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theotherbackgrounder · 3 years

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Ever After High OCs.

just decided to share some OCs that I had created (either for fanfics or for the show in general) not everyone was shown, as I haven't gotten around to making those stories, so I will try to tell what exactly they would have been for. If anyone wants to ask any questions, go a head. If anyone wants to borrow them, be my guest.

Name: Destiny

Legacy/Parents: The Author

Magic: Fairy Tale Magic.

Details: Blonde, blue eyes, red and black color scheme.

This is the "Destiny" that the franchise is always talking about. This is the personification. This is the girl that's fucked with Poppy and Holly in "Truth or Hair" and she has created scenarios where characters end up finding or follow their destiny. She is often seen jotting down in her notebook.

It's also revealed that Apple White is actually a "stand-in" for Destiny acting as a meta-context of a self-insert.

Name: Art

Legacy: The Illustrator

Magic: Worth a Thousand Words

depicted as a much elder gentleman, Art is The Author to his Illustrator. She write and he draws. his magic is with his paintbrush where he can contort/reshape/reimagine the world around him with a simple stroke. Gets defeated by Madeline and The Jabberwocky after Maddie finally forgives the monster of Wonderland.

Name: Ramona Cheshire

Parents: Cerise Hood and Kitty Cheshire.

Following my Ramona Theory, Ramona disappears from this world after Cerise finally accepts the truth that she is in fact "The Big Bad Wolf" and that she couldn't continue living in the story she was hiding from. After Cerise and Kitty get together and Cerise becomes pregnant it was Kitty that suggests the name "Ramona" for their daughter.

Name: Madow

Legacy: Evil (Mother)

Magic: Darkness

Like Authors/Narrators/Illustrators/etc, Madow belongs to a family set of "Concepts" rather than characters. Madow is a young man that after living his entire life in complete darkness saw for the first time a bright shining light (from when Raven broke the Storybook of Legends in Way Too Wonderland) and decided to go to ever after high to seek out that bright light and wants to change his destiny. He seeks out that light and the change of destiny to an dangerous obsessive level.

Madow is blind, as light won't reach his eyes, and unless he wears his gloves he can't touch anything without tainting the color or take away the light of life if he isn't careful. if a character has an evil magic affinity (Ex: Faybelle) they feel neutral around him, but those with a Light affinity (Farrah) would feel extremely uncomfortable despite his kind hearted attitude (Madow's cousin, the Daughter of Light, has the reverse effect.)

Gets into a relationship with Cedar, though tragedy strikes when Madow and his cousin has to complete their destiny of "Good vs Evil."

Name: Brock Gounder

Parents: Nam (Father) Lass (Mother) Chara (sister)

"Oh Curses": "Forget me not..."

Brock Gounder is an average character, nothing really impactful about him. Does not stand out in a crowd. Will not do anything special with his life. he is a literal nameless background characters. his "curses" will leave people that meet him to completely forget his name.

In the fanfic (not finished) that he is used in he meets an injured Cerise (who got injured when camping by herself before Ever After High started) and tries to help her. Afraid of whether or not that Brock found out her secret she tries to play aloof with her caretaker. The story comes to ahead as Cerise accidently kills Brock in attempt to keep him quiet about her secret. She buries him afterwards and where she placed him is a small man-made tombstone with no name written on it. He is soon forgotten by even his family that he existed.

In another fanfic, a Silent Hill x Ever After High crossover (Silent Ever After), Brock Gounder appears to Cerise as a zombie with his eyes and toungue torn out. he moves without making noise or disturbing the snow where the story takes place in. it's like he isn't there. Corpse Brock represents the guilt Cerise has for taking an innocent life in the name of her keeping her secret. At the end of "Silent Ever After") she visits the nameless grave where he is buried, accepting the part where she can't make her past mistakes right.

Name: Steppinson

Legacy: The Step son in "The Juniper Tree"

Steppinson is an old friend to Ginger Breadhouse (Back when she still went by the name of "Ginger Witch") but one day, when she went to visit, his Stepmom said he went far away and she never saw him again until in the present day story. Faybelle is seen worried about Steppinson (as Faybelle and Ginger played together when they were kids, so she knew of him as their moms were friends.) and she knows his story.

The story is most of Steppinson and Ginger catching up with one another after so long apart. Steppinson even gives ginger an odd look when mentioning about her dream to cook, but is still supportive. Ginger asks him if he is going to come to Ever After High but he says he can't, as he already completed his story when they were kids so he technically wouldn't fit the conditions of the school. Before Steppinson leaves he gives Ginger some gifts like a stone necklace and as she chases after him, he disappears again. The last thing seen is a white dove watching over ginger.

The story ends with a flashback to the day when Steppinson's step mom tells Ginger that he was no longer there. his Stepmom was making a stew and invites her in for a bowl. Ginger agrees and finds the stew to be the most delicious thing she had ever tasted. It essentially is what inspires her dream to cook, to make something as good as what she had that day.

If you don't know. in "The Juniper Tree" the step-mom kills the step-son (Steppinson here) and cooks him into a stew and feeds her husband the stew (which she let Ginger have some) and why Steppinson (who is a spirit here) gets embarrassed about Ginger's dream because technically he inspired her because of how good he tasted. The gifts he gives her are the same gifts he gives his family in the story and the dove is a form he takes.

#ever after high #ocs #raven queen #apple white #cerise hood

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allthevmff · 3 years

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Find Afrocurl’s work // AO3 // LJ interview from vmfictitious // originally posted Mar. 20th, 2011

How did you get into Veronica Mars fandom?

Somewhere in the middle of S2, a friend of mine from high school started to talk about this show and how much I’d like it. At the general description of a high school detective, I borrowed her S1 DVDs and devoured the show in three days. After that I started to discover fandom, mostly because I used Inigo’s transcripts to keep myself up with what the show was doing before I could watch live.

Shortly after starting the show, I had this job where I spent too much time in an office and was easily bored. I used a bunch of downtime to read fic and post in a message board (FanForum for anyone curious.) When that job ended (thankfully) I had all of this spare time and just sort of fell into writing.

Were you an experienced writer when you started writing for VM? If so, what kind of writing had you done, and/or what fandoms had you written for? If not, was it really intimidating to post your first story?

I’m a little fuzzy on these details right now, but I wasn’t that experienced when I started writing in VM. I think I had a story or two written in The OC before I posted here, but I had some great support from a few friends (sarah_p // Sarah's Crack ) for one was a big support) when I did post my first story.

What was it about Veronica Mars that interested you? Why did you feel compelled to write for this particular show?

I really fell for the characters when I started to watch. Veronica was such a compelling character, and as I kept watching I fell more in love with Logan, too. I felt compelled in that post-S2 summer to see the relationship between Logan and Veronica explored (as so many other people did.)

Are you creative in other media for fandom (vidding, icons, etc.)?

I pick up making icons here and there, but I don’t think I have the same skill as many other people do. It’s a different creative medium, and one that I think stretches a different part of my brain.

What was the best moment for you, in fandom? (Not necessarily a moment in the show, but fandom itself.)

I think it was the moment when I found myself in a position to go to all of these events around LA and San Diego. I found that people around LJ were interested as a result because there was something for people to enjoy that I had been able to capture.

If you had a magic wand, and could change VM fandom in any way, past or present, what would you do?

I wish S3 hadn’t been so divisive—it’s spoiled so many people on the show, and when you still love parts of it, but not all of it, it’s hard to stay positive around other people.

Of your accomplishments in fandom/cyberspace, which are you most proud of?

Weirdly, I think it’s little things I’ve done that bring a smile to my face. Sharing my time with the cast with others in any way. That’s not just the picspams when I went to an event, but these moments where I could get autographs or phone calls to other people. At different times, I’ve been able to make a friend’s birthday just a little brighter with a message from the cast (Sarah and another friend M.)

What’s your favorite VM episode and why?

I go back and forth on this answer all of the time, but I think it’s Ain’t No Magic Mountain High Enough. In part because it was the first episode I remember watching live, and also because I’m a sucker for banter between Logan and Veronica. That whole episode is filled with it, even if they aren’t together as a couple.

What’s your least favorite episode and why?

Blast from the Past—I just can’t get behind the mystery of the week, or what Jackie does to Veronica as a way to keep Wallace to herself.

How do you feel about season 3?

I’m a mixed bag on the subject. I think that the first arc has promise, though it didn’t do much to satisfy my need for Logan and Veronica in a healthy relationship. I’m not a fan of how Piz was introduced, or what his purpose was in the long run.

The Dean O’Dell arc lacks heart (and the Hearst rapist does too when I look at it), and the last five are just all over the place.

In total, I haven’t brought myself to rewatch the whole season since it aired, but I made a promise to myself at some point I would (I plan to live-blog all of the episodes, but I only managed to finish the first three.)

If you met Rob Thomas, what would you say to him? (Assume that you have taken magical drugs that enable you to not be tongue-tied and you can completely speak your mind.)

I briefly met him and talked to him during season three, but if I could have a longer conversation, I’d really want to understand what his motives were for Logan and Veronica in that season. It seemed that the show always had Logan and Veronica together off screen so that the audience had no real reason to understand those later break-ups.

If you could talk to the writing staff, what question(s) would you have for them?

I’m always interested in some of the specifics of the room—are there any writers who cater to writing for certain characters? What characters do you like to write more than others? I think I’m just interested in their process more than anything else.

Writing

Which story of yours is your favorite, and why?

I’m really a fan of “The Black Hole” because I think it was a different sort of writing exercise for me. I also think I was really into the moment when I wrote it, and it shows. I can’t remember how long it took me to write, but I think it was a pretty quick write once I had the idea solidified in my head.

Are there any stories of yours that are (to your surprise) fan favorites?

Not really a surprise, but I love the reaction I had to Rational Thought. My Piz issues just got one big escape in that piece and everyone who read it had a similar reaction.

Do you (or did you at first) feel uncomfortable posting R or NC17 rated stories?

I think I was a bit apprehensive the first time (especially since it was my first fic in the fandom), but as I’ve written more and more of those fics, I’m more comfortable with the ways of writing it. I also love all of my betas who help me through the mechanics of writing it.

If you could start over and rewrite any of your stories (assume unlimited time and you would be paid for your efforts, because this is a fantasy), which story would you choose, and what changes would you make?

I’m not proud of Compulsion as it was written in the end, so I’d work there and really craft the narrative more than it is now. It’s not that it’s not beta-ed, but that it wasn’t really planned or structured beyond what is written. I think there was promise in the beginning and it floundered.

Do you write for any other fandoms?

I write here and there in a few other fandoms, but most of my work is in VM. Some of the other shows are harder to get a feel for, so much that I don’t know if I have the character voices down.

Do you write any original works, and if so, can we see any of them? Have you ever taken any writing classes? Have you ever published anything? Won any competitions?

I wrote a few pieces of original fic, which are at my writing community. I haven’t been one to take a writing course, but in high school I had an award-winning poem at the local county fair.

That piece, I wrote was in my junior year of high school, spring semester (so let’s call is March 2000.) We had to write an emulation of Langston Hughes’s “I Am”, and I went all out—confused kid to the max. My teacher ate most of it up, and had me submit it to the Fair. It went on to win the best poem for high schoolers, the best high school piece and Best in Show for all student work. I have three lovely ribbons, a paper weight to show for it.

What other VM author influenced you the most? Do you have a favorite VM story (by another author)?

I spent most of my time reading things from Loveathons and Fic From Mars when I was reading, so I guess any of those authors. I really love dark_roast’s ( dark_roast) style. I think mutiousmuse and truemyth (TrueMyth) each have some amazing pieces, too. What’s great about being part of fandom is learning how much else you have in common with authors you love. I’m still friends with Musey and Truemyth after I met them at Comic Con in 2006.

Overall, I think my favorite story is Finite Erasure (TW), which puts me in the camp of loving angst. I worked with Trixx (Trixx) as she wrote it and I think I fell for the story she was telling and how much it hurt along the way.

What fanfic do you wish you’d had the idea for and written yourself?

If I had a mind for her particular brand of crazy, I’d have love to have written One True Pair, because the creativity and perspective amaze me.

Who are your favorite traditional authors? Do you have a favorite book or series?

I love Oscar Wilde’s wit; I love Fitzgerald’s use of flawed characters. When I was in college I became a huge fan of Isaac Bashevis Singer. Sadly I’m not a huge book fan, though I do love words and compelling stories. Persuasion is one of my favorite stories, along with The Alchemist. I found myself more easily distracted by television as a kid and when I do get a book, I tend to read some fluffy chick-lit.

Getting to Know You

To which character in VM do you feel you are the most similar, or what situation in VM reminds you of your own life?

Even though I don’t write her enough, I feel like I’m a slightly less tech-savvy version of Mac. I wasn’t one to have boyfriends in high school, and I think that just influences my outlook now.

Share a fun memory with us, something related to fandom.

This moment at an event in San Diego where my friends and I spent a good five minutes trying to remember the Eleanor Roosevelt quote from Logan’s voicemail.

Or the time I had Jason write a message to my journal without him really knowing where it was going.

Dog person, cat person, neither or both?

Cat person! My cat Auric loves everyone he meets, and wants to keep me from my computer when I leave it open in his presence. He really loves to sit on my keyboard when I’m not around.

What was the happiest day in your life (that you can share with us)?

December 12, 2000—the day I got into college. I’m pretty lame most of the time.

The apocalypse is on us. You’ve got five minutes to gather your stuff before you flee (assume that your loved ones are already safe). What do you take?

This is going to be pretty typical, but my laptop, and external hard drives, so I’m not without my pictures. Maybe a few of my autographs and old-school photos too.

What don’t we know about you, that we should know?

I’m not nearly as interesting as I sound on the internet. ;)

The Nuts and Bolts of Writing

Do you consider yourself a stickler for grammar, or do you prefer a more casual approach? Specifically, serial comma: for or against?

I’m weirdly a stickler for grammar when I’m not the one writing. I’m usually for the serial comma, which I blame on years of it being grilled into my head from school.

What grammar issue do you constantly have to struggle with?

Spelling—I’m horrible at it most of the time.

Do you have any writing reference books you can’t live without?

I have a few copies of writing guides tucked away in my garage, but I don’t regularly look at them when I’m writing.

Are you a plotter or a “pantser”? (Do you outline your stories or do you write “by the seat of your pants”?)

It really depends on the story. I have some basic idea of a fic when I start to write it, but there are times when I only know that general outline and other times when I have a better plan.

There’s one story that’s been buried on my computer that’s plotted more than anything else I write. There are notes on how each chapter should work, but I only did that because it was a true multi-chapter fic.

My other fics that have turned into WIPs are not as plotted as they should be.

What’s your favorite point-of-view to write?

I love third-person more than anything else. It gives you the flexibility to talk about more than one person in the context of the story.

What type of writing is your favorite to write (dialogue, plot, action, interior monologue, description, sex scene, etc.)? Your least favorite?

Dialogue—no questions. I love banter as much as anyone else.

My least favorite—probably sex scenes. They’re awkward to figure out, positions, how clinical but not too clinical.

Do you listen to music while you write? Do you listen to different music depending on what you’re writing?

I do, unless I’m watching TV. My music doesn’t change depending on what I write, though maybe it should. My poor iTunes has been known to be demonic when I read fic, though it doesn’t do that as often when I’m writing.

What inspires you to write?

I like motivational moments that can drive a point home—so I tend to write shorter pieces that are about emotions instead of plot driven.

What blocks you from writing?

Lack of time. The inability to express what I’m looking for.

Specifically for Afrocurl!

What surprised you the most about Jason Dohring in person (that you can share with us)?

He’s a genuinely sweet person who adores his fans and what they do for him. I’d never had too many experiences with actors before I met him and he set the stage for being kind to fans.

How is he like Logan? How is he not like Logan? Did he do anything that freaked you out after watching him on TV so much?

I think he has Logan’s physical ticks—hair rakes and the like.

He’s not as precise with language as Logan. In person he’s sort of like any other California guy I’ve met.

Which story of yours would it appall you the most to find out that Jason had read?

The Weevil and Logan story. I think he’d blush and be shocked at the subject more than anything.

Which of your celebrity encounters thrilled you to death, but the rest of world could care less?

The girl who loves politics was thrilled by meeting Justice Scalia at my college. Though I’m sure I’m the only one who can appreciate it now.

We know you do a lot for charities. Do you have anything coming up that we should know about, that you’d like us to support?

Since Sweet Charity has ended, I haven’t done much work for charity recently. I’ve been a little too busy with the rest of life to help out with the Queensland floods and the like.

What’s your dream job?

Working at a high school teaching either Government or US History, maybe AP if that’s an option.

Your life seems to be going through a lot of changes right now. How do you see yourself ten years from now?...family, job, hobbies, etc., anything you want to share with us.

I’d love to have a stable job, with friends and family nearby for support. I can’t hope for much else than that right now.

