thisgirlhastales

[thisgirlhastales]

It was an absolute delight — I was thrilled to bits to hang out with my best writing buddy! @reader115 is so very lovely (inside and out!), and so very patient with my real-life rambling ;) *moose hugs*

(And many thanks for the wonderfully thoughtful gift —I am still grinning over it!)

Yesterday will forever be marked on my calendar as the day I got to meet up with my best writing buddy @thisgirlhastales in person ❤️

#reader115 #and moose hugs turned into real hugs #< yes they did and it was awesome #so very very awesome

[thisgirlhastales]

I am pretty speechless over here, and only a small percentage of that is me recovering from a migraine.

Holy crap. @luchsmaedchen​ I cannot freaking explain to you (as I said already said once, but, y’know, I am a repetitive loser), how much your message that this was a thing? How much it completely made my week, even with the brain-splitting migraine.

And @coolnonsenseworld​ this is a freaking incredible piece of art. Just. Holy crap. I love everything about this. My eyes keep getting drawn to their boots? I don’t know why, but the details on those are just making me so happy. It shows their two different attitudes/personalities, I feel? Also, Lance’s pose is so very much the vibe of him in this series (well, before things get really dark), and Keith’s expression gives me calm yet lethal bodyguard vibes, and just ... *waves hands around*

Thank you. A million times, thank you :)

Commission was done for @ luchsmaedchen, for the "Trouble's Making Everything All Right" series by Mytay on AO3!

It was such a pleasure to work on this!! 😭💞 also Yui almost spoiled the entire thing for me, I swear. I haven't caught up reading, but I hope it matches the fic's vibe for everyone who did!

Commissions are still open! linktr.ee/mezzy

#voltron #klance #the two mcclains #space cowboys #keith (voltron) #lance (voltron) #somebody created art for me!!! #make a bad day better #So very very awesome #so very grateful

[thisgirlhastales]

Can I jus tell you I love your space cowboys series? Every sentence in it is flawless. The dynamic between the two of them is great ! Your world building !!!!!!!

I’m a sucker for a western and heists and romances despite despite despite and your series is where I go for any of that

I can’t count the times I reread it ! And literally I never think about voltron I was there in the beginning and I have done Work to escape and forget many things but your series has such a hold on me

It’s so so compelling so I just wanted to say thank you for writing it <3 you have brought me much joy

*tip-toeing back in several months later*

Hi. Hello. I have been a horrible human who has been woefully neglecting the wonderful, kind words you so were so awesome as to send my way.

Please know that while I am very, very bad at responding to folks in a timely manner, it does not mean I am any less in awe over said kindness.

For all that I am also not really involved in Voltron fandom any longer, I do still love these two space cowboys, along with some of the characters that took up residence in my heart (I'm sure none of you are surprised by the random adoration I have for Coran/Kolivan).

So knowing that this thing, which is a source of comfort to me even years later, can also be something similar to you, is just .... really, really wonderful. Thank you for telling me that, thank you for hanging around, and just ... all the thanks, hun, really and truly.

#answering the kind folks who ask stuff :) #anonymous #space cowboys #so very grateful #thank you for being amazing

[thisgirlhastales]

The space cowboys, Lance and Keith, are still breathing despite many, many attempts on their lives ...

... Likely because Lance is elbow-deep in the blood of their would-be killers, and no one wants to risk brutal death at his hands ... Except their biggest enemy. And he’s so close to ending her, to finishing this war once and for all ...

He did not expect their long-lost family to finally find them.

Yet, even with this (long since given up on) reunion, Lance has one final, all-important kill to make. They could be horrified, his family could be shocked and appalled, but Lance doesn’t have time for their judgement until the bloody deed is done.

Then, the ramifications of all his choices can fall upon him.

Here is the last chapter:

Burns Beyond the Grave (Chapter 8: The Reunion)

Notes: Hey, I did it. I think. I hope. It’s done, at least, and while I will always have space cowboys on the brain, y’all can rest assured this is concluded for a bit ;)

If the angst of this story gets too much, I did write a fluffy vacation for The Two McClains, should you need a palate cleanser afterwards ;) It’s over here!

As always, all the thanks, all the hugs, just every bit of gratitude in my being sent your way for reading about these two, whether you finished this series or not :) *all the hugs*

#klance #voltron #space cowboys #the two mcclains #keith (voltron) #lance (voltron) #voltron fanfic #fanfic

[thisgirlhastales]

As it stands, I've got 905,967 words, and most of that is space cowboys (417,428). Geez.

I saw a poll about how many works you've published on Ao3 and so then I got curious. So let's try this.

How many WORDS have you published on Ao3???

i'm talking total word count that you can see if you look in your statistics.

#ao3 #word count #905967 #sometimes I really underestimate how much writing I do #and have done #this doesn't include my old fanfiction.net stories #polls

[thisgirlhastales]

Lance and Keith, a.k.a. The Two McClains, Are On Vacation ...

