#i've just finished up season 6 personally but want the tags to be here to help anyone out that aren't far in the seasons ^^'

[fereldanwench]

OC Interview - Valerie Powell

I was tagged by @gloryride forever ago to interview my girl--Thank you, bb! I'm so late to doing this that I'm not gonna tag anyone else, but feel free to yoink it if you wanna do it!

[Answers are directly from Valerie's POV before the heist in 2077.]

.ೃ࿔*:･ NAME?

Valerie Irene Powell. [laughs] Yeah, my initials are VIP. My dad had a dorky sense of humor, and my mom let him get away with it. "Irene" is my great-grandmother's first name on her side of the family.

.ೃ࿔*:･ NICKNAME?

Pretty much just "V" these days, which was all Jackie's doing. A lot of the staff and some regulars at Nishimura's used to call me "Blue," but that was ages ago. Overly familiar acquaintances who don't know me well but think they do usually call me "Val."

.ೃ࿔*:･ GENDER?

Biologically female, no gender alterations or augmentations.

A/N - Valerie is a cis woman, but I don't see that specific language being in her vernacular.

.ೃ࿔*:･ STAR SIGN?

I was born in Night City on October 12 2041. Misty tells me that makes me a, uh--Hey, Misty, what am I again?

[Misty, calling from the other room: Libra Sun with a Taurus Moon and Scorpio Rising!]

Yeah, that. [laughs] Whatever the hell that even means.

.ೃ࿔*:･ HEIGHT?

Tall. 5'10" or 178 cm. And I admit I have a weakness for a sexy pair of heels, so I usually look a lot taller.

.ೃ࿔*:･ ORIENTATION?

People are out here fucking cyborgs with four eyes and chicks with gold dicks and electric nipples--What does this even mean? [laughs] I've never given it much thought. I like what I like, and I've liked a lot of different types of people with a lot of different things going on. [laughs again]

A/N: I say Valerie is bi, because that is the contemporary real-life word that best reflects her sexuality for me when I'm talking about her, but when I was really thinking about it from her POV and in the context of her world, I don't think she'd be too hung up on a label. She'd also probably see her wide spectrum of attraction as closer to the default, not the exception.

.ೃ࿔*:･ NATIONALITY/ETHNICITY?

I'm a typical American mutt. My dad's side of the family can mostly be traced back to Western Europe--my grandmother told me "Powell" is an Anglicized form of an old Welsh surname--and my mom's side is from the Eastern Mediterranean. Dad's side has been in NUSA for a long time (like two centuries before it was even called NUSA), but Mom's family has only been here for a few generations.

.ೃ࿔*:･ FAVE FRUIT?

I just love fresh fruit. It's such a rare treat in Night City--I'll take fresh strawberries or melons over any other kind of sweet treat.

.ೃ࿔*:･ FAVE SEASON?

Spring! When everything starts turning green and flowers are blooming. There aren't a ton of places in Night City where you can really experience that, but I know a few hidden gems.

.ೃ࿔*:･ FAVE FLOWER?

Hydrangeas, probably. Especially the blue and purple ones. Oh, and wisteria! A tree covered in blooming wisteria is one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen.

.ೃ࿔*:･ FAVE SCENT?

Freshly brewed coffee; new car smell; woodsy, smokey colognes and perfumes; real leather; whatever incense Misty uses in her shop; clothes right out of the dryer; lavender; a ton more that I know I'm forgetting!

.ೃ࿔*:･ COFFEE, TEA, OR HOT CHOCOLATE?

Strong coffee, black, maybe a little sugar if I'm feeling indulgent. Tea is nice, but it's not my caffeine fix. I like a cup of lavender or chamomile tea at night. Hot chocolate is too heavy and rich for my taste. A sip is nice, but I could never finish a cup.

.���࿔*:･ AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP?

I try not to get any fewer than 6 hours, but that's easier said than done some nights. Okay, most nights.

.ೃ࿔*:･ DOG OR CAT PERSON?

You know, I've only ever seen one dog in person. A childhood friend's family had one--I don't know the breed, but it was a yippy little shit and it bit me! Never really wanted to see another dog, if I'm honest.

I like cats, though. There's a stray that hangs by Misty's place--He's the sweetest little guy. I picked up a bag of kibble we keep there to feed him when he comes around.

.ೃ࿔*:･ DREAM TRIP?

I've actually traveled a lot--My parents had to go to Biotechnica's HQ in Rome a few times when I was a kid, and they usually turned those trips into an excuse to have an extended European vacation. And I went all over the globe working for Arasaka for 7 years. I'd love to go back to Japan for non-work reasons.

.ೃ࿔*:･ FAVORITE FICTIONAL CHARACTER?

You're gonna laugh, it's so predictable. In my defense, I can't remember the last time I watched or read anything new--Actually, that's not true. Jackie made me watch one of those Bushido movies last week, and I just don't get it. Anyway. It's Elizabeth Bennet. Don't look at me--What's the next question?

.ೃ࿔*:･ NUMBER OF BLANKETS YOU SLEEP WITH?

Just a sheet and comforter.

.ೃ࿔*:･ RANDOM FACT?

Oh, no, don't put me on the spot like this! [laughs] Um, okay, I shot my first firearm when I was about 7. Under intense adult supervision--My dad was really serious about self-defense and the right to bear arms, which always surprised people because he came across as such a meek science nerd. I didn't like it--It was so loud, even with earmuffs. Funny how things change.

Is that kind of a heavy note to leave on? [laughs again] Okay, how about this one: I can't roll my tongue.

[911-on-abc]

the second they made buck bi i watched the whole show for the first time, took a week, finished just before the latest episode came out. this obviously means i do not know my first thing about anything, most theories and fanon storylines included. what is the most important stuff that i need to know? the more deranged and delusional the better 🌸

oh LORD buckle up anon!! but also... hi!! Welcome!!! I'm so glad that ur here and that you've enjoyed the show enough to (hopefully) stick around!!!!

Full disclosure, I've only started watching 911 since season 6, so there are years of fandom lore/drama that I'm not even aware of. I really recommend checking out blogs such as @captain-hen @gracieryder @maygrcnt who have been around here MUCH longer (I'll tag more people in the morning) & follow @911bts who keeps track of literally EVERYTHING 911.

Okay, 911blr 101 is couch theory. What is couch theory you ask? well, it all starts at the beginning of S6 when Buck's couch (or lack there of) was used as a metaphor for Buck's romantic relationships. In S5, when Taylor moved into Buck's apartment replaced Buck's couch (that he got with Ali) with her own. When Buck and Taylor broke up, she took the couch with her, leaving Buck couchless. The connection between girlfriends and couches first comes up during a conversation with Buck, Eddie, and Christopher. Buck's struggle to find the 'perfect' couch reflects Buck's struggle to find the perfect person to partner up with. At the end of the episode, Buck decides to move his armchair where the couch used to be, signifying that he is trying to become comfortable with himself outside of a relationship.

Then we get to the start of S6b. Buck's parents come to town, Buck gets struck by lightning (as one does), and his parents buy him a new couch. There is probably some metaphor there about family and blah blah blah, but that doesn't matter because the couch is uncomfortable and Buck can't sleep on it and everyone keeps bothering him, and who does Buck run to? He runs to Eddie. And then he falls asleep on Eddie's couch.

and like this is a big fucking deal. because it shows that he is comfortable with Eddie! he feels safe in Eddie's home! he is more safe and comfortable on Eddie's couch than he is on his own and Eddie welcomes him there!! and couch = romantic relationship, so falling asleep on eddie's couch = relationship with Eddie???? There is another scene in S6 where Christopher falls asleep on the couch and people are like!! we are connecting the dots! (we were not connecting the dots)

and then!!!! the Kameron gives birth on Buck's couch and the couch is ruined and then y'all never guess what happens. In one of the last scenes of s6 Buck asks his brand new love interest Natalia if she wants to go couch-shopping and everyone is like WTF???? aren't we past this?? didn't we just have this conversation about NOT buying a couch with ur gf at the beginning of this season???

uhhh this explanation was NOT supposed to get this long. okay, let's speedrun this shit. The Christmas Elf!! Very important!! OG Buddie Queen!! Buck Navy Seal AUs (ugh. he literally talked about how he was too emotional for the Seals I hate this AU so fucking much!!) everyone is fucking irrational about the lawsuit arc, just filter that shit out. eddie = gay and/or demisexual. buck = christopher's second dad. literally, everyone is bisexual. Chimney? bi. Bobby? bi. Maddie? bi. is this canon? no, except for in my heart. there is SO much that I am missing. but if u are still reading this drop ur favorite/least favorite fanon theories in the chat and drop the @'s of some good blogs to follow. OH!!! ALSO!!! do NOT trust Tim (the showrunner) that man LIES!!!

[veeples]

book recommendations

@lavampira AND @narrativefoiltrope beloveds tagged me! thank you for the tag dani and i'm still soooo thrilled you loved goth western so much <3

tagging: @nerdferatum and @winesharksea and anyone else! tbh if you're a mutual of mine and you're on storygraph hmu, i love following other people and seeing what they're reading.

1. the last book I read:

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty — I'm not gonna lie, I wasn't expecting to tear up from a memoir detailing her year working for a crematory, but it ended up being a very touching experience in understanding how Caitlin went from college graduate to eventual Ask a Mortician (one of my fave youtubers I miss her so much). It is a book that deals with death, both the traumatic and the relatively peaceful, so maybe not the LIGHTEST of reads, but one I actually wanna re-visit soon!

2. a book I recommend:

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin — I got recommended this series by @queerbrujas, and wow! I think if you're someone whose interested for a sort of, soft start into sci-fi, the elements are there and add value, but the emotional arcs and world building that unfolds is just so masterfully done. Once I really got into the first book, I tore through the next two in the series with relative ease.

3. a book that I couldn’t put down:

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo — This is just a super fun fantasy read!! It makes me wanna read more like, fast paced heist sort of novels. Each character in the ensemble has a strong personality so they all stand out from each other, but they complement each other well and offer interesting relationships with each other! I was so enamored by the book I had to run out to a store to buy the sequel the night I finished it.

