#we love you @ferrame

[owlsinathens]

To the Sea

The sea is rough as the wind in my hair,

and the sunshine falls on my face.

Spring has come, and the cold to an end,

and I to this strange place.

The waves I know, the cry of a gull,

the smell of heather and salt.

So far from home and yet still the same,

know nothing of my fault.

A lonely place and a lonely heart,

my true love lost to me.

I wander the cliffs and look at the sea,

and whisper my silent plea.

Just one, oh! one more time,

let me hold him in my arms.

Just one last time hear him speak my name,

and shield him from all harms.

Alas, I say the words in vain,

to the God of the waves and the sea,

for my boy, my sweet, my precious love,

has died so far from me.

The skies are dark when I spy him first,

Standing at the edge of the cliff.

His face turned away and towards the sea,

his figure forlorn and stiff.

At my approach he turns his head,

He pushes his hood aside.

I look into the stranger’s eyes,

and see a pain he cannot hide.

Who are you, friend? What brings you here?

And might I know your name?

I ask, my hand reaching out to him,

Your pain and mine are the same.

My name, he sighs, what of my name?

I don't have that to claim.

My name is not mine and it never was,

so we are not the same.

I once loved a man, so many years past,

But my soul has since turned black.

For I lost my love, now I pray to the sea,

for the sea to give him back.

Was he a seaman, the love that you lost?

I ask the stranger apace.

For I once sailed the seas, through tempest and storm,

I might erst have seen his face.

A seaman, an archer, a jester, a rake,

dressed in velvet and lace.

And so much more was my love that I lost,

Yet I don’t remember his face.

The stranger smiles, he turns away,

his gaze once more to the sea.

We stand in silence, watching the waves,

a measure of peace in me.

What is your story? the stranger asks,

and what is your lover’s name?

I travelled the world both north and south,

I might just have seen the same.

I bow my head, avoid his gaze,

I seek to hide my shame.

For my story, my life, my love that is lost,

I am the one to blame.

He was good, I tell him, and a beauty too,

his hair like the wings of a crow.

His eyes like the sky on a rainy day,

lost such a long time ago.

He died, my love, from a knife to his heart,

betrayed by his brothers, his kin.

And I was not there to protect him from this,

another grievous sin.

The stranger places his hand on his heart,

a tear rolling down his cheek.

I reach for his hand and hold it in mine,

not knowing what to speak.

My love, he says, he was beautiful too,

dressed in gold and black.

His hair was dark and his eyes like the sea,

the sea that won’t give him back.

My hand, it trembles in his hold,

my heart is in my throat.

Though my hair is now white and my face is gaunt,

I still wear my black and gold coat.

He looks to me with tears in his eyes,

his eyes as grey as the sky.

His face is a stranger’s and yet the same,

despite all the years gone by.

We remain there, together, my heart in his hands,

until the skies have turned black.

And I hear him whispering, he smiles at the sea.

Thank you for giving him back.

Thank you @st-clements-steps and @ferrame for your help and encouragement!

[juuls]

Juulna’s 2021 Multi-Fandom Fanfiction Rec List - Part Six

(Yes, I realize this is a year late, but this year's been a bit nuts. I still hope you enjoy these fics anyway!)

Based only on what I’ve read with my own eyes this year!

Follow me on my journey into what, at times, was…

…actually rather calming! Perhaps you can find some comfort and entertainment, fluff and angst and romance and friendship, smut and a distinct lack of it, space adventures and fantasy and modern adventures, serial killers and good guys, redemption and reconciliation and learning to become someone completely different — there is so much here I read that stuck with me over the past year, and the 2021 Fanfic Reading Challenge ( @fanfic-reading-challenge ) allowed me a new way to keep track of all of my favourites. So props to that event! Definitely participating again (considering I run the event, yeah, that's probably a given lol, but full disclosure).

Without further ado, here were my 2021 fic favourites!

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six

Fandom: GoT/AsoIaF

Jaime/Sansa/Oberyn/Ellaria:

Names in the Snow by OperaPhantom

“It’s a punishment,” most whispered. “Punishment from the Old Gods for betraying them for the Seven.”

