#yes I'm tagging with the titles of all my fanfics

[delusinaldreamer19]

✨Fanfic Masterlist✨

I'm going to give the synopsis for each story as it is on Ao3, as well as Trigger warnings where needed, and current status. (When I say Ciel's trauma as a TW, I mean just the general mention of the things that happened to him such as SA, physical Abuse, and PTSD. The intensity of it varies between my fanfics, feel free to ask for any clarification or you can just look at the rating/tags on A03.)

Of All The Unexpected

Agni, a part-time employee at a local coffee shop in the city, and Sebastian Michaelis, a pristine businessman hiding an odd secret, find themselves in a peculiar friendship with one another. After a month or so of knowing one another, Agni goes to Sebastian's home, where the past and identity of the strange, beautiful man begin to reveal themselves. And it all seems to come back to a certain blue-haired boy with an eyepatch.

TW: Alcoholism, Ciel's trauma

STATUS: Ongoing

Audacity

Francis Midford has sent a letter to the Phantomhive estate, requesting to speak with, of all people, the butler. There are questions which have remained unanswered for three years, lingering in the back of her mind, but she knows that asking her nephew directly would not end well. So, for their relationship's sake, as well as the young earls stability, she plans to go through an indirect, more neutral, individual. However, Sebastian ends up not being so keen on providing the answers that she's looking for either. And he has a question of his own.

TW: slight mentions of Ciel's trauma

STATUS: complete oneshot

Heightened Senses

Ciel is invited to stay at a fellow aristocrat's home for a few days to work out a business deal. Sebastian and Bard have come along as well, but quickly find that they will be facing some difficulties. This house imposes strict rules upon the servants, which prohibit them from interacting with their master. But, aside from that, all seemed fine. However, things take a turn when Sebastian begins acting strange. Something in the house of this Lord has put him on edge. Things will be learned, revelations will be made, and overdue words will finally be spoken.

MAJOR TRIGGER WARNINGS: csa, descriptions of gore and violence, Ciel's trauma

STATUS: complete

Exorcism

Ciel and Sebastian are sent on a mission by the Queen to investigate rumors of odd practices taking place within a cathedral. A sickness of paranoia has overcome two of the priests, and they believe that an entity of evil has been hopping between the holy men and women at the cathedral, and they are hellbent on expelling it. In order to save the life of an innocent girl, Ciel and Sebastian decide to 'fake’ her possession, so that the priest’s can have the exorcism they are so desperately after. Except it’s not really fake, is it.

TW (kind of?): religious imagery, (you guessed it) exorcisms

STATUS: Complete

Offspring

Demons are extremely powerful deities, they do not simply come about this world through procreation. However, they can still bear offspring. And they can do so with humans.

But if a demon can’t create a genuine soul, and a human can’t carry the power of a hellspawn, then what exactly is made from it?

(aka a long winded explanation for my head canon)

TW: suicidal ideation, cannibalism 

STATUS: Ongoing

A sweet Solution

Sebastian is baffled by his new master's inability to eat. He searches for an answer, and finds it in an unexpected place. Which leads him to a unique fix.

TW: could be viewed as disordered eating

STATUS: complete oneshot

[erinwantstowrite]

Christmas Oneshot is out!

FINALLY got this out, just in time for New Years (I still have HOURS to go before midnight but close enough). I knew I'd get it done before December ends ;p (link on the picture)

this was really bittersweet for me because it's itsy bitsy content,,, but it comes with a side of gentle angst because we know what happens </3

(here are a couple drawings i've been waiting to share teehee)

and a little side note: I'm probably going to take "Catch Me, if You Can" out of the title for LoF, and make that the series name. so nothing will change for tags because the CMiYC part will be for the overall series and help with tags still

Happy Holidays to all of you, and I want to thank you for everything. I started LoF as a silly thing to do with a friend because I wasn't feeling well. I was pretty directionless when I started out 2024, but this past year has taught me a lot. I wasn't very confident in my writing until I got into LoF (yes, even when I was writing Home I hadn't considered it as anything but a hobby). But now I look at 2025 and feel a mix of emotions. I want to pursue a career in writing and art, and it's thanks to all of you that picked up this silly fanfic and felt a connection to it. So thank you, and I hope the new year brings about joy for all of you as well <3

[starmocha]

When you accidentally notice a running theme in your writings 👉👈

For those wanting to scratch that special itch (so to speak), I curated this list of all of those...special fics and scenarios of mine if you're looking for a specific something-something (read: breeding kink 😈 and/or family fics 🥹). Please be mindful of the ratings. Yes, there will be more in the future, I've accepted my fate. 😔🫶

LINKS: Regular Masterlist ⋆ ★ Series Index ⋆ ★ Tag List ⋆ ★ AO3

last updated: may 20, 2025

FAMILY FICS (SFW)

Featuring the LADS men as fathers. Most stories will center primarily around fatherhood, but some may just be a short scene. While the majority are SFW, the ones that aren't will have MDNI listed alongside them.

sing little birdie

Stories about Sylus and his three-year-old daughter. status: ongoing indefinitely // updated sporadically 01. Rock-a‐Bye 02. Hide-and-Seek 03. Little Dino 04. Be My Valentines 05. April Showers Bring May Flowers — random scenarios: 01. Taking Little Birdie to the Amusement Park 02. Daddy is a Kitty?

standalone fics & scenarios

— fics: Sunday Reset i'm on the run with you, my sweet love — 《 MDNI 》 — random scenarios: Risky Pregnancy + Deaths of Mother and Child Risky Pregnancy

sweet little snowdrop

Stories about Zayne and his three-year-old son. status: ongoing indefinitely // updated sporadically 01. 12:30 PM Checkup 02. Carrot Cake 03. Doctor's Note 04. Keep It Icy 05. would you still love me if i was a carrot? (questions and concerns of a three-year-old boy)

standalone fics & scenarios

— random scenarios: Risky Pregnancy + Deaths of Mother and Child Risky Pregnancy

pretty little coral

Stories about Rafayel and his three-year-old son. status: ongoing indefinitely // updated sporadically 01. The Deep Sea 02. Whale You Love Me Forever?

standalone fics & scenarios

— random scenarios: Risky Pregnancy + Deaths of Mother and Child Risky Pregnancy Decorating Nursery

bright little starlight

Stories about Xavier and his two-year-old daughter. status: ongoing indefinitely // updated sporadically 01. Time-Out

standalone fics & scenarios

— random scenarios: Risky Pregnancy + Deaths of Mother and Child Risky Pregnancy

fly little pilot

Stories about Caleb and his two-year-old son. status: ongoing indefinitely // updated sporadically 01. Apple of My Eye

standalone fics & scenarios

— random scenarios: Risky Pregnancy + Deaths of Mother and Child Risky Pregnancy Endless Summer Sweet Little You

[MISC]

standalone fics & scenarios

— random scenarios: When U Come Back (Caleb/MC/Zayne)

BREEDING KINK (MDNI)

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) baby making time yes i'll probably get to the others eventually it depends on my demon, i mean my muse........

SYLUS

— light breeding kink Relentless Conqueror want me, need me, love me — intense breeding kink Elysium birds of a feather (series) 01. but if it's forever, it's even better 02. it was always you 03. epilogue (coming...eventually) Bride of the Dragon King (series - in epilogue only) 01. Prelude 02. Bride of the Dragon King (coming soon) 03. Epilogue (coming soon) — random scenarios: Horny Tribal!Sylus Thoughts

ZAYNE

— intense breeding kink the 3-part Zayne breeding kink fic of my dreams had somehow turned into the Snowdrop Conception Fic akfklafklafaklkasklalkalsk from osmanthus to snowdrop 01. baby fever and lots and lots of birthday sex 02. first trimester and oh by the way 03. second trimester and craving carrots (and more carrots) 04. third trimester and [wip title] 05. you and me and baby make three — random scenarios: A Polite Doctor Lesson Learned (?)

RAFAYEL

PLACEHOLDER <3 WILL HAVE THE FISHIE BREED US WHEN I AM LESS OF A COWARD ABOUT WRITING SPICY RAF LOL intertidal zone does make me want to help repopulate lemuria i mean what

XAVIER

PLACEHOLDER <3 BLORBO BY PROXY THE MAN THAT YOU ARE devs i want to suck his thumb (and his cock)

CALEB

PLACEHOLDER <3 THE 3-PART CALEB BREEDNG KINK SERIES OF MY DREAM WILL COME TRUE EVENTUALLY

All Love and Deepspace fanfics are posted only on Tumblr (@starmocha) and AO3 (loveppears (108am)). They will always be cross-posted to one another. Stories are prohibited from being posted elsewhere and I do not allow translations of my works under any circumstances. Reblogs are ok and encouraged! ♡

Thanks for reading! ☆

╰┈➤ RETURN TO MAIN MASTERLIST

[ranunculussy]

enigma | part 03.

