#I love writing silly and fluff! my favorite genres! I can vibe to that since it doesn't break my heart!

[cerise-on-top]

Hiiii how are you?? Id like to request farah finds out reader is ticklish and uses it agenist them when reader is in a bad mood and being rude to everyone

(Sorry if this is really silly btw🫶🏻🫶🏻)

Hey! I'm doing well! Got a surge of motivation to write before therapy! This ask was just the right amount of silly actually! It was very fun to write!

Cheer Up Tickles with Farah

She’d likely find out when she wraps an arm around your waist and her fingers twitch a bit for a moment, making you react a little bit. Unfortunately, she’d pick up on that immediately, raise her eyebrow and give you a knowing smile. It’s a slightly cocky one as well, because she knows your weakness now, so if she ever felt like it, she could destroy you. Farah might poke you from time to time, but it usually won’t go farther than that. However, if you’re being especially grumpy for no reason whatsoever and you’re being rude to everyone, that might change.

At first she’d just poke your side, gauge your reaction. You can cuss her out all you want, she’s not going to let up just yet. It’s then that you can either cheer up and apologize to her, or feel her wrath and tickles. However, given your ask, you don’t cheer up, instead noticing, with horror in your eyes, that you messed up. Farah would wiggle her fingers at you before pouncing like a tiger that got its first prey in three days. Although she may go easy on you at first, letting you struggle so you feel as though you have a chance of getting away, there’s no way she’d just let you go like that. You can squirm all you want, you’re trapped underneath her since she’s a very strong fighter. You’re not going to escape her grasp, you’re going to get tickled and teased to oblivion and back. Once you’re calm, she’d start teasing you a bit before going in for the kill.

Farah wouldn’t even hesitate to be gentle in the beginning, she’s gonna get you good from the get go, straddling you and squeezing your sides. Try to throw her off all you want, you can’t. It’s fun to her if you struggle a bit as well, it makes it all the more challenging for her. While she may not know just yet where your weak spots are, she’ll find them quickly enough, staying in one spot for a few moments before switching to your armpits, for example. If you trap her fingers there she’s gonna have a field trip. No matter how much you’re laughing at that point, she’ll tease you about being less grumpy already and how you’re smiling like a goof. How adorable you are and how she should just tickle you more often when she has the time to do so.

Naturally, she’s a leader, so she needs to make sure all her loved ones are doing well, therefore she needs to check up on your ribs as well. Counts them, prods at them, vibrates her fingers between them to make sure you haven’t sustained any injuries. If you’re completely healthy, then she’ll say so, but she also needs to make sure your tummy is in good condition. Lifts up your shirt and starts scribbling away to make sure everything is in order. However, as time goes on, she’d grow a bit hungry and nibble at your sides and your ribs as well. Besides, while she may need to be sated, she also wants to share something delicious with you as well. So naturally, kind as she is, she gives you some raspberries.

However, once she notices your laughter having gone silent, or when there are a lot of tears streaming down your face, that’s when she’ll slow down a bit, before stopping entirely. Your dazed, cute face is just too adorable, though, so she’ll lean over to give you a kiss on your forehead and wipe away your tears with her thumb. Once she sees that you’ve been cheered up, she’ll get off of you, put your shirt over your tummy again and laugh a bit about how tired you seem all of a sudden. You weren’t this tired yet when you were cussing her out still. Pats your tummy one last time and helps you up, even if you don’t need her help. You seem out of it a bit, but not unhappy.

Farah doesn’t mind having tickle fights with you every once in a while. However, be warned, if you ever decide to tickle her first, then I can assure you that she’s going to get her revenge. Besides, she can hold her reactions in quite well. Much to your dismay, she’s also rather observant, so she’s going to figure out which spots make you scream fairly quickly. She’s always so serious anyway, so sometimes you just need to let loose and be a little goofy. Loves getting to be silly with you from time to time, even if it’s just through play fighting and tickling one another.

#cod #cod x reader #farah karim #farah karim x reader #tickling is such a fun concept to me. you get to make someone laugh just by touching them gently #you get to goof around with them and playfully fight them. it's absolutely adorable. but I know many people disagree with me on that one #still Farah as a ler would be a little menace as fun as it would be #I do think about the characters as lers more often than I would like to admit in all honesty. it's just so fun and sweet #besides just goofing around with Farah sounds like a dream to me #getting to be silly and stupid over essentially nothing is fun I wish she was real so I could fight her a bit #but alas #still I get to write about her having a good time and that's what's important! no angst in sight baby!!! just silly!! #I love writing silly and fluff! my favorite genres! I can vibe to that since it doesn't break my heart! #but now I'm off to therapy so I can't write too much in the tags! #thank you for the ask it was really fun! have a nice day anon!

[lxlxthh]

silent love

↳ inumaki toge x f!reader general masterlist

genre: fluff, romance, barista!toge x college student!reader, coffee shop au.

summary: in which you learn sign language because you want to talk more with him.

tw/cw: too much fluff, unintentional insult, mention of insecurities.

notes: i don’t know how to speak in sign language so you’ll probably see me making a mistake, i apologize in advance. toge has a vocal cord damage that’s why he speaks in sign language. it has around 1.6 wc, i’m sorry if it isn’t good but it’s been i while since i wrote something.

extra inspo: chair + table + cup + coffee shop

→ tip jar <3 + ao3

Today is a good day, unbelievably good.

Toge started working at his grandma’s newly opened coffee shop, it was close to the university but if you walked towards there you would probably never find it since it’s just on the corner of a street. All colored in light purple and white with the image of a mug with hot chocolate and marshmallows.

The place itself is adorable, with large couches, fluffy cushions, white table and chairs giving the antique vibe yet modern, something that most of the coffee shops don't have.

You went there once but at that time there was only an old woman, there weren't many people either. You found the perfect spot to study and read a book in silence, probably due to the thick wall dividing the inside from the backyard or just the same type of wall surrounding all the establishment. Honestly it turned out to be your favorite place, the food is so good that you can’t just stop going there.

The second you get in the coffee shop a platinum blonde haired guy stands behind the cashier, he’s tall and has violet eyes which reminds you of that old woman who was working at the first time you came. You wonder if you had seen him before, he looks so familiar that you can’t think from where you saw, was it in the neighborhood? College perhaps? You don’t think of much as you wait for your time to order when there is a small line. You look for the things that you wanted and once you were done the guy behind the cashier was staring at you but quickly looked the other way thinking he wasn’t caught.

You walk to order and your eyes fall on the badge of his violet polo t-shirt “I don’t think I ever saw you here before, just the owner of the cafe” you smile and he blushes the same color as his shirt, he does a sign language but you couldn’t understand, you can see he’s shaking a bit when he reaches for a pen and a paper to scribble.

“I started working in the front today, I usually work in the kitchen.” You nod and proceed to order a pie and a latte, both given on violet tableware. You hear a shuffle sound and behind the white haired guy the owner of the shop appeared.

“Hello— Oh! (Y/n)-chan! It’s good to see you again, I guess my shop left a good impression?”

You laugh at her joke, you had already said you would come back “Of course it did.”

“I don’t think I introduced you both, silly of me… Toge, this is (Y/n)-chan. She studies in the same college as you, I don’t know if you ever saw her…” Of course he did, because at the end of his lessons he’d help her with work while he talked about you. “(Y/n)-chan this is my grandson, Toge. I hope you both get along.” The granny with a mischievous grin had planned to work as a matchmaker for her grandson since she saw you for the first time.

“I think we’ll get along pretty well” you smile at the short woman, “I’ll find a seat, excuse me.” Once you found your spot, you see the granny taking out a piece of the strawberry shortcake while Toge would make the latte. As you get busy with your schoolwork you wait for your order, opening your laptop and connecting with your tablet you start to write the most important things and mark on your book, you aren't getting the subject but still keep reading over and over again.

You can’t call your friend, she said she’d go on a date, you groan the thought of it right before you hear footsteps coming closer. Once you look up and stare at the violet ones, you feel so immersed in them like a garden full of violets. You flinch a little due to the sudden Toge’s closeness. You watch him put your order behind your computer and take a notepad to write something “Did I scare you? Sorry :(”

“NO! Oops... No, you didn’t. Don’t worry.”

“Do you need help with something?”

“No no. It’s a new subject and it’s making me confused, but I’m ok.” Toge looks with a worried expression and sits next to you without thinking. Taking your book to read the sentences you marked, he bows apologizing for the sudden action. Toge takes a piece of paper from the notes he uses to take orders and attempts to explain the subject in the best way possible. You don’t know sign language and the thought makes you frown, not because the blonde haired boy, but from yourself. Even if the thought of seeing him from somewhere still clouded your mind, you blurt a question: “Do you take classes with me? As if a deer was caught in the headlights, Toge stops what he’s doing and he nods hesitanting. Words don't come out, you don’t know whether you stay quiet or say something, but keeping the silence between you both is almost eating you alive. So you blurt out again “Sorry, I’ve never seen you, you’re so—” and regret ever saying something. You quickly apologize for almost hurting Toge. “Oh my God! I’m so sorry, please. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! I’m such an idiot. I'm really sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

You feel hot tears wanting to form in the corner of your eyes, you bowed your head so much that Toge had to place his hand on the table where your head almost hit. He quickly writes on the paper “It’s ok, I know you meant no harm. I’m not the loudest person.”

You look at him and to the paper, back and forth, was it supposed to be funny? “Toge, did you just make a joke?”

“Yes. I’m sorry if it wasn’t funny.” You snicker at what you read, Toge is adorable you think. As you place your hand on the table to drink the latte, your hand brushes on his pale skin, it’s soft, you wonder if he uses hand lotion because the faint smell of peaches is filling your nostrils or maybe it’s just the smell of the pie tricking you.

Toge blushes and hard. Again he shakily writes down but it’s not anything out of the ordinary when he decides to ignore what he’s feeling because he neither wants to scare you nor does he think he has a chance with you. Him. A guy who doesn’t speak. A mute guy. A weird one, a freak, in his opinion.

Your heart was probably racing 120 kilometers per hour, warmth fills your body and butterflies start to grow, you feel you are going to combust at any moment if you don’t scream at the top of your lungs.

So that paper had a brief explanation about the subject, although it took him some time to write, you think it could be easier if you were able to communicate with him.

You found a video which teaches the basics of sign language and honestly you don’t know why you are even searching for it. Was it for yourself or for someone else? Toge perhaps?

For some reason you wanted to impress him, even though you didn’t need to, but the pull you felt when you were with him was unforgettable, the touch, the race of your heartbeat, the gentleness he showed when explaining the subject. Learning sign language was more for him than for you, but it doesn’t matter right now.

First video was to learn the basics, like ‘hello’ or ‘nice to meet you’. At the beginning it seemed easier but then it got more complicated. At the end of it the person in the video said they have a file in PDF to download to exercise.

The more you learned the more you wanted to impress Toge. It was hard to admit at first, but whenever you spoke with him in one of your classes, you would hand him a small notebook for him to scribble but you barely spoke anything since you were always looking at his mesmerizing eyes. You wish you knew how to say to him.

You practiced everyday moving your index finger to your eye, then closing your hand, you were probably doing wrong but who cares? It’s only for Toge to know. You were too shy to ask the teacher.

Days later you get in the coffee shop, order your usual and sit at the same spot. You can’t see as you shuffle through your bag to find a pencil for notes, but his grandma is hurrying him to give you the latte and the pie. You look up at him and he shyly shoots a smile, you on the other hand almost couldn’t say anything, once again you drown in his eyes and make you speechless but you could still say a ‘thank you’.

You snap from the trance and smile back, at the moment he bows down to give your order you look at him and speak in sign language “Your eyes are beautiful.” Toge freezes, face red and hand trembling, “I still don’t know much of sign language, I only learned a few things. I’m sorry, I learned for you.” You hear some sniffling and looking at Toge crying makes you concerned.

He wants to feel your touch so badly that he hugs you, thightly, Toge feels his heart tightening yet warm, the feeling for you was more than just a mere crush. Somehow the smell of coconut shampoo makes you feel relieved. In a shaky breath Toge whispers not even caring if his throat hurts “My heart aches. I love you.”

all rights reserved © LILITH 2022 - do not copy, translate, modify or repost my work on any platform without my permission.

#jujutsu kaisen sfw #jujutsu kaisen fic #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen #jjk #jjk oneshot #jjk inumaki #jjk fluff #jujutsu kaisen fluff #inumaki fluff #jjk sfw #inumaki being cute as always #inumaki x you #inumaki x reader

[purplemagpie]

2021 Fic Year in Review

i was tagged by @howlinchickhowl (thank you, howl 🥰🥰🥰!)

Total Number Of Completed Works: 5

Total Word Count: 73614

Fandoms I’ve Written In: shameless (us)

Looking Back, Did You Write More Fic Than You Thought You Would This Year, Less, Or About What You’d Expected?:

definitely more (i only expected to write one fic, and it wasn't even for this fandom!)

What’s Your Own Favorite Story Of The Year?:

i'm going to say Bad for Business not because it's the best but because it was the first one, and I hadn't finished writing anything in a whole year when I posted that one, so it feels special

Did You Take Any Writing Risks This Year?:

writing a 50k wip was definitely risky (especially with work draining half my energy) but i'm glad i did it

Do You Have Any Fanfic Or Profic Goals For The New Year?:

i kinda want to write "goodnight fics"? y'know, those fluff and angst 10-15k fics that you can read before going to sleep without fucking up your sleeping schedule. Ian the Friendly Ghost is me trying to do that 🖤✨

Most Popular Story Of The Year?:

definitely weaver of fate. i was reaaally unsure about posting that story (thought maybe people would find seer mickey silly or wouldn't vibe with the soulmate or coffee shop aspects of it) but then the response was??? absolutely amazing. 😭💙

Story Of Mine Most Under-Appreciated By The Universe, In My Opinion:

i think this fandom appreciates things a lot, honestly? there's just constant support and encouragement and enthusiasm so i don't think "under-appreciated" is the right word. if i simply go by kudos/comments, then it would be Mutually Beneficial, but again--i got really lovely comments, so 🥰

Most Fun Story To Write:

maybe grow some guts? it was meant to be short and silly and fun, and it was!

