#i still research fanfiction

[mysticsublimeperson]

I want to express my frustration because... im trying to write some time travel Merthur fanfic as one does...

and I keep hitting my head against the same wall. Because just in case you didn't know England SUCKED before imperialism and colonialism.

Not that that made it better but, the English isles didn't have a variety of fruits or vegetables, the did have meat and fish and salt I think, but no sugar or way of producing it but honey if I remember correctly.

And admittedly climate change is a pain in the ass, but in medieval times the winters probably consisted in huge blizzards and freezing for 4 months.

They didn't even had tea!!!

All the good stuff its because of colonialism which is horrible for the world but whatever.

Im trying so hard to ignore this facts... to be free and write about silly angsty boys but I needed someone to know how difficult it is.

Because Merlin having lived in a 21 century would have spent since the 16th drinking bloody tea, and now he is back in time and doesn't have tea, doesn't even have sugar, it's a pain in the ass to get milk, and he can't even get his favorites foods because the fruits and vegetables aren't even evolved yet.

BECAUSE YES! All of the greens have suffered a tremendous amount of change because of selective farming!! so even if there were apples back there, they probably wasn't the same apple, probably weren't even half as sweet as they are now a days!

Same with animals, and plants. Many of the species have gone extinct but they existed back then. And im dying for a chance to bring this into the fic, to prove just how difficult the transition it's, but a the same time, it doesn't matter right? not really.

bUT I NEEDED TO VENT A LITTLE SO thank you for listening to my rant.

Also im not even a history girly, im an art babe, so all of this I know by logic and assumptions from my art history clases, and my hyper fixation, so obviously take everything with a grain of salt.

((It's just that I was cooking and I was trying to think which ingredients were available at that time to make the most simple dish but no, there was almost none, no spices, no tomato, I think the had cabbage, and like broccoli because its the same plant, but probably wasn't evolved into all of the different versions we know, they had beans, and lentils I think, the potatoes come from South America, so no potatoes, the had bread but what kind of bread??? sO YEAH, this is my head.. all the time))

[bisexuallsokka]

Hi I’m not looking to fuck right now, but my bathroom sink is currently flooding my bathroom I know it’s random, but can I borrow a flathead screwdriver? I don’t know my neighbors and you’re the closest person to me on Grindr. Zuko cringes as soon as he sends the last message. What is he thinking? His bathroom is getting worse by the minute, maybe he should suck it up and— Yeah why not

written for day one of @zukkaweek for the modern au prompt! inspired by this post <3

[eternallytired17]

Quill and Ink:

A Masters of the Air / Bridgerton AU sequel to Amongst the Vines - WIP

John’s hands immediately fell to grip Gale’s thighs, allowing Gale to easily catch both of them by the wrists and pin them on either side of John’s head. He heard a rumble rise in John’s throat as he rutted up against him, the roughhousing having evidently aroused him. “You’re a crafty little fox, aren’t you?” He said, leaning down along the length of John’s body to murmur lowly in his ear. “Why must you always misbehave?” John grinned up at him, opening his captive hands in mock surrender. “Perhaps because I know for a certainty that you won’t hesitate to put me in my place.”

A few years into their respective marriages, Gale, John, Marjorie and Helen are spending the off-season in the privacy of Gale’s country estate, Boeing Hall. While Gale attempts to finalize the estate’s accounts in his private study, John makes it his personal mission to distract Gale from his work.

Based on the 'Chaise Lounge' prompt chosen from the vote a few weeks ago.

[irenespring]

Me: I'm going to get back into writing fanfiction for a fun creative writing outlet, while I work on other humanities and social sciences in classwork :) Also me: Has now read at least one official medical study, multiple interest/support group and government reports, and several online testimonials re: House's possible amputation vs. non-narcotic pain treatments sans amputation, and now has a pretty good mental chart going of decidedly STEM things.

I have been tricked into researching STEM. Creative writing has betrayed me.

[pancakeke]

it's always kinda depressing when I make a post about real people and their actions in real life only for the post to collect a bunch of tags from people relating it to their OCs or other fictional characters. like you guys have gotta make some real life personal connections and learn about actual irl experiences rather than picking this stuff up through a lens of fiction.

[cochineal-leviat]

"The macaque did not expect to meet the Princess again after she caught him in her temple. But the winds are not in his favour as she invades his jungle"

Heyo! I'm back again. This chapter is shorter but also required a lot more research. I'm kaput. Still, please enjoy!

[snazzydwarf]

My biggest flaw is underestimating the amount of work it takes to write a crossover fic-

Like this isn't even about the fucking plot so far, it's just how will the characters interact with the world, what will they do before the story begins, do they have to be changed to fit into this new world?

Ahhhhh especially with stories as convoluted as ORV and TCF-

😭😭😭 I can see why ppl don't usually make it to the end of this crossover my god.

