#Plus I started back with fanfic because not only was I inspired by the show but I figured it would be a good way to practice dictation

[averyhollow]

A stray comment by @bromelads has inadvertently reminded me of some very important things in life. Things like WIPs and ideas that mostly center around Frenchie, Spanish Jackie, Roach, and Izzy; and things like the truly profound realization that I shouldn’t stop at imagining a version of E5 that sets up Ed/Frenchie and Roach/Izzy, but should consider one that sets up Ed/Frenchie/Abshir/Oluwande. And from there I can’t help but think Oluwande/Spanish Jackie/Jim and Ed/Izzy/Spanish Jackie and Frenchie/Izzy/Roach are natural extensions.

The more I think about Ed with anyone other than That Man, and the more I imagine a version of him that isn’t seduced by frippery, the more my appreciation of him is rekindled (even if I am still over the canon version of him). So, if nothing else, I’m not completely done with engaging fanfic and fan ideas for the show just yet. No matter how much I really want to be. Now, to draw a diagram that charts the polycules and their overlaps………

This is gonna take a while. In the meantime, guess I’ll be dusting off a couple of WIPs, whining about how badly they’re coming along, and eventually posting them to AO3 and immediately regretting having done so. You know, the ushz.

[kaledya]

Hey friend, I want to ask you some things about Constantine, I'm planning on making a FanFic about his way from Kid to Prince (Before he re encounters with Charlie).

1. How was his training? Was he trained by Lucifer? Or by Satan?, or by every single Deadly Sin?

2. Why did he lose his Humanity so much? Are there any specific or lots of events that relate to that?

3. When and which enemies he destroyed? If you don’t have it specified don’t worry, this is because after all nobody who fought him lived to tell it.

4. (This one is optional), Would you like to have something important on it? Something you would enjoy? Be honest, after all Constantine is your character.

First of all, I am very glad to hear that you want to write a fafic about him! And of course I will be happy to answer your questions!

1.

In terms of knowledge, he was usually educated by the leading sages of Hell (he had a different teacher for each subject, so he had a well-rounded education) and Lucifer taught him what he knew as much as he could (how to use his powers, how to be a king), while Lilith taught him how to behave in politics, ) Satan was the one who taught Constantine's perception of power in general, Constantine was a person who thought that power came only from knowledge, Satan taught him that power was only power, showed him that he could not survive with only knowledge and taught him that fear was stronger than love and respect.

He also learnt from Leviathan about education and science. He was not very close to the other sins in terms of education. When Constantine went to visit his aunt, it was one of the rare times when he was a child and not a prince, Bee tried to make Constantine happy, not to educate him.

2.

In general, the way he was raised and the training he received did this to him. Lilith and Lucifer had no evil intentions, they wanted their sons to be safe and strong, but they realised a little late that they were destroying the humanity in Constantine with their actions, and when they realised, they were at a point where they could no longer go back, but on the bright side, they did not follow the same thing with Charlie. Plus Constantine was already born with a superior intelligence, which made him less empathetic as he grew up, which came with the responsibilities of being a prince, so he had to grow up early because he had too much on him as a child. And even a normal prince would have to harden himself and control his emotions and act rationalistically in order to rule. Constantine was the prince of hell, surrounded by monsters and nobles waiting to see a weakness in him, and if he wanted to defeat the monsters, he had to become one of them. And Constantine did this, he hardened himself until his weakness or emotions were minimised.

The only person that constantine behaves with his sincere personality is his sister Charlie, I can even say that the face that constantine shows to Charlie is so different that Charlie almost does not recognise her brother at the royal meetings. (In the very later parts of the series, they start to develop a relationship with Serenity like Sherlock and Watson. but this is a very slow developing friendship)

and btw I was inspired to write Constantine by these two books maybe it helps to understand him!

3.Sometimes some demons decide to cross the line and Constantine can execute them. There is no one specific one at the moment, only Lucifer or Charlie can defeat Constantine, no one else in Hell is crazy enough to try to fight him. At least not yet.

4.Thank you for asking but no I've got nothing to add at the moment., and Constantine is my character, yes. but this is your fanfic, you can do whatever you want as long as you keep his personality, have fun! And when you're done writing and publish it on ao3 please tag me on tw and I look forward to reading it!

[ghostieyanyan]

Have you heard of the musical Ride the Cyclone? I thought of an MC who’s inspired by Jane Doe. They died and lost their head somewhere so they got isekai’d into twisted wonderland with a doll head to replace their lost one instead and they walk around with their headless doll. They have no memory of who they used to be and they’re very naive about how things work in the new world they’re transported to. If anyone of the boys goes Yandere for Jane Doe!Mc, any one of the would take advantage of their amnesia and keep them to theirselves. Which one of the boys do you think would be the most manipulative when it comes to stealing Jane Doe!Mc?

If you don’t know the musical, feel free to skip.

i havent seen the musical, but i love the idea of just some twst yandere taking advantage of amnesia mc. like they would use mc to make them their perfect little play thing or "help" them find themselves, only to hurt them with betrayal. also i know that a good handfull of the twst characters are sadistic but im gonna just list a few (cause if i went their all of them, qwq, this will be a very long post xD)

Also there’s only one drawing in this post (because it felt weird not not include one so ye) but it’s mainly fanfic and I’ll be labeled it as fanfic and not as fanfic plus art… if that’s cool owo

~Amnesia!Mc~

Yan!Ace x mc x Yan!Deuce

Yan!Lilia x mc

Yan!Rook x mc

Yan!Trey x mc

Warning: yandere, manipulation, stalking, threats, hint of murder, mention of war and starvation, hunting, displaying you like a animal(?), kidnapping,

~~~~~

Ace and Deuce

Why are these two together? cause they are chaotic together and i love how it can be wholesome at times.

In the relationship, they both agreed to help mc and also show them the ropes of twisted wonderland. Deuce, more on the side of helping mc with finding themself, because he understands how it can be very difficult at times. But he also doesn't want mc to go home so soon. Ace, more on the side of wanting mc to stay in twisted wonderland, but also help them find themself with him and deuce in mind. They basically agreed to be the opposite sides to the same coin.

They'll, of course, fight with each other on how to help you. what thing are most important for you to work on right now? but they overall want the same thing. but they are still very mischievous when they want to be.

Example, Ace will in intentional start fights with deuce to show mc that they'll be so lost without you to step in to help. or even, when they get into a situation that they need your help to solve.

"only their perfect can save them. don't leave them alone. they'd be lost without you."

But deuce, he would show you the amazing things that twisted wonderland could offer and see if you like anything or dislike it. i imagine he has a book with all your like and dislikes, your taste, favorite food and drinks, how you like certain things or your hobbies. plus if you forget anything, he'll be there to help.

if someone outside their group ask about their strange behavior with you, they will deny it all. but if this person keeps digging, ace and deuce will show them how protective they can be.

if you asked about their strange behavior, they'll just tell you that you're imagining things.

"maybe its some of your old memories coming back? but they don't make sense? strange..."

~~~~~

Lilia

"Awww what a cute little human that lost their way~ it reminds me of when i met Silver~ so cute~"

this man will 100% use your amnesia to make you into his play thing. he could mold you into a sibling for Silver. he could mold you into a great warrior for malleus, side by side with sebek. or he can even mold you to be his and his alone.

with his years of experience of life, he'll show you anything you wish to see and make your dreams come true. he'll tell you stories, a mix between fairy tales to myths to his very own experiences. he'll show you everything and anything, for the price of your name~

he's given you no reason on not to trust him. Lilia takes great care of you when you first came to his world. i mean with tweedldee and tweedledumber, plus that beast cat, you'll likely be dead by the first week.

Lilia takes every opportunity to take you away to diasomnia and cares for you. with a high secured castle plus luxury food, he tried to feed you his meet one time and you fell into a coma for a week... maybe the vegs were bad?

if you had an issue with this arrangement, he'll gladly show you the dangerous of this world without his aid. he'll show you a small unimportant war that was just west coast of the main land. all the deaths and threats, the horrors in peoples faces. how some people became mad and turn against their own kind for a glimpse of hope in their future, only for it to be ripe away when they get caught. Lilia will also show you the horror that are not necessarily violent like war. hungry starving kids and families that had to turn to stealing just to make sure they're guaranteed a place in tomorrow. he'll tell you that the cycle repeats whether people like it or not.