Find Afrocurl’s work // AO3 // LJ

Source: X

reposted from vmfictitious // originally published on Mar. 20th, 2011

#vm fanfic #veronica mars fanfic #veronica mars fanfiction #writer wednesday #writerwednesday #author interview #authorinterview #the more things change

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thesunnyshow · 4 years

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Name: Bel

Writing Blog URL(s): @skzctnightnight

What fandom(s) do you write for? Kpop: Stray Kids and NCT

Age: 27

Nationality: American

Languages: English

Star Sign: Capricorn

MBTI: ENFP-T

Favorite color: Pink

Favorite food: Chocolate covered marshmallows

Favorite movie: Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Favorite ice cream flavor: Cookie dough

Favorite animal: Dogs

Go-to karaoke song: Do Ya Think I’m Sexy by Rod Stewart or if they have it, Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus (I do NOT go to karaoke anymore)

Dream job (whether you have a job or not): Court reporter

Coffee or tea? What are you ordering?

Coffee! Iced Americano or a Cafe au Lait.

If you could have one superpower, what would you choose? Time stop

If you could visit a historical era, which would you choose?

Golden age of Hollywood, but purely as an invisible visitor

If you could restart your life, knowing what you do now, would you?

Not at all.

Would you rather fight 100 chicken-sized horses or one horse-sized chicken?

100 chicken sized horses. Chickens have sharp bits!

If you were a trope in a teen high school movie, what would you have been?

Like a stock character? Cool loser, not so socially awkward you can’t hang out with her, but also just weird enough that you still might not want to.

Do you believe in aliens/supernatural creatures?

Sure!

Fun fact about yourself that not everyone would know?

I can clap with one hand!

When did you post your first piece?

January 7, 2019, 6:38 PM

Why did you decide to write for Tumblr?

Tumblr was my home for years shortly after it began, and I left it before I graduated college. When I got back into kpop, I never knew there was a fic community for it on tumblr! I wanted the sense of community that I missed from first being here.

Do you write fluff/angst/crack/general/smut, combo, etc? Why?

I write primarily plotty smut in all sorts of combinations except for crack.

Do you write OCs, X Readers, Ships...etc?

I write X Reader plots! Sometimes my pieces include an element of ships or OC’s.

What genres/AUs do you enjoy writing the most?

I love writing thrillers and mysteries lately, but my bread and butter is developing relationships. I enjoy college au’s and other adult life scenarios, but occasionally I really enjoy finding a perspective I don’t see very often and expanding on that.

What tropes do you love, and what tropes can’t you stand?

I love friends to lovers, and adore rivals to lovers. I like power dynamics and developing relationships. I can’t believe I’m admitting this, but I really do not like fate or destiny or soulmates. I like characters that stumble upon a new purpose, or feel that they’re supposed to be with someone, but I feel like destiny is just too convenient.

Who is your favorite person to write about?

I do love writing Han Jisung with all my heart. I love him so much and he has such an amazing personality to work with. I also love writing my Reader inserts.

What inspires you to write?

I love the satisfaction in crafting a plot and seeing it come together. Making a vision into a tangible piece that you can share and revisit is special, no matter how big or small.

What is your writing process like?

Typically, I mull over a concept for a couple days before I begin a bullet point outline in google docs. The draft gets added and worked on within the outline until the draft is finalized, and then I finally remove the outline framework. This is typically where the title is made with a header image before I proofread. I read one more time while formatting on tumblr itself and then post!

What do you do when you hit a rough spot creatively?

I take a break, walk away, and come back. If it’s still not there, I write something either related in theme or character or something entirely different so I can get myself worked out. This sort of move has birthed a few side projects that turned into personal favorites.

What is your favorite work and why? Your most successful?

My favorite completed work is my series Standby. It began shortly after accepting the fact that I had a new bias that I wasn’t expecting and those feelings seeped into the plot and helped it grow. I never expected to get so invested in this little love story. My most successful work is my series Righteous, which my readers know I have a difficult relationship with. I understand why it has fans, but I still struggle with feeling like I could’ve done so many things better.

What do you think makes a good story?

I can’t help but feel like it’s good characters and a good plot together, as cheesy as that sounds. Everything needs a satisfying conclusion and good characters help that to be even more satisfying, even if that conclusion is sex.

What do you hope your readers take away from your work?

I hope the plot comes through, as hokey as it sounds. Some of my favorite comments are from readers who weren’t expecting to be so invested from just reading the tags and description. If I can make someone care for a character and make them want a certain ending for them, then I’m happy.

Do you think there’s a difference between writing fanfiction vs. completely original prose?

Absolutely! I came from writing original works and the freedom is almost overwhelming at times. You can literally write whatever you want. The key to good fanfiction, though, is understanding the character you’re using and how you are using them in the plot. If the only thing the character has in common with the source is their name and appearance, then what is the point?

Would you ever repurpose a fic into a completely original story?

I have absolutely considered it, but only for Prowl so far.

How much would you say audience feedback/engagement means to you?

Feedback means the world to me. Whether it’s incoherent praise, or a full length review, or even just a friendly reminder of a tag I missed, everything is valuable and helps keep me moving. Things can take exponentially longer when I’m solely writing for myself, which is easy to feel like with no feedback or engagement.

What has been one of the biggest factors of your success (of any size)?

Connecting with other writers has been beneficial and satisfactory in multiple ways. Networks and making friends with other writers has helped me improve and share my work. I really don’t think I’d be nearly as successful without these other writers. The community aspect of our craft makes it stronger.

Do you think fanfic writers get unfairly judged?

Definitely! And more lines get drawn the deeper you get. When tumblr first started and fanfiction(dot)net was still the reigning empire, fanfiction was purely taboo to the mainstream. Every writer was Tara Gilesbie and every work was My Immortal. Let’s be entirely real, EL James becoming a household name changed everything. But the medium is under more scrutiny than other fan work, because talent is less surface than in visual mediums. Every author is assumed to be amateur until proven otherwise, and this stigma thankfully lessens the more a reader becomes familiar with the medium. It’s that introductory phase that really affects things.

Do you think art can be a medium for change?

Absolutely! Even on a small level. In the smut side of the medium, writers are always using their platform to display ideal examples of consent, communication, and how identity is discussed and expressed. Cheesy, sure, but be the change you want to see in the world.

Do you ever feel there are times when you’re writing for others, rather than yourself?

I always feel as though I’m writing for others, ever since I first got feedback that my work personally affected someone. I write for them, even if I don’t know who they are. They’re just as important to the story as I am when writing it. I do write for myself, because why else would I? I cook for myself, but food is better when shared. I write for myself, but it’s always better when shared.

Do you ever feel like people have misunderstood you or your writing at times?

Considering the ethics of the specific nuances of my writing (real people x reader smut) it’s hard not to feel that way, to be honest.

Do your offline friends/loved ones know you write for Tumblr?

On a need to know basis! My fiancé knows and is incredibly supportive. My friends know (except for friends on Tumblr), and they’re completely supportive or simply don’t mind and pay it no attention. My mom knows, but she doesn’t know I write smut specifically. No one tell my mom lmao.

What is one thing you wish you could tell your followers?

I want them to know I love and appreciate all of them. I do want to know more about what they like or don’t like, but I understand why it’s difficult to engage sometimes.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers who might be too scared to put themselves out there?

Make a pen name and create a new you. Does anyone actually think my name is Belmont? When you have your new you, get to networking. Socializing is hard, but making friends who support you and want to share your work is important. Start out with requests and hate and doubt your work like everyone else. That fear is normal, that doubt is normal, but it’s how you use that fear and doubt that matters. Use it as fuel to write, and prove it to yourself.

Are there any times when you regret joining Tumblr?

Sure! There are some users on here who have too much time on their hands and not enough hobbies so they use their precious time on this earth to harass writers. That toxicity makes it tempting to regret this whole venture.

Do you have any mutuals who have been particularly formative/supportive in your Tumblr journey?

I keep saying this and I will keep saying this, but I only started this blog after feeling encouraged by Bea @sluttyten to do so. She’s been such an incredible, dear friend, just like Lexi @hellapainyo who came as soon as I started. Moe @wildernessuntothemselves helped me realize some of my strengths and embrace my writing. Rae @starxblossom is truly my younger sister on the other side of the planet, and I love geeking out or plotting together. Yue @yueliangs-wonderland is such an inspiration and dear friend of mine. I can’t imagine being here and enjoying myself like I do without her. There’s so many more, and I love all of them.

Pick a quote to end your interview with:

“What critics call dirty in our pictures, they call lusty in foreign films.” - Billy Wilder

BONUS ROUND: K-POP CONFIDENTIAL

#@skzctnightnight #thesunnyshow #featuredauthor #episode 30 #nct #stray kids

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butterflyinthewell · 4 years

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I’m gonna lose followers. Oh well... a rant by me.

People who harass others about SHIPPING FICTIONAL CHARACTERS are irksome.

Preface: if you say you don’t want someone role playing a NOTP with you or sending asks about it, or you don’t want secret Santa stuff containing it, if you ask people not to suggest fics with that pairing for your fic collections, if you stay out of your NOTP’s pairing tags, if you choose not to interact with material related to your NOTP, if you blacklist the pairing tag and ask people not to tag your fanwork with your NOTP, if you heed warnings and don’t click something with material you don’t like, I do not have a problem with you.

But if you write novel long posts about why a ship is gross to you and tag the pairing so shippers see it, send people hate over their ships, reblog fanworks of your NOTP with nasty messages to the op of the post, if you make a blog all about hating that ship and anyone who ships it, claim it must be grooming, or if you call people pedophiles or abuse apologists because they wrote something morally heinous in fiction that they will most likely never do irl, I’m not gonna have much respect for you beyond you being a fellow person.

Guess what? Shit you hate is going to exist on the internet. If someone tags their work appropriately or tags with appropriate warnings, you should not be clicking on it and harassing them! They have done what is necessary to protect those pearls you want to clutch.

Banning all questionable material is not going to save people who are targeted by predators and criminals.

Calling people pedophiles because they ship a fictional minor with a fictional adult gives actual pedophiles who go after actual minors a hiding place. These days you can’t tell if someone is an actual pedo or got called one over a ship they ship. Pedos are totally banking on that.

Fiction is supposed to break rules and let people explore dark subjects that are morally messed up because you can close a book or close a website if it gets too weird for you. A child with a predator’s hands on them right this moment can’t click an x or close a book to stop it.

Think about that.

No one is forcing you to go read morally messed up stuff. Not clicking on someone’s creepy fic with your NOTP is nowhere in the same realm as turning a blind eye to actual predators predating on someone.

Running someone off a website because your ass is on fire about them writing a pairing you hate or whatever is not going to stop the bad shit happening in the real world.

Predators and criminals will use anything, so someone’s freaky babyfur smutfic that they wrote to troll a fan website in 1999 is hardly going to normalize bad behavior.

I swear some of you insult the intelligence of people with your moral abuse garbage.

Teaching people to recognize predatory behavior and what to do about it will actually help. Teaching people what is and isn’t a healthy relationship will help.

Remember how people called out Twilight for how unhealthy Edward’s behavior towards Bella was? I’m sure a lot of preteen and teen girls learned to open their eyes a bit more. And I’m sure others still enjoyed the books and movies anyway because it’s fiction. It is the job of parents and guardians to teach their children what is and isn’t healthy in a relationship, but the unfortunate problem there is that can fail if the parents aren’t in a healthy relationship.

That’s why there needs to be more discussions about “this is healthy, that might be fun in a story, but that is not healthy in the real world and anybody who treats you like that is waving abuse red flags” rather than attacking somebody by saying “you’re a monster for shipping that”.

The whole point of art in any form is to create an emotional reaction in the audience.

Fucked up fictional shit exists on the internet. Get over it. I think the fact that people get freaked out by weird stuff in fiction is a clear indicator that it’s not being normalized by that piece of fiction. Flailing about it is not helping anything except your ego. It’s not gonna help survivors who write messed up stuff to cope, it’s going to make them go more silent.

Imagine being someone with an abusive pedo parent who takes comfort in the SessRin ship and being called a pedophile for it, or seeing people in the tag call Sesshoumaru a pedophile. That’s triggering as fuck for somebody.

Imagine being a Starkster going through sexual abuse who takes comfort in the ship, and being called a pedophile for it. Imagine seeing people in the tag call Tony a pedophile. That’s triggering as fuck for somebody.

Imagine having the heinous thing that happened to you being turned onto you as an accusation by people on a moral high horse who forget what pedophile means. That is triggering as fuck for somebody.

Nobody owes you a trauma history in order to be ‘allowed’ to create and post morally messed up fanworks. It’s on YOU to check for warnings and keep scrolling if it’s so offensive to your sensibilities.

What’s better? Discussion of tropes that are harmful if done badly. That’s a place to start. Save the accusations for people who are knowingly doing harm to people and not caring that they’re doing harm.

Go after shit that is actually exploiting actual people right now instead of harassing creators whose trauma you don’t know. Tell pedos their attraction to kids is not a sexuality and they have no place in the LGBTQIA+ community. Warn minors away from MAPs/NOMAPs. Expose predators who have exploitative materials of actual real children. Teach people to recognize predatory behavior like grooming. Find ways to get people out of human trafficking. Question adults if you see them touching or treating a child in a way that doesn’t look right. If you’re a minor and somebody keeps sending you porn material or pictures of their genitalia after you said stop, remind them that you’re a minor and expose the shit out of them. If you’re an adult and know somebody is doing that to a minor you talk to online, help them expose that person. That’s not all you can do, but I can’t think of everything. There’s a lot you can do that will actually help people!

But telling someone not to create something questionable because a predator might misuse it is utter horseshit.

I can bet you anything that every single person who hounds others about their ships has a whole bunch of fucked up stuff they read and never talk about because they know it will get them run off by the same people they use as shields against scrutiny.

I’ve read fucked up shit that I enjoyed because it was done well, but I can grasp that it is not okay to do the same thing in the real world and I would be horrified if I saw somebody doing the same thing in the real world. I am able to experience that moment of being horrified, sit with it and see where the fanwork takes me with that feeling.

I say this after I have just read an awesome morally gray Inuyasha fanfic called “Devour Prometheus” by ladybattousai on AO3. It’s gorey, there is murder, there is abuse, there is exploitation, there are allusions to animal trade and it’s the darkest thing I ever laid eyes on. My stomach twisted several times. It’s a fantastic lens on society right now. (Sesshoumaru’s speech about “don’t hold me to your hypocritical human morality” was epic af.)

And some of you are going to think the author is some kind of violence glorifying freak based only on that.

I feel like a lot of anti shippers and antis in general can’t get past that horrified feeling. They yell that they can’t enjoy the fandom if the material makes a hated pairing canon, so it’s like they don’t want anyone else to enjoy the fandom or the pairing. It’s very immature and scorched earth, and it hurts everyone.

Hey, guess what? I have written pairings with hella huge age gaps. Oh, the horror!

OptimusxMikaela? I headcanon Optimus as being 10 billion + years old, and Mikaela was 18 when they hooked up. Mikaela ages as the stories carry on through the years as my Danceverse series, so she’s in her 30s currently. They fucked and still fuck explicitly.

UnicronxStarscream? Unicron is as old as the universe, so 13 billion + (headcanon), and Starscream is probably 11 million or so (headcanon). They fuck explicitly.

Whouffaldi? The 12th Doctor is 2000+ and Clara is in her 20s. They fuck explicitly.

BeastGojixMiki? Godzilla has been alive for probably close to 65 years in the story, but he acts more like he’s in his 20s and he looks to be in his 20s when he turns back into a human. Miki is 18. They fuck in the story, but it’s written non explicitly.

Bowser JrxOC? Cherry is an oc who is 19. I aged Junior up in that story to be about 20. Their ages aren’t specified, but they’re mentioned to be adults. They fuck in the story, but it’s written non explicitly.

I have written fanfics with rape, abuse, murder, manslaughter, bdsm, stuff that’s morally messed up, etc, and I’m not a murdering rapist who eats children now, am I?

No, because I have no desire to do those things in the real world (because some are not possible...cuz I would date Optimus 😛) and I can distinguish fiction from reality. I can grasp the concept that fiction / art is not always endorsement.

Now get a grip on yourselves, put the pitchforks down and stop policing people’s imaginations.

#hypocrisy #purity culture #shipping wars #ship wars #fandom #anti antis #antis #swearing #pro shipping #tw csa #tw p e d o mention #IF I HAD A TARDIS I WOULD MESS UP SPACETIME SO BAD #if a MAP is getting help and stays away from kids then whatever #but if they parade around proud of it and see nothing wrong they better stay the f away from me or kids #if you are a p e d o harming real world children I will take your eyeballs out through your butthole

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foxsoulcourt · 4 years

Note

May I have a couple Multichapter Andriel fic recs? They can be WIPs or completed, but maybe if they’re not done then have them be at most 3 chapters away from completion? Thanks so much! :)

Hi Nonny!How sweet of you to ask me for fic recs. I had to stop at 6 but I could have gone on for DAYS I TELL YOU, D A Y S!

One important caveat:

As you read, or at the end, I expect you to leave complimentary comments for these wonderful authors. Most of them are friends + I know how much they appreciate seeing the impact their words have on people like us. Make them short! Use keysmashes or emojis! Be sassy! Just be like Nike + DO IT!