I also really *really* wanna make my own subsenarios-

[orcelito]

with some ppl following me here bc of my analysis posts, i figured i'd do a lil pinned post for my fics so you guys know what all this analysis is even for in the First place, SO!

my current main focus:

In the Next Life

a trimax vashwood time travel longfic where late trimax vash (aka as late as chapter 94) travels back in time to try to fix things. he's determined to change things, hopes to have a happy ending in this time, but still can't let go of his grief for what he lost in the time before (cough Wolfwood cough). currently a WIP, this is gonna be a Long One, so if ur into longfic this could be for u. just mind the spoilers lol

& i guess i can mention my other Trigun fic that ppl seem to like:

Sentido

it's complete! started as just a drabble piece to give myself practice with writing these characters. it's a 5 chapter character study for Vash, exploring the ways his inhumanity manifests in each of his senses. it is also very much an autism metaphor done by Yours Truly (someone who clearly has the 'tism) bc i just think autistic Vash is very good. set in tristamp events bc i wrote this before i finished trimax, but has a lot of trimax influence (especially in the last chapter). i'd say it's a tristamp/trimax fusion.

Also!

I have a vashwood discord server, good for chatting about vashwood or even just trigun in general. It's 18+ so please don't join if you're a minor, & there's also a no plantcest rule (bc we wanted a place where we wouldn't have to see it lol). If that sounds good to you, then feel free to dm me for an invite link!

[aster-draws]

Who’s the hardest character to write and why?

And who’s the easiest?

(I’m totally not asking this because I like reading you explaining things, noooooo)

You are in luck because I love explaining things.

I don't think I really have difficulty writing any one character- I don't like staying in one POV for entire works, that's definitely more of a struggle for me than any one character. Generally if I'm having problems with a character then it's not the place for them? If that makes sense. Like I love Duke to Death but trying to fit him into Wanted was Not It. And that's for writing in their head or for writing them from someone else's. If it sucks hit da bricks, essentially.

Technically, though (as in, regarding a technical aspect) Damian was the most difficult in Wanted because I started off giving him a very strong and distinct voice, and when I went back to his POV in later chapters, I had to edit a lot to maintain consistency.

As far as Better Halves, though, I don't think I'm running into any issues with either of them- i won't be moving to any POVs other than Tim or Danny for the whole work. Tim is Very Easy for me to write. I am him. He is me. in that we have a lot of similar tendencies and flaws. But it's easy for me to find a balance- i don't stay in Tim's head forever, because I just ask myself- who's POV in this scene has The Most potential for. Like. a reaction from my audience. (eg. Angst, Humor, giggling and kicking feet, ect.) and then I just do that.

And OUTSIDE of Fanfiction, the Most technically difficult character I write is one of my OCs, CARMI, who is a brain in a jar operating an android body. I have to make a lot of decisions about her narration based on Neuroscience and our understanding of consciousness, and how learning and the way we interact with our environment affects the way we perceive the world around us. I'm gonna be so fr I still don't know if I can pull this shit off. I'm gonna TRY because it'll be sick as hell if I can do it right. But it's very hard and my brain hurts thinking about it

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

Happy 7th blog anniversary! As a celebration could I request something featuring Hitsuhina during the early days of their relationship, when they first started dating? Could be either a fic or headcanons, I'll leave the choice to you! Thank you in advance and also thank you so much for keeping this community alive with your posts, keep up the great work! 🫶

So I was hoping to make this a whole fic, but in the end, this will be a combination of fic snippets and headcanons. These all pertain to the early stages of their dating, so I’m think the first six or so months. I’m sorry if this a bit strange anon (and for how late this is!!), I hope you enjoy it though! ^^;

They finally get together in their late teens or early young adult years. Momo is the first to confess, tired of constantly feeling flustered around him and keeping her feelings unsaid. It wasn’t done on any special occasion, but it wasn’t spur of the moment either. They had been spending a break together, and Momo got to thinking about the future. She knows Toshiro won’t live as long as he’s meant to, but even so, she wants to be by his side, whether that's as a friend or as a partner.

They plan to keep it quiet, but it doesn’t take long for word to spread, and the whole Seireitei more or less does a collective ‘Finally!’ when find out.

In the early days, neither can really believe the other likes them, Toshiro in particular. He’s had feelings for Momo for years, but because of what happened in the past and with her being a sunny, extroverted person, he thought she’d end up with someone more like herself and far removed from all the events that happened with Aizen.

He’s also clueless about dating and love. He knows Momo, but how does he ‘date’ her? How does he show how he feels makes sure she feels appreciated and loved? He also finds the whole experience at first a little overwhelming, not used to the emotions he’s experiencing and how he goes about expressing them. He has to discover a part of himself he’s never developed or looked into before.

