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edythe-cullen · 4 years

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I was inspired by @panlight with her Charlie!Vampire Hunter idea and this Drabble sprang from it. So enjoy!

Everything happened so fast.

Blood, horror and terror all at once. Mike was first, he didn’t seem to understand what was happening. A pale, slender hand wrapped itself around his neck, a white flash of teeth then red, so much red. The creature had hit the main artery, the gushing torrent of his life force pumped out and onto the ground, the blanket they had been sat on was wet and marred with splatter. There had been no time to scream, instead his last moments were open mouthed, crying out for his mother.

Then, Jessica and Tyler in tandem. The vampire who had misjudged Mike was moving on, leaving the boy half-dead gasping amongst the grass. Jessica was in his arms, almost a loving embrace as he tore into her throat. Another vampire had appeared, red headed and wild, she reached for Tyler who did not have a chance to flee. Only then did Bella understand what was happening, the stake hidden inside her bag had slipped from her mind. She had never before used it to defend herself, it had always been an offensive attack. Her father by her side. Protecting her. Keeping her safe from harm.

All she could do in that second was run.

She had reached for Angela, dragging her away while a scream penetrated the air, she could not tell whose it was, only that it was not Mike’s.

Her converse skidded on the grass, slippery with the dew of twilight, and with blood.

They had just been leaving, packing up their picnic and heading back towards their cars. They had to be back as they had school the next day, showers were to be had, bags to be packed, lunches to be made. But they had been giggly and happy from the day and the food. The sun had just sunk below the trees leaving a purple cast over the woodland. Jessica had delayed them, demanding golden hour photos and they had all agreed, ready to post the, on Instagram, evidence of their day of fun.

She hasn’t made it far, collecting herself from a fall, her palms scraped from where they had been cut against the hard ground, her hand had slipped from Angela’s. She was screaming for her to run, to keep running, and not look back. That was when she felt a foot on the small of her back, then a sharp crack. She could flee no longer.

The vampire reacher out, caressing a finger to her cheek.... then nothing but pain so violent its blackness consumed her.

News of the attack spread like wildfire.

Forks was only a small town, low crime rates, the occasional drunk driver or low level burglary, but nothing worth it making the news. Well it had, but only once in fact, as the only noteworthy thing about it was that the town experienced the highest rainfall in the continental US.

Now it was the ‘town of terror’, splashed across every news station, national new stations camped outside the victims of the families, scouring the crime scene for their own inside scoop.

The school was temporarily closed out of respect for the five senior students involved. A makeshift memorial had been created outside the main entrance, flowers and photographs and letters of mourning while five smiling faces stared out from amongst the public grief.

The house was silent and had been for many days. Alice all but lived at the Cullen house, no one had particularly missed her or even noticed her absence at home. Jasper remained close by at all times, hovering and angry. Too scared to leave her… or touch her. His very presence both protected and endangered her. She saw his conflict in her dreams, of the things he would not voice to her, all that he kept inside his soul that was on fire, always burning.

While in response to the attack the rest of the Cullen’s took shifts, each night patrolling the immediate area. She did not know if they were doing it to protect her, or their own privacy, or in revenge for murdered children. Or what would they do if they did come across the vampires. She had not asked.

She had seen them both so clearly in her dreams. A man and a woman. Both fair, both handsome but wild with anger and bloodlust, no shreds of humanity remained, not even a facade. Her dreams offered her no answers to their location as hard as she tried.

Instead she dreamt of the survivor.

A ventilator pumping air into broken lungs, a body so black and blue, a patchwork of hand prints across her body.

Carlisle had been upset upon his return, informing them collectively of the state of the survivors. Her condition was deliberate, although he doubted that they had meant for her to live.

It had upset them all, a reminder of what their kind was capable of.

Alice had known the victims in the way she knew everyone in that small high school, that Mike Newton always pushed in line when getting lunch, pulling on Jessica’s pigtails to rile her up, everyone knew they would be that couple, the childhood sweetheart who would marry. Or that Angela Webber, who sat behind her in maths and would always ask for help from her partner, Ben Cheney, both blushing with the bloom of a first crush. While Alice had often wished to be invited to hang out in Tyler’s van where he would play loud music too early in the morning, and he would laugh and joke, so casual and cool. Or Isabella Swan, the girl who would sit in the canteen staring at Alice with a scowl so deeply etched in her face, as if somehow she knew the truth about her... The only person Jasper had ever warned her to stay away from.

He had not left the hospital in over a week, his moustache was evolving into a full beard. But he didn’t care. How could he? Renee had been called on the day of and she had flown to Forks as quickly as she could. She had displayed her grief loudly and publicly and had retired to his house, their house, nestling herself into his private life as though she had never left. She would bring him food, clean clothes, she would kiss the top of his head just as she used to before. They were united once again for a cause, much like just after the birth of her…

Crowded in a hospital, praying for her recovery.

She had been born too early you see, so small, so weak, she hadn’t even been able to breathe on her own in the first few weeks. He wasn’t even able to hold her for those first few months, encased in a large plastic shield protecting her from the outside world. He used to hold Renee so tightly then, her face would be pressed against his neck and he used to wonder how she was able to breathe. He still had had to go to work, he was only a young police officer at the time. He would go and drift through his shift, all thoughts focused upon his newborn. Then he would return straight to the hospital.

This time he refused to return to work, as chief of police he had advantages and ones he was willing to take full advantage of. So instead he remained there, half-slumped in the uncomfortable hospital chairs desperately grabbing snippets of sleep before returning to his watch.

He did the same as when she was a baby encased in the plastic tomb, reaching out to take her hand in his own, praying for her to hold his hand in return.

Sleep no longer mattered, hunger no longer motivated him, nothing in the temporal world many any sense.

One relief was that the vampire had steered clear, the vampire who masqueraded as a doctor in his own local hospital. He had not been part of the debate which had allowed such nonsense of course, and everyone was already quite aware of his opinions. But he technically posed no threat, instead supposedly utilising his ‘gifts’ for good (they still kept an exceptionally close eye on the hospital blood banks and all local hospitals) and appeared a god-fearing good man to everyone who did not know his true evil nature.

He had however received a letter, written in a ridiculous fancy script that took him longer to decipher than to read the note in its entirety. It was an apology. A sincere expression of grief for the deaths of the teenagers and of the state of his daughter, how the vampire had regretted not being there in order to repel the other vampires, to protect the teenagers and if there was anything he could do to help him...

He ripped the letter up, burning it with the lighter he always kept on his person. He did not need a vampire’s sympathies.

Never in his life would he ask for help from a vampire, certainly not Carlisle Cullen.

Carlisle remained at the nurses station, a safe distance away from peering eyes, and unhappy vampire hunters, but close enough he was able to monitor the girl as much as he could and to offer assistance should it be needed. Guilt threatened to overwhelm him often, as it had to be his fault for the death of the four, soon to be five, teenagers. Had their presence not drawn in the strangers then this would not have happened.

Not that the strangers had made themselves known to them, instead making occasional visits to their land, crisscrossing with their scents, but making no move to communicate. Not that Carlisle would have anything pleasant to say. He had seen the crime scene photographs, the mutilation of the bodies had been graphic, but he could not fully understand the intention, whether it was to be a message, or a warning?

The mother of Isabella Swan entered once again, looking haggard and wild, with some awful-smelling food packed into a Tupperware container. She went and greeted her ex-husband gently, kissing the top of his head, wincing at his rejection.

Carlisle wanted to walk away, tend to his other patients, but he could not. Just in case Isabella Swan coded again and he was the only one who could save her, listening to the minute changes in the human body that were lost to the human ear. She had already coded three times within forty-eight hours.

“Charlie... I’ve spoken to Annalise Becker again...” The bereavement counsellor, who no doubt would have briefed Renee on the best care for her daughter. Informing her where they were in her care plan and where they were going. That there had been little to no change for over a week, that the chances of her waking up were slim and chances of a full recovery was nil. The stress that her body had been put through had been monumental and for a moment Carlisle was immensely proud of this random human girl and her resilience, her fight to live.

“I don’t want to hear it Renee.” He cut her off, unwilling to consider any other approach than waiting and hoping, that there was any other option than recovery. Annalise Becker had most definitely suggested the termination of life support, it would be quick after that, painless. With the ventilator removed and other wiring that was keeping her alive she would look peaceful, almost like she were sleeping.

“And what?” There was a crash and he looked away, pretending to read notes, while other hospital staff watched the room just in case their assistance was needed. “You’re not killing my daughter Renee!” The door was thrown open, the door handle slamming into the wall and leaving a deep gouge. Charles Swan stood in the doorway looming and ferocious, like a cornered dog.

He ducked his head, he did not plan on aggravating Charlie anymore.

“No one touches my daughter!” He roared, a warning to staff, and stormed towards the emergency exit.

Carlisle could see it then, the fearlessness needed to hunt vampires, the ability to stare one of their kind in the eye and drive a stake through the chest. He no doubted the man would rather face seventy vampires than his current situation.

“Awful isn’t it doctor,” a young nurse shook her head, looking forlorn towards the room. “So young, such a waste.”

“Did you know her?”

“Who? Isabella? Oh yes, my younger brother is friends with her, she was always so kind, so lovely. She tutored him in government until he got an A, didn’t ask for anything in return.” She sighed deeply, catching a stray tear and leaving him once more to stew at the nurses station.

Something made him think of his own father, and if he had had the chance to mourn his own death at the hands of a vampire. If he had found his corpse hidden in that basement, dead to the world while he transformed, would he have driven a stake into his heart? Or would he had helped him escape? Carlisle was not sure of the answer, but he knew he would not have wanted his father to suffer in his grief alone. Before he realised what he was doing he was moving toward the exit.

Charlie Swan was crouched, head hanging so low, while tears dripped a steady rhythm onto the grass beneath him.

“Charlie...”

At his voice the man looked up, the face of a grieving man transformed into one of anger.

“What do you want?”

In an attempt to touch the tissue as little as possible Carlisle held it out towards Charlie, a peace offering. Charlie stared at the small white tissue with such strange mixed emotions, he took it eventually, a grab that had it ripping, and a small corner remained held between his fingers.

He did not know what to say so as not to offend the man, he could not offer condolences as he would throw it back in his face, nor could he offer advice as it would only inflame the man. So instead he leant against the brick wall.

“I cannot begin to understand your grief, but my wife can, her boy died at birth and I saw how it consumed her.” He swallowed, an unnecessary human habit, but it displayed his nerves. He was sure Esme would not mind him sharing her tale however. “That is what killed her, her boy died and she couldn’t bare it, so she ended her own life shortly afterwards. I found her, mostly dead, and...” He stopped himself, unable to use the word ‘save’ as he knew Charlie would object. “I changed her, but it took a long while, dealing with it all. I’ve seen how consuming it can be... I can give you her number if you want someone to talk to about it...” Once more he knew the man would not accept the offer, but he hoped it was the thought that counted.

