#i've literally done nothing but work on this wip

[uhlys]

the sexci urge to make this blog look nice but i'm balls deep into this vash wip that if i stop working on it for too long i just know i'm gonna lose motivation to keep working on it *cries*

#ramble — #i've literally done nothing but work on this wip #i actually have no idea where i'm going with it #idek if it makes sense #but we're getting somewhere!!

[gffa]

Okay, so it was a month since my last BATFAMILY fic recs set, but in my defense a) huge life changes and b) I did a quick count up of how many recs I had built up and it was literally well over a million words. A million words! In one recs set! And this is like the seventh one of these that I've done! And I still have at least a thousand fics on my reader that I haven't started! Because this fandom has seriously not just consumed my brain, but given me absolutely amazing stuff to read that scratches all the itches I desperately have--well, okay, scratches the itch I have for my Dick Grayson Problem, but same thing.

I've really needed some escapism lately and being able to laugh or cry or just sink into a nice, long novella or even novel-length fic has really been a godsend has done a lot to soothe me and help me process feelings that sometimes otherwise can feel too overwhelming to deal with. All while also giving me the exploration of issues or decompression time with the characters' issues that the canon itself doesn't have the space for. So, I hope this list can give others something to read in the way it has given me so much that I've loved and brought me joy or emotional catharsis, because fandom has been really incredible about Bringing The Good Stuff and I want to repay the favor!

BATFAM FIC RECS - BABY DICK IS THE CUTEST FERAL ROBIN I'M NOT HEARING ANY ARGUMENTS: ✦ The Halfway Point by Sugarcookie222, dick & bruce & alfred & clark, 5k     After a miscommunication with Bruce, a 13-year-old Dick runs away. He makes it as far as a diner in a nearby state. Bruce had left to finalize the adoption papers but clearly needs to work on his communication skills. He calls Superman in a panic to help him find Dick.

✦ be safe, they said (be good) by deargalileo, bruce & dick & alfred, 4k     there's a tree in the wayne's backyard. a very specific tree, one that seems to attract daring children like bees to honey. unfortunately for the children, it is not a tree that is suited for climbing. fortunately for the children, they have fathers who are there to stitch them up.

✦ a haunted ballroom by lothIoriens, bruce & dick & alfred, 11.9k wip     When Dick stumbles across the ghosts of Wayne Manor dancing the night away in an abandoned wing of the house, he thinks that, finally, something might be normal again. But the ghosts are nervous, and he doesn't know why. Something is brewing underneath the surface of Wayne Manor, and it's up to Dick to find out what it is—and it's up to Bruce to make sure nothing happens to his charge in the meantime.

✦ Straight On Til Morning by audreycritter, bruce & dick, 1.2k     Bruce wakes Dick up on a school night to show him the sky. It dredges up memories for Dick, and it would be a disaster, except it’s Bruce. And Bruce understands.

✦ (More) Pressing Matters by Syl, bruce & dick, 39.2k     Dick Grayson arrives at Wayne Manor, a cold empty place, shortly after his parents' murder: A re-telling of the Boy Wonder's well-known origin story.

✦ First Action Hero by Goldmonger, bruce & dick & clark & cast, 3.5k     “Jerkwads,” Dick said darkly, taking Clark’s hand. He looked up at him then, dressed smartly in a black suit and tie, and wearing converses with Sonic the Hedgehog on them. “You okay, Uncle Clark?”

✦ Lil Birdy Wants to Fly by lil_taair, bruce & dick, 3.8k     Bruce would have usually appreciated the cheeky smile that was directed at him if his son wasn’t 25 fucking feet off the ground

✦ World's Finest: Fortress of Friendship by WingFeathers, bruce & dick & clark & diana, 6.9k     Finally, Dick talks Bruce into letting him see the Fortress of Solitude – provided that Dick stay safe and out of the way while the Trinity discusses some Secret Important Business about a certain young Amazon. Clark promises that the Fortress will be safe, but is that a promise he can make?

✦ Stolen Son by springfox (dallystrings), bruce & dick & jim, 8.6k     Dick is excited to visit an American mall for the first time, and Bruce struggles to understand the difference between 'guardian' and 'dad'.

✦ Comfort Food by motleyfam, bruce & dick, ~1k     Dick struggles to find his appetite in the aftermath of his parents’ deaths.

✦ The meaning of justice by Fleur_de_Violette, bruce & dick & babs & cast, 4.6k     As Bruce drives toward Gotham Academy, he tries to imagine all the possible reasons for the principal to call him. He has a lot of imagination. Especially when it comes to bad things happening to Dick. Still, his ward being a suspect for attempted murder hadn’t been on his list.

✦ The Question Game by Santana2, dick & bruce, 1.3k     Basketball can be a very enlightening game if you play it right. Little expansion on Robin's part in Downtime

✦ Cat's Eat Birds by Nightwing_DC_2112, dick & bruce & selina & cast, 12k     After a run in with the Scarecrow Robin is separated from Batman fighting off the effects of Crane's Fear Toxin when an unlikely ally steps in to prevent him getting into further trouble.

✦ World's Finest Mini Issue: Happy Birthday by WingFeathers, bruce & dick (& minor clark/bruce & alfred), 1.8k     Bruce hoped for an emergency to get him out of his birthday party. He just didn’t want Dick to be the one in need of help. BATFAM FIC RECS - ADULT BATSON AND BATDAD ARE MY KRYPTONITE, I FOLD LIKE WET CARDBOARD FOR THEM: ✦ Truth Serum is the Worst by JackHawksmoor, dick & bruce, 3.1k     Batman gets dosed with a truth serum and unexpectedly spends most of the time talking about how desperately he loves his children, how awesome they are, and how he wishes he was better at being a father.

✦ Holy Time Travel Fuckery, Batmen by That_One_Curly_Haired_Fangirl, dick & bruce, 4.4k     Batman is dead, and Dick has reluctantly taken up the mantle. So then why are there four Batmen, all clearly Bruce, standing in front of him on this rooftop?

✦ The Waking World by Fairy527, dick & bruce, 2.2k     This isn’t the first time Dick has gone to Bruce after a nightmare. However, this is the first time his nightmare has involved Bruce's murder at his own hands, and it doesn't settle well.

✦ More Alike Than You'll Ever Admit coffeeandchocolate, dick & bruce, 1.2k     Dick Grayson has always been there alongside Batman. So if no one else is going to acknowledge that his first year wearing the cowl was harder, well, he's just going to have to do it himself. After Bruce returns from being lost in time, he and his eldest argue.

✦ Almost, Nearly by CKBookish, dick & bruce & jason & cast, 8.1k     Dick was just supposed to go with him to lunch. He wasn't supposed to get shot. He wasn't supposed to be bleeding out in the pouring rain on the steps of Wayne Enterprises. But then Bruce hadn't expected that sniper and he had seen it far to late. BATFAM FIC RECS - EVERYBODY LOVES DICK: ✦ Behind Granite and Lime by JeanjacketCarf, dick & bruce & jason & tim & barbara & cass, 14.5k wip     Cassandra had noticed. Of course, she noticed. That was the problem, she couldn’t turn it off. She always had to see, always had to know. So she knew when Dick came back from his mission that something was wrong. Or something is off with Dick. Hopefully, it doesn't have anything to do with those murders.

✦ Soup's On by HoodEx, dick & donna, 2k     Taking care of Dick never feels like a burden, it feels like an instinct. And Donna's really good at following her instincts.

✦ to dream away a sleepless night by waffle-wonder (cosmic_croissant), dick & bruce & jason & tim & damian & cass & stephanie & duke, 2.7k     Dick was fine. He was fine. Sure, he was having a little trouble focusing on unlocking his apartment door, but that didn’t mean anything. Or- Dick is exhausted. His family catches him when he falls.

✦ Temporary by daringyounggrayson, bruce & dick & alfred & cast, 14.8k     The double homicide at Haly’s Circus is not Bruce’s first case involving a child, and while there's no overt indication that Bruce should react differently to this case, he supposes that his previous cases did not involve the witness known as Dick Grayson. On the surface, the Grayson case seems like any other gang case, but the more time Bruce spends with the boy, the more he begins to doubt his own instincts.

✦ To the Moving and the Strange by SilverSkiesAtMidnight, dick & bruce & alfred & tim & cast, 6k     Thankfully, Alfred tips his head in acknowledgement. “I do,” he agrees. “I remember a great many things. But I have forgotten things too, and I expect as time goes on, more of them will slip away from me, and it’s entirely possible that I won’t even notice they’re gone. My memories of them will simply be… less.” Dick looks at him, studying the lines of his weathered face. “Does that ever make you feel like... like if you loved them more, you’d remember them?”

✦ better luck nest time by ScarlettSwordMoon, dick & bruce & jason & tim & damian & cass & steph & duke & cast, 47k wip     Feeling as if Dick’s family does not appreciate him enough, an alternate Earth version of Babs turns Dick into a bird. Now each member of the Batfamily must confess something to him if they ever want to see Dick as a human again. AKA The tale of a family and their birb.

✦ deep roots (are not reached by the frost) by fanfictiongreenirises, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & cass & cast, de-aged!dick, 85.2k wip     Dick gets reverted to a younger self after being kidnapped on during a case. But this is far from a routine de-aging.

✦ Bludhaven Police Department by Lady_of_Lorule, bruce & dick & jason & tim & barbara & amy & donna & wally & cast, 31.1k     Sgt. Amy Rohrbach learns that her partner, rookie cop Dick Grayson, is not what he seems. Or how Amy finds out that Dick Grayson is the heir to the entire Wayne fortune, the vigilante Nightwing, the leader of the Titans, and meets some of the Batfam and the Titans along the way. BATFAM FIC RECS - DICK AND DAMIAN WERE THE BEST BATMAN & ROBIN, I'M NOT HEARING ARGUMENTS ABOUT THAT EITHER: ✦ Too Many Walls and Not Enough Bridges by CamsthiSky, dick & damian, 3.7k     There's something bothering Damian. Dick's determined to help Damian feel comfortable enough to share it.

✦ All The Small Things by Geeves, dick & damian & bruce & cast, 20.1k     After Bruce's return to the Bat, Dick and Damian have to deal with just being brothers, but things are just a bit too messy to be that easy BATFAM FIC RECS - BATKIDS ALL HAVE MANY SIBLINGS AND THEY'RE ALL PETTY ASSHOLES AND/OR WONDERFUL BABIES AND I LOVE THEM WITH MY WHOLE BEING: ✦ Do-over by mx_chrx99, dick & jason & todd & damian & steph, 6.2k     Jason never really got to do the "family vacation" thing. Neither did Tim, Steph, or Damian. Dick did, but that was ages ago. Now's their chance to make up for lost time.

✦ pick up off the floor by deargalileo, dick & jason & bruce, 3k     there was a lump on Bruce's office floor. a Dickwing shaped lump.

