#please read the ao3 I like seeing kudos & comments on those way more

[sanguinarysanguinity]

To the authors who are unhappy about their hits-to-kudos ratio on AO3: as a kindness to yourselves, please stop. That hit counter doesn’t mean what you think it means.

First, not all those hits are people. A substantial chunk of those hits, as I understand it, are machines, looking to see what the page is. The hits-to-kudos is whack from the hour a story is posted, because a bunch of those hits are machines.

Second, multiple hits can be the same person on their first read of the story. If I open a story in a browser tab to read later, my browser sometimes/often unloads that tab in the interim, resulting in it reloading that tab and creating a new hit when I finally go to read it. If reading it requires multiple sessions, that’s multiple new hits. If I then leave it open for a while to remind myself to leave a comment, my browser will reload it again, generating another new hit, before it lets me write a comment. Altogether, my first read of a story, plus leaving a comment, can easily turn into five or more hits, depending on how hard I’m finding it to find reading and commenting time.

Third, if your story has been up for a while, the people who adore your story are driving up your hit counter with their re-reads. They go away, they come back, they re-read, and they do it again, and they do it again. It’s probably only a small subset of your total readers, but if one of your stories becomes someone’s go-to comfort read for times when they are stressed out (or, if it’s an explicit story, if it becomes their favorite jack-off material), that one person’s devoted re-reading might easily hit your story dozens of times. But most readers feel hella shy about admitting that they treat your story like a fuzzy blanket (or a vibrator); either way, it’s pretty rare for them to tell you about it. (Which I’m sympathetic to! Fuzzy blankets are a very personal thing, and no one wants to feel stared at by the author while they’re having a vulnerable moment.)

Fourth, stories get read by people outside of fandom, people who don’t think of themselves as your friends/neighbors/community-members, and who just... never think to hit kudos, at all, because their social context is so far removed from ours. I’ve got a couple of stories that were linked on TVTropes once upon a time, and their hit-to-kudos ratios are fucking absurd. If your story got linked outside of fandom somewhere, odds are that most of the people coming in from that link will never think to hit kudos, no matter how much they liked it, because they never quite connect that there’s a real live author, breathlessly hoping to be liked and appreciated, standing just behind the screen, and that maybe readers should be polite and say ‘thank you’ to them when they finish the story and leave.

tl;dr Do not assume every hit is new human reader who didn’t like your story and clicked out. Your hit counts will often be ten times greater than your kudos, just for stupid ordinary internet-traffic reasons, and the older a story becomes (and the more times bots and re-readers hit it), the wider the hits-to-kudos gulf will become. Do yourself a kindness and stop calculating that ratio -- and if you can’t stop making yourself crazy about it, go into settings and turn off your hit counter displays. Please be tender to yourselves; being an author is hard enough as it is.

#ao3 #hits #kudos

[ao3commentoftheday]

After following the blog for years, I actually have a question!

I started writing and posting on AO3 a few years ago, but took a very long break after losing inspiration for those fandoms. I’ve recently joined a new fandom and feel inspired to write again, but worry about anyone who subscribed to me in the past being notified about new works. I know past fandom acquaintances would not approve of the fandom/pairing I’ve chosen to write for, but I still want to post because at the end of the day, I want to participate in something that makes me happy.

Is there any way to see who might be subscribed to my updates or would this be a good time to test out the Anonymous author feature? Will I still be able to see comments/kudos/other metrics on my dashboard and in my email if I do this?

There's no way to see the names of the people who are subscribed to you, no.

Posting anonymously will still allow you to keep the work attached to your name, but anyone viewing it will just see Anonymous. You will still get kudos emails if you receive kudos. You will still receive comments emails if you get comments. If you decide to reply to comments, your author name will just say Anonymous and your user icon will show as the default AO3 icon.

That said, this feels like a lot of hoops to jump through for people you're not even friends with anymore. Does it really matter what "past fandom acquaintances" think of what you're doing now? If they even open the subscription email at all (not guaranteed), there's no saying what they'll do from there.

Some folks might just unsubscribe. Some might stay subscribed and hope you go post in other fandoms they follow. Some might check out your new works because they like your writing and want to read more of it.

If you're concerned that you might receive hate comments as a result of posting your new works, I recommend restricting comments to registered users only. That means that people need to be logged into an AO3 account in order to leave a comment. Then, if you do receive hate or harassment, you'll be able to report it easily.

I don't know what fandom or pairing you're talking about here anon, but whoever these people are and however they might react to it, I very much doubt that they're worth you putting in all of this effort to try to please them.

But that's just my opinion. What do the rest of you think?

#asks and answers

[bad-and-drawn-that-way]

Electric Love - Full Chapters

Want early chapters? Read on Ao3!

Chapter 2: Pleasantly Surprised

Notes: Support me by reading on Ao3! Kudos and comments help motivate me to see multi-chapter fics through to the end! I'll be posting announcements for the updates here. Chapters will come out on Ao3 BEFORE tumblr.

Word Count: 6863

"You want to make a deal," Vox realized, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly, and dead pixels flickered to life under his lip. This just got so much more interesting for him.

You lean back and cross a leg over your thigh. "Exactly. But I’ll have you know Mr. Big Evil Overlord, I’m nothing if not ambitious. If you think I’ll hand over something like this for just my life, then you won’t be getting shit."

“And remind me why I shouldn’t just kill you before you have the chance to blab?” Vox smirked as his eyes flickered over you like a shark considering its prey.

“Because you have no way of knowing if I’ve uploaded the information somewhere,” you grin back. “You don’t know if I’ve told anyone. You don’t know if I’ve written it down. You’d have no guarantee someone else wouldn’t find the clues I’ve left behind.”

“You’re not a total idiot,” Vox chuckled. “What is it you want then?”

“How about this,” you start slowly. What you wanted was something you doubted Vox would be willing to get involved with. Still, you had a golden opportunity in front of you and you’d be a fool to not at least try. 

“I know you snooped through my computer, so you already know I have quite a few friends in Valentino’s studio,” you sigh. “Not all of them are exactly pleased with their contracts, so here’s the deal. I’ll tell you how I resisted your magic if you promise to make Valentino terminate their contracts.”

“That’s it?” Vox grumbled as he thought it over. You weren’t expecting the easy grin as he shrugged. “We’re definitely talking over the details, but that’s simple enough.”

You blink, surprised at how ready he was to throw his companion under the bus for his own gain.

"You'd fuck over your closest friend, lover, fuck-buddy, business bitch for this?" You say, unsure of what to call Valentino. There were a lot of rumors about the ever-shifting relationship between Vox and Valentino.

"Without a second thought." Vox grinned, not showing any kind of remorse or hesitation in his voice. "A few of Valentino's fuck toys in exchange for knowing what can repel my hypnosis? It's a no-brainer."

"That's fucked up," you blink slowly. "But from a business perspective, I guess I can understand that." You hum as you think it over.

"Hm..." Vox nodded, thinking about the deal you were offering. "And the reason you want Valentino's contract on those souls to be released… It’s only because they’re your friends?”

"Yup," you sigh as you look down at the floor. "Not all of the friends I have in that circle want their contracts canceled. I can't say I understand, but that's their choice. However, some are desperate for a fresh start. I'm willing to do anything for them to have that."

"Why do you care so much about the well-being of other sinners?" Vox asked, looking at you with raised eyebrows.

You quirk an eyebrow back at him. "Why not?"

"So, you're just helping them out of the kindness of your heart?” Vox asked in disbelief. “No other external motives or personal gains at all?"

Your face scrunches up, "More or less, but I don't like it being phrased like that. Makes it seem… I don’t know. Just don’t dwell on it. It’s what any non-jackass would do."

"And you think you're a non-jackass?" Vox said with a sneering smirk. He didn't believe that you were helping those other sinners for nothing more than just the kindness in your heart. This was Hell. No one did that.

"I try," you snort as he shoots your phrasing back at you. "There are enough people in Hell doing their best to be the biggest asshole. With what little energy I have, I'd rather just focus on my passions and be nice to the people around me. It's a lot less tiring to be a decent person than a jerk."

Vox said, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "That sounds fishy as fuck. You have to realize that. For all I know, you could be deceiving me right now with that sweet facade of yours."

"Do you really care what kind of person I am?" You sigh, growing uncomfortable with an overlord like him putting your personality under a microscope. "Regardless of my personal preferences, I have something you want, and you have the power to give me something I want. Plus, if I was trying to fuck you over, I wouldn't have let you go through my computer,” you add for extra measure.

"That's true," Vox said, nodding his head slightly in acknowledgment. "But I still refuse to believe that a sinner like you is only doing this out of the goodness of your heart. You must be getting something else out of it. What is it?"

You huff, getting frustrated. "I don't know what you want me to say, man. I just don't like seeing my friends suffer. Why is that such a hard pill for you to swallow?"

"Because it doesn’t make sense," Vox said his eye twitching in irritation that mirrored your own as he tried to figure out what you were planning. He didn’t like the idea of making a deal when he felt he didn’t have the full picture.

"Are you seriously telling me you wouldn't do the same for your friends?” You ask, finding yourself questioning his character just as much as he was questioning yours. “The other Vees?”

"Hmm..." Vox said, raising a hand to his chin and rubbing it back and forth as he took a moment to consider your words. He was standing here seriously considering screwing over Valentino. But he knew that the deal he was considering wasn’t of any real consequence to the other overlord. Vox had a hard time imagining what it would be like to have a mindset like the one you had. It was stupid on a fundamental level in his opinion, but he could see your point.

"Actually..." Vox said, finally replying to your question. "I suppose I would."

"Fucking hell," you say as you slump against your seat. "Finally."

"But..." Vox said, a smirk slowly returning to his face. He was on the cusp of believing you, but he wanted to see what would happen if he pushed your buttons just a little more. He’d be lying if he didn’t find a tinge of amusement at your frustration. "There is still this one, small, tiny, insignificant little detail that you're keeping to yourself... What is it?"

You groan as you resist the urge to grab Vox’s stupid bow tie and strangle him. "Oh my gooood, dude! I'm not like you! I'm not some big conniving evil mastermind! I'm a broke bitch who's living off of ramen noodles and discount veggies, who likes the people she gets high with on the weekend, and would like to not see them suffer. It's not rocket science!"

Vox's head tilted slightly forward, not bothering to hide his smirk as he got closer. "But to go so far as to develop an anti-aphrodisiac out of kindness? That's a whole new level of cotton candy bullshit. The only other person like that in Hell is Lucifer’s little bitch and unlike her, you ended up in Hell for a reason.”

"I'm going to kick your ass if you don't drop this," you sigh as you drag a hand down your tired face. "Do you want to make the deal or not?"

Vox smirked at how easy it was to work you up. Deciding not to push any harder before he had you locked under contract, he finally relented. "Alright. I won’t kill you for everything you’ve shown me today. I will convince Valentino to cancel the contracts that you ask me to, but only if you reveal to me how one may repel or counteract my hypnosis and agree to never tell another soul what you know."

You let out a deep breath. "Finally, fucking Christ."

