#why does the Demon Accountant Lady not have her own character tag?

[aelaer]

Uhh can I ask for BBC Sherlock fic recs? (Preferably friendship and/or familial fics, but romance is okay too)

Ooohh boy are you in for a list. I know you asked this like, at the start of quarantine or at sometime where I decided that I was no longer interested in communicating with the wider world, but hopefully this will still be of interest to you?

Throughout 2018 I did very little writing because I was busy consuming everything offered by the Sherlock fandom produced over 7-8 years. I definitely read well into the millions of words. A lot of them were from specific collections on both ff.net and AO3. I recommend looking in “collections” on ff.net in particular (as I still can’t really figure out how collections work on AO3 and how to find them easily... it’s really easy to find them on ff.net).

To my knowledge, these are all complete.

If there is any romance tagged here, it’s because it’s really, really fucking good as romance is my least favorite genre. I cannot remember all of them, but there’s a lot of angst, definitely humour, and definitely some great canonical bits. Also whumpy ones that are either really really good or a bit ridiculous but there you go.

It’s long, so under a cut. If the cut doesn’t work, I have tagged it as well.

From ff.net (alphabetical order) - NOTE: I did NOT include anything from the authors I recommended because the list was already too freaking long! But be sure to check out the authors, you can sort by “category” on ff.net on their author page and then go down to “Sherlock” to find their works:

Anything by A Wandering Minstrel (sooooo many genres)

Most anything by chappysmom (tons of genres, some are excellent, some I could take or leave, overall good stuff)

Most anything by Dayja (she writes in a ton of genres, so some I *adore* while others aren’t my cup of tea, but overall good stuff)

Anything by Gwen's Blue Box if you want angst up the wazoo.

Anything by ivywatcher for fantastic character studies.

Most anything by Jennistar1 (another multi-genre writer, both friendship and slashfic)

Anything by Radon65 - a mix of stuff. Canon IIRC.

Anything by Richefic for good, canon-friendly gap-fillers

Anything by StillWaters1 for good, canon-friendly gap-fillers

A Brief Account Of Life With Zombies  by Silver Pard Sherlock thinks it's all a bit of a nuisance, John is having the time of his life, and Mycroft is Not Impressed. With anything, but mostly his minions' inability to provide a good cup of tea. Rated: T - English - Humor - Chapters: 1 - Words: 2,384 - Complete

A House is not a Home  by selenityshiroi  This is a prompt fill from the LJ Fic Meme.  John and Sherlock got a flat share because they needed to split the rent.  But when John comes into money, people wonder 'why hasn't he found a place of his own'   The actual prompt is inside the story Rated: T - English - Friendship - Chapters: 1 - Words: 8,190 - John W., Sherlock H. - Complete

Annie's Song  by Berouge She has a second engagement with a man and his violin, in the park, at night. Sherlock's not going for it! ONESHOT! Rated: K - English - Romance - Chapters: 1 - Words: 8,869 - Sherlock H., Molly Hooper - Complete

Basic Training  by chai4anne Summary: A death at a boys' school leads to conflict and revelations among Lestrade's team, Sherlock, and John. Set between "The Hounds of Baskerville" and "The Reichenbach Fall." No slash. Rated: T - English - Mystery/Friendship - Chapters: 1 - Words: 10,851 - Sherlock H., John W., DI Lestrade, Sgt. S. Donavan - Complete

Breaking Point  by Haelia  When Sherlock and Donovan are abducted and Sherlock is grievously wounded, it is up to Donovan to get them both out.  "First things first, Freak.  You do not give me orders.  You are going to do everything I tell you to," Sally said sharply, "because we are getting out of here."  Can they both escape with their lives from the most dangerous gang in London? Rated: T - English - Mystery/Hurt/Comfort - Chapters: 3 - Words: 14,401 - Sgt. S. Donavan, Sherlock H. - Complete

Firestorm  by Dustbunny13 Sherlock returns, but his friendship with John is damaged. Nevertheless, they embark on their final hunt to finish off Moriarty's net, but it ends in a catastrophe: Sherlock is shot and lapses into a coma. As John keeps vigil, he reads Sherlock's diary written during the hiatus. Slowly, he begins to understand and finds himself wishing for another miracle. Completed. Rated: T - English - Hurt/Comfort/Adventure - Chapters: 53 - Words: 133,754 - Complete NOTE: Probably my favorite novel-length multi-chapter you find only on ff.net for this fandom.

How To Accidentally Summon a Demon  by patster223 Sherlock is possessed by a demon. A damned, wicked soul that uses the kitchen table for blood rituals and experiments. John doesn't even notice the difference. Rated: K+ - English - Supernatural/Humor - Chapters: 1 - Words: 1,411 - Sherlock H., John W. - Complete

Kidnapped! A Comedy by scuttlesworth Poor kidnappers. Kidnapping John Watson is like pulling on a thread tied to all sorts of crazy. It's enough to make a bloke get a job and go straight. Rated: T - English - Humor/Friendship - Chapters: 2 - Words: 10,758 - John W. - Complete

Mobile Phones, Rubble and Shock  by prettybirdy979  In the aftermath of the explosion, Lestrade must work to keep Sherlock Holmes alive and make sense of his communications... with only a mobile phone and Sherlock buried under the rubble of the pool. Rated: T - English - Hurt/Comfort/Angst - Chapters: 1 - Words: 2,679 - Sherlock H., DI Lestrade - Complete

Mouth of Babes  by Morgan Stuart  Several weeks after the explosion at the pool following "The Great Game" episode, Lestrade visits the recuperating Sherlock and John at 221B Baker Street. He brings case files and food... and a visitor in tow. Rated: K - English - Friendship - Chapters: 1 - Words: 2,495 - Sherlock H., DI Lestrade - Complete NOTE: This is a whole series. If you like it, look up the rest under the author. It’s super cute.

Of Surgeons and Soldiers  by EmRose92 Being a doctor has its advantages. He knows how to put people back together, and he knows how to take them apart. 221B is forced into a hostage situation, and John seems to be the only one who has the power to get them out of it. Includes BAMF John, protective Sherlock, and several unfortunate criminals who mess with the wrong army doctor. No slash. Rated: K+ - English - Adventure/Family - Chapters: 2 - Words: 9,695 - Sherlock H., John W. - Complete

The Empty Home  by chai4anne Sherlock would always be haunted by memories of one particular case. The first body, its once-so-familiar features blurred by the passing of time and death, moved him more than he would ever have expected. But the worst was the skeleton he uncovered later, bits of hair and clothes still clinging to it—which had no effect on him whatever, until he looked up and saw John's face. Rated: T - English - Mystery/Suspense - Chapters: 28 - Words: 150,773 - Sherlock H., John W. - Complete

The frigid trench  by Nova-chan Sherlock is badly hurt. And alone. And incapacitated. Rated: T - English - Drama/Hurt/Comfort - Chapters: 15 - Words: 13,118 - Sherlock H., John W. - Complete

The Hand You're Dealt  by Lady Sam Mallory Sherlock, John and several others are trapped in a building when an explosion disrupts the crime scene they are working. COMPLETE. Rated: T - English - Hurt/Comfort/Angst - Chapters: 1 - Words: 12,092 - Sherlock H., John W. - Complete

The Secret Identity of John Watson  by scifigrl47  Taken out of context, John Watson leads a terrifying life.  You have to wonder what those poor women he dates thinks of it, especially if John decides to try keeping one away from Sherlock, and Sherlock decides that it'd be best if he could get rid of her Rated: T - English - Humor - Chapters: 3 - Words: 29,251 - John W., Sherlock H. - Complete

This Is What He Does For Fun  by nyssa123   Sherlock and John go to the pub after a long day and Sherlock realizes that the man sitting next to them is a serial killer. He then proceeds to tell everyone how he knows. Written for a prompt on the LJ kinkmeme.

