#i think this is one of the weirdest fics i've ever posted but then again i only remember maybe 20% of the writing i've posted so maybe not

[potterandpromises]

Aza

This fic was written as an experiment. It's 26 paragraphs long and the first word of each begins with the corresponding letter of the alphabet. This was something I'd been wanting to try with an Amelia client for awhile, and it was surprisingly easy to write when it came down to it. Aza had no background when I began writing her story and it went in a direction I wasn't expecting. This was a thoroughly interesting experience and I'm glad I did it.

Content warning: semi-graphic description of past child abuse, 

Also on AO3

“Aza Asher?”

By the grace of a bus and three separate trains, Aza had made it to the offices of The Amelia Project. Her way out. Her way forward. “Yes." Her voice is thick with excitement. “I’m Aza, but hopefully not for much longer.”

Ceiling fan blades cast shadows on the wall behind the man she’s just been let in to see. Aza feels like she’s in a noir film, although she’s never actually seen a noir film. “Yes, hopefully not for much longer,” the man echoes, and Aza plays with her fidget ring. He’s not a particularly intimating man, but she is intimated nonetheless.

“Do you have anything working with animals?”

“Excuse me?”

“For my new life?” Aza isn’t sure she’s going about this in the right way, but surely almost no one goes through this process twice, so he must be used to a little confusion. “Do you have any jobs where I could work with animals? I'm not picky, but I've always wanted to. I could be a dog trainer or—“

“Get out.”

Her mouth falls open, closes, starts to quiver. But she bites down, steals herself. She didn’t go through public transport hell, stealing, the abuse, to be turned down like this.

“I’m kidding!” He extends his arms in a wide arc and Aza steps back instinctively. “Unless you have an uninteresting reason for wanting to fake your own death, in which case I really will have to tell you to get out. You see, here at Amelia, we deal in stories.” Is there any such thing as an uninteresting reason to fake one's own death? She doubts it. Even if the reason itself might be wholly guessable and common, the sort of person who would go to the lengths Aza herself is going to must almost always be quite a character. Then again, Aza has always thought of herself as the side character in someone else's story. “Oh, I used you in my little prank war— that's 34 for me by the way— and I haven't even offered you cocoa. My bad, truly. Please take a seat. Joey!”

Joey brings in a mug of cocoa in what must be close to 10 seconds flat. Aza takes it even though there’s a voice in the back of her head telling her to never accept a drink, any drink, from a stranger. She’ll have to trust them with far more then a cup of cocoa if she wants to survive. “Heavenly doesn't even begin to describe it, right?"

“Kill me,“ she pleads, likely with a chocolate mustache on her lip. “Please kill me, because— please pretend to kill me or—“

Lake water down her throat, sputtering on shore; bruises she almost couldn't cover; blood from her mouth as if she were in a horror movie.

“Mum will destroy the world.”

No going back now. No telling the truth. This isn’t a charity, she'd always known that, hence the few thousand stuffed in her clothing. But she hadn’t planned this lie.

“Oh my.”

“Please." She begs him to believe her or not believe her but take pity on her anyway. "You have to help me die so the world can live."

“Queer, very queer. How is it that your mum will destroy the planet?” Aza can tell he doesn’t believe her, she’s not stupid. She trudges on anyway.

“Rosalie Asher is a a scientist, ah, was a scientist. But she was fired. You see, my mother is an evil, evil woman, and at home she talks about— about using the nuclear codes, which she still has. Apparently it’s not actually that difficult to get into where those buttons are. She told me one time this guy was delivering food to her workplace, and he called to tell them the door was left open!" That last part is at least one quarter true. She’d heard a story like that on Last Week Tonight, although it had happened in America. “My mother may be evil, but she loves me, and if she thinks I’m dead, it’ll destroy her. She won’t be able to complete her plan.”

“Shit on a stick you’re lying to me.” Aza imagines her forehead hitting the table, finally letting her guard down.

“There’s the story you told me. Then there’s the true story. Then there’s the reason you lied. I want to hear all of them.” But Aza isn’t prepared to tell. She should have known The Amelia Project was too good to be true, even if it isn't a hoax. She cannot tell. Yet she cannot turn back, not now, not ever. Will her parents find her if she doesn't have help? She has no doubt they will, if her face is still her face.

“Upstream from my house,” she begins, her last ditch chance, “by the edge of the woods there’s this rock that’s covered in moss. I used to go there when I was little, thought it was my secret hide out, until I ran there one day when I was eight and my mum fractured my skill on that rock. That isn’t even the worst of it. I’m done begging and I’m done explaining.” Aza takes the wads of cash from her pocket, her bra, her socks, and places them on the desk. “Will you help me or not?"

“Very well." He's visibility horrified but gives nothing else away. “We’ve had an opening in Antarctica for ages, you’d be researching” —he shudders, she thinks involuntarily— “penguins. No one would ever find you there apart from us and maybe an extremely lost biologist or two. The only thing that might hurt you is frost bite.” He pauses. "And elephant seals."

“What about somewhere warmer?”

“Xylophone player in Uzbekistan?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” But she’s smiling and she can't remember the last time she smiled.

“Zebra keeper in Kenya?” Zebras. She can work with zebras.

[missgryffin]

Thanks for the tag @jamesunderwater! Loved reading your answers!

🍓 how did you get into writing fanfiction?

My first (very bad, very cringe) foray was between releases of OotP, HBP, and DH. Back then I was writing Marauders as well as 7th Year for the Golden Trio and a post-Hogwarts fic called "Friends" in which Harry, Ron, and Hermione lived together in Grimmauld Place 🥲

🍇How many fandoms have you written in?

Just HP!

🍈 How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

I mean, I went through the early childhood fanfic phase that lasted 1-2 years, but then I didn't write again until picking it up in 2020 as an adult. So really, only about 4 years now of writing consistently, and maybe 6 years total in my life.

🍎 Do you read or write more fanfiction?

I also definitely write way more than I read. Mostly this is a product of limited time—writing is a creative outlet for me, and when I have the time for it, that's usually what I reach for.

🍌 What is one way you've improved as a writer?

I think I've improved a lot with descriptions and vocabulary. Like for example, with revising LFTS and ES, there's been so many moments where I find myself just intuitively taking a sentence or small exchange or small paragraph, and expanding it into something that is just a better portrayal of that moment? It's hard to explain, but when I do the side-by-side comparison, it feels more elevated, and I think that's going back to improving on writing descriptions of what's happening that feel more fluid.

🍑 Do you have any bad habits as a writer?

Oof okay not sticking to a solid writing routine resonated with me too, that's definitely something I'm trying to be better at but it's hard!! Also a major bad habit for me is focusing too much on word count and setting unrealistic expectations for what I can accomplish in certain amounts of time. I've had to do a lot of mindset work to adjust to the fact that some of my old methods were unhealthy and unsustainable, and simply aren't realistic with making writing fit into my current, healthier lifestyle. But it's hard! Old habits and mindsets are ingrained and so tempting to default to. Like I've tried using daily word count goals several times, and it's always a trap. One would think I've learned my lesson, ha!