Surreal But Nice by @fuzzballsheltiepants, @gluupor + @annawrites (moonix on AO3), both the fic here or the Podficast here (T, 30k, 2 more chapters left!! )This Notting Hill mash-up collaboration by 3 magicians is so.much.fun. Well, except for the most recent 2 chapters. If you don’t like sad cliffhangers, you might want to wait until Sun 29 Mar to start it.Andrew’s quiet life as the owner of an independent, cat-enriched bookstore in the heart of San Francisco’s hills is thrown into turmoil when Famous Actor Neil Josten stumbles into his shop. They argue their way through Andrew’s literary recommendations and into each other’s hearts. But even as Neil is adopted into Andrew’s family - feline and human alike - they struggle to find a way to reconcile their vastly different lives.

you used to call me on my cell phone by OneSweetMelody @thepalmtoptiger (T, 20k, 2018/19) - I love this story so much I could go steady with it. Using hand motions to indicate which character is speaking, I’ve read a lot of this out loud to ¾ of my family. I recommend you pick some people you’re quarantined with + do the same. It doesn’t really matter if they know AFTG or not!a wrong # au where Neil + Andrew start out snarky and slowly move towards friends.

Piper Minyard-Josten: kid au by OrdinaryVegan / @pastelanxiete (G, 7824 words, 2017) - I love seeing what qualities of Andrew + Neil rise to the surface when they are called to parent a smaller human. I love Piper.Andrew and Neil have a daughter, and she is an actual ray of sunshine.

Trust Fall (and Welcoming Arms) by @spanglebangle (E, 85k, 2017) - This is one the foundational works in my AFTG fanfic library. Everyone has their own “4th book of canon”; this is one of mine.Life goes on after the Foxes win the championship, and for Andrew and Neil it’s uncharted territory with only each other for guides. Maybe it’s time to put away some of those hard edges, and learn how to touch more softly, and speak more honestly. And if they falter, they have their family to help them get back on their feet.

it suits you by @lolainslackss (M, 14k, 2018) - OMG I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS FIC. That’s all I’ll say. Go read it.Andrew Minyard is killing time working at his cousin’s central London suit shop as a personal stylist. One day, Neil Hatford, an Olympic athlete in desperate need of a new wardrobe, walks through the door. That’s when everything changes.

Calling Me Back Once Again by @fuzzballsheltiepants (E, 12k, 2018) - This is one of my comfort fics; I can’t count how many times I’ve read it. I love the story, feel for Andrew while he waits + I A D O R E the OCs!On Christmas Eve morning, Neil decided to go for a little ski near their ski lodge. An unexpected blizzard hits, leaving it up to the local search and rescue team to find him. Meanwhile, all Andrew can do is wait.

If you are looking for more, you can

check the #foxsoulcourt aftg fic rec tag

look through my AO3 bookmarks (sadly, I don’t know how to categorise/organise them…yet) (if you know how, please dm!!!)

consult either @aftgficrec or @aftgficlibrary

#anonymous ask #foxsoulcourt aftg fic rec #i know you're going to leave lovely comments for these authors + i thank you in advance for doing so #reader-writer fandom ecosystem #we encourage one another #multi-chapter andreil #all for the game #aftg #fuzzballsheltiepants #gluupor #moonix #annawrites #onesweetmelody #thepalmtoptiger #ordinaryvegan #pastelanxiete#spanglebangle #lolainslackss #Anonymous

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overthedub · 4 years

Text

Gorillaz Fic Recs Part 1

Today’s a day all about love, and I just feel like there isn’t a whole lot of love shown towards the fanfic side of this fandom. Hopefully my haphazard rec list can fix that.

A lot of fics on this list (though certainly not all) feature Murdoc as the main character (because I love him lol), so if you hate him, maybe skip over this rec list.

Got a good mix of family fics, angst, and other stuff, so take your pick.

(Part 2 incoming)

Family Fics

Things They Don’t Understand by Ferrenbach

Summary: Murdoc is the most real person in the world, but it's hard to make people understand when he doesn't have the words.

Rating: Teen

BOOOIIII this fic. THIS fic right here is my jam. I absolutely adore it to bits, and whenever I’m lacking inspiration to write for my own fic, I go and revisit it.

The poetic style, the deep characterizations of both Murdoc and 2-D, just everything about this fic is so damn good, my dudes. Holy shit, I cannot recommend this one-shot enough.

Worlds Infinite by Ferrenbach

Summary:

Murdoc goes looking for 2-D, who can only take so much party noise. He can also only take so much alcohol before turning into an armchair philosopher. Murdoc is more practical. There's no sense in musing on "what-ifs" after all, is there?

Rating: Gen

Yet another great piece from Ferrenbach. I’ve been meaning to delve into their other fics, too, but so far I’ve only had time to read a couple of their one-shots.

I adore the atmosphere of this fic, and the descriptions and characterizatons of Murdoc and 2-D are just as amazing as in Things They Don’t Understand.

The Gunpowder Princess by ghoullly

Summary:

A runaway princess with a gun on her back

A man with raven's wings and a bird's skull atop his head.

A giant man with long legs and the biggest heart she'd ever seen (figuratively and literally).

A man with a ghost between his ears and the ability to sway the elements with his mood.

One man is mute, one man is blind, and one man is deaf.

A ragtag group of misfits band together to travel to the edge of Japan to help the young heiress escape her planned assassination. They quickly realize that it's not as easy as it sounds, especially with some dangerous people following close behind.

Rating: Mature

I haven’t had the chance to catch up with this fic in a while (and it’s unfinished), but I adore this AU to bits. Japanese folklore AND found family dynamic? Yes, please.

return address by beepboopwriting

Summary:

Even evil has loved ones.

Sometimes, evil sends said loved ones letters written in nasty ink and addressed from a high security prison.

Loved one replies. She replies a lot.

Rating: Teen

This one makes me wanna cry, man. Murdoc and Noodle’s father-daughter relationship was one of the reasons I joined this fandom in the first place, and this Phase 5 fic does NOT disappoint. My heart aaaaah

Horse With No Name by Invader Sam

Summary:

Another one-shot Gorillaz fic, this time set during their first US tour. Noodle is plagued with nightmares and Murdoc, fearing it may be affecting her performance in the band, decides to 'handle it'. :) Rated for one or two curse words.

Rating: Teen

This is a really cute Phase 1 Murdad one-shot that made me smile a lot.

Sleepover by vinnie2757

Summary: 'Is this "Everybody Crawls into Murdoc's Bed Night" and I wasn't informed?’

Rating: K

Another cute Phase 1 one-shot where both Noodle and 2-D have nightmares and sneak into Murdoc’s bed to talk to him about it like the kids they are, much to his weary dismay.

Snapshots by vinnie2757

Summary:

The early years are full of the soft moments, the easy smiles and piggybacks, the laughter and the supportive hands behind backs. [A collection of moments from a time when Gorillaz were happy.]

Rating: K+

This one-shot collection spans across multiple phases and is an all-around nice time. No drama, no angst, just Gorillaz being a family. :D

You Are Now Entering The Harmonic World... by OceanBacon23

Summary:

A collection of little scenes. Each deals with a certain song by Gorillaz, and you might need to know each song before you can read the story.

No archive warnings apply. ADDITIONAL WARNINGS MAY BE PLACED IN AUTHORS' NOTES.

Rating: Gen

I haven’t read all the one-shots in this collection yet, but it’s nice to take a peek into these song creation moments the band members get up to here.

The Apology by eyedentification

Summary: Murdoc makes amends. (My own take on a common Gorillaz fanfic trope.)

Rating: Mature

This is more a comedy one-shot than a family one. I’m not exaggerating when I say I yelled at this Phase 4 fic lmao. I won’t spoil anything other than the fact that this is just Peak Murdoc™.

Press, Release by ratbat

Summary:

Privacy is something you trade for fame, Murdoc knew that, but there's always something personal you hope to cling to, something to keep for yourself.

Now if only the fucking media and their hack lackeys would quit acting like that belonged to them too.

Rating: Teen

This is a great Phase 1 fic focusing on Murdoc’s own battle with internalized homophobia after the media tries to rip his coming out away from him in an interview.

This fic does have some slurs in it, courtesy of Murdoc’s own foul mouth and internalized hatred, but do read this one if you’re okay reading that sort of thing.

What Are We Going to Do? by Close_enough_to_lose

Summary:

Murdoc notices that Noodle looks embarrassed while handing 2D the lyric sheet for Every Planet We Reach Is Dead. He quickly figures out why. Luckily, it’s one thing he’s equipped to deal with.

Or,

Murdoc finds out Noodle is bi and gives her his advice.

Rating: Teen

More Murdoc being a good dad to Noodle. :D Just a bi dad giving his bi daughter (actually good) advice.

2D is Weird by alexisntedgy

Summary:

2D has always been a little different. Or, other people always thought he was. But when people keep telling someone that they're weird, it starts to get to you.

Or, 2D is autistic and has a panic attack because of his ~issues~.

TW for internalized ableism, panic attacks, and general ableism. Any other TWs in the notes.

Rating: Teen

I also have a headcanon that 2-D is autistic, and I like how this fic portrays how he struggles with his and other people’s perceptions of it and him. Noodle’s also being a good sister to him here, so that’s a plus.

Just Another Girl by alexisntedgy

Summary:

Noodle is a girl. She knows that. The only problem is, the rest of the world doesn't know it.

Rated T for Murdoc

Basically just trans Noodle. I love her she's gr8 :))

Rating: Teen

I haven’t caught up with this fic all the way through yet either, but the chapters I have read are super cute and wholesome and full of Gorillaz family-bonding. :3

Angst Fics

Pretending by FleetRed

Summary: After a casual hookup, Stu imagines what it would be like if it were something more.

Rating: Teen

I adore the many character study fics in this fandom, and this one is no exception. It’s a great insight into 2-D’s romantic mind.

The Selfish Giant by fashionpixiez

Summary:

YOU ARE MURDOC NICCALS, AND YOU ARE EMPTY.

No, no. Don’t tell me you’re not. You’re empty, aren’t you ? A vessel. But you aren’t the kind of vessel that wants to be filled, are you? No. You reach out to people and you touch their hearts and you burn them, because you want them to feel some of that burning emptiness too. that’s all you’re good for. (It’s like it’s all you’ve ever known.)

Rating: Teen

This fic hurts my heart, but damn is it good. The descriptions of Murdoc’s feelings and his past are so poignant here, I just want to hug him.

Other Murdoc-Related Fics

Tattoos by HowlingMisfit

Summary: There's a reason why Murdoc doesn't have them anymore. (Rated for: Major character "death", Gore, Blood, Nudity and Murdoc.)

Rating: Mature

This is a horror/supernatural one-shot that (to me at least) is more comedic than scary. Of course, the descriptions are downright macabre (which I love), but...again Peak Murdoc here.

Lucy, I’m Home by TheDarkLegate

Summary:

After the release of Humanz, Murdoc isn't willing to wait another seven years for more success. Lucifer wants to see just what he'll give up to get it. One shot. Spiritual Successor to "A Day in the Life of Satan".

Rating: Teen

I’ve hardly (if ever) seen any fanfics that delve into Murdoc’s deal with the Devil. The way Lucifer is portrayed as a world-weary businessman rather than someone to fear is pretty funny and really in line with Gorillaz’ sense of humor, too.

Morning Person by Lmaooooonade

Summary:

A young boy cherishes the mornings where he can just exist. Things might not be great, but he can at least exist peacefully for a while.

Rated Teen for my fucking language.

Based off the headcanon of another creator I very much admire, please inquire within.

Rating: Teen

This Phase 0 fic is a great stand-alone read even if I haven’t really delved into the headcanons that inspired their fic (though I have seen their neat artwork around sometimes).

If I move my hands fast enough, I won’t die by alexisntedgy

Summary:

Murdoc Niccals has Tourette’s syndrome, this is the story of his journey.

Because nobody else has written about this headcanon yet!!

This will probably be a place to keep Tourettes!murdoc ficlets and one shots!!! For context, I (the author) have a tic disorder :)

Rating: Teen

Personally, I like Murdoc’s verbal tics, so it’s interesting to see someone else’s take on why he does them here.

Aaaand that’s it for now! I’ve read a lot more Gorillaz fics than this, but this list was getting long enough as it is, so I figure it’d be best to just make another rec post based on genre.

Part 2 of my recs will focus more on OC/Murdoc and reader/Murdoc romance fics, so stay tuned for those!

If you have any fic recs for me, by all means tell me about them! Just keep in mind that I don’t like any band ships aside from 2Russ and RussDel.

Self-insert OCs or reader fics are a-okay, though!

#if anyone has any other fic recs lmk!#Gorillaz #fanfiction

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horseluvr00-ff · 4 years

Text

A Place to Call Home | Chapter 21

Masterlist Here

Rating: T+

Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe

Genre/Warnings: action/adventure/family | kidnapping, violence, strong language.

Story summary: It’s been a few months since the Battle of New York. Steve Rogers is acclimating to life when he crosses paths with teenager Katelyn Sanders, a SHIELD recruit and highly valued asset with a dark past. Follow Kate’s adventure from SHIELD asset to Avenger to wanted fugitive over the course of her youth and into adulthood with her Avenging family. Follows Infinity Saga and beyond.

Words: 4,366

Disclaimer: Majority of properties within this fanfic are owned by Marvel/Disney. My OC Katelyn Sanders, as well as a few other unaffiliated things within this fanfic are of my own creation.

Author Note: Chapters usually average between 6k-8k words, but range from 4k to 10k. Relogs are welcome :) Please no plagiarism or reposts on other platforms. Updates occur weekly on Fridays, however posts on Tumblr usually occur Saturdays.

Full story available on FFN and A03 here and here

Chapter 21 can be found here on FFN and here on AO3 in full.

Check out a portion of Chapter 21 below:

Two Weeks Later…

As the days passed with Katelyn around, the team found themselves warming up to her considerably more so than expected. Surpassing the "week" Director Fury gave them with Kate, the team was given more time on the condition that Kate report to the SHIELD base in New York every few days and check in with Agent Hill. No one had put a solid number on when Kate's departure would be, even Fury. On the conditions that the team try to get information out of her, Fury was being lenient with Steve and his mission regarding the SHIELD recruit.

Kate was warming up to everyone. While certain conversations were bumpy, everyone was starting to work out the kinks with the recruit. She was still quiet regarding her abilities and the information SHIELD wanted from her, however such details were quickly moving to the back of the minds of the team as things become less professional and more relaxed - something Steve was striving towards. While most of the team, mainly Natasha, Clint and Bruce, were focused on keeping things semi-professional, Steve on the other hand saw an orphaned fourteen year old kid being trained as a child soldier. While Kate's parents weren't something Kate ever spoke of, it was something Steve put together by reading Kate's file as well as the information Fury gave him.

Tossing his jacket over one of the stools at the kitchen island of the communal floor, Steve rests his hands over the edge of the granite surface with a soft sigh.

He had just returned from a trip to the New York SHIELD base, Kate in tow. The meetings Kate had with Agent Hill weren't something Steve sat in on, rather he dropped Kate off at Hill's office and did some of his own work elsewhere for an hour before going to pick her up.

"How was it?" Clint speaks up, causing the Captain to turn and meet the archer's eyes as his teammate walked across the room towards the kitchen.

"It was alright," Steve nods, eyes returning to the counter for a moment before he turns around, leaning back against the surface, arms raising as he crosses them.

"Did Kate talk about the meeting at all?"

Steve is quiet for a few seconds as he shakes his head. "No… No she didn't. Although I try not to ask either… I don't want to pry."

Clint chuckles before nodding.

"She's not gonna bite your head off if you ask."

"Regardless it isn't my business," Steve's tone drops once he hears the amusement in Clint's voice.

"Since you've made her your business I don't think-"

"Clint." Steve states, cutting off the archer as he started to laugh before he could finish his own words.

Barton lifts his hands in a surrendering motion before shaking his head.

"You really crack me up sometimes," Clint mumbles.

"I don't want to step on her toes," Steve mutters, turning away from his friend to face the counter.

"You gotta keep in mind she's also an agent in training, Cap. The kid is used to a certain level of professionalism. You can ask her things and expect some sort of answer."

"I don't want to expect anything from her. If she's going to talk to me I want it to be because she trusts me with the information, not because she feels like she needs to tell me because I- outrank her er-..." Steve trails off, his brow knitting tightly as he processed the words himself.

Clint smirks lightly, eyeing Steve with a softening gaze before he begins walking and heads around the kitchen island.

"I get that when you look at her, you see a teenager… a kid," Clint starts, leaning on the counter opposite Rogers. "But when she looks in the mirror I doubt that's what she sees. In fact - she's being trained not to see that. Just be careful what image you project on her; she's bound to notice sooner rather than later,"

Steve is quiet as he processes the agent's words before ultimately nodding.

"Has Hill said anything?"

"No," Steve responds. "Not about Kate,"

"They're still out for that information?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

Clint nods and looks down at the counter briefly, thoughts turning.

"Ever thought about what they want from her?" Clint asks, hands meeting the edge of the counter as he stands up straight. "The information about these locations this organization keeps kids at." Clint furthers.

"What about them?" Steve questions, arms crossing.

"All these kids SHIELD has in their pockets and she's the one with the information," Clint explains, shaking his head lightly. "... Does that seem at all off to you?"

Steve is quiet as his eyes slowly fall to the counter for a brief time.