Your eyes glow as you activate your magic. Stars and purple mist appear around you as you reach out your hand. Like any other sinner, your magic reacted to the binding contracts that made hell function. Anyone could make a deal, and the magic made it so you couldn't back out. No one could be trusted, and it was the only way to guarantee someone wouldn’t go back on their word.

You hold your hand out for him to shake. Once he did, the deal would be sealed, and you'd both have to hold up your end of the bargain.

“One last thing,” Vox adds as he recalls the pictures he’d seen on your computer. “I may be able to convince Val to drop most of the deals, but there’s no way he’ll relent his hold over Angel Dust.”

You frown, your hand flinching back as you think it over. As much as it pained you, Vox had a point. Angel Dust was different from anyone else under Valentino’s control. You had hoped Vox wouldn’t have come to the same conclusion you had before making the deal, but he wasn’t an overlord for nothing.

Vox waited a moment to see if you’d back out. When you let out a deep sigh and looked up at him, extending your hand again, he smirked. You were both one of the dumbest and smartest lower-class sinners he’d run into. It was refreshing and made him all the more curious about the accidental discovery. 

He took your hand and shook it, and his bright electricity lit up the room as the binding magics of Hell seeped into your minds and bodies. You were now both bound by soul to honor the contract. Vox didn't let go of your hand, though, as his intense stare continued to penetrate your eyes. “Now then…”

A weight feels like it’s been lifted off of your chest now that you know you’re safe and you managed to help at least some of the people you cared about. You smirk at Vox, not bothering to try and pull away. "Unlike with Valentino, your ability doesn't need magic to repel. Try using it on me right now."

"As you wish," Vox said, glaring into your eyes once again as he tried to use his hypnosis on you. Even though he already expected it, the fact that it didn't work still unnerved him. He didn’t like the idea of Hell being able to slip out of his grasp. He was already paranoid enough as is with the return of Alastor. 

There was a brief flicker of control, proving once again that you weren’t immune. However, it disappeared in an instant and your eyes didn't change to red and black spirals like the usual victim of his power. Instead, your hand tightened on his and your smirk grew as you proved your point.

"Interesting..." Vox said, staring at you with a mixture of skepticism and admiration. True to your word, he sensed no flare-up of your abilities or anything of the sort. “Now tell me how you do that.”

You let go of his hand and pull out your phone. You don't say anything to him, leaving him in suspense as you scroll through your pictures. Vox’s anxious energy only grows as he waits for you to show him what you’re looking for.

He’s not expecting the quiet chuckle when you find it, nor is he expecting to see the image in front of him as you turn your phone for him to look at. It's a picture of Vox from many many years ago. An old photo of him when he was still new to Hell and a completely different person. His TV head was an older model and instead of holding himself with sinister confidence, he was timid, frail, and honestly? Extremely dorky.

"I- h-how did you find this photo…?" Vox said, his facial expression softening slightly as you showed him the photo. He wasn’t expecting the flood of conflicting emotions. Embarrassment, rage, and…  a tinge of nostalgia.

"I stumbled across it on a forum when I was studying overlords," you say, before blinking and quickly correcting yourself. “Not the ones for Eternal. This was just some normal history of hell thread on a public domain.”

You took back your phone from him and smirked as you pocketed the device. "You crazy fuckers are great inspiration for character design. The outfits, the abilities, the psycho agendas. All of it is fantastic for creative inspiration.”

You lean back to sit on your desk as you shrug. "Once I saw that picture, I realized that you used to be just like anyone else regardless of who you are now. Confused and scared. After that, the hypnosis hidden in your products and media stopped working on me. It's not that I was scared of you before, it's just now I don't think I could be without reason.”

Vox stared at you with a look of mild shock and disbelief. This was the first time in decades that someone had acknowledged the fact that he was once a normal human being on Earth. A person who was lost and scared and wanted nothing more than to find their place in the world. The nostalgia he felt from seeing himself in that photo brought back a flood of emotions he quickly tried to stomp down before you noticed.

"Valentino's abilities are based on a chemical reaction, while yours is based on psychological origins. There's no magic counterpart to your abilities,” you say as you deliberately ignore the flash of emotion on his face. It wasn’t your place to push. “It just depends on the mindset of who you're using it on. That's probably why if you were to try using it on Alastor or another overlord, it wouldn’t work either."

"This whole time, it’s been something so… simple?" Vox thought about it for a minute. He felt a spike of panic as he thought about how easily Hell could simply stop falling under his spell if Alastor made a fool of him again. “Then… what’s stopping a̸l̶l̶ ̵o̶f̴ ̸H̶e̵l̶l̵ from realizing..? F̴̡̉ṷ̶͊c̶̲̀k̸̠͗!̸̤͆”

You flinch as Vox starts to short-circuit. The way his body jerked and his voice glitched out, it looked painful. That being said, if anyone asked, you’d deny it as much as you could that the change in his voice didn’t make you feel a certain way though.

"You pull them in with charisma, instant media serotonin, and promises of things that will benefit them,” you find yourself reassuring the overlord before he has a panic attack in your tiny office. “They want to look. They want to listen. They want to be convinced."

You give your best smile and do little jazz hands at him dryly, "In short, capitalism, bitch."

Vox barks out a harsh laugh, glitching again before his systems seem to calm down slowly. You had a point. Even if people one day stopped fearing him, Vox had what people wanted. He had the confidence, he had the charm, he had the products. He had power. 

"So, if I'm to understand you correctly…” he stated slowly as he tried to talk himself down from losing it in front of a stranger. “The reason why my hypnosis doesn't work on you is because you don’t fear me outside of circumstance and you don’t want anything from me aside from something that isn’t actually for you. So what? You’re a sinner who doesn't care about material possessions? You just do your own thing and don't care about anything else? That’s it?"

"Mm, I wouldn't say that entirely," you hum as you cross your arms. "There are plenty of things I want. I'm still just a person like anyone else. It's just that since I understand the motives and origin of the source pulling the strings, I can just… walk around them."

"Interesting... very interesting..." Vox mumbled, thinking over this. It was a completely new mindset that he had never even considered before. His hypnosis relies upon the desire for material possession and a sense of power at the expense of others. But you somehow managed to counter his hypnosis through willpower alone. 

He wondered just how far that mentality could be pushed. "So, when you say there are things that you want..."

You quirked an eyebrow at him, feeling a shift in his demeanor that made you feel somewhat uneasy. "Yeah…?”

"I'm just curious,” Vox grinned as he changed his approach and closed the distance between the two of you. He looked down at you like he was once again trying to solve a puzzle, only this one seemed far more… entertaining to him. “What exactly do you want?”

"Why do you want to know?" You ask, shifting back to give yourself space, only to realize he once again has you trapped.

"Because you seem to have a different mentality than the usual sinner here in the hierarchy of Hell. While it’s a unique perspective, I doubt you’re the only one who has it. As you mentioned before, there’s a good chance my hypnosis could be resisted by other overlords as well,” Vox explained easily as he noticed your discomfort with a sinister grin.

“Can you blame me for wanting to find out just how far that mindset can take you before you fall under my spell like anyone else?” Vox smirked as he watched you squirm uncomfortably.

You will the flush on your face to kindly fuck off as you look away from him. It was obvious he was just interested in seeing what it would take to regain power over anyone who managed to dodge the influence of his magic. You thought that there would never be a consequence to the countless nights you stayed up late reading fanfiction filled with romantic tension, but the habit was now biting you in the ass as your mind filled with scenarios the overlord was definitely not implying. 

 "That's a fair enough question then, I suppose,” you mutter as you push on his chest to get some space. 

Vox relents and backs up, giving you the illusion of control for the time being. It was easier to pry information out of you that way. You move from the desk to the couch he was on earlier and grab a pillow. The two of you had been talking longer than you expected, and you wanted to get comfortable. You sit criss-cross, holding the pillow in your lap.

"Well,I guess I want the same things a lot of people want… I think. I want to get better at the things I do. I want to be prettier. I want to fall in love one day, but with how fucked up everyone is here, I'm not holding my breath there,” you chuckle dryly.

“Uhhh, I like plushies, but I don't need any more of those..." you hum as your mind wanders on how else you can answer his question. You personally didn’t think any of this could help him in his endeavors, but he had asked.

"You want to fall in love?" Vox said, raising a brow curiously at you as he sat across from you. He had never expected any sinners in hell to say they wanted to fall in love so openly. It was so... "pure" so to speak. Vox thought about what you said and asked, "What's stopping you, exactly?"

You snort, "Experience."

You laugh about it, but it's hollow. "I don't live up to the standards media portrays. I'm not skinny, I'm loud, and I have boundaries. Name one person in Hell who would be into that. I'm like the pet a kid gets and likes for a month and then sends back to the pound 'cause they got bored."

"I see..." Vox said as he thought the answer over. It was true that you were the furthest thing he was used to seeing in media or on the streets. A lot of sinners came in all sorts of shapes and sizes, yet a lot of them were thinner than twigs. He hadn’t given it much thought before, but you did stick out a bit more than you would have on Earth where body types were more varied.

Your answer made a lot of sense, but it still made something inside of him shift uncomfortably. Media and social media often paint a distorted image of what is considered 'beautiful' that leaves people's self-esteem in tatters. Normally, his business thrived off of the low self-esteem of sinners and he never had to face what that emotion felt like. After all, he had it all. Money, looks, power. So to sit face to face with the reality of those schemes left a sour taste in his mouth.

"And what about your personality?” Vox found himself asking before he realized. A part of him felt shocked that he’d bothered to pursue the subject, but he couldn’t help his curiosity. “Surely your sugary disposition has attracted people in the past, right?” 

Your face scrunches. "Attracts them, sometimes sure, I guess..." You look to the side, trying to keep your energy nonchalant and starting to fail. "But that's never been enough for anyone."

You sigh, shaking your head. "Any other weirdly intrusive questions, or do you have dissected my morals to your satisfaction?"

"Hmm..." Vox said, his eyes narrowing as he continued to study you with curiosity. There was a certain sadness to the way you described yourself. Clearly, you'd been through a lot of heartbreak and rejection over the years. But he had to know more. So he asked, "How have you managed to sustain your cheery nature after all the rejections you've faced?"

"I'd go fucking insane if I didn't," you chuckle. "And besides, it's not all bad. I can focus on learning new things and work on projects when I don't let other people fuck with my emotions."

Vox chuckled, your candid answer eliciting a laugh from him. "So, you use the rejection as motivation for your work, huh? That’s… something I can respect."

"Everything is shit enough as is," you say tiredly. "I'm tired of being miserable, so I just do what I can to be less so. It doesn't solve everything, but it helps."

"Well, I must say, that's quite admirable,” Vox smirked as he used some of his standard ego-stroking techniques on you. He saw potential uses for your skills in the future and wanted to get on your good side now that the two of you had struck a deal. “Your ability to remain upbeat and optimistic even after all that you've been through... I'm very impressed. It takes a lot of willpower and strength to do that, something that most demons here in Hell rarely have. It is a very admirable quality to possess."

You cringe slightly at the praise. Even if Vox was saying it in a business-like matter of fact, it was something that you just couldn't accept. It felt fake as fuck and made you uncomfortable. Granted, even if it had felt genuine, you still would have struggled to accept any praise.

