#and i have lots of thoughts about this but my brain is still in witcher mode

[iceclew]

hahaha, yeah, might have been re-obsessed with my own AU here, because some @mechazushi fueled my brain with new content about them..so I can't help it.. once again diving deep into the fantasyy... and next to the Witcher and Skyrim law... well I came along with something else as well now :D

*mushes WOW into the fantasy pile*

Part 1 here

Oh, and THIS time I'll add my thoughts about them IN the description, how 'bout that? (▀U ▀-͠)

Narumi Gen:

Witcher/Hunter and counterpart/companion of Soshiro Hoshina. They both initially travelled to the mountains to find a rumored dragon's den to slay said. His skills are very much resembling what a witchers can do, and he is remarkable in swords art, but also a formidable sourcerer for fight related magic and enchantment. Hoshina lacks the skill for advanced spells. They have an unspoken agreement to help each other get better with the skills the lack. He also prepares most of their potions.

Mina Ashiro:

(OK, listen Reno bb, pls don't cry, I promise you get your own ref sheet, I already made some scribbles as well!! She just shoved herself into my brain last night, and I liked it, so I simply had to do this! (~￣³￣)~ I'll make it up buddy <3)

I very much loved the idea of her being a long gone friend of dragon Kafka, that gifted him his human form and influenced his life so much. It suits the story sooo good!! But I kinda was sad she wasn't part of the current story anymore... ಡ ﹏ ಡ Well yeah, that's what I thought about yesterday while working on Narumi, got to bed, and at like 2 am a word hit me like a rock and I was fcking wide awake..

Banshee... ╭( ๐_๐)╮omg, that's gonna be awesome, I'mma make her a banshee like Sylvana and she's gonna be there and has to rediscover the world, since she was gone so long.

sfhfsdldkjthat's what I did. She is a banshee now, lol. A half-elf banshee, might I add. Revived by a necromancer in a very complicated ritual. So basically - welcome to season 2 of this AU of ours I guess? The necromancer in question (oh my, who could it possibly be, I ask? It's ma gurl Rin, of course) contacted Kafka and his party, with the intention to perform a ritual on Mina's grave to free her soul, which is still clinging to earth because of a later discovered act of betrayal that 'caused Tachikawa to fall when their enemies arrived. (smth like this, I dunno, I didn't think this part through a lot, lol)

For performing the ritual she needs, amongst other things, detailed information and a contribution of someone that was close with the deceased. After finding Mina's grave and corpse deep down in the catacombs of Tachikawas ruins they start the ritual. Kafka needs to contribute a scale and some details about Mina in the past, that the necromancer incorporates into the ritual. To everyone's suprise she also adds her own blood. The necromancer reveals her true goal to not free but capture Mina's soul and obtain her powers. But something goes wrong (maybe because of Kafka interrupting the ritual now, or smth idk) and instead Mina is revived as an undead soul with a new (but slightly unfinished) body. Because of the contributed blood she is bound to her summoner for as long as it takes her to find and free the part of her soul that is in fact still captured somewhere on earth. (Oh no - so Kafka gets his bestie back, that is also basically immortal :| And I def. have in mind some enemies to lovers bullsh*t here with the banshee and her necromancer, lol sorry not sorry)

I used a whole bunch of references that I would like to mention:poses 1 2 3 + clothing 1 2

[ghostinthelibrarywrites]

if you have time i would love to see what you do with prompt number #5 “i can’t believe i married you” with geraskier please!! i feel like geralt would say this when jaskier is being silly and ridiculous but also jaskier would use it when geralt gives him only one good morning kiss instead of two lol. but only if you have time!!!! 💖✨💖✨

Jaskier is still half-asleep as he shuffles to the fridge, his eyes bleary and unfocused after a late night of composing. Hoping for a few slices of last night’s leftover pizza, he opens the fridge, only to let out a little shriek of surprise when he finds a pair of bulbous eyes staring back at him.

“Geralt!” he yelps. “What the fresh fuck is in our fridge?”

His witcher appears in the doorway, already dressed and ready for the day. “A drowner head.”

“Right, good,” Jaskier says. “Let me rephrase. Why the fuck is it in our fridge?”

“It didn’t fit in the freezer.”

“Geralt!”

Geralt’s lips twitch. “Its brains are useful for potions. I’m going to harvest them later.”

“Not in our kitchen, you’re not.”

“Would you prefer the bedroom?”

“Geralt, I swear to Melitele, if you get drowner brains on the duvet—” Seeing the grin on Geralt’s face, Jaskier breaks off, scowling. “I cannot believe I married you.”

“Hm. Jask, we’re not married.”

Ah, right. They’ve been together so long, Jaskier forgets that sometimes. Their friends and family are always complaining that they act like an old married couple anyway. “And if you keep putting drowner heads in the fridge, we won’t be!”

Geralt comes to press a kiss to Jaskier’s forehead. “Go take a shower and I’ll make coffee and deal with the drowner.”

“You’ll make the coffee before you touch drowner brains, right? Avoid cross-contamination?”

“Drowner brains are good for you. Protein.”

Jaskier huffs and turns on his heel to leave the kitchen. “I want a divorce.”

“Again, not married.”

Jaskier starts up the stairs, calling over his shoulder, “Then we should get married just so I can divorce you.”

“Okay.”

“Okay!” Jaskier makes it to the top of the stairs, then pauses, registering what they just said, and turns around. “Geralt?”

From downstairs, there’s the rumble of Geralt’s answering hum. “Hm?”

“Did we just get engaged?”

“I think that’s traditionally what comes before marriage and divorce.”

Jaskier hurries back down the stairs so fast that he nearly trips over his own two feet. He finds Geralt standing right where he left him in front of the fridge. “Do you really want to get married?”

Geralt looks at him like he’s started singing in gnomish. “Sure.”

“Sure?” Jaskier lets out an exasperated laugh. “Geralt, my love, this is one of those things where I’m going to need an unequivocal yes or no from you.”

Geralt leans against the front of the fridge, frowning slightly. “I never thought you wanted to get married.”

“What?” Jaskier is bewildered. “When did I say that?”

“Back when you were dating Vespula.”

“Geralt, I was twenty-two when I dated Vespula! That was nearly a decade ago! Of course I didn’t want to get married.” Jaskier throws his arms around Geralt’s neck. “I never thought you wanted to get married. All that witchers walk alone bullshit.”

Geralt’s lips twitch. “I think that ship has sailed by now, Jask. I think it sailed about five minutes after we met.”

“Well yes, probably,” Jaskier says. “So, Geralt, will you marry me?”

“Seems like a lot of trouble to go through just so you can divorce me over drowner brains.”

“Darling, you should know by now that it’s going to take more than drowner brains to get rid of me. I told you when we first moved in together and I’ll tell you now, you’re stuck with me.”

“Romantic.”

“You know you love it.”

Geralt’s eyes crinkle as he smiles, pressing a kiss to the tip of Jaskier’s nose. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

The few times Jaskier has pictured proposing to Geralt, he’s imagined grand gestures: singing a love song in front of a crowded stadium of fans, holding a sign as he jumped out a plane, a moonlight boat ride and a four-string quartet. But standing with Geralt in the kitchen, still in his boxers with a drowner’s head in their fridge, somehow feels more right than any of those fantasies.

They just hold each other for a moment before Jaskier pulls away. “Want to go get breakfast to celebrate?”

Geralt’s eyes are soft with fondness as he watches him. “Did you propose just for an excuse to go get pancakes and mimosas?”

“Like I need an excuse to get pancakes and mimosas.” Jaskier is smiling stupidly. “Let me go get showered. I can be ready in twenty minutes.”

“See you in an hour.” 

“Har.” Jaskier turns and hurries up the steps. In the bathroom, he draws back the shower curtain, slapping a hand over his mouth to stifle his shriek at what he finds inside. “Geralt!”

