#I was honestly worried I'd never write consistently again

[erraticprocrastinator]

Nothing feels more amazing as a fanfic writer than finding the fandom, the pairing, the trope, that reawakens not only your love of writing, but also the joy that comes with just being hopelessly and unapologetically invested in something.

#I was honestly worried I'd never write consistently again #and then boom #my two little gay footmen #writeblr #fanfic #fanfic writing #fanfic community #fanfic writers #ao3 authors #ao3 writers #fanfic authors #erraticprocrastinator #ao3 writer #fanfiction #fan writing #writing community #writers #writers of tumblr

[pluralprompts]

do u have any tips in case a singlet wants to write a system

This went unanswered for a long time because We were going back and forth about answering this with an essay but honestly? The best tip I can give is to not overthink it.

Plenty of singlet (or possibly singlet) writers write plurality very well! I think it's a decently common joke for systems to point out how random characters are basically systems in all but name when that may not have been the author's intention. The thing about plurality in fiction is that it's a trope in the way gender fuckery can be a trope; people can write plurality without knowing about IRL plurality and people can write about gender fuckery without knowing about IRL gender fuckery. Plurality is such a natural concept (and extrapolation of wondering about the self/personhood/one's body/a number of things, really) that people can write it without being aware it's a reality for some folks. It's not that weird for an author to go "what if this person was actually many persons" (whether metaphorically or literally) and add that to their story. It's just a thing that happens.

So, I guess I'm saying that you don't need to put a lot of pressure on yourself on getting everything exact or realistic so much as just letting your story breathe with the plurality you add to it. Especially with how different systems can be; we're a really diverse bunch, so something that makes one system go "That's me!" will inevitably make another go "This isn't like me at all." Don't worry so much about being realistic or resonating with every system out there. And again, don't overthink it – the only thing I'd really recommend you ask around about is how plurality affects different areas of people's lives. You'll probably get a variety of answers, so choose what works best for your character, but the point is that being a system is something that affects a lot more of one's life than one might think (especially when it comes to making decisions; we've got to take each other into account for those), so including that makes your character really pop out to us plurals.

Because the thing is, although a lot of singlet writers are good at writing plurality, they're not always good at keeping it consistent. And by that I mean they seem to forget it exists whenever it's not immediately relevant to a scene, treating the system's plurality as only a plot device, rather than something that affects the character. Plurality can be a plot device, but if it's only ever treated as that and the author conveniently forgets the implications of it (like how it affects everyday life, or how the character might feel about their plurality, or how others might react to it), it becomes rather hollow. It's failed potential, in a sense. Like when a really cool detail of a character's past gets brought up for one paragraph and then never again, or a character detail is casually mentioned but the reader goes, "Wait, shouldn't this be a big deal?" You don't have to make your character's plurality an emotionally big deal, but it should still be an important aspect of their life, and that's the hole most of these authors fall into; they know plurality as a trope, and they know how they want to use that trope, but they limit themselves to how they want to use it, and don't see how they could be using it in other ways – how it might be more logical to use it, even.

It's a double-edged sword, this awareness of plurality only as a concept. Luckily for you, you have plenty of examples to turn to about the wacky, mundane, and upsetting stuff systems get up to in everyday life, and how our plurality affects us (and if you want to ask about specific scenarios, plenty of systems are fine with answering questions like that!). Include bits of that here and there, and you're good to go.

TLDR: if you're adding a system character to your roster, don't work yourself into a tizzy trying to get everything "right", but ask yourself every once in a while if/how their plurality would affect things. The only things we ask are to not rely on the evil alter trope and to not reduce plurality to an unimportant detail or something that doesn't really affect your character, since even if it's something casual to the character, it's still something that's constantly going to be a part of them.

(Oh, but as a final extra tip... since no one way of writing a system is going to resonate with all of us, go ahead and embrace that. Make your character's plurality specific to them, and ask lots of questions about what different aspects of system life are like to them. What's switching like for them? Do they have memory issues? Does their family know? Does anyone? What's their origin(s)? Do those origins still affect them today? Do they have an innerworld? Stuff like that! It's a whole new world of character customization, so go ham and bring your character's system to life.)

Hope this helps!

#this looks like a lot but it's a lot shorter than what we originally wrote #asks #not a prompt #pluralprose #long post

[natashasfilms]

Chapter Two - Compulsion

Summary: FBI agent Leila faces a profound life change after giving birth to a baby girl, supported by her loving husband. Despite the challenges of motherhood, Leila returns to her role as a dedicated agent a few months later, ready to confront gruesome and haunting cases with the BAU team.

Pairing: BAU!Fem!OC x Male!OC , EVENTUAL Aaron Hotchner x BAU!Fem!OC (Like much later)

Warnings: This story contains mature themes such as sexual content, strong language, violence, mentions of alcohol and drugs, blood, gore, and death. All the usual Criminal Minds stuff. And there is NO CHEATING.

Note 1: I imagine Leila Kade as South Asian but I have decided to let you, the reader, imagine her appearance, hence the reason why I have not given her a face claim. However, her race does not affect the story, whatsoever. You, as the reader, are free to imagine her however you want. If you don't see her as South Asian, then that's fine. It won't affect the storyline. I also imagine the OC!Male as South Asian, but again, it won't affect the storyline.

Note 2: The team will consist of the main cast (Emily, Derek, JJ, Spencer, Penelope, Aaron, and Rossi) but will also include Elle Greenaway and Jason Gideon because they were some of my favorite characters and I wanted to include them with the rest of the team. Basically, Elle and Gideon never leave when Emily and Rossi join.

Note 3: There will be multiple time skips throughout this series. For example, the first chapter will begin on the first season and episode of the show but then there will be a time skip to later episodes (because there are obviously way too many episodes to write this series on and I wanted to include specific episodes that would help the plot of this story). This means that this series will be a slow burn romance but I believe it to be better this way. This will also stray from the actual show a lot, so don't expect it to follow the plot precisely.

Series Masterlist

Season 1, Episode 2

Sitting in her office, Leila heard a knock on the door. She looked up from her paperwork to see a familiar brunette. "Elle, hey. How can I help you?"

Elle walked inside, looking around her office. "Cool office." She said, her eyes landing on the photo of her, Zaid, and Jasmine on her desk. "Like much cooler than Hotch's."

Leila laughed, amused at her comment. "Of course mine is cooler. Aaron's way too boring." Elle chuckled, agreeing. Leila's eyes followed Elle's, landing on her family photo, and her heart instantly warmed at the sight. "Oh! Did you need something?"

The brunette hummed in realization, turning to face her again. "Oh, no. I just wanted to come up here and chat. I just talked to Gideon and went back to my desk, but then I felt kind of bored."

"What? Tired of Reid's random fact of the day? Or Morgan's attempt at flirting?" Leila said jokingly, ushering the chair in front of her desk for Elle to sit. She complied, pulling out the chair to sit down.

"Just a tad bit." Elle replied, holding out her hand to indicate a small gap between her thumb and pointer finger. "Thought I'd see a fresh face who isn't in the cubicle. So why not check up on the only other woman profiler?"

Leila grinned, pushing aside her paperwork to give Elle her undivided attention. "Well, you came to the right place. I can only assume it gets much boring down there with just guys."

Elle raised her eyebrows in agreement. "Oh, yeah. You're lucky to have your own office. How come though?"

"How come I have my own office?" Leila asked.

Elle nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I understand Hotch because he's Unit Chief and Gideon since he used to be Unit Chief and now he's Senior Agent, but—" Elle stopped. "Wait, that sounds wrong. I didn't mean for it to sound like I'm questioning your qualifications."

That made Leila laugh. "Oh, no. Don't worry. I completely understand where you're coming from." Leila told her. "I'd honestly have the same questions if I were in your position, so don't feel bad for asking."

The brunette smiled, relieved that she wasn't taken the wrong way.

Leila paused for a moment, a fond smile crossing her face as she recalled the past. "Funny story, actually. There was a time when Gideon had to take a temporary leave, and I stepped in as the interim Unit Chief. It meant having my own office for a while, and when Gideon eventually returned, he insisted that I keep it. He said that since I've been a part of this team for so long, I've become a trustworthy and valuable member, so I deserved to have my own office."

Elle nodded, intrigued by the story. "That's pretty awesome. You earned it, though."

Leila's smile widened, appreciating the support from her colleague and new friend. "Thanks, Elle. It's been my little sanctuary ever since. Gives me a bit of space to think and work."

Elle leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "Well, I must say, it suits you. And it's a nice change from the cubicle chaos."

Leila chuckled. "That's for sure. So, tell me…" She began, leaning forward and crossing her arms on top of her desk. "How have you been managing with the team, so far? Anyone giving you trouble? Cause if so, I can take it right up to Aaron and Gideon. Unless it's Aaron or Gideon who's giving you the trouble."

Elle waved a hand, laughing. "No, no, no. Everyone's been so kind. I feel like I was able to fit in so quickly. You all are such great people and the environment is super friendly."

"I'm glad to hear that." Leila replied. "You've been a great agent and team member so far, and you've been doing pretty well on the cases, so I have no worries about you."

Elle opened her mouth to speak, hesitated for a moment, and then decided to share her question. Leila gave her a reassuring look, indicating that she was all ears. "I have a question." Elle began.

Leila raised an eyebrow, interlacing her fingers and resting them under her chin, inviting Elle to continue. "Go ahead." She prompted.

"The Footpath Killer. Why did he stutter?" Elle asked, her curiosity evident in her tone.

Leila couldn't help but grin, finding Elle's curiosity endearing. A chuckle escaped her lips as she responded. "I asked Gideon too, but he wouldn't tell me." Elle sighed, clearly eager to know the answer. "Did you ask the others?"

Elle shook her head. "I wanted to hear your take on it first before asking them."

Understanding her reasoning, Leila nodded and rose from your seat. "Alright, then let's go find out together." She suggested, exiting her office with Elle.

As the two women descended the stairs, Elle couldn't hold back her curiosity any longer. She directed her question to the guys at the cubicles. "Question for you."

Derek glanced up, his eyebrows raised in interest. "Shoot."

"The Footpath Killer." Elle reiterated, coming closer to Derek and Spencer, with Leila walking alongside her. "Why did he stutter?"

Derek reclined in his chair, a knowing smile on his face. "Come on, Elle, we've all asked him that, but he won't tell us. He wants us to figure it out."

Leila perched herself at the edge of Spencer's desk, laughing. "The number of times I've tried to get it out of him, he simply wouldn't tell me."

"Well, okay. I'm up for a challenge." Elle said, settling at the edge of her own desk.

