#I feel 80k words total on the horizon!! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

echo-bleu · 2 years

Text

As my Encanto hyperfixation goes away (I went from 100 to 0 surprisingly fast given that it hasn’t been replaced), I find myself looking at all the fanfic loose ends I’ve left lying around. I am quite determined to use this in-between-hyperfixations time to work on my original project, Singer Street, and I’m half-hoping that the next hyperfixation might be on that project. I may or may not be procrastinating on that by taking a look back ( @t-lane-writes i might need a kick in the butt) but at the same time I think I need this to be able to move forward.

This is going to get rambly so I won’t make you all scroll past :D

Over the years I’ve left a bunch of unfinished fanfics behind as I moved fandoms, and I regularly get sad that I couldn’t finish them. That’s especially true of the more advanced fics in which I poured a lot of energy and time and emotions. I’m constantly wondering if I could just make a little effort and finish them just so I can lay them to rest.

- Gifted fics: Nope, not gonna happen. The Underground is technically unfinished but it ends in a really good place. I think I might edit the end note and mark it as complete actually, just so I can say it’s done. All We Stand To Lose... it ends terribly but I really had no precise ending in mind and I can’t get back into this one enough. If You're Still Breathing was never meant to be a full fic anyway. I’m way too far from these characters now even though I still love them, and my writing style has evolved too -- not to mention that the fandom is fully dead.

- RNM fics: The fandom is still alive and I still have friends there but... I pretty much hate what the show has become. Season 3, which was awful imo, did give me enough of a boost to continue the one unfinished fic that still had a real place in my heart, our hands clasped so tight. I think I’d like to bring it to an end, because I’m actually pretty close and I still like it. It took the backburner again when I blocked on the flashback chapter and then fell headfirst into a new hyperfixation, but I’ll give it another try at some point. There’s maybe 3-4 chapters left to write (3k-ish words each) so it’s not a lot, and I feel like it’s worth it. The other WIPs I can barely remember and none of them were advanced enough anyway.

- Shadowhunters fics: I was looking at my folder the other day. There are so many fics I started and didn’t finish. There are a few one shots that I’d like to just clean up and bit and post as very short fics/snippets just because they’re pretty good, and it doesn’t matter than they’re not really finished. I might give this a try today. Beside that, the only really advanced WIP I had is the time we've been given. I don’t know about this one. I like it, but it’s maybe not close enough to my heart to actually put in the work to finish it. As it is, it was maybe halfway done with the plot I’d planned. I could maybe cut some stuff and just give it a nice epilogue -- I’ll have to look at what’s possible there.

Oh, and I also have sparks filled with hope, my mutant AU that I never posted. Um. It’s pretty advanced but it’s been so long since I even thought about it. Yeah, that one’s not going to happen.

- Hamilton fics: This is the fandom I’m kind of reverting back to now. It’s a bit frustrating in the sense that the fandom is so small now that it barely feels worth it to post fics at all, but those characters are the ones on my mind, though not in a hyperfixation way anymore. So. I have one fic that’s finished and awaiting betaing, part of the the things we used to know series. I meant that series to be a lot longer but it’s fine as it is. I have one project that I still vaguely wonder about that I don’t think will ever see the light of day unless I get a sudden burst of inspiration, I think I can lay that one to rest too.

And I have Eyes On The Horizon. It’s my most advanced fic, I’ve written almost 80k but it’s nowhere near done. It’s been read by a total of two people so far, it’s the first long fic I’ve written without posting anything. It’s proved to me that I’m capable of writing something without constant feedback (I’ve had amazing feedback from my beta and it’s been enough). It’s taken the backburner during Encanto phase but I still really really love it. So I’m on the fence about it. Basically I see three possibilities. 1) Start posting it, keep working on it on and off and hope for the best, knowing that it’s unlikely that I’ll ever finish it. 2) Chop it into parts. As it is, it’s too long, the pacing doesn’t work really well, and I have too much planned. It’s basically three different genres and three different novels into one. So I could simply finish the act I’m in, which would make it a character-focused kinda slice of life thing, and tell myself that maybe one day I’ll write a second part with the more plot-focused part. 3) This fic is barely fanfiction as it is, it’s so far from canon. If I can find a way to tighten the plot and to change the worldbuilding enough that it’s fully original (here it’s not really the Hamilton part that’s a problem, but the Sense8 inspiration) I could rework it into an original novel, and I think it could be really good. But there would be a lot of work and a lot of questions to ask myself, too.

I... don’t have an answer to that one yet.

- Encanto fics: I essentially have two, and a third that I barely started and that will not see the light of day, that’s okay. Nothing In This World is very advanced but also not even close to the end, but I don’t want to abandon it completely because I think it’s one of my best works yet. I’ve really reached the depth of nuance and emotional complexity that I want to be at with this one. I think I’m going to try to tighten the plot a bit more to make it shorter and keep going, but definitely not as intensely.

The Pirate AU isn’t going to be written. I’m still drawing the characters, and I’m going to try and do the whole family. I’m shelving the fic (I only wrote about a chapter). However, I’ll keep the plot in the back of my mind because I definitely want to write an og story like that someday. Not the exact same, but there are elements I really like.

- Original projects: Singer Street is my current project. It has a full plot, it has all the character it needs, I JUST NEED TO WRITE IT. STOP PROCRASTINATING ECHO.

I had this one post-revolution fantasy project that I’m shelving for now, but the good thing about og projects is that they’re not subject to fandom whims. I might go back to it. I might transform it into something else.

And I have Eyes, if I decide to turn it original. I really could. I’d need some solid reflection about one specific representation-related aspect of it, and to really figure out what’s important and what I want to say.

So, to recap.

- Maybe finish Hands (shouldn’t be that much work) - Have a look at which SH one-shots I can post as is or with minimal work, maybe look at Time, then shelve everything else - Post that Things we use to know fic whenever possible, then have a serious look at Eyes, which might require rereading it and talking it over with my wonderful friends/betas/writing buddies - Try to keep going with Nothing, but don’t force it - WRITE THAT GODDAMN NOVEL, COME ON YOU CAN DO IT

( @t-lane-writes is going to be very cross with me about this, I should only be thinking about Singer Street. But. At least my mind is a little clearer.)

#echo's writing thoughts #singer street #eyes on the horizon #nothing in this world #our hands clasped so tight

4 notes · View notes

unsettledink · 3 years

Text

Back in the days of LJ, I used to try and do a post at the end of each year, looking back primarily at fandom and fic. I fell out of the habit when everything moved to tumblr, and then it seemed like I didn’t have anything to say since I wasn’t writing or really participating any.

But I always liked the idea of it, because I love to be overly reflective on stuff. And talk about my fic. Any excuse! I shuffled around some of the topics I used back then and added a few I’ve seen around that I liked. It got… long, because I TALK, so I split into two sections.

Your main fandom of the year?

Marvel (MCU) for sure. Primarily with characters from Spider-Man and Iron Man movies.

Your favorite film watched this year?

The Old Guard - I saw a couple trailers and everything about it looked like catnip. ‘It’s probably going to be so dumb, but I don’t even care,’ I thought. And then it was so good. It was so much fun and so much smarter than I expected and I loved each and every character and it just made me happy in so many ways.

Your favorite book read this year?

