#i miss taking writing prompts tbqh

[writefightandflightclub]

Me appreciating you for Fanfic Writers’ Appreciation Day, but a day late, because I do everything late. Anyway... yay!

1. PLEASE LOOK DOWN THIS LIST (BELOW THE CUT) UNTIL YOU SPOT AN AUTHOR YOU’RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH

2. GO AND CHECK OUT THEIR STUFF

3. SCREAM AT THEM ABOUT HOW GREAT THEY ARE

4. SIGNAL BOOST THE HELL OUT OF THEIR STUFF

5. REPEAT STEPS ABOVE

Firstly, before we proceed to the list: I will have forgotten people, and for that I am so sorry (not in any way intentional)- I will come back and update if I spot someone I’ve missed. Secondly, for fic authors who weren’t tagged on Fic Writers’ Day, please keep doing what you’re doing! Putting your writing out there takes courage and I’m super proud of you. I’m so pleased we have your unique voice in the fandom, and I appreciate you.

Secondly, if you know an author who perhaps didn’t get as much love as they deserve (and don’t be afraid to self-hype) please send me an ask with a) their/your handle b) which fandom they/you write for (to be relevant to my page pls keep this to SW, Oscar, Pedro, MCU) c) why people should check them/you out and, if you like, which fic to start with, and I’ll do a shout-out.

Finally, if you aren’t a writer yet but you want to be, I believe in you! Please take the plunge! My inbox is always open to any aspiring writers who need encouragement to make that first post or start that first fic. I’ve been in your position, and believe me I’m in your corner. Happy to be your hype girl.

Reccing authors in Star Wars / Oscar / Pedro fandoms:

@okay-hotshot / Celeste is the loveliest human ever. She had me hooked from her first fic, which broke then healed my heart, and I’m so proud of her writing journey so far! Check her page out for Oscar character fics and the most magical, creative, immersive, touching, original Llewyn fic you could dream up: Wait for me.

@mandoplease where do I even start? Becca oozes talent and absolutely floors me every single time. The first fic I read was: The City Lights Can Wait (Santi x reader) and I was just blown away by the writing prowess. Gorgeous prose, mind blowing metaphors and descriptions. A personal fave is the Santi/Frankie threesome fic: Moving Day, but Fight Night also needs a mention. Check her out for Triple Frontier / Narcos / Star Wars characters.

@mylifeliterally Ok, Emma is an absolute gem of a human. Funny, welcoming and so supportive of other writers. Oh, and can be counted on for thots. I often rec the positively artful Triple Frontier gangbang fic (and now series) Team Building Exercise, but don’t overlook her other fics- I especially love: Just for Tonight, a two-part Santi fic. The Triple Frontier Queen, she is slowly dragging everyone into a pit of yearning along with her for every single one of those boys and we’re not even mad. Her writing is flawless and I cannot get enough. P.s. she has a refridgerator husband.

@tintinwrites I’ve already gushed at Caitlin today so I’ll keep it brief. Queen of Poe, and also branching out and excelling with everything she touches in Pedro fandoms too. I think I’ve read near everything on her masterlist and there are no wrong choices, but to pick out only a couple, which is a hard task, imma rec Forbidden Fruit and Fifty Ways to Kiss someone for Po, and Nothing Could be Finer for reader x Frankie x Santi. 

@woakiees again, gushed at Hadley already so I’ll try and keep it chill here. Queen of angst and darkness, and of First Order Poe. Also love that she’s writing for Santi and Din now too. Caitlin says it best when she describes Hadley’s writing as like something from 1843 with a modern twist. Such a unique voice. Imma recommend Sanctified and So ruthless, Darling for Poe.

@iamthe-shadow-on-the-wall Abby! The range! You know I remind you on a bi-monthly basis how much Lonely Nights (Poe x reader) broke my heart and here we go again. You can do it all- fluffy, slow burn series (Call it what you want), heartbreaking angst and smut- your Blue Jones mob boss AU, Darkest Little Paradise? Wowzers. Plus, you’re a sweetie and I love when we scream at each other. 

@darksideofclarke Clarke does so much for us all and just keeps giving. From the Sinful Sunday events to the incredible Follower Celebration, to setting up a whole side blog to extend the character takeovers?! Blessed with content! And Clarke’s fics?! Exquisite, and such a choice of characters from the Oscar fandom. I particularly love Now and Forevermore (Orestes); Bulletproof (Santi); Humbled (Blue); and ‘Til Death Do They Part (Mikael) but I could easily go on. Clarke you’re so talented. And you are a lovely human to boot!

@bluebellhairpin Nemo, you are a joy, and I won’t gush at you too much bc I already did that today, but I love what you’re putting out. You write for so many fandoms, which is so impressive, and you’re a fellow Poe hoe. I adore your series Fight or Flight, Rider, but you have so many cute one-shots and blurbs too e.g. Poe Dameron is an Idiot! Your audios give me life as well.