"You're mocking me," you huff.

"Hmm... I suppose it may come off that way." Vox grinned. “Ah’” he thought to himself. “Laid it on too thick. Interesting though…”  He enjoyed teasing you because you got so frustrated by it. "It's not my intention."

You roll your eyes, completely unconvinced. "Uh-huh."

You smirk, leaning down to rest your cheek on your hand. Despite everything that had happened, you found yourself starting to enjoy talking with Vox. It felt weirdly refreshing and kept you on your toes. "What about you? What do you want, Mr. Big and Powerful Media Man?"

"Oh, well, I suppose there are a couple of things I would like to have," Vox said, rubbing his chin as he thought. His voice had regained an air of confidence as he talked about himself. "To finally kick Alastor’s ass once and for all, for starters. That prick showing his face again really fucks up my main goal of becoming the top overlord in Hell."

Vox leaned back as he followed the trail of thought. “Although he’s not the only one. To rise to the top, I’d have to surpass Carmilla, Zestial, the giant fucking dino lady, hell, even Valentino.”

"Wait, wait, wait," you say as you sit up. "Valentino? Isn't he like, your closest ally?"

"Oh, he is," Vox said as he grinned in a way that made his teeth seem sharper and almost inhuman. "But he’s a resource who constantly threatens the ability to outshine me as well. It’s a… fine line. It’s not like I need to destroy him like several of the others, but he could stand to be knocked down a peg or two once I’ve gotten what I need from him.”

Vox truly looked the part of a villain as he shrugged like he wasn’t talking about someone he was so close to. “Once I do, I will be the top overlord in Hell! No more media competition... no more Alastor stealing the spotlight from me. The top media overlord role will be mine alone."

"Damn, that's cold," you chuckle. "Not my flavor of a lifestyle, but weirdly enough, I'm rooting for you.”

“Really now?” Vox smirked as he quirked an eyebrow at the unexpected response. 

“If it means Valentino gets kicked in the back of his knees along the way, I guess I can support the big backstabbing game just this once,” you shrug. While it may not have been the main part of Vox’s big schemes, you were a fan of anything that bit the shitty mothman in the ass.

"Fair enough," Vox smirked. Despite how sappy you were, Vox found a twisted delight in seeing how his business partner brought out a darker side in you. He wondered what kind of person you could be if he corrupted you over time. His sharp teeth flashed in the light as he started singing to the anti-Valentino tune you wore plainly on your sleeve. 

"I think many in Hell would agree that Valentino has made their existence in Hell far worse than it needs to be,” Vox says, looking to the side as if he were remorseful. “I’ve turned a blind eye to it for a long time… Perhaps too long. I care about him a lot… but I won’t let him stand in the way of what I want."

"Don't you guys like, date on and off, though?” You ask as you shift and look over Vox quizzically. “You don't love him?"

"Oh no, definitely not,” Vox said with a bitter laugh. He wasn’t acting with that response. For as much as he and Valentino went back and forth, it had been made clear how loveless whatever it was they had was, even if he had hoped for more once upon a time.

“We have a… mutually beneficial work partnership, that's all," Vox said, trying to hide the awkwardness that came with that statement. "A romantic relationship would do me no good because ultimately it requires me to be more emotionally vulnerable,” he stated as he tried to make it seem like things were the way they were by his choice and his choice only. “And as you've discovered, I'm not the type of person to be very vulnerable."

"Ah, just fuck buddies then," you nod. "Fair enough."

"Hm, yeah, that would be a fair assessment," Vox said, shrugging his shoulders as if he didn't actually care. "It's more of a physical than emotional relationship anyway. I don't love him or anything like that."

"Fair," you say. "I can get wanting his power, but if you ended up taking him down completely, what would you do with the porn industry?"

“Who said that I’d take him down that far?” Vox frowned. He didn’t like that there was something to be considered there. He hadn’t dared to imagine what his afterlife would be like without both Vees by his side, but he had to admit, you were bringing up an interesting line of thought.

You shrug, “Humor me. I’ve listened to your crazy ideas about Hell domination. Just… consider it food for thought.” 

Vox clicked his tongue, uncomfortable with the thought and yet also somewhat intrigued. Without Valentino in the picture, he’d have control over a very large corner of the media industry. Ultimately he did crave power over all of Hell, but he’d never considered that as a possibility until now.

You look him up and down as he gets lost in his own mind. "Although,  now that I think about it… Hm… Don't get me wrong, you've got the whole sexy and evil thing down well, but you don't strike me as someone who'd be comfortable running that area of things, huh?"

"Well, that's the thing,” Vox mutters as he runs a hand over his screen. “In the hypothetical, it's not just his power and influence that I'd want. It's his industry and his influence over the masses. If I were to ever take over the media industry, I wouldn't leave the porn industry as is. I'd transform it into something much better and much more powerful than Valentino's industry. He simply lacks the vision for what the industry CAN be. And I could show everyone that stronger vision."

"And what vision is that?" You ask with a tilt of your head.

"A vision of technology and media that has the masses drooling for the products and services that we provide. A vision in which we truly have total control over the sinner population here in Hell and the population back on Earth.” Vox started, slowly getting invested in the hypothetical.

“I would expand the industries far beyond Valentino's limits, to the point where all other media and technology companies would be left behind in Hell's dust,” He said with a manic grin. He could feel the dead pixels under his lip as if it were blood dripping from his mouth. 

“I could make it so that everything in our industries is tailored to the needs and wants of the masses. All of it. Every person would seek us for entertainment, information, and technology, and we would give them just what they need."

"And what happens then?" You say, realizing you’d triggered his evil mastermind brain cell. It was both fascinating and somewhat terrifying.

"Then...?” Vox blinks slowly as he comes down from the power high. “You mean what happens after I take complete control over the media industry?"

"Yeah," you shrug. "You turn everyone into a mindless consumer, but then what? If there's no one left to beat, no one left to control because everyone is already under your control. Well, would that make you happy?"

"It would make me very happy," Vox said, smiling at the thought of having complete control over everyone both here in hell and back on Earth. "In fact, I would consider that as 'game set match.' Because once I have that level of influence over the masses, nobody can possibly hope to compete with me. I would be the one and only media overlord, and everyone would love me for it."

"Mm," you hum as you flip the pillow in your arms for stimulation. "You may have lost me there. I feel like if you controlled everything, then there'd be no room for new ideas. I feel like you'd get bored."

"Well, that's where you're wrong." Vox scoffed. "Even with complete control and domination, the media industry will continue to evolve and change. After all, new technologies will emerge and new trends will crop up as time goes on. With complete control over the media industry, it is I who would have the final say on such changes and innovations. There will always be new ideas to keep the industry fresh and new, but the underlying system will remain the same. The system of control and dominance over the minds of the masses."

"Huh," you say. "I don't really get it, but if it's what you're passionate about and it takes down the guy who hurts people I care about, then I'm not one to complain. It will kinda be weird being like one of the only people not brainwashed by your tech though."

"It's fine, you don't have to understand it," Vox chuckled. "And by then I will have ironed out this little inconvenience regarding the ability to resist my control, so you’ll be just as swept up by the ordeal as all the other idiots.”

"Well, before all of that, you have a deal to uphold," you remind him, with a smirk.

"Ah yes... the deal. I forgot about that," Vox chuckled. "I've gotten so caught up in my own world that I almost completely forgot that you managed to beat me in round one our little mind game."

You snort, "Had a feeling." You get off the couch, cross the room, and lean over him to grab a pen and start writing a list of names in your notebook.

Vox watched you and thought over the conversation as you worked. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had entertained his fantasies like that. Even if you didn’t fully agree or understand, you let him ramble and you even dared to suggest something like betraying Valentino in full. He couldn’t remember the last time someone other than Velvette had been bold enough to talk to him about something that could contradict or upset him. It was refreshing how you were both keenly aware of the danger he was and yet also… saw past that.

You look over the list twice before nodding with satisfaction and ripping the page out. You stand up and hold out the paper to him. "These are the souls you'll need to make Valentino release his contract with. Make sure no harm or repercussions come to them after the fact as well. Don't be sloppy or I’ll kick your ass."

"Of course, of course," Vox smirked, taking the paper from you and looking over the names. “Although, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t genuinely interested in seeing you try.”

He pocketed the list and hummed as he stood from the couch and looked around. The risk you’d put yourself at today with him, the vials, the deal. “You really hate Valentino, don’t you?”

"Of course I do," you cross your arms. "He's abused the people I care for countless times. Why do you think I made the repellent?"

"Well, I suppose that would be a pretty justifiable reason," Vox said, nodding. "So then... this is a personal vendetta for you.”

"Completely," you nod. "I don't give a shit about the political power struggle in Hell. As far as I'm concerned, you're all just as bad as each other. There's no point in me getting too invested. I just want my friends safe from his control over them."

"I can respect a person with strong convictions," Vox said, a slight frown appearing on his face as he considered your words. "Although I do mourn your lack of desire to get more involved. It serves me well enough, but if you ever wanted to play the game…"

You sigh as you wave away his words, "Yes, yes, I've been a great tool for you. I'm helping one evil to take out another. Yeah, yeah, just don’t get used to it.”

"I appreciate the help, is all," Vox smirked as he approached you and lifted your chin with a single claw. "But tell me... is it truly so bad? I mean, you're helping to make Hell a better place. If I can lessen the damage Valentino has done along the way, then his manipulative, abusive reign over the masses will finally come to an end. Is that so awful?"

"Depending on what you do after, it could be," you mumble as you hug your arms to yourself and look away.

Vox raised an eyebrow. "You think that my plan for domination would be detrimental to Hell? That I would use my power to spread nothing but misery for my ego?"

You look up at him, with a smirk. "Your words, not mine."

"Touche," Vox muttered, with a small smile. "I suppose you wouldn't believe me if I said that that's not my intention after acquiring complete power and control."

You step up to him and straighten his pin-striped suit jacket. He'd fashioned himself to be the ultimate image of control and power and yet his suit had wrinkles from laying on your couch. "I have never once heard of a person hungry for power and control with good intentions."

"Hmm, I suppose that's fair." Vox grinned as you absentmindedly tended to his appearance. "Still, I believe that the people of Hell would be better off if I were the one in charge. I am far more capable than the other overlords, and I could ensure that Hell operates the way it should. The media industry would thrive under my rule, I would be able to improve the lifestyles of the sinners in a way that no other overlord has even attempted to do. It's all for the greater good."

You shake your head, the smile you give him unreadable. "Then I hope that works for the best. Truly. I'm sure I'll see how it plays out one day, we all will. After all, you do love to put on a show."

"Yes, I do love my dramatic flair," Vox said, smiling faintly as if enjoying a mental image. "And it seems you're quite a bit of a drama queen as well. You do love being mysterious and difficult to read, don't you?"

You snort, shaking your head. "I consider myself an open book, actually. You just spend so much time with other big politicians and villains that you forgot what a normal person is like."

"Hmm, perhaps," Vox said, a smirk coming across his face. "But I must admit, you are certainly a different type of person compared to the other sinners I've met. You are far more unique than I initially thought."

