#so i've been procrastinating on publishing this post

[mangoamango]

so about 2 weeks ago I helped rescue this teeny little cat (5lbs!!!!), and wouldn't you know it--she has a goddamn hole in the roof of her mouth. Thankfully there is a surgical procedure to fix this (which she had on Monday) but unfortunately: it was $680 dollars.

If you would like to kick a few dollars Ms Petra's way, I would be deeply, deeply grateful. I know I had a post earlier this year asking for cat money, and many of you were so kind and generous. It's okay if you don't have anything to give. Reblogs are great too!

Like on my other post, I'm more than happy to offer my silly little computer skills in exchange for donations, just dm me with a screenshot and we can work it out.

thanks for reading. i love u all my hand computer friends

[airenyah]

How BAD BUDDY SERIES | EP.11 [4/4] Tricked the Fandom

Those who were there watching Bad Buddy live will remember the chaos that ensued after episode 11 (my beloved) and with it the episode 12 preview (derogatory) dropped. Watching a happy and hopeful episode, ending in a lovely montage with an even lovelier song, being told things such as "we became two people who can’t be just friends" or "I want you to know that this world can’t change someone like me either", only to be punched in the gut by "Pat and I broke up" in the very next moment. Those of you who were there will remember how – after the fandom had finally picked up its shattered pieces – there was a scramble to figure out what the hell was happening exactly, how the hell we even got to this point.

And you will also remember the fandom deciding on a specific scene being The Breakup Scene. But how can that be? How can a breakup scene even exist when we know (in retrospective) that they never actually broke up? Did the fandom just collectively hallucinate a scene that wasn't there?

Well, no. Of course not. I think the reason why it worked, the reason why this scene managed to trick the fandom into believing that this was actually the breakup talk was because for one terrifying moment Pran himself thinks it's a breakup talk. However, the fandom was so blinded by the ep 12 preview that it completely missed one key factor from that scene which Pran did realize: it's not in fact a breakup, but the exact opposite of it.

So let's get into it, let's take a closer look at Bad Buddy Ep. 11 [4/4] (01:58 - 05:15) and Pran's emotional rollercoaster during this specific scene:

The scene starts out with Pat sitting on the bench, lost in thought. His exact thought process here is for the viewer to decide, but whatever he is reflecting on has to do with him finally accepting the inevitability of having to back home. And considering his upcoming monologue, he's probably also thinking about his love for Pran and Pran's love for him.

His thinking gets interrupted when Pran walks into the scene, dangling the shirts into Pat's face. They have an interaction about the shirts, Pat puts one on while Pran can't keep his hands off of him, they exchange some words and Pran doesn't really notice Pat's pensive mood, when suddenly –

Pat grabs Pran's hand. Pran was not expecting that, and he looks up at Pat in surprise, asking a silent What is it, what's going on? And I think it's only here that Pran really notices the weird mood Pat is in.

Pat says "thank you" and although Pran looks concerned about Pat's sudden mood change, Pat's words also make Pran smile, though he's still very confused, having absolutely no context for Pat's emotional state and thus having no idea where this is suddenly coming from. "Thank you for what?" Pran asks, still with that searching look in his eyes that asks What's gotten into you all of a sudden? Is everything alright?

Pat replies "For trying to make a silly guy like me happy". And Pran's smile falls just a little bit as he realizes that this? really isn't just Pat being his usual sappy self, this right here is a Serious™ conversation indeed:

Finally, Pran too has arrived in serious mode completely. He now shifts his attention fully to Pat, listening intently to Pat's words, staying focused on Pat the entire time.

Pat says "I know that sooner or later we will need to go back." This gets a very subtle smile out of Pran (you can see how the corner of his mouth on the right side of the screen goes up just a tiniest bit):

Pran reacts to those words, because this has been their conflict throughout the entire episode so far: Pran being realistic, having accepted from the start that they would have to return at some point while Pat was so desperately trying to stay in that pretense that they could just make a new life somewhere else and not turn back, refusing to acknowledge that in the long run this just wouldn't work out. But now Pat is finally acknowledging this, letting Pran know that he understands and that they're on the same page about this. "I know too well",* Pat says and Pran looks like he's about to cry from adoration for Pat pls he's so in love takes that acknowledgement in, still with a hint of a smile on his face.

*(Side note: I seem to hear ทำไม​กูจะไม่รู้ว่ะ (tammai-goo-jà-mâi-róo-wâ) and I think the more literal translation of this sentence would actually be something like "Why wouldn't I know?". Though I'd have to ask a Thai native to confirm as I don't trust my own Thai skills yet. Anyway, I just thought the rhetorical question was interesting in regard to Pran reacting to Pat's statement, bc the rhetorical question addresses Pran more directly compared to the declarative sentence from the subtitles. His reaction is kind of like a reply to that rhetorical question.)

But that hint of a smile is wiped right off Pran's face when Pat continues with "But I just want to stay as long as we can."

And this the moment where the thought hits Pran for the first time that Pat's speech might actually lead to a breakup. He is confused (why would they need to break up over this?) and there is now fear and worry in his eyes. He looks a little scared, his mouth twitches a little, accompanied by the tiniest headshake and there are many questions written all over his face: What are you talking about?? Where is this going?? No, it can't be... Are you implying what I think you're implying?? I don't follow...

And Pat just keeps going: "Be with you for at least one more day."

One more day. That very much does sound like a breakup, doesn't it? Especially if you're already half expecting one. This line confirms Pran's fear of Pat actually being in the process of ending their relationship, leaving Pran on the verge of tears.

But Pran is a fighter and he's not giving in that easily. He sniffs away his rising tears and says "What are you talking about? Get dressed. The bar is opening soon."

What are you saying? We're not breaking up. We're staying here, we'll work at the bar and we'll be together. It'll be fine, don't worry.

Now it's Pran's turn to deflect. To indulge in that fantasy of being able to just run away together into the sunset where everything is all sunshine and rainbows. Because Pran would much rather face the hardships that they might run into if they actually stayed at the beach together than go back home to live a life without Pat. I can be anywhere as long as I have you.

If this is Pat letting him go, Pran really doesn't want to hear it:

Unfortunately, the scene cuts to Pat really quickly, but I just need you all to appreciate Pran's pouty puppy eyes at the end there, because they're the saddest thing I've ever seen:

I won't let you do this, his eyes say. Please don't do this to me, his eyes say. Please tell me you're not really doing this, his eyes say, tell me you're coming to work at Uncle Yod's bar with me. We're staying here, together, you hear me?

Except then Pat surprises Pran yet again. And here comes the part that the fandom completely overlooked in the light of the ep 12 preview:

Because then Pat says "Nobody works on their honeymoon."

And it's absolutely hilarious how Pran's brain immediately gets stuck in "error 404 not found" mode. You can literally see the loading circle going round and round in his brain as he tries to comprehend what Pat has just said:

Honeymoon?? Why are you suddenly talking about something that's related to weddings? Weren't we breaking up a second ago? What in the world is going on?

"You never leave me. You fight alongside me. That makes me feel very happy." Pat says and that's when Pran realizes. This conversation was never about a breakup. This is a conversation about commitment. It's an acknowledgment of Pran's love for Pat and the commitment he's shown over the course of their relationship. And it's a promise that Pat appreciates it, has appreciated it in the past and will appreciate it in the future. Pat has more or less just said his wedding vows to Pran.

And that's when Pran can no longer hold back his tears. Partly due to the relief that he won't lose Pat and partly because he's so moved by Pat's speech, by Pat's love.

And then Pat tells Pran that he's finally ready to go home: "I will let Uncle Yod know that we quit. Wait for me here."

And with that Pat brings closure to the conflict of this episode. They are finally going back home, they are finally going to face their parents. But in this scene right here Pat and Pran made it clear to each other that they'll be doing so with full commitment to one other – they will be doing so together, and that's a promise. They really did just essentially get married on their little beach getaway. They got more or less engaged on the staircase in ep 10 and now in ep 11 they are following up on that engagement. This trip really was their little honeymoon. And this calls for a celebration:

"It’s our last night on this honeymoon. I will not just stay in and be lonely. If we aren’t going to work, then let’s get drunk."

You see, for an entire week the fandom was so blinded by the ep 12 preview (derogatory) and the prospect of a looming breakup that unlike Pran it completely missed the part where Pat points out that they're on a honeymoon. And who goes on a honeymoon? People who just got married.

BONUS:

Can we just appreciate Pran's face when Pat says he'll tell Uncle Yod about quitting:

You fucker really had me thinking we were breaking up for a hot moment there when the whole time this was actually a wedding. I was worried and scared for notHING, can you believe this man

[bluevelvet-room]

hey guys thinking abt p1 parents again. would be nice if someone wrote that

[bowtiepastabitch]

Hi, have you ever read a post-s2 fix-it fic and thought to yourself, 'hmmm, I wish this would make me cry instead'?

