#i do also have a wip for the prompt im working on but i don't wanna spoil it lmao

[lesbianwords]

i NEED to get back into writing but it's so hard and im being so brave about it😭

[hellofanidea]

thank you for the tag @lewis-winters!

WIP Ask Game

Rules:

Post up to five (5) filenames of your WIPs; not titles, file names.

Post a snippet from one/all of them. Snippet must be words you wrote in the last 7 days. We’re posting progress here. If you haven’t made any, go make some and come back to post.

After you’ve posted, people can send you an ask with one of your file names. You must then write 3 sentences in that file.

That’s it! You can invite others to join in or just post.

WIPs under the cut because some got a little long. Surprise surprise its mostly OC stuff:

Webgott White Collar AU - Featuring Web as a criminal consultant, Speirs as his handler, and Lieb as his very complicated ex/nemesis. Background Speirton.

He was out of plays. Short of slipping his cuffs and probably getting shot in the back as he ran, there was nothing more he could do. What window of time he had, he had wasted on this.

"Got the place surrounded?" He asked instead. 

He sounded flat, even to his own ear. Scuffed patent leather creaked as Special Agent Speirs crouched beside him.

"You know it," he told Web. "If I ask before the cavalry comes, will you give me an honest answer?"

Web finally lifted his head, hoping whatever redness remained in his eyes could be explained away as sleeplessness. He raised his eyebrows at Speirs to continue.

"They're going to give you four more years for this. If they're lenient. Halfway through your sentence, a possible parole hearing coming up… what the hell was all of this in aid of?"

Hands tightening around the neck of the bottle, Web shook his head. His knuckles went white around the dark glass and he sniffed, putting it down on the floor and rolling it away with a hard push. It made it all the way to the other side of the room, where it collided with the wall with a crack of glass. The sound seemed to bury itself deep in Web's brain, like something there had been broken too.

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

Pacrim au - Pacific Rim AU, OC-Centric, multiple background pairings and ensemble cast.

“They’re closing the training school.”

Natalie didn’t react, and waited for him to continue. He wasn’t like Nix, who had a way of luring you into whatever he was trying to tell you. Winters was direct, concise. Everything he said, he chose for a purpose.

“We had our last batch of replacements last spring. Most of them ended up working around the Pacific breach.”

How many of them are even left? Natalie wanted to ask.

“So now we’re doing what we can. Calling in old favors. Bringing back old pilots. Anyone who still wants to help.”

Slowly, Natalie looked up.

“The hell kind of help do you think I’d be?” She asked bitterly.

Winters’ expression never flickered. There was little wonder how he’d become the poster-boy for the American Jaeger program, aside from his combat experience and level-headed leadership. He looked like every propaganda poster Natalie had ever seen, all stoic dignity and quiet, patriotic, confidence. Once, she had clung to it. Now it tasted like blood and seawater.

“I think I have Jaegers with no pilots, and pilots wasting themselves by carrying around guilt for things out of their control.” That unshakeable mask softened. “I think I have what’s left of White Horse taking up a bay in my Shatterdome until her surviving pilot tells me what to do with her.”

It hurt to hear its name said out loud again, after so long. Something sharp and hot pricked at the back of Natalie’s eyes.

“I can’t Drift,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I can’t do it, Dick, I can’t let nobody in there again. I can’t risk it.”

The Boxer (T/S) - OC-Centric, pre-canon slice of life

“The children are asleep. They all crawled into our bed, though, so I think we will have to sleep in theirs,” Sylvie laughed softly.

“I can sleep in my chair,” Thomas offered.

Her smile slipped, and Thomas felt the misstep, even though he didn’t understand it.

“Are you hurt?” Sylvie asked.

“No. Not badly, anyhow. Just some bruises.”

She made an unhappy clicking noise with her tongue and moved forward to help him out of his coat. He did his best not to wince as he raised his arms and shrugged the heavy, woolen, overcoat into her hands. As she hung it up, she dipped into the pocket he always kept the winnings in and drew them out. It wasn’t much, but it was more than they would have without it, and Thomas let himself feel some small measure of pride as it was deposited into the empty coffee can they kept their savings in.

It would feed his children, keep a roof over their heads, put shoes on their feet and send them to school. That was worth a few bruises.

---

Tagging @almost-a-class-act @bitch-butter @georgieluz @ep6bastogne @latibvles and inviting anybody else who wants to join in

[dceasesd]

Do you pirate comics? And if you do please gimme your piracy site mine isn't working😞

And could you give me asshole Bruce and Jason fic recs but specifically "I'm a selfish controlling man child and I love my family and will go to hell and back for them and will do anything to keep them safe" Bruce not "I'm an unfeeling man child who only cares for his narrow views of justice"Bruce

If you don't have any fics like this specifically I would gladly take any Bruce and Jason fics that doesn't bash either of the characters or their idles

i gotcha man i gotcha

i personally pirate all my comics on readcomiconline.li, which i find by typing the title of the comic and issue im looking for followed by ‘read’. usually it’s the first option!! it might depend on what country you’re in, though— i’m in the u.s. and it works for me but i’ve heard of people from other places having trouble with it :P

(also, be warned, readcomiconline.li has so. many. pop-ups. use at your own risk)

and oh my god i have so many thank u so much for asking i love giving recs so much (under the cut!!!!)

alrighty bruce and jay fics pls enjoy!!!

Clearly Calm and Keeping Terrorized by Batbirdies

this is one of my favorite fics of all time it’s so good!! it’s literally exactly what you’re looking for. i’d recommend reading the entire series for full affect, but a very basic summary of the plot is bruce goes to therapy and tries to unruin his familial relationships :-) this fic focuses on his attempts w jason. so great!

This Place we Built with Grace and Guilt by Cerusee

yeeowch this one hurts!! another one of my favorite authors, definitely also check out the rest of cerusee’s works, they’re great!! if i had to describe this fic in one word it would be GUILT

The Penny Drops, The Penny Dreads by Batbirdies

omg second batbirdies fic on this list they just get bruce and jay like no one else what can i say!!! this is the only wip on this list but it is very good and i can’t wait for more!! jason and bruce trying to figure out how to have a relationship w their contrasting class backgrounds

The Distance Between Us by AutumnHobbit

this is the one i instantly thought of when i saw ur ask— autumnhobbit is so good! bruce is traumatized and trying his best and that’s what matters

the city carries ruin in its hearts by nex_et_nox

outsider pov of bruce and jason’s relationship!! an interesting perspective, jim gordon is a surprisingly fun character to read!!

borderline by TheResurrectionist

this isn’t specifically jason and bruce and more bruce and everyone in the family, but there is some good jason&bruce dynamic. control freak bruce tries to stop being a control freak

Come Alive by captainozone

this is a young justice fic so if you haven’t seen the show you might be a tiny bit confused, but it’s essentially just a ‘jason comes home’ fic!! one of my all time favorites!

THIS ISN’T PUNISHMENT (I LOVE YOU.) by orphenusaki

orphenusaki i love you all your fics are amazing pls never stop writing!! this author is so great so id recommend checking out their other stuff as well, but this one features a long-needed convo between bruce and jason prompted by truth serum.

hope you like these!!!! thanks again for the ask <333 happy reading!!!!

