#2022 fic goals

[lewishamiltonstuff]

I want to know what special prayer he said because imma need it to pass the exams I'll be going through in a month

[morporkian-cryptid]

How the HELL did I manage to complete FOUR NaNoWriMos (50k ie 1666 words/day) in the past??? I wrote all morning today and only amounted to 1400 words???????

[flyinghigh-fallingfast]

I’m so into Hendo and Bellingham’s relationship it’s insane

[satashiiwrites]

November writing priorities

PSA: I’m waaaay overbooked until mid January. Writing updates are going to be sparse on the ground through the new year and I’m going to be very intermittently present.

Finish Eddie Diaz Ain’t ‘Fraid of No Ghosts. It should have already been done!

Chapter of:

Death, Rebirth and the Jackal

Promise Me You Won’t Let Me (2 ish chapters left in total)

To Catch a Fallen Star

Family, Familia, ‘Ohana or Cartel Boss chapter

To Follow

Bound by Blood (one shot)

[klcthebookworm]

2022 My Year In Fic

2022 Fiction Word Count:

478128 / 177267 words. 270% done!

Insights To Not Forget: Narrowing my focus to one WIP per month the whole month before going to another WIP gave me results I am proud of. Proud enough to use this prioritizing against in 2023. Look, I finally managed to cross-post old stories at Ao3, which I have been planning on doing for years, but this is the first year I have managed any headway on doing it.

Stories I Posted at Ao3 Finally:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bloodlines: The Turtles are used to being blamed for the crimes they stop in the Big Apple. But they aren't murderers--despite what Chief Sterns says. And the quest to clear their names is complicated by the arrival of the victim's younger siblings needing protection from the Shredder. Takes place about ten months after the present day parts of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ronin: Three years after Bloodlines, Allie's beginning college coincides with the appearance of a new vigilante on the streets. The Turtles name her the Ronin, but is she really master-less or is her hatred for the Shredder an Oscar-winning performance?

Wars Are Won By Those Who Dare: Family, Friends, and Foes: Val Tech discovers the Turtles and now they're on the run. But things really explode once they reach Chicago. A crossover with Biker Mice From Mars. This story takes place in 1995, one week after Wars Are Won By Those Who Dare: Reunions and three months after Oroku Nagi's death in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ronin.

Tin Man: Dragons and Ninjas: Five months after the Eclipse, Longcoat attacks and dragon sightings terrorize the population, so DG and her companions set out to save the O.Z. again and cross paths with a Slipper on a mission of his own.

Tin Man: Where Did That Come From: How did Glitch and Cain get to the Sorceress' Tower so quickly?

Tin Man: Don't Know What the Other Hands Are Doing: What happened to Airofday when the Longcoats dragged her away?

Tin Man: Victory Ball: None of this was worth a lousy medal.

A Mist of Prophecies: A Storm of Things Forseen: Queen Titania has a mission for Cassandra that can bring the halfling gargoyle to a clan that will accept what she is. But can Cassandra trust the Queen that destroyed everything she knew?

A Mist of Prophecies: Shivers the Heart to Hear: Every sorcerer's apprentice has to learn not to mix magics. Now is Angela's turn.

A Mist of Prophecies: The Party: A Gargoyles: TimeDancer Fanfic. Brooklyn and Sata find themselves in the future, just in time for the MidSummer's Eve party given by some members of the Manhattan Clan. Members they have never met before. Well, all except one.

A Mist of Prophecies: Regrets: What compelled the trickster Puck to create the role of Owen Burnett? Second place winner in the 2001 Gathering's Writing Contest, Category: Pucking Around.

Wars Are Won By Those Who Dare: Shatter Your Illusions: Limburger is scheming, the Biker Mice are thwarting, and a new player is riding into Chicago--on a Martian bike. What do you believe and who can you trust? This story takes place in 1995, a few months after "Once Upon a Time on Mars." It is the first story in Wars Are Won By Those Who Dare series.

Wars Are Won By Those Who Dare: Put Me Back Together: Now that Throttle has lost Carbine, he feels that he has nothing left. Can Charley help him realize who still cares for him? Or will Limburger's goons confirm Throttle's worst fear? This story takes place in 1995, three weeks after Shatter Your Illusions.

Wars Are Won By Those Who Dare: Reunions: Limburger's latest attempt to kill the Biker Mice results in transporting the bros and Charley to the Olympian Fury, a refugee ship reported destroyed during the Martian-Plutarkian War. But this new hope for the future is dashed by a threat worse than the Plutarkians. This story takes place in 1995, one week after Put Me Back Together.

Wars Are Won By Those Who Dare: Let Us Give Thanks: Sparks wanting to celebrate Thanksgiving sets off a mystery from Charley's past. Can the Biker Mice find the answers? Fifth in the Wars Are Won by Those Who Dare series. This story takes place in November 1995, five months after Wars Are Won By Those Who Dare: Family, Friends, and Foes.

Wars Are Won By Those Who Dare: Turbo: Turbo arrives in Chicago, and secrets Throttle has kept buried for most of his life now threaten Charley. Sixth in the Wars Are Won By Those Who Dare series. This story takes place in May 1996, six months after Let Us Give Thanks.

Evil Jack: Domestic Bliss: Charley is married to Jack, and they have a four-year-old daughter. But why can't Charley remember anything from the past four years? And why do three bikers keep following her? First in the Evil Jack series. This story is set in 1996.

Evil Jack: In Sickness: Hannah is in the hospital with an unknown disease. How can Throttle save her from that? Sequel to Evil Jack: Domestic Bliss. This story is set in 1997.

Evil Jack: For Worse: Jack returns to Chicago determined to use Charley and Throttle's drunken mistake to destroy the Biker Mice. Third in the Evil Jack series. This story is set in 1997.

Tin Man: Not His Kink: Zero knew her weakness. And he would make her help torture Cain. She wouldn't let herself cry. She had to get Cain out of this. This wasn't his kink.

Stories I Posted:

Nothing new this year. Oops.

Stories I Finished:

Star Wars: Rescue the Farmboy: Mission on Mimban: Word count = 61,382 (8093 written in 2019 + 14,789 written in 2020 + 22,252 written in 2021 + 16,248). So it took many more months than I initally planned on, but the first draft was finished on November 19, 2022.

Trigun 3 Outline Word Count = 157,526 (83,769 written in 2021 + 73,757). This is the longest and most detailed outline I have ever created and I finally finished it on October 24, 2022. It is practically a first draft of the future novel, and has the heft of words to be a novel. I don't think I will copy this method in future outlines. I'd rather have the words in something closer to publication. But it might happen again.

Stories I Didn't Finish:

Strix: Forget the Sun: Word count = 51,890 (26,588 written previously + 4279 written in 2019 + 279 written in 2020 + 15,328 written in 2021 + 5416). I had a breakthrough on why this novel is so hard to write: all my characters are separate and doing things by themselves. I had set aside April, June, and November to work only on this novel and could barely work on it in June and November. I'm only planning to give it one month in 2023. And I hope I get more of the characters together so it's not as hard to write.

Trigun: Three of a Kind: Word count = 20,838. I started the novel from Trigun 3 Outline after I finished Mission on Mimban's first draft. While December 2022 was set aside to work on Zackverse projects and I forgot to continue uploading my older works to Ao3, I discovered its website is not playing nicely with IT settings at my paying job which makes it so hard to edit saved drafts. I needed something else to do and this is the story not leaving me alone.

What I Think About My Stories:

My favorite story this year: Judging from how easy the words are coming, Trigun: Three of a Kind.

Story most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion: Strix: Forget the Sun.

Most fun story: Trigun: Three of a Kind.

Stories I wrote that I never thought I'd write: Trigun: Three of a Kind.

Hardest story to write: Strix: Forget the Sun. Every word is precious but I really shot myself in the foot separating all the characters like I have. That was real plotting fail.

Biggest disappointment: That it took three months to finish Star Wars: Mission on Mimban's first draft. I thought I'd get more Star Wars projects done this year but not with how long I took on this one story.

Biggest surprise: How well the monthly focus kept me on track with everything.

What's your favorite piece of dialogue you wrote this year? From Trigun: Three of a Kind

And just when he thought he had failed protecting the sandsteamer, failed saving the insurance girls from the hostage situation the other passengers and crew were in, up they popped to stop Brilliant Dynamite Neon from shooting him. Introducing herself with that insurance society’s name and giving herself an outlaw moniker. And she had surprised him again by getting under his duster after the duel while he was distracted trying to encourage Kaite to do the right thing over his transmitters. Vash had reared back and smashed his head against a wall. “I do not paw you!” “Permission granted to paw if I’m bleeding out!” Meryl yelled back.

