#I'll post chapter 2 later (it's already on ao3) and I started writing chapter 3 and 4

[danikatze]

Muddle

a multi-chapter Saraiya Goyou fic

[ID in alt text]

Chapter 1: What the Hell was the Hurry

Summary: The Five Leaves decide to leave Edo with Masa and Yaichi. Ume and Okinu are the first to arrive in their new home town, soon followed by Matsu. While Ume wants to give "opening up" a try, Matsu struggles with Feelings more than ever. An unexpected relationship develops between the two.

Read it on AO3 - or read it here:

Matsu arrived in town much, much sooner than Ume expected.

At the moment he and Okinu left Edo, heading for the place the Five Leaves had decided to try and make their new home, Matsu was still frantically running around (that is to say, walking everywhere much faster than a short guy like him should realistically be able to do) trying to get things done before his own departure.

The news that Matsu was closing up shop and moving someplace else must've spread like wildfire. The day after the Five Leaves agreed to leave Edo with Masa and Yaichi, there was a small, but undeniable queue of servants from rich families in front of his row house. Some he could please with the few hairpins or pipes that were still lying around and wanted to get rid of before moving anyway. The others placed more specific orders.

Otake, Ginta and Matsu still hung out at Ume's place while Ume and Okinu were preparing to leave, and every time Matsu was there he heartily complained about the orders. He hadn't declined any that Ume was aware of. Matsu was not good at refusing clientele.

Ume and Okinu were the first to start their trek to their potential new hometown, and, predictably, they were also the first to reach their destination. The two were planning to stay at an inn and explore the town from there. Miraculously, they found a vacant row house within mere hours of their arrival.

On her trip to the market the next day, at the end of the afternoon, Okinu spotted Matsu in the crowd. She was shocked to see him: not only did she not expect him to be there yet, he looked exhausted. As usual Matsu insisted that he was fine and asked her directions to the nearest inn. Okinu didn't believe it for one second, and dragged him home with her without completing her shopping.

As soon as Matsu stepped into the row house he collapsed. He was burning up and slept for nearly a full twenty-four hours.

Ume managed to get water and tiny amounts of porridge into Matsu in moments of sort of consciousness. Still, when Matsu finally woke up fully, he was craving food. His fever had gone down, but he looked pretty worse for wear still: he was very pale, his eyes were puffy and the fact that he hadn't shaved for almost two days didn't really help him. He was usually so presentable, which made this sight all the more concerning. It actually reminded Ume of the time Masa just rescued Matsu, after being held in the storage room of that candle maker for a few days. At the very least he didn't have any injuries this time.

Ume made him an elaborate meal, with a little help from his neighbours. They were already quite friendly to Ume, thanks to Okinu. He always let her introduce herself first, and made sure she mentioned he raised her on his own. Ume wasn't really comfortable taking the credit for that. She'd done so much of it herself, somehow. It was a really good ice-breaker, though. People were always much less scared of him when they knew that he'd single-handedly raised such a lovely girl.

"So hey," Ume stepped into the row house with a pot of tea that his elderly neighbour on the right made for them. Ume waited a moment for a sign of acknowledgement from Matsu. It did not come because he was too busy scarfing down the contents of one of many bowls Ume put in front of him ten minutes prior. It went in so fast Ume was unable to discern what exactly it was. Ume continued anyway: "did you do the impossible and say 'no' to your customers?"

Matsu put the empty bowl away and grabbed a grilled fish with his chopsticks. Before he himself seemed to realize it, he'd taken a big bite. He held up a hand, asking for Ume's patience. After a moment it appeared that he didn't have any patience himself, because he just moved the fish inside his cheeks so he could reply.

"Nah," Matsu said, then, realising his cheeks could not contain all the fish while talking, attempted to swallow a portion of his large bite and seemingly hurt himself in the process. With a strained expression he thumped his chest a few times, as if that would make the food go down easier, and continued with a tight voice, "I just kinda hid from people at some point, so I could finish everything in time."

"In time?" Ume placed two cups on the floor, and started to pour out the tea, but paused to squint suspiciously at Matsu. "For what?"

"Didn't wanna take longer than a week, or -- ow," Matsu now attempted to swallow a chunk of rice that apparently did not fit down his throat. Ume waited calmly - and judgmentally - for Matsu to get it down and start breathing normally again.

"- or I would've been stuck in Edo forever," Matsu finally finished his sentence.

Ume tried doing the maths in his head - this just obviously didn't add up. Admittedly, he and Okinu hadn't exactly rushed their journey, but they didn't make a leisurely trip of it either. The whole thing had taken them over two weeks.

If Matsu really did leave a week after them, that meant he'd done it in a week and a half.

Ume looked at Matsu, just woken up from sleeping pretty much twenty-four hours straight. He saw the bags under Matsu's eyes and the amount of food that he was currently consuming, and suddenly started to get very annoyed indeed. He sat up straight and crossed his arms. If Matsu noticed, he didn't show it: he only had eyes for the food before him.

"And you made the deadline?" Ume asked, hoping Matsu would say he finished everything sooner than he thought.

"By a hair," Matsu said, casually.

"What the hell was the hurry, you idiot?!" Ume failed miserably at staying calm. It was the indifference that really pissed him off. "Did you even sleep or eat?"

"Of course I did," Matsu's glower would almost be endearing if it hadn't been preceded by one of those infuriating eye rolls. To make matters worse Matsu decided to add, "I just didn't waste time on a bunch of hour long breaks in between, like you guys probably did."

"I'll have ya know that I didn't practically drop dead at our doorstep when we got here," Ume fumed, "and neither did my kid!"

"Good for you," grumbled Matsu, while stuffing some more rice in his face. "Anyway its none of your business how I travel."

"Oh yeah?" Ume laughed incredulously, "well then, in that case feeding you is none of my business either, lemme clear everything away for you."

"Don't --" Matsu practicality threw himself over the food that surrounded him, to shield it from Ume, "- touch anything."

His pale face flushed with embarrassment, although it didn't stop him from grabbing a bowl of miso and slurping it down as soon as Ume turned away in a huff.

Ume's blood was boiling, but he was really not in the mood for any of the bickering that he and Matsu normally liked to engage in. He was pretty tired from the trip himself, despite taking all the necessary rest stops at the roadside, in addition to the longer breaks they took for food and sleep. The first night they spent in their new place, it knocked both him and Okinu out for about two hours longer than usual.

Ume looked over at Matsu and narrowly avoided snorting at him. Matsu scowled so hard that his eyes almost vanished in his frown. A smile formed on Ume's face before he remembered that he was, in fact, still angry.

Well.. no, he wasn't in the mood for that either. And maybe it wasn't really fair to go all parental on a grown man who managed to run a successful business for a good while back in Edo.

He's so bad at taking care of himself though!

His anger subsided, but got the urge to make Matsu feel a bit self-conscious with a fun little snarky remark. Y'know, a little reward for not arguing.

"I'm impressed you still manage to get food in there, the way you're scrunching up your face," he said, with a self-satisfied grin.

"I'm impressed you- you're..," Matsu faltered, "Shut up, I'm exhausted.."

Ume's grin broadened. Matsu turned into such a pubescent teenager whenever Ume went into dad mode. He looked at the few signs of age on Matsu's face, and wondered how old he could be. In his thirties probably? None of the Five Leaves knew any of the other's ages, and they never asked. Ume didn't ask this time either. Instead, he collected some empty bowls to wash up, and left Matsu to simmer down a bit as well.

When Ume returned Matsu had cleared out all the dishes and was stretched out on the floor with his hands on his stuffed belly. At the sound of the door sliding open and Ume stepping in, Matsu lazily looked over, his head lolling to the side. After following Ume with his gaze for a bit, and Ume pretending he didn't notice while collecting more bowls, Matsu sighed.

"Thanks, Ume," he said.

"My pleasure. I like cooking," Ume presented the empty bowls, "and seeing people enjoy my food."

"I didn't mean the food," Matsu stared at the ceiling, and patted his belly, "although, thanks for that as well."

"Then what?" "Dunno,"

Matsu shrugged, "for worrying, I guess."

"Oh," this took Ume by surprise. He hadn't expected Matsu to cool down this much, "yeah, no problem. I have years of worrying experience, raising a sickly kid by myself and all." He laughed a bit and then added in a quasi stern tone, "She was never as damned reckless as you were, thank fuck."

"Hah," Matsu covered his eyes with his hands, groaning, "Masa used the same word to describe me ages ago. I should really do something about that."

-

It took Matsu a few more days to really get back on his feet again. If it were up to him he would've set out to find a place to stay for himself the very same day he woke up. Ume wouldn't hear of it, and made Matsu rest until he felt fit for at least one full day.

He didn't trust Matsu to be honest about that, but he was fairly good at evaluating someone's well-being. He'd been through too many instances of Okinu claiming she was better, and her falling ill again the next day. Once he started implementing his a-full-day-fit rule, she experienced much fewer relapses.

Matsu grumbled about it a lot and then, to Ume's great surprise and suspicion, put up a lot less resistance than he had prepared for. Ume kept an eye on Matsu as much as he could, and the only way to achieve that was to have Matsu take part in Ume's chores and other activities. As time went on it seemed that Ume didn't need to be distrustful of Matsu's compliance. In fact, if Ume hadn't known any better, he would have said Matsu enjoyed being forced into slowing down.

In the meantime Okinu used her charms to find a place for Matsu to live. In no time at all she managed to get half of her neighbourhood either keeping an eye out, or actively searching for a vacant row house. By the time Ume allowed Matsu to go free, he could move into one that was only a fifteen minute walk away from Ume's - or probably ten minutes at Matsu's pace.

Ume started looking for a building that would be suitable for an izakaya, because his little row house of course wouldn't do. That didn't stop him from providing his neighbours with home cooked snacks and (side) dishes. A bit of advertisement for his as of yet non-existent izakaya. He didn't have much luck yet though. Not that he expected to find something after being there for only a week or so, but he was a bit jealous of Matsu, as unlike him, he would easily be able to set up his business from a row house.

[lungs4sale]

my fav hannigram fanfics

png by @pngsforyou

1. Impasto by jiggityjams

“You’re not going to try to discourage me, Will?” Another glance, a pursing of lips. “... No. I can see the determination in your face. You know what you want and you have the means to obtain it. Most clients think they know what they want- until they hear how long it will take and how much that work will cost. We’ll work out some numbers, of course, and draft a contract. If you’re willing to be patient with the piece then I’m willing to give it my best go.” A small, pleased smile spread across the psychiatrist’s face. “I think this is the start of a beautiful partnership, Will. I look forward to working with you.” Or the one where Hannibal has found a lost treasure and Will has given up on police work and has turned his talents to restoring oil paintings.

this is a different au where will quits the fbi and becomes a painter (if im not wrong). abigail is alive and works for him. i read this awhile ago and i remember loving it because of how sarcastic will was. one of my notes was: will was so desperate to open up (not sure why but this man is so touch starved and craved for affection in the show so i guess it's canon accurate). i also have a soft spot for fics with abigail in it because she deserves the world.

2.  Five Times Hannibal Visits Will and One Time He's Already Home (or: Coffee Cake) by bones_2_be

When Will tells Hannibal to leave at the end of Digestivo, he goes. And then, a few years later, he shows back up. They have long conversations, drink a lot of wine, at the end of it all they find something that works.

i just finished reading this 2 days ago and it was an experience. i loved how well paced it was. the writing really matched the same vibe of the show. both hannibal and will were written quite accurately to how i feel they would react in the show itself. the way both of them interacted in this fic was realistic and how i wish i could erase my mind of this fic so i could experience it again for the first time.

3.  each according to its kind by chaparral_crown

Will does the only reasonable thing that someone fresh out of a mental hospital with no support system does - he leaves, and goes on a road trip to the Pacific Northwest.

this fic is THE hannigram fic, fight with the wall. kidding. this is more of a character study of will (hannibal doesn't even show until halfway through). the writing is top tier and just like the fic before it really does match the vibe of the show. i personally am not a big fan of smut (i don't mind it, i just prefer plot over that) and this book barely had any in it which is a godsend.

4.  ...And This One is Just Right by Sabi

When an injured BSHCI escapee breaks into Dr. Graham's vet clinic, it doesn't end cleanly. Surely it couldn't happen again? Or again?

will is a vet in this universe and i'm not sure why but i pictured him younger? it's only 4 chapters if im not wrong and it's a fun read! the characterisation of will is not as accurate to the show but to be fair it is a different universe and i still love this fic dearly.

pngs by @saizun

i'll post more because i want to create an archive here. i don't really like how ao3 looks so i'm going to do it on tumblr instead. if you have any hannigram recs plsplsplspls let me know because i'm literally begging for scraps sire. also merry christmas to those celebrating!

[ghost-bison]

Hey y'all, so I saw that a lot of people over Tumblr were like "There should be a Doctor Who High School AU where the Doctors are brothers, why isn't there one", and I agreed with all my heart. For the longest time, I didn't want to write it because 1. I'm lazy 2. Haven't watched the whole show yet so I didn't see myself doing it 3. I haven't finished anything in so long.

But now this adhd b!tch takes Ritalin. Don't have school anymore. Might start working soon but still, that means no homework.

So I started doing it. An AU where Nine, Ten and Eleven are brothers and Twelve is their emotionally constipated adopted father. The companions are their friends at school and Clara Oswald is the nice English teacher and Cassandra O'Brien is the evil maths teacher.

I already wrote chapter 1 and a long bit for later in the fanfic but I need to finish watching the show before continuing it.

If I finish/if I'm consistent in my writing enough that I know potential readers wouldn't wait too long between chapters, then I'll post it on AO3.

It's taking me some time cause I have to look up sometimes which words and expressions are purely American and which I can use in British English, and I had to do some research on Secondary School in Britain and how classes work, being French and all, and I'm even making a school schedule for the characters cause that's how deep in this sh!t I am.

Here's the characters that will appear (in alphabetical order):

-Amelia Pond

-Cassandra O'Brien

-Clara Oswald

-Donna Noble

-Eleventh Doctor

-Lance Bennett

-Martha Jones

-Nerys Clarke

-Ninth Doctor

-River Song (hiding her real name cause spoilers)

-Rory Williams

-Rose Tyler

-Tenth Doctor

-Twelfth Doctor

I also found some cool names for each Doctor but again, spoilers :)

So anyway, I'm excited about this, thought I'd share this with you guys, I really hope I manage to finish it!

[totaldramafan-lauri]

Make Use Of Me (chapter 1, preview)

Dec. 7 EDIT: ONCE MORE, WITH BRAVERY THIS TIME. No more chickening out. You can read this thing FOR REAL now. Sorry for being weird, and now....sorry if this wasn't worth it. XD

O-OK...here goes....

