#I'm...not great at chapter fics so we'll see how this goes

[journen]

do you have a list of good CoD fanfics, or favorite writers in general?? <3

Presented in no particular order, here are some of my personal faves / fics I really enjoyed, and my own summaries for them. Hopefully you enjoy, thanks for the ask, anon!!!

I didn't tag all the authors because I'm not sure if they all have tumblrs, but also I'm shy tagging people ahjdfhkaheje. If any authors here are mentioned tho and you have a tumblr, feel free to lmk and I can update this post to include your tag!!:)

Anything rated mature I colour coded the name in red, and anything explicit green. Not all the mature fics feature smut, but yeah! I didn't want to link anything tooooo explicit here, but if anyone wants any, I can definitely rb this post to add a few more 😅

Also, just beware the tags on any of these fics because some feature kind of heavy subject matter. 👍

COF FIC REC LIST:

A Very MacTavish Christmas - @m3rrywe4ther

Prob my fav fic in the fandom lololol. HUGE RECCOMMEND. It's about Johnny who gets roped into spending the holiday Christmas season with his , for the most part, very not so nice family, and Simon accompanies him. So much stuff happens in this fic and it's such a great character exploration of Simon and Johnny independently, but also as a couple, and just so much stuff happens in it lol again, HUGE RECOMMEND!!!

We'll make Death Proud to Take us - Literal_Satan

Fic where, it starts off really sweet where Simon goes to Scotland with Johnny to spend Christmas with him and his family, but things take a drastic turn when Soap's brother, a police officer/detective, gets a little too curious about mysterious Simon, and the story spirals from there. All the guys end up on this crazy goose chase tracking down some of the people who were involved in Roba's brainwashing operations. The fic gets v dark at times and deals with some very heavy trauma so beware, but it's SO. GOOD.

Dream a Little Dream - Angelicasdean

Again, one of my total fav fics in the fandom!! AU where Simon leaves the army to raise his nephew Joseph, who's the sole survivor of the Riley family massacre, and Johnny is one of the daycare teachers at the daycare where Simon takes Jo 🥺🥺👍👍

Pretend to love me like I do - FetteEule

Really cute fic of Simon who accompanied Johnny to Scotland for his sister's wedding, under the ruse they are dating. They are v much pining but not there yet. Features lots of really cute domestic moments and Simon being really sweet to Johnny's kid nephew 😭🧡

Something important - Anonymous

One of the fics that has me totally brainrotted rn. It's about Simon's who's been de-aged to 6 years old, and Price, Gaz and Soap all taking care of him and trying to figure out how he got turned, and how to turn him back! They all get tested on their abilities to care for a child, and unwillingly learn a lot of details about Simon's childhood they never knew. This summary doesn't do it justice tho, so I'd just recommend checking it out! Beware tho again, there is some dark childhood trauma stuff but there are warnings at the start of each chapter that contains references to it.

Seasons - StinglessWasp

In this fic every chapter is set during a different season and tells a unique sort of story/mission/interaction Soap and Ghost have. Definitely some v good angst&hurt/comfort stuffs too. Starts off pre-relationship, and explores their characters a lot! It's just really good HUGE reccommend lol.

What the Eyes Don't see - WhiplashRogue

One of my FAVESSSS! So the premise is like, Soap can actually see ghosts ever since he was a child (which most other people can't see and also don't believe in), and Ghost has 2 spirits attached to him that follow him around(Joseph, and Roach). The fic starts off pre relationship, and it mostly about Soap trying to learn more about these two spirits and discovering more about Ghost's past.

All that's said in the Low Light - Headlocket

Probably one of the most emotional I've ever read LMFAO. It's about Johnny, who receives a back & knee injury bad enough he gets discharged from the army, and is back in Scotland living with his parents as he recovers. He and Ghost lost contact a bit since the accident, and it's sort of a story of them reconnecting. This description doesn't do it justice, just read it, but it will emotionally destroy you lol

Time Loops Suck (series) - Enter_fand0m_reference00

The first installment of the fic takes the idea that Soap is stuck in a time loop during the alone mission! And all the optional dialogues and interactions in thE alone mission are separate attempts of his trying to survive the loops and rendez vous with Ghost. It's just sooo good!! And then there's a follow up fic where it deals with the mental aftermath of the loops and Ghost comforting soap through it, then there's 2 other installments of Simon who instead goes through a time loop! They are such great character explorations in how both Soap and Ghost experience the loops, and I whooleee heartedly reccommend.

Yellow Card - SkerryB

Soccer au fic!! It's so good! Simon is the captain of a soccer team Soap is drafted to as their new goalie. Simon has had a history with Soap before though, that he was the only goalie Simon could never score on! So that's how it starts, and it's just so good from there!! Simon's family are also alive in the fic and his nephew is adorable.

You swept me off my feet - @ghoulishhone

Ghost is down bad for strong Soap, the fic xD This was a fic Ghoulishone and I were paired together to work on for the Ghostsoap server reverse bang! They wrote the fic and I made some accompanying art. Just a cute fic of Soap having to pick up Ghost after he gets injured and some other shenanigans that ensues:)

Dear Mr Ghost - @shortcuts-make-long-delays

SUCH A CUTE FIC!! The majority of the fic is these letter/pen pal exchanges between Ghost, and Soap's young niece Chloe...it's just. So. Good. And was written by a friend of mine too! BIG RECCOMMEND.

Give me Hope and Let me Down - MechanicalBones

Some of the best Ghost whump I read lolll. Ghost is captured by some people with ties to Roba and tortured. Meanwhile Soap is on his way to rescue him, and eventually he does, and there's a lot of hurt and comfort. It's also a getting together fic. 🥺

Unspoken Love - Hammy101

( Super amazing oneshot. I feel I can't do this fic justice with any summary. Just read it. 🥺 It has decent Ghost whump AND domestic off duty cute ghost soap angsty stuff it's just one of my faves ever!!!!)

Except You, You can Stay - Iravaid

Really realistic, believable portrayal and expansion upon a lot of the key events that happen in the Ghost comics. From his childhood, to the mental aftermath of Roba, his family dying...it's heavy but really really good. And has a happier hopeful ending that's Ghost/Soap 🥺

Hat Trick of the Heart and the sequel Family, Gotta Love em - Librarian_FanFicFan

Absolutely am obsessed with these fics!!! It's an AU about Ghost who is recently discharged from the military due to injury, and on a flight back to London where he is seated next to Soap, a famous footballer/soccer player. Ghost doesn't know who he is tho, but they hit it off and exchange numbers. The second installment features Simon's family!!! And Tommy being dramatic and shocked over the fact his brother got the number of this famous sports player... SUPER CUTE IF YOU LIKE RILEY FAMILY STUFF.

As for my fav CoD authors I wholeheartedly recommend anything by:

RedClegane, m3rrywe4ther, Hammy101, TheEdwardianOne, Iravaid, and so many authors but I can't list them all ahaha...but hopefully this is a good start!

Hopefully this helps anon! Sorry it took me a while.

[trulybetty]

sunday in review | I

hello.

I took an unexpected hiatus from this before Christmas - my time, responsibilities and health have shifted in the last couple of months and with several spinning plates, something had to give. But I'm trying it out again - we'll see how it goes, let me know if you have any feedback!

writing habits.

plotted: - Javi P. x reader for Kel’s ‘Taylor Swift Drabble Challenge’ - Dieter x reader for Kate’s ‘Brandi Carlise Drabble Challenge’

worked on (i.e. jumped into and maybe added like three words, it's been a week): - Sequins!Joel x Reader - Tim x Cagney - Salt Water (I’m determined this will see the light of day at some point this year) - Angsty Dieter x Reader - x3 Lucien x Reader (this man has rotted my brain) - Texas Hold ‘Em anthology

on the blog this week.

handwritten asks which I’m slowly working my way through so the perfectionist in me isn’t awoken lol. If you’ve come across it I said I’d keep it up until Sunday, but if you want to drop an ask I’ll answer any extras that come through

march madness | 2024 I knew the full 63 was a lofty goal for me, my time to read fanfiction is now at odds with my time to write and that window has slowly gotten smaller. So I’ve been trying to squeeze in time to read where I can (list to be uploaded later)

what I read.

The One (Dieter) @schnarfer

Let Me Lay Down Beside You (Joel) @jomiddlemarch

Bookworm (Marcus P.) @write-down-your-dreams

easy like Sunday morning (Dieter) @gnpwdrnwhiskey

Delta Landscaping - Chapter 15 (various Pedro characters) @rhoorl

what I watched.

Road House - this movie knew the assignment

Lioness - so many ideas involving Frankie running through my head

9-1-1: Lone Star - watched for Liv Tyler, somehow staying for Rob Lowe, I don't know who I am

what made my dash happy.

There’s another Frankie Cat in the wild!

Heidi’s Joel AU moodboard

Mel’s Javi edit, who’s coming bar hopping?

celebrating.

Lolabee's 1 Year of Fic Celebration: 5th-7th April

fanfic throwback. this is where I go back into my read list and pick one at random to share - because all fic shouldn't be relegated to the archives after they've been shared.

Glass by @idolatrybarbie marcus pike and prompt no. fifteen— “is there anything we can do?” “we won’t be doing anything."

what was on repeat.

coming in under the wire was beyonce | cowboy carter 🙌

hope you're having a great Sunday! Let me know what you're up to in the comments 💕

[foxufortunes]

So like, I was gonna add this onto my post about the Raven's win percentage and how that compared to lacrosse with NCAA Exy and NCAA Lacrosse being about the same age, but I figured I'd put it here so everyone can see, because this is what I mean about the exy timeline being complicated and why zero losses makes sense over 30 years.

And yes, I know AFTG is not aiming for hyper realism grounded in reality, but I like figuring out a cohesive timeline for things like fics it's TRC all over again. Also I just like to think way too deep about this things, and if I'm descending into madness over these things you're coming with me.