@spider-starry Carrie is so much fun and has been branching out a lot in her writing recently, which is great to see! I love Carrie’s 100 letter project in particular, for various Oscar characters, as well as this smutty Nathan NSFW Alphabet, which had me all in a tizz.

@aellynera (tag me in your stuff pls?) I love your drunk text series for Santi and Nathan and your Itsy Bitsy Spider headcanons made me howl! I’m so excited to see what you put out next! And I love that you also love Nathan :D

@anetteaneta already gushed at you today so I’ll keep it brief, but I’m so happy you’re sharing your writing! I loved your Sherlock series for Santi so much! And OMG wait, I didn’t see you’d written for Nathan until just now. Must catch-up. (Please tag me in any Oscar stuff you put out?)

@veuliee2 I need to catch-up on a lot of your fics to be fair (please tag me in stuff?) but you write Orestes so wonderfully and with so much heart that it blows me away (New Constellations). So few fics on him on this site and yours are a pleasure. Plus, you’re an all round lovely person! :o)

@thirsty-flygirl I don’t think you believe how good you are which makes me very sad to be honest. Because you’re amazing. You write Poe so spot on, so warm and goofy and a lovable sexy dumbass. Perfect. Your writing and dialogue makes me smile / laugh and you can somehow make it hot and soft all at once. I love your series Idiots in particular. (Please tag me in more of your stuff though as I worry I miss things you put out?). You’re great and I love having you here.

@twomoonstwosuns​ I really need to catch-up on your Poe series, Back to You but I really enjoyed the chapters I’ve read! (Please tag me in future Poe stuff?) You’re a star! 

@absurdthirst I’m newish in the Pedro fandoms so still getting to grips with it, but have loved what I’ve seen so far and look forward to delving deeper (and there’s plenty to get stuck into!)!Most recently read the Ezra fic Healing which was beautifully and sensitively written (cw: for prior assault).

@damerondjarin Taylor is multi-talented and blesses us, tbh, with GIFs and writing. She’s currently in tumblr jail, but I strongly advise you check out all her stuff. I came for Santi fics and they did not disappoint (I can’t link to it but the latest Santi fic killed me and was a wonderul take on the “there’s only one bed” trope.

@damndamer0n you have a gift, Ty. I’m in awe and I don’t know how you do what you do. Your way with words is really something special. I bow. Gonna recommend Just Friends for Poe because this is such a warm and immersive (and hot) fic and so in character. But honestly all your stuff is perfect. I’ve read things for characters I’ve never heard of before because of you and have loved each and every one. (Like, really, what are your secrets, tell us?). Also gonna shout-out to your Ezra fic, Sunlight, beacuse the world-building and mood-building was lovely. Really memorable!

@mssr-cellophane I found your work recently through FinnPoe week and your glorious take on the The Jacket prompt (links to A03). Looking forward to reading more of your stuff (please feel free to tag me!) and surprised by how much I vibe with all your posts haha. Happy to follow you! :)

@yougottakeeponkeepinon AMANDA? Where do I begin and how do I stop? You’re such an important part of this site for me. I think you’re wonderful as a person and I love your writing too. Miscommunication (First Order! Poe) is off the scale brilliant, and then you blew me away with your latest Santi fic, Eavesdropping, but honestly, I’ve never read anything of yours I didn’t love, from goofy Poe to soft soft Llewyn (I love Away from the Sun). I WANNA YELL AT YOU YOU’RE JUST THE BEST.

@poesflygirl Nat is a ball of energy and that comes across in her writing. Nat, you write with such verve and energy and defo have a unique voice. You write the angstiest angst and fluffiest fluff and you also write action and dialogue so well. Your fics have a ton of unexpected turns and are unpredictable, and you have loads of unique ideas which are really fresh and different to read. You don’t seem to believe how good you are, which makes me sad tbqh. I love when I see a tag pop up and get to read something new from you! In particular love your Poe series, You and Paging a Heart, and these Poe one-shots: Just another Benduday Night and Truth or Dare.

@starryeyedstories NOVA. You are pure sunshine. You spread so much positivity and you’re the loveliest human. Your are the Queen of softness and fluff and for comforting and beautifully written fics. Your series, Across the Hall,has taken us all on such a wonderful journey and I don’t want it to ever end. It’s like my happy place! Each chapter is practically a hug with words. Your Din one-shot All of Me is so romantic as well!

@softpedropascal I’m newish in Pedro fandoms but softpedropascal writes wonderfully for Frankie. The dedication to the character is evident, and characterisation wonderful- I can’t wait to read more: Masterlist

@rzrcrst okay, you may know rzrcrst for Pedro fics (which are wonderful) but she also recently started writing for Tony Stark and I’m so happy! 😀🧡 (Fun fact- her url is also the reason I couldn’t spell Razor Crest properly when I finally started writing for Din). She’s currently taking a well-earned tumblr break but fics are still up on Ao3- linked in profile.

