#working on the epilogue for The Black Swan

[kiryoutann]

𝐀 𝐌𝐀𝐍’𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐘 𝐀 𝐖𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃, 𝐖𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭ ⭑˚ ༘ [SIMON “GHOST” RILEY X FEM! READER]

MINORS do NOT interact.

Warning(s): self-deprecating thoughts, reader is very unhinged, SUICIDAL THOUGHTS, SELF-HARM, bad coping mechanism, MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS, mental breakdown, ANGST, SMUT, loss of virginity, bar fight, injuries, mentions of blood, alcohol consumption, situationship, jealousy, stalking, attempted baby trapping, OBSESSION, really bad daddy issues, unprotected sex, reader is a love and touch-starved naive virgin, reader is very unhinged, ghost is a bit of an asshole, use of (Y/N), CHILD-NEGLECT, family issues, mother-daughter issues, heavily inspired by the "Black Swan" (2010), BIASED OMNISCIENT NARRATOR, things about ballet that are (probably) inaccurate, hints of past physical abuse (not from Simon), attempts of physical abuse (also not from Simon), title inspired by A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

For each chapter of the work that I will post, I will not add any warnings except trigger warnings. So if you are not old enough, THIS IS A FINAL WARNING NOT TO CONTINUE READING MY STORIES.

Genre: romance, ANGST, slow-burn. ballerina! reader.

Blurb:

“No more tears f’me, ye ‘ear?” He meets your eyes before lowering it to the tantalizing view of your glistening body, causing another twitch of his impatient cock. “I ain’t worth it.” The tip of his cock brushes against your folds when he thrusts his hips once more. A small mewl escapes your moist lips, vertebrae drawn like a curve of a bow as his length slowly enters your hole. “No—no, don’t say that. You’re—mmh!” You stumble over your words, voice shaking both from emotion and physical overwhelm. “You’re always worth it, Simon.” Sweet thing, unaware of the effect her puffy eyes and tear-stained cheek have on a man as corrupt as him. Struggling to find words while he fills her up, trying to convince him that he's worth something.

"A man's heart is truly a wretched, wretched thing," as your mother once said. And yet, you, a soulless ballerina, happen to cross paths with a mysterious man under the rainy sky of London. A meeting that binds you to a self-destructive dance in the hope that he loves you as much as you love him.

However, Simon Riley is still Simon Riley; and his rotten heart left no room for someone like you.

Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Epilogue

AO3 | talk | HEADCANONS

[call-sign-shark]

Echo of Shadows || Masterlist

Pairing: The Darkling x Heartrender!OCreader || Alina Starkov x Heartrender!OCreader || Malyen Oretsevx HeartRender!OCreader

Summary: "They called her the White Plague, a saint or a monster—but she was neither, only destruction wrapped in a pretty bow."

In Ravka's frosty heart, the legend of the White Plague spreads—a woman with snow-white hair, frozen-fire eyes, and powers that rival those of Jurda Parem. Once a slave in the Menagerie, the one who calls herself Heaven is now a myth, either leaving towns in ruins or former disease-ridden people crying with gratitude. A Sankta.

General Kirigan's interest soon turns dark and his desire obsessive. Never had he been so captivated and haunted by someone. Someone he could finally share his eternal life with. Caught in a cruel game of power and love, she's torn between Kirigan’s corrupting passion and Alina Starkov’s promise of freedom.

Amidst the chaos, one question arises: will she become a savior, a monster, or something far more dangerous?

TW: Explicit sexual content, slow burn, borderline consent, heavy pinning, toxic relationship [manipulation, obsession, extreme jealousy, controlling behavior], graphic sexual description, graphic depiction of murder and torture, blood!kink, size!kink, reference to past SA and child SA, dark romance & mad romance trope, ambiguous relationship with Alina. This story is brutal, bloody and rated +18.

ACT I

1. Keep Moving, Little Girl

2. Their Frozen Shackles

3. The Court of Shadows

4. The Fear Within

5. Beneath his Watchful Eyes 🔞

6. A Dance of Puppets

7. Burn Your Village

8. Gazed Into the Abyss…

9. ... The Abyss Gazed Back Into Me 🔞

10. All I've Ever Wanted.

ACT II

11. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Light

12. Blinding Light

13. It's in Our Veins

14. Your Darkness Flayed 🔞

15. After the Storm, the Sun

16. Safe in the Dark 🔞

17. Paint Me Black 🔞

18. Golden Cage for a Pretty Bird

19. Your Heart, My Chains

20. To the Core

ACT III

21. The War of Light and Shadow

22. Never You

23. Barbwire Kiss🔞

24. It Has Always Been You 🔞

25. I'm Not Ruined. I'm Ruination.

26. Swan Song

27. Your Love is an Open Wound 🔞

28. The Mask of the Red Death

29. The Starless Saint of Broken Hearts

30. Symphony of Our Ruins

Epilogue: Eternal Eclipse

ONE SHOTS

Much Ado About Jam Toasts- fun & fluff

Away From the Deep Shadow

Happiness Therapy - modern AU, fluff

Folie À Deux - modern AU, fluff

A Rose in the Corridor - modern AU, fluff

Friend and Festivities - modern AU (by the wonderful @justrainandcoffee )

MOODBOARD

Light in the Dark

Notes:

☾ I haven't read the books yet so this work is based on the TV show even though I know it's fairly different from the original Grisha verse. If you're an adorable lore psycho, you might not want to read that! :(

☾ Taglist: @lunawants , @emtaz-art, @lightinbug, @kmc1989, @thepassionatereader @mystic-mara @m-riaa @kallista-diune

[beeeinyourbonnet]

Do you have any non explicit rumbelle fic recs (either your own or other ppls!) 👀👀👀👀

Ahhhhh okay yes I do! I'm only including completed works except The Black Swan, I think, which is still waiting for an epilogue iirc. There are certainly more out there but this is what I could think of off the top of my head:

The Black Swan by Deliriumsdelight Don't Feed the Plants by Bad_Faery The A Crown of Roses series by marchionessofblackadder (one of them is explicit but the others aren't!) Plain Jane by Luthien

And then I've got: Rumbelle IT Crowd Treatment Handprints Butterfly Kisses

[krawlernyannyan]

VERSION 2.0 STREAM MEGAPOST

They packed a lot of information into only an hour, so I'm warning you now, this is gonna be a mile long beneath the readmore. That said, I've put together all the gameplay-relevant information here for your casual review and convenience.

