#10 first lines

[spillingteanotpermitted]

TEN FIRST LINES

Rule: List the first line of your last 10 fics (posted or WIP) and see if there's a pattern. If you don't have 10 fics, then as many first lines as you do have!

Thank you for the tag, @missfortunetherogue!

Gentle tags for @burnt-by-marigolds, @lottavilja, @litsenn, @elceewunjo, @et-augury, @emmy-and-the-tieflings and @riddlerosehearts! Comment if you've done it already.

I actually have 10 projects to choose from this time around. Huzzah.

1. The Barrister's Bargain (Regency AU)

Dearest Reader, As the ton rouses to a new season from its hibernation, it hungers for news like a bear hungers for honey.

2. Llar Darthiir (Collab with @lottavilja)

So. Those were the stars.

(The first sentence of Chapter Two, as Chapter One was written by Lotta)

3. You Are Beautiful

"You are beautiful." The word sent shivers down Imyaraen's spine and unsettled his innards.

4. First Sight

The smoke within the nautiloid wreck bit in his eyes and his lungs as Imrae climbed back down, some mindflayer treasure secure in his bag.

5. Whatever It Is

He was alone at last.

6. Oddity

The tieflings were celebrating. Again.

7. One Night At A Time (The Graveyard)

Everything hurt. Imrae stifled a hiss as he eased himself onto the cushions in front of their fireplace, keeping his eyes closed to spare them from the brightness of the flames.

8. Old Fool

The smell of wine and roast meats greeted Shadowheart when she slipped back into the Elfsong's state room after her evening prayers.

9. The Hero and Me

It was quiet in the library as the day drew to an end, safe for the rhythmic clicking of knitting needles, the occasional flipping of a page, and a fire crackling in its place.

10. A Drow Wizard's First Solstice

Uktar 1493 DR The streets of Waterdeep had been bustling with people all day, disturbing Imrae's attempt to rest while he waited for nightfall in his room.

It does reflect me rather well, either establishing description or a short vague sentence to entice the reader's curiosity. 🤣 Barrister's Bargain is the outlier because it begins with a Lady Mirrorhold society journal page, as Bridgerton AU media might be inclined to do.

[jenn2d2]

10 First Lines

Thank you so much to @hedwigoprah, @aetherflowers and @tkwritesdumbassassins for the tags!

Rules: Post the first line of your ten most recently published fanfics

I haven't done this in a bit - I think I may have just barely made the count last time 😂

"The smell of oily black smoke trailed behind them as they ran, barely outpacing the shouts of alarm as another explosion rocked Dock Town." Minrathous Wrecking Crew of Love | Riley and Gladius Sexy Shenanigans

"If Lucanis was being honest with himself, something had been off all day." Birds of a Feather | Post Almost-Kiss Rook has a close call in the Hossberg Wetlands

"The night vista of Salle spread out below the garden like a carpet strewn with cheap jewels, street lamps, windows and torches all pressing against the bluish velvet of midnight." The Danger of Mixing Household Poisons | Ch. 7 of ? | Carina finds out first love is the worst

"Emmrich sat at his desk in his quarters feeling truly content for the first time all day." A Mild Fracas | Manfred causes chaos at the Lighthouse

"Walking through Treviso to the docks was a strange experience for Carina." Memory Braid | Ch. 2/3 | Rook helps Illario with a blood magic curse

"VDeR>>Your location?" Nec Di, Nec Domini | Prologue | Cyberpunk Themed AU with Carina de Riva

"This wasn't his job." 213 Copper Pieces | Lucanis takes on a contract for the people of Treviso

"The fire never seemed to need refueling in the dining hall, but Lucanis had noticed that it did often burn a little lower in the evening as the others would take their leave." A Gift of Home | Rook gives Lucanis and Spite a gift

"Viago swam into view as Illario attempted to right himself, somewhat hampered by the restraints binding his arms behind him to his chair." Unwelcome Truths | Viago has a chat with Illario

"Illario relished the feel of Neve on his arm as they descended down into the Chantry complex." Crow Parties are Murder | Ch. 10/? | Illario and Neve investigate the abandoned Chantry to try to make sense of the night's events

Sending out very gentle tags to folks (I know a lot have done this recently, so feel free to wholly ignore if so!)

