#this is all an indefinite WIP; anyone who wants to make content about the idea please tag me please I'd to see it! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

autumnalwalker · 9 months

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Writeblr Intro v3

Updating the pinned intro now that it's been a year and my (now previously) main WIP is complete as it's going to be.

Me:

I write as a hobby. It's something I do for fun and first and foremost for myself. But if other people happen to actually like what I write, that's pretty cool too.

I try to keep this main blog primarily writing-focused. I've set up the side-blog @traversedmiscellany for reblogging/posting any other random stuff that happens to catch my interest.

I tend to prefer to keep my online and offline lives separate so I rarely say much about personal details aside from what inevitably winds up leaking into talking about my writing.

I am open to tag games and ask games. Or just general writing-related asks.

If anyone would like to be added to a tag list (whether for WIP updates or tag games), please feel free to send me a message or reply to this post, specifying what you want to be on the tag list for.

My WIPs:

Completed (Is it still a "WIP" at this point? Either way, it's fully online and available to read for free.):

The Archivist's Journal:

A slice-of-life story about waking up on a fantasy tropical island told over the course of a year in the form of daily journal updates. Mostly fairly chill, just living life one day at a time, but with some occasional angst, social anxiety, and supernatural spookiness.

The whole story (just over 330,000 words) is posted on my side blog @thearchivistsjournal. Or if you want to read from the beginning, here's the chronological posting. Or if you prefer to read in a format other than Tumblr posts, it's mirrored over on my ScribbleHub.

Also, here's the post I made when the project was completed for some more meta background on it and what I mean when I call it "complete."

I may eventually make additional scattered journal entries as a sort of periodic epilogue, but Day 380 should be considered the end of the "main story," so to speak.

Ongoing:

Empty Names:

My current main project. Also freely available to read in full as chapters go up.

A bit of an episodic urban fantasy moster-of-the-week sort of deal that's mostly an excuse to have a cast of OCs that I like interact with eachother. The basic premise is a world-hopping adventurer attempts to set up a sword-and-sorcery style adventurer's guild in a modern world where "adventurer" isn't considered a legitimate profession. Has what I suppose one might call "genre-typical violence" with fighting monsters and such, and individual chapters are tagged with more specific content warnings where necessary.

Here's the masterpost for it with links to chapters and to several standalone side stories set in the same world/setting.

I'm much more casual with my update schedule on this project, but it seems to be coming out to posting weekly chapter updates for a month or two at a time and then taking a month or two off from posting while I rebuild my buffer queue for the next batch of chapters.

Also, while it's not exactly a focus, the five characters of the core cast are all some flavor or another of LGBTA+, if that's a selling point for you.

The Witches' Testaments:

A prequel to the currently-hiatused "Solarpunk Witch Story" below that I wrote the loose framework and beginnings of in a sudden fit of inspiration that I may return to sporadically.

The idea was to focus a bit more on the "punk" side of Solarpunk and paint a picture of the effort and rebellion that went into how that world transitioned from Cyberpunk dystopia to Solarpunk... well, not utopia exactly, but something better than it was and striving toward that dream.

And because that sort of thing is bigger than any one person and I had multiple worldbuilding concepts I wanted to touch on, I landed on the idea of writing it in the form of a series of interviews with various characters who lived through that period of change.

Here's the masterpost for it.

Indefinite Hiatus:

Untitled Solarpunk Witch Story:

A project that I absolutely intend to return to one day once Empty Names is finished, but that's going to be a good long while yet.

The story of a freshly-minted "witch" and her AI familiar traveling from town to town in an ecologically-recovering post-capitalism future, providing highly-specialized tech support and environmental consulting wrapped up in enough mysticism and aesthetics to blur the line between what's purely technology and what might possibly be some kind of magic. I only ever wrote a prologue and five chapters worth of an initial arc/town/problem to solve, but I liked what I wrote well enough to share all that online. Ultimately this project going on hold was a matter of it being one project too many for me to handle simultaneously on the time combined with a desire to get more experience at traditional prose writing (as opposed to the epistolary format of The Archivist's Journal) so that I could better do the concept justice when I do one day revisit it.

