I love angst and I love pain but I cannot read "Neil died in Baltimore" fics. they genuinely make me sick to my stomach because he just didn't deserve it. he did not deserve to die terrified and alone and nameless. He deserved a life. a family. a future.

And Andrew? God. It would have destroyed him. He would have blamed himself for releasing Neil from their deal. He did not deserve to lose the one person who could pull him back from the edge. After everything he went through? fuck that.

It's too much. AFTG might be a mess but at least we got a happy ending. I cannot stomach the alternative.

hello new friend! ✨️

saw that post about random questions for your stories, i am yet to read much of your works besides the most recent galladrabble!

so help me get started, what's your favourite fic you've written? maybe your favourite line even? what inspired it?

New friend❗️❗️❗️❗️ 💫✨️ Thank you so much for the ask, I've been waiting to get home from work ALL DAY so I can answer this lol.

So, I do have some (very old) works floating around from past fandoms, but so far the only gallavich fics I've posted have been my drabbles.

But! I have been working on a gallavich fic since like a few weeks before I even made this sideblog, and by "working on", I mean "like over 100k into it so far and not even close to done"

Posting full chapters before I'm done with the entire fic always makes me nervous because what if i have a new idea and need to go back and change something, but I'm always happy to share scenes in the meantime!

Basic premise is it's a vaguely canon-compliant-ish au except they never met growing up. Ian is in his EMT post- Caleb era, and Mickey is newly escaped from the Milkovich House of Horrors and working as a bartender. Inspiration wise, I got this idea for one specific line (from IGGY of all people. like don't get me wrong Iggy is cool and all, but I honestly never thought about him that much until my need to write a stupid pun overcame me) and it somehow snowballed into an Entire Plot.

Anyways, long ramble aside, I have included one of the earlier scenes below if you are interested but if not of course that's fine okay byyyyeeeee 🫣 🤐 😶

__________________

“Third drink of the night, Red,” Mickey says, sliding the newly filled glass of sprite back over to him. “Gonna hafta cut you off soon.”

“Ha fucking ha,” Red grumbles. Glares. Doesn't even try to hide the amused sparkle in his eyes.

He’s been acting weird today, though. Weirder than he usually is, and he’s already usually pretty fucking weird, so that's saying something. 

He keeps shooting Mickey these little looks. Scrunching his brows together. Fiddling with his glass.

Mickey braces himself when Red suddenly takes a deep breath and opens his mouth, dreading what the guy might say. Might ask.

“Why do you call me Red?”

Mickey blinks. Out of all the questions he’d been steeling himself for, that hadn't been one of them. He’s not expecting it. Not expecting the serious look on Red’s face as he asks it. “Uh. Your hair. It’s red,” Mickey says like an idiot, as if the guy isn’t fucking aware of that fact.

Red huffs and rolls his eyes. Squints at Mickey suspiciously. Fiddles with his drink again. “Kinda starting to feel like you just don’t know what my name is.”

“Yeah, I don’t,” Mickey snorts.

Red falters. Nearly tips his glass over. “Seriously?” he asks. Looks a bit put out, a bit annoyed, a bit hurt, and over all really fucking ridiculous. “You don’t remember my name?”

Mickey cocks his brows. “You never fucking told me it, man.”

“I did! I–” Red’s eyes dart around, and Mickey assumes he’s flitting through his memories, trying and failing to find the moment he introduced himself. His skin goes all flushed (and Mickey doesn't think its adorable, because it’s fucking not) and he buries his face in his hands dramatically. “Oh my god. I am such an idiot.”

Mickey bites at his lower lip to reign in the smile threatening to pop up. Raps a fist on the bartop. “You good? You’re looking kinda red there, Red.”

Red splays out his fingers and aims a glare at Mickey from behind them. “Ian. My name’s Ian.”

Ian. 

Mickey rolls it around in his head, on his tongue, getting used to the flavor of it. Ian. It’s good. Short and sweet, just like ‘Red’. Same amount of letters and everything. Flows better, though, the kind of name that sounds good when it's drawn out long and slow in a groan.

Holy fuck does Mickey need to get it together, this shit is getting fucking ridiculous. 

Red– Ian– has regrouped himself while Mickey’s brain was falling to shambles. His pouty glare is back to full strength as he crosses his fucking treetrunk arms across his wide chest and fucking focus, Milkovich. “You didn’t think to fucking ask me what it was? This whole time?”

Mickey shrugs. Rubs at his lip. “Figured if you wanted me to know you would’ve told me.”

Ian uncrosses his arms to flail his hands around. Nearly knocks over his drink again. Mickey sagely reaches over and pushes it out of the danger zone. “Of course I wanted you to know! You think I wanted you to refer to me in your head by the color of my hair every time you think about me?”

“Who the fuck says I spend anytime thinking about your sorry ass?” Mickey shoots out, immediately on the defensive, because yeah, maybe he does spend too much fucking time thinking of Ian, but he’s not just gonna fucking admit to that.

Ian perks up at that. Grins that fucking grin that Mickey knows by now means trouble. “Didn’t say they had to be thoughts about my ass, specifically, but–”

“Shut the fuck up, Red–”

“Ian.”

“Ian,” Mickey mocks. He doesn't think he’s entirely imagining the way something sparks in Ian at the sound of his name in Mickey’s mouth, but he could just be confusing it with the way something in his own body gets set ablaze. 

They both swallow. Mickey can see Ian’s adam's apple bob with it. He forces himself to tear his gaze away from Ian’s throat.

He thinks maybe Ian might be flirting with him sometimes. Maybe. But he’s not sure. Isn’t used to this. 

Before, he’d always scope out his options, settle on a guy who seemed safe enough. Wouldn't have to say a word. Would just catch their eye, cock his brow, and jerk his head towards an exit. If they followed, great. If not, whatever. No skin off Mickey’s back.

He’s never done whatever this shit is. If this shit even is anything. Which, again, it could be.

Probably isn’t. He’s probably just gone too long without getting his dick wet. Is probably just pining like some fucking school girl after the unattainable quarterback, seeing signs that aren’t there. Fucking pathetic.

It ain't right. Mickey’s not fucking pathetic. He’s just not.

+++

That’s what he tells himself, at least, when he’s leaning his back against his front door hours later. Breath still panting, hand still shoved down his now sticky boxers, tongue still tasting Ian’s name, not even having made it to his fucking bed in his rush to get in and get off.

+++

@hprecfest Day 10, 11 and 12

Posting three days worth of recs cos real life got in the way of posting it on their said days :P enjoy!

Day 10 - A fest fic

Nymphadora by @bluethepineapple

Written for the @womenofthehouseofblack , this fic is dark fairytale about families - families you are part of, families you have left behind and the complicated love that runs through both. The implied parallel in conversation between Andromeda and Tonks to Andromeda and Bellatrix is particularly haunting.

Summary:

Nymphadora (Greek) n. "The gifts of the Nymphs"

Andromeda could only watch as her daughter set off to war.

The Rougarou by @evesaintyves

Wolfstar.

I am big champion of reading everything written by Eve, but this fic is my favourite from her! This fic is steeped in grief and death post First War, and even as Remus tries his best to hide away from it all, New Orleans haunts him. It's a beautiful piece and I keep rereading it time and again.

Summary:

After the end of the first war, Remus goes to New Orleans to forget.

Day 11 - A dark fic

Three Knocks Upon the Door by @lunapwrites

Lily/Tonks.

This fic! Such effective imagery and contextaulisation for the quotes we know from canon. The Lily in this story has a hypnotic quality to her, and you can't help be drawn in - like Tonks.

Summary:

Knocking on wood three times is said to bring good fortune; but three knocks on your window or door without a clear cause is an omen of death.

In this case, it's a little of both.

(In which Tonks gets suspended from field duty, and takes matters into her own hands.)

First and Last and Always by Vermoulian

Sirius Black/Severus Snape.

The Snirius discord server is in love with this fic - and I can see why. It is beautifully written and makes you sit viscerally in Snape's headspace, to the point that sometimes you are discomfited.

Summary:

Black had been nearly skeletal when he came out of Azkaban, but he’d put on muscle again.