That said, the timeline of exy and Evermore as much as I can make sense of it:

So, the exy/Evermore timeline in kind of a mess and a great example of how adding more makes something make less sense. What we're going to do is take the books at their most concrete fact and say that Tetsuji and Kayleigh invented exy 30 years pre-canon, and for ease of timeline we'll call it exactly 30years. So, here we go:

So our base line in 1976 (for the record NCAA Lacrosse was formed 1971, this is what I mean when I say they're roughly the same age). Tetsuji and Kayleigh were in university and in Japan, but it's not clear at what point in their studies they were and how long they had left to go at university.

Nora's EC says that Tetsuji was reaching out to the NCAA before he graduated. During his last semester he was reaching out promising funding and himself as a coach. So this is, at most a few years after exy was created unless Tetsuji had the slowest university career ever.

The next fall semester NCAA Exy officially starts with Ravens vs Trojans at Castle Evermore. So, as I've said before, the Big 3 were in on the ground floor. This is why they're so dominant, but that they started with the Ravens means they should be more competitive. The Raven's won the first match 13-12 and if it's that close at the start, the idea that the Raven's undefeated 20year+ streak is because they've been around longer loses all ground.

Evermore was the first stadium completed, followed by the Golden Court for the Trojans and Pride Court for Penn State Lions (which is such a cute name, I want a book on them please Nora). Pride Court was delayed but Penn State kept up training, while USC and EAU had their courts built at impossible speed. For reference, building a sports stadium, from first plans to completion is at speed roughly an 18month endeavour, if everything goes right, but depending on how you read the point above this could be just a few months. Either way, it's very fast. Other universities had pop up stadiums or played at the bigger stadiums of the Big 3 or local stadiums until theirs were complete. Ironically, given his apparent treatment of his female players, a lot of Tetsuji's funding came from getting women on board, promoting how co-ed the sport was.

The first pro teams were formed around the first graduates from the NCAA league. So 5 years after Evermore and we get a professional league.

And the US Court 2 years after. So 7 years from the start of the NCAA competition and we get a national team.

Then exy is in the Olympics the next year. So 8 years from the first NCAA game for exy to be Olympic recognised (a generous estimate makes that 1988, 1992 at a push, 14-18 years pre-canon and roughly a decade pre-foundation of the Foxes).

The problem with all this, of course, being that the book in only chapter 2 of TFC says that Kevin (born in 1986) and Riko were around with Tetsuji when Evemore was still in the blueprint stage.

Now, there's a couple of way I can think to maybe square this all. Firstly, obviously the 30years is a rough but that should mean closer to 30 than anything else, but to be generous either way, we're looking at between '71 (35years pre-canon) and '81 (25years pre-canon) and the later timeline can square a little better. It's also possible our Castle Evermore is a new stadium and the first Castle Evermore is an old one they've knocked down and replaced at the new one is the one Kevin and Riko were around for. It's also possible to be more generous with Tetsuji's university career: say he was in his first year in 1976, did a longer/postgrad course and stayed for say 7 years giving us 1983 for his graduation, then be generous and say "next fall semester" actually means '84 (which is still fast for a stadium) for Evermore's completion and the NCAA starting, which gives us the '92 Olympics.

So, let's work backwards instead. For Evermore to be being built while Kevin and Riko "already had custom racquets" we'll be generous and lowball age 2? So, we'll work with Evermore opening around '88. Even working with the most generous estimate of when exy was invented (1981, 25years rather than 30) that means, assuming Tetsuji spent his freshman year in Japan, he was in university for 6 or 7 years (depending on how you read next fall). Putting us at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and making NCAA exy 20ish years old.

[walkingintheheartbreaksatellite]

(They Long To Be) Close To You {1}

Harry Styles x fem!reader

Part 1- Sunflower Vol. 6

(No mention of pandemic.This starts as Harry writes Harry's house)Y/N lived a simple life. She worked and she loved what she did. She loved her family and she was happy. She didn't think she needed anything else. But one day, on a flight to a new adventure, she meets the one person she never expected to meet.

Fic warnings: mentions of past trauma, smut later, age gap (8 years), will leave warnings every chapter.

June 2020

It started in the early morning. 6:45 am to be precise. It was a chilly Gallup morning, and the balloons were going up, as they always did that early.

Leaving the house as soon as she could, starting the 20 minute drive to work like she did every day. Arriving at work with no problem, she was immediately called into her boss, Sofia's office.

"Y/N/N, could you come in here for a sec? And close the door?"

Y/N's pov

I slowly walked into Sofia's office, closing the door behind me and sitting down.

"Did I do something again?"

The older woman chuckles and shakes her head.

"No. But I wanted to talk to you. Do you remember when Alexander said we were expanding into Europe?"

I nod my head, briefly remembering the conversation.

"Well, they want you to go with a few drivers and go to London for a couple months to start up the first branch.Your position would be my current one. The company is paying for your living space and travel, you are responsible for anything else. Interested?"

Wow. That's... not what I thought she was gonna talk to me about.

"U-um yeah I'd love to! When do I leave?"

She smiles.

"At the end of the month. You'll be in charge of everything and everyone there. I know you'll do great."

I smile and thank her.

After that, the month flies fast. I pack what I need and it's shipped to my new flat and anything else goes into my mom's garage. On the day I leave, I meet the 2 drivers coming with me, Jackson and Adam, at the airport. At 4:30am.

It's already too early and I need coffee.

"You guys ready for this?"

The two men tiredly nod and we trek to our gate after checking our bags. After about 30 minutes we begin boarding our flight. The attendant scans my boarding pass and gives me a bright smile, definitely too bright for how early it is.m

"Miss, it seems you've been upgraded to first class due to availability. Enjoy your flight!"

Adam, Jackson and myself just share a look and proceed ahead. I find my seat and holy crap it's nice. They find theirs in economy and we part ways. I take my seat and pull out my iPad, briefly starting to get some work done. The plane takes off and soon we land in LAX.

The flight is a straight trip but I guess they had to pick up more people. I decide to put my work away and watch Demon Slayer instead. I pay no mind when I see from the corner of my eye, someone take the seat next to me. Jackson comes over to me to chat for a minute at that moment as well.

"Hey Y/N/N, do you have all the addresses for where we are staying? Ryan forgot to send it to us."

"Yeah. We're all in the same place, just separate units. We'll be fine."

He nods and then briefly looks at my screen.

"Really? Demon Slayer again?"

I flip him off and he laughs before he returns to his seat. After a couple minutes, the person next to me finally speaks up.

"Is it good? What you're watching?"

I take out my headphones and turn to the stranger, about to reply, when I see his face and my mouth drops.

"I-I um yeah, it is. I like it."

He smiles and holds out his hand to me.

" I'm Harry."

I smile and shake his hand.

I'm pretty sure he could tell I was shaking.

"I-I'm Y/N. I-It's nice to meet you!"

He laughs and I swear I could just die after hearing that sound.

"Y' must know who I am."

I nod and blush.

"I love your music. Always makes me feel better and brings a smile to my face."

He smiles.

" 'M glad to hear that. I love makin' music and gettin to share it. 'T means a lot t' me that it helps so many."

I nod and we talk for a bit.

I don't think I've ever actually had this meaningful of a conversation with anyone before.

"S'what are you watchin? Looks interesting."

"Oh, that? Oh it's just an anime that I like. I've seen it multiple times. I guess I just like watching it."

I giggle and he smiles, filling my stomach with butterflies.

"Would y'mind if I watched with you?"

I nod my head and hand off an AirPod to him, moving my iPad in the middle so we could both see and I hit play.

Somehow, through the flight, we finished season one and part of Mugen Train before we finally land. And I don't think I have ever been more disappointed. We both got up but before he walked away, Harry turned to me.

"I don't usually do this, but I want to see you again. Would y'want to maybe... exchange numbers? J-just as long as you promise not t'give it out...?"

Holy shit holy shit ho-ly shit.

"Y-yeah I'd love to! And I'd never do that! That's a betray of trust and that's one thing I refuse to do to anyone!"

He smiles and takes my phone, putting his number in it.

"Text me love. I would love t' get coffee with you sometime."

I smile and nod, waving him goodbye as I wait for Jackson and Adam to meet me up front. I see them come up and Jackson is grinning and wiggling his eyebrows at me.

"Shut it Miles. I don't want to hear it."

The two men laugh as we make our way out of the plane to baggage claim. I look around briefly for Harry and obviously I don't see him, causing disappointment to show on my face. I decide to pull out my phone and text him.

Y/N- Hi Harry! It's Y/N!😊

H-Couldn't wait, could you love?

Y/N-I could've! I'm just waiting at baggage claim and the two idiots I'm traveling with are teasing me!😒

H-Yeah? That's not nice. Should I come steal you away?

Y/N-Ha! As much as I would love that, I have to get the three of us settled in and dispatch them. Maybe coffee tomorrow?

H-Sounds great! I know a great place! I'll text you the address! See you tomorrow,love!

Y/N-See you tomorrow❤️

>>>————————————->

Waking up early the next morning sucked.

My alarm wakes me up at 6:30 as-per usual, but my jet lagged body did not agree with the new time zone. I had worked late, only getting to bed at about 2am, which would've been 9am my time.

I get up and take a shower, the hot water only soothing my aching bones for a short time. I dry myself off and make my way into the bedroom where my unpacked suitcases remain. I start to open them, only grabbing what I need.

I pull out a bright floral sundress, a pair of strapped sandals and the only other purse I packed.

I quickly get dressed before doing my hair and putting on just a little bit of makeup when I hear my phone ping. I look down at it to see a text from Harry and I smile.

H- Good morning, Y/N! I can't wait to see you!Meet me at the Abbey Road Cafe. I'll be there waiting! x

I blush and finish up before grabbing my bag and leaving. It's only about a 10 minute walk to the cafe and I manage to get there without getting lost. I head inside and find Harry in the back at a table. He smiles at me and stands up and he gives me a hug.

"You look beautiful! I'm feelin' a bit underdressed!"

Panic flashes in my eyes and he shakes his head with a small laugh.

"I'm only teasing! Really, you look amazing. Shall we get some coffee? Thought we might get some brekkie too before heading off."

I smile and follow him to the register.

"Order what you'd like. My treat!"

I frown and start to argue.

"Oh Harry, I couldn't ask you-."

He laughs and shakes his head once more.