In the meantime, those initial rough chapter drafts are all up online here: Solarpunk Witch Masterpost

Miscellaneous other writing:

On most Thursdays I'll post small (couple hundred words at most) pieces based on various interesting dreams that I've had. Being based on dreams, the content is a mixed bag. Those are tagged under #my dreams. These now have a compilation Masterpost that I'll do my best to keep updated.

Alternatively, if you just want to browse semi-random excerpts and snippets from the above works, I post a lot of that under #tag game.

Some Standalone Short Stories:

(Stories that were either written to be standalone pieces, or appear within something else but worked well enough by themselves that I gave them their own separate posts.)

The Tale of the Merchant and the Blacksmith's Daughter: A sapphic fairy tale (and, in retrospect after writing, possible trans allegory).

The Melts: An attempt to shift what would normally be body horror into the genre of slice-of-life. "What if your body slowly melting over the course of the day were treated as no more serious than the common cold and you still had to go to work?"

Kindly Basilisk: A human mech pilot who wants to be a machine, an AI who wants to be human, and the relationship they form.

#writeblr intro #writers #writers of tumblr #writeblr #creative writing #writeblr community #masterpost #my writing

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northelypark · 3 years

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Tagged by @101flavoursofweird (thank you!!) Tagging @chyouxart and @dappledwrites

Answers under the cut!

How many works do you have on AO3?

Eight. Mostly Lamplight Letters related stuff. I want to eventually branch out and write about other PL characters, but there’s so many ideas I still want to explore with Clive, Amelia, Gemma, and Bernard, so... expect mostly them for the indefinite future.

What’s your total AO3 word count?

59,512

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

Rayman, Professor Layton, and I once wrote a High School Musical/Kingdom Hearts crossover as a teen wherein I shipped Ryan Evans and Aerith and I wish I still had it so I could laugh at it.

In the past, I’ve written mostly original stuff. It takes a really special fandom to hit that sweet spot of me being totally obsessed with it and feeling like there’s room to explore and expand on characters or ideas.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Lamplight Letters (22) - My current big project. Amelia and Clive solve mysteries at a boarding school together.

Awakening (7) - The first of an ongoing series that explores an AU where Clive is turned into a vampire and inadvertently finds himself out of prison and in a London very different than the ones he remembers.

Queen of Spades and Spoons tied for third (6) - Both Climelia fluff/angst so this makes me happy they’ve gotten a few kudos

Traces of Glitter and Taxonomy tied for fourth (5) - Both Gemma stories. I need to write more happy fluff for her, she deserves it.

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Yes, and I’m trying to be better about responding quickly, now that I’m more involved in the fandom again. I had about a two year hiatus where I was figuring a lot of stuff out and it took me months to respond to comments. I’m going to try to keep up with them better, as best I can, because I really do appreciate everyone who takes the time to comment on my stuff. I never expected anyone to enjoy fics involving my OCs or my niche pairing in an equally niche fandom, but it means a lot to me and always makes my day when I see a new comment.

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

Awakening. I don’t want to spoil it, just in case anyone reading this wants to check it out, but Clive has an all around bad time.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not yet 👀 Though I am forever amused by the hate Clive/Amelia received on a Layton confessions blog a few years back. As one of the only people making content for the ship I guess that can be construed as hate toward my fics lolol. I’m just flattered I managed to produce enough content of them for someone to get angry.

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Yes, but nothing I’ve published. Maybe someday, if I ever feel confident and comfortable enough. Just older Climelia things. But I’d rather explore the story of how they slowly reconnect as adults before I dive into anything spicy lol. I feel like that’s something I have to earn.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of?? I would be kind of flattered I guess, because of how niche my stuff is.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but definitely impressed by those who take the time to translate fics.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No and probably never will. Writing is challenging enough without adding collaboration to the mix. The closest I’ve come is the back and forth head-canons and drabbles me and my gf @chyouxart send each other.

