#also i’m gonna make a tag for this au because i wanna explore it more... thank u to everyone for tolerating me

[its-just-hyper]

Welp. @th3ratk1ng said they wanted all my opinions for bnha on that ask game( made by @/fintan-pyren) so

♥️the most egregiously mischaracterized character is either Izuku or Uraraka, easily. Many other common mischaracterizations are presented as aus or specified tropes (example: ao3 tags like ‘Bad Teacher Yagi Toshinori | All Might’ or ‘protective Bakugo Katsuki’ however Bakugo is also often overvillianized or oversympathised as well)

But Izuku was hit very very hard by fandomization/underswap!sans treatment/cinnamon roll too pure for this world/smol bean/woobification and while it’s gotten better as internet culture has left that, a lot of the older fandom content is like that. And Uraraka is a woman. So. Of fucking course fandom can’t handle her. (I might be biased cause I fucking love both of them. I feel like mischaracterization is hella common in this fandom in particular)

🧡a popular serious theory I disagree with is that I disagree with is Izuku and Shigaraki being related. I know, those are my blorbos ever, but yeah. I think their story (and purpose as character foils) is more compelling if they are unrelated, emphasizing that Izuku was ‘just some quirkless kid’, not somehow related to That Mess ™. (Trying to be vague for spoilers sake I guess but. Yeah.) I do enjoy the theory that AFO gave Shigaraki his quirk, but I have no stance on if it’s canon or not.

💛a popular ship I just can’t get behind fucking hate so much is fucking. Kaminari/Shinsou. Fuck that ship oh my god I can’t stand it at all. Literally no offense ever at all to shippers I’m not gonna go into y’all’s spaces and shit on your joy but I cannot stand this ship at all. It feels like they’re only shipped for their tropes and the fact that they’re both “leftover” from the shipping and also both boys. Like… I understand the parallels to erasermic but erasermic is so much better and you can just ship shindeku instead COUGH UH—-

💚I’ve already talked about Izuku quite a bit sooooo. Something that everyone else gets wrong about Shigaraki is that he isn’t just one thing. The fandom separates itself into “Shigaraki Tomura is evil and scary and intimidating and a threat” and “Shigaraki Tomura is a loser gamer nerd failure of a villan” and ALL OF THIS IS TRUE!!!!!!!! Let my boy be the contradiction he was made to be. He is intimidating AND immature and tactically smart while being a fucking nerd pleasepleasepleaseplease he is so much better if you let him be both

💙characters that I find not that hot? Dabi is not that hot. Yaourozu is not that hot. Aizawa is not that hot. Bakugo is not that hot. Todoroki Shoto is not that hot. Kai Chisaki is not that hot and has a stupid hairline. Uraraka is not that hot. I don’t think I find any of the characters actually very personally attractive, but that could be the aspec talking.

💜(opposite of above question) see previous.

🤍oh great peaks this is the question of the fandom, huh? “Character that isn’t as morally bad as everyone seems to think”? Well I. Don’t wanna start a fucking grease fire um. Okay this doesn’t really fit the question but. A common trope (especially for fics about Midoriya fix-its and getting justice for our favorite whump protagonist) is making All Might WAY worse than he is. Same with Midoriya Inko. Fics with either of these tropes are fine and good and I actually like a lot of them, but I always find it the best whenever the complexity of the situation is addressed.

Like. Sure, you can punish All Might for being a Quirkist asshole but it’s much more compelling to punish him and let him grow for his Quirkist actions brought up from his own trauma and seeing Midoriya through that lense. Sure you can punish Inko for not believing in her son enough to lie for his sake, or you can have the Midoriyas explore how even though her actions come from love, she hurt her son. Because mother/child relationships are ALWAYS going to be complicated.

🖤Which character isn’t as morally good? Fuck it, ALSO All Might. I don’t like it when All Might’s faults are completely glossed over. (sometimes in response to people doing what I talked about in the above paragraphs, sometimes just for that sweet sweet “Parental Yagi Toshinori | All Might” tag) As is. Probably a noticeable theme, you can put All Might in a good/familial/positive/heroic light while also acknowledging and letting him and Midoriya grow from his faults, and I actually prefer this significantly.

💖im not sure what constitutes as an unpopular opinion that I agree with, as I haven’t interacted with the modern fandom much, but here it goes. Villain!Midoriya Izuku is a very very very compelling idea, BUT most fan interpretations of it are very bad. You don’t need to vastly mischaracterize Midoriya to turn him into a villain, THATS why the idea is so appealing. As I’ve said over and over “pleasepleaseplease have more complexity in your bnha fan content PLEASE stop turning these characters into cardboard cutouts when there is SO. MUCH. POTENTIAL.”

💔Oh this one is hard as fuck, isn’t it. If I absolutely had to remove a major character from the series, it would be Gran Torino. AND SHUT UP I DONT LIKE THIS BUT HEAR ME OUT. Letting Midoriya figure out One for All without Gran Torino’s help would’ve been equally compelling. And shhhhh I’m not sure what constitutes a major or minor character in this show so I just picked someone important.

💕an unpopular ship that I like is Midoriya Izuku/Tokoyami Fumikage. As you might be able to tell, I have a habit of subbing in popular “broody/bubblegum”/“darkness/sunshine” ship dynamics to include Midoriya cause he’s my favorite 1A kid. And also I read a few really good fics for this due to Tokoyami content deprivation.

📖what book I would remove from the series had no answer

🏳️‍🌈again, I don’t really know what characters are commonly headcanoned as queer in the fandom, so here’s my maybe controversial queer bnha Headcanons. You will see a common theme. Arospec Midoriya, aroace Todoroki, gender nonconforming lesbian Yaourozu. Biromantic ace Shinsou, and uh. That’s all I can think of off the top of my head, I don’t usually make gender/sexuality Headcanons since I can’t even make one for myself—-

💀I would kill off Endeavor cause I want him dead, or I would kill off All Might. I wouldn’t LIKE IT, but it’s probably gonna happen eventually and I can see why—-

[catchingpapermoons]

top 10 fics by kudos

hi it’s me @drysdaales :) so my top ten kudos’d fics and whether i agree with where they’ve landed? i’m going to play a little differently and bc i have apparently been writing for a long while (am i old?) i’m going to take my top 3 kudos’d fics from from my most recent fandoms and just put those in order of kudos (plus a bonus fic to make ten) so here we go! ty @hard4softthings for the tag i appreciate u ❣️ under a cut (hopefully pls mobile)

10. you’re alive (so alive) (jatp | gen fic)

agree/disagree: i’m choosing disagree only bc this is one of the best things i’ve ever written and it wasn’t appreciated enough. sometimes we all need to explore grief through a children’s show right??

9. too soft for all of it (hrpf | jdtz, slice of life + h/c)

agree/disagree: i have zero complaints about this fic and i’m proud of myself for this being my second foray into hrpf fandom. to all who read and enjoyed, i see u and thank u kindly for giving her love!

8. you’re the only one my heart keeps coming back to (jatp | reggiealex, non-ghost college au)

agree/disagree: i’m gonna disagree on this one but that’s only bc it reads a little too much like a soap opera to me. but i’m glad it found a home where people enjoyed :)

7. wherever you stray, i follow (jatp | phantoms poly, canon compliant)

agree/disagree: yeah i love this one it feels right to be here

6. wanna feel your heart (hrpf | mat/tito, multiple universes)

agree/disagree: i know why it landed and i see the appeal in it and i went back and read comments on it the other day and was just pleased as punch to see how people interpreted it! i wrote this fic in 2018 (!!!) at a time where i was going through something heinous and i was so young and just wanted to be in control of something. i’ve done better work since, but i love her for what she is.

5. so quiet in the world tonight (hrpf | jdtz, idiots taking care of a baby)

agree/disagree: yes. wholeheartedly. tbh i reread this fic sometimes bc i love it. i wrote this shit for me and she unironically slaps

4. here everyone knows you’re the way to my heart (rnm | malex, spec fic, bonus fic bc i love her dearly)

agree/disagree: i do agree with this one though it’s placement as to how many kudos it received is wild to me! i’m immensely proud of this fic and i loved what i wrote here.

3. you remind me of home (oh, baby, merry christmas) (911 | buddie)

agree/disagree: i have no idea what y’all saw in this but good for you! it’s a silly little christmas fic TO ME but for some reason i get kudos and comments at all times of the year. thanks cuties

2. across our great divide (a glorious sunrise) (911 | buddie, therapy as a plot device)

agree/disagree: i love this fic so much. the reaction to it was so cool. i loved the insane amount of comments i got telling me how masterfully i’d written bc i love hearing i did a good job but i also loved people telling me how it made them feel.

1. when i was shipwrecked (i thought of you) (911 | buddie, canon-adjacent)

agree/disagree: i have no idea what made this one hit for you. i am SO happy it did, but it’s insane to me. i love that you love it because its made ME love it more. this is my most kudos’d fic and it’s bonkers bananas to me !!!

extra bonus! a fic that deserves more love is dance for all that we’ve been through because i wrote 61k of an entire ballet au and relived all my old ballet trauma and this girl did NOT get her flowers :/ to date it’s probably my best work and it’s ok that it didn’t get received as well but also… it’s good ok!!!

tagging my bbs @smileymikey @inthekitchenmp3 and uhhhh whoever else wants to lmao

[cumbiazevran]

[Belated] End of the Year Fic Writer Round Up

tysm @aria-i-adagio for tagging me! I’m tagging @nightgnome and @transfenris-truther but also anyone else who wants to jump in.

Overview. I need to get better at posting things and being consistent with my own writing.

During 2022 I begun two different Dragon Age related works: And The Lovers, Do They Dream? which is a retelling of how Arviraven Lavellan, Inquisitor and Dorian Pavus fall in love in my own canon. I also began writing, and have posted updates, of The Song of Dirthalath. It shouldn’t be news that I’m compelled by the Elvhen Pantheon, so I decided to write an explorative piece that follows an unrecognised member of said pantheon (Dirthalath, a companion of Dirthamen).

For that piece alone I can’t not mention @atypicalacademic: Kani, my beloved, I hope the day I stop learning things from you is the day I day. Long live to our federated republic of Bharata-America brand of dialogue we have going on for both the ancient elves and current Thedas. Love that for us.

