#NOT A FANFIC - this is an actual piece I hope to publish

[hcdragonwrites]

Blossoms (a tidbit from my book)

Art by @neurocosmical - characters belong to me

So I was inspired to share a scene that comes up later in my books - one when Dominicus begins to realize something completely impossible for him- not after the damage that had occurred the first time. It is just a glimpse of what I am working on and I was encouraged to share it by the lovely friends I have. It is just a draft- so everything is subject to addition or subtraction but the essence of it won’t change. 💜🥺 I hope y’all like it

Dominicus took one look in the long wall length mirror that hung upon his wall and scowled. His orange eyes narrowed in disgust as he reached up to his antlered head. Upon one of the curving points a great mess of lichen and moss grew, dripping down like gossamer green lace. Dominicus gave a yank and the green life was torn from his antlers. He tossed it into the marbled sink, the green sharp against the white.

Soft mage light illuminated the blue framework of the bathroom, revealing a structure that, in itself, looked organic in nature. Silver branches of stone lined and cut through the blue and grey of the mountain stone. As another vicious ripping sound echoed in the bathroom, Dominicus tossed more green- and silver ichor dripped from the spot patch on his point.

Dominicus, Lord of Bones was one of the ruling Aspects, a being that upheld and governed the world beyond mere politics. He grumbled at his reflection in the mirror, the four eyes flashing in annoyance. Dominicus reached up again with another claw and ripped the lichen out. It went flying.

This won’t do! He looked like he had gotten his head stuck in a thicket and had pulled the rest of the green with him. The great Lord of Bones, The Harbinger, Bringer of Death and Calamity of Souls (as many of his titles claimed him to be doom and gloom), could not be seen with the soft growth and mossy patches growing from his body.

“Of all the days for my body to rebel.” He hissed. This would be difficult and painful to pull off. He had never grown this much in one night- had never dropped his guard to allow such feeling to swell in him and cause his dysfunction to show. Dominicus was the Harbinger - a veritable God of Death, if mortal standards could apply to Imbrians. He could not go into Echo, the capital, with his antlers velveted in moss.

Dominicus tsked as his mood turned more and more sour. He had meetings to go to, connections to make, and other Lords on the Obsidian Council to meet. He had no time for gentle pruning and sprucing. If the other Lords could see me…

Grimfire and Stardust if Pheon caught a glimpse of him-

A knock came from the door making the Lord pause.

“Dominicus ?”

Oh no.

Dominicus I’ve brought your Tea for you.”

A prickling began, an itching sensation. Dominick’s looked back in the mirror- and swore.

Oh no.

The spots the Lord of Bones had just ripped off, had torn and thrown like wet paper, had repopulated in little lichen tufts.

“Dominicus?” The door opened, and the Lord wanted to roar. But he wouldn’t. Couldn’t.

For if he did, Dominicus would have the urge to defang and tear his antlers off. Because the little human that walked through the door with such an upturned and worried face, had somehow gained his affection.

Which meant he couldn’t roar or swagger or threaten his way out of this embarrassment.

“I heard you cry out and-“ Asphodels eyes became wide as saucers, her face blanching. “Dominicus! Your horns!”

“It is quite fine, Asphodel.” He grumbled, feeling the flush beneath his skin begin to spread. His ears flattened to his head, spines along his back clattering beneath his robes in disharmony. “A normal dysfunction I sometimes go through.”

“But … your bleeding.” Kindness- it was kindness he saw in his eyes and the great Lord felt his skin give a shudder.

“Just a scratch. Nothing to worry about.”Dominicus turned back to the mirror, a lip curling in both anger and embarrassment. He wished he could down his Antlers in acid. Maybe then I wouldn’t be caught in such embarrassing circumstances. Asphodel didn’t leave though. Instead she stepped forward. And stepped again.

“I have to get it off- GRIMFIRE! That STINGS.” He snarled softly, keeping much of his anger in check as he flung another growth down. He had learned quickly that his anger could startle her. Dominicus didn’t get angry often- but he did play the cold menace, leaning into the rumours and gossip that he was cold, calculating and every hungry.

Hands touched his arm and he looked down onto the small mortal.

“Bend your head down.” She asked.

“Why?”

“I can help you.” She motioned to the tools on his countet that he had forgotten in his shocked and embarrassed state. “If you must remove them- let me do it.”

“Um… how should I - ah yes.” She crossed her legs on the floor and patted the silver lined stone with a hand. She thinks me a dog? I should be insulted. Instead he felt all a flutter. Even as he tried to be cold, Dominicus was thawing in the simple presence of this tiny little flower.

“Settle your head here I’ll be able to reach it fine then” Asphodel smiled up at him, a flash of white and bright joy.

Fire and destruction, she will be the ruin of me. Dominicus felt his heart run and race as he bent his great frame down and settled it tentatively beside her. Asphodel walked up, gathering the tools he had abandoned in his anger. A pair of shears and a little knife were gathered up as she began tending him.

Dominicus watched. Ever since coming to Imera, his home, this little human had been so strange. At first he had been watching out of curiosity. No one came to the house of Imera, to the Court of Death (as the lords liked to snicker about), willingly. Zinnia had made the girl cook and then had brought her dripping and covered in juice from the broth to serve him. Zinnia had hoped this would have tripped and ticked the Lord to devour the soul of this mortal- and regain some of his lost power. Without stars to eat and cosmos to feed from, he had been slowly waning in strength and power. Zinnia did not understand that Dominicus could hear the souls as they died, could feel their fear as no Lord could, as they were sniffed out.

So of course he had refused. He had hopped to send Asphodel away, back to that frozen waste that these mortals came from. Instead she had snatched his robbed sleeve and begged to remain in service. Dominic us had never had anyone willingly hold or seek his touch. He was feared, a render of worlds. But she had sought his hand, his attention, even if it was only for a job.

Of course he couldn’t say no to her. And now look where they were. She was gently trimming, meticulously pulling the velveted lichen and moss from its home. When the cuts drew blood she staunched it with the sleeve of her tunic, staining it silver.

She shouldn’t use the good moonsilks. We have the swabs to use- Dominicus watched her continue dabbing with her shirt and felt his irritation from the moss antlers turn to playful teasing.

“Flower you have ruined your shirt.”

“Oh! Let me—“ she made to move. But he tapped her leg with one claw, motioning for her to continue.

“It’s alright. I’ll replace it. Just be more mindful in the future.” He chuckled “You’ve costed me a small trove of clothes in the past month.”

Dominicus watched her cheeks rise in Color and felt his body warm. A tingling and soft warmth started in his Antlers and Asphodel gave a great “oh!”

“A flower! I’ve never seen you grow a flower.”

No. That was impossible.

“Dominicus.”

“Yes.” He didn’t ask it as a question. He was too frozen- terrified of the reality that was coming to life before him

Asphodel brushed a hand over the antlers, the fingers cupping the growth that had appeared. It felt nothing like the moss and lichen he was used to.

“This suits you so much better then bare antlers.”

Dominicus rose suddenly, startling himself and her in the process.

“Thank you for the Tea, Asphodel. I can tend to the rest myself.” He kept his voice even even though fear bubbled in his throat. Please no please no please no please no-

“Oh- I’m sorry-“

“You did not do anything.” The fault was all on him.

Him and his stupid heart.

As she left the bathroom and he closed and flipped the lock on the door, The Lord turned back to the mirror. There sitting on one of the branching curves was a very fine and very white blossom. It hadn’t bloomed, hadn’t begun to flood with color like the last one did.