✦ the trials and tribulations of fatherhood by InkpotSprite, bruce & dick & jason & tim, 2k     Dick, Jason and Tim compete to see who was the worst child. The answer surprises them all. On an unrelated note, Bruce is wondering if adoptions are a lifetime deal, or if they can be undone.

✦ A Time To Reflect by Experimental_Muse, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & cass & duke & alfred, time travel, 14.5k     Bruce finds himself stuck in the past, and while waiting for the league to pick him up, struggles to get along with his past self. Plus being in a practically empty manor is a bigger adjustment than he'd like to admit. BATFAM FIC RECS - SOMETIMES YOU JUST THINK BRUCE AND DIANA SHOULD KISS IT OUT: ✦ One equal temper of heroic hearts by victoria_p (musesfool), bruce/diana, nsfw, 1.5k     Bruce and Diana reconcile at Nanda Parbat.

✦ Thanksgiving at the Kents by starknjarvis, bruce/diana & cast, 8.9k     Clark convinces Diana to come to the farm for Thanksgiving, and Diana finally gets the chance to meet Bruce's kids. There are far more of them than she had expected.

✦ Escape Artistry by David Hines (hradzka), bruce/diana & cast, 24.2k     Wonder Woman is eager to learn new things. Batman, less so. Primarily JL animated continuity; some comic elements from as far back as the Golden Age. Complete. BATFAM FIC RECS - I WILL DIE ON THE HILL THAT TIM DRAKE'S TRUE LOVE INTEREST IS CONNER KENT AND NOBODY CAN STOP ME, NOT EVEN GOD: ✦ Will you die for (marry) me? by Ididloveyou_once, tim/kon & cassie & bart & cast, 7.8k     Tim sacrifices himself on a mission and lives. Conner hates that. They struggle through the aftermath.

✦ A Saturday Evening by malcyon, tim/kon & clark/lois & jonathan kent/martha kent & kara, 13.8k     Kon invites Tim over for dinner. Tim's not sure if he should have accepted that invitation.

✦ Sending all my love to you by Paintedqueen, tim/kon, 10.9k wip     Conner and Tim get blasted into New Earth where they meet an old friend.

✦ Composed of Us by starlikeknight, tim/kon & bruce & dick & cast, 37.1k wip     Or, a spiralling Tim clones a baby without thinking about the consequences. And there are many, many consequences. BATFAM FIC RECS - I SAY THIS IS A BATFAM REC LIST BUT SOMETIMES YOU JUST GOTTA SHOVE THOSE ASSHOLES OUT OF THE WAY AND READ SOME SUPERFIC: ✦ All these things (that I'll never know) by Paintedqueen, conner & clark & kara & jonathan & implied tim/kon & cast, 12.7k     Kon-El's journey on what it means to be Kryptonian.

✦ birthday bash by yeeyee123, conner & clark & jon & tim/kon, 11.8k     Kon’s pumped that Clark has brought him in to help put together Jon’s 8th birthday party. No really, he is! Just don’t ask him directly about it, or he may need to go leave the room and take a breather. Inhaling helium gas from all those balloons isn’t good for you, you know?

✦ Catching Icarus by Fantasyfire, conner & clark & justice league, 24.8k wip     A bad encounter with magic banishes Superboy into another world. Stranded, the Kryptonian clone must deal with a whole new league and a much different Superman.

✦ Nobody's Child by Kizmet, clark & conner & lois & ma kent & pa kent & cast, 18k     Superboy is deaged. While Young Justice looks for a cure Batman sticks Clark Kent with babysitting duties. BATFAM FIC RECS - TAKE THE ANGST DIAL, TURN IT UP TO ELEVEN, AND BREAK THE KNOB OFF, THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE FOR: ✦ Adeamus by miss_aphelion, bruce & dick & stephanie & damian & jason & tim & clark & cast, 32k     I'll always be there to catch you, Bruce had promised him once. Dick would like to believe it hadn’t been meant as a threat at the time. (or; Bruce takes over Gotham to keep his sons safe, but he’s already trained Dick too well to always protect others first)

✦ Gorgon’s eyes by Fleur_de_Violette, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & barbara & cast, 9k     Dick will give time to his family. He’s just came back as Nightwing after being undercover in Spyral; he understands that they won’t forgive him immediately. Except, when an encounter with neurotoxin leaves him completely paralyzed, he has no choice but to rely on them.

✦ bad signal by prismatical, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & cass & cast, 38.4k     The rescue mission went well. Nightwing is safe. Everything should be alright. Right?

✦ And The Crown Will Sing by ScarlettSwordMoon, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & barbara & cast, read the tags, 84.7k wip     After an encounter with alien technology, Bruce re-evaluates some previously held ideals. Gotham doesn’t need a Knight, she needs a King. Bruce will do whatever it takes to secure his rightful place as ruler of Gotham. He will do whatever it takes to keep his sons by his side. Even if it means breaking them in first. [Dark Bruce Wayne, eventual Dark Batfam]

✦ borderline by TheResurrectionist, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & cass & steph, 22.7k wip     A mysterious force connects the Batfamily's minds together.

✦ Parting is all we Know of Heaven by Sword_Kallya, dick & bruce & jason & tim & damian & amy, suicidal ideation, 11.9k     Three months after Batman returns from the timestream, Dick Grayson has disappeared.

✦ Behind Granite and Lime by JeanjacketCarf, dick & bruce & jason & tim & damian & barbara & cass & cast, read the tags, 18k wip     Cassandra had noticed. Of course, she noticed. That was the problem, she couldn’t turn it off. She always had to see, always had to know. So she knew when Dick came back from his mission that something was wrong. Or something is off with Dick. Hopefully, it doesn't have anything to do with those murders.

✦ A Little Out of the Ordinary by dizarys, tim & dick & conner & slade & cast, 1.5k     A boot scraped against stone at the same time pain seared through Tim’s chest, radiating from one sharp, jabbing point. With a gasping wheeze, he tried to grab at it. But his arms refused to move.

✦ Override Two: Family Protocol by zombiesbecrazy, dick & bruce & jason & tim & damian & barbara & cass & cast, talon!dick, 78.3k     When faced with an impossible and inescapable situation, Dick does the only thing left that he can do to save his family. Surrender himself to the Court of Owls to become their Talon in exchange for their lives.

✦ Weekend Commute by CKBookish, bruce & dick & jason & tim & donna & wally & cast, 7.4k     Dick Grayson makes his way home during the first snow fall of the year, when he finds himself confused and cold, miles from home.

✦ What These Hands Have Done by WinterSky101, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & cass & steph & alfred & cast, 14k     Dick is mind controlled into attacking his family. Unsurprisingly, he takes the whole thing very badly.

✦ birdsong by ScarlettSwordMoon, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & steph & cast, 22.7k     After getting a face full of Scarecrow’s newest toxin, Dick isn’t haunted by his typical nightmares. No. This one has little green pixie boots. AKA Batman: Ego but make it Robin.

✦ New Krypton by Hawkstout, dick & clark & bruce & cast, read the tags, 15.9k wip     Robin is captured by the Kryptonians and put under the care of Kal-El, the man he has known as Superman. Kal-El wants to do his best for Robin and keep the boy safe and healthy. He's fond of him. They were friends once. He hopes that once Robin understands the invasion of his home is for the best that he will grow to see him as a guardian, maybe even as a father. But Robin doesn't need another father. He needs a way to escape.

✦ i was not born to drown by daringyounggrayson, bruce & dick & tim & damian & donna & wally & roy & cast, 25.2k     Or: After getting shot by Doctor Hurt, Dick develops chronic migraines.

✦ Running Headlong into My Arms by gleesquid, bruce/selina & dick & jason & tim & damian & barbara & cass & steph & alfred & cast (& some minor pairings), 54.2k     Bruce doesn’t like to credit one thing for saving his life, but if he did, it would be Haly’s Circus that Friday night in September, just as summer was beginning to die. (He'll always be a sucker for kids with sad eyes, no parents, and more fight than the world knows what to do with.) Or: in a universe where superheroes don't exist, Bruce Wayne finds his family.

✦ Waking In The Night Light by I_Have_To_Get_Off_This_Planet, bruce & dick & jason & tim & cass, 7.1k     Aside from the soft pitter-pattering of rain against the window, it’s quiet in the room. Tranquil, Bruce thinks. Or at least, as tranquil as a hospital room can get. BATFAM FIC RECS - THROW BABY DICK AT BATTISON, C'MON DO IT, IT'LL BE HILARIOUS: ✦ take these broken wings and learn to fly by fishingclocks, dick & bruce & alfred, 49.2k wip     or, How Dick Grayson Burrowed His Way Inextricably into the Heart of Bruce Wayne

✦ A Bat and his Birds by SalParadiseLost, bruce & dick & jason & tim, 3.1k     Bruce Wayne adopts a child on impulse... and then another... and then another. He doesn't know what he's doing, but somehow it doesn't end up too bad except for the fact that his kids think he's a vampire.

#lumi.txt #dc #batfam #bruce wayne #dick grayson #jason todd #tim drake #damian wayne #barbara gordon #cassandra cain #conner kent #clark kent #timkon #wonderbat #fic recs #batman fic recs #long post

[jennagrinsoverml]

hii do you have a list of miraculous fics you think everyone should read at least once?

Anon, I have been excited to answer this request ever since I got it. What better way to celebrate my 50th Rec List (!!!!) than with my favourite fandom fics? 🎉🎉🎉

I've tried to choose fics with a variety of tones, from different fandom eras, and different authors. These fics are all special to me in some way, and whittling this list down was HARD. Others may have fics they think should be on this list, and to those people I say: make your own rec list. This one's mine. 😘

Experimental Kisses by @komorebirei

Ladybug watched him. Maybe it was guilt, maybe sympathy, maybe a streak of playfulness. Maybe the traumatic akuma experience had softened her up. Whatever the reason, a thought wafted lazily through her mind and out of her mouth. “You know… you’re right. It isn’t fair, is it?”

Chat Noir looked up.

“I remember my first kiss, but you don’t.” She hummed and tapped her chin, making a show of remembering. “It wasn’t a bad kiss, but we were in the middle of fighting an akuma, so I didn’t get to enjoy it much, either.”

Oops—that came out sounding a little, no, a lot more flirty than she had intended. Anyway, if she was going to commit to this idea, she may as well go all in.

One-shot. Ladybug offers to kiss Chat since he doesn’t remember their kiss and the way she reacts to the kiss…it lives in my mind rent-free. I have fallen asleep many a night fantasizing about what the repercussions of the kiss might look like. One of my absolute favourite Ladynoir fics.

team is a four letter word by @ladyofthenoodle

Alya didn’t want to come between Ladybug and Chat Noir. But she didn’t want to stop being Rena Rouge either. And if Chat Noir didn’t want to talk to her, then she’d need to find a different way to prove all three of them could be a team.

Her plan unintentionally brings a few secrets to light, which leads to even more secrets coming to light, which leads to… well, Alya is sure it’ll all work out eventually.

