#Why when I have like 3 other major WIPs?
Text
Being a shipper in Dorohedoro is so weird because on one hand I want to see Nikaido x Kaiman but on the other hand Kaiman is also Aikawa and Aikawa x Risu has strong hetero life partner vibes but then there's also Kai who is also Aikawa/Kaiman and he clearly loves his homie Dokuga when he's himself (I don't ship this one because I think they have more of a brotherly vibe but I do understand the appeal) also-
Anyways Shin x Noi is universal and perfect and beautiful and this is the one ship I have 100% confidence in
#Oh and there's also Haze x Haru#We love a mad scientist and his devil wife with their 6'0" hominid bug monster#But yeah I love this anime and I'm currently writing new fabrics for it#Why when I have like 3 other major WIPs?#BC I can#Dorohedoro#Kaiman drhdr#Nikaido drhdr#Kai drhdr#Risu drhdr#Aikawa drhdr#Nikaido x Kaiman#Aikawa x Risu#Nikaiman#Risukawa#Airisu
72 notes
·
View notes
Text
RUINED REPUTATION — k. bkg x assistant reader
sum. katsuki bakugo is the #1 professional hero. because of this, he built an agency, and wound up hiring an assistant to help him with publicity and to do majority of his paperwork for him... something he didn’t expect was for that assistant to be so damn attractive.
warnings. smut, mdni! power imbalance (implied), slight degration, risky / quickie, scandal, sort of slowburn, reader had a small quirk (can manipulate small doses of water), intoxication, smut in later parts.
part 1 | part 2 | part 3 (wip)
a/n. ty to @cafekitsune for the borders / dividers!
“YOU do know the risks, right?” my room-mate, mina, says, “i mean, i went to school with bakugo. he’s not a very.. nice person, and publicly placing yourself as his assistant could make you a target.”
i nod. “i know that.” i say, stuffing some things into my purse, “but i need this job. i love you, mina, but right now we kind of need the extra income. we’re not getting much with your job.”
she groans in frustration, “i know! but, all the villains lately just aren’t compatible with my quirk, so i’ve been leaving it to the others..” she sighs, rubbing her face.
“yeah, i know.” i say, slinging my purse over my shoulder, “it’ll just be temporary until you get back on your roll.”
“more like temporary because dynamight’ll kill you before that.” she snorts.
picking up my keys, i scoff, “i’m sure he’s not that bad. maybe he’s just a stressed out person!”
“sure. just come home in one piece, alright?” she chuckles, taking a sip of her cold coffee.
i roll my eyes and step out the door, finding my car and opening my phone for the directions to the agency.
the agency was easy enough to find — right in the middle of town with a sign in bright, orange colours: “the dynamight agency”.
i guess when you’re the #1 hero you don’t have to be scared to be found. in fact, looking at the giant building, i suspect he wants to be found; to be challenged, and to show them why he has the title of number one hero.
..and i also suspect this guy needs a serious ego check.
but i couldn’t lie and say i didn’t feel nervous. anxiety rushed through me, daring to glue me to this spot and not enter the building.
despite this, i walk through the front doors accidentally pushing a pull door and make my way to the front-desk where a pretty woman sits with two body guards beside her.
“hi,” i whisper, “i’m uh, here for the interview.. for the assistant?”
“oh! yes, you’re right on time.” she smiles, clicking a few buttons on her keyboard, “you’ll have to take the elevator up to the fiftieth floor, and in room A3.
“you’ll find a few of dynamight’s personnel as well as himself. he insisted on being there.. considering if you’re accepted you’ll be seeing a lot of eachother for a long while.”
my heart skips a beat.
“dynamight’s.. gonna be there?” i say, my eyes widening.
the lady hums, nodding her head like it was something normal to sit and have a talk with the number one hero.
i gulp, but mutter a, “thank you,” walking toward the elevators while clutching my purse with clammy hands.
pressing the button to the fiftieth floor, i feel anxiety rush through me. who was i thinking, applying for this job? i can’t handle being the assistant to dynamight!
i groaned, slapping my forehead as the reality finally set in.
i should’ve just listened to mina, and applied for some desk job or something. i figured, why not go above and beyond?
i’m so stupid!
ding!
the elevator doors open, and about a gazillion people rush into the elevator muttering nonsense to eachother or into their phones. majority held a briefcase — some are just holding loose papers, clutching onto them like their life depends on it.
i’m suddenly pushed to the back, and i try to mutter a few “excuse me”s, but to no avail — none of them could hear me, too zoned out in their own realities to care.
i was trapped.
suddenly i hear an explosion. a minor one, but undeniable.
my heart skips out of my chest. was there a villian? i’m in an elevator with fifteen people! i’m so dead. what was i thinking?!
“WHERE IS THAT DAMN ASSISTANT?” a voice screams, becoming louder by the second. “she’s late!”
“i’m sorry, dynamight, but it’s only been two minut-“
“SHUT UP! i didn’t ask you.” dynamight’s voice is now clearly in-front of us.
and then, i see him.
he’s tall, menacing — still in his hero costume that i recognize seeing on television when i was a teenager, just a little changed up.
the look on his face was undeniable. red, hot anger spilled from his aura as his eyes scanned the group of frightened workers, all frozen in place and have halted their calls and conversations.
i feel myself freeze when his eyes glaze over me, before halting. his eyes narrow, before he lifts a hand and points.
“you.” he says. “‘cmere, will ya?”
everyone’s eyes flick to me. i gulp, before nodding and slowly trying to make my way through the crowd.
“well, move out her damn way then!” dynamight hisses, and suddenly i see a path in front of me where there used to be people.
i take a deep breath, and with newfound confidence i walk forward, never breaking my eyes from his as i find myself beside him.
he snorts.
turning on his heel, he begins walking. hesitantly, i start walking beside him. he gives me a quick glare, expecting me to dip behind him but i don’t.
like i said before: he needs an ego check, and this is it.
he scoffs. “so, you’re my new assistant, or whatever?” he says, looking ahead again.
“well, i haven’t done the interview yet. so, maybe?” i say, masking my nervousness by remaining cold still except for my legs that are struggling to keep up with the hero’s pace.
he tuts. “fuck that. you’re hired, from here on out.”
then, he stops. he stands in-front of me, and it suddenly hits me how much taller he is, as he towers over me quite easily.
“which means you’ll do as i say when i say it. you work seven days a week, doing all my boring work i don’t want to do. got it?”
“seven?” my brows furrowed, “the agency said five—“
“yeah, well i say seven.” he spits, before pushing open a door. “this is your office. i’m across the hall.
“you’ll come when i call you. you’ll be dealing with all of my publicity shit as well.”
i shift on my feet. “yes, uh… sir?” i test, cringing at my own words.
his brows furrow, and his chin tips up. “good.” he says, before turning on his heel, “my manager will send you a list of things to do. get working on it.”
with that, he walks away.
my first interaction with my new boss, dynamight, couldn’t have gone any worse.
after the first few weeks, i was spent. i’d never run around so much and dealt with such work since my first year in college.
after a long day in the office, dealing with one of dynamight’s scandals—he had hooked up with another pro hero—i finally was able to go home. it was 5:30, which meant i was already in overtime.
packing up my stuff, i push open the glass door that is my office. music played through my earphones, just a simple playlist that consisted of my favourite songs i grew up on.
“y/n.”
i hum along to the tune, scrolling on my phone as i walked toward the elevator.
“y/n?”
a notification popped up; mina had texted me asking to swing by a grocery store to pick up something for dinner.
as i begun typing a reply, i was quickly stopped when i felt a hand roughly grab my shoulder and turn me around.
my heart stops in my chest as dynamight glares over me, before ripping out my earphone and scoffing.
“i called you fifty times. next time, you’ll listen, alright?” he spits.
“you were— huh?” my brows furrow.
“fuck, are you deaf, or something?!” he stops himself, rubbing his eyes before inhaling a deep breath, “a word. in my office.”
he starts walking to his office, before i speak. “sir, i— i’m already in overtime as it is. respectfully, with your recent.. scandal, i haven’t gotten much time to rest. this is my one time to.”
his steps slowly halt. he turns, glaring with those ruby eyes straight into my soul.
“in my office, y/n. now.” he seethes, “the amount of rest you get isn’t my concern.”
maybe i would’ve gotten more rest if you learned to just keep it in your pants, i think but i do not say.
“you got a problem with my orders?” he stares, testing me, trying to provoke me.
i stare back. with a sharp inhale, i mutter a—“no, sir.” while beginning on my already aching feet.
i hear another notification on my phone.
mina
girl, where are you!! foods gonna get cold
taking a quick look to dynamight, i try to quickly type back.
me
i know, sorry, will be there shortly
mr. explosion murder is mad at me 😬
mina
oh damn
praying 4 u girl
“texting your boyfriend?” dynamight scoffs, to which i quickly put my phone away.
“oh uh— no, sir.” i clear my throat.
he looks ahead and murmurs a, “good.”
“what?”
he opens the door to his office with such force i jump, the door nearly grazing my nose. he stands in-front of it, gesturing for me to enter.
when he does, he closes the door behind him.
i try to mask my nervousness, but it’s nearly impossible—who wouldn’t be nervous to be alone in a room with dynamight?
“what’d you want to talk to me about, sir?” i ask, fixing the glasses on my nose— just a small prescription, mostly for looks since i thought they were cute.
he stalks toward the chair tucked neatly into the desk in the middle of the room. sitting on it, he gestures for me to sit as well.
hesitantly, i do, folding my hands neatly in my lap.
“the board wanted me to discuss something with you,” dynamight states, leaning back in his chair and resting his hands on his open thighs.
oh gods. what is so big that the board wanted dynamight himself to talk to me alone about? was i being fired? was my work not good enough? was —
“your clothing.” he states, “you need to dress more formally.” he looks me over, eyes gesturing to the jeans and tank-top i had on.
i blink. “you.. you pulled me in here just to talk about what i wear?”
he runs a hand over his chin, inhaling. he has a slight stubble along his jaw and neck; the result of overworking himself the past few days.
lately, i’ve noticed a spike in his working hours, working longer than he usually does and longer than he needs to.
the biggest question is: why do i feel like i need to care for dynamight?
“not necessarily.” he states, leaning forward, “i’m going across tokyo for a mission. i want you to come with me.”
“what?” my brows furrow, “why?”
he sighs, “because.. i haven’t been out outside of work since my scandal, let alone talked to the press. i need you there to handle that shit for me so i can do my job.”
i ponder with his words, “..okay. well, i’d have to check with—“
“it’s not a question. it’s your job,” dynamight’s voice suddenly turns harsh, “we’re leaving tomorrow morning. i’ll pick you up by seven.”
“but you don’t know where i—“
“i know where you live.” he says, standing, peering me over when he sees i’m confused, “it’s in your work file.” he adds.
“oh. right.” i sigh in relief, thankful he wasn’t some stalker who found out where i lived by following me home.
wait, why would he even do that in the first place? whatever..
the door opens, and i turn to see dynamight standing irritably beside it. catching up on context clues, i grab my things and rush out the room.
that is, before i’m stopped by a hand on my shoulder. he leans closer, glaring ahead of him. i can feel the heat emitting from his hand, his body, and i freeze beneath his aura.
“and y/n?” he says, “if you’re going to wear that shirt.. wear a fucking bra next time.” he seethes.
practically pushing me out the room, i feel the door slam behind me.
i feel my face flush as i peer down to my shirt — i thought i could get away without wearing one today but i guess i was wrong.
fuck. how embarrassing was that?!
mina:
u alive?
me:
FML!!!
after i had gotten home, i told mina everything. needless to say, she was shocked — “seriously? travelling across the country with bakugo?”
“yeah. and for a week!”
“oh, you’re so done for.” she snorts, “i could barely handle a few hours with that kid back in highschool, let alone be with him all day long.”
i sigh, taking a sip of my water, placing it on the counter as i jump up to sit on it.
“he’s not.. that bad.” i cringe at my own words, “just a little misunderstood.”
“oh, please.”
“serious!” i cry, taking a bite of my donut, “i mean, he is an asshole, but working alongside him isn’t so bad.
“plus, majority of time he’ll just be ripping up some villains. all i get is some sweet vacation.” i shrug.
mina spares me a look, “are you sure you don’t have some sort of crush on him, or something?”
i gasp. a harsh blush finds my cheeks, and i want to crumble in on myself. “what? no!” my voice cracks as i am quick to defend myself.
she snorts. “you’re only ever like this when you have a crush!”
“am not.” i say, hiding my face from her.
“you’re blushinggg..” she teases, “you so have a crush on him!
groaning, i jump off the counter and make my way to the couch instead of the kitchen.