My Nanowrimo project is not DA related, however, but if you like my writing please give it a shot. It’s called “As The Covered The Sun With Swords They Had Bloodied, I Found Your Eyes Like A Worship Song of Old”. This is a spin-of of a pirate au by @ilyamatic but it is meant to stand on it’s own as a completely original piece. It is, in fact, the first original narrative piece I publish/post anywhere. It is also a gift for my friend @valhallanrose.

The story follows Aelius Anatole Radosevic, Inti Ankuwilla, a mixed Quechua man who works as an accountant for several Pirate clients and falls in love with Tamryn Olenev, a Polish, Ashkenazi inventor and chemist.

Other finished works include (those which have been posted will include a link):

Death in the Family, the backstory of my DND oc Frazier Arnell

Nettle, for Cruelty, a Charlie Hawke fic

Words written (published or not, WIPs included!): I tried to count them and I failed miserably. I want to think they’re around the 75,000 mark.

Smut scenes.  Unsure of the number but my favourites to write in 2022 have been:

Anything I’ve written for Anatole and Tamryn.

There’s one particular fic I have not published about Tia (@atyipicalacademic’s) and Dirthalath that lives in my mind rent free

There’s a particular scene in The Song of Dirthalath, between him and Dirthamen where the latter Redacts the living hell out of the former bc they’re neurodivergents in love  

I wanna write this year one of June and Sylaise, tho

New things I tried. Publishing something lmao (Worship song of Old), Nanowrimo, “And The Lovers, Do They Dream?”. This one because the writing style is gothic romantic and has a lot of magical realism which is NOT my strongest suit, but on God I will write it.

Fic I spent the most time on. The Song of Dirthalath and Worship Song

Fic I spent the least time on. Audacious Hearts or The Tale of the Champions, and anything that involves my Wardens. I just spend more time on them

Favourite thing I wrote. A WORSHIP SONG OF OLD. THIS IS LITERALLY MY FAVOURITE THING I HAVE EVER EVER WRITTEN.

Oh, and this epistolary from Dirthalath to Dirthamen

Favourite thing I read. Making me choose is violence but I’m gonna be hyper specific here. Kani Atypicalacademic wrote a bit of his Navin Cadash meeting my Arviraven, where the guy straight up kisses his hands, anchor and all, within the first 10 minutes of knowing him bc he’s thankful about Arviraven helping his brother and BROTHERS IN DRAGON AGE IT HAS NEVER LEFT ME.

[spelllingandthemysteryschool]

hope this isn’t weird but i’ve been thinking abt the band au, specifically yanqing bc like, when the band first forms they wanna try out some songs in front of a tiny group of friends so obv yanli is there and that’s not the first time she’s seen wen qing but it’s the first time she’s seen/heard her play.. anyway i have Thots, hope ur doing well!

OH… i love this so much i love it 😳 before they get the band together yanli only knows wen qing peripherally as one of wwx’s friends & they haven’t really spoken before… but then the band practices for the first time and wq is soooo good like she’s super talented and her presence is great and she’s glowing so beautifully under the lights in that tiny room & it clicks in jyl’s brain that wow this pretty med student she only sort of knows is like Super Cool actually… and they have a small conversation after that first show & both girls go home & can’t stop thinking abt each other :-)

also i want wangxian to not have gotten together just yet so they can get together as the band grows & their music develops… OH and lwj writes a lot of the melodies & wwx writes most of the lyrics… jiang cheng has an unfortunate crush on wen qing at the very beginning as they’re starting out & then wwx is like oh hey look. jiang cheng you’re the only straight person in this band :-) because lwj is gay and wen qing is a lesbian and wwx is bi & that’s how jiang cheng finds out he doesn’t have a shot (he isn’t straight either but he hasn’t figured that out yet)…

anyway one day after practice, jc goes out for a drink with nhs & wwx and lwj leave together & wen qing needs to get home to her brother so jyl offers to drive her… & that’s when they start talking for the first time and Properly bonding.. anyway. i like this au so much thank you for this 🥰💗 hope you’re doing well & staying safe too!

[mickules]

Are you gonna do tumblr plus? Because you’re my favorite blog but I’m broke and have no money 😭

Oh. . .Oh nooooooooo

HA, yeah, no fear, I'm not signing up for tumbl's li'l scheme.

Art for me is a definitely a passion, but I've zero plans on monetising it at the moment since I'm lucky enough to make a decent wage driving trains. I don't even have ads enabled on my youtube cos making money from fanworks is a copyright nightmare that I don't want to navigate. That and navigating my tax return

(also tho, "favourite blog"!! AHH! you flatter me! :D)

[from this comic] @mortonmurphy Sorry for the so response there - I'm not so good at replying in a timely manner, but thank you so much for such a lovely, heartfelt ask! I totally sympathise with feeling intimidated; I've felt the same way sending asks before, it can be oddly daunting! I'm so happy to hear you liked that comic; It seems to have resonated with a lot of people and that's really so wonderful, just warms my heart! The Dangan cast have such good chemistry, there are infinite scenarios and dynamics to play with; Taka and Hina being supports for each other as survivors is a top tier hypothetical! DR + AA cross-overs are PEAK EXCELLENCE, they just fit so well together! Ace Attorney is an old, old friend to me, and I've had that [particular comic idea] sorta floating about the noggin, I'm really pleased with how it turned out :) Thanks so much! :D

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@a-lien-kai (!! Oh!! :-O high praise that it's my nonsense that got you liking Taka :D Glad you're liking this strange little AU I've been having fun with!) good news; I've drawn a little Gundham before in [this dump] ! but I'll post him here again; before and after putting on his face for the day:

[from these asks here] Oh my absolute sympathies; being born to a family of morning people is a terrible fate.

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from the [same ask dump] as the Gundham one ^ (:-) happy to hear you get smiles from my art!! thanks so much! :D) Resting Ishimaru Bitch face kills me XD, and Taka, Peko and Maki share such a similar intense energy, that I love the idea that it's a shared genetic family trait.

SORRY FOR THE DELAY THERE!! (might be a moot point, but I figure it's worth still answering!) Putting it on tumblr and tagging me should be a good way for me to find it, that's totally fine! I've also no problem with you mentioning my account name on AO3, that's A-OK by me ;) I appreciate you checking just in case. (also, gift fic!! I'm still like -> :-0!! so cool!)

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Yesssss! It's a good sign when multiple people wanna share the same fic! I love the enthusiasm! "Trinkets" by Sapphin3 has a very interesting idea; I do enjoy people exploring how those who died in the killing game might react to the consequences of their untimely deaths, (and "Touch starved" is a short but very sweet look at some Taka/Hiro step-bro interactions) A+!

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OH! I've read the first few chapters of "The Problem with Perfection" by DracotheDeathEatingCupcake, and I'm really digging the exploration of Taka as less self-assured, dealing with the anxiety caused by the constant pressure of the expectation he's under. It's got such a strong narrative voice, you really feel the stress and insecurities that Taka is fighting with, and the ending of ch.1 OOF what a GUT-PUNCH!

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I've not read Killer Killer, but as a concept; a serial killer targeting serial killers is sincerely REALLY COOL, kinda like the whole 'Sparkling Justice' background character from SDR2, and more Mukuro is always appreciated. . . Though I do feel it'd work perfectly well as a stand-alone concept, outside of the Dangan universe, I might check it out.

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I've also had some kind DMs along this vein and I'm very flattered by the interest, but I have to say that I'm not planning on doing requests or commissions, I do very much appreciate the enquiry however!

(I don't mean to single this particular asker out - especially since they don't have their own tumbl but thought it was a good opportunity to mention!)

@randomqueenkitcat1121 Absolutely Do! I hope you have a great time with it! You can get persona 4 golden on steam which is like a HD remake - the original came out on the PS2. I'll admit I've not managed to finish it yet cos I am capital B- BAD at video games, but it really explores some A+++ themes! (AHHH! what lovely compliments!! :D Glad you enjoy the dorks and their shenanigans! :D )

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I think Avatar is a good show! I watched it a lot when I was younger, as it had a ton of re-runs on terrestrial tv. The world concept and building is excellent, and it works so well with how the plot requires a world spanning journey. The characters all have real rapport, and genuine growth across the series, all wrapped up in gorgeous animation, trés bien. In general I tend to gravitate towards more 'sci fi' concepts than 'fantasy/swords and sorcery' ones, so avatar is certainly an outlier there.

[from this fanart!] These suggestions all have REAL cryptid energy, and honestly; the idea of a free-range Hooty equivalent? Nightmares

[this post] and its [re-draw]

@cicicookie12 I too live the curse of pale ass Irish skin; you have my many sympathies, and my factor 50+ suncream.

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@yaysof11037 I dunno why we're surprised - Taka's speedo is so in character it's ridiculous, how did we not all see this coming?

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OK LOOK, I DID NOT MEAN TO FLATTEN HIS ASS! There are only so many ways to draw someone FACE DOWN ASS UP in a SPEEDO and not make it the WRONG SIDE OF SPICY

Speedos leave nothing to the imagination

consider it an optical illusion.

---

In general I'd have liked to have seen more one piece swimming costumes (like Komaru's from the promo image) for the sportier/shyer girls, and more abs on our strong women which is what they deserve damn it!

However, there does seem to be some thought put into matching the characters personalities which was a pleasant surprise to say the least. Sakura, Korekiyo, Chihiro and Kiibo's are PEAK; tho' I wish Sonia had kept her wetsuit, plus we were robbed of Kazuichi and Hajime's matching camo speedos, which would've upped our disappointing speedo count from 2 to a slightly better 4 It would've been hilarious if Celeste had remained fully clothed the whole time.

Fingers in his ass never left.

(next set of asks [about parent trap au]) (previous set of asks [mostly about takaaki/hiroko] )

[loth-wolffe]

About that Fox post: i absolutely love you for writing it, thank you for that

Also, for your consideration:

- Where were you during the zillo beast attack?

- throwing a surprise birthday party for him?

- going shopping together

- I have a scenario that him dating an investigative journalist would be very chaotic, any thoughts?

- what's the friendship with his brothers like?