A blossom. A bloom. It only meant one thing.

He was in love.

[marsxcutie]

Fixation│Jonathan Crane x Reader

Part two here <3

Fixation Masterlist

A/N: This is a TEST, PLEASEE interact if you're interested in this story line and I will gladly continue. This is my first fanfic so I'm just publishing this first part to see if there's any positive feedback! Suggestions are welcomed!

Pairing: Jonathan Crane x Female Reader

Synopsis: (Y/N) is Arkham's new lead psychologist in the developing acute pediatric unit. Dr. Crane soon becomes fixated on the pretty young doctor. Is she just as fixated on him?

Warnings: no warnings in this part, planning on it becoming a little dark if that's what the people want hehe

Dr. Crane's eyes scanned over the email, his brow furrowing in confusion. Arkham decided to build another wing for an acute pediatric unit? Who in their right mind allowed this? Yes, there was a desperate need for children's psychiatric services, especially in Gotham, but to put children in the same building as psychopaths and murderers? Even Dr. Crane had the common sense to see how bad of an idea this was. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, this was not a change that he had been anticipating. He shut his computer off, deciding to be done for the day. He had much more pressing matters that needed his attention.

Your eyes scanned over the email, eyebrows raised at the seemingly amazing opportunity presenting itself to you. You had just checked your emails to see a new message from a job recruiter.

"Hello (Y/N),

Arkham Asylum is opening up an acute pediatric unit and is currently accepting applications for various positions. I got ahold of your resume and found it very impressive. Please take a look at the open positions and let me know if you were interested in applying for any of them.

Hope to hear from you soon.

James"

Attached to the email was a link, that took you to all the open positions and their job descriptions. Scanning over all of them briefly, one in particular caught your attention:

LEAD PEDIATRIC PSYCHOLOGIST

TWO WEEKS LATER

The sound of your kitten heels clacking on the pavement stopped suddenly as you were met with the front of the large ominous gate. You looked up at the building beyond the gate, a knot beginning to form in your stomach, this place looked a lot scarier than you had remembered. You let out a breath that you seemed to be holding and looked around for a buzzer or something that could someone of your presence. You jumped at the loud creaking noise that came from the gate as it swung open slowly.

"(Y/N)! Nice to see you made it in one piece."

A man stepped out from the opening of the gate, extending his hand. "I'm Rick, Arkham's executive director. I'll be showing you around and getting you settled, we're happy to have you here." His voice was gruff but his eyes were quite kind. You took his hand in yours, giving him a warm smile, "Nice to meet you Rick. I'm happy to be here." He gave you a smile and turned, gesturing you to follow him.

You followed him, taking in your surroundings as you walked. The grey overcast made the large vast building look like something out of an old horror film, the tall weeds poking out in the cracks in the cobblestone really added to the creepy scene laid out before you.

Rick led you inside, giving you a quick tour of the building. "I'll show you to your office now and let you get started with your training." Rick led you up a flight of stairs and down a hallway stopping at an office door. "So uh, since we haven't exactly finished building the pediatric wing, your office will temporarily be over here." You nodded, "That's fine by me."

He brought out a key from his pocket, turning the lock and opening the door for you. You stepped into your new space, it was a good sized space, with a large white desk, a couch, and some bookcases.

"Feel free to make yourself at home. I will let Dr. Crane know you're here, he will be doing most of your training with you. His office is actually right next to yours so should be pretty convenient for the two of you." Rick gave you a smile and nod and closed the door behind him.

You let out a small sigh, looking around the room, even though this was only your office for a short while it was still a good way to envision all your ideas for a cute and cozy space for you and your patients.

A loud knock on the door broke you out of thought, your head turning to the now open door. Your mouth unintentionally dropped open a bit at the sight of who you assumed was Dr. Crane. You were honestly expecting an old man not someone like Dr. Crane. His dark hair framed his handsome face perfectly and his intense eyes were the most perfect shade of blue. Your eyes flickered to his lips and you'd be surprised if he didn't notice the blush that covered your cheeks.

"You're (Y/N) I presume?" He smiled softly at you, extending his hand to you. "Y-yes, nice to meet you, Dr. Crane." You took his hand in yours, feeling silly at the flutter in your chest. "Call me Jonathan."

[thedeliverygod]

The Final Chapter of Noragami

I'll start off by saying no matter what, this is my favorite manga/anime series. It'll always be near and dear to my heart. And thank you again to @fast-moon who has put so much time in effort into this series so that we would be able to read it in English ASAP.

But here are my honest thoughts, below the cut

There are far too many open ends. As a writer and a fan, I get that it's good to leave things pretty open ended and give fans a chance to explore possibilities. But there was too much here.

Something that struck me during my read of the translation (as I read the raws about an hour beforehand) was the absence of Nana. Arahabaki and Shiho are at the hanami, why not her? Especially since she's got a bond with Bishamon as well.

Is Nora just a free agent, doing whatever she wants? We see that Yukine still has his Hagusa name, so clearly she would still have Mizuchi. And we know Yato can't re-name her. Does she spend time with Yato and Yukine at Kofuku's house? Is she Yato's secret agent in watching over Hiyori? lol

Kazuma is the only one (aside from Nana) who survived the God's Greatest Secret without being named with the koto no ha. How is he dealing with it? Is he also having nightmares like Yukine?

Yato being 'saved' by going viral is a bit dumb especially because the posts are like "wow this guy is doing like a 10 year old meme lame" etc so it didn't seem like it should have blown up much anyway? and he also says no one actually remembers 'him'/uses his name just Teke-Teke so how does that... actually help Yato? Granted he didn't die and he has a smartphone now but I feel like he would... actually have to really be acknowledged to get money and have a shrine other than Hiyori's shrine (which btw what happened to THE DAMN SHRINE??? its on the cover but the chapter??? absent)

"I'll give you all of me" and dramatic crying/kiss but then Yato just seems so... detached. granted I KNOW it's because of the near shore/far shore and he doesn't want to endanger her again and just looks over her and it's a trope that's been in a million fanfics including mine but it just feels so off and bluh to NOT GET ANY RESOLUTION OTHER THAN HIYORI JUST RECOGNIZING HIM and then a line in the journal about how he tried to play it off.

I can't even think of everything tbh there's just a lot I want answered that wasn't...

I would say the best part of this chapter was the stuff about Fujisaki. It finally answered that he was 'born' with Father present inside of him and they kind of switched back and forth. Although again that leaves the question of how much was Fujisaki and how much was Father in terms of hitting on Hiyori/how much did Fujisaki know about Father's antics. I also love that Yato still hates him anyway even without Father LOL

lastly father was this giant cataclysmic force in Yato's life for literally over a thousand years and he's finally free. and we really get no reaction in regards to that. And that is especially disappointing when it's a major theme of the manga as a whole, you know?

idk that's my piece for now. I'm sure I'll have more to say in the coming days/weeks/months/etc but I hope and pray there's maybe any sort of small addition to the tankobon release.

it did mention "please look forward to adachitoka's next work" but I think that was just like a publishing nicety. I think noragami's ending was rushed due to their ongoing health problem and/or pressure from the publishers and I honestly don't see them coming out with a new series any time soon.

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

'You're reading too much into ATSV.'

[aka meta analysis is good for the soul]

I often get told on this blog that I'm reading too much into plots or scenes or things in general.

And honestly, fair point. I do the most.

And as a writer, I will say that I do it out of pure respect.