First thing's first: I am not expecting a lotta people to read this. I'm not asking people to read this. At this point, I'm making this mostly as a passion project, and if anyone enjoys it, it'll be a really cool bonus. My writing style isn't gonna be for everyone, and the characters I write aren't the most....popular characters in the CRK X Reader community, and I imagine this isn't really something a lotta fans'll be demanding more of.

This is LONG. This one chapter is 56 pages long. I am a VERY wordy writer,

So......why'm I posting this preview? Well....partially as an interest gauge for people who WOULD wanna read it, but...mostly as a motivator. As something to remind myself of whenever I get lazy. After all....I can't quit after I made the first chapter public, right? By doing that, I put myself out there...And, hey, I even tagged it, so, if by the off chance, someone did read it, I'm basically promising them more eventually.....

But, again, I'm not forcing anyone to read this.

Not only is it long, but.....This first chapter is probably my least-favorite thing I've ever written. By posting this chapter by itself, I'm testing to see if it does its job of making people wanna read the rest, cuz....right now, I'm not so sure how well it succeeds at that.....

This is the boring part of the story. It's a bunch of setup, and me jumping through hoop after hoop after hoop to just get everything started. I know setup is important and all, but....I'm already a very wordy writer, so....oof....There is some interesting stuff that happens, but it takes a while to get there.

I-I....kinda hate it, actually. The only reason I didn't scrap it is that I didn't realize I hated it until I was about halfway through it and the "good part" hadn't started yet. And I still spent a month writing the thing, so....I finished it.

I'm tagging this...as an experiment. If you wanna read this, go ahead. W-well, read my tags first, THEN go ahead. XD

All I can really say in this chapter's defense is that....I do try my best to salvage it. It's just setup, but I TRIED to make it interesting. And everything that seems like it didn't go anywhere, will later. This isn't the whole story, it's just the beginning of what's gonna be a BIG story. Anything that seems weird in this chapter, gets explored in the other chapters. This does set up a bunch of stuff that becomes important later (The friend character shows up later, the Colosseum becomes relevant later). This chapter is boring, but I tried not to make any of it pointless.

For the future: I'm aiming for five chapters. Chapters 2 and 3 will be a series of smaller vignettes that take place over the course of a few years, chapter 4 will be the climax, and chapter 5 will be something of an epilogue. After that, there will be two endings to choose from (which will make sense when we get there).

This probably won't be my favorite thing I've ever written, but it will be the most ambitious thing I've ever, and probably will ever, write. I haven't written something like this before, and it's all to flesh out this story and make it believable.

Right now, I.....I want to finish this. I'll probably still be writing this in February at the rate I'm going, but...at this point, I've put too much into it to give up on it. However, I'm STILL not completely ruling out the idea of my motivation dying before then. It COULD happen. So, what I'm planning to do is...setting a short-term goal of finishing chapter 3. After I do that, I'll post the first three chapters on AO3 together, and work on the rest. That way, even if I don't finish it, I'll at least have it over half done, and chapter 3 will end on a somewhat high note.

So, yyyyeah....Not a lotta people will read this preview. Overly wordy writing style + boring setup part of story + 56 pages long + assumed lack of interest for X Readers of this character (At least, I haven't SEEN many simps for her, m-maybe I'm wrong, I might be, I-I haven't checked any tags cuz I've been nervous, b-but it doesn't make my writing any better. In that case, this is my first time writing her so I'm trying super hard to do her justice >//////<)

I-if you wanna read this, and see if this first chapter does a good job of making you wanna read the better chapters, then...Go ahead.....

Some notes:

-This is still not the final draft. It's finalized enough for me to share, but I'm still not considering it finished. Even tho I'm working on chapter 3 right now, I STILL go back and edit this, even very recently. So, chances are, even if the story is finalized, small details and sentences are still subject to change. I know for a fact that there are still SOME placeholder bits in here that will change after I get some stuff cleared up. Recently, I even considered chopping off an entire section to make it shorter. I decided not to, but hey, it could still happen. I don't wanna waste anyone's time. The first chapter of a story, even if it's boring, is still very important, and I wanna make sure it's the best version of itself.

(A-and yes, this means that I've finished chapter 2 as well. The reason I'm not sharing it is that, unlike chapter 1, it was finished VERY recently, so I might still need to give myself time to edit it. From what I have, tho, I do like it a LOT more than chapter 1. There are some parts of chapter 2 that I'm legit proud of.)

-Even tho this first chapter is completely clean, I-I should mention that....this fic is for adults. The full version, at least. Chapters 3 and 4 are gonna contain some light N/S/F/W moments (the "fade to black" variety, so nothing explicit) and there'll be other slightly racey comments here and there. Just a heads-up. I'm gonna be uncomfy with minors reading this.

Th-that's all? I-I think that's all.......O-OK, so......h-here goes..... E-enjoy....

[reki-of-the-valley]

Summer Time (Family) Madness

Almost a whole ass year later, I post the revised chapter 5 💀 But hey, I'm finished uni forever now, so maybe I'll have more time to write?

First | < Previous | Chapter 5 | Next >

AO3 | Original Chapter 1  | Original Chapter 2 | Original Chapter 3 | Original Chapter 4 | Original Chapter 5

“Dude, you were so cool tonight! I can’t believe you pulled that trick off! I totally would’ve landed on my ass!”

It was hard to think of anything other than the grin that broke across Reki’s face as he went on and on, praising and complimenting Langa for yet another race won, but still, Langa made sure to duck his head, his skateboard pressed to his chest as he crawled through the open window. He couldn’t afford another head injury just because Reki’s voice was ever so distracting; it had already been hard enough to explain to his mother why he had been all patched up, his eyebrow suddenly split open. He shuddered at the thought of the skeptical look in her eyes as he lied through his teeth, assuring her he had just tripped on his way home from school. She probably hadn’t believed him, Langa being the shit liar that he was, but she also didn’t ask any further questions. All she had left him with was the reassurance that if anything was going on, she was there to listen to him.

“And that jump?” Reki let his body flop onto his bed, deep amber eyes shining under the dimmed lights of his room. “So cool.”

“You were cool too, you know.”

It was almost commendable how quickly Reki could switch between grins and that flush of embarrassment. He was so good at complimenting everyone around him, praising every little thing he admired, but the moment those compliments were pointed at him, he froze up. His face always turned that bright red as he denied any sort of praise directed at him; he shook his head as if shaking away the words presented to him.

“No, nope, no way. Can’t be cool, I lost. You, on the other hand…”

“Reki,” Langa settled on the edge of the bed, unable to peel his eyes away from Reki, “you’re so cool. It’s not about winning or losing—”

“I know, I know, it’s about having fun.”

Reki stuck his tongue out, annoyance coating his words as he called Langa a sap, but not once had Langa thought him serious. Despite his tone, his bright smile shone through, piercing the annoyance like sunshine breaks through rain clouds. Reki, he always had the ability to be the brightest person in the room, from the twinkle in his eyes to his wide grin; Reki, he was always so captivating. But before Langa could say anything more, insist once more that Reki was amazing, him with his countless talents, the boy was bouncing back onto his feet.

“You mind if I ditch you for a bit? I really need a shower; feel gross and all, y’know?”

Reki shifted his weight back and forth, his fingers pulling at the skin of his wrist. Sparkling amber eyes were decidedly pointed at his feet, his gaze flickering between his toes and whatever was scattered around his bedroom floor. His eyes were avoiding Langa, so much was obvious; Langa would have had to be a complete idiot to not notice it.

Compliments always made Reki feel awkward; Langa had started to note the sudden shift between Reki’s bubbliness and that awkwardness whenever dared say anything nice about him. Maybe he just didn’t know how to react, not yet accustomed to accepting compliments, always feeling the need to deny what was obviously there. Maybe. But regardless of the reason, that had to change. Langa was not going to allow Reki to deny every little wonderful thing that made him so wonderful; he wasn’t going to let Reki deflect every compliment Langa would shower him with. Things would have to change, but not quite yet. That was something to work on later.

“Go. You’re sweaty and gross and I know your mom hates having to wash your sweaty sheets. I’ll just…” Langa’s eyes scanned over the room; he wasn’t sure what he was looking for, so he settled his gaze back on Reki. “Can I take one after you?”

“Yeah, sure man!” A grin broke across Reki’s face, a smile Langa couldn’t help but mirror at the best of his abilities. “Just don’t drop my mom’s shampoo down the drain this time.”

Langa frowned, groaning at the memory. It had been an accident, and Reki knew that. The bottle had slipped from his hands and had spilled all over. He had tried to present the damage, he had tried scooping back up what had poured out of the container, but his effort had been in vain. Everything was going faster than he could react. And Langa had apologized; he had apologized at least a thousand times over, having even replaced the bottle of Mrs. Kyan’s shampoo with his own hard-earned money despite her assuring him it was fine. He had done everything in his power to fix his mistake, but Reki had it his own personal mission to remind Langa of the incident. A grin always broke across his face as he teased him about his butterfingers.

Langa shoved a snickering Reki out of his room. “Get out of here. Go take your stupid shower.”

And just like that, Reki was gone. Langa knew he wouldn’t be alone for very long, Reki always being quick to wash, unlike Langa, but that didn’t stop the room from suddenly seeming intimidating. And sure, he knew the room better than his own, knew it as well as the back of his hand, if not even better, but without Reki physically in it, everything seemed so strange. He was there; he was everywhere, from the posters on the walls to his clothing scattered on the ground, probably having been thrown at the hamper but missed, and yet, it was too quiet to be Reki. It was missing that loud energy that accompanied Reki wherever he went; everything felt too small to be Reki, Reki, who made everything feel so big. Or maybe it was just that Langa suddenly had all the freedom in the world; maybe it was just that he had free rein for a few minutes. That freedom was the most intimidating thing of all; Langa could do as he pleased without consequence.

A flash of yellow caught Langa’s eye. A yellow sleeve poked out from under the bed; mindlessly, Langa’s fingers curled around the soft fabric. His eyes fell shut as he pressed the hoodie to his chest and buried his face in the hood. A faded scent of orange mixed with what was undeniably Reki enveloped Langa as he sunk into the mattress once more; sweat, sunshine, his deodorant, his shampoo, it was all imprinted in the fabric. That hoodie, it was so undeniably Reki. That hoodie, it had the power to calm Langa, leaving him grounded and content. Paradise.

“Whatcha doing?”

A blush flared across Langa’s face as he pushed the hoodie into his lap and straightened his back. Reki stood in his doorway, a towel loosely hanging around his neck. His hair was damp, water trickling down his cheek, his jaw, his neck… Langa gulped; there was no way he was allowing himself to follow the path of those stray drops of water. There was absolutely no way.

“Langa?”

Sirens blared in Langa’s head as Reki grew closer, his eyebrow arched. A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth, a smile Langa knew far too well. It was that same smile Reki always wore, that smile coated with a hint of confusion or uncertainty. It was one of those smiles that left Langa’s stomach flipping as his eyes darted to his lap. What was he supposed to do when Reki was looking at him so intently?

“I’m…” Slowly, blue skies found the sun. “Checking if it’s clean?”

It wasn’t so much a question as it was a statement, but panic had mangled Langa’s voice. It had left him cringing at himself, at the way Reki was looking at him, at the sudden heaviness in the room and on his chest. He had sounded as guilty as he looked, as he felt, the hoodie half-buried between his thighs.

Reki, he had to know. He had to know what Langa was being weird. He had to have felt the awkwardness that coated Langa’s words. He had to know all of this; it had to be the reason he was getting closer. He had to be readying himself to take the hoodie away, readying the names he could throw Langa’s way before asking him to leave and never come back. He had thought Langa was weird, and this was going to be their downfall. Noticing that wretched hoodie under the bed was going to be the reason Langa would lose what meant the most to him.

Langa’s stomach dropped to his feet as fingers, then a palm, settled against his forehead, pushing his bangs away. His heart flipped in his chest as the movement followed its course, those calloused fingers sliding down to his cheek. Everything felt like it was suffocating him as Reki stared at him with a look Langa couldn’t quite decipher. Concern? Worry? What exactly was it that shone in those eyes?

“Dude, you’re burning up.” The suffocating summer air felt cold against Langa’s cheek as Reki pulled his hand back, though it quickly settled back in its spot against Langa’s skin. “You sure you’re alright? Y’know, sleep depravation can-!”

“I’m fine! I just—” Everything was moving on its own, Langa’s feet leading him to the door are his fingers shoved Reki’s hand away and curled around the hoodie, “I need a shower. That’s all.”

Everything sounded so far away as Langa pushed his way out of the room, making a beeline for the bathroom. Everything seemed to be buzzing between his ears as he marched ahead. Everything seemed like it was going to kill him. Everything that was Reki, at least.

Reki… He was going to kill Langa with all that touching and worrying and genuine kindness. He was being an amazing friend, better than anything Langa knew back in Canada. He was being the best friend Langa could ever ask for and he could not risk ruining that because his stupid heart wanted to jump out of his chest every time Reki dared look or smile at him. He could not risk ruining his friendship over a stupid little crush.

A hot shower was exactly what Langa needed. The scorching water was soothing against his aching muscles, leaving his skin red with a slight burning sensation. And perhaps a cold shower would have been better to cool down from the summer heat, to cool the fire that had pumped through his veins as sweat dripped down his forehead, to wash away the grim from his hair after a long night of skateboarding, but there was just something so comforting about the hot water. It was something Langa couldn’t quite explain to others. It just felt like… home. Home in Canada. Home in the snow. Home where he would wash away the freezing cold away under a scorching rain. Hot showers had always felt so nice to him. They had always been so relaxing to him. That was until the bathroom door was opened.

The yelp was involuntary, a natural reaction as Langa’s back slammed against the wall. Steam swirled around him as hot rain splattered against the tiles, concealing him from prying eyes, not that there was anyone searching for his body. An arm was all that was poked in, a pair of sweatpants waving around the small bathroom as Reki’s whispers echoes against the walls.

“Thought these would be more comfortable than your sweaty jeans.” The clothes were tossed into the sink with a worrying amount of accuracy, leaving Reki’s hand waving about. “Sorry for freaking out, man. Didn’t think you’d notice me or anything, and I didn’t want to interrupt you. And I swear I’m not looking!”

“Why…” Langa huffed as he grabbed his towel and shut the water off. His whispers echoed almost too loudly, annoyance dripping like the water down his neck. “Why didn’t you just knock?”

“Didn’t want to interrupt you? And like, you could’ve locked the door if you didn’t want to be bothered, so this is on you, dude. Just—” Reki’s arm disappeared behind the door, probably returning to his side, “hurry up and don’t break anything!”

And with that, the door was clicking behind Reki, leaving Langa alone once more.

Isolation had never suited Langa very well. It left him with his thoughts to spiral, a state of mind that always worried those around him. And if he was being totally honest, he never enjoyed being completely alone. It was scary not having a single person to turn to; it was scary seeing a vast world with no color to shine through. Loneliness had always been Langa’s darkest foe, at least everywhere other than the bathroom. There, he valued his privacy. There, he enjoyed not having any company. He didn’t need crowds cheering him on as he went on with his personal business. He didn’t need Reki talking to him through the door.

