂 the Tangled AU will probably be pretty funny, though.

19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process?

Yeah! The child actor Alex AU will actually have a lot of Arthur's POV, because in that fic he kind of takes Alex under his wing, both as an acting mentor and as a sort of father figure when Alex needs someone to turn to in the wake of his parents' divorce, so you'll get to see a lot of Arthur's thoughts and feelings as Alex and Henry get to know each other.

20. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

Um... one of the boys is gonna be a Bond Girl, and I'm not telling you which one.

A tag per WIP - I'm still relatively new to this fandom, so I don't know a ton of people's URLs yet, but I'll do my best!

@affectionatelyrs, @inexplicablymine, @read-and-write-, and um... I genuinely don't know anyone's URLs, so I'll just leave it open 😂 if you see this somehow and you're like, "hey, Ky, why didn't you tag ME?" I tagged you in my heart, I just don't know where to find you 😭

[umbracirrus]

20 Questions for Writers

Tagged by the lovely @thequeenofthewinter to answer some questions, and I will leave an open tag to anyone who wants to answer to feel free to say that I tagged them 💛

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

I have three, at present - I have posted many a fic to AO3 over the years, but with my current account, just three.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

70,506 at present

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Elder Scrolls at present, though only have Skyrim posted at present - hoping to get something for Oblivion posted soon though! I've also recently dabbled in writing some things for BG3, and also Stardew Valley (though I don't think that any of them will be posted unless I find myself very satisfied with how they end up). Historically, I've delved into and posted Fire Emblem (primarily Awakening/Fates/Three Houses because they were the main games I had played), and even further back (back when I first started writing fanfic when I was about 12/13! I just realised I've been writing fanfic for half my life writing that out!) Pokemon.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

As I only have three fics posted on AO3, I can only do them, but in order: 1. The Perfect Storm (it's my main and longest fic to date, so unsurprising) with 117 kudos 2. Purity (a Vilkas/Dragonborn oneshot) with 17 kudos 3. Seeking the Sun (prequel to The Perfect Storm which I started on after it!) with a mere 2 kudos.

5. Do you respond to comments?

Where I can string together a coherent thought, and if I remember (and I am terrible at remembering!) I try to!! But I do read every single one, even if I don't remember to respond.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Now, as I haven't finished any fics (as of yet) beyond a few oneshots, I will have to base my answer on some plans for the few fics which I have planned out, and I believe that the story with my Hero of Kvatch Aelia is most likely to have the angstiest ending. She throws away her entire support network, including friends and family, to wallow in her misery and grief in the Shivering Isles, descending into madness, because all she wants to do is bring Martin back.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I really want it to be The Perfect Storm! I haven't planned out the ending for it yet, but I want it to be happy. However, I shall delight in stirring the pot and make Elyse and Balgruuf work for that happy ending, you hear? 😂

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not really? The closest thing to that which I got was being told that my writing was 'too dramatic'... Shame that I love writing me some drama. Dramatics can be taken from my cold, dead hands.

9. Do you write smut?

Yeah, though I don't think that I've posted any of it yet.... I still need to actually finish the smut which I was writing for my birthday. My birthday which was over a month ago. Ooops.

10. Do you write crossovers?

Nope. I just don't really like them. It's something I've always got to filter out when reading fics.... The closest I'd get to writing a crossover is, say, references to stuff from Oblivion in a Skyrim fic? But would that technically even be a crossover, if they're both Elder Scrolls? Though they are separate games....

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Again, no, not that I know of...

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Does it count if I tried co-writing a Pokemon Mystery Dungeon fic with a self-insert shiny Eevee with a ff.net friend when I was like 13 that we never posted???? If not, no!