[actual photo of me reading the script and going for my 'reading too hard at ATSV notebook']

Movies take years to write.

People spend months of their lives genuinely toiling over these characters, often times creating more work than what can ever be reasonably used. Months of revisions and scraping work.

For weeks, about a dozen people probably went to sleep dreaming or thinking up what Hobie would wear, what Gwen would say, what emotional cues Jess will have.

A lot of people dedicated years of their lives and creative labor into that story.

To me, it isn't at all bizarre to take an hour out of my day to sit and consider the story they spend a lot of time trying to tell.

Compared to the labor they have given me, multiple 40+ hour work weeks for years - an hour or two is literally nothing lol

It's literally the least I can do.

As a writer, I feel like its only right to sit back and look deeper into a story.

To analyze the writer's intentions, or examine their storytelling tactics and abilities.

We are taught to consume media so quickly and rapidly that to offer time to critically analyze a piece of work is considered bizarre, too much work, or pointless.

As if there's nothing to read into. Or as if speculation and meta analysis is helpful to no one.

If someone spends five hours drawing fanart that is accepted. If someone spends two hours writing fanfic, this is expectable behavior.

But I spend the same amount of time to look deeper into the work of the writers, and often times I'm met with surprise or treated as if I'm overly uptight.

It's like snickering at a person who asked there was deeper meaning behind a painting. While standing in an art gallery.

When streaming shows drop all in one day, it becomes about the Easter eggs and watching it as fast as possible as not to be spoiled.

Then at the end of it, you wash your hands of it and wait for the next big release.

People spend years, decades of their writing career trying to write realistic characters with layered motives. Or stories with complex themes.

Comic Book and Screenwriters included.

I myself try very very hard to do so - to provide foreshadowing, and emotional insight into the characters, their motives, their faults.

If I heard someone say that the piece is not worth looking that far into, all the work I've done as a writer gets overlooked.

Writers cannot grow if people are consuming their media without caring enough to look critically at it as the work of a storyteller.

So yes, I'm looking too far into it. Cause writers can write that far into it. And that deserves to be examined, acknowledged, and praised.

To assume less is too assume lesser of the writers who put everything into the media you enjoy.

This year of all years, we should be appreciating the work Screenwriters put in.

I guess what I'm trying to say is - I'm not being an asshole (well, not trying to be).

I'm looking at writers as vital parts of a movies production. Because they are.

We look deeply at the art style, or the animation, or the music. Writers are not shadow figures. They're people with careers. And them and their work deserve to be spoken about and acknowledged as a work of effort just the same as CGI artists or editors, or directors.

I implore you - Read more into it.

If you're a writer yourself, doubly so.

Read FAR into it. Build your analyzation skills, come to your own conclusions. Break the story down every which way and look at the characters from every angle.

It's fun, it's free, it makes the characters so much more real.

So many people on this website hope to one day become published writers. One thing they do to help you achieve that in college, is by racing things like scripts, and looking critically.

Meta analysis is good for you as much as it is the writers.

If you don't think you're cut out for it, or would have nothing to add, still try. Not for the brownie points, but to feel closer to the characters and the story.

If you've seen ATSV (or any Fandom media) and haven't ever really sat and thought about it - everyone's moral stances, why they want what they want, why they've made the mistakes they've had, where you stand on it all - I highly recommend it.

You might come away with some surprising conclusions about characters or even yourself.

Think about your favorite characters, and what might happen to them in the next movie.

There's really nothing wrong with reading that far into it.

Fifteen minutes of thinking, or an hour of writing is nothing compared to the months of work that went into this absolute masterpiece.

Trust me, the first time you catch some shit that makes you go

ITS LIKE A HIGH I TELL YOU.

Touch grass? Nah bro, touch your local library card. Go there right now. Take out this book.

There's gonna be a discussion tomorrow in class.

If you read this far heyhello I think you're rad as hell.

Here's a Hobie for the road because he's a great companion.

Bye.

[raina-at]

Year in fic review 2023

Total number of completed stories: 4, I finished Spare Parts in 2022, just finished posting in 2023.

Total word count: About 50 k (published, god knows how many words of unfinished WIPS and abandoned one-shots)

Fandoms written in: BBC Sherlock, I'm a one-trick pony these days ;-)

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d expected?

Hm, I suppose less? And not the things I expected. I started writing a lot of long, plotty fics but apparently, it wasn't the year for long and plotty fics. I suppose I didn't have the brain space for long and plotty.

What’s your own favorite story of the year?

Probably Nothing Gold Can Stay, because I had this idea months and months ago, of John having a bit of a crisis before his wedding. I had this one piece of a core of a fic, the whole nucleus where John tells Sherlock nobody ever sticks with him, ever. And then I had three different fragments of fics trying to make it work, and every one had something amazing in it, but I just couldn't make it gel. And then I thought of the famous The thing you wanted to say, say it now, and the scene on the bench in TSOT, and bam, I had a fic. It came out in stops and starts of 200-word chunks, while John laboured with whether and how and when to trust enough, to have faith enough to actually say how he feels. I'm really proud of how it came out in the end, and I'm very happy you guys responded to it the way you did.

Did you take any writing risks this year?

I don't know about risks, but I wrote 31 ficlets in pretty much a month, which came out to 26000 words, and that was no mean feat. And I actually still like most of them. Gave me a bit of writers' burn-out, I won't lie, but what a ride!

Do you have any fanfic goals for the new year?

I want to finish my Christmas fic. I would like to re-visit the Nothing Gold boys because I think there's meat on these bones and I always wanted to do a series of shorter fics that hang together. So maybe I can do something with that. But last year was so stressful at work and I don't see this year going any better (we have three big conferences this summer, so it's probably going to be So Much Worse). So, I'll be grateful for what I can accomplish, and accept that it might not be everything I want.

Most popular story of the year?

Nothing Gold Can Stay for sure.

Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion:

Hm, I got a lot of lovely feedback this year, so I generally feel loved and appreciated by fandom. My May ficlets especially got a lot of responses here on tumblr, and I loved that dynamic interchange between writing and reading and commeting, especially with the others who did the challenge.

If I had to pick one underappreciated story, my Spare Parts 'verse January 29th fic The Stars Walk Backward didn't get a lot of eyeballs, but it's understandable given that it's a one-shot in a 'verse that not that many people are famliar with in the first place. It's a bit of a stepchild of a 'verse, but I love it, and I love this story for its unabashed sentimentality. It's very sweet and very calm and has a lot of 'we're back together and I don't want to fuck this up again' energy. I love re-visiting this fic if I need a quick pick-me-up, so. You know.

Most fun story to write:

Most of the ficlets were fun to write, and Tipping Point was somehow the opposite of Nothing Gold Can Stay in that it came out in a big rush over four days, like a writing tsunami. But my Christmas fic is also super fun to write, I just hope I can sustain the fun and actually finish it.

Most unintentionally telling story:

Probably Nothing Gold Can Stay, I suppose. Grief is really complicated, and it's difficult to come to terms with the fact that you can sort of stumble into pockets of it, and that you sometimes grieve things that are technically still there but have changed a lot. Essentially, the story is about a John who has to stop running away from his grief and turn around and face it, and a Sherlock who sees that if he wants to truly get John back, he has to face it with him.

Biggest disappointment:

With myself for being unable to finish the many, many, many fics I've stared but didn't remotely finish. But also gracious to myself for letting life happen.