... No, seriously.

Allura arranged for them to chill out in a beautiful, private beach house, on a safe planet far from the war ... And that shouldn’t be anything other than good news for them ...

But these two don’t even remember what “relaxation” is, and it’s pretty difficult to find that quiet place within themselves when all their instincts are sharp, lethal, and constantly waiting for the next blow.

Once they find the words to explain this to themselves and to each other, (even if they’re not the kindest explanations), maybe they can get something out of this peace and quiet. But the words must come first.

Here is some Lance and Keith trying to work out how to do nothing and get something from it:

Dirt On My Sleeves (Hands So Cold They Shake)

Notes: Okay, I promise I’m editing the last chapter of Burns Beyond the Grave. However, in the meantime, I decided that I should post this one-shot, written long, long ago, as a sorta-fluffy reprieve from the angst. Obviously, it still has some angst, because that’s how The Two McClains roll, but I swear it’s very mild in comparison to ... *waves at main series* ... everything else ;)

To all of you still around, thank you so very, very much, whether or not you read this latest silliness of mine :) *hugs*

#klance #voltron #the two mcclains #keith (voltron) #lance (voltron) #space cowboys #voltron fanfic #fanfic

[thisgirlhastales]

“our teeth and ambitions are bared” is a zeugma

and it’s a zeugma where one of the words is literal and one is metaphorical which is the BEST KIND

#grammar punctuation and usage #this is so freaking cool

[thisgirlhastales]

When people hear Dream talk about Hob Gadling they assume he’s a deity or at the very least the most fascinating, utterly captivating and powerful creature that ever walked the face of this Earth…

And then they actually meet Hob, this textbook mediocre Honda Civic of a man, whose defining personality trait is that he loves the Great British Bake Off and they go: “Dream of the Endless, Lord Morpheus, Your Majesty with all due respect are you sure we’re talking about the same person??”

And Dream’s just watching Hob in his backyard making small talk with the neighbor lady about the weather while he’s struggling with a lawnmower or some absolute mediocre shit like that and Dream, who’s older than creation, who contains the entire subconscious of all living things gets this utterly besotted look and says, “Isn’t he magnificent?” Just as Hob steps on a rake and gets hit in the head so hard it knocks him out cold.

#honda civic of a man is perhaps the best description I've ever seen of anyone #dream of the endless #hob gadling #dreamling #the sandman

[thisgirlhastales]

Most of this I learned in a grammar course I took during university, and it honestly thrilled me to bits to finally have definitive (well, definitive insofar as English) rules and names for things I’d previously just guessed.

Also, reading. A lot of this I did pick up beforehand by reading books (which was also how I learned vocabulary, particularly as English wasn’t my first language). However, man, I really do wish they had solid grammar classes in school (and not just because I am a grammar nerd).

There are actual real world consequences to grammar/punctuation errors or ambiguities — the Rogers’ comma case is probably my favourite example :)

Writing Tips

Punctuating Dialogue

✧

➸ “This is a sentence.”

➸ “This is a sentence with a dialogue tag at the end,” she said.

➸ “This,” he said, “is a sentence split by a dialogue tag.”

➸ “This is a sentence,” she said. “This is a new sentence. New sentences are capitalized.”

➸ “This is a sentence followed by an action.” He stood. “They are separate sentences because he did not speak by standing.”

➸ She said, “Use a comma to introduce dialogue. The quote is capitalized when the dialogue tag is at the beginning.”

➸ “Use a comma when a dialogue tag follows a quote,” he said.

“Unless there is a question mark?” she asked.

“Or an exclamation point!” he answered. “The dialogue tag still remains uncapitalized because it’s not truly the end of the sentence.”

➸ “Periods and commas should be inside closing quotations.”

➸ “Hey!” she shouted, “Sometimes exclamation points are inside quotations.”

However, if it’s not dialogue exclamation points can also be “outside”!

➸ “Does this apply to question marks too?” he asked.

If it’s not dialogue, can question marks be “outside”? (Yes, they can.)

➸ “This applies to dashes too. Inside quotations dashes typically express—“

“Interruption” — but there are situations dashes may be outside.

➸ “You’ll notice that exclamation marks, question marks, and dashes do not have a comma after them. Ellipses don’t have a comma after them either…” she said.

➸ “My teacher said, ‘Use single quotation marks when quoting within dialogue.’”

➸ “Use paragraph breaks to indicate a new speaker,” he said.

“The readers will know it’s someone else speaking.”

➸ “If it’s the same speaker but different paragraph, keep the closing quotation off.

“This shows it’s the same character continuing to speak.”

#grammar punctuation and usage

[thisgirlhastales]

Lance just has a few more days for vengeance ...

And Keith is ready and willing to lend a hand ... except that a small, terrified part of him isn’t sure if Lance is coming back from this ...

