#but hey top 100 ships is very good | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

writingshushf1 · 1 year

Note

Hey this is my request

Yn is the daugther of sebastian Vettel , and she is leading for the worldchampion ship and Mick schumacher is in love with her , after she wins her First worldchampion ship Mick asks her to be his girlfriend .

And some weeks later mick meets sebastian and he is like finaly

With alot of fluff thanks

i see the light

Summary: it's warm and real and bright. and the world has somehow shifted. all at once everything looks different, now that I see you

Rating: +14

Warnings: none

Word count: 2k

Note: IGNORE THE AGE PROBLEMS, JUST GO PAST THAT- we all been through. also sorry for the story not being on its 100%. AND AGAIN, I'M NOT TAKING NEW REQUESTS, JUST FINISHING OLD ONES

masterlist

You, Y/n Vettel had grown up in the fast-paced world of Formula 1. Because of your father, none other than Sebastian Vettel, you've always been around the track, watching him race and learning from his skills. You always have been fascinated by the sport and knew from a young age that she wanted to follow in your father's footsteps.

Growing up, you became an accomplished driver in your own right, competing in lower-level circuits and honing your skills. The dream was to one day race in the top tier of the sport, alongside the likes of her father and his rivals. And Sebastian was the one to support you. He always made sure you weren't getting things only by the “Vettel” last name - and also taught everything he learned. So having your dad around as basically your coach, was one of the best things you could’ve asked.

Sebastian was a good father - even though your parents were fresh out of high school. For him, it wasn’t a surprise you wanted to take his steps in life, since you grew around mechanics and cars. Maybe he would’ve preferred if you only stuck into engineering, but since you’re his daughter, your ambitions were higher than anyone else.

Meanwhile, Mick Schumacher, son of the legendary driver Michael Schumacher, was also making a name for himself on the track. Like you, he had grown up around the sport and had inherited his father's skill and passion. You two had known each other for years, competing against each other in various circuits, but you had never been particularly close except for barbecues involving your family and his, usually you would hang out with Gina - even if she was a little older than you two.

But life goes on and both of you grew up.

When you made your debut in Formula 1, driving for Ferrari, like a dream coming true. You quickly proved yourself as a force to be reckoned with, and before long you were leading the world championship standings. Mick, who was driving for Mercedes, couldn't help but be impressed by your talent and dedication. Of course, since you were competing against each other, you usually only made small conversations.

The media thought that was strange, two sons of unbeaten legacies barely exchanging words around the paddock? Were they hiding a relationship? Or did they have issues with each other? These questions also lingered in the minds of fans, they wanted to know what the mystery was.

But the reality was not that exciting, you just... Never stop talking beyond a few dates a year - made by your families. It wasn't because you hated each other, far from it, there was a gigantic respect between you two, it was just that way anyway.

Until one day, he offered you a ride back to the hotel, it was raining and you had the same habit as your father - to go by bike to the track. You spent hours talking in your hotel room, drinking wine and sharing embarrassing stories. He was a very sweet person and clearly, you couldn't understand how you had never spent a little more time with each other.

At the next GP, buzz started about the sudden closeness, but you always made it clear that it was just friendship and respect in your relationship.

As the season wore on, Mick found himself falling for you more and more. He admired your fierce determination on the track, but he also found himself drawn to you off the track. He loved your wit, your intelligence, and your infectious laughter when the interviewer asked something funny. Schumacher knew how much he wanted to be with you, but he was too nervous to tell you how he felt. It was a tough sport after all, especially for you, being in a male dominated space where they’ll eventually try to tie you together with every male driver on the grid or try to minimise your accomplishments. It was wiser to not be with you, because he didn’t want the backlash to fall on your back. He asked Corinna about it, the German needed a piece of advice, since his heart wanted to pass through PR, the teams, your entire racing lives just to have the minimal chance to be by your side.

On the other hand, you were entirely focused on the championship. You had dreamed of winning it for years, and now that it was so close, you could hardly think of anything else. You worked tirelessly with Ferrari, studying statistics, improving the car and preparing for each race. If this was going to happen, it should come the right way.

Abu Dhabi, it was now or never. You were too nervous, during the trip you couldn't sleep much more than two hours. On Thursday night, after the media day, you just needed some company, so you searched your mobile for his number. Within minutes, the phone that was almost across town was ringing and within seconds, his sweet voice could be heard.

"Hey... Is everything okay?"

"I'm nervous. I can't sleep or eat properly. If I don't rest I don't think I'll be able to win."

"Hey, hey, hey... Breathe, slowly. Do you need company? I can come over."

"But it's so far away... And you need to rest too, the championship is between us and Max."

"I can manage, come on, send your hotel and room."

After almost 30 minutes, a light knock at your door. Schumacher was wearing his blond hair half dishevelled, dark sweatpants, blue hoodie and slippers.

"Thank you..." You mumbled as you felt him pull you into a warm hug.

"Your voice gave me the munchies, so... Do you want to talk or just coexist together?" He murmured against your hair.

"A movie and coexist together?"

You didn't make it to the end of the film, with Mick's arms wrapped against your body, the warm embrace and the comfort of being with him there, next to you, gave a calmness you hadn't expected.

Already in the Paddock, over the weekend, your glances and smiles were full of delicacy and a flirtatious undertone. It seemed that Thursday night had turned a key in how you approached each other.

Finally, the Sunday race. You were leading the standings, but your closest rivals - Max and Mick, were hot on your heels - no one wanted to let it go. It was a nerve-wracking race, with you and the boys swapping the podium placements back and forth. But in the end, you emerged victorious, crossing the finish line first and claiming the world championship.

The moment seemed to have frozen, the shouts over the Ferrari radio, imagining his father and brothers celebrating with happiness, everything seemed like an intangible dream until the moment of passing the chequered flag. Still finishing the lap before going to the pits, you felt tears fall on your face, they were the happiness of proving that you were more than a surname, but an indomitable force.

As you celebrated with her team, you couldn't help but feel overjoyed. Achieving your lifelong dream, and being surrounded by the people you loved most. At the party, you were now no longer smeared with champagne, but dressed up, wearing the team’s colours. Still, you weren't sober anymore, so when you felt a tap on your shoulder, you bluntly turned around to see Mick standing there, a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

"Congratulations," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "You were amazing out there."

You smiled, feeling your heart flutter in her chest. "Thank you," you said. "It's been a long road to get here."

“I know. You fought like no one to be among the 20 most talented drivers.”

“So nice of you to say that.” You played along, holding the roses.

Later, only the two of you were in the outdoor yard, everyone had moved to the indoor area because of the light serene air. You were sitting on the lawn, stargazing. No words seemed necessary at that moment, so when your hand found his, you said nothing, just let your fingers intertwine in a gentle gesture.

When your eyes met his, you could tell he looked nervous, so you put your free hand on his knee, looking worried.

“Are you okay?”

Mick nodded. "Listen, Y/n, there's something I've been meaning to tell you for a while now. I...I know this might not be the best time, but I just can't keep it inside any longer."

“You can tell me, you know. We’re always honest with each other.”

“I’m in love with you. Sorry.” He breathed out, like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. “Look I- I thought about this, talked with my mom, the PR team… Everyone! Ever since we became friends, I was afraid I was going to ruin everything because I was falling in love with you. And I’m sorry if you don’t… I don’t know! Just… I’m not going to be mad if you don’t reciprocate the feelings.”

Your eyes widened in surprise. You had never suspected that Mick felt that way about you. But as you looked into his eyes again, feeling something stir inside your stomach. Butterflies. You’ve always admired him as a competitor, but now you saw him in a new light. It was as if a fog in his mind had cleared. Even if you never thought about it, he had always been an enigma to you. It was good to finally see a solution.

Clearly your speech and your thoughts did not run together, as all you managed to get out of your mouth was:

"I...I don't know what to say." you stammered.

Mick scooted closer, taking your other hand that was on his knee. "You don't have to say anything," he said. "Just know that I'm here for you, no matter what. And if you ever feel the same way about me, I’m going to be waiting.”

“I do.” It was the only thing that could escape your lips.

“What?”

“I do feel the same, Micky.” You pulled him even nearer, finally closing the gap between your lips.

His soft lips crashing against yours made a sigh of contentment escape your mouth, it was like and your body was dying just to feel a little bit of him. His hands held your waist, while yours stroked his blonde locks.

A cough from far away interrupted the moment you were having, none other than your chief and Toto Wolff watching the scene from afar. In fright, you each fell backwards, completely red from being caught. But two recognisable chuckles could be heard.

"You owe me a hundred euros." Vasseur huffed at the team boss, cracking a smile.

"We need to have a meeting about this! Next week, at the factory, in Brackley!" he just said loud enough to hear, soon walking in with your father.

You both started laughing uncontrollably, hugging each other.

"That's going to be huge news."

"I think we can handle it." You murmured, giving little kisses around his face.

A few weeks later, you were at your parents' house. Finally you were going to tell them that you were together. With this came some insecurities of yours about a possible negative reaction and Mick's fear of telling a close friend that he was dating their daughter.

When you walked into the house holding hands after being greeted by Hannah, she gave you both a tight hug. Your father was in the garage - nothing new, he could never stand still, even retired.

"Dad?"

"Come in!"

As you walked in there, you were followed by the younger Schumacher, who instinctively put his hand on your waist. When Vettel stood to greet you both, he saw how you both looked, cracking a smile.

"Finally, huh? I thought it would never happen." He cracked a smile.

“Dad!” You cried out, hiding your face in your hands.

“What? I’m right! It was a matter of time until you settled together. Me and your mom, together with the Schumacher’s, we… Somewhat estimated when you would realise that.”

“Oh dear God…” You murmured, soon receiving a hug from him.

“I’m proud of you two. Really.” He broke the embrace and put a hand on the blonde’s shoulder. “You better take care of her or I’ll take care of you.”

“Of course, Seb.”

“For you, it’s sir now!” He chuckled, in reaction Mick also did and you whined at their bad joke.

401 notes · View notes

techs-goggles9902 · 2 months

Note

Oh oh oh Imma request something 🤔🤔

How about.... female character/reader who is unsure about how she fits in with the bad batch and Tech reassures her?

Was even thinking about my oc Raven and maybe our female character/reader is unsure of her relationship with Hunter and seeks out Tech for (brotherly) assurance 🤔

You can do it however makes sense 😊 also no pressure 💖

Female reader x Tech (platonic)

Summary: You're unsure about your role in the batch and you talk with both Raven and Tech.

No warnings. Fluff and stuff

Word count: 863

a/n: Raven is the lovely oc created by @hellhound5925 ! Go check her out! Sorry Raven doesn’t have a huge role but she’s here! I hope I did her justice 🙏🏻

You sigh, bending over to pick up another piece of mantell mix.

These things are everywhere! Wrecker, I swear…

The light chatter from the cockpit reaches your ears as you discard the snack in the small trash bin in the corner of the Marauder. The squad, excluding Tech, are talking about the latest mission.

Hunter, sitting in the pilot's seat, smiles gently at Omega as she exaggerates how she hustled a man on the last mission in a game of dejarik, earning enough credits to fix the ship.

“Oh, and then I took out his Ghhhk! He said he’s a ‘Top Tier Player’ but he wasn’t! Hunter, you wouldn’t believe how he put himself in a bad position. Backed himself in a corner!” Omega rants with a grin, making big gestures with her small arms, imitating the game characters.

Wrecker gives a big, hearty laugh as she continues. Echo sits back in the co-pilot’s chair, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his pale lips. You watch as the girl keeps proudly going on and on about her victory.

You joined the Batch a few months after they began working for your employer, Cid. Ever since that day where you accompanied them for a mission, you were essentially adopted into their merry band of clones.

Tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, you sigh again. Although you’re “one of them now”, you still feel as if they have their own little circle that you’re not a part of. How long will it take for them to see me as one of their own? I’m more than capable…

“Hey, you okay? You don’t look the greatest…” A familiar voice says.

“Raven, hey. I’m fine, don’t worry about me. Just… contemplating things, I suppose.”

“K’olar,” Raven says, pulling you to the nearest bunk. Lowering yourself onto the bunk, you pick at your nails. “What’s up?”

“I don’t know. I feel like I’m… not 100% a real squad member. I’m the last addition, not romantically tied to anyone, and just… here,” you admit. Raven has been your lifeline ever since joining the Batch. Both of you are non-clones, even if she did train them, and you related to her the most.

“Vod… I… I felt that way, too, when I first came along.”

“You did?” Raven nods.

“Mmhmm. This tight knit group with a very good looking sergeant-”

“Okay, okay!” You both laugh, easing your nerves. This is why you’ve always liked Raven, she knows how to cheer you up. Always.

“Cyare, c’mere for a sec,” Hunter calls from the cockpit. Raven gets up and sighs, mouthing the words, so needy, making you giggle once more.

“Why don’t you go talk to Tech? He listens,” she suggests, giving your shoulder a gentle squeeze as she walks past you.

You watch her go and you see a foot dangling from the ceiling panels. Tech…

You push yourself off the bunk and you stand beneath the opening in the ceiling and watch Tech tinker with the ship’s innards.

“Tech?”

“Hm? Oh, hello, vod’ika,” Tech replies, leaning over a little to see you better.

“You don’t need to call me that. I’m older than you are,” you say with a quiet giggle.

“Well, given the fact my brothers and I age twice as fast as the average being, I am technically older than you, vod’ika,” Tech says with the faint trace of a smile, emphasizing the nickname.

You scoff with a smile, climbing up into the ceiling with him. He’s slightly hunched over because of his height, but it doesn’t seem to bother him.

“Can I ask you something, ori’vod?” you ask, fiddling with one of his tools. Tech hums in acknowledgement.

“I’m not sure if I… If I exactly fit in with you guys. You’re all brothers and I get that but I don’t feel-”

“Vod’ika, you’ve been one of us since the moment Hunter asked you to stick around. Omega especially felt that you would make a good friend, and I agree,” Tech cuts you off, looking away from his tinkering and directly into your eyes.

“I…I’m a good friend?” You ask.

“We may not have known each other very long, but you are an adequate fighter and an even more valuable member of our squad.”

Our squad… Our squad…

“You think so? Hunter… He’s nice and all but… We haven’t really bonded I guess,” you say with a small sigh.

“Vod’ika, Hunter has to put up with Omega and Wrecker, has to find us jobs, feed us, and still sees himself as our leader, our sergeant, our protector. I’m honestly astonished he hasn’t gone gray with all the stress,” Tech remarks, that little smile tugging at his lips. That little grin is so contagious, managing to make you smile as well.

You’re about to say something else when Tech continues, “Echo will come around eventually. He’s lost brothers and he’s distancing himself to save him the pain of losing a sister. I’m sure he’ll soon realize you’re not going anywhere.”

