‘Alwaysbewhelmed’ on AO3 Fics and prompts often hyper-specific modern AUs, in various fandoms (SPOP, HP, Star Wars, etc.) Art is not mine! I just like it - if you know who the artists are please let me
know so I can credit them!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
It’s here! This is the project that has utterly pre-occupied me since I finished reading Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy earlier this year.
I really hope you get something from this - I hope that it intrigues you. At the present moment, I have 10 finished chapters (which constitutes Volume 1 of the story), and with the pace I’ve been writing, I reckon I’ll have it finished within the next couple of months.
Punch Sister, Punch is a story about uncovering a mole in the British wizarding secret service, but more than that, it’s about people from a secret world learning to find their own humanity.
My answer for both of these is kinda the same, so thanks for asking them together!
In my head, Harry is an unrepentant fidgeter. Almost every time I write him I’ve included a habit where he keeps taking his glasses off to rub at the bridge of his nose or his eyes.
It’s a tick that I see as going hand in hand with world-weariness which he obviously has in spades. It’s also the most ‘me’ thing I’ve put into a character in any of my stories.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Posted from my honeymoon, here’s chapter two of Punch Sister, Punch. A little more procedure and exposition in this one, but I hope it gives more depth to the world of the Service and the characters therein.
for the fanfic writers who love talking about details and for the nosy reader who wants to know all the small things you've put into a fic. Specify character where relevant and reblog to get asks :)
Talk about:
a habit you love to give a character
a mannerism that accidentally slipped in that you've now stuck to
a home decor you love to mention
jewellery
a character that fidgets
a mode of transport that has a lot of potential
a coping mechanism (pick a character that uses it)
a small headcanon that stuck
a reader who influenced your writing
a writer who influenced your writing
your preferred POV and why
a tree, plant or flower that is quietly significant
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
It’s here! This is the project that has utterly pre-occupied me since I finished reading Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy earlier this year.
I really hope you get something from this - I hope that it intrigues you. At the present moment, I have 10 finished chapters (which constitutes Volume 1 of the story), and with the pace I’ve been writing, I reckon I’ll have it finished within the next couple of months.
Punch Sister, Punch is a story about uncovering a mole in the British wizarding secret service, but more than that, it’s about people from a secret world learning to find their own humanity.
Chapter 11 of Nothing Was Ever Inevitable is still in the works and will be with you before too long. Work on all my fics has stalled for the time being because life is a bit mad right now.
I’m getting married in a couple of weeks (!!), and work has been unrelentingly insane for the past couple of months.
I haven’t been entirely idle, fic-wise, though! I finally have an ending for NWEI that I’m happy with, and I’ve worked out that, in all likelihood, chapter 12 will be the last one. Both 11 and 12 are going to be long and unwieldy, though, so my usual monthly update schedule is in the wind for the time being. For context, chapter 11 currently sits at around 10k words and I’m not even halfway through it. I expect chapter 12 will be of a similar length.
Love, as ever, to everyone who has been reading along and giving feedback 🥰
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
We're getting closer, folks! There's two (maybe three if things get unwieldy) chapters to go. There's a lotta business in this one, but I'd like to think it's also emotionally satisfying. Hope you enjoy!
A Hastoria espionage thriller, inspired by Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
I only have two more chapters left to write on Nothing Was Ever Inevitable, my Hinny post war longfic, so of course I’ve already started working on my next big project.
Ginnyweasleys’ (@jamesirius) Bold World has made a Harry x Astoria fan of me, and I’ve been looking for an idea for a genre-heavy Hastoria fic for a while. Then, a month or so ago, I finished reading John le Carré’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and completely fell in love with it.
So (and please hear me out) what if the Ministry founded a secret service after the war?
What if Harry was forced to resign from it after an operation went wrong and an agent died?
What if an analyst in the service named Astoria Greengrass found evidence of a mole, high up in the organisation?
What if the two had to work together to sniff out the traitor, whilst trying their hardest not to fall in love?
That’s Punch Sister, Punch, coming soon to an AO3 near you!
Have a look below for a little sneak preview…
"Let me guess," Potter wasn't even trying to hide his contempt for his old friend, "you wouldn't be here if you weren't desperate. Sorry Hermione, but if I recall correctly, I'm not stable enough for active service."
Astoria had seen the memo from Robards' office, co-signed by his deputy, Granger. The whole department saw it. It was a public, humiliating demand for Potter's resignation, and she couldn't really blame him for throwing the exact words back in Granger's face. Nevertheless, his stonewalling them before they got a chance to state their reason for being there was deeply frustrating. That didn't mean she let the frustration reach her face.
"I get it, Harry," Granger barely held her own irritation at bay, "but my circle of trust is incredibly small right now. In fact, its only members are in this room."
"So you'll trust me with your secrets, but not to do my job," Potter sniffed, derisively, taking a step closer, emphasising his height advantage, "you've become quite the politician."
"Asking you to resign was politically expedient," Granger folded her arms, defensively, in front of her chest, but she held her ground, "I'm not going to insult you with further justification for that decision. I'm certainly not asking you to trust me, but there is something you are uniquely positioned to help us with, and while it's clear you don't exactly hold Miss Greengrass here in high esteem, I hope you can remember that her research and intel has always been immaculate."
Potter merely raised a sceptical eyebrow as Granger gestured to her to begin briefing Hogwarts' newest professor on a matter of urgent national security.
Hi folks! This chapter is where the real thematic meat of the second half kicks in. It's also the point where writing it has begun to get challenging 😅. Just as a quick PSA, I have chapter 10 finished and chapter 11 in progress, but please don't be surprised if after next month's upload there's a bit of a hiatus. Work's getting busy and writer's block has begun to test me a little. I fully intend to finish this story, but it might take a little longer than I had planned. I hope that's okay!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Part 2 begins here! I wanted to make the world feel larger once Ginny and Harry had resolved things with one another. So part 2 is less about their relationship, and more about how their relationship fits or doesn’t fit with the world around them. I hope you enjoy!
Hi folks! A day later than planned, but here's Chapter 7! This *tentatively* marks the halfway point of the story, so thank you to everyone who has read along so far and given such brilliant feedback!!
Usual caveats apply. Fuck JKR.
Hi folks! A day later than planned, but here's Chapter 7! This *tentatively* marks the halfway point of the story, so thank you to everyone who has read along so far and given such brilliant feedback!!
Usual caveats apply. Fuck JKR.
I just went to go upload chapter 7, but AO3 is down at the moment, so in all likelihood the next chapter won’t go up until tomorrow. It is coming though!
Chapter 6 is here! And actually on the promised date (I didn't get over eager this time)!
This was my favourite chapter to write, and I hope you enjoy it. It contains discussions of past trauma, so be prepared for talk about torture, violence, alcohol abuse and suicidality.
Thank you to everyone who has left feedback on what I've posted so far - you're the ones keeping me going when my executive dysfunction won't let me stay on track.
Usual caveats apply - fuck JKR.
I got over excited and felt the need to upload this a couple of weeks ahead of schedule.
In 2022 I spent a month in New York doing field work for a PhD I ultimately dropped out of, but it was a profound experience for me and my feelings about the place have worked their way into every piece of writing I’ve done since.
CW: the first chunk this chapter takes place in New York City in 2001, so 9/11 does factor into it.
I got over excited and felt the need to upload this a couple of weeks ahead of schedule.
In 2022 I spent a month in New York doing field work for a PhD I ultimately dropped out of, but it was a profound experience for me and my feelings about the place have worked their way into every piece of writing I’ve done since.
CW: the first chunk this chapter takes place in New York City in 2001, so 9/11 does factor into it.