Leila observed a familiar blonde approaching, files in hand. "Good. Because these go to you." She said, placing the files on Elle's desk and offering a handshake. "Special Agent Jennifer Jareau. JJ if you like."

"Elle." She responded, reciprocating the handshake.

"Greenaway." JJ nodded with a friendly smile. "Highest number of solved cases in Seattle three years running. Specialty in sex offender cases."

Elle's eyes widened, impressed, and she glanced at the rest of the team. "Not bad."

JJ then explained her role as the unit liaison and her expertise in untangling bureaucratic knots. "You'll probably be talking to me a lot. My door is always open. Mostly because I'm never in my office. So just call me on my cell. Okay? We'll talk." With that, JJ headed upstairs towards Aaron's office.

Leila was on the verge of speaking when Aaron's voice called out, beckoning the team to gather in the conference room. "BAU team, can you meet me in the conference room, please? I need to show you something."

Without hesitation, the team swiftly rose from their seats and made their way upstairs, situating themselves around the conference table. They eagerly awaited the unveiling of the new case as JJ distributed the files, and everyone delved into the contents.

"This is from the Phoenix office. Bradshaw College in Tempe. Six fires in seven months." Aaron explained, the team listening intently as they searched through the files of the new case.

"Who recorded it?" Gideon asked, pointing towards the video on the TV screen that had yet to be played.

"A student with a digital camcorder." JJ responded, looking at everyone. "He was watching a fire in the building across from their dorm. The other person you'll see is his roommate, 20-year-old Matthew Rowland."

A video began playing on the large screen, captivating the team's undivided attention. The chilling footage showcased a horrifying act of arson, where a college student was set ablaze after the unsub poured gasoline under the crack of their dorm room door.

"There are two common stressors for a serial arsonist." Spencer chimed in, absently fiddling with his chess figures. With urgency in their movements, the team settled into their seats on the jet, knowing they needed to reach the college as quickly as possible to prevent further tragedies.

Elle continued to provide answers. "Loss of job, loss of love."

"When was the first fire set?" Derek inquired.

"March." Aaron responded. "The next one was in May. And the third one wasn't until September. Then, two weeks later, there were three in one night."

Leila raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. "He's speeding up; the fires are becoming more frequent and closer together."

Derek typed on his computer, briefly looking at Spencer before turning back. "Hey, Reid, you got a statistic on arsonists?"

Spencer immediately knew the answer. "Eighty-two percent are white males between 17 and 27. Female arsonists are far less likely, their motive typically being revenge."

"Sounds like our boy's a student." Derek remarked.

"Oh, don't be so sure," Gideon responded, looking up at Derek briefly. The seasoned profiler continued to look through the file. "You rely too much on precedent, you never allow for the unexpected. If he went from setting one fire to three in two weeks' time…"

"Rapid escalation." Aaron interjected.

"He's gone from the power to damage a building to something far more satisfying." Gideon continued, and Leila had a feeling she knew what he was going to say next. "The power over life and death."

The jet finally touched down, and the team swiftly made their way into the waiting SUVs, headed straight for the college. As they arrived, they exited the vehicles, with Gideon striding purposefully ahead.

"No badges." Gideon insisted firmly, walking with urgency. "I don't want to satisfy the UnSub's need for attention by letting him know he got the FBI here. Try not to look official."

The team paused, glancing at one another and adjusting their attire as soon as Gideon's words registered. Clad in all-black professional suits with sunglasses shielding their eyes, they looked ready for action.

Gideon cast a quick glance back at them before resuming his path. "Try to look less official."

After making an effort to appear "less official," the team shed their suit jackets and sunglasses, determined not to play into the unsub's desire for attention. However, Aaron still chose to keep his jacket on. They caught up with Gideon, who was engrossed in conversation with the headmaster of the college. She seemed adamant about evacuating the entire campus in response to the ongoing fires.

"You may not want to do that as it could bring in even more problems." Leila suggested as they continued walking. They reached another building, Gideon and Aaron opening the doors for them all to enter. "If you evacuate the campus, you might evacuate the arsonist as well."

"When the case goes unsolved, the campus is re-opened, but the fires start up again." Elle added.

"Wait, Hotch, Gideon. Hold on a second." Derek said, causing them to all stop. He turned to the Fire Inspector, Zhang. "You said the chemicals went missing today. It says here that one of the previous fires was set with diesel fuel that disappeared from the grounds-keeping facility. How long after it disappeared was the fire set?"

The headmaster's eyes widened in realization. "One day."

Upon hearing this revelation, Aaron and Gideon exchanged a knowing glance before walking away together, engaged in a serious discussion about the new information they had just received.

Leila, Elle, and Derek strolled around the campus, discreetly observing the students and taking in the overall setting.

"I just don't get it." Elle admitted, the three of them descending the stairs. "Why start fires when you can't even watch them?"

Leila pondered for a moment before responding. "Maybe the unsub gets a thrill from the screams without having to witness the actual devastation. But it still doesn't entirely add up."

"And why is he escalating so rapidly?" Derek chimed in, and Leila nodded in agreement. "The fires used to be months apart, and now there are multiple on the same day."

"God, he could ignite another fire any time, and we might not even notice until it's too late." Leila exclaimed, stepping off the last few stairs when suddenly, the fire alarm blared to life.

"You were saying?" Derek quipped, prompting the three of them to dash towards the smoking building.

Leila sprinted as fast as she could, with Derek and Elle trying to keep pace. Her background in martial arts and high school track made her an agile and swift runner.

They urgently shouted at students to clear the way as they charged into the building. Inside, Leila spotted Gideon wielding a fire extinguisher, attempting to douse the flames. Derek swiftly moved to restrain him, fearful that the fire would escalate further.

With combined effort, they managed to pull Gideon away from the dangerous situation, though he resisted fiercely, still shouting to be released. "He was a teacher!"

"Just let it go! He's already gone." Derek implored, keeping a firm grip on him.

Leila glanced back at the burning building, her heart pounding in her chest at the tragedy that had unfolded. It was as if she had predicted what would occur, even before it happened.

Elle diligently captured images of all the students outside, their eyes fixed on the blazing fire. The team meticulously scrutinized the photos, hoping to identify anyone who appeared suspicious. However, it proved to be more challenging than they had anticipated.

Leila leaned back in her chair, putting on her glasses she rarely used, aside for detailed examinations and paperwork. Letting out a sigh of frustration, she set aside the photo she was holding and took off her glasses, gently massaging her temples to try to alleviate the growing headache caused by the intensity of the case.

"Look at these expressions." Derek exclaimed, a tinge of irritation in his voice. "We've got fear, a touch of horror, even a little bit of panic. But where's the guy getting off?"

Spencer interjected with a crucial piece of information. "When asked about his motives, Peter Dinsdale said, 'I am devoted to fire. Fire is my master.'"

Derek moved closer to the crime board, brandishing a lighter. "Okay, so who is our boy's master? Ten-thousand-plus students, and one has a serious fascination with fire."

Leila hummed thoughtfully, bringing her hands down from her face and crossing them against her chest. "Fire-starting is one-third of the homicidal triad, an early predictor of adult dissociative criminal behavior."

"I think if we looked into his childhood, we'd probably find all three." Elle added, nodding in agreement with Leila's earlier statement. "Bed-wetting and cruelty to animals."

"Absent or abusive father, trouble with the opposite sex, chronic low self-esteem." Gideon elaborated, pacing around the room. "MO will be dynamic. Evolving. As fire-setting escalates, they thrive on panic, fear. It's just the standard profile of a serial arsonist."

"Based on hundreds of interviews." Spencer added.

"Based on precedent." Derek chimed in.

"Everything the UnSub should be according to research." Leila sighed.

"But we're off the mark." Aaron said, his expression filled with concern.

"Because of two missing elements." Gideon answered.

"Sex and power. The two motives that drive a serial arsonist." Derek responded.

"And without them, we do not have a profile." Gideon stated, leaving them all stressed and worried.

Leila, Aaron, and Spencer made their way to the chemistry lab to speak with the students who claimed to have knowledge of how the unsub created the fires. As Leila entered the lab, she carefully examined all the equipment and chemicals, trying to gain any insight into the arsonist's methods.

Aaron approached Spencer and suggested he take the lead in the conversation with the students, considering he was closer in age to them and might establish a better rapport.

Spencer looked up, a little nervous, but he cleared his throat, ready to talk. "Hi guys. My name is Doctor Spencer Reid. I am an agent with the BAU, Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI, which, it used to be called the BSU, the Behavioral Science Unit, but not anymore. They changed it to the BAU. It's part of the NCAVC, the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, which is also part of this thing called the CIRG, the Critical Incident Response Group and—"

Leila could tell he was getting anxious, causing him to ramble. She stepped in, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder and giving him a small smile before taking over. "What Doctor Reid is trying to say is that we would love to know how you can help us."

The only guy from the group of four stood up, walking up to Spencer, pointing at the lightbulb. "May I, please? Thank you." He took the lightbulb and held it up for them to see. "See this? Drill a hole in the side, fill it with gasoline, or whatever is good and flammable, turn the light on, boom." They all looked at him, and Leila made a mental note to do a background check on him. "That is what went down, didn't it?"

"This stuff's all over the Net." One of the girls spoke, causing all of them to turn their heads her way. "Wanna know how to make a Molotov cocktail that sets itself on fire?" She held up her hand, counting the items on her fingers. "Potassium, sulfur, and normal sugar. Sugar. Sugar, which is—"

"Not exactly plutonium." The guy said, cutting her off. "You could get the stuff anywhere."

"Sugar from the supermarket."

Leila and Aaron glanced at each other before he spoke. "But you don't need to be a chem major to know that."

"Do you think it's a chem student?" Zhang asked the students.

"You wanna know what I think?" the guy asked. Leila looked at him as he walked up to Spencer once again, holding the lightbulb over his forehead before giving it back to him. "I think it would be a good time to take the semester off."

With that information, the three decided it was time to leave the lab. The guy offered to take them to the elevator, and they all entered as Aaron pushed the buttons.

"Hold on, you need a key to get it moving after 10:00PM." The guy told him, inserting a key.

"So what are you still doing here?" Leila asked him, her arms crossed.

"I can't leave. We've all got projects. You know how to solve the three-body problem?" he inquired.

Leila, Aaron, and Spencer all looked at each other, some ideas already swarming in their heads.

They received an audio recording of someone speaking, the voice distorted. The recording sounded like someone was saying, "I do this for Karen," however, it was difficult to decipher what the person was saying.

Derek asked Penelope to filter the audio to get it as close to the real voice. Leila paced around the room, trying to think about what they could be missing. She usually needed some alone time to think, as it helped her relax and clear her mind. Excusing herself from the team, they all understood she needed to be alone to think.