"That's why its safer to be with me. the world is a cruel place, a place that a sweet angel like you doesnt belong. this place also has a good handful of cueal people aswell. youre not even garentee that crowel will find a way home for you, he doesnt even know that place! thats why its safer with me. ill keep you safe. now rest... youve had a very long day..."

~~~~~

Rook

the beauty of it all! To Rook, you are like a blank piece of paper waiting for a poet to spill their silk words on you. you're like a caterpillar waiting for some leaves to turn into a chrysalis and then to your turn form as a beautiful butterfly~

Rook doesn't have any ill intent for you but he merely aims to preserve your pure innocents. in his words, keep your angelic wings white from the impurities of the world. he will not hesitate to strike down anything or any one that wants you to fall, or cover your wings in their mud.

he admits, its difficult to learn anything about you when you don't even remember who you are, but in a way its beautiful for him. like a bird learning how to fly.

if you ask him about his view on beauty, he'll gladly show you all the beauties in the world. hell show you how some things look scary or mysterious can look enchanted. but if anything ugly comes in your way, he'll shield you from it and make it disappear on the face of twisted wonderland.

if you dont like what hes doing and you try to run from him.. lets say Rook loves a good hunt. He will not stop until he finds his butterfly. of course, he doesn't want to hurt you, or even dirty you in any means, but he will threaten you. Rook would say that if anything bad would happen to you, to not have the light in your eyes that he loves so much, he'll display you like those beautiful insect display in a museum. you'll forever be part of his display from his hunts.

but you dont want that to happen right? he wants you to live! to fly with the other butterflies.

but maybe Night Raven College is no place for a fragile butterfly like you to be in. he doesnt might taking you away for only his eyes to see. he'll take great care of you.

"what do you say~?"

~~~~~

Trey

Whether Trey likes it or not, he takes great care of his dorm, like a big brother or even a dad for some. so when he saw you, his instict took over and he immediately was worried for you.

"did you eat yet? how's your day? anyone giving you a hard time? are ace and deuce causing trouble for you? you look pale! come on, follow me. we have some treats in Heartslabyul that will make you feel better"

to say he spoils you with sweets is an understatement, and if you are craving sweets then he'll gladly make you something else. don't worry about repaying him. you're smile and well being are perfect payment.

even though Trey has a very busy schedule, being the vice housewarden, being part of the science club, taken care of his house, plus riddle, he still makes time for you.

a lot of people wonders how but like magic, he makes it works. for some, its a little creepy. Trey starts to show up, like he knows your schedule like the back of his hand. always with treats and a drink in hand.

if there are people causing you trouble, or in trey's eyes, people he does not approves of. he'll tell you in a "im just looking out for you manner."

Trey will get you, sit you down, hands you some treats and talks to you about his "issues" with your friends. he might just say some things that make you see your friends in a different light. the type of light that makes you not rely on them too much. But you can rely on Trey if anything comes up.

