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TELL ME ABOUT ONE OF UR STORIES PLS

OK so like im assuming this is for one of my fics right bc my dumbass cant remember the deets of that post i reblogged

but like I'm assuming most of us here know my Aemond x reader series fic, The Ledan? I already know at least one person I'm gonna kill in that one. Like much later on though, bc I know I already killed someone "off screen," so to speak.

I'm also finding myself doing a shocking amount of original character stuff? Like they're from canon houses, and I've researched their positions in the Dance etc etc, but there are enough unnamed individuals that I can kinda make up whatever I like. Lady [redacted] for example is one to watch out for. I'm just not entirely sure how her motivations are going to play out, because while I know what they are, I don't know how far she's willing to take it. But I do know it's going to kinda fuck with Ledan Dail.

Which also like, I'm still on the fence with whether or not I want to go back and edit what I have to make it an original character series instead of a reader series. It's one thing to do a gender neutral reader, but I think that maybe a series about an explicitly nonbinary reader from Essos and specializing in spirituality miiiight be a little niche for this fandom and in my head they are their own Solid Person that I just so happening to be writing about in second person.

OOH speaking of The Ledan and spirituality, in the fic there's mention of "Others," which are referring not to the ones referred to in GoT but their own thing unique to the culture of Irrasser. They're more akin to Old Gods, or even fae. As Irrasser is a culture of ancestor veneration, they tend to focus more of their praise and attention and energy on their ancestors than on deities and spirits. The 'Others" is a broad catchall for entities that are not ancestors, but one I'm not sure if there will be opportunity to explore. Depends if it comes up organically or not. I assume at some point Aemond and Ledan Dail will have a lovely little heart to heart about beliefs though, so maybe then!

Psst. New chapter for The Ledan is up on Ao3

Total word count for the ledan with where I left off at in this WIP chap is 31,105 btw 🫠 that qualifies as a novella and theyve only had like three conversations in the whole story

hello mage!! i just binge read all the chapters of The Ledan up on ao3 and i genuinely think i've found my favourite aemond fic yet!! i was so upset when chapter 5 ended and there was no next chapter button truly i want more!! the pacing, the characterizations, the dialogue, the LORE omg and how detailed your writing is!! – its all so good!! you are such a talented writer <333

i can't wait to see what else you have planned!!

This is so nice TT

I've been losing motivation with The Ledan tbh, (mostly bc it doesn't get the same kinda love as my other pieces) so I've just been letting it splosh around in my brain and haven't made much progress on the next part on paper... Ive got some ideas, for the first plot arc at least!

I'm so happy to hear you like the lore and dialogue and especially the characterizations! I always worry I'm not getting them close enough in my fics w plot

I'll do my best to pick back up working on the fic again soon

(This is me being grateful for this ask and that someone likes The Ledan)

i've just caught up on the newest chapter of the ledan and i must say im so pumped to see where you'll take the plot next!! reading about a character from an original location, one with completely different customs to westerosi ones and seeing how they deal with the change in a land far away from home has been a lot of fun. the other characters' varying reactions (lord lannister feeling threatened, the noble ladies' fascination, aemond and cregan's curiosity and respect etc) when faced with someone who doesn't fit into what they consider to be the norm but what is just that for the main character were super entertaining as well and gave an opportunity to delve deeper into the characters in a context not really often discussed in the asoiaf setting. also i can't help but feel like i should be keeping an eye on aegon and lady corbray, they're scheming something hdhdh. im still rooting for aemond x oc but cregan is currently being such a charming and courteous guy (the moment before the white hart inn left me quite literally swooning) that im afraid my heart might become conflicted further down the line. can't wait for the next one 💌

ANOOON I love you for this ask!!!

I'm so so pleased someone is enjoying The Ledan and is enjoying reading about the same parts I'm enjoying writing about!! Especially in regards to having them be from a foreign place and the culture clash potential of Irrasser and Westeros (which I hope to explore more!)

A lot of characters' responses to Ledan Dail are based on my own experiences as someone who is openly transgender in a progressive area. (For anyone new here that hasn't read my about page, I'm nonbinary as fuck) People have an interesting range of reactions, and even when not motivated by more blatant transphobia and hate (which I have miraculously avoided being directed at me in my near five years of being out/transitioning), they're still not always good.

I won't say anything about Aegon or Lady Corbray here bc I wanna let those subplots play out on their own 😉😌

But I will talk about Cregan! He is SO fun to write. I wanted to give Ledan Dail someone else who was functionally an outsider to bond with and since their mother spent her emissary with the Starks, he got to hear all about Irrasser secondhand from his father when he was very young before Rickon died and all the shit happened with his uncle Bennard (I'm trying to keep his backstory as canon as possible). Lady Dail also gifted the Starks at Winterfell with books, including a copy of her own studies she did during her emissary (I haven't talked too much about the details of the Irrasser ruler emissary and its purpose and what they DO, but I can go more in depth about that in a separate post if enough folks are curious) as well as a smaller volume detailing her home as a gift of friendship to Rickon. So in my story Cregan has for sure read that and is familiar with the concept of a ledan, making him the ideal ally to welcome our Ledan Dail to King's Landing

Plus he's just such a gentleman it's wonderful 🥰 their dynamic practically writes itself!