🍍 What's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

Hmm nothing's really coming to mind as being particularly "weird." I do ping @redrobyn285 and @welsh-green about Britishisms from time to time, and that often sparks funny conversations about cultural differences. Like for example, we recently had a very in-depth conversation about terminology for dorm rooms and different sizes of beds 🤣 But in all seriousness, I learn a lot from them and owe so much of the Evans family lore to their input!

🍉What's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

The play-by-play reactions are my absolute fave! It's so gratifying and fun, especially when there's suspense and tension involved in the story and you feel like you're bonding with the commenter through the shared experience of all the emotions happening.

🍐What's the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

Hmm Castling was pretty fringe, I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read, but I'm not aware of any other Jily fics dealing with ~that~. But besides that, I don't think anything on my current slate is that fringe tbh. I've mostly been writing Hogwarts Jily lately, and that's pretty vanilla as far as tropes go. But I do have some adult!Jily in my back pocket that have some more fringe tropes for me 👀

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

Angst. Hands down. I think because I'm an empath, dwelling in dark emotions for a story can be really difficult for me. Probably the angstiest scene I've ever written is the opening scene of Vindicated, and there's a reason that's only like 800 words 😂

🍏What is the easiest type?

Rom-com style fluff and smut! I'm such a sucker for all the classic sexual-tension builders: bantering, jealousy, flirting, a little sprinkle of comedy, pining, awkwardness. It makes me giggle and kick my feet while writing, and it puts me in a happy mood every time I'm writing it, which is probably why I'm addicted to it 😇

🍑Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

Scrivener! I'm at a point now where I've learned enough of its functionality that I truly can't imagine ever going back. It's my fave. I also use Notion religiously for my whole life, and that includes fanfic, but I don't actually write in Notion unless I'm jotting down ideas on my phone or brain-dumping an idea that doesn't have a Scrivener doc yet.

🍋What is something you've been too nervous/ intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

Domestic/Pregnant/Parent Jily. For the simple reason that I haven't experienced being pregnant/having kids yet and I feel like a fish out of water trying to write it because I don't know what I'm talking about 😂

🍇What made you choose your username?

I don't really remember the whole thought process anymore, but I love the musician/DJ Gryffin and was listening to some of his first album a lot in formulating ES, I am very much a Gryffindor, and also wanted something short, sweet, catchy that would be easy for people to remember and spell. And honestly I think missgryffin just popped into my head at some point after that!

I might be late to the game on this one, but tagging @petals2fish @apalapucian @blitheringmcgonagall if you're interested! 🫶

[ahhhsami]

AO3 Writer 20 Questions

Saw @thatonebirdwrites answer these questions focused on AO3 writers and thought it'd be fun to answer them too!

1) How do you keep getting ideas for your ship/fandom?

Day dreaming, music, and other media (books, movies, TV series).

2) Which authors inspire you in your fandom, and why are they so freakishly good?

This is the main question I wanted to answer because I wanted to just praise people and share their works!

A_M_Nicholson since I really adore their AUs and amazing vibes you get from their settings. The characters are always so interesting and they're able to maintain the characters' personalities and traits even though they are in an AU.

RaeDMagdon since her stories introduced me to omegaverse. She also cranks out solid works consistently and it's extremely impressive and admirable.

Xaibaugrove's writing makes you feel things through her words. Each chapter, paragraph, and even sentence is so well thought out and her story telling is to die for. Plus the depth and details she goes into for the surroundings is beautiful and immersive.

Tabsbee writes for Genshin Impact and I adore her style of writing and the modern AU settings she uses. Everything she posts is a banger. Plus they feed my need for more JeanLisa stories!

AnotherShotofBourbon was one of the first fic writers I ever read in the korrasami fandom. They started a series of soulmate AUs and I adore them so much! Their new works are also just as exciting!

Velvet95 has super unique and fun AUs. They're working on their sequel to a galactic sci-fi story that they had created a while ago and just as the first part, it's super enjoyable and creative!

AsamiOnTop has a behemoth of a fic (I think almost 300k words) and it's such a fun read. I loved seeing her growth from chapter 1 to the ending and it's always so admirable seeing people wrap up long fics like hers!

kittymannequin is another OG korrasami writer that inspired me to write fics myself. Whether her stories are for TLOK or Arcane or another fandom, it's always a delight to read.

tumblr blogs: @raedmagdon @xaibaugrove @tabsbee @abronzeagegod @kittymannequin @asamiontop

3) Aside from the characters of your main ship, who are the characters you love to write?

There's a handful but here are the ones that come to mind; Vi & Caitlyn from Arcane, Jean & Lisa & Beidou & Clorinde from Genshin Impact.

4) Are there pairings or tropes you know for sure you'd never write about? Which ones?

I lean away from tropes that delve into Family dynamics. Mainly pregnancy since I actually don't like babies...

5) What is your writing process and why is it cursed?

Get an idea

Jot down a rough plan

Start writing and stray instantly from the plan

Get a new plot bunny and fight with myself whether to continue what I've written or scrap it for a new shiny story

Obviously the 4th step is where things become truly cursed.

6) What is your favorite part of your writing process?

Since I write so many AUs, the world building aspects are my favorite.

7) What’s the weirdest thing you’ve had to research for a fic?

I've had to research a lot of things... but the weirdest usually revolve around bodily injuries or time period research to keep things as accurate as possible when needed. If you need to know how to prepare opium like they did in the 1800s... I got you.

8) Is there a particular writing rule you struggle with (grammar, spelling, tense, reality in general)?

Grammar 100%. But I also think breaking grammar rules are okay for vibes, bruh.

9) What was your hardest scene to write so far and why?

It's one I'm currently working on and have been for years. It's the next chapter of Start Again and I'm struggling to progress the story in a way that I like. I've written and scrapped it so many times that I've lost count at this point.

10) Have your characters ever done something you didn’t expect, changing your plot completely?

All the time...

11) If you could converse with any of the characters, who would it be and why?

It'd have to be Korra. She's got such a special spot in my heart that I don't think I could choose anyone else.

12) What are some of the tropes or themes that you find yourself returning to in your writing?

College AUs just keep coming back even when I think I've had enough of them.

13) What's your most important resource as a writer?

Other books. I don't have a book in particular, but just reading other books and fics is helpful. I've also joined a local writer's guild that has been helpful too!

14) Can you share some of your strategies for editing and revising your work?

I read/mumble my stories aloud to myself to see if things come out clunky. I also have a wonderful partner that betas the majority of my stories and I couldn't be more grateful for her.

15) Which is worse: making the summary, picking the tags, or the anxiety when you post your fic?

SUMMARY. God damn, I will spend more time on a fucking summary than the story. I will also be lazy at times and just copy and paste an excerpt if I'm at a real loss.

16) How do you define success for your fanfic - hits? Kudos? Comments? Bookmarks? Or just if you like it?

A huge factor for me is if I personally like it, BUT hits/kudos/comments are always appreciated. The goal is to share my stories with people and for them to enjoy their time reading, so it's always nice to receive all of those. I don't gauge much off of bookmarks since I often write explicit fics, which tend to be privately bookmarked or not bookmarked at all.

17) Do you have a playlist for your favorite character/ship?

I make playlists for stories/chapters. I don't do them individually for characters. I wouldn't be surprised if I have 50 or so playlists for my writing though.

