Top 10 Male Characters

Thanks for the tag @galadrieljones and @thevikingwoman! This was a tough but fun one – in no particular order…

1. Nil, Horizon Zero Dawn

2. Cole, Dragon Age: Inquisition

3. Garrus Vakarian, Mass Effect

5. Solas, Dragon Age: Inquisition

5. Frank Castle/The Punisher, Netflix’s Punisher

6. Don Draper, Mad Men

7. Eric Northman, True Blood

8. Jesse Pinkman, Breaking Bad

9. Blackwall, Dragon Age: Inquisition

10. Elliott Alderson, Mr. Robot

Tagging forward to @littlesnowarrow @alyssalenko @buttsonthebeach @oops-gingermoment @sun-and-shadow-aloy @novamm66 @mistressdreadwolf @chillyrose @elfsplaining @hellarcanine and anyone else who wants to play!

Last Lines Meme

Thanks for the tag @alyssalenko!

Working on another little FenHawke thing because I’m in a Fenris Frenzy™ at the moment. I shan’t post the last lines I wrote because they’re, you know, the ending of the thing LOL, but here’s a big ol’ line or two (or three):

Hawke usually arrived within an hour of his rising to chivvy him out of the mansion, and Fenris mulled over what to say to her while he pulled on his armour. He was still angry about yesterday, and he didn’t want to talk about it any further; their ‘talks’ always seemed to devolve into him yelling at her while she made stupid jokes, so there was no point.

As it turned out, he needn’t have bothered thinking about it, for Hawke didn’t show up.

Tagging ‘er forward to @galadrieljones @ocean-in-my-rebel-soul @09tiff86 @buttsonthebeach @jadefyre @thevikingwoman @apostatetabris @larissafae @oops-gingermoment @mrscullensrutherford and anyone else who fancies playing! xoxo

Photo Meme

Rules: Describe yourself using ONLY photos you have. You cannot download or search any new pictures. Thanks for the tag to @chillyrose and @alyssalenko!

Quick descriptions of this little photodump:

– First pic: the first Aloy/Nil fanart I was ever given, from the beautiful @ladyofthelake91. As any writer can attest, having someone do fanart or gift fics of something you wrote is the highest of praise. I printed this art and it hangs over my desk now. xo
– My dumbass face with vallaslin. I took up some very amateur “cosplay facepainting” this year and I LOVE doing it. I’m trying to go through all the DA:I vallaslin – I might post them when I’m done. If I feel brave.
– My cat, also known as The Writing Assistant. But really she’s my daemon à la Phillip Pullman’s Dark Materials – she’s the Pantalaimon to my Lyra.
– A sculpture by Henry Moore from our local art museum. This is meant to represent the fact that I love art and art galleries/museums.
– A definition of orthorexia, MY NEW FAVOURITE WORD. I fucking hate food fads and false beliefs about food, so I was delighted when I found this word.
– My fiancé’s hand with a sketch in progress. He is insanely talented. I also wouldn’t be the gamer that I am – or hence the fanfic writer that I am – if he hadn’t brought me into the world of modern gaming.
– The bottom row is some of my nature photography. I’m not a great photographer, but I take a lot of pride in the photos I do take. I don’t get outside as often as I should, but I do love the outdoors.

Tagging forward to @littlesnowarrow @vgtravlr @buttsonthebeach @larissafae @galadrieljones @apostatetabris @thevikingwoman @elfsplaining @ilikedetectives @happywife416 @kaijulover142 @hellarcanine @ladyofthelake91 @novamm66 @mistressdreadwolf @oops-gingermoment @sun-and-shadow-aloy @bluegreenketchup @hzd-tombraider-lore @vythika96 and anyone else who wants to play!

OTP Meme

Tagged by @galadrieljones – thanks lethallan!

