#i'm just gonna tag all of these as worldbuilding now idk

[vacantgodling]

not to be weird and sappy on main, but frfr i'm so glad i have found a community of people who think my work is good

[emmy-everafter]

Tagged by @sparrowmoth to share about my WIPs. Idk if anyone is actually all that interested in these, but on the off chance that you are, feel free to swing by my ask box with questions!

Rules: Post the names of your WIPs and open your ask box for questions about them.

Published WIPs

Right now, there's just one: Don't Come Any Closer (But Don't Move Away), Win/Team (Between Us/UWMA), rated M, 3 chapters out of ????

(I actually have written several chapters ahead but updates will likely slow down over time as i catch up to the place where I'm currently drafting. But we're getting to the good stuff now and ugh I'm so excited, I love this fic and these boys so much!!)

Unpublished WIPs

Greenhouse fic (better title forthcoming), a short and fluffy sequel to We're Gonna Need a Bigger Pentagram. Jesper/Wylan (Shadow & Bone/Six of Crows), rated T, one-shot. I have about 2k words written and because it's a Jesper POV, I'm planning to publish it later this month as part of "Jesptember," a celebration of our favorite Sharpshooter from the @i-can-read-to-him Wesper discord server.

A Week in the Life (tentative title), followup to the greenhouse fic and continuation of the Coven of Crows universe. Told through flashbacks to a time before WGNABP. Mostly gen crows-as-found-family with hints of Wesper, Helnik, Kanej, and Kuwei/Jesper (I forget if people use Kuwesper for just them or for them + Wylan oops). Probably rated T, probably 6 or 7 chapters. I've only written out a bit, the rest is all outline right now.

Other general ideas for Coven of Crows stuff that I'm happy to talk about!

The time travel crows fic (it has a title but I don't want to share it yet). All the crows ships, probably rated M, gonna be a longfic. I have some chapters written but I need to revise them because I changed my mind about some worldbuilding stuff. Time travel is hard to write, y'all!

Servant & Lever(age): a six of crows Leverage AU, rating TBA, length TBA, mostly just outlines at the moment.

I Won't Give Up Your Ghost, Julie & The Phantoms longfic, rated T or M. I have maybe 8 chapters of this written? But I don't know if there's enough people reading JatP anymore for me to maintain motivation when doing a longfic and I also got distracted, but I had a solid outline for the rest and may come back to it eventually

Untitled sexytimes fic, Palm/Neungdiao (Never Let Me Go the series), definitely rated E, one-shot. Will I ever finish this? Who knows.

A few other half-written or half-baked Thai BL fics, mostly M or E one- and two-shots, for shows like Moonlight Chicken, Tale of a Thousand Stars, etc.

I have some other Six of Crows ideas but I'm much less certain that I'll get around to writing them so I haven't listed them here

No pressure tags for anyone who feels like sharing (apologies if you've already done this and I missed it!): @oneofthewednesdays @hotpinkmurex @magicandpizza @ace-kaz-brekker @starwritebrekker

[the-poppy-outie-effect]

Things I want to see in the Sea Beast sequel

(The seabeastquel, if you will):

Little Jacob flashbacks! The little we know about the movie so far has indicated that it will be about Jacob learning parenthood with his newly adopted kid and- whoa, would ya look at that, his Own dad had to do the same thing! Parallels! Please and thank you!

More beasts. C'mon man, it's called The Sea Beast, we're gonna need more lil guys, creatures, if you will. You want them, I want them, give us more beasts

MS. MERINO. Listen, I know the Ms. Merino fanclub isn't nearly as big as the Jacob and Crow fanclubs, but I'm in love with her and I need more of her. She's the love of my life, pls Mr. Williams sir I need more

Idk if I'm just biased because I wrote a fic about it (The Honor of a Tired Old Man on ao3, check it out!), but for the love of all things holy I Need a Jacob and Crow resolution. You cannot expect me to believe Crow legitimately stopped caring about his kid after everything. He wanted to, sure, but no, he did not.

Gay people. Listen, this is already a very queer world, just make it official. I vote for Ms. Merino to be Sapphic and have a wife and for it to be me

More Crow backstory pls. Also, just more Crow. I love this crusty old man and I know for a fact that The Sea Beast tumblr would riot in the streets if their favorite gilf wasn't back for the sequel. More Crow please

More worldbuilding, simply because what we already have is so interesting and I desperately want to know what else they would do. How to other societies deal with the beasts? What do they think of the hunter society, especially now that it's collapsing.

Speaking of that collapse, PLEASE show me the revolution. I need details. This world is so fascinating I need to know about the revolution so bad

And finally, what jobs have old hunters started filling? I've made speculations about trade and fishing vessels, and I know that fishing and privateering is a popular headcanon. Maybe some of them go for actual piracy? I think some should go for actual piracy... as a treat.

Drop your thoughts in the tags and reblogs! I'm hyped for the seabeastquel, lmk what you think!

[darkpoisonouslove]

1, 2, 5, 7, 12, 19, 26, 33, 39 for yet another writing ask game (I tried to pace myself, believe it or not 🤪)

(Mhm, I can see that! XD)

yet another writing ask

1. Which of your fics would you keep the basic plot of but rewrite completely?

Why would you do this to me? Don't I already have enough WiPs on my plate? You know this is only ever going to end one way.

I'd say Prey on the Heart. I do like the descriptions of the setting and the worldbuilding but *pinches bridge of nose* Valtor is SO OOC, I'm in literal pain. I don't know what was going on through my head but oh, boy! Then again, it's been almost three years since then and my understanding of the characters has definitely improved plus my headcanon game has evolved too!... Now I feel the need to add that to the pile of WiPs. I. Am. Mad. at. You! 😤

I'm also definitely touching up the three chapters of Gifts Are Given To Be Taken if I ever get to writing the rest. And same for Have No Name for My Heart. That one is such a downer. 😅 I need to rework the tone completely.

2. Anything that you'd like to write but feel like you're unable to?

In general? Murder mysteries. I LOVE murder mysteries (though I'm somehow way better at identifying the red herring (as such) than the actual culprit)! But they require way too much research and that's literally the bane of my existence. So, uh, yeah... that Scream AU for Winx is probably not going to happen.

In particular I feel that I'm unable to write the Winx rewrite. Like, I want to! I have so many cool ideas that I'm excited about! But I lack the motivation and the sheer size of it scares me. Besides, there are so many rewrites out there that it feels like a waste of time to do that when I can be working on Griffin x Valtor (or a Griffin x Faragonda or Marion... or anyone really) fics, which are... mostly my niche (not to monopolize the ship but *looks at the Griffin x Valtor tag on AO3*).

5. What's a tag you never want to use for your works even when it applies?

I can't think of one? If I don't want something associated with my account, I just don't post it. But I guess, generally speaking, I wouldn't want to tag something if it's spoilers. AO3 luckily has the "creator chose not to use archive warnings" and you can write an additional tag to the same effect if it's a trope you don't want to tag rather than an archive warning.