He prowled, and he loomed, and whatever earthy animal quality he’d had as a younger man had transmuted into something feral and predatory, during his twelve years of imprisonment.

Severus had his wand. He swallowed hard. His wand. Magic. His only defense, because Black outweighed him by at least three stone. But magic was more than enough. Severus had never needed physical prowess. His magical strength, and the keenness of his mind, gave him the advantage.

Except when it didn’t.

Day 12 - A WIP you are following

Beasts by @whinlatter

Ginny Weasley coming of age fic? Ginny Weasley fic that addresses all the canon gaps of Hinny relationship in a layered way? Sign me up! I have always liked Ginny, but beyond wondering about how Chamber of Secrets affected her - I never cared for her. Whinlatter makes you care about her interior life, makes you see that post war Hinny isn't going to be as easy as breathing. Basically, it's love.

Summary:

Ginny Weasley comes of age among them: the beasts, the wild things of their world.

(or: how the youngest Weasley won the Hanging Out With Hagrid Award).

Canon compliant, multi-chapter, non-linear narrative, Golden Gen, PS through post-DH (1981-1999). Harry/Ginny.

The War of Roses by @saintsenara

Sirius Black/Severus Snape.

A canon divergent Snirius fic from asenora? I slammed the subscribe button even before reading it - but having read the first chapter, I greatly enjoy the emphasis on what Azkaban has done to Sirius and I cannot wait to see where she takes this.

Summary:

Sirius Black does not die. But this does not mean that it is easy for him to live.

Or: a butterfly flaps its wings and Sirius does not go to the Department of Mysteries. What follows from that twist of fate is a story about the long, destructive shadow of a schoolboy rivalry; a story about surviving, and how surviving is sometimes more difficult than dying; a story about the fragility of beauty, the gentleness of hope, and the value of choice.

It is also a love story.

Scylla and Charybdis by @saintsenara

Severus Snape/Lord Voldemort.

I love the way Asenora writes Snape - his insecurity, his attraction to power, danger and darkness. I love how the narrative has cuts from his older self reflections, and I am really curious to see where she will take this. It also has Snirius crumbs so large that we could make a sandwich.

Summary:

Severus Snape just wants somewhere to belong.

This will turn out to be a curse.

"Don't get me started on jegulus" actually please get started I'd like to hear your thoughts on it because your take on wolfstar and the oc-ification of some characters is so refreshing to see (tbh my first reaction to jegulus was just confusion on how it started and how quickly it got popular lmao)

ahh this makes so happy to hear that my post resonated with some people!! Was worried i was in the minority lol.

Anyways, abt jegulus -- i acc had a reaaally long post about how much i hated the dynamic (in canon compliant ish works -- Jegulus in aus is fine ig) but i deleted it lol.

I think the core reason why i dislike the pairing so much is that I feel like it the ship goes against everything James stands for. We don't know a lot about James' character in canon, but what we do know is that he had a strong sense of justice, and fierce loyalty to his friends and his cause, which ultimately led to his doom. I just can't imagine that James would associate with someone even a little bit bigoted. This is not to say i think James is a saint, i think he could be an ass sometimes (snapes worst memory lol) but i think he'd draw the line at someone who was associated with 'evil'. James had a very black and white view of good and bad and i just don't think it would make sense for James to date reg, esp as he is becoming a death eater. James may be a dick but he is also the biggest ally to ever ally !!

The only jegulus fics I have read are 'Just Lovers' and 'Choices'. Just lovers is a non-voldy au so i don't really have a problem with their dynamic there but choices on the other hand,, oh boy.

Spoilers for 'Choices' by MesserMoon btw (TW for talk of SA):

Regulus' friends rape Mary. And instead of feeling disgusted on the victim’s behalf, (who has been his friend for 5 years) James instead feels upset because it tarnishes the ‘good’ image he has of reg in his head. Thing is when a similar situation happened (The Prank ™), James was upset that Sirius would do such a thing but he also felt disgusted on behalf of Remus. Where was that energy here, huh?? I’ve even seen comments villianising Mary (the rape victim).

The thing I also hate about their dynamic is that it is basically an ally of the oppressor and ally of the oppressed. The problem with that is that when you are allied with the oppressor, you become an oppressor yourself (and reg does; he does terrible things) and that subsequently makes the so-called ally of the oppressed in cahoots with the oppressor as well. This brings so many parallels to real life where people say that they are an “ally” but become friends with/date a racist/rapist. “Oh but they’re nice to me”. its just a little ew.

And in other jegulus canon-compliant-ish fics, sometimes instead of James' character being watered down its Regulus' character. Like, he's not as morally grey, not as complex etc so it makes sense that James would agree to date him. I feel like jegulus as a ship ruins the core of what made their characters so interesting in the first place.

That being said,,, i do love me some canon-compliant unrequited jegulus. Regulus goes to hogwarts, gets so mad at Sirius for ditching him or whatever, but falls in love with the very guy that stole sirius away. He also has internalised homophobia because he's a Black brother so imagine the angst. James potter goes against everything he stands for,, sirius betrayed him,, but perhaps they're right abt smth?? Perhaps he needs to do smth. alone.

sorry for rambling but these are my thoughts on jegulus !! Anyways I feel like I should reiterate that this is a personal preference!! I think it ruins core of these characters, i prefer jily and i love me some unrequited gay pining for the boy who you're brother replaced u with. But this is just a personal preference !

oh and just a side note if it ever led to a decision where james had to choose between sirius and regulus -- no matter how much he 'allegedly' loved regulus, he would choose sirius, no questions asked.

different anon, but i thought we all agreed canon remus is a timid, sheltered boy? unlike the fanon's alphamale remus. i think that was an important point. don't know why you said like it was a personal interpretation. and i think when the anon called it fanon toxic heteronormative wolfstar, they meant the r & s in your fic are alphamale-ed remus & abused, shorter sirius. you can make disabled remus fight, but the alphamale-ification of him is. i think we writers should try to not spread that remus. man, i don't think you have to agree with the anon or me, you do you and we do we. sent it just to clarify a few stuff

you guys have caught me in a bad mood so fine let's get into it lmao

"i thought we all agreed canon remus is a timid, sheltered boy?"

well, you thought wrong!! generally speaking if you're saying "i thought we all agreed..." about something in fandom, you are wrong. this space is huge and there are tons of different interpretations of canon. i don't like all of them, but you know what i do when i don't like someone's interpretation? i unfollow them or block them or simply scroll past their post or don't read their fic!! it is sooooooo easy to ignore a stranger on the internet's take on harry fucking potter c'mon now

that being said, the idea that remus is "sheltered" in canon is laughable to me. that kid became a werewolf at six years old, he was forced to deal with the harsh realities of the world wayyyyyy before any of his friends. and i guess you could interpret him as timid, maybe, but i personally don't!! professor lupin in the books is incredibly vivacious, sarcastic, funny--plus, he spent his youth fighting voldemort + death eaters. none of that screams "timid" to me.

and, again, even if that was my interpretation of canon remus, this is not a canon-compliant fic. i am specifically putting the characters in a universe where voldemort won and they grew up separately, without all going to hogwarts together, and exploring my interpretation of how their personalities would change. remus in this world is definitely not fucking sheltered and he literally could not be timid if he wanted to survive. you don't have to read the fic if you don't like seeing him that way!

unlike the fanon's alphamale remus. i think that was an important point. don't know why you said like it was a personal interpretation.

again, the idea that "the fanon" is a single united entity is laughable. there are tons of fanon interpretations of remus. you can choose not to interact with the ones you dislike!!! and i said the "sheltered and timid" thing was a personal interpretation because it is.

and i think when the anon called it fanon toxic heteronormative wolfstar, they meant the r & s in your fic are alphamale-ed remus & abused, shorter sirius.

let's just say what you mean here: you think interpretations of r + s where one is more "feminine" and one is more "masculine" are heteronormative. i think that's bullshit! the idea that gay couples where one is more feminine and one is more masculine are "heteronormative" is the shit that's been ostracizing + marginalizing butches + feminine gay men within the queer community for literal decades--genuinely, it was (and continues to be, apparently!) a huge lesbophobic talking point in feminist circles that butch/femme relationships were un-feminist because butches were basically just "mimicking straight men." not only that, but it leads to pretty blatant transphobia on account of, y'know, trying to police people's gender presentation based on how you think someone of their gender is meant to present. so i don't have ANY fucking patience for this discourse and if you try to bring it to my blog you will get blocked.