@writefasttalkevenfaster​ Please tag me in any of your Star Wars stuff as I swear I keep missing things and I don’t mean to! Masterlist

@galaxy-of-stories​ Maddie, I keep missing things you post but you’re lovely and your writing is awesome. I love your Poe series Over and Over and I think I’ve just spotted a new chapter to catch-up on so lucky me! :D

@who-talks-first Billie, my lovely friend! You’re wonderful to have around on this hellsite. Your dedication to supporting writers in these fandoms is unparelled and you’re an absolute sweatheart, as well as super fun to chat to and thirst with. You have certainly made my experience on this site so much better! And also, your writing? Excuse me? So good. Your Poe fic, The Torture of Small Talk With Someone You Used to Love? Sublime! And the Poe, Naked, Dripping, Locked? So funny! You definitely have a unique style and your writing can be simultaneously edgy, poetic, and moving. ILY!

@xxidontwikeitxx Hope you don’t mind being included, as you haven’t posted your work, but you ARE a writer, and I’m so happy you’ve recently started creating! Again, hope you don’t mind me saying, but I had the pleasure of reading your Marcus Pike blurb, and it’s was so soft and lovely. I really hope - when/if you’re comfortable- you decide share your work, and if not, I hope you keep enjoying the process! Would leave to read more from you in the future!

@shakespeareanwannabe is writing such a heartfelt Santi x OC story (find it here) with sublime characterisation of both Santi and Frankie, AS WELL AS seriously well-rounded and compelling OCs / supporting cast. This series is a key contributor for me falling down a Frankie rabbit role, and my First Dates fic likely wouldn’t exist without it! So excited for more!

Also shoutout to @ollypopp @milleniumvalcon @justrunamok @yourbucky084 who are delightful beings and whose writing I need to catch-up on!I look forward to it!

[elfyourmother]

Fic Writer Meme

I was tagged by @kunstpause and @elveny

Name

Fandoms

Most popular oneshot

Most popular multichapter

Actual worst part of writing

How you choose your titles

Do you outline

Ideas I probably won’t get around to, but wouldn’t it be nice?

Callouts @ Me

Best writing traits

Spicy Tangential Opinion

Name: Bisho (bc of an ancient blog url), kylenne on AO3 (ancient ancient LJ etc), queensurana on twitter (nsfw acct for spicy crimes). Aurora is my preferred name atm but no one uses it tbh

Fandoms: Final Fantasy XIV is the only one I care about rn. But I write Final Fantasy in general though, emphasis on IV and XII. I don’t fuck w Bioware anymore except Mass Effect (the trilogy) but that and Dr*gon Age is where most people here know me from. I also wrote Warcraft until Blizzard pissed me off so badly that I couldn’t even really engage with my massively overhauled shared WoW canonverse with Dandy anymore.

Most Popular Oneshot: Of all time? First and Last and Always, the Garrus/Thane smut. People really dig that one.

More recently, No Sweeter Warmth, which was a Kinktober prompt about the OT4. It’s pretty much pure me (bathtub smut, polyamory) but there was some really fun banter with Estinien and Haurchefant in this one

Most Popular Multichapter: Of all time? Heart of the Phoenix, my basically abandoned re-write of WoW Burning Crusade, centered on the Illidari (not the demon hunters, fuck Blizzard’s stupid retcons), and specifically through the lens of Kael/Illidan/Vashj’s tumultuous relationship. Every comment I get on this one makes me feel guiltier that it’s still a WIP because I had some really phenomenal world building and character development going on in it and I really miss writing those three characters specifically but I just don’t know if I can ever get into the headspace to do this again. I also had to overhaul the entire first Act and felt overwhelmed by it.

More recently, A Warmer Hearth, which was a much shorter one about how Gisele and Haurchefant got together, in the wake of the Monetarist coup in Ul’dah. Smut and angst and sweetness. It was fun.

Actual Worst Part of Writing: Silencing the inner critic that’s merciless and hateful and sounds an awful lot like my abuser. The perfectionism that paralyzes me.

How You Choose Your Titles: with great agony pain and suffering

Do You Outline? Never. Heart of the Phoenix is the only exception because it was just too massive an undertaking not to, but otherwise I’m one of those write as it comes and let the story take me where it wants to go types. I’m constitutionally incapable of advanced planning when I write.

Ideas I probably won’t get around to, but wouldn’t it be nice? More Gisele/Thancred in general tbqh.

Callouts @ Me: The fact that your work doesn’t fit the popular mold of certain ships and fanons and notions of what’s acceptable doesn’t mean your work is bad or inferior. Having fun is more important than being popular. Being true to yourself and your cherished ideals is what matters, because that’s what you think is fun and authenticity is always what is most gratifying. You have never, ever prospered or felt good about yourself when trying to contort yourself to fit mainstream anything. There is a place for you wherever you make it and you have an audience that deeply appreciates and loves what you do. If you need to write for anyone besides yourself, write for them.