7. Your favorite ao3 tag.

I was gonna say I didn't have one but I'm afraid that if my answer here isn't angst, you will hunt me for sport. XD You know I love my pain and tragedy.

12. If you write in more than one language, what's the difference?

I write in Bulgarian very rarely anymore. I think the last time was in the beginning of last year and I have only written down a few ideas since then. But the key difference I feel is that I have a much easier time describing things in Bulgarian because the language itself is more descriptive. It's possible that I simply understand it a lot better than English since it's my mother tongue but I have also analyzed some Bulgarian texts and their English translations and while translations can rarely capture the full spirit of the original, I still feel that the Bulgarian language just offers more when it comes to how descriptive words are. Idk if that makes sense.

Another one is that I have a much easier time with varying sentence structure in English. Though, that might be because I've paid special attention to that while I haven't practiced it in Bulgarian... at all.

19. Share a snippet from a wip without giving any context for it.

I want you to know that I have to try so hard to restrain myself from saying at least five different things about this:

She slid a hand between her breasts to touch only flesh instead of her monad necklace that was usually nestled there. Its shine was replaced by the gold she’d threaded into the plunging neckline of her nightgown with her own powers, all on Valtor’s insistence it would bring out her eyes. Despite the darkness trying to creep over her form, a smile was curling her lips at how right he’d been.

A draft disturbed the room, the air moving as if with something shuddering.

Griffin whispered his name. Only once. Like it was some cursed, forbidden knowledge. The power it held was immeasurable – greater than any spell.

Her fingers dipped under her neckline to trace a path for him directly to her heart.

As if offended by its thundering, a lightning tore through the blanket of clouds enveloping the castle.

The flash of light revealed in the mirror a pair of glacial blue eyes, pale skin and maroon fabric that would blend together with her nightgown perfectly if not for the gold threads distinguishing where her form ended and his began.

The darkness surged over the room once again a moment later, greedy, great enough to swallow even him, making it look like she was a lonely island surrounded only by empty air and the hazy glow of her magic. Yet, even that omnipotent cover failed to hide him from her.

He was silent, motionless, not even a gasp of breath coming from him to make the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. The magic that had clung to her day and night had evaporated, leaving only a hollowness behind, a cold that made her shiver as if she’d been thrown out in the storm.

It didn’t matter.

She was dressed for him, in her favorite nightgown she hadn’t worn for anyone else – a tribute to him. She’d only needed to call his name once and he’d come running. He wasn’t leaving here until she was ready to let him go, until all the cards were on the table, everything revealed. No more distant voyeurism and half-lies, only naked truth.

26. What would you describe as OOC?

A behavior or action that isn't properly supported by the previously established characterization. For fics specifically, a character isn't OOC if the story took the time to take them from their canon self to the person that they are in the fic but there has to be a hint at least of why they are the way they are.

33. Give your writing a compliment.

You know, I'm starting to like my descriptions more and more! I'm learning to focus more on the vibes and that makes it easier to pinpoint which parts I need to describe. I was panicking about this one description I needed to do recently and then I ended up getting it almost perfect right away!

39. Wildest AU scenario you have written?

I answered this here.

[sipsteainanxiety]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love ❤

i was tagged by @coopigeoncoo @andypantsx3 @willowser and @namodawrites to do this lil self fic rec game and after finally sitting down to think about it for a very... long... time... i have done it! thank you all for the tag i kiss you each on the forehead and give you a bowl of sliced fruit<3

after looking at all the wips i have in docs right now, i can definitely say that this list would be completely different if i had finished a few of them, but for now this is my ranked list for things i've published already lol

devil's glare — demon!bkg x reader

bakugou katsuki is a powerful demon that you have the pleasure of dating. but when he pisses you off one day, you decide to get back at him in a pretty petty way: drawing a salt circle around you to force him to apologize 

i had THEE most fun writing this one shot LMAO. it was based on a tiktok of all things that i'd found back when i was still on the app pfft. i just loved the idea of bkg being all surly and aggravated that his little human had purposely drawn a salt circle to prevent him from encroaching on their space. and like... him dealing with wanting to idk kiss you so bad but you're trying to teach him a lesson and he's sooooo mad and fuck, he's gonna do whatever he can to get you to comply to him lmao. if i could draw, there's this one scene where you're wearing this like. cute little set of pjs staring up at this big ass demon, wings unfurled threateningly, snarl on his face, arms crossed with a line of salt in between the two of you. like i have a vision. too bad i can't draw it LMFAOO. maybe one day

2. holding out (just for you) — dragon!bkg x reader

in which you find a horrendously injured dragon in a cave and make it your duty to heal him, not knowing that he’s the infamous dragonshifter, bakugo katsuki, who has been cursed to remain trapped in his dragon form forever—unless the spell is broken

this fic... oh boy. i've been working on this fic since mmm 2021 i think? i can't believe it's been a year since the big bang LMFAOO. i also can't blv this shit evolved from being a standalone to having 3 spinoffs and a sequel but well. here we are. complaints aside i really do have fun writing this fic!! i dunno!! i dont think i'd ever read a dragon bkg fic before and i was like fine i'll do it myself and this happened. i added way too much plot and you guys don't even know about half the worldbuilding and shit i have planned for the sequel HAHA. i can't even talk about it bc it would be major spoilers rn rhrsfjhrjfrjrhjg. it's also been giving me such a rough time lately pfft, especially with having to make sure everything lines up for the spinoffs n stuff. im so afraid of publishing ch4 and having to go back and tweak things bc i havent planned out far enough sdkjfsjkdf. i think it just means i'm gonna have to go on a hiatus or smthn and write out all the spinoffs + ch4 at once idk

3. and i give my all (to you) — merman!bkg x reader

you think you bit off more than you could chew when you decided to do your dissertation on ocean acidification, leaving you stranded out in the open ocean. alone. for months. well… maybe you weren’t so alone after all

this is another fic that i've been working on way longer than it's been posted for pfft. i can't blv the first chapter was released over a year ago LMAOOO i am so sorry. i do like this fic tho bc it's one of the easier ones to write and i go back to it sometimes between writing for dragon bkg lol. like i have the chapters all mapped out, all i have to do is sit down and write em. ch2's at abt 3k rn tho and i hit a spot where i'm like oof i dont wanna write these descriptions dfhdkfg it's just a silly goofy story with merbaku and dealing with some of the subtle intricacies of getting to know a mermaid. actually, fun fact, this originally started off as a fic for jotaro from jjba, back when i was in my jjba era. but then i went back to my bkg era and switched it over. i didn't even have to change much LMFAOO jotaro and bkg act the same sometimes. also!! this is the first fic where i'm like... drawing little doodles for each chapter!! and it's so nice but also i'm like damn wtf do i draw for the rest of these chapters.... i'll figure it out ig

4. loving all the parts of you — pro hero!bkg x reader

in which you learn to love all the prickly parts that make up bakugou katsuki

i.. don't think i've thought about this fic for a very, very long time. but i just scrolled thru the masterlist and stuff and i... really liked writing it (when i was focused on it anyways). it's one of my gentler fics tbh. it's more of a character study of bkg, exploring a different aspect of him in each chapter. tbh i need to go through and reread it and make edits so it can better match the writing style i have now, but i rly liked thinking abt what would make bkg tick as a pro and as a person. and tbh, with what i know now of the manga and anime i think i could go very deep with it pfft. also the banner i made for this fic is so cute LOL. it's not high on my priority list rn bc i have other things i wanna work on, but i do hope to return to it one day.

