#i've been writing fanfiction for nearly 3 years now

[dustdeepsea]

Writer Interview

Tagged by @my-favourite-zhent nearly 3 weeks ago and I've entirely missed the wave.

I've enjoyed reading so many interesting ones by my mutuals! Tagging (only if you're keen) @graysparrowao3 @coreene @say-lene @luvwich @grossestjay —and if I've missed your interview somehow, tag me in the comments!

Q&A after the cut—

When did you start writing?

I wrote my first fanwork at age 12. It was self-insert fanfiction with me and 2 of my friends in the Slayers anime universe, which meant it was several comedic sketches strung together with with lots of actions denoted by asterisks and emoticons. You know the ones ^_^ ^____^ @_@ T_T *slaps you gently with a trout*

We printed it out on someone's home printer and bound copies in plastic school folders with a two-hole punch. I've lost the original file ages ago, but I would love to read it again.

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

When I was younger, I actively sought out "difficult stories" because I wanted to experience things beyond my day to day life. I read Nabokov at 16 because everyone kept saying Lolita was a dangerous book. I also read a lot of Chuck Palahniuk and Bret Easton Ellis without really understanding them.

My pretentiousness definitely peaked in my university days. My dating profile at the time listed: Herman Hesse, Kazuo Ishiguro and Mikhail Bulgakov.

Now that I'm older, I read and write stories primarily to make myself happy.

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

I'm not remotely at the level where I get compared to any published writers.

My favourite contemporary writer is David Mitchell (of Cloud Atlas fame), and my favourite book by him is The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet.

My favourite "classic" novel is The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

I type at my desk, in a study shared with my partner. Sometimes if the scene is particularly spicy or they are gaming too loudly, I take the laptop to the living room.

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Bouncing plot bunnies off others on Discord, talking a walk or a long train ride, playing an immersive video game and rotating characters in my head for hours afterwards.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

According to my lovely readers:

"Romantic and sweaty"; "two silly sausages frying in a pan" (thanks to my long time beta-reader @littleplasticrat)

"Purity, temperance, glimpse of [the] ability for real love / real forgiveness" (thank you @tellmeallaboutit!)

These did surprise me a bit when they were first pointed out but it makes sense—I've been accidentally writing Regency romances and repressed idiots in love without setting out to do so explicitly.

What is your reason for writing?

I put aside hobbies for many years because of my work (no matter what advertisers want you to believe—doomscrolling is not a hobby). Started doing more creative things during my sabbatical last year, and writing was one of the things that saved my broken corpo soul.

Nowadays I'm really into bread making and cooking in general. I'm trying to balance work and creative pursuits and I'm much happier overall.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

Any and all comments are received with love <3 <3 <3 I really enjoy it when people let me know what lines really resonated with them or point out motifs I'd snuck in.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

Friendly and approachable! Not entirely hyperfixated on That One NPC from a Video Game with Five Lines (that one might be harder now...!)

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

A fairly broad vocabulary, including anachronisms, which is useful for fantasy story settings. Writing characters who are actively lying to themselves (thinking one thing and saying/doing another).

My writing tends to be on the more contemplative side and a bit sadder and slower paced, so if you enjoy A Great Deal of Yearning along with your smut, then it would appeal to you :)

How do you feel about your own writing?

I'm pretty happy with it! I write very, very slowly, with constant edits as I go, and would probably starve if I ever had to rely on my fiction writing to be paid. Luckily, I get to do this as a hobby.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

I write for myself, but I am also super blessed to have a very small but vocal audience that I can interact with directly. I guess my best advice is: Write for yourself and your 10 friends who want to read your hand-bound home-printed self-insert fanfic <3

[lilacthebooklover]

i just realised it's april now oh my gosh, my ao3 birthday's in 10 days! how fun :D

[thatdeadaquarius]

About your language brainrot. I see your "Reader's writing can't match tyvat's long and flowery writing" and bring you "Tyvat isn't used to books over 50 pages long so a short story to the Reader is a whole dictionary to tyvat readers".

Seriously, have you seen how thin the books are? They don't wrote novels, they write short chapters formatted in the way really old stories are. As in, summarizing all the events down into one smooth story then adding a few quotes. Fanfiction writers are insane. They will willingly sit down and write hundreds of words at a time. To them, a proper modern day story of maybe, oh 10k words or so, would probably be like the Oddessy itself.

If we were to combine the two headcanons. It would end up as many historians being intimidated by this insanely long written scripture in the language of the forgotten.

I'm going to take this a step further and say that if the creator asked some people to proofread their things, it would establish a hiarchy of who is able to actually finish the book the creator read and who isn't.

NOW THIS, THIS IS MY FUCKING JAMMMM

I'm so sorry this is so old!! u probably all know this by this point that I've really slowed down as the year has gone on, but I graduated university and then got my first job so its been pretty crazy!

Sun: Reader (you/they/them)

Orbit: Headcanons-ish

Stars: dash of all the book/nerds of Genshin, heavy on Sumeru?

Comets & Meteors: Content Warnings: Cussing, 16+ Mature Audiences, Spoliers for Sumeru Archon Quests/Scaramouche, & Trigger Warnings: mention of shipping/characters shipping themselves with you.

Comment if any missed, please.

☆

FULL STOP.

THE AKADEMIYA, FONTAINE RESEARCH INSTITUTE, HAVE BEEN WAITTTINNGGGG ON YOUR ASS LMAO

You fall from the fucking sky like a 5 star, or pop out of the Irminsul or whatever

and immediately are mobbed by scholars. LMAO jkjk (not really, bc that's what it’d feel like)

can you even imagine the dread older stories(”the classics” to them), that was instilled in the poor students around Teyvat??

id like to think ur works are the most preserved over the thousands of years of Teyvat archeologists excavating them, in comparison to other authors (teyvat just likes you more, suck it William Shakespeare)

also, bc I cant resist language differences/world building I'm sorryyyy 😭 😭

the vocab of Genshin lang vs. ours, has significantly less vocabulary like their actual dictionary is 1/3 the size of ours type of energy

(Omfg all ur fanfics being considered like insanely long realistic romantic classics or tragedies like Jane Austen-level, and only the richest and biggest play companies put on plays about ur stories bc the script goes on for hours)

(ur plays only get put on for rlly big events bc of this, like Lantern Rite or like a Summer/Winter festival/your birthday, which is, yes, an international holiday)

dude the sheer power move of anything you’ve written being essentially “Journey of the West” to them, like Damnnn.

endless like adaptations, plays, Teyvat-short stories condensing it, (THEIR OWN FANFICTION ABOUT UR STORIES)

the power is, in fact, going to your head every time another scholar both deflates at how long ur stuff is, but also lights up bc they get to read it

speaking of scholars… you know who snatched you up first. you know. you don’t even need to read the next line.

Alhaitham.

sneaky bastard he is, absolutely manipulated, mansplained (and manwhored bc he knows he’s handsome, cheeky little shit) his way into getting you to sit down with him and interview you about both translating other classics, your own, giving your own analysis of others works and ur own, and picking ur brain apart of how/why you wrote urs, etc. its fucking endless,

Kaveh had to come rescue you bc u were starving to death after getting stuck with the Haravatat scholar in his office for nearly 7 hours of interrogation discussion about literature

and Alhaitham wasn't even nearly done, he’d informed you as you left that he already had another appointment for later conversation scheduled (how?? you don't even know ur own schedule??? you have a schedule???) and was looking forward to more of your “creative and enlightening input” :)))

(you’re never going to escape him, not even Nahida herself can save you from his stubborn ass)

On another note, Xingqiu is quaking when you agree to autograph his copy of your stories (of which he has all hard covers of the first edition translations)

Zhongli/Rex Lapis is known for having a near-lifelong passion for searching for your works specifically, and learning how to translate them better into Teyvatian vernacular

like the same way he can absolutely speak on Rex Lapis facts/rocks/adepti info, is the same confidence he speaks about knowing ur work lol

(yes he did also ask for several autographs and another sit-down talk about the works, tho a lot more sneaky then Alhaitham bc he just casually gets u guys into it during dinner)

Barbatos/Venti has written some of the most famous songs based on your stuff, he has his favorites too,

but he always claims the best songs are any that have been written in the story, like either when a character sings something, or there are like quotes from songs ur fanfics are based on lol

(he also demanded to hear what they actually sound like from you, yes, you have to sing them for him lol)

Venti also can surprisingly drunkenly ramble the entirety of at least one of ur stories, like, word for word lmao

(Diluc gave in and did give him a drink on the house for that one, just once, Venti doesn’t remember it lol)

(I forgot to mention, u guys still speak the same language, just like, different versions of it)

ur works being one of the few things all the Archons can freely talk about with each other, like it’s neutral ground bc they’re all fangirling about it lmao

Furina and Neuvillette have had like,, fierce debates over the decades about character dynamics and the general drama of ur stories, they’ve gotten into it enough they’ve stopped talking to each other for a couple days a few times lol

Albedo, Sucrose, Kokomi, Yae Miko, Ei, Raiden, have read every single work they’re gotten their hands on in Teyvat (it took them like a literal year or longer)

Albedo drew you fanart for every single story, bc he’s hyperfixated on everything related to you ngl,

Kokomi had commissioned smaller pocket versions of ur works (which later got popular thanks to Yae Miko) both the OG and the Teyvat shortened versions

THE HARBINGERS ARE THE MOST DOWN BAD LMAO

Childe has literally tried to recreate battle scenes from ur works lmao

and gets especially riled up about fighting someone who resembles any characters from them (esp villains, what a cutie)

You cannot fathom the amount of research throughout Teyvat that has been secretly or indirectly funded by Pantalone/Tsaritsa

from the experts to analyze them, to funding play companies to act them out, to actually excavating places to get more of ur stuff unearthed

(the Harbingers absolutely are the first group of people that got to read several of ur stories first bc of this, like the world’s most exclusive secret book club lol)

Scaramouche used to clown on Childe all the time about how he was too impatient to even “sit down and read the King’s classics”, and he was downright insufferable when he found out about Tartaglia’s habit of recreating battle scenes/that being what motivated him to fight sometimes lol

that being said, Wanderer surprisingly never forgot ur stories.