Then you might(?) enjoy the incredibly angsty fic I'm writing! I actually cried a bit writing the chapter I published today; it was incredibly cathartic.

---

“Crowley I-”

He breaks into a sob before he can finish his sentence, and then lurches forward. Their lips meet with crushing force, and Aziraphale’s hand reaches up to steady himself against Crowley’s shoulder. The touch is gentle but heavy and every inch of Crowley’s being is lit up, fuzzy and too warm to be natural. Aziraphale’s lips are just as soft as he remembers, and they press searchingly, desperately against his. For a singular, gloriously painful moment, the air crackles with electricity and unspoken words, and then it’s over.

Aziraphale jerks back as if struck, eyes wide.

“I’m sorry, I-I don’t know what came over me. I shouldn’t-”

Crowley reaches out a hand, to cup his face or to pull him closer again he isn’t sure, but Aziraphale catches him by the wrist. Crowley had forgotten how strong he is.

“Don’t.” The ragged whisper hangs in the air like a heavy fog.

“Angel-”

“Just… don’t.”

---

I've been procrastinating actually promoting my own work since I started this piece because I hate doing so, but here we are. Enjoy, I guess? (and if you don't enjoy it, please don't tell me so, I will cry)

[j-nipper-95]

An ask game for writers to procrastinate working on your WIP(s)

Thank you for the tags @artsyunderstudy @iamamythologicalcreature @aristocratic-otter @shrekgogurt @wellbelesbian @theearlgreymage and @ic3-que3n

I am definitely procrastinating on both my WIPs at the moment. Trails is back in limbo, and ASR has taken up permanent residence there recently, and I desperately want to get back to both of them. Here's hoping this will kick start something in my brain! I do love a good Q&A, so let's dive in!

1. 🦈 Tell us the name of your/one of your WIP(s):

I have two WIPs I am actively writing, and one I haven't started on yet, but desperately want to. The Trails We Blaze was my Carry On Through the Ages 2023 fic, and is a The Road to El Dorado!au. Then there's my original novel, A Survivor's Revenge, which I've been writing for far too long and it definitely needs to be published soon!

2. 🍄 Describe your WIP/one of your WIP(s) in the format of "___ + ___ = ___"

Ok, this is much harder than I thought it would be, there's so many elements to each of these WIPs, so bare with me.

Trails: con men in 1920s London find map to Atlantis + WW1 trauma + gang warfare + repressed romantic feelings = friends to lovers action, adventure, and chaos across western Europe that's probably been too intensely researched for the sake of historical accuracy

(Side note: this isn't how I thought I'd use my degrees in history and archaeology, but here we are!)

A Survivor's Revenge: marvel cinematic universe + James Bond = ASR

or - what would happen if Bucky wasn't brainwashed by Hydra and sought revenge on the scientists who experimented on him, was a 14 year old school girl instead of a grown man, and had elemental powers + MI6 super spies and the general aesthetic of a Bond movie = a stab first/ask questions later FMC willing to do whatever it takes to keep her loved ones safe (and I do mean whatever it takes - Lauren hasn't baulked at anything I've thrown at her yet).

3. 🌍 What tags or warnings will one of your WIP(s) need if you intend to share it.

ASR will definitely need some trigger warnings for violence (if only because of Lauren's penchant for it), and if it were being posted to AO3 the series as a whole would probably require a 'main character death' warning. This is your formal warning, no one is safe in my writing.

Trails is rated M, so there's not going to be anything too graphic or explicit, but it does have a PTSD tag, as the fic tackles both Baz and Simon's trauma from living through the First World War, and specifically Baz's claustrophobia. So I would probably warn about the panic attacks and discussion of how Baz became claustrophobic.

4. 🧭 An alternative title to one of your WIP(s)?

Neither of these had alternative titles other than my save names (Spy Novel and SnowBaz fanfic) before I decided on anything. I'm useless at coming up with titles, and I can't really claim full credit for either. A friend from uni came up with A Survivor's Revenge, which is really fitting, as revenge is a major theme in the book. And The Trails We Blaze is a reference to one of the songs from the movie The Road to El Dorado, and was Ashton's suggestion when we were bouncing ideas back and forth last year.

5. ⚠️ Which WIP you're most likely to finish or update next?

Trails will definitely be finished before ASR, purely because ASR is going to be published as a proper book, and I don't have the cash to do this independently, or the publishing deal to do it traditionally. So I know this will take time. But I am currently working on the next chapter of Trails, so hopefully it won't be too long before I can post it.

6. 💾 What is your document of your WIP/a WIP called? (not the stories actual title but what you've saved it as)

I have so many variations of both WIPs it's ridiculous. I swear there's been 100+ iterations of ASR over the years, all with variations on either A Survivor's Revenge/ASR or Spy Novel as their title.

With Trails I have my base document, which is where the rough first draft happens, in Scrivener: the trails we blaze - draft copy. And then I also have my final document in pages, where I fix the formatting ahead of exporting to AO3 (because AO3 hates it when I do it straight from scrivener and gets rid of all my italics!): the trails we blaze upload copy.

7. 🖍 Post any sentence(s) from your WIP.

This is probably one of my favourite exchanges in the first ASR book.

“Just like old times,” Lauren said. “Tell me, did you consciously decide to make my PTSD worse by assigning him to me, or was that a happy accident?” “What’s the diagnosis?” Vanessa asked, ignoring Lauren. “Fractured ribs, minor internal abdominal bleeding, concussion, and three broken fingers. She needs to rest for at least a week,” Todd said. “She has a name,” Lauren muttered. “The internal bleeding is minor for the moment, but won’t be if she doesn’t rest.” “Who’s ‘she’ in this, the cat’s mother? I am here, you know.” “Yes, and whilst I would love to trade witticisms with you, I do actually have a job to do. Part of which involves divulging a diagnosis, and pardon me if I feel certain people in this room are going to be more receptive and actually take my advice when I give it.” Lauren glanced at Vanessa. “Is he always like this?” “Just with patients. And most of the people who work here.” “So, everyone?” Vanessa thought for a moment, then bobbed her head from side to side in a movement that said Pretty much, yeah. “If we’re quite done discussing my conduct, I do actually have other patients who need my attention.” “Poor sods.” “Yes, of course,” Vanessa said, ignoring Lauren’s comments. “Have you got a treatment plan sorted?” “I’m nothing if not professional.” “Did someone switch the definition of ‘sarcastic asshat’ and ‘professional’ in the dictionary when I wasn’t looking?” Todd twisted ever so slightly away from Lauren, instead focusing entirely on Vanessa.

8. ♻️ A scrapped idea for your current WIP.

Initially in ASR Lauren was framed for the murder of a student, alongside releasing the main villain from prison (not a spoiler, it's literally in my synopsis, no worries there!), and afterward she was forced to go on the run. Essentially, it made the heads of MI6 and Lauren's best friends into her enemies for a few chapters of my drafts a couple of years back. I loved this idea, and genuinely want to implement something along these lines again, because it was an interesting position to put the characters in, but I also really love where the plot is taking them currently, so we'll see if it truly ends up remaining scrapped or not.

9. 🤔 What's a story you'd love to write but haven't even started yet?

Another original novel, this time firmly rooted in science fiction (no superhero/light fantasy elements here), where time travel is possible, but the super anxious MC refuses to use his powers to travel back in time because of the side effects of said power. Gay romance, anxiety, angst, all the good stuff!

10. 🤡 How many WIPs are you actively working on?

I'm not too active on either of my WIPs at the moment. Work's been crazy lately, and I flip between feeling super burnt out creatively and being too tired to do much. But Trails and ASR continue to be my most active WIPs.

11. 🛠 Is there a scene or anything in the WIP you are struggling with right now?

In Trails I've hit an intimate scene, and my little ace brain doesn't know how to approach it! Plus, I don't know how far I can stretch the M rating before we enter E territory.

12. ❤️ Not a question, just a second Kudos to send.

All of the kudos to everyone! I wish there was a way to leave it more than once, because seriously, the CO fandom is so unbelievably talented, my God!!

Tagging (sorry if you’ve already done this):

@blackberrysummerblog

@orange-peony

@you-remind-me-of-the-babe

@palimpsessed

[beyondspaceandstars]

Treacherous (17)

Relationship: Druig x Reader Warnings: angst, tiny bit of fluff Summary: Soulmate!AU - Soulmate tattoos are incredibly rare but you’ve never felt really proud to have one. Everyone else around you gushed over it while you found the whole thing ominous and a little inconvenient. Truthfully, you were never really convinced you’d find your other half… That is until a random camping trip leads you to a quaint village run by a dark and brooding man who just so happens to be your soulmate. Stuck in the forest with nothing else to lose, you agree to join his world, his little village, and see if there’s actually love behind the markings. A/N: wow! this chapter is a bit slow/kind of like a filler but when it comes to stories we must close every door we open lmao so i hope you still enjoy it. i promise it will start to pick back up again! also, can you believe I've written over 47k words for this fic?? my last full-fledge fic was just over 40k words so this one....this one has really spiraled out of control! thank you for taking this journey and actually caring -- especially this far into it!