“don’t try and hide it!” mina calls from the kitchen. i roll my eyes and ignore her, flicking on the television.
the news was on.
the lady on the screen speaks, “number one hero, dynamight, was seen only two days ago with a top-ten hero. rumours have speculated about the two — are they dating, or was it just a fling? here’s what we think…”
i groan. another mention of this stupid scandal was gonna make my head explode.
the press didn’t know who it was he had slept with, but i did — it was double trouble, a hero with a doubled voice quirk that could control others bodies.
i always thought she was cool. standing at fourth place, she was a well known pro-hero in the area.
and also known to be happily married with two kids.
so why, on earth, did dynamight have to sleep with her? he had to be stupid to, she was pretty, but he really needed to get better with his publicity skills.
being the cause of an affair wasn’t getting better at it.
and if any information got out of it being double trouble, he’d not only have ruined his reputation but ruined double troubles life.
so, i spent the last week making sure every last bit of this scandal was wrapped up and sealed away. everything on the internet, security cameras, was wiped out of the world.
turning on one of my favourite shows, i set down my phone and get comfortable on the couch.
finally, i could relax.
and slowly, but surely, i fall into a slumber.
..
nearly an hour later, i hear a knock at the door. i groan, annoyed my sleep was disrupted and even more annoyed someone decided to knock on my door at midnight.
“can’t i just get one night of peace?” i mumble to myself as i push myself off the couch, fixing the tank-top strap on my shoulder.
walking to the door, i run a hand through my hair to attempt to tame the wild mess caused by sleep.
i open it, the door creaking as i did, peeking my head out the door. and…
i see no other thank katsuki bakugo, better known as dynamight.
he’s clutching the side of his torso, clutching the doorframe as he attempts to keep himself up.
he looks up, cheeks flushed, wearing casual wear — well, casual until you see the giant blood stain ruining his white tee shirt.
“i.. i didn’t know where else to go.”
286 notes
·
View notes
Text
Do You Know What Shovels Dig? Graves Part 6
And this is it. The last part of a short little idea that kept me up all night that turned into this beautiful story that is one of my favorite stories I’ve written.
WIP Wednesday allowed me to finish this up for you before I went to bed. I got a job that I will be starting on Monday which will slow my writing down some, but I will still try to keep up on the stories I have. I love writing these stories for you guys and wish I could make it my job. But alas, capitalism.
Also this is for all the people that wished to see what the Corroded Coffin boys would say and for all the people that wanted to have Erica actually apologize. I was like “if you guys can get her to apologize, great, because I couldn’t!” But then I realized that there was someone who could get her to apologize. Robin. So here you go.
Thanks to that anon for the barbecue idea. That’s here too.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
*
After Max, Lucas, and Erica had gone, Steve sat with Eddie, El, and the Byers boys.
“I think all in all,” Eddie began, “those were some pretty good apologies.”
The other three nodded.
Steve sighed. “It doesn’t change the fact that it took an actual honest to god intervention to get them realize they were wrong.”
“No it doesn’t,” El said. “Which is why I told them that they’ve been grounded from Steve for two weeks.”
“Uh...” Eddie said, “what now?”
“It means,” Will explained. “That if they want to hang out with him they have to do on his terms, not theirs. No begging for rides, no stopping by for food and then bailing, and just no taking advantage of Steve.”
Steve blushed. “Thanks, guys. I mean it. It was nice knowing that there were people that weren’t going to threaten me and took this whole seriously.” He gave Jonathan’s knee a squeeze. “I’m not sure what would have happened if you hadn’t stopped by. But I’m really glad you did.”
Jonathan squeezed his shoulder in response. “Me, too. I hope they learned their lesson.”
“That is the hope,” Will said.
Steve scratched his cheek. “Why don’t we have barbecue at your guys’s place after the two weeks and see how they fair?”
Will brightened. “I like that idea. That way if they are still having problems we can talk to them about it.”
“Do you think your mom will go for it?” Eddie asked.
Jonathan grinned. “Hell yeah, she would. She’s been wanting to show off her new house to everyone for awhile now.”
El grinned too. “We have a plan, then!”
*
Steve was pleased to see that the Party actually started to make actual changes in how they treated him.
Lucas invited him out to play basketball at the rec center and biked himself there. Steve offered him a ride home after, which he happily took as they were both sweating afterwards.
Dustin made sure that Steve knew he was joking when he was making comments. And Steve made sure to snark right back unless it really bothered him and then they would talk about it.
Robin and he had a longer talk about the gay vs bisexual thing. She admitted that she had been wrong to assume that because Steve was bisexual that it would be Eddie getting his heartbroken and not Steve. She had some ingrained biases that she had to get over and was really sorry she didn’t have his back when he needed her to.
There were a lot of little changes but the final major change came a couple days after the intervention when Jeff, Gareth, and Brian all walked into Family Video together to properly apologize to Steve.
“Hey, Buckley,” Jeff said, “can you give us some space?”
Robin straightened her spine and wiggled her shoulders. “Steve has had apology monitors to ensure that it’s an actual apology, and as Eddie or Will or Jonathan aren’t here, it’s going to have to be me.”
Steve laughed and shook his head. “Apparently there are certain people who think I’m too nice,” he explained to the other boys, “and let people get away things that I shouldn’t so they took it upon themselves to be my guard dogs to make sure it’s an actual apology.”
“Have they met you?” Gareth asked, incredulous. “You’re the original bitch.”
Steve laughed again. “Who let Tommy and Carol walk all over me. I tend to roll over for friends.”
They blinked and then nodded.
“Yeah, okay,” Brian said. “That tracks.”
Steve just smiled. “So how can I help you fine gentleman today? May I interest you our latest releases?”
That got a couple chuckles out of them.
“No, man,” Jeff said, “we’re here to talk about the whole shovel talk shit.”
Steve leaned against the counter and folded his arms. “You do know I don’t fault you guys for that, right? You guys are Eddie’s best friends. I didn’t really fault Wayne, either. But the execution of that one...” he winced when Robin gasped. “Poor choice of words, sorry.”
“What he do?” Jeff asked.
“Borrowed Chief Hopper’s shotgun and cleaned while we talked,” Steve said with a grimace.
“That ain’t right...” Brian said, shaking his head.
Gareth looked at Jeff and then back to Steve. “Yeah, but here’s the thing about our shovel talk...”
“It wasn’t necessary,” Jeff finished for him. “We’ve had time to get to know you before you and Eddie started dating. We knew that you two would do anything for each other even without being a couple.”
Brian nodded. “It’s just...something we thought best friends did. The whole ‘break his heart, we’ll break your knees’ kind of thing.”
Robin looked down at her feet and cleared her throat.
Jeff sighed dramatically. “Please tell me she wasn’t one of the ones that gave you the shovel talk. Because that’s messed up, man.”
Steve looked over at her and then back up to Jeff. “Yeah, she knows.”
“By the way,” Gareth said, waving his hands, “Eddie doesn’t know we’re here. So I don’t want thinking this is a forced apology or anything.”
Steve raised his eyebrows. “Really?”
Brian cleared his throat. “I mean he did threaten to kill off our characters if we were mean to you, but he didn’t tell us to apologize or anything.”
Steve laughed. “That sounds more like the Eddie we all know and love.”
“But we would have come anyway,” Jeff said. “Because our shovel talk added to a heaping pile of bullshit that you didn’t need. And definitely didn’t deserve.”
“So this is us saying we’re sorry that everyone you knew decided that you were going to break Eddie’s heart,” Gareth said. “And that we made you feel like you weren’t worthy of dating Eddie. Because you are, man. Like seriously the only guy Eddie’s brought around that we actually want to be friends with.”
“Hell yeah,” Brian said. “You’re so cool and you love to take care everyone. We’d want you to stick around because we like you, too.”
Steve’s eyes blurred and he cleared his throat. “Thanks, guys. It means a lot to hear you say that.”
They all came up and gave Steve a hug, blocking him from outside viewers so he could cry. Once they were sure he was going to be okay, they let him go.
They said their goodbyes and walked out, leaving behind a stunned Robin and grateful Steve.
*
Just before the barbecue started Robin brought over Erica to Steve by holding her ear.
“Ow! Ow! Ow!” Erica was yelling as she was half dragged over to him.
Robin sat her down and said, “I learned that this little hobgoblin didn’t properly apologize for her shovel talk. And Eddie let her get away with it.”
“God, what’s your problem?” Erica huffed up at Robin. “They understood. Why can’t you?”
Robin grinned. “Green ooze, little girl. Green ooze.”
Erica’s jaw snapped shut. If Sherlock Holmes had his phrase for humbling him when he got too proud, this was Erica’s. She was going to drink it before it turned out to be acid. Like literal acid.
She turned to Steve. “Shovel talks aren’t right and no one should be giving anyone shovel talks because it’s a pointless exercise in latent hostility. So I’m sorry I contributed to an archaic practice used by bullies and abusers. I won’t do it ever again.”
Erica looked up at Robin, who gave her the thumbs up. Erica hopped up and ran off to play.
Steve blinked up at Robin in shock. “Like how the hell did you manage that?”
Robin just batted her eyelashes and said nothing, walking away with a whistle on her lips and a swagger in her step.
Eddie came up to him in shock. “Did I just witness an actual apology from Lady Applejack?”
Steve nodded mutely.
“I think I’m more afraid of Robin, now,” Eddie muttered and Steve could only agree.
*
Eddie was starting to see a trend. One that made him laugh the third time it happened.
The first, though? Claudia Henderson.
“Eddie!” she greeted warmly. “I haven’t seen you around much. How have you been?”
Eddie smiled at her. Even before the Upside Down, Claudia was one Eddie’s favorite people. She was bright and happy and loved her wacky son with all her heart. Something that Eddie could absolutely get behind. “I’ve just been busy. But name the date, and I’ll be there.”
She smiled back. “That’s sweet, dear. You know you have an open invitation. But why don’t you and your uncle come over for Sunday dinner. Steve has already said yes for himself.”
“Sounds great, Mrs Henderson,” Eddie agreed.
“How are you and Steve?” she asked gently. “Dusty was telling me that Steve hadn’t been doing well lately.”
“We’re good,” Eddie said bobbing his head. “Things got a little rough a couple weeks back, but we’re on firmer ground now.”
She patted his cheek. “You really need to be taking better care of that boy. He looks tough on the outside, but he needs someone who can take care of him, yeah?”
Eddie smiled. “Of course. Taking extra good care of our Stevie is my number one priority.”
She nodded and went to go make sure Dusty was eating enough.
The next one was Karen Wheeler of all people. Ted was suspiciously but expectedly absent. She came up to Eddie and introduced herself.
“You must be Eddie!” she said with smile that reminded him of that Dustin Hoffman film.
“Oh hello,” he replied a little confused.
“Nancy has told me all about you,” Karen said with that same smile. “She’s always going on about how Steve finally found the person he was meant to be with and what a great person you are.”
Eddie smiled back. “Nancy’s a great girl.”
She sighed a little, her smile turning into something a little more genuine. “I miss having Steve over. Jonathan is great boy for my Nance, but Steve sparkled where Jonathan only shines.”
“I won’t argue with you on that one,” Eddie said. “But then Jonathan isn’t my type.”
She swatted at him playfully. “All I’m trying to say if that Steve is a good boy and deserves only the best. So you’ll take good care of him, won’t you?” It was sweet and sincere, but a hint of steel. And suddenly Eddie knew where Nancy got her backbone of steel from.
“Always,” Eddie promised, hand over heart.
“See that you do,” Karen said and wandered off to compare brownie recipes with Joyce.
The third was a squirrelly looking balding guy with thick glasses and far too knowing stare. He had come with Chief Hopper and had spent most of the night watching Eddie. He had asked Nancy who he was and she said his name was Murray Bauman and he was a conspiracy theorist. Which really didn’t clear anything up for him, but this rag-tag group of rebels and fighters were all a little weird.
He wandered over to Eddie and looked him up and down. He said in a clear voice, “I have seen things you wouldn’t believe, I’ve done things that would make your hair curl on end,” he stopped for a moment, “make it curlier and I know where the bodies are hidden. If you hurt Steve, you’ll be the next one.”
“Murray!” Hopper yelled. “What the hell was that? Why would you say that?”
Murray blinked at Hopper and then tilted his head. “Because we love Steve?” He says long and slow like he’s talking to a stupid person.
Eddie burst out laughing.
“No, no,” he said between giggles. “It’s fine Hopper. It’s all fine!”
Murray looked him over again and then nodded. “Yes, you’ll do.” And then he wandered off back into the house as if he had done what he had come to do.
A few minutes later Steve came up and sat next to Eddie. “I’m sorry, I don’t even know what that was.”
Eddie giggled and bumped their shoulders together. “It’s fine, sweetheart. It’s actually kinda adorable.”
Steve frowned. “What is?”
“That it’s the moms plus Murray here,” Eddie said jerking his chin in the direction Murray had wandered off to, “that are the most protective of you. Both Mrs Wheeler and Henderson have told me under no certain terms am I allowed to hurt you and that I’m supposed to take care of you.”