What's your favorite piece of description or narration you wrote this year? From Rescue the Farmboy: Mission on Mimban:

Obi-Wan peeled the one on her stomach free. Charred flesh pulled off the unconscious young woman with it causing the slash to ooze blood. The separation of her tissue didn’t go deep but it looked excruciating. Obi-Wan frowned. Both Luke and Mara were proficient enough with a lightsaber to avoid self-inflicted wounds like this. And Luke would not strike Mara.

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would, less, or about what you predicted? For starters, let's subtract the Library totals from my word count of the year. Library total = 346,120. 2022 total words = 478,128. So brand new words = 132,008. That is only 74% of my 2022 goal of 177,267, which is not a disappointment at all! But here's hoping I can get more words next year that equals finished project.

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them? I don't know if the focus on one thing a month was a risk, but it did help. I got to projects that I have planned to do but never had reached time to work on them because everything else is more important. So eventually I will get backlog done! I think I managed more days of writing than previous years, but I will track this next year to find out.

Number of Days I Wrote or Edited: 311 days.

Number of Days Meeting or Exceeding the daily 600 word count: 113 days.

Did you meet last year's goals? Wow, I am so bad at guessing how much I can get done in any time frame. So very bad. The goals from my 2022 one-page business plan are: Spend one month on a writing project instead of doing the juggling thing. If I finish one early, then I'll figure out what to do next. These projects are going into the Weekly Planner that I look at every day so I don't forget as well as the one-page business plan.

January = Trigun 3 Outline. 29 days only working on Trigun 3 Outline, the beginning of the month was shared with writing 2021 My Year in Fic.

February = Star Wars: Mission on Mimban. 25 days only working on Mission on Mimban. Nothing else grabbed my attention that month.

March = BookWorm's Library Update. My mother had a heart attack and I had dental implant surgery, but I still managed to focus this month on a revamp of my website, which hadn't been updated since 2017. That's how many years updates had fallen off the To Do list. And yes, I had put it on there to do. I probably put it on the My Years in Fic for those years too.

April = Strix: Forget the Sun. 23 days working on this novel. I found a problem in the outlined plot and spent the first week fixing that. Then tried to split my attention between this novel and Trigun 3 Outline by the end of the month.

May = Zackverse Upload to Ao3. Started with the stories in the Zackverse that I have already written and then kept going to everything I have written. Got 11 stories uploaded. Also kept working on Trigun 3 Outline during this month.

June = Strix: Forget the Sun. Only 13 days of the month that I worked on this novel. 27 days were spent working on Trigun 3 Outline.

July = BookWorm's Library Update. This July was a mess. I did work on updates that I didn't get finished in March, but I was rear-ended commuting to work on the 7th, my three nine-week-old void babies made it to my house on the 23rd, then I tested positive for Covid on the 25th and promptly forgot to upload all the updates I had made on the Library files. I also worked on Trigun 3 Outline 27 days.

August = Star Wars. I thought I would be done with Mission on Mimban by this month when I set up this plan last year. I hadn't and then I only spent 16 days on it, compared to 19 days on Trigun 3 Outline.

September = Trigun. Oh look the month I was supposed to work on Trigun and no other projects stole my attention the entire month. 26 days of work on Trigun 3 Outline.

October = Star Wars. I was so close to reaching the end of Trigun 3 Outline I just kept working on it until it was done on the 24th. The last seven days of October were spent on just Mission on Mimban.

November = Strix: Forget the Sun. Since I was so close to the end of Mission on Mimban, I kept going until I finished it on the 19th. Then I picked up Strix: Forget the Sun and finally realized how hard it was writing the character's scene when he was all solo and how I had done that to all the characters in it. I finally reached the end of that scene and then had a plumbing crisis on the 28th - 29th. I started updating Ao3 on the 29th while waiting on plumbers and continued with that, as well as starting Trigun: Three of a Kind on the 30th.

December = Zackverse. I see now that I was supposed to start working on a Zackverse story, but I thought this was just more uploading instead since I still had old stories that need to go up. I could only upload and tweak the stories to Ao3 on the weekends when I was home, so I had to have something else to work on while at the paying job. I continued on with Trigun: Three of a Kind.

See how much I put under each of these categories? The goals from my 2021 one-page business plan are:

Make real progress on the Strix series

April, June, November: Finish Strix: Forget the Sun's first draft = still not finished

April, June, November: Edit Strix: Forget the Sun to second draft

April, June, November: Finish Strix: Forget the Sun's third draft

April, June, November: Send Strix: Forget the Sun to a developmental editor

Progress on Star Wars fanfics

February, August, October: Finish Rescue the Farmboy: Mission on Mimban's first draft = finished

February, August, October: Edit Rescue the Farm: Mission on Mimban to second draft

February, August, October: Send Rescue the Farm: Mission on Mimban to beta reader

February, August, October: Finish Rescue the Farm: Mission on Mimban third draft

February, August, October: Edit Sororal Lineality: Miha to second draft = finished

February, August, October: Send Sororal Lineality: Miha to beta reader = finished

February, August, October: Finish Sororal Lineality: Miha third draft

February, August, October: Edit Sororal Lineality: Plans and High Command to second draft

February, August, October: Send Sororal Lineality: Plans and High Command to beta reader

February, August, October: Edit Sororal Lineality: Plans and High Command to third draft

February, August, October: Finish Rescue the Farmboy: Extrication first draft

February, August, October: Finish Sororal Lineality: Kyber first draft

February, August, October: Outline Everybody Lives But Maul story

Writing Trigun

January, September: Finish Trigun 3 Crossover Outline = finished

January, September: Finish Trigun 1 Outline = didn't go back to this one

Writing Zackverse

December: Work on Hyrueliana's overhaul = forgot to do this

Post regularly to Intentionally Left Blank, Dreamwidth, Discipline Under Fire, and Tumblr Random Thoughts = Do once a week = this doesn't happen so I really need to rethink this one

BookWorm's Library website maintenance

March, July: Make sure the software is up to date

March, July: Add any files that need adding = did this once

Add Media Center to BookWorm's Library = this section is now in the Library

March, July: Create section

March, July: Make artwork

March, July: Code section

march, July: Upload files

Add more fanfics to AO3

May: Upload Zackverse in story order = Zackverse what I have finished is uploaded

Upload Rescue the Farmboy: Mission on Mimban third draft

Upload Sororal Lineality: Miha third draft after Mission on Mimban

Upload Sororal Lineality: Plans and High Command third draft

Other publishing

March, July: Upload Rescue the Farmboy: Liberation to the Library

March, July: Upload Rescue the Farmboy: One More Service to the Library

March, July: Post Star Wars: Unexpected Consequences to Library = done

March, July: Upload Looking For Home: My Home Is You to the Library = done

March, July: Upload Looking For Home: Outcast to Library = done

March, July Upload Sororal Lineality: MJ-0002 to the Library

March, July: Upload Sororal Lineality: Aftermath to the Library

March, July: Upload Sororal Lineality: Miha

Update FF.net profile of where newer stories are now

My daily writing plans to help the above list of goals get done:

Write 600 daily words. Can be split among stories. = The yearly goal was 177,267 that I reached on March 16, 2022. The Library files are what got me there that quickly.

Write and edit every day. = 311 days out of 365. 85% of the year.

Work in meditation time with Brain FM. = I still need to do more with meditation and the focus music options. My word amounts do go up more when I do use focus.

Use my Kanban Flow checklist consistently. = Oh no, I forgot about the checklists again. I have to do some work that my checklists are too much for one person and find a realistic solution for this.

Don't let chores pile up. = Which is related to the checklist problem I need to solve.