The person in the audio sounded like they were saying they did it for "Karen," but Leila knew it was a bit of a stretch. There were hundreds of Karen's on the campus, but the audio sounded much more like it was a different word.

She paced around the empty room, thinking of words that started with a K sound, similar to Karen. After a few minutes of pacing, her eyes widened slightly as she went over all of the evidence in her head. Suddenly, a realization struck her, and she quickly ran back to the team in the other room, noticing Gideon running in as well.

"Charown." Leila and Gideon said at the same time, Leila furrowing her eyebrows but not surprised that Gideon figured it out too.

"Charown?" Spencer questioned, turning to look at the two.

"'I do it because of Charown.'" Gideon repeated.

"That's Hebrew."

"It's God's burning anger." Leila explained.

"Yeah." Spencer acknowledged, as the pieces of the puzzle started falling into place.

Elle walked up to them, furrowing her eyebrows. "The motive is now religious?"

Gideon began to write on the whiteboard while Spencer explained the connection between religions and fire. "Well, you know in a lot of religions, God is related to fire."

Aaron chimed in. "Agni is fire in Hinduism, and the Jews see God as a pillar of fire. Christians also worship God as a consuming fire."

"Okay, so we're looking for a theology major." Derek suggested. "Maybe he's punishing the other students for their sins."

"What's the most sinful place on campus?" Elle asked, searching for potential targets.

"Come on, Elle, when I was in college, it was everywhere." Derek responded with a hint of humor.

"Fraternity?" Aaron questioned.

"Campus bar?" Elle suggested.

Leila shook her head, looking at them all with a thoughtful expression. "No, because that's not consistent with the previous targets."

"What about the idea of baptism by fire?" Derek added. "Aren't we all supposed to be tested through fire in Revelations?"

Gideon turned away from the whiteboard, facing them all once again. "Look, it's good, it's good. But, listen, please do not jump to conclusions. Religion might be a part of it, but it's not necessarily the prime compulsion."

Elle and Derek responded a bit angrily back to Gideon, claiming they were running out of time to figure this out.

Leila closed her eyes, thinking back to the video they first saw of the three fires in one night. "I need to see the video of Matthew again."

Spencer looked at her, nodding his head. "I'll watch it with you, I need to see something."

Leila and Spencer played the video in another room, trying to examine if there were any clues they may have missed. They replayed the video over and over again, but Leila noticed something strange. "Hey, wait. Zoom in on the door knob."

Spencer pressed one of the keys to zoom in on the door knob and played the video once again. They noticed how the door knob twisted three times.

"We need to see any other signs of three during the other fires." Spencer stated, and the two of them rushed to Professor Wallace's office, the teacher who died in the fire, and checked his schedule. He was in office number three.

"Tuesday, three o'clock." Leila mumbled, showing Spencer.

The two of them immediately went to the team to inform them about what they discovered. Spencer closed the door and began speaking. "Leila and I know why the profiles never fit. You were right to tell Morgan not to rely on precedent. The fires thus far have been completely task-oriented."

"So once they're set, the unsub is done?" Aaron questioned Spencer.

"Exactly. The UnSub is not a classical serial arsonist. He's someone who uses fire because of a completely different disorder." Leila explained, grateful that they finally understood why the unsub was doing what he did.

"Which is?" Gideon tilted his head.

Spencer began to explain. "An extreme manifestation of OCD, obsessive-compulsive disorder. He does everything in threes. And if we're right, he'll have to kill again."

Leila and Spencer showed the video to Aaron and Gideon, zooming in on the door knob. As Spencer talked, Leila thought back to the girl in the chemistry lab.

"Aaron, remember that girl from the lab?" Leila asked him, and Aaron turned to look at her. "Clara, I think was her name?"

Aaron nodded his head in realization, who furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. Gideon looked at him. "What is it?"

"I think I know who it might be. And it's not a he, it's a she." Aaron said. "Clara Hayes. When I was talking to her and her classmates, I noticed something. A ring on her finger and she kept turning it."

Leila pointed at him, nodding her head. "I noticed it, too. She turned at intervals of three."

"And she counted off the ingredients of a light bulb bomb." Aaron continued.

"And the word sugar." Spencer realized.

"Yeah, and she kept repeating it. Once she started, she couldn't stop."

Leila hummed, fiddling with her ring on her ring finger. "Mhm, I have OCD. I always have to do everything in even numbers or else I'll be uncomfortable."

"I've always noticed that." Spencer said, looking at her. "You always keep everything so organized and do everything in an even set of numbers. It's like you have to do it."

Leila tilted her head, smiling. "It gets a little annoying."

The fire alarms went off in the campus, all of them searching for Clara Hayes. Leila got ready to find Clara, along with Aaron.

Gideon looked frantic, about to rush out of the room when Aaron stopped him. "Jason, wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Clara Hayes is very likely a good person. Someone who never wanted to do anyone any harm, like any other rational person. But there's nothing rational about obsessive-compulsive disorder."

"Research suggests OCD involves problems in communication between the frontal part of the brain and the orbital cortex. Plus deeper structures, the basal ganglia." Spencer explained OCD.

"You can't reason with her because you can't reason with a physiological problem." Leila continued, while Gideon looked confused. "She's not setting these fires because she wants to, but because she has to."

"What are you trying to say?" Gideon asked, eyebrows scrunched.

Leila looked at him, her gaze stern. "Don't try to convince her to stop. Because you won't be able to."

Leila and Aaron ran to the third floor, where they found Clara kneeling on the ground in front of the elevator, holding a torch. "Clara." Aaron said aloud, causing the girl to gasp quietly.

"I have to do this." She told them, breathing heavily.

"You know it's not rational, Clara. You were trying to tell me."

"God chose me to be tested." Clara insisted, a tight grip on the torch. "And now he's chosen them. If I don't do this, something terrible will happen."

Leila quickly tried to stall her. "What will happen, Clara? Is it a flood? An earthquake? What is it? You know this isn't rational."

Clara squinted her eyes, her face in concentration. "I know, I know, I know."

"Then resist." Aaron told her.

"I can't! They must be tested. God's wrath."

"Clara, you told me it was a chemistry student." Aaron pressed further and you slowly walked closer to her while he distracted her. "You left the message about Charon."

"Charon, Charon, Moloch."

"You want to stop."

"Father, Son...Holy Ghost." Clara inched forward and was about to throw the torch into the elevator when Aaron shot her leg, making her drop it onto the ground. As she was close enough, Leila quickly stepped onto it before it fell into the elevator.

Gideon ran up to them, looking at Aaron. "I thought you said not to reason with her?"

The team made it back to Quantico, entering the BAU building as they all were ready to head back home. Leila walked up the stairs, opening her office door when she saw two people.

Her eyes widened in surprise but then she squealed, running up to them. She took her little girl into her arms, spinning her around.

"Wow, and I don't even get a hello?" Zaid crossed his arms, only sarcasm laced in his voice. "After everything we've been through."

Leila scoffed, turning back to him. "My little Jas is the most important person in my life, it isn't even a competition."

Zaid laughed, wrapping his arms around her body, careful not to squish Jasmine in the process. "If that isn't the truest thing I've heard all day."

Leila looked up at her husband, grinning. She leaned into him, initiating a kiss to which he obliged quickly. "We need to go home right now. I'm so tired."

Zaid hummed, grabbing your bag from when you dropped it onto the floor. "I cooked your favorite. Thought you'd be hungry."

She grinned in excitement, planting another kiss on his lips before she started rushing out of her office. "I'm starving." She looked at Jasmine, who started giggling as her mom ran down the stairs. "Yeah, baby? Let's go home, okay?"

The team looked over at the three, warm smiles on their faces as they watched them leave.

"That's so cute." JJ said, who came up to the team once they arrived. "They look so happy."

The team nodded in agreement, still grinning even after the elevator closed behind the three as they got on it.

#angst #fluff #criminal minds #aaron hotchner #fanfiction #aaron hotchner x female reader #aaron hotchner x original female character #original female character #original male character #aaron hotchner fanfiction #criminal minds bau #criminal minds series #revelations series #aaron hotchner x bau!reader #fanfiction series

[mamawasatesttube]

Need your full opinion on the recent smot issue

overall, i was... pretty disappointed in it, honestly. spoilers below!

i have always found kenny porter's writing to be kinda heavyhanded, and smot has been no exception, but i was pretty willing to go with the flow because heavyhanded or not at least it seemed to be a fun story. with the hints and buildup in #3 i was worried we were essentially setting up for a reprise of knockout arc from sb94, with kon aiding and abetting someone shitty while being manipulated into thinking they were misunderstood and wanted to do better, and i had misgivings about that idea, but...

...but honestly like. this isn't actually better. i feel like porter is really, REALLY hammering in this idea that kon hasn't actually matured, that he's still the same kid from sb94 just trying to relive his glory days, which is just. like. did adventure comics/superboy (2011) mean nothing to you kenny? (i know they did. i know.) it's also just a disappointing angle to take on his MANY issues with being in a new universe that literally forgot him. of all the things he could be struggling with, i don't think naivety is a particularly interesting OR in character one to focus so hard on.

it's also just REALLY been getting me that we're supposed to believe that everyone on earth didn't notice he vanished for 2 weeks, and yet ALSO that they do genuinely care for him. smot is set before house of metallo arc in action comics, which means we know at the end of it kon still comes back to be generic background superman #3 or whatever; i find that pretty jarring especially with the idea that none of the superfam even noticed he left the planet for two whole weeks. of course, given porter's heavyhanded writing style i know that'll simply be glossed over and ignored, because... subtlety? implication? what are those? it's the same with the entire idea of EVERY SINGLE PROBLEM ON EARTH being solved--that makes no sense and will be summarily never mentioned again, of course. and ditto re: tim, bart, and cassie going on a mission in paris without so much as a text to kon about it. it's all pretty contrived as setup, and the execution continues to feel contrived and unsatisfying to me. smot4 in particular felt like they were Really rubbing in the complete nuking of the pre-flashpoint kon&clark relationship :(

i'm ALSO really just not happy with the ridiculously centrist take of "what if the guys fighting back against the genocidal imperialists were JUST AS BAD AS THEM? OR WORSE?" but i mean. the bar is on the fucking floor and dc just loves to bring industrial excavators.

on the plus side, at least there are some cute kon panels in it :) i'll take those where i can even if i'm going :/ at everything else going on. i'm pretty sure the ending will involve the superfam coming to the rescue in issue 6 and kon going WOW... i DO have a place on earth after all... despite none of the actual issues he had at the beginning of the run being remotely resolved. also i won't be surprised if they don't actually condemn the imperialists particularly much. travv and the cosmoteers have been set up as the primary antagonists so... eh.

overall i'd say smot 4 was where the plot stopped really being fun to me. i'd had my hangups and nitpicks with 1-3, but 4 just dropped the ball a LOT. maybe 5 and 6 will be better, but i'm not too optimistic that it won't just entirely fall flat (again, though, i just know i don't actually like the entire setup for kon in rebirth, so i'm biased). still gonna buy em though ofc. gotta get my good good kon covers even if the story isnt very consistent or satisfying!