also whether he sees you in the light of a sibling or a partner, you're not 100% sure which one. but all the things he does for you... is coming from the heart..

~~~~~

[naranjapetrificada]

Fanfic Friday time

This week wrt my own writing: things are picking back up again, although god I forgot how little sunlight we get during spring. Of what I've written of Chapter 3 so far, I'll probably be keeping like, 3000 words? Which doesn't feel like a lot considering how much I wasn't able to squeeze into Chapter 2, but the problem with misjudging your timeline is that you start seeing new places to put things, farther away than when you started. I also have some important pieces I need to get on the proverbial chess board and no idea how to elegantly do it so

Anyway, onto the recs! I've been reading a mix of new and old OFMD stuff, plus a disarmingly beautiful Good Omens fic I found deep in my [redacted number] open AO3 tabs that knocked me right off my feet.

Works from the A to Z of Edward Teach zine started to show up on the archive this week, if you weren't able to purchase your own copy. It's packed with great stuff, but a couple of gems that stood out to me were:

To-cat-ta and Fugue by the one and only @mxmollusca, a silly and sweet canon divergent (season 1) one shot that brings a whole new meaning to "cat energy"

J is for Jeff by @veeagainsttheday, a modern AU about Ed trying to get a new start with a new identity, but accidentally telling the cute guy whose life he impulsively saved his real name. Thing about saving someone's life is they might want to thank you for it, and if they're Stede Bonnet then Ed Jeff will want to see him again.

As for non-zine OFMD recs, well, I'm still out here trying to scratch the Fast Car itch while patiently waiting for smallestchurch to post the third* chapter. In the mean time:

I went for one of her other fics, Turn on the Light. This time it's a modern AU where Stede buys a bookshop next door to Ed's famous cocktail bar, and as we know, these boys fall in love in every universe. I adored it.

For some more childhood friends vibes, I went to If You Get the Time, the Number is Still Mine by @one-more-page. It's told almost entirely through phone calls between Ed and Stede as they grow up and apart and back together again, and did a great job of capturing the extremely specific loneliness of watching yourself lose a friend.

And last but certainly not least we have Though Heaven Bar the Way by @books-and-omens, a gorgeously written, evocative, canon divergent Good Omens fic that I'm going to be thinking about (as a writer and a reader) for a long, long time. Inspired by The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann, it's set at a tuberculosis sanitorium in the Swiss Alps a few decades after Crowley and Aziraphale's big 1862 fight. When I say it knocked me off my feet I mean it knocked me off my feet. It hit me like an avalanche. I will be recommending to absolutely everyone.

*because I have a modicum of self awareness I can see the irony here, deep in my own WIP's chapter 3 trenches.

[bittertomato]

A lil late but happy new year!

Characters under the cut, plus some fun facts

Tomato's faves for each month of 2023

January: Diana Cavendish (Little With Academia)

February: Diana Cavendish (Little Witch Academia)

March: True Rider — Hippolyta (Fate/Strange Fake)

April: Psyche Callista (Your Throne)

May: Misaka Mikoto (A Certain Scientific Railgun)

June: Misaka Mikoto (A Certain Scientific Railgun)

July: Morgan (Fate/Grand Order)

August: Morgan (Fate/Grand Order)

September: Morgan (Fate/Grand Order)

October: Morgan (Fate/Grand Order)

November: Morgan (Fate/Grand Order)

December: Morgan (Fate/Grand Order)

Brainrot of the Year 2023: Morgan (Fate/Grand Order)

Hall of Fame (aka brainrots of years past)

2023: Morgan (Fate/Grand Order)

2022: Tsuruhime Yachiyo (Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight: ReLive)

2021: Tsuruhime Yachiyo and Yumeoji Shiori (Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight: ReLive)

2020: Yumeoji Shiori (Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight: ReLive)

2019: Tendou Maya (Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight: ReLive)

2017 & 2018: Diana Cavendish (Little Witch Academia)

2016: Carmilla Karnstein (Carmilla the Webseries), Elsa (Frozen), Tohsaka Rin (Fate/stay night), and Misaka Mikoto (A Certain Scientific Railgun)

2015: Carmilla Karnstein + Laura Hollis aka Hollstein (Carmilla the Webseries) aka my gay awakening

2014: Elsa (Frozen)

2012 & 2013: Higurashi Kagome (Inuyasha), Kuchiki Rukia (Bleach), Mouri Ran (Detective Conan), and Chiba Mamoru (Sailor Moon)

2011: Chiba Mamoru (Sailor Moon)

2009 & 2010: Kuchiki Rukia (Bleach)

Pre-2009: Who knows? My memory sure doesn't!

And I promised fun facts, so...

The early days...

The reason I can date my first fave to Rukia in 2009 is because that was when I made a Fanfiction.net account and posted my first fanfic. Don't read it I was young and foolish.

Bleach, Inuyasha, and Sailor Moon were my first animes. The first two I definitely watched on Adult Swim back when I still watched cable.

I used to be pretty skilled at self defense and even have a first degree black belt. One of the reasons why Ran from Detective Conan really left an impression on me.

There's a few unnamed faves that I also had from more obscure anime that were from so long ago that I can't pinpoint the exact years. A special shoutout to Asuka from Ask Dr. Rin! This show is in no way affiliated with Tohsaka Rin lol.

And yes, I do have male faves besides Mamoru! I love Hak and his constipated repressed feelings for Yona (Akatsuki no Yona) and my in-game name in FGO is inspired by Kurogane (Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles). And for whatever reason, Fred is my favorite from Scooby Doo.

Honestly, I have to give Elsa some credit. I think she started the trend of my faves being "blonde/light haired "regal" rich/well off BAMF ladies who seem cold and distant on the surface but are actually dorks over-burdened and forced to grow up too fast, with a dash (or a ton) of family angst dumped on them." I mean, do you see any of my past faves being blonde? xD

The college days...

I was in denial about being queer and swore I was straight until I somehow found Carmilla the Webseries (I don't even know how) during the summer of 2015 and had a multi-step process of acceptance that went something like "Oh the actress for Laura Hollis is hot. Oh the actress for Carmilla is cute, pretty, and a huge dork. Oh everyone is pretty attractive. Wait mostly just the girls. Wait is that why I don't give a shit about men?"

Little Witch Academia is not only the first series where I published fanfic on AO3, but it's also the series that got me to write AND finish longer stories. So congrats, Diana! I really wanted to angst you :D It's also the fandom where I found my closer Discord friends. Love y'all, mwah.

I think Revue Starlight might be the series that squeezed the most faves out of me. It holds a special place in my heart for numerous reasons, but the main one might be the collab fic I worked on with Quill, who is now my partner 😊So thanks, ReLive even if your gacha game is somehow even worse than FGO.

That said, the series I seem to always go back to seem to be the To aru and Fate franchises. Maybe it's because they're still ongoing.

Those two are also the reason I started messaging Quill back in the day, so they hold an extra special place in my heart. Even with all their flaws.

And then Lostbelt 6 hit FGO and blew everything out of the water. I rave about Morgan a lot but that chapter of the game truly had a stellar cast. Nasu wanted us to remember that he can cook lol.

Where is my Lostbelt 6 anime, Aniplex?

[habibialkaysani]

I’ve been rather depressed about the upcoming season and the extent we will get Kanthony. I was hoping we would get a subplot like that (stupid) Jack Featherington one in S2 but it’s becoming more and more unlikely. I even saw someone post about all the different plots that’ll be featured in S3, which only means taking away screen time from our beloved Kanthony.

Sorry to go on but my point is - your Kanthony stories allow me to escape to what it could’ve been and especially with JB and SA’s acting. The way you describe their love, the way you write their banter and let’s not start on the smut scenes (🔥🥵) is absolute gold and wraps up all the details we didn’t get in S2.

Thank you for letting me get lost in your works and just imagine it is what we get on screen. Maybe in a parallel universe it is exactly this…

hey anon! thank you for the ask :)

I do think that season 3 of bridgerton is going to have different plots and kathony might get lost in a bit... but at the same time, I reckon I'll be happy regardless? I know that they will have a plot because they're in the show, you know? the crumbs in the trailer were just that, crumbs, but I ate them up nonetheless, and I feel like I'll be perfectly happy filling in the gaps or writing stuff of my own if the show doesn't give me what I want. it's my favourite part about fanfic in that sense, because it's so transformative and allows for you to fix things in canon often. plus ultimately, I knew going in that each season of bridgerton would focus on a different bridgerton sibling, and it's not like season 2 was with saphne because rege had left the show and wasn't coming back. kate and anthony will have *some* kind of presence in season 3, and there have been enough hints to suggest there may be a baby along the way, so we'll see what happens.

also omg!!! so glad you like the banter, and the other stuff (lmaooooo) - I feel like despite me coming into the fandom more than a year late, I've had a lovely welcome from other kathony fans, so long may that continue <3 plus this pairing has made me come out of writing!hibernation and inspired me to write well over 100k in the space of 3 months, so I am really grateful for the feedback :)

[veggiehotdog1]

Time to promote my fanfic on AO3!

I mostly write TLOU2 fics, but have recently delved into a few short stories based on the HBO series.

I have also written two Colin/Penelope (Polin) Bridgerton poems dedicated to my partner who is a fanfic writer herself.

TLOU2 Fics:

**When the Smoke Clears (aka Story 1)**

My first (and ongoing) fic and my one true love. If you read any, read this one 😊

It's been six years since Ellie and Dina last saw each other. They reconnect as they remember their close childhood friendship and get to know each other again as adults.

Ellie is out of the military and still adjusting to life back in Jackson. She and Abby, who served with her, work on the Miller family cattle ranch. Dina has just moved back to the small town and is eager to reignite old friendships.

