#awtwb predictions

[nick-eyre]

This is the only Baz Haircut I will accept 

#Mullet!Baz #my art #baz pitch #tyrannus basilton grimm pitch #carry on #wayward son #awtwb #awtwb predictions #simon snow #rainbow rowell #I think I may have accidentally drawn him handsome again #Im sorry clev #also Ik he doesnt have yellow eyes don't @ me #I just think they look cool

[seducing-a-vampire]

ON BEING HONEST AND WHY I THINK SIMON WILL BE THE FIRST TO SAY “I LOVE YOU”

Two things sparked this meta:

Baz yelling “you’re so beautiful” to Simon, but Simon not hearing it— the moment that lives rent-free in my head 24/7

Rainbow’s recent Fall for the Book interview, when she said that she thinks that Baz is “settling for Simon” in Wayward Son

Here’s something we all know: our guys really suck at saying nice things out loud to each other. For two people are constantly thinking nauseatingly sweet and loving things about each other, they almost never actually verbalize them. 

I ended up going through a lot of quotes and tracking some of the nice things that they actually do say to each other, and I’ll offer some very  r a m b l i n g  thoughts on what I think Simon and Baz’s respective paths indicate for AWTWB. 

I was interested in the intersection of when Simon and Baz are being honest to each other (aka saying some of the nice things that they’re always thinking) with when Simon and Baz are being honest about themselves (aka self-acceptance).

TL;DR, my prediction for their path through honesty is:

Simon’s self-acceptance (which starts at the end of WS)

Simon’s honesty to Baz re: love

Baz’s honesty to Simon re: love

Baz’s self acceptance

**Below the cut because it got super long, yikes**

Phase 1: Simon being nice/honest in CO

The first nice-ish interaction between Simon and Baz in Carry On is when Simon follows Baz up to the Mage’s office, and they find Baz’s baby photo:

“Here,” [Simon] says softly, holding it out to me. “I’m… sorry.” (204)

Simon tones down his initial hostility in this scene after he sees the photo. This moment, along with Natasha’s visitation, catalyzes a real change in how Simon views Baz, and it’s indicative of the larger shift (vulnerability → Simon seeing Baz as more than his enemy → Baz wearing jeans → oops I love him). This trajectory continues during their truce-- there are still a few moments of hostility, but honestly on the whole, Simon is pretty nice to Baz:

“You don’t want to hurt me,” I say, trying to push him back. “Isn’t that right? I’m sorry. Look at me, I’m sorry.” (210)

“I’ll help you,” he says (217)

“Baz,” I yell. “No! You’re flammable!” (238)

All of this culminates in the kisses in the forest, and Simon says a few more nice and affirming things around that point:

“They say your soul dies.”   “That’s tosh,” he says. (300)

“You’re not a monster,” I say. His face is cold as a corpse in my hand. “I was wrong. All those years. You’re a bully. And a snob. And a complete arsehold. But you’re not one of them.” (339)

“I won’t,” I say. I’ve never turned my back on you. And I’m not starting now.” (340)

Something that stood out to me after reviewing these moments is that Simon’s shift from enemies to lovers is actually pretty linear. As he learns more about Baz during their truce and they grow closer, Simon hates Baz less and consequently says nicer things to him, until he ultimately realizes he doesn’t hate Baz at all, so he kisses him and asks him to be his boyfriend. Weirdly logical behavior for someone so thick. Simon is being pretty open and honest, and this makes sense because Simon understands himself pretty well at this point. His big crisis of character comes in the next book. 

The thing is, at this point in Carry On, Baz has not said a single nice thing to Simon. The closest you could get is when he asks Simon to come to his house for Christmas, which is a great moment but is quickly muddled by their ensuing fight. 

(awesome thoughts about that moment here)

Baz has acted nicely, but he has remained sarcastic and aloof even after Simon kisses him. 

We get a few compliments of Simon’s power:

“You have to stop doing that.”  

“What?”

“Godlike displays of magic.” (348)

“You’re the most powerful magician alive-- who’s ever lived, probably.” (355)

I won’t repeat @super-duper-twelve’s brilliant meta on this, but this category of compliment is not ultimately that useful for their general communication.

Simon keeps pushing, despite the cold walls Baz tries to put up, and he asks Baz to be his “terrible boyfriend.” Honestly, it astounds me how much confidence Simon must’ve had to just shoot his shot there, because Baz was not giving him a ton of reason to think he’d go for it. Me as simon would’ve definitely been like: ok cool, nice kiss, he definitely still hates me though.

Phase 2: Baz being nice/honest

I want to be clear: it’s perfectly understandable why Baz, a flawed fictional character, is not nice to Simon. His trajectory from enemies to lovers is completely different, because he’s spent years loving Simon while acting like his enemy. He’s had great practice at that, and it’s the most relatable thing ever that he is afraid of getting hurt when he’s believed Simon to be an impossible dream for so long. This is also understandable when viewed through the lens of self-acceptance because huge facets of Baz’s identity are constantly being covered up and ignored by himself or by the people close to him (vampire, gay). He knows himself, sure, but he’s a very long way from self-acceptance.