Do you have any goals for the coming year? I'd like to finish up some of the listed drafts so the list looks much more managable after next year. Here's how I'm going to break down 2023:

January = Ao3 Upload / Trigun: Three of Kind since I can't do the uploads at the paying job I'm pretty sure I will have more left to finish

February = BookWorm's Library update

March = Star Wars projects

April = Zackverse projects

May = Biker Mice From Mars projects

June = Trigun: Three of a Kind

July = Ao3 Upload / Trigun: Three of a Kind

August = BookWorm Library's update

September = Star Wars projects

October = Biker Mice From Mars projects

November = Strix: Forget the Sun

December = Trigun: Three of a Kind

This list has more under each category than I will get to in a year, but I didn't want to take a chance of forgetting what to do next. (Where the hell does this fear come from?) The goals from my 2023 one-page business plan are:

Writing Strix series

November: Finish Strix: Forget the Sun's first draft

November: Edit Strix: Forget the Sun to second draft

November: Finish Strix: Forget the Sun's third draft

November: Send Strix: Forget the Sun to a developmental editor

Writing Star Wars fanfics

March, September: Edit Rescue the Farm: Mission on Mimban to second draft

March, September: Send Rescue the Farm: Mission on Mimban to beta reader

March, September: Finish Rescue the Farm: Mission on Mimban third draft

March, September: Finish Sororal Lineality: Miha third draft

March, September: Edit Sororal Lineality: Plans and High Command to second draft

March, September: Send Sororal Lineality: Plans and High Command to beta reader

March, September: Edit Sororal Lineality: Plans and High Command to third draft

March, September: Finish Rescue the Farmboy: Extrication first draft

March, September: Finish Sororal Lineality: Kyber first draft

March, September: Outline Everybody Lives But Maul story

Writing Trigun fanfics

January, June, July, December: Finish Trigun: Three of a Kind first draft

January, June, July, December: Edit Trigun: Three of a Kind to second draft

January, June, July, December: Send Trigun: Three of a Kind to beta

January, June, July, December: Edit Trigun: Three of a Kind to third draft

Writing Zackverse

April: Work on Hyrueliana's overhaul

Writing Biker Mice From Mars fanfics

May, October: Find Wars Are Won series notes and see if stories can be consolidated

May, October: Finish next Wars Are Won story to first draft

May, October: Finish Evil Jack: Till Death Do We Part to first draft

Post regularly to Intentionally Left Blank, Dreamwidth, Discipline Under Fire, and Tumblr Random Thoughts = Do once a month

BookWorm's Library website maintenance

February, August: Make sure the software is up to date

February, August: Add any files that need adding

Add more fanfics to AO3

January, July: Upload twelve already published stories

January, July: Upload Rescue the Farmboy: Mission on Mimban third draft

January, July: Upload Sororal Lineality: Miha third draft next

January, July: Upload Sororal Lineality: Plans and High Command third draft after Mission on Mimban

Other publishing

February, August: Upload Rescue the Farmboy: Liberation to the Library

February, August: Upload Rescue the Farmboy: One More Service to the Library

February, August: Upload Sororal Lineality: MJ-0002 to the Library

February, August: Upload Sororal Lineality: Aftermath to the Library

February, August: Upload Sororal Lineality: Miha to the Library

February, August: Upload Rescue the Farmboy: Mission on Mimban to the Library

Update FF.net profile of where newer stories are now

My daily writing plans to help the above list of goals get done:

Write 600 daily words. Can be split among stories. The yearly goal is 478,128.

Write and edit every day.

Work in meditation time with Brain FM.

Figure out how to keep the house clean.

Figure out the house remodel.

Here's to 2023. We'll get through all this together.

[galaxythreads]

WRITING GOALS OF DECEMBER (posting this for myself) 

YSFSLWFTCA chpt 13  ✅️

Igniting Fire chpt 7  ✅️

Igniting Fire chpt 8  ✅️

Criminal Minds One-shot Thing  ✅️

YSFSLWFTCA chpt 14 (?) (maybe) 

5 pgs in Spector, Spector

5 pgs in DMBLLIA chpt 3

[countthelions]

I posted 5,355 times in 2022

That's 1,367 more posts than 2021!

347 posts created (6%)

5,008 posts reblogged (94%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@plantpretender

@silverskye13

@egglands-worst

@thecindercrow

@random-hamster

I tagged 5,206 of my posts in 2022

Only 3% of my posts had no tags

#undertale - 1,098 posts

#art - 461 posts

#gaster - 387 posts

#deltarune - 226 posts

#hermitcraft - 215 posts

#grillby - 184 posts

#grillster - 150 posts

#writing ref - 115 posts

#critical role - 111 posts

#yeehaw - 103 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#writing: because of my last job going till 3am if i was particularly buzzed on an idea i'd write when i'd get home on my phone sooooo 4/5ish

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

I want to sit and knit while I read a fic and unfortunately the fic I want to read is MINE AND ITS A WIP

118 notes - Posted January 26, 2022

#4

week three of [grillstertember] and with the AU prompt, of course I had to go with my OG boys from [casting rain by @silverskye13], the fic that made me fall so deeply in love with these two as characters [please open in full view!]

136 notes - Posted September 18, 2022

#3

joining in on @chrisrin lil trafficsona idea

Rainydays joins in on a LL world, growing most of the food for the entire server in an effort to survive a little while longer. No need to add a heart to their ensemble; their nose works well for that! they go full covered outlaw the more nervous they are [and the fewer lives they’ve got] to look more intimidating. they’re the boogeyman once, and it doesn’t go very well for anyone involved - but it was cool af

144 notes - Posted July 23, 2022

#2

Plops down in my cowboy field and fills my hat with pretty rocks and flowers

156 notes - Posted August 29, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

See the full post

386 notes - Posted January 6, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[weedsinavacantlot]

Guys holy shit. Pacific rim.

[hot-cocoa-addict]

nanowrimo 2022

hi i just wanted to announce that i wrote a lot of words. i cannot remember if i even mentioned that consequences started as a nano project and was supposed to be just 50k words (that did not happen lmao). more details under the cut as i’m writing this at 12:30 am after an 8k day and so i’m just gonna word vomit about this

okay, so, for starters this is my third nano year ever and in a row. i have actually won both years previously, but always with a very desperate last push to get over the line and usually just barely before midnight. there was a rush to update with 10 minutes left on the clock here in the PNW, but not to hit 50k.

i hit 50k all the way back on the 18th of november, and in the 12 days after that i nearly doubled my word count and my goal. i hit my three highest single day word counts this year, that being: 6,130 words on the 1st; 7,306 on the 28th; and 8,087 words yesterday on the 30th. i went into this year’s nano with three goals in mind. One, and most importantly: get the fucking consequences rewrite started because i did NOT handwrite around 17k words over the month of october for my damn story outline only to not go anywhere. Two: hit 50k this year and continue my winning streak. Three, if possible: get every badge on a project for the first time by writing at least 1667 words every day. i did all three

this was not easy. i was really lucky to a) have the musical i’m in be pushed back from opening in the first week of december to opening the the second weekend of january. if this had not happened i would have been writing through tech week and as a lead in the show i’m in i simply would have not had the time. b) had very light workloads in all of my classes and my creative writing class being dedicated solely to working on nanowrimo. no my teacher does not know i wrote fanfiction and no she does not get to know. c) had a ton of support from the two local regions whose borders i technically straddle. it’s a whole thing i’m not getting into because i am not telling a bunch of internet strangers where i live, sorry guys :( this was a really long post ik but i just needed to vomit it out somewhere because i feel like this is an accomplishment worth sharing? also i’m really sorry to announce that chapter 3 ain’t going up until i finish chapter 4 and although i promise i’m really close to finishing chapter 4 i’m not letting myself touch it for the next few days. actually that brings me to another point i’m sorry this is all stream of consciousness and i cannot be effed to edit it right now but! most surprising thing of overachieving this hard?? i actually really want to write right now and am likely going to have to actively force myself to take a break for at least the next day or so. i’m not proud of everything i wrote this month but i wrote a lot that i am proud of and everything that’s on my doc feels good to me right now. For anyone else who did NaNoWriMo this year and actually read to the end of the post, I have one last heartfelt message to y’all. No matter who you are, no matter where you come from or what you do, no matter what goal you started out the month with and no matter whether it changed or not. No matter if you wrote 1k, 10k, 25k, 50k or even beyond that, you did it. You got through November. You got through NaNoWriMo. You wrote words that no one else could have, You created something else no one could have. Whatever you wrote is uniquely yours, and you took a first step that so many people never took just by writing your story down. Whether you finished your story or, like me, still have a long ways to go from where you are now, you did something beautiful and so very impressive. And if there is no one else in your life who appreciates your accomplishments, then know that I do. The first draft might suck, but that’s okay! Twice now I’ve completely thrown away my previous year’s draft; only now that I am on a third year with a third draft do I feel this that my story is actually close to about as good as it’ll get. It may take you many more drafts than me to find the version of your story you like best, but know that there will always be people out there looking forward to reading what you write. for anyone else who read this far i love you <3 (platonically) and i want you to know that even if you don’t write, if you create anything so much of what i said can apply to you too (the broad points, not the specific stuff about writing). creation of any kind is beautiful and incredible. and for any non-creative types who see this, don’t worry! you’re wonderful and have your own place in this world of ours. i really wish i had more to say to y’all who don’t do nano but im very sleepy and, again, am coming off of an 8k day already so my brain is kinda empty rn ngl. i’m gonna get this tagged and go to bed now as i’m finishing this post at about 1:00 am my time and may or may not have school in the morning if it snows again

[radioactive-earthshine]

Writing tips for long fics that helped me that no one asked for.

