#also this is either an AU or has no particular spot on the timeline :3

[mogwaei]

[Codex: Debauchery with the Dread Wolf]

It was late, well past midnight. And yet, there they were, raiding a cellar for its spirits.

She proposed it. Or maybe he had. He doesn’t recall who did, but in that moment he wouldn’t have hesitated to jump into a volcano if she so desired.

He’s not sure how he ended up here. Not physically, of course, he remembers that. He doesn’t remember how he came to find himself in these situations with her of all people. She’s foul and rough and her wild crone’s cackle grates against his ears like coarse gravel. When she laughs, which always seems to be at his expense--particularly when Sera pulls her antics or Blackwall opens his mouth...she howls at the Inquisitor’s puns. Her sense of humour is about as questionable as her morals.

But perhaps most inflaming of all is her stare.

He’d known her eyes were trouble from the start. He’d sensed her gaze often, cursory and light as though she thought he would not notice. He had caught her a handful of instances, fully expecting her to avert her eyes meekly or quickly occupy herself with a menial task. But no, she locked with him like a sword catching a blow. Interestingly, after a time it had become a silent game of who could outlast the other. He was loathe to recall she had won almost every time only because his attention was needed elsewhere. And she wanted him to know she was the victor, because she’d always pull a face as he turned away, some infuriatingly childish expression of triumph that made him clench his teeth.

It did not stop there. Somehow she knew how to get under his skin in the littlest ways. Modifying his barriers in the heat of a fight, casting after he announced he would, asking him for something as he’s doing it...challenging or questioning his knowledge despite it (usually) being easy to confirm. Or maybe she really was stupid. He did concede that her mask was quite effective, so it was difficult to tell.

He could never catch her giving the same treatment to the others. Then again, she was uncannily good at slipping from notice--enough that he’d thought she was doing it by magic. He didn’t like the idea of her getting away unnoticed.

Not that...not that he paid such close attention to the bothersome midge.

Not at all, he thinks, as she pulls a cork from a dusty bottle with her teeth. Like a raccoon with a good find in the refuse.

I'm only keeping an eye on her, he thinks after they’ve shared a whole bottle in the dark, whispering like a pair of thieves. Which they are, he reminds himself as he drinks more wine.

She’s trouble, he continues after they’ve found a table in this well-stocked basement. She continues to pull bottles from shelves. She wants to taste them all. A small keg with an ouroboros stamped into the wood. A dingy bottle with a man’s gap-mouthed face on it.  A few tankards. She lights the hearth--she looks like a demon standing with the fire at her back. He thinks he’s going to die of alcohol poisoning tonight.

She’s wicked. But he’s nearly wheezing at her joke about licking frogs.

Demonness, as he slips the dirk from her boot so they can vandalise the table.

They carve out the lyrics to Tel’uth Viral Laima Ma, the most abhorred song in Elvhenan. Is this what his existence has boiled down to? Cavorting with a rival in some dark hole bored into the earth?

She drinks him under the table. She sings, terribly. He hates it, and no, if anyone asks, he didn’t hum along.

A door slams somewhere. Footsteps above. The owners are back--she’d sworn this place was abandoned! He can’t move his legs, at least not in a quiet or effective way. She’s laughing at his panic again.

Then she’s lifting him to his feet--no, she’s carrying him. She’s absurdly strong for her size. But it doesn’t matter--they’re going to be caught, he just knows it. She snaps at him to shut up--apparently no one can see them. Magic? Or stupidity?

They slip into the night, around the back. The crisp air is refreshing on his skin, his mind. Some clarity returns--then she dumps him unceremoniously against a wall. He can’t remember if they’re in the city or deep in the forest at an elven chateau. He doesn’t remember when they are.

But he catches her moonlit gaze and her crooked grin that’s as crooked as her soul.

“Wanna fight, Solas?”  

He laughs. He stammers, but no words come out. The thought of touching her sets his ears and face aflame. That thought makes him balk. But he won’t deny that the idea of a good brawl with her wouldn’t be a balm on his wounded pride. Her grin is broad as the sickle moon in the sky as she fists his shirt and swings him.

The sky wheels above, melting into a smear of starlight, shadow, and too-bright, jovial eyes.

Too bright.

The sun is shining in his face. He’s on his back and his hands are tangled in sheets. His head aches.

He turns blearily, searching his night stand for water...and finds a crystal bottle filled with a golden liquid. Why is it so shiny? It feels like it’s mocking his delicate constitution. But he doesn’t have to read the label to know it’s an elvhen hangover cure. There’s a note folded in half beside it.

Even her handwriting is terrible.

I like being rivals. Let’s do it again. Maybe the stick will finally dislodge from your arse next time. Then we can beat each other with it. I'm only half kidding.

[There’s a lewd drawing at the bottom in place of a signature. Wait. Had he carved that into the table?]

The words are absurd. They bewilder him.

“No, absolutely not. Never again,” he insists to the empty room. He falls back on his pillow, crumpling the letter it in a fist and pressing the cool crystal to his forehead.

Then he starts to laugh. He laughs until his stomach cramps. 

He’s lying to himself again.

Read more about their bastardry in “Ouroboros” on Ao3

[feather-dancer]

Trollhunters Fanfic Recommendations - Part 3

Somehow there is now a third one of these because I read far far too much fanfic and have no regrets about it. It’s with great pleasure I can also announce I’ve been digging around for Trans Jim fics and found some gems while I was at it that have been included below.

You can find Part 1 of my fanfic recommendations here!

And Part 2 here!

Plus one shameless plug for my own current fics.

General Trollhunters

(And you're my Arcadia.) - All you need to know is it’s Jilaire post Season 3 and one line in particular made me burst out laughing.

Bitter[sweet] - Sometimes the thing you need most is just a really good friend when your body plain sucks. Contains Trans Jim and is delightful.

the red book - Far beyond the humble days of Season 3 and after living beyond his human family and friends, Jim has started to forget who he was and that he was ever just a human kid.

