#wrex writes original posts

[soulgalaxywolf]

I want to try this out. I've been struggling for a long time to write because of the process thus described, half-understanding the "just write" tip but at the same time, wanting it to be perfect.

I'm trying this right now, actually. Not good so far, lol, but maybe if I work on it more I can make a drafting language for myself.

Drafting: The Theory of Shitty First Drafts

Writing books often exhort you to “write a shitty first draft,” but I always resisted this advice. After all,

I was already writing shitty drafts, even when I tried to write good ones. Why go out of my way to make them shittier?

A shitty first draft just kicks the can down the road, doesn’t it? Sooner or later, I’d have to write a good draft—why put it off?

If I wrote without judging what I wrote, how would I make any creative choices at all?

That first draft inevitably obscured my original vision, so I wanted it to be at least slightly good.

Writing something shitty meant I was shitty.

So for years, I kept writing careful, cramped, painstaking first drafts—when I managed to write at all. At last, writing became so joyless, so draining, so agonizing for me that I got desperate: I either needed to quit writing altogether or give the shitty-first-draft thing a try.

Turns out everything I believed about drafting was wrong.

For the last six months, I’ve written all my first drafts in full-on don’t-give-a-fuck mode. Here’s what I’ve learned so far:

“Shitty first draft” is a misnomer

A rough draft isn’t just a shitty story, any more than a painter’s preparatory sketch is just a shitty painting. Like a sketch, a draft is its own kind of thing: not a lesser version of the finished story, but a guide for making the finished story.

Once I started thinking of my rough drafts as preparatory sketches, I stopped fretting over how “bad” they were. Is a sketch “bad”? And actually, a rough draft can be beautiful the same way a sketch is beautiful: it has its own messy energy.

Don’t try to do everything at once

People who make complex things need to solve one kind of problem before they can solve others. A painter might need to work out where the big shapes go before they can paint the details. A writer might need to decide what two people are saying to each other before they can describe the light in the room or what those people are doing with their hands.

I’d always embraced this principle up to a point. In the early stages, I’d speculate and daydream and make messy notes. But that freedom would end as soon as I started drafting. When you write a scene, I thought, you have to start with the first word and write the rest in order. Then it dawned on me: nobody would ever see this! I could write the dialogue first and the action later; or the action first and the dialogue later; or some dialogue and action first and then interior monologue later; or I could write the whole thing like I was explaining the plot to my friend over the phone. The draft was just one very long, very detailed note to myself. Not a story, but a preparatory sketch for a story. Why not do it in whatever weird order made sense to me?

Get all your thoughts onto the page

Here’s how I used to write: I’d sit there staring at the screen and I’d think of something—then judge it, reject it, and reach for something else, which I’d most likely reject as well—all without ever fully knowing what those things were. And once you start rejecting thoughts, it’s hard to stop. If you don’t write down the first one, or the second, or the third, eventually your thought-generating mechanism jams up. You become convinced you have no thoughts at all.

When I compare my old drafts with my new ones, the old ones look coherent enough. They’re presentable as stories. But they suck as drafts, because I can’t see myself thinking in them. I have no idea what I wanted that story to be. These drafts are opaque and airless, inscrutable even to me, because a good 90% of what I was thinking while I wrote them never made it onto the page.

These days, most of my thoughts go onto the page, in one form or another. I don’t waste time figuring out how to say something, I just ask, “what are you trying to say here?” and write that down. Because this isn’t a story, it’s a plan for a story, so I just need the words to be clear, not beautiful. The drafts I write now are full of placeholders and weird meta notes, but when I read them, I can see where my mind is going. I can see what I’m trying to do. Consequently, I no longer feel like my drafts obscure my original vision. In fact, their whole purpose is to describe that vision.

Drafts are memos to future-you

To draft effectively, you need a personal drafting style or “language” to communicate with your future self (who is, of course, the author of your second draft). This language needs to record your ideas quickly so it can keep up with the pace of your imagination, but it needs to do so in a form that will make sense to you later. That’s why everyone’s drafts look different: your drafting style has to fit the way your mind works.

I’m still working mine out. Honestly, it might take a while. But recently, I started writing in fragments. That’s just how my mind works: I get pieces of sentences before I understand how to fit them together. Wrestling with syntax was slowing me down, so now I just generate the pieces and save their logical relationships for later. Drafting effectively means learning these things about yourself. And to do that, you can’t get all judgmental. You can’t fret over how you should be writing, you just gotta get it done.

Messy drafts are easier to revise

I find that drafting quickly and messily keeps the story from prematurely “hardening” into a mute, opaque object I’m afraid to change. I no longer do that thing, for instance, where I endlessly polish the first few paragraphs of a draft without moving on. Because how do you polish a bunch of fragments taped together with dashes? A draft that looks patently “unfinished” stays malleable, makes me want to dig my hands in and move stuff around.

You already have ideas

Sitting down to write a story, I used to feel this awful responsibility to create something good. Now I treat drafting simply as documenting ideas I already have—not as creation at all, but as observation and description. I don’t wait around for good words or good ideas. I just skim off whatever’s floating on the surface and write it down. It’s that which allows other, potentially better ideas to surface.

As a younger writer, my misery and frustration perpetuated themselves: suppressing so many thoughts made my writing cramped and inhibited, which convinced me I had no ideas, which made me even more afraid to write lest I discover how empty inside I really was. That was my fear, I guess: if I looked squarely at my innocent, unvetted, unvarnished ideas, I’d see how bad they truly were, and then I’d have to—what, pack up and go home? Never write again? I don’t know. But when I stopped rejecting ideas and started dumping them onto the page, the worst didn’t happen. In fact, it was a huge relief.

Next post: the practice of shitty first drafts

Ask me a question or send me feedback!

[tigereyes45]

20 questions with a Fanfic Author

I got tagged by 3 separate people on 3 different days. XD Thank you for the tags @illegalpaladin , @ncc1701ohno , & @kcscribbler ! 1.How many works on Ao3?

As of right now I have 420 fics posted on Ao3. There will be about 80 if I ever get around to moving the rest of my fics over from ff.net (but I've been saying that I'll do that for years. XD )

Fun fact the last fic I posted was on March 12th, so a day before I got tagged the first time.

2. Total AO3 Word Count?

1,150,568

Wow, I find it hard to believe that I've written that much since first joining in 2015.

3. Top 5 fics by Kudos

Meeting the Team - 426 Kudos - Star Wars

Plo Koon takes a youngling Ahsoka to meet the Wolfpack before they become the squad known by their fierce fighting techniques and unshakable leader. Back when they were first being organized into a lethal force for the Republic.

2. Greed or Fear - 348 kudos - Ducktales (2017)

Donald and Scrooge have a conversation about Louie's own fascination with money.

3. Leaving - 329 kudos - Klaus

Instead of Klaus walking off on his own, Jesper was there to see it. He wasn't about to passively let his best friend disappear, but what could he do anyways.

4. The Calm Before the Storm - 315 kudos - Merlin BBC

Morgana has taken over Camelot with the help of her sister and their undead army. Arthur, Merlin, and the others take shelter within an abandoned castle. There they lick their wounds, and make plans for the fight. Merlin decides now is the best time to reveal a hidden truth.

5. Escaping Death Yet Again - 269 kudos - Mass Effect Original Triology

Wrex was quick to search and recover Shepard. Now he works to keep her survival a secret as his people looked for the Normandy. There's just a few problems with that.

1. The alliance wants her and Hackett suspects she's alive. 2. The mass relays and most of the technology-based around them are no longer functioning. 3. Keeping her alive. Where's Vakarian when he needs him?

4. What fandoms do you write for?

Ao3 has 82 different fandoms listed on my written for list. If I'm not counting the catch all fandom titles (such as Star Trek, or Dragon Age - all media types) then I've written for 73 fandoms. Though I could have messed my numbers out somewhere along the way.

Right now I'm writing a lot for Star Trek (big surprise), Transformers (I adore Ratchet), and Dragon Age (Varric, oh my heart).

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes! For the most part. Sometimes on a multi-chap fic I'll try to wait until I have the next chapter out before responding (kind of serves as a notification method when people aren't bookmarking the story).