Light laughter bubbled out of Langa as he got dressed, hopping around as he pulled the pants on one leg at a time. The bathroom was a place for privacy anywhere but in the Kyan household. Here, family members burst through doors with little to no warning. Here, privacy was a privilege, not a right. Here, well, he had witnessed firsthand Reki’s mother walking into the bathroom to pick up some laundry as he brushed his teeth.

“Unless the door is locked,” Reki had once warned, “expect someone to walk in on you.”

And Reki had been right; he more often than not was right. Someone had walked in on Langa, someone who was none other than Reki. Someone had opened the door and tossed some clothes for Langa. Someone had handpicked soft jersey pants for Langa, pants that hung loosely around his hips and cuffed above his ankles.

These were probably the longest, and largest, pair of pants Reki owned. And looking at how strange the clothing looked against Langa’s pale skin, how everything, from the hoodie to the sweatpants, seemed so large on his small frame and narrow hips, Langa knew that these weren’t made for him. This outfit was made some someone with broader shoulders, someone with stronger thighs. This was made for someone whose strength was apparent to the naked eye, not someone built like a twig. These were clothes that would look wonderful on Reki, falling loosely around his body just the way he liked. This outfit was made for comfort, something Langa always found in Reki. This outfit was made for Reki, Reki who was soft and comfortable and…

Langa shook his head, hoping to shake the thought of Reki out of his mind. The last thing he needed right now was to think of Reki wearing this exact outfit, how beautiful he would look wearing this, as Langa made his way back to the bedroom. The last thing he needed was for his mind to be flooded with memories of Reki, of his smiles, as he lightly knocked on the door before sliding it open and slipping in soundlessly. The last thing he needed was to be distracted as he was faced with Reki already pressed deep into his mattress, his pretty face illuminated by a screen as the rest of the room was plunged into darkness.

The bed curved under Langa’s weight as he took a seat at the edge, his eyes never leaving Reki. A snort parted the boy’s lips as he flipped onto his back, pressing his phone into the sheets and pushing himself into a sitting position. Everything had gone dark until Reki was close, his shoulder brushing against Langa’s as his lock screen stared back at Langa, leaving him with a hint of a smile. As embarrassing as it was to see his face below the ungodly hour of 2:53 am, it was always nice to see Reki’s picture-perfect smile right next to him.

“Sorry ‘bout the bathroom thing. I forgot you…” A sharp inhale drew Langa out of his overflowing inner monologue about Reki’s lock screen. “I should have knocked.”

“It’s okay. Just startled me.”

“Sorry again.” Silence fell as Reki’s eyes flicked down to Langa’s chest, sending an electric shock down his spine. “Aw, dude, you sure you wanna wear that one? It’s gross and—”

“No.” It was defensive; it was instinctive, the arms that wrapped around his own body, the fingers digging into the thick fabric, the lean back as Reki tried grabbing one of the hoodie’s strings. “I like this one. It’s soft.”

It smells like you. It reminds me of you. The words felt heavy on Langa’s tongue, words he bit back before ruining everything. Some things were just best left unsaid.

A shrug of the shoulders was enough for him to know that Reki hadn’t found the comment completely deranged. Reki was good at that, not questioning things further than they needed to be.

“Alright, whatever you say, man.”

And with that, the boy fell back into this mattress, his phone bouncing to the ground and falling with a thud, which Reki didn’t seem to care for in the slightest. No, his mind seemed to be far from this room, from this moment, from his phone which might have shattered beyond its usual extent.

Bothered amber eyes stared ahead at the dark ceiling as his nails dug and picked at the scarred skin of his knees. Light marks had blossomed across his sun-kissed skin, the result of all those years of skating and bailing, concrete leaving its mark on a once blank canvas. And how Langa wished to kiss every one of those scars away. How he wished to leave his mark, his promise to never let anything ever hurt Reki again. If it were up to Langa, if he could help it, not a single scar or bruise would ever form anywhere on Reki’s body. Not ever.

“We…” Another sharp inhale broke the silence, drawing Langa’s attention back to Reki’s face as the boy pushed himself into a sitting position. “Koyomi is using the guest futon, which means we’re gonna have to share. Again.” Sunny eyes set, a worrying gleam coating them with something Langa couldn’t quite place. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?” The question was blurted out faster than Langa could process what was happening. “We share my bed all the time when we stay at my place.” Such were the facts, facts that Reki seemed that have been forgetting as he seemed to chew on the inside of his lip, still refusing to look at Langa. “We don’t have a guest futon.”

Finally, those pretty eyes met Langa. “Yeah, but your bed is bigger!” And just as quickly, they dipped back down. “Mine is, well…”

Reki gestured his bed, spreading his arms open and falling back to demonstrate the lack of room on his twin mattress. So what if it wasn’t the biggest bed Langa had come across during his lifetime? It was big enough for the two of them; the proof was that they had been just fine the last time Langa had stayed over. And anyway, it wasn’t like they weren’t accustomed to being in each other’s bubble. What was one night pressed together compared to all those months spent connected at the hip?

A smile pulled at the corner of Langa’s mouth as he squeezed himself between Reki and the wall. Their shoulders pressed together as Reki’s eyes found Langa’s, though not without seeming to widen ever so slightly.

“It’s fine, Reki.” Another smile, always a little easier than the last. “I don’t mind if that’s what you’re afraid of.”

And to prove his point, Langa nuzzled his face into the pillow, getting ever so comfortable in Reki’s bed. And maybe his heart was pounding in his chest, threatening to break out of its cage, but given how all the worry seemed to melt from Reki’s face, his cheek also pressed into a pillow as the boys laid facing each other, he couldn’t bring himself to care. All Langa could care for was the way Reki was snuggling closer to him, his nose pressed against the crook of Langa’s neck, an arm draped over Langa’s waist, right on the small patch of exposed skin where neither the hoodie nor the sweatpants quite reached.

Hesitantly, Langa’s hand found its way to Reki’s head, fingers tentatively stroking the boy’s wild red hair. And even if Langa knew it from all the times locks of hair had brushed against his cheek, it was always so surprising to feel the softness of Reki’s hair. It was nothing like Langa’s silky hair, hair that fell nearly perfectly without doing anything to it, but it had its own kind of softness: a Reki kind of soft. And when Reki let out a low hum of satisfaction as he snuggled closer, Langa felt his breath hitch and his insides tightening.

Reki, he liked this. He liked being there, pressed against Langa. And it wasn’t surprising, Langa knew Reki was a cuddler, but still, it had simply never occurred to him that this might be something that would be enjoyed. It had never occurred to Langa that Reki might like having his hair played with, fingers threading through wild locks. It had never occurred to Langa that he had the power to make Reki feel good and safe. It had never occurred to Langa that it was as simple as this.

“You’re gonna make me fall asleep…”

Another smile pulled at the corners of Langa’s mouth as Reki mumbled into the hoodie. His eyes had since fallen shut; his breath had also steadied. The small room, which had once been filled with uncertainty, had given in to peace. If Langa had felt a pit form at the pit of his stomach before, it had long left him.

“That’s the point. You need sleep.” Light laughter lost itself in the red wilderness as Reki huffed, not bothering to fight back. There simply was no fighting when soothing fingers tangled themselves with locks of red hair, nails lightly grazing Reki’s scalp. “But you know, you really are amazing, Reki. Never sell yourself short. Like, that turn you did? It was fucking amazing. I still don’t get how you managed to pull it off without bailing. When you had finally perfected it, finally nailing it for the first time, I spent an entire week trying to copy you and never got it. Just kept falling off my board. Never seemed to get it right. But you? You were so fucking cool, I could just—!”

Reki’s hands shot up to cover Langa’s mouth, muffling the end of his sentence. Big amber eyes were once again avoiding Langa’s; Reki’s face burned bright red once again, matching his cheeks to his hair.

“If you don’t stop right now, I will shove you off the bed.”

Langa sighed, pushing Reki’s hands away. Slowly, the boy settled against him once again, burying his face in the hood of the yellow sweater. There was no doubt that Reki was still burning up, but Langa didn’t mention it. Bringing up the color, no matter how pretty it made Reki look, no matter how much it made Reki’s freckles stand out, it would be setting himself up for a night spent on the floor. Instead, Langa simply let his hand find its way back to the red hair, playing with the strands once more.

“Fine, but just so you know, I still find you cool. And I’d be nothing without you since you’re the one who taught me how to skate and all.”

“Sleep, Langa. You’re rambling nonsense again.”

This time, Langa didn’t protest. There was no point; Reki would deflect the praise until the sun came up, and probably until it dipped back down again. One day, Reki would accept the praise Langa showered him in, but tonight was not that day. Tonight was the night Langa would let out a sigh as a smile hung from his lips; it was the night he would rest his chin atop Reki’s head, breathing in his shampoo. Tonight was the night Langa would resist the urge to press a kiss right there, right where it would feel so right to do so.

It would only be one night, Langa knew that, but it would be a night he would enjoy. It was a night he would treasure, a night he wouldn’t let slip through his fingers. Tonight, he would spend his time cuddled up under the sheets with Reki, pretending this was every night. Tonight, he would enjoy the feeling of Reki’s weight against him, the steady rise and fall of his chest. Tonight, Langa wouldn’t think of how he would trade anything in the world to have this every single day of his life.

------

Langa wasn’t sure when he had fallen asleep, but when his eyes opened to greet the morning, the bed was empty. The spot beside him was cold; Reki must have gotten up a good while ago. It was a mystery as to how or when Reki had left him; he hadn’t felt him slip out from under his arm.

Disappointment accompanied the morning sun peering through the curtains. Langa had really hoped to wake up before Reki; he had hoped he would be able to watch him sleep a little longer, watch him snuggle deeper into his pillow, watch him snore softly, so calm and peaceful. Langa’s heart had wished to experience such a joy; he had always wondered what it would be like to wake up next to Reki. But alas, Langa wasn’t known to be an early bird, and Reki, well, he had always had the habit of being up far earlier than Langa.

Begrudgingly, Langa got out of bed. Life was already bustling outside of Reki’s room. The twins could be heard running around the house, screams and squeals of children echoing against the thin walls as they played whatever games toddlers would play. A littler farther away, a little more muffled than Chihiro and Nanaka’s voices, Langa could hear Reki’s mother in the kitchen, her sweet hum as she went on about her day, probably preparing breakfast for everyone. And in the living room, there sat Koyomi, her knees folded under her as she watched some rerun on the television. Everyone had fallen into their usual morning routines, filling the house. Everyone but Reki who was nowhere to be seen.

Without Reki to steer the conversation, Langa didn’t know what to do with himself. He was far too aware of how awkward he was as he took a seat on the couch, right next to the girl. A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth, but unlike when he was around Reki, this one wasn’t as easy. This one felt forced and terrified; Langa was scared to know what he looked like.

Silence filled the space between the two; only the tv gave way to some sort of liveliness. Neither dared say a word, at least not until the show cut to a commercial break. Until then, shyness, or perhaps indifference, Langa couldn’t tell the difference, reigned. Until then, Langa rehearsed possible conversation starters, turning the words over and over in his head; Reki had told him to talk to his sisters, to his mother. He had insisted that no one would bite and that they all liked him. He had assured Langa that nothing would go wrong, and yet, as Langa attempted at a conversation with the 14-year-old, it felt like everything had gone wrong.

“So, where’s your friend?”

The girl raised an eyebrow at Langa, seeming confused. Her head tilted to the side, leaving Langa just as puzzled as her. She had used the guest futon last night, hadn’t she? Reki had said so, unless Langa had once again misunderstood.

“What friend?”

“You used the guest futon, didn’t you?”

“No?”

The air suddenly felt tense, both Langa and Koyomi staring at each other in utter confusion. No matter how much Langa tried to demystify the situation, tried to understand what Koyomi was telling him, it just didn’t make sense. Clearly, there had been some kind of mistake or miscommunication. It wasn’t possible that what Reki had said was—

“Are you guys having a staring contest without me?”

Reki bounced into the room with more energy than was humanely possible.  But this was Reki, after all, Reki with his bright sunshine-like grin and his headband he was yet again readjusting. This was Reki, Reki who left Langa in shambles as his chest squeezed at the memory of how soft that red hair had been last night. This was Reki, the very same Reki who had hummed in satisfaction as fingers weaved through his hair. This was Reki, Reki who was so easy to be around, Reki who never left Langa confused and misunderstanding. Being with Reki, talking to him, it was nothing like whatever attempted conversation Langa had had with Koyomi.

“Didn’t your sister have a friend over last night?”

Reki blinked a few times while his sister once again insisted she had had no one over. Her words tumbled out of her mouth faster than Reki’s rambling normally would, jumbled claims that the only person who had stayed over last night was Langa and that even if she had wanted to spend a night with friends, it wouldn’t have been in this overly crowded house of embarrassing people. Her instances filled the room until they buzzed out; Langa’s mind had wandered elsewhere, leaving him nearly clueless as to what was happening around him. There was simply too much noise, noise that was quickly tuned out as questions and thoughts spiralled out of control in Langa’s messy brain. Why couldn’t he understand what was happening? Why had he been so convinced that Koyomi had had a friend over? Why couldn’t he understand the situation?

“Right!” Reki’s voice was loud, his fist pounding in his hand and drawing Langa out of his futile spiral. “Friend! Yes! Koyomi had invited a friend over!”

“I just said I didn’t!”

“Yes, you did!” Reki stared at this sister, lips pressed into a thin line. The two seemed to be having some sort of staring contest; was this some kind of sibling telepathic communication that Langa would never understand? “You know, the friend who left a few minutes ago?”

“Reki, what are you talking about?”

“Your friend. That used the guest futon. The futon Langa normally uses but couldn’t yesterday. That friend.”

“What are yo—? Oh!” A grin stretched across Koyomi’s face, a smile so similar to Reki but filled with so much more mischief. It was a look that always terrified Langa; what was up with 14-year-olds and looking like absolute shit starters? “You… Oh, I’m so telling mom!”

“Don’t! Don’t you fucking dare.”

Reki’s eyes narrowed onto the girl as Langa sank back into the couch, making himself as small as possible. Anger seemed to have sparked in those eyes that were usually so kind; or maybe it was the way Reki had hissed out the curse, Reki who never swore. He had made it a point to keep his vocabulary as clean as possible; he had made it clear that he wanted to be a good example for his sisters. And that determination had stuck, even when his family was nowhere near him. But here, in the Kyan living room, hearing Reki swear at his sister, Langa knew better than reminding Reki that there were young impressionable ears not too far away. Instead, he simply observed; this was between the Kyan siblings. And if things really did escalate, Mrs. Kyan would set them straight.

“Fine! But you owe me!”