Red, White, and Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston - I read it twice this year actually. It’s so… cute isn’t the right world. Sweet and hopeful and soft and comforting and intense. I liked every single character which is pretty rare. I cried during the sad parts and then again at the happy ending, like straight up sobbed - both times. I already want to read it again.

Your favorite tv show watched this year?

Schitt’s Creek - I started it on a whim and because a lot of people had said it was good. The episodes were short so it wasn’t a huge time investment. The first season was a little rough, but there were enough funny moments that I hung on, and then… I kept getting fonder and fonder of these idiots as they grew. And THEN… it kept not disappointing me?

You grow to expect certain scripts, twists, jokes, especially in queer story lines. To wait for the bad thing to happen, because it always does. Instead, Schitt’s Creek kept going, ‘hey, here’s the set up for that! Guess what? We’re not doing it. Here’s the happy version instead.’ The relief of having that happen again and again - the last season I’ve watched (I’m sort of saving 6) I cried a bunch but it was always because I was happy.

Your favorite album or song to listen to this year?

1896 - I’ve been waiting for the new Steam Powered Giraffe album so eagerly for aaaaaages. Finally getting recordings of Zero’s songs! Lying Awake remains my favorite off the album, with Eat Your Heart and Bad Days on the Horizon high up there as well. I’m loving what Zero brings to the band.

Your best new fandom discovery of the year?

I don’t know if I really did discover that much? I stuck pretty closely to old fandoms and the ones I picked up in 2019. Maybe Zodiac? It was definitely inspiring, and I want to write and read more in it.

Maybe the couple discords I joined? I still really dislike discord and am not on there much, and mostly lurk when I am, but having somewhere vaguely like the comms I remember makes me feel a little less isolated. It’s the potential, that maybe if I said something I might make a friend, or someone might actually want to hear what I say.

Your biggest fandom disappointment of the year?

The Watch - I mean, I knew it was going to be a disaster with every word said during pre production. I wasn’t ever going to be happy with it. And then it came out and was even worse and uglier and … disrespectful not just of the source material but of actual people connected to Terry. I’m beyond disappointed that this is what we got, and it’s probably going to be a long time before we get anything else.

Devil All the Time was terrible, but I didn’t have especially high hopes. It still didn’t manage to meet them. Yikes.

The most missed of your old fandoms?

Maybe MASH? Someone I follow started talking about it and I was reminded all over again of the wonderful fics in that fandom. I went looking and a lot are gone (still on my computer, lol, but not online), but rereading was such a trip. A slightly depressing trip, but still.

The fandom you haven't tried yet, but want to?

Hmm. I’ve kind of not had the energy to invest in other fandoms at the moment? When The Witcher was having it’s big moment back in January, I had a feeling I might enjoy it enough to fall headfirst into the fandom, so I avoided watching it. Ikr? I don’t have the time or the energy to actively seek anything out.

Your biggest fan anticipations for the New Year?

SO EXCITED about Winter’s Orbit. I mean, the third Spider-Man movie for sure, with worry. The second Venom movie, ugh yes. I have tentative hopes for Jungle Cruise? Jumanji was stellar and I always enjoy Dwayne. I have both hope and dread for the new Suicide Squad - I did love Birds of Prey, so if it’s along those lines, yay. The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard because it should be some fun garbage, my favorite kind. I don’t know how I feel about Dune, but, uh, I’m anticipating it. It seems highly unlikely it will actually happen, but The Wheel of Time TV series.

I want to be excited about Black Widow but it’s hard. It’s not the story I’ve been wanting to see, and I’m angry about Natasha not getting a movie until she’s dead.

You know. If any of it is released for real.

The Good:

I moved to a better place. I got a better paying, better benefits, better environment job that lets me work from home. The house acquired 3-7 more cats depending on the month. I was able to get some serious problems on my car fixed. I have insurance and was able to start on some health stuff. No one I know got sick or died. I wrote a LOT.

The Bad:

Aside from the obvious? Depression hitting extra hard during the winter. Having to put two kittens to sleep. Have my car be hit three times in our parking lot. Being driven INSANE by one of the cats for months while the vets were all closed. Kidney stone. Dealing with several health problems. Stalling for months on Gotcha.

The Indifferent:

Not leaving the house often or easily. Enjoying a new fandom but not doing great at making connections (still real awkward, bud). Raising kittens and saying goodbye. Need new tires. Reading a lot of fic but not a lot of books. Having more pay but more expenses as well (wth insurance??).

2020 fic stats

Number of stories: 39

Number of fandoms: 6? Or 2, if you cluster the others under mcu

Total number of words: 152049

Average word count per story: 4kish

Longest fic: Causality (18k, P/Q)

Shortest fic: Can’t, Won’t (1k, P/Q)

Most comments received: Sieche (49, T/P)

Fandom you wrote the most of: MCU Spider-Man - I only wrote TWO fics that didn’t feature that fandom, wow. And one of those was still MCU.

Fandom you wrote the least of: Zodiac (1!)

Events you participated in: Marvel Trumps Hate, Kinktober, IornspidersGeorg Exchange, Starker Festivals Exchange, MCU Secret Santa, Spiderio Big Bang

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted?

SO MUCH MORE OMG. I mean, even just counting posted stuff! (I probably wrote a solid 300k of Gotcha this year.) I did not expect or plan on doing Kinktober, so that’s a whole 31 fics right there. I also wasn’t planning on doing any exchanges - I have a History - but then I did three? And beyond that, I did not expect for everything to get so LONG.

Topic you wrote that you would never have predicted in January:

Tony/Quentin. Goddammit @the-me09 They were like hey, they could be interesting! And while I agreed, I had no ideas for them. THEN they had to go and write Just Bodies That Collide and next thing I know, I’ve got ten fics featuring them and two-six series focused on them or Peter/Quentin/Tony. What the fuck.

Leitmotif of the year:

Vulnerability, I think. I had a bunch of things typed up and they all circle back to vulnerability in the end; sex, being seen, being wanted, sharing trauma, asking for help, trying something new. Offering a soft spot in the hopes it won’t be hurt.

Favorite character to write about:

Tony Stark, for sure. There are just a bunch of slightly different takes, and a lot of canon to work with (kind of frustrating too though). And I’m a sucker for emotionally damaged snarky traumatized characters that are viewed poorly both in universe and out.

Favorite kind of fic to write:

This year? Fluff and smut combined. Maybe that’s not the right term really. I keep looking for and writing, even in the angstiest fics, for those soft moments. Sure, maybe it’s a super smutty kink scene, but I want the affection to be obvious. Maybe everyone is consumed by guilt, but I want it to be based in caring too much. Maybe there’s no real love, just sex and even that’s messed up, but I want to find that tiny bit of fondness.

And I want happy endings. Or endings that look like they’re going to be happy, at least, even if there’s all the angst first. I don’t think I’ve killed anyone this year? Who AM I?

Biggest disappointment:

Not finishing the rough draft of Gotcha. I was making such good progress in 2019, from August to December. Even after the move, I basically finished part 6 in January. I fumbled around and fussed with 1 a lot, but that had already been given one draft, really, and I got through half of 4 before I slowed to a stop. I’ve barely gotten anything accomplished on it since June. Bits and pieces here and there, but nothing significant, not like I was doing. I can excuse October, due to 80k invested in Kinktober (yikes!), but aside from that… I’m sad. I’ll finish it eventually, but I really thought I could have the first draft done in a year. I’m sitting at about 480k out of what I’m almost certain will be 700k.