‘Treacherous’ Masterlist | Main Masterlist

You stared at the composed post, and it stared right back at you. It was like your diary had puked on your screen. Everything was out at its full capacity. No summarizing for the authorities and no sugar-coating for the family. 

Were you really going to post this? It held everything and spanned longer than any entry you had ever seen on the forums. 

The "post" button taunted you relentlessly. 

You re-read your opening line for the umpteenth time: "Long time viewer, first time posting…finally." It was short and sweet but buckled the reader in for the ride. That was good, it could be catching. But, then again, what were you trying to do with this post? Were you truly just trying to share your story, or did you want to warn others? Could someone just please listen?

You stared at it for an ungodly amount of time. You wrote it to post it…right? So why were you just sitting there, staring at it like it was a bear about to bite you?

You read and re-read and re-re-read the first few lines over and over again. You skimmed your words, your heart hitching slightly when your eyes caught just a glance of your soulmate’s name. At the last second, you opted to not add too many identifying features, such as names or locations. You would no longer allow your story to be vague, but you also weren’t sure what legal lines you were walking on. 

When you were finished with the edits, you still weren’t sure how you were feeling. It was gone. It was good to go. And you were just procrastinating now. This was meant to be liberating — not tighten the locks. 

Your hand had a mind of its own as it reached for your laptop’s trackpad. Two clicks were all it took. The page refreshed and your now-published post stared back at you. Everything felt normal. Nothing had changed after creating the thread. You had vomited your story onto the web and that was that.  

When nothing immediately happened — no comments, no direct messages — you took a sigh of relief. Maybe no one would ever see it, you thought. It was just therapeutic and you could already feel yourself feel a little lighter. 

Recounting everything had certainly been a heavy task. Every thought and every memory tightens the bond. You hadn’t thought you would ever crave your soulmate, but that was the exact position you had found yourself in when you were deep into writing. You wanted nothing more than to turn back the hands of time. You would’ve had a better approach to it all. You would’ve been more compassionate, more understanding — more open to it all. You had been noticed and loved in a way you had never felt before. And now you could only hope and pray you would get it back. You wished you knew what he was out there doing. You could sense he was safe and alive. That was as good as it got for now.

Sighing, you closed the web browser and slammed your laptop shut.

One Week Later

One short, yet exhausting passed in such a slow but demanding way. Your post on the soulmate forums gained a little but reasonable amount of attention. It wasn’t exactly the top post or putting the soulmate horror stories to shame (even if some of the comments said they were greatly concerned about your story) but it had a following and was regularly featured on the front page. A decent amount of comments gathered and you answered them here and there, mostly trying to assure people you weren’t crazy or lying — a thing that was actually impossible as the forums did have its own simple but effective vetting process. 

Behind those who were either terrified or alarmed by your tale were the genuinely interested ones. The people who wanted to know more and could learn to celebrate the little victories in your soulmate journey. Those kinds of comments were comforting to some degree. Hopelessness and confusion were easy to get lost in, but the little cheers from strangers warmed you. Needless to say, though, it was a mixed bag. 

Besides being consumed in the little online space you had created, a lot of your attention went toward finding where you belong in the real world. You had, in some cheesy way, left the forest a different person. It was beyond silly to any outsider, you understood that, but on the surface, the only consistency was your unemployment status. So much had been lost and answered and finding your footing again was proving to be rough. 

Your parents tip-toed around you a lot and their gazes always avoided the tattoo on your wrist. For their sake, you began wearing a lot more sweaters, but you couldn’t ignore it. Out of sight, out of mind no longer worked on you. 

When you weren’t trying to dodge your parents’ concerned looks, you were spending a lot of time focusing on finding a job. It was the first thing you could think of to turn to as it would’ve been your priority anyway had your the camping trip gone as planned. The only major difference is your boyfriend would’ve been here to help you. He had always been more confident, more sure of everything. You just second-guessed your qualifications and stumbled through interviews. Little seemed to be working and you had to tell yourself to give it time. 

Time. The dangerous, fleeting thing. Time didn’t like when you ignored your soulmate tattoo. Time wasn’t too friendly. Time never lets you forget anything. But it seemed all you had was time. Time to waste away, to job hunt, to just lay in bed and contemplate whatever. 

And contemplating was exactly what you were doing with your time when your mother knocked on your bedroom door. It shocked you, but you faced her. She seemed a bit uneasy when you asked her if everything was okay. 

"Your boy—or, well, I guess ex-boyfriend, now, right?" Your mother sighed and didn’t wait for you to answer her either way. "He’s here. He asked to see you."

"Oh." It was the first word you could think off—and it wasn’t even really a word. It was just a sound. A defeated sound. "Yeah, okay. I’ll see him."

Your mother frowned. "Are you sure?"

You searched for anything that told you no, but you came up empty. This moment felt almost inevitable. A part of you knew that day in the police station would not be the last time you faced him. At least it felt a lot less scary than you had initially anticipated. It was almost like your body, your soul, had given up on him. Like you were just about to let go of the rope.

"I’m sure," you replied. Your mother didn’t say more; just turned around and waltzed back down the hall. You followed obediently. 

You found your ex-boyfriend — you were finally going to start calling him that for your own sanity’s sake — was sitting very comfortably at the dining room table. At the head of the table, sipping on a glass of water. Your mother had very much welcomed him in and you didn’t understand why. You shot her a confused look but she just shrugged and departed toward the apartment balcony where you saw your father sitting. They were going to leave you alone with him. Your heart was suddenly in your throat. 

Your ex barely blinked at you as you took a seat across from him. 

"You’re back," he muttered.

"I’ve been back," you replied. "We had a nice reunion at the police station, remember?"

"Don’t be like that," he snapped. "Given the circumstances, I think I was allowed to be a little upset."

"You weren’t just upset, you were enraged."

Your ex barked out a laugh, making you jump. "Oh, forgive me for being upset about the fact my girlfriend ran away from me to fling herself in the arms of another man."

Your jaw was just about on the floor. "Another man? He isn’t just another man, Eric, he’s my soulmate." You viciously pulled up the sleeves of your sweatshirt. Your soulmate tattoo practically glowed. "Remember this? The little mark you were so eager to dismiss? The thing you swore we could overcome? It doesn’t work like that, and it never would have. It’s more than just a mark. It’s more than just lines on my skin and you know it." You shook your head and sighed. "I never left you on purpose. I—I wouldn’t do that. I never in a million years expected to find my soulmate in the middle of nowhere. It just happened, that’s all. It just happened."

Your ex reeled back at that. You saw a hint of defeat in his eyes, but it was fleeting. 

"You don’t see it from my standpoint," he insisted. "In my eyes, I saw my girlfriend, the woman I loved, run away in a goddamn forest no less, only to find her somehow being taken care of by someone else. And not just taken care of, but doing well."

"But I’m telling you that’s not the whole story—,"

"Yeah, yeah, soulmate, blah, blah, blah" he mumbled and crossed his arms over his chest. "Believe it or not, I am trying to wrap my head around that whole thing. I’ve been doing some research."

"Research?" You didn’t know why, but that admission made you feel some kind of uneasy. But he confirmed you had heard him right with one nod. 

"I found your post."

The absence of genuine worries in your heart suddenly switched at his dangerous but enticing words. "Excuse me?" How did he manage to do that? How deep had his research gone? 

"Don’t act so surprised. Your post has made a bit of buzz on the internet forums." He tapped his fingers on the table. "And it’s not like I didn’t recognize it immediately. You can leave out names but the story stays the same, doesn’t it?"

You weren’t sure why you felt so invaded by his comment. It wasn’t like you didn’t know your post had garnered some attention and you weren’t exactly writing in a diary. It was public and accessible. Anyone could view it, even though those without soulmates didn’t exactly spend time browsing forums. Still, to think your story could stay in its little bubble was foolish. 

You were the one to look away now. "Why are you researching soulmates?"

"Because I need to understand it, I need to understand you," he spat. "Did you leave me because I wasn’t good enough? Or was it really because of that damn mark on your wrist? I just don’t get it yet. I’m a man of faith, but not this kind of faith."

"I’m trying to explain…"

"Well, excuse me if I’m not eager to listen to you, the woman who left me in the dust."

You pulled at the sleeves of your sweatshirt, frustrated. "Why did you come here, Eric?"

He shifted in his seat. "I needed to see you," he replied. "I — We — needed closure."

"I agree." You paused and traced the lines running up and down your dining room table. "You really loved me, even with this mark?" Your brain flickered back to when Druig had made that off-handed observation that night under the stars. You had dismissed it, there was no rhyme or reason for someone to be in love with you, but there was an unmistakable hurt behind his anger.

"Of course I did," he breathed. "And I thought, at the time, you could eventually love me, too."