@serensama, @woundedsoul12, @davrinsleftpectoral, @blackwall-my-tiny-husband, @serialsforbellara, @notyourmamasdeerbat, @strugglinggranola, @serstolas, @jukkaricity, @genjyoandgojyoandhakkai, @elishnord, @pixiedurango, @basedonconjecture, @aiyestel, @sandcastlekings, @sorcerousadventurer, @the-font-bandit

As always, please comment on this post or DM me to be added removed at any time! Tags are always no pressure, check this fun thing out, with no expectation of response ❤️

[missfortunetherogue]

10 first lines

Rule: List the first line of your last 10 fics (posted or WIP) and see if there's a pattern. If you don't have 10 fics, then as many first lines as you do have!

Thank you for the tags, @alwaysmauria and @chaushaus! Loved your openers and the patterns that emerged for you both! I was tagged in this a loooong time ago before I had 10 fics so I'm excited to be able to fully participate this round :3 I cheated a little only in that I included my OG fic even though it's not on the "last 10 fics" list but otherwise I followed the rules.

Gentlest of tags for @spillingteanotpermitted, @litsenn, @echoechowhiskey, @bladesingerlily, @perpetualmaladaptivedaydream, @burnt-by-marigolds, @aerin67, @scoldingdarjeeling, @optimisticgrey, @lottavilja plus open tag to anyone else who'd like to jump in! If you've already done it, drop me a comment on your post?

The Embrace of Love and Death - Reluctance (Part 1) The sun was beginning to set on a day so bad that calling it a nightmare would be about as euphemistic as calling a raging owlbear a hungry house cat.

The Embrace of Love and Death - Rediscovery (Part 2) The Shadow-Cursed Lands were so much worse than Halsin had described.

The Modiste & The Marquess (Regency/Bridgerton AU) Dearest Kindly Readers, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you all back to the Ton for another splendid Season filled with lively balls, thrilling engagement announcements, and, if we should be so lucky, salacious scandals.

12 Days of Thiefmas Grey, muted light was just beginning to creep into the small, private room Astarion and Miss Fortune shared at the Elfsong Tavern, and something icy cold was in Miss Fortune's bed, abruptly ending what had been a peaceful slumber.

An Unexpected Invitation There was a strange envelope in Tav's mailbox.

A (Gang)Bang of a Birthday Bash Baldur's Gate's midnight bells had just begun to chime when the door to the Ancunín residence shut behind the last guest and Miss Fortune breathed out a noisy sigh of relief.

Sissy that Vampire! The rented carriage heaved and lurched when Miss Fortune leapt into Astarion's lap with a feral growl, unable to keep their hands off him another moment.

With Your Scent as My Guide It certainly didn't look like anything Miss Fortune should be putting in their mouth, this mushroom.

Caring for the Bear Halsin growled and roared playfully while a gaggle of children clung to every limb, trudging his way down the hall of the orphanage towards the great room the children were supposed to sleep in.

Under the Knife Miss Fortune couldn't help but feel they'd made a rookie mistake tonight as they pressed a rag against their wet, sticky abdomen and watched crimson bloom across the white fabric at an alarming rate.

Looking these over, I think I have a mix between dropping right into the action and more mood-setting, atmospheric openers. I rarely open with dialogue but that's more a holdover from my days in journalism school when it was drilled into us that "we only get five dialogue openers in our careers" and while generally I feel writing rules are made to be bent and broken when it makes sense, somehow that one stuck with me and I wind up feeling guilty about it lol.

[jukkaricity]

10 First Lines

thank you for the tags @kogarashi-art, @pixiedurango and @in-the-drowning-deep

So luck would have it that I do have 10 fics now? Impossible I know.

Colorful mage lights floated lazily between the trees of the Chantry garden.

Case of unforeseen Circumstances (Neve fic, for Neve Week 2025, noir, mystery)

Lucanis had started his day in less than ideal conditions.