Momo has an easier time; she’s had crushes before and has better social skills. There is an adjustment period for her though, as she gets to used to being able to be affection with Toshiro beyond what they did when they were platonic. However, there are also gestures she sees in a new light, like when she holds his hand. She takes note of things she never noticed before (like how calloused his palms are), and can’t help but blush seeing their hands together:

It’s strange how a gesture one so familiar can take on a different meaning. Momo had discovered this in the last few weeks, and she's still not sure what to do with this new information.

Once she would've thought of nothing to be next to Toshiro, bumping his shoulder or holding his hand to lead him to something. Now her heart races when she reaches for his hand, and she has withhold a gasp when he shuffles closer to her. Sometimes, even glances got to her, making her duck her gaze away form his. He's also had deep gaze, one that could piercing one minute, then soft the next. It was like watching ice melt, turning from icicles into calm seas. Those were the gazes she couldn't look away form now, and they only made her want to lean in closer.

There’s a lot of baked goods. Momo shows her affection for Toshiro through making various sweets and desserts, usually his favourites. She’ll come back the division with a box or a bag of sweets for him, trying to encourage him to take a break. He of course appreciates it every time, and thinks of how he can repay her back despite her insistence he doesn’t have to. As the months go on though, Momo does slow this down, but worries Toshiro will have grown accustomed to her making things for him. He’s okay with it though, btu does tease her about it when she first tells him she can’t make as much baked goods for him as she used to. (“You’re going let me starve then?” “…You know I won’t.”)

Toshiro asks Rangiku for help with gifts at first. He gets Momo various sweets and small stationary items, like new ink brushes,  and a pen set she eyed on one of their dates. He thinks practical gits are best as she can use them in her everyday life (and maybe think of him as she does), but he does his usual with his ice sculptures as well on special occasions, making her ice roses and other flowers. He once made a bouquet and brought it to one of their dates.

There’s also the issue of work getting in the way. Both are hard workers who take on a lot for their division's workload. It comes down to Shinji and Rangiku encouraging them to leave work on time and to take longer breaks to make sure they can see each other.

They’re actually surprised at what they each learn about the other. They think they know each other, but in a relationship, they discover things they hadn’t realised or seen before about the other.

For instance, PDA. Toshiro always knew Momo was physically affection with friends, but in a romantic relationship, she’s even more affectionate. She holds his arm or hand without hesitation, often reaching for it while they’re walking about or reaches across the table at any restaurant they’re at. She also kisses his cheek and hugs him quite often. He unintentionally shirks away from her physical touches in public, and his embarrassment and discomfort shows. Momo expected this, but is still a little hurt when it happens. She therefore tries to restrain herself, but Toshiro notices:

“Ah there you are!”

Toshiro raises his head, and he can’t help but smile a little when Momo rushes through the crowds towards him. He’s surprised he even heard her over the crowd at all. However, as he’d discovered, love gave one odd abilities, such as being able to focus in on their partner's voice when there were hundreds around them.

“Took you long enough,” he teases when she finally reaches him.

“Just had some reports I couldn’t ignore. Let’s go…” She’d reached her hand out, but it freezes midair. She’s quick to raise it to brush a lock of her over her shoulder. “Let’s go before anyone else gets there.”

They make their way to the izakaya, her focus on the path and people in front of them, but Toshiro frowns at her. The way her smile had briefly faltered hadn’t gone unnoticed either. She’s holding herself back for him. She wants him to be comfortable. And what had he done to deserve it?

He recalls the way he’d recoiled last time she’d tried to wrap her hands around his arm. Even after explaining why he didn’t like it, he could see it still hurt her.

Every fiber in him protested at the idea forming in his mind, but his heart ached to see her like this. He knew relationships have compromises, but not ones like this. This cannot stand.

So, fighting against his discomfort, he comes to a stop before they enter an alleyway. “Hinamori.”

She halts, frowning as she turns to him. “Is something wrong?”

He forces his hand out. “Here. It’s, uh…” He’s never like this, lost or stumbling for words. “I-It’s about to get more crowded.”

It’s perhaps the most surprised he’s ever seen her. She stares at his hand as if it had grown a sixth finger. Then, her gaze softens, and a faint blush colours her cheeks. “Are you sure?”

He gives a firm nod.

She hesitates, but then reaches for his hand. He goes rigid and squeezes her hand back a little too tightly. They only get ten steps before Momo speaks up.

“We don’t have to do this,” she reassures.

“It’s fine,” he grinds out from between his teeth. His face is as red as a tomato, and his gaze is on the ground.

Around them, some Souls stare, but as soon Momo meet their gazes, they’re quick to bow their heads or pretend to be distracted by something.

Why did this have to be so hard for him? It’s a simple gesture, one he’d done with her hundred of times. She’d usually be the one to initiate it, but there were times he did, and he’d done so without much thought. Why had it changed so much now that they are together? Shouldn’t he enjoy something like this now more than ever?

Momo rests her free hand over his. “It’s okay. This isn’t that important anyway.”