What’s your all time favorite ship?

Clive/Amelia. Don’t ask me how an obscure rare-pair grew to be my OTP. It started out with loving both characters and also thinking they’d have good chemistry and things building from there. I liked the challenge of writing a backstory for them and having to create their relationship from scratch.

I’m a sucker for the dynamic of too very cold, very proud people slowly opening up and becoming warm and soft towards each other through rocky, slow-burn friendship. And rivalry banter that turns into flirting. And both having difficult pasts that have eroded their trust and slowly learning to mend it through the things they go through together. And of course the angst that comes with Clive’s eventual decisions and what might happen to their relationship after that. Climelia is my tailor-made ship. It also has big sentimental value, because it’s the ship that allowed me to safely explore a lot of things I didn’t fully realize about myself and further connect with my now gf @chyouxart so it means a lot to me.

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

Lamplight Letters T_T I guess I should amend this question to I hope I’ll be able to finish it. I’ve just been working on it for so long, and now that I’m re-writing a lot of it, it’s going to take even longer. It’s been a bit discouraging, but also I feel a lot better about the early chapters and it is satisfying to see how my writing has improved. I just hope to one day complete it and be able to turn my attention to other big projects, even if that day is still far off.

What are your writing strengths?

I think I’m pretty good at writing descriptions, especially for locations? I’m also always pretty proud of my metaphors and similes, though I’m trying to learn to use them more sparingly. I’m a lot more confident in my internal monologues now after writing so many for Amelia.

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

Not something I’ve attempted yet, and if I did, I’d want to make sure I did my research and would be able to portray other languages respectively and authentically. It can add a lot to a character if done well, if done poorly it just comes off as a gross caricature.

What was the first fandom you ever wrote for?

Rayman. I was obsessed with the original PS1 game and created an entire expanded universe for it.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve ever written?

Lamplight Letters will always be my baby. I love it. I hate it. I could spend the rest of my life working on it. I want to throw it into space. I wrote the first chapter on a bored whim and it quickly grew into the most ambitious writing project I’ve ever worked on. Definitely served as a writing boot camp for me and I feel like I’ve grown a lot through it, including meeting some amazing people in the fandom.

#writing #asks #the lamplight letters

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chrisemrysfics · 3 years

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Hello!

I have updated my About and Fics pages, to reflect the changes I want to make!

In the past few weeks, I have been taking notice that I’ve been forcing myself to keep active a lot of things I just... don’t really feel anymore. A few months ago, I already decided to stop roleplaying, and closed my roleplay blogs.

More recently, I already started being less active on Tumblr, and on that side, I’m still going to not be active all that much. I am likely to still reblog from times to times on my personal side blog, and make little posts here if I really want to share a meta or thoughts or a fun thing. Plus, it is still a good place to receive messages, as AO3 doesn’t have private messaging. It does have comments, but I feel some people might prefer a message here rather than a comment, depending what they want to ask or say.

I might not really post anymore about updates on my fics, or they’ll be quick posts. For new fics, it might be quick posts too, or proper posts as I was doing.

All in all, in term of social medias, I’m using my twitter solely to retweet arts, my personal tumblr sideblog is for occasional reblogs, this fic blog is just to have a way to make meta/hc posts if I want to and share when I update/make new fics if I want to. I have a pillowfort, but I kept forgetting it, or not feeling like making posts on it, so its pretty much sleeping for now, and might just, get some posts to promote my own content, and maybe be poked sometimes to like other people content.

The reason for that is again, that I realized I just don’t really feel social medias anymore, and there are very, very few reasons that makes me keep them. And none of them need demand activity out of me, or its very small activity. Which is something that works out for me, because the other thing I realized is that I was just... having too much on my hands.

This is why soon, I will be putting all my WIP in hiatus, and very few ones will be fully stopped. The only exception will be Shadows Symphonie, and the upcoming No one else but you, multi chap version.

