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queerdisagreeable · 22 days

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20 Questions for Writers

eeee thanks for the tag @fuckyeahfang!! <3 i'm gonna tag @maraschinomerry if u wanna (no pressure tho!)

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 31! Dang I've been writing fic for a second and a half huh (Note: one of these fics is not mine lol -- I posted it for a friend without AO3)

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 77,138 -- waough

3. What fandoms do you write for? Whatever's rotting my brain most at the moment -- I had a long streak of Critical Role, which went into TMA, and I have a feeling Dunmeshi might get a few fics by the time it's done with me; also original stuff but I don't post that

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

My Lightbringer - 4,891 Hits, Critical Role

[incoming communication] - 3,018 Hits, Lifeline

little blue pills - 2,919 Hits, The Magnus Archives

The Hands-On Approach To Teaching Dunamantic Spells: A Guide by Essek Thelyss (Results may vary) - 2,271 Hits, Critical Role

Shitty Hair - 1,190 Hits, My Hero Academia

5. Do you respond to comments? I try, I really do, but sometimes I'll see one and be like "I'll reply to that later!" and then I don't and then it's been 2 years and I feel bad for replying so late that I just don't 😭 But I do read and appreciate them all I prommy

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? this would require me to finish fics EVER lmao... but seriously probably (Don't) Look Away. Do NOT read this if you haven't played Outer Wilds, but DO go and play Outer Wilds, and THEN read this.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Probably [incoming communication]? It's definitely the ending I'm most proud of -- it's very self indulgent, but I'm fond of it :"

8. Do you get hate on fics? nah people tend to be chill

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Sometimes, but not often, and I post it even less often. I prefer reading it to writing it, but I do like tossing around ideas I'll never write about the characters' weird and intriguing kinks lmao

10. Do you write crossovers? I don't tend to, unless they're incredibly funny to me. Reading-wise, crossovers just annoy me because there's 2x the chances for mischaracterisation/misunderstanding of the setting(s), but sometimes a really good one can scratch my brain.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? not to my knowledge!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Not into another language, but I have had a podfic made of Cabin Fever -- which was great since it was a scriptfic anyway! It's really well made, go give it a listen!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Quite a few! Not in a while, but it's fun to work with someone whose brain ticks in synch with mine about a character or ship. I actually started dating my current partner in part because we were talking about a fic we wanted to write together! We'll get to it one day, and get sooo much hate about it it's quite fucked up LMAO

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? MAN. YOU CAN'T ASK ME THIS. it's like picking children. uhhh Shadowgast (Critical Role) is up there for All Timers but they are def not the only one. Probably the one I've thought most about, but now I'm thinking about Blupjeans (TAZ)... JMart.... augh. i love when people love each other despite the very terrible consequences

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? little blue pills! It's a fun concept -- I love fucking with the very rubbish trope of soulmate AUs and making them Weird and Queer, but I am not great at finishing projects and I have also cooled slightly on TMA since I started it.

16. What are your writing strengths? big emotions! being purple prose but like good about it! Weird People.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? finishing things, plotting, writing convincing dialogue -- yknow, just little things (🥲)

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? It can be done well, but it needs to be considered deeply. Also, used sparingly. I like throwing in terms of endearment in other languages, but when it's whole conversations, it's not fun to be checking google translate/the AN every five seconds.

19. First fandom you wrote for? the first one that's still up? Layton Brothers! the first ever? harry potter 😔

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? i hate favourite questions i hate favourite questions uHHHHHH You Were My Conscience. fucked up monster lovers trying to moralise their way out of being responsible for a man's mental breakdown <3

thanks again for the tag sunny i love u mwah

#senseless ramblings #tag game #writing

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sky-scribbles · 3 years

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Fanfic ask game for procrastinating on writing (very accurate, since I should really be working on either the Aeor Fic or my dissertation right now). Tagged by @essektheylyss and @saturdaysky - tysm, this is very fun! <3

1) How many works do you have on AO3?

28! I only really started posting regularly on AO3 after I got into writing for CR, so there’s a modest amount there right now.

2) What’s your total AO3 word count?

~126000; probably going to be a lot more by the time the Aeor Fic is finished!.

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

Only three on AO3 - Critrole, obviously, plus some from my Star Wars: The Old Republic days and a single lonely Dragon Age fic. I’ve written for some other fandoms in the past (Elder Scrolls, mainly).

4) What are your top five fics by kudos?

Show me where my skin begins: Shadowgast; a study of Essek’s touch starvation and the important of touch between him and Caleb as their relationship develops.

My reasons for defying reason: Oneshot looking at Essek’s friendships with each of the Nein in turn, and the Nein’s different love languages.

I shine only with the light you gave me: The wizards slow dance at a fancy Dynasty ball, and Essek negotiates Den dynamics.

I’ll use you as a focal point: Essek summons a familiar, and as he adjusts to life with her, she helps him speedrun his character arc.