ꕥ part 01. | part 02. | part 04. | part 05. | part 06. | part 07. ꕥ pair: Spencer Reid × BAU!fem!reader ꕥ warnings/tags: canon-typical violence, mentions of human trafficking, swearing, somewhat oblivious Reid and reader, age gap, moderately jealous Spencer, slow-burn, mutual pining, rivals to lovers, alcohol consumption, kissing, english isn't my first language so bear with me pls, idk about other warnings ꕥ word count: ~3.0k (i'm so sorry, this is a bit shorter but i felt like it didn't need more) ꕥ summary: Spencer can't quite figure you, his rival out and this annoys him more than it should [this fanfic is also available on AO3 with the same title and username]

wednesday

The rest of the day went by quietly. You and Penelope made friends with one of the younger agents around your age who was driving, since you had a few nerdy interests in common. He saw your decorated tablet case, so he initiated the conversation, which went more pleasantly than the usual firsts with others.

Reid kept his distance the whole day. Whenever there was a toilet break—approximately every four hours—he made sure to avoid your company. He lingered around anyone who wasn’t in a talking distance with you. Which wasn’t unusual, given that you were never close. But now it was very much intentional on his part. He made sure to get up from his seat before you could even think about asking him to let you out. He was out of the vehicle in a blink. Feeling confused was tremendously out of character for him and he despised this state.

He also avoided addressing you, even when he would’ve had the chance to disagree with what you’ve said. He just… He needed to sort out his tangled, unorganised thoughts and needed to do it quickly. Because honestly, what the hell was wrong with him that day? He’d been working with you for over a year now and never had similar issues. Many times, he was annoyed, irritated or even secretly entertained and amazed by you. But never like this. Ever since you came in close contact with him a few hours ago, it was as if his brain got coated with thick layers of honey, slowing down the otherwise rational and precise thought process that happened in his exceptional head.

The light brown minibus drove into the golden hour, filling the vehicle's inside with a warm, calming light. You were sitting next to each other in complete and utter silence. You even felt a bit embarrassed. You didn’t know what to say. Should you be unserious or serious? Should you be playful, teasing or stoic? Hell, you didn’t even know if you should talk to him at all. This was quite troublesome.

You directed your gaze out at the window, plugged in your earphones, listening to some of your favourite music while subconsciously biting your lower lip. As you stared into the breathtaking horizon that was painted in vibrant yellow, orange, pink and red colours by the setting sun, a sense of calmness climbed over your shoulders like a soft, shielding scarf. Even a small smile got plastered on your face. Sundown always had this kind of effect on you. It was such a simple thing that happened every day. And maybe that’s what made it so charming for you. The gorgeously painted fairytale-like clouds served as a symbol of certainty. For you, the astounding scenery meant that no matter how hard, embarrassing or horrible the day was, the end of it was given. Nighttime always came, bringing a sense of freedom with itself.

Spencer wasn’t this sentimental over an astronomical phenomenon. The evening sky was undeniably nice, yes. But it was all simple light scattering, basic physics. Light rays hit particles in the air, changing the direction of the light and the colours were determined by the different wavelengths of light, plus the size of the particles in the atmosphere.

However, when the genius’s lingering gaze settled on your face, that was when he felt in awe. As if the setting sun was hinting loving kisses on you, specifically. The warm, glimmering rays of sunshine were dancing around you, making your irises shine brighter. It was almost ethereal. He couldn’t help but notice how you seemed more relaxed. He was carefully engraving every tiny detail into his brain; afraid he might miss something. For a moment, he forgot about his eidetic memory. And for a moment, he even forgot to analyse himself, to look for an answer for his strange behaviour and reason everything.

Even though all of this felt like an eternity, the curious glances lasted only a few seconds. It was short enough for you not to notice anything, but long enough for Derek to do so behind you, whose lips stretched into his signature grin at what he witnessed. This was the moment when he decided, under no circumstances will he let the two of you switch roommates. He’s had enough of the year-long foreplay between the residential smartasses.

“Come on, pretty girl, out with it.” Morgan’s deep, silky laugh filled the small booth where part of the team was sitting as he pointed towards you with a glass of whiskey in hand. You tried to cover your flustered, red cheeks with your palms, but they were no help at all. In fact, this just worsened your situation, since the other four people also started giggling.

“A guest lecturer,” you mumbled in defeat and took a sip from your drink, which was rum mixed with ginger ale just to stall a bit.

“You did the dirty with your teacher?!” squealed Garcia on your left. Her expression showed surprise at first, but her lips quickly turned from an ‘o’ to a proud smirk. “Oh, you’re bad.”

“Naughty girl” Prentiss joined in with her signature teasing tone, she was sitting on your right. At this point, none of you were sober, not even the asshole doctor in front of you, which was an abundantly rare occurrence. He was mostly silent, even during dinner with the team. You thought he’d definitely take his leave after finishing his meal like Hotchner and Rossi did, but he stayed. Luckily, he didn’t feel like getting on your nerves that night, which was a tremendous help, given that the remaining people, however, all decided that that night would be the perfect opportunity to ask these kinds of questions.

“How much older was he?” leaned forwards JJ and she basically shot you in the head with this.

“Khm… 15.” you tried to cover the answer with your coughs with little to no success, causing the other girls to practically scream in disbelief. Derek at the left exit of the booth playfully shook his head and finished what remained of his drink, while the other man just stared at you with a slightly tilted head and raised brows. “Listen, in my defence, I didn’t know that he was a guest prof at the beginning, okay? Also, he had no relation to my grades, so I’m kind of in the clear, no?”

“Depends. I need to know every single itsy-bitsy detail.” Penelope didn’t want to make it easy for you, did she?

You leaned your head back and let out a painful, defeated moan. “Must you?”

“I think we’re all curious here, Y/N.” you didn’t exactly know who JJ tried to encourage, you or the team, but none of the options seemed too good for you.

“That’s not true. I’m sure Dr Reid couldn’t give a damn about the story, so how about we skip instead?” as your last dernier, you pointed towards your rival, expecting him to agree and save you from a rather embarrassing story time. To your greatest surprise, he shook his head and looked straight into your eyes.

“No, I’m very interested.” his tone caught you somewhat off guard. It seemed more confident than usual, yes, but that could’ve just been the alcohol. There was something else in it too. You couldn’t quite put your finger on it, but you instinctively swallowed your saliva a bit harder. I’m gonna push a pillow into this smug motherfucker’s face, I swear to God.

“Fine. We met at the uni library; he was about to take away a book I desperately needed for an essay worth more than half my grade that semester. Since it was one of Rossi’s books, I didn’t want to pirate it, and I was broke as hell, so I asked if I could quickly snap some pics of the pages I needed. Instead, he offered that we could go through it together if I wanted. Long story short, we clicked almost immediately, study dates turned into real dates, and I genuinely thought he was a student like me, just a bit older but that’s all. I almost single-handedly proved that instantaneous human combustion did exist when he walked into a seminar as a fucking guest lecturer while I was sitting there in the first row.”

“So did you break up?” Emily slightly pushed your shoulder with hers, enjoying the scandalous gossip. These past weeks none of you had the time or energy to get together and let out some steam like this. Today’s 12-hour drive was the last straw for most of you and you decided you’d get some drinks before bed, but nobody planned to cross any kind of lines in terms of getting wasted, since another day was ahead of you that you’d spend in a small bus on the road. You bit your lower lip—still silently cursing the man in front of you for not saving you from this by saying he doesn’t give two fucks about you—which gave away your answer immediately. “You didn’t!”

“I think I’m calling it a day, guys. It’s late and if we don’t get some sleep, suicide will look hella sexy tomorrow.” you tried to save yourself from having to explain why you continued your somewhat scandalous relationship with the older man, who was also a guest professor, and you were nowhere near to being drunk enough for that conversation.

Garcia tried to change your mind, she wanted to know everything, especially since this was the first time you let them in a bit more intimately. Luckily though, the others agreed with what you said, so the team slowly started to get their coats, purses and whatever they had with them, then left the little bar near the accommodation.

Back in your small, minimalist hotel room, you couldn’t even hide how flustered you felt. The fact that you just shared such a personal detail about yourself in the presence of the unnerving man suddenly weighted on you, making your cheeks warm and rosy-coloured. It was worse that he said nothing to you. No statistics about teacher-student relationship or about age gaps. He didn’t even try to tease you.

When you walked out of the compact bathroom after taking a quick shower and doing your usual routine before bed, Reid was sitting on his single bed, seemingly deep in thought.