Ellie harbors secrets from family and friends as she struggles with addiction and trauma from combat. Dina struggles with her own trauma and how to navigate a relationship with Ellie.

**The Birthday**

JJ and Ellie bond on his birthday

**Allium**

Short poem imagined as Ellie's journal entry. Two images plus descriptor

**The Feast**

Maria nurtures Ellie back to health upon her return from California

**Good Advice Left in Santa Barbara**

Ellie is almost there, she can just feel how close Abby is. It all goes off course when she is taken prisoner by a group who wants something from her. She needs to escape and fast.

** Você é tudo o que eu quero (You are all I want)**

This was supposed to be a relaxing trip, but can Abby and Ellie quell the urge to compete or will it ruin the vacation?

**Kinktober 2022**

Very short, quickly written stories each day of Kinktober. Some stories are erotica, some are straight up smut. Most of them have a bit of plot too. Specific tags in beginning notes of each chapter.

**Mild and Spicy**

A mysterious stranger has been frequenting a food truck where a worker has caught her eye.

**Light My Cigarette and Engulf Me in Flames**

Two strangers meet at a lesbian bar in 1950s Seattle and share a dance.

**My Heart Longs for Home: Part 1**

A home is a person, a place, a sense of belonging and love.

The couple navigates their relationship after Ellie's return from Santa Barbara.

A push for deeper intimacy, and a pull away. Dina's persistence finally breaks through Ellie's powerful intrusive thoughts and avoidance.

**My Heart Longs for Home: Part 2**

The couple returns to the farmhouse to revisit memories and build trust. Plot continuation from part 1, but can stand alone if only want to read this part. Starts out with plot and ends with just pure smut.

HBO's TLOU fics:

**Princess**

Riley tells Ellie about a horse she rode after sneaking out of the military school. Combines both the events of the tv show and and game DLC Left Behind.

**First Impressions**

We were shown Ellie's first impressions of Dina. But what did Dina think of Ellie and Joel?

**Dangerous Infection**

The reason for the slo-mo (Episode 5: Endure and Survive) was because two lost souls found each other, drawn like moth to flame in the heat of the moment. Pure gonzo style satire.

Bridgerton Fics:

**How to Say It Best**

A poem about how Colin wants to profess his love for Penelope…until he quickly gets distracted by other thoughts. Inspired by, and poking fun at, how sex is sometimes described in fanfic.

**The Moth and The Light**

Brief poem about Colin's evolving attraction to, and relationship with, Penelope.

[abeinginsand]

Taylor and Sparrow hc

I think both Taylor and Normal would really benefit from having a bond with an adult who also shares their respective passions. Perhaps, their respective parents could be those adults for each of them. So, Sparrow and Taylor bonding and Cassandra and Normal bonding. I'll be making a separate post for Cass and Norm (plus Rebecca) since this one is pretty long already! This is was inspired by @babacontainsmultitudes ideas about all four characters in this wonderful post! :) With that in mind, I am thinking of Sparrow and Taylor bonding over a love of anime and art in general! (Continued under the cut)

Presenting the concept that Sparrow does fan-art and fan animations as one of his hobbies. Has done them since he was a teen and Taylor even follows or knows of his current social media account for it. Just never knew who the artist behind the username really was! Since he's become friends with Normal, he's visiting the house more often than not. And even sometimes stays over too. He's surprised when Normal brings up the sleepover--because its the first time anyone's ever invited him over to their house for one. He knows his own house is amazing and all...but sometimes (most times), his classmates have been more interested in the house itself or bragging at school later than actually wanting to chat. He's confident that he'll be able to win them over one day though! Anyways, Taylor is excited to spend time with Norm and by proxy gets to know his friend's family too. Especially Normal's dad since he's in the house most often. Sometimes Taylor brings his manga over (to work on new pages or to have Norm look them over)--the sleepover is one of those times. When Sparrow brings up some snacks for them, he sees some of the pages. He doesn't say much, mostly asking if the two are okay or if they'd like anything else (snack wise). But before he leaves the room, he makes a point to politely say some compliment about the art work. And mentions that he recognizes one of the characters too. This seems like a small thing to Normal while Taylor? He's thrilled. I think there were other small moments after this too. Like Mr. Swallows Oak Garcia seems happy to let Taylor doodle during meal time (sometimes he stays over for lunch or dinner) while sometimes his mom and mostly the teachers don't like him trying to draw instead of focusing on 'more important' things like school work during class or in the cafeteria. Also, Sparrow sometimes joins in discussions about latest episodes of certain shows/comics etc. Normal knows 25% of the media Taylor references at this point in this hc and otherwise is absorbing knowledge about the rest through Taylor's rambles. (its also about 25% for Taylor in regards Normal's vast knowledge about marching bands, cheer, and just sports in general). I imagine they compromise in the confusion and have brainstormed their own combined au featuring a magical marching band lead by Miku that's fighting some other band of mascots (the mascots are heavily based off Teen High's rival school mascots). Taylor (though he'd deny this) was hesitant to reach out to Normal's dad based only on the little exchanges. A tad afraid that the adult was just humoring him as his kid's friend and would think Taylor's annoying. But Sparrow never stops being supportive and keeps on engaging with him. Even shows him old fanart that he made a long time ago when Taylor seems down about his art progress. He'd come over that day to talk to Normal about his frustration and to hear about Normal's fanfic and song recommendations. Normal was an expert at knowing just the right marching band cover or classical music to suggest for sudden moods. Only to be reminded that he had forgotten that Normal had a game that day and wouldn't be back until night fall. He easily got permission from Normal's parents and his mom to wait there for him. That's the moment the detective in Taylor starts coming out--because the fanart seems familiar...the mood shift from pretty bummed to excited distracts him in the moment though and he spends the day getting a little art lesson from Sparrow. Eventually, Taylor gathers all those mental clues and blurts out a question a month or so later during another little art lesson thing. In the most serious voice he can muster (and expression), he asks... "Are you...that artist?"

"Depends, are you a cop?" There's a moment of silence as the two trade super serious gazes and then Sparrow laughs. He says he's joking and that yep-- Taylor is correct! Probably mentions that he would prefer to keep it all a secret since he usually keeps his association to it private. But that he welcomes any questions Taylor might have. Already prepared for the chance, the teen pulls a scroll from his go-bag and unravels it onto the table...the fancy and somewhat worn paper is filled to the brim with questions (and suggestions) haha

So yeah, they end up having a mentor and student type bond. Seemed sweet and fun to me! As for Sparrow's username....maybe its chaosflower, belovedwolf, or something else? I imagine it may be the Spanish version of those combos too. Though I'm sure he had a bunch of other usernames over the years.

[nocturnalchaos]

This is the official start of the Raven pregnancy fanfic. I’m still working on a title but here it is!

Summary: Life was finally at a good place for Raven. She and her longtime boyfriend, Jason Todd aka Red Hood, had created a comfortable routine and were both happy with their relationship. However, Raven has unexpectedly become pregnant and it feels like the world has decided to empty a dump truck of problems onto her head.

~*~

(Author’s Note: This fanfic draws a lot of inspiration from BluBooThalassophile’s Hopes For A Bastard Universe, Xaphrin, and other JayRae fanfics. In this fanfic, I have altered a lot of Jason’s storyline after the “Under The Red Hood” story arc. Also, Trigon’s sealed state does not allow for him to initiate contact with Raven or anyone outside of his gem prison. And, finally, in this fanfic Raven is a bit more expressive in this story. This is because she is no longer a teenager who is still getting a handle on her abilities and emotions or affected by teenage hormones plus Trigon has been sealed for about a decade now.)

~*~

Prologue

John Constantine had never needed a cigarette so badly in his life.

And alcohol.

He needed a cigarette for the stress and enough alcohol to make him forget all of this shite.

He would have gotten that cigarette by now if he wasn’t afraid of a certain Arsehole with a gun shooting the hand holding the desired cigarette. The last one he tried to smoke near her had ruthlessly been shot out of his mouth. His only consolation was that the Arsehole was forced to quit smoking cold turkey out of necessity.

John looked down at the very pregnant 27 year old woman at his feet. Her panting could be heard over the chaos outside the pocket of calm readiness that enveloped the magic circle. The magic circle beneath their feet gave off a red glow. Giving everything an eerie vibe as they were partially lit from below. John prayed that this magic circle would do its job and provide enough protection from the shit show outside.

“Ahhhh! CONTRACTION!!” She shrieked as her hands clenched and stretched the fabric of her oversized shirt. Her face briefly turning demonic before reverting back to her usual appearance. Sweat dotted her face and dampened her hairline. Purple strands of hair clung to her sweat soaked face.

Bracelets of a matte black metal encircled the woman’s wrists. Hairline cracks had started to appear in the metal when her first contraction had occurred. With each subsequent contraction the cracks had grown, and occasionally, gave off the odd black spark. Both the magic circle and metal bracelets encircle her wrists working together to protect everyone. Especially the bracelets, they will hopefully prevent her from leveling… everything.

“Hey! Magic Dude, you really can’t you do anything about the pain?!” His red helmet didn’t block his words from being heard. This fact continually annoyed John whenever he looked at the blighter in his getup.