Multi-chapter. Warning, this fic is a WIP! (But there’s only one chapter to go.) Honestly, I didn’t want to have any WIPs on this list and I was lowkey hoping that it would be finished before I posted this list but I’m obsessed with this one and couldn’t leave it off. It’s literally one of the BEST fics in the entire fandom and, I think, the absolute best delving into the characterization and relationship dynamics of the core four. This fic feels so dynamic and complex, with all of the characters feelings so like themselves and each having their own distinct voices. The conflict is so well done and so realistic. It’s such a fantastic tackling of the issues that came up in the last couple seasons and I cannot rave about it enough!!

œuf ouch owie by @ominousunflower

Chat Noir enlists Rena Rouge's help to create an Aspik illusion. Absolutely nothing goes wrong.

Ladybug smiles. “I wanted to drop by and welcome Aspik. I know it must be a little intimidating, being surrounded by so many veteran heroes…so, welcome! We’re glad to have you on board.”

“I look like an egg!” Aspik announces, T-posing.

Chat turns to Rena, feeling like he has been punched in the solar plexus. What the hell? he mouths.

Rena grimaces, her eyes wide with panic. Stomach sinking, Chat remembers one of the first things he learned about the Fox Miraculous: that if Rena Rouge isn’t focused, her illusions go haywire.

Oh, no.

One-shot. This is hands down the FUNNIEST fic in the entire fandom asdfghjkl like I have read this fic at least 50 times and I still laugh out loud every single time. If you have somehow failed to read this fic before, read it now. You won’t regret it!

lucky (we're in love in every way) by @carpisuns​

Chat Noir is Adrien, and Marinette is freaking out. If she manages to quiet her internal screaming, maybe she can also find the guts to tell him her identity too. And maybe they'll actually live happily ever after—well, as soon as Tikki and Plagg are done humiliating them.

One-shot. This fic just makes me so incredibly happy. Like it puts a smile on my face every single time I read it (and I have read it many, many times!) I love Marinette’s reactions and Adrien’s sweetness and the kwamis just absolutely ROASTING both of them. Marissa has written a ton of amazing fics for this fandom (seriously we are so lucky to have her) and I was tempted by others (like tell me something i don't know) but in the end, I had to follow my heart with this one.

Your Kitty by @gabriel-agreste-has-no-rights​

“Such a dramatic kitty.” Marinette scratched under his chin, bringing a smile to his face and a purr to his throat.

Your kitty, he didn’t say.

Wait. What?

(The one where Chat Noir thinks he needs pats like a cat, only to find out he may have jumped to the wrong conclusion.)

One-shot. When I think of Marichat, this is THE fic I think of. Adrien being touch starved is 100% my headcanon now. This is just so sweet! Marinette’s affection and Adrien’s determination to do the right thing no matter the personal cost and the way they fell for each other without meaning to... Also I love that they both encouraged the other to go back to their original crushes because that makes so much sense!!

rattle my cage by @lnc2​

In which history, despite Alya's best efforts, does not repeat itself.

One-shot. I am always here for Adrien being rash and Marinette being smart and capable and just switching to treating him as Chat absolutely seamlessly after a reveal. I absolutely love the vibes of this one.

Chasing the C/h/atwalk. by @runningoutofink

Paris. The city of lights, love and fashion. Follow the progress of Marinette Dupain Cheng as she enters the extremely competitive world of Reality television for a chance to be the winner of Project Runway: France.

Multi-chapter. It should come as no surprise by now that I’m a sucker for reality tv and this is my absolute favourite reality cross in the fandom! I love that it’s canon compliant, and frankly the idea of Marinette and Adrien as designer and model on Project Runway is friggin’ BRILLIANT. The slow burn and pining are delicious, and the identity reveal is incredibly well done! (And it has a steamy sequel, Meet me in the Middle, which is 🔥🔥🔥 and intensely satisfying after all of that build up.)

daydream by @clairelutra

you're my daydream

you know that i've been thinking about you lately

In which Adrien finds out Ladybug is Marinette, and beats the 'this is fine' dog at his own game.

One-shot. Shout-out to the author for realizing way before canon let on that Adrien is way more likely to figure out Marinette than the reverse! And then absolutely murdering us with this intense slow burn that absolutely drips with mutual pining and UST.

What Will You Do When Everyone Knows? by @sariahsue

They stepped in closer, shoulder to shoulder to catch the akuma as she landed, but she twisted in midair, landing squarely in front of Cat Noir, swiping at him. He stepped back, trying to keep his balance. Her fingertips almost touched his face, and Ladybug felt her stomach lurch.

“Duck!” she yelled to him as she whipped her yoyo around. He did, but unfortunately, the akuma woman did, too. Ladybug suddenly had no target to latch onto and lost her balance. Her stomach twisted again as she pitched forward. Black hands darted forward to catch her, but too late she realized it wasn’t her partner. Cold gloves caught her shoulder and neck, then slid up her face, brushing past her earrings. Cold. The woman’s touch froze Ladybug’s breath in her throat.

Then there was something warm around her middle. Cat Noir’s shout sounded distant as he pulled her away. As the woman’s black gloves left her face, Ladybug felt even more heat being pulled from her, along with… something else.

Multi-chapter. There really isn’t another fic in the fandom like this one. The akuma is original and provides an absolutely amazing premise for this fic. We have mystery, intrigue, and a huge upset to the status quo with the public revealing of Ladybug’s identity. I also loved the dramatic irony of Marinette being unable to understand Chat’s reactions to things that make perfect sense to us readers. It’s got amazing characterizations and suspense, and I love it!

But All I’m Seeing Is You by @chelseaapproved

After Ladybug finds out Adrien is her Chat Noir, they start dating. She didn’t think it’d be so hard to keep her identity a secret from him. She also didn’t realize how much it would affect her friendship with him as Marinette.

One-shot. This might be my favourite ladrien of all time. It’s only about 5k, but man does it ever pack in a lot of emotion and relationship development and I really, really, really love it.  I really felt how much they love each other in this one and Marinette is just so, so wonderful to Adrien and he’s so wonderful to her and if you haven’t already please read this.

A Miraculous Reveal by @kasienda​

Series of one-shots and drabbles all centered around The Reveal Moment. Identities will be revealed, feelings will be confessed, and secrets will be discovered through contrived situations, accidents, meddling friends, desperate moments, and moments of emotional vulnerability. Each chapter is a self contained piece. Love-square focused, but will not remain exclusive to them. Each chapter will have its own trigger warnings.

Collection of one-shots. I feel a little like I’m cheating in including a collection here, but like most of us in this fandom, I’m an absolute sucker for identity reveals, and @kasienda is especially talented at writing them! Every single one of these is beautiful, amazing and worth reading at least once.

the wonderful part of the mess that we made by heresie_irisee

They knew.

They knew, and there would be no magical reset button for the memories they'd made today. She'd have to  see him at school every day, and she'd see the Chat in him, as surely as  he'd see the Ladybug in her.

One-shot. Oblivio is probably my favourite episode and this is such a great alternate take on it. The mutual pining is so, so, so good! Especially love Marinette struggling to assimilate Adrien’s identities and Adrien’s obliviousness.

The following fics are amazing and absolutely worth reading, but do feature sexual content, so minors beware.

The Ladybugs and The Bees by @bullysquadess

AKA the early-fandom Ladynoir puberty fic that spiraled waaaaay out of proportion.

Multi-chapter. I’ve avoided reccing this fic for so long as it was literally the most kudosed fic in the entire fandom when I joined. However, the kudos are well-earned and I can’t make a list of must reads without including it. I love the ladynoir, the way it builds slowly, the focus on the developing relationship, both physical and otherwise, the yearning and the devotion and the vulnerability. And, of course, the steamy scenes are fantastic!! The whole thing is just so well developed and feels so grounded and real. I absolutely love it.

one night of moonlight by @mirthaculous

i’ll always think of you

inside of my private thoughts

i can imagine you

touching my private parts

2:13 ok im texting you now like i promised instead of drunktexting adrien and telling him how badly i want his cock tonight. arent you proud of me?

2:19 this is Adrien, hi.

Marinette’s brain-to-mouth filter isn’t great on the best of days. Add some beer and some misplaced texts, and things get a little more… interesting.

One-shot. Rated M. This is one of my favourite fics of all time. This is so steamy, seriously the UST is off the charts!! It is absolutely unreal how much these two want each other and the mutual pining and they’re so stupid and this fic literally killed me and I thanked it.

#ml #miraculous ladybug #ml fanfic #ml fic rec #ml fic recs #ml love square #adrienette #adrinette #ladynoir #marichat #ladrien #prpr #identity reveal #fic recs #jennarecsml

[alexturne]

NEW FIC

So, this is finally happening.

The first chapter of my brand new fic "you've got control of everyone's eyes (including mine)" is out.

You can read it right here.

This fic is so special to me. My white whale, my genesis. This is what started it all, my journey as a milex writer.

I began writing this story on this day, two whole years ago. My first Milex story ever. It didn't end up as the first I posted, and it has been sitting in my wip folder for those two years, half-finished.

And now, two years and 15 other Milex fics later, it's finally done. I can't fucking believe it.

I've never worked this hard on any other story before, it's never been this difficult. I saw it so clearly in my head, and I needed it to pan out exactly as I'd imagined it.

I had several moments where I seriously doubted that it would ever see the light of day. It would die in that folder, and no one would ever get to read it. I'd never get to finish it and realize my vision for it. And it kinda broke my heart.

It's very special to me, it's everything I love the most, it's so me, and I love these characters to bits.

And I'm so proud of the fact that I actually managed to get it done. I love it with my entire heart. And I can't believe that I'm finally posting this, it feels fucking unreal.

And I hope you will welcome this story and show it support. It would literally mean the world to me.💕

Thank you to my friends who have supported me through all this, special mention to @yellowloid I literally couldn't have done it without your uplifting encouragement ❤️

Now there's nothing left to say but ENJOY !

I will be posting fairly frequently, at least one chapter per week ✨

#milex #milex fanfiction #my writing #my fic #alex turner #miles kane #fanfiction #fanfic #milex fanfic #arctic monkeys #tlsp #the last shadow puppets

[glittercake]

WIP GAME

@downwarddnaspiral thank you for the tag to share some of my wips :) which... i cant believe i actually have unposted wips for a change! i normally just write one thing at a time and finish it. i cant say when any of these will be done though, but at least they exist lmao. i've been busy irl and too tired to write.

so. here goes:

The sambucky divorce AU: titled Moments Away for now (from the Mango Groove song) i have about 6k, redid the outline 3 times because it was just too much, and had some personal war flashbacks while writing it so i had to take a breather 😂 Excerpt:

Sam's mama always said love’s never going to be enough and he didn't understand how that was possible. He didn’t understand—as a seventeen-year-old, so in love he could barely see out of his own eyes, or as a sophomore on the back of a dropout, bad boy’s motorbike, or as a new father of beautiful twin girls with the love of his life—how that could ever be the truth. But he gets it now. 

more below the cut!