Biggest surprise:

Kinktober! It was kind of spur of the moment, decided just a week in advance. I’ve tried month long or even like, 20-25 day long challenges and I don’t think I’ve ever completed one. I thought there was a good chance I’d do so again, so I gave myself a little help and made my own list of prompts, things I knew I liked and hadn’t done much of yet. And it worked? I actually completed it, what the hell? Despite spending five days travelling near the end! Despite falling behind in getting ahead and writing a bunch of stories the day they were to be posted! Despite apparently forgetting how to do short form!

I, uh, could have done without the spawning of eleven series or sequels or continuations jfc WHY SELF.

Something you learned this year:

Ideas breed ideas. I swear to god, the second I sit down to think through a current idea, I wake up the next morning with three more.

Words need to be restocked. I need to consume new - not rereads, not fic - content every so often to refresh my word bank. It is astonishing how quickly writing goes again after I’ve done so.

I can write so much more than I thought I could. I can do so much more than I thought I could. Yes, I can complete challenges without dropping out early. Yes, I can do exchanges and not regret it. Yes, I can write more than 100k, more than 200k, more and more - and I can write 10k+ easily too. Though I wouldn’t mind if I could once again write less than 10k without feeling like I’ve cut off in the middle.

My time is shrinking, and if I want to write as much, I’m going to have to make the time. I can’t rely on three days off a week, on seven hours of uninterrupted overnight shifts, on hyper focused writing binges that leave everything else around me on fire.

Most memorable comment:

So, so many! I can’t pick one. I’ve been really lucky to get a bunch of really detailed, enthusiastic, analyzing comments across all different fics. One of the types that always sticks with me are the ones like ‘I didn’t think/know I liked this ship/kink/twist, but fuck, apparently I do? You made me, what the hell?’.

What, if anything, are you going to try to do differently in your writing in the new year?

So with writing Gotcha but not posting until it’s done, my view of what I’ve written vs anyone else’s is extremely skewed. I’m sitting here thinking, hey I’m 400k in and got another 10k done today, so much writing! While anyone looking at my AO3 account (for most of the year) is like, you’re averaging three months between fics :(

All that to say I want to try and get something posted more frequently while I’m working on Gotcha.

Also, writing for kinktober was really interesting - pushing myself to write every single day, often for that day’s post, forced me to get back into shorter form fic. Which used to be all I did? But it was surprisingly hard to just stop and not write more. So I’d like to challenge myself to write more fics under 10k at least. Maybe even under 5k though that might be asking a lot lol. I might get there with the many continuations of those fics I’d like to do. Does that count?

Goals:

I want to hit 365 fics. :) I’m only 32 away!

Aside from writing -

I’ve really enjoyed the reading record sideblog I started this year. I’ve let it lapse a little the past month or so, but I’d like to keep it going strong.

I’d like to leave a lot more comments. I want to get better about allowing imperfection - I want to write The Best Comment, but in the end? Probably 90% of fic writers are going to be happier with a comment expressing enjoyment in any way over no comment at all.

And not just on fics, but on general posts as well. It’s hard not to feel… weird and stupid and invasive and rude leaving any sort of comment on someone’s post if I don’t know them at least a little. I have godawful rejection sensitive dysphoria and a lot of interactions that ended poorly; I’m really not good at people. But as dumb as it feels to say those things, I know I am thrilled and warmed and happier when there’s a reblog with tags or a note or a comment or an ask or just, any small interaction that shows someone out there notices and cares, at least a little. There’s no reason I can’t at least try to offer that to other people.

I’d like to make/run a couple challenges of my own, later in the year. I’m still figuring out what I want to do and what I could do. I’m really interested in doing something that’s not focused on creators, but the readers; some sort of comment or rec challenge maybe.

I want to find a cheerleader for Gotcha. I’m struggling to keep up my motivation to write it when it’s already in my head, where I can ‘read’ it any time. There’s a line between depending too much on external validation and trying to generate all your validation yourself, and I’m getting to a point where I think I need to ask for help (gasp! The hardest thing EVER).

(Part Two: Pick Some Fics)

#end of year #unsettled rambles

4 notes · View notes

icecubelotr44 · 7 years

Text

To Every Thing a Season (4/16)

Summary: After witnessing the tragic murder of his brother Liam, Killian Jones is more determined than ever to discover the secrets of time travel. Fast-tracking his education at Storybrooke University, Killian is assigned a lab assistant, one Emma Swan. Together, they find a way to break through the veil of time so Killian can set things right. But what will be the price for changing the past, and is it one they’re willing to pay?

Rated: T, for violence, some dark themes, angst, and whump

Art credit/link: The totally awesome @optomisticgirl made imagesets for all the chapters and @ab-normality made a video and a gifset for this fic. You can find the imageset for this chapter above and here on her blog. The video is linked here and on her blog here and the gifset is here!

Beta readers: The as-always wonderful @nothingimpossibleonlyimprobable, thanks so much for all of your help and cajoling and reassuring! And a huge thank you to the spectacular @spartanguard who stepped in to help beta read as well!

A/N: Written as part of the 2017 Captain Swan Big Bang Challenge. You can catch up with all the other fics that are complete by following @captainswanbigbang and/or subscribing to the Group Collection on AO3 and/or the C2 on FFN. This is complete in 16 parts and will be posted every Thursday from now until its completion. And yes, there is a happy ending after all this… just so you know.

Word count: ~ 5,350 (80K+ Total in 16 chapters)

From the beginning: ao3 | ffn

Current Chapter: AO3 | FFN

Chapter 4: To Break Down and to Build Up

Killian woke with a start, jolting up on the futon and clenching his fists until the sharp pain of fingernails digging into his palm grounded him to the present instead of the past. He wasn’t even sure which dream this was, which memory that tore him from sleep, but it didn’t matter. They all ended the same - with him bursting back into reality only to find that the dream wasn’t nearly as bad as the realization that it was another day when Liam was cold in the ground and Killian was no closer to going back to save him.

What are you doing, little brother? Why haven’t you come for me yet? You promised.

Logically, Killian knew that these were his own words. He knew that Liam would never have spoken that way, his words would have been encouragement and patience. He knew that the irritation and frustration came from his own perceived failures rather than any memory of Liam.

And even though the words sounded like Liam’s voice, even though the tone and the dialect and the accent were his brother’s, he still knew his brother would never have thought that, let alone said it. That was more their father’s way.

It didn’t change anything. He heard Liam berating him and his mind automatically latched onto how long he’d been failing his brother.

Nausea assaulted Killian, fiery tendrils of anger and shame warring for dominance as he levered himself off the couch and towards the common bathroom down the hall. The memory of the soldering iron burn left him with a bit of a phantom limp, but he’d been free of the crutches for a couple weeks and knew the scar would fade soon as well. The dream he’d woken from picked at him relentlessly even as he tried to ignore it. The memory prodded its way back to the forefront of his mind and made him gag a little with each step.

“All right there, Jones?” Will’s voice made him jump and swivel his head around. Scarlet was exiting the stairwell, a distinct swagger to his step and glazed eyes that tracked him slowly. It had been a while since he’d seen his roommate truly sober - Ana’s betrayal had left him reeling and Killian didn’t really know how to help other than to keep the young man away from their RA and campus police.

He was about to answer in the affirmative when Will lurched for the bathroom door and the sounds of retching echoed out into the hall. Killian’s own stomach turned, reminding him of what he was doing in the hallway but he steeled himself and waited for Scarlet to finish.