5. forget me not — pro hero!bkg x reader

When you first woke up, you found yourself in a white room, lights blinding you from all directions. A bit disoriented, you squinted and looked around, realizing you were chained to a chair, your arms locked behind you. In front of you was a poster of a man, muscles rippling throughout his body, a spiky mess of ash blond hair nestled on his head, and striking crimson eyes glaring right at you from behind a black mask. In the upper right corner was the name “DYNAMIGHT” in black and orange letters. As you observed the poster, the sound of a P.A. system suddenly rang into existence, the deep, hoarse voice of an unknown person echoing around you. “Your name is [Name] [Surname],” the voice said without emotion, “and you hate the man named Bakugou Katsuki.”

THIS FIC... THIS FCKIN FIC. i have so much i can say about this fic and i am so sorry for the oncoming ramble pfft. firstly, it's both my baby and my number one fucking enemy. like, holy shit i think it gave me the most paralyzing anxiety and bc of this it took me like 3-4 years to finish (apart from being generally busy of course). i started it literally while i was in high school n applying to college, so of course there are aspects of it that i look at now and i'm like mmm don't like that. not to mention there have been so many things that happened in the anime/manga that i wasn't able to add or delve deeper into!! like the war!! bkg's fcking trauma!! midoriya's quirks!! i was an anime only when i first started releasing chapters (and i still am), so i didnt know about the endeavor agency arc or anything so i defaulted to shit with best jeanist and idkidk.

if i could rewrite all of fmn, i think i would. or maybe not all, but a good chunk of it. like i'd condense the first few chapters probably. i also have a different grasp of bkg's characterization now compared to when i was younger lmao. putting bkg in that specific circumstance (iykyk, i wont spoil it) only happened bc of certain outside factors that forced him into that position. which was how i was able to justify it. but... idk. IDK!! this fic had so many things to it that i was not knowledgeable about so i winged a lot of things without doing proper research (i.e. hospitals, police investigations, general bureaucracy and whatnot) and i feel like this has caused certain plot holes that i am not able to detect, but like.... it's been so long already that i'm too lazy to fix it.

i just really wanted to write about having amnesia but... still having this muscle memory and ache of the person you were in love with. that you can fall in love with them all over again. but, jeez, i put the reader through so much that there's so much... trauma and brainwashing and just rhhrhjrkhrhgrkjg. she's a mess and a half!! and this makes it so difficult to read fmn bc she's so frustrating!! but! at the same time idk it was interesting exploring that kind of ptsd and recovery. i think at my core i love writing about truly heartwrenching topics and horror. i rmb i had the most fun writing about reader's nightmares or that one chapter where she was messing around with illusions. actually- one of the things i would change is the reader's fckin quirk and hero name LMAOOOOO what the fuck i made her so op i basically just smashed together dr strange's and wanda's powers for her pfft. i'd also tweak her personality a little, i think.

i digress. anyways. im in the process of editing all of fmn (just like. writing tweaks. changing the phrasing of certain sentences. adding more fluff to descriptions) and i can really see how much my style has evolved lol. like, i am the most happy and proud of the later chapters, where you can really feel certain emotions with bkg and reader. like... the beach scene, or the stakeout scene, or the party scene!! i think i would also add more substance to the investigation and how being a hero is like post-war. the antagonists as well!! there's just so much that could've been built on, but at the same time... i didn't want to go too deep into it bc i was writing an amnesia recovery story.

flaming aside, i am very glad i was able to pull those plot twists successfully LOL. i loved reading people's theories back when i was still updating it, seeing them question things and being like wait a minute... no way... it can't be... it was an era i will never forget pfft. but... because of that expectation i think i was very nervous to reveal specific things or even write the ending bc i didn't know if people would be satisfied lol. fmn was so complicated and for what sdfkjhs. fanfic shouldnt make you this anxious fr and yet there i was. i'm glad im done with it, but at the same time.. i do miss it.

tldr: fmn is the fic that i am the most proud of but also the most insecure LMFAOO. i do eventually want to get to the extra chapters from bkg's pov for it but... idk. i don't wanna even look at it right now sdhfskdfjsf

thank u all for coming to my ted talk B) i'm sorry if u've been tagged alr in this but here we go anyways!! no pressure tags: @earthtooz @call-me-ko @thecatduet422 @boo-kugo @theloveinc <3

[sambambucky]

writing pattern tag!

Rules: Share the opening of your last ten published works or as many as you are able and see if there are any patterns!

😇 'ello and thank you for tagging me @crepuscularqueens !!! idk who is still doing these, bt i'll never be annoyed over getting tagged

to be good for you (would be the end of me)

Three superheroes, a dozen Shield agents, a deacon, and a self-proclaimed witch all leave the conference room while Steve stays in his chair, stewing.

too many white lies (and white lines)

Sam’s kissed a lot of people, but Bucky’s tongue in his mouth is a revelation. It’s been forever since he’s wanted to kiss someone like this, aimless and idle. Exploring for the hell of it, pressing into all the little places that make him gasp and moan, just because he wants to, because he can. 

a fair day's work

Sam zones out as Walker talks, trying to identify the smudges on the plexiglass between them. There’s a greasy quality to them, but the shape and position don’t make any sense if they’re just fingerprints.

sorta weird, kinda nice

This mission is a weird one.

the sum of every moment

For most of Sam’s life, it seemed like the only person to ever leave Delacroix was his brother, Gideon. And like the rest of his family, Sam couldn’t understand why anyone would want to abandon everyone to go somewhere and be lonely. Why would anyone leave the state and everything they knew just for something as boring as a job?

the impossible weight of maybe

“Settle a bet for me, will ya big guy?”

what're you gonna do, put me in time out?

Bucky tracks Peter’s loop around the crowded gymnasium, and decides to leave him his space for now. The six-year-old is running around in a broad figure eight, an elaborate paper airplane held proud and high above his head. Bucky can’t help the grin that settles onto his face, but he can keep his arms crossed and one foot propped up against the wall he’s been leaning against.

i'm only trying to get you home

Sam’s birthday party starts in a handful of hours and Bucky’s completely failed at getting him a present — hasn’t even picked up a card. He’s been stressing for over a week, and now he’s absolutely run out of time to do anything special.

we won't look too closely

Sam finally catches his breath from laughing. When his breath settles into something manageable, he shares a winded smile with Bucky on the other side of the jacuzzi.

patterns of recognition

The Asset is assigned a new mission. The files outline all relevant details and compulsory results.

okok... patterns....... i'm seeing commas, so many commas, i love you commas,,, also idk i love just dropping in. theres that old post about how fan fic is so fun because you dont have to do as much worldbuilding or character explaining and i think about that all the time and i think that shows in these openings

tagggginggggg........ @writerkenna, @questinwitchface, who else... is... if you want to be tagged babey youre tagged!