You giggle, giving a silly little bow. "What an honor to be one of the few the future ‘Great Big Overlord of Hell’ will remember. It's ironic, all things considered."

"Oh? And what's ironic about that?" Vox grinned, tilting his head curiously as he felt himself being pulled in by your energy. He never knew what to expect and he found himself realizing just how much fun he was having, despite everything.

You smirk up at him, leaning up on your toes. "Because for all of this, you don't even know my name." You say quietly with a playful smirk.

"Well, aren't you just a cheeky little thing?” Vox chuckled as you stepped back. He watched you as you smiled like you’d just won another match in the game the two of you had been playing.

“Fine, I'll admit you got me... I don't do the whole getting to know people before I try to manipulate them thing,” Vox shrugged before grinning at you with a spark in his eye. “Are you going to tell me or do I have to beg for that little bit of information?”

You quirk an eyebrow at him, meeting his playful remark with one of your own. “Are you saying you would? Because I’m sure there are plenty who’d pay good money to see you on your knees.”

Vox laughed, while you internally screamed and did your best to play cool. Did you seriously just flirt with the egotistical maniac who broke into your home? Seriously?! God, you needed therapy. Or alcohol. Or both.

“You really are something,” Vox snickered. He’d never been so happy to have his expectations proven wrong before. This entire exchange had left him feeling more alive than he’d felt in years.

Your eyes widened as he took your hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. Whether he was making fun of you, lying with his usual business bullshit, or something else, you had no way of knowing as he looked up at you with a downright devilish grin.

“As much as I hate to cut this exchange short, I believe I have a list to get started on.”

Your brain is too busy buffering at the unexpected action as he stands tall and straightens his suit jacket with a satisfied grin. That was a point for him in your little game that he took pride in.

“Until next time, Y/N,” Vox smirked as he used your computer screen to teleport out of the office and leave you standing there dumbfounded and with a blush dusted on your cheeks.

It took a solid minute before you snapped out of it at the realization he’d used your name. You smacked your forehead and groaned as you realized he’d been on your computer, which meant that he’d seen that your name was on the main user account for your PC. He knew the whole time.

“Fucking damn it,” you whined with embarrassment. 

#vox x reader #hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel vox #electric love series

[thehighfiveproject]

Hey, friends: the challenge begins!

Treasure Hunt will run from December 15 through January 15. That's right: a full month of opportunities to hand out high fives to all the authors who write fic for us all to enjoy! This is intended to be fun and easy just like our normal Fandom Boost Bingo, but here are a few things to keep in mind.

Rules:

You must leave a comment on a fic for each square. Just kudos won't do this time around (although please feel free to leave kudos too!). The comment should be at least one sentence telling the author what you liked about their story, not just a 'thanks' -- "I loved the characterization here!" is enough! Hopefully the author will feel the crispness of your high five and be glad. [Note: very occasionally on older fics there may be no way to comment. If commenting is impossible, you can make a rec post instead. But comments are preferred!]

You must include a link to the fic on your bingo card. You can add a rec if you want, you can say how it made you feel, whatever creativity sparks in you -- but we need to have at least a title, an author, and a link to AO3/tumblr/Livejournal/wherever.

If you want to share your bingo card when you're done, please include @thehighfiveproject whenever you're ready to be sure we see it. You don't have to complete every square! If you get a blackout, that will be awesome -- but even if you only have the time to do one or two items, do it! Share it! Prove to everyone that you're a cool cool fic-reader who appreciates the hard work authors do!

That's it, those are all the rules. The only other thing to keep in mind is to be positive and friendly and spread the high fives around and even some low fives, if you're feeling groovy.

Below the cut you'll find an even more exciting EXPERT MODE card, which is a 4x4 with a few more fic categories if you're feeling up to it! Also below the cut are definitions of each category if you're not sure what's what.

If you want to go EXPERT we salute you! But feel free to just do the regular challenge instead if that's all you have time for. Remember, you don't have to do every square -- so good luck and happy reading!

Keep in mind that, just like with Fandom Boost Bingo, this is completely open to any fandom, any mix of fandoms, any characters or pairings or tropes or ratings. The only thing it has to be is a fic. With that in mind:

Here are the square definitions:

old fic: well, this depends on the age of your fandom, doesn't it? Can't be a hard and fast rule if your fandom's only a month old. Still, try to go with your gut here: look for something that you would consider to be semi 'original' for the fandom, or -- if you're in a well-established fandom like Star Trek or greek mythology fandom -- at least not something posted in the last few years.

new fic: this is the opposite of the above! It doesn't have to be a fic born yesterday, but you know how long your fandom's been around. Maybe it's something from this week (sort by new on AO3 is your friend); maybe in Star Trek fandom it's something from this year. You know what feels new to you, right?

fandom classic: you know those reclists that go around that have the same tried-and-true fics on them? Big fandom juggernauts that everyone loves? This is your opportunity to pick the one you really love and give it some love. One thing about those 'classic' fics is that a lot of people figure the author's heard it all already; whether that's true or not, we think they should get a little love anyway!

underrated fave: you know those reclists that go around that always have the same tried-and-true fics on them? This is your chance to pick a favorite of yours that you think deserves to be on those reclists! What's a story you just can't get enough of that you want everyone to read? Comment, link it, tell us all about it.

<1000 hits/<100 kudos: time to love on a fic that hasn't gotten enough of it! Seek out a fic that has a small readership and let the author know you appreciate it. (For this category, you can also use <100 notes if it's on Tumblr; on Livejournal, this is harder to track, but <15 comments is a good gauge.)

<1000 words: a shorty. Just because it's between 1 word and 1000 words long doesn't mean it doesn't want some love.

>10000 words: a longy. Seek out one of those that you need a little more time to sink your teeth into.

new (to you) author: it's easy to just read fic from familiar faces or friends over and over. Now's your chance to go out into the unknown and try someone new. Maybe it's someone brand new to fandom or maybe it's that person who's been around forever but you haven't tried them out yet. Love 'em either way!

Now, the EXPERT squares:

outside your main fandom: time to launch into the wild blue yonder! Find a fic that's not your usual and give it some love. If you're a Star Trek reader, maybe try... Star Wars.

rare character/pairing: like old and new up above, this is entirely in the eye of the beholder. Every fandom has those big characters and big ships that seem to take up most of the fandom space. Find a fic that features characters that aren't so popular in the fandom of your choice -- they probably need a high five, too.

'underdog' character/pairing: this is a little distinct from the last one, and a little trickier. You know that character you don't usually like, or that pairing that's really usually not for you? Let us know about a fic in your fandom that worked for you that featured them. (Don't squick yourself on our account -- but if you usually like fics with Mr Spock and you don't love Scotty, try to find a Scotty fic that does the job!)

'underdog' trope: like the last one, this might be a little tricky. Maybe you don't usually like AU fics, or time travel, or whatever nsfw trope or tag you can think of -- but this author just really made it work for you. Again, obviously don't squick yourself, but this is a good chance to try stuff outside of the tried-and-true!

1st/2nd person POV: not everything has to be 3rd person. Search out that "I" or "you" that worked for you and let the author know they did a good job.

AO3 Archive Warnings: here be monsters -- find and comment on a fic that uses one of the 'big four' AO3 archive warnings, OR that uses 'Choose Not To Warn'. Tread carefully, and if you're not sure about the fic maybe ask a friend if it'll be a good one for you to try! But we celebrate all fics, including the ones that say ?! or !.

Epic: 100k words or more: we hope you don't have anywhere to be in the morning. These are the hefty ones, the novel-lengths, the ones the author spent hours and days and maybe weeks/months/years working on. They need love! Give them a high five and a comment as thanks!

Happy hunting. - 🖐

#admin #treasure hunt #signal boost

[allwaswell16]

All the One Direction fics I read and enjoyed in March 2023. You can listen to my podcast to hear me talk about each of these fics as well as an overview of what was posted on ao3 including the fics on this month’s fic roundup which you can find here! Please let the writers know if you liked the fics by leaving kudos and comments! Happy reading!

Fanfictional Podcast #48 |  ko-fi | fic recs

—Louis/Harry—

✿ A Bright and Blazing Flame  by green_feelings / @greenfeelings

(E, 23k, a/b/o, part 4 of series) Bonded, engaged, and moved in together — there’s nothing to daunt Louis and Harry’s happiness. Until the past catches up to them and everything comes crashing down when they least expect it.

✿ Keep Me Closer by zanni_scaramouche / @zanniscaramouche

(T, 18k, a/b/o) Louis expects Harry to react poorly, maybe even file a formal complaint and that’s gonna suck ass but Louis won’t say shit cause he knows he deserves it, so he prepares an apology before Harry’s even turned around. What he doesn’t expect is Harry to fucking drop.

✿ In the Strangest of Ways by SunTomato / @sun-tomato

(NR, 17k, ghost au) when the haunting sounds of a melancholy piano piece accompanied by the vague shadow of a beautiful male figure appear, Louis is determined to find out who this beautiful man was and what happened to him…

✿ anything you want until the morning by honey_beeing

(M, 12k, strangers to lovers) A Late Night Talking AU where Harry and Louis find each other on the way to work every night and then learn to not let go of each other ever again.

✿ Wed’n Walk (Or, We Went to Amsterdam Together) by @hellolovers13

(E, 11k, fake relationship) When Harry had first started planning his honeymoon to Amsterdam, he had not envisioned ending up there with his best friend. Or getting fake-married to him for 24 hours.

✿ Station 28 by @justahappycloud

(G, 10k, strangers to lovers) Darling, you are my favourite accident by far.

✿ Awaken As Mine by thinlines / @thinlinez

(E, 9k, a/b/o) Omega Harry was sure he had found his alpha, but how to get reading crazed, bookworm Louis to look twice at him was a mystery for the ages.

✿ Grow as We Go by @larryatendoftheday

(T, 7k, breakup) a fic about growing up and choosing each other.

✿ Catastrophe (Or Not) by grapenight / @louiswolves

(G, 5k, pet fic) Harry's a crazy cat person and Louis is the vet he keeps bringing his cats to with minor concerns like "she's been acting weird lately" and "he didn't poop today so I'm worried" but it's really just excuses to keep seeing Louis everyday

✿ Soft Wings by @kingsofeverything

(G, 4k, tattoo au) Harry is a Dolly Parton fan who wants to get a tattoo in tribute to her. Louis is the tattoo artist.

✿ Cookbooks and Toothpicks and One Lizard by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup

(G, 3k, witch Harry) If there is one thing that Harry hates about Halloween, it’s what a spectacle everyone suddenly makes around him.

✿ when we're finished saying nothing by @disgruntledkittenface

(E, 3k, girl direction) An alpha/alpha AU inspired by Written All Over Your Face.

✿ I Hope You Choke (on those words) by Imogenlee / @imogenleefic

(E, 3k, musician Louis) Harry Styles had been head of security for concert venues for over eight years.Never in his career had he seen a musician as reckless when it came to personal safety as Louis Tomlinson.