Anyway, Baz does actually agree to be Simon’s boyfriend, and we get a couple of honest Nice Things that they say to each other during that brief period.

Unfortunately, this mutual honesty/niceness is incredibly short lived, because everything changes quickly after this: Humdrum, Mage, Ebb, etc. Simon’s world falls apart, and Baz is there to comfort him, affirm him, and (finally) be honest and nice. Their whole dynamic turns on its head. 

“You did it, didn’t you?” Baz whispers. “You defeated the Humdrum. You saved the day, you courageous fuck. You absolute nightmare.” (491)

“It’s going to be okay… it’s all right, love.” (492)

“You were the centre of my universe,” I say. “Everything else spun around you.” (506)

“Looking at you was like looking directly into the sun.” (507)

“You’re still Simon Snow. You’re still the hero of this story--” (507)

“It was brave. It was brave and selfless and clever. That’s who you are, Simon. And I’m not going to get bored with you.” (507)

“I choose you,” I say. “Simon Snow, I choose you.” (508)

To summarize and possibly oversimplify:

Up until the night of the Mage and Ebb’s death, Simon was the one pushing forward, being honest, and looking to break down the boundaries and walls between them. 

After that point, Baz finally feels ready to be all in with Simon, and Simon retreats inward. 

Phase 3: Wayward Son

We see this dynamic play out in Wayward Son, with almost no change throughout the whole book. Right from the very first chapter, Simon is thinking:

“Everything that happened with the Mage and the Hum-drum just made Baz more of who he was meant to be… He proved himself as a man and a magician. He proved himself right: The Mage really was evil! And I really was a fraud—’the worst Chosen One who’s ever been chosen,’ just like Baz used to say. He was right about me all along. “ (8)

I think it’s really notable that Simon can use his boyfriend’s words to justify his own worst self-doubts and self-loathings, because it indicates the consequences of them spending way more time insulting each other than ever being honest and affirming.

In Wayward Son, tender and honest moments between Simon and Baz are few and far between and mostly in the form of post-battle kisses. The only real communication that we see between them comes in flashbacks, wherein we see how much Simon has pulled back from Baz (the descriptions of his reaction to physical intimacy being one example of this). 

Even when Baz says nice things to Simon and affirms him, Simon’s presumed depression largely keeps him from believing and internalizing those things (through no real fault of either person. Again, very understandable ways for both of these flawed characters with traumatic pasts to behave!!!!!). Baz yells, “you’re so beautiful” to Simon, and he doesn’t even hear him (a gutting moment that I consider indicative of the general dynamic between them throughout the book).

Now, we get to Rainbow’s comments about Baz “settling for Simon.” I feel this. Simon is pushing Baz away and giving Baz basically nothing, and that is not a healthy dynamic. Baz is going through his own crap and self-doubt and self-acceptance, and Simon is not there for him apart from fits of jealous rage. As we learned in Carry On, it takes a lot for Baz to even feel remotely comfortable expressing his feelings for Simon, and with many months lacking that, it starts to wilt. 

What’s next: Prologue and AWTWB

Of course, the moment of truest communication in the second book comes at the very end:

“Why can’t you just admit that you’d be happier here?” “Why can’t you see that I wouldn't be happier anywhere without you?” (353)

I think the key to understanding what might come after this agonizing moment lies with Simon’s thoughts as he sits alone on the beach.

Before Baz arrives, Simon’s not thinking about his boyfriend. He’s thinking about himself. He’s contemplating his role in the World of Mage’s (hello, synopsis for AWTWB), and he’s taking a good, long look in the mirror. He’s starting to be honest about himself and accept himself (not perfectly, and I think this imperfect acceptance is reflected in his expressed desire to get rid of his wings, but he’s getting there). 

When Simon talks about Baz staying in America and being happy, Simon is not closing himself up and pushing Baz away, which he had done for so long and which caused so much miscommunication up to this point. Rather, this is a moment of true honesty on Simon’s part. 

Baz does need to learn more about himself and his vampirism. Simon recognizes this about Baz, just as Simon is trying to understand himself, too. In this moment, Simon is being true and vulnerable and speaking from a place of love. Baz refuses to self-reflect honestly and understand the truth in what Simon is saying, instead clinging to his love for Simon (without actually verbalizing that love). Throughout WS, Baz makes very stunted progress (see: his floral clothing as symbolism, being able to retract his fangs, meeting other vampires and learning about immortality and all that fun stuff), but in the end he doesn’t let himself actually think about that in any real way. Despite what Simon says, Baz has not yet “become more of who he was meant to be.” 

Importantly, this is in the “Prologue,” the beginning of the next phase in their healing and their relationship. As the balance shifts, this could be the beginning of real communication, but Simon needs to take the next step. At the end of WS, Baz is the one holding back. Baz isn’t able to accept himself honestly, so he won’t be able to fully let Simon in, either. 

Until Simon says “I love you,” they won’t get anywhere in their relationship. Simon needs to say it first, he needs to be vulnerable and honest in a way that he hasn’t been since before the Mage’s death, and Baz needs to understand those feelings in order to fully express his own. Then, I see Simon’s fully expressed love and support as a catalyst for Baz’s final self-acceptance. 