Next is a Sambucky Night Agent AU: based on the netflix series. it's basically cap sam/modern bucky but with suspense :) this is literally all i have so it might change completely:

There’s murder on the news. The Vice President’s dead. The nation’s in uproar. They’re saying he did it. They’re saying Captain America has committed treason. His face is plastered across the news, on every station on every street pole, his description is flying through the airways as he sits here covered in blood, trying to catch his breath. He didn’t do this. Sam can’t fucking breathe. He’s not someone to admit this easily, but he needs help. He needs help in a big fucking way. He eyes the number that dying woman stuffed in his hand earlier and hopes his phone line is still connected.

This one is a post canon fic where they run into each other on vacation and decide to have a little summer fling and then drama happens when bucky joins thunderbolts when they return.

Technically Sam wouldn’t be fucking his co-worker. Technically, they’ve only worked together like once, really. Bucky’s mouth is in his neck right now, and Sam can feel a bruise forming but he’s doing nothing to stop it because Bucky’s hand is also on Sam’s dick and it’s all going downhill real quick. So does he want to shit where he eats? No. Is he going to tell Bucky to stop? Also no. They’re on vacation and it’s anything but separate, like they threatened—in fact they’re plastered together—so something, something stays in Vegas…

then a fucking vampire AU?? which was very unexpected but I'm having fun planning it and writing little bits at a time. basically sam is a photographer looking to advance his career and bucky is a 100yo vampire. hmm.

There’s a sudden movement at the top of the stairs, so swift it’s dizzying. Sam can't place it. Just a gust of black night and bright blue, like the electric zap of lightning in a storm. Sam’s instinct is to retreat, wanting to back himself out of there. Overcome with fear. But something else sticks him in place, makes him hone in on the movement. A tall, slim figure, pale as moonlight, glides down the steps as if they’re not there at all, with the grace of an encroaching predator, salivating with deadly hunger, and Sam can’t move. Only after a few paralyzing moments does he recognize the shape as a person. A man. Sam realizes now that the flash of electric blue he’d seen is the man’s eyes.

anyway, that's it. i'm actually keen to get work done on these. hopefully i get some time soon :)

#sambucky #wips #tagged

[edai-crplpnk]

2.- was sasuke right? || 3.- were naruto's intentions with sasuke selfish? || 8.- show a screenshot of your latest draft with no context ((always gonna pick the excuse to see sneak peeks lol)) || 14.-openings or endings?

For the Controversial Naruto Take Ask

2 - was sasuke right?

I'd like to preface this by saying I find it utterly insane how everyone (in canon and also a bit in the fandom tbh) says stuff about sasuke needing to atone for his crimes and whatnot when he literally has never killed anyone in the whole series. Even Naruto has, and he hasn't. And it's explicitly said that he has gone out of his way not to, and that he has asked Taka not to either while they were working for him. So, of course, the whole barging in at the gokage summit thing was not very cordial, but compared to what most of the characters have done, he's pretty fine. (Kakashi kills a child in the very first arc, may I remind everyone.)

Anyway. If the question is "Was Sasuke right about wanting a revolution and to take down Konoha's government?" I mean. Yes, I think that genocide is bad and that states that have been built in a way that allows and, furthermore, have flourished on them, should be undermined. I don't know if he was going to have a plan for that that would have led to something more functional to be built, I'll give you that, but yes Homura and Koharu should have died in a jail cell decades ago.

The part where he went full "I am going to become an eternal god hated by all and ruling by fear" was probably ill-advised though.

3 - were naruto's intentions with sasuke selfish?

That's an interesting question because I've never thought about it like that? I think that one thing happening in their dynamic is that they have very similar problems and trauma, but very different ways to react to it. And so they can relate to the other's motivation, but tend to think "but you are being mistaken about the solution because I know how to solve this and it's not that". But the truth is they are both traumatised teenagers willing to literally die for attention and a feeling of accomplishment and purpose, so I don't think either of them really has it figured out 😭

I don't think that Naruto's intentions with Sasuke were selfish, in the sense that I think he genuinely was doing what he was doing with the belief that it was the right way and that it would help and save him (which, for a part at least, it did). But maybe it was selfish in that he wasn't able to consider that because just he is seeing one path out of his problems and pain, then that path has to be right for Sasuke as well. To consider that he was a different person who maybe needed to make different choices and that's okay.

Not to do my self-promo but actually yesdo this authors, it's good: this is part of what I wanted to explore in Take You Heart Above The Water. Sasuke cannot (and as a matter of fact, in canon, does not) come back to Konoha and integrate into it the way Naruto does. And it's not necessarily a good goal for him to have. They have different relationships with the village, the people, different needs, or maybe similar ones but different ways to meet them. Helping people grow and feel happy and loved doesn't always mean helping them have the same life as you do.

8 - show a screenshot of your latest draft with no context

The last thing I worked I just posted it, so I'm going to take sneak peek of the last WIP I've worked on. It's All Bones and a Beating Heart, my ShikaChou modern AU.

The breaks in his voice takes him by surprise like a tide rising while one’s looking away, only catching back their attention when the cold water reaches their feet. The admission he’s about to make has been building in the back of his mind for weeks, unspeakable but unshakable too, feeding on him like a parasite that will now gush out through his throat after having overgrown his guts, and there’s nothing he can do to stop it. His lashes stick with tears when he blinks and his lips are dry when they part. “I don’t want anything in me anymore.”

Fun times 👍

14 - openings or endings?

I'm gonna say endings just for Nakushita Kotoba.

Thank you for asking!!

#naruto #sasunaru #narusasu #sns #sasunarusasu #shikacho #naruto meta

[dedalvs]

Hi!

Just came to ask on an issue I've ran into regarding neography.

People in my circle of conlangers/worldbuilders/neographists say that what I do isn't right and is not to be considered neography - here's what I did:

I made over 500 neographies made since the creation of my Reddit account last year, all documented on @thecrazyneographist

And while some of them are seen as cool and all, most are trash bullshit I throw at the wall waiting for something to stick. I literally have diamonds laying under heaps of crap.

I love neographying, this is out of question. But I, despite making a couple WIPs, cannot make a conlang for every script aesthetic I come up with, thus, 90% of my works are just English ciphers (and a devastating part of them are alphabets).

Question:

Am I a valid neographist if most of my creations are nothing more than "children-level ciphers" for English, or not? No matter the answer I will continue making them because that's what I like to do.

Thanks in advance.

Hey, sorry I didn't respond to this sooner, but there are a lot of issues in here, and I wanted to tease them apart, so I can be quite clear on each one.

First, "I am a valid x", where x refers to some sort of artist, is always kind of a sad question to me, because those who ask it are undoubtedly asking it as a result of one kind of gatekeeping or another. For example, fanfic authors who ask "Am I real writer?" are undoubtedly asking it because someone (or several someones) have told them that they're not because all they write is fanfic. There are often a set of assumptions that come with the definition of a given art, such that the belief is if you haven't fulfilled certain criteria, you can't claim to be an artist in that field. For me, I think the definition is rather simpler.

In any artistic field, you qualify as that type of artist if you attempt that type of art. Notice I didn't say finish. This is especially clear for conlangs, as no conlang is finished. If the criteria for being a conlanger is having one finished conlang then there are no conlangers, and there never have been. There's no such thing as a finished conlang. There is such a thing as a finished painting, though, but I don't think you have to have finished a painting to be a painter. You need to be working at, but you don't need to have finished anything.

This doesn't mean that anyone is an anything. For example, to be a novelist, you have to be in the process of writing at least one novel. If all you've ever written is short stories, you're not a novelist. You are a writer, though.

For a neographer (or orthographer or conscriptor or whatever term is in vogue), all you have to do is attempt to create one conscript. That is the only criterion that needs to be satisfied. You've done that in spades, so you are a valid neographer.

Now, when it comes to an invented script, there are a number of elements involved—or that may be involved. They are as follows:

A unique set of glyphs (i.e. letterforms that are crucially different from any other glyphs in any other script—at least partially).

A unique flow (i.e how the glyphs look when lined up to make wordforms).

A specific instantiation or presentation (e.g. the Roman script has a unique set of glyphs and a unique flow, but in presenting a script, Copperlate looks different from Arial, Times, Palatino, Verdana, etc. Each one is a specific presentation or font face or style).

A unique assignment to a set of sounds and/or words/concepts.

Each of these involve artistic decisions, and they all can be assigned different levels of importance/interest. The fourth bullet above seems to be where unhelpful people in your circle are complaining. That is, one thing to do with a script is assign it to, say, the English version of the Roman alphabet. This is a cipher. Here's an example that's used on the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland:

Let's evaluate this based on the criteria above:

There are a unique set of glyphs—kind of. However, if you kind of stand back and evaluate, you'll see that in fact, every letter is a stylized variant of a letter in the Roman alphabet—with, perhaps, the slight exception of I, which looks like a stylized eye (because this is for Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. It's a theme). So, actually, it's not super unique. Additionally, making each vowel glyph red is rather silly.

When written together, the script has a unique flow, but that flow is actually pretty poor. It's a bit like writing in all caps in English, but even all caps Roman has a better balance than this script. It's honestly kind of tiresome looking at this script on the wall. For an alphabet, the characters aren't distinct enough, so it gets poor marks there.

The style of the swooshes/wedges/talons is nice, for the most part (I and U cause me to raise an eyebrow—O, too). The distinction between the very short wedges (as in A, B, and N) and the dots (as in J, L, and M), and the few characters with an even smaller dot (E, X, S, and Y) is, frankly, baffling. Additionally, sometimes the wedges are balanced nicely (A and N are great examples), and sometimes they're way too close (cf. B and Z). While the line work is clean, this honestly even the best version of this style of this script, which is unfortunate, to say the least.

This is a straight-up English cipher. That can only be evaluated based on the goals of the script designer. If the script creator is doing it for fun, then there's nothing to say. That's their choice. If this were done for an Indiana Jones movie or television show, I'd cry foul (cf. Star Wars and their incredibly lazy work). However, this is for a ride. The intended level of interaction for this script is for fans who are standing in line anywhere from 15 minutes to two hours, depending on the time of year and time of day. There are actual messages written in this writing system that fans are supposed to decode. Given the time allotted, I think a cipher—and, in fact, a cipher that can be somewhat easily deciphered—was the right way to go. It's either do a cipher so park goers can actually read the messages without working at it beforehand and have some fun as they're waiting in line, or go all-out stylewise with the expectation that NO rider will ever figure out what's been written.

That's how a script needs to be evaluated. Sometimes purpose overrides style; sometimes not. It totally depends.

It SHOULD go without saying that if you're doing this for your own purposes, then no one can say shit about its intended purpose, or lack thereof. I always thought that in fora like r/neography posters share their script for the look of it, unless they say otherwise. There's both positives and negatives to that. Sometimes the way a script is used makes it cool, so presented without that background renders the script a bit less interesting, but other times, as with your scripts, it should be rather freeing. That is, it doesn't matter if the script is a cipher, is for a conlang, or is asemic: The question is, does it look good? If it does, it shouldn't matter what the hell it's for.