Through gritted teeth she spoke.

“Jason, honey. We already discussed this and it’s not going to happen. So, fucking DROP IT!” After the words left her lips, she tried doing another round of controlled breathing.

Sighing. The helmeted man resigned himself to this decision and muttered a growled, “Fine.”

The woman nodded at his resignation and continued her controlled breathing. After experiencing another contraction with its accompanying yell, her face became very firm.

“John!” Determination filling her usually emotionlessness voice.

“What!” He snapped the word at her as he stood next to her supine body. On the opposite side of her body, the Arsehole stood guarding her with a gun in each hand. The Arsehole cocked a gun and tilted his head at John in a not so subtle warning before going back to his vigilant readiness.

In a voice as hard as stone, Raven said, “You’re going to have to deliver the baby!”

~*~

Please let me know what you think in the comments or reblog and if there are any grammatical errors or constructive criticisms. I’m working on chapter 1 right now. I will post it when I finish it. Your comments and likes are appreciated and what motivate me to continue posting and writing. Also, this is my first fanfic.

P.S. I have been continuously been making small edits to these chapters as I spot them so please keep that in mind when you read the typos and changes in the reblogs.

[librathefangirl]

Love your fics btw 🥺❤️

But 🦈 and 🍬 for the ask game ❤️

Thank you!! 🥺❤️ And thank you for the ask too :)

(Also can I say that I'm impressed that I've gotten 7 emojis for this ask game now, but none have been duplicates)

🦈 Which character is the toughest to write?

Ooh. For nnt I gotta go with daytime Escanor and Diane. I just... don't really know how to handle those two.

I much more prefer writing wimpy night Escanor than arrogant day Escanor. Although both will show up in an upcoming fic of mine (day 21 of my Febuwhump series, whenever I get to that one). So, we'll see how that works out.

As for Diane, I don't know, I just struggle a lot with her character. Which is probably why I have never actually written from her perspective yet.

🍬 Do you write for multiple fandoms? If yes, what is your favorite fic of yours for each fandom?

I mean, technically yes? If we're looking at both my early fanfic days over on FF.net and my current ones on ao3, I've got 60 fics across 12 fandoms. Although, this year I've only posted fics for nnt. Which I don't mind actually, I haven't been this inspired to write since I started writing fanfic (for Lab Rats) back in 2016.

Only 5 of my written fandoms have more than 1 fic posted, so let's look at them, shall we? Going oldest to newest:

Lab Rats - Betrayal

I guess it would be cheating saying my entire A for Always fic, since it's my advent calendar fic and is thereby a collections of 24 fics? (Actually that advent calendar was fun to write, maybe I should do something like that for nnt this year?). So let's go with chapter 2: Betrayal. This one's actually a bit different from my usual stories. It's more of an introspection and deals with Chase's (canon) experiences of betrayal and the emotional impact these had (that was't explored in canon). Over 6 years later I'm still proud of this one.

Lab Rats: Elite Force - Her Baby Brother

This one's a set of three drabbles, showcasing Bree's relationship with her little brother during different stages of their lives. I like this one because writing drabbles is not always that easy, plus at the same time I managed to make them feel like three parts of the same story with a similar structure. (Not a story for people who don't like main character deaths.)

Glee - The Boy with the Christmas Sweaters

Okay, looking back at my Glee fics was actually kinda hard, because the ship I loved back then I can't stand anymore. But I do like this fic! It's a Samcedes fic based on a Christmas prompt. Just some fluff and humor (a rarity for me).

Stranger Things - Trust and Needles

I have a total of 3 ST fics. All of which less than 700 words. All of which Stoncy. This one's just fluffy ot3 shenanigans combined with Steve whump. It might leave a smile on your face (unless you don't like needles or stitching, then you won't like this fic).

The Seven Deadly Sins / Nanatsu no Taizai - Who'll Hug the Prince of Hell?

This one wasn't easy to choose. They're all so new and all so loved. I think I'll have to go with this one though. For starters, it's my first nnt fic, the start of a new era and all that. It also includes a lot of things I love to write about; Meliodas angst, the relationships between the Sins and Meliodas, Meliodas getting the love he deserves, Merlin knowing his whole story, Meliodas and Ban being Meliodas and Ban, King dealing with his feelings and actions towards Meliodas after the reveal. Also, who doesn't love a story where Meliodas gets hugged repeatedly? (I should make Mel get hugged more often)

Anyway. Here's the list for the ask game, if anyone else wanna send me something :)

[morepopcornplease]

✨️ 10 characthers, 10 fandoms, 10 tags

tagged by @omghost thanks hon!! 😘 sorry its an emBARRASSINGLY late response, I could only think of 5 and put it off cuz I couldn’t name 10, so honestly I’m just gonna do 5…

1. Heather Chandler: owns me atm. Have never once been a fan of just downright mean and nasty characters—never got why people really liked Catra or even Regina George—then this bitch strutted and sang her way into my life and I have not been the same since. She steals every scene. There are 2 beasts inside me, one that wants her to become a better person, and one who wants to keep her in character. Kicked me in the asshole to start writing fanfic again. I am in love with her ghost. May she haunt me (and Veronica) forever. 

2. Gideon Nav: just barely wins out over my beloved hideous bone witch, because I don’t think I would’ve gotten into The Locked Tomb at ALL if we hadn’t started from Gideon’s POV. Butch. Goofy. My personal gym motivation. Smarter than she’s given credit for. Unexpectedly noble. I love her choice at the ending of the first book, and get hideously upset at folks who say it was a nice gesture and certainly meant a lot in relation to #griddlehark, but was ultimately pointless in the face of [x]’s setup and lies. I refuse to believe it doesn’t matter, or that every either/or is a false dichotomy that can be turned into a both/and, as is popular in recent narratives. No. Gideon’s choice mattered, and not just as thematic or romantic relevance. I fckn WILL BE VINDICATED in Alecto.

3. Edalyn Clawthorne: owl mama. Aspirational. Love her voice and her snaggletooth and her penchant for adopting weird kiddos. Great disability metaphor. The type of old surprisingly foxy hag I hope to become. 

4. Kara Danvers: pretty sure the last time i answered one of these, I chose Lena Luthor, whom I still love! But I think Kara won out today because of her duality. I have always, always loved characters who use their sunny optimism to hide and avoid their trauma and pain, and Kara has that in SPADES. On a personal level, she inspired me to try getting back into working in news again, after a bad internship that included covering a school shooting that left me horrified. I think now that the show’s over, I really appreciate Benoist’s acting more and more, especially in the earlier seasons when everything felt so fresh and new and delightful. She is pretty, she is handsome, she is traumatized, she is hopeful, she is grieving, she is joy personified. 

5. Glimmer: the real complex character of SPOP, and the majority of fandom didn’t even give her a chance. The greatest fusion of the Feminine Aesthetique and Pure Raw Badassery. She is both confident AND anxious, combative AND kind, reckless AND fearful, selfish AND selfless, the prettiest magical princess AND an absolutely brawler, and all of these traits play off each other seamlessly to continually raise the tension. I will literally never understand why the fandom shoved her to the side. Her season 4 arc is a juicy highlight of the show as she deals with grieving her mother, taking on the role of queen far too young, and her tension with her strongest soldier, her right hand, her friend, Adora. Plus her character re-design in s4 onwards? 😘👌. She is my Queen.

tagging @monstrousgourmandizingcats @autijacen @consoleyourself @itsallwearecalledtodo @feenyxblue @summerfly-blues @cheshirecatslovetoo @mongrelmutt @just-a-lost-princess @imluvnit​ @soldier--poet--queen​ and anyone else!!

[a-shakespearean-in-paris]

F and M for the fanfic ask game?

F: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

this is always tricky for me because I write a lot of dialogue. i think that's where stories come to life. That being said, this is a one shot i wrote about a year ago, Cullen and Lydia dancing at the Herald's rest (nsfwish,) From this fic

He doesn’t realize he has voiced his thought until she asks him how. But of course. She’s a woman of details, though he had only the thought and the notion. But she’s a woman of a thousand good stories, a woman of only the best trouble, and his. He sees no reason at all why he shouldn’t inform her of how, or even a reason why not.

“Here.” He says.

“On the floor?”

He smirks. “As if we haven’t.”

“It hurts my back.”

“Alright. The war table.”

“It also hurts my back.”

“Mine as well, but only after. But it’s alright. You’ll be on top. I can make the sacrifice.”

“Your Inquisitor and lover appreciates your service.”

But I would hold you, he promises, as you ride me. You’d sink against me for a bit and I’d hold you close, and I wouldn’t even turn my head to see. I’d feel their eyes but I’d mostly feel you. I’d feel you with so much of me that the part of me that should protest is a mockery.

“I’d look,” Lydia says. “I want to know everyone who loves us.”

I like this for a few reasons--I love exploring themes of what it means to be watched, what it means to live a public life (this is in my original fiction as well) and writing romantic banter is always my favorite. Plus I love couples just openly talking about sex lol

M: Got any premises on the back burner that you’d care to share?

Two. One is an Ada and Leon fic, wherein Ada comes to Leon after he sends her a message telling her he needs her. She eases his anxieties and his troubles and they act a little like lovers. My second is a cullen and lydia fic--partially inspired by that dancing scene in third class in Titanic (I actually started drafting it when I saw the rerelease in February) and partially inspired by that scene in the Witcher 3 hearts of stone DLC where Shani and the Vlod possessed Geralt go to a wedding. Essentially Cullen and Lydia go to a wedding of two of Cullen's soldiers, they get to be normal and show up for their people, dance, have a blast, and wonder when it'll be their turn to just be regular old normal people

