#*I did reread my own fanfic as a bedtime story though so not too much responsible adult lmfao

[imagine-that-100]

About this time 5 years ago I was trying to get to sleep after my first time seeing the 1975 in Sheffield (yes the ‘Oi nO fUcKiN fIgHtInG aT mY gIg, fUcK oFf’ gig) which was an impromptu gig anyway (only got tickets 16 days before going) and I fell in love with them straight away. I couldn’t sleep that night and I lay awake thinking about fun fake scenarios and after accepting sleep wasn’t coming, I started writing Conversation. And that blossomed into the series that it was and then Drunk quickly followed. As did the arctic monkeys obsessed late 2019 which then lead to Holiday in being written during the pandemic and then from that NRIACC was imagined up. 2 years, a few oneshots, and a very lengthy fic later, CSD was next and now I’m onto WWT and it’s mental to think that if I didn’t accidentally book the wrong tour date, all of this writing and the friends I’ve made through it might not have been a thing. What I’m rambling to say is that The 1975 changed my life entirely and I’m forever thankful I went to that gig and they made me fall in love with their music.

#not to be soppy but this band really did change my life #and I’ll never ever stop loving them for the friendships I’ve made along the way #god bless the 1975 #*queued because responsible adult now and work in the morning #*I did reread my own fanfic as a bedtime story though so not too much responsible adult lmfao

[cutebutalsostabby]

12, 25, 27?

12) favourite character to write about this year.

Hmmm probably Hyrule, surprisingly. "Surprisingly" in that thinking it through, I didn't actually write much from his perspective? I did think about it a lot though, and he'll have a few special moments (teehee) coming up in the chapters I'll hopefully get to sometime soon.

I love both halves of the Downfall Duo (plus Wild as the bonus third half, as a treat), but the extra fun thing about the version of Hyrule that lives in my head is that the more I delve into his personality, the more Problems(tm) he develops. Like: yeah he's pretty well-adjusted, hmmm he's a little traumatised actually, oops he's reeeeal bad at processing difficult emotions, wow maybe that clinginess is liiittle bit unhealthy -

I wanna pick him up and shake him /pos

25) a fic you read this year you would recommend everyone read.

Hmm... I read a bunch of fics this year, but for the purpose of recommendations I'll start with "What Hero?" by AimeeLouWrites on the basis that if you like my fics you will probably also like this one:

It's a Linked Universe "chain meets Wild' fic where the premise is Wild evading the quest through committing to a bunch of ridiculous lies about how the hero doesn't exist. Lots of light-hearted fun plus a few gentle servings of angst. Slightly heavier angst in a similar work by the same author called "Child's Play". But yeah I would feel pretty confident that anyone who a) enjoyed my fic "In Which Wild Avoids Meeting the Gang", and b) either doesn't mind or actually enjoys seeing the same/similar trope repeated (and imo that's the literary comfort food I go to AO3 for) would enjoy reading this.

As for other recs... if you like whumpy hurt/comfort, I've been rereading some of CluelessMoose's fics recently:

And a fic I started reading a few years ago (Undertale fandom) updated earlier today so I'm going to go ahead and link that one too. It's a long ongoing fic about Sans and Papyrus growing up in the aftermath of the war between humans and monsters. Has some tasty angst, more based on their situation than the existence of an antagonist, and plenty of cute moments. Read if you like fics about children being clever and independent; avoid if the lack of adult carers or scenes of harm/risk to children may be triggering. Content warning also for malnutrition/starvation; it's not super extreme, but it's there.

27) favourite fanfic author for the year.

Going to go with CluelessMoose, linked above. See my favourite thing to do with whump fics is to go back to particular scenes I remember and like and reread them as a bedtime story. Hell yeah, put those characters in situations!!

#ask game #fanfic author asks

[trisofthewild]

🙋‍♀️ Do any irl people know you write fanfic? 🌞 Do you have a preferred time of day to write? 🦅 Do you outline fics or fly by the seat of your pants? 🎉 What leads you to consider a fic a success? ⌛ How long does it take you to write a fic, or a chapter?

SORRY IT IS TAKING ME A WEEK TO GET THROUGH THIS GAME

🙋‍♀️ Do any irl people know you write fanfic?