Biggest surprise:

Not surprise but gratitude for the love and support of this fandom. You guys are awesome. I'm so grateful whenever someone tells me that something I wrote made them Feel Something(TM). It's the greatest compliment a writer can receive, and I feel truly blessed that I heard this a fair bit this year. I write because it makes me happy, and if people reading my fics experience something similar, then that makes me even happier. So thank you, fandom.

[buckets-and-trees]

haunting thoughts on Silent Screams

read it here: SILENT SCREAMS IN WILDEST DREAMS

Fandom: MCU Characters/Pairings: Bucky x Reader, side of Steve Word Count: 8k Content Warnings: dark dark DARK tale, smut, main character death, rough sex, fingering, oral (f receiving), unprotected p in v sex, creampie, talk of wounds, slight dub/con, elements of somnophilia

RECAP: A dark tale with an unhappy ending. Just when you’ve married the man of your dreams, only just closed the chapter of your honeymoon, happily ever after is wrenched away, and you’re met with a nightmare you never could have imagined.

I published this in late November 2022, but I worked on it on and off between other projects for about six weeks from concept to research to writing. I wrote it for @darkficsyouneveraskedfor's Hallo-Cream Extravaganza, which was a cool challenge because there was a collection of numbered images you could choose from, and then when my image was confirmed, there was a prompt to go along with it.

It was also my first time participating in a challenge since getting back into writing fanfic. When I thought I was getting the sun alone, I was thinking vampires, but when I got the phrase along with the image, it halted the vampire idea I thought I would go with, and since I was already going to re-evaluate, it got my mind going even more. At the time I was also redefining a lot of pieces in my life and I had signed up to go solo on this 5-day retreat to a cabin in the woods... I ended up talking about some of the research and concept ideas for this fic on the six-hour drive to and from that cabin with a girl I carpooled with (we talked about so many things as you do with a stranger you just met when you're both going to the same retreat and want to save on gas). But I'll put the rest under a cut so as not to spoil for those who haven't read it.

When I realized it wasn't going to be vampires, I really wanted to then get totally outside of the box of things we see all the time. I decided I wanted to look up Scandinavian folklore as I was also trying to throw off some of the USAmerican culture I'd just been sitting in my whole life and explore some of my ancestral heritage. I figured there had to be a ton of stuff I'd just never learned about or heard of before and of course there was. One of the ideas I have buried for another day is to do kind of a Grimm or Phillip Pullman thing and do an anthology retelling of some of Scandinavian folktales because they were fascinating, and there were elements I was familiar with alongside very new pieces. It was so cool to begin to uncover the stories there...

But I was looking for a story that would also fit my prompt and lend itself to Bucky x Reader application.

I found the Gengångare. The lore is that they're a revenant/walker, and particularly in the Swedish tradition they're a corporeal form of a spirit that comes back after death. The spirit would have been murdered or killed and came back for mixes of revenge or unfinished business. That I could give Bucky - going on a mission, being killed, and having both revenge he could seek (against still living HYDRA folks who tormented and used him) and unfinished business in a promise that he makes to you, his reader newlywed bride, to come back to you.

And so the story begins with what I was hoping to be this blissful newlywed haze - the first morning after your honeymoon. Bucky is leaving for a mission - he'd said they were leaving later than he's actually going to leave because he didn't want you to get up hours before you needed to in order to send him off, but he does wake you up to share some kisses and say goodbye, it gets a little more heated, but there's no time for smut since he has to go, but he promises to pick up where you to left off when he returns, and there we have the tie he makes to come back to you.

I listen to music heavily throughout the day, but I wrote this fic with some very specific music through different sections. And for the opening, I was listening to This Love by Taylor Swift because its very romantically evocative for me, but some of the lyrics I knew could also be ripped into the horrific elements of this story, and so I truly loved it for that even more! - this love is good/this love is bad/this love is alive back from the dead

Then there are some other deep musical cues that when I was writing the rest of the fic, I was literally listening to these songs on repeat - a track from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, two tracks from Netflix's The Empress series, etc - and so I actually embedded the Spotify players for them at particular parts for the particular songs. That's the only fic where I've so heavily "scored" it.

I put into the narrative that they didn't recover a body from Bucky for what I never specifically defined but figure was an explosion or an accident of some sort where not finding a body would be believable - but it's the Gengångare Bucky escaping. His undead soul seeks some revenge first, then he's pulled back to your door, but I wanted/tried to imply that he moves by these motivations and doesn't really remember much until he encounters something. So he shows up back on your doorstep, and it's as he interacts with you that he remembers more and more pieces of himself that are added back into the primal gengångare motivations.

The sex after he returns is frequently more rough and desperate, but since you're just as desperate for him, you don't question that it's the fact that his nature has changed - no longer human, but a creature that needs to leech the energy of another living thing to survive. He doesn't realize it at first either. But the first night he returns, his body is very cold, and he gets warmer the longer he's with you.

His bruises haven't healed, and you notice that, but he brushes it off. There's an inadvertent pinching on your back that's the beginning of the marks he can't help consuming you. He's truly insatiable, but since you were so consumed with grief and so deeply and desperately in love, you don't question it. When you finally do bring up having Bruce examine him or bringing Steve into things, he doesn't want that and presents good reasons - not wanting to be a body poked and prodded, and not wanting to worry Steve until he has more of his memory cleared up.

There's only a little bit of Alpine in this fic, but Alpine can tell that something is wrong with Bucky and so she is not around when he is at all after he comes back. The sex is exhausting, but it's because it's with this creature form of Bucky taking more and more of your life.

And then the spill of the story/the reveal. And it's all discovered when you're basically doomed by your love. And he literally makes love and fucks you to death, and is still so in love with you while doing it. Very sad. And his goodbye is the same goodbye he said to you in the first scenes of the story.

This was the darkest thing I'd written up to this point, and I really just wanted it to feel gothic and doomed, but twisted up in this all-consuming love. As I knew where the story was headed, I sort of just took deep breaths and steadied myself to dive into letting it have its dark ending. And I loved taking it there even though it was kind of scary for my first time. It was very haunting to write and I really tried to convey that feeling and have it bleed through.

↠ Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest

read more from the Dark Forest Fest

[alex-rambles]

When you were writing, how did you manage to make the characters be like so in character? Especially Bill since he’s such a complex and chaotic character and yet you still managed to write him as in character as possible. I want to write one shots and fanfics and what not but I’m always afraid the characters I write about won’t be really them if that makes sense.

Oh damn you think Bill's in character? Thank you! I've never had other writers ask me for advice (that I can remember)

Well, the simple answer? Write. Immerse yourself in the character in question. It is far easier for me because I spent two years hyperfixated on him, and only spent around the last year publishing anything to do with him.

For things Bill-specific, some general things I keep in mind are the many, many analyses of Bill by @eldragon-x, as well as my own headcanons, and things displayed in the show. In general, Bill is most definitely a "not like other girls" type with an eccentric personality. He's a self-centered man child. He adores the odd, the unusual. And yet despite how much he claims to adore sheer chaos, he plans intricately, and gets mad when his chess pieces aren't where he wants them. Combined with his obvious sadistic streak, this results in him doing bizarre things to distress others ("how 'bout instead I shuffle the functions of every hole in your face?").

Bill wants all his boundaries respected, but everyone else's can just cease to exist for all he cares. "Rules for thee but not for me." He is a hypocrite.

I consider him to be am extremely empathetic individual- who simply prefers to either shove it down, or use his ability for his nefarious purposes. A "dark empath," if you will.