and i'll address the idea that remus in my fic is an "alphamale" in a second, but for now--what about having one person be shorter and one person be taller in a relationship makes it heteronormative?? are short people automatically feminine to you?? and what about having one party being abused makes a relationship heteronormative?? is being abused an inherently feminine trait?? i'd recommend thinking about what exactly you're trying to claim here before you bring it to my askbox.

you can make disabled remus fight, but the alphamale-ification of him is. i think we writers should try to not spread that remus.

first of all, i think the idea that The Fandom is spreading some sort of plague of "alphamale remus" is silly. The Fandom is not a monolith; the majority of blogs + writers i follow portray him as a wet sock. so if you're being inundated with "alphamale remus" content that you don't like, start learning to use the block button.

beyond that, the interpretation that remus is an "alphamale" in my fic at all just tells me that both you and the first anon have not read the fic in its entirety. the only reason i can imagine that the first anon even brought that up is the fact that remus is in a werewolf fighting ring and acts flirty with sirius when they first meet. we get an entire chapter from remus's perspective where we learn that this is a specific persona he has had to adapt to survive, and we also learn that he is fighting in this werewolf fighting ring for reasons that are specifically tied to the way he is marginalized in this fictional society. the fic spends a ton of time exploring the way his marginalization has shaped his life and i spend over 20k words writing his pov in his head demonstrating that his anger comes from that marginalization, and that the "aggression" he is interpreted as having is a) partially stereotyping because he's a werewolf and b) partially a persona he has to adapt to survive in the werewolf fighting ring. again, if you don't like reading him like that then you don't have to read the fic. but the idea that fighting other werewolves specifically as a facet of the ways in which werewolves are oppressed in this society is something that makes him an "alpha male"....i mean if that's what you're taking away from it then i simply don't want you to read my fics in the first place.

man, i don't think you have to agree with the anon or me, you do you and we do we. sent it just to clarify a few stuff

the first anon literally asked me to rewrite my fic. sure, i could have just ignored the message and blocked them, and maybe i should have--but like i said, you guys caught me in a bad mood, and this is my blog, so. to answer that ask, i actually did have to disagree with them, because i had to say, "no, i will not rewrite the fic." and you've put me in a position where i actually do have to disagree as well, by saying stuff like "i thought we all agree," where not saying anything would be tacit agreement when i don't agree. i will do me, and i suggest you and the first anon go do you far away from that, because it seems like it would be better for everyone involved! i don't really care if you think you were being polite or helpful with this message; i didn't need you to clarify, and i did not need the holier-than-thou moralizing about what "we writers" should do when it's not even something i'm doing.

again, i don't care if people don't like my fic. just don't read it!!!! and just don't follow this blog!!! there is literally zero point in sending me messages like this nitpicking interpretations, especially not when the crux of your issue is that i'm making wolfstar "heteronormative," an argument that is deeply rooted in homophobia and transphobia. felt like ranting tonight, but generally speaking i will just block anyone who brings that shit into my askbox.

more bokuroo fic recs by your friendly neighborhood bokuroo shipper

i'm back and i have more fic recommendations! here are a handful of bokuroo fics that i think some of you might enjoy, so let's get into it!:

please make sure to mind any ratings and tags associated with the fics that might not be listed here! they're suggestions so you can make informed decisions on your comfortability, so please keep tags and age ratings in mind!

☆ this is how it starts (this is what it means) by eurydicees

Kuroo isn’t quite sure how he got here.  Here, being: stuffed in the backseat of Iwaizumi's car, listening to a combination of Suga’s music and Asahi’s nervous rambling that makes Kuroo want to claw his ears out, skipping out on his chemistry lab, and on a four hour drive to an MSBY Black Jackals game, getting ready to break his own heart. He just knows that, probably, it started with Bokuto.

rated: t (13+)

word count: 14k

tropes: friends to lovers, road trip, post-canon

why i'm recommending it: this is one of those cornerstone fics i just can't get out of my head. not only does it take place from kuroo's point of view as he navigates the nervousness of confessing to bokuto, but it's just so heartwarming and fulfilling in the end. if you haven't already, i definitely recommend putting this on your read-immediately-because-it's-bokuroo-being-bokuroo list!

☆ Belonging by notallballs

"Okay, look," Kuroo said, releasing him and rubbing at his temples wearily. "You wanna come share my bed? You don't have to sleep, but just lie down for a few hours, that cool?" Bokuto made a face. "Your room is so quiet."  "I'll put some music on." Bokuto said nothing. "Kou. That okay? Will you try?" "...Yeah, okay." Bokuto's been having trouble sleeping, but when Kuroo invites him to share his bed, the careful balance of their friendship tips over.

rated: e (18+)

word count: 2k

tropes: friends to lovers, friends with benefits, roommates, sharing a bed, background college au

why i'm recommending it: it's sweet and simple! a common factor that many bokuroo enjoyers like myself love is the roommates trope (aka, THEY WERE ROOMMATES!) and it all comes around to a spicy but also comforting fic where they share a bed...and then they share a bed. what more could you want from a one-shot? bonus: kuroo calls bokuto "kou" and bokuto sleepily calls kuroo "k'ro" in this fic. how cute is that?!

☆ Fly Me To The Moon by Tearsaresalty

Kuroo might have fallen for the silver-haired singer of the jazz café he goes to study. No wait -- he's actually very much in love; he just doesn't realize it at first.

rated: g (everyone) word count: 5k tropes: coffee shop setting, college au, first date, fluff why i'm recommending it: first of all, musician!bokuto and pharmacy student!kuroo is the combination no one thought they needed but definitely deserved. it's cute, lighthearted, features a lineup of seijou characters working in a coffee shop, a well-made chemistry joke, and fluff! it's an all-around enjoyable fic if you want to read about kuroo and bokuto falling in love at first sight.

☆ Betting on Emotions by holdontoyourhulahoops

Kuroo agrees to pretend to be Bokuto's boyfriend for a few weeks so they can win a bet. It shouldn't be that big of a deal, if only his annoying feelings would stop getting in the way.

rated: t (13+) word count: 10k tropes: friends to lovers, fake dating, pining, canon compliant why i'm recommending it: bokuroo and fake dating basically go hand-in-hand when it comes to common tropes with this ship, and honestly? it totally works for them! this is a really nice fic that features some of the best tropes with canon compliant bokuroo: friends to lovers (of course), fake dating (who doesn't love a good pretend boyfriend situation?), pining (majorly), and some good ol' cute moments! it's a pretty enjoyable, down-to-earth fic that i think is worth a read.

☆ #KurooStealsPants2K20 by kuidore

Kuroo was a good person. He was a good person, and he didn't deserve this. He could almost hear Kenma’s disbelieving scoff, and he resisted the urge to mentally tell his best friend to shut his damn mouth (as if it would actually do anything). He didn’t need imaginary Kenma’s judgment at the moment. He’d deal with enough of that from real Kenma later. "I need to borrow your pants." AKA Kuroo needs pants for a lab, Bokuto has the best (or worst) timing, and Kuroo can't catch a fucking break.

rated: e (18+)

word count: 89k

tropes: strangers to friends to lovers, different first meeting, college au, mutual pining, slow burn/build

why i'm recommending it: you might be thinking to yourself, wow, there's been a lot of pining and college fics, i wonder if this one will be different. well, i have good news and more good news: this fic has all of that and more! because, really, how can those things be overused when it comes to bokuroo? not only is this fic longer and more of a slow burn than most other fics i've recommended, but it's full of group chat funnies, angsty moments, and so much more! it's a really fun read, even if you think you're over the college au with mutual pining and friends to lovers, because this one starts out with kuroo stealing bokuto's pants...cue a knowing smirking face here. (there's also a wonderful meet-the-parents one-shot sequel that's also a funny and great follow-up!)

anddd that's a wrap! i hope some of you all were able to find something new to read for bokuroo and have a wonderful lovely amazing bokuroo day!