Not going anywhere…

“I guess I’m stuck with you, huh?” You say with a smirk, nudging Tech’s elbow.

“For the long run.”

Glossary:

Cyare = beloved [sha-rey]

K’olar = come here

Vod’ika = little sibling [vohd-eeka]

Vod = sibling

Ori’vod = big sibling [ori-vohd]

Ghhhk = character in the game dejarik

Taglist: @fionajames @sevdidntdie @will-is-silly @skellymom @dangraccoon (feel free to tell me what you want or don't want to be tagged in!)

Dividers by @saradika

#star wars #sha speaks #clone troopers #the bad batch #tbb #the clone wars #tbb tech #clone trooper tech #tech x reader #tech x you #platonic #raven skirata oc by hellhound #tbb echo #tbb hunter #tbb omega

46 notes · View notes

nilboxes · 3 months

Text

Light cone art so powerfully homoerotic someone (me) furiously pumped out a 6k word fic in 2 days. They're going to kill me. 🔗 : AO3

Extensive notes/ramblings below!

I have not recovered from the mental power I had to pool to write this lmao I couldn't do anything at work except figure these two out and why Aventurine looked so BESOTTED but the absence of the little white dots in his eyes in the light cone and in the leaked models made him look like there's such an edge to him (someone on twitter pointed out that he has no light in his eyes!) and it really fanned the flames like what the fuck is this GUY ON and why is it directed at Dr. Ratio LMAO (I mean why not Ratio is so pretty)

So then I thought, there is NO WAY Ratio is going to react surprised or scared for Aventurine he's going to be ANNOYED lmao. There are possibly 2 more chances in that cylinder before it's 100% in there and I was looking at the probabilities on Wikipedia and I was laughing at myself at how a gay ship was going to make me STUDY probability when I hated this type of stuff in university and I was like yeah Ratio will probably be like hey, you can't stop there, and pulls twice lmao

And I was thinking they would make eyes at each other homoerotically while doing so because wow sexual tension so potent you can taste it through the screen in the LC art and everything just went from there I really cannot get over how Aventurine seems so... sooooooo in love with Ratio and in my head Ratio is like this man is insane what is he on but he gets a taste of that and it's like wow it's actually a little good but Ratio is also cautious so he won't ride that wave too hard but Aventurine looks really down bad for a man who seems like he doesn't care

So initially I really wanted to wait until Aventurine came out before I start my hyperfixation train because we know so little about him other than key facts I have formed in my head-- -he's perpetual smiler (confirmed by a leak of the loading screen blurbs) and like, idk from his design it just suits him and even in his voice cameo with Topaz his VA sounds like they are smiling while they are talking ALLL the time idk at least I got this one right -mr gambling gambler who is very self-assured about his luck, mr smug man. when I wrote he'd win 99.9-0.1 he believes this and if he dies I think to him it would just mean his time's up for realsies anyway and whatever idk man is not very sane -there's some really weird leaks and I'm not sure if it's confirmed but he was invited to be a Masked Fool which made him ALLL the more interesting for me because as a Sampo Mr Scammer fan it doesn't mean if he joins the Masked Fools he wouldn't be able to amass money but this guy seems to really like the thrill being an IPC senior manager provides then which is like this guy is a lives fast dies young kinda guy -I HC from that neck tattoo he could have been an indentured servant (cough slave cough) or a prisoner of some kind, but eitherway it says he wasn't privileged in any sense of the word but the way his character design is so decked out in rings gold watches and even a bracelet it means he's climbed very far, so he is an ambitious man, lots of "material pleasures" as Dr Ratio puts it in my fic and he still wants more. That kinda guy makes for a very intense lover imo very "I get what I want" type, and I really wanted to balance that with his attraction to Dr Ratio and how he doesn't want to drive Dr Ratio away with his crazy but he's also very horny... Anyway I also totally underestimated his height difference with Dr Ratio I really should have pulled up that leak of them side by side but ahh being a short king dom top is so cute on him

As for Dr Ratio I really cannot see him top unless Aventurine power bottoms why but he's so "diligent" in all aspects but I see him being a pillow princess in bed

I also feel a little bad that I wasn't able to write more bickering between the two of them but I also feel like the normally talkative Dr Ratio keeps HIGH HIGH walls around Aventurine because it's hard to tell what this guy is thinking so he's thinking so hard trying to make sense of it all and he says little as not to give away anything that might be wrong

I feel like adding "all is fair in love and war" in Latin omina iusta sunt amore belloque was a little gratuitous but I also want to subtly sprinkle in that Aventurine is so obsessed with Ratio, so down bad for him, that he reads stuff about Dr Ratio a lot enough to come across a translation of the quote and I'm like no yeah way Ratio can deal with crazy-eyed Aventurine saying/declaring love while he's still computing the electric exchange they had so he's definitely like picking up on Aventurine's obsession/infatuation with him and he's like NOPE DON'T SAY IT and would rather kiss him to shut him up than hear it lmao

I honestly despaired at how I was going to start closing the scenes because it was like nighttime and I wanted to finish it already because they're killing me, so like, making Ratio fall asleep while Aventurine pours his heart out (I asked a friend who read it what he thought Aventurine said and they got it spot on so I figure it was conveyed properly on my end and I was really proud of this bit) seemed like a cute way to do it. The narration lied, Dr Ratio heard it but he got selective hearing and totally did NOT want to reply/acknowledge it. Poor Aventurine, but it's not as if he won't try again

I have waaay more ideas about them and I wonder if I can hold off until Aventurine releases or we get more crumbs idk but I want to write some kuudere Ratio (with a bit of tsun hehe)

Special mentions other than the lightcone art that fueled me: this art from Twitter that and this post that kinda made me think long and hard...

#voidmancer writes #aventio #hsr dr ratio #hsr aventurine #hsr fanfic

48 notes · View notes

ursae-minoris-world · 14 days

Text

20 questions for fic writers

Tagged by @starlightvld- thank you!!! ☺️

1. How many works do you have on A03? 42! (neat!)

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 140,503!

3. What fandoms do you write for? Mostly vld. I have a Good Omens fic and always want to write more and a few fandom that I'm tempted to write for, but I'm still very much in vld.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos? - Breaking point (vld, sheith) ; A little mouse told me (vld, sheith); Flowers and Blood (vld, sheith); A cure to loneliness (Good Omens, ineffable husbands)

This gets long so I'm adding the rest under a read more!!

5. Do you respond to comments? Yes! I do! Sometimes I can take a little long but I really enjoy talking with my readers!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Just a call... (vld, gen) I think! It's an open ending, but it ends up on a frustrating note (which was the point).

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Oh man, they almost always have a happy or at least hopeful ending. Let's go with A little mouse told me (vld, sheith).

Oh, hey, fun anecdote! Someone commented on Stay with me (vld, sheith) to tell me it was the 200,000th work in the "happy ending" tag! They had just witnessed the tag going up to that number with my fic!

8. Do you get hate on fics? Not so far, thankfully. (Happened once on fanart though, but it was just one dumb comment by an anti).

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I haven't so far, I'm not really interested in writing it (never say never, though!).

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? Well, I did 2 fairly recently for a crackship event! It was loads of fun. The craziest might be A Mysterious French Chef, which started as a Hunk&Remy idea, but ended up involving Hunk, Allura and the space mice for vld, and Linguini, Colette, and Remy for Ratatouille, and everyone interacting pretty significantly. I really loved mashing the 2 universes, and for something that started as a "crack" idea, it ended up working surprisingly well!!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of. I've had some original (anonymous) poems that I cowrote with a friend plagiarized down to using our actual pseudonym, but that wasn't in fandom or even online!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? I don't think so.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes! Five times Shiro broke the rules, and one time Keith did with VirdisDrachen (vld, Shiro&Keith). It's based on a roleplay. Other than that, while it's mostly an artist+writer big bang collaboration, I think Square_Orange and I did discuss the plot a fair amount for Let It Snow! (vld, sheith).

I also have 2 fics that are remixes of other people's work, done for the sheith remix event : When you lived! (the “Enormous, within your small hands” remix) inspired by a fic by @annaofaza, and High Score! (the “I want us forever” remix) inspired by a fic by Tragedy_Machine.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? To no-one's surprise: sheith.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I am fairly good at finishing my wips, even if I do have some stuff that has been waiting for a while. I still have my notes about Keith grieving Shiro between s2 and s3 and how the team tried to support him and each other but how things became tense, that I wrote just after s3 aired! I still hope to get to it one day!

There's also the collab with VirdisDrachen tbh because we dropped the rp after a while and I wouldn't finish this alone. So I'm afraid this one will stay as is.

16. What are your writing strengths? I think I'm good with dialogues and characterization? Themes like friendship, found family are my jam, too. Of course it's subjective.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I am learning, but action and fight scenes are *hard*. (But I also love them? haha). On the exact opposite side, stories with very low stakes are sometimes hard to write, when it's just 100% fluff and no conflict, unless it's like, a short scene... It's easier with some emotional or romantic build up (ex mutual pining > getting together) but otherwise I really have to *think* to plot the fic. I'm so used to stories centered around conflict (in the literary sense, including inner conflict, not necessarily an actual fight).

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I agree with @starlightvld that if it's a language that I'm not personally fluent in, I'd look for a native speaker who might want to help or avoid it. Except maybe for conlangs, like Sindarin or Klingon. Although if I ever write in a fandom with something like that, I would f*cking love to get insight from one of these people who actually studied them and are fluent. In a more general way, I'd be cautious that it actually brings something to the story, that it makes sense to use the language that way, and to do it in a way that doesn't confuse readers too much (unless I am purposefully writing for those who know the language, I guess). I will say that I do love different languages to be aknowledged, like for vld fics that actually dig into the paladins having different languages, and the Galra and Altean also, and so on (ex fics where they have universal translators and then there are issues when they break or they can't rely on them for whatever reason).

19. First fandom you wrote for? Voltron! My first fic was a Hunk-centric gen fic, While some count sheep, and I'm still really fond of it!

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? Oh, that's hard, I like them all for different reasons. I do enjoy Carry me away for the sheith saving each other vibes. A little mouse told me (sheith written from the space mice pov) was such a fun exploration! Honestly, the most kudosed ones in question 4 are all fics I am proud of. To chose a lesser known one, I also love A special day , a vld gen Hunk-centric fic!

Tagging... @sodomhipped, @tomatocages, @an-aphorism @museaway @jacqulinetan @levyscripts @annaofaza and whoever wants to do this!

(also no pressure at all if you are tagged!)

#writing #ursae answers #memes #fanfiction #sheith #voltron #good omens #ineffable husbands #vldGen

13 notes · View notes

frodo-with-glasses · 1 year

Text

More Reading Thoughts: The Steward and the King

New chapter, let’s go!

Dude Eowyn chill out lol

Eowyn: “I’m bummed because I tried to commit sudoku and it didn’t work.” Faramir: “Please don’t do that. You’re too pretty to die. But hey, if it makes you feel any better, we all might die anyway, so you might as well rest up if you wanna be able to fight.” Eowyn: “But they want me to stay in bed. And my window doesn’t look eastward :’-C” Faramir: “Oh! I can fix that! :-D”

AND NOW MERRY AND FARAMIR GET TO CHAT!! DUDE!!

First Bergil, and now Faramir!! This just in: All of Pippin’s friends eventually become Merry’s friends. When am I gonna get my scene with Beregond and Merry, huh??

(I probably won’t but a girl can dream)

Tbh I think the Warden ships Farawyn

Faramir: “I’mma give you my dead mom’s cloak ‘cause it’s beautiful and sad like you”

Faramir: “Man, it’s been great hanging out with you. I really hope the world doesn’t end now, ‘cause I don’t want to lose this.” Eowyn, a genius: “This what?”

This whole scene plays out like a cheesy Bollywood movie. It’s so over-the-top. I love it X’-D

And then everybody MAGICALLY STARTS SINGING AT ONCE

“And his duty was to prepare for one who would replace him” 👀 John the Baptist is that you??

And here we see the healing power of love *throws confetti*

YOOOOOOO WE GET MORE GONDORIAN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS WAIT

Okay so we have trumpets, bells, harps, viols, flutes, and horns listed so far. I’m gonna want to answer that ask more thoroughly at some point won’t I?? ‘Cause I have didn’t have this information before but NOW I DO

Heyyy there’s somebody named Hurin! Hopefully his life has been better than the original one

(I can’t imagine naming your kid after someone who’s best known for having a son with the Worst Life Ever. Like, okay, sassing Morgoth to his face is pretty cool, but is it worth it?? Is it really?? Like the only thing worse would actually be naming your kid Turin. … They’ve done that too, haven’t they?)

ELFHELM!!!

ELFHELM SURVIVED!!

ELFHELM OF DAD JOKES I LOVE YOU

Hahaha hi Ioreth

“They are dear friends, I hear.” HECK YES THEY ARE

YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW RIGHT YOU ARE IORETH

Listen one of my favorite tropes is when people in-universe acknowledge the bromance as An Official ThingTM, so this is PEAK. THANK YOU TOLKIEN

Faramir: “I give you my stick.” Aragorn: “No u”

Goodness GRACIOUS that is a whole paragraph of titles for Aragorn. What the heck. Who is it in my notes that always tags Aragorn as “local man has too many names, local authorities report” because you are RIGHT

“Now according to tradition, he should take the crown from his father, but given that his father didn’t have the crown and is also very much dead—”

Faramir: “I give you the crown” Aragorn: “NO U”

And now Frodo does the task of a ring-bearer in an actual wedding, which is to carry the shiny thing to somebody so they can give it to somebody else

“HEY! LET’S HEAR IT FOR CAPTAIN AMERICA!”

Woohoo King Aragorn!

WAIT

HOLD UP

‘ITS GATES WERE WROUGHT OF MITHRIL AND STEEL’??

YOOOOOO!! That’s a 100% METAL DOOR!! In a MEDIEVAL SETTING!! Even WE don’t have huge metal doors for most things, and we’re in the modern age!

First of all, imagine how shiny! Secondly, IMAGINE HOW FREAKIN’ SCI-FI—

BEREGOOOOOOOOND

HELLO MY BOO I’VE MISSED YOU

“And the king said to Beregond: ‘Beregond…’”

Pffft

I must be slaphappy, ‘cause for some reason I find his name being written twice in a row to be very funny

Aragorn: “Okay so you’re not in trouble, but you’re also not allowed to be a Guard of the Citadel anymore.” Beregond: “😨☹️😭” Aragorn: “…Because you’re gonna work FOR FARAMIR! GET PROMOTED ON, IDIOT!!” Beregond: “😧 … 🤩🥳🎉🎊🎈”

Aww haha Aragorn and Eomer hug X-D

Eowyn, to Faramir: “I’ll be back later, I promise.” Eomer, probably: “👀😨😡”

Aragorn: “Pls stick around, friends, I love you guys”

Frodo: “Pippin, you were wrong, Gandalf is keeping secrets again.” Gandalf: “excuse”

Aragorn, excitedly: “LE GASP!! A TREE!!”