Most Unintentionally Telling Story:

hmm, i don't know how unintentional it was, but weaver of fate. there's a lot of me in there beyond, y'know. my taste in music 😅. types of relationships and food and choice/fate and a lot of the less fun stuff, too

Biggest Disappointment:

all the fics i didn't write, man. so many. my "half-baked ideas" folder has, like, ten files, including a prison au (🧡) called young and hostile that i started back in june

Biggest Surprise:

that i somehow started writing fantasy aus and couldn't stop??? i had only ever written one before (good omens au for malec) and it's my only unfinished story, so it was a nice surprise to see that i can apparently write fantasy (which is a relief, considering it's my favorite genre)

My Favorite Part Of Fandom This Year:

okay so i tried to think of just one thing but i can't. it's the fandom as a whole, is the thing. i've only been around since may but everyone in this corner is so nice and encouraging and unhinged (🖤) that it feels like the easiest thing in the world to join the community (even for someone like me who's bad at interacting and stuff!)

if you see this and you write, you're tagged. dems the rules 😌💛💫

#another writing resolution for this year is SHORT TITLES ONLY! #tag thingy #vicky talks #vicky writes

[palimpsessed]

So @captain-aralias​ did one of these and invited other writers to do the same. And I wasn't really going to because it feels a bit late now and also I've done quite a few other year in review posts for 2020. But then I got to thinking that it would be really nice to have one of these for each year to look back on and compare, which convinced me. So, here we go!

If you’re a writer, I’d also encourage you to steal this. Tag me on your post so I can see your thoughts! 🥰

List of Complete Fics for 2020 1. At the Top of a Tower, With You- General, 900 words 2. Use Your Words- Teen, 16k 3. A Man of Letters, or Five Times Baz Retreats and the One Time He Doesn’t- Teen, 54k 4. To the Manor Borne- Teen, 43k

Total: 4 fics, 113k words

Every one of these fics was written for an event, which, realistically, is the only reason they got finished. I have so many ideas I'm working on all at once, and I came into fandom with a focus on making art, so to actually find the motivation to sit down and write/finish/post a fic was entirely deadline based. And it's a technique I'm sure I will also employ in 2021.

Best/Worst Title?

Well, I've mentioned a few times before that I usually have a title before I have much in the way of a fic concept. I don't really dislike any of the my titles, because they all did exactly what I needed them to do, which was help me focus on what I wanted to accomplish in the fic. Comparatively speaking, though, I can answer this.

Best: Use Your Words - succinct, idiomatic, a book quote/motif that also has the potential to be a spell, does what it says on the tin, is probably what all of us are constantly yelling at Baz and Simon to do throughout the books and the fic itself

(Honorable mention to A Man of Letters because that title forms a perfect heart shape when viewed on mobile on AO3. ❤️)

Worst: At the Top of a Tower, With You - this is also a quote and it fits the fic perfectly, but it is a bit of a mouthful and it has a comma in the middle of it, which, while I love commas, feels a bit off-putting in terms of a title - also, it's always kind of bothered me that it's a Baz WS quote used for a CO-era Lucy POV

Best/worst summary?

Again, I don't really dislike any of my summaries.

Best:

To the Manor Borne: The gang decides to spend Christmas together at Pitch Manor. Romance, hijinks, and holiday cheer ensue.

Anything that lets me use the word hijinks is always good! - it's short and sweet - it does a fair job of setting up the premise for the fic and giving highlights, without giving anything away

Worst: A Man of Letters

I'm not going to include this one because it's so long, I had to cut down the version I posted on tumblr to fit in the AO3 field, which is really why I rank it below my others - it effectively sets up the world of Simon and Baz in Regency England prior to where the story starts, but it is prohibitively long - and it's set up, not summary, so it also loses points for not doing what it purports to do - I could have said exactly what this fic was in one sentence: "Simon and Baz meet at several Regency-appropriate venues over the course of a London season and reflect on their acquaintance in letters", but instead I did the full book jacket version because it was more interesting to me.

Best/Worst First Line?

Oh, this is interesting. I can honestly say that I have no idea where this will go. Going to pull up my docs and find out! Okay, since I only have four fics to consider, and I'm feeling split, I'm going to do two for each. I feel good about my words, but I will say that half of my first lines actually provide information, and the other half are incomplete thoughts. Those were stylistic decisions I made, but when taken alone, it does somewhat limit the effectivness of a sentence when it can't stand without the rest of the paragraph. Perhaps that decision will lure readers in for more?

Best:

In the end, we wind up at Pitch Manor. (To the Manor Borne)

I know that you won't be surprised when I tell you that I do not like writing letters. (A Man of Letters)

Kind of interesting that these both contain key words from the titles 🤔

Worst:

I'm not sure how I'm supposed to do this. (Use Your Words)

I love how the title seems to be answering Baz's question when the two are put together like this 😂

Strange that it should end here, where it all started. (At the Top of a Tower, With You)

The title also seems to complete the first line in this one, too. I'm learning about my writing as this goes on, so that's cool!

Best/Worst Last Line?

Hmm. Okay, again, no idea. Also, a little leery of including last lines for anyone who hasn't read the fics they're from yet. (Tho I guess it's unlikely those people would be reading this😆) But let's see what we've got.

Use Your Words and A Man of Letters have very similar final lines, and both are somewhat spoilery.

Best: The ending of A Man of Letters felt risky to me, in the way that it is formatted and changes tone from the rest of the story. It was something that happened as I wrote it and I loved it. I had no idea if readers would like it, if they would feel like it worked as an ending, but I felt strongly enough about it to let the entire fic hinge on that and I think it really paid off. So, without giving you the actual last line, which is only one word, I'm going to say that one is my best ending.

Worst:

To the Manor Borne: "Carry on, Simon."

It's not bad, it's just not mine.

Looking back, did you write more fics than you thought you would this year, fewer than you thought, or about what you predicted?

I did not set out to write any fics in 2020. I was supposed to be taking a break from writing. I've been an aspiring novelist for half my life now, and have been going through major ups and downs with my writing. I decided I needed to re-evaluate and figure out if writing was something that was even going to be able to make me happy anymore. The answer is: YES! Just…not original fiction. At the moment. I'm happiest when I can write for the sake of writing and not have to DO something with that writing. Which is why discovering fan fiction was AMAZING!!!! 🥰🥰🥰

To actually answer the question, yes, I wrote more than I thought I would. I also wrote exactly as much as I thought I would, simply because these were all things I signed up for (with the exception of my Countdown fic, but I committed to it as if it were something that required a sign up).

I have a lot more ideas for 2021, but I don't know how many of them will come to fruition. I'm not putting pressure on myself to have to do anything beyond what I sign up for again, because it did work out so well for me starting off.

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year?

I mean, the pairing and the fandom were in no way a surprise. 😆 They're my only ones, so those were both a given. The genre is also not surprising.

What's your favorite story this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest?

A Man of Letters, without any hesitation. I adore it so much. It's the kind of fic I know I will unabashedly sit down to read over and over, even if I'm the one who wrote it. I had one reader to please and it was ME. By far, my most self-indulgent fic.

Okay, NOW your most popular story?

That depends on the metric.

To the Manor Borne leads in Comments (107), Kudos (153), and Hits (1992), and Use Your Words leads in Bookmarks (26).

But since To the Manor Borne is top in 3 out of 4 metrics, I'll say that one.

Story most upderappreciated by the universe?

I mean, the least popular by a wide margin is At the Top of a Tower, With You, but I don't know if I'd call it underappreciated. It's short, it's angsty, it's got a very unusual style, it's Lucy POV, it's the first fic I wrote and posted. I didn't really go into it with high performance expectations. I'm proud of it, I just didn't expect it to be popular. It would be nice if more people read it, but I'm not broken up over it.

Story that could have been better?

I'm not even going to touch this one. Everything can always be improved upon, but if I go down that route, nothing will ever be done. This is one of the things I have come to appreciate about traditional art versus digital. With traditional, there is only so much you can do before something is permanent and you have to live with it. It's an exercise in letting go and acceptance. Digital is flashier and more flexible, but I could (and have) spend months on a single piece and never feel satisfied, never stop tweaking. I think that's also the reason I started to hate my novels.

Sexiest story?

Based purely on overall vibes, I find the understated tension of the Regency the most appealing, so I'm going to say A Man of Letters. I didn't actually stray into sex territory in any of my fics (though Simon and Baz have had sex by the time To the Manor Borne starts, and refer to it, and probably do it "offscreen"), but A Man of Letters is the one that feels sexiest to me. Lots of thirsting!Baz and feral!Simon and sensual hand touching (how risqué!) - and YEARNING. That, to me, is the sexiest vibe of all. So. Much. Yearning.

Saddest story?

At the Top of a Tower, With You - for this one, I tagged "angst without plot" and I stand by that. It's Lucy losing her connection to Simon at the end of CO and trying to find a way to reconcile herself to leaving him alone again. I gave it as much of a hopeful bent as I could, with the refrain of Baz's spoken "love" to cling to, but it's very sad.

Most fun?

To the Manor Borne - All of my fics have their fair share of angst, but this one also has some good, silly, holiday fluff thrown in. Since I wrote it for the Countdown, each chapter was based on a different prompt, which led to this one going in all sorts of directions no single fic probably ever should. Plus, it has the most Shepard, and Shepard always makes things more fun.

Story with the single sweetest moment?

Oh my god. I don't know. No, never mind. I do. It's To the Manor Borne, but it's split between the two gift giving scenes, the Constellations and Secret Santa/Gift Giving prompts. These were private moments between Simon and Baz, sharing themselves with each other, being vulnerable, and communicating. It's the gifts they give each other, yes, but it's more so the reasons they chose those gifts, and how they show part of themselves and share their love for each other, through those gifts, that had me in tears writing those two scenes. I'm super proud of them.

Hardest story to write?

Use Your Words - it was written for an exchange and that made it really hard to write it knowing there was this pressure of making my gift-ee happy with the fic. I'm proud of it, and they really liked it, but the anxiety was too much for me.

Easiest/most fun story to write?

A Man of Letters - if there is a fic better suited to me as a writer, I haven't met it. I started writing after reading Pride and Prejudice in high school, so I started out writing Regency and I spent years and years and years of my life obsessed. When I transferred into college, an administrator I had never met before heard my name during orientation and said, "Oh, you're the Austen scholar." (It is a small, private college, and I was a transfer, so the pool of students was even smaller. But still. Many years later, I'm clearly not over it.) I also did my senior thesis on an epistolary novel (Frances Burney’s Evelina), and my English Lit emphasis was for that time period. So, I felt like I had been preparing for this fic my entire adult life. 😂

Did any stories shift your perceptions of the characters?

I don't think so. I tend to let my writing be dictated by the characters, so I'm always following their lead. Sometimes they'll do or say something that surprises me and takes me down a route I didn't necessarily foresee, but I don't think there was ever a point where one of them did something that made me rethink who they are as a character.

Most overdue story?

I will say A Man of Letters, since that one felt like a culmination of my seventeen-year-old self's wildest writing dreams. But I should probably say the Scooby Doo AU I still haven't managed to finish, because that one has been a WIP since I joined the fandom. Oops. (I'm hoping when I look over this in a year, I can feel smug that it's finally done.)

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?

Writing at all was a risk for me! And writing fan fic for the very first time! Writing an entire fic told only through letters. And then ending it in a completely different style from the rest of the fic. Doing a multi-chaptered fic for the Countdown, using a different prompt for each chapter, and publishing a chapter every single day for thirty days (with the exception of two days that had art). Signing up for fandom events in the first place!

What I learned from taking risks in my writing is the same thing I learned when I took risks in my art this year. I have a much better appreciation for what I've done when I push myself, I feel better about the end product, and I like it longer. I think it's really good for me to challenge myself creatively.

This year's theme and the story that demonstrates it most?

Oh boy. Um. Therapy! Both Use Your Words and To the Manor Borne had their big HEA moments built around sending Simon and Baz to therapy. I don't think that's likely to change for future fics, either. I feel like therapy as the theme for 2020 seems very fitting. (Also, I think I keep sending the boys to therapy because I'm trying to get myself there…)

What are your fic writing goals for next year?

Just to write what I want to write, have fun, not put any pressure on myself, and to take risks in my writing and my art because it will help me to grow.

#fan fic year in review #my fic #at the top of a tower with you #use your words #a man of letters #to the manor borne

[thesunnyshow]

Name: Sarah

Writing Blog URL: @dreamsafterhours​

Age: 19

Nationality: Korean-Australian

Languages: English, Korean, Conversational Japanese, a tiny bit of French

Star Sign: Taurus

MBTI: ENFP

Favorite color: I’ve heard red suits me well, I also like purple and blue.

Favorite food: Literally everything. I love food.

Favorite movie: Always changes with every movie I watch, but one of my all time favourites is 극한직업 (Extreme Job)

Favorite ice cream flavor: Hokey Pokey/Cookies and Cream

Favorite animal: Tiger

Coffee or tea? What are you ordering? 

Matcha frappe!! I prefer sweeter drinks over black coffee

Dream job (whether you have a job or not)

Screen actor/band member/author, something that allows me to manifest my creative fantasies

Go-to karaoke song 

Tears - So Chan Whee

If you could have one superpower, what would you choose? 

Time manipulation! Ultimately what we are deprived of in the human situation is time, and if I can manipulate the speed at which it goes, or visit different points in my life and beyond, I would be able to fix any regrets I have.

If you could visit a historical era, which would you choose? 

Premodern Korea!

If you could restart your life, knowing what you do now, would you? 