ETA I FORGOT TO MENTION. CAN THEY STOP CLONING HIM?????? FOR THE LOVE OF GOD how many plots from sb94 are they gonna try to squeeze into the end of this run at the same time (and inevitably do worse than they were originally written). how many

#the ''it's been 2 weeks'' thing made me go OH MY GODDDDD UUHGHHGHHGHHGH like out loud #like kenny am i supposed to believe they care about each other or not. kenny answer me #answers #smot spoilers

[inlocusmads]

Tag List Cleanup

So yes. This has been a loooong time coming.

Hi there, so if you're reading this, it is likely you agree that I am quite terrible at maintaining a consistent taglist, so I'm going to scratch it off and start all over again. And I'm also terribly disorganised, so yes, but that's a story for another day.

Okay, let's get to the categories! You're welcome to choose one, two or "n" number of categories from this. Perma counts as everything, so you needn't worry about it.

Perma

All fics. I don't do moodboards or HCs, so it is just all fics, series, one-shots, whatnot.

Crimes of Passion only.

It contains all characters and all pairings, though I mostly write for Nora and Trystan and that's pretty much it. I might also dabble in some platonic pairings in the future, so if you're interested in that as well -- look out for them, I suppose?

Open Heart only.

Jane, Ethan, the whole gang. It's OH but everything. All pairings, even though I only ever write Jane and Ethan but I might have some Aurora x OC fics planned (you'll never know).

I honestly don't want to bother with the sub-categories (Ethan x MC, Aurora x OC, etc) so if you want to just be tagged for one specific ship or pairing, you can specify your requests down below.

Wake the Dead only

WTD started off strong and was propelled further with the likes of zombie/apocalypse media that I watched during the time of the book's release (Last of Us, A Quiet Place, etc) but right now, I doubt I'd work on it as vigorously as I would spend writing Crimes fics. If you are interested in this, let me know!

Guinevere only

I haven't like worked on a lot of Guinevere fics, because I actually.. haven't finished Guinevere yet. I know, I know. I'm a terrible person. I still have 4-5 chapters to go and I'm collecting a lot of diamonds to pay for all the scenes, so apologies lmao. I mostly would write for MC x Artura because Artura is the GOAT. I also haven't prepared a masterlist for that, so maybe I'll do that in the coming days. Either way, let me know if you'd like to be tagged for Guinevere!

Onwards to the future works that I've planned!

Blades of Light and Shadow only

Aroace MC, adventure, song, dance - it's got everything and more. I have already planned my character and I can't wait for you to learn more about her. And also it's almost Bolas season, all the more reason to write Blades fics. I haven't started to work on any Blades-specific fics yet, but if you'd like to be tagged for them, let me know!

And that is all for now!

However, I will be putting out this one-off one shots from other books like MoTY, MaH and other books that have interested me. They're just like.. extra stuff, not exactly strictly restricted to a masterlist but sort of there to diversify my book palette so to speak. The problem with selecting books to write fics for is that, I don't know where to even start. Sometimes I'm sort of in a fix and that's just terrible. So if you want me to write a specific pairing from a specific book or if you'd like me to just explore my MC's story in a book that you enjoy, send me some requests, my asks are always open!

I also don't write explicit stuff, mature scenes or anything of that nature (or even kissing scenes for that matter which explains why half of my MCs are aroace or on the ace-spectrum, but I am trying! It's just hard) so if you're sending requests, do keep that in mind.

And that's it!

If you'd like to be tagged or remain in the same place as you were before, please let me know in the reblogs or in the comments below and make sure you restrict it to just this post! I'd be locking the tag list by June 30th 2023. And the new tag list will come into effect by July 1st.

If you do not wish to be tagged, you don't have to respond to this message at all. There'll be no hard feelings, so you wouldn't have to worry about anything.

Cheers!

Mads.

(yes i apologise for the good omens gif, ik it has been like 3 days since the trailer came out and im still in a permanent state of panic)

(current tag list 👇)

Perma:

@quixoticdreamer16 @trappedinfanfiction @writing-not @peonierose @tessa-liam

Crimes:

@aallotarenunelma @cassie-thorne @lilyoffandoms @jerzwriter @ao719 @ofmischiefandmedicine @openheartforeverinmyheart

Open Heart:

@cariantha @jerzwriter @openheartforeverinmyheart @ofmischiefandmedicine

Guinevere:

@lilyoffandoms

Wake the Dead:

@aallotarenunelma @jerzwriter @cariantha

Blades (from this post I put out):

@starlight-starfury

___

I sincerely apologise if you've commented or reblogged anywhere to be tagged and I haven't done that. That's precisely why I even decided to do this cleanup after a while, to sort of reset the whole thing and start afresh. Plus Tumblr for some reason, keeps eating some of my notifications so I have no idea what to make of it at this point.

Thank you so much for your interest! I'll see you soon!

- Mads.

#tag list cleanup #w:inlocusmads

[fictional-men-have-my-heart]

Day 29 (late posting again)

Hello All! Welcome to day 29! Today's is motivated by a recent stressor I'm running into as of today: needing to move.

How would the 141, Los Vaqueros, and Konig ask you to move in with them if you were stressed about moving somewhere?

Price:

"You seem tense. What is it, love?" He'd murmur, rubbing your shoulders.

"It's nothing, don't worry about me."

"You know that doesn't work."

"...I need to move. My flatmate is a nightmare."

"Simple. Come live with me."

"...Come again?"

"Live with me, certainly I'm better than your roommate."

Ghost:

He had watched you fret over the papers and write down numbers when you were out and about.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking for new places I can move."

"Why?"

"Rent keeps going up, but they are horrible at keeping up with the maintenance. I'm sick of it."

"What about mine?"

"...Pardon?"

"You spend a lot of time there as is, and then I know you're safe."

"I... can do that if you're sure."

"I am."

Soap:

He suggested it after a year and a half together honestly.

"It'll be cheaper, and then we won't have any commute. Only to the other side of the bed or flat."

"Your flat is basically the same as mine Johnny."

"And? We'll be fine."

"I think you just want me in your bed all the time, knowing I'll be waiting there for you when you get home."

"...Is that such a bad thing?"

Gaz:

He hated seeing you stress about living in your current place. You had issues with neighbors, issues with maintenance, and you think the landlord swings by without prior arrangements.

"We could always move into mine."

"Are you sure? I have a lot of years of life with me, Kyle."

"Never been more sure, love."

Alejandro:

He disliked the thought of you staying alone after a few rough interactions.

"Just consider it mi amor, then you'd be the first person I'd see in the mornings or when I come home."

"I'm fine Ale, I can handle myself."

"I know you can, that's not why I ask."

"You just want me an arm's length away hmm?"

"I'm not ashamed to admit to that and we both know it."

Rudy:

He always offered, from the first six months you were together.

"My door's always open to you."

"I know, you gave me a key for a reason."

Over time, he'd made a few passing comments.

"You could always just stay here, you know?"

"I know."

"Like, no longer need your own place..."

"Are you insinuating I move in with you?"

"Exactly."

Konig:

He consistently mentioned how much he appreciated you being at his place.

"It's nice. You always make it feel more like a home than a place I visit when off duty."

"Well thank you."

After a few incidents of forgetting his key back at your place, he made the remark.

"It would be easier to remember the correct keys if you only had my place for your house key."

"...Are you asking me to move in?"

"...Yes, I am... will you?"

"Absolutely."

I'm sorry for another late post everyone. I got the news today that my rent is going up for the second year in a row, so I and my partner will be moving by the end of February. Great news to receive to start 2023 eh? Hope all is well with you all, thanks for reading.

#cod mwii #call of duty modern warfare ii #john price #captain john price #simon riley #simon 'ghost' riley #ghost #john 'soap' mactavish #soap #kyle 'gaz' garrick #gaz cod #alejandro vargas #rudy #rodolfo parra #konig #headcanons #established relationship #sorry for more late posts #i appreciate all of you so much #thanks for reading #feel free to reblog #tag me if you use this #i want to see it #thanks yall

[makesometime]

What is something you'd like to write in 2024?

What's something new that you tried in a fic this year?

30. What is something you'd like to write in 2024?

Gosh, this is an interesting thing to consider. My first thought was that I hope I find another property that inspires me as much as BG3 and RQG have done in the past year.

But honestly, I'm quite looking forward to following my gut more generally about what I write - I worry so much about never writing again if I don't make myself do it, but after almost 5 years of high productivity it'd be quite nice to just... not feel obligated.

The interaction and feedback are certainly the lowest they've ever been for me in my two most active fandoms, so writing things that bring me actual joy is my goal for 2024 - whether they get published or not.

1. What's something new that you tried in a fic this year?

Angst!! Holy shit, I wrote consistently angsty fics for more than a month for one pairing, which is something I've never done before.

I honestly really enjoyed it. I can't tell you why I've avoided it before - and I certainly don't read it more than I used to - but tackling the severity of main character death and love after trauma really gave me something this year, and I'd like to try and do it again.

#thank you for asking #these were a lot of fun to think about <3 #fanfiction #ask meme

[dilfdoctordoom]

Genuinely torn between my hatred for the Inhumans and my hatred for synergizing Kamala rn.

Like, I haven’t liked the Inhumans since I watched Agents of Shield back before I was a comics person. They were obvious replacements for the X Men but without their superpowers or physical forms being inherent, which was always less compelling to me as a metaphor for an oppressed people. Then I started reading comics, saw that they were a eugenics-based society that tried to genocide mutants via GASSING THEM and weren’t treated as the obvious villains, and for the first time understood why comics fans hated the movies. I genuinely despise these fuckers.

HOWEVER, none of that hate applies to Ms. Marvel. Kamala Khan was always an interesting character to me because she felt like an Inhuman having to deal with both IRL discrimination and the consequences of Unhumans VS X Men, especially with younger Cyclops on the Champions. Fridging her in the worst Spider-Man story since ODM is never going to be okay, and bringing her back as a mutant, even if it doesn’t retcon her Inhuman past, is obvious MCU synergy at best and actively trying to sweep her past characterization under the rug at worst.