1.) Don't actually delete content from your WIP unless it is minor editing - instead cut it and put it in a secondary document. If you're omitting paragraphs of content, dialog, a whole scene you might find a better place for it later and having it readily available can really save time. Sometimes your idea was fantastic, but it just wasn't in the right spot.

2.) Stuck with wording the action? Just write the dialog then revisit it later.

3.) Stuck on the whole scene? Skip it and write the next one.

4.) Write on literally any other color than a white background. It just works. (I use black)

5.) If you have a beta, while they are beta-ing have them read your fic out loud. Yes, I know a lot of betas/writers do not have the luxury of face-timing or have the opportunity to do this due to time constraints etc but reading your fic out loud can catch some very awkward phrasing that otherwise might be missed. If you don't have a beta, you read it out loud to yourself. Throw some passion into your dialog, you might find a better way to word it if it sounds stuffy or weird.

6.) The moment you have an idea, write it down. If you don't have paper or a pen, EMAIL it to yourself or put it in a draft etc etc. I have sent myself dozens of ideas while laying down before sleep that I 10/10 forgot the next morning but had emailed them to myself and got to implement them.

7.) Remember - hits/likes/kudos/comments are not reflective of the quality of your fic or your ability to write. Most people just don't comment - even if they say they do, they don't, even if they preach all day about commenting, they don't, even if they are a very popular blog that passionately reminds people to comment - they don't comment (I know this personally). Even if your fic brought tears to their eyes and it haunted them for weeks and they printed it out and sent it to their friends they just don't comment. You just have to accept it. That being said - comment on the fic you're reading now, just do it, if you're 'shy' and that's why you don't comment the more you comment the better you'll get at it. Just do it.

8.) Remove unrealistic daily word count goals from your routine. I've seen people stress 1500 - 2000 words a day and if they don't reach that they feel like a failure and they get discouraged. This is ridiculous. Write when you can, but remove absurd goals. My average is 500 words a day in combination with a 40 hour a week job and I have written over 200k words from 2022-2023.

9.) There are dozens of ways to do an outline from precise analytical deconstruction that goes scene by scene to the minimalist bullet point list - it doesn't matter which one you use just have some sort of direction. A partial outline is better than no outline.

10.) Write for yourself, not for others. Write the fic you know no one is going to read. Write the fic that sounds ridiculous. You will be so happy you put it out in the world and there will be people who will be glad it exists.

[lunarblue21]

I wrote a record 1, 407 426 words today on L23 and L24! I am doing simultaneous work on both chapters because I am having "how do I divide up this chapter (L23) appropriately" issues because it's 5k+ already and my last scenes featuring Diego and how he survived in IA1 are erm... going a bit long. Oops. And if I put the 1k Diego's recalled to life stuff in L23 it might be 6k-7k+ so welp D:

And I still haven't figured out how these last two chapters of Lacrimosa should go, fudge. D: Spoilers under the cut because I really like how this part turned out!

Diego turned his paws towards the exit of Half Peak and lifted his head. He had a new day, a new life ahead of him - it was time for him to take it. 

He kept walking, stumbling now and then sometimes as he struggled to regain his motor functions, on the road that led to Glacier Pass. This road that led to his herd… 

Sometimes, his anxiety overwhelmed him and he’d break into a shambling run, before panting to a stop and reluctantly deciding he should walk, limping, following his way home. Home. With his herd, with his two brothers he’d found and chosen for himself. He liked the sound of that.

[hideyseek]

11.01.2022

well as always its starting fine tho i WILL SAY that focusing in on JUST the first arc of this fic is forcing me to ACTUALLY THINK ABOUT THE STORY ARC AND PACING OF THE FIRST SECTION instead of constantly being lost in the weeds of the whole damn project. it is MIRACULOUS it feels so DOABLE this whole idea of “break the big project into little pieces” — wow …. guys sometimes it rly works

godDAMN it’s so nice to be working with (at least mentally) a project of a size i can actually wrap my freaking little brain around!!! this is a nice 7k fic! it has a single plotline that just happens to need to thematically link to three or five (who fuckin knows) other plotlines later in this project and also i should open some subplots during this arc but I ONLY NEED TO FOCUS ON PACING ONE PLOT. I ONLY NEED TO FOCUS ON HAIJI WANTING ONE THING AND WHAT HAPPENS BC OF IT.

it is so so interesting (and also a HUGE RELIEF) to be able to connect dots on a small enough scale that i can actually layer in events into scenes again and fucking try to put in foreshadowing instead of just being like blehahfhgh what is going on in this fic even. WHAT A RELIEF! BABY NANO IS MY COOLEST AND BEST FRIEND!

[adascore]

The Golden War

pairings: alexia putellas x lyonnais!reader

warnings: swearing. for culers the ‘22 uwcl final ig. jona is kinda mean in this.

author’s note: this is the same reader from my ‘one for the money, two for the show’ fic of the lionesses!captain. reader is basically ada hegerberg lolsies :) will be turned into a series.

masterlist

•••••

Turin, Italy - May, 2022

''The final has been dubbed as a duel between you and Alexia Putellas, do you experience it as that?''

The Lyon captain fought the urge to roll her eyes at the question, despite having expected it. ''It is a final between Barcelona and Lyon, nothing more than that.'' She answered, diplomatically- the way they had rehearsed it.

''Lyon is the underdog coming into this final- FC Barcelona has been unbeatable so far. What do you need to do in order to beat them tomorrow?'' Another reporter asked, a pen ready in his hand to take notes.

There was a slight change in her expression as the question left his lips, the man succeeding in poking through her stoic expression. ''Well, we have never lost to Barcelona- I don't know if you remember 3 years ago or even last year,''

Lyon had comfortably beaten the Spanish club in 2019. In that Champions League Final, Y/N had become the first player to score a hattrick in a UWCL final. Their last meeting had been in 2021, in the pre-season, where Lyon had won 3-2, the Lyon captain again putting one in the net.

''We have won this competition many times. There was football before Barcelona, and it was being played by us.''

Her last sentence of the quote had struck a nerve with the Barça captain.

''She acts like she has already won the whole thing.'' Alexia remarked as she read a transcript of the press conference.

Patri and Mapi glanced at one another, a knowing look in their eyes. ''Technically, there is nothing wrong about what she said, Ale. How many times has she won this competition now? 6? 7?'' The defender said, not having a problem with the opposition's words.

''She's just pissed that everyone is talking about us now.'' She ignored Mapi, continuing berating her opponent.

The rivalry between the captains of the two top teams had been something made up by the media, seeking a female counterpart to the famed Ronaldo-Messi rivalry. Both Alexia and Y/N led Europe's premier clubs, won the Champions League, captained their national teams, and earned the Ballon d'Or. This fueled incessant comparisons.

Alexia and Y/N hadn't given it much thought at first. There were also many differences between them; Alexia is a midfielder, while Y/N is a striker. Despite their similar ages, their careers took diverse paths. Alexia remained in the Spanish league, while Y/N gained experience across various countries.

Over time, an unexpected shift occurred. They began caring about each other's achievements. Yet, they knew the comparison wasn't fair.

Despite being younger, Y/N dominated women's football for longer, winning the Champions League seven times – twice with Wolfsburg and five times with Lyon. In contrast, Alexia secured one with Barcelona. Neither had won anything major with their national teams, though she had come close with England a few times. Furthermore, on the accolades side of things, Y/N led with a repertoire that most players could only dream of.

For a long time, it hadn't bothered Alexia. She had watched in admiration as the younger player became the first recipient of the Ballon d'Or, a huge step in women's football. Y/N's advocacy for the sport also didn't escape the Spanish player.

