Hello, friends! For 2026, I figured I'd make a new tag list. This combines last year's and some of the people who have asked to be included in tag-related things on Discord.
As always, if you'd like on or off of it, just let me know. 💕
Smashing together a couple of tag games as I get back to tumblring! Thank you so much to everyone for the tags; I'm so happy every time I get a notif even if I don't have the time/spoons to do all the games. I'm definitely going back to do a few that I missed, though, but for nooooow~!
2025 Fanfic Recap!
General AO3 Stats
Number of Fics Written: 26
Number of Words Written: 135,519
Number of Hits: 5480
Highlights and the Favorites and Not Survey under the cut!
After Kirkwall's Chantry was destroyed, the city was caught in the middle of the mages and templars waging war. With too many wounded and too few healers, they accept an offer from the Ostwick Circle to send aid. Yvette Trevelyan is all too eager to see the city her cousin, the Champion of Kirkwall, wrote about in his letters. She's used to sneaking away from her overseers, and she goes straight to the Hanged Man. There are rumors the Champion himself still appears there, and she isn't the only one who's looking for him. Even if he doesn't show, she's still determined to have a good time. When you're a Circle mage, you have to make every moment of freedom count.
Shortest Completed Fic
Shattered Things
Kudos: 8
Words: 1159
Relationship/s: None
Rating: G
Summary:
What runs through the minds of the men and women who undergo the Joining?
Longest Completed Fic
Awaken Love
Kudos: 15
Words: 8812
Relationship/s: Cullen Rutherford/Female Trevelyan
Rating: E
Summary:
After Inquisitor Yvette Trevelyan goes above and beyond celebrating his nameday, Commander Cullen Rutherford is determined to give her one just as special.
Alistair encounters a creature he's never seen before and it leaves a lasting impression. And a smelly one. Thankfully Wynne knows what to do, and Elona Amell is willing to help.
In-Progress Fic
In the Embers
Kudos: 5
Words: 19,949
Relationship/s: Alistair/Female Amell
Rating: T
Summary:
The Hero of Ferelden was a Dalish elf who gave his life in the fight against the archdemon in 9:32 Dragon. Monuments were erected in his name, a tomb built for him in the hallowed halls of Weisshaupt, and his people were given the Brecilian forest. But that isn’t the whole story.
Warden-Commander Duncan arrived in Ostagar with eight recruits. Five survived the Joining. The four left standing after Denerim - the Prince, the Noble, the Rogue, and the Healer - will all say the same thing: Theron Mahariel ended the Fifth Blight.
The truth is far more complicated.
Duncan did not recruit her. There was no Joining. She could neither hear the archdemon’s siren song or sense its disciples. Oaths to the Grey Wardens were never sworn, yet without the Healer, the Fifth Blight would not have ended.
Born an Amell and raised a Cousland, Elona knew about duty–to family, to country, to suffering. When the king called for mages to aid in the Battle of Ostagar, she was newly Harrowed and eager to join. What she did not expect to find was a purpose that would reshape her life.
Favorites/Not
1. Favorite character to write for/about
I love writing Alistair so much. He's absolutely my favorite character to write; I'll never say no to a piece involving him.
2. Least favorite character to write for/about
I feel weakest on the DA2 cast in general; I've only played DA2 once. I need to play it again, I know!
3. Favorite pairing
Alistair x f!Warden followed closely by Cullen x f!Inquisitor (or non-Inky, even).
4. Least favorite pairing
Uuuuuuh... I'm pretty open on pairings, honestly.
5. Favorite POV and Tense
Gosh, what do I write? Close third, past? Something that allows me to get into characters' heads a bit. I should challenge myself to do more POVs and tenses.
6. Something new you did this year
Everything I did this year was new! I shared my first fanfic and joined my first fandom discord and met so many amazing people through fanfic and fandom; I'm so happy and thankful.
7. Something other people have told you that you're good at
I've been told I'm good at dialogue?
8. Something you think you're good at
I don't think I'm good at anything help I'm okay at dialogue, I guess?
9. Something you want to improve on
Everythiiiiing. I want to write more characters and be more consistent updating fics and things. And to stop procrastinating, but that's a lifelong vice so I doubt 2026 will be the year I tackle it...but you never know!
10. Favorite thing you read this year
I love everything I've read this year but here are some standouts because they deserve shoutouts:
The Goodest Boy by @draco-illius-noctis -- Chapter 1 of Strictly Off-Topic - The puppy cuteness in this is off the charts!!
Children of the Dark by @hedwigoprah -- I love all of Sparkles' writing, honestly! It's so crunchy. I could chew on Veryl all day.
The Real Stories of the ER by @woundedsoul12 -- I love so much of Beasty's writing, too! The modern ER AU is one of my favorites, though.
Welcome to Nug-E-Cheese! by @davrinsleftpectoral -- I'm not normally one for a slice of life AU but by god I love the Nug-E-Cheese universe so freaking much.
she will come to you, a crown of fern upon her head by @dragonagedorks -- I love Lyria so much and want to protect her at all costs.