“It is though, to you.”

“Not as important as how comfortable you feel.”

Again she puts him first. With a sigh, he looks down at their hands, one of hers enfolded with his, the other resting on top. Her hands had become smaller compared to his over the years. Despite all of the battles, hers somehow remained finely boned and delicate. The pinks of her nails are bright, as is the red in her knuckles. There’s a faint scar on the back of her pointer finger, reaching the second knuckle; it's the first time he's noticed it.

Somehow, observing her hands calms him. His heart still races, and there’s still a part of him willing him to pull his hand away, but it’s not as bad as before. Why did this have to be so hard for him? Was he really that afraid of showing others how he feels about her? Was he afraid showing her?

He lifts their hands in the space between them. “If this makes you happy, I want you to do things like this.”

“But you’re not –”

“Be selfish for once, Hinamori.” More gently, he says, “Besides, I’m already happy.”

Her eyes brighten and she smiles with a small gasp. She squeezes his hand, and it sends the smallest pulse up his arm and straight to his chest. It makes him smile in return.

It’s a different story behind closed doors, and this surprises Momo quite a bit. She always knew Toshiro was more expressive when he's around people he's close but, she noticed he'd opened up more since the end of the war against the Quincy. She never expected him to be as affectionate as he is in a relationship when it's just the two of them. Toshiro is hesitant to show it at first, but after a month or so, he starts putting his hand over hers while they’re sitting together alone. Eventually, he hugs her without prompting and resting his head on her shoulder when he’s tired.

He won't ever admit it aloud, but now that he's taller, he takes a small bit of joy and pride in being able to hug her from behind and rest his chin on her head, much to Momo's chagrin...and also joy.

They also discover they don't have any hobbies in common anymore. Momo went on to reading and baking after she left the Academy, while Toshiro discarded most of his hobbies to focus on training and running his division. While each are happy to listen to the other ramble on about their interests and hobbies, they still feel like something is missing.

On one date, Toshiro asks Momo for book suggestions. She's never known him to be a reader, but complies and brings a few books on the next date. They spend that date reading together, but as she discovers, Toshiro is one to criticise the characters and plot aloud as he's reading ("Why would he do that? It makes no sense to investigate Yuki when there's clear evidence against Naru." "Cars don't work that way, Kurosaki said as much." "This is clearly a contrivance. How did they get from the station to the warehouse in less than three minutes? And why would he lead Naru there without Ichiro or backup?" "...What is a 'maid cafe'?").

On the bright side, Toshiro does get an interest in reading (his favorite genre is mystery and crime) and Momo does enjoy their discussions about the books after he's read them. He also learns what her favorite kind of stories are and keeps an eye out for books that she might be interested in.

There's also the texting. Momo was on the texting scene long before Toshiro, using her denreishinki to message all of her friends out of the work hours. It takes quite a bit of convincing, but Toshiro eventually agrees to do the same with her. However, his texts are...:

Momo: Hey Shiro-chan! ヾ(•ω•`)o Toshiro: It's Captain Hitsugaya. Also, you missed a ','. Momo: You don't have to grammatically correct in text, Shiro-chan. Momo: How was your day? Toshiro: It's CAPTAIN HITSUGAYA, Hinamori. My day was fine. What about you? Toshiro: Also, I didn't mean those capitals because I was angry, just emphasizing the point. Momo: I know (❁´◡`❁) My day was great! I found the fourth volume of the Crimson Chrysanthemum saga while I was on my break!! ☆*: .｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆ Momo: Also, Captain Hirako and I got all of our paperwork done before the end of the week ( •̀ ω •́ )✧ He's got this new CD from the World of the Living and I think it helped me focus. Toshiro: That's good. I'm glad you found that book, I knew it was important to you. Momo: What did you do today? Toshiro: Mostly reviewing reports. In my break, I started work on a new sculpture. Momo: (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o))) Toshiro: I wasn't done. Momo: Sorry!! m(_ _)m It's just you didn't text for a while after your last message. Toshiro: There's a time limit? Momo: Not really, but there's an assumption that if you don't message after a certain time period it means you're waiting for the person to respond or you've left the phone. Toshiro: What's the time period? Momo:...It depends?? Toshiro: Why are there so many vague rules around this?! Momo: You'll get it in no time (✿◠‿◠) Tell me more about your day!

As a side note, she has him saved under 'Shiro' and has a picture of a❄️for his caller ID (until he makes her the ice roses and then she has a picture of that for him). He has her saved under 'Hinamori Momo' and has a picture she took as a selfie on his phone...which Rangiku put there because she was outraged that he didn't have a picture of his girlfriend as her caller ID picture.

