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muffinlance · 3 months

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Wait, what’s going on with Embers???? That fic has been on my read later list since 2021, what’s happened with it???

Brief overview, then I'm likely never touching this topic again, because this is not a Drama Blog:

Context: Embers is a super old AtLA fic that was written during the early fandom days, read widely at the time, and was the origin of the widely-used fanon name of "Wani" for Zuko's ship (kind of by default that it was one of the first popular fics to give his ship a name, I think?), even though most fic writers don't seem to realize it's from there anymore.

"What's Going On": I used to include a link in all my stories to it, because I believe in crediting other writers for borrowed elements, and I was using "Wani" in all my fics. But BOY did I not want to be sending readers that way anymore, so I've adopted a new name for Zuko's ship, and removed all Embers links.

None of the criticisms about Embers itself are new; I'm assuming they date back to when the fic was being written, because this isn't an "it aged badly" thing, this is an "actually yeah this gets worse the longer you think about it and I shouldn't have ignored my bad feelings just because some of the worldbuilding was interesting" thing.

An Incomplete List of Why I Made the Change:

I don't actually like the story that much anymore, and don't want to rec it

I tried to re-read it recently to see if some things were as bad as I remembered and it turns out they were So Much Worse Oh Yikes. More specifically, the treatment of Katara and Aang and their respective cultures has... rather a lot going on. One example: The Fire Nation and Air Nomads are both given multiple backstory elements in an attempt to make the average Fire Nation soldier's participation in the genocide/war in large part the fault of the Avatar and the Air Nomads themselves, and also fully justified from the Fire Nation perspective. And I do mean fully. One of its core tenants is "People from the Fire Nation (and only people from the Fire Nation) who don't follow orders Literally Die, therefore murdering pacifists and babies and continuing the war (and their regularly scheduled war crimes) is the only thing it is physically possible for them to do". I cannot emphasize enough how literal that is.

Also the name "Wani" means "Alligator" and is... objectively a pretty lame name for Zuko's ship? Where's the personality, where's the deeper meaning, where's the resonance with Zuko's themes? @tuktukpodfics initially thought I was calling the ship "Wanyi", and that's what I've switched to, because it is Objectively So Much Better. In their words: “Wànyī (萬一): Literally ‘one in ten thousand,’ ‘perchance.’ Used grammatically in Chinese to mean ‘what if’ or ‘just in case.’ I think a ship called ‘The Perchance’ is perfect for a boy clinging to false hope.”

TL:DR; I don't rec Embers anymore, because I don't actually like the story anymore, and there are things about it that get worse the more I think on them. I've removed links to it and renamed Zuko's ship to "Wanyi" ("The Perchance") because our boy deserves a ship name that reflects his character arc.

#for the record if you ever find something kind of rancid in my fics #do please let me know #EX: I've rewritten scenes to be better Actual Blind Rep for Toph based on blind reader feedback #and I'm debating how hard it would be to ignore/re-write the canon issues of Water Tribe sexism (for the Southern Tribe at the least)#because that is a common complaint I see from the people who's RL cultures the Water Tribes was based on #probably I can do more interesting things with that going forward #in other words justice for Hama and Hahn #at least the show itself made Hama excellently complex #anyways back to doing actual writing #please no follow up questions #though I will say anyone who wants to update their own fics to use Wanyi (or any other name): go for it!#all you need to do is plop your chapters in a word editor and find/replace the ship name! it took about 40 minutes to do literally #all of my fics and I had some other editing to do besides! it'll be even quicker for you!#let's sink the Wani #avatar the last airbender #atla #Zuko

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candlelitwriting · 6 years

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Helpful Writing Sites

Hi! Today I thought I’d make a post about everything I have in my “Writing” folder in my favourites bar, so here you go:

Google Docs:

A Microsoft Word-like website. I don’t use it for actual writing anymore, but it’s amazing for working with betas and editors! (also for group school projects)

Body Language:

An article both amazing for figuring out what you mean, and for when you want to have your character do something other than stand there.

12 Insults We Should Bring Back:

Article I stumbled upon a while ago, I saved it just in case I ever wanted to use one of these insults in my writing.