6. Angstiest Ending?

Man this is so hard to answer. I write a lot of angst. A lot of character death, and unaddressed feelings. Well dear readers, which fic of mine do you think has the angstiest ending? (I have a feeling it'd be one of the star trek fics. Maybe not but it's a feeling.)

7. Fic with the happiest ending?

Happy ending, what's that? Haha, probably From A Distance's ending. It's a Mass Effect Andromeda (Sara) Ryder/Tiran Kandros fic about the two getting together, and guess what? They actually do! XD No sudden deaths, or unspoken confessions or anything. The two save the day, end up together, and are sappy enough that it truly comes across how the whole pathfinder team is family.

8. Do you get hate?

Yeah. Not as much nowadays but back when I wrote Game of Thrones and Star Wars often, I got a lot. Usually people criticizing me for not editing more, or for posting about a specific ship here and there.

9. Do you write smut?

Once again this timing is funny to me because I only began writing smut a year ago (and only for Star Trek). I actually posted my first smut fic on March 20th, 2024. It was a TOS Mckirk fic that was an AU about if Kirk and co ended up stuck on the Return of the Archons planet. You can read it here:

As Archons

10. Do you write crossovers?

Yes! Not often but I do.

11. Ever had a fic stolen?

Uhhhh, hmm. Not as far as I'm aware. One time I found one of my fics posted on a russian website. They had translated and reposted it but with a link to my original fic, so it didn't bother me. I don't think my stuff has ever been outright stolen.

I prefer if people ask first, of course, but so long as my work is linked and credited I don't really mind if people translate it.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Actually yes! Multiple times! There was the one fic that was translated into Russian, and another when it was translated into Chinese. The russian fic was one of my Game of Thrones fics (if I'm remembering correctly), and the Chinese fic was the first Optiratch transformers fics I ever posted.

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic?

Yes. Though I don't think either of them has ever been published.

14. All time favorite ship?

How could you ask me this? Don't you know this is the hardest question to answer?

Mcspirk, and Varric x Hawke, and Optiratch, and Janeway x Tuvok x T'pel, and Mariner x T'Lyn, and Cassandra x Jenkins, and so many many more. I have a different all time favorite ship for every different series, movie, and book I interact with.

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

I have hope that I'll eventually finish all my WIPs.

16. Writing strengths?

Oh I don't know. I like to think that I'm good at invoking emotions within my fics. At the very least I hope I am.

17. Writing Weaknesses?

I am so bad at switching tenses out of nowhere. I think in all tense forms all the time in my head (and it makes sense to me) so I don't even notice when I do it in fics.

18. Thoughts on mixed language dialogue?

I think when it's done consistently in a way readers can pick up on, then it's great characterization! I don't mind using a translator to know what's being said. However I'll never complain if the author wants to include what the word or dialogue is in the notes.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Oban Star Racers. I wrote 3 fics for this series on ff.net before writing a tmnt 2012 fic.

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

A Scarcity of Comfort is by all measurements my favorite fic that I've ever written. I am still so proud of this fic to this day.

I wrote it after watching Star Trek V - The Final Frontier because I was so upset that it was Sybok who hugged McCoy after the scene about his father. It should have been Jim & Spock.

It's not my most viewed fic, and no where close to being my most commented on, or bookmarked fic, it doesn't even have as many kudos as some of my other star trek fics, but I am so damn proud of it. Probably the best thing I've ever written.

----

I'll tag @nalascat , @fernisworm , @greeneyedwildthing , @yellowmagicalgirl , @jenksel , and @aerialworms in case any of yal wanna do it. :)

[outpost51]

The 51 Post

so. bad week, if the prolonged absence wasn’t enough of a clue. but! i did write a... moderate amount. listen, i've been coping with sims.

Contents:

Things You Might Have Missed

This Week's Jams

WIP Breakdowns

From the Skwad

Around the 'Blr

Things You Might Have Missed

get on my taglists for WIP updates, 51 post, tag games, and ask events!

BRHP: Chapter 17 posted; K A DM O S.

Unlikely Adventures, Ch 2 posted; it’s literally in the blurb but it hurt me to write too

BRHP: Chapter 16 posted; baby's first fight pit, and a family secret is revealed.

Murky Water: the 7th entry into the Lighthouse in the Fog shorts; our new Keeper finds her answers.

This Week's Jams

aliens (porcelain remix) || xylø, porcelain [spotify/youtube]

avoidant attachment || libby larkin [spotify/youtube]

fire fire || flyleaf [spotify/youtube]

no care || daughter [spotify/youtube]

let the flames begin || paramore [spotify/youtube]

devil’s teeth || muddy magnolias [spotify/youtube]

WIP Breakdowns

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

hngggg i am. behind. it’s all outlined but my god i was too tired to write much

Unlikely Adventures of Bitchface and Go F*ck Yourself

[affectionately strangles zadimus]

Blinding Neon, Shades of Grey

[vibrates] hhhhhh i love the orville scene, i forgot how much i love the orville scene, yes i will post the orville scene this week if yall bully me (pls)

Stellar Parallax

elmorise.gif

Lighthouse in the Fog

8th short will be coming out some time tonight or tomorrow, it’s been an uphill battle to write today, anyway things have Developed in a Direction i was not Expecting

In the Works

i have noodled some of those random shuffle prompts. some of you are getting whacked with the emotions stick

From the Skwad

SSSC 006 wrapped up! see the entries here.

@thetrashbagswasteland posted a little too good to be true, a follow up to a little too much like me as their submission for MEBB 2023 and it is rife with snark

speaking of MEBB, @sparatus also published his triumphant return to His Original Bullshit: serpents in the garden and i am living. he also wrote skewed results for FFF208 bc we all need more teia

@uraniumwriting also wrote a submission for FFF208 in which caspian is forced to be a reporter for a day

we have FIVE updates from @teamdilf this week: a sweet piece in which adrien is offered some kittens, ch 20 of in-laws and the grandparents, this drabble that actually ripped my soul out through my eyes, ch 16 of man of many talents, and the first chapter of father, daughter, rocket launchers, and a side of wrex

@bambino1294 dropped the second chapter of upright tower and it was well worth the wait

@equusgirl has given us two more treats for sapphic summer: heaven or hell and if the bird likes it's cage so very much, why is the cage so tightly shut

@commander-krios wrote this squee-worthy despina/theron piece and also this stolen moment between jeff and john

@writernopal wrote a character study with mariel and sartor that i’m still thinking about actually, it’s wild to see how much the characters have developed between the first and third books

@asher-orion-writes posted another installment of fairweather YAY hhhhhh i fucked up and peeked at the last few lines before i read it and now i’m trying to wrap up so i can go eat it

Around the ‘Blr

@tabswrites blessed us with both the second chapter of ascension and chapter 4 of silver sentinels!!!

@vacantgodling’s art comms are open which i will be taking a look at given it does not fall through the holes in my swiss cheese brain, he dropped toph art that i’m OBSESSED with AND a lukewarm rejection sneep bc toph’s bday was the 7th. tell him happy birthday 4 me

bit over a week but i missed it last week — @autumnalwalker announced that the archivist’s journal is COMPLETE, so if you were ever looking for a reason to binge it, now’s the time (the anniversary is july 16th!). find it here @thearchivistsjournal

@captain-kraken dropped a sonhara lore masterpost oh my GOD

screaming crying frothing at the mouth over @liv-is’s fae headshots WOW

@void-botanist gave us the LORE on the revalo tailory & hotel and i will chew off my arm if tumblr doesn’t start giving me gd notifs about this

@artdecosupernova-writing dropped SO MANY shorts this week, so here’s the tag, go nuts; also a post on the planet holeph that i am eating with a spoon

we now have such amazing faces to put with the cast of @elshells’s agent ace (courtesy of @illjustpretend)

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

Outpost Updates Taglist: @tabswrites @writernopal @freedominique @asher-orion-writes @liv-is @starknstarwars @captain-kraken

Ask to +/- in the tags, replies, DMs, or HERE!

[acradelius]

Acradelius "Kinktober" (2022) Masterlist!