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Honestly... I think it might be the fic based around Elyse's parents, Ingja and Edwyn, which I've only posted the first chapter to here on Tumblr. I know their story - it's all very firmly in my head, and is set to be referred to across Seeking the Sun and The Perfect Storm, but I simply don't think that I would be able to finish it... Plus I like keeping Edwyn's fate very vague. Though Ingja dies, because Elyse will meet her in Sovngarde when she goes to fight Alduin, what happens to Edwyn I've left ambiguous, hence why I don't think I would be able to finish it. He simply leaves one day and after sending Elyse a handful of letters he disappears. It gives me opportunity to maybe bring him in at some point down the line in The Perfect Storm... I kinda want to write a scenario where Balgruuf meets Edwyn now. Damn.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I'd like to say dialogue. I don't like putting dialogue into a fic unless I can mentally hear the line in the character's voice, if that makes any sense? If I can't hear it, or can't imagine a character saying it, I won't include it. But in addition to that, a lot of my scene-building and whatnot comes from using dialogue as a baseline. Obviously there are times where that isn't the case, but I do love writing little conversations to push a scene along.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I do believe that just as it is a strength, dialogue is also a weakness! Sometimes, I find myself over-relying on dialogue simply to 'fill space'. Where something like non-verbal communication, or environmental descriptions or even a change of scene would fit better, I'll just throw in some dialogue in the same way that I add cheese to meals - in overabundance! In addition, I would say that finding a way to bridge scenes together is another weakness of mine. I can have a chapter mostly complete, but without that one last bridging moment - often simply a sentence or paragraph or two which can join two scenes together - I simply cannot bring myself into completing it.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue on another language in a fic?

Now, in terms of reading it, I find it really cool as long as some sort of way to translate it is available! In that vein, I do sometimes use some of the dragon language in my fics - mostly when a dragonborn is communicating with Paarthurnax or Odahviing - and I'll have a full list of translations to include in the end notes. On that note, I swear that I have https://www.thuum.org/ open in a separate tab almost constantly when I'm writing just in case!!! I've always found that most useful when trying to include the dragon language.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

That'd probably have to be for Pokemon Ranger Guardian Signs, though none of those fics were ever typed up (I think???). I still remember excitedly pulling the odd page from school exercise books to staple together whilst scavenging for pens to write me some more Pokemon Ranger fanfic.......

20. Favourite fic you've written?

The Perfect Storm, absolutely. Though I do sometimes think of going back to work on/improve some of my earlier chapters in the fic, in particular surrounding Elyse's experience in Windhelm because I'm not as in love with that as I once was. My love for Balgruuf (and Elyse, and the two of them together!) fuels my love, favouritism, and bias towards the fic.

[soopersara]

Do you have any zutara podfic recs? I’m all caught up on a tale of ice and smoke, and am in need of a fix

Ooh, I hope you've been enjoying Ice & Smoke! I cannot believe how close I am to posting the entirety of Book 1 at this point! (Which... I mean, it's still going to be several weeks, but considering the fact that it's been going for well over a year, THAT'S REALLY CLOSE!)

Soooooo... I was going to say that I feel really bad about how I've barely listened to any Zutara podfics that aren't my own, but it turns out that the Zutara podficcing community is like... really small 😅 Small as in, of the 53 total Zutara podfics on AO3, more than half (28 of them, to be exact) are mine. So on the bright side, I don't have to feel so bad about slacking when it comes to listening to other people's podfics. On the less-bright side, there's just not much selection out there.

Anyone who might have been thinking about getting into podficcing, go ahead and give it a shot! It's not going to make you fandom-famous or anything (which is arguably a good thing), but there's not a lot of competition for attention either!

As far as podfics by other people go, I'm at least aware of owedbetter's i'm still here and The Jasmine Dragon Tea Hour's adaptation of Tempest in a Teacup by akavertigo. I'm pretty sure both of those are dramatic adaptations with more than one voice actor, and I think JD Tea Hour did adaptations of a couple of other fics and has had another in the works for... a while. I don't see any other fics that I know well enough to recommend in the list of Zutara podfics, but I have read both i'm still here and Tempest in a Teacup, so I can at least say that I liked the stories, even if I never got around to the audio versions.

And then, since I kind of stumbled into becoming the Zutara fandom's most prolific creator for its least popular format, I might as well do a bit of self promo too:

Only by Starlight is the longest complete podfic I've posted so far - basically Book 3 Painted Lady/Zuko shenanigans with some angst and hurt/comfort

A Father's Pride

Told You So

Date

Caught

Awkward

The last five are all oneshots - check the summaries and tags to see if any of them sound interesting, I guess! I do have podfics out there for a BUNCH of other fics too, but... they were recorded before I owned a real microphone, and the sound quality from my computer's built-in mic is Not Great. I'm working on remakes of all of those fics, which will start coming out sometime after I finish posting the I&S Book 1 podfics, but the originals are still out there if you're willing to deal with some less-than-spectacular audio.

I'm also working on a podfic of Stolen Bending, and I'll be starting on I&S Book 2 within a couple of months, but those probably won't get posted until the fics themselves get to the 'light at the end of the tunnel' phase, so probably not worth marking your calendar for those ones yet.