18) If fan art was going to be made from your work, which fic would you pick and which fan artist would you like to create it?

When it comes to the story, I'd want the artist to do art for one that resonates with them. One that somehow inspires them. And oh man, when it comes to specific artists, I'm not sure since there are so many amazing ones. I've recently been inspired by @seijousai and am writing a story inspired by their Clorivia art. @ppyuuingles art is super wholesome and adorable. I love their JeanLisa stuff. I also have always adored @persnickety-doodles style of drawing when it comes to Korrasami. In the past I had the pleasure to collaborate with @unii-outlawed and later commissioned her. If you don't know her, then definitely check out her stunning artwork! Other amazing artists that deserve a follow are @ttanaart, @kf1n3, and @mimiendos (follow their twitter).

19) How many WIPs do you currently have?

Erm... posted on AO3 there's 20 unfinished stories BUT I also have over 100 completed ones. As for the WIPs that are written and not posted... that's also probably in the 20s. It goes back to all of the plot bunnies that I get and the battles I lose which results in partially written stories.

20) What's your advice to new fanfic writers?

Write what you want. Even if you feel that it may be niche there'll definitely be people out there that will read and enjoy it!

[andorerso]

Answer the Questions and Tag 5 Fanfic Authors

thanks for the tag @mosylufanfic <3

1. How did you get into writing fanfiction?

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

2. How many fandoms have you written in?

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

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

so that's 14 fandoms total

3. How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

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

4. Do you read or write more fanfiction?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. What is the easiest type?

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

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

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

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

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

13. What made you choose your username?

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

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

tagging @frostbitepandaaaaa @quarantineddreamer @fulcrumstardust @flythesail @luciechat

[notsogreatpotoo]

1, 7, 13 and 17 for your ask game!

hello!! thank you for the ask friendo :]

ask game link for reference

1: favorite or funniest nicknames you've gotten

I haven't gotten a ton of nicknames that I've liked, bc usually nicknames are based off of your 'real' name and I'm closeted to most people I know irl, but one of my friends nicknamed me Emsy, and some of my friends used to call me Mouse in middle school bc I was a very wide-eyed and confused child. but I do really like nicknames when I get them :]

7: an excerpt from your funniest, weirdest, or worst essay from middle school or high school

okay so freshman year of high school, we read romeo and juliet, and i had read it before but not in an academic context and so when my teacher said we were going to write an argumentative essay on which character was to blame for the whole... situation, i was like. no. that's not the point. so i very spitefully wrote an essay that i ended up getting an A on, which was cool because it very much did not fit the prompt. here's the intro:

Placing the blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet has been debated for centuries. Their tragic fate leaves the audience wondering: who was most at fault? Can the blame even be fairly shifted onto only one person? In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, two people become infatuated with each other, but their families have an ongoing feud that limits their relationship. Many characters have expectations set for the two, whether those expectations be that they should be enemies or that their love will fix the feud. They eventually take their lives as the result of a misunderstanding. However, it is clear that Romeo and Juliet’s deaths are ultimately caused by the toxic society and surroundings their own families helped create, and the arbitrary laws of society that their families enforced.

idk, i just think it's funny that younger me was like, i don't want to do this. i'm not gonna blame one character, that's not the point of the story. fuck society.

13: something you really want someone to ask you about

i could literally talk at you forever about my oc insert hunger games fic, the first part and the second part (wip) (i have three parts planned) are currently almost 46000 words and the main character is the closest thing i will ever have to a child. i've decided i'm gonna post the first chapter of it on ao3 in a few days and then figure out a regular update schedule after stuff gets straightened out (i'm moving), but if you ever want to get distracted send me an ask about literally any of it

17: government assigned ao3 tag (choose one you really like, one that seems accurate to your life, or find a generator)

one i really like: Mutual Pining

if i'm in the mood to read fics with ships, i'll find one of my fandoms and sort by mutual pining. i love these fics bc usually the complications are internal emotional complications instead of things like cheating. (note: i do not support censorship. just because i don't like reading about cheating does not mean i support censorship of that sort of reading material. curate your own experience, do not attempt to control others'.) i also like fics that have a little bit of emotional build up through pining or smthn bc it helps me get more invested :]

one that seems accurate to my life: Alternate Universe - College/University

mostly self explanatory (i'm in college and it feels like a different universe)

generator assigned tag: Historical Inaccuracy

as a History major that's hilarious

thank you again for the ask!!! :]

[luckycharms1701]

sees you've reblogged an ask game -> bats my lashes as i once again get a bit curious and greedy with the emojis

🌵 🎲 🪐 🍬 🔪 🦷 ❄️ 🏜️ 🦋

LMAO you know i love a good ask game! that is. a lot of emojis. let's go!!!

🌵 ⇢ share the link to a playlist you love there are so many! but i'll throw you a bone and link my rise leo playlist for you keisha, it's my favorite character playlist i've made and i know leo is your favorite uvu

🎲 ⇢ what stops you from writing more in your free time? i am. so fucking tired all the time. sometimes i literally fall asleep while writing. sometimes i dissociate. sometimes i just can't find the words.

🪐 ⇢ name three good things going on in your life right now yoga with spoon! work is not stressful! my cat loves me!

🍬 ⇢ post an unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character bayverse april is not a useless damsel in distress actually. did we even watch the same movies

🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project? i've instantly forgotten everything i've ever researched for writing lmao. ummm i did some research about orange alcoholic drinks for chapter 5 of sunshine, that feels like a weird thing to do?

🦷 ⇢ share some personal wisdom or a life hack you swear on i love this quote, it helps me keep moving forward: "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow." -Mary Anne Radmacher

❄️ ⇢ what's your dream theme/plot for a fic, and who would write it best? oh man, what a question. when i think about the ideal theme, i think about something quiet. about meaningful actions and simple devotion. the little moments that make up a big love. as for who would write it best, i think anyone can write this! i've personally read so many fics that match this theme by so many different authors and they're all perfect

🏜️ ⇢ what's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work? honestly any comment at all. but I do like the ones that yell at me. don't. don't think about that too much.

🦋 ⇢ share something that has been on your heart and mind lately i've been thinking a lot about loneliness lately

[linwelinwrites]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

I found this on my dashboard and even though no one tagged me I want to join in!

Disclaimer: I write a lot of adult content, and though there is a warning on AO3 if you click the link and it's appropriately tagged and warned, I'll say it again: every fic linked with an (Explicit) tag beside it, is intended only for adults. Do not read or interact if you're a minor.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

22 as of today! A lot of those are drabbles and ficlets, but I do have a few longer pieces. I have so many more I'm working on though!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 

106.505 words 😄

3. What fandoms do you write for?

My main fandom is Harry Potter. I write a little bit for Twilight too and I've just started working on some Haikyuu! fics because of a recent fixation with the series 😅 I can't get enough of it!

I also have plans to write for My Hero Academia (I've posted a few drabbles, but nothing substantial), which I believe will start occupying more real estate on my brain as soon as I watch season 7 😬

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? 

The Deal, The Honeymoon & Beyond (Explicit) Twilight, canon compliant, basically fixing some fade-to-black scenes. Every day I'm surprised my oldest fic still hangs in at n°1, but there it is!