I think Simon will be unable to fully express his love for Baz until he has understood and accepted himself. However, Baz will continue to prioritize Simon/love over his own self-acceptance until either (A) Simon and Baz break up, or (B) Baz finally has confidence and security in their relationship because Simon has broken down the barriers of honesty and said “I love you.” Simon needing to say “I love you” first also gets at the idea of Simon needing to become someone that Baz deserves (per Rainbow’s words). 

So, I predict this as their path through honesty:

Simon’s self-acceptance (which starts at the end of WS)

Simon’s honesty to Baz re: love

Baz’s honesty to Simon re: love

Baz’s self acceptance

And then they will live happily ever after. The end.

*** Please let me know what you think and if this makes any sense!! ***

#carry on meta #wayward son #simon snow meta #carry on #awtwb #awtwb predictions #snowbaz #my nonsense

[bazzybelle]

Hello, my love! 🥰 May I humbly trouble you to answer questions 1, 4, and 6 for the AWTWB prompts? If you’d be so very kind! 🙏🙏🙏

❤️❤️❤️

Hello my lovely! Thank you for gracing me with such a wonderful ask! 💜💜

1) How are you feeling about AWTWB?

I'm so flipping excited! Have you seen the book!?! It's MASSIVE! So much story! So much new Canon material! I am so PUMPED to settle down and just absorb it all!

I'm feeling a little sad that it's the last book, but I'm glad it's ending on Rainbow's terms and that she's telling the story she wants to tell.

I'm a little anxious, but I'm also anxious about everything... I'm trying to trust the driver of this car and that she'll get us to the ending in one piece... or, MOSTLY in one piece (it wouldn't be a Rainbow book if it didn't destroy me on the inside).

4) Any general predictions/headcanons you'd like to share?

Oh... You're all gonna hate me for this... xD

Ok so right off the top, Simon and Baz are gonna split up. They will spend the majority of the book separate from each other.

Baz’s vampire secret will be revealed to the Coven. There has been TOO MANY ALLUSIONS to the danger of him being a Vampire that something has to happen.

Baz is gonna go SIP SIP! This will probably happen toward the end, maybe in a fit of desperation. Or... Rainbow will lead up to it in the Epilogue, but won't explicitly show it.

6) What is your biggest hope for AWTWB?

THAT BOTH SIMON AND BAZ GET THEIR BOOTIES TO THERAPY!!! PLEASE! CAN THAT HAPPEN?

Taken from THIS AWTWB ask!

#awtwb asks #awtwb predictions #awtwb #any way the wind blows #ask thing #ask me things

[adamarks]

Simon has such a scent kink. it’s not bad but I’m like rainbow pls I understand that baz smells like a waterfall in autumn.

I’m like cowering in the corner from all of his fucking kinks hes such a fucking horndog

#absolutely disgusted too that we predicted half these kinks with wolves #y’all remember wolves #I do and apparently uh #awtwb spoilers

[undertheshivers]

Before I read the final book, here are my Very Serious bingo predictions

#simon baz #simonsnow #baz pitch #awtwb #prediction #baz grimm pitch #carry on #wayward son #agatha wellbelove #penny bunce #Shepard #in case it wasn’t clear this is a joke #I would never want to put Penny through any of that #Agatha will not have fun #nor is straight #and I’m very sorry for the mpreg #bingo #bingo prediction

[magiannaladdmac]

I just forgot about an exam until four minutes before I had to take it and I completely bombed it. If any of you Carry On fans would please help me feel better I would love to heart your head cannons for AWTWB.

What do you think will happen? Why?

What do you think will get resolved?

Do you think Simon will find out about his family?

Any soft snowbaz moments?

What are you looking forwards to the most?

What do you think is the context of the snippets Rainbow has given us? (The Fiona one and the one with Bazs shirt)

ALSO for wayward son analyzers - what is the purpose of beginning wayward son with an epilogue and ending with a prologue?

Thank you please respond to this I am very sad

#carry on #simon snow #baz pitch #wayward son #carry on fandom #snowbaz #any way the wind blows #books and libraries #wayward son spoilers #awtwb #AWTWB #ws #simon snow trilogy #carry on predictions #awtwb theories #carry on theories #I just failed a test and want to cry

[thehoneyedhufflepuff]

I'm just going to say it.

"Baz is bouncing between two family crises."

& one of them is the crisis of Dev being in love with Niall send tweet

#awtwb #predictions #considering rainbows reaction to my deniall art i am dubious that this is it but i am holding on hope yknow #my deniall bullshit #why is my brain immediately thinking that dev is one of the dramas

[chapter-61]

im still recovering from wayward son i can’t already be thinking about any way the wind blows

#me: here's a list of things i hope happen in the next book #rainbow: there's going to be a 3rd book. soon. #me: WAIT NO #I DONT HAVE ANY PREDICTIONS YET #im still midway in 3 obsessions i can't add another one right now kdjfkds #any way the wind blows #awtwb #wayward son

[oyabun-draws]

coc 2021 Day 2: Wings

“I remember thinking at first that it was too bad Simon gave himself dragon wings. He could have gone with something far more elegant. Pegasus wings-soft, white feathers tipped with sky blue. . . Simon Snow with white feathers-absurd. He’d look like a cartoon angel. Or a Victoria’s Secret model. . .” (page 109)

I got so excited when I saw this prompt because I immediately thought of this line. when i read it in awtwb i was proud of myself because i thought- wow! i predicted something! haha

i made, back in 2019, a drawing of simon with angel wings! i had been meaning to recreate it for some time and this prompt was a perfect excuse. the drawing i had made was based on a photo by @/princeandjacob on instagram!

hope you enjoy! i’m really proud of the progress i’ve made in coloring over the years.