He tried to understand the man before him, who had yet to say a single word beyond ‘what do you want’.

Then it dawned upon him, justice.

As any man would want.

“We’re looking for them still, we believe it’s just two of our kind. We still don’t understand the motive and they have yet to reach out to us. But...” He wondered if there was some Volturi code against what he was about to say, he was sure living in close contact with a group of vampire hunters had already broken a few laws anyway so what was one more, they would be dead within the century nonetheless and any crimes would be forgotten and thus forgiven. “If we do find them... we can pass on their location to you...”

He thought of his own youth, of London, of those midnight raids and of the horror he had seen that still lived with him to this day. Of the countless victims, both poor and rich, left like debris in the street, or thrown into the Thames without a second thought who would wash up on the banks leaving a detailed trail of evidence of the amount of vampires who lived within London. Violent crime was high back then and it was so easy to get away with.

“You would turn in your own kind?”

Charlie had not used the tissue, scrunching it tightly inside his fist, while his other hand rubbed at his red eyes, wiping away the tears.

“I do not associate myself with those kinds of vampires.” He responded, his tone tight and short. “You did not attend the meeting when we first arrived... I explained to your brethren then that while we may be vampire in appearance we do not engage with violence or killing, we only wish to exist in our quiet corner, undisturbed. Your council agreed to those terms. We are not like the rest of vampire kind.”

It was clear Charlie did not believe his words, or understand them, Carlisle could not tell which.

The hate for vampires was hard-wired into his DNA, suspicion was perhaps the kindest emotion he could regard Carlisle with, and for that he accepted it.

“Since you’re here I want the truth. No sugarcoating. What did the vampire do to my daughter and what happens next?”

He couldn’t look at Carlisle as he spoke, instead his eyes were trained on the horizon. Even so he still played with the large silver signet ring on his left hand, a weapon if needed.

“Her spine is broken... she has several broken ribs, her femur is broken in two, alongside serious deep tissue bruising. Butt this is mostly superficial, and will heal over time. What the concern is the serious brain bleed she suffered...” He could see it then, the violent image invading his mind, the way the vampire would have slammed her head into the ground to subdue her, as it immediately quieted the victim through either knocking them out or disorientating them. Carlisle assumed she had been fighting, utilising her silver jewellery to the best effect, as evidence by the scratches on her hands and torn fingernails. “The brain activity we would be hoping to see, any improvement at all, just isn’t there... This is not what we expect to be seeing when the patient is in recovery...”

He paused, watching as perhaps for the first time, Charlie acknowledged the severity of his daughters condition.

The next thing he saw was a first aimed straight for his face.

“So you’re telling me.... that you and that Black kid have never....”

“Fucked!” Mike cut in laughing, Jessica aimed a sharp kick that he managed to dodge, angry he had ruined her interrogation.

“Nope.” Bella shrugged unable to bite back a smile. Just because she hadn’t technically had sex with him in the traditional notion didn’t mean she hadn’t done stuff. But that was private. She thought of only the previous night where he had come over for dinner with Charlie. They had gotten along so well, talking of sport, fishing and cars. Traditional guy stuff. Charlie had practically beamed when she told him they were dating, as though he and Billy had had it all planned out since their births’.

How as she had walked him to his car after Charlie had waved him off he had held both her hands in his, how warm he was, how comforting. How he had pressed his lips to her own and she had felt like she was on fire.

“You’re such a little tease Bella.” Jessica rolled her eyes, and snapping her gum so loudly it echoed around the clearing.

“What about you and...”

“Shut your whore mouth?” She had dived on her, clamping a hand around her mouth while the two wrestled, giggling with each other until Bella emerged victorious.

“Stupid question Bella, of course we’ve done it. Nearly got caught too last week by my mom. She wasn’t supposed to be home until seven but...” Mike shrugged with a cool laughter while he and Tyler hi-fived.

“Mike that’s private!” Jessica whined having nestled herself into Bella’s lap she began to plait her hair. It didn’t particularly matter about what they knew about each other. All being close friends, they were the core five after all. Bella just liked her intense privacy.

Although Angela did know everything. But she was a special case, she was Bella’s person.

“I think everyone knows what you and Mike get down to in sixth period,” Tyler chuckled with a sly wink at Mike. Jess squealed in anger.

“Anyway shouldn’t we be heading back soon, we’ll be loosing the light soon.” Angela suggested, relieved to shift the conversation away from boyfriends and other stuff like that. She began to tidy their picnic away, all the Tupperware and flasks they had brought.

“Ang come on, we know these woods well. We’ll be fine.” Mike tried to convince her. What he was really saying, which both Bella and Jessica understood, was that it was safe from supernatural terrors. Wolves and bears were a whole other deal but they were not too deep in the woods and nothing had happened all day, nor was the dark a problem, each having their phone with a flashlight on it. No one was particularly worried.

So they stayed that bit longer, joking and laughing, Mike and Tyler wrestling as boys do. Only when the cold started to set in did they move, packing their things up and heading back towards their cars, trucks and vans. Bella needed gas on her way home, she reminded herself again, having meant to do it the past two days. They reached their vehicles, hugging and saying goodbye to one another. Mike hoisting himself into her cab, his house was on her way home and it had made sense to give him a lift.

“God I don’t want to go back to school tomorrow,” he pulled out a stick of gum offering her one, she had already completed all her homework, so all she had to do that evening was shower and read her book a little, she wasn’t particularly hungry and Charlie was working late.

As she pulled out, her headlights sweeping across the vehicles of her friends she felt a deep unsettling unease spread through her bones. Mike began to fiddle with her radio with futility, it had been broken for months.

“This isn’t right.”

“Huh,” he wasn’t listening, instead still twisting the knob with intensity.

“Mike.” She slammed on the break. “Something… something is wrong?” He continued to ignore her, the radio static only increased in volume, a screaming static loudness that made her skin itch.

She caught his hands in her own, “look at me, why won’t you look at me?”

She slammed on the break as a strange, tingling numbness had begun to spread throughout her body. The static noise faded into the background, a soundtrack of nothingness.

“It doesn’t matter that it didn’t happen like this though, you don’t really want the truth do you?” His hands turned to ice in her hands, becoming stiff.

“What truth?” Her voice wobbled, fear grasped at her throat as the tingling began working its way up her spine, ice colder than Mike’s hands began spreading out like roots underneath her skin. She had to look up, every sane thought in her body was begging her to keep her eyes down, settled on his hands, where it was safe, unsettling but safe. But she had to look… she had to…

Blood coated his green rain jacket, his neck, more of a wound than a neck, pumped out blood almost lazily, leaving a waterfall effect down his jacket and onto her car seat, before pooling in the seat well. His eyes were bloodshot from burst veins, his skin a mottled grey and his mouth, his lips leeched of colour.

“You didn’t want this did you Bella, to remember this?” His voice was a mere rasp, she knew in reality he wouldn’t have been able to speak as his vocal cords had been torn, screaming as he drowned in his own blood.

She didn’t understand… how could…

She screamed, so loudly it hurt her own throat, she screamed and screamed and couldn’t stop as the memories began to flood back. Of each kill, watching her best friends murdered before her eyes before the culmination of her own death, the numbness in her legs where the vampire had stood on her spine so heavily it had been cleaved in two. She had stood no chance.

“Am… am I dead?”

Tears splattered down her face, the rain came down heavily, so heavily her windshield wipers could not keep up with it, beating loudly down upon the roof of her truck. She was stuck inside, unable to move, unable to see.

“Oh Bella…”

Mike’s hand, so cold, brushed her hair away from her face.

Renee had not set food in the church since she had baptised Bella there. She had not been raised religious but had had been Charlie’s church, Charlie’s faith. She hasn’t minded at the time knowing she was going to afford her baby her own choice, exposing her to as many different world views, ideas and religions as she could. Then she would let her decided. And if..... if she chose Charlie’s church then so be it. She had tried.

All the good it did her.

Bella had made her choice, unfortunate as it was, but she had made it. She had chosen Charlie’s church. And here it was her funeral would take place.

Her hands shook as she blessed herself as she entered, the holy water was so cold as it touched her forehead. A blessing. It felt wrong. She wasn’t the one who needed blessing in that moment.

Instead she sat on the pew at the very back, hidden to one side. The church was large and wooden, Pastor Weber was one of the other parents who had lost a child. She knew the girl was one of Bellas closest friends. Who probably knew her daughter better than she did.

Pulling out her phone she scrolled through coffin prices. She had not realised just how expensive death was and she hoped to god Charlie had some liquid assets. Maybe they could use Bella’s college fund? As she certainly didn’t need it anymore. She and Phil certainly didn’t have money they could throw around. Even worse she now had to compete with four other mothers.

Who was the saddest?

Who grieved most?

Who spent most on their child’s funeral?

All of those questions swirled round her head. She knew Karen Newton definitely had her beat in nearly all of those categories. Charlie was doing a good job of acting the crazy father. Not even leaving her side to eat or sleep. It would have to end soon, soon he would break and it would be up to her to pick up the pieces. Again.

She favourited a nice pine coffin. Affordable.

Charlie would kill her if he knew what she was thinking, but she was just future planning. She was always good at that. It was how she had escaped Forks.

“Mrs Swan...” a voice came from her right, someone must have snuck in.

“It’s Dwyer now.” She responded coolly.

Mr Newton stood over her. Grief etched deep into his features. Mike was an only child too. She knew the other parents had other siblings to cling too. Their homes weren’t forever empty , filled with ghosts.

“May I sit?” Mr Newton, Kier, had been a few years above her in school.

“Sure. Why not.”

He collapsed beside her, his breathing laboured, she assumed he had been crying.

“How is she doing?”

Her acrylic nails dug into her palm. If he offered prayer for her dying daughter there was no promise she would act right.

“No better but no worse.” She unclenched her fists. “I spoke with the doctor the other day about end of life care.” She wondered if he would flinch. He did.

“I’m sorry Renee,” her said her name with such care, none of this Mrs business, she knew it was all bullshit anyway. He said her name like Charlie used to.

“How are you and Karen doing?” She wielded the name of the wife with care.

“Strange. It’s all so strange. I keep going to wake him up for school in the morning, I’m half asleep see, then I go into him room and.... nothing has changed. The bed is still made, the curtains open, the folded clothes that he had promised he’d put away when he got back. It’s empty. The whole damn house is empty. And I break down.” They had closed the shop for the time being so his days was filled with nothingness, similar to her.

“I keep going to text her. That’s how we kept in contact. Constant texts. Anything funny I’d see I’d send it to her. I still do. Whether I remember or not. But they’re starting to pile up now, all the messages unread.... they weren’t able to find her phone so I don’t even know if they have the phone. It makes me sick to think of...” The words began to pour out of her, all black bile and anger, so she bit them back.

“No word on the case?”