I’m supposed to say a few favourite things about My OTP(s). I have talked a lot about Aloy/Nil in previous posts – oh god, here and here and here and here and here and here – so I’ll mention a couple things I love about my Dragon Age babies instead! (Beautiful art below by the insanely talented HanSaera and NSFWFrosch!)

Solas and Elia Lavellan

They love nerding it up about the Fade and magic. Solas loves having someone to talk to about the Fade, and Elia loves learning from him. (And just hearing his voice. Voice kink smut, anyone…?) This dynamic is pretty similar to mine with my fiancé, though we switch back and forth in the “teacher” role – we work in completely different fields so we’re constantly learning from each other.

Abelas and Athera Lavellan

Headcanon fun fact: during the dream when Solas took Athera to Haven, she kissed him in the Fade. Then as soon as she woke up she ran to the rotunda and apologized profusely because he was like her brother and she didn’t know what she’d been thinking. And Solas was like “uh yeah hahah ridiculous ofc ofc let’s put it behind us” but really, Solas has feelings for Athera that never totally went away.
Abelas doesn’t know about this kiss. It never occurred to Athera to mention it because it didn’t mean anything to her. And Solas never told him because they’re good friends and it would just be awkward.

Blackwall and Arya Lavellan

I have only ever written this pairing from Blackwall’s POV. All my other ships have switched between both partners’ POV. I have a hard time putting my finger on why exactly, but I think it comes down to “Arya’s thoughts about Blackwall would be boring to read because her love for him is so simple and uncomplicated.” Not that Blackwall is ambivalent about Arya, not at all, but there are things about his mindset that I find interesting to write: he’s so over-the-top utterly devoted to her, which is fun to indulge in; his guilt about the Thom Rainier deception is angsty and delicious to write; and his bullheaded insistence on protecting her despite her tongue-in-cheek mischief is a fun dynamic to play around with.

Tagging forward to, let’s see: @apostatetabris @alyssalenko @09tiff86 @hellarcanine @ocean-in-my-rebel-soul @buttsonthebeach @thevikingwoman @oops-gingermoment @mrscullensrutherford @sun-and-shadow-aloy @aly-the-writer and anyone else who wants to play!

Writer’s Reflections: Tag Meme

This little tag meme is an opportunity for writers to reflect on (and promote!) our own writing, but also to hear about the work of our fellow writers and to find something new to read!

Rules: answer the following questions about your own writing, whether fanfic or original. If you can’t/don’t want to answer a question, just put N/A. If you don’t have that many posted works, tell us about your WIPs or individual chapters/drabbles or even your ideas! Then tag as many writers as you like 🙂

AO3 name and link, if applicable: I am queenofkadara on AO3.

What’s your most popular fic, by whatever metric is most relevant to you (hits, kudos, comments, reblogs, some other trait)? My first and longest Aloy/Nil longfic, Stormbirds and Stalkers. It’s got the most hits/kudos/comments/bookmarks of everything I’ve written so far.

What’s your favourite fic that you’ve written? Stormbirds and Stalkers is also my favourite thing I’ve written. I’m nostalgic sometimes about the feeling I had while writing it – almost 100,000 words in a month of super-late nights while working full-time hours, frenetic writing while commuting/eating lunch/at 1am just because I couldn’t get that story out of my head. It was exhausting and exhilarating at the same time, and Aloy/Nil are still my OTP, even if I’ve kind of run out of juice for writing them.

What’s your best fic, and is it different from your favourite fic? Umm… (I came up with this question and I find it hard to answer! Lol!) I think maybe the best thing I’ve written to date is my Abelas/Lavellan fic, The One Who Lived On, along with the post-Trespasser sequel Don’t Wake Me Up. I’m pretty proud of the emotional tone of those pieces and how “tight” or concise they are given how relatively short both works are. As much as I love Stormbirds and Stalkers, it could definitely use some tightening up in the first few chapters especially.

Do you have a fic whose popularity surprised you? Within the Dragon Age fandom, I’m super happy with how well my little Cole/Lavellan fic (Become Human) was received. It’s actually my Dragon Age piece that’s received the most kudos on AO3!