How to struggle gracefully: The Mighty Nein and Essek have dinner with Deirta Thelyss, as told through Veth’s perspective. Feat. Veth unpacking some of her own issues and her relationship with Essek

5) Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Not as much as I’d like to anymore; my current health issues mean I have trouble writing at all, let alone replying to comments... but when I’m functioning better, I do try to reply to as many as I can! I absolutely love seeing people’s insights and hearing their thoughts; you guys make every second of writer’s block worth it! <3

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

Hmm, I really don’t know! I’m generally an angst with a happy ending person, so I tend to round things off hopefully. I’d say that The scars that silence carved on me maybe qualifies, because from Essek’s perspective, it ends somewhat ambiguously - but the reader obviously knows that he’s about to get tackle-hugged by a little blue tiefling the moment after the fic ends.

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

Not really. My Inquisitor!Essek AU is about the closest I’ve got, but I’m not sure I’d ever write anything or it.

8) Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not since I was about fourteen, thankfully! I’ve had the odd ‘I hate [x character/fandom] but I love this story’ comment here and there.

9) Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Not really. I’ve occasionally strayed into very vaguely nsfw stuff, but I don’t think I’d enjoy writing real smut, nor do I have any confidence that I’d do so halfway decently!

10) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

11) Have you ever had a fic translated?

I did once, many years ago back when I was writing Elder Scrolls stuff.

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

No, but I’m definitely not opposed to the idea!

13) What’s your all time favourite ship?

My fic history says Shadowgast, for sure, and I can see them being a love of mine for a very long time.

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

Nothing that’s posted, thankfully, but I’d truly love to finish the one that currently sits under the working title of ‘the Essek and soup fic’. I’m very fond of it, but just don’t seem to be able to make work beyond its first scene. (Maybe I’ll post that as a standalone someday.)

15) What are your writing strengths?

I like to think I’ve got a good sense for prose rhythm? When I’m proofreading, I can generally count on a voice in my head to be saying ‘this sentence needs to be x length’, or ‘this sentence needs another adjective in it to carry the right emotional weight’, and to tell me when something just feels right and flows nicely.

16) What are your writing weaknesses?

I think I have a bit of a tendency to want to include everything - every interesting thought and bit of character exploration that I come up with in the planning process. Also, plotting! The reason I’ve generally stuck to oneshots is because I find writing lengthier plots really, really hard; sooner or later I just get stumped, thinking ‘ok, but what happens now?’ There’s a reason planning the Aeor fic has taken several months!

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

It’s not something I’d do myself, mostly because I really wouldn’t want to mess up another language in a fic - but I’ve seen it really suit certain stories before.

18) What was the first fandom you wrote for?

It is... really hard to remember that far back, but probably either Skyrim or Torchwood. I did not do so well, but I did it :’D

19) What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

Show me where my skin begins has a special place in my heart for being such huge fun to write and for being a truly feelgood fic. Familiar (like my mirror years ago) will always be important to me just for being my first CR fic and my entry point, as it were, to the CR fandom.

... but I really do hve a soft spot for The scars that silence carved on me, a study of Essek’s growth between 99 and 124. It’ll never be one of my most popular fics - the Nein don’t even appear in it - but I just loved taking Essek through all of these little changes, bridging the gap between the negotations and his reunion with his friends. And there are some scenes and lines in here I’m really proud of.

I think just about everyone I’d love to tag for this has already been tagged, so consider this an open tag for anyone who’d like to do this!

#this was a lot of fun! ty again #... and I should really get back to work on the aeor fic now #tag meme #writing meme #critical role

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wordfires · 3 years

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Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Critical Role (Web Series) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast, Essek Thelyss & Verin Thelyss, Beauregard Lionett/Yasha Characters: Essek Thelyss, Caleb Widogast, Verin Thelyss, Beauregard Lionett, Yasha (Critical Role), The Mighty Nein Series: Part 4 of Essek Week 2021

this was for day four of @essek-week, which was guilt // family!! i had a lot of fun with this prompt even if this is getting posted very late

as per usual with these feel free to read here or on ao3!

Essek was not quite sure what he was doing. Well, he was sure that at the moment he was making sure he had every component he needed in his component pouch, but the was more likely than not just a way to keep his hands occupied so he’d stop nervously wringing them and drifting back and forth across the library of Caleb’s tower. Come to think of it, Caleb was probably where he picked up the component counting. Which was not terribly unexpected. It was certainly less unexpected than the reaction he was currently having.

The reaction being due to what Essek was rather unsure about: asking Verin if he would join them for some battle or another. He couldn’t remember the exacts of the excuse he’d told to both his brother and the Nein. He hoped he wouldn’t need to, neither had been particularly hard to convince. The Nein had wanted to know why they hadn’t met Verin sooner, and Verin himself was too kind-hearted to say no unless he had been particularly swamped with his post in Bazzoxan.

Essek almost wished Verin had said he was busy. Then he could have pretended to be disappointed with the rest of the Mighty Nein and said that they would just have to go to Bazzoxan without him if they were so set on meeting his brother on the grounds that he still didn’t want to be anywhere near Rosohna.