"I… Well, maybe I—,"

"No." He shook his head adamantly. "No, you didn’t. At least, not like you love him."

You jerked your head up at your ex’s words. "But—"

"It wasn’t a question. You certainly do," he replied. "Whether you meant to or not, your forum post was full of love, even in the most confusing, harrowing moments. That’s not nothing."

You don’t know how he saw it, but he wasn’t too out there in his analysis compared to the comments you had received. His optimistic look was jarring but interesting. 

"I’m sorry I put you through all of this." 

It was the least you could say, but it didn’t even begin to resemble a real apology. You had always been unfair, leading on someone and yourself when fate had been staring you dead in the eyes. The future had certainly seemed impossible, but the impossible happens every day. 

You got too comfortable and you paid the price. 

Your ex shrugged. "Yeah, well, I hope you’re actually happy with him. Where is he anyway? Do I get to come face-to-face with him again?"

You tapped your foot nervously. "He’s away right now."

Your ex let out a humorless laugh. "You turn everyone’s world upside down for some guy who ends up leaving you. Are you sure he’s your soulmate or have I been bamboozled?"

Your heart started pounding in your chest. Someone who had read your post still wasn’t getting it. How could anyone reduce anything to something so simple when everything had proven to be so much bigger?

You sighed, shaking your head. "He… He didn’t leave me. He had something to do, that’s all."

"When’s he coming back?"

You stood from your seat, letting your chair nearly tip over behind you. Your hands curled into fists on the table. You were beyond over the charades, the teasing, whatever this shit was.

"Are you done yet?" You spat. "Have you gotten the closure you wanted?"

Your ex rose from his chair calmly, cool and collected, like he hadn’t started a firestorm. Like he wasn’t the first one upset. To him, this was all on you apparently. You weren’t sure anymore how you had given this man the time of day. You’d had an entire relationship that now sat crumbled in some abyss and this was what lay in its ruins? Bitterness. Annoyance. Misunderstandings. He had never gotten you and never well and you had entertained it for long enough.

Despite the anger rumbling in you, all your ex replied with was: "Good luck, honey." He was gone nearly as fast as he appeared. 

The front door of the apartment slammed and almost as if on cue, your parents re-entered from the balcony. They stood in the living room, watching, observing.

"Were you guys eavesdropping that whole time?" You asked, breaking the uneasy silence before it truly began.

Your mother cleared her throat. "We just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Well, I’m fine," you muttered. "Everything's fine." You marched back to your bedroom before anyone could make any more protests, toss more questions your way, or — god forbid — throw accusations. 

You re-found your comfort in your bedroom. Door shut, world turned away. The only thing you could sense anymore was the bond. It hadn’t gone dormant, not since that night you swore you felt Druig. It came and went, but had yet to vanish. 

It pounded in your chest, in your gut, in your brain. As you worried about being apart, it did, too, and you hated it. All you needed was for whatever he and others needed to do, they did it fast, and for all of humanity to not vanish. Too much was unfinished here. It was nearly comical how you had craved normalcy and now found it punishing. 

Exhausted for the day, you crawled into bed, despite dusk just barely hitting the city. You turned toward the wall, a familiar, comforting position. That feeling in you began getting stronger, which wasn’t too odd when you relaxed your brain, but something about this was erratic. If you weren’t in your bedroom, you would’ve sworn Druig was standing beside you. Or maybe it was in the back of your brain. 

And that was when something muttered in your brain, ever so faintly through the chaotic noise. It was soft but recognizable. You heard it and didn’t hear it, it didn’t come to you as words simply would. But there was no room for mistaking it.

"I miss you."

[uncannycerulean]

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers

thank youu to @annanother-thing, @squintclover and @silently--here for tagging me! (yes, it takes three tags for me to get over the procrastination hurdle)

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

8 + 1 unrevealed

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

52,373 words

3. What fandoms do you write for?

so far I've only written Harry Potter, but I really want to write pynch (Raven Cycle) at some point (but it's a bit scary)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Invisible Dragons  - drarry, chance encounter, hopeful ending, T, 7k

Wine and Whale Bones- drarry, cursebreakers in Venice, T, 3.5k

Good Bones - drarry, a small Draco POV scene, T, 1.5k

A crack in everything - wolfstar and Hagrid/Trelawney, Post-apocalyptic AU, 7k

How it plays out - Severus POV, Poker fic, M, 2k

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

yes! sometimes it takes me a bit, but I try to reply to every single one

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

hmmm, I don't really do angsty endings.

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

Wine and Whalebones for sure.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Last week I somehow attracted a troll on an Anti-Draco rampage. I didn't enjoy the experience.

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

no (at least not yet?)

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

no, I think I'd find it hard to combine universes and do both of them justice

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

no (thank god. knock on wood)

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

no

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

I am in the process of co-writing together with the lovely @drarrymyheart but it's a low-pressure project so it'll likely marinate for a little longer before seeing the light of day

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Ohh that's so hard! Probably drarry because they've been a constant and other ships sort of come and go

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

I said I would write a sequel to Invisible Dragons but I'm honestly not sure I ever will. Sequels are hard!

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think giving my characters opportunities to learn and heal is a strength. And vibes, at least in short pieces.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm not very strong on conflict, mostly cause I want my characters to be okay

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

It has to fit the story. I like when people include expressions like terms of endearment in another language.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I never published it, but the first piece I wrote was for the Raven Cycle fandom

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Obviously I love all of them! But in terms of "which one would I like more people to read" it's definitely my Post-Apocalyptic one (A crack in everything)

Tagging: @bluestringpudding @andithiel @drarrymyheart and @khb-writes <3

[crenna]

once upon a time...

lili | 21 | she/her | infp

hii, welcome to my blog! i'm lili, and it's so nice to meet you 🫶

this is my personal blog where i post about my life, thoughts, and interests. and who knows what else! i love books and writing a lot, as well as a lot of fandoms and other things like pretty aesthetics. if we have any interests in common, feel free to hang out here for as long as you’d like and come say hi! i’d love to be mutuals and i love making new friends 💕

below you can find info about me, my fandoms and interests, and my blogs!

side blogs: @onceuponaneverafter (OUABH, active), @seeyouinthestars (the aurora cycle, inactive), @legendarydante (caraval rp, active)

...there was a girl...

𝓐𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐌𝐄

to put it shortly, i'm a hopeless romantic with a love for everything creative! you will most likely find me procrastinating on something, impulsively starting a new project, or falling in love with fictional characters and daydreaming. or all of them at the same time.

i'm a university student, working part time and trying to write a BA thesis - so if i disappear from time to time, i'm probably busy and stressed, and will be back soon!

out of fictional characters, evangeline fox and cress darnel are very relatable to me. if they are to you as well, i love that for us!! this is a safe space for shared fictional crushes, too - if we love the same character, we both have good taste 🫶

...who loved deeply...

𝓕𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐌𝐒 & 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐒

my fandoms :: once upon a broken heart (OUABH), caraval, the aurora cycle, acotar (the fandom scares me but i've read the books), shatter me, divine rivals, the lunar chronicles, the rosewood chronicles (RWCH), star wars (+ the mandalorian), star trek (movies + next generation s1), shadow and bone, six of crows (first book), minecraft story mode (old fandom but i sometimes reblog stuff from it!), the selection, the hunger games, divergent, she-ra, gilmore girls & more, feel free to ask if i know a fandom!

other things i love :: my friends, giggling over fictional characters and fandoms, taylor swift's music, minecraft, aesthetics, tea, pretty skies and clouds, fairy lights, fangirling, roleplaying, houseplants, writing, reading, dancing, arts and crafts (including drawing, painting, knitting, sewing, graphic design...), singing, baking, the colors purple and pink, flowers, all things soft and cozy, sparkles, pretty dresses, girls (as in i’m bi,, i think, it’s an ongoing crisis but i know i like girls), interior design, and honorable mention goes to the rivals to lovers and sunshine character x villain tropes 💕

my writing :: i sometimes write fanfiction for fun, and make rather slow progress on bigger projects that i'd love to turn into full novels and publish someday! my favorite genres to write are fantasy, romance, and sci-fi - sometimes combined. i also roleplay many of my fandoms, please dm if you’re interested!

...and dreamed big

𝓜𝐘 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐒

crenna - main blog :: this is where you'll most often see me hanging out! i post about books, writing, and my life, i reblog posts i like, and i've been trying my hand at graphics (such as dividers) so i might post those at some point too.

onceuponaneverafter - side blog :: this blog is dedicated to the OUABH series, and only has content related to it. a more detailed blog introduction is pinned there! i post theories, general thoughts and observations about the series, and fanfiction (working on it hehe).

seeyouinthestars - side blog :: dedicated to the aurora cycle series, currently inactive until i reread the books haha. only contains reblogs as of right now.

legendarydante - side blog :: roleplay blog for dante/legend from the caraval series.