"... Everything seems off to me these days," Steve ultimately mumbles.

Clint finds himself smiling at Steve's words before giving an agreeing shrug.

"Fair enough."

The sound of the elevator opening causes heads to turn as Kate emerges out of the lift, her eyes finding Steve and then Clint.

"Hey," Clint calls over, lowering his weight onto his forearms on the counter. "Hill wasn't too harsh was she?"

"Course not, sir." Kate shakes her head, a small smile on her face as she comes to a stop at the short side of the island adjacent to both adults.

"Has she been questioning you or perhaps asking you to- spy on us?" Clint smirks.

Kate's smile widens as she gives a small shake of her head, eyes meeting Steve's for a brief time.

"Eh well… You can tell us if you ever feel like spilling," Clint adds before standing up straight. "I gotta get some training out of the way. I'll leave you to it," He sighs before walking for the door.

Kate nods in response to his words and watches the agent leave before she turns towards Steve with a small smile.

He smiles in return, eyes falling briefly before he looks around the kitchen.

"I was gonna make a sandwich, are you hungry? I can make you something."

Kate is quiet for a moment as the Captain walks around the island before she nods.

"That'd be nice. Thank you," Kate leans forward over the island, her arms stretching out over the cold surface as she watches Steve open the pantry doors to grab the loaf of bread.

"Not to sound nosy, but, are these meetings with Hill going alright?" Steve looks over his shoulder, tone light as he brings the bag around onto the island.

Kate eyes Steve quietly for a brief time before she nods and clears her throat.

"They're good." Kate nods, her eyes dotting about the countertop before her subtle smile falls and her gaze jumps back up rather quickly. "Did- you want me to report on those conversations? Sir?"

"Oh- no! No-" Steve responds quickly, her distress impacting him as he brings two plates over. "Those conversations are between you and Agent Hill, it isn't something you need to tell me if you're not comfortable with that," Steve explains quickly, eyes turning back down to the counter as he placed the plates onto the surface before turning towards the fridge.

Kate swallows and nods, pulling her lips tightly together before returning her gaze to the counter surface.

"That being said…" Steve trails off, grabbing a few packages of lunch meat and cheese from the fridge, placing them on the counter quickly before turning back towards the fridge. "I- wouldn't mind knowing the little details you're comfortable sharing."

Kate smiles gently before nodding, her feet carrying her around to the long side of the counter opposite Steve where the stools were. Taking a seat at one of them, her eyes return up towards Steve's actions as he brings out a tomato and chunk of lettuce from the produce drawer of the fridge.

"Today she was just asking about my injury," Kate responds. "Other than that, she talked a little about my training."

"Training being- what it will look like for the future?" Steve asks.

"No, just- whenever it starts back up again, she was describing how we'd progress depending on how I test once I get back," Kate explains, meeting Steve's eyes as he slows his action.

His eyes meet Kate's for a short time before his gaze falls to the sandwiches he was preparing, his expression revealed his uncertainty regarding her words. Not the validity of them, but the context of them. Steve could recall multiple arguments he'd had with Hill regarding Kate's welfare. Not that she was cold-hearted, but she approached the Oriah program in a very cut and dry way, something Steve was finding himself disagreeing with more and more.

"Turkey or ham?" Steve questions gently, lifting both containers.

Kate's eyes meet the containers in Steve's hands before giving him a small smile.

"Um, ham, thank you."

Steve nods quietly before he begins preparing both sandwiches, one with turkey and one with ham.

"Do… You want to go back?" Steve knew the question was on the more controversial side. It was a topic Kate was hesitant to discuss as it put all the decision making on her end.

"I-..." Kate trails off, lips still parted, mouth open as she quickly searches for the words.

"Considering you- broke out of this installation in Canada, I figured-"

"Things were different there," Kate interrupts his words, eyes locked on the countertop as she wrung her hands tightly.

Steve remains silent following her brief explanation, focus turning towards the sandwiches as the room as a whole fell silent.

This is how most conversations with Kate went. Things would be casual, however there would eventually come a turn in the conversation that made Kate fall quiet, causing the atmosphere to turn quite uncomfortable.

Finishing up the sandwiches, Steve brings both plates around the counter, placing his own in front of one of the stools before holding out the second plate towards Kate.

"Thank you," Kate responds quietly, taking the plate as she pulls together a brief smile before setting it down onto the counter.

"You're welcome," Steve chuckles, taking a seat at the stool next to Kate. "Feel free to raid the pantry or fridge whenever you're hungry,"

Kate nods, another small smile breaking across her face at Steve's words. He would make sure to tell her that rather frequently. While Kate wasn't comfortable doing as such, she enjoyed hearing Steve remind her of the fact, hoping one day it would just click and she'd feel comfortable enough to do so by his words.

The rest of chapter 21 can be found here on FFN and here on AO3. Take a peak to keep reading!

Stay healthy, stay safe, sending lots of love. <3

Masterlist Here

#avengers fanfiction #dad!steve rogers #steve rogers x daughter!reader #female oc #marvel oc #steve rogers #tony stark #clint barton #natasha romanoff #pepper potts #captain america #iron man #hawkeye #black widow

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aelaer · 5 years

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Tagged: All about me and fanfic

Thank you for tagging me @dragonnan! My fan fic history is a long one... and in three fandoms. Which is why most of this will be under a cut for anyone who has a lot of time to waste. And is morbidly curious. But there’s some (okay, dozens) of fanfic recs for three fandoms under there too, sooooo.

Tagging at the top so you don’t have to read my verbose-ness if you don’t want to: @amethyst-noir @cairistiona7 @mdcbd @phierie if you’re interested in giving it a shot :)

1. At what age did you start writing fanfiction?

13. You can still find my earliest works online, too; I kept up anything that wasn't completely deplorable (though fanfiction.net deleted my stupidly popular, several hundred reviews of a story I did in 2004 because it was script format. The bastards xD Popular with all the little kids).

2. Who is your favorite author?

Lmaooooo what a question. Okay so for three fandoms. The big thing that’s common between all my favorite authors is that romance is not a primary genre with any of these writers. So if you like gen (of all genres) you’ve come to the right post.

If anyone here is a LOTR book fan (especially Aragorn), let me direct you to storiesofarda.com. It’s an old site, not even mobile friendly. Anyway, go read the works of Cairistiona and Meckinock. If you're more into hobbits and anything fluffy, go read Shirebound. That I remember their names since I was last active in fanfic in LOTR in 2011 speaks to their quality. I've had the honor of meeting Shirebound several times in real life as well, this last time in New York back in April after several years apart (though I'd like to meet Cair one day for sure, as well). I had a lot of favorites years ago but I’d need to reread the old stuff to see what still lives up to my expectations.

Scanning my favorites in Sherlock, Jolie Black , CaffeineKitty, and hollyesque on AO3. Stillwaters1, chappysmom, Radon65, and Morgan Stuart from fanfiction.net. But I have a couple favorite stories from authors who only wrote a couple fics (below).

Now the MCU (okay basically Doctor Strange, let’s be honest), on AO3: Grim Revolution and merrywil (the latter is pretty new and needs a hell lot more attention, she is a great writer). I love those long, introspective character one shots. There's not a lot of authors who don't focus on romance in the MCU with Stephen as a main character -- indeed, it’s partially nonexistent -- so shorter list. ElenaCee wrote some great stories just after the first film but has sadly moved onto other fandoms.

Dragonnan on AO3 is currently my favourite whump writer. Two of my fandoms and lots of my favorite tropes. I feel spoiled. My favorite romance-is-their-primary-genre writer is amethyst-noir for her characterization of Stephen combined with the oh-so-fun (for us) scenarios.

3. Favorite type of scene to write?

I can usually tickle myself quite a bit when I get some really great situational comedy into a story. I can never be fully an angst/whump writer because I adore comedy. So yeah, situational comedy for sure.

4. What is your favorite fanfic?

Stop asking me these questions ahhh. Okay so I'll be mentioning fanfics not by any of the authors listed above (which are in my most favorite stories too but, well, their works are all favorites anyway. Just look at all their works in said fandom for more favorites if you’re lacking reading material and have similar tastes. And once you’re done reading all the works by those authors, come back here for more. Seriously, read the authors above).

I listed these fics in alphabetical order because that seemed most fair.

LOTR (Most are book-verse. I need to reread a lot of these. Most of these authors have several works for the fandom, though I think each of these particular stories have Aragorn as a primary character):

A Proper Course of Action by GadFlyGirl (absolutely hilarious one-shot after Helm’s Deep about ‘the Denethor situation’)

Across the Years by MistyC (a very creative and well-written story that spins an old cliche in a much more interesting way)

Butterbur and the King by Eledhwen (fantastic character one-shot from one of my favorite minor characters)

Conversations with the King by athelas63 (great characterizations, good healing scenes)

Conversion by Pentangle-linnon (for everyone who says that first person can’t be done in fanfic - read this one-shot, then tell me what you think now. A work of pure brilliance)

Crossroads of Light and Shadow by Mirach (this one I recommend simply for the creativity alone; the art she was able to execute with the text in flipping fanfiction.net is really mind-boggling. Very creative!)

Doomed to Live by fliewatuet (it was never completed, but it’s so freaking good that I am putting it here anyway)

For Every Evil by Mirrordance (fantastic modern incarnation AU that spun out into a series)

Greet the Dawn by Neoinean (a great, very long long-shot with two characters meeting and it’s just a great combination of humor and angst. More great characterization)

Helping Strangers by Imaginigma (fantastic one-shot, really interesting OCs, a wonderful scenario)

In Shadow Realm by Legolass Q (original concept, well-developed characters, engaging plot, truly magnificent)

Light Fingers by Aearwen22 (I think this is the only fic here that doesn’t star Aragorn- he’s a pretty minor character. Brilliant brilliant characterizations of the OCs and a look of a part of society often ignored in LOTR fan fic)

Pale-Faced Tark by Carafinwe (everything by this author is brilliant, but the visceral imagery she managed to capture in two short chapters here still blows my mind)

The Patient by Scribe (another fantastic modern incarnation AU that spun out into a series)

Ransom by MP brennan (man I just continue to see how much the LOTR fandom completely spoiled me with all of these brilliant, plotty fics. Another original concept with brilliant OCs and fantastic execution)

Shattered Stones by MCat711 (a very creepy, original, well-executed one shot that keeps you guessing the whole way through)

The Weight of Power by Nefhiriel (does it follow canon as established by the Appendices? No. Do I care? No. The story’s absolutely fantastic and makes those small discrepancies mean nothing. This was also the first story I ever drew fan art for. I then made something for Shirebound a year later, then didn’t make anything again until that Ebony Maw piece I posted a bit back)

With Hope and Without Hope by docmon (AU scenario in that the Three Hunters are captured while trying to rescue the Hobbits. Very well-thought out and compelling plot, fantastic characterizations all around)

Sherlock:

Annie’s Song by Berouge (One of the only romantic-leaning fics listed here [Sherlolly], but that is due to its excellent characterization and execution. Creative one-shot.)

The Case of the Missing Bus Ticket by Unsentimentalf (I think I burst a rib laughing to this story. Long one-shot. Situational humor at its finest)

Constantly by thesignofserbia (great one shot concerning Serbia)

Drowning by Dayja (I like a lot of her stuff. Angsty.)

Firestorm by Dustbunny13 (This is... beyond words. So gorgeous. I adored it from beginning to end. Have read a few times. Sometimes accept it as season 3 alternate canon, it’s just fantastic)

Fortune and Bust by ThessalyMc (a wonderful gap-filler fic, very similar to a lot of my favorite authors listed above in quality and type of content)

The Green Blade by verityburns (excellent case fic)

The Holiday by Scriblit (both whumpy angst and humor and case fic? Yeeeessss. Another I’ve read several times.)

Landscape With The Fall Of Icarus by Caitlin Fairchild (another Serbia fic? Yes predictable of me)

London Orbital (another story, very long one-shot, where I burst a rib laughing)

Rigging screws, size 1 3/8 inch, galvanised by AJHall (another excellent case fic)

World Enough, and Time by StoneWingedAngel (an excellent and creative execution of a trope that you'll realize by the time you get to day three)

Doctor Strange (unless stated otherwise, they’re all one-shots. Need more multi-chapter fics... or just gen Stephen content in general):

The Architect by mudgems (a great what-if with Stephen, Loki, and the Time Stone)

Born of the Same Impulse by GwendolynStacy (WIP multi-chapter. Time stone shenanigans send Stephen and Tony back to just before Ultron and a few months after the car accident, but before Kamar-Taj [the accident happens in 2015 rather than 2016 for this to work. It’s brilliant])

Citizen Erased by Imagined (WIP multi-chapter. One of the only romance-is-a-major-genre story [ironstrange] on the list, but the plot concept is incredibly unique, the mystery is being unraveled so wonderfully well, and the collection of characters is really fantastic and in-character.)

The End of Infinity by FriendlyNeighborhoodFangirls (WIP multi-chapter. It’s canon compliant, only Stephen does a fantastic trick after canon and snatches Loki from the claws of death to go back to 2016 and fix everything. Peter, Tony also co-star. I am very much looking forward to where this goes)

Extracurricular Activities by EmptyHead (I am cheating here and linking a series. But it’s so damn creative, and while Stephen plays a big role, he’s definitely not the starring character. Synopsis is that MJ learns the mystic arts. It’s really brilliant!)

Geniuses by decotex (Stephen Strange's and Tony Stark's backstories, published before IW came out)

Hearth Sorcery by keshwyn (Another cheat here with a series of 5 one-shots, but this is too excellent and undervalued not to link. Excellent OC and world-building, highly recommend)

Holiday Magic by KarToon12 (Stephen plays Santa Claus for sick kids. It's adorable)

i hope you hold the mirror up (to show me what i chose) by CallicoKitten (Stephen and Tony being assholes to one another, published way before IW. I love it)

Like an Old Coat by ValmureEld (Could definitely see this as a follow up scene to the events in the Doctor Strange film. Great character interaction sequence)

Magic In Our Veins by Luna_Heart (the lack of Loki and Stephen interaction stories is criminal. Absolutely criminal. I want more!)

The Night’s First Watch by fathomfive (omg this is so good. So so so good. Excellent character study, I can’t recommend it enough)

of coffee and (questionable) first impressions by Phierie (Ooohh I love this alternate first meeting lots. Beat up on monsters and a coffee break after the work. Great stuff)

Project Code 131793 by StrangeMischief (Absolutely haunting and incredibly well-executed AU. I would adore to see more in this universe, it is so interesting)

Replay by INMH (the horror of Dormammu and coping with it)

You’ve Got Mail by Jadesfire (it’s about the mail situation with the Sanctum. What is not to love about that concept)

5. What tags do you avoid like the plague?

A/B/O, mpreg, not Mary friendly (for Sherlock), not Team Cap friendly, anti-Steve, anti-Wanda (or similar). Any of that anti-character bullshit, but in the MCU those are the two I see the most (and so probably make me rage the most. I once saw anti-T’Challa for instance and that just confused me more than anything). A bit of a rant in the next two paragraphs (I have Strong Feelings on this topic).

I don't tolerate the anti-character crowd. I really don't. Disliking a character is one thing and completely normal (I have my own list), but expanding time and energy to write just how much this character sucks is mind-boggling (and tends to make for really shitty fanfic. So you create a strawman villain of the character you hate for your favorite character to go against? Good job, you’ve made your favorite character appear entirely too stupid to deal with a well-developed character in conflict, and have made your favorite character 2D. Have a gold star). Your energy can be used elsewhere that isn't focused on hate. If you hate the character but aren’t creative enough to present them as anything but a strawman in your writing, don’t bother. Create an OC for your antagonist instead. Stop making canon characters so ridiculously OOC.

The real world is too filled with negativity to have it as part of a major focus in my fandom experience. It actually really, really bothers me that I cannot save a filter that automatically excludes all those anti tags as they haven’t been canonicalized on AO3. What perhaps bothers me even more is the number of kudos those hate-filled fics with incredibly OOC characters receive. The hypocrisy in this crowd is just astounding when you start pointing out the flaws in their favorite characters, too (FYI: All well-developed characters have flaws. I love Stephen Strange for his flaws. Before Stephen made his debut, Tony Stark was my favorite for similar reasons. It makes them INTERESTING).

Anyway, rant over.

6. What AU do you wish to write but feel like you won’t manage?

If I really really really want to write something, I'll write it. That said, there are things that I don't plan to write that I would adore reading (like that unfinished Stephen travels to the HP universe in Harry's fifth year fic ahhhhh I want that it would have made the 5th year so much better. Maybe if I bribe the original writer with fan art... wardmason you’re killing me).

7. Do you outline, or write as you go?

Depends. The outlines only tend to come into play for long stories with several scenes, and writing tends to happen first before outlining.

8. What has been your favorite story to write so far? Why?

Such hard questions! Uhhh I had great fun writing in my youth but I can barely remember it. Within this last year, uh... can I just say all of them? I've written about 100k in 6 months, I'm clearly enjoying myself here. I’ve had vibrant moments of delight in writing or planning several of them.

9. Do you prefer to write one-shots or multi-chapters? Why?

Both. Just depends on the story I want to tell and how long that story is saying it should be. I like posting a variety too; have one-shots coming out while I am working on the longer stories in the background.