Pure fucking ambrosia (Explicit) Twilight, no pregnancy AU, a complete fever dream and slightly cursed—I blame the r/Fanfiction Discord and Jadzia specifically for this sinnery. I'm glad this one found its crowd.

Acquiescence to Inevitability (Explicit) Harry Potter, a Dramione one-shot inspired by another fic. No War AU, Hogwarts Seventh Year, very little plot but a lot of fun.

A Grave Mistake (Teen) Haikyuu, a cute KageHina one-shot about Halloween. Pure domestic fluff, Shoyo being adorable and Tobio being weak af for him

Memories, Not Dreams (Teen) Harry Potter, a short & sweet Harmony ficlet. Canon Divergent at Deathly Hallows. You guessed it, it's during their time in the tent 😅

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Every single one of them, as soon as I can! Comments are the highlight of my day, I call them the fuel for the writing furnace. They mean someone took time out of their day to let me know what they thought of my fic. That means the world to me 💜

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

Oh, that's an easy one. Just for tonight (Explicit) has two endings (a choose-your-own-adventure sort of fic), but one of those is the angstiest shit I've ever written. I love it!

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

That's got to be Man of Honour (Teen). Though it's a prequel to a bigger project I'm working on, as a standalone it's got the fluffiest, most HEA ending I've written.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Fortunately no, not even with the spiciest/weirdest fics I've posted, which I'm very thankful for. I'm a strong defender of "don't like, don't read," which I apply for my own reading. The little 'x' button is the only dislike button I need, and I'm glad whoever read and disliked my stuff (which I'm sure has happened) didn't bother to let me know.

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

I mostly like fluffy smut, though I have a thing for characters who are desperate, particularly if they view the moment as their only or last opportunity to experience intimacy with that person. I love writing service tops + overstimulation, which is a really nice combo; and D/s dynamics, because of the trust they imply and the fireworks they can bring to the fun.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I haven't yet, but there's a plot bunny in my bunny hutch waiting for me that would be a crazy one indeed 👀 I don't have the details fine tuned yet, but I do know it would involve Knives Out and Spy x Family, for one. That sounds crazy to me 😂

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of, and I don't think so. I don't have that kind of traffic 😂

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? 

I got a request recently for a translation to Vietnamese, but I don't know if it's been done yet.

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

Nope! I don't know how that would work, but I'm curious. It could be fun!

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship? 

It's so hard to pick just one, holy shit. But I suppose it's the one that lives rent free in my head every fucking day, the one that got me writing a 50k outline and five spreadsheets and ten metric tonnes of research and is sitting at 45k words when I'm only 15 out of 150 scenes in (yes, 150, I will die writing this fic). I don't like the "official" ship name, so I just call them Symphony: Draco / Hermione / Harry.

I couldn't choose between Dramione, Harmony and Drarry, and I thought all of them worked perfectly together, but I believe that as a triad they are perfect.

I think they balance each other out perfectly, and I can't wait to write a Brandon Sanderson sized longfic about them 😂

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

I have some scenes I want to add to The Deal, The Honeymoon & Beyond (Explicit), other scenes that faded to black and I want to fill in, a few requests and other ideas, but it's the last thing on my list of priorities at the moment. I don't know if I'll never get to them, but it won't be soon for sure. I'm a lot more focused on other fandoms for now.

16. What are your writing strengths? 

I think I'm good at finding the perspective of the POV character and placing myself in their shoes, and I believe that results in a decently strong character voice. I'm very intentional in my word choice and my speech and thought patterns, so that every character sounds different and as true to themselves as possible. At least, that's what I think; I'd love to have someone else's opinion on this.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? 

I'm afraid my grammar structures aren't as varied as I'd like them to be, and though I put a lot of effort into it, I'm still somewhat concerned about writing in English, since it isn't my native language. I'm always second-guessing myself, wondering if what I'm writing means what I think it does, or if I'm mistakenly implying something else. That's the kind of thing I'd love to have a beta for.

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

I mean, every fic is in "another language" for me 😂 But if this means adding dialogue in another language to an English fic, then I think it should be translated inline with html/css (workskin) formatting. There's nothing more annoying than having to scroll down or open another tab to see wtf something means, unless it's clearly implied or translated inside the fic itself.

19. First fandom you wrote for? 

Twilight!

I found out Midnight Sun existed during the pandemic, proceeded to fall down the rabbit hole and had a Twilight renaissance with an adult perspective. That's when the fade-to-black scenes annoyed me; as a teen, they didn't stand out to me, because I was a child. But now, with new (and filthy) eyes, I wanted more.

I looked up fanfiction online for the first time at the ripe old age of 24, read a brain-melting amount of it, and was still unsatisfied. Everything I read was just a little bit off what I wanted, so I thought I had to rectify the situation. And that's the story, folks!

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? 

Of the ones I've posted, Man of Honour 💜 I think it's the one that anyone can read, it's fluffy and cute and (I hope) funny, and stars a great platonic friendship, some star-crossed romance in the background, and fake dating shenanigans, and I love it so, so much 💜 I put a lot of sweat and tears into the workskins and pinterest boards, so it's also quite pretty, if I do say so myself. I think it's my best work, I had a blast writing it, and I've gotten really positive feedback on it. I'm really happy with it.

I tag @gamingwithsydney! and anyone who sees this and wants to participate. Please ignore if you’ve already done this or don’t want to do it, that’s completely fine. 😊

[fazedlight]

20 Questions More

A deeper and more detailed version of the 20 questions for AO3 fanfic writers. Thanks @eqt-95 and @inkedroplets for the tag!!

1) How do you keep getting ideas for your ship/fandom?

Daydreaming. Writing fanfic is secondary to that. It was only in the past couple of years that it occurred to me that I could write some of it down and see what happens.

2) Which authors inspire you in your fandom, and why are they so freakishly good?

@searidings is my absolute favorite, the way she unravels the characters' emotions and angst is absolutely superb.

3) Aside from the characters of your main ship, who are the characters you love to write?

Ohhh I really love this question:

Cat in Inauthentic, as well as this ficlet and this one. I love her sense of humor.

Lillian in Darkness in All Things. For the same reason as Cat, I just love her snark.

Zor-El in Even Though You're Kryptonian. He kind of surprised me when I started writing him, and to this day I don't know if some of his lines are driven by genuine confusion or if he's just trolling.

4) Are there pairings or tropes you know for sure you'd never write about? Which ones?

I'm a never-say-never kind of person. There's a lot that I don't think I would ever write, but I've been surprised on where stories have taken me before, and may be surprised again.

5) What is your writing process and why is it cursed?

"Process" might be an overstatement...

I have a "scribbles" doc where I keep my ideas. I cull ideas often (though ideas often make their way back anyway). As I write more into the doc, a certain idea may get too big for it, so I spin it out into its own doc.

From there, I kind of go back and forward between outlining and writing. I write completely out of order. Which is why, so often, my multichaps are almost fully drafted by the time I publish chapter 1. I've usually already made it to the resolution point of the plot (meaning, no one's in danger anymore, the bad guy is gone, etc), though the final chapter often doesn't get written until later.

6) What is your favorite part of your writing process?