“Uhm… The bathroom is free.” Even though your voice was quiet, the awkwardness was still obviously noticeable. Spencer lifted his gaze, which had been resting on his palms up until now, to your flushed face, and his breath got caught for a quick moment. You were wearing an oversized T-shirt and seemingly soft cotton pants as pyjamas, which was cute, but what truly attracted his attention was the round glasses you were wearing.

Ever since fifth grade, you were blind as a bat. It was thanks to both genetics and the countless nights when you were reading under the blanket without any proper lighting. When you were on duty, you obviously used contact lenses, since wearing your glasses on the field would’ve been heavily dangerous and unprofessional, but now, after the hot and calming shower, right before bed, you had no reason to put back the carefully made, curved silicone-hydrogel pieces.

The doctor was mesmerised. Maybe because he wasn’t 100 per cent sober? Or simply he just wasn’t in his element, since you’ve never shared a room before and this whole scenario was so out of the ordinary for him.

But you just��� you were so pretty like this. Not that you weren’t usually. But this look definitely did something to him.

Before you could’ve asked if he was okay, since he hadn’t reacted in any way, he nodded, stood up and went into the unoccupied bathroom. As the doctor walked past you, he quickly ran his gaze all over your comfortably clothed body. He wasn’t subtle, not even in the slightest, causing your already flustered cheeks to take on an even darker shade of red.

You sat down to your designated bed, your eyebrows in a frustrated furrow as you replayed everything weird that’s happened so far. What the hell is up with him today? Is this some kind of tactic to throw me off balance and make me seem dumb or something? While you were fuming silently, you tucked yourself in bed. You were lying on your side and took out the soft, big pillow from under your head to hug it instead. If you weren’t this worn out, you might have debated whether you should show even this about yourself or not, but not that day. It might have been childish, but quite frankly, you didn’t give a damn about it. You always had problems with falling asleep and sleeping in general, so when you accidentally discovered a few years ago that this method made things easier, you stuck with it. If yes, then he has fucked with the wrong person because I can be so much worse than him in every possible way. I’m going to redefine the meaning of menace in his vocabulary. As you drifted towards the oftentimes erratic, unpredictable world of dreams, you mumbled to yourself almost inaudibly. “Game on, doctor.”

By the time Spencer came out of the restroom, approximately half an hour later, you were already fast asleep. The sight of you, snuggling up to the pillow made the dimly lit room seem all the cosier. Surprisingly, it didn’t take long for him to fall asleep too, which was rather out of the ordinary.

Spencer was wearing one of his favourite black semi-casual suits with a grey button-up shirt and a black tie. He was standing in front of a small audience and was currently detailing the technicalities of building a geographical profile, what counts as a forensic countermeasure and what doesn’t.

As he enthusiastically explained one of the more difficult cases that he’d dealt with not so long ago, he scanned the small group of students who attended his lecture, looking for their reactions. Were they bored, was the class engaging enough? Did they find it useful or a waste of time? The moment he recognised you, sitting in the first row, even his expressive, almost talkative hands stopped for a moment. What the hell was going on?

You looked up from your carefully written notes and shot a genuine smile in his direction. You seemed like you usually did. Wearing something pretty but comfortable, your belongings decorated to resemble your personality, just as in real life. You also had those big, round glasses on that you were wearing before bed, sitting on your nose perfectly. He cleared his throat, fought his initial confusion and returned to teaching. However, he couldn’t ignore the glances you were giving to him from time to time.

After the class was over and the lecture hall emptied, you found your way to his desk where he was packing his books, notes and old laptop away.

“Today’s class was very informative,” you said with your arms behind your back as you tried initiating eye contact. As you stepped closer to him, you continued, “However, I couldn’t help but notice that you seemed a bit distracted, sir.”

What did you just call him?

He looked at you. A playful smirk was sitting on your beautiful face, your eyes had a similar glimmer in them. You were teasing him, he realised.

“Did I?” he placed his right palm on the massive table’s surface as he leaned towards you. Before you could say anything else, he grabbed your waist with his left hand and pulled you closer to him until your chests were pressed together. You were close enough that both of you were able to smell the other’s perfume, both of you felt the other’s hot, heavy breath on your skin. “I wonder what the reason for that could be,” he murmured while his lustful irises flickered between your eyes and your lips, drinking in the sight in front of him. He moved his right hand from the table to your chin, gently tilting your face upwards. As he finally closed the distance between you, pulling you into an eager, hungry kiss, he felt like an eternity-long starvation was over. He felt like he found something crucial he didn’t even know was missing until that very moment.

Your fingers found their way to his soft, curly hair. As you leaned deeper and deeper into the kiss, it started to seem more like the beginning of a heated make out session. You pulled on his locks, making him growl into your mouth and grab your hips stronger. He couldn’t hold himself back. Compared to what he felt now, it was like as if he’s never known desire before. He firmly grabbed both your tights and lifted you to the table.

As he was standing between your legs, about to devour you, the smell of coffee hit his nostrils. Coffee?

Against his strongest will, the doctor got pulled out of his dream by the currently not-so-pleasant combination of warm light and a caffeinated drink. He needed a moment to gather himself and his scattered thoughts. Because honestly, what the fuck did he just dreamt about? He… Was he your teacher? Did yesterday’s alcohol-fuelled conversation mess up his failproof brain that bad?

thank you so much for reading my work, hope you're having an awesome day! taglist: @halfbloodwriter divider from @cafekitsune gif from @reidgif

[edwin-paynes-bowtie]

Okay, so. I am very happy to inform y'all that I am beginning work on the first "episode" (chapter) of my Dead Boy Detectives season 2 fic today!

It has two potential working titles, both lyrics from Taylor Swift's Fresh Out the Slammer. I am not going to reveal them because I haven't selected which one I'll be using yet.

It will have 9 chapters. The official case titles are:

The Case of the Weeping Walls

The Case of Niko Sasaki

The Case of the Choked Cheerleaders

The Case of the Scorned Son

The Case of Hell's Own Track

The Case of the Shredded Tapestry

The Case of the Separated Soulmates

The Case of the Great Fire, Part I

The Case of the Great Fire, Part II

Each chapter will also come with a fun feature, but I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about that yet. :)

IF YOU WANT TO BE ON THE TAGLIST FOR THIS FIC, PLEASE COMMENT ON THIS POST. I will tag everyone who wants a tag, but only if they comment since that's how I'll keep track of the list.

Next question because I know this is going to be an extremely expansive and time-consuming project:

I would still post my usual DBDA content, including other DBDA fics, on this blog. The other one would be exclusively for longfic-related updates.

I would probably still reblog the chapters I post there onto this blog.

Finally, something for you to enjoy: a playlist for the fic! This is very short and uninteresting, but it will be an ever-evolving thing that probably gets long eventually, so please follow it if you're interested :)

A few spoilers under the cut that might impact interest (endgame ship, etc)

Unequivocal Payneland endgame (they're soulmates your honour)

Palasaki and NN/Kashi endgames

Happy ending for The Cat King, who plays a big role in the story

No Sandman crossovers besides potentially a Death appearance (I do not know Sandman well enough to include them)

BAMF Edwin scenes ;)

No Esther or Monty (sorry!) - there is a new OC antagonist

I'm currently trying to find a place for Jenny. I want to include her, but she will likely only have a few cameos since I can't for the life of me think of a plotline to involve her in.

I will be keeping up with Yockey-posted spoilers and incorporating them into the story when possible (so, Niko is the Principal, etc)

[pro-sipper]

"Dead Dove: Do Not Eat"

About the tag, the origin, and why I think no one on either side of the fandom divide knows how to use it

First of all, I'm crosstagging because I think it's a general issue, not just something for pro or anti shippers. I see the tag get misused on both sides and I just wanted to throw my two cents in

So, where did the term originate? Like all culturally significant things online, it started as a meme. More specifically, a meme from the television show Arrested Development. Character A has put a dead dove into a brown paper bag to store in the family's fridge. On the bag, he has taped a sign that reads, in big bold letters, "DEAD DOVE. Do Not Eat!"

Character B comes across the bag, reads the warning, and opens it anyway. When he's met with, you guessed it, a dead dove, he proclaims "I don't know what I expected".

This is an example of (and has since basically become the spiritual successor to) the "Exactly What It Says On The Tin" trope.

If you want to check out the full history and countless examples of the trope, please check out the page on tvtropes. But for a slightly shorter history - it originated in a British commercial for Ronseal's Quick Drying Woodstain, which the tin claimed "dried quickly". And in the commercial they told you "It does exactly what it says on the tin!" So, the tin says what the product does, then the product does it. You get the idea.