Yes, definitely. I’d spend more time and effort into my academics and start more hobbies at an earlier age.

Would you rather fight 100 chicken-sized horses or one horse-sized chicken? 

A hundred horses, no matter what size, is not ideal. Especially if they want to fight you—I’ll take my chances with one chicken.

If you were a trope in a teen high school movie, what would you have been? 

The protag’s childhood best friend, loyal and ready to throw hands at anyone who wrongs them.

Do you believe in aliens/supernatural creatures? 

Sure! It seems strange to think that we could be the only intelligent life in the entire universe.

If you could buy anything in the world right now (regardless of price), what would it be? 

Idol entertainment companies. No more slave contracts and mistreatment ✌🏻

Fun fact about yourself that not everyone would know? 

I’ve never cracked a screen before (touch wood lmao), mostly because I do prefer protective cases over slimmer ones. I’m also part of a Korean traditional percussion and dance club! We put on our own concerts each year but unfortunately this year’s concert had to be cancelled. Corona really said coroNO

What fandom(s) do you write for? 

Mostly NCT; I used to write for BTS and EXO back in the day, but I’m ready to leave my writing past in my past!

When did you post your first piece? 

2014! I started my fanfic journey on Wattpad.

Do you write fluff/angst/crack/general/smut, combo, etc? Why? 

I prefer writing angst over fluff, sometimes crack if my mind comes up with something ridiculous. I’ve never written smut before and I’ve never really thought about it, but who knows? Maybe in the future.

Do you write OCs, X Readers, Ships...etc? 

For fics that I post online now, they’re mostly x reader, but with original content or plots that include characters who would have a certain name (i.e. surnames) I tend to establish an OC. I’m not sure readers would engage with an OC as much as they would with an x reader fic, so I tend to prefer x reader.

Why did you start writing on Tumblr? 

I love creating universes from my own fantasies, and since kpop groups provide content with concepts and visuals, it’s been so easy to imagine them as characters in an AU. Through writing I can share these little headcanons and scenes with people in the fandom and practise my writing skills at the same time!

What inspires you to write? 

Leading on from my previous answer, my imagination runs wild when it comes to character traits and what I think these people would do if they were faced with a certain situation. I discuss these scenarios with my friends a lot, so I’d say the characters themselves and my friends inspire me to manifest these fantasies into words.

What genres/AUs do you enjoy writing the most? 

Love me a good old mafia au with that angst factor. The weapons! The loyalty (and sometimes lack thereof)! the relationships! The thrill and the danger! That strange sense of second-hand excitement when we think about disregard for legal systems! Top tier. A close second is Hogwarts AUs. Something about the house dynamics and sorting people into them brings me joy.

What do you hope your readers take away from your work? 

When readers consume my work, I hope they are able to take a glimpse of what is going on in my head. I try to use as much description as possible to make it as clear as I can, and ultimately I hope readers can appreciate the wonders of the creative mind. I write a lot of timestamps because I have so many scenes and scenarios in my head that I can’t wait to craft into a full plotline, so I’ll dump all my ideas into a specific timestamp to really get that sense of a “slice of life” style! I hope they explore all the possible worlds we can come up with.

What do you do when you hit a rough spot creatively? 

Discuss the topic with my friends. Keep the flow going, get some input from others. Watch some movie scenes or listen to music related to the genre to get into the feels. If it’s still not working, I take a break from it, come back to it with a fresh mind.

What is your favorite work and why? Your most successful? 

The fic with the most notes at the moment is my college bf renjun timestamp, and I think I can guess why. The line “sorry, I don’t date people who pay me” was one that I came up with for Renjun from the get-go, I couldn’t see anyone saying it better than him. My favourite? I’ll have to get back to you guys on that one. I’ve never been completely satisfied with anything I write, and I think I can do better — but the ones I have the most fun writing are my mafia AUs.

Who is your favorite person to write about? 

I prefer to write about people who I see in a variety of different situations, i.e. is very versatile as a character and suits any genre. In that aspect I love writing about Haechan — much like him as a performer and able to understand and pull off any musical concept, I’ve never failed to see him in any scenario with a range of different personalities. He’d make an amazing actor if he wanted to, and if I was a casting director, I’d love to cast him.

Do you think there’s a difference between writing fanfiction vs. completely original prose? 

No. Not a major one, anyway. The original piece I’ve been working on for the past 2+ years is completely original and yet I’ve set a few of the characters’ faceclaims as NCT members, purely because they fit the image of what I believe my characters would look like (for example, Jeno is the faceclaim for the prince — tell me he doesn’t give off royal vibes and I’ll laugh). This doesn’t necessarily mean I’m writing fanfiction. The prince’s name isn’t Jeno. I don’t include Jeno’s notable characteristics as a person. My writing style remains consistent throughout all my works — fanfic or original — the only thing that separates the two, in my opinion, is whether or not the author draws from the celebrity as a person (i.e. using their name, perhaps their relationships with others, etc.) and ultimately feature that celeb as a character in their story.

What do you think makes a good story? 

In two words, plausibility and consistency. I don’t refer to the creative aspect of writing — go wild with imagination. Break boundaries, invent new things. By plausible I mean whether or not the choices the characters make are understandable in their respective settings. Sure, characters can do stupid things and make mistakes, sure, plot twists can occur — but can we as readers see why the characters made those silly mistakes? were they forced errors? perhaps immaturity? Are the plot twists in order with the situation and its possibilities? Is there a sound explanation behind why these choices are made? If we can’t see and understand why certain plot points happen, it loses credibility and I tend to have difficulty seeing it in my head. Also, I tend to take punctuation and grammar extremely seriously. I’m that friend who calls out grammar mistakes and repeats typos, and in my own opinion, it definitely affects the reading experience. The flow of language is definitely mediated by such mechanisms, and if those aren’t there, I tend to wonder how much I’d love it if the grammar and spelling were correct.

What is your writing process like? 

A lot of the time, I’ll think of a random scenario, maybe act it out myself. Experiment with dialogue, visualise the scene in my head. Jot down a few notes, some good lines that I can come up with. Then I imagine who would fit the scenario best, taking into consideration the characteristics and dynamics I want in the scene. I’ll write out the scene in dot points, and then write it into paragraphs.

Would you ever repurpose a fic into a completely original story? 

I’ve never thought about fic to original story, but I have thought about repurposing an original story to a fic! ‘Casting’ idols as my characters is always fun, I get to experiment with character traits and through this I can understand my characters better. Casting idols also gives me a clear visual representation of my characters, too! So far, I haven’t repurposed a fic into an original story, since a lot of my work isn’t part of a fixed plot. That being said, I imagine it would be fun!

What tropes do you love, and what tropes can’t you stand? 

I love a good old enemies-to-lovers/enemies-to-friends trope — the initial dynamics, the turning point, the character development, the progressive trust towards each other, new loyalties, the compromises, learning to see the good in anyone — and it goes with any every genre. So versatile! I love it. A trope I can’t stand, though? Cheating/adultery. Oof. Goes against my morals.

How much would you say audience feedback/engagement means to you? 

It means a lot more than readers might think. I value all kinds of feedback, whether it be good feedback or constructive criticism. It allows me to see what readers liked and didn’t like, and I can shape my writing into better form with reference. It also motivates me a lot! A retweet with a simple comment in the tags will literally make my entire day.

What has been one of the biggest factors of your success (of any size)? 

Based on my top posts, I think the main factor that engaged readers was that they could also see the people act that way in that scene. I try my best to keep my characters realistic in that their on-screen images and personas align with how they would react to situations in my writing, keeping character dynamics and relationships as consistent as the plot sees fit. Instead of writing an idol into a plot for the sake of writing about them, I tend to plan out the scene and then evaluate which person would be best suited to that character.

Do you think fanfic writers get unfairly judged? 

Yes, we can be. i recently read this thread and it got me thinking about the foundations of fanfic and why we write it, but then as part of that group, I can’t help but think that the genre of fanfic itself just has a bad rep of being shitty Wattpad writing with no punctuation and cheesy plotlines littered with overused cliches by 13 year olds thirsting over grown men. The fanfic world that I know, however, consists of many truly amazing authors who borrow the names and characteristics of public figures to realise their creative ideas to the point where they’re not just authors anymore — they’re artists of language. Curators of words. Some of the best writing I’ve read is through fanfic, and again — the reason why fanfic is fanfic is because the characters are based on people in real life. We share these stories amongst ourselves to imagine things outside our reality, and we consume these stories because we have our support for our artists in common. This is our method of escape. It’s not much different from daydreaming about our high school crushes. They’re just beautifully written and feature people who are part of an industry that relies on public recognition, public appreciation and public support to survive. If you think writing should strictly involve purely original characters born from the author’s own imagination with no inspiration from real live people and thus fanfic is “weird”, “creepy” and “dehumanising”, then I’ll guess you’ve never made art before, nor can you properly appreciate it.

Do you think art can be a medium for change? 

I think that it can inspire and reflect change, but I find it hard to see if art can be change itself. We are the only ones capable of change — art is the medium of inspiration and emotional expression. We can create art and use it as a method to raise awareness and encourage people to take action, but we can’t exactly throw paintings at the white house and expect police reform, can we?

Do you ever feel there are times when you’re writing for others, rather than yourself? 

Yes, definitely. There was many a time I discussed plotlines with my friends and they’d said, “you hAVE to write this I NEED to read it”, or “where’s chapter 3?” and while I know they only mean well and only aim to encourage and support me, it can definitely backfire against their intentions and make writing feel like a chore or rush me into writing when I’m not fully inspired. Forced art is not the best, and whenever I do post something under that kind of mindset, I tend to be less satisfied with it and end up hating it.

Do you ever feel like people have misunderstood you or your writing at times? 

Though i worry about it, I don’t think there’s ever been an instance where it’s happened. I hope it never does, either!

Do your offline friends/loved ones know you write for Tumblr? 

Yes! I don’t mind, seeing that a lot of my friends are also kpop fans who also stan NCT. I link my writing to them when I post, and they support me a lot! It’s not the first thing I tell people when I first meet them, of course — I would only tell a non kpop fan that I write fanfic if I knew they wouldn’t judge.

What is one thing you wish you could tell your followers? 

Myself and other authors always, always always appreciate any form of feedback! Laughed at a funny line? Cried because of another? Felt the pain the character was feeling? Tell us! Have a comment on the writing style, or noticed a certain characteristic in our prose? Let us know that you noticed it! Absolutely dying for the next chapter and can’t wait to see what happens next? Express! (but don’t impose!) have a favourite line or completely agree that they’d totally say/do that? Point it out and gush about it! it’s hard to imagine the warm feeling it gives us as creators when receiving feedback until you actually get it! Go ahead, add an extra line in the tags, send in an ask. Make someone’s day. You’re never going to be thought of as weird or annoying. If it makes you feel something, express it (even in keyboard smash! we may not be able to read it, but we will feel it with you :D)!

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers who might be too scared to put themselves out there? 

If it makes you feel better, my writing when I started out on Wattpad was mega cringe worthy and still kept getting reads and votes and comments. Before I deleted my account, I read through it again and wondered how people can have such low standards when it comes to fanfic. Now, if there’s anything I want to tell you, it’s this — writing should be for yourself. It should be your personal hobby that you invest your own time and effort into, and it’s completely up to you whether you want to share your writing or not. It’s not a requirement. You don’t have to have published works to call yourself a writer. It doesn’t have to be amazing with flowing prose with immaculate worldbuilding with above-average vocabulary. Writing should be your catharsis, your personal medium by which you express your creativity. That should never be measured by likes and reblogs, nor should it come with an obsession over getting engagements.

Are there any times when you regret joining Tumblr? 

Despite the advice that I give to people and my previous answers saying that you shouldn’t be writing for others, a good portion of my motivation comes from reader feedback and engagements I get with my work, which is the reason why I applied to be part of writing networks within the fandom (for more exposure to a wider audience). As much as I don’t want to admit it, the amount of engagements I get will affect my satisfaction with the work. Some works I posted that I personally really liked didn’t get nearly as many notes as I was hoping, and then I can’t help but feel a little disappointed. In that sense, I’m still glad I get to share my writing on Tumblr — but the side effects of it affect me a little more than they probably should.

Do you have any mutuals who have been particularly formative/supportive in your Tumblr journey? 

I’ve only posted NCT fics on tumblr for a short while (maybe a month?) and so I don’t have many mutuals, but the few I have gotten into contact with are all lovely and always willing to rant about anything, despite most of them being in different timezones!

Pick a quote to end your interview with: 

“Writing is a form of therapy; sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write, compose or paint can manage to escape the madness, the melancholia, the panic fear which is inherent in the human situation.” — Graham Greene, Ways of Escape (1980)

BONUS: K-POP CONFIDENTIAL

Interested in your very own episode of The Sunny Show? Find out how to apply here.

#@dreamsafterhours #thesunnyshow #featuredauthor #episode11 #nct

[dimeforhispocket]

As if it’s Our Last (Part 1/2)

Nafla x fem!reader

Rating: Mature

Genre: some angst but a ton of fluff 

Word count: 12k

Summary: lifetime opportunities only come once, don’t they? 

Notes: situationship, implied sexual content, you can also read on my AO3

Situationship (as defined by our good friend, urban dictionary): a relationship that has no label on it, like a friendship but more than a friendship but not quite a relationship

You can’t believe your ass. If God himself came to you in a vision and told you that your dream man of all your hip hop fantasies would find you and ask you to dance, you’d have laughed and said, “Thank you, I gotta write this down when I wake up.”

So when the man himself — the man whose voice is always echoing through your earphones, whose face is taped to your bedroom wall, whose albums have their own special decorated shelf — appears behind you in the darkness of the night club sending appreciative smiles at the way your body moves, you do a double take. A triple, even.