“What?” Geralt calls from downstairs.

“What the fuck is in our shower?”

“Oh,” Geralt says. “That’s the rest of the drowner.”

“Excellent. Just so you know, I’ve changed my mind about that divorce!”

***

Tag list: @kueble @mollymawkwrites @feral-jaskier @geraltrogerericduhautebellegarde @dawnofbards @thisislisa @tsukiwolf42 @mosaicscale @rockysstupidity @fontegagrilledcheese @kuripon @help-i-need-a-cool-username @julek @flowercrown-bard @eveljerome

[greenstudies]

Study session essentials

I’ve probably made a post like this before but I’m getting better at studying and so here are my tips on how to have a more effective study sessions. Keep in mind that I am neurodivergent and I can usually do 2 hours of work in 3,5 hours on a good day. I still procrastinate and struggle a lot, but these things help significantly:

Ambience of my current obsession - I love game background noise and ambient music. They keep me focused and entertained without distracting me in anyway. Recently I’ve been having a witcher 3 ambience or “walking in red dead redemption 2″ videos in my headphones

Open-back headphones - I have tinnitus and so noise canceling headphones are not an option. And for a while I didn’t want to wear any headphones until someone got me big open-back ones that don’t seal me away from surrounding noise and absolutely perfect

Putting my phone in a different room - Just put it away. The forest app or putting it out of reach/sight can be good options if you need your phone around but otherwise putting it far is the best option.

Specific study space - For me personally I have to sit at my desk. Studying on my bed or sofa is never as effective as I need

Clean space - Cluttered space means cluttered mind and worse I feel more easily depressed

A toy for my hands - I need to hold something, feel something, look at something. It helps avoid scrolling and it keeps me entertained while my brain does the hard work. It also helps with stimming if I get overwhelmed. I keep around rocks, palm sized plushies, small wooden hearts and animal figurines.

Paper for thoughts - I always have a piece of paper nearby that I scribble thougths, notes and tasks on. This way when I get an idea I just write it down and deal with it during my break. When I remember something I have to do or want to do, think an anxious thought or just need to scribble it goes on the paper.

Candle - I’m a bit afraid of fire and having a candle burning helps me stay in the room because I don’t like leaving it there burning. I like to pick weaker, clean smells like cotton or vanilla. Watching it burn can be very calming too.

Water/juice/iced tea - I always start with a full glass so I don’t have to get up and get water too often

Cup of tea - Besides having a glass of water I always have a warm cup of green or black tea

Snacks - I usually keep an apple or a banana around so I have to leave the room as little as possible. Hunger is usually a good excuse to leave and this is a great way to eliminate it.

Gum - Chewing is very calming for me which usually means I overeat just so I can chew. Sugar-free gum solves this well. I usually need only one since I don’t quite care about the taste as much as the act of chewing. Be careful not to have too many!

Hot water bottle - When I’m stressed and tired my face tenses up a lot and having something warm to put on my face helps a lot. It makes my muscles relax and I often avoid a headache this way.

Medication - I keep my asthma and anxiety meds around. Sometimes studying can really stress me out and it’s good to have those on hand

I hope you find these helpful and have a great day!

[podcastenthusiast]

Three little drabbles featuring Geralt "Horse Girl" of Rivia and different animals, from Jaskier's POV.

---

1. Horse

Jaskier realized it a few weeks into this new witcher-following, song-composing venture. Specifically, when he went to eat the last apple and was told in no uncertain terms that it's for Roach, even though their food rations were running worringly low and they were a day's ride from the next village. Even though he's a fragile human. Even though she could literally just eat grass.

The mare outranked him. She had seniority.

He tried to befriend the horse, with middling success.

He tried to befriend the witcher, too.

At least Roach could be bribed with a carrot or a handful of raisins.

People project a lot of their own feelings onto animals, he supposed. It's a relationship designed to be unequal. As complex or as simple as a person wants it to be.

For a while, he had started to resent her a little, as pathetic as that may sound. That is, until he woke in the middle of the night and overheard a murmured, rather one-sided conversation.

"I worry about him, though," Geralt was saying. "Can't exactly just find a new bard and start calling him Jaskier if something happens, can I."

What?

"Wish he'd shut up sometimes, but... I guess it's been kind of nice having someone around who talks back."

Jaskier's heart felt like it might burst or break. Or both.

"Not that you aren't good company, old girl."

Roach gave a quiet snort.

That was all years ago, now. The horse is different, but still somehow Roach.

He is different, too, but somehow still Jaskier. Still the reliable bard his friend needs him to be.

Now, he watches from his spot by the campfire as Geralt brushes through Roach's mane. The witcher's got drowner brains in his own hair but gods forbid he has a wash before his trusty companion is completely tended to. He's very gentle with her, which is probably why she tolerates it as well as she does. He's heard tales of stablehands losing fingers to routine grooming before.

Jaskier wishes he could write a ballad about this without potentially damaging his fearsome reputation-- the unbreakable bond between a witcher and his horse. The unexpected tenderness of hands made to kill.

He reaches for his quill to jot down a few ideas. Something something the mighty wolf and the wild horse, loyal and brave companions defending their forest home together. Keep it vague enough. Maybe a folktale vibe.

Besides, Jaskier thinks with a touch of bitterness, the wolf's tongue is the real danger. His jaws that snap at anyone foolish enough to get too close, to offer help when he's caught in a trap.

...Maybe he still has some feelings to work through.

The wolf also has a heart he tries so hard to bury. Jaskier can see it. Always has.

"You spoil her rotten, you know," he remarks lightly, plucking on his lute strings. "She eats better than we do."

"It's like sharpening my swords. I have to keep Roach in good condition, or we don't eat at all."

"Mhm. And it's very sweet."

He no longer begrudges Roach her well-earned place at Geralt's side. The witcher had been alone out here for such a long time before he came along, probably will be again after he's dead and buried. Even if Jaskier does wish that he could be the one Geralt trusts with his innermost thoughts and secrets and sleepless night fears, he is glad the man has someone in whom he can confide.

They all have their roles in this story. Perhaps he ought to accept his as its scribe, and let that be enough.

But Jaskier's greatest fault, he knows, is an always has been his refusal to accept things as they are.

-

2. Cat

"Oh, look at that. Someone's cat has gone missing. Poor thing."

"We're here for real work, Jaskier," Geralt says, scanning a contract notice. Recent plague. Graves disturbed. Ghouls. See alderman for details. Bit dull.

"They're offering a reward. See?"

"Somehow I doubt a small child has enough coin to justify ignoring the ghouls."

"Says here you'll get their eternal gratitude and-- oh! The lady of the house will darn your socks free of charge for a full year. Any additional mending at a discount. Now that's a good deal."

"Hm."

"Geralt, as you know my favorite doublet is in a sorry state after that minor werewolf incident--"

"I told you to stay with Roach."

"--All water under the bridge now, of course, and what an adventure! Worthy of a fine ballad--"

"Jaskier."

"--as this would be. Can't you at least keep one keen witchery eye out for the cat?"

"And risk a ghoul catching me off guard? Sure."

"Well, now you're just being silly. Don't tell me you're a dog person. Or are you allergic?"

Geralt sighs, realizing now that only the truth will free him from this conversation.

"Don't mind cats," he mutters. "But they don't like me."

"Sorry, what?"

"Cats don't like me," he repeats. "They start hissing whenever I get too close."

Jaskier's expression is caught somewhere between disbelief and sadness. "Why?"

"I insulted their king. Why do you think? They've got more sense than certain humans, I guess."

It's a veiled remark. Jaskier sees right through it.

"You're not a monster, Geralt," he says, achingly sincere. Then, in a lighter tone, "Does that mean you've never pet a cat before?"

"I don't know. Maybe when I was very young. I can't remember."