#COC 2021 #carry on countdown #simon snow #carry on #simon snow series #awtwb #princeandjacob #rainbow rowell #my art #mine #fanart #i'm so proud of how this turned out #also pls feel free to send me some encouragement in my inbox bc i could rly use it this year! #love you guys

[stardustasincocaine]

II Of Wands - The Truce

“I’m not gonna do minor arcana”, she says. “I’m done until AWTWB releases”, she says....

Full disclosure - I am not 100% happy with this but I’m gonna ruin it if I keep fucking with it.

This scene fulfills the meanings of the II Of Wands in so many ways, which I will painfully detail below the cut. Non-card illustration follows the cut as well!

The II of Wands in the upright predicts future planning, discovery, and progress...all of which follow for these two animated sacks of trauma once they agree to stop being assholes for the sake of being assholes. Seriously. I know the tone is different here, but honestly, their whole issue with each other stems from the idea that they *should* have issue with each other, which is quickly desconstructed once they make the decision to TALK TO EACH OTHER (not saying that they should do that again, but....y’know). They discover that they actually do get along quite well and that their assumptions of the other were mostly incorrect (though Simon would 100% eat a stick of butter if unsupervised and Baz does make being a dick an Olympic event).

The background of a mountain scenery illustrates the expanded horizons that the card represents - this agreement opens up a new path for both of them. Not only romantically, but as friends. It also allows them to question the destinies that have been pounded into them since they learned of each other’s existence. They are able to come into themselves a bit, which allows for huge development for the both of them.

The reverse of this card comes more into play near the end of Carry On and then...carries on (shut up) into Wayward Son, and that’s the fear of the unknown, as well as their lack of planning. Both of them are terrified now that they have broken free of the prophecy and roles they were meant to play because they are terrified that the consequences and new-found relationship is fragile and broken because they see themselves as broken (therapy would help this). They also just throw themselves in without pause, which says something about their passion and moxie, but also creates a majority of their problems. They jump, then get a little burned, and then panic and jump back.

I’m hoping the card flips back in AWTWB. Please don’t hurt me. Or them. Please. Thanks.

#simon snow #snowbaz #baz pitch #carry on #wayward son #rainbow rowell #any way the wind blows #the simon snow series #basilton pitch #tyrannus basilton grimm pitch #co/ws/awtwb #co/ws #minor arcana #tarot cards #my art

[palimpsessed]

Fan Fiction Year in Review 2021

I did one of these last year and thought it was interesting to look back over what I had written and think about what I may write going forward. This retrospective list of questions is from @captain-aralias.

If you're a writer, I'd also encourage you to do this. Tag me so I can see your thoughts 🥰

List of Complete Fics for 2021

1. Lotus-Eaters and Sirens - G, 557 words

2. It's a Kind of Magic - M, 15,806

3. The Thrill of the Hunt - M, 11,230

4. Chamber by Chamber - E, 19,043

5. The Hex Files comic - G, 183 (It has a storyline and words that I wrote so I am counting it)

List of In Progress Fics Started in 2021

(because I have a LOT of words 😤)

1. Sleeping with the Fishes (co-written with @the-greater-grief) - M, 7,786 by end of 2021

2. Slings and Eros - M, 52,882 by end of 2021 (This fic alone makes up half my total year’s word count!)

I also wrote a bunch of non-fic things, mostly about AWTWB, that I hadn't expected because I wasn't used to getting asks like I did last year. I'm going to include them, too, because time spent writing is time spent writing.

1. Baggage - regarding Simon's literal and figurative baggage in WS, 480

2. AWTWB and Chosen Ones - thoughts about Simon's arc, Smith Smith-Richards, the Mage, and Chosen Ones, 686

3. The Watford Goats and the World of Mages - working out my ideas about the the goats in AWTWB and Agatha's journey, 314

4. The rest are all tumblr asks linked on my blog at the bottom of my Masterlist 19,147

Total:

4 complete fics, 1 comic, 2 in progress fics, 3 meta, 9 asks

word count: 128,114

word count for fics: 107,487

Thoughts: In my review post last year, I noted that all of the fics (4) I had completed were for events, and I predicted it would be the same for 2021. In fact, it was not! I figured out pretty quickly that I have a problem with over committing when it comes to fandom events and forced myself to scale back. I did participate in some events, but most of the content I made for those was art.

Best/Worst Title?