(posted from mobile, sorry for the weird format)

As stated above, this is my current Masterlist for this year's Kinktober writing event! Now, because this is my first year participating in Kinktober it's not going to be exactly like the usual Kinktober type of posts. Down below you can find the fandoms and characters that I'm going to be writing about, and then possibly what the story is going to be featuring or focused around. Some are to be determined, as I'm not sure what exactly to write about them. Suggestions are welcome!

(IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ!)

- For those who have noticed, I do have Offenderman from the Creepypasta fandom in this list. I DO NOT USE THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT OF OFFENDERMAN! The version of Offenderman that I use is from my own Marble Hornets/Creepypasta AU where he is a hopeless romantic, he's not in any way his original concept.

- Similar to the point above, The Operator from Marble Hornets is also on this list. I'm not necessarily using the original concept of it/him, more using my own version of him from my Marble Hornets/Creepypasta AU. In this case, yes it/he does resemble Slenderman, but The Operator is more of a parasitic mimic creature that's looking to manipulate and corrupt other beings in order to gain power.

#1 - (Love, Death + Robots) Alpha!Decker x Alpha!Sobieski x Omega!Reader - [Knotting, Mating]

#2 - (Creepypasta) Slenderman - [Spouse Brat Taming?]

#3 - (General) Demon - [TBD]

#4 - (Love, Death + Robots) Sui - [TBD]

#5 - (Creepypasta) Offender - [Simp, Worship]

#6 - (General) Orc - [Mutual Hookup]

#7 - (Far Cry 5) John Seed - [Confessions]

#8 - (Creepypasta) Lui/Sully - [Jealousy, Competition]

#9 - (Mass Effect) Thane Krios - [Cum Competition, Rivalry]

#10 - (SCP) SCP-106 - [TBD]

#11 - (Marble Hornets/Creepypasta AU) "The Operator" - [Corruption]

#12 - (Mass Effect) Urdnot Wrex - [Unrequited Love, Hookup]

#13 - (Dead Space) Regenerator -[Submission Through Overstimulation]

#14 - (SCP) SCP-035 - [Manipulation]

#15 - (Creepypasta) The Bloody Painter - [Love and Paint Birthday Sex]

#16 - (Predator) Yautja - [TBD]

#17 - (Resident Evil) Mr. X - [Sex Replacement]

#18 - (The Evil Within 2) Stefano Valentini - [Looping Sex/Orgasm, Overstimulation]

#19 - (Far Cry 5) Jacob Seed - [Breeding]

#20 - (Dead By Daylight) Oni - [TBD]

#21 - (Mass Effect) Javik - [Breeding, Species Preservation]

#22 - (Mass Effect) Grunt - [Congratulations Sex or "Glad You're Alive" Sex]

#23 - (SCP) SCP-049 - [TBD]

#24 - (Crypt TV) Look-See - [TBD]

#25 - (Far Cry 5) Eli Palmer - (Cucking)

#26 - (Creepypasta) Codi - [Experimental Drugs, Aphrodisiac]

#27 - (Resident Evil) Tyrant 008/013/016 - (Breeding Experiment, Gangbang)

#28 - (Far Cry 5) Joseph Seed - [Vanilla Sex, Praise, Religious Talk]

#29 - (Mass Effect) Garrus Vakarian - [Friends With Benefits, "Cheating"]

#30 - (Resident Evil or Dead By Daylight) Nemesis - [TBD]

#31 - (Mass Effect) Saren Arterius - [Indoctrination, Manipulation]

[alyssalenko]

The Black Ribbon

In honor of Shepard’s favorite holiday, Halloween, she forces the crew of the Normandy into some mandatory downtime post-Saren, before Tali leaves them all to go back to the Flotilla with the data on the geth they collected. Joker decides it’s the perfect time to break out Shepard's favorite story from when she was a child, one she told him when they first met, and uses it to push hers and Kaidan’s relationship out into the open.

Based off ‘The Green Ribbon’, from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY! Also on AO3 if you prefer.

The lights of the Normandy were dimmed, trying to get the human crew members into the Halloween spirit, the flickering candle inside the werewolf pumpkin Shepard had carved cast an eerie glow on the table of the mess. Participation in her favorite holiday had been mandatory—bonding time, she called it. Tali had been the most excited about the prospect of learning about the human holiday; something to maybe take back to the Flotilla when she went back, which would be soon since they’d stopped Saren and she had all the data about the geth incursion in the Armstrong cluster. The Halloween party was their last hurrah as a family. Joker  smiled…they may be rather unconventional, but that’s what they were: a family, and when they’d first started no one but Shepard, could’ve predicted such a thing.

“Tell us a scary human tale, since this is your holiday and all.” Tali sank down in the chair next to Joker.

Garrus shrugged and sat across from them, his brow plates twitching. “I can’t believe you get joy out of scaring yourselves and others. You humans are crazy and the galaxy really should fear you more than they do…”

“I think it’s great! Your species is my favorite.” Wrex boomed.

What story should he tell? At first, Joker had been planning to make one up, when Alyss emerged from her quarters wearing a witch costume: black pointy hat with a moon ribbon, a matching dress with a moon on the belt, matching knee high boots with moons on buckles around her ankles, and a thick black choker around her neck with one last moon, he grinned. He remembered Alyss telling him her favorite scary short story from when she was a kid, and the choker had sparked something in his memory, he’d just change a few details because he could. She didn’t notice him watching as she lifted the brim of her witch hat up to kiss vampyr Kaidan on the cheek before the two of them made their way over, unaware the action had just put Kaidan in the story too.

Joker cleared his throat.

“Once there was a girl named Alyss, she had long, black hair and the most unique lavender eyes anyone had ever seen. She was like all the other girls, except for one thing; she always wore a black ribbon around her neck.”

Alyss grinned as she hopped up on the table, loving that he had made her the protagonist of her favorite story, even if it was supposed to be a green ribbon, not a black one. Several pairs of eyes flicked to the choker around her neck at his words. It hid the hickey Kaidan her given her that morning, even if that hadn’t been the purpose when she’d chosen to be a witch nigh on a week before. She knew what was coming, but she didn’t know if anyone else did, and the fact that Joker seemed to be changing it into ‘friend fiction’ had her more worried than anything else, and she’d fought an indoctrinated machine version of Saren. She bit her lower lip and twirled a strand of black hair around her finger, as Joker continued.

“There was a boy named Kaidan on Alyss’ ship. Kaidan liked Alyss and Alyss liked Kaidan, but it was against the rules for the two of them to fraternize, though that didn’t stop the bond that formed between them, one powerful enough to transcend time and space.”

“I think you might be the number one Shenko shipper on the Normandy, Joker.” Tali teased. “This isn’t scary.”

“It’s more haunting than scary.” Alyss interjected, ignoring the couple name Tali had come up with for her and Kaidan.

“Do you want me to finish the story?” Joker growled under his breath.

“Yes, yes. Sorry. Go on.” Liara giggled.

”One day he asked he asked her, ‘Why do you wear that ribbon all the time?’ 'I can’t tell you.’ Alyss said. But Kaidan kept asking. ‘Why do you wear it?’ And Alyss would say, ‘It’s not important’.”

“If he really liked her he wouldn’t push.” Kaidan muttered.

Liara nodded solemnly in agreement.

“Alyss and Kaidan spent a lot of time together, taking their time to get to know one another, and eventually realized they were head over heels in love. One day they got married and after their wedding, Kaidan once again asked about the black ribbon she always wore. ‘Now that we are married, you must tell me about the black ribbon.’ He said. ‘You still must wait. I will tell you when the right time comes.’ Alyss replied. Years passed, Kaidan and Alyss had three kids, the two of them growing old together, just like they’d promised in their wedding vows. One day, Alyss became very sick, the doctor told her she was dying, that she didn’t have much time left and should say her goodbyes to her beautiful family. Alyss called Kaidan to her side. ‘Kaidan, now I can tell you about the black ribbon. Untie it, and you will see why I couldn’t tell you before.’ she told him, coughing. Slowly and carefully, Kaidan untied the black ribbon around her neck, and Alyss’ head fell off.”