Jaskier mercifully drops the subject after a quiet and thoughtful walk back to the village's tavern.

He doesn't fail to notice Geralt buying extra scraps of meat from the innkeeper, or how he sneaks away at night to set them like snares in promising locations near the village. He'd probably say it's for the ghoul contract if asked, but Jaskier knows better.

Even if he didn't, there is really no other explanation for Geralt returning to the inn on the second night, covered in claw marks, carrying a ghoul's severed head in one hand and a bag containing one squirming, hissing feline in the other.

-

3. Spider

"GERALT!"

Every witcher in Kaer Morhen hears the bard's scream, but Geralt reaches the room in moments, his silver sword already drawn.

"Jaskier, what--"

"Kill it!"

The bard is standing on his bed, pointing frantically at something. Geralt follows his panicked gaze and sees--

"Really, Jaskier?" He sighs.

"What are you waiting for? It's a monster! Kill it!"

"No."

"Why not?"

"It's not a monster. Just a spider. Not even poisonous."

"How do you know?"

"I read." Geralt crouches down for a closer look at the spider. "Might look scary but it's harmless. Probably sought shelter from the cold."

"Well, then it can go right back outside."

"Jaskier, be reasonable."

"I am. Either the spider goes or I do."

The witcher looks thoughtful. Says nothing.

"Oh, thanks, Geralt! I feel so loved."

The spider crawls onto Geralt's hand and Jaskier almost screams again, shrinking back even farther. Gods, it has so many legs!

"Pretend it's a kikimora or something," he pleads. "Why won't you kill one little spider for your very dearest old friend in the world?"

"Because kikimoras have no niche. They're invasive, and need to be dealt with to maintain balance in the ecosystem. Spiders aren't like that; they do belong. A monster, fundamentally, is any creature that doesn't."

Jaskier just stares at him, speechless. He's not sure he has ever heard Geralt say that many words all at once.

Geralt's eyes remain on the spider. "Witchers aren't sent out on the Path not knowing why we kill; we're not soldiers."

"I never thought of it like that," Jaskier admits. "That spider's still fucking terrifying, though."

"Hm. I'll take it outside."

"Geralt?"

"Hm?"

"I know what scared, stupid people say about witchers sometimes. But I-- You do belong. You're important. Just want you to know that."

"...Thank you, Jaskier," he says. Then, quieter, "You too."

[bulbasaur-gone-rogue]

I HAVE NO ONE TO TALK TO ABOUT MY BLORBOS SO Y’ALL GET IT

(For reference. This is for Aiden and Lambert from the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. All of these can be read with pretty much no knowledge. I went into these freaking blind off of… somewhere. I don’t know. I found them somewhere and went down a rabbit hole.)

I’ve been through all 58 or so pages worth of fanfiction in their tag. Lore-wise, we literally only know a name and vague affiliation on one of em. They’re my poor little meow meows. My silly rabbits.

I went through all those fics and I got like. Six recommendations. These all made me feel some kind of way, or I read them more than once. IN some ORDER!

1. Where I Stand by LadySesame.

Status: complete

Ohhhhhhh what if we were lovers and I thought you were dead and then you got dragged into my home (that I never quite had the courage to invite you back to) completely feral and with clear signs of torture and me n my bros and my (kinda shitty dad who I fight with a lot but he’s genuinely trying but also he’s fucking it up) and one of my brother’s weird boyfriend (who was kind of the only one who knew you existed and mattered to me in any way) had to figure out what the hell to do about all this. And then it gets better but worse before it gets better.

Vampire hunt flashback cool. Dynamic immaculate.

2. The Kaedwen Wolves by Kaerith

Status: incomplete, has not updated since 2021.

HOCKEY AU HOCKEY AU

Hockey aus really have it all. The banter. The rivals. The “we’re just homies. What do you mean I’m sending mixed signals.” The inherent homoeroticism of hockey. The “fellas is it gay to get in a fight on the ice so fast you forget to take your gloves off because some guy called your Good Friend over there a slur and like. I’m not gay or anything but also-”. And also men with muscles and a couple braincells but those only work occasionally. The chemistry.

This one would be tied for first but it’s still really early on and hasn’t updated in. A while.

3. Out of the Night That Covers Me by inexplicifics

Status: complete

Ough we love hurt/comfort and being kind in a world that is determined not to be. I love. Kind men with massive muscles who are so so so self-aware (but sometimes also stick their foot in their mouth real bad) And also terrifying women. I love terrifying women. Uh. Modern au. Everyone’s alive that I can think of.

4. Four Chambers by GilliganGoodfellow

Status: Complete

This one harmed me. It’s the accurate portrayal of grief. Warning for my homies. The Cat stays dead in this one. Had me wrecked for Amounts of Time

Rest of that series also bops and slaps. While I do love Complicated Feelings Towards Vesemir (he’s trying. He was part of an institution of child abuse. He didn’t have power to change anything. He was still part of it. He did the best he could. Maybe it wasn’t enough. He tried. Trying only gets you so far). Papa Vesemir ALSO has a place in my heart.

5. Denial by tnico

Status: complete

Author knows more weird little facts than I do. Scratches my brain. All of their works that I’ve read are stupidly good.

6. A Beginner’s Guide to Exploiting the Kaedweni Tax Code for Fun and Profit by heronfem

Status: incomplete, updating

You know.

[andorerso]

Answer the Questions and Tag 5 Fanfic Authors

thanks for the tag @mosylufanfic <3

1. How did you get into writing fanfiction?

I started reading fanfiction when I was very young, maybe 10-11? and it pretty much immediately made me want to write my own stories. early attempts were... unsuccessful, but I always had a lot of ideas and I just wanted to get them out there... so I did

2. How many fandoms have you written in?

in reverse chronological order: Rogue One/Andor, GoT/ASOIAF, She-Ra, Grisha-verse/Nikolai Series, The Raven Cycle, American Horror Story, Reign, Pretty Little Liars, The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, Twilight

and some I have never published but did write for: The Witcher, Dishonored, Magnificent Century: Kösem

so that's 14 fandoms total

3. How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

well, my first attempt was at 14 but I pretty much immediately abandoned that story after posting. I tried again at 16 and have been writing pretty consistently ever since. so it's been more than ten years, almost fifteen

4. Do you read or write more fanfiction?

lately I'm writing more than I'm reading, however in general over the years, it's definitely read. I've consumed so many!

5. What is one way you’ve improved as a writer?

I think my action has gotten better recently? it's still far from my strength but being forced to write some action scenes in recent stories definitely improved that area... who would have thought?

6. What’s the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

I've researched many weird stuff over the years but idk, I'm blanking on specifics

7. What’s your favorite type of comment to receive on your work?

I love it when people yell and curse at me <33

8. What’s the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

idk if I've ever written something truly fringe... actually maybe the dildo fic?

9. What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

smut! which is funny because I've spent the last month writing nothing but that. but smut is hardddddd

10. What is the easiest type?

I'm seconding modern AUs, that's my comfort genre, and I'm also very well-versed in anything paranormal

11. Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

I switched from Word to Scrivener a few years ago, and I haven't looked back. Word would probably still work, but Scrivener is just very convenient, I can have all the things in one place, and it makes things so easy

12. What is something you’ve been too nervous/intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

well, sex pollen belonged to this category, but I've just gotten over that! other than that, I've been going back and forth about this apocalypse/zombie exes to lovers longfic for months now, because it's intimidating as hell for many reasons, and it would be a lot of work which I may not have the time for currently, but there's so many parts of it that I love and want to write. mainly this very specific scene that will not leave my brain, but absolutely would not work without the proper background and build-up.... sigh

13. What made you choose your username?

here or on ao3? on ao3, it's wintersend (winter's end) and like. I can't even remember why I picked it. it's so random, I've never used it before and never since. I think it may have had something to do with the fact that I'm a winter child, and I was also into GoT at the time... I genuinely don't know

and here.... hmmm idk if I should tell you guys.... it's very niche, you wouldn't get it

tagging @frostbitepandaaaaa @quarantineddreamer @fulcrumstardust @flythesail @luciechat

[senashenta]

My Unplanned Hiatus

I don't know if anyone on here still cares about me and my work or not, but I've been on an unplanned hiatus for practically forever and I'm just getting ready to come back (ish) so I thought I'd explain what's going on with me, at least a little.