TL;DR I hate all of this so much

Inhumans are always so complicated 'cause Marvel never knows what to do with them & it's ended up really funny... they were best used in the Disney Ultimate Spider-Man TV series like that's embarassing....

I don't like them as a concept, but I do love some of the individual characters. Black Bolt has had some amazing stories over the years, Crystal is my cheating awful terrible wife <3 & Kamala is just...

Kamala is one of the most groundbreaking characters made in the past twenty, maybe 30, years. She's also a very rare character in that, despite the numerous runs she's had, they've had a consistent basis of quality. Some of them are absolutely fucking amazing (GWW) while others are just okay -- but unlike Spider-Man, Green Lantern, Daredevil, Wonder Woman, Batman, etc, she hasn't gotten a run that made me wanna claw my eyes out.

Until now, of course. The MCU synergy beam hit her as we all knew it would, but it feels... worse, IDK. I'd worried it was coming with her Beyond the Limits mini (its release was a lot closer to her TV series) but it didn't, it's here now, and that is, again, much worse.

She got horrifically fridged in a nonsensical story. Her family bangles - of great personal importance to her Pakistani family -- have seemingly gone to Mary Jane Watson, of all fucking people. Her death's being used to further the redemption arc of Norman Osborn, a man that canonically idolizes Hitler. She died to continue the Peter Parker Is Sad jerk circle.

And now she gets to come back, having part of her identity stripped away in favor of a new one (I know what Iman Vellani has said-- I expect that to last this mini/however long she writes the character). Debuting her as a mutant at all isn't great, but right now is worse.

X-Comics are gearing up for Fall of X, their next big shift/event. The focus is going to be there, not on Kamala.

I genuinely believe that we'll be lucky if she's cameoing in background appearances by next year, only getting random minis to coincide with her MCU movies/shows.

There are just... no redeeming qualities here. I can't even be excited about Iman Vellani, somebody who so clearly adores everything about Ms Marvel, writing for her 'cause honestly? I don't think it matters how much you love a character over at Marvel. There's always going to be a stupid editorial mandate.

#q & a #im just really mad lmao fuck marvel they need to stay away from kamala khan forever

[sneakyfox55]

For the fruit ask thingyyy 🍉🍎🍒

<333

🍉 Do you prefer to write short fics or long fics? Multichaptered works or single ones? Why?

I KIND OF!!! DON'T HAVE A PREFERENCE?????? FOR EITHER I GUESS DSHGDHJGSHJ IT JUST. DEPENDS ON THE DAY AND HOW MUCH I WANT TO GET DONE IF, THAT MAKES ANY SENSE!

SHORT FICS ARE EASIER TO WORK WITH BUT, LONG FICS ARE MORE FUN I THINK??? IDSFJDSGJHDSGHHJDSGHJ

I LOVE MAKING MULTICHAPTERED STUFF SO HONESTLY I. MIGHT LIKE THAT BETTER BUT AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE A TRUE PREFERENCE!!! ALTHOUGH, AGAIN SINGLE FICS ARE A BIT EASIER BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT KEEPING A CONSISTENT PLOT THROUGH SO MANY CHAPTERS THAT YOU SLOWLY FORGET ABOUT LMBO (COUGH COUGH UTDC YOU ARE THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE IN THAT REGARD)

🍎 Is there anything you straight-up won’t write?

SMUT AND JUST, GENERAL THINGS THAT MAKE ME VERY UNCOMFY (INC*ST, SELFC*ST, MINOR X ADULT, ETC.) IF IT'S GLORIFYING IT. I'M NOT, ENTIRELY AGAINST IT IF IT'S SHOWN SPECIFICALLY AS PROBLEMATIC, AND IF IT HAD TO DO WITH SPECIFIC CHARACTERS AND WAS LIKE. PART OF THEIR BACKSTORY, IF THAT MAKES SENSE??? CAUSE I DO LIKE, TO THINK OF SOMEWHAT EXPLORING THAT KIND OF STUFF WHOLLY FOR CHARACTER AND STORY PURPOSES BUT EVEN THEN FDHGHFGHHH SORRY IF THAT'S, WEIRD,,

(SPECIFICALLY THE, INC*ST AND SELFC*ST THOUGH IS SOMETHING I'D PROBABLY. NEVER TOUCH WITH A TEN-FOOT POLE HSDGDSHJDGHJDS AND I KNOW SELFC*ST IS MORE ACCEPTED AND PROBABLY?? FINE????? BUT IT PERSONALLY JUST, REALLY RUBS ME THE WRONG WAY AND MAKES ME SUPER UNCOMFY)

OH ALSO ALSO ANYTHING THAT GLORIFIES SA OR, DUBIOUS CONSENT,, *ESPECIALLY* WHERE THE SKELEBROS ARE INVOLVED LIKE. PEOPLE HAVE DONE THAT BEFORE WHERE LIKE, CONSENT IS, IMPLIED TO BE DUBIOUS WITH THEM AND/OR THEY'RE FOR SOME REASON PORTRAYED AS PUSHY AND FORCEFUL FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER (USUALLY AU VERSIONS OF THEM TO BE FAIR AND USUALLY IT'S JUST SANS BECAUSE, OBVIOUSLY IT'S HIM LMAO) AND THAT JUST AIN'T IT CHIEF

🍒 What’s your favorite character dynamic to write? (Can be romantic or platonic, specific or general!)

DSJKHGDSJHGSHJGJ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA THAT'S TOUGH BECAUSE. I LOVE TO DO BOTH!!!!!! ROMANTIC AND PLATONIC I MEAN

IN MY EARLY DAYS IN THE UT FANDOM I'D JUST, SPEND MY TIME THINKING OF SKELEBRO SCENARIOS LMBOOOOOO AND I'D ALWAYS KINDA PREFERRED PLATONIC FICS OVER ROMANCE IN GENERAL. IT'S CHANGED SINCE THEN AS I'VE, GOTTEN OLDER AKA I REALIZED I'M IN LOVE WITH SAID SKELEBROS ACTUALLY, THUS BEGAN MY ROMANCE-ORIENTED FICS--

IT'S FUNNY THOUGH BECAUSE I THINK, MY SANS X READERS ARE MORE PLOT-ORIENTED AND MORE LIKE SLOW BURNS THAN THE FEW PAPYRUS X READERS I'VE DONE. PRESUMABLY JUST BECAUSE I PINE FOR PAPYRUS JUST A BIT MORE (HE'S MY #1 COMFORT CHARACTER SO I MEAN) AND THEREFORE THOSE ARE, REALLY SELF-INDULGENT AND FLUFFIER PROBABLY HJDSGHJDGDJHSDHJ (AND I HAVE A WEIRD THING WHERE I JUST, DON'T REALLY LIKE GIVING PAPYRUS A BAD TIME AS OPPOSED TO SANS, AND IF I DO DO ANGST WITH HIM IT'S. GOTTA END HAPPY NO MATTER WHAT, NO UNREQUITED LOVE OR ANYTHING (I SAY WHILE I HAVE CLOSE TO YOU AND THE CLAIRE DE LUNE SERIES SITTING RIGHT THERE))

ALSO FOR SPECIFIC CHARACTER DYNAMICS IF WE'RE, TALKING SPECIFIC CHARACTERS >:DDDDDDDDD SANS AND PAPYRUS ARE MY FAVORITE PLATONIC DYNAMIC TO WRITE AND.

HDJHDSJGDSJH IT SOUNDS SILLY BUT, ROMANCE-WISE I JUST REALLY ENJOY WRITING SANS X READER IN THE NEVER FORGET SERIES, THEY'RE MY OTP EVEN THOUGH LIKE. THEY PROBABLY SHOULDN'T BE BECAUSE THEY'RE TECHNICALLY MY OWN CHARACTERS IDK JDSHGD SJHDSGJH GSDHJJH I JUST THINK THEY'RE REALLY NEAT, THEY'RE NOT PERFECT OR ANYTHING AS A COUPLE AND THEY'VE GOT PLENTY OF ISSUES BUT I JUST. LOVE WRITING IT OUT AND DELVING INTO THEIR CHARACTERS AND STUFF (AND I'M EXCITED TO EXPLORE THEM MORE ESPECIALLY IN, THE MAIN FIC >:DDDDD)

#asks #mutuals!!! #my beloved mutuals <333 #hesperdoesstuff

[steelycunt]

what’s your relationship with sirius’ and remus’ characters?

like, obviously you like them, you write about their love story, but I just want further description on how you interact with their characters (including muggle AUs, like how their characters change depending on what you are writing or if their always have the same basic traits in your mind) (and if you have a bone to pick with certain aspects of their characters but love them anyway)

also, your relationship with /their/ relationship. like, their dynamic

sorry for all the questions but I just find your interpretations of them super interesting and want to know more :)

hi babs!! no worries i love talking about these guys <3

i feel like i have to disclaim every time i talk about this sort of thing, but--when referring to these guys, i'd never try to claim i'm writing a canonically correct remus or sirius. i think at this point i have such a firm yet likely inaccurate idea of the two of them in my head, and have strayed so far from the information we get in the books, that my opinions on who they are probably dont hold up against the books...at all. i know this isnt quite what you asked, but i had to mention it aha.

i spend way more time in sirius' head than remus', and i think some of his most defining traits that i refer back to again and again are things like his volatility, his temper/capacity for cruelty even against someone he loves or cares about, but also his loyalty and rather all-consuming devotion to those people. if you take those away, i'm not really sure what you're left with? he often ends up saying the wrong thing because there are so many different emotions that translate into anger or frustration with him. the intensity of that can make him snappy, and again--cruel, but it also makes him wonderful and fiercely loving. i think, maybe because i write his pov more, that he's a lot more consistent than my remus (apart from small details that don't really reflect on his character so much as the situation/plot of the fic).

remus is more cautious, more reserved and more fatally self-sacrificing, but he's also often more mature and kind (which i'd say is different from sirius' loyalty). he's also always got a very dry sense of humour and id say that despite it all, he's often more optimistic? though maybe he just has to be. ive only written one muggle or otherwise au, ever, but i did find i ended up writing a remus who was a bit more outgoing and a bit flirtier when he didn't have the massive barrier of his lycanthropy holding him back during interactions. now im in his head for the prank fic, he's got a temper just like sirius does, but he also has a rather frustrating tendency to refuse to confront that which obviously needs to be confronted--sirius is currently doing a lot of the heavy lifting, although considering what he's done, perhaps that's fair enough. i still just think he's lovely, though. remus is lovely. i want to put sirius in a blender.