A few others disagreed. “A gift from the Old Gods to the eldest Stark daughter,” they said. “Or a gift to the North.”

~~~~~~ Sansa Stark receives the Gods' Gift, the mark that identifies her soulmate, only to find out it's what no one, not even herself, expected it to be. But sometimes, surprises can be sweet.

For the February 2021 Pack Prompt of "unexpected".

Jaimsa:

I'm not a princess (this ain't a fairytale) by K_R_Closson

After Joffrey beheads Ned Stark, and his engagement to Sansa is broken, he decides to host a tournament, with the prize being Sansa's hand in marriage. When Jaime Lannister shows up at the last minute to win it, she's afraid she'll be stuck in King's Landing until Joffrey's cruelty does her in. But Jaime made a promise and, one way or another, Lannisters always pay their debts.

Joberyn:

Bequeathed from Pale Estates by Author376

In a Westeros where Soulmates are bound and Marked by the Gods to bind Houses together and pay blood debts, Lyarra Snow and Oberyn Martell are about to get a shock...

Jonsa

and no net ensnares me by thimbleful

Since Jon left, Sansa has struggled to keep things together and she longs for his return. However, when he does return things only become worse. Jon learns about his parentage and doesn't know how to make sense of anything, how to fix the inevitable mess the reveal will create, or how to protect the people he loves. But at least, after all these years, the pack is finally back together. Then, one day, Sansa disappears. Post season 7 fic.

His Winter Queen by @tm-writes-blog

A rewrite of the show's last seasons and how Jon and Sansa forged a true ruling block to challenge the Dragon Queen and defeat the Night King.

There will still be major character deaths, but some very different choices greatly impact the story.

we are buried in broken dreams by Anonymous

Prompt: Sansa and Jon sleeping together before he goes to Dragonstone and when he comes back he finds out she is pregnant.

A full on s8 fix-it fic at this point.

Like winter we are cruel by @ferrame

Winter has come to Winterfell, Jon expects a war north of the Wall, and Littlefinger is brewing one inside the very castle.

you are my sun, my moon (and all of my stars) by Goodforthesoul

When the white wolf came, the Lord of Winterfell had no choice but to give him his eldest daughter. Eddard Stark had grown up on legends of wolves, on the stories of bargains made by the First Men, on the knowledge of the price that he and his family might one day be forced to pay.  His father had explained the reason their house had taken a wolf as its heraldry and “Winter is Coming�� as its motto, a reminder of a promise to honor, a recognition of a debt owed that would need, one day, to be paid. Ned had breathed a sigh of relief when his sister’s twentieth winter arrived and the beast had not. And he had watched the dawn sky for the first signs of the snow that would mark that his daughter, too, might also be spared, might escape the fate that had been handed down by their ancestors. But no man could be so lucky. 

Sansa, too, had been born with the North in her blood, had been raised on the stories of white wolves, had lived her life with the knowledge that one might come for her.

if you try to break me, you will bleed by @dialux

It had been a slash across her chest from a White Walker’s sword that finally ended her life. Sansa’d landed in a puddle of her own blood, and she’d died quickly, quietly.

And then she’d awoken with a gasp, trembling, in a bed that had burned under Theon’s betrayal.

The pursuit of non-bath time happiness by Queenofthebees

After Jon refuses Gendry's ask for Arya's hand, citing the fact Sansa was not yet betrothed, Rickon observes and, with the help of Shaggydog, Ghost and Arya, comes up with a plan to have Jon realise he should court Sansa himself. And if it were to result in Jon being less strict about bath times, that was totally coincidental!

The She-Wolves of Winterfell by @vixleonard

The pack survived. So has the Stark habit of keeping secrets.

Jonsaery:

and in the night, you'll hear me calling by @lesbiancerseilannister

When you met your soulmate, touched them for the first time, you would see everything in all its colorful glory.

Jonsanerys:

Brave, Gentle, Strong by @jonsainthenorth

The Night King is defeated, the battle is ended, the dead heroes are burned, but the song is not yet done.

Now, Dany must grapple with the news of her newfound family and the possibility for the Targaryen line to continue beyond her. . . and beyond her brother’s son. She offer Sansa an impossible choice, one that will destroy the Lady of Winterfell's independence but grant her heart's desire and protect the North in perpetuity. Jon is caught between the two halves of himself, between two Queens, Targaryen and Stark, Fire and Ice, Dragon and Direwolf, honor and dishonor...

Sanberyn, Brandon Stark/Catelyn, minor Rhaelyanna, Jon/Cersei:

The Road to Victory by writing_as_tracey

Too late in preparing for the Night King and the Long Night, the last stand at Winterfell is close to falling. Bran takes desperate measures to ensure victory, and Jon, Sansa, and Arya pay the price for it in a time unfamiliar to them, on the cusp of another war. [GoT, time-travel fix it]

Sanberynia:

A Winter in Braavos by Silberias

Sansa escapes to Braavos with the Dornish.

Desert Winds Rather Than Mountain Air by Silberias

Catelyn Stark leaves King's Landing telling even her old friend Petyr Baelish that she is taking her daughters back to Winterfell. Instead she takes them, without telling Ned, to Dorne because if anyone will believe a tale of Lannister treachery it will be the Martells of Dorne.

She realizes, as she reaches the gates of Sunspear, that she is really no better than her father was all those years ago.

Clinging To The Wild Things That Raised Us by TheSweetestThing

If the Martells demanded the traitor Sansa Stark’s hand in marriage in return for peace throughout the Seven Kingdoms, then so be it.

For Fear Tonight Is All by Silberias

Tyrion knew, as he gazed up at the dark skinned Martell man that this was perhaps his only chance to spirit Sansa out of King's Landing and away from his father's greedy fingers. Tywin Lannister would have married the girl himself if he felt he could have gotten away with it, and so Tyrion knew his own marriage was no protection to Ned Stark's daughter whatsoever.

"Invite her, demand her, steal her--whatever you choose, Prince Oberyn, choose it soon. Else my lady wife shall break into more pieces than the stars."

a sad tale's best for winter by @branwyn-says

Oberyn and Ellaria visit the finest brothel in Oldtown. One of its most alluring attraction is the harpist, a girl with dyed brown hair.

She's still a maid, the brothel-keep assures them.

in this expected country they know my name by @lesspopped

At the wedding feast, Oberyn and Ellaria are approached by the Master of Whisperers, who begs they indulge him with a discussion of clothing — specifically, Lady Sansa Stark's. Very fine, they all agree...but what a shame, Ellaria tuts, she has lost an amethyst from her hairnet.

So when Joffrey begins to cough, they follow her, and find her in the godswood.

I See The Stars In Your Eyes by @themistressmaster

She feared that she was just like her aunt, a wreath of winter roses bestowed upon her at a tourney.

Sanberynia/Jon:

Dornish Customs by @framboise-fics

Sansa escapes from the Eyrie to Castle Black after being accused of the death of her late husband Harrold Hardyng, arriving just after Jon has been resurrected. The two of them decide to flee South together and after journeying for many moons, they arrive in Sunspear and find sanctuary with Prince Oberyn and his paramour Ellaria Sand.

But neither of them have escaped from their pasts unscathed, and during the sweltering days and long sultry nights of Dorne, tensions boil over in unexpected ways.