Steve blinked and searched the crowd for Claudia first. She spotted him looking at her and she waved at him. Steve smiled and waved back. Then he searched for Karen. She didn’t look at him directly, but merely winked and went back to talking to Wayne about something he couldn’t quite hear.
“Oh.”
“But don’t you worry, darlin’,” Eddie purred. “I’m gonna take very good care of you.”
Steve kissed him, slow and deep. “And I will always take care of you, Eds.”
“Perfect.”
It really was.
***
Tag List: @justforthedead89 @zerokrox-blog @ihavekidneys @didntwant2come @thelittleclare @liorereshkigal @estrellami-1 @swimmingbirdrunningrock @telidina @stevesbipanic @paintsplatteredandimperfect @a-little-unsteddie @jonesn4coffee @resident-gay-bitch @obliosworld @croatoan-like-its-hot @evix-syne666 @emly03 @wonderland-girl143-blog @bookworm0690 @mysticcrownshipper @i-must-potato @pnk-lemonades
522 notes
·
View notes
Text
A GAME OF CRUELTY (pt. 1)
PAIRING: jay x fem!reader (ft. heeseung)
GENRE: hunger games au (pre second rebellion), neighbors to friends to lovers, angst
SYNOPSIS: after years of praying to not get picked for the reaping, the odds end up not being in y/n’s favor and she is chosen as district 7’s female tribute. she plans to simply sacrifice herself early, since it would be nearly impossible for her to beat all the other tributes and make it back safely to her now ex-boyfriend, ethan. but her perspective of the games change when her next door neighbor, jay, is chosen as the male tribute—and maybe her feelings towards him will change, too.
WARNINGS: mature themes (violence, death), major character death, descriptions of violence and injuries, love triangle, swearing, reader uses she/her pronouns, use of the binary genders to refer to the reaping tributes
WC: 10.3k
NOTE: hello hello !! the first part of my hunger games fic is finally here!! again, i tried to keep things as accurate as i could but this is set in the year before katniss and peeta were reaped, which means i don’t have a lot of set info to use. there will be a pt. 2, so if you’d like to be tagged pls reply to this post or my wips page! thank you and i hope you enjoy the read!! <3
reaping day. the most dreaded day every single year.
every year, two children between the ages of twelve and eighteen would be chosen as tributes to participate in the annual hunger games. they would fight against twenty-two other tributes to death, leaving only one survivor as the victor of the games. it was cruel, vicious, and the reason why y/n couldn't sleep peacefully every summer night.
y/n exited her house with a slip of paper in her hand. her boyfriend, ethan lee, had just sent her a little note asking for her to meet him in a nearby forest. it was the last year he would be reaped, so y/n brought a deer trinket from the local market as a gift.
once she locked her front door, she took a quick look around her neighborhood. it was like any other day in district 7, except that anyone could sense the dread in every single civilian's face. parents, grandparents, and children alike all held the same expression.
it only soured y/n’s mood. being the only child of her family, y/n’s mother stressed every single year over the possibility that her daughter could be chosen for a game that leads straight to death. it broke y/n’s heart to see her mother cry next to their fireplace every night, praying that her only child wouldn’t become a victim of the games.
her father wasn’t any different. although he was a man of few emotions, y/n could see how relieved he was when her name wasn’t called out during past reapings. his way of showing care was by teaching her how to throw axes from a young age. although he claimed that it was just a skill for her to use in “necessary circumstances”, y/n knew that he meant for it to be used in case she got reaped.
clutching onto the deer trinket tightly, y/n began her trek to the forest. it wasn’t uncommon for her to meet up with ethan in a forest--after all, they lived in district 7. the sounds of birds chirping filled her ears as she entered the area, accompanied by the droplets of rain falling from the night before.
she stepped over logs of wood on the ground, most likely left over from a recent lumber job. passing by the stream that marked the center of the forest, y/n made a sharp right turn, walking in the direction of the border to district 9.
y/n stopped several meters away from the fence that marked the border, decorated with large warning signs. she scanned the area around her but there was no sight of ethan.
“ethan?” she called out, her voice reaching to the dense tops of the forest.
it was silent for a moment before she heard movement above. “up here.”
she snapped her head towards the sound, now noticing ethan on top of a tree branch. he pushed himself off, landing safely on both feet on the padded ground.
“hey,” he said, approaching y/n.
“hey,” she whispered.
they stood in comfortable silence for a moment, savoring the seconds they could spare with each other. y/n was the first to speak, fiddling with the metal trinket in her hand.
“i brought you this,” she began, holding out the deer-shaped item to him. “take it as a good luck charm.”
ethan’s hand gently took the trinket, running his thumb over its grooves. his lips curled into a smile as he responded, “thanks, y/n.”
but the smile didn’t last. he swallowed thickly before continuing, “so, uh, i asked to meet you to tell you something.”
y/n nodded. “i’m listening.”
ethan paused for a moment, closing his eyes before taking a deep breath. “we…we need to break up.”
y/n could feel her heart drop. her breathing slowed as her mouth ran dry. she couldn’t understand the sudden request. hadn’t she been a good girlfriend?
“w- what?” she spluttered. “why?”
“it’s reaping day,” ethan solemnly stated.
“yeah, but this happens every year!” y/n retorted, feeling frustration rise in her voice. “plus, it’s your last year being reaped!”
“that’s the point, y/n!” ethan groaned, brows furrowing. “it’s my last year! do you know how many times i’ve applied for tesserae? my name’s in there twenty fucking times, y/n.”
y/n gulped. she knew ethan’s family wasn’t well off and that he had family members he needed to provide for, but she didn’t expect that he applied for tesserae that often. she could feel tears well up in her eyes, heartbroken for his situation.
“i have such a high chance of getting picked,” ethan whispered, worry clouding his eyes. he delicately held y/n’s hands, causing her to raise her head. “if i die, i don’t want you to hold onto me.”
“you’re not getting picked!” y/n screamed, ripping her hands away from his. “ethan, you’re the only man i love! you can’t just end things like this!”
she crumbled to the ground, hugging her knees to her chest. hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she sobbed, feeling the gentle rubs of ethan’s hand on her head.
“it's not fair!" she wailed. “it’s not fucking fair!” deep down, y/n knew that ethan was right--he did have a higher chance of being picked, and that tore her apart.
"nothing is fair here," ethan mumbled, hand tangled in her hair. "but i just want you to know that if i do get picked, please...take care of my family for me."
y/n sniffled and nodded her head. "thanks," ethan whispered, the ghost of a smile on his lips.
a sudden gust of strong wind blew onto them, causing both of them to look up. a blimp flew across the forest, stripping trees of loose leaves and ground of dry dirt. they both immediately knew what it meant, sharing a look together.
"it's time."
rows of teenagers stood in front of the hall of justice, surrounded by members of the capitol with cameras and film equipment. peacekeepers had already flooded the district, running identification checks and bordering the area for the reaping. y/n could still feel her finger throbbing from the prick she received mere minutes ago as she stood in line.
the large screens next to the stage had already began running, displaying the various members of district 7. y/n could spot a pixelated version of herself, clad in a modest white sundress and matching white ballet flats. she turned her head to the left, spotting ethan standing in his row in no time.
but he wasn't looking at her. he kept his head forward, a solemn gaze on his face. y/n turned her head back around, letting out a pained sigh. she knew that whatever emotions he was feeling at the moment could never be experienced by her, a girl who lived in an only child household in a moderately well off neighborhood. but she couldn't help but feel selfish, desperately wanting ethan to be spared from the cruel hands of the reaping.
so she prayed. she clasped her hands together and lowered her head. please, she thought. please don't pick ethan. please let the odds be in his favor, just this once.
the sounds of footsteps coming to a stop and doors opening caused y/n to raise her head, eyes now fixated on the marble building in the front. members of the district government and previous victors of district 7 entered the stage, followed by a woman with a bright smile on her face.
luxurious, velvety, emerald green clothing adorned her body along with a matching sun hat and dozens of gold jewelry. her heels clicked on the wooden stage as she made her way towards the podium, perfectly glossed lips framing her pearly smile.
"welcome! welcome, welcome," she announced, her cheery voice echoing throughout the area. "once again, i am your district escort, tiffany young! happy hunger games! and may the odds be ever in your favor."
tiffany cleared her throat before continuing, "now! before we begin, we have a very special film brought to you all the way from the capitol!"
she raised her glove-clothed arm towards the screen as a video began playing. "war. terrible war," president snow's voice boomed from the speakers.
y/n noticed several girls around her rolling their eyes. she couldn't blame them. it was boring having to watch the same video every single year, especially when it did barely any justification for the games.
she turned her head to look behind her at the crowd of parents. she spotted her mom, head down and whispering words, most likely prayers for her daughter. her father was next to her, a comforting arm wrapped around his wife as he stoically stared at the screen.
it was just like every year. what was there to worry about?
y/n glanced at ethan. he had the same expression as her father, but she could see that he was chewing on the inside of his cheek. a soft sigh left her lips. there was one thing to worry about--ethan.
she decided to pray once more, lowering her head and squeezing her eyes shut.
please, pick anyone but ethan. i beg for you to spare him.
"this is how we remember our past," the voice of president snow stated. "this is how we safeguard our future."
"what a remarkable film!" tiffany gushed as the music began to quiet. "now, the time has come for us to select one courageous young man and woman for the honor of representing district 7 in the 73rd annual hunger games."
y/n felt her heartbeat quicken as she watched the escort's smile grow. "as usual, ladies first."
tiffany walked to the reaping bowl with poise, heels echoing in the silence that overwhelmed the district. she reached a gloved hand in, fishing for an entry slip. she gently selected one, returning to the podium elegantly.
tiffany took the liberty to clear her throat as she undid the delicate tape on the paper slip. she glanced at the crowd before announcing the name with a smile.
"y/n l/n."
the world stopped for a moment. y/n couldn't prevent the ringing in her ears as her lips parted in shock. the pounding in her chest increased to a ridiculous speed as the girls around her turned, isolating her from the crowd. her hands grew clammy as tiffany laid her eyes on her, the smile on her face appearing more sinister than before.
"come on up, dear!" the escort called, her voice sounding sickly sweet in y/n's ears.
y/n's feet moved slowly, dragging against the gravel on the ground as she passed by her fellow civilians. she didn't dare to look up from her pathway, shrinking at the feeling of thousands of eyes on her.
she could feel the peacekeepers behind her place their hands on her back, guiding her to the stage. her eyes were shaking, losing sight of each step she was taking.
she grasped onto the railing of the stairs, barely feeling the soles of her feet. she could see tiffany at the top of the stairs, reaching a hand out to her. "come, come!" she said to y/n, gesturing to her with her hand.
y/n gratefully took it, allowing the texture of her velvet gloves to bring her back to reality. tiffany placed her other hand on her shoulder, gently leading her to the left side of the podium.
"well, let's have a big hand for our first tribute, y/n l/n!" tiffany declared into the microphone.
the weak applause clouded y/n's head, contrasting the striking speed her heart was thumping at. she used the last of her strength and consciousness to lift her head, searching the crowd in front of her.
she could spot her mother's face, frozen with shock and panic. her father's mouth was open, completely bewildered and in disbelief. y/n moved her eyes to the crowd of teen boys, where she found ethan already staring straight at her, a fresh tear sliding down his cheek.
y/n swallowed thickly, not breaking the eye contact. here she was, standing on a stage that she never thought she would be standing on. her lips quivered as she gained the strength to mouth an "i love you", triggering a rush of tears to ethan's eyes.
she chose to cut the eye contact after that, unable to watch her ex-lover cry. she stared straight at the wooden floor, biting her bottom lip in an attempt to hold back the tears in her eyes.
"and now for the boys!" tiffany stated.
the escort walked to the reaping bowl on the opposite end of the stage, quickly plucking a slip from its depths and returning to the podium. she let out a small hum before unfolding the slip.
"jay park."
y/n raised her head to look at the crowd. the boys had distanced themselves from the said person, who looked just as surprised as y/n was when she was chosen.
y/n recognized him. he was her next door neighbor, a boy known for being respectful and hard-working. at just a year older than y/n, he was preparing to enter the workforce full-time, learning the ups and downs of his family's lumber business. he was known to be skilled with axes and saws, his muscular arms and broad chest proof of it all.
he wore a white dress shirt and black slacks, dark hair slicked with gel and neatly combed. the peacekeepers guided him to the stage, his dress shoes sounding every step he took up the wooden stairs. he stood on the other side of the podium, observing the crowd from his new perspective.
y/n turned to ethan, a part of her relieved that he wasn't picked. but he clearly did not feel the same, his eyes now red and cheeks stained with tears. he looked at y/n so hopelessly, it made her feel ashamed for feeling even a bit of relief.
"shake hands, you two!" tiffany's voice said, snapping y/n out of her trance.
she glanced at jay, whose eyes were already on her. they quickly joined hands, jay's large one wrapping around y/n's shaking one.