[kiisaes]

Quick! Tell me about your OCs! (I just really like hearing about people’s OCs)

!!! WAAUAUAUSDUHUS OKAY!!!

and to everyone who doesn't care about my ocs, u can ignore this ask bc i'm gonna be like this for the remainder of this post

u have been warned.

my ocs that i mostly post about here belong to a future comic i intend to write, draw and post online called "chimera kingdom"! this is the tag on my blog -> #chimera kingdom <- it's comprised of art of my ocs as well as some miscellaneous stuff

it's a story that means a lot to me and one i definitely want to write in its entirety .. someday .. bc some of my oldest ocs are here!!! kimberly is my oldest oc i still use!!! she is a decade old!!! buzzer and ry are also almost as old, they were made like. idk. a week after kimberly ??? and fun fact but atticus is technically the oldest oc of the bunch but he's not technically my oc since i'm borrowing him from my friend. but i was given permission to write him my own way for this comic so YIPPEE!!!!!

it's a humble project with a lot of sentimental value, so i post about it occasionally even though this is mainly a fan art blog, i haven't illustrated it all, and don't know when it'll be done. not sure if i necessarily have "big dreams" for this thing, but it'd be cool to see it all come together ....... someday

BUT ANYWAY! some general lore and worldbuilding of "chimera kingdom" bc that's important!!!

the short synopsis: "in the near future, a government-funded lab/secret service/school conglomerate called the Chimera Kingdom experiments on humans. chimeras are the newest step in human(?) evolution, individuals with the added survival skills of a specific animal. they primarily exist to kill off monsters— dangerous, soulless creatures set to destroy humanity if not combated."

so basically chimeras are the merging of a human body and the strength, survival skills, and instincts of one animal. they still maintain their human body throughout unless their animal limbs serve as part of their survival (like bird chimeras with wings, big cat chimeras with claws, etc.). chimeras have to manually tap into their chimera states, meaning that under normal circumstances they're just regular humans. when a chimera's chimera state is active, a symbol on their inner wrist will appear and glow. that's what these are!

chimeras are like. fantasy science basically. they're definitely scientific creations in-universe but leave some breathing space for fantasy too, so u don't concern urself with the specifics. the further this story goes, the more reality will be suspended as well

so how does this relate to the characters ?!?!

i won't go tooooo in depth with the individual characters since that would make this ask way too fucking long and i doubt anyone would want to read that. so i'll just link this post and this post which have the basic run-downs for the 10 student characters. these posts are a bit outdated now but i haven't had the time or the luxury to remake them so ..... they'll do for now =v= i also don't have everyone's bios written, so there's more characters than just these 10. if anyone i draw catches ur interest feel free to ask me! i WILL scream about them

anyway all 10 of them are chimeras attending Chimera School, a part of the Kingdom. the 10 of them make up the elite class, aka the "best" class due to everyone's potential to be very strong and useful chimeras. this class ignores grades since it's more focused on chimera missions and other stuff directly benefiting the Kingdom, less on actual academics (though they still learn the basics, dw). so they're of different ages but still on the same level playing field

the protag is kimberly, she's a rabbit chimera and her goal at the Kingdom is to become the strongest chimera!!! she's been in her twin brother ry's shadow since she can remember, so she has a bit of beef with him though it's not inherently malicious. he's good at everything so she wants to be better than him in just one thing. like .. u know when siblings are a little fucked up? yea :D

she acts as the audience surrogate for a bit before more perspectives are introduced. everyone has their own goals and motivations, and develop as the story moves forward. i intend for "chimera kingdom" to delve into war, love, grief, vulnerability, reclamation of power, and what it means to be human. and what it means to be an individual being when u can't even feel like u're worthy of being anyone. ya feel ?!?!?!?!

every character deals with one or multiple of these themes! in some kind! so lmk if there's a specific character u're interested in !!! i will word vomit for HOURS. i just don't want to crowd this already-crowded ask when there's a good amount of characters in my comic. and again i implore u to check out the links above for some quick info :)

SORRY THIS IS SO FUCKING LONGGGGG

[illzazzorino]

Summary:

I put a Sonic in a DND basically. Or I put a DND in a Sonic IDK at this point. I put a Sonic story in a bespoke high fantasy setting and everyone is neurodivergent and queer. Watch the tags cuz they might change over time. Expect a lot of post hoc edits bc I reread my own shit and I can't leave well enough alone.

Now with MAP!!

Rating:

Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories:

F/F

F/M

Gen

M/M

Multi

Fandoms:

Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types

Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)

Relationships:

Sonic the Hedgehog/Amy Rose/Knuckles the Echidna

Sally Acorn/Blaze the Cat

Miles "Tails" Prower & Sonic the Hedgehog

Amy Rose & Sally Acorn

Sally Acorn & Miles "Tails" Prower

Characters:

Sonic the Hedgehog

Amy Rose (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Miles "Tails" Prower

Knuckles the Echidna

Sally Acorn

Dr. Eggman | Dr. Robotnik

Sage (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Shadow the Hedgehog

Silver the Hedgehog

Blaze the Cat

Sacrificial OCs

the hard-boiled heavies

Additional Tags:

Alternate Universe - Dungeons & Dragons

Trans Sonic the Hedgehog

I started this during the pandemic and I stack my hyperfixations on top of each other

demiromantic disaster bi sonic

Found Family

Friendship

Autistic Miles "Tails" Prower

Long Form

Family member death backstory

Usage of Fantasy Medication

the vibes are 'it's fantasy I make the rules'

Yeah I did my own worldbuilding around these characters just let me have this

no beta readers we die like men

Keep an eye on the tags they might change

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD

I'm gonna give everyone a happy ending I just gotta beat the shit out of them first

Everyone here needs a hug and therapy

Wack-ass fantasy road trip

Rivals to Lovers

love triangle to poly trio

Hurt/Comfort

I actually don’t know how to write neurotypicals characters

so I’m just gonna roll with it

everyone’s autistic now

TRY AND STOP ME

canon non-compliant

Which I think is par for the course in AUs but just so you know

Language: English

[dottores]

So, I've just finished reading the new chapter of Heliotropes and I've got a shit ton to say about it (don't worry I'll leave it in tags to not flood your inbox) but I have to directly tell you the following:

How DARE you write such a masterpiece as a fanfic and not a book?? I need this story to sit in my bookshelf so I can look at it longingly when I'm unable to read, I need to be able to hug it tightly to my chest, it is imperative that I can bring it with me and smell the pages and shove it into people's faces to make them read it so they too can have this wonderful piece of fiction in their lives, it deserves to have a fan base of its own to worship it and dissect it and discuss it amongst themselves! I'm sorry if this comes off as harsh (idk I'm nervous???) I'm just very passionate about reading this fic because it's so so so good and well written and ugh the plot and worldbuilding, I truly believe it deserves a bestseller title 💖 I hope you're having a wonderful weekend and maybe even getting some nice chocolate

SOBSSSSS I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LATE REPLY IT WAS STUCK IN MY DESKBOX INBOX AND WASNT SHOWING UP ON MOBILE!