Story

Various factions from throughout the universe have been invited by The Family (Xipe's followers) to Penacony, the Land of Dreams for the first time to partake in their Charmony Festival. That description, as it turns out, is extremely literal - Penacony itself mostly consists of just a massive hotel, The Reverie, where guests fall asleep and enter a shared collective dreamscape where the "real" Penacony exists.

The first Dreamscape we're visiting as part of the v2.0 story is "the Golden Hour" (the big nighttime cityscape we've seen in so many teasers up to this point). The core idea of the place is "the time just before midnight", and the wish for "today to never end" and for tomorrow to never come.

The story for the Penacony arc, in contrast to the previous storylines we've played through, is described as "chill, carefree, [and] upbeat" where there's no imminent crisis to solve and your primary goal is enjoying your vacation to the fullest.

The Penacony story will be playing out over versions 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2, with an epilogue in v2.3, and was described as "Star Rail's biggest story ever".

Environment

There's a statue of Clockie in the Golden Hour that we can upgrade and change as we progress through Penacony.

Time and gravity are frequently warped in Penacony, and moving in multi-dimensional space is a recurring mechanic. This includes walking on walls, achieved through the "Dreamwalker" mechanic. Dreamwalker utilizes charges to change gravity that can be refilled.

Two specially mentioned settings are Dream's Edge (the outer limits of Penacony and a construction site for the dream) and A Child's Dream (an area where the Dreamwalker ability is used to explore the largest wallwalking room on Penacony).

While exploring Dream's Edge, players will need to complete walkways using perspective puzzles in order to navigate and explore.

Dream jigsaw puzzles are spread all over Penacony, and hide walkways, treasure chests, NPCs, etc.

Characters

Black Swan (Wind/Nihility) is a diviner and Memokeeper for the Garden of Recollection (Fuli's faction) who can turn people's stories and memories into cards. She uses Tarot cards as her main source of attack, though the Tarot system has been simplified for the benefit of players. When she uses her Basic Attack or Skill it inflicts enemies with the "Arcana" card, which acts as a DoT that grows in strength as more stacks are added and the cards upgrade. She's described as working especially well with damage-over-time compositions but being versatile and able to work with other teams as long as you can keep stacking up Arcana.

Sparkle (Quantum/Harmony) is a member of the Masked Fools, and a classic Fool who is always in pursuit of "elation". She mechanics seek to break the rules of the game itself; while she's in the team the party's maximum Skill Points increase beyond 5 (even restoring SP via her Ultimate). She allows the team to deal more when using SP, and her Skill allows her teammates to break the restrictions of turn order by advancing their actions (to a certain degree).

Misha (Ice/Destruction) is a doorman for the Reverie, full of interest for the world outside Penacony but who has to settle for overhearing conversations from guests to satisfy that curiosity. Misha's main weapons are a mop and a luggage trolley, which can cause chaos and get water over enemies. His primary mechanic is that the more SP the team uses, the more motivated Misha gets, resulting in greater damage (including from his Ultimate). This Technique can create a time-stop area that fully pauses any enemies caught in it.

Warps

Black Swan is the main five-star of the first half of v2.0, along with her Light Cone Reforged Remembrance. Misha will be appearing as a four-star in this half of the update.

Dan Heng - Imbibitor Lunae and his Light Cone Brighter Than the Sun will be rerun during the first half of the update.

Sparkle is the main five-star of the second half of v2.0, along with her Light Cone Earthly Escapade.

Jing Yuan and his Light Cone Before Dawn will be rerun during the second half of the update.

Events

Sparkle and Black Swan have a shared Companion Mission, "Masquerade Duet", where players will get to learn more about their respective stories.

In "Hanu's Prison Break", the Trailblazers are brought into a dreamscape where SoulGlad has been outlawed and they must lead a rebellion and take over a prison. A lot of individual mechanics in this one, including a "human pinball" section, a mirror maze that Clockie has to be guided through, and a segment where you turn into Hanu to break through prison security.

After completing Prison Break, Trailblazer will get to choose one free four-star character (between Guinaifen, Sampo, Asta, and Yukong) as their reward.

The ability to alter people's emotions will be a mechanic that is introduced as a way to interact with NPCs.

The Dreamscape Pass is a feature that will allow players to track and remember their adventures in Penacony vis-a-vis collectible stickers you obtain through the story and missions.

The Dreamchaser Bulletin is a feature designed to quickly acclimate players to the new metropolis by giving them set challenges and battles to solve on a daily basis.

In Dreamjolt TV, a local television station has been hijacked and the Trailblazers have to fight special battles in order to restore the airwaves and regain lost viewers.

In the Penacony Food Fest, you bring raw materials to the Clock Diner so they can create delicious food (and get you rewards).

The Gift of Odyssey event is returning for another free ten pulls, but the Starchaser's Gift check-in event will give another free ten pulls.

Enemies/Bosses

"For certain reasons", Sam of the Stellaron Hunters will be fought during this update. Sam can consume his HP to greatly increase his combat abilities, while also igniting the battlefield in a scorching blaze.

A new enemy, the Lordly Trashcan, can be encountered in each area of Penacony. Their gimmick is that they begin battle with no Weaknesses and take little to no damage, but take on the Weaknesses of any attacks they've been hit by.

As a result of negative emotions surfacing in the dreamscapes of Penacony, enemies can appear on Penacony. These can be divided into distinct factions, namely the Dreamjolt Troupe and the Memory Zone Meme.

The Dreamjolt Troupe are based on the local delicacy of Penacony, SoulGlad, and are warped distributors and transporters of the beverage. The only specific member described was the Sweet Gorilla, which can spray soda over your party.