- why do i fell he would be good with kids? Like your nephew or something

- on that note, does he get the dad genes from Jango?

- post-war AU? in the timeline where Palpatine chokes and dies like he's supposed to

- Getting!! Married!! (eventualy)

many Fox thoughts today, many thoughts

sorry this is so long, I have little self control and a lots of love for fox. i love u so much for asking this and letting me explore what a life with fox would be like.

also I apologize for being a h*rny bitch and not controling myself, so nsfw thots are marked like this so if u wanna skip that's fine.

and uh, first I'm gonna answer the investigative journalist hc and base everything about this in that solely thought because that's a galaxy brain thing to say.

I have a scenario that him dating an investigative journalist would be very chaotic, any thoughts?

AHDJSJ I LOVE THIS. okay okay but I feel like because of this job this is exactly why you guys met, like you needed some info and you asked some shiny but he didn't know a thing and you were like "is there someone I can talk with about this?" and when he's about to reply, Fox enters in action and he's like "need anything?" but sO COCKY.

he hates journalists mostly because some of them treat the clones very badly and never talk about the casualties or that kind of stuff about war, right.

like, it would turn into this-- banter filled with sexual tension that would've ended up in a make out session if 1. fox didn't have that much of self control and two if he weren't wearing his bucket.

it'd be like

"listen man-"

"it's commander for you." a pause, "or sir."

or like

"i need to do other things if you don't mind."

"i can think of a few you could be doing right now." and the way your eyes run through his entire body, even if he's all covered in plastoid but damn you if he isn't the hottest man walking, and he actually shivers, and gulps, because it's not like he wasn't thinking about that either, pushing down your pants and railing you right then and there in that fucking filthy alley. he is well aware how his suddenly codpiece feels too tight, but you only smirk and go, "you know, like giving me the information I need?"

KDJSJ IMAGINE THE POWER. THE POSSIBILITIES.

it'd be so ridiculous, but you also caused this impression on him that when you turned away to go on your business he was dEVASTED, but he didn't want to let u know he actually liked you. He's stubborn, that man.

So by some miracle when you're investigating something, you guys run into each other bc he's on patrol or something and he's GIDDY. but also frozen in place bc he didn't think he would ever see you again, mostly because Coruscant is big and has too many people in it. and you're like

"ah, commander fox, isn't it?" and he quickly resumes to say something that shows how aNNOYED he pretends to be, but he ends up tagging alone because "these parts are not safe"

"oh?"

"you'd need protection."

and the smirk you have is sO ARROGANT because it's not your first rodeo.

"you wouldn't want to have a civvie getting killed or something on your watch now, would you?" and he clears his throat and nods sharply. and you give him this innocent eyes and bat your lashes, "my hero."

and if you think those words didn't do aNYTHING to him, you're mistaken u hear me, he's instantly hARD.

so anyways after that YOU ask him out, and he's like, stuttering and saying yes and all.

now some random thoughts on this magnificent hc.

• if it can't be himself, he would always have the men he trusts the most going on patrols around the zone you're around in case something happens.

• he lOVES when you rant about something new you discovered, and when he asks for mOre info bc he's a, how do you say chismoso?, he loves gossip??? anyways and you're like "nu huh, you gotta wait till tomorrow, foxie"

• he aLWAYS makes sure to read/see your job, either if you work for some newspaper, magazine, etc or if you're on the TV he nEVER misses it.

• if you work for the TV, his brothers are always like "fOX YOUR GIRL IS ON THE HOLONET LIKE RN!!!" and he gives them this bitch face because he kNOWS THANK YOU.

• alright but imagine going on dates with him and being like "did you know there was an investigation last year around this part that–?" ROMANCE AT ITS PEAK.

• if his shift ends before you even think of going home, he definitely joins you on your investigations.

Where were you during the zillo beast attack?

uhh, I think you'd be home, like maybe you turned in early and fox maybe didn't know, so he was almost in tears when he called you after the whole thing happened because he was so worried.

of course, during the attack, he tried to push the thought aside, bc I think all clones have this, uh, switch, that makes them not worry during missions that much? just like, have this thought here and there but nothing serious that would make them paralyzed and have a panic attack right there. but every second he thought of you and hoped you were alright.

unlike you, that were worried sick because you saw the chaos unfold, the troopers arriving in shuttles and the jedi doing whatever they were doing and you just heard destruction. you DID cried a bit and when fox called you, you cried even harder. and he was like "it's alright, I'm alright baby."

that night he hold you SO tight, whispering sweet nothings on your ear and never stopped kissing you once. you barely got any sleep because you were so afraid of waking up only to find out the other died on the attack and it was all a dream.

throwing a surprise birthday party for him?

AAAAAH THIS IS SO CUTE.

now, clones don't exactly have a birthday???? but he did all these nice things for your birthday (he and the boys baked you a cake that was sO UGLY and tasted a bit weird) so you thought you could surprise him too.

it's most likely he gives you the date when he graduated from Kamino or something and for all the years you're with him, you never miss his "birthday" at first you did something quiet, like a dinner at your place, bought him something nice, gave him a bath or something and spoiled the shit out of him.

so for the second year, you threw him a party in his office, made him this cake or whatever and decorated with red and white balloons and invited a few troopers that wanted to help you and he was stoic for a moment, but then you were like "hAPPY BIRTHDAY!" and hugged him so tight and he relaxed under your touch and whispered this small "thank you baby"

everyone congratulated him and he was a bit awkward but when they start telling all these stories of them and fox on the job, he starts to loosen up a bit, so while everyone is eating cake he hugs you from behind and chuckling lowly in your ear as he listens to his brothers.

he dOESNT like pda like I said but he forgets for a moment because he just loves you sO SO SO SO MUCH. it's also easier for him to whisper filthy things into your ear and mumble how good you are for him, that he doesn't deserve you, that he can't wait for everyone to leave cause he wants to have his present (you) nipping your earlobe and making u all hot and bothered and would def fuck you nice and hard on his desk. yup

going shopping together

imagine, jUST IMAGINE, he'd look like your personal bodyguard 😭😭 like, he'd be behind you carrying most of your bags and people would look at you wondering who are you, why are you sO important to have the commander of the Coruscant guard with you???

but like, you don't care and fox doesn't even notice, and he'd be so attentive, faking to be both annoyed and uninterested but he'd see this nice shirt or dress or whatever and grumble something like "you'd look good on this" i just-

and like when you pass by the lingerie store, dUDE, he'd make you model for him, him sitting like he fucking owns the place, getting harder and harder every time he sees you in a new pair of underwear and when you show off this cute little red set. damn.

if you go to the market or something, he'd always love to show you these things like "look at that" or just pull you towards this stall and you'd adORE to show him stuff like, "ohh, fox here try this" or "what you think about this?" and stuff like that.

what's the friendship with his brothers like?

i think it'd be very easy-going and light, they would tease you sometimes, but they really like you, mostly because they see fox isn't as stressed as before and they see how happy he is when around you.

they think he deserve it, to have somewhere where he's free and loved, so yeah.

they sometimes ask him about you and never miss a chance to say hi when you stop by the office.

the boys absolutely ADORE you.

why do i fell he would be good with kids? Like your nephew or something. does he get the dad genes from Jango?

HE WOULD AND HE DOES.

like, I think at first he'd be very hesitant when it comes to children, like he'd be nervous when you introduce him to your niece and when you ask him if he wants to hold her, he says a quick no and just prefers to watch you, heart feeling funny when you make faces at the little baby in your arms.

at some point he dOES hold her, with such care and a gentleness that makes your heart flutter, and he coos softly as she sleeps soundly in his arms, rocking her with a delicacy you thought impossible from such hard man, and when he looks at you his eyes shine with this flash of something you can quite place but makes your heart skip a beat and think of how much you'd love to have this, with him, a little family, a baby that has his curls and maybe your eyes, a mix of your skin color with his and maybe his stubbornness completed by your charisma. a perfect little thing for you two to hold and care and love.

he'd be such a good dad, but then again every clone would be the most fantastic dad bc it's literally in their genes.

if you have a nephew that is, u know, older but still a kiddie, like 5 or 6, the lil boy would be aMAZED by fox, he'd love him so much, like imagine, always asking for the commander, wanting to play with him, asking fox to carry him eVERYWHERE, and at first fox would be like, shy and uncertain and he wouldn't know how to act until he accepts the fact that this little boy really likes him and looks up to him and fox becomes The Cool Uncle™

post-war AU? in the timeline where Palpatine chokes and dies like he's supposed to and Getting!! Married!! (eventualy)

well, in my post-war AU, clones get Rights™ and get paid and have vacations and stuff, sO, maybe you get to have Fox for a little more time and his schedule isn't as bad as it was during the war, so maybe after the war you get home to a nice dinner and fox using this silly apron and sometimes you come home early just so you can cook with him.

maybe you go on holidays to these nice places, going to the beach or the woods and finally settling somewhere quiet, start a family in this nice house or if you don't want kids then it's just the two of you and maybe a few pets.

i think the wedding would be officiated in Coruscant, of course, so his brothers and your fam can go, he'd definitely cry when he see you walking down the isle or when you put the ring on his finger and he'd be so so so happy, dancing with you all night, being so clingy because he's just Over the moon, y'know, kissing your cheeks and neck, whispering how lucky he is and how much he loves you, and how good you look, never leaving your side and always leaning over with pouty lips for you to kiss him.

when he proposed it was during one of your sweet, soft times with him, maybe in the aftertaste of your sexy times, as he holds you close to his chest, fingers running up and down your skin, as he stares at the ceiling and the question comes out as if he were talking about the weather, his heartbeat is slow and steady and it's one of those times he feels confident and sure.

you have talked about a future together, so he knows you'd say yes.

it's more a statement than a question, really.

"marry me." he would say, so quietly, almost a whisper. and when you look up you only find this beautiful emotion filling his eyes.

"what?" you just want to make sure you heard right, he'd smile softly, cup your cheek and as his thumb caresses your skin he'd whisper.

"will you marry me?"

you oBVIOUSLY say yes while ugly sobbing.

[ultimatebethylficlist]

Veteran Author of The Month: August 2021

The featured veteran author for August is none other than a co-admin right here at UBFL, @courtneyshortney82 !