I love when I've finished the first pass of a chapter/one-shot, and I'm in the editing stage. The story really feels like it's coming together at that point, and it's before all the self-doubt starts bubbling up (that hits hard just before posting).

7) What’s the weirdest thing you’ve had to research for a fic?

A friend of mine is a professor in astroparticle physics, so I spent a couple of hours asking him about quantum mechanics stuff. But only a small portion of that ended up being relevant to the fic and the rest was just for fun.

8) Is there a particular writing rule you struggle with (grammar, spelling, tense, reality in general)?

When I'm first sketching out a scene, about half the time I write in present tense (it feels more like I'm writing a play at that point sometimes), but I publish in past tense. So I end up needing to do a bunch of revisions 😭

Also TYPOS.

9) What was your hardest scene to write so far and why?

Fight scenes are ROUGH, man.

This is probably one of those answers I'll change every time depending what's at the top of my mind. But writing out a fight scene - like in Even Though You're Kryptonian, Darkness in All Things, or It's a Metallo Life - gets surprisingly difficult if there are more than 2 people.

I know exactly how I'd shoot those scenes if I had a camera crew, special effects, etc. But it's hard making sure the audience is aware of where everyone is positioned, why they can/can't act in the moment, etc.

10) Have your characters ever done something you didn’t expect, changing your plot completely?

All the fucking time, man. From the very beginning, even. I was trying to have Lena still be angry by the DEO scene in So I Kept Pretending, but that didn't make sense anymore.

I actually recently had a fic idea dissolve because it wasn't vibing with the characters. Which is fine, it became a ficlet instead!

11) If you could converse with any of the characters, who would it be and why?

Absolutely Kara. I have so many questions about kryptonian culture and how it drives her character.

12) What are some of the tropes or themes that you find yourself returning to in your writing?

Trope-wise, I definitely return to the Rift again and again. I find themes around forgiveness and understanding to be really interesting. Can two good-hearted people with conflicting needs hurt each other while still loving each other? How? What does that mean for the aftermath?

I think that's part of what draws me to supercorp - the complexity of their relationship. How they can both be right, and both be wrong, and love each other enough to rebuild from the ashes.

13) What's your most important resource as a writer?

Coffeeshops and libraries. Getting into slightly busy, cozy environments, out of the house, really helps shake loose the stuff in my head.

14) Can you share some of your strategies for editing and revising your work?

Especially for longer works, I tend to put the work down (and circle to other works, or go outside, or whatever) before coming back to it. It helps to step away for a bit - it's easier to pick up on repetitiveness or unclear passages when coming back.

Though I always find mistakes in my stories much later, so I'm not sure I'm one to give advice on this anyway 🤣

15) Which is worse: making the summary, picking the tags, or the anxiety when you post your fic?

Posting anxiety is the absolute worst. If I leave myself in front of my computer I'll end up refreshing constantly waiting for the first kudos (if it's a one-shot or first chapter) or the first comment (if it's a later chapter) to figure out if I've accidentally pissed off everyone in the fandom somehow.

Luckily, my partner will usually pull me away to go on a walk or grab lunch or do something else to take my mind off it 💗

16) How do you define success for your fanfic - hits? Kudos? Comments? Bookmarks? Or just if you like it?

I only publish what I like. Sometimes I'm nervous that other people won't like it, but I will always like it. Stories that aren't going a way I like - even if I think the idea is cool! - will dissolve. Just recently I dissolved one that felt like it was a cool idea, but it didn't make enough sense for the characters.

Kudos and comments always make me feel appreciated as an author!! Sometimes I'll get a user subscriber out of it, too, and it feels like an honor that someone would want to hear from me more than once.

The thing that feels most precious, though, is when someone comments on how something made them feel (I love making people laugh at my dumb jokes, or cry when a story is supposed to hit emotionally), or when they pick up on something that I wasn't sure would get picked up on.

I tend to lean towards understatement in my stories. For me, the biggest success is knowing that someone recognized what I was going for, without me being overt.

17) Do you have a playlist for your favorite character/ship?

Alas, I don't. But given that Kara is canonically a Britney Spears fan and musicals nerd, I feel like my default playlist works 🤣

18) If fan art was going to be made from your work, which fic would you pick and which fan artist would you like to create it?

Oh gosh, I don't want to pick someone and create pressure, or not pick someone and make them feel bad. This fandom has so many great artists!

That said, some of my favorites do commissions, you can see everything I've commission here.

19) How many WIPs do you currently have?

1 supercorp & 1 rojarias (for @supergirlmayhem)

For me, 2-3 is my happy number, so I'm relieved to be down to this after being so high (I think up to 11?) for so long.

20) What's your advice to new fanfic writers?

If you're wondering why you can't find that story you want, it might mean that you're the one to write it 💗

- - - - -

Tagging (respectfully and without pressure) @rustingcat @luthordamnvers @sssammich @tinyvariations @thatonebirdwrites @theredcapeofk @sideguitars @luthordamnvers @mycatismyeditor @inkedroplets @nottawriter @snowydragonscave @jetgirl1832 if you want some rapid-fire q's thrown your way. But also anyone who'd like to do this!

[polutrope]

Now it's your turn, smut sis! 😁 Don't know if you've answered these already, but here they go: for the smut asks, 1, 6, 18, 19, and 24 for Maemags, please?

Thank you for the ask! From this list (feel free to send more, I left in the tags which I've answered).

Share your philosophy of smut. Why do you write it, and what does it mean to you?

Sexual arousal is a feeling just like sadness, anger, amusement, and all those other things writing can help us to feel and process. It happens that one of the things I seem to enjoy and be good at helping people feel is horny. So be it. (That being said I go through spells of wanting nothing to do with it and then write Genfic about kids or something.)

I genuinely believe putting characters in a state of sexual arousal is an amazing way to explore who they are and their dynamics with other characters. The previous point notwithstanding, smut does not have to be hot. No smut will be hot to every reader. But it may help a reader think about the source work, themself, or just the human condition, in a new way.

How do you think your smut writing has evolved?

Answered here. Will add that my adventurousness has definitely evolved and continues to evolve (it seems) with every piece. I am no longer shocked by anything that bubbles up in my mind.

What’s the weirdest thing you have researched for the sake of a smut fic? Can be within the scope of Tolkien canon or on a topic completely outside it.

Answered here. I know there are more but annoyingly cannot think of them.

Share a smut rec for Maedhros/Maglor

Two recent contributions to the tag which I think you have already read:

Dark Flavour: and some of us returned by @i-am-a-lonely-visitor. This was initially posted on Anon because it's a silmkinkmeme fill and I was not going to read it because of the tags but I took a peek and was immediately drawn in by the gothic kidnap fam framing and the gorgeous prose. Probably not a fic for everyone, but if you feel up to giving the tags a chance, it's all handled with dark and sensitive beauty imho.

Funny Flavour: Mapmaking by @meadowlarkx. Lark excels at wit and sex and this was both hilarious and hot and tender. So much teasing.

I have to add one that is not fully smutty (though it still has scenes that titillated me), Such a Marriage by DifferentSong. This is a silmkinkmeme fill the author just posted to AO3. I hope they get more encouragement to continue because it is such a beautiful fic and a nuanced treatment of the characters and relationship.