"happy hunger games!" tiffany announced, her smile brighter than before. "and may the odds be ever in your favor."
y/n had spent the last few minutes curled up in the corner of a room in the hall of justice, sobbing to herself as she processed what just happened. in the span of just several minutes, she had been chosen as a tribute for her district in a game of death.
her grip on her knees tightened. although her father had somewhat prepared her for this scenario, there was no way in hell that she would survive the hunger games. sure, she knew how to throw axes and she was pretty good at climbing trees, but she was sure that it was nothing compared to what other tributes can do.
she felt her tears flood out as she fell into a hole of despair. it was impossible for her to win, huh? i'll just die first, she decided, choking out her sobs. i'll die first so that my parents won't gain false hope. i won't let them waste tears over me.
the creak from the door opening caught y/n's attention. a peacekeeper held it open, allowing her parents to step inside the room. "you have three minutes," he stated before shutting the door.
y/n immediately stood up, running to her parents. "mom! dad!"
her mother engulfed her in a tight hug, warm tears falling onto y/n's shoulders. "my precious, sweet little baby...why is the world so cruel to you?" she whispered, her voice thick with anguish.
y/n only cried harder, burying her face into her mother's neck. "you don't deserve this, baby," her mother weeped. "you deserve to live a happy, long life with us."
"m- mom, i'm gonna die," y/n babbled, feeling her words slur after crying for so long.
"don't say that, please," her mother begged. y/n could feel more droplets of warmth land on her shoulder. "please, please! don't ever say that again."
"y/n, you have to try your best," her father's voice reasoned. "you need to fight until the end."
y/n could only cry more, letting out a gut-wrenching scream. "i- i don't wanna leave so early..."
she could feel her mother squeeze tighter as her sobs got louder. "baby, y- you know we love you so, so much, right?"
"yes, mom...o- of course i know."
"please, live. for us."
the sound of the door opening caused y/n to hold onto her mother tighter, watching the peacekeepers heard towards her parents through her swollen eyes.
"no! stop!" she yelled, gripping onto her mother's arm. she could feel another peacekeeper restrain her from behind, ripping her away from her parents.
she wailed, pushing away the peacekeeper. she watched her mom get dragged out of the room, burying her face in her hands as her back shook from the intensity of her sobbing. her father turned around, sending a solemn smile to her.
she watched a stream of liquid drop from her father's eye. it was the first time she saw her father cry.
the door slammed shut for a moment before it reopened, a tall man entering with a peacekeeper at his tail.
"ethan!" y/n ran to the boy, who let her press her puffy face on his chest.
he rested his head on top of hers, hugging her hair while closing his eyes. "i thought it was going to be me," he whispered, breath shaky. "but it turned out to be much more worse than that."
he gently cupped y/n's face before bending down, swiftly connecting their lips. wet with tears, their lips molded against one another, filled with desperation and despair.
they separated after a moment, allowing ethan press his lips against y/n's forehead as she sniffled. "i still love you, y/n."
his words only caused her to choke out another sob. "i'll love you forever. you know i love you so."
the dreaded door opened once again as a peacekeeper pulled on ethan's arm, forcing him away from her. his eyes welled with tears once more as he mouthed another "i love you" before the door shut, physically separating the two.
y/n collapsed to the ground, screaming as she punched the ground with her fist. i love you too, ethan.
after what seemed like hours of crying and peacekeepers forcing her into a carriage, y/n had somewhat collected herself, lightly sniffling as she gazed out of the window.
tiffany seemed almost unaffected by the girl, chattering about the capitol to jay with a grin on her face. she would spare a glance at y/n every so often, but decided to not speak to her, assuming that she wanted some personal space in the cramped carriage.
before they knew it, they had arrived at the train station. "just an hour and we will arrive at the capitol!" tiffany cheered as they boarded the train.
as soon as they entered, the tributes were greeted with luxury they had only dreamed about before. crystal chandeliers, gold-plated silverware, and plush cushions were laid out just for them. glass displays held varieties of baked sweets and savory bites, followed by an impressive selection of beverages stored in crystal pitchers.
y/n’s mouth gaped at the sight, slowly stepping into the train cabin. of course, the capitol is different.
“now, now, sit down children!” tiffany sweetly said, guiding the two with gloved hands on their backs to a table. “i’ll be back in just a moment!”
y/n hesitantly sat down in a chair that was much too lavish for her, practically swallowing her in the lush cushioning. jay followed in suit, seating himself next to her.
“this is insane,” jay muttered, eyes fixated on the delicate china set on the table.
y/n hummed in response, blinking her swollen eyes as she took in her surroundings. “it’s crazy how we went from being neighbors to sacrificing ourselves for our district,” she mumbled, a frown etched onto her face.
jay could only sigh at the comment. one day, they were going about their daily errands, chatting as the children of families who lived next door. the next, they were seated in a high-speed rail train on the way to the capitol, where their desperate battle for survival would be broadcasted for all of panem to see.
“y/n, jay, i want to introduce you to someone!” tiffany’s bubbly voice rang.
the escort approached the table, followed by a woman sporting a coffee brown blazer and a matching pencil skirt. her raven black hair was highlighted with scarlet red streaks, all tied back into a ponytail that moved from side to side with each step she took.
she slid into the seat across from y/n, a cold expression on her face as she crossed her arms over her chest. “this is johanna mason, victor of the 71st hunger games!” tiffany introduced, elegantly seating herself next to the said woman. “she will be your mentor as a victor from district 7.”
silence overcame the room. y/n and jay stared at johanna expectingly, who was avoiding their gazes by locking her eyes onto the table in front of her. tiffany sat perfectly straight, her smile slightly faltering at the sudden change in volume.
“well,” she said, standing up and brushing off her velvet skirt. “i will leave you three to it!”
her emerald green stilettos clicked against the hard floor as she moved to a cabin next door.
“so, you’re the unlucky pair that got pulled into the games this year,” johanna grumbled, eyeing both of the tributes. “i’m not someone who’ll sugarcoat things, so you both better be fucking prepared for what i’m about to say.”
y/n and jay nodded, eager to hear from a fellow district citizen and a victor of the games.
“you have literally no chance of winning.”
johanna’s words caused y/n’s heart to drop. she could tell that jay was experiencing the same, tension quickly swarming around the table.
“but you have a good chance of surviving longer if you follow my advice,” she continued, resting her elbows on the polished table.
johanna picked up a gold butter knife, running her fingers along the edges. "you're not a career district, but you're not the most disadvantaged. that's what 7 is--always stuck in the middle. lumber is all we're known for, so everyone who watches the games knows that we can handle our axes. but don't let them think that."
she stabbed the table with the knife, causing both of the tributes to flinch. "you need to act weak," johanna declared, looking at both of them in the eye. "that's how i won. make them believe you won't survive anyway, hide, and attack at the last moment. fool them. use their stupidity to your advantage. that's the only way a middleman can win."
she turned to jay, ponytail following her head movement. "you. jay park, seventeen. i heard you're already in the lumber business."
"yes, ma'am," jay replied, a little intimidated by johanna's stare.
"don't call me that, it makes you sound like a pussy," johanna spat, leaning back in her seat. "call me johanna."
"yes, johanna."
she let out a hum of approval. "are you good with any weapons?"
"i've worked with axes and saws," jay answered. "i've done mostly chopping, cutting, and sanding my whole life. some heavy lifting and business communication, too."
"great, strength and customer service," johanna summarized with a nod. she turned her head to the right, locking her eyes onto y/n. "now you. y/n, seventeen. any experience with weapons?"
"my father taught me how to throw axes since i was little," y/n responded. she found herself fiddling with the hem of her dress, nervous for her new mentor's reaction.
"axe throwing, i like it," johanna replied. "unfortunately, there are no throwable axes offered in the games, so you're sort of fucked there."
y/n felt her breath hitch. before she could speak, johanna continued, playing with the knife stuck in the table, "but knife throwing isn't far from axe throwing. plus, if you train enough, you might be able to throw the axes they have."
y/n let out the breath she was holding in, somewhat relieved by her mentor's response. she had never felt so grateful towards her father.
"now, this whole week is dedicated to preparing for the games," johanna stated, changing the topic at hand. "you will spend your time training, being interviewed, being tested, and kissing up to sponsors. unfortunately for you both, your first day has already started."
the windows of the train transitioned from dark to light, beams of sun flowing into the cabin. a huge body of water could be seen surrounding hundreds of high-rise buildings made with sleek designs and accompanied with phenomenal technology.
johanna eyed the two tributes with astonished looks on their face, curling her lips into a small smirk. "welcome to the capitol, bitches."
y/n stood next to a chariot, adjusting the corset on her body. she had just spent the last few hours being completely tortured, aka hours of waxing and plucking. if that wasn't enough, her stylist completely ridiculed her for having a puffy face after crying, embarrassing her in front of the whole prep team.
she had never wanted to go home so badly.
but here she was, dressed like a capitol darling in getup she could have never pictured herself in. a forest green corset was bound tightly around her waist, hugging the black long-sleeved bodysuit embroidered with gold leaves underneath. a matching black maxi skirt was wrapped right under the corset, with layers ruffled and seams sewed with gold thread.
thick, gold hoops hung from her ears and gold cuffs banded her wrists. her hair was combed and let down, decorated with a single gold barrette embellished with emeralds. her eyes flaunted deep, green eyeshadow shimmering with gold pearlescent glitter and long, curled and lengthened eyelashes. her lips were painted with a warm brown lipstick, matching the color of her nail polish.
y/n had never felt so out of place. she shifted her weight, feeling uneasy standing in such tall heels. how do people in the capitol dress like this everyday?
her eyes caught jay heading to the chariot, adjusting his own gold cuffs. his chest was covered with forest green armor, accented with gold leaves. his biceps were framed with a long-sleeve compression shirt, perfectly sculpting the curves of the muscles. black slacks accentuated his long legs, held on his waist by a black and gold belt. his hair was slicked back and his ears were cuffed with gold earrings. glittery green eyeliner bordered his eyes and his lips were plush and pink- wait, why was she looking at his lips?
y/n blinked. she couldn't believe how stylish (and incredibly attractive) her next door neighbor looked. the most they had seen each other in were the formal attire they wore for reaping day every year to look somewhat acceptable on public television. but now, now she understood why he was such a hot topic among the girls in her neighborhood.
jay's eyes met hers and he flashed a small smile, finishing his trek to the chariot. "you look amazing," he said, a few strands of gelled hair slipping out of place and framing his forehead.
"same goes for you," y/n breathed out, sending back a smile of her own.
they could hear a dramatic gasp and turned, spotting tiffany and johanna heading towards them. "my darlings, you look absolutely stunning!" tiffany squealed, clapping her hands as she walked.
"trees, trees, trees," johanna groaned. "that's all that damn stylist can do. get some fucking creativity, people!"
"johanna!" tiffany yelped, slapping the mentor on the shoulder. she faced the tributes once again, adorning a bubbly smile. "well, i think you both look absolutely wonderful."
"at least it's better than mine, i guess," johanna grumbled, crossing her arms. "now, today is all about beginning to attract some fans. act friendly, smile, and wave. don't do anything stupid and you'll be fine."
the static from a speaker could be heard as caesar flickerman appeared on a screen. "that's our cue to go!' tiffany exclaimed. "we'll see you later, darlings! and remember, smile!"
their escort and mentor left, following the crowd of other district team members. jay let out a soft sigh before saying, "it's time for us to get ready, then."
y/n hummed. jay stood next to the entrance of the chariot and held out a hand. "ladies first," he stated with a smile.
thump! y/n was glad she had a full face of makeup on to hide the heat spreading on her cheeks. she delicately took his hand, feeling her heartbeat increase as she stepped onto the chariot and held onto his gentle hand.
jay followed after her, accidentally brushing his shoulder against hers. she could feel the warmth radiating from his body due to their close proximity. her hands gripped the railing of the chariot, squeezing the metal tighter as she tried to not focus on the boy next to her.
the crowd outside began to grow louder as the first chariots were released. she could hear caesar flickerman from the screen, gushing with claudius templesmith about each of the tributes' stylistic costumes.
before she knew it, the horses in front of her began moving, pulling their chariot closer to the entrance. bright stage lights shone in y/n's eyes, blinding her for a second.
she felt jay place his right hand on her left, tapping her two times. "smile, y/n."
and so she did. y/n parted her lips to reveal the most dazzling smile she could, the sound of cheers filling her ears. but she missed the sweet smile jay gave her as her eyes adjusted to the new lighting.
the unsteady movement beneath her feet and the overwhelming amount of viewers caused her stomach to churn, but the hand on top of hers provided her a newfound source of comfort. she swiveled her head around, making sure to keep her bright smile plastered on her face.
the audience was full of people sporting vibrant garments and bizarre accessories. colored eyelashes the length of a hand, dyed hair in all sorts of purples and pinks, and puffy sleeves adorning shoulder after shoulder. it was beyond anything y/n could've imagined wearing, but here she was, standing in almost identical clothing while they observed her like a character in a game.