Best: Slings and Eros

I love this title, even though I have this fear that it won't make sense without my long explanation. Which I'm giving. I just feel like this title does so much. I even made a whole other post about it once. It's a play on words from a Hamlet soliloquy, which feels meta in itself since Shakespeare has to have quite a hold over the World of Mages (even though this isn't a magickal fic). Beyond the source, though, is the context, which is Hamlet trying to decide if he should end his own life and framing that life as enduring a series of trials ("the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune"). I liked this quote particularly for my fic, because it's a Greek Mythology AU, and Greek myths frequently feature stories of a hero enduring a series of labors in order to achieve some overarching goal. This is true for the myth that directly inspired this fic, Eros (or Cupid) and Psyche, and also true for my fic. It's also a big feature of the classic Hero's Journey, which of course, ties back perfectly to the idea of the Chosen One. I also liked the fact that I was removing the word "arrows" from the quote, just as I removed Eros/Cupid's arrows from the story and replaced them with a sword, which felt far more appropriate for Simon. And instead, I could use "Eros" which very conveniently sounds almost exactly like "arrows" and also hints to the source material, Simon's characterization, and one of the major themes of the fic.

I also really like Lotus-Eaters and Sirens and Chamber by Chamber.

Worst: Sleeping with the Fishes

I stand by this title, and I think it makes sense once you've read past the first 1 or 2 chapters, but without any context, it probably sounds like a Mafia AU, when it's actually a tennis and texting AU. I like it, but I feel like it was probably not a great choice in the grand scheme of things. I just saw an opportunity for puns and went for it.

Best/Worst Summary?

Best: Chamber by Chamber

"I'd give him all that I am.

I'd give him all that I was.

I'd open up a vein.

…

I'd tie our hearts together, chamber by chamber.

Simon and Baz have been through a lot. They've also been hard at work on communicating their needs and feelings. Here's some (therapeutic) smut."

This maybe is unexpected because it's a book quote followed by "here's some smut" and there's no actual plot to summarize. But the "chamber by chamber" quote is what inspired the series that culminates in this PWP one shot, and it's smut, so...it really does tell you all you need to know.

Worst: Lotus-Eaters and Sirens

"Simon has some thoughts about sirens while watching Baz drive away from their eventful trip to the Omaha Renaissance Faire.

(This is when Simon is being cute and happy on battle adrenaline and car snogging, and reality is trying to creep back in.)"

I just reread this summary for the first time since I posted it probably and it's so clunky. I don't even know why I have the second part there. I am contemplating how much it would matter this late in the game if I rewrote it, or at least deleted the second part.

Best/Worst First Line?

Best: Chamber by Chamber "Baz is squirming beneath me. It's good. It's hot. It's perfect." Yup. It sets the scene, it sets the mood, it also helps to set up some dom/sub dynamics they're playing with in this fic, too. Also I wanted it to be reminiscent of the night spent kissing at Pitch manor. (Simon on all fours above Baz.)

Worst: It's a Kind of Magic "I can tell it's happening almost before it does. I've had lots of time to learn. I know the signs better than he does, now." I think this opener is weakest among all of last year's fics because it takes its sweet time to get to the point. I don't think I define the "it" in that first sentence for several (admittedly short) paragraphs, and even then, I think I imply, rather than state, that the "it" is Simon slipping into a depressive spiral.

Best/Worst Last Line?

Best: This one is going to be a tie between Chamber by Chamber (the fic not the series) and Lotus-Eaters. Despite them both being one shots with no plot, I really think both of them pack a wallop in their final lines and I am incredibly proud of them! I'm not going to include the last line of Chamby because, plot or not, it actually is a spoiler. For LEAS, I feel like it's safe, though, so I'll drop that one here. "And then…Well. Then I drown." What really makes this line punch for me is that it's a Simon POV taking a Baz line from canon and reversing it from "burn" to "drown", fitting in perfectly with the siren/water imagery Simon uses for Baz in the fic. (Also, points to me for using water imagery for Baz before AWTWB!) It also goes a little further in that the fic is sort of in conversation with the part of CO where Simon compares Baz to a siren (the kind on police cars) and turns that on its head, by having him revise his comparison to the other kind of siren (the singing, ship-wrecking kind). That part in CO runs parallel to Baz's part comparing Simon to an open fire, which is, of course, where the original quote "and then you burn" comes from.

Honorable mention to the Hex Files comic because I intentionally set up Penny's final line to sound like a spell, in order to make it ambiguous about whether she was actually casting on Shepard in the last panel.

Worst: Looking back, I really like all of my last lines. I felt incredibly good about every one of them when I figured out how I was closing out each of these fics and I don't think any of them need improving. So, for this I will say, the worst lines are the ones that don't exist yet because the fics aren't finished and I am a completist.

Looking back, did you write more fics than you thought you would this year, fewer than you thought, or about what you predicted?

I think I wrote fewer fics than expected (even though I did not place expectations on myself) but more words overall, so I guess I'm about equal. 2020 was obviously a very unpredictable year, so not really a great barometer of actual productivity. I was back working full time in person by the start of 2021, and then the day after Baz's birthday, I had surgery which kept me laid up for the better part of 6 months. Of course, I thought I'd be a lot more productive writing wise during that time, but I didn't really account for how tiring it is to regrow bones so...I spent more of that time on art. Plus, we got AWTWB?! After that, my brain melted and then I was going back to work with a COTTA deadline looming.