[p-taryn-dactyl]

after midnight

a/n: dw i still am working on all my wips but i just wanted to show my love for the movie that ruled my childhood! also if there's a certain fairy tale and character you would like me to do i would love to do more of something like this! this is the first part, but the others have been written already, lemme know if y'all would like me to continue posting for this word count: 2.5k warning(s): the evil stepmother is NOT cunty in this guys (rip cate blanchett); the step sisters are definitely not girls girls; everyone is gay; if you know the story you know; but im also going to add aspects from one of the non-disney versions; mentions of blood (small but at the beginning); not an exact retelling, more like cinderella is a blueprint? prompt: you never thought that you would go from cleaning fireplaces and singing to mice to dancing in the royal palace in a magical disguise, meeting the love of your life. or, a cinderella story <3

The needle pricked your finger, sending droplets of blood spilling onto the fine fabric. You watched as the red seeped into the green, mesmerized by how the blood ran quick. How you wished you could be as free, as quick as you ran. But your father built this house, his hopes and dreams were buried deep into the foundations, no matter how much your step-mother tried to erase his memory. She loved his money but cringed at his legacy.

"Y/N? Gods, where is that wretched girl?" Your stepmother's voice echoed up the stairs to the attic where you resided. Quickly, you folded the cloth over, hiding the spot of blood staining the rich emerald fabric. You were mending an evening gown of your stepmother, one she had snagged on a splinter of wood while evading your requests of new fabrics. Your clothes were quickly becoming patchwork quilts and even though you rarely left your attic space, you were desperate to sew a dress that you could feel proud of. Your door burst open, revealing Valentina, the woman who's presence seemed to make your room grow colder. Her eyes narrowed in on the dress in your lap and she scoffed, hand clutching the handle of the attic door tightly, as if speaking to you was a burden.

"Are you still working on that? Whatever, the fireplace needs tending to," She spun around to go back downstairs, obviously signaling you to follow, "Oh, and be mindful, the dressmaker is here, don't get soot on any of her fabrics."

Valentina's tone was haughty, as if even when she couldn't see you, she spoke looking down upon you. You merely nodded, gently folding the dress on your bed and following your step-mother down the stairs. Making sure to keep your head down, you passed Valentina, heading towards the main fire place, where burnt logs sat and ash blanketed the stone like snow. You internally sighed, knowing how this task would end. Grabbing a rag, you sat on your knees as you started gathering the loose ash and kindling, mindful of the sparks that still lingered. The voices of Valentina's daughters wafted into the room like a burnt goose pie, making your stomach uneasy as you braced yourself for the comments they would surely make. Thankfully, you heard the voice of Shuri, the acclaimed dressmaker, mingling with theirs, gently shutting down their absurd ideas. While your curiousity spun around in your mind, furiously wondering why your step-mother had called on Shuri, someone who only made dresses for the most extravagant of occasions. She also had extravagant prices, prices you weren't sure how your step-mother would repay.

"We can do measurments in here, ignore Y/N, she'll be doing her chores." Valentina absentmindedly waved in your direction, sitting on the stool farthest from you. Shuri nodded in hello, giving you a small smile which you returned. The basket she carried was full of fabric samples and measuring strands, grabbing your attention with the expensive items she so leisurley held. As your step-sisters argued, Shuri gave you her attention, her question making you pause as you cleaned the fireplace.

"Are you also going to the ball, Y/N? I'm sure I have the creativity to quickly sketch a fourth dress." Shuri joked, not noticing how your hands shook as you continued your task. There was a ball? And your stepmother was commisioning dresses for herself and her daughters in front of you, flaunting the knowledge you didn't have. While you could care less about a ball, you were bothered by how little you knew of the outside world, of the town you loved so much. Something clicked in your mind as you thought, lifting your head to turn and begin to ask your stepmother a question but her voice cut through the air.

"Unless Y/N somehow cleans the entire house top-to-bottom until it shines and sorts our mixed grain into like piles in time for the royal ball, I don't think she'll be needing your services, Miss Adanna. Besides, the queen is hosting this ball so her daughter may find a spouse, what use would she have of a serving girl?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"This isn't a request! You must marry!" Evanora's stern voice echoed through the throne room, practically rattling the armour of her guards. She glared at her daughter who stood before her, hair down and wild from horseback. Agatha stared back, arms crossed and head held defiantly.

"For what reason? The kingdom is prospering, the people are happy and for the most part well fed, and we've no news of our enemies to the south! Why must I marry, Mother?" At the purple wisps gathering at her fingertips, Agatha anticipated her mother's response. The queen bunched her hands into fists, her jaw clenched as she spoke.

"You know the reason, daughter. Your...studies have put you in a very precarious position and the curse will solidify on your next birthday. Plus, it won't hurt to erase the image people have of you, with your escapades and trysts that bring embarassment into my court."

Agatha merely scoffed, uncrossing her arms as she held them out incrediously.

"If you've forgotten, Mother, my birthday is at the end of this month. And the curse you speak of can only be broken by unconditional love, something you wouldn't know about." Agatha spit out her words like venom, hopeful they would affect her mother in any way. But the Queen merely watched her daughter with cold eyes, waving her messanger up to the throne. The man gave a crooked bow to Agatha as he passed her, scroll in hand. Evanora took the scroll with a nod, dismissing the man. He scurried out of the large room, footfalls echoing in the silence. The Queen waved the announcement in the air, almost tauntingly, before she opened and began reading out loud.

"The Crown formally invites you to partake in the debutante ball for Crown Princess and Heir Agatha of House Harkness. Our home will be open for three nights as our beloved Princess searches for a partner to strengthen the bonds of our kingdom."

The Queen put down the scroll, letting it fall to the ground as she smirked at her daughter.

"You'll have three nights to find this unconditional love or the consequences you'll face will doom the lives of everyone you hold dear."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The thought of leaving the house, if only for a few nights, ate away at your mind, distracting you from your chores. Shuri had long left, your stepmother and stepsisters measurements and requests for last minute additions scribbled on a notepad you were sure she wanted to burn. But before she left, she grabbed a package from her carriage, giving it you once Valentina and her daughters had already gone inside. Inside, you found fabric, soft and beautiful. The shimmering pink shade reminded you of your mother and how she decorated the house before she died.

"I'm sorry it's not much but I've seen your work Y/N, if they won't have me make you a dress, I believe you can bring your own dream to life." Shuri clasped your hands in hers in a goodbye, her kindness overwhelming you, bringing tears to your eyes. However, at the screams of your stepsisters for tea, your bubble was burst and you made your way inside, careful to keep the package out of Valentina's sight, hiding it under a loose floorboard in the kitchen before you started the afternoon tea. Anya, the eldest of the two stepsisters, practiced her dancing, stumbling into the couches and lounge chairs as she held a candlestick in place of the Crown Princess. Damille, the stepsister close to you in age by a few months, scoffed at her sister and mockingly danced, starting a fight between the two sisters. You kept your laughter to yourself, remembering the sting of Valentina's hand when you reacted to her daughters antics the first week after your father's passing. While you waited for the water to boil, you prepared the tea leaves, grabbing a lemon to slice and squeezing the tart juice over the dry leaves. Your mind wandered once again to the idea of going to a ball. A royal ball. While you had never truly seen the royal family, you recalled the portrait of the heir you had once seen in the library of your town. You felt heat rise to your face as you recalled the childlike crush you had on the Crown Princess, shaking your head as you pouring the now boiling water into three teacups, careful to avoid splashing the water onto your skin. Once the liquid turned into a pale yellow-green shade, you strained out the leaves and prepared a tray with the cups, a bowl of sugar cubes, and some milk for Damille, who prefered her tea tart with no sugar. You walked into the sitting room, setting the tea down in front of your stepmother. While you prepared it the way she enjoyed, you attempted to ask her a question.