Mr. Domescreen was originally a television performer, and its primary mechanic is swapping between various faces (switching between supporting your party and attacking them based on which face is active).

The Memory Zone Meme have more abstract forms as they're based on deeper subconscious thought. Mentioned members are the Allseer (based on "vision"/"sight") and the Heartbreaker (indicative of the idea of fragile hearts underneath sturdy bodies).

A specific Memory Zone Meme discussed in detail is the "Something Unto Death", which has a potent ability to instantly kill party members and ensnare their souls within Sombrous Sepulchurs and will remain dead until they are broken. This ability triggers after receiving a number of attacks, indicated by eyes along its body lighting up red.

Relics & Materials

The Pioneer Diver of Dead Water set allows equipped characters to deal more damage to enemies afflicted with debuffs.

The Watchmaker, Master of Dream Machinations set increases Break Effect for the whole team. This and the Pioneer Diver set will be obtainable in a new Cavern of Corrosion on Penacony.

A new Quantum Ascension material, Dream Flamer. This is the material needed to ascend Sparkle.

A new Ice Ascension material, Dream Fridge. This is the material needed to ascend Misha.

New Trace materials for the Paths of Destruction, Nihility, and Harmony will be introduced. All of the characters introduced in v2.0 will use these materials.

New Light Cones will be added to the Light Cone Manifest Store (the one operated by the Memory of Chaos Memokeeper and Youci). These are in addition to the Light Cones already in the store, not replacing them.

System Improvements

The new Fate's Atlas system will gives players the ability to look at a strict timeline of events in the story and gain a proper understanding of when certain missions happened in relation to each other. This includes main story missions, compansion missions, and plot-critical side missions.

Players will be able to designate 3 support characters instead of just 1. The related Starfaring Companions section is also being bumped up from 3 to 5.

When levelling Relics, you can now allocate materials to reach specific level thresholds automatically.

The Relic Recommendations feature on characters has been improved to give greater understanding for users and make it easier to swap between sets. Relic filtering has also been improved.

Penacony and Version 2.0 release on February 6th.

[isolde-illustrates]

kotlc's pedophobia (fear of babies)

"Pedophobia, or paedophobia, is an irrational and persistent fear of children or babies. It can cause anxiety and fear even when just thinking about children." - Google's AI Response

okay so I know that siblings and therefore a lot of children are frowned upon but how is it that no one in this entire 9.5 book series has gotten pregnant or had a baby in this series? I swear the elves are terrified of seeing pregnant women walking around because we have not actually seen anyone in cannon who was pregnant or just recently had a baby. I know that elves don't like having multiple children, but the fact that no one has been seen with a baby is a little crazy. Have all the elves taken a page out of the trolls' book and switched to elf hives?

Someone in the series needs to have a baby, whether their own or adopted. Heck, I don't care if Fintan steals a child after escaping his ice prison, at least let there be representation of ages younger than 11 (I'm looking at you, time traveling Dizznee triplets who are 12 for forever).

All things considering, it would have to be one of the fairly present characters, and everyone except Wraith and Blur in the Black Swan are either not elves, have a child, or have someone they have basically adopted as one. Blurr probably is Jensi's brother, so he kind of doesn't count since I want the baby sibling energy, and half of the Neverseen would just have stolen the child for a period of time or already have one or a sibling, so most of them don't count. So, out of the main 12 characters, Sophie already had her strange sibling arc, and the Vackers, Songs, Dizznees, and Babbloses already have siblings. That leaves Marella (who probably shouldn't have an adopted sibling, much less biological one considering her mother's inability to clearly make decisions), Keefe (whose mother really wouldn't want to go to the work to find another person and wait a decade for a spare child to be old enough for her legacy), Maruca and Wylie (who are cousin, so they already have something close enough), Glimmer (who is basically part of the huge Tiergan/Prentice adoption family), and Stina (who actually has no siblings or close cousins).

Therefore, based off the idea that Stina has parents who care about each other and their daughter, then another Heks kid would be the perfect candidate for the one baby we get to see in the entirety of kotlc. Of course, there are a lot of other people in the Lost Cities who would have an interesting dynamic with a baby, like Elwin, but a lot of the good onws have essentially adopted some of the neglected kids (Keefe, Tam, Linh, Glimmer, etc.) so at that point, they basically have their own kids. Having a baby Heks would be a great arc because it would show that Vika and Timkin are no longer worrying about the standards of the Lost Cities that threatened their future once before. Also, that would give Stina a chance to go up to Sophie and say that she wants to join the Black Swan and learn how to truly fight against the Neverseen because she wants her baby sibling to grow up in a place where they can feel welcome. That baby sibling also provides the chance for an epilogue with the next generation playing while the teenagers talk about switching to living in the Elite towers, and through that, the next era is wrapped up together with a nice potential for a baby Heks spin off series and also a nice Elite towers sleepover.

[thatringboy]

It's time for the Astral Express to finally move on from Penacony in Chapter 16; Don't Say Goodbye.

A Lone Star just isn't Possible

Word Count: 39,752

Chapters: 16/16 (an epilogue is coming i promise)

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Outer Space, Blood & Injury, Angst with a Happy Ending

Summary:

The Astral Express crashes into a giant pool of Memoria floating along the edge of the Asdana system, affecting the crew, and leaving behind only Stelle and the new temporary passengers with rapidly dwindling options. Luckily, they’re saved, but Stelle and Boothill must return to Penacony to look for answers about curing this new-found Miasma Sickness. In doing so, Stelle and Black Swan dive right back into the Dreamscape, leaving Boothill and Robin with plenty of time to get to know each other, for better or for worse.

[amrass]

20 for Micah, 6 for Arthur

Thanks for the questions!

20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for Micah Bell, the amount of screentime they share doesn't matter?

Oh, interesting question, because he’s a rather unfriendly man. I think the most realistic answer would be Javier, who he showed to have an accord with, but could maybe influence him by being a little less poisonous, and they could bond over alcohol and being hitmen.