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year?

I wouldn't say "never predicted", especially because I was already planning it in 2020, but I wrote my first smut! And it ended up being one of my favorite things I've written so far. It was something I hadn't planned on doing, because smut felt intimidating and way out of my depth. But then I was rereading WS, as you do, and the chamber by chamber scene always sticks with me, especially Simon talking about "all that I am...all that I was..." and how those two ideas of his self-identity and self-worth really weigh on him and his relationship with Baz and what it would look like if he really could give all of that to Baz. And then I spiraled about trauma and liminal spaces and monster parts (my love). And I realized I was going to have to write a smut fic if I was ever going to know peace.

What's your favorite story this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest?

Torn between two lovers... Chamber by Chamber (if it's not obvious by now given how I haven't shut up about it) and Slings and Eros. Both of these fics were/are incredibly challenging to me as a writer--Chamby for the smut but also what I think was an ambitious agenda about dealing with trauma throughout the three part series--and Slings and Eros for being a plot-heavy (for me) epic complete with epic poetry that is very likely going to break 100k. Both of them have been exercises in patience in their own ways, and labors of love that I have enjoyed even when I haven't.

Okay, NOW your most popular story?

Going by kudos and bookmarks, it's Chamby

(To the Manor Borne is still my most kudosed and A Man of Letters is still my most bookmarked overall)

Story most underappreciated by the universe?

I would have liked to see more love for my Penny/Shep comic but it's not Snowbaz and it's the very first comic I did, so maybe that's to be expected. Actual fic-wise, I'm kind of surprised that The Thrill of the Hunt underperforms its Chamber by Chamber colleagues because this fandom seems rabid for vampirism and that's what it's all about. But maybe people read the first one and get impatient for the smut and skip to the last part? I would like to see more engagement on Slings and Eros because it's my current project and I'm excited about it, but it's a beast and I get that a lot of people don't want to read WIPs, especially longer ones.

Story that could have been better?

I didn't answer this last year, and I'm not going to answer it this year, either. I just don't think it's worthwhile for me to hash over what ifs in my fan fic. If I think something can be better, I keep working on it until it is better. Otherwise, it won't see the light of day.

Sexiest story?

The one with the sex in it. 😉

Saddest story?

I think this is LEAS. There is soft and sweet to balance out the sad, but it's not really ever happy. Simon is riding a high from the Ren Faire as he contemplates how much he is just head over heels for Baz, but the undercurrent to all of that is how much he feels like he isn't good or good enough for Baz. He loves him but he can't give him what he deserves; he wants him but he's going to drag him down. It's a lovely meditation full of devotion, but that devotion is telling Simon that he isn't worthy and that's sad, even if he closes the fic reaffirming how hopelessly in love he is with Baz.

Most fun?

When I first went to answer this, I thought it meant most fun to write, but there’s another question about that further down. So then this means the story that is the most fun. And I have no idea how to answer that 😆. Probably Sleeping with the Fishes. Texting is usually a fairly good time. Anyway. I’m still keeping my original answer since the other question is combined with easiest to write, which is different from my answer here. So starting it felt like pulling teeth, partly because it required a lot of research and reading and outlining, and then I got the completely inadvisable idea to write epic poetry, and then had to slog through several chapters to get Simon and Baz into the same place...but SAE has been the most entertaining for me, I think, because of the character dynamics. Getting to write the first Penny, Agatha, and Fiona POVs was so freaking fun. Also, the boys are absolute disasters and I love to watch them just completely lose their minds over each other in every scene. And knowing where it's all going is just SO GOOD and I can't wait for the payoff!

Story with the single sweetest moment?

I think it's SAE, but I don't really want to tell what the moment is because I don't want to spoil it? There's a thing at the beginning, about Baz leaving offerings in Simon's shrine. And at one point, when Baz is having a really hard time, Simon does this really adorable and heartfelt thing that echoes the offerings Baz leaves, as a way to try to let Baz know that he isn't alone. And it just...is a very Simon thing to do and I love it. (Chapter 7 for those curious.)

Hardest story to write?

It's a Kind of Magic needed so many rewrites. I had written The Thrill of the Hunt and didn't realize until I went to write Simon's story in the series that his had to go first, and Baz's second. So then I had to sort out how I wanted to write part 1 when I already had part 2, and what parallels I was going for, and what the ultimate goals were in each part, etc. I think I had a much clearer idea in my head for what I was trying to accomplish with the Baz part than I did with the Simon one. I had a sense of what I was trying to get at, but I think I wasn't sure how to get there, or maybe even where "there" was. I started and re-started it so many times and just chipped away at it for a solid two months fruitlessly before I think things finally started to make sense in my head. Then I had story pieces and had to decide how they fit together and what order they went in. Then Baz started to lead me in a new direction I wasn't really prepared to go. Ultimately, it all feels very smooth and satisfying, but it was such a struggle the entire time. I had been most worried about writing Chamby and I sat down, wrote a full outline in one day, and just went point by point until I had 19k. It was wild. All the hard stuff had already happened I guess.