“What do you mean, I owe you? I don’t owe you shit!”

“Don’t test me, Reki! I won’t hesitate! And I’ll even tell Langa if I have to!”

Was now a good time to step in? Or should he remain invisible? It was hard to tell what the best course of action was, but Langa had been mentioned. Why, he couldn’t tell, but he had been mentioned. So was it a good time to stop being a ghost?

“Tell me what?”

The siblings froze, both still in each other’s faces. Anger pulled on every one of their features, leaving them red in the face, but the shouting had subsided at the sound of Langa’s voice. Frustrated deep breaths instead filled the tense air.

Who knew when the shouting and fighting would flare up again, but from what Langa had gathered from tv shows, the Kyan household, and his occasional disagreements with Emily back when they were children, this wasn’t strange or unusual. If anything, it seemed to be quite natural for siblings to argue, though it didn’t mean it wasn’t at least a little bit fascinating to watch the nearly magical switch of energy. Only with Koyomi did Langa ever see Reki go from bubbly and happy to moody and annoyed with nothing more than one snide remark from his sister. And the same applied to Koyomi; he had seen her go from sniffling and crying to smiling and giggling with just one of Reki’s jokes. So it didn’t come as a surprise to see the girl bounce up to him, a grin nearly identical to the one her brother normally wore as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet.

“Oh, just that I did have a friend over. Well, we’re not really friends, not yet, but almost? Maybe – hopefully – we’ll be good friends one day. Oh!” A giggle broke from her lips as Koyomi glanced at her brother. “Also, Reki is totally way too embarrassed to admit it, but he has a huge crush on my friend.”

More giggles filled the air as Koyomi poked her brother’s cheek, drawing attention to his wide-eyed look and burning cheeks. Fingernails dug into Reki’s palm once more, one of the few nervous ticks Langa got to learn about over the course of their friendship. And this friendship had led Langa to learn so many things about Reki: his favorite skateboard trick, his lack of a favorite color, his adoration for Westerner food whenever he was over. Langa knew so much about Reki, but at the same time, it felt like he knew nothing. Or at least, it felt like he knew nothing when it came to the more important things like who Reki liked. Because apparently he liked someone. According to Koyomi, he liked one of her friends. He liked this person who Langa knew nothing about. He liked a person Langa had never met before. What could she possibly be like?

“I— I will murder you in your sleep, sister dearest.”

And with that, Koyomi was bouncing out of the living room, though not without flipping her brother off and sticking her tongue out at him, a grin having broken across her face.

A tense and heavy silence hung in the air. A shadow of hair had cast over sunset eyes, obscuring them from Langa’s view. All that was left to be seen was the slight shake of shoulders, something akin to a threat of tears, something Langa hated most of all. He never knew what to do when Reki cried; he never wanted Reki to cry, not if it could be helped. And if Reki started crying now, what was the best course of action? Would it be best to leave him alone, or should Langa pull him into a hug, holding him close to his chest as he told him everything would be alright? If only Reki would smile instead of being close to tears.

If only they had been anywhere else; if only they had been in Reki’s room. Had  they been alone, then maybe Langa would have found the courage to push those bangs out of Reki’s eyes, revealing those pretty amber eyes that should have been filled with happiness. Maybe he would have gotten up and wrapped his arms around Reki, holding him tight for as long as Reki needed or wanted. Maybe he would have stroked that soft hair as he had only hours prior, hoping it would calm Reki. There was so much Langa could have done, would have liked to do, but instead, he let the boy be. He didn’t need Reki snapping at him for overstepping.

“You know…” Langa’s voice wobbled ever so slightly, afraid this was the wrong thing to do. He hoped a bit of conversation would pull Reki out of his sudden sour mood, but there was no guarantee it would work or that it wouldn’t make things even worse. “She reminds me a bit of Miya, with the whole… whatever that was about.”

“She’s sounding a little too much like Miya, if you really wanna know. They’re both gonna kill me one of these days. But whatever. Just… c’mon.” Reki’s fingers curled around Langa’s wrist, pulling him up from the couch. A small smile traced his lips, almost shy-looking. And Langa, he let himself be tugged along, unable to resist following Reki, no matter where he would go. “My mom made breakfast, and I know you’re starving.”  

[polarisbibliotheque]

Nemesis (Vergil x Reader) - Chapter 3

Nemesis

Pairing: Vergil x Reader

Summary: The Abyss opening is a rare occurrence. In his youth, Vergil wanted to harness its power, but never thought he would meet his greatest adversary along the way. Years later, the Abyss is once again open and that might call for some rather unlikely alliances.

Chapter 1 (Prologue) | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 (you are here!)

Age restriction: 18+ - there’s a lot of blood, violence, cursing and all those things people want to forbid younger audiences of seeing. Also, cosmic horror is a thing here. Procceed with caution.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Deals with trickster entities and death omens :)

Special Thanks and Credits: @furyeclipse is the wonderful creator of a very main character in all this plot, Ovid - the trickster being the reader will be dealing with and who will have many interactions with the crew. Fury helped me to write some of Ovid's key moments, their realm, their appearance and their mannerisms - after all, it was all Fury's creation and I'm just honored to be able to share such a rich character and worldbuilding!

Thank you so so much for allowing me to add your character to Nemesis and for being such a wonderful friend!

You can check Fury's work on their Ao3, which you can find here: FuryEclipse Ao3

Strongly suggest you guys reading Devoid of Purpose, where you can understand Ovid better ;)

Author's Notes: It took me a little while for this one and I do apologize, but my health isn't the best currently. I will have to go through some medical exams in the upcoming weeks and I'll start taking some meds, so I might have some delays/disappearances from writing. But I will ALWAYS come back to post Nemesis!!

This was a very fun chapter to write. I do enjoy Ovid a lot and their interactions with the reader are 10/10 based on knowledge seeking. Get ready for fighting (and annoying) Vergil on the next chapter, though ;)

Chapter 3

The city reeked of blood and destruction.

After so many years from your city’s incident, you never expected your memories to feel so alive. But there they were, haunting every corner of a new disaster – ghosts of a past you longed to forget, back to cling to your slivers of sanity like demons burying their claws in human flesh.

That city had fallen into chaos. People were crying, screaming, running around in despair looking for solace – for something or someone to save them from whatever the Abyss had attracted.

They first looked at you with hope and admiration – only to change to fear and horror when they realized that, even if your victims were demons, you were a killer after all.

And a very skilled one. Behind your footsteps, no demons were allowed. To fall into your protection meant to be safe; to find salvation amidst all that hell. Even if people feared you and your bloodstained hands, they were grateful for being their only hope of survival.

“Is everyone out of the city already?” You cleaned the blood that spilled on your face while walking towards the captain of the city’s guard, in charge of the evacuation.

Even the soldiers looked at you with a certain unease in their eyes. No one would want to get into a fight against you.

“The last two safe buses are just ready to go.” The captain, though, was the only one able to look into your eyes without hesitation. He could use a soldier like you. “Next one is for me, my crew, and you, y/n.”

“Thank you, but I’m not going with you.”

Your comment sent a wave of whispers among the soldiers. Before the captain could answer, you explained yourself.

“The Abyss is far more dangerous than we know. Someone has to stay behind and make sure it’s going to close without anything going in or coming out.”

Of course, you’d never say it was the only place you would certainly find the blue coated devil who almost killed you back in your city. You were certain he would be there but, so far, no blue demons crossed your view.

And you were especially aware of it.

“Well. You have a good point there. Just make sure to come back alive, alright?”

“Will do. I have to help a friend with laundry next week.”

No one understood your comment, but they also wouldn’t ask. You swinged your silver blade to get it rid of the blood and paced back into the city.

It was time to meet an old enemy.

*

As your steps echoed through the streets of the abandoned city, you had this uncomfortable feeling at the base of your stomach. It seemed like eyes were fixed on the back of your head and hands rested heavily on your shoulders.

But no one walked those streets except you.

Keeping your silver sword in hand, you didn’t stray from your path. The Abyss was close: you had learned to discern between how demons and the Abyss felt like as you started working as a devil hunter. While demons were certainly unnerving, the Abyss had something of… Uncertain. A sense of unknown – and the knowledge of what that was could be worse than fatal; probably better left in the realms of shadows.

But there was a… Third energy. Something else you couldn’t quite pinpoint its origin. It was unnerving, yes, but it felt… Old. Older than whatever demons you could’ve met.

Your steps approached an ancient building – probably a public school; you couldn’t exactly tell what it was. And you would’ve remained focused on your main objective if you hadn’t glimpsed inside the building.

A pair of eyes observed you from the shadows. It stared at you before disappearing deeper into the darkness, but you could swear those eyes were yours.

“What gives…?” You murmured to yourself, barely feeling your feet unconsciously following those eyes, as you crossed the derelict entrance.

You should be going towards the Abyss. That was the reason why you were there, it was the main purpose of you being hired that day. But… How come you saw a being with your eyes inside that building? As you entered the main hall, you found nothing but a reception desk and paper tossed around, ripped and burnt as people fled. Observing into the darkness, that place was a library.

Infinite rows of old mahogany seemed to go deep inside the shadows – until your eyes could barely make out any shapes. It was all probably in your head: dealing with demons made one prone to hallucinations, sooner or later.

As you prepared your feet to leave, you heard a scratchy metallic noise – faint, in the distance, but still there. Turning around, you stared into the shadow and you could swear your eyes picked up something moving.

You couldn’t tell what it was – if it was a demon, a creature or a human. But it was someone. If it was a human, it needed your help. If it was a demon, it deserved to die.

You decided to let your steps follow the sound.

Upon entering the rows of destroyed bookcases and rotting books, you kept on following that light metallic noise – like gentle knifes scratching at the floor, wood or any surface it could touch. Your eyes caught glimpses of a shadow, but never its full form. You turned your head around, your feet followed with precision – your curiosity leading you further and further into the labyrinth of old pages and decaying wood.

When you reached what it seemed to be the center – a round open space, surrounded by aisles and aisles of mahogany bookcases – your white rabbit seemed to have disappeared. There was no other indication of which path you should follow to find it, and you couldn’t deny you were certainly lost inside the library.

Your steps circled the room, slowly, trying to find your way out or the creature leading you further inside. Perhaps… Perhaps it was him. The devil who defeated you that fateful day, the one you longed to rematch. Maybe it was his way of leading you into a trap – and, if it was, you would be ready. Holding your silver sword with certainty, you wouldn’t be caught by surprise.

That library certainly looked like a proper place to defeat him and hold your sword to his neck, while one of your feet held his chest down on the floor, keeping him in his place. No demon was superior to a human, and you would prove him that.

The metallic tapping brought you back from your thoughts, dissipating the image of you finally subduing the blue coated demon. Turning around, you found your eyes again at the end of a long, dark aisle. With resolute steps, you plunged into the darkness, without flinching or thinking twice.

The eyes disappeared as soon as you started to follow them – but, upon reaching the end of the aisle, you found a great wooden door with an old plaque by its side. Cleaning the dust to see it better, you read what it was: “Forbidden Session – Entry allowed only upon authorization”.

Indeed, the door had an old black iron lock, probably requiring an iron key to enter. You tried to force it open a few times, but it was to no avail. With a deep, slightly frustrated sigh, you turned around to look for a way to open it – but your search wasn’t needed: as soon as you rotated on your feet, you found a great, heavy iron key waiting for you in one of the shelves filled with dust.

It didn’t escape your eyes the key was clean despite how abandoned the place looked.

Without questioning, you took it on your hands and finally opened the heavy door. Its hinges complained as you pushed it open and your steps entered the room.

Your heart slightly jumped inside your chest for a couple of quick seconds. It seemed like your eyes got used to the darkness, but soon you realized that session of the library was lit in a procession of warm candles that seemed to never really burn out. The door behind you was closed, and the reception desk had an old, heavy guestbook ominously waiting for you between two candles lit with purple flames.

You didn’t let go of your weapons. Strengthening your grip around the silver, you walked over the guestbook – finally noticing your steps weren’t the only sound to be heard: a faint, albeit calm, piano song filled the air. You didn’t know where it came from, but it was weirdly… Soothing.

“Traveler from afar, if you wish to drink upon the knowledge of forbidden and forgotten books, you must let go of your protections and sign your name. Only then, the library will welcome you among its pages and endless words. Beware, though, not to get lost in other worlds: some writings are tricky and the search for knowledge might claim your soul.”

Those were the words written on a blank, old page of the book waiting for you at the reception. Let go of protections and sign your name. Both conditions were tricky and asked too much of you: the protections were your weapons, and your name could be used in ancient spells for many purposes. The book asked you to be completely vulnerable and you weren’t comfortable with that.

“Hmmm…” You wiggled your nose while thinking, murmuring to yourself. That presence remained around you, but there was no reason to believe someone was really watching you. And, if there was indeed a being following you, they could at least try to answer any questions. “I wonder if this place has information about the Abyss…”

As you muttered, something seemed to fall in the inner part of the round reception desk. There was no one to receive you, so you took the liberty to inspect what made that noise. You found another book on the floor – this time bigger, older, and seemingly infinite: clearly a product of magic. There were no doubts you had crossed into another realm and, even if you didn’t know how to go back, your curiosity was bigger than your fear.

Taking the leather cover into your hands, you leaned the book in one of your arms, opening it with your free hand. Your eyebrows raised in delight as you realized you were staring into a library Index: all books and their subjects were noted down in beautifully crafted calligraphy, with a note on their location inside the library.

You turned page after page in what it seemed like an endless passing of time – as if Time itself didn’t exist in that wonderful realm of books and knowledge you had found yourself into. That presence seemed to keep watching you; intently, carefully… Curiously. As curious as your eyes running on the pages searching for more knowledge on the Abyss.

“Aha…” You finally found what you were looking for. The Abyss and other Ancient Realms – that was the only title on that theme. It was in the Restricted Session, and that could only indicate you would have a price to pay for that knowledge. “Alright. Let’s find the Restricted Session then.”

As you murmured those words, a path of purple flames lit the way to said Restricted Session. You wouldn’t have to worry about becoming trapped or never finding your way back: the library would show where the knowledge you needed was – your will would have to bring you back.

With a deep breath, you let go of your silver sword, leaning it on the reception desk. You placed your guns by the side of the guestbook, taking an inking pen and, after dipping it in the deep purple ink, you signed your name in the old, yellowish pages.

You were completely vulnerable, but you could use your arcane knowledge to your advantage. You had tested it before in several situations: the blood spell you did on your silver sword was very efficient in bringing it back to you in dire need. The blood inside it felt the calling of the blood in your veins, it didn’t matter the distance. It could take some time, but your trusted sword would be there to protect you – and that gave you some peace of mind.

The Restricted Session was less ominous than you thought it would look like. Behind the black iron bars of the gate that kept curious hands at bay, lied an obsidian box that could keep just one book inside, framed by the light of many sparkling purple candleflames.