“No. No fingerprints, no traces of DNA, no way of know where they even went. Nothing. It’s like they disappeared.” Not that Charlie had been any help on that front. Instead she had charmed it easily from the deputy.

He heaved a sigh beside her

“The funeral is tomorrow. They’re doing one a day, making it a long weekend. Friday to Monday. I think they’re trying to make it some community thing. But Mike’s is tomorrow.” He scrubbed at the stubble that had grown due to negligence. “Would you like to come?”

“That’d be lovely Kier. Thank you.” Like a cobra ready to strike she reached up, pressing a hand to his arm gently.

The solidarity of the grieving parents.

It didn’t take much more. For them to sneak around the back of the church, away from the eyes of the God, but more importantly away from he eyes of the road. For him to slam her against the wooden slats. His mouth hungry against her own. Searching for answers, for relief, anything to take the pain away. She let him use her, letting his hands roam, his mouth abuse her own. She shoved him away shortly after he had finished, not bothering to pull her underwear up, she kicked it away to the nearest shrub.

He was crying again. Mumbling apologies. Half sentences that bled with guilt that came with cheating on your wife while she grieves your dead son.

“I’ll see you tomorrow Kier,” she promised and was gone.

“He’s asked you to what?”

Carlisle had asked him to go on a ‘walk’ with him, the rest of the family had assumed he had meant a hunt, preferring the euphemism. Only Edward had known the truth, privy to the turbulence within his maker’s mind, torn and confused. Carlisle hid the reason away, creating a puzzle for Edward to piece together.

It hadn’t taken long, just far away that they became out of ear-shot of the rest of the family. The moon could barely reach its fingers into the deep fo the wood, so black the two figures practically glowed.

Carlisle replayed the scene in his mind once more, Edward could feel the confusion Carlisle felt as Charlie flew toward him. He knew that the primary care physician had finally spoken to him about removing care for Isabella, and how the man had howled, full of pain and fear. Even his wife had recoiled from the sound, well ex-wife as she liked to remind everyone. Isabella Swan was dying, a little bit more each day, life leaking from her body and into the room, the ground beneath her, the soil beneath that.

“I don’t know what to do Edward?” He sat heavily upon a fallen tree, long dead it remained a hollow structure, forgotten within the woods. It was a favourite place of theirs for private conversations.

Charlie had wrapped his hands in Carlisle’s white doctor’s coat, slamming the man against the wall with little care or concern. Instead blind panic was etched into his features. “You have to change her.” There was no request, only a demand. “She can’t die. I won’t let it. You have to change her!”

“But he hates our kind?”

Edward had never met Isabella, but he felt like he knew her, like he knew all the dead children, as every mind in Forks replayed every memory they had of their dead, over and over again. He noted she was the biggest waste, the most beautiful amongst her friends. A shame.

Of course he also felt anger at their deaths, the use of violence upon children, he had seen the autopsy reports and the evidence of torture, of a brutal kill upon them all. He wondered if it were a warning. To them, vampire-hunters? Or their coven? The message was not clear.

“He loves his daughter more.”

He shrugged and rubbed his face, such a human gesture.

“You know how it affected Rosalie…” His last change, Emmett didn’t count, as Rosalie and already done half the job anyway by the time she appeared on their doorstep, bloody and crazed. But Rosalie had been so cruel, she had tortured Carlisle, twisting the sharpened knife of guilt again and again.

“You did it for my mother,” he spoke quietly, desperately trying to conjure the face of his mother. One Carlisle supplied easily, caught in his own memories as he compared the scenes of Elizabeth’s impassioned plea from her death bed, to Charlie’s angered plea. Both desperate for their children to live.

His heart ached for a moment, wishing for his mother, her laugh, or her gentle touch, just for a moment in time…

“You think I should say yes?”

He looked to him with such earnest feeling, his mind a tangle of thoughts Edward could not quite make out if he wanted him to say yes or no.

“I cannot answer that for you… however she is dying and will die regardless of your actions…” He stared off into the distance, wondering how he would have felt if people had debated whether or not he deserved to live. He would have been angry, violently angry. Of course he deserved to live… But like this? A half-life, a creature of the night having to kill to survive? “How old is she?”

“Seventeen.” Carlisle heaved a deep sigh. Their stories were so similar, Carlisle couldn’t help but compare the two in his mind, placing them side by side.

“Maybe it should be put to a vote?” It would effect them all after all, and it was quite clear Carlisle did not want to make the decision himself.

Rosalie voted no, angry even at the suggestion. But it was Jasper who surprised him, a no, it was of course not safe to have a young vampire around Alice as it would create even more danger for her. Carlisle abstained. Esme was conflicted, but was leaning towards yes believing the girl should have some chance at life, Emmett voted yes. While he waited and watched instead he became the deciding vote.

Rosalie bared her teeth at him, warning him not to go against her just to be contrary, a girl’s souls at stake, she had reminded him, venom in her tone.

“Give me until tomorrow. Then you’ll have you answer.”

Everything was black, something pressed down on her all around, she could not breathe, instead every time she opened her mouth gasping for air her mouth was filled with something bitter tasting. Something else wriggled against her body, eating away at her flesh. She screamed but only tasted more bitterness. Fighting against the oppressive force she began to fight, kicking her arms and legs, there was one way that was easier and so she dug her fingers into the less compact blackness, toward an escape. Finally someone grabbed onto her arm, hauling her out to freedom…

She collapsed upon the ground coughing and gagging, black bile spilled from her lips, dirt, she had been buried alive…

Her body ached, from head to toe, every inch of her felt as though she had been set on fire and left to burn for hours, then flayed. Still gasping for air she lay face first upon the ground, hands grasping at the woodland debris, twigs and sticks letting them cut into her palms just to ground herself.

“It’s okay, you’re going to be okay,” a reassuring voice came from above, a hand brushed her hair gently.

“Where am I?” Her voice sounded strange, deep, it hurt to speak.

“You’re going to be okay, you’re saved.” And so she stared up into the red eyes of her murderer…

#writing #fanfic #twilight #twilight fanfic #Bella swan #Edward cullen #Carlisle cullen #Esme Cullen #Alice Brandon #Renne Dwyer #Drabble

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modernagesomniari · 4 years

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Author Interview

Tagged by @pikapeppa who is, as you all know, wondrous.

I’m still pretty new on this scene so this was quite intimidating tbh, but I thought I’d give it a go anyway! Tagging forward to @eluviansandevanuris @darlingrutherford @another-rogue-trevelyan and anyone else who wants to - let me know so I can come read your things! 😏 Also, always let me know if you don’t like being tagged in stuff, that’s 100% fine just let me know.

Name: ModernAgeSomniari. Somni for short.

Fandoms: Right now I’m just writing for Dragon Age - I haven’t written for a GOOD long time and this is what is inspiring me right now. Though there are two rogue WOW fics on my AO3.....

Where You Post: I post here and on AO3. Look for #mywriting on my tumblr and I’m on AO3 as ModernAgeSomniari. I do quite a few headcanons as well, they are also on both and sort of count as stories? Ish?

Most Popular One-Shot: The Strong Man Knows. This is a snippet between Daniel Trevelyan/Dorian. Short but sweet, I guess? It was also one of the first things I wrote for the fandom so I’m happy folks seem to like it!

Most Popular Multi-Chapter Story: Now see I technically don’t have one of these yet. I have a running series called Mala Suledin Nadas which follows Eli Lavellan (with strong Solavellan leanings and multiple POVs) and is inspired by actual gaming moments I come across as I’m playing her. Most of these are either snippets, slices of life or oneshots but there are potentially a couple that may turn multi-chaptered, depending on inspiration and confidence tbh.

Favourite Story You Wrote: Apart from That Ocean Carries Everyone (which fitted the category below more!) it’s probably When I Waked, I Cried to Dream Again. It’s Solavellan and a little tricksy, but it marks the first time I start delving into (very short) smexy times so I’m proud of it for that.

Story You Were Nervous to Post: That Ocean Carries Everyone, without a frickin doubt. It’s a Solas POV fic that came to me all in a rush from a title idea (that my brain turned into a prompt) by @siberianspring and I’m kind of raw about it. It touches on some headcanons I have about the war to come and posits a possible turning point in Solas. Maybe. Ugh I’m a mess over this one - I think it’s pretty common for writers to be nervous about fics that they feel very close to!

How You Choose Your Titles: Usually there’s an essence to a story that I want to introduce to a reader before they start and which will make more sense once they’re done. Either that or quotes. I’m a massive literary nerd so things like ‘When I Waked’ are Shakespeare.

Complete: Well....most of them are one-shots and/or on-going as I play through the game so yes? I guess? Any longer ones I have aren’t started yet so I’m taking this precious time to say ‘yes’ before I ruin it all by actually starting stuff. Eheh

Incomplete: Ehehe see above.

Do You Outline? For one shots? Often not, I’ll have an idea and then work my way through. For the longer ones I’m thinking of, I’m trying to. Part of what I want out of writing fic for me right now is to train and develop my creative writing so I’m trying to be strict with myself. If anyone has any tips/wants to talk writing challenges I’m always up for help/mutual support goodness!

Coming Soon/Not Yet Started: Right. Well:

I have a few smutty Solavellan one-shots in mind - some based on how Eli and Solas canon don’t have sex during the main game - so there’ll be fantasies and pining. Some, however, are based on a ‘What If?” series I want to make about them where they do have sex during the events of the main game because if I can’t decide they have naughty Lover’s Alcove sex in the Summer Market in my head then what the hell is fanfic even for?

An origins fic for Eli where we deal with over-curious elves, apostates, templars and the wrath of Clan Lavellan

Waaaaaay more entries into Mala Suledin Nadas. I’m falling behind a little but there are some really sweet ones I’m waiting to get on with!

Do You Accept Prompts? YES I DO. I’ll sometimes take some time to write them (both because I like to do them justice and also because pandemic+work is ruining me a little) and its very unpredictable whether you’ll get a drabble or a full on series but yes, I definitely do.

Upcoming Story You Are Most Excited to Write: Honestly, I’m ready to start practicing some smut stuff in the ‘What If?’ series. Other than that, I have an Eli oneshot dealing with her fears of Tranquility that was inspired by bringing both Solas and Vivienne to see Conner at Redcliffe that I’m really excited about. I really need to start just writing smut more to cut through all this character development and angst.

#dragon age #dragon age fic #solavellan hell #writing #somni #mywriting #wow this whole putting yourself out there thing is kind of nerve wracking huh #this has also taught me that I need to get off my ass and actually write some actual stories somni #jeez

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lyricfulloflight · 4 years

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Writing Year in Review

This is the first year I’ve ever had such a productive fanfic output, so I thought I’d do a ‘Year in Review’ style post for my writing.

Amazingly my tumblr followers have grown hugely this year as well - i think I have about double the followers I had when I came back to tumblr after a couple years hiatus. So if your new to following me, this is a good guide to all my recent writing!