However, her admiration had turned into envy.

The turning point came in the 2019 final against Lyon. She had observed the way the English striker had celebrated with her entire team- how the Lyon squad immediately ran to her once the whistle blew and how Y/N bathed in all the (rightly deserved) glory. Alexia wanted that for herself. For years, Y/N had been the nail in Barcelona's coffin, scoring the goals that made sure they couldn't continue in the competition- in the captain's opinion, the striker had made a joke of her team for years, even if she didn't meant to do that.

Their interactions over the years were limited to polite handshakes before or after matches. Occasional encounters outside the pitch were rare and brief, seldom extending beyond a few sentences.

Alexia's surprise peaked when Y/N congratulated her on winning the Ballon d'Or through both private and public Instagram messages. Despite her reservations about comparisons and rivalry, receiving praise from someone she admired as one of the best in the game left Alexia with a positive feeling.

''No, I think she's just not a fan of being referred to as an underdog.'' Patri defended the Lyon striker.

This explanation didn't sit well with Alexia, evident from the displeasure on her face. ''Whatever,'' she retorted, looking forward to settling matters on the field that Saturday.

Saturday, May 21, 2022

Excitement, adrenaline, nerves, and tension permeated the tunnel of Juventus Stadium as Alexia, tightly gripping her pennant, stood at the front of her lined-up team, awaiting the opposing captain.

The sudden hush among the Barcelona team signaled the arrival of their counterpart. Turning around, Alexia frowned at her teammates' fascination with the approaching striker.

This is not the time to be fangirling, she thought to herself, as she saw most of her players' eyes following the striker's figure.

As the two top players faced each other, uncertainty lingered about whether they should exchange greetings. Y/N broke the silence, deciding to offer some acknowledgment. ''Hey, you alright?'' Her charming English accent filled the air.

''Yeah, and you?'' Alexia almost cringed at her own quick response, not giving her brain time to think.

''I‘ll see in about 90 minutes.'' The younger one grinned.

I'll wipe that smirk off your fucking face, Alexia said in her mind, not a fan of the confidence the striker was oozing.

Ten minutes later, the referee blew the whistle, signaling the start of the highly-anticipated final.

Lyon applied intense pressure right from the start, managing to create two goal-scoring opportunities within the first three minutes of the match.

However, the audience were offered their first initial glimpse of the rivalry in the 6th minute of the game.

Y/N positioned herself strategically, eyes fixed on her teammate readying a precise pass to her. The ball zipped across the pitch, and in a heartbeat, both Y/N and Alexia were locked onto winning it for themselves.

The striker, a master of timing, surged forward. Simultaneously, the midfielder closed in on the target. The collision was inevitable.

Both players fell with a thud, groaning at the contact with the ground. Despite the force of the clash, they both showed resilience as they wanted to use the momentum to their advantage.

They were momentarily entangled, fighting for control of the ball. It was a brief display of the rivalry that had brewed between them.

Y/N rose swiftly from the turf, eyes filled with determination. The collision had only fueled her competitive fire. With the ball firmly at her feet, she accelerated away from the mess, leaving Alexia behind.

The crowd erupted in gasps and cheers as Y/N, now in open space, scanned the field. Seizing the opportunity, she unleashed a powerful strike from well outside the box.

Time seemed to slow as the ball sailed towards the goal. Panos's desperate dive was in vain as the ball found the back of the net. The roar of the crowd echoed through the stadium, a symphony of cheers and applause for a goal that showcased the skills and spirit of the Lyon captain.

A fleeting scowl crossed Alexia's face, frustrated at the missed opportunity.

Y/N turned on her heels as the net rippled, ready to embrace her teammates who were rushing to her.

''Vamos!'' She roared, the Spanish word escaping her lips like a battle cry.

Yet, she found herself face-to-face not with the familiar sight of Lyon jerseys but with the intensity of Alexia's determined gaze.

Her expression froze for a quick second, confusion adorning her features. Y/N's eyes widened in realization, and for a brief instant, the two captains locked eyes in an unspoken exchange.

The celebration continued around them, teammates engulfing Y/N as they screamed with delight at their captain's prolific opener. The air was filled with jubilation, but within the chaos, the tension lingered between the two captains, adding an intriguing layer to the unfolding drama on the pitch.

The match unfolded further, Barcelona grabbing a few opportunities of their own, but not being clinical enough to score an equalizer. The Spanish squad remained calm, showing no signs of panic in their play, despite being behind.

Selma and Melvine played a great one-two with each other, and the young defender shot a beautiful cross towards the box. Anticipating the trajectory of the ball, Y/N skillfully pulled away from Leon, who undoubtedly had the impossible task of marking the striker.

The ball connected with Y/N's forehead, falling perfectly into the mesh. The scoreboard illuminated with Lyon 2, Barcelona 0. The narrative had shifted as the favorites stomped the ground in frustration, while the ''underdogs'' celebrated another goal from their captain.

The first half flew by. Y/N managed to assist Catarina to make it 3-0, but Alexia found the back of the net to get one back.

3-1.

The second half saw more scoring opportunities for Barcelona, but no one managed to finish the job.

After contact with Martens, Griedge cited experiencing a cramp and asked for treatment- a request that the Barcelona side was not having. Y/N, understanding the frustration of time-wasting, especially when behind in a match, stood aside.

However, the Lyon captain didn't appreciate the scolding she received from the opposition's coach. ''Tell your player to stop the comedy, what a shit job!'' Jonatan exclaimed to the English captain, who observed the scene from the sideline.

Y/N didn't budge, paying him no attention, knowing it was all tactics. She gave an unimpressed look toward the referee, who had been observing the one-sided interaction.

The official ran up to them, pulling a yellow card from her pocket and holding it in front of the manager. ''Step back, please. Don't talk to the opposition.'' she instructed him.

The match eventually resumed. In extra time, Paredes almost managed to pull off a header, but it went flying over the post.

In the last minute of the game, Y/N teamed up with Eugénie to score a last-minute beauty, but the volley slammed against the post.

The piercing sound of the referee's whistle resonated through the stadium, marking the conclusion of the final. Lyon emerged triumphant for a record-extending 8th time.

Overwhelmed by her own emotions, Y/N fell to the ground as the whistle echoed in her ears. It didn't take too long for her teammates to rush up to her, colliding in a chaos of hugs, kisses, and jubilant shouts.

They had done it again, proving once more why all the records were tied to their name.

''Y/N, you're a fucking legend!'' Lindsey yelled in her ear, kissing her cheek multiple times.

As her teammates slowly got up from their celebratory cuddle with the ground, they formed a protective circle around their captain. Hands reached out to help her rise from the grass, and she found herself enveloped in a symphony of gratitude.

Eventually, she shook off her glorious daze, a wide grin etched on her face.

Y/N turned her attention to the defeated Barcelona players, spread out across the field with tears and disappointment staining their cheeks. She approached them, offering a helping hand to those still on the ground and sharing comforting words. Acknowledging the effort they had brought, she assured them that they gave her team a greater fight than the scoreline implied.

Before the Lyon squad embarked on their victory lap to greet the traveling supporters, Y/N's gaze fell on a heartbreaking scene. Across the field, the Spanish captain, Alexia, was cradled in a comforting embrace by a Barcelona staff member as tears streamed down her face.

Y/N hesitated, caught in a ''should I or shouldn't I'' moment with herself.

She chose to make an attempt to resolve whatever tension had built up between them.

Tears glistened on Alexia's cheeks, a testament to the intensity of the match and the dreams left unfulfilled. The Barcelona staff member, offering solace in the face of defeat, glanced up as Y/N approached, and let go of her.

''Alexia,'' Y/N greeted her softly, putting her arm around the Spaniard, ''thank you for the great battle.'' She hadn't prepared what to say, because what do you say against someone you feel like you are supposed to hate? What do you say against someone you've been constantly compared to for over a year?

To the striker's surprise, Alexia reciprocated, feeling an arm on her lower-back. ''Congratulations, you deserved the win. You played phenomenal.'' The midfielder told her, a forced yet genuine small smile making a way onto her face.

''Don't let this hurt you. You are literally one of the best players I have played against- your team is amazing. Use this, like in 2019.'' Y/N advised her, not particularly caring if the opposing player would take it or not.

''We will. I hope we can play many more finals. You make me- you make us grow.'' Alexia stuttered.