YOU ARE WELCOME TO FLOOD MY INBOX ANY TIME YOU WANT 🙏🏼 i will be better at making sure desktop didn’t steal the asks from me from now on. but i wish i could describe in WORDS how much ily and how much ur ask made me smile n giggle n even cry a bit but 🥹 i don’t think words can properly describe it sobs. IM SO GLAD YOURE ENJOYING IT SO FAR THOUGH, i was so anxious about adding so much plot & worldbuilding bc initially this was meant to be an easy little thing to write on the side while i’m not working on my original piece, BUT I GOT SO INTO IT I COULDNT HELP MYSELF!! i’m so excited to get deeper into fontaine & snezhnayan politics, and i’m EVEN MORE EXCITED TO START BRINGING THE SEGMENTS IN MORE. i literally could talk ab this fic forever, i’m having so much fun writing. i don’t think the next chapter is gonna be smth you all expected but dhsjdjjs i hope you enjoy it anyway. i got the idea and had to run with it🤭

[kaiasky]

Tag game from @e1dritchqueer. Rules: tag 9 some people you want to know better and/or catch up with, then answer the questions below!

(I was tagged as @fourteenfishteen but I'm gonna put this here)

Last song: ok if we are being particularly honest, right now Nightcore - Always and Forever because i was playing Go. and one needs their 4-on-the-floor music to help with reading (does not actually help)

the last song i paid attention to was Separated from her twin a dying android arrives on a mysterious island - Ada Rook which is the song/album i was spinning poi to last night when the battery died and i went home.

Three Ships (Last Three):

Fero/Samol (Seasons of Hieron). I've been relistening to spring and idk. Idk that i ship this in a romantic way but the way Austin plays Samol is really touching and their interactions are heartwarming and hilarious.

We Know the Devil polycule (Jupiter/Venus/Neptune) idk its just cute. the image at the end where they all hug. 10/10.

The World Without End (Twilight Mirage). ok this is a cop out because this is a spaceship and not two people dating. but that also gets at something true about me which is that im generally bad at focusing on characters. like when i have made fanart it was about locations and landscapes or swords or items. i dont have OCs but sometimes think about like, worldbuilding stuff. this isn't like a judgemental thing "ew people think too much about relationships"!! its just like. idk nothing will ever be as interesting to me as a vivid landscape or a fucked up spaceship.

Currently Reading: slowly making my way through House of Leaves, which is becoming increasingly adversarial. idk I want to like it a lot because it comes highly recommended and because i really liked Infinite Jest. Also i started otherside picnic (light novels) because people memed about the Yuri Made Me Human interview. idk that i'll finish it

Last Movie: Black Adam. it wasnt good imo but i had some movie theatre popcorn

Craving: new living situation, the current one isn't working out. also irl fwiends

[misqnon]

ranting about the dragon prince under cut (and by ranting i mean. criticizing it)

Season 5 of the dragon prince comes out soon. and I'm gonna watch it, bc I'm genuinely interested in the story and (some) of the characters but Bro.

This show could have been SOOOO GOOD and in my opinion it is just so. so held back by all these weird avoidable flaws

like, the extremely childish humor. like bad

the weird writing, the odd pacing, the strange focus on humor bits that aren't funny and literally take away precious time from the VERY INTRICATE PLOT THEYRE TRYING TO TELL BUT NO LOOK AT THESE PASTRIES GETTING ON PEOPLE'S FACES HEHEHE FART JOKE AS WELL

and the conflicts are Extremely Obvious and on the nose. like that episode between the sun elves and the human camp

I know this show is inspired by avatar but that's like the perfect example of how to make a show for kids that isn't excessively Childish. they've made like 4 kinda tryhard avatar references so LEARN FROM THE SHOW U KEEP TALKING ABT BRO 😭😭

now that I think about it the entirety of the dragon prince feels like of all of atla was under the same writing vibes as the great divide episode. like epic plot, epic characters (aaravos, the dragons, rayla and the moonshadow elves, viren, ezran as a child king!) But then they have the most threatening character in the entire show do shit like nose booping for a funny haha. but it's so cringe

or when they made that weird joke about claudia loving the smell of her boyfriends farts bc they smell like petrichor?? HELLO????

I could also mention the elephant in the room of how aaron eehasz got allegations for having a semi-abusive work environment (especially towards women) during like seasons 1 and 2 I think?? Idk where that went cause its been such a long time and I don't follow anything about the show aside from watching it

And this is less of a thing about the actual show but. The Fandom. Is so.

I feel bad saying this cause they aren't even problematic necessarily its just very weird and annoying and kinda. Kinda dumb

I see so many tdp posts on my dash just from following the tag of people obsessing over rayla and callum like its the deepest het ship in existence when its two teenagers who have known each other for like a year and have very basic chemistry

and it follows the same weird Fandom phenomenon that royai does where you have a perfectly healthy and equal het ship and the fandom takes it and goes OOOH LETS PUT GENDER ROLES ON IT AND CALL IT CUTE <333

also people commenting about how deep the show is when it's really?? Not?? They paint it with flowery language and dramatics in these pretentious tumblr posts about the show and then it's really not that at all? like don't get me wrong the world building is obviously intricate and you can tell they went full in and had fun with it (behind the scenes) but how much of it really made it into the show. and also...worldbuilding =/= emotional depth.

there ARE really good moments and the coin thing with raylas family is cool and so it claudia's journey but even some of these are cut down by the random shitty humor that's always ruining everything including tense scenes, moods, and screentime

also the other day someone posted an AI generated image of a dude who barely looked like callum with actual random circles on his face from AI distortion, tagged it, paraded it off as fanart, and there were like FORTY PEOPLE IN THE NOTES SAYING LIKE "great fanart :3" "love the idea!" "nice art!" And I commented that it was AI and they blocked me like YOU GUYS ARE SO....STUPID

kay im done sorry

[tache-noire]

1, 2, 4 and 7 for the fic asks! <3

- @nsfwitchy

thank you!!!

1. What fic of yours would you recommend to someone who had never read any of your work? (In other words, what do you think is the best introduction to your fics?)

I don't write for Ghost anymore (for now at least), but I think "Who Do You Think You Are?" is a good place to start. It's a LITTLE edgy, but in the end it's all consensual and nobody gets hurt. And it showcases my passions for Fucking That Old Man and also Being Spiteful, because this was written for a prompt that I thought was a little boring, so I flipped it around.