Rated: K+ - English - Humor/Mystery - Chapters: 1 - Words: 1,147 - John W., Sherlock H. - Complete

Totem  by IshkabibbleScribble  Rescuing Sherlock from the clutches of a violent terrorist cell forces John to rely on a long-unused, lethal skill. Rated: T - English - Friendship/Drama - Chapters: 2 - Words: 8,752 - Sherlock H., John W. - Complete

War Wound  by SoulfireInc  Set sometime after Sherlock's return, before John's wedding to Mary Mortsan. An old comrade of John's arrives at 221B Baker St, scared and desperate for the consulting detective's help. Perhaps, had Sherlock known the consequences he and John would suffer as a result of this surprise encounter, he never would have accepted the case ... [Written before season three aired.] Rated: K+ - English - Drama/Friendship - Chapters: 1 - Words: 21,319 - Sherlock H., John W., DI Lestrade, OC - Complete

From AO3 (alphabetical order) - NOTE: Just like the ff.net list, I did NOT include anything from the authors I recommended because these lists are just ginormous.

NOTE: I did *not* include warnings, pairings, etc in these summaries (too many tags to try and organize in the messy copy/pastes). Read the tags if you have any sensitivities/squicks/etc for all links!

Most anything by CaffieneKitty (over 100 shorts, so some I really love, others I can pass. Well worth checking out)

Anything by dragonnan if you want a huge wallop of angst. Also illustrations. Also writes in the MCU.

Anything by Jolie_Black (You thought stories written in script could only be bad? You thought WRONG. Very very canon-compliant goodness).

Anything by sgam76 (another multi-genre writer)

A Freak Adventure   by  dioscureantwins Words:    13,719    Chapters:    1/1    Teen And Up Audiences Sherlock Holmes Sally Donovan John Watson Mrs. Hudson Oh Christ, the Freak will be like a dog with two tails if she turns to him for assistance. Sally can feel her hands curling into fists ready to punch the condescending smirk off his face as she glares at the lift panel, willing the lift to go faster. But this is about Susy, Sally tells herself, not about him or Sally’s abhorrence of the atrocious git. She’s still convinced he gets off on it but he can wank himself into a stupor over Susy’s disappearance for all she cares as long as he finds her.

A Smelly Affair  by  dioscureantwins  Words:    13,756    Chapters:    1/1   General Audiences Sherlock Holmes John Watson Mrs Hudson Greg Lestrade Molly Hooper Anthea Mycroft Holmes Sherlock had published an interesting thesis on the splintering of various woods on his website. As well as an equally fascinating treatise on different types of ropes and knots and the best techniques for securing someone. Obviously, his captors had followed those instructions to the letter; thereby disproving John’s theory nobody took notice of Sherlock’s website. A victory, perhaps, but one Sherlock felt he could have done without. Trust his readership to turn the tables on the author.   Morons.

Constantly      by thesignsofserbia Words:    4,530    Chapters:    1/1    Mature Sherlock Holmes Mycroft Holmes Mycroft and Sherlock have a tenuous relationship at best, but with Sherlock taking down Moriarty's web, they might need each other more than they'd care to admit.

Croatia-Water-Blue      by hollyesque Words:    12,117    Chapters:    1/1 Not Rated Sherlock Holmes John Watson Mycroft Holmes “I…” John licks his lips, twitches his fingers as though he wants to reach out, “I’m here, Sherlock,” he says; “I know I haven’t been, but…but I am now.” Sherlock wrinkles his nose. Haven’t been—? “What on earth do you mean, you haven’t been here?” he asks, “You’ve been living here.”

Getting to Know You      by  Dimity Blue (Arnie) Words:    4,605    Chapters:    1/1   General Audiences Arthur Weasley/Molly Weasley Sherlock Holmes John Watson Mycroft Holmes John picked up the kettle.  "Nothing from Lestrade?"Sherlock flipped himself over on the sofa and presented John with his back; John sometimes felt he was living with a cat.Clicking the switch on the kettle, John grinned to himself and, keeping his tone casual, said, "Maybe you could send him an owl."There was silence for a few seconds, then Sherlock asked, "Why would I send him an owl?"

Landscape With The Fall Of Icarus      by CaitlinFairchild Words:    4,572    Chapters:    1/1   Teen And Up Audiences Sherlock Holmes Mycroft Holmes John Watson Closing his eyes, Sherlock allows himself a brief swell of feeling--let’s not put a name on it, just call it a feeling--for his big brother. He knows that when Mycroft opens that steel door again, every man now inside will be a fresh corpse.The East Wind will take them all, Sherlock thinks fuzzily, before the curtain of sleep descends.

London Orbital   by merripestin Words:    13,642    Chapters:    1/1    General Audiences Greg Lestrade Sally Donovan Sherlock Holmes John Watson "I'm driving first," Sally said.  "Guv can take over after me. If we're all still mad enough to be at this after that,  John can drive third shift.  Then the freak, if we decide we can risk it.""John doesn't drive," said Sherlock."Then what's John along for?" Sally protested. Which Greg reckoned had to be just Sally trying to wind Sherlock up.  She knew better.  All night in a car with Sherlock was bad enough.  All night driving round and round the M25 looking for a killer, with Sherlock deprived of John Watson, sounded like a new circle of hell.   

Official Recruiter by Captain_Author Words:    49,469    Chapters:    21/21   General Audiences  Clint Barton Phil Coulson Sherlock Holmes John Watson Stephen Strange Crimes were so simple before aliens, gods, and supernatural abilities made themselves known. But Sherlock Holmes never enjoyed simple and these inhumans and mutants provided quite a challenge. SHIELD needed someone to find the superpowered. Funny how both their needs can be met.

Rigging screws, size 1 3/8 inch, galvanised  by  AJHall    Words:    15,250    Chapters:    6/6    Teen And Up Audiences Sherlock Holmes John Watson "How's a woman supposed to prove her husband's a murderer, dammit?" On the eve of a planned voyage to Brittany, Marjorie Jameson starts her day with no problems more pressing than forcing a boatyard to do an emergency repair to the family yacht.  A chance encounter at the Cowes hi-speed ferry terminal begins to unravel a web of conspiracy and murder, with her charming, untrustworthy husband Julian right at the centre and Marjorie as the next intended victim.But no-one's going to trust the word of an aging housewife whose complaints of abuse the police have previously dismissed as delusions.

Somewhere in the Dinaric Alps      by  drpepperdiva91 Words:    1,735    Chapters:    1/1    General Audiences Sherlock Holmes John Watson Sherlock is caught off-guard by a flashback to his time in Serbia, just before John arrives home from work. Sweet, but still semi-realistic, hurt/comfort.