The Halls of Arcadia High - When Strickler disappeared in Season 1, his absence was felt in many ways even in the form of a humble piano left un-played.

Not - Not!Enrique isn’t his name yet it’s what they call him anyway. An albatross reminding him of what was taken before he even had a chance to start.

On the Radio  - The final telling of the Janus Order.

Gay stories for Tales of Arcadia - Yeah I’m pretty sure you can guess where this is going, LGBTQ+ rep!

Through the Fires - There was a before time, one where Gunmar still roamed free and Deya had yet to be chosen let alone felled. These are the words of the humble witnesses of that war, from the changelings to the trolls who would oppose them.

Trollhunters: A Series of Disjointed Drabbles - This is so cute and fluffy I might just spontaneously combust.

Insomnolence - It is after the final battle and Jim has a lot of thoughts.

another tragedy - Anxiety is a bastard, it gives a lot of bad thoughts but sometimes there is a little bit of truth buried beneath it all and it whispers all about how you can keeping doing the wrong things for the right reasons. Season 2.

i will always hold you close (but i will learn to let you go) - Sometimes the hardest thing you can do is learning when to let go. Sometimes however, even when you want to they hold back even tighter. Season 2.

your eyes look like coming home - Toby has been the witness from the start of just how close Jim has been to death multiple times over and how Jim he is about the whole thing. It scares him how this time might be it, again and again. Season 2.

The Collected Tellings of Shigir and Other Changeling Folktales - I don’t actually know which category to put this under so I’m going the to heck with it route instead. Does exactly what it says on the tin for your Changeling lore needs, some of which will be off-hand mentioned or outright appear during the fantastic Terpsichore - The Comedy of the Danse Macabre - ACT I.

Please note: The main fic is Stricklake if that’s not your cup of tea, the folktales however can be enjoyed regardless.

~~~

Stricklake

all that dazzling dawn has put asunder - The sequel to in my sleep i dreamed of waking, this is filled with delightful fluff, internal panicking and the joys of trying to explain how you’re a not and how that does not change the fact Strickler is still a was. Being a changeling in these strange after times are difficult even before the other baggage involved but at least you're still here to start.

Two Pisces in Alto Mare - When in Rome as part of a study trip abroad, you meet the most curious people sometimes and  by fluke or nature you may even do so more than once.

Filling The Gaps - Possibly a bit of an unusual mention but! These are little pieces of Fallout that were going on while our eyes were following elsewhere and boy it can hurt.

Rehearsals and DvD Bonus Features - Another from the home of Terpsichore - The Comedy of the Danse Macabre - ACT I which is being listed here because it does have Stricklake in it. Some things don’t make the cut with writing fanfic, either because the plot wandered off, it doesn’t fit right or it’s some backstory you haven’t quite figured out where it can be naturally brought up yet and in this case they’ve found themselves a home. Be warned, one particular chapter is explicit and has been marked as such in warnings in the chapter summary.

~~~

Alternate Universes

(Un)Becoming - Not technically an AU in the conventional sense but I’m putting it under here anyway. It’s Unbecoming, as ever the road to hell is paved with good intentions but as Jim threw in the towel the storm that’s coming will not be stopped. However, what if others caught glimpses of a world that still had a human Trollhunter to defend it?

Steve the Kind - Steve became the Trollhunter but how the adventure unfolds differently than when Jim was at the helm might just surprise you. Very slow burn Steve and Jim that in a rather refreshing change doesn’t throw Claire under the bus for it to happen. Praise be.

31 Days in the Darklands - Strickmar that somehow kinda works?? It helps with Gunmar having the space to breathe outside of getting Morgana out and be more of his own character. Storywise, in order to rescue Jim from the Darklands Strickler broke a deal that would cost his own freedom and now has to somehow maintain a treaty between three very different factions all the while keeping his own neck intact. The intense distrust in changelings continues on to boot but hey, nobody said politics was easy.

Building Bridges - So Gunmar is distinctly of the more Eldritch variety with dream powers, the ability to easily see through lies for the true emotions and thoughts, Bular has the Insight as well to a lesser extent and everyone has somehow managed to hop onto Stricklander’s bandwagon of we must protect Jim Lake Jr. at all costs. Now the race is on as both sides try to sway the young Trollhunter to their way of thinking and the Trollmarket has no idea how dangerously badly they���re doing so far.

Lost Souls - A fic written in variable snapshots. Jim was kidnapped and changed by Merlin far earlier to be his Champion to ensure he did the “right thing” while Barbara in desperation to find her son falls into the hands of Morgana thus mother and son become enemies without even realising it.

Faithfully - Barbara died overseas and yet somehow Jim still managed to make his way back to Arcadia to become the next Trollhunter. This road is far harder for it as a seemingly homeless orphan though on the flipside he keeps on acquiring dads. Contains Trans Jim, timeline variable snapshots and I love it very much.

The Burning - There was a fire, it killed Barbara and Jim was thought dead as well. Nobody could have guessed the feral half changeling that is running around like a cryptid is the very much alive Jim.