And thanks for the ask, @amandayetagain! It's always so cool to hear that someone is listening to my podfics and enjoying them!

[iamthepulta]

The Story of Morgan

@harvestar

So our Skyfarer campaign was supposed to be a oneshot put on by the extremely generous @nicholas-the-paleomancer, but we loved it so much we decided to keep playing (and it didn't seem like the pandemic was going to end anytime soon).

We broke it up into seasons. Midway through Season 1, the DM asked all the PCs a very innocuous question: "Did your character have anyone they were particularly attached to growing up?" and I was like- "Hm. I suppose... a friend? sister? Idk, kinda estranged because Arthur keeps her busy. Maybe kind of weird too?" and the DM went SURE THING. I KNOW WHAT'S UP WITH HER.

In the moment, I kinda nodded- yeah, cool beans; we're definitely going to have some sort of flashback next session. cool, cool cool- Wait. Westlie's definitely crushed about having a sister she left behind, isn't she? Oh she definitely is- Oh god, Arthur is such a dick, what happened? What does her sister even look like?

Which IMMEDIATELY AND VIOLENTLY kicked off a stream of not-yet-named Morgan and Westlie brainrot. We had the episode, which was a completely normal episode with a small flashback, instigated by the Storm-that-Speaks. Then we continued playing and finishing Season 1.

In the meantime, I slid rapidly downhill as I panicked about Westlie becoming captain, her new sister Morgan, (getting chased by the Glorious was, funny enough, not at all something Westlie or I worried about?). I wrote a whole bunch about Westlie's backstory, Morgan's backstory, them together, Arthur trying to pry them apart, and then Season 2 started.

Season 2 opened with Westlie getting a letter from Arthur that said, "Morgan ran away. You should probably find her. Also bring her back because I need someone to be my heir now, btw fuck you."

I dissolved.

In game, New Winchester was in the middle of a siege and we were hired by a Revolutionary party to carry information there. (We as a party had accidentally kicked off a second war with the Reach in Season 1), and we hoped that news about Morgan would be there too.

That was the longest fucking seven sessions in my entire goddamn life and the most deranged Westlie I have ever had the pleasure of being.

I had nightmares about them. Westlie and I were convinced that Morgan was all right (because she was always all right) but haunted by the thought she might not be. And even when we finally reached Leadbeater, IT TOOK TWO SESSIONS TO GO IN THE FUCKING JUNGLE. I SWEAR TO GOD @nicholas-the-paleomancer.

At one point I texted the DM past midnight sniffling, begging him not to plan to kill Morgan off, or at least make it feasible to rescue her because I couldn't stand the thought of them never reunited.

In the meantime, as I was dissociating watching my mental stability plummet from the pandemic and a bad living situation, I started wondering why the fuck I was so worried about it. And... that was a can of trauma worms I absolutely did not expect to uncover.

So we found Morgan. She was not okay, but I rolled like garbage on all the conversations that mattered, so Westlie was oblivious to the signs until Chorister bees with Morgan riding one, attacked the Pyrrhus. Then the rest of Season 2 was a deep depression and feral resolution to get things back to normal until we succeeded. xD

But the brain rot did not go away.

It's still here. 👍

(Please feel free to chime in if desired, @nicholas-the-paleomancer.)

[strzlun]

i didn’t realize just how long VAMPIRE is turning out to be… this might be my longest oneshot YET and will probably be the last. i just seemed to have carried away by the ideas and the build up of the story. so i send my apologies when it does get released (which will most likely be tonight) so please forgive me🫶🫶🫶

[strixcattus]

Just for the purposes of getting my thoughts together I may as well try to compile a list of all the fics with at least a chance of getting written.

Currently Posting:

Colliding Trains of Plot (Demon Slayer AU/canon divergence), AKA that one weird role-reversal fic. Covers the Mugen Train arc and has a lot more to it that's planned, but not yet written.

Currently Writing:

I Lied When I Said I Would See You Again (Demon Slayer AU), an AU set in the Puella Magi Madoka Magica setting. It's fluff, I swear! It's had a set number of chapters from the start, and there are only a couple chapters left to go before I can get on the edit-and-post train. I also want to draw designs for the main characters of the AU, so you'll know when I'm close to posting the fic because I'll post a bunch of spoiler-censored designs on tumblr.