Some will eventually be updated, I’m only taking a break for Meet me Halfway to the End and Assassin’s Light, and then all the others on hiatus are a mixed bag on how likely I feel I will update them, but their common line is that I will look to write them more than halfway or write them fully, before I start updating them again.

The ones that will be closed, due to various reasons that more or less are about it would demand too much out of me and I need to put my energy elsewhere first are: Different yet alike, Hellish Chronicles, Broken Chain, Fated Chain, Freedom of Love, Future we choose, Rise of the Walker.

EDIT: the two crossed out ones are going to be indefinite hiatus rather than full out closed, deciding for these was hard, when I wrote this post I had tentatively decided to close them, but in the end I could eventually see myself write for them, so indefinite hiatus it is!

However, do note all WIPs (except Shadows Symphonie) will be getting a bonus that will summarize what the plot is intended to be!

While it isn’t quite what I ever thought it would mean, my wish to never leave a story unfinished still exist, and it’s a compromise that I hope will works for the majority of you, but even if it won’t be the same as a written story, I couldn’t and wouldn’t hiatus or close fics without giving closure to anyone that wants it!

So to give a summary of the changes!

Activity will be very low on all social medias I have

Twitter is 99% retweet of Wangxian/MDZS arts

Fic blog is mostly for occasional meta/hc and wanting to share when I update or post new fics

Personal sideblog is for occasional reblog

Pillowfort is pretty much dormant for now, might just have occasional post to promote my own content

All WIPs except Shadows Symphonie will go into hiatus with a few I will outright stop writing

However they will also all have a bonus that summarize the plot I have/had intended for them

The idea for most if not all hiatus fics is that I will work on them when I can, and only start posting again when I have a few chapters in advance at earliest, and more than halfway of it otherwise, if not all of it

This way of writing fics might also become my new norm, I might only post fics from now on, when I have written at the very least a few chapters in advance, if not at least halfway of it!

I am truly grateful for everyone who has followed me, here or on AO3 or both, and anywhere else, for the patience, for the interest, and it isn’t a goodbye, that’s for sure!

But I needed to makes changes, to stop forcing myself, to stop not being honest with myself, and I want to be able to write for the fics I actually want to write for, and most of all, I want to write my original content, I want my life to feel good, and for that, I needed to simplify everywhere I can, and be much more gentler with myself, to accept to let go of certain things, and put other things as secondary.

You might be here for my fics, or myself, and you’ll still see my fics, and I’m still around, if mostly through my fics, or seeing me retweet things, and occasional posts; though of course, my IM and inbox remains open!

However, I would feel deeply grateful and happy, if you see this post, and take the time to check what I write as original content. Or just bookmark my site for later, another time, because I’m the first to know you can want to check some things, but you need to file it somewhere as “to check later”. But the reason I say this is, this is my truest passion, and where I truly want to focus myself. There’s a tumblr and a twitter for my original content, and my writer twitter especially might be more active. And everything is free to read, as a personal choice, and while mostly writing fantasy (in various settings), I have some other things, including half-psychology half-spiritual thoughts sharing.

So all that remains is whether or not you might find something you like to read, and the best I can do, is simply to offer you check for yourself!

Again, I’m truly grateful for each follower and reader I have, and I’ll still be around, I’ll still be writing~!

#chrishere

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laraslandlockedblues · 5 years

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Ok actually I know the tags on my gif post I just did said I wasn’t sure when I’d be back, but I’m feeling strangely articulate tonight so here we go. Long-winded under the cut.

TL;DR - Real life is (and will continue to be) a busy bitch, a writer’s ego is a fragile thing, and my Lightning Struck series (Cullen/Evelyn) can now be considered on indefinite hiatus.

Hi! Yes, I’m alive and well and I really do appreciate the messages asking if I was all right and checking on me. You’re all too sweet and kind, and I’m so grateful for each and every one of you. Keep that in mind as this ramble continues, please.

This has been a weird year already, and it’s only March. Normally I’d be like “IT’S ALREADY MARCH?!” but no, this year...It’s only March. That’s how I’ve been feeling.