Focusing on someone he could help instead of how helpless he was to change Liam’s fate settled him just enough that he didn’t join Will in a stall.

It seemed like hours later when Killian had Scarlet sprawled across the futon, a blanket thrown over his passed-out form and a rubbish can near his head. Unable to stomach the idea of going back to sleep, Killian pulled on the worn leather jacket that hung off his wardrobe and tucked his keycard into a pocket.

The night was cool and quiet, stars above and a crescent moon just enough to light his way between the scattered streetlights on the campus paths. He wandered aimlessly, not sure of where he was headed or even what he was doing out on the quad this late. There was nothing for him out here - no responsibilities, no ghost of his brother, no dance of the numbers to assault him. He couldn’t get into the lab and the library was closed. All he had was the slight breeze in his hair and the scent of the ocean that was only a few miles from campus.

As if that had been his intended destination all along, rather than a subconscious one, Killian turned towards the main road and began the trek to the shore. His hands were shoved deep in the pockets of his jacket, the sleeves no longer too big to sit comfortably at his wrists. The scent of his brother was no longer ingrained in the material, and there were holes in the lining that he’d dutifully stitched and stitched again. But none of that mattered - he wore it as a reminder, as a comfort, as a coat of armor against the world he’d been abandoned to.

The tide was on its way in when Killian finally made it to the tiny beach. It was still too cold to wade in the water, but he slipped off his shoes and socks just the same. He left them at the end of the boardwalk, curious to see another pair left haphazardly on a dilapidated piling just beyond his own shoes.

He walked above the seaweed line, letting the bite of cold sand and small rocks ground him as he went. The sound of waves rolling in and the clean scent of brine wrapped around him like a blanket, quieting the last of his thoughts.

There was nothing here but peace.

“Seriously, Jones?!” A voice rang out in the night and Killian practically jumped out of his skin. His hand came up to cover his heart as the other clenched in a fist before his brain could catch up. He couldn’t see her, but he would’ve known that voice anywhere.

Emma. Not someone looking to hurt him.

The scar on his thigh stung in protest, but he ignored it. There was a difference between that scar and others he wore.

Finally recovering his voice, Killian asked, “What are you doing out here alone, lass? It’s late.”

He looked around, trying to see in the darkness to figure out where she was hiding. He had turned in a complete circle before her quiet laughter reached his ears and the light from a cell phone caught his eye.

She was sitting on a large boulder, her knees drawn up to her chest and an oversized hoodie swamping her figure. She looked like a siren intent on dragging him to his death, but Killian found himself drawn to her side anyway.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she whispered when he finally reached her side. Emma looked down at him from her perch and then slid over to the side.

Not pausing to think about it too much, Killian scrambled up the side of the rock and hunkered down beside her. They were pressed together from shoulder to hip, and he could feel her chill drawing on his warmth within moments. “How long have you been out here?”

Killian felt the shrug more than he saw it.

They sat quietly for a while, staring out at the endless ocean and trying to pick out the horizon in the inky blackness. The granite cliff behind them provided a backrest, and Killian settled down a bit further, fully relaxing for the first time since he’d woken in a cold sweat from his dream.

Emma sat rigidly next to him, still curled up in a tight ball.

He wasn’t sure what came over him, what gave him the shot of bravery he needed to reach out and tug on the ends of her hair. Emma looked over her shoulder, meeting his eyes, and he smiled softly at her.

Not giving himself time to question his motives, Killian slid his hand across her back until his fingers wrapped around her shoulder and pulled her gently backwards.

Emma resisted for a moment, but then sighed and leaned back until her head was pillowed on his shoulder, his arm trapped between her back and the rocks behind them.

“I was… am… an orphan,” she breathed out, tensing a bit as she waited for his reaction.

Killian rubbed his thumb back and forth over the fabric at the jut of her neck, his fingers tightening ever so slightly around her shoulder.

Whatever reproach she was expecting, Emma didn’t seem to find it, and continued. “I was left on the side of the road when I was an infant. Whoever my parents were, they couldn’t even be bothered to take me somewhere safe before they dumped me. I guess that they knew what they were doing, because no one else ever found something worth saving in me, either.”

Killian sucked in a breath, pulling her closer and tucking her head under his chin. He had no idea what was happening, no idea how to help or make it better, but he remembered the times when Liam would try and make him feel normal after a rough day at school or with their father’s issues, and tried to emulate that.

He didn’t speak, had a feeling that Emma didn’t even realize she was speaking out loud, and he didn’t want to break the spell that had settled over them.

All he knew was that he had no idea what he was doing.

“I think about that sometimes, when I can’t sleep. I wonder if maybe it wouldn’t have been better if…”

“No, Emma. It wouldn’t have been better.” He’d wanted to stay silent. He’d wanted her to forget he was even there so she could get whatever this was off her chest. But when he had an inkling over what she was going to say next, he spoke before he could think about it.

“You don’t even know what I was going to say,” she said in the same quiet, defeated tone of voice.

“Aye, I do. You’re somewhat of an open book, lass. And I’m good at reading.” He smiled into her hair, the scent of something flowery tickling his nose. “It’s not something I haven’t thought about myself in the past few years. If it wouldn’t have been better for everyone if we just weren’t here. If we’d never been. But it isn’t. It wouldn’t be.”

“Why not?” her words were choked.

Killian closed his eyes and breathed deeply. “Because if you weren’t here, then I’d be all alone out here with nothing but the ghost of the brother I can’t save to keep me company.”

“Do you want to tell me about him?” she asked hesitantly, reaching up to tangle her fingers in his own against her shoulder.

Killian shook his head, biting back the sudden need to tell her everything he’d ever known about Liam. But that wasn’t why he’d come out here tonight, and it certainly wasn’t why she had come out here tonight.

“Sometime, yes. He’s important to what we’re doing. But not tonight,” he whispered.

Emma nodded, shuffling around a little bit until she was curled more fully against him.

“What are we doing, Jones?” she asked quietly, tensing as his arm came around her more securely.

What were they doing? He had no earthly idea. He’d never so much as bothered to think about Emma as anything other than his assistant before, but somehow she’d snuck past the numbers and the failures and the driving need to focus on nothing but his brother. They were friends, yes, but something felt different with her pressed against his side, tangled up in the darkness and the tranquility that the ocean provided.

“We’re existing,” Killian whispered, unsure how to put it into words more eloquent than that.

“Hmm,” she replied non-committally, tucking her head under his chin. Killian didn’t know if his response was enough, and he was caught up in the ridiculous notion that he wanted to be more for her. That he wanted to be enough for her.

God, he wanted his brother to tell him what to do next.

Without a concrete list of controls and variables, Killian didn’t know exactly what to do. There were no lab manuals for this, no constructs and instructions to base his hypothesis around.

And Emma shouldn’t be an experiment, anyway. She was far more precious than that, he could see it in the way she interacted with him. No, Emma was special. No matter what her idiot birth parents - or any of the foster families who had failed her - led her to believe.

Killian wasn’t sure when he fell asleep, the soft sounds of the waves remixing with the even breaths Emma made as she finally relaxed. He didn’t dream, a miracle in and of itself, and woke to the pinks and reds of the sun rising.

Emma was still tucked against his side, her fingers tangled in the ties of his hoodie and her mouth open as she snored softly. Killian smiled at the sight, his hand coming up to brush some of the stray hair away from her forehead.

