Playing with words

Fic/meta with links and mini-summaries here. Comment if you would like me to add you too- I f-lock more personal entries.

Feel free to translate, podfic and/or create fanart, fic or fanmixes based on my fics. Please just let me know, and link back to mine!

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If you need an AO3 invite, PM or comment! Comments on this entry are screened, so nobody will see it but me. 
 

( WandaVision (MCU) ) 

( The Queen's Gambit (TV) ) 

( Black Widow (MCU) )
 
( Chocolate Box 2021 (Howl's Moving Castle, This is How you Lose the Time War) ) 

( Talents series- Anne McCaffrey )

( The Folk of the Air )
 
( Terminator: Dark Fate )

( Avatar: The Last Airbender )
 
( Nolanverse Batman (The Dark Knight Rises) )

( Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse )

( Yuletide 2019 (The Little Mermaid, Spirited Away/千と千尋の神隠し) )

( Game of Thrones (TV) )

( Thor (MCU) )

( Kimi no Na wa | 君の名は | Your Name )

( Moana )

( The Martian )

( The Originals )

( Star Wars )

( HTGAWM )

( Daredevil )

( The Hobbit (movies) )

( Guardians of the Galaxy (MCU) )

( How to train your Dragon/Dreamworks Dragons )

( Pacific Rim )

( The Vampire Diaries )

( Batman/The Dark Knight )

( FFVII )

( Bartimaeus  )

"We do not write because we want to; we write because we have to." W. Somerset Maugham
 

Surprise bitch fic! LOL So it only took me a year, but seeing as how I couldn't even look at screens for weeks there, I think I did ok. LOL
Lookee this art too guys! 🥰
eller if you read this, I am happy to fix any egregious chess errors - I did my best. 😅

Full Tilt (16000~ words) by NRGburst
Chapters: 2/2 of Playing the Rush
Fandom: The Queen's Gambit (TV), The Queen's Gambit - Walter Tevis
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Beth Harmon/Benny Watts
Characters: Benny Watts, Beth Harmon, Jolene (The Queen's Gambit)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Rating May Change, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Mutual Pining, Poker Lingo, Actual Chess game
Summary:

adj: a player’s state of impaired judgment due to emotional agitation

TQG x Rounders: Benny gambles his way to Moscow AU Part 2

Cover art by mniiv/MN_art

Wishing you all a wonderful New Year! 🥳🙌 This will be another many updates at once post because so much has happened but I've been too busy to sit and compose a post!

First! Thank you to spikedluv for more DW points via holiday_wishes ! So much appreciated!!! 🥰

Second cool thing: I've won a few Discord Nitro giveaways ever since I started entering lots of them? Law of averages, so I've been cruising along with Nitro Classic (which is basically just Extra Emoji Powah - it's the discount version of Nitro) and I have a few months of classic credit stored up now. Then a couple days ago I basically won the jackpot: one year of Nitro Boost! 🙌🥳This is the fully souped up version of Nitro that costs $100! So I can boost the little B2 server again, which is awesome! (It means all members on the server can use more of our custom emoji and stickers and our icon can be a GIF one, plus a few more perks.)

Third: I spotted a new gift on AO3 and went rummaging through the tags at fandomtrees and ooooh! Can't wait!

And finally, the person translating my fics into Vietnamese has finished An Exchange of Kings now and the link is here!


In not so cool things: tumblr is basically totally non-functional for creators right now. 😭 It's probably them trying to fix their banned tags issue, but now any tagged post doesn't show. 🤨 So I'm not making any more GIFsets until they figure out WTF they're doing. Really sad that I might have to redo the tags on all the sets I've posted - that is at least a hundred sets.😭 I have two more weeks of work, so maybe after that?


November/December media

TV shows: So much quality content! I have been very happy with the TV offerings lately. I think I'll be trying Wheel of Time next, since the people in the Gendrya server are talking about it. (I read the books ages ago, so I don't think I'll be offended by the "narrative diversions" that husbands everywhere are complaining about!😂) 

Squid Game- I totally get all the hype over this series - it was sooo good! I started it one night, just to see why everybody was talking about it and flooding my dash with people in tracksuits. Watched two episodes, and then binged the rest the next day! It is very intense though - I can see why people just can't take the strain of it, and the seemingly cynically violent narrative. This show breaks your heart on purpose? I do like what it says about capitalism and human nature in the end though. I have caps for icons, so I will be working on those sometime!

explained S3- There was a chess ep and one on dogs! Awesome season!