10. What is your favorite kind of comment?

Oh those deep analytical ones that clearly took time to write. They're so lovely and really make my day. Every fanfic writer knows exactly what type of comment I am talking about.

11. Why did you start writing fanfiction? Why are you still writing?

I started because I had just seen the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie and I really liked the characters (before the sequels ruined them in various capacities) and I thought, "I should put them in Middle-earth!" 45 chapters and 7 years later that damn fic got completed (after dozens and dozens of rewrites as my writing abilities improved over the years).

Now, it's because I really enjoy writing and I like playing in copyrighted playgrounds with characters and worlds I love. Yeah, I could write an original novel, but it wouldn't be nearly as much fun.

#personal #about me #fanfic #fic rec #doctor strange fanfic #lotr fanfic #sherlock fanfic

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theprairienerd · 6 years

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Fanfiction Writers Appreciation Day: Coco Edition

Today is the day where we as consumers of fan-made content show our appreciation for those that take the time to write stories that extend universes, fill in gaps, and leave us wanting more. And since I am always a slut for good fanfics and making lists, I have put together a collection of my all-time favorite works of fanfiction. I decided to split up the fandoms, because having them all together in one post made Tumblr mad. I tried to get them all done by the 21st, but the universe conspired against me. So I’ll be posting different lists for different fandoms throughout the week.

But this post is about Coco.

Coco surprised me. When I watched it on Netflix, purely on a whim, I wasn’t anticipating falling head over heals in love with the characters and the story and the music. Immediately after finishing Coco I began looking up fanfiction. And there are so many good writers in the Coco fandom. It was hard to keep this list a reasonable amount. But I did! So without further ado, let’s get to the fics!

Down to Dust by @pengychan

Soccoro Rivera accidentally gets herself cursed on Dia de Muertos and needs the blessing of her friend Cheque to send her back home. But when Cheque can’t give her the blessing, the Riveras must search for another of member of his family to do it before it’s too late. A complex fic with complex characters and very well written.

El Amor Domestica el Corazón by @seasidefanasties

WEREWOLF AU WEREWOLF AU WEREWOLF AU WEREWOLF AU WEREWOLF AU WEREWOLF AU WEREWOLF AU WEREWOLF AU WEREWOLF AU WEREWOLF AU WEREWOLF AU WEREWOLF AU WEREWOLF AU WEREWOLF AU WEREWOLF AU

El Camino a Casa by Bookwormgal

Ernesto skimps on the poison and Héctor is able to make it back to Santa Cecilia... but not back home. Aresenic poisioning is unpleasant.

I’ve noticed that we as a fandom love to make poor Héctor suffer.

Elegy by @dogbearinggifts

It’s Dia de Muertos, 1942, and Imelda Rivera finds a familiar red book amongst the possessions of the recently deceased Ernesto de la Cruz. A fresh take at the “someone other than Miguel gets cursed and sent to the Land of the Dead” idea. Héctor and Imelda both need hugs.

I’m Lost and I’m Found by @loracarol

Instead of poison, Ernesto gives Héctor a potion that turns him into a werewolf. Three years later, Imelda runs into a giant wolf with strangely familiar eyes.

This fic isn’t finished, but it’s really good. It definitely satisfies my need for werewolves and romance. And if you are a fan of SeasideFantasies’s fic, or werewolves in general, you’ll really like I’m Lost and I’m Found.

La Guitarra by @dogbearinggifts

Based on the idea floating around here on Tumblr that the famous skull guitar is actually Héctor’s alebrije. The first fic is chilling and the last fic gave me all the feels.

Like a Gentle Refrain by Bookwormgal

So it didn't matter how good Héctor looked, cleaned up and well-dressed as her brothers settled him into a chair. It didn't matter how she couldn't seem to drag her eyes away from him or how it felt like a phantom heartbeat was racing in her ribcage. It didn't matter that the shy and uncertain nod of greeting seemed wrong and part of her wanted to reach out to him.

She had to remain firm. She needed to keep her distance. It would make things easier. It would hurt less this way. She just needed to do the smart thing. Though that would be trickier when her family seemed to be conspiring against her.

This fic... is.... so good. Just read it.

Little Bones by The_Mad_Hatter

Héctor gets roped into helping out at an orphanage outside Shantytown. And because Héctor is a good Papá he sticks around. If you need a good cry, or just want to read a fic that will rip out your heart, shove your heart into a jar of alcohol, light that jar on fire, throw said flaming jar into the window of your home, breaking the glass and burning your house down, all the while asking for more because it’s so just heartbreakingly beautiful - this fic is for you.

Neither Can You by @babycharmander

In the months following Dia de Muertos, Héctor is attacked and he and the rest of the Riveras must learn how to deal with the resulting trauma. For the record, it’s not nearly as depressing as it sounds. Don’t get me wrong; there are sad bits, but there are parts that literally made me laugh out loud as well.

Pepita and Dante need a buddy cop spin-off.

Pan Dulce by papergardener

While the Rivera family are adjusting to life with the long-estranged Héctor, Imelda realizes she has forgotten what his favorite pan dulce, or pastry, is. And in true Imelda Rivera fashion, she will stop at nothing to covertly figure out what it is. This fic is funny, heartwarming, and just so incredibly.... sweet. *ba dum tis*

Reflection by @beckytailweaver

It’s Dia de Muertos and a seventeen year old Miguel is upset that one of his childhood dreams will never come true. Luckily Papa Héctor is here to make it better. This one made me cry. Partially because it was three in the morning when I read it, but mostly because I can relate to Miguel in this one.

Somos Familia by @whattimeisitintokyo

Ernesto grows a conscience at the last minute, letting Héctor go home to live his life with his family. This fic had me laughing and crying in equal measure. It also includes art by the author which just adds to the charm:

(Art by WhatTimeIsItInTokyo)

The Bedside Ghost by @pengychan

Instead of killing him, the bell accident leaves Ernesto de la Cruz paralyzed from the neck down. He is soon visited by the ghost of Héctor Rivera, who tells de la Cruz he can let him die, but only if he tells his family what really happened that night in Mexico City. If you like dark with a (relatively speaking) happy ending, you’ll like this fic!

The Musician with Poison Tears by @sweetiepie08

Eighteen year old Miguel travels to Mexico City to visit family and to see if he can find the mysterious ghost that haunts the old train station. Spoilers: the ghost is Héctor and he just wants to go home.

The Road Home by FernWithy

After the events of Dia de Muertos, the Riveras on both sides of the veil must learn to cope with the murder that shaped their family’s lives for generations. It alternates between Enrique’s (Miguel’s papa) and Héctor’s point of view, deals with themes of forgiveness and moving on, and has some really cool OCs. Also, Héctor writes an opera about Vikings which is neat.

The Way You Keep Me Guessing: Coco Teacher AU by @slusheeduck and @im-fairly-whitty

If you are invested in the Coco fandom even in the slightest and you haven’t at least heard of the Coco Teacher AU.... what are you doing? Set in modern-day Mexico, local Hot Teacher(tm) Héctor takes in his kid cousin Miguel after an accident kills his parents.

Un Mundo Raro by @starberry-cupcake

“All these years I’ve been clinging to the past, trying to fix my mistakes, trying to get back to Coco…” He didn’t know what to do with his hands so he took off his hat and played with its frayed ends, witnesses of the afterlife he was describing. “But you became... you”, he gestured at her, all-encompassing, as if he couldn’t encapsulate the grandeur that she was. “All the things you told Ceci that you are, how could I live up to all that? How could someone who has been clinging to the past, never moving forward, ever catch up with someone who became... all of you”

Another fantastic slow-burn reconciliation fic that will make you laugh and cry in equal measure. Seriously, I can’t recommend this fic enough.

#IF ANYONE ON THIS LIST HAD A TUMBLR AND WASN’T TAGGED PLEASE LET ME KNOW #Fanfiction Writers Appreciation Day #Coco #fanfiction #The Prairie Nerd Posts #long post

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windless-hurricane · 6 years

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Pennywise and the Dancing Girl

Chapter 1: The Shadow Girl

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SUMMARY: At the moment, I want this to be solely mysterious. I will say though that the "Shadow Girl" isn't who she seems and this will eventually become a Henry x OC (or reader) fanfic.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Before I begin, this story takes place in the 2017 IT universe. I also shifted some pieces of information around. So before I'm scolded for inaccuracies, I'll say them now. First off, I combined the Derry Middle School and High School. I wasn't sure if that was the case in the movie, but it wasn't stated. Nevertheless, I will still refer to it as Derry High. The main character is 14 and a freshman (going on sophomore). The entire Losers Club will be in 8th grade (going on to be freshmen) and all 13. The Bowers Gang are all sophomores (going on juniors) and 15, excluding Henry who is 16.

WARNINGS (for the entire series): Explicit language, violence, graphic scenes involving blood and/or death, some sexuality possibly, and some underage drinking and drug use.

WORD COUNT: 2.7k

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was the last day of school. I couldn't lie and say I wasn't somewhere near excited. I knew it wasn't the last day of school altogether, but it would definitely be a step up from my current status as a freshman. All 8th graders dream of becoming freshmen; but once they realize the difficulties of dealing with upperclassmen, they want to join them. That had been the same mindset for me. Not only was I freshman, I was a transferee. That normally wouldn't be such a big deal, but it was at this school.

See, Derry High wasn't a typical high school. It included middle school as well. So, almost all the children here were attending this school for half their lives. They started in 6th grade and ended as seniors. Everyone knew everybody. Due to that, I thought I'd become a perfect candidate for teasing. I was practically fresh meat. However, that didn't happen. Why? Because I was barely noticeable. I kept to myself, hardly spoke a word to anyone, and moved swiftly through the halls like a shadow, avoiding certain people. It soon had become an objective to avoid four sophomores in particular: Henry Bowers, Patrick Hockstetter, Victor Criss, and Reginald "Belch" Huggins.

They were douchebags who got a kick out of tormenting anyone they saw below them. As a result of their animosity, even the juniors and seniors were afraid of them. You never messed with the "Bowers Gang" as they called themselves. I, a rarity, was not afraid of them and never would be. I just wanted to stay the shadow that I liked being and it became a promise to myself.

I kept to that promise for the entire year and now all I had to do was get through this day like any other. Then, it would be summer vacation, which was full of reading and...reading. I didn't have any friends, but I was satisfied with that. It was better to not get too attached to people you would end up leaving. In a way, that was my curse: the inability to care for anyone because you are not worth caring for. But it would be ok.

I walked through the front doors of the school, clutching the straps to my bag. Other students were already situated inside, engaging in morning chatter and shenanigans. I...went straight to my locker. I knew I had to empty it out and it would be better to do it now than later. So, I put in the combination and got to work. I wasn't necessarily the neatest, but it didn't look like the aftermath of a hurricane. Just messy. There were notebooks, textbooks, and a bunch of scattered and crumbled pieces of paper. It didn't take long to stuff these into my bag and throw what was left away. I closed my locker with a slam, but it didn't echo like it normally would because of background conversation.

I glanced around and my eyes ending up following the scene of two boys running away in the direction opposite to mine. Moments after, Henry Bowers and his gang of misfits were in the shot. He had an apparent smirk on his face. Probably from gloating because of the amount of power he had over the kids here. The thought of it was enough to make me roll my eyes; but I continued to watch, seeing if he would do anything else. He didn't. Just as I was about to turn away, his eyes met mine. He knew I had been staring and didn't have the intention of letting me go.

His eyes were crystal blue and they contradicted mine: my chocolatey brown. However, they still managed to be darker than mine and mine brighter than his. He didn't hold any expression in his face and neither did I. It was just blank staring. This wasn't the first time we did this. Occasionally throughout the year, we'd find each other's eyes, but never did anything about it. He didn't know me and he assumed I didn't know him. We had never been in the same vicinity as each other because if he was ever too close, I would've found a way out. All we had was this.

I hated to admit it, but he was quite pretty to look at. It didn't throw my hormones out of whack or anything. I stared at him because of his eyes. His eyes were dark, beautiful, and so familiar to me. I couldn't put my finger on it. It seemed I had looked into those eyes even before I knew him. There was something that intrigued me about them. I knew there was something hidden there. Even if I already had an idea, I longed to know myself.

I gulped out of my trance and released the handle to my locker. I stared just a bit longer until I turned away, losing sight of him and those eyes. Who would've known that days later Henry would tell me himself that he saw me as this mysterious girl that he wanted to crack. A girl that actually drew him in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was able to make it through three classes of Algebra, English and History. Since it had been the last day of school, we hardly did anything. There was clearly no homework to assign or assignments to finish. It was either a free for all with limited volume or we watched a movie on the projector. I was only interested in the movie. Currently I had one more class until lunch and no doubt, it was going to be the same as the others. It was actually quite a relief. Relaxing felt...nice. It nearly brought a smile to my face before I was interrupted.

My head snapped up on impulse as I heard a loud smack echo through the hallway. It didn't startle me, but it certainly caught my attention because before I knew it, I was rounding the corner quickly with a newfound purpose. It was a boy and he was lying on the ground. Getting a clearer shot, I saw that it was Eddie Kaspbrak, the local hypochondriac. I never knew him on a personal level, but I always saw him around. As you can tell, I knew a lot more about him than he did me. That's how it usually was with people. I knew along with him being a hypochondriac, he was a germaphobe who constantly expressed his paranoia to his friends. Other than that, he was quite funny and would never shut up about the evils of sickness and blessings of cleanliness. I sometimes found it rather cute.

He was also a favorite plaything of the Bowers Gang, along with the rest of his friends, Bill Denbrough, Stanley Uris, and Richie Tozier. I saw them around quite often too, either goofing off or arguing. I wonder where they were to have left Eddie alone. To have left him alone with Bowers and the dick squad. Maybe he was just unlucky. Henry had been manhandling Eddie's fanny pack and dumping its contents onto the floor beside him. I could only assume Eddie tried getting it back, but was only met with a shove to the ground. All I did was stare. It seems that's all I was good for.

Even though they deserved a good beating, I never interfered. It was part of the promise and it hadn't been difficult to maintain until now. I nearly wanted to break it. I don't know why, but the feeling was there. It wasn't enough to push me though as the fanny pack was already empty. I watched as Henry threw the pack at Eddie's face and mouthed something that I couldn't make out. Most likely it was some humiliating insult. I looked to Eddie and his expression killed me. Was it - sadness? Anger? Disappointment? It could be helped.

I walked over quietly and squatted down near him as he sat up. He gave me a shocked and questioning look before I began to gather his belongings into the fanny pack. He wasn't moving or saying anything, just watching like I had been moments ago. There was an inhaler, a few containers of pills, bandage. I guess this also served as a small first aid kit. Nice. I stood up and glanced around, making sure I collected everything. I had, expect for Eddie. I zipped up the pack before reaching my hand out to him. His expression managed to change. Why was he looking at me like that? It's like I was some miracle. Then, he looked to my hand and I smiled softly,

"Don't worry. I just came from the bathroom. It's clean."

His gaze switched between my face and hand until he finally took it. His was oddly soft. I helped him up gently and let it go as soon as he was up.

"Um, here," I muttered out, handing him his pack. He was still staring at me and finally, he snapped out of it. He took it quickly.

"T-thanks...um..." he cocked an eyebrow.

"Emma," I finished. "Emma Gray."

"Thanks, Emma." Red found its way onto his face. Was he really blushing?

"It's no problem. No one should face a jagoff alone." He smiled and it made me smirk. I reached into the side pocket of my bag and pulled out my mini bottle of hand sanitizer, showing it off to him. "I noticed you were almost out and you're definitely going to need a lot more to get rid of the stench of Bowers and his goons." I breathed out a laugh. "Here." I handed it to him and he took it almost joyfully.

I smiled completely and for once, it felt real. However, it was short lived. The bell rang.

"Shoot," I groaned. "We should get to class, like, now. It was nice talking to you. See you around, Eddie." I know I didn't give him time to respond, but there wasn't time for a response. I turned around and headed the opposite direction to class.

(EDDIE'S P.O.V.)

"Wait," I called out, but she was already gone.

"Damnit." How did she already know my name? I looked at the bottle she gave me and her name was written across the label in black marker. Her handwriting was beautiful. I let my thumb run over her name as I smiled to myself.

"Emma - Emma Gray."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(BACK TO EMMA'S P.O.V.)

I made it through Biology and as expected, we watched a movie - a real boring one about the inner mechanisms of a cell. It was over and time for lunch. I was looking forward to it because of what I packed today. If I did it right, it was going to be delicious. I began to fantasize about the greatness of my meal until I was forcefully pulled out of it. Could the world just not leave me to my mind today? Geez.

It was a noise and a deafening one at that. It came from down the hall and it was loud enough to make me wince, slight pain being brought to my ears. Who was it this time and why do they keep interrupting me? Thinking about it more, should I even ask? Knowing this school and its students, it was without a doubt Bowers. Did I want to find out? No. Would I inevitably end up finding out? Yes. This was the only way to the damned cafeteria.