after all, that was all she was to them--a new addition to their cruel game that they watched eagerly every single year. to the ultra-wealthy, it was all fun and entertainment. but to her, it was a one-way ticket to her death.
she felt the smile on her face falter, gulping before stretching the corners of her lips wider. now was not the time to think about those things. she needed to attract sponsors to gain even a minute more of survival in the arena.
so she stood up straighter, flashing her most welcoming face that she could. the heat from the torches that they sped past only added to the adrenaline rush she felt running through her veins. her eyes flickered to the dual screens above the audience, catching the cameras filming their chariot.
she glanced at jay, who's smile was just as charming as ever. his jawline was firm and sharp, a charismatic feature that the capitol's cameras easily captured. his eyes shone with determination, a look that many could only find in the careers.
y/n felt a sense of pride in the moment. proud to have jay as her partner, proud to hear positive reactions from the audience, and proud to be from district 7.
the horses made a turn, slowing their pace down as they brought the chariot to a stop. a gust of air brushed past them as they left the heat of the runway, ending their time in the spotlight of the tribute parade.
y/n allowed her lips to relax, scanning the environment around her. the last few chariots were filing in, all carrying tributes dressed just as extravagantly as them. she watched as the sponsors in the audience screamed with energy, enjoying the last moments of the parade.
she could see the cameras pan to a podium above the tributes and turned to face it. there president snow stood, waving to the crowd with a small smile.
the audience grew quiet as he cleared his throat. "welcome. tributes, we welcome you," president snow announced. "we salute your courage and your sacrifice. and we wish you, happy hunger games! and may the odds be ever in your favor."
y/n felt her eye twitch at his words. before she knew it, the chariots began to move again, pulling all of the tributes out of the spotlight as the crowd cheered one last time.
in just a couple of more days, y/n had found herself on the last day of training.
johanna had taught her the differences between throwing knives and throwing axes, and so she had adjusted her training accordingly. she had quite a bit of trouble at the beginning, but eventually adapted to the new weapon quickly.
now, she was more determined than ever to try her hardest in the games, no matter what it took.
she practiced climbing structures and creating fires with jay. they talked more over identifying sources of water, studying types of infection, and spying on the other tributes. jay had taught her how to properly use a tactical axe and y/n had showed him how to aim weapons in long-range fights.
she learned that jay was talented at cooking and often tried new recipes for dinners on weekends. he informed her about the small pieces of etiquette he picked up on at formal business meetings at meals in their apartment. within just two days, she found herself closer than ever to her next door neighbor.
they shared secret smiles during training sessions, had late-night talks after hot showers, and gave each other words of encouragement every morning. he cut her steak for her at dinner, she wiped his sweat after training, and they held hands on the way to the basement of the training center, squeezing each other tightly as a way of supporting each other.
they had become close friends in such a short span of time, but they wouldn't tell each other about the deeper feelings that were brewing in their chests.
johanna slapped both of their backs as they stood in the elevator on the way to their private training sessions, where they would be officially scored by the gamemakers. "now, i would say act weak, but you two have showed off way too much during your training," she spoke, a hint of playfulness in her voice.
"so instead, go for something more average," she instructed. "like a seven. or a six. miss two shots but hit one. you won't get as many sponsors but at least you'll be off of some of the tributes' radars."
johanna sent both of them a small grin. "good luck to you two, and be as average as you can!"
her words caused both of the tributes to chuckle, exiting the elevator once the doors opened. "bye, johanna!" y/n called, waving to their mentor.
johanna just leaned against the glass windows of the elevator, shaking her head with a smile.
the two district 7 tributes entered the gymnasium's waiting room through automatic sliding doors, finding many other tributes already sitting inside. thick tension clouded the room, causing the small smiles on their faces to drop.
they were finally here on their last day of training, two days before the games would begin.
they sat down on stools labeled with their district's number, eyeing the other tributes warily. the careers sat with confidence in the front, cocky as ever with smirks on their faces. on the opposite end, the lower districts were hunched and fidgeting, anxious for the evaluation.
once again, y/n and jay stood in the middle, both figuratively and literally. y/n swallowed thickly, suddenly feeling a little parched. sure, she had trained long and hard to adapt to knife throwing, but her skills were definitely not on par with a career who had been throwing knives her whole life.
she glanced at the district 1 female tribute, who was giggling at something her partner had said. y/n had observed her throughout their training sessions, taking the time to understand her style of fighting and her precise aim. y/n wasn't unaware of her surroundings either, finding the tribute's gaze on her multiple times.
she fiddled with her fingers, suddenly feeling her hands grow clammy. "jay," she whispered, catching the boy's attention who responded with a soft hum. "do...do you think we can ever defeat the careers?"
jay glanced up, taking a quick look at them before replying, "well, they're not invincible, are they?"
y/n let out a soft chuckle at his words. "sure, they attended a special training academy and whatever, but we've played around with axes since we could hold a pencil," he continued, wrapping his arm around her and rubbing her shoulder comfortingly. "like johanna said, we just need to deceive them to win. after all, we might not need to fight them for them to die. a nasty ego is just as bad as a sword through the chest."
jay gave her one last pat on the shoulder before facing her. "don't underestimate yourself. you've worked hard and deserve to show off a little."
y/n smiled, gazing into his kind eyes. "thanks, jay," she said. "you deserve it, too."
he smiled back, staring straight into hers. they sat in a comfortable silence, neither of them breaking the eye contact. y/n was thankful that the room wasn't dead silent, otherwise everyone could hear how loudly her heart was thumping.
the warmth in his eyes, easing all of the tension in her body. the way his pupils dilated the longer he stared at her. the reflection of the light in his eyes, highlighting his soothing gaze.
for a moment, she swore that she saw jay's eyes flicker to her lips. but the sound of an alarm interrupted their silence, catching the attention of all the tributes.
"the private training sessions will begin now."
y/n let out a quick breath, seeing jay do the same in her peripheral vision. she squeezed her eyes shut, holding her head in her hands. how could she think about anything else other than the evaluations at hand?
but no matter how stressed her mind was, it couldn't stop the pounding in her chest. heat rose to her cheeks as she replayed the moment in her head, remembering the split second jay eyed her lips.
time flew by as her head ached, split between worrying about her private session and processing the feelings in her heart. she felt ashamed with herself--it had not been long since ethan broke up with her and she was confident that she still had feelings for him. so why was her heart fluttering around another man?
before she knew it, district 6's tributes had finished up and the waiting room was half empty. "district 7, y/n l/n," the electronic voice announced.
y/n stood up, stretching her limbs before heading towards the gymnasium entrance.
"hey y/n!" a voice called through the silence.
she turned around, looking at jay, who now had everyone's attention. "be average," he said with a grin, causing y/n to smile.
"you too," she replied, pointing at him.
she could hear him chuckle as she left through the sliding doors, taking one more deep breath before entering the gymnasium. the training room was cold, with little light illuminating the large area. she could hear the chatter of the gamemakers in a room above, observing their little festivities with food and drinks.
y/n walked to the marking in the center of the room, making sure to look at all of her surroundings. three targets shaped like humans were placed at a certain distance from her marked spot. to her left was a spread of different knives, all set neatly on a placemat and a table.
she turned around to face the gamemakers, who were enjoying their cocktails above. "y/n l/n, district 7," she introduced herself, catching the attention of the head gamemaker, seneca crane.
he swallowed his sip before nodding to her, prompting her to begin her chosen skill. she picked up a knife, gripping the wooden handle tightly.
she held her breath, focusing her eyes on the target and balancing herself. be average. she let her eyes lower before throwing the knife as powerfully as she could.
the thigh. not a critical area but definitely a shot that could cause lots of pain. she heard some pleased reactions and some mocking chuckles from the gamemakers.
y/n continued, grabbing a longer knife. she planted her feet, eyed her target, and threw the weapon.
the edge of the arm. another painful area, but not a critical one. definitely less impressive than her last shot. she heard more chuckles this time but didn't mind them.
she brushed her hands over the rest of the knives, taking the time to weigh her options. she decided on a thicker knife, with more weight and less speed.
she stood on the marking, once again. she took in a sharp breath, holding it as she positioned herself. eyes straight on the target, soles flat on the floor, and arm in the air, tensing with energy. she threw with all her might, a shout coming from her lips.
right smackdown in the heart. she huffed, staring at her work in disbelief. a few whistles and weak applause could be heard from the gamemakers as she faced them and bowed, taking her leave.
she was met with johanna and tiffany at the entrance of the district 7 apartment, who clapped loudly for her.
"that was wonderful, darling!" tiffany cheered, flaunting a hot pink tulle dress and matching accessories. "you did amazing!"
"great job on being mediocre, y/n," johanna commented with a chuckle. "that last shot was nice, though. definitely will bring you some sponsors."
"thanks, guys," y/n replied with a smile.
"come, come! jay's evaluation is playing," tiffany said, ushering y/n to the couch in front of the television screen.
she sat down on the soft cushion, shimmying a bit to get more comfortable with the skin-tight training clothing she was wearing. johanna stood behind her, resting her arms on the frame of the couch as tiffany elegantly sat down.
y/n could see jay on the screen with a tactical axe in hand. he swung the weapon around, hitting vital spots of the dummies surrounding him. the camera panned to the gamemakers, broadcasting their impressed faces as they discussed his skills.
he finished up by chucking his axe straight at a dummy’s head, the weapon slicing the head straight down the middle. jay took a moment to catch his breath before bowing in front of the gamemakers, ending district 7’s private training sessions.
y/n gulped. she knew jay was good, but the evaluations showed her a new side of him. one that was vicious, determined, and confident. there was no doubt that he would be a threat in the arena.
the television screen flickered off and tiffany stood up immediately, clapping her hands. “marvelous! just marvelous!” she gushed. “what talented tributes we have this year!”
“you should’ve seen the beginning, he purposely dropped the axe on a dummy’s foot,” johanna said with a light laugh. “i think he took my advice a little too seriously.”
y/n snickered at the comment, standing up from the couch. “he’ll be here any minute now!” tiffany exclaimed, rushing to the door to greet him.
as soon as y/n and johanna caught up to the escort, the door opened, revealing jay with a tired smile on his face. sweat stuck his loose hair to his forehead and his chest puffed with each breath he took.
“darling, you were outstanding!” tiffany squealed, patting him on the back. “just wonderful! the sponsors should be piling in as we speak!”
“nice job, jay,” johanna complimented. “i liked the part where you dropped the axe on the foot.”
jay chuckled, giving the mentor a playful glare. his eyes shifted to y/n, who was already smiling with pride.
“you did amazing, jay,” she said, causing him to grin.
“thanks, y/n. you did well, too.”
“now, wash up, children! i don’t want this apartment to be reeking of sweat!” tiffany ordered, prancing off to the kitchen. “and remember that they will broadcast the results this evening!”
after an afternoon of resting, a hearty dinner, and a lighthearted sunset watch, the district 7 team sat around the television screen, patiently waiting for their results. caesar flickerman held a rare serious expression on his face as he relayed all the information off of his cards.
the room was filled with a thick silence with everyone sitting perfectly still. the anticipation grew every minute as everyone watched eagerly, paying close attention to the other tributes' scores. per usual, the careers scored high, with the district 2 male scoring an eleven. y/n chewed on her bottom lip, the worry at the back of her mind beginning to grow.
there was less than 48 hours before she would be in the arena, fighting against each and every one of the tributes displayed on the screen.
once the district 6 tributes' results finished up, y/n could feel her heart beating unbelievably fast. it was the first time a test result could determine life or death for her, and the tension in her body came to an all-time high.
as caesar flickerman changed his cards, y/n felt a hand creep towards hers, gently intertwining their fingers. she turned to her left, spotting jay mouthing an "it's okay" to her. her chest heaved as she tried to calm herself down, forcing herself to breathe slower.
jay gave her a quick nod before facing the screen once again. "from district 7, y/n l/n..."
y/n whipped her head to the screen, not blinking once as the world stilled around her. she could feel herself squeeze jay's hand tighter, holding her breath for a single moment.
"...with a score of six."
she released the breath she was holding, relaxing her grip on jay's hand. she could feel johanna pat her shoulder in approval. "that was very average, y/n. an exact 50%."
a part of y/n was glad that she would be able to escape the careers' watch, but another part of her was worried about receiving little support from sponsors. but she chose to not fret about that as she flinched at how strongly jay held onto her hand.
she glanced at him, realizing that it was the first time she saw jay so visibly anxious. the typically calm and laid-back boy was now tense and nervous, a light sweat forming on his forehead. she could feel his palms grow clammy as he clutched her hand tighter, awaiting his results.
"and from district 7, jay park...with a score of eight."
cheers erupted from the room, a delightful squeal coming from tiffany. "jay, darling, you are spectacular!" she gushed, clasping her gloved hands together.
"great job, jay," johanna said with a nod. "but you'll have to be careful now. you're on par with the careers, which means that you've spiked their interest."