Emma sat up like she’d been shocked, her fists coming to bear and her breathing stuttered.

“Whoa, whoa, easy Swan. It’s just me.” Killian froze with one hand in front of him placatingly, holding eye contact with her until she woke up fully.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, bright red spots staining her cheeks as she began to blush. “Old habits.”

Killian shook away the apology with a quick turn of his head and tugged on the back of her sweatshirt. “Lay back, lass. It’s still early. The sunrise is amazing out here.”

“I shouldn’t,” she said, tearing her eyes away and tensing. “I have class at nine.”

She was going to run. Killian didn’t know how he knew, but he did. Unless he did something. “It’s barely six am, Swan. You’ve plenty of time. Unless you’re afraid I’m going to sully your virtue.” He smirked and waggled his eyebrows the way he’d seen Liam do towards girls on the train sometimes.

Emma burst out laughing, but the tension eased out of her frame and she flopped back dramatically against his chest. “Oh yes, Jones. You’re a regular Don Juan. Watch out, world!”

Killian laughed along with her, trying to disguise the breath of relief when she didn’t move to slip away from him.

They sat in silence for awhile, watching the sun paint the horizon in a stunning array of colors. Emma’s hair tickled his nose, but Killian was terrified to move and brush it away lest he break the magical spell that had encapsulated them.

Here, there was no sordid past of foster homes and orphanages, no ghost of a lost brother or a disappointed sot of a father. There were no numbers, no experiments, no criminal justice papers, and no Candy Crush to interrupt them. There was no hesitance, no over thinking, no walls, and no worry over what would become of this.

There was just Emma and Killian, curled up on a boulder watching the magic of the day starting.

Killian could get used to this.

Emma kept expecting the need to run from Killian to overtake her. She kept thinking that the next time they met up at the beach in the middle of the night or the next time he tangled their fingers together under the cafeteria table would be the time that she’d balk. She thought that the day she’d shown up to the lab for their session and there was a carnation bloom waiting for her on the keyboard while Killian studiously worked on his model - complete with bright pink ears - that she’d panic.

She didn’t.

And that terrified her.

She needed this job. She needed Killian’s easy friendship. She needed to keep up her walls so that it wouldn’t hurt when someone else threw her away like garbage. She needed…

She needed exactly the laid-back relationship that Killian was offering her.

Emma wasn’t sure when Killian had snuck up on her defenses and sidled his way through her walls, but he had. He was there and he was comfortable and as long as she didn’t think about it too much, he was safe.

She left her last class for the afternoon in a rush, trying to make it across campus to the labs on time. The professor had waylaid her with comments about her most recent paper on the contrast of Supreme Court cases in history versus today. He had appreciated a point that she made and wanted to expound on it at length. Then, when she got out of that conversation, Ruby had caught her and wanted to complain about her newest boyfriend Graham’s tendency to follow her around like a lost puppy.

By the time she got to the lab, Killian was thoroughly engrossed in the circuits he’d been fiddling with for months now. It looked to Emma as though he had the workings of more than one computer spread across the table, and the soldering iron that had caused them such strife earlier in the semester was carefully perched on its stand and far away from Killian’s leg.

Emma glared at the tool for good measure.

“What’s on the agenda for today, Jones?” she asked, already slinging her backpack under the lab table and signing into the physics program.

Killian jumped off the stool like someone had set off a firework under his chair. The tiny screwdriver he’d been using clattered to the ground, making him jump again, and the telltale blush worked its way up to the tips of his ears.

He was embarrassed.

“Hey,” she called to him calmly. “It’s just us here. You okay?”

He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Instead, he dropped to his knees and started searching for the lost tool. Emma watched him miss it three times as he swept a hand under the shelf before she sighed exasperatedly and stalked over to him.

Without a word, Emma knelt down beside him, tugged the screwdriver out from its hiding spot with one hand, and tangled their fingers together with the other. “What’s going on?”

There was more than a hint of redness on his cheeks now, but the smile was more genuine as he tightened his grip under her own. “I wanted to… to ask you if…” He paused, took a deep breath, and tried again.

“Will you go out with me?”

Emma froze. All of the fears that she had been waiting for, that she had thought weren’t going to rear their ugly heads because it was just Killian and her, it all came to the forefront and she couldn’t hear over the buzzing in her ears.

What they had was simple. It wasn’t a thing, it was just them. If she agreed to go out with him, then that meant they were… they were what?

“Emma?” Christ, he sounded more nervous than she was.

She looked up when he sat back on his heels, loosening his fingers to pull away from her. He looked like she had kicked his puppy and smashed his prototype all rolled into one hangdog expression.

She wanted more than anything to erase that look from his face.

“All right,” she whispered, the words escaping her before she could think too hard about them. Going out with him didn’t have to be complicated, and it didn’t have to be anything more than just them.

“Aye?” he asked, the hope burning brightly in his too-blue eyes. There was a half-smile forming, and, God help her, dimples.

Emma didn’t think too much about it after that. “Yeah.”

Killian grinned so hard it made her face hurt.

That was when she realized she was grinning, too.

The date was simple - it wasn’t like either of them had a lot of money or transportation off campus to begin with. They took the shuttle into the main part of town, holding hands and crowding into half a bus seat so it felt like they were the only two people in the entire world. A simple dinner at Granny’s - complete with the woman herself sniffing around for potential gossip to share with Ruby - and a walk down to get ice cream at Any Given Sundae. It was easy, it was simple, it was just them.

“I wish I could give you more,” Killian whispered as they ended up at the beach again, the blanket they had hidden in an outcropping of rocks protecting them against the night air.

Emma shook her head, curling more fully into his warmth. “This was perfect,” she whispered back.

Killian grunted his disapproval of that, but tugged her in closer and tucked the edge of the blanket under her shoulder.

“Was it so bad? Going out on a date with me?” Emma could hear the tension in his voice, the uncertainty.

She was terrified of what this all meant, terrified that he would wake up one day and realize that she wasn’t worth it. But he was worth the risk, and Emma thought she might be able to put her fears aside for him.

“So bad, Killian, that I think we should try it again next weekend, and the weekend after that,” Emma teased, grinning at the way his breath caught in the chest under her ear.

It took him a moment, but Killian finally huffed out a laugh and relaxed under her. The sound of the waves crashing on the beach was the only soundtrack to their evening, the nightly path of the stars through the sky the movie that they fell asleep to.

Emma woke with a start, the booming echo of thunder causing her to sit straight up before her eyes were even open. Killian jolted up behind her, the warmth of his chest a balm against the wind that cut through her. They were scrambling off the rock before lightning could streak across the sky, illuminating the beach for an instant before shrouding everything in darkness once more.

She heard the rain before she felt it. Big, fat droplets of icy fire that pelted them as they ran off the sand and for the relative safety of the buildings. They were still a few miles from campus, the shuttles had long since stopped for the night. Killian crowded her against the side of the buildings as they walked, draping the blanket over her shoulders and taking the brunt of the rain.

“You’re going to get sick, idiot,” Emma complained as she tried to spread the cloth over both their backs.

Killian tugged on her shoulder, stopping Emma in her tracks and backing her up against the wall. He tucked the edges of the blanket over her shoulders and into her hands. Then, he stepped into her space so that their knees knocked together and his forehead rested on her own. He quirked half a smile, his nose brushing against hers as he stared into her eyes.