Which caitvi fic is the BEST one you’ve read so far? (post-canon)

First of all I owe you apologies for taking so long to respond to this, but in my defense - you put me in a bit of a rough spot there, my friend. I was like - bloody hell, you had to go all out and literally kill me here, because - THE best, like, just one? Seriously?!

Lol.

But after a while, and quite a few new ones read and perused, it kinda crystalised. Mostly, since in the meantime, not sure why (supply/demand?) most of them out there seem to be AUs recently, or just (like, during this kinktober month) one-shots not really focusing on the canon... yeah. The absolutely BEST one I’ve read so far - is definitely the one I already recommended (and raved about) when asked, before. It’s...

Grenadier by antistar_e (kaikamahine)

So if it sounds familiar - that might be why? Because again, this is the most complex non-relationshippy relationship story that ever was. Completely canon-compliant and set post-finale, it is basically a character study as well as character dynamics piece, written from Vi’s perspective. It’s definitely not one of those plot-driven CaitVi focused stories, but it does explore (quite profoundly, yes) all three pivotal relationships centered around Vi - both intricate complexities of her relationship with her sister, the budding one with Caitlyn - as well as their (Jinx and Caitlyn’s) post-bombing one, where their antagonism reaches an entirely another level.

The class dynamics are really strong and I really appreciated how the author hammered home the point about that Vi didn't just disappear for seven years, and is rather the opposite - it's so heart-breaking and clearly colors every decision she makes, how she takes action like there's no time to waste. So it’s a gentle, at times funny and yet gritty and profound exploration of regret, mourning and unhealthy coping mechanisms - on everyone’s behalf, with developments between all three of them, and Cait being portrayed largely as seen through Vi’s perspective (and her guilt, of course) while right at the centre is this uniquely beautiful portrayal of the sisterly relationship. The simple way Vi explains her love for Jinx is heart-wrenching and heartwarming at the same time, because she loves her “despite everything, the guilt, lack of remorse – it’s the love that doesn’t preclude justice or exempt her from consequences, but just grows, adapts, restitches its seams.” (that one tore me apart, yes). So yes, it has elements of romantic developments (in different directions, some even surprising?) but the central part is the sisters, and the intricacy of the situation of Jinx [spoiler space] without really showing any regret or remorse (which, totally in character for her - since despite shown from Vi’s angle - her portrayal is bloody brilliant, she’s shown with all her damage and quirkiness) so I’ll say it again - perhaps it’s just my personal interest and focus (the two of them) because there is no good CaitVi story - without Vi’s anguish over her sister and their relationship. And this is definitely the best fic I’ve ever read exploring these dynamics, post finale - both characterisation as well as style wise. Now, like I already disclaimered previously, I sincerely hope that the Cait/Jinx thing won’t deter you. Because [mild spoiler ahead] it’s mostly a tool, showing how Cait works through the very difficult state Jinx’s actions left her family in, and then begrudgingly arrives to the point of acceptance (albeit in that all-around unusual way - since Jinx has absolutely no boundaries and her coping mechanisms are just as unpredictable like everything else about her) which… basically only brings Caitlyn closer to Vi. And since it’s all been portrayed from Vi’s angle… yes, it only intensifies what’s between them - but it’s shown with infinite gentleness (rather than the usual… heat?). So, not really a love triangle piece, but rather Vi-centric situational character study, where that (imho, crucial) scene between the only two people she has achingly deep feelings for - it’s totally Caitlyn. Because that’s who she is, she’ll always put herself second and be that beautiful compassionate, accepting and forgiving person, and…

Well. You get my point. Lol. I’ll end my soliloquy here just by adding that this particular scene keeps haunting me - so much that I’m actually genuinely thinking about commissioning an art piece - to grace one of my central walls. And that’s how I decided that this was the fic you asked me about. In the end simply because, as a friend (another super-talented CaitVi author - which, if you’re reading this - you know who you are, you agent of unhinged ;) said the other day “I am somewhat in awe of the creativity and imagination but also simplicity in how these emotions are portrayed” when we talked about it, and that’s just it. That’s the appeal of this entire piece.

Now, the author, @kaikamahine​ - definitely isn’t a predominantly Arcane writer (rather, they’re a super-gifted multi-fandom hopper, lol) and this is their only CaitVi piece (of sorts) and... while they have another incredible piece centered around Jinx (as portrayed from the perspective of a nine year old girl) it leaves me personally starved for more. I’d offer my firstborn to see them write another Cait/Vi, Vi&Jinx or even Cait/Jinx piece. But, well. Perhaps, maybe? Fingers crossed? ;)

Anyway. I hope you’ll find this (waffly) answer satisfying. Thank you for asking. Cheers. 💖🌈

hello! this isn't really a remadora question, but do you have any headcanons about andromeda and ted (from the moment they met to the moment ted died and maybe even after that)?

OH HOT DAMN. I AM SO EXCITED SOMEONE ASKED THIS!!!!

So I am in the process of planning and outlining my Andromeda fic. I've tentatively titled "Andromeda's Sacrifices," and I want to begin posting it in the late fall/early winter. It's going to be canon-compliant, beginning with her 11th birthday and ending in 1981, when the first war is over.

Let me tell you some ideas I have - headcanons, basically - that are going to make it into the fic. I have a list of Black sisters headcanons that tie into this.

Andromeda is a blood purist from the start. She refuses to even talk to Ted because he's Muggleborn.

The first time Andromeda questions blood purity is when Ted consistently does better than she does in potions. Ted gets an invite to the Slug Club - Andromeda doesn't.

Andromeda goes through a lot of ups and downs as a middle child. She's constantly trying to be noticed. When she's made a prefect, Bellatrix is made Head Girl, so the accomplishment is overshadowed.

Ted, as an only child, has a very different experience. His parents are loving, affectionate, and so proud of him. They're from a thoroughly middle class family.

However, Andromeda and Ted are made prefects at the same time and it's the first time she's forced to interact with him.

She's been low-key fancying him for a little while by then, because in my head, he's actually a Ravenclaw, not a Hufflepuff.* As a Ravenclaw, he always does super well in classes, and it's both irritating to her because she's a blood purist, but also admirable, because he's talented.

It doesn't hurt that as Ted grows up, he loses some of his baby fat and gets pretty handsome, and Andromeda fights with herself a LOT on finding him attractive.

Ted, meanwhile, has always found Andromeda to be very pretty, but haughty and proud. He's intimidated by her and has been warned against interacting with her over blood status.

I have Ted and Andromeda bond over a potions incident in which she accidentally hurts him (she's mad at him for something, you'll see in the fic if you read it). But they patch things up and become better friends.

They start dating at the end of their fifth year, in secret. It's not an easy relationship because of Andromeda's family.

Ted doesn't like the dating in secret business. He worries for Andromeda, but is hurt that she's too embarrassed/ashamed of him that she won't be public about their relationship.

Andromeda runs away with Ted a few months after they finish their schooling. It's partly fueled by Andromeda just being done with her family. She realizes she's never going to make them proud of her, because she's always going to be overshadowed by her sisters.

Andromeda and Ted elope. They get pregnant right away and nine months later, Nymphadora is born :)

Andromeda and Ted's relationship to me is a lot like what it would be if a rich girl married a poor boy. She's got a LOT of culture shock when she spends time with Ted's family. She's confused and awkward around all the Muggle contraptions and Muggle culture. She goes through a lot of growing pains in being separated from the culture she grew up in and the culture she's thrust into.

Life is pretty stable after the end of the first war - things don't start getting interesting until Tonks grows up and falls in love with a werewolf, so that's why I'm stopping my fic in 1981. However, I may write a postwar thing. IDK. Haven't thought that far in advance.

As for after Ted dies, she's devastated. Andromeda's one true love was Ted. That was her husband, best friend, love of her life, father of her only child...she loved him so much. It's a huge loss.

I don't have many HCs after Ted dies, just because they're so wrapped in what happens after the war. Andromeda, I think, goes into survival mode after the war because of all the death and loss her family has. Teddy, her grandson, is the only light at the end of the tunnel.