Y/N nodded. ''I hope so too. It's been fascinating to see the growth you guys have made these last years.''

The stadium now bore witness to a quieter exchange between the two captains. Almost every camera lens and watchful eye fixated on them.

As Y/N and Alexia exchanged words of mutual respect, their moment of shared understanding was abruptly disrupted by the Barcelona coach.

''Congratulations on the win, Y/N.'' He acknowledged briskly, his gaze quickly turning toward Alexia. His extended hand to her seemed more like a formality, but Y/N accepted it.

Almost forcibly, he placed a hand on Alexia's shoulder, a non-verbal cue that spoke volumes. ''Come on.'' He declared, his tone leaving little room for negotiation and they were off to wherever he needed her to be.

Alexia casted an immediate glance back at Y/N, a mix of emotions played across her face- gratitude for the moment, and frustration at its abrupt end. She hadn't responded to her words yet.

As the Spaniard was led away, Y/N's eyes lingered on the departing figure, a tinge of melancholy in her gaze.

The brief encounter had sparked a momentary connection- a bridge attempting to break through the perceived rivalry and show praise for a strong opponent. However, Jonatan's swift intervention acted like a pair of scissors, cutting through the threads that held that connection.

In Y/N's mind, Alexia had seemed appreciative of the opportunity to have a genuine conversation. She figured there must have been a good reason for her to have been pulled away like that, especially by the head coach.

The Barcelona captain had reacted with a hint of irritation when her coach suggested to the Lyon player to remove her arm from Alexia's shoulder. She tried asking Jonatan why he had coaxed her away, but she didn't receive a proper answer.

The whole thing had left a bitter taste in her mouth. The potential for a more extended, sincere exchange was cut short, leaving Alexia with lingering frustration. There was a desire to understand Y/N beyond the competition, but it was cut short.

She hoped her last glance had worked as a silent acknowledgment of what could have been.

[pinkyqil]

Annoying // salma paralluelo x r

Summary : just salma begin the cutest and most annoying tall shit to her short but not that short gf.

Warning : small cursing

A/n : this is meant to be a fic that I'm was currently working on,also decided to practice writing long fic so enjoy this. taking requests has I've been busy writing other chaps for hidden secrets and my brain and mind need a break so for a while I'll be taking requests and writing, this fic gave me the opportunity to jump on the annoying gf prompt going on with woso writer's and slama just gives that vibe tbh hope you enjoy reading it and feel free to request 🫶🏿

___________________________________________

If you could describe salma with three words it would be, tall kind-hearted sunshine. But sometimes she could be the most aggravating piece of shit you've ever encountered.

You both meet around your vacation too Barcelona mid 2022 where your friends had invited you out for barca meet and greet for their female player's. that when you meet her.

You'd known spainsh people are very affectionate but the moment your eye's meet hers.

It felt like you've been hypnotized or what they called it love at first sight.

It must have been fate caused she also felt the same has her eye fell on you.

You and your friend made your way to salma stand where the fans got to interact with player's.

And let's just say salma was one flirt of a player she had you blushing left and right with her pick up lines at the she had sign your jersey and left her phone number for you on a piece of paper typically rom com shit.

also where your moment had come to an end after that eventful day.

You tossed and turn try to decide if you should actually message her or not until your friend had slap some sense into you.

"You know that is a life time opportunity when have you ever meet a snacklious football player that was attractive giving you their number if I were you I would sprint right now and message her ass plus wouldn't hurt a goat until you try"

"None" you mumbled.

"See so hurry your ass up and message her". She told you with a hug grin on her face before you had smack her with the pillow that was right next to you making you both burst out laughing.

The rest was history after you finally had the courage to message salma.

Now you both have been dating for nine months now. Where she had first made the move by asking you out on a date.

after dedicating one of her goals to you at a barca game and asking you out in the back room's. Where she got teased endless by her teammates for her cheesy way of asking you out with the help of her little sister vicky.

Today you both would be celebrating your 10th anniversary as you both never really re called celebrating your month anniversary together due to busy schedule that always clashed together.

And on this particular day salma decide it would be lovely to annoy you like she never did.

It all started this morning when you woke up to an empty bed. Nothing your tall girlfriend had probably gotten up early for her morning run without waking you up.

meaning she was up to no good if she hadn't woke you up when she did. Not wanting your day to start helplessly you quickly got out of bed and showered and picking out you and salma's beach outfits for the day.

Getting out of bed with short notice meant that you had to make your daily smoothie since you weren't a big coffee fan.

but like some other day salma decided too place your favorite smoothie bottle somewhere far knowing well that you couldn't reach high places without her help.

You tried getting a chair to help you reach your bottle but it felt like you shruk times two your actual height.

and couldn't get it. pissing you off as you like using specific type of mugs depending on what your having.

Finally giving up using a different cup when all of a sudden you felt a cold hand smack your ass. making you yell dropping your smoothie that now found it self on the floor.

"Salma Paralluelo If You Don't Explain Yourself Right This Moment And Clean This Mess Up You Can Definitely Find Yourself Dead To Me".

You said turning to face your your girlfriend Who's face had drop after hearing you yell at her and at the sound of the bottle falling.

"I'm very sorry baby pleasee don't ignore me I just got up early to get you these". You rolled your eye's at her but once you saw the bouquet of flowers she had gotten you couldn't be mad at her any longer especially with the expression she had on.

Forgetting about what happened this morning with salma has you both made your way to the beach. setting up your little picnic activities along with some paint and brushes that salma got you.

You both found yourselves in the moment the spainsh music playing in the background your's and salma hand intertwine has you paint and in general just seeking in the moment right before you both.

Until salma grabbed a bottle of paint squeezing it on her hand before applying it towards your face. You thought that your girlfriend childish act would stop by the end of the day but it was totally giving the opposite.

Instead of yelling at her you decide to chase with paint also on your hands.

While salma could be fast she was also very clumsy making you get to her quicker has she fell on the sand laughing until she could trun red.

Once you caught her off guard and grab her face applying the paint on too it. She instally grabbed your face pulling you into a deep kiss with her hands resting on your face.

After your make out session you'd join salma in the sea,where she would grab you by your waist making you both splash in the water enjoying your day together.

Salma might be annoying but she was the only one for you has you're the only one for her.

Your tall lil shit that was meant for your heart only.

Yn/salmaparalluelo

Anniversary dump love you my tall other half no matter how annoying you're 💕 liked by salmaparalluelo, alexiaputellas, vickylopez, lucybronze,ona batlle and 20,40 other's

View comments

Vickylopez la salma de mi gente favorita es muy molesta muy cierto

《 replied to vickylopez you both are very annoying not just salma

《 replied to vickylopez vicky shut up

Ona batlle thought I was the favorite 😪

《 replied to onabatlle your are oni 😚

《Replied to you Salma paralluelo no she's not 😒

Lucy bronze where's my invite 🤔

《 replied to lucybronze you simply didn't get one.

A/n: hope y'all like this pices feel free to request any player just have enough info about them and a suggestion you want and thank you for reading

[meazalykov]

one shot with one heart

lena oberdorf x uswnt!reader

summary: what if germany and the united states made it to the semi-finals of the 2023 world cup? how would the two lovers handle it?

disclaimer/warnings: guilt, longer fic, i took real life events from the uswnt vs sweden match, and mallory never got injured before the world cup in this fic.

to you, the stadium could’ve stretched for miles filled with red, white, and blue colors– also white, red, orange, and black colors. 

one of the semi-finals of the 2023 women's world cup came down to germany and the united states. the other game involves australia and spain. 

you didn’t care so much about the oceania country and spanish country going head-to-head. at least for now. the world cup has taken over your mind for the last few months.

back in your home in munich, you pushed yourself during your games in the bundesliga. you’ve been with bayern munich since 2021, after a transfer from manchester city. at first, it took some months for you to settle in a new place. you’ve been away from your hometown of washington dc for many years, so readjusting wasn’t new to you. 

then, you’ve made friends with your entire team. your closest friends being lea, sydney, and giulia– until georgia and sam tagged along in the later seasons. 

lea schuller, your bestest friend, threw a small gathering at her apartment on a winter night in 2022. at first, you didn’t want to go. you had many chores that needed to be finished in your apartment– laundry, dishes, vacuuming– you name it. however, you suffered from a tiny case of FOMO. you decided to go at the last minute. 

