just finished all three prompts for the AU Roulette 2026 Challenge, all using the ATLA universe!
Prompt 1: Shapeshifter AU. "Every Day", 17k, 6/8 chapters uploaded with 7 & 8 to come soon. Azula redemption fic
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Prompt 2: Dystopia AU. "The ATLA Games" (an uncreative title, I know), 1/11 (?) chapters uploaded, unfinished but next several written already with more to come
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Prompt 3: Gothic Horror AU (i didn't do the best job in the world matching this prompt oops). "Gloomy and the Beast", 6k, 1/1 chapters uploaded. Maiko Beauty and the Beast AU
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
i am strongest with grammar checking and canon compliance, can definitely do ao3 help and sensitivity, and have never done pacing/overall writing help but would be able to
my editing style is a bit blunt :)) but i promise i am very nice
39 clues appreciation moment: as far as i can recall, Amy never has a 'glow up' moment (a-la Hermione at the Yule Ball) to go along with her newfound confidence. canonically she continues to wear plain clothes post-clue hunt. pretty cool of them actually
i think i was about 9 or ten! it's been a little over a decade
i made my way all the way through doublecross / outbreak, but i think there was an 'extra' book or two outside of the series that i never got my hands on. sad :(
i did a big reread of a lot of childhood books when i graduated high school, and have skimmed through the 39 clues a few times since then for fanfic purposes.
initial reread: it didn't hold up as well as, say, the hunger games, but it did alright. it's definitely a bit culturally outdated (see: jonah in the earlier books especially), and there's a lot of places where plot and worldbuilding/consistency fall apart. but i was really impressed by the strength of the characters themselves and their arcs from a writing perspective; it's rare in children's media that so many side characters, and villains at that, get fleshed out like that.
fanfic rereads: doing 'research' on the 39 clues is really difficult because of the aforementioned plot holes. there are definitely things about the cahill world that get a lot more developed later on that aren't present/are directly contradictory in the earlier books. the fanfic i was writing is a multi-series crossover in which they literally just go through the plot/world of each series (posting pending), and trying to incorporate a bunch of new characters into a series that already struggles to support the backstories and worldbuilding of its main cast was difficult. it's also, i'm finding, harder to identify real character traits for amy and dan beyond their archetypal traits (moreso dan than amy). i feel like characters like ian or even sinead had more to them
i've honestly never been super into 39 clues fanfic, probably because there isn't much of it and i'm not really big on the amian ship (though i tend to use it in fics that i write- i enjoy writing straight ships far more than i like reading them). every now and then i come back to it. i also wrote a college au that is... well you know i might finish it eventually. maybe. possibly. we'll see
You know what, now that I'm thinking about it. Where the fuck have everyone's families gone. Jonah's dad finally popped up not too long ago. Are we ever gonna see him again and hear about how his and Jonah's relationship is going. Is Cora not a problem anymore. How are the rest of the Holts. How are Ham and his dad. Do they still have the dog. Where did everyone go.
sinead is so ridiculous in book 10. girl pulls up thinking she's playing 4d chess with everyone when theyve collectively moved on to checkers. no wonder she joined the vespers
Two pages. There are only two pages where Sophie Watson is mentioned in the entire 39 Clues franchise (including the online games), and yet she's fairly well known - she has her own card and two fanfictions where she's featured.
Below the cut will be: a summarized character description, the fanfiction list, the Madrigal transcript from The Black Book of Buried Secrets, and an image of Card 151.
WHO IS SOPHIE WATSON?
- Lived in London, England (likely born there)
- Janus agent, born to two high ranking Janus
- Enjoys (experimental) fashion and dance (which leads Natalie to make fun of her)
- Speaking of Natalie, she was sent to the Flyte School (unsure if that's the correct name) in London to spy on Natalie Kabra
WHERE IS SOPHIE WATSON?
- "Of Blood and Birthright" by hptriviachamp on Ao3 (also posted on fanfiction.net), where Sophie is a side character
- "cross my heart and hope to spy" by izzietaylor on Ao3, where Sophie is the main character, and there's a slight romance with Natalie.
WHAT IS SOPHIE WATSON DOING?
---START---
[sound of a bell ringing followed by locker doors slamming]
SOPHIE: Hey. You came back.
NATALIE: [overly cheery] Oh, yes. We were yachting in the Caribbean. It was so lovely. [pause]
SOPHIE: I know what happened to your mother...I'm sorry.
NATALIE: [startled] What? Are you talking about the-I mean, how would you know about any of that?
SOPHIE: If you had spent less time applying lip gloss, you might have noticed that I've been spying on you for the Janus.
NATALIE: You're a Cahill? I suppose I should have known. Only a Janus would wear such ridiculous outfits. [pause] So...everyone knows, then? What happened in Ireland?
SOPHIE: Sort of. I think. Cora sent a strange e-mail around. I heard my parents talking about it. Everyone's furious at Jonah. They feel like five hundred years of worth all went to waste.
NATALIE: [softly] The Lucians aren't that, um, happy either.
SOPHIE: I think you did the right thing.
NATALIE: Thanks. [pause] This is the first time I've chosen a back-to-school outfit without my mum. I suppose I have to get used to it.
SOPHIE: Picking your own clothes?
NATALIE: Making my own decisions.
[rest of conversation obscured by bell and hallway noise].
---END---
-The Black Book of Buried Secrets, page 74
WHAT DOES SOPHIE WATSON LOOK LIKE?
Card 151 - Agent: Sophie Watson.
"Everyone at school knows that Sophie Watson and Natalie Kabra are enemies, but they assume it's because Natalie likes to wear fur to Sophie's animal rights club meetings. No one realizes that Sophie and Natalie belong to rival branches of the Cahill Family. Natalie is pretty mean to Sophie at school. However, she has no idea that Sophie's been spying on her and passing information to the Janus. Her behavior may not exactly fit with the school's honor code, but Sophie's willing to bend the rules when ultimate power is at stake. She's not looking for the Clues herself, but she knows she wouldn't want to live in a world where Natalie Kabraâor her even scarier mother is in charge."
Found in Card Pack 3.
screaming from the rooftops that NO THERE ISN'T INCEST IN THE 39 CLUES THE AUTHORS JUST DIDN'T COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER LEADING IT TO BE KINDA WEIRD
like damn when i was a kid reading this series i thought the kabras were so scary. now i cant imagine getting threatened by an eleven year old. if i were nellie i simply would have laughed in natalie's face ngl even if she did have a gun. like who tf do u think u are?? u havent even graduated middle school
âIt seems like it, with all the talking everyoneâs do- hey!â She glared at Ned as he reached over and closed her laptop screen with one hand. âWhat the hell?â
âI think itâs time we all took a break,â Ned declared. âHow about a movie night?â
âDonât thank me until we see Ianâs reaction.â As if this was all for Ian- but wasnât it, at least a little bit? Thatâs not what sheâd told Sinead, but obviously, sheâd figured it out on her own.
âIâm not doing this for that,â she protested anyway.
âSure. But if his jaw doesnât drop just a little bit, Iâll be so disappointed.â Before clarifying whether she would be more disappointed in herself or Amy, she strode in, making a beeline to where one of her brothers- Ned, on closer inspection- was already sitting with Hamilton.