Basically: I'm seriously mentally ill. I'm bi-polar. I'm depressed. I'm suicidal. Until recently I couldn't focus on anything but the blackness I was living in. I was recently diagnosed as ADHD as well, which wasn't surprising but like. Come on. It explains a lot about how my brain works (or doesn't work, as the case may be.) It turned out to be a good thing, though, because the ADHD meds change my brain so much that they're actually making me less depressed. Still passively suicidal, though. Passively. But things are looking up, and now that I'm on the new meds I'm also becoming productive with my writing again. I also recently got glasses, which means I can read and do my hobbies (jewelry making, painting, just crafting in general) again, which will help with my mental health. Progress.

I've been posting here a little bit lately, mostly pics of my cats that I thought were worth sharing, but hopefully I can get more active again.

About my writing: I'm currently 85 pages into a 10-page Supernatural fic. My very first Supernatural fic, even though I've been a fan since day one, episode one. My first Destiel fic too. A lot of firsts. But I'm having fun. Here's hoping it gets a good response when it drops.

I currently have the next chapters of both Chemistry and Marked open in Word to work on once I'm done my SPN monstrosity, so I haven't completely given up on my Hijack stuff just yet.

I want to write more stuff in The Witcher universe, but I don't know if I'll get around to it any time soon. My writing never really caught on in The Witcher fandom, despite my best efforts, so the motivation isn't as strong there as it is in other fandoms.

I have a SHIT TON of new Valdemar stuff to write/work on, as well as older fics that I want to finally complete, so that's coming down the line as well. Eventually.

I think that's all the big ones. Anyway. So that's the basic run-down. Direct your questions to my inbox. To any of you who are actually still around, thanks! Hopefully I'll catch you soon!

[troublemakingrebel]

Fanfic Tag Game

Ayyy, @krankittoeleven, thanks for tagging! Love these little lists!

1. How many fics do you have on AO3?

34! (I used to write in two languages, but for this game i count only the English ones)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

295,814... (~1.5 times more words than "Fellowship of the Ring" by JRR Tolkien *sweating*)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Totally obsessed with Assassin's Creed (Valhalla in particular), but also have some WIPs for Cyberpunk 2077.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Right Behind You (Witcher 3), a piece about epic friendship & love between Geralt of Rivia and the absolute husband material Emiel Regis

10 years apart, no more (AC Valhalla), a fix-it for the fLicKEriNg flame nonsense (if you know you know...)

Shall We? (AC Syndicate), another fix-it that makes Maxwell Roth survive the fire as there's no fire at all

The Truth (The Wolf Among Us), about shaky relationship between the Big Bad Wolf and the Woodsman (i'm so surprised it made it to the top-5!!)

In the Belly of the Beast (AC Valhalla), about Ivarr Ragnarsson eating the forbidden Saxon fruit while no one is watching hehe

5. Do you respond to comments?

Of course! Can't leave them hanging there in silence!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Usually, I don't do sad endings, but the most bitter-sweet one is Pebble (Dragon Age: Inquisition) about a kossith who cuts his massive horns off to look more like a human so he could follow his lover to the city where kossith race isn't welcome :c Although I don't think his lover would let him go there anyway......

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Haha every other one :D But Sun, Rum and Gunpowder (AC Black Flag) has the happiest and the most carefree vibes whatsoever!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not on the fics, but the ships! I just delete those because why is it an author's problem suddenly that some people don't know how filters work??

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Oh, I sure do ;> It's not extremely explicit (no holes in sight, but dicks and balls can be spotted) and is mostly focused on emotions and dialogues.

10. Do you write crossovers?

Nope, but I write AUs sometimes to spice things up! Modern days AUs are the bane of my existence, and still... somehow... I keep making them...

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No, but I noticed my lines and phrases in the stories of fellow writers. I appreciate it!!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yeah!! Out of all possible fics, it was The Remnants of a Ruined Past, a Mad Max (the game!) story translated into Polish. Love it lots!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Never as i am incapable to work in groups haha. I did some challenges though, such as picking a theme and writing something small with a fren to compare the results later. It's very fun and helps to keep your brain gears spinning!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Like, the one and only ship that I could bring along if I was stuck on a desert island? Or the one I don't even write for anymore but carry in my heart daily? The former would be Hawke x Varric (Dragon Age 2) because they're a comfort ship with many possibilities for plots. The latter is Ezio x Leonardo (AC II + Brotherhood + Revelations) and Arthur x Eames (Inception) because they started it all hehe.

15. What’s a fic you’d like to finish but don’t think you ever will?

It's a compilation of drabbles written for a very niche CGI Resident Evil movie (Damnation) & very rare pair that i was planning to continue for as long as the planet keeps spinning, but got overwhelmed with the amount of ideas I had in mind :c

16. What are your writing strengths?

Humor and dialogues!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Everything el– 🥲 Deep character studies, believable politics and fights.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

A big yes from me, it ads depth and character when used correctly. Also, it's very interesting to keep an evening reading about the language you're planning to use, even it's for a few simple words.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

It was an attempt to mimic Marie Corelli and write a ficlet for her novel "The Sorrows of Satan". And then Assassin's Creed took my soul and I've never seen it since! Kinda ironic, huh...

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

I'm gonna cheat bc I'm quite proud about Beautiful Decline, a series of four fics written for Assassin's Creed Valhalla. It's an enormous project that was never meant to break out from its confinements and produce three more stories lmao.

Tagging @firefly-partyn and @krankittoeleven if you wanna join!

[this-acuteneurosis]

Random. But do you have any star wars fic recs ? Fics recs of any kind are welcome actually ^_^

Oh, uh, sure.

Let's see, I've mentioned @chancecraz a bunch of times, I love all their stuff, if I had to pick a favorite I'd say Of Queens, Knights, and Pawns but how does one really choose?

I've also mentioned @fialleril and Double Agent Vader, which really got me into the SWs fandom in the first place. I love everything I have ever learned, it hits me so hard in the feels each time. (I also really loved Sigyn's Saga if we're also talking not-SW stuff.)

I enjoyed The Desert Sun series by @blue-sunshine-mauve-morning. (I will be honest, I have only read the first series I have not started Rise and Fall.) It's engaging and fun and thoughtful.

doing it by my lonesome and staring down the barrel of the hot sun by magneticwave are two fun Luke/Din stories featuring appropriately cute Grogu. I also liked pages filled with scribbled ink, which is an epistolary Padmé/Obi-Wan fic that had me cackling. (their non-SW stuff is good too, I especially enjoyed just me against the sky)

Other...serious(?) recs include: The Wingless Dragon by husborth if you like being sad and horrified about Vader's bad choices. Food Scandal by Malicean for some situational hilarity and for lots of OC perspective on Imperial bureaucracy (my other weakness aside from politics). PRojects IN Controlled Environments by Beth Winters for Imperial R&D bureaucracy, more situational hilarity, and very relatable coworker nonsense.

More silly/fun premises include: Compromising by samvelg, which inspired me to write a (very different) Piett POV of Luke and Vader nonsense. Memo: Jedi Maintenance (The Care and Feeding of Your Jetii) by RainofLittleFishes is exactly what it says and what you would hope for from such a title. Luke Skywalker is Altogether Too Likeable by Mokulule is another Piett POV of Skywalker nonsense.