Thank you so much for this ask!! You have no idea how validating this was as a writer and was so lovely to wake up to 💞

F, I, & O for the ask game! 😘

F: Share a snippet from one of your favourite dialogue scenes you've written and explain why you're proud of it.

Honestly it might be any of the conversations between Cregan and Ledan Dail in my fic The Ledan. They're just so fun to write talking together and have such easy chemistry, since they both feel like outsiders in King's Landing (because they are)

Here's a snippet from their first meeting!

“My Ledan Dail, may I introduce Lord Cregan Stark,” Lady Corbray finally offers.

“Lord Stark,” you smile in recognition and bow. “My mother speaks fondly of your House and home in Winterfell.”

His stoic exterior cracks slightly, the corner of his mouth turning up. “Does she indeed? My father spoke of her kindly as well. Not many foreigners are so fascinated by, and at home in the North.”

“Well,” your smile grows, cheeky. “She does not look back fondly on the cold, even if she claims it was quite beautiful there. I’ve read her accounts of Winterfell, and the days she was permitted to see the Wall. It must truly be impressive.”

“Indeed,” and his eyes crinkle, sparkling in the light of the hall. “I am happy to hear it made such a positive impression, and I’m sure my father would have been as well.” He pauses. “You know, I hear that a Ledan is required to know the steps of both sides of a dance.”

“Is that so?” A surprised Lady Waxley interrupts. “That must be an awful lot of steps to memorize.”

You nod at Cregan Stark, and turn your attention to Lady Waxley. “It's true,” you smile. “It makes for quite a number of dance lessons.”

Lady Corbray laughs. “I can imagine! We simply must see if you dance as well in the steps of a Lady as in the steps of a Lord,” her eyes twinkle, as do the eager eyes of Lady Waxley.

“I agree,” Cregan nods, offering his arm. “Ledan Dail, allow me to be the first Lord tonight to have the honor.”

I: Do you have a guilty pleasure in fic (reading or writing)?

Oh god lol. I sure do as a reader, but I'm not sure I want to say! As a writer, not really? At least not that I can think of!

O: How do you begin a story—with the plot, or the characters?

Characters, I think? I don't always have a solid plot in mind (and I think it shows sometimes, oops), but I like to let the characters lead. I usually have a ~vibe~ in mind, and some conflicts for the characters. I think Incredible Beast might be the only in progress fic I have where I already know how it's going to end, plot-wise

I love your blog and your writing! You write gn!reader so well. Do you find that you have to remove gendered descriptors when proofing/editing or do you avoid them pretty well in your rough drafts? Thank you for sharing your talent with us!

Thank you so much!!

This is a very good question--I actually avoid gendered descriptors entirely in my drafts. For me, at least, this is very easy and natural as I'm nonbinary and almost entirely use/prefer neutral language in my day-to-day for myself and for other nonbinary people in my life (coworkers, friends, etc).

Sometimes I do have to pause and consider how to write around something (as is the case for my 18+ fics), because I'm inclined to use de-gendered language for my own anatomy that I've adopted in my own... intimate endeavors (wink), but I want it to feel as close to inclusive as possible for all possible readers. When I'm hesitating, I actually recall one of the playthrough options of The Wayhaven Chronicles, bc Misha does a fairly excellent job of a short and sweet sex scene with the love interest M and a nonbinary detective while avoiding any anatomical detail.

The key, I feel, is focusing on sensations and emotions overall, rather than certain details. The reader will often fill in those details without realizing it.

Its relatively easy to do this all in a drabble or one-shot, but it becomes more difficult in a setting with such a gendered and gender-role heavy society like Westeros when writing anything longer. Which is why the protagonist for The Ledan has a bit more specificities to their gender beyond just being "gender neutral."

WIP game

Rules: post the names of all the files in your wip folder regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it.

(These range from HotD, TLK, DW, MCU, and my DnD character. I actually didn't realize how many wips I had, lol)

1. YTIp2

2. Grisial

3. Ledan p7

4. Sȳres Taobus

5. You are lucky, you think

6. Campsite Snippet

7. Projector Five

8. Bucky fic whatevers

I'm tagging all my writer mutuals. None of you are free.

Achievement unlocked! I hit post limit again!

So I'm gonna start running this blog partially on a queue-- both to avoid this happening again (bc holy shit twice in three days? I think i have a problem) and also to avoid flooding the dashboard like i'm sure i have been lmao

It'll probably be a minute before my next fic post, just bc my weekend is ending, im on day 3 of a lowgrade migraine (perhaps day 4 if its still kicking when this is scheduled to post) and I want to play with The Ledan and see if it functions better with an original character in place of a reader (let me know your thoughts, bc im stuck)

However! If y'all wanna send me prompts for reader insert drabbles please feel free to browse my prompts tag, I would be delighted to have the practice when I can get to it 💚