But if we're less realistic: Reverend Swanson after beating his addiction and doing well. If both had the energy and interest, he could’ve helped Micah with his addiction, which could’ve given Swanson a boost in turn (people like to help, especially those that believe in an afterlife). Micah, in turn, could make him question his faith, which for many priests is a good thing.

I also think Arthur and Micah could work as best friends, but the initiative and intent would have to be there, like it is with all friendships really.

6. What's something you have in common with Arthur Morgan?

Hm, this one was difficult. I think we are not too similar. But I guess something I relate to is his status as the second in command, which I think is inherent to his character. I’ve had a few leadership positions in various organizations, but not as a leader, more like the one who handles economics or social aspects, but attend internal meetings and oversee stuff. Like Arthur, I value solitude, but I enjoy stepping up in things I care about.

Also, if I am wearing tall boots, I tuck my pants inside of the boot, like Arthur does, not having the pants covering it up, like John does. John obscured my view of the beautiful black leather riding boots I brought him, which made me sad in the epilogue. I will never forgive him (jk).

EDIT: A friend on here just informed me that you can manually make John and Arthur tuck and untuck their pants in their boots …………. My inner leather fetishist hates me atm, I could have shot Micah in the nuts wearing leather boots it would’ve been *dramatic Black Swan ending pause* perfect

[dhr-ao3]

Mist On The Water

Mist On The Water https://ift.tt/TK2l0Bo by hiraeth_ish The war is winding down but the attempts on Harry's life are not. Ridding himself of the horcrux has released a raw power in Harry that many admire, but some want to eliminate. Caught up in a mess of paranoia and exhausted from a year of constant battle, Harry needs an escape. Following the trail of an old letter from Ephraim Black, he takes refuge in Forks. Going by a new name, Harry settles in a town where no one knows who he is and, more importantly, no-one from his old life can hunt him down. It is typical Potter Luck that a coven of vampires have claimed the land and the ridiculously good looking blonde seems to be obsessed with Harry. As he navigates his new relationship with his distant cousin Jacob Black, tries to recover from the trauma of war and get a handle on his powerful new magic, Harry discovers that happiness might just be within his reach. But enemies are circling and Harry must fight for his life and those he loves once more. Words: 3569, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Twilight Series - All Media Types Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M Characters: Harry Potter, Luna Lovegood, Kreacher (Harry Potter), Jacob Black, Jasper Hale, Alice Cullen, Charlie Swan, Bill Weasley, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Edward Cullen, Emmett Cullen, Carlisle Cullen, Esme Cullen, Billy Black, Teddy Lupin Relationships: Jasper Hale/Harry Potter, Carlisle Cullen/Esme Cullen, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Emmett Cullen/Rosalie Hale Additional Tags: Master of Death Harry Potter, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Vampires, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Major Jasper Whitlock, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, War Veteran Harry Potter, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, True Mates, Soulmates, Magically Powerful Harry Potter, Anxiety, Nightmares, Parselmouth Harry Potter, Harry Potter is Bad at Feelings, Protective Jasper Hale, Boys In Love, Idiots in Love, Fluff and Smut, harry is a charmer despite his best efforts, Potter Luck, Harry Potter Has a Saving People Thing, Traumatized Harry Potter, Elemental Magic, Wandless Magic (Harry Potter), Blood and Injury, Jasper is Obsessed with Feeding Harry via AO3 works tagged 'Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy' https://ift.tt/BdzjaFN December 30, 2023 at 10:16PM

[wily-one24]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by @rowark (If "anyone who wants to" counts as tagging, and I am going to, so there. If that makes you angry, perhaps you need a nap?).

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 56.

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 1,248,713.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

The main ones I have written for include Profiler, Buffy, Firefly, Veronica Mars, Once Upon A Time.

And most recently Law and Order: SVU.

I have delved into other fandoms such as The Inside, Rizzoi and Isles, Supergirl, and Heroes.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Memory Cloud - 1,413

Paint It Black - 1,320

The Blue Moon - 811 (it's the smut, isn't it? I know it, you pervs).

The Waning Moon - 783

Elmo's ABCs - 744

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

I try to. I respond to as many as possible. Especially if the fic is fresh. But I have responded to comments on fics that are months/years old. I do miss some comments, sometimes I'm busy and my brain says "I'll get to that later", but then my brain is... not perfect... and it forgets.

However, I love responding to comments. I have made friends in the comments. I have the best discussions in my comments.

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

Oh, geez. Like, you're asking me, the Queen of Angst? There were LJ icons with "Jacqui + Angst = OTP". Maybe if I go by fandoms? Firefly's angstiest ending was "DIdn't Mean Nothin'", but also "Pieces" had a super angsty epilogue.

Veronica Mars' angstiest ending? I mean, they were mostly angst middles, weren't they? Super dark middles with hopeful endings. Veronica did bring out the optimist in me. She was so young, she deserves her life to improve after all the shit canon put her through. I guess if I had ever finished "Bitter Revenge" it would have been a tad angsty? But there would have been hope, becauses he would have had the baby!

Swan Queen, whoo. Um, OH YEAH, "You and Me (We Wanted It All)". HA, that was angst a'plenty. Even PIB and Memory Cloud had hopeful (if not happy) endings. But that one was... just some light angst for angst sake.

I mean I only have three fics with SVU, (two of which form part of a series), and only one of which is finished. BUT, I can with confidence say that "Wicked Game" ends pretty fucking bleakly and angstily.

(okay, so I went back to my VM fic masterlist on LJ, and whew, okay, so there's a whole bunch of "exploration" fics that don't necessarily change canon, just delve into it like "Neptune CA Mother's Club" deals with the shit poor mothers in Neptune, "Courting Disaster" devles into Logan's abuse, "The Tender Bruise" and "Bruises In the Mirror" were both angst fests that didn't end happily per se. Also, "The Ghost and Mrs Mars" was... not hopeful at all. Man, I *forgot* a LOT of them).