4. a book I’ve read twice (or more):

The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir — Funny thing is, I almost never re-read books because I feel like, good God I already have so many on my to be read list that I keep adding onto, I don't have time to re-read books. But this series has a ton of re-readability value, and it's almost necessary to take a second or third or fourth pass (depending on how insane you are) to pick up on the subtleties and the continuous narrative of themes that Muir puts down once you get past the memes and lesbians. I'm putting the whole series here because I've read Gideon the Ninth, Harrow the Ninth, and Nona the Ninth 2-3 times now and will probably re-read again before Alecto the Ninth comes out (impatient grumbling).

5. a book on my TBR:

Sterling House by Alix E. Harrow — Can I be completely honest, I actually don't know that much about this book. A librarian gave me a little book magazine when I was picking up some books one day and this book was on the cover. And the cover was just very pretty. I'm a very shallow person, you see. Also a bit like a bird because I see something pretty and I want it. But I also really wanna read Dungeon Meshi, so there's that too.

6. a book I’ve put down:

The Telling Room: A Tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge, and the World's Greatest Piece of Cheese by Michael Paterniti — This book was honestly such a drag to read. Slow paced and at 80% in, I still hadn't gotten to the confrontation between the original cheesemaker and his best friend who sold his family's cheese and business for money, which is so hyped up. There's a point to it taking so fucking long, and the point is, that's apparently just how the people the author visited told stories. Long winding tales with bunches of offshoots. Probably great as an orally told story. Bit miserable as written word.

7. a book on my wishlist:

The Unclaimed: Abandonment and Hope in the City of Angels by Stefan Timmermans, Pamela Prickett — This one I saw in an e-mail for new books that came out in March, I think, and I have an interest in funeral practices and issues in modern day death management, thanks to being such a big fan of Caitlin Doughty. This book deals with the growing phenomenon of the unclaimed dead, which got touched upon in one of Caitlin's books, but not expanded upon. I try not to buy books if I can avoid it, but this one being so new and probably a little too niche for my library, I'll have to purchase it if I wanna read it!

8. a favorite book from my childhood:

??? — I don't think I have one to speak of that I can remember. I remember really being enchanted with some book about a girl finding a secret garden, so maybe it was Literally just The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgsen Burnett. Or like, I really liked the kid's book about the old lady who swallows a fly. Does that count???

9. a book you would give to a friend:

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson — This book was recommended to me by a friend, specifically the audiobook version. And wow, yeah! I kind of judge audiobook, and really narrator quality, by this one! The narrator put so much love and emotion into narrating the book, which really highlighted the emotional high points and made them punchier. This book may have made cry a little because I am always a sucker about characters who feel they don't fit in anywhere, who feel odd, who feel different, but find support and community and love with other people who feel the same way. So, like, I would definitely give this book to someone if they wanted an introduction to how good audiobooks can be.

10. a book of poetry or lyrics you own:

The Essential Neruda: Selected Poems by Pablo Neruda — I bought the bilingual version of this book last year so I could see how Spanish is used in poetry, and then found out that he has a complex way of using Spanish so maybe it's not that useful. <3 And then I didn't read it at all, it's still on my bookshelf. Judging me. u_u I'll get to it one day.

11. a nonfiction book you own:

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado — Don't remember how this book got on my radar, but I went out and bought it and was so pleasantly surprised by how the style Machado uses in it to detail her memoir of an abusive relationship. So it's not a light read whatsoever, but just by style alone made it very evocative, it almost reads like literary fiction. I never thought about approaching memoirs or non-fiction in what I figure is a kind of non-standard way, so it stands out from the other non-fiction books I've read.

12. what are you currently reading:

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver — So this is apparently a sort of, like, modern retailing of Charles Dickens' David Copperfield, which I would have got, except like, I'm not that big of a literary nerd. So I had to look that up. Really, it caught my attention because I'm currently re-listening to a fave podcast, Old Gods of Appalachia, and this book is set in like, 80s-90s Appalachia so it's adjacent enough to my interest. So far it is masterfully written and has such a strong voice for the narrator and protagonist. It's also a thick ass book, well over 500 pages which is a bit out of my usual range, but it's been nice to sit down with a longer story that feels like I'm sitting down to listen to the guy tell me his life's story.

13. what are you planning on reading next:

??? — Bruv who knows? I don't plan these things until I'm done with whatever I'm reading now u.u. I have a little gay romance I bought during indie bookstore day and I also promised @sysba to read some other Chinese manhua with some other sad tragic gay boys. It'll probably be that one.

[redbelles]

twenty questions for fic writers

tagged by: the wonderful @carry-the-sky 💖

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

51

2. what's your total ao3 word count?

245,595

3. what fandoms do you write for?

i don't ever really abandon old fandoms, but so far 2024 has been all berserk (nothing posted yet, unforch) and masters of the air

4. top five fics by kudos

like a heartbeat drives you mad

the dreadful need in the devotee

and my body found the wind

stuck in colder weather

all the love you need

5. do you respond to comments?

yes! it may take me a hundred million years, but i appreciate each and every comment i get, and i often go back to them for a little jolt of "hey, people actually like your writing!" motivation when i'm stuck

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

lmao uh. known angst goblin meg redbelles here, but i honestly didn't have to do much work to the canon endings of robert baratheon (the clouds will form a crown) or judas iscariot (in the violence of our dreams) to make them even more horrifically angsty, so. one of those, probably!

7. what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

i don't tend to go for out and out happy endings—i prefer bittersweet—but i feel like the answer is either the mercy wheel, which fixes dany’s gabarge season eight character arc, or tongue’s talkin’ riddles (sticky sweet), which gives chrissy and eddie a mostly happy future together instead of horrible deaths in deeply cursed hawkins

and! for what it's worth! the chimneys hardly ever fall down is going to end on a happy note! they're just going to have to Suffer a lot to get there! it's fine!

8. do you get hate on fics?

nope

9. do you write smut?

me, currently 3k into a m/m/f threesome scene:

10. craziest crossover:

i enjoy spitballing about crossovers, but i doubt very seriously that i'll ever write one

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i'm aware of, no

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

i've had offers before, but i've declined every time; they all wanted to host the translations outside of AO3, which is not something i'm comfortable with

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

yep! keep calling me home is a really fun little round robin fic i wrote with three other authors a couple years ago

14. all time favorite ship?

i can't read suddenly.gif

15. what's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

shUT UP!!!!! I'M GONNA FINISH ALL MY WIPS!!!!!! SHUT UP!!!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!

16. what are your writing strengths?

imagery, emotion, themes, dialogue

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

plot? never heard of her. also, i feel like i still suck at writing humor

18. thoughts on dialogue in another language?

to crib from a previous answer: unless you speak the language, it gets real dicey real fast. i personally avoid it unless a) it’s a canonical term/phrase, like all the faux-russian bullshit in the grisha trilogy, or b) i can check the grammar/usage with a native speaker or someone who is solidly fluent

19. first fandom you wrote in?

[redacted] way back ages ago on [redacted]

20. favorite fic you've written?

recency bias talking here, but i am so, so, so fond of the chimneys hardly ever fall down; i challenged myself to write the first chapter as one continuous scene (i feel like i sometimes abuse scene breaks to heighten tension), and honestly i think i nailed it. also, this sequence:

Maybe he is drunk. That would make sense. He’s going to wake up and find himself alone at the bottom of a bottle. Back in the cold blue, Fort shot to shit and tumbling from the sky like a wounded bird, trailing fire and screaming as she falls. Maybe he won’t wake up at all— maybe he’s dead in a potato field, a ghost who never made it back in the first place. His heart can’t fucking take it.

like, i'm sorry, but that's brutal! and i am so proud of it!

tagging: @sluttyhenley @littlelindentree @oatflatwhite @meyerlansky @ladywaffles

@charmtion @anthropologicalhands @jacyevans @thatworldinverted @thatgirlnevershutsup

and anyone elso who wants a go ✨

[omarandjohnny]

SHIPPY SHIP SHIP!

Tagged by @negrowhat <333333333333333333333333333333

1. What ship were you completely obsessed with when you were a teenager, but now you don't care anymore?

I didn't really have a fixed ship to hang my hat on in those days (aka the before the internet tiemz), but Buffy and Pike (movie BTVS) were the main couple I fixated on back then (still was figuring out why movie Lestat and Louis made me feel funny in my tummy at that time, so Buffy and Pike were the easier option LOL)

2. Which ship would you consider your first one?

Roz and Dan from Night Court; I was 7 and I wanted them married and arguing until the end of time <3

3. Your first fanfic belonged to which couple?

(hops in the wayback machine) Pretty sure I was writing for Greg/Nick (CSI) just a bit before Ennis/Jack (Brokeback). Still so very thankful that those four introduced me to friends I'd still have in my life 20 years later!

4. Do you remember the first couple you saw a fanart over?

I very clearly remember the Spangel fanvids that took more than day to download from our AOL dialup, yes XD

5. Did you ever get into ship discourse?

Attempting to nail jello to a tree would be a far more productive use of my time.

6. Did you used to have any no-otp or have it currently?

Can't say anything comes to mind, really.

7. Who were the couple in the last fanfic you read?

Had to go through my AO3 history, last time I had a clear enough head to attempt to read anything was early autumn last year (oof) and it was a modern AU of Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang that I don't think I finished because I really can't recall any of it. Ah, well.

8. Currently, do you have any OTPs?

Since I can't engage in fic it's hard for me to keep hold of the newer ships, so my brain tends to fall back on old reliables- Loustat/Loumand being at the top at this very moment because the fandom's waking up again for season 2 in May.

9. Is there any couple that, to this day, you are extremely mad about not getting together?

Another one that I can't think of anything.

10. Is there any ship you used to dislike but now you think they are kind of interesting?

Not Really, if I hated them then I'm sure I still hate them now. (keeping your answer here, Eboni, because same)

11. Do you have any ship that, in the past, was considered normal but now you would be cancelled over?

I'd be cancelled over any ship at any time for anything, such is the nature of this goofball puritanical mindset that has taken over fandom socmed. (I know the problem reaches so much further than that, but I'm not clearheaded enough to write a dissertation LOL)

12. What was your favorite crack ship?

Can't say I've ever had one.