I inched slowly down the hall, not in any rush to get an answer. I wasn't a nosy person. I actually considered myself quite considerate of other people's business. Then, I heard whimpering. I rolled my eyes harshly as I quickened my pace. What's wrong with you, Emma? Why are you being so interactive today? Why the hell do you even care? No one else in this god forsaken school does, why should you? Don't you remember the promise? You're too good for this, but maybe there was a reason not to be too good. Maybe it was Eddie and his call for help.

I rounded the corner and it wasn't Eddie, loosing a good amount of motivation. It was Ben Hanscom, the other new kid. Chubby, adorable, vulnerable, and being pushed up against the lockers by Bowers while his goons watched in amusement. I scoffed. This was the second time today. Was this really his way of celebrating the last day of school?

"Hey!" Oh, Emma. What the hell are you doing? You know you could care less.

All five boys turned their attention towards me with different expressions on each of their faces. Ben's eyes were pleading and hopeful while he was completely red in the face. Patrick was smirking creepily and it was enough to make me shudder. Victor and Belch actually held a similar look that reeked of 'Who the hell is this girl?' For the main star, he just looked pissed.

"The fuck do you want," he questioned deeply, his eyes peering into me.

"For you not to be a conniving dickhead," I stated proudly, stopping in front of them with my arms crossed. I don't know where this surge of confidence was coming from, but I kinda liked it.

"The fuck did you just say to me," he let go of Ben and started lurking towards me. This was the perfect chance for him to get away. The boys were entirely focused on me. I looked passed Henry's shoulder and my eyes met Ben's. He was terrified and astonished. I nodded my head up slightly, gesturing for him to go. He didn't get it the first time; but after repeating it, he got it and ran away. I looked back to Henry,

"You heard me." This is the closest I've ever been to him. We were nearly a foot apart. He was significantly taller than I was, not a giant, but taller. Had surprisingly muscular arms and I never noticed the upturn of his nose before. He broke the distance with one more step. I wanted to step away because of the awkwardness, but I also didn't want to give him the satisfaction. I simply kept my arms crossed and craned my neck up to look at him. He did the opposite with his neck, but also crossed his arms. Maybe this was a way of establishing dominance.

"I don't think I heard you quite right. Mind repeating what you said," he pushed. He was trying to scare me, but I don't scare easy.

"I said, I don't want you to be a conniving dickhead."

"I don't care about what you want," he retorted.

"You're the one who asked, honey." He let out a breathy laugh.

"No one gets away with talking to me like that, sweetheart."

"I think I just did."

"I like her," a voice called out. I soon realized it belonged to Patrick. Shame because I didn't like him. "What're we going to do with her, Henry?" Henry opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off.

"I'll tell you what's going to happen. I'm going to walk away and enjoy myself a lovely meal in the cafeteria, while you four stand around and play with each other's dicks. And then you're never going to bother me ever again. Got it? Ok." I moved to walk past him, but he grabbed my bicep instead.

"It's not that easy," he told me, squeezing roughly. I yanked my arm away harshly, catching him off guard.

"It is that easy because I'm not afraid of you, Henry," I let out through gritted teeth. With that, I pushed past him, hitting my shoulder with his purposely.

(HENRY'S P.O.V.)

Patrick scoffed, "You're just going to let her get away with that? She deserves to be taught a lesson to." I agreed. I completely agreed, but she wouldn't be easy.

"I know," is all I managed to say before I turned to face them. "Do any of you know her?" They all shook their head uselessly, causing me to roll my eyes.

Vic was the only one to speak,

"I know she's a freshman, just not the name." I nodded,

"Lets get outta here." I walked ahead, knowing they would automatically follow. It was that girl. She knew my name, but I didn't know hers. It bothers me, but a lot more than it should. How could I not know the name of a girl like that?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THAT IS THE END OF CHAPTER 1. Hopefully you enjoyed it! This is the first chapter of a definite series :)

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butcanijustnot · 5 years

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Another Get to Know Me Tag

I’m procrastinating like a motherfucker right now because I’ve got ToTL and other fanfics to work on and three essays I’ve gotta write for school and my brain is just going ‘No! None of that! Something else!’ so I’m doing a tag challenge to get my head back in the game.

I wasn’t tagged by anyone, I just felt like doing it. I’ll tag @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69 because I thought you might like this but no pressure because it's a long one and IDK if you’d want to answer it all.

1. What is your full name?

I don’t give my name out online, but my online name is Crystal. If I had to pick a last name for my online persona, I’d probably pick Kyle or Celestial. Both of them are equally stupid and ridiculous, but they're last names of some of my favorite OC’s throughout the years and I’d love to have either one.

2. What is your nickname?

Cry. My partner says its morbid but I think its cute. I also like Criss but for the love of god, please don't call me Crissy (or Crissie or however the hell you want to spell it) because it makes me feel like a five-year-old or a pet dog.

3. What is your zodiac sign?

Sagittarius.

4. What is your favorite book series?

A Series Of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. I could name every reason why I liked it in painful detail but I’m just going to go with ‘Lemony Snicket wrote them really well’

5. Do you believe in aliens or ghosts?

I believe in aliens and I don’t NOT believe in ghosts. I’m not one of those people who think that aliens walk amongst us or even that aliens have ever visited earth but there are too many planets and possible combination of planetary environments for us to believe we are alone in the universe.

6. Who is your favorite author?

Either Tiu T or Lemony Snicket.

7. What is your favorite radio station?

Don't have one. I don’t listen to a lot of radio because it requires A) a radio or B) a car. I have neither.

8. What is your favorite flavor of anything?

Strawberry. I freakin LOVE strawberry.

9. What word would you use often to describe something great or wonderful?

Valid. Beautiful. Awe-inspiring. Pure. Rad. I have a lot of positive words.

10. What is your current favorite song?

The soundtrack to Spiderman: Into The Spiderverse. I thought I was over it by now. I was wrong.

11. What is your favorite word?

Omnipotence.

12. What was the last song you listened to?

Castle On the Hill by Ed Sheran.

13. What TV show would you recommend for everybody to watch?

Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Digestible funny humor, excellent representation of characters throughout the cast. Kickass bisexual lady is the best character, don’t @ me.

14. What is your favorite movie to watch when you’re feeling down?

The Lego Batman Movie or Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse. They’re good films that never fails to make me happy.

“Don’t tell me how to parent my kid I just met!”

‘Play dumb.’ “Who’s Moralis?” ‘Not that dumb!’

15. Do you play video games?

Assassins Creed Origins. It’s beautiful, The main characters great and the story is wonderful. I always come back to it whenever I leave. I must have completed it three times over by now.

16. What is your biggest fear?

Confrontation. Deep water. Spiders. Heights. Meeting new people. Making phone calls. I have many fears.

17. What is your best quality, in your opinion?

I’m a very good listener and loyal to a fault. I’m quiet and I love doing housework (dishes and vacuuming and all that good shit) so I’m a great roommate.

18. What is your worst quality, in your opinion?

I’m terrified of conflict and never want to argue with people. I’m a chronic pushover. I’ve lost count of the number of times that I’ve told my partner “I don’t want to be an inconvenience.”

19. Do you like cats or dogs better?

Dogs. I love both animals, but dogs like me better so I like them better.

20. What is your favorite season?

Autumn. Autumn in Australia is absolutely beautiful and the mildest of all the Australian seasons.

21. Are you in a relationship?

Yep. I gots myself a lil lady! I’m in a potentially polygamous, currently monogamous, asexual-bisexual lesbian relationship. Come June, we will have been together for three years!!! Yay us!!!

22. What is something you miss from your childhood?

Nothing. My childhood was entirely forgettable.

23. Who is your best friend?

My Partner, if that counts. She’s amazing and I love and trust her with my life.

24. What is your eye color?

Hazel, leaning on the brown side.

25. What is your hair color?

The top part is brunette, my natural hair colour, and the bottom half is a reddy-orange-almost-blond colour. I’ll probs redye it to be a better shade of red. I want a more Natasha Romanoff sort of colour.

26. Who is someone you love?

Other than my family and partner, not really anyone. Telling someone that I love them is incredibly personal for me so I don’t do it very often. @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69 comes pretty fucking close though.

27. Who is someone you trust?

Either @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69 or my one friend who reads my fanfics for me. they are both pretty cool people who I feel comfortable enough to share my writing with, which is a big deal for me.

28. Who is someone you think about often?

My glorious partner.

29. Are you currently excited about/for something?

Avengers: Endgame. I mean, I’m terrified but I’m excited.

30. What is your biggest obsession?

Marvel. Marvel comic. Marvel movies. Don’t care, just make it Marvel.

31. What was your favorite TV show as a child?

Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. It was good honest fun and got me into Marvel at a really young age. My favourite characters were Black Panther and vision, and to this day I’m not sure why.

32. Who of the opposite gender can you tell anything to, if anyone?

My fanfic reading friend I mentioned earlier.

33. Are you superstitious?

Yeah, kinda. I don’t go out of my way but I also don’t walk under ladders on principle.

34. Do you have any unusual phobias?

I have a lot of fears and phobias but the most unusual one is dipsophobia. I have a fear of being drunk and not in control of my own actions. I don’t really have a fear of drinking itself but the being drunk is absolutely heartstopping terrifying for me.

35. Do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind it?

I like being behind the camera, writing the scripts for videos and movies that the media and drama students at my school make. Its fun watching your stories come to life around you.

36. What is your favorite hobby?

Writing stories.

37. What was the last book you read?

Othello but William Shakespeare. It was earlier today for school.

38. What was the last movie you watched?

Doctor Strange.

39. What musical instruments do you play, if any?

None. I used to play the violin, guitar, and piano but I stopped.

40. What is your favorite animal?

The snow leopard.

41. What are your top 5 favorite Tumblr blogs that you follow?

Only got one that I can think of off the top of my head and its @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69

42. What superpower do you wish you had?

The ability to change into any animal at will.

43. When and where do you feel most at peace?

Not sure. I’m kinda always an anxious fuck.

44. What makes you smile?

Seeing a message from a friend for no reason. It warms my heart.

45. What sports do you play, if any?

I’m a kickboxer.

46. What is your favorite drink?

ICED TEA IS THE GOOOOOOD SHIT

47. When was the last time you wrote a hand-written letter or note to somebody?

For my partners last birthday I wrote her a book with each page having a thing I loved about her on it. That was about a month ago.

48. Are you afraid of heights?

Yes but not of flying in planes. It’s strange!

49. What is your biggest pet peeve?

People explaining things to me like I’m an idiot or treating me like a five-year-old. This especially happens when I tell people about my cognitive issues and they start assuming I need assistance with every stupid thing. No, If I need support, I will ASK for it. Your not my knight in shining armor, you’re just an annoying prick.

50. Have you ever been to a concert?

I wish but no. I’ve been to a couple of musicals though.

51. Are you vegan/vegetarian?

Nope.

52. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to make drone and tech but I fucking suck at making stuff so I went the way of English instead.

53. What fictional world would you like to live in?

The MCU. I died in the snap according to that one website but I still wanna be there.

54. What is something you worry about?

The people that I love being annoyed by me constantly being around them and needing so much emotional support and wanting me to leave them alone.

55. Are you scared of the dark?

Not particularly.

56. Do you like to sing?

I love singing. Shame I fucking suck at it.

57. Have you ever skipped school?

Yes and No. I’ve skipped classes in school, but never a whole day’s worth of school other than for doctor’s or dentists appointments.

58. What is your favorite place on the planet?

Don’t have one. Haven’t been in enough places to truly have a favorite.

59. Where would you like to live?

I’d love to go live in Europe for a while but permanently I’m fine living in Australia. We don’t have much gun violence and the cost of living is pretty low so I’m happy.

60. Do you have any pets?

Yes. I have a dog named Jack, a Border Collie- Australian Cattle Dog cross.

61. Are you more of an early bird or a night owl?

Night owl 100%. I work so much better at night.

62. Do you like sunrises or sunsets better?

Sunsets.

63. Do you know how to drive?

Nope. Never learned. Never had the money. Never had the time.

64. Do you prefer earbuds or headphones?

Headphones. They won’t fall off if you’re running.

65. Have you ever had braces?

No. I need them though. My teeth are awful.

66. What is your favorite genre of music?

Probably movie scores and soundtracks.

67. Who is your hero?

Anyone who fights for someone else's rights is a hero to me.

68. Do you read comic books?

YES.

69. What makes you the most angry?

All sorts of little things. Being demeaned is probably my biggest one. I don’t like being looked down upon.

70. Do you prefer to read on an electronic device or with a real book?

Electronic device. It helps with my attention issues.

71. What is your favorite subject in school?

English Lit. I would say Accounting but technically I’m not in the class. I just chill out in there during my free. It's awesome.

72. Do you have any siblings?

Yes. I have a half-brother that I’ve never met and a step-sister I can’t get rid of.

73. What was the last thing you bought?

A bunch of candy and drinks.

74. How tall are you?

Somewhere between 5′3 and 5′4. Not sure exactly because I haven’t measured myself in a while but it's about that.

75. Can you cook?

Not to save my life.

76. What are three things that you love?

My writing

My family, friends, partner and pets.

Generally chilling out and listening to music.

77. What are three things that you hate?

Being demeaned and told I’m not good enough.

Sexist/racist/homophobic people

78. Do you have more female friends or more male friends?

I mostly have male friends as I’ve had bad experiences with female friends in the past. That being said, I have had two female friends in the past couple of years. One worked out and one really, REALLY didn’t. However, my partners’ a woman and I love her to bits.

79. What is your sexual orientation?

I’m about as Bisexual as they come.

80. Where do you currently live?

Australia!

81. Who was the last person you texted?

I have a Snpachat group with my friend and his boyfriend and me and my girlfriend, which is called the “HA, GAAAAAAY” group chat. My last message was on that.

82. When was the last time you cried?

This morning. In the car. While thinking about my future.

83. Who is your favorite YouTuber?

Danny Gonzalas.

84. Do you like to take selfies?

Not really, by myself I hate it, but with my friends, yeah.

85. What is your favorite app?

Social media app is either Snapchat or Tumblr.

86. What is your relationship with your parent(s) like?

Varies greatly depending on the day. Some days It’s amazing and other days it's awful.

87. What is your favorite foreign accent?

French and Spanish.

88. What is a place that you’ve never been to, but you want to visit?

Rome, Italy or Paris, France.

89. What is your favorite number?

8 or 13.

90. Can you juggle?

No. I’m not coordinated enough. My friends can though.

91. Are you religious?

I mean I’m baptized Anglican and I go to a Catholic school but personally, I practice no religion and lean towards Agnosticism.

92. Do you find outer space of the deep ocean to be more interesting?

Space. The ocean is terrifying and I hate it.

93. Do you consider yourself to be a daredevil?

HAHAHAHA LOL NO

94. Are you allergic to anything?

Strawberries (but I eat them anyway), dust, cut grass, and other assorted minor things.

95. Can you curl your tongue?

Si.

96. Can you wiggle your ears?

No.

97. How often do you admit that you were wrong about something?

I'm stubborn as hell but when I’m wrong, I’m wrong (*cough* Puffins *cough*) and I’ll admit it. I’ll argue but I’ll admit it.

98. Do you prefer the forest or the beach?

My aesthetic is the forest but not an Australian forest because there are way too many spiders.

99. What is your favorite piece of advice that anyone has ever given you?

If you’re not going to remember it in 5 years, It’s not worth stressing about.

100. Are you a good liar?

Sometimes.

101. What is your Hogwarts House?

Ravenclaw.

102. Do you talk to yourself?

Oh, of course, all the time. I’m the only one who understands my crazy ideas and characters.

103. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

I’m very introverted.

104. Do you keep a journal/diary?

Nope.

105. Do you believe in second chances?

For lesser offenses, sure, but for stuff like Rape, Abuse, Murder, and genocide, No. They made there bed and now they sleep in it.

106. If you found a wallet full of money on the ground, what would you do?

I’ve done that before, twice. The first time I opened it and saw that there was a student ID for a local school, so I handed it into my school (It was closer) and they called that school and returned it to the kid. The second time I opened it and saw a teacher ID for MY school and recognized the guy as my old DnT teacher, so I called the school and got him to call me. He arranged to have it picked up and I gave it back. Both times I didn’t think about taking anything from it because it just seemed wrong.

107. Do you believe that people are capable of change?

I believe people can make mistakes and change for the better, but I also think they have to prove it. Actions really do speak louder than words. I also think its reasonable that if you’ve wronged someone, they have the right to reject your company/ friendship even if you’ve changed. You broke their trust once and its reasonable for them to question whether to trust you again.

108. Are you ticklish?

Extremely.

109. Have you ever been on a plane?

Yes, quite a lot actually. My father lives in England so I’ve done Australia to England trip about 9 times. That’s a twenty-four-hour trip so its daunting but seeing him is worth it.

110. Do you have any piercings?

No. I had my ears pierced but I forgot to put earrings in after kickboxing one day and they closed over. I haven’t bothered to get them re-pierced since.

111. What fictional character do you wish was real?

Steve Rogers. I want him to fight Donald Trump.

112. Do you have any tattoos?

Nope. Always been scared that it will hurt too much. My step-sisters got a bunch and my mother’s got one and they all tell me conflicting stories about how painful it is. Plus, If I got a tattoo, I’d want it to be something memorable and special to me and as of right now I haven’t found anything that is that special for me.