Okay so lemme get this straight: Aragorn wasn’t allowed to marry Arwen until he found a tree??

Right. Okay. 🤣🤣🤣

I’m sure this is very symbolically important and whatever but it’s almost 3 AM and I just think it’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all night

GLORFINDELLLLLL

GLORFINDEL HI!!

I’VE MISSED YOU FRIEND!!! 8-D

I guess all these other elves are here too but I don’t really care ROFLOL

This chapter really is the epitome of Tolkien going “oh shoot I guess I’d better include some romance in here huh”

100 notes · View notes

ohmeadows · 4 months

Text

[20 Question Fic Writer Tag]

i wasn't tagged, i just wanted to do it 😌

How many works do you have on AO3? 10 currently. if we’re counting all past accounts and orphaned works… easily 50-60.

What is your AO3 word count? currently 149,834. if we account for the grand total, well. more. ha.

What fandoms do you write for? i’ve been in quite a few, mostly video game ones, but right now it’s mostly only honkai star rail on my mind though i have the odd rhaenicent idea rattling around.

What are your top five fics by kudos? you and me are a twisted fantasy (kafhime enemies to milkies), i’m on a leash called you (kafhime with dom himeko), da capo al fine (kafhime time loops), the dew of dying stars (ruanliu mara body horrors and cannibalism), and spark (kafxuan horny).

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? yes, i try to most of the time! i had a lapse this fall where i just didn’t have enough energy to do it for months on end, but i cleared my inbox of that backlog on january 1st. i’m trying to be more consistent going forward.

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? none i can link bc orphaned or on old accounts, but i do love a good angsty ending if it makes sense for the way the story has been going. kinda aching to write one again i won’t lie.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? most of them are quite happy in terms of endings! i know people doomed so hard about da capo was going to have a sad tragic ending but that was… never in the cards for me. i already have it written and i’m very excited about getting there.

Do you get hate on fics? sort of. i wish people would offer up critiques instead of just leaving comments like “ew this is unhygienic”, “disgusting”, “can’t believe i read 8 chapters just for BOTTOM KAFKA” or whatever else pointless stuff i’ve deleted.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? mostly, yes. i think 99% of my writing stems from a very clear and vivid image of a sex scene, and then me building backwards to root that sex in a way that feels natural and consistent to both characters. and i'm always looking for some new angle in smut, or else it'll bore me, so that means exploring new kinks or dynamics each time.

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? no, i frankly hate crossovers and it’s one of my blocked tags on ao3.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? oh yeah lol. sucks! what can you do! it always amuses me because if these people just bothered to talk to me in the way of “hey, i love x idea, i want to do my own take of it, can i discuss some ideas with you?” i’d be 100% down to help nurture that. i reblogged a post about it the other day but i definitely feel that fandom community has turned into a fandom clout competition which feeds into this, too many of us looking for a quick boost in some imaginary clout chasing.

Have you ever had a fic translated? several, yes. for a while i had a bunch of old fics translated into russian. it always flatters me that people would go through that effort with my works.

Have you ever cowritten a fic before? yes, i’ve written a ton of unpublished wips with others and enjoyed the process, and then one i co-wrote with junie and published in an old fandom. i’d love to do it again, tbh, it’s incredibly energizing and fun, but wrangling two people’s creativity together over an extended period of time is always a lot of work and agreements, as well as being able to actually produce. you both need to trust each other and deliver.

What's your all-time favourite ship? uhm. i don’t know. i really don’t. ships by themselves don’t make me feel that excited, weirdly enough, but rather what people make exist in them. i have absolutely lost interest in compelling ships because the fandom de-fanged them, pulled their punches or morphed every single aspect about them into “uwu soft healing together”. (i could go into a long rant about how healing tends to be kinda… ugly…. in interpersonal dynamics. but that’s for another time.)

What's a WIP you'd like to finish but doubt you ever will? most of my unfinished wips i’m completely at ease with leaving behind in the dust. most. i do spend a lot of time thinking about a dorothea/rhea court drama au.

What are your writing strengths? visuals, i think. i have a very vivid inner eye when writing and the scenes play out like a movie for me, so i pay a lot of attention to the choreography and details of the scenes, where everyone’s hands are, and so on, to try and translate my inner vision to text. i can be a very harsh editor which means i’m always looking at what effect each scene is striving for — does it make sense for it to meander, or does it need to be snappier, sharper?

What are your writing weaknesses? i feel like my vocabulary could do with enrichment. i spend a lot of time looking up synonyms because they never stick in my head, and most of my reading books is spent noting down words in a notepad i’d like to use. sometimes i leave too much to be fixed in editing instead of putting it all down in the first draft. i don’t like involving too many characters so sometimes i think fics can get a bit too narrow — and sometimes i can play that for good effect, i guess.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? if you know it, sure, if you want; or at the very least use a beta who knows the language. i tried reading some fics that made use of my mother tongue and my god was it jarringly obvious google translate as well as irrelevant. i think it is worth asking twice what effect it will have for the reader and if it will come off as jarring.

First fandom you wrote for? lord of the rings! man i loved my mary sue silly era.

Favourite fic you've ever written? completed: spark. the amount of research i poured into it, as well as dedicating myself to convoluting fu xuan’s internal voice and outlook on things was some real hard work, but satisfying in the end. incomplete: the dew of dying stars. this one pushed me to research more, think harder about what i wanted to convey, and make them be worse. it’s been a very fun shift in how much i allow myself to dig deep, and relaxing and trusting the audience more. truly a new level of sicko weirdo fic for me.

#meadows.txt #meadows writes

10 notes · View notes

that-was-anticlimactic · 3 months

Text

20 questions for fic writers

tagged by my beloved @zukkaoru & @lesmiserablol <333

tagging (with no pressure): @beachytablecloth, @fabro-de-omres, & @milf-harrington (so sorry if you've already been tagged!)

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

69 which... is honestly more than i was expecting? i think it helps that my goal is to post a fic once a month mostly bc that's my motivation to keep writing even when i'm busy/stressed!

2. what's your total ao3 word count?

396,183 - omg i am SO CLOSE to 400k ahhhhhhhhh

3. what fandoms do you write for?

uhhhhhhh many??? right now, it's a lot of bsd/bnha, but it's always a plethora of things, haha! my first was prolly ninjago tbh

4. what are your top five fics by kudos?

hey, little songbird, give me a song

you never quite say (but i hear)

lost in love and lost in feelings

Deeper Than Words

for a new world to begin, the old one must fall

okay the #1 for that is honestly so real that is one of my absolute favorite things i've written EVER lol, same with #2! the rest are... idk #4 is AWFUL - like one of my first atla fics and also my first time writing a ts fic (i have gotten SO MUCH BETTER AT IT NOW)

*note: i started this in like nov or early dec, and #5 changed! it was the zukka goose fic but now it's actually one of my favorites iugytfyhujiko

5. do you respond to comments

i used to be good at it. then i got stressed bc of school. and then i was suddenly like "uhhhh idk How to respond???" i think the thing that got me was i didn't know how to reply to the distressed comments on my sokka falling fic so i just. accidentally stopped.

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

oh here in the garden (let's play a game) 100% rip to sokka sorry babes ilysm hate to do it to ya, love the angst tho <333 rip to everyone who missed the major character death tag lol. well... that or a spring and summer song, too brief rip to geto in the +1 oops... oh shoot... it could also be take me where my soul can run... hm...

7. what is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

this was hard, but imma go with i was a child and she was a child bc it's based on one of my favorite childhood memories! rip to zuko and his ice cream tho :/ but azula is VIBING the whole time oiuygfcgyhuij

8. do you get hate on fics?

not really? i did once have someone try to correct me and say that i wrote sokka with ocd instead of tourette's but it was in the bookmarks and it made me laugh lol. i also got this comment on my kubokai kaidou with ts fic: ".. the self projection is heavy in this one ... -_-" so idk if that counts lol

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

nope :)

10. do you write crossovers? what's the craziest one you've written?

uhhhh not really? i wrote ninjago equestria girls crossover oneshot in middle school but i never finished it and it SUCKED lol

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of?

12. what's the longest you've spent working on a fic? and the shortest?

uhhh i wrote a 7,600 word fic in three hours while i had covid? that's prolly the shortest? i count that as shorter than anything i may have finished faster bc i had covid lol but longest? ummmm over a year? multiple years? idkkkkkk the jay with ts fic i posted was something i wrote in 2019 and i edited it (a lot) and posted it in 2022 so??? that maybe?

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

uhhh i did with friends in middle/high school, but those never left the docs! also grace and i have. very many much so aus lol

14. what's your all-time favorite ship? from all fandoms?

RARIJACK!!! it was one of my first hardcore ships, and also was my introduction to queer ships!!! renga is a close second, but rarijack just is really important and special to me for sentimental reasons that put it above renga and others! i am also on a seroroki kick right now. it's not my all-time favorite, but the brain rot seems never ending right now lol

15. what's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

GOD SO MANY i have a folder in gdocs just for ninjago fics and there are folders within the folder for different types of wips i'll never finish - i have That many: "no substance", "baby girls", "drafts"... etc...

16. what are your writing strengths?

uhhhhhhhhhh ngl i'm in a place right now where i feel like the answer is Nothing (writer's block has been Bad recently), but i think something i'm good at in a very specific way is making readers feel the discomfort of characters? like idk i've been told that the way i write ts and tics (specifically tic attacks) makes the readers feel uncomfortable in like a "wow i didn't know it felt this way" kind of way??? i like to think i'm good at characterization??? idkkkk

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

ummm setting and scenery & connecting parts of a story, especially if they're parts that i'm stuck on/transitions are prolly my biggest ones???

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

i mean go for it as long as it's respectful and like... you tried making sure it's accurate?

19. first fandom you wrote for?

uhh rainbow fairy/a-z mysteries... but that was like very briefly on paper. first time like... for Realsies was ninjago

20. favorite fic you've written?

oh 100% hey, little songbird, give me a song. it's just really special to me and writing it helped me cope with a new tic i had. but one that i wrote more recently is fantasies i'm not sure that i'm worthy of which is a ritsu-centric fic and is prolly tied as my favorite fic i wrote in 2023. the other one would be sun comes streaming through the window (& i can't sleep anymore) which is my 21k word kenji-centric fic lol but that one is like... i'm more proud of it than anything, which is what puts it up there.

#corey writes:)#okay now that i did this pls inspire me pls pls pls #want write #ahhhhh #n e ways #i feel like i rambled so much goshhhhhhh #the ritsu fic tho... it's about the Guilt... y eah...

8 notes · View notes

animehouse-moe · 11 months

Text

June 2023 Collection Update: The Iceberg

You know the comparison I'm making here. You start at the tip of the iceberg, and think it's not too bad, then you continue working your way down.... and it just keeps going, never seeming to stop. Well, I think I've made it past the surface of the iceberg, and am staring down the absolute scale of what remains submerged. So yeah, Mt. Everest is left to climb still, but I've also got a pretty sizeable hill behind me to share.

I'll start with a haul that came in today (and one I picked up yesterday). Used manga and light novels has been a gold mine for me lately, though you do have to be careful with some listings as you might get volumes in worse conditions than they appear (though most of the time not something sandpaper can't fix).

The No Game No Life was just sorta a bonus to the Is This A Zombie?, but it actually helped bring down the cost per volume thanks to a deal I made (always try and barter for a few dollars here and there through stuff like FB Marketplace and Mercari and the like). I'd been looking for Is This A Zombie? for a while though, and was incredibly excited to come across a completed set. Though I do wish they'd bring the light novels over.

Following this up, or I guess coming before it(?), was this very interesting manga haul which is best explained as a story.

Originally, I had found a dirt cheap Rosario to Vampire manga box set on Facebook Marketplace (to the tune of 90CAD), and asked about getting more pictures because the only image was of the outside of the box set. Seller doesn't respond for a week, and then sends the image out of nowhere. I talk about going through with the sale and getting a shipping label sorted out (cause even with shipping it'd be crazy cheap). They don't respond, at least not until Thursday of last week which was about another week's wait. They say "hey, I'm going to be in your city on Sunday, are you good to meet me to pick up the set?". Immediately, I feel like I'm either going to get scammed or mugged, but it was neither. They show up with the 90 dollar box set and I leave with all my organs and my wallet alongside the box set.

Now, onto a bit of explanation. As you could tell from the images above, I'm kinda running out of space. I know, I need to get another bookshelf to store it all on, but finding the right spot for it and getting a cheaper Billy is a PITA, so instead I've been putting that focus and effort into finding more and more cool sets and series.

Like this Reiko The Zombie Shop. It's an older Josei horror series which I thought was super cool, and when I found a listing for it for just around 10CAD a vol I jumped on it. It's a very interesting piece of history to have from Dark Horse as they only printed it to the halfway point, though it's also a very intriguing read. Leans very heavy into gore and that very "serious but not all that great" story.

Equal parts crazy and cool though, this Empty Box and Zeroth Maria set. If memory serves, it was less than 10CAD a volume for such a hard to find set. Unbelievably happy to have such a well maintained set in my collection, and am 100% going to be sharing the love/set with friends.

Just a side note, the seller I got it from was super cool, as I got a partial set of Konosuba from them as well for the same price. Once more, Facebook Marketplace, so if you're looking for good deals on used series, I can't recommend checking out what's around you enough.

The good deals just keep on coming, huh. Hit the jackpot with this Rose of Versailles set. I was just going to bide my time until the end of year Indigo hardcover sale, and see if I could try my luck on finding them in store at a good price, but came across this listing for 100CAD and immediately jumped on it, since it works out to be massively cheaper than the Indigo 30% off hardcovers they do at year's end.

And I have to say, Udon hardcovers are outstanding. The Rose of Versailles of course stands at the top with it's wonderfully intricate cover design and heavy and glossy paper, but their other titles are no slouches either.

Just take a look at this Summertime Rendering (and Darling In The Franxx) set. Sometimes you'll come across things you just can't refuse. This listing was one of them. Summertime Rendering and DiTF for less than the retail of Summertime Rendering. Good deal, especially when you factor in that DiTF is still sealed, and that the seller never read Summertime Rendering.

But at the same time, getting books in conditions like this feels a bit sad almost. The seller was getting rid of their collection because they needed to repay students loans, so a lot of it was untouched and at very cheap prices. If I were to go back and do it again, I probably would have just sent money to them rather than purchased the sets, as I feel somewhat guilty having these when I'm able to pay retail for them no problem. But I can't revisit the past, so at the very least I'm glad I had the humility to not try and work them down on price, and will certainly be reading them over and over (DiTF is still on the TBR list right now though).