Finding Daylight - Jim is a very low ranking changeling, terrified of Bular and his home amounts to little more than a spot in the woods. Things started to go pear shaped for him when he accidentally stumbled over Blinky and only more so when the amulet picks him after Kanjigar is felled. Tis not a kind world for a changeling child out there and he has nobody really to help watch his back until he stumbles on a potential maybe.

~~~

The bonus shoutout for an excellent MSA fic   

A Sleep Like Death - Who wouldn’t want to go visit a tower you’ve inherited apparently and has haunted as all hell all over it? Not Vivi that’s for sure. Poor Arthur is just along for the ride and then things start to get really weird when they find it’s still occupied and thinks Arthur is his jailor.

[eastonia-blog]

Let's Chat about these Reversed Aged!Robins AUs

So recently I replied to @gentlemenpaws generalask!post which said…

And I thought I would go a little into my reply to him. Because and hear me out.

I can never take reversed ages Robin headcanons and stories seriously. Without turning off my brain a little. And please, please, please just hear me out.

There is a reason why.

(TLDR at the bottom of this long post)

1) This is the most important reason. Say it with me. THERE IS NO ROBIN WITHOUT DICK GRAYSON.

Think about all other ‘sidekick’ or 'junior partner’ characters. With the exception of maybe Speedy, what are their names and costumes? Aqualad, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, Super Girl, Super Boy, Bat Girl, Miss Martian... You know, the famous ones? The ones that all based their costumes in echo of their mentors (and yes, I’m including Roy Harper here, Speedy’s costume is a mirror of Green Arrow’s - in red).

So why doesn’t Batman’s apprentice call himself Batboy? Why is his design so divergent from Batman’s? (Okay I understand there’s other reasons but I’m trying to stay in universe/lore here). Depending on the continuity, when Barbara Gordon/Betty Kane became Batgirl she followed the trend. Robin’s identity although associated with the Bat, can stand alone without context.

Why Robin? Why the traffic lights? Something that has been shown time and time again (despite continuity differences and all) is that Robin was Dick’s pet name, from Mary Grayson, his mum. Again depending on the continuity, Mary Grayson called Dick Robin because:-

1)  He was “...always bobbin’ along.” (Pre-Flashpoint Robin: Year One)

Interesting because it could either refer to his skill in acrobatics or a tendency to get underfoot because of his curiousity.

2) Born on the first day of Spring. 

Or...

 3) Just as a tease because he just really, really loved the stories of Robin Hood.

The traffic light colouration he chose for his costume, even the design of his costume? Well if you take a look at most of the Dick Grayson origin stories (Pre-Flashpoint: Robin Year One, Batman Year Three. Post-Rebirth: Batman #54 just to name a couple examples) the Grayson aerialist costume is... Red, Green and Yellow. The proportions of the colours and presence of a cape vary but traffic lights are Grayson colours.

Robin was Dick Grayson’s tribute to his dead family.*

*Part of the reason why Dick got so hurt that Bruce gave Robin away to Jason was because Bruce forgot that Robin was not his to give. This is why the other Pre-Flashpoint comics had Dick give Tim his blessing to become Robin. And then outright have Dick give the R to Damian. Jason eventually got Dick’s blessings but by that point, the relationship was never going to start from the best place.

2) Damian as the first 'apprentice’ would not work. Why? BRUCE WOULD NOT HAVE SURVIVED LONG ENOUGH. (I can hear all the cries of ’But he’s Batman!’ ring out).

Dick and Bruce met super early into Bruce’s career as Batman.

Remember how pre-Batman Bruce went about as a generic vigilante without a moniker or anything? And got his butt kicked so hard by the Gotham streets that it took a bat crashing through a window to convince him to try again?

Pre-Robin Batman was characterised by one thing:- Recklessness. He knew sooner or later Gotham was going to claim his life and that he would probably be going sooner rather than later.

He spent a lot of time recovering in those days. Maybe more than he did catching lowlifes or solving crimes.

And then everything changed when the Flying Graysons fell.

The crime that touched Dick mirrored the crime that affected Bruce. (It’s actually pretty interesting from a meta standpoint. The Waynes died in a circle of light - under a Park Row streetlight and the Graysons paralleled that with the spotlight remaining on them long after they hit the ground.)

And Bruce looked into the eyes of little 8-10 year-old Dick Grayson, and saw himself. But more than that, he (Bruce) saw an opportunity to change things for him (Dick). So that Dick would not end up like him.

(Want to know a cool thing? The reason why Dick’s relationship with Bruce is different to the approach Bruce took to Jason, Tim and Damian? Age difference. Bruce is about 14-18 years older than Dick. Putting him in that weird spot where you could simultaneously be a teen parent or an older sibling. Bruce has a more Older-Brother-Promoted-to-Parent relationship with Dick than father-son. It’s why in the Rebirth Nightwing vs Hush Prelude to the Wedding issue, Dick thought he could be a candidate for Best Man).

This is also the reason why I love Dick’s and Damian’s relationship so much is because it directly parallels Bruce’s and his. I don’t quite know what the age difference is post-Rebirth (and I tend to outright ignore the New 52 at times) but since Rebirth tends to mirror Pre-Flashpoint more than not, I think the age difference between Dick and Damian is about... 14-16 years? Again, simultaneously a teen parent and older sibling.

This is also why I don’t think a Damian as the first Dark Squire would work, because Bruce would not be in a good place to help out a child. Nor will there be the same connection that there was between him and Dick. Damian being first would probably ruin Batman for ever taking on someone in the ‘apprentice’ role.

So after Bruce (eventually, inevitably) takes Dick in, Bruce is forced to realise that he has to be more careful because he has to be there for Dick.

This is when Bruce fully embraces the amount of Crazy Prepared he’d need to be to be.

And then Dick (at 8-10 years-old! Seriously we talk about the amount of detective skill Tim has to figure out Batman’s and Robin’s identities... But we don’t talk about the amount of charisma, courage and will it takes to out-stubborn the Batman???) makes his way onto the streets (and Bruce can’t stop him so he has to help him). So now what does Bruce have to do?

There is a rule medics and first responders have to follow: Protect yourself in order to save others.