So, if Bill were to fall in love, by extension, although he's still a little freak who likes removing deer teeth, he uses his empathy in a better way- for you. He actually puts effort into working on himself- for you.

Falling in love would be one of the best things to happen to him, because it'd give Bill a real shot at redemption and allow him to become more self aware, and less of a man-child.

Of course yan Bill is completely different. Doesn't try to change. You'll love him in time. Doesn't work on himself, you'll learn to appreciate his red flags flaws. Becomes even worse of a man child, because you're not listening!

But really, find what works for you. As I've said, I went through a phase where I could endlessly consume Bill content, and watch Gravity Falls over and over. I know him like the back of my hand at this point because of how long I would spend researching him, and then writing him.

So write! Write, even if you don't publish it. Write! Go write! Do it!

Anyways, I hope this helps! I'm always open to writing tips, even if I'm not accepting headcanon requests! Always happy to help my fellow writers.

[focusontheheart]

Meet the Team - Bookmancer

You can also find her on: Twitter @ bookmancer_myth IG @ bookmancer_legendarium AO3 @ Bookmancer_Legendarium

Hello, Bookmancer here! I had no idea that when I played the robot dinosaur game, my life would be divided into two phases: before Horizon and after. I discovered Horizon right around its release. I was fascinated by the trailer and captivated by the Tallneck, which is still my favorite machine.   I'm continually awed by the storytelling, visual beauty of Horizon's world, and depth of its characters. HZD actually got me into virtual photography because it’s the first game that really encouraged me to pause, look around, admire the world, and fiddle around with how to capture its beauty. Because I do so much VP, I always like to look at paintings and photos to try and replicate them.  I started in the fandom through VP before indulging in my love of writing to share fanfic - and now this dating game! I’m always awed by other content creators in the Horizon fandom and out. They think of such creative things, and everyone is very encouraging. I'm excited to further explore Seyka's story in FOTH and Horizon 3 and am fascinated by her as a mirror to Aloy's stubborn compassion, but flavored by tribal connections Aloy only just made through her found family. But for the near future, I want to write more deep-dives into the psyche of the characters, their hopes and insecurities, and how they play off of each other. I’d also like to draw more and take more shippy VP!

See the Q&A with Bookmancer below the cut!

Q: What is a favorite piece of work you've done (i.e. completed, working on, in concept)?

I've written some fanfic for Horizon - some published that I really like and actually came out how I wanted to, and some that's still living in my brain and I have to pay its rent in the form of chanting "I should write this already…" But I'm pleased with my fic "who can take my hand in the flood?" and want to write more of the ever-growing GAIA Gang being happy and healing. I’m working on a Seyloy fic of her getting welcomed into the gang.

Q: What are some of your favorite tropes to write, draw, or read?

I love friends to lovers! Also, star-crossed lovers, opposites attract, fish out of water, rivals learning more about each other and coming to a powerful understanding, and bodyguard AUs.

Q: What is an unexpected thing or fun fact about you?

I've got a language learning club going with some friends so we can pool resources and offer encouragement. I love learning about absolutely anything, and I'm getting into crocheting. Outside of FOTH writing, I write fanfic for various fandoms. I do a ton of VP and it's probably doubled my playtime in HFW. I love swimming, and I can only whistle by inhaling, not exhaling.

Q: What has been your favorite thing about working on this project so far?

I've loved seeing the outpouring of creativity, the fandom uniting for something that's so beloved to so many, and learning a metric Horus-ton about… well, a ton of things! Every day, I'm amazed over and over again, and I'm so thrilled I to get to see this come together up close. Everyone is incredibly talented and inspirational, and every bit of it has been collaborative and uplifting.

[daisymae-12]

weekend WIP game

thanks @welcometololaland for this fun game (the perfect way to spend my saturday night 😂) and @kiwiana-writes for the tag ❤️ I only have one art WIP right now so I opted to do the writers questions !!

Rules: List your WIPs below (if you only write one fic at a time, feel free to include future WIPs/ideas!) then answer the following questions. Then, tag as many people as you have WIPs (or more). (questions for artists/gifmakers here).

1. WIP List: ok this question made me actually label my WIP's because they're all just titled "Fic #1", "Fic #2" etc in my google drive 😅

Roommates/College AU

5+1 bestfriends to lovers [Alex accidentally keeps friendzoning Henry lmao]

Supermarket meet-cute (but not cute because Henry manages to piss off Alex)

Fake Dating/College AU [inspired by how my husband and I met]

Vampire Henry

Artist Alex [Bea commissions a gift for Henry]

Canon Divergence from Kensington

Roommates AU ft. stardew valley

Coffee Shop AU

Canon Divergence from Lakehouse

Neighbours AU

Fake Dating/High School AU [also inspired by how my husband and I met lol]

2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest?

Fake Dating/College AU !!

3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest?

Fake Dating/College AU - it's the only one so far that I've made an outline for because I think it'll be long-ish 😂

4. Which WIP is your favourite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?

Right now it's my Vampire Henry fic ❤️ enjoying it because I'm not struggling too much to write it - and the ideas have been coming easily 😌

5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?

ooo probably the two canon divergence ones? mostly because they'll probably be the fics with the most angst - yikes

6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

gosh - all of them? I haven't published new fanfic in over 6 years so it's definitely been nerve wracking even sharing snippets over here for wip wednesday 😅

7. Which of your WIPs will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why?

Maybe for the longer fics? I'm not sure if I will! We'll see if I ever get to writing anything long enough 😬 I am sort of warming up to the idea of google doc cheerleaders? I dno, I'm such a slow writer though so it might stress me out 😂

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of writer's block?

yess the Roommates/College AU - this was the first rwrb fic I started all the way back in June LAST YEAR 😭 I wrote bits and pieces of the first two chapters and still haven't picked it back up since 😩 I've also hit writer's block with the 5+1 - I thought this would be the first fic I'd publish for rwrb AND the first fic I'd ever finish but I got triggered when writing one of the scenes which shocked me because I didn't expect it to? I'd even say this fic is light-hearted but yeah I had to stop. Hoping to finish writing that one after Vampire Henry though !!!

9. Which WIP has your favourite OC? Tell us about them?

ooo so far the only fic with an OC is Fake Dating/College AU but I can't say more without spoiling 👀

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

Everything is such bare bones atm, so I truly don't know 😂

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

Probably Canon Divergence from Kensington 😅😅😅

12. Which WIP has the best characterisation (in your humble opinion)?

Hoping the characterisation is ok on all of them but right now they're all so short still that I can't pick one out 🙃

13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)?

Gosh I am BAD at this - will probably end up being the Coffee Shop AU because cafes are my second home but we'll see 😅

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

As of right now - been working the hardest on Vampire Henry fic but I anticipate it'll be outdone by Fake Dating/College AU - that one will take me a long time to write based on the outline I've done 💀

15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why?

ahh I'm not sure! Maybe Fake Dating/College AU? I can already tell that fic is going to be my baby and I hope everyone will like it too

16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

Not really but I do daydream about them in the shower 😂

17. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other fics don't?

hmm not sure since everything is still quite bare bones so I'll answer this next time !

18. Which WIP is the funniest or has the most humour?

Right now - Vampire Henry 😅 but not really ??? but yes the most in comparison to everything else so far LOL

19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process?

Nope but I do want to write a fic with an outside POV one day!

20. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

Vampire Henry fic will probably be the first fic in a series 😬 I have ideas for a sequel OR extra scenes that will be ficlets 🥰

Yay that was so much fun! Love reading about everyones wip's but no pressure ❤️ @myheartalivewrites @heybuddy-drabbles @read-and-write- @suseagull04 @gwiazdziarka @adreamareads @sprigsofviolets @cultofsappho @anincompletelist @lizzie-bennetdarcy @notspecialbabe @littlemisskittentoes @happiness-of-the-pursuit @affectionatelyrs @heartitinthesilence @inexplicablymine @raysletters @tintagel-or-cockleshells @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @sherryvalli

[ur-friendly-nbhd-cardassian]

Hello there!

a little "about me" post

I'm a very long-winded person and when I like doing something, I like doing A LOT of it. I recently moved to Tumblr full-time after being stuck with 200-symbol posts on Twitter (ugh), so I'm using the full power of this blogging platform. I'm concerned about the AI, so it's all switched off on all my blogs. I hope Tumblr will wise up and survive, because I love it here so far 💛

I have a lot of fandoms, I like pretty art, I write and muse about stuff - it's all a huge mess if I put it one place. So that's why I decided to split my obsessions into several neat piles, so people could have an easier time decining whether to follow, ignore or block my stuff according to their preferences.

Here are my blogs which you're free to explore and follow as you like:

» ur-friendly-nbhd-cardassian

The main blog where I shout into nothingness. But where I also post lots of Star Trek, mainly about Cardassians (bc I love them). I do not do Garashir, tho, look for that particular bit elsewhere (not bc I don't ship them, but bc I'm severely overfed to the point of having an allergic rection). My focus Cardassian is Damar, followed by Dukat. I'm super open to reblogging your OCs, though. My other favorite fandoms you might come across on this blog (which I don't post enough about to make a separate blog): Mass Effect, Discworld, Tolkien, Detroit: Become Human, Apex Legends, Marvel/DC, Hunger Games. I also ramble, post about writing in general, reblog some fitting memes and pets/animals, share my own photography, reblog art etc.

» pixie-in-a-moonlantern

The initiated already know: Baldur's Gate 3 brainrot blog. I post my OC screenshots, maybe some stories, perhaps one day I will even finish a fic (started one, didn't finish). My all-time favorites are: Halsin, Gale, Rolan, Emperor. I do not have any VP tools, so my screens are only lightly edited to be prettier, and that's it. I do not draw or paint (tho I so want to). It's mainly reblogs and discussions so far, with my screenshots sprinkled in between.

» shaved-wampa

Diehard fans surely got the joke: Star Wars brainrot, and that goes for every conceivable piece of the fandom, even the bits you might not agree with - I don't discriminate. My all-time favorites are: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Bode Akuna. Yes, just the two, because I also have a huge pile of characters I love, but don't really focus on: Padmé, Ahsoka, Ventress, Plo Koon, Kit Fisto, Din Djarin, lil Grogu, Cody, infinite number of other Clones, ... soooo many. My top two are just the guys I actually write about. Bode is getting his fic right now, Obi-Wan's is on hold.

» cyber-vianne-77

As the name suggests, this is my Cyberpunk 2077 blog. I used to do a lot of virtual photography in that one - and yes, this time I mean real VP, though still no paid tools, just vanilla and free mods. I love Goro Takemura and ship my fem V with him heavily - wrote a dope fanfiction about them, too. I reblog other cp77 vp (especially of Goro) and fanart. I don't currently play the game or shoot photos, but I have a large collection I plan to drizzle over the next few months, until I maybe decide to go back to cp77 for a while again and finally play Phantom Liberty that's been waiting for me for a long time now xD.

» goodness-all-around

My "assorted dopeness" reblogs. I love pretty pictures and I love supporting artists in my own small way, so it'll be reblogs of general beautiful things I can't stuff into my other blogs, and reblogs of commission offers. Perhaps even some theory and discussion if I happen to like any.

I will update the list if I happen to change things or add/remove blogs. Thanks for your attention and see you in the activity notifs! 💛

Bits of trivia: I'm Czech, cis woman (bi & poly and, frankly, hyper), 32, in a relationship, mom to a 5yo boy, a writer struggling to finish and publish her first original novel, drowning her sorrows in fanfic instead :). I got to most of my fandoms quite late in life, because where I live this info only started to properly flow in with the coming of the internet. I'm usually a casual fan, though when I hit a gold vein I can get a bit obsessed. I love writing fanfiction, which is mostly why I'm here on this site. I self-insert a lot (therapy writing) and usually ship us, with the rare occasion of finding a couple where I can identify with one of them (or mold them to my image because I like or even fancy them). I've spent my life believing I was hetero and discovered I'm not only once I (finally) was in a hetero relationship and had a kid, so... my ships are also hetero. It's a habit, not hating, I don't discredit any gay ships (maybe quietly to myself when they don't make any sense to me character-wise, lol). My AO3 account: XindiChick I usually try to write even the most niche of my ships in a way that doesn't require much knowledge of the original, so you're welcome to browse and read to your heart's content if you happen to like my style. I welcome any interactions, especially comments, because I don't get many.

I think it's something everyone should always be aware of, but I've also seen many people ignoring this unsaid rule:

HATERS NEED NOT INTERACT

- lest they get blocked. I'm not here to argue with you about why I like certain characters and why you think I shouldn't. Go simp for your own top picks on your own blogs and leave me alone. Same goes for any of my personal trivia I shared.

Also:

DISCLAIMER: My blogs are a safe space for everyone who doesn't go around hating on everyone else. I will block assholes of every shape, color, faith, gender, orientation etc. indiscriminantly, just as I will happily interact with good people of any kind. Idc what your deal is, I just wanna enjoy being on this platform, so if you plan to rain on it, don't expect me to indulge you.

Icons by: @rpschtuff

By the way, a fun fact known only to people aware of my main fanfic novel, The Casualty, the Cardassian in my username was actually born Bajoran, but raised Cardassian, which is why she's a Cardassian in heart and spirit. She's your friendly reminder that not all Cardies are the same and as a nation have the capacity to be much better than how they were presented in the DS9, which is what she's trying to achieve.

[dsmp-for-kink]

So we're doing this now

Definition of Kink Meme (according to TvTropes)-

"A fandom and shipping phenomenon. Originally, most of them were based on LiveJournal, but a number have started on or moved to Dreamwidth. A Kink Meme is where a user (usually anonymously, though the rules on this differ between kink memes) posts both a pairing and a kink (or some kind of basic plot setup, or some other stipulation). Another user then anonymously fills this request with either a piece of fan art or a fanfic.

While kink memes, true to their name, usually contain plenty of smut, it is usually permissible to request fluff or drama fic with no sex or shipping elements as well, making this somewhat of an Artifact Name."

----

Do you Understand? You Understand. These are the Rules:

You Send Ask containing ship with a Kink/Plot/Stipulation. It can be nsfw or sfw. It can be anon. Example: cSNF, breeding kink. Another Example: cSam and cDream, prison angst, no smut. A Third Example: cPunz/Foolish/Sam, omegaverse au where Alpha Punz and Alpha Foolish find out Sam has been hiding his Omega status right before his heat.

I see this ask. I publish this ask.

Someone, multiple people even, if they so choose to have Demons about it, may fulfill this request through fanart, writing, being insane about it, whatever their heart so desires. This is entirely their choice. No one is required to fulfill the request, and it may simply exist happily on the blog. Writing and drawing is Hard, and the people who choose to Make The Content are god's strongest soldiers.