Just Alistair by @dogot -- Smut I am very happy to have coerced from Dogot. >:)
Literally everything by @carako and @tiredtruffle and @briannasroger and so so so so so many others!!
And lastly I don't know who wrote this yet by my Wintersend gift is incredible!!
the greatest gift of all
11. Favorite event you did this year
Rutherfest and CROC were so fun. Kiss Week was a blast! And Alistair Week, of course. I also had a ton of fun participating in @dacreateathon and hope to join again next year! (So proud of the Wardens this year, eeee!)
12. Favorite song to listen to while you write/get you in the writing mood
Oh, goodness, I tend to just go with vibes. For generic stuff I've fallen in love with the Death Stranding/Death Stranding 2 soundtracks.
13. Favorite type of fic to write (crack, fluff, angst, smut, etc)
Smut and fluff are my bread and butter. Am I good at it? Probably not! But I will stop writing fluff and smut when I'm dead.
Tagged by @in-the-drowning-deep -- thank you, Amy!
Use topsters to list your top 25 video games.
Honorable mentions:
Katamari
Animal Crossing
Castle of the Winds
Persona games
Horizon Zero Dawn
Journey
Kingdom Hearts
Ni no Kuni
any Supergiant game (husband plays them, I enjoy their music)
Lunar Silver/Blue (I have so many core memories of laughing to the bloopers during the credits; we need more voice actor blooper reels!)
I'm sure I'm forgetting a game or two somewhere, ugh.
If you don't do many games, feel free to do shows or something!
Passing on tags to: @woundedsoul12 @hedwigoprah @maagisterpavus @handsignals @picathartidae @davrinsleftpectoral @blackwall-my-tiny-husband @king-of-swords @jenn2d2 @biowaredisasterbisexual @p0lkadotdotdot @thedastrash @kayundae @celestialteapot @nirikeehan @draco-illius-noctis @theluckywizard @babydinosaur930 @ly--canthrope @redheadsramblings @nyx-de-riva @wolfmoonwildflowers @serensama @gutz-ingellvar @jukkaricity @the-font-bandit @silent-words @fiberpunk027 @chaosherald @rooks-dagger @grand-crow and if you see this and wanna play, consider yourself tagged! (Tag me back so I can see it too 🥰)
Japan was amazing; we saw incredible things, ate delicious food, and had so much fun.
Unfortunately we also ran into some, uh, interesting vacation woes. The morning after arriving, Mr. Kory woke up with a shingles rash on his back. It was Sunday so we couldn’t get him into a clinic that day, but we did find an English-speaking clinic a short taxi ride away that he got into the next day, and they immediately agreed with our assessment and gave him antivirals and pain meds. It all cost less than $200! Truly amazing.
Our friends ended up with colds so I, with my many chronic conditions, was one of the healthiest after the first week, which was a strange circumstance. Nevertheless we all pushed ourselves and didn’t let any of it stop us.
And then the day after getting home I woke up with one heck of a cold. I haven’t had fever and chills in so long! But I am grateful it waited until we were back.
I have so much to catch up on! Once this cold lets me stay up more than a couple hours, I’ll get started. In the meantime, here are some photo highlights!
Thank you to @woundedsoul12 for the tag and @grad-writes for the game. 🥰
Do you prefer writing...
on your computer or on your phone | one-shots or multichapter | <5k or 10k or >10k words per chapter | chronologically or jump back and forth | planning things out or winging it (I have goalposts I want to meet, it’s how we get there that I wing!) | drabbles or plot or character study | dialogue or action | romance or comedy | mystery or horror | alternate universe or close to canon | writing new content or editing your work | finishing a WIP or starting a new one
Extra questions (below the cut)
How long on average do you spend writing 1 chapter?
Do I have possession of the braincell? Do I have a migraine? Do I have life to contend with? So many factors to consider here, but I'd estimate a week if I push.
How long do you spend editing?
I was an English Lit major in college--I wrote a lot of papers. I never edited them and when I did I always got a worse grade because I would overthink things. Things get a once-or-twice over for spelling and grammar, and then they're birthed into the world. That said, I do tend to write slowly and edit as I go, moving around and rewording things while I'm in the moment.
Favourite thing to write?
Dialogue! Followed closely by fluffy romance.
Hardest thing to write?
Battles or overly technical things. To write things I usually need a good mental image and I can get that for fighting but then I realize I lack the vocabulary for pieces of armor and weapons which leads to research and sometimes I lose the thread.
Fic/story you are most proud of and why?
I don't have a lot published yet but of what I do have out...
Free Falling (Cullen x Trevelyan, E) -
I already had half of an Inquisition fic started when I came up with the "what if" that inspired Yvette's whole story. It laid the foundation for a more personalized experience in both Cullen's romance and story events like Champions of the Just and In Hushed Whispers. And I've really enjoyed exploring that. I know it's hotly debated whether or not Cullen is a virgin in Inquisition but I ascribe to the "casual sex" school of thought. Not everyone's cup of tea but that's fine.
Love is Just a Word (Alistair x Amell, M) -
This was borne from a Dragon Age 100 challenge prompt and took on a life of its own. I had so much fun writing it that I knocked it out in a night. I love writing Alistair. The spicier follow-up, Run With Me, took a few more days to write.