“You who search the oldest of secrets must leave something in return.”

An old, golden altar stood beside the bars of the Restricted Session, keeping you between the knowledge of the Abyss. It was at your hand’s reach, so close and yet, so far away. You wanted it with your whole heart, but that altar was a warning and a deal: you had to sacrifice something if you wanted to learn something new.

No small offering would be enough for that book – no, it had to be a big one. Something beloved, something cherished. Something your heart would break to part.

Your guardian angel’s deep blue shawl.

You touched the soft fabric, your heart jumping inside your chest. Of everything you were willing to part of, that was your most prized belonging. It was the only thing that reminded you of some protection, of some gentleness. You didn’t want to let go – you wanted to keep the memory of your guardian angel close to your heart forever.

But you could never attain the knowledge you needed without making sacrifices.

You closed your eyes, taking a deep and slow breath. It was stupid to cry over a piece of fabric, so you wouldn’t – even if your heart wanted to weep. Unwrapping it from your neck, you once again opened your eyes, carefully placing your beloved shawl in the ancient golden altar. The purple flames reflected a beautiful dance in the only memory you had of your guardian angel… Of you being cared for and remembered, at least by someone.

With your heart sinking in your chest, a heavy click opened the gates of the Restricted Session, allowing you to go in.

The obsidian box was open, revealing a big, ominous book with a deep blue leather cover. The Abyss and Other Ancient Realms – the letters were in silver, slowly fading with time, but beautifully crafted inside a gothic frame of vines. You took it into your hands, the weight almost heavier than your sword. It shouldn’t be, but some books held more knowledge than others. Some enchanted books, with infinite pages, impossible to run out of space in its binding.

You left the Restricted Session, looking over your shoulders one last time to catch a glimpse of your cherished blue shawl. It seemed like leaving a piece of your heart behind, but you took a deep breath and kept on your path back to the reception desk – you wouldn’t cry, at least not with your eyes, and you wouldn’t turn back once more either.

What was done was done. You had made your choice, and you wouldn’t go back.

As you approached the reception desk once more, though, a dark figured towered around it – and the eyes. It had your eyes.

It looked like a Eurasian Eagle-Owl, feathers in deep purple and black, glistening with the trembling candle flames. Its chest carried a blood red glow, faintly able to see under its jet-black wings. It stood tall, far taller than you, smart eyes mimicking yours as it followed your every move with interest and mischievous curiosity. Only when your careful steps got close enough you were able to see it had two sets of wings – one close to its body, another resembling the mannerisms of human arms.

You had your eyes in it – carefully drinking its every move. You didn’t know if it was friend or foe; if it tried to attack you, your sword, peacefully laying behind it, would have to make its way to your hand.

“If you’re looking for that white rabbit, he’s not here.” Its voice reverberated through walls and the floor, catching your ears and your heart. You’d say it was a demon, but something about its energy was… Different. Ancient. “But I sense that you seek a knowledge that is worth pursuing to the darkest depth of the Underworld to find it.” As it finished speaking, a small laugh followed the words, clearly enjoying your curiosity that led you to that realm. “How will curious little Alice accomplish such a dangerous feat?”

“With courage. You have to be curious in order to be brave.” Your answer was certain albeit careful. Never before you had encountered a demon that resembled the creature standing before you – and the Codex Daemonica had no information about that. “I wonder. If I was led here but there’s no white rabbit to be seen, who am I talking to? The Cheshire Cat?”

Once again, that laugh reverberated through your chest, while its feathers shook with delight. Of all creatures you had met, that was the first who made you unsure. As far as your knowledge went, you could be talking to a trickster, like the ancient Norse deity, Loki.

“Alice should know better that names are not to be given so lightly.”

You just stared back into your own eyes, a small unsatisfied smile coloring your lips. You had signed your name; you had given it already. But words have power, especially the ones voiced by one’s own lips. If you wanted its name, you had to give yours – you had to voice it so it could voice its own. An eye for an eye, a hand for a hand, a name for a name.

“Y/n. My name is y/n, as I signed in the guestbook already.” You said after a deep breath. You could be making a huge mistake, but the book in your arms was worth whatever price. You had already left your guardian angel’s shawl – there was no going back now.

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, little Alice.” The creature bowed its head slightly, making you mirror its chivalry. “You can call me Ovid, master of this realm.”

“You certainly have a wonderful library, Ovid.” You couldn’t keep secret the fact that you had a Restricted Session book in your arms: Ovid probably knew what you had given up for it already and you had every intention to check that book out. For good or for bad. “With knowledge that even the best arcane libraries in the human realm only dream of.”

“Indeed, y/n, indeed… How far would you go fur such knowledge, little Alice?”

“As far as necessary, dear Cheshire Cat.”

Its eyes reflected the same fire that burned in yours – but you didn’t look down. You had already met that stare before: years ago, when fighting the blue coated devil, it was that sort of glance that commanded you to give up and made you only ignore it and remain stronger in your own will.

It was rare for Ovid meeting such a strong-willed human. A journey alongside you could be quite interesting, after all.

“I see you have already accessed the Restricted Session…” Ovid murmured back, glancing quickly at the book in your hands. “To check out such knowledge, in the other hand, there are a few conditions.”

“As I said before, I’m willing to go as far as necessary. I already gave up something dear to me.” It was rare for you to put yourself in such a vulnerable position, but there you were. That book was worth much more than you could ever dream of and, if you needed to, you would fight that creature for it – even if you didn’t know what it was.

“And you can read it in my realm whenever you see fit, as long as your offering remains in the altar.” Once again, it bowed its head slightly, only to turn those bright, cunning eyes back to you right after. “But in order to return constantly, I shall need something in return.”

You smiled. There was always a catch. That’s how it was when dealing with demons.

“What is it?”

“For which purpose does little Alice needs such a book so desperately…?” You could hear it in its voice: they knew you had a goal, that you needed that book not only for curiosity, but for something else.

You had to be honest and vulnerable – something you avoided with all your strength. There were no cards left up your sleeve and the only thing you had in your advantage was that you could summon your silver sword at any moment – unless Ovid had sensed that spell already.

“There are no books in the human realm with knowledge on the Abyss. Whatever it is, I need to know more about it to keep it from destroying entire cities like it did to mine.” You took a deep breath, never lowering your eyes from Ovid’s cunning stare. “I will write a Codex Abyssae, just like there is a Codex Daemonica, so other hunters may be able to protect other people. This…” You looked down at the book in your arms, furrowing your brows. “This is the best source I found to this day. I can’t let it go.”

As your eyes went back to Ovid’s, you could swear it was smiling – after all, you knew how your eyes looked when you were doing so.

“Well, well, little Alice…” There was a tinge of delight in its voice, and you couldn’t refrain your heart from being wary. “It seems that the Fates brought our paths together, then. This book can only be read on my realm, however you might be able to come and go as you please for your research as long as you keep its information updated.” Those eyes, your eyes, glinted with a smart burst of energy of something that hadn’t had that much fun in centuries. “You see, my collection, sometimes, gets obsolete. Inside this book, you will find everything you need to know on the Abyss, but I’m afraid there is so much more yet to be discovered. It will be an honor harboring a copy of your Codex Abyssae along my many pages and oceans of words.”

One of their wings pointed back at the book. As you observed the cover, The Abyss and other ancient realms title disappeared, only to give room to the carefully crafted, gothic silver words of Codex Abyssae.

That was your book. That was your research. If you accepted it, all that knowledge, all that power would be yours – and you would get to update it, as well as write your own version for the human realm. It was really a lot more than you could have wished for, even if it bounded you to that creature you knew so little about.

“What happens when I am done?”

“You cannot return.” Ovid’s voice was calm, acting as if it was just another day in their eternity. Their eyes, though, glinted with delight. “The Codex will return to its safety in the Restricted Session. Your shawl will be returned. You will have your knowledge, and I will have mine. Our deal will be over.”

Of course, it was a deal. Something like that always had a price.

And you were willing to pay it.

“How do I access the library to read the Codex when I need to?”

“You can always summon me with one of my feathers, dear Alice.”

It seemed like you hadn’t noticed it before, but right by the guest book, there was a golden dish with a silky, long black feather in it. Like you imagined before, you would be bound to that creature to a certain extent, as long as you kept your part of the bargain. They would give you knowledge if you delivered knowledge in return.

It was a small price to pay, in your point of view.

“Well, then. You have yourself a deal, Cheshire.” You took a deep breath, declaring your will out loud. “I will keep the Codex Abyssae updated as long as I can come and go from the library and read it for my research, Ovid. Deal.”

That laugh reverberated through the library once more as you reached for the feather. You could finally leave the Codex on the reception desk, knowing you could come back any time and spend hours and hours reading it to your heart’s desire.

“I have to finish the job I was hired to do, but when I want to come back…”

“I will be there to guide you into my realm, little Alice.” Ovid made a small signal with their head, making you slightly bow in return.

“Thank you for allowing me to have access to your library, Ovid.”

“Thank you, little Alice, for giving me such knowledge to build upon, but do be careful on the road ahead.” Their warning caught you off guard, making you stop as you were ready to get your weapons once more. “You have been close to death once before, I can see that.” As those words filled your mind, you furrowed your brows. “Before you go, I shall give you a piece of advice to mull over. The next time you end up on death’s doorstep, it will take you without hesitation. So, live a fruitful and fulfilling human life, with the time you’ve got left. Death does not give second chances lightly.”

That warning placed a heavy weight on your heart, taking your breath away for a few seconds. You had defied death once but, as it seemed, you wouldn’t be able to do it twice.

With so much left to do, you kept that warning in a place you could think about later. You struck a deal. It was done. You couldn’t turn back now.

*

As soon as your feet left the door that got you inside the library, you found yourself back into the derelict building that led you there. You glanced back, hoping to see the purple flames and the reception desk once more – now with your weapons back to your grip and the feel of your trusted sword hilt calming your heart – but you only found an old empty room, with books and paper scattered all over the dusty floor.

You were back – and it all seemed like a lifelong dream. You would consider it all to have been just your imagination, if Ovid’s feather didn’t weight inside your coat’s pocket. Checking once more, your fingers found the silky touch of the feather and you knew; it was all true. You had struck a deal with a trickster, maybe a demon, maybe something older – you weren’t sure. But you had done it for a knowledge and a power the strongest demons could only dream of.

Your steps quickly led you back to the round hall surrounded by the labyrinth of mahogany aisles, lit only by a sheer light that entered through the cracks in the walls. Soon, you would find your steps away from that building, back to your job, to make sure the Abyss would close, and nothing would be able to go in – or get out.

“This time, I will not allow you to go any further… Little human.”

That voice. It was his voice. You were certain of it.

Turning around, you smiled as you saw a very well-known silhouette lit only by the stray rays of light, framing his shoulders and his conceited head held high in the air – the sword on his hand, ready to attack; the smirk framing his arrogance… His eyes, defying yours with a fire burning in silver. The blue coat gracing him as a frame.

You smirked back, holding your head high and staring back with your burning eyes.

“Long time no see… Demon.”

**

To be continued...

[morningstargirl666]

When is The Big Bad Wolf Act 2 coming out?? Are you going to release monthly or all at once?? (I just finished the series and I’m in love 🩷🩷 no rush to write, just wondering if you have an idea because you have loyal readers waiting to love it!!! Have a great day <3)

Hello! Lovely to meet you and thank you so much for reading, that fic is a BEAST. So glad you enjoyed it!

So. When is the next update coming out? [nervous laughter]

Thing is, I told myself now I'm halfway i'll go back and edit, smooth things out before this fic literally becomes too long to tackle and that kinda...turned into a full rewrite?

I'm not changing the plot. That's exactly the same. But my ideas for the lore have changed since I first started writing and I wanted to add in a whole lot more of characterisation and set up for the chapters to come. I rewrote The Little Wolf back in December and recently did some tweaking to chapter 5 of it just this last week (I couldn't work out how to fix it when I first did the rewrite but I had an EPHIPHANY okay). So The Little Wolf is around 35k now, which is a huge difference to the 11k it was in November when I posted chapter 35 of tbbw. It's got tons of new scenes, a sharper forcus on the Mikaelson siblings not just Klaus and two whole new chapters. Of course, you've probably already read that as it is posted and you're a new reader, but that's what I was doing before Christmas, essentially.

As for The Big Bad Wolf itself...boy, where do I start. I'm approaching 85k on the rewrite...only on chapter 7. Which technically used to be chapter 6, because I got 5 chapters in before I added a new chapter. I guess that's a record for my restraint, at least.

So, in terms of what's happening: I'm re-writing tbbw. The plot isn't changing, but new scenes are being added, conversations are being tweaked, the lore is being more consistently fleshed out. Grammar for dialogue is being given a complete overhaul because that was a mess. But. Listen. It's so much better. It's so fucking better. I re-read the chapters I've done and in some places, the drafts aren't quite finished yet, like my writer brain is like fix this later BUT omg it's like, THE shit. It's so good. I've very excited.

I'm not sure how long it will take to finish. I might be able to stop halfway and post the rewritten/edited chapters I've got so far but I make no promises because I feel more inclined to keep going and get it all done in one. Some chapters won't need much work at all as they've been more heavily edited in the past (chapter 8 and 9 should be done pretty quickly, just giving them a facelift), while others I'm really ripping into. There's one chapter I know I'll either delete or delete scenes from to be replaced with something else (don't worry, the scenes will go into my deleted scenes fic on ao3, it's not gone forever).

So yeah. At the rate I'm going, I'm not gonna lie, it may take till the summer before I get all this editing done AND finish the new chapter 36 update - and you may get two new chapters at once, because it might be a long one and I might split it. But by the end of it, tbbw won't be 378k anymore. It'll probably be closer 450k. So you'll get a 50k+ update (along with some bonus stuff) to the whole fic and then a week later I'll post the new chapters (I used to post fornightly, a chapter every two weeks, and I'll go back to that when I'm done).

But yeah. I've written like, 110k since December, which for context is is closing in on the equivalent of the second book of TLOTR trilogy: The Return of the King was 137,115 words. That's an epic novel's worth. In three months.

An arguement could be made that I'm making this fic way too long but I don't really care? I love writing this. It makes my head spin and makes me tear my hair out but...it's so much fun too. And I get to rewrite canon, the way it should have been (we were so ROBBED 😭😭😭), so hey! It's free therapy too! I'm not going to stop as long as I'm loving every second.

Thanks for reading, and thank for listening to my insane plans! Hopefully, I'll see you there on ao3 when this fic is back for business!!

-And it WILL be back.

[choicesficwriterscreations]

CFWC Writer of the Month: liaromancewriter

Each month CFWC highlights one of our talented fanfic writers, and this month’s writer of the month is @liaromancewriter ! We hope you will enjoy learning more about her and her work below! The writer is selected at random. More info can be found on the navigation page.