In fandom spaces, the trope just means that the title of Thing (be it movie, show, fanfic, etc) tells you exactly what happens IN Thing. If a show is called "Buffy The Vampire Slayer", you already know it's about a girl named Buffy who slays vampires. If the movie is called "Cocaine Bear", you can bet a bear will get into some cocaine at some point. If there's a fanfic called "Fluttershy Has Tea With Jesus"... you get the idea.

While both tags started out with the same intentions and meaning, I don't think it's any wonder that "dead dove do not eat" has been so easy to misinterpret. For one, "exactly what it says on the tin" sounds more straightforward. You don't have to understand the specific reference to infer it means to check the label (in this case, tags) before purchasing (opening) the product (fanfic)

But dead dove is harder to understand if you don't know the reference. And at a glance, it sounds much darker. Doves have symbolism in multiple religions, and are seen as a symbol of peace. A dead dove evokes images of gore, violence, general unpleasantness. It must only apply to something sinister, right?

The thing about "exactly what it says on the tin" is that the tin needs to say something. You can't point at a blank label and say "here's what you can expect". People would be much less likely to engage with your product if that were the case

In the same vein, slapping "dead dove do not eat" on a fic with no other tags can lead to confusion. In this tag's case, it's a warning. But what are you warning about if you don't also put it in the tags? It leaves people's minds to conjure up only grim and upsetting images of what might be in your fic. Especially when, as it's also common to do, the tag gets shortened to simply "dead dove".

And while, yes, the tag is most likely to get slapped onto fics with dark or upsetting subject matter, that means something different for everyone who comes across it.

Most people seem to think it only applies to inappropriate relationships (age gap, incest, etc). But I've seen it applied to a variety of things, from potentially triggering material (like suicide) to things that simply may not be everyone's cup of tea (like excessive gross-out toilet humor).

In the end, "dead dove do not eat" is a tag that, in my opinion, should not be used as a descriptor as to what type of content your story contains. But rather, a gentle warning to say "hey, I'm specifically telling you what you're about to encounter, so whatever happens next is up to you".

After all, if you read the warning and still open the bag to find something you don't like...

I don't know what you were expecting.

[sundry-whovengerslocked]

y'all poll, Batfam edition (source)

so I was gonna do this in order of age, but then the tim/cass thing wasn't as funny, so I did it vaguely in order of when they joined the Batfam. except I moved Steph... I dunno. take it as it is, hopefully it's funny!

I considered doing the camp counselor energy one for Babs, but I'm trying not to reuse responses and I already used it in my Doctor Who post.

and yes I fully believe Alfred would be the one writing this poll and purposefully making it silly just to cause chaos. in tandem with my Doctor Who posts does this imply Sarah Jane Smith and Alfred are besties? yes, yes it does. am I mad at it? not at all, that shit is hilarious

disclaimer: I only really know the Batfam from posts and fanfics, so this may be ooc. I know that Dick is definitely a little shit, but I also feel like he gives the appearance of a laid back person and he definitely drinks respect women/enby juice, lol.

huge thanks to @incorrectbatfamandfriends for helping me out! in the title I linked the replies I screenshotted from the original poll, in case you want to try this out yourself!

tag list for the people who made this possible: (sorry if you don't understand, I hope you at least feel included!)

@promiseiwillwrite (somehow your pfp got cut off and I apologize for that, but tbh it makes it funnier because I feel like that's just something that would happen to Bruce)

@saph-has-a-problem

@xellandria

@patricia-the-autism-apprentice

@mauesartetc

@crushpdf

@princessmetroid

@d1phenhydramine

@tomhoppusdelonge

[onyourstageleft]

So I ended up here because of a Tamora Pierce post and you mentioned your thesis was about Tortall, and I was wondering if you were comfortable talking more about it, because I’d love to hear!!!!

(also I’m going to go through your Tamora Pierce tag later but I’ve already come across the idea of aro Raoul in one post and now I love it and need it)

I let this sit in my ask box for a few days bc I was genuinely so excited to talk about it that I wanted to dedicate some time to it okay YES I would love to tell you about my thesis!! I literally grew up reading and loving Tamora Pierce books and then I went into my English MA program and they started talking about thesis options and I was reading some criticism about colonialism in literature and it just kinda clicked, so my thesis title is "Cultures and Colonization in Tamora Pierce's Young Adult Novels" and it's pretty much what it says on the tin. I talk about indigenous populations (Bazhir and raka) and how they are treated differently both by the characters in the story and the narrative in general. I address Alanna/Jon as white saviors and then how Aly undoes some of that damage through her more respectful/less controlling relationship with the raka. I also talked about how the books work as a framework to interact respectfully with other cultures through Kel & the Yamani, and a discussion of slavery and the respect that Beka shows for enslaved people.

it's honestly been a while since I reread my whole thesis so there's probably more in there that I'm forgetting, BUT on the off chance that you wanna read the whole thing, I published it open access so you can just Google the title and it should take you to a download link for it. please ignore the typo of the repeated phrase at the end of the literal first paragraph of the whole thing it haunts me every day (I swear it wasn't there when I submitted it)

ALSO about the aro Raoul I totally think it's a good take with the exception of one of the most fantastic fanfics I've ever read - if you like fic and the idea of Raoul/Buri, please take a look at The Tourakom-Goldenlake System of Communication by Emnot on AO3. it's the first fic that led me into the AO3 waters (where the Tortall fandom is still going strong btw) and I reread it every few months

I'm publishing this ask mainly so I can find it later and remember what I said BUT if you wanna talk more about Tortall pls feel free to message me I could do this all day

[sauron-kraut]

Get to know your Mutuals

Thank you for tagging me @perlen-gold! 🖤

What's the origin of your blog's title? @lvsifer and I were talking about a certain Middle-Earth cookbook with some truly funky recipes, unfortunately there were none for Mairon so we were like... What would he eat? He would definitely be into eating raw meat. Mettbrötchen are a German specialty, basically a bread roll with butter and minced raw pork (yes, you heard that right), preferably with pepper and red onions. So Mairon's Mettbrötchen was born - doesn't it just fuck phonetically?

Favorite Fandoms: The Silm fandom 🖤 I have never been truly active in any other fandom.

OTP(s) + shipname: Angbang (Mairon/Melkor). Most other ships I love/like are fucked up in a way that makes OTP sound wrong to describe them (not that an OTP can't have a fucked up dynamic of course!).

Favorite color: red, black, gold, rusty colors, yellow

Favorite game: Not a a gamer person.

Song stuck in your head:

Weirdest habit/trait? Super randomly talking to myself when I'm alone at home? Could be pieces of dialogue I'm planning for a fic, could be imaginary discussion scenarios with friends or coworkers... you name it.

Hobbies: Writing.

If you work, what's your profession? I'm a linguist specializing in language change, particularly grammatical change. I don't currently work in that field though; I work at a technical university in event management and student recruiting.

If you could have any job you wish what would it be? I'd work as a linguist and teach at university again.

Something you're good at: Learning languages quickly, imitating native accents in languages (other than English, probably due to my idgaf attitude when it comes to that, so have a weird mix of different accents in English mixed with a very slight German and Dutch accent. lol), teaching, public speaking, being thoughtful with gifts, cooking

Something you're bad at: Remembering birthdays, sometimes texting back, sometimes cleaning, MATH (oh god)

Something you excel at: being anxious, overthinking, understanding how languages are structured and applying this to learning them

Something you love: reading, poetry, writing, my apartment, partying, various altered states of consciousness from time to time, dancing, 80s music, techno, prosecco, cooking, food, Berlin, fandom, my mom, my friends, traveling

Something you could talk about for hours without off the cuff: linguistics, language change, The Silm

Something you hate: coriander and water melon

Something you collect: Nothing really that comes to mind.

Something you forget: birthdays, appointments

What's your love language? The concept of love languages has its problems but if I just use this to describe how I do express my love: giving cute gifts, cooking for people, listening to them, open communication, spending quality time together

Favorite movie/show: LOTR and MANY more, show: DARK, Sense8, The Sinner

Favorite food: so many different soups, kebap, pizza, STEAK, schnitzel, peruvian food, birria tacos

Favorite animal: three-toed sloth

Are you musical? I know how to play the saxophone and I did so decently. But I wouldn't say I'm musical.

What were you like as a child? I have to quote @perlen-gold here: An insufferable know-it-all.

Favorite subject at school? German, English, philosophy, biology

Least favorite subject? MATHS. And PE.

What's your best character trait? I'm honest and good at communicating openly.

What's your worst character trait? Avoidant behavior, procrastinating literally everything

If you could change any detail of your day right now what would it be? I would make the sun rise again so it doesn't feel like another of those depressing winter nights.

If you could travel in time who would you like to meet? I can't think of anyone I'd genuinely want to meet.

Recommend one of your favorite fanfics (spread the love!):

elektra by @lvsifer. What a masterpiece. Also please have a look at the fanfics I recommended here!