The Case of the Missing Bus Ticket      by  Unsentimentalf Words:    10,543    Chapters:    1/1   General Audiences Dirk Gently Sherlock Holmes Richard MacDuff John Watson Mycroft Holmes When Dirk and Richard's new client inexplicably fails to stay alive long enough to pay them, their ailing finances mean that a certain amount of subterfuge is required to get them back to London. The sudden death of their client has, however, attracted the attention of another rather more famous (if less holistic) detective and the stage is set for a long distance bus ride of suspense…

The Green Blade   by  verityburns Words:    72,929    Chapters:    15/15   Teen And Up Audiences Sherlock Holmes John Watson Lestrade (Inspector) Mycroft Holmes Sally Donovan Anderson (Sherlock) Mrs. Hudson As a serial killer hits the headlines, the police are out of their depth and the next victim is out of time. With faith in Sherlock Holmes at an all time low, this is a case which will push loyalties to the limit... WARNING: COMMENTS CONTAIN SPOILERS!

The Holiday    by Scriblit Words:    18,962    Chapters:    9/9    Mature Sherlock Holmes John Watson Mycroft Holmes Mrs. Hudson Greg Lestrade Molly Hooper Mary Morstan ACD Canon Characters A month following an horrific, sadistic attack during a case, Sherlock is still physically incapacitated and emotionally damaged. A holiday is suggested, but even stuck out in the middle of nowhere, he and John happen upon a case that could make Sherlock begin to feel like his old self again - or could kill him.BBC Sherlock Reworking of ACD's Devil's Foot, with Illustrious Client in flashbacks. Scenes of violence and implied "off screen" sexual violence/sexual assault.

The Shallow End      by  hollyesque Words:    6,923    Chapters:    1/1   Teen And Up Audiences Sherlock Holmes John Watson Mycroft Holmes "I told you once that I don't have friends," he says to John's back, "Now you know why."

The Silence of the Bees  by  trappedinathoughtbubble Words:    14,169    Chapters:    7/?    Mature Sherlock Holmes John Watson Mary Morstan Mary Watson Greg Lestrade Mycroft Holmes A kidnapped teenage girl. A political conspiracy. Bees. And somehow in the midst of it all, John learns a few things Sherlock forgot to mention about those two years. Note: Not completed, but the author's around and one of the sweetest people ever if you want to give encouragement to take a look again at this story!

The Triple Bluff    by SarahKnight  Words:    28,331    Chapters:    8/8   Mature Sherlock Holmes Greg Lestrade Mycroft Holmes Sally Donovan Philip Anderson Sherlock annoys his landlord at Montague street, grows to hate Donovan and gets into trouble a lot on a kidnapping case involving a woman who bullied him as a child.The events leading up to A Study In Pink. A case fic that answers questions from the first episode such as why Sherlock had to leave Montague Street and find a new flatmate, why he and Lestrade both quit smoking but didn't know the other had, why there's so much animosity between Sherlock and Donovan, and why Sherlock hates traveling in a police car.

Welcome Home    by   thesignsofserbia Words:    3,435    Chapters:    1/1    Teen And Up Audiences Sherlock Holmes John Watson Mrs. Hudson Mycroft Holmes "All my nightmares escaped my head. Bar the door, please don’t let them in. You were never supposed to leave. Now my head's splitting at the seams."

And of course I have my own Sherlock/Doctor Strange crossover up on AO3 if that tickles your fancy, illustrations and all. :D

But if you haven’t delved deep into the fandom, this should tide you over for some time.

This list is by no means an exhaustive list of recs. I didn’t really include anything that concentrated on a romantic pairing, for instance. I left off anything explicit as well. But yeah, here’s a small amount of the overall goodness produced by the BBC Sherlock fandom over the last 10 years.

[incandescent-eden]

STORY MASTERLIST

A (not so) comprehensive list of all the things I write about, all of which are subject to change at any given time because I do a lot of refactoring!

LOOOOONG POST INCOMING I write... a LOT, and I have... MANY projects :) Feel free to ask me about any of them! :)

With love <3 Continue reading below the cutoff if you want to know the basic rundown of my worlds and works!

ANGELVERSE:

This universe encompasses all of the angels and demons I like to focus on. Works in the angelverse will likely be about Faraday (formerly known as Efrem), a demon lieutenant, Ezekiel, a young angel, the archangel Uriel, or angel Raguel / angel Sophia (their stories are intertwined).

The main concept I have on Angelverse surrounds Faraday, who has grown into himself as a demon and made something of himself. He finds it impossible to shake who he was before. The question comes up during an important meeting between Heaven and Hell of whether he is truly Faraday or Efrem, his own self that he has shakily become, or the self he inherited from being his father’s son. There’s also brotherly angst between Faraday and Ezekiel, who refuses to let go of the past. (If you look at my old works tagged ‘ezekiel,’ you’ll see Ezekiel used to be a part of Faraday/his ‘ideal’ self, which is why new Ezekiel, separate from Faraday, reads so differently.)

The Raguel and Sophia stories are also closely linked to characters Andromeda and possibly Zachariah. Andromeda’s father runs a cult and has captured an angel in his attic. When Andromeda finds the angel (Sophia), her otherwise “normal” life is thrown into disarray as she starts unraveling threads about her father’s actions as a cult leader. If Zachariah is to be a part of it, he would be living with Andromeda’s family, having run away from his past.

Prominent characters in Angelverse include: Faraday, Uriel, Ezekiel, Stena, Michael, Ramiel, Raguel, Sophia, Zachariah, Ambriel, Ruhiel, Gabriel, Raphael, Luci, Bee, Sasha, Saoirse, and Heather. With the exception of Sophia, all names ending with “el” are angels, while the rest are demons. Also, I say prominent, but like half of these characters are from a bygone era (2018 when I first created them).

TW/CW for heavy religious (Christian) imagery, emotional abuse, violence, transphobia mentions and cult talk. Additional content warning because I tend to write angels as LGBT, but I recognize that some people are not comfortable with this affiliation with Christianity.

LUXTRURA (NOTE: LUXTRURA IS ON PERMANENT HIATUS):

Luxtrura is the name of a fictional country in ye olde European fantasy style, and I haven’t thought of a title for the WIP yet, so I mainly tag it ‘luxtrura’ or ‘luxtruran trio.’ This WIP is a fantasy / dystopian / political intrigue about an uprising in the kingdom of Luxtrura run by an inexperienced king and corrupt nobles all vying for the crown.

Luxtrura (at the current moment) follows the life of His Majesty Devron Fharren, the Eighth Fharren King, who inherited the crown by kingdom decrees at the age of 21. Unlike most kings, Devron has only had seven years of proper royal tutelage on statecraft, having only been named heir to the throne when he was 14. He soon finds he has inherited a kingdom that has been deeply wounded, that his people hate him, and that he has few allies among his own country’s nobles, his friends, and neighboring royalty. Revolution is brewing, and he has a choice to make: to claim his birthright or to help his people.

Prominent characters include: Devron Fharren, Eden Barison, Mili Starr, Plumeria Rwalke, Lilia Tao, Rassaya Tao, Andrea (a mysterious stranger who gives only her first name), Jakob Fiyre, Cordelia Fiyre, Liseline Fiyre, Sonja, and Orange and Rouse (the dragons).

TW/CW for violence, sexual assault mentions, transphobia mentions, political talk, blatant classism, and death.

GLOWING EYES:

A “what-if” scenario where Victor Frankenstein and Dorian Gray had met and become friends and also Frankenstein wasn’t a man and was named Viola and was not a pleb weakling like Victor. Also Dorian Gray is fat because I said so.