Best writing traits: Banter and ability to capture characters’ voices. Dialogue in general. Dreamy, immersive prose.

Spicy Tangential Opinion: There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting your OC to be the center of the universe, much less in a game where the Player Character is written that way canonically, and for marginalized OCs written by marginalized people it’s absolutely a revolutionary act of healing and self-love. Centering chromatic (and particularly Black), fat, trans, queer, disabled, etc characters is always going to be a powerful, radical act in a sea of Whiteness. Writing these things will feed your heart. And ultimately that’s what creating is about to me. Feeding myself and others w love.

[deepdickdaniel]

Ong Seongwu | Comedian

prompt: request - you’re a theatre major cursed with ong as a classmate - safe to say that you don’t like him and his annoying desire to be funny all the time. as fate would have it, you get paired with him for a project and discover that he’s more than just a comedian.  

note: this one is dedicated to my good friend @mingmingexpress who requested it and is complete ong trash - finally, i’ve somewhat fulfilled your thirst

you were just living your best life as a theatre major - you were determined to get your degree with as few obstacles as possible

overall, you really liked what you did, your classmates, and the classes you took since you felt like they really helped hone your acting abilities

this all changed when your junior year of college came around

you walked into one of your theatre major requirements to see a bunch of classmates surrounding a guy sitting on a desk

he was just doing silly gestures, tucking his ears in, and making cringey faces but the crowd loved him

a few seconds later, you found out his name was ong seongwu when a girl screeched it and pretended to be annoyed at how corny his joke was even though she was giggling...but that was none of your business *sips tea*

you already didn’t like the guy and this feeling would only intensify

almost every class, you would have to make yourself refocus on the lecture because you’d get distracted by a funny story of his (he didn’t know how to whisper) or the loud laughter that followed after his jokes

tbqh, you just thought he was an idiot who only knew how to fool around

one day, ong was making his usual jokes during class 

and while you would usually be annoyed and not say anything, you had a particularly rough morning 

this was thanks to your guitar major neighbor who was practicing his midterm piece all night long (cough we know who this is cough)

therefore, you were already pissed at your lack of sleep and ong wasn’t making it any better

so you went up to his desk and said his name harshly, making him look up curiously, a smile still on his face at the thought of being able to make you laugh 

“can you please shut the hell up? you aren’t even funny! some of us actually take our major seriously!” 

his smile wiped off right away and he nodded weakly 

you saw that a few of the girls around him were about to give you some attitude but you couldn’t care less

you just huffed and walked back to your seat, ignoring the whispers

but you also didn’t see the change in his mood

later on that day, daniel the dance major approached you in the hallways 

you had seen him around a couple times and he was in your basics of performing arts class a semester ago but you weren’t close

which was why you were surprised that he looked so conflicted while walking up to you

“hey, I don’t want to sound rude or anything, but could you be a little nicer to seongwu?”

“excuse me?”

“i heard what happened in your class”

“what, is he snitching on me now?”

“what? no, i just noticed that he’s in a really down mood and i found out why from one of our friends”

“is he gonna send his fangirls to tell me off or something?”

“listen, i know that he comes off as arrogant and obnoxious sometimes, but i promise that’s not how he really is. you’d see that he’s a great guy if you just gave him a chance”

“i’ll have to see that for myself”

you walked off, knowing you would never actually try to find out for yourself

annnnnd you wouldn’t ever have to because the universe did it for you

for your next class, your professor put you into pairs for the final project to give you enough time to prepare with your partner

as fate would have it, ong’s name was called right after yours

you sat stiffly in your seat as the class grew quiet, remembering what had happened last time

ong decided to be the bigger person and walked to you with a small smile

“hey there partner”

“...”

he sighed and tried again,

“can i have your number or email so we can stay in contact to write the script for our final project?”

you still refused to speak, watching him with a wary expression

“i know you aren’t my biggest fan, but this project counts for 45% of our grade and i’m sure you care about your grade”

“are you going to make me do all the work?”

he was speechless, shaking his head and looking offended

“do you really think i don’t try?”

you just shrugged, “i just don’t really know how you got this far in the first place”

ong’s eyebrows furrowed; he closed his eyes and when they opened back up, they contained a certain spark

he turned to look at you like you hadn’t just attacked everything he’s worked for

“okay, i’ll prove it to you. just work with me like you’d work with anyone else and you’ll see that i do care about my major”

tbh you were impressed with how he was taking your insults and pessimism, but you wouldn’t let him know it

“mhmm, we’ll see”

“and i’ll even get to hear that cute little laugh eventually because i’ll do my best to hit your sense of humor!”

you couldn’t help but blush, coughing to hide your sudden nervousness at his words

he insisted on meeting with you at least four times a week to write out a script that would hit both your acting strengths

but there was a lot of conflict in the first few meetings

he wanted to take a comedic route and suggested that you guys act out a cute little skit

you, on the other hand, wanted to go full on angst

knowing the two of you weren’t getting anywhere and that you still weren’t really comfortable with him, seongwu suggested that you compromise