Last but not least, show your favorite fanart of your favorite character(s) (please remember to credit/add links!):

Mairon by @lvsifer

So many more art from talented and skilled artists that I love, but I had to make a decision here and this one will haunt me forever 🖤

✨Tagging @crackinthecup, @cilil, @elevenelvenswords, @admirably-abhorrent, @tauw-nu-fuin, @peasant-player, @blauerregen and @lvsifer

[perlen-gold]

Get to know your Mutuals

Hiiii 💞 since I've found so many new lovely mutuals here I've created a little tag game (which as been around for ages) ^///^

This kinda got out of control... uh-oh.

Indulge me, will you? 🤗

What's the origin of your blog's title? It's a quote by Oscar Wilde :D

Favorite Fandoms: Dragon Age, The Silmarillion/The Lord of the Rings,

OTP(s) + shipname: Fenrisxm!Hawke (fenhawke) Melkor x Mairon (angbang) Thor x Loki (thorki)

Favorite color: Purple, purple and purple!

Favorite game: Dragon Age and Fatal Frame x3

Song stuck in your head: Elrond's council (but it's a musical) XDDD by Elf Tale Films on Youtube 😆

Weirdest habit/trait? Oh gosh, I'm made out of NOTHING but weird traits... but I guess the weirdest is that I must correct every spelling/grammar mistake I hear/read in both English and German? (I happen to write maaany typos on my phone so that's really exhausting!) Or that I explain maths even to the most reluctant and math-hating people without their permission and despite their explicit orders to "stop right now!!!"?! Or that I run in gallopping archs like a (crazy) horse around my apartment when writing? Or.... 😭

Hobbies: Writing, belly dancing and playing the violin. Very inexpertly so.

If you work, what's your profession? I wanted to become a professional torturer but my parents said no, so I chose the next best thing and became a teacher.

If you could have any job you wish what would it be? A teacher. (I'm pathetic.) I'd teach Math, English and German literature. (Which I do.) And physics. (Which I don't.)

So sad. Also, living the dreeeeam!!! 🎸🎸🎸

Something you're good at: Losing at MarioKart, being notoriously unpunctual and math. Also, I can read really fast xP

Something you're bad at: Remembering things... or names... or appointments... or anything. Also, sharing or talking about my writing.

Something you excel at: Creating chaos and overworry about my writing. Or anything else, really. Also, I'm a REALLY fast reader! 😜🤪😝

Something you love: Literature, books, my students, my family, my cat, and books and literature! 📚💗

Something you could talk about for hours without off the cuff: Literature/books, Dragon Age, my students, my original novel (with many pauses inbetween since, like I said, I'm also bad at talking about my own writing)

Something you hate: Arrogancy, bullying and olives. Oh, and strawberries.

Something you collect: Books and blunders.

Something you forget: Everything. Except my own name. At least I hope so.

What's your love language? Terrible, ironic, biting sarcasm. And movie/literature quotes.

Favorite movie/show: Alien by Ridley Scott <3

Favorite food: Pizza, ramen and pasta of all kinds x3

Favorite animal: Horses and leopards, roarrr! 🐎🐆

Are you musical? I do play the violin and sing. Having said that, I should add that I'm not very musical, after all...

What were you like as a child? Both shy and bold AND an insufferable know-it-all! 😏

Favorite subject at school? Maths <3 (you may hate me, now)

Least favorite subject? Geography, religious education and PE

What's your best character trait? Er, I'm a good friend in need (at least I think so XD)

What's your worst character trait? Perfectionism??? Oh wait, I think I can express this in a more refined way, let me try that again...

If you could change any detail of your day right now what would it be? If I'd be in charge, you'd be all fucking freezing to death while I frolick happily in the snow and bring another brain concussion upon myself by my clumsy ice-skating skills! Winter would be SO fucking cold and SO magnificent you'd all hate me for it!!! ❄️☃️🥶

If you could travel in time who would you like to meet? Wolfgang Goethe (yes, I omitted the "von", in your face, dude!) and Agatha Christie x3

Recommend one of your favorite fanfics (spread the love!):

In Absentia by AwkwardAnnie (Angbang)

Lunch in Thedas by Kaerwrites (Fenhawke)

Kiss Me Hard Before You Go by TheAngryKimchi (Thorki)

Last but not least, show your favorite fanart of your favorite character(s) (please remember to credit/add links!):

(sorry for the flood!)

Mairon by Krabat

Melkor and Mairon by Krabat

Fenris by raviollies

Fenhawke by Marikdraw (original link does no longer exist ;_;)

✨Tagging @saintstars @gracefallingart @gauntletgirlie @melkor-did-nothing-wrong @sauron-kraut @althanair @privatebooth @just-an-elf-with-the-socks @trash-ainu @winds-of-zephyr416 @barbex @aidanthecryptid @teine-mallaichte @pinkfadespirit @spicywarl0ck @jiangwanyeehaw @booksinwinter @midnottart @maironscrotchlessbreeches @melkorwashere @melkors-defense-attorney @trash-ainuand @elronds-library @teine-mallaichte @thorkidorki @theangrykimchi and @glowing-blue-feathermage ✨

... and everyone else, of course, who feels like playing ❣️

As always, NO PRESSURE, just fun, my friends! <3

[aroacebaggins]

Everything is alright, tonight, 'cause I got you next to me

Hi, I wrote a thing.

This was inspired by some of the prompts for Cozy Cuddle Week, put on by @rivendellwatch (lovely event, thanks for all your work!) though I'm not actually sure if this technically fits the challenge, and I'm not posting on AO3 yet. But it's been far too long since I've finished anything I write. I'm also pretty new to fanfic in general and this is the first piece I'm sharing online so... again huge thanks for the prompts <3!! Also thanks to @varda-star-queen for tagging me on the event, that's how I found it! I've still been recovering from a rough flare-up so this was a great way to relax :)

This kinda fits into a larger concept I've been working on, sort of an AU. Inspired by the theorizing around Mirdania in tRoP, though not otherwise based on the show much, Celebrían is a member of the Gwaith-i-Mírdain and an apprentice of Celebrimbor (Art of Mírdain Celebrían). I made several Mírdain OCs as side characters in the overarching plot. This however, has no plot and is just an excuse for Celebrían and my OC gang to exist mostly free of impending doom for a while. Featuring a guest appearance by Celebrimbor's First Age wine. Also, all characters become queer when I get my gay little hands on them, and Celebrían is no exception.

I used the prompt "Sleepy Pile™", and added the soft prompt and cute word wheels for extra fun, I got "mug sharing" and "home" I think.

The title is from an unreleased song by The Crane Wives called This is Home. Fluff is not usually what I write so I do find it funny I had to go into unreleased songs to find a TCW lyric that was sufficiently wholesome.

Also if any of the elvish names are horrendously assembled, uhhh no they're not, ignore that (I'm clueless and tips on names are actually greatly appreciated).

Thanks to my wonderful partner as well, who is not on here and knows practically nothing about the Silm, for proofreading. You rock, melesellë.

Um yeah, as usual I'm incapable of not rambling. Story below.

The bustle of Eregion's streets had mostly died down by the time stars began to peek through the clouds above. A crisp breeze played through a set of chimes somewhere, and a moment later a matching peal of laughter rang out quietly. The door to one of the houses lining the street was ajar; warm light spilling out onto the mosaic-cobbled ground. Bits of conversation floated through the evening air.

Inside the house, the atmosphere was lively. "Mallos, close the door!" someone shouted over the chatter and laughter. "The wind is getting in!"

An elf with short, blond hair and a lanky build balancing entirely too many mugs in his hands turned around. "We're still waiting for people!" he pouted.

"Well they can open the door!" A broad-shouldered elf woman with long, rich brown hair spilling down her back gave him an exasperated look as she took some of the mugs. "Everyone knows you don't lock it."

"Yes, but-"

The brown-haired elf looked up suddenly. "You!" she exclaimed. Another elf woman, silver-haired and struggling under a heavy satchel, had just stepped inside. "You're late, Brí!"

The woman at the door flashed up a bright grin as she leaned down to unlace her boots. "I wouldn't have been if you'd helped me with this." She heaved the bag up on her shoulder as she stood, leaving her boots on the doormat.

"Hmph. Here, give me that." The first woman shifted the drinks she carried into one hand and grabbed the bag from the other, pushing a mug towards her instead. "Trade you. And close the door behind you, will you?"

The satchel's owner took the drink but made to protest, still blinking in surprise, when a hand landed on her shoulder.

"Celebrían." A tall elf with light in their eyes stood smiling behind her. They took their hand from her shoulder and made a graceful sign while pushing the wooden door shut with the other.