I've looked at your scriptwork here, and I've also seen it on r/neography before. Yes, some of it's a little sloppy, some of it's a little basic (i.e. variation on a theme without thought to how the system as a whole hangs together), and the presentation of some of it could use polishing, but a lot of it is quite interesting, quite striking, and presented quite well. Given the volume of work you've done, it's not surprising that some of it isn't as interesting, but by percentage, your work, on the whole, is outstanding. I honestly never noticed they were ciphers because it's, frankly, totally irrelevant. It'd be like going to an art exhibition and complaining that the titles of all the paintings start with the letter s. lol Like who gives af. That level of criticism is uncalled for and plain silly. Unless someone posts and says, "What do you think about this writing system that I created for a conlang?", I don't see the relevance of commenting on how the script ties to a phonology.

I would also like to take a moment to comment specifically on r/neography. I've frequented there for some time now, and I've seen a lot of good work, but the percentage of good work to bad work (or even relevant work) is extremely low. This is why I say so:

My biggest complaint is there are a metric ton of posts that are Romanization systems or Cyrillicization systems or the like. There is absolutely nothing ne about that ography. I joined that subreddit to see some NEW scripts, not already existing ones assigned to some phonology. There can be interesting discussions about that, sure, and I'm happy to see those types of discussions if I go to a forum specifically for those discussions. A place that purports to be about creating new scripts is not that place—period. If I were a mod, I would ban all of those posts as wholly irrelevant—and yet it is the majority of posts there on any given day.

The presentation of scripts is often abysmal. I mean ABYSMAL. For example, take an English-speaking preschooler writing their name. That's an example of the Roman script. Now imagine presenting that—and only that—as an example of the Roman script, which the viewer has never seen before. What would you say about that? I mean, it looks like garbage. You can't evaluate a writing system if it looks like it's written with one's offhand on a crowded train. And yet that is precisely the type of work that is OFTEN presented there. How can anyone expect to have their script evaluated if the way they present it makes it look like someone tried to handwrite "happy birthday" on a card but started too close to the edge? It's embarrassing—or should be, anyway. I couldn't imagine presenting my own work like that to anyone for critique or showcasing.

The scriptwork itself is often poor. Honestly, there's nothing much to say about this. I rarely comment there, because sometimes the most helpful comment I can think of is, "Maybe creating conscripts isn't for you", which is not a comment worth sharing. Part of it is talent, but part of it is patience and knowing (a) what makes a good glyph, and (b) what makes a good flow for your glyphs. A lot of it is subjective, but "subjective" means that there will be some scripts that 90% of viewers will think is subjectively good; some that 60% will think is "good"; some 20%... So even though it's subjective, it doesn't mean that every single script is equal. There's a lot of room for improvement.

Because of the above, the kind of feedback you get at a place like r/neography is, frankly, suspect, and often not worth the effort it took to type. For my own stuff, I respect the opinions of people whose work I respect. If I don't respect someone's script work, their criticism is worthless. For your own work, I'd recommend you adopt a similar approach.

Finally, I'd like to applaud you for the very last thing you wrote—that you were set to continue whatever I wrote. Because if you enjoy it, you should keep at it. There's no other reason to do it.

Thanks for the ask, and keep it up!

#ageblue #conlang #language #neography #orthography #conscript #thecrazyneographist

[cmbdragon98]

I'm d e e p l y over the casual tolerance for AI ""artists"" and ""art"" within fandom...

Like, sorry, I don't trust folks using that shit as far as I can throw them, with one of my hands tied behind my back. The supposed hours of work they put into editing images that AI produces based off of artwork that's very often snatched without permission-

AI that is trained with stolen artwork!!!! Mind you!!!!

Yeah, ooo, like. Three or four hours fiddling with one image in Photoshop, spending an hour or two "picking out the correct words to get the right results" or what have you, and it STILL has blatant mistakes, or it's clear that nothing new and interesting and creative is being done with it!

Maybe, big big maybe, I could forgive the concept, if someone was like.... Genuinely making like. Wild collage work. Or heavily painting over AI generated shit. Maybe. But from what I've seen?? Nooo. No respect from me...

Don't even talk to me about AI Art that's supposed to emulate fanart. The amount of discrepancies and inaccuracies that I see? Backgrounds that have no logic to them. How fabric folds, or how limbs ought to be placed, or something meant to be a vague ear or some weird hair ornament, but there's no substance to it, like... and this is meant to be AFTER someone with a "sharp eye" has edited the damned thing, like...

No. Anyway you slice and dice it, there is no artistry to be found here. People who try passing themselves off as "AI Artists" should quit while they're ahead, pick up some fucking paper and pencil, and start sketching. Do something real. Do something raw. Don't come into my spaces, and act like you're wrongfully vilified, when I can't know if you're going to snatch mine and all my friends art, our WIPs, fuck, our writing??? Right from under our noses. To train your shitty damn AI. Or to simply slap an AI filter over it, and pass it off as your own fucking work. I've seen that shit done before! None of us fucking deserve that.

Damn right you, the AI Artist, is unwelcome.

You don't get to feel welcome in most spaces, when you work with something that's historically being used to piggyback off the gruelling hard work and effort of traditional and digital artists, who break their backs and sprain their wrists, drawing and painting for literally hundreds of hours at a time. How can we ever trust a self described AI Artist? Trust off of word and woe is me vibes alone?? No, fuck that.

Anyway, fucking. If you make art of any kind, and have a PC, Glaze your work. Nightshade your work. I know it feels very "We're already so far gone, why bother trying anymore." but... Your work matters. Your effort matters. And it deserves to be cherished, loved, praised, without the potential of somebody else nabbing it, and casting doubt on whether you're the real deal, or the person with the trained AI is the real deal.

You deserve better than to have that happen to you. Protect your art.

#long post #vent #vague #it's not Fun having to go through everything you posted on a groupchat and deleting it all one by one #and it's not fun having to think about how you're going to announce that you'll no longer be apart of it #much less how to diplomatically suggest to everyone else that you believe they should wipe all their art as well #that or get it protected best they can #doesnt begin to touch on Other personal little gripes but like. this definitely breaks the camels back

[seth-shitposts]

a thing that would not leave my mind halfway through my shift.

so I am disclaim right now that I really have no intention on doing something with this, it's just a cool concept that I didn't want to throw away, but... wmsjxhd whatever anyways here you go Kallus and Ezra AU- (aka Defectors AU??)

This is going to be a long post because it's going to he literally everything we were thinking about. So if you're ever wondering what your waiter is thinking about as they are serving you, know that this is a possibility.

If yall have any questions or comments, don't be shy. (I just don't *plan* on touching this because I have so many WIPs and other fics I am now working on. I love what I've gotten in the inbox! I greatly appreciate yall and 100% look forward to them!!!!!) 

Anyways. It took so much longer to record my thoughts than i thought it would so I wasn't able to get much of my actual writing done.

Word Count: 4k+

Tw for this one:  Violence , injustice , genocide , heinous crimes of the empire , vomit mention , mention of separation , non canon-typical of rebels

So the premise of this AU is essential a if Kallus had been assigned to the job of taking in the Bridgers and found the small child. 

What I specifically pictured was that Kallus would be talking the situation over with his superiors. He suggests that they place the kid into one of Lothal's orphanages, or one on a planet nearby. Find him a foster caretaker. One of his superiors suggests instead they enlist him. 

And Kallus goes "????I'm pretty sure this child hasn't even reached the age of 9, what do you mean you want to throw him into an academy?" As Kallus’s own academy experience had been brutal, but he had been 19 or 20 upon entering. The thought of putting a child that hasn't even hit double digits yet into such training, even if at a lesser form, is so beyond him. 

Another superior suggests maybe just bringing him in with his parents. And Kallus’s response is immediate "absolutely not." Because where the Bridgers are going is a rehabilitation center for rebels who have committed crimes against the Empire. A chance for them to learn better and find a place in the empire. They're worse than the academy. 

"Then what do you suggest? Dropping him back in the streets?" 

"I'll take him under my care. I'll teach him everything I know." Kallus says it before he can think about his answer. The foster suggestion had been shot down. He was not going to allow a seven year old child to be dropped into a military academy, a rebel prison, or thrown into the streets. 

The superior that had suggested throwing the kid into the rehab snorts. "You? Oh this is going to be good." 

His other superior shakes his head. "Agent Kallus. You're about to get promoted to the next rank. You won't get that if you do this." 

Kallus nods his head. This isn't something he has to think twice about. "I've already stated that I have no intention of accepting a promotion." 

And so it began. 

Agent Kallus was given custody of the child from Lothal. The first couple of weeks were… rough. The child missed his parents. Nothing Kallus did or said could comfort him except for offering to take him to visit them. The tiny little smile that the kid gave Kallus, the shiest tug at his sleeve, asking him if it were a promise… Kallus could only respond with yes. 

But he did not want to have his only visitations to his parents be of them in prison uniforms, so after hours of negotiating it with his higher ups and with the rehab facility itself, he was allowed to meet with them one on one, set a negotiation with the Bridgers and make arrangements for them to see their son, how they would want to. 

Kallus had expected them to be belligerent with him, or curse him for taking Ezra away or forsake him because they're under a misguided opinion of the empire. But they're very cooperative. Eager. 

Kallus explains to them that part of the agreement his supervisors gave him in allowing this visitation is that they have to put effort into their rehabilitation. 

Mira Bridger chews on the inside of her cheeks for a moment as Ephraim Bridger inhales deeply. The two share a look and nod. They tell him that they accept the terms, but Kallus has to be willing to hear them out. 

The two have been nothing less than compliant and cooperative to him thus far, so he is willing to extend the same courtesy to them. 

Ephraim Bridger explains that there are some people in the rehab that have done nothing wrong other than be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and that they did not have the resources for a proper defense case, and now they are facing years of confinement for it. Mira asks Kallus to see what he can do for those individuals. 

Kallus hesitates. He thinks about how willing one of his superiors was to throw Ezra in here, as just a child. And he knows that some of his colleagues don't always have the best judgment. "I… will look into it. Get the prison to send me their case files and I'll work it into my schedule." 

Ephraim nods, thanking him for his help. 

Mira speaks up, "and one more condition. Please." 

Kallus rubs his neck, he's going to have a lot of extra work for this. But, if it makes a difference. "Yes?" 

Mira Bridger reaches for his other hand, holding him gently in a way that shocks him. "Please make sure Ezra doesn't change. He's so bright, he deserves to keep that light." 

Kallus swallows the lump in his throat as he nods. He sees where Ezra gets it from. "I'll make him my priority." 