Sansa deserves a good man guarding her, an honourable man, and she has put her trust in Jon, who is not an honourable man at all. Perhaps he came back wrong, he thinks sometimes, perhaps this sickness is something the red priestess gave him.

Stansa:

Half of Winter by @manic-intent

Stannis Baratheon has survived wars, sieges, pitched battles and skirmishes and worse, but nothing has made him feel as lost and out of place and unnerved as this very moment.

The little pink infant in the crib sleeps peacefully, wrapped in furs, and her wrists are innocently blank. For an irrational moment, Stannis envies her, then he straightens up and turns away. Winterfell is warm, somehow - some sort of piped system, apparently - and his gloves are tucked into his belt, baring the pale silver script on the underside of his right wrist: Sansa Stark.

Wolf's Blood by @manic-intent

"Ser Davos tells me that my brother Robb has done something rash," Sansa cuts in hurriedly, before Stannis rebukes Davos. "Is that true? He has broken his word to the Freys?"

"Aye, and Lord Walder will not so easily forgive that," Stannis looks over to the Twins where they are marked on the huge table that forms the centerpiece of the Chamber, and behind him, sleek and voluptuous in her sheer red dress, Melisandre smiles with her full, crimson mouth. "Your brother is a gifted commander, but he is still a very young boy. Still," Stannis adds, with a lift of a shoulder, "Older men than he have sundered far more over women. I should know - I was part of the last war that broke out over a woman. Your aunt."

Queen of the Seven Kingdoms by @sarahtheblack

Ned doesn't go to Cersei with a warning. He goes to Dragonstone.

[gigi-sinclair]

It’s @ferrame‘s birthday!!!!!!

If you don’t know, this is the author of the definitive John Irving/Tom Hartnell modern AU, I dreamed of the fine deep harbour I’d find, as well as the entire Another New World series, which is A-MAZING.

As a little birthday gift, I have the first part of an untitled Irving/Hartnell plane crash AU I will likely never finish, and which was going to be super sad if I did. (Hint: Tom’s brother died of cancer several years before the story is set.) Rated M for a bit of naughtiness. 

Happy Birthday @ferrame!

Tom arrives at his parents' house just as the snow begins to fall.

Betsy is the only one of the kids still at home, but their parents still decorate as much as they always did. The same wreath—faux pine branches with Styrofoam apples and wall-eyed wooden birds—is on the front door. The same string of multicoloured bulbs hangs from the eaves. There is a new addition: a wire-framed reindeer lit up in the middle of the front garden, snowflakes landing on its back, its antlers, its festive red scarf. With a smile, Tom raises his hand to ring the bell.

It seems the polite thing to do, given he no longer lives there. When there's no answer, he slips his key into the lock. The hall is in darkness, but firelight flickers from the direction of the front room. It sends out shadows, dancing on the floorboards and on the opposite hallway wall.

“Hello?” Tom hangs his coat on a hook, and puts his scarf on top. He kicks off his boots, then lines them up carefully against the wall. He didn't live with his mother for twenty-one years without learning something.

“Tom? We're here.” A voice comes from the other room, where the firelight glows. Tom follows it, his socks sliding on the wooden floor.

This room is also decorated, of course. The tree is short and scraggly as always. Betsy is the type of person who chooses that type of Christmas tree. Its spindly branches sag beneath the weight of half a dozen childhoods' worth of handprint ornaments and painted baubles and twinkling lights. Up top, an angel with a paper cup body and a golf ball for a head surveys all.

“Hey! What took you so long?” Tom's brother Johnny says. He's lounging on the sofa in tracksuit bottoms and a T-shirt, his feet up on the coffee table and an open tin of Quality Street chocolates on his knee. Tom stops. He can't quite remember why, but he didn't expect to see him here. His presence is a surprise, but it's not the biggest one.

“John?” At the other end of the sofa sits John Irving, formal and tidy, his feet on the floor. He's dressed nicely as always, in a knitted jumper and corduroy trousers. “Like you're fifty years old,” Tom often teases him, but in truth, he likes the look. It suits John. Tom can't picture him wearing anything with an elastic waistband. “What are you doing here?”

John and Tom weren't going to be together over the Christmas holidays. They decided that weeks ago. “I have to go to my dad's,” John had said.

“Maybe you could drop by our place on Boxing Day,” Tom offered. “Or I could come to you.” It was worth a shot, even though John's reaction was exactly as Tom had expected it to be.

“I'm so sorry, Tom.” He seemed it. “It's not that I'm ashamed of you.” Tom knew that was true. “It's complicated.” That was also true. Tom knew he was lucky, as far as families went. They drove him mental most of the time, but there had never been any question of acceptance. From the earliest days, Tom knew there was nothing he could do, no one he could be, that would make his family love him any less.

John, it seemed, couldn't say that about his father and stepmother.

“You didn't tell me you had a posh boyfriend,” Tom's brother accuses, unwrapping a chocolate from its crinkly purple paper.

“I'm not posh,” John protests.

“Oh, no. Of course not.” Johnny laughs. “'I say, old boy, would this happen to be the residence of one hot piece of arse known as Sir Thomas Hartnell, Esquire'?”

“Shut up, Johnny.” Belatedly, Tom's heart soars. “I can't believe you're really here, John.” He goes around the sofa to sit beside him. “What made you change your mind?”

John licks his lips. His cheeks are pink, from the fire or from embarrassment. Tom knows John well. It's probably embarrassment. “Christmas is about love. I decided I wanted to spend it with the person I love the most.”

Tears prick at the back of Tom's eyes. He has more questions: does that mean he came out to his parents? How did they react? Tom's not sure he wants to hear the answers, or if John wants to share them now. Instead of asking, Tom kisses him. His hands go to John's strong shoulders, his thigh presses against John's. John kisses him back, softly and sweetly, with all that natural talent that made Tom doubt, the first time they did it, that John was really as inexperienced as he claimed to be. “Why would I lie about being a virgin at my age?” Was John's counterargument. Tom didn't have an answer for that one.

“Right, then. If it's going to be like that, I'm fucking off out of here.” Tom hears Johnny stand up. “And I'm taking my chocolates with me.”

“Bye,” Tom says, his lips still against John's.

“Don't come on the sofa,” Johnny warns. “Mum will kill you.” John's cheeks go from pink to scarlet, even as Johnny leaves the room.

“Ignore him,” Tom advises.

“He's...”

“An arsehole.” But Tom loves his older brother. He can't believe he's here, and John as well. It's going to be the best Christmas ever. “He likes you.”

“How can you tell?”

“He only takes the piss out of people he likes.”

“Oh.” John's eyebrows furrow, adorably. Tom kisses the spot between them. He lets a hand slip beneath John's jumper, tracing the muscles of his abdomen and his chest. That was a very pleasant surprise. Tom knew John was kind, and sweet, and as handsome as fuck from the moment they met. He hadn't known John was built until the first time they had sex. Which had happened to be John’s first time. 

John presses closer as they kiss again, exploring Tom's mouth as he slides his own hands up the back of Tom's hoodie. Tom pauses just long enough to pull it off, tossing it aside. The fire pops. John startles a little, and Tom laughs fondly.