"Thúllindë!" Celebrían beamed and carefully transferred her drink to one hand to mimic the traditional Vanyarin greeting she'd been lucky to learn from her mother. "I'll be honest, I didn't think you would come."

"Ah, I wasn't planning on it. But Dinuial wanted to." Thúllindë shrugged and flicked a golden braid over their shoulder.

"Wonderful, I've been wanting to talk to her about some new projects," Celebrían said. She glanced across the room. "Sirhith, be careful with that!"

The woman who had taken her bag looked up. "What in Eru's name is in here, Brí?" She lifted it heavily onto a tall table.

"A contribution to the party!" Celebrían spread her arms. "You didn't think I'd come empty-handed, did you?" In truth, Celebrían had long gotten over the need to make a good impression, but the old habits were hard to break. She supposed this one did no harm. She enjoyed giving gifts.

Sirhith smiled and shook her head. "Mallos! Here!" She loosened the strap of the bag to pull it open and whistled.

Mallos leaned over the table. "Oh good, just what we needed." He lifted out two large bottles of wine. "Where did you get this? I don't recognize it."

"From Tyelpë," Celebrían said, coming up and placing a hand on Sirhith's shoulder, who reached up to clasp her own hand over it. "It's First Age, apparently."

"From Celebrimbor, willingly?" Mallos asked suspiciously.

Celebrían laughed. "Yes, I didn't steal it. It is a consolation gift though, he can't make it tonight."

"To be expected," Thúllindë said. "What now?"

"I don't know, I think he and Annatar are working on something new." Celebrían shrugged, trying not to show her disquiet.

Sirhith wrinkled her nose. "Of course."

"At least that means Annatar won't be here either," Thúllindë added. Dinuial, the short elf woman who had appeared next to them, shook her dark curls and made a series of signs with her hands.

"Good thing, too. I'll tell you what I think of him," she ended with a familiar and very rude sign.

Typically well-mannered Thúllindë snorted. Then they frowned and shook their head. "It's been too tense lately. I don't like it, and I'm not sure I like him."

Sirhith sighed. "Yes, well, tonight's not about Annatar, for once. So let's enjoy it. Now that wine sounds excellent, love, but I may have to stick with Mallos' tea, I am hearing it's worthy of a song or two. In fact I should finish passing these mugs out. I'll meet you in the main room."

"Suit yourself." A dark-haired elf coming from the other room shouldered his way past her and unceremoniously uncorked a bottle, pouring himself a tall glass. "I, for one, will appreciate our lord's generosity."

Celebrían rolled her eyes. "Because you definitely need alcohol to make bad decisions, Menel."

"I'm offended," Menelmirë said dryly, tipping back his glass and then pouring several more to give away.

"Anyway," Thúllindë said, guiding the others towards the main room. Celebrían took a sip of her tea. It was good.

There were maybe 20 people crammed into Mallos' main room, standing and talking or lounging on furniture, cushions, or the plush rug on the floor. Mostly apprentices, but there was no distinction tonight. Sirhith stood near the middle of the room, hands on her hips, seeming to have just realized she had given away the last mug she was holding. Celebrían walked up behind her and wrapped an arm around her. "No worries, you can share mine."

Sirhith turned her head and smiled into Celebrían's embrace before slipping out to pull her by the hand through the crowd. "Come on, let's sit." She soon squeezed into a spot at the corner of Mallos’ velvet sofa. Celebrían perched on the armrest beside her and pressed a kiss into her hair, breathing in Sirhith's familiar scent: metal and wood shavings and lavender, with a hint of the steeped herbs from Mallos' tea, the fragrance that had filled the house. Sirhith looked up with a twinkle in her eye and wrapped her arm around Celebrían's waist, pulling her onto her lap. Celebrían shrieked, grinning, as she worked to keep the mug in her hand from spilling.

"All right, that's enough from you two," Menelmirë drawled, plopping down onto the floor by their feet and stretching out his legs. He tapped a nail, meticulously maintained despite his work, against another dangerously full wine glass and raised it above his head. The room quieted. He looked briefly across the room at Mallos, who nodded. "To the Gwaith-i-Mírdain," he said.

Wine glasses and mugs of tea raised around the room, the light from Fëanorian lamps hitting laughing faces. Celebrían leaned into Sirhith, feeling her smile against her own face.

"To the Mírdain!"

It was nearly midnight by the time the house had quieted. Most of the guests had departed; even Menelmirë had reluctantly said farewell to Celebrimbor's First Age wine. "I'm presenting my study on the geologic composition of the Hithaeglir in the morning," he'd said. "You did all say you'd be there, you'll remember.”

Sirhith was leaning drowsily on the arm of the couch, an empty mug on the side table next to her, holding up a creased piece of paper full of sketches and diagrams. Celebrían had stretched out with her head in Sirhith's lap while Thúllindë sat cross-legged at the other end. Dinuial was curled up next to them, nursing a last glass of wine. Thúllindë's eyes were closed serenely, but from the flickering movement of Dinuial's, Celebrían could guess they were still conversing through osanwë.

"And so the fountain will move it?" Mallos asked, returning from the kitchen. He playfully shoved Celebrían's legs out of the way and sprawled out on the sofa between her and Dinuial.

"Yes, I've worked with wind in my sculptures before, but water is a more natural choice for the subject matter" Sirhith said. "I've always wanted to portray Lady Uinen. But her hair, you see, that level of kinetics is difficult to achieve with metals. I'm picturing… filigree segments, but free to rotate in the spray."

Celebrían floated a finger over the charcoal sketches in Sirhith's hand. "Your skills can meet the challenge, melissenya, I'm sure of it."

"You'll have to tell Falmawen," signed Dinuial, setting aside her glass. "She'll be ecstatic."

Muffled scratching noises came from behind the sofa, and Thúllindë opened their eyes as a long-haired cat climbed out beside their head.

"Oh good," Mallos said. "She doesn't like all the guests. Glindú!" He raised a hand and smiled as the cat walked along the back of the couch and pressed her head into his hand.

"But she likes us," Celebrían added smugly with a yawn, throwing a leg back over Mallos, who gave a long-suffering sigh.

"She's fine with a limited number of guests."

"Smart cat," Thúllindë said. Mallos yelped as the creature jumped heavily onto his chest, and quiet laughter filled the room again as Glindú set to kneading his robes.

"Contrary to popular belief," he grumbled, "I am not actually a piece of the furniture."

Dinuial grinned mischievously. "I think you're outvoted," she signed, making a point to lean an arm on him as she stretched out. She twirled one of Thúllindë's long braids in her other hand as they shifted to lean on her shoulder.

"We love you, Mal," Celebrían murmured as her eyes drifted shut, untangling an arm to clumsily pat his head. He snorted. She reached up, twining her fingers with Sirhith's, who folded her sketches and tucked them away to comb her other hand through Celebrían's hair as she leaned down to place a kiss on each of her eyelids.

"I assume we're all staying then?" Sirhith asked sleepily.

"If any of you get up I will be personally offended," Mallos said.

Celebrían heard Thúllindë ask, "How did I let you drag me into this?", followed by a gentle chuckle at Dinuial's response.

“Ah, nonsense, you're better off with us,” yawned Sirhith. “You should sing us something, Lindë.”

“And what would our gracious host request I sing?”

“Some of Din’s verses. I know you've set them to music.” Mallos suggested.

Thúllindë laughed. “I have. Well…”

They started to sing quietly as Celebrían dozed off, and she could swear she could feel Dinuial glowing beside them. She held Sirhith's hand tighter in her own, and in that moment, nothing else mattered.

Celebrían had spent too long uncertain. Legacy and memory had filled her head until she no longer knew who she was. But when the Mírdain, when Celebrimbor, had offered her a chance to forge her own path, she had seized it, her mother's opinion be damned. And that night, with the Mírdain around her, Celebrían knew she was home.

[zepskies]

20 Questions For Fanfic Authors

Thanks @chevroletdean for tagging me! 💜 I think I've done this one a long time ago, but it's cool to see what might've changed for my Ao3 side of things.

1. How many works on AO3?

90 - but there are more on Tumblr due to headcanons and imagines that are difficult for me to transfer over to Ao3 due to the format. Plus, several fics in the Break Me Down-verse that I haven't been able to convert into the OC version. 😮‍💨

2. Total AO3 Word Count?

1,517,325

3. Top 5 fics by Kudos? (Click titles to be linked to the fic!)

Every Loyalty - Jon Snow x OFC (Game of Thrones (TV)) (91,612 words)

Checkerboard - Soldier Boy x Reader (The Boys (TV 2019)) (1,054 words)

And So It Goes - Billy Butcher x OFC (The Boys (TV 2019), The Boys (Comics)) (87,940 words)

Never Say Goodbye - Dean Winchester x Soulmate!Reader (Supernatural (TV 2005)) (71,868 words)

Break Me Down - Soldier Boy x OFC (The Boys (TV 2019), The Boys (Comics)) (99,233 words) **Yes, this is the OFC version^

4. What fandoms do you write for?

Supernatural: Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Castiel (occasionally)

The Boys: Soldier Boy

Big Sky: Beau Arlen

Tracker: Russell Shaw

Dark Angel: Alec McDowell

Smallville: Jason Teague (potentially Clark Kent?)