And last but not least for the used hauls, this super weird set. I got the whole thing for 5CAD a volume, which is a pretty great deal, and includes a lot of interesting things. Hidamari Sketch (I refuse to call it Sunshine Sketch), GA Geijutsuka Art Design Class and Bamboo Blade (not shown), and this very odd helping of loose stuff that includes an old style Seven Seas LN, a child's manga, and a very unique volume from a defunct publisher.

I couldn't help but go for it when I saw the oddities and old series that were within. Hidamari Sketch in particular is a headache and a half to collect, and I'd never even seen a volume of Iono-Sama Fanatics before. Very cool stuff, and definitely things I wanted to share. I never even knew Seven Seas used to print light novels so small, and seeing the difference in paper quality circa Spring 2010 was very interesting as well.

Now, last but not least, Jojos. I waited a very long time to buy these at retail, and am incredibly sad that the box for Jojoveller came crumpled in that one corner (already talked it out with support, and got a refund on it), but thankfully the books inside are intact. But man, these things are cool as all hell, I'll absolutely be sharing a post of them (alongside Jojo 6521) down the road.

And that's where I am, collecting an insane number of series and art books, and continuing to realize just how wide this world of manga is that I've immersed myself in. It's incredibly daunting thinking about the numbers I'm racking up, but at the same time it's such an amazing hobby that I'm able to support. There's a world of stuff out there, and I want to experience that all.

22 notes · View notes

calliecat93 · 1 year

Text

Valentines' Day List: Ranking The Disney Princess Couples

Happy Valentines Day everyone! Whether you are with the love of your life, still waiting for Cupid's arrow, or are 100% happy single, I hope that you are having a wonderful day. So for the past couple of years, I've been doing lists for the holiday. A Top 10 Ships list (that is now outdated hence why no link), Top 10 Disney Couples, Top 5 Disney Love Songs, and a Top 5 Spones Episode List for Star Trek TOS. What's in the cards this year?

Well after forgetting, the only thing I could come up with was a Ranking List. In this case, we're going through all the main Disney Princess pairings and I will rank them from least favorite to favorite. I'm also going to count Frozen cause why not? However, this will NOT include Merida, Moana, and Elsa as they do not have any canonical love interests at the time of this writing. Also a note for Pocahontas, I am focusing this based simply on the context within the film. We know about the inaccuracies and such that I don't feel like going into here, so just be aware that I am talking about the pairing simply based on the in-film interpretation. And of course, these are just my opinions, so please take it all with a grain of salt.

Everything clear? Good. Then let's begin!

#11. Snow White/The Prince

Right at the bottom is the first ever Disney Princess romance. No, it has nothing to do with the whole 'he kissed her while she was asleep' argument. People have tried to demonize the film by saying the prince denied Snow White's consent and I could write a whole essay on why that's stupid... and I kinda sorta did a few years back. But The Prince is ultimately a plot device with little to no screentime and not even extended material to y knowledge has seemed to do much to further the relationship. The guy doesn't even have a name (Florian is the one I see pop up the most but IDK how official it is). It may be one of my very few fleeting hopes for the remake to explore like they did Cinderella.

That's pretty much my only complaint. It's fine. It's cute. I'm happy that Snow White is able to finally be happy after all the Hell the Queen put her through. But that's really all that I can say about it. It's just... a thing that exists cause we need the kiss to awaken Snow White. But hey, everything's gotta start somewhere and without this we wouldn't have had anything else. So it deserves our respect.

#10. Anna/Kristoff

Back when Frozen came out, it was praised for addressing and calling out Disney's cliched 'fall in love at first sight/marry a guy he girl just met' trope. It's meant to be against rushing romance, especially when you know absolutely nothing about the guy... and then proceeded to do precisely that with Anna and Kristoff. Oops. I think the two are cute and fit together, don't get me wrong. But Dear God their development is REALLy bad. It's very rushed and comes out of nowhere which I wouldn't have an issue with... but because the movie outright rubbed in our faces how you shouldn't do this and that is a bad thing, it makes it really hard to ignore. And trust me, I tried. And no, Anna waiting like... a day or so longer than with Hans doesn't excuse the execution. Really the whole message when taken as a critique of the there Princess films is incredibly problematic and outright inaccurate, but that's for another day.

I go back and forth on how much I like these two as a couple. You can even see how different my opinion was back when the film first came out. Anna is my favorite character while Kristoff is okay and gets more 'meh' as time passes. I watch them during the movie and like their interactions, but they come off more like bickering buddies than anything prior to them finding Elsa. Then Kristoff worries and cares for Anna... and then Fixer Upper happens and it feels even MORE forced. Then in Frozen II, Anna misunderstands Kristoff various times and ultimately ditches him without really any thought or care about it in order to support Elsa. Which is great, sisterly love and all and to be fair she did apologize, but it really shows how much the film really didn't care about their relationship. That's not going into how the movie in general treated Kristoff as useless with even Olaf being more relevant and like he was just there cause there would be questions about where he was otherwise. But then we get to him proposing and Anna's reaction and... God these two give me so many mixed signals.

If I have to accept that Frozen III is happening, I REALLY hope that they give Anna and Kristoff the treatment that they deserve. Because ironically in the first film's attempt to call out rushed romances, it created one itself with all the problems that it tried to criticize its predecessors over. It's far from the worst romance ever, it has a lot of cute moments and I do think that the two are a good match. I just need the films to realize that.

#9. Pocahontas/John Smith

As I said, we are going to just focus on how this is presented in the film and leave it at that. These two are... okay. Pocahontas is a film that legit gets me emotional and has since I was a kid. But looking back, even now knowing the actual history, I wonder '...why did this have to be a romance at all?'. I know they were going for a Romeo and Juliet vibe, but I feel like it may have been stronger had Pocahontas not been aged up and just became friends with John, ultimately willing to risk her own life to save him and stop the bloodshed. It would certainly cause fewer ugh... unfortunate implications, let's just say that.

I feel like I like the atmosphere and presentation more than the actual relationship. The film has so much beauty and Alan Mencken's score is just so beautiful. Whenever I watch everything from Pocahontas visiting John before his execution to the very last scene of her waving goodbye as the ship sails away... dang it, the emotions! You all have no idea how many times I've listened to the end credits version of If I Never Knew You. There is a reason I listed that as my Favorite Disney Love Song a few years back.

But once I finish the movie and get back down from the emotional high, I think it over and again go '...why is this a romance? did it really need to be?'. And I kind of just forget about it until I decide to put the movie on again. I can never bring myself to hate this film due to how it impacted me, though I acknowledge its problems and how upsetting it can be for people. But ultimately the romance is just forgettable at best to the point that I sometimes wonder if the second movie pairing Pocahontas with her RL husband John Rolfe really was that bad of a move. But best to not think too much more on that

#8. Aurora/Phillip

This is Snow White/The Prince done better. Not a surprise since the film reused some of the early ideas for Snow White, but still. Of the three original princesses, this is the best-done relationship. This may make you wonder why Cinderella ranks above it, but I'll go into that in that entry. So these two are cute. Phillip certainly proved his love by fighting Maleficent and her forces and by his kiss awakening Aurora. As I said above, the 'the kiss was non-consensual' argument is a non-issue for me and we're just gonna leave it at that.

There's not a lot more to say honestly. They had a bit more development in their meeting than Snow and her prince did, we have Phillip saving her, and... yeah that's it. I don't dislike them by any means. I can't think of any negative points aside from maybe it's rushed, but that was just the nature of things back then. It's a Hell of a lot better than how it goes in the original stories. I like it better than the other three I already listed, just not as much as the seven below. That's really it. Sometimes you just like something cause you do, nothing wrong with that.

#7. Mulan/Shang

You would think that this would be near the top considering that Mulan is my favorite movie of all time. But I never loved it due to its romance, which while not irrelevant is a side-element compared to it being so major in the other seven previous films. Mulan isn't driven by love like Aladdin and Aurora, nor is it love at first sight like Snow White and Cinderella. She meets Shang while posing as a boy and he's her commanding officer. Before we go further, for this film at least Shang being Mulan's superior is a non-issue, especially since nothing happens until Mulan's out of the military anyways.

These two are cute. They start off simply as commander and trainee and Shang is frustrated with 'Ping', even kicking 'him' out. But Mulan refuses to give up and earns Shang's respect, and even friendship. She outright risks her life to save him during the avalanche despite being injured, that's nothing to sneeze at. She's clearly crushing on Shang and Shang may be crushing on 'Ping', I'm not very qualified to go into that since I honestly never saw it. His feelings get more complicated after discovering the truth and he's upset... but it doesn't last too long with him ultimately trusting and accepting Mulan and her abilities. Then we get awkward Shang at the end and it just cracks me up XD

We end the film with the early signs of them forming a relationship and being able to get to know each other. Shang gets to know Mulan as she truly is. Mulan gets to know Shang away from the battlefield and from him being her captain. Mulan II focused on them getting engaged... and that's all I wanna say about it. Yeah, as much as I love Mulan and like the two fine, the romance meant very little to me over the focus on finding one's true self. But I know that especially for the bisexual crowd, Shang was so important to people and this relationship in turn means something to people. And that is a beautiful thing. But for me they're good and they rank above the others cause it's Mulan.

#6. Belle/Beast

There was a time when I was indifferent to the film, let alone the romance that is at the heart of it. But now that I'm older and especially seeing all the arguments about them from all sides, those times have changed. I love them. Are they perfect? No. Beast is a temperamental brat who only wants Belle's love to break the spell. Belle is there only because she took her father's place and wants nothing to do with the Beast and his behavior. It seems like they're a match made in Hell... but then something happens. They change. Belle, after the Beast saves her from the wolf, is grateful and ultimately tends to his wounds because she's just too kind, but still stands up for herself. Beast, touched by this kindness, finds he wants to return it and starts to experience happiness for what may be the first time in his life.

When it becomes clear that the Beast is a damaged person who despite his issues is able to make himself a better person is when things change. The Beast doesn't become kinder for Belle... well okay maybe a little but that's not the main thing. The Beast became kinder because of Belle, as shown when he gives up his chance to become human again so that Belle can rescue her father. Why? Because he loved her so much that he let her go. And Belle tried to defend the Beast from the village and returned to try and save him, proving how much she'd grown to care for him.

The Beast gave Belle the one thing that she wanted: to be loved for who she was. Not because of her beauty. Not as some kind of trophy. But because the Beast genuinely loved her. A love that she returned and thus freed the Beast from the curse. It's such a beautiful love story. Is it for everyone? No. As much as I've disagreed with some of the arguments, I can see why the Beast's behavior may make people uncomfortable and how it may enforce an 'I can change them!' mindset even if indirectly. But I think that this is that kind of story done well with Belle never letting the Beast treat her poorly and the Beast taking it upon himself to change. They bring out the best in each other and earned their happy ending. And when it comes to tales as old as time, that's all I could ever want.

#5. Cinderella/Prince Charming

Some of these rankings were due to movie preferences. Chances are I would have ranked Aurora/Phillip above Mulan/Shang, but since I had similar feelings about both it boiled down to me liking Mulan more than Sleeping Beauty. Which is why Cinderella/Charming ended up here in Number Five. Let's face it, they have a similar issue as Snow/The Prince with Charming IDT ever having an on-screen name until the live-action remake. If I was counting the remakes I would use Ella/Kit's relationship as a justification for the placement and it may have even been higher, but I'm not so ah well.

Some of it boils down to nostalgia. Cinderella was one of the first movies I ever saw and is very special to me. Another big reason is what the relationship means for Cinderella herself. Cinderella endured significant emotional abuse, but always found a way to remain kind. Especially after her step-family destroyed her mother's dress, seeing her at the ball and just so happy as she dances with the prince is beautiful. And Charming looking up, seeing her, and forgetting about everything else as he personally approaches her, especially with how bored he'd been with all the girls going up to him? Perfection. 100% perfection.

Sadly, Charming has the same issue as Snow White's prince in being more of a plot device than an actual character, hence why I can't rank this higher. To Disney's credit they have given Charming a few moments of characterization in other works such as the DTV films, the third one especially doing him a LOT of good. But even without it, sometimes you just like a ship because you like seeing the one-half happy. Seeing Cinderella happy and loved at long last? How could I ask for anymore reason to love these two?

#4. Ariel/Eric

These two are adorable and I love them. Is it another fast-paced one? Yeah, although at least we kind of have a justification for it. Speaking of said justification. Yes, Ariel made a rash decision in becoming human. Does that make her and Eric's relationship bad? No. Eric is what Ariel always imagined about humans. He's friendly, brave, and outright risks his life to save his dog. Who wouldn't fall for that? He's also the first human that Ariel got to see up close and thus she becomes infatuated. Chances are it would have stayed like that if her father didn't take the actions that he did and Ursula used Eric as the catalyst for Ariel taking the deal.

When we finally get the two to interact, it's just adorable. Ariel is living out her dream with her crush. Eric, although infatuated with the mermaid that saved him, is nothing but kind to Ariel. He, a royal who could leave Ariel with anyone else and leave it at that, takes what he thinks is a shipwrecked mute girl back to his home and gives her the royal treatment just because he's a good man. The two's interactions are just so cute with Ariel being so excited and expressive even without her voice and Eric being won over. It's just... dang it they're so cute!!! AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!

Is the pairing perfect? No. I get it, it's rushed and overly idealistic. Do I care? No. It's a Disney Fairy Tale. I'm here for the warm fuzzies, not cynical reality. And these two ALWAYS give me the warm fuzzies. It's at Number 4 only because I think the Top 3 have more development between the pairings, but it's still in one of the top spots. People will likely always criticize the movie for Ariel and her decisions and I guess we'll see if the remake addresses those things. But for me, I'll always love these two and getting to be a part of their world.

#3. Tiana/Naveen

This could have easily been a miss. Tiana's an independent working woman aiming for her dreams, sacrificing any free time and personal life to do so. Naveen is a spoiled playboy who loves to party and has no sense of responsibility which has caused him to be cut off and left to his own devices. They are such opposite personalities. It would be so easy to make us hate their interactions and make the pairing seem forced. But despite how fast-paced it is, it doesn't feel forced at all.

Not only is it fun to watch these two bicker and clash over their differing lifestyles, but they really did need each other. Naveen needed Tiana to realize his flaws and find the initiative to both take responsibility and have the drive to care for someone outside himself. Tiana needed Naveen to realize that there's more to life than just working and to see that even if she can't reach her dream she has what she needs: love. It's so cute when the two start to bond and start to realize what the other person needs, willing to sacrifice their own needs for that person. They even accept being frogs when it seems they've lost their chance, happy that they can be together.

As I said it's very fast-paced. It's kind of a common trend in the Disney Princess films directed by John Musker and Ron Clements. Yet they somehow do it SO freakin' well. Like I said it was so easy to screw this pair up, but Tiana and Naveen are well-written characters who don't cross the line into annoying and their development comes off as more funny and sweet than annoying. They're great and I love them~!