When he does get his texting game better (sadly this won't happen until after the early days of their dating), he also becomes more open with his feelings over text (also the denreishinki update their emojis catalogue to include more...but Momo is prefers the Kaomojis with occasional new emjoy thrown in):

Momo: Thank you again for last night, I had a lot of fun!! (* ^ ω ^) 💕 We need to go to that ramen restaurant again! Toshiro: Me too. Toshiro: *attaches a picture they took together on their date* I really like this picture. Momo: You look so handsome! That scarf really suits you (´• ω •`) ♡ Toshiro: *several minutes later after getting over her compliment* Thank you🙂. Momo:（　ﾟ Дﾟ）Did you just use a '🙂'?! Toshiro: It's right there, dummy.

It takes him a while to use '❤️' and '💕' but he gets there.

Their dates are nothing extravagant, and neither wants to make a fuss. Toshio does worry if Momo wants more though based on Rangiku and others tell him about romance, but she reassures him that being with him doing things together with him is enough.

Their dates are mostly in the higher districts of the Rukongai, going to various restaurants, visiting local attractions, going to festivals when they’re on, and sometimes just walking through the forests and mountains. For the latter, Momo sometimes brings a picnic basket with her. A lot of their dates happen at around sunset, perhaps deliberately so…

They try to go to a different place each time, but discover they have a few places they like to revisit: there's a restaurant in the first district, a town in the World of the Living they make short visits to (and often say they want to go on a longer stay sometime), and a spot in the mountains which has a beautiful view of the Soul Society.

They try (and fail) to keep work out of their conversations while on dates. It worries Momo at first, as she thinks that might be all they have in common aside from their shared past.

Eventually, they open up more about their thoughts about random things, like what they think about a certain idea or philosophy, an event that's recently happened, or an idea for what they can do together. These conversations can get pretty deep.

In terms of verbal affection, it takes them both a while to use it openly. It comes easier to Momo, but she still struggles with it because she's had feelings for Toshiro for a while and doesn't completely know how to put it into words. She also worries she might come across as overly affectionate or saccharine.

Little does she know Toshiro lives for her verbal affection. If she says he looks handsome or that he did something sweet or that she likes him, it makes his days all the more better - some say he even 'glows'.

Toshiro is better with verbal affection than physical in public, but tends to keep his voice low when he expresses himself. He struggles to find the words sometimes, but other times, he knows exactly what to say. When Momo's reaction is particularly cute to him, he will also include a teasing comment or say something else to make her more flustered or surprised. A small pat of him takes a bit of pride that he can make her react like this...but he also knows she is capable of doing the same.

Their first kiss happens after their fourth date, which is a few months down the track. It's while they're walking through the mountains. Something about the way the light hit Momo just made Toshiro lean forward. He stops when she's surprised, and thinks he's made a bad move. However, she's quick to assure him by leaning forward and plant one on him (no pun intended). It's not a perfect kiss, but it's enough for them.

They don't kiss too often, and it's almost always behind closed doors. They don't feel the need to express their affection in that way, but gradually, they start to kiss more and more oftne after the early stages of their relationship.

Momo soon discovers just the depth of Toshiro's feelings through moments she intends to be lighthearted but he takes seriously:

"I'd do it."

Momo looks up from her book. Her grins falters with Toshiro suddenly so close. "Huh?"

"If that's what you wanted, I'd do it," he says, as if it clarified everything.

She lowers the book into her lap, and the light-hearted air she'd been ensconced in vanishes. As she takes in Toshiro's face, Momo is once again confronted with the notion that she truly doesn't know the extent of his feelings for her.

He says he's felt for her for decades, but just how many? Since the end of the Quincy war? Since they became Shinigami? Since they were children? The way he looks at her in moments like this, it's as if she were staring out into the ocean.

With heat rushing up to her cheeks, she asks, "You'd really do that if I ask you to?"

He nods, determined. She could almost see the logistics he was planning in his head to make her wishes a reality.

She can't help but chuckle. He'd once again taken something she meant rhetorically or without much thought so seriously; it shouldn't surprise her, but sometimes it still does.

He glances away, perhaps discouraged by her reaction. She's quick to put him at ease, raising a hand to cup the underside of his jaw. She smiles and holds his gaze, letting him search her eyes to see she appreciates the sentiment.

Several heartbeats later, she leans forward and puts her lips over his in a slow, prolonged kiss. He's quick to respond, following her lead. It's only the fifth time they've kissed, but it's nowhere near as awkward as the first.

She shifts to be even closer to him, and the book - and the silly romantic scenario she had derived from it - tumble to the floor, completely forgotten.