The first time because you wanted to make sure you weren’t so drunk that you started to hallucinate your favorite rapper’s face amidst the warm bodies up in the club, the second to check to see if he was sending the smile to anyone else. And when you blink back the surprise, you chance a smile back. You really don’t know what to expect at this point, or what to even think, but you’re floored by the steps he takes to dance closer to you.

With the way that he’s dancing, there’s no mistaking the flirtiness in his movements. You would read it as so if any other guy at the club tonight approached you in the same way. And as much as you want to relish the fact that the man beyond your dreams is actually hitting on you right now, you can’t hold back the excitement.

So without anymore restraint, you lean in to shout, “Wow, are you really Nafla?!”

You can just barely hear his soft laugh at your question before he smiles and nods, which is admittedly easier than shouting back his answer. You dramatize your responding “oh my god, I love you” as you continue to dance beside him.

He smiles back like he knows, and you can see his lips move around the words ‘thank you.’ You really need a good ten minutes to just take all of him in; his face, his aura, his clothes, his height, his skin, his body, how comfortable he is just dancing in this surprisingly respectful crowd. You suppose it makes sense since this is one of the more high-end clubs in the city, so the clientele is a little more mature than all the ones frequented by the college and fresh graduate crowd.

You need those minutes, but one of your favorite songs comes on and it is physically impossible for you not to enjoy it and pull out all your best dance moves. So you cry happily at the song transition and let your body roll and pop and bounce to every bass boost, hand clap, and drum that bumps the room with energy. As you dance, you steal glances back at Nafla every so often to see if his attention is still on you, and to your delight, he seems like he hasn’t looked away.

God, are you really not dreaming right now? Are you really dancing with Nafla from MKIT RAIN after he just showed up beside you like any other regular dude trying to pick up a girl at the club? Is he really just trying to pick you up right now? Here of all places? Out of all these people? Really, truly, what are the odds?

You dance together for a couple more songs and just enjoy the vibe together because this DJ’s set just keeps getting better and better. It’s like he based the entire thing off of playlist in your own music library — which is something you were hoping for when you came in tonight, since you researched him online before coming to this club in hopes that he’d play something similar. But it all feels too good to be true; you’re dancing with your favorite K-hiphop rapper to some of the best music in this amazing club, and no one is bothering you two. It’s as if no one recognizes him or just doesn’t care that Nafla is here, dancing like a regular attendee.

So to roll with the motions of dancing with a guy who’s interested in you, you let him dance closer and closer to you until he’s got his hands on you. And wow, he’s not the biggest guy, but he’s got some of the firmest hands you’ve ever felt on your hips right now. He’s keeping a respectful couple of inches between you, so you bring your arms to wrap around his neck to show him you’re fine with closing the distance.

He’s kind of a tease, because even when you try to inch closer, rub your hips towards him, dancing a little more sensually to the music playing, he kind of just lets you. And when he doesn’t make a move to touch you further, you start to lose your courage. Maybe he isn’t trying to pick you up after all?

However, in a last ditch effort, your courage spikes again with the start of another one of your favorite jams and you move your hands down his shoulders and arms and twirl sensually in his grip until your back is to his chest. When the chorus peaks, you arch your back and move your ass across his hips like you’re trying to smear him in your pheromones.

To your delight — and relief — he grinds back, and it’s like a switch has been flipped in him. While he had cautious hands before, now they’re rolling all over the length of your body. He’s touching at your sides, your thighs, your stomach, your arms, and you feel your skin tingling with excitement as he gets closer to your crotch. “I like watching you dance.” He surprises you with the surprise murmur by your ear.

“I like you dancing on me.” You say back, hoping he heard you through the music. You’re inclined to believe that he did, with the way that he responds by pushing your thighs back to bring your ass harder against his hips.

And suddenly, your brain sounds louder than the entire club, because you’re internally screaming to yourself that you have Nafla’s bulge pressed into your behind. Nafla is grinding against you like he’s trying to take it further. Oh god, what are you to do? Will your dreams of becoming one of Nafla’s bedroom groupies come true??

It’s not long before he turns you back around in his arms to hug you closer, ask you for your name, exchange a few more flirty words lip-to-ear, and then exchange spit lip-to-lip. He tastes amazing. The different mixed alcohols and sodas mask it, but he’s got a manly and robust taste about him. You can’t even begin to describe it, so you just taste. You move your lips in tandem with his and let his tongue peek into your mouth every so often.

He’s a better kisser than the average guy at the club, which gives you reason to believe that he’ll be even more talented in other ways. The way he holds you makes you feel enveloped in him, like his arms and scent and presence just pull you in to completely surround you. Your own hands trail up his back and hold onto his shoulders as he kisses you further, making you dizzy in a way that the alcohol never could.

Your heart is jumping in your chest not only because freaking Nafla is kissing you, but also because he’s kissing you so good. Is this what it feels like to make out with someone you’ve only been able to fantasize about? Is it truly possible for dream men to fall right into your lap and give themselves to you? God, no one will believe you if you retell this to someone. You’re still not 100% sure that this is really Nafla and that this is really happening to you right now.

But when he pulls away with the most satisfying smacking sound, you blink at that unmistakable face and listen to that irreplicable voice when he leans back in to say, “You taste so good.”

If he wasn’t practically holding you up as he pulled you in to kiss you again, you might’ve actually fainted on him. Fuck, how can he say that to you?? This feels so, so dangerous and comparable to a high that can only be achieved by drug intake. Because you’re absolutely hooked onto him right now.

You kiss for who knows how long, and you don’t even know if the music is good anymore. Nafla eventually pulls away though, only to lean in to ask, “Wanna get outta here with me?”

Yes!!!!!

Absolutely yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God, a fucking million times yes. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, when are you ever going to get a chance like this again?? Fuck!!!

But— “I can’t.” You squeeze your eyes together like you’re in pain, “I can’t leave my friend tonight. I promised.”

“Ah.” Nafla sounds and looks disappointed, though maybe not as much as you are.

Before you can stop yourself, you lean in to say, “But if you wanna come back tomorrow night… I can meet you here.” You hope to God that that didn’t sound desperate.

He smiles at you like an adult does at a kid when they propose something silly, but leans in anyway, “I can’t make it.”

You dramatically tilt your head to the side with a pout before leaning in again, “That’s a shame.” Then a quick glance over to the door between the table area and the bathrooms has your mouth running again before you can think, “How about a quick trip to the back then?”

You tilt your head again in a way that you hope looks cute and alluring, and Nafla stares at you for a moment before breaking into a small chuckle again and nodding, “Sure.”

When you pull his hand across the back of your waist into your hand, you swear you feel sparks. Enough to make the fire in your core light up. You giggle and turn around towards the door you spotted earlier. On the way, you spot your friend at the bar talking to someone, so you quickly talk in her ear, “I’ll be right back” and send her wink before leading Nafla to the back.

Now, you’ve never actually been behind this door, so you don’t know what to expect. But you are somewhat relieved when you open it to find a small, dim hallway rather than a dusty, tight supply closet. The door on the other side probably leads to the parking lot out back or possibly more storage.

But you figure this is private enough, so you put rest your back against the wall and Nafla follows to close the door and press his chest into yours. “You’re a wild one, huh?”

“You followed me here, didn’t you?” You shrug, putting your arms around his neck again, waiting for him to come in for another kiss.

“True,” he agrees, coming in to gently caress your nose with his, “I’m curious.” And he’s kissing you again, in that absolutely perfect way that he does. You already knew that the guy has some talented lips, what with the music he puts out, but this is a whole ‘nother art form. He kisses you like he’s known you for ages, like he loves you or something, and you are so far gone into him that you can’t do anything else but fall.

Can all of your hopes and dreams really come true like this? Nafla is already here and interested in you and he’s good at this?? You want so badly to find out more, more about him and how amazing he is in all kinds of ways. This unbelievable proximity just drives your insatiable hunger to learn more about him in ways that you won’t be able to find online. You’re so excited that you can feel your knees buckling beneath you.

And when he puts his hands on you, fuck , he’s as good with those as he is with his mouth. He puts the perfect amount of pressure on your breasts as he rolls them in his fingers and palms. When he starts moving down to kiss at your neck, you wonder if it’s becoming too much. This is all becoming too unreal. Like— Nafla’s hand is trailing up your dress.

He teases you for a good couple of minutes until you start to beg him, which he seems to find amusing. When you’re both finally worked up enough on each other’s touches and heavy breaths, Nafla pulls his pants down and approaches you until—

“Wait.” You stop him by the shoulder, “Don’t you have a condom?”

“No, I don’t.” He says, “I wasn’t planning on doing anything here, but I… had a change of heart.” He locks you in with his bedroom eyes. Fuck. “But I’ll be careful.” He starts to lean back in.

“Stop… Stop.” You have to say it twice because your voice barely came out the first time. You’ve lost a lot of strength just being with him for a few minutes like this. But you have to make yourself clear, so you clear out your throat before continuing, “Look, I think you’re so cool and so fine, and I can’t even believe I’m here with you right now. But I don’t care who you are, I’m not letting you in here unless you have one on.”

You’re breaking your own heart by saying this, but no matter whose dick it is, you still have to take care of yourself. You’ve followed this man for years, but you still don’t really know much about him. Who knows how many people he’s slept with? Or if he’s clean? Or if he’ll be there for you should something happen? You love him, but… you still have to be careful.

Nafla takes a moment but backs away with a sigh, “I get that.”

But before he can zip up his pants again, you say, “I can give you a little suck though.” And to prove it, you drop to your knees on this somewhat gross floor and look up at him with the soft, fluttery eyes that you’ve practiced over the years to put men under your control.

Much to your satisfaction, Nafla is no different to the effect, and he lets out a shaky breath before combing his fingers through your hair. “Fine,” he says.

So you flash him the most sultry smile in your artillery — also one you’ve been honing for a good amount of time — and by the time he’s in your mouth, he might as well have been pleading with the desperation you see in his eyes. Needless to say, you give him the time of his life, and you know that you’re going to be replaying these noises he makes in your head for weeks to come. You’re making Nafla feel good and he’s totally about to come apart in your hands.

When he finishes and you come back up with the most cheeky smile on your lips, Nafla groans as he pulls you in for another kiss, “God, I wanna fuck you so bad right now.”

Fuck, so do you. So bad. Hearing him say that right to your face, you really wish you had prepared a few condoms of your own. But this dress doesn’t have the storage capacity for that and it’s not like you were planning to get freaky tonight anyway. How the fuck were you supposed to know Nafla was going to come right up to you and practically beg to get in your pants tonight?? Of all nights.

“Mm, I know the feeling.” You manage to say between more kisses.

“You’re so good with your mouth.” He grunts, “I bet you sound real cute when you scream too.”

A shudder rolls down your back, and you have to catch your breath in a few dizzy chuckles, “Yeah, if you can make me.”

“Oh, believe me, I want to.” His voice is gravelly as he traces his lips up your neck back to your ear, “You sure you don’t wanna come back with me tonight?”

You whine, letting your head fall back against the wall, “I do. So bad. But I can’t leave my friend on her own. Not tonight.” You regrettably shake your head, then comb your fingertips through his hair that’s faded with color. “Too bad, I could’ve been the best lay of your life.”

Nafla breaks out in laughter at your nonchalant confidence and comes in to kiss you again. This time, you can feel a shift in his mood, like his kiss is full of newfound conviction, “Fuck it,” he breathes, taking out his phone from his pocket, “Come meet me tomorrow night.”

“What?” You’re confused and dumbfounded, because it sounds like your dreams may still come true.

“You better prove to me that you deserve that title,” he leans in to press his forehead to yours, and you both laugh.

You feel like you should expect to wake up from your dream soon, since the best part is clearly coming up — that’s when you’re usually rudely awakened during a fantastic dream. But Nafla’s touch just feels too real, too sweet, too feasible to be imagined. You’ve never felt like this when touched by someone before.

And when he lets you go for the night to return to your friend, you still can’t believe what just happened to you. You dance with her for the rest of the night like nothing out of the ordinary happened to you and when you go home, you check your phone again to confirm it. Yes, Nafla’s contact info is actually there, and the MKIT RAIN rapper actually did send you a private message and a location on where to meet him tomorrow night.

It’s unreal. Completely unbelievable.

*

He sent a follow up text earlier in the day to bring a swimsuit (with a winky face) so obviously you spent the entire day swimsuit shopping after you woke up from your night out. There’s technically nothing wrong with your plain two-piece — it looks rather good on you — but if Nafla was going to see you in it, you’d like to know if there are better options for you.

After several hours going all over the city in search of something impressive, yet still you, you found a simple, but stylish bikini set. The design made it a little provocative, but it otherwise covered everything it needed to cover, and stably at that. You were quite happy with your choice and you honestly couldn’t stop staring at yourself in the mirror for a good half hour before you finally started getting ready to leave.

And now you’ve shown up to the address in a little black dress since you realized you knew nothing else about what to expect and you can’t go wrong with a universal look. Though now that you’ve shown up to this grand hotel building, you’re starting to get nervous. When you reach the 35th floor like Nafla said in his text, you follow the signs that point to the rooftop bar and pool lounge. And you’re stopped by an usher.

Or receptionist? Or guard?? He didn’t tell you this was an invitation exclusive event!! You are clearly not part of any important lists!!!

When the usher asks for your name, you nervously tell them you were invited by Nafla and show them the text messages he sent you as reference or evidence. Whichever works. “Okay, I’ll just write you down as part of MKIT RAIN’s party then. They’re not here yet, but you can come in first.”

“Thanks…” you say as you slowly trudge into the enormous rooftop space.

