#bharv

11. What makes a fic 'successful' in your opinion?

Most significantly, that I finished writing it ^__^; but moreso beyond that, even when I'm just writing a pwp there's a dynamic or a character trait I am trying to highlight. Sometimes I think I do a good job and sometimes I think maybe I got distracted by the fucking! It's a huge relief when someone indicates in the comments that they picked up on it or noticed that theme behind it, because honestly that's what the success actually is: communicating efficiently!

16. What do you struggle with most when writing?

Maintaining momentum and not getting bogged down in the details. The momentum is half executive dysfunction and half "if I let myself get distracted from this for too long I won't remember where I was going with it". Trying to utilize more [bracketed notes indicating the goal of a sentence I haven't written yet] so I can keep moving and then backfill later, which is a helpful strategy! I just have to use it consistently.

23. What’s a story you’d love to write but haven’t even started yet?

I still think a lot about these old sketches I did for an AU where Ballard's backstory is flipped on end--instead of killing the Matron of his adoptive house and fleeing the Underdark, he manages to best her and convince her to accept him as a male heir. I think it would be interesting to take this up to the events of canon and Orin's betrayal, but I'm not sure if she would succeed--so I'm not sure how it would progress through the events of the game proper! But, man. It would be so cool.

Harding my beloved, where do I even start? It was your genuine, earnest passion that drew me to you initially, and I was so, so delighted to find that it rings true at every level as I got to know you better. From your eagerness to connect with others in fandom on all levels, from art to fic to meta to in depth discussion and analysis of characters and themes that you claim doesn't count as meta (it does. You do write great meta), to the way you engage with the media you love, you are so genuine and open and excited about the things you love. There's a sort of affectation that a lot of people have nowadays, a way to distance themselves from the things that they love in an effort to seem cool, and I love that you say no, fuck that. When you love something, you love it with your whole chest, and it is that passion that makes you so beautiful, so radiant in your enjoyment. You see beauty in so so many places, and it is an honour, a privilege, and a genuine delight to get to experience the world with you as your friend 💖

So, pre-tadpole, Echo was Elegy.

Elegy was a Swashbuckler Rogue.

Str 10. Dex 20*. Con 14. Int 14. Wis 12. Cha 18.

The thing that changed the most about Echo was how they walk. Entering the throne room at Wyrm's Rock, Astarion walked more like Elegy than Echo did. They lost 2 points of strength from muscle atrophy from lying in a vat for ages, 5 points of dexterity from Orin knifing them in the back of the head, a full 4 points from intelligence from combined memory loss, migraines, trauma and brain damage, and 1 point off charisma, which they recovered and then some.

2. Which of your fics is your pride and joy?

I'm allowing myself 4 on account of having posted 163 fics on ao3.

"I will climb to where you are," and "Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot" for being big, plotty bbies I got to co-write with lovely people. "natural as another leg around you in the bedframe" for the task I set myself of finishing Wyll's storyline. And... "a fishhook, an open eye." I don't normally write horror, but I feel I landed that one quite well.

5. What’s something you learned while researching a fic?

A little bit of how tuning works on guitars and related instruments— or more specifically, that you cannot (always) just move your fingers and have to re-tune the whole dang thing if you want to adjust. I don't know enough that I could explain it to anyone.

Generally, I tend to start with the niche knowledge and then write a fic for that. Also, I write a lot of smut. So... nerve pathways in the arms for where to put rope, I suppose.

12. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

How many words have you written this year?

41,193, which is not as much as I wanted to write, but this year was... a lot. So not bad, all told.

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

natural as another leg around you in the bed frame— It was the biggest undertaking, and I had to try and wrap up two arcs I was unsatisfied with without it ballooning horribly. And it worked! Wyllach is... very good.

17. Your favorite character to write this year?

"You don't have to do this, you know," Isabela said, digging through the Lords of Fortune's weapons cache.

"You know I do," Ronia replied, testing the fit of a greave. She glanced up at where Isabela was. "No, a sword and shield. Easier in an army."

Isabela shrugged, unceremoniously dropped the greatsword in her hands, and wandered to a different section of the armoury. "You really don't. You've done more than your share for a lifetime."

Ronia sighed. "It's not that, it's... I can't just stand by and watch. You know me better than that."

"I know, pet," Isabela answered softly. "Doesn't mean I won't try and talk you out of it, though." For a few moments the two women searched in silence. Finally Isabela spoke again.

"Try this one," she said, tossing Ronia a sword. "Found it in a dragon's hoard."

Ronia gave it a few expiramental swings. "Nice."

_

Bharv sharpened his blade as the Lords of Fortune gathered. Isabela walked the meeting point, checking on weapons, supplies, morale... and Bharv was startled to see Ronia Hawke at her side, in full armour. Now there was someone he never thought he'd get to see in action.

A young recruit next to him was even more awestruck, judging by the pure shock on his face. "Your eyes'll get stuck like that if you don't stop staring," Bharv teased the kid.

The kid startled, then had the decency to close his mouth. "Sorry," he said, somewhat guiltily, then hesitated. "It's just... Isn't that the bartender? What's she doing here?"

It took a few seconds for the meaning of his words to hit Bharv. When it did, he burst into laughter. The kid sulked. "What?" he asked defensively.

"Oh, kid," Bharv said, wiping a tear from his eye. "Just you wait and see."

___

I actually haven't! well, I guess it depends what counts as a song, but I don't think talking to them in a singsong-y voice really counts as making up a song