13. Who is the couple you read more fanfics of?

20+ years ago I was slowly killing copious amounts of trees and our at-home printer with Spangel fics that I didn't want to lose (have since lost all of the printouts, and the fics are still online in their respective webrings, yikes) So yeah, Spangel would probably still win. Ennis/Jack, and Wangxian would round out the top three, I'm sure.

14. What most of your ships usually have in common?

Bastard-coated bastards, pastel/goth, grumpy/sunshine.

15. What do you absolutely hate in a ship?

Drawing a blank here. Though, I will have a harder time engaging if the source material is mainly written in 1st person POV, which is why I'd be considered a fake Vampire Chronicles fan XD (forever thankful for my friends that actually read the books and school me on what I don't know)

[harleycao]

Intro

So, i meant to post about this before now but I'm opening playlist commissions. Also, I'm new with this, so please be patient with me.

Okay, so, i find that I've got an affinity for making playlists for pretty much anything. Characters, stories, relationships, situations, feelings, etc... And i love making them so i want to make some for other people.

(Press "read more" if interested!)

Rules

1. Please be as detailed as possible, so i have enough to go off of.

2. Please don't claim the playlist as your own. If you post it anywhere, please just credit @harleycao on tumblr.

3. Please let me know if you prefer i make the playlist on Spotify or just type up the songs and artists. I can also do both.

4. I'll at least try to make a playlist for anything, but some examples are a character, a relationship, a story/story arc, a situation, or a story trope.

5. I'll also do pov playlists for relationships with certain characters (the tricky thing is that i have to know about the character already. I'll try to figure something out to make a seperate post that further explains/specifies for. this bit). Same thing for povs taking place im fictional worlds.

6. Please be patient while i get your playlist created

7. I have the right to decline to make your playlist if i don't have time or don't think i could do it adequately

8. You can request as many times as you want, but not all at once. One request at a time per person. If you want more, you have to send a seperate request once the previous one has been finished.

9. I want you to like your playlist which means i want feedback! You don't quite like a song i picked/don't think it fits? Let me know! I'll be happy to go back and change the playlist to make it better! Just be polite about it, please!

Form

10. You don't have to fill out this form, but here's one for those who want it. Please know that this is the information i need in your request. (I'm going to copy & paste the form in the comments for easier access).

Type of playlist (what you want the playlist for. Relationship, character, story, etc):

Spotify, list, or both?: (Do you want me to make the playlist on Spotify,just type the songs & artists, or both)

Any specifications?: (no explanation needed, I'd think)

Other:

(I'll probably edit/tweak this form later but don't worry about changing your request if/when i do)

Tags

(Just people i think might be interested)

@reilly34

Examples (will be updated as i make more playlists):

These are just some playlists I've already made to give y'all an idea. (They're all playlists on Spotify, so that's where the links lead to).

Some of these playlista are for specific portrayals of a character (they'll specify when they are) but if it doesn't specify what version, either it's meant for a generalized version of the character/no specific version or it's already obvious by the thumbnail/ playlist cover.

in love with clark kent

(Note: I'm reworking this one ↑ so it's going to change fairly often until I'm satisfied with it).

in love with smallville!clark kent

(I'm only on season 3 of smallville so this one will probably change as i get further into the show)

in love with matt murdock

in love with tasm!peter parker

in love with bruce wayne

in love with dick grayson

in love with frank castle

in love with sirius black

(I'm planning to make one for remus lupin and eventually others from hp but haven't yet)

in love with dean winchester

in love with jason todd

in love with pattinson!bruce wayne

in love with loki

(I absolutely hate the formatting/layout of this post because it's so messy & unorganized but I'm lazy to do anything about it rn. Might remake the post at some point).

[nakitengoku]

oc interview: 💙Vex💙

Shoutout to @mail-me-a-snail for tagging me in this post and also egging me along with getting into Cyberpunk 2077 and subsequently creating Vex 💫

(I don't have a single good photo of Vex so you instead get the Compilation of sillies I've drawn, many featuring Snail's Vance!)

💙 Name?

"Name's Vex, but call me anything you like."

💙 Nickname?

"Some people used to call me V, but that was a while ago."

He used to be called Ghost when he was younger, being able to slip into the background unnoticed at any moment, but he later grew out of that. When he eventually adopted the name V, it was less of a nickname and more of a stage name. It's mostly forgotten now, but some hardcore fans will still recognize and call him V.

💙 Gender?

"Prettyboy 💖"

💙 Star sign?

"Oh, I used to be really into these! If I remember right, My sun and moon are both Libra. Missy could probably tell you more about what that means though."

I decided to take one out of Max's book and use the first time i drew him as his birthday, which if we're going by the absolute first concept, was September 26, 2022. He's changed a Lot since then. Also, reading up on libras with Vex in mind is just 💥

💙 Height?

".....5'8."

He's actually 5'7 and a half.

💙 Orientation?

"Anyone able and willing. Why, you interested?"

If he cared enough about labels, it'd probably be pansexual. But by the end of the day, he doesn't really care what he gets called. As long as he gets what he wants out of it, anything's fine.

💙 Nationality/Ethnicity?

"White."

💙Favorite Fruit?

"Oh man, okay so I've only had it once at an after party forever ago, but it was this round, redish purple thing. When I bit into it, it was a little tart at first, but the inside was such a sweet taste that I was in heaven. By the time I finished and threw the pit away, there were no more left and I nearly cried. I haven't seen it since and I can't remember the name but man. Best organic thing I've ever tasted."

If you give this man a plum, he'd kill someone for you. Which isn't a lot given that that's his job, but still. He'd do it without expecting to be paid in money.

💙 Favorite season?

"Fall, for sure. While I was in Atlanta, they had these parks with trees that would change their colours to these gorgeous shades of reds and oranges. God, kinda makes me wish I could grow something like that here."

I don't actually know the plant life in Nevada or how much the temperature differentiates between the seasons in Night City, but I imagine that what shrubbery they do have there have leaves that are always green or simply non-existent. Vex saw a plant change colour outside of blooming and immediately fell in love with it.

💙 Favorite flower?

"Officially, Lilacs. But between you and me, I'm very partial to forget-me-nots."

He used to be gifted Lilacs all the time during his first career by Jonathan, his producer, but Vex always found himself enjoying the little forget-me-nots that acted as accent flowers than the actual lilacs themselves.

💙 Coffee, tea or Hot chocolate?

"Hot chocolate. Although, I will drink coffee in a pinch."

This man has the biggest sweet tooth. The amount of sugar he puts in his coffee before he chugs it down for the caffeine should be illegal. [I cannot judge bc I am the same way <3]

💙 Average hours of sleep?

'We talking Mean, Median or Mode?"

It varies so much that the actual average ends up being about 6, but um. Do not be fooled into thinking he's actually sleeping 6 hours every night. Think more along the lines of several all-nighters followed by crashing super hard for a day or two.

💙 Dog or cat person?

"Oh, a cat person. I'm just not home enough for a dog."

💙 Dream trip?

"I saw a pamplet once of Crater Lake in Oregon. It was something about the ten deadliest lakes in the world or something, but I'm just into how Blue it is. If I could, I'd visit the rest of those lakes too, but. Eh, I doubt it."

💙 Favorite Fictional Character?

"Hmm, it's a toss up between a side from this really long and old comic from the 2010's and the protagonist from a just as long manga from the 2000's. I think their names were Kanya and Ruffy? It's been 15 years though so don't quote me on that."

It's Kanaya from homestuck and Luffy from One Piece. He likes Kanaya because of her fashion sense and her dealing with the responsibility of her entire species on her shoulders. And he likes Luffy for his optimism and stubbornness. At one point, he imagined finding friends like Luffy did, being surrounded by so much devotion. The reasoning has since faded and he just barely remembers much about them now.

💙 Number of Blankets you sleep with?

"Eight. I like the weight and warmth."

His AC bill is through the fucking roof but he refuses to take a single blanket off, instead insisting on just making the rest of the room freezing. Giving him a weighted blanket wouldn't fix it, but he'd probably go down to five instead of eight.

💙 Random fact?

"When i was really little, my mom used to take me to a church. Don't think it exists any more, but I remember the Stain glass windows, how the light shone through and fell onto her. In normal lighting, I remember her looking pale a sickly, but once a week, with a statue of a half-god watching over us, my mother glowed. She was gorgeous.

"Anyway, I stopped going after she died. For a while it was because I never remembered what day it was, but later it was because I realized I only ever went to see my mom glow."

~~

Thank you for tagging me, Max! This was much longer than what i thought when i was getting into it but I'm still glad I did it.

I can't think of anyone specific who'd want to do this, so if you see this and want to give it a try, please do and tag me! I'd love to see your little blorbos :)

[spaceshipkat]

i've said for months now that i want to write the ofmd beat sheet of season 1 and where i think season 2 could go, and @ourflagmeansgayrights had asked me to tag them in it in ye olde yesteryear, and i am finally doing it bc i just finished revising a romcom w my lit agent so it's all fresh in the brain (please note i have been going to bed bw 1:30am - 2am for the past week bc of that deadline so if i start rambling no i'm not)

this post will be long, so it's going under a cut. for this writeup, i will only focus on Ed and Stede, not the other characters with their own plot with their own beats. if you want to read the book i'm taking these beats from (and i highly recommend it if you're someone who likes to write or wants to start writing romance novels! of any subgenre! but it'd probably work for longer fics, too, or even shorter fics if one of them applies to a certain beat or follows certain beats), it's Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes.

going in, do remember that this is not a hard and fast rule. depending on the writer, variations of this can crop up in fiction, and do, often with success. but for the purpose of this post, we'll stick with the preestablished beats.