Even when his memories were wiped for a bit, he found comfort in these fantastical epics still sticking around, even when his old names did not

(he mayyyy or mayyy nottt have secretly namedhimselfafteroneofthetragicprotagonistsherelatesto- )

oh btw, Nahida also found joy and comfort in ur stories when she was trapped, they also helped her literally grow as a person bc she had ur stories to help her sort of process the world/what life was like outside of her dreaming prison 🥺💔❤️‍🩹

◇

OMFG

ANYWAY FULL TONE SHIFT LMFAO-

the ABSOLUTE SPIRAL-RED-STRING-CONSPIRACY-THEORY-BOARD ENERGY IF THIS WAS A BLUNT LANGUAGE AU LMAOOOO

like specifically how Teyvatians like to give all the context ever thru their words, but older deities/beings like you just do simple phrases that can have deeper meanings (whereas teyvat just explains all the meanings behind their words)

STOP there’s like an official display at the Akademiya and Fontaine Institute of red string theory boards 😭😭 (look what you’ve done to themmm LMAO)

for like every story of urs, INCLUDING THE FANFICS STOP

IMAGINE THE SHIPPING WARS IF U EVER WROTE ONE THAT WASNT EXPLICIT OR LIKE ONE OF THE MAIN ROMANTIC INTERESTS HAD CHEMISTRY WITH OTHER CHARACTERS HAHAHAHAA

that's actually what Akademiya scholars argue about the most viciously, it’s like politics you can’t just bring up ships from ur stories casually in regular convos 💀

(poor Cyno has to deal with a shipping war once a year bc someone always makes the mistake of reading ur work for the first time (without being told to not talk to others abt ships lol) and it starts an all out brawl in the cafeteria every time LMAO)

Also yes.

Cyno is a fanboy.

(he has read Creator x Reader-insert fanfiction.)

(As have most of the characters mentioned, and those not lol)

…

(I'm gonna make a whole Creator x reader fanfic post one day i stg lmao)

☆

an iced coffee? for me?? :0

ok but real talk…

wtf do you guys wanna see for new years!!

i didn't do a inktober/october days thingy bc i felt too unprepared (and bc id wanted to post that 1000+ followers eldritch au for Halloween)

but now i kinda wanna, at least for a few days :o

ill post a poll in a minute, so check it out!! but still, please feel free to comment some ideas here! :)

Safe Travels Deafening Dreamer,

💀♒

If you wanna join a taglist, DM me what for! "Pspspsss, please tag me for [All SAGAU posts, Only SAGAU Language AUs, diff fandom, etc.]!"

(If you ever wanna drop, just DM me! "No more taglists/[specifically this AU/fandom] please!")

♡the beloveds♡

@karmawonders / @0rah-s / @randomnatics / @glxssynarvi / @nexylaza / @genshin-impacts-me / @wholesomey-artist / @thedevioussmirk / @the-dumber-scaramouche / @chocogi / @fallen-starr / @areaderofbooks / @devilangel657 / @esthelily

[karajaynetoday]

nothing's going right, and everything's a mess, and no one likes to be alone | jack hughes

author's note: don't ask me how the university semester timeline in this works. i have simply given reader a three week break in march bc why not. this is fanfiction okay, anything can happen 😂 no one proofread this for me so soz for any typos!

word count: 3.4k words

warnings: none that i can think of? but lmk if i've missed anything. soz if the ending makes you mad LOL i do love a cliffhanger

read part one here

read part two here

(This is a fem reader insert)

More writing here (soz that the masterlist is not up to date lol) | send thoughts/feedback/suggestions here

Somehow, the ill feeling of waiting until summer to see Jack again began to fade with each passing day. The itch to text him every time something exciting or infuriating happened to you began to lessen. The thoughts of him when you saw a funny meme he’d like, or your shared favourite foods on special at the grocery store, quietly stopped happening as frequently. 

But then there were the things that didn’t stop. The sharp pain in your chest whenever Jack’s smiling face popped up on your social media feed. The butterflies in your stomach whenever your parents brought him up in conversation, fuelled by whatever the latest updates were from their group message thread with Jim and Ellen. The joy that would wash over you when you heard about a Devils win or a Jack Hughes goal, followed almost always by a wave of sadness that you were hearing about it second or third hand, rather than from Jack himself.

You were the one who’d asked for space. You needed time, you’d said. Given the blow up of All-Star weekend, all Jack was doing was respecting your wishes; but a huge part of you not so secretly wished he’d be a bit more disrespectful and reach out. Your mind was a mess of conflicting thoughts, and your heart wasn’t sure which emotion to feel or where to go next. 

Since kindergarten, you’d barely gone more than a few days without seeing or communicating with Jack in some way. Now you were nearly a month without a word, and even though you were still mad at how he’d treated you, you were craving a return to the friendship you’d become so accustomed to. Jack knew you better than anyone, could basically read your mind with a single look, and although you had plenty of friends at college and still around in Toronto from high school, none came close to the camaraderie you shared with Jack. He was someone you could talk to for hours, or sit next to in silence for the same amount of time, it didn’t matter. With Jack, you could be utterly and entirely yourself, no complications. Now it felt like you were always pretending. And it was exhausting.

It was about 9pm on a Thursday night when you found yourself pushing through that exhaustion to try and complete yet another university assignment. For motherfucking economics. You couldn’t wait until you’d completed all of your compulsory economics credits because it was the absolute opposite of your cup of tea, when it came to academic subjects. This assignment was your last one, and you weren’t sure whether to cheer or cry at the idea of hitting the submit button on the online portal. Maybe you should’ve bought a confetti cannon to celebrate. Or a box of wine. Or booked yourself a flight somewhere fun, given you had a break from classes soon.

As soon as the thought of a trip crossed your mind, your phone began to buzz with an incoming video call. A video call from… Luke. Luke Hughes. 

Your face scrunched in confusion, as you swiped to answer the call, met with Luke’s smiling face and messy curls. 

“Hey sunshine! Long time no see. How have you been?” Luke spoke cheerily. Almost too cheerily. 

You were immediately suspicious and narrowed your eyes at the youngest Hughes. 

Luke was 3 years old when you met for the first time; he could barely remember a life without you in it. Given how inseparable you and Jack were, Luke became your de facto little brother, always tagging along where he could and joining in your adventures. Later on, when he became a teenager, you were the one Luke would come to when he was having issues with his friends, or trying to build up the courage to ask out the cute girl in his math class, or missing his brothers when they moved away. You were his second call after Ellen when he felt homesick at Michigan, and you were his first call when he had fucked up something that he felt his brothers would never let him live down. Emotional support and damage control, with a healthy dose of teasing and laughs thrown in. That was the dynamic between you and Luke. It also meant you could read him to filth when he was lying to you, and your honesty radar was through the roof at this sudden video call.

“I’m fine, Moose. Just trying to wrap up my final assignment before the break without losing my entire mind.” You offered weakly, half-expecting Luke to make a joke about your mind having been lost years ago, but the joke never came.

Instead, you saw the concern flicker across Luke’s face, just for a moment, before he forced a smile.

“How long is your break for? Any plans?”

“Three weeks, and not really. I promised my mother I’d spend a few days helping her with planning for their anniversary party in June, but that probably won’t happen until right before I go back to school.” You chatted absently, hitting save on your essay and standing up from the couch, bringing your phone with you as you moved into the kitchen to make yourself a drink.

You propped the phone up against the vase on your kitchen bench, reaching up into the cabinet to retrieve a glass. 

“Well, you should come visit. We’ve got like 5 home games in a row or something ridiculous coming up. It’d be fun!” Luke’s tone was cheerful, but cautious, like he wasn’t sure how you were going to react. 

You hummed in response, moving slightly out of view of your phone to get some ice cubes from your freezer and a soda from the fridge. 

“Besides, I heard a rumour that you’ve got an airline voucher to use. I’d hate for it to expire or something.” 

You could feel your heart starting to beat faster. Luke knew about the voucher. Did that mean Jack had told him about your fight? 

“The voucher won’t expire for three years. I’m sure I’ll manage to use it before then.” You deadpanned, stepping back into frame to see Luke rolling his eyes at you. 

“Yeah, sure, but will I survive that long without seeing you? Absolutely not. Come on, sugar. Please? Even if it’s just a weekend?” Luke had moved into full begging mode, with puppy dog eyes and everything.

You sighed, fidgeting with the straw in your drink and avoiding his gaze. 

“I don’t… we haven’t talked at all, Luke. I don’t know what he’ll do if I just show up there.” You half-whispered, feeling that all-too-familiar wave of sadness coursing through your veins. 

“He talked about you tonight at dinner. Says he misses you. But he doesn’t want to push, or not give you the space you wanted. But right now, he’s on the couch watching Gossip Girl, so…” Luke stated matter-of-factly, staring you down with a knowing look on your face.

Gossip Girl was something you’d insisted Jack get into when you were teenagers, as long as he “wanted to be called your official best friend”. And The OC. And Gilmore Girls. And One Tree Hill. And basically any other teen drama series you could think of. Collectively, those shows had thousands of episodes, and you always found yourself settling down to watch them whenever you were missing Jack more than usual. You’d never realised before that he did the same.

“Should… should we tell him I’m coming? I don’t want him to get upset by a bad surprise.” 

“Not at all, sugar. Book the flight and send me the details, I’ll sort out the rest.” Luke’s beaming smile made a smile of your own creep onto your face, as you nodded at him and went to retrieve your laptop from the couch to log onto the airline website.

“Now that that’s sorted, I was wondering, what does it mean when a girl asks me what my sun, moon and rising are? Should I be worried? Or is it a good thing?”

– 

Two days later, you were done with your semester and on your way to the airport. Luke had suggested you book a one-way flight, “That way, you can go home whenever you like!”, but you were starting to feel like the whole thing was a mistake. 

Nonetheless, you pushed through those feelings and boarded your flight. The whole ordeal took less than two hours, and soon enough you found yourself navigating the arrivals area at Newark airport. You spotted Luke’s lanky figure, clad in a Michigan sweatshirt, with his back to you. You couldn’t help but creep up on him and poke his side, cracking up with laughter as Luke jumped at least three feet into the air. He’d always been the easiest to scare, ever since you were kids. 

Luke cussed you out, and then pulled you into a bone-crushing hug. 

“Missed your face, sugarplum.” Luke murmured, as you pulled away from each other and he rested his hands on your shoulders, studying you. 

“Aw, Lukey. I’d say I’d missed yours too, but we really gotta do something about that hair.” You poked your tongue out as the youngest Hughes brother’s jaw dropped in mock offense. 

You retrieved your bag from the luggage carousel, and headed out to where Luke had parked. The two of you fell into easy conversation as Luke navigated through the New Jersey streets back to the apartment he shared with Jack. 

You managed to bury most of the nerves, but they came bubbling back to the surface when Luke pulled into the parking garage at the bottom of his building.