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

🤣🤣🤣

Ok, let me think. I'm assuming we're not talking smut fics? LIke, happy endings? 'Cause I have a bunch of PWPs which could be considered 'happy'. But... let's say what a reasonable person might be called happy...

I think "Sleep Perchance" was pretty optimistic and its sequel "... To Dream" was set to end in a much more positive place than it began. "Whisky Bears" was just a fun fic, drunken fun on a spaceship. What more do you want? And "Boobs" was just silly.

"The Best Deceptions"!! That was such a good fluffy sweet fic. It's a WIP, so no ending, but still. OMG, I forgot this one. It's my only real non-angst fluff fic.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I used the laughing so hard I cried emoji too early, didn't I?

I mean, I would say usually not. I have spent decades in fandom and Once Upon A Time was the only fandom I got hate in.

A small amount for "The Blue Moon", because apparently there was a second 'Emma as a stripper' fic and I was accused of plagiarising, but this was later rescinded because the fics were totally different.

And also when someone decided to get really spiteful and tell me they lost all respect for me because I dared to find Emma sexy instead of fetishisizing Regina for all eternity.

OBVIOUSLY, the most intense hatred I got was for Paint It Black. The vilest, most bitter things were thrown at me. In the comments, in private messages. I got death threats. I had rape wished on me. I was told my kids should be taken away. I was accused of trying to lure in lesbians only to give them 'straight cock filled depravity".

Because there was a man in one sex scene. Meanwhile, it was never listed as a purely lesbian fic, and the two ladies have canonically HAD male romantic and sexual partners in the past. So... not sure what the huge vitriol was about.

I sure did learn to TAG PROPERLY after that, though. My god.

Get a grip, fandom, get a grip.

No other fandom has been that unhealthy. At least, not for me.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes, I do. I have written both F/M and F/F. I have also written F/M/F, M/F/M, and F/F/F.

There's usually at least ONE woman involved. I have not, nor am I interested in writing M/M fics (boy parts iz icky).

Most readers find the scenes pretty hot. I tend to be descriptive and emotional when writing smut. Unless it's a PWP, there's usually a whole bunch of motivation and emotion involved. Even when it's a PWP there's usually a whole lot of characterisation in there.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I tend not to?

That said, I have written one.

It was a Heroes/Veronica Mars crossover, in which Sylar mistakes Veronica for his recently murdered (by his own hand, natch) girlfriend Elle and perhaps loses his very unstable mind over it a little. Leading to a slight case of kidnapping, Keith and Noah coupling up Buddy Cop style for some cross country chasing, super powered hijinx, and UBER ANGST. The tag line reads "What Happens when a Serial Killer and a Serial Victim Meet".

To be honest, it was kind of amazing and I loved it. It was working up to be Super Dubcon, but hadn't quite gotten there yet. I am sad that this remains a WIP. I would have loved to have finished this.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I've had some fics put on GoodReads, but they took them down when I asked them to.

I did have one of my fic scenes pretty much plagiarised in Firefly. What makes it worse is that they used it for a couple I hate. I let it go, though. That fic never quite got the same steam mine did. There was no point giving it attention.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I know of. I think it has been asked before, but I am a little wary of that sort of thing. I lose control of it if other people change it.

That said, I have had comments on my fics in a completely different language and I used Google Translate to both understand and reply. I will make the effort.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No.

I am jaded. I am very particular about my fics and, as said above, I do not like to lose control over them (what, control issues? Who? Me?)

I am also heavily jaded for things like fic swaps. It's my own fault, I realise this, because I would put so much effort and write thousands upon thousands of words of fic and get a 500 word piece back and it really put me off. Again, I know it's my fault, I chose to put that much effort in, but still.

Wait...I am having vague recollections of something like a fic round-robin? I could not tell you what fandom (I assume Firefly, but not sure), and certainly could never link back to it or even know how to google for it. I guess that counts? BUt I doubt it, because I can't even tell you what the fic was about or what my contribution to it was. So... no.

Hmmm, I was also involved in a Season Rewrite for Profiler back int he day, but all those fics are lost to the internet heyday and you'll never find them. Huh, I htink my episode was called "Lady In Red". (omg, THE MEMORIES).

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

Geez. Asking the hard questions. I don't know. All my ships hold a place in my heart, that's why I write them. So, the answer is... I guess... if you've seen me write for that couple, then THAT couple is my favourite in that moment.

(I like, I have had a few fic requests that I've filled that haven't really been my cup of tea, Veronica/Lamb for instance, or Jayne/River, or Simon/River. I don't like them, but I have written them).

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

All of them. ALL OF THEM. I mean, "Adam's Rib" had so many stories to tell and I could have gotten lost in "The Best Deceptions" world. Omg, that was such a happy, schmoopy fic. Let me go back up to happy fics for a sec...

"... To Dream", "Bitter Revenge", and "Girl int he Mirror" will be my sadness from VM.

and ALL my SQ WIPs. "The New Moon", "A Swan Is A Beautiful Creature", "The Girl of My Dreams (Is Giving Me Nightmares)", "Subject 3662", "Blooding the Water". *sob*. I'm sorry!!!

16. What are your writing strengths?

Angst.

Detail.

Lots of people comment on my phrasing and pacing. The way I string words together and have breaks and just bring forth the imagery. It's never just "and then this happened and then this happened and he put his hand here and she put her mouth there".

No matter where I am planning to go with a fic, i always start from a canon point and keep that canon history. I try to keep characerisations believable. They may get into plots and situations that they would never in canon, but I like to hope I keep their reactions believable and true.

I like to delve into the emotion of it. You know the tumblr meme "Put that guy into situations". THAT'S what I do. And then I examine the ever living fuck out of it.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I don't have a beta reader.

Which is troublesome, because my hands don't work properly anymore. At least, not as well as they used to. I have what's called dupuytren's contracture. It's a thickening fibrous band around the tendons of the hand. My hands aren't restricted, so much at the moment, but it does slow down my pinkie fingers. Which means when I touch type, there are so many mistakes. And I can't NOT touch type.