“He's right though,” Tom admits. “About the sofa.”

“Oh. I, I, I...”

“So I'd better swallow.”

“Tom!”

Tom wishes he had a bearskin rug. John deserves decadence like that. Instead, Tom kneels on the beige Berber carpet, urging John to slide his hips forward. Gratifyingly, his cords are tented already. Tom reaches for his belt, and John lets out a groan that goes straight to Tom's own cock.

“Tom,” he repeats. John unzips him. The fire is hot at his back, warming him. The lights on the Christmas tree cast a festive glow on John's cock. “Tom,” he moans.

“Yes.”

Again, “Tom. Tom, stay with me.”

“Always,” Tom promises. He shivers as he takes John's cock into his mouth. And shivers, and shivers, and shivers.

“Tom!”

First, he notices the smell. Fire. Real fire, burning wood, not like the odourless gas fire at his parents' house. The cold is next. He's lying on his back, wearing a coat that doesn't feel like his own. It's big and bulky, but still, the cold permeates, making him shake.

The dark is the last thing. He opens his eyes to see nothing but black.

“Tom.” The voice says again. He doesn't know it. “Are you awake? Thank Christ.” Whoever it is sounds genuinely relieved. A pinprick of light pops into Tom's field of vision, cutting through the darkness. There's a man beside him, standing over him, holding up the overbright light of a mobile phone. He's got blue eyes, and a large gash on his forehead. Tom doesn't know him. There's a polar bear pin on his jacket. That, Tom recognizes. He can't think why.

“Where am I?” Tom's voice is weaker than he expected. He clears his throat. “Where...” It doesn't help.

He's lying on a bench of some kind, an uncomfortable sofa or chairs, but he's not inside a building. It's far too cold for that.

The man sighs. He looks tired, that's obvious even in the thin light. Tom feels tired, too. Maybe he should go back to sleep.

“You need to stay awake,” the man says, as if reading Tom's thoughts. “ What do you need? What can I get for you?”

Then, Tom remembers. Everything comes back in a flood, the dam broken by those few words. Tom wishes it hadn't been.

***

“What can I get for you?” The flight attendant smiled at Tom from behind his drinks cart. He was good-looking, Tom noticed, in his navy blue suit and red tie. His name tag read “Thomas”, and there was a pin on his lapel shaped like a little polar bear.

“Coke, please,” Tom said. He glanced beside him, to where John slept against the airplane window. “And a water for him.” He would want something when he woke up.

Thomas shovelled  a scoop of ice into a little plastic cup and poured half a tin of Coke on top. He passed it over, carefully avoiding the man on Tom's other side, then gave him John's cup of water and two packets of biscuits.

“And for you, sir?” Thomas turned his attention to the other man in their row, the one in the aisle seat. He was dark-haired, with thicker sideburns than Tom had seen on anyone for a long time. He’d spent most of the time watching what seemed like a home improvement show on his tablet.

“I'll have a gin and tonic.”

“Certainly, sir.” Thomas poured the drink as Tom fought to open his biscuits. Thomas gave the other man his cup, followed it up with a quick kiss to the man's forehead, and continued down the aisle.

Tom didn't say anything. Growing up in a big family, he'd become an expert at minding his own business. Still, the man beside him said, “That's, ah, that's my, um, my husband.”

“Ah.” Tom nodded.

“We're going on our honeymoon.”

“Congratulations.” Tom didn't really want to continue the conversation, but he said, “In Toronto?”

“We're flying on from there. To Nunavut.”

“So are we.” It was a longstanding dream of John's to see the northern lights. They'd talked about going to Finland or Sweden, but he wanted to do it in northern Canada. It was a big trip, and an expensive one, but the look on John's face when Tom agreed to it made it all worthwhile.

Almost. There was an engagement ring burning a hole in the pocket of Tom's carry-on bag. That would make it extra worthwhile, but he wasn't sure about it. Rather, he wasn't sure how John would feel about it.

Tom wasn't sure what else to say, so he put his earbuds back in and picked up his phone.

Tom hadn't flown that much. Of the two of them, John was the more experienced traveller. He didn't seem nervous when the plane started to shake. Nobody did. Thomas' cheerful voice came over the intercom informing them Captain Crozier had turned on the seatbelt light, and asked them to return to their seats. John, who had been in line for the toilet, came back grumbling, but he didn't appear worried. Obediently, he buckled his seatbelt, a moment before the plane dropped what felt like a hundred feet in one go.

That was when John started to look a little nervous.

As a concerned murmur ran through the crowd, the man on Tom's other side unbuckled his seatbelt and stood up.

“Thomas!”

“You should probably sit down,” John advised.

“He's married to one of the flight attendants,” Tom explained. Thomas had likely been standing up. He might have been hurt by the sudden drop. Tom wouldn't have been that inclined to sit down if John was in that position.

“Still,” John insisted, “you should...”

Another drop, although this one was less severe. Someone screamed, then someone else. More than a few began to cry. The man beside Tom stumbled, and sat down again.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Thomas' voice returned on the intercom, as smooth as before. So he's okay, Tom thought. He was glad of that. It would suck to be injured on your honeymoon. “Please stay in your seats. We'll be making an emergency landing in Gander.”

The murmuring didn't abate. John reached for Tom's hand, and squeezed. “That's not so bad.” John’s voice was calm, reassuring. Steady. “We saw 'Come From Away', right?”

[sappsorrow]

Out of pure curiosity: Have you ever thought about writing a novel with your girlfriend? I love the fic you write together.

:’) thank you

I’m actually a novelist irl* and I would love to write a book with @ferrame - we do write a lot of original stuff together in our spare time and she’s truly my biggest inspiration. I can’t believe I was lucky enough to meet someone I can create worlds with.

*but we don’t talk about that here

[fuckyeahisawthat]

First line game

Tagged by the brilliant @ferrame ages ok like a week ago.

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag 10 of your favorite authors.

Twenty seemed like so many but only takes me back to the beginning of 2019. I write a lot of one-shots. Also somehow we pass through every fandom I have written for.

1. No Use Pretending, Trust (2018), E, 4k, Paul/Primo

He hadn’t meant to see Paul again.

2. Three Times Is a Habit, Trust (2018), E, 10k, Paul/Primo

It becomes clear, very soon after Paul comes home, that no one wants to hear what happened to him.

3. Roadside, South of Rome, Trust (2018), T, 2k, Paul & Primo

I’ll kill him.

4. The Deal, Trust (2018), M, 6k, Leonardo/Regina, Leonardo/Primo

As long as they’ve been married, there have been things Regina has been perfectly content not to ask about.

5. Twenty Questions, Trust (2018), E, 4k, Leonardo/Primo

“First time you did anything with a guy.”

6. Promises and Threats, Trust (2018), E, 12k, Leonardo/Primo, Leonardo/Regina

Primo is thirteen and Leonardo is twenty-four, picking glass out of Primo’s hair at the kitchen table late at night.

7. Two Battles Fifty Years Apart, The Old Guard, M, 12k (WIP), Joe/Nicky

(I kNOW I left them in the middle of a heckin battle but I swear I will come back and finish this some day, this is exactly why I don’t write longfics gdi)