Bruce is no longer allowed to accept dying as an option (until Dick is old enough to take care of himself). This forces Batman to work situations to his advantage so Batman and Robin can both come home.

Basically, Dick made Batman evolve into the Batman we know and expect today.

Batman’s relationship with the police significantly improved after Dick Grayson debuted as Robin. Batman’s relationship with other Justice Leaguers improved after Dick Grayson debuted as Robin. Batman’s relationship with Wonder Woman and especially Superman/Clark Kent improved after Robin.

So let’s remove Dick from the lineup and stick him at the end as the youngest then. And... put Damian as the eldest son... that’s... not going to work.

Hey Damian. Where did you go?

Remember the timeline. Without Dick as the eldest Bruce can continue to be reckless. Batman was a suicide mission until Robin stepped in.

No Dick? Batman continues to be reckless. Reckless Batman? Dead Batman. The Al Ghuls and the League of Shadows/Assassins? Probably would have nuked Gotham and Bludhaven. Also Damian Wayne will not have his male genetic donor because... Without Dick Grayson as the eldest son/brother? Batman would not have survived to catch the eye of the League of Shadows/Assassins.

It is necessary for Dick to be the ‘eldest son’ otherwise the rest of Bat!Lore will not fall into place. Dick was Bruce’s more traditionally heroic foil from the start without which we would have a dead Bruce Wayne before Batman could take off. 

TLDR:

Robin was created as Dick’s Tribute to his dead family. If Dick wasn’t the oldest - Batman’s partner (if he would even have one!) would NOT be called Robin.

Bruce and Dick met very early into his career as Batman. If they didn’t meet Bruce would have carried on his reckless path and possibly DIED before Damian could even be ‘conceived’.

And that, my friends, is the tea.

Tagging @theflyingwonder as inspiration of this particular meta

[the-kitteh]

*pokes the Kitteh* You know those writer asks? *Grins evilly* Do all of them.

I SWEAR TO ALL THAT’S UNHOLY, MEG!!!!

Also @journeythroughtherain, your questions will be answered in one heap. 

1.       What is your preferred place to write (notebook,laptop, cellphone, etc.)?

Laptop when I have access to one and notebook when I’m travelling.

2.       When did you start writing?

When I was but a wee, 15 yo kitling.

3.       What is your favorite thing to write?

Romance, though I’m pretty good with crach humor fics as well.

4.      Fluff or angst?

5.       How would you describe your style?

Emotional soft with a sad and/or angsty edge. Depends on the day I’mhaving.  

6.       Where do you usually find inspiration?

It just comes and goes, like a goddamn wave.

7.       Do you listen to music to help you write?

YES ALWAYS

8.       What’s the biggest “challenge” for you as a writer?

Keep shit together. It stems from the fact I can’t write linear to save mylife so putting together a million or so scenes to make one coherent story isthe biggest challenge for me.

9.       Where do you usually go to write (bedroom, livingroom, etc.)?

I either steal some time at work or write in the living room.

10.   Can you give us a sneak peek on your current WIP?

Sure! Have some mer!AU:

“Until one day, somethingchanges. it’s almost closing time at the aquarium, and he’s been in the back ofthe tank, lingering in the shadows for the better part of the day. The visitorswere especially noisy today, constantly poking and knocking at the glass, thevibrations rattling his bones. 

He’s glad for the comfort the man-made structures ofhis tank provide, where the artificial lights aren’t as bright, aren’t aspainful on his eyes. 

Someone stops near his house and home and he grimaces,waits for the knocking to start. 

None does for the longest of time - the announcementto hurry up and leave blaring through the aquarium already - and finally, cautiously,he peeks out. There’s a boy in front of his tank, his image distorted by glassand water alike but he’s simply standing there, patient and silent andunmoving.

And so he swims out, shows himself as he is becausehe’s suddenly curious about this bubble gum-colored twig of a boy.

Once he’s up close, he sees that the boy looks likethe seashells he dreams about sometimes - he’s all cream and pink, with sharp,sharp edges he wants to test his fingers against.”

11.   How many stories have you written so far?

AO3 has 27 works, but there’s a bunch over at ff.net as well and over atlivejournal, not to mention the ones I never published anywhere. Consideringhow productive I was during my JRock phase and my anime/manga years, I think itcircles between 100-150 so not overly much?

12.   What’s your favorite thing that you ever wrote?

Ruins.

“and amidst the ruins, there was you” hands down. There are no words todescribe how much I love that story and how proud I am of both myself and thefic.

13.   How many chapters does your longest series has?

“Anywhere” takes that particular title with 24 chapters.

14.   What’s your favorite character/person to write for?

Aiveana Yumi are always a pleasure to write when it comes to OCs, and Tonyis just SO good to write for I want to die.

15.  “OCs” or “Reader”inserts?

OCs!!! I love those ;.;

16.   Can you tell us anything about your current WIP?

The one currently being posted? Soulmate AU where one part of the bondedpair believes he is soulmate-less and the other hates the concept of beingbonded with a passion.

17.   How long was the longest fic you ever wrote?

That’s…. that’s probably the Jointverse. That one clocks in with 149 528 words and I probably shouldmentioned that it covers about  half ofthe canon timeline so far….

18.   What fandoms do you write for?

Currently that’s kpop and Marvel (WinterIron). Other fandoms include MassEffect and Dragon Age, Final Fantasy 7. I used to write for Bleach, Weiss Kreuzand Magic Knight Rayearth, as well as a bunch of RPFs in regards to Jrock.

19.   What is/ are your favorite fandom author/authors?

…….. nope. No answering that, I wll not list half of the bloody server inhere!

20.   Have you ever written an AU?

Yes and I loved it more than I thought I would.

21.   What’s your favorite AU trope?

Apparently, dystopian AUs. I love all things soulmates too.

22.   A fanfiction cliché you can’t help but love?

Friends to lover with a pinch of mutual pining and misunderstandings. Watchme die slow and happy.

23.   For how long have you been a fandom writer?

Pretty much ever since I started writing, it was for fandoms, so 20 years?

24.   Have you ever had an idea for story and forgot aboutit?

Probably? I forget so many things I can’t say with all certainity this hasnever happened to me XD

25.   What do you do to motivate yourself to write?

I literally guilt trip myself into writing XD

26.   How did you find out you like to write?

In all honesty, I just … started writing, I thik it was Sailor Moonrelated? And it was so much fun that it just stuck.