"You didn't ask, I offered. Please?"

I sigh and nod and turn to the barista.

"May I please get a hazelnut espresso with oat milk? And.. a breakfast croissant?"

She nods and typed it in to her POS before turning to Harry, who smiles.

"A black coffee please. And a breakfast croissant as well."

She nods and he quickly pays and we stand off to the side to wait for our order.

"So, how was your first day in your office yesterday? Get settled in already?"

I sigh and only shrug.

"I suppose so. It's so nerve wracking. I was kind of thrown into this and while I'm grateful for the opportunity, it's a lot more responsibility than I had before."

He nods and gives me a small pat on the back.

"I'm sure you'll get the hang of it quick, yeah? Y' seem pretty resourceful, like you catch on quick."

I plush and grip my bag in embarrassment. We get our order and sit down at the back table, talking as we eat. We finish quickly and dispose of our trash before heading out.

"So you haven't gotten a chance to see any of the sights yet, right?"

I shake my head with a frown.

"I'll be here for a couple months so I'll have time but I would definitely like to see them."

He smiles and nods.

"I had a thought- I know the big sites and exciting.. But would you like to see some of the hidden gems of London?"

My face lights up and I nod enthusiastically.

"Please! I'd love to!"

He smiles and holds a hand out to me. I blush and hesitantly take it, butterflies filling my stomach as he laces out fingers together. We take the tube down to Little Venice and my mouth drops at the view.

"I-I've never seen anything so beautiful before..."

Harry smiles and leads me down a pathway.

"I thought we could take a kayak ride. Is that something you'd want to do?"

I nod and smile. We head over to the dock and board one of the kayaks, sitting close together.

He holds tight onto my hand as we travel down the river, making small talk.

>>>———————————>

1 Month

The next time I'm able to see Harry in person, he's walking through the doors of my office building with a plastic bag in hand and a smile on his face. My eyes widen as he walks through the dark doors and into my small office, shooting up from my chair in surprise.

"Harry! What are you doing here? Did you not see my text about lunch?"

He smiles and nods as he sits down in the chair in front of my desk, dropping my bag on the mahogany surface.

"I did. You said you had too much to do. So, I brought it to you."

He opens the bag and begins to place containers on my desk before pulling out a few bottles of water, and to my surprise, a bottle of Dr. Pepper.

"Harry... Where did you go? This looks incredible!"

He laughs and shakes his head. He walks away for a moment, to the break room I imagine, before coming back with some napkins.

"I didn't actually. Went to Whole Foods and Sainsbury's and bought the ingredients. Took maybe 2 hours? Hope it tastes good, haven't made sushi in quite a while."

He hands me a pair of chopsticks and opens the containers, my mouth watering at the sight.

"California Rolls? How did you know?"

He chuckles and he takes a roll and dips it into the cup of soy sauce he brought.

"You mentioned it the other day that you were craving some. Thought I might make some. There's also some fresh fruit and veg. Some veggie pot stickers too. Oh, and how could I forget-."

He reaches into the bag and pulls out a small blue package. Oreos.

"Thought you could use these too."

He smiles and hands them to me with a smile and I blush.

"Are you a mind reader? I was just thinking last night how much I wanted some to go with my glass of milk! You are seriously amazing."

I'm not sure if I see correctly or not, but his cheeks tint as if he was blushing, and he lets out a small laugh. We continue to eat and chat until we finish. With a light kiss to my cheek, he leaves with plans to go to dinner later in the week.

4 Months

"Harry, really. Where are we going? It's 11:30! It's almost midnight!"

He laughs as he pulls me along the dark streets of London until he stops in front of a building.

"What is-."

I raise an eyebrow at him and he just shakes his head before opening the door and pulling me inside. He heads down a hallway and reaches a door, pushing it open before pulling me inside.

"A studio? Why are we here?"

He pulls me over to the grand piano in the corner and sits me down on the bench, before sitting down next to me.

"I just finished a song for the new album. I haven't played it for anyone outside of the band.. I wanted to play you some of it."

He turns to look at me and tears swell in my eyes.

"Really? You want to play it for me. I'd love to hear it."

He smiles and scooches up close to me before turning back to the piano. He positions his hands and begins to softly play and sing.

Holdin' me back

Gravity's holdin' me back

I want you to hold out the palm of your hand

Why don't we leave it at that?

Nothin' to say

When everything gets in the way

Seems you cannot be replaced

And I'm the one who will stay, oh

In this world, it's just us

You know it's not the same as it was

In this world, it's just us

You know it's not the same as it was

As it was, as it was

You know it's not the same

He removes his fingers from the keyboard and turns his head back to me, only for a look of fear to appear on his face.

"Why are you crying? Are you okay? Do you-."

I sniffle and shake my head before wiping away my tears with the sleeves of my cardigan.

"I-I'm fine. That was just-. That was amazing Harry. You really are so talented. That wasn't even the whole song and you already have me pulled in. It's gonna be an amazing album. Album of the year, I bet!"

He blushes and wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side.

"That's definitely too soon to think about. But thank you love, I appreciate you saying so. Now, how about a late night snack? Then I'll take you home?"

I giggle and nod before standing up. I hold my hand out to Harry and he takes it with a smile. We walk out of the studio hand in hand in the dead of night, only our laughs echoing the streets.

7 Months

"A movie? You want to go to the cinema?"

I nod with a big smile.

"I haven't been since I left home! I thought it would be fun! Please!"

I pout and he sighs before giving me a small smile and nods. I squeal and jump into his arms, laughing as he catches me.

"What movie did you have in mind?"

I loop my arm through his as we begin to walk towards the nearest theater and I think for a minute.

"I was thinking like an action movie. Marvel if possible. Ooo! Black Widow! Black Widow is in theaters!"

Harry laughs and wraps and arm around my waist as we continue to walk.

"I guess that's the one. You really that into Marvel?"

I give him a look of shock and almost disgust.

"Sir! How many tattoos do I have?"

"16..."

"And how many of them are Marvel tattoos?"

"4..."

I give him a nod and he bursts out laughing, squeezing my waist as he pulls me along.

"You're too much Y/N M/N, you know that?"

I laugh and nod as we walk into the theater.

"Ohhh I'm so excited! I'm still sad over Natasha so if this doesn't save my fragile heart, I don't know what will."

He laughs and we walk in, taking our seats.

>>>——————————>

"Okay, I'll be honest, that was an amazing movie."

I leap in excitement, struggling to contain all my energy as Harry laughs at my child-like nature.

"Amazing?! More like the best movie of the year! Kick ass cast! Florence was 100% the comedic relief I needed! But ooo that scene at the end! She's going after Clint! That's crazy!"

He laughs and pulls me to his side as we walk through the night, laughing and enjoying our time together.

9 Months

It's been a couple months since I met Harry. And everyday with him is amazing. We both work quite a bit but still manage to see each other a couple times a week. Earlier in the week, I received a phone call from one of the corporate bosses.

I've been instructed to go home soon. With the hiring of more staff, I'm not needed and they want me back in my old position... And now I have to tell Harry.

I'm waiting for him at our usual spot and I see him come up to me. I stand up and meet him halfway, walking into his warm embrace.

"Missed you love."

"Missed you too."

He caresses my cheek and kisses my forehead. I can only force a small smile.

"You okay, love? You look a bit down."

"Y-yeah I'm fine. But we do need to talk."

He looks at me with concern as I lead him to our table to sit down.

"So you know how I've been telling you how well things have been going with setting up the new branch?"

He nods his head in acknowledgment.

"Well... it's done. There's new staffing and multiple drivers... so they want me back home."

We sit in silence for just a minute.

"When... When do you have to leave?"

"In 3 days...Look Harry... I don't want this to be the end of whatever this is between us. I like you. And these past couple months? You've made me feel so alive. I've never felt this way before...I know this sounds corny but I don't want this to be the end if you don't..."

He pauses for a minute before he bursts out laughing, leaving me in shock and confusion.

"How do you always seem to take the words out of my mouth?"

He pauses for another minute before continuing.

" Of course I still want to see you. I love spending time with you, Y/N. We'll work it out somehow."

He takes me out of my chair and hugs me tight. He pets my head and I start crying.

"Shhh. It's okay love. M'not letting you go that easily. You're stuck with me."

I begin to argue with him, tears falling down my cheeks as my vision blurs.

"But I'm gonna be in New Mexico! And you're still trying to write your album!"

He gives me a soft smile and shakes his head.

"You're forgetting about something though."

I just look at him in complete and utter confusion.

Those are the facts though... how could I be forgetting something?

"How often have you FaceTimed your mum just this week?"

"I don't know- probably like a good couple dozen- ohhhh! Duh!"

He laughs and hugs me tighter, resting his head against mine.

"I know it's not ideal, but we'll make it work. And I'll come visit you of course. Can't go long without my muse, now can I? I'll never get the album finished without you."

I blush and bury my head in his chest, causing him to chuckle.

"I'm know you would do an amazing job finishing it. You don't need me for inspiration Mr. 'I like to write songs about sex'."

He chuckles and lifts my head up, forcing me to look him in the eyes.

"Of course I do. I've written 2 songs already. Because of you. So I definitely need you. Stop thinking so little of yourself."

I nod, tearing up a little.

"Will you come see me off?"

He smiles and lifts me up.

"You really think I wouldn't? I'd never give up the chance to see you, even if it is goodbye."

He kisses my nose, making me smile.

"Let's go get you packed up, yeah?"

He grabs my bag and leaves a tip for the waiter.

"Wait, you're gonna help me pack?"

"Course I am. Gotta get my time with you while I have you. And besides, we need to finish Edens Zero, don't we?"

I chuckle and nod my head.

As excited as I am to go home to my family and my regular day to day life, I hate that I have to do it without Harry there with me. These past couple months have been amazing and he makes everything more fulfilling.

Heathrow Airport

I woke up early this morning and I'm not ready to leave. Harry came to see me off though. I take his hand and pull him off to the side.

"Something wrong love?"

I take a long deep breath.

"No... I just. I want to tell you something. I want to get it off my plate before I leave... Harry... I love you. And I know this is probably way too soon to say but- I just wanted to tell you. And I totally understand if you-."