✿ Never Seen A Boy Like YOU Before by @jaerie

(E, 3k, trans Louis) Of all the housemates out on the ranch Louis had had over the years, none of them could even come close to Harry. 

✿ Snow One Like You by cherrylarry / @beelou

(G, 3k, girl direction) The strangers to lovers stuck on a ski lift au

✿ Lapful Of Lou by hazzahtomlinson / @itsnotreal

(M, 2k, friends to lovers) they are both idiots and it takes a drunk Harry (with no brain to mouth filter) to get things going.

✿ Oblivious by grapenight / @louiswolves

(G, 2k, uni au) Louis and Harry are roommates, and Louis is instantly attracted to Harry.

—Rare Pairs—

✿ neither wanting more, neither asking why (series) by @justanothershadeofblue

(E, 40k, OT5) If Louis is the origin, Zayn the expansion, Liam the complication, Niall the solution, then Harry - Harry's the completion.

✿ The Hour of Us by sitandadmire / @niallziam

(M, 5k, Harry/Louis/Niall) the modern witches AU where Niall collects spell books, Harry is fascinated by plants, and Louis is ready to protect them at all costs.

✿ find our place by @nouies

(NR, 3k, Zayn/Louis) “Fuck!” Louis says as he hangs up the phone and turns it off. He hopes the call didn’t connect, otherwise he would have to change his number. Again.

#28th appreciation #1dficvillage #hltracks #trackinghappily #trackinghome #tracksintheam #1dsource #larry fan fiction #one direction fanfiction

[sallysavestheday]

20 questions for fic writers

Thanks very much to @nocompromise-noregrets for the tag! This is always an interesting exercise and I haven't done it in a while.

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 182, but a goodly subset of those are collections of very short works (drabbles, my beloveds!).

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 137,372. I average around 700 words per ficlet (counting those that are collections of drabbles). I have only two works over 2,000 words -- one at barely 2,100 and one at 5,600 by dint of TRSB last summer.

3. What fandoms do you write for? Tolkien only. Mostly Silmarillion but occasionally Lord of the Rings, as well.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos? I'm splitting this by fandom because the older LoTR stuff has more kudos simply as a function of time.

For LoTR: Deep in the Ancient Forests of the World; Light a Little Fire in Me; I Do Not Grudge You the Game; Rash Words and Bitter Hopes; Sing, O Stone and Air. These are all Legolas/Gimli ficlets.

For Silm: When All Other Lights Go Out (the aforementioned TRSB Feanorian family drama); What We Make, Makes Us (Caranthir and Feanor); What Keeps Us Here (Celeborn and Thranduil); Still Plenty of Good in the World (Sam Gamgee fixes Feanor and Nerdanel); and It Is the Opinion of this Reviewer (Finrod critiques the research of his peers).

No method to the madness here, it seems. Some shippy, most not. Some angsty, some humorous, mostly canon compliant. Range of Silm characters. Interesting to see the variety, actually.

5. Do you respond to comments? Always. Usually within a few days. Comments are a great way to get to know other people in the fandom, and it's always a pleasure to see familiar names pop up. It's nice to know I have a bit of a following. But I also love seeing new people appear, and I welcome everything from a single emoji to a full blown rant. I reply to them all.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Only one? Impossible to choose. I love an angsty ending. Killing Fingon off is always a delight (like this, or this). Sending people off to their dooms (like this, or this) is another. Making them consider might-have-beens, too (like this, or this, or this).

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I do also like happy endings! I write many happy post-canon returns, to tie up all the loose ends. Also happy moments within canon, but you usually have to pretend you don't know what comes next (blame the Professor, not me). For LoTR, These Our Braided Lives has a very happy Gimleaf ending. For Silm, try In These Altered States, Rejoice.

8. Do you get hate on fics? Spitting over my shoulder on this one, but no. Even the people who don't agree with my takes on particular characters have always been polite. Thank you, kind readers!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I don't write anything explicit. I'll read a wide variety but am more restrained in my writing. I've snuck a little bit into the mature range for a few things recently, but I prefer allusion and metaphor, really. It's the spirit of the intimacy that interests me, not so much the mechanics.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? Nope. Canon compliant or canon adjacent always.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes, I've had a few requests. My Thranduil seems to be quite popular in other languages.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? I haven't but would be happy to explore the possibility.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? Can't pick just one. Legolas/Gimli, Glorfindel/Ecthelion, Maedhros/Fingon, Finrod/Edrahil. The much rarer Egalmoth/Rog. And I'm pleased to have originated the tag for Amrod/Aredhel. Spitfire fans, get on that! (thanks to chestnut_pod for the horrible, wonderful ship name)

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Not a WIP, even, just an idea that I've mentioned before: an AU in which Fingon, returning from Thangorodrim with Maedhros, can't hold onto him, and he falls from the eagle's back into Lake Mithrim. I won't write it, but I sure hope someone else will.

16. What are your writing strengths? Brevity, ha! Condensing a great deal of emotional development into very few words. Figurative language. Ripping your heart out and stomping on it, tidily.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Dialogue. I don't write much of it, and it takes a long time to get it right.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I'm not likely to do so. I don't like the way it interrupts the flow. I'd rather indicate the language that is being spoken than try to craft compelling dialogue in it. This is especially fraught in the Tolkien fandoms, where the linguists WILL come for you if you get it wrong, lol!

19. First fandom you wrote for? LoTR. I've only been doing this for a couple of years.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? Impossible to choose! But my comfort series is The Flower and the Fountain: 16,000 words of Glorfindel and Ecthelion in 32 vignettes. I love those guys.

Thank you so much for the tag! @polutrope @eilinelsghost @melestasflight @tathrin @thelordofgifs @zealouswerewolfcollector, what about you? And anyone else who'd like to share, hop in!

#asks and answers #my fics #fic recs #tolkien fanfiction

[noxsoulmate]

💞 Of Lizards, Love & Laundry 💞

🦎 now complete 🦎

Ship: Tarlos | Fandom: 911 Lone Star Author: noxsoulmate | Artist: paxdracona Read on ao3 | View art on ao3

Chapters: 7-9/9 | Word Count: 4049 | Complete Word Count: 13826 | Rating: Mature | Warnings/Tags: canon compliant, Lou II is the Houdini of Lizards, how Lou II makes his Papa love him, a story told in 7+2 parts, Carlos is so done, but TK knows how to condition his man, sex and spicy food, bribery, fluff, domestic fluff, fluff and smut, fluff and humor, Carlos loves TK, so he puts up with the reptile in their loft, until he starts to love the little monster as well

Inspired by the amazing art of @paxdracona

Created for the @911reversebang

Summary:

“TK, your lizard got out. Again.”

Lou II might just be the Houdini of lizards, an escape artist par excellence – but he’s also TK’s emotional support lizard, so how could Carlos not start to like the little monster? It certainly has nothing to do with TK’s ways of bribery or attempts at conditioning him, and more with the fact that Lou II is just… growing on him. Even if that means loads and loads of extra laundry.

OR: Carlos Reyes and the Journey of Becoming a Lizard Papa, told in 7+2 parts

🦎 Read chapters 7 to 9 on ao3 🦎

🦎 or start at the beginning 🦎

💞 and please leave lots of love on the wonderful art on ao3 💞

💞 🦎 This fic is now complete 🦎💞

Once more I have to say the biggest thanks to @paxdracona 🥰 working with you was such a joy and I hope there are more projects in our future.

And of course, all my love to my wonderful readers - thank you so much for all your love, for all the kudos and your lovely comments, as well as all the reblogs here on tumblr. I'm so thrilled you loved this fic and the amazing art 😘

Sneak peek and more art under the cut:

seven

Household chores are always a tiring thing to handle but Carlos actually likes some of them. He’s weird like that, yes, but he knows it has to do with it being mostly mindless tasks that don’t require much thinking, and still you can see the result in the end. Plus, doing them together with TK always makes it that much better. They love to share kisses whenever they’re close, they brush each other when one passes the other, just smiling, exchanging wordless communication. It’s nice, it’s domestic, and Carlos knows he won’t mind doing any chores for the rest of his life as long as he can share it with TK.

It also helps that they both have their preferred chores and switch up those neither of them likes or both of them do. Laundry, for example, is part of the last category. Before moving together, Carlos would’ve never thought TK would like doing laundry as much as he does. But they both see it as a rather meditative task, one that can be done while sitting on the couch.

And yes, Carlos still uses the couch to sort all the dry laundry, even after the little Lou II incident the other week.

Besides, he has to admit he has definitely warmed up to the little rascal. He isn’t even surprised anymore to sometimes find him outside of the terrarium. TK offered to set up a camera so they could see how the trickster does it – but Carlos brushed it off. By now, he might even be okay with letting him run around the loft sometime. He found these little cat hammocks online after watching a video where a bearded dragon used it to chill in it…

Not that he’s ready to tell TK just yet. His fiancé is excited enough as is, seeing how their wedding is only a few days away. No, he will keep that revelational new status in Lou II and his relationship for a day where TK needs another pick-me-up…

Carlos is pulled from his thoughts when TK drops down on the couch next to him, looking at him with that look. The look that tells Carlos right away that TK did something he thinks he’ll get in trouble for unless his puppy eyes will get him out of it.

“Oh no,” Carlos murmurs, staring at his fiancé. “What did you do?”

“So… remember a few weeks ago when Lou II got free while I cleaned his terrarium?”

Carlos looks past him and sees it right away, the open glass case and the cleaning supplies. All he does is sigh and look back at TK, who truly looks sheepish now.

“Remember how I promised I would tell you right away if it happened again? Well…”

💞🦎 Continue on ao3 🦎💞

Noxy’s Tagging List:

@detective-giggles, @sgirl18, @firstprince-history-huh, @beautifulhigh, @rangergurlgleek1211, @shadesofdeviant, @actuallysara, @carlos-in-glasses, @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut, @welcometololaland, @wtfuckevenknows, @lightningboltreader, @meditating-honey-badger, @just-inside-her, @alidravana, @morganaspendragonss, @bonheur-cafe, @heartstringsduet, @ravens-words, @lire-casander, @otter-love-asl, @ramblingdisaster73, @first-kanaphan, @xtltokio, @buckybarnesalways, @mangacat201, @catanisspicy, @lemonlyman-dotcom, @a-kinkajou, @juuls

#tarlos #tarlos fanfic #911 lone star #noxy writes #7+2 fic #carlos reyes #tk strand #Lou II #lou the second #canon compliant #with amazing art #amazing art included in the fic #now complete

[nouies]

hello and welcome to the second fic rec of the year featuring works that i’ve read and loved during the past weeks. as always, please check tags before reading. if you liked the fics please reblog their posts, leave kudos and write a nice comment. happy reading! 🔒 = only for ao3 users rec tag | more rec lists

— harry/louis —  

໑ A Deal by @allwaswell16​ (T, 898, acquaintances, harry potter au, slytherin harry, gryffindor louis) absolutely amazing. it made me scream out loud and to want more from them in this universe but honestly, it’s perfect already as it is. a bit of flustered harry with confident louis to make your day brighter.