2. Go to your AO3 “Works” page, to the sidebar with all the filters, and click the drop-down arrow for “Additional Tags.” What are your top 3-5 most used tags? Do you think they accurately represent your writing habits?

Anal Sex, Reader Insert, and Blowjobs. Yeah, that's me in a nutshell. Reader Insert might be a little over-represented, though, since it's only one fandom. There's a lack of characters in Ghost with clearly defined personalities, and reader-inserts are fairly popular.

4. What detail in [insert fic] are you really proud of?

[insert detail] Ok i'm just gonna pick "Tokeback Mountain", lol. Idk about pride exactly, but I gave Hangman a bright pink bong named Dolly, and I think that's cute.

7. Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of?

I only have one published fic of it, "Rare Birds", but I'm pretty proud of my Fallen Angel AU for Ghost, where the papas are all fallen angels collected by Sister Imperator and Papa Nihil. Most anatomy/biology details are just taken from the Maximum Ride book series that I read as a kid (the first 3 are great, anything after that is bad and the movie is HORRIBLE), but I'm proud of the smaller lore details, like their True Names, and the fact that speaking them in their presence causes them pain. I did research into the naming conventions of angels in hebrew! Every angel is named to be like a facet or aspect of God, so they're all "[noun] of god" or "[adjective] of god", with the -el/-iel suffix referring to god. So I figured, if they've been cast out as punishment, they should lose even their most basic connection to god-- their name.

[frostyfiend]

Ok lukewarm take because I'm too scared of twitter to say it there. Please don't eat me alive Helluva Boss enjoyers OR Helluva Boss haters of tumblr because I watch the series too fusjfhsn

But man while I do enjoy Helluva Boss, as I'm not gonna pretend I'm above getting a little heehoo chuckle out of "dick balls fuck penis shit dick" humor... I love Brandon Rodgers. I kinda wish that Helluva Boss was just the goofy, stupid, raunchy adult slapstick cartoon it seemed to be making itself out to be in the pilot and first couple eps. After all its just a spin off of Hazbin Hotel to keep fans fed until the series officially drops.

The drama™ that they're building up to just unfortunately really isn't working for me. I'm having a hard time taking the series seriously at all because idk... I don't find Stolas and Blitzo that compelling of a couple? And the constant tone shifts between the raunchy stupid humor and the dark and tragic drama just... takes me the fuck out of it.

Idk I just kinda wanna watch Helluva Boss as the goofy, stupid misadventures (gone sexual) of a rag tag group of assassins that only just barely get along, and maybe develop their friendships and become a better team as the series progresses. A simple but effective plot. Maybe still introduce side characters like Stolas as the horny bro guy. Striker as a rival. The cherubs and the government agency as repeat threats. Idk I just kinda wish the plot stayed simple. Maybe if anything, just focus on worldbuilding hell for when Hazbin Hotel drops

The "boss" part of the series has become basically irrelevant aa the series has shifted so far away from that kinda vibe, and instead were entirely focused on romance, backstories, and side plots. It feels so damn confused and disjointed. It makes me worried for Hazbin Hotel. I've followed the project for years (although I really don't know what to think of the drama surrounding Viv i just hear so many conflicting takes and try to avoid caving to bandwagon drama), and I'd hate for Hazbin to be just as disjointed and confused. I gave the pilot a lot of slack as a messy pilot. But now I'm not sure what to think

Either way, I do wanna like it. The animation is stellar, I love the voices that they got for the characters... but man i really wish they just kinda kept it simple and silly.

[euphoricfilter]

5 for any fic. 6 for "pretty puppy". 7, 9, 10.

-🖤

the first one is so hard

5. What do you wish someone would ask you about (any of my fics)? Answer it now!

literally anything, i love answering questions but i know tumblr is going downhill with interactions so idk how likely that's gonna be which is really sad because it was what i was looking forward to most when i started posting on here. so thank you to everyone that does interact with this blog, they all hold a special place in my heart

you know what i thought about doing the other day, those 'ask my characters anything' type things because i always found them so funny when i used to see other writers do them

6. What’s one fact about the universe of 'pretty puppy' that you didn’t get a chance to mention in the fic itself?

probably information surrounding yoongi's idol life, it's definitely something i glazed over and just left to the imagination and probably unrealistic considering what their actual schedules would be like

7. Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of?

looking back at it, i hate this series a lot now (i did think about deleting it but i spent so much time on it so it would just rot in a folder on my laptop) but considering it was one of my first pieces of writing, the 'To Build A Home' universe. i wouldn't say i'm proud of it per say, honestly i don't think i planned it out all that well and there's probably a ton of plot holes but as a (second) starter project it could have been a lot worse and i was able to build like a novel's worth of story (i think the final word count was the length of an average novel)

9. How do you find new fic to read?

if it's on tumblr then recently i've been using the 'for you' page. there's been quite a good few fics i've found on there. every fic i read on here i reblog though so you'll probably see everything i finish reading on tumblr

for ao3 i usually use the additional tag part in edit, i think that's what it's called, and then search whatever i'm looking for and browse a million pages until i find something i like the sound of and then if i really really liked the fic then i go to that writers profile and see if they have anything else i like the look of.

i read this really good kinktober series over the last few days actually, it was from 2019 i think

10. How do you decide what to write?

i don't think i have a distinct way of choosing. when i first started this blog it was based on what dreams i'd had. DTIK and TBAH were both based on scenarios i'd thought of before going to sleep, and then after that i guess stuff like 'helping hands' just came to me and i wrote the story down or if i saw a post that gave me an idea.

for requests, sue me but i haven't been writing them in order of when people submitted them. it honestly depends on how i'm feeling, or how inspired i am by the prompt or if i think i'll have time to finish it over like 2 or 3 days. like if i were to sit down and write something right now then i would veer away from smut requests because i feel so uninspired by smut after my last fic so i'd choose something softer. 'keep quiet' became a thing because i wanted to write a pwp and that request best fit that without me having to do any world building

so i guess i just pick what i feel like writing at the time, i get so eager to write and then lose motivation so quickly, so i think i choose what i know i'm going to enjoy writing. also kind of off topic but i despise starting fics, it's so hard, like i sit there for ages trying to figure out how to start writing, maybe that's what stops my motivation

the curse of starting a fic

[lyssentome]

Hi! First of all, your blog name is SUPER cute. IDK why I love it so much but it's good to say. Also, I did a quick look through your blog and wanted to know a bit more about your stories if you want to go ahead on a ramble talking about it.

Have a great day/night!

Oh, thank you!! The origin of this now my go-to username for stuff is kinda stupid but it does roll off the tongue (at least if you pronounce it the way i do)!

I'd never pass up a chance to ramble about my stories, friend! Strap in :D

(Side note: this just made me realize that i should probably attach my wip intro to my writeblr intro lol)

Also putting this under the cut because it's kinda long!