*I know popular opinion is him as a Hufflepuff, but I like Ravenclaw for him better. Ask me about it if you like!

tagged by @lucientelrunya to do a “twenty questions for fic writers” tag meme (thank you!!!!)

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

376. about 200 or so of those are pacrim promptfics though, which inflates the number.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

1,234,900. i unfortunately suffer from a chronic inability to shut up, and fanfic is basically my only non-academic hobby.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

as of march 2023, various adaptations and canons falling under the dmbj umbrella.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

strike it through (start again) (922)

do you feel the hunger (does it howl inside?) (616)

a love that echoes through the distance (472)

strokes of love (441)

chart a course for a better tomorrow (390)

(honestly i’m kind of annoyed my ofmd fics are so popular, since i got in at just the right time (a lot of fandom interest but comparatively few fanfics in comparison to demand) to get a decent amount of attention to them, but i don’t really care about the show anymore so seeing it skew my stats miffs me a bit. also, i think my recent works are just far better written because i’ve improved at my craft.)

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

probably 95% of the time, yeah! even if it’s just a “thanks for commenting, glad you liked the fic!” i think it’s important readers know that i’m not just some faceless set of hands posting—i am a real person, as much a part of whatever fandom i’m in as any lurkers.

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

uhhhh well. there’s one i wrote that’s canon-compliant for cql? but i feel like canon-compliant mcd doesn’t count. other than that………i THINK i wrote a “newt dies” fanfic back in ‘19 or ‘20.

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

no idea how to go at this question, honestly. with few exceptions, my writing is all either happy endings, or hopeful endings. i don’t have the emotional bandwidth to leave something an open wound, you know? but “the things in this forest have teeth and claws” was probably the most personally-settling things i’ve written.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

yeah, sometimes. i haven’t had this problem since i migrated to ao3, but it did happen on ffnet. before i stopped crossposting to ffnet some time in ‘20/‘21, i got someone calling me a “fat f*g hag”, so. [shrug] i’m pretty used to just deleting comments and not letting them get to me, though, so it’s not a big deal.

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

as a rule, no; it’s not really my thing. i prefer to explore interpersonal intimacy in other ways. that’s not to say i won’t imply smut, though—it’s something the characters i write about engage with as part of the course of their lives, and i don’t have any interest in ignoring that, either, even if i don’t explicitly write it out.

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

i used to write more crossovers, but now i mainly write fusions (dæmon/hdm fusions and pacrim fusions are some of my favourites). i think probably the wildest fusion i can think of is the tma/iasip fic i wrote one time. i read it the other day, and while it’s a little rough, most of it still holds up, and it’s pretty funny.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not to my knowledge, no. just in case, though, i have a disclaimer in my ao3 bio about any works appearing anywhere besides my ao3 or ffnet (same user) is stolen and i do not authorise it to be there.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

someone asked me years ago (in 2019, i believe) if they could translate one of my pacrim fics into russian. i haven’t heard from them since, though, so effectively the answer here is “no”.

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

a couple times! it’s a bit hard because you have to do a lot of coordinating and planning, and that’s assuming the fanfic doesn’t just wind up languishing in the draft/idea phase forever.

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

this is going to sound silly, but—ozma of oz/dorothy gale. look, i read all the oz books i could get my hands on as a child, and i was always fascinated with their “close friendship” (i wonder why!)

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

i have a wip that was grandfathered in from my friend emma, who wound up leaving fandom (good for her; as she tells it, her mental health improved because of this), that i sometimes stare longingly at with a deeply bittersweet fondness. it’s hannigram, and will probably never be finished because trying to rewatch the show just makes me incalculably angry at brian fuller.

16. What are your writing strengths?

description! i’ve been told i am able to paint the things i write so vividly they almost feel real. i also enjoy descriptive writing, which probably helps.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

plots that aren’t character-driven. i’m a character writer first and foremost, and my projects generally are emotionally-driven, so i don’t have much chance to try and write action-driven plots. which is fine by me, i’m not terribly interested in them. if there’s action in my writing, it’s almost invariably in service to character.

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

depends on how it’s handled. it can either be very good, or very bad.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

to absolutely no one’s surprise, warrior cats. this was back in the days of writing fanfic by hand and hiding it away. my oldest still-published fanfic, though, is a discontinued 2017 warrior cats fanfic that centres a deaf apprentice. it’s a pity i never kept any notes for this fanfic (or, if i did, they at some point got lost), because i think the concept is fascinating.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

self-indulgence is the rule here, so probably “best laid plans”, a very silly concept that accidentally acquired a lot of emotion to it. oops!

tagging…………… @lunarriviera , @butchybats , @fixaidea , and anyone else who sees this and wants to participate!

okay I've been enjoying the goncharov resurgence very much but I just saw something that caused some Thoughts. somebody posted a post-canon Katya/Sofia fic where they run away from it all and basically live happily ever after (very on board so far) but they tagged it with "idk could be canon-compliant, katya lives change my mind" and I. hm. Katya lives, yes, agreed. but the other thing. hold the phone.

SETTING ASIDE for a moment (we will return) the fact that for this fic writer it's probably Not That Deep, let me be pedantic for just a sec.

It always irks me a little bit when people tag something as "canon-compliant" that has no regard for canon's themes, or its aesthetics, or both, or etc. For me, "canon-compliant" is a little more than "doesn't completely change or break the timeline and setting of canon", it has to be (or at least make a visible effort toward being) in the spirit of canon. Disclaimer: this is entirely my problem. but again it got me thinking and I wanted to share.

Anything made about this movie where anyone (other than Sofia, for obvious reasons, but even her) gets out alive and unharmed and can start fresh somewhere safe and far away is not only against the spirit of the film, it is ANTITHETICAL to what I would argue is the main theme: the sensation of being trapped and the impossibility of change and evolution within the constraints of an artificially static sense of self (a mouthful, but it is JWHJ0715 so what else can we expect). the POINT is that they can't escape! that is what is being said about the dangers of being in the Family! you have to be one unchanging person to survive in that world, whether you want to or not! that's WHY Joe dies (and why it's so sad that he does, he was so close!). that's WHY it hits so hard when Katya shoots Goncharov and misses. THAT'S WHY ANDREY AND GONCHAROV ULTIMATELY KILL EACH OTHER HOLY SHIT like you can't ignore it! the tragedy of the thing, the greek myth levels of unalterable fate and destiny, the axis everything turns on, is the fact! that! no! one! gets! out! it can't be canon-compliant if that goes away, I'm sorry!

but sheep, you say, let people have fun. yes. I know. that's why I'm here too. I usually avoid the "canon-compliant" stuff in this fandom precisely because everything is so doomed and dour - as it should be - and when I'm engaging with fic I'm looking for the escape, too. I'm gay and want Katya and Sofia to have their fairytale ending. I just think this writer got a little caught up when they tagged "idk could be canon-compliant". it also made me think more thoughts, namely about this tag not being That Deep. it's really a testament to how masterful JWHJ0715 and Scorcese are as storytellers. one of the marks of a really good tragedy imo is getting the viewer so into the story that they forget it's a tragedy (despite how many times you tell them, ahem Father Gianni as a character, ahem clock symbolism) and begin to imagine a happy ending. when people use this kind of tag it is typically a melancholic wish that canon weren't Like That™ so it could instead be Like This and if you squint and do a bit of interpretive gymnastics it can be read Like This, and everything can be okay. and I just wanted to highlight a) how good this film is for pulling that off and getting that reaction and b) how much I love what people create from that reaction. it's just not in any way ever even a little bit "canon-compliant" lmao.

i want to know more about your ashford island AU/designs

Late response, Im so sorry! I haven't checked tumblr in like, at least a week???

Thank you for the interest! Ashford Island got started from a short fic I wrote with a prompt from one of those prompt blogs, but that specifc fic has now been deleted since I developed the AU so much that the fic was no longer canon compliant.

I have a blog specifically for the AU at @ashfordisland but whats on there is just reblogs from my art blog and what fics are posted on AO3 so far(which you can read if they interest you!). Some info on that blog is also a bit out of date and needs to be updated but I haven't worked on the AU for quite some time. It's not abandoned tho, I just haven't been focused on Servamp lately so I haven't had any interest in doing so for the time being.