their relationship is probably the most delicate, changeable factor from fic to fic--its obviously shaped by the different plots and circumstances etc, but also from whichever pov ur writing. i do reckon i write as if i think sirius loves remus more, but i dont necessarily believe that--i just write him more, and i prefer his pov. ive said before im boring when it comes to those two, but its true: they're just made for each other, they fix each other and they make each other worse, they've got something so fucking insane going on that they've got to stay together because honestly neither of them deserve anyone else. like two people quarantining with the same infectious disease that no one else should be exposed to. locking the car doors and driving off a cliff. i can't imagine writing a sirius who isn't in love with remus. they can be terribly cruel to each other because they know parts of the other that nobody else does (maybe with the exception of james, which is why wolfstarbucks works imo), and there's almost always some point of pressure acting upon their dynamic, whether that's a lack of time, or the war, or things left unsaid or a specific incident (see: the prank). and at the centre of that they are completely, obsessively, irreparably in love with each other, always. i want to study them under a microscope :-)

#anon #telegram #r/s #i hope this sort of addresses your questions?? sorry if it doesnt feel free to ask me anything else that i didnt really get to <3 #theyre so insane. theyre so INSANE i need to lie down god

[americanrecord]

hi kelsey! it's nice to see you back!

just had a few writing questions for you as i am really looking to writing as a future career option/aspiration. i've been writing fanfiction for the past few years almost consistently - a lot of one shots and long series written - and writing is quite honestly the love of my life. i almost always look forward to sitting down at my computer with a coffee and lana del rey and pick up where i left my story off, or planning characters and settings and plot lines. i love most of what comes with creating stories.

quite honestly, i have faith in my writing ability. it's not something i usually question but what i do question is how manageable is writing as a career? how do you get your books published? do some never get published? there are so many anxieties and worries going into something like becoming an author and it's one of the things that really makes me feel i should choose a more "realistic" career option. i'd love to write on the side! but i feel like when i pick the "realistic" option there might not be enough time for me to pursue it as a career.

sorry if i'm rambling, it's just something i'm curious about as you're obviously hoping to get your book published (and i have every faith that you will). sorry if this comes off as rude too - it wasn't intentional :)

hi, bestie! it's nice to be back!! sorry, that whole getting a job thing and actually having to go every day and for all 8 hours is a real killer. i've also been busy getting draft 3 in order! so if i'm ever dead for a long period of time, either my life has blown up or i'm deep in writing/editing something. this past time was both!

anyway, writing questions, yay! first, i think it's great that you're looking at it like a future career choice/option! you should always keep as an option even if necessity has other plans. it's so nice to hear that you've found a genuine love for it, too. as somebody who used to write a lot of fanfiction, it's still real writing, and it's an amazing place for many writers to get their start. (truthfully, if more writers started out on ao3/wattpad, we might not see booktok so infested, but that's another topic) i also know that the fanfic territory comes with a lot of struggles, either people being demanding, judgmental, inconsiderate, and or just plain un-encouraging in their silence despite their consumption, so i love to hear that it's a source of immense happiness for you. i hope it stays that way, if and when you transition to original work, if that's the type of writing you're looking to pursue!! (i can certifiably say that while the writing, drafting, and editing process is tedious, particularly in the case of the latter two, i am having so much more fun.)

i also love to hear that you have faith in yourself! more of that! but i will say that being an author is really not a career you can simply elect. take it from me, if anybody could be an author, with any level of skill or effort, i would be an author. many more people would be authors. to be a career author (in the sense that you don't need to have any other jobs to support yourself), you have to have books successfully published, and—in most cases, a good few of them. it's pretty rare for an author to become a mega-millionaire (at all), but especially based off a debut novel. again, take everything i say with a grain of salt because i quite literally am not an author, but i would never advise any aspiring author to quit their job until they are racking in the amount of money that would allow them to write unsupported.

1.) how manageable is a writing career?

depends. this is strictly speaking in regards to a novel-writing career, by the way, because there are many writing jobs on the market that quite literally pay you for your writing. probably not enough, but...still. no publishing industry, just freelance/assigned topics and vibes. on novel-writing: i'm not published, i have no money, so i work as a paralegal. that takes up all my days, monday to friday, 9-5 (7-6), so my writing time comes from 6-11 on weeknights and then i maximize my weekends. some would say that's not manageable for a writing career, and...well, it's technically not, but it is what it is. the hard truth is that most aspiring authors have to squeeze writing time between shifts, late at night, early in the morning, onto sticky notes at work, on weekends, on time off, during holidays, etc. what is required for an author to have an authoring career would be not working or working perhaps part-time and having a living arrangement where there is somebody directly supporting you financially. be that a parent, a sibling, a spouse/significant other, a really faithful friend, whatever. that is the ideal. that, however, is not an obtainable reality for many, so day jobs it is. finding time in the in-between is your best bet. for me, i make the best of it!! it's still time, and it's so much more than nothing if you use it. it's not the most encouraging thing, maybe, yes, but it's reality, and as soon as that dreadful spoonful goes down, the easier it is to pick up, reshuffle, and find a pattern/writing habits that work for you. say you write an amazing novel in those small spaces and get it published, yielding yourself a little success, then things can change. doors might open, time might free up, and you could find yourself in the middle of lots of writing time!! think of that not as an impossibility but something to work toward. many, many authors out there, even ones with name recognition, still can't afford to quit their day jobs, because books aren't always highly profitable, NYT bestsellers, even if they do well. that doesn't mean they aren't authors, it doesn't mean they can't juggle a writing career (and consider whatever else they do the side hustle), or that they won't keep writing publishable novels in their downtime. it sucks, but as i tell myself: it's life. (as long as i live in capitalist hell)

2.) how do you get your books published?

i'll let you know when it happens to me! but also, jokes aside, it's a long, long, longgggg process. the writing, drafting, and editing processes, plus the feedback cycles, are only like the first half of the journey. so you finished a manuscript, yay! it's shiny, and perfect, and at the appropriate length, and—nobody wants it. publishing a book, traditionally (as in through a publishing house, not through self-publishing, which anybody can do), has as much to do with skill as it does with luck. you sent your book off to a literary agent at the exact right time it was the type of book they were looking for and/or it was what the market was demanding. for example, though i fear the market is becoming oversaturated, what is huge right now is romantasy (romance x fantasy). many a writer are polishing up their dragon and sex books rn and sending them in and likely receiving agents because readers are devouring those voraciously. it might not even be good, it might not be as great as *yours*, but it's what the market wants, and it'll be what the market gets.

and publishing is a whole iceberg of things, but the basics of it (granted, i don't know what happens behind closed doors because i'm only just compiling the stuff i need to start sending things out. i'll no doubt be running suicide blonde through another round of edits/cuts before it goes anywhere) are that you take your manuscript and your publishing materials and send them off to agents. publishing materials, which can be researched independently because real writing instructors will break them down better than me, typically include a query letter (basically, 5 second synopsis on ur book, the word count, genre, intended audience, etc, meant to bait an agent), a synopsis (slightly longer explanation of your book and it's major plot points, including a spoiled ending), and the amount of your manuscript they're interested in reading in their first pass. i was talking about this yesterday, i believe, but they'll usually ask you to paste anything from the first 5–25 pages (i haven't seen anything more extensive than the first three chapters) of your manuscript into the email body. the agent who receives your email will then read your query letter, synopsis, and manuscript sample (sometimes, they just ask for the letter, sometimes a varying combo of things) and, if they like your stuff, they'll request the full manuscript. then, if they like that, they'll offer you representation. if they don't, you'll get a rejection. (but still promising, because your materials interested them. either there ended up being a weakness in the manuscript or it just wasn't what they were looking for.) if you never hear back about asking for a full manuscript, it's safe to say its a silent rejection. you'll usually never hear back from an agent unless they're interested. and you can find agents on online databases. there, they'll say what types of manuscripts they're looking for. never send your fantasy book to a guy looking for nonfiction unless u want an automatic negative. and, usually, don't send your stuff to more than one agent from a company at a time. and never ever send anything in that they didn't ask for. if they wanted just a query letter and five pages, do not send them a query, 2-page synopsis, and the first three chapters because "my story doesn't get good until then." you'll get an automatic rejection and the question from many authors that, if your book doesn't get good until page 24, why you didn't start your book as of page 24.

but, say you do get an offer and all those logistics sorted out, it's the agent who is then responsible for taking your manuscript to various publishing houses and trying to find the best deal possible for your novel. many agents are career-long partners and most agents, if not all, want to secure the best deal for you, because if you don't get paid, they don't get paid. they will never see a dime for your work until you do. everything else is a little hazy for me because i haven't gotten there yet, but once things get picked up by a publisher and contracts are signed, books go through edits, design, production, etc, all so it will end up on a little bookshelf and hopefully in some happy reader's hands.

3.) do some never get published?

absolutely. yep! never. some books never get an agent (and agents are typically needed if you want to get anywhere, especially the big 5 american/NY publishing houses) and therefore will never get the chance for traditional publication. and some get picked up, but die somewhere in the process, and never make it to publication. that's why it's important (and i'm in the middle of breaking these rules, so i will be panicking about suicide blonde later, partially why i'm interested in writing a shorter standalone novel rn) to sort of write a novel, particularly debut/first novels that apply to the standards of the genre. for example, if you have a straight up, trope-driven romance, it MUST categorically have a happy ending and should probably fall within 70-90k. when you're an established career author, you have soooo much more flexibility to be like, fuck that, here's my 115k romance, but...that's a pro of having sway. by that time, you've demonstrated to publishers that you can sell a book, so they're much more likely to allow you to depart from genre/publishing conventions.

but, yes, some never get published. or, or, not right away. for example, people might have written four books before one ends up getting picked up. those other three dormant ones are referred to as trunked novels. often times, publishers like the idea of trunked novels, as it shows that you're not a one-trick pony who can only write this singular story. and, often times, a writer can publish that fourth book and then pull out those other three novels, re-examine them, and possibly publish them. for many authors, their debut novel that the world sees is often not the first book they wrote.

so there are a lot of anxieties, and i understand them all. legitimately, i do. that is why i would advise that, unless you are wealthy or have somebody willing and able to support you while you pursue your novel-writing career full-time, that you should always pursue another career to bring in money to support you while you write. it doesn't mean go to law school (unless that's your jam) and be a lawyer and never write again because at least you'll be guaranteed to bring home the big bucks, it just means find something you like enough to fill your days and pay your bills and use your free time to devote to your true passion until hopeful publication happens and your circumstances witness potential changes. tiktok/booktok, as much as i bash it, has also opened up a lot of opportunity for self-published work and writers too, so that is always an option and one that absolutely shouldn't be frowned upon. the trad publishing industry is known for being oversaturated with white, straight, cis writers as it is, so many POC, LGBT+ writers often have to take routes like self-publishing. it's not a bad thing, it's not a sign that you're a lower quality writer, and it does give you complete creative control over your own novel (i just recommend forking up enough to pay for a thorough, professional edit and get good at marketing yourself.)

i would never call writing/authoring a silly/unrealistic dream, it's just one that's not immediately available for many people and one that needs to be worked toward. so while you may need to push it to the side, it doesn't mean it's not there. like i said, scores and scores of writers wrote phenomenal books in their brief, squeezed moments of downtime. i've picked a full-time job, i have no other choice, and yet i make time to write because i love and prioritize it. things like children and other commitments might compromise this, but it's not something i contend with, so it's worth keeping in mind! use the free time while you have it and see what happens. even if i never get published, i'll never stop writing simply because i love it so much. if i die with a trunk of novels, then i die with a trunk of novels, but it's a sign i did with my life what made me happy, even if not successful.

so i rambled and am too lazy to go back to check for typos, so hopefully this was helpful and transparent and helped demystify things a bit! thanks for the encouragement and faith too!! please know that i go through moments of crisis and hopelessness literally every day, but i will persevere, and so will you !! (and u did not come off rudely at all, and if you have more questions, i'm always here <3)

#my writing advice is just to always keep writing #like fr just do it #that's all i tell myself in moments of doubt #✉︎ — confessions.