This story reimagines the Frankenstein and Dorian Gray cast as students in their final year of the prestigious University of Ingolstadt, with Frankenstein having returned from a year off during which she was suspended for [redacted] reasons. The vibe we’re going for is dark academia, but I don’t think they ever actually do any learning?

Prominent characters include: Viola Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, Elizabeth Lavenza, Henry Clerval, Basil Hallward, Deukalion, and special shoutout to Justine Moritz and Sibyl Vane because I didn’t want to put them in, but they definitely deserved better in the source material.

TW/CW for death, violence, toxic/obsessive relationships, grave-robbing, body part mentions (eyes, limbs, etc), and mentions of the Devil. Basically, if it was a concerning part of either the Frankenstein or Dorian Gray stories, it will still be concerning.

Fun fact, there is a Glowing Eyes playlist that I am NOT too ashamed to share with the public! :D

HELEN OF LEGEND:

A retelling of the Helen of Sparta story that explores Helen’s thoughts and motivations. Who was the woman behind the face that launched a thousand ships? And did she ever even want those ships to be launched? (Spoiler alert: the answer is no.)

Helen of Legend gets pretty heavy handed because I get really mad about people lauding the Greeks as the end all be all of culture, and I’m still really mad about how people dress Millie Bobby Brown up like she’s 25-40, so make of that what you will.

On the bright side, Helen of Legend is a sapphic retelling!

Prominent characters include: Helen, Leda, Menelaus, Clytemnestra, Penelope, Theseus, Aphrodite, Paris, Cassandra, Hector, and Hecuba.

TW/CW for misogyny, implied past sexual assault, sexual assault mentions, mentions of spousal and emotional abuse, people being generally creepy about bodies, people being creepy toward children (Theseus), cities burning, subtle classism, and death.

OF DANCERS AND DREAMERS:

A musical about Anne-Marie, a non-binary Vietnamese lesbian born into a wealthy family, and Jules, a Tunisian baker’s daughter who is working her way into the Paris ballet. Anne-Marie wants to be a designer, but their mother, Mme Trinh, has other plans. The year is 1884, and it was hard for the Trinh family, as immigrants, to establish their foothold in society, and Mme Trinh will not have her child throw away the family’s hard work. One day, while at the ballet, Anne-Marie becomes smitten with Jules, a ballerina with the most dazzling smile. They find solace in sharing their passions with one another and become friends, each eventually realizing they have fallen for the other in a time that is unfriendly to both of them.

Prominent characters include: Anne-Marie, Jules, Victor, Mme Trinh, and Amandine.

TW/CW for subtle homophobia, classism, mental illness, and parental guilt tripping/emotional toxicity.

THE LYRE EFFECT:

A play about life after death, and what it means to live and love. This play follows Patroclus upon his death, desperate to return to Achilles. He meets the reluctant Eurydice, embittered by decades alone in limbo halfway between life and death. Together, they almost throw someone off a boat (is it really murder if they’re already dead?) and have a chance to tell their stories, stepping out from the shadows of their more famous lovers.

I took a lot of liberties with this, so Orpheus is a woman (wlw OrphEurydice), and I would like for both Achilles and Patroclus to be played by trans men, and for all of the characters to be played by non-white actors.

Prominent characters include: Patroclus, Eurydice, Achilles, Orpheus, Apollo, Hades, Charon

TW/CW for talk about death

SPEED ROUND (OR: THINGS I WRITE ABOUT THAT AREN’T AS AMBITIOUS JUST YET/AT THE CURRENT MOMENT):

Here Lies Forever - a story focusing around two young people, Medb Flaherty and Virgil Sutherland, growing up at an orphanage amid war, abandonment, and sickness. Medb is a blind writer who dreams of traveling the world with Virgil, her best friend since their teen years, but when the war strikes too close to home, Virgil leaves Medb and their peaceful student life behind to join the army. Unwilling to let go, and recognizing the pain Virgil is in, Medb takes it upon herself to save Virgil, the both of them haunted by the ghosts of their pasts.

On the Corner of Maple Street - short stories about the lives of Sarah and Evangeline together, two lesbian women who met when Sarah was 28 and Evangeline was 31. Sarah was a toy maker and Evangeline was an actress. They have a son named Oliver, who’s now in his forties, and they’re grandmas to all the neighborhood children. They live on the corner of Maple Street :)

Partager Un Reve - short stories, often romantic, about two circus performers, Alyona Ledbedeva (who does aerial silks) and Li Mey Ri (an acrobat). They’re cute together, there’s not really much to say here.

Claire  - there’s a really old novelette floating around on my account and you can find it if you search Claire, but like it’s OLD. An 18th century French lady who contracted TB and died but was brought back by a necromancer named Cecil (Cecil is the character of my friend @sinnabon-cosplay !) and is now immortal. Fun times with Claire and Anthony usually involve lamenting the fact that they’re stuck as teenagers.

Miscellaneous - miscellaneous demon and monster characters like Alexander, Felicity (both vampires), Sparrow (succubus/Heather’s youngest sister), Zephyr (fae, husband of Spar), Lycan (she’s... a werewolf), and so on. Not really connected to a plot

Performing Possumhood - uh this was a play I wrote with my friend @holdingonmyheartlikeahandgrenade for a 24 hour play festival, it’s about a guy named Thomas who becomes herald for a kingdom and then on his first day of work, the king dies, and his son becomes king, except the new king??? is a possum???? and like no one does anything about it, so Thomas just feels like he’s going insane, poor guy (also everyone else is named Thomas except the king, whose name is His Majesty King Parthur Pencildragon of Alpacalot)

Nordic questing team - I’ve literally written nothing for these fools, but I’m tempted to make it into a dnd campaign! The characters I have are Val (short for Valnotte) (she’s a nokke), Hanne (human poison seller who wears an eyepatch just because), Fur (short for Bjorgolfur, he’s a werewolf who left his pack because he was too good at being alpha wolf but he didn’t want to be alpha, he wanted to press flowers and have a cute little cottage by a cliffside with a pretty garden damn it), and Bo (full name: Boscobel Blue, he’s a cow boy. Literally. He has cow ears and a big septum piercing and a tail. Also he’s a shepherd. His sheep are carnivorous :))) Make of that what you will)

Alice x Secret Garden - another play but where Alice Liddell and Mary Lennox are 18 years old and find themselves in Wonderland, after Mary is jaded from the end of WW1 and is frustrated at her friend Dickon’s marriage proposal, and Alice runs away, trying to retain her childhood as best she can

Retellings - I do myth and fairy tale and folk retellings! :) You can search ‘Tithonia’ for my sleeping beauty retelling, and I wrote Orpheus and Eurydice a while back. Still working my way through Icarus :’) Also ‘Mermaids Can’t See’ is a retelling of the classic mermaid story but written as a ??? field guide? journal entry? notes about mermaids?

If there’s a work you want specifically about a character, I always tag characters, and I also will tag character introductions and pictures/references of them as “beanpuff char[]”!