Futuristic Name Wheel:

A wheel I use for “The Outside”’s minor characters, comes in handy especially when I’m feeling creatively drained.

Futuristic Last Name Wheel:

Same as before

The Messy Middle:

Article for when I’m stuck during a novel. Helps a lot.

22 Prompts:

Ideas to get out of writers’ block or start something new!

Very Modifiers:

Ugh, “Very”, the hated word. Here are some replacements!

Create Space:

Most people know about this, but it’s a print-on-demand service where you can publish your books for free! I used it for a horrible book I published last year, please don’t try to find it. If you do I WILL know and I will track you down and murder you.

3 Ways To Know When To End Your Chapters:

For when you don’t know if this part is one chapter or two.

NaNoWriMo:

Everyone knows about this, but very November they motivate writers from all over he world to finish 50,000 words in a month! It’s incredibly fun and motivating.

Wattpad:

I haven’t used it in years, but here you can virtually publish your books for people to read for free.

Goodreads:

This isn’t really writing (but you can add your own books). A reader websie where you can keep track of what you and your friends are reading and review books.

43 Words You Should Cut From Your Writing Immiedetly:

The ugly words... amazing article for editing.

Nameberry:

A plethora of amazing names. I use it every time I need to name a character.

Wheel Decide:

If you’re indecisive, this website will help you a LOT. Just add what you want and spin the wheel!

ProWritingAid:

Amazing at checking for errors, cliches, sticky sentences, etc.

Grammarly:

Amazing at checking grammatical errors, when I finish a story on Word I always plop it down here and it catches things Word didn’t. In fact, I’m using it to write this post.

That’s it, feel free to add more!

#writeblr #writing #writing tips #writing websites #author #writer

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oh-my-spn-one-shots · 7 years

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What Destiny Has Chosen - Story Time

Words: 2.133

Pairing: Sabriel (Sam x Gabriel)

Warnings: Retelling of violence, psychological pain

Summary: Sam and Gabriel spend some alone time. What is Sam going to think of Gabriel after finding out about his past? (Contains a shortened and much less graphic version of Gabriel's Story, which I will link below)

A/N: As promised, here comes another chapter. I hope you won’t have to wait so long for the next but I can’t promise anything, me and my beta/editor/friend @godisalwayswright are very busy at the moment but we’ll do our best. As always, comments, likes and reblogs are very welcome. Love ya all!

What Destiny Has Chosen series:

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7

Prequel Gabriel

Part One Part Two

Gabriel grins from ear to ear as he follows the black car to Sam's place. He had finally told Sam about them being soulmates and, what is even more important, convinced Sam to believe him. So needless to say, he feels on top of the world, just completely fantastic, like nothing could ever hurt him again.

The blonde haired man thinks back to the kiss they shared, it wasn’t particularly heated but filled with meaning and Gabriel thinks he's already on his way to being addicted to kissing Sam Winchester.

Sam Winchester... His soulmate. Even thinking that makes a warm, prickling feeling spread through his body. But then Gabriel starts thinking about his secrets and his past, the things he'd have to tell Sam.

What will Sam think about him once he knows his brother is a murderer? Will Sam think differently about him? Will they be okay? Will he still consider a relationship?

All these questions dampen the happiness in his heart but at least they don't kill it altogether. He must trust Sam to not think of his brother's faults as Gabriel's.

Gabe parks the motorbike in the parking lot next to the impala and climbs off, taking off his helmet and holding onto it tight.

A small, content smile spreads on his face as Sam gets out of the car and mentions him to follow. Gabriel quickly catches up to Sam and his brother.

"So you're back to talking, huh?" Jake raises a brow at them as he unlocks the door.

"Yes and now shut up." Sam grins and leads Gabriel inside. "We'll be in my room if you need us." He calls over his shoulder before smirking as he walks to his room slowly and clearly still in at least a little pain from his healing injuries. Sam swings open the door and holds it for Gabriel who walks in, eager to get out of the sight of Sam's brother's curious and suspicious eyes.

As Sam closes the door behind them and turns around, Gabriel has already plopped himself down on the bed.

"So you're Gabriel Novak, not George Smith." Sam states more than asks.