Courtneyshortney82 can be found on AO3.

When asked what got her into Bethyl and what the fandom means to her, she said:

My love of Bethyl started with the hug. I was absolutely in love with the thought of the show pairing those two together. Of course a certain show runner decided that we didn’t get that, but I was already in over my head! I hadn’t really explored the fanfic world at that point, but a few years later I was running out of fics for another ship of mine and decided to look and see if anyone had ever written something for Bethyl. The first fic I read was Surprise by @leighj11. I started reading everything she had written and then explored just about every tag I could find and soon all of my bookmarks and read later lists were Bethyl. Bethyl means so much to me. I’ve made some amazing friendships because of this ship. I started talking to @im-immortal because of her fic Most Wanted and now she’s one of my best friends and the person that encouraged me to start writing and the person that reads everything I write as soon as I finish it. I truly didn’t think that I would become so active in the fandom, but now I’m part of the team that runs Ultimate Bethyl Fic List and posting as much as I can.

For her personal fic rec list, she recommends:

Most Wanted by SquishyCool 

I Will Follow You Into The Dark by Aireabella 

Surprise by LeighJ

Home isn’t Always A Place by leftmywingshome

Marilyn by wandering_gypsy_feet 

Scrubs & Grease by Piper1016

Call Me Friend But Keep Me Closer by pietromavximoff

between the beginning and the end by sheriffandsteel

Fog on the Windows by thedevilyouknow106

Magnolia by galadrieljones

Summer Hire by veecws

Linger by deerntheheadlights

What Signs Remain by lindentree

Fifty Four Days by LemonStar

Courtneyshortney82′s Works & Personal Thoughts:

In My Blood Summary: Rick Grimes had been either a Deputy Sheriff or a Sheriff since he was 20 years old, so a phone call at 10 p.m. was nothing new. Phone calls like this were part of the reason he now checked the Divorced box when filling out paperwork. But this call was the first to ever make him feel like he had ice coursing through his veins. "Rick, it's T… you're gonna wanna get every man you got to the Greene Farm, but you gotta get to Beth." "How bad is it?" Rick asked T-Dog. Theodore Douglas was Hershel Greene's right hand man and he wouldn't willingly request for the cops to come to the farm if things hadn't gone south. Rick also knew that if T was telling him to get to Beth, it meant the youngest Greene was in danger. "Hershel’s dead - that's all you need to know, man. You promised the old man if this ever happened, you’d protect Beth. So play cop later and get her the fuck outta Georgia!" If T-Dog had been capable of slamming the phone down, Rick was sure he would have. Thoughts: This was my first fic I ever attempted to write and the first I posted. I think this will always be one of my favorites because it was the first time I really put myself out there into an unknown situation. I love my little mob AU world. I can’t wait to finish this fic and take everyone on the journey that I’ve had in my head for the past two years. 

Gracie Summary: It wasn’t just the blonde hair. But those same pale blue eyes, same pale skin—pale skin marred by scars, but still perfect. They’d put her in sweats like they’d done to him, but hers were clean and light pink. Still had that fucking handle on the back for one of those assholes to lead her around. The look on her face was most likely a mirror image of his own. Shock. Trying to figure out if the person in front of them was real or just an effect from being stuck in this place. Thoughts: This one has been such a surprise to me. I still can’t believe the response that I’ve received. I was afraid to even mention this idea that had been swimming around my head, but I threw the idea out there and it went from a fic I might write one day to the fic that I had to get out. It’s quickly becoming my most popular fic and I’m so grateful to everyone that has been reading and responding!

The Perfect Gift Summary: Convincing Merle to join them to pick out a tree had been easy. She offered him dinner and a new bottle of Jack Daniel’s if he would help Daryl get the tree loaded on the truck and set up in the house. She also planned to get him in on the decorating, but he didn’t need to know that part yet. Merle was all bad words and crude phrases, but underneath it - when he let down the guard he’d built up - you could find the child that still lived inside of him. Thoughts: My first one shot! This was all about Merle. It definitely has Daryl and Beth, but Merle takes the stage and made me love writing him! I also learned I like to write stories to make people laugh!

Early Arrival Summary: He let go of one thigh to put an arm across her hips, pinning them to the bed, while his other hand went to the back of her thigh and pushed her leg up higher, opening her up wide to him. Beth dug her nails into his scalp and his answering groan vibrated through her. Fuck, she wasn't sure she could get more aroused --but this man was doing amazing things with his tongue and she felt like every nerve in her body was responding. Thoughts: I was always afraid to write smut, but I finally did it! This is my favorite smut I’ve written. I wrote it based on a request from @im-immortal​. I had no idea it would be a certain kink a lot of us shared.

Roots & Wings Summary: There's something about the fresh Montana air early in the morning. Especially in the fall, when there's a bite to the wind. This was Beth's favorite time of the day. Sitting on the wrap-around porch in the rocking chair her granddaddy had made for her grandma when her dad was born, the blanket her mom had crocheted for her wrapped around her shoulders, and a strong black coffee in her hands. The heat of the mug keeping them warm. Thoughts: This was an idea from @raginglittlehurricane​. We both love the show Yellowstone and noticed the parallels between Daryl and Beth and one of the couples on the show. A fic just had to happen. All I can say is - Cowboy Daryl! 

Who Let Dog Out Summary: Opening the door, the answer to one of his questions was answered. The damn dog couldn't be barking in the house because he was sitting outside. On the porch. Looking very pleased with himself. He'd also brought along the leggy blonde with the big blue eyes from across the street. Thoughts: I wrote this for the Ultimate Bethyl Fic List event - Matchmaker Merle. I always intended for it to be a one shot, but I kept getting requests for me to continue it. I also fell in love with this universe and just couldn’t tear myself away from it so now it’s a multi chapter!

[shrinkthisviolet]

2021 Year-End Fic Review

Taking advantage of @thinkingisadangerouspastime’s open tag! Thanks for giving me a reason to ramble, Amy 💞

Also, I’m only counting posted stories as complete! And I’m counting fics individually, since only my -Week series (2 out of 8) are technically complete.

How many stories did you complete?

This year, I completed 25! Most are oneshots, but two are multichap 🥰which is a first for me!

What is your total word count for the year?

144188 which is...wow 😂 that’s crazy!! And it’s all of my works except 11 (7 from 2020, 1 from 2019, 1 from 2016, and 1 posted in January of this year that I don’t count because it was written in 2019)

What fandoms did you write in this year?

Ooh well ATLA of course. Also Cobra Kai/Karate Kid, Ted Lasso, and the Flash! And I’m gonna try to sneak in something MCU-related in the last few days of the year (emphasis on TRY). There’s a Star Wars fic in the mix too!

Did you write more, less, or roughly about what you expected?

More, but honestly, that’s only because my fanfic impulse control is close to 0 😂

What’s your own favorite story of the year?

This one, because the CK time travel AU as a concept has grown and bloomed into something amazing 💞 it’s how I’m coping with whatever decisions they’ll make in S4

Though a close second is this Empath Daniel fic, because I’m really proud of the worldbuilding 🥰

I also love this Evil Zuko fic 😂 it’s so hard to rank my fics!

(The Bumizumi time travel AU will join my list of favorites soon! I just haven’t gotten to the really fun part yet)

What is your most underappreciated story of the year?

...okay I know I said I don’t count this fic...but screw it, I’m counting it. This Jyn & Leia fic was one I quite liked! It didn’t get the reception I was hoping for, which is a shame, because I definitely think there’s room for these two to be friends within the bounds of canon

Biggest fanfic-related disappointment of 2021?

Hmm...honestly not many? I mean, there’s this series (for Nina Shelley, my Ted Lasso OC) and also this one (for Morgan Wells, my Flash OC) but...not much has really happened in either series yet, so I’m not too surprised. It’s mostly just been set-up (or pay-off without build-up 😂)

Biggest fanfic-related surprise of 2021?

Honestly this Roykeeley & Jamiedani fic, which I actually posted yesterday for a Ted Lasso Secret Santa! It’s blown up more than I expected, and I’m so grateful for that 💞 it wasn’t my favorite fic, and I definitely felt a little imposter syndrome while writing it, but I’m glad people like it! Especially the recipient, which was definitely great to hear

This fic (exploring Barry’s grief in the wake of 3x1 aka Flashpoint) also surprised me–two authors in the fandom who I love dearly loved that fic, and were moved by it, which I’m glad to hear! I wasn’t sure if I was writing Barry and Harry (and grieving, generally) quite right, but I’m glad it worked

Something you’re looking forward to working on in 2022?

My OCs with series (Morgan and Nina) are gonna get their series fleshed out! Amelia, a new OC of mine for Marvel/MCU, is going to get her own series (again, 0 fic-related impulse control 😂)

Other than that...my CK and Bumizumi time travel AUs are steadily chugging along.

I’ve got a couple House of Anubis and Flash oneshots planned! One of the HOA ones is coming in early January (there’s a hard deadline for that one, which is why I can promise a posting date 😂)

Some more Spidey-related oneshots (NWH-related) are coming next year too! That movie really has me in a chokehold

Also...CK S4 fix-its are definitely coming, because I don’t trust this next season very much (some of the things I’m hearing make me nervous...like how they’re gonna treat Sam)

And I promise I’m getting back to that ATLA Soulmate AU at some point next year! Not sure when, but at some point. I’m proud of the worldbuilding for this series, and I wanna explore in the sandbox more! And if anyone wants to run with the worldbuilding, feel free (just make sure to gift it to me and give inspo credit, because I’d love to read it!)

Tagging: @seek--rest @robbykeeneslawyer @connorswhisk @blackaquokat @usaonetwothree @starstruckpurpledragon @squireofgeekdom and anyone else who wants to do it!

[palavapeite]

Hark! a fic meme

Monsieur @fol-de-lol kindly tagged me to share my wip folder! Thank you, sir! 

Now my WIP folder is a little sad because I’ve had basically zero creative writing energy in the past year. All of these wips have been simmering on the backburner since early 2021, except for the secret ones: 

- Eat Pray Love: a post-canon exploration in which Segundus goes a little feral. Is this entire fic a weird coping mechanism/outlet for my own depression and burnout? you’ll never prove it.  