[fordarkisthesuede]

I got tagged by @fractualized - and I had to think about this for a while. Sorry for the delay, frac'! I pretty much felt like this all week (lol):

GIF by lostwithoutmyboswell

Ok, so we're gonna start from #5, because I decided to rate these like a loon:

#5:

Birth. Starting off on the disk horse topic of HP fanfic. Listen, regardless of how I feel about the series now (which is messy, to say the least), there's one thing I still can't help but love about it...and it's not only tiny, but half of the reasoning behind it is of my own making. It's Peeves the Poltergeist. I LOVE Peeves. He's my favorite character type - short, temperamental, powerful, 90% humor and fun, inhuman, and neither a Good nor Bad guy. I rarely used to read HP fic back in the day, but I noticed that for such a big fandom, he never had much to his name. (And what I did find was...disappointing for me.) I reread the series in 2015 for the first time in a while and did some Deep Thinking about him. What his limits are. How he's presented. Where he even came from. The bare scraps of canon and Word of God (distasteful) material pushed my buzzing brain to write about him, and eventually churned out this little origin story. I wrote several one-shots surrounding him, but this is my favorite of the bunch. In my eyes, it's simple, short, and effective in storytelling. So I like it. (^_^)

#4:

The Whole Nine Yards. Yes, my current WIP is on the favorite list. It started off as a sex-romp list, because I had too many positions and kinks I wanted John and Bruce to try. It first grew into showing Bruce/John as a couple at home, because my main fics in the Perseverance Project series don't get to show them being all lovey-dovey as much as I'd like. Then I added a few dashes of angst for character building. Then it evolved into including what AtBoM skipped over (for various reasons) - visits at Arkham showing their [growing] love and trust rebuild post-S2, and showing different sides to them.

So what we have now is: "Two guys in love met in an asylum 2.5 years ago, and less than one year after they first met, one keeps coming to visit the other. The visits' subjects are then related to current day, where they finally live together like a real couple, with all it's ups and downs, and sexy results". It's a mouthful, I know. ;D But I think it works!

It's great to explore all these things and essentially back-track a bit versus rewrite any part of AtBoM. Plus, I get to mumble about something that always interests me in this 'verse: Bruce's relationship with his parents. To go from loving them and putting them and their deaths on a pedestal to look to for inspiration to keep going on being Batman, to learning they were the biggest criminals in the city and a key reason while he's even having to be Batman... That's gotta affect how he looks at things. Like, I mentioned Bruce's dislike of his house in AtBoM and TToJ, but here it's full-force. It was a mausoleum for their memory and now it's just a means to an end. He doesn't consider it home, or even rightfully his. But John living there with him makes it a home. Their home. :')

Also, I feel like I'm playing a decorating game and a dress up game with it! Kind of like The Sims, I guess. xD John's room and summer wardrobe are fun to craft as I go. (Don't worry, you'll get to see John's classic outfit at the end. For...reasons.) Plus, soon* you'll see Bruce's bedroom revamped!

#3:

A Ghost Too Far. Disk Horse, part two. Peeves is the one thing I still wistfully sigh over and go "ah, what could have been"...all while knowing that I took the bones of my blorbo and crafted him a full body myself. It's been 7 years since I started writing this particular story, and it clocks in over 230K words. As things are now, I have no idea if I'll ever actually finish it, for a myriad of reasons. So to make a long story short (HA!):

Out of the hundreds of thousands of HP fanfics, and the handful that had Peeves as a character, I found Peeves had no proper big epic romance story of his own and decided to make him one, combining it with one big exploratory setting of How He Is, all set in 2003/2004. His destined romantic partner is an American witch (queue eyeroll), acting as a one-year-only DatDA teacher (queue harder eyeroll), who I can describe in modern** terms as a gender-non-conforming adult punk who is absolutely fascinated with ghosts. She makes it a point to study the castle ghosts, especially Peeves, as poltergeists are super rare and physical ones are apparently unheard of outside of him. She makes a deal with Peeves that he can break just about anything she owns and annoy her all he wants, in exchange for information on how he works. Which I worked out via the aforementioned HP reread and lots of Deep Thinking as literally by feeding off of (aka absorbing) magic from humans, like his "relatives" the Dementor and Boggart. Unlike them, he primarily eats high energy feelings of "anger" "sadness" and "excitement", because he was created in a castle with children who can have powerful feelings of all three very easily. Is this theory of mine presented in canon? Who fucking cares anymore, the author's dead in all senses but literal.

It might not be finished, and it might never be, but writing out this monstrosity of a theory while getting a guy like Peeves to fall in and explore love for the first time holds a special place in my heart. Because not only does Peeves reside permanently in my brain (I'm pretty sure he's the Writing Gremlin who suggests those "this is what goes painfully wrong" scenarios), but so does Dandrane, who I hand-crafted to be Peevesy's romantic partner. I love her. I owe her. Her favorite color is hot pink; because of her, I have gotten over my old feud with the color pink. I wrote her to be 30 while I was then 24; after a while, nearing/turning 30 no longer bothered me. I wrote her to be cool, confident, and a little horrible. Because we all have that bitchy little voice in our head sometimes... The desire to break something without consequences... The need to have our anger recognized rather than ignored or attempted to be placated... Dandrane is a wonderful vessel for these feelings, even after all this time.

She's my cool girl. My tall bean. My silly little flamingo. I want to put her in an enriched enclosure and watch her with a set of binoculars.

#2:

At the Brink of Midnight. My most popular fic is second-place in my heart, at this current hour. (Ha!) For reasons I'm sure you long-time readers already guessed, that I have mentioned time and again in it's author notes: this fic was FUN to make!!!

The Halloween setting! The fresh takes on Scarecrow and Poison Ivy! John recreating Joker! Bruce rescuing John! Bruce finally hugging John! THE CONFESSION SCENE! A rave scene in a graveyard!!! Batman and Joker teaming up to kick ass!!!!!

It's! So! Great!!! It's not too long, but still a big novel-length! Easy to read and get lost in! It presents an original character who carries the possibility of redemption! It hits all those story beats I craved to see for a Season 3! Hell, even now I'd be hard pressed not to expect to see Dr. Crane in any potential sequel we'd get IRL!

Are there things I'd change? Sure. But nothing major. I'm still happy with it, even 4 years later. Maybe part of my love for it is also a desire to be able to pump out 110K words within a few months again...

#1:

The Tolls of Justice!

Is it my most popular fic? Nah, it's #2. But it's my #1. The king of my heart. It took 2-and-a-half years to finish, in no small part because 2020 was a bitch. And despite the frustration at writer's block, despite the silly errors that I still need to go back and fix, and despite the time it took...God, I LOVE it.

Whenever I reread part of it, I get sucked in and read more than I meant to. I know the majority of the little notes I made, but whenever I read one of the tarot hints I can't help but go ehe he he. I read John's breakdown in Arkham, and his transformation into what is his final form of vigilante!Joker, and I still tear up. I see the theme of a writer playing God, of having a defined inescapable ending but proving that choices still matter, and just sit with it in utter delight.

I have many favorite moments: Tiffany and John's day out, the entirety of the Wayne Gala, John and Iman's investigation at the theater, Batman's descent into the Court of Owls' secret lair with Robin... But I have a favorite bit. It's the kind of thing I giggle over while kicking my legs in my seat.

So in Chapter 12, Batman and Joker are having a few moments together before the Big Battle in the high tier of seats above the main floor/"stage area", able to watch the Court of Owls' mock-trial below. In theaters, the highest tier is sometimes known as "the gods" seats.

As my version of the CoO has their whole thing built on "our God wrote down our destiny exactly and the Evil God keeps causing chaos to interfere", and considering the DC multiverses and that Batman and Joker are constantly in them, and as Bats and Jokes are generally simplified as "Order and Chaos"... They're figuratively 'gods' in "the gods" seats watching the show below. ౧(*മ് ധമ്)੭ु⁾⁾

As for WIPs, I only have 2 at the moment. I use OneNote to write all my ideas for it (when I'm actually writing them down):

As you can see, I have sections for The Whole Nine Yards (abbreviated "W9Y" in notes only) and the untitled "BtTTS S5" below. (The "After Hours" is just IRL work notes, when I had to use my personal PC for work in 2020, and "Noir "is literally a list of film noir movies I'm keen to watch. I've been really into them lately!)

Right now S5's notepad only has 2 sections - the Thinkbox and "J Tech". The Thinkbox pages are pretty much the brainstorm dumping ground...but TWNY's is actually laid out rather nicely, like this. I'd post a screenshot, but then this post would...uh, turn nsfw... (; ' o' )

Right now, the only WIP word docs are here, in my "BtTTS - The Perseverance Project" folder:

As for tagging...hm. Um... Since it was frac' who tagged me... I choose @distort-opia, if they're so inclined! (And anyone else who wants to!) Edit: I am a fool who does not reread properly. 😭 Sorry hun, you already did it! So field's wide open!!!

*at the time of this posting, TWNY Chapter 7 is still in progress. It's 2/3rds of the way done! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

**at the time of writing the story in question, the term "gender non-conforming" was not known about as widely as it is now; basically, I knew what it was without knowing what it was called.

[sol-consort]

I don’t really write for stuff that I don’t have OCs in because I just find it easier than writing with pre-established characters since I know everything about my OCs and I don’t have the fear of mischaracterizing a character accidentally.