Yeahhh, I think most of my irl friends do. When friendships and fandom overlap! It happens. I'm also 99.9% sure my sister knows (and I am 100% sure that she has) but by unspoken agreement this is never acknowledged between us.

🌞 Do you have a preferred time of day to write?

Afternoon and evenings for sure. I definitely wrote a lot of my past fic in the unholiest hours of the night, but now that I am old I don't even like bringing my laptop in my bedroom, much less writing porn past my bedtime.

🦅 Do you outline fics or fly by the seat of your pants?

This is another way I've changed as a writer. Writing late into the night was part of my process when I was younger because I did not plan, I just surfed on waves of inspiration, which frequently meant writing entire short fics in one sitting--if it needed more time, I might not be able to catch another wave. I got a little better at writing stories across multiple sessions as I went along, but without real planning it was always really difficult and I think it ultimately contributed to whatever made me stop writing fic for almost a decade.

When I started writing fic again, I found that without meaning to, I had become a planner. (I always think this has something to do with all the papers and the thesis I had to write for school in those missing years.) I no longer like to even start writing anything down before I have the full story fleshed out in my head, and if I do, it's because I have some really strong ideas that I'll put down in bullet point form, knowing I need more bullet points to make an entire outline with. Sometimes my outlines ARE very vague, more like a list of scenes/beats, and sometimes they're very detailed (I like to choreograph every move of a sex scene, for example), but again, even the outlines usually aren't committed to paper/screen until I've thought the whole story through.

🎉 What leads you to consider a fic a success?

I try not to sweat kudos and comments too much, although that's a lot easier said than done. Focusing on the individual reactions--if any one person, especially a friend or writer I really respect, loves it--I'll probably feel good about it. It's also about whether or not I really like it. If I want to reread my own story and still like it after it's been posted, that's an important form of success.

⌛ How long does it take you to write a fic, or a chapter?

TOO LONG. Here's what I'll say in favor of the inspiration surfing method from my 20s: I worked a lot faster than I do now. Nowadays I can maybe turn out 500 words per day. This doesn't count the planning/outlining stage, or rewriting (I rewrite a lot; most of what I post is at minimum a second or third draft), or editing. So... depending on length: weeks to months.

My current WIP (started about three weeks ago, though I lost about a week to heatwave) has about 4k words, almost all first draft, hundreds of which will doubtless be deleted. It also has several key scenes missing and a deadline less than a week away. Your thoughts and prayers, please.

THANK U FOR THE ASK MARINA ILU I HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD DAY!!!!!!

#ask game #also please send help

[paradise-of-guilty-pleasures]

Shattered Reflections {6}

[Helsa RP- Fanfic]

Fandom: Frozen

Genre: Post-Frozen/ Canon Divergence

- Hurt/Comfort, Drama, Romance

Pairing(s): Hans/Elsa, Kristoff/Anna

Previous Chapter: 5. Words of Wisdom

A/N:

If you wish to read Shattered Reflections with slightly better formatting (since Tumblr tends to mess it up), I suggest checking it out on either:

AO3

FF.net

Wattpad

6. Most Memorable

Hans seemed to be recovering quite well, according to the doctor. He was taking the antibiotics and bandages without complaint or fuss, though the doctor still suspected he was downplaying his pain. He was even allowing some degree of physical therapy (though they didn't call it that, at the time) in testing Hans' shoulder movements. There were a number of salves and bandages involved in the healing, and Hans often ignored a shirt in his own time, but as Elsa entered again he at least picked one up and threw it over his bandages, so she might not see the scars that the bandages didn't cover.

"Good afternoon, your Majesty. Or I believe it's afternoon, anyway." He didn't have a clock and didn't ask for the time. What did it matter to him, but for greeting the Queen?

"Have some new questions for me, I hope? Or will I entertain you with another story? I have a fair few about my travels, if that so, suits you. I think my range of motion may almost be well enough for the Harp again." He was light and conversational, his forced neutrality ignored for a moderate lightheartedness. In spite of being a prisoner, he was quite chipper. Being treated so well by the doctor did put him in brighter spirits. If he wasn't otherwise treated well, it didn't show.

Elsa had made a habit of visiting the Prince most everyday, trying her best to make time in her busy schedule to have even a brief visit to check in on him.