[self-proclaimed-best-blog]

The fear.

The fear of being judged regardless of who you're with is actually crazy. I feel icky just talking about it here. I think I find strangers more comforting than my actual friends because they don't have an expectation of what my interests or personality will be. I could be anything.

But the moment something I'm secretly passionate about comes up in a conversation with some close pals I'm fucking doomed. It's over. Roll the credits already. Put me out of my misery. Because even if it's in positive context; I don't want them to know! WHY DO I WANT THEM TO KNOW???

I want them to know but I don't want them to have certain ideas of me. Ideas consisting of being uncool, or weird. I'm already pretty trashed on at school for being quiet but if I opened up about my interests I'd dig the hole deeper.

I have a mental list of things to say that make me appear awesome without letting them know much. But also trying to make them comfortable to bring those things up around me. I have a list of interests that are okay and not okay for me to share.

Actually, recently I told some of my closest friends for... just about a year now about my interest in a dumbass anime and.

I can't even fucking say it I feel gross.

This one ship in an anime that happened to be gay. And I've liked this anime since I was a little kid and read the mangas at the library. I've never told anyone though. (It was Card Captor Sakura. Sue me for being a boy who thinks magical girls are cool.) And I opened up about Yukito and Touya and how they had so much more potential and all the shit that could possibly be infodumped was definitely infodumped that day... and now I'm scared they think I'm some asian-gay fetishizing weirdo.

I'm pretty sure one of them might genuinely think that which just isn't true. It just so happens the only time I've ever really talked about shit like that was then. You guys don't know what animal it is until you uncover the whole skeleton, right? I was just starting to feel like opening up more too but I'm regressing. So much progress because of paranoia and one dumbass person who barely knows me out of the group. IT'S FUNNY ACTUALLY! NOBODY THERE KNOWS ME. I like them. I guess I trust them. But nobody takes time out of their day to show interest or get talk to me (Except that one person. Shoutout to her). Sure, I make them gifts for events and maybe it's my fault I'm so closed off and ask for nothing in return.

I actually just got over my agro habit of avoiding saying "I love you" to the people I care about the most. BUT I'VE REGRESSED YET AGAIN! This is why they left me bruh. It's so easy to say "I love you" to someone random because I don't mean it that much but when a person is the absolute best thing to ever happen to me: I'm suddenly dodging the three words like my life depends on it.

All because I'm worried to be vulnerable. I haven't talked about... REALLY talked about my interests for years. I always say "Oh, never heard of it." When they come up because I'm so horrified of people seeing me as me. I only want people to think I'm awesome, I'm cool, I make cool art, I make funny comics, and I'm just a great, laid back, chill guy.

But I'm none of those things. I'm some loser nerd who spends all day playing niche video games, watching anime, reading manga, skimming through wiki pages, listening to OST, binging Bobs Burgers, watching shitty 80's movies, sulking, stressing, talking to myself, barely eating and writing a really depressive blog.

I probably imagine and make up conversations more than I actually HAVE them. Horrible habit. I can honestly see why they ghosted my ass now. I'm a fucking loser.

I wish I was somebody else. I wish I was actually cool.

But I can't do shit but fake it until all these lame interests wash away as I get older. God, I hope it's soon.

[queen-of-boops]

12,22,32,42,52,62 and 72 for the fanfiction asks!

12. Do you outline your fics?  If yes, how detailed are your outlines?  How far do you stray from them?

Depends on the fic honestly. For the most part though, I'm not a big outliner. Occasionally, I'll make very small notes on things I want to include, but I don't religiously follow them or anything.

22. Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process?  How do you come up with titles?

Again, sometimes I come up with a title immediately and sometimes I have to wrack my brain to think of one after I have finished the fic. The only thing that's consistent is that I never start with a title.

32. Do you take fic requests?  Why or why not?

Never thought about it. If someone had an idea they'd like to see, I'd happily look at it to see what I can do, but I can't guarantee that it would get finished. Sometimes I'm just not inspired by prompt.

42. What’s your favorite title that you’ve come up with?

Play to Win. It just fits Harry and the trope so well!

52. What’s the average word count of your fics?

My oneshots average about 4k, my chaptered probably 30-40k.

62. In [insert fic], is there a deleted scene/idea you wish you could have included?  Why did it get cut?

In Dead to Rights I had a whole flashback with Bobby's mom. But it just didn't really fit and didn't add anything, so I cut it

72. What’s your favorite writing compliment you’ve gotten?

@thesepromises is always giving me lovely compliments about my OCs, which I love since I'm always a little worried people won't like them or they'll seem too flat

Fanfiction ask game

#mo answers asks

[whyispotatoheadalreadytaken]

Something I wrote in January before the great rage. I shared snippets of thoughts along the way but this was what I had:

One of the hardest parts about not being a part of your life, as it is right now, is Rory. It is one of the deepest wells of grief that I carry. I never imagined that I'd not be a part of your children's lives. Rory is a part of you, and a part of you I'll never know, and that is so painful. I try to imagine what he is like based on your Spotify and snippets that I see. Suppose you'll allow me to be honest without having your brain go 0 to 60 in never sharing anything about him again. If you'll let and sit with me in this moment, a small part of me resents him because he changed everything. It is not fair to put that blame on a child who had nothing to do with anything, and I know that, but sometimes it feels like he's just another boy who stole you from me. Which, as I'm writing, is putting tears in my eyes. I had an outright mental breakdown when I made that connection. It's a tremendous amount of cognitive dissonance that has nothing to do with him; it's me. Hi. I'm the problem. And everything that I messed up. It gets worse when I cycle through my grief or you disappear. It's almost made me go back to therapy several times. It's all of the unresolved feelings I carry and experience. And he brings you so much joy, which is a joy I could never give you, which is also very painful. Please keep sharing, though, as much as you feel comfortable sharing. He makes me smile when I see a little video of him and his cuteness. There was one, and I can't remember which one, that had me laughing so hard I cried. It was related to you asking him to say different words like dada and then asked him to say mama, and he just made the cutest angry face and went NOOOOOOO. It was awesome. Kids are so funny, but I never know what to do with them. I love babies, though once they start toddling, my skills run out. He's the image of you, which can also be painful.

Thoughts I had about lil baby:

The hardest day was honestly the day you told me. Tried to play that cool, but I was kinda angry about it. Not because of the pregnancy, okay, well…maybe a little. But mostly because it was the first thing I saw when I landed in Hawaii on my anniversary. My brain saw it in the airport and went, “Nope.” I was so mad at your timing, which as consistently been a thing to make me angry in the past. I didn��t know at the time that you had just had your first ultrasound that same day, but I still was like, “Bruh, are you for real right now??? Today is my ANNIVERSARY. I just landed in HAWAII. On VACATION. And this is not the first time I’ve been given hard information or something from you while I’m in Hawaii and supposed to be living it up. So, that wasn’t great. I didn’t want to lose you or make you feel bad so I played it cool even though I was pretty upset.

The thing that upsets me the most about new baby is that it solidifies that I will not be around probably ever and it sucks that I have zero control over that. One was just one. It happened. But now two? And I’m also sitting here wondering if new baby was an accident or if that is what you wanted. And if it was what you wanted then that is okay!!!! You’ve always wanted to be a mom and I understand that. But I was left to process this in a very black and white way. Like, maybe Zoë and I should start planning for kids because I can’t just stop my life. That’s now been made very clear to me. I know Zoë wants a kiddo or two before she dies. Another piece of this that I am so very afraid to talk about or ask about is the John piece of it. And I’ll stop there because I really don’t want to say the wrong thing and make you think I’m being judgmental or shitty or something. I just worry about you and I want you to be okay. I know you’ll make this work cuz that’s what you do. You make things work always. You have always been the one to find a way to make it work. I’m just very afraid for a hypothetical day in which you can’t make it work. Not because you haven’t tried or you give up, but because you just can’t make it work. And by it, I mean everything. All of it. “It” isn’t just one thing. I don’t want that to happen, but it is a real concern that I have. And the worst part about that is that I can’t be there to help you and support you. I just have to be like lalalala I have no idea what’s happening!!!!!! I want you to be happy and to find that. I don’t want you to get to the end of your life and say, “Welp! I made it work!” famous last words. I know it isn’t that simple. Don’t worry, I can hear you. But as far as hearing updates about baby and Rory, it doesn’t upset me. I love getting snippets of them but I understand and respect your hesitancy. It isn’t a requirement and I know this is an area we don’t have that connection. I’m not there. I don’t know what’s going on or how all of this has really been for you. I have snippets, but that’s it. Any boundaries you want around that, I respect, and I don’t push. I get it. I still appreciate how generous you’ve been and the concerns you have had around the tone when communicating about this area. It’s very thoughtful. I wasn’t angry or upset. It’s just an added layer of complex grief, you know? One I’ll never stop feeling. It’s just how it is.