- Miss Segundus, spinster: uh... a bit of an experimental thing in which Segundus is a woman, told in letters and diary entries. idk where this came from, but it was fun experimenting how it would change the novel.

- cabin on the moors fic: to solve a secret magical problem, the johns must shack up in a cabin on the moors. yeah. that’s it. 

- Secret project #1: my rarepairs fic, cannot share title or details for obvious reasons 

- Secret project #2: a rarepairs-related idea based on another prompt I was given, so saying anything would absolutely reveal who my giftee is. but i am intrigued. not sure it will ever really happen, but i still have hopes! it might possibly top the brewer fic in terms of WTF.

- The thing on the shelf (abandoned, lbr): I barely remember what this was about, it was some AU in which Norrell collects antiquities and Childermass runs his antique shop as a front...? IDK. there was something on the discord at the time.  

- Minutes fic (also abandoned): the establishment of Starecross as a school, told in minutes of various board meetings. I have entirely lost the will to make this work, it’s too close to everyday job things.  

- childermass & beauty (more like notes than a wip, really): this came to me while winding yarn; I hope to maybe one day have a use for it in some project. it’s just a bunch of sentences about Childermass and the forms of beauty he’s encountered in his life. 

This was fun! Thank you so much for the tag; I’m not gonna tag anyone else because I have no idea who’s been tagged already and who hasn’t - if you read this and wanna do it, go ahead! 

[metfell]

Metfell bestie i have been inspired by the anon and i now ask for your top 5 FFs you reccomend. No matter the genre, just favorite FFs.

oh god yall caught me at the WORST time i cleared out my entire ao3 history the other day like. 65 pages of fic history just poof gone

my favorite dsmp fics so far (minus passerine and the orphans path series i love them both but obviously theyre good) are:

Promised Land, an IRL magic au with Ranboo as the main character, but focuses on all of SBI and Tubbo, and doesn't have dream as a villain which is good because you'd expect that from this kinda fic! It's very good but if you have religious trauma you may just wanna be slightly careful. Nothing much! Just a bit.

Cross Platform my beloved <3333 the author recognized me in their comments so hiiii author ur fic makes me happy!!!! It's got a similar premise to The Waking World Around us aka "oh fuck what happened why are we in minecraft holy shit" but it has SUCH interesting worldbuilding for the in-game universe I keep getting more and more intrigued! And this isn't really a spoiler it's in the opening tags so: there's a neat bit about players getting glitched and becoming mob hybrids, and that's how I believe we're eventually gonna get raccooninnit, goat tubbo, and enderboo! Good fic it's pretty long though, which while I enjoy that, it may be a read for some people!

And while I'm not normally into Dream Redemption Fics, I really enjoy this one: Call this World Home, it's a fic where Dream, thanks to XD, is trapped within the barriers of the arctic commune, mainly Ranboo's house. It's really fun because Ranboo grows a spine in this, and we get some good Techno and Phil content, and it also explores Dream's relationship to the server itself because he created it and everything. It's good!

[jiaraforeverr]

Friends to Lovers in Canon Universe

I'll be the light and lead you home (when there's nowhere left to go) by @homebody-nobody and @hmspogue

“Hi, Dad,” he says, his heart pounding, his veins already humming with fight-or-flight adrenaline. He can feel his brain kicking into overdrive as his body is tensing to prepare for whatever comes next. Keep your voice down, his mind reiterates, reciting rules that governed years of his childhood, learned the hard way and necessary for his safety -- for survival. Stay an arms length away, nod and agree, don’t tell him no, respond with “yes sir”, keep your voice down for as long as possible, and get out before the yelling starts at all costs… But, now, in the midst of this frantic inventory, a new rule makes its way into his consciousness. Stay between him and Kiara.

baby, it’s halloween (we can be anything)

JJ tags along with Kie as she goes costume shopping but she leaves the store with much more than she bargained for.

The Haunting of Crowley Manor

After spending the night with JJ, going to Sarah's Halloween party at an abandoned, and allegedly haunted, Kook mansion is not high on Kiara's list of things she wants to be doing. When the Pogues do some exploring, what they find is unsettling at best. Even amidst all the pandemonium, Kiara would really just like to clear the air.

you wanna play with fire (stick and poke tattoo) by @homebody-nobody

'JJ chews on the information she’s given him, tracing his fingers down her arm, over the curve of her elbow and back up to her shoulder. “You’re still gonna go home, right?” He asks, uncertainty and maybe longing in his voice. She realizes, then, that of course she is. Her parents love her, even if they don’t know how to show it, don't understand what the Cut and its inhabitants (and one in particular) mean to her. Of course, she’s going to go home. Because JJ doesn’t get to. Because she still can.

touch me someone by @homebody-nobody

He pulls away from her, and his eyes are wide but dry as his chest heaves. He looks wild, uncaged and raw, the moonlight turning his blond hair white and his blue eyes into pools of silver. Tragedy and shock have destroyed him, the chains he’d wrapped around his brash, heedless, unending want twisted into shards by an explosion of hurt and grief. He has always been the victim, the boy left behind in empty rooms with nothing but loss and bloody fragments, told to piece himself back together. Finally, they’ve taken the last thing. When he told John B they had nothing to lose, they still had each other. And now, he doesn’t even have that. But she’s still here.

A Midsummers Night's Scheme

Kiara really doesn't want to go to Midsummers, and this time it isn't just about the socioeconomics of it all. When she runs into someone she was hoping never to see again, she enlists the help of JJ, who might already be more involved than she would've ever thought.

georgia (georgia, i love your son) by @jiaaras

Two years after Sarah and John B died (or disappeared, if you asked JJ), Kiara and JJ must deal with the return of a familiar face to the Outer Banks.

it was there the whole time

The rest of the pogues notice that JJ and Kiara are hopelessly in love with each other long before they do themselves.

because i'm still in love with you (i wanna see you dance again.)

post season one; John B and Sarah are gone, Pope is M.I.A and Kiara just wants to help JJ stop drinking so much.

lets go surfing by @simpforjiara

everything good happens in the surf

and even when you look away i know you think of me by @hvitstark

The night of graduation Kie worries about the future.

Her Boys *trigger warning character drugged against their will*

Some guy tries to drug Kiara during a kegger at the Boneyard, and her boys ride to the rescue, and then take her home and take beautiful care of her…which leads to a very unique first Jiara kiss.

five times JJ or Kie kissed the other as friends + 1 time they were definitely not friends by @simpforjiara

don't blame me for fallin' (i was just a little boy) by @simpforjiara

JJ Maybank could never just simply care about something, when it came to Kiara it was always too much

Home is Where the Puppy Lives by @tiggerusername

Four months after John B and Sarah disappear, everything in Outer Banks is strange. JJ and Kiara are hardly talking. Pope is hardly around. And storms keep coming. That is until Kiara decides to visit the chateau after work one day and finds a puppy stuck in the destruction of the night outside.

Snapshots Through Time

Just as the title implies, jumps in time depicting moments in JJ and Kiara’s lives. First as friends, then as a couple, and eventually as a family.

Don't overthink it

For the majority of the time she was not even sure she liked JJ as a person.

i don’t wanna be your friend (i wanna kiss your lips)

If she’s being honest, Kiara used to think about kissing JJ all the time. aka the five times kiara thinks about kissing jj, and the one time she finally does it.

I love you, ain't that the worst thing you ever heard?

JJ and Kiara grow closer in the aftermath of what should have been the best summer of their lives.

One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)

After spending a night with Pope, Kie runs to the person she was meant to be with in the first place.

it wasn’t special til i met you by @dayas

kiara never expects teaching jj to braid to matter so much. it does. or, alternatively, the four times kiara lets jj braid her hair and the one time she doesn’t.

every piece of you

Five places that Kie hadn’t expected to be intimate when kissed and one place she does.

if we were meant to be, we would've been by now by @alphinias

five times JJ was jealous, and one time he didn't have to be

and if my wishes came true (it would’ve been you)

the one where jj and kiara go on a road trip together and do a miserable job of pretending they’re not two idiots in love

tell me when you’re falling (can you hear me calling?)

being in love with your best friend makes vacationing pretty inconvenient. luckily for kiara, said best friend will never suspect a thing.

bare necessities by @rae-of-fricking-sunshine

the five times they were unintentionally undressed, and the one time they weren't

better date than never by @alphinias

Kiara is sick of her mom badgering her about the single groomsmen at her cousin's wedding, so obviously, taking JJ as her date is the perfect solution. It won't be complicated. Not at all.

i had a few (got drunk on you)

Kiara is a student at bartender school and JJ is helping her practice (when he isn’t hindering her by drinking all the liquor).

i'll be there 'til the stars don't shine by @maybankiara

in which the pogues throw a kegger, and jj keeps getting distracted by the feelings he might have for one of his closest friends.

What if... (Secrets are dug in the best friends' back yard?) by @tiggerusername

What if JJ and Kiara have been keeping a massive secret from the Pogues? What if JJ and Kiara were a lot closer than anyone had expected during Kiara's Kook year?

Standing On Younger Ground by @usnavisbubbly

If he really thinks about it, he knows it probably just took missing her for an entire year for him to realize that he never wanted to again. Miss her, that is. That shit was brutal. She’s his best friend and he wants her around all the time. It’s just that now, he sometimes wishes it was just them. Like, he’d never want John B and Pope to go away, per se, he just also wants Kie to himself? Or something? It’s confusing.

Bad Timing

the one where the Pogues all had a thing for Kie, all get rejected and JJ eventually finds the right time.

wish you were sober

The Pogues are growing up and following their dreams, which means it's time for JJ and Kiara to sort through some feelings.

around the world

You can take the boy out of the Outer Banks, but you can't take the Outer Banks out of the boy. when it's all calmed down, kiara travels the world. jj's not precisely an unwelcome addition.

drunk off of nothing but of each other until the sunrise (i swear to god it was the best night of my life)

The night before Kie leaves for collage JJ finally makes a move. It's the start and end of something all at once.

friends don’t look at friends that way

anyone observant can see that JJ and Kiara are clearly more than friends.

You Can Get Lost in the Music For Hours, Honey by @anniebibananie

A love story told (predominately) through text messages and a collaborative spotify playlist.