So thus, Kallus took Ezra under his wing. Ezra was allowed regular visits to his parents, under the condition they put forth effort and in return Kallus looks into the cases given to him. Kallus can't believe just the sheer amount of oversights that were made. Ones that would have long and permanent effects on these people's lives. He was able to help with most of the cases. Get the innocent bystanders out. Over time it extended over into people who were there because they were pressed into a corner. Honestly, there's nothing they could have done. These weren't rebels. It frustrates Kallus to no end, but the Bridgers seemed pleased- more than pleased for what he has done to help. Kallus is conflicted about Mira and Ephraim. They're good people. They just have a misunderstanding about the empire. It was people like the Bridgers who inspired him into joining the academy, so he could help others. It isn't difficult for Kallus to find balance between this extracurricular, his ISB work, and raising Ezra. 

And raising Ezra. The kid will bring any animal or creature he finds back to Kallus and tell him all about how they met. Kallus just smiles as he listens intently, pausing his data work to do so. The kid honestly is very bright, he shines like a beacon, a sight for sore eyes. Kallus forgot what it felt like to have someone to look forward to seeing. It reminds him of friends he used to know. Vaguely of that feeling he used to have back in coruscant of knowing that he'll see the stars, with certainty. Honestly, he had forgotten what that was like. 

 Kallus was given a flat on Garel, with frequent visits to Lothal, and will take Ezra with him anytime he has to travel. The only time the two are apart is when Kallus has an assignment, or when Kallus feels that Ezra would be in danger by being with him. Mira and Ephraim had told Kallus about a family friend, Tseebo. He stays with Ezra during the times Kallus can't or won't bring the kid with him. 

Ezra also… expresses much distaste for his colleagues. And how Ezra explains it, the kid isn't wrong. But it's simply just how things work in the empire. The kid pouts and stomps about how some of the officers were harassing merchants again. Kallus files a report on it and follows up on every little story the kid tells him. His colleagues truly are an annoyance. Honestly, they have bigger things to worry about. 

Ezra attaches to Kallus’s hip, but more often, his sleeve. And Kallus feels a warmth of endearment wash over him anytime Ezra laughs or pulls a prank or tells him a story or tugs in him. Kallus teaches Ezra some of the skills he learned back in the lower levels of Coruscant. Of course, when Kallus learned them, it was for survival. When he teaches them to Ezra, it's to help him get away with pulling pranks on his coworkers who are still harassing civilians. Since the superiors haven't been taking Kallus’s reports seriously, why not teach the kid how to get away with pickpocketing, effectively use disguises, escaping from a pursuit, and infiltration? Pride swells in Kallus’s chest every time his coworkers complain about a "loth rat who won't stop causing problems for them, but keeps getting away". Some of the skills Kallus teaches Ezra are the same ones he used to take top of his class rank at the academy. The only thing that Kallus takes more pride in than having watched those upper crusts fume over being beat by a sewer rat is watching Ezra take what Kallus teaches him and does better. His little star has a natural talent. 

(And Kallus's heart softens from the way that Mira and Ephraim absolutely beam from the stories he and Ezra tell them. Kallus is still trying to figure out how to get the Bridgers out. They should be let out for "good behavior" soon. He’s been pulling every string he can to see through to it. He's simply fixing mistakes the empire made. Honest mistakes. Right?) 

_____

As Ezra becomes a few years older, his superiors try to press Kallus to put him in an academy, but Kallus says that he will see through to the boy's training himself. And he does. However, for assessments, Kallus does have to bring him to the academy on occasion. Kallus doesn't agree with it, but he is ordered that to prove that Kallus is competent enough to train Bridger by himself while still doing his ISB work and his sudden interest in HR extracurriculars, the assessments have to be done at Coruscant's Royal Academy. Kallus trains Ezra accordingly, but is far more gentle and encouraging than his own trainers had been. Ezra is eager to do well, to be the best to prove that Kallus has done well to teach him. That if they moved Ezra anywhere else, it would be a mistake. 

The first few assessments… well. Ezra does great, amazing, infact. And Kallus makes sure to tell him. But some of the children of high ranking officers feel upstaged by Ezra. And make it very loud and clear that they think Ezra cheated. Kallus defends Ezra, and takes the heat of the situation. 

Later Ezra apologies and tries to ask what he did wrong. 

"Star, don't ever apologize to me for anything. You did what you were taught and you were great." Kallus gives Ezra a smirk as he ruffles his hair, trying to make him feel better. "That's just how they act here. I'm the one who should apologize, in my haste to teach you how to be the best, I forgot to teach you to hide your cards. Don't let them see the full extent of your skills. If they can't find weaknesses, they will make them. So make them think they can find weaknesses. Keep an ace up your sleeve while you count the cards." 

Ezra doesn't fully understand why the other cadets act like that, but Kallus always makes things make sense, even if they don't. 

Ezra follows Kallus’s instructions and does well in his assessments without putting a target on his own back. Kallus tells Ezra not to use his street skills, but the skills taught by the academy. Yes, they are lack luster with not much practicality or room for field adaption, but it's what's be best for now. 

Once Ezra’s final assessment is completed, the two are allowed to return back to Garel. They have another visit before Kallus has to prepare for some major assignment. Something about riots breaking out all over a planet called Lasan. The thought of going to that place leaves more than a bitter taste in his mouth, but he has a duty to fulfill. It's probably just going to be making a few public arrests and enforcing a harsher set of codes that the Lasat will eventually adhere to.

Kallus is hesitant to leave Ezra on his own, but Kallus doesn't want him anywhere near this planet. Riots are violent and he doesn't want the kid to get caught in the crossfire. Or worse. 

During the visit with the Bridgers, Kallus is pulled out by the rehab warden. He is informed that his request to lessen the sentence has been vetoed. 

"Rejected? Why? They're good and honest people. I've seen their progress reports, warden. They've been cooperative. They haven't caused any trouble. They want what's best for others." 

The warden glares at the agent. "Anytime they're allowed to interact with other prisoners, things around here get thrown into disarray. They keep encouraging unruly behavior. They're lucky that you're the only reason why I haven't split them up and placed them into solitary confinement. If they insight another riot, they will be sent to a maximum level camp with no more little family reunions." 

Kallus feels his blood boil. "Maximum Facility? Have you lost your mind? Those two are non-aggressive! They've complied to your every demand-" 

The warden slams his fist on the table. "Agent, your welcome is about to be overstayed. Those two breed rebellion behavior everywhere they go! I'm half convinced they're doing it to you!" 

Kallus shuts his mouth at that. The Bridgers haven't done anything wrong. On fact everything they've done has to been to help other people and to ensure a bright future for Ezra. "How dare you insinuate that I bring about disorder? I've been working my arse off for almost five years to fix the mistakes colleagues of ours have made that got innocent civilians thrown into rehabs, prisons, and slave labor camps." 

The warden narrows his eyes. "Watch what you say, Kallus. You're talking dangerously similar to a rebel. Don't say something you'll regret. If you aren't careful, you could get them executed for bribing and corrupting an ISB Agent, and yourself for treason." 

The warden doesn't even have to say the next part for Kallus to understand. And the boy will be left all alone in this place. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Kallus registers that he hears a metallic thud, but he can’t process anything other than the sound of his own pounding chest.

The warden sighs, letting go of his tension. "Kallus, you're overworking yourself. You need to get some sleep. I understand that you have an incredibly large assignment in a few days. Please don't worry yourself with the Bridgers. I know that you're simply doing your best to establish a stronger sense of order. Sleep on it. We'll chat more next week." 

And with that, the warden dismisses Kallus to continue supervising the Bridger Visitation. When Kallus returns to the room, Ezra is noticeably quieter. His energy… dampened. And Kallus is much the same. The Mira and Ephraim notice and ask, but Kallus shakes his head. But he does say, "I need you to promise me, just for the next few days, to keep your heads down." He whispers so Ezra doesn't overhear. He hadn't told then that he's been trying to get them out. He was fully under the impression that he would, but didn't want to disappoint them in the case that he couldn't. "For every favour I've ever done, please promise me, just for the next few days." 

Mira and Ephraim don't say a word, but they give him a nod. 

Once they return to Garel, Ezra lightly knocks on Kallus’s door. Kallus opens the door with a switch, and the kid looked like he had been crying. Kallus feels a pull at his heart. This is his last night before his mission. "Nightmares woke you?" 

Ezra looks away from Kallus's eyes, not giving a response for a moment. Finally, he nods. Something about it is off, but that's not the most important thing right now. 

"Want to talk about it?" 

The kid shakes his head. 

"Do you want to sleep with me tonight?" 

It takes less than a few seconds for the kid to be crawling in next to him. It wasn't uncommon for them to share a bed, especially when Ezra was upset or simply couldn't stand being separated from Kallus. And Kallus deeply wishes that he had maybe tried harder to get Mira and Ephraim out before having to leave. But there's no time to dwell on what he cannot change. 

He focuses on gently papping away the tears on the kid's face, his cold hand softly sweeping over the hot trails before he starts to brush the hair from Ezra’s face. 

Kallus smiles softly. The unruly hair goes against so many regulations. But, Kallus would rather choke than make Ezra cut it or allow the officers to do so. 

As Kallus sings a lothal lullaby Mira and Ephraim taught him, Ezra inches in as close as he can to Kallus, trying to fight the sleep that's trying to overtake him. 

Kallus has never had any siblings. He never even had the chance to think about wanting them. But the way that Ezra's small fist clenches his sleeve, as if to hold him here… 

It breaks his heart that he has to leave Ezra in the morning. The kid never takes their separations well. So he indulged in him, probably a bit too much, making sure that they didn't happen too often or for too long. It makes him endlessly grateful to Tseebo, to know that he won't be alone. 

____

This is wrong… 

Kallus stands in the middle of a large Lasan village. The disruptor heavy in his hands. He's refused to activate it. This is cruel and barbaric. At first, he had been confused when the instruments were being handed out. He hadn't received any information about the lasat having any type of advanced fleet. So why… 

Kallus  feels sick. 

He had volunteered to be part of the first wave, so he could secretly push ahead to warn as many civilians- civilians, they were attacking civilians- to escape as possible. But… they didn't have many ships. Definitely not enough. 

He used the item in his hand as a defense staff, and deflection only. 

This isn't what was supposed to happen. This is barbaric. No one deserves this. 

Kallus pushes the thought away as he orders his men to push to an area that he saw with mainly warriors, not civilians. He pushes onward, being stopped by an honor Guardsman. Kallus isn't able to back out of the fight, and he refuses to let himself be killed. 

So he's just going to fight until the other runs out of stamina. It feels like hours that he’s in this one on one. The other doesn't give up. 

That's when the star destroyer starts dropping bombs from above, not caring that there are civilians or their own troops down here. One of the bombs causes a pillar to crumble at its base. Kallus is able to move in time to push both the guardsman and himself out of its path. The guardsman recovers from his shock quickly,  trying to sweep one of Kallus’s ankles out from under him, but Kallus deflects the attack and knocks the weapon from his hands. 

What happens next never leaves Kallus. The guardsman stops fighting him and retrieves the staff- the bo-rifle he heard it called- and hands it to Kallus. He doesn't understand. Kallus looks up to the other, and holds out the disruptor to him. The Lasat just glares at the weapon and knocks it out of his hand before running off to fight another officer with his bare hands before Kallus can stop him. Kallus watches as he is immediately hit with the charge of a disruptor. 