Anyway, for a proper explanation, it's called Ashford Island because the Servamps live on an island called Ashford Island. There's also a bit of confusion involving the fact that the town they live in is also called Ashford but there's a city on the island north of them called Sigford. Theres lots of lore around that tho. But the Servamps live there, but theyre all actual half siblings who share a father and instead of being vampires, theyre all undead humans that were turned undead by their father. Theyre stuck living on the edge of town in the same house that Sleepy Ash grew up in and none of them really know why he turned them undead or what his goal for their entire lives has been, so thats one of the major mysteries that keeps popping up.

The storyline is supposed to span over several hundred years starting from the founding of the town on the island, but so far everything Ive written only cover a very recent 20 year time period. Theres still a lot I haven't written basically. But we got Sleepy Ash meeting and falling in love with Mahiru; the origins of Kuro, Ash's cat, and Gil and Ray as half humans created in an experiment by C3; Tsubaki getting used to life with his new siblings and how he starts meeting the rest of the Melancholy gang; and there's also Lawless and Licht meeting, but I need to finish my rewrite of that one. And all of thats not even touching on the mess that is the Aliceins, the C3 war that created the city of Sigford, and the stories that happen independently in Sigford itself.

Theres no real defined protag either, even if it looks like it's Sleepy Ash. It's one of those worlds where every person's story is important and plays some kind of role, even the characters that aren't one of the siblings. Whoever's the focus of a fic is the protag at the time basically. There will however be a final plot point that brings everyone and everything together, but for now thats very far off from happening.

Ur loki fic???? 👀

okay, so, SO, the fic is called In His Thrall, I've only posted one chapter (on 4/20 lol) so far. It's exploring the relationship between Loki and Thanos, starting from outside perspectives of their relationship, and then slowly starting to reveal what's happening behind the scenes. I want to build a lot of tension in this fic which is kinda mean of me to do because I know i'm gonna be inconsistent trash about updating it, like, i already am!

As for the actual plot and not a vague description, the first chapter starts off with Thanos and his forces attacking Asgard during the beginning of Thor: The Dark World when Thor is off-world, and rescuing Loki (and, more importantly, getting the tesseract.) The narrative is non-linear so the plot is going to cover the somewhat canon-compliant events leading up to chapter 1, and the things that follow the first chapter where the plot diverges from canon.

Here is my document for planning each the chapters of this story with quick little descriptions of the events. Keep in mind that I only have about two thirds of what I've got planned in my head actually written in this document and that the shortest chapter description is 15 words, the longest description is 519 words, and the average is about 220 words.

i have 33 chapter descriptions written of the plot in linear event order. It's gonna be so many more chapters than that once i actually finish the whole plot, and then i'll have to rearrange all of these descriptions into the most sensible order which will definitely result in me writing more chapters to make the plot make sense.

My intention with the story is to write a more nuanced take on why Loki worked with Thanos than "it was the scepter's mind control!" or "he was mind-broken from hardcore torture/telepathy!" which seem to be the popular go-tos in fic. Also I wanted the Avengers to find out in some way other than Loki telling them (also very common in fics) because i don't think Loki would willingly (some fics have been smart enough to make it unwillingly) tell them in the first place, and if he did tell them, I think the Avengers would be convinced he was lying once it became clear Loki's version of events painted him as a victim (some fic writers have been smart enough to make it so Loki could not lie.)-

(And you know what? I read a fic where Loki was forced to tell the true version of events and the Avengers knew he wasn't lying, and it was so incredibly boring. It was just a conversation in a room with a lot of interjections and musings on what Loki's story implied. It was like 12 Angry Men except, frankly, they were not angry enough to make it interesting.)

-So i'm trying to write the reveal as both a reveal to the readers and to the avengers, like a little mystery plot where you (hopefully) figure it out just as some of the characters do. There are some characters who know what's going on, some who suspect what's going on, and all of them are reluctant to share what's going on for a multitude of reasons.

This fic is also gonna be a big vehicle for my many thoughts on Thanos and how much i fucking hate him and how i fucking hate that people (and by people i mean redditors so do i really mean people?) ignore the things that actually make him an interesting villain and instead focus on the ecofascism that they're too naive to realize is ecofascism and parrot the views of uncritically. Thanos is completely full of fucking shit when he touts his ideology and I'm here to put that shit on blast. The man is a manipulator and basically a cult-leader which provides so many more interesting elements to work with than what canon went with.

Also thinking about this fic is what freaking cursed me into shipping Loki and Matt Murdock. I was considering where the plot was going and I realized that not only could I get Loki in Hell's Kitchen around the time of Daredevil season 1, but that it made a lot of sense for the plot to go there. And then I realized that Loki is a known liar and Matt Murdock can always tell when someone is lying and Whoops! I have a new OTP of characters that have never interacted in canon to get utterly obsessed about! Again! I'm not making Loki/Daredevil the endgame of this fic though, maybe I'll make some hints at it, though.

Here are some fun details i have planned, want to share, and think aren't going to spoil the major plot:

-Loki sees Foggy Nelson (who has hair similar to Thor's in the first Thor movie) pat Matt Murdock's shoulder and it makes him cry.

-Peter Quill lowkey freaking out over having to return to Earth and getting in a hushed argument with Gamora about him being to one to introduce the Guardians to the Avengers, while the Avengers are literally waiting outside of their ship, hearing their hushed conversation in a language they can't understand, and can only see Gamora having because Peter is hiding against the wall next to the doorway.

-Steve Rogers having an obvious crush on Sam Wilson, or at least obvious to anyone that isn't straight, so literally only two people catch on (one of them being Sam) even though Steve is so fucking unsubtle about it (which he does not mean to be, he thinks he's hiding it really well, 'Sam definitely doesn't know.' is what Steve really fucking thinks.) I initially wrote this in as a fun little tidbit i could use in one chapter to further the plot, but now it's like a five chapter subplot that is also just a tool to further the plot plot.

-A special guest appearance from Jessica Jones, P.I.!

-My take on Thor finding out Loki is a Frost Giant bc im big Mad Thor has never specifically addressed Loki's heritage in the mcu other than reiterating that he and Loki were raised together. There is literally zero indication in MCU canon that Thor even knew that Loki was a Frost Giant until the play scene in Ragnarok. We can maybe guess he knew before then because he didn't freak the fuck out at the reveal, but really we do not know for sure and that fucking kills me. I wanted to see Thor learn that news and we never did! So I'm writing it into the fic.

-Every chapter is going to be titled with a mcu quote said by or about Loki. I had a bunch of articles of Loki quotes open in an incognito for this to copy to a document later, but then my computer had to restart and i lost all those webpages.

-A proper Foggy Nelson "this is a terrible idea, Matt, why are we doing this, Matt?" freak-out.

All that being said, I have zero comments on this fic, just a bookmark where someone wrote into the notes "dam 😞👆"

Hey, there! For the ask game: 😎, 🎬, 📗, 🌻, 🎁?

PS, I've been a fan of your works since forever <3

Ugh I was mid-writing this and tumblr ate it :( I want to say "thank you so much!" and also ask how long forever is, because I'm definitely in the fandom-old category these days with my 20 year fanfic anniversary coming next year :B But seriously, whether it's 10 days or 10 years, it is super appreciated <3

Now let's try this again. From this post:

🌻 How often do you read your own fics? Pretty often! If I'm in the middle of fanfic-reading nights (which come on-and-off throughout the year) and I don't see anything new interesting, or don't feel like reading an old favorite, I'll go to one of mine that scratches the itch I want itched. I definitely write what I want to read, for the most part. There's only a couple fics that are exceptions for exchanges as experiments and pushing my own boundaries.

📗 Do you want to write something outside of fanfiction? If so, what about? I may be in the minority of writers that have been writing for several years (at least I think I am), but the answer is actually no. Lord knows my dad has asked me several times over the years why I don't, and the answer simply is that I enjoy playing in other worlds that happen to be currently under copyright. I enjoy expanding on worlds that already exist rather than creating one fully from scratch.