They are lying tangled together in Yusuf’s bed, in his rented lodgings in al-Quds, sweat still cooling between their bodies, when his lover says, “This is the last time we can meet like this.”

8. For the Long Haul, The Old Guard, M, 4k, Joe/Nicky but really an ensemble fic

By the time they reach the unassuming block of flats in Tower Hamlets, the momentary swoop of relief at having escaped the lab is gone, and Joe is practically vibrating with unspent adrenaline.

9. A Messy Situation, Good Omens, M, 2k, Aziraphale/Crowley

Look, the details of how Aziraphale wound up at the orgy in the wee hours of the morning are not important.

10. Wing Thing, Good Omens, G, 4k, Aziraphale/Crowley

The first thunderstorm in the history of Earth is furious but brief.

11. Free Agents, Good Omens, G, 1k, Aziraphale/Crowley

“Crowley?”

12. Closer, Mad Max Fury Road, E, 9k (WIP), Furiosa/Max

(I swear I will finish this one too some day, yes I kNOW it’s been one chapter away from completion for a year)

When Max first comes back, he sleeps in his car.

13. Dessert, Good Omens, E, 3k, Aziraphale/Crowley

In the length of the short walk from the park to the Ritz, Aziraphale becomes acutely aware of just how desperately he wants Crowley.

14. In a City Under Aerial Bombardment, Good Omens, G, 3k, Aziraphale/Crowley

He’s in the car.

15. Hell to Pay, Good Omens, T, 3k, Aziraphale/Crowley

Crowley has tested out, over his millennia on Earth, just what exactly he can get away with doing without Hell noticing.

16. The Human Way, Good Omens, E, 3k, Aziraphale/Crowley

Demons weren’t supposed to have wants.

17. Drunk Theology, Good Omens, G, 3k, Aziraphale/Crowley

They had been day drinking, four days after the world didn’t end.

18. Smite Response, Good Omens, G, 1k, Aziraphale/Crowley

They are taking a walk in the park, at twilight, because it’s something to do and they both stubbornly, silently keep finding reasons to be in the same space in the days after Armageddidn’t.

19. Last Night on Earth, Good Omens, G, 1k, Aziraphale/Crowley

He had not intended to get off the bus when it stopped directly in front of Crowley’s building.

20. Fireworks, Venom, G, 1k, Eddie/Venom

He used to love fireworks.

Once I line them all up like this there is one pattern that is hilariously obvious, if not really surprising, about my first lines. A lot of them answer the “why now?” question, as in, why are we watching these characters right now? It’s that story-starting principle of “Every day, X. One day, Y.” So I have lots of first lines like “He hadn’t meant to see Paul again.” (Spoiler alert: he does.) And “Demons weren’t supposed to have wants.” (Spoiler alert: he does.) And “He used to love fireworks.” (Spoiler alert: he doesn’t anymore, and the fic is about why.) Because I like to tell you what the fic is about in the very first line, apparently.

There is also one principle that I really internalized from my screenwriting background, which is “enter late, leave early.” Which sounds like some archaic birth control advice but just means, start the scene at the latest possible point where we can understand what’s happening, and end it as soon as the substantive point of the scene has happened. Now this is something I do so automatically I often don’t even really think about it. This also means my first lines often end up being fairly straightforward scene-setting, since I am dropping you into the action once it’s already started and I want to orient you quickly.

My first lines tend toward the pragmatic more often than the poetic, but of all of these I think I am most fond of the opening of Promises and Threats. It’s not always that I can manage a first line that’s a microcosm of the whole fic, but here we’ve got intimacy in the midst of violence, Primo trusting Leo, and we set up the pattern of the first half of the fic, where we drop in on them at different ages as we watch Primo change in Leo’s eyes from a child who needs his care to an adult man he realizes he’s attracted to (but who still needs his care).

Tagging @fadagaski, @primarybufferpanel, @sacrificethemtothesquid, @bethagain, @lurkinghistoric, @v8roadworrier and @thebyrchentwigges and anyone else who wants to do this!

[tomjopson]

10 Books I Plan to Read in 2020

(with my two honorable mentions of Moby-Dick & Frozen in Time at the top since I am currently reading those two) 

I was tagged by @thiswaitingheart​ - thank you so much!!

I’m starting with a disclaimer that my to-read list is constantly changing, but the above books are ones that I’ve already pulled from my shelves or that I’ve started to read previously and abandoned.

Middle row is my non-fiction selections. You might notice a theme lol

Heart of the Sea - Nathaniel Philbrick A fitting book to read in conjunction with Moby Dick since the whaleship Essex was Melville’s inspiration for the Pequod.

James Fitzjames: The Mystery Man of the Franklin Expedition - William Battersby Just got this one in the mail a couple weeks ago! It’s a much smaller book than I anticipated, but I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, considering that JFJ went missing at the ripe young age of 33.

Unraveling the Franklin Mystery: Inuit Testimony - David C. Woodman I’ve been especially excited to read this one, since I think the insight from Inuit testimony will add a more nuanced view of the Franklin Expedition.

A Brief History of Time - Stephen Hawking A book I started a while ago but never managed to finish, it’s been on my to-read list for a while. Science is cool, ya nerds  ✌️

And the bottom list is my fiction (of which I’ve got more; I neglected some Haruki Murakami and Toni Morrison, but oh well...)

East of Eden - John Steinbeck Pretty ambivalent about this one, to be completely honest, but it shot to the top of my to-read list because my brother finished it recently, and I like discussing literature with him :’)

Post-Captain - Patrick O’Brian Fun fact: I impulse bought the entirety of the Aubreyad last summer, but I have yet to read beyond the first book. Been meaning to jump back into this series for a while, so I’m excited. 

Persuasion - Jane Austen Another one that I started but only got about forty pages in before I was distracted by something else. I’m only two books away from having read all of Jane Austen’s books, so I’m trying to revisit that little milestone of mine.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke I have seen this book recommended countless times, most recently by @arcticelves​, and honestly, it sounds right up my alley. It’s high time I add it to my list (plus i actually started it a while ago, but i — like i do — got about a hundred pages in before other books distracted me)

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne My go-to loves of early science fiction and a nautical backdrop makes me wonder why I have not read this book sooner, tbh.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson I have yet to read anything by Shirley Jackson that I dislike. Her brand of horror is delectable, and this book is thin enough that I should be able to read it over a weekend.

tagging just a couple, because I’m curious, but by all means, feel free to ignore ❤️ - @arcticelves​ , @beatriceinmessina​ , @ferrame​ , @jamyfitzjamy​, @pooraurora​ 

And anyone else who wants to share - I like talking about books with people! :)

[owlsinathens]

Rules: It’s time to love yourself. Choose your 5 favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you’ve brought into the world. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

Tagged by @ferrame - thank you! I love alllll the stories you've written last year, even the ones I haven't read so far I know I'll love :)

I'm not sure if I haven't done this one before in late 2020, but I guess it can't hurt to get these out again 😬

1. Law of the North