The place is bumping . There’s a DJ, drinks and food platters everywhere, people dressed in party casual or provocative swimwear, and what’s tripping you up the most is that… there are famous people everywhere . You know almost all of these guests!! Not personally, but through your computer screen, your music library, your social media, everything that connects you to your favorite artists in Korea… and for some reason, they’ve all congregated here tonight… in one place…

And you were invited…

So when that receptionist said she’d add you under MKIT RAIN’s party, that must’ve meant everyone from all the other labels are here too?? Fucking unbelievable. Suran and Hoody are talking over drinks by the pool, at least three of the MBA guys are crowding the bar, DJ Pumkin is joining the current DJ in prep to transition to his set — and you now realize that the current DJ was actually Primary. All of these amazing people are here, and there’s a number of other individuals you don’t recognize or know but are all intimidatingly attractive, and you’re beginning to feel less and less like you’re supposed to be here.

So obviously the first thing you do is make straight for the bar and order a double shot of vodka and orange. You offer up your card but the bartender says all the drinks are paid for tonight. “Oh. Thank you.”

“The bar’s always free during an event like this. You new or something?” A voice chuckles beside you, and you almost spit out your vodka when you turn to see Jay Park speaking to you.

“Holy fucking shit.” You curse, wiping at the droplet that escaped the corner of your mouth. “Jay Park?”

“Yeah.” He gives you a weird smile, like it’s obvious, “So you are new?”

“Clearly.” You take another gulp of your drink, “I was uh… invited by someone. But I didn’t realize it was gonna be such a big event. I’m starting to wonder if I’m actually allowed to be here.”

“Oh, well if you’re here with a friend, then you’re clearly welcome. Who you here with?” Jay Park is asking you questions and trying to make you feel welcome. Are the gods giving you a little too much right now? Is there a catch?

“N-Nafla…” you don’t know if you should be name-dropping like that, but what else are you supposed to do? You’re not affiliated with anyone else — that is, if you can even consider what you assumed was a booty call an affiliation with the guy.

“Nice! I don’t think those guys are here yet, but feel free to hang around and mingle. You don’t gotta be too nervous.” Jay reassures you and raises his glass for you to clink with him.

You smile appreciatively and tap your drink against his before taking another swig. In a normal situation, if the Jay Park appeared before you, you would attack him with a slew of questions and professions of love as a fan, but you can’t really do that here on a rooftop full of celebrities and their friends. It would take the whole night and you’d look idiotic, maybe to the point of getting kicked out.

That is the last thing you want, especially when you haven’t even seen Nafla yet tonight. This has really turned into a lot more than a lucky lay with your favorite rapper. Jay’s chatter with his other friends fades into background noise as you continue to scope the area for a head of a faded red hair, and simultaneously wonder how you’re supposed to approach anyone here when you don’t know a single soul personally.

However, the answer comes to you suddenly when one of your favorite mainstream hip hop songs starts playing — you’ll just do it like you do at the club, by dancing. “I like this song.” You announce to no one in particular. Quickly, you finish your drink and set it back on the counter before swinging around in your chair to approach the small dance floor area surrounding the DJ booth with a beat to your step.

The crowd is rather small compared to the club even on a slow night, but it’s enough to let you blend in as you start moving your hips and limbs in casual tandem with the song Primary is playing. You don’t know a lot of the faces in this crowd, so you’re guessing a lot of the girls here may be dates or close friends or staff also invited to join the party. They all seem perfectly capable of having a good time, at least.

Pretty soon, you’re starting to feel the groove mix in with the starting waves of the vodka, and you dance with slightly less inhibitions than you started with. Some of the other dancers are even encouraging you and letting you join in. They even start a little dance circle in the middle of the floor to let everyone show off a bit, and obviously you can’t disappoint, so you throw out a few of your better moves to get some loud encouragement. It works, and you’re dancing along like it’s just another night out — only with a super higher end crowd.

As it turns out, it’s as easy to attract famous guys as it is to attract regular guys at the club when you know how to dance a little and dress up nicely. They just come to you, trying to dance with you, offering you drinks, asking your name, the works. You’re friendly to them all — and the girls too — though you do your best to keep to yourself when guys look like they’re seriously trying to approach you.

Which is fucking hard, because hello?? Some of these guys you actually listen to on the daily on your commutes to work and for your workout playlists!!! Temptation is everywhere tonight, especially when it’s just coming right up to you, but you’re here for one man and one man only. No amount of liquor is going to make you forget that tonight.

Though you are caught by surprise when someone’s drink ends up splashing across the entire front of your dress. There was some sort of accident that sent the drink owner tumbling back and spilling his sangria all over you. Now there’s a commotion over you and the guy who spilled the drink on you is apologizing profusely. However, you’re far gone enough to reply with a calm laugh, which seems to surprise the people around you a bit. “It’s cool, I’m fine. But uh…” You look around, wondering what the hell you’re gonna do now in a wet dress.

Until your eyes land on the pool. “I’m just gonna…” You point your thumb over to the pool that overlooks the edge of the hotel roof, “wash it off, I guess.”

“Uh, yeah. For sure…” The guy replies. He’s in the middle of offering to have your dress replaced but stops mid-sentence when you start unzipping the garment by a lounge chair.

When you pull the whole thing off of your shoulders and drag it down to step out of it to lay on the back of the lounge chair, you hear a few cheers and whistles. “Guess you were prepared, at least.” Someone comments. Was that a fucking producer whose beats you hear on the regular??

You just laugh with a shrug before stepping towards the pool. Looking down at your now bikini-clad body, you see some of the red wine still trailing down your skin as you take the few steps up to get into the long, somewhat narrow pool. Some of it ended up in your hair too, it seems.

There is a small number of people in the pool too, but it looks like they’re all chatting with each other in their groups of friends, so you kind of just wade around and let the pool water wash away the remnants of the sangria from your skin. You also take a few moments to relish in the absolutely gorgeous view of the city from here. The question keeps coming back to attack you: are you really here right now?

Is any of this real? How did you end up in a place where all these incredible artists are just here to chill with their own friends? Was Nafla right in his head last night when he invited you to come here? Gosh, you can’t even begin to wonder how you’ll get through the rest of this night.

While you’re sinking into your thoughts, you kind of just let your head submerge under the water too. Might as well get the wine out of your hair as well, and your makeup is waterproofed enough to withstand a short submersion. Right when you come up for air though, you hear a voice nearby that you’ve been listening for all night.

Turning around, you spot him, right by the other lounge chairs near the dance floor, “Nafla!” The brightest, dopiest smile stretches across your face. You must look way too eager. And that’s when you remember you must also look like a wet seal or something right now since you just popped out of the pool.

He calls your name back in response, obviously surprised to see where you came from. “Hey,” you try to dial down the smile a few watts as you approach the edge of the pool. There’s a marble step used as a seat in the way though, so you just stand on it with your knees and let your upper torso emerge from the pool as well as you lean your hands and forearms on the edge. Arching forward as if it’ll get you closer to hear him when it’s really just your own eagerness jumping out, you take a breath to calm yourself, “I uh… I’ve been looking for you.”

“Oh, this is the guy you’ve been waiting for all night?” One of the guys who was on the dance floor with you earlier and was probably having a conversation with Nafla and his friends at first (you try to ignore the fact that several of the MKIT RAIN members are standing right here in front of you too, on top of all the other excitement), pats him on the back. “Lucky you, dude. She really knows how to dance.” He praises.

“Ah…” You shyly chuckle back, running a hand down your wet hair.

“Yeah, I know.” Nafla agrees with a playful, yet somewhat secretive smile. “But you decided to take a dip instead of kicking it on the dance floor?”

“Oh, uh, my dress… it got wet. So I just came in to clean the wine off.”

“Oh my god, yeah dude. You should’ve seen it! Junho was trying to pull that move, you know that one? And then—“ The guy from the dance floor explains the encounter for you, so at least you have a witness instead of sounding stupid that you now no longer have clean clothes for the evening.

“Ah, that sucks. Well, you can use one of the hotel robes or something later, it’s probably not a big deal.” Nafla suggests, “Unless you wanted to keep swimming?”

“No, no. It’s cool. I— I want to join you.” You wonder if it’s too bold of a statement to make, but what else can you say when you mainly came here on the pretense of fucking him tonight?

He doesn’t seem to take any offense to it though as you step out of the pool. You try to wring out as much water as you can from your hair and skin before dance floor guy comes up and offers you a towel. “Thank you.” You smile gratefully at him as you carefully dab at your face as not to smear the makeup.

“No problem.” He smiles back.

“Hey, so you wanna go grab another drink first?” Nafla pipes up and takes back your attention.

“Yeah, definitely.” You nod, wrapping the towel around yourself before following Nafla back to the bar. You let him order something for you, and he grabs both drinks before leading you to the cushioned lounge chair area again. You both sit on the same side of the same chair in view of the dance floor and the pool and a lot of the rest of the party, but it’s not too loud here so you can talk without problems.

“Looks like you’re popular wherever you go.” He comments jokingly as he hands you your drink.

“You think so?” You smile behind your cup as you take a sip. It’s sweet, but strong. A nice choice.

“Yeah, maybe I should've gotten here earlier.” He leans back on his hands but keeps his eyes on you, “Then I could’ve kept you to myself. Now everyone’s interested in you.”

“As if, I’ve been here for like, half an hour.” You roll your eyes and set down your drink between you two on the chair.

“Half an hour? On the dance floor?” Nafla says with an incredulous smile, “It’s a wonder you haven’t already run off with some other dude.”

“You know what, that wouldn’t even be a problem if you didn’t just throw me to the wolves like this.” You joke, “What did you expect me to do at this huge ass party full of chart toppers and girls who look like they belong in hip hop music videos? I’m so out of place!”

“Yeah right, you could be in any music video and outshine anyone there.” Nafla’s flirty tone is back, which you kind of love but still can’t believe. “You were doing just fine before I got here.”

“Shut up.” You hide behind another sip of your drink, “And it’s about time you came. I didn’t come here for just anybody.”

“Oh yeah?” He cocks his eyebrows at you with a smirk, “Who is it that you came for?”

You almost roll your eyes again at that one, but before you can come up with a witty answer, you’re joined by a few guests. All of whom happen to be amazingly talented and have you frozen in your seat from being star struck.

“What’s up, Fla~”

“Yooo.”

“Wassuuupp y’all.”

Nafla groans beside you, but he welcomes his friends to the lounge chairs beside you guys anyway. You’re trying to keep your breathing under control and your giant smile bitten down in your jaw. That is fucking Loopy, Kid Milli, and Young West sitting across from you. And mother fucking Bloo took up the last bit of space on your lounge chair beside Nafla.

For a minute or so, the boys all talk amongst each other as if you’re not there, and you don’t even realize it because you’re staring at them in awe, just listening to all these famous artists having a regular conversation like some sort of miracle unfolding before you. Until someone brings you up, that is. So Nafla introduces you by name, “We just met yesterday.”

“Hi.” You wave awkwardly.

Some of them say hi back, but they don’t really pry into the specifics of why Nafla invited you here despite only having met you yesterday. They instead decide to ask you questions about yourself, which is relatively painless. “Do you go to school or work in Seoul or something?”

“No, actually I’m just here on vacation.” You go on to explain that you have a full time job in your home country, and that you’re leaving in a couple of days. “But I have a few friends who live here, so I’m visiting them and going out and having fun with them. Never would I have imagined I’d get to meet freaking Nafla and everyone else here.”

A few laughs and other topics go by and then Bloo asks, “So is dancing part of your job too? Because I saw you at first and you really know how to move.”

“Actually,” you laugh, “I do have a part time job as a dance instructor at the gym. I used to dance a bit in college so the gym’s a good way to help me keep up with it. Though the club helps too.”

“Wow, it’s no wonder you’re so good.” A few boys coo in awe of you, though it honestly sounds a lot cooler than it actually is to live your day-to-day life.

As the conversation goes on, the strong need to blurt out your love as a fan to each and every one of them dies down with how naturally the talking and laughing flows. But you kind of break the nice pace for yourself when you let out a sharp gasp at the sight of someone.

“What is it?” Nafla asks, and in your rush of excitement, you end up slapping your hand on his thigh in order to get a hold of his hand.

“Is that freaking Beenzino over there??”

“Oh, yeah, it is. Fresh out of the army.” Loopy turns around to confirm that it is indeed the man who took over your mind during your college years.

“Okay, I think I might actually die in a minute.” You stare Nafla in the eye with a serious expression, “I’m sorry, I’ve been trying really hard to keep cool while I’m around you guys and not creep you out, but my facade is crumbling now because I have liked that guy since I was in high school.”

You turn away from them to take a deep gulp of your drink and attempt to suppress your excitement further, but it’s getting real hard now. Beenzino is here, and he’s fucking tall. And more handsome than pictures can even try to portray.

“Wow, looks like Fla’s got some competition now.” Loopy chuckles before he takes a sip of his own drink.

“Oh my god, no. I love him and Stephanie together. They’re the cutest.” You wave off that comment, “But still, I’ve only ever seen him in concert. This is fucking unreal. This whole thing is unreal. The fact that I’m talking to you guys right now is unreal. I’m surprised I haven’t puked.”

You’re babbling. All of the nerves and excitement are slowly starting to trickle out and you need to find a way to cap it before Nafla and the others get too put off. “Do you wanna talk to him?” Nafla offers.

“No.” You scoff as if it’s obvious, “Do you think I’m capable of talking without freaking out right now?”

“Hey, hyung! Beenzino-hyung!” Bloo calls out and waves his hand to get the rapper’s attention.

“Oh my god.” You breathe.

“Hyung, come here for a minute.” Bloo waves him over, and dear lord, he’s actually approaching. Fuck.

“Bloo, you turd ball!” You don’t know why you said that, but anything else would’ve been too serious. “I’m not ready for this.”

“It’s cool,” Nafla laughs, “Just say hi and that you’re a fan. Like whatever you’d say if you met him on the street.” He shrugs.

“Hey, guys.” Beenzino comes over and greets everyone with a catch of the hand and chest bump in the way he does. “What’s up?”

“So, our friend here,” Bloo introduces you, “really likes you, and she really wanted us to ask you to come here so she could talk to you.”

Oh. My. God.