໑ I Like You Venti, Venti Much by Blinding_Lights  (G, 915, strangers to lovers, coffee shop au, valentine’s day) super sweet and lovely! i love how both of them were mesmerised by each other lol.

໑ forever&more by @forthetherapyy​ (G, 1k, established relationship, valentine’s day, long distance relationship, covid) absolutely gorgeous! their letters to each other were so sweet (please check out the author’s art for them!) and their love for each other was palpable even when they were not together. i read this on valentine’s day but i’m still sobbing abt it.

໑ Art Isn't Paint, It's Love by @faithinwalls369 (T, 2k, established relationship, valentine’s day, art exhibition) this was so beautifully written. the atmosphere was absolutely stunning and their love story was even greater.

໑ you could take a lick (but it's too cold to bite) by cinnamons / @sunbellylou​ (E, 2k, established relationship, pwp, summer) this was so hot that i even wanted an ice cream for myself even though i haven’t had one in years.

໑ I could be lucky by yourlionheartx / @djtommotomlinson​ (G, 3k, strangers to lovers, meet-cute valentine’s day) so sweet and funny! the end had me swooning. so, so lovely!

໑ I Choose You by @disgruntledkittenface​ (NR, 3.6k, established relationship, domestic fluff, tiredness after work) omg i read this on valentine’s day but i’m still thinking about it. it was sooooo freaking awesome! it’s like those fics where you don’t feel you’re reading abt made up characters but rather you’re looking through the window of their house and you’re seeing what they’re doing (respectfully though lol). this was amazing.

໑ 🔒 (your smile is) on every face by @justanothershadeofblue​ (T, 5k, strangers to lovers, famous/not famous au, meet cute) absolutely amazing! loved the characterisation and in general, Harry’s journey to become a Louis fan.

໑ Running Through A Cloud Of Steam by @allwaswell16​ (M, 5.7k, friends to lovers, soulmates au, body swap) a fun way to find who your soulmate is. and even though i knew what is going to happen, there were so many elements that made the fic to stand out for me, especially when it switched to Louis’ POV (but Harry’s was just as great!)

໑ Warm Chilling by @larryyouknow​ (G, 7.8k, strangers to lovers, countryside au) as i was reading i could feel the breeze in my face as if i was in the countryside, which honestly what a nice place it sounds. i liked the easy banter between Louis and Harry, and of course i loved all the animals. lovely reading, check it out!

໑ Kalopsia by delsicle / @eeveelou (M, 9k, established relationship, dark au, very very dark please read tags and author’s note) so well written and well thought. it’s very heavy so be careful if you don’t like dark aus but if you do, you’re gonna love this one. i’m planning on rereading this during halloween if not before bc it was really good.

໑ let me be your good night by @levelofcharm (E, 10.5k, strangers to lovers, valentine’s day, rich louis, waiter harry, read tags) i loved the characterisation here (especially Louis’), it was very close to my heart. and in general it was so good, so entertaining to read.

໑ Obsessive Love by Jennifer_Kaid / @poetsreprieve (E, 11k, strangers to lovers, prison au, dark harry, innocent louis) i felt like watching a series when i was reading this. i could read more abt this universe with no hesitation, it was amazing.

໑ kiss me in your chevrolet by cinnamons / @sunbellylou (E, 11k, established relationship, road trip au, read tags) ahhh this story was amazing. it tele-transported me to a new era completely. my heart ached for Louis but i loved how cherished he was by Harry, unconditionally. came for the smut, stayed for the feelings.  

໑ Souls; Plural, Parallel by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup (T, 19.6k, strangers to lovers, soulmates au, one night stand, pregnant louis) such a cute concept and a extremely fun way to tell it. i fell in love with several things during my reading, especially how lovely Louis was towards Harry.

໑ lovin' online by @levelofcharm and @pleasing-louis (NR, 27k, established relationship, frat boys au, sex tapes) i loved every second of this. their relationship was so lovely and admirable, there are very sweet moments during the fic, but there’s also smut which was hot HOT so you’ll find a good mix here.

໑ he was sunshine, i was midnight rain by wildestdreams / @thelavendrhaze (E, 30.8k, exes to lovers, a/b/o regency au, artist harry) ahhh this one was angsty but so entertaining because of all the jealousy going on. tbh i thought it was shorter bc of how fast i read it.

໑ Maybe You'll Like the Way I Am by @lululawrence (NR, 55.8k, neighbours to lovers, a/b/o fake relationship au, medical conditions, read tags and author’s note) what a beautiful story, a must read for hurt/comfort lovers! it’s angsty but fun and romantic. it touches heavy topics but in a very natural way.

໑ Perfect Storm by @cherrystreet (E, 80k, exes to lovers, fake relationship, wedding, hawaii) i loved this fic so much! i love discovering old fics that feel timeless. the characterisation was on point and there were so many moments where i felt my heart squishing.

໑ nothing quite hits like you by @outropeace (E, 80.8k, enemies to lovers, a/b/o dark academy au, curses, read tags) this fic was quite the journey. i don’t know how else to explain it. if you’re into fantasy and genuine rivalry between Louis and Harry, you’re gonna love this one.

໑ Darling, so it goes by @disgruntledkittenface  (E, 195k, strangers to lovers, royalty au, grace kelly au, actor harry, prince louis) i learned so much with this fic! it was very entertaining and i could only put it down when it was strictly necessary but it didn’t feel as long as it is. i could read more abt the future of their family bc i’m sure they’d have the best anecdotes, especially as parents.

— rare pairs / categories —  

໑ Guitar Cutie by cherrylarry / @beelou (girl direction, niall/harry, G, 632, strangers to lovers, meet-cute) such a lovely and sweet story. a great story to get you in a good mood.

໑ Winds Blowing Westerly by @ladyaj-13 (niall/louis, G, 655, friends to lovers, canon compliant) definitely loved this one! it made me think of several scenarios that led them to that point. very cute!

໑ Melting into You by cherrylarry / @beelou (liam/zayn, T, 1k, established relationship, valentine’s day date) this was very cute! they make a wonderful family with their two little girls but it was so sweet to see them have a day for them.

໑ we're right here in this room by flicker_album / @niall-official (niall/shawn mendes, G, 2k, strangers to lovers, coffee shop au) very soft and sweet! a perfect meet cute with amazing setting and characterisation.

໑ a sudden desire by edensrose / @holdingthornsandroses (louis/agent whiskey, E, 2k, strangers to lovers, nurse louis, pwp) this was so hot and sexy! the summary says “save a horse, ride a cowboy” so you can imagine what happens and it’s perfect.

໑ Doc In My Box by @homosociallyyours (girl direction, E, 2.6k, established relationship, doctor harry, pwp) so intimate and sexy! i really loved the way the author captured the trust between the couple in subtle ways.

໑ count me in by @disgruntledkittenface (girl direction, zayn/harry, NR, 3k, established relationship, a/b/o au, proposal) this was so lovely and cute. it reminded me how important it is for people to give something that the giftee is going to really enjoy. and it was nice to see a glimpse of niall and louis’ life.

໑ when we're finished saying nothing by @disgruntledkittenface (girl direction, M, 3k, established relationship, a/b/o au, pre-rut) this story was inspired by “written all over your face” and the author did a terrific job. it has so many great a/b/o elements that really make sense with the story. absolutely amazing.

໑ reckless serenade by @thepolourryexpress (girl direction, E, 4k, established relationship (or is it?), college au) this was very cute and sexy! perfect for valentine’s day but also any other time of the year!

໑ feel my body come alive by eynap / @panye (niall/shawn mendes, E, 10k, established relationship, a/b/o au) absolutely lovely, sweet, and romantic. it’s the author’s first a/b/o but it was so natural.

໑ Blind Date by @ladyaj-13 (ot5, G, 14k, strangers to lovers, reality show au, model louis) this was very fun and entertaining. everyone’s personalities just clicked and it was great to see how on board they all were with the relationship.

#28th appreciation #1dficvillage #hlficlibrary #hlcreators #hljournal #tracksintheam #trackinghome #* #*rec

[r6shippingdelivery]

I want to preface this by saying this post isn’t about any fandom in particular, it’s an issue that concerns all fandoms and it was a thought that sparked in my mind after reading some posts from generic fanfic sites/AO3 related. And it’s about the way fanfic writers are treated in general, even by fellow writers.

When someone makes a post reminding people that liking and reblogging/retweeting is the best way to help their favorite artists, or that comments help the algorithm and boost the creator’s confidence, everyone shares this and I don’t really see any dissenting voices. However, the moment someone makes a post saying that the way to support your favorite writers is by leaving kudos and commenting if you can, a lot of people flip their shit and start saying writers ask too much and feel entitled to comments and interaction. Why the fuck is there such a double standard?

Why is it okay to tell writers they should be grateful if people passively read their stories and never make their appreciation known, but I have never seen a post with people complaining in the same way about how artists expect engagement on their art posts? Occasionally, there’s some posts about the importance of sharing (by reblog/retweet, not reposting), but it’s usually more in the vein of pointing out how that’s on a downtrend and warning people that if they don’t share the art and stuff they like, the artists will eventually leave the platform. And yet the moment someone points out that if writers don’t get any encouragement they’ll eventually stop sharing and updating their stories, it’s a giant argument about how writers see fandom as a big transactional event and how they feel entitled to comments. Even writer focused spaces are spouting such sentiments, it’s mind boggling! 

If a writer talks about their lack of engagement on a story, they get bombarded with replies about how they should write for themselves only. Which is fair to a degree, but let’s look at it like this: if you baked your favorite cake and brought it to a potluck and nobody tried a slice of it, everyone would understand why you’d be a bit bummed. Yet writers get inundated with contradictory advice: you have to ask for concrit if you want interaction, try asking for specific questions at the end so your readers know what to comment about! Don’t ask for concrit and much less ask specific questions cause then the readers feel pressured and won’t comment. Answer to all comments you get or the readers won’t bother commenting if there’s no reply. Don’t reply to comments cause then you’re artificially inflating your story’s stats and commenters will be put off by that. Give a blanket statement about how you appreciate comments and kudos. Don’t do that because you look desperate. Etc. It’s a ‘damned if you do and damned if you don’t’ situation. No matter what route you pick, it seems like you’ll come off as entitled/desperate/clingy to people, just for saying “please, let me know there’s someone out there and I’m not throwing my stories to an empty void.” 

And while most of the focus of these big “writers ask for too much” rants are about comments, there’s also the kudos. Apparently the idea that if you read a story and enjoyed it you should leave kudos (aka, clicking a button - it’s like giving a like) is preposterous for some sectors too. So people won’t leave kudos on ongoing stories, and commenting is out of the question/too much effort, so they just read those ongoing multi-chapters silently - and then complain when the story is abandoned. God forbid the author saw the lack of interaction and decided that sharing their story wasn’t worth it since nobody seemed to like it, as far as they could tell. And to those crying they did like it…  well, if you don’t actually show that in a tangible way, how the fuck did you expect the author to know? Fandom might not be transactional in the way some people seem to think it’s suggested, it’s not a review/comment exchange, no. But it’s a place where people seek connection and community, and if you don’t talk to people you won’t make those connections. Not everyone is on the same social media circles, sometimes a comment on AO3 is all the fandom interaction people will have. And that’s okay. You can still make friends and connections like that. Hell, a lot of the fandom friends I met started with them commenting on a story of mine or vice-versa! 