These come out mainly in things like double capitals (ever wonder why so many times in SVU fics I have the name "LIv" and not "Liv", it's because that capital 'i' is harder to spot. If I type "THe" I see it and fix it. But my eye seems to skip over the "LIv" and "HIs" words.

It also comes out in the spaces in the wrong place. I will type t he instead of 'the', or 'ith appened' instead of 'it happened'.

I spend A LOT OF TIME, going back and editing sentences I have just written. The amount of times I have had to go back and delete/edit words just in this post alone is staggering. It makes things take twice as long.

I have had to work really hard to get back into writing. I stopped for a great deal of time, many years, because I was so bothered by this.

Add to that, the kidney failure gives me brain fog, so I have to spend a lot of time trying to remember the specific words I want to use. For someone who uses words INSTRINSICALLY, knowing there is a specific word I want and not being able to access it in my memory? FUCKING FRUSTRATING, I Can tell you.

Another great weakness is starting a dozen fics at once and being unable to keep up and then being overwhelmed and losing momentum.

This is how I have so many WIPs.

I keep that in mind now, which is why I am limiting myself to two ongoing SVU fics and THAT IS IT. No more until they're finished.

THough I have actually been writing SO MUCH lately. At least once chapter a week. So this is good. Makes me happy.

I get the feeling that I tend to homogenise my characterisations a little. But this doesn't seem to be a complaint of any commenters, so I try not to let my imagination run wild with me.

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

I have done it.

Firefly fic, by necessity, uses a lot of Chinese. I used to know the html to do the hover type and would have Chinese dialogue with hover type translations. It was fun, because as is the Firefly traditions, you could have the filthiest things in Chinese and the censors wouldn't pick it up. (My favourite thing I wrote translated to... something like "Your mother sucks rotten beef sticks in hell" if I am remembering correctly).

Alas, I have forgotten the html for that. I am sure it's just a google away, but... I don't really need translations for English fics.

I also did a bunch of research for Trigidasleng. I never really wrote The 100 fics, though I did write some drabbles. I probably did more research that necessary for the mount of fic I actually wrote.

But, yeah, I think if the source material calls for it, you should definitely put the effort in.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Who wants a laugh? When I was in primary school, 3rd grade I think, we wrote books. We got to type them on a computer, the teacher printed them out, then bound them and we drew the pictures and coloured them in.

I still have mine.

It's called "Bugs Bunny, Brooke, and the Giant Banana", which was a combination of Bugs Bunny (natch), mary sue insert of my friend Brooke, and James and the GIant Peach.

BUAH HAH HAH.

But truly? My first fandom was Profiler. This is the show that got me ONTO the net, introduced me to fandoms and message boards and fics. If it weren't for those people, I wouldn't be here now.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

Don't ask me to choose a favourite child!

Are you kidding me?

I cannot. I can't even do it per fandom. I love them all, which is why I wrote them.

How could you be so cruel?

Tagging: YOU, if you want to.

[wondereads]

Weekly Reading Update (11/27/23)

Reviews and thoughts under the cut

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (6/10)

This book was just way too long for the story it was telling. It easily could have been 100 pages shorter. I did like a lot of the emotional moments concerning the romantic relationships, but there is so much filler that it just go incredibly boring at the end. Also, Cassandra Clare does this thing I like to call "no romance left behind" which is when everyone in a book is paired off by the end, even ones that don't really make sense or seem rushed, such as Gabriel and Cecily. The plot in this book was just overall lacking, coming off as extremely simplistic and far too convenient. Luckily, Tessa and her romantic relationships sort of saved the day; the epilogue did make me tear up, hence why this book is not dropping to a 4 or even 3.

Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire (9/10)

Continuing my Wayward Children run, Beneath the Sugar Sky is a really good installment. I love that we got the return of Kade and Christopher, who I missed, and the new characters, Cora and Nadya, are quite fun. Nancy was also there for a short time, and I loved seeing her in her element. I really liked Cora, who is great plus size representation and really addressed how being fat affects everything in our world and can worm into your brain. I am obsessed with the worldbuilding of Confection and the foray into how all the worlds are built and how they're laid out. I really hope there are more stories that involve visiting multiple worlds and exploring how they work.

Lodestar by Shannon Messenger (9/10)

This was an amazing installment in Keeper of the Lost Cities. It feels like something has truly changed for the first time in a while, instead of the back-and-forth that usually happens between the Black Swan and the Neverseen. Major developments occurred with terrible consequences for both sides, and we got what I would consider the first major character death as Calla in Neverseen had only been introduced that book. The relationship between Sophie and Keefe also developed quite a bit, and we got some real conflict within the group since the Alden debacle in Exile. Finally, there is some progress in the romance department. They're still, you know, like fourteen/fifteen, but considering how much this series hints at it, I'm glad we're starting to see concrete development. Finally, that ending had me gagged. Not only was the climax ridiculously tense but there is a twist at the end that made me immediately want to start Nightfall.

In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire (16%)

This book is hitting a little too close to home...as a goody-two-shoes reader who had like two friends growing up, Lundy feels like a callout. I am so excited to see a Goblin Market-based world, as I've read other books like that and they're always incredibly fun.

Cinder Ella by S. T. Lynn (8%)

This is part of a little project I'm doing, and I can't say much about it so far. I'm a little hesitant about the writing, as it has been clunky in a few places, but I'm really interested to see the story of Cinderella under a trans lens.

Rising Storm by Erin Hunter (7%)

I'm back on that Warriors grind, you guys. I swear I am going to read this entire series, even the later ones I never got to that are supposedly terrible. I also might be working on a project concerning them... Anyway, gotta love the Tigerclaw/ShadowClan foreshadowing.

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett (3%)

It's always thieves in high fantasy novels. I'm not sure what the obsession with them is, but I feel like 60% of high fantasy protagonists are thieves. Anyway, I'm loving the magic system so far, so hopefully the plot and characters will hold up!