10 Inch Hero: Boaz Priestly

Dawson's Creek: CJ Braxton

Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit: Aragorn, Eomer, Thranduil (soon), Haldir (soon)

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes! I love and appreciate feedback. That's the whole point of sharing on Tumblr/Ao3 for me.

6. Angstiest Ending?

Ooh, I'm a "happy ending always" kind of writer, even if it was an angsty ride to get there. But If I Stay (Dean W. x plus-sized!reader) probably has the angstiest happy ending so far lol.

7. Fic with the Happiest Ending?

Ooh, again, all my fics have happy endings, but probably Midnight Espresso-verse has one of the fluffiest "happily ever afters" I've ever written. I wanted to give Dean the ending I thought he deserved post-S15 ("fix it").

8. Do you get hate?

Lol occasionally, but most of the time my readers are amazing and kind. 💕

9. Do you write smut?

Oh yes. ❤️‍🔥

10. Do you write crossovers?

No, actually. It's not really my thing, but I've read a couple of good ones!

11. Ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of! *knock on wood*

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Back in my FF.net days growing up, I co-wrote a couple of silly fics with my best friend turned writing partner. 😂 We're still friends to this day, and somehow we both ended up in the same career as well as working on our personal writing. lol

14. All time favorite ship?

Depends on the fandom. I'm more likely to ship an OC with a canon character, but for SPN if I had to pick an OTP it would be Dean x Lisa lol. I thought it was such a shame how the writers tore them apart.

15. WIPs you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

There are a couple of sadly abandoned fics on my Ao3 now that I'm more active in other fandoms, but nothing current that I don't plan to finish.

16. Writing Strengths?

I feel like I'm good at plotting long fics and developing character arcs.

17. Writing Weaknesses?

On the other hand, I'm not good at keeping fics short. 😂 The fun little blurbs that are popular on Tumblr right now? Any time I try to write a one-shot it's almost always 1000 words or more. 🤣

18. Thoughts on mixed language dialogue?

I love it! When people express their culture like that it's always fun. I've tried my hand at it in the Midnight Espresso-verse, and also in Lost in Translation - both feature Latina women of color as the reader.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Oof, Chronicles of Narnia, when I was like 10 years old. 🤣

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

Reeeeally tough question! I'm equally torn between these three series:

Midnight Espresso (Dean x Plus-Sized Latina!reader)

Break Me Down (Soldier Boy x reader)

Smoke Eater (Firefighter!Dean x reader)

No pressure tags: @luci-in-trenchcoats @bettystonewell @rizlowwritessortof and whoever else cross-posts on Tumblr to Ao3!

[redbatchedcumbermayned]

20 questions for writers

I was tagged by @leadflowers. Thank you so much, Ghani <333. And I'm tagging @holylustration @theevilscribbler and @pycnolite

How many works do you have on ao3?

8. I only started writing fanfic in January last year, when a certain Heinrix van Calox stole my heart.

What’s your total ao3 word count?

335,058 words, most of it part of my long fic Much Ado About The Lord Captain

What are your top five fics by kudos?

Much Ado About The Lord Captain - A Comedy of Terrors by a loooooong shot

Snow waits where love is – a RT gift exchange fic

A leap into the void – another RT gift exchange fic

The Observer – an Achilleas x Heinrix fic with an experimental narrator

To be alive beneath cherry blossoms – the companion fic to MAATLC, set more than a decade before the events of the game

What fandoms do you write for?

So far, only the RT fandom, and I can’t imagine branching out much into the world of fanfiction. I’ll return to romance novel writing (and publishing if the agents and my old publishing contacts are willing) with a Gothic romance stealing a certain Interrogator for the plot…

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I love comments, and I love striking up conversations in the comments. I made a few friends over the last year just by chatting to the people commenting on my stuff. And with how rare comments have become, I think engaging with the people who take the time and leave a short message on your writing is important. It's certainly more pleasurable than having to read reviews of your novels where you can’t respond to the author, either because it seems like you are currying favours or picking a fight.

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

Goosh, without going too deep, the ending of MAATLC will probably be very angsty. Otherwise, Even More Ado About the Lord Captain (working title 😉) would have nowhere to go, and the ending of that fic could count as extremely angsty…

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

That depends on where you land with your interpretation of the last chapters of Even More Ado About the Lord Captain (working title 😉) – I consider it a happy ending, but see above.

Beyond that, all my other fics end on a happy note, and since most of my other fics are gift fics, I tailored them to the expectations of my giftee, and none so far wished for a bittersweet or tragic ending.

Do you get hate on fics?

So far, not. I hope it stays that way. I heard about snidey comments through the grapevine, though, but I pity the people who can only hint at stuff and not come out with their opinions. They are inconsequential in the end, as would hate comments be. Hate reading means you still engage with my creative output. 😉

Do you write smut?

Yes. I am a proud smut writer. I am a prolific smut writer. Queen of blowjob descriptions (per my readers). Love me some smut, but I can’t write Porn without Plot or character development. Started the Heinrix wanks in the shower trend 😉

Do you write crossovers?

Nope, and don’t think I’ll ever start.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of…

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Again no. I just know some people use a translator to read my stuff.

Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Another no, but I once considered an epistolary Heinrix x Argenta fic with Aparima until her interests mostly whisked her away from the RT fandom. I still think about that LI Heinrix x Argenta fic fondly…

I would always co-write something with the lovely Holy.

What’s your all time favourite ship?

Heinrix x RT, especially Heinrix x Isha. Before another game romance can swipe me off my feet like that one did, a lot of time will pass.

What’s the wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I hope I finish MAATLC and still have the drive and energy to finish the post-game fic since the ideas are jumbling in my mind no-stop and I must get them out somewhere, but if I’m still as devoted and motivated in a year? Idk

What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue. Emotions. Keeping narrative tension always exactly at the right amount throughout the story. Evocative storytelling through subtle little narrative tricks. Being proficient in a few genres and capable of incorporating them into one long fic. Writing music and dance scenes. Fight and action scenes (I hate them but I write them well).

What are your writing weaknesses?

Perhaps I should employ more vivid imagery for descriptive prose and give more insights into my characters' heads, but then I hate spelling everything that my characters do and think on the page. Perhaps because I enjoy reading dramas and plays more than novels, I let a lot open for interpretation for my readers, perhaps sometimes too much.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

If one is somewhat proficient in that language go ahead otherwise perhaps think again.

First fandom you wrote for?

Rogue Trader

Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

Much Ado About the Lord Captain (Even More Ado will take that spot once it's written).

[bloggerspam]

Stats Game

Rules: Give us the links to your fic with the most hits, second most kudos, third most comments, fourth most bookmarks, fifth most words, and fic with the least words (feel free to interpret however you would like; if not on AO3, can be on Tumblr or FFNET!).

===

thanks for the tag @halfagone 💕💕💕 i miss you and am still shy bc your fics were one of the keystones for getting me into this fandom in the first place!!!

i will be using AO3 numbers for these :)

I am eternally grateful for all the people who like my silly little fics, as a baby fanfic writer i am glad and thankful that my first foray into full fandom was this one!

===

Most Hits

Going Broody - Ah, yes, my Mama Canary AU! funnily enough, my most popular and yet more controversial(?) fic! got quite a few headscatching comments for this one.

Second Most Kudos

Phantom Pups - Writing Danny as Ace the Bathound was a delight and very fun to do! I was still getting the hang of writing full on several part fics--filling out prompts and all that :)

Third Most Comments

Phantom Pains - Villain!Jazz, my magnum opus, my eternally neglected child...this one is still ongoing, and to date is still my whumpiest fic. It truly it an exercise in how traumatized I could make these kids...

Fourth Most Bookmarks

The Trials and Tribulations of Raising a Ghost Boy (And Dating His Ghost Dad) - My Grunkle John AU! I truuuuuly love writing skrunkly Constantine--i really do like dad!constantine, it tickles me so.

Fun Fact: I didn't know what to title this fic, so @haleswallows titled it for me. It got popular on tiktok for a brief second, and they have stated they regret titling it so long, but i quite enjoy it's webcomic/manga-esque title, even if john doesnt technically date clockwork in this one lmao.

To this day, the powerpoints @ashleyreyland made for this fic are still my favorite piece of fanart.