Nobody is asking you to comment on every single story you read, that’s asinine and impossible, and tbh sounds more like a strawman argument than a real idea you can see in these discussions. All fanfic authors say is “if you enjoyed my work, leave a kudo and consider leaving a comment if possible, even if it’s just an emoji or keysmash, please”, and yet that’s deemed too demanding and/or manipulative. But being told artists need you to support them with likes and reblogs, and comments if possible, and please consider donating to their ko-fi - that is perfectly okay. And I’m not saying artists are entitled for that, not at all! I’m just asking y’all to consider why there’s such a double standard in the way people treat fanfic writers versus the way they treat fan artists. Because at the end of the day, both are creating the content fandom people like to see, and yet it doesn’t feel like both types of creators are treated in the same way.

#fanfiction #fanfic writing #fandom life #fandom culture #fandom etiquette #archive of our own

[mi6-cafe]

It's Newspaper November!

Specifically, it's Agony Aunt Column November. From November 1-5, we encourage you to submit an in-character letter to our inbox, where it will reach MI6's very own agony aunt, Grievances Goodnight!

Submit your ask (it can be anonymous) and begin it with Dear Grievances Goodnight.

Maybe your letter will be signed Quintessentially Quirky and it will wonder about the best kind of nerd-wear to buy a gentleman used to something more traditional. Or maybe you'll write in as I Have Top-Notch Range Scores Honestly and have a question about working with a coworker you killed injured with an Olympic Arms K2B3 rifle.

From November 6-12, we'll post the letters and ask you to take on the character of Grievances Goodnight and write a reply to someone else's query!

In case you miss out the first time, we'll also run the agony aunt event in the second half of the month as well.

Last Drabble Writer Standing Entries

Thank you to everyone who participated in last month's LDWS competition! It was a pleasure to have people writing for the prompts and reading, giving feedback, and voting on all the entries.

You can read all of the drabbles now with the author’s names in the original docs here. (week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4)

Many of the stories are now on AO3 in our LDWS collection. Even if you’ve already read them, we encourage you to go leave lovely comments and kudos to the authors there, too!

Saturday Cafe: Every Saturday in November

To help those who are doing NaNoWriMo, our Saturday Cafe is every week this month! Come join us in the fandom Slack as we write, draw, sprint, plot, brainstorm, cheerlead, and generally have a good time trying to get things done together. If you’d like an invite to the Slack, go ahead and message @castillon02 or @spiritofcamelot!

Long Fic Readalong (new fic starting this week!), Saturdays at 9pm ET

Join us in the Discord while we read a fic together. This is a chance to enjoy the fun of reading a chaptered work in weekly installments with all the laughter and shared suspense that that involves. The group is starting a new fic this week, so it's a great time to jump in and join!

We’d love to see you there. You are welcome to listen if you don’t or can’t read aloud!    

When: Saturday, October 1st at 9pm eastern/6pm Pacific (your local time here)

Where: We’ll be reading on discord in the readalongs channel. (Invite to discord here)

Please join us to read, to just hang out and listen, and to generally enjoy a good story together!

Weekly events:

WIP Wednesday: You can post an excerpt of your WIP on our post or make your own post and mention the @mi6-cafe. Either way it’s a fun way to show people what you’re working on, Bond fandom or otherwise.

Weekly Bond movies: Hosted by womble every Sunday at 8am Pacific time, join us in Discord to watch one of the Bond movies. Keep an eye on the watch party calendar linked below for updates.

Want to host your own event in the Discord or elsewhere? Let us know about it so we can add it to the calendars!

Calendars

Watch Party Calendar MI6 Cafe Calendar   If you need help adding these calendars to your personal one, check out this post.

#mi6cafe monthly post #mi6cafe community

[summonerluna]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by: @aleheartilly

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 32

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 212,833

3. What fandoms do you write for? FFVIII, and recently Wild!Verse Legend of Zelda

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Second Time Around (42) (LoZ)

The President (36) (ff8)

Ain't No Sunshine (26) (ff8)

no quarter (22) (ff8)

Or From That Sea of Time (21) (ff8)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? I am starting to. Because ffnet had a PM system instead of just a reply, my anxiety usually got the best of me and made me nervous to reply even if I wanted to just say "thanks! and I just used ao3 as a mirror site. Now that I am exclusively using ao3 and have a better grip on some of those anxieties, I want to interact more with people again and want to make sure people know how much I appreciate the comments.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Lazarus

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Since I mostly write one-shots and I don't know that any of them really have happy endings? The Successor still managed to have a fairly happy ending though despite the overall story being filled with death and angst.

8. Do you get hate on fics? Not in the form of comments, but I know there are people who do not like me

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Sometimes, but rarely anything x-rated.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? No, although I love imagining characters from different worlds crossing paths.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I am aware of

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes, thanks to the amazing @aleheartilly!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes, with @irishais

14. What's your all-time favourite ship? Squall/Rinoa, always and forever, and I think like 90% of my recent Zelink brainrot is because of all the Squinoa parallels they have in botw/totk!verse

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? I don't know. I don't want to say Dissolve because I don't want to admit I won't finish it, but my headspace is SO DIFFERENT from where it was when I started writing that, I think the only way I could finish at this point is to restart it and I'm not sure I want to do that.

16. What are your writing strengths? Writing place. Some stories are character-driven, some are plot-driven, and I think I write location-driven more often than I don't.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Starting something new because of that ADHD need to chase dopamine when I still have a billion WIPs. And being too vague because I'm afraid of being overly descriptive so I swing too far in the opposite direction.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I have in original stuff, but not in fic.

19. First fandom you wrote for? I wrote Hanson RPF when I was a wee young tween, living in the days of dial-up and printing off fics on my parents' dot matrix printer because I couldn't stay online long enough to read them, and staying up writing until I heard my dad get up to get ready for work. Then in hs I wrote a few LotR things before Final Fantasy took over my life once I got to college.

20. Favourite fic you've ever written? Fifteen Minutes Old

Tagging: @msstarlight @suleikashideaway @irishais @angelosearch though if you see this please do it because it's fun!

#writing #fanfic #luna writes

[foibles-fables]

fanfic writer questions

Thanks for the tag, @uhhhyaenbyjade!!

1- How many works do you have on AO3?

Sitting at 79, currently!

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 363,375

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Like, ever? Lots of them over the past twenty years, hahah. Currently it's mostly Horizon that's got me by the throat, but I've also put out a couple one-offs for Stray Gods and Control over the least year. Besides those, I'd say my main claims to clownery would be Legend of the Seeker and Warrior Nun. I'm also finally dipping my toes into the ATLA scene after missing the boat for way, way too long.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

I'm gonna remix this question a little bit and pick the top one from my an amalgamation of my five most prominent/recent fandoms, since otherwise Warrior Nun dominates due to sheer fandom size-- 1- Because the Light Is Close (Warrior Nun) 2- The Weight of Us (Legend of the Seeker) 3- rest like you belong here. (Horizon) 4- brave this time (Stray Gods) 5- dream geometries (Control)

5. Do you respond to comments?

I do!!! Gotta lavish my genuine gratitude on you lovely, wonderful, amazing folks who take time out of your day to read and hype up my silly writing.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oh hmmm. If we're talking recently (like, written since 2010) it's gotta be so i'll stay half away (Horizon). That comic, man. lmao. lol. OH! Or waiting through daybreak (Stray), because that cat game is an emotional wrecking ball

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

TOO MANY OF THEM, LATELY? I feel like I need to dive back into a bittersweetness era, because wouggghh have my endings been tooth-rottingly sweet. Recently I'd pin this title on entering light (Horizon).

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not directly on the fics or to my face, which is nice.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Hell yeah! Overwhelmingly sapphic, usually of the more esoteric variety re: language. Using sex as a character study is my passion.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Not in many, many moons have I written a crossover. And the only time I ever did, it was from two shows in the same universe, lmao.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge, thankfully!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

For the first time recently, yes!!! So freakin cool! Check out this Mandarin translation of eye for eye, tooth for tooth (Control).

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not a fic, but I gotta thank Meg for being my cowriter on Talanah's FOTH path!!!!

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

don't make me choose between Cara/Kahlan and Aloy/Talanah. please

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Sorry to that one early Warrior Nun fic I left hanging after a single chapter

16. What are your writing strengths?

Emotional immediacy, prose-craft, evocative syntax, lyricality

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

MY SPEED. OUGGHHHH. Also I am actively trying to get better at dialogue, along with location/setting descriptions

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I'd tackle it if it fit the scope of the fic, and only with the guidance of someone fluent in said language!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Written for and posted? The Xenosaga series at age 11, baybeeee. I wrote plenty before that without posting, however.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

This legitimately changes on the daily. It's impossible for me to choose, so I'll just toss out if you held yourself up to the light (Horizon) as today's contender.

No-pressure tags: @mehoymalloy @tjerra14 @finrays @sssammich @askweisswolf and anyone else who sees this and wants a go! Just tag me as your tagger!

#writing stuff #fanfic meme

[amaranthine-everlasting]

So I screamed from the moment Crowley grabbed Aziraphale by the collar and pulled him in for a kiss and couldn't stop screaming until Aziraphale pulled away with a devastated look on his face.

I am in love with season 2 of Good Omens. All hail every single cog in the machine that allowed this miracle to happen (and like a greedy thing, I'm now eagerly anticipating a third season).

But with as much joy as this new season brought me, as much as I cherish each new CANON interaction of the Ineffable Husbands like a luxuriously decadently bitter dark chocolate... this new season was Fanfiction from the very first scene with Crowley being an angel of a higher station and having a hand with the creation of the universe, to the very last frames as the credits rolled through.

Don't get me wrong, this felt like it was Great Fanfiction. The kind that you find after refining AO3's filters down to within an inch of their lives, sorting by word count, carefully reading each tag, noting the amount of kudos, double checking the Last Updated date, and peering into the very soul of the Author's Notes for any unexpected surprises. Fanfiction, none the less.

This is not a rant, this is not a complaint, and I apologize that my memory recollection abilities are so subpar that I for the life of me can't provide any fic titles, (but if there are any GO fanfic readers with minds like steel traps....please help a poor girl out in the comments) but:

There are amazing fics where Crowley was a high ranking angel. He was either part of the team that hung the stars or he's even the Archangel Raphael.

I remember reading a fic where Aziraphale and his fellow Soho shopkeepers (granted, this was back when nearly all of the shops were of the eyebrow raising variety, not just Mrs. Sandwich) were a rather tight knit community.

There's a few decent fics with Outsider POVs helping Crowley or Aziraphale realize they love the other. Obviously with the limited amount of characters available to play with, those outsiders tended to be either Madame Tracy, Anathema, or Adam Young/The Them when it wasn't an OC.