The Mind explained- The last ep on brainwashing was uncomfortably relevant. 😖 Radicalization in small groups: it can happen to you! I want to watch the one on personality again - the different traits are really interesting! 

Lost in Space S3- I can't believe it's over! And I liked where the characters ended up, mostly, although I am sad it wasn't a little bit shippier for the pairings I was rooting for. 🥺 

Arcane- OMG this show blew me away! I think I actually like the love triangle on this show because it's such a fresh take on the trope and sooo heartbreaking?! Plus what a corruption arc! And the character designs and artwork and music were all just stunning together! Definitely going to re-watch just to be wowed all over again. 

Hawkeye- I did not expect this show to make me ugly sob because I'm going to be honest: I went into this not giving a damn about Clint. My fave was Natasha and I have been bitter for literally YEARS. This show had everything though - humourous banter, great character arcs/plot, awesome action sequences and emotional catharsis like whoa. 😭😭😭 So well done, and it totally blew away my expectations. Plus the holiday setting was perfect - my kiddo and I watched it all over Christmas and it felt so sublime! 

The Witcher S2- I liked it for the most part although Jaskier should have had more songs! Having Ciri a lot more central at last was great, and I also like the time spent with more of the minor characters like Fringilla, whose choices and struggles I find a lot more relatable than say, Geralt's? Although I don't like what they did with Yennefer since it was so contradictory and also not in the books?! 🤨(Yes, I am the annoyed husband here: what was that?!)


Movies: Only watched a couple. I'm hoping to see No Way Home in theatre soon though! It comes out here on the 7th!

Shang-chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings- This was such a fun romp and I kind of ship Katy/Shang-chi now. I loved how they were so solidly each other's person. 

Don't Look Up- I found this so depressingly realistic that I had to stop watching in the middle for a day. Like maybe it's satire but it felt terribly plausible.  


Books:

   Scythe, Thunderhead and The Toll by Neal Shusterman

In an overpopulated world where an ubiquitous, omnipresent AI has solved all mundane human problems like death and disease, there have to be those who must reduce the population instead. This was such a neat dystopian concept and I think the first book in this series was definitely the strongest, although all of them have several gut punch twists. The weakest part of the series was the romance - I just didn't feel it between the two main (young) protagonists. (Maybe I am over YA romance? IDK.) The third book is strangely structured too, because one of the minor characters from the second book gets a leading role for most of the first third of it - it's a jarring change when you're so used to his chapters being the occasional interlude instead of the main focus! I have a bunch of fic bookmarked for this, but for the mentor scythes, who had the most tragically separated for eternity soulmates story ever. It still makes my heart break a bit to reflect on it. 🥺

 A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown

Ooooh this was such a good finish to this duology! I feel like anything I say will be spoilers for the first book, but the great worldbuilding continues out into the world around the city in the first, with a wonderfully diverse range of characters, and some realistically motivated characters? Like at first it seems like the author is playing to a romantic trope, but noooope, character was motivated by something deeper! 😅
A great YA fantasy read - I'm reccing this series to my kiddo for sure.


Finally, here's my last fic of the year for newyearcntdown 

Title: Cold Hands (Cold Feet) (Joy and Harmonny for the Season Chp 3)
Fandom: The Queen's Gambit (TV)
Characters/Pairing: Beth Harmon/Benny Watts, Jolene DeWitt & Benny Watts, Benny Watts & D.L. Townes
Word Count/Rating: 2424 words, T
Summary: Counterpart to the previous chapter: Whatever did Benny get Beth for Christmas?
Link to AO3 here

This was expanding on the backstory of the last chapter of Exchange too - I wasn't planning to write that in when I first saw the prompt, but the more I thought about that other meaning of Cold Feet, the more I wanted to add it. I was originally going to write eight stories for this community and only finished three, but I am keeping the option open to post a couple more on AO3 even though the community on DW won't be open for cross-posting!

This was me! I actually matched on a pairing but this prompt struck me so much more: What was it like to be caught in the Hex, especially for Monica?