"nice job, jay!" y/n exclaimed, taking his hand into both of hers. he grinned and replied, "yours was good, too."
"well, all that's left for you two is to charm the audience tomorrow!" tiffany cheered, standing up. "rest well and wake up early! i will teach you all the interview etiquette you need to know!"
"and don't get too comfortable with each other!" johanna sternly teased. "you are on a survival show, not a dating show."
as they shared the final laughs of the night and prepared for bed, y/n couldn't help but ponder over her mentor's words. what johanna said rang true, even if it was intended to be a lighthearted joke. in the end, they were competitors in a game, even competition for each other.
she climbed into her bed, burying herself underneath the lush covers. she knew it was wrong for her to think about anything other than survival, especially when her inevitable death was approaching extremely fast. so why did her heart beat so fast when he touched her? why was she so unbelievably comfortable with someone she had just began considering a friend four days ago?
why was jay on her mind every night as she fell asleep, worrying about the games?
the eve of the hunger games. y/n stood in line, right behind the district 6 male tribute. she shifted her weight, watching the interviews commence from the screen backstage.
her stylist chose to dress her in a cream chiffon gown, the torso embellished with pearls and yellow topaz. her shoulder straps were loosely draped with layers of chiffon strung together. gold droplet earrings and a thin, double-layered gold necklace accented her ears and neckline. her hair was tied up elegantly, bound with matching gold ribbons. her eyeliner was drawn with gold glittery liquid, two yellow gemstones glued right underneath her lower eyelids. she shifted once more, balancing on her gold stilettos cuffed to her ankles.
the district 6 tribute in front of her peeked over her shoulder, throwing her a sultry grin. "looking good, seven," he commented, adjusting his black tie.
before y/n could respond with a snarky remark of her own, a hand was placed on her shoulder as she felt the heat from a body close to hers.
"i suggest you turn back around, six," the voice of jay, now sarcastic and brooding, spoke out. "your interview is starting."
as the slightly flustered tribute entered the stage, y/n faced jay, now realizing exactly how close they were. his face was mere centimeters from hers, a firm stare in his eyes.
unlike her, jay was clad in a sleek all-black suit, with gold cuffs and a gold handkerchief in his breast pocket. his hair was styled into a comma, eyebrows brushed and sleek, and ears adorned with multiple gold studs and loops. his eyes were painted with the same gold eyeliner as y/n and his fingers were wrapped with gold rings.
she could feel the heat from his breath, smell the subtle scent of his body wash, and hear the low beating of his heart. the hand on her exposed shoulder dropped, causing her to look up at him. he had taken a step back, repositioning himself in the line.
"you good?" he asked, a concerned expression on his face.
"yeah...i'm okay," she mumbled, turning back around.
she stood still, trying to calm the clamoring in her heart. she fanned herself with her hands, cooling down the heat spreading on her face. to others, it looked like she was flustered to be next on stage. but she knew that the fluttering in her stomach was for a completely different reason.
the audience applauded as the district 6 male finished up his interview, taking a large bow before leaving the stage. caesar flickerman laughed loudly and faced the cameras, microphone right underneath his chin.
"now, district 7, with gorgeous outfits for gorgeous tributes. let's hear it for y/n l/n, seventeen from the seventh district!"
y/n inhaled sharply before stepping into the spotlight, flashing a bright smile as she waved to the audience. the cheers grew louder with each step she took, shaking hands with caesar before sitting down in the interviewee's chair.
she sat with one leg crossed over the other and hands placed on her top knee, just like tiffany instructed her to. "welcome, y/n!" caesar exclaimed with a grin. "how are you liking the capitol?"
"it's very different from home, that's for sure," she responded with a light nod. "i have to say, the fashion here is quite extraordinary. never could i have imagined that i'd be wearing a ballroom gown, talking to a man with bright-red hair in front of the whole nation."
caesar paused for a moment, touching his said hair. "are you talking about me?"
"yes, i'm talking about you, caesar," y/n replied with a laugh.
the host let out a hearty chuckle, causing the audience to laugh along. "now, speaking of home," he continued, leaning towards the tribute. "is there anyone special back there? someone you're interested in? there has to be someone interested in you--who wouldn't fall for this stunning smile?"
y/n felt her smile falter as the audience cheered at the comment. caesar's question suddenly reminded her of the boy back at home, most likely watching the broadcast while he worked late hours to provide for his family. how could she forget? the day he ended their relationship, right before she got pulled into the games. she realized that the days she spent in the capitol were void of ethan, her mind completely focused on training and the day she was dreading.
and maybe a different boy, too.
but caesar's question caused her to swallow thickly, feeling guilty for forgetting about him. the boy she promised her heart to, the one who gave her his love seconds before they were ripped apart.
"well...uh..."
she found herself unable to think of a straight answer. "there...there's this boy..."
caesar hummed, egging her on. "he's the most wonderful person ever, kind and caring, a complete family man," she added, a smile forming as she thought about ethan. "he always prioritized others before himself. took care of his siblings when his parents couldn't. made sure to ask me if i ate even when he had no food."
but the smile didn't last long, soon dropping before she continued, "but we ended things before the reaping because he thought he was going to be reaped. he didn't want me hanging onto him if he died in the arena."
a dry chuckle escaped her lips. "but here i am, standing here instead of him. i guess things didn't turn out the way we expected them to."
caesar had a pitiful expression on his face as the audience cooed, some sniffling in the crowd. "i'm sorry about that," he said, placing his hand on top of hers. "i wish you the best of luck in the hunger games."
"thanks, caesar," y/n replied, shooting him a small smile.
"well, there we have it, ladies and gentlemen," the host concluded, helping her stand up. "from district 7, the brave and courageous y/n l/n!"
he raised her hand, letting y/n take in all the applause as the crowd stood and cheered. she left momentarily afterwards, welcoming herself into tiffany's arms backstage.
"darling, you did amazing," she said, rubbing her shoulders soothingly. y/n knew why tiffany was reacting this way but chose not to speak, appreciating the moment of comfort the escort provided her.
she escaped her arms, stepping closer to the screen backstage to watch jay's interview. he was already on stage, seated next to caesar with a charming smile.
"so jay, tell me, how is it that such an attractive man is sitting here right next to me? hm? do tell."
jay chuckled at the host's comment. "well, i'm just alright. but if you insist, i think it must be the brows."
"no need to be humble, jay. but are my red eyebrows as dashing as yours?" caesar questioned, raising his brows repeatedly. "if i'm being honest, i think mine are better." the audience howled with laughter, causing both jay and caesar to join with the crowd.
"now, tell me," the host continued. "do you have a special someone? our gorgeous district 7 tributes surely do not lack in the beauty department, do they folks?"
the audience cheered as a soft smile formed on jay's face. "look at him! jay park, with the jawline and the muscles! surely you had admirers back home, didn't you?"
jay chuckled again before speaking, "well, caesar, i wasn't really that desirable-"
"humble again," caesar interrupted by fake-whispering to the audience, inducing more laughter from the crowd.
"-but i did have my eyes on this girl from home," jay finished, piquing the host's interest. "oh! do tell."
"she's from the same neighborhood as me," jay added. "actually, we're next door neighbors."
the audience gasped with excitement and shock. but y/n froze, eyes never leaving the screen backstage. she knew that no one in the capitol knew they were next door neighbors--nobody except for y/n and jay themselves.
"i wish i could've talked to her more before i left, but i was reaped unexpectedly," jay said with a frown.
caesar matched the frown on the tribute's face. "well, you go out and win those games, and you tell her how you feel when you get home, okay?"
jay awkwardly smiled, responding with a small, "okay."
"ladies and gentlemen, the charismatic jay park from district 7!" caesar finished, triggering cheering and applause from the audience.
y/n watched as he exited the stage, approaching where she was standing with their team. tiffany immediately sauntered up to him, patting him on the back. "marvelous, darling! you answered so well!"
jay shot a weak smile at the escort before meeting y/n's eyes, already knowing that she figured it out. he quickly left backstage, heading towards the elevator to go to their apartment.
but y/n followed him, narrowly squeezing into the elevator just before its doors closed. jay gulped, avoiding her eyes as she stepped closer to him, leaning against the glass windows.
"jay," she began, softening her voice. "was...was that about-"
"yes."
he locked his gaze with hers, clenching his jaw tightly. "it was about you."
y/n's eyebrows furrowed, parting her lips to speak. "but-"
"i'm sorry that i feel this way and i completely understand if you don't feel the same," jay interrupted. "but nothing is going to change how i feel. i know that one of us will die, or maybe even both of us. but i can't help it."
the elevator dinged, its doors opening to the seventh floor. jay exited, followed by y/n, not turning around to look at her as he stopped at the entrance of their apartment. "i have feelings for you, y/n. and i know i shouldn't be having them when we're fighting against death in less than 24 hours."
"jay, wait-"
he opened their apartment door, immediately leaving her at the foyer as he made a beeline to his room. the loud slamming of his door echoed around the apartment, making an obvious statement to y/n.
y/n could barely force herself to sleep last night. with the hunger games dawning upon her and jay's words ringing in her ears, she spent most of her night tossing and turning under the covers.
but as she sat in the jet, transporting her to the arena with a tracker in her arm, she realized that the one event she dreaded most was finally happening. there was no turning back--the games were about to begin.
johanna led her to her tube in the launch room, brushing off her brown jacket seconds before the tributes had to be ready. y/n's hair was tied up away from her face, sporting a cropped vest of armor and black cargo pants under her long track jacket.
"remember, avoid being lured into the cornucopia but grab anything nearby," her mentor advised, straightening the collar of the jacket. "and find a source of water and food as early as possible. burn out all fires before it gets dark and make sure to hide well."
johanna paused, placing her hands on y/n's shoulders. "and please, stay alive. i believe in you."
y/n nodded. "thanks for everything, johanna."
the mentor smiled, a hint of uneasiness in her face. "they'll start the countdown soon. don't jump off the pedestal early, or they'll blow your guts out."
y/n stepped inside the launch tube, watching as the glass door swiveled around to a close. she felt the ground beneath her rise as johanna waved goodbye to her, causing y/n to smile sadly back.
she turned her head upwards, squinting her eyes as the dark space flooded with light. her tube stopped moving, locking into place as a burning heat overwhelmed her body. she scanned the arena, her heart beating faster than ever.
"the countdown begins now. 60..."
it was a ruined city. all rubble and dry concrete. the sunlight was pelting on them like a fire, breaking the tributes out into a sweat. a single pillar, chipped at some of the edges, was surrounded by backpacks and weapons alike. some of the supplies were spread out, varying in locations across the cornucopia.
"...45..."
y/n noticed a backpack a couple of meters away from her. she locked her eyes on it, planning to grab it before running.
"...30..."
she blinked harshly, the dryness of the heat getting to her eyes. she noticed jay several pedestals away from her, already looking at her.
"...20..."
her hands were already sweaty and shaking from both the anxiety and heat. but jay's eyes comforted her, slightly relaxing the stress in her body. it was as if all the tension from last night between them evaporated into thin air.
"...10..."
she felt her chest heaving, struggling to breathe from the rapid beating in her chest and the dust in the air.
"...9..."
she closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down.
"...8..."
she inhaled slowly and took her time to exhale.
"...7..."
she opened her eyes, adjusting her eyes to the bright sun again.
"...6..."
she eyed the backpack in front of her, feeling her heart racing even more.
"...5..."
she looked at jay, who was preparing to run.
"...4..."
he met her stare, their eyes locking with each other.
"...3..."
she mouthed a "stay alive."
"...2..."
he nodded as his lips said, "you too."
"...1..."
within the end of a second, the 73rd hunger games had begun.
© snwpcktz
taglist: @kpopstanmeg @kyunlov
#snwpcktz long fics !#a game of cruelty#jay#enhypen#jay x reader#enhypen x reader#enhypen jay#enhypen fic#jay fic#jongseong#jongseong x reader#park jongseong#jay oneshot#enhypen jongseong#jongseong oneshot#jongseong fic#jongseong imagines#enhypen angst#enhypen oneshots#enhypen imagines#jay oneshots#jongseong oneshots#hunger games#hunger games au#jongseong angst#jay angst#heeseung#enhypen heeseung#heeseung x reader#heeseung oneshots
314 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Deep Roads are Complicated, and I am in too Deep...
I've been working on and off at mapping the Deep Roads for a while now and after writing 4 pages explaining my methodology of why I think it is mapped the way I put it and then moving on to orienting the ttrpg thaig map, I realized something while taking notes on the directions mentioned and cross-referencing it to the description of Horrors of Hormak thaig description.
You can't map the Deep Roads from a top-down perspective because sometimes the roads change directions and aren't actually going in a straight line.
They need an orthographic map. Or a map that essentially bisects the mountain. The literal map in the corner of both the Origins and ttrpg maps. The maps... that have increments of depth.
Now, I knew that the deep roads had to change elevation, especially considering how they're described and the way they're supposedly below sea level for most thaigs.