There had even been a couple times Elsa had dropped by while he was asleep. Even then she would find herself lingering for a moment or two. There was something captivating about watching him sleep, it was the only time she was certain she could see Hans' true self without his defenses, so she tried her best not to wake him up.

Today she had a bit more free time than usual.

" Good Afternoon," Elsa replied, he had guessed the time correctly. She made her way to the bedside.

"It's good to hear that your motion is improving, I can almost hear the harp, but it's probably still best not to push it." She smiled, as she sat at the foot of the bed, she had made herself a bit more comfortable than in the beginning, no longer afraid to approach him.

" I'd be pleased to listen to your travel stories," she said sincerely. "But first I would like to know if the newest books that were brought to you, were to your liking?" They had made a habit to have a small book review, Elsa enjoyed finally having a fellow bookworm to talk to.

"Still working on The Hunchback of Notre Dame and glad I didn't elect to try to read it in the original French, it is agonizingly long." he admitted with a chuckle. "And my French is very poor."

"Frankenstein was very good and much easier to make it through, though perhaps a bit close to home. I rather enjoy the Shelley's work, Mary in particular has a keen understanding of seeing the lighter side of darkness, and how the road to hell is paved with good intentions- or alternatively, that one should not attempt to play god and be surprised when it goes awry." Hans was quite a reader, astute and taking an interest- not because he wanted to read the books, per se, but that he had little else to do, and it gave them something to talk about. Elsa chose the books, so he would take an interest and see what in it she took a liking to.

"Now I have one for you, 'Confessions of an English Opium-eater.' Some say that De Quincey is not negative enough, I'm afraid I must agree if one takes it as a document for 'what to expect of opium', but I take it as 'one man's personal diary, attempting to make a great and painful change worth something'. In ways, it's both saddening and inspiring."

An odd choice for an admiral, and no doubt there were reasons, but he figured she didn't need a lecture on what he knew of the occasion.

"Of course I can always recommend Shakespeare, but everyone has read that- yet, few mention Titus Andronicus. It may be one of his earliest works, but it certainly is one of his most entertaining to read in the modern day. Personally, I have Macbeth memorized, but that's for other reasons. Partly to give me an excuse to say 'Macbeth' at home. Mother was an actress, it was my little revenge, petty as it is." He couldn't help but smile a little at the silly little thing. He thought it was quite amusing.

Elsa enjoyed a long read, she often got lost in book and end up staying up way past her bedtime reading, slightly regretting it the next busy morning.

"I'll keep those titles in mind for my next read," Elsa nodded. She was always curious of his recommendations and made sure to read or reread them to try to gather some more insight on Hans, herself.

Elsa noticed Hans had mentioned his Mother once again, he definitely seemed to carry some resentment towards her, yet Elsa was too sensible to ask, she didn't like to pry and only inquired about Southern Isles when Hans was the one opening up himself to talk.

"Mind, Titus Andronicus may not be Appropriate for a young lady, but it's Shakespeare, and everyone seems to make exceptions for him. Perhaps that's why everyone reads Hamlet and Macbeth instead, no-one wants to read about the grim business of killing families and turning them into pies." He shrugged a little, considering it offhand. "Hm," He seemed highly amused by a thought, but he let it go. "Anyway, you asked for travel stories? Have a theme in mind? The open sea? China, India, Japan, how the English are doing, anything in particular? Hot memories or chilly ones, fond or foul, city or country, high culture or low? I have a great many experiences, though perhaps fewer stories, but I'm certain I can remember something interesting in any of them."

She enjoyed listening to his stories, he really did have a great many experiences, more than she's ever had and maybe ever will. It made her almost envious of all the freedom he had, while she'd been trapped in her room for almost half her life. Yet, Hans was a wonderful storyteller, momentarily making her forget all that; His words painting vivid images in her mind that made her feel like she was actually there experiencing his adventures herself.

"Hmm," she considered. "What would be your most memorable voyage? Why don't you tell me about that."

He smiled a little. "Well, the siren story, for certain." He pointed out with a little shrug.

"But, what of places I've been...?" He thought a moment.

