foxinthestars

For the first time in years, I'm posting a fic that isn't even for Yuletide! After much squeeing and drafting, this is my first actually-posted The Untamed/MDZS fic, too:

The Finest Incense (3434 words) by foxinthestars
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian
Characters: Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, Lán Qǐrén
Additional Tags: Canonical Temporary Character Death, Ghost Wei Wuxian, quiet drama, Angst, Wei Wuxian is an idiot, Lan Qiren is a Terrible Uncle, Lan Wangji is Tragically Adorable, But there is a kiss to make it better
Summary:

After his death, Wei Wuxian is unimpressed by the incense and sacrifices offered to ghosts. That is, until a unique and powerful fragrance raises his curiosity ― and his sense of danger.

Also available at FF.net

Speaking of FF.net, I found I'd been neglecting my account and belatedly uploaded my last two Yuletide fics there, as well, so they're now available on my FF.net page.

Agh, I've been a stranger for over a week now, but I found betas for my fic, and it is now posted:

Medicine and Poison (9937 words) by foxinthestars
Fandom: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Characters: Jae-Ha (Akatsuki no Yona), Yoon | Yun, Four Dragon Warriors, Garou (Akatsuki no Yona) - in flashbacks
Summary: Locked in a cell in Xing, Jae-ha must deal not only with his fresh injuries but also with an old problem: the paralyzing treachery of his own mind. It draws him into memories of one of the darkest moments of his past, but in the present, Yoon and the other dragons need him — and he needs them.

FF.net mirror

Ahh! I'm pleased with this one but it's a relief to get it out the door. Need to get back to drafting new stuff now...

I just realized, that story I drafted actually covers my HC Bingo challenge stamp. It'll even be done after the deadline, so I can not-have the banner like I wanted.

Today while journaling, I found myself wanting a word like "headcanon" but implying less commitment.

What I came up with: "muse-whisper."

I like it; I may have to use it again.

(I mean, I guess I could say "idea" but that's not as pretty.)

(I need to post more often and like, practice actually posting things that come into my head, hence this.)

One of my favorite things about Ao3 probably belongs under the category "pathetically grateful," but I just love having text-formatting options.

Back when I had my own fannish website, I could do it any way I wanted, of course, but I'm comparing to FF.net, which I don't despise, but gods dammit, why are you terrified of my typographical choices? AFAIK my old (as in "wrote these in high school") FF6 stories are still sitting on FF.net looking like s**t because they stripped the em-dashes and whatever I was using for scene breaks or some such idiocy and I'm too embarrassed to look at the stuff to go back and fix it.

So yes, Ao3 is like WHEEEE! CREATIVE FREEDOM!

I can use scene-break markers of my own choosing! I picked some of those for reasons! (Fushigi Yuugi: The Mirrorverse uses seven asterisks --- seven stars, 'natch. Seven Year Promise uses seven asterisks if the POV is changing and only one if it's not to suggest a harder or softer break. My Allison & Lillia stuff uses a pattern of asterisks that stands for the two "first generation" couples on either side and their kids not quite meeting yet in the middle.)

I can use blockquotes! I never needed them before, but dang Wear My Fearsome Power looks nicer that way --- being that big sections of it are being read out of a book in-universe and all.

I can make links and not be suspected of being a cyber-terrorist! I tend not to use them in the story itself, but it's so nice to be able to put them in author's notes.

And I can tell Ao3 to insert white space and it ACTUALLY ****ING DOES IT WITHOUT STRIPPING IT OUT. I can use THAT for a scene break if I want! White space was a big high-concept deal in Seven Year Promise of course, but the fic I'm drafting now just has kind of an ending and then a little "hours later" coda and it just feels right to use a longish white space there AND I CAN JUST BECAUSE.

On Ao3. On FF.net, nope --- horizontal rulers, that's all you get. (Not that I don't love horizontal rulers but THEY ARE NOT ENOUGH FOR ME.)

So yeah. I'm not down with FF.net hate for the most part, but this is why I've declared it a "deprecated mirror" for my work.

Scanlation came out for the latest Akatsuki no Yona chapter, 134.5. It's a fluffy bit of New Years filler in which nothing much happens, and yet...

( Should it bother me to be jossed? )

I want both spellings of gray/grey. In my mind, "gray" is cool or neutral-toned, and "grey" is warm-toned.

I'm doing Yuletide again. I've become quite committed to doing it every year as a personal tradition. (Like, it and one other exchange per year seems to be about right.)

Still planning my offers, and taking it as a push to explore some canons I'd been meaning to get to or thought would be good to see but never had. I should probably keep mum about what those are, but it's been fun, and I'm down to one thing I want to dive into before I finalize my plans.

I guess I can say some things I've looked into but decided not to offer, though.

I had been meaning to read A Redtail's Dream and am now about halfway through. Really liking it, but the Finnish cultural context is vital to it, and I don't know enough about that to competently write fic. So, crossed off the offer list but still open in a tab to finish reading soon. In general I have this annoyance where if I go into a comics store/section, I want to want something, but I can never find anything I actually want; webcomics are probably just a better place for me to look.

Also due to this I got around to playing the Stella Glow demo on my 3DS. Looks interesting (and very very anime), but I finally crossed it off the list due to the money and time commitment that playing it through in time to write something would entail. It's on my wishlist now, though.

Anyway, my Dear Author letter should be posted early next week. It'll mostly be prompts recycled from previous exchanges, but what the heck.

Once Upon a Fic is on again for this year. I'm not planning to sign up this time (still thinking that any writing time I assemble I should use on more self-determined projects), but it was a good time last year, so if anyone else likes the idea of fairy tale fic, I can recommend it.

Speaking of fairy tales, I did feel like it had been too long since I watched any anime. Snow White with the Red Hair had sounded good, I just never got around to it, and now it has a new season starting up, so I thought I'd give it a go. I decided on one episode per day, and... Well, it's not so compelling that I've broken that resolution. Pretty fluffy so far (3 eps in), but I like it. I get the sense that it's for a pretty young target audience. The heroine's strength and independence is the main theme (the results are mixed so far but I appreciate it), and the charming prince is a shamelessly-legitimate sweetheart.

While I'm trying to clear away dust...

It's been way too long since I actually posted fanfic.

I did sign up for Yuletide again, and I have I think a solid idea and part of a draft, but I'm not focused and excited like I was last year, so I don't know if I'll go above and beyond and do treats and drabbles and such.

The Legend of Zelda obsession has also led to one cute little fic, but for now I'm sitting on it. I told myself I should actually finish the game it's set during* before moving ahead, although there is that element of "was this a good idea? will anyone like this but me...?"


*Minish Cap --- I'm most of the way through the next-to-last dungeon and I WON THE @#%@ing CUCCO-CHASING GAME, w00t!