Bad for consumption. Good for everything else. (Lucanis focused, Veilguard gang, for DA create-a-thon 2025, crack)

I wake with the first rooster's cry.

The Preferred State (Tranquil OC, for DA create-a-thon 2025, 1st person POV)

"You really don't have to be here." Alectris sipped a fragrant citrus tea from a delicate porcelain cup and glared pointedly at Lucanis. "I am perfectly capable of enjoying a cup of tea alone."

I'll drink to that (OC x Lucanis, for RookanisWeek2026, fluff)

It was dark. Faint light danced across the stone walls around him, weak and pale, as if ready to flee at the slightest noise.

Onion-based Negotiation (OC x Lucanis, for RookanisWeek2026, fluff/ banter)

Alectris had never dreamed a lot.

A bad night's sleep (OC x Lucanis, for RookanisWeek2026, nightmares/ dreams)

Bellara is five and she is finally able to peer at her parents from above the table. But only if she strains and stands on the tiptoes of her feet.

Bellara Week day 5 Guilt/ Forgiveness (5 vignettes)

Thick fog hung low between the Dock Town streets as Alectris headed towards the Hideout, a series of uncontrollable yawns threatening to rip her face in two.

Shadow Dragons WIP (oneshot)

Thud. A slick throwing knife hit the target handle-first, bouncing harmlessly without leaving as much as a dent in the hay. Clank.

I don't know why I bite (OC x Lucanis, for loveofdragonage event, miscommunication, angst(?))

The week following the meeting with Tarquin and the Viper had passed Alectris like sand slipping through her fingers.

Cloak and Brimstone chpt 2 WIP (OC x Lucanis long fic, and not just because i'm super slow and unfocused)

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

passing along some casual tags <3

@aetherflowers, @amoaliquis, @blackwall-my-tiny-husband, @brynriith, @chaosherald, @davrinsleftpectoral, @elzuniawhy, @frauleiiin, @frotees-corner, @guacamolleee, @grand-crow, @himluv, @jenn2d2, @jouskaroo, @juniper-and-dragonthorn, @lycheecatee, @mageofquandrix, @necromanticsoul, @notyourmamasdeerbat, @rizbefwrites, @rookwithawand, @sandcastlekings, @serensama, @serialsforbellara, @sorcerousadventurer, @tarasmom, @teamtakagi, @the-font-bandit, @thedissonantverses, @tkwritesdumbassassins, @trash-nerd, @vixenofcadmea, @zennihilation

you can hop on or off at any time, just comment here or send me a DM

[genjyoandgojyoandhakkai]

10 First Lines

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 fics (posted or WIP) and see if there's a pattern. If you don't have 10 fics, then as many first lines as you do have!

I thought I'd done this before, and sure enough, I have! You can find that here

I thought about doing the first 10 chapters of It's Still You because I miss Xiqaa. But I've written 10 *other* things since last I did this so...here goes.

Long gone were the days Illario Dellamorte stalked the halls and conference rooms of Advanced Negotiation & Tactical International Vacancy Alignment for anything resembling work. -- Strawberry Confections, a CROWS of ANTIVA story, Aydenne x Illario

CROWS has the dubious honor of having 14 parts so there's a lot of first lines. This one really echoes the start of the first ever episode: Viago had worked for Advanced Negotiation & Tactical International Vacancy Alignment (A.N.T.I.V.A.) for twenty-five glorious years, and every department he’d ever worked in was the better for it. In my mind, this is a sitcom that is an ever-expanding cast of characters and so this is the Illario Episode.

“Um—hi. This is a weird question…” -- Colorblind and Vivid, oneshot, Aydenne x Zalan de Riva

I don't often start with dialogue, but this is more like my normal first lines. Short.

I’ve always been a night person, but these two men of mine have made things worse. -- …At least that's how it seems, Xiqaa & Illario (platonic)

This one's from Xi's POV so it's exasperated and fond but also fairly short.

Lucanis had always been told he must grow up to be the perfect Crow. -- Rival Mine, standalone, Viago x Lucanis

Short thesis style statements are traditional for me.