I mean if I really enjoyed Wizard of Oz or the original Sherlock Holmes it might be different, but dealing with the publishing world is also a serious pain in the ass and I'd rather just keep writing as a fun hobby as opposed to something I depend on income for. My creative side definitely burns out, so I find having my creative stuff such as art and writing as hobbies rather than job-dependent good for my artistic health in the long run. Any aspiring writers/artists here should keep that in consideration as they go into school and then the job world; it's not always a bad thing to keep your passion as a hobby. Depends on your personality!

(I definitely prefer the stability of my current job!)

🎬 If a movie or show were based on your fic, which fic would you choose and who would you fancast? Oh this is a cool question. Uhhhh. Yeah, the Earth-197320 series, which is basically one long fic split into sections as I find time in my life to write it (the final part has like over 40k written or something like that, so it's coming along!) Everyone in the MCU is still cast as they were. I don't have too many OCs in the fic and I'm terrible at fancasting - for OCs in the past I usually start Googling lists of actors and actresses of the right heritage and/or age range and go from there.

There are a couple though, most of which are seen the most in the still-unpublished last part, but they all make at least one appearance earlier in the series. So I'd need an eastern Asian woman around 40-60, a Hispanic or Hispanic-passing man from 35-50 (Latinx appearances vary quite a bit!), and a black woman probably 30-50. But I don't know actors/actresses well enough without really doing deep dives into these profiles, which I've only done for one fic that basically co-starred the OCs xD

😎 What fics do you prefer on a scale of canon compliant to wildly original? Varies for each fandom. For the ones I read most in:

LOTR: Canon compliant/canon gap-fillers. There's a lot of years to fill in. The occasional canon divergence works for the really, really, really good authors. Minor canon divergences like "dead Gilraen early on" for Aragorn is fine. The one exception to this rule is modern AUs where the characters slowly relearn their past selves or have to act like, the heroes their past selves are. I wonder if those fics are still around... it popped up here and there in the mid-late 2000s. If they are, I should download them from ff.net before the site is wiped off the face of the earth.

BBC Sherlock: Really went with "anything goes" in this fandom. I found myself enjoying wild AUs the most than any other fandom here. That said, the top of the top list still tend to be canon gap-fillers or canon divergences, even though the AUs were quite a lot of fun.

MCU: Canon-compliant or canon divergence (especially after Endgame haha). I do not tend to prefer huge world AUs (like no superpowers) or fusions (like they're students at Hogwarts). I find that a fic can still be wildly original while still being canon compliant/canon divergence. A great example of this is Signature Move, my favorite MCU fic. It's canon until after Endgame then goes into a fully original story that turns canon divergent, but still feels more original than most "high school" or "high fantasy" fics. If I cannot recognize the character anymore from his core personality, I grow less interested in the character. I can go on this topic for *ages* though, aha.

🎁 Have a piece of a WIP you want to share? Here's another one. I literally wrote this snippet in the wee hours to scratch an itch that like, there's no other fics that exist out there to scratch it. It's another one of those "this probably won't ever get completed/published properly" fics.

Also, the snippet's called "yet another kidnapping" because I've written this trope a stupid amount of times. It's not my fault it's such a fun way to make characters meet.

----

When Tony woke up again, there was another man in his cell.

Under the single dismal light bulb he couldn't make out much of his features. He sat in the corner, slouched, a head of dark, tangled hair shot with strands of grey obscuring his facial features. His clothing was dirty and, in a word, weird. It looked like he was wearing some sort of long Ye Olde Tunic that went to his thighs. All blue, too. One leg lay out in front of him while his head and arm rested on the knee of the other. Interestingly, there were metal bands on his wrist, slightly lit by a small green light on each of them. He wondered what those were for.

The man didn't acknowledge him as he pulled himself into a sitting position. Maybe he didn't hear him and realize he was awake. "Hey."

The man didn't lift his head. "Don't talk to me."

What the hell. Of all things he was expecting his cell buddy to say. "Well, that's rude."

The man didn't reply and, fine, if he wanted to play that game Tony was happy to oblige. He didn't need this asshole to figure a way out of there.

…..scene break cuz i didn't write the filler...

When he looked back at the man, disbelief was written all over his features. "You're real?" he whispered. 

Tony snorted in disbelief. "Seriously? Of course I'm real."

The man pulled himself to his feet, slow and unsteadily, and walked closer. As he came into the light, Tony could see that his pupils were blown wide. 

"Jesus, what're they giving you?" he asked.

"I don't know," he said. He swayed, then lowered himself to the ground again, now just a few feet from him. "I keep seeing things. I thought—I  thought you were just another hallucination."

"Nope. Tony Stark in the flesh," he said. In the light, he could see the cuffs even better—and the man's hands, which were heavily scarred and slightly shaking. They were older wounds, though, that was clear. "What's your name?"

"Stephen. Stephen Strange."

What a name. But he wasn't a completely heartless bastard and he wasn't going to mock his drugged out cellmate, who was looking at the wall as if there was something worth looking at there. "What're you in for?"

Stephen blinked and tore his gaze from the wall. "What?"

Drugged out of his mind, right. "What do they want with you?"

"Ah. My ah, my powers."

An enhanced human; he figured it was something along those lines with those cuffs. "And what are those?"

Stephen muttered, "Go away," swatting at something only he could see, then said, "Magic."

Tony waited for his answer for another three seconds before realizing that *was* the answer. "Magic? Like 'You're a wizard, Harry' magic?"

"Sorcerer," he said as he swatted the air again.

Was there a difference? He didn't think he'd get a clear answer currently. "Right," he said instead. "And what exactly does that entail?"

"Uh, lots of things."

He waited. Nothing. "...like?"

-----

And that is all that may ever exist of that. For whatever reason, I really, really enjoy Stephen Strange meeting various Avengers AUs. Especially if it's mid fight or in less-than-perfect circumstances for one side. I tend to make that side Stephen because I'm biased and I find the idea of this super powerful guy appearing harmless at first until a Big Reveal absolutely hilarious. I will read seemingly-harmless-until-provoked Stephen + anyone until the end of time. Sadly it's not a genre heavily explored.

ooooh uh in the lively city or the taakitz library prompt (with like, the magic performance) OR a very important announcement (aka where you made me bawl like a little baby dbsbdjfjf /lh) !

ALL THREE!!!! ALL THREE!!!! ALL THREE!!!! :D

In the Lively City I think is one of my favorite semi early fics lol It was my first time writing Lup and Barry pining for each other, and as I was writing it, I was just going hehehe >:3 the whole time because I knew it was going to be a painfully read at the end of it lol It also pained me to write the ending of it, but sacrifices ya know? 🤷🏽‍♂️ lol

Also, when I got the prompt, it was right after I reblogged a different prompt list, but the person who sent it in had just liked Drinking Your Feelings on here, and they didn't specify what prompt list they got the prompt they wanted from, so I was originally going to write something else that still had to deal with Lup and Barry pining for each other, but that time, I think it was going to be a conversation between Barry and Taako?? I don't really remember what it was going to be because I never ended up writing it, and I deleted the notes I made for it after I wrote Into the Lively City because I didn't really feel like writing that story anymore. I know though that it was also either going to reference Taako getting on Barry's ass to make a move or it was going to be a conversation between the two of them where Taako gets on him to make a move lol Anyway, after I wrote the notes for that down, I realized that because the person had just read the other fic, they probably wanted the prompt from that list, so I DMed them to ask, and that's why this fic exists and not the other one lol

And Performing Distractions my beloved <3

This was the first AU I ever wrote, I think ever actually in all of the fanfiction I've ever written both in this fandom and for other things. Usually most of the stuff I write is canon compliant, and pretty much everything I wrote outside of this fandom takes place after the story. The reason why a good chunk of my writing for this fandom takes place in technically the middle of the story is because there's gaps of time between arcs that could be filled in, and the Stolen Century is basically a big 100 year void of stuff that can be filled in with literally anything lol Also, the stuff I wrote before this fandom were all multi chapter fics, so it's easier to write something in the middle of the story when it's only a scene or two lol