Truth (556 words) by NRGburst
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: WandaVision (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Geraldine (WandaVision), Monica Rambeau
Additional Tags: trapped in the hex, Character Study
Summary: Geraldine knows her life is in real Technicolor. She's just not sure if it's true.

Recs:
Fics:

( Fic recs: mostly MCU, 1 Howl's moving castle, 1 Ted Lasso )

Fanart:

( Fanart recs (2 WandaVision, 1 Game of Thrones) )Such a wonderful exchange! Can't wait to see what you f-listers made! 🧡🖤🎃

So this was me! I actually matched on a different pairing but how could I not write Yelena&Natasha after seeing Black Widow?!

Vested Interest (2090 words) by NRGburst
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Black Widow (Movie 2021), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Relationships: Yelena Belova & Natasha Romanov
Characters: Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Yelena Belova
Additional Tags: Missing Scene, background Alexei/Melina, Post-Canon, angsty ending, Assuming all of Family 2 got dusted, hence the major character death
Summary:

Because sometimes a baby sister might need some help from the cool kids. (Or vice versa.)


I haven't had the mental/emotional space to do my usual rummage and rec from the fic collection, but I will try to remember to do a browse later! 

I only finished one book in July and it was mostly for research for a fic I probably won't write now. 😅 Still, it was interesting and informative and I'd recommend it for sure. All the historical details about menstrual products from the past make me very grateful for my cup, and not at all sure that any fic talking frankly about periods (and sex while on a period) would be well received at all. Like it still seems to be one of those taboo subjects, even though most fic authors tend to be people who menstruate. Isn't that weird?( Cut for more period talk but I am also kind of annoyed that it isn't more normalized )

 Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation by Elisse Stein and Susan Kim

Anyway, I was watching a lot of TV instead of reading, I suppose.

TED LASSO IS BACK AND AHHHH. SO MUCH LOVE. It got off to a weird start but I think it's hit its stride again after getting all the character arcs set up. I really need to GIF it and make icons! One weird thing in the last ep:( Cut for spoilers )
I also finished Loki last month and... it was okay? It didn't ever seem to really get great like Wandavision did, although I totally ship it and I'm thrilled they went there in the end. 😁

Also been watching a lot of documentaries like the various Explained series on Netflix.

Movies: Loved watching A Quiet Place Part 2, Black Widow and Luca last month. 

Just a PSA that fandomgiftbox  is in the sign up phase and that everywoman  exchange is at the nominations stage right now! Yes, I am side-eyeing myself for signing up for them when I'm currently swamped but it's only some GIF making and 500 words in order to get rarepair WLW fic/art! :D And I'm going to get used to this pace of daily life anytime now, right? :DDD 

ETA: Whoops I totally forgot to post that I wrote fic earlier this week too. 😅 I haven't written a 5+1 for years and this one just came pouring out outta nowhere. Like I was inspired by a couple of songs from 2019 (Stroke and Godless by Banks) and a GIFset I made 4 months ago, wtfeven is going on in my fevered brain.😅


the touch placebo (1374 words) by NRGburst
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Queen's Gambit (TV)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Beth Harmon/Benny Watts
Characters: Beth Harmon, Benny Watts
Additional Tags: 5+1 Things, Canon Compliant, beth-centric, Rivals to Lovers, this isn't even that smutty but it's descriptive enough that i'm rating E for safety, Angst
Summary:

Five times Benny touches Beth (and one time she touches him back)

Gloves Off
The Queen's Gambit (TV), Beth Harmon/Benny Watts
E, 1300 words, no archive warnings apply

Birthday smutfic for Terra_Banks, missing scene from Middlegame Maneuvers (Exchange-verse). There is discussion of post IUD insertion pain, just to warn.