That is mortifying. You give Bloo an incredulous and offended look, but he just smiles and waves at you to greet your idol of young adulthood. You look to Nafla for a last desperate call for help, but he just smiles at you. Guess you have no choice.

Taking a deep breath, you turn and stand to greet the Beenzino himself, “Hi, I’m such a big fan.” You give him your name, your hometown and country, and tell him how long you’ve been following him for.

“Wow, thanks for all the love. I’ve actually been to your country before, it’s a really beautiful place.” He says.

“Oh, thank you.” You laugh nervously, “Well, we’re always excited to see you perform, so… Yeah, I can’t wait to go to another concert of yours. They’re always so fun.”

He asks you to elaborate and you go on to mention the concerts and festivals you’ve been to see him in the past several years, and he’s thoroughly impressed and/or creeped out. You can’t tell because you’re worrying about talking too much or quickly now. When he thanks you again, you decide to go out on a limb and ask, “Can I… Can I have a hug?”

“Yeah, sure, of course.” He holds his arms out for you and you accidentally let out a small squeal before falling into his strong embrace. Wow, you are really hugging the man of all your college dreams right now. While on a night call with the man of you current dreams. Funny how life works out.

“Thank you,” you say breathlessly as you pull away.

“No problem, always grateful for the love and support. Here, why don’t we take a picture together?”

“Really??” Your eyes must be sparkling right now, and you snap your head back to look at the other guys who have just been watching your little exchange if they weren’t preoccupied with their phones or something.

“Here, I’ll take it.” Bloo offers, standing up and holding his phone up to snap the picture.

“Oh, okay. Thank you.” You move in to get closer to Beenzino to take the photo, before realizing you’re still wearing a towel around your body. “Wait, hold on.” You pull the towel off and throw it onto the back of the lounge chair before scooting in to wrap your arm around the rapper’s waist while he puts his arm around your shoulders.

“One, two, three.” Bloo counts. My god, your smile might take over your whole face in this photo. You want to curse and thank him for calling him over for you.

When the picture is taken and Beenzino takes his leave, you take your seat again next to Nafla and without thinking, bury your face into his neck as you take a calming breath. “Oh my god, I can’t even breathe…”

“Wow, your face is really warm.” Nafla mentions, bringing a hand up to stroke at your cheek.

“Hey, congrats though!” Bloo announces, “You got a pic with Beenzino-hyung. I’ll send this to Fla to send to you later.”

“I can’t believe you just did that to me.” You raise your head to strike Bloo with an accusing glare, “But thank you.” You relent with a sigh and take another gulp of your drink.

“You’re welcome.” He says proudly.

“Oh my god,” you close your eyes briefly before turning to Nafla again, “There’s too many amazing people here, I’m not cut out for this. I’m gonna start screaming any minute now.”

“Save it, I’ll take care of that later.” Nafla says with a hand on your thigh, which is suddenly a lot warmer on your skin now that the towel is off. It slips out of his mouth so casually that you can’t do anything but stare at him, in complete awe. And something else. Something else that stirs in your body and between your legs. How did that smooth and curt comment suddenly flip a switch in you?

The other guys seem as dumbstruck as you are, but it only takes them a second to bounce back and start shouting at Nafla about being a dog or being vulgar or whatever. You, however, are still staring until his playful little chuckle breaks you, and you burst into giggles in his neck.

After a few chuckles, you lean up to whisper into his ear, “Can I kiss you right now?”

You don’t expect to feel so relieved when he replies with a casual but throaty, “Yeah,” before leaning in kiss you first. It’s a long one, tangled with teasing nips and pressure play, and you didn’t realize how much you needed this. Amidst all this excitement, and worrying about keeping your cool, trying to keep a conversation going with all these celebrities you admire but don’t actually know, you had almost forgotten why you were really here.

“Okay, guess that’s our cue.”

“Yeah. Later, guys.”

“You have fun now, kids.”

You pull away from Nafla when you hear the guys leaving, but you don’t come apart without a puckered smacking sound. It’s embarrassing, but you do feel obligated to at least say goodbye to his friends who were nice enough to talk to you. “Oh, okay. Bye! It was nice meeting you.”

Nafla exchanges a few other words with the guys about who knows what, but when they step away his attention right back on you. He watches you stare at him, letting your eyes roam all over his face with a curious pucker in your lips. But eventually he breaks into a gentle laugh again, calling you cute before leaning in to kiss you once more.

This time, the kiss lasts for quite a while. You have no idea how much time passes, but you know it’s been awhile because when you finally pull away and open your eyes again, they’re a bit sensitive to the lights outside. Or maybe it was just Nafla making you dizzy with his mouth. You’re impressed that the kissing managed to stay rather chaste — or chaste as you could keep it in public.

Both your hair and his are a bit mussed from having each other’s hands in it, your faces are flushed, and obviously both your lips have a visible swell to them. Nafla shows an impressive self-restraint similar to what he had at the club last night; he didn’t put his hands anywhere scandalous, but he did pull your thighs onto his lap. If you just adjusted your sitting position a bit, you would be sitting right on him. And god, you kind of really want to. Would that be too much?

“Do you have to stay long?” You ask in a rather weak voice.

“Mm, no. Not really.” He kisses you again, “It’s just a party for a Korean holiday, but I’m just surprised that so many people were able to make it.”

“Do you want to stay and talk to your friends?” You offer, “It must be rare to have everyone together like this. You should catch up with people.”

“And what? Leave you alone to get swept up by all these other guys?” He says playfully, hugging you closer by your waist.

You giggle at the slight possessiveness, absolutely loving it, “I’ll just go dance. Or swim. Or eat. Whatever, there’s a ton of things for me to do here. I’ll be fine. You should enjoy yourself too. Talk to your friends.”

“You sure?” He lowers his chin as he continues looking at you.

“Yeah, and tell you what; if you wanna check on me, just bring me over for a drink.”

“Well, alright. If you’re cool with it.” He sets you down on your feet and escorts you back to the bar first since you said you wanted more liquor. But he doesn’t leave without making a show of covering your shoulders with his jacket and whispering into your ear in front of the others, “Just come find me if you need anything.”

“Will do.” You thank him and he’s off before he can catch you taking a subtle whiff at his collar. It smells good.

You make light conversation with the bartender and get his story as you nurse your drink, but eventually, others begin to start up a conversation with you as well. You must be a topic of interest since you’ve been prancing around on Nafla’s arm and unabashedly making out with him by the poolside so far. So for the next hour, you introduce yourself however many times to so many different people; some of whom you know of, and some of whom you don’t.

By the time you’re down to your third drink since you got to the bar, you’re kind of high on liquor and clout. You have talked to more famous people in the past hour than you’ve ever encountered in your entire life, including the ones you’ve paid to see live. The mixed drinks in your body are making you giggly and the excitement of getting to talk to your favorite singers and rappers and producers is making you light-headed. So you turn down the next drink and conversation in favor of returning to the dance floor.

Slipping your arms into the sleeves of Nafla’s jacket, you relish how cool it must make you look — even though you’re wearing nothing by a bikini underneath. But there are other people dancing in swimwear and without shoes, so you probably don’t have to care. And you feel less and less obligated to when a great song comes up and you just ebb into the rest of the crowd.

You recognize some people here, or at least you think you do, because they sure recognize you. A few of them are welcoming you with shouts and gestures to dance with them, so you somehow manage to seamlessly join in with their group. Though if anyone asked you what their names were, you cannot for the life of you list even one of them. Which is freaking ridiculous because you know their voices and faces from your playlists and their music videos.

But then again, you’re here to dance, not think. So that is exactly what you do in an attempt to sober up even a little bit. People come and go to drink, smoke, eat, go to the bathroom, or whatever it is they go to do, but the atmosphere remains lively. This is probably going to be the party of your lifetime, the one you’ll remember forever and talk about over and over until your friends hate you for it.

You almost don’t want Nafla to pull you aside and take you back to his room and fuck you all night. Almost.

When he does pull you to the side to rest, you realize this is your first break in what must be… hours? Who knows. “Wow, you really know how to go off on that floor.”

“You think so?” You giggle, accepting the water he hands you and gulping it down without stopping for air.

“Do you not get tired? I’ve been watching you for a little while now.”

“When I go out, I go out all night.” You sweep your hand through the air as if to seal your proclamation. “But don’t worry, I still have energy to play around with you.” You lean in to tease.

“Well good,” he chuckles, “Why don’t we go then?”

“Okay!” You chime, taking his hand and letting him lead you back towards the lounge entrance.

However.

“Wait! Wait.” You tug on Nafla’s hand to stop him in his tracks and drag him back towards the dance floor when you hear your absolute favorite song start up. “After this song. Just this one.”

Nafla feigns an exasperated sigh but follows you with a smile. You don’t bother dragging him into the heart of the crowd, so you just linger on the side of the dance floor. But you’re still revved up on celebrity meetings, countless drinks, Nafla’s affection, and now your motherfucking favorite song in your whole music library.

You bust out your best moves and flirt with your body instead of your words this time. Nafla’s loose, unbuttoned jacket definitely helps you with the playfulness of it all when you let it slide down your shoulders to show off your skin and bikini before letting it slide back onto your arm with another big movement. Come the last chorus of the song, you’re dancing up to him and rolling your body right up into his, front and back, like you’re his own personal stripper or something.

All good things must come to an end, and you’re loathe for your best song to end, but Nafla is giving you a look like he’s ready to throw you onto the floor and have you right here and now. Guess that means you’ve teased him a bit too much, but you can’t help giggling when you readjust his jacket on your shoulders again. He barely lets you get it on right before slinking his arm around your waist and practically pushing you out of the lounge. There are some cheers and whistles behind you, but you’re still high off the evening and your own laughter.

Nafla keeps you hugged to his waist through the duration of the elevator ride and the walk to his hotel room. Your laughter settles along the way and you find yourself calming with every whiff of his cologne when you bring your nose close to his neck.

When the door closes behind you, Nafla chuckles, “Finally got you all to myself.”

“Give me one sec,” you say, making straight for the bed and flopping on to one side of it. You yank the duvet towards your body and roll over twice until you’re completely wrapped up in the blankets like a burrito on the other end of the bed.

Then you scream.

You let out a good, long cry and muffle it into the covers until you let all the excitement of the entire evening meeting all those stars and holding in your utter joy and amazement. You scream and even thrash around on the bed for a good thirty seconds or so before you roll back out of your blanket burrito and sit up.

Tossing your hair out of your face, you give Nafla a neutral look because he is definitely staring at you, “Alright, I’m good. I’m ready to see if you can actually make me scream all on your own.” You tease with a smile as you position yourself cutely on the bed.

Nafla stares for another few seconds before breaking out into laughter, “What the heck was that?”

“I had to get all that excitement out from this evening first!” You sigh as you collapse on your back, “I couldn’t just keep it all bottled up. Besides, it’d have given you a false start and I wouldn’t want that to get to your head.”

“Trust me,” he says as he climbs onto the bed to hover over you. His face is only a couple centimeters from yours, but it feels even closer than it was last night at the club. “I don’t need a head start.”

You can’t help it, you smile. After all that has happened to you tonight, you’re still exactly where you want to be. “Prove it.”

*

Thankfully, there were enough condoms available to you guys to use the entire time. You are impressed with both of you for going at it as long as you did. And you fucked around in the morning too. God, it was beautiful. It you could have one night never end, it would hands down be this night.

Nafla was quite the cuddler too. You woke up to the warm, inviting sensation of his arms around your waist and the sexy, sleepy groan of his morning voice when you tried to stretch your limbs while in his hold. When he had pulled you in and taken a deep whiff of your neck before rolling his body to lie on top of yours, you had to wonder again if maybe you hadn’t actually woken up yet. And if this would just be the best perpetual dream you’ve ever had.

But it was real. His morning wood was especially real, but you took care of it and thoroughly enjoyed sleepy Nafla for as long as possible before you both got up to shower. And soon, you come across a dilemma.

“Shit, I left all my stuff upstairs last night.” You realize. Your dress, your purse, your phone, your keys, your extra underwear, all of it. All you had to your name right now was the damp bikini from last night. You’re guessing that Nafla would want his jacket back.

“It’s cool, we can go back up and get it. I’m sure they kept it somewhere safe.” Nafla offers, coming up to hug you from behind and place a sleepy kiss on your shoulder. He is playing so unfair right now. How are you not supposed to completely fall in love with him?

He lets you get dressed up in one of the hotel robes before taking you back up to the rooftop lounge receptionist to ask about your forgotten belongings. There’s a bit of back and forth with you having to retrieve them from some other department of the hotel, but you do eventually get it all back; sangria stain and all. Luckily it’s not too visible through the black fabric, but you’ll still need to go through some trouble to get that cleaned later.

Nafla whistles when you slip it back on back in his room, “Wish I coulda seen you walk in with that last night.”

“What? Me popping out of the water half naked wasn’t sexy enough for you?” You chuckle, adjusting the straps and tossing your hair around with your hands in an attempt to make yourself resemble something tidy.

“It’s a tough choice to make.” Nafla says in low, sandy voice you had gotten to know quite well last night. It shakes you up even now, while you’re sore enough to stay in bed for another day.

As reluctant as you are to leave, you know that all great things must come to an end. You do, however, let him walk you downstairs to wait for your cab. Once in the lobby, you both hold off on any more physical contact, in the case that there are any onlookers. Not that it’d be hard to guess what happened between you two anyway, but still better not to fan the flames.

He waits with you outside of the hotel entrance for the taxi to come around, and you’re grateful to spend these last minutes with the boy of your dreams. “Thanks again, for letting me see you again.” You say while you can. “It was undoubtedly the best night of my life.”

“Well, it was a pretty great night for me too.” Nafla smiles back at you, “So I’m glad you came.”

“So am I. You’re the best.” You risk a quick squeeze of his hand as your taxi rolls around, “See you around.”