Anyway, it was a little weird at first branching out like that in my own writing, but I couldn't think of any way to make the prompt work while it still being canon compliant, so it took a bit to come up with the idea for it. Then when I decided that I wanted Kravitz and Taako and co. to have a showdown, I looked up violin music on YouTube, so that I could be able to describe the music Kravitz would be performing, and that's when I came across Lindsey Stirling's channel (I had no idea who she was or that she was a famous violinist), and her song Roundtable Rival which is one of the most kickass songs I've ever heard, so I decided to use that as Kravitz's song, and then afterward I binged listened to her music. Her music is great, but I still like Roundtable Rival the best lol

Also, I got so excited with writing everyone's performances that I felt really nervous before posting it that I didn't add any attraction in the beginning of the fic, and I had no idea how to go back and shoehorn it in, so I just added "beautiful" as a modifier to "male elf" when first introducing Taako to the story, and then I kinda crossed my fingers and hit post lol

And last but not least!! A Surprise Announcement my absolute BELOVED <3

Ise sent this one in and only put Magnus as the requested character, but I absolutely knew it was going to be a magnulia fic lol And it took a bit to figure out what I wanted it to be about, but then I realized I could write the fluffiest thing and still hurt everyone's feelings! My very favorite thing to do! >:3 lol /hj

I don't know if anyone noticed because not many people read Is It Worth It?, but I did add the characters either mentioned or were a part of that story as people Magnus brought up when he talks about who around Raven's Roost would be able to help them raise their child and added a couple more people I think. I also mentioned those same people in Was It Worth It? which was more of a direct-ish sequel to Is It Worth It? (Hence the naming sequence lol), but that's all to say because they're all connected and basically my head canonned OCs of people who lived in Raven's Roost. Everything canon compliant, as usual, which makes me so >:)

(Also, bonus since I brought it up, I originally had a debate on whether or not I wanted to end Is It Worth It? with a scene where Magnus finds Xalver and Loriza dead and has Xalver's words echo back to him, basically what happens at the end of Was It Worth It?, as a direct juxtaposition to Magnus convincing Xalver to help with the revolution but decided against it because I thought it would diminish the message and hope of the story. It bugged me on and off though for a long time until I made it to last year's taz November celebration prompt the semi-sequal is based off of, and I knew it was the right time to tell that story, and it was going to have a greater impact because A. I wasn't starting directly at the scene where Magnus is standing over the bodies, and B. I didn't spend the entire fic building up the fight for hope just to tear it down again. I was already starting from a place of hope and happiness, and the loss of it was its own message)

Thanks for sending this in!! :D If you would like to send in a fic that you associate with my username in exchange for a secret about it, feel free to send in an ask!

I want to know what “WHAT ARE YOU DOING. STOP. STOP WRITING.” is tbh 👀

Just saying, this sounds like it's something spicy or exciting or whatever but it's not. It's something with so little appeal to anyone that isn't me, that I should stop writing it. Hence the title. I'll still write it for myself, but I'll probably never post it.

Okay so the basic gist of this story is it's a sequel to both Raison d'Etre and Semi-Automatic Lonely Boy. But even though it takes place shortly after the former fic, it's more a sequel to the latter? I'll explain why.

The plan is for there to be an A-Plot and a B-Plot that develop side-by-side:

A-Plot: Takes place on the Train. Mostly catching up with Amelia, Hazel, and the Cat after the events outlined in the flashbacks in Raison d'Etre. Hazel is now ten-years-old, Amelia both wants to be an overprotective parent to her, but is too busy to be overprotective. Hazel meets a passenger (an OC), and they become friends, and Amelia will be a bit chagrined at that because she did NOT want that to happen. Ever. The Cat is also there because shenanigans. Technically this is 90% canon-compliant, despite this being set in an AU. I'd imagine that if it was only the A-Plot, a reader going in blind wouldn't even know it's an AU until much later on when some info is revealed. Then that info being revealed isn't dramatic tension anymore but a twist.

B-Plot: Takes place on Earth. Simon's younger cousin goes missing (yes the same OC that Hazel will befriend). His entire family has to deal with the fallout of that. Honestly, I'm less interested in Simon's Man Pain than how his aunt, his mother, and his remaining non-missing cousin will react to that. I mean, what do the families experience when their loved ones get whisked away to the Train? Also I guess Simon will have to tell his family about whatever the fuck happened to him in the years when he went missing (and all the horrible shit he did) because he still hasn't worked up the courage to do so. Can't blame him, personally I wouldn't want to tell my family if me and my crush had founded a Bible-Camp-Youth-Group-but-Actually-A-Murder-Cult-In-Disguise centered around taking away the personhood of sentient non-humans.

So yeah that's the deal with WHAT ARE YOU DOING. STOP. STOP WRITING. It's garbage and nobody should read it.

What are some things you do to edit your fics/nail down your characterization?

i usually do my editing myself since i'm too shy to approach a beta reader! i think the hardest part of that is that, as a writer i'm always so proud when i come up with a good scene or paragraph that in my desperation to include it somewhere, i might end up putting it in a fic where it doesn't really...belong. i'm trying to be more discerning about that!

when it comes to characterization, i'm guessing you're mostly talking about knb because that's the only fandom i post fics for on my main blog and honestly, i've watched the anime like four times so i kind of know the story like the back of my hand by now 😂 it's just a matter of selecting what parts of the character interest me and what dynamics/relationships i enjoy, really. the thing about canon-compliant fanfic (at least for me) is that you're building on material that's already there, unlike in an AU where you have some liberty to make stuff up a little, so i try to find the balance between what we know and what hasn't happened but could happen based on what we know.

the great thing about visual mediums is that you can see characters' expressions and body language, what ticks them off, what makes them shy, etc. for instance, in the manga/anime, aomine loves to avert his gaze when he's either a) lying or b) avoiding sincere emotion, so that's something i incorporate into my fics too, if that makes sense! since we try to picture things and imagine things when we read, it helps me to focus on some of their mannerisms, speech style/patterns, etc. the fun thing about anime and manga is that the characters are almost always japanese, so there's a distinction in speech style where some characters are more formal than others and have a stiffer/more formal way of speaking, and the joy of writing in english is trying to capture that speaking style on text because speech quirks are such a big part of characterization, after all!

also, in knb, most of the characters play a sport, and sports culture tends to be very esoteric. they have rituals, they have rules and conventions, and it's important for me to try and capture the "world" they live in and what it means to live in that world. naturally, since i already have canon to help me, i don't need to do a lot of external research, but sometimes i do!

generally speaking, i try to set out with a goal in mind: who is this person? what do they want? what are they struggling with (since all my favorite characters are Strugglers), who is a support system for them? how do they achieve their goal? how do they feel about xyz [love, life, gender, work, friendship, family, whatever applies to the situation of the fic]. it's important for characters to Have Opinions, even if they might not be my own because a person's opinions say a lot about them! the interesting thing about characterization is that, on one hand it's something that's sooo subjective. the way i see a character is different from the way someone else does, which is why it fluctuates so much in fanfiction. it's inevitable and sometimes endearing. HOWEVER, i do think there are some things that are just...baseline and when you change those, you're basically writing an OC. i try really hard to establish that baseline and ask myself what makes Character X...Character X. the things that are absolutely integral to the character, like worldviews, opinions, personal history, cultural context etc.

at the end of the day, i try to meet characters in the middle and not change them to make them more stomach-able. if they're assholes in canon, they are going to be assholes in my fanfic, it's just a matter of picking apart their inner thought processes, their ways of viewing the world (however messed up they are). characters aren't interesting if you're changing everything about them to make them palatable, which is why i never write characters i hate! fix-its are HARD if you're writing good ones that actually care about what you're trying to fix!

i know it's kind of controversial in fandom circles to say this, but i do think canon often has a lot of interesting things to say, which is why i consciously try to work with canon and around canon, rather than discarding it as a whole. no work is perfect, and i find it more meaningful to engage with a series and what it has to say + what i think about it. the interesting thing about fanfic is that it exists in this little venn diagram between a series and how a fan engages with that series, and the interesting ones (to me) have always been the ones that have something fresh and original to say while engaging with the same underlying story. aomine's character arc but under the lens of mental health. kuroko's character arc, but as a trans allegory. kuroko's basketball, but from satsuki or riko's point of view. something that takes whatever we already know and tries to study it from a personal standpoint while still staying true to the broad strokes of the character!