#2. Aladdin/Jasmine

I adore them so much. I can say that about most of these, but these two? IDK what it is. Maybe it's A Whole New World. Maybe it's the beautiful magic carpet ride along the night sky. I don't know, but I know I love it. Aladdin's a street rat who wants to be seen as more. Jasmine is a princess who just wants her freedom. When the two meet it's love at first sight. Their interactions are so cute and natural and their chemistry just sparks instantly. Despite being from completely different worlds, they connect to feeling trapped in their lives and it's just so beautiful and God I love it~!

The only issue is Aladdin feels unworthy because he's a street rat and Jasmine is obligated by law to marry a prince. Thus once he gets the lamp, he decides to lie and act like he thinks a prince would. What goes horribly wrong as Jasmine is no prize to be won. She liked Aladdin because he treated her as a person and related to her. As far as she's concerned, Prince Ali is just another stuck-up asshole who wanted her for her looks and money and she ain't having it. It's only when Aladdin drops the act and acts like himself that he starts to win Jasmine over, even if he still lies once she figures out he was the same boy she met before.

Once the truth is revealed and Aladdin proves himself by saving the kingdom, the two are free to be together. Aladdin chooses to be true to himself. Jasmine is given the freedom to choose who she wants to love. Jasmine loves Aladdin because he loves her for her. Aladdin loves Jasmine because of her independence and beauty inside and out. It's again a very fast romance, arguably the biggest offender of the 'love at first sight and makes bad decisions due to it' argument (which ironically Aladdin is probably THE most guilty protagonist of this yet he never gets heat unlike the girls, but that's all I'll say). But I don't care. They are adorable and the extended material, DTVs, and the series only made me love them more. I recommend the episode The Secret of Dagger Rock where you get to see what happens when you both kidnap Jasmine's man AND make her mad. You'll NEVER question why Aladdin fell for her when you see that XD

As much as I love these two, there was only one real choice for number one. And it wasn't even close. You all know what it is.

#1. Rapunzel/Eugene

I normally hate going for the obvious, but sometimes there's a reason that it's... well, the obvious. I love these two together so much. Admittedly that can be blamed on the series to some degree, which also really helped Aladdin and Jasmine be in the number two spot. But even discounting that I just love their relationship so much. It starts off as hilarious then becomes sweeter and sweeter until by the end you're bawling your eyes out from sadness then from pure happiness.

Rapunzel is a sheltered girl wanting to see beyond her tower. Eugene, going by Flynn Ryder, is a thief pretending to be something he's not. When the two meet at first Rapunzel has him agree to take her to see the lanterns and Flynn is trying to trick her into giving back the crown he stole. But ultimately they start to bond with Flynn revealing his true name and Rapunzel letting him know about her magic hair, Rapunzel is finally able to connect with someone away from Mother Gothel and Eugene is able to be himself and trust someone after only being with himself for so long.

There are just so many beautiful moments after that. The two having fun in the kingdom with Eugene going out of his way to ensure that Rapunzel has the best time imaginable. The two talking about dreams and finding a new one. The entire I See the Light sequence, which is one of the most beautiful Disney moments ever. Then the ending where Rapunzel is willing to be locked away by Gothel forever just to save Eugene. Eugene, despite dying slowly and painfully, cuts Rapunzel's hair to free her. "He chooses that over his own life"You were my new dream." Just... just everything oh my God. Now, of course, Eugene survives and the two get their happily ever after, and out of all of the happily ever afters, theirs feel the most powerful and it only got better in the series.

Just talking about it now makes me emotional. It's just so beautiful and pure and everything I dream of when it comes to love. These are two people that found what they needed in each other and they're both willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the other's sake. It's done in such a fun yet beautiful way and I just love them. I know I've said that about almost all of these, but this one? Aside from Mickey and Minnie, this is the best romance that Disney has ever done bar none. It is my favorite of the Disney Princess romances and while I know to never say never, it's gonna be tough to ever top this one.

And that's all for this year! Hopefully next year I won't forget. Maybe I'll finally do a new version of that Top 10 OPT list, we'll see. But thank you all for reading and have a Happy Valentine's Day~!

#disney princess

35 notes · View notes

baby-bunny-san · 2 years

Text

Confess love moment (in Silvio's route - Chapter 24)

This is one of my most favorite part in Silvio's route

Everything below belongs to Cybird

Translation not correct 100%

Emma: Do you have any injuries other than your head?

Silvio: No…..

Emma: That’s good

After that, I jump into Silvio’s chest.

Silvio: Oiiii….!

Ignore Silvio, who blushed as usual, I pressed my forehead against his chest.

For the first time in the long time, I was surrounded by a gorgeous scent, and my tense breath spilled out.

(Thanks God, you are fine…)

(Because when I heard the story in the carriage, I wasn’t in the mood)

In fact, when I saw him bleeding inside the ship, I thought my heart would stop.

Emma: I have a lot of things I want to say, but… Thank you very much for protecting the Rhodolite--- No, something important to me

Silvio: ….I didn’t protect it. However, when I think about the future, I just assume that it would be the national interest. For your sake… don’t make any strange misunderstandings.

Emma: Was it a misunderstanding?

Silvio: .…...

Silvio is at a loss for words. The two-faced tyrant was easy to understand.

Emma: ….Since Prince Silvio risked his life to protect me, I also make up my mind

I move my body slightly away and touch the collar. Now that I know Silvio’s heart, even the collar that I thought I hated, it’s not bad…. it’s strange because it makes me think that

Emma: You’ve wanted me to be your “thing” for a long time, haven’t you?

Silvio: For that reason, did you go out of your way to prepare a letter to get such a big tittle?

Emma: no?

(I’m not going to be a “thing”)

---------- Flashback -----------

Silvio: I’m not trying to buy your heart. I’m asking you to give me your ownership.

(Prince Silvio said that before….)

----------------------------------

Emma: What Silvio really want is not my ownership, right?

Silvio: If you don’t need my heart, then you should have simply followed the king’s orders.

Silvio: …,.ch..

The neat face is distorted. In those eyes, you can see the fluctuation.

Emma: I don’t sell my heart for money. But, I will give it to Silvio specially

(This heart was the weapon that hurt Silvio, so there were times when I was depressed-----)

-----------Flashback-------------

For the first time, Rio, who finished talking about the strategy in the carriage, finally told me with a big smile.

Rio: Emma. Until now, I’m a coward who was afraid to even make something precious… From now on, I think I will keep holding it properly. I won’t let anyone take it away, and I won’t let anyone destroy it.

Emma: What is Rio’s most important thing?

Rio: Of course it is. It’s just the way you smile when you say you are happy!

-------------------------------------

(sorry, Rio….. But, thank you)

Once again, I jump into Silvio’s chest

Emma: Hey…. I’ll make sure you take responsibility for making me fall in love with you!

Silvio:….

Emma: umm….

Silvio: ……

Emma: Something… please tell me.

(ha….. I’m about to die from being shy!)

My face is hot…. the tip of my ear is hot.

(I don’t know what to do. Ugh… I’ve told you my feelings, should I go back to my room now?)

I don’t know what kind of face silvio, who has no words, looks like now. Are you stunned? Are you flabbergasted, are you reluctant, are you shy?--------

(i’m getting scared to know)

Just as I was about running away, something soft touched the top of my head.

(.…what now….?)

When I lifted my head, my eyes met at a close distance with his sea-colour eyes-----

By the time I noticed, our lips were overlapping as if they were being pulled together. The same vivid feeling as before is engraved with the short sound of water. Silvio, who put his hand on my cheek and put our forehead together.

Unlike any expression I imagined, it was earnest.

Silvio: …Ahh, how did I get caught by such an impertinent woman? She is not cute, and she doesn’t even know how to kiss.

Emma: Wow, I’m sorry! for not cute and not good at it…

Silvio: That kind of thing… Ahh shit!

This time, Silvio hugged me as hard as he could.

My hair was messed up like usual, and I thought I would raise my voice in protest. But... When I saw his face, which seemed to be redder than mine, my words vanished.

(The heartbeat also turned out to be amazing)

Silvio: You know what is like to be a fiancee, don’t you?

Emma: I understand… It’s also a prince from another country, so I’m sure there must be a lot of trouble

Silvio: At least, you can’t stay in the Rhodolite

Emma: I know that too… I have never see the ocean before and I’m looking forward to it!

Silvio: Is it the case that you’re saying something carefree?

Emma: Ah, by the way, my position as a noble lady is real. As an additional reward for Belle, Sariel-san gave me a status.

The status of the aristocractic daughter that Sariel improvised to deceive the eyes of the prices of another countries. It is meticulously forged so that there is no problem even if it is investigated.

(When I consulted with Silvio, he told me to use that status)

Silvio: Even so, the common people’s habits haven’t changed

Emma: I’ll do my best to become a noble lady

Silvio: The I’ll buy you as many clothes as you like. Tell me everything you need

Emma: That is-----

Silvio: Are you my girl?

Finally, Silvio smiled. It wasn’t his usual arrogant smile, but rather an amusing smile.

Silvio: I’ll tell you, I don’t know how to love other man than to spend money

Emma: Well then, let’s start from now on. I don’t like money, so it’s tough

Silvio: …. I know as you hate that kind of thing

Looking at his softened expression, I put my hand around Silvio’s neck and kiss him lightly

(Last time, it was just painful, but…)

The inserted tongue gently strokes the inside of my mouth. There is no tyrannical violance in the kiss. The unfamiliar sound of water made my body heat up. Breathing unsteadily, and I heard a voice that didn’t seem to come out of my own mouth

Silvio picked me up and laid me down on a nearby bed

Silvio: Come to think of it, what did you say about your first time in prison?

Emma: Uh, I’m not lying. It was my first kiss!

Silvio: Idiot, that doesn’t go into the kiss.

(No…)

Silvio: This is what it means to “take the first time” for real

Silvio, who laid me down, set up a deeper kiss than before

Emma: …hmmm…ahh…

Of course, I have never experienced a kiss that would drown me if I didn’t get mixed up. I grabbed his shirt without knowing how to handle it properly… The buttons on my blouse were loose, exposing my skin...

Emma: Wait a minute-----

Silvio: It’s like to be engaged. You said you knew, didn’t you?

Emma: …Let me at least prepare my heart…

My blouse was rolled up, then his electric hand wrap around my breast. When I was gently treated and loosened, I was dominated by a different feeling of kissing

Silvio: You told me to take responsibility, didn’t you?

Emma: ah… It’s not like this.

The tip of the budge is crushed with a finger, and my waist jumps. I was so embarrassed that I felt like crying

Silvio: After all, an engagement won’t work without it, right?

Emma: …I won’t say that

If I let my guard down, I feel like I’m about to let out a sweet voice, so I desperately try to calm my breathing. I catch the heat-filled gaze emitted by sea-colored eyes from the front

Emma: Because I’m a bad girl. Even if Silvio doesn’t like it, I was going to proceed with the engagement

When I smiled with confidence, Silvio made a troubled face… and lowered his eyes.

Silvio: For a bad girl..... You are always too cute, you idiot

With the fading voice of the proud tyrant, the petals of the rose that secretly told the time fell.......

Everything below belongs to Cybird

Translation not correct 100%

When Silvio freezed after hearing Emma said she fell in love with him, I laughed so hard 🤣🤣 especially the time he was at loss for words and made a ridiculous face

#ikemen prince #ikemen ouji #cybird ikemen #ikemen games #ikemen series #ikemen prince silvio #ikeprince silvio #silvio ricci #ikemen translation #ikemen prince translation #silvio route translation #silvio chapter 24 #ikemen spoiler

64 notes · View notes

siyurikspakvariisis · 21 days

Text

Fanfic Writer Questions

Thank you for the tag, @optiwashere!

Tagging @seventhscorpio, @night-dark-woods, @linka-from-captain-planet and whoever wants to consider themselves tagged.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

15 works at time of recording.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

14,232 at time of recording. I'm a short story girlie.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently, only BG3. Before this, I used to write for Destiny (and I can be tempted again if The Final Shape is any good/has some good Awoken food) and Overwatch (lol. lmao.) IDK why I gravitate to writing about videogames. I guess that video game writing is more "open-ended" and thus creates more nooks and crannies for me to get my fanfiction claws in?

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Unsurprisingly, they're Overwatch ones, given that it's the largest fandom I've written for. 1. Thaw (Mercy/Pharah, 159 words, Explicit) 2. Theobroma (Mercy/Pharah, 390 words, General Audiences) 3. Liebesträume (Mercy/Pharah, 1824 words, General Audiences) 4. Our Lady of Mercy (Mercy/Moira, 972 words, Explicit) 5. to pretend (Nocturne/DJ!Shadowheart, 225 words, Explicit) Kind of feels like exposing an old shame, to link this here, lol. But hey, stats are very silly -- they say more about the popularity of the pairing than about the quality of the work, in this case.

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try to! I am in the very awkward situation of someone posting comments on my destiny fics a long time after I published and I haven't responded but I think about responding a lot but the more time it passes the more awkward it is...

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

Deliverance, arguably? Petra Venj gets Taken. So yeah. (The Savathûn tag is there because the fic was written back when we thought Savathûn had acquired the power to Take)

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

Liebesträume is, as per the notes, 100% high fructose fluff syrup.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

At time of recording, I haven't.

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

I do! The kind that doubles as character exploration. (although I have written pure self indulgent shit that I had to get out of my head somehow, like i rejoice in my sufferings for your sake)

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

I don't, at time of recording. There's a BG3/Destiny crossover that lives in my mind but haven't written anything for it (yet?) It's very self-indulgent.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

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

No, unless you count brainstorming with friends and me translating that to fic (pretty much how burn our effigies was born, actually!)

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

I... don't think I have an all time OTP or anything? I have, like, a fave for each fandom, that's it. And I'm also a multishipper, so... For BG3, my current obsession is Shadowheart/Nocturne.

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

I've been kicking around a thing about Petra Venj's exile in the City, but I struggle to make it a coherent, cohesive thing, instead of a bunch of Situations. Same for loss.pdf, tbh

16. What are your writing strengths?

I want to believe it's characterization. But I'm obviously biased.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Plotting. Plotting. Plotting.

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

It's actually a huge pet peeve of mine lol at least when it comes to real-world languages. It's something that is often used to add some flavor to foreign characters ("No, mon cher, I expect you to die", said the Spy) in a way that doesn't match how multilingual people I know speak other languages! For example, when I'm talking in English I'm talking in English, when I'm talking in Spanish I'm talking in Spanish. I often forget how a word is said in one language but remember it in the other, or some grammar quirks from Spanish make their way into my English. I may be on a call with a friend and speaking in English while we play videogames, and I cuss in English in those cases -- unless we have been silent for a while, I have returned to thinking in Spanish, I'm startled when getting killed suddenly and I cuss in Spanish. Not to say it's 100% unheard of to hear examples like the Spy one above, it kind of makes me think of my Galician friends very intentionally dropping a carallo in a convo in Spanish to play the stereotype, lol

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I'm pretty sure I have some Final Fantasy X-2 and Doctor Who fics in some long-abandoned hard drive at my parents' house...