January started off with a weird mood for me. Over the holidays I had the usual family stress and blahness that comes with adulthood, but a few fandom things happened too that put me into a rather...difficult headspace, shall we say. For one thing, I will say I’ve noticed I’m not the only one who’s pointed out that it feels like the fandom is dying. And it is. Which is sad. I feel like I only just got here - I’ve played DA for years but I only really started to interact with its fandom in late 2017, so for me it was still all fresh and new and exciting. Seeing that die down, compounded with the Tumblr wank, especially, was really disappointing.

As a creator, too, it was hard not to take that personally. It was hard not to take people moving on to other fandoms and interests and things as an indictment on my work. Rational brain knew that that was the problem, rational me knew that we were all just moving on because other things were catching our interest. It’s natural. But dumb, idiot writer brain was struggling with the fact that I was feeling like I was screaming into the void.

What bothered me more was that I even cared. I never once wanted to care about that. I always preach writing for oneself, and that’s why I write. But I hated the fact that for a time I’d gotten so much feedback that I noticed its absence when it died down a little. And that’s not anyone’s fault, I’m not begging for comments or feedback, seriously. Again, rational me was shrugging and still wanted to write for me because it was fun and I enjoy it, but the fragile writer ego we all carry around inside us took a hit and began to doubt.

It stopped being fun. Especially because it wasn’t necessarily a total lack of feedback - it was, for me, a lack of feedback on what I was actually, currently working on. Over the holidays for some reason I began to get comments on WIPs that I hadn’t updated in ages - asking me for updates. Now, everyone has their own opinion on those sorts of comments, so this is only my own, and take it with a grain of salt and everything I just mentioned above.

It sucked. It absolutely, 100% sucked. Seeing the email notification that I got a comment would bring me so much joy - only to open it to see that it was a comment on something I hadn’t written for in a long time asking me when I’d feel like providing more content for that fic again. I began to feel like fic was a transaction and I was piling up debts. I started to feel like I owed fandom and readers what they wanted, instead of doing this for the reason I started in the first place - for myself.

I know that Rylen is niche. I know that fics that have very little to do with canon are niche. I know that Abby isn’t always super likable. I know that John is off-putting because he’s such a morally ambiguous OC who has nothing to do with DA and makes really shit decisions. I know all of that, and I’ve never expected any of those fics to get any sort of response, so the fact that they’ve gotten the response that they have still blows my mind and makes me insanely, insanely happy. And so I hated that I felt ungrateful, and that I was doubting my work, and that writing and fandom was beginning to feel like a labor and not something I loved.

The more I noticed I was struggling with working on updates, the more I started to think a break might be in order. When some RL stuff finally cropped up, the fact that I was sort of forced into a break was a blessing in disguise, to be honest. I leaned into the skid and let myself step back to reevaluate why I do this and what I want to get out of it. I fell into a new fandom and worked on random pieces of writing for it, which I threw into the voids of ao3 on a second account and only shared for myself and a few friends who were also falling into that fandom with me. I rediscovered the joy of writing and not caring what response I get. I reignited my love of crafting a story a certain way because I wanted to and not because I thought it was where anyone else thought it should go.

I remembered why I love writing in the first place - for myself.

And with that, I finally began to let go of some things, and let myself mull over decisions I’d been putting off or avoiding. I shrugged off the stress of expectation and “owing” anyone my time or effort, and I’m finally back to enjoying myself and my writing, free of doubt.

With that, I have some news, good and bad. The bad news first - my Cullen muse has left the building. I have waited, and hoped, and tried, but at some point he walked out the door and he hasn’t made an appearance since. That isn’t to say that I don’t still love his character or content about him, but personally, I can no longer write his POV or romance. The ability to do so has eluded me for months now, but I’ve accepted this sad truth at long last. Unless he’s trading banter with Rylen or Abby, his muse is no longer whispering in my ear. And that makes me sad, and for all I know he’ll reemerge some day, ready to help me write again. For now, though, that isn’t possible. Which does, unfortunately, mean that my Cullen/Evelyn WIPs are currently either abandoned or on an indefinite hiatus (I’ve tagged them appropriately on ao3 if you’re curious). If I do manage to return to them, I expect to only focus on Moments Passed and Miss Grey. As for what I’ll do about Beautiful Disaster...I’m not quite certain yet.