"Hm, there's many reasons to be memorable. In many ways, Arendelle was my most memorable visit, unfortunately. But perhaps not for the reasons one might think. Maybe I should have kept that to myself." He grimaced a bit. "Oh, how about this fun little piece: I learned to walk barefoot on hot coals in India, simply because I was curious to see how it was done- and I wanted to spook my crew a little bit, too. They were so convinced I'd die horribly. It was uncomfortable, but watching Captain Janssen pale and fetch a bucket was priceless. I think I was more damp by the end of that than burnt, though that might have been his revenge on me for giving him such a fright." He smiled and laughed at the thought. More fond words about his Navy men, it seemed- and this time, a name. "The old man who taught me was very pleasant. I think he was just surprised a white person stopped to talk to him about his practice. I'm not afraid of much, certainly no man, nor pain. There are very few experiences I'm not willing to try at least once."

So, Arendelle. She shouldn't be surprised. 'But perhaps not for the reasons one might think'? Those words lingered in her mind, distracting her from paying close attention to his new story like she normally would. She had to know what exactly he meant by that, she couldn't let it go.

So she dared to ask: "Not for the reasons one might think?"

He gave a bit of a rueful smile.

"I knew you'd hang on that," He admitted."You'd think, 'for his treason'. I'd think 'I've managed to see magic and that's mighty impressive. Not simple street performers playing at magic with cards and sleight of hand that any idiot bored enough can learn, but true magic. I'll always remember my crimes, yes, but I am glad I got to see magic once more in my lifetime, after the sirens. There is little more memorable than that. At least this way, I know I didn't imagine the whole event. I do wish things had gone differently, of course, but a wish is like a shiny bauble, I suppose: nice to have, but not particularly useful."

He thought a while, and leaned back. He tilted his head a bit and closed his eyes, his only acknowledgement of the slight pain his back was giving him. He likely only did that so she would be reassured that he was telling the truth.

"More than that, perhaps. I got to meet you, and you are, yourself, a memorable person. With or without ice magic. Your sister as well, but I had a whole day to converse with her, to get to know her. I don't believe we exchanged more than cursory warnings across a fjord and the few words I could get in edgewise around Anna when we were 'engaged'. I would have spoken to you first, ideally. I wonder how that would have gone." He didn't like that line of thought, but he couldn't help but think of it.

"I suppose I'd have followed you up to the ice castle a lot sooner. I tried to convince Anna to stay, but she wasn't having any of it. She ran up the mountain in a dress and short sleeves, I remember thinking she ought to have at least paused to get a coat. I was so busy passing out blankets and maintaining the kingdom... incidentally, you really ought to retrain your guard staff. No offense but your kingdom is woefully under-defended and it's unnerving." He had rather spiraled off into other thoughts.

"Sorry, I ramble away from home." He waved himself off with a bit of a sigh.

Magic. She looked down at her hands. She often dreaded her magic, considering a curse rather than a blessing. She didn't realize how impactful magic could be, having lived with it all her life. She easily forgot how marvelous her powers could appear, to those that found it more alluring rather than frightening.

He thought she was a memorable person? With or without her ice magic? Elsa felt a sudden flush overcome her. Elsa turned her face away.

Her mind briefly wandered. What would have happened, if he had approached her first? She probably would have still pushed him away like she had pushed everyone else...or maybe not. Had he been persistent he might have broken past her icy walls. Why was she even contemplating this now? She shook those thoughts away, besides she knew it really was senseless dwelling on a hypothetical.

Yet she asked herself: Would Anna have been spared a frozen heart had Hans come sooner? Hans had a knack of lowering her defenses, that not even Anna had, she recognized that.

She stayed quiet for a long time, lost in her thoughts.

Elsa finally ended up letting out a deep sigh, that brought her back to her senses.

He had mentioned Arendelle's defense and the tail end of his ramble, she thought it was the best thing to address, rather than anything else, to try to rekindle their conversation.

"You're right," she admitted letting out another hefty sigh, as she placed one hand over her forehead holding her temples.

He was right Arendelle had not properly re-trained their guard staff, even after the coronation incident. A few more guards had joined the royal brigade, but even then they were definitely understaffed and ill-prepared. The rumors of Arendelle's Ice Queen's wrath had really been the only deterrent keeping potential invaders at bay.

Hans wondered which part he was right about. He let his own mind wander while she thought, and her words brought him back.