20. Favorite fic you've written?

have you read deliverance did you like deliverance will you read deliverance when will you read deliverance

#hala.txt

5 notes · View notes

capybaraonabicycle · 6 months

Note

Hey there! Thought I'd return the favour...

2. Go to your AO3 “Works” page, to the sidebar with all the filters, and click the drop-down arrow for “Additional Tags.” What are your top 3-5 most used tags? Do you think they accurately represent your writing habits?

9. How do you find new fic to read?

10. How do you decide what to write?

12. Are there any tropes you used to dislike but have grown on you?

31. What's your ideal fic length to write?

32. What's your ideal fic length to read?

45. What's something you've improved on since you started writing fic?

And if you want, 49. What are you currently working on? Share a few lines if you're up for it!

Very excited to read, and if you have a fic suggestion that I might enjoy of yours to get started, please do share! I'm always happy to check them out!! 🥰

Thank you so much, dear! I am putting this under the cut because it's LONG :)

2. What are your top 3-5 most used tags? Do you think they accurately represent your writing habits

Here we go:

Fluff (15)

Kissing (12)

Flirting (9)

Fluff and Angst (9)

Friendship (7)

That's pretty accurate, I would say :D I have started writing more angst and less fluff but there is still a good amount of fluff and kissing in anything I produce. I am a little disappointed 'sentient tardis' isn't on here, so maybe I'll need to write more stories with that specific premise :)

9. How do you find new fic to read?

I ask you. Just kidding. Well, I do, but not exclusively.

I often go via filter, starting at the dw 2005 page and then mostly character combination wise, sometimes as a ship, sometimes I just want to see certain people and add them separately. Then sometimes I add a certain keyword (like 'fluff', I do love fluff dearly as you know) or I decide on which array of ratings I feel like and exclude the rest. Also I often know which pairings I DON'T want to see rn, so I exclude those, too.

And then I look at summaries mostly (since the tags are already to my liking, aren't they?) and read whatever catches my eye :)

Sometimes I will specifically look for specific crossovers too (otherwise I mostly exclude them) which is done via the search function. Or I tag a minor minor character like Lorna Bucket because really if they don't get enough time on the show then I need to read all the fanfic!

(this is all about dw, obviously. Because we are living like royals and can be picky. For other fandoms I literally read what there is because they have like 100 fics)

10. How do you decide what to write?

[ID: gif of a fluffy dog with animated question marks on their head. end ID]

Next question.

(Honestly, I don't know??? whatever is shouting the loudest inside my head??)

12. Are there any tropes you used to dislike but have grown on you?

I don't know? Anytime someone says 'tropes' I can only think of 'only one bed' and that's the only trope then that exists for me. I know there's more but I never can think of any. I've always liked 'only one bed' though. It's so silly; just sleep in that bed?! And then there's always that big thing around it, and everything is so awkward because it's only one bed. It's great. Not really an answer to your question, but now you know that I don't understand the 'only one bed' trope but I do love it a lot.

31. What's your ideal fic length to write?

2k-10k. I often don't manage to stay below 2k and anything above 10k I most likely won't finish. If I have to put a pin in it.... 3000 words, that's the perfect amount to manage AND feel very proud of how much I wrote :)

32. What's your ideal fic length to read?

If it's by someone I'm unfamiliar with: <5k. Then I will be most likely to say 'alright, we'll give this a try, I can do this.'

If it's by someone whose writing I already love: any length. I'll never get enough of you, give me the longest most convoluted plots or 5 words you scribbled during lunch, I love you, I smile like an idiot whenever I get an email notification and it's in one of my fandoms ❤️❤️❤️

45. What's something you've improved on since you started writing fic?

English <3

Okay, actual answer now:

I think I have become a lot better with tackling queer themes? Maybe 'better' is not the best word but 'more comfortable'. When I first started writing fic, it had to be a boy and a girl and then they got together. Because of course that's how it goes. (Also I was way back in the closet then.) (bear in mind I am talking of 10+ years of writing fic now.) (also yes, I've always been writing a lot of gen and family/other platonic relationships, too)

And then I slowly, carefully, started writing wlw and mlm ships. And then some poly ships. Maybe even some ace characters. A year ago I finally wrote a coming-out fic.

And it's still difficult. I especially struggle with trans and poly characters because I don't identify as such - or well at least I lean towards not identifying as trans or poly - and I am still so scared of doing harm and doing something wrong and I am questioning whether I am the right person to write those stories.

But it's getting better? I'm trying to get more into the mindset of 'I AM the right person because when I'll make mistakes, hopefully someone will notice and I will learn and do better next time'. And I definitely feel way less ashamed about queer topics in general and writing queer themes in particular, so that's an awesome step.

It's definitely not just about the writing, but the reading of fic too, spending time on tumblr (one of the things where this webbed site actually has a positive influence imo) and meeting more queer people in real life. But writing something queer and someone telling you 'I liked this' or 'I feel this' or 'they are so cute together'? That's simply amazing and it feels so good that it has become basically normal for me.

49. What are you currently working on? Share a few lines if you're up for it!

I mean, you know it's primarily the cat fic. Let's have some of it, shall we?

River is being very naughty here, so I am sorry. I have to say, I am still feeling kinda uncomfortable about the lack of informed consent in part of this. But, tbh, I am also totally living my best life here.

(what to expect, in case you'd rather avoid it: accidental flashing of underwear to Yaz by the Doctor, also Siren is both checking the Doctor out while she doesn't know who the cat is and giving Yaz little cat kisses while Yaz isn't aware that she isn't a cat.)

“Holding you might even psyche me up for talking to her” Yaz murmured while turning towards the door, “as it seems I am developing some sort of crush, there.” It was the first time she had said it out loud and the words hung heavy on her tongue, however softly she had spoken them. Something rough graced her cheek and when she turned, she realised Siren had licked her face. The cat was looking at her with shining eyes, she almost seemed excited. Then she leant forward, bopping Yaz's chin with her nose. Yaz laughed, the weight of her feelings for the Doctor immediately feeling lighter. “Does this mean, you approve?” she asked amusedly and Siren purred, very loudly. “Well then” Yaz snorted. “Can't go nothing wrong with your approval, can it?” Siren meowed, possibly to support the point, and Yaz finally left her room, cat in her arms. She couldn't deny though, that after that talking up, there was a certain spring to her step and energy to the knock on the Doctor's door, that otherwise wouldn't have been there. She was, however, not prepared in the slightest for what awaited her, when the Doctor opened the door. She was wearing her working goggles, her hair pulled back into a bun that half the blonde mess had fallen out of already, and underneath, on her torso, she was wearing a dark-blue, sweaty sports bra, her suspenders and nothing else. “Uhh” Yaz said, quickly averting her eyes and staring at a spot next to the Doctor instead. “Hiya Yaz” the Doctor pushed up the goggles and when Yaz's eyes flickered to her face she could see a beaming smile between smudges of engine oil. “What's up?” “I've got your cat” Yaz got out, trying to push her towards the Doctor but tiny claws held onto her shirt for dear life. Apparently, Siren wasn't ready to part yet. When Yaz looked down on her, she could see that contrarily to herself, Siren was blatantly staring at the Doctor's state of undress and she had a silly, yet strong urge to cover the cat's eyes.

Oh, btw, that situation was totally orchestrated by Siren, as you might have guessed. The Doctor is oblivious, she doesn't even remember taking her shirt off. So, yeah, someone tell River to behave. Not me though, unfortunately, I'll basically let her do whatever she wants 🤷‍♀️ Because I can barely say no to River or cats and both combined is too strong a force

Also, I have added some angst so you can have a bit of that as well :) it came out of nowhere and poor Yaz is again my victim. But at least they talk?

(here again Siren is dealing out cat kisses to Yaz, I am planning on making them have a conversation about that later btw, I don't think I can just leave that in and have Yaz not confront River about it. Also Siren is in Yaz's bed here. And the Doctor is barging into Yaz's room without waiting for permission or knocking. And they're fighting, but I think that's it. I cut off before we get to the angsty details.)

Siren purred louder as if she wanted to drown out all of Yaz's worries. “You're a good friend” she murmured and a tiny tongue licked her chin. It tickled and Yaz even had to snort a little. “Thanks” she repeated and prepared to fall asleep with the cat in her arm. Unfortunately, that was when the Doctor finally coughed up the idea to visit Yaz's room. She didn't knock – why would she need to knock, really, on someone's private door – but burst right in like she usually did. She even switched on the light before the door was completely open. “Doctor!” Yaz shot up in her bed, glaring at her. “Yaz!” the Doctor beamed back, noticing the cat – who was hissing at the lamp and looked about as unhappy as Yaz about the turn of events. “You found Siren! Brilliant! Got you both in one place!” “Doctor, I was sleeping!” Yaz exaggerated slightly and the Doctor blinked. “Oh” she said and then. “Why would you do that? You haven't come round my place yet?” She looked highly confused and even a little crestfallen and Yaz had the very stupid urge to hug her. Which she luckily couldn't follow, seated in bed as she was. Because she was angry with her and this was not the time to pity her. Instead she sighed, bracing herself. Maybe she could still ward off the fight until tomorrow, but she needed to be ready. “I'm not coming to your room tonight, Doctor.” “Why not?” “I'm tired” she said simply. “You can sleep in my bed again” the Doctor proposed. “Doctor” Yaz ran a hand through her hair. “I'd like to be alone, tonight.” The Doctor frowned, scanning the way Yaz was avoiding her gaze now, the way her hand was fisted in the bed sheets, the way Siren was sitting at her side like a bodyguard ready to pounce. She was probably also seeing the tear streaks on Yaz's cheek but Yaz refused to brush them away for fear of drawing attention to them. “Have I upset you?” the Doctor miraculously came to the right conclusion and addressed it with her usual degree of directness. “Do you really think it's a good idea to discuss that now?” Yaz asked quietly. “Maybe I should take the night to calm down.” “I don't want you to be miserable for a whole night!” the Doctor exclaimed, dropping down onto the rim of her bed without invitation. “What happened?” Yaz took a deep, steadying breath. Alright, so they were doing that now. Siren pushed into her side as if to give her strength and Yaz gratefully buried a hand in her fur. Then she finally looked the Doctor in the eye.

So, it's so much fun, I can tell you :) No, it actually is, I just don't understand what possessed me to hurt Yaz. But they'll have a fight here, make up (not make out yet but we're getting there - that is until plot happens) and then the three of them will sleep in Yaz's bed for once. Because, as I told you, I believe that if you've got one bed, you've got a BED. So you should use it to sleep, especially if you're a chronically awake alien running on adrenalin and cookies <3

Fic recs

You should definitely read the Division!Mels AU as I've said before. It is mainly a Fugitive Doctor/Mels AU, but there is a little Fugitive Doctor/River and 12/River in there and quite a bit Mels & Karvanista and general Doctor & Lee & Gat & Karvanista & Mels. Just one big TARDIS team getting up to hijinks and basically everyone being on the verge of breakdown at any given moment. (mostly Gat, tbh, I am not gentle with the poor woman, but honestly Mels and the Doctor are hanging on by a thread, too and the Doctor then takes it out on Lee (and Gat). The only chill person is Karvanista - until he decides Mels is his pup now and he needs to look out for her. Because we all know looking out for River is a handful. She's the woman who jumps off skyscrapers expecting her mum to catch her somehow.)

For the AU, I think you should start with the fic Dance with Me (or: Selling the Cover for Gat). The works in the series are all written out of order so technically you can read them however you want. But this one shows pretty nicely what the series is about, I think. Plus, it's the one I wrote first. Storywise this is the turning point of 'friends to lovers' in the 'enemies to friends to lovers to strangers/enemies to lovers to strangers' narrative.

Oh yeah, btw, the works in the series are all finished but the series isn't. So everything's ready to be read in full but you cannot get the whole story yet. Their first meeting is missing for example and we don't know where they end up finally either. Well I do and we kinda do because of canon but the details are yet to be written.

Furthermore, there are bits of the Paternoster Gang in A Family Wedding, Somewhere in My Memory and The Responsible Thing to Do. I would mainly advise you to read the first two, neither really focus on them either but The Responsible Thing to Do only mentions Vastra briefly and that's it. I put it here anyway bc it is my first fic on ao3 and I think it is quite cute. (Also I kinda wanted you to know that I mention Vastra in my first fic on ao3 :) )

Family Wedding, as I may have said before, is my most popular fic and VERY fluffy. Unfortunately, it also merely mentions the Paternoster Gang but at least a few times and we kinda get to see them from afar. Big focus on 13/River and Jenny & Doctor and Jenny & the Ponds in this. Jenny, as in the Doctor's daughter, I have to admit I have written way more for her than for your Vastra's Jenny. But the two Jennys meet here - albeit very briefly - and get along great.

And Somewhere in my memory is again Doctor/River-centric but it's the fam 2.0 visiting the Paternoster Gang for Christmas so at least they show up properly. Not nearly enough but they all get their little scene - Jenny has a bit of a 'how are they suddenly hot wtf this feels wrong' problem with the Doctor being a woman and a 'get out of my kitchen asap' problem with the Doctor stealing cookies, Strax reacts to the Flux (not sufficiently, I've got thoughts on this that didn't make it into the fic, ask me about them if you like) and almost gets probic vented on accident and Vastra gets to trick the Doctor on behalf of her bestie River :) Since Christmas is coming up and it is my main Paternoster Gang fic, maybe it is fun for you? They mostly appear in chapter 1, so you could also just read that if you wanted to. I have to warn you chapter 1 ends on a cliffhanger, though.

Now I realise that I have just advised you to read my two most nsfw fics. Which maybe isn't too clever knowing your preferences. (I haven't ever written any actual smut but Somewhere in my memory comes close and Dance with me has a lot of internal Mels monologue - which includes a lot of checking out of the Doctor and accompanying thoughts (so this gets quite violent, too) .)

Hang on, let's pick out some nice gen fic as a third option, why don't we?

I've plugged A Bright Blue Box to you once before (Jenny & fugitive Doctor) and I still think that one's best for you. But I think you could also enjoy The Rose. It is one of my earliest works and a crossover of dw and The Little Prince. (You don't need to know The Little Prince to understand it, but should it be unfamiliar to you I would advise you to read it. It's beautiful and a little fairytale like.) It's just 12 being depressed about all his friends dying and meeting the Rose who has been waiting for her Prince to return but gets a sad and grumpy alien instead. I even made some art for that fic here - which I am currently using as my header btw - and it continues to be one of my favourites.