27.   Are there any writers (fanfiction writers or not) thathave inspired you to start writing?

A polish criminal stories writer, her books accompany me tothis day and Iwanted to write just like her so I picked up a pen one day.

There are a few fandom writers that have inspired me to be better and paymore attention to my writing or who were there to support me when I wasdoubting my worth as a writer. I’ll be forever grateful for them

28.   What’s your favorite fandom to write for?

Currently, I love writing my WinterIron – because of the people there and becauseof how many story ideas I managed to come up with

29.   Describe your style in three words.

Soft Emo vomit.

30.   What would you say it’s the most “famous” fic you’veever written?

I think it’s the “Moments” series with @mistrstank cause I pitched in with akickass co-author there?

31.  Blurbs or drabbles?

Blurbs.

32.   Have you ever written smut?

Yup.

33.   How long does it usually take for you to write?

Depeeeends? Depends on my mood, on my work load and on the story itself.Ruins took me 9 months to write, while “pain and sorrow” was written in 2 days.

34.   What’s your favorite font to use when writing?

Cambria.

35.   Which do you prefer to write: longer or shorter fics?

I think shorter ones. I’m rather good within the first 10K, but lately Ican’t plan for shit really cause a story I planned to wrap up under 10Kcurrently’s reaching 41K so….

Your mileage may vary I guess.

36.   How do you keep yourself inspired?

Uh. It just.. happens? I brainstorm sometimes, or see something that sparksup the urge to write something specific, or there’s a quote I particularlylike.

37.   Have you ever written something you didn’t like butposted anyways?

No I don’t think I ever did something like that.

38.   What is your “strong suit” as a writer?

I am very good at the emotional side of things.

39.  What’s your favorite trope?

I have a hugeass soft spot for all coffeeshop AUs. 

Shocking.

I know.

40.   How many likes do your fics usually get?

I literally have no idea how to measure that? Not as many as I would likeXD

41.   Have you ever used a prompt?

Sure, prompts are lovely!

42.   What is your weakness as a writer?

I’m impatient. I sometimes want to post before being really through withthe chapter or a one-shot and I sometimes don’t catch all of the mistakes ortypos. Having a beta ( hi @eirlyssa

43.   Have you ever cried or felt any emotion while readingsomething you wrote?

Yes. I wrote a death scene that sent me crying.

44.   Have you ever done a collab with other writer?

JointVerse in a way is a major collab and as previously stated  Moments

45.   One thing you love about fanfiction.

The freedom it gives.

46.   What’s your favorite emotion to cause on your readers?

If I make them happy when they finish a story or when I get a commentsaying how a reader held their breath.

47.   What’s your favorite thing about writing?

The way that it calms me down and makes me happy to be doing what I love.

48.   Do you post your writing in any other platforms?

AO3.

49.   What app/apps do you use to write (word, notepad,etc.)?

Google Docs.

50.   One thing you don’t like about fanfiction.

Probably the fact that it’s downplayed as much as it is, because it’s not “original”.And that some people feel entitled to be demanding and rude about it, justbecause they get stuff for free.

51.  Least favorite trope?

A/B/O settings and high school AUs.

52.   Favorite words to use when writing?

I KNOW I have a pretty much  a trademark phrase or two, but currently, I amunable to cite any of them????

53.  Least favorite words?

 a little bit NSFW here, but I really dislike the word “cum”. 

54.   Do you usually like what you write?

I’ve been learning to love what I write

[theawkwardterrier]

2018 fic roundup

Buffyverse

well tell her that I miss our little talks So Hurry Up and Lose Me, Hurry Up and Find Me (Again) Here We Are, Trapped (But Is It a Trap If I'm With You?) To All Our Histories Which Haven't Yet Happened

MCU

But A Walking Shadow Out of the Frying Pan Hand in Hand, Side by Side to walk to where you are sleeping To The Neighborhood Oh, But Aren't You Already My Darling? By Those Who Show Up Stitch Together In Spirit of the Season Childhood Friends

Veronica Mars

not just about being new (it’s about a change)

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

Still not predicting, but probably around the predictable amount? I've gotten a little longer, I think, but I'm writing fewer stories overall, and I've really fallen into a few specific fandom categories - haven't added a new one in a while.

2. What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January?:

Dick/OC. Dick/anyone was a surprise. I'm generally frustrated and uninterested in Dick, so taking him on as a main character - when typically he's been a side role in my fic at best - is unexpected. I was just really drawn to the prompt.

3. What’s your own favorite story of the year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest?

I'm really proud of To The Neighborhood. I like the POV, I think the character flowed well, it has a particular tone throughout, and everything is built using small details without info dumps. And I'm always a big fan of domesticity too - sweet, settled life is always a joy for me to write!

4. Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?

It's weird to say at this point, but I think I've been playing around with AUs a little too much. Here We Are, Trapped (But Is It a Trap If I'm With You?) and Hand in Hand, Side by Side are really prime examples of this: they aren't just timeline changes or ways of placing the characters in similar roles in non supernatural settings, they are way, way big and entire AUs. I really like them conceptually - ya girl loves a good (or not good!) romcom - but they are really quite out of the ordinary. I guess I learned that I kinda don't care - I wrote it because I liked it, and I had fun with it!

5. Do you have any fanfic or profic goals for the New Year?

Nah. I finished my Woman Borne sequel, which was the goal I had set at the beginning of last year, and I'm probably just going to resign my work on my too ambitious Chase/Cameron fic, so I'm good.

6. From my past year of writing, what was…

Story Most Underappreciated by the Universe:

But A Walking Shadow. I'm not afraid to say how sad I am about this. I'm really, intensely proud of this story: the writing is good, the characters are good, it's lengthy (for me), it's chapter fic, it's part of a universe I've already worked on, there's action instead of just Emotional Talking - it felt like I did everything right, and it still didn't make a difference.

Most Fun:

Hand in Hand, Side by Side probably - I like Steve/Peggy and a Virtue/Moir AU for them was a blast to write. But I actually had a lot of fun with a bunch of them!

Most Disappointing:

By Those Who Show Up is a little too liberal wonky - too much political talk, not quite enough emotional buildup. To All Our Histories Which Haven't Yet Happened is also a little exhausting and repetitive in concept and would have probably been better if there were more substance between the little stories, but I really like the title, so that helps it out.

Most Sexy:

Steve and Peggy end up in a bed and kiss there in Oh, But Aren't You Already My Darling? so ha ha ha, that is extremely sexy!

Hardest to Write:

They kinda ended up in either the "it took four days from beginning to final edit" category, or the "I'm afraid I might just be writing this for the next several years" one this time around. I took a lot of care with But A Walking Shadow, and I stopped writing Childhood Friends for a while to work on other stuff and there was a point where I couldn't make In Spirit of the Season not incredibly depressing and a piece of Peggy character assassination, but most of my Buffy fics were like this (well tell her that I miss our little talks was the exception - that's why it's listed as posted like three weeks before the rest of them).

Most Unintentionally Telling:

As I was writing In Spirit of the Season, I literally said aloud, "I think I might have something weird going on internally with motherhood."

Choice Lines:

From But A Walking Shadow:

The force of her fingers, the directness of her gaze: for a moment he fears that she is about to kiss his mouth with the desperate confidence he’d felt before he’d boarded Schmidt’s plane. But instead, she leans up and presses her lips beneath his ear. He shivers; he always does, there, and she knows that.

He just can’t think of the noise and the flames, the collapse, when his mind and heart and guts weigh so human inside him.

The anger is worn and so tired inside of him.

"I don’t want to kill you,” says the man, pushing the words out. The soldier's arm, built to last, built to kill, shakes at the thought that he will die gasping. “And I don’t want to die. And I can’t bring you to meet my family like this.” His frame trembles. His eyes are magnified, wide as the stars.

There is such future and fragility in yet.

He remembers the way she fit in two hands the first time he held her, how she sometimes trips downstairs and curls up sleepily in his lap when he comes back from a run early in the morning. He loves her so much. Finally, he hugs her. “Have a good day, sweetheart,” he says, and lets her go.

From to walk to where you are sleeping:

“Enough is enough,” she tells herself most mornings, when she wakes up gritty-eyed and already teary from dreaming. “Enough is enough,” when she wants to tell Steve about her day, when she spots hair like his from the corner of her eye, when she has another lonely cup of tea at her table, when she wants just a bit of his optimism to drive her onward. “It was two years out of more than twenty, it is time to be done with mourning, enough is enough.” And then one night she opens her eyes into the darkness of her bedroom and tells herself, “Enough.”

He is here, he is here: what fragile and disturbing joy.

She watched so many good people die - not just Steve, not just her brother, but the boys who came from her home village, and the sweet air force pilot she’d kissed on the New Year of 1940, and the lady who’d sold ice cream through the Blitz and been suffocated by an improperly constructed Anderson shelter - and perhaps she doesn’t have to turn her grief out of doors and lock herself up.

From To The Neighborhood:

For a moment, she regrets not having one of those emergency call buttons that her daughter Joan (Dr. Oglethorpe hasn’t been allowed to call her Joanie in years) recommends when she makes her monthly call from Columbus, or at least a cellular phone.

From Oh, But Aren't You Already My Darling?:

Steve rests his hands on her wrists, so gentle, and she wants to cry. “Peg,” he says quietly, “can you maybe track me down a pair of pants? I know my legs aren’t really working yet, but I’ve had enough of showing off in a hospital gown for one lifetime.”

From By Those Who Show Up:

“Hell yeah,” says Bucky. “I was over there ten years and only lost an arm. Six months of doing this with you and I’ve basically lost my life.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I’m thinning up top, Steve, I swear to God.”

From well tell her that I miss our little talks:

(Note to self: start organizing things on the kitchen calendar. Note to self: get a kitchen calendar.)

There's basically cartoony whistling sound, like her optimism is Wile E. Coyote falling off a cliff.

She hugged a pillow against her chest. She’d sign him up for a couple of community college mailing lists; maybe sitting in the back of some dense philosophy class would remind him why college wasn’t for everyone, or at least distract him. Her luck: he’d get all nerdy enthusi-Angel and just double down on the college fun talk. She really missed him. “Anyway,” she recalled herself. “I’m thinking maybe going all in on the spick and span could have something to do with you turning the dial up to Angel on the Broodometer.”

"....You’re allowed to think that you’re worth more than him, even if he was the one with the pulse.”

From So Hurry Up and Lose Me, Hurry Up and Find Me (Again):

Also, Angel has to be worried about being ‘busted, and not just in the Dust way.

How glad she is for him, knowing what he’s been through, knowing for herself how frightening it is to dangle unsupported and exhaust yourself hoping for a loving hand.

When Willow is like this, firm steps and a commanding voice, closed eyes as she puts a hand on the last sorcerer's shoulder, it’s hard for Buffy to hold in her mind Willow shy and sweet at sixteen. But then Will nods to Buffy, and without a thought, Buffy fells the robed woman. They’ve both changed. Neither of them will ever be sixteen again.

From Here We Are, Trapped (But Is It a Trap If I'm With You?):

“No. I’m counting on you to do the right thing for everyone, even if it might happen to include you.” 

From To All Our Histories Which Haven't Yet Happened:

“He was younger than I am now, and older than you would want to be.” 

From Childhood Friends:

Peggy, who had spent the afternoon she received the letter holding the hand of a boy - and he had been a boy - as he screamed and screamed toward death, had delayed replying, as she had not been able to summon a response to such grievances for nearly a week.

That she had spent her childhood at this very house with her dresses in a hopeless muddle and her knees insistently grass-stained, and that Steve had recently seen her in both a wrinkled nurse’s uniform after a night shift and indifferent mourning crepe below a tear-stained face, made her only more determined to put her best foot forward in this encounter.

...and Peggy concentrated on the feeling of his hand in hers, on the heat of him through his jacket, and felt despair and grave hope.