Share a favorite passage from one of your smut fics.

Already shared two but happy to provide! Luthien tops Daeron in my bisexual fantasy in Of Changing and of Shifting Shape below the cut.

“How is this?” She passes the tip of her finger into him and he gasps again. It slides in so easily, and he feels himself loosen around her. “Good.” He swallows and thinks, ‘Better than he was,’ because whatever Lúthien has managed to produce with her own body feels exquisitely warm and viscous, without any of the discomfort that usually accompanies this act. Another finger slides inside him and she begins to pulse with her hand. “And did he take you from behind? Or did you face him, staring into each other’s eyes as you chased ecstasy?” As she speaks, her fingertips find the spot that spatters his vision with stars – only, when she does it, there is heat radiating from her, setting his nerves alight. Daeron has to pant through his reply. “I was - ah! - facing him. He hooked his strong arms under my knees and –” suddenly, unwelcomely, Lúthien pulls her fingers from him and does as he has just described. Daeron lifts his neck to glance down. She has hiked her dress up to her thighs and his eyes widen at what he sees. In place of her beautiful, soft folds she has a thick, straight shaft, turgid and wet. It is not something Daeron ever imagined wanting but when he sees her kneeling over him like this – her round, plump breasts hanging like swollen dew drops as she brings herself forward, her nipples dark and pert, and beneath that the most perfectly-shaped cock he has ever seen, its head blushing a deep red and gleaming – seeing her like that he is making fists around the tangle of blankets beneath him to avoid spilling over his stomach already, simply imagining her inside him, filling him completely.

[voylitscope]

🕯️ ⇢ on a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy editing? why is that?

🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project? 🦷 ⇢ share some personal wisdom or a life hack you swear on

Hi! That's probably too many questions, feel free to pick one. I hope you are having a great day!!!

Hi!! Thank you for the ask! It is not too many questions at all, ha. 🕯️ ⇢ on a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy editing? why is that? 6? It depends. There are definitely parts of editing that can be really satisfying and enjoyable. When I can get things to clean up, click, and work, that's a good feeling and it's sort of fun. But then when certain lines or paragraphs just don't work or sound right, then it's all very frustrating. I feel like there's almost always some line of dialogue or paragraph I rewrite several times until I'm happy with it, so 🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project

I feel like there are a handful of historical details that qualify here. Like, I did recently-ish learn about the weather in New York on Thanksgiving of 1941 for this little pre-war fic. But the top weirdest things I've ever researched were probably all I was writing this, and things I learned about included the history of indoor plumbing in New York (for the accuracy of a shower sex scene. This was Very Important, obviously), An elephant hotels on Coney Island and its use as an unofficial brothel, and the history of vaseline as a commonly available product in the United States. 🦷 ⇢ share some personal wisdom or a life hack you swear on I don't think I have any especially good life hacks, and I don't know how wise I am. But I will say, I've seen several posts go around lately that say some variation of, 'do it scared,' or whatever as a motivational thing, and I do think that's really solid life advice. There a lot of things I've personally done with no idea, going in, if I'd actually be to do them, but that were 100% the right thing to have done, looking back. So. Thank you again for the ask! I hope you're having a wonderful start to your week! 💖

[dracarialove]

📄F it, I'm posting my finished fics here, too 📄

*Check the 'rouge's heart' tag if you haven't read chapter 1

[Chapter 2: Betrayal]

Rouge sat on the plush white living room couch, fiddling with a communication device while a random dramedy played on the television. Knuckles came down the stairs, doing up a navy blue tie, and hesitated when he saw her.

He'd hoped to slip out while she was washing dishes, but reluctantly approached the back of the couch to tell her goodbye. He leaned over the bat's shoulder and planted a sweet kiss on her cheek before straightening his posture.

"Bye, babe," he said nonchalantly, Rouge smiling as she turned to look at him. "I'm going to work."

"Work?" the confused woman repeated, watching him walk to the front door. "It's almost sundown!"

The echidna stopped at the mahogany entrance, one mitted hand on the doorknob. He replied over his shoulder, "Yeah... my boss is on a kick of working away from the office; he held a whole meeting about doing performance reviews on a more personal level."

He hesitated again, wanting to leave the excuse there as he squeezed the doorknob. But Rouge was staring at him, perplexed and expecting further clarification. "It's stupid, um... but he's the boss, you know? Kind of a weirdo, so I didn't want him coming here – I offered to let him do my performance review at the apartment."

"Oh," his fiancée replied, mulling over the explanation for a second. Then she smiled, allowing the echidna to let out the breath he'd been holding. "I guess there's nothing wrong with a little change. Strange, but I can't say it's the weirdest thing I've ever heard."

Knuckles chuckled, turning the doorknob. "Gotta go. Love ya."

She returned the sentiment and waved goodbye, her man quickly stepping out and closing the door behind him. Placing the communication device on the glass coffee table, Rouge stood from the couch, then turned off the TV and went into the kitchen.

She picked up her cell phone, thinking about calling Blaze for an evening chat. Before she could open the contact, a stack of papers sitting on the kitchen table caught her eye. Looking them over, it seemed to be a business contract, stapled and stamped, with Knuckles' signature at the bottom.

Figuring he would need it for work, Rouge picked up the stack and placed her cell phone back on the kitchen counter. Walking over to the front window, she could see that Knuckles' red BMW was already gone from the driveway, so she grabbed her keys and went out to her own car.

Stepping into her cherry-scented white Corvette, the bat predicted that she would be able to get the contract to him before his boss arrived – intending to wish him luck before she returned home. She admired the way her engagement ring twinkled as the sky darkened.

***

When she got to Knuckles' apartment, she parked next to his car, noticing a gray convertible sitting in the space on the other side of the BMW. It made Rouge raise an eyebrow as she exited her car, knowing that the convertible belonged to Julie-Su, one of Knuckles' coworkers. The bat had only met her briefly when she'd picked up her fiancé after an office party, so seeing the vehicle next to his struck her as suspicious.

'Maybe she lives in the complex somewhere,' Rouge thought, trying to justify it as she approached the stairs that led to the echidna's door.

Though she attempted to quiet the nagging voice telling her that something wasn't right, she also took each step cautiously, placing her weight on the balls of her feet to avoid clicking her heels against the metal.

The worried woman was tense, her fingers unconsciously bending the stack of business papers when she spotted a 'Do Not Disturb' sign hanging from Knuckles' doorknob. She almost immediately grabbed the knob, but stopped and leaned forward to extend one large ear near the door.

She heard his voice, low and muffled. Then a chuckle – a womanly chuckle. The bat's heart raced, her face flushing hot as jealousy rushed through her in an instant. She gripped the doorknob, pushing before it was even fully turned.

The door opened loudly, and she caught the two echidnas pulling away from each other as Knuckles gasped. Julie-Su's hand was resting on his knee, and there was a light smudge of pink lipstick on the redhead's lips.

Rouge's grip on the stapled papers tightened again, crumpling them in her palm as her eyes angrily darted between the pair. Julie-Su's eyes were large, staring at the bat in confusion while she removed her hand.

Knuckles' face twisted into an expression of horror and guilt. The betrayed woman couldn't find her voice for a moment, her gaze finally sticking to Knuckles and causing him to speak up.