Kallus is in a daze as chest rattling screams are let out all over the planet before there's complete silence. 

They're all gone…

This… wasn't to settle rioters. This wasn't even to make an example. 

Who would the example of been for? There's no one else left. Few Lasat would have survived. If any did at all.

And he couldn't do a single thing to stop it. Or even slow it. 

Kallus looks up to Lasan's sun. 

It all happened in less than an hour. 

This was an ambush. 

This was a massacre. 

Kallus doubles over as his body purges the contents of his stomach. 

_____

No one had really paid attention to what Kallus did or didn't do. 

The entire way back, he kept getting fucking congratulated. They were fucking celebrating this like it was some grand victory over a rising rebellion. They think he took the bo-rifle as a trophy for the conquest of Lasan. 

He'll let them believe that. He'll play along with this. Because he's going to burn this house from the inside. 

But first… 

Kallus makes sure to clean up before his return to Garel. The smell of ash and smoke… it makes him nauseated all over again. 

Upon returning to the flat, Kallus sees tseebo out before seeking Ezra. 

Kallus isn't in the flat for much longer than a few seconds before he gets a full-body tackle from the small twelve year old boy. And Kallus returns the hug with the same amount of force. 

"Ezra," Kallus hates what has to be done, but he will not allow the Empire to have any direct contact to him. "I was wrong. I've been wrong for years." Tseebo will look after him. Anything has to be better than the Empire. 

Ezra pulls back slightly to let Kallus kneel to his level. "Alex, what do you mean?" 

Kallus had left all his equipment, even his uniform, back on base. "Your parents were right. The Empire is not what I thought it was."

"Alex, what happened?" 

Kallus shakes his head. "The Empire happened." Kallus is not about to go into detail about what he himself can barely handle. "Ezra, there's something I have to do. And do it, I need to get you to Lothal. And…" Kallus swallows a knot in his throat. "I can't go with you." 

Kallus has to spend several hours consoling and explaining what he can to Ezra without telling him too much. 

"I must remain here. I'll get in contact with people who can help. I'll get your parents out, I'll do my best. Tseebo should still be on Lothal. There'll also be Sumar. But I need you to promise me something." 

Ezra wipes away the last of his tears, Kallus’s cold hands cooling his face as he helps. "Anything." 

"I need you to promise me that you won't tell anyone about me. That when we meet again, if I am still in the Empire, you'll pretend not to know me. Evade the empire using the skills I taught you." 

Ezra goes silent for a moment as he tugs on Kallus’s sleeve. "I promise… but you have to promise that you'll come back. You always come back." 

Kallus can't hold back the smile that the kid pulls from him. "As long as you shine the way you do? Star, I'll always find my way back to you. Your parents will too." A frown seeps in for a moment. "Ezra, I'm sorry that I have to leave you." 

There's a tug at his sleeve. "Don't ever apologize to me about anything." 

______

**notes: 

-Kallus staged that he and Ezra got separated from each other on Garel. As predicted, his missing person reports to the empire went ignored. 

-Immediately after ensuring that Ezra made his way to Lothal safely, Kallus discovered that in the 3 days he was gone, Mira and Ephraim had gotten harassed by some of the guards and led an escape attempt, in which many were able to escape, but they got moved to another facility that he is not allowed access to and to make matters worse, a week later he discovers that Tseebo volunteered for a highly experimental program.

-in this au, Kallus is much more reserved during the first couple of seasons. The entire time he works as a Fulcrum agent. He takes on the task of The Ghost Rebel Cell and intentionally fails to keep any of them from getting caught, as best he can without blowing his own cover. 

-Ezra doesn't tell the Crew about Kallus until they find out. He was very conflicted about finally seeing Kallus for the first time in a few years, and having to act like they were strangers. And then having to not say a word of his old brotherly figure to his new family. 

-after having gone so long without hearing from Kallus, of Tseebo having been MIA, and of still having had no word of his parents, he came to same/similar assumptions as in canon. With Kallus, Ezra holds fear of him getting caught, of Kallus maybe having changed his mind and decided not to leave the empire. Or maybe even that he had forgotten about him entirely.

#star wars rebels #swr #alexsandr kallus #star wars #ezra bridger #mira bridger #ephraim bridger #tseebo

[sineala]

I just wanted to let you know, you have written my favourite fanfics. (I use plural because I couldn’t choose just one!) I see you are the author and its like a seal of quality, I always know I’m in safe hands. :3

Thank you so much! That's really sweet of you to say!

I am sitting here with five Steve/Tony stories open in Scrivener, some of which I have had open for literal years, and there's about 450,000 words of fiction spread across those five stories, and as I cmd-tab over to Scrivener and add another few hundred words to a story that is currently 90,000 words of Steve and Tony talking in the same room it's nice to know there are people who are enjoying my work. Because sometimes I'm like, oh, God, nobody's going to want to read this.

(I guess the theme of a lot of my WIPs this year is "Steve and Tony talking in the same room" because I have another similar 40,000-word story next to it. I know it's not the most exciting thing in the world and I swear I have some ideas for stories where things actually happen and in fact a couple finished stories where things actually happen that I need to edit. But I guess recently Meta Disguised As Fic is really all I've felt like writing for most of this year. I decided it was better than writing nothing, but now I have a bunch of nearly-done WIPs like that that I am still dumping words into. And now of course current canon is attempting to eat my brain, which is at least fun, because it means comics are good.)

#replies #mrshighwind

[musewrangler]

20 Questions for Writers

Thank you so much for the tag @wendingways I'm FINALLY getting around to it. :D

How many works do you have on AO3?

132

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

2, 962, 169

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Star Wars, Hornblower, Narnia [just one]

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Mirjahaal

Bajur

He Who Sheds His Blood With Me

Forging Ahead

I Felt You In My Bones

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

I do as much as possible. I appreciate my readers making time to say something. It takes effort on their part and I want them to know I am grateful. Equally, I get lots of fun thoughts from my readers and it's delightful to interact with people. :D

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oh definitely the fic I could never write. ;D By which I mean---there was a prompt somewhere that said 'the aftermath of a scene you'll never write'. So I knew immediately what that was and ripped my own heart out to write "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night". Literally, I was ugly crying the whole time. And it convinced me that nope, I can never do this in my 'real' fics if you will. xD

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

Hmmm. I am a girl who likes a happy ending. Granted, it's after kark tons of pain and suffering usually xD, but...

I think I'll land on the Dragon Speaker. I could name quite a few others, but I spent more time developing the happy aftermath so that's why I choose it.

8. Do you get hate on your fic?

I've said it before---I have some of the BEST readers. And I've had folks who've disagreed with some of my takes on character or plot, but they are welcome to do so if they are respectful and they are. It produces good conversation and perspective. I can think of one time I had someone actively unpleasant, but let's hear it for delete and block! :D

9. Do you write smut?

Nope.

10. Do you write crossovers?

No. It's just not my cup of tea.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of and I hope not. Obviously, a lot of us have similar ideas----writing is just like that. But I don't think anyone has taken my work directly. That kind of thing does get me riled up because I know the work all of us creators have done to make these stories. Don't do it, kids.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes I have and it's very fun! I have a very industrious and delightful reader who has translated a lot of my work into Russian. :D

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

I have a few times. :D

14. What‘s your all-time favourite ship?

Depends on context here. I don't read or write fics for just romance. I need purpose beyond the couple if you will. If we're talking within Star Wars then canonically it's Han and Leia. If we're going with my own fanfics it's a toss up between Mara and Max Veers and Firmus Piett and Sola Naberrie. ;D If we're talking broad literary ship Benedick and Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing.

15. What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

WIP I will never finish? What are you talking about?

Genuinely, I hate the idea of abandoning my fics. Just can't. Some of them are taking longer than I had thought, but that's ok. Life happens. I will finish. ;D

16. What’s your writing strengths?

I think I develop character fairly well. I like to have a plot mapped out before I start writing, so I think I do all right with story cohesion and flow. I am a firm believe that you need to care about the characters more than anything else. World building and correct editing are good things, but if no one cares about your characters, it can get boring and readers lose interest.

17. What’s your writing weaknesses?

A good balance of action, description, and dialogue. Dialogue is easy for me and I like the characters interacting. But action and description are very important as well to SEE the scene and I need to work on my descriptive choices. I'm also ridiculously impatient. I want to publish NOW. And this means that perhaps some needed editing or more polish/depth is overlooked. I'm working on that.

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

Absolutely. I've used mando'a a lot now in Star Wars. In history AUs I've dabbled a smidge in French and Latin to set the tone a bit. Definitely do your homework whether using a real or fictional language. People notice!! :D

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Haha. So in terms of more serious writing like I'm doing now, it's Star Wars.

But.

I wrote by hand in notebooks during high school for the original Star Trek. Had all kinds of crush on Pavel Chekov. xD We watched the re runs of it and I liked the movies as a kid so....

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

Oh goodness. Can that really be answered? I like them all for vastly different reasons. If we're going for world building then likely Dragon Speaker. If we're going for in depth history fun, then The War in the Shadows. If we're going for fic I saw most clearly in my brain as I wrote and LIVED it, then Showdown at Alliance Ranch. Within the ER verse, quite possibly Fidelity because writing all that courtroom drama and the intense brotherhood of Firmus and Max going through that was just so satisfying.

But over all story? Honestly can't pick just one. Sorry!