Quick Links: 

Tumblr blog: liaromancewriter Tumblr Masterlist Maxenna Masterlist

Tumblr Blog: 

How do you want to be known on Tumblr? 

Lia or Mal. Both are my nicknames in real life, depending on who’s calling, so I respond to either.

1- When did you start playing Choices? What's the first book you played? 

I first downloaded Choices in August 2020 after being bombarded with its ads on another game. I figured I'll try it and see what it was about. My average track record for mobile games is 2-3 months, and then I get bored and delete the app. That didn't happen here because I quickly realized it's not a game but a library of fiction books in all genres. Two and a half years later, I'm still here reading Choices.

The first book I played (read?) was The Royal Romance. I believe it pre-loaded when I opened the app the first time. I fell in love with the Prince (who I named Aiden as it's my favorite boy name) from the first moment. To this day, I think the first two TRR books are the most romantic stories on Choices. 

Incidentally, I started playing Open Heart at the same time, but mostly to earn diamonds for TRR since medical stories weren’t really my thing (that’s changed now obviously). But Ethan Ramsey was equally irresistible and I had a hard time saving my diamonds when romancing the two.

2- When and why did you join Choices fandom?

I didn't know there was something called a Choices fandom, so it's very happenstance. Unofficially, I joined in November 2020 as a silent reader and didn't have a Tumblr account. Officially, I created my Tumblr account on December 7 and started becoming more active in January 2021. 

I had just finished Open Heart: Second Year and then Platinum (for the fourth time), and was feeling adrift. I was obsessed with Raleigh Carrera and googled him out of curiosity to see what might be out there. I came across fics posted on AO3 and then Tumblr. 

Then, I googled Ethan Ramsey as I was missing OH and just wanted to get lost in that world again. I came across a plethora of fanfics, mostly on Tumblr. I originally started reading them on my mobile browser and still have masterlist pages bookmarked (in order) on Safari for @lem-20 (the first OH writer I read and followed because her pfp match my book sprite), @jamespotterthefirst and @starrystarrytrouble. 

I didn't know fanfiction was a thing, so I was a bit baffled by all of it initially. The more I read, the more I loved the interpretations others were bringing to the story. I was also generally impressed by writers unafraid to write and post their work for the world to read, and that inspired me to want to publish my original stories online.   

3- How did you pick your url name? 

My original intent with Tumblr was to publish my original romantic fiction novel, Happy Ever After. And, maybe in the future write and post more original romance short stories as an exercise to rediscover my fiction voice. 

When I was creating the account, I blanked on what to call it. In a burst of "just pick a username already", I named my blog liaromancewriter to represent my nickname (Lia) and the type of stories I would be posting (romance). 

By the way, my desired account name initially was hopelessromantic, but it was taken. When I was setting up the blog headline and description, I decided to go with The Hopeful Romantic because the phrasing best embodied my perspective of soulmates and happy ever afters.

4- Go back to your archive and tell us about the first post on your Choices blog. 

My first Choices fandom post was a reblog game response on January 11. All posts on my blog before that were chapters of Happy Ever After.

5- How long have you been writing fanfiction?

I published my first ever fanfic, First Impressions, on February 15, 2021. So, about 22 months.

6- What is your favorite Choices book to write about?

I only write for Open Heart, so I would say it remains my favorite as I keep coming up with stories for this extended universe I’ve created for my pairings.

7- Share the first fanfic you wrote with us. Do you still like it or would you change anything about it?

The first fic I submitted to CFWC was Me Before You on April 5, 2021. I think I’d only heard about this blog in March of that year and didn’t know that anyone could submit. 

It’s very much an introspective piece, showing Ethan’s inner thoughts, and Cassie's too. I love writing descriptive stories about what people are thinking and feeling. It’s when my writing is the strongest.

I still like that story. Having said that, the middle of this fic drags a little, so I’d probably want to tighten that up. I also hadn't fully developed my headcanon for their relationship yet. Anyone who reads my work knows that it's like a TV series where everything is connected, and the plot continues along a specific timeline, even if one-shots are posted at different times of the year. 

So the timeline inside the story doesn't quite sync up perfectly with the rest, but I've learnt to let it go....somewhat. 😂

8- What is your favorite fic that you’ve written?

Can I pick two? I’m picking two, one for each of my pairings. At this stage, they’re both equal OTPs anyway.

Ethan & Cassie: Come Undone

Max & Sienna: Unforgettable

9- Do you have a fic that you didn’t expect to be well received, but it was? What about one you expected to be but could use a little more love?

I know that notes aren't everything since there are many silent readers out there. But it's the only metric Tumblr allows writers to use. So, this answer is solely based on that.

It’s not a fic, but a series. The original Maxenna series, Then There Was You, was incredibly popular both in terms of notes and comments and in attracting new readers despite the fact that I wrote it after the series had already ended, and it was a side character (Sienna) and an OC (Max). I’m forever grateful because it’s an original story in every sense of the word, with some nods/references to canon. Despite the fact that it’s Sienna, she’s an OC, too, since we don’t know too much about her in canon.

For the second part of this question, I thought Seeing Red would have been more popular. It's angsty, and has Ethan’s relationship with Louise, Cassie and Ethan fighting (somewhat). So, it was surprising it didn't get as many notes. But then, I also wrote it in 2022, and the fandom isn't what it used to be. So that could be one reason.

10- If you could write only angst, fluff, or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why? 

Fluff...absolutely 100% fluff. Anyone who knows me for five seconds knows that I'm all about finding and keeping your soulmate. Real life is hard, the fictional world doesn't have to be.

I grew up reading fairytales and love Hallmark movies. When I discovered romance books in uni, I fell in love with the journey of two people falling in love and finding their happy ever after. I also enjoy writing about relationships; while there are angsty moments in those, it's the resolution of finding your way to the light that makes me happy. Happy Endings Guaranteed is my motto. 

11- Do you ever recognize yourself in any of your MCs or in your writing?

I bring parts of myself to all my characters. In real life, I'm more like Ethan and Max; the professional and personal elements in their personalities are based on me and my experiences. 

Cassie's ambition and determination to prove herself are pure me. That's why even in canon, I never gave a thought to why a Junior Fellow was qualified to head the Diagnostics Team. I was running my own department by the time I was 30. It's all about seizing opportunities even if you don't think you're ready. You learn on the job and eventually make it your own.

One other observation is that I’m a champion researcher and accuracy is important to me. So, when I write I bring that accuracy and plausability to all scenarios. My Google history will attest to that. 😝

12- What element of writing do you struggle with most?

I struggle with writing common, every day body gestures without repeating myself. I can visualize the scene in my head like someone wrapping their arms around the other or framing their lover’s face between their hands. But I don’t always know how to write it well or at least have more diversity in the words/expressions that I use. 

13- Do you have any neglected work you really want to finish?

No. I don't do WIPs. Sometimes I'm not happy with a fic, so I'll write the first draft but not publish it for a while. I'll do/write other things and then come back to start editing the fic until it works. Candy Thieves and Postcard Memories are two good examples of that.

I do have a document with about 20+ possible story ideas, but some of those are random thoughts that might or might not have a story in them.

14- If someone you know in real life (who isn’t involved in fandoms) asked to read your work, would you let them? If yes, what would you recommend they read first? 

Absolutely! I mostly share my Wattpad account with them rather than Tumblr as the former can be easier to navigate for novice readers. But my close friends have my Tumblr blog link. 

I always ask them to read Happy Ever After (original work) first since it’s mine and doesn’t require knowledge of canon. But for fanfiction, I tell people to start at the top of my masterlist and work their way down. This way, they’ll get to meet my characters from the beginning and go on the journey with them, even if they’ve never read canon. 

15 - Are there any writers (published authors and/or fanfic writers) who influenced your writing?

I’m mostly influenced by published authors with Nora Roberts, Jayne Ann Krentz and Julie Garwood leading the pack. I love how Nora does scene setting and descriptions, and shows relationships between people (romantic and platonic); my approach to storytelling is largely influenced by her. 

Jayne Ann Krentz does a great job of writing spunky heroines who aren’t afraid to take chances, no matter if it’s a modern setting, paranormal or historical. While Julie Garwood’s novels are fluffy with wonderfully memorable characters especially the LI. Aiden Madison remains my perfect guy to this day and I wish he was real. 🥰

I do want to give a shoutout to @jamespotterthefirst whose edits and text fics showed me that there’s another interesting way to tell a story than writing prose. I live in hope she will finish her First Year Pictagram series (hint, hint, Bree 😉)

16- Which one of your stories would you most like to see as a movie/series? 

Maxenna’s original series would make a great Hallmark movie/series. As a student of Hallmark’s formula, I think it has all the elements including a slow burn, delayed first kiss, love declaration closer to the end, swoonworthy proposal and wedding, and of course family.

17- Do you write original stories? 

Absolutely, but maybe not as much recently (unless you count Maxenna). I’ve already talked about Happy Ever After here. I have 2 other completed manuscripts that I hope to do something with one day.

18 -  What other hobbies do you have?

I don’t have a ton of free time, so what I do have is reserved for reading books (my first love). Other than that, I watch a lot of cooking shows on Food Network. At the end of a long and busy day, there’s something very soothing about watching other people cook/work. 

19 - What’s your favorite emoji? 

😂

[fazedlight]

20 Questions More

A deeper and more detailed version of the 20 questions for AO3 fanfic writers. Thanks @eqt-95 and @inkedroplets for the tag!!

1) How do you keep getting ideas for your ship/fandom?

Daydreaming. Writing fanfic is secondary to that. It was only in the past couple of years that it occurred to me that I could write some of it down and see what happens.

2) Which authors inspire you in your fandom, and why are they so freakishly good?

@searidings is my absolute favorite, the way she unravels the characters' emotions and angst is absolutely superb.

3) Aside from the characters of your main ship, who are the characters you love to write?

Ohhh I really love this question:

Cat in Inauthentic, as well as this ficlet and this one. I love her sense of humor.

Lillian in Darkness in All Things. For the same reason as Cat, I just love her snark.

Zor-El in Even Though You're Kryptonian. He kind of surprised me when I started writing him, and to this day I don't know if some of his lines are driven by genuine confusion or if he's just trolling.

4) Are there pairings or tropes you know for sure you'd never write about? Which ones?

I'm a never-say-never kind of person. There's a lot that I don't think I would ever write, but I've been surprised on where stories have taken me before, and may be surprised again.

5) What is your writing process and why is it cursed?

"Process" might be an overstatement...

I have a "scribbles" doc where I keep my ideas. I cull ideas often (though ideas often make their way back anyway). As I write more into the doc, a certain idea may get too big for it, so I spin it out into its own doc.

From there, I kind of go back and forward between outlining and writing. I write completely out of order. Which is why, so often, my multichaps are almost fully drafted by the time I publish chapter 1. I've usually already made it to the resolution point of the plot (meaning, no one's in danger anymore, the bad guy is gone, etc), though the final chapter often doesn't get written until later.

6) What is your favorite part of your writing process?

I love when I've finished the first pass of a chapter/one-shot, and I'm in the editing stage. The story really feels like it's coming together at that point, and it's before all the self-doubt starts bubbling up (that hits hard just before posting).

7) What’s the weirdest thing you’ve had to research for a fic?

A friend of mine is a professor in astroparticle physics, so I spent a couple of hours asking him about quantum mechanics stuff. But only a small portion of that ended up being relevant to the fic and the rest was just for fun.

8) Is there a particular writing rule you struggle with (grammar, spelling, tense, reality in general)?

When I'm first sketching out a scene, about half the time I write in present tense (it feels more like I'm writing a play at that point sometimes), but I publish in past tense. So I end up needing to do a bunch of revisions 😭

Also TYPOS.

9) What was your hardest scene to write so far and why?

Fight scenes are ROUGH, man.

This is probably one of those answers I'll change every time depending what's at the top of my mind. But writing out a fight scene - like in Even Though You're Kryptonian, Darkness in All Things, or It's a Metallo Life - gets surprisingly difficult if there are more than 2 people.

I know exactly how I'd shoot those scenes if I had a camera crew, special effects, etc. But it's hard making sure the audience is aware of where everyone is positioned, why they can/can't act in the moment, etc.

10) Have your characters ever done something you didn’t expect, changing your plot completely?

All the fucking time, man. From the very beginning, even. I was trying to have Lena still be angry by the DEO scene in So I Kept Pretending, but that didn't make sense anymore.

I actually recently had a fic idea dissolve because it wasn't vibing with the characters. Which is fine, it became a ficlet instead!

11) If you could converse with any of the characters, who would it be and why?

Absolutely Kara. I have so many questions about kryptonian culture and how it drives her character.

12) What are some of the tropes or themes that you find yourself returning to in your writing?

Trope-wise, I definitely return to the Rift again and again. I find themes around forgiveness and understanding to be really interesting. Can two good-hearted people with conflicting needs hurt each other while still loving each other? How? What does that mean for the aftermath?

I think that's part of what draws me to supercorp - the complexity of their relationship. How they can both be right, and both be wrong, and love each other enough to rebuild from the ashes.

13) What's your most important resource as a writer?

Coffeeshops and libraries. Getting into slightly busy, cozy environments, out of the house, really helps shake loose the stuff in my head.

14) Can you share some of your strategies for editing and revising your work?

Especially for longer works, I tend to put the work down (and circle to other works, or go outside, or whatever) before coming back to it. It helps to step away for a bit - it's easier to pick up on repetitiveness or unclear passages when coming back.

Though I always find mistakes in my stories much later, so I'm not sure I'm one to give advice on this anyway 🤣

15) Which is worse: making the summary, picking the tags, or the anxiety when you post your fic?

Posting anxiety is the absolute worst. If I leave myself in front of my computer I'll end up refreshing constantly waiting for the first kudos (if it's a one-shot or first chapter) or the first comment (if it's a later chapter) to figure out if I've accidentally pissed off everyone in the fandom somehow.

Luckily, my partner will usually pull me away to go on a walk or grab lunch or do something else to take my mind off it 💗

16) How do you define success for your fanfic - hits? Kudos? Comments? Bookmarks? Or just if you like it?

I only publish what I like. Sometimes I'm nervous that other people won't like it, but I will always like it. Stories that aren't going a way I like - even if I think the idea is cool! - will dissolve. Just recently I dissolved one that felt like it was a cool idea, but it didn't make enough sense for the characters.

Kudos and comments always make me feel appreciated as an author!! Sometimes I'll get a user subscriber out of it, too, and it feels like an honor that someone would want to hear from me more than once.

The thing that feels most precious, though, is when someone comments on how something made them feel (I love making people laugh at my dumb jokes, or cry when a story is supposed to hit emotionally), or when they pick up on something that I wasn't sure would get picked up on.

I tend to lean towards understatement in my stories. For me, the biggest success is knowing that someone recognized what I was going for, without me being overt.

17) Do you have a playlist for your favorite character/ship?