"R-Rouge," he stammered. "Uh, w-what are you doing here? I-"

Her growing rage pushed her mouth to speak before she even knew what she wanted to say, interrupting the echidna with a raised tone. "How dare you! We're engaged!"

She thrust her left hand forward, flashing the ring – Julie-Su stared at it, her mouth agape as Rouge continued. "And you're having an affair?!"

While Knuckles nervously stuttered to conjure a response, the pink echidna blinked and her expression instantly turned to anger. She whipped her head in the cheater's direction, her long locks flicking around her body before settling. Pushing herself from the couch, she slammed her gloved fists against her hips and raised her voice, as well.

"Hold up, you're engaged? You said she wasn't your girl!"

Knuckles blushed in embarrassment, his tongue still too tied to reply. Julie-Su grabbed her purse from the floor and headed for the door, almost bumping into Rouge as she stopped and turned to him again.

"Lose my number," she ordered angrily, avoiding eye contact with Rouge as she walked out and stomped down the stairs.

"Wait, Julie!" Knuckles finally managed to shout, standing.

Rouge's expression twisted to one of disgust. "'Wait, Julie'? You don't give a fuck about me? I can't believe you!"

"Babe, let's just talk-" pleaded Knuckles.

She interrupted him with a scoff, dropping the papers and swiftly shimmying the engagement ring off her finger. "Talk? No, I've had it with you. We're through!"

Throwing the ring to the floor, she glared at him for a brief second before turning to leave. The bat struggled to tune out the excuses flying frantically from his mouth as he began walking around the couch. She slammed the door behind her, hopping off the balcony and gliding down to her car while Julie-Su pulled out of her parking spot.

By the time Knuckles reopened the door, Rouge was climbing into the driver's seat; she started the ignition while he leapt down the steps two at a time. Still seething, she refused to look up at him and jerked her car backwards, peeling away from the apartment in the opposite direction that Julie had gone.

'Bastard!' her mind shouted, the furious bat unable to hold back tears as she sped away. The rest of her thoughts were angry, jumbled, a flurry of incoherent emotions that forced rivers from her eyes while she tried to focus on the road.

Shaking, she gripped the steering wheel tightly and drove in silence – besides the screaming in her own head – until she reached a coffee shop where her foot dropped absent-mindedly against the brake. She swung her car into an empty space and sat parked, falling back against the black leather seat and staring angrily up at the sun visor. There were a couple of people sitting outside, so she didn't yell to herself like she wanted. Instead, she quietly cried it out, silently calling herself stupid and cursing Knuckles for his betrayal.

When her heart beat had slowed and the tears couldn't flow anymore, Rouge took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. She gathered the strength to sit up again, then flipped the sun visor down and looked into the attached rectangular mirror. Her eyes were still wet, teal irises shining back at her, and transparent streaks ran down her cheeks.

Beginning to collect herself, she reached into the glove compartment for tissues and gently wiped away the moisture. Then, glancing at the coffee shop sign, she sighed and flipped the visor back up. She decided it would be a good idea to go inside for a quick cup of tea, not feeling well enough to go back home just yet.

After ordering, the tired-looking cashier handed her the steaming cup and yawned the moment she turned around; Rouge took the hot drink to a two-person table nearby and sat for a while, ruminating between sips.

She was still shaking a bit, mostly staring at her own reflection inside the mug. Soon, a male hedgehog exited the back room of the shop and relieved the other employee, who promptly left while Rouge remained lost in thought.

The black hedgehog looked her way, noticing the bat's glum expression and finding it surprising that she was alone. He wondered what was bothering her, perplexed that a pretty young woman would be sitting in a coffee shop instead of partying at the nearby clubs.

The stoic man kept a subtle eye on her, eventually becoming curious enough to approach the lone patron. He quietly cleared his throat before rounding the counter.

"Hi," said the hedgehog in a deep, smooth voice.

Rouge looked up, caught a bit off guard, and was met with the most striking crimson eyes she'd ever seen. They were matched by red highlights along his silky black quills, his expression entirely neutral as he stood in a gray apron, white chest hair escaping the collar.

She straightened in her seat, subconsciously perfecting her posture while her gaze remained glued to his. The bat was a little embarrassed that she hadn't noticed him walking up to her; and she wouldn't have been in the mood to speak with him if he weren't shockingly handsome.

"Oh, hi," she responded, her tone shaky from the crying.

"Are you enjoying your tea?" he asked, looking down and pointing at the half-empty cup.

"Oh, yes, I am," Rouge answered, then noticed the nametag stuck to his apron. "Do you work here?"

She immediately felt dumb for asking, but the hedgehog didn't miss a beat in his response. "Yes, I've been here for a while. Truthfully, I only took the job so I could get free coffee. It calms me."

Rouge appreciated the softness in his voice; although not very chipper, his energy matched hers in the moment. All things considered, she found it friendly enough that he was talking to her, the sad bat feeling a bit grateful for the light conversation. Although she was too drained to smile, her eyes brightened a little more.

"Not a bad gig," she said. "Seems pretty quiet in here."

The hedgehog nodded and there was a moment of silence between them. His eyes drifted back down to her mug, and she got the feeling that he didn't know what else to say. Then he looked back up and took a step forward, extending his gloved hand.

"Shadow," he said simply, ignoring that she had already seen his nametag.

She reached out and pressed her palm against his, shaking a couple of times. He had a firm grip, and his hand was warm. "I'm Rouge."

"I'll let you finish your tea," replied Shadow, taking his hand back as she let go. "But maybe you could come by tomorrow."

He shrugged and added, "If you have the time."

Rouge's heart skipped a beat and she managed a faint smile. "I just might do that."

He nodded again, then returned to the counter just before another customer entered the building. The newly-single jewel hunter finished her drink – sneaking glances at Shadow while he worked – then offered a quick wave to him before leaving.

She felt a little more energized as she climbed into her car, then made the drive back home and confronted the question of what to do with Knuckles' belongings.

[daydreaming-sunflower]

H, M & W! <3

<33!

H: How would you describe your writing style?

i feel like this is very difficult to do i am curious what the people who read what i write would say. i would like to have some options to choose from ajsdhkasjdh but hmmmm let's see i did a uquiz once that said that i write from melancholy and often times i do think there is something a little sad bubbling somewhere underneath my writing maybe the real answer is Healing My Teenage Mental Illnesses and Adult Worries through gay amature literature and the aesthetics

M: What's the weirdest AU scenario you've ever come up with? Did it turn into a story?

depends on what is considered weird i suppose! i come up with random ideas all the time and most of them sadly don't get turned into stories but i suppose maybe my ice cream truck fic is pretty weird? probably the strangest one vibe-wise of ones i've published. the other day i was discussing fic possibilities based on a post i reblogged about whether giving head to a fae person could trap you with them also...