And that's it! Hope you all enjoyed these! :D

[compacflt]

Fully support your desire to cut down on the extras as they're already so long, but as someone who was also looking forward to the sickfic section and is sad to hear it's been taken out, I will simply have to ask you about it instead! First off the discussion of home in the snippet you shared was delicious - when do you think Mav started thinking of the house as 'their' home? And Ice taking Mav to the hospital has a lot of crunch there around how they're seen and how they act in public, especially if Ice was worried and Mav was kind of out of it. Do you think Ice would have taken Mav in to the hospital if he'd really been spiking a fever and decided he needed it? How would he explain themselves? And I suppose a separate, related question: who are their official next of kin/emergency contacts?

the reason i got rid of the sickfic is cause all those questions were answered better elsewhere in the extras ❤️

i was kind of annoyed that the house inconsistently appears to be the property of whomever the plot calls for at the moment -> another reason to cut the sickfic

Yes Ice would take mav to the hospital. it happens elsewhere LOL, maverick is extremely incident-prone

obviously a fun surfing injury with friends != the sickfic’s ice taking ��a friend” to the hospital in the middle of the night for dangerous levels of illness-related dehydration… implies familiarity, intimacy above everyone else… the hospital staff would probably assume they’re together, yes, & i don’t think ice would challenge that at all, especially if he had to make sure all the paperwork was filled out right. just not worth the effort. “is there anyone else we should call for mr mitchell?” / “Um no. Just me.” Yeah i took him to the hospital at 4am bc i love him and im worried about him what r u gonna do about it 🤨 violate his hipaa rights? It’s 2009 gay people exist grow up🙄 hospital staff isn’t gonna tell anyone, so who cares

(Luckily for ice in the sickfic he didn’t have to take mav to the hospital)

the point of the sickfic was to establish a precedent for one of them voluntarily taking care of the other who is unable to take care of himself, to set up the parallel of maverick taking care of Ice when he Really gets capital-s Sick. but then i still can’t bring myself to write ice actually being capital-s Sick because i have some weird neurosis where i simply dislike thinking about ice (powerful guy) being helpless or incapacitated or, um, dead. so the mav-sickfic isn’t really relevant anymore because i haven’t written (and never plan on writing, besides that one half-assed one-shot) the corollary ice-sickfic. so the sickfic became the Nixed-fic ❌

And according to this wip wednesday snippet, they are each other’s emergency contacts. don’t ask me how that works or how they figured that out, idk. some stuff you do have to talk about for logistics purposes i guess. which is kind of the point of all the house-related/money-related discussions I’ve written throughout my fics—they Have to talk about the logistics because that’s real life. But they don’t INTERPRET those logistics or assign them a normative value.

for instance debriefing presents (maverick’s) death & taxes as the only two things that ever get them to actually talk to each other lol. logistics become a vessel through which they can talk about their situation without actually talking about it. The state of being each others emergency contacts might be a death-and-taxes discussion—acknowledging permanence without acknowledging permanence

[candyriku]

Death Spiral: Chapter 1 is up!

Death Spiral - Riku/Sora, Figure Skating AU, Mature Rating, Chapter 1/?

Riku's figure skating career has him on top of the world at the age of nineteen. But after an injury at a competition he was favored to win, his coach gives him an ultimatum: skate in the comparatively less demanding "Pair" category with a partner, or quit the sport altogether. Too bad the partner his coach suggests just so happens to be Sora, his childhood best friend who later became the other half of slightly toxic codependent queer relationship when they were teens. Riku never thought he'd see Sora again, and in some ways it was easier like that. Now, Sora's back in Riku's life, and he can't help but feel all his unresolved emotions coming back to the surface. And, worst of all, there's something else there too. A flicker of hope.

[sunset-peril]

Khosha, Wife of Revali

As had become commonplace since the appointment of Hyrule’s Champions, the Flight Range of Rito Village had once again become alive with the chatter of five voices: the four Champions and Hyrule’s princess. Her appointed knight was also in attendance, the sacred sword in his possession, but he remained ever silent. He stayed near to his princess, providing comfort and protection to the young woman. The snow outside was beginning to taper off, but the party had yet to venture out of the small, interior area. All were still crowded around the small fire pit, except Revali, who stood aside fiddling with his aerial artillery.  

"C'mon, Revali." Urbosa began. "Join the team for once." 

"I think not, not only would that end distastefully with all of us around the fire, but I'm waiting for an arrival from the Village."

"If I may," Zelda began, pausing for a moment for an undetermined reason. "who is it we are expecting?"

"If the elder didn't change plans since I arrived here, which I'm not sure why he would have,” Revali replied with his ever-present self-confident tone and upward tip of his beak before his tone mellowed in its presentation. “then it will be Khosha, a songbird with a-” He allowed an audible pause in his voice, as if he was unsure how to describe the visitor. “-stunning admiration for the warrior arts." 

The party took notice of Revali's seemingly uncharacteristic description, but were equally uncertain of what to respond. 

"She sounds nice…" Daruk began, uncertain about the reply. “She a… friend of yours?” 

“...You could say that.” 

A silence fell over the Flight Range, one that felt almost awkward. 

Revali returned to his weapons, Urbosa casting a glance at him before turning back to the fire to see her little bird move slightly both towards the fire and her knight; watching him discreetly squeeze her hand before letting go. 