“okay, i know this will sound kind of cliche, but let’s do an angsty love story that won’t involve one of us killing ourselves”

you didn’t miss the look he gave you - shade was being thrown

but you agreed nevertheless, especially when he commented on your strength in acting like you had to hide your emotions

“could it be because that’s what you’re like in real life?”

damn, he got you there

anyway, once the two of you finally agreed on a premise, writing the script alongside ong surprisingly felt natural

he always took your ideas into consideration and whenever he had suggestions, they were actually great and made a lot of sense

you didn’t want to admit it but you were really starting to respect his work and even admire his personality a bit

it didn’t help that you got to see how attractive he was more and more with every rehearsal

your performance’s plot revolved around your character asking ong’s to break up because you’ve been hanging around the wrong crowd and you believed ong deserved better

but ong’s character refused to let you go and the way he pulled off the role really made you feel like the two of you were actually in a relationship

all of his facial expressions were so genuine: the furrowing of his eyebrows, the shine in his eyes that revealed he was about to cry at the thought of losing you, the locked jaw that showed conflict in case he was preventing you from doing what you wanted

the lines he wrote for his part also stuck with you, as they made you feel like he would follow you to the ends of the earth

by the second to last rehearsal, you knew you had fallen, but you didn’t want to risk messing up the performance in the case of you confessing to him and getting rejected

for your last rehearsal, you became a little quieter, the reality of not having one on one time with ong after this finally hitting you

he noticed and tried to comfort you, joking around as always

and finally, you laughed

he was honestly so surprised that he forgot to unfold his other ear, simply staring at you in awe because of how cute your laugh is and trying not to blush

you really wanted to confess then and there, but again, you wouldn’t risk your final performance, so your last rehearsal ended professionally

on the day of your final project’s performance, you saw ong briefly before class began and decided to thank him for a great partnership

“no matter what our grade is...thank you for being a good partner. you’ve proved me wrong once and for all”

he didn’t have a chance to reply because class began and the first duo went up

you guys went last and he gave you a comforting smile before closing his eyes and getting into his role, allowing you to do the same

“i don’t think we should be together anymore. you know the reputation of my new friend group and you know what i’m becoming. you shouldn’t be seen around me anymore. it’ll ruin your chances at a good life and you deserve better than a burden”

he breathed in sharply, as if your words physically hurt him, and stared at you with intense, emotional eyes

“you think you’re a burden? after all the happiness you’ve brought to my life, you think you’re going to ruin me? you made me. all of the motivation that led me to my opportunities, all of that stemmed from you. you are nothing but good for me and i...i wouldn’t be anything without you in my life”

you fulfilled your role’s duties, remaining silent while staring at him with teary eyes

a final hug was supposed to be the end of your performance, but you were surprised to see ong improvising

he grabbed your hand softly, as if afraid that you’d run away if his grip was any tighter, and pulled you to him gently

he wrapped a hand behind your head and brought you in for a hug - your arms came naturally around him

“i will always love you, even if you feel like you aren’t deserving of it. you will always have my heart”

a few tears slipped out at the sheer intensity of his words and you stayed quiet, only realizing that you were performing when you heard the loud applause of your professor and classmates

the two of you pulled away and you noticed ong wiping a few tears of his own, but before you could say anything, he grabbed your hand and pulled you down for a bow as the class gave you a standing ovation

“thank you, thank you!”

he quickly regained his positive mood, smiling at the adoring faces of your classmates

his beautiful smile then made you know what you had to do

after the class started piling out, you shyly grabbed onto ong’s sleeve to pull him away from a few friends

“can you stay for a bit?”

he raised an eyebrow but nodded nevertheless, waving away his friends and allowing the rest of the class to leave before asking what was wrong

finally, the classroom was empty and you breathed in and out

“it’s funny to think that a few months ago, i yelled at you in this very room”

he laughed and nodded, but his smile seemed a little pained

“i know, you must have hated me”

“i wasn’t your biggest fan, but that’s changed now”

his eyes widened and he was biting his lip, urging you to continue

“you proved me wrong - you’re an amazing actor and you work hard. you’re respectable and still have the ability to make people laugh. i’m sorry i judged you so harshly”

he smiled, “you’re forgiven! i see you’ve developed an admiration for me”

this was your chance: “i’ve developed a lot more than that”

he went speechless and you confessed everything you felt for him, all of the adoration he made you feel

at the end of your confession, you could’ve sworn he was blushing and smiling shyly before his teasing grin came back

“wow, i won over the hardest person AND got a relationship out of it”

“?!?! excuse me?!?!”