Wrex let out a booming laugh, clapping Joker on the shoulder as Tali’s eyes widened beneath her helmet, everyone turning to look at their commander and her lieutenant who were blushing scarlet at Joker’s conclusion. Even if they had just spent their shore leave in Hawaii together, all their friends knowing about the nature of their relationship by now, that didn’t mean she was ready to broadcast it into all corners of the ship. Joker snorted with laughter at the looks on everyone’s faces; best mandatory bonding ever, and now Alyss knew better than to force everyone to spend time together. Revenge was sweet.

“Shep, what’s under the choker?” Tali asked cautiously.

“Nothing.” Her left hand clapped to the side of her neck, Joker wheezing harder with laughter.

[maranull]

Hi!

Some asks about the WIP thingy!

🎬 What is the fic’s source material and what appealed about it?

👀 Can you give us any sneak peaks?

👷 How has the creation of the story gone so far? Stressful or fun?

🪞 Can you cite any particular examples of the style you’re going for?

Hi!

Bimboooom... You forgot to give me numbers! I'm just gonna use a number generator for each question.

🎬: Got no2 from the generator, which is an rdr2 OC heavy fic called Run. Source material is, well, Red Dead Redemption 2 and also Red Dead Online, since that's where that OC was originally developed. And I love/loved her so much I wanted to explore her background and connection to some of the canon characters. I guess I also really liked the romanticized version of the Wild West. Somehow that fandom (and Rockstar) managed to sour everything. I was in that fandom for like two years and I can only give you... Maybe 3 people that I can vouch are chill.

👀: Generator gave me no5. That's a post-ending, unnamed Mass Effect fic. Here's a peak:

Shepard had overslept more than usual today. She was in a long tank top and shorts, face first into the pillows and covering her head with her arms. Tali went to their wardrobe and changed from her rough garden clothes to a more presentable fit. Tight fit trousers and a ripped human shirt, both in bright white, covered by a thin, light purple robe. Red, elastic rings on her arms, waist and thighs kept the robe from swirling around too much. She posed in the mirror for a bit. It was good. Elegant enough if the Admirals decided to visit, comfortable enough to dodge any baby Krogan that Wrex might bring. Or so she hoped. “Shepard, I know you’re awake,” she said, walking towards the window. A mumbled grunt was her answer. “Wrex will be here in about an hour, Grunt and the rest in a few more.” She took hold of the thick curtains. “And you need to eat before the Urdnots arrive.” Tali threw the curtains wide open, letting the sun attack her wife. “MMMRFFF!” Shepard protested and rolled over, trying to block the rays with her prosthetic right arm.

👷: Generator gave fic no5 again! It's been fun! But I wanted to have it ready for N7 Day of last year, which I failed. Then I said I wanted to have it ready for this year, which I also failed since I haven't touched it since... 7th of January 2022. Ooops :P I can't deal with deadlines man.

🪞: Generator gave no3. That's a Choose Your Own Adventure ace romance with Riven from League of Legends. I can't recall the writing style, but I wanted it to have sort of the vibes of Highway Blossoms and Choice of Robots. A mix of those and my own writing mess.

[ljandersen]

Writing Tag Game

Tagged by @jicklet  Thank you for thinking of me!  This is a fun one.

Tagging:  @ripley95  @rpgwrites  @alphahelices  @shifty-looking-sheep  @laelior  @mallaidhsomo  @ariadnewordweaver  @illusivesoul  @mordinette  @aricazorel  @becauseanders  @a-cosmic-elf  @jedirangerpenguin  @crqstalite  @sundogsandrainbows  @miniature-space-hamster and anyone else who wants to play!  No pressure.  Also, let me know if you prefer I didn’t tag you in games.

How many works do you have on AO3?

Eight  (2 epics, 3 one-shots, 3 multichaper)

What’s your total AO3 word count?

790,059 posted words

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. About Mars (ME3 fShenko, 66k):  157

2. The Favorite (ME1 femShep/Garrus vs femShep/Wrex, 2.5k):  156

3. Sideways (12 years post-war fShenko original series, 379 k, currently posting):  155

4. The Limited Edition Spaceship (ME1 fShenko, 1k): 122

5. Burning Barriers (post-war fShenko original series, 300k):  99

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Of course!  My sole reason for posting fanfic is the interaction.  

Investing energy into a comment and hearing silence is discouraging.  It’s the same discouragement writers feel after investing energy into a story and hearing nothing.  

No one is owed a story, and no one is owed a comment.  But, I think without connecting with other fans through leaving comments and responding to comments, fanfiction wouldn’t exist.  The gift economy would crumble.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

All my stories have happy endings.  The exceptions would probably be “About Horizon” and “About Mars,” because they’re leading into other stories.  

“About Horizon” leads into ME3, where Kaidan and Shepard are at odds (like the game).  “About Mars” ends with Shepard left on the exploding Crucible and the Normandy stranded on an unknown planet (like the game).

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

“Eighteen Years and Five Months.”  It’s my only pure-fluff fic.  It ends with Shepard finding family and home again.

Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

No.  With rare exception, it’s not for me.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

No.  I’ve received concrit, but it wasn’t said with hate or malice.

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

No.  I write love scenes, but they’re not graphic.  

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I’m aware.  That would be like ripping a writer’s heart from their chest.  I can’t imagine anything worse.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

No.  I’ve had a few requests.  While flattered, I'm not interested.  I have reasons, but I won’t go into them here.  I now have a statement on my AO3 profile preemptively clarifying that I don’t want translations of my fics. 

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No.  It could be fun, but I’m not good about dividing myself between projects.

What’s your all-time favorite ship?

FemShep/Kaidan Alenko

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

I only post finished works.  I have some unfinished stories in notebooks.  There’s a ME1 one-shot where Shepard, Garrus, and Kaidan are trapped in the mako as it dangles on the side of a lava tube.  I like it, but there’s an important joke that only works when spoken aloud.  Spelled out on paper, a big part of the story falls flat.  I’ve never finished it for that reason.   

What are your writing strengths?

Banter and plotting.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Prose and action scenes.  Practice, practice, practice.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Generally, I don’t like it. 

If the point of view character knows the language, I prefer it be translated for the reader with a “ . . . the character said in German.”  If the point of view characters doesn’t know the language, I prefer it simply be stated that a character spoke in German.  Body language and tone of voice can hint at what that person means.  

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Mass Effect

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Sideways

[cousinslavellan-archive]

9 for shrios (the writing prompt post!) <3

"I fed your pets while you were away."

[OKAY so I normally write Willow as the cousin of Commander Shepard for everything she's in (and she still is!!) but... this pulled an all new AU into mind and I'm rolling with it so enjoy lmao gjbg. He never actually says the prompt line but ah well. This got kinda long cough. ]

"Welcome aboard the new Normandy, Commander Shepard. I'm specialist Traynor."

Willow flinches at the title, covering it with a half-grin-half-grimace that she hopes is convincing.

She'd gotten used to playing pretend, before being locked away for six months, but now - in the face of this new Normandy, this new crew, Alliance colours splayed everywhere, she feels that façade breaking.

Cerberus had been easy - they'd needed her skill-set and experience, her biotics and ability to lead - most importantly, they'd needed her face, needed her to be the Shepard that had been lost, to be the ghost returned from the grave.

They'd needed Arisa, but in the face of her death, they'd settled for Willow.

Only those who had been close to the original Shepard knew - Anderson knows, but had kept his mouth shut out of respect for both of them.

Joker and Tali and Garrus and Wrex all know, but - luckily - they'd been friendly with Willow, too, and followed her through the impossible task of defeating the Collectors - somehow, somehow making it through with everyone alive.

Only people she trusts implicitly know the truth: know that Arisa Shepard, the Hero of the Citadel, had died in space.

Know that the Ghost walking amongst them is no ghost at all, but her cousin - a cousin lucky enough to share similar skillsets and looks, easily explained away by Cerberus rebuilt me, things aren't... quite right.

Doctor Chakwas knows. As does Mordin Solus. And so does-

"-you'll be happy to see that your fish are happy and healthy, Commander, as is your hamster."

Willow tunes back in with a startled blink, lips pressing together in surprise at the news. "They are?"