As far as Non-Star Wars recs

It would be a crime and sin if I didn't mention Embers by Vathara , an Avatar the Last Airbender fic which honestly changed my life and how my brain was shaped.

World Ain't Ready by @idiopathicsmile is a Les Mis fic I've gone back to a few times. The dialogue is just really good. I spend a lot of the fic laughing, and also screaming at the characters.

I fell absurdly in love with Second person familiar, I think because it tickles some part of me that just dies over linguistics, and I'm a fan of pretty much everything @jackironsides has done for The Witcher.

Salvage by @muffinlance is a very fun Avatar the Last Airbender fic about Zuko getting reluctantly adopted by Hakoda (it's so good).

Finding the Line by Miss_Lazy_Tuesday is a Batfam fic that sort of ruined me at one point, it's fine. (I enjoy their other stuff too.)

The Angel of Hell's Kitchen by MarbleGlove is a Daredevil fic. I don't really go here, but this was about social structures, bureaucracy, and doing the work, and we all know I can't help myself.

Reconstruction by rageprufrock is the story of Stephanie Rogers, but like, it's Pru writing it. So. Characters are great. World building is great. Tension and longing and grief are great. I cannot stress enough how good the academic and news article asides are. Like, it's good. Incomplete, but so good.

Ordinary Numbers by BootsnBlossoms and Kryptaria, a James Bond fic that I keep coming back to because I too would be a sucker for someone who sent me needlessly expensive gifts.

And This, Your Living Kiss by opal_bullets is a Supernatural fic about poetry. I am not in this fandom, but again, my weakness for language gets me every time.

ever fallen in love (on national TV)? by ganymede_elegy is a GoT Jonsa modern Bachelor AU and...guys I cannot express how much I Do Not Go here, and how much I still recommend this fic. Like, it's just...I don't know. It worked. In spite of me knowing nothing about GoT or The Bachelor. wtf

survival of the fittest by cywscross is a short Naruto fic about a very unpleasant adventure for Sakura and Shikarmaru that just...worked. As a story. Dunno, I just really like it.

I could be wrong, I could be ready by harryromper is a Harry/Draco fic where they are disasters and traumatized, and it is about healing and building houses as a metaphor for overcoming trauma, and it's fine, I'm fine.

eternity will be born from hope by theseviolentdelights99 is a Yuri!!! on Ice fic that is about a time traveling Yuuri who (you'll never guess) goes back in time and does bureaucracy in his hometown and his sport to help the people that he loves. The unreliable narrator is excellent, the social media asides are wonderful, and it's not complete but it is exactly my poison.

(Wow, this is so long and all over the place...)

[bendingwind]

Fanfiction Year In Review

This was a special year for me, in that I wrote a lot after almost a decade of writing relatively little and believing I'd never be a particularly active fan author again. Thank u psych meds (and the years I spent trying to find ones that didn't absolutely wreck my extremely dumb brain chemistry).

I started out January with writing like, just a ridiculous amount of explicit Witcher fic, which I still haven't finished posting all of. I hyperfixated on Bleach once again and wrote a good amount of Bleach fic, though I abandoned a few incomplete works I started. I wrapped up the year writing some Dragonriders of Pern fic, which hardly anyone will read, but I sure will enjoy! I reached 150 stories total posted on AO3! I posted over 100k words this year! Shoutout to the Bleach folks in particular, for engaging with me and making it so that posting for that fandom is such a fun time!

And honestly, I wrote probably half as much again that I didn't complete or chose not to post as what I did share. Overall I'm very pleased with how this year went writing-wise!

Statistics:

Kudos: 701 Comment Threads: 50 Bookmarks: 104 Word Count: 101,131 Hits: 8,725

Not too bad for mostly old or older fandoms and several obscure pairings!

Stories I Posted (scroll to see what I didn't, which in my stupid opinion is the more interesting part):

Something So Magic About You (The Witcher) (2,825 words)

Any Stranger I Choose (The Witcher) (1,027 words)

glow (Bleach) (1,019 words)

Any Thrill Will Do (The Witcher) (3,118 words)

i'd tell you i miss you (but i don't know how) (Bleach) (1,365 words)

we're takin' on the world together (Bleach) (462 words)

my days once revolved around you (Bleach) (811 words)

Scarred and Scarring Still (The Witcher) (1,016 words)

the way you move is like a full on rainstorm (Bleach) (4,173 words)

i don't know how to be something you miss (Bleach) (200 words)

Need To Be Youthfully Felt (The Witcher) (1,590 words)

Offer Me That Deathless Death (The Witcher) (5,873 words)

The Wretched and the Joyful (The Witcher) (871 words)

The Most Eligible Bachelor in the Seireitei (Bleach) (20,607 words)

shrike (Dragonriders of Pern) (19,516 words)

Touch (The Witcher) (1,006 words)

felessan (Dragonriders of Pern) (7,524 words)

branoren (Dragonriders of Pern) (3,250 words)

Settle Soft (The Witcher) (1,082 words)

robse (Dragonriders of Pern) (3,432 words)

jarrol (Dragonriders of Pern) (4,097 words)

gellim (Dragonriders of Pern) (5,234 words)

All the Things I Would Do (The Witcher) (721 words)

No Shortage of Sordid (The Witcher) (1,189 words)

Fell In Love With the Fire Long Ago (The Witcher) (928 words)

Any Way to Distract and Sedate (The Witcher) (1,089 words)

Remember Me When I'm Reborn (The Witcher ) (1,089 words)

For Years or for Hours (The Witcher) (1,056 words)

The Same Kind of Music Haunts Her Bedroom (The Witcher) (4,961 words)

Stories I Didn't Finish or Didn't Post

untitled RenRuki pre-academy smut in which they attempt and badly fail at having "casual" sex (abandoned at 2k words because I lost the hyperfixation, though of all of them this is the one I most want to pick back up)

A really, truly, absurdly cracky Ichigo/Shuuhei a/b/o fic (abandoned at 3k words because I woke up and went "wtf am i writing here")

not what you thought it would be, IchiRuki, part of my speak now series, this one based on the titular song. I don't want to deal with the drama of posting it and I don't think the fandom needs any more of this particular variety of take on IchiRuki. It's also one of the first things I wrote after getting back into the fandom and I'm not sure I agree with the characterization any longer?

never grow up, Ichigo & Isshin, abandoned at under 1k words because it's hard to balance Isshin being, well, Isshin, with the tone of this story

Another moderately cracky story in which Toushiro develops a crush on Byakuya and finally starts to grow up because of this and is mortified (abandoned at a little over 13k words + some outtakes--same lost the hyperfixation deal)

the same music series, which deals with Ichigo dying unexpectedly and having his memories erased before being sent to Soul Society. There's a finished standalone piece about Rukia dealing with losing Renji in a battle (all that we intend is scrawled in sand, ~2k words) which I haven't posted because it makes me Very Sad. The series is primarily Orihime/Rukia, but eventually ends up Rukia/Orihime/Ichigo. I also sort of vaguely had an idea about a final part that was Byakuya/not!Renji (there's a core theme where souls can be tracked across incarnations because their zanpakuto always takes the same shape, even if they are fundamentally a different person due to different life experiences and have completely lost their memories). I abandoned the first draft at about 5k words in and the second draft at about the same point.

NORTH, the first in a planned IkkaYumi series where they wander the Rukongai and fall in love. (abandoned on draft 3, each about 4k words long, because Ikkaku is hard af to write)

Around half of the An Art to Life's Distractions explicit series, which I'll probably get around to editing and posting next year. It's, uh, been more or less finished since February of this year :flushed_emoji: I just struggle with it because I think it's good but the kudos:hits ratio... does not agree.

A Pern series focusing on original characters late in the Ninth Pass. There's one "complete" het story that needs to be rewritten (about 20k words), about 12k of a femslash story that's technically a prequel, about 15k of a slash story that's also technically a prequel, and plans for an additional het story that takes place after and features one of the OMC's like five billion half-brothers.