Fifth Most Words

Big Brother, Big Brother - I have never been so gripped by art before, and I was doomed when I caught sight of ashrayus' wonderful art

(i am not close enough with them to tag, and though i highly doubt you havent already seen their art, please go take a look!!)

Murderbros AU was fairly popular in the HHD server, and it was because of them that I even managed to finish it. Fun Fact: the items Damian receives from his siblings are all suggestions from the server!

Least Amount of Words

Technically it is the podfic for one of my fic, but I won't count those and go to the next shortest fic instead.

Blackjack - My one and only Hazbin Hotel fic! I come from a casino family, so I'm particularly enamoured by cards, even if i dont enjoy gambling! I am also a furry, so. Loser, Baby was on my spotify wrapped as my most played song!

Fun Fact: Blackjack is my grandma's favorite game, so everyone in my family knows how to play it in order to play it with her--no matter the age! As long as they can do math they cannot escape :)

If you see this, you're tagged!!!!

I'm actually pleasantly surprised no overlaps happened!!! Have fun ya'll, and please tag me even if you're in a different fandom!!!

I am only active in a few, but I'm a certified lurker in a LOT of others--multifandom girlie over here!

[chromatic-lamina]

20 Questions for Fic Writers!

Thank you for the tags @hyperions-light ❤️

I haven't done one of these for a while. Really, if you want to do this, then please do, and vice versa! (and tag me, if you want to. I'd like to see your answers).

Take note that I've been posting since 2017, so there are a few works up there!

1) How many works do you have on AO3? 85.

2) What’s your total AO3 word count? 791,018 words.

3) What are your top 5 fics by kudos? Hmm, with smut or without? Actually, they are a mix (by kudos).

Dark like the North Blue Sea (aka The Sea-Hill you Die On) (350 kudos), Bioluminescent Hearts (323 kudos), Repossession (mind the tags!) 253 kudos, The sellout (mind the tags!) 237 kudos, the slut's dilemma 220 kudos (really, really, really, really mind the tags, please). I want to put a shout out for number 7: softening the fall of snow with 197 kudos. If I hadn't taken some of my fics off anon, that would be in the top 5.

4) What fandoms do you write for?

Only One Piece.

5) Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Yes! Because I'm so grateful, and it can lead to friendships!

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

Haha, all of them, but they're angsty and then happy (except for the Hurt, NO comfort fics). Maybe softening the fall of snow. But it's still upbeat in its own way. Defects (Marco is immortal, his partners are not)

7) What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Except for the Hurt no Comfort fics, I try to have a form of positive resolution. Maybe Repossession, or Bioluminescent Hearts, or screen / shiki-e. Doctor Death (Doula), despite its premise (actually, because of it). Overlooked and Underpaid is funny, I think, and Sea Hill too. Ooh, I love the ending of Welding (KidLaw)

8) Do you get hate on fics?

I have once or twice, but they were pretty confronting fics. However, they were tagged.

9) Do you write smut? I used to. Not so much any more, or when my mind leads me into darker recesses smut with a capital Dead Dove. However, I have written healthier smut, but yeah, not for a while.

10) Do you write crossovers?

I don't think so. Sometimes some kind of famous fictional world might fit a premise. For example, Taxi  is inspired by Jim Jarmusch's "Night on Earth", but it's not a crossover.

11) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No. I thought a fic had a very similar premise, but what in fanfic doesn't? I asked the writer directly and although our fics had similar premises, mine did not inspire theirs.

12) Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! I've been super lucky to have two of my fics translated into Vietnamese (maybe 3). screen / shiki-e by Dea_Fi screen / shiki-e (my original)

As fast as he could caper by Dea_Fi, As fast as he could caper (my original)

Những điều hư cấu by Dea_Fi (Nuts in a nutshell is the one shot collection's title); Fairy Tales - Law, Germa 66, Montblanc Noland (my original) I've also had two fabulous podcasts done too! [podfic] screen / shiki-e, [screen / shiki-e (my original) ]

[podfic] Overworked and Underpaid by Podfics by (zipcodecrone) , Overlooked and Underpaid (my original [I changed the name]).

13) Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Yes! Last October (2024) I worked with @ninhaoma-ya, @cal-cium-the-nerd and @crowbarsolo on Sunk Cost Fallacy for the davyback fight run by @cyborg-franky

14) What’s your all-time favorite ship? close tie between LawBin and LawZo, I used to write MarLaw, and I'm still fond. I like SmoLaw and KidLawKid. LawSan's great too, but I haven't written them yet. I like Ray and Shakky, Aladine and Praline, Big Mom and Kaidou. Dunno, most ships are fine with me.

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

The last entry for the rare pair month from a few years ago (MarLaw. I have the idea).

16) What are your writing strengths?

I get the job done. Maybe keeping track of an idea.

17) What are your writing weaknesses?

Verbose, even with so few words.

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

I'm guessing this is the honorifics argument. Guess it depends how close you feel to the source material, and what the writer is trying to convey and why.

19) First fandom you wrote for?

One Piece. However, my sister and I did a word for word blow by blow rewrite of the Three Little Pigs when we were little.

20) Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

Maybe I'll do my favourite of last year spilling into this. Decomposers (LawZo), Welding (KidLaw), water fills the shape of the holder  (law/guilt), and it's actually pulled from a much older and longer piece, but Brontë's Ring (mind the tags). I think my all-time recent fave is still in zine jail.

[ladyniniane]

The worst Greek mythology retelling?

Unless you live in a cave (lucky you), you can't have escaped the wave of Greek mythology retellings. Some are bad, some are good and most of them are mediocre. Among those I've read, one was particularly bad and cringe and we are going to dissect it today.

PSA: As you can see, I didn't include the book's title in the post, nor use specific tags. This post is primarily aimed at me and my mutuals. If you disagree, feel free to block me and mask my username. You're the master of your ship and the only one who can curate your internet experience. Rude comments will be sent to the Tartarus blocked. And I mean, you aren't going to change my mind anyway so don't bother trying😎.

Now that we are done, let me introduce you to this book.

I already see some of you in the back rows being like "But Niniane, why did you bother with this? It's obviously going to be bad!". Well, sometimes I need things that are light and easy to read. Everyone needs to turn their brain off from time to time.

And besides, it looked inoffensive. The idea of modern women being isekaied during the Trojan War is fun. As a writer and enjoyer of OC fanfics, I absolutely love new takes and dynamics with existing characters.

Except that...it wasn't fun at all! Let's dive! And I hope you're prepared because it's gonna be a ride.

-So it starts with the goddesses being fed up with the Trojan War and male egos (Lego des Zhommes if you're French). They decide to find a way to stop the war. So far, so good.

-And their solution is to...send modern women back in time. Yeah, because they think that ancient-era women are too weak and meek. Only independent modern women will be able to handle those strong warriors:

"modern mortal women are different from ancient women [...] they're independent and smart and not used to bowing down and taking orders [...] maidens from the ancient world are not equipped to handle such a man, but I know that modern mortal women are different ---stronger, smarter, more independent."

Yes, you've read correctly.

First of all, it reeks of victim-blaming. If the Trojan women had been more assertive, they could have stopped this. It could have prevented them from being raped and enslaved! They just had to lean in and...Stop, stop. And I'm sorry but those ancient women are more equipped with dealing with that sort of men because they live with them every day. Idk the goddesses could have just...empowered the Trojan women so they could resist? Send the Amazons to help (with more success than in the original myths)? Give them a safe place where they could be protected?

-So, anyway, the heroine is transported in the body of a Trojan princess. But there is another problem. The heroine's friend who transmigrates with her is black. And she gets turned into a white woman. The reason? "Jacqueline’s lovely dark skin would be too hard to explain among the golden Greeks"(sic.). Here, we can see that the author didn't bother doing her research. Many stories regarding the Trojan War have an African king come to the Trojans' aid. The ancient world was furthermore interconnected. So yes, it would have been f*cking easy to explain. And to add insult to injury, our black woman turned white becomes the servant of the main character and is treated as her property.

-So anyway, MC becomes Achilles' war prize. And being a war prize is such a cool and fun life! You can wander around the camp, with no fear of being sexually assaulted!

-MC is a therapist and wants to try to help Achilles. She thus practices hypnosis on him and decides to have sex with him while he's still in that state. So, she basically rapes him. The worst thing: she knows it's wrong, but she does it anyway and she isn't sorry.

-Then, Achilles tells the MC that he has frequent bouts of berserk rage and that he even raped a woman. But he didn't mean to do it. Poor meow meow.

Needless to say, I stopped here. This wasn't fun, this was downright insensitive. The ending is predictable: MC ends up with Achilles and MC's best friend with Patroclus because no one can stay single!

Anyway, that was, imo, the worst Greek mythology retelling.