"Yes! To be honest, your hamster, um, got loose for a while... I couldn't for the life of me catch him. But then he reappeared in his cage, healthy as ever."

Willow hums, amused despite her nerves - even managing an almost full smile as she steps out of the elevator onto her cabins deck, "Boo is a quick little bugger when he wants to be. Who caught him?"

"The same person who's been looking after your fish, actually! He's been quite helpful, though he avoids most of the crew." Traynor's grin widens, "EDI says he's always been like that, though, so I didn't worry."

Willows hand freezes inches from the door lock, her heart thumping violently. "He?"

"Specialist Traynor, you have an urgent call in the CIC." EDI's voice rings through the deck, making the dark haired woman jump to attention.

"Apologizes, Commander, I'll see you later! Take some time to get settled in - we'll alert you as soon as we've arrived at the Citadel."

Willow says nothing - only waits until she's alone to find the spot where she knows EDI's camera is, glaring. "EDI, what the hell is going on?"

"Something good, Shepard." the AI sounds as calm and collected as always, though there almost seems to be a giddy lilt to the words, "Welcome back to the Normandy."

Willow stares the AI down for another moment, skeptic, before she palms the door lock and takes a breath, slowly entering the space.

It looks the same as it had before she'd turned it over to the Alliance - even the model ships she'd painstakingly recovered in an attempt to mimic Arisa are still in their places.

The fish tanks glow blue in the semi-dark space, the little creatures swimming happily - and Boo pops his head out of his burrow when she steps close, chittering at her.

It's at once comforting and disconcerting, to be back in this space, to see it still preserved despite everything else being different. This space that should have been hers...

"Hey, Boo." Willow whispers, pressing her fingers to the glass wall of the cage and smiling when the hamster comes up to chitter at her, "Glad to see you're doing okay, buddy."

"He was notoriously difficult to catch, I must admit - we are lucky that he likes me, Siha."

Willow's back snaps straight at the familiar voice, gaze sweeping over the lower area of the room even as she turns to head down the stairs, heart thumping.

And there he is, like he'd materialized out of thin air - standing at the bottom of the stairs with his hands clasped behind his back, forever calm and collected - mouth pulled in the softest of smiles as he watches her.

"Thane!"

She's down the stairs and in his arms in a moment, her own wrapped tight around him and her face buried in his shoulder as she clings to him.

She hears him mumble Siha into her hair, one of his hands smoothing over her back while the other keeps her tucked close against him - and she only presses closer, feeling relieved for the first time since fleeing Earth earlier that day.

Then Willow yanks backwards, staring at him intently, "Your surgery. Did it...?"

Thane's expression shifts from startled to smug almost instantly, his hand finding hers to bring it to his chest - slipping beneath the loose fabric of the shirt he'd worn, so different from his usual clothes, feeling the line of uneven scales beneath.

"The transplant was successful, Siha. The Keprals is gone." he lifts her hand then, holding her gaze as he presses his lips to her knuckles, "And you?"

Willow smiles, though it's a bit strained. "The AEND is cured, thanks to Mordin and Miranda - but I'm not back at 100% yet. The damn Reapers cut my recovery short." she takes his other hand in hers, mimicking him and pressing kisses to his fused knuckles, "Not that the Alliance knows any of that, of course."

"Of course not. And they will never know." Thane drops her hand to slip his arm back around her waist, drawing her in against him, "You have my arm, Siha, and the rest of me as well. You need only say the word."

"What would I do without you?" Willow sighs, allowing herself to be drawn in, a thought striking her just before he bends, "Thank you for feeding my pets, by the way."

"Think nothing of it." Thane tilts her head with a gentle hand on her chin, dark eyes capturing her attention as he leans closer, "I have missed you, Willow."

She responds with a sigh, eyes fluttering closed as he kisses her.

[annoyed-galaxy]

Mass Effect 2 Post Credits

Been meaning to write some post credit stuff for Mass Effect 2 because it left me feeling a lot of things, but I was so excited to start Mass Effect 3 that I waited for a while.

Apologies if this is bad and all over the place, I did write this while slightly tired and then proofread while even more tired. Either way, it was something for me, I just wanted to share it cause I'm in Mass Effect hell.

There wasn’t much time left. She knew that. Looking at the datapad was not helping her rising anxiety and stress. Harbinger was coming. And with him would be the hundreds, no, thousands of Reapers hidden in dark space. She wondered how much time they had after she destroyed the Alpha Relay. When she destroyed it, there was less than an hour before the Reapers would have arrived. It wouldn’t be long before they reached the first system in the galaxy.

Lyris tried going over all the information they had gathered from the Collectors, Saren, the geth, and Sovereign up to this point. The only thing she knew is that there wasn’t much time left, and if the Council was still acting up, no one would believe her until the Reapers had officially arrived.

The door to her cabin opened and she looked over the datapad to see Garrus entering. He was shaking his head slowly, almost as if he was disappointed. His mandibles moving to the side, though, indicated that he was simply chuckling at Lyris. “How did I know you would be up here scouring over that damn datapad,” he teased, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Lyris saw worry in his eyes.

She looked back at the datapad. “We don’t have much time left before the Reapers come. I was trying to gather everything we knew about them to see what we could do in preparation but...”

Garrus sighed. “From one problem to the next. Shepard, do you never take a break?”

“How the hell can I possibly take a break Garrus? The existence of the galaxy, of life as we know it is at stake,” she responded, her voice low and annoyed, but Garrus could tell she was scared.

“We literally just destroyed the Collector base and everyone is downstairs celebrating and you’re up here sulking over the Reapers.” Garrus looked up at her and she was pretty sure it was concern on his face as he spoke. “One night to celebrate your victory won’t kill you, I promise. You are stressing yourself out too much.”

Lyris sighed. “I appreciate the concern, Garrus, but someone needs to figure this shit out.” She went to look back at the datapad, but gasped when it was snatched from her hand. She looked up to see Garrus turning the datapad off and then setting it on her desk.

“Have you looked in the mirror recently?” he asked, looking down at the desk, his dual tone sad.

Lyris tilted her head to the side. “No. Why?”

Garrus came back to the bed and sat closer to her. He ran a finger alongside her cheek. “Chakwas said the more stress you put yourself under, the deeper your scars would get. Shepard...your scars cover the majority of your face now. When we met back on Omega, they were barely there.” He sounded so sad. Worried.

Her heart lurched.

Take care of yourself after I’m gone, okay Lyris?

The voice of her dead wife had managed to come back through Garrus’s words and actions. She leaned into his hand and closed her eyes. He was right. She knew she needed rest, a break, a chance to celebrate this massive victory...but with the Reapers so close...

“Shepard.”

She opened her eyes in time to see Garrus lean forward. She didn’t need to know what he was asking for as she leaned her forehead against his.

“I know you want to stop the Reapers. I know you want to save people. But please...you can’t do that if you overwork yourself from stress.” His voice was so soft and gentle. In his dual-tone, she could have sworn she heard Gwen’s voice too. Lyris reached out and buried her face into his neck. The sobs began to rack her body even as he held her tight. She was afraid. Stressed out. Overworked. She often asked herself why the universe put her in this position. Why was she the one who made it out of Torfan alive and not Gwen? Why did Cerberus have to bring her back?

Garrus moved around a bit so that they were laying down in a more comfortable position, Lyris still in his arms and silently crying. He rubbed her back, but said nothing. He had done enough research to know that sometimes, a human just needed someone else to be there, holding on to them. After a couple minutes, Lyris’s tears dried up. She felt at peace in the turian’s arms, something she never thought would happen before. She snorted at the thought.

“If my dad saw me now, he would shit bricks.” Her voice cracked, raspy and dry from her crying.

“Why’s that?” Garrus asked, looking down at her. Her eyes met his and she smiled.

“In the arms of a turian. He would never approve.” Lyris traced a finger over the scar covering Garrus’s mandible. “His dad fought in the First Contact War. Had a lot of bad blood between turians and put those thoughts and emotions on his son. So naturally, my dad grew up disliking them, along with other aliens. He tried to get me to do the same, but my mom always told me it was up to me to form my opinion of other species, but I should at least do it when I meet them.”