Sequels to Posted Fics:

The Definition of Family (Demon Slayer AU) is not a stand-alone oneshot! I've got plans in the works for a few other oneshots set in the same universe, each one focusing on different characters. Hard to say exactly which ones will be written and posted when, but once I'm free to work on more projects I feel like these might end up high on my list.

What Could Have Been (Demon Slayer AU), the sequel to CToP. This one covers the Entertainment District arc alongside an equivalent but very different arc from the alternate universe. I'm not as stoked for this one as I am for some of the others, but I am excited for what'll come after it.

Partially Written, Cut Off, On the Back-Burner:

A Hollow's Guide to Vampire Slaying (Bleach canon divergence): A canon-diverging retelling of the Bount arc in a world where Ichigo goes AWOL inside his own inner world and leaves his hollow to fill in. Cares not for any later-revealed canon.

Confronting the Impostor (SpyxFamily): On a mission, Loid ends up needing to impersonate an SSS officer and, perhaps thinking it would be easiest to disguise himself as someone he knows, takes on the persona of his brother-in-law. It doesn't seem like such a great idea after they meet.

Welcome Back to White Space (We've Missed You, Dreamer) (OMORI post-canon) has been living in my untouched tabs since last year and is easily the longest unfinished fic I've got. A world that's existed for four years, with inhabitants that are real enough to have minds of their own, does not go quietly—or indeed at all, if there is someone willing to sustain it. And Omori is very much willing to sustain his world in order to keep his friends alive, even if he needs to enlist Sunny's help in order to return them from Black Space.

Pride Cometh Before a Fall (Fullmetal Alchemist canon divergence) is set in a timeline where Edward Elric is in reality the homunculus Pride. Fortunately, his time living with (spying on) Hohenheim's family has warmed him up to humanity, and he's very willing to turn on his father in order to preserve it.

Completely Unwritten, but Interesting:

The Eight Wonders of Kimetsu Academy (Demon Slayer AU, title not final) is, in a similar vein to ILWISIWSYA, a shorter long-fic with a set number of chapters. Also similar to my current project, it's focused on familial fluff, in a sort of "the real treasure was the family bonds we found along the way" way. Loosely inspired by Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun. Loosely.

On Second Thought, Do Panic (Bleach AU) is, essentially, Bleach IN SPACE!. Crash-landed galactic peacekeeper Rukia Kuchiki strong-arms ordinary human Ichigo Kurosaki into helping her repair her spaceship, fight back against the alien hordes invading Earth, and return to her home on the Seireitei space station—until they crash along the way and Rukia is taken home for imprisonment while Ichigo is left to die (or be rescued by an acquaintance who's not quite an Earthling himself, but that part comes later).

Three May Be a Crowd, but Four is Just Ridiculous (Bleach canon divergence): This is the story of what happens when Uryu dies post-Winter War. Don't worry, this is a happy story. This is a story of Uryu being found in the Rukon by a clone of himself and promptly invited on a zany road trip with the goal of killing Kurotsuchi. It's also the story of far too many people deciding to clone Uryu. I'm sure nothing bad will come of that.

It's Simple, It's Easy, and It's Free (Bleach post-"canon") won't be written any time soon. This is because it's going to be posted in comic form, and I have to learn a lot more about art before committing to anything of the sort (to say nothing of the fact that I'd need to have seen a lot more of TYBW to actually write it). Included here for completeness.

Not Pictured:

This isn't a complete list—I have a couple of partially-written fics that I'm just not interested in working on at this point in time, and a whole lot more of ideas that won't come to light until I've cleared up more of the fics I'm most interested in (including time-travel fics for Demon Slayer, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Bleach; a couple of OMORI fics; a Fullmetal Alchemist haunted house AU; and a fic for Angel Beats, of all things, that I won't be picking up again until I have somewhere I can watch the anime)

[traceofexistence]

everytime the fanfic topic comes up it really gets me fired up

because hell it is hard to write!

I'm in the process of writing one of my longest fanfics ever, already have long passed the largest number of words I have written, and I'm not even at the core plot yet.

it is a character study about Michiru, and I have documented my progress.