Beat #1: Introducing H1 and H2, aka introducing your two main characters. in the case of ofmd, this is Ed and Stede. Stede's introduction, as we all know, is him appearing on the stairs of the Revenge narrating to Lucius about how he runs the ship. episode 1 is, in essence, the entirety of Introducing H1, bc it's spent on Stede first and foremost. one might think that episode 2, when Black Pete starts telling the audience via the crew about Blackbeard, is Introducing H2, even though he isn't physically on the screen yet and what we hear of him isn't actually true (he doesn't have embers for eyes etc). and while it is and it isn't, i think a better example of this introduction beat is in episode 3 when we-the-audience finally get to meet Ed onscreen, as he orders Izzy around and blows smoke rings.

Beat #2: Meet Cute, aka what it says on the tin. obviously this is the end of episode 3, when Stede is stabbed by the Spaniards and Ed saunters on with all his pomp and circumstance to rescue him. meet-cute for the ages, that.

Beat #3: No Way #1, aka when our character expresses in some way why they don't want to fall in love--at all or with a particular person--and sets up the romance arc. for Stede, we the audience know he's married and doesn't actually think he can be/know he is gay (depending on your interpretation--i'm not here to say which it is), so we can interpret that as contributing to his No Way #1.

Beat #4: Adhesion, aka what keeps them in proximity of one another. this beat encompasses much of episode 4, when Stede and Ed have to work together to find a way to deal with the Spaniards hunting them, and also what follows afterward that morning in the crow's nest, when Stede and Ed agree to spend time together: Stede to teach Ed how to be a Proper Gentleman and Ed to teach Stede how to be a pirate.

Beat #5: No Way #2, aka Beat #3 but for the other protagonist. now, sometimes that's not always the case, since Beat #3 can also introduce the No Way for both protagonists, which would thus leave Beat #5 as simply a time in which we dig deeper into why a character or characters doesn't want to fall in love or doesn't want to fall in love with one specific person. but in the case of ofmd, Beat #5 is for Ed introducing his No Way. at the end of episode 4, Ed expresses to Izzy that he intends to kill Stede and take his place as a Proper Gentleman (whether or not he actually means to follow through on this or had planned this from the beginning are another couple things up for debate depending on your interpretation, which again i am not here to touch on). therefore, he has no intention of falling in love at all, but with Stede in particular.

Beat #6: The Inkling, aka when we start to have fun. in a typical beat sheet, rather than one specifically for a romance, this would be the start of the Fun and Games beat, where we go along with the characters on the start of their plot/journey. for a romance, this is when the two characters start to Feel Things, even if they can't identify those things or aren't fully aware of them. this encompasses episode 5 and stretches into episode 6, in which we see Ed and Stede spending more time together while they teach one another about being a gentleman and/or about being a pirate. we see Ed and Stede hanging out chatting; we see them telling stories with the crew; we see them dressing one another in finery; we see them sword-fighting. Stede doesn't want to go to the fancy fuck party, but he goes bc Ed wants to. Ed has a rough time of it there, which leads to Stede being The Gentleman Pirate. all of these scenes are meant to allow them to grow closer/feel attraction to one another (whether or not they're aware of it) as they learn more about one another and spend time together realizing they get along really well and might not actually hate it. this beat ends with Ed being forced to attempt to carry out his plan to kill Stede by Izzy, except he can't do it. bc Ed is more self-aware than Stede and/or bc he isn't unaware of his being gay, he can see how this has changed things for him, even if he's not sure he's ready to welcome that.

Beat #7: Deepening Desire, aka when those realized feelings in Beat #6 begin to come to a head. fittingly, this beat begins in episode 7, when Stede and Ed go treasure hunting not bc Ed wants to but because Stede does and Ed is unable to say no to Stede's puppy eyes (or his very sassy "we're having a day!" and flip of his coattails). again, i'm not sure that Stede is aware of his feelings for Ed yet (perhaps his attraction to Ed, but that's another thing that's up for debate) but Ed is certainly aware of his own growing feelings for Stede, even if he doesn't think anything will come of them...until Lucius gets involved, giving Ed the kick in the pants he needs to recognize that, while Stede might be oblivious to his feelings and unable to name them, he's still very much Feeling Things. just look at the way Ed encourages Stede to use his map, even though it's burned. just look at the way Ed looks at Stede when Stede is looking at the map and decides to set off in A Direction. Lucius knows Ed is aware of his feelings for Stede, hence the teasing, and Ed isn't denying them, even if he has no intention on acting on them. at least until, of course, he suggests in unison with Stede the idea of becoming co-captains. with regard to Stede's Beat #7, i think it goes into episode 8. he might not recognize what he feels for Ed yet, but he absolutely recognizes he's jealous of Ed and Jack's relationship (even if he expresses it in a way Ed might find difficult to understand), and learns that "anything goes at sea." Stede might not have been fully aware of his being gay, but he's certainly aware of the concept of homosexuality (how can he not be with the crew he has?). thus, he understands what Jack implies, and afterward, when Ed has left him, this comes to a head with how he watches the beach all night (poor Olu, patience of a saint and heart of gold).

Beat #8: Maybe This Time, aka when they think Maybe, Just Maybe, it wouldn't be the worst idea to maybe sort of give into all those thoughts and feelings. after all, at the beginning of episode 9, Ed just sacrificed himself to the British for Stede, returning to the Revenge to be with him no matter what Badminton has in store. Ed just threw himself between Stede and a firing squad. they both just signed the Act of Grace, damning themselves to ten years of serving the British Empire that Stede chafes under and Ed has spent his life fighting against/fleeing from. but they're doing it together! maybe it'll be okay! maybe! this! time!

Beat #9: Midpoint of Love, aka when Things Happen bc we're now at the halfway point of this story. Stede and Ed are together at the privateering academy, Ed wants to be Just Ed bc the time he has spent with Stede has been the most fun he's had in ages, maybe ever. they kiss! they actually kiss! they start making plans to run away to China together! Ed is happy! Stede is too, but...

Beat #10: Inkling of Doubt, aka when highs start to fade even as attachment (whether on the page--the two characters are dating, or sleeping together, or holding hands, whatever the story demands--or more vaguely, such as the two characters being aware of their feelings and how they're reciprocated but are unsure if they can actually get away from their No Way beats). Stede might be riding high on the thrill of being kissed by Ed, but that doesn't mean his worries have gone away, as evidenced by his continued almost dissociation throughout episode 9. thus, when Badminton finds him and confirms all his fears (that he's ruined Blackbeard, the greatest pirate of all time) (that he's abandoned Mary and his children) (whether or not Badminton actually showed up or was a hallucination like Stede experienced in episode 2 is another thing up for debate depending on your interpretation), he decides to run away and abandon Ed to return to his wife and children, thus harkening all the way back to his No Way beat (#3 up there).

Beat #11: Deepening Doubt, aka when things get progressively...bad. in this case, Ed knows now that Stede isn't meeting him. he starts to wonder if he misread everything, despite the kiss, bc he doesn't know what really happened to Stede--only that he never actually showed up. he returns to the Revenge and hunkers out in the blanket fort, all his fears getting worse, confronting his own No Way beat of whether or not he should have fallen for Stede.

Beat 12: Retreat! Retreat! aka when things start to go from bad to worse. Ed starts trying to move on from Stede, in the best way he can, after talking to Lucius about life just beginning again no matter how much we might hurt. for Stede, this is when he tries to force himself back into the mold of the man he left behind--the man he never was--by playacting as that hoity toity asshole society demands he be. look at how he talks to Doug, and how he forces himself back into Mary's life, no matter how miserable he is (and others are as a result--Mary in particular). he thinks he can't have that life at sea bc he has responsibilities w Mary and his children that he can't escape from.

Beat 13: Shields Up, aka when the characters are at their lowest for varying reasons. Ed knows that, if he wants to survive Izzy, he can't be Ed. he has to be Blackbeard, he has to be the Kraken. he also tells himself he was wrong about Stede, full stop. this leads to him tossing all of Stede's fine things overboard, marooning the crew while forcing Jim and Frenchie to remain onboard, and going full Kraken Mode--or so we wants people to believe. we see him at his other lowest, sobbing alone in the empty captain's cabin, looking at the painting of the lighthouse. Stede, of course, ends on a high (his arc was a bit fast-tracked toward Beat #16 down below, but not fully).

now, it's possible that Beats 11, 12, and 13 might show up in the beginning of season 2 in some way/shape/form. we might not be done exploring those beats and all they encompass, for either character, simply bc there wasn't as much time spent on them at the end of episode 9/in episode 10. but these are the upcoming beats we can might see explored throughout season 2, since we know that David Jenkins is following a romance arc for this series. and one thing to remember, as i mentioned above, is that this is not a hard and fast rule. beats can be played around with, overlap for different characters, have hiccups or brief reruns.

Beat #14: Break Up, aka what it says on the tin. some might wonder if this beat happens in the above Beat #13 scenarios i've written out, and while that may very well be possible, it would mean that Beats 10 - 13 were fast-tracked in a matter of two episodes. remember, season 2 wasn't greenlit by the time season 1 aired but months later, so David Jenkins might have wanted to play around with the structure so we're not completely left on the same low that Ed is. we know that Stede is coming back for him, even if Ed doesn't yet. thus, we might very well get a Beat #14 in season 2. Ed and Stede might reunite, Stede believing he and Ed can simply go back to what they used to be, only for him to be confronted with just how badly he hurt Ed. from the theories going around, they're bound to meet up at least a couple times before they're spending consistent time together again.

Beat #15: Dark Night of the Soul, aka the lowest of the low points at the worst of the worst points in a character's journey. for Stede, this might be him believing that he'll never be able to win Ed back. for Ed, this might be him going Full Kraken, as we see in many of the stills and teasers (him threatening Frenchie, him objecting to weddings, him adopting what the legend of Blackbeard says he looks like with the nine guns on his chest).

Beat #16: Wake Up! Smell the Coffee! aka when the sun finally rises. for Stede, this might be when he finally figures out a way to win Ed back and, perhaps, gets an inkling that Ed might actually be open to it. for Ed, this might be him realizing he's actually willing to try again with Stede, trusting that Stede won't hurt him.