Gentle tags and forehead kisses for: @hedwigoprah @maagisterpavus @handsignals @jenn2d2 @in-the-drowning-deep @blackwall-my-tiny-husband @davrinsleftpectoral @biowaredisasterbisexual @p0lkadotdotdot @celestialteapot @thedastrash @kayundae @nirikeehan @babydinosaur930 @draco-illius-noctis @notyourmamasdeerbat @theluckywizard @nyx-de-riva @serstolas @wolfmoonwildflowers @serensama @gutz-ingellvar @jukkaricity @the-font-bandit @silent-words @fiberpunk027 @chaosherald @imrowanartist and if you see this and wanna play along, here's a tag for you too! 😘
Tagged by @davrinsleftpectoral @seaglassmelody and @wolfmoonwildflowers — thank you! I’ve also sneakily yoinked things from @hedwigoprah and several other people so I felt obligated to allow others the chance to do the same.
Choose your adventure!
Slowpoke ring holder & purple Pikmin flower vase
Sailor Jupiter Psyduck with ceramic capybara by @kness and a kitty pin
R2D2 popcorn bucket with kitty headband from Daiso
Boo pillow with octopus plush and Munchlax
Korok, Charjabug, Trash Pandas baseball signed by smartereveryday
A Switch game and assorted trinkets
Little 3D dinos and a moon lamp
FFXIV Spriggan lamp and Moogle lamp and music boxes
Thank you so much for the tags, @handsignals, @serensama , @rooks-dagger, @jukkaricity , and everyone else who has tagged me since the last time I did this! I’ve been blessed with many new followers since then so I figured I’d do it again.
Note: my laptop is in the shop for the next week or two so I’m left with my phone. It’ll be an adventure to get used to writing on it. I’ll do my best to keep up on everything but if I seem to be slacking, now you know why! Sorry in advance.
Fun fact: I’m left-handed and involved in the robot fighting community (BattleBots - where I’m a super fan who has sponsored bots - and the smaller, local events where I volunteer and judge).
Last song on repeat: Nightmare - CHVRCHES (and basically all of the songs from Death Stranding 2; so far the music is the best part of the game)
Currently watching: CourtTV is my emotional support background noise right now. I intend to watch Ironheart soon, though.
Last movie: Thunderbolts* though I’m really looking forward to Superman releasing on HBO Max this weekend.
Currently reading: The Defiant by Lesley Livingston and The Light You Still Hold by @briannasroger
Currently playing: I’m watching my husband play Death Stranding 2 lately, but we’re almost done with it, I think. After that he’ll probably play Silksong. When I get my laptop back I plan on playing DAO (especially during that 14 hour flight that I have coming up).
Sweet, Spicy, or Savory? Spicy! I’m prone to bleeding ulcers, though, so sweet is my backup.
Relationship status: Married for *checks notes* 16 years!
Current obsession: Still Dragon Age, bouncing around between all the games.
Last Google Search: “Where did the phrase ‘clean as a whistle’ originate from?” After the main character showers in Death Stranding 2, another comments with that phrase. After hearing it so often it got me thinking.
Currently working on:
DA: Create-a-thon stuff
In the Embers
Secret zine piece
Planning for my Japan trip at the end of October
Tagging some new friends: @kaleido-moon @briannasroger @wardensflight @dragonagedorks @serjory @dogot @tired-truffle @carako @mercenarysexuality @feminisssssssstreptilian @seaglassmelody and anyone else who wants to play, especially if you wanna play again.
I’m at the point of sickness where I extrude guaifenesin from every pore. Mmmmm, what a vibe. So because I’m recovering more slowly than I’d like, I’ll share some Japan trip stories, and more photos.
One of the biggest draws of Japan for me - aside from all the shopping I could do for some of my favorite franchises - was Nara. I love deer and couldn’t wait to live my little Disney Princess fantasy. I knew they bit, but what’s a little nip? I’d take it with pride.
Well, Nara did not disappoint!
I was swarmed with deer as soon as I bought cookies for them, and they didn’t hold back. Like little woodland goats they grabbed hold of every piece of cloth or skin they could get their teeth on, and I could understand why so many had their horns taken. I know the bowing thing is kind of gimmicky but I found it cute, and the babies caught on fast. I still have bruises but I had so much fun.
There was a moment when a baby got caught in a fence and dozens of deer flocked to its little cries, then stampeded away once it had been freed. They relentlessly swarmed the “weak” and chased people trying to get the perfect ‘gram shot. I could have sat in the park watching them for days.
Unexpectedly, after we left the main parks, we found a lovely little bakery and sat next to a pond to eat. A few yards away, a man pulled out a backpack and little folding chair, and pigeons swarmed around him. They sat on his arms and cooed up a storm. After he left, I tossed a few crumbs to the flock—and then I was the pigeon master.
I lost a whole chocolate bun to them but it was one of those moments you remember forever—a storm of chaos and feathers and little claws.
If I ever lived in Japan, it would be in Nara, baking treats for deer in the mountains and feeding flocks of pigeons.