Emma slipped her hands over his shoulders, cocooning them both in the blanket once more and erasing any space that had remained between them. “Hi,” she whispered.

“Hello, luv,” Killian whispered back.

“What are you doing?” Emma snickered when his nose wrinkled up.

He stepped closer, nudging his foot between hers and dropping his face to her neck. Emma nearly squealed when his nose found the warm skin at her throat. He was freezing. “You’re warm,” he mumbled.

Emma scrunched up her nose, tightening her grip around his shoulders and trying to close the blanket around his back. She’d thought for a moment that he was going to kiss her, and she’d tensed. She didn’t know if Killian had felt it and had redirected his intentions, or if he had always planned on stealing her warmth for a moment, but the drop in her stomach when he hadn’t kissed her surprised her.

“All right, glacier-face, let’s get you inside somewhere.” Emma broke the moment, tucking them both into the blanket and tugging Killian down the street.

All too soon, they were standing outside Emma’s dorm room door. She reached up and wrapped the blanket around Killian until he was completely trapped. His nose wrinkled again and one of his eyebrows shot up as Emma secured the corner of the material at his chest.

“Emma,” he warned. “I’m stuck.”

She smirked back at him, watching as he shifted his hands to try and find the opening. “I know. It’s a good look on you, Jones.”

He sighed, pouting a little, but let it be. “I had a good time tonight,” he said quietly.

“I did, too,” Emma replied.

Killian shuffled his feet, and Emma knew that he would be scratching behind his ear if his arms were free. “Well, good night, luv.”

Emma heard the hesitance, the hint of insecurity that called to her. She didn’t think too much about what she did next, just acted.

The scruff covering his jaw scratched at her lips and the muscles in his cheek twitched in surprise as she let the chaste kiss just under his cheek last a second longer than she intended. “Good night, Jones,” Emma called as she slipped inside her dorm room door.

She leaned back against the heavy door, and could just hear Killian’s quiet and awed, “good night,” before his soft footsteps echoed down the hall.

And so it went. Emma continued to help out in the lab and Killian continued to forget to eat until he realized she hadn’t eaten. They met up between classes to study alongside one another in the library and they went to the Merry Men’s gigs. Killian left flower blooms on her keyboard and Emma kept a fully stocked drawer of notebooks and mechanical pencils for him.

He didn’t refer to her as his girlfriend, and she didn’t tell anyone she had a boyfriend, but the idea of it all wasn’t quite so frightening any more. Emma thought she might not mind if they did label what they had.

Will Scarlet, it seemed, hadn’t gotten the memo though.

“Look, I dunno what’s got into your boyfriend,” Scarlet’s accent carried heavily over the cell phone connection. “But he’s drunk as a skunk on the floor of our room and I’m on me way out the door. You wanna come get him, then I’ll leave a quarter in the latch, or just let him pass out on the rug. Up to you, sweetheart.”

Emma pulled the phone away from her ear to look at incredulously. Killian… her Killian… was drunk? She didn’t even think he’d ever touched anything stronger than Red Bull, never mind drinking enough to wind up on the floor of his dorm room. “I’m on my way. This better not be your idea of a prank, Will. If it is, I will get my revenge.”

Scarlet didn’t respond, but the next thing Emma heard were very slurred lyrics. “Did they play the fife lowly, did they sound the death march as they lowered you down?” echoed through the airwaves in Killian’s marked accent.

“Wow,” she breathed out, reaching for her keycard and sprinting out the door.

It was easy enough to get past the door monitor, throwing her ID on the desk and sprinting down the hall without so much as a, “by your leave.” Emma didn’t think the bored upperclassman even looked up from his tablet. Up the stairs and down another hallway, and she could hear Killian still singing the same tune. Emma thought she recognized it from the Merry Men’s setlist, a cover of a Dropkick Murphy’s cover. The name of the song escaped her at the moment, but she remembered how sad the lyrics had left her.

“Well the suffering, the sorrow, the glory, the shame. The killing and dying it was all done in vain,” came through the door as Emma slipped inside, pulling the quarter off of the latch and letting it lock closed behind her.

“Killian?” she whispered into the darkness. Emma wanted to let her eyes adjust before she risked tripping through the room lest she fall over Killian.

“‘Mm-ma?” the singing cut out quickly and she followed the sound of his voice to the other side of the futon.

Scarlet had left Killian sprawled out on the old throw rug, his arms wrapped around a trash can and a blanket tossed haphazardly across his back. When Emma sat down on the couch near his head, Killian shoved his upper body off the floor so he could look towards her knees. “That you, luv?”

“Hey,” she whispered. “You wanna get up off the floor?”

Killian shook his head and then grimaced, a soft whimper escaping him as he hugged the bin closer. “The ship’s rocking too much.”

Emma laughed. “The ship, huh? Who’s captaining this boat?” She reached down to scratch her nails over his scalp.

“Morgan. I don’t think I like him much.”

“Mor… Captain Morgan?” Emma looked around and saw the handle of rum that had rolled under the TV cart. She was relieved to see that it was more than half-full.

She felt Killian nod before he levered himself up with a huff and rolled onto the futon. His head landed heavily in her lap, and he buried his nose in the crease of her hip. Emma settled the blanket over as much of his lanky frame that she could reach, and carded her fingers through his hair.

“What happened, Killian? Why the rum?” she asked mostly to herself, not sure he was cognizant enough to answer her.

“Miss m’ brother,” he slurred, a distinct hitch in his breathing. “Wan’ Liam back.”

Emma clenched her eyes shut against the sting that the pain in his voice brought about. She’d never felt as much attachment to anyone as Killian did to a ghost, and she wanted more than anything to fix it for him.

“Do you wanna talk about him?” she asked, settling more fully into the futon. She smiled softly when Killian’s hand snuck out from under the blanket and started scrabbling around until he knotted their fingers together.

“He was m’ big brother,” Killian mumbled with a sniffle. “He looked out for me, you know?”

Emma didn’t, but she had heard stories. This wasn’t the time for that, however. “I know, Killian. You miss him, huh?”

“He died.” Killian didn’t elaborate, but Emma had already figured that out for herself.

She tangled her fingers through his hair, snagging the wisps that curled around the back of his ear and tugging a bit.

“Was my fault,” he whispered brokenly, and he shifted further onto Emma’s lap.

That she hadn’t expected. “I don’t believe that,” she spit out vehemently. She knew better than to believe that.

But Killian shook his head violently against her thigh. “Was. He was takin’ me to a lecture. Wouldn’t’a been there otherwise. Wouldn’t’a got shot.”

She gasped in spite of herself. His brother had been murdered?

Killian bowled on and Emma felt like she was sprinting to catch up with him. “Don’t even know who it was. It was like he was a ghost. Just came outta nowhere and shot up the street. Didn’t even know who Liam was, didn’t care who m’ brother was. He just… just shot him for no reason. Liam wouldn’t’a hurt anyone, wouldn’t’a done anything wrong. But he didn’t care. Just killed m’ brother. Then he disappeared. But I’m gonna fix it. I’m gonna save ‘im. Gonna make m’ brother proud. You’ll see, Emma. Gonna make you proud of me, too.”

He sniffled a little, and Emma bent forward until she was cocooning his head with her body. She switched so that their combined hands were in his hair and her now-free hand was sliding up and down his back. “I’m already proud of you, Killian. Your brother is, too. I know it.”