Balon Greyjoy has once again declared himself king, sealing his son's fate in the North. Jon doesn't like Theon, never has – but he also cannot stand aside and watch an innocent man being put to death. So he decides to do something that'll change everything.

My most popular fic ever! It got so much love I'm getting teary-eyed thinking about all the kudos and comments and recs about this fic 🥰🥰🥰

2. True Love's Kiss

So there’s a tower... somewhere. Not far, judging from Euron’s words. And in the tower… Theon quickens his steps, slinking out of the tavern into the warm night. A treasure, unguarded, just there and waiting for him. Worth more than gold… That should be enough to settle the misunderstanding with the Boltons.

My first Disneyfied fic, featuring Theon as a kind of Flynn Rider, Jon the not-princess in a tower, and Robb the actual prince with a penchant for singing in rhymes.

3. The Horny Kraken Prince

Theon, heir to the Underwater Kingdom, has no intention to go and marry some kraken girl like his father wants him to. Instead he loves watching humans, especially their curious mating rituals. It's just a hobby, really, until he sees one particular human.

I had my share of trouble with this second part of my Disneyfied fics, but I did complete it! It's extra cracky, ye be warned. Now comes with a tentacly wedding night sequel.

4. Tuesdays

Theon’s gaze wanders over the slope of Jon’s spine to his round, pert buttocks. They’re a work of art, really. Smooth and pale and forming a flawless curve, perfect to grab and squeeze and lick and bite…

Ah... *achem* Well, this is pretty much porn with a tiny bit of romance... the true star is Jon's bum. Oh, and there's a mac and cheese recipe! 😅

5. Theon Kink Bingo Series

While I didn't manage to achieve a bingo, I had a lot of fun writing all these little fics. Various kinks and settings, with Greysnow as the common theme.

Tagging @salty-wench, @evax3, @orionsvisiting, @majorbisexualdisaster, @callmejude, @florentium, @estrangedandwayward, @littlerockerao3, @thereluctantbadger, @northernfieldsforever, @selkiewife, @capraiaso, @megaunhappybunny, @attaining-fic and @neliore if any of you feel like it 🐙😘

[ghostcat3000]

I was tagged by @mimilaroo. thank you. 💗💗

Three ships: Isak/Even -- Current faves. Actual high school sweethearts (which is not usually my thing, 'cept for that other former fave ship we shan't speak of) who are there for each other no matter what but are still goofy enough to beatbox (badly) together.

Nick/Jess -- One hundred percent the dumbest kids in school.

Eve Polastri/Villanelle -- I have no explanation for this insanity. I know that one of them is an evil murderer and the other one is headed there but. What can I say? I'm a simple b.

Last song: Die Young (Echo Mountain version) by Sylvan Esso. Nefarious fic planning reasons. 😎

Currently reading: Combating Cult Mind Control by Steven Hassan, Ph.D., Teacher by Roe Horva, First Person Singular by Haruki Murakami. This list is a call-out post to myself. Research for a story, an A/B/O M/M story about a dude who is a heat sex teacher and falls in love with a guy in glasses, and delicious short stories by one of my favorite writers.

Last movie: Leap Year. For the five millionth time. I needed a pick me up.

Currently watching: I'm Your Man. Dan Stevens plays a boyfriend bot that a researcher has to live with for three weeks. This is right up my street. Moved in, lives there, the works.

Currently consuming: Nothing at all. I keep wanting to get up and get myself something but then I don't move. Okay, that's enough. I'm going to get some water as soon as I hit post.

Currently craving: Champagne and salt and vinegar chips.

Tagging: @irazor, @thegirlyouknow, @lokkanel, @bowiesmedusa, @ferrame (absolutely no pressure)

[sappsorrow]

@ceraunos​ tagged me AGES ago i'm sorry bestie 😩

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 10

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 204596

3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they? 4 - Trust, The Terror, The Silmarillion and Black Sails, but there was X-Files fic and a hefty Hannibal prohibition-era AU at one point too

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? this old silmarillion fic that is not good, blame it on cocaine lines (Trust), check the cupboard for your daddy’s gun (The Terror), things they said at sea (Black Sails), flotsam, jetsam (Black Sails)

5. Do you respond to comments, why or why not? yes girl you thought i had brain rot in the fic? now get ready for brain rot: the director’s cut.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending? probably all the Terror fic i wrote on my phone and sent in screenshots to my girlfriend during lockdown. I can feel myself gearing up for another Cold Boys winter tho so maybe I'll finally get around to editing/posting it.

7. Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written? not my bag really

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic? nah

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I actually never wrote smut at all until last year, but it’s not something I'd ever post

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen? I have not

11. Have you ever had a fic translated? nope

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before? co-writing with @ferrame​ is the best, she’s so immensely talented and we vibe really well. we co-wrote all our Trust fic and the Terror southern gothic AU, and there’s so much stuff we haven’t even posted as well, but writing snippets with her is definitely the highlight of any day.

13. What’s your all-time favourite ship? it varies, but in 2018 both Trust and The Terror came out and took turns beating me over the head with a bar of soap in a pillow case, pretty much every character dynamic in either of those shows makes me crazy

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will? we wrote a lot of Trust fic that it’d be fun to go back and edit at some point, and I started writing a OiM yuletide fic a few years ago that was deeply silly but fun.

15. What are your writing strengths? I’m bitchin with landscapes and I can write a mean metaphor if I do say so myself

16. What are your writing weaknesses? I have a tendency to go scorched earth on ideas that don’t work out 100%, my time management is atrocious, v bad at dividing my energy between fic-writing and work-writing and then I get stressed and am beastly to my loved ones.

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? I think you don’t want readers to have to be checking google translate in the middle of a sentence lol. The odd word here or there can add a bit of flavour, I guess, but I think it really depends on the character, and if you don’t speak the language in question, it’s probably best to steer clear.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for? my self-insert Lord of the Rings fanfic on LiveJournal obviously

19. What’s your favourite fic you’ve written? gotta be cocaine lines. really ascended while writing that one.

tagging, if you’re so inclined: @ferrame @whalersandsailors @fuckyeahisawthat @tuulikki & @starbuck

[sappsorrow]

tagged by the extremely lovely @amyvalhalla

Rules: Answer 30 questions and tag 20 blogs you want to know better.

1. Name/Nicknames: anna

2. Gender: whatever al pacino had going on in dog day afternoon

3. Star Sign: gemini

4. Height: like 5′5

5. Time: 10:04

6. Birthday: 6 june

7. Favourite Band: idk counting crows i guess. it’s always the mid-nineties where it matters…in my heart

8. Favourite Solo Artist: johnny cash

9. Song Stuck in My Head: adam ant stand and deliver

10. Last Movie: i'm so sorry but it was jeepers creepers 2

11. Last Show: we started rewatching trust last night because why not

12. When I Created This Blog: 2012? 2013? 

13. What I Post: absolute bollocks

14. Last Thing I Googled: wim wenders the state of things