“Is… um… Is Jack home? Alone?” You managed to squeak out, and Luke looked at you like you were crazy. 

Ever since All-Star weekend, you’d been having a recurring nightmare about Jack and the girl from the messages you’d accidentally become privy to. In particular, it was a scenario where you would come home from wherever you’d been out, and opened the apartment door to find them… entangled, on every possible surface you could think of. You felt yourself starting to feel ill as the images from your nightmares started to flash back into your mind. 

“He’s alone. Ever since… ever since he came home early from All-Star, he’s been alone. None of the… usual visitors have been over. And he hasn’t been going to theirs, either. Not even when we’re on a roadie.” Luke said carefully, and you could tell he was trying not to upset you.

You could also tell that he was being honest. Because you could always tell when he was lying. But your mind was running a million miles a minute. Jack hadn’t… for a month? Because of his fight with you? You loved Jack, but you also knew (despite wishing that you didn’t know at all) that it had been years since he’d gone that long without intimacy. In fact, it was probably the longest since losing his virginity that Jack hadn’t fulfilled his desires. 

Your mind was starting to wander into the gutter, and you pressed your eyes closed to bring yourself back to Earth. All you could do was nod at Luke, before you both hopped out of the car and into the elevator. Luke insisted on carrying your luggage, so you found yourself fidgeting incessantly with your hands as the elevator climbed to the correct floor. 

You trailed behind Luke as he strode towards the apartment door and unlocked it, stepping inside and putting your bag down. He looked back and waved you into the apartment, pressing a finger to his lips. You tiptoed across the doorway, and your heart softened at the scene before you. 

You could see the back of Jack’s head leaned up against the couch, and an episode of Gilmore Girls playing on the TV mounted on the wall. In fact, it was one of your favourite episodes; where Jess comes back and shows Rory the book he wrote, and calls her out for dropping out of Yale. You smiled ruefully as you thought about the parallels between that episode and your current situation with Jack, as the argument between Jess and Rory played out on the screen.  

What do you mean?

You know what I mean! I know you. I know you better than anyone! This isn't you!

… 

This isn't you! This! You going out with this jerk, with the Porsche! We made fun of guys like this!

You caught him on a bad night.

This isn't about him! Okay? Screw him! What's going on with you? This isn't you, Rory. You know it isn't. What's going on?

I don't know. I don't know…

“Are we Team Jess or Team Rory this time, Jacky?” Luke called out, making you jump. 

“Team Jess all the way, obviously. Where have you bee-” Jack stopped dead in his tracks as he turned to face his brother, and instead saw you in the middle of his living room.

Jack’s face was a revelation. Confusion, at first. Then the briefest flash of hurt and anguish. Then a smile. Then caution and uncertainty, as he slowly stepped towards you. 

You let a breath you hadn’t realised you were holding, and quickly moved across the room, clumsily throwing your arms around your best friend. You felt Jack freeze momentarily, almost as if he was shocked at your touch, but that soon passed and you felt his hands slide around your waist and squeeze, bringing your bodies as close together as possible. 

You nestled your head on Jack’s shoulder, breathing in his scent. His thumbs softly rubbed up and down your side, and you felt him press a soft kiss into your hair. You stayed like that for a minute, or maybe longer, relaxing into the embrace.

The sound of the apartment door slamming shut made you jolt, and you rolled your eyes as you realised that Luke had tried to sneak way unnoticed and failed miserably. 

“Hi.” Jack whispered, pulling back from you slightly but keeping his hands locked around you. 

“Hi.” You whispered back, reaching up to brush his hair out of his eyes. 

“Is it still shit hair? Or better now it’s longer?” Jack teased, rolling his tongue between his teeth.

“Better. But only slightly.” You teased back, your hands slipping down to the back of his neck comfortably. 

The warmth of the surprise arrival was starting to fade. The dread you’d felt over addressing your fight with Jack was starting to set in, fast. The guilt you felt for being the catalyst for over a month for not speaking to your best friend was washing over you. Your heart rate was through the roof, and your palms were beginning to sweat. 

Jack sensed your change in mood, and pulled away from you to look you up and down.

“Are you hungry? Do you want to shower? Or take a nap?” He was nervous, too.

“I ate before my flight. And showered this morning. And it’s 11am, so I think I’m good on the nap front. But I do think we should… we should talk. About everything.” You were basically tripping over your words at this point, but Jack’s reassuring nod helped to calm your nerves. 

Wordlessly, Jack took your hand and led you over to the couch, gesturing for you to sit. You sat down and faced him, crossing your legs and resting your hands on your knees, still fidgeting with your hoodie sleeves. 

“I’m sorry - “ You both said unanimously, a gentle laughter filling the room. 

“I’m sorry I needed so much time apart, J. It fucking sucked, and it was my fault, and I just didn’t -” You began to ramble, only stopping when Jack leaned over and squeezed your knee reassuringly.

“You only needed that time because I was an asshole, sugar. It’s on me, really. I had no right to treat you like an occasional friend, or something that I shouldn’t prioritise -” Jack paused as you cringed, remembering the text messages that referred to his time with you as “boring family bullshit”. 

“I was thinking with my dick, not with my head, and that’s not fair on anyone.” You shot Jack a weird look, and he looked sheepish in return.

“Quinn… Quinn said that to me. After you told him to tell me about the messages. He’s right, thought. It wasn’t fair.” Jack continued, pausing to take a deep breath. 

“This whole… thing, this life -” Jack gestured broadly at the apartment around you, and you glanced around properly for the first time. Framed jerseys of Luke and Jack’s adorned the walls.Various photos of the Hughes family scattered about the place. The fridge, with a gas bill stuck to it, along with a polaroid of you and Jack from last Christmas. And a photo from your senior prom. And a group photo of everyone from last summer at the lake house, Jack’s mouth open in laughter with his arm slung over your bikini-clad shoulders. 

“It’s all I thought I ever wanted. And it’s amazing, and I’m so grateful. But it’s worth nothing to me, the money, the girls -” You felt yourself involuntarily cringe again. “The fame, the accolades, it’s worth nothing to me without the people that I love by my side. And if those people don’t know how much I love and appreciate them, because I treat them like shit, then that’s on me. No one else. Me.” 

You sat quietly, taking in Jack’s emphatic statement. You weren’t quite sure what to say. So instead, you gently reached over and took Jack’s hand in yours, lacing your fingers through his and squeezing softly, for a moment while you gathered your thoughts.

“I know the life you live, Jack. You don’t have to be sorry for it. Playing hockey was all you ever dreamed of, and I honestly can’t blame you for… enjoying… all the perks it comes with.” You swallowed the wave of nausea that hit you, before continuing. 

“I don’t… I don’t know what life looks like without you in it. The last month was such a bizarre experience, and not one that I ever want to repeat, but I also… I need to… Can I be honest?” You spoke softly, glancing up from your hands to meet Jack’s gaze, and he nodded encouragingly at you. 

“I wasn’t just upset because you made me feel like I was inconveniencing you, or cock-blocking you -” It was Jack’s turn to cringe. “I think I was upset because I was jealous. Because that will never, ever be me. And I think… I think I want it to be? Maybe? Fuck, I don’t know!” You dropped Jack’s hand and stood up from the couch, and started to pace the room. 

“Sugar, please sit down.” Jack pleaded, and you paused, looking back at him on the couch. One look was all you needed, and you narrowed your eyes at the smirk on his dumb face. 

“Why are you smirking? I am experiencing emotional distress, you asshole.” You seethed, running your hands through your hair in frustration.

“Tell me more about this jealousy thing. I’m intrigued.” Jack’s tone was light and teasing, and washed over you like sour milk. Your head whipped in his direction and your face must’ve said a thousand words, because Jack’s smirk soon disappeared and he hurriedly stood up and walked over, reaching out to touch you. 

“See, this -” You jabbed a finger into Jack’s chest. “This is why I have avoided this conversation for almost my entire life. Because you think it’s hilarious that we could ever go down that path. That we could ever be something more than what we are. Because I’m not good enough,or pretty enough, or just enough and I never will be, and I hate it. I hate it so much.” Your voice cracked on the last few words, and you felt the hot tears start to bubble out of your eyes and stream down your face. 

Jack didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to. He pulled you into a hug, bringing his hand up to your face and gently brushing away the tears with his thumbs. 

“Breathe, sugar. You need to calm down.” Jack said quietly, willing you to calm. That just made you cry harder. 

You were about to pull away, when you felt Jack cup your face with both hands, before leaning in to kiss you. 

[blackfliesinbluesugar]

I really don't understand why the show is paced like this, I just don't? Even if they were told at production they would ONLY have 8 episodes, low chance of a s2, that this was all they'd get - I dunno, how is sucking all of the fun and investment out of your plot the best solution outside of, like, writing what you reasonably can and then maybe trying for a comic book or something? Again, I know that's shit feeling, I know it'd suck, I know it'd hurt. But again, even if this is the only medium you WANT to tell your story in, how is telling it BADLY the answer? It's crashing 50k words of fic into a list of bulletpoints.

I don't care about any of these characters. Not because I'm some spurned anti or someone who went in ready to hate - I've fandomed this show since June 2019. I've been obsessed with these characters and world. I have written nearly half a million words of fanfiction for these guys, including all of the background characters they keep giving love like Molly and Mimzy and Rosie. But that's all fanon, and I know how to seperate that in my brain. Which means I love the idea of these characters - I'm thrilled to see even the little cameos, It feels like fanservice in a way that makes me buzz with energy - but I don't love the characters. In canon, I don't care about Alastor, or Husk, or Charlie. I actively feel disinterest in ones like Camille and Vaggie and Adam. They have no depth, only gesturing at interesting ideas and trauma. Angel, I'm STARTING to care about, but they only gave him a real personality AFTER dropping all of his trauma on us. So great. It's discord group chats all over again.

Just.. why. Is doing 3 seasons worth in 1 season really worth it? Is it, frankly, better than nothing at all? I cared more about these guys when I had the privelege of assuming they'd have deep developed arcs and connections, that the hotel denizens would get a chance to bond and interact and flesh themselves out. Now they're pretty png's standing vaguely near each other, occasionally breaking into song or crying about their past. Big whoop.

I wish s1 had developed the hotel solely - no Velvette, no Camille, no Zestial, no Mimzy, no Sera or Emily or Lucifer or Lilith, and then saved that stuff for s2 when we CARE about our protagonists and can afford to care about other characters, instead of all of them being 'cool, I guess'

I'm sad. I'm really sad. I waited over 4 years for a slideshow.