Everything I’ve written this year is Cherik centric. Somehow I managed to write 12 stories and post over 180k words to AO3.

The List

1) Downstairs Distraction: Originally a smutty little tumblr drabble. Charles meets Erik the morning after a very loud night of sex with his current fling. Things...happen. PWP. 2939 words.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19357660/chapters/46054333

2) Home Visit: Just a little tumblr drabble in response to the prompt: Family.A sweet, heart felt domestic cherik fic. Fluff. 714 words.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20114530

3) Airwaves: Charles is working as a DJ for the on campus radio station when he meets the newest addition to the on-air team: Erik Lehnsherr. Though Charles falls head over heels for Erik in an instant, he doesn't have the confidence to introduce himself - his whole life has shifted since his accident and romantic relationships have been off the table. Will Charles get the confidence to take a risk on love? 14,995 words.

Sweet little fic written for the Cherik Big Bang with lovely art by @ireneadonovan.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20169118

4) The Fall: Written to fill the prompt: "Raven seduces Charles' boyfriends to "check they're faithful". Charles finds out about Raven's sisterly interference and goes a bit off the deep end. 2673 words.

Written for the lovely @akasanata who sent me the prompt. This fic mostly focuses on Charles and Raven. Someday (I swear), I will have a follow up Cherik fic for this one!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20432939

5) The Things I Do For You: Charles brings a stray kitten to Erik's apartment. Taking it in is but one of the many things Erik is willing to do for Charles. 931 words.

Sweet and fluffy. Written for the ‘They Deserve Better Challenge’.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20854652

6) You Are My Fire: A fluffy fic set during XMFC. A 'what could have been' snippet from the Westchester Estate. Inspired by the prompt: Fireplace. 698 words.

Another fluffy little fic for the ‘They Deserve Better Challenge.’

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20948093

7) Rumour Has It: Erik has just arrived to the US as a foreign exchange student for the year. It takes him less than two weeks to learn through the rumour mill that Charles Xavier is the biggest slut on campus. Thankfully, he has never had any trouble ignoring rumours. Until he and Charles are paired up for a group project that is, and Erik finds himself suddenly in Charles social sphere. Is Charles who everyone says he is? Or is he something... more? WIP, currently 2 chapters and 3998 words.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21021653/chapters/49998035

8) The Consequence of Hiding: Charles is completing his PhD at Oxford when he finds himself in dire need of a new job to support himself and Raven. Erik is a grumpy Mutant Student Counsellor who has yet to fill his student assistant position. Enter Prof. MacTaggert and her matchmaking ways to bring her student and her friend together (in platonic, professional compatibility, of course). Will things stay platonic for Charles and Erik? Only time will tell.

My big project. Finally completed after working pretty much all year on it. Over 115K words. 23 Chapters.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18995308/chapters/45107560

9) It’s Just a Summer Thing: Erik, new to America and not fitting in at all, gets the opportunity of a lifetime: an invitation to an elite summer soccer camp. Erik is hoping to improve as a player, his mother is hoping he'll make friends. Over the years he does both, and maybe, just maybe, he finds something more than a friend.

Tooth Rotting Fluffiness. 6 chapters. 12,573 words.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21427033/chapters/51053647

10) Hollow: Added scene from X-men: Days of Future Past. Charles and Erik have a confrontation in a Paris hotel after the plane scene, but before the go to find Raven.Sometimes its the people who know you best, the people you care about the most, who can push you over the edge.

Written for the X-men Secret Exchange. Angst, cherik style. 1516 words.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21595765

11) Someday I’ll Find You: Charles has spent the entire school year writing to his German pen pal. Though initially a class assignment, his pen pal has turned into his only friend. They talk about their lives, their dreams, their studies. They play chess and exchange book recommendations. Charles has never felt closer to anyone in his life. Until one morning at the Xavier estate, Kurt catches him writing a letter to his pen pal and all hell breaks loose.

WIP. Collaboration with the incredible @msfbgraves. Currently at 13 chapters and 18,251 words.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20661824/chapters/49067759

12) At First Glance: Erik-- the CEO of a multinational company-- is always dressed to the nines fine suits. The people who surround him are no less. They're all well groomed, fit, and some better looking than top end models (men and women). But one day Erik meets a frumpy Professor in a fluffy cardigan, thick glasses, full cheeks and a slight pudge. Charles Xavier. His life will never be the same.

Written for X-men Madness. Fluffy holiday goodness. 4,729 words.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21815806

And that was my year!

I think I will do another post tomorrow about the projects I have in the works for 2020 :)

Happy reading and writing fellow fic fans!

#lyric writes #lyric writes too many cherik fics at once #but she finished some of them!#cherik #cherik fic

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xerxia31 · 4 years

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Author Self-Interview

It’s author self-interview day :) And while it’s really challenging to speak about myself, regardless of how passionate I am about Everlark, the always incredible @hutchhitched convinced me to give it a whirl.

Several authors who are far more creative than I have posted some excellent questions, I hope they will forgive me for stealing some of them.

Do I outline or just start writing?

I seldom outline, but I always have a fairly good idea where the story is going before I start writing it. I see my stories as scenes in my head before I begin writing them, which means even before I put pen to paper, I have a solid idea of plot and scene, and often snippets of dialogue too. I think that’s why I’m best at short stories and ficlets, clear scenes as opposed to longer, more involved sequences of scenes (though I write those too).

Do I use a beta?

Seldom. For my long stories, I have both a grammar/language beta, and a content beta, but for shorter stories, drabbles, etc, I self-edit.

Where do I write?

Everywhere….. I do an extraordinary amount of writing on my phone (in google docs), which means my stories are always in my hand. I write when I’m a passenger in the car. I write when I’m waiting for the kids at choir or karate, I write in bed at night before falling asleep. I sometimes wake up in the night and tap out fic ideas or bits of dialogue into my phone.

Listen to music? Make a playlist?

Never. If there’s music playing, I’ll want to sing along, and that’s super distracting for me.

Do I post right away or wait until several chapters are done?

Little of column A, little of column B. Sometimes I wait. More often I do not. Depends on what I’m feeling in that moment.

Which voice do I use most often?

I’m predominantly a first person present writer. That’s the voice in which our sourse material is written, so it’s the voice that makes sense to me. That said, I do deviate from time to time, partly as a challenge, partly because specific stories feel like they need to be told in third. I keep stats on everything, so I can tell you that I’ve written:

First person present: 93 stories

First person past: 1 story (that’s It Started With a Contest)

Third person present: 27 stories

Third person past: 21 stories

I also wrote a little drabble in second person present, partly because, again, the source material is written in second person present, and partly, I think, because I’d just finished reading You by Caroline Kepnes (which is in second person present and hooboy it’s creepy, like having the narrator wandering in your head. Tough to shake off)

Which character is easiest for me to write?

Peeta, always. His slightly snarky brand of optimism aligns fairly closely to my own attitude. Though I definitely relate to canon Katniss’s stoicism too.

Let’s talk about specific stores now.

Not Real - I dreamed this story, almost in its entirety, though the dialogue was far better in my dream :) It was so intense and vivid that I had to wait a couple of days before writing it down because I knew I couldn’t have done justice to it while it was so fresh. I love the plot, and the moment when she ends the simulation. It’s one of those stories that shows I am incapable of judging my audience, because I really like that story, but it barely got any attention.

This Used to be my Playground - People got upset with me for rating this story M when there isn’t any smut in it. I kid you not. I love this story, especially the line “Why?” I ask, the word crystallizing on the window. If I was going to change anything in that story, though, I’d tighten up the ending. To me, it feels rambling. But the banner than Fran made for it is one of the most gorgeous things I’ve ever seen.

Destiny was written as a birthday gift for @madamemarquise, who is an incredible everlarker, and the pressure I put on myself to make it worthy of her was huge. It’s not a masterpiece, but I’m pretty proud of how it turned out. Stylistically, it’s a different tone than I typically use, and when I re-read it, it feels more like prose.

And one I’m currently writing - Cassie 7, the seventh vignette in The Cassie Chronicles (each chapter is a standalone, though they are all chronological). I only add to this series when I think about specific situations I want them to tackle, so it’s a meandering thing. But I really wanted to explore Katniss meeting Cassie’s biological mother. That’s what #7 will be about, and I’m pretty excited about it so far.

So that’s a little bit about my writing process, thoughts, etc. I’m happy to answer more specific questions. If anyone is interested in asking any, hit up my ask box :) And I especially love talking about fics I’ve already written, so if you’ve always wondered why I made some specific choice in one of my stories, please ask!

#everlarkselfinterview #about me #xerxia writes

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andithiel · 5 years

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Fanfic Author Meme

Tagged by the sweetest loveliest @drarryruinedme7 thanks so much love 😘

Author Name: Andithiel

Fandoms You Write For: Drarry mainly, and I’ve written one each for Jeddy and Scorbus. Do they count as three different fandoms? Or should I just say the Harry Potter fandom? 😂😂😂

Where You Post: AO3 and shorter stuff I cross post here on tumblr under the # andithielwrites I used to cross post on FFN for some reason but I recently gave up on that hellsite.

Most Popular One-Shot: If I sort by kudos it’s Constellation Prize (12k, E)

Most Popular Multi-Chapter Story: I haven’t posted a multi-chapter yet *hides*

Favourite Story You Wrote: Right now it’s my latest story I’ll never be your chosen one, because I went super out of my comfort zone but I think it’s so good. I’m still not okay with it being done and that I don’t get to write it anymore, but I have these scenes that keep popping up, so maybe I’ll do some drabbles in that universe in the future. Also I’m so proud that I wrote it so fast and it’s mostly thanks to @etalice who cheered me on during the entire process.

Story You Were Nervous to Post: Besides I’ll never be your chosen one, and my first one Let’s go dip it low (then you bring it up slow) that was my first Drarry fic ever, it was And the music plays bitter, plays sweet, because that was also a fic where I went far out of my comfort zone and I was nervous about the reception as it deals with long term infidelity, but I’ve had such nice comments on that one and it’s one of the fics I’m most proud of.

How Do You Choose Your Titles: Often song lyrics. Or I bitch to Kristina about it and she comes up with something. I’ve had two or three occasions where the title just came to me, and I have no idea where they came from or how I can visit that place 😂😂 😂

Do You Outline: Depends. Shorter stuff no. I just have a general idea of what story I want to tell and then start writing then edit edit edit until I’m happy with it. Longer stuff... sometimes? I often have the story in my head and then I start to write snippets here and there until I realise I can’t have it all in my head and then I outline. But sometimes I don’t and when I return to that wip I always hate past Andy for not writing it down LOL

In-Progress: Uuuuuh, I have like four Drarry? Maybe? One that has been with me for two years now and it’s still only just below 4k, but that’s been on the back burner for quite some time. I also have two Jeddy that I open sometimes and stare at 😂

Coming Soon/Not Yet Started: I need fluff now after my latest angst fest, so I got the idea for a dialogue only Scorbus or Jeddy, but I haven’t written a single word of it. I’m also doing a workshop where I’m expanding the drabble Forbearance, but somehow that poor thing always gets neglected.