Beat #17: Grand Gesture, aka what it says on the tin. if i say "picture the grand gesture in a romcom," you might picture a character running through an airport to get to their love interest before they board a plane forever. you might picture a character running through the rain to find another character bc when you love someone, you want the rest of your life to begin right now. (yeah i'm referencing when harry met sally sue me) on a show like ofmd, with a character like Stede, i think we can anticipate a very, very big grand gesture. i've written so many of them myself in so many ways (one of which even kinda aligns with that theory i saw floating around with Ed climbing up out of the surf and finding himself on an island with Stede and the crew) as have so many other brilliant writers, so i think it can go in any way we might have predicted and perhaps even some we haven't yet dreamed up.

Beat #18: Whole-Hearted, aka when we see the two characters in their New Happy, living together in love. now, i can see this going one of two ways: either season 2 ends with this Whole-Hearted beat only for season 3 to throw in some new kind of obstacle(s) that forces a revisitation of any of the above or perhaps new beats entirely, or season 2 doesn't make it to the Whole-Hearted beat and we thus have to wait for it (and perhaps Beats 16 and 17) for season 3. we know that David Jenkins sees this story as requiring three seasons to tell it fully from start to finish, which is why i think that we'll be revisiting some of the later beats from season 1 in season 2 and only get through a couple (perhaps Beats 14, 15, and 16) in season 2 before the season ends. season 2 has only eight episodes, versus season 1's ten. this could be bc of HBO fuckery, but it could also be bc David Jenkins has plans to explore some of the later beats in season 3, with season 2 just focusing on, perhaps, Beats 12 - 15.

of course, there's no way we can know until we see season 2. i'll definitely revisit this as the season progresses, since these are all just predictions based on my knowledge of writing and editing romcoms and romance novels. and others might have different takes on what happens for each beat in season 1 and season 2, bc again, everything is based on your own interpretation of preestablished rules and where you think a certain character might be mentally and emotionally. no one person is right about where each scene, moment, or character beat falls (apart from the show's writers, obviously, given they're the ones creating this).

but this is to give people some reassurance going into season 2, since i've seen so many people worried that the show is gonna go darkdarkdark, like Black Sails darkdarkdark. i understand your worry, given how often queer shows have screwed queer viewers over (i've been there!!! when i first started watching ofmd last year, i was right there, thinking we might not actually get an actual queer story like we've all been hoping for). but i also want to say that, as a writer myself, as an editor of romance, i'm not in the least bit worried that we won't eventually have our happy ending. David Jenkins isn't the kind of person to jerk our chain. he's here to tell a love story. he's not going to kill them at the end.

if you read this far, congrats! i rambled! there are probably a fuckton of typos! i will return to edit this eventually, but it's almost 11pm my time and my brain is fried. but my inbox is always open if you want to talk about anything above. just don't come into it with bad faith takes, willful misunderstanding, or whatever bullshit might pop into certain fans' minds. i'm really not here for it. i love this show, i love these characters, and i have full faith we'll be okay in the end. 💖

[roxannarambles]

Hello, saw this floating around and decided to fill it out, since I'm just chilling right now.

I don't really like tagging people, don't want them to feel on the spot, so if you see this, consider yourself tagged if you so desire. ^_^

20 Questions for Fic Writers

1. How many works do you have on A03?

At the moment, 24, but I have more posted to my Tumblr than I do a03. I prefer it here (although the audience is smaller)

2. What's your total A03 word count?

Kind of an odd question. 479,942. I guess this is supposed to be flexing? But I really do feel like it's not the quantity that matters, it's the quality.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

In the past, many. (I didn't write for all of em but here's some of my previous fandoms) Currently I write for Pokemon.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

For complete fics, the top spots belong to some Owl House fics, the next is a short Breath of the Wild Sidlink fic, the next is my Legault/Heath Fire Emblem story, and then a compilation of Moomin stories for a Snufmin Week.

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

Yes. In my FF.net days, the norm seemed to be not to respond to comments. But these days, responding to comments seems to be the new norm. Besides, it's nice to thank people for taking the time out of their day to comment and for being such lovely human beings. Even if it IS really hard for me to think of how to thank them without sounding like a buffoooooon (I take a while to get around to it sometimes argh)

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I have never done that. I want hopeful stories because they give me hope. I think the world needs more of that right now.

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

How do you even judge that? Sorry I gotta skip this one, I have no clue

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Very rarely. In Owl House fandom, there are two characters who are not biologically related, did not grow up together, do not share a parental figure, and are not familial in any capacity. However, because a large number of fans have decided they have a "sibling vibe," they've concluded that shipping them together is vile and anyone who does so should be witch-hunted, harassed, slandered, doxxed, and worse. So, I got hate for that occasionally! That's about it, though.

9. Do you write smut?

I did once. Never again, lol

10. Do you write crossovers?

I wrote a Moomin/Deltarune crossover for a while. Nobody read it, though. A shame, it was fun.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Why would you steal a fic? Well, it's the internet, I guess you see just about everything online eventually, but I've never even heard of that. Art theft? Sure. Usually so the person can scam folks into commissioning them. Fic theft though? Nope. That's a new one for me. This is not an invitation for folks to try it out, lol

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Somebody asked me permission once to do that! I told them yes. I never heard back from them though.

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

A lifetime ago I did a round-robin fic with my friends. I don't think I could co-write a fic now though, honestly. I'm so very picky about my headcanons. I would be horrible to work with.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Man, that's tough. I guess probably Mulder/Scully (see question 19) just because it was my first ship and left such an impression on me.

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

'Second Chances.' It was such a cute story and so FUN. People loved it too. And I had it all planned out. But I left Owl House fandom before completing it. I never will return to it, I am too bitter with the final season of the show and the mainstream fans are also very tiresome to deal with.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Hmm. I'm getting to be pretty good at outlining things and figuring out the story's structure. tbh ~90% of my story is often done before I even start my first draft, either due to the vivid daydreams I have, trying stuff out and then trying different things out in my head (& the notes I take on said daydreams) or the progressively more specific outlines as I work things out. That said, there's definitely still stuff that simply does not work on paper that seemed so good in your head. And there's a lot of magic that just seems to spontaneously happen while writing the actual draft out, and it's so important to stay open to that. Whoops I am rambling. I guess in summary my strength is finding a satisfying ratio of outlining stuff vs. staying open to ideas and letting the story lead me in the direction it wants to go.

Also I think I'm pretty good at dialogue. Action/scene description is harder for me, but dialogue feels easy.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

My ideas tend to be very Big. I have great difficulty writing shorter stories. This sucks because I do not have limitless time and energy and I can sometimes bite off more than I can chew. I would love to write shorter stories so I can try out a larger number of ideas. I also want to improve my prose, I need some more variety in there, imo.

My primary weakness, though, is I only write as a form of escapism when I feel depressed. I want a healthier relationship with my writing and with fandom. Basically, I need to learn how to do things casually, to not let an interest consume me completely. I'll let you know if I figure out how to do that, no luck so far.

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

I'm a boring monolingual. I'm not going to write in another language unless I know at least a little about it. Toss in a few phrases or sentences, sure, but nothing more than that.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The X-Files. I was a Mulder/Scully shipper. We called it MSR back then, MulderScullyRomance. I was a young lass back then, and it was my induction to shipping and romance. I loved them because they had fantastic chemistry and a strong partnership built on trust and mutual respect, despite their differing worldviews and interests. Also because I really really liked Scully.

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

Hmmmmm. Tough to choose. I really like "Acquired Taste" because it was the first really long fan fiction I wrote and finished. (At least, I think? I had a long Stargate fic back in the day but we don't speak of that) And I wrote it after a really long break from writing fic (years and years). It has a very special place in my heart.

Is it my best work, though? Mmm. Not sure. I'm also pretty fond of "Ships That Pass in the Night," my longest work. I put my heart and soul into it and got so many comments/interactions, and it has a lot of happy memories.

I also really like some super short stories of mine, though. This one is 613 words long but I feel like it says everything my longer stories on Julinemo do. I also loved writing Support Conversations for Fire Emblem which force you to tell as much as you can in such an incredibly short format. (GBA-era Fire Emblem) I am so proud of those, they pushed me a lot as a writer.

I also like the fics I've done that are mostly genfic, because again, they involved trying something new. They tend to be my least popular 'cause ships reign supreme I guess. That's fine though, that's just the way fic writing goes.

[astromechs]

2022 year in review

thank you for the tag @seek--rest

Number of stories posted to AO3:

22

2. Word count this year:

64,281 (this doesn't include things I didn't publish, and this doesn't include things I wrote in private rps with friends, so I have no idea what the actual word count is, that's just what AO3 told me from what I've posted lol, but I would imagine with all that put together it might be close to 100k)

3. Fandoms I wrote for:

taking the list from AO3 (in alphabetical order):

Captain America/Avengers (movies)

Daredevil (comics/TV)

Goncharov (1973)

Guardians of the Galaxy (comics/movies)

Jessica Jones (TV)

Moon Knight (TV)

Nova (comics)

Peacemaker (2022)

Scarlet Witch (comics)

She-Hulk (TV)

The Boys (TV/2019)

X-Men (comics)

4. Pairings:

ok so the list of all the pairings that got stuff posted to AO3:

Adrian Chase/Christopher Smith (Peacemaker)

Jean Grey/Wanda Maximoff (Marvel unless otherwise noted)

Gamora/Peter Quill

Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanoff

Gamora/Richard Rider

Matt Murdock/Marc Spector

Matt Murdock/Jennifer Walters

Matt Murdock/Peter Quill

Jessica Jones/Matt Murdock

Matt Murdock/Elektra Natchios

Queen Maeve/Starlight (Annie January) (The Boys)

Matt Murdock/Foggy Nelson

Matt Murdock/Richard Rider

Katya/Sofia (Goncharov lol)

Wanda Maximoff/Matt Murdock/Richard Rider

5. Stories with the most:

Kudos: this might be all i ever wanted (all i ever wanted to happen to me) — got right in at the She-Hulk finale hype so I think that helped to boost it

Bookmarks: same as above; people were really loving that one at the time it dropped!