Alas, I don't. But given that Kara is canonically a Britney Spears fan and musicals nerd, I feel like my default playlist works 🤣

18) If fan art was going to be made from your work, which fic would you pick and which fan artist would you like to create it?

Oh gosh, I don't want to pick someone and create pressure, or not pick someone and make them feel bad. This fandom has so many great artists!

That said, some of my favorites do commissions, you can see everything I've commission here.

19) How many WIPs do you currently have?

1 supercorp & 1 rojarias (for @supergirlmayhem)

For me, 2-3 is my happy number, so I'm relieved to be down to this after being so high (I think up to 11?) for so long.

20) What's your advice to new fanfic writers?

If you're wondering why you can't find that story you want, it might mean that you're the one to write it 💗

- - - - -

Tagging (respectfully and without pressure) @rustingcat @luthordamnvers @sssammich @tinyvariations @thatonebirdwrites @theredcapeofk @sideguitars @luthordamnvers @mycatismyeditor @inkedroplets @nottawriter @snowydragonscave @jetgirl1832 if you want some rapid-fire q's thrown your way. But also anyone who'd like to do this!

[whysamwhy123]

✨Fic Writing Review 2023✨

Tagged by the wonderful dynamic duo that is @aerodaltonimperial and @perhapswhoknowsvamp and it's very fitting that those two lovely people tagged me because they're a big reason why I wrote much of anything this year! Took me a while to get this done because I wanted to get my last fic of the year out the door first. I'll put the rest below the cut, and fair warning - it's loooooong. This bitch doesn't shut up, so I rambled on. A lot.

Words and Fics

76, 222 words published on AO3 in 2023

15 fics published on AO3 (16 if you count that one kinkmeme prompt I filled and posted anonymously)

2 little tumblr ficlets

Top 3 by Kudos

Voice in the Dark - Hookhausen (not super surprising, considering it was a popular pairing at the time, and it was the fic I wrote for the anniversary event)

Kids These Days And Their Darn Phones - Hookhausen

Half Your Age Plus Seven - OrangeHook (I continue to be incredibly surprised how well this fic did, like...huh?!)

Top 3 by Hits

Voice in the Dark - Hookhausen

Voice in the Dark, Part Two - Hookhausen (how fitting, LOL)

Half Your Age Plus Seven - OrangeHook (Seriously, what was it about this fic that drew people in? More so than any of my other OrangeHook fics? Like, I'm grateful and all but also confused, like this fic is way too long?! And weird about the age difference?!)

Author's Favourite

As much as I'm loving writing OrangeHook now, I think Voice in the Dark, Part Two is probably the best thing I've written? Even though it's also overly long and gets weird at the end (very much did not expect it to go in that direction when I started writing it), I'm actually pretty proud of how that one turned out. I had a clear vision in my head for how each scene would play out and what I wanted to get across, and man, I remember how most of the Hook/Evilhausen dialogue popped into my brain late one night when I couldn't sleep, so I spat it out into a doc and then about a month later when I actually wrote the scene, I don't think I changed a single word? I just added everything else around it, all the not-dialogue parts. And it was just a lot of fun getting to carry on that story, especially as someone who hasn't managed to crank out a proper multi-chapter fic yet. Who knows, maybe I'll return to that world someday...

Fandom Events in 2023

Uh, well, I guess I did the whole Hookhausen Anniversary thing? And...that's about it. I'm pretty disconnected from the fandom at large, whoopsie daisy 😬

Upcoming Projects

Hoo boy.

I have over 5k words of a Ricky/Christian Sugar Baby AU thing written already. I haven't posted it because it kinda needs some smut and that's still not something I can really do. I might post it someday, if I can make something work, or alternatively do what I normally do and put an annoying fade to black in there. Or maybe I'll think better of it and never post it because it's very self-indulgent and I highly doubt anyone else would really be interested or want me to continue it or anything. But I have Ideas for it...so many ideas...

Also, in my ill-fated quest to try and make myself write smut, I kinda started a Ricky/Bill championship celebration fic. Maybe I'll revisit that? Try to get it done?

And then there's that one fic I really want to work on, but have barely started. I've vague-posted about it here before - it's an incredibly fucked-up Dead Dove fic about Daniel Garcia and a Very Bad, Not-Good thing that happens to him, and the subsequent complete mental breakdown that follows. I've had the idea rattling around in my brain for the better part of a year at this point, despite not making much actual progress on it. Every time I think about it though, I have new ideas for scenes or dialogue. I'd like to make it work, but I don't know if I have the writing chops to handle it, plus it would probably end up being super long and nobody would want to read it, so it'd feel like a huge waste of time on my part? And I've had the idea for so long, it's out-dated too. But still, the urge remains...

Oh, and I still have a ton of OrangeHook ideas I'd like to make happen. Some are, of course, about their age difference. Some would (ideally) involve smut. And others... *nervous laughter* Others would likely result in an ''Everyone disliked that'' situation...

Writing Reflection

I was thinking about making a sappy post about this and whoops, here's my excuse! I don't talk a lot on here about my tragic backstory because honestly, who cares? But I will say this - before January of this year, I hadn't written a word of anything in years. Fic or otherwise. I used to love writing, but Stuff Happened and it killed all enjoyment I got out of it, and I thought that's how it would be forever. Then, for reasons I can't even remember, I started reading fic again, specifically in this wild little fandom of ours, and y'all are just so talented that it made my untalented ass want to give it another shot. So...I did.

I remember when I posted my first fic in ages back in January, I thought ''Maybe about three people will read this and no one will leave a comment or anything, but whatever, I wrote a thing and that's something I haven't done in years so that's enough for me!'' And to be honest, I still think that whenever I post stuff now? It's crazy to me that anyone actually reads my stuff and gets some kind of kick out of it. But every kudos and comment floors me and brings me so much joy, I can't even express it properly. I have to say a huge thank you to anyone who's ever read one of my fics, left kudos or dropped a comment. Whoever and wherever you are, you made my day!

And look, I ain't delusional. I know that calling myself a small fish in the fandom would be too generous. But I'm fine with that - because I'm genuinely enjoying writing again and that's what matters most to me. Even though I've also rediscovered how stressful writing can be (🙂🙂🙂) when it comes down to it, there's joy and happiness in my life that wasn't there last year and that's all because I started writing again. And because some lovely folks here decided to let me know they liked what I was throwing out there. The years have not been kind to ol' Sammy Sam-Sam and this year was no exception, but getting to forget about all that shit and write my silly little wrestling fanfiction has been a great distraction and a comfort through this whole year.

So...yeah. Thanks to everyone who's ever commented on my writing, thanks to the folks who follow me on here (I don't know how you manage that though, I'm such an annoying bitch, aren't you sick of me yet?) and thanks to anyone who I've had the chance to chat with about writing and ships and whatever silly little ideas pop into my head (any of y'all feel free to message me at any time, I am always down to blab about whatever blorbos/ideas take your fancy). I'm hoping I can keep this train a-rollin' a little more next year. Still thinking back to when I started writing again, I made my new AO3 account expecting to write Dustjim only, but then I quickly decided I couldn't write those two well enough, and since then I've bounced around a bunch of different pairings, with a few rarepairs shoved in between for good measure. God only knows where my head will be at this time next year, LOL. I'd love to finally be able to attempt some of the bigger ideas I've been cooking up for a while now. Maybe I'll even write a proper multi-chapter fic? We'll see, but this bitch can dream, at least.

Rules:

Feel free to show whatever stats you have. Only want to show Ao3 stats? Rock on. Want to include some quantitative info instead of stats? Please do this. Want to change how yours is presented? Absolutely do that. Would rather eat glass than do this? Please do eat glass, I’ve heard it’s good for your gums.

I'm not going to tag anyone because I'm pretty sure everyone I know who writes has already been tagged? So if you're reading this and you haven't, go ahead and do it! By which I mean, eat glass. Eat all the glass that you want. Accidents happen in the dark.

[medusapelagia]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

I wanted to do this so badly that I cheated and copied it from @just-my-latest-hyperfixation... sorry 😝!

How many works do you have on AO3?

100 Today!!! Even if I have more stories here on Tumblr that I will post on Ao3 sooner or later.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

728.469

3. What fandoms do you write for?

mainly Stranger Things but I posted a couple of The Witcher fics (one is my anon!) and I'm working on a couple of WIPs

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

28 AU-gust: Royalty  Never Again  I'm so good at telling lies (That came from my mother's side)  Ghost  My lucky charm  (All Steddie)

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

Yes, always! Even if sometimes I'm a little embarrassed because I feel that "Thank you" is not enough to express what I feel every time I receive a comment.

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

Sorrow, a very sad little Harringrove with character death.

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

This is hard... but at the moment the one that holds my heart is I'm so good at telling lies and no, the last chapter hasn't been posted yet!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I'm looking forward to the moment someone will actually write something awful about my stories, but for the moment I was lucky enough to have only mildly bad comments.

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

I do but I try to keep it sweet and, apart from some PWPs, it usually takes a lot for my character to get to the smut part: they have to earn it!

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

I wrote a crossover between The Crow and Stranger Things (It can't rain all the time) and some crossover for a Metalsandwhich event. The crazy one I wrote is a crossover between Jurassic Park and Kinktober for the Metalsandwich Movie Marathon, but it was so fun! 😂

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I started writing in Italian and translated two of my fics into English (one of them being one of the longest fics I wrote). Never again: it takes forever and it's super boring because I already know the story😅

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

Ages ago, when I used to write in Italian on another platform I did. It was a LOTR fic Aragorn/Legolas and it was a wonderful experience but I don't think I would be able to do the same in English.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

in this moment Steddie, but I'm a big fan of Harringrove and Metalsandwich too.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I'll finish all of them because for me it's a pac.t between me and my readers: they give me their trust and I don't want to disappoint them.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I'm a very fast writer and I try to do my best to be better every time I start a new story

17.What are your writing weaknesses?

I always have to fight a bit with the smut scenes because it's a subtle equilibrium between being too clinical and letting the characters enjoy themselves.

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

I did it and I can do it easily because I speak four languages but in reality, I used it only one time: if the story needs it it's ok but sometimes it sounds farfetched

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The first fic I wrote ages ago was for City Hunter (a Japanese manga), after that, I wrote for Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. Now, after almost 15 years, I'm back thanks to Steddie!

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Honestly? Always the next one I'm working on.

My no pressure tags are @dragonflylady77 , @destroya-hargrove, @kallisto-k , @spaceofentropy , @lorifragolina , @rindecisions

[xhanisai]

20 Questions For Fic Writers

Cheers for the tag @mostmagical !!!

1 - How many works do you have on AO3?

Forty-two

2 - What's your total AO3 word count?

448,371

3 - What fandoms do you write for?

Mainly Miraculous Ladybug at the moment. I do want to write some for Soul Eater and Gintama.

4 - What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

#LetMarinetteDrinkCoffee2K19 (9918 kudos)

Bite off more than you can chew and you'll choke (6355 kudos)

Speak now, regret later (3710 kudos)

Only idiots try to woo those who are already in love with them (2958 kudos)

Without you, what is the point? (1510 kudos)

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

I do try my best to respond. They always make me happy and I love knowing my readers' reactions and thought processes regarding the stories I wrote. If I don't reply, it's mainly because I'm overwhelmed and tired hahah! But every comment always makes my day and I do reread them.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

It's probably got to be "Goodbye" is bitter. It's a SpyXFamily story and I killed off the entire Forger family. My readers' tears were a joy to drink in a mug.

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

A lot of my stories surprisingly have happy endings. I think the most tooth-rotting one would be Wo Ai Ni! which is an ML fic. It's literally fluff and fluff and so much fluff and if you love seeing Adrien being a madly in love silly goof with one Marinette Dupain-Cheng and being a hot mess about it, this is for you.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Surprisingly, I haven't gotten any hate on my stories every since I started writing for ML. I did get death threats from this one buffoon over a pairing in my last fandom but I put that menace back in his place and since then he hasn't gone after anyone else in the fandom :)

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

My name is MissEcchi for a reason LMAO. There's so much smut I haven't even posted publically yet because they need polishing and editing and I'm a lazy bitch. Here's a few I've written for ML (and they're all and always will be lovesquare~)

Unmasked - Identity reveal, mutual pining and some comedy.

Red - Identity reveal, vampire Chat noir (after getting zapped by an akuma).

Paperthin - Identity reveal, mariblanc!!!!!, angst, happy ending.

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

I have ideas for many! Just haven't written them out to fruition yet unfortunately. I do have an Ouran High school x Miraculous crossover story that has been chilling in my WIP docs for years lol...

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Some dumbass kids thought they were slick when they re-uploaded my stories on wattpad. Got them taken down. I haven't checked around since then so I hope no one else has done that.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I don't think so.

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

Plenty! Here's a few I did with @seas-of-silver

Negative!!!

Murder On The Dancefloor

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

LOVESQUARE OF COURSE. Especially mariblanc!!!!!!!

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

In my last fandom, I had a multi-chaptered fic that I haven't updated since 2018 I believe? It was my most well written story in that fandom and I did enjoy writing what I did. I don't know if I'll ever finish it because I just no longer have the same love and passion I had for it. I'd rather it's left the way it is rather than trying to give it a half-assed ending.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I've been told I'm really good at writing emotions, especially with angst and comfort. I'm a huge slut in making my favourites go through the most horrendous, traumatising experiences ever and then have them look after each other. I also think I write battle scenes decently, especially when I'm in the mood. I like to enforce how powerful the heroes can be and make the akuma battles more brutal than as showcased in canon.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Currently, I think my weakness is that I write too much. I do waffle a lot in my stories because I'm very peculiar on my pacing and trying to time things. This also makes the writing progress more complicated than it should be and it is why most of the stuff I've written haven't been published yet because the editing takes too long.

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

I enjoy doing that a lot! But I do try my best to make sure to not do it too much because of language barriers. So the dialogue in the other language is either mundane or something simple. I've got the advantage of having learned a few languages since childhood at home and at school.

I have spotted that some people who like to add dialogue in a different language just used Google translate which is hilarious, especially when the translation is wrong or makes no sense.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Sonic The Hedgehog...

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

It's got to be Connecting Everything (Connecting To Everywhere)! It is the story I've always wanted to write and I just love horror and supernatural. I've always wanted to read an ML horror fic where lovesquare are still miraculous weilders and everything is pretty much the same except they've gotta deal with ghosts and demons too hahaha. It is my least popular ML fic unfortunately and I do hope I can reel in more readers! It is still ongoing and ch2 is a work in progress.

Thanks again for the tag, Magical!

I tag @gale-gentlepenguin , @seas-of-silver , @lalunaoscura , @ladyofthenoodle , @theflashdriver and everyone else who wants to do it! No pressure!

[citrus-blade]

20 questions for Writers thing

I got tagged by the wonderful @mistythedritten! thank you!

How many works do you have on Ao3?