“Yeah, see you.” He lets your touch linger when you let go to step into the car and even closes the door for you!!

It’s only when the hotel is out of sight that you start squealing behind your purse. Your cab driver gives you a look but you don’t care. You literally just spent an entire night with your favorite Korean rapper of all time and he seemed like he had fun!!!! You can’t believe you got to fulfill your dream of being Nafla’s bedwarmer groupie.

Needless to say, you’re on a high for the next week, and you squeal to all of your friends about it, barely sparing a detail. “Has he texted you since then??”

“Well, I texted him telling him I got home safe, and he responded to that but that’s it.” You answer.

“Why didn’t you keep the conversation going??” One of your other friends demands, practically spilling her drink all over the table.

“Come on! He’s famous and he’s busy, and I was obviously just a night of fun.” You roll your eyes, “We said everything we needed to say while I was still there. If he wanted to continue talking, he would have!”

“Yeah, but—“

All kinds of arguments and discussions ensue about how you should go about it since you have his contact information. But you shut down all the opportunities they suggest because when it comes down to it, “I live and work somewhere totally different. What would we even talk about afterwards anyway? There’s no point trying to force it after the fact. It’d just make me look desperate, and I’d like to stay a good memory, thank you very much.”

Of course it didn’t stop at that, but it was the reality of the situation. And you wouldn’t dare to try changing any of it when you were already so grateful for the experience. You won’t ever forget him, or how much fun you had, or how well he treated you, and you’re glad that it came to an end as sweetly as it did.

*

Or how it was supposed to, at least.

You’ve just finished teaching your weekend dance sessions at the gym when you check your phone to see you’ve gotten some messages from the man you thought you left back in Seoul.

‘Hey. I forgot to send these to you a while back.’

The message is followed by several pictures of you standing beside Beenzino looking like a star struck sewer rat under the horrid lighting of the evening lamps in your bikini and damp hair. But the memories of the entire evening wash over you with a giddy electric current.

‘Omg i look like a wet dog but thanks!! I totally forgot about these’ you text back.

You hesitate with sending a follow up text, wondering if you should ask how he’s doing or mention an update about yourself or something. But eventually, you decide against it and stuff your phone in your pocket before grabbing your stuff to head out to your car.

Once you’re settled in your seat and about to start the car, however, you see that you’ve gotten another reply. You try to settle your trembling heart when you pick up the phone to read the messages.

‘I think they’re cute haha’

‘How’ve you been?’

“Oh my god!!” You squeal to yourself. You’re texting Nafla . Holy fucking shit, how is this even real right now?? Your fingers quickly fly over the screen to type your reply.

You gasp when he responds almost right away, and you follow up with your own response. And it just continues back and forth before you realize you’ve been sitting in your car in the gym parking lot for almost an hour. Your stomach is starting to protest so you order some food delivery, start the car, and make the drive home. You don’t think you’ll be able to focus on cooking tonight.

Somehow, you’re still texting Nafla when your pizza arrives, and when you get out of the shower and get ready for bed, and while you’re lying in bed when you know that you should be asleep already since you have work early tomorrow. But you don’t want the conversation to end. He’s so cute, and funny, and he makes it so easy to talk to him.

Eventually, you do fall asleep and have to follow up with his text in the morning. But luckily, since you didn’t end your conversation with ‘I have to go to bed,’ you’re able to continue talking to him throughout the next day. And the next. And the next. Honestly, you’re surprised that you’re both able to talk to each other for so long without running out of too much to say.

However, he does get busier as the week goes on, and so do you. Your replies become more spaced out while you’re both busy working or doing whatever, and the time difference makes the timing hard too. Until eventually, the conversation comes to a comfortable stop. It’s kind of convenient for you because you suddenly have a new project that you have to put a little more focus on, which you probably wouldn’t be able to if you were shaking in your seat waiting for Nafla — or Nick, as he said you could start addressing him — to reply.

You both kind of leave it at that for a while. You recall he mentioned he had some shows to do, and the schedule lineup on the MKIT RAIN website does make him and his friends look busy. Especially since he’s doing a lot more magazine shoots now, which you also plan to order and add to your collection. It was nice while it lasted, catching up with him. He’s starting to feel more like a friend you met in Korea rather than a rap star who has millions of fans across the world.

Still, you have to remember that he is someone who has many fans in his life. And many people in his life, including girls. You can’t hold your heart out for him just because he’s being friendly after your greatest one night stand in history.

You know this, but you still find it hard to stop thinking about him. And talking about him to your friends. They were excited to hear about your initial encounter, but they’re now on the more practical side and telling you to let him go, since there isn’t a high chance that you’ll get to see him again without going back to South Korea. So you settle into the reality of it, and do your best to let him go and out of your head.

*

And of course, just when you’re starting to get used to it, that’s when he texts you again. Out of the blue, after weeks of not speaking a word to each other. He sends a picture of a husky that’s hanging out at one of his recent work places.

‘I can’t look at huskies anymore without thinking about you lol’  

You chuckle aloud. You had gone on and on about how adorable you found huskies and bombarded him with facts about them and how much you wanted one of your own someday. And now, it seems it’s become a reminder of you for him.

‘How do you think i feel whenever i see anything that has to do with Coca Cola?’ You write back.

And just like that, it starts all over again. You guys talk into the night and the next few days about everything there is to talk about. You update each other on your lives and you start to miss him all over again. The more you talk to him, the more you want to switch gears and get a little flirty, send him a dirty picture or something. But you can’t interrupt this nice flow you two have going. You’re talking like you’re old friends and you won’t ruin this possible budding relationship — whatever it may be — between you because of your libido.

However, the conversation eventually fades out like it did last time, after over a week of texting each other regularly. And you’re back to square one.

Obviously, you rant to your friends about how you feel like you’re being strung along and don’t know what this even is that’s happening between you. “Do you think he’s just keeping in touch with me occasionally so that he’ll have a booty call ready if he ever comes here or something?” You wonder.

“It’s possible. You never know with famous dudes.” Your friend shrugs, taking a sip of her drink.

You reach over to steal one of her fries before continuing, “Should I keep talking to him? I really like him, but I doubt that anything practical or serious will come out of this.”

“Well, if you’re trying to look for something serious, then I’d say yeah, stop talking to him. But if you’re willing to keep messing around for a while, then just keep talking to him. See where it goes — if it ever goes anywhere, that is.”

You groan, tempted to drown into your own salad, “We haven’t talked in almost two months. Should I text first this time?”

“If you want to.” She shrugs.

“Thanks, so helpful.” You deadpan.

Your friend smiles back cheekily, popping another fry into her mouth, “You’re welcome.”

*

You text him first. Not out of desperation, but simply because you could use another opinion from someone who’s probably attended way more formal events than you have. A company banquet is coming up, and you’re helping host the event, so you can’t just show up in a regular old closet gown.

So you send Nafla three mirror selfies of the different dresses and ask him which one is most appropriate for a company holiday party. Your heart is pounding as you wait for the response, but luckily you’re not left to tremble for too long, because he responds within the hour.

And just like that, conversation picks up as usual, for days. This time, it almost lasts for three weeks, even with the laggy responses. By that time, your holiday party has happened and the new year is coming up. Unfortunately, you don’t get to share your happy new year texts with him because your conversation dies out just a little after Christmas, when Nafla is getting busy with all the holiday hip hop concerts. A shame.

So you sulk a little throughout the beginning of the year, until Nafla texts you again some time after Valentine’s Day. It’s the usual pattern again, but this time, about a week into the new conversation, he says the wildest thing you’ve ever heard.

‘I’ve got a couple of free days coming up. I was thinking of coming to visit your city’

Your heart stops when you read that text. You stare at it in complete shock, unable to move your fingers in a response before a follow up message appears:

‘Wanna be my guide?’

You scream into your living room, jumping around the room like you’ve just won the lottery. You’re probably bothering or worrying the neighbors, but who the fuck cares?? Nafla might be coming to visit you!!!!! You may get to see him again!!!!! Holy fucking shit!!!!!!!

Doing your best to tone down the exclamation points in your response, you answer that you would absolutely love to act as his guide and welcome him to your city. And for the next couple weeks, you busy yourself with organizing an itinerary on what to do and where to go with your favorite rapper, who’s flying into your country, your city, to see you .

Okay, there’s no guarantee that he’s actually only here to see you. Maybe he actually just wanted some time to travel on his own and explore a new place, and he wanted to go somewhere that he would have a trusted guide to bring him around. But come on, what other reason would he choose here of all places to go if not for you?

You try not to let it get to your head, but you are way too fucking excited to see him. Your friends are starting to get concerned for you.

“I can’t believe a famous Korean rapper is coming here to see you. If he’s not into you, then I’m gonna start drinking goat milk instead of water.” One friend says.

“Oh my god, are you going to stay with him while he’s here??” Another asks.

“And are you gonna let him in your pants again?” Another chuckles.

“Oh my god!” You shout, “Shut up. I’m playing it cool for now. I’ll take him to whatever hotel he wants to stay at, but I can’t assume that I’m gonna be with him the entire time.” You say logically.

They stare at you, waiting for you to follow up. So you break, “But I really do hope that he slams my guts again.”

All of you scream together and you just continue drown in your own excitement to see him again. You hope you can get it together by the time he actually arrives.

#nafla x reader #nicholas choi x reader #nafla #nicholas choi #mkit rain #khiphop scenario #yes i am aware that i have already used the meeting at the club premise but i like it #it's hard to write him in character tho which is why i made it so reader-centric #nutfla #mine #nafla scenario

[hardnoctlife]

About Me

Me: Oh, sweet, I have time to write on my WIP!

My brain: Let’s answer these author-asks instead that NOBODY asked for:

Fandom Questions

1.       What was the first fandom you got involved in?

FIRST, first? InuYasha! First one I wrote actual fanfiction for? I think that was Yu Yu Hakusho.

2.       What is your latest fandom?

Final Fantasy XV (if you couldn’t already tell.)

3.       What is the best fandom you’ve been involved in?

Final Fantasy XV. I haven’t met a person I don’t like! Generally everyone is super nice and supportive.

4.       Do you regret getting involved in any fandoms?

Supernatural, maybe?? Only because they killed it with too many seasons…and there are some pretty weird fans.

5.       Which fandoms have you written fanfiction for?

Final Fantasy XV, Final Fantasy VII, Legend of Zelda, Yu Yu Hakusho, Rurouni Kenshin, InuYasha…maybe some others when I was younger?

6.       What are your OTPs from your current fandom?

Promptis and Gladnis

7.       List your NoTPs from your current fandom

ArdNoct is my least favorite, but everyone is SO shippable…

8.       How did you get involved in your latest fandom?

One of my good friends, Claudia, was obsessed with the game so when I finally got a PS4 I started playing and got hooked! I’ve played final fantasy games since I was young so I was already a fan of the others.

9.       What are the best things about your current fandom?

I know there are dark sides to every fandom, but seriously, FFXV is the most kind and receptive fandom I’ve ever been a part of. I have a discord group chat with several people and we talk all day, everyday about anything and everything and I’ve made some really good friends from it. I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

10.   Is there a fandom you read fic from but don’t write in?

I’m actually not a huge reader of fanfiction (I know, it’s awful), but that’s because I’m too busy writing my own! I do read FFXV fanfiction that gets recommended to me though.

Author Questions

11.   What’s the first fanfic you ever wrote?

It was waaaaay back in high school. I can’t remember much, but I know it was a YYH high school AU.

12.   Is there anything you regret writing?

Eh. Not really. I had fun with everything I’ve done so that’s what’s important, even if my skill was cringy back in the day.

13.   Name a fic you’ve written that you’re especially fond of and explain why you like it. 

Insomnia High School! (Really, my whole FFXV high school series). It’s the first set of long-fics I’ve written in probably over a decade, and I wrote them while recovering from knee surgery, which kept me sane because I’m a super active person and not being able to do anything had me depressed. IHS I’m particularly fond of because it’s a little edgier and I got to feature Zidane from FFIX who is probably one of my favorite video game characters of all time! Also, it’s my longest fic I’ve written, but it was maybe the easiest for me to get through. It really just flowed for me, and even though it’s not my most popular, I put a lot of heart into it. 

14.   What fic do you desperately need to rewrite or edit?

Probably Dawn of the Godslinger, simply because it was the first fic I wrote after a ten-year hiatus from writing!

15.   What’s your most popular fanfic?

Rain or Shine and Everything In-Between. It’s probably my second favorite thing that I have written, and it was definitely the most fun to write out of all my current works.

16.   How do you come up with your fanfic titles?

Uh… they just come to me? Some are pretty straightforward (like Insomnian Academy for the Elite), and then for others I try to pick the main theme and come up with something witty, like Rain or Shine and Everything In-Between, which is meant to reference all the different domestic life scenarios and the ‘slice of life’ vibe. 

17.   What do you hate more: coming up with titles or writing summaries?

SUMMARIES. God, they suck. I’m really not sure why they are so hard, but I struggle with them at times.

18.   If someone were to draw a piece of fanart for your story/stories, which story would it be and what would it be a picture of?

I have been blessed with talented artist friends who have done fanart for several of my works! If I’m being selfish though, I really want some from Rain or Shine or The Long and Short of It All with all the bros being cute and silly.

19.   Do you have a beta reader? Why/why not?

My wife is an editor with an MFA so she is my beta reader/editor (I’m very lucky). Overall, I think it’s important to have someone check your work and give you objective feedback. No one is perfect and there is always room for improvement.

20.   What inspires you to write?

There are endless possibilities in my fandom…it’s pretty easy to stay inspired. But really, I just enjoy it.

21.   What’s the nicest thing someone has ever said about your writing?

I have received a lot of super nice comments… I think I enjoy when people are inspired to write or draw their own stuff because of something I wrote! Also, when people told me they cried or FELT some sort of strong emotion, that’s the greatest compliment.