15. Other Blogs: @varykino-again which i follow from and @flurgburgler where i make my artistic mistakes everyone’s problem

16. Do I get asks?: for better or worse

17. Why I Chose My URL: i'm a big fan of folk tales and jim hensen 

18. Following: literally i have never checked

19. Followers: i don’t have any followers i just beam my posts directly into the minds of unfortunate passersby

20. Average Hours of Sleep: this week probably none at all. it’s the midnight zoom meetings for me

21. Lucky Number: 6

22. Instruments: i tried to learn the violin as a child and i was very bad at it

23. What I Am Wearing: classic jumper n’ jeans combo

24. Dream Job: i’m doing it, but if i wasn’t i guess i'd like to be the person who brushes pedro pascal’s moustache 

25. Dream Trip: svalbard

26. Favourite Food: cheese

27. Nationality: british, and i can’t believe the way you don’t all fancy me like the lead actor in a 2013 bbc drama :(

28. Favourite Song: idk!! right now if golden brown by the stranglers comes on i hit the fuckin decks

29. Last Book I Read: just finished a proof copy of the therapist by helene flood, and runaway by alice munro

30. Top 3 fictional universes I would love to live in: all the alternate versions of 2020 that were written before the pandemic happened

i don’t have 20 friends. @ferrame @bachaboska @sohvi @rocinante @malacaiii @myfavoritedemons @paramaline and you, baby

[ghostcat3000]

Tagged by the wonderful @theawkwardterrier

Rules: It’s time to love yourself. Choose your 5 favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you’ve brought into the world. Tag as many writers/artist/etc. you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

1. The Boyfriend Experience (co-written with @irazor)

Boy meets Soulmate. Soulmate is a robot. Even x Isak and a universe where you can buy a boyfriend in a store. 

I can’t remember which one of my brilliant friends called this “my favorite ethical dilemma” (et tu, etal?) but that about sums it up. What was supposed to be a simple one-shot inspired by some stills--not even a preview, not even the short film itself--grew into a long, meditative story about community, loving, and being loved. I still cannot believe this lovely writer from across the ocean agreed to collaborate with some random raccoon who’d scurried into the SKAM fandom a couple of years too late. I have loved writing this story with Raz, I love these particular versions of Even and Isak, and I love this story very much.

2. Burn Bright

A reimagining of SKAM season three where instead of Kosegruppa, Isak Valtersen is accidentally cast as Juliet in an all-male production of Romeo and Juliet directed by a certain tall new transfer student. 

Half experiment to see how little I could get away with changing from season 3′s perfect structure while merging it with this wildly improbable set-up AND half exploration of exactly how Even would direct a production of this play, Burn Bright is ten chapters and 90k+ words. There was research GALORE and many discussions with various smart people. I got COVID-19 in the middle of writing and broke not one but two laptops. I still can’t believe I finished it. I can’t believe I’m alive actually. My first work in the SKAM fandom and my first ever Big Bang story.

3. Burn Bright, the soundtrack

I worked really hard to soundtrack each chapter as if it was an actual episode of SKAM. Down to not using any music released after 2016, listening to a ton of Norwegian music and an excruciating amount of dance pop. I lost my mind legit. But I’m very proud of my music supervising. Particularly of the music used in the production inside the story.

Listen to the Burn Bright playlist on Spotify

4. and everything must be dared

Speaking of not believing I finished something, I finished this CMBYN story where both Elio and Oliver are young women. Woolf replaces the classics. Sappho writes about midnight. “Goody Two Shoes” meets Mozart. A red bikini and the clop, clop, clop of espadrilles.

5. Haunt Me Then (co-written with @ashotofjac)

Isak and Even are Buzzfeed Unsolved-style web ghost hunters spending the night in one of Norway’s most notorious abandoned insane asylum. Are demons real? And do they like Cypress Hill?

I love humor in fic but rarely get to go ALL IN. A birthday treat for irazor written with the supremely talented ashotofjac. The only thing we knew going in was that Isak and Even were told by a medium that they’d been lovers in ALL their past lives and that Buzzfeed Unsolved would provide the inspiration. One Buzzfeed Unsolved marathon viewing and several late night writing sessions later, voila! Ghosts helping you get laid.

I am tagging anyone who makes things--stories, edits, art, music--but especially @ferrame, @irazor, @angel-in-new-york-city, @parallel-univers, @lilbitalexis, @widespindriftgaze, @cheshirecatstrut, @mysilverylining

[ghostcat3000]

Fic Writer Interview

I was tagged by @irazor​ and I’m late on my reply. sorry. my apologies.

Name: ghostcat3000 here and Ghostcat on AO3

Fandoms: SKAM, Call Me By Your Name, The Defenders/Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Veronica Mars, Gilda, The Clouds of Sils Maria, You’re the Worst, The Zero Effect, New Girl, The Handmaid’s Tale

Where you post: AO3 (link above)

Most Popular One-shot: II. Andante, which, while technically part of a larger series, can stand-alone. For CMBYN, romantic dithering in late ‘80s NYC. 

Most Popular Multichap: Also, technically part of that same series, but III. Rondo: Allegretto Moderato. A first-person exercise in fevery Id. CMBYN and could be read as a stand-alone but works best when read after the story above.

Favorite story you’ve written so far: My favorites are almost always stories I am currently writing. In this case, it will be:

1. My SKAM Nordic noir AU Rest Easy which is my first time writing a proper, plotty genre story. I really love these versions of the characters and the whole vibe of the piece. A labor of love with ten readers and I know them all by their actual names. Everyone else will be like, que?

2. [spoiler redacted]* (*not the actual title) which I am currently co-writing with @irazor​ since--checks chat--October of last year. It was supposed to have been a porny one-shot but it has become a long, tonally complicated love story. It is so profoundly lovely in parts (Raz) and incredibly fucking goofy in others (me). We’ve written it with a lot of laughter and love so we hope our readers love it as much as we do.

3. For posted stories, I’m going to say Five Stages of Grief (The Never Mind The Albatross Remix). It’s a remix of an excellent story by igrockspock but it’s about something else entirely and it’s less than 1k words. It’s very simple but I think it packs a punch.

Fic you were nervous to post: Probably IV. Finale: Rubato e affettuoso, also from the CMBYN Piano Sonata in G Major, "Pense-bête" series. It’s so tricky, structurally, it has to mirror the final movement of a sonata, which are the previous chapters...and it’s smut-heavy, but like, feelings porn heavy on the characterization piece. I worked super, duper hard on it and kind of lost it a little. I really liked parts of it a lot but I had a feeling it wouldn’t be well-received. There’s still one chapter left and a part of me thinks that maybe an unfinished sonata is the way to go. I know how it ends, which is well, so I know I’ll finish it eventually. I have a few dedicated readers that I definitely think deserve a good landing on that one.

How do you choose your titles: Song lyrics usually. Or poetry. Something relating to the story itself.

Do you outline: In my head. 

Complete: I have four unfinished stories. This is why lately I have been trying to post only when a story is complete. So I can stop being that person.