Do You Accept Prompts: I guess? If I got one that tickled me the right way, but I don’t really have time to write that much so I try to stick to my own ideas and the Game of Drarry prompts when I’m participating in that 😊

Upcoming Story You Are Most Excited to Write: I have another angst fest Drarry that I’m curious to see where I can take it, also my two Jeddy wips, one angsty and one Coffee shop AU. I just need to get through this fic hangover.

Tagging: Not tagging anyone because I think everyone’s done this, but if you see it and want to do it, consider yourself tagged! ✨(<- tag glitter) And tag me so I can read about it!

#fanfic author meme #about me #sorta #writing life

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madamrogersstorytelling · 5 years

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Fan Fiction Ask Game

@suchatinyinfinity tagged me some time ago, and since I really couldn’t decide which ones to answer to, I took all of them! Yes, I really did. Worry about me... This is going to be a long post, so I’m putting everything under the cut and tagging some of my fellow writers at the bottom. I also am going to answer with all of my fics and not only one of them, that way you can get more perspective.

Thank you for reading!

A: How did you come up with the title to [insert fic]?

I’m not going to answer about how I named one fic, I’m telling how I usually name my fics. Most of them get their titles if I listen to a song and it has a nice name or a line, sometimes I read quotes or just think of a word and taste it for long enough to decide could it be the title. Sometimes I read the piece before naming it and decide a line it has as a title; this can be seen in most of my drabbles. The title can be found. With my current series Aura, Of New Beginnings, You, Dark Passion Play and I’ll Make a Man Out of You; they either got their titles from the names of the characters, aspects of the story or songs.

B: Any of your stories inspired by personal experience?

Actually, You. Not all of it, but most of the first chapter is. I took some artistic freedoms to describe some things but it indeed is inspired by my very shitty day during last December. Some of my friends know about this, it was horrible. But the young man at the stoplights (who looked really different from Ben but still) still inspires me very much.

C: What member do you identify with most?

Member... This question confuses me, all in all. I identify with a lot of things and can really tell you as soon as someone tells me what kind of a member this question is searching for haha.

D: Is there a song or a playlist to associate with [insert fic]?

I don’t really do playlist for my stories, I listen to whatever I feel like. Sometimes I want to listen to one specific song during one scene. It really depends.

E: If you wrote a sequel to [insert fic], what would it be about?

I’m bad at sequels. And most of my fics are not even ready, aka they’re series that will go on and on. But! One fic that possibly could have a sequel one day is Irresistible. It’s one of my favorite pieces of my own fics and it would be fun to see did the reader really catch him or not ;)

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

“The knife?”

“That was Reep…”

“The apples?”

“No, I didn’t touch your apples…”

“Someone ate them while I was picking up those flowers I gave you.”

Caspian shook his head, still humming his laughs.

“Apples don’t walk away, Caspian!”

He showed you his hands as if he was surrendering. “Maybe not, but it wasn’t me.”

You pouted. “If you have to say it, you’re not telling the truth.”

“Maybe you didn’t have any apples with you on that day? I don’t remember seeing any.”

“Yeah, because you ate all of them. I was away for ten minutes!”

“Okay, I just might have eaten one…”

King of Thieves, Caspian/Reader

I think this is really sweet. I had so much fun writing this and it can really be seen, I think. I’ve always struggled with real-like dialogue, as I’ve told countless times before, but I think that with this drabble, it became quite real after all.

G: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

It depends, really. I usually write from start to finish but if I suddenly get a scene in my head, I write it down. It’s easier for me to write from start to finish, that way I can stay on track and don’t lose the balance of what I’m doing.

H: How would you describe your style?

Someone once said I have noticeable style, something that is... part of me. I guess I like descriptions? I use a lot of adjectives and different kind of sentences; long and short, both to describe and rhythm the story a little. I also like beautiful words very much haha. My style may be a bit dreamy and I like to go slowly more than quickly. Sometimes I speed things up a little, only to tell the more meaningful parts but all in all, I think I describe more than use dialogue.

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

Haha! I truly do have! Especially in writing. I love to use quotes and song lyrics in my stories as dialogues, parts of them. It’s really funny for some reason. When I read, I don’t think do I actually have a guilty pleasure. Hmm... I don’t think I have?

J: Write or describe an alternative ending to [insert fic].

Goodness! Well, ok, let’s take Irresistible again...

Billy either left without leaving a single note or... Maybe he didn’t leave at all? I almost wrote that he stayed but... Then I thought of the note and I let that come to the story. Well, we can always play ;)

K: What’s the angstiest idea you’ve ever come up with?

Something that had to do with Billy having to kill the reader either because the death was inevitable or because he had been told to. I’ve tried to think of this but as I have felt a bit bad myself, writing angst hasn’t really been on the top of my mind right now. Maybe one day?

L: How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?

Sometimes more and sometimes less. I often read it twice; once right after reading and then I let it be for a moment, I got to eat or take a shower or play with my cat for a while and then come back to read it. You kind of become blind to your own text; I still have typos, I’m not saying that but it’s easier to see everything that needs to be corrected or revised before posting. Once or twice, usually.

M: Got any premises on the back burner that you’d care to share?

Not more than I will never probably get it done because I keep getting stuck haha!

N: Is there a fic you wish someone else would write (or finish) for you?

Not at the moment. Even though, I always love to see people writing something I’ve talked about with them.

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

The plot, usually. The characters come with it. While writing fanfiction, I kind of have some characters “ready to use”. The reader creates itself. I try to describe them as little as I can, so everyone can relate to them, which is why I go with the plot and not with the characters. But with something like Aura I try to get the plot with the character or the other way around.

P: Are you what George R. R. Martin would call an “architect” or a “gardener”? (How much do you plan in advance, versus letting the story unfold as you go?)

I’m more like “one rose is my whole garden” type of person. I make some plans and write down some important plot points but for me, planning the whole thing from chapter to chapter and all the way to the ending kind of means it’s written already. Then I don’t even write it. So, I try not to let my ideas die with something like this but every time I get some important plot points in mind, I write them down because I’d forget them otherwise.

Q: How do you feel about collaborations?

I have nothing against them. Collabs are just fine. Although, they can get a bit hard, can’t they? You need to have very profound talks about what you want to write and what should happen and all. It can get stressful. But it would also be very interesting thing to write! I’ve actually talked about one of these with one person once.

R: Are there any writers (fanfic or otherwise) you consider an influence?

Sure. And I think that to be a writer, you have to have influences. You know what I mean? To see different ways to do some things and how the person X does this thing - but the person Y does it differently, so I’ll do it like this. You know what I mean?

The people I’m going to tag (also the one that tagged me) all have some kind of influence on me, in good.

My favorite writers, I’ve tried to learn something from them. Stephen King, Marcus Zusak, Joël Dicker, Tolkien, Rowling, Lewis, Wynne-Jones, all of them.

S: Any fandom tropes you can’t resist?

I’m not good at this trope thing anyway, I think. I don’t even think about them too much. But, you know, I just opened a list and I definitely can say that there are some I reallyreallyreally like hahah!

Shapeshifting is always nice, all kinds of AUs are really close to my heart, crossovers are fun, timetravel, fix-it is my go to... I have quite a lot of these!

T: Any fandom tropes you can’t stand?

Hmmmpf... I don’t like to say I don’t stand something, these are just things I’m not exactly a fan of.

I’ve always been bad at anything that has to do with comedy (I’ve only recently learned to live and watch comedy films, I used to hate them a few years back), so maybe... crackfics? Ok, good crack makes me cry my eyes out because I’m laughing so much but it’s pretty hard trope for me.

I’m also either so decent (or at least try to think I am, which is a lie, I’m far from it haahah) or old-fashioned that I’m very bad at PWP as well.

U: Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.

@padfootagain she writes so good fluff! You can always trust that whatever she writes will cheer you up - and I often read her fics if I feel a bit down. She’s also one of my closest friends.

@something-tofightfor I love her way to tell the stories, her characters. I enjoy her style a lot. And she is also very cute human being.

@banditthewriter quite a lot like with the previous. I like the way she develops her stories and characters and always gives us something to wait for. She also seems so nice and genuine as a person. We don’t interact much but I still appreciate her a lot.

V: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

Whoa, this is hard... This is really hard because most of the fics I read already tell the stuff I’d tell in prequels. Maybe sequel... To @padfootagain‘s A Recipe For Love, to see the life of Caspian and the reader. But I don’t even dare to touch that masterpiece!!

W: Do you like more general prompts, or more specific ones?

Both are fine. I like prompts a lot, they help me but sometimes they also set me a trap haha! I tend to use more general ones myself and I’m fine with that. But if I find a list of some more specific ones and find it inspiring, why not?

X: A character you enjoy making suffer.

WHAT?? I hate to make any character suffer!! Ok, I’m a mascohist so maybe a bit but... No, that tells that I like to make the reader suffer? Because I’m not a sadist (even though, some of my friends might say so, they always say I’m killing them, so...).

Y: A character you want to protect.

Caspian. Ryan Brenner. Steve Rogers. Billy Russo. Yes, you read right - Billy might not need my protection, but I’m doing it anyway. Paul “Jesus” Rovia is my dearest and I’ll fight for him. Tom Ward. Magneto. Athelstan. Sirius Black. Sam Winchester. All my actor babies. There are so many of them, they’re all my babies, I want to protect all of them!! (Logan, don’t look at me like that - yes, I’m protecting you too.)

Z: Major character death–do you ever write/read it? Is there a character whose death you can’t tolerate?

... I hate the fact that every time I watch a movie or a show or even read a book, it’s 100% sure that my favorite character dies. Or if not 100&, then at least 85-90%. But, the happy thing is that most of the characters are not killed in fanfiction! I can read deaths, yes, but... They’re not nice things to read. I can also write deaths, still not my fave things to do.

Want a list of these characters? Sirius Black, Billy Russo, Logan Delos, Kili, Fili and Thorin, Steve Rogers or any of the Avengers (don’t come at me, I know we all have been thinking about this)... This list could go on and on.

Tagging: @padfootagain @jennareedus @carol-damn-vers @something-tofightfor @dylanobrusso @suchatinyinfinity @whostheblondegirlwriting @loriwrites @breanime @princerussoand everyone else who wants to do this. Sorry for the double tags.

#i was tagged #tagged #on writing

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runicmagitek · 6 years

Note

fic meme questions! 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 💕

Many thanks for the ask and hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long :)

Already did 2, but here are the rest!