Before I can finish, he grabs my face and kisses me. I close my eyes and focus on the feeling of his lips against mine. After a minute or so, he slowly lets go and he lets out a light chuckle.

"Sometimes... I swear... you talk so much that no one can get a word in."

I blush and bury my face in his chest until he pulls me out and places his finger under my chin, lifting my head up.

"I love you, Y/N. I mean it."

I start to tear up a little.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?"

"Dunno, because I am an angel."

He batts his eyes at me and flashes that smile that I love so much.

"Oh hush. I try to be cheesy and you decide to be cheeky."

He chuckles and hugs me, not letting don't let go until they call for boarding for my flight home. He kisses me once more and I let the tears fall down my face.

As soon as we let go, he wipes my tears with his thumb and smiles at me.

"Promise to text me when you're home?"

I nod my head and give him one last hug before I let go, letting the tears fall.

2 Weeks Later

Things have gone back to normal for the most part. I'm back to doing my old job. It hasn't been too bad. But I miss Harry like crazy. We FaceTime at least 3 times a day and talk on the phone almost every second.

He's been singing me to sleep recently and honestly I always wake up refreshed in the morning because of it.

Right now, I'm sitting at my desk, entering orders, when I see a name flash across my phone screen. I smile and answer.

Y/N- Well hello there, handsome!

H-Hi love! What are you doing later this week?

Y/N -Oh, you know, the usual. Working and going to my sisters this weekend, at least I think so. What are you up to?

H-Oh, you know, just planning a trip to go see my favorite girl this weekend.

My eyes go wide.

Y/N-REALLY?!

He laughs.

H-Really... Mum and Gemma wanna meet you. So... they were going to come with... if that's okay...

Y/N-I'd love to meet them! But isn't it too soon? I mean we haven't even made anything official...

H- That's what I said! But according to Gem, I refuse to shut up about you so they are insisting on meeting you.

I let out a little chuckle.

Y/N- I guess if I'm meeting them, you should meet my mom and my sisters..

H-We'll be in Thursday. I'm booking hotels for mum, Gem and Jeff.

Y/N-I'm sorry... are you expecting to stay with me?

H- I mean-

I let out a loud snort.

Y/N- I'm kidding. Of course you can stay with me. But it's only one bed so you can sleep with me or on the couch. I'll ask for Friday off and see if Sofia will approve it.

H-Don't worry bout that. We'll probably sleep Friday and explore later.

Y/N-Text me your flight details and I'll come get you Thursday after I get off. I can't wait to see you!

H- Me too love. I love you

Y/N-Love you too Harry.

We hang up and I get back to work, never letting the smile leave my face for the rest of the day.

>>>——————————->

What did you guys think? Let me know!

WC 4290

Tag List

@be-with-me-so-happily @swiftmendeshoran

@babyiamperfectforyou @freedomfireflies

@kaminokatiee @harrysmimi

@violetsandfluff @fruitmans @fruitmansrecs @strwbrrydaydreams

@rafaaoli @novalunosising

[bleachbleachbleach]

4/28 - 4/29/2024

In my last update I wrote "I'll probably just crumble into dust" and while that was not actually the plan it was a completely accurate premonition. For posterity (and because I'm still sitting in this airport at demise o'clock, utterly incapable of doing anything I actually need to do), documentation of various memorable stages of dustmaking:

Stealing half an hour in late March to write about seven actual words because most of it was just sitting with the concept mentally, but it was such an indulgent wondrous slice of time. And then I deleted it all because it doesn't actually belong, but it was still an INCREDIBLY EXCELLENT TIMEEEEEE

Not thinking about Bleach or fanfic at all because there was no mental space available to it

Feeling great despair because the idea of remembering what Bleach was seemed like a lot of work, to say nothing of *having to reread my own fanfic to remember what that was*

Going to a conference which, inasmuch as it was Extremely Full of Conference, was single-track enough--in the sense that all I needed to think about was Conference, as opposed to "other people and all their problems"--that it was very easy and pleasant to Bleach LARP things.

Standing in a TSA line for so long I did, in fact, have plenty of time to start mentally drafting dialogue for three chapters from where I chronologically am in this fic, and then writing it out while taxiing on the runway! 🎉🎉

In exciting news (to me, I know Tumblr does not care whether I live or die), I do not have another major deadline until May 15. If I'm being realistic it's probably going to take that amount of time to catch up with all the regular work stuff and life stuff that's been deprioritized in favor of Big Deadlines, but I think I want to try building back my writing habit starting next week. We'll see how this week goes before I decide whether "next week" means "next Monday" or "next Saturday."

I am also eight billions years behind on fanfic I am reading and Other Posts. I wish that were something I felt capable of doing now, since I still have two hours to kill, having only killed one so far, but if it's not a rambling and inconsequential bulleted list I cannae

[alonelystargazer]

WIP Wednesday

I haven't done one of these in a while but I'm working on a few projects behind the scenes (albeit very slowly), so I want to share a little bit of what I have so far.

for JJK:

Chapter 2 of my ItaFushi fic: give you more (than words can say)

He follows Nobara around, browsing the various video and crane games set up in the five-story building, going up the escalator to the second floor where they find rows and rows of gachapon machines set up. Since he’s here, he may as well indulge and try his luck. “Look, there it is! Okay, I have ¥2850 left, so I’m gonna keep spending it until I get that damn figure. You,” Nobara points to Megumi, “are you gonna stand there again like an idiot like you did earlier?” Megumi decides to keep the peace and ignore being called an ‘idiot’ again. “I’ve got enough cash to buy out this whole machine, but I don’t really care what I get.” “Did you guys forget I’m here, too?” Yuuji whines with a frown like a sad wet kitten. “You didn’t even wanna come here in the first place. Just pick a machine or stand there quietly and let us play,” Nobara barks back. “You’re usually not this mean, but you’re extra cranky today, Kugisaki,” Yuuji sighs, half of his body’s strength seemingly disappearing as he slumps against a nearby wall.

I also have another idea for an itfs fic set in a no powers AU but I'll share more about it when I start writing the story. For now, I'm still in the outlining process because I plan for it to be another multi-chapter story. Basically, it's set around Christmas time, and Yuujij gets drunk and sad and lonely at a party and decides to write a post card to the address where he used to live, and surprise, a guy named Megumi now lives there and receives the card. Can you imagine what will happen next?

I thought of restructuring my post-canon itfs fic called Foreign Language into something else, but that depends on these final 3 chapters of JJK, so we'll see how it goes, but for now, I'm leaving it alone.

~

for Kagurabachi:

pre-Rakuzaichi Hakuri character study/HakuHiro fic called Safety Net

Tomorrow is a day of great importance for Chihiro. With Shiba-san’s help, he will be able to infiltrate that loathsome auction house where Hakuri’s father is keeping the merchandise and retrieve his precious sword. For years, rumors of the existence of a seventh enchanted blade drifted through the underground world without a shred of proof. That one elusive blade is spoken of by the patrons of the black market like a thing of legend, a literal object of desire, crafted by the fallen hero of Japan, Rokuhira Kunishige. And yet. It is no mystery. Enten is alive because Chihiro breathes his soul into it, senses it from a distance like a lost limb, cherishes it like a parent to a child. Chihiro keeps his father’s legacy close to his heart and away from the type of people who are undeserving of wielding its immense power, away from those who would hold no accountability for their actions if it were to fall in their hands. Therefore, it is the property of Rokuhira. His greatest treasure. But… it is lost, somewhere beyond his reach. All because Chihiro gave it away in exchange for Hakuri’s release.

I also started outlining my HakuHiro Pacific Rim AU fic but that one is going to take me months to write, so I probably won't share anything from it for a while.

[peterpcrkcrs]

Okay great news, folks. I'm working away at the next chapter of The Night We Met, and I've got some housekeeping things to announce.

Harry Osborn will be in this fic, but his father (and thus the Green Goblin) will not. Just mentioned, but not in the fic. And I'm playing in the sandbox of Tom Holland's Spiderman movies, so technically, the Osborns don't exist/haven't been introduced yet. So I'm taking that oppurtunity to introduce one of my own. I'll be basing him on the previous Harry characters of course, but the face I have in mind when writing which you can picture if you like (or anyone else, whoever you want, James Franco or whoever) is Dylan O'Brien.

I did a search for Harry Osborn fancasts and he came up, and my beta and I agreed so it turned out like that. Okay. Harry in this fic, which is No Way Home-compliant but diverging into an AU, will be sort of friendly with Peter. He won't know Peter or remember him because of the effects of the spell, obviously, but he won't be a complete asshole either. I might introduce Flash Thompson to be the jerk bully, not sure yet.

2. Daredevil will also make an appearance. Ever since the scene in FFH when Murdock told Peter he needs a good lawyer, I had this idea that what if Peter had a mock trial class in school and maybe Murdock teaches that class. (I actually had a mock trial class in my senior year, so maybe figures). And it'll be Charlie Cox, of course.

And

3. I've made a silly little trailer for the fic. It's really dumb, honestly, because grandma (me, I'm not actually a grandma but technology is not my friend) doesn't know how to use capcut well. She's still figuring it out, whoops. But if you wanna see it, here's the link:

That's all for now. If you took the time to read this, you're awesome. Stay tuned for more!

I usually try to promise update schedules, but this fic is being written as the inspiration hits me so...we'll see where it goes?

[galvanizedfriend]

Hi Yokan 👋

I have questions

First question - how’re you doing? Hope life hasn’t been too stressful for you!

Second question - have you been reading anything that has really resonated with you in the last couple of weeks/months.

Third (and most weird) question - if you could choose a superpower what would you choose? (Dumb question I know😂)

Fourth question - most proud moment in your writing career.

And final question - how’s writing going with the Wolf? Hope you’ve not struggled too much in starting it!

hope your doing okay! ❤️

Hi, friend! How's it going?