But her husband, who remembered a similar expression on his own mother’s face when he had professed his intention to marry Amanda, upon hearing whose surname even Charles II would have replied “Whom?” pulled her toward himself once more and said only, “Let them dance.”

[xswestallen]

Flashpoint AU: This New Life

WestAllen fanfiction     Rated G    1473 words

More broken than ever in the wake of his father’s murder, Barry goes back in time to save his mom, creating an alternate timeline know as ‘Flashpoint’.

When Barry starts his new life in this timeline, he discovers that not only does he have living parents, he also has a wife, Iris West-Allen.

When Barry returned to 2016, he instantly felt relief. It was the exact moment he’d left, but it felt like a different world. The present he ran away from was a life so different to the one he would start living in this new present he created.

Barry knew saving his parents would drastically alter the timeline. The course of events that followed his mother’s murder-his father’s arrest, living in the West house-no longer happened. Barry wondered if all aspects of his life would change.

Would he still be a CSI? Was his career the result of his relentless pursuit of justice after it was denied to his family? Did lightning ever strike him, giving him superspeed? If he was not a CSI, he would not have been in the lab the night the particle accelerator exploded. Were all of his major life events contingent on his childhood tragedy? And, perhaps the most pressing question, where does he live? Surely, he doesn’t live with Joe as an adult if he never did as a child.

While the questions occured to Barry, at this moment, he didn’t really care what their answers were. It wouldn’t change the first place he was going.

A streak of red and gust of wind flew down the street. A fraction of a second later, Barry was standing on the porch of his childhood home. He tentatively knocked on the door. Approaching footsteps from inside the house were audible. Barry held his breath as he waited, half expecting a stranger to open the door, for his mission to have failed, for him to still be a grieving orphan.

“Barry!”

The familiar, tender voice of Nora Allen said as she opened the door.

“This is a surprise. I didn’t know you were stopping by.”

She looked different, older. Laugh lines around her smile and sun spots on her skin were evidence of the years she’d continued living since the night which Thawne killed her. Her eyes were the same though. Empathetic pools of green that she’s passed down to Barry. Tears filled in his as he looked at his living, breathing mother in awe.

“Is everything ok?” She asked, evidently worried by her Barry’s stunned silence.

Barry launched forward and hugged his mother for the first time in 16 years. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight enough against his body to fell her heart beating, reassuring him that she was alive.

“Mom!” Barry cried onto her shoulder.

Despite being caught off guard by the affection, Nora put her arms around Barry as well. She rubbed his back, like she’d always done to comfort him when he was upset as a child.

“Oh honey, what happened? Are you ok? Is Ir-”

“Everything is great, mom.” Barry affirmed. His arms slacked, so that he and his mother could look at each other face to face. “I just really missed you.”

“Aw, my beautiful boy.” Nora cooed. She put a hand over her heart. “I was only away on that conference for two days.”

Barry blinked away tears. “I guess it just felt like a lot longer.”

“Oh, come here.” Nora pulled Barry in for another tight squeeze.

Barry felt a sense of calm he realized he’d been unable to achieve for 16 years as he reveled in his mother’s presence. Like a child, he clung to her, taking in her scent and soft touch.

“Hey, slugger!”

The sound his father’s voice made Barry cry in rejoice. He left his mother’s arms to embrace his father with equal enthusiasm. Barry’s rapid, shallow breaths and little sobs made Henry tense up.

“Whoa, easy Barry. What’s going on?” Henry asked in concern.

Barry beamed at him. “I’m just uh- overcome with emotion.”

“Any particular reason?”

“I really love you guys. You’re great parents.”

Nora folded her arms and nodded. She looked at Henry, conveying her confusion but appreciation for the outpouring of love.

“We love you toon, son.” Henry said, patting Barry on the shoulders.

“You’re sure everything is ok?” Nora asked again. “Nothing going on at work or with Iris that you want to talk about?”

Barry’s stomach flipped at the mention of Iris’ name. Now that he knew his parents were alright, Iris was Barry’s next priority to meet in this new life. He expected they’d still be friends even though he never lived in the West house. Their friendship felt like the kind that would endure.

“Iris is great.” Barry told his parents.

“Work is great too?” Henry inquired. “How are things in that lab of yours?”

Before Barry could answer, Nora grabbed his arm.

“Oh, please tell me you weren’t the CSI who had to go to that horrible crime scene I saw on the news yesterday! The one downtown where that shooting happened!”

Barry shook his head, taking a mental note that he was still a CSI.

“Good! That was gruesome.”

“The work of The Rival yet again” Henry said. “Hopefully, The Flash catches him before he destroys half the city.”

Barry smirked. His parents didn’t seem to catch on, leading him to believe they were unaware of his identity. He decided he wanted them to know, but now wasn’t the right time to tell them. A few days of getting used to this life would be useful before confessing something like that.

“I’m tired.” Barry yawned. “I’m going to hit the sack.”

“I’m sure Iris is waiting for you at home.” Nora said. She gave Barry a kiss on the cheek. “Tell her I said hi.”

“Uh- er- Of course.” Barry stuttered.

Iris was waiting for him? At home? That didn’t mean the West home, did it? It couldn’t. So, did that mean she and Barry live together?

Henry gave Barry one last pat on the arm. “Tell her hi from me too.”

Barry nodded.

Using his speed, Barry stole the keys out of his dad’s pocket, ran out of the house, got into one of the cars out front, and turned the ignition. The GPS came up. Barry typed his name into the search bar at super speed. An address for an apartment building came up along with directions on how to get there. Barry smiled, that must be where he lives with Iris. He turned the car off, ran back inside, put the keys back in his father’s pocket, and stood in the same spot he was in before. When his mind stopped racing at mach 3, his father unfroze.

“Take care, slugger.”

Barry watched his parents walk into the other room. The sight made him giddy. His cheeks were still wet with tears, but Barry smiled, knowing he’d be able to see his mom and dad again tomorrow.