“Would you like to move in?” -- Sick Day, a CROWS of ANTIVA story, Aydenne x Illario

LOL this one actually starts with the time, because that's a CROWS staple, but the time is not a great first line. Dialogue again!

Emmrich reclined on a chaise, furiously notating his acceptance speech. -- Catch of the Day, Xiqaa/Emmrich/Lucanis oneshot

Lucanis panted, eyes closed in concentration, but Emmrich got the distinct feeling the concentration was not focused on the things Emmrich was doing. -- It's Still You, chapter 41 (the epilogue!)

This was my last chapter of this story but this exact line has been waiting to be used for months! Longer due to cook times, I think.

Zalan was tired of Illario’s complaining and moping. -- Hot Takes, 10 drabbles as a oneshot, mild spoilers for It's Still You.

There are 11 drabbles of 100 words each so words are a bit spare in this one haha

Thunder always made him think about his parents. -- Storms Underground, oneshot, Emmrich

Thesis statement again.

“Cousin,” Lucanis said, stepping into Caterina’s office waiting room like a man approaching his own death by firing squad. -- Birthday Party, a CROWS of ANTIVA side story, Xiqaa/Lucanis

Pffft CROWS, my muse.

So the pattern is longer when silly or sexy and short the rest of the time??

thanks for the tags, @pixiedurango @sorrygoldfish @cimmanombagel @gatesofminrathous! tagging @mushrooms-x-moss @serialsforbellara if you'd like to play or maybe you already have?

[chaosherald]

10 First Lines/Self Promotion Sunday

Tagged by @sandcastlekings @jukkaricity @aetherflowers @dags-over-caravans @adejareve @mythals-whore @selennes Thank you all <3 Sorry for the delay, but I really wanted to wait until I could include the create-a-thon pieces. 😂 (And while I technically worked on 8 pieces for the event, two of them have two chapters so that's going to be the list. 😁)

Rules: Post the first line of your ten most recently published fanfics.

Bellara was on edge, eyes darting around the dimly lit crypt. (The Adventures of Professor Hezenkoss: Hero of the Veilguard. AU/What if Johanna was our Watcher companion? 1k words)

Here lies a Pentaghast/Who tried to be King/Next to him a Van Markham/Who tried the same thing (Mementos of the Dead: Chapter 3: Otto Willibald. Team Mourn Watch Collab: Artifacts from the Necropolis. 300 words. h/t to @seaglassmelody for the spirit of Vigilance)

Oh my child/Where have you gone?/Off hunting dragons/You've stayed out too long (Mementos of the Dead: Chapter 5: Lady Isadora of Hunter Fell. Team Mourn Watch Collab: Artifacts from the Necropolis. 🎵)

Everyone in Nevarra knows the story of Prince Cynebald and Lady Adalgard. (Stories We Tell Chapter 1: Rising Action. Post-game victory ball. Spin off from "Acts of Discretion" 6k total)

Rook felt the heavy door close behind her, cutting her off from the rest of the keep with a solid, satisfying thunk. (Stories We Tell Chapter 2: Denouement. Post-game victory ball. Spin off from "Acts of Discretion." 6k total)

As soon as the idea occurred to her, Rook couldn’t shake it. (Rites of Passage. 3k words. *NSFW* Rook wants to explore a magical phenomenon in the Necropolis. With Lucanis. Without clothing.)

The hummingbird flits/From one project to next/Outrunning the guilt/The pain, the regret (Hers to Write. Going for the full set of companion songs!🎵 )

The candles burned low and still they lingered, the Inquisitor who loved a God and the Mourn Watcher who sought to kill one (or two.) (As The Nose On Your Face. Interwoven moments about the impossible and the obvious. Amara and the Inquisitor. Varric and Dorian. Solas. 2k words @blackwall-my-tiny-husband remember your comment about how so many people should be commenting on how Amara looks like her mom? 😂)

“I have some concerns about Miss Ingellvar.” (My Fair Necromancer or A Death Caller Amongst Crows. Amara isn't ready for life amongst the Crows - but the Crows aren't really ready for life with Amara either. 1k words)