113. What is the best decision that you’ve made in your life so far?

Leaving an abusive relationship.

114. Do you believe in karma?

I do but its more of a loose definition of Karma. I believe that if you do good things, good things will happen to you and vise versa. I know it’s not always true, sometimes awful things happen to good people and sometimes the worst of humanity get high honors and great experiences.

115. Do you wear glasses or contacts?

Yeah. I’m severely short-sighted so I need to wear glasses every day. I’ve thought about wearing contact lenses, but don’t like the idea of voluntarily sticking stuff in my own eyes.

116. Do you want children?

Yes and no. I’m open to the idea of having children but I don’t like the idea of actually giving birth. I’d like to adopt or foster children later in life when I settle down and have stability.

117. Who is the smartest person you know?

There’s this kid who when to high school with me who got a 98.6 ATAR, which was the highest of my grade that year. He was super smart, hacked things for fun and was the kinda kid that wrote assignments the day before and still got A’s. It was ridiculous.

118. What is your most embarrassing memory?

Nothing comes to mind presently. I’ll have to get back to you guys on that one.

119. Have you ever pulled an all-nighter?

Yes, quite a lot actually. I have two modes. Sleep is for the weak and I could sleep for a week.

120. What color are most of your clothes?

Dark blue or black with some sort of superhero logo on the front. Blue jeans.

121. Do you like adventures?

Not particularly. The comfort zone is aptly named and I see no real reason to do anything stupid or dangerous just for the sake of it. I’ll explore new places but I’m not going bungee jumping or deep-sea diving.

122. Have you ever been on TV?

Yes. I was on a news in a segment covering the steampunk festival, middle of last year. I looked like a wreck because I’d been standing in the Australian sun for hours but it was so much fun doing the interview.

123. How old are you?

18.

124. What is your favorite quote?

If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, then it’s yours. If it doesn’t, then it never was.

125. Do you prefer sweet or savory foods?

Sweet foods. Desserts and sweets are a lifeline of mine.

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creideamhgradochas · 6 years

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Thanks to the lovely @aubzylynn for taking the time to answer these! Get to know more about lovely Aubrey, go give her a follow and then show her some love!

These questions are from this list. You should check it out, there’s 50 questions all together and they’d be great to ask your favorite fic writer!

1) How old were you when you first starting writing fan-fiction?

I think I was 12. My best friend at the time and I wrote Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings fanfic. We also put ourselves into the stories as OCs. I also wrote for Full Metal Alchemist, InuYasha, I also had my own HP fics, and I think I even had an Eregon oneshot at some point when I started lol. I’m confident there’s more, but it’s been such a long time.

2) Do you prefer writing OC’s or reader inserts? Explain your answer.

I actually really enjoy both. Like, with reader inserts, I can inject a lot of my (or my friends) quirks and fears and insecurities into the reader and get messages back from readers saying that they really connected with the story or the reader. And OC’s are always fun because they have their own personality and it’s fun for me to figure out who they are.

3) What is your favorite genre to write for?

Fluffffffff. Yall know I can’t write a story without a happy ending.

4) If you had to delete one of your stories and never speak of it again, which would it be and why?

Surprisingly, I don’t think I have one. They’re all fine. I wish I had time to go through and kind of update a few of them, but there’s not really any that I’m super embarrassed by.

5) When is your preferred time to write?

First thing in the morning. Right after I wake up. It doesn’t happen very often, but it’s easiest then. I’m not bogged down by my jobs or my brain. It’s easiest to get into a good headspace.

6) Where do you take your inspiration from?

Usually from Sarah or other friends–the stories they tell, the things I read or see.

7) What’s your favorite scene that you’ve written?

Hmm..there’s a scene in my 40’s series that I’m pretty proud of. The reader, Bucky, and Steve are all reunited at long last and it’s really sweet and I dunno I really just love it.

But, if we’re going off of fics that I’ve posted…this is probably going to sound so bad, but the Kennedy assassination in Control was interesting to write. I actually watched old news footage of it. The chaos, the panic, the craziness, and then having her reunite with the Soldier and there’s a little spark is just ugh. It’s one of my favorites.

8) Have you ever amended a story due to criticisms you’ve received after posting it?

Not yet. Luckily, my followers and readers have been incredibly kind. I’ve never really had any hate or criticism for my stories.

9) Who is your favorite character to write for? Why?

This should be easy to tell, but it’s Bucky. Lol He’s got such an interesting depth and so many layers and I know I always write him so soft and loving but I also love to read fics where he’s the Soldier and the ones that explore the different sides of him. Someday I want to write those different shades of Bucky.

10) Who is your least favorite character to write for? Why?

I don’t have a whole lot of experience writing a lot of the characters, so I can’t really pick one. It feels unfair. I would like to write more for other characters to be a stronger author and to have some variety.

11) How do you come up with the titles for your stories?

I’m so unoriginal when it comes to titles, tbh. Like, my most creative one was Nomonakalo and that’s literally because I was looking for “apocalypse” in Xhosa. But I didn’t like any of the translations for “apocalypse” so I looked up synonyms until I landed on “devastation,” and here we are. The others, are song titles, like Control. And some are a word or two about the story, like Midnight Snack, or Partner.

12) What do you think is the best idea you’ve had for a story so far?

Nomonakalo is the best idea I’ve ever had. I hope to continue it someday even though it didn’t get a lot of love. I also have a Princess Bride au on ice in the back of my brain that I’m pretty sure is gonna be fantastic.

13) Do you have any abandoned WIP’s? What made you abandon them?

Oh god so many. My poor babies. I’m not inspired by the request or they’ve gotten to be too big for me to handle.

14) Are there any stories that you’ve written that you’d really love to do a sequel to?

Maybe Partner or Blind Date. Or even a sequel to Cuddle Drabbles, but the focus would be on Steve instead. I’ve been playing with the ideas of a Steve Cuddle Drabbles for a really long time.

15) Are there any stories that you wished you’d ended differently?

Road to Schkeuditz. I hated that it ended so angsty. I wanted to do more, but I didn’t know the timeline and when Bucky would wake up. But I think I might write a little something someday about the reader visiting him in Wakanda after he’s healed.

16) Tell me about another writer(s) who you admire? What is it about them that you admire?

I have so, so many, but I’m gonna do the first three that came to mind.

I admire @sarahwroteathing. I know she’s my best friend, but guys. G u y s. Sarah’s so talented. I admire her work ethic and how hard she works on her stories. Soundtrack has been giving her grief for over a year, and she’s still working on it. It’s still one of the best stories I’ve ever read and it amazes me how much care she puts into her writing.

@soldatbarnes is also another great friend and amazing author. I also love how she perseveres through her tough times. She amazes me. I’ll see her posts about not being inspired to write, or wishing she had more time to do so, and then she’ll come out with an amazing story that’s beautifully written. She’s incredible.

@bitsandbobsandstuff is fucking phenomenal. I love her writing. It’s so in depth and wonderfully crafted. I aspire to be as amazing as she is.

17) Do you have a story that you look back on and cringe when you reread it?

I’m probably gonna get hate for this, but i can’t reread the Cuddle Drabbles. It’s my first time writing and posting for the MCU and I can tell. It’s cringey to me. But I get such sweet messages about it every now and again, and I can’t bring myself to change it.

18) Do you prefer listening to music when you’re writing or do you need silence?

I do it both ways. Sometimes a focus playlist is needed and other times my brain can’t think if there’s any noise. Just depends on what it is.

19) Have you ever cried whilst writing a story?

Yep. Chin Up, Princess made me cry. It was what I needed someone to say to me, and having it come from Tony just made me more emotional than I had anticipated.

20) Which part of your fics have been the hardest to write?

I overthink action scenes. I struggle with thinking it sounds forced or unorganic, sometimes.

21) Do you make a general outline for your stories or do you just go with the flow?

Umm both. I make an outline just to know where I’m going, but sometimes it diverges because it’ll flow a different way while I’m writing it.

22) What is something you wished you’d known before you started posting fan-fiction?

How addicting the praise can be, and sometimes it doesn’t seem like enough. I love getting sweet messages more than I could ever attempt to tell you.

23) Do you have a story that you feel doesn’t get as much love as you’d like?

Yes. Nomonakalooooooooo. My poor baby. I worked the hardest on it and it has the least amount of notes of any of my fics.

24) In contrast to 23 is there a story which gets lots of love which you kinda eye roll at?

No, not really. Sometimes, I’ll see someone start the Cuddle Drabbles or Road to Schkeuditz and I’ll think “oh here we go, they’re gonna flood my notifications with likes” but I mean that’s the most that happens lol

25) Are any of your characters based on real people?

Um, a few. But, it’s pretty minor. The reader in A December Deception has some of Sarah’s mannerisms, and Morgan in Handsome Stranger is basically my friend Morgan. I have an OC in my 40’s series based on my friend Cassidy, and the reader’s best friend in a wedding fic is essentially Sarah. (I mean, she’s marrying Steve. How could I not make her the bride? Lol)

26) What’s the biggest compliment you’ve gotten?

Sarah called Nomonakalo “emotionally excellent” and I still haven’t recovered from it. She sent me an email responding to everything. It was practically an essay. I still reread it when I feel like quitting.

27) What’s the harshest criticism you’ve gotten?

“The reader says ‘dude’ too much,” and “focus more on Bucky’s feelings.” I don’t really get a whole lot of negative feedback.

28) Do you share your story ideas with anyone else or do you keep them close to your chest?

Sarah and Cassidy are pretty much the people I’ll run to. But, I will keep them close to my chest if I’m not sure I want to proceed with the story or not.

29) Do people know you write fan-fiction?

Some do, yeah. My friend Ashlee actually found some of my writing and actually read it. I wasn’t prepared for that. It’s unclear if my family knows that I still do, but they definitely knew that I did when I was a kid.

30) What’s your favorite minor character you’ve written?

Probably Sam in Road to Schkeuditz. I had a lot of fun with him!

31) What spurs you on during the writing process?

Feedback. It really does keep me going. Seeing others enjoying what I’m writing about keeps me motivated to finish a story.

32) What’s your favorite trope to write?

So, after deliberation with Sarah, I’ve realized that I don’t have a favorite to write. I haven’t written enough to really have a favorite!

33) Can you remember the first fic you read? What was it about?

The first fic ever? No. God no. I can’t remember. It was probably my friend’s HP fanfic. I can remember the first fic I read for supernatural was from Mimi, and the first from the MCU was from Tesla. But I don’t remember what the stories were.

34) If you could write only angst, fluff or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why?

Fluff. Always fluff. I can’t have a story end on a sad or bad note. It always has to have a happy ending.

#milestone celebration #ask the author #aubzylynn

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margridarnauds · 6 years

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2, 8, 9, 20, 30, 31, 32, 40, 51 (for the abominaton)

Thanks!

2. Favorite part of writing.

I love the feeling that comes with putting the thoughts that I’ve been visualizing in my mind on the page, I love getting to work with characters that I love dearly and putting them where normal circumstances wouldn’t, I love dealing with a wide cast of characters that help me learn more about myself.

8. Favorite trope to write.

In general, I like to write emotionally constipated characters dealing with their gay emotions for the first time. Also, I tend to work with straight-up fix-its or dealing with post-canon events (and, when I say “post canon” I mean “post my very, very specific version of canon).

9. Least favorite trope to write.

This is probably surprising, but I tend to not be fond of actually writing depressing endings. Like, even in the universes where I kill characters off, I like to at least give them some closure, even if it’s an afterlife AU. (Which…the Afterlife AU for Pour la Peine is going to be fun if I ever get around to it).

Also, I don’t like Modern AUs all that much, even though I have numerous ones for 1789. It’s probably mostly a matter of translating 18th century politics to the modern age. That and I hate writing anything set in the modern age on principle.

20. Post a snippet of a WIP you’re working on.

Tw: References to animal abuse, bullying, and Lazare being a 13 year old with slightly homicidal tendencies (BUT HE’S STILL VALID)

Lazare didn’t know how he got involved. One moment he was gritting his teeth in anger at them, his rage reaching a boiling point after one of the punches caused Ronan to cry out, the next one of the bullies was on the ground crying, Ronan was putting another one on the ground nearby him, and he had his hand wrapped around Denis’ throat, feeling his fingernails tighten around skin that had never been bruised before. All those military exercises his grandfather had made him run had their uses, he thought, as a strange thrill ran through him. Thibault Denis couldn’t do anything now, couldn’t hurt anyone; he was completely under his control. No matter how much he tried, flailed, choked, the little pretend tyrant was weak. So this was what authority meant. All that time when his grandfather had tried to explain it to him, and he’d never fully understood it.

“Lazare!” He was vaguely aware of Ronan shouting, and that was enough for him to release his grip. The boy fell to the ground, looking at him like he was Death incarnate, all widened eyes and quick breathing before he ran as fast as he could, his legs barely supporting him. The others followed suit, and it was just him, Ronan, and the cat. He flexed his hands, remembering the touch, looking at Ronan, wondering how he would look at him now that Lazare had hurt one of his own, but if he’d seen anything unusual, he hadn’t noticed, lavishing attention to the cat instead.

“Why would someone do something like that, huh? It’s just a cat, it wasn’t harming anybody.” Ronan held the wretched thing in his arms, petting it, with its torn ear and matted, faded fur and bony spine. “It probably just wanted to make friends.”

“The world can be cruel.” It had been the first thing he’d been told, when he was left on the steps of the Chateau de Peyrol and greeted by a stern, sharp man who introduced himself as his grandfather, and it had been something that he’d made sure he’d remember. The world had been cruel since time began, it would remain cruel. All that was important was ensuring that he himself did the best he could in the role he was given and to support the Crown in its efforts to keep order amidst the destructive forces that would bathe the world in fire otherwise.

Ronan shook his head. “It doesn’t have to be.” He held the cat a little closer, letting it burrow its face into his chest weakly, its pink tongue flicking over his fingers slowly. “It doesn’t have to be.”

30. Favorite line you’ve ever written.

There was a sadness in du Puget’s eyes, and Peyrol felt like he was a schoolboy again, missing some obvious point that he had just explained to him in vivid detail. Only instead of the immediate reprisals, he got this. A beating he could deal with, scorn he could deal with, pity he could not. “We are all human beings, Monsieur de Peyrol. We are all human beings with a child’s longing for the companionship and love of our fellow man. If you cannot do that basic amount for him, then you will never deserve his trust or his love, no matter how many livres you pour into it.”

31. Hardest character to write.

In general, any of the kid characters. I HATE writing children in general, and in the first part of the Abomination in particular SO MUCH rests on selling the kid versions of Ronan and Lazare and their relationship because literally the rest of this universe depends on them. I consider having to type “How do children make friends” and “What do children do with friends” to be on par with me trying to think about how long it’d take me to bang the man who (hypothetically) killed my father as far as Signature Abomination Moments.

For the non-historical characters of 1789, I’ve talked repeatedly how hard Solene is to write because of how little we get on her and how downright contradictory a lot of it is (see: her talking about how ambition and bloodlust have blinded Ronan…while she and the girls lynch a baker and march to Versailles. You go girl?) And you want to do a solid job with her, especially since her storyline touches on subjects that are STILL pretty damn sensitive, but you also don’t want to accidentally put her into any of the contemporary stereotypes of The Fallen Woman, The Victim, The Fury, etc, or any of our modern stereotypes when it comes to what a sex worker should look like and behave. That and trying to develop her relationship with Olympe is going to be slightly harder than usual, given that I still…need to figure out how they’re going to meet. With Pour la Peine, it was easier, since they had an easy way to meet up (Ronan’s funeral, RIP bro), but here, this is taking place in the canon era.

On a larger level, writing ANY of the historical figures that we have a decent amount of documentation for is hard, since these are people who are still highly controversial to this day and who can kind of….shift between different sources. Not necessarily the ones they wrote themselves, but, like, if you ask ten different people about Robespierre, you’ll get ten different responses. You’ll think you’ve caught onto him, and then he slips away. Likewise for Antoinette or Fersen or De Launay. Even Papa du Puget is rather hard for me to grasp, not the least because I know that the sources I need are locked behind an archive in France, untranslated and mostly obscure. (Funnily enough, the easiest for me to grasp is the Marquis de Sade, because the man’s just a dick. I will proudly proclaim the man’s a dick. He deserved to spend the rest of his life rotting away and I consider it an eternal tragedy that far better men than him in every way died during the course of the Frev while he managed, despite himself, to survive.) With some characters, like Danton and Desmoulins, I sense that my interpretation of them is going to be much different than the normal interpretation of them.

Basically, there’s a lot of pressure with them that isn’t necessarily there with the canon OCs, I don’t have as much freedom, and it can be damn hard to put them into a given situation to see how they’d react. (Incidentally, I’m going to put a tentative guess that they won’t react well to L/R. Just a guess. Though I’m sure Lazare can win them over with his A+ social skills, charm, and tact.)

32. Easiest character to write.

Laz and I get along very well at this point, even as I torture him.

40. Original Fiction or Fanfiction, and why?

Fanfiction, actually.