3. Is there a trope you wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole?

Domestic AUs and by extension, anything involving kids or marriage. I'd rather gag myself with a spoon than read or write any of that. I don't understand the appeal of domestic AUs or curtainfics. Maybe if it involves food, because I do love cooking and baking, but like... a story revolved around doing each other's laundry? Going out shopping for a mattress? Buying a house together? Um... no? I don't understand why people like these types of fics, but it feels like they've never experienced doing any of those things first hands. Folding laundry is tedious and not romantic. Shopping for shit by myself is stressful, never mind shopping WITH someone else (thank god my boyfriend is extremely patient and we have the same taste, but I still dread it). And jumping off of that, I really don't give a shit about society's conventional views towards marriage, so I'm not interested in writing about it. And kids... just no. I stop reading fics if a pairing randomly has a kid together, never mind writing about it.

4. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

I mean... nurturing as in actively working on or like, "nurturing" as in I at least conceived it, but it may or may not be locked up and neglected in a closet somewhere? Actually, let's go with the first option, or else we'll be here all day. I'm actively "nurturing" six fic ideas (not including my drabbles): Darkness/Starlight, OT3 fic, Rinoa pre-canon fic, a Pyre oneshot, and two things for Camp NaNo this April. Darkness/Starlight is almost done, so just doing last rounds of edits before posting bits. The OT3 fic (Setzer/Darill/Maria) is still being read over by my lovely beta and I'll start working on posting that once she finishes and once Darkness/Starlight is over. I've finished editing my Rinoa pre-canon fic and waiting for my beta to finish the OT3 one before overwhelming her with another fic D: at least it's like 1/5 of the word count? I'm slowly writing up a Pyre fic I've had in my head in a while and wasn't sure how to go about it. It's really nice to write out my Reader and hopefully people will like them. For Camp NaNo (HAHAHA oh right, that’s a thing... which seems to always start right after AB, when I’m still in low-battery mode), it's kind of my "get your shit together" month. I started working on a Setzer fic several years ago, posted the first chapter and... never wrote anymore. Granted, my boyfriend and I were trying not to die when this happened, so no wonder I just outright forgot about it. It's only 3 more chapters, so that shouldn't be too hard (I say this and then it suddenly blows up into 20k words). And when that's done, I have a Transistor pre-canon fic that I also had in the works during that same time period. It was originally meant for Transistor week, but... yeah, my boyfriend literally went to the ER a couple weeks before that and my brain shut down. That one I have thoroughly planned out and know it will be 7 chapters... probably end up being anywhere between 14k and 28k. Depends on how much I decide to write per chapter.

7. Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you've written and explain why you're proud of it.

This changes for me every year, which I guess is a good thing, because that means I'm improving. My current favorite section of prose is a big spoiler for Darkness/Starlight so I don't really want to post any of it out of context (and it's really hard to even pick just a single line that's not spoiler-y), but it's a scene that involves Shiva and Celes. You ever have one of those scenes and it plays out perfectly in your head, but you don't know how to describe it? That was that scene for me. I was happy to finally nail it down and am very pleased with how it came out. I wanted it to come across as both chaotic and surreal, yet cathartic.

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

Did you mean: EVERYTHING WITH EDGAR IN DARKNESS/STARLIGHT???Where do I even begin??? This is probably my favorite dialogue with him:

“So, before all of that happened, have you been enjoying yourself?”

Typical Edgar, always trying to lighten the mood. Celes appreciated that aspect of him for once. “As much as I can, yes. And yourself?”

“Are you kidding? I live for this sort of thing! It’s been far too long since we’ve hosted such an event here. It’s a wondrous time. All the music and the dancing and the food and the gossip.” The way he raised his eyebrows should have concerned Celes. “Word has it, apparently, that I’m the fashion mastermind of the evening. Dressed both Terra and you. Must have been some concoction I drank the other night, because I do not recall finding that—” And now he was goggling at her dress. It was only a matter of time. “—in the spare closets lurking around here. Usually when I get that drunk, I’m lucky if I wake up with three women in bed with—”

“Edgar!”

I don't know why Edgar came off as the comedic relief in Darkness/Starlight, but it kind of happened. Not only are his lines a much-needed break from the seriousness/drama of the story, but they were a blast to write. And I'm thrilled my readers are enjoying him. He's kind of stealing the show, so to speak. Then again, I have a soft spot for secondary characters. It all works out!

#my writing #meme thing #farfromdaylight

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thumper-darling · 7 years

Note

all the writer asks? and can you use your current story for the blank ones?

1. Favorite place to write.

My most productive nights writing were spent in hotel rooms with cheap black coffee and terrible lighting. It sets a very motivating vibe.

2. Favorite part of writing.

Creating and developing characters. Character arcs?? are ?? my favorite??

3. Least favorite part of writing.

writing ™

4. Do you have writing habits or rituals?

Yeah, procrastinating for months. :’)

5. Books or authors that influenced your style the most.

Patrick Ness and Stephen Chbosky are pretty big idols of mine

6. Favorite character you ever created.

Cadence, she’s my hero

7. Favorite author.

Rainbow Rowell or Patrick Ness

8. Favorite trope to write.

Coming of Age Angst ™ and realistic development for the main character

9. Least favorite trope to write.

Love triangles or over-dramatic and non-realistic romantic interests.

10. Pick a writer to co-write a book with and tell us what you’d write about.

I’d love to work with Chbosky and write a spin-off of Perks of Being a Wallflower, or like a potential sequel? That would make my actual dreams come true.

11. Describe your writing process from scratch to finish.

In the beginning, I print off a million character questionnaires and fill out every detail about my main characters. It’s funny, because my characters always come first, and the story soon follows. After I know my characters inside and out, I think in their mindset for days and write down notes about things I for sure want to include in my story whether it be a plot twist or just a small piece of dialogue. Once I find the character’s voice, I feel ready to start writing the story.

12. How do you deal with self-doubts?

I’m still not great with this, because I have a LOT of self-doubt, but I know that writing is what I want to pursue. I just remember that I have talent and I shouldn’t worry about the first draft because the first draft is almost always awful.

13. How do you deal with writers block?

I read. A lot. Reading helps spark ideas and un-stick my story.

14. What’s the most research you ever put into a book?

OH MY GOD. I would look at maps and historic timelines. I filled nearly 4-5 pages of a journal just with a timeline of events and it was lit.

15. Where does your inspiration come from?

Literally anything. That bench on the corner? INSPIRED. Pulling out of a driveway? INSPIRED. That sandwich looks tasty. INSPIRED. No, but in all seriousness I just observe my surroundings at all times and in an average day I can pull an idea out of something.

16. Where do you take your motivation from?

I just think of my future and what impact/ message I’d like to leave behind to anybody who reads my writing.

17. On avarage, how much writing do you get done in a day?

None. Writing isn’t something I can do everyday. Some days I’m more inspired and motivated than others. If I try writing when I don’t have the energy, it turns out forced and choppy. I let the motivation come to me.

18. What’s your revision or rewriting process like?

I typically like to wait a week or two before re-reading and editing, that way I can have space from my writing. I do it gradually through out the story so I can draw potential ideas from what I have so far.

19. First line of a WIP you’re working on.

Version 1: “The shop had been empty for a little over an hour, and Charlotte was beginning to grow restless.”

Version 2: “Charlotte had a look of determination set in the furrow of her eyebrows and curiosity in the gleam of her eyes.”

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

“Whenever Jordyn spoke, it was reminiscent of watching an old southern film. Her slight, hidden drawl was nothing less than soothing. Charlotte sometimes liked to picture her with obnoxiously tight ringlet curls and big, poofy southern belle dresses with frilly ribbons and lace. The thought brought a subtle snort from Charlotte.”

21. Post the last sentence you wrote in one of your WIP’s.

Version 1: “He just followed his feet, and they lead him to her.”

Version 2: “His only response was a smirk before he opened the door to the back alley.”

22. How many drafts do you need until you’re satisfied and a project is ultimately done for you?

At least a million

23. Single or multi POV, and why?

Single, I feel like it leaves for more mystery. That way the reader can interpret different POV’s for themselves.

24. Poetry or prose, and why?

Prose, rhyming isn’t my forte

25. Linear or non-linear, and why?

Depends on the story I’m trying to tell. Sometimes one way has more impact than another.

26. Standalone or series, and why?

Standalones are beautiful for some stories, but others simply must be more than just one book long. Some stories exceed one book.

27. Do you share rough drafts or do you wait until it’s all polished?

I share drafts with people I trust to edit or give me feedback.

28. And who do you share them with?

My friends that love stories.

29. Who do you write for?

Mainly for myself, but also for anybody that needs to hear the message my story can offer them.

30. Favorite line you’ve ever written.

“So, as a sign of letting go, I introduced my lips to his cheek and the sound of my skin meeting his was a melody playing a sweet goodbye.”

“Kissing him was like kissing air or water, it was so sweet and slow that it was a natural instinct to flow with it. However, kissing her was like fire because it was warm, inviting, and compelling, but had all the potential to burn him. Their love was like melting into each other, neither would make it out alive.”

31. Hardest character to write.

Side characters or the main character’s family. Because those characters are always important and meaningful, but I don’t want to write them only as a means of helping the main character. I hate flat characters and everybody deserves to have a story, you know?

32. Easiest character to write.

The sidekick ™

The one who always knows just what to say and how to say it.

33. Do you listen to music when you’re writing?

Only for specific scenes that music could really inspire me for. Like if I’m writing a sad scene and I’m not really in that head space, I listen to depressing ass music so I can understand the scene better.

34. Handwritten notes or typed notes?

Both. Here, have some of my notes.

Just some random dialogue drabbles:

“So, can I find you here often?” “Jamie…I work here.” “Oh, yeah, right. Of course.”

“There’s nothing beautiful nor poetic about being an asshole, Jenny. Calm down.”

“Listen, you’ll always be a jalapeno bagel and strawberry cream cheese to me, but I sort of feel like I should know your name by now.”

“Emma, have you ever been in love?” “I might have been. Then again, girls are easy to love, I’m pretty sure Jamie is a different story. If you want my advice Charlotte, date a girl.”

35. Tell some backstory details about one of your characters in your story ________.

The main character is named Charlotte Caroline Tillman. She’s named after the city and state(ish) that her parents met in. She has an older brother named Chance and a calico cat named Sally Mae. Charlotte goes to an Arts Magnet High School and she has a troubled history with her father, and a lot of the story is about her accepting things she cannot change. Her best friend, Emma, is v gay and v hot.

36. A spoiler for story _________.

Charlotte ends up leaving town and everyone she loves. All that’s left behind is a note and a phone number. She leaves her life behind. No closure and no goodbyes. She’s kind of a dick.

37. Most inspirational quote you’ve ever read or heard that’s still important to you.

“That’s where you’re wrong. Everybody has a story, and every one is worth being told.”