"About the rambling, or the guard staff?" He asked, only mostly as a joke. He could see by her frustration that it was probably the latter.

"Both your guard staff and castle staff are, and I do apologize, too gullible. Even without prompting, I was practically handed control of the kingdom in Anna's absence. Granted it's not like I could have passed laws- but I was able to bring together a small army of foreign troops, and everyone seemed okay with that. Nobody minded crossbows on a 'search and rescue' mission. Not with wolves in the woods." He frowned a bit.

"Nobody asked questions when I claimed to be married to Anna after we'd known each other for what, two, three days? Most of it apart? No witnesses, and no-one checked the room when I claimed she had died. Somehow I ended up with castle keys, because somebody trusted me. I haven't had keys to my own room since- Never mind, that's not important. The point is your castle is hardly safe. I could educate them about how to think about cons, but you'll need a guard staff with good training. Perhaps import somebody, our sword master in the Isles is in good form yet, I believe. But your guards have a preference for pike weapons, I suppose? Some variety wouldn't kill them."

Hans' voice made Elsa look back up at him.

His words, reminding her how quickly Arendelle had fallen to shambles after run away to the North Mountain, made her wince. It made her annoyed with herself, feeling it was all her fault. She thought she was fleeing to protect everyone when instead she ended up endangering them even more.

Hans had seen an opportunity and taken it, yet no one even questioned him, they had been gullible indeed. Yet, could she really blame them? They were scared and leaderless, he appeared to be a hero amidst a snow queen's tempest. That they'd unquestioningly allow anything to stop the endless winter. Elsa continued to blame herself.

" Thank you for your recommendation, it is something I need to sort out right away." She said letting out another sigh. "I don't know why I haven't addressed this issue yet."

The truth was, even now, Arendelle was still dealing with the aftermath of the coronation incident, it was a lot to put on a new Queen's plate, cleaning up the mess she made (on her first day) on top of all her new duties. Even if she tried her hardest, things still easily slipped through the cracks. She hated to admit it, but was still young and inexperienced, with no one to guide her.

Hans waved a hand. "The life of a Queen is a busy one, there are a hundred thousand new things to address every day and one can only complete half of them." He assured.

"Besides, you were going through a lot that day. I've known desperation, I can understand what you did." He sighed a bit and shifted to lean back against the wall, to cool his wounds a little through the bandages and cotton shirt.

"I've given you truths, might I ask for one in return? Did you intend to die up there in your castle? You left without food. I remember the fear in your eyes when we met there, but it wasn't fear for yourself. Then I put on the mask for you that told you not to become the monster they thought you were. Unsaid, the monster you thought you were. I've known that feeling, too. All too well." Maybe he should have kept his mouth shut, but his curiosity was boundless.

Hans had opened up to her (countless times in fact), it was only fair that she return the favor, besides it was something that had constantly been on her mind and would be good to let out, now that it was prompted.

" If it wasn't painfully obvious already, I aimlessly went up the North Mountain," Elsa softly scoffed at herself. "I wasn't in the right mindset to really think things through. All I wanted to do was get as far away from Arendelle, to keep Anna and everyone else safe. The cold never bothered me, and I didn't think anyone would be foolish enough to follow me," A sad smile crossed her lips thinking about her headstrong little sister. "I should have known better than to think that the girl that spent years knocking at my door, asking me to build a snowman with her, wouldn't come follow me up the North Mountain without a second thought."

She technically already truthfully answered his question, yet she felt impulsed to continue (over)explaining. It was as if the question had opened up a floodgate of information that was just waiting to come out.

Elsa let out a melancholy sigh before carrying on.

"Aside from distancing myself from Arendelle, I had pointlessly gone up the mountain." She acknowledged. "When I finally reached the summit, I recognized my isolation... I realized nothing was holding me back anymore... I no longer had to conceal the power raging inside me, I could finally let it go... that was my new purpose." she spoke with a strong sentiment. "After years trapped inside my room, I was finally liberated! It was truly exhilarating to let my powers flow freely as I tested my limits creating the Ice Castle." Elsa looked down at her hands as she spoke, remembering the sensation.