𝓠 & 𝐀

do you rp your fandoms? // yes, i do! i'm currently not actively looking for new roleplays, but if we both love a fandom, feel free to dm me with your ideas.

can i tag you in tag games? // absolutely! don't be shy, i love them 🫶

why have you not responded to my message/tag even though you've been active? // even though i try to respond frequently, sometimes it takes me a while to get to individual notifications when i’m not in the right headspace. i might also have just forgotten. so sorry if that happens!

can we be friends? // yes!! i love chatting and meeting new people - especially if we're mutuals, feel free to interact/message me anytime, i promise i'm more scared to interact with you 🫶

— 24.2.2024. 🤍

[chocochipsushi]

Happy new year! + updates

I'm so sorry i've been so quiet for so long. I was still writing (and still am), just that I've been procrastinating to get online to publish them lmao

I've just posted a bunch of work that have been finished and were sitting in my drafts for the longest time. Hope you guys enjoyed it bc honestly idk when i'd get to post my other works - i have SOOO many ideas but not enough time n hands/fingers lol So i hope they will satisfy ur craving for Toji for a bit

I'm currently writing for Uncle Toji's Epilogue (I keep changing my storyline so it keeps dragging lol) and a few other smut pieces for Gojo and Geto. I hope they will see the light of day soon lmao

Keep sending me requests or what you like to read/see from me bc even if i don't respond, or i don't post anything, it doesn't mean i have stopped writing.

[crackinglamb]

AO3 Year End Roundup, 2023

Normally, I'd do this in a couple days, but we're close enough for government work (and I'm on a deliberate break anyhow, so nothing new is being posted). Normally this would also be a tag game, but I haven't seen it floating around yet, so...

Hey, you wanna do your own roundup? Go for it. Yes, I mean you (looking at you, DAFF crew). Consider this an open invite. Tag me back so I can see what y'all have been up to.

Words posted: 241,283 . This total has had subtracted from it the amount that already existed for the fic that carried over from last year (which was WG, of course). So this is actually what I posted this year.

Additional Words Written: ~166K. I have several WIP's going on in the background. One of which is finished and will begin posting after New Year's. Another of which is about halfway done. The rest are...procrastination projects/getting the wiggles out. They may never see the light of day. But they count as writing, so they are included.

Grand total of words: 407, 283 (goodness gracious)

Fandoms: 2

Works: 12, 11 of which were new.

Highest Kudos: Into the Current, at 271 (just like last year, I'm not counting WG since it wasn't new). The Iron Bull/OFC, rated E, 79K words, complete.

Highest Hit Oneshot: The Mighty Fall, at 706. Sookie Stackhouse/Eric Northman. Rated T, 2900 words.

New Things I Tried: I wrote a trio of fics for True Blood/Southern Vampire Mysteries this year. The WIP that's finished and waiting for the new year is a continuation of this series.

I also posted a ficlet I'd originally posted here on tumblr for archiving purposes. Some Years Into the Future...

Fic I Spent the Most Time On: Driftwood, my Bullmance series. Writing ItC itself wasn't particularly long, about two months, but T3, the next fic, is still being written. At first it was all going to be one long fic, but then I decided I've had enough of epics (meaning any work significantly over 100K words), and split it into parts.

Fic I Spent the Least Time On: The Mighty Fall. I have finally gotten to use the tag 'I wrote this instead of sleeping'. 🤣

Favorite Thing I Wrote: Usually, I have trouble with this category. I'm poly, you know. But this year, I actually DO have a fave. Okay...I have two.

How Deep the Bullet Lies - a gift for @rosella-writes, for the Solas Lovers Exchange. Solas/Cassandra Pentaghast with a whumpy open ending. Rated M, 4200 words.

More Than Mere Stone - a gift for my beloved @ir0n-angel in the same exchange. Solas/F!Trevelyan, pure fluff. Rated G, 1500 words.

Favorite Thing I Read: In Twain, by CatC. It's everything I wanted in a 'background character gets caught up in events' fic. With a sizzlingly hot Bullmance and So Much Cole. I think I've read it three or four times already. At least. If you need something comforting and wonderful, I cannot recommend it enough. It's simply delightful, and so is the author. Rated E, 172K words, WIP.

Something I Finished: I did it, at long last. I finished What a Wicked Game to Play. It was the focus of NaNo (and took literally three days once I put my mind to it, hence much of the other writing I did that hasn't been published). It feels really good to have my beloved Behemoth marked with a green checkmark. The story itself isn't finished, and I'll eventually write more for Imogen and Co., but for now, it is Done.

Writing Goals for 2024 – Keep on keeping on. I want to finish T3, so I can start posting it. I want to finish a couple other things from the WIP list. There will of course be a new Fluffuary prompt list. Biggest goal, however, is simply not to burn myself out. I've started waiting to publish until a fic is finished, which has done wonders for my stress levels. No more posting gaps on an in-progress fic.

Allow me to Gush about some things I wrote this year.

(Otherwise known as: honorable mentions)

Out of the Dark - Lark Cadash was once going to have an epic fic to her name. But I'm Tired, and frankly, I'm bored with rewriting the events of DA:I over and over again. So I've turned her into a series, where I can just put up oneshots and short chaptered things in no particular order that add up to one big story. This is one of them. Post-canon, Lark goes into the Deep Roads to find the answer to a riddle that's bugged her for her entire life. She gets more than she asked for, with a side serving of sad Solas. I've had many of the headcannons included in it for a long time, with no home. Now, they're out there in the world. Rated G, 4800 words.

What Lies Beneath - my actual giftfic for the Solas Lovers Exchange. I had such fun writing this, and had ideas for it as soon as I received the assignment. I got to set something in the Hissing Waste, which is one of my favorite places in the game, as well as write a polyship for my two favorite romances. F!Cadash/Solas/Iron Bull, rated T, 3400 words.

Maker Damned Fools - back in 2020, I wrote a Varric/Hawke short little thing for the first Fluffuary. I always wanted to go back and expand it into a fuller story. Add it to the pile of Things I Finished This Year. From their meeting to post-canon. Rated E, 32K words.

What a Wicked Game to Play - *deep satisfied sigh* It took two years and ten months to complete, with near constant weekly updates. It's 411K words by itself (not counting the rest of the series). It contains about 350 embedded images of either screenshots or fanart. It is both the highest hit (over 90K) and highest kudo'd (1535) work on my archive. Affectionately known as 'the Behemoth', extensively written with my signature yeeting of canon. Imogen McLean, MGIT, Inquisitor, beloved of Fen'Harel. I am stupendously proud of this work, but I am also incredibly happy it's done. I set out to write an epic, and I damn well succeeded. Rated E.

See y'all on the flipside! 💕

[wrienne]

State of the writing 2023!

Hi, everyone!

This is my post on the status of my writing, scheduling of posts and writing, which projects I've got ongoing, and what I intend to do in the nearest future and beyond. This can all be sorted into the following topics:

Posting Schedule

Current Projects and Workflow

My Future Plans (Writing Tips? Patreon? The Essence Thief Series?)

This will be a long-ass post, so I'll keep the most important thing, which is about the Posting Schedule, just up top.

1. Posting Schedule

Three Fridays in a row, I'll upload a chapter of my work, be it AHPH, DL, or my personal work. Then there will be a week without posting so that I can catch up on other stuff or take a break. This will be on a rotation.

AHPH: will be posted by the first Friday of the rotation until I finish DL, which is when I will dedicate both update slots for AHPH. AHPH has a very long story which I do not plan on finishing any soon. Who is your favorite hybrid so far?

DL: will be posted by the second Friday of the rotation. DL is actually reaching its end relatively soon, meaning a majority of the story has been posted already. Who is your favorite suspect?

Original work: will be posted by the third Friday of the rotation. I am either going to post here or on Wattpad. I've got so many projects I want to write about that I simply don't have time, or worse, procrastinate on all. I want to publish a book before the end of this year, however.

You can read more in detail about each project (and others in the works) in the next section.

To visualize the schedule: Week 1: AHPH Week 2: DL (until i finish it, then it will be AHPH) Week 3: Original work Week 4: Buffer

Now, this is not to say that there may be exceptions. Life happens, and I may miss a deadline. Or life also happens, and I post more than once. But I wanted to have some structure to it all so I don't leave anybody wondering if I am gone again or why I am not posting on the specific story.

For more clarity, I will configure some sort of progress bar/status on my page so that you can peek in at any time to see the progress of my work. I will also add dates for the expected updates!

2. Current Projects and Workflow

Currently, I can divide my work into two sections. Ao3 and my original work. As such, I will discuss them separately.

On Ao3, I have no plans currently of adding another story other than DL and AHPH. While I have considered and planned out a sequel for DL, I don't know if I can handle it currently. My research for DL, while extremely interesting, is also very morbid. And that sort of thing tears at your mind. Though, this is not to say never. I know a lot of you really enjoy AHPH, but surprisingly, most people say they love DL the most. So it might be subject to change.