Here we go with Lance McClain, the now more frightening partner of The Two McClains, much to Keith’s concern:

Burns Beyond the Grave (Chapter 7)

Notes: Well, here is the penultimate chapter, and while the violence is easing up, the angst is definitely not. I hope you’re all doing well, warm (or cool) wherever you happen to be :) *all the hugs*

#voltron #space cowboys #klance #keith (voltron) #lance (voltron) #voltron fanfic #the two mcclains #fanfic

[thisgirlhastales]

You know, as kids, back when we were ridiculously in love with these movies (er, I still am, but I digress) my friends and I would often discuss this scene as part of why we saw Two Towers multiple times in theatres. We wouldn’t describe it in detail to anyone or to each other.

We would just say, “The Doors.” And nod.

And everyone knew exactly what we meant ;)

happy 20th anniversary to this scene and this scene only

#LOTR #lord of the rings #ARAGORN SON OF ARATHORN #the two towers

[thisgirlhastales]

every time i finally escape voltron you update trouble’s making everything alright and i get dragged right back in reading that entire fic

Honey. Hun, thank you. Goodness, apologies for taking forever to reply; it's been a whole Thing to get my head on straight these past few months.

Please believe me when I say that I grinned ear-to-ear reading this, though. I just ... can't believe anyone is willing to re-read that behemoth of angst.

Thank you, thank you :)

#answering the kind folks who ask stuff :) #animetitlehere #so very grateful #the two mcclains

[thisgirlhastales]

Within this sixth chapter are Lance and Keith having a surprisingly okay (even, possibly, good day) followed by a ... very much not good day.

Same warnings for violence, y’all. This trio of chapters are rough-going ...

Burns Beyond the Grave (Chapter Six)

Notes: Thank you once more to anyone still interested in these two space cowboys, particularly when it comes to Lance’s descent into ruthless mercenary (though perhaps not so ruthless as he believes).

I send many hugs to everyone here, and hope you’re all well :) *all the hugs*

Lance fights for his and Keith’s lives, and earns his reputation as the more terrifying one ...

It’s getting worse for The Two McClains in this chapter. We’re all aware that this story has a happy(ish) ending, thank goodness … However, Lance doesn’t know that …

Burns Beyond the Grave (Chapter Four)

Notes: Y’all, please know that the violence increases quite a bit in this chapter and going forward. Proceed with caution (or don’t proceed at all, if you think it’s not for you!). *many hugs* I am grateful beyond measure to all of you, whether you continue to read or not :)

#voltron #klance #keith (voltron) #lance (voltron) #the two mcclains #space cowboys #voltron fanfic #fanfic

[thisgirlhastales]

I hope there are theses papers written about this one day soon. It is a truly fascinating (hilarious, awesome) thing that has been wrought :)

#goncharov (1973) #unreality

[thisgirlhastales]

So many quality posts about this movie, and this one just ... I don’t know, it makes me feel like I’ve stepped into a parallel universe in the best way.

New York street scene photographed by François Szalay Colos, circa 1973

#goncharov (1973) #unreality

[thisgirlhastales]

Well, here we have another round of vengeance from Lance, and an awake Keith who is beginning to see changes in his fiancé ...

Burns Beyond the Grave (Chapter Five)

Notes: Okay, so please, please heed the warnings at the beginning of this chapter. Like I said, Lance is in prime revenge mode, coupled with survival mode, and it makes for a very ... rough couple of days for him.

And again, I thank you to anyone still reading, or just hanging around here with me :) *even more hugs*

Lance fights for his and Keith’s lives, and earns his reputation as the more terrifying one ...

It’s getting worse for The Two McClains in this chapter. We’re all aware that this story has a happy(ish) ending, thank goodness … However, Lance doesn’t know that …

Burns Beyond the Grave (Chapter Four)

Notes: Y’all, please know that the violence increases quite a bit in this chapter and going forward. Proceed with caution (or don’t proceed at all, if you think it’s not for you!). *many hugs* I am grateful beyond measure to all of you, whether you continue to read or not :)

#klance #voltron #keith (voltron) #lance (voltron) #voltron fanfic #space cowboys #the two mcclains #fanfic

[thisgirlhastales]

Lance fights for his and Keith’s lives, and earns his reputation as the more terrifying one ...

It’s getting worse for The Two McClains in this chapter. We’re all aware that this story has a happy(ish) ending, thank goodness ... However, Lance doesn’t know that ...

Burns Beyond the Grave (Chapter Four)

Notes: Y’all, please know that the violence increases quite a bit in this chapter and going forward. Proceed with caution (or don’t proceed at all, if you think it’s not for you!). *many hugs* I am grateful beyond measure to all of you, whether you continue to read or not :)

#klance #voltron #keith (voltron) #lance (voltron) #space cowboys #the two mcclains #voltron fanfic #fanfic