"I was so overcome with ecstasy of finally tasting freedom for the first time in forever, that food and survival never even crossed my mind," she admitted. "I know it was selfish of me to believe my actions of leaving Arendelle were be honest, I didn't even realize I started an eternal winter until Anna arrived."

"After sending Anna off...there was a brief moment... after realizing I could never be truly free...and not knowing how to stop the storm I started, that, I did wonder if the world was just better off without..." she trailed off. "But then you and the other men arrived and brought me back to Arendelle."

Elsa reflected on what Hans just revealed about their North Mountain encounter. How he put on a mask for her, telling her not to become a monster she feared. If it was only a mask he'd put on, it made her wonder: What was he hiding behind? Did the mask conceal his true fear of her? She didn't know why it stung a little, thinking that might have been the case, but whatever it was, wasn't really important, all that mattered was he helped her snap out of her fearful rampage.

Her thoughts lingered on the encounter. Her voice was softer than before.

" Hans..." It was the first time she addressed him without a title, but she was too lost in thought to notice. "Even if it was a mask... and regardless of what happened afterwards," she said pensively. "...Thank you," she said sincerely. "Thank you for stopping me from becoming the monster I feared... I don't know what would have happened or how I could live with myself, if I actually..." She trailed off again.

Elsa never wanted to hurt anyone, she had gone to all the trouble to distance herself from everyone to avoid that risk. She only started using her powers to protect herself against the Duke's Men, but she almost lost control and crossed the line, had it not been for Hans' words bringing her back to her senses. She wondered how things would have played out; Had he not been there and not spoken up. Had she prevailed in killing those men, she feared she would have pushed herself past the point of no return. She would have become what she feared most of all an irredeemable monster. The mere thought sent shivers down her spine.

Hans listened with interest. It filled in a lot of context for him, a lot of things he had been missing.

"Here's a funny story," He began, and offered her his hand, in case she needed some support.

"When I was a boy, I learned to love exploring, running off with my horse into the forests along the beaches, until I learned to love the sea. It was a wider range of unexplored places and unknown things. I took to making rafts and trying to sail off on them. Had I had any foresight, I might have thought about the fact that if I left, no-one could watch Sitron. Soon my father caught on, and set out a rule that until I was sixteen, anyone in the Isles at a boat who saw a raft at a drift was required to find me and pluck me out. The Captain of my ship to this day is a man so old that he was old when he was plucking me out of the water and growling at me about 'Shirking princely duties' that I didn't have." He laughed a little.

He still called his navy ship 'my ship', in spite of everything.

"You never had time to be shortsighted or explore you and your needs. It was overdue, there's no shame to be had in that. Unfortunate that it unfolded as it did, but I'd not blame a child for accidentally starting a house fire, no matter how horrific. Accidents happen, even if they are incredibly unfortunate. Of course, we must react well to them. You fixed things in time. I, on the other hand, cannot fix my treason." He shrugged a little. Matter-of-fact. Unfortunate, but true.

Hans had offered her his hand.

Elsa had been quite taken aback by his courteous gesture. She paused momentarily, contemplating whether or not it was wise to accept it. After some initial hesitation, she decided to take it.

His hand was warm, feverishly warm, compared to her only other point of reference: Anna's. Her hand felt minuscule, opposed to his much larger one. His skin was a bit more coarse than her own, though it's to be expected from a man of the sea. Elsa's felt a slight tingling sensation as they made contact. She nervously clasped his hand with hers.

'...I'd not blame a child for accidentally starting a house fire' his words had struck a memory. The day that her one little mistake completely closed the doors of her childhood and her freedom. She loved her parents, she truly did, but in retrospect she questioned if their decision, of shutting her in to shut everyone else out, had been the correct one. She understood they thought they made the right choice in order to protect her and Anna. But, was concealing and not feeling really the only option? How different would her life have been, had they taken a different approach. She knew these thoughts were fruitless, since the past was in the past, but still she couldn't help but wonder.

"...I often wonder how different my life could have been had I not- " her grip began to tighten as she lost herself in thought. "Had I not accidentally struck Anna with my powers that night," It pained her to recall that she'd critically hurt Anna with her powers, not once but twice. "I really should have stayed in bed instead of allowing Anna to coax me into playing with my powers." she let out a melancholy sigh. "She always wanted to build a snowman, and I just couldn't say no." Her grip continued to tighten.