Gabriel nods slightly. "In the flesh. And you're Sam Winchester and not Tom Baker." This gets a nod from Sam this time.

"So you're not named after the actor of the 4th doctor after all." Gabriel jokes and Sam laughs.

"No I'm not." An uncomfortable silence spreads between them and Sam takes a deep breath and steps closer to the boy on his bed.

"So why do you have a fake identity?" Sam's question hangs in the air heavily for a few moments and he can see Gabriel's smile fade to be replaced with an expression of sorrow.

Sam sits down on bed next to him and frowns. It feels alien but at the same time oh so right as he reaches out to take Gabriel's hands in his own and squeezes it reassuringly.

The taller boy is about to say that the other doesn't have to tell him as Gabriel starts to speak.

"My brother and I are in witness protection program." Gabriel says quietly, looking at their joined hands on the blanket.

Shock is written over Sam's features as he squeezes Gabe's hand softly once more, not saying anything. He wants to give his friend time to open up at his own pace.

After a few deep shuddering breaths, golden eyes lock with worried green ones. "When I was 8 years old I came home from school, proud that I had gotten an A on a test I had studied for with my oldest brother." Gabriel states, glad that Sam isn't asking any questions, though the confusion is evident in his eyes at the mention of an older brother.

"Lucifer called me to the cellar and I went without hesitation. What I found wasn't the brother I grew up with but a cruel and cold replacement. Lucifer had our father tied to a chair and told me about his mother. Our father cheated on his mother with ours when he was drunk and it broke Lucifer's mother’s heart who later died with Luci watching. Anyway, he then forced me to witness dad being tortured."

Gabriel has to look away as he gulps, feeling unshed tears burning in his eyes, his whole body is shivering. Sam notices and immediately pulls him close to his chest, taking the blanket off the bed and wrapping it about the two of them.

Gabriel leans against Sam heavily, he's never talked about this to anyone but Cas, his mother and a therapist who claimed him okay after 4 meetings. Talking to Sam now feels weird, it opens up old wounds but at the same time it feels like now they finally have the chance to really heal.

Sam still hadn't said anything but Gabriel is fine with that. His left hand entwined with Sam as the other comes to rest on Sam's chest, playing with a button of his shirt. A small smile tugs at the corners of the shorter boy's face as he registers the hard muscles underneath the clothing covering Sam. Gabe then closes his eyes and continues to tell the story.

"I begged him to stop but Lucifer said that if I did anything I'd be put in my father's place." The hand rubbing circles on Gabriel's back feels good, making him relax just a little, making it easier to talk.

"Michael, my second oldest brother, came bursting in and when he saw what happened he attacked Lucifer, tackled him. I don't think it was intentional but Lucifer was still holding the knife he used to hurt our father and it impaled Michael's chest." At the last word Gabriel's voice breaks and the tears finally start falling, from Sam’s shoulder Gabe looks up at him.

Sam looks at Gabe, not with pity as Gabe had feared but with worry and a weird sort of pain that Gabriel can't really get a read on. After a moment Sam leans down a bit, lifting Gabriel's chin a bit as he kisses him softly, comfortingly on the lips. Both their eyes are closed and Gabriel lets go, losing himself in the kiss for a moment, letting it charge his batteries.

After a bit Sam breaks the kiss and peppers small kisses on Gabriel's cheeks, after a bit Gabriel notices that Sam is kissing away the tears still falling steadily from his eyes. It feels good, he feels cherished by Sam and that sparks something inside him. It tickles in Gabriel's tummy, for the first time he understands the metaphor ‘butterflies in your stomach’.

As Sam wipes away the last tracks of tears with his thumb, Gabriel rests his head once again on Sam's shoulder.

A minute later Gabriel finds his voice once again, determined to finish telling his story this time. "Lucifer looked shocked as Michael laid on the ground, dying. I ran over there and tried to help my brother, not knowing what to do. But since Lucifer wasn't paying us any attention Mike managed to sneak me his phone, telling me to call 911.

I held Michael's hand as he died but I had to call 911, after all it was the last thing he asked of me. I don't know how I managed but I called and only after saying a few words already, did Lucifer register. I started running away, desperate to finish the call before Lucifer caught me. He knocked me out cold. When I woke up in hospital they told me that my father and Mike were dead."