Sixteen! I added like 7 due to the Citrus Dreamnoblade Week lol

2. What is your word count?

250.818! honestly more than I thught lol

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Dream SMP! :] (I used to write for Good Omens on another account a bit ago but have abandoned this lol)

4. What are your top 5 fics? (stats)

I'll go by Kudos! :] Infinitesimal, Home, Treasure, Hiraeth - Part 1 and Chains! :]

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

I try to! Sometimes when I don't know what to comment and it would just be a 'thank you', that i already wrote 3 times to a different person I won't. usually I try to always bring something unique to a comment to show how much I appreciate them!

However, when someone comments on a fanfiction that has long been finished I usually don't reply cause I'm not sure if that would be seen as weird or not. I'm really insecure when it comes to replying comments cause I don't wanna be annoying

6. Angstiest ending for a fic?

Oof... i think it's Home (but it's more on the bittersweet one) or Time. But if you put them next to each other it's deffo Time. Hubert is also kinda angsty but the story is kinda fast paced that it doesn't feel angsty lol

7. First Fic with a Happy Ending?

Golden! My first ever DNB fic and therefore also the first one with a happy ending! :]

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Yeah! That's why I have to agree to comments for them to be public on my fanfictions! It's always anon and usually just people calling me names and slurs, trying to tell me what a horrible person I am lol

Can't really take this serious tbh

9. Do you write smut?

Yes! I really enjoy reading smut and also like writing it! I'm not good in it and I'm always frustrating a bit but I still enjoy it!

10. Do you write crossovers?

Ehhh, not really? But also yes...? I wrote a pokemon crossover, but I don't think that doesn't really count cause it's more an AU and none of the main characters of the anime/games appear except for Team Rocket. I think. I don't remember which villains I took, there are a lot.

I usually don't write crossovers because I'm unsure how good I can represent the other show. I'd love to write a Star Wars one or a Hogwarts one, but I am NOT into those movies and am too scared to write something that doesn't make sense. So usually I try to take apsects of those universes and try to turn it into my own kinda thing.

For example my Dragon Rider-AU that I am working on was supposed to be a Hogwarts AU with magic, but it kinda turned into it's own thing with focus on Dragons but still with magic! :D

11. Ever had a fic stolen?

Don't think so? If anyone ever sees any of my fanfictions somewhere that's not AO3 please tell me! But as far as I'm aware none was stolen! :]

12. Ever had a fic translated?

Yes! I think Infinitesimal was started to translate in two languages, but I'm not sure if that's still happening. I know some chapters were uploaded? And apparently someone wanted to translate Apocylapse into russian!

13. Ever co-written?

Nope! Don't really know how that works tbh lol

14. Favorite ship?

Dreamnoblade and DNF!

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but probably never will?

OOF. I have sworn to myself to always finish what I start to write so not sure. Some ideas probably will never happen, but usually when I start writing something I will finish it sooner or later, specially when I started posting it somewhere

16. Writing strenghts?

No clue, I don't know if I have a specific strength. Sometimes I like something I write and then I read it and hate it lol

17. Writing weaknesses?

FIGHT SCENES MY ABSOLUTE ENEMY!!!

18. Thoughts on dialog in another language in a fic?

I write in english but think about including german sometimes lol When Attack on titan can do it in their openings I can do it in my fanfiction! Usually I like it as long as the translation is given atp in the fanfiction! :D

19. First fandom you have written for?

OOF. Eeeehm. I think Good Omens. I orphaned all my stuff there though lol

20. Favorite fic you have written?

Infinitesimal and Home :] (I also like that pokemon one lol)

And that's it! That was fun! :]

I'm too insecure to tag someone so whoever wanna do this, do it! :]

[warlordfelwinter]

20 questions for fic writers

Tagged by @cappurrccino

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 

34

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 

229,622

3. What fandoms do you write for? 

destiny, dishonored, ffxiv (although those are only on tumblr cause i had a weird period where i wasn't posting anything to ao3). one warframe. i'd like to write more warframe but uhhhh got no ideas. i'm hoping the new war will give me some whenever i'm brave enough to start it

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Various Accounts of Corvo Attano - 194

Oddities - 156

Breathe - 115

No Kingdom to Come - 89

Winter's Guile - 78

5. Do you respond to comments?

i try to, even if it's just "thanks!" although sometimes i'll say "i'll respond to that later" and then i forget. you know how it is

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

No Kingdom to Come ends with all the Iron Lords being killed so probably that one

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

a lot of them... i tend to prefer a happy ending. i'm not sure how to quantify happiest. but i also really really rarely write chaptered fics so it's sort of hard to say 'ending' for a thousand word doodle. As It Was has a happy ending, i suppose

8. Do you get hate on fics? 

nope. i did get someone (lightheartedly) criticizing me giving Juno Nezha for an eidolon hunt which wasn't hate and also i found it hysterical. true warframe player right there to comment on my unoptimized build on a fic. not even remotely close to hate but i did just want to bring it up. it's like my favorite comment i've ever gotten

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

not that i post and honestly just not at all anymore really

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

nah. i've thought about a few but they're sort of like aus to me where it's just not usually my cup of tea

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? 

not that i know of

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? 

also not that i know of

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

@cappurrccino wrote some parts for the Devil Went Down to Faerun, which was a novelised version of an old dnd campaign we were in

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? 

Felwinter/Timur

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? 

Legacy. i have a lot of it written. i just keep. not posting it. i'm deeply sorry to the people in the comments of that fic who were really excited to see i started posting it again. i genuinely don't know what keeps happening

16. What are your writing strengths? 

uhh... i don't know... dialogue, probably. i cannot identify my own strengths but i usually like my dialogue exchanges

17. What are your writing weaknesses? 

plots. and atmospheric description. combat description also

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

i think it can be fun but i'm usually too scared i'll translate something wildly wrong lmao. i use greek as a stand-in for celestial in Tales from the Dancing Sea Dragon (another dnd campaign fic) bc i also use it at the table in that game bc i'm trying to learn greek and i do think it's fun to pepper in another language to your dnd character dialogue, especially if common isn't their first language. gives the roleplay a bit more flavor

19. First fandom you wrote for? 

hmm... transformers maybe? or warrior cats... i don't remember that was ages ago and those fics are all long gone

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

i'm biased so it's DWDTF. it was fun to write, trying to accurately put down the silliness of the table into writing, and it's fun to read (to me) and is easily the longest thing i've ever written. asra is still my favorite dnd character i've ever played, so i like to go back and read his adventures sometimes

Tagging:

@wingedarrows @flowers-of-io and. i am blanking so hard. on a) who juri already tagged and b) who else of my friends writes fic. so i'm terribly sorry. if you see this and juri didn't tag you consider yourself tagged by me

[idrilka]

ao3 wrapped 2022

@microcomets prompted me to do a 2022 ao3 wrapped! thanks for the tag, claire!

Works Published: 14

Total Word Count: a personal record by a huge margin: 380,985.

Most Popular by Kudos: “awake, o sleeper” (207k), a ranwan modern cultivation au, in which mo ran comes back to sisheng peak after five years of absence, and soon later, chu wanning begins to be plagued by strange dreams.

Most Hits: same as above, by virtue of posting that monster of a story in chapters.

Longest: again, it was “awake, o sleeper” at 207k, which is also the longest story i've ever completed! i'm super proud of this!

Shortest: “the song of good hope” at 3.2k - a suitang futurefic i wrote for a small friend zine!

Fic that made me cry: i'm sure there have been others, but i read “grief. grief. handing you back your coin” by @it-goes-on last week and it made me ugly-cry, so thank you.

Fic that made me smile: “distraction management” by @sinsensory (26k, semantic error, jaeyoung/sangwoo) made me laugh out loud several times.

Events participated in: so many events! i participated in four bigger exchanges: mxtx exchange, danmei fanworks exchange, mxtx remix and yuletide; did two small server exchanges (one of which has yet to reveal); participated in the wangxian wlw week; took part in a small friend zine; and wrote two raffle fics!

Most Underrated Fic: i don't think any of my fics are underappreciated/underrated, honestly, because i'm really fortunate to receive a lot of incredible feedback, but in general, any and all small fandom fics are always a safe bet if you want to absolutely make someone's day with kudos or a comment!

Coming in 2023: ooooh boy, here we go... i have nine fics on my current to-write list: 1) the sequel to my yuletide king: eternal monarch fic, which i've already started working on; 2) a [redacted] fic for a small discord friend exchange i'm participating in, also in progress; 3) 5+1 king: eternal monarch fic about all the times jo yeong hooked up with other people (and the one he got to keep); 4) ranwan “sell your haunted house” au, in which chu wanning is a cultivator exorcist and mo ran is a medium haunted by the ghost of his dead mother; 5) fengqing charity auction fic for @lquacker, in which feng xin and mu qing continue to hook up every one hundred years or so for 800 years before they finally talk about feelings post-canon; 6) school 2013 namsoon/heungsoo roadtrip fic, because i really want to try writing heungsoo's pov and i love roadtrip fic; 7) my country: the new age 5+1 fic about seonho and hwi fucking across many years and two dynasties, feat. a lot of angry sex in the divorced era; 8) my country: the new age post-canon fic, because i know myself and i know i'll want to write one; 9) my country: the new age space opera au.

tagging @nubreed73, @perilously, @stickmarionette, @no-birdstofly and @daltoneering!

[the--sound--of--rain]

2022 Writers' Review

It's already two months into the year, but I'm still going to do this, because I think it's such a nice thing. I was tagged by @lavandulacosmos and @natures-marvel thank you! 💕

1. What is your AO3 account?

brownest_goldfish

2. How many words did you write total in 2022?

34'481, according to AO3 stats

It's not a lot of words, but I feel like this was the year I've developed most as a writer so far, especially writing the first chapter of Lamb and the last chapter of my spooktober fic and I'm very proud of that ✨

3. How many fics did you publish in 2022? How many multichapters vs oneshots?

12 fics, 3 multichaptered and 9 oneshots (and of the 3 multichaptered ones only one is finished so you can see that this is not where my strength lies agajsks but i'm trying to do it more and i actually love it!)

4. What was your longest fic? Your shortest fic?

"A Lover in the story" (finished) is the longest at 9987 words but I published 5000 of those in 2023. Otherwise the longest is "A Lamb for Our Love" at 8618 words so far (one of two chapters)

The shortest is "With a smile" at 412 words. The shortness is owed to it being only one scene, more of a picture I imagined after reading Cry Wolf by @roccinan – and since I can't draw, I decide to write it down 🥰

5. What was your most popular fic? Your least popular fic?

I find this so hard to say, because numbers can never really encapsulate this, and every piece of appreciation from anyone for any fic is a gem in itself. But just for simplicity I'll go for Kudos and Hits here:

The one with most Kudos and Hits is funnily one I didn't write for Berlermo, but for "Arcane" as a birthday gift for @stilljustbitten: "Ice blue" got 113 Kudos and 842 Hits, probably owed to the fact that this fandom is just a bit bigger. My most popular Berlermo fic in 2022 in numbers is "Art and Attraction" at 83 Kudos and 755 Hits.

The least popular in numbers is "Love wins" at 16 Kudos and 146 Hits.

6. What fic didn’t perform as well as you thought it would?

I didn't expect a specific amount of reaction on any of them, so I'd say none of them. Every interaction with on of my fics just made me go "oh!🥰"

7. What fic performed way better than you thought it would?

I'd say "Like the Painting of a sorrow" because it was this oneshot I came up with, wrote and posted within 24 hours, a random idea after reading Dorian Gray. That being said, I am very proud and fond of it, so it made me so happy that it was appreciated!

And also "Love wins", I struggled getting the first chapter together and was worried it was too chaotic, and I was so happy it got good feedback.

8. What was your favorite fic you wrote from 2022?

I'm most proud of and currently most emotionally attached to "A Lover in the story". I'm especially proud of the last chapter, mostly because I managed to write it at all and make something I really like of it.

A Lamb for our Love stands right next to it though – although it's still not finished. (Not because I neglected it, but just because the second chapter is so hard to write) and I'm so excited for what it will become <3

9. What was your favorite fic that somebody else wrote in 2022?

Reducing this to one would be a shame, so I'll list a few 😊

and that was the moment i knew by @alfredo-kesmann

Andrés has Hanahaki disease and coughs up red roses. Whose favourite flowers could those be?

It had started with inconspicuous coughing, a few weeks ago. Soon followed the shaky breaths, the trouble breathing normally at random times. Then, came the shaking fingers, half a week later, creating unavoidable unsteady black lines in the painting he had been working on, the jawline of his self portrait now ruined.

A beautiful take on the trope, with all the drama befitting Berlermo, and overall an extremely romantic and enjoyable read.

Chimera 키메라 by @signorin-anarchia

A sort of crossover of Money Heist Korea and La casa de papel. Andrés is in the concentration camp Korean Berlin was in. Martín joins him there.

His mother's arms are a cradle, a safe haven.

A shelter from all that is evil on earth.

He can remember the faded feeling of bones colliding, rubbing, which nevertheless feels as comfortable as nothing in the world.

Nothing in the whole world.

But there's never much more than anything in the world.

And now his mother's arms are pincers, stealing his life, locking his way.

A very interesting concept with beautiful execution, and very poetic prose that aches just right when you read it.

The Swan's Symphony by @nharidy

Martín plans another and executes heist after the gold heist, and a rescue mission for Andrés on the side – who is alive but asuffering <3. All the old members of the gang are there, and also a lot of new additions.

“Is this true?” Estocolmo asked, turning to El Professor. Mirko, however, was looking at Palermo. It doesn't matter whether it's true or not , he realized. Palermo wasn’t there because one night in the future he might get killed in his bed. 

No, he was there for the one and only reason he's ever done anything since Mirko knew him.

El Profesor sighed.

This genuinely feels like a continuation of lcdp. It gives all the vibes of the show, the characters, their interactions and the action, flashbacks and execution of the heist are spot on. Just overall extremely fun to read.

Remember what your old pal said by @roccinan

La casa de papel Toy Story AU. Andrés is a bullfighter doll, and he finds Martín in the collection he belongs to. But what is Martín really up to?

Andrés is beautiful. And he doesn’t need a mirror to tell him what he already knows. Because he can stare at anything that bounces back light for a wonderful view of himself from head to toe: sunglasses, helmet visors, watches, or even the window on a bright spring day.

He has a slim, well-proportioned frame, a statuesque figure that expertly hides a body of incredible might and power within its wires.

This is genuinely just hilarious, and Andrés is perfectly delusional in it. And the Berlermo romance is so sweet – with an added element of darkness, of course.

10. Tag your friends to do this year-end fic review as well!

I think everyone has already been tagged and done this agajsks but I'll tag the ones I haven't seen doing it, please just ignore this if you have ✌🏼💕 @dormarunt @liz @signorin-anarchia @oreo @lammaducks ✨