Come Down to the Black Sea Swimming with Me

JJ and Kiara try to deal with the aftermath of John B and Sarah's deaths, and find it easier together.

if this is love, i know it’s true (i won’t forget you)

kiara carrera doesn’t know when she falls in love with jj maybank. she just knows that she does, and there’s nothing she can do about it.

i want to see you stare at ceilings until you fall back asleep

jj and kie have a moment.

(au mid-season before any of that insane police chase stuff went down)

[oliviermiraarmstrongs]

mid-year book freak out tag

thank you @bloody-wonder for giving me an excuse to share my book thoughts!

1. Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2021?

It’s gotta be The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood; I hear “feminist period novel about mentally ill woman unable to cope in upper-class society” and I am THERE! It’s like [Stefon voice] This book has EVERYTHING: repressed women, a decaying old house, a complex relationship of two sisters, a pulpy sci-fi story-within-a-story-within-a-story, criticism of capitalism and reactionary attitudes and politics, commentary on how conservative society shuns those it perceives to be “other” and a threat to the social order (poor people, socialists, “unconventional” women). It is EXTREMELY my shit.

2. Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2021?

The only one I've read is Siege and Storm, so Siege and Storm! Shadow and Bone was captivating, if a little simplistic, but the sequel really fleshes out the characters, setting, and themes. It’s great to see Alina take a more active role, and I love the exploration of sainthood. 

3. New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want To?

I’m really curious about Michelle Zauner’s memoir Crying in H Mart. Same with Axiom’s End, which I haven’t really been seeking out, but it’s been resting on my list since I like a lot of Lindsay Ellis’ stuff.

4. Most Anticipated Release For Second Half of 2021?

5. Biggest Disappointment?

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood. I’ve been getting into Atwood, and I have a soft spot for female-centric retellings of myths, so this was on my list for a long time. It’s not bad; it’s decent as a character study and offers some good perspective on the hanged slave women from The Odyssey, but overall it came off as...bitter? And not in a good way. It’s reasonable to include commentary on how bad things were for women in ancient times, but after a while I’m just like “But there had to be a time when Penelope was happy, right?” But the biggest failing has to be the treatment of Helen. Why a story focused on bringing literary justice to silenced women also characterizes Helen of Troy as a manipulative, arrogant bitch who single-handedly ignited the Trojan War because she enjoys fucking people over, I’ll never know. Ironic that in the opening chapter, Penelope bemoans being used as a yardstick with which to judge other women, and then the book proceeds to do exactly that with her and Helen. Can’t let Penelope have a positive relationship with another woman! There could be some form of unreliable narrator at play, but there’s not much indication that that’s the case here. Even Homer had a more nuanced portrayal of Helen than this!

6. Biggest Surprise?

I suppose The Red Tent. I picked it up at a Goodwill because of my aforementioned interest in female-centric retellings. It’s not amazing, but I wasn’t really expecting it to emotionally affect me like it did. You spend so much time setting up Dinah’s family and this supportive community of woman within a patriarchal society, only to have Dinah abandon it all after getting betrayed by her father and (most of) her brothers. Hearing about how her family fell apart after she left and she never got to see her mothers again really gets to me. The book has flaws for sure - neither of Dinah’s romances are developed very well, and some of its themes can come off as gender essentialist - but I think it’s a nice exploration of female labor and traditions that too often get ignored.

7. Favorite New Author?

The only relatively new author I’ve been reading is Leigh Bardugo, soooooo... honestly I don’t know what I can say that hasn’t already been said, I got into the series pretty late. Great world-building, witty dialogue, a familiar type of story with enough interesting ideas to make it feel fresh. Check out Shadow and Bone if you get the chance. Sound of the summer.

8. Newest Fictional Crush?

You would think it would be Nikolai Lantsov since I just finished reading Siege and Storm and he seems to be the fan favorite... but nah, not yet. He’s fun, but he doesn’t hit me in that way (Though very sexy of him to just casually proposition Alina and Mal for a royal polycule, a la Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot; would love an AU where they accept his offer). However, I would let Zoya murder me. Every time Zoya is not in a scene I am asking “Where’s Zoya?” Also shout out to Alina, just because I would treat her better than all the men in her life! 

9. Newest Favorite Character?

Gonna try to do this without spoiling too much, but Laura Chase in The Blind Assassin really resonated with me. Her personality reminds me a lot of myself, especially as an an autistic person, like the way she has her own way of thinking that makes perfect sense to her, but makes other people see her as odd and naive. I love how she’s set up in-universe as this Sylvia Plath-esque tragic heroine, with Iris spending the rest of the book interrogating and deconstructing, and in a way, reconstructing this image of her. Atwood you’re insane for this. I forgive you for the Helen thing now.

10. Book That Made You Cry?

I never got as far as crying, but the part in The Goldfinch where [spoilers incoming] the art heist goes wrong and Theo is alone in the hotel room and he’s spiraling and considering suicide and finally dreams of his mom… all that was too much for me and I had to put the book down for the night. This guy just can’t catch a fucking break.

11. Book That Made You Happy?

fucidjdjdj I didn’t read any happy books this year. Shadow and Bone and Siege and Storm because I read them really fast unlike my usual months-long reading schedule.

12. Favorite Book Adaptation You Saw?

Predictably, Shadow and Bone. I basically bought and read the book less than a week before the show came out because I thought it looked interesting and wanted in on the hype (mostly because Jessie is cute 🥰). Honestly, the show improves a lot on the first book; the multiple storylines make it more dynamic and complex, the actors really help to make the characters feel more fleshed out, and Alina and Inej interacted for like three scenes, introducing an unexpected but thematically rich ship.

13. Favorite Review You’ve Written This Year?

14. Most Beautiful Book You’ve Bought So Far This Year?

I impulse-bought this book of Romantic poetry at Barnes and Noble just because it was pretty and I had a gift card

15. What Books Do You Need To Read By The End Of The Year?

Besides finishing The Grisha Trilogy/Six of Crows duology/Zoya’s duology that I forgot the name of….I don’t know. I’m not a reader that plans in advance. I acquire books, finish whatever I’m currently reading, look through my stacks deciding what to read next, spend an hour doing so because I can’t decide if I’m in the mood for any of them, and either force myself to read one or buy/borrow a new one.

I’m tagging @betweenironyandsilver, @illuminaticns, @borispavlikovskys, @chdarling, @sctine, @mightyaubs, @excuseforadrink, and @trckstergods, if you wanna! Or anyone who wants to yell about books.

[sledgefuweek]

Each year we take a close look at the prompts for Sledgefu Week, for those who may be stuck for ideas or not quite sure about what the prompts could entail. Below the readmore are all seven prompts, as well as a short write-up exploring what they mean and some ideas to help get the creative juices going. Enjoy!!

Sickfic

This is a really popular and well-known fanfic trope that I feel probably needs little explanation, but I’ll write a little bit about it anyway! It essentially covers fic where one character is ill and the other cares for them -- it could encompass any kind of illness at all, (including chronic illnesses) and there’s a lot of room to get creative with it. You can go for angst, hurt/comfort, or fluff: it’s just a really good general prompt that I think works nicely to kick the week off!

It suits for Sledgefu pretty well, considering Snafu’s canon mild hypochondria, as well as the fact that Eugene’s dad is a doctor. It could be fun to lean into it: make Eugene play doctor for an actually-sick Snafu, and it could be just as fun to subvert it! There’s really endless options for canon fic: shrapnel wounds turned bad, heat-sickness, seasickness, illness from bad food or bad water or any kind of tropical disease you can think of (malaria is a big one!). You could make one of them (or both) a medic; you could genderswap them and write the gay field nurse fic this fandom sorely needs. And of course if you choose to branch out into modern AU you can begin to think of what might afflict them outside of a war setting: has Eugene been working too much and come down with a cold? Are they hungover, and need mutual care (and lots of takeout)? A lot of the time sickfic focuses on one character doing the comforting and the other character feeling unwell, but there’s nothing to say they can’t both be feeling shitty! I think we say this every year but there’s really no rules at all, you do whatever you feel inspired to do. With Sickfic, just be mindful to tag anything that others might be affected by eg. vomiting, blood, needles, etc.

Tarot

I feel like Tarot is pretty well-known to the Sledgefu fandom, or at least to those who like to write Snafu or his family a little witchy. In case you just have a vague idea of what Tarot actually is and what its purpose or origins are, I’ll explain it as concisely as I can! Tarot decks started life in Europe as playing cards, but eventually began to be used for divination. It’s made up of four suits, or the Minor Arcana, (Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles) as well as a twenty-two card Major Arcana (the imagery of which you’re probably very familiar with). Commonly, tarot decks and tarot reading is used as a means of communicating with the higher self, deities, or with the universe. They can be used as a way to see the future, answer questions, or to give/receive advice. There are different ways of reading them too, depending on how one lays out the cards: I don’t want to make this too wordy, but if you’re curious I encourage you to check out this site to learn more!

For writers, there’s a lot of places this prompt could take you! Probably the most obvious will be fortune teller fic; a classic. Lean into Snafu’s Louisiana roots and have him telling fortunes in the depths of the French Quarter, or go against the grain and have Eugene reading cards and palms and tea leaves as a practice passed down through his family. Or maybe more casual: modern AU Sledgefu flirting through amateur tarot readings with a deck picked up from a junk shop. If you read Tarot and have a connection to it, you can express that through writing! It’s a pretty open-ended prompt, especially if you consider some of the meanings of the cards; you could even write a story inspired by that! The Hermit: Snafu withdrawing, leaving Eugene on the train to spend the next few months in solitude, working through things. The Moon: Snafu and Eugene hitting a rough patch, hiding things from each other. The opportunities really become endless once you start taking the readings of the cards into account! And for visual artists, this must be such a fun prompt: I feel like it’s so a visually rich, whether you’re re-drawing the cards to encompass Snafu and Eugene within them, or making a collage based around some of the things mentioned above: fortune tellers shops, witches cottages, etc.