AHPH has a different sort of setup than any of my other writing pieces. I'd consider it more like a TV series, with plenty of episodes you can look forward to and with no end quite in sight as of yet. I do have an idea for a larger, overarching story plot, but that won't be relevant for quite a while, and won't be essential to anyone just reading it for the easy fun.

Regarding my personal work, I have an insane amount of stuff I want to write. But to keep things relatively brief, I can disclose three series I plan for the future. I could give more of an in-depth explanation of these in another post if anybody's interested.

A Beauty and the Beast fantasy retelling with the roles reversed. It will be a trilogy, and it is currently the story I've gotten the farthest on. There will be fae, demons, and gods and spirits, but also geopolitical conflicts and court intrigue.

A historical/fantasy series set in the 14th century. I call this a "continental fantasy", because it has to do with discovering a new wild continent away from the known world. Will contain witches, telekinetic mages, and an ancient advanced civilization of godlike beings that disappeared mysteriously in the past. This is also something I started a year ago, and will be a many-part series.

A high fantasy series with an urban fantasy concept (?) is how I'd explain it. It's set in a multiverse where all the worlds are connected through ley lines, with all of them centering in this one city. It is possibly my most ambitious work, containing anything from the Seelie and Unseelie Court, the Wild Hunt, to vampires, elves and monsters. But it's also been my most giving as I've gone through worldbuilding and storyboarding with ease. It will also be a multi-part series, and I've already got a sequel series in the works.

I am currently in the process of trying my best not to write on all three and just stick to one story. Let me know if any of these stand out to you!

3. My Future Plans (Writing Tips? Patreon? The Essence Thief Series?)

So, what are my future plans?

I want to keep on posting on Ao3 and writing my own thing. I will obviously not be able to publish my Ao3 work, but since I dream of becoming an author, I will be spending the majority of my time and energy on that (and obviously my studies and mental and physical health), which I hope is understandable.

In order to branch out more as an author, I have also been considering getting out there on other media platforms! But this is something I have to get back to you with.

I wonder if there's anyone interested in learning more tips and tricks on how to write. I used to do a segment called Writing (Writer's?) Wednesdays, where I'd make a post on a storytelling aspect and describe how to plot a chapter, make characters, figure out ideas, how to world-build, etc. If that's something that you'd be interested in, let me know!

Another topic I have been considering is Patreon or Ko-fi. For a small fee, I'd offer the following:

The Essence Thief in eBook format

Exclusive posts of the AHPH crew (such as camping trips, birthdays, requests, and gratuitous NSFW) These would be canon but otherwise hard to include in the current flow I've got for AHPH.

Take writing requests of X amount of words for people

Early access view of all my writing (personal, Ao3)

Any other book I publish will also be available here weeks before the official release

Personal help and assistance with your writing

And more!

Obviously, times are incredibly rough for all of us, so this is just a suggestion! The main goal of the Patreon would be so I could write more.

Regarding The Essence Thief series, I am currently putting it on hiatus. It was not until a few days ago that I finally managed to free myself from the last of the negative influences that have been haunting me for many years. I can honestly say, that it's not until now, after 25 years of living, that I've felt somewhat liberated. Somewhat free. And right now, TEP reminds me too much of all the horror that's still lingering there at the periphery of my mind. I won't cancel TEP entirely, as I still feel like there will be a time when I can return to it, but as of now and in the nearest future, it is not part of my writing plan.

As always, thank you for reading!

[he0524]

🍓🌵

🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction? 

I got into writing ff as a young child! My favourite TV show at the time had a canon pairing that I absolutely loved, and before I knew it, I was writing fanfiction for them.

🌵 ⇢ share the link to a playlist you love

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

I love editing! Less so for my own work (because then I get sucked into the lovely hole of rewriting sentences and paragraphs), but I love editing for my partner. It makes me feel accomplished, knowing that I put my all into a piece of work (when I edit my own stuff), and bonus: a snippet into WIPs before they're published! ;)

🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love

I absolutely love @rafiel_ahi (ao3) for her JJ/Emily (Criminal Minds) work. She has such an attention to detail and her imagery that she manages to capture never ceases to amaze me. Other authors that I can't recommend enough are @jazzfordshire (Tumblr/Ao3) for their Supercorp (Supergirl) fics, and last but not least, @englishstrawbie for their Maya/Carina (Station 19) fics. Fun fact, yours (@jmflowers) was the very first work on Ao3 that I read for the Marina pairing, and I absolutely fell in love!

🧃 ⇢ share some personal lore you never posted about before

I believe there's a rabbit on the moon! (Not really, haha, obvs). Instead of the traditional "man on the moon" trope, I was told as a young child that there was a rabbit on the moon, and when it's a full moon, I like to see that I can see the outline of his ears. He is apparently pounding some fermented beans up there.

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

I wholeheartedly believe that Maya is a bottom in their relationship, both in the bedroom and out of the bedroom ;)

🪐 ⇢ name three good things going on in your life right now

I have a lovely, incredible partner who supports me in all that I do.

I'm so!close! to getting my postgrad degree! (Although this isn't a "good" thing right now because it's making me so stressed, haha! But I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to keep studying).

I have lovely pets that always make me laugh, no matter how stressed I am (Clementine, Lemon, Fig, and Peach, my ratties, and my little doggie who's been with me since I too was a smol bean).

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

Definitely dirty-talk in Italian, haha! Perks of being a smut writer *hides*

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

That I've captured the characters as they are in canon! Something about that compliment makes me so giddy and excited. I appreciate all comments so much through.

🦴 ⇢ is there a piece of media that inspires your writing? 

Sometimes I hear spicy-ish songs that remind me of Marina, or even love/heartbreak songs that make me internally SOB with the thought of what they went through during Maya's infidelity.

☁️ ⇢ what made you choose your username?

It's a combination of letters and numbers that are of personal importance to me! :)

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

Work that doesn't have the appropriate grammar, or poor spacing. Each character talking starts on a new line! If it's just a whole paragraph of multiple dialogues, my brain cannot handle it and I click away :(

Thank you so, so much for all these questions! I'm about to pop some into your own inbox too :) I had so much fun answering them (and procrastinating my write-up, haha).

[buffintruder]

@allpurposepanda sent me this ask game and since I have writing to procrastinate, I figured I'd just go through and answer all the questions I felt like answering

1. What’s something new that you tried in a fic this year? How did it turn out and would you do it again?

I think the most interesting thing I did was write a fic where I tried not to use any figurative language at all in the narration or dialogue from other pov characters. It wasn't as hard as I was expecting (actually, it was harder to determine what counted as figurative and what counted as a word simply having multiple meanings, one more concrete than the other) and I think it turned out pretty okay. I'd do it again if I wrote from this pov again or someone similar, but I don't think I'd seek it out

2. How many fics did you work on this year? (They don’t have to be finished or published!)

About 18 if I counted correctly! 7 have been posted, 1 is in the process of posting, and 10 are unposted. 9 are brand new while 9 are continuations of wips from previous years

3. What’s something you learned about yourself as a writer?

I'm not sure. I guess I've been thinking about the relation between a writer and the audience and feedback and community support a lot (I went from a bigger fandom to a smaller fandom, and the decrease in comments and people to talk to about my fics hit my motivation harder than I was expecting)

4. What piece of media inspired you the most?

I'm not sure, but I think I wrote the most fic for Donbrothers or Kamen Rider

5. What fandom(s) did you write for this year?

8 fandoms: Kamen Rider Blade (6), Kamen Rider W (1), Kamen Rider Drive (1), Changerion (1), Donbrothers (3), Ace Attorney (4), the Watchmaker of Filigree Street (2), and Les Miserables (1)

6. What ship(s) captured your heart?

Nothing new from last year, but Hajime/Kenzaki from Blade and Sonoi/Momoi from Donbrothers

7. What character(s) captured your heart?

Also nothing new, but Haruka from Donbrothers and Wakana from Kamen Rider W

8. Did you write for a new fandom or ship this year?

Donbrothers is new because I was waiting for the show to finish airing before I started writing anything for it. Changerion I only watched this year, so that's also new

9. What fic meant the most to you to write?

I am obsessed with my Blade soul nemesis au and my Ace Attorney Trickster au, and I don't have any fics that like particularly hit close to home for me or anything. However, I do think the winner would have to be Truer than Truth because idk. It was difficult and it feels like one of the best things I've written (definitely the best shorter fic I've written) and just had a lot of thought go into it

10. What fic made you feel the happiest to work on?

Definitely my soul nemesis au. Tbh I have enjoyed working on it so much I started posting it probably like a good 6 months later than I could have so I could work on it more, and it's also taking me forever to upload the chapters despite the fic being finished because I want to keep working on it (that and it has 0 comments, so I feel like no one is too invested other than the people I know personally, so I can take my time with it and get distracted from it)

11. What fic was the most satisfying to finish writing?

To Turn the World Upside Down is maybe the best long fic I've written, and finishing it felt like the end of the journey. However, I'm pretty sure I wrote the ending in 2022 (I just finished the editing in 2023), so I'll also put in Truer than Truth for the reasons answered in the next question

12. What fic was the most difficult to write? Did you finish it?

Definitely Truer than Truth. I mentioned I wrote a fic without figurative language, and this was the first fic in the series where I tried to write a fic with a ton of figurative language. Coming up with symbolism related to classic Japanese Buddhist literature that isn't too heavy handed is hard! Coming up prose with metaphors and pretty descriptions that doesn't sound unbearably flowery is hard! Also mapping out the character of progression of Sonoi, someone who both knows a lot about humans and also doesn't, in a way that makes sense and doesn't make him more ignorant than he is in canon is hard!