Someone else's kink may not be your kink and that's okay. People are not bad for having kinks. We are not hurting people for fantasizing and being weird little freaks. Its what we deserve actually. I'm tagging everything, so if someone's kink makes you uncomfortable, you can choose simply not to associate with it. This Is Healthy and I'm proud of you for having boundaries.

All Ships Are Allowed.

"But what about poppy-" It'll be tagged. Filter it. Or block this blog. Ship and let ship. Humans have a limited life span, I'm not wasting the few years I have making an argument that should have been settled in 2014.

DSMP-centric. RPF welcome as long as it relates to DSMP thematically. DSMP characters can be in Non-Minecraft AUs. Example: ccDreamnap, being excited about lore Second Example: ccDream switching places with cDream Third Example: cPonk/cSam in a streamer au.

"How is the characters being in a streamer au different from the CCs just being themselves?" ccSam isn't 7ft tall. Hope this helps<3

There might be more rules later. That is however a later problem.

[gf-seasons-zine]

Questions and Answers for

Who's cute as a button, and always your friend? The answer to the Q-U-E-S-T-I-O-N (Yeah, OK, so it doesn't have the same rhythm as G-I-D-to-the-E-O-N, but I still think it's an improvement to the jingle...)

Let's get to it!

Q: Hi! I am a fanfic writer who wish to write for the zine. So for the portfolio, from my understanding, is to send a drive link with a couple of our works to showcase?

What if we have already published these works? Can we just send the links over? Or you prefer them exported as docs into a drive?

A: Hello!  Thank you so much for your great question! 

The applications for both writers and artists will request 2-3 samples of your work, and yes, specific links for each sample if they have already been published will be fine.  All of the writing samples combined must be less than 7k words, so word count is a good factor to consider when deciding what to use!  Your samples should be your strongest work, and the portfolio will be optional for anything extra you may want to share with us.

If you would like to show us more of your work, please send a link to a shared drive (like google) for your portfolio. We would prefer to have a limit of 3-6 selections/sections of your favorite works in one place instead of a link to an entire writing account/tumblr page- both so you can show off the best of the best and so we don’t get lost down the rabbit hole while reading/looking at all of your amazing stuff! If you have an actual portfolio website, we’ll look at the first 6 pieces we see.  

We’re hoping to have a lot of applications, but that does mean there will be a lot of time spent reading and looking at great art!  And because we don’t have access to time tape or Mabel Juice to skip a couple of nights of sleep (as much as we want to!), please consider keeping the works in your portfolio on the shorter side or just picking your favorite chapters/sections (and keep in mind the writing in the zine will be short as well!).

For more specifics on writing guidelines, check out the document here . For more specifics on artist guidelines, please go here, and here for merch artist guidelines. Contributor Applications open April 1!

The interest in applying is so awesome; thank you so much for reaching out!

Mods Berry and Jade

P.S. Want to join us? The Mod Applications are still open! You can apply here

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Disclaimer: We are not affiliated with Disney in any way. The zine will be a charity zine with all surplus going to charity- no one will profit from this zine.

CARRD TWITTER RETROSPRING

[quetzalpapalotl]

hi im new to the transformers fandom. i watched half of season 1 of tfa and all of earthspark and Thats It. do u think im qualified to read eugenesis??? or unqualified? or whatever will be more fun?

I mean, I can't tell you whether you're qualified or not to read a fanfic, but I can give you some context so you can decide if you want to:

Eugenesis is a fanfic written by James Roberts (JRo) who would later go to write the fan-favorite comic More Than Meets the Eye in 2012, which is set in the IDW1/IDW 2005 continuity (more info on that here).

Eugenesis was published in 2001 (being a remix of an earlier, incomplete fanfic also by Roberts) when JRo was part of Transmasters UK (TMUK). A group of fans that would distribute zines, organize cons and collectively write their own fanfic continuity based on the Marvel UK comics (the UK version being different from the US version of the comics, more info on that here)

So, ideally, to read Eugenesis with full context, one would need to have read Marvel UK and the previous TMUK stories. You can find the first online, but a great part of the later has been lost to time. @polyhexian is currently working on an archive of TMUK stuff. Luckily, you can make do without any of these (like I did at the time), because Eugenesis comes with a helpful continuity notes guide whihc you can download here, along with the main text.

I would greatly advice to anyone to read that first, even if you have read Marvel UK, because it also covers TMUK stuff. Eugenesis is still going to be a tad confusing at times, but it'll make things so much easier to understand.

As for my personal recommendation, is Eugenesis good? Is it bad? Well, it is an experience, for sure, I'm obsessed with it. I adore how depressing it is, how it has some of the most touching lines I've read followed by the weirdest description choices and oh boy, does the prose drag at times. It's an amateur work in a way that makes it very raw and I love it, it truly is born out of love.

It has value as a piece of fandom history and as a fan of Robert's later work in Transformers. A lot of concepts that JRo introduces in his comics first appear here, and it's interesting to see his influences and the way his prose has evolved.

Now, this is very important, the way the fandom talks about Eugenesis it's as something very silly, JRo writing a fic for his mechpreg kink. And yeah, I also do that because a lot of the stuff in this is premium material for shitposting. But this is NOT something that's worth reading just for the lolz.

Eugenesis is a very depressing read with a lot of potentially triggering material. Including lots of robot body horror and death, some detailed, some just mentioned in passing. Also suicide, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. One part goes into detail about a character's mental state before taking their own life, including allucinations, but no one here is ina good mental place. There are also death camps, with torture depersonalization and detailed inhumane treatment. This is holocaust with robots. One chapter is literally titled "The Anti Holocaust". It does throw you bones at the end, but at it's core is a book about futility.

Depending on what you can stomatch, it may not actually be that bad, some even wish it was worse. But I don't know you, so I want to give you a fair warning, and I repeat, it is not worth reading just for a laugh.

Sorry for all that infodump. You may do whatever you want with this information. I hope it helps and feel free to ask any more questions!

[celestialcrowley]

Hi! For the fanfic author ask… 🥕, 🥨, 🍕, 🍔. Any and/or all! 🥰

Hi, @zeldamacgregor!

I chose some extra question for the any and/or all. One of those — the first one — took courage to include. 😁

🥝 Who are your literary influences, and have they shaped your own writing?

🪴 Neil Gaiman. Should I tag him? I’m going to tag him. @neil-gaiman. Oh, lord, heal this bike. I did it. I’ve been scared to — and to even pop in to say hi to him — because I’m a shy awkward bean, and he’s someone who very much inspires me. He’s a phenomenal writer, and — how do I say this? — my mother and I watched Good Omens, and because of how … anti … she is, I was honestly about to fly onto the ceiling during the Final Fifteen. She’s gone from outright stating she will not watch shows or movies involving anything LGBTQ+ to telling me that she wants to watch Good Omens again. She even raves to her friends about it. I’m not sure if you’ll see this, but thank you, Neil. You truly are a legend. Here’s to you, Sir Terry Pratchett and season three.🥂

🥕 What's your favorite fic you've written, and why?

🪴 Memory Reboot. It’s a WIP and my first multi chapter piece for the Good Omens fandom. To get to the fluff, we must first survive the angst. It’s my favorite mostly because of the original character I created that wasn’t actually supposed to be in the story. He was only intended to be an RP character, but here we are. Allow me to introduce you to Raven. A Nephalem. Half angel. Half demon. Writing him is a blast!

🥨 How do you overcome writer's block?