38. Have you shared your outline of your story ________ with someone? If so, what did they think of it?

Lol no, my outline isn’t even finished homeboy

39. Do you base your characters of real people or not? If so, tell us about one.

I usually base my side characters off of people I know or have met, even if only for a brief moment. For example, today at work I saw somebody and instantly knew that I needed her in my story. She is now the inspiration for my character Jenny.

40. Original Fiction or Fanfiction, and why?

Both are equally fun and important. Fanfiction is an amazing starting point for beginners, and it helps them write. However, original fiction is so raw and new that it could inspire future writers.

41. How many stories do you work on at one time?

Typically just one, but I always have other stories in the back of my head. I like to focus on one at a time though, that way I can keep characters and plot points straight.

42. How do you figure out your characters looks, personality, etc.

Well, like I’ve said, my characters come first. So based on whatever kind of story I want to tell, my character has to portray that. So I pick and choose different tropes and arc ideas that could impact the story even further.

43. Are you an avid reader?

I heckin’ try to be. Sadly, I don’t always get into stories easily.

44. Best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten.

I had an English teacher write a note on one of my writing pieces telling me that she knew I had talent and every teacher has one student where they think “That one…that one’s gonna be the one who makes it” I was that student for her. Oh, and my composition professor had my class read some of our writing pieces, and he told the next semester’s class about my writing. The next time I had him in class, he handed me a form for a writing contest.

45. Worst piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten.

I honestly probably blocked it out. Idk, probably that I use too many commas? Or that one of my chapters was written in a passive voice.

46. What would your story _______ look like as a tv show or movie?

OH MAN! It would be great and I feel like a lot of the stories I write would be 100 times better on the big screen.

47. Do you start with characters or plot when working on a new story?

Characters.

48. Favorite genre to write in.

Contemporary or science fiction

49. What do you find the hardest to write in a story, the beginning, the middle or the end?

The middle

50. Weirdest story idea you’ve ever had.

A coven of teenage witches that were randomly selected to be given magic. Some of them became corrupt with power, and the others found good use for them.

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

Self love, friendship, denial, heavy, heartbreaking

52. How did writing change you?

It opened my mind to endless ideas and helped me grow. I often didn’t know what I was feeling until I wrote about it.

53. What does writing mean to you?

It means creating a million versions of yourself and turning it into a lesson or inspiration for other.

54. Any writing advice you want to share?

Don’t stop. There are so many things you have to tell the world, so tell them.

#ask

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buskidsburgade · 7 years

Note

F and K (back at you!)

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

So I spent way too long trying to figure this out and I have two favorites and they’re both May because May is my strength and my everything.

From Shed Your Shadow, Watch it Rise,

“The world doesn’t like women who aren’t softand happy,” [May] says. “People, men especially, are going to tell you youranger is ugly. Screw them. They don’t get to decide that. They’ll say yourferal. They’ll say there’s something wrong with you. There. Is. Nothing. Wrong.With. You.”

This just. Is a very important message to me, and writing it in May’s voice, so succinct and powerful and certain, like it made me feel like I drank a redbull or something just writing it.

From Through Chaos as it Swirls in which Jemma is having a somewhat public anxiety attack and Bobbi and Fitz, trying to help, are not helping.

“When she says ‘don’t’’, don’t.” May says itcalmly, but her words are made of steel.

“We were just -”

“I was trying to -”

“When she says don’t” May says over them. “Don’t.”

I love this because May protecting any of her kids is life, esp. Jem, but this is also an important line to me because the way Jemma processes emotions (with space) I don’t think is explaiined very well and she just so badly needs someone to be her advocate here and also just we need posters I think of Melinda May saying “When she says don’t, don’t.” I need that poster anyway.

K: What is the angstiest thing you’ve ever come up with?

Oh my dude, what a dangerous question. I am the Queen of Angst just ask @fitzsimmonsaf what we’ve been talking about tonight. The short answer is you probably don’t want to know, but my headcannons for Jemma’s adolescence are pretty angsty. Putting ‘em below the cut for triggers.

Warnings for oc character death, depression, and suicidal ideation.

Starting with this fic here where she’s in a car accident and her brother dies, I headcannon that she struggled a lot with guilt and depression and did not exactly have a great relationship with her mother for various reasons, all of this culminating in a somewhat intoxicated Bobbi Morse pulling her off a bridge when she’s seventeen (not that Bobbi knows who she is, even when they meet again).

also that time i decided to start a 10k word fic about a Fitzsimmons baby being born three months premature and emergency c-sections and stuff so keep an eye out for that

Bonus: the real answer to both these questions is the drabble below, which is set in a future @fitzsimmonsaf and I have put so much time into it is essentially it’s own fandom built just for the two of us, but the dialogue put something very important into words for me.

This features 23-year-old Noah Fitzsimmons and Lily Johnson, Daisy’s telekenetic inhuman daughter, and Noah has inherrited his mother’s struggle with depression.

…

“No - no!” Lily flicks her wrist and the door slams shut before Noah can slink back out. “You don’t get to run away from me anymore. That’s stopping now.”

She sets her jaw, ready for a fight, but to her surprise, Noah just lets his breath out in a heavy gust and sinks to the floor. After a moment, Lily lets her hand fall and joins him.

“We’re not doing this anymore,” she tells him. “You’re going to talk to me because you’re my best friend. We’re best friends and we talk about everything and whatever is going on in your head right now, I can take it.”

When he stays silent, Lily pokes his shoulder.

“Go on. Tell me something. Anything.”

Noah lets his head fall back against the door with a dull thud.

“I’m tired Lil,” he says quietly, and he sounds it. She’s never heard him sound so weary. “You really want to know what’s going on inside my head? It’s a fight. It’s the same fight, all day long, every day. I get a glass of water and it’s a fight not to drop the glass and pocket a shard. I take a shower and it’s a fight to not want to bash my head against the tiles. And Peggy can hold my hand and Mom can sit up with me all night, but it doesn’t matter because I’m the only one who can fight that battle, and… I just don’t know if I have any more fight left in me.”

Lily wants to wrap her arms around him and anchor him here. She wants to give in to the lump in her throat and cry. She wants to tell him how much losing him would kill her. But he already knows that. So instead she lays her cheek against his shoulder and plays with the curls sticking out from under his baseball cap and says, “then borrow some of mine.”

“What?”

“I’ve got plenty of fight. Too much, Ace would say. Especially when it comes to you. So if I can’t do it for you, borrow my fight and keep going. Take as much as you need, just keep fighting, okay?”

His hand finds hers at his shoulder. “Okay.”

#christa is a writer sometimes #cw suicidal ideation #cw depression #ask me stuff

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ourheartsbeatas1 · 7 years

Text

writer’s tag!

Tagged by the lovely @shirasade, @miazeklos, and @darknesshadows! I considered doing this on my main @calculatingthestars, but all of them were Jace-related in some way so it felt right to do them here. XD The basic idea was to post a paragraph/snippet from five Works-In-Progress, but I opted for slightly longer excerpts. Please heed warnings!

Tagging: @camboyjace, @morgandeeyue, @dnteverdoubtme (because I know you’ve got that P&P WIP hidden away), and whoever else wants to do it!

1) Jalec. Blind!Jace AU. (Part of a short fic where Jace is blind and grows up as a ward of the NY Institute but is not raised by the Lightwoods.)

“I want to see you,” Jace says, and the point of his chin is turned away, head half-cocked as he listens for the tell-tale skip in Alec’s heart beat.

It does.

Wordlessly, Alec drops his staff onto the practice mat and takes Jace’s hand. He puts it against his cheek, allows him to run it, terribly gently, across the contours of his face.

It’s unspeakably, unbearably intimate; Jace is still pressed against him from thigh to chest and he touches Alec’s face like he’s made of something far more precious than flesh and bone.

“Thank you.” When he moves to pull away, Alec catches his wrist. His heart is pounding in his chest and they’re pressed close enough together that he can feel the thud of Jace’s heart, hammering against his ribcage.

***

2) One-sided Jalec, unrequited love. Angst. (I think it’s fairly clear why I couldn’t bring myself to finish this, but it was supposed to be based in season 1 and dealt with Alec finally confessing his feelings.)

“Say something,” Alec says. Even without the bond, every line in his body is screaming of tension, the air in Jace’s room thick with it. “Damn it, Jace–”

“What do you expect me to say?” His parabatai is pale, his back literally pressed against the wall. Alec has never seen him look so uncomfortable. “Alec, you know that I–”

“–don’t feel the same way about me,” Alec finishes. He’s so predictable. He doesn’t know why he’s angry, doesn’t know why he’d thought Jace would say anything else, really, but still his chest aches with disappointment and all he wants to do is leave.

“I don’t– I don’t know what you want from me,” Jace says. “Love isn’t a thing, Alec. I can’t rip out my heart and give it to you. You know I would if I could.”

***

3) Jalec. Excerpt from “the Light of Other Days”, chapter 3. (This chapter has been languishing in the depths of WIP hell for months now, and I really REALLY want to finish it.)

“Why did you change your name?” The question hangs in the air of his makeshift office, Alec’s hands moving restlessly against the crime scene photos that he’s stacked and ordered across his desk.

Jace shrugs. “’Wayland’ was always a lie, and ‘Herondale’ didn’t feel like it was ever mine,” he says. “I thought a Lightwood should be running the New York Institute, since…”

“I left?” Alec supplies, mouth tightening.

“Isabelle, too, after the war,” Jace says, and looks away. “She decided she’d rather teach, and when they reopened the Academy…” He shrugs. “But I’m sure you already know that; you’ve kept in touch with her.” He doesn’t even bother trying to hide the accusation in his voice.

“She’s my sister.” He doesn’t mean the sharpness in his tone, but the old bitterness seeps into it like bile. Alec is tired of this, tired of the game that Jace is so obviously playing, tired of the steady throb of their parabatai bond that is so much harder to resist given their proximity.

“And what am I?” Jace asks, mismatched eyes flashing.

“You’re—“ Mine. “Needed in the briefing room.”

***

4) Jalec. One-sided Sebastian x Jace. Westworld AU. NON-CON, torture, sexbot trope (in line with Westworld’s canon depiction of the treatment of their hosts).

Basically, Jace is a host, Alec is a newcomer, and Sebastian is head scientist at Morgenstern Park. In its entirety, this fic is probably shaping up to be the most fucked up thing I’ve ever written, but this snippet is one of the less graphic parts of it. It depicts a scene where Sebastian tricks Alec into watching him perform a “systems analysis” on Jace. PLEASE do not read if this is not your cup of tea

(Due to the nature of its content, the snippet has been put up as a private post, linked here.)

***

5) Jalec. The 100 AU. (Basically a Jalec spin on a fairly popular canon Clexa scene.) This was a drabble for @lunaswondrousworld that I never managed to finish. ;_; Putting this under a cut because it’s less of a snippet and more a drabble without an ending. (I suck, I know.)