W: What is your favourite pairing to write? Favorite pairing to read?

i mean i think based on my track record the obvious answer is larry but i have written and not posted also some other ones and they all have their charm. one day i am hoping to write a zouis fic! now with reading i am honestly not very picky, although again i feel like since i am most active in the 1d fandom out of all fandoms i am in track record wise it's also probably larry but i do love phan and also zouis and also other fandom fics as well, i mostly like to notice how different the headcanon dynamics are for different pairings in different fandoms, like a typical (genre) fic for one fandom ship has a completely different vibe and contains different tropes and dynamics than for a different ship and i find that so fun

fanfic writer ask meme

[chartreuseian]

🛼🍄🔪🏜️🧩 please and thank you! XD

No, thank you 😁

🛼 ⇢ describe your latest wip with five emojis

Hehehe... 🫦🧛🗃️🍷🤦

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

I think I've shared this before and it's not strictly shippy, but it the hill I will die on so I think I can share it again... I believe that Nikola didn't become arrogant and annoying and full of himself until AFTER the blood because until then, he was fighting against all the nasty voices that told him he wasn't good enough to be involved in their group and it's the reason that, even when he can be a total meglomaniac and full on evil, Helen still cares for him. Post-blood is the first time he ever felt like an equal to any of them (if not greater than some) so he became insufferable about it.

🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

I... Well, I did just buy a copy of the kama sutra for a chapter of the train fic that I'm trying to write. I feel like that counts?

🏜️ ⇢ what's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

Oh, any comment. Even just keyboard smashes or dumb emojis. Honestly, we all know how rare actual comments are these day so any time someone interacts with my writing I get unreasonably excited. Though I do particularly love loving complaints about how dumb the dumb idiot bbys are because I always feel the same way😅

🧩 ⇢ what will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately?

It needs to be readable (like, consistent tense, complete sentences, accurate punctuation - functionally readable) or I lose interest really quickly. But in terms of content, I draw a pretty hard line at incest. It's just not for me!

[emerxshiu]

Spoilers for The Midnight Soirée on ao3

link to the series: RosenRot Au (i hope the link works, i dunno how they work here on tumblr) by Analytical_Cochineal (ao3) here is their tumblr too

I finally decided to draw fanart for my favourite fanfic and kirby au (its actually my second attempt, fucked up the first one and left it unfinished) so here it is!

there isnt an official yin-yarn gijinka on the art references fic, and i was too lazy to create one for him so uh...yeah.

based on SaturdayLemon's comment on chapter 5.

i thought it'd be funny to have him in the shinji pose, it was a pain drawing this, i dunno what was more difficult, the chair or kirby himself in that pose

i kinda tried to like, merge my style a bit with the reference(? if thats understandable, dunno sorry im shit at explaining but i'll try my best, ok so, i wanted to keep the facial features, because my artstyle tends to be kinda simplified, especially in the face so it usually doesnt have much diversity in head form and stuff (im kinda trying to work on that), i think saying that i tried to adapt it to style would be more accurate? not sure, but if i try drawing this goober again i'll try ti adapt it better, because he kinda looks...off? to me

love'd bad end nights, i tend to ocasionally check ao3 to see if theres anything new in the tags i lurk on, gasped when i saw another entry on the RosenRot AU

the only way that i had to describe it after finishing chap.1 was

"its written by a human yet it is so beyond my human comprehension i literally didnt understand anything at all yet i understood everything at the same time and i love it" i dunno its weird to put what i felt into words. i think kirby has a terrible time is so accurate, so much so i'd say its an understatement and terrible doesnt make it justice to what the silly goes trough

originally this were gonna be two drawings, this the first, and another one of fluff dissapointed, but uh, i fucked up the second one and i couldnt salvage it. so he died i guess, i was thinking about end of chap3 and beggining of chap4, basically "were going to be wed my darling fian- what do you mean by what."

also my first attempt was chap5 fluff, but i fucked up and it was followed by one of the weirdest intereactions i've ever had (it was 2am and i hadent gotten a good sleep in some days and i was watching a video talking about those "kid channels" that are definitly not for kids and weird (censored ofc) stuff appeared and i literally said "do u see this shit fluff" y'know the spider-man meme? yeah that one, and there's more but im going off the rails)

dead attempt of the chair thing

i think imma cut it here, i have so much more to rant about (i rlly love this au) but i'll save it for another post of this

Jambuhbye :3 !

[yourbrains]

just rambling, need to get some feelings out

bleuurghhh i've been in the weirdest brain space lately. i feel like i'm in some sort of inbetween space of being a person and like...not. ever since i autisticly burned myself the fuck out in 2022-2023, it feels like everything's gotten harder. interacting is harder, making friends is harder, knowing what to do or say is just more difficult across the board. things are better than they were a few months ago I think, but I still feel off. it's hard for me to know how much is from that period of burnout and how much is just aging. do normal people feel like this?

i even feel awkward trying to interact with other people in fandom shit. i basically did nothing fandom related for 6 years and now that i'm trying again, it feels impossible to break into those spaces. did i miss 'Post-2016 Fandom 101' or something? so many people are so mean (not my mutuals to be clear) and it's like walking on egg shells because i am an extremely sensitive bitch. like i WANT to interact but i just don't know how anymore. there's one shipping server i like but it's kinda dead now :[ i'm mostly enjoying writing fic, at least, but i have some insecurities around that too which is super fun.

i've also been having some gender bullshit rolling around in my head at the same time so i'm just. a bit of a confused human being right now.

also its winter and my seasonal depression is kicking in lol. i'm not in dire straits or anything, i'm fine, but my brain is definitely in a weird spot.

i want a burger.

[sollucets]

16, 19, 23? 😚 Also, my favourite poem... Mary Oliver makes me feel a lot of things okay-

hiiii dear ej, thank you for visiting ;u; <3 (list)

16. what’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever used as a bookmark?

social security card. don't @ me

19. Tell me a story about your writing journey. When did you start? Why did you start? Were there bumps along the way? Where are you now and where are you going?

hmmm,,,, lets go with where am i now & where am i going

right now, i have 2 standing unfinished stories (oe and oowu) that i still intend to do my level best to finish, no matter how long it actually takes. i've genuinely never finished a multichapter fic like these; the ones i did for myself usually kind of petered off instead of having an ending i was really satisfied with. even when i finished nano it's not like the stories were done! i just hit 50k. i don't kno why i'm like this, and i want to prove i can do it because im certain i can, i just have to really honestly commit to finishing them

then.. if that works out, and i prove i can.... there's a couple things sort of on the horizon, and the first is. how can i put this delicately.

sex LMAO

recently (e.g. in the last several months) i've been writing some bits and pieces of things i'd consider spicy. you, ej, are one of the extremely few viewers of.... uh, i'd not even call it smut honestly, but as close as i've ever gotten, and i've felt the desire to really try for it recently? or at least try more. i don't kno i'm ever going to be a really explicit writer, or if i'll ever be brave enough to publish it, but i genuinely want to try. but it's......... So....... AGH. lmao.

the other is that there's an au in my brain that i'm really honestly super enthusiastic about, and the plot is coming together, and i really want to try to actually write it, but it'd be... like. a genuine longfic, i think. with world building. and plot. and again, historically i cannot fucking finish these things. but i really want to try!! i've been noodling at it for like a month and i showed the notes doc to a friend and she got really excited and. it'll probably be so, so long before any of it ever sees the light of day if i ever commit to trying but.... if you all ever see me posting abt pirates akkaye this is why

mary oliver!!!! ohh, i've read this one before and it is so lovely. thank you <3