It did also mean that I was able to let go of something that had bothered me for a while as well. I’m almost positive no one noticed since it’s been kind of off radar for a while, but - my fic What Are the Odds has been orphaned. I’m still proud of it as a fic, but it came with a lot of baggage and my Cullen/Evelyn pairing was just ever so slightly OOC to the point that comments on it made me cringe. I’m a firm believer in not deleting, and so off to the fandom as an orphaned work it went, to be enjoyed without me having to be aware of it at all.

Now, the good news is - I do 100% still plan on writing Abby/Rylen. Their muses are still there and whispering to me, and I definitely want to continue working on the WIPs I have for them. At the moment After Rain might be slow to update (need to figure out how I’m navigating some canon plot to get me from point A to B to C to D and on). But I plan on trying to finish it as well as the others that I have for them. Abby/Ry live on, because I absolutely love them so much, and the idea of writing for them is back to bringing me joy.

I cannot make guarantees on update speed for the foreseeable future, possibly for the rest of the year. Currently RL continues to be a shitshow, as I was reminded today, and writing more than a sentence here or there has been difficult. In a few months I will also be moving, and once at my new destination I actually have a Big Project (a writing one I hope to be able to share here, if people are still around/Tumblr is still a thing) that I intend to make my full time focus. My goal has always been to be a writer, and while fanfic has been an amazing way to explore my writing style/storytelling/character voice, I have plans to get published. I’ll have a better opportunity to put those plans into realistic action later this year, which I’m actually really, insanely excited about.

If you have made it this far, THANK YOU. I love this fandom, and I’ve met so many wonderful, lovely, supportive, talented people in it and I have missed you all dearly during my time away. In no way was this a call out post directed at anyone in particular, and in no way was this a “woe is me, please give me attention” cry for help. I’ve just had a lot of thoughts and feelings during this break, and I actually wanted to sort of vocalize them because: 1) wow I already feel better after doing so, and 2) to let other writers know it’s 100% valid to need to take a break or occasionally get in your head about needing validation/feedback/wonder why we do this when it just feels like screaming into a fathomless void. It’s natural and normal and totally human, and if you’re feeling that way, find someone supportive to help you through and take a step back. Everything will be waiting there for you when you’re ready for it. And remember - do it for yourself because it’s something you enjoy.

#lara rambles #long post #do n/ot/ reblog #seriously please #no reblobbies #thank you for the love while i was away #i'll try to be around more often now #xx

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namelesspierrot · 7 years

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WIP | Trowa & Comet

The glistening sea of stars was always so captivating no matter how many times Trowa gazed upon them. On both Earth and Proxima the view depended on which season it was and which hemisphere you were in, which meant you were limited in what you could see. In space the view felt endless. There was no end and no beginning. The stars surrounded you indefinitely.

Trowa leaned his head back against the windowsill, relaxing in the silence of the abandoned conference room. This was his special place. He came here to unwind from a long day of work, knowing he’d be left alone with his thoughts. After devoting 8 straight hours to his latest project, the new solar panel cells, he needed some time to zone out and slow his brain.

The glass was cold on his cheek. It felt good to lean against the window as he sat in a peaceful trance. Trowa didn’t notice the small shadow that crept across the floor, swiftly inching in his direction with something held confidently in its mouth. It wasn’t until the creature jumped up onto his lap that he looked down. “Comet…”

Distinct, batlike ears twitched in recognition. The fennec fox dropped the object it had been carrying and looked up at Trowa with big brown eyes.