All this to say, I wrote a shitload of words this year \o/ I will not be jinxing myself by making any wishes about next year \o/ Happy New Year y'all \o/

[littlestsnicket]

Questions 7, 26, 45, and 50. 28 made me giggle.

7. Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of?

as a fic writer i somewhat avoid doing world building… the world is there in the source material. but for my longer witcher fics, i did have to work out how i thought magic works in that world, and even though very little of it ended up on the page, i am quite pleased with what is in my head and how it let me feel more comfortable writing ciri and yen doing magic. (that’s probably what makes it good world building in my opinion, that it’s not really on the page.)

other things are more like, how do i jam my headcanons about how this world works into the story, which i think is fundamentally different than world building (like when ciri&jaskier talk about being queer in the post season 2 fic).

26. already answered this one (writing fic that’s only dialogue sounds like fun!)

45. What’s something you’ve improved on since you started writing fic?

i think the biggest thing is the ability to write longer works? the fact that i’ve written two thinks over 10k now is still absolutely shocking to me.

i think i’ve also gotten a lot better at figuring out why a story isn’t working. i used to just wander away from things and not find my way back to them, or chop the bits that were working into drabbles instead of figuring out the whole story. that’s also, on reflection, a big part of being able to write longer stories.

but also a lot of both of these things is less real improvement in my writing and more having a beta reader (you) and how the way i engage with fandom has changed a bit over time/across fandoms.

50. Answer any question of your choice, or talk about anything you want to talk about!

the thing i want to get better at (which i think i’ve vaguely talked about in my sprint retro notes), is learning how to create inspiration rather than waiting around for it. it’s an interesting self-awareness exercise. like if i go for a long walk or do the dishes while listening to music instead of a podcast, usually my brain does things. what else makes my brain do things and how do i guide the brain-doing-things in the direction of the thing i want to be working on?

did that make any sense?

(bonus 28, lol, yes. you read my fic before i post it, either when it’s almost done or when i need validation that i put words on the page so you get to see my disaster drafts :D and you get to deal with how i didn’t write the two pivotal scenes for the ciri&jaskier fic until very late in my out of order writing process and i had to keep trying to explain what the fic was actually about to you because based on what was on the page it seemed like it was about something else—in so much as that fic is actually about anything.)

[nataliescatorccio]

Hello, Becca! I hope you're doing well! Bit of a random question perhaps but since you are a woman of great tastes, I am curious: What are your top 10 favorite shows?? Feel free to add what you like most about them! Thanks for indulging me and keep being amazing <3

hello phoe! hope you're well too<3 i'll be honest, whenever i get this kind of question my mind immediately goes blank and i forget any show i've ever watched, so this is by no means a 'definitive list' because there are definitely things i love that just slip my mind, but here are more shows i've really enjoyed this past year:

the witcher: for the women who take shit from no one and kick ass, but also for the found family vibes. the witcher will always have a special place in my heart, the characters are both fantastic on their own and interacting with each other, and this show will always feel like home to me

shadow and bone: just because i've giffed it a lot this week and it brought back all the feelings. comedy mixed with action, it was just an adventure and a joy. shadow and bone brings back the young adult fantasy nostalgia my brain craves, but injects a freshness of sarcastic comedy into it with the addition of the crows (my beloveds)

yellowjackets: rewired my brain chemistry. it was the biggest surprise of a show for me because i actually thought i really would not vibe with it as it's marketed towards horror and i am a scardy cat who does not vibe with anything horror. and yet, from the first episode it completely grabbed me. the wanting to know what happened next of course, but mostly just getting to see the intricate relationships between girls. there is nothing out there quite like yellowjackets, and for that reason it really is a special one

house of the dragon: divorced lesbians let's go! i love a show that's a tragedy. i love a show where i know the ending and it's inescapable. i love watching everything crumble whilst knowing there is no way out, and yet begging at every second for something to somehow change. just fantastic worldbuilding, fantastic characters, and fantastic relationships to watch burn. if you like angst and pain this one's for you!

our flag means death: i don't think anything exists quite like our flag means death. it's a breath of fresh air in the tv world. there's a character for everyone to love, whatever archetype you fall for. and it's guaranteed to be a rollercoaster of emotions: this show has made me laugh and cry but most importantly it never disappoints

the last of us: show of 2023 for me. i knew very little about the last of us game watching this, and for that reason i was hooked the second i started watching because i just had to know what happened. i still have to know what happens, the wait for 2024 may kill me. just a great action-packed show with the most beautiful acting in existence

good omens: good omens was just a little bit of light in my life this year. where a lot of shows in the currently tv world rely on heavy action sequences, or gore, or even sexual content, good omens challenges that perfectly. it's a light-hearted relief, even silly at times (in the best way possible), but also knows how to make you think and make you cry. i just adore how the plot is done, with a 'present day' storyline but also several stories that run in the past to see how the characters got to where they are now, it's a trope that i very much enjoy

bridgerton: i absolutely love a good period drama. i grew up watching many a jane austen adaptation with my mum, and so there is something incredibly comforting to me about adaptations set in this time. bridgerton is just a good vibe, i know it will make me feel warm and fuzzy inside no matter what drama it also serves on the side. plus kate and anthony? rewrote the definition of chemistry

the umbrella academy: honourable mention to my little superhero show of chaos. if you like superhero shows, watch the umbrella academy. if you don't like superhero shows, watch the umbrella academy. it's a chaotic mix of found family and time travel and trying to save the world and that makes it perfection

merlin: shoutout to this classic because i've been rewatching it lately and damn, they just don't make tv like they used to in the mid to late 2000s. at times it's cheesy, at times it makes you want to bawl your eyes out, and you know what? you'll never know which one it's going to be. it's absolutely ridiculous but entirely fun. once you accept that the bad cgi is hilarious you'll be guaranteed a wonderful show, just take your tissues with you for the sudden gut-punches of emotion it provides

[salaapaoo]

it's been a while since i've been on here!! I've been p busy w school >< but i got tagged !! by @fanfiction-artist-prototype for 20 questions!! 1. how many works do you have on ao3? I have 16! but a bunch of wips hidden in my docs hehe 2. what's your total ao3 word count?

144,014!! I feel proud bc it's been,,, almost a year since i started?? I haven't really had time to write lately though :<

3. what fandoms do you write for? hmm... only lcf so far, but i wanted to write for sss class revival hunter !! but i need to catch up and brain rot harder!!!

4. what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

young master, you dumb bitch

puppy teeth

in the comfort of death

death's little reaper

teeny tiny trouble

5. do you respond to comments? why/why not?

I usually do!! I feel kind of bad tho bc I see comments and then tell myself that i'd just respond later, but then forget.... hhh i will respond to them eventually ;;

6. what's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

hm.. there's only a few that are done... so i guess i'll say what i think will have the angstiest once i'm done?? I think it might be between mr forgettable, witcher's calamity, or comfort of death???

7. what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

uhm.... i feel like a lot of mine don't really have happy endings??? hhh

8. do you get hate on fics?

no ! i'm really happy with that! i feel like the fandom is really nice tho heh

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind? :] yes,,, uh theres.. some out there

10. do you write crossovers? what's the craziest one?

i don't write crossovers hhh mostly because i would worry about trying to keep even more charas in character ;; brain too rotten w lcf

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of ??

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

yeah! i had one translated into russian!! that reminds me,, i should probably add a link to that to the summary or smth ghksjhg

13. have you ever co-written a fic?

hmmm officially on ao3, no, but i would consider a lot of my fics cowritten w my friends because would end up brainrotting together so hard that it would end up mostly written!! so if i end up writing it, i usually end up dedicating it to them or smth

14. what's your all time fave ship?

hmmm,,, im not too picky??? i usually like eating them all

15. whats a wip you want to finish but doubt you will?

hmm... im a bit worried about finishing comfort of death ?? i want to finish them all!! but for comfort of death i'm a bit worried because i know how i want it to end but the in between hhhh uughgggh having to connect it ughghghg we're still far out!!