“let’s date. this might be the end of our script, but this is the start of our story”

[softedgeworth]

5 Favorite Fics

RULES: WHEN YOU GET THIS, REPLY WITH YOUR FAVORITE FIVE FICS THAT YOU'VE WRITTEN, THEN PASS ON TO AT LEAST FIVE OTHER WRITERS. I was tagged by @altairattorney Thank you, sweetie! Well, here's the thing: I've written exactly 5 fics! Therefore, I will give my personal recommendation for each of them. I love them all for different reasons, but I've found that some give a better idea of my writing and approach than others. Starting with: 1. The Heart in the Hearth (17 April 2016) At almost 45k, this is a longfic I am very proud of. Though it is my first ever fanfic, it is also the one that I wrote with purest clarity of action. It's about spaces in the original trilogy that are skipped over in the game. I wrote it to fill in those gaps where I thought it would be interesting, especially where the Feys are concerned, but I also wrote it as a story of the narumitsu relationship where both of them are asexual. As an ace person, I wanted to create authentic ace representation while also paying tribute to and writing about a ship that I am invested in like no other. I think this fic will give readers a good feeling of what my approach is to AA fanfic and to AA in general. Readers have called this fic gentle, tender, and touching, with an all-encompassing love, and I could not agree with them more (or thank them enough)! 2. Per Diem (21 September 2016) Much like the above, this fic will give a clear idea of what my concept of AA in fanfic is. These are short prompt fills that feature characters individually or in groups. I really enjoyed the chance to approach the cast with a colorful range of ideas from the prompts. Unlike the above, they're mostly outside of or unconcerned with the canon timeline. It gave me the chance to touch on things that interest me but I've been unable so far to write into other stories: Phoenix's unmentioned traumas, Miles and Phoenix's travels to Europe, how Phoenix and Miles may deal with everyday tensions or unique challenges between them, Miles experiencing a dangerous panic attack, Pesu, and A Beach Episode(TM) (which I may actually be writing about in a story later but sshh). Because I feel my style is naturally concise already, it was fun to craft these short one-shot drabbles well enough to say everything I wanted to. 3. your fiery air (20 August 2016) This story is kinda experimental and my first foray into AU. I wanted to try something a little dark and thrilling, a 180 degree change from my other writing. I think it has strong writing and imagery. This is an AU because Phoenix is an actual phoenix with a divine force inside him and it concretely takes place in Los Angeles, but everything else about the universe remains unchanged--he is still trying to be a lawyer, Edgeworth was his childhood friend, he is a junior partner with Mia, Edgeworth is a Los Angeles County District Attorney with the same background, and the same timeline happens as in the games. I did not spend time rewriting the events of the games, but wrote about important events totally unique to the 'verse that would impact the events of the games and touched on how select events might be different. This story has been called "weird, but good" and tbqh 'weird, but good' is my overall life goal. 4. These Children Are Not Objections, But I Will Raise Them! (5 December 2016) This story is kind of a mashup of THITH and PD, as far as what it shows about my writing. It's the sequel to THITH, but while I had stayed true to the canon timeline in that story, I was forced in this one to confront my problems with the post-OT and to figure out for myself what would happen if the story were to continue. So, it has the same intentions and base as THITH, but it also has the ingenuity/creativity and unconcerned-with-canon flavor of PD. Frankly, I cherry-picked what interested me in post-OT, added some inbetween material to hold the cherries, and baked it into a pie (Picture of Special Agent Dale Cooper smiling with cherry pie goes here)(yes dørling I thought of your Photoshop!). I wanted to explain my ideas about Phoenix's disbarment and adoption of Trucy, and I wanted to expand on the wonderful themes Kay and Sebastian's stories enrich Edgeworth's story with, while also including what I see happening for them. I still have mixed feelings about this fic because I think I could have said much more, but I like it much more than I did before. It has lovely moments that I'm proud of. 5. Surrender the Land (17 January 2017) This is a oneshot that was written after I got the idea while reading matsuorka's 1001 times fic, and it's a gift to her! A reader would get a richer appreciation if they've read that first, but since it's technically outside canon, anyone can play. It's one scene and takes place over an evening at the immortal Miles Edgeworth's home, when he is visited by the time traveler Phoenix Wright. The scene is of them together in that unique way they have with each other, peaceful, and respecting the trust they have in each other. Phoenix learns one of Miles' secrets, of which he has many, and recieves it in a way only he can do. I loved writing the stoic Edgeworth of this 'verse, and writing them in the 1800s. Plus, Phoenix makes his crush laugh, what more can you ask for. I will tag @mercurymiscellany @matsuorka @edgeworth-aesthetic and just in case you missed the tag, @leonawriter I'm on mobile so I can't make hyperlinks, but these fics can be found on my #fanfic tag and also my #personal tag (I'm pretty sure). If you're on desktop, there is an added page link in the upper left corner that says 'my fic', where you'll find the sweet links and other posts I've made about them. Thank you for reading c:

[venusmelody]

For the fic DVD commentary thing, the last three sections of "where my caution should be" because I'm a sucker for pain and I want to hear even more about why you did this to my soul :)

Fic posted here and here. That AU where Jyn and Cassian survive Scarif, but keep going back for more life-threatening missions because why not, until they can’t come back at all.