“I heard that you’ve been rather busy today.” Trowa murmured as he scratched behind Comet’s collar. Heero informed him earlier that the fox had snuck into the management office when no one was around. He proceeded to knock the small trash bin over and dig through its contents. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, he’d jumped up on Neumann’s desk and pushed a pile of paperwork off the edge, scattering the pages out of order all over the floor. Argosy wasn’t a fan of pets on board the ship and Neumann wasn’t amused by the mess left in his office.

While Trowa thought Comet’s behavior was funny, he knew he had to keep a closer eye on his pet. The fox was usually well behaved for a wild animal, all thanks to the time Trowa had spent training and socializing him. Because of this Comet was free to roam the ship without being monitored 24/7. At night he slept in Heero and Trowa’s room, either curled up in his makeshift borough or at the foot of their bed.

“I guess I’ll have to program the management office into your chip.” Trowa said, moving his fingers over Comet’s thick, cream-colored fur. He had installed a locator chip in Comet’s collar so they could easily track him. Certain areas of the ship were programmed as off-limits, like Wufei’s medical lab, keeping the curious fox out.

Comet yawned and made himself comfortable on Trowa’s lap, no longer interested in whatever he had been playing with. It was naptime.

As the fox slept Trowa continued running his fingers through its fur, a soothing gesture that always put both him and Comet at ease. I hope Neumann doesn’t make a big deal out of this… I don’t care what the new policies are, we’re not getting rid of Comet.

The fox meant so much to Trowa. More than just a pet, Comet was a companion, a friend that would age at the same rate as he would. He didn’t keep close relationships with anyone off the ship because of suspension during space travel, which put a temporary stop to aging. It was impossible to keep meaningful relationships with people on Earth or Proxima when you only saw them once every 5-10 years.

Trowa sighed and looked out the window while his thoughts traveled. His fingers lingered on Comet’s exaggeratedly big ears, which were the softest, and arguably cutest part on his body. A smile formed on Trowa’s lips as he thought about the fox and the tight bond they shared.

They were on a business trip in Northern Africa when Trowa found the orphaned fox kit outside their hotel. It desperately needed food and water, so he tended to its needs and kept an eye on it. When it was time to leave Heero had surprised him by offering to bring the fox back to the ship. He said taking care of a pet would benefit Trowa. It would feed his instinct to nurture and provide a sense of purpose. And Heero knew how excited his lover got when he was around animals. It was adorable to watch and he selfishly wanted more of that adorableness.

Proxima b, where Trowa was born, was populated by a colony of humans and lacked any other substantial life forms. At a young age Trowa became fascinated with animals, learning about them from afar through books and videos. He’d always dreamed of having a pet but knew that wasn’t possible on his planet. There weren’t even zoos to study the amazing creatures firsthand.

When Trowa started visiting Earth he was pleasantly overwhelmed by all the animal encounters. If they were ever near a zoo he would make Heero go with him. If they had time for ecotourism, like swimming with manta rays or going on a safari, Trowa would drag his lover along. Any experience that allowed him to interact with animals was something Heero would never deny his partner.

Heero’s offer keep a pet on the ship was something Trowa couldn’t pass up, and so Comet set off with them to become an interstellar traveler. From day one he was a welcomed addition to the crew, providing entertainment and amusement to everyone.

Comet would dash around the corridors, bouncing off the sides of the walls as he ran from one place to another to socialize. One of his favorite places on the ship was their Communication Officer’s lap. Quatre enjoyed the foxes comforting presence, which calmed him while he worked, and Comet enjoyed the frequent pats and affectionate scratches. The arrangement benefited them both.

Sometimes the fox would hitch a ride in Trowa’s coveralls while he worked, or curl up inside his hoodie, curiously poking its head out between the zippers whenever something interesting happened. Wufei teasingly suggested Trowa get one of those ridiculous sling wraps that mothers carried their babies around in. It would be more secure than the inside of his hoodie. Trowa wasn’t sold on the idea.

When Comet was feeling particularly mischievous he would steal one of Duo’s tools and run down the hall with it in his mouth. It was comical watching the braided officer run after the tiny fox, shouting every profanity known to men (and some he invented on the spot).

