#emerald--antssss

Structure and Pacing

For multi-chapters, I like to sprinkle the fluff throughout so I'm not overloading the reader with a sugar rush. I try to have some kind of sweet, light moment every four or five scenes to stay invested and hooked on why the relationships between characters are so important.

Character is the driving force behind a lot of my writing, they inform the plot and it adapts around them. Giving the characters these spaced out fluffy scenes also gives the readers a chance to breathe and soak everything in. Like a pit stop while running a marathon to grab some water or a snack to recharge!

For a one shot, I can get away with the fluff being more concentrated; go all in on the specific feeling I want to evoke (comfort, contentment, laughter, security, unconditional love, etc.) If it feels like too much to the point that it's sickly sweet, I can always shave off some of the fluff and make it more palatable, but going big in a one shot at least gives me a goal to aim for and lets me know what I personally want out of a fic.

Author's Intent

And what you want out of a fluff fic is also an important piece to consider. Fluff is self-indulgent by nature. It's something you wish you could see if time limits, budgets, and marketability played no part in the show/game/media that you love. When the writer is genuinely invested in what they're writing, that feeling also reaches the reader and makes it matter to them, too!

Characterization and Emotional Layers

If you're concerned about your fluff feeling believable or in character, establish a baseline for character interactions in their downtime, with low stakes. In the case for Sonic and Tails, I can see this as traveling for fun or trashing an Eggman base. Figure out how comfortable and familiar they are with each other normally, then build on that.

So let's take an example of Sonic and Tails sharing a victory together after taking down a surprise boss in an Eggman base.

Baseline: Sonic and Tails fist bump each other. It comes naturally, second nature, easy and they don't think too hard on it.

1st fluff layer: Sonic musses up the fur on Tails's head or slings an arm around his shoulder. Also comes naturally, but it's highlighting how comfortable they are with each other. There's usually a secondary emotion involved with these gestures (Sonic might be feeling proud, playful, or trying to subtly de-escalate any stress or worries Tails might be feeling. Tails's reaction to this also makes a difference - does he bat him away playfully to keep the air between them light and fun? Or does he lean into the touch because he needs the reassurance or because Sonic needs the reassurance?)

2nd fluff layer: Tails flies at Sonic and is scooped up/tossed in the air/swung around for a victory pose. Excitement at its peak for them both, they can't contain it. They instinctively reach for each other because they want to share their joy with each other. Tails riding the high of his success or accomplishment and immediately seeking out Sonic, while Sonic is just as eager to support and cheer his little buddy on. He always believes in him, but seeing Tails believe in himself is such a treat.

Building on existing canon dynamics like this can keep characters still feeling like themselves even if they're behaving in a way we haven't actually seen much evidence for. Like, Sonic is frequently pictured with guitars so we can assume he knows how to play. We don't know whether or not he would play the guitar to comfort Tails in a storm or after a nightmare, but it's not necessarily a stretch to imagine that.

Now, this is just if getting characters to feel like canon depictions matters to you as a writer. I personally straddle the line: I look to canon for guidance, but ultimately I've spent 30 years with my own ideas for these characters marinating in my head, so at the end of the day I'm probably just going to do what feels right to me. Don't let canon become restrictive to the point that it chokes all the creativity out of you. Use it to fuel your inspiration!

All this being said, when it comes to fluff, the most important piece of all is "does it make you, the writer, happy?" If it makes your heart flutter and you have to stop writing mid-sentence to press your hands over your face and groan, "I just can't with these two!" then you're on the right track!