Plus I think if I did write for Once it’d be a fix-it fic that’s fixes so much it’s a completely different story and not even about Once lmao.

The only fandoms I have stories planned for that have a lot of focus on pre-established characters are Far Cry, Fallout, The Outer Worlds, and Mass Effect which is apart of The Outer Worlds story but an OC is the protagonist of most of those stories.

Actually I think the only fandoms that I have stories planned for where the main focus is majority OCs is Star Wars and Baldur’s Gate/D&D.

If I were to ever write for Once it’d be finishing the Frankenstein storyline that they never finished even when the actor came back.

A good Fairytale x D&D thing would be Dimension 20’s Neverafter season which did a really good job and is an inspiration for A Bard’s Plague although Neverafter is heavy on the horror elements while I’m sticking with just the fantasy elements. You can only watch Neverafter on Dropout though but the first episode is on their YouTube.

A Fairytale crossover thing I wanna try out is A Wolf Among Us. I do plan on doing a noir story for A Bard’s Plague but that’ll be its own separate thing in like a 1920s/1940s version of the D&D world because to me I don’t think a true Noir setting can fit into fantasy like how Victorian England or Wild West America can because it’s a little too close to modern days for me.

Dimension 20 used to be my favourite! Especially Brennan as a DM, he is really creative and fun! I used to think dnd was all serious and boring. Critical role just didn't hit it for me no matter how many times I tried, but Brennan made DnD look very fun and colourful for a beginner while critical role felt intimidating.

I used to be subscribed to dropout bc of it but also found really good shows. Eventually, I drifted off and didn't watch it anymore, so I cancelled it. Might reinstall it to see what's new.

And yeah I get the fear of mischaracterisation, but it is one of the investable things you have to swallow when writing any fanfics. No one will ever be true to the source material no matter how much we try, especially if you're one person and the source has a team of writers. Not a single one of those writers could nail the character on their own and they'd need the whole team to make it come alive.

It's a bitter truth we all have to accept eventually that our favourite characters are viewed by us through many lenses and biases. We can't understand them fully and we can't give them justice fully, we can't fly too close to the sun we may only skirt by and do good enough.

Each writer has a different spin on each character. I found out that I tend to make characters softer, more gentle, and lonely when I write them. I flush out their inner vulnerability more, focus on the thoughts inside their brain rather than their own dialogue more. I put a piece of my soul in each one of them.

And it makes me happy, the way I portray them. It's not everyone's taste and that's fine. It's my own spin on them to make them more desperate, more lovestruck and put an emphasis on their emotions. I rarely add dialogue unless absolutely necessary for the scene to progress.

I say find your own spin, there is no correct way to write it. You'll always mischaracterize the character in someone else's eyes. Sometimes the shows itself do it to their own characters. Even the writer teams are still human by the end of the day.

Perfectionism is a disease that kills creativity and keeps you stuck in a prison of your own mind's design.

It sneaks up on you too, you never notice when did you start caring for this and that until you've spent three hours on the same scene because the way the character says a particular sentence just doesn't fit at all.

Let them say the damn sentence, to hell with it all. Worst people would do is click away from your fic, and 90% of them weren't even gonna leave likes even if they enjoyed reading it so save yourself the headache and make life and writing easier for you.

Standards should be for how much you enjoy the piece you've written not for how much it meets a list of requirements.

Also oh my god you like star wars and I have been making fun of star wars nonstop. Ofhwofhd I am so sorry, I have never actually seen any of the movies, I don't know anything about it. It's just a bit I keep doing for the gag and nothing else.

A wolf among us, is that the tellatell game? I loved it before! The concept was so good even tho I don't remember the plot by now, it's been years.

Talking about fairytale spin offs, this reminded me of an old cartoon movie about little riding hood.

This one on youtube. Hoodwinked

It blew my mind as a kid, I was a huge detective conan fan (still am but shh) and making it a murder mystery with all the plot twists and characters just made my brain melt.

Nothing will ever compare to the rush of being around 10 and seeing this movie for the first time.

Actually I'm gonna go watch it again, fucking masterpiece. Give it a try if you have an hour to spare.

[excalisbury]

okay I'm curious 📚 and 💌 for the fic rec meme :)

Ooooohohoho these are good ones! (from this post)

📚 A fic you wish you could display on your bookshelf

This one is so hard because if I had the time and energy I would either ask my friend-who-is-a-professional-bookbinder for book-binding advice to bind like all 420 (nice) of my bookmarks or pay her to do some of them. Alas... I will just have to dream of my fic bookshelf.

Anyway. I will narrow down the list slightly for now. And keep it to one fandom.

So for bookshelf fic, I feel like you have to go for things that you would recommend to almost anyone. And I do have a relatively long list for that, honestly... but we do not have time for the whole thing here. So here is my top 5 bookshelf fics, a tragically short list, with reasons for each:

The Space in Between by @whatevertheweather - As I noted in my ao3 bookmark, this fic absolutely destroyed me but in the way a really painful loose tooth hurts so good. Also it's the perfect chunky 100k length for a good looking novel. And I would rec this to pretty much anyone. Like... can be read outside the fandom. Plus I cannot help but imagine it with the fanart @cutestkilla drew of it for the cover 👀 and that would be some hot shit.

Local Hero by BasicBathsheba and breadofgod - this is a masterpiece of the ban and bread partnership. It was coming out at the start of the pandemic and so can bring up some painful memories, but also some really good ones. I just started making fandom friends around then and it was a bright spot to read this fic. Also I'm a jock at heart and love a good sports fic. Being stupidly into EPL for Americans is an endearing family trait of mine and I love it when my loves mix well. Also same as The Space in Between, this fic can be enjoyed regardless of fandom, imo, so huge props for that.

All this soulmate shit by half_witch - It's the loveliest tropiest thing in the best way. I can't get enough of this fic. It's made of nearly everything that makes fanfic fanfic, so why am I binding it into a real book (in our imagination, at least)? Well it's because it's all executed so well it's practically textbook. I must admit, I may not recommend this to Everyone, but I would love to show it off on my bookshelf and have it to reference.

Some Kind of Path by @im-gettingby - This fic fits in perfectly in my scifi bookshelf. It's just a perfect little taste of everything good about spec fic in one fantastical go. I imagine it bound with some illustrations I would add to it. Make it into a little poetic short story pamphlet thingy? Give it out at parties? perhaps.

When the Tides Held the Moon by @vkelleyart - I mean. Eventually I have got to have the real book when it comes out, but for now, the fic version is absolutely worth keeping like a precious pearl on the bookshelf! Reading through this as it came out was such an experience. And marveling at all of Venessa's amazing art with each chapter to boot? I live for those kind of fanish experiences. I'd love to have a reminder of this one.

Aaand I do most certainly have bookshelf fics for aftg, check please! and HP next gen as well, but I have already written a freaking essay. (Low key anyone who wants those recs can send a follow-up ask tho. I'll do another essay.)

💌 A fic that inspired you to create something for it

This one has an immediate and easy answer: rebel rebel.

I literally joined active fandom because of this fic. Even in my many years in the harry potter fandom, I was only a lurker. It took about seven chapters of rebel rebel for me to dive fully into fic art. I made my first two fanart pieces for this fandom for rebel rebel. And that was back when I just drew with pencil irl, took a picture of it with my phone, and colored that picture in photoshop with a mouse. So I have come a long way. (I had to troll thru my archives for those links. yikes.)

But yeah, reading rebel rebel as ban wrote it was an unparalleled fandom experience for me. This fic is obviously an invaluable staple in our fandom now, but I'm stuck in the nostalgia of that first read-through as each 10k+ chapter came out and we all devoured it together.

I have done fanart for a few other fics... notably,, literally all of my own fics 😅, but I'd love to give a special shout-out to Pour Some (Maple) Sugar On Me, which was a labor of love that I wrote with my friend, Liz, for @bazzybelle (my beloved). I drew at least one illustration for every chapter of this fic and they're all pretty great ngl.

[amberlynnmurdock]

Library Series (Pt. 16)

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Reader

Chapter Summary: Finally, Thanksgiving is here. 

A/N: WOW GUYS. It's been QUITE the journey since I've last updated this fanfic. I hope you all are staying safe and healthy in this madness. I've been so busy, I'm sorry it's been a while. Now that I've graduated college, I'll have plenty more time for writing and finishing this series (though there's a long way to the finish line). I still have so many hopes for this story, I can't wait to see it unfold. If you've been here from the start, THANK YOU. If you are just discovering this story, WELCOME!!! I hope you enjoy this fluffy chapter. But get ready... it's going to be a wild ride from here on out. :)P.S. Thank you for all the feedback! I recently kept getting emails about people leaving kudos and comments (more than usual) and I took it as a sign to sit my ass down and write this long awaited chapter. You guys inspired me, and I'm going to keep it up for you.

AO3 LINK