“Are you here to tell me that you told me so?”

Jace shifts from one foot to another, staring up at Alec with those lovely eyes of his. The bandages on his arm and hand have soaked through, and Alec can see the black blood showing against the rough cotton.

“No, I–” he pauses, shrugs. “I just wanted to thank you, I suppose. For backing me.”

Alec regards him a moment longer, then steps back, holding the door open. “Come in, then,” he says. ”Sit.”

The duel is all too fresh in his mind; he can still smell the stench of blood from the arena, the smell of the wet ground mixing in with sweat and fear.

It had been a close fight. Far too close.

Jace holds himself stiffly as he drops down onto the couch, and Alec brings fresh bandages when he sits beside him.

“Let me change that for you,” he says, and he smiles slightly when Jace extends his arm without hesitation. There is history between them– not all of it good, certainly– but no matter how hard Alec tries to fight the feelings that well for him, his efforts remain fruitless.

The kiss that they’d shared ages ago had been in simpler times, but even then, Alec hadn’t been ready. Even now, when they’re in the middle of a tenuous, fragile peace and Jace has barely made it out of a coup attempt with his head intact. If there’s a worse time for this– whatever this is– Alec doesn’t know it.

“Your ambassadors tried to kill you,” he says finally, and his large hands are gentle when he unwraps the bandage from the commander’s arm. “Are you going to let that stand?”

Jace is silent for a long moment, watching him. “We all do what we need to in order to survive,” he says. “Nia rallied them, and now Nia is dead. Roan knows that I put him in power and that buys me time. Maybe the rest of the clans will let this go, and maybe they won’t, but for now…”

He exhales, the sound of his breath little more than a sigh. “Thank you for backing me,” he says. “I know you didn’t want to.”

Alec finishes with the bandage but doesn’t let go of his hand. “I wasn’t going to go,” he admits. “But I did what was best for my people.”

“So did the other ambassadors,” Jace says, and there’s something in his voice that makes Alec look up, searching his face. Jace sees him staring, forces a faint smile.

“To be commander is to be alone.”

#jalec #sebjace #my words #shadowhunters fanfic #ooc

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trulycertain · 7 years

Text

The Shield Raised Masterpost

May also be of interest: The Great Big Masterpost (everything I’ve ever written on Tumblr) The Armour masterpost (F!Amell/Alistair) The An Unquenchable Flame masterpost (F!Trevelyan/Cullen) The Knight Shop masterpost (multi-writer modern AU)

Shield Raised is a series of drabbles about my stoic, awkward Trevelyan, Gal, and his romance with Dorian. a.k.a., “A Marcher nearly-templar, a Tevinter altus, and a slow understanding.” The Inquisition-era ones (though not the pre- and post-game ones) are collected on AO3 here.

Pre-Inquisition

sans peur et sans reproche: Basically, Gal’s angsty backstory. Chantries, angry young men and controlling mothers.

Haven

Rejection: The Herald has barely spoken since he arrived. (Josephine, Gal and the beginning of a tentative friendship.)

Futures: Dorian thinks the supposed Herald of Andraste is rather… odd.

The Measure: Dorian, Gal and a slow understanding. Also Dorian working out. Because apparently that’s important?

Drinking with the Tevinter: The Inquisition isn’t happy having someone from the Imperium in its ranks. Gal feels rather differently.

Questions and Answers: Gal gets upset and a bit drunk and finally opens up about his past. That’s pretty much it.

pictures in the snow: The attack on Haven and Gal’s apparent death.

Skyhold

Crossing: Turns out Gal’s alive. Cue Skyhold, UST and a step forwards.

Mamihlapinatapei: Promptfic. Mamihlapinatapei - The look between two people in which each loves the other but is too afraid to make the first move.

Sweet Nothing: The companions attempt to be helpful because the UST is getting painful to watch. Gal and Dorian do not appreciate it, but it gives them food for thought.

Liminal: Dorian tries to deal with being chucked into the Fade, and then with his father, and lines are crossed. Angsty as hell, even by Shield Raised standards.

Out Of My Head: Post-Last Resort Of Good Men. Dorian gets drunk, tries not to snog Gal and is homesick.

Answers: In which they finally spit it out. Only took them 21k.

Rumours: A revised and improved rewrite of “Answers.” Blech, kissing.

Attachment: Some fluff, some angst, some snogging. In the aftermath of That Kiss, Gal and Dorian try to work out what this thing between them is.

Truths: Homesickness, making out, and Dorian playing the “what, of course I’m not falling for him, what do you mean I called him amatus, I don’t even know what that means” game.

Promises: “Wishing but wondering, wounded and wistful. What if he doesn’t want me after?” A seduction, and Dorian waiting to get his heart broken. As usual.

the light of day: In which all the companions have an opinion. Of course.

Chess: Gal gets trounced at chess by a twelve-year-old. Oh, and he and Irene talk about happiness.

Pretexts: SFW, despite subject matter. Gal attempts to find time to do some “paperwork.” Said paperwork has a moustache.

Gifts, and surprises: Two short drabbles for the prompts “Did you do this?” and “So uh. I noticed you’re kinda naked. Is that intentional, or… ?” Gal and Dorian attempt to be spontaneous, with varying levels of success.

Sers: SFW, but written for #sexlaughterhonesty Week and the theme “coitus interruptus”. In which a messenger is privy to too much.

A Request: Short snippet. Josephine and Gal, pre-Winter Palace.

Formality: Why they got scruffy!Gal at Halamshiral, despite Josephine’s wishes.

A letter found on the Inquisitor’s desk: For the Dragon Age 100 prompt “Family.” Gal and an old friend from the Chantry days.

The Golden Floor: Halamshiral fluff, and why dancing can sometimes be an act of bravery.

Kohl: The adventures of Gal and Dorian and their battles with eyeliner. Does a little bit of timeline-hopping.

Mornings: On waking up together and Gal’s ridiculously large bed.

Mutual Domesticity: “You didn’t think I lived in leathers, did you?”

Maps: Short promptfic for “kisses meant to distract the other person from whatever they were intently doing.“

Dignity: Very daft fluff. Gal’s battles with the Helm of the Inquisitor. And prima sandwicha.

Ironically, Zombie Spider: What it says on the tin. Dorian really, really needs to stop idle magic experiments.

For Now: The Arbour Wilds fallout, and the “I’m going back to Tevinter” conversation. Angst, 5.1k.

“So if Gal’s 'amatus’, what does he call you?” Very short headcanon drabble thing.

Post-game

A Problem: Spans from shortly after their meeting to post-game. About 7k. Dorian and his struggles with The Dreaded L Word.

The Hangover: The big “we survived” celebration. Gal finally gets truly, astonishingly drunk, and emotional honesty happens. Much to his horror. Also: sorbet.

Malapert: Promptfic. Malapert - Clever in manners of speech.

“I love you” - said loudly, so everyone can hear

The Trespasser hair: Short, silly headcanon drabble.

Trespasser

Worst Case Scenario: Angsty AU drabble where Trespasser was even more difficult for Gal and Dorian. I let these two be happy sometimes. I promise.

Green: How Trespasser actually went. Truthfully, it’s not much less angsty than the AU.

Post-Trespasser

on the turning away: Leaving, and coming back.

Depth Over Distance: Gal, Dorian and managing the long-distance thing. Partly epistolary. Also, the return of Erren.

The Trespasser hair, part two: Gal has opinions on long-haired Dorian.

“I love you” - said as a thank you

Pain: Gal gets another tattoo. Dorian has… thoughts on it. Written for a Dragon Age 100 Challenge prompt.

A Question: What it says on the tin.

AUs

it’s running you with red: A short, miserable red-templar!Gal drabble.

Birthright (AO3): Another of the not quite fairy tales: the Cinderella AU no-one asked for. In a world where things happened slightly differently, Dorian takes a masked ball as a chance to covertly investigate this Inquisition he’s heard so much about. It’s only one night. Not much can go wrong. Can it? (Spoiler: The answer is yes. Or it can go very, very right.)

“Omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis.” (All things change, and we change with them.) For a prompt. In which a time travel experiment goes wrong and Dorian ends up meeting a very sad eighteen-year-old stuck-in-the-Chantry Gal.

Reprise: Or “the one where Gal freaks out and breaks up with Dorian in Trespasser because he is an idiot, and they have to sort things out nearly two years later.” Ten-parter (there is a lot of mess to sort out). Over at AO3 | On Tumblr: Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Angsty extra drabble | 9 | 10

That very silly modern AU where they met at Yvaine’s wedding

Antivan Brandy: “I’d make an excellent spy. Charming, handsome, perfect teeth and hair…”

july forever (AO3): These visiting Tevinters are going to be fundamental for trade. The Trevelyans' son is under no circumstances to do anything stupid or inappropriate to embarrass the family, like seducing any of their foreign guests. Unfortunately, said Tevinters' son has rather different ideas.The "angry young men have a doomed summer romance" AU.

The Knight Shop stuff (modern-ish fluff-ish AU)

Terms & Conditions - The problem with distinguished old houses is that they tend to fall down around your ears when ignored for a decade. Dorian needs a handyman (possibly a whole squad of them). Gal is... well, a one-man most-of-a-squad. Or a knight.

Revenge - Gal’s all pink round the edges due to the Shop’s newest customer. Time for Alistair to tease him relentlessly about it. “I didn’t know ‘seventeenth-century villain’ was your type, but whatever works for you…”

“The washing machine broke, I almost lost my keys, the car got dented, and a wasp got into the house and hijacked the bedroom for four days! Four. Days.” Promptfic. The Knight Shop AU I will someday write properly with these two.

A to B - That time Dorian ended up on the back of Gal’s bike. Yeah, really.

DELETED SCENES

The First Round - Very important shirtless *cough* plot.

Happiness - Gal, Irene and a game of chess

Graphic depictions of cuddling

If asked, “When did you first fall in love?” both Gal and Dorian will struggle to answer the question.

OUTTAKES

Tru and Gal get a pint together, part one

Tru and Gal get a pint together, part two

“Only one orgy?”

Very, very bad jokes

HEADCANONS/COMMENTARY

Gal headcanons and history

More headcanons/extra info on Gal

Why Gal is called Galahad

Half-asleep Gal

Haircanons - Gal’s “phases” after DAI

Ten questions for Gal

Pros and cons of dating Gal (what pros?)

Gal and romance

Gal vs. TVTropes

Gal/Dorian couple-y silliness

Gal, Dorian and the bedroom (not quite as unsafe for work as it sounds)

Erren headcanons and info

Dorian headcanons (very general, but might tell you a bit about how I write him)

Dorian totally had a punk phase (Knight Shop/modern AU, I guess?)

Shield Raised and horses

Chev Trev The Horse

#masterpost #my fic #shield raised #dorian x inquisitor #gal trevelyan #dorian pavus #dragon age inquisition #dragon age

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