as you were walking into lea’s apartment, you saw two girls that you knew from wolfsburg. being the only non-german in the room you were surprised. lea introduced you to jule and lena– since you’ve never talked to them before. except for clashes during the rivalry games. 

lena and you hit it off right away. everyone noticed how neither of you could leave the other alone. a month after talking- which happened to be a week after your birthday– lena came to visit you from wolfsburg and asked you to be her girlfriend. you said yes– and you guys have been happy since. 

the long-distance between wolfsburg and munich hasn’t been as hard as you guys have suspected. you both hoped that you will be closer together someday. 

now the game between germany and the united states ended in a 3-3. lea scoring a brace and alex popp with a goal for germany— sophia smith, lynn williams, and you scoring one goal for the united states. 

the semi-finals needed a winner. so after no goals for both sides in extra time, the game came down to penalty kicks.

andi sullivan, number 17, takes the first shot in the penalty match. you look ahead, not wanting to blink in case you missed something big. 

she scores! you let your arms wrapped behind mallory and sophia go as you clapped in support. you didn’t want to celebrate too much, since this penalty match can go either way. 

you turn your head to see your bayern teammate, giulia, stand at the penalty spot. you swallow in nervousness as you hated to wish that she missed. 

giulia scores! you hear all of the german girls, just 20 feet to your left– support your club teammate as she runs back to her line with a light smile. 

you look down at the grass before seeing your national team captain, lindsey, go up to kick. 

in your heart, you knew that lindsey wouldn’t miss. after her swift kick, you clapped in support knowing that you were right. 

alexandra popp took a shot and didn’t miss, which caused your breathing to slow a tiny bit. you were nervous. even though you won the world cup at the age of 18 in 2019– you are ambitious and want your second by 22.

as kristie stepped up, you had a faint smile. the mewis sisters were the older sisters you wished you had as the older sibling of your own family. a small amount of hope shined through your fears as you saw the back of kristies head look forward at berger. 

kristie scores! you pump your fists into the air as she runs back to the run with you. this time, she high-fives your hands before falling back into line. now, she is beside you on your right– with mallory to your left side. 

you were distracted at the thought of kristies penalty kick– so your eyes widened when you saw your bestfriend at bayern– sydney– go and take the penalty shot next. again, you felt guilty about wanting her to miss the goal.

and then she did. sydney’s foot launched the ball far into the crowd which made you relieved. the germans in the crowd sigh as the americans cheered. in your heart, you wanted to comfort her– in your mind, you were relieved that she missed. 

mallory’s right arm slowly leaves your waist as she heads towards the penalty spot. she was next. 

“you got this swanson!” you yelled, hoping that she heard you over the loud crowd. she is one of your best friends on the national team and you knew a goal would lift her nervous spirit. 

she didn’t get it, she missed. your heart dropped to your stomach as mallory walked back into line beside you. the ball she kicked was successfully blocked by berger on the right corner.

klara, one of your bayern teammates you love, goes to take a penalty kick. she missed which caused the german crowd to sigh in disappointment. 

all of your fans, friends, and family knew that you weren't enjoying this. in fact, you would’ve preferred a 90 minute game with a clear winner over this climactic scene. 

lena’s parents saw you briefly before the semi-final game and wished you luck. they’ve looked and loved you like one of their own. obi’s mother saw the nervous look in your eyes and reminded you that they would still love you even if you beat germany. 

you have the same nervous eyes looking ahead at sophia smith going to take the penalty. your stomach turns and your eyes widen at the realization of her kick. 

if sophia scores, the uswnt goes to the world cup finals. the entire country is looking at sophia on their tv screens. you can’t imagine how that would feel on the girl who's months older than you. 

when the ball goes above the goalpost, you frown as sophia covers her face with her hands. at first, you thought she started crying. you weren’t too far off. sophia tried to cover her sad looks with a poker face that wasn’t working. 

after she got back in line– on the opposite side of mallory from you– you reached your arm from behind and patted on sophia’s back. you wished you could’ve done more in that moment. 

your heart beats hard as you look ahead at your lover jog to take the kick for germany. you find yourself glued to your spot, a knot of nervousness tightening in your stomach. 

you want to cheer for your girlfriend, to hope she scores, but the conflict within you is undeniable. a small part of your mind, the part driven by the fierce desire and competitiveness to see your team advance, wishes for her to miss. 

the guilt that accompanies that thought is overwhelming, making it hard to breathe. some of your teammates tilt their heads through the line to try and look at you– seeing a nervous and guilty look plastered on your face. 

kristie and mallory, standing beside you on both sides, notice your inner turmoil through your clenched jaw. 

kristie glances at you, her eyes filled with understanding. she knew the feeling after facing australia in the olympics against sam. however, she couldn’t imagine a scenario where penalty kicks were involved.  

she already had her arm wrapped around your back, so she takes her hand and squeezes your shoulder gently, a silent gesture of support that steadies you momentarily. you’re reminded that your teammates do acknowledge you and the significance of lena being on the opposite team from you. 

lena is your rival on the club level, but that is nothing compared to a world cup semi-final.

on the other side of your body, mallory does the same thing kristie did, her hand resting reassuringly on your lower back.

you stare at lena’s body the entire time, refusing to blink. lena takes a deep breath, and you do the same, feeling the tension grow tighter within you. 

obi steps forward, striking the ball cleanly. for a fleeting moment, you hope, and you fear— you feel everything all at once.

when the ball passes alyssa’s fingers, going into the back of the net– lena jumps and yells in celebration as she jogs back to her teammates. you look at her the entire time with a straight face, but your eyes showed your small happiness for her. 

you love her so much. seeing her happy makes you happy, even with these circumstances. 

alyssa removes herself from the goal-post line and goes to the penalty spot. the older woman told you about her love for taking penalties before. the woman in green gave you a sense of confidence. 

“come on alyssa!” you yell as your teammates yell in encouragement for her. 

as her shot sprints past ann’s fingers, going into the net, you pump your fists into the air knowing that you trusted your goalkeeper to score.

now the penalties are 4-3. this terrified you. 

on the lineup, you were the penalty kicker that went after alyssa. as an attacking midfielder, you were good at penalty kicks. if the next kicker, which looks to be svenja huth walking to the penalty spot, misses— the fate of the uswnt going to the world cup final depends on you. 

you silently curse at the scriptwriters who could make this shit up. y/n, the american girl who plays in a german club and has a bunch of friends on the german national team along with the love of her life, might have to crush their dreams of being in a world cup final.

svenja’s shot was blocked by alyssa. the ball slammed right into alyssa’s gloved fingers. your heart sunk to your stomach and suddenly, your legs felt like lead that could snap in one wrong move. 

the weight of the semi-final settles on your shoulders. it's your turn, and the realization hits you— if you score, the uswnt will advance to the world cup finals, possibly leading to their fifth win ever. 

your entire team on the pitch yells words of encouragement at you. 

“you got this, y/l/n!!!” you hear julie ertz’s voice. 

“we love you!” naomi gave you reassurance. 

all of your german teammates felt fear in their bodies as they saw you walk up to position the ball on the penalty spot. out of anyone that could take the deciding shot, they were shocked that it was you. you can handle pressure, but not as much as others can. 

lena swallowed on nothing as she stared at you, the same way you stared at her taking the shot. instead, she knows that you will win the game if you make the goal. 

she knows what's at stake, both for her team and for yours. the wolfsburg midfielder is questioning how you’re handling the pressure. the tension in the stadium is suffocating, and she can feel every heartbeat echoing in her chest. 

her teammates notice her tension, offering silent pats on the back the same way the uswnt did for you with her kick, but lena barely registers them.

she bites her lip, her hands clenched tightly together, her gaze fixed solely on you as if you were the only one in the stadium. 

the stadium is a cauldron of noise. the german supporters are trying to distract y/n while the american supports hold their breaths due to the intensity of the situation. 

you managed to block it all out, focusing on ann-katrin berger, germany's goalkeeper. her eyes lock onto yours as she gives you an intimidating look, a silent challenge passing between you.

"this could be it, folks. it all comes down to y/n l/n. one goal to send the united states to the world cup finals for the fifth time." a male commentator speaks to the tv audience, where millions of people have their eyes watching your every move.

"y/n has been phenomenal this tournament. her goal from outside the box earlier could be nominated for goal of the tournament, but can she handle this pressure? this is the moment where the legends are made." the female commentator speaks up alongside the man. 