Within the Horizon Zero Dawn fandom, I wrote a minific called Stealth Trials for Aloy and the Spurflints Hunting Grounds Keeper that was meant to just be a smutty oneshot, but it got so many positive comments and encouragement that it ended up mutating from a PWP into a three-part mini love story. (For anyone who doesn’t know who the Spurflints Hunting Grounds Keeper is, this is him – he’s hot af and that’s literally the reason I wrote this piece.)

Do you have a fic you wish more people would read? I wrote a couple of Blackwall/Arya Lavellan four-chapter fics that haven’t garnered much attention – people seem to prefer Blackwall oneshots? The Big Beardy One™ just deserves more love!! Why is he so underrated? Why???

I also wrote a very rare pair for Mass Effect (Reyes Vidal/Aria T’Loak) which hasn’t gotten much attention either, but it’s a total rare pair, so that’s understandable. But spirits, do I love those two. They’re terrible together and it’s so fun to write.

Is there a ship or fandom you haven’t written, but really want to? I’ve been meaning to write Frank Castle/Karen Page from Netflix’s The Punisher for some time – I LOVE JON BERNTHAL A LOT, and his depiction of the Punisher hits all my Fictional Husband™ buttons (broody, tragic backstory, hardened shell shielding a tender heart, and very violent as a bonus trait).

Tell us a random fact about your writing process: Uhhh. I often listen to the same song on loop while writing a chapter. And I always like to have tea while writing, but I often forget I’m making tea, so it sits and steeps for an hour and by the time I remember it, it’s gone cold…

Tagging as many writers as I can think of: @oops-gingermoment @sun-and-shadow-aloy @alyssalenko @ocean-in-my-rebel-soul @galadrieljones @buttsonthebeach @writewherever @himluv @vorchagirl @apostatetabris @jadefyre @thevikingwoman @kimpossibility @redinkofshame @contreparry (Tumblr never wants to tag you, so sorry!!), @summoningpits @aly-the-writer @bronzeagelove @ma-sulevin @thealexmachina @09tiff86 @hellarcanine @valaloy @larissafae @underthedreadwolfsgaze @elfsplaining @mistressdreadwolf @ellstersmash @fourletterepithet – and please, any writers who see this but aren’t tagged, please join in and tag me back so I can read your responses!

Last Line Meme

Tagged by @bronzeagelove – thanks muchly my friend!!

Here’s the last line I wrote from a little Horizon Zero Dawn oneshot for Aloy/Nil, which I’ll be posting probably tomorrow:

His breath left him in a gasp, and he shuddered as he curled over her prone and supple form, but he refused to slow his pace until her silken heat had wrung every last drop of his pleasure from his sweat-soaked body.

Tagging forward to EVERYONE! But seriously, there are too many fantastic writers out there and I’m gonna forget someone but oh gosh here we go with the tags: @buttsonthebeach @alyssalenko @thevikingwoman @galadrieljones @apostatetabris @ocean-in-my-rebel-soul @oops-gingermoment @sun-and-shadow-aloy @mrscullensrutherford @ma-sulevin @mistressdreadwolf – and truly, anyone else who wants to play! Let’s see what you’ve got! xoxo

Tumblr Crushes

tumblr crushes challenge: where you post your own favourite blogs to spread positivity and get your amazing blogger-friends some more followers!

rules are simple – if you’re tagged, show off your post #mytumblrcrushes and of course, you don’t have to, but why pass up an opportunity to make someone’s day with this? 🙂

I am truly honoured to have been tagged by @buttsonthebeach, @oops-gingermoment, @mrscullensrutherford, and @mistressdreadwolf. Needless to say the four of you are ABSOLUTELY on my list!!! ❤️

In no particular order: @elfsplaining @ocean-in-my-rebel-soul @alyssalenko @liaragaming @fuckyeahmagesrights @galadrieljones @underthedreadwolfsgaze @hzd-tombraider-lore @vgtravlr @novamm66 @kauriart @nsfwfrosch @nipuni @ilikedetectives @bluegreenketchup @chillyrose @apostatehobolife @apostatetabris @wardsarefunctioning @ladyrainiertrevelyan @romancingblackwall @kallielef @inquisitor-commander @littlesnowarrow @hansaera @shalizeh7 @eva-soulu.