[awed-frog]

tl;dr: nope

I got a couple of anon asks about this, and I’m also tagging @twist-shout-and-shells because they asked me to, but I have to say - I don’t know anything about comics, I don’t know Marvel at all, so this review is just a meaningless rant. Like, I know so little about this universe that the first superhero movie I ever saw in my life was Thor, and the only reason they got me was because my mythology-loving ass assumed this would be about the actual god, you know?, so that was a very confusing two hours. Anyway - after this, I’m done with them. The ridiculous hype campaign they created around Infinity War actually activated my crow brain, which means I rushed to the theater because I was sort of expecting this would be a shocking masterpiece and any spoiler would ruin it for me, and - yeah. Never doing that again. Because, whatever - they do manage to come up with some good writing from time to time, and Black Panther’s success had made me hope they’d finally recognize that a solid, coherent and meaningful story is really the first thing you need, but apparently not? 

Ugh.

Anyway, here are main reasons why I didn’t like Infinity War.

1) No, we don’t need a new plague

Problem number one with this movie is that it fails to take into account that our IQ as a people has dropped about twenty points over the last thirty years (and I’m not even joking) and that means even a guy nicknamed ‘Mad Titan’ is actually given the benefit of the doubt (I don’t remember anyone thinking Hela might have had a point, but then again, women are known to be emotionally compromised at all times, right, so all that rage was probably PMS and crazy bitches, amirite?, can’t live with them, can’t live without them). And here, predictably, is the result:

I even checked Breitbart so you wouldn’t have to and while they seem confused as to whether they should support this movie or not (don’t watch because Captain America is played by ‘Comrade Communism’, do watch because Chris Pratt is a Good Christian Man), it’s still clear to everybody over there that Thanos, “an environmentalist wacko obsessed with salvaging the natural resources of the universe” is “espousing liberal jibberish”.

So, I’m going to keep it short and mostly sourceless because I saw a lot of people discussing this, but just to be clear: yeah, it is worrying that human population has basically tripled in thirty years, but the correlation ‘more people = more damage & fewer resources’ isn’t as clear-cut as some like to think. Also, research shows that women being recognized as human beings - that’s the actual way to solve this problem (see also x, x), which means that if Thanos had meant business, he could have used those frwaking stones to build schools and family planning centres. 

2) Your plan against evil can’t be just saying no

This is probably what bugs me the most both in fiction and IRL: saying ‘Trump is a moron’, ‘capitalism is bad’ or ‘genocide is wrong’ is not a political program. It’s a moral stance, and kudos to you, but if you want to make the world a better place, you need a lot more than that. But, nope - IW fell into this trap with such relish I can actually believe no one saw this as a problem - at all. When Thanos pointed out, rather smugly, that decimating Gamora’s planet had led to a new era of happiness and prosperity, she didn’t react in any way. We never saw Tony or Shuri mentioning the outlandish, extravagant idea that better and greener technology could actually save us all. We never saw anyone point out that when the richest 1% own half the world’s wealth, wiping out half of a Nairobi slum isn’t likely to do much for the environment. I guess it wasn’t relevant to the plot?

3) Turning your audience against the good guys = dick move

That said, our planet is objectively in bad shape, and writers and artists who are (or like to think of themselves as) engagés are more than welcome to discuss this - for all her faults, JK Rowling did that to perfection in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, focusing on the importance of conservation and taking a clear stance against animal trafficking. Other movies, of course, went a lot farther than that: my movie rec of the day is Okja, a masterful and soulwrenching look at how capitalism manages food production. But IW, on top of everything else, manages to be an anti-green movement movie? As if that was needed in any way? Apparently comic!Thanos’ goal was to impress Lady Death or something, and maybe they should have gone with that, because to me, movie!Thanos’ plan sounds like an ill-conceived and unfortunate parody of the green movement. In fact, eminent biologist E. O. Wilson’s Half-Earth explores this exact possibility - which is not about killing off 50% of the population, thank you very much, but about improving agriculture and urban structures so we can leave 50% of the world to the rest of the ecosystem. And maybe it’s just me, but isn’t it a bit weird the book came out at about the same time when IW’s script was being written? I try not to be a paranoid nutcase, but come on. Because what the movie does is that it turns Thanos into a sort of green Hitler whose only focus is the environment (“But he was a vegetarian!”), cue the creepy final shot of him going all ‘Schwarzy in the forest’ surrounded by clean-water creeks and happy animals while we are left counting our dead. The metaphor couldn’t be more obvious, and to be honest it is most unwelcome. Time and place, guys? I really haven’t seen something so revolting since I got to the end of the Da Vinci Code and realized atheists were the true monsters all along.

4) Being a hero doesn’t mean saving your friends

So this is starting to become a trend, and seriously, enough. If you’re a hero, then you need to think of something greater than yourself, and this is why your life will suck and suck and suck until your untimely death. Deal with it? And I can understand Loki giving up the Tesseract for his brother, because he’s always been more of an anti-hero than a hero, and his morals are shot to hell in any case, and I’ll forgive Dr Strange because he clearly saw something we didn’t, but what the hell was Steve thinking? Seriously, I keep seeing posts about how Pure and Noble Steve is, and guys, did we even see the same movie? Bringing Vision to Wakanda meant endangering an entire nation, and thousands of people there paid for that choice with their lives. It’s because Steve insisted in not seeing the big picture - or accepting Vision’s own wishes - that Thanos even succeeded in the first place. If they’d destroyed the stone, Thanos would never have gotten his hands on it, and Wakanda would not have been attacked by a horde of alien demons. Sacrificing hundreds or thousands of nameless (black, African) warriors to keep one (white) man safe is not heroism - it’s cowardice. It’s assuming your own feelings and your friends’ lives count more than the lives of strangers, and this is the exact opposite of how a hero should think. Not that I’m surprised, since Steve already condoned the destruction of half of Bucharest to save Bucky, but whatever. Compare and contrast with Tony, by the way, who first tried to destroy the Time stone, then chose to sacrifice himself to save someone he didn’t even like? Yeah, that’s more like it. #TeamStark

5) Every single woman is defined by her relationship to a man

With the caveat that no emotion, connection or motivation is throroughly explored in IW because it’s an action-packed movie during which people never speak an honest word to each other (relying instead on posturing, movie quotes and sarcastic remarks), here is basically what happens: men have things, and women have men. Tony’s journey is mostly about saving Peter and also sacrificing himself for the world. Steve is all about his friends and various heroics. Dr Strange is a sort of ascetic monk playing the long game. Thanos wants to save the universe or something. And Vision is on a quest towards humanity? Maybe? But the women - Gamora is important because she’s Thanos’ daughter. Scarlet Witch is important because she loves Vision. Natasha (I think she’s in the movie? I don’t actually remember if we hear her speak) is on Cap’s side because Cap. Pepper only appears to remind us of what Tony has to lose. Exceptions to this rule include Shuri, whom IW didn’t quite manage to destroy; Loki, who was always female- and queer-coded, so I’m not surprised he ends up dying for the handsome and suitably Aryan hero; and arguably Starlord, who mostly fights for Gamora (what is a virtue in a woman, however, is a weakness in a man, because Starlord ends up fucking up the plan because of his love for her). And I know they probably tried to compensate for the complete lack of women in the movie by highlighting how powerful Scarlet Witch is and focusing so much on Gamora, but I’m an annoying person, so that didn’t work for me. Because, again, Scarlet Witch is a 2D character plucked directly from a Victorian dictionary’s definition of ‘woman’ (while the menfolk around her worry about the possible demise of the Entire Earth, there she is, channelling all her energy in being a good and loyal companion to her robot husband) and Gamora has no more control over her life in this movie than she had as a child? Her main narrative purpose in IW is to make us feel bad for her boyfriend and father, who’re both driven to kill her (for very different reasons) and suffer for her death (and don’t get me started on Thanos suddenly loving someone and what a stroke of luck, the one person in the universe he gives a damn about just happens to be standing next to him on top of a cliff when he needs to kill her). Seriously, why is it that female characters’ concerns still begin and end with romantic love? This trope that romance is the most important thing for every single woman needed to die, like, yesterday.