Garrus’s mandibles stretched out as he chuckled. “Well I hope I have given a good impression.”

Lyris chuckled back. “You wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t.” She placed a small kiss on his scarred mandible and then sat up. “You know...if my dad was still alive, I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw him working with Cerberus. He and the Illusive Man share a lot of common ideas.”

Garrus sat up with her and watched as she wrung her hands together. “Like what?”

“Believing humanity is the ultimate race. My dad thought that humanity shouldn’t be treated the way we were when first coming into galactic civilization. The Illusive Man would have agreed and then said that humans need to take over,” Lyris scoffed. “Extremist bastards. Racist dickheads. That’s the very reason I refused to hand over the Collector base to the Illusive Man. Even if I did think the knowledge or technology in there could have been useful, he doesn’t deserve it. He would only do bad with it.”

Garrus crossed his arms and leaned back against the pillows. “If you could have kept all that information, all that technology, but for yourself, would you?”

Lyris looked back at him. “No.”

“Not even if it improved the chances of winning against the Reapers?”

She shifted so she could look at him straight on with a glare. “I’m smart enough to know not to fuck with unknown technology. That tech is probably thousands of years old. At least fifty-thousand years old if the Prothean-Collector theory is correct. No one single species, let alone person, should have access to that. It’s too dangerous. Plus, not to mention the risk of leaving that base there, waiting for someone to possibly interfere and take it away. Even if it would improve our chances against the Reapers, I would not risk it. Because the Reapers probably know more about it than I would have ever gotten the chance to learn.”

Garrus nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer. “I just wanted to check. See where your head was at. I, for one, am extremely glad you blew it to hell and back. A part of me was a little afraid you would try to keep it if it meant an advantage against the Reapers.” Garrus put a hand on Lyris’s shoulder as she looked down in shame. “I’ve seen you do a lot, Shepard. I know you want to win against the Reapers. If the Illusive Man wasn’t around, I had wondered what you would have done to that base.”

“Even without the Illusive Man, I would’ve destroyed it.”

Garrus patted her. “Good.”

Lyris snorted. “Did you know that humans used to hate each other based on the color of our skin?”

Garrus tilted his head. “What?”

“I read about our history some time ago during school back on Mindoir. About a century ago, humans were having fights against each other because some people were darker than others. The dark-skinned people would be called names, treated badly, and even killed with no justice served.”

Garrus looked shocked. “That’s...that’s absurd!”

Lyris laughed. “Yeah especially looking at life today. I guess once we found out about aliens, we finally had something bigger than ourselves to fight. The color of our skin compared nothing to the spiky, scaly, tall, and blue aliens we saw.” Lyris looked up at the viewport above her bed, showing the stars zooming by. “Suddenly, we were no longer the only ones in the universe. We united. But those prejudices still carried onto the alien races. Some people don’t like the aliens simply because they’re aliens. Some people don’t like the aliens because they’re afraid. Some don’t like aliens cause they’re weird looking. Others just think that humanity should be the best. My dad and the Illusive Man are those types of people.

My mom and a friend of mine were the exact opposite. Even though my dad tried to get me to agree with his feelings about aliens, my mom was always there to clear my mind...told me not to form an opinion without meeting an alien. So I was always open-minded. I think it’s the reason I was so willing to invite you, Tali, Wrex, and Liara onto the original Normandy. Who was I to judge you guys for your race? We all had the same goal.” Lyris looked back at Garrus. “And that’s the type of thinking that we need the most in the galaxy. Unity. Of all species. Because the Reapers won’t discriminate by skin color, or if one species has scales or not. And that’s why, the Illusive Man can piss off.”

One mandible swung out to the side, showing Garrus’s version of a smirk. “I take it this is your resignation for Cerberus?”

Lyris rolled her eyes. “I was never working with them, Garrus. They gave me resources and I used that to my advantage. The Illusive Man let me do this mission freely. Maybe that was his mistake, not putting any sort of leash on me, but now he can’t do shit.”

Garrus nodded happily. “Damn straight. Now,” Garrus moved off the bed and extended his hand to Lyris. “You seem to have gotten a lot off your chest. You should join the rest of us downstairs for celebration.”

Lyris’s eyebrows raised up in surprise. “I-” She felt better. Much better. She had cried, ranted, and vented to him and now she felt...loose. Distracted. Garrus managed to get her mind away from Reapers and to something else. He broke her worried focus. Damn she was gonna miss him. She knew she wouldn’t have long before she had to turn herself into the Alliance for the Alpha Relay incident. So why worry about the Reapers when that situation was nearer.

She put her hand in his and let him pull her to her feet. She smiled up at him and then pulled him down for a kiss. He couldn’t really kiss back, but he did wrap his arms around her. “Thank you Garrus,” she whispered, butting her head against his. “You always know how to make me feel better.”

He chuckled, a low rumble in his chest. “I’ve noticed, you just need someone to talk to at times. You seemed lonely when we were fighting Saren, like you held a lot to yourself.”

“You’re right. I was lonely. I was still trying to get back from a lot of trauma...I think...when I died and came back, I let go of those old chains of my past holding me down.” Lyris pulled back, rubbing a thumb across his scarred mandible. “I’m just happy that you’ve been by my side for so long.”

Garrus leaned into her hand. “I always have your back.”

For once in her tiring life, Lyris Shepard took a nice break, celebrating her crazy victory with the people she had started to consider friends - no, family. Drinks were passed around and memories shared. They had all went to the galactic core, blew up the Collector base, and then came back unscathed.

Reapers would be no problem.

[shifty-looking-sheep]

A, B, N, U for the fandom meme?

Thank you for the ask! I love these questions, but they were still tough!

A - Your current OTP(s)/OT3(s)/OTX(s)

F!Shenko is my jam ❤ Kaidan Alenko is my favourite LI in anything, and the fanfiction and fanart has just solidified that. I’m also partial to some Alistair x Warden (Tabris) action from Dragon Age Origins.

B - A pairing you initially didn’t consider but someone changed your mind

I think you already name-checked @ripley95 for her amazing fic ‘Keeping up Appearances’ and how it introduced you to Shackett - I’m exactly the same, and now I have a planet-sized crush on our grizzled Admiral :D

I’m also currently obsessed with all things Supergiant Games, and playing Hades A LOT. I initially shipped Zagreus and Dusa, but the fanart and fan discussions have warmed me to Zagreus and Thanatos as a pair.

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice): This one’s such a tough one, because I’m sure I’ll thinl of a better answer as soon as I’ve posted it! My main fandom is Mass Effect, and one of the things I love about this little corner of the fandom that I’ve wandered into in the last 6 months is how lovely everyone is, and how different perspectives are welcomed. However, if I have to pick out three things I’d like more of:

more compassion towards the Virmire ‘sacrifice’. I’ve never seen it on Tumblr, but each ‘I can’t wait to leave boring Kaidan/racist Ashley on Virmire’ post I see on FB hurts my soul a tiny bit. I love both of them, and think they are both wonderfully interesting characters in-game and especially in fan fiction.

more fics entirely focused on a platonic relationship between two minor characters. There’s plenty out there already, and I’m absolutely eating them up, but I want them to keep coming. (My ideal fic would be the mass effect equivalent of the Dr Who episode ‘Blink’ , where the main characters are there doing their thing in the background, but minor characters are at the fore). I want to know about Dr Chakwas and Engineer Adam’s quiet meal and bottle of brandy that they shared while the young’uns were at the Citadel DLC party, or Maelon and Eve’s conversations in the Tuchanka lab. I think I just need to find them.

this one might be controversial, but Shepard being entirely emotionally stable... that might not sound like an interesting character to write about, but sometimes I read mass effect fanfic and find each character to be so well realised and recognisable APART from Shepard. I enjoy all our flawed Shepard characters now, but initially I found them a little jarring. I haven’t yet read a fic that had a Shepard with the same calm certainty that I always imagined she had... I think in my headcanon I gloss over quite a lot of evidence to the contrary, but I see her as emotionally intelligent and stable, so I’m interested to see if that can actually be interestingly pulled off in a fic.

U - 5 favorite characters from 5 different fandoms: YES!!!