#thank you so much for the ask!!#Sorry this took a while!#And sorry this is so long #I love talking about my fics (don't we all?) :)#jennyandvastraflint

4 notes · View notes

ultfreakme · 1 year

Note

What are your top ten favorite scenes in Avatar the Last Airbender?

Thank you so much for the ask!!! Oh my god. This so hard, I've never thought of individual scenes as top favorites but I've tried my best and narrowed it down I think?

Katara v Pakku 'You can't knock me down!': So I watched Avatar when it was first airing as a kid, there weren't many dark-skinned main characters around, especially not girls who fight and certainly not against sexist men who try to stop people from learning. So when I saw this scene, I was at the edge of my seat, it taught me a lot about bravery and I still cheer and clap for Katara when I re-watch the fight.

Sokka throughout The Fortuneteller: I'm an atheist and people didn't exactly take kindly to that when I was a kid & I was infamous as the 'weird kid who probably has no morals'. So seeing Sokka outwardly express skepticism about the spirits & 'higher powers' was very comforting.

Sokka inventing the air balloon solution: I think it was one of the first scenes where I really started liking Sokka. The thing about hot air actually made me read my school textbooks & google stuff to figure out how air currents work, so that helped me with a few science classes about molecules.

Aang in The Storm: It was one of our first glimpses into how he felt about running away, the guilt, the sadness, the pain of being the last of your people with no one to turn to and thinking its all your fault.

Toph fighting the Earth Rumble goons when Aang & her dad are watching: The way she moves is so freaking cool!!! It was her showing exactly how capable she is, she isn't kidding when she says she's the world's best earthbender because yeah, who the heck else could do what she does???

Hama's flashback: Once again I watched this show as a kid, so this was the first time i got confronted with the fact that there will never be a 'perfectly good' or 'perfectly bad' side. People are complicated & I understand what pushed Hama to do what she did but that doesn't excuse it so in that vein;

Katara sucking the water out of the field to fight Hama: It's just badass even if it is angsty.

Aang pulling Ozai down by his beard and encasing him in rock: I mean-- like that is just objectively cool and very embarrassing for the 40-something year old guy. Aang was in top form.

Zuko in the bunker with Ozai: I don't watch too many new cartoons but I don't think any show has ever so explicitly called out the abuser and made sure the abuser is acknowledged as unforgivable. It really put into light for me a lot of things about child-parent relationships, what its supposed to be (forever angry at Boku No Hero Academia for using their Zuko-based character to forgive and redeem his abuser, lf you don't know anything about BNHA this means nothing to you jbcfjhbh sorry).

Yuekka last kiss: They're the ship that first introduced me to tragic romances,. My heart was broken and I kept waiting the entire 3 seasons down to the last episode for Yue to make a return and say "hey guys! so I'm a spirit I'm alive!". I still like it because idk I love angst a lot and the whole story of a princess finding glimpses of freedom in a boy who's traveled the world and yearning for it gets to me.

I'm not remembering other scenes that may have had more impact on me just yet, but a few honorable mentions; Ran and Shao's dance(I LOVE DRAGONS 100/10 they make everything better always), Zuko in the Cooler, Sokka and the cactus juice, Aang's anxiety episode.

Thank you again for asking! This was so fun to do~~

#atla

12 notes · View notes

sword-dad-fukuzawa · 1 year

Note

[pokes head in] hey there! how's it going! the tone of that post suggested that maybe you were surprised and a little resigned about it but. do you want to tell us about the sskk fic?

oh my GOD sparrow hi hello (spoken in the tone of someone who has no idea what time it is and hasn't spoken to a human in days, probably hasn't showered, and is running on a gallon bottle of sweet tea) it is entirely the fault of this nsfw twitter comic that reminded me that, despite the general preconception of nakajima atsushi as a, clears throat, soft baby uwu cinnamon roll who needs to be protected at all costs, he's actually a massive cunty bitch specifically around akutagawa. i don't know how i forgot this, or somehow didn't realize its incredible potential for a shipping dynamic that scratches my brain real good, but holy shit.

atsushi topping is on it's own intriguing but atsushi being a snarky motherfucker in bed? incredible. atsushi being a snarky motherfucker in general. also incredible.

like. i think atsushi has very few outlets for expressing his negative emotions that aren't violence. it is, after all, his job. but other than that, he's quite polite to everyone he meets considering he's one of the lowest rungs on the ada ladder and the only yelling he gets to do is the shonen-protagonist flavor of screaming at villains. probably therapeutic, but also not very interesting.

the concept that he could be that way with akutagawa--indulge his bastard side--because the two of them know each other at their worst is delicious. finally an sskk dynamic i can 100% get behind. i have no idea what this fic is going to be about but it's gonna feature atsushi breaking akutagawa in half (sexually? emotionally? physically? yes.) and feeling good about it.

sadist nakajima atsushi is tickling a certain part of my writer braincell that is currently really into the ways people hurt each other and oooh. the idea that akutagawa would take it, from him. oh my god. akutagawa would let him.

maybe i just needed to see atsushi taking back some agency (lol) in his life by exercising power over akutagawa. and maybe i need to see akutagawa being okay with that, and being quite into it, actually. aku needs to feel like he doesn't need to be on the defensive. atsushi needs to feel like he's allowed to be on the offensive. there's so much potential there that i have simply never considered and that i now am violently considering!!

#tldr someone pointed out that top!atsushi exists in the sskk dynamic and my brain fuckin exploded #thanks for the ask sparrow!!! im VIBRATING #sparrow!!#oh yeah the reason im so resigned is bc im like blindsided #three years of being neck deep in bsd and not once did sskk tickle the writing braincell. i was apathetic at best #AND NOW SUDDENLY #AAAAAAAAAAAAA I AM CONSIDERINGGGGGG

9 notes · View notes

masterwords · 2 years

Note

I’d love “Five times Character A helped Character B up off the ground, plus one time B helped them up.” for Hotch and Jack.

Well...5.2k words later and we have whatever the hell this is! I love you for sending me this, but you might hate me for what I did with it. (No, I know you won't. I'm kidding.)

No ships. Just Hotch & Jack through the years (with Haley & Jess along the way). Lots of darkness, lots of light. Sweet and sour. lol

Warnings: Haley's death is mentioned, head injury, blood, grief...it's all mostly canon-compliant with 100, Route 66 & Mr. Scratch

(If anyone wants, I'm working through things very very slowly...like a damn turtle...but you can send me a 5+1 prompt if you want, I like that whole list. Please keep it to ships that I normally write for or request it as gen.)

(1)

Haley wants a shower. It's all she can think about. Her eyes are tired, it feels like real work to drag them open after she blinks but a shower will definitely fix that. It'll also fix the way her hair falls limp in her face every time she leans forward. She could really go for a wash and a blow dry. Soap feels like a luxury right now.

“Aaron?” She calls for him, and she smiles because he's home. He's actually home. Sure, he's working, but he's in his home office right down the hall and it makes her feel good. “Aaron can you come here please?”

“One minute!” His voice sounds light after a week off. Not really off, but not there, not in those walls, not staring at death. He's on light duty, just doing the grunt work so the team can focus on everything else. It was either that or he didn't take any time off at all...felt like an okay compromise. Earlier, while she prepared a bottle for Jack and threw out a dirty diaper, he rocked Jack and spoke to Gideon on the phone. Things were going well, better than she'd anticipated.

“I need a shower,” she announces the minute he walks into the open room. His eyes roam from her to Jack and back again before he cracks a smile and nods.

“I didn't want to say anything, but you are a little ripe...”

“Oh shut UP.” She extends her hand and he pulls her up, dipping her in a goofy attempt at clunky romance and kisses her. His eyes sparkle and she grins, but then he wrinkles his nose and says something about her needing to brush her teeth before letting her go down the hall. She flips him off as she walks out of the room.

He crouches, listens to the pop and click of his knees. They had only recently begun protesting. “Hey,” he says, staring at Jack curiously. Like he's an alien, something from another planet, and Jack kicks his chubby little legs. He can't help it, he pushes the tip of his finger into the little crease of his thigh, that magical place halfway between hip and knee that only babies seem to have. It's fleeting, like the soft spot on the top of his head that's perfect for kisses, perfect for breathing in that sweet baby smell.

Jack seems content, so he just crouches there and watches him. Those little eyes are blinking dreamy and slow around the room, taking it all in. He's only been here a week, he's so new, and everything is filled with some kind of filmy wonder. And truthfully, he's still a little wary. His big hands feel enormous and scary beside such a small little thing. He never wanted this, fatherhood, but he already can't imagine his life without it. That abrupt change frightens him.

Jack's legs start kicking furiously, he's rubbing his heels together as one knee straightens and then the other. The beginnings of a fit, tiny muscles tensing and relaxing. Soon his arms follow, and then his face scrunches up and he lets out the first wailing cry through his toothless little mouth. He snorts when he cries. It sounds more like an angry cat than a human and makes Hotch's stomach twist. He glances down the hallway and wonders how close Haley is to being done, knowing completely that this was on him.

He's not sure he's qualified for this. The fear settles into his belly.

With shaking hands, he reaches out, one on each side of his tiny little rib cage. He nudges his fingers under and begins to lift him before sliding one hand up behind Jack's head. Quickly, he's being raised to Hotch's chest and cradled there, still kicking his legs, still whimpering but the screams had ceased. Now he was staring up at Hotch's face, brow furrowed like a little mirror image of his father's thinking face, and Hotch smiles. It's not so scary now.

When Haley finishes, her entire countenance is brighter. She is smiling and her hair is fresh and the color of golden autumn straw. “Did he make a fuss?”

Hotch smiles, rocking Jack who is now sleeping against his forearm, one leg dangling over his wrist. His little toes twitch and Hotch bounces a little, just to keep him asleep. He makes it look easy. Haley knows otherwise, she can see the fading fear in his worn honey eyes. “Nothing I can't handle. Super dad to the rescue.” His words are flat but he's trying his best.

Haley's eyebrow quirks up and she can't help but smile. This isn't how she pictured any of it, but right now, somehow...it's better.

(2)

Hotch wonders what it was like to learn how to walk. He's watching Jack pull himself up on the couch, fat little legs unsteady but somehow so sure of himself. So much confidence. Each time he's up, he falls backward and lands with a bouncing little plop on his diaper. Padded falls. There is so much trust there. Jack will crane his neck backward to make sure Hotch is still there, eyes locking briefly, and then he's climbing again. It never seems to phase him when he falls on his butt again.

And again.

He never stops. Hotch shifts where he's sitting, stretches his legs out. His knees ache from sitting cross-legged too long. His feet are asleep.

And then it happens. Jack turns around to look at him, cracks this tiny little smile, and stands. But this time, his hands come free from their hold on the couch and he doesn't fall. His knees are locked and he's just...standing there. The way his eyes light up makes Hotch's heart come to a stop. He's afraid to move, he feels electric. One shift in the atmosphere might ruin it all so he doesn't even breathe.

Jack's toes twitch and scrunch up beneath him and he looks down, breaking the spell. Down he goes, thump, right on his butt. Hotch lets out the breath he was holding and waits for it. But there is no cry, he just sits there stunned at his accomplishment. Hotch finishes his coffee and rushes to work.

This becomes their morning routine. Every day, Haley showers and he sips his coffee on the floor with Jack. Just sitting there while it steams beside him, and Jack tries and fails over and over. He wonders if his mother remembers how long it took him to take a step.

He could ask her, but dredging up those memories feels like a minefield.

He was never as precocious as Jack, he knows that. His father had always called him slowpoke, like it was affectionate. “C'mere slowpoke,” he'd say with a smile, with a frown, all the time. For a while Hotch wondered if that wasn't his name. Slowpoke Hotchner, even his mother would say it. And he did, he walked slower, he did things slower. He was methodical and quiet, shy to a fault. He gave things more time and thought than anyone deemed necessary. He'd overheard his parents talking one night while he brushed his teeth, and his father said he might be “touched”...he didn't know what that meant but it sounded bad. When he asked his mother later what it meant, she only smiled her sad smile and said not to worry about it.

That made it worse. But the next time he heard it, he understood. “Is that boy touched in the head?!” It had come after he'd knocked a glass on the floor. He knew now to associate that with bad. Stupid. Slowpoke.

But Jack, he's not a slowpoke. He's careful. His eyes study the ground, the couch, his father behind him and now he stands. Days later, he just stands there swaying...and then his foot slides forward. Just one and it jerks his body enough that he falls, but his face...Hotch can't believe the exhilaration on his features.

“Haley!” he cries out, like something magical is about to happen and he can't imagine she's going to miss it. She rushes in, panting, her hair still half in curlers...and Jack crawls along the floor to his pacifier and grabs it, smushes it in his mouth, and lays down. His eyes are sleepy, he's done whatever he's going to do and that's it. Ready for his morning nap. It isn't a let down though, they can both feel it coming.

The next morning, they do it again. Only this time Jack's foot slides a little further and he looks...well he looks so thrilled, until his body careens to the side and he slams against the floor with his full force. He doesn't know enough to try and catch his fall and Hotch knows instinctively that Jack expected his hands to be there...but they weren't. They're both crushed in different ways, and when Jack screams, Hotch stretches his arms out and pulls the crying almost-toddler into his arms. He cradles him there, one large hand splayed against the back of Jack's head that has just made unfortunate contact with the floor, and he feels the hot sting of tears too. They're both crying. “I know buddy, I know. I'm so sorry...”

Jack takes his first steps when Hotch is on a case, halfway across the country. After all those mornings, he misses it.

Haley sends him a grainy little cell phone video, and he's absurdly happy in spite of missing those first real steps. He was there for the building. He doesn't show anyone at work because he can't imagine them caring that much, but he desperately wants to shout it from the rooftops.

(3)

“Mommy and I, we're going to do things a little different now.” That was what he said, because he didn't know what else to say. How does he look his child in the eye and say he's failed? Well, he has. And maybe that's what he's saying in his own cowardly way.

Jack doesn't cry. “You still love mommy?” he asks, and Hotch can't help nodding. He doesn't even think about it. What a silly question. He loves Haley to the ends of the earth, but he no longer serves a purpose in her life except to make it harder. “You still love me?”

“Always,” he says, his voice thick with tears. It's the first time he's cried over Haley leaving, over her filing for divorce. This was supposed to be forever, didn't she remember the vows? But, as Jessica would argue over coffee a week later, didn't he remember his vows? To love, honor and cherish...yeah he loved her, but what about the other parts? Things get lost along the way, he figures. There are no saints here, only sinners.

“It's okay daddy. Don't cry.”

In Jack's simplistic way, he puts a band-aid on the pain. Hotch has to go, his team is on a case and he needs to be there. They're waiting on him. But his son is sitting on the floor in a pile of legos and right outside the door Haley's listening to make sure he doesn't say anything untoward. Nothing to spin this, or her, in a negative light. She knows he won't, but she's hurting and she's wound up. He doesn't say a thing.