6) None of that actually means anything

Look, I’m a sucker of time-travel of any description, but I also think time-travel must be done honestly or not at all. Movies like Back to the Future or Arrival both use time bending to great effect, because the stakes are real and painful and there are all sort of complex decisions facing our heroes. But IW doesn’t care about any of that. The existence of the Time stone is not about ethical dilemmas or even turning up the drama to eleven - the one purpose of that thing is to make us hope that our personal fave is not dead after all, so we’ll keep watching this stupid franchise until the end of times. That finale could have been innovative and heartwrenching, and instead we already know it wasn’t. Samuel L. Jackson is apparently confirmed in Captain Marvel, which will be released next year, and we also know they’re working on Spider-Man 2, Guardians of the Galaxy 3, Black Panther 2 and Doctor Strange 2. Capitalism has very nearly killed the possibility of creating a well-written and gutting story, because the rule is, If it makes money, it goes the fuck on. Hence TV shows which no longer make any kind of sense but we all keep watching out of nostalgia, affection for the characters or dissatisfaction with our own lives, and also franchises which stretch the plot to new and boring limits (for instance, it beggars belief that Tony and Steve didn’t even meet in IW, and their fight never came up at all: I guess we’ll have to wait for IW 2, or Avengers 37: The One with The Talk). And here, again, studios are so greedy that they willingly disregard the fact audiences will reward ‘complete’ stories: for instance, Logan was critically acclaimed and made tons of money, but the risk of ‘permanently’ killing off a beloved character is still considered too high. And playing it safe actually works: IW costed $320 million, which is about 5% of the studio’s budget, and that investment has already been repaid in full (the movie made double that in the first two weeks).  

(Meanwhile, 21st Century Fox gained more than one billion dollars from Trump’s TAX REFORM THAT WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN - probably a disappointing amount of money for owner Richard Murdoch, who has a net worth of 15 billion and is known to use some of that hard-earned cash to support laudable & important causes such as the privatization of public education, but hey, we all need to make do and move on, right? Right.)

So this is mostly it. To be fair, IW was mildly entertaining, and I thought they sort of did a good job in juggling twenty leads - we got no character development at all and no meaningful dialogue, but we saw everybody at least once and their lines were funny? Some moments were genuinely good despite a couple of bizarre plot points (I’m still unclear on why Strange didn’t create a circle of fire around Thanos’ arm, and very tired of the overused ‘Yeah, let’s save the most powerful weapons for last’ trope), so I wouldn’t say this was the worst movie ever made, but as I said, I’m done. I’ve given more than enough money to this franchise, so when IW 2 comes out, I think I’ll be a boring adult and watch it on TV as I’m doing my ironing or something. Good times.

[thatbutlerwriting]

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About Me

Alias: Astre

Age: 20+

Gender: nonbinary (he/they)

Faceclaim: Yamato Kurosawa (Sukitte ii na yo); icons from aihasuicons

Faves: Noah’s Ark Circus Troupe, Grell, Ronald

OTP: me x Joker lmfao

NOTP: Sebastian x Grell

Other: I will protect Doll with my gotdamn life, fight me. Sebastian is trash and I can’t stand him.

Rules

This blog is here so that people can have fun. If I see any sort of bullying, I will not hesitate to turn anon off and block the users I see doing it.

That being said, my rules are quite simple, and I ask that you obey them.

First and foremost, THIS IS AN ALL INCLUSIVE BLOG. You ship SebaCiel? Cool. You ship CielLizzy? Cool. You’re trans? Cool. Bi? Cool. Nonbinary? Cool. I will NOT tolerate hate of any kind, especially toward my followers. This includes ship hate, body shaming, and discrimination of any kind.

That being said, I will let it be known I am uncomfortable with otherkin for very, very personal reasons. Please do not reblog my art or writing with kin/ID tags.

I enjoy a good laugh, so I don’t mind the occasional silly question. However, I reserve the right to ignore something I find offensive.

I am caught up with the Black Butler anime, Black Butler II, Book of Circus, Book of Murder, Book of Atlantic, the musicals, and the OVAs. Because of this, I will only be answering asks about things contained in these until I have fully caught up with the manga.

Some asks I receive may be offensive. If I think that there is a chance it could be offensive or triggering to someone, I will place the answer under a cut with the proper warnings.

This blog will not accept roleplay requests.

While some people may find it offensive, I will refer to Grell as female. I can relate to her character in more than one way, and have no intention of denying what I see as canon. I truly hope this doesn’t bother anyone.

This is a work of fiction and should be taken as such. I will NOT tolerate any anti vs anti-anti drama here. Period. The drama I’ve been involved with is toxic and damaging to my own mental health, and I will not argue with anyone over my stances for whatever reason. Don’t like something I post? Either blacklist the tag or block me and move on with your life.

In addition, there are a few things I’d like to list as disclaimers:

I am not responsible for a minor coming across content which is 18+. There are many warnings placed on this blog, and all 18+ content will be tagged as such. This disclaimer also applies for those residing in a place where the content of this blog may be considered illegal in some way.

All characters appearing in 18+ material have been aged up or deemed to be 18 years of age or older.

This is a ship safe blog. If I see ship wars, I will not hesitate to block you. The same goes for any hate I receive in my inbox.

FAQ

Who is Astre?

Astre is my Kuroshitsuji self insert persona, a demon shipped with Joker. I could get into more detail, but honestly, I’d rather not unless you guys want to send asks about him. I’ll happily answer them!

Who you write for?

Long story short, any anime/OVA-canon or musical-canon character. I’m not caught up with manga yet, but I hope to be soon so that I can add the plethora of manga-exclusive characters to my writing portfolio - especially Bravat! Until then I’m most confident writing the anime, OVA, and musical characters for all you lovelies to enjoy~!

Do you have a favorite character to write for?

Despite the fact that most of my confidence comes with writing characters I’m familiar with, there lies a single exception, and he’s actually the answer to this~! I absolutely adore writing for Bravat! He caught my attention from the minute he was introduced, and I’ve done so much research on him that I’ve debated making a full on roleplay blog for him. If I do, I’ll let you all know~

I also really, really enjoy writing for Grell. Her character is one that I can relate to, and back in my early Tumblr years I roleplayed her a lot. maybe if I can ever get into my old account, I’ll revamp her blog and we’ll bring Lady Grell and Sir Red back ;)

Do you, ya know, ship nasty stuff?

This blog ain’t about my ships, hun. I’ve been involved in the anti and anti-anti drama before, and it absolutely destroyed my mental health. I was sent some not-so-good things by some really shitty people on both sides of the debate, so I’ve learned it’s best not to disclose my feelings on the subject. If that bothers you, you can feel free to leave.

Does that mean you won’t write for ships?

Honestly, I’m game for just about anything that isn’t triggering for me - which isn’t much, honestly. That being said, this blog is meant as a “x reader” type blog, so I’d like to keep canon x canon ships away from here if I can.

But if what you’re really asking is “will you write my SebaCiel/SebaReaderCiel smut for me???”, then the answer is no.