She had him wrapped up so tightly that he couldn’t shake his head ‘no’, though he tried admirably. “I hear him sometimes, asking why I haven’t figured it out yet. Why I haven’t saved him yet.”

Emma didn’t know why it hadn’t sunk in earlier - the reason that Killian was so focused on time travel, the reason that he wanted to discover its secrets in the first place. He was just a lost boy whose only guiding star had been stolen from him. He just wanted his brother back.

“You’re gonna save him, Killian. I promise.” Emma’s voice was strained with the intensity that stole her breath. She was going to do whatever it took, and Emma Swan didn’t take her vows lightly.

“You’re going to get your brother back, and I’m going to help you.”

To everyone who has left a comment so far, I'm terribly sorry that I haven't responded yet. I've been in the process of moving for what feels like months now and have fallen woefully behind. I appreciate each and every like, reblog, and message, and will get back to you as soon as I can! Thank you all for reading and please, please, please, keep letting me know what you think!

Tagging: @gusenitsaa, @kiwistreetswan, @lenfazreads, @xhookswenchx, @killian-whump, @eala-captian, @kmomof4, @onceuponaprincessworld

#csbb #cs ff #cs fic #ouat ff #ouat fic

76 notes · View notes

fesahaawit · 7 years

Text

Reader Question: What To Do With A $100k Inheritance?

Heyo!

Okay, this is totally going to look planned considering last Friday’s hypothetical on winning $100,000, but I swear this is a real question and that our friend here did not win any magical genie requests :) In fact, she got the money through the opposite of a fun situation :(

Here’s her note below, followed by my own thoughts for her to marinate on and then hopefully yours as well! We’ll call her “joy” to hopefully liven up the situation more :)

Here’s her email below… Oh, and whatever you do, Joy, do not read this post here!!

J. Money! I’ve been a long time reader of your column but, well, have never commented. Finally thought I’d send in a question at least since your advice is always sound (and fun to read)!

It’s been a year since my dad’s passing, and our inheritance has finally cleared the estate. I’m looking at a cool $100k coming my way in the next month. Looking at the best way to use that, given my current life situation.

Here are the good details: I’m 36, married, and we each bring in $80k/year salary though we don’t comingle our income for the most part. I have no student loans (paid off last year!), approx. $200k in my 401(k) that I contribute 5% to with a company match, and $20k in a ROTH which I’ve contributed $2k to this year so far. I also have about $12k in personal savings. (Recently used a chunk for a down payment on a car)

Now for the debt: I do have quite a bit of credit card debt to the tune of $20k (most of it is 0% APR CCs through mid 2018), a personal loan of $26k (10% APR), a car loan of $6500 (4% APR). I also have a townhouse rental property where thankfully the rent covers the mortgage payment, and we each pay $800/mo towards the mortgage for the condo we live in.

The big life event that’s making this a tougher planning process: We’re expecting our first kid in 5 months! We currently have $6k in a “Baby Savings Fund” (separate from personal savings) with an auto savings deposit of $300/mo. Full time daycare runs around of $1900/month for the area. We’ll want set up a 529 for the kiddo, but not sure how much to put in each month. But otherwise, not really sure what to do to prepare for the kid!

What I want to do is: 1) pad my savings to $35k (~7 mo living expenses), 2) fully fund my Roth, 3) pay off the personal loan and car loan, 4) put $6k into a townhouse emergency fund (3 months mortgage). Should I wait on my credit card debt since most of it is on 0% APR til next year so I get a little interest (free $ is free $ right?) on what’s left of inheritance? If I pay 100% of my debt (besides mortgage), that’ll free up $1700/mo. That leaves quite a bit leftover, but with the baby coming I don’t want to squander it!

One more side note – my spouse is on a work trip that will bring in an extra $8k in the next month. He’ll use that to pad savings, too, and I want to make sure we both put $$ aside for the kiddo. He has no student loans, car loan, or CC debt.

What to do what to do? Thanks in advance!

PS: I did read an older inheritance post you did where you talked about goals… thought I’d add some of mine. My biggest driver is : I’d been unemployed for a year before, which decimated my savings. I got help from family to pay my mortgage a couple months. That’s where half my debt came from too. I never ever want to go back! And now with the kiddo coming, I want to set him/her up for not stressing about money too. My husband has always been frugal so he’s totally on board.

Oh the possibilities! What a great position to be in! (Minus the reasons behind the money, of course)

I love that she threw in the PS there at the end too because one of the most important things with this stuff is to KNOW YOURSELF and *why* you’re drawn to certain actions over others, even if they look strange from the outside. There’s nothing wrong with making moves this way so long as they don’t F you or your finances over, so anytime you’re super excited to go one route over another I say go for it! Who cares if others would do it differently, they’re not living your life?

*Awkward transition to others giving their opinion now…*

Okay, so what would I do in her shoes? Well, pretty much everything she already stated above with the addition of one minor/major? change. I feel like she already *knows* deep down what she wants to do – which is great! She’s been thinking hard! – but we’ll see if our additional advice sways her one way or the other :) I’ll go first, then it’s your turn!

Here’s what I’d do with the money…

#1. Hold onto the $100k cash for 2-3 months and let it all soak in!

It’s one thing to *know* the money’s coming, but a whole other to let it simmer in your bank account and feel SUPER CONFIDENT knowing you can pretty much do anything you want before unloading it… This prevents you from doing anything stupid with it too, especially in the case of winning the lottery! (Check out this article on 21 people who won it and then lost it all – ugh…)

#2. Once the anxiousness kicks in, start knocking off your Want List

Again, our friend here has a great sense of herself and pretty much already knows what she wants to do with most of it, and since they all improve her net worth and general comfortableness, I’m 100% for it. The real question is what to do with the money that’s *leftover*. Which I’m pretty sure we all here know what that answer should be ;)

Here’s her want list again, along w/ the amounts it’ll take to release the kragle:

Padding her savings to $35,000 (+$23,000)

Fully funding her Roth IRA (+$3,500)

Paying off both her personal loan AND car loan ($26,000 + $6,500 = $32,500)

Putting $6,000 into her “townhouse emergency fund”

That’s a total of $65,000 going to a new home, leaving her with $35,000 left…

#3. PAY OFF EVERY LITTLE BIT OF CREDIT CARD DEBT!

The extra savings in cash may feel good, but I’m willing to bet that being completely debt-free would feel even better over time – especially with the new baby on board. The Want List already took care of a bulk of the wanted savings, so why not shovel $20,000 right into the debt and have the best of both worlds? If the credit cards aren’t paid off now – with “free” money mind you – when will they be?

And here’s some other good motivation that she already alluded to: it would help free up $1,700/mo of cash flow too! Which can then be directed to a number of future goals as well! And considering NONE of this even accounts for any contributions by her partner throughout time – which I’m sure will be a lot since he’s so frugal and also makes a decent income – their family is definitely sitting pretty.

#4. Dump a chunk into the 529 account

If all the above wasn’t awesome enough, she still has $15,000 to play with! And since the 529 is the only thing we haven’t touched on yet, my vote would be to send $10,000 into it in one fell swoop to get that compounding going. It would serve her better over time than breaking it into smaller monthly deposits too (again cuz of compounding, despite dollar cost averaging), and from there you’ve hit all the main goals on the list. Woo!