The tight squeeze around him caused by Sam calmed him in a weird way, it was as if this hug is holding Gabe together, stopping him from breaking.

"They caught Lucifer not long after but he only got a 10 years prison sentence. My mother died a year ago, she's had depressions ever since 'the incident'. I had only turned 17 but the witness protection program didn't want my brother and I to get a guardian. They had me checked by a psychologist who declared me mature enough to look after myself and my brother. They changed my fake ID's birthday so I was officially 18 years old. We live off the money the state sends us and what we inherited from our parents. I always wanted to one day have a real family again, one of the reasons I was so desperate to find my soulmate."

Gabriel finally ends his story and feels Sam rest his lips on the top his head. They sit like this for a while but as Gabe yawns Sam snuggles them in the bed, so they're fully laying on it, their heads resting on the pillow. Gabriel snuggles into Sam's side, his head now on his chest, listening to the strong and steady heartbeat of his soulmate.

"You're unbelievably strong Gabriel. I'm proud that you managed to get through all of that without breaking. You've become an incredible person and I can't believe I deserve a soulmate like you." It's the first time that Sam has spoken since Gabriel started telling his story. The low rumble of the taller boy's voice soothes Gabriel like nothing else, finally allowing him to completely relax.

A weight that had been crushing down on the smaller boy for a decade now feels like it's been lifted off his shoulders, if only partially. Gabriel can breathe much easier now, knowing Sam is here to support him.

Gabe yawns again, pulling up these memories and being accepted by Sam even after finding out about his history has left him exhausted. Sam starts rubbing soothing circles on Gabriel's shoulder blades.

"Sleep some Gabriel, I promise I'll be here when you wake up." Sam mumbles softly and wraps the other boy tighter in his embrace and the blanket, not caring that they're both still wearing shoes and all their school clothes.

"Thank you." Gabriel whispers back as his eyes droop and finally fall closed, his breath evens out and he falls into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Sam couldn't sleep, even if he wanted to, so he just watches Gabriel, thinking about everything he'd just heard. He closes his eyes and finally drifts off to sleep.

After a few hours a knock on the door has them both wake up.

"I don't want to know what you're up to in there but I've prepared dinner so you better get your lazy asses out here." The words are accompanied by another loud bang on the door before they can hear steps pounding back to the kitchen.

Sam looks at Gabriel apologetic. "I'm sorry, he can be an ass. How are you?" He kisses Gabe's cheek softly.

"I'm fine Sammy." Gabriel states and leans over, propping himself up on Sam's chest a bit as he leans in to kiss him happily. Sam smiles into the kiss and tangles a hand in Gabriel's hair, pulling him closer. It's not long till they have to pull apart to breathe but they both have grins plastered on their faces.

"Could we keep this to us for just a little longer?" Sam asks softly and Gabriel nods eagerly, not wanting anyone else to know for now either.

Once more Sam pecks his lips before pushing himself up on his elbows and huffs a laughs as he hears Gabriel's stomach growl loudly.

"Let's go eat before either your stomach eats itself or my brother decides to look what we're doing here after all." He helps Gabriel to his feet and kisses his head and fixes his hair a bit before opening the door for Gabe and leading him to the kitchen.

At the smell of lasagne and garlic bread that hits them at entering the kitchen, Gabriel's stomach growls once more in anticipation, even louder than before. "This is what heaven must smell like."

The older Winchester snorts at that comment but can't hold back a flattered smile. "Come sit."

Sam and Gabriel don't have to be told twice and they immediately sit down at the dinner table.

The lasagna Dean pull’s out of the oven could feed a small army but neither of them seem to mind and Gabriel eyes the food like a lion does his prey.

A minute later each of them has a huge plate filled with steaming food placed in front of them and not another word is wasted as they all dig in hungrily.

A breathy moan drops from Gabriel's lips around his first bite. "Holy shit! This is so good!" He exclaims, voice muffled by food.

The brothers look at him with matching smiles (and a small blush on Sam's face) and quirked eyebrows but as they continue eating, the noises they make aren't any better.

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