[morganas-pendragons]

breathe | hunter

Hunter has been struggling with nightmares and guilt over not being able to save Crosshair from siding with the Empire. You are there to pick up the pieces.

AN: OKAY. So. Never in a million years did I think my funky little brain was going to be writing Bad Batch fanfiction again for the first time in like 2-3 years, but here we are. I've been obsessed with Season 3. I have particularly enjoyed Hunter and Crosshair in this season and have had ideas for both of them, so here I am.

Also, for those of you who have been around a while, this season has also gotten my brain rolling with ideas for Jedi!Skip (If you know you know) so if there's interest in that, I will definitely write for it.

Mando'a Translations:

Ad'ika - Little One

Me'suum'ika - Little Moon

Anyway, this is set before Crosshairs return in s3. Female reader.

***

It starts off as it always does with them. Suffering barricaded behind wary eyes, hidden underneath the surface and carefully tucked away to be left until they are alone.

They all do it. They all hide from their emotions, and when embraced, it is only in the quiet of solitude. Only when they are alone. Only when they are the ones able to be haunted by it. Not one of the clones in your charge will dare burden their brothers with their heartache.

Which is why you would have never known of Hunter's despair had it not been for Omega.

You were deep in sleep when little hands wrapped around your shoulders, frantically shaking you awake. "Shhh, ad'ika," You grumbled, throwing your arms over your eyes as Omega continued to shake you from where she knelt beside your cot. "We all need our beauty sleep-"

"No, no. Didn't you hear it? It's Hunter." Omega pleaded. You rose one arm to peer at the young clone through the dark. Even swathed in shadow, you could still make out the desperation written across her face. Whatever she'd seen had clearly scared her. "I think he's having a nightmare in the cockpit. I wasn't sleeping anyway. And when I tried to wake him up, he nearly punched me. I don't think he meant to."

Now fully alert, you allowed yourself to slip out of your tiny cot and follow Omega to the stairs that led to the cockpit of The Marauder. You could just barely see Hunter's dark hair over the pilot's seat.

The two of you had gotten along from the start. When you were assigned to the Bad Batch due to your unconventional means of engaging on the battlefield, The Council had essentially cleaned their hands of you and never bothered to breathe another order in your direction again. You'd preferred it that way.

Hunter had been hesitant to work with a Jedi at first. They all had. When Wrecker had finally been the one to get past your exterior, they all came to learn individual traits about you that each one gravitated to.

For Hunter, however... He was always drawn to the security you offered. Clones were never guaranteed safety. With you, though, he knew he would always find security in your embrace. Even when he believed he didn't deserve it.

Frowning, you swallowed the knot in your throat and laid a hand on Omega's shoulder. She was still staring intently at the cockpit. You knew how close she and Hunter were, especially after Tech's death, and you didn't want her to have to see him wake from the throes of a nightmare.

You opened your mouth to murmur to her when his frantic, broken cry of his brother's name rang out in the silence.

It wasn't Tech's.

"Ad'ika, go back to Wrecker. I'll take care of him."

Omega opened her mouth as if she were going to argue before turning on her heel and padding quietly to where Wrecker was fast asleep. You swallowed your fear and slowly approached the cockpit, the hems of your robes brushing against bare feet as you quietly padded forward until you stopped right behind Hunter.

You peered over the top of the pilot's seat and softened. Hunter was fast asleep, as you had anticipated, his neck and head bent at an awkward angle as his fingers tightly gripped the armrests of the chair. His knuckles were nearly white.

"No, no- Cross, please..." Your heart sank as he fought himself in his dream, fought the image of Crosshair walking away from you and joining the Empire. You wondered what event he was dreaming about. You could very easily slip into his dreams, but you'd promised them during the war you'd never do that unless you had to. "No, Cross!"

You were kneeling with your hand on his thigh by the time he woke up. You could have easily anticipated his next move: Lunging outward to attack an assailant and pin them effectively with his weight against the controls. You chose not to. You needed him this way to give him the comfort he was going to be seeking.

"Hunter." You whisper. Smooth, soft fingers glide through his hair to part it and allow you to see his eyes. He's staring right at you. Staring right at you with dark eyes so wide and fearful you almost wonder if he is seeing something you're not. That's probably the worst part. The clones are always anticipating what you, a Jedi, cannot see. It is usually devastating. "Me'suum'ika."

It's the roll of Mando'a off your tongue that finally coaxes him to properly look at you. The nickname had been given once you'd solidified your standing with him upon settling on Pabu. In the quiet night along the shoreline, Hunter had convinced you to sneak away from the others to spend some time with him alone.

You hummed quietly as Hunter settled over you, dark eyes gleaming against the moonlight above as he caged you with his body and planted his knee between your thighs. "You know," He murmured lowly as he tangled his fingers in the hair at your nape. The gravel of his voice sent shivers down your spine. "I think it's customary to kiss someone once you know they feel the same way about you."

You had only just uttered your heart's confession moments before. He'd been so afraid to admit he felt the same way. So afraid to let himself indulge in his desires, so afraid to admit he was deserving of them.

You rose one hand to rest it in the dip of his chest.

"I think I've got my endearment for you," You whisper, lips quirking upward as you raise yourself to hover mere inches from his mouth. Your breath trembles as it fans his face. He too is swallowing the fear, embracing the courage, and letting himself free fall into that desire he spent so long running from. "Little moon."

"Me'suum'ika," He repeated. You nodded and continued twirling his hair around your fingers, desperately trying to ignore how his body was pressing against yours in just the right way. "I always did like that name."

"I know you do," You whisper. It's only a second later when you catch a glistening flash of tears against his cheeks, and you're leaning upward to kiss them away. He shudders against you at that action and allows you to guide him back to sitting in the pilot's seat. "I know you."

Something flickered across his face as you slowly settled yourself in his lap. Whether or not it was guilt, or shame, or anger... You didn't know. But you'd give anything for him to find some peace in the midst of all this grief.

His breathing is still erratic just under where your hand lays in the dip of his chest. You watch his eyes unfocus as he struggled to ground himself and come fully out of the throes of whatever nightmare he'd endured.

You didn't dare ask him what that was. If it had to do with Crosshair, it was obviously enough for him to look wrecked. Like he hadn't done enough. He'd never felt like he'd done enough to save Crosshair to begin with. And now, with Tech gone...

Well. We all have to end up somewhere.

"I don't know what guilt you carry, or what anger," You guide his hands to your hips and hum quietly as you continue your ministrations of twirling your fingers through his hair. His eyes fluttered closed and leaned into the warmth of your touch, seeking it out as if it were the only thing that could possibly sate a need he couldn't quite identify. "Or your shame. What I do know is you. I know you. I know you, and your heart, and I know how loyal you are to who you love. How you protect what you love. What happened to Crosshair is not on you, Hunter. We all make our own choices. We are who determines how we end."

Autonomy. Also another new concept for clones.

Hunter swallowed the knot in his throat and leaned forward until his face was tucked against your chest. A long moment of uneasy silence passed before he decided to speak, "I can't get it out of my head. The image of him just standing there and watching us fly away. We failed him. I failed him. And then Tech..."

His voice faded into silence once again. As the leader, you understood carrying losses. You understood the pain of failure when it comes to not being able to protect what's yours. That's one of the things he's come to love about you. You understand him in a way that no one else has ever been able to do.

You tapped his temples once with your fingers. It was a silent question, one you only ever asked when you wanted him to let his guard down enough to help him. To comfort him.

He nodded. The moment he did, Hunter allowed the carefully constructed barricades keeping his emotions at bay to fall, and you swept in to steady him when they did.

Breathe, my love.

You securely wrapped your arms around him and pressed your chin to the top of his head. Underneath your hand, you felt his breathing steadily begin to slow.

He tipped his head back just enough to look up at you. Your fingers continue a downward descent, across the slopes and plains of his face, until they're brushing against the fullness of parted lips.

Hunter nods. It's all he can do. He is a man standing alone on an island, and you are the sanctuary he seeks.

Bathed in moonlight, the Sergeant surged upward and caught your lips with his own. Your hands now laid tangled together against his chest.

Just breathe.

[johnica-weeks]

Johnica Week 2024

When is the event? 📆

This year's Johnica Week will start on Thursday 18th January and end on Sunday 21st January! For the first time the event will START on their wedding anniversary and continue throughout the weekend 🥰 But as always, don't worry if you're late! You can keep sending your contributions after the last day, these are simply indicative days to gather all together 💕

Where? 🔎

Here on Tumblr, on AO3 and also on Instagram for visual artists!

💚 Use the tag #JohnicaWeek2024 in your entries here and on Instagram!

📚 > Here is the AO3 COLLECTION where to post your fics! <

💚 Tag @eileen-crys and/or @johnica-weeks in your works so I can read, see and share them!

📚 At the end of the event I’ll make a Tumblr masterlist with all the works!

2020 Masterlist | 2021 Masterlist | 2022 Masterlist | 2023 Masterlist

The Theme 🎁

The 49th Wedding Anniversary comes soon before the huge milestone of the 50 years together, and it's usually represented by various symbols that I added to the prompts: Zircon, Orchids, the color Purple, and luxurious gifts. The main theme of this year's event is GIFTS, the act of giving the partner something material or abstract as an act of selflessness, that can have various meanings and various reactions.

Like all the prompts, it’s up to you to follow the theme or not, consider it just as a general theme that you could build your entries around. I chose some prompts that might fit this theme, that are about gifts as physical objects or as ideas for situations or alternative worldbuildings.

How? 🖼

You're encouraged to join with your preferred creative media or challenge yourself with something new! Fanfictions, drawings, comics, poetry, collages and photo edits, moodboards, anything you like! More in the RULES below.

Like all Ship Weeks, this is a fandom event to share love and creativity related to a particular couple, so be sure to engage with the entries and support all the artists and writers that chose to join! Reblog, leave likes/kudos and comment on the artworks to keep the fandom alive! 💜💖💕💜💖💕

Day 1 • 18 January (Anniversary!)

Flowers: Orchids are symbols of love, beauty, refinement, fertility, strength and resilience, and mature charm.

Surprise gift!

Handmade by the other

Young, poor and happy together

"I've got a loving wife and a couple of kids at home, that'll do me!"

Day 2 • 19 January

The color: Purple can evoke spirituality, mystery, royalty, imagination, compassion, fantasy, wisdom, creativity and sensitivity.

A kinky gift 😏

Concert tickets

Radio interview

“When you love something, you protect it with your entire life. Right now, my guts tell me to do the same.”