[deliriumsdelight7]

TMI Tuesday

I’ve typed and deleted about five first sentences to this post before deciding I don’t want to post about that. Instead I’m gonna do what I do best and lean on fandom for escapism.

So, as you might have seen, I posted two fic chapters last week: one for “Lonely Soul, Ocean Soul,” my Barbgrove selkie fic; and the other for “The Black Swan,” my Rumbelle Swan Lake AU. Both of those fics are one epilogue away from completion, proving that I can, in fact, finish a thing. It just doesn’t happen often.

Two items are up next: the next chapter of “One More Time, Steal My Breath,” my Hellcheer kinkfic; and a complete Stranger Things fix-it, tentatively titled “A Strange Twist of Fate.” The former is… rough. I wrote most of it at the height of my sleep deprivation, so it’s… messy. Honestly it would probably be better to scrap the chapter and start over, but I know myself; after spending months on the damn thing, if I scrap it now, I’ll get discouraged and never get around to rewriting it. So if this chapter seems weaker than the rest, keep in mind that that’s out of necessity.

As for the new fic, I have no clue if I’m doing it “right.” I’ve neither read nor written a fix-it fic before, so I don’t know how they traditionally go. I refuse to rewrite each and every scene because that sounds boring as shit. So this will basically be an author’s note containing a list of canon events I kept, followed by whatever altered scenes tickle my fancy. If it’s incoherent and inconsistent… well, then I know I’m emulating the Duffers well.

Oh - and before anyone wonders whether I’m burning myself out again, I’m (probably) not! Three of these four chapters were already mostly done, which is why I’m able to crank so many out so fast. Once those are done, it’ll probably be another few weeks til my next update.

So that’s where I’m at. Got any questions for me, either as a writer or a person? Questions for any characters from my fics? Snippet requests for either of the two chapters I’m working on? Requests for which fic you’d like to see updated next? My inbox is open!

[hpsaffics]

2016 ~ Longest HP Femslash Fics

F/F tagged works sorted by Word Count on AO3*

As of 2023.2 (898 works)

*Only fics with a sapphic main pairing are included (listed by WC)

—

1. Warrior Princess by megamatt09 [fem!Harry/Multi, E, 220k]

Lord Voldemort fell on Halloween night. The Girl-Who-Lived was going to be sent to her last remaining blood relatives. Turns out there were others who disagreed with Dumbledore’s plans. *Crossover with DCU, Arrow, Justice League

2. Future Shocks by chrisdenvl [Hermione/Bellatrix, M, 179k]

Lord Voldemort had attacked the Muggle world... Moments before the nuclear bomb strikes, Hermione Granger uses a portkey. Little does she know that she'll be flung across not space, but time. Now, she can reverse it all. Or not?

3. Sailor Moon H: The order of the phoenix by @elephant-in-the-pride-parade [Aino Minako/Hino Rei, Others Ships, T, 147k]

Mamoru's star seed is not returned to Tokyo at the end of Sailor Stars, instead, he was send back to be reincarnated into late 20th century Wizarding Britain. now the scouts must enrol at Hogwarts to find him. *Crossover with Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon

4. Not Quite Gods: Undertow by ANaTHEMaDEVIsed [Alex Danvers/Kara Danvers, E, 117k]

In the DC Universe, there is a planet populated by “witches” called Naltor. What if the ancient ancestors of the Charmed One's originated from that planet? *Crossover with Supergirl, Charmed, Witches of East End, Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

5. The Magician's Assistant by RhinoMouse [Clarke Griffin/Lexa, T, 108k]

Clarke Griffin was not going to let the fight against pureblood prejudice her Father believed in die with him. No she was about to pull a true muggle magic trick that the wizarding world won't soon forget and like the best muggle magic the most interesting part is beneath the surface. Now you see it now you don't. *Crossover with The 100

6. Sylvan Throne by chipperdyke [Hermione/OC, E, 90k]

Hermione and her friends begin training as Aurors a year after the defeat of Voldemort, and Hermione meets a woman who will change her life forever.

7. The Magic of Theatre by acautionarytale [Regina Mills/Emma Swan, M, 78k]

Muggle Studies Professor Emma Swan wants to put on a play at Hogwarts. Minerva McGonagall agrees to allow it only if Potions Master Regina Mills agrees to participate as well. *Crossover with Once Upon a Time

8. Image of You by angelic1_hp [Hermione/Ginny, M, 73k]

The engagement party of Ron and Hermione is one that Ginny really didn't want to attend. Ginny has tried to lose herself in alcohol, sex and a relationship with a man she could never love until the one she really wants comes back into her life.

9. The Potion Master's Daughter by Annide [Luna/OC, T, 67k]

Severus Snape had a daughter several years ago. A year behind the famous Harry Potter, she'll navigate her years at Hogwarts, punctuated with all kinds of events, like the opening of the Chamber of Secrets, the Triwizard Tournament and Voldemort's return.

10. The Scale between Black and White by listen_to [Hermione/Pansy, M, 65k]

Except for the prologue this is set after DH, ignoring the epilogue. Slightly AU. In the aftermath of the battle of Hogwarts Hermione has to learn to distinguish between black, white and every shade of grey in between.

—

Want more HP Femslash?

Find recs in the WLW Library

Join the HP SAFFICS (18+) Discord server!

More from 2016 | Top fics in other years

[saxgoddess25]

Twenty questions for fic writers

Tagged by @kholran

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

44

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

229,803

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Once Upon A Time, Harry Potter, Torchwood. I've dabbled in a few other fandoms long in the past, but those works are not online right now.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Busted! (331)

Wakey Wakey (230)

Where Angels Fear To Tread (222)

The Darkest Hour Before Dawn (222)

Trading Places (192)

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

Yes, I do. I just don't always get the notification that they're there until sometimes weeks or months later, so sometimes I'm very late with my response.

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

There are three that are angsty in different ways. Where Angels Fear to Tread is angsty in a major character death sort of way, but only if you read the epilogue. Claimed by the Wolf is bleak and hopeless angsty. The Hardest Part is just sad.