I started writing on Dec of 2021, by Feb 2022 I already had written 13k words, which is huge for me, as I'm mostly a short story writer.

every word and world building at this point has not reached the canon.

by June 2022 I was about to break the 20k threshold, and Michiru had not even meet Haruka yet (it is a character study from birth to old age)

and then the unexpected happened, July the 1st 2022 I had a motorcycle accident, resulting to a cracked wrist, and damaged knee.

everything went to shit, and by January 2023 I haven't written a single word , but I did write an oneshot smut.

by June 2023 I have written another smut but no word on the character study fic.

suddenly in August I got some sudden inspiration and finally broke the 20K barrier.

soon it will be TWO(2) years since I started, and the only thing that drives me to write it is the challenge to finish it, to world build what the canon didn't.

I will only post this once it is finished, and I dont know when that will happen, it's already been two years, and inspiration comes and goes.

all in all, when I see post about entitled readers who do not even give the bare minimum back to the fic writers(leaving a damn comment), it really makes my blood boil.

because we might treat it like a joke that sometimes our author notes are like "oh sorry for the delay but I almost died" but it is true

many of us are also you know working adults and time is limited, and being old and remembering the good old days of fandom engagement, comparing it with how fandom is in this day and age, truly leaves a bitter taste.

[evilwickedme]

I really enjoy your ao3 works! Do you mind telling me what your plans are for the future? Any WIPs or aus 👀

oh my gosh thank you!! yeah I'm working on a bunch of things right now and none of them are really getting done lmao, you know how it is

for marvel rn I have one active WIP called all you need to know about gwen stacy. It's very much in its infancy but it's a spiderverse based spider-gwen story and it's going to be hopefully my longest gwen story yet, not that that's really impressive everything I've written with her as the main character has been pretty short. I also have Break It Fic on the backburner; that has two chapters up and has for months now and I don't see myself going back to it anytime soon, but I do want to finish it for real! also I hope to write a fic for valenpool over the next week or so and publish it on valentine's day (get it?), should be a short fluff fic, maybe two thousand words at most. it's going to be called Dead Valentine I got the name from a convo with @waterme-stories regarding valenpool's ship name thanks again

for the witcher I have a number of incomplete fics but the only two that are still actively on my mind are the yennskier post s2 get together which only has one chapter left and an outsider POV oneshot that honestly might not get published if I don't finish it by the time s3 comes out. I have a few pages of it and it's based basically on the fact that Geralt's reputation really does live and die on Jaskier's song - so what does that look like for some random villagers in an unimportant town? I wanted it to be a spiritual successor to one of my most successful fics, in which an entire university faculty becomes far too involved in Pankratz and Vengerberg's love life, which is another outsider POV for the witcher fandom although it's a modern au and this one isn't

dc is obviously my main fandom rn and I have a bunch of projects for that! I'm still working on my before and after fic series and that has a few fics in progress. the mental health fic already has two chapters up and the final chapter has about a paragraph written, and I've also got a sequel fic nicknamed the therapy fic with no outline and about two pages written. I actually don't know if the therapy fic will actually end up seeing the light of day since the mental health fic has received lukewarm attention at best and I'd rather focus my attention on things that will actually be liked. there's also probably going to be a silly little oneshot that introduces cass to jason in the before and after universe, it's a bit of a retcon but I don't really think it matters since it's meant to be lighthearted. and if I still have any steam at all after all of that, there's also another short multichaptered fic planned for the series that focuses on damian, but that's a real question mark we have to see how I feel when I get there

I've also offhandedly mentioned my jealousy timkon au which is loosely inspired by this fic and has established timber with kon coming back into tim's life and sort of messing everything up. I like making my favs suffer idk what to tell you. it's a no capes college au with childhood friends to strangers to friends to lovers and I'm actually going to break form and there will be no cheating! I've written a lot about cheating in the past but this is going to remain in the realm of longing. there's about a page and a half written of this and I have some vague ideas of where I want it to go but I haven't even decided if I'm going for a oneshot or not. probably not but if so it'll end up my main fic for a while so I want to at least get the mental health fic and the valenpool valentine's day piece done by then

and finally I have two pieces of smallville fic I'm planning on writing, probably after I've done my lecture in april (assuming it'll get accepted but I haven't been told no in three years, so). I've actually detailed both of them already but if you missed it the first one I came up with is a post s10 slice of life fic, ignoring the arrowverse Crisis plot cause it's bullshit and clark wouldn't give up his powers, and ignoring s11 comics cause I haven't read them. the second one has a detailed outline in an ask from earlier this month and it's my fix it for lana's send off in season eight cause fuck that plotline

so yeah that's everything on my mind! obviously this isn't exactly a small amount but I'm hoping to start finishing things and stop starting them any day now (he said, lyingly)