16. what are your writing strengths?

my friend said that my writing felt nostalgic and like heheh that makes me feel proud!! smth abt how i desc scenes, so i think that's a thing i'm really proud of !!

17. writing weaknesses?

i think the fact that i don't like rereading is a big weakness because i'll read it again after a long ass time and then see so many errors!! I think i have a lot of run on sentences, too!!

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language? i don't think i'm too confident on writing dialogue in another language!! I would probably just put it in italics and say its being done hhh or if i do, then i'd want it checked by someone who speaks it

19. first fandom you wrote for?

lcf!

20. fav fic you've ever written?

mmmm that's hard... but i think i'm really attached to like, teeny tiny trouble or maybe witcher's calamity? theres a few hidden ones that i'm actually really attached to !! i hope to have more time to write soon!!

-

tagging

@vveirdnobdy uuh,,, idk who to tag??? whoever wants to join?

[soggypotatoes]

nobody tagged me but i'm doing it anyway

Favorite RotE book: fool's fate, like everyone else said, because it's GOOD.. the pacing, the tying together of the last two trilogies.. also, i really like glaciers. i first read this 10 years ago, before the series was finished, and this book stuck in my head the most. i have bad memory for media retention so tbh the main thing i remember was all the descriptions of their hike across the glacier and the outislands, but i just really liked that!! you never see that kind of biome, really, much less in fantasy. it's a very clever, heart-wrenching, addictive book to read, and the one i'd most like to reread. also, the resolution from The Quarrel, which upsets me.

Top three favorite characters: I literally have a tattoo of the Fool lmao. so obvs he's my fave. I reeeeally really like Bee, I relate to her a lot. I'm not counting Fitz here bc he's obviously fave because I've lived in his head so much. My other favourite... maybe Paragon, actually. Paragon is very special to me.

Top Three Least Favorite Characters: TATS, god I hated Tats. I haven't actually finished the series yet, still in Fool's Quest, but Lant really upsets me - I had teachers exactly like that, who treated me like shit for no reason. Maybe he'll get better, idk. I'm not sure about others - obviously there are dirtbags, but I like reading about them, as awful as they are. They're interesting!!! Maybe Regal, because he upset me more than the other villains lol

Favorite Ship (of the floating kind): Paragon obvs

Top Three Favorite Ships (of the people kind): If fitz/fool doesn't count.. uhhh... Chivalry/Burrich? even tho we obvs don't see them interact at all. i like the vibe

Would you rather be Witted or Skilled? witted, is this even a question, the skill sounds like a nightmare

If you were Witted, what animal would you bond with? that is soooo hard... either a snake (specifically a woma python) or a great white shark. bonding to a shark would be hard, especially a fuckoff big one like that, but scuba diving is my favourite activity so. and, i've had a recurring dream since childhood about having a great white shark best friend who i get to hug. they're so huggable!!! it'd make me sad being bonded to one though because they'd be off swimming around the world, and i like to be comfortable in one place. we'd have a special kind of relationship, i think.

Would you rather live in the Outislands, the Mountain Kingdom, the Six Duchies, Bingtown, The Rain Wilds, Kelsingra, Jamaillia, The Pirate Isles, or the Fool's Homeland? rain wilds might be the worst option here but. rain wilds. it's the place i felt the most jealousy at the thought of living in, because god... big trees, man... we don't really have them in australia so i've never seen a Big Tree irl. i like the idea of climbing up and down the trees, gently swinging treehouses... ugh. the people, though... so much prejudice and politics. i'm not there for the people :/

How were you introduced to the books? my ex lol, and two friends who were into it. this was like 10 years ago. i also met robin hobb, before i'd read any of them. i got her to sign page 69 of the book i was reading then (one of the witcher books) cause i'm an idiot.

Share a quote you love: my brain is short circuiting. i don't have access to it right now, but my friend wrote the paragraph where fitz holds the fool at the end of fool's fate on the top of my window, which i found much later and had a breakdown over. the 'i have never felt less of a man that i did so' quote. fuck that

[cosmos-coma]

Hello My Old Heart- Final

A/N: Welcome to probably the hardest-hitting dialogue I've written to date. This whole fic was a labor of love to my new self, my old self, as well as to mine own old heart that changed a lot recently and is still changing. I thank you guys for taking this journey with me and I hope it helped at least one of you to discover that your heart is not so alone.

Pairing: Eskel x Reader

Words: ~1.6k

_________________________

You sat on your armchair beside the hearth as you read, Ivy curled up happily in your lap as you both became pleasantly toasted. You were actually reading one of the new books Eskel had gotten you. Unlike the others, this was a short little fiction book about a young couple who had fallen so deeply in love at first sight- a little unrealistic to you, but still nice.

Though as you read, your mind began to wander and you found yourself having to close your book with a heavy sigh. He was on your mind again. Eskel. And it made you fight the threat of tears in your eyes.

That night at the flower festival had been absolutely magical, and that's coming from a sorceress. It made you forget everything- all your past hurt, trauma, and mistrust

- But then, so soon after getting back, he decided he needed to leave immediately, no time to waste. He saddled up and headed out within the hour and you felt…. stupid.

You felt so fucking stupid and honestly, that was the worst part of it all. You knew- you KNEW it was going to go like this, where your heart would break out and get hurt again, and this time… well you thought it would be different this time. At least for a moment, you had let the idea pass over you that maybe he would be one to stay. 

Deep inside, in a part of you that you didn’t want to acknowledge,  you still hoped he’d come back, that maybe he’d come to sweep you off your feet. But the majority of your mind knew it was silly,  that you were only holding your breath so that you could asphyxiate later. 

You let out a sigh as your stomach rolled and turned with a dull ache that you knew was from your darkening thoughts. So you turned instead to channel it into something else. You pulled a charcoal pencil from your hair, one you had put up when scribbling out orders and began writing on the inside of the cover. Hand moving slow and lazy in a way that let you write the words as they drifted into you.

Oh, fair and flighty love, 

my aerolite above,

the only dove I see.

Could you love me more,

if by the sun and moon, I swore

that I would never flee?

Well, I still taste you on my lips,

 lovely bitter water

The terrible fire of old regret is honey on my tongue

And I know I shouldn't love you

I know I shouldn't love you, 

but I do.

As you wrote out the last line a knock came at your door. Multiple short raps that seemed eager and antsy. It was late already and you had on only your nightgown, but you hadn’t found the heart to care about such modesty lately. 

You set Ivy down on her bed of blankets,  getting met with a tired bleat as she briefly woke from consciousness, and got up to answer the door. 

“Yes?” you asked, a bit of a tired way about you, but you were stunned to once again find the tall, mountainous Witcher standing at your door. “Esk-”

“I think I love you-” He blurted out of nowhere, stunning you into silence as you tried to take in what he said, but he wasn't done. 

“- and I want you to come to join me at Kaer Morhen for the winter because on that first night when you touched me I felt a jolt like venom running through my veins that made my whole body buzz and grow warm. And I like getting to watch your face change in all its funny little ways when you're focused and how your grin becomes lopsided when you see something you love and someday I-” He finally took a hair’s breadth of a pause, having rushed out everything in one quick breath. “Someday I hope you’ll grin at me that way too….” He finished, letting out a large sigh as his thoughts finally finished from the rush that had taken over his brain. 

“Oh, I… “ Your mind swirled in a mix of emotions, threatening to turn into a whirlpool if it went any faster and- “No, Eskel.” 