Easiest/most fun story to write?

I kind of already answered this. I think it was Chamby. There were some lines in there that had me howling when I wrote them. (Baz compares the tightening in his bollocks to the event horizon of a black hole.) There’s a line about them not holding back with each other, and I feel like I was doing the same—just letting them go and do their thing. It was also incredibly moving for being unapologetic monsterfucking PWP, but for the most part, I just had such a great time with it.

Did any stories shift your perceptions of the characters?

I think SAE has gotten me to think the most about the characters, in so far as it is an AU, and I'm spending a lot of time exploring the ways in which canon and the source myth converge and diverge and how that informs the characters and their dynamics. I don't think it's shifted my overall perception of the canon characters, but the ones in my fic, yes.

Most overdue story?

Same answer as last year, so we're moving on...(I get random bursts of creative energy and then they dissipate before I can capitalize) (but I will persist)

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?

I wrote smut, and I co-wrote a fic, and I started a fic off with poetry in a form I'd never written before, and I made a comic, and I started a super long fic with a fully developed "external" plot. I think what I learned is to take risks.

This year's theme and the story that demonstrates it?

Liminal spaces! I haven't screamed about them for a while, but that was really the driving force behind so much of my writing this past year. Chamber by Chamber is the obvious one, but also SAE, probably just one of many reasons those two are my favs.

What are your fic writing goals for next year?

Write what feels good when it feels good. But also venture out of my comfort zone once in a while. Since this is next year already, my immediate goal is just to keep working on my posted WIPs, but also to let myself think about/work on other things, too, because I feel like I need that reminder.

#fan fic year in review #lotus-eaters and sirens #it’s a kind of magic #the thrill of the hunt #chamber by chamber #sleeping with the fishes #the hex files #slings and eros #spicy links

[findingniamho]

1 week til AWTWB ask list!

Send numbers between 1 and 16!

How are you feeling about AWTWB?

Are you doing anything to celebrate on July 6th?

Are you going to try to read the book all in one go or spread it out?

Any general predictions/headcanons you'd like to share?

Which character are you most eager to read about in AWTWB?

What is your biggest hope for AWTWB?

What is your biggest fear for AWTWB?

Which secondary characters from previous books do you think should make a comeback?

Which secondary characters from previous books would you rather stayed in the previous books?

Do you think you'll make any AWTWB fan content? What kind?

If you've preordered a copy, which edition are you getting?

Any ideas for how the book is going to start?

Any ideas for how the book is going to end?

How extreme are your spoiler-avoidance methods going to be?

Are you going to discuss your reactions with anyone IRL/online as you read or wait until you've finished?

Wildcard question: yell about anything related to AWTWB!

~🐟

#ask game #carry on #any way the wind blows #awtwb #awtwb countdown #simon snow #baz pitch #snowbaz #send me asks!!

[you-remind-me-of-the-babe]

Rules: tag 9 people you’d like to get to know better. Thanks for the tag @urban-sith

Favorite colors: green, and any shades thereof

Currently reading: books and I are on a hiatus, apparently, since reading fics has consumed my life. I was listening to the audiobook for Fool by Christopher Moore (read by Euan Morton, my beloved) which I though I would love because a) I’d already read it years ago and I loved it and b) it’s Euan (!) but it’s been kind of boring (who figured?)

Last song: I don’t have the memory for the last song I listened to so I will share the last singer I talked to anyone about which was “Clacking Heels” by He’s My Brother She’s My Sister (check this song out on YouTube, trust)

Last series: Simon Snow obvi, since finishing AWTWB sucked me into the fic/fandom vortex

Last movie: I honestly can’t remember! Rebecca maybe? Movies are so predictable these days but that one has a good twist I didn’t see coming. Last show I watched was the first ep of Squid Game

Sweet, savory or spicy: usually sweet

Currently working on: just started my first fest fic that I posted about on Wed. I also started a SYTYCD AU fic that I need to figure out if I can make go anywhere (how do you write about dance?), and my Fiona in her Watford era WIP that I abandoned cuz I thought no one would read it lol but maybe I will get back to it someday.

Tagging @captain-aralias @xivz @ivelovedhimthroughworse @indubitably-eternally-confused @sharing-a-room-with-an-open-fire @tea-brigade @facewithoutheart @mostlymaudlin @palimpsessed no pressure at all, only if this looks fun! Seriously don’t do it if this is not your thing, I will not be offended. You do you!

[vkelleyart]

I started reading carry on and wayward son because of your fan art, I just finished and I am in agony. Any way the wind blows cannot come fast enough!!! What are some of your predictions for the book?

Oh my goodness, thank you! I’m so happy my art could encourage you to read it!! And you have my sympathy on the agony––I remember it well. lol 

As for AWTWB predictions, where do I even start?? This is by no means an exhaustive list of what I think may happen, but it’s a start!

I think it’s safe to say that, however turbulent things get between Simon and Baz, they will find each other and overcome these communication hurdles. I say this based on several events I attended where Rainbow talked about it, where she expressed a) a deep love for their relationship and b) a desire to walk us through their healing as individuals. And then, on Twitter, she said the final book is largely about intimacy. So... I have faith they’re gonna be okay. :)

PENNY & SHEP! Those two have got to get together because Penny’s a tornado and Shep’s a storm chaser, and enemies-to-lovers part deux, baby!