13. What fic was the easiest to write?

Trust Fall. I wrote probably about half of it in one day and finished writing+editing it in probably around 2 weeks which is insanely fast for me. It just sort of came out of me, idk man

14. What were your shortest and longest fics this year?

Technically Meetings is the longest fic (90k words), but that was originally meant to be a trilogy that I wrote most of years ago and just polished and posted this year, so I'm counting To Turn the World Upside Down (73k words) instead because it's finished and I like it more.

Shortest is Trust Fall (4k words)

15. Rec a fic you wrote or posted in 2023

This is hard because I do like a lot of the fics I wrote and posted in 2023. However, I've talked a lot (and will continue to talk) about my top 3 fics in this ask game, but one fic that will not be mentioned outside of this that I think is good is Across the River of Stars.

It's an outsider pov Cowherd and Weaver au where I think I did a good job with a sort of melancholic atmosphere

16. What were you go-to writing songs?

I don't listen to music a lot while writing, but when I do it's probably the How To Train Your Dragon soundtrack (movies 1-3), the Witcher 3 soundtrack, or the Black Sails soundtrack

17. What were your go-to writing snacks?

I don't think I have one. I don't particularly snack while writing, and if I do, I'll just eat whatever

18. What was the hardest fic to title?

Afterwards. I needed something short and simple and to the point to contrast the long and more poetic "truer than truth are those beautiful lies", but I still think it's a bit meh and doesn't really do much for the fic

19. Share your favorite opening line

Here is a truth: Momoi Tarou is like the sky, impossibly vast and unreachable; and Sonoi is like the sea, forever gazing up, reflecting that same blue.

This wasn't initially the beginning line (I switched around a lot of stuffin this fic), and the whole "here is a truth, here is a lie" bit was a totally unexpected unplanned bit that just happened when I started writing it. However, I'm pleased with how it turned out, and also the particular way in which I took a line from the show (Sonoi saying "we are like the sky and the sea") and expanding a bit on it and how the two of them individually relate to that

20. Share your favorite ending line

Okay technically it's 2 lines from Trust Fall, but it's still my favorite:

(All too soon, when the end does come, Kenzaki looks at Hajime and smiles like a blade to the heart and says, “See, I said that you could trust me to keep this hope of yours alive.” And Hajime does not have the time to tell him that no one has ever lied to him so cruelly before.)

It's good because of the misunderstanding. Kenzaki is sacrificing himself so Hajime can keep living, but of course that also really sucks on Hajime's end. I just think seeing something from the pov of the person/people left behind when someone sacrifices themselves is so juicy. Also Kenzaki's symbol is a blade while Hajime's is a heart, so the smile is from Blade to Heart but also metaphorically like being stabbed hahaha (i think i'm so clever when i do symbolism 101)

21. Share your favorite piece of dialogue

This is hard. Definitely, my favorite piece of dialogue comes from To Turn the World Upside Down because tbh I think that fic has some of the best written dialogue in anything I've ever written, but I'm not sure I could pick out something among it. I just went with the last scene because I am genuinely proud, like I don't normally like writing endings and it's especially hard in a long fic with a lot of build up, but I think I did well on this one. Also it's probably one of the parts I worked most on in 2023 (rather than 2022)

“I think you should do it, daddy,” Trucy says. Surprised, Phoenix looks up to see his daughter staring at him, her face set firmly. Of all the people who would encourage him to retake the exam, he hadn’t thought it would be her. She has never known him as a lawyer. “What? Why?” “You never stopped being a lawyer,” she says, as if it’s that simple. “Sure, officially, they took that away from you. But deep down, you’ve always been one.” “What?” Phoenix scoffs, something small and hopeful curling into a cold and defensive ball deep in his chest. “Prove it.” Trucy raises her eyebrows at him. “Prove it? Do I need physical evidence for it so that it may be accepted in the court of Phoenix Wright, or is pointing out your contradiction enough?” Phoenix flushes. “Okay, okay, point taken.” “She’s right,” Miles says quietly. “It’s your life to live, but please—at least consider it.” From the moment you asked, there was no question of the answer, Phoenix thinks. I became a lawyer for you once, I would do it a second time, as many times as you needed me to. “Are you sure about it?” Phoenix asks. “I mean, you know what it was like the first time I was a lawyer. You know the kind of shit that follows me. I was a lawyer for just two and a half years the first time, and look at the kind of mess I left behind me.” Miles smiles at him, so fond it hurts. “You say that as if that’s not exactly what I want. I want you back in the courthouse, Trickster and all. It all needs a good shaking up, don’t you think?” It was never meant to be about the suffering, the Trickster had said about their chaos. There already is suffering stuck in between each clean-cut brick of the legal system, trapped in the very foundation and everything that has grown on top of it. Maybe it’s time to knock things around and see what shakes loose, to see what can be built anew from the rubble. “Alright,” Phoenix says, and the way Miles and Trucy’s eyes light up already makes it all worth it. “I’ll do it. Let’s go turn turn the legal world upside down.”

22. Share an excerpt from your favorite scene

Tbh I could probably also post a bit from the Trickster au, but just to switch it up here's a sneak peak from my soul nemesis au. I was so excited to write this scene that it's the only one I skipped ahead to write. This scene (earlier parts of it, not what's here) is also the reason why I chose the mechanics for soul nemeses that I did, like I've been hyping up this scene almost since I first had the idea for the fic, and it's still one of my favorites

“Did...” Gou started. “Did he love you too?” Kenzaki thought about the way Hajime kissed back, the way his whole face softened as he smiled at Kenzaki, the way he looked like his heart was shattering when Kenzaki had last seen him, the way he had written don't go in his letter. “I think—maybe. But it doesn’t matter. I had to leave, so he could live out his life.” For the whole time that Kenzaki had known him, Gou had been all bright smiles and wild hand gestures. Even as the conversation took a turn for the more serious, his face had been an open book, but now his face turned still and unreadable. “It’s not worth it.” “What?” demanded Kenzaki. “I’ve been there,” Gou said, and now he looked angry. “Someone sacrificed himself for me, so I could live my life. And I will never forgive him for that, because if I had the choice, I would choose him over me every time. I may not have met Masaki myself, but I'm sure that he would rather have you in his life no matter what hardships. You can still go back—” “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kenzaki snapped, anger curling defensively around him. He knew that. He knew he was hurting Hajime, that it had destroyed him to be left behind. It had destroyed Kenzaki to leave. But he had chosen to defy fate, and this was their punishment. “It’s impossible.” "What's impossible? You're both still alive, aren't you?" "He might as well be dead, for all the difference it makes to me,” Kenzaki snapped. Maybe if Hajime had been dead it would hurt less. “There is no other choice.” Gou stared back at him, his expression set stubbornly on his face. He was so young, Kenzaki thought all of a sudden. Kenzaki had been like that too over a decade ago when he was around Gou’s age, so stubbornly set on how things should be, as if he could bend the universe into shape through sheer force of will. Kenzaki sighed, and let the anger drain from him. He would have had those same thoughts, and it wasn’t like Gou had any idea of the impossible circumstances that kept him and Hajime apart. “It's too late now. I would go back, if I could. And he would track me down across the world, if he could." “Right,” Gou said, and Kenzaki wondered if he felt the same envy towards him. Gou hadn’t specified what sacrifice had been made for him, but the implication was clear. At least Hajime was still alive. At least he was out there somewhere that Kenzaki could return to, technically. Gou couldn't know that the potential only made the separation ache more, he couldn't know that the impossible situation that trapped them went far beyond ordinary human concerns. “I’m sorry for your loss,” Kenzaki said, as much of an acquiescence as he could make. “Thanks,” Gou said, his mouth twisting. “I... don’t know if he’s gone for good though. That’s actually why I’m here. Trying to do some research to bring him back.” “Are there good medical facilities here?” Kenzaki asked, confused. Maybe Gou's person was in a coma or something? Gou shrugged. “Not particularly. I’m here more for the tech stuff.” “I hope it succeeds,” Kenzaki said, not entirely sure what to say. “Thank you,” Gou said, sounding tired. “And I hope you find someway around whatever’s keeping you two apart.” It was impossible, but Kenzaki smiled and nodded anyway. “If I ever run into him, do you want me to pass on a message?” Gou asked. What could Kenzaki say that Hajime did not already know, and that would not hurt him more to hear? “Just that I am well,” Kenzaki said at last. “And that I like his book. And... I still miss him.” Gou nodded. “I’m going to get my friend back,” he said, with all the confidence and naivety of a twenty year old. “So you better not give up on yours, alright?” “I never will,” Kenzaki said. And Gou smiled because he did not yet know that it was the hope that destroyed you.