"Stepmother, may I accompany you to the Royal Ball? It would cost you no expense, I can make my own dress-"

Valentina's laugh cut you off.

"With the scraps you have? I will not be seen in public with someone is a patchwork excuse for a dress, at a royal ball no less. Besides you have chores." Even though she waved her hand through the air, indicating the conversation was over, you continued, feeling slightly desperate at a chance to taste freedom.

"I can get the chores done in time, the house is never truly dirty, and I could wear one of my mother's old-"

It was Valentina's cold stare that stopped you from continuing. Something clicked in her eyes and she brought up her tea to take a sip, reveling in your tense body language. Slowly she set her tea back onto the china plate, the soft clink the only noise as you and her daughters awaited her answer.

"If you can create a dress, a new dress, that isn't embarassing for my family and if you can complete the chore of mucking the stables before the first night of the ball, you may accompany us. But," she held a finger almost accusingly in your face, "You will not speak to anyone of any status while there."

There was something in her tone, something you couldn't quite place but her agreement overshadowed any caution you could've had. You practically danced out of the room, patterns for your dress spinning in your mind.

You didn't notice the look your step-mother shared with her daughters as you left, an evil glint shining in their eyes.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Agatha walked around the library, absentmindly running her fingers across the spines of every book as she was lost in thought.

The curse was her fault, yes, but she would never admit her mother was right. She would admit, however, that her stunt of gaining power in hope of overthrowing her mother was done in haste. If she had read the fine print maybe she wouldn't be in this position. She silently scolded herself as she saw a slight purple haze cover her vision as magic pooled in her eyes.

She had three nights, three, to find someone who could potential help her break the curse she put upon herself. Blinking away the haze, Agatha looked down at her hands, her black fingertips fading into dark grey veins up to her elbow. The words her mother spoke to her the night the curse was solidified rang in her head as she followed her unearthly veins with her eyes.

How could anyone love someone like her?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

You leaned against the tree your parents had planted the night of their wedding, tears streaming down your face as you clutched onto the scraps of your dress. You had slaved over this garment, days were spent tending to your stepmothers every word but nights were spent hunched over with a needle as you sewed a dress you had dreamed of. A dream that was nothing now. You were raised to be kind to all but as you recalled the event of this night, you felt hatred bubble in your chest.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Excitement was all you could feel as you slipped into your dress, proud of your work. You had finished mucking out the stables hours ago, giving you time to wash the stink away from your skin and hair. Pride welled in you as you smoothed the fabric with your hands, opening your attic door to join your step-mother and step-sisters as they waited for the coach that would take you to the palace.

"Mother, look!" Anya practically shouted as you walked down the stairs, covering her smirking expression with a fan. Valentina spread her arms out in what you would learn to be false affection. Wrapping an arm around your shoulders, your step-mother examined your dress, pursing her lips. Quickly, the excitment you felt died like a dwindling fire as your step sisters joined their mother in circling you.

"Oh Y/N, I just don't think this'll work. This design is just...it has too many faults. Here, let us help."

Your confusion was replaced by cold shock as Valentina's hand shot out to rip part of your sleeve off. Anya followed, grabbing part of the skirt to pull on the seams. Damille's was the worst, using both hands to create a distance between the bodice and the top of your skirt. You stood frozen, tears streaming down your face angrily as they continued to destroy your hard work. It was over the second the familiar sound of horses sounded outside.

You don't remember what Valentina said to you before she left, or the snide remarks her daughters added on. All you remember was running, running through the house, running across the backyard into the open land where your parents tree stood proud.

And that's where you found yourself.

"How could you be so stupid?" You muttered to yourself as you wiped away tears, angry for allowing yourself to believe your step-mother could ever show you kindness. In your wallowing, you didn't notice how the ground in front of the tree started to swirl, how the wind changed directions, how a slight humming noise filled the air.

"Now why are you crying when you should be at the ball?" A slightly cocky voice spoke in front of you, unfamiliar yet comforting. Your head shot up and your eyes widened at the sight in front of you. A woman, wearing a sparling cloak stood expectantly, hand on her hip while the other held a wand. Blinking, you stuttered out a response.

"I, I can't go. They ruined my dress and my stepmother would recognize me. I don't want to deal with the aftermath."

The sparkling woman held out her wand, pointing it at you.

"I'm not too fond of this 'can't' business. You have a very obvious fairy godmother standing in front of you, ready to snap her fingers and say a catch phrase I created when I was younger. So tell me, Y/N, do you want to go to the ball?"

Without hesitation, you nodded and your fairy godmother waved her wand.

a/n: whoa cliffhanger, wonder what happens next...but seriously, i love doing AUs like this and I'll focus on getting my other wips out but lemme know if you enjoyed this??

[luxaofhesperides]

decided to make an actually useful pinned post so here we go:

i have a newsletter that goes out every so often with my thoughts on things, what i'm reading, and occasionally a look at my original wips. it's totally free bc this is just a little thing i do for fun. subscribe if u want! here's the link

all of my writing can be found under the 'my writing' tag. edits, usually book edits, are under 'my edit'.

my ao3 is aryelee and every fic i post in here is also posted over there so if youre having trouble finding something, that's where you should go!

all my random thoughts are tagged as 'rambles' and when i live blog the comics im reading, i use 'comic read' so block either of those if you don't want me clogging ur dash.

below the cut is a look at all of my wips at the tags i use for them

ORIGINAL WIPS

this darkness swallows us whole ; the very first wip i ever started when i first began writing. it's a hot mess with too many uncompleted first drafts, but i love it so much. demons, gray morality, and one mute girl ready to start throwing hands. - #camellia

every other face ; superhero wip! with a villain taking in a child and trying to live a normal life despite the hero, her main nemesis, constantly popping in to make sure the kid is safe and she hasn't decided to cause trouble. - #caerleon community

past the pages ; isekai wip focusing on the characters trying to figure out what went wrong when the 'villainess' goes missing, ruining the happy ending the protagonist was expecting

- no tag yet! will update once i post about the wip on here.

DC

these aren't wings, they're futures ; in which tim and damian travel back in time to when jason was robin, and try to make this new timeline better while avoiding being caught by the bats for the illegal things they're doing as very young children. - ao3 link - #these arent wings

medium!tim verse ; in which tim is a medium who helps ghosts. three timelines planned: canon, polaris, and civilian. - ao3 link - #medium tim verse

manako ; my dc oc, a very tired, no nonsense baker in gotham who doesn't want to deal with bats begging for snacks in the middle of the night. ocs everywhere, and a look into the community of gotham and the life of civilians. - ao3 link (to be made) - #manako

OTHER

ghostlights requests (dc x dp) ; fics made for danny fenton/duke thomas prompts sent in to me. currently not accepting prompts. - ao3 link - #prompt fill

those who serve (dc x dp) ; danny is taken in by alfred and works as his apprentice in wayne manor. - ao3 link - #alfred's apprentice au

the harmless series (dc x dp) ; danny is reincarnated as damian's older brother + the fallout of remembering - masterpost of all parts - #the harmless series

my askbox is always open if you want to know more about any of these!