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

I'm not sure I could pick one. My Little Princess, maybe. Or perhaps one of the holiday ficlets I've written. They were fun.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not hate per se. Sometimes I get somewhat ignorant comments on my fics that deal with polyamory. Nothing too bad thus far. Though I guess I get the normal kind of "I HATE YOU!!" comments on the sad stories. Heh.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

All the smut. All the time. LOL. I kid, but yeah, I write a lot of smut. And I'm kinky, so some of it is kinky. There's a fair amount of the regular kind too though. I used to write almost exclusively m/m slash, then when I started writing for OUAT, I started writing femme slash and a bit more het.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I haven't yet. I don't have anything against crossovers, but I've never had a plot bunny for one.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

If I have, nobody has told me about it.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Nothing that ended up published. Lots of roleplay though.

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

Snape/Harry or Snape/Lucius. Also a big fan of Swan Queen or Dragon Queen from OUAT. Xena/Gabby. Jadzia Dax/Kira.

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

I have hopes to finish all of them. Whether ADHD-induced writer's block will let me though is another question! Gifted is probably the one least likely to be finished at this point because I've lost my notes, but if I find them again, I'll try to finish it.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue. Hot Hot Smut.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Abuse of adverbs. Formerly, using a lot of epithets, but then I learned that was not necessary (and looked down upon), so I started cutting those out. Other than those two, just getting the dang thing finished.

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

I haven't written any that I can remember. Well, I sorta made up some bits of an alien language in my Torchwood fic, but that was just for a dash of flavor. I wouldn't have any major conversations in another language, mostly because I'd be afraid of getting them wrong.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I'm pretty sure it was Xena. It was just a tiny little ficlet and I'm not sure I even still have it. It's probably in a notebook packed away in a box somewhere.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

I think the favorite fic I've written is one that I've never published. I haven't even finished it and I don't know if I ever will. It is the story of Severus Snape and Regulus Black when they were at school and the relationship that developed between them. It's one of those stories that I started and then sort of became daunted by how long it was going to end up, so it is languishing in a file on my computer. Maybe one of these days I'll get back to writing it.

Tagging @ussjellyfish @abovethemists and anyone else who wants to do it!

[orcelito]

Falling down the rabbit hole of researching Choujin Sentai Jetman aka the real-world inspiration for Featherman whose episodes almost one to one match up with the titles for the episodes we see on the TV in persona 3

& I'm getting mad at the fate of Black Condor dying in the last episode in such a stupid way. Like lmao goro was probably FURIOUS at that

[wyntereyez]

Bad Feather Days Part Eight

This is more of an epilogue than anything.  There’s not much substance to it.  But at least it’s finished?

-----------

Emma had taken to sleeping on a cot in her room once Killian’s molt hit the growth stage.  Killian was too sore and itchy and feverish to want anyone in close vicinity, but he also didn’t want her too far away.  Her back was going to kill her, and she definitely didn’t get the recommended eight hours, but she still looked better than Killian.

But at least it was nearly over.  His pinfeathers were now fluffing out into the glossy black pinions she was familiar with, and his fever had abated.  His face had lost that pained, pinched expression, and when she’d left for work that morning, his eyes had a mischievous twinkle.

He was going to be trouble once this was all over.  Emma couldn’t wait.

Emma rolled over to ease an ache in the small of her back, and yelped when she came face to face with Killian.  He was crouched by her bed in the dark, head level with hers, wings half spread languidly behind him.  “Are you awake, Swan?” he asked, voice a low purr.

“Obviously,” she grumbled, trying not to look at her husband’s unapologetically naked, sweaty form.

Okay.  So they were BOTH going to be trouble.

“Do you need something?” she asked, sitting up.

Killian cocked his head, birdlike.  “I have new feathers.  New wings.” He spread them wide, until the tip of his whole wing brushed the wall.  “Do you know what that means?”

“No more needy pirate?” she teased.

Killian momentarily pouted, then leaned forward and whispered huskily, “Mating dance.”

Emma blinked, wondering if she’d fallen asleep and was having a weird dream.  “Huh?”

“A mating dance,” Killian said, nimbly rising to his feet and swaying, making his feathers rustle.

Emma glanced at the clock on the nightstand.  “At 3 AM?”

“Mmm hmm,” Killian said, backing away with a seductive wink, before turning slowly to give her a look at his plumage.  The leading edge of his wing caught the lamp on the nightstand and it clattered to the floor and shattered.

“Ah...” Killian looked embarrassed.  “Sorry, Love, I’ll clean that up.”

Emma, now startled into full wakefulness, flicked her hand, not only repairing the lamp, but also clearing the room of any mess that remained from Killian’s molting.  She had an idea where this was going, and she didn’t want cleaning to delay things.

She started to stand, but Killian waved her back.  Emma frowned; surely they weren’t going to ‘dance’ on the cot, were they?  The damn thing already groaned and sagged under her weight and would probably collapse beneath them both. 

And then Killian began to dance.

Not the elegant waltz that had been their first dance, but something Emma could only describe as, what the actual fuck?!

There were head bobs, butt wiggles, chest thrusts and wing sweeps.  His movements were jerky, and at one point, he almost tripped over his trailing wing.  And she had to repair the lamp again.

In short, he looked like a complete idiot.

When he finished, he waited expectantly.  “Uh,” Emma tried.

“That was...” she continued.

“Well...” she added.  And floundered helplessly.  “I thought you meant sex,” she finished weakly.

And then Killian laughed.  “The look on your face, Swan!” he sat on the edge of the bed, wings draped around him as he shook with laughter.

“Wait... was that not an actual thing?” Emma demanded.

“Definitely not!” He gave her a toothy grin.  “Of course I meant sex, Love!  We’ve been together for quite a while; don’t you think you would have seen a mating dance by now if that were a thing?”

Emma scowled.  “I WILL get the squirt bottle, Killian.”

“You should,” he said gravely.  “Because I’m probably going to need to be punished tonight.”

Emma’s only answer was a flying tackle that didn’t even need wings.

It had been a loooong few weeks.