But somehow, despite knowing that, I never considered that thaigs and the roads themselves would essentially be stacked on top of each other. Don't know why that never crossed my mind up until I was checking my notes and the passages of the ttrpg and Horrors of Hormak to confirm directions. To which it finally clicked as they both explain how there are galleries/antechambers and staircases/pathways that change directions.
How do we get to the thaig?
This tunnel leads to a series of galleries. Think of them as interconnecting wide flights of stairs linked together and occasionally switching direction. We head down these for a
few hours and we’ll be on the outskirts of the thaig.
-- Dragon Age Tabletop RPG, Buried Pasts p. 18
Beside him, Lesha muttered a word and her staff began to glow. She pushed it inside the entrance to the hole, giving light to the darkness within.
The edges of the circle cast by Lesha’s spell revealed a small staircase that descended into an antechamber slightly larger than the clearing above, carved with a skill and delicacy that rivaled the works of Orzammar, or even Kal-Sharok. At the other end of the chamber, a doorway and a second staircase beyond that which spiraled into the darkness, the entire space lit by the glow of lyrium. And above the entrance, written in dwarven runes, a single word—Hormok.
-- Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights, Horrors of Hormak (p. 86)
Which then gave me pause and had me rereading and looking back at the map. Because the maps looked like they were straight and didn't initially give the impression of any verticality to them. Until you look in the corner. That's when it clicked for me and the mountains suddenly made more sense.
And now I'm screaming about it here. Because both maps are depicting a small chunk of mountain(s) in the Frostbacks. Which, for reference, my wip of the Deep Roads looked like this.
If you follow BioWare's scale of 1 square = 15 miles / 24 km - if the Deep Roads were in working order the journey to the anvil would only be roughly around 2.5-3 days journey. However, we know to get to the anvil and back to Orzammar is a month-long trip. So, with the darkspawn and collapsed tunnels it becomes a 2-week journey there and 2 weeks back. Which is quite a large jump in travel times.
I have a personal scale based on population size, megafauna, and the fact that it is supposed to take over a week to get to the Circle from Orzammar on the surface, among other travel time increments. Which makes each square 38 mi / 61 km. A 4-5 day journey from the anvil to the void when functioning.
Now, I think this map still holds up in terms of placement considering that mountains can have a wide footprint and the map on the Origins Deep Roads has at least two major peaks and a plateau, whereas the ttrpg just has one major peak and a couple of smaller ones. The ttrpg map also speaks of ravines and such so it fits the geography.
But yeah, long story short I need to revise some of my methodology; and maybe rescale the map, so things aren't super tiny.
#dragon age#dragon age maps#deep roads#dwarves#thaigs#dragon age origins#dragon age tabletop#dao#da ttrpg#long post#no cut because if I'm here you're here lost in the deep roads with me#archi is yelling
44 notes
·
View notes
Text
A Bunch of Underrated POTO Fics I Like
There are some really great Phantom fanfics on AO3 from @wheel-of-fics and @catcorsair and others getting a lot of traffic. But there are a few out there that I've read where I've though "holy Hera, why do these not have more hits?" Here are some of my favorite fics with 5,000 reads or less (and one that has more but it's honestly one of the best fics I've ever read). All are rated E or M. I also have a major pet peeve in the fandom which is character assassinating one of the boys so Christine can choose the other. Most of these do not do this.
A Deal with the Devil by Lunescape. Raoul and Erik have fallen into an enemies-with-benefits arrangement that, so far, has kept Erik from Christine. But when Raoul makes a bargain with Erik to stop him taking her, he finds that a deal with the devil is not so easily evaded. Complete.
Notes: This is the one on this list that blessedly has more than 5K hits, which is a very recent spike since it was completed in December. A friend and I were both reading this from when the author started first posting and were screaming pretty much every chapter. Gothic horror and smut, really well developed non-self-insert OCs who interact with the main trio (and Philippe) quite well.
2. A Little Menagerie series by Lunescape. Erik/Raoul/Christine throuple series. Well written dynamic on each of the pairings and all three of them. Complete.
Notes: Why on earth aren't there more trio throuple fics? Ive read these ones multiple times, I have no idea why they are so under-read.
3. L'Apparition Initiale by Xanadian_Sled. The Angel of Music reveals himself before Christine as a mortal man for the first time. This is the story of that initial appearance and the whirlwind of remarkable events that followed. WIP.
Notes: Leroux-accurate what-if-things-went-differently to pair E/C together. The only thing I don't like about this one is my personal pet peeve of character assassinating Raoul in order to have him not be viable, but it's at least sort of believable and E/C have a nice dynamic.
4. Etudes by @or-what-you-will. A series of "seriously how is there not more smut about these scenes from the ALW musical that are begging for a smut fic to be written?"
5. Just Enough Rope by @or-what-you-will. In which Raoul learns something about himself during the events of the final lair. Complete.
Notes: E/R breathplay fic.
6. Only if For a Night by @obliobla. It was only right that it happened here, now—the furious mob quelled, the gendarmes' search abandoned. Raoul, recovering from the punjab lasso, secure in his victory, in theirs. Tomorrow, she would be his before the world, in the full and pure splendor of day. But tonight…Complete (short, one-shot)
Notes: Superb mostly-Lucifer fic writer Obli's first foray into our POTO brainrot and she crushes it.
Also, please read my stuff.
48 notes
·
View notes
Text
Just posted a new fanfiction!
RK900 aka Nines is deviated by Connor and is looking for something to do. He joins the DPD after the revolution and gets assigned as Gavin's partner. Gavin isn't exactly fond of Androids and they have a pretty rough start. They slowly get used to each other until Gavin messes up and they have to start all over.
This is a Reed900 slow burn, it will take some time for the two of them to see eye to eye.
The fic includes several cases, investigations, lots of banter and bickering, angst, fluff and eventually, smut.
Read the first chapters now on my AO3:
More information about the fic and the writing process under the cut.
Some chapters will include art.
I wrote the first draft of this fic right after playing the game for the first time in 2021. It's been sitting in my WIP folder, waiting to be beta read and edited up until now. I'm still beta reading it to make sure the story is consistent.
This was the very first DBH fanfiction I ever wrote and some scenes of my Big Bang 2023 fanfiction was heavily inspired by it. Which is why some of the scenes might seem familiar to those who read it.
The fic was inspired by all the fanart, fanfictions I read right after playing the game. Sadly I didn't have an AO3 account back then, which made it hard to try and find all of the fics I read back then.
The two works I clearly remember are:
A major inspiration for it was the Reed900 comics and animations by liteperezito. If you haven't already, go check them out, the comics are amazing! You can find them on the website.
And of course the fanmovie Detroit Evolution of octopunkmedia, I can't even recall anymore how often I watched it. The movie had me hooked the moment I saw the intro and heard the music. It's just amazing! You can watch it as well as Detroit Reawakening on Youtube. And you know what? I'll go and watch it again.
There are also two people I would like to thank right away. @glxyqst and @cptjh-arts who had my back with moral support and brainstorming when I didn't want to work on the fic anymore. Thank you both, you're amazing. <3
#dbh#detroit become human#gavin reed#dbh gavin#detroit: become human#reed900#dbh rk900#dbh nines#rk900#dbh fanficion#dbh fanart#my writing#long post
29 notes
·
View notes
Text
"I'm gonna say something. Are you listening?"- Frankie "Catfish" Morales, Triple Frontier
Good. Thanks Frankie.
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately.
About fandom in general, interactions or lack thereof, how something you can feel so happy and passionate about can make you sad at the same time.
The idea of no longer sharing my fics has also been something that's crossed my mind on numerous occasions, but at the end of the day I WANT to share them. I am proud of them and I figure if they make me this happy, I hope they can make someone else happy too.
I continue to trek on, trying to compartmentalize my feelings and press on, creating fics I think others will enjoy as well, and praising the gorgeous man who plays gorgeous characters whose stories I love to change or extend.
Recently, I've felt guilt. Guilt that I haven't been creating and posting enough things for you to indulge in. And then I remember that in the last 4 weeks, I wrote and posted 3 fics.
3 fics where a majority of the reblogs are my own, and most of the notes are likes.
I'm feeling this way because of the lack of interaction. I'm not blaming or pointing fingers or trying to extend any guilt to any of you (and thank you endlessly to those who do reblog and comment and send messages and have conversations about them 💗) But I can safely say that this is a widespread issue across all fandoms alike.
It's disheartening. People leave and give up and have their creativity crushed to the point they no longer participate or share their wonderful art.
I came across a post that I reblogged yesterday that added another level onto all of this.
Artists and writers having to "market" and promote their work in hopes it'll help drum up excitement for what they have coming up.
As if taking the time and energy to create that fic of piece of art isn't enough, now we have to work like a full marketing team in hopes we will get a few more reblogs or comments.
I have seldom participated in tag games where you share snippets of WIPs etc because more often than not, the response to them are *crickets*. It's embarrassing and gives off that "no one is interested so why bother sharing it" vibe.
We shouldn't have to work that hard to get feedback on the things we share.
I know, and respect, that some people experience comment anxiety, but I promise you that if you're able to, whether it be a string of emojis or keysmashes or even a gif, you will be making a difference.
This happened to me yesterday.
Right when I felt like it's all fruitless, someone swooped in with a comment that gave me hope and reminded me why I do it. And it was on my least popular (and personal favourite) series to boot.
Because of this simple act of communication, my hope and motivation has been restored.
Now I know I'm going to get people saying "you should write for yourself" (I do) and I shouldn't rely on others to keep me motivated (I don't, I have Charlie Hunnam for that) but it's such a key component to all of this and I think most creators can agree to that.
So please, for the love of fandom and the things you love (the actors, the characters, the shows or films) PLEASE INTERACT WITH THE ARTISTS AND WRITERS WHO CREATE INCREDIBLE ART AND FICS FOR THEM.
You may not realize what an effect you have, but I promise you, you do, and it may even help save your favourite artist from abandoning it all.
18 notes
·
View notes
Text
20 questions for fic writers
I was tagged by @khorazir and @raina-at. Thanks so much for tagging me!
1. How many works do you have on AO3?
47 (how is it that many?!)
29 for BBC Sherlock
18 for The X-Files
2. What's your total A03 word count?
897,533
3. What fandoms do you write for?
Currently only BBC Sherlock
4. What are your top five fics by kudos?
(Never) Turn Your Back to the Sea
White Knight
Incidents with Dogs, Curious and Otherwise
Another Auld Lang Syne
The Dead Detective
5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?
I try to! I'm not always the best at keeping up, especially lately as my schedule has been erratic and I can only steal a few minutes here and there for fandom activities. But even when I don't have a chance to reply, I do read and treasure each and every comment.
6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
I guess maybe The Pillar upon which England Rests has the saddest ending of anything that I've ever written, but I don't really consider it a sad story. It's set immediately post Reichenbach, told mostly through flashbacks as Mrs Hudson shares the story of how she met Sherlock with John. Sherlock is still "dead" when the story comes to a close, and John and Mrs Hudson are both grieving, though we as the reader know their loss is temporary.
I have a few shorter fics with ambiguous endings that lean in the angsty direction:
Nothing Happened in Belarus deals with accidental time travel, with grief-stricken S4 Sherlock finding himself briefly in the care of S1 John. Alas, the reprieve is a short one, as neither Sherlock nor John become aware of what is happening in time to take advantage of the opportunity.
At the end of Leaves Sherlock and John have either triumphed over the hallucinogenic vines that have invaded 221B… or they haven't. (I have my own theory, but you are free to interpret the ending however you choose.)
In EXECUTE John inadvertently deletes Mary from existence. He gets his happy ending, but has to live with the uncomfortable knowledge of the choices he's made.
7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
Most of my fics have happy or at least hopeful endings. I like leaving the boys in a good place. I guess it depends on the flavor of happy you're looking for. But I'd say that these are probably the happiest:
(Never) Turn Your Back to the Sea
Inscrutable to the Last
White Knight
Another Auld Lang Syne
Whirlwind
8. Do you get hate on fics?
Thankfully, no. A few weird comments here and there, but nothing too bad. The vast majority of my interaction with others in the fandom has been absolutely wonderful.
9. Do you write smut?
Most of my sex scenes stay in R rated territory. But I tend to roll with whatever the plot demands of me.
10. Do you write crossovers?
I've done quite a few fusion fics, but not crossovers. Crossovers aren't usually my cup of tea.
11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
Once, sort of, but I don't believe it was done maliciously and I don't wish to call attention to it.
12. Have you ever had a fic translated?
Yes! I'm always flattered by requests to translate my writing.
13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?
A friend and I used to write together quite a bit in high school, but nothing that has made it out into the world.
14. What's your all-time favourite ship?
Sherlock & John and Mulder & Scully.
15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?
Crime Writer is a Sherlock/Knight Rider fusion that ran out of steam a while back (although it was intended to be episodic and IMO doesn't feel too horribly unresolved where it ends, so don't let the unfinished nature of it put you off if you're inclined to read it).