Heero generally acted indifferent towards the fox, but Trowa knew he was secretly fond of him. Every so often he would catch his fiancé playing fetch with Comet or napping in their room with the fox curled up on his chest. These rare moments felt like a glimpse into the future, of what it would be like raising kids together. Heero’s silly, playful side would come out. That was one of Trowa’s favorite sides...

“There you are. I figured I’d find you here.” A familiar voice drew Trowa out of his thoughts and he straightened his back before looking over at his fiancé.

Heero’s hands were stuffed into his pockets and he approached slowly, careful not to disturb the tranquil atmosphere. The room was dark, illuminated only by the light of the distant stars just outside the window. The glow danced across Trowa’s face where it contrasted with shadows to highlight the curve of lips and the gentle slope of an elegant nose.

Heero stared at him for a moment before taking a seat on the windowsill across from them. He reached out to pet the sleeping fox on the head and seemed to marvel at how soft and warm Comet’s fur was. Something on the ground caught his attention. With an eyebrow raised he bent down and picked up a small, rectangular object from the floor beside Trowa’s feet. He held it up and inspected it between his forefinger and thumb before saying with a frown, “where did you get this?” His eyes shifted from what was clearly a supercompact solid state drive to Trowa, his expression perplexed. “I was looking everywhere for this.”

“I don’t know where that came from…” Trowa studied the drive, noticing tiny teeth marks on its side. Hadn’t Comet been carrying something in his mouth? “I think I know who had it this entire time.” He looked down at the fox who was no longer asleep but looking up at the two humans curiously. Comet spotted the shiny drive in Heero’s hand and stood up, jumping to try and retrieve his new ‘toy’.

Heero’s gaze settled on the fox, his eyes narrowed slightly. “I spent three hours tearing this ship apart looking for this thing,” he addressed the animal. He lifted his arm to keep the drive out of the fox’s reach. “What do you possibly need security codes for, anyway?” He pointed his finger at the fox, his frown fading slightly.

Comet tilt his head to the side, looking as though his big ears were weighing his small head down. Trowa chuckled when the fox barked, waiting for Heero to give him his toy back. “You don’t know what he does in his spare time. Maybe Comet is into programing? He is getting into all kinds of trouble today, isn’t he...”

“It’s alright,” Heero replied. He slid the drive safely into his pocket and showed the fox his hand was empty. “It was nice to see Neumann pissed off about something.” The fox had completely decimated his office. It was strangely satisfying to see.

“I think he did it for you.” The small but mighty fox was protective of Trowa, and sometimes that protectiveness carried over to Heero as well. “He knows how you feel about Neumann. Maybe he thought he was helping.” Trowa put his hand on Comet’s back, urging him to sit back down.

“Hm. Maybe I can train him to deactivate the pressure locks and ‘accidentally’ knock the guy into the trash chute…” Heero murmured, sighing. “THAT would be helpful.”

Trowa snorted. “If only it were that easy.” Comet decided he had grown bored of his owner’s lap. He made his way over to Heero’s and sat down before the other could shoo him away.

Heero made no move to push the fox off, but was watching the little creature closely as he began nosing around at the pocket he had hidden the drive in. “The only problem with Comet tearing up the office is that Neumann is now more determined to have him kept in suspension for the rest of the trip.”

“Not going to happen.” Trowa wouldn’t allow that. There was no negotiating as far as he was concerned. “I’m adding Neumann’s office to the chip. Comet won’t be able to go in there anymore.”

Heero nodded and casually rested his hand over his pocket as the fox began to paw and burrow at his slacks in an attempt to get its prize. “Neumann doesn’t have a say in what we do with him, he’s our personal property and not part of the ship or Argosy.” He rolled his shoulders, his expression suddenly dark. Neumann was slowly taking control of his ship, but he wouldn’t him interfere with his pet, his lover or his personal life.

Part of Zodiac Black. Read on AO3

#gundam wing #Trowa Barton #heero yuy #fennec fox #1x3x1 #Excerpts

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