As Barry turned to leave, he surveyed the living room. In some ways it looked very different to how he remembered it. In other ways, it looked the same. What fascinated Barry were the photos around the room, showcasing the happy life of two adoring parents and their growing son.

Barry recognized several photos that were taken before he turned 11, ones that he’d tearfully look at in his room at the West house on night’s when his grief was overwhelming. A 5 year old Barry blowing out the candles on his birthday cake with his parents smiling on either side of him. 6 year old Barry and his parents watching a firework show in Masonville. 10 year old Barry holding a 1st place ribbon from his school science fair with hand and giving his mother a high-five his with the other.

Then, the unfamiliar pictures caught Barry’s attention. Captured in them, Barry saw himself and his parents living moments that they hadn’t lived. Barry and his parents at his high school graduation. A tearful Nora hugging Barry goodbye as he moved into his university dorm. Barry wished he could remember the moments the photos were taken. He looked at them, never wanting to look away. Until, one photo made him do a double take.

On the fireplace mantel, was a framed photo of Barry, his parents, and Iris. Barry was in suit and bow tie, his arm around Iris, who wore a white lace dress. Nora and Henry on either side of them, glowing with pride. Barry’s hand trembled as he picked up the photo. He grazed his fingertips over the happy faces. They seemed like ghosts in a dream. Barry desperately wished he could remember the day that photo was taken. It meant, he and Iris are married.

In hindsight, Barry realized it should have been obvious, what with his parents asking about Iris and mentioning how he lives with her. But, it took seeing the proof with his own eyes to understand that he was married to Iris. In this timeline, this new life, he and Iris are husband and wife.

A/N: I don’t really know where I’m going with this one. I just got the idea and really wanted to write it. I know what I want to write for chapter 2, but after that, it’s kind of up in the air. Anyway, hope you enjoy! Please leave me some feedback.

[featherquillpen]

Ten Sherlock AU longfics that are better than the show

Seasons 3 and 4 of Sherlock were an absolute steaming garbage pile that made me retroactively hate the entire show. A large part of me regrets ever having watched this sexist, homophobic, etc., trashfire. But the rest of me doesn’t regret it, because the fandom produced some of the best epic AU fanfiction I have ever read. All ten of these stories are excellent novels that just so happen to be AU fics of Sherlock.

So, in no particular order, here is my list of long, well-plotted, emotionally satisfying Sherlock fics that will give you much better (and less racist, etc.) storylines than canon ever managed.

All the Best and Brightest Creatures by wordstrings (canon divergence AU, dark, ace!Sherlock)

An AU where Sherlock caught Moriarty poisoning Carl Powers at age ten, and he and John meet in a different (but still spot-on) way. Moriarty is much scarier in this fic than in canon. And Sherlock’s addiction problems are treated very very well. There is a 30-hour long podfic available of the story, if you can believe it.

The World On His Wrist (sci-fi AU, internalized homophobia, BAMF!John)

John is rarely so jaw-droppingly badass in fic as he is in this one. This is a super intriguing story where after John gets shot in Afghanistan, his consciousness fractures into four different timelines. The story we see in the show is just one of the four lives he leads. The execution of the premise is even cooler than it sounds.

The Republic of Heaven by BlindAuthor (His Dark Materials AU, permanent WIP)

This fic is a great example of how to bring in an AU to improve the plot of the original canon. I’m very picky about my HDM AUs, but this one has great worldbuilding and makes the show’s plot much more consistent, especially the notoriously weak episode The Blind Banker. Also you’ll love Sherlock and John’s dæmons. They’re so well done.

Indecorous by Basingstoke (Johnlock polyamory with pre-S3 original!Mary)

I have read this fic at least ten times and I am certain I will read it again. This is the fic that convinced me that I could try being polyamorous in real life. It’s the best polyamory negotiations fic I’ve ever read. It is also by turns incredibly funny, super sexy, and a far far better emotional arc for John and his PTSD than canon ever came up with.

How the mouth changes its shape by havingbeenbreathedout (historical AU, genderswap, backstory, casefic)

In this story, Sherlock and Johnnie are lesbians in 1950s London. The author still keeps them very recognizably themselves, and has a fascinating historical mystery to boot. I love how the social issues faced by lesbians in this period are explored, and the sex is some of the hottest I’ve read in fic, period.

Spectrum by thisprettywren (speculative fiction AU, permanent WIP)

This fic may have the most interesting AU premise I’ve ever encountered, worldbuilt to perfection. The author should really write an original novel with this concept. The fic explores disability in a deeply compassionate and nuanced way, the mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat, and the intimacy between Sherlock and John is achingly tender.

The Least of All Possible Mistakes by rageprufrock (genderswap, minor character POV, Mystrade)

An awesome fem!Lestrade AU. Mystrade that really gives you the feeling of divorcing and learning to fall in love again. It’s also a brilliant portrait of what it is like to be a woman in a male-dominated profession. A serious feminist kick in the ass to canon. I hardly ever read het and I loved this.

Left by lifeonmars (superpower AU)

The simple observation that John Watson is left-handed but shoots the cabbie right-handed sparked this long, awesome character study of John Watson, an extraordinary and unusual man who appears on the surface to be anything but. And overall this show is very well suited to superpower AUs. An excellent podfic of this story by @consultingsmartass is also available. 

The Madness of Angels by ayalesca (urban fantasy AU, poetic, London-as-character)

This fic is a fusion with two excellent urban fantasy book series set in London, the Matthew Swift series and the Rivers of London series, but you don’t have to read either to appreciate this cracking good story. Here, Sherlock and John are urban sorcerers in a city filled with magic tied to the history and geography of London.  

Names for the Galaxy by evadne (sci-fi AU, mystery)

This story is a brilliant, suspenseful, plotty sci-fi novel that just so happens to be a Sherlock fic. evadne makes great use of minor characters like Harry Watson and Soo Lin Yao, the sci-fi worldbuilding is so imaginative, and it’s yet another unique and beautiful take on Sherlock and John’s relationship.