But that still leaves us her with $5,000 left…

#5. Do something *special* for you or your family

As responsible as all the financial goals are, which now make up for 95% of the inheritance, I’d stash the remaining $5,000 aside to do something really rewarding or special for either yourself or your family in the near future. I’m sure your father would love to be able to contribute towards that, especially if it’s something you wouldn’t naturally do for yourself because you’re so “responsible!” And even better if it’s towards something that would also honor your dad’s life as well :)

Maybe a trip to somewhere he found special or always wanted to go? Or maybe starting or enhancing a hobby/passion you two shared together? Or what about going on a shopping spree that he’d look down and laugh at but approve of you finally letting loose?? Haha, I dunno…

Either way, keeping a little money aside to be able to “splurge” a little can def. do a person good. ESPECIALLY when a new baby is on the horizon and life will get about 10x more “interesting” :) But what a blessing indeed… One family member leaves, and another one comes in. The circle of life, baby.

#6. Allocate the new $1,700 earned back via cash flow towards whatever needs strengthening!

This is the cherry on top of it all, and the area you can feel even more free to do what you please in order to fill in the remaining cracks you see. Even if it seems like overkill to others (again – it’s your life! Do what makes you feel the best! Though may I recommend maybe upping your 401(k) contributions more for an extra boost? ;))

And here’s the best part of this cash flow cherry: It not only grants you $1,700 the first month, but it continues forward sending you $1,700 the second month and $1,700 the third month and the fourth month and on and on into eternity or at least until baby #2 and #3 comes ;)

It’s the gift that keeps on giving! Which means getting to make these nerdy decisions every single month as you continue to fortify your finances. A wonderful dream for any father’s daughter.

So those are my thoughts…

You’ve got plenty of money to last for years now, and you’ve got a loving husband who will also be helping you out across the board too. You’re going to be fine no matter which route you go, and all that’s left now is to love the crap out of your baby :) You can never love them too much! One of the best pieces of advice I got myself through this journey.

I now open it up to you, readers! What do you think of these plans here? What would YOU advise if you got this $100k and were in her shoes?

Share all your smart words below, and then pat yourself on the back for being productive this morning! It’s much better than the 100 other things we’re about to do when we log off here to distract us from the work that’s needing to get done today ;)

God bless, all.

Reader Question: What To Do With A $100k Inheritance? posted first on http://ift.tt/2lnwIdQ

0 notes

heliosfinance · 7 years

Text

Reader Question: What To Do With A $100k Inheritance?

Heyo!

Here’s her note below, followed by my own thoughts for her to marinate on and then hopefully yours as well! We’ll call her “joy” to hopefully liven up the situation more :)

Here’s her email below… Oh, and whatever you do, Joy, do not read this post here!!

J. Money! I’ve been a long time reader of your column but, well, have never commented. Finally thought I’d send in a question at least since your advice is always sound (and fun to read)!

What to do what to do? Thanks in advance!

Oh the possibilities! What a great position to be in! (Minus the reasons behind the money, of course)

*Awkward transition to others giving their opinion now…*

Here’s what I’d do with the money…

#1. Hold onto the $100k cash for 2-3 months and let it all soak in!

#2. Once the anxiousness kicks in, start knocking off your Want List

Here’s her want list again, along w/ the amounts it’ll take to release the kragle:

Padding her savings to $35,000 (+$23,000)

Fully funding her Roth IRA (+$3,500)

Paying off both her personal loan AND car loan ($26,000 + $6,500 = $32,500)

Putting $6,000 into her “townhouse emergency fund”

That’s a total of $65,000 going to a new home, leaving her with $35,000 left…

#3. PAY OFF EVERY LITTLE BIT OF CREDIT CARD DEBT!

The extra savings in cash may feel good, but I��m willing to bet that being completely debt-free would feel even better over time – especially with the new baby on board. The Want List already took care of a bulk of the wanted savings, so why not shovel $20,000 right into the debt and have best of both worlds? If the credit cards aren’t paid off now – with “free” money mind you – when will they be?

And here’s some other good motivation that she already alluded to: it would help free up $1,700/mo of cash flow too! Which can then be directed to a number of future goals as well! And considering NONE of this even accounts for any contributions by her partner throughout time – which I’m sure will be a lot since he’s so frugal and also makes decent income – their family is definitely sitting pretty.

#4. Dump a chunk into the 529 account

But that still leaves us her with $5,000 left…

#5. Do something *special* for you or your family

#6. Allocate the new $1,700 earned back via cash flow towards whatever needs strengthening!

It’s the gift that keeps on giving! Which means getting to make these nerdy decisions every single month as you continue to fortify your finances. A wonderful dream for any father’s daughter.

So those are my thoughts…

I now open it up to you, readers! What do you think of these plans here? What would YOU advise if you got this $100k and were in her shoes?

God bless, all.

Reader Question: What To Do With A $100k Inheritance? published first on http://ift.tt/2ljLF4B

0 notes

fesahaawit · 7 years

Text

Reader Question: What To Do With A $100k Inheritance?

Heyo!

Here’s her note below, followed by my own thoughts for her to marinate on and then hopefully yours as well! We’ll call her “joy” to hopefully liven up the situation more :)

Here’s her email below… Oh, and whatever you do, Joy, do not read this post here!!

J. Money! I’ve been a long time reader of your column but, well, have never commented. Finally thought I’d send in a question at least since your advice is always sound (and fun to read)!

What to do what to do? Thanks in advance!

Oh the possibilities! What a great position to be in! (Minus the reasons behind the money, of course)

*Awkward transition to others giving their opinion now…*

Here’s what I’d do with the money…

#1. Hold onto the $100k cash for 2-3 months and let it all soak in!

#2. Once the anxiousness kicks in, start knocking off your Want List

Here’s her want list again, along w/ the amounts it’ll take to release the kragle:

Padding her savings to $35,000 (+$23,000)

Fully funding her Roth IRA (+$3,500)

Paying off both her personal loan AND car loan ($26,000 + $6,500 = $32,500)

Putting $6,000 into her “townhouse emergency fund”

That’s a total of $65,000 going to a new home, leaving her with $35,000 left…

#3. PAY OFF EVERY LITTLE BIT OF CREDIT CARD DEBT!

The extra savings in cash may feel good, but I’m willing to bet that being completely debt-free would feel even better over time – especially with the new baby on board. The Want List already took care of a bulk of the wanted savings, so why not shovel $20,000 right into the debt and have best of both worlds? If the credit cards aren’t paid off now – with “free” money mind you – when will they be?

And here’s some other good motivation that she already alluded to: it would help free up $1,700/mo of cash flow too! Which can then be directed to a number of future goals as well! And considering NONE of this even accounts for any contributions by her partner throughout time – which I’m sure will be a lot since he’s so frugal and also makes decent income – their family is definitely sitting pretty.

#4. Dump a chunk into the 529 account

But that still leaves us her with $5,000 left…

#5. Do something *special* for you or your family

#6. Allocate the new $1,700 earned back via cash flow towards whatever needs strengthening!

It’s the gift that keeps on giving! Which means getting to make these nerdy decisions every single month as you continue to fortify your finances. A wonderful dream for any father’s daughter.

So those are my thoughts…

I now open it up to you, readers! What do you think of these plans here? What would YOU advise if you got this $100k and were in her shoes?

God bless, all.

Reader Question: What To Do With A $100k Inheritance? posted first on http://ift.tt/2lnwIdQ

0 notes