Day 3 • 20 January

Gemstone: Zircon zircon is a talisman of travelers. They count on it to lead to a shelter and show the right way. Plus, it is able to protect from injuries. Women used the gem to ease childbirth, drive away evil spirits, enhance health, get wisdom, and attract good luck.

Rejecting a gift

Torn between options

Dreaming and daydreaming

"You remembered something I’d mentioned a million years ago!"

Day 4 • 21 January

Celebration: Luxury the 49th wedding anniversary is the step right before the big 50, also known as the Golden wedding. All the symbols represent the wealth of experience a couple has after being married for nearly five decades. Two people who are willing to work together and compromise and do all the things that make a marriage successful deserve to celebrate with a bit of Luxury.

Matching pyjamas

Spa experience / Pampering one another

Knowing each other like an open book

"Oh my, this must have been expensive!" "Nothing is expensive enough for you, my love."

What can you do? ✒

You can join with fanfics, edits and moodboards, drawings of all kinds and if you want to sing or play an instrument please feel free to!

The requirements are:

John and Veronica Deacon as the main pairing;

Your love and creativity! 🥰

You can write/draw:

Fics with and without accurate settings and timelines;

Alternative Universes (AU) of any kind and genre, mixed or not with the prompts (ex. Fem!John AU + coffee shop, A/B/O AU + Superpowers);

“What if"s;

Genderswap/genderbending of any kind;

Other Queen members, friends, pairings, family, poly ships (that have to involve both John and Veronica!), OCs, etc…

Fluff, angst, crack, hurt/comfort, action, mystery, sexy times… anything you fancy!

🔥 NSFW is allowed with PROPER TAGS! IMPORTANT note: please interact with NSFW only if you’re +18! 🔞

… and more! If you’re unsure feel free to ask!

We’re here to celebrate John and Veronica Deacon, not to create drama or fights nor to disrespect their privacy. So please be considered about your entries and comments and always try to be respectful to John, to Veronica, to their family and friends, to the people who ship them or ship other couples and to your audience.

HOW to post? 🤔

You can post your entries here on Tumblr, on AO3 and on Instagram, using the hashtag #JohnicaWeek2024 and tagging me.

If you prefer, you can post anonymously on AO3, HERE is an easy guide on how to do it!

If you’re on Tumblr and want to post a fic anonymously please send me a DM and I’ll post it on @johnica-weeks on your behalf, crediting it as Anonymous author! I will also post fics from Anon authors posted on AO3 here on tumblr on Anon's behalf.

🔥 TAG your work APPROPRIATELY! This includes all potential triggers and smut. On Tumblr you can include the appropriate warnings at the top of the fic followed by a "keep reading” cut (you can add it in desktop version AND on mobile by writing :readmore: in a new line!) Also be sure to tag the rating of your fic, the genre and the themes of your story, enough to help the readers!

✨ If you’re still unsure, HERE’s a useful guide on how to tag your works!

As a reader... 📖

If you’re a fan of John, of Johnica or simply like to read fanfictions, positive interactions are always much welcomed! Support the authors by leaving likes, a comment (even a little one!) and sharing their work. On AO3 you don’t need an account to leave Kudos and Comments! (Unless the author has willingly prevented guests to comment). To leave a comment on AO3 you simply have to choose a temporary mail and set your email to get a notification for an eventual reply.

If a work is not tagged appropriately, you can reach out to me via DM and I’ll warn the author. If anything makes you uncomfortable, simply close the work! Do not engage by leaving nasty comments or messaging the author!

🔥 IMPORTANT!!! 🔥

During the event, if any of you/your entries gets hateful comments or messages towards you, your entries, the Johnica ship, the event or other creators, please DELETE the hateful comment/message right away with no interactions and let me know! This is no place for haters, just for creativity and love. If you see a hateful comment on other works do not engage, instead leave a positive comment to the same work and support the author! 💜

Realistic or not, remember that fanfictions are, by definition, FICTIONAL and not meant to be a documentary! There are lots of things we don’t know about John and Veronica’s private lives and don’t want to go in too deeply, gossip or speculate about them, so feel free to fly with your fantasy and let your creativity flow! 😊💖 Most of all… have fun, respect each other and support each other’s works!

Dividers and graphics by @firefly-graphics and @johnica-weeks. As always for any info and question feel free to send an ask or a DM!

[sarroora]

Sarroora's Art & Fanfiction Update

September - October

God, last time I did an update post was back in April, so here goes -

Still on the hunt for full-time design work, but no luck so far. The economy here's falling off a cliff but I go to bed every night with a smile knowing 60,000 Zionist companies went outta business lol

My commissions will unfortunately be closed from September till the end of the year, as I'll be very busy those months balancing between many deadlines and obligations.

Here's a quick summary of projects I've been working on, and some Works in Progress:

Chapter 13 of Cats, Gangs and Leaders is out, after nearly 6 years of hiatus. Updates from now on will be only on AO3, not FFnet.

Chapter 14's being worked on. I really wanted it to be out in time for the Blu Ray release of Top Cat, but that's Sept 19 - so there's no way I can catch that deadline aaaaaaaa. But hey, at least know the working title so far is 'Acey Deucy with the Little Choochie'

Chapter 15's outline is mostly done but obviously some stuff will be left for last or changed when Chap 14's completely done. Working title might change, but for now it's 'Sometimes they Come Back'

Sticker sheets and sketchbook designs to be ready for possible future bazaars (focus on: Pokemon, SpyXFamily, misc.)

Still rather behind on Chapter 3 of the sequel of my Detroit: Become Human fanfic, The Only Truth that Sticks. I've missed writing it so much but I gotta get it right. Working title is still 'A Graveyard of Connors' ;)

Some iconography for a friend's app design

Other WIPs:

A bunch of sketches/concept art for scenes from CGaL and Top Cat in general

Wall art for a client's space

The polls winner illustration (Donald Duck)

The 3 Cabs 2024 redraw (redrawing one of my 2018 sketches)

Wednesday Addams (a Jenna Portrait)

[achaotichuman]

Surprise self-rec time! Pick 3 of your favorite things you’ve written and share them here, then put this in the inbox (anonymously or not) of your fellow writers to spread the positivity and help celebrate already written fics

OMG YES I LOVE THIS!!!!!!

A Witch A Warrior And A Reckoning

I am super proud of this one, it's the first piece of writing I've made where I outlined everything and prepped before actually going ahead and posting (Im usually a *follow the vibe* kinda guy) My writing style is pretty developed now and I think it really shines through with this one. Especially because of how many of my OC's are featured here.

Summary-

Life is peaceful for Dahlia Fairburn, running with her War Band, and commanding the Spring Court armies. Since the day she could wield a sword, she's been helping her father, along with her younger brother, to restore Spring to its former glory. Trying to ignore the festering magic in her body, that threatens to consume her.

One day, all that peace is threatened to be shaken, as a certain prince of Night asks for her to join the rebellion of the Hewn City and Illyria. From beneath the great mountains, an ancient song calls for her. She meets a woman with death in her eyes, and power in her veins, who makes Dahlia's blood boil while something clicks into place between them.

This new generation of Prythian was thought to be one of peace and prosperity. But the mask of the reigning High Lords begin to crumble, as secrets older than Prythian itself are uncovered, and darkness is unleashed.

An ACOTAR next generation fanfiction

How Nesta Archeron Learned To Trap A Beast

I never thought in a million years this would get nearly the amount of attention that it did, but it is now my most popular fic to date. I started writing it because of a poll @kateprincessofbluewhales did about who would take Nesta on a camping trip instead of the Hike from Hell. And an anon suggested Tamlin. I was like "lol that would be so funny" and now it has over 225 kudos and 130 subscriptions

Summary-

When given the choice of being locked up in the House of Wind with the male she despises, or returning to the Human Lands where she will no doubt face certain death. Nesta Archeron takes her chances and decides to return to the Mortal World. However, she is going on her own. After catching a ship and landing herself in Summer, Nesta makes her way through the Spring Lands with one goal in mind, make it to her old home alive without being trapped by any other beastly Faeries.

Little did she know she might be the one catching the beastly Faery.

Crippled by memories and loneliness weighing down on him, Tamlin is near the verge of ending it all. His home is in ruins, his only company the dripping in the corner of the room and sometimes the singing of birds. As his thoughts spin him in circles Tamlin doesn't think life will ever be better than this. Then someone with silver eyes and bad attitude sets foot in his lands.

And well.... Tamlin had never been taught to not poke sleeping bears.

A Court of Song and Desolation

This fic was born from the vibes it has. I was up at 2am on a random Monday night with work the next day, and my writing group sent through a prompt for us to write about. I was struggling with what to write, and then as I was typing something about a beast in a cage, the idea came to make it about Tamlin. Yada yada yada, I turned it into an angsty Tamcien oneshot, and decided "well if anyone wants more (which I doubt they will) Ill make another chapter" Then someone commented they want more and I was sent down the pipeline of hyperfixation. And here we are!

Summary-

She had eyes like starlight and a grin that could outshine the moon, "We'll rule the world."

"What if we fail?"

"Then we'll burn it all down."

In hindsight maybe it could only have ever ended like this. Making a man who was never made to rule, High lord. This was all inevitable.

With his Court in ruins and everyone gone, Tamlin lives amongst the broken pieces of his Court and has no intentions of changing that. Lucien, however, will not stand to leave his oldest friend alone.

When Lucien takes Tamlin back to the human lands, they discover a darkness coming for Prythian. If something does not stop it, it will completely rewrite the way Faeries and humans alike live as they know it

[lovelywingsart]

Neverending Forces -- New Beginnings

-- Infinite the Jackal X OC (Trans, He/Him) --

Ah... well, here you go! I already posted it to AO3, but figured I'd post here too. Give y'all something else to read while Metalworks stories are on standby, yeah?

Anyway- It's been a while since I've properly written another canon character that has nothing to do with Resident Evil since that's ALL I've worked on for the past 3 years (no Saren doesn't count, I haven't actually written for him), as well as the first time I've written a canon character after only consuming/playing the game properly once yet loving the character for a while.

They did him dirty and I'm still so angry at both his poor excuse of an 'origin story' and the fact that he doesn't even last until the VERY end of the game because he flopped on the ground like a wet stuffed animal and then fucked off to who knows where. Once again, canon fucked us.

If y'all wanna see more stories for them, this may primarily be a 'ask suggestion only' series, because I'm not entirely sure how much else I'll write... So, I guess let me know, and if you wanna see a specific story interaction feel free to shoot me an ask with an idea and I'll see what I can do!