“she was just 18 years old when she assisted rose lavelle’s goal in the last world cup final against the netherlands, she has the quality that can send the united states to another win.” the male commentator defends you. 

"that's true– but we know that ann-katrin berger has been solid for germany. will she rise to the occasion or will y/n find a way through?" the woman responds. 

the world seems to slow down as you take your steps back, your mind focused solely on the goal ahead. the stadium seems to stop as you begin your run-up, each step is measured, and your heart pounds in your chest.

“y/l/nnn!” the commentator drags your last name as your foot strikes the ball cleanly, watching as it sails toward the goal. 

ann dives, her fingers brushing the ball as it was stopped over the goal-line. from your eyes, it looks like the ball went over the line. however, you know you’re biased. 

your heart stops for a quick second—did she save it? the ball did hit the ground just behind the line, and the stadium erupts in a series of shock.

your shaky hands cover your dropped jaw as you stare at the ball that lays behind the net. 

ann and you run to the assistant ref who stands closeby, ready to protest your sides. 

"was it in? did it cross the line?" you begged through for shaky hands. your lungs force itself to take deep breaths as you felt tortured, 

"the referee is checking var now, wait!"

you stand frozen as your eyes couldn’t even blink, your heart in your throat. 

the referee waits for confirmation as her fingers hold onto her ear-piece, the seconds stretching into what feels like an eternity. 

the first thing you do is turn to look at your coach, who nods his head in support. he knew you made it, but the refs made the final call. 

suddenly, you look back to see the ref staring at you. at the same second she blows the whistle and points to the center circle—- FINAL GOAL! 

all of the nervousness in your body was replaced with an overwhelming rush of relief. your teammates on the pitch and benches sprint towards you in excitement after hearing the whistle. 

some of them tackle you to the ground and they all start a pile in excitement. their cheers echoing in your ears as they embrace you. all you could do was giggle and tear up in excitement, the nerves overwhelming your tired body.

on the other side of the pitch, the germans stand in shock–. their faces are a mix of shock and sorrow, the dream of reaching the world cup final snatched away in that single moment by their bestfriend and girlfriend for lena. 

your closest national teammates, trinity, tierna, and mallory, are the first to reach you after, their faces alight with joy. this is ten minutes after the VAR call, so you calmed down from the excitement that took over your body. 

they embrace you tightly in a group hug, shouting praises, songs and congratulations. 

as they pull back from your warm body, they notice the fake smile on your face. through your eyes they can see the guilt and sadness etched on your face. also, they reflected the inner turmoil you’re struggling to hide throughout this happy moment.

"y/n, we're going to the fuckinggggg final thanks to you!" trinity exclaims, hoping that she misunderstood the look on your face. her smile fades slightly as she sees your smile come and go in the same moment.

tierna places a comforting arm around your shoulder. "are you okay? you don't look happy for someone who just sent us to the world cup finals."

mallory, always perceptive, follows your gaze to the german benches, where lena sits in denial– beside laura freigang who has tears in her eyes. 

“you're sad about lena?"

you nod, your heart felt heavy. your national teammates knew how in love you were with lena. they’ve heard about her throughout your international breaks. there is never a day where you aren’t on facetime with lena when you’re back in the states for camp. they’ve met lena once and love how much you both care for each other. 

"i– i just know how much this meant to her— i feel like i just snatched something important from her." you say as your eyes wander around the german benches. you see many of your bayern teammates sad, you hope they didn’t hate you. 

 

“i’m scared too– you guys might be my teammates here but most of the girls over there are my club teammates in germany. I don't know what to do.” you confess.

the washington spirit forward pulls you into a side hug. "awhh sweetie it's okay to feel that way. your feelings are valid but thi is just the nature of the game. they all know that– lena understands that, even if it's hard for them right now."

you bite your nails out of bad habit as you stare at tierna’s cleats unintentionally, “i might give obi space for a few days– i don’t want to poke into the wound.” you mumble. 

"no no no! you need to go to her. lena needs you right now more than ever even if you think that she doesn’t. she loves you."

mallory nods her head in agreement after taking a sip from her water bottle. 

"obviously it's going to be tough for her to move on from this loss, but she knows you're not her enemy. she knows that you might feel guilty as much as she feels hurt. she needs her love right now, not her american opponent."

after a few more minutes of girl talk, your heart pounds as your feet carries you to the german benches, fear taking over your insides. 

what if she resents you for this? what if the loss drives a wedge between you?

you gripped onto your black windbreaker jacket as you step closer to the benches. before you could reach lena, you feel a tap on your shoulder. 

“good goal, y/n.” alexandra says. you pull her into a hug as you breathe deeply. she wasn’t your teammate at bayern, but she knows you due to lena. she is the captain so she knows how much importance you have in lena’s life– just as much as lena has in yours.

“thank you– i’m so sorry.” you mumble as you pull away from your body. 

“don’t apologize. you deserve the win.” alex gives you a faint smile and pats your back.  

“yeah but–” you cut yourself off as you turn your head to look at lena, who had her head in her hands. 

“obi needs you– go talk to her.” alex says before stepping away from you. 

you play with the zipper on your windbreaker as you approach your girlfriend. she sits on the bench and can’t see you with her hands on her eyes, so you kneel down to be eye-level with her. 

“obi baby..." you place your hands on her shoulders, rubbing them back and forth as you pull her attention.

in a quick motion, she reaches out and pulls you into a tight embrace, her body shaking with disappointment. she wasn’t crying with tears, but you know she would’ve if she wasn’t in public. lena didn’t want another euros 2022 aftermath to happen to her.

"lena, you don’t understand how much i hated doing that to you, i’m sorry" you whisper, your own tears starting to fall. 

"i know. I know. it just... it hurts so much right now." lena clings to you, her grip firm yet trembling. she hasn’t felt this way since the EURO 2022 finals. you give mini kisses on the side of her head, hoping to comfort her in some way after taking away her chance to go into the world cup finals.

“i'm here for you baby, always. i’ll stay with your for a few weeks once we are back in germany before the pre-season– i am so sorry." you mumbled the last part a few times.

as the minutes pass, neither of you broke away from the hug. the noise of the stadium fades into the background. 

all of the german and american players give you both space, understanding the delicate situation between you both.

trinity, tierna, mallory, savannah, sophia  watch from a distance, their support unwavering. they didn’t know lena much, but everyone knows that lena would never hate you over this.

“you played so good y/n. i am so happy for you, please don’t believe otherwise. it's just... hard to accept the loss right now."

you nod, understanding her pain. you place your hands on the side of her face as you gave her a hopeful smile.

“i love you obi baby, i’m sorry.” 

“stop apologizing— and i love you more liebe.” 

<3

[cherrifire]

Archived in the Southlands: Masterpost

An AU between the 3rd Life Series + The Magnus Archives.

Main AU tag: #the southland archives

[Note: This AU mostly focuses on Ren and Martyn but will look into other characters down the line.]

Act 1: Head Archivist Martyn

Main Fic Series:

Case #0211905-A: Another Man's Treasure

Case #0211905-B: Turn the White Snow Red

Case #0211905-C: Martyn's Mix

Main Art Series:

Case #0211905-A: Cherri's Another Man's Treasure art

Case #0211905-B: Cherri's Turn the White Snow Red

The Archival Team: 2017 - 2022

Fan art:

Case #0211905-A: Haunted's Another Man's Treasure art

Case #0211905-B: Myra's Turn The White Snow Red comic

Case #0211905-B: Newhermitblog's Turn The White Snow Red art

Case #0211905-B: Haunted's Turn The White Snow Red art

Case #0211905-B: Meta's Turn The White Snow Red art

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Extra Fun Stuff:

Archivist(Martyn) and Hunter(ren)

Paladin!Martyn from LampLight AU and Hunter!Ren I made as a guest artist for DailyMartyn

Archivist!Martyn in a skirt

Hunter!Ren in a skirt

A ven diagram between Martyn InTheLittleWood and Martin Blackwood I made while first conceptualizing this AU

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Non-Canon Material

[Note: Since I started this au here with no clear goal, the storyline I presented in the below material is not canon to the main story I wish to tell.]

Art:

[Treebark week] day 1 - Mint

[Treebark week] day 2 - Dark

[Treebark week] day 3 - Hide

[Treebark week] day 4 - Water

[Treebark week] day 5 - Stay

[Treebark week] day 6 - Win

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