Gently tagging @hollers-and-holmes @winterinhimring @kraytwriter @kanerallels

#questions for writers #writers #writing #fan fic #authors #my writing #creative process #characters #plot #good questions #writing process

[ichorblossoms]

i only remember the day i made grimm and yarrow bc it was 4/20 and i thought it was funny anyways happy one year to these two fuckers eating away at my brain and here's to them continuing to do that for...the foreseeable future

since i have created So much about them in this year, i wanna recap what the fuck i've done bc i have never had this happen before. it's definitely new to hyperfixate on some ocs so intensely but i'm having a good time with everything so! i can't say i'm upset that these two kicked my ass into gear with drawing so much !!

starting off with the first sketches of them i scribbled down before i had to get back to work on other stuff bc i don't think i posted these

they've evolved a bit but....not by much really. esp in regards to yarrow i had what is more or less his current design nailed down within a day. not to mention that these two both had names within 24 hours? that usually does NOT happen for me

in terms of all the other art, th galleries aren't the absolute best metric to measure how much i've drawn my ocs bc it doesn't account for all the sketches and wips i have lying around and i upload gift art so it's not all mine in there NONETHELESS it's wild comparing their th gallery stats to the main trio of ttw bc those three literally have a decade of existence on them

(also grimm has five more standalone pieces of fanart than yarrow, so the gap between how much i've drawn the two of them is even smaller)

within a year, these two have, give or take, half the amount of stuff as i've managed to make for my other mains that have been around over a decade. ofc with ttw being around so long there are a lot of unfinished things, paper drawings i have stashed away, things that're retconned, and so many more sketchbook doodles of them that just never got posted so it's not as comparable to honeybee bc it's a more constant slowburn in my brain. but still. still

that's also not to mention the 16 or so full comic pages i've drawn for them?? (most of those are under toyhouse's literature bc it's easier to post them that way) which doesn't sound like a lot, but bc i've never done that before with any of my ocs it's. wild to me. i'm still figuring out a method that makes making comics as painless as possible bc i have ideas! but it still feels like i'm like pulling teeth sometimes! i can say it feels a bit easier to make comics now but i still have a lot to figure out :,,D

also i've been writing. i don't consider myself a writer. i said "fuck it we ball" and started writing. i guess i am on technicality, and it's not as if i haven't written anything at all (hi ttw and the old peartree draft), but definitely haven't written extensive prose before this. anyways i've got a 10k-word outline and am approximately 35k words into the first draft so it's not nothing! in fact that's a lot for me, esp bc i'm constantly battling the urge to edit things over and over and also the awareness of the skill gap between me and all of the writers i am constantly reading so it's overall just a...really slow process OTL

because i'm deranged and refuse to make things easy on myself, i envision honeybee as an illustrated novel, but not necessarily illustrated like fantasy novels are i'm talking like....a novel with comic panels in it. i have a vision. (also i had a dream where i read a book like this i can See it in my mind). it's fine. i'm normal. <if this comes to be for realsies i will have to learn how to do so much typesetting bullshit

i don't have any special art to commemorate my Year of Brainrot, but i guess i'll post some writing below the cut. heads up this is First Draft Shit, even though these are the parts i'm currently more fond of i am...not confident in my skills as a writer yet so please offer me some lenience hgfklhgld

anything in [these brackets] is going to be drawn either as a standalone illustration or a small series of comic panels so just hold my hand and imagine with me.

ordered chronologically but missing a Lot of context partially bc i'm not writing any of this in order. i try to keep grimm (they/it) and yarrow's (he/they) pronouns consistent, but excuse any flips bc again, this hasn't been through any external editing, in fact y'all are the first to see any of these words.

part 1 (years 0 to ~1)- least written-for part atm but i re-outlined it semi-recently so i know where to take it

*grimm is misgendered here intentionally, yarrow doesn't know The Pronouns yet

part 2 (years ~6 to ~8)- currently the most-written

part 3 (years ~9 to ~10)

does a little dance and makes jazz hands before faceplanting. thank you if you read any of that hkgdslfhlfk

#rambles #honeybee #writing #i'll probably have more to add later but i have to be at work at seven and will be dealing with toddlers until noon #<king of getting out of bed and out the door in like seven minutes. not always by choice #reading through my writing makes me realize how fucking much i Haven't written and. it's a bit daunting tbh #also like. some of these parts i've written have already been mentally rewritten but i'm Forcing Myself to not do that until i have a more #substantial first draft #i'm so much better at editing and analyzing once i have something on the page it's just. getting it on the page. pain and agony #i am having fun though. like i complain but i'm enjoying this #grimm #yarrow #grimmyarrow

[char-lie-spirals]

Someone just liked one of my old "which fic should I work on" polls and I realized I can make one again, since I'm currently trying to write like 10 things at the same time. To be clear, I'll still work on the other stuff too, but I want one thing to focus on. All options are explained under the cut! Also feel free to ask about any of them in asks/DMs/replays/reblogs, I would Love to talk about all of these

As I said, explanations for these are under the cut:

THE Spiral Graham AU

The 2nd fic for [this] series! The Graham Folger Lives and Therefore Nothing Bad Ever Happens AU itself! This fic is already in the works and uhhh I'd say 1/3rd done?? I've been. Procrastinating a bit. But lately I've been working on it more!

Graham gets given back AU

More of [this] fic I recently started! The plot so far is, Oliver encounters Nikola, who offers to give him Graham back. He accepts, and... well. Now Graham is back and Majorly Confused At Best.

Overpowered Archives AU

Soo I've not updated [this] fic in months but I Swear I'm still working on it. Basically, it's an Archivist Gerry AU with Joshua Gillespie, Sebastian Skinner, and Robin Lennox as the assistants. As you can imagine, that group Is quite overpowered.

Eye Graham AU

I literally only talked about it [here] once ages ago but I started writing it out of boredom and well. Now it's a thing! It's another "Graham Folger Lives" AU, except this time the Beholding helps him to survive the events of mag 003 and well... one thing leads to another, until he becomes an Archival Assistant!

Michael and Mike both live AU

This is just a quick canon-divergence fic where Michael interferes with the events of mag 91 and in turn, Mike interferes with the events of mag 101! They both end up alive (mostly) and okay (mostly)!

Other

I am So So very open to suggestions. If there's any WIP/AU I mentioned in the past that caught your attention, ask about it! If you have a prompt/idea/etc you think I'd enjoy working on, drop it in my ask box! Actually, feel free to do any of that even if you voted for any other option!

And just saying again, feel free to ask me more about any of these! I would LOVE to elaborate even more or answer some specific questions :]

#tma spoilers #text.char #polls

[quinloki]

I know you're in the middle of an ask game right now, but I genuinely need some validation of some sort. As a person with multiple WIPs, I need to be told that it's okay for me to also have multiple WIPs.

For some reason, I have gotten it into my head that because I'm doing The Better Mousetrap I cannot start anything else until I've done X amount of chapters for that fic.

But my brain has gone from a creative drought lasting 3 or 4 years to suddenly being very creative. I don't want to lose that creative drive again. It was heartbreaking when I lost it in the first place. I literally wept when all creative desire just died within me.

I want to work on Mousetrap for sure but I also want to work on my Law fic and then I had a brilliant idea for a Benn fic, and I kind of want to collect everything I've come up with for Arlong in one spot. I have an event fic for a group I actually need to work on but I'm feeling guilty for wanting to start them up when I've just barely started Mousetrap.

Do I shelve them until I've got more chapters of Mousetrap or can I genuinely create to my heart's content because it frees my soul?

And this whole thing sounds stupid because I know the answer is create what you want, when you want, but I don't know. I don't know why I'm getting in my own way.

100% create when you want - what you want - HOW you want.

Look, you came to the right place. I have like 14 incomplete WIPs I skip between, I've start THREE OTHERS that the only reason I haven't posted is because I, personally, don't want to yet.

but I go where the words take me, and if my focus decides to focus on another title even now, then that's what I'm going to do.

there's no deadlines, there's no marketing team breathing down my neck, there's nothing but what I want to do and the energy I have to do it.

I get worrying about it though. I tried to limit myself when I started. "Don't do Y until I finish X" but when I couldn't stomach trying to force it I let the gates open wide and I haven't regretted it since.

Any complaints about how long it's taking me to get around to another title is someone else's problem. I gotta put my drive and my focus first or I'm just going to toss it all in.

No one wants that. Not for me, and not for you. Piss on anyone who complains and write what you want, post it when you want - sitting on chapters usually drives me bonkers, but sometimes it doesn't.

I gotta bend how I bend.

In the end it'll all work out, and that's the important part.

#quin answers #thecrimsonacademic

[solibriewrites]

wippet (wip snippet)

happy wip wfriday everybody... was tagged by @60sec400; ty :)

i'm of two minds and want to post two snippets for two different unposted works; one of them is from jatp and the one under the cut is for omgcp because i can't get either one out of my head.

here's a piece of a time loop fic i've been working on-

It should be so easy. It’s a single motion. The twitch of a finger, really. The same motion she’s done ever since she was an infant on her mom’s lap, plunking away without a care in the world and letting discordant melodies run wild in her childhood home. But it isn’t. Julie can’t sit in her mom’s lap anymore. She never will again. The hole that’s sat in Julie’s chest every single day for ten months grows and grows until it’s all she is. Everyone’s gaze feels heavy like she’s trapped under the weight of the entire ocean. Their eyes burn into her back, watching, waiting for her to just start fucking playing. But there’s nothing to watch.

i'll tag @rozecrest and @cloudslooklikemountains!!! you should post a lil something. if you want. no pressure though :D

and here's the snippet for the jack therapy fic. yes my two [unposted] wips are about characters going to therapy (literally and metaphorically).

A boy comes in. And he is a boy—just a month shy of turning nineteen. Jack’s hair is dark brown, almost black. The pictures of him before all show him with longer, fluffier hair, but right now his hair is cut short and practical. His eyes are scarily blue. While not especially vivid, they’re piercing. But baby fat still clings to his cheeks and it’s heartbreaking, because she knows this boy was medically dead for fifteen minutes three weeks ago. He looks startlingly small for someone so tall and muscular. He’s nine years younger than her but towers over her, even when he sits down in the plush gray chair across from her, yet he carries himself like he’s a child. Almost-nineteen years old and he thinks he’s ruined his life forever. Angie hopes she can help him fix this.

i have a lot of Feelings about jack being barely 19 y/o when everything went down. can you tell. anyways if you read this wip too know that i'm mentally giving you a cookie

#wip ramble #tagged! #i'm almost me again #fight to shine

[bunny584]

Look, listen, love, look at me my sunny honey bunny

I don't know fuck all about JJK, legit like exceptionally basic concept ideas. I can't read the manga or watch the show because I'm a little emotional crybaby and wouldn't be able to handle it (from what I DO know)

I'm a 3rd person POV writer (99% of my work exists in my poor Google docs drive as tragic WIPs that may or may not ever see the light of day)

I haven't written 2nd PP(ehe)OV once in my life

You make me want to write 2nd PP(even funnier the second time around)OV jjk fanfic because what the fuck, your writing is stellar fuck I wish we were friends you're a fantastic author I am OBSESSED with your jjk stuff (yes the obsessed series too, I've swallowed it all whole, just like reader can swallow–)

'Kay that's all thanks for coming to my TEDTalk I adore you and will continue to absolutely inhale your work mwah *chef kiss* kisses~ ❤️

(P.S. I wrote fucking *french kiss* right before sending this and I can't decide if I'm blessed or cursed with this innate fuck up ability of mine that literally refuses to go away. My brain instantly goes "french kiss" instead of chef kiss and it has caught myself and my friends off guard multiple times, I apologize for nearly subjecting you to that as well)

I—

So…all I got from this is that we should French kiss? Like…now?

Should I schedule the wedding for today? Or tomorrow? No really whatever is convenient for you because you have single handedly pulled my heart clear out of my chest and now it’s yours to keep. It’s yours. Those are the rules.

Are you literally kidding me? I wish I could eat this comment for breakfast/lunch/dinner.

You know every author is just a thinly veiled praise kink manic pixie dream sleep deprived slutty little minx and I just…🥹

You’ve killed me. I’m finished. There’s nothing left. Thank you is inadequate.

So now I’m in love with you. I hope you’re happy with what you’ve done!!!!!!

*s(creaming) into the void*

*also we should definitely French kiss because I can match your google doc chaos. I write everything in my notes on my iPhone because carpal tunnel means nothing to me.*

#I literally cannot breathe #help #jjk fanfic #jjk smut