Trinket

Every Sledgefu Week we tend to have a couple prompts that are a little more open to interpretation, and this year’s ‘Trinket’ is one of those. It might be difficult to try and think of something to base a whole fic or piece of art around, but we really encourage you to let your imagination run wild! There’s already some great trinkets in the show itself: Eugene’s ring, the lighter that Gunny Haney gave him, Snafu’s stolen gold teeth, or their dog tags. Think of small, special objects that you might have: what imbues them with comfort or meaning? What makes you love them? You could have Eugene giving Snafu his ring, or have Eugene musing over war and death and loss while smoking a cigarette lit by his lighter. If you’re into Modern AUs, how could these objects carry through to modern day? Once you start thinking about it, the ideas start rolling in. Feel free to invent special trinkets for them: or maybe trinkets that they hate and want to get rid of, trinkets that remind them of bad times. Trinkets that remind them of each other, or family, or war. So much meaning can be held in the things we own, and I think it’s such a lovely concept to explore!

Crossover

So this prompt was born from the sheer number of suggestions we had for various movie, TV, and book AUs. We didn’t want to put them all to the poll and risk a lot of you feeling disappointed over the one you wanted not being selected, so thought it’d work best to condense them into a ‘Crossover’ prompt so everyone could do whatever they liked. So this is a very very broad one! It would be impossible for me to really go through the prompt and highlight some things that you could do for it, because you can really do anything you want to! Anything! It encompasses movies, video games, TV, books, musicals... if something tells a story, you can do a crossover. So if there’s ever been a film/book/etc. AU you wanted to do for Sledgefu Week but couldn’t quite get it to match the prompts, now is the time!

Vacation

A pretty self explanatory prompt, and one that I think can appeal to people who prefer canonverse and those who like modern AU too! Do you want to send Snafu and Eugene on the holiday of their dreams, or are they gonna be bickering in a gas station over who gets control of the map? Is Snafu gonna drive across a couple states to surprise Eugene by visiting? Is Eugene gonna do the same? There’s a lot of scenarios you can apply to the backdrop of them vacationing, and a lot of emotional journeys you can take them through! And for the canonverse crowd, you have the extra addition of letting them go have fun on an R&R, or taking a road trip post-war, visiting 1950s Paris... you can really do whatever you like!

Historical

This was another prompt like ‘Crossover’ that came from a lot of various suggestions that all boiled down to a similar thing: different historical events or periods. So like Crossover, I won’t linger too long on it (this post is long enough already) except just to say again: do whatever you’re inspired to do! There’s no rules here, you could even take everyone out of the Pacific and put them over in Germany: give them a different experience of war. In fact, you can do that with any war if you wanted to! Wanna do a M*A*S*H AU but made something else for Crossover? You could do it here! Want to put them in the 1920s? You got it. In the 1850s? Yeehaw, they’re cowboys now. 1969, Summer of Love? 1600s, make Snafu a prince? Literally the world is your oyster!

Horror

Past Sledgefu Week prompts have included things that could come under the horror umbrella (Supernatural, for example) but didn’t necessarily have to be made 'horrific’. For the ‘Horror’ prompt this year, we want to see frightening! Disquieting, uncomfortable; creations that either cross over with existing horror franchises, or lean on horrific things you come up with yourself. Horror movies, or TV shows, or books or podcasts or pieces of art all seek to elicit a sense of fear: this can be done by tapping into common phobias, or nightmares, those things which are universally and almost instinctively scary. We want to see things which lean into that, in whatever way you want to do it! 

I’m no horror media expert (not by a long shot) but the opportunities for this prompt are really vast simply because horror has so many subgenres to work with. You could go gothic horror; Dracula, Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights (a personal favourite AU -- Eugene soaked out on the moors, searching for Heathcliff-Snafu? Divine). Or you could go to the opposite end of the spectrum: Jennifer’s Body AU, Final Girl AU -- there’s no set way to do horror, in fact you could even bring horror into canonverse if you don’t like AUs. Think the Terror: some unknown beast lurking beyond the borders of their camp on Pavuvu, or Okinawa. Or you could even take the prompt entirely literally and explore the horrors of war and the toll it takes on them both. Please don’t feel stuck into needing to do Scary: horror is about fear and revulsion and dread, and these feelings don’t necessarily need to come from a haunting! (This is also a prompt ripe for monsterfucking, just FYI).

                                                - - - - - - - - - -

So that’s the prompts for this year! They’re all really really great, and have a lot of potential to make some fantastic stuff :~) And to reiterate something I said right at the start, there are no rules here! I think every year we normally get at least one person unsure whether their idea will be okay for the prompt they’d like to make it for, so I just wanna say here: don’t second-guess yourself! As long as it can be linked back to the prompt in some way or another (can literally be the vaguest way possible) you’ll be absolutely fine. We don’t vet submissions at all, especially not for their content relating to the prompts. All we ask is that you remember to stay respectful in what you’re writing, and when the time comes to post it, you tag and warn appropriately :~)

On the subject of writing respectfully, we’d like to just take a moment to link the document on mindful writing re: race and gender that was made last year. Please take a look at it, even if you read it last year! It’s always good to keep these things at the front of your mind, as fandom is a community sport and we want to keep it fun and safe for everyone involved! So thank you if you’ve made it this far through this whole post, check out the doc, and enjoy the rest of the run-up to Sledgefu Week!

[metalbvcky]

2020 Fic Year in Review

I’m waiting for my Sims game to finish updating, so I thought I’d do this since I saw @kalee60‘s post about it :) 

Total number of completed stories: 

14 (15 if you include a short 1am-oneshot I orphaned haha) 

Total number of words: 

111,575 (and that’s not including stuff I scrapped/haven’t posted omg) 

Fandoms written in:

Marvel/Stucky but also Supernatural (on my main) just a tad because haven’t posted anything yet but I’m including it anyway haha 

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

Oh, absolutely! Heck, I never thought I’d write anything when it comes to fic because I’ve always kept quiet about my writing. (And I’ve been doing it since I was like 12 and it all started with my Club Penguin phase pffft)  But my interest turned into an obsession rather quickly and I honestly can say, without a doubt, that @buckybees​ is the whole reason why I even got the courage to post my first fic! I’m so glad I did because writing fic has given me a new perspective on fandom in general. And it makes me appreciate fandom/fanon even more. 

What’s your own favourite story of the year?

Pretty much all of them but Bucky's Got a Bun in the Oven? holds a special place in my heart. Not only was it my first published fic, but I never thought I’d write something like that. I go back and re-read it frequently since it’s so short. 

No lie: Sometimes I look back at that fic and it makes me wanna write a series of short oneshots with Pregnant!Bucky. Like, just Domestic Steve/Bucky living in the modern day with a baby on the way. Bucky shopping for baby clothes, decorating the nursery, having snack parties with Natasha, taking care of the baby after the birth, those sort of things. Oh, I think I just talked myself into another idea. 😂 

Did you take any writing risks this year?

Ehh, not really? However, I did write a series of crack oneshots lol. Some are crazier than others. 

Do you have any fanfic or profic goals for the new year?

Apple Pie Crumble Cake - This is my #1 goal. It’s a Bakery!AU Kid Fic that I’ve been planning for months. It’s gonna be multi-chaptered, and at least 50k. I have 10 chapters outlined and there are still more I need to get to, but probably won’t until I start writing the darn thing lol. 

I wanna start posting some smut oneshots on my secondary pseud, I have some done but I don’t think those will ever see the light of day since they’re just for practice- most of them were thought of on the spot without any outlining. I’d like to keep anything (totally) nsfw separate from my default pseud, just to be organized lol. And yes, this asexual read/writes smut. 😏 (my personal rule is as long as it doesn’t involve me, I’m good!) 

I thought long and hard on this in the past week or so, and originally I thought I’d join the Shrunkyclunks ‘21 Bang but the more I thought about it, the less I wanted to do it. It’d be my first bang, and while I have an idea, it’s just a little intimating to me lol. Soo, I’ll pass this year. Instead, I’m gonna look out for a Bingo whenever a new one starts up, since I’ll prob be more comfortable with that :) 

(Does this short lil Beach!AU count even though it’ll be done in 2020 but will be posted next year?? lolol) 

On my main, I’m writing a Supernatural + Spongebob crossover fic. Sort of like the episode, Scoobynatural. And I have a feeling that it’s gonna be turned into a series because I’m latched onto this idea- that started as a joke. 

Most popular story of the year.

Are we talking hits or kudos?? Hits, Buchanan Medical. Kudos, The Case of Bucky’s Wisdom Teeth. Eitherway, I’m so happy those two made it as my most popular stories. Buchanan Med is close to me on a personal level, and Bucky’s wisdom teeth fic is something I’ve always wanted to read but never existed :3 

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

I think @kalee60​ explained it perfectly when it comes to fics ‘flopping’ (I see this a lot on r/fanfiction) People will see it, they might like it, or won’t like it. And that’s okay! Not everything is for everyone, neither are tropes/genres. I know myself, I’m not a fan of A/B/O and the same could go for someone else who likes my personal favorite genre, hurt/comfort. And sometimes it’s kinda like an age old Tumblr saying: A post that took time and effort can get little as 10 notes but a spur of the moment post can get thousands. (Okay so, I made that up on the spot pffft) 

Most fun story to write.

Buchanan Medical, but Mercury In Retrograde was super fun since I added the whole ‘space puns/pickup lines’ aspect to it. They basically share the same AU, but they’re totally different and that’s why I love them.  

Most unintentionally telling story:

The entire Buchanan Med series. I wanted to explore Steve having asthma in a modern universe (because I too suffer from it- my whole life) and I really, truly, bled a little bit of my personal experience with the disease into the series. Having Bucky there, taking care of/treating Steve? It felt really comforting to me. And hey, write those self comfort fics!!! 

Biggest disappointment.

I hoped to finish the last oneshot of Buchanan Med this year but sadly, my motivation for it just tanked. I write hurt/comfort best when I’m in the right mood for it, and I’m still waiting for it to come back to me, whenever that may be XD. 

Biggest surprise.