Ya’ll are either AMAZING writers, AMAZING artists, AMAZING friends, or all of the above. If I have forgotten to mention someone along the way here, it’s not because you aren’t amazing too – it’s because I am an idiot sandwich!!

Love you all! xoxo

First Line Meme

Tagged by @alyssalenko – thanks for the tag, I really love this one!!

Rules: List the first lines of your last 10 published stories. Look to see if there are any patterns that you notice yourself, and see if anyone else notices any! Tag up to 10 friends!

1. Soft and gentle lips drift across Solas’s cheekbone, and he smiles.
Solas x Elia Lavellan // What Pride Will Not Forget

2. A dull cramping pain reaches through Blackwall’s fingers.
Blackwall x Arya Lavellan // Fix You

3. Athera poked her head cautiously into Skyhold’s kitchen. “Hello?” she called softly.
Abelas x Athera Lavellan // Ma’av’in

4. Her fingers clench between his own, her fingertips pressing into his knuckles.
Blackwall x Arya Lavellan // Swords & Shields: Smutty Prompt Fills

5. Everything shifted imperceptibly from the moment he first saw her.
Aloy x Nil // Her Breath, His Land

6. He brushes his knuckles along her cheek, and she jerks her face away.
Aloy x Nil // The Voice Of Our Teeth: Smutty Prompt Fills

7. “You’re quite fond of my hair, aren’t you?”
Abelas x Athera Lavellan // Lath’sal’in

8. Quiet now. Quiet, quiet…
Aloy x Ikrie // Put Your Spear Beside Mine

9. “I had hoped you would come,” a familiar voice said.
Abelas x Athera Lavellan // The One Who Will Live On

10. Solas slips his bookmark in place and yawns.
Solas x Elia Lavellan // Stop The World And Melt With You

Tagging it forward to @buttsonthebeach @thevikingwoman @ma-sulevin @bronzeagelove @galadrieljones @ocean-in-my-rebel-soul @sun-and-shadow-aloy @oops-gingermoment @larissafae, and anyone else who wants to join in.

If you don’t have 10 published fics, then let’s see the first lines of the last 10 chapters or the last 10 paragraphs – or as many first-lines as you have! ❤️

Last Line Meme

Honestly, this is my fave tag meme. Thanks for the tag @alyssalenko!

From my post-Trespasser Abelas/Lavellan oneshot – a snippet of Athera’s unspoken thoughts:

Gods above, I’ve missed you. You’re stubborn and old and overly logical, and I’ve missed you so fucking much.

If you feel like some heartbreak, you can read about these angsty fools here on AO3.

The rules of the meme say you need to tag as many people as words, but I am terrible at that, soooo… Tagging it forward to @buttsonthebeach, @galadrieljones, @ocean-in-my-rebel-soul, @thevikingwoman, @sun-and-shadow-aloy, @oops-gingermoment (I hope I don’t spoil myself for asking for a line from you! XD), and anyone else who wants to play! xo

More About Me

Thanks for the tag @galadrieljones! xo

Name: Oh, we’re using our made-up names? I’m Pikapeppa. (HAHAH I will never not use this line from the Avengers when this question comes up)

Nickname: Pika!

Height: 5′3″

Nationality: Canadian

Favourite Fruit: peaches, followed by cherries and mangoes

Favourite Season: I used to say summer, but I can’t tolerate the lack of A/C in my apartment anymore. So let’s say that transitional time between spring and summer.