🪴 I honestly don’t know. 😂 Perhaps lurking about to see what other writers are up to in hopes of finding motivation or by rewatching Good Omens. Or being affectionately yelled at to write like Michael Sheen yelled DAVID WHAT HAS HAPPEN TO YOUR HAIR. Seriously. Do it. Haha.

🍕 What's your favorite comment you've received on a fic?

🪴 I can’t choose just one. There are too many.

🍔 What's a headcanon that hasn't made it into a published fic yet?

🪴 Ooh! I headcanon that Crowley might grumble about it, or at least never admit out loud — he might even pretend to hate it — but he would absolutely love to be held by Aziraphale. To have the angel run his fingers through his hair. To fall asleep in his arms and wake up in them as well. Why? Love. And also because the chaos demon pretty much short-circuited here…

And here…

Sorry, I’m awkward. I’ll shut up now.

🍭 What's been your most challenging story to write, and why?

🪴 Memory Reboot because *Gabriel voice* there’s a lot happening.

🍩 What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

🪴 Let’s see — there will be good days where the words will do the thing and bad days where they won’t do the thing. There might even come a day where you’re not happy with what you’ve written and want to scrap the whole thing. If that happens, take a break and do something else that you enjoy. Talk about it with your beta if you have one, or with someone else you feel comfortable sharing it with. Some fics or chapters may get more love than others, but don’t get discouraged. Don’t give up. Keep writing. 💚

[h4mm132l1c3]

20 Questions For Fanfic Writers!

I got tagged in this by the lovely @onewhoturns, and I'll tag some others at the end!

1: How many works do you have on Ao3?

I only have 8 actually published there, but for reference, I went into my WIP folder and found over 100 more... So I do write things! I'm just really really bad at actually publishing them.

2: What's your total Ao3 word count?

Assuming I've done my math right, my current total word count sits at 262,909. Most of that is probably the longfics I've done with Turner, but there are almost certainly some hidden gems in there as well.

3: What fandoms do you write for?

Well, I haven't actually written and published something for a specific fandom for a while now, but my more common interests these days are Genshin Impact, Fire Emblem, Metal Gear Solid, Ace Attorney, Shadow & Bone (Netflix TV show specifically) and a few sporadic others! But my past works were for Oxenfree, Destiny, Ava's Demon, Homestuck, Overwatch, Critical Role, The Magnus Archives and Half Life.

4: Top five fics by kudos?

That would beeee So It Goes, Blue Hair, Red Jacket, A Different Angle, One Foot, and finally Holy Spirits!

5: Do you respond to comments? Why/Why not?

As much as I love getting comments on fics, I don't often respond to them. I don't really have enough published to get engagement super often, and even then, I'm just not the kind of person to reach out at random simply because I've heard too many Internet Horror Stories(tm). But, maybe if I do publish more in the future, I'll make a habit of answering then!

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

I... Don't really know? Most of my fics are either one-shots or unfinished multi-chapter works. There's probably something really angsty in my WIPs, but since it's never seen the light of day, we'll never really knows.

7: What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

Hmm. Hm hm hm. That would probably be a toss up between A Different Angle, which is just meant to be a nice, feel-good oneshot, or Pyrite-50: Quiet Moments, which is a kind of character study of one of my Destiny PC's.

8: Do you get hate on fics?

Since I only have 8 published, and I'm not like a super-duper popular author, I don't really think I get hate. All of the comments I've seen have been really sweet and lovely, which I'm thankful for.

9: Do you write smut?

I've been known to partake... On occasion....... <- Currently hiding most of it away in that damned WIP folder

10: Do you write crossovers?

Aside from the every-so-often "AU fic inspired by another piece of media", no, not really. But maybe that will change sometime! I wouldn't be truly opposed.

11: Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I'm aware!

12: Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope. My reach, like I said, is pretty minimal. But if anybody were to ask, I'd say go for it, as long as I got credit as the author.

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

Most of my published fics are co-written! My co-author was actually the one who tagged me in this, Turner. You can go check out all our Oxenfree stuff on Ao3 right now.

14: What's your all-time favorite ship?

Oooooh, this one is hard. The one I've undoubtedly written the most for is jonalex, but I'm a huge multishipper, so I've never really preferred one pairing over another before. It's always so dependent on my mood! Can I just say all of them?

15: What's the WIP you hope to finish but doubt you ever will?

The forgotten Kaz Brekker/Darkling smut. It sits in its little google document, taunting me. I know that you're there. I KNOW.

16: What are your writing strengths?

I'd like to think I'm good at metaphors? Generally, getting into a character's psyche is what I strive for, and when I get it right it feels like a real achievement. I've also been told that I'm very good at making dialogue that feels real, or that flows in a way that makes sense, which is something else I'm really proud of.

17: What are your writing weaknesses?

Finishing things. Fight scenes (of the physical variety). The two big F's.

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

Seeing as I am a person who only knows one language (and guess which one that is), I don't often write in other languages for my fics, because I'm a liiiiittle too scared of fucking up. On the rare chances I have, I usually use someone I know as a translator, but that limits me on how many languages I can conceivably use. As far as foreign languages in other fics go, I'm all for it!

19: First fandom you wrote for?

It's either Harry Potter, and that fic has now been orphaned to the wind, or maybe Homestuck?

20: Favorite fic you've ever written?

Of my published fics, it has to be So It Goes. That one has a special place in my heart for a multitude of reasons, and not just because Turner and I got to write it together. Of my WIPs, there's an unnamed freemance fic that I've been dying to finish that I just recently found again, and it made me fall in love with my writing for a second time; in a strange way.

Tagging!!

@artemis-crimson @reddgiant @starchemist @starlit-bawka @cranehusbands @duvirii and basically whoever else wants to do it.

[bonesandthebees]

hi! given everything I'm distancing myself from the fanbase, fanfiction included as while I love it, Ik I'm someone who struggles to distinguish life and fiction sometimes and don't want to align his fictional character with the shitty actual one.

That being said, I just want to thank you for everything you've written in the space. Several of your stories have been some of the best I've ever read over several years of different fanbases and quite literally thousands of fanfics. The way you craft stories and characters and dynamics is insanely impressive.

After reading stars I was completely in love with your writing. your portrayal of characters and the way you crafted dialogue was incredible, and had me rereading it a dozen times over. I genuinely didn't think I'd read something else on the same level- and then you released tagd and proved me completely wrong.

I know not every fic writer's aim is to eventually be published in mainstream fashions, but if that's part of yours I can't wait to see what it would be - to be frank, with how well crafted stars and glass are I could easily see a change of names getting them published properly.

I'm rambling a bit now but yes. Thank you for writing some of the coolest pieces of fiction I've ever read and i cant wait to see what you do next, in or outside of the fanbase, I hope that cretin has not discouraged you in anyway

this is so kind thank you <3 sorry to see you go from the fandom but do whatever you need to do to take care of yourself. I'm so glad my writing has given you so much enjoyment over the years

actually, yes, I do have goals to be published in the traditional mainstream kind of way. my dream since I was a little kid has been to write and publish my own novel, and all the love and support I've received over the years I've been in this fanbase gave me the confidence to think it could actually be possible. and, well, my current project I'm working on to be published is actually a completely rewritten version of glass divine :) it's not just a change of names, the characters are wholly different people. I just need to sit my ass down and actually write it

don't worry, the cretin hasn't discouraged me from writing. if anything this whole mess kind of just gave me the shove I'd been waiting for to step away from dsmp and shift my focus onto other things. it was a long time coming anyway.

take care of yourself <3