"Had I instead been the good girl I was always meant to be, maybe it wouldn't have happened. I could have grown-up continuing to explore my powers. All that time I lost locked up I could have spent with Anna, giving her warm hugs instead of pushing her away." Her voice was quivering. "The gates would have remained open and maybe..."

She paused briefly.

"We might have even crossed paths under different circumstances." Her voice had softened as well as her grasp.

She could have thought of a life without her ice magic, as well, yet it had been such an innate part of her, whether she was fond of it or not, it was hard for her to imagine a life without her powers.

Hans had a thought he wanted to share- and he about lost it when she suggested they might have crossed paths differently. Was that affection in her tone? Surely not?

He was silent for a long moment, until he again remembered what he had been thinking about.

"You'd blame it all on wanting to stay up late and play?" He pointed out, with a little softness of his own in his tone.

"That sounds as absurd as blaming my treason on my rafting." He smiled a little. Maybe in a way; If he hadn't taken to the sea, he wouldn't have gone to Arendelle, perhaps. But it was so far removed.

"One of the hardest things to learn, and I still haven't quite learned it for myself: Not everything is your fault. I wouldn't expect a little girl to be completely responsible, nor parents for being afraid for their children. Not everything can be blamed on someone. Sometimes, bad things just happen. My father is dying of an illness, and my brother inherited it from him. Do we blame my father for my brother's illness, because he had children?" He shrugged a little.

"Maybe things could have gone differently. But they didn't. Time moves forward, I'm afraid. If only we could correct the past, we would not be the people we are. Correct the past in the present, not in the past we can't access. I suppose that's what I'm doing. Correcting." He held her hand a little tighter, a little more warmly. He was surprised that she took it, and honored, too.

"I must be doing a pretty good job of correcting, hm?" His look was apologetic and hopeful.

He didn't ask for forgiveness, because he knew he couldn't achieve it. That didn't stop him from wanting it.

#Helsa #Iceburns #Hans x Elsa #Frozen #Frozen FanFiction #Shattered Reflections

[trenonny]

Today I am grateful for...

...these fics and the generous people who wrote them.  I’m told it’s Fanfic Writers Appreciation Day and well, I am highly appreciative.  I’ve read each of these fics (and if I’ve linked a series, then yes, the whole series) at least three times and some of them dozens.  These are not the only fics or authors for which I’m deeply grateful, but they’re ones which have given me many hours of contentment in a life that sometimes doesn’t offer much.  They are beautiful stories, beautifully written, with great romance, poignant love, and always, always a happy ending.

Sterek - Teen Wolf (TV)

Stiles Story Time Did you ever spend a summer in the library?  Beg your mom to read just one more chapter before bedtime?  Did you ever trace your fingers over the pages of a picture book and dream you were a knight errant off to seek adventure and fortune?  This story is a wonderful story about risking a lot for love, but the fairy tales within it are worth the read all on their own.

Our Lives are Changing Lanes  At this point I’m honestly not sure how many times I’ve read this one, but it is one of the best stories of finding love as an adult that I’ve read.  It’s kidfic done well.  There is action and suspense, but the primary pairing dive into love with such confidence that it’s breathtaking and I just can never get enough.

Versus I never had any interest in football.  And then I read this.  Seriously though, it’s everything I love about people whose lives look perfect from the outside but who still have major challenges to face.  All the excitement of professional sports and all the angst of relationships formed under the often unforgiving eye of the public.  It’s bracing and fun and made me look up Manchester on the map.

Cornerstone I relate very closely to certain aspects of this story and it was heart-stoppingly wonderful to see them handled so very well.  The characters in this fic have had some serious challenges thrown in their way, but they are finding their way around them - both together and as individuals - and it is wonderful to take that journey with them

(not so) Pure Imagination Not going to lie: I started reading this because it sounded hot.  And it is - absolutely scorching in places - but more than that it’s a fascinating AU, an interesting world, a premise that makes your mind wander some intriguingly uncomfortable paths if you think about it too hard, and despite (and because of) all that manages to be a gripping love story.  So much more than hot, and worth every word.