The amount of reception I’ve gotten overall, the people I’ve met, the friends I’ve made, and new fandom experiences I’ve gotten to experience myself! Seriously, never in a million years did I think I’ve ever call myself a fanfic writer. But here I am, and I couldn’t be happier <3

~~~

My Sims game finished updating on the fifth question but I kept on rambling because I love taking about my writing!!! It made me realize that wow, I really did do a lot this year when it comes to fanon- especially since it was my first time delving into the world that is fanfiction writing <3 I have many hobbies, video games being the longest one, but I think I’ve spent more time writing/reading than playing games this year. My teenager-self WOULD NEVER believe that! But as the legendary Reggie Fils-Aimesays once said, "If it’s not fun, why bother?” 

I’m gonna tag you guys if you wanna do this! @buckybees​ @justice-for-plums​ @hbalbat​ @its-tortle​ @captainjanegay​ @greyhavensking​ @snarky-drabbles​ @joharvele​ @musette22​ @mysterious-marvel​ 

[wonhaebunny]

Do you have any favorite Bakugo fics you would be down to rec?

hi!! i’m super sorry that this is late, it took me a bit to compile these together hehe but here they are!!! i largely included more bakugou-centric fics because i’m not sure if you were interested in ships etc. this is gonna be a tiny bit of a long post so,,, buckle in ig?? would like to mention in advance that i have not included trigger warnings or anything of the sort. the authors do that in their fic tags already, so it seems unnecessary and i also haven’t read a lot of these fics in a while so i wouldn’t trust myself to remember all of them.

argue with gods and awaken devils by MonocerosRex

— this is a super cool little fic about katsuki being heroic in his own ways! it’s a bunch of snippets that are all lovely and it’s just a neat fic!!

too much at stake but too late to change by Chrome

— this is That fic about katsuki carrying izuku down a mountain and it’s just . so good. really goes into their friendship and katsuki’s character. i love this sm.

i can’t work like that by GanglyLimbs

— very nice fic exploring the assumptions people make about katsuki and izuku’s relationship. misunderstandings and katsuki angst, basically.

and it’s killing me by HeartfulCakes

— this one has kiribaku, but i included it because it deals very nicely with katsuki’s redemption and development and is just a very sweet and funny fic!!

solar flare by TheQueen

— very unique au where katsuki can hear the narrator of bnha! it’s a little hard to describe but i 10/10 recommend it it’s amazing :D

a textbook example of a childhood in shambles by Claus_Lucas

— another one with side kiribaku but it largely focuses on katsuki’s relationship with mitsuki and how it shaped him as a person. this fic made me so emotional, man. like,, fuck.

gotta get away by irleggsy

— this one isn’t completed but it’s just... it’s such a good fic. it’s got kiribaku and tsuchako and very shitty parent mitsuki and it’s just wonderfully written. i await updates for this fic religiously.

and i hope you know that (every time i don’t, i almost do) by fakecharliebrown

— hey uh this fic made me cry super hard :))) it’s an apology fic featuring more shitty parent mitsuki and it’s just,,,, it’s a lot. it’s very well done and katsuki and izuku’s dynamic is absolutely wonderful. very very good apology fic.

invisible scars by Sif (Rosae)

— this is a study on one of the possible side effects of katsuki’s quirk (his inability to scar) and the effects of it, and it’s honestly phenomenal. i know you’ve probably read this considering how well-known sif is, but i’m linking it anyway on the off-chance anyone hasn’t read it.

absolutely did not by GanglyLimbs

— people are assholes, katsuki doesn’t think himself capable of being loved. this one’s kiribaku again but i couldn’t help adding it.

bunny kick your teeth out by Oceanbreeze7

— katsuki takes an internship with miruko. it’s glorious.

lifeline by kousanoes

— character study of katsuki. i don’t really have many words to describe it, so all i’m gonna say is that it’s hands down one of my favourite katsuki fics ever.

the power of friendship by deviance

— still in progress but included it bc,, katsuki branching out!!! making more friends!!! this is a fic about katsuki forming friendships with more of the quiet kids in class. i will say that the bakusquad (sans eijirou) are not very great friends to him at the start, although this isn’t fully intentional on their part. this one has some kiribaku, too.

wander the dark by cloakedrabbit

— not so much a katsuki-centric fic as a katsuki-and-izuku-centric fic but,, i digress. very well written platonic fic that explores their relationship.

get mad! by AnonymousTwit

— very cute fic about katsuki and eri bonding over their trauma :)

control freak by aloera

— katsuki’s parents gets kidnapped. lots of bamf katsuki, but also lots of vulnerable katsuki growing into himself as a hero.

scorch by IcyPanther

— this one is pure angst. some of you probably know how much i love angst, but i didn’t wanna clog this post with angst when i know some people don’t vibe with it. nonetheless, i couldn’t help adding just this one fic that’s basically pure whump. read it or don’t :)

[i-am-just-a-kiddo]

Fic Writer Interview Meme

tagged by dear @vishcount 💕 am sending you a lot of love because you are doing amazing, even if it doesn’t feel like it. don’t be so harsh on yourself. and thank you for the tag, I did my best. 

tagging @cortue, @intyalote, @the-cloud-whisperer, @not-saying-revolution-but and every writer that sees this and wants to do it! 

I was rambling again so there’s the usual cut

name: here just kiddo please - iamjustakiddo on ao3

fandoms: just for shits and giggles am gonna try and list all the fandoms i’ve written for? roughly chronologically speaking, my first fic was for Kuroshitsuji and the we go to Harry Potter, SKAM, Narnia, Sherlock Holmes (unpublished), Peter Pan (unpublished) - I don’t write for any of these anymore? except for Narnia which I might return to when the mood hits. I’ve written a ton for BTS and The Untamed, and still wish to write more for Nirvana in Fire. I’ve also written for Winter Begonia, Hwarang and YYY: The Series. Current WIPs are Word Of Honor, The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty, Original Sin - none of those will probably see the light of day. I’ve also had thoughts of writing for Killer and Healer, Strangers from Hell and Avatar: The Last Airbender.

two-shot: hmm I guess my two oneshots for YYY could count as a two shot? am not sure, but I simply had different ideas and seperated them instead of writing one coherent oneshot.

most popular multi-chapter fic: my BTS Mafia AU Take Me Into Your Skin. I’m quite proud of this one because it was my first ever multichaptered story back when I wrote it in 2018 and it turned out to be over 160k words long, which is just wild? I guess I cringe at it a lot and I would change a lot about it now, but am still proud of it because I had a lot of fun and am still fond of the story. (Statistics - Subscriptions: 144 / Hits: 18319 / Kudos: 519 / Comment Threads: 83 / Bookmarks: 295)

actual worst part of writing: everything currently. I feel a little bit like an imposter doing these games right now, cause I haven’t written anything that I’m truly proud of recently (or like, this past year I guess). This slump is very hard to get out of.  Under normal circumstances, the worst part of writing is when I know what I wanna write but it doesn’t come out? and when every sentence just sounds horrible and not at all how I imagined. Also the physical act of writing is difficult because I get tired so easily and when I don’t manage to get into hyperfocus and a nice flow, it’s just exhausting. 

also coming up with summaries, fuck that. 

how you choose your titles: i’m very basic and usually use some quotes or lyrics, but recently I’ve been trying to be more creative with my titles? I need to exercise that because I truly wanna learn how to come up with my own titles that sound nice. I suck at them so much 

do you outline: absolutely. my memory sucks badly so I always try to keep an overview in my notebooks because I can’t trust my brain to remember all the important details I come up with. Working with notes is also so freeing because I’m free to do anything I want and don’t need to worry about actually writing it? I like having visuals for my stories so it feels like an anchor I can hold on to when I’m lost.

ideas you probably won’t get around to, but wouldn’t it be nice: oh boy this is difficult, because I don’t have specifics for any of these ideas and that’s why I never get around to do them? I guess bringing my Wen Kexing and Wang Zhi character studies into shape is the most doable project rn. I would also love to finish my Original Sin fic because I really want to write a proper case-fic with actual plot but am just so stuck on that and too stupid for my own criminal cases so currently I’ve put that on hold. 

An idea that I’ve had for years now is a Sokka/Suki/Toph future fic? I would ignore what happens in LOK and for some reason I’m stuck on the thought that I want to explore this OT3? I want to explore how in their adult lives, they would fit together and especially how Toph could work as addition to the relationship Sokka und Suki have? I would love to explore the individual relationships they have with each other but I’m also very nervous about it because I’ve never written for ATLA and I don’t know if I can explore this properly. 

another idea that’s been on my mind ever since Singularity dropped is a taegi Dorian Gray AU? I’ve already done a little bit of research about 19th century Korea and Korean portrait paintings because of course, I would wanna make it as historically accurate as I can manage but honestly, I feel this project is quite hopeless. I think I also have very conflicting ideas about how I should do this and if it’s even a good idea to realise. 

Recently I’ve been thinking about writing a slow-burn enemies to lovers adventure story because I have Cravings. I don’t know if this would be an original project or some type of AU for some fandom, but I just really want to write about two people on opposite sides clashing together and having to work together, forming a reluctant bond and just. exploring the progress of that? Maybe there would be horses, probably historical, or maybe fantasy? I have no idea, I just wish I could write something like this some day. 

callouts @ me: stop being pretentious. not everything needs to be existential dread. don’t project all your issues into every character you write. not every sentence you write needs to be a Masterpiece and sometimes less is more. bring more structure to your stories instead of just aimlessly drifting. learn grammar for god’s sake.

best writing traits: i have no idea sorry. maybe that I heavily rely on my empathy? but i  truly do not know.

spicy tangential opinion: I don’t have any spicy opinions I think? Just do what you enjoy. Write what you want, you can worry about what to with it after. If you want to get rid of thoughts just do it. Don’t think about how it looks to other people, because unless you show it someone, it’s your art. It’s okay if it takes time, even if it’s frustrating. Pressure doesn’t help with creating art so maybe allow it to grow organically. is this spicy enough yet? don’t let people tell you you are less of a writer because you do things differently. there are methods, ideas, guides, advice - but there shouldn’t be rules to what makes you writer. everyone works differently. and to everyone who struggles - i know it sucks but as long as you find joy in writing, it’s not hopeless. sometimes things need a break or sometimes it needs a different shape and that’s okay ❤ did I reach the level of spiciness required here? 

summing up, I just wanna send strength to all writers out there because oh boy do we need it! and sending a lot of gratitude to all the fic-writers out there that have made my nights and days more enjoyable by sharing their passion.