Sonic fanfiction lessgo as well as a pretty new story cover ayyyy

-----

Warnings?: Severe injury/wound, threats, a hack job of a wound dressing

Summary: Takes place immediately after the events of Sonic Forces -- While scouting the city on a personal patrol to ensure the safety of it's citizens, our secondary hero, only nicknamed 'the rookie' thus far, makes an interesting- and possibly dangerous- discovery. While the fight has ended, a new part of life has begun; and this is only the beginning.

The city was bustling rather quietly, though not in its normal capacity- rebuilding and clearing of debris had begun almost immediately after the robots in the city itself had been destroyed and the hallucinations, the 'clones', had disappeared from the outskirts. Citizens and nearby townsfolk had gathered in attempts to repair what they could before nightfall, working quickly with precautions being taken amongst the masses to prevent more injury. Though while many were on the ground, a lone figure made its way across rooftops, searching for any remnants of the battle beforehand. 'Tie up any loose ends' , he had thought to himself. Of course he stopped if he was needed, though was primarily met with praises. Humbling as it was, he didn't quite fancy the attention- he had only helped save the world, after all. It was the hedgehog that deserved the praise, not him.

The wolf hopped between rooftops with ease, his ears on a constant swivel for any yells for help or crumbling stone- only to pause as a small glint caught his eye. He nearly skid to a stop as his eyes were fully drawn to it, his head cocking to the side in curiosity. Even with all the metallic debris around from buildings and other structures, nothing had caught the sun as brightly as... whatever it was. Perhaps a light signal for help? he thought, suddenly launching forward to a lower rooftop for a better look. Someone who needed it but couldn't call?

He crouched as he landed on the concrete again, huddling to the edge. He could see the object clearer now, a pointed metallic piece on the ground, peeking from around the corner of a darker alleyway already affected by the lowering sun. It's brilliant gleam drew him closer, intriguing him to the point of movement. He jumped down once more, keeping his gaze on the object until he hit the pavement. One look around him reflected that most living souls were near the middle of the city where the most damage was- no one was around, and the sound was distant. Scents were dulled from the muzzle he wore, but his attention was once more brought towards the reflective piece as a familiar one drifted through in that direction. It was a scent that admittedly made the fur on the back of his neck raise, but he couldn't decipher exactly what it was... But it made his stomach turn.

It wasn't until he walked closer, side stepping a few feet away as the object grew larger and noticeably hollow. The shape of it was peculiar, the tip of it pointed and angled up with flattened edges instead of round. Inching closer gave it more detail, and he suddenly froze.

The object was... a mask.

A FAMILLIAR mask…

Infinites mask.

He felt his heartbeat quicken in a sudden rush of panic, his lips pulling back into an involuntary snarl under the muzzle as his eyes darted to and fro. His nostrils flared as he attempted to calm himself down. But... Infinite was dead...

Right...?

The thought crossed his mind quickly, and it eased him- but not by much. He only vaguely remembered the Jackal panicking before he was swallowed into another fight- but surely this meant he was dead.

The wolf took a breath, stepping forward with mild confidence. He neared the mask, picking it up off the ground and inspecting it. The object was surprisingly light, the once polished metal scuffed and the glass of the left eye cracked from when it was inevitably dropped. He turned it in his hands, his claws tapping along the metal. It was surprisingly well made now that he saw it up close...Well. Closer than he already had.

He held it up in front of him, his imagination running. A cold shot of fear ran along his spine once more as he looked directly at it, his vision seeming to flicker back to when he was cornered. Back to when he fought the Jackal face to face, when he met the wild gaze of the creature they had gone against. He dropped the thing once more as if it had burned him with the not so distant memory, his breaths quickening. He flinched as it hit the ground- but his ears suddenly perked as another noise drifted from the alley in response to the clatter. He looked up, the sound registering. It sounded like... pain.

He forced his fear away with a shake of the head as he walked into the darkening area, following the sounds of stifled groaning. He only paused again once another, more metallic scent hit his nose, and one glance at the ground seemingly confirmed his suspicions-

Blood.

And with the amount pooled in one area, whoever it was wouldn't last much longer.

The thought of another innocent losing their life forced him into movement, following the trail and handprints on the wall further down the dark alley. The glimpse of a white tipped tail disappearing behind the corner only urged him into a jog, nearly sliding as he rounded the corner himself. He opened his mouth to speak, but his voice caught in his throat as his eyes focused on the sight he found in front of him.

The Jackal.

The Jackal who, currently, kneeled and huddled against the wall with wheezing breaths, one hand over his face and the other pressed to the middle of his chest. He was in pain, clearly, but the wolf kept his distance. Eyeing him for a few seconds more revealed the cause of said pain; a large wound under the hand on his chest, staining the cream fur red as he seemingly attempted to apply pressure with his palm. Even from a small distance it almost looked like something had exploded from his chest, bits of torn and ripped flesh visible even under the tufts of soaked fur. It was only then that he remembered the stone that had once been fixed to his chest, and it suddenly clicked.

The Phantom Ruby... the thing that had been the ultimate cause of his 'powers'. The very thing he himself had countered with the duplicate, and the thing who's power he had helped destroy in the end- and destroying it seemed to destroy Infinite as well. Or, at least leave him with a flesh wound in the form of a deep hole in his chest.

He took another cautious step forward. He had a feeling the jackal wouldn't fight now... If he did, it was a death sentence.

Infinites ears swiveled madly as his footsteps grew closer, a single yellow eye darting up to see the wolf approaching. The recognition was instant, and a low snarl ripped through his throat.

" YOU- " he started, only for his voice to catch in his throat as the pain from his chest flared. The wolf stopped in his tracks, listening to the pained wheezes. If the pain didn't stop him, the blood loss would.

He was silent as he watched the jackal struggle, fighting back the sudden rush of anger. The sudden rush of rage he felt towards the jackal and what he had done, what he had helped do, knowing this is what he had become afterwards.

The great Infinite, once so high and mighty before running with his tail between his legs and now dying with a hole in his chest.

His thoughts rushed through his mind, some festering longer than others in such a short time. He could have left him there... he could have walked away. Let him bleed out. This creature was once a threat to the galaxy as they knew it, it was the least he could do…

But somehow, he couldn't bring himself to walk away.

He wasn't as bad as them.

He resumed his approach, suddenly reaching up to the strap of the muzzle. If the jackal was bare faced, he thought he may as well be, too. They were both new faces, after all.

He could feel Infinites eyes on him, pressing to the wall and growling like a cornered animal as the wolf removed the muzzle, kneeling down in front of him. He saw the jackals eyes move with more frantic confusion with the revealed pale fur, though his own attention was locked onto the hole his hand still covered. Blood seeped through his fingers, turning the dark grey fur a deep crimson, nearly gushing if he moved to shift away. But the wolf stayed silent, his head tilting to the side.

Infinite growled again.

" Get... aw-way... " he managed through bared teeth, but the wolf didn't budge. Instead, he moved closer, now determined to at least put a stop to- or at least slow- the bleeding.

He'd at least give him a chance.

He reached out for the hand on his chest, but the Jackal instead lunged forward and snapped his jaws at his wrist in a defensive snarl.

" D-Don't you DARE touch m- " he started, only for his voice to get cut off as the wolf lunged, himself, letting a small burst of rage take control for the shortest of moments. Whether it was a control tactic or a genuine threat to kill, even he wasn't sure. He moved without thinking.

Infinite found his back shoved against the ground with a pained yelp, scrambling to take hold of the wolf in defense before finding one set of claws around his neck while the other surrounded the wound on his chest. His ears were pinned to the back of his head as he looked at the wolf over him, miscolored eyes widening as he stared at a set of razor sharp teeth shown from a dangerous snarl, like that of a feral animal. This COULDN'T have been the same kid…

The wolf stared down at him, pale lips curled back over his fangs as he fought the anger towards the jackal. Fought the urge to claw more into his chest, to make the already deep wound even larger. But he stopped himself, seeing the realization of overpowerment in the eyes of what had once been the enemy. What might STILL be the enemy if he wasn't careful. His snarling faltered for a few moments as he contemplated, only to finally relax- but only just a bit.

" ... I could hurt you... " he said simply, the calmness of his voice unsettlingly jarring in contrast to the fangs still near the others muzzle, looking as if they were ready to tear in a moments notice. He felt Infinite freeze under him with a pained whine as he dug his claws into his chest, making sure he was fully aware of the truth his words held.

He COULD hurt him... but he wouldn't.

He stayed where he was for a few moments until finally moving his hand from the jackals throat, instead grabbing the stained bandana around his neck. An uncomfortable yip was forced from his throat as the wolf tugged it away, aware of the now burning sensation along the back of his neck from the fabric being yanked against it. Any other thought of moving was thrown out as another sudden pain shot through his system, this time caused by the wolf shoving the harshly folded bandana against the open wound to apply as much pressure as he could.

He pressed it against the jackals chest with force, soaking up blood and preventing more from pooling. His own ears went back at the resulting pained cry, feeling the others claws reach and dig into his arm in feeble attempts to get him away. But he didn't budge, pressing against the fabric and keeping his eyes on it. He waited for the jackals shock to waver, judging by the force of the claws in his arm. Wasn't so invincible now, was he?

A few seconds more was all it took, and he reached to untie his own bandana. The claws on his arm tightened as he shifted, centering it along the jackals chest while pressing it down, as well.

" Y-You- "

"Quiet."

Even Infinite couldn't help but listen, his voice hoarse and vision wavering as the wolf worked. Cloth was pressed to his chest, then his sides just under the arms- one side shoved under his back until he was forcibly rolled onto the same side with another groan, the wolf grabbing his arms and making him apply pressure, himself. He was still as the wolf tied his own bandana around the jackals chest in a tight knot. Only when he was satisfied with his work did he pry himself away, watching the once great Infinite curl into a ball with heavy, wheezing breaths and both hands pressed against his chest as if still trying to keep pressure. But even then he couldn't help but growl, the vibration sending more sparks of pain along his body.

"... I don't... I don't need... your pity..." he managed, his own teeth bared as he now attempted to fight the pain. But the wolf just stared at him, tilting his head.

"Not pity." He said quietly, earning a glance from the jackal.

There was silence between them, the wolf watching carefully. He simply backed away moments later as Infinite shifted, managing to shuffle onto his knees, yet still hunched over; then a moments pause before finally pushing himself up after taking wavering breaths, his body trembling still. The wolf kept his eyes on him, watching carefully. He was still weak, yes, but the fact he could still move now was mildly impressive, all things considered... He was starting to think that the ruby only increased the strength he already had.

He still kept his distance, though let out a huff. This was taking too long…

"You'll die here." He stated simply, and the jackals ears swiveled to pin against his head once more.