Aside from being crazy busy with school, I put breaks on sharing thoughts about kiddos after I shared that I was really scared about the alcohol piece. I dunno. I was sharing as a like “yo I’m scared about this being a thing, but I won't really know until the end of the semester,” so I could hold myself accountable because I didn’t want to become that thing. But when you share something like that, I can sometimes change how people see you, sometimes even unconsciously. Felt weird to share about baby stuff when I had shared what I had shared about myself. I am doing a lot better with that, though. Mattie’s first night with us was May 1st, and then I had a ciderboys on Sunday, like I said yesterday. I’ve been really intentional with the liquor piece, and I’m okay. I just can never ever let that happen again. I can never ever binge drink like that again. Now that school is done, it feels like something has clicked in my brain, which is terrific. I also feel like a person again, so that’s nice. I have been able to feel real joy since graduating, so I hope that’s a good sign that I won’t fall into that again. I won’t put myself in a position to wrestle with it again because there might not be a next time. Either I enact boundaries or become an alcoholic. The latter isn’t an option. Anyway. So, there were layers to my hesitancy in sharing, and I understand that not communicating about that would cause you anxiety, so I apologize for that. Just wanted to follow through after you shared your post.

[quotidian-oblivion]

FF ask: if a fic title was "New day, old problems" what would you write in it?

Just came up with that title on the spot and low-key not that bad

I love that title, Vibey. I think i'll call on you next time when i need to title something. Spare the readers from dad jokes for once.

Hmm, let's see. I would write about... ugh i cant think. I'm not in my writers mood rn. Which ask number is this? It's no. 13.

Hmm, i'd write about Tim going through A Day. He keeps being pelted with problems left and right. WE assignments. Overdue tasks. A new case opened up. A mugging that ended up with him getting stabbed. Jason's in the manor today and everyone is on edge as they always are with him. Just problems ad problems and he's getting stressed and stressed.

And then Damian's making a fuss cuz of course he does, he's a little brother and little brothers are legally obligated to get on their older brothers' nerves. So Damian's berating him about something, maybe his inattentiveness cuz he got stabbed in a mugging.

Dick is sending glances at him, unsure of whether or not to interrupt cuz Tim's been real cagey after the whole Bruce gets lost in time fiasco. Speaking of Bruce, they still haven't had that conversation after returning back.

So Tim gets up and walks away from Damian while the kid is still talking and then he trips, but manages to keep from falling, but it shakes his stitches and he's in pain and gets reminded of when he lost his spleen, he was bleeding in the desert and of how alone he felt and how he still feels lonely. He thought everything would be alright. He thought it would all be okay after saving Bruce. But it's not. It's still not okay. He's still alone.

He's always.

Fucking.

Alone.

So he crumples to his knees and his shoulders start shaking and tears start dripping and then the whole Cave freezes. Dick asks what happened and Tim... Tim doesn't have the strength to reply. He bursts into sobs. Openly. He doesn't care anymore.

The whole family gathers around him now, unsure as to how they can reassure him, but Tim throws himself to the person nearest to him. Which was coincidentally Bruce. He sobs into Bruce's arms and the delicate stitches rip and he's bleeding on him as well. But he doesn't care. He's given up now.

It seems that Bruce doesn't care either cuz he isn't showing any signs of letting go. Instead, he starts stroking Tim's hair. And Tim melts.

Snot and tears and drool are leaking everywhere. Tim hasn't cried in a long time. He's almost forgotten the experience.

"What's wrong, chum?" Bruce asks quietly, still running his fingers through his hair.

Tim is about to shake his head, but stops. He doesn't care now, does he? He doesn't care about what answer he gives.

"I feel alone," he whispers, so so quietly. And so so honestly. He's never been this honest before.

Anyway, so then the batfam comforts him blah blah. Damian was actually worried about his brother and didnt know how to express it. Dick too was worried and didnt know how to fix their relationship again. Jason was sorry and he still is cuz it was about time he accepted Tim as his brother. And Bruce... Bruce just wasn't sure if Tim still wanted to be his son.

And so, the batfamily and Tim learn an important lesson. Communication! Which, yk, is something they're sorely missing.

~

Idk if this is too long, but eh. I'm not gonna turn this into a proper fic though, dont really feel like it. If you or anyone else wants to, then thats fine! Give credit where its due and all, but yeah. Hope you like it cuz i literally made it on the spot and im still going through my burnout so idk if this is really that good.

Also, i dont usually write in present tense, i just plan plotlines in it. I mainly write with past tense cuz thats the only tense i feel is easy to be consistent with for me.

Thanks for this question, Vibes, I really liked it!

#quotidian asks #quotidian writes

[galacticlamps]

💘🌈🤍 for the fic writer asks? :)

💘Is there any posted fic you want to rework/re-edit/re-write?

Not especially? Little mistakes I'll fix whenever I notice them, even if it's on something that's been up for a long time already - and for anything I'd want to do a major overhaul on, I'm enough of a '2 cakes!' person to be down with writing a new fic on a similar concept, rather than rework one that already exists. Sidebar: that's actually how Shards of Memories & Fragments of Glass and Interrupted initially began, as kinda inverse/incompatible approaches to a similar moment - and I wasn't even frustrated with those, so I can only imagine how much more willing I'd be to write both ideas again if I thought it would be a massive improvement on a story.

((The fics of mine I like the least are also the ones I think about & re-read the least, so maybe there's something in one of them that I would be annoyed by enough to want to re-write, but it just isn't really on my mind? I suppose I look at Reckless and wonder why so little happens in 10k words, or I look at Oh, So Right and wonder if I shouldn't've held off and let that grow into something larger that incorporated more of my headcanons on the subject (I have a lot, but that fic was never meant to be the vehicle for them) - but it's not like I've ruled out doing that some day, so there's no real harm in it already existing as-is. Honestly I think my whole 5+1 series is pretty unbalanced - some like In the Kitchen feel better suited to being a chapter than a whole fic of its own, whereas others feel more like their own independent stories - and I think if I set out to do something like that again, I'd aim for more consistency, but it's not like I want to rewrite those actual fics just so they'd fit together better. If I recall correctly, On the Spot is probably fairly silly, but it's meant to be and there are about a million different versions of proposal & get together fics I have in my head - that one's far from being my favorite version but it doesn't hurt to've gotten one of them out of my system at least.))

🌈is there a fic that you worked *really fucking hard on* that no one would ever know? maybe a scene/theme you struggled with?

See, the thing I struggle with the most is length, and to some extent it really affects everything I write - because it's not as if I'm just anti-long fics, it's that I have a problem with consistently under-estimating what the word count on just about any wip will become. And then I worry if I'm pulling focus & distracting from what I actually want the story to be about with unnecessary word vomit - so I tend to do a lot of second guessing, shortening & looking for things to cut before I post anything, and sometimes I get waaaay too concerned about that, for relatively little payoff. In that regard, it would be much simpler to list the fics I miraculously didn't struggle with lol

But to talk specifics - there's a bit of anti-gravity business in Small Hours in a Wide Universe that I super stressed about narrating, and I sincerely hope no one would ever know - in that case, the problem was that I could see the actions very clearly in my mind & wanted to make sure I articulated it well enough that the reader could too, but the extra dimensions & scifi environment gave me a kind of limited vocabulary to describe movement with specificity. Since I know what it's supposed to look like though I'm not a good judge of if the description I ultimately wrote works well or if it's obvious reading it that I struggled there.

Your Life Begins By Leaving was another that I guess I had trouble with? It spent much longer than usual in my 'on deck' pile, but I wasn't working on it so consistently that it required major trouble to become stalled - again, I was just worried about sort of focus & mood and if I was overshadowing certain things with less necessary bits.

(there are 3 wips in particular that I would love love love to've posted & be able to answer this about one day, because those are truly the ones I've struggled the most with - but right now the only reason no one would know is because they literally don't exist in anyone's minds but my own lol)

🤍what’s one fic of yours you think people didn’t “get”?

I don't think this is really a case of people not 'getting' it as much as people just not caring about it as much as I do, and that's understandable - of everything I've posted, Wedding Colors is probably the most Gen & deals the least in romantic pairings - which a) is already a less popular subject in fanfic, and b) possibly even actively disappoints people by sounding like it would be more overtly romantic, given the title. But that's what I wanted to write, and I did, and I even tagged it as 'one day i decided i needed a Two/Jamie wedding fic that was actually about Zoe and this is that,' so I was kinda as upfront as I could be. (I do find it funny though, because when I'm writing things that are more exclusively Two/Jamie focused, I'll often wonder if I've done a poor job of contriving some reason for the other companions to be absent - sometimes I even feel bad writing them out, bc I think there's a great importance in a healthy romantic relationship also being part of healthy dynamics among any kind of friend group or found family, so I don't want to feel like I'm sidelining everyone because I don't think they're relevant - and yet if we're going by statistics, a fic that does heavily involve those other people & their perspectives on the romance IS in fact less appealing than ones without them, apparently)

The only other one that even slightly comes to mind is Bath Salts & Bruises, but again, saying people don't get it sounds unnecessarily harsh. I did mention once that its stats are pretty unique - if you rank my fics by hits, it's in the top half, by kudos it's in the bottom half, by bookmarks the bottom 4, and by comment threads dead last - which would seem to paint a picture of attracting more attention than it did interest or appreciation - whereas personally, it's a kind of favorite! I'm rather proud of the particular angle I took on their relationship in that one, it's one I believe in headcanon-wise (which I don't always - sometimes I just write things I could see happening because a story seems fun, and not because it's reflective of my more consistent beliefs about the characters) and for something I was a little nervous to write about, I was pretty satisfied with how I executed it too. But again, I don't think this is truly a case of anyone not getting something and more of just varied tastes, and it for sure has some stuff that objectively works against it. It's near the end of a series that took me months to write, versus the beginning installments that you'd expect to receive more attention. Most installments in that series are missing scenes during or after tv episodes - this one's set after a Big Finish audio, and to make matters worse, one that's part of a box set in a relatively unpopular range. Like the wedding one, it might also be a kind of false advertising too - it's a bath scene, the characters are nude for most of it and touching each other and even thinking about sex more directly than usual in most of my stuff - and yet it's not at all steamy or spicy or whatever you want to call it, and nothing ever comes of those thoughts, which could be a let down in terms of expectations/disappointment. And then there's also the fact that this is, I think, the most blatantly ace I've ever written Jamie - which could in itself annoy or even just fail to appeal to people who don't agree with that take - but he's also pretty clearly not uninterested in potentially sleeping with the Doctor. That combination makes perfect sense to me because it overlaps with some of my own experiences as an ace person, but could easily serve to confuse people who've spent less time considering asexuality, while at the same time even alienating other people who are more familiar with its nuances, but whose experiences or perception of the character are at odds with that particular detail.

So I've no reason to believe anyone hates it or is actually super confused by it, but it certainly doesn't appeal to others as much as it does to me (and that's fine, nobody at all could read it ever & I'd still be quite glad I wrote it!)

#ask games #what's the opposite of wips? #oh right #fics