His face was emotionless as he did so, which normally wouldn't be much to note, but Urbosa and Daruk had seen how, in similar exchanges, he would let a smile or a nod shine through even if just for a moment. Through an exchange of their own, the two reasoned it was due to the increase of pressure and the amount of professionalism of the event.

The flap of wings began to be heard over the freezing wind, a Rito figure soon came into view, soaring into the Flight Range's side door with a sweeping wingspan and three balancing flaps. As eyes focused on the Rito, they found her beautiful. A thin braid of light teal feathers trailed down her right shoulder and chest, the back corners of her almond-shaped green eyes dark with gorgeous long eyelashes and her hay-colored beak, about half as long as Revali's, curled down to a pointed tip that was a peach-like hue. 

"Khosha." Revali's voice was uncharacteristically soft. "Welcome."

A small chuckle was heard. "Revali." She looked around. “And Champions.” She lifted the medium-sized pot that she was gripping with her right foot. “I’ve brought a meal.”

Dishes were served and warriors were fed. Finally, Revali sat down near the group.

“It is wonderful to finally meet you all face to face. We don’t often interact with other tribes. Revali,” she nudged the bird. “Are you going to introduce me to your companions?”

The Champions were distracted from their meals for just a moment. Khosha must be a friend of Revali’s indeed, a simple villager should not have had the comfort level to ask Revali for an introduction.”

“Of course.” Revali set his bowl to the ground. “You are already aware of Princess Zelda, a Hylian from Central Hyrule. Sitting on her right is Princess Mipha, a Zora from Lanayru. On Zelda’s left is Link, Zelda’s bodyguard and the Hylian Champion. He’s actually a Wolfbred, from far east Necluda, but he was appointed as the Hylian Champion. Next to him is Urbosa, the Gerudo chieftain. And finally, Daruk of Goron City in Eldin.”

“My!” Khosha took the tips of Revali’s wings in hers. “You’ve become quite well-traveled, my dear.” She gestured softly towards Link. “I had heard the Kingdom reabsorbed your tribe. How has your tribe been adjusting?”

Link’s scarred lips pulled back slightly, but not enough to show any teeth. Zelda reached over his back and pulled him a little closer, as if to reassure him that the multi-colored Rito was not going to jump at him. The sudden touch brought a soft clicking sound from Link’s mouth, and he looked toward Zelda.”

“My apologies, Khosha. The Wolfbred can be… quite anxious. The people of my kingdom have not been as willing to accommodate them as my father and I have been, which only heightens their stress.”

“Ah, so the ban of the restraints has not changed public opinion much at all, has it?”

“No, sadly. In fact, I think my father’s decision to ban muzzling of the Wolfbred has only worsened opinions of him and his people; not to mention him being selected to represent Hyrule in battle. Pardon any offense, but I am surprised you know of such a matter.” 

“I find none, Your Highness. That incident spread far throughout the kingdom. I believe almost anyone could identify the Champion by his scars alone.”

Link seemed noticeably more uncomfortable by this statement.

“That is… unfortunate for his safety, if Link might be identified so readily by such a permanent fixture on his body.” 

Urbosa shuffled into a new position. “We’ve talked about the soldier boy, now what about you? You seem quite close to Revali.”