So you don’t ship (ship)?

Again, I’m not answering questions like these. My views are my own, and yours are your own. Let’s leave it at that and move on with life, shall we?

Where do you stand on the Great Grell Debate?

Grell is a trans woman, a queen, and I love her. No, I don’t accept criticism.

Can you tag (thing)?

Of course! If you ever need anything tagged, be it a trigger or not, feel free to let me know! I want this blog to be enjoyable for as many as possible, and I know something as simple as tagging can make that difference.

That being said, all asks and scenarios will be tagged with the characters they contain, as well as any ships involved. If need be, I’ll gladly make a tags page so that you guys can figure out how I tag stuff in case my system isn’t easy for some to use.

Do you do matchups?

Yes, but only if you fill out and submit a form. If they get overwhelming, I’ll be limiting how many I accept at a time.

Why do you keep your reader gender neutral?

As someone who’s been in fandom their whole life and realized over 5 years ago that fem-identifying labels didn’t feel right, I understand the struggle to find inclusive content - especially for x reader content. My writing features a gender neutral reader so that others can have what I’ve longed for - inclusive content that hopefully doesn’t isolate them just because it uses female pronouns.

Will you write nsfw/triggering content?

Hell yeah! Dark fiction is my favorite thing to write, so I’d adore to get some darker themed asks here and there. Don’t worry, they’ll all be tagged properly so that anyone who doesn’t like that sort of thing can avoid it.

I use mobile, so I can’t blacklist!

Honey, mobile came out with a blacklist feature some time ago. If you can’t figure out how to use it, either enlist in some help or just avoid my blog altogether. I’m not going to stop writing what I enjoy just because someone doesn’t know how to use the internet.

I’m a minor, can I still follow?

Yeah, I’d rather you not. In my experience, even if I say “as long as you use the blacklist feature!”, we all know that the chances of that happening are very low. So, to avoid that problem, I’m gonna say plainly that I don’t want minors following me.

If I find out that you’re following me and you’re under 18, I won’t hesitate to block you. Period.

But-but-but Tumblr is 13+!

Yeah, well the app is 17+, and this blog is 18+. Life has rules, kid. Get over it and follow them.

[saligiare]

Answer the 11 questions at the end of the post, Tag 11 people, and then write 11 questions for them to answer.

Tagged by: @neverparted

1) what song that best describes your current mood? Some Nights by FUN. Really living those awful ups and downs right now tbh.

2) what recent movie did you watch that made you stop and think? why? I barely remember the last movie I watched (I think it was Moana?). But... mh one movie that got me thinking hard back then was K-PAX. Still love it.

3) what are the five things you cannot leave home without? If you mean ‘leave’ as in ‘temporarily leave’, then...

tissues

a water bottle

my keys

....and that’s it, really. Tissues are the most essential though, tbh. Sue my chronic nose problems.

4) why did you decide to write your current muse? ( or your most active one, if you have more than one muse ^-^ ) Originally I once got the idea of writing a book that contains the seven sins as characters. I discovered Binsfield’s classification of demons and, because the first chapter I thought of included Asmodeus, decided to make him one of my main characters. (Said first chapter would involve a young uni student or nurse assisting a 90+ old lady at home entering said lady’s home and finding a horribly handsome young man naked in her bed. Turns out that gran Hannah had a steamy night with /the/ demon of lust. Hilarity, death and a lot of demonic shit ensures.) Uh yeah. And because I wanted to get to know this character better before actually writing a story about him, I made an rp account for him. Only for him, the other sins were mere side characters. I deleted his account after a while though (shoutout to @survival-is for sticking with me back then and even when I came back :3). Later, after my previous rp circle died down, I decided to revive him and all the other sins and make a multimuse blog.

5) do you think that chivalry is dead? why or why not? I don’t know? It’s a weird saying. Personally, I’ve known a few guys who defy that statement. But since chivalry is bordering the edge of misogyny for most people these days, I suppose that does not help make it live longer. Personally I prefer to call it “decent human behaviour and well manners” which, imo, should apply to all genders and sexes when interacting with each other.

6) if you could exchange lives with one historical figure, who would it be? why? I... none actually because I quite like having human rights as a woman, contraception, hot showers and Wifi, thanks. Though I wouldn’t say no to being an ancient Egyptian queen for just one day. But that’s mostly my inner nerd speaking. I appreciate the high comforts of modern society too much :,)

7) if someone cut in front of you while you were standing in line, what would you do? I live in Germany so tbh this is not a thing that I have to be afraid of happening lol But if it does happen, I call them out on it (politely at first), you bet.

8) what is the scariest thing that happened to you? Dude I do not even remember any of the things that happened to me yesterday. So what do I know? The recently most scary thing was me getting on an elevator after a doctor’s appointment and as the elevator went down it started shaking so freaking bad I thought for sure it was going to crash and I’d die. (Evidently it didn’t, but wow I was scared shitless)

9) what is your favorite urban legend?  I honestly don’t really know many urban legends. There’s nothing much in our region. But I can tell you my favourite fairytale :) It’s about how the stars came to be. Because you see, back in the day the sky was covering all of Earth, and it was always dark beneath it. Above it though, eternal light was shining and a choir of thousand voices was singing wonderful songs. From down below you can only see the underside of the sky, but up above the sky is so slippery that god has to lean on a wooden stick to not fall on it. Wandering the sky for thousands of years, this crutch left hundreds of holes in the sky floor, through which the light now shines down on Earth. Those are the stars. uvu

10) who do you ship your muse with? why?  Uh my major ships for my muses on this blog are:

Asmodeus/Amduscias I mean?? Is there even anything remotively like it? Bonfire Hearts got me in a tight grip still and we won’t let go of each other lol

Leviathan/Female Leviathan (aka Liv) because nothing makes my heart go like two ancient sea monsters and their tragic love story

Paimon/Luzifer which is mainly exploited in AUs but you know it’s out there in canon too and it’s real

Nithael/Luzifer of which we never see anything because Nithael is dead af

Other relevant ships to name are Amduscias/Luzifer (I need more of that), Dennis/Levi, Asmo/His vampire boy crew, Satan/Madeleine (which has only occured in my head so far and I think only Lani knows about them heh)

11) which do you prefer: ghosts, vampires, werewolves, or zombies? why?  Ghosts. Vampires are too cliché for my taste these days, zombies I’ve never liked because honestly I’m scared of that shit, and werewolves just.. bore me. Ghosts are cool tho. Ghosts can be very versatile.

my questions: 1) Did you have a favourite stuffed animal as a child? If so, do you still have it? What is it? 2) What was a movie series you started watching full of hope and excitement until the second or third one came out and you were awfully disappointed? 3) What is your favourite thing about yourself? 4) What is your favourite Disney song? 5) What is a character you’ve always wanted to make/rp but never got around to? 6) What is a song you connect with your current main muse? 7) Have you ever created an own character whom you then realised was a total Mary Sue/Gary Stu? 8) Pasta, rice or potatoes? 9) What age were you when you stopped running from your light switch to your bed after turning off the lights? 10) What do you think of the recent unicorn hype? 11) If you could be any fantastical creature of your own choice, what would you like to be?