Can I just say, it's so lovely to get all these questions! ✨ I love this so much, thank you! 💝

First: I'm ok! Work is always stressful these days, I don't think it's going to give me a break until at least September. 😂 But it's not the worst right now. Tomorrow is my birthday and I just the best piece of chocolate cake humanity has to offer, so I'm cool right now. 😇 Just wish tomorrow wasn't Monday. 🥲

Second: I have read 7 books this year so far, but nothing that's stood out as being great, sadly. :( Still haven't had a 5 stars. I finished a thriller called None of This is True by Lisa Jewell which was pretty good, if you're into thrillers. 4 stars, maybe.

In terms of fanfiction, I've have been reading random pieces of non-Kc fic, as per usual 😂 But I have also read The Little Wolf by @morningstargirl666, which is absolutely fantastic, if you haven't read it yet. It's a retelling of the show's canon about the Original family and how they were turned into vampires, with special focus on Klaus' werewolf heritage, and it's so, so, so good! And so much better than canon! It actually gives depth to the siblings' relationships, and it has so many little nods to what we know of them in the future. Beautifully woven! I have also read Till I Tasted You by @kirythestitchwitch, which is a canon divergent AU where a spell goes wrong and Caroline ends up finding out Klaus is her soulmate. It's hot, it has absolutely nom-nom-able dialogues and A+++ interactions between KC, it features Damon getting his ass kicked! I don't know, it's just the whole package. 🤌

Third: This would be a very weird question if I hadn't spent an irrational amount of time thinking about that. 😂 I guess it really depends on what kind of universe you mean, because it varies. But I would very much like to have telekinesis like Prue in Charmed.

Fourth: That's a tough one. I'm an extremely critical person of my own writing, so it's hard for me to feel proud of stuff I've done tbh. 😂 But I think I was pretty proud when I finished The Wolf 2. It's not my personal favorite thing I've ever written, but I think it's probably my best written story. I really like the final part of that story, the way I managed to tie it back to TVD, I think it was very full circle and made the story a lot more unique. I also had a lot of fun writing the Mikaelsons and Caroline back in Mystic Falls after the time they spent in Nola. 😂 So maybe that.

Final: It's... going. 🥲 I took a pause after writing two chapters back to back, tried to work on some other stuff, and then I circled back to it. I've actually just started the next chapter, have a couple of scenes. I don't think this first chapter will be a long one, but I think it will take a lot of editing tbh. 😂 I haven't been at most inspired right now, so not sure how much of what I've written will stand the test of a re-read. I had plans to get a chapter out before the end of the month, but I'm not sure I'll manage it. 🥲 We'll see how this week goes. Pray for me.

Thanks for the questions, friend! I hope you have a wonderful week! ✨

[wannabe-amateur-writer]

Twst Chapter 5 really pisses me off

I haven't fully completed it yet but Vil really does my head in. Like hello? You are a guest in Ramshackle so act accordingly. This is not Pomefiore, you do not have jurisdiction over what everyone eats, or THE FUCKING RIGHT TO POISON ANYONE!!

I especially hate how we/Yuu just allow this??? Like they complain to a certain extent but our choices when he said we wouldn't get punished for not eating sugar and to go to bed was between "yes sir" and "sorry guys" (we're leaving the others to their fate) Like wtf??? Do we not have control over what goes on in Ramshackle??? We're just leaving our friends paralysed on the floor because some prissy bitch decided? I'll repeat, Vil is a guest. Crowley even says that maybe one day we'll have more students in Ramshackle to look after which means we're technically a housewarden but (as a redditor phrases it) 'with the power to mettle in whoever's dorm [we] see fit' (i.e. us handling the overblots) so Vil is not allowed to punish other students, especially ones that don't belong in his dorm. The fact we're just so docile and compliant to this is just further enabling behaviour that just shouldn't be allowed. Fair enough if it was in Pomefiore where he has the authority as housewarden to enact these rules BUT WHEN LIVING IN A DORM THAT ISN'T YOUR OWN YOU SHOULD ASK BEFORE INSTILLING RULES. I just hate how we do not have a backbone at all, despite being told how blunt we can be and sometimes impulsive, which I don't really see since the dialogue options are mild at best. The only time I find that claim to be true is in chapter 3 when Leona says we threatened to ruin his sleep every night if he didn't help us, and even then Ruggie mentions how he only helped because he had incentive to which aligned with what we wanted him to do.

Going back to the original point, Vil needs to learn his fucking place and Yuu needs to grow a fucking backbone. He even calls us/Yuu manager, so as manager, and prefect, let's exert authority by making him learn his right from wrong. Why should we even need to do this? He should learn that himself, he's not a baby and we're not his parent (but given some of the fics I read hints to his upbringing not being so great) however if we need to be a condescending shit towards him then I'm fully on board. He and his dumb nicknames can both exit the Ramshackle premises because he is NOT welcome with that attitude and behaviour.

If he continues we should just threaten him with housing Neige at Ramshackle during his visit at NRC.

[ghostintheheadset]

watchmojo's top five headphones_haver fics of 2023 (not clickbait)

I'm looking at my 2023 stats on ao3 and fandom disparities are really funny to me lmao, my main fandom at the moment is fe3h, and of the 22 fics I posted this year, 19 of them were fe3h.

All three of the non-fe3h fics are my top three most kudos'ed fics of the year:

It goes without saying ofc that these numbers don't really matter, if I was only doing this for the kudos I'd be writing m/m genshin fic, and it's not really surprising why the numbers are the way they are- both my Pokemon and Zelda fics were posted within a few months of the game coming, and gwitch is also relatively new and I was writing for far and away the most popular ship. Meanwhile, 3h is now past the 4 year mark, and largely m/m dominated while the majority of my fics are f/f. While I would certainly enjoy all my fics getting popular, seeing the numbers like this makes it easy to remember that engagement isn't a metric of quality.

(In that vein, Falling is probably the fic I spent the least amount of time on this year, being impulse-written in about 2 hours. Sometimes niche fics you pour your heart and soul into can't reach the same level of popularity as wider-appeal stories you wrote much more quickly, and that's okay)

That said, though, I am happy with the fics that made top 2. There's something satisfying about my first and last fics of the year being the most popular, and I am very happy with how the both of them turned out. They're both representative of the themes I like writing about and are both wholesome yuri, so I think they "belong" in the top 5 as much as any fic could be said to.

Numbers 4 and 5 are kind of a surprise to me- Pegasus Knight Dysphoria is a gen fic about a trans girl and Someday is an f/f rarepair. Of the 19 (wow) 3h fics I've written over 2023, these are not the two I'd expect to break into the top 5, but it's a pleasant surprise that they did!

Anyway, none of that actually matters beyond being mildly interesting to me specifically. Onward to 2024:

According to my stats page, I posted 126k words of fic in 2023, which averaged out to a little over 10k words a month or about 345 words a day. Not bad! Looking to get those numbers up next year though. If I don't, then that'll be okay, but 126k is the Word Count To Beat if possible.

I would also like to do some more fandom events! Apparently there's a FE rarepair week happening literally right now that I wasn't aware of until yesterday. Hoooopefully I'll be able to see more of that kind of thing now that I'm here, as they've always been a lot of fun when I could participate. I'm not leaving 3h just yet, but I would like to branch out a bit more- I definitely have more gwitch fics lined up, and I'd like to also branch out a bit and write for some other fandoms I haven't gotten around to yet.

Big writing goal is to finish Together We Ride, and also work on it more consistently. I was putting off starting it for a while because I wanted to "wait for a good time", but I realized if I kept that up it would never get started. Considering I started it in April and there's currently 7 chapters, it was in fact "not a good time", but! I am committed to seeing it through in the upcoming year.

That's about it I think. It's been lovely writing fic over the past year (and a great way to unwind from the Grad School Stress), and I'm very much looking forward to exploring more next year.

(might do a roundup later today of some fics from this year I really liked we'll see)

[greypetrel]

Hey hey! 7, 23, 65 for the writer asks? c:

Hey there! :D

Here you go, thanks for asking!

I'm gonna put a cut because... Because the first two questions tackles in the perilous field of "Arja majored in literature and every time she has to discuss storytelling meta she's like this":

Tis the prompt list.

7. How do you choose which POV to write from?

I think of who could give the most interesting insight over the same event, and choose according to that. It all depends on what I'm trying to achieve with that piece of writing and the vibe I want to give: in the end a dramatic event stays dramatic, the pov just changes the flavour.

Example: In the Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts chapter, I switch the POV a couple of times accordingly. In the first scene, it's Aisling because she's the only one to exactly hear what dear Gaspard has to tell her. It must be her POV to avoid a long explanation of how she felt in that moment... That she wouldn't want to give, because the second POV is Cullen and knowing he's not faring well, she would never, at this point, go into many details about how bad she felt. You can see in the second scene what would have happened if the POV started with Cullen right away. Yes, you get what happened... I think, tho, that seeing it first-hand could give a nice other side. It changes again for the mission because I wanted a little "Why the heck is she explaining us her plan?" moment, and to start introducing that there are other people working behind the ballroom. And the last scene, with the final duel with the assassin (censoring who is it because a friend who reads me hasn't played Inquisition and if she hasn't read that chapter I don't want to spoil her GREIS DON'T CLICK) which I kept even if SOMEHOW Aisling in game won Belle of the Balle (don't ask me why, Josie drugged her)... I switched back to Cullen, because him not knowing exactly what the Science Bros had planned added a sense of uncertainty and urgency that made the pace quicker and more surprising... Which fitted, I wanted a super quick scene.

Hope it made sense xD

23. Best writing advice for other writers?

EDITED because the former one was more for Original writing and meh I thought of something better.

Originality is overrated.

And by which I mean: looking and actively pursuing something truely original at all costs will only stress you out. It goes in original and fanfiction writing. Stories got told all the time, and if you didn't start writing out of a bubble without ever consuming any work of fiction, you'll get influenced by stuff you liked, whether you want it or not. It's normal, it's something you can see in big ass authors, in authors that you study as "big innovators".

Futurists, who prided themselves in being truely, 100% original by doing something entirely new... Still were influenced by what came before. Because to do the opposite of what came before you must know what did. You must know what you don't want to do if you want to do something different. And that's why Italian futurists were assholes and I hate them and you shouldn't praise them fuck you Marinetti. Russian futurism is something entirely, wildly different and the Russians HATED the Italians with a reason But I shan't start talking about futurists or we'll end up with an essay on that let me just kiss gently on the forehead mr Livshits I love you Benedikt Konstantinovich and your glorious autobiography.