Comment threads: whatever happens (happens to the both of us) — my first Peacemaker fic, and I think the timing of this hit when a lot of people were finishing up the show, but I'm really flattered and honored!

Word count: ghost behind my eyes

6. Work I'm most proud of (and why): I'm going to cheat and pick a few:

ghost behind my eyes — at 10,143 words, it remains my longest self-contained one shot, and I'm really proud of the character work I did here. Christopher Smith and his character development are really important to me, and here's to hoping that will continue in Peacemaker season 2!

standing at a broken altar (asking if we feel relief) — represented a whole new creative venture for me, featuring characters I (at least at the time) had never written into fic before, and I'm someone who's... honestly pretty lapsed, religion-wise, and writing this made me think about faith, how it's questioned, tested, and found again, in a way I haven't in a while. That's a theme I'd like to explore more in future writing — and I'm planning to do more of this through Matt.

almost paradise — the story that's been a long time coming for me. Gamora is literally one of my favorite characters of all time, and to say I... did not handle Infinity War well is putting it very, very mildly; that movie came out not that extremely long after a big personal loss in my real life, so losing a character that dear to me at that time was something I took really hard. This is the first time I've actually acknowledged her death in a piece of writing, and I'm proud of myself that I did.

7. Work I'm least proud of (and why): none of them? I don't usually post something unless I feel pretty good about it.

8. Share or describe a favorite review you received:

cannot express how much this comment made my year. yes, I do. when women.

9. A time when writing was really, really hard: Honestly, my biggest challenge surrounding writing is just... working around my own chronic illness (which involves episodic fatigue) and mental health struggles. For one of those reasons or both at the same time, there were periods of the year that made writing more difficult than others. I'm working on incorporating smaller, more manageable writing goals during those periods so that I can still keep working without exhausting myself.

10. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you: I wasn't expecting Matt Murdock Slut Era to extend for as long as it did, and yet here we are.

11. A favorite excerpt of your writing: from almost paradise:

What he deserves, he thinks, is to be left here, alone with ghosts because that’s all he’s fit to provide company for — maybe until he becomes one himself. Because, yeah, if Ego had been telling the truth, for all his words had been worth, with the destruction of his planet, Peter can do that now. That might actually be better for everyone involved, because all he does, clearly, is pull people into a total shitstorm or get them killed. Sometimes both.

But people don’t ever really get what they deserve, do they? His mom, the kindest person the universe would probably ever know, hadn’t deserved to die from a tumor in her brain, put there by an evil man she’d chosen to give her huge heart to.

And he doesn’t deserve a hand reaching toward him, pulling him up from the floor.

12: How did you grow as a writer this year: My writing got a lot smuttier LMAO But it also just... reflected a "fuck it, we ball" type of attitude that I'd been slowly embracing. Inventing ships, writing whatever the fuck I want. I've grown a lot, and I feel really liberated.

13. How do you hope to grow next year: I hope to continue just... following my bliss. I've come a really long way in not caring as much about an invisible audience and just writing whatever I want, and I aim to keep doing that. I aim to keep believing in myself in that way and going the distance with my screwball ideas.

14. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc): Would like to thank the discographies of Massive Attack, CHVRCHES, and Taylor Swift for fueling my writing. Also anyone when I said "I'm gonna put these blorbos together" who said "do it".

15. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year: I mentioned it before, but almost paradise was written during a depressive episode and I've joked it was me flinging out all my unresolved grief issues onto the page instead of going to therapy in December (using, you know, one beloved character of mine grieving another beloved character's death as a proxy), so. yes.

16. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers: Don't write to cater to an audience; write to cater to yourself. If you love what you do, readers can see that love, and they'll believe in it, too. Readers are really good at telling what is and isn't genuine, so the best thing to do is just... be yourself.

17. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year: I have an existing WIP to finish, and a few more ideas in the can! Featuring: more Vigilmaker, more self-indulgent blorbo ships I invented (featuring either Matt Murdock or Rich Rider or both likely), and GOTG Vol 3 about to wreck my life, so of course I would imagine a good bulk of my writing this year will be related to it. This is all I'll say.

18. Tag some writers whose answers you’d like to read:

(no obligation!) @paperprinc3 @literatigeek @sgtjamesrogers @mari--lace @quillsmora

[goatmilksoda]

Fave shows tag game

Rules: List 5 favourite shows (in no particular order) and answer questions accordingly.

Parks and Recreation

Loki

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

What We Do In The Shadows

Community

Thanks for the tag @ladylowkeyed

1. Who is your favourite character in 2?

Mobius tbh... I love Loki, don't get me wrong, he's AWESOME, and I think Sylvie has a lot of potential but isn't written the way I'd like her to be... BUT the chemistry between Mobius and literally everyone else? WONDERFUL. Also, I'm just a sucker for Owen Wilson.

2. Who is your least favourite character in 1?

Not to cop out, but Jeremy Jam... but if I have to choose main cast, Tom.

3. What's your favourite episode of 4?

The Casino my favorite episode so far, but I'm always hungry for more.

4. What is your favourite season of 5?

Too easy. Season 3.

5. What's your favourite relationship in 3?

I hate the way I ordered this. None romantically, but I love the way Charlie plays off Dennis and Mac. They have a great energy.

6. Who is your anti relationship in 2?

None tbh. I used to be pretty vocally anti-Sylki but I think that's just because Sylvie has some weird writing flaws that don't work for me and just make her and Loki very toxic. However, I've read a lot of fanfiction that really makes it work while preserving both characters at their core and I think there is a lot of potential for it to work, so I'm no longer against it. None! I like all of the ships people come up with! (But I am partial to Mobius and Ravonna being divorced. Them being in love with each other just doesn't work for me, personally with what I've been given in canon.)

7. How long have you watched 1?

I think I picked it up in 2016 or 2017? I've rewatched it many times since!

8. How did you become interested in 3?

I love sitcoms and used to try to find good, not-so-family oriented network shows to share with my dad (on the level Seinfeld, The Office, Parks and Rec, not so much Roseanne or Friends if you catch me?) and It's Always Sunny kept coming up! So when I was 13 or 14 I started watching it and fell in love!

9. Who is your favourite actor in 4?

Matt Berry 👌 (Although I like Harvey Guillen, too)

10. Which show do you prefer 1, 2 or 5?

1 is my favorite. 2 and 5 have their issues. I actually never finished Community because so many cast members left, and Loki has some weird writing problems. Parks and Rec is ultimate though.

11. Which show have you seen more episodes of 1 or 3?

I guess Always Sunny but I've seen all of both.

12. If you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

I want to be Lazlo but we all know I'm Colin.

13. How would you kill off your favourite character in 5?

In the most narratively satisfying way possible, preferably in the form of a film homage. It's what Abed would want.

14. Would a 3/4 crossover work?

Yes and it would be the best thing I've ever seen because of how much it doesn't. Nadja and Dee have evil plans, Jackie Daytona working the bar. Mac thinks Guillermo will understand things because he is also gay. Guillermo thinks he's insane and keeps looking at the camera. Dennis and Nandor try to kill each other. Charlie actively enjoys the vampires but not Colin, who he pushes off on Frank. The gang kicks Colin out of the bar.

15. Pair two characters in 1 that would make an unlikely, but strangely okay couple.

I like all the pairings Parks and Rec uses but I'm going to say Anne and Donna. It would just be interesting to watch. Not good, but fascinating.

16. Overall, which show has the better cast, 3 or 5?

Oh... oh no... um.... 3? but only because SO MANY PEOPLE left Community so we're going from later seasons here.

Tagging: @babygirlthor @godoforeos

[ms-moonlight-inn]

Tagged by @energievie and @thisdivorce to answer a few questions...

😍🤩😍🤩😍🤩

FIC WRITER INTERVIEW

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

27

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

394,606

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Zero to Six (Gallavich)

four hours' absence (Gallavich)

We're Really Bad At This, But We Ain't No Quitters (Gallavich)

The Horrified Nurse (Gallavich)

The Great Untitled Rimming Story (Gallavich)

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

Yes! Every single one! If you've taken the time to talk to me, I'll take the time to reply. Also, I'm a very chatty person, just try & get me to shut up, it's impossible. 😆

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I've yet to write a truly angsty ending, but Pacing The Back Room (Gallavich) has an ambiguous ending, as does one of my nonfiction pieces Voices in My Head.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Almost all of them have a happy ending, my favorite right now is Where You Find Me (Gallavich) because it just slices through several seasons worth of nonsense to get straight to sandals & tequila.

7. Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?

yuP! South Side & Royal Blue (Gallavich/RWRB) it's a one-shot right now. Eventually, I'll circle back & finish it.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Yes, I consider it a rite of passage.

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

Yes, all the way from veiled, romantic references to cocks & holes. 🤷🏻‍♀️ F/F, M/M, M/F

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Jesus, not that I know of.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not yet. But I have had one pod fic'ed. Maybe someday I'll translate some of mine to Spanish? 🤷🏻‍♀️

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

Yes! I adore co-writing. I've written pieces with @stillbeatingheart , @jackieq , & @notherenewjersey . I've got another collab in the works, but that's a bit in the future.

13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

FAVORITE?! Don't ask me that! I love them all.

Gambit/Rouge was my first love.

Mickey/Ian the one I fell hardest for. The HARDEST.

Nick/Charlie gives me that blush of first love innocence.

Stede/Ed those stinky seamen.

Sgt. Warden/Karen Holmes forbidden love at its finest.

Frenchie/Kimiko I mean, damn.

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

😭😭😭 Don't make me cry!

There's a abo in RWRB that I really need to get my shit together & get done.

Also, a bilingual Gallavich fic that I keep procrastinating on.

15. What are your writing strengths?

I’d say managing scenes with an ensemble cast. Also maybe pacing? 🤷🏻‍♀️

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

OVERTHINKING! 🤬😡😤 Sometimes, it gets so bad, I can literally see it on the page. I'll go back to something I wrote in the past & I can point to the spot where I got caught up in my head 'cause the sentences look tortured to my eye.