So, the last four sections because they were only three sections back when it was first posted. Everything this ended up being can be blamed on the prompt tbh, and I really have to apologize to poor @earnmysong, who happened to ask it at a time I overloaded from writing too much happiness and had to revert to canon.

His last glimpse of Jyn very a long time is the moonlight playing in her hair, charging her gun for battle. There is not much use for spies on the forest floor, but he can shoot. There is a use for bodies. There is a use for bodies is probably my favourite line in this story (aside from the last), because it encapsulates the grim backdrop where all this is set. Cassian and Jyn care about one another a great deal. But the war is unfeeling. They’re just bodies, when it comes to the war, not two people with names. This is true during the entire story, the canon fodder to the Last Jedi and the Princess, and Cassian and Jyn kind of just… go with it.

“Ready?” he asks, watching her hands, watching her face.

“Always.”

They kneel together, and her forehead touches his.

“For them,” she murmurs, because certain names will never cross her lips easily. The rest of the Rogue One crew, Galen Erso, Saw Gerrera, take your pick. This story is hyperfocused on Cassian and Jyn, and part of it is because everyone else died on Scarif, and they are what’s left. And then, more quietly, “For us.”

His lips touch the curve of her earlobe, and she exhales, slow and shaky. A dark moon rises in the sky. Here, it’s mostly an attempt to mirror Scarif, Cassian and Jyn kneeling together while the Death Star rises above them.

Somehow, it feels right that they will see the destruction of this one, to make up for missing the destruction of the first. Or: they missed death the first time, so obviously it comes the next.

+

“Don’t you dare die without me,” she says when they part, and he responds:

“I won’t.”

This part is just because I’m an asshole who likes to tease with promise before everyone dies. More seriously, though, this is a play on what the real tragedy of this story is: Cassian and Jyn make it off Scarif, but they never really move on. They’re still stuck on that moment where the worst tragedy is the other dying alone, where the highest point is dying in someone else’s arms, never really think past “don’t die without me” onto “live together”.

And honestly? That promise is a foolish one. They’re off on dangerous missions all the time, to hold on until the other person can arrive is a fantasy, asking too much. But their lives still revolve around death and victory. It’s all they think to ask.

+

She doesn’t return from Endor.

Her name is scrawled across every history lesson of the war, and she is not there to protest. She doesn’t return from Endor.

His name is a footnote on reports quietly wiped, but he isn’t around to care.

He does not return from Endor either.

Aaaand, the part that started it all. This section is the first part of the fic I wrote. Everything else is fitted around reaching this conclusion. “I’ve got fireflies where my caution should be. (Instead of slowing down, I just shine brighter.)” kind of screams Death tbqh, I can’t even say where this particular iteration came from, but shining brighter isn’t just the abundance of Feelings about one another, it’s their successes. Cassian’s are the sort that can’t be remembered by the Republic, while some of Jyn’s can be sanitized for consumption. In the end, it’s not just their bodies and lives that become the Rebellion’s war weapons, but their legacies too. They give up everything for the war, essentially, but:

+

(I am glad, she whispers against his cooling cheek on the forest floor, that you are here with me.)

there are some things that belong just to them, and that’s the moment of their deaths. They achieve that impossible fantasy after all??

[thesecondmate]

reading: wk4

2 weeks’ worth here baby! i’ve just completed my week in limb reconstruction (when will the plastic surgeons STOP trying to seduce me into their specialty!!! let me live!!! don’t send softly-spoken tall registrars who like teaching into my theatre to convince me to be a surgeon!!!) + trauma week (i’m less enamoured w/ trauma/ortho surgery....bones suck) and am trying to take a breather over the next 2 weeks. promo for my charity’s conference is taking over my life but what’s new baby! feeling a lil delicate but hopefully some time off doing things i love (ie, reading, learning languages) & catching up on notes will do me some good. hope everyone is staying happy & healthy ~

BOOKS

✩ emporium // johnson (finished) some of these short stories are sublime; some miss the mark for me (twenty-something male angst doesn’t really do it for me tbh) but that’s life. the ones that hit the mark hit a perfect bullseye: homegrown americana dystopia, the aching twin senses of loneliness and readiness to take on the world-ness of teenagers, surrealism, and gorgeous prose. johnson nails family dynamics and love and regret so well; he gives form to the feelings that most of us won’t admit to, without naming them, like the outline of a faceless ghost. this collection is probably why so many of my teenage writing snippets were dystopias heavy on the loneliness and light on the worldbuilding. adam johnson should actually cut me a cheque for the number of times that i’ve recommended his books lol if i had to recommend individual stories: - teen sniper: teen sniper pushed into the business by a tiger mom, shooting silicon valley yuppies for the police, friends with a replaceable robot - it’s so american that i can taste the star-spangled banner. love love love. - trauma plate & the jughead of berlin: johnson gets family dynamics and teenagers so, so right. beautiful. trauma plate is set in a dystopian mom&pop bulletproof vest shop, told from 3 perspectives; the jughead of berlin absolutely nails teenage girl psyche. - the death-dealing cassini satellite: the prose in this is just stunning. stunning.