So i have two main wips at the moment, but i'm focusing on one for my semi-diet-nano-thingy i'm doing. The title is Heirs of Starlight and it's tagged under "HoS: a wip" on here. It's basically a soup of all the tropes i love lol. Found family, royalty, friends-to-lovers, femme fatales, emotion-based magic, high fantasy worldbuilding with some sci-fi mixed in (i think the actual term of that is technomancy??), siblings being siblings, political (royal?) and family drama, a bit of mystery... like I said, it's a soup. Pretty sure there's more too but I can't think of them rn

As for the plot, to oversimplify for the sake of brevity, is about a princess trying to find out who attempted an assassination of her father in a certain banquet. It turns out that the assassin is someone she knows, but without her knowing, said assassin is being manipulated and sometimes mind-controlled by someone else. That's what the main story revolves around, but obviously there are lots of things that happen aside from that, hence the existence of six main characters...

Ooh, speaking of characters, they're my favorite to work on aside from worldbuilding. I admit, some of them are a bit more developed than others, but i'm working on it. Perhaps you've seen a bit about them on my blog? I'm especially fond of writing the royal trio of the cast, but writing Sierra and Xylena's dynamic is fascinating as well. I haven't explored much of Brynn and Epione's dynamic because they're not yet relevant to the story, but so far I'm liking them together.

Still, I'm kinda biased to the trio, i'm not even gonna lie. It's kinda funny at this stage in the story, considering that Valeria isn't too comfortable around Alexius but at the same time she knows how much Arden likes Alexius. At the same time, she understands Alexius in the way Arden can't due to both of them being heirs to important kingdoms. Also another thing I love is how similar Sierra and Valeria is, it's fascinating writing the two of them interacting because they effectively drive each other up the wall.

I also really like the worldbuilding, but especially the magic system. It's basic, but like. It works and it caters to my tastes, and it's also a combination of all the neat magic systems i've encountered. My favorite type of magic to write is definitely psychic, elemental, and blood. Psychic magic is fascinating because it's simultaneously the least dangerous but also the most dangerous. Elemental magic is classic, of course I gotta get that in, but also am obsessed with the concept of say, a fire elemental being able to control lava and smoke as well. Blood magic hasn't been explored that much but it's so interesting to write. It's ritual/runic magic, but by using blood it becomes so much more volatile and the legality of it has been an ongoing issue in Galavia, especially.

Now, i'll tell you about the other wip, Operation Defiance. It's tagged under "ODIF: a wip". Unlike HoS, it's an interactive fiction story written using ChoiceScript. Like HoS, though, it's also an amalgamation of things i love in IF: futuristic sci-fi, plenty of ROs, some gameplay mechanism, found family, spy-esque stuff, hacking stuff, sentient AIs... things like that.

This story is set at least a century in the future. The player character is a non-aligned hacker who gets hired by a government agency to help take down a shady corporation giant storing a copy of an AI that's gone rogue. Both sides are very shady, and the PC can choose who to side with at the end, or if they want to side with nobody at all. Currently there are three planned endings.

I went a little self-indulgent with the characters here because some of them are inspired by people i know irl or are just straight up a heavily-modified version of me. One of them I made with all of my sisters in mind, and while I intended for them to be annoying, they've seriously grown on me. It's a problem. It's the same problem I have with Arden, too, because Arden was supposed to die but now i've grown attached to my gremlin bastard child (affectionate).

The worldbuilding is also kinda self-indulgent lol. It's a sci-fi world that has managed to thrive alongside nature, so renewable energy is the main source of energy, like the sun, movements, wind... things like that. It hasn't been something I've been focused on but I definitely want to develop that more. It's a fun, hopeful what-if scenario.

Something also really fun with writing an IF is the gameplay part of it. As i am limited by text, there's not much i can do, but in ODIF, i decided to implement hacking as a riddle of sorts. The ones I've made are pretty simple, just straightforward alphanumerical ciphers with hints available. I'm not sure how complicated I can make it with the limitations of CS and it's been a while since i've worked on it, but that's something I look forward to.

I've been planning to make a sideblog just for ODIF, but i'm waiting until i finish chapter 4 and upload a demo.

Whew, this was long lol. Hopefully that tells you a bit more of what I write!

[lalcne-blog]

index: illumia farryn

sunlight. a piano melody. dense forests. new books. glass slippers. fairytales. stepping into the unknown. quiet dinners. band-aids. cafes. grass-stained dresses.

          TINY FINGERS DANCE across the piano keys, a distinct melody surrounding the room. illumia closes her eyes, imagining music notes floating through the air, the sunlight from the open window shining across them, perhaps even creating a rainbow without rain. a serene smile makes its way onto her face, an expression that would suit a much older woman, not a five year old like herself.

          the music stops and she opens her eyes, looking expectantly at the woman standing beside the piano. her expression is stern.

          ❝ excellent, illumia. i can tell you’ve been practicing. ❞ despite the apathetic face, illumia is happy. this is high praise from her teacher. ❝ keep at it. you will achieve great things. ❞

          illumia beams.

          her childhood is full of pretty dresses and silk ribbons and lavish parties. she learns that she’s a noble and that she should act as such, sitting with her back straight and her legs positioned just right so that she appears elegant. she smiles around people she doesn’t know because a young lady must be polite, and her mother does the same thing, so why wouldn’t she ??

          most of the time, she is given permission to play with the other children ( providing she doesn’t dirty her dress or stuff her face or let her hair fall out of place ), but as she grows older, she finds her parents requesting her presence during conversations more and more. at first, she sees this as a blessing. she isn’t being treated like a baby anymore.

          but that feeling is a fleeting one.

          she soon realises that she isn’t part of the conversation, at least not in the way she wishes to be. there is no room for her opinion. instead, she’s the subject of scrutiny. she is introduced to other nobles whose names always escape her the moment the night ends, but according to her mother, they are good friends. no proof is ever given to substantiate that.

          the strangers’ responses to her vary, but most are along the lines of ❝ she’s a very polite girl, isn’t she ?? ❞ and ❝ she seems so mature for her age ❞ and ❝ i’m sure she’ll blossom into a fine young woman. ❞ she -- these people know she has a name, right ?? -- doesn’t understand what any of this means, or why it’s so important, or why her parents are so satisfied when the conversation is over.

          she’s at the age where her imagination begins to run wild, where she dreams of leaping out her window and exploring the forest at night while the wind blows through her hair. not that she ever would, of course. her parents wouldn’t take too kindly to that.

          she’s also been reading her story books lately, presents from when she was younger. they tell her tales of love and happily-ever-afters, and she decides she wants that for herself someday in a future that seems so distant from where she is now. she’s only a child, after all, and she likes to remain as logical as she can despite her active imagination. the chances of her having a whirlwind romance at such a young age are zero to none.

          her belief is that everyone deserves a happy ending and that it’s attainable for everyone, but she’s noticed that one relationship in particular doesn’t quite match up to what her stories tell her.