I think Simon will find his family. I get choked up just thinking about this one. Rainbow revealed last year that the first words of AWTWB will be “Lady Ruth” and it just makes me think that at some point, Simon will find out the truth about his parents and it will set off a big old bomb in his life that will hopefully lead him to his living relations.

I think Nico’s going to be out for revenge. He was kept from helping Ebb by none other than Baz himself in Carry On, and I feel like he’s going to create some significant problems for the Pitch family, whose heir is both mage and vampire. There’s some Next Blood stuff that might get mixed into that dynamic as well, I think. 

Will Simon get his magic back?? Two paintings by Kevin Wada show Simon holding the Sword of Mages, so HELL YESSSSS

Agatha will emerge more powerful in the last book, I think. This thought makes me extremely happy.

This isn’t a very deep dive, but I know loads of fellow fandomers who have their own suspicions about what will go down in Book III. If you’re one of those people, feel free to tack your predictions onto this post!

[luvliesl]

So I finished awtwb a couple days ago and absolutely loved it (In fact I’m already re reading it) but on my first read I had a prediction about smith smith Richards and even though I ended up being wrong, I still can’t stop thinking about how I can’t be the only person who thought that smith smith-Richards was going to be the humdrum 2.0 or just the humdrum in a different form.

1. Smith-Richards is described as looking like an older Simon. Baz even says “He looks like Simon frankly. But more Simony than Simon. He looks like the guy who would get cast to play Simon in the Netflix series.” (pg 236)

So while the humdrum is the younger version of Simon, Smith-Richards seems like the older version of Simon.

2. Appearance isn’t there only similarity, smith-Richards is also an orphan (like Simon) and was born during an eclipse (like Simon although he doesn’t know) They even go on to say that “he’s stealing you act Simon” (pg 313)

3. Also while the humdrum is taking away magic here is Smith-Richards supposedly giving people magic. Seeming just like the humdrum but reversed. (Before we find out the spell just gives them all of their magic at once)

4. It was also pretty suspicious that no one had ever heard about him before or knew him or his family. (And it seems the world of mages is pretty small and most everyone knows about all of the other family’s) yet this random guy who no one knows of just randomly shows up claiming to be the chosen one.

(They also both have kind of stupid names but that is probably unrelated)

But throughout reading I really thought that this was some other/opposite version of the humdrum and he was giving away Simons magic. Especially because we don’t know what happened to his magic. Simon obviously doesn’t have it and we find out that the magic hasn’t come back to the dead spots. He got rid of his excess of magic but he should still have some of his own since Lucy and the mage were both pretty powerful mages and Simon probably would of have the same amount of magic that Baz and Penny do.

I’m not quite sure where I saw it all going though. Simon getting his magic back? Simon saving the world of mages and proving he is really is the chosen one? Getting answers and getting rid of the humdrum and all the confusion around Simons magic once and for all?

Overall this is just my thought process about smith smith Richards character before I finished the book and obviously it isn’t what ended up happening. (Even though it might have been a more interesting plot point to wrap up the series and answer a lot of questions about the logistics of the humdrum and Simons magic. Instead of just some scammer dude claiming to be the chosen one)

P.s. I didn’t organize this post very well so sorry if my thoughts are a bit all over the place. It was just bothering me and I wanted to share my thought process because I can’t be the only one who saw this leading somewhere different.



#awtwb spoilers #any way the wind blows #awtwb #snowbaz #simon snow #tyrannus basilton grimm pitch #I’m gonna miss these characters so much #i can’t be the only one #simon snow trilogy #rainbow rowell

[cinnamonandcedar]

Possible Ending for Any Way the Wind Blows

I had a random thought about how AWTWB today, and I wonder what everyone else thinks.

It seems like in the fandom there are 3 ending predictions that people are throwing around: 

1. Simon gets his magic back. He finds out about his parentage, gets his magic back, Baz may or may not turn back into a human, and all is well. 

2. Baz turns Simon. Simon may or may not get his magic back, but Baz turns Simon into a vampire so that they can stay together. (I think this is unlikely, as Baz would never subject Simon to his own fate.) 

3. Simon and Baz Break up. Highly unlikely, as RR never writes gratuitous sadness in her books and has pretty much said on twitter that Simon and Baz stay together. All of her novels have some sort of balancing act in their endings. In almost all of her books, the main character has to sacrifice something to gain something more important to them, which led me to a new ending prediction:

Alternative Possible ending: Baz gives up his magic in exchange for becoming a human because he doesn’t want to be immortal and watch everyone he loves die. Simon never gets his magic back, but now that Baz is also a Normal Simon can help him through his pain. They match again, and they get to live beautifully mundane, normal lives with each other. 

How do you guys feel about this ending? Is this something that people have been talking about and I’ve missed the discussion? 

#coming back from the dead again just for this post #any way the wind blows #snowbaz #carry on #Simon Snow #Baz Pitch #wayward son #rainbow rowell