22.   Do you listen to music when you write or does music inspire you?

Omg YES. Music inspires me more than anything else. I have playlists for just about every fanfic I write! I’ll often listen to a playlist on repeat while I’m writing or throughout the day when I’m brainstorming ideas.

23.   Do you write oneshots, multi-chapter fics, or HUUUUUGE epics?

A little bit of everything! Depends on how I’m feeling and how much an idea takes off.

24.   What’s the word count on your longest fic?

I think it’s around 88,000

25.   Do you write drabbles? If so, what do you normally write them about?

I walk the line between drabbles/one shots, but usually they’re just a single scene I wanted to get out but was too lazy to put into a larger story.

26.   What’s your favorite genre to write?

Probably angst, with fluff/romance being a close second.

27.   First person or third person- what do you write and why?

Both! It just depends on how I want the fic to be interpreted/felt by the reader.

28.   Do you use established canon characters or do you create OCs?

I try to use canon characters as much as possible, but I don’t have an issues creating OCs if the need arises.

29.   What is your greatest strength as a writer?

People have told me they like my dialogue and also the little subtle details/body language I include.

30.   What do you struggle with most in your writing?

Probably pacing, especially towards the end of a fic when I get excited about finishing it. Also, I don’t usually write outlines so sometimes I can dig myself into a hole plot-wise and my wife (editor) has to help get me out. (thanks babe!)

31.   What is your all time favorite fanfic?

Probably “Such Is Us” by surveycorpsjean. It’s what inspired me to write my own OT4 fic for FFXV.

32.   If someone wants to read one of your fanfics, which would you recommend to them and why?

Honestly, all of my stuff is so different it would really depend on the person! But my favorites that I’ve written (in order) are: You’re My Cup of Coffee, Rain or Shine and Everything In-Between, and The Insomnian Academy for the Elite.

33.   Do you leave reviews when you read fanfiction? Why or why not?

Of course!! As a writer, I love when people comment on my stuff so I feel it’s important to do the same for others.

34.   Do you care if people comment/reblog your writing? Why/why not?

If they do, it’s AWESOME and I really appreciate. If they don’t, that’s their choice! I believe in writing for myself, so I’m not going to base my worth as a writer on kudos/like/reblogs, etc. It does give me the warm fuzzies when people leave sweet comments though <3

35.   Rant or gush about one thing you love or hate in the world of fanfiction.

Okay, so, smut. I like it! IF I’m in the mood for it. If I read a smutty fic and I knew what I was getting into, it’s great. However, I tend to not like s*x just for the sake of s*x in my fics. I try to focus on emotion and WHY two characters might be getting physical rather than just throwing something in there because I think it will get my fic attention. When people put in a s*x scene that doesn’t further the plot it’s a major turn off for me. 

#ao3 author #hardnoctlife #hardnoctlife ao3 #fanfiction #asks #final fantasy xv

[barisifictionarchive]

Author: @rawresparza or rafaelbaseball

Preferred Name: Erika

Do you prefer to write Rafael or Sonny and why? Oof. They both bring such distinct and different points of view, it’s hard to decide and generally depends on the mood of the scene. I like writing Sonny for how utterly pure his love for Rafael is so that’s great for sappier or sweeter scenes but at the same time, I like to explore Rafael’s difficulty with accepting he’s worthy of that love. Sonny feels so freely while Rafael can be so guarded, it’s just a wonderful dynamic to work with and I’m wandering away from the actual question so I’m just going to say both. Both is good.

Do you have a favorite movie? Jurassic Park and The Mummy are my very favorites, I could watch those movies over and over again and often do.

Who is your favorite author? This may be blasphemous but I don’t really have a favorite author in particular. I read a pretty wide variety of books so if anything, I’d have to separate authors by genre to pick favorites. I suppose the one that comes closest to being my number one would be Erik Larson, who seamlessly flows fact and fiction in prose form without making his readers struggle to understand what the heck is going on. I find his books nearly impossible to put down and I think that’s what every writer hopes for, the ability to truly captivate their readers and not only make them want to finish all your work in one sitting but be willing to do it all over again!

How did you start getting involved in fanfiction? The first fic I ever wrote was way back in the days of yore for ER so I’ve been writing it for many years, but I’ve never been more involved in a fandom than with Barisi. The last fandom I was active in was Supernatural but I haven’t watched since season 5 and honestly thought I’d never really be so enamored by another ship more than I was with Dean/Cas (don’t @ me). LITTLE DID I KNOW WHAT WOULD BE WAITING FOR ME!

How did you get involved with Barisi? I stumbled across fic that legitimately made me think they were a canon couple. I remember being so pressed when I started actually watching episodes regularly and realized they weren’t, but I still loved their scenes together and saw the chemistry there and it just snowballed. I stayed up so late for a solid couple weeks reading fics, it was a wild time.

Now that Raúl is no longer on SVU, I find that my love for Barisi remains just as steady and I think that says a lot. I love that it’s still gaining new fans even when half the OTP is gone and that people are still consistently writing for this ship. It makes my heart full to be able to say this was never just some fleeting interest. I’ve made amazing friendships through the Barisi fandom, I’m going to be 90 and still loving these two together.

What inspires you to write? When it comes to Barisi, pretty much everything inspires me. We had a Barisi Con in LA where we basically just walked around Disneyland talking about what they would do at each spot; I went to Vegas for my birthday and couldn’t help but imagine the boys exploring hotels together; and even random tweets or posts or memes I see various places online will remind me of them and trigger plot points in my noggin. I even have a fic plot on my To Write list based on a TV commercial. 

Barisi is just such a dynamic pairing, writing them is a pleasure and honestly, that’s so rewarding. Feeling good and being able to smile over things I’ve written is inspiring in itself, I always try to aim to only write things I am willing to read multiple times myself. If I read a scene over and over while editing and find myself bored with it quickly or not vibing with it, I either rewrite it entirely or cut it.  

In general, for me, I want to be able to write something that will connect with anyone reading. I want to make people laugh or tug at their heartstrings or just make them go “awww.” I may not always succeed but that’s what makes me work harder. I’m pretty hard on myself and am always certain my friends are lying when they say they read something I wrote or that they enjoyed it, but I keep going because I still have stories to tell. All I can hope for is that someone out there will care for the content!

What is your favorite fic that you have written? I’d have to say We're Just Flesh and Bone. I really enjoyed writing the short episode tags I’ve done, but Flesh and Bone is actually the first Barisi fic I ever wrote. I started it July 2017 for Camp NaNoWriMo and got to 30k+ then got addicted to fluff for awhile before deciding to return to this fic. It’s dear to me because it’s been with me for so long so the fact that anyone has read and enjoyed it means a lot to me. Some of the comments I’ve received on that fic have nearly made me cry.

On the flip side of that, Kiss Me Like You Did is just getting started but it’s taking on a life of its own and it’s been such a fascinating exercise for me when it comes to characterization. I’m really enjoying navigating the boys through this particular AU, they’re keeping me guessing.

What is your favorite quote from a fic of yours? Ha! Okay, it’s silly, but I’m still fond of something I wrote in the I Won't Even Wish for Snow installment of the Sonny Side Up universe:

“Is it more pathetic than when you froze up on camera then walked off set in front of our live audience because you forgot the Spanish word for turkey?”

It just makes me laugh every time because I can perfectly imagine Rafael getting all huffy and marching his lil legs off set and being petulant about it for the rest of the night. I try not to write things I can’t clearly see any given character doing in my head but listen, Raúl Esparza + hissy fits = best combo.

What is your personal favorite fanfic? Noche Sin Estrella by lambnoire is probably my favorite fic ever. I’ve read it so many times I’ve lost count. I have it saved in iBooks so I can read it on flights and I just never tire of going back to it.

Anything else you would like to add? I love, love, love talking about anything related to Barisi or Raúl and Peter so I welcome anyone to chat with me whenever they want. I love meeting new people with similar interests. I’m most active on Twitter (@rawreesparza, with the extra e) but my inbox here is always open, too. Also, I still have prompts in my inbox that have been sitting forever because I take a whole lot of time to figure out how I want to approach a plot but I will be getting to all of them and welcome more!

A question you’d like to ask another author? Hmmm. Maybe what’s your favorite way to get out of a block or funk? Personally, when I feel words aren’t coming to me, I pick up a book and read. By the time I’m done, my engines are usually fired up enough to get back to creating!

Have an author you’d like us to interview? Please let us know.

#barisi #author of the month #author recommendation #rawresparza #rafaelbaseball

[okreadyscenarios]

Astro Ships: Queen of Disaster ♡♡♡♡

Hi Nessa! Here's my "About me"! My favorite animal is tiger since that is the year I was born~ I BELIEVE IN ALIENS (*cough* BTS's TAEHYUNG). Someone I would talk to is legit ASTRO's Jinjin; he seems very wise and gives off this big brother vibe that makes me feel very comfortable with him. Don't have any fav TV shows since I don't watch TV that often and fangirl instead >:P The funny stories about me are very embarasssing so I won't tell them xD

Hobbies: dancing, singing, calligraphy, painting, eating, cooking, and fangirling ;) I want to change the world by my one true passion: dance; I want to leave my mark on the world by opening a dance studio in Korea and become well-known! I want to chance the world through dance and show that anyone can do it if they just put their heart and soul into it! I LOVE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM (and yes I do love ice cream xD)!

My dreams in life are to move to Korea, join a dance studio, become a background dancer for a K-Pop lable, maybe later on become a chorographer, and make my own studio in Korea! My aesthetics are pale colors, holographic things, the prisims that when you shine the light through it it breaks up the light into the spectrum of colors, and (of course) ASTRO~ I'm superstitious :P I'm kinda senstitive to... the other side (if you catch me) so yeah, I believe in those!

Talents? Hm, dancing? I'm not very good, but I love doing it! Another talent is calligraphy! Not very good at it, but my friends have said it's nice! An actual description from my best friend who is like a sister to me: "You're loyal and trustworthy and funny". Dogs! I loveeeee dogs! My favorite breed is a Corgi! The most important qualities is trust, loyalty, and comedic! Oh~ I listen to all diffrent genres of music, of course K-Pop being the main one!  

The secret of life: happinness. I'm very shy to acutally make friends so if you come up to me and keep talking to me, I'll have the courage to go up to you and develop a friendship! I'm a very complicated person~ I'm adventurous, yet I'm cautious. I'm a risk taker, yet I don't like taking risks! It's weird, I know!

I ship you with Moonbin! <3

Explanation + Fluff:

okay it’s not JUST bc he’s your bias!! >o<

but you two actually work so well together??

I was srsly debating on this

bc at first I thought you and Sanha would be good together

(I had an aesthetic board made up and everything;;)

and in my head it made sense at the time

but then when I tried to write it down

I realized that you and Bin are much more compatible <3

like you’re both risk-takers and adventurous by nature

but you know when to hold back

and Bin knows when to push

so you make a pretty good team~

hear me out on this...

how you two meet is actually pretty funny~

initally JinJin is the first to make friends with you

and he thinks you’re the bees knees

but he also sees the way Bin looks at you~

so Jinwoo decides to play matchmaker

a terrible decision, really;;

but like it’s painfully obvious that he’s setting you two up;;

like he prob texted both of you that there was ice cream in the practice room and to come get some before it’s all gone~

so you two show up like

where’s the ice cream??

why is no one else here???

and then JinJin locks the door from the outside

“they’ll thank me later~”

this boy smh;;;;

so you two are just awkwardly standing there 

and Bin knows what just went down

but like

what can he do about it??

so he just asks you the first thing that pops in his head (since you’re in the practice room...)

“do you like to dance?”

and your eyes light up and you smile and tell him about your dream to open your own dance studio someday

and he just kind of~ <333

bc he’s like so awestruck and inspired by you

like wow you have a rly beautiful dream~~

so you guys hit it off and end up talking about other stuff

like singing and painting and food...

and then he asks if you want to go get ice cream with him once you two get out of here

not like a DATE or anything;;;

you know just to make up for JinJin’s ice cream betrayal

and once JinJin comes to check on you two, you do~ <3

you both end up sharing a zebra ice cream sundae

(you eat the chocolate scoop, he eats the vanilla)

and the rest is history~

i’m taking up too much of this with scenariooooo

apologies;;

I can totally see you two dancing together

since you’re both such excellent dancers~~

being a romantic,

Bin will always want to learn couple dances with you

like tango, waltz, you name it

rly he just likes holding you close <333

he will 9000% adopt a Corgi puppy and name it after you~

not like your name-name

but like he’d call it Angel or Dancing Queen or smth just as corny;;

he loves your calligraphy

like he thinks it’s so cool that you can make pretty things appear on paper??

like swoosh swoosh beautifuuuul

how???

you’re like the coolest person ever~

one time, for his birthday, he asks you to make him a piece of calligraphy for him

so you do this intricate desgin

where it’s like his name really big

but then in the little spaces between the letters

you write little words that describe him

like “sweet”, “puppycat”, “silly”, “thoughtful”

he LOVES it

he hangs it up in his room <3

and everytime he sees it he smiles that cute lil eyesmile of his

he loves wrapping you up in his arms and just hugging you~

possible ship names: BinAna (my personal fave, sounds like banana hehe), LiaBin, MoonNa, LiaMoon

has matching cat onesies with you

(yours is a tiger, his is a tuxedo cat~)

seriously loves the way you smell <3

and seeing your face first thing in the morning is the highlight of his day

tbh

if the secret of life is happiness

then Moonbin’s pretty sure he’s already found it~ <3

This Astro Ship has the Nessa Seal of Approval ~  ☆

Ships open 1/29/17-2/4/17

#astro #astro scenarios #astro ships #Queen of Disaster ♡♡♡♡ #hope you enjoy! #ugh but you're srsly the cutest~ <3 #i ship it so hard #i'm sry these are taking so long you guys ToT #i'll try and do better! <3 #nessa's up way too late on a school night #ahaha #moonbin