(last edited: 7.21.24)

[ceilidho]

Twenty questions for fic writers

thanks @kneelingshadowsalome !!!! @ohbo-ohno @charliemwrites if u guys wanna do this go ahead. or anyone else that feels like it

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

47 LMAO

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

a staggering 583,382

3. What fandoms do you write for?

call of duty basically exclusively now, but i used to also write for star wars, shadow & bone, spiderverse, rings of power, and the last of us (may write more for tlou in the future)

4. Top five by kudos.

dead ringer, take me home country road, red dawn, ghost prompts, and landscape with honey.

5. Do you respond to comments?

god i used to all the time ages ago, but now i don't. i truly just get so overwhelmed and it exhausts me. i will respond to the odd comment now and again though, and i read them all obsessively.

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

"the terrible nature of ghosts" for sure

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

i guess "landscape with honey" ended on a sweet note. or "birdsongs". i like writing fics that have endings that feel neither happy nor sad; i'd like to think that most of my fics end on a note that make you feel mildly uneasy but overall good.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

i have blocked an UNTOLD amount of people, so not anymore. but every now and then i'll get the stray "you're evil and the shit you write is fucked up" comment. people tend not to do that when you moderate comments though.

9. Do you write smut?

well now, that's my bread and butter

10. Craziest crossover.

i'm with salome on this one - i'm a purist. not interested in crossovers.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

ages ago when i was younger sure. not since then thankfully.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

maybe?? i know some people have asked and i've given them permission but then they've never come back to tell me whether they did it or not.

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

yes!!! i wrote "dead ringer" with a friend and it's my most popular fic lmao. i love love love co-writing with people, but i rarely do it because your style kind of has to match the other person's in order for it to work.

14. All time favorite ship?

god reylo was really it for me for the longest time. i'm not sure any non x reader thing will ever top that. i do LOVE abby/ellie from the last of us, but there's hardly anything for them.

15. What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

any reylo incomplete fic, im so sorry. it's just not gonna happen.

16. What are your writing strengths?

detailed descriptions. introspection and character analysis.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

DIALOGUE. i don't know how the fuck people talk sometimes. also longer plots. and i'm not amazing with visualizing how houses and places look for some reason so i really need to get better at that (i'll be honest, i still don't FULLY know what the town in "country roads" looks like so i try to describe it very vaguely).

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

i really only enjoy it when it's used effectively - when the audience is supposed to be aligned with the main character in not understanding what's being said.

19. First fandom you wrote in?

teen wolf!

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

"saltwater" my beloved. or "auribus teneo lupum" from my reylo days.

[luketaluketa]

i was organizing some files and found all the wip stuff from the previous secret samol for @/seamonsterart (go check out their work!), and these are two of my favorite illustrations ever, so here's some insight into how i made these!

for starters i already had a pretty much finished design for pickman that i had first drawn back in 2021

she has a completely wrong gun in this version because i did not remember how it was supposed to look like and couldn't find a description of it anywhere. she's wearing a hat because i forgot it was supposed to be a helm and so i ended up giving her the large hat just because the long horns coming through it are a fun image, though today i cannot imagine her wearing anything else. she already has the sword she takes from the lake skeletons, also. her armor is based on the armor the torumekian soldiers and kushana wear in nausicaa of the valley of the wind, with the incredible neck guard and long cape covering their entire body

i've always loved these designs and how the plates are evocative of insects, but also how mysterious they look with covered faces and bodies. matter of fact, at this point i had no fucking idea what pickman looked like below the cape.

the second inspiration is the young man from angel's egg.

OK, STAY WITH ME. i cannot explain this other that in my head pickman and him are VERY similar characters. the image of the half pulled cape while he holds his sword-cross-thing over his shoulder and the quiet demeanor are pretty fundamental to how i try to make pickman FEEL. i actually wanted her armor to have more piping, pulling from the biomechanical appearance of his sword-cross, but it didn't feel quite right

and the third inspiration is less inspiration and more reference work, the book "arms & armor, a pictorial archive" by carol grafton

it's a compilation of illustration works sourced from several books from the 19th century. VERY cool book to take a look at historical armor. it's on the internet archive for free!

there was also a fair ammount of looking at goats and sheep, but eventually i reached this after learning i suck at drawing furry designs. big shoutout to the furry community for making so many tutorials available btw. in highlight a very important study of the character.

now that i kinda knew what pickman looked like i entered the wonderful phase of "i don't know what the fuck i'm doing" which resulted in a bunch of bad doodles now sitting in a folder dubbed "dev hell". at this point i kinda had an idea for a relaxed scene based on one of the prompts, which i developed for a while on blender but eventually gave up on.

i then moved on to the second prompt, of pickman being badass. i decided on a low angle to make pickman look incredibly tall but the low angle of a goat's head legitimately kicked my ass so i eventually made a goat head on blender and used it to generate references with the help of designdoll. here i made her design a lot more muscular and fat, also, eventually coming to her final design.

the valve on her chestplate looks WRONG to me now, but at the time i was so tired i just rolled with it. the first pass of her armor was in a completely wrong color, which i corrected later on photoshop. i added the little metal forks pulling from her 2021 design, and the idea of little musical forks for atunning to the shape was cool to me. i also corrected her gun after actually learning what the fuck it was supposed to look like. i already knew i wanted her to be standing on the field of canola flowers, and the sky in the background was the last thing i added, also the time when i decided to really make the picture tall.

i liked the final result so much i went back and started working on the first prompt again. had a horrible time drawing the horns in the second image which led to this hell cage for building the perspective. im still not confident on the horns on the side of the head. i wanted to bring the atmosphere of a cold winter or fall morning in the second one, and to make pickman seem tired but relaxed. i overall like the second picture a lot more than the first and was very happy with how it came out.

AND THAT'S HOW THE SAUSAGE IS MADE I GUESS. if you read this whole thing then thank you for your time!

[ashwithapen]

⚠️ this post is edited and updated regularly! last edited: 5 july 2024

⚠️ note: this blog is the parent blog of the sideblogs @wolfdogmisty and @ourstarsys, so if you're confused as to why this blog would interact with you, check the sideblogs! :)

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ᯓ☆ strawpage!

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

hi, my name is ash! here are some things about me...

⤷ 18 | they/star pronouns ⤷ autistic, adhd, hsd, osdd-1b (system sideblog) ⤷ agender, greyromantic, bisexual, & queerplatonic ⤷ intp, aquarius, hufflepuff, 5w4, etc.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

some things i do...

⤷ write! i'm an author :) (prose, poetry, plays...) ⤷ compose music (i use musescore) ⤷ film & edit videos (check out my youtube channel) ⤷ play guitar and write songs

im SUPER into soundtracking & symbolism in music as well as abnormal psychology!!

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

recently: i wrote an original soundtrack for a book

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

i hope you enjoy :)

— ⭑

below the cut: tags, WIPs, fandoms & interests, and more!

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ᯓ☆ tags!

#drabbles: shorts

#poetry: poetry

#life writing: life writing

#creative non-fiction: creative non-fiction

#fiction: fiction

#get wipped lmao: anything about my WIPs

#ash writes (as well as any of the above tags): original work

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#ash.txt: for when i have stuff to say

#ash answers: where i answer asks take a wild guess

#don't give me ideas: writing ideas & prompts

#write that down: things to come back to/reference

#oo shiny: stuff i liked a lot

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#composing: i write music scores sometimes

#insane mashups: sometimes i combine songs and create monstrosities and that's okay

#music!!: where i yell about songs/artists i like & other music stuff

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ᯓ☆ WIPs!

heart beats fast; colours and promises

Viva La Ávila

tales, second edition

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ᯓ☆ fandoms & interests!

ranges from obsessed, to involved, to generally liking. listed alphabetically. i will probably post/reblog about mainly the ones in bold as they are my current 'favourite' interests, but anything is free game.