The Domestic Series I have a very close family and a very loving spouse, but despite that, marriage and life are a constant series of challenges, an eternal work in progress.  Love means doing the dishes, folding the laundry, and having muffled sex in the shower so your family doesn’t ask you about it at breakfast.  It’s just fun to see my favorite characters experiencing all that too.  :)

I Know Where Babies Come From, Derek I imagine this fic lives under the caption of “well, that escalated quickly”.  I went in expecting humorous crack, and while I got it - in spades, really - I also got unexpected angst and shock and Drama.  It’s one of the very few fics that has ever made me cry even on a second reading, and I simply love it to pieces.

I Know You Care (I See It In The Way That You Stare)  This story involves the woke-up-from-a-coma-with-new-abilities trope that I’d only seen before in soap operas and never knew I needed in fic.  I did, in fact, need it though.  It’s a great plot with some fun incidents along the way and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

A Desperate Arrangement Hands down, my all time favorite arranged marriage fic.  I love the trope, I love this fic, and I love the skill with which this author executes it.  My spouse has had to take my phone away more than once when I started a reread of this fic too close to bedtime and could not bring myself to put it down to sleep.

The Guard and Red  This is not the story we deserve.  It’s the story that we need... *laughing*  Seriously though, this is a rollicking good superhero story.  It has mystery, it has action, it has costumes that ACTUALLY HIDE THEIR HEROES’ FEATURES!  No simple glasses-and-a-hairstyle subterfuge here, no. This is a meticulously crafted work of superhero AU art.  I read it every time a superhero movie or tv show lets me down.

The Moon’s Gonna Follow Me Home You know that character who deserves a happy ending?  This is the happy ending he deserves.  It doesn’t come without work.  It takes deciding to try to be happy, but the way the characters develop is absolutely beautiful.  Doesn’t hurt that it has one of the best OC’s I’ve ever met in a fic.

Zimbits - Check Please!

Ice Crew, Please  My dalliance with the OMGCP fandom was fun but very brief.  Still, this fic stuck in my brain and whenever I want to revisit those characters, these are my favorite versions of them.  This fic is just a lot of fun and a great AU of the series.

Lamen - Captive Prince

Love of the Second Star Captive Prince made my heart ache a LOT.  I finished reading the series in a little hole-in-the-wall hotel in Saigon and by the time I got back to the US (and my computer) I was desperate for some fic where Auguste lives.  This?  Is the fic.  The language is lush and the descriptions draw the place in thoroughly enough that you can almost taste it.  A beautiful fic and a great salve for the ache of a character I wish hadn’t died in the original work.

Along for the Ride In truth I had a very hard time choosing among this author’s Captive Prince fics.  While I’ve read the complete libraries of many of the authors here, I usually can easily pick a favorite.  Not so with this one.  That said, this was a really fantastic AU where the challenge was real, the themes were a bit dark, the resolution was not easy but the ending was SO satisfying.  I have to be in the right frame of mind to tackle this story but it is always such a thrilling read.

Lines on Palms It’s possible I have a competency kink a mile wide?  And this story showcases not just the incredible cleverness and skill of its characters but also that of its author who does a simply delightful job of weaving the tale. 

Victuuri - Yuri on Ice 

Rivals  I have only just fallen into the YOI fandom, but it will surprise no one from that fandom that this series has eaten my soul.  I’ve reread the first story in it a shocking number of times considering how short a time it’s been since it was finished and am confident that I’ll be rereading the second just as much once it is done.  I have always loved rivalry-themed fics (see Versus) and this one does it perfectly.

The Katsuki/Nikiforov Collectors Edition + DLC  The first story of this series is incredibly good all by itself.  I just kept reading because I desperately wanted more in that world.  I am a gamer, enough to have chortled gleefully at a lot of the references in this fic, but even if you knew nothing at all about online gaming, FPS, streams or MMOs, this story would still likely hit a resonant chord or two.  There is an almost Don Quixote-esque level of chivalry in this tale about love from afar, and it tickles me pink every time I reread it.  

There are so many other stories and authors to whom I’m grateful today, but my attention span is inadequate to the task of thanking you all individually.  Still: if you share your love of these characters with the world, despite the risk; if you lay your heart out in words at the cost of your sleep; if you tell me a story without ever knowing me or how dearly I wanted or needed to hear it?  You make my life a better one, and I will always be thankful for that.

#gratitude #fic rec