Urdnot Wrex - Mass Effect (yup, even more than Kaidan. I love that adorable battle toad)

Alistair Theirin - Dragon Age

GLaDOS - Portal (I love me a murderous robot. See also: HK-47 from SWKOTOR)

Leia - Star Wars. She reminds me that my childhood princesses grew up to become generals

Batou - Ghost in the Shell (very similar energy to Wrex I think)

[wrex-writes]

Stories are like pancakes

Look, your writing doesn’t say anything about you.

I mean, it comes from you. But whether you write something good or something bad, it doesn’t mean anything. A story isn’t a sign. It doesn’t prove your talent or lack thereof.

A story is something you make, not something you are.

To return to a metaphor I used once: think about making pancakes. Sometimes you turn out an A+ pancake, and sometimes you burn the shit out of one. You make another one, they all go in the pile, and there’s always someone who enjoys the burnt ones. You would never take a single pancake and say it alone represents your pancake-making talent forever, or that it reveals how smart, interesting, or lovable you are. We can’t judge your soul by a pancake. It’s made of batter.

And someone always eats the burnt ones. 

[crackinglamb]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Mass Effect Trilogy Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian, Female Shepard & Urdnot Wrex Characters: Female Shepard (Mass Effect), Garrus Vakarian, Urdnot Wrex, Original Turian Character(s), Original Asari Character(s), Original Salarian Character(s), Original Human Character(s) Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Destroy Ending, Everybody Lives, Swearing, Alcohol, Humor, Drunken Shenanigans, A Cameo By Everyone's Favorite Primarch Summary:

No, really, humans are just like that.

Humans are incorrigible and unstoppable, as the Council races have discovered. Hilarity ensues.

 Beta'd by Iron_Angel.

@amorphousturtle, @helila and @theuselesspotoo, thank you for basically writing this thing and letting me turn it into a fic!

[theoriginalladya]

curious about your shepshep fic, what was your favorite part to write? :)

Ohhhhhh!!!  Thank you so much for asking about ShepShep!

Hmm.  Let me see if I can explain this in a way that makes sense. (pardon the momentary digression!)  

You see, the original concept of ShepShep came about quite unexpectedly and was really my first deviation from in-game romances in my writing.  I was excited at the thought of having two Shepards who were married, trying to work their way through the adventures we see in game, how that would affect them and their relationship together as well as with the crew, etc.

Sadly, around the same time that concept started to take shape, my own marriage started to fall apart.  By the time I started writing them together, I realized that things were going to take a different turn.  At first, I was angry - I’d wanted to write something happy, positive, hopeful.  But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I could still get that out of the stories I wrote for them.  The more I wrote, the easier it was for me to cope in my own life.  Writing them has become therapy for me, and although the idea behind it (divorce) isn’t all that great, the entire process has been a good one if you look at the overall picture.

So, with that said, and this may sound a bit weird, the answre is: two chapters in Destiny’s Hand (ME2).  Chapter 47: Look Good for Dead and Chapter 54: Through the Looking Glass.  

In Chapter 47, Jane is on Tuchanka and she and Wrex end up having a heart-to-heart conversation.  As you might expect, conversations with Wrex tend to be ... different?  But in the end, and despite some of their differences in the past (thinking Noveria in particular), he is there 100% supporting her.  It’s the first moment it really sinks in for Jane that she isn’t in the whole thing - the divorce, the Collectors, the Reapers, etc. - all by herself.  Wrex is the first one who really brings that home.  I love how that chapter turned out and some of the banter (outside of game dialogue that got used) evolved. 

In Chapter 54, another moment of understanding hits Jane.  This is post-Pragia, and Jane goes down to talk to Jack about what happened.  During their conversation, Jane makes a comment - it’s one I realized as I went through my divorce:

“Being angry all the time is fucking exhausting, don’t you think?”

The end result of the conversation is that Jack promises to ‘be angry’ (at John) on Jane’s behalf so Jane doesn’t have to be and that takes a HUGE weight off of Jane’s shoulders.  She can go back to focusing on the mission instead of the disaster that is her personal life.  That moment came about because as I went through my own personal problems, I realized it was far easier for me to cope with what was happening and focus on the important things (like our son) when I didn’t have to spend every minute of every fucking day being angry at my Ex.  I had friends and family who did that for me.  As a result, life became easier to live.  

So, yeah, those are my two favorite parts - outside of the fact I LOVE writing them at any stage of their relationship!  Their honeymoon fic on Elysium was a really fun one.  Their antics as kids on the Einstein are always a joy to write!  I’m sure if I thought about it, I could find numerous favorite parts - including some upcoming moments in Destiny’s Fate! lol  

Thank you for asking about them!  I love these two so much, despite the hell they go through!  I’m tickled that so many others enjoy them as well!

[alyssalenko]

Writing Game

Tagged by my darlings @pikapeppa @illusivesoul and @himluv! Thanks this was so much fun! I will tag @starsandskies @hunnybadgerv @bardofheartdive @foofyschmoofer @shretl @swaps55 @forlornmelody @obvidalous @ooachilliaoo @randomlygeneratedstring and anyone else who wants to play!

How many works do you have on AO3? 212 (lots of oneshots)

What’s your total AO3 word count? Hoo boy. Umm...625700

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

5. 104 Kudos - A Debt to be Repaid (Femshep/Urdnot Wrex Smut): Wrex and Shepard have a bet to see who comes out on top in the Armax Arena, and as the loser Wrex decides on a different form of payment, one Shepard can't say no to...

4. 118 Kudos - Fling? (Sis!Ryder/Liam Kosta Smut): Liam and (Alexis) Ryder are both trying to cope with the Kett and their exaltation and are driven into each other's arms for a distraction.

3. 119 Kudos - Most Eligible Soldier (Femshep/Urdnot Wrex Smut): After taking down the Thresher Maw for Grunt's Rite of Passage, Wrex and Shepard decide that life is too short and that there is something they need to try before life (or in her case, death) get in the way again.

2. 146 Kudos - 30 Day NSFW Challenge--Mass Effect (Multiple Pairings Smut): Thirty days of NSFW prompts for all different Femshep pairings that I started to get out of my comfort zone, and get better at writing smut.

1. 155 Kudos - Dearest (Sis!Ryder/Jaal Ama Darav Smut): An expanded version of the Jaal romance scene on Aya, where he and Ryder have a lovely date that ends with love and feelings being pushed into the open and sex.

Do you respond to comments, why or why not? I respond to every single comment, even though sometimes it takes me a couple days. I looooooOOOOoove comments and people gushing over my fics. Everyone is always so kind and I wish I could bask in the glow of their happy forever, because someone took time out of their day to read something I wrote, got all the way to the end and wanted to tell me how much they loved it. It doesn't get better than that.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending? Okay. So first things first, I actually do not write much angst as I am a perfectionist and if I'm not making myself cry while writing it, what's the point? Second the angstiest ending? Not beginning? Dammit. That would be "Hello Again" for the prompt fill 'Hello Again' in which Avitus wakes up from a dream of happier times with Macen, times before Andromeda...

If you do want the angstiest beginning in which I tried to smooth it over with some smut "Until the Stars Crumble" is the one you want. A sad post-war moment for Shakarian I originally wrote for @briarfox13 in which Garrus has a recording of Shepard's last goodbye programmed into the Shepard VI and he's having trouble moving on.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending? Most of them 😆 but it is probably a toss up.

The first one would be 'Masquerade' in which Hawke has both twins alive since Celeste Hawke is a mage specializing in the spirit healing and lightning (she can use the other elements, just really loves lightning) and she shocked Bethany's heart like a defibrillator and healed all her wounds after the ogre attack. And she and Anders are happily living together secretly in Orlais and no one knows where they are since he blew up Kirkwall's Chantry.

And the second one would be 'Heaven' which sees Thane alive and well because Shepard gave him one of the tech laced lungs that Cerberus gave her. Thane, Taye and Kolyat are just a happy little family enjoying their time post Reaper War together, Thane loving how she and his son get along, Kolyat actually liking his Dad's girlfriend and Thane realizes he never wants to be without her and pops the question.

Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the strangest one you’ve written? I haven't actually written a true crossover, rather I have borrowed the universe I wanted and played in it--Underworld, The Lake House, and Miraculous Ladybug/Superman are my only ones. I'm not sure I consider any of them strange.

Oh wait. I lied I have a Mass Effect/Galavant crossover drabble. That one is the weirdest one for sure. XD

'Claimed' is my Underworld inspired Vampyr/Lycan Shenko AU/world crossover where humans have discovered the existence of supernatural beings and have risen up to take down this imposing threat, but the supernatural beings aren’t going down without a fight. Plus a Vampyr and a Werewolf just happen to be soulmates. ;)

'The Normandy' is my Lake House Shenko AU/world crossover where, incidentally, I had Kaidan as Kate and Alyss as Alex; the names just happened to match up. This time, Shepard had to wait two years to see Kaidan again, and their reunion is smutty and emotional.

And the Miraculous Ladybug/Superman AU/world crossover is also Shenko (I may have a problem) and has two parts due to my brain never working in a chronological order of events. Part one 'Alter Ego' has two (more to come) biotic-wielding, crime-fighting superheroes, who fall in love along the way, and are stuck in a love square between themselves and their secret identities. Part two 'Brainwashed' comes far later in the story and will eventually make it into the main story (Alter Ego) but it may take me a while to get there as I am stalled on all my long fics at the moment--hence all the oneshots. I did the prompts Brainwashed and turned against each other, and “I thought I lost you.”

Have you ever received hate on a fic? Nope. Everyone is so kind and encouraging, it warms my heart.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Only all the time--I'm not the Smut Queen for nothing. All the porn with feelings all the time. I have written so much smut at this point I have a list of new scenarios to try because it has been feeling a little stale lately. I will try almost anything--but I do have limits. XD

Have you ever had a fic translated? No :(

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I'm aware of.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? A few actually. The best thing about a co-author is you not only have a constant sounding board for all your ideas, you have a built in beta/editor to catch things you missed and I have to admit it's really nice.

What’s your all-time favorite ship? Ooh. That is a hard one as I have written so many. But you know what? Aric Jorgan/FemTrooper and Kaidan Alenko/Femshep. They are all soldiers so they just get each other and Aric and Kaidan don't push to complicate the chain of command and always want to know if they are going too far or getting their signals mixed up. And boy howdy is consent sexy. ;)

What are your writing strengths? Well I am definitely good at smut. It's my favorite thing. Fluff and dialogue and keeping people in character are some other ones. I am apparently good at angst even if I don't write it often.

What are your writing weaknesses? ACTION. Like ugh. And humor because I am apparently Satan. XD

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? Honestly I try to avoid it as I really only speak one language (English). Like I speak a little Spanish but not enough. When I do use a different language (so far it's only been Spanish, Catharese, and Elvhen[Dalish]) I either try to translate it tastefully in the fic or leave a note at the end. But thanks to those dedicated fans or Star Wars and Dragon Age who made translators so I can generally get my point across.

What was the first fandom you wrote for? Honestly, I don't know if it was 'D.N.Angel' or 'Magical x Miracle' both of them were in 7th grade (2002) but I don't know which came first.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Oooh probably 'Can't Stand It'. I get to explore the Trooper/Aric relationship. I get to have them be professional and flirty and badass and watch them fall head over heels in live while realizing they were destined to be lifemates. And it brings me so much joy.

[barbariccia]

Shepard: Not everyone has a happy family life.

Ashley: No, I guess not.

CHRIST i’m glad we get the option to shut that shit down right away, because that’s just so loaded with so much bullshit it’s leaking at the edges, honestly.

[deep breath]

post-mission thoughts aside, ash has some... feelings she wants to share about the people we’re working with.

Ashley: With all due respect, Commander, should they have full access to the ship?

Shepard: You don’t trust their motives because they’re not human.

Ashley: This is the most advanced ship in the Alliance Navy. I don’t think we should give them free reign to poke around the vital systems. Engines. Sensors. Weapons.

Shepard: You don’t trust the Alliance’s allies?

Ashley: I’m not sure I’d call the Council races allies.

(worth noting that ash occupies the same area that wrex and garrus are in. this isn’t a private conversation and i’ll never stop laughing about that.)

so, blatant misogyny in the fandom aside, i think this is a key point where a lot of people decide they don’t like ashley and write her off. and, controversially, i don’t think ash is wrong here to bring this up! yes, the galactic community is very mixed, and there are no ongoing wars (aside from smaller conflicts ongoing, like the geth and the quarians, and every minor tussle krogans get themselves into), but this is still a military ship, and it’s sensitive information we have going around here!

she does elaborate immediately, and she has a very good point about the things she says.

she goes on to mention that her family for at least the last three generations have been in the Alliance military, but she announces it in such a way that genuinely makes me wince. “It’s not racism. Not really.” it isn’t exactly racism, because she seems pretty ready to acknowledge that that hypothetical reaction can be held by absolutely anyone - including humans toward species we’re more familiar with - but it is prejudiced, and she holds those very specific views for a very specific reason that she isn’t ready to share with us yet. shepard asks why she holds that idea, and she brings up her family; when shep asks if they’d have heard of anyone in her family, she brushes it aside very quickly and changes the topic.

the topic change brings us to the next point of conflict - she’s gunnery chief (an unrealistic position for a woman of 25 to hold, but that’s beside the point at this stage), but always been groundside despite requesting different shifts. shepard notices that right away, because her “record is spotless, and [her] technical scores are exemplary”... but once again, she brushes it off without addressing it even face-on. we remind her that we’re a crew no matter our origins, and she agrees that working with non-humans won’t be a problem - she just wanted to air her concerns, which we’ve now heard.

without delving into the whys of it too much for now, because they’ll be revealed later in her friendship route, i think it’s a real shame that people have this initial conversation with her and walk away feeling like she’s not a good person for, in my opinion, perfectly justified concerns. hell, she’s not even the only one of the crew to hold those concerns - pressly feels the same way about having aliens aboard!

in the last 24 hours, discussing ashley with a couple of different people, i’ve had two completely different viewpoints shared with me.

(”him” being jenkins, the redshirt from the mission to eden prime.)

which... sure, isn’t representative of everyone within the mass effect fandom, but definitely highlights an initial polarising view of a well done character. more than anything, i’m actually really glad bioware gave these concerns to a female character, allowing her to be abrasive and have opinions that other people don’t like - it’s just a shame that the reaction has been as quick to judge rather than look past and accept, as with other characters.

wonder why.

🙃

[ao3feed-shakarian]

Waiting

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3djcQnm

by ThatWildWolf

As we all know, the ending of ME3 majorly sucked. And so I have decided to write myself a good one—without the Catalyst AI at all, keeping with the tone of the Citadel DLC. This piece was written to go with my fanart series on tumblr. This is going to be kind of chaotic, like drabbles. Not much of a linear story here, more like snippets showing Cassidy Shepard recovering from her injuries. Includes some Post-Coma!Shepard and a lot of Shakarian. (I swear to God, I can write, I just suck at summaries.)

Words: 686, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Mass Effect Trilogy

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M, Multi, Other

Characters: Liara T'Soni, Female Shepard (Mass Effect), Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, Hannah Shepard, Garrus Vakarian, Solana Vakarian, Castis Vakarian, Ashley Williams, Jeff "Joker" Moreau, Kolyat Krios, Jack | Subject Zero, Original Male Turian Character(s), Original Male Quarian Character(s), Original Female Quarian Character(s), Urdnot Wrex, Urdnot Bakara | Eve, Grunt (Mass Effect), Steven Hackett, Karin Chakwas, Samara (Mass Effect), Samantha Traynor, EDI (Mass Effect)

Relationships: Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian, Original Female Human Character(s)/Original Male Turian Character(s), Tali'Zorah nar Rayya/Original Male Character(s)

Additional Tags: Coma, Hospitalization, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-War, Friendship, Team as Family, Family, Interspecies Romance, Romance, Rebuilding, Hopeful Ending, Back to Earth, Paragon Shepard (Mass Effect), Established Shepard/Garrus Vakarian, Feel-good, Shepard (Mass Effect) has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Moving On, Physical Disability, Amputee!Shepard

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3djcQnm