Favourite Smell: my bed. It smells sweet and sleepy and comforting.

Favourite Colour: red!

Favourite Animal: tigers and housecats

Tea, Coffee, Hot Cocoa: tea, followed by hot choccy. I don’t like coffee. I once had an Incident™ drinking too much coffee in Iceland in the summer (i.e. when they have the midnight sun) and my caffeine-soaked mind was genuinely convinced that I would never sleep again.

Average hours of sleep: 5-6 maybe. But sleep is a waste of writing time T^T

Dogs or Cats: cats!

Dream Trip: Singapore/Japan/South Korea

When my blog was created: err, I didn’t start using it actively until summer 2017.

# of followers: almost 600? WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING HERE? ❤️

Random Fact: Today I got to observe a total laryngectomy and partial pharyngectomy in the OR! It was sick as hell, literally and metaphorically (huge tumour up in that poor larynx).

Favourite Food: dim sum

Favourite TV Show: noooo I hate this question. I’ll name some other shows I love that are different from the last time I did this: Mr. Robot, Orange Is The New Black, and Broad City.

Favourite Movie: Her, directed by Spike Jonez. If you haven’t seen this film, it’s incredible – a beautiful and nuanced sci-fi romance. And the soundtrack by Arcade Fire is glorious.

Favorite Vine: … wait are these still a thing LOL

Sexuality: Straight, with the odd handful of crushes on women 😊

Gender: female

Favourite Book Series: Harry Potter would have to be #1. Also a fan of A Song of Ice and Fire (i.e. Game of Thrones), the Highlander series by Karen Marie Moning, the Red Rising saga by Pierce Brown, and His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

Favourite Video Games: Horizon Zero Dawn is BAE. Currently obsessed with Dragon Age: Inquisition though, in case you couldn’t tell. Also really love the Mass Effect OT and Andromeda, Uncharted 4 (the last one with Nate – such a poignant and mature wrap-up to the series!!), and Portal will always have a special place in my heart since it’s the first modern console game my fiancé introduced me to (he got me into gaming).

Favourite Subject: ugh, how about I say my favourite university class since high school was so long ago? It was a class called Writing Systems, and it was all about the linguistics and culture and history of the different writing systems of the world, from alphabets to abjads to abugidas and morphographic systems and everything in between. I loved that class so much.

Favourite Fandoms: The HZD fandom is incredible. Some of the people I count as my best friends and also legitimately the finest human beings on the planet (@hellarcanine I’m looking at you!) have been through this fandom. The Facebook group for this fandom is so adorable and fun and friendly despite being like 16000+ members, and I find that it’s a hugely welcoming fandom for people who identify as LGBTQ, which is amazing. The DA:I fandom is also full of lovely and thoughtful people, particularly the Solavellan fandom as @galadrieljones said, and I love the deep lore discussions that the DA:I fandom gets into!

Favourite Superhero: can I say the Punisher count as portrayed in the Netflix Marvel series? I love how dark and angry he is with so much secret pain AND SECRET TENDERNESS. If he doesn’t count, then I’m gonna go with Marvel’s Loki (TT^TT).

Guys or Girls: Girls. Higher fat-to-muscle ratio means girls would be tastier to roast and eat. (Come on, there’s no context for this question, so I just ran with it. LOL?)

Celebrity Crush: Ricky Whittle (HOT), Tom Hiddleston (ADORABLE), Dwayne Johnson (he’s just SO FUCKING NICE OK??)

Last Time I Cried: On Sunday. Family drama relating to mental illness.

Hair Color: Brown

Eye Color: Brown

Tagging forward to @buttsonthebeach, @alyssalenko, @vgtravlr, @wardenofmyheart, @novamm66, @elfsplaining, @mrscullensrutherford, @oops-gingermoment, @mistressdreadwolf, @strawbaraminkshake, @emmavakarian-theirin and anyone else who would like to play!