In progress: See above. Plus bits and bobs of some very strange AU ideas, one of which will definitely be part of... 

Coming soon/not yet started: ...SKAM Big Bang 2021, which I am helping to moderate. The stories I am juggling have the TBD titles of: Slug Juice, Rødekornet, and Drinking the Kool-Aid. Plus a Killing Eve AU that would disappoint everyone.

Prompts?: I don’t do prompts because I will fuck up your prompt so hard that you’ll be left wondering what you did to deserve such horrors.

Upcoming work you’re most excited about: Good ole [spoiler redacted]* and Rest Easy, fo sho.

Tagging: no pressure of course @ferrame @blithers @angel-in-new-york-city @isaksbestpillow @etal-late @teejaysnow

[owlsinathens]

2, 4 & 25 from the meta ask 😊

Hi, nonnie!

2. things that motivate me

A lot of things, actually. It motivates me to no end to have someone to talk about my ideas with, bounce back and forth headcanons and ideas... it's the most lovely thing and I miss it exceptionally. I'm also generally motivated by my readers, by kudos and comments, by asks like this, by prompts etc. Then sometimes all it takes to motivate me is a song, a picture, a meme... I see/hear something and need to make Greysnow from it!

4. name 3 authors that were influential to your work and tell why

fanfic authors or original fiction authors?

as for fanfiction, definitely @callmejude, starting with her phrase "Drowned Fuck", which I incorporated in my writing a lot. @ferrame was a big influence as well - our styles are as different as it gets, but I did learn a lot from reading her works and talking to her about them. And last but not least, @quicksilvermaid. I met her when we were both in the baby stage of fanfic writers, and it has been the most fun to grow together, to learn from each other. She's incredibly talented, and although we're not in the same fandom anymore, I diligently watch and follow her works!

as for real life authors: Jenny Colgan! Lovely romantic books with gorgeous guys and lovely sceneries... everytime I need a pick-me-up I read one of her flicks! Ben Aaronovitch, his humour and wit in the Rivers of London series definitely influenced my writing. And finally, an Austrian author, Stefan Slupetzky. He writes Viennese crime novels, dark and funny and delicious!

25. favourite line you've ever written

...duh... that changes so often, I can't possible pick an all-time favourite. Maybe at the moment it's this sentence from my Fake Marriage AU WIP:

Mirror-Jon looks like a rabid serial killer, literally frothing at the mouth, rage edged into his every feature, eyes bloodshot and crazed.

Can you guess who caused that rage? 😁

Thanks so much for the ask!! ❤️❤️❤️

[gigi-sinclair]

Fic meme

Tagged by the always amazing @lafiametta!

Tagging anyone who wants to do it (this is a fun one!), and/or @eralkfang, @ferrame, @lyledebeast, @whalersandsailors @pooraurora and @themoonmothwrites

Fandoms: 28 (in half of which I wrote only one fic.)

Number of fics: 226 since 2003 (I uploaded most of my old stuff to AO3 in 2012; in 2016, a Star Trek Enterprise archive I had a lot of fics on was imported in its entirety.) 

Fic I spent the most time on: In recent memory, Twenty-Three Years (The Terror.) I rewrote that one several times, mostly because I kept coming at it from the angle that Thomas and Edward had been broken up all that time and were getting back together (which of course is nonsense. They would never break up.)

Fic I spent the least time on: I wrote Limpid as Dammit (The Witcher) in a couple of hours in January. It has 880 kudos. I love enormous fandoms sometimes. 

Longest fic: The Well, Downton Abbey, 27,293 words

Shortest fic: Good Night and Good Luck, Where The Truth Lies, 251 words

Most hits: Defect, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

Most kudos: Night and Day, Good Omens

Most comment threads: Night and Day, Good Omens

Most bookmarks: Night and Day, Good Omens

Total word count: 883,560

Favorite fic: It’s hard to choose a favourite. I tend to be happiest with the ones that are different from others I’ve read, while still fitting (more or less) within the canon. So probably The Thylacine (The Terror, Tasmanian tigers as metaphor for Victorian gay rights), The River (Good Omens, Aziraphale and Crowley’s relationship shown through the four types of love according to Greek tradition, although this is the most flexible canon ever, so) and Amor Fraternus (Outlander, Jack Randall doesn’t understand love, so gets weirdly emotionally incestuous with Alex.) 

Fic I most want to expand on/rewrite: If I ever got back into Star Wars, I would love to write more about Kylo Rey and her cousin Ben from The Other Side of the Coin.

Share a bit of a wip/story idea you’re working on: I’m working on my Bang fic at the moment, so that unfortunately has to be kept under wraps. But here’s a very short snippet from another fic that may or may not ever see the light of day:

“You ought to have told me about the situation.” Edward tries to make his voice imperious, assured, an officer on the quarterdeck. Instead, he sounds plaintive. “I would certainly have done my duty.”

Before the sentence is out of his mouth, Edward knows it was the wrong one to say. Thomas’ expression freezes over. His sea-glass eyes turn to ice; his mouth becomes a rigid line, a steward’s firm, emotionless courtesy.

“Your duty, sir,” he repeats, blandly. “I have no doubt of that. Sir.” 

“Dammit, Thomas. It’s not only a question of duty, you know that very well.” 

“We know nothing about each other. Not really.” It is sharp now, pointed, a verbal dagger to Edward’s heart. The words don’t hurt as much as the knowledge they are completely true. 

[ghostcat3000]

💜, ⭐️, 😏! (dying to know the answer to that last one, tbh.) happy meme-ing!

💜top 3 favorite lines

1. 

I would like to lie and say I returned to him because I had a plan to make him suffer. Or that he left his door open again because he’d missed the woman he knew best in the dark. Those are lies. The truth is simpler. We went back to one another, the way sun-starved plants tilt forward at the windows, chasing whatever light they can reach. 

(We Must Refuse to Disappear)

2. 

Lindsay stands up, and picks at her cleavage with two fingers, eventually pulling out what looks like a piece of lemon cookie. She pops it into her mouth and glares at him in a way no cleavage-cookie-eating person has a right to. 

(A Fool For Your Face)

3. 

In the hours prior, he’d been worried about seeing Keith Mars, bracing himself for the unavoidable, single-blink subtle, why-are-you-interrupting-my-daughter’s-life-of-emotional-and-professional-achievement? look of condemnation. Well, subtle to anyone who wasn’t Logan. Or Veronica. Or Keith Mars himself, who, like the Aerosmith ditty, never wanted to miss a thing and usually didn’t. 

(In The Gale)

⭐️how do you get your inspiration?

I get inspiration from music and photos and art. If I’m writing something, best believe there’s going to be a playlist that comes with. 

I’m also super inspired by gif sets; how the focus on micromoments in performance can really sharpen a headcanon or give me ideas for other stories. Gif makers are amazing.

😏your most risky line

Elio returns to himself, eyes suddenly sharp, putting your finger in the wet heat of his maw and sucking the wedding ring right down the length of it. He opens his mouth and there it is, a gold circle on his tongue, and your breath quickens, thinking, he’s going to swallow it. Because he would. Swallow it. He’s a perverse little fucker (you love this about him, no point in pretending otherwise) and is exactly the sort of person who would ingest the symbol of your love and loyalty to another just so he could shit it back out. 

(IV. Finale: Rubato e affettuoso)

Because, poop. [insert shrug emoji]

thank you for the ask, @ferrame!

from this meme. ask away.