‘No…. you said no…’  Eskel thought, his shoulders caving in as if the weight of the world had finally crushed them. He barely registered your hand on his wrist, pulling him inside so you could shut the door behind him. Nor did he initially register the way your hand brushed against his, so close to holding. 

“Eskel, I… I just can't do that right now…” You expanded, emphasizing the last part of your sentence. “I can’t say I love you right now, and honestly I think you may just be a little amped up from the ride but…” you paused, finally taking his hand as you took in a deep and shaky breath. 

“I’ve lived a long life Eskel- probably as long as yours and I’ve been hurt a lot in that lifetime, in ways that I don’t want to experience again. When you left last time I was sure it was gonna be it, I was beating myself up for being so stupid, for letting you ride off with my old heart like that, and- Gods, I’m so tired Eskel... I’m so tired of watching people leave…” Tears threatened to spill from your eyes now as they welled up quickly and your hand ran through your hair in an effort to collect yourself.

“And I have a town here that needs me, I have animals to care for, and a home. I can’t just get up and leave for a whole season with no warming and you know…. When the warmth of spring comes and you get tired of my companionship in favor of anothers I won't have anything to turn to in order to support myself, but-” 

You let out a shaking breath as tears finally fell, sliding down your cheeks and falling on your joined hands. “But I felt that same jolt the first evening Eskel. And I’ve missed your quiet breath in my home, I've missed the clunkiness of your steps when you dance, I’ve missed the way your eyes melt when you see me.

And I-- fuck, it terrifies me, but I want to grow to love you Eskel. I want that time and that joy that it takes to get there. And So…” you shifted nervously as you debated on whether or not to even propose this, “I think that maybe, in a year's time, if you still find you want this old heart of mine… then I’d be happy to start joining you at the Keep in winters… and maybe occasionally on the path too….” 

Eskel’s emotions shifted like clearing storm clouds as your sentiments finally came to a finish and his face split into an absolutely boyish grin. “ Yeah…? Really..?” he asked as he pulled you in by your waist, hand wrapping around you as the other came up to brush the tears from your cheek. 

You couldn’t help but laugh, one of the brightest laughs you had in a long time. “Really… that’ll give me time to sell some of the extra animals and get people ready with extra doses for over the winter. I’m still gonna keep the house, but hopefully, with some time…. I’ll find my home will be with you.” You smiled a bit, trying not to roll your eyes at your own cheesiness, but it was true. You didn’t know what the future held for the two of you, but hopefully, it ends with you and Eskel side by side.

“I would like that.” He replied, taking in nothing but the joy to hold you right up against him. “But also-” He let you go for just a moment, so he could slip the wolf-headed medallion off his neck. “This way you know I’ll always come back.” He placed it around your neck, heavy and warmed by his body heat, it lay comfortably against your chest. 

That night as you both lay in your bead, heads brought together as you tried to fall asleep through your excitement, you found yourself thinking back. The weight of the medallion, both physical and symbolic, played beneath your fingers as you thought back to your old self. 

After your last emotional upheaval- before Eskel and before you came to own this house- there was a part of you that had died. You didn’t have a name for her yet, you weren't even really sure what part of you she was, but you could tell she was gone.

 And you mourned for her. You found it hard to go through the motions of the day, to be yourself- you thought you had lost yourself completely. Yes, you mourned her for quite some time, but you didn’t miss her, because the death of who you were was the only thing that could feed the bright mushrooms of who you became. And though you hated that you had to feel that decay within yourself every day, as you looked to your side now to see your honey-eyed Witcher there beside you you knew it was all worth it in the end.

__________________________________________

Taglist: @writingmysanity @open--till--midnight @arcana-greenleaf @dark-academia-slut

[fangirleaconmigo]

You’ve probably gotten tons of asks about it already but are you going to make posts talking about the new season now or wait till part 2 comes out?

Hello dear! I tend to think and mull for a long time because my brain is slow.

If anyone wants my preliminary thoughts that are subject to change after seeing the rest of the season, here’s a few things:

SEASON THREE SPOILERS

Canon bi/pan bard is fantastic so far. It feels very natural, the emotions, the chemistry is there, very special and particular connections, etc.

Joey said he had a lot of input and it shows, because it does feel personal. I love it. Anyone who listened to my Whiskey with Witcher podcast interview knows that I’m a big fan of that development.

He also talked up Hugh Skinner and I was like well we shall see. People always talk up their scene partners because they know them and care about them which is GREAT but that doesn’t always actually translate to the screen for the viewer.

But Hugh WAS amazing. Joey was not exaggerating his expressiveness, passion, and chemistry in the role.

Hm. Let’s see what else.

I really appreciate that they haven’t ‘dropped’ the centrality of the Yen and Tissaia relationship. I’m not a fan of the Vilgefortz Tissaia romance addition. But at least they haven’t minimized how important her other relationships are.

Tissaia and Yen is the relationship that hooked me into the witcher to begin with. It had complications and dramatic tension and I was intrigued by how it changed the two women. It is so central to me, and I'm glad it still is for the show.

Ciri: It’s a whole new Ciri. Very different from the books. It’s not worse, it’s just different. In the books she just wanted to be left in peace and wanted nothing to do with being royalty or the motherhood and reproduction that this entails.

She has like a rage moment of almost riding into Nilfgaard at one point but she comes to her senses.

But the show cast her much older and this is just a different story. It’s about leadership. She wants to be a queen. Like I said. Very very different Ciri.

I have always believed you can change things you're adapting, in fact you have to. The test is, what you change it to has to be compelling enough in its own right that people aren't sitting there bitter about what they are missing out on. And I think her internal struggle and arc has potential. We'll see how it plays out the rest of the season.

The stuff about experimenting on the girls and messing with their heads and mushing their body parts into one is obviously brand new as well. I don’t really get it so far, but we’ll see how it plays out.

I believe it's ideas adapted from Season of Storms but I've only read that book one time, so I'll have to go look again.

The plot line has potential. Again, the story in the books was about bodily autonomy and the villains were all trying to basically turn girls and women into breeding machines. The lab was discovered and was horrific in a different way.

So what they’ve done is a bit more “fantasy” and I think it is potentially a much better choice for the kind of show they’re doing. I don't think I would want to see TWN put in a bunch of extreme and graphic reproductive and sexual violence and torture. I think you have to know the kind of show you're making and have a consistent tone. So I'm open to something else, for sure. But I’ll reserve judgment until I see how they wrap it up.

I loved all of the Ciri and Yen stuff. Their conversation and scenes are great. I know for a lot of people it's sort of hollow after S2. Since I made the decision not to quit the show, I have to let that go or I'll be miserable. So, I'm blocking out and denying a lot of season two.

Season three I'm enjoying. Yes, it's camp and silly in a lot of ways. Of course it's a flatter more simplistic version of the story. But we are on season three folks. If that is offensive to people, they should have quit already. Hatewatching is bad for the soul and constant hate and hostility is bad for the fandom. If ya can't have fun with it, time to move on.

For me, I had a great time watching it. I'm actually re-watching it already. I didn't rewatch season two at all (except for the first ep) so that's a good sigh already.

How I judge the season's writing as a whole will have to happen after the second part. And I'll let you know then if you send me another ask.

What I'm looking forward to the rest of the season:

The lodge. I think Cassie Clare is a fabulous Philippa but I want to see her come into her own self. I hope that's coming.

Keira Metz's brass knuckles.

FRINGILLA. We've seen so little of her so far, but what is there has intrigued me. Where are they going with her? I hope she's a bigger part of the last three eps.

MERIHART I want Philippa x Triss so badly ghhhhhh.

Milva. I can't wait to meet Milva.

Jaskier x Radovid I hope is a satisfying arc, and I believe it will be.

Geralt and Jaskier in Brokilon oh I hope they do it justice.

WILL WE SEE THE UNICORN??

Thanks for dropping into the ol ask box hun!