13 reasons why (show, haven't read book)

abnormal psychology (neurodiversity)

avengers + avengers adjacent (mcu, haven't read comics)

avpm, avps, avpsy (musicals)

bo burnham (musician + comedian)

c418 (composer)

circe (book)

cream crew (content creator group)

crywank (musician)

dream smp (livestream series; i don't support dream/dream team)

e7i (musician)

epic (musical)

generation loss (interactive livestream + adjacent media)

good will hunting (movie)

greek mythology

hamilton (musical)

harry potter (fuck jkr)

hazbin hotel (tv show; i don't support the creator)

heartstopper (show, haven't gotten to read the graphic novels yet)

heathers (musical and movie)

heroes of olympus/percy jackson (books, still watching series)

how to train your dragon (movies + show)

how to train your dragon soundtrack

hozier (musician)

jacob collier (musician)

james marriott (musician + streamer)

john powell (film composer)

magnus chase and the gods of asgard (books)

modern baseball (band)

mom jeans. (band)

my hero academia (show, haven't read manga)

nimona (movie, haven't read graphic novel/web-series)

origami angel (band)

rainbow kitten surprise (band)

sherlock (bbc show)

sleepy bois inc. (content creator group; fuck wilbur soot)

song of achilles (book)

soundtracking & symbolism in music

star wars

studio ghibli (movies by the animation company)

the 1975 (band)

the star and the sun (book; still reading)

the oh hellos (band)

toby fox (music, haven't played his games yet)

qsmp (livestreamed minecraft server)

why don't we (band; old fan)

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ᯓ☆ extras!

⤷ as mentioned, i'm the host of an osdd-1b system @ourstarsys ⤷ my co-host, Misty, also has a side blog @wolfdogmisty ⤷ i also own @jesterjac (agere)

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[the-darkestminds]

Thank you so so much for tagging me @zenkindoflove @fieldofdaisiies and @jules-writes-stories !

1. How many works do you have on AO3? I'm new at this so right now I only have 5!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 79,462 (took me a second to realize I did not have to add them up myself)

3. What fandoms do you write for? ACOTAR

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Autumn's Shadow | Azris

Rhysand Is The Most Handsome High Lord... | Feysand/Rhysrhys

It's Just A Burning Memory | Elucien

A Dying Flame | Eris

Desolate Autumn | Eris & Lucien

5. Do you respond to comments? Always and typically at the speed of light because I am in love with all of my readers

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? The two fics I am working on for Eris week are both very sad. Stay tuned.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? It's Just A Burning Memory was written for the healing prompt during Elucien week so that one is all happy.

8. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yes. Im trying to branch out and let myself write whatever is fun for me. The smut I am most proud of is in Rhysand Is The Most Handsome High Lord... pls go read it and lmk what you think LOL

9. Do you write crossovers? No, idk what I would crossover tbh

10. Have you ever had a fic translated? No

11. Have you ever co-written a fic before? No, but sounds fun

12. What is your all-time favorite ship? For writing, Azris! In the actual books, Elucien.

13. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I started writing a Tamsand fic but it's just vague ideas and random scenes without any direction idk if I will ever finish it.

14. What are your writing strengths? Hmm honestly I think I do well with angst. And I like my dialogue :)

15. What are your writing weaknesses?  I worry about pacing. Slow burn is not something I can write yet, I don't have the patience. Also I struggle with fluff/happy imo

16. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? Not in my plans for rn

17. First fandom you wrote for? ACOTAR

18. Favorite fic you’ve written? Autumn's Shadow is my baby. I am really proud of it and personally I think all of the best stuff is yet to come :D

I feel like everyone has been tagged already but just in case

@talibunny30 @christeareads @fourteentrout @yaralulu @good-old-lover-girl @shadowsandlint

[devondespresso]

Writers 20 questions tag game!!

tagged by the beloved @eriquin 💕💗💖 i haven't been able to participate in a lot of tag games lately (as evident by this being at least a week late ahnsgdsynkd)(edit: its been way more than a week) but i still really really appreciate the tags!!

divider by @/saradika-graphics

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

7 !! I think i still need to put one up there but i haven't yet cause i wanna edit the ending a tad

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

10,746

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Stranger Thingssssss, and i think its fair to say the Steve Harrington fandom specifically gdnzngxngxgn

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Sweet and Spicy (the one steddie drabble tdnydyndny), My Sunshine, I Can Only Hope Now, Never Again, and Mr. Crayola Henderson

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes absolutely!! its usually a lot of heart emojis and keyboard smashes mixed in with my actual response zgnzgbzgnzng

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

uhhh itd probably have to be Never Again still, i usually like to lean positive with my endings, that whole love-being-alive thing, so whenever i don't its usually because the focus is a different strong emotion that'd conflict with blatant positivity.

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

oo okay also hard to decide for the same reason, I'd say the ending that feels happiest is probably from either I Can Only Hope Now (the Claudia prompt) or Now That We're Alive because both go from sad to happy and hopeful for the future. My Sunshine ends on a good note but its less "aw yippee!" and more "AAAAAAAAAAAA". I like my drabbles (under 400 words) to end pretty fluffy so far, and stuff like Mr. Crayola Henderson stays a pretty consistent light and fun so I don't think the happy end hits as hard.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

no, thank god, not yet anyway

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

nopeeee tho Never Again has an E and M version it's not exactly fun enough to be smut i don't think

10. Do you write crossovers?

also nope

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that im aware?? I'd be pretty pissed if it was but also like. is it doing well? is it popular? 👀

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

not that im aware but i give full permission if anyone wants to

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

nope, most ive done is bounce ideas or beta, but I'd be down to try it!

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

i don't know if i have one?? just in general for stranger things i enjoy steve ships a lot. big fan of Vi and Caitlyn from Arcane but im not really in fandom for that show cause what would i change?? im very much a gen fic enjoyer and if i had to list all my fav platonic dynamics... we'd be here a while xgnzngzgn

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

oh irony my cruelest adversary. a few months ago i was happy and ignorant in my haven of only one active wip. Now there's a small handful, and unless i get possesed with the same emotions i was venting in it, i fear the short Robin-centric letter style thing won't be finished soon. its decent so far but there would be a good bit of editing trying to actually articulate the feeling in a realistic way plus fitting it to Robin's first-person writing style. I don't intend to drop it but lately it just calls to me the least, but that could change

16. What are your writing strengths?

i think its a strange mix of intuition and a technical understanding of writing that works really well for the way i think. Its very broad and basically has no rules, just a understanding of how my favorite stories work, how most writing rules are really trends that tend to work better and then you can dig deeper behind a lot of them to see the *why* behind it. that plus trusting the nagging feeling that something's off makes editing my most productive stage, i can vibe check the area and then start digging dgnxnhxngxng

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

god this changes every time i revisit this draft xumxhmxmxhm this time its probably character introspection. i love writing like a movie and having character action or dialogue or setting or symbols communicate things, but putting down what the characters thinking with similar tact is soooo harddddddd and especially in angst or emotion moments, i want my readers caught in the same thought process as the pov character, i want it to feel so real that even if they never experienced the situation the characters in and even if they know logically the characters wrong, they understand. and that unfortunately involves bypassing their stance as an outside perspective on the matter, which is uhhhhh very very hard xhmznhxhnxhm