✩ the secret history // tartt (in progress)

ESSAYS actually read several essays that won’t leave my brain these last 2 weeks.

✩ The Crane Wife - CJ Hauser, Paris Review yes i know i’m late to the party but nothing has ever made me feel so seen. hauser took out my beating heart from years ago, when i dated men who were bad for me, and showed me its anatomy. she showed me a kindred spirit in my shame in writing about things that aren’t true suffering, in writing about my own feelings, and i love love love.

✩ The Valley and the Stream - Danyl McLauchlan, Granta this essay took my breath away. the perfect mix of neuroscience, psychiatry, and human experience and philosophy that is what medicine is all about, for me. beautiful beautiful. will be re-reading this for a long time.

ARTICLES: MEDICINE

✩ Yemen: This doctor saw Covid hospital empty after fake death text - Nawal Al-Maghafi, BBC

✩ Covid linked to risk of mental illness and brain disorder, study suggests - Natalie Grover, Guardian so i have a lot of thoughts about this tbqh. firstly, the study isn’t peer-reviewed, although it is out of a good uni & good research department; secondly, grouping together neurological and psychiatric diseases rly doesn’t help clarity (e.g., having a stroke after covid, a disease that is known to create a pro-clotting state in the body, is v different to developing depression, which is v different to developing psychosis); thirdly, this article didn’t mention at all the fact that we are in an incredibly stressful, isolating, terrifying time that is probably in itself a risk factor for triggering new mental illnesses & diagnoses. really crap reporting if u ask me.

✩ COVID-19 and psychosis risk: Real or delusional concern? - Watson et al., Neuroscience Letters (2021) so i read one of the review articles referenced in the above article - rly interesting and good! and contained a very interesting sentence that the above journalist could have stood to read: “There are currently several specific complexities in assessing the true role of SARS-CoV-2 in neuropsychiatric disease, the most pertinent of which is separating the specific impact of the virus from both the broader disease response and the social, cultural and psychological circumstances in which an infection has occurred.” plus a lovely graphic that would have summarised the possible causes of this apparent correlation. not to hate on people but i really hate shoddy science journalism, a pet peeve that has caused me significant angst during this pandemic lol. why go into science journalism if you blatantly don’t understand science? thanks.

✩ Biological Insights From 108 Schizophrenia-Associated Genetic Loci - Ripke et al., Nature (2014) reading bc 1. my current extracurricular research is on schizophrenia 2. prompted by above discussions of inflammation & psychosis 3. i have always been interested in neuropsychiatry and inflammatory causes of psychosis, thanks to a wonderful talk i went to in my first yr of med school by dr belinda lennox + will graham’s autoimmune encephalitis. lol.

ARTICLES: CULTURE/MEDIA

✩ Why ‘Fleabag’ Is Not Returning For A Third Season - Dani Di Placido, Forbes gutting but a good reason nonetheless

✩ Dave Grohl: 'I dreamt I was shot in the back’ - Mark Savage, BBC absolutely obsessed w the new foo fighters singles. nearly lost my mind when i walked into theatre and the surgeon had them on in the b/g. power move.

✩ The Slumflower Beef Has Exposed the Limits of Influencer Activism - Ash Sarkar, Novara finally a reasonable take on this bullshit - having never really enjoyed either of the parties’ content, this was quite refreshing lol.

ARTICLES: POLITICS/CURRENT

✩ Poland to implement near-total ban on abortion imminently - Shaun Walker, Guardian rage does not cover my feelings.

✩ Impeachment guide: how will Donald Trump's second Senate trial unfold? - Lauren Gambino, Guardian pls god come through, republicans.

✩ 'Vaccine tourism': tens of thousands of Americans cross state lines for injections - Kiran Misra, Guardian horrifying but not surprised. interesting that NJ are vaccinating smokers first but i guess that’s to stop them using up resources - they will get sicker if infected than non-smokers, v interesting.

✩ Finally Taking A Stand? Assessing the UK’s Response to the Uyghur Crisis - Max McGiffen, UK Public Law Blog lots of links to read. a friend set up this public law blog & it’s so clear & well-referenced!

✩ Is the Military Above the Law? A Comment on the Overseas Operations Bill - Max McGiffen, UK Public Law Blog this legislation is terrifying ngl

ARTICLES: OTHER

✩ Why You Don’t Use Garamond on The Web - Design for Hackers

✩ The disabled activist who led a historic 24-day sit-in - Lucy Wallis, BBC

✩ Why 'preppers' are going mainstream - Manuela Saragosa, BBC

✩ How to investigate a firm with 60 million documents - Michael Dempsey, BBC