With original fiction, there’s a lot of pressure when it comes to constructing the world you’re working with and the characters and how they interact with it. And, believe me, it’s a lot of fun, but it’s also damned hard to visualize it. Like, I fucking specialize in Early Irish Lit, and yet my retelling of CMT is hard to write 90% of the time because I have a hard time working with this world and how it works (which…given that the rules themselves weren’t concrete in the original lit, I don’t feel all that bad, but still). To tell you the truth, even after looking at tons of pictures of longhouses and hillforts and costumes from the Book of Kells, I still can’t get a decent idea for this stuff. It’s even harder for the main WIP, where I have to do a lot more construction, working with inspirations from multiple time periods, and it’s a real mess because I’ve never entirely gotten those inspirations under control and the characters keep shifting out from under me.

With fanfic, on the other hand, you have characters, you have a setting, and you have a decent idea with how the world works. Now, you can always do what I do and completely throw canon out anyway, BUT you still have some basics. No matter what, I have some baseline for the characters and some baseline for how the world works and I can build my research off of that.

51. Describe the aesthetic of your story _______ in 5 sentences or words.

Doing this for the first part because it’d be literally impossible to do it otherwise.

A gloved hand on a black walking stick, a slightly bent, silver wolf’s head gleaming from the top.

A sea of golden wheat over flat land as far as the eye can see, a sharp blue sky hanging over it.

An old, faded book with a decrepit spine.

A blue parrot locked in a gilded cage.

Two boys against a tree on a slightly chilly summer night, looking at the stars, unaware of what they hold for them.

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maychorian · 6 years

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Weekly Voltron Fic Recs #54

A little shorter this week. I took some vacation days and did a lot of other stuff besides reading fanfiction, because yeah, ironically, I read the most fanfiction when I’m at work.

Rules: You can find past weekly rec lists here, and non-list recs in my general fic rec tag. Also follow @maychorianrecs for individually tagged posts, the easier to search and reblog. This is stuff I like, and I have a huge bias toward Lance, hurt/comfort, and general fluff, in that order. Gen unless otherwise noted. Please comment on the fics if you read and enjoy them!

Know Yourself by exclamation Words: 28,139 Author’s Summary: In trying to reconnect to the black lion, Shiro makes a worrying discovery: he might not really be Shiro. Suspecting that he might be a clone, Shiro decides to go on a mission back to the Galra science base where he was held captive. He’s not ready to tell the others what he suspects yet, but when Matt catches him sneaking out of the castle, it’s clear he’s not going on this mission alone. Shiro has to find out what was done to him, and if there is another version of him out there in need of saving. My Comments: Excellent exploration of the Shiro clone theory with some awesome plot twists, great characterization, and powerful action scenes. I really enjoyed this a lot.

The Christmas Episode by FunkyWashingMachine Words: 1,422 Author’s Summary: It’s Christmas on the castle ship, and no one loves it more than Lance. To his slight dismay. My Comments: Sweet and funny and just a little angsty. Lance deserves a happy Christmas, for sure.

Precious Cargo by LightPinkTheColorOfMyAura Words: 5,315 Author’s Summary: The team is tasked with rescuing an alien princess. Pidge and the others are not very excited to watch Lance fall all over himself for a pretty girl, so they decide to keep him…busy. When their plan falls through and they find someone unexpected, Lance pulls through like they should have expected. My Comments: Sweet, a little angsty, very cute. I don’t wanna spoil the twist, but it’s good. I enjoyed this very much.

Beacon by glitteringconstellations Words: 21,863 (6/?) Author’s Summary: An emergency mission to answer a distress call wasn’t unusual. The urgency in Allura’s voice wasn’t necessarily unusual, either—she was very much of the mind that Voltron was obligated to answer every single distress callbrought to their attention. Being the defender of the known universe came with a certain number of responsibilities, after all. But seeing the pinched, pale look on both Allura and Coran’s faces when they converged on the bridge was unusual. “The universe is vast even in terms of those planets still yet beyond the grips of the Galra. But…. the distress call came from the Terra Firma Quadrant.” Earth. My Comments: This story is absolutely harrowing, evoking all kinds of horrific things from Earth’s past, but on a global scale. Really, really, amazingly good. Very suspenseful and exciting, and it’s very cool to find a story not quite like any other Voltron fanfic I’ve read. Highly recommended if you can stand some pain.

Breathe by SuperKat Words: 2,192 Author’s Summary: The first wave of panic hits Keith out of nowhere. One second, Lance is “catching him up” on everything that’s happened since he left Voltron, and the next second Keith has a flash of memory – the two of them, walking through this hall, talking and bantering, just like this – and suddenly his breath leaves him. My Comments: I have a soft spot for someone having a panic attack and someone else talking them through, as anyone who has read my stuff will know. This was a great one.

Christmas on the Castleship by slowbronite Words: 1,939 Author’s Summary: The team raids the Space Mall’s Earth store for Christmas decor and subsequently freaks Coran out with the concept of Santa Claus. My Comments: Very cute fic with a slight focus on Coran that I really enjoyed. Happy paladins are always good to see.

War Games by FunkyWashingMachine Words: 2,160 Author’s Summary: The paladins build opposing pillow forts and declare war. Shiro is both liaison and collateral. My Comments: So cute and funny, gah, it’s wonderful to see the kids enjoying themselves. I’m pretty sure Shiro was pretending to be neutral just play off both sides, though, sneaky.

fight in the ring by ebonynightwriter Words: 2,605 Author’s Summary: When a rescue mission goes south, Allura and the team find themselves in a hard situation. // “Wait, Shiro’s the Champion?! Since when?” My Comments: Very cool little action fic.

Geslorp’s House of Terrors by AmnesiaticRoses Words: 6,815 Author’s Summary: Lance is excited when Hunk agrees to visit a carnival-style space haunted house with him. The haunted house should be fun, and Hunk’s reactions should be funny. But Lance forgot to account for the power of technological curiosity… My Comments: Cute fic with my favorite boys having an adventure together. It kind of backfires on Lance, haha.

Plundered Plumage by Quiddity Words: 5,374 Author’s Summary: Something odd crashes to the deck of the ship during a sudden storm. An avian. More common than their siren cousins, but stil rarely seen and never captured. Until now. Captain Sendak wastes no time in securing the exhausted avian, Shiro, intent on handing him over to the Pirate King Zarkon for his own gain. However, Keith, sold to Zarkon as a slave as a child and forced into a life of piracy, just might have trouble sitting back and allowing that to happen. My Comments: Really fun Pirate AU with Keith taking a big, big risk to save Shiro. The fic is short, but the world feels fully realized, and I loved the cameos from the other characters.

Rebuild all your Ruins by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions) Words: 6,074 Author’s Summary: There are consequences to Shiro’s refusal to kill. Pain hasn’t worked on him so far, but another tactic might. My Comments: This is hurt with no comfort, so know what you’re getting into. Awful stuff, but very well-written, as always.

Where the Heart Is by SmolGooDragon Words: 5,153 Author’s Summary: Lance has graduated from the Garrison at the top of his class, and will be leaving for a mission to space in a few weeks. He’s happy to be with his family and everything is going perfectly, but he feels like there’s something he can’t quite remember… like something’s missing. My Comments: Starts out as Lance going home to see his family, but there’s a twist! A good one! I don’t wanna spoil it. Just read the fic. If you like the hurt!Lance recs I typically post here, you will love this story.

Don’t Forget to Call Home by isabeau25 Words: 8,827 Author’s Summary: Just because Keith has decided to join the Blades of Marmora, doesn’t mean the team is going to let him disappear from their lives. My Comments: Absolutely beautiful fic about the other paladins keeping in contact with Keith while he’s away in Season Four. I especially loved Lance here; isabeau25 always writes Lance so very, very well. But everyone else was wonderful too. The end scene, after Keith’s nearly disastrous decision, is especially warm and comforting. So, so good.

Burning Bright by IcyPanther Words: 9,693 Author’s Summary: Last chance, they told him. If this family didn’t work out then it was back to the group home for him. And as much as Keith disliked the foster system, he hated the group home. He’d endure anything life threw at him to avoid going back. But when he meets Shiro, Keith realizes that, perhaps, there’s more to life than just enduring. His world is about to become a whole lot brighter. My Comments: Heartbreaking and heartwarming backstory for Keith and Shiro that matches up with my personal headcanons very nicely. I really felt everything Keith was going through, from the despair to the pain to the dawning pleasure and ultimate joy. So good, so satisfying, I just love it.

Seven Vargas by VelkynKarma for buttered_onions Words: 18,006 Author’s Summary: Shiro has a bad habit of disappearing unexpectedly. But the team really should have anticipated it this time, with him being the most wanted person on the planet. My Comments: This is a thrilling read of the action/adventure type, but with a healthy dollop of pathos, too. Shiro has a really rough time of it, but it was great to see him constantly fighting to get himself free by whatever means he could, and of course the others’ frantic need to find him and rescue was lovely.

Signals From Space by Eastofthemoon Words: 3,814 Author’s Summary: Fame spreads farther than anyone could have known. My Comments: Lance’s family is sweet and funny and perfect, and this is a delightful way for them to find out that Lance is alive. The final chapter was especially heartwarming.

reprise, refrain by obstinateRixatrix Words: 8,180 Author’s Summary: When the castle picks up an Altean distress signal, Allura desperately hopes to find surviving Alteans. She does - just not in the way she was expecting. My Comments: I like the canon version of this episode just fine, but this is also a very fun alternate take, and much easier on Allura’s heart, I think. All of the OCs are delightful.

What Happens Under a Full Moon by imperiality Words: 9,136 Author’s Summary: When Lance accidentally partakes in a new planet’s ritual under their greatest full moon, the paladins have to find out how to reverse his spell. Or, he could have just taken off the mask to begin with. My Comments: Fantastic worldbuilding here, very immersive and enjoyable to read. It’s like taking a journey, traveling with Lance through this exciting festival he enjoys so much. And the solution to the trouble he finds himself in made me very, very happy.

Previously Recced Fics That Updated:

The Purity of Sin (22254 words) Home and a Half (109291 words) As Color Fades Away (217819 words) Gate Keeper (119177 words) Why it sucks to be a snake in space(59933 words)

#voltron legendary defender #weekly voltron fic recs #fic rec #vldgen

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writtenbyhappynerds · 4 years

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FF102: Unit 9, The End’s the Best Part

Hello. This is the last chapter of Fanfiction 102. Our final page, and our last piece. We wanted to end on a fitting note. As such, our final unit is on something the Editor and I find very important: endings.

In the writing process, and in my writing process, endings are written as soon as possible. It’s okay if you start a story and don’t know how it ends, but you need to quickly figure out what the ending of the story is because it becomes an invaluable tool for you as a writer. With an ending, you have a goal to work towards and a final destination for your characters to reach. They have a purpose, and a point and any conflicts along the way or trials and tribulations can contribute or lead to this ending. As soon as you know what the ending is, it is much easier to refine and polish your work. Again, the ending doesn’t have to be written right away. It doesn’t have to be an executed and created piece that will be incorporated later. For our current in-progress fanfics, What Do We Owe and Ashes to Ashes, the Editor and I know exactly how Ashes to Ashes is going to end. We didn’t know until around chapter 8, but we now know how Cicely Godith’s story will come to a close. For What Do We Owe, the ending is still more abstract. We have ideas, and we’ve focused down our ideas on what means the most to our characters, but it isn’t a fully fleshed-out concept that can be copied and pasted onto the last chapter. It’s a footnote. A goal in the back of our minds to work towards.

In many fanfictions, we see the first half of a piece be well-thought-out. You can see the care and time an author put into one story and one plot point. However, you can also see the difference between a well-thought-out first half, and a poorly executed second half. It always looks like the author had a clear vision of the first half of the story, but once they got there they didn’t know where to go. As such, the fanfic putters out in the second half and falls to the wayside. Even if you have to follow the traditional 3-arc storyboard, do it. Everyone hates on outlines when they’re literally the most helpful thing in the world. Even if you change the inside or fix the details, having an outline lets you keep your whole life together. Attached to this chapter is one of my own 3-act outlines. It is for a story that has not been written, and an idea that I had that I didn’t want to forget. Because of this outline, I have more to reference than a few half-baked scenes. I can leave this story alone for the next 2 weeks or the next 2 years, and still, come back and figure out exactly where I was and where I wanted to go.

There are many modern examples of writers who thought about their endings first, and writers who didn’t. The difference is dramatic, and when you write the ending themes and motifs can easily reveal themselves. For example, you can’t foreshadow if you don’t know where you’re going. If your ending is done, you can start dropping hints in a way that makes sense and contributes to a plot and leads your readers down a rabbit hole to a grand conclusion. Game of Thrones is a great example of a TV show that did not write their ending first. As such, their grand twists and turns and revelations felt rushed and cheap because we never got to see the descent into madness that was meant to portray the turn of the tides. Had they written their ending earlier, they could have started that arc when Khal Drogo died and called his death the straw that broke the camel’s back. On the flipside, Percy Jackson and the Olympians had the final book ready by the end of the first. Rick Riordan was able to add all these twists and turns and tribulations in Percy’s story that led to Luke being the child of the prophecy. That led to Hestia being the last olympian. That led to Rachel Dare being the new oracle. By being sure of the final destination the road to get there was much more meaningful. It had a greater purpose.

Now. This is not to say that your ending can’t change. The first ending you write for a story absolutely can change, and it doesn’t have to be the only ending you stick with. The goal of writing it down as quickly as possible is just to make the process of creating the story better for you as a writer. For some stories, the ending is easier than others. If you are writing a romance story the traditional ending is the OC marrying the love interest, settling down, and having 2.5 kids because that’s the goal for most romance stories- a quiet end with contentment and joy. However, if you’re writing romance as the subplot (as you should be) then you need a better ending than that. If you have a romance subplot but the actual main plot of the story is about a group of thieves, maybe the story ends in Las Vegas with a big bank heist. By writing down that heist first you know that your characters have to prepare themselves for that final fight and that ending story. If you look at games like Persona 5, the first thing you do in that game is to fight the final boss, then you’re captured by police and have to work as a character from the very beginning up to that fight. You know what is expected of you, and you can grind your stats accordingly.

The last thing we can offer you as advice, and I suppose as commentary, is that we see a lot of authors add filler chapters of fluff because they’re insecure about the length of their work. They’re worried that if the fanfic is shorter and more plot-driven that it’s bad because many popular works have 300-some pages. The idea that something is bad if it’s shorter is absolutely not true. It is completely okay to cut fanfic short. God, I WISH someone had told me that when I was writing Psycho-Pass fanfic because it would have saved me so much time and so many conversations of “Maybe we add a fluff chapter here to pad the length.” If it doesn’t matter to you as the writer, it’s not going to matter to the reader. You the author are the first critic and the first reader. If you don’t care, no one else will. Emotional execution and driving the plot and creating moments in writing where you feel something is one of the ways where you know you can call yourself a good writer. If you can get people to feel exactly what you want them to at any given time, you can call yourself a good writer. But that takes work. Some emotions are handed to you. Some take time. I had the opportunity to sit down with an author and talk to him about this and he told me: I got humor for free. I could always make people laugh with my writing. But making people think, making people sad… those are things I had to work for. We as readers crave stories like that. We want stories that make us feel or think or question, but as a writer, there is a learning curve. Other people will tell you you’re a good writer long before you start to believe it, but once you can get that kind of control over your craft, you’ll believe it too.

So now, this is our ending. If you want to be a writer, there are a few things you need. You need ego, and not jerky ‘I’m the best’ ego, you need to be able to be talked about in a negative way. You need to believe that you can write and get better at it because there are always moments of doubt, and believing in yourself actually matters because once Imposter-Syndrome, that feeling that someone will come along and say “we found out you can’t actually do this so it’s time to give it up.” Once that’s there it never goes away. You have to believe in yourself. You need to engage in self-criticism without collapsing entirely. You should be able to look at your stuff and be strong enough as a person to see that what you’ve created is not a reflection of who you are as a person. While you need an ego to write without fear, you need humility to know that no matter how much you write you can always learn more. Since the Editor and I started picking our works back up again, I’ve tried to do something different that I haven’t done in each piece. Whether it’s whimsical and romantic and sad or hard-hitting and collaborative. If you think that you’ve hit the limit on what you can master you limit your own ability for growth. So, you need an ego to write, humility to learn, and you need a mirror of imposter syndrome, which is that someone who doesn’t know anything about writing can still say something useful. Sometimes the Editor has no clue what I’m writing about. She doesn’t know the fandom or the genre, but she wants our works to be good, and even when she doesn't know what the fanfiction is about her advice is no less invaluable.

We started the Fanfiction 101/102 courses because we saw an increase in errors and misfires in fanfiction writing. Instead of staying annoyed, we wanted to be the change we saw in the world and wanted to share with others what we have seen fail and triumph. What we have loved and what’s overdone. If you’ve made it through both 101 and 102 I hope you’ve taken away something worthwhile, and something that has improved your writing. Thank you for spending time with us.

While this is our final chapter, we probably will have an epilogue with a second round of our favorite fanfics. That’ll be posted sometime next week because the Editor has 50,000 fanfics to sort through and apparently asking her to pick favorites is like asking her to pick a favorite child. For now, this is the end. If you ever want a critic or notes or anything of the sort, feel free to reach out. We’re always around.

Xoxo, Gossip Girl.

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