New Jersey was a place Matt hadn’t spent much time in, so he couldn’t form a picture in his mind of what it would be like. He was born and raised in New York; the city was exciting enough. His dad had taken Matt to the Jersey Shore beach a few times, before the accident. All Matt can recall are shelly sands and ice cold water.

With his heightened senses now, Matt almost shivers at the thought of the shore. But thank God you didn’t live near the beach. In fact, quite the opposite, Matt could tell.

The first sound he heard was the crunch of a leaf under his shoes. Matt could vaguely hear you tip the taxi driver and wish him a happy holiday. For once, his focus was on the new territory that was the country side of New Jersey. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but he’s pleasantly surprised at the quietness of the town you lived in.

A cold breeze passes and Matt shivers. It’s the only thing he can hear. No distant yelling like New York City has, no cars honking or subway doors opening. All he could hear was the wind, the slick pavement of the road as the taxi drove off, and the sound of your sweet voice pulling him from his thoughts.

“Ready?” You ask. Your voice is optimistic, but cautious. This isn’t just new territory for Matthew–it’s new territory for yourself, too. You can’t remember the last time you brought a boy home to meet your parents.

“Lead the way, miss,” Matt replies playfully, sticking his elbow out for you to hold. You take it graciously and lead him down a cobblestone path.

Matt can smell buttered rolls and red wine. His mouth waters at the scent, but he quickly gains composure as you open your front door.

“Mom, Dad, I’m here with Matt!” You shout stepping in. Matt tries to hide his blush–of course, you’ve told them about him already.

“Welcome home, sweetie,” your dad comes walking down the hall that leads from the kitchen to the living room. He gives you a warm hug and kiss on the cheek. Matt stands patiently with his hands around his cane.

“This is Matthew,” you introduce Matt to your father. Matt holds out his hand and smiles.

“Pleasure to meet you, sir. You can call me Matt,” he says.

“We’re happy to have you join us, Matt. Usually it’s just the three of us. It’s nice to set a fourth dinner plate. We’ve heard a lot about you, so hopefully you live up to the standards we have in mind. My daughter speaks very highly of you,” your dad jokes. You glare at your father.

“Dad,” you say sheepishly. Matt smiles. He’s pleased you’ve talked about him, and he thinks your bashfulness is adorable. The overwhelming urge to pull you in for a kiss washes over Matt, but like your dad said, he’s got to be on his best behavior.

Matt laughs, “the pressure is on.”

In the kitchen, your mom is prepping the turkey. She pops up from behind the kitchen island and smiles as you and Matt walk in.

“Matt, it is so nice to meet you!” Your mom was notorious for jumping right into it, no matter the situation. She walks around the kitchen island to shake Matt’s hand. “It’s such a pleasure to have you join us.”

“Thank you for having me,” Matt says. Matt was so used to being surrounded by Foggy’s entire family on holidays, he wasn’t even phased with how outgoing your mom was. He likes your parents. It’s nice to have a small gathering. Hopefully there will be more, Matt thinks. And hopefully, it will bring you two even closer.

Matt doesn’t want to get ahead of himself.

Dinner was delicious, and conversation was fun, full and flowing. Matt never took so much time talking with Foggy’s family members because there were so many of them, but he liked the intimacy he shared with you and your family. It’s been a long time since he’s connected with someone other than Father Lantom.

Your mom gets up to clean the dishes and Matt offers to help.

“Matt, you don’t have to, really,” you say defensively and reach for his hand, feeling bad for some reason. Matt was the guest, he shouldn’t have to clean. Plus, and a part of you felt guilty for thinking this, but he was blind and… you just felt bad.

“I want to,” Matt simply says. He can hear the guilt in your voice, and the sound of your beating heart is loud in his ears. He appreciates your concern, but he doesn’t need it.

It’s just one of those things.

“Okay,” you reply, slowly letting his hand slip from your grasp.

While Matt helps your mom clean the dishes, you clear the table with your dad. Your dad tugs on your arm and leans in closely to tell you, “I really like him. Invite him for Christmas, too.”

“I want to take it easy, dad. But I’m glad you like him, too. I think mom approves as well,” you whisper back as you look over to see your mom laugh at something Matt said. The scene warms your heart.

After cleaning was done, your parents surprised you that they’d be going downtown tonight. You had an inkling that they were being nice and giving you alone time with Matt, since they’ve never went out after dinner on Thanksgiving before.

“So you’re going to what?” You ask as you and Matt follow them to the front door.

“Just the pub downtown, they’re opening only for the night so the neighbors invited us out as a town Thanksgiving celebration. You guys will be okay here? You can show Matt where he can stay,” Your mom explained as she and your dad put their coats on.

“Oh okay, well, have fun! Be safe. We’ll probably be asleep by the time you get back,” you say, starting to feel nervous that you and Matt would be together in your house alone. The thought was exciting at the same time.

When the door shut, the air in the room changed between you and Matt. It’s like you’ve been waiting all day, all weekend to be alone together, finally. You stand facing the door for a moment before you look at Matt.

“I’ll show you where you’ll be staying,” you say softly to Matt. He has a ghost of a smile on his lips and nods his head. He follows you upstairs with his bags.

You lead him to the guest room which is directly across from your room. You switch the light on and grab Matt’s bags, setting them down on the mattress. It’s a dimly lit room. The bed is a queen size with cotton sheets and a quilt.

“It’s cozy in here,” Matt says, smelling an unlit vanilla candle on the dresser. It reminds him of you. He can only imagine what your room looks like.

“It is. You know, we don’t have to say goodnight just yet. Let’s hang out in my room for a bit,” you say as innocently as possible. Matt nods his head.

“I’d love that,” he says in a soft voice.

The walk to your room felt like miles. The growing anticipation was too much to bear. Your heart was pounding. You had been with Matt alone so many times before but this time was different.

You’re taking him to your room, the room you grew up in and the room that has changed from time to time as you got older. It felt like you were entering a new phase with him and the thought was intimidating because you couldn’t exactly get a read on how he was feeling about all this.

Your room looked exactly like how you left it months ago before the start of the fall semester. Your bed was made and everything was put away–your records, clothes, books. You felt Matt behind you and turned to face him.

He immediately meets you with a kiss. He pulls you in around your waist and lets his cane drop to the floor, like he was dropping the facade he had around your parents. You could tell he was waiting all night to give you a long kiss like that. Suddenly, you thought you had an idea of how Matt felt about all this.

You pull back from his soft lips and smile, “thank you for coming tonight.”

“Thank you for having me,” Matt says in a deep voice, “I’m sorry. I’ve been wanting to kiss you all night.”

“You could have; my parents are cool like that,” you say with a smile.

“Not with the way I wanted to kiss you,” Matt quips.

“Oh,” is all you say with a smile. He was really sweeping you off your feet right now. And that’s exactly what he did.

Laughing, Matt gently places you on your bed and joins right next to you. You look at him and smile.

“You’re really making yourself at home, huh,” you joke with him.

“It’s easy with you, my dear,” Matt replies.

“I really hope you had a good time at dinner,” you say.

“I did,” Matt answers honestly. “I really like your family.” You notice he still has his red tinted glasses on. Without asking, you take them off. He doesn’t object.

He turns to look at you, his gaze falling shortly below your chin. For a moment, he takes in his surroundings. Across from your bed is your dresser and on top of that, a lavender scented candle that’s unlit. He can tell you have a lot of books from the smell of the pages.

Branches of a tree rub against the windows from the wind. Being this close to you is even more intoxicating than the red wine you both shared at dinner. Matt could get lost in your senses but being in your room with you on top of that is downright exhilarating.

It’s nice to be alone, with you, Matt thinks. Away from school, away from New York City, away from all the problems it comes with–he thinks being away with you is something he’d like to do more often. It’s safe being away. It’s easy to be with you, being away.

Laying down on your bed, in your room, with you was just the escape Matt needed from what felt like the weight of the world he’s been carrying lately. He wishes the weekend could turn into a week, a month, a year, forever.

For now, he’ll be grateful he gets to spend even a second in your presence.

“I’m sorry I got defensive before,” you say, the thought and scene still bothering you.

“It’s okay,” Matt replies. There’s honestly nothing you could do to make Matt upset, “I know I’m blind, but I’m still capable of doing things normally. People tend to forget. They wonder how I get to class, how I know which dorm is mine, how I–“

“–simply live life,” you finish his sentence.

“Exactly,” Matt sighs.

“Well, I didn’t want to be like one of those people,” you tell him, turning to face him on your side. “I know what you’re capable of.”

You have no idea. Matt felt bad that he was partially lying about the blind thing. Of course, he’s actually blind, but there's much more to what he’s actually capable of doing. He pushes the thought aside. He doesn’t want to be a mystery to you.

“You? Like other people?” Matt scoffs, “You are nothing like anyone I’ve ever met, sweetheart.”

You smile, swooning at him. “Happy thanksgiving,” you say.

“Happy thanksgiving,” Matt replies. He leans in to kiss you on your forehead. “I’m grateful to have met you, ___.”

You kiss his lips and rest your head on his shoulder. You thought tonight would be full of chatter, but instead, you relish in each other’s company in silence.

That night, Matt doesn’t bother to move to the guest room. You close your door and join Matt in your bed for a restful sleep together. You fit snug against his strong and warm body. He wraps his fingers around yours and whispers something in your ear, but you've already fallen into a deep sleep before you could hear what he had to say.