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

Depends on the intent, i think it works best when the author speaks the language themselves, and especially with stuff like asl it helps clarify the grammatic differences. I think if its a language the pov character isn't supposed to understand then "said something in x language" works better for universal immersion.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Stranger things babeyyyyyy, i actually started writing the Steve Henderson au first, tho the first drafts of chapters are very different from current ones

20. Favorite fic you've written?

MY SUNSHINE!!!!!!! i am so open about my favouritism with that one, its the most contemplative and atmospheric and emotional and its short enough that i was spending time on every word, every line to make sure it felt right and contributed to the picture i wanted. they say its more achievable (compared to long fiction) to make a perfect short story and that's what My Sunshine feels like to me, the perfect little taste of themes I'm enjoying most in writing rn, specifically with the Steve Henderson au (my second favourite fic xgnxngxgn)

i forget how many ppl im supposed to tag so im gonna do 20, no pressure ofc!! @marvel-ous-m @acasualcrossfade @pearynice @imfinereallyy @tinytalkingtina

@klausinamarink @puppy-steve @queenie-ofthe-void @eyesofshinigami @stellarspecter

@dreamwatch @lightoftheseraph @withacapitalp @findafight @hbyrde36

@vegasol @carolperkinsexgirlfriend @lingeringmirth @momotonescreaming @sourw0lfs

[rorywritesjunk]

WIP TITLE GAME

rules: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

Tagged by @galaxycunt

I am also gonna tag @operationroots @hey-august @lostfirefly @fanaticsnail

Okay ready for the excitement (I am not really creative with document names)

"Untitled Document" is Taron and Buggy smut. I'm quickly doing an edit on Chapter 2 before I post it today or tomorrow.

"Tumblr Prompts" is where I work on requests/prompts. There's only one in there so far and it's Buggy and her Husbands for the Swap AU.

"slow burn request" is Cupcake x Buggy. I'm working on Chapter 15 to get the smut going again. There's a possibility I could break 20 chapters with this story Im realizing.

"400 follower story" is slowly getting worked on. It's the story I had people vote for some things for it and am prolly two pages in? It's going to be fluffy and smutty.

"bakery story" is Birdie and Buggy. I don't imagine that one going past 12 chapters.

"Untitled Document" is my Howl's Moving Castle AU. Still working slowly on that. I think I'm going to set aside a day for me to just hash that out and get it finished to slowly share it.

I actually have a file called "WIP" where I throw in chunks of writing that I didn't like for something but wanted to keep around just in case. It's over 100 pages. Some included things were a bit more angst for stories that I didn't want to add in. There's enough angst out there and I didn't want it in my writing necessarily.

Things that I cut were a misunderstanding between young Buggy and Sunny caused by Benji being a little shit. Benji told Buggy that Sunny had a date with someone else when he showed up one day so Buggy assumed he was being led on the entire time. The two had a fight over it. It involved Sunny quitting Miss Pins' and leaving. I couldn't find a good way to fix the situation so I cut it.

Another thing was Buggy suggesting to Birdie he leave her on an island somewhere until the baby was born because why not, he didn't want to leave his ship and be on land while she waited out the rest of her pregnancy. But I didn't want to undo some of their growth. They'll still have some misunderstandings but I felt that was too much.

And Cupcake and Buggy had many hiccups. I decided I didn't like how I was writing Cupcake so it changed to misunderstandings in the bedroom instead of Buggy losing his temper all the damn time and Cupcake crying constantly.

[seiya-starsniper]

This is me "tagging" you in the WIP title ask game because I SHOULD have tagged you in the first place but my brain is Bad™ and I want to harass you about your wips <3 five-and-dimes

@five-and-dimes my beloved 💖💖💖💖

Ahahhaha you're good friend! I am terrible about tagging people in writing games too, and I've also recently been terrible about doing them on time! But here's all the wips I am *intending* to work on...if I can stop playing Don't Starve for more than a few hours 😅

Updating this post to add the snippets I've already posted from the ask game!

Omegaverse forced marriage (Snippets: 1, 2, 3) FULL FIC HERE

hurt/comfort morphienne (Snippets: 1, 2, 3)

you know I love you right - dreamling (Snippets: 1, 2) FULL FIC HERE

Set The Night On Fire Chapter 3/4 (Snippets: 1,)

Hob gets the Corinthian's skull (Snippets: 1, 2)

Corinthienne hurt/comfort

memory loss hurt comfort prompt (FULL FIC HERE)

untitled corintheus sad boy song fic

No pressure tagging: @two-hands-toward-the-sun @kydrogendragon @im-not-corrupted @samsalami66 @bazzybelle @softest-punk and anyone else who wants to play, consider yourself tagged by me! 😁

RULES: post the names of the files in your WIP folder. let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it!

[liquidluckandstuff]

For the ask game : S A L U T (french for "hi" I amost wrote "cock" btw but it made me laugh so much I got embarrassed)

(for A : you pick! If you have a fun anecdote about one of your fic titles <3)

S: Any fandom tropes you can’t resist?

(I answered this one a little bit ago lol so copy + paste)

besides the corn prompts?

Voldemort being a total simp over Harry. Like feral obsessed. So enraptured he would sacrifice a death eater just to be in the same room with him.

Harry being forced to make a horcrux

Harry being remade into a horcrux or getting horcrux pt2

anything that focuses on their connection and codependencies

Parseltounge

A: How did you come up with the title to His Brave Boy?

Me and my beta came up with it. We came up with it first because I said it like.. once? I in the fic, and then went back and said it again and again because it was just so sweet.

One of my favorite things i've ever written but I know its not going to get very popular so I'm just kind of like :/ right now.

L: How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?

Well, I edit over and over AS I write then I usually do a good hard edit once I finish so like... I don't know how to count that.

U : Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.

Latley?

Evaleon70 - one of those situations where all that creativity was overflowing and when the damn finally broke its kick ass story after kickass story. @i-dream-of-libraries

Ghosty - this is gonna sound crazy but so many good drabbles on twitter that i adore (and im so irritated they don't post them on ao3 because BESTIE you're gonna lose them 😭 ) actually idk their ao3 yet but we are working on something 🌶️ together 👀

Leafiloaf - also writer? No. But who woudn't want to include them in a faves list? Their art is always on point and gives my brain a million different ideas and makes me want to drop current wip against my will to go write them. @leafiloaf

T: Any fandom tropes you can’t stand?

I kind of already answered this one again in another one so (copy+Paste)

Im going to answer this softly and not with the Hard corn topics.

Furry stuff freaks me out. Like life your best life, but the fur and animal features and behavior make me feel unwell. But omegaverse stuff where everyone looks human? I can get on that.

I think established relationship is something i can't do simply because i LOVE the build up and chase. I have a really hard time reading it.

Infidelity. Nope I would rather they murder their spouse than cheat.

The humiliation stuff. Like Harry being humiliated in front of death eaters? (especially with the corn/ voyerims stuff) it makes me so uncomfy.

[user-needs-new-hyperfixation]

What are your opinions about character ai? (Totally not asking bc im turning to it to feed my sherliam and alcroft hunger bc im picky and cant find actual fics i like right now and Im not motivated or confident enough to actually write anything myself)

I say this emphatically but with total kindness towards you as a person: AIs don't write, don't draw, don't create. They devour and regurgitate plagiarized art, and in my opinion the best thing we can do is collectively completely ignore them until they become so unprofitable they cease to exist, or are repurposed to do other things that free us humans up to actually create more art. The proliferation of them is likely part of why you have a hard time finding fic you enjoy: more and more folks are scared to share their art when it might be stolen and fed into AI, and more and more are locking their AO3 profiles for the same reason. So uh...my opinion is "AI (at least in its current iteration) = bad."