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Being bilingual, myself, I think it's important to include other languages whenever practical & authentic. A word here, a phrase there. It doesn't have to be an entire conversation, but a little snippet lends so much to the character's persona, I think.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Red, White, & Royal Blue

19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

So far, this hasn't been a problem for me. If the idea comes, I write it. 😆 I've got a kernel of a fic for Sgt. Warden/Karen percolating; when it's fleshed out in my brain, I'll write it.

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Love Me At Half-Light (the one almost nobody, but me likes 😆😂)

Ok, it looks like everyone has been tagged... I'll add @notherenewjersey @gallavichgeek @stillbeatingheart With absolutely no pressure to play. 💕🌹

[bluestar22x]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Got tagged by @goodwithcheese by proxy [kinda]. ;)

1. How many works do you have on AO3?: I have 35 works on AO3. 28 on fanfiction.net. Some fics are reposts from the latter. I have 31 fanfics on tumblr, 29 of them being Pedro character fics. AO3 is just my back up for these fics (I have to load more on AO3 soon; it's missing some fics).

2. What's your total AO3 word count?: 162,722 - I'm not shocked. Most of that probably comes from like 3 or 4 of my fanfics.

3. What fandoms do you write for?: The Pedro fandom, though I've written for Supernatural (CW), 911 Lone Star, 12 Monkeys (Syfy), and Dominion (Syfy) in the past.

4. Top five fics by kudos

The Outcast with 56

The Journey with 49

A Bad Fall and Colors with 42

Sweet Summer and Visitation Rights with 37

One Night with 36

It's funny what hits on there compared to here on tumblr (Sweet Summer is my #1 fic on here). It's a little different (Joel is popular in every universe though).

I didn't link to AO3 because that's just my secondary fanfic dump. I rarely visit it. I'm on tumblr every day.

5. Do you respond to comments?: Yes, they're usually very simple cause I don't often know what to say to "this was so good!" but I always try to comment on every single one because they made an effort and I have the time to do it.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?: Definitely my latest fic Betrayal. I don't write unhappy endings often (I never do), but when I do it's for a writing challenge. Otherwise, there's also Weary that ends bittersweet.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?: This is impossible cause I am such a happily ever after person. The Outcast certainly in the traditional sense (Pero finding love and a home). But there's also The Rockford Files which starts with Tim having a angsty background but puts that to rest at the end (and he also finds love). My Sweet Summer Series and Second Chances Series are also both happy endings. Baby Fever too. For one shots maybe any of my Frankie fanfics. I also really like in canon happy endings so I have fics like The Tree which could fit into TLOU canon (but in my version lots of game 2/season 2 plots never happen).

8. Do you get hate on fics?: Not yet. Guess I'm not popular enough for them to pay attention to me. Quite frankly, I'm insulted I get ignored by the trolls. :P

9. Do you write smut?: Yep. Definitely. It's a requirement for all my romantic fics that are multi-chaptered. I like my smut even though writing them takes forever, especially since I'm still trying to not repeat myself even after so many fics (always trying to change up the words/terms I use, positions, etc.). I do still have fluff fics and angst fics that don't have it, but they're short fics so I don't need the spice to keep my short attention span focused.

10. Craziest crossover: I don't write crossovers

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?: I don't think so

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?: No. Maybe? I think someone once asked if they could translate one of my SPN fics to Russian.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?: No. I wouldn't want to collab. I don't even like writing with myself sometimes. And I think my style of writing is way too different from others for it to all blend well. Most importantly, I like having full creative control of my fics.

Sometimes I wish I had a ghost writer though. lol

14. All time favorite ship?: Too many. And too many were not together at the end (chose different people/one died). :( Uh...Oh! Melinda/Jim on Ghost Whisperer! That's got to be my favorite couple! Jim is the perfect husband. If any guys need an example for being a great husband...Jim. Jim is a great one.

15. What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?: I plan on finishing all my WIPs. Whether I have the time for them all is the question but I don't have one where I'm like: as if that'll happen. I am pretty sure given enough time I'll get to them all.

16. What are your writing strengths?: I always have a hard time finding the answer to this. Having a clear sight of where I want to go? What I want to write, I guess? I'm not bad with convo I guess. I think my smut is pretty well written if not a little on the mechanical side (I need to work on explaining what they're feeling vs. what they're doing.)

17. What are your writing weaknesses?: I'd say details. Sure I can explain how something or someone looks but it's like "the mountain was massive" and not all poetic or anything. I try. If I never get there, well, that's why I write fanfics and not books. I'm not going to sweat it.

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language?: I don't mind sprinkling it in, but I don't know any languages besides English, at least not really. You'd think having French in school and watching Narcos with all that Spanish I'd pick up more than a few words but...nope.

19. First fandom you wrote in?: Supernatural. My first official fic was in 2010 but I had one or two I wrote on a Microsoft word doc before that that never saw the light of day.

20. Favorite fic you've written?: I'd say The Outcast. It was one of those fics that came out of nowhere but sometimes those are the best ones. I loved writing for the characters and writing about nature and the horses, etc. Plus it was fun making winter a stage for new beginnings.

x

Everyone seeing this who is a writer, I tag you. (If you want to talk about your fics, go right ahead!) Also @solanumofthestars and @trulybetty

x

P.S. this is why Jim's amazing:

[cosplayingwitch]

I posted 657 times in 2022

76 posts created (12%)

581 posts reblogged (88%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@thefallenbibliophilequote

@make-me-imagine

@gaitwae

@myraaaa17

@grufflepuff-writes-stuff

I tagged 139 of my posts in 2022

#reblog - 23 posts

#fan fiction - 16 posts

#loki x reader - 6 posts

#tag game - 5 posts

#loki - 4 posts

#tagged - 4 posts

#uquiz - 4 posts

#quiz - 4 posts

#reader insert - 3 posts

#reccomended - 3 posts

Longest Tag: 115 characters

#as in i met a couple people for lunch once or twice in a date like scenario but without it officially called a date

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Not-really spoilers for Obi-Wan Kenobi ahead!

I love tiny Leia. She is as full of chaos and sass as grown Leia is. Well done, creators of Obi-Wan, well done. I think Carrie Fisher would be happy with this representation.

5 notes - Posted May 28, 2022

#4

I kinda doubt it, but I have an idea if anyone wants a random writing prompt. I call it the "leftover valentine's candy challenge". I still have a box of smarties conversation heart things, so I could give you a prompt of a random candy or two drawn from the box.

So if you want to participate (which I doubt anyone will), let me know and I'll send you a picture of however many random candy quotes as you want. Obviously, you'd have to tag me in your finished story.

(I suspect this would be excellent for writing fluff.)

6 notes - Posted February 18, 2022

#3

What am I doing with my Saturday night? With a migraine and having had quite a bit of my energy taken up in helping my mom with her class reunion, I'll be catching up on Bridgerton.

(Yes, I am only tonight beginning season 2.)

Plus, because I do love period dramas, I will be going to see the new Downton Abbey movie in the morning.

6 notes - Posted May 22, 2022

#2

Anyone else watch Moon Knight and find themselves just enamored by Oscar Issac with an accent? Like, I knew I was attracted to him as Poe Dameron, but add a fucking accent and I'm head over fucking heels over here.

The show itself is cool, but I'll admit, this was one of the two reasons I even tried the show. (The other one being "it's marvel".)

13 notes - Posted April 5, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Three Drinks, Two Texts, and a Phone Number

Here we go! My first new fic since December! This is for @make-me-imagine 's 5th Anniversary Challenge

Pairing: Malcolm Bright x gn!reader (I reread it to double check, but if you spot any runaway pronouns please let me know)

Prompt: “Meet up for a blind date and getting along very well, only to realize halfway through you met up with the wrong person on accident.”

Length: just over 1200 words

Warnings: the reader does do a bit of drinking in this, and maybe mild language warning?

A/N: This is my first time writing in this fandom! I've wanted to write for this for awhile, but haven't gotten around to it. I also messed up with the prompt a bit, so that probably disqualifies me. But I wrote it anyway!

Three Drinks, Two Texts, and a Phone Number

You’d just gotten off work when your best friend called with an usual question.

“You’re single, right? Please tell me you are.”

“Ummm, yeah?” They’d been by your side after your most recent, and rather painful, breakup, so they had to have known this.

“And you still owe me for getting you an advance copy of that book?” You couldn’t lie, having a friend with a job at a bookstore had its perks.

“You’ve held that over my head since you did. Let me guess, you finally figured out how you want to cash in that favor?”

God, you hope it’s not something bad. Or illegal.

“You’re going on a date tomorrow night. Consider it a gift.”

“What?” You’re a little taken aback. “No.”

“You owe me. I’m not saying you have to marry the man, just go out with him. One date won’t kill you. Look at it this way, you’re getting a free meal out of this too.”

“If I do go, which is a big if, can I ask who I’m going on this date with?” You question, still a little hesitant.

“That would ruin the surprise, it’s called a blind date for a reason. And you are going, even if it means I have to drag you to the restaurant myself.” You knew she was being sarcastic, but something also told you that there was a bit of truth in that.

Eh, what the hell. Why not.

As you straighten your shirt, you can’t help but wonder if you’re overdressed for this.

“That’s nonsense. You’re still used to the work-from-home sweatpants. This is absolutely perfect for a date at a fancy restaurant.” Your best friend continued to babble over the video call, but nothing really stuck. You were busy being stuck in your own head.

*ding*

The sound of your phone jolted you back into reality.

“Okay. I sent you the address of the restaurant. Remember, 6 PM. No later.”

—-------

You arrive at the restaurant a little early, choosing to wait in the lobby than take up a table before whoever your date was showed up.

But that was exactly the problem. He never seemed to show up. You waited until 7 before giving up and asking the hostess if there were any seats available at the bar. Sitting down, you checked your phone in case your friend texted you that something happened to your date.

No text. You managed to get stood up by a blind date. 

“Date gone bad?” The man to your left asked.