All it matters is not what you write. Is HOW you write it. Give it your vision, give what matters to you, and even if the basic story is yet another fic of a pairing that got written by so many people... Nobody wrote your specific vision of it. And that's all that matters.

At the end of the day, in the hands of a good writer who believes and has something personal to say about a certain trope... The tropes I like the least on paper are something I enjoy from people that thought about it and that you can SEE loved that story. And it's great.

Edited from before because thinking about it better, it's true that genre should not be considered so fixed as I sometimes see them being... But I thought about it better and "mediocrity" shouldn't be so shunned. Write your story, I don't care if it's good. If it makes you happy writing it, if it makes you crack a smile and it doesn't offend people, go for it. Mediocrity is good, mediocrity shouldn't be demonized or looked upon with a frown. If it brings ONE smile to one person, that's a good book, no matter the originality of it. Which brings us to the point I edited this in.

65. Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project

Uh, currently? I can't wait to end Monster Fic to start with DadWolf x°D

Beside that, I got half an idea of expanding a little on the collection of prompts about Raina... And writing something about the duel with the Arishok. Peak drama, peak tragic hero moment. I need to structure it a little better in my head, maybe replay that mission to have a clearer mind (the last time I played it it was with Garrett, aka a mage... Raina is a rogue and after Leandra she'll kill herself before allowing him to go in her place. Really it would be a categoric "No you're not going. Not in a million years." Yes they'll have the fight of a lifetime afterwards.). But yeah.

Also since today I really want to write a snippet of Dark Lady AU in which Cullen makes it to Barad Dur in friendlier terms and notices that there are cats EVERYWHERE. And as every good dog person that doesn't really like cats all that much he'll be LOVED by all the cats. He'll go to sleep and wake up from the purring. Will get used to it pretty soon, he just never paid that much attention to cats. Nazgul flying from Barad Dur to Mordor with backpacks with portholes to bring their cats around.

[k-s-morgan]

You outdone yourself again! I really couldn't do anything else until I've finished reading it and oh how I wish I had the ability to forget this work so that I could enjoy it all over again.

The moment where Sebastian went into hell to confront other demons actually managed to give me second hand embarrassment and I had to put down my phone a few times while reading that part. Simply greatly executed! ❤️

As for my question, I know that now you are planning to work on you HP fic next, but do you perhaps have a timeline of when you will continue working on "Those gentle slopes-"?

That cliffhanger at the end is indeed killing me and I can't wait to see where you will take us next.

Anyways, hope that you rest well and have a great day ❤️

Ah, thank you so much for all these amazing words! I'm so glad you liked the chapter - it really is my baby, after all the time and trouble it brought me :D

Sebastian can be ridiculous beyond measure, but fortunately, he knows how to keep up appearances! The other demons will now be torn between wanting to laugh at him and feeling too wary and unsettled to even talk about what happened :D I guess they'll just exchange meaningful, cautious looks as they pass each other in Hell but not dare to say anything. The opinion that Sebastian has gone mad will be a secret everyone knows but never discusses.

Unfortunately, I don't have any timeline for even planning the next chapter! Ideally, I should go back to Those Gentle Slopes in one and a half month, but we'll see how it actually goes.

I have to admit, it was satisfying to end this chapter on a cliffhanger - it's an unusual break of pattern for this story)) Though ultimately, I think we all know how it's going to turn out… Sebastian didn't spend all this time experiencing and exploring infatuation only to come to a conclusion that he just wanted to have a snack :D

[mariecuttlefish]

...Like You Mean It [4k words, MariexShiver]

Hi there! It's been a while since I had a new fic to post, but I've had Mariver on my mind a lot lately, so I got the urge to write something with them. This started as a one-shot, but now that it's "done" I'm considering adding a couple more chapters; we'll see where it goes!

External links: [Google Docs], [AO3]

Warnings: None. Appropriate for all ages.

Description: Shiver has a crush on Marie, but she isn't sure how to make a good impression. Frye is there to offer advice (and a bit of teasing).

"Sooo... what's the problem here?"

Frye and Shiver sat together in the living room of their shared apartment. Frye, as she typically did, had taken up a comfortable position on her favorite bean bag, chin propped up in her hands. Shiver, on the other hand, had opted for the more unconventional approach of sprawling across the couch, face buried in her arms underneath a pile of pillows. Not what Frye would have chosen as a good way to sit, but she could respect the originality.

"The problem is I made a fool out of myself," Shiver groaned, her voice muffled by the layers of plush she'd chosen to hide herself with. "Again!" Her tentacles bubbled with frustration, blue ink simmering into shades of teal and hot pink before evaporating away as soon as it lifted off the surface.

"Aww, c'mon, Shiv." Frye leaned forward a bit, giving herself just enough reach to pat her bandmate's shoulder. "I'm sure it didn't go that bad. You're great! No way is anyone gonna have a bad time spending the day with someone like you."

Shiver grumbled out something that was either an unintelligible answer or a deliberate attempt not to answer at all; Frye had to admit, she was good at agonizing when she wanted to. Lifting herself up from the floor and sitting up straight, Frye moved to lean against the couch and crossed her arms. "Why don't you tell me exactly what happened? I bet it's not half as bad as you think it is."

"Ugh..." Shiver shifted slightly and turned her head to look at Frye, a pout clear on her face. Her frown only deepened as she saw the upbeat grin Frye offered in return, lips pulling downward into the same exaggerated grimace she wore so often during their live appearances -- an obvious tell that she was trying not to smile herself. "Okay, fine..."

—

Though the skies were clear and blue on the surface just a short trip upward, Alterna was enjoying a serene and scenic morning. Artificial sunrise cast the massive dome in hues of orange and pink, glinting off the false snow and frosted waters and replacing them with a glimmering sheet of sparkles far into the distance. All around, the cacophonic buzz of millennia-old machinery gradually coalesced into an ambient choir, accented by gentle music that drifted in from unseen speakers. The air was blustering cold -- it always was down here, even when the environmental simulation seemed to imply a warmer shift -- but Shiver hardly minded. She was the Cold-Blooded Bandit for a reason, after all; no amount of chill was going to put her off.

Of course, it didn't hurt anything that Boss Marie had brought along a spare coat to make sure Shiver didn't freeze to death during their scavenging expedition.

...Or that just standing next to the Boss was enough to make Shiver suddenly start heating up on her own.

"Thanks again for coming to help out," Marie said, though she didn't look up from the pile of gadgets she was sorting through. "Callie is off visiting family for the weekend, and the rest of the splatoon is working on clearing fuzzy goo from the surface, so I was worried it'd just be me down here today."

"I thought you said your grandpa was here too?"

"Oh, he is, but--" Marie glanced toward where her grandfather had fallen asleep in an old beach chair they'd left unfolded a short distance away. "...well, Gramps isn't really in a position to help out with this stuff, anyway."

Shiver stared at the shrunken elder for just a moment, then shook her head and dragged her attention away. It was still weird seeing someone that dehydrated alive and kicking. "Yeah, I guess that's fair. Hey-- how much do you think this would sell for?" she asked as she picked up something that looked like a handheld television. The sides surrounding the screen were adorned with a mish-mash of buttons and knobs, but the indecipherable human text made it hard to guess at what anything did.

Marie turned to look at her and raised an eyebrow. "Don't forget we're here to catalogue this stuff, not pawn it off back in Splatsville. A lot of it might be junk, but this place has some major historical value." Despite her somewhat stern tone, there was a hint of a smile on her lips. Shiver tried to ignore how cute her expression looked.

"There has to be some stuff we can sell, though. Right, Boss?" With some dismay Shiver returned the whatever-it-was to the nearest pile and casually made her way to stand behind Marie, watching over her shoulder as she took notes on a set of strange-looking figurines. "This place has to be the world's biggest treasure hoard, and we're the first to find it! It'd just be wrong to leave it all down here without cashing in."

Marie rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair, a quiet giggle escaping her. The sound of her laughter took Shiver off guard, and almost on instinct she snapped her fan open to hide the tinges of red that painted her cheeks. "Look," Marie said, "Sheldon is still waiting to hear back from the researchers at his dad's museum. We need there to actually be some artifacts left for them to check out once they get here, but once they've had a chance to study the place, we can look at selling stuff off for charity like you want. How's that sound?"

"I-I guess that's fine," Shiver answered, keeping her face hidden. If Marie noticed her sudden change in demeanor, she didn't bother to comment on it. That was good; no way did Shiver want to admit that a smile and a laugh had been enough to fluster her. Even if that casual, lopsided grin the Boss always wore really made her want to lean in and--

"Where are the other two, by the way?" Marie's voice snapped Shiver back to the present, and it took her a moment to process that she meant Frye and Big Man.

"Oh, uh--" Shiver shook her head and tried to re-center herself. Of course Marie would ask where the others were; Deep Cut hardly even went shopping without each other. She snapped her fan shut to stall for just a moment; the natural pauses she could create with sudden fan gestures worked wonders for giving her room to think.

"They're both busy today too," she started. This was a lie. "Frye is working on teaching her eels a new routine--" Frye was probably lounging around their apartment watching reruns of soap operas. "--and Big Man took his little sister to Inkopolis to visit Wahoo World--" Big Man hadn't been to Wahoo World ever since learning he was too wide to fit in the roller coaster cars. "--sooo you just get my company today, Boss!"

The truth was that Shiver had asked her bandmates both to stay behind when she'd heard it would just be Marie showing up today. They were the only two who knew about the growing crush Shiver had been harboring in the weeks since the trio had encountered the New Squidbeak Splatoon, so they'd fortunately understood when she brought up wanting the chance to hang out with Marie alone. Granted, both of them had teased her relentlessly about it; but at the end of the day Shiver knew her lifelong friends were rooting for her.

Shiver's acting skills must have paid off, because Marie didn't seem to doubt her explanation at all. She just shrugged and picked up another strange object to examine, still wearing that adorable smile. "It's a busy day for everyone, I guess," she said. "Well, your company is always nice, so I'm not complaining."