Lecture aside, let me encourage you to dabble in writing yourself, even if you don't feel confident! In the decade or more since I last published fic before getting into Yuumori, I've started and abandoned probably well over a hundred WIPs for different fandoms. And even though all those snippets just sit on my computer for my eyes only, they were all fun to write! You don't have to share something to enjoy creating it. Have a line you want to hear one character say to another? Write a single scene, just for yourself, incorporating that line! It doesn't have to be complete, and no one else ever has to see it. It's healthy: you're interacting with something you love, flexing creative muscles, engaging your brain and practicing grammar and cadence and so on and so on and so on. Writing is good for you!

Also, if you don't already, get into your fandoms. Engage. Comment on fic you DO like. Become a fic author's recognized regular. (And don't ever ever ever feed their work into AI!!!) Do all that, and you might find someone whose authorial voice you really like who is willing to take prompts and feed your ship hunger for you, in a way that has heart and soul and humanity embodied in it.

Anyway, I hope this wasn't too harsh...I do be going off about things I'm passionate about. I know AI is kinda ubiquitous now and it's easy to think it's just something fun to play with and not doing any harm, but it's good to talk to authors and artists about this stuff and hear where they're coming from. I'm not super defensive of my work myself (not that I WANT my writing put into AI, please don't!), but I am easily riled up for the sake of my many friends who are very stressed about the whole topic and what it means for their art!

[claudiajcregg]

Tell Other People About Your WIPs

make a list of all your WIPs with a brief description of each and then people can ask you questions about them and then tag other people.

Tagged by both @onekisstotakewithme and @miabicicletta 💜💜💜 Thank you, guys <3 I don't know who to tag that hasn't been tagged already. Interested? Tag, you're it! :) (Please do know that there are no set sections. Pick whatever you want. I went the deranged route.)

I have an outdated WIP list, and many others unaccounted for. This is just a selection of stuff I could see myself posting or editing/retooling to write something new. I love talking about my WIPs, about as much as I hate being perceived because they are not remotely interesting. (I also love knowing which ones people are interested in! I have an incentive to work on them!) (Instead of snippets, part of my feedback loop is sending actual rough drafts to get a sense of whether it's worth working on more.)

Multichapters, different levels of completion.

S5 Pregnancy AU. My main WIP. Can you believe I’ve had this idea for a year… almost to the day? I’ve been stuck since November bc I don’t know how I want this one to end, beyond a birth. (As I’ve mentioned in the past, I feel like this has legs to become a fluffy universe. I have ideas! Timelines!) Gist of it: CJ gets pregnant circa Zooey's kidnapping. How does it change S5? It's less angsty than you think.

Campaign bars, aka campaign conversations sometimes happened at bars in the 1998 campaign. Fun stuff. I need to pick it right back.

What Once Was Ours or the IM AU (2021), aka IM ends with a breakup. Not a WIP. Not a UFO. A secret third thing. (“Finished” but not edited, and I’m doubtful people would be interested. Probably bc of some bittersweet ~memories~ attached to it. I mean, I shared a third of it to discord and people couldn’t care less, at least after a while. Now, better IM AUs are being posted these days; I'm not in a rush.) 33 chapters. 150k words. I do reread it every once in a while, and I cannot put it down. But its 'age' takes me aback. If things had been different, I'd have posted this in H2 2021/Q1 2022 (or even the planned Q2-3 2021). But alas.

The “Almost Ready, question mark” Category

Another SVD prompt meme claim: what if CJ has the crush first. The thing is, I tend to write her as having a relatively obvious crush on him at first until something makes her wise up. So this is just some ridiculous, post-first-meeting thoughts. Most of it was written in one sitting! It kinda fits with something in the campaign bars fic, too.

Post birth, hospital story: A couple of hours after their bb girl is born. Pure fluff. Recently reworked it to make it less wordy. Still failed, but it’s better focused now.

Many ficlets – the few I did post on Tumblr that haven’t been posted to the story I’m collecting them in, plus a couple more. I'm thinking the ice skating one, Jan 22, a few post-eps I wrote last year, etc.

Ambitious Projects I don't think are happening right away (or ever), but probably have a detailed outline somewhere

(I put this up instead of last, because the next category has faves, but it's also a long one.)

Danny is back a bit earlier on s7. Toby leaks (or tries to leak? I always wavered) the shuttle to him, as he and CJ are getting closer.

Simon lives. How does his relationship with CJ evolve post-honeymoon phase? What is it like when Danny returns?

You’ve got mail AU. This outline had two ways the climax could go. I had fun.

Epistolary collab (?) fic. Probably an X + 1 fic. The only one with nothing written; don’t rule out writing it individually at some point.

And because this is so long already (but not as long as it could be)… A few more under the cut – more "I just want to make sure I like them" and "this meme reminded me I meant to pick those back up." And they are still not all. (How do you summarize seven years of writing?? I've only posted 20-something of them, lol.)

“Almost Ready (but I feel like I want to make changes to them) (might just redo them altogether)”

Haunted by the Notion, 2007 edition. My beta Ruth suggested this when she edited the other story, and I wrote it around then. It’s another Christmas dinner at Filomena, and, eight years later, things are different. I feel like it hits expected beats, and is just missing some oomph. Maybe. (As much as I do like it, half tempted to make it 2009. Or later.)

Heaven’s here…: A interrupted proposal. I’ve written many proposals over the years, and I love toying with different ideas and setups. Danny takes the lead here, but I’ve been intrigued by the idea of having CJ do the final twist.

5 to 6 am 'me' time. Another story inspired by last year’s rewatch that I wrote right at the start of it (so Jan 2023?). It has five short parts with five different years of what CJ describes in the pilot as her “me time.” This is one when I think one per year would be fun, but I don’t want to repeat myself.

One bed, “sexy” edition. An AU to a sort of AU (one of the drabbles from this summer) and… it's what it says on the tin. The world does not need to read my attempts at smut. If I didn’t put it in the previous category, it’s because I am not sure that I want to post it. (All the previous attempts are locked somewhere; unfortunately, someone loves this one and noticed when I tried to do that, lol.)

First baby kick: I remember writing this while in grad school (so, late 2017? First half of 2018) but I lost it, along other fic, when my laptop had to be reset because I used Bear to write back then, but didn’t have sync across devices. I rewrote it, and I feel like it's not the same, but still. It's sweet! Includes: Danny talking to the baby, domestic fluff, and… baby kicks!

“This meme reminded me they exist and I love them, so don't be surprised if they are posted before anything in a previous category”

(Lbr, if I added something about them in this post at all, it’s because they sparked some memory.)

Mosaic broken hearts: CJ, circa S4, jealousy. Prompted by a former fandom friend, back in my productive era (first half of 2021; before that friend just ghosted me.)

I can’t believe I captured your heart (pancake breakfast, three words and eight letters). For a while there, I edited it so much but then I fell off. iirc, it was part of some morning-related prompts I saw around that I tried to fulfill in 2018? 2019? And they had like internal progression. But this one was the best of the 3-4, and I kept tweaking it.

Green light of forgiveness (IM-ish) — there are many other IM/IM-Tomorrow snippets I’ve written over the years. I’m not sure if this one makes much sense, but I liked it enough.