See the full post

46 notes - Posted July 6, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[ijustcantwaittobeme]

Running thoughts in ZR

Spoilers from S4 onward. I’m sure there were mentions prior to that but I’ve been wanting to make this post and just haven’t figured out how to do it best since it would be a spoiler-based mention. So for anyone not that far into ZR - I’ll leave this under the cut but I have a thought about something and just out of morbid curiosity want to know if this is a thought that other Fives have thought about (at all) or even the people officially at Zombies, Run game.

Since the V-type zombies have been introduced in ZR, for the many thoughts that I have that are random and ridiculous while running away from virtual danger as Runner Five, there is one thought/concept I can’t get out of my head about the name. I know what the full name and meaning is and why but at the same time, the shit-poster and pun-loving soul that I am can’t help but wonder anyone else picks up on the fact that you could make a pun out of the name. It’s a Zom-V. *I am an idiot I know but I guess I just want to share it and also ask if this has been a thought bubble for anyone here as well. If the staff and creators of ZR haven’t recognized the pun yet - I want there to be a way to get it to them. It’s corny but puns usually are.

[sincerelyella]

My Person (Liam x MC)

Book: The Royal Romance (AU)

Song Inspiration: My Person by Spencer Crandall

Pairings: Liam x MC (Ella) Summary: A one shot of my favorite couple - it’s Liam and Ella’s anniversary and there are big plans in store.

A/N: Okay, I’m gonna be very honest, I am super nervous about posting again. I wrote this maybe last week and kind of finished it earlier today. Thank you to those that I vented to about actually posting my stories, not sure why I feel really sick right now. New blog name (used to be @callmeellabella), new post LOL and I didn’t really know who to tag since it’s been a long time so I’m using my old list. Please let me know if you want off.

A/N2: Participating in @wackydrabbles​ this week. Prompt will be in bold.

Thank you @alyssalauren​ and @ofpixelsandscribbles​ for reading through this for me and kind of handing me that invisible paper bag for me to breathe in. Love y'all!

Warnings: Fluffs. A lot of fluffs.

Words: 1658

Isaiah and Noelle grinned as they filmed their parents in the seat in front of them, holding hands. After 15 years of marriage, Liam and Ella were the epitome of the best partners to each other and parents to their children. There were rough times, of course, you can’t escape those, but the King and Queen handled things in stride.

Noelle’s eyes filled with tears when she watched her dad lift her mom’s hand to his mouth and kiss her knuckles. The way he looked at Ella, like she was the only woman in the world, made Noelle have very high standards for a future partner for herself.

Isaiah grew up knowing how you were supposed to treat a woman, and it was all modeled from how his dad treated his mom. At 15 years old, he grew up in the public eye, but thankfully, his parents allowed him to have a normal childhood. The only time there was mention of royalty was a gala or a ball held at the palace; his Uncle Leo, Max, and Drake as well as his Aunt Olivia and parents all dressed up.

It was their parent’s anniversary that day and Liam had planned a family dinner, just the four of them.

One week ago

“Hey guys,” Liam smiled as he watched his kids sitting at the kitchen island doing homework.

“Hey, dad.” “Hi, daddy.”

Liam hung his keys on the wall by the door and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Next week is mine and your mother’s anniversary.”

Noelle and Isaiah stopped what they were doing and met their father’s gaze.

“I … was hoping you could help me with something,” his brows rounded as he stared at them.

“Sure, what did you need?” Noelle asked.

Isaiah chewed his bottom lip. “No pranks though, right dad?”

Liam chuckled, remembering that anniversary and how it went … so wrong. “No, son. No pranks. Plus, your Uncle Maxwell is not invited until later.”

Present-day

“Guys, we’re here,” Liam turned to Noelle and Isaiah and widened his eyes at them, the two nodding back with small smiles. Ella missed the entire silent exchange as she climbed out of the black SUV after Bastien opened her door.

Everyone piled into the restaurant, all of them laughed and cried as the kids asked for a cake to be presented to their parents to celebrate their special day.

“How beautiful,” Ella wiped her tears away as she gazed at the red velvet bundt cake covered in cream cheese frosting. “Was this your doing?” She turned to her husband as he smiled.

“No, love, that was them,” he gestured towards Noelle and Isaiah.

“Thank you,” she used a tissue to dab at both her eyes.

“Fifteen years is a long time to be married, ma,” Isaiah dimpled as he looked from his mom to his dad. “Now hurry up and eat it so that we can have a piece!”

The family laughed and dug into the cake. An hour later, they slowly stood from the table, grumbling about how full they were.

“Oh God, why didn’t you stop me?” Isaiah smacked his sister in the arm.

Noelle glared at her brother and punched him in the arm. “It’s not my fault you ate like you never saw food before.”

“Why did you say that?” Isaiah whined.

Liam and Ella walked behind their children, smirking at each other.

“They’re so dramatic,” Ella snorted.

“Wonder who they got that from?” Liam arched a brow at his wife.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Your Majesty.”

“Love,” Liam waited until she turned to look at him. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Where? What is it?”

“Come on,” he tugged on her hand and led her out of the restaurant and into the waiting SUV.

“Where are we going?”

“Ma, just wait, we’ll get there in a minute,” Noelle giggled in the back seat.

“You guys know too?” Ella looked from her son to her daughter and back again. “Liam?”

“Just relax, love, we’ll be there soon,” he squeezed her hand and laughed as her nose wrinkled in annoyance.

A few minutes later, Bastien turned into a small, private area for vehicles to park. “We’re here,” he said and turned to smirk at Ella. “Your Majesty, we’re going to blindfold you.”

“You’re … what?!”

Isaiah cackled as he leaned forward to wrap a scarf around his mother’s eyes.

“That’s blocking my nose,” Ella complained. “I can’t breathe.”

“You can breathe out of your mouth.”

“Isaiah Alexander,” she said sternly and he jumped.

“Sorry mom,” he mumbled as he fixed the scarf so it only covered her eyes.

“Okay,” Liam opened the door to her side of the SUV. “Come on, love, I’m carrying you to our destination.”

Ella let out a long sigh and reached up to feel her husband’s neck. She allowed him to carry her bridal style to … wherever they were going. When her family got like this it was usually because of her husband, who loved to take her places to surprise her. She didn’t mind, honestly, but it was annoying when everyone was in on it except for her.

“We’re almost there, love, I promise,” she felt Liam kiss the top of her head and she snuggled into his shoulder.

“Hey, I got a picture from Uncle Max!” Noelle opened the message and gasped.

Isaiah reached for his sister’s phone. “Is it another picture of him and his peacock Lady and the Tramping some spaghetti?”

Everyone began to laugh.

“I can’t believe that damn thing didn’t peck his eye out,” Ella snorted.

“That thing still scares the crap out of me,” Noelle said as her fingers flew over the keys. 

“We’re here,” Liam smiled as he began to step down onto the large rocks towards the private beach.

“Don’t drop me, Liam,” Ella said as she lifted her nose to the air. “I smell the ocean.” She felt her husband lower her to the ground. “What now? I’m still wearing this.”

A moment of silence and some giggling in the distance made Ella furrow her brows.

“Okay, take off the scarf, love.”

Ella quickly undid the knot and opened her eyes; she faced the ocean. “Liam, what-”

“Turn around.”

As she did, she saw her husband on one knee, her children behind him in the distance carrying an old 1989 boombox, the song My Person by Spencer Crandall playing.

I was lookin' for a long time

I never found nobody like you

I got your name, got your number

And we talked 'til they turned on the lights

“A boombox?”

Liam smirked. “You made me watch Sixteen Candles.”

“Oh yeah,” she chuckled. “Liam,” Ella had tears streaming down her face and she wiped them away quickly. “Wh-what is this?”

He took hold of her free hand and ran his thumb over her knuckles. “Love, it’s our fifteenth wedding anniversary. We married that long ago.”

She nodded, the lump on her throat making it difficult for her to speak.

“But we were together before that,” he smiled up at her. “I met you and I was done for, I haven't looked at anyone else since. You came to my social season, I chose you, we were engaged for a year, and then here we are.”

My person

My heartbeat

My slow dance

My Sunday-morning-sippin'-on-coffee in bed

My know-when-you-know best friend

“You’re my person,” Liam bit his bottom lip to control his emotions. “You and the kids are my everything, and you know I’d give all this up for you if you asked.”

“We don’t want that though!” Noelle yelled and they all laughed.

“Ella Brooks Rys, I wanted to ask you if you would remarry me,” he reached into his pocket, pulled out a black velvet box, and opened it. “Renew our vows and our commitment to each other.”

The box held three rings, an emerald-shaped, 6-carat diamond solitaire in the middle, and one plain platinum band on each side of it. One was engraved with Isaiah Alexander and the other with Noelle Marie.

“Of course,” Ella choked out as Liam smiled and the kids jumped up and down.

My saving grace, my everything

I’ve never been more sure that you’re my person

Every minute is a long time

If I ain’t holding on to you

Liam pushed all three rings onto her finger. “You ready, Mrs. Rys?”

“I am, Mr. Rys,” she pulled her husband to her and captured his lips in a passionate kiss.

“Ew, gross!” “Stop! This is not part of the plan!”

“Congratulations!”

Ella was surprised by that last one and turned towards the sound. All of their friends and family were there on the beach, smiling at them.

“What are-”

“You guys are renewing your vows!” Leo hollered and lifted a bottle of champagne in the air. “Let’s get this going so we can get druuuunk!”

“Leo!” Liam snapped at his brother.

“I mean, I’m ready when you are.”

Hana and Olivia rushed towards Ella and hugged her. “Were you surprised?”

“I was,” Ella sniffled. “You guys all knew?”

“Yup!”

“My little blossom! You are so beautiful! Let me see the rings!”

Ella gave Max her left hand.

“Whatever you do, don’t let Beaumont touch it. I’m sure he’s got lasagna all under his fingernails,” Drake chuckled as he approached the group.

“Hey marshmallow,” Ella turned to hug him. “And you guys had lasagna without me?”

Liam laughed and put an arm around Noelle and Isaiah. “You guys ready?”

They both nodded.

“I’m ready to marry your mother again,” they all laughed as Ella put her arm around Isaiah. “Let’s go!”

My saving grace, my everything

I've never been more sure that you're my person

Yeah, baby, you're my person