But then there were the reasons he had really invited Verin. He had wanted his blood family and the family he had found in the Nein to meet, yes, but there was also the matter of Caleb. Who he was desperately, hopelessly in love with and wanted to propose to.

Not that he really deserved Caleb. Caleb had goals for the good of others, all his wrongs had been put upon him, all his acts had been under the influence of someone far crueller. Whereas Essek had only ever done what he wanted. What would benefit him alone, consequences be damned. Sure he had made an effort since, as much as he could, but his actions were still far from forgivable. The voices of the Nein seemingly so long ago, echoed in his head. Thousands have died, Essek. And his brother⁠— always so much more than Essek had ever been. More of a son, and just as much if not more than the pride of their den than he had been. Essek was the Shadowhand, however long that would continue to last, but Verin was not any less for being the younger of the pair and being titled Taskhand.

Maybe he should just tell Verin not to come. That he was needed more in Bazzoxan. He would forget proposing to Caleb, so they needn’t meet. He would leave the Mighty Nein in the night and he would never worry anyone again.

The last of his components fell into place in his pouch.

The iris at the bottom of the library opened, Caleb gently floating through, that slight smile on his lips but a nervousness in his eyes as he looked toward Essek.

“Your brother is at the door, Liebling, and I do think Jester can only keep him there for so long,” Caleb walked to where Essek stood, gently taking his hands, “are you coming?” Caleb looked up at him, meeting his gaze.

Essek took a shuddering breath. No. “I think I can make meeting my own brother.”

Caleb raised his eyebrows appraisingly, sighing. “Alright.” He pressed a kiss to Essek’s cheek, and whispered: “And just in case you were feeling nervous, Beau and Yasha promised to keep you safe.” He pulled away, linking their fingers. “I said I would be okay, but Veth insisted that if your brother is more of a fighter I’m not much protection, I’m too squishy.”

Essek felt himself exhale, laughing despite himself at Veth’s protectiveness of Caleb. “Thank you, Caleb.” He let himself smile, squeezing Caleb’s hand. He took a breath, exhaled again. “I’m ready.”

He let Caleb guide him to the iris, which closed as they floated down to the second floor where Beau and Yasha waited, Yasha’s sword swung over her shoulder while her other hand tucked a flower behind Beau’s ear. The don’t-even-think-about-mentioning-it glare Beau gave Essek and Caleb should have been enough to make the flower shrivel if it had been the subject of it.

“Ready?” Beau asked, one foot over the iris down as she and Yasha looked to Essek. He nodded, and the now group of four began to descend.

Essek felt his fears rise in his throat, and was about to tell Caleb they needed to stop, but the other wizard squeezed his hand as if he knew, and nodded his head to where Jester was keeping Verin at the door with Veth beside her in the doorway, Caduceus and Fjord nearby, grins stretching across their faces. Jester’s obvious excitement was contagious, even as he was only just hearing her voice, and with Caleb at his side, it was almost hard to be nervous. Almost.

“Jester!” Beau called as their feet hit the ground of the entrance floor. “You can let him in now!”

“Okay!”

And suddenly Verin was inside, all chitinous armour and long hair, but smiling good-naturedly.

Jester was immediately all questions, after a small apology about the whole password situation, she really was sorry he hadn’t figured it out sooner but now she had so many things to ask!

“Is Verin taller than you?” Yasha leaned slightly down from his left and asked.

“I-” Essek barely had time to think about a response before Beau interjected.

“Wait, did you learn your floating thing so you weren’t shorter than your younger brother?” Beau whispered loudly around Caleb. Essek felt his face flush and was very thankful Jester was keeping Verin occupied.

“Essek!” Verin’s gleeful shout echoed in the chamber.

Or not.

Before he knew it, Essek was swept up in his brother’s arms, and just as quickly released as Verin pushed silver-white hair out of his face.

“It’s been too long, Essek, you are alone too much. Although,” Verin looked to the three surrounding Essek and gestured to the rest of the Nein, “this is an improvement from that tower you have at home.” He paused again, heaving a sigh and putting a hand on his hip, armour whistling with the movement. “So what was it that you needed my help fighting again?”

Essek scrambled for whatever lie he had told his brother, “Oh, well,” His brow briefly furrowed as some movement behind Verin caught his eye, “I don’t know if you’ve heard of it, it’s quite similar to-”

“This!” Essek heard Veth yell, and in a flash of green a massive, red ape-like demon was howling into the room.

“Not in the tower!” Caleb yelled before a string of Zemnian poured from his lips and his hands slipped into his component pouch.

The Nein and Verin burst into action around him, and despite the chaos, Essek felt the worry that something would go wrong slip from his shoulders as he went into his own components, pulling just the thing needed and joining his family in the fight.

#essek week #essek thelyss #caleb widogast #critical role #the mighty nein #wylan writes #my writing #i genuinely did have a lot of fun with this one #i thought about leaning a little more into the angst #but i think its better this way #its more about verin anyhow #even though there is not much of him #i did mean for there to be more but i want to go to bed

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