23. Share the final version of a sentence or paragraph you struggled with. What about it was challenging? Are you happy with how it turned out?

There are definitely many of these, but I'd have to go through my fics again to figure it out and that would take a while so I'm skipping this

24. What's something that surprised you while you were working on a fic? Did it change the story?

I mentioned earlier that there's a bit in Truer than Truth where between each scene it goes like "Here is a truth: [...] Here is a lie: [...]", or in the other order (lie first then truth) that is vaguely related to the themes of that scene, and I absolutely was not expecting.

It ended up changing the story quite a bit. I was originally going to have the story alternate povs, but something like this could only work from Sonoi's pov, and I wasn't sure how to juggle things around to make it work. Because I also wanted to have it alternate between whether it starts with a truth or a lie, I had to add two scenes in order to make the pattern work when I realized that some of the truths and lies would work better flipped around. And I think the story is better off with those added scenes to fill in something that would have been a jump otherwise

Also, it just generally affected the tone, since I had to think about the themes of the scene to write those bits, and they're very heavy in symbolism and metaphor that I could reuse throughout the fic

25. What did you use to write? (e.g. writing programs, paper & pen, etc.)

Mostly google docs and occasionally a notebook and pen. I have occasionally written a bit on my notes app of my phone if i couldn't get to google docs for whatever reason, but i don't think i did this year

26. If you had to choose one, what was THE most satisfying writing moment of your year?

The writing spree during which I wrote the first half of Trust Fall. I was feeling a bit shitty and purposeless at the time, but I had an idea brewing in the back of my head for awhile, and the stars aligned so the idea solidified and I wrote like 2k words in one day. I remember feeling afterwards that I really love writing sometimes and maybe if I go too long without doing it, it makes me worse

27. Did you do anything special to celebrate finishing a fic?

Not really? Maybe tell all my friends about it

28. How did you recharge between fics?

I don't think this question applies to my writing style tbh. I don't have "in between fics" (i am always working on a fic) and I switch between them a lot, so I don't really get worn out by them. I recharge between writing sessions I suppose?? I'm not actually sure how I'm supposed to answer this question

29. If this were an awards show, who would you thank?

I do try to thank the people involved in me writing a fic in any way at the beginning of each fic, but in a general sense, I would thank all the friends and acquaintances who encouraged me to write whenever I was like "maybe this is stupid" and all the people who listened to me go "wait I have the coolest idea for a fic, let me tell you about it" and all the people who helped answer my questions from everything between 'does this sound like semi-realistic attraction or is it just weird' to 'what are traffic-related superhero/supervillain names.' And particularly to @magpiedragon who bears the brunt of all of this

30. What’s something that you want to write in 2024?

I still have that one Kamen Rider Blade post canon idea that crosses over with Star Trek ds9. Also some Kamen Rider Agito ideas I want to get to at some point, but who knows if I ever will

[linnienin]

Hello everyonee,

(I'm not dead lol)

I've been procrastinating writing my Asteroid Sirene post for no apparent reason, so i'll write this to give me a bit of motivation to finish it (hopefully i can publish it this Saturday or Sunday 🙏)

Also, idk why these past few days i've been feeling HELLA emotional, i cried my heart out every day basically, then i saw the transits, and Chiron is currently transitioning my 4th house (with NN, Jupiter and Sun there too), and the moon has been in cancer (while writing this post it is conjunct my natal moon)

And maybe i'm the only one, but Mars in Cancer is just draining me so much, i'm questioning if this is because i am a fire Mars in my natal, so, gotta ask if you are feeling this too ( i can't wait for it to transition in leo, so I CAN FINALLY SHINE BABY)

Oh, and Saturn just started transitioning my 3rd house 😂😭, bye bye ability to write/speak (ah, yeah, let's add that mercury retrograde too, but honestly, it's not bothering me anymore at this point, we experience it so often)

Gosh, i hope i'll get out of this slump SOON

I also hope you're all doing ok,

as always i wish you an amazing night or day! 💖 Linnie

P.s. if you need to let your heart out and write/rant about anything, i am open to receive and listen to you, if you've been thinking of letting things out but don't have someone to talk to, i'm here for you, write me if you want 💚

[cosmereplay]

get to know your fellow fanfic writers better ༊ ✧.*

Tagged by @chaos-monkeyy (1000 years ago 😅)

1. when did you post your first ever fanfic?

I started posting in Feb 2021!

2. first character you wrote for:

I think the first chapter of Fumbling Towards Ecstasy was from Shallan's POV.

3. main character(s) you’re currently writing for:

Not much has changed: Kaladin, Shallan, and Adolin take up a great deal of space in my head and in my fic, including my current WIP Plausible Deniability (Explicit), for which I'm currently procrastinating the last chapter as I do this, lol

4. character(s) you haven’t written about before but plan on writing about soon:

I don't think I've published any Elhokar! I do have a Moash/Elhokar I started in 2021 that I would like to figure out and get out there.

5. fandom(s) you’re currently writing for:

Stormlight Archive, my beloved. My obsession for the last three years!

6. platonic pairing(s) you currently write for:

I did an RP with @wanderingchanneler with Kaladin & Szeth reluctant road trip travellers to friends, and xe's been working on editing and posting it. It's updating weekly - Convergence (Teen)

7. romantic pairing(s) you currently write for:

Mostly Shakadolin, but otherwise it's fairly eclectic. Actually now that I think of it, I write a lot of sexual stuff, and I write a lot about love, but I don't write a ton of explicitly romantic stuff. Except maybe Shakadolin 😂

8. your top 3 tags on AO3 (if you post your works on AO3):

If it's only Additional tags, then it's Oral sex, RoW spoilers, and then a four-way tie of Fluff, post-canon, canon compliant, and PWP. If it includes character tags you'll never guess: Kaladin, Shallan, and Adolin, in that order.

9. your current platform where you post your works

AO3, baybee!

10. snippet of the wip you’re currently working on:

Here's Teen-rated excerpt from my draft chapter of Plausible Deniability:

“What do you mean, you don’t feel the same way anymore?” Laran demanded. “We. . . did things together! Didn’t you like it?” “No, no, it’s not that,” Veil said. Storms, how could she describe what had happened to her desire? “I just don’t feel like doing those things anymore. I still want to do other stuff. . . ” Laran crossed her arms, lit from the side by Salas’ violet light. “What, like kissing? Over the clothes stuff? It’s not like you ever wanted to be out with me in public. What’s left?” Veil shrugged. “Okay, we could play Towers at the barracks. Have dinner at your stew–” “Oh, so you can ogle the Highmarshal while I dodge Lyn’s questions about the nature of our relationship? Yeah. Sounds great,” Laran fumed, turning abruptly to look out over the mountains. Veil could tell where this was going. “We could do whatever you want. What do you want to do?” she asked, trying not to sound like she was begging. The tall Windrunner was silent for a while, then let out a long sigh. “I don’t think I want anything else. You know, Veil, some relationships shine like spheres, and others flash like lightning.” She turned to look at Veil. “It was bright while it lasted, but I can hear the thunder now. Goodbye, Veil.”  Without another word, Laran stepped up onto the balcony railing and pushed off, flying at speed into the darkness. “Everstorms!” Veil cursed into the night. She hoped it wouldn’t go this poorly with Ral when she saw her tomorrow.

Tagging @felagund-fiollaigean, @rydiaasuka, @if-one-of-us-falls, @illustraterg, @cosmererambles, @meadowlarkx and anyone else I can't remember at the moment, pretend I tagged you if you'd like to do this!

[not-eli]

Updates schedule!

I feel like I need to schedule all the things I want to publish. I mean, the one shot updates are more and more messed up and I think that scheduling some days will help me a lot.

Monday: Free day, I have a lot of school related things to do that day plus extra activities, so I doubt I'll have enough energy to write/post anything.

Tuesday: Book writing day: I've been working on this novel for a whole year and I'm still at the start. I think It's time I stop procrastinating.

Wednesday: One shot day: Keep in mind that these are days are temporary, so don't come and find me if a one shot doesn't come out.

Thursday: Longer fic day: I've been meaning to write a longer td fic for a while now and I think it's about time I at least start.

Friday: Book day, ao3 seems to hate friday updates for some reason.

Saturday: Longer fic writing day

Sunday: One shot day.

I'll do my best to try and respect these days updates. I apologize immediately if there'll be any kind of delay.

All the updates might come out at 9pm-10pm Italy time (which I think corresponds to 3pm-4pm USA time).