We saw the Gabriel/Beelzebub pairing and loved it and never imagined it seeing it become CANON holy shit yes! but I distinctly remember a fic where Crowley was much more female presenting, and Gabriel bought them a dress. Anyways, Gabriel was on Earth and was comfortable with earthly things because he kept having very hot, very steamy encounters with Beelzebub in Mexico (I think), that started out as clandestine meetings to figure out the next Apocalypse.

I remember this perfectly lovely and indulgent fic where Aziraphale closes his bookshop and Crowley sells his flat and they take the Bentley and retire in the South Downs. And Aziraphale joined the local theater and Crowley grew an amazing garden and they raised ducks by the beach and they had the opportunity to be an "us" 😭. And obviously that doesn't happen in the show but us avid fanfic readers, we knew what it could be like for them and so that moment when Crowley confessed and the fight and the kiss I was a mess an absolute mess, but also:

We fans love the drama, love the hurt, love watching the hope leaving our favorite pairing's eyes, so there are quite a few fics where those two fighting after a confession is as emotionally charged as that scene. But to have David Tennant and Michael Sheen really act that out the way they did gave me heart palpitations, it really did.

And last, but not least, this is not main character related but our OCs- I mean, Nina and Maggie- are actually living out a Coffeeshop AU.

Like I said, I'm not ranting or complaining or anything. I am so happy we got more GO content of this caliber on the tv. But it did not feel wholly original. It felt like dipping myself into that 1000th fic with that same trope that you are willing to read about for the rest of eternity (for example: I will read every single fic created about how Hob rescues Dream from the basement in The Sandman, and I will do it with the same enthusiasm I had the first time I read the first rescue fic. It scratches an itch that feels oh so satisfying to scratch.)

Anyways, yeah. Those were my thoughts.

#good omens #ineffable husbands #crowley #aziraphale #good omens 2 spoilers #spoilers #good omens spoilers

[deityoftherain]

Hello there :D

Welcome to my tumblr! I go by Rain (Deity works too) and I usually use they/them pronouns. I am a young adult and my timezone is ET. I do not tag reblogs often and they aren't tagged with anything specific. If you would like to look at what I have written, I have started to use the hashtag #deity writes as a way to organize it all better. You can also look below the cut for direct links to all of my writing! I am going to use #rain answers for anything posted through the ask function whenever I get them too- just for organization’s sake! Feel free to send me asks ^^

This account is mostly for mcyt fanart reblogs and random thoughts, but I am also a fanfiction writer! My ao3 is deityoftherain! I post chapter updates here so you can follow me on Tumblr and/or AO3 to get notified. I consider myself to chill in the PG-13/TV-14 rating though I write for both "General Audience" and "Teen And Up Audiences"- make sure to mind the tags!

If you enjoy my content, please interact! I love comments (I read all of them and respond to most of them) and I appreciate kudos/notes dearly. If you want to add my work to collections of works under a theme, don't be scared to! I'll accept the request. Just do not repost any of my works! Reblogs are loved (especially if you add little comments on them) and, if you want to draw art or whatever other creative work based on my fics (that would be really fucking cool if you did :O but no pressure obviously), PLEASE let me know about it and tag me so I can see it!!! I will reblog them with my #deity writes tag so people can see it when looking at my works too because I want to show it off ^^

If you would like to chat, feel free to DM me here or Discord- just make sure to tell me who you are, where you found me from, and why you are messaging me. I dislike it when strangers message me without a reason for it or without something to say. It is unsettling to me but I do greatly enjoy chatting with people. I don't think I am scary so don't be anxious if you want to reach out! My discord username is the same as my username here :D

Above has all my my ao3 works! Below are most of my fanfics posted on Tumblr. It will take you to a post with the fic's summary and basic information. From there, you can decide to route yourself to the fic on ao3 or there will be a link to take you to its post on my Tumblr.

Discord Server Invite: https://discord.gg/xMQN5XWeHr

Listed in alphabetical order because why not :D

Traffic Life/Life Series Fanfics dream killer crochet & cuddles empty home* festivals and ferris wheels* healing flowers* honeybees, i'm home* isn't that jimmy's hat?* know that all my love will be your breath scott, you're drunk save a spot for me* the boogey* the canary broke his curse now that you've won post-concert highs

Empires SMP Fanfics all is fair in love and war* blood is thicker than blood* i really missed you, dumbass isn't that jimmy's hat?* looking in the mirror* (not) a boy in a princess dress* silver wounds strangers to fighting buddies* strawberry tears* the cold is nothing compared to your warmth water & art

Hermitcraft SMP Fanfics i don't want to be friends isn't that jimmy's hat?* (not) a boy in a princess dress* save a spot for me*

* uncolored astrick'ed ones are tagged with multiple SMPs/fandoms tales of the empires <- click on this if you want to learn more about my empires s1 canon divergent au; each fic can be read separately* traffic life superpowers au <- click on this if you want to learn more about my life series superpowers au; each fic can be read separately*

Misc Fanfics New Life SMP: sparrow and his teleporter friend

Extra: I have written other mcyt fics as well as for Sanders Sides (and one for The Owl House) but those are a bit older (and I believe am better than I was) so I have not listed them here! You can still read those on my ao3 or my fanfic Tumblr (it is all listed on the pinned post) if you would like!

I’m hiding this all the way at the bottom so it’s a no-pressure type thing and I don’t see anyone actually tipping me even if they do see this but if you want to, my cashapp is $DeityoftheRain ^^

I also have a side blog if you are a Tumblr fanfic reader (and/or want some extra information), but a lot of things broke on me so I have abandoned it as of April 4, 2024. If you want me to post my fanfics on Tumblr or something, let me know via asks or something.

#deity writes #rain answers #tales of the empires au #traffic life superpowers au #<- here for you to jump to things even more easily if you don't want to use the links provided under the cut #pinned intro #welcome to my blog #intro post #blog intro #fanfic writer #ao3 author #mcyt #minecraft youtube #trafficblr #empiresblr #if you read all of this i love you #and you must be obsessed with me ;) /j

[beansterpie]

20 Questions For Fic Writers

Thanks for tagging me @marley-manson! <3

I would tag people but it's late and my brain is tired so literally, PLEASE just adopt this tag meme if you see it and read the whole thing. You have my full permission to say I tagged you, even if we've never spoken lol. Go for it, be audacious.

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

43,487!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Well the posted fic is a Berserk fic, but I have various other wips that I pick away at when I'm bored. Among them include Eyeshield 21, MDZS, RotE, Harry Potter (technically?). Those are the most recent ones anyway.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Chain of Dissent, she's my favorite fic <3 (she's my only fic)

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yeah I try to! Though I'll admit uhhhh I haven't updated it in... fucking? two years? god, and so I've been bad about responding to the more recent comments because I feel guilty for not updating in so long :') Really gotta get back to it.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

None, because I haven't finished a fic yet lol

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not so far! I've gotten a couple of comments that come across as unintentionally mildly rude, but definitely nothing that constitutes as hate.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Well not so far in CoD, but, ahem, I have written smut in one of my wips lol. Deeply self indulgent but I guess character driven? It's mildly nasty and desperate <3

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I haven't actually written a crossover (yet. well, recently) but they are a bit of a passion of mine lmao. I love ridiculous crossovers, and I'm talking about "a magical portal opens up and throws characters from fandom A into the world (& characters) of fandom B" type shit. I don't need the ways in which the characters interact to make sense, I just want them to be thrown together and see where it goes from there. Fish out of water shenanigans! Characters questioning their own motivations and idea of life by seeing a world entirely different from theirs!! Just like, fun shit! I also absolutely don't need for the two fandoms to be similar lol. I have a somewhat detailed Berserk/Eyeshield 21 crossover living rent free in my head so clearly anything goes.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Lol no.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Nope!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

I'll probably have to say GriffGuts, because it's a ship that's gripped me by the neck for the past 7 years or something, where my interest in it hasn't really waned.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Uhhhh, idk? I mean I am DETERMINED to finish CoD, so that's out. And the wips I write in my spare time are just like, things I do for fun where I don't put any pressure on myself over it. I'm not planning on posting them anywhere, and I'm not generally planning on 'finishing' them either. I mean if I do finish one, I might post it, but again, they're low key things that I'm not taking too seriously.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Hm. I honestly don't consider myself a very strong writer, at least in terms of things like prose and sentence structure, grammar, that sort of thing. I think I'm pretty decent at figuring out the direction that I want the story to go, and all the individual steps that need to happen to get to that point in a way that feels organic (at least, imo.) And I like to think I'm pretty good at characterization-- having the characters behaving and reacting in ways that feel like could concievably happen in canon is generally what I'm going for.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Yeah prose, lol. I mean, I don't actually dislike my more.... utilitarian writing style, mainly because I generally prefer reading more direct writing (unless the lyrical writing is really really good), but I do think I could inject some more illustrative details and metaphors into my writing overall. @marley-manson is SO good at coming up with perfect metaphors to describe a situation or feeling, all while perfectly recreating the character's voice, and I really admire that about her writing!

I also want to get better with having characters like, doing things while they're talking. I find a lot of the conversations I write happen between characters just kind of standing around, which obviously is fine but I'd like to construct scenes with a bit more specificity in the future.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Wait so like, say in a fic that is otherwise written in English, having a line of dialogue written in Spanish when a character is speaking it? I... don't have strong feelings about it one way or the other I guess lol. I mean ideally the line(s) written in the other language are correct lol, and not just badly google translated or something.

Though you know, now that I think about it, I feel like it would work best between languages that use the same alphabet (which does end up narrowing the possible languages down quite a lot) because that way the reader can still sound out the dialogue even if the don't understand the language, which could emulate what the pov character is experiencing. Whereas if it was a fic written in English, and then had a line written in, say, Japanese, the reader wouldn't even be able to sound it out so it's kind of a brick wall. (Unless there's footnotes, but that tends to be a little more clunky in fic than in a published book with pages).

If the readers are supposed to understand the dialogue written in another language, like two characters suddenly start speaking in said other language and we're meant to keep up with the conversation, then I feel like it's just easier to translate their words in whatever language the fic is written in otherwise.

But yeah idk, I think with intent and good execution, anything can work, but it could also be done in a way that's more annoying than anything.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I think. It was neopets LMFAO. I remember writing a fic when I was like 10 about Hannah (the adventurer) and Jacques (from the maraqua plot comic) as a romantic couple because I was annoyed at the time that there were multiple fics about Hannah and Garin (or whatever his name was, also from the maraqua plot) getting together even though I thought Garin was BORING and they were just shipped together because they were both usuls (which are overrated imho), even though Jacque was obviously better.

... I may have had a crush on Jacques.

But the first fic that I think I posted anywhere was for Xiaolin Showdown lmfao, probably also when I was 10 or 11 or something. I wrote like four separate fics for that show.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Yeah it's CoD lol. It's the longest thing I've written so far, and I'm overall still very proud of it. I'd probably go back and change some things in the first chapter because it reads a little clunky and like, abrupt to me now, but I'm not doing that until I finish the fic. Allowing myself to go back and edit stuff before I've even finished the story seems like a road to ruin lol.

#tag meme #marley-manson #ty for tagging me! this was fun #but now i am yawning all over the place so I gotta sleeeepppp #have work in the morning rip