"What are you-"

"Come." The wolf said, grabbing the muzzle he wore from his side and bringing it back to his face. "Proper care. Safety."

Infinite growled again, his breaths nothing short of an angry wheeze.

" I don't- "

"Come, or die." The wolf repeated, backing away again. Another statement, as if he knew exactly what the outcome would be. The jackal stared at him, though let out a groaning growl.

He managed to steady his arms enough to lean forward on his knees, taking more pained breaths with every movement as he attempted to stand. He shifted more after each pause, using the wall to hold himself upright as he slowly stood. His legs trembled from the weakness and pain, but he pushed on, nearly stumbling into a trash bin once he tried to take a step from a sudden dizziness. But he steadied himself once more, keeping one hand against the tight bandanas on his chest.

"... Who are you..." he grumbled finally, turning to glance at the wolf who had begun his walk out of the alley.

The wolf paused at the question. It wasn't the first time he had asked, of course... but it was the only time he was willing to answer.

He turned to look over his shoulder, copper eyes burning.

"Rook." He said simply, nodding towards the road. "Come."

The jackal stared as he continued to walk, only looking down as his blood stained hands the farther away he got. He weighed his options quickly, but it was rather clear to him that he had no choice-

He had nothing else to go to, no matter if he wanted to live or not.

With a pained breath and a shuffle forward, he followed the wolf slowly, holding onto the wall and sticking to the shadows with the occasional met gaze to ensure he was still standing.

[wrenaspun]

tagged by @princessniitza to answer several questions and tag five people!! Thank you frond 🥰 Let's go:

1. How did you get into writing fanfiction? A fanart blog! After I finished the HP series I was googling it passionately and in so doing found fanart, followed it to a wordpress art blog, and then upon an offhand comment about fanfiction googled 'harry potter fanfiction'. And the rest is history

2. How many fandoms have you written in? 7 that i've published on ao3! I think 9 if we count stuff I've posted elsewhere, and probably a few more if we count stuff I've written but not published

3. How many years have you been writing fanfiction? My first one was published in mid 2013.... 11 years. Good lord

4. Do you read or write more fanfiction? Oh read, for sure. I keep a spreadsheet for both reading and writing -- I'm nearly at 6million words read thus far this year, vs 80k written. A slight disparity !

5. What is one way you’ve improved as a writer? Loool is it cheating to say in every way?? I think if you compared any of my fics now to those of 11 years ago they would simply not be in the same league. But I'll say my command of language, and my ability to communicate emotions more subtly.

6. What’s the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project? Polythene growing tunnels, firewood growing and coppicing techniques, for one fic I read (bits of) the muqaddimah and the safarnama of nasir khusraw... I'm sure there are more but I tend not to end up using much from my more unhinged research holes lmao

7. What’s your favorite type of comment to receive on your work? All of them of course, but the ones that dive into specific lines or story elements they liked are a special gift

8. What’s the most fringe trope/topic you write about? I think amnesia and selkies are the 2 I've returned to across multiple fandoms :')

9. What is the hardest type of story for you to write? The long ones with lots of plot and moving plates, alas! I've been wrestling with the main longfic I'm working on for ages and ages, but we forge on

10. What is the easiest type? I don't know if there's anything that binds them, but there is a type of fic that just comes bubbling up from my id and demands to be written, and those tend to come out relatively quickly and smoothly! 'bathed in light' was one such fic, and 'send me a little word' was another

11. Where do you do your writing? What platform? When? Scrivener! But it's version 1.9 because the update to v3 made everything look different and frightening. And as for when/where it's usually late night, on my couch or in bed

12. What is something you’ve been too nervous/intimidated to write, but would love to write one day? My beloved film reviews fic -- though it is less a case of intimidation and more a case of "but if i want to write fictional film reviews of 5 films that get made about the historical figures King Laurent and King Damianos I have to first sort out what the future film industry looks like and how it developed and did they have a Hays Code also? How did their censorship policies change over time? And when did three-strip technicolor get dropped in favour of eastmancolor, and were there any wars or geopolitical conflicts which shaped the production of contemporaneous films, and is there a 1948 New Artes v. Paramount antitrust case that breaks up the distribution channels and affects the way that independent productions are able to come onto the scene, and and and ----" SO basically you can tell I did film studies. And ALSO what DATES would I use for the speculative future of this secondary world fantasy ?? But I do hope that one day I will power thru my brain's panicked worldbuilding questions and write this fic!!

13. What made you choose your username? I was looking through the Hepcats Jive Talk Dictionary for reasons I no longer remember and saw the entry 'spin a wren = dance with a woman' which I thought was so cute that I made it my ao3 name. Wrenaspun is just a silly play on that :')

tagging without pressure @kybelles @sideraclara @folfar @thevorpalsword @penguinmerchant 🥳🥰

[snorlaxlovesme]

this is called giving Live Action Avatar a fair chance

the Netflix live action Avatar has always been a strange beast. it's a thing no one wanted after the disastrous 2010 movie. public perception of it was extremely low after Bryke walked out on it because of creative differences (disheartening as well as concerning). people tore apart the teaser stills and completely thrashed the early trailers. the news that Sokka's sexism plot was being altered had fans frothing at the mouth. the show seemed to be caught in this limbo where it had an incredibly low bar to rise above, in terms of trouncing The Last Airbender Movie, and infinitely high bar it would be impossible to reach, in terms of the original A:TLA.

now. if i can't go into a live action adaptation with an open mind, i will not watch it. live action Yu Yu Hakusho came out several months ago, and the vibes I got from trailer were not what I wanted, so I shelved it. if I'm going to sit down and watch a re-telling of one of my favorite pieces of media, I'm going to do my damnedest to go in with as open of a mind as a I can bear, because I like to have a good time and I can't do that constantly dogging on something.

so. my rule of thumb is generally this: treat any live action adaptation as fanfiction. if i can recognize the characters and recognize the plot, that's fine. i'm not looking for anything crazy, just interesting fanfiction. that's the level of closeness to canon i'm expecting. bar is on the floor.

and in terms of Good Television, my expectations are also incredibly low. good TV has 1. good writing 2. good acting 3. good action/SFX. for adaptations the best i'm looking for is ONE out of three. the lower my expectations, the more fun i get to have.

i'm explaining all of this because, while I have not seen reviews of Netlix Avatar yet, I know just how brainless the masses can be and i need you to know that THESEEE are the expectations you should be having when going into these things. Avatar: The Last Airbender is hailed as an example of a nearly PERFECT show. if you are expecting that kind of excellence from an adaptation you are simply deranged and I will not be reading your bad faith interpretations of the show.

with these expectations in mind, it's easy to see why i'm loving Netflix Avatar so much. why? because it cleared one of my very low expectations. the bending in the show looks pretty good! the writing of the show is average! some of the actors are quite charming! i am pleased!

i have seen 3 episodes so far ("Aang" through "Omashu", and yes these episode titles DO suck, I'll concede to that)

so, now that i've gotten that little manifesto out of the way, let's get into some actual Thoughts So Far:

-the way the first episode was structured was very cool. i like that they didn't throw us in at the same spot we started in A:TLA. and to avoid the horrible exposition dump the movie gave us, instead they just showed us the start of the war. i like the tactical inclusion that Sozin let word get out that the Fire Nation would attack the Earth Kingdom first to throw the Air Nomads off his scent. i also thought it was cool so show us a day in the life at the Easter Air Temple. the setting was gorgeous and I loved seeing all the monks doing their own thing. it made you feel so attached to the Air Nomads and their kindness and gentleness, so when they were attacked you truly felt for them.

-Monk Giatso's actor was fantastic. i was gagged that they had my crying less than 20 min into the first episode, what the fuck

-Gran Gran reciting Katara's opening speech line by line was funny, hokey, and exactly what I wanted. loved that for her and loved that for ME

-i like the change that Katara has to waterbend in secret for her own safety, not simply because she doesn't have a master

-it felt appropriate that they made Sokka take his warrior/protector role more seriously. the "i gotta go potty" bit from that like 6 year old in the original is hilarious but I don't think that sort of humor would have translated well to live action. i like that Sokka really was a leader to the ragtag group of kiddos and like one teenage boy. and him asking Zuko to duel with him one and one!! a very sweet early act of bravery

-in general i'm just really liking how they're approaching Sokka's character. all the fuss over "they're taking out Sokka's sexism" arc felt idiotic to me for weeks because like of course they did?? let's be SO real here, if you have never seen the original and are watching Netflix Avatar blind for the first time, are you going to rock with the protagonist who makes "girls' only jobs are cooking and sewing" jokes? in 2024? in this sociopolitical climate that shit would NOT fly and people would drop the show for stuff like that. no one would wait to see his character growth, people's attention spans aren't long enough for that these days. plus, for all the naysayers boohooing because that's Sokka's whole character arc, it's literally not! that nasty personality trait sticks with Sokka for FOUR episodes. having his character arc revolve around his identity as a warrior is much more in-line with Sokka's ACTUAL arc. he can skip the "sew my pants" jokes so we can get to his real root of his conflict, being a non-bender and a novice warrior in a world of extreme violence and feeling inferior because of it

-i don't mind that they made Zuko less aggressive. again, with the bar of the original A:TLA being SO fucking high, ESPECIALLY because of Zuko, Netflix was never going to reach that level of excellence. so I'm okay with this Zuko being a little more level-headed and more of a mindless Fire Nation Greatness truther because it's a decent interpretation of his character, for fanfiction. consider everybody on planet earth know that Zuko will eventually be a Good Guy, we don't have to go out of our way to show that he's a giant asshole. we already know he's a good boy.

-on that note I love the bait and switch with the Jet introduction. seeing a cute boy flirting with Katara, I couldn't immediately tell if that merchant boy was just a one-off kind character, or maybe Haru because of his clothing and the way his hair was styled. to have him turn out to be Jet was FUN because it showed me that despite knowing the original canon forwards and backwards, this show can still find ways to surprise me. i had been talking with my sister about whether or not they were going to include Bumi (and his shenanigans) because that's a plot twist that worked when the show originally aired, but wouldn't hit at all in an adaptation where we all know who Bumi is already. where I'm currently at in the show I'm still not sure if we'll see his inclusion or not, but i still appreciated that new bait and switches are possible.