“She fluttered her eyes, and opened her thighs, and said of course I'm going to fuck it!" (Literary Critique. Cassandra and Varric discuss literature. Smutty literature. 1k words. h/t to @blackwall-my-tiny-husband for putting the idea of Varric/Cassandra in my head <3)

It has been killing me not being able to talk about these/share WIP/etc. My first time doing an event like this and I'm very happy with how things turned out. 2 songs, 3 poems, 7 pieces. I'll be posting most of the works here too at some point. Also tagging some other folks who are either fellow marathoners, fellow mourn watchers, or friends who might be interested <3 @seaglassmelody @hedwigoprah @woundedsoul12 @davrinsleftpectoral

[scoldingdarjeeling]

10 first lines

Rule: List the first line of your last 10 fics (posted or WIP) and see if there's a pattern. If you don't have 10 fics, then as many first lines as you do have!

I was tagged by @missfortunetherogue! Thank you🌻Don't just take my word for it; see their thoughts on their results for yourself 👀

Of course, I don't have 10 fics! And of course, it won't stop me from throwing my barely there writing out there anyway 😝

Tagging (Open tag): @lucretiouswept, @woundedsoul12 & @bhaal-battle-beer-bard

Instinct - Stormcaller (part 1)

As the former Archdruid was about to rip the sinew, meat, and scales off his struggling catch with his bare teeth—a fresh salmon from the roaring rapids, warm blood filling his mouth, exhilarating and feeding his ravenous prey drive—a voice as deep as the river itself, yet feminine, called out to him...

2. Heat

Not even in his meditations could the former Archdruid, and now Reithwin’s furious protector, Halsin, find relief from the relentless heat.

3. Apex - Heart of the Storm (work in progress)

They say the storm was born of union.

4. Soul Snare - Blood (part 1)

"Hey, you got a light?"

5. Awakening (zygote stage)

Tempest hadn’t seen the Grand Druid in weeks, and though she had no idea why she’d been summoned to his private quarters, the memory of the way he’d looked at her the last time they were together—dilated with hunger and vulnerability—made her shiver in anticipation.

Conclusion: Sensory chaos.

[sandcastlekings]

10 First Lines

I got tagged by @askweisswolf @jenn2d2 @blackwall-my-tiny-husband and @hedwigoprah Thank you all! <3

I'm going to stick to stuff I have up on AO3, starting from the most recent:

Aiden Lavellan was distracted. - A Moment's Peace - Aiden/Dorian Veilguard era reunion

Nervously, Jericho reached out and touched Elek's face. - Remember to Breathe - Jericho/Elek non graphic smut, first time

It had been a long night, and an even longer case, but Neve was satisfied. - Trouble | Contentment - Aleksi/Neve post-game fluff

Neve had been showing Jericho and Lace around Dock Town, introducing them to some of the locals, picking up news. - An Awkward Reunion (Revisited) - Post relationship Jericho/Elek

"Lace, are you alright? It's the middle of the night, and you look like you haven't slept at all." - A Safe Place - Jericho/Lace early relationship fluff

He was born a Somniari. A Dreamer. Destined for great things, they said. - Hostage - Jericho backstory fic

Bellara’s face lit up as she entered the Memorial Gardens, hand in hand with Rhys. - Dinner and Dancing - Rhys/Bellara fluff

Aleksi Aldwir couldn't sleep that night. - Smoking My Regrets - Aleksi/Neve early relationship fluff/angst

“Oh. Hey, Rook.” Bellara was standing on a stool over an Elven artifact, completely focused on her work as Rhys entered the room. - Better Together - Rhys/Bellara lock-in scene extension

Jericho reached out and gently touched Lace’s cheek as he studied her face. - A Place of Insecurity - Jericho/Lace fluff/angst

No pressure tags for @woundedsoul12 @davrinsleftpectoral @littlemissgeek8 @seaglassmelody @jukkaricity @chaosherald @the-rebel-archivist @serensama @serialsforbellara @biowaredisasterbisexual @mageofquandrix @sorcerousadventurer (Want on or off the tag list? Let me know!)