Tagging: @promussecreta, @greatkingofthewest, @amusicas, @eternalandrei, @dennisparryghosthunter, @survival-is, @eveofsin, @willowwithdragonheartstring, @bookwicldcr, @faithsreward, @velvetandgoldgod

[esseastri]

CODICES! 1, 4, 5, 7, and 9 for five characters of your choosing. Up to you whether you want to do one for each question or ALL FIVE FOR ALL OF THEM.

okay, I’m trying to pick people I don’t write about all the time, but it’s difficult because listen: I love Aliena and Nyeni so much? 

it’s so long and I’m not sorry at all i even did only one character per question and it’s still hugely long aahh

1. an overheard conversation about your OC: Haali

Heard when passing two nobles on the staircase outside the Winter Palace during Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts:

“She’s quite a spot of sunshine, considering she’s a dwarf. You don’t expect them to be quite so cheerful?”

“I’m sure it’s an act. Look at everything she’s putting up with, all this end of the world horror. She’s just trying to hide how scared she is, like the rest of us.”

“I heard that ridiculous qunari who follows her around saying that she’s quite the hero. The real thing.”

“You’d listen to a qunari?”

“Not normally, but look at the way he looks at her. He sees something there. Maybe it’s the sunshine.”

4. a letter from your OC to their love interest: Elarien

Found on Leliana’s desk in Skyhold:

“My love, know that I am safe, far from whatever madness is affecting the Wardens, and that I miss you. I know you worry about me, but I think this time, it’s I who should worry. I heard about Haven, even all the way out here. Know that if you get yourself dead and buried in an avalanche without me, I will never speak to you again. 

“Are you all right, though, love? I know how close you were to the Divine, and I–I wish I could be there for you. I wish I could hold you and braid your hair while you told me stories about her. I don’t know how to help you, how to comfort you, especially from so far away, but I hope that any of these words might do something to lighten the weight on your shoulders.

“Be careful. I know you are taking care of this Inquisitor as you once took care of me, but please be careful. The world is full of demons and you are in the thick of it, and I can’t lose you. I need to come back home to you. I need to know that I can come back home and you will be there and we will be together–forever this time. It will be soon, I hope. Until then, know that I love you.”

5. letters between two of your OC’s companions about them: Zhaza

Brief notes found on Josephine’s desk at Skyhold:

“My dear, you must understand that I mean no offense when I say this, but we have to think about the face the Inquisition is putting forward. I’m only suggesting that she polish her horns once in a while, and possibly change out of that dreadfully dusty armor the next time she comes into the main hall to meet with a marquis. I know several tailors in Val Royeaux who would be honored to lend their aid to the cause. Just say the word, Ambassador, and I can have them here in no time.”

“Lady Vivienne, you know I agree with you, but the Inquisitor is insistent that we use Inquisition funds for–quote–’more important things than making me look like a dressed up druffalo.’ I’ve tried to explain how improving her image helps the Inquisition as a whole, but she only said that if our nobles didn’t understand she was doing real work while they simpered in lofty halls then we didn’t need them. I told her we needed their money and influence, but Sera and a jar of bees interrupted at that point and I thought it best to make a tactical withdrawal. Perhaps you can get through to her. She doesn’t listen to a word I say.”

“Don’t worry, Ambassador–I’ve sent for the tailors. If you can have a bath waiting in the Inquisitor’s quarters when next she arrives from the Exalted Plains, I will drum up Leliana’s aid and between the three of us, we should be able to convince her, guilt her, or subdue her into some semblance of something presentable.”

7. someone describing a time your OC hurt them: Desanna

A crumpled page from a journal found by an overturned wagon on the road from Denerim to the Bracillian Wilds:

“The knife ears came out of nowhere. Horace says there was only one, but there had to be more–the arrows were flying far too fast for only one. Yura got hit with two in the chest and went down before the rest of us knew what was happening. None of us made it out uninjured–Jasper’s still bleeding and I’m probably going to lose this leg if the infection spreads. All for some grain and sugar! What do the damn elves need with sugar? Let ‘em starve, I say, but that won’t bring Yura back. She was so fast, that elf. Eyes shining in the dark, and her teeth bared around that last arrow. Maker, I never thought of them as scary, but this bitch was a demon from the Fade, I swear.”

9. a future historian’s account of your OC’s actions: Faron

The introduction of “Blood and Glory: a Critical Look at History’s Iterations of the Fifth Blight,” written in 9:95 Dragon: 

“’There is something raw and terrifying in the face of the Hero of Ferelden–he has known loss and pain too great to speak of, and yet he stood between us and the Archdemon. Some are angry that he died, that we were robbed of the hero we wanted to celebrate. But he died for us..we cannot ask more of such a hero.’ These are the words of an elf, a mere child at the time of the Fifth Blight, who was lucky enough to encounter the Hero of Ferelden in Denerim’s alienage during the battle we all know ended in the death of the Archdemon. She gives us some insight into the character behind the hero we’ve all heard of in the legends and stories. The picture she paints is far different from the bright flame of courage that stood as strong and unshakable as a mountain in the face of a corrupted dragon. Instead, through her eyes we see a man broken by grief, burdened by duty, bloodied by the very glory the people assigned to him. A man angry and desperate, just trying to live in a world that constantly rejected him and his entire race.

“Born in the very alienage he fought through to reach Fort Drakon later in his short life, Faron Tabris suffered much at the hands of those he would later try to save. His mother dead of sickness, his father poor and starving, his wife murdered by the arl’s son…there was nothing in his backstory to indicate that this reedy, pale elf without a clan, without a history, and without any importance would become a hero. When he became a murderer to avenge his wife, it seemed impossible he should be destined for anything but the noose. The chance passing of a Grey Warden saved him, wiping clean his bloody history and giving him a second stab at life–albeit one with a heavy price tag.

“Firsthand accounts from friends and people he saved all describe Tabris as intense, quiet and sad, yet with a simmering rage of a temper that he kept in check with difficulty. Divine Victoria I said in her memoirs of the Blight that Tabris was ‘of rare strength, but with a matching anger, and an undertow of grief that seemed to always be threatening to drag him out to a sea. He was not a good man–not anymore. But he used to be. And the memory of who he had been–the man his wife had loved–was what kept him on the path of the Wardens and let him be the person to slay the Archdemon and save the world.’

“Why then does history give us tales and legends of a shining, laughing hero, grouped around a campfire with friends and saving the world with a glittering blade, determination mixing with his selfless desire to save the world? The simple answer is this: he was an elf. And history has always been ashamed of its treatment of the elvehn. So we have gilded the memory of the Hero of Ferelden to grant him the glory and kindness that he deserved in life, that he was never allowed to even aspire to in life. But this author feels that this diminishes the man, takes away the suffering he endured and survived and rose above to become a hero. For we must always remember this: though he spent his brief tenure as a Warden ruthless, devastated, and angry, he stood and sacrificed his life anyway. Despite all the world had put him through, he saved it.

“And we cannot ask more of a hero. We should not ask more. We should not require him to be golden and happy, warm and valiant. He was selfless enough to die so that we all could live. That should be enough.”

The introduction goes on to explain further the thesis of the book, which is to show heroes not as history remembers them, but as they are–flaws and all–to strip away the fanciful stories and let the heroes be people first. Faron Tabris is used as a prime example of how history tried to course correct its own guilt over the cultural oppression of the elves by rewriting him as a stereotypical human hero to make themselves feel better about the fact that they were saved by a mere elf. It’s a fascinating sociological study of how history is written. 

phew, that got long, but listen: I love my dumb babs. Thanks for sending me al teh prompts.