Also: survived my first day of work at my new job! I am tired but happy. One weird thing: the contract is for MORE money than they had originally offered me. And they're paying me through the summer despite me having no classes then, which is blowing my mind: part time teachers here are usually paid per lesson at the end of the month. I never minded it because of the scheduling flexibility (and TBH hubby is the main breadwinner anyway) but whaaaaat. This might tip me into the next taxation bracket if I'm not careful, which has not happened to me ever. XD 

Last chapter of An Exchange of Kings is up. :)



Fandom: The Queen’s Gambit (TV)
Characters: Beth Harmon/Benny Watts, Jolene
Rating/Warnings: M, no archive warnings
Word Count: 7080
Tags: Period-typical racism, background Mike/Jolene, Christmas fluff
Summary: Forever is the sweetest con

Or you can read from the beginning here

Films- watched more kids movies than usual because the kiddos were home too. Also re-watched a lot of old faves for comfort.
( 2020 movies  )


TV- watched less than I would have expected, but that is mostly because the kids were home a lot more, I think, so obviously what was on the main screen had to be kid-friendly

( TV in 2020 )

Books- link to book post here


Music- still soundtrack heavy and TAYLOR BLESSED US SO MUCH THIS YEAR. <3

( 2020 music )


Fic recs- I'm just linking to my bookmarks- I've been all over different fandoms this year. Some that wowed me were in The Old Guard fandom, and there are some amazing GoT ones. My biggest !!! was being told that astolat is actually Naomi Novik. Which OF COURSE SHE IS NO WONDER THE WORLDBUILDING AND CHARACTERIZATION AND TIMELINE DETAILS IN HER FIC WERE PERFECTION.

My own stuff:
Fic/Meta -16 fics this year, 15 of them complete, one of which was a previously abandoned fic! 6 of them have a POC (or two) as the main characters, and two are femmeslash because I know I tend to write het (or slash) for white mains but I really don't want to write just one kind of story? Wrote about 30000 more words than last year, and for far more fandoms than usual. Also participated in March Meta Matters challenge, uploading 16 meta to AO3 for the first time. I think I'll do it again this year, but since it'll only be new meta there should be less of an inbox flood to my subscribers.

( 2020 Ao3 stats page under here )

I'm particularly proud of Metamorphosis because it had/still has no audience and I wrote ten thousand words of fic anyway just so that it could exist. Also Love is a Wild Thing was an experiment- combining prompts from Gendrya week in August to make a single, cohesive post-canon fic. I actually like it better than my previous post-canon fics too, which might explain why I feel like I'm kind of done with Gendrya fandom? Check and Mate was my surprise hit- it's doing better than all my Gendrya fics combined, and since people were already following me for Gendrya content, it's kind of wild. It was one of those fics I wrote in a fever of inspiration like Smitten and Deep Tie Knot and I think it also gives that feeling of post-canon catharsis that people are looking for when they go trawling for fic? It also goes counter to a lot of (misogynistic) fandom assumptions, so it's gratifying that people seem to like it so much.

GIFsets- I think I've come pretty far in my skill at making these even over the past year. Even though I had no idea tumblr had changed the max size from 3MB to 10MB until my last set of the year I managed some pretty things! Biggest jump in quality was when I stopped skipping frames and just went with a shorter but smoother GIF- it might not be terribly noticeable to anybody but GIFmakers, but well. I'm one of those. LOL Got better at playing with brushes and transparency and layers this year too.

Proudest of these:
long story short x The Queen's Gambit (I hadn't done delayed subs for forever. Also included a Matrix reference that has whooshed over people's heads BUT IT'S FREAKING THERE. How perfect is this song for Beth's journey in TQG?!)
cowboy like me x Beth/Benny (TQG) (OK, I should have done another transition sequence back in the second GIF but I was so pleased I'd remembered how to do it at all that I plain forgot. THIS SONG FITS THEM PERFECTLY.)
asoiafnet underrated characters: Meera Reed (Time consuming to put two GIFs in one, but so pretty! Also brushes are fun and that last scene took so much coloring to not be dark, you have no idea)
asoiafnet underrated characters: Missandei of Naath (I don't know why the source on the first is so blurry even though it's 720px, but it's pretty despite that.)



I realized that I'd completely forgotten to link my holiday wishes list! If you have one and I've missed it, please link me too! :D Happy to send out green tea Pocky and washi tape etc.


Fannish plans for the next year: A Beth Harmon GIFset, finish An Exchange of Kings and a NYR fic for Yuletide (I defaulted on my PH. My first default ever but I just couldn't think story and didn't want to half ass it.) and as usual:




I'm sure we're all eager to put this year in the rearview- wishing you all a healthy and Happy New Year! (良いお年を）