-this meant basically all the Omashu episode was very fun. they way they wove the Freedom Fighters and Mechanist's stories together was very interesting and i liked how fresh it felt

-Suki's actor is incredibly gorgeous. with and without the make-up. that needed to be it's own point because oh my god

-i love that she gave Sokka and fan and i'm DYINGGG to see him use it in a battle

-THEY INCLUDED KYOSHI NOVEL LORE AND I SCREAMED

-they included AVATAR KYOSHI FIGHT SEQUENCES AND I SCREAMED

-i probably should have mentioned this way sooner but Aang's actor is such a little cutie. he's doing such a great job capturing Aang's energy. both wise and playful and so so sweet. i love him

-i found it hilarious that they waited three episodes for Katara to bring up her dead mom. we all know that the super generic and boring critiques of Katara are 1. too much dead mom talk 2. too much hope talk 3. too motherly. i feel like the show intentionally waited two and a half episodes for Katara to bring up Kya and that's so funny to me. they also have only let her mention hope like twice lol. my girl is being STIFLED

-special effects are honestly really good? some of aang's flying is a little wonky but the firebending and waterbending so far as looked fantastic. i haven't seen much earthbending so far besides that opening sequence but i was impressed by that too. and Aang and Zuko fighting in Omashu with Zuko not using his bending? SO much fun. the choreo was awesome, i loved the set piece of fighting amongst all those scarves.

-building off that, Appa and Momo are very cute. the creatures al look pretty good too. ostrich horses look great

all in all, lots of really good stuff so far. i only have minor criticisms, and they're mostly things I can deal with. Iroh's acting is weird to me. it sounds like it's putting on a silly voice instead of speaking how he normally would, so it scans as off-putting. also in terms of costuming, Iroh's wig is WIGGING so much more than other cast members. it looks so glued on and shaped with hairspray. Mai and Ty Lee (one seen them for a moment so far) also just look like random cosplayers who wandered on set. and i guess both Monk Giatso's reveal of Aang being the avatar, as well as Gran-Gran's immediate understanding that Aang is the avatar, both happened extremely fast.

but yeah! those are my thoughts so far. again, I have no idea what public perception of this show is. i'm trying to avoid reviews and probably won't be back on tumblr until i've at least made it to episode 6. then maybe i'll come back and write more if my opinion drastically changes or I think the world will need another stern talking to about what to expect from an adaptation

[hyperazraphael]

Shattering Chains of Dark Fate - A Digimon Story

Hey guys! After having not really engaged with fanfiction for 16-17 years I have spontaneously begun writing a Digimon fanfic! I've uploaded the first 3 chapters to AO3 and I would love it if you would check it out! The story is heavily based on the story of Digimon Frontier, but it does draw on some concepts from Tamers and certainly some inspiration from Adventure. Even though it has a darker, heavier tone in places, especially at the beginning, it is not a grimdark fic and I do try to keep the tone at least reminiscent of the source material the rest of the time. It is, generally speaking, a story of adult characters for a primarily adult audience. It will likely contain M/M romances which are tagged on AO3 though those may change/grow as the story evolves in writing.

Likes and reblogs are also really appreciated! This is kinda a big step for me so sharing it and getting the word out there would mean a lot to me.

The story:

Nearly 50 years ago, the brief incursion of Lucemon - Satan Mode into our reality made humanity irreparably aware of the Digital World. 20 years in our time, and 100s of years in the Digital World, passed until the two worlds would collide again. Since then, humanity and the Digital World have been wrapped in a violent and bloody conflict as Digimon, seemingly unprovoked, launched a campaign to wipe out humanity. Now, the battles are fought in ruined city streets between randomly bio-emerging Digimon and the scattered militaries or one of the mercenary groups hired by the remaining governments to bolster their defenses. One such mercenary is Kazushi who has recently returned to Tokyo where it all began. However, separated from his comrades, badly wounded, and surrounded, he will find himself having to rely on someone he never would've expected: an injured Digimon named Wizardmon. After their desperate escape from an old foe plunges them into the Digital World, they are joined in time by a young Leomon who dreams of becoming a hero, an Angemon with a sinister past seeking redemption, and a gentle Gorillamon seeking a place to belong. Together, can they break the dark chains of fate that bind them and their worlds?

Please check it out here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54267190/

[crys-sp]

if you get this, answer with three random facts about yourself and send it to the last seven blogs in your notifs! anon or not, doesn’t matter, let’s get to know the person behind the blog <3

OK LET'S GET TO IT.

1) So. I've been writing since I'm 13 (like everybody i started as a cringy teen posting not really good fanfictions on some website). But pretty quick I've been dragged to roleplaying forums where I start to really think about Characters, Stories, Style, and Writing with other persons? From 13 to 18 years old, then a big break, short story short I think I met all kinds of roleplayers (including elitist ones who nearly made me give up writing). With the increase of rps servers, I came back stronger (I was 25 I think), really decided to have FUN, that's when my writing started to get better and better because I didn't forbid myself to play different kinds of characters, totally out of my comfort zone. I also met incredible people who are still my friends now. I started writing one-shots (still in french) one year after I discovered Hamilton see what a musical can provoke in you.

2) I wasn't particularly into musicals before Hamilton, cliché isn't it? But even if it's really the first one I loved, my favorite is actually Starry, a musical about Van Gogh. (PLEASE THE SONG ARE SO GOOD)

3) My first internet pseudo was Crystal, but since people were used to calling me Crys... It stays. Also if you want to know how to pronounce my Tumblr's name, one time someone pronounced it "crispy" and I think that's adorable. So you call it this way if you want.

Again feel free to spam me with this game, i'm absolutely ready for more random facts. 🙋‍♀️

[galvanizedfriend]

hi, yokan <3

I read that in Brazil there's a week-break because of carnival, therefore I hope you're finally having a bit of rest!

I was wondering if you could post an outtake with the klaroeve scene? from you comment I understood that there was more than that little scene in the latest chapter, and I would LOVE to read it!

sorry if I sound rude or pressuring, it's not my intention at all :(( I'm just Eve's third parent, I need more scenes with my babygirl being adorable 😭😭

I totally get why you don't put more of her in the main story. I ALWAYS say that babyplots are terrible due to a lot of factors, one of them being the constant present of a baby who basically does nothing (rightfully, since, yk, it went out of the whomb last year) and that adds nothing to the plot but just terrible fan service.

I think most people would agree with this, maybe even you!

HOWEVER, my little wolf/fish/mermaid is THE exception and I would love to see more of her, and, since u have a series dedicated to those fluffy moments that don't exactly fits with the plot, I really wish you will post something there 😭😭

sorry for bothering you, I hope you'll have a good day!

P.S.

totally off-topic but I also read some of your comments in Portuguese (AT LEAST I think it's Portuguese 😭) and I understood like 80% of it, privileges of being Italian ‼‼ so lol now you really can't escape me >:)

Yes, it's Carnaval right now! It's a nearly weak-long holiday, but it sadly ends on Wednesday. 😢 And I was technically on call yesterday, so 😂 But I am very much enjoying not doing anything 🤷‍♀️

About the baby thing, yes. 😂 I've been so lucky to get some passionate readers almost from the start with this fic and to have people who are still reading it a ton of years later, but I've also had to read some very mean things over the years that have stuck with me. It has made me extremely self-conscious about this story. I sometimes find myself almost apologizing for writing it, like I'm commiting some kind of crime against fandom or like I should be banned for inflicting this upon people for as long as I have. I wish I could be the kind of person who just doesn't care and remains blissfully unbothered, but I'm not. I'm not a naturally confident person in any way, and that kind of thing does get to me.

It's gotten better, of course. I care a lot less now than I used to, and the fic is not as popular as it was a few years ago either, so there's that But some of that stuff has just ingrained itself into my brain. Objectively I know this is stupid and I don't owe anybody anything, I don't have to apologize for writing a fanfiction for god's sake. There's room for everyone in fandom. I can have a corner to rewrite the show and have a magical Klaroline baby, fuck it. Who cares, you know? But it's almost stronger than me sometimes, I don't realize I'm doing it. I get this feeling that I need to be more critical otherwise people are going to think it's ridiculous and OOC and nobody's gonna want to read it anymore and etc etc. It's exhausting. And it's obviously nobody's fault, it's just me in my own head, but that's how it goes.

The scene you're talking about in particular. I had it written years ago. Literal years, maybe 2021 or early 2022. Some of my friends had even already read it a loooong time before the chapter was finished. And I was convinced that it was so cute and totally fine. Then as I wrapping up the chapter, I started getting this itch that it was actually ridiculous and the folks who had read it didn't say anything because they were being nice, they didn't want to hurt my feelings, and I had to get delete it. So I did. In all truth, I think the chapter is more polished like this. But then I removed a family scene and ended up writing smut that also had no place in the chapter, so. 🤷‍♀️

Anyway, I'm sorry for the rambly response. 🥲 I'll tell you this: I will read the deleted scene again and if I feel it's not dumpster-fire bad, I will post it here. But I need to check it first, because there is chance that it's not just my paranoid head telling me to get rid of the baby scenes and it really is just that bad. 😂

And as for the last part, yes, it's Portuguese. It's my native language. And it's so funny how Italian, Spanish and Portuguese can be so similar. I understand Spanish much better than Italian, but I do get some of it as well. Latin languages 🤜🤛 (except French, I don't understand French at all 😂)

[maysileeewrites]

Hi there! I love your writing and just had a question;

I absolutely loved the start of your best friend coryo fic, and will you ever do more?

hi there anon!

first of all: thank you! <3

now, as for my Coryo fic: first of all, I should probably say that I'm notorious for not finishing fics (it's a very bad habit, I know 🫣). Second of all, as it sadly happens quite often when I fall into an obsession like I had with TBOSAS at the end of last year, the hyper-fixation came as it went: out of nowhere and leaving me somewhat unmotivated for writing anything.

The thing is, I actually had about the first half of the second part of Don't Want You Like a Best Friend written before life got kinda crazy and I stopped writing nearly altogether for nearly six months. At this point, I still struggle with writing regularly, even though I've uploaded a few oneshots during the last two months. I haven't written anything tangible for my own story in months, which is extremely frustrating but also very much not the point of this post.

Life has been somewhat of a whirlwind for me this year and it's not looking like that's going to stop anytime soon.

But. As an avid reader of fanfiction I know how much it can suck when stories you enjoy reading are just abandoned halfway through (trust me, I know the feeling.) And recently I've felt a bit of the joy I usually find in writing, returning, and I've also been feeling more and more motivated to return to writing regularly.

What I want to say, I guess, is this: I'd love to dip my toes into writing for Coriolanus once more. Now, I'm not quite sure whether anyone will care about an update for this fanfic after over 9 months, but I'd love to give it a try <3

excuse my rambling and thank your for reading 🎀