—

"I mean-- ' Your company is always nice' ? What did she even mean by that?!"

Frye raised her eyebrows, smiling slyly. "Just spitballing here, but... it kinda sounds like she meant she likes spending time with you?"

"Well duh, I'm great. But-- agh!" Shiver rolled off of the couch, hitting the floor with a thump . " Just-- listen to the rest of the story, okay?" she said, lifting her arms toward the ceiling before letting them flop lazily back down to her sides.

"I'm all ears! You're the one who interrupted yourself." Frye reached out to boop Shiver's nose, then fell back laughing when Shiver mimicked biting at her finger . "Okay, okay-- go on, Shiv, I promise I'm listening."

"Good." Shiver narrowed her eyes to make herself look more intimidating. It didn't really work, given that she was still laying on the floor in her pajamas, but Frye refrained from commenting on that fact.

—

If Shiver had been blushing before, she must have been bright red now. Had the Boss actually just said that? What was the best way to respond to that?!

Once again her fan moved to cover her face, and she averted her gaze in an effort to play it off. Act cool, Shiver. Don't make it obvious. She managed to keep her external composure for the most part, but internally she could only scramble to think of a re ply that wouldn't be suspicious. After a moment, she settled on what felt the most natural:

"I mean, of course it is! I'm none other than the Shark Tamer of the Splatlands , after all. Who wouldn't want to spend an afternoon with me?"

No sooner had the words left her mouth than she wanted to smack herself for speaking them. Seriously? That was the best we could think of? High waters, she's going to think we're an idiot.

Surprisingly, though, Marie just laughed again. With a nonchalant wave of a gloved hand, she leaned down to pick up a large black case and popped it open to analyze the contents. "Well, mighty Shark Tamer , do you think you can help me tame this pile of 'treasure'? The stuff in here alone is enough to keep me busy all day. "

Shiver froze for a brief moment, processing the situation. She had chosen perhaps the least graceful way to answer a simple compliment , but Marie seemed to take it in stride without an issue -- and even more importantly, the way her voice smoothed out the words 'mighty Shark Tamer' set Shiver's hearts fluttering . This is no fair! How is the Boss this effortlessly cool?!

She didn't voice that thought, of course. Instead, she simply stammered out, "I-- uh, yeah! Of course!" and quickly set to work. Maybe it would have been wise to have Frye and Big Man come along after all, she thought; she was way out of her depth here, and without having them to bounce banter off of , there wasn't much choice except to try and talk to Marie without losing her cool . She could only hope she'd be able to make it through the day without embarrassing herself too badly…

Marie ended up leading the small talk for a while after that; Shiver was suddenly too nervous for her typical antics, focused instead on trying not to stick her proverbial fin in her mouth again. The upside to this was that it meant a lot of time spent just listening to Marie talk -- letting her go on about her day, her career, her thoughts on the other agents, her family life... but the downside was that, every time Marie stopped to ask "Is something wrong?" or "You there, Shiver?", Shiver had to rush to come up with some explanation for why she'd suddenly begun staring off into space that wasn't the completely honest answer of Sorry, I'm just thinking about sitting in your lap and falling asleep to the sound of your voice, because if she said that she would almost definitely never be invited to one-on-one hangouts with the Boss again.

And of course, despite her best efforts, Shiver couldn't help but toss in her own self-aggrandizing comments here and there. And of course , she felt almost immediately embarrassed by nearly everything she said. Despite this, though, Marie seemed to be amused by it all; she laughed or smiled at nearly everything Shiver said, even when Shiver felt beyond stupid for it.

What was going on? Was Marie laughing at her or with her or... both? Shiver was all about theatrics -- she had all the charisma in the world onstage and knew exactly how to work even the toughest crowds; so why was it so hard for her to figure out how to act in front of just one person? Why was she second-guessing everything she said despite getting nothing but positive feedback?

—

"Mind if I interrupt?" Frye interjected. Shiver narrowed her eyes and pouted at her again, but they both knew she didn't actually mind. "It sounds to me like Shivvy's afraid of acting natural."

"Wha--?!" Shiver sat up, her face twisting in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

"You know," Frye said with a wave of her hand. "You're a performer, Shiv! You're so used to hyping yourself up all the time that you aren't sure how to be un cool." She leaned over to where Shiver's fan had been left sitting on the side table next to the couch, scooped the fan up, and gently bonked Shiver on the head with it before placing it in her hands. "You need to let yourself relax a bit."

Shiver blinked, drooping slightly. The energy in her ink had died down now, and her expression flattened as she fidgeted idly with the closed fan. "I don't get what you're saying. My whole problem is that I don't know how to act cool around the Boss, and you want me to try to be... less composed?"

"Yeah!" Frye grinned.

"...I'm not sure I follow."

Frye rolled her eyes. "Shiver, you know you're the coolest, most confident person I've ever met." And a whole lot of other things, too…

"Naturally," Shiver answered, hiding a grin behind her now-opened fan.

"And acting cool and scary and wild is great for when you're putting on a show..." Her head lolled toward Shiver, and she gestured outward to emphasize her point: "...but if you wanna bond with somebody one-on-one, you've gotta be your true self! The Boss might get a kick out of you acting all tough, but if you really want to impress her , she needs to know what the real Shiver is like!"

Shiver thought on that. After a moment, she turned her gaze to the side, slyly twirling her fan in tiny circles in front of her. "And who's to say the real Shiver isn't tough and cool and--"

"Shiv, I've known you since we were three ," Frye said flatly. "You sleep in shark-print boxers when it's too warm for pants . You have a collection of shark plushies big enough to hide Big Man underneath. You once cried when Master Meg a got sick for a week."

Shiver's pupils shrank. Before she'd been averting her gaze to preserve her cool airs; now she was doing it out of embarrassment. "Y... yeah, well, so what?"

"So you're a huge, sappy dork is what!" Frye grinned and reached up to tease Shiver's mantle. " And it's okay to let that side of you show! The Boss obviously already likes hanging out with you; just let your guard down and stop worrying so much about looking cool, and I bet she'll be head over heels before long!"

Shiver was silent, still avoiding eye contact. Frye knew how to answer that; sitting cross-legged and laying her hands in her lap, she slowly leaned to the side, plastering the goofiest smile she could manage onto her face as she inched into Shiver's field of view. Shiver glanced her way for a split second before looking away again, turning her head further to the side. Frye followed suit, scooting over to keep herself firmly within Shiver's peripheral. This turned into a short chase until, at last, Shiver ceded; with an exasperated sigh, she morphed into her swim form, at which point Frye reached out to scoop her out of the air.

"Fine, you win," Shiver grumbled, her tentacles wrapping around Frye's hand. "But I'm not sure how I'm even supposed to 'let my guard down'. It's easy around you and Big Man, but she's different! Just being around her makes me feel like... like I need to compete to prove that I can keep up with her. No matter what we're talking about, I can't help making it about myself!"

Frye cocked her head to the side, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "That is a tricky question. You said she kept laughing at it, though, right?"

"Yeah. I'm worried she's laughing at me, because she kept acting like it was funny even when I just sounded dumb…"

"Maybe," Frye admitted, "but maybe that's actually a good sign! A lot of people will laugh at anything somebody says if they want to make a good impression. It's like... positive reinforcement or something. Who knows," she added with a coy look, “maybe the Boss has a crush on you?”

Shiver blushed at the idea, then blinked. "But you laugh at all my jokes, too?"

"Uh--!" Frye's eyes widened, and she cleared her throat. We can tackle that one later, she thought. "Uh, well, anyway, you didn't finish your story! How did the rest of it go?"

—

"Well," Marie began, clapping dust from her gloves as she rolled her neck, "I think that's a good day's work. What do you think, Shiver?"

"Oh, uh--" Shiver shrugged, setting down a strange, colorful cube mechanism she'd been messing with. "You're the boss here, Boss! I'm set to go home if you are!" She offered a grin that probably looked as awkward as it felt. The idea of going home and relaxing sounded nice after so much tedious work, but then she would have to say goodbye to Marie; as clumsy and off-kilter as she'd felt this entire time, she was still reluctant to end their time together.

Marie started to say something, then looked over at Shiver and paused, tilting her head. "Are you alright, actually? You seem... a little tense."

"I'm fine!" Shiver answered quickly -- maybe just a bit too quickly, because Marie looked concerned now. She tried to double down. "Just... kind of tired! I'm built for the rough-and-tumble life, after all, so all this standing around and counting things is pretty exhausting."

Marie didn't seem to buy it entirely, but at least she smiled at that, which meant she wasn't too worried (and also that Shiver got to see her smile again...). "Well, if you're sure. Maybe next time I'll set up some training dummies so you can practice your bandit skills."

Okay, Shiver thought to herself, we have an opportunity here. We need to think up something charming to say before she goes. Is it a bad idea to ask her on a date? Probably. Would it be weird if we asked her to walk us home? Her thoughts raced through her mind, searching out a good farewell line to help make up for how awkward she'd been all day.

Marie was right in front of her, checking over the things she'd written down today to make sure it was all in order. "Seriously, though, thanks again for showing up to help. This would have been a lot less fun if I didn't have you around," she said with a smile. Shiver felt her hearts skip a beat at that last part; briefly short-circuiting, she blurted out the first thing to come to mind.

"Saturday night!" Her hand shot up to cover her mouth near-instantly.

Marie blinked. "...huh? What about Saturday night?"

"Uhh--" Shiver stumbled on her words. "Saturday night is... I'm free to hang out again!" she clarified. "I mean-- to help you with this cataloguing stuff! But we can also just hang out and do other things, if you'd like to--" Things like stargazing, holding hands, watching documentaries about sharks…

Marie took a moment to process, then giggled. "Sure, hanging out sounds nice. I'll look forward to it."

"You'd better! 'Cause I don't just let anyone hang out with me, you know!" Please, stop talking, Shiver. Stop talking at literally any opportunity. Once again Marie laughed, and once again Shiver had no clue what that laughter even meant.

"I'll see you around, Shiver," Marie called over her shoulder as she turned to head toward the exit. "I hope you have a nice evening!"