          ❝ hey, daddy, ❞ she says one night when her father comes in to tuck her into bed, ❝ you and mummy are in love, like in the stories, right ?? and this is your happily ever after ?? ❞

          her dad appears surprised at the question, and for a moment, he stares at the butterfly mural on her wall. she follows his gaze, seeing no issue with this. her wall is rather pretty, after all.

          ❝ i love your mother, of course i do, ❞ he says with a reassuring smile when he turns back to her. ❝ and of course this is our happily ever after, because you’re in it. ❞

          he runs his hand through her hair before switching off her lamp and leaving the room. his answer is a comforting one, and it will be several years before she pieces together what’s wrong with it, what he didn’t say. but for now, she’s content.

          this isn’t the first time illumia has imagined leaping out her window and flying into the night, but it’s the first time she’s genuinely considering it. she could resume her unfinished homework that lies forgotten on the desk, or better yet, ask her parents what in the world they were talking about when she passed the kitchen earlier, but the night sky is the subject of her focus tonight. or at least it should be. the conversation continues to run through her mind despite never being part of it.

          ❝ and what about fern’s son ?? he’s a few years older, but once they’re adults, that won’t matter. they’ll get along just fine. ❞

          ❝ i’m not sure, i’d rather she be with someone closer to her own age. she isn’t even a teenager yet. adoran’s boy might be more suitable. ❞

          ❝ perhaps, but his father isn’t offering as much as fern is. this is our daughter’s future on the line, you know. my father only accepted the best for me, and that was you. i want the same for her. ❞

          illumia hadn’t stayed around to listen after that. she’d heard enough. now she’s crumpled against her window seat with her arms folded across the windowsill, breathing in the night air as she contemplates what her parents meant.

          well, she actually already knows. she’s heard the stories of arranged marriages within the noble seelie ranks, and she’s sure one or two of the weddings she’s attended were for arranged couples. it never seemed like something to worry about, never something she might be subjected to some day, and yet here she is, wondering who her life is going to be tied down to for the rest of time the moment she becomes an adult.

          as her father said, she isn’t even a teenager yet. she still has a few more years to go before then, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that she’ll never be ready. she wants to fall in love and choose the person she’ll ultimately marry herself. this shouldn’t be about money. her mother says she wants the best for her, and yet doesn’t even ask her opinion.

          and then there is the revelation that her parents were also arranged. it may not change the fact that they are legally bound in marriage, but to illumia, it changes everything.

          she narrows her eyes at the moon, but immediately feels bad, as the moon doesn’t deserve her wrath. she sighs and is about to look away when she sees something flickering -- zooming ?? flying ?? -- in the distance, a humanoid shape that she can’t seem to tear her eyes away from.

          she learns what freedom is.

          freedom is diving out your window in the dead of night to fly across the treetops. freedom is not caring if you dirty your nightgown and socks. it’s innocent first kisses and skipping stones across the river, dancing among the fireflies as they tangle themselves in your hair. it’s spending time with people she never would have met otherwise.

          it’s these nights with her friends that make the routine of the day bearable. she’s aware of just how much her parents keep from her now, and she suspects that this is her way of retaliating. just because she’s young doesn’t mean she can’t have secrets of her own.

          she can tell they’re pleased because her mood has been so much better lately, and there is a certain satisfaction to knowing how much they would hate the truth.

          it’s only when she’s home from lucille for the winter holidays that she notices something that was right in front of her all along.

          the annual winter ball is nothing new to her, nor is the way her parents stand with their backs straight, side-by-side but never touching. the closest they ever get to affection is linking arms when walking into the room. no, her parents’ lack of chemistry is something she’s been aware of for years now.

          it’s the way her father’s eyes seem to follow one man, another noble that illumia has known for years. adoran is the father of one of her potential ❛ suitors ❜, and has therefore always been seen as the enemy -- one of many -- but something is different tonight. or perhaps everything is the same and she is only now noticing.

          she recognises the expression on her father’s face. it’s one of longing, of watching something you can’t have, when there is some sort of barricade between you and what ( who ) you want and nothing you do can break it down. a look of helplessness as you find yourself unable to look away despite knowing better.

          ( she knows this look because she sees it in the mirror all the time. )

          her parents have never been in love. she’s known this for a long time and learned to accept it long ago, but she never considered anything beyond that. she never considered that they might have been in love before. that they might still be in love.

          she’s going to be a doctor.

          it wasn’t some big revelation, nothing in particular that sparked her interest in medicine, but a series of small, almost inconsequential things. tending to the scrapes and wounds of the younger skull bois, researching potions for different ailments, never looking away when the family doctor was conducting his check-ups. it’s always been there in the back of her mind, but it’s her need to assist others that rises above them all.

          all she wants to do is help people, so why is she crying ??

          she’s standing on one of the highest bridges in lucille, one that connects two turrets together. it’s one of her favourite spots and a place rarely ever visited at night when most people are safe and sound inside the dorms. no one is here to hear her sobs.

          that is, until she senses a presence behind her.

          ❝ are you mad at me, too ?? ❞ she asks.

          ❝ no, ❞ dusk says, and even without turning around, she can see him shaking his head. ❝ i can’t say i relate, but i’m not mad. to be honest, i couldn’t see you doing anything else. ❞

          she manages a brief smile at that. ❝ thanks. ❞

          ❝ no problem. ❞ he walks forward so he’s standing next to her. ❝ can i ask, though -- why a doctor ?? ❞

          at first she shrugs, but after a moment of silence, she answers, ❝ because i think i can make a difference. and because i’m interested in it, of course. making people feel better is something i always want to do. ❞

          ❝ illumia farryn, always thinking of other people, ❞ dusk says with a grin, but she shakes her head.

          ❝ i like helping people, but i’m not doing this for anyone else. i’m doing this for me. i knew... i knew what would happen if i stayed here, but... i know it’s the best option for me. i feel like a lot of the decisions i’ve made have been for other people, but... i don’t think i can do that anymore. ❞

          she faces forward as she says it, but she can see dusk looking at her from the corner of her eye. he appears thoughtful, and he soon follows her gaze, though she can’t say she’s looking at anything in particular.

          ❝ as someone who makes decisions for himself and only himself, ❞ illumia scoffs, because that isn’t entirely true, but dusk continues as if he hasn’t heard her, ❝ i can say that making a decision based on what you want alone is a good one. especially one as productive as choosing to be a doctor. ❞

          ❝ thanks, dusky, ❞ she says, teasing him with the name vista has for him, then says more seriously, ❝ i appreciate it. ❞

          over the years, her definition of ❛ freedom ❜ has changed. it used to be about disobeying her parents and running off in the middle of the night, dirtying her clothes and feigning innocence if her mother caught the stains in the morning. now it’s so much more than that. something more powerful.

          freedom isn’t necessarily about breaking the rules ( though sometimes they are ). it’s about establishing your own rules and making your own decisions, of choosing your own path in life despite condescension from those around you. it’s having faith in your own decisions and learning to live without regrets.

          she still has a long way to go, she thinks, but she’s getting there.