Distance — I recall liking this one! Might have to bump it up. CJ is in Africa, Danny is at the Farm and sulking because they left off on some sort of argument. There is some Danny-Abbey friendship goodness here. I even have a second file that is “Distance - shorter version (it’s not)”

Danny writes fiction, shows it to CJ during her pregnancy and she’s into it. Technically written. I would probably try to take another stab at it. Third time might be the charm?

San Andreo phone call/fallout from ID. I just had the idea of CJ reaching out once things calm down. This is one of those fics I’ve written a version of every year or so, but I think there was one I liked quite a bit.

Terrible taste in men — a run-in with an OC ex of CJ. It was so dumb.

Fka Impatience - actually beta’d three years ago (by that fandom friend I've mentioned twice before… actually, three times) and “done”. I just think I’d change so much about it these days. It started being something else but ended up being a CJ-Toby friendship story in which they have lunch and catch up. But I would want to rewrite most of it now, and not just because it’s from like… 2019 (but finished in 2021).

I forgot this one initially! he's passing by, rare as the comet in my sky - 2? 3? times CJ thinks she sees Danny somewhere, and one time she does. (Which tried to work in the 'I remember shunning you' line.) I even wrote some sort of sequel later! Probably useless.

I said I would post a lightning round with fics that are either also done but not ready for me to mention them, or just… not done at all. The length of this post and how much I've spent on it is embarrassing. To give a general overview: in line with the nonsense I've been mentioning, includes phone calls at the end of S7, also a few friendship-focused fics around that time, too; present-day stuff; anniversaries; Hollis fundraisers; weddings; many ficlets, introspective thoughts, a “yes day” fic that's super sweet but needs better dares, the third memoir idea (the original one!!!!) that I had three years ago… And those are mostly the ones I had preselected, lol.

If you're interested, I can screenshoot this part in the notes app if you message me!

Anyway, this is embarrassing, and the worst part is that it's not all. fml.

[delta-pavonis]

🦅 15

Im so curious for that Hob 👀👀

Bless you for asking about my OC. *pets Sandro* None of this has been published yet.

This is gonna be in the middle-ish of my WIP, so background is that Hob found out that someone who sounds like his Stranger is being kept in a basement back in the UK. He heads back to Sicily to get the gear he literally buried when he left Cosa Nostra and who is driving the car that picks him up? Well, of course it is Alessandro, the Capo's son and Hob's ex. Sandro refuses to let Hob go out on a murderous rampage on his own, so now they are holed up in a safehouse in Amsterdam working out a plan of attack for their descent on Fawney Rig. Their past catches up with them. Okay okay okay. I know this is supposed to be SOFT. But this *IS* soft, for these two. 😅 A bit NSFT, a bit of an old D/s relationship, a bit of dark Hob. (The prompt is 'it made me think of you.')

Hob is hunched over the far side of the dining room table, hands holding the edge, elbows locked so that he forms a large triangle in the darkness of the pre-dawn morning. The red-orange glow of the cigarette that hangs from his lips is the only light other than what comes in the open window from the moon. Sandro knows that there are maps and blueprints and photographs scattered across the table's surface, but there is no way Hob can truly see them with so little light.

Sandro slides out of bed, doesn't bother to put on clothing, and opens the glass French doors that allowed him to see Hob from their bedroom in the first place. He plasters himself across Hob's bare back, hooking his chin on Hob's shoulder. "Come back to bed, Bettino. All you are doing right now is risking burning a hole in one of the blueprints when you forget about your cigarette." Sliding around to Hob's side, Sandro plucks the offending item from Hob's lips and takes a long drag.

"That'll kill you, you know." Hob speaks but doesn't move other than to turn his head to Sandro as the younger man leans against the table. It makes his profile catch in the moonlight and if Sandro could engrave that image onto the insides of his eyelids he would.

Instead he takes another drag and blows the smoke up towards the ceiling. He knows the moonlight will illuminate the stretch of his chest, making the eagle that soars around his shoulder and across one pectoral shine silver and gold. "I hope I live long enough for lung cancer to kill me."

Hob makes a scolding noise with his tongue, grabbing the cigarette and pinching the lit end between his fingertips, snuffing it out before flicking it away into the darkness of the room. With a large sweep of his arm Hob shoves papers aside and then lifts Sandro by the hips to sit on the edge of the table, nudging himself between Sandro's knees. He grabs high on Sandro's thighs, pawing possessively. "You're with me now. You don't get to say shit like that anymore." Sandro looks away but Hob leans in, nuzzling just beneath the corner of Sandro's jaw. "No, no. Don't doubt me now. You said you wanted out. So I will get you out. Guaranteed. You know that there is no one who can best me. I haven't been out of the Business that long."

Sandro doesn't look back to Hob, just closes his eyes and gulps, trying to swallow down his building tears with it. It still doesn't feel real, feels too good to be true: Hob came back. Despite everything that happened, Hob is still willing to get him out. Hob will use his skills - skills he very seriously and purposefully abandoned eight years ago - to not only rescue his Stranger, but also to protect Sandro.

"Alessandro," Hob's voice is low and careful, his touch gentle on Sandro's chin as he turns the younger man to him. He searches Sandro's face and whatever he finds colors his warm brown eyes with determination. "Tell me why the tattoo on your thigh is globe amaranth and pink and green carnations and coral honeysuckle and dog rose. You have avoided my question three times since we left Palermo."

He feels dizzy with the change in topic, but Sandro suspects Hob has purposefully tried to spring it on him when he is vulnerable. He has just enough of his wits left to keep eye contact while staying silent.

Hob pulls Sandro roughly by hip and thigh, jerking him forward so he hits Hob's body and stays pressed there. "You know I lived through Victorian England. You also know that I worked as a florist in the 1840s and 50s." His voice is sharp, demanding, and Sandro feels a whimper barely crawl its way out of his throat. He could never, ever resist Hob, not for long. Not when he spoke like that. Based on the pounding of his heart, this does not seem to have changed. "But you need to say it, my pretty bird. Let me hear you, bell'uccellino."

That breaks him. Sandro's eyelids droop and he is transported back a decade and he oh-so-willingly obeys. "They make me think of you." His hands find their way over Hob's shoulders and he uses that as leverage to hitch the tattooed thigh in question over Hob's hip. "You left and all I could bring myself to permanently engrave into my body were ways to remember you."

Hob traces the petals of a single flower with the tip of his middle finger, then identifies it without even looking down, as if in the past three days he has already memorized the entire tattoo from hip to knee. "Coral Honeysuckle." His tone brooks no argument.

"Pursue your desires. Experience pleasure." He answers easily and Hob trails his finger to the next species of flower.

"Green carnations."

"Homosexuality." Sandro closes his eyes and lists forward, drawn even closer to Hob.

"Dog rose."

"Pleasure..." He presses his temple to Hob's cheekbone. "and pain." Hob's chest rumbles with a growl.

His lips are brushing Sandro's ear now, his voice dark with command. "Pink carnations."

At this one a sob catches in Sandro's throat, making him choke on the admission. "I'll never forget you. Ardent love..." Sandro arches, neck curving back. "Devoted love."

"And globe amaranth, for immortality. Immortality and?" Hob's voice surrounds him, lilting on the question.

"Unfading love."

Finally - finally - Hob is kissing him, kissing him with wild abandon and feral hunger, kissing him like he should have been kissing him for the past three fucking days. Kissing him like he is supposed to. Kissing Sandro like he owns him.