Then, she was gone, leaving Shiver to digest the events of the afternoon. Shiver stared after her for a while after she'd left -- then sank slowly to the ground, hands covering her face. That was so embarrassing.

—

"Wait, wait, wait," Frye said. Shiver was still sitting in swim form in her arms, tentacles drumming idly against her wrist. "She said she wants to hang out with you this Saturday? So you got a date?"

"Wh--" Shiver sputtered. "It isn't a date, it's just hanging out! She even called it hanging out when she texted me on the way home!"

Frye raised her eyebrows. "She texted you on the way home?"

"Oh, she said she wanted to make sure I got home safe, and that she forgot to reply to my selfies--"

"You've been sending her selfies?! "

Shiver slid back into her upright form, rolling out of Frye's hold in the process and sitting up against the couch. "Well, yeah? Is that weird? At first I just wanted an opinion on an outfit, but then she was really nice and said I was pretty and stylish and..." Shiver started to blush. "...it kind of just became a routine thing?"

Frye stared at her, eyes wide in disbelief. Realization was beginning to set in. Is the Boss actually crushing on her too?!

"What? What are you staring at me like that for?" Shiver leaned away, looking just a little alarmed. "Did I say something?"

Laughing at all her jokes, complimenting her selfies, offering to hang out together... deep blue, she IS! Frye had to stop herself from blurting out her revelation; she still didn't know for sure, after all, and if Shiver hadn't made the same realization it would probably just stress her out for Frye to say it out loud.

Realizing she was ignoring Shiver's question, she shook her head and offered a quick cover. "Sorry, I just got distracted thinking about something!" She grinned, tilting her head and gently knocking on her own mantle. "I really think it's going to work out though, Shiv! Just remember my advice and try to loosen up, and you'll be golden!"

Shiver still seemed noticeably uncertain, but the reassurance made her smile. "Thanks, Frye. I'm glad I talked to you." The sound of a stomach rumbling suddenly interjected into the conversation, and Shiver leapt to her feet. "I just remembered I forgot to grab lunch before I went to Alterna -- talk to you later, Frye! I need to eat!"

With that, she was off, leaving Frye sat alone in the living room. Frye watched her go and then, returning to her favored bean bag chair, put her chin in her hand and began to think.

I need to talk to Big Man later.

[theresthesnitch]

1, 3, 19

Hi! Thanks for the ask!

Send me an EOTY ask!

1. favorite fic you wrote this year

Hmmmmm... either Platonically (with my boyfriends) or Step & Repeat.

3. favorite line/scene you wrote this year

I've answered this here and here, but here's another one.

Sirius pulled him closer and kissed his cheek again. “I’m having great fun watching you act like you know how to take a compliment.”  Remus pulled away slightly and turned to him in mock anger. “Hey!”  Sirius smiled coyly. “No, really. It’s cute. You try to act all cool about it, but your blush gives away how pleased you are.”  “I do not blush,” Remus said as, ironically, a blush spread over his cheeks.  “Sure you do.” Sirius reached up and placed one hand at the base of his neck. He traced a spot of skin behind his ear, nearly at the hinge of his jaw. “It starts right about here, then spreads up your cheeks.” Sirius dipped his head to Remus’s neck and pressed his lips to that spot, the same way he’d been wanting to all night long.  “Th-that doesn’t happen.”  If Sirius didn’t know better, he’d think that Remus’s breath hitched when his lips brushed over the shell of Remus’s ear. “It does,” he whispered into Remus’s ear. “I’ve been entertaining myself by watching that spot of color all night.”  “You have?”  Sirius smiled against his ear, and Remus turned himself into Sirius. They were standing so close that he could feel Remus’s breath on his neck. “I have. Do you want to know a secret?” “Yes.” The sound was breathless, half sigh, and it bolstered Sirius.  This was not a good idea, but he was drunk on Remus’s presence and the incredible amount of pride he had for his best friend’s accomplishments, and some voice in the back of his head said that maybe, if he just told Remus, everything would be alright.  Sirius traced his thumb across the spot again, this time tracking it down his neck until it disappeared beneath the collar of his shirt. “The color also spreads down, and I’m very curious to know where it goes.” 

from Step & Repeat, chapter 21

19 any new fics to start next year

Oh, for sure. My goal is, as always, to go back and finish the unfinished things I've started, but there will definitely be new stuff. Possibly an arranged marriage Wolfstar AU that I've been toying with, or I'm really feeling second chance love trope. I've got a suuuuper angsty Wolfstar one shot I'd like to finish. Nothing to set in stone yet, but we'll see what comes of it!

[arrthurpendragon]

Hiya!! Let's give some positivity!

OC creators that helped me through 2023

You, @shrinkthisviolet, @lady-of-the-spirit, @dream-beyond-the-fantasy and @daughter-of-melpomene have all helped throughout this year - most of you I only found out about through the OC Creator Bingo, which was a fabulous creation that not only connected me to other OC creators but gave me the confidence to create OC masterlists and to be more comfortable in talking about my OCs, to create moodboards and web weaves which really do work in helping the ideas flow, and I love seeing everyone's OCs and how much work goes into them, and it cheers me up whenever I'm tagged in an event or an OC post.

OC fics of others that helped make 2023 a little better

i still love you (i promise) by @shrinkthisviolet - broke my heart many times but there's many good moments too and the revelation is worth it.

just close your eyes, soon we'll be home by @lady-of-the-spirit - I love Ioana/Joan and her interactions with The Old Guard so much! They're family!

Never Knew by InvisibleObserver13 - always love a good long-lost child fic, and this is such an interesting take on the trope and the kid OCs are all well written and the family tension is believable, even though I do hope it gets resolved

The Prayer by @arrthurpendragon - I'm a little behind on this but I've read the first seven chapters and I already love it and Nerissa and Merlin's dynamic (always love well-written siblings), and the tags are funny because we know what Nerissa and Arthur are going to become, so the slow burn is going to be good

Little Bit by sabershadowkat - a Buffyverse fic with an OC who is Angel's half-human daughter and one I recently rediscovered. I love the character of Kathleen so much and it remains one of my favourite stories in the fandom

OCs of others that made 2023 not so crummy

Morgan Wells (shrinkthisviolet) - a beautifully well-rounded young girl who deserves the absolute world (and whose not-father I am going to personally yeet into the sun).

Lucy Kenobi (shrinkthisviolet) - the Skywalker triplet who seamlessly fits into the Star Wars 'verse, and whose dynamics with Luke and Leia and Obi-Wan are always a compelling read, and I look forward to seeing her become a Jedi.

Molly Yates (dreambeyondthefantasy) - a great Whoniverse OC who fits in well with the Sarah Jane team, and I love reading about her and I'm definitely going to catch up on the fics soon.

Cheryl Johnston (daughter-of-melphomene) - the first and so far only Bill & Ted OC I've seen but I already love her so much, and I love finding out more about her when I send asks and I really look forward to seeing more of her in the future.

Ioana/Joan (lady-of-the-spirit) - I was delighted to find out I wasn't the only person with an Old Guard OC and I love this woman, though I desperately want to give her a hug because of her backstory, because of the fact that she met most of the Immortals after her first death and Booker at one point, so she doesn't dream about any of them and spends centuries thinking she's the only one. And that's just tragic.

Marianne (lady-of-the-spirit) - I've only read five chapters of the fic but I already love this mutant because of how protective she is of the younger cast and how unwilling she is to put up with Charles's bullshit. She's also a great mother and her son is amazing and I love him too.

Project some love into 2024 for another OC creator or fic

I love them all, of course, but I am definitely looking forward to seeing more of Molly Yates!! And Cheryl Johnston too - she's going to be a good fit in the Bill & Ted verse, I just know it!!

Send some love to yourself on which of your fics & OCs you'd like to project some positivity for into 2024

I want to give some to love, you're not alone (cause i'm gonna stand by you) and my OCs Steph Taylor and Alyssa Clayton. I haven't updated the story for a while but I'm really hoping to work on it in 2024 because I've have a really good story that I want to tell (and I'm very interested to see what other canon characters, OCs, and plot points will show up).

OC posts of your own you're particularly proud of from 2023.

I've made so many this year, but I do love the Main OC and Side OC masterlists - I love updating them and they're a great way to keep track of things, though I also love the character introductions I've done even for OCs I've had for years. There's something nice about giving a small summary of the OC and their story.

.

[czigonas]

oooh, 2 and 4 for the art asks. I don't think I've seen your art before >:)

Yeahhh I work slow on 2D art, and a lot of my 3D stuff I have pictures of but forget to put here since they're also my work work.

2. 5 favourites of your own work?

Hmm... this is a little hard since I tend to feel the same about most of my 2D stuff (that it's not that great) though I do have clear favourites with my glass work. Most of my traditional sketches are from practicing nudes so I can't put them here anyway.

So, two digital pieces: The one on the left I did for a buddy shortly after Warframe's The New War expansion (with plans to do a whole face card set but I've been very distracted). The one on the right is the first chapter illustration for a KotOR fic that I have been writing (very slowly... 😬) but I really enjoyed figuring out the lighting and such.

Two glass pieces: The left one is a foil technique and the right is leaded. The one on the right is probably one of the most technically challenging pieces I've ever built (though, as I look through my photos I realise I can say that about a number of them so... 😅)and I was very sad to see it picked up by its owner.

Glass just... doesn't photograph all that well? Like, both of these have such beautiful depth in the individual pieces that is hard to capture with a camera, so I wish I could show them to you in person but, alas.

The last piece is also glass and really hard to photograph well, so I tried a video but uhhh we'll see how it goes.

I'm a little sad I don't have any good pictures of my painted glass work (one was copyright, one I only painted parts and the client assembled the piece, and the others I have only process pictures unfortunately)

4. Favourite things to draw?

Uhhhh hm. Beyond a general 'people', I don't know that I have favourites really. It took me a long time to break through the mental block I had on making ocs, so I don't have that many that I consistently sketch. And with work picking up, I work slower than I used to. Most of my art is in glass work, these days, and my favourite things to build there can be boiled down to "leaded, intricate, and technically challenging". (I have a Tiny Piece Problem.)