“I suppose now’s a good enough time as ever,” Revali mused from his piece of the floor. “Everyone, meet Khosha: my wife.”

~~~~

Evening came upon the village. Even though the snowstorm was long gone, the temperature continued to drop. After a long day of council, the Champions eventually ventured out to tour the Tabantha region, with an even more self-confident Revali soaring on the bygone storm’s remaining breeze. Of course he would act in such a manner. As fine of a warrior he was, a young Rito he remained. Last spring’s molt had taken her fledgling markings from her visage, but his remained as red, almost pink really, as ever. They too would be gone in the next few years, and she knew he’d continue to smooth over as they faded from his face. His personality had already mellowed significantly from their first encounters as fledglings. The Wolfbred warrior, Link, he seemed about Revali’s age. Perhaps that is why Revali had taken to such grandiose presentation after she’d been introduced to them. For any warrior, to be suddenly paired with a mythical warhound would be quite the shock to their ego, especially a perfectionist like her dear. Perhaps the two would grow close as they prepared for the Calamity’s arrival, close enough at least that Link’s presence would soothe Revali instead of leaving him with ruffled feathers. 

The Princess and her warriors would be returning soon, as the sun would sink below the mountains before too long. After picking the Great Eagle Bow up from the bowyer’s shop and purchasing a full quiver’s worth of arrows from his wife, the fletcher, Khosha made one final stop near the village’s entrance, overwhelmed by thoughts from meeting Hyrule’s Champions that she must bring before her Goddess in order to find peace.

Oh Hylia, my mind is uneasy as I see the Champions appointed by your divine blessing gather. All of them… they have their peoples behind them… they have laid down lives that can still amount to so much… all for this cause. 

Hyrule's princess, your incarnation descended, seems… ill of the mind. There is a darkness in her unnatural to her age. I suppose I should not be surprised. The Hyrulean Royal Family is broken. The King and Princess are fighting. The Queen has been dead for ten long years. I’ve heard rumors… rumors that the Princess was found in a silent rebellion with one of the knights… while I can only imagine that this is just a lonely girl crying out for love, I can’t help but worry on how far it may go… or how it may end… whether it warrant no consequences at all, whether someone will wind up in prison… or the bloodline extended…

…My apologies, Hylia, my mind wanders. Take my worries away from her, Hylia, she has an unimaginable share of other frets to manage on those small shoulders of hers. She has an entire world watching her every move, eagerly waiting for the divine glow of her birthright to illuminate an uncertain time. It is this power, this divine, glowing power, that causes the darkness in Princess Zelda, even more so than the lingering scars of her mother's death. She does not have access to it as her father demands. Your holy inheritance… a power intended only for goodness… yet it has caused only pain and sorrow for her and all in the castle… and possibly beyond. 

Why do you leave her like this, Hylia? I know this darkness in her can be purged, I see it chased back like evil in the legends of old whenever she is presented with research… or she becomes newly aware of her knight's presence. That light in her eyes… I know it so well. It is the light of love. Love for relics of old, learning their forgotten purposes and watching them return to life… and love for him, Link the knight. It is his purpose to defend her, but I can see that she'll go out of her way to do the same for him. Seeing this light… it gives me peace for Hyrule's future…

Protect them, the Princess, the knight, the Champions… so that they all may return to their people from these ancient wonders of holy war… grant the Princess her power… the wear in her young body declares that she had proved rigorous dedication… the introduction to every battle and legend of old declares the need for the knight and the princess… As much as the Guardians and Divine Beasts will aid us in the fight to come, it is not them but her that is irreversibly needed. The legends dating back even to your original incarnation… The Divine Beasts aren't inscribed, but the Princess and Knight are. She needs this power, Hylia… why do you withhold it from her?

~~~~

Hyrule's Final Stand Masterlist

[quaranmine]

Honestly I'd love to know what kind of comments you'd be adding to the fic for your mother. Very curious :0 (also I'm terrible at knowing what information an outsider would and wouldn't have and/or would need)

Sure, I'll add a few. (Redacted since my google account is my full name.) Also remember that y'all also got the benefit of my author's notes, but I'm not giving my mom the AO3 copy because over my dead body does she look at that account. I'm giving her a document copy. So a lot of the comments will likely be details you guys already got in either a post or author's note.

^^^ This one is written specifically because my mom, like me, has been going to Big Bend National Park since she was young. A member of my family has gone there nearly every single year since....1965? lol. So it's a fun tidbit for her to know I was thinking of it while writing this. (There will be a similar note when the Pinnacles trail comes up, because I named Pinnacles after a trail in Big Bend.)

me trying to explain Scar's general dramatic flair (i also have a comment somewhere explaining that Scar is dyslexic and that is why he occasionally mispronounces stuff in the fic, and why he says the scientific documents the rangers let him borrow were difficult to get through)

nicknames

My mother and I are both Gary the cat stans. Trust me she knows Exactly what I am picturing here.

^^ a few other comments on the story, ranging from "background character details" to "research details" to "totally unecessary personal opinions"

it's also fun for little self-aware asides:

She already knows a significant amount of the plot, including the ending, because I talked to her about it. That is also why she gets to read it, because the moment I opened my mouth about writing it I basically had to. I don't always talk about my writing with her but I really wanted to talk about this one. So! By talking about it I just made the decision for myself that I'd allow her to read it. She is....very excited haha. And I am too? I mean I think I am going to send it to her and then just immediately go back to my apartment so I don't have to be in the same house as her while she's reading it LOL. The embarassment of people who know you too closely reading your things etc etc. But I'm very proud of this story and I don't think she realizes how good of a writer I can be. She knows I'm good at it (like, she's read my essays and newspaper stories) but not how I handle fiction.

[modeus-the-unbound]

A sneak peak into my creative process for how I wanna set up some things in my Slay the Princess fanfics.

I chose Modern day Spain specifically as a nod to the amount of Spanish people I've seen enjoying this game, and my conversations with @7w7m7w7 who is wonderful.

I'm trying to be as respectful as possible, which means doing research and double checking that what i just read isnt some hyper specific and outlier persepctive, so chapter 5 is gonna take a minute I'm afraid.

If anyone else from Spain wants to give me tips and pointers for how to translate Spanish Catholicism into Slay the Princess, I would be grateful.

[metaphysical-human-being]

Please I beg I need a British person to just give me a list of common slang words cus I want to write hobie but i have no clue how y'all be talking