And yet she can't help but think about the man who used to compromise. The man who tried to give his entire self to her and their life when he had time, but now...now he doesn't make the time to even try. A shift happened and she knew without a doubt that it would get worse, and wasn't it better to cut and run while they still had a chance at making diamonds from the dust? She was doing this for all of them and she hoped that someday he would see that.

He bends over and lifts Jack into his arms, hugging him close. His back protests the weight of the child, he's getting so big and this is a dead lift. “Daddy has to go now,” he whispers. “I'll see you soon. Take care of mommy, okay?”

“Okay daddy.”

(4)

The house is quiet. It's eerie, there are so many people and yet...he can't hear any of them. Feet falling on once plush carpet, now trodden and blood stained. Shattered glass everywhere, in his hair, at his feet. Blurred faces, familiar but far away, he's in a world of his own. And then he wakes up and he knows that he's been dreaming again.

He's left only with loneliness and regret. His shoulders ache as he pulls his jacket on and he wonders why he's doing this at all. No one wants him there. He doesn't want him there.

But he shows up and he gives his speech and he honors her better in death than he did in life, of that he's certain now.

He visits her graveside, stares at the marker with her name written in block letters by someone who never met her in life. There will be a beautifully engraved headstone soon, but not yet. These things don't just happen overnight, and no one expects to make a marble headstone for a young woman in her prime.

The day it's placed, he takes off of work. Tells Dave he's got to take care of some things and right now everything is so fresh and they're worried enough about him that no one questions him. Derek is glad to take the reigns, attend budget meetings, do whatever he has to. Hotch folds peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in wax paper and shoves them into little paper lunch sacks with mandarin oranges and Capri Suns. Jack's favorite lunch.

They sit by her headstone with a bouquet of flowers handpicked by Jack and play a game of Go Fish. Jack is so little he doesn't really understand why they're eating lunch in the weird park with no playground, but he watches his father eating the sandwich curiously slow, like it's making him sick to put the food into his mouth. Truthfully, it is. He hasn't eaten a full meal in weeks. But he's got to start doing better for Jack, so he does.

One sticky bite at a time. Slowly, eyes barely focused on what he's doing, he pokes the straw into their Capri Suns and watches Jack slurp his happily.

It's apple juice. He likes all the flavors fine, but apple is his favorite.

“Daddy, can mommy hear us?”

The question catches him off guard and he clears his throat, setting down what's left of his sandwich. He thought he'd eaten a lot but really he's barely touched it. His stomach cramps. “I like to think so.”

“Can I talk to her by myself?”

Hotch closes his eyes and nods before pushing up to his feet. His knees protest angrily, he's still stiff and sore weeks after his battle with Foyet, and he offers Jack a small smile. “I'll take a little walk, okay buddy? You talk to mommy all you want.”

Jack beams, and Hotch walks away slowly. He keeps his eye on Jack who spreads the blanket on the little patch of marble beneath the headstone and lays himself down there. Curls up on his side like he would in his bed, and Hotch doesn't see any further movement. He wanders around the little path, watching the headstones wind around him like baby teeth speckling the field. Out of the corner of his eye he watches Jack, until finally he thinks it's been long enough and comes slowly back to their picnic.

Jack is asleep with his hand just beneath her name. He looks so peaceful.

Hotch sits and finishes his sandwich, just him and his tears, before he packs everything up and lifts Jack's sleeping body into his arms.

At home, they nap in his bed and they both sleep well into the evening. He doesn't dream of the house, of the glass, of her body. He doesn't dream at all, and for that he's grateful.

(5)

The hospital room was noisy at first. All day, people in and out. Penelope had stayed to visit with Jessica long past the time she was needed, and Hotch just slept through all of it. He had wanted to stay awake, it just wasn't possible. Tiny droplets on a glass pond, ripples in the bag and then a hissing sound before a dose would snake its way through the tubing and into his waiting vein. Over and over, time irrelevant except when the pain crept through and then he would watch and wait again. How many times he had no idea, but those last few minutes before another dose were his only lucid spells in his bone deep exhaustion.

They'd fixed him, but he didn't feel much better.

The team came through, trickled one by one after getting off the jet. First Derek who had been silently on edge the entire time and snapping at people a little more than necessary. He didn't stay long, just enough to see him lying there asleep. JJ and Spencer hung around for a few minutes in the hopes that he would wake, but they were exhausted so they wrote a silly little note for him on the whiteboard beside his current nurse's name and left. Dave stayed the longest, made himself a cup of waiting room coffee and visited with Jessica.

Jessica. The only constant. She'd come with Jack and hadn't left. She was just biding her time until she could load him in her little Subaru and drive him home.

While all of this happened, Jack sat curled up on the floor beneath the doctor's desk with a book. For the longest time, Hotch forgot he was even there. He forgot a lot of things.

“I'm starving,” Jess announced, seeing the weary look in Hotch's eyes. He'd woken midway through her conversation with Dave and now he was holding onto being awake so desperately for Dave's sake that he looked peaky and pinched. She couldn't let it continue, he needed to sleep. “Dave, would you like to have dinner with me? I hear the cafeteria is featuring Salisbury steak and mashed potatoes tonight. My treat.”

Dave isn't keen on anything she said, but he also knows what she's doing. He's being asked to leave in a way that Hotch won't argue with and he's more than a little impressed with her skillful mastery of his reactions. She presses a kiss to Hotch's clammy forehead and smiles.

“Sleep, you.”

He hums in response and after whispering a brief goodbye to Dave, his eyes drift shut. He's nearly engulfed in the black pool of dreams when he hears a faint rustling, like pages turning, and then a sniffle. It takes him a full minute to realize what it is, that Jess has left Jack in the room with him. He licks his dry lips and tries to speak but his mouth won't work, his vocal chords are a desert and the arid wind that blows through them carries no tune. He's out of breath after two attempts, his body failing him so completely.

And still, he doesn't know what possessed him, but he shifts in the bed and slides his legs over the edge. He's not supposed to get up, not on his own, but here he is planting his bare feet on the cold floor. One and then two, he wiggles his toes to life and focuses himself in order to push up and away from the bed. It takes more effort than he really has in order to achieve it, and for a moment he thinks he's going to fall but some deep reserve of strength (another page flipped) guides his feet into motion. One large hand splayed against his midsection, its gaping wound still fresh and barely stitched together (another page flipped), his other hand firmly against the bed, he makes his way toward Jack. Just a few steps, not even far enough to tangle his cords or bring up the alarms. (Another page flipped. This time it's more hesitant.)

“Jack?” His voice barely works, like a gentle breeze through reeds in the summer and Jack peeks up at his father from beneath the desk. He looks too sad, too grown, and Hotch tries to force a weary smile. Tries to conjure up the images of that newborn baby, that toddler just learning to walk, the days when Jack looked at him with wonder instead of fear and sadness. “Come out of there, please?”

Jack stares at him and shrugs before looking back down at his book. He's feigning disinterest, protecting himself. Hotch feels his chest constrict painfully and the heart monitor speeds up. “Jack?” He extends his hand to the boy who won't even look at him now. A large tear lands with a plop right on the page he's looking at, soaking in and spreading over the tiny black print. And then another. “Jack, please.”

Jack finally give in and takes his hand, and Hotch pulls him upright. It hurts his stomach and the instant pain makes the heart monitor jump again, but he pays it little mind because he's about to make it worse. Jack looks up at him and Hotch can't help it, he sees Haley there for a moment, when she was innocent, when she still looked at him like he could move mountains and all she wanted was to stand beside him while he did it. Back when he hadn't taken all of her joy and all of her wonder, before he made her choose between him and happiness. There was a time those two were synonymous, he was one with her happiness, and somewhere they separated. But for Jack, there was still that spark, faded as it were.

He pulls Jack against him, grunts when Jack hugs him a little too tight. He holds his breath and sees stars, splotches of white coursing over his vision but he doesn't ask Jack to stop. He would rather pass out than make Jack step back. “Dad,” Jack whispers. “Are you gonna die?”

Hotch can't find his breath. He's barely standing and is glad for Jessica's sudden intrusion. He doesn't want to hear that question, let alone answer it. “Aaron!” she exclaims, rushing toward the two of them standing there. “You aren't supposed to be up...god, you could have fallen...what were you thinking?”

The look on his face, the exhaustion in his eyes, Jack with his face buried in Hotch's belly tells her all she needs to know and she nods. They don't have to say it. “Come on, back to bed you. I brought you some juice.”

(6)

There is an air of some strange electricity in the apartment. He's been wandering between these walls for two days now, restless. Jack is at school, and then he does his homework at Jessica's house before coming home. Just to give Hotch some time to himself, maybe, he's not really sure. He's got a concussion, it's a bad one this time, but he suspects there's more to it. Some aftershock of Peter Lewis' cocktail that she knows about...Dave called her, he knows it. Keeping her in the loop. But she leaves Jack there overnight so she must not be too scared of him or what he can do.

He's harmless, though, he's fairly certain. Can barely hold his head up for longer than a few minutes at a time before the intense throbbing starts in his temples like a university marching band during the homecoming game. This concussion hurts worse than some in the past. Some of it, he thinks, must be because of the filmy memories that Peter Lewis put there...memories he would carry forever...memories of things that never happened. He dreams of Derek's blood on his cheek, and for ten minutes after he holds his phone with trembling hands wondering whether he should call or text.

Again.

Just to make sure.

But he clicks into his last texts from Derek and they're only from earlier that day. Derek checking up on him.

How do you feel?

Better, thanks.

Short and sweet, no follow up, and he knows part of it is Derek making sure that he knows what he saw wasn't real. It's not a fun game and he's just wishing for his moments of being lucid to turn into hours to turn into days and to forget these false memories entirely.

Jessica drops Jack off just after she feeds him dinner, and she brings Hotch a plate made just for him. Macaroni and cheese. Meatloaf. Green beans. Jessica cooks like her mom, like all the moms he grew up with. She's never stopped envisioning the food groups set out sectioned off on a plate. If all of them are eating together, she'll even butter a plate of bread for the middle of the table and serve everyone a glass of milk. She's a trip and he mocks her endlessly for it.

“I am going to watch you eat,” she threatens, unwrapping the wobbly plastic after heating the plate in the microwave. It's steaming and he realizes he hasn't eaten anything at all that day.

She leaves when she's convinced herself he means to eat. A few green beans, a bite of macaroni and she's satisfied that he's going to eat it. Sometimes she has too much faith in him. Then it's just he and Jack while he puts the plate into the fridge to eat later. He's just not hungry. He's not allowed to watch TV yet, or read books, nothing too taxing. Even those few seconds on his phone checking his texts are more than he's supposed to do until his doctor clears him, so he lays on the couch with his eyes closed beneath a cool wash cloth while Jack watches a show. It's not even tempting for him to try and watch.

They do fine until the apartment is quiet, until it's all dark. That's when the memories start to flicker to life like old black and white film. Everything is disjointed, he hears sounds and feels things that never happened and then Derek's blood is on his face warm and fresh. He wakes with a start and stifles the cry, pretends it didn't happen. He can't wake Jack.

He's thirsty. Slowly, he wills his aching body out of the bed and his legs decide to give out. Right there beside his bed like a toddler's first failed steps. His head spins dangerously and the earth is rocking beneath him. He came down hard on his knees and now they're throbbing in time with his head.

Some part of him thinks it's so bizarre that he questions whether he's still in the dream, whether this is real. The world feels on a delay, like he's watching things happen a moment before they actually do. He's living in the future and the past, his present is nothing but mist.

He's on the floor. He knows he's on the floor, but the room keeps changing. Shifting around him.

Blinking changes it every time.

He tries and fails to get up to his feet. There is darkness creeping toward him, threatening to swallow him, and he tries again to get up but his knees just won't do what they're told.

Footsteps, small and hesitant, creep down the hallway. A voice far away. He can't trust his senses. Hasn't been able to for days now but it's worse at night, worse after sleep.

“Dad?”

He sucks in a breath and holds perfectly still. He's sitting beside his bed, his back to the mattress, facing the door. His knees are pulled to his chest like a child, fingers rubbing at the sore places he landed on absentmindedly, like it'll help. Like that's the problem. And there is Jack looking small but also somehow impossibly grown. “Dad are you okay?”

He mumbles something that he knows is incoherent and scares Jack because suddenly Jack's hand is slamming down on his cell phone and he's pressing a button. It's not 911, it's Jess.

“Aunt Jessica? Something's wrong with dad...”

He blinks owlishly up at Jack and tries to listen to the conversation, he keeps the volume on his phone up so loud as his hearing gets worse. Nothing breaks through the muffled chaos in his head though, but soon Jack is rushing out of the room and coming back with something shiny and silver in his hand. For a split second Hotch cowers, it's a gun his mind tells him it's a gun. Where would Jack get that? He panics, and then Jack extends it to him and he blinks again.

Capri Sun. It's apple juice in a tiny little foil pouch. He takes it warily and with trembling hands fumbles at the little yellow straw, trying to break it free. Yeah, this is going to help...he hasn't eaten more than a few bites of food in days, this is going to help.

But he can't get to the straw, his fingers won't work. Jack drops to his knees with the phone still in his hand and he trades his dad. Gives him the phone, takes the drink pouch. Hotch doesn't do anything with the phone, though, he knows already that Jess is on her way so he watches Jack with fascination instead. Steady hands pulling the glue apart and opening the tiny yellow straw, poking it through the foil and into the pouch just the right way. He wonders how many times in their lives he's done this simple task for Jack, remembers the first time Jack tried it on his own and jammed the sharp end of the straw all the way through the pouch spilling juice everywhere. All of this goes through his mind and he smiles because those memories are all absolutely real.

He sips the cold juice, feels the way the sugar coats his tongue and instantly he feels revived. And stupid, so stupid, letting his blood sugar drop so low that he scares his son.

“I'm sorry, Jack,” he whispers and the words come out correctly. Jack stands and reaches out his hand, helping Hotch to his feet and onto his bed so he can finish his juice more comfortably. Jack is big enough to help him up. His hand is engulfed in Hotch's but he's strong, he's growing, soon his hand won't disappear like that inside of his father's. He used to cradle Jack's entire little body there, and now his hand just barely fits. Time is a thief.

“Aunt Jess will be here soon,” Jack says and Hotch nods. He knows. He'll have more apologizing to do, as always, but for the first time in days Hotch knows that no matter what tricks are being played on him, this has to be real.

Peter Lewis dealt in fear and in pain. He could never conjure a vision so serene, so inherently good as Jack and this Capri Sun.

#aaron hotchner #haley hotchner #jack hotchner #jessica brooks #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction

33 notes · View notes