I'm still optimistic about most of the WIPs in my WIP folder, heh. I guess we'll see what next year brings.
16. What are your writing strengths?
I like to think I'm good at writing complicated people with complicated feelings that don't always resolve neatly.
17. What are your writing weaknesses?
I don't think my smut is particularly inspired. And I have a very hard time writing fluff or domestic situations without having some angst to drive the plot.
18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?
I personally wouldn't attempt it. I'm not fluent in any other languages and there's far too much nuance to leave in the hands of Google Translate. :)
19. First fandom you wrote for?
X-Files! (Unless you count unrefined and unposted scribblings from my younger years, I definitely went through a phase where I was trying to fix the Terminator time loop in a way that allowed Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese to live happily ever after.)
20. Favourite fic you've ever written?
Oh, this is always such a hard question to answer. The Pillar upon Which England Rests is the first fic I wrote for the Sherlock fandom, so it has a special place in my heart. I'm really proud of the cases and complex plot in Out There. (Never) Turn Your Back to the Sea is the one that seems to resonate with the most people. And White Knight is the fic I'd most like to see turned into an episode of the show. :D
I'll tag @thetimemoves @insistentbass @lololollywrites @arwamachine @naefelldaurk @clueless-mp4 @totallysilvergirl and anyone else who would like to play along!
45 notes
·
View notes
Text
hwang hyunjin as your bf (headcanons)
req – for my youth pastor simp <3 @yejiimg
nana's notes – speed wrote this cause inspo <3 all my other wips are… eh not happy with them yet
warning(s) – does jealousy count??
unedited.
how you met .｡.:*☆
i feel like you’d meet through lily, hear me out
nmixx is still a rookie group, and the budget is definitely a lot lower than some of the big names under jype
they can’t really afford to always pay staff full time, so they decided to hire a bunch of interns, for much less pay ofc
being a college student though, you don’t mind, and decide to take the job!
being able to speak english with lily would definitely make her feel more at ease when she’s stressed and so on
with time, y’all become besties~
you’ll wait for her after she’s done working, and sooner rather than later, you become a known face
felix invites her out for boba one day, and she takes you with her cause why not?
a few months in, i can also see you getting close to the skz aussie line, even if you don’t constantly hang out (cause jypapi’s got chan in his dungeon-)
hyunjin needed inspo for his new painting, and so felix is, “hey, meet my friend, they’re kinda cool”
and hyunjin’s like?????? no???????????
but ofc he end up saying yes anyways
ngl bby would be hella awkward and shy. but not like the stuttering mess, more like the o-o, i’m watching you
lily would just laugh awkwardly, and continue speaking to you
trying to “ignore” him, you do the same
but then he’s like !! woah. they’re kinda pretty… and look at their shiny eyes… oh and the lines when they smile
jinnie would def start drawing without even noticing.
by the end of it, you all just kind of part ways, not having gotten much closer
he’d ask felix for your number though, and send you the sketch with a lil, ‘sry about last time… but, can i draw u again?’
ofc you’re super flattered and agree *cue felix and lily evil chuckling*
it would take a long time for him to trust, and get close to you, but after your there, you’re in
it would genuinely just be friendship at first, but when your birthday rolls around and he sticks a letter and a painting of you in your hands before leaving?
yeah, you’re definitely in-in now. (that’s what she said-)
pros .｡.:*☆
okay, 100% the pet name privileges
he’s not suuuper affectionate with the other members, save for felix, so when he starts doing little things like: calling you princess, feeding you, actually texting you back, no one knows how to respond
hyunjin is definitely a secret hopeless romantic, and so it’s no surprise that he draws inspiration from romantic things, aka, you <3
def has lil sketches of you laying around
constantly takes secret candid pictures of you, and re-drawing them, knowing full well he’ll never be able to encapsulate all of your beauty
free dance lessons. he would offer to teach you anything.
loves seeing you have fun <3 loves seeing you (full stop)
tbh he’d cringe a bit if you’re awkward, but would also lovingly guide you, recounting all the steps for you~
by far the #1 hyunjin bf privilege is getting to back hug him and getting forehead kisses as a thank you
no matter who’s around, how tall you are, how much you weigh, if you’ve got acne or not, none of it matters.
tldr. bby’s a major simp for you <3
last but not least, you get all of his hoodies. it gets to a point where, if you’re not wearing something matching, he straight up just makes you wear his clothes, no questions asked
but don’t you dare tease him about it, he’ll ignore you for a solid 3 hours straight
affection gets it’s own section muahahah
cons .｡.:*☆
jealousy. though it’s not allllways a bad thing. it can get pretty rough. essentially, there’s two types:
1) the ‘cute’ jealous
hyunjin’s english is pretty good, but his confidence isn’t always the highest (which it definitely should be wtf-)
so he does get a bit :< seeing you and felix, or lily talk so freely with each other
and though, again, he understands, he can’t always respond
so, whenever he’s put in that situation, he sulks and goes to his room
which in itself isn’t reeeaally an issue, but communication definitely something he needs to work on in a relationship
anyways, you sneak after him one day, and find him studying english using text books:(
ofc you confront him and you’re like ??? why didn’t you ask me:(( and he’s like :(((((( sry bby
2) the ‘not so cute’ jealous
as mature as i think hyunjin is, he’s not always open to talking about what bothers him
this would often lead to petty arguments, empty but hurtful words, or just radio silence.
often the members would try and help, but controlling his jealousy when he sees you with someone else, or doing something, whatever it may be, is something he should fix
and he’s well aware of it.
this wouldn’t be a problem too too often
but once it’s there, it’s there
once you reassure him over and over and over again, and he realizes it’s really his insecurities that fuel this arguments, he’d better himself
getting there takes a while though
affection .｡.:*☆
as for affection..:
i think it’s goes one of two ways
either his s/o is also a ‘tsundere’, or they’re super affectionate
if they’re the former, he’d would 100% get along with them
they’d get the feeling of not wanting to be touched 24/7 but not minding it from time to time
though if they’re equally as prideful as his is, you’ll need to compromise on who asks first
overall though 10/10 would love someone similar to him
if they’re suuuper affectionate… they’ll need to tread on eggshells for a while
not because he doesn’t love them, but just because he’s someone who doesn’t feel the need to be touchy all the time
when he’s in that mood, he’s 1000000% going at it, kisses hugs everything
but when he’s not, he needs space (back it up bestie)
again, you’ll need to compromise
either way, you’ve seen him around felix, he wouldn’t ever leave you touch starved;)
habits / miscellaneous .｡.:*☆
playing w/ your fingers cause they’re pretty
giving you head pats cause he likes telling you you’ve done well without actually having to say it
would give you a promise ring <3
hyunjin would love having you sleep over
it’s here the affection side of him would come out the most
he’d leech on to you, and just mwahmwahmwah in his sleep
also would watch you sleep if he woke up first (…that sounded a lot less weird in my head-)
over all, 10/10 would recommend to a friend;)
© hyukabean all rights reserved. - do not translate my work, claim it as your own, and/or repost on any platform
#[📁] – nana’s files#skz headcanons#stray kids headcanons#hyunjin x reader#hwang hyunjin#Hyunjin headcanons#stray kids x reader#bf headcanons#skz x reader#headcanons#kpop headcanons#lee felix#lily#nmixx#fluff#angst#stray kids fluff#stray kids angst
496 notes
·
View notes
Text
Thanks for the tag @mundrakan @cannibalinc and @the-paper-monkey ❤️
1. How many works do you have on AO3?
18
2. What's your total A03 words count?
1,242,186
3. What fandoms do you write for?
Harry Potter and House of the Dragon.
4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?
Either must die at the hand of the other (8.423)- Voldemort/Harry
It runs in the blood (4.505)- Sirius/Voldemort
Ouroboros (3.836) - Voldemort/Tom Riddle
Metamorphosis (1.836) - Voldemort/Dumbledore
Turmoil (1.453)- Sirius/Severus
5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?
Generally, yes. Almost always! This past months however, I hardly had the time to do anything, so a few went unanswered for now, but I will get to it as soon as possible.
6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
I think Either must die. Though, as a stand alone, Beauty and the Beast (Voldemort/Bellatrix) definitely has the saddest, angstiest ending.
7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
I think most of my fics have some sort of happy(ish) ending, but I think I will go with Family having the happiest (Lucius/Sirius).
8. Do you get hate on fics?
Yes, but it is greatly overshadowed by the love I get, so it's hardly noticeable.
9. Do you write smut? If so what kind?
Oh, yes, I do! I write explicit smut, and sometimes (most of the times) I like to mix it with heavy feelings.
10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?
I haven't published one so far, but I did write a Voldemort/ Morpheus fic. And there's a Voldemort/Astarion one, though it's only written as notes on my phone and it will remains so. (I'm sorry, Baldur Gate 3 consumed my mind lately).
11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
Almost all of them, at least the top five above.
12. Have you ever had a fic translated?
Yes. A few of my fics have Russian and Chinese translations.
13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?
No.
14. What's your all-time favourite ship?
Impossible to pick! I love rare pairs, and it only became more obvious to me as I went to look at the top five by kudos to answer the question above. They are all different pairings!
I am equally interested in reading rare-pairs as I am in writing them, and I love them all so much, across fandoms, that it is hard to pick only one.
My favourite to write at the moment is Sirius/Voldemort, and my favourite to read Astarion/Raphael (Bg3).
15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?
I plan to finish all my stories, though Prison Blues is taking me longer than I anticipated. (Omega Voldemort doesn't want to collaborate with me!)
16. What are your writing strengths?
Character development and plot.
17. What are your writing weaknesses?
Descriptions. Most of all, editing (sadly, this is a major part of writing and it is the most excruciating for me, especially with English not being my first language. I do myself no favours when I write 20k-30k long chapters and then it takes me a week to edit it).
18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?
Not for me. At best, I might use a common word, universally understood, but that is all. I write in English, even if the reader knows the dialog is happening in a different language.
19. First fandom you wrote for?
Harry Potter.
20. Favourite fic you've ever written?
It runs in the blood.
Tagging: @maidenwychelm @vashhanamichi @kazuza-art @cindle-writes @yletylyf and whoever wants to participate! No pressure!
47 notes
·
View notes
Text
20 Questions for Writers
Thanks @oceangirl24 for the tag! I love you, bestie!
Now, on to the questions!
❣️How many works do you have on AO3?
I have 86 fics! I write all kinds of things! Case fics, angst, fluff, smut, and all that jazz. I like to think that I have a diverse range of stuff on AO3, which I find I'm really proud of :3
❣️What is your total AO3 word count?
613,383....Yes, I write too much.
❣️What fandoms do you write for?
Most of my fics are Ace Attorney, but I have other fandoms like Stardew Valley! I also write in fandoms that are gifts for friends.
❣️What are your top five fics by kudos?
Say My Name (233 kudoes)
Operation Helios (178 kudoes)
Apollo is a Crazy Cat Attorney™ (166 kudoes)
Ace Attorney: Maya Fey (166 kudoes)
Turnabout Birch Meadows (151 kudoes)
Nice! Most of them are Klapollo XD
❣️Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?
I love responding to comments! I get to ramble, and I want each and every commenter to know that I appreciate them <3. Sometimes I take a long time, so sorry about that!!!! But I'll get to the comment eventualy!!
❣️What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
Definitely Things Left Unsaid, that fic is SUPER angsty with a really sad ending. It's non canon Major Character Death, so of course it's angsty lol.
❣️What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
I'm...not sure? A lot of my fics end in happy endings. But if I had to pick the happy ending that made me the most emotional, I'd have to choose Blossoming in the Rain.
❣️Do you get hate on your fic?
Surprisingly, no. I've only gotten support for my fics. Which I am VERY much thankful for. To all of my followers, readers, and supporters...thank you SO much for making my fandom experience so lovely <3
❣️Do you write smut?
Definitely lol. I used to be terrified of writing smut...and then I met a certain someone *cough cough* @mikaharuka *cough cough* and now I've written a lot of smut. This is all YOUR FAULT BESTIE.
❣️Do you write crossovers?
Nope lol. I like to keep my fandoms separate.
❣️Have you ever had a fic stolen?
I...don't think so? But if someone has stolen my fics, please be sure to tell me! I'm not exactly keen on the idea of my fics being plagiarized or stolen.
❣️Have you ever had a fic translated?
Again, I have no idea. I don't think it has since nobody has approached me before, so to my knowledge it's a no.
❣️Have you ever co-written a fic?
Yes!!! I've co written SO many things with my bestiest of besties @tsunderesalty and I love every fic I've co written with him. He's just the greatest and he's an amazing writer. Check him out!
❣️What's your all-time favorite ship?
Hmm! For Ace Attorney, it's a tough choice between Klapollo and Franmaya. For Stardew, my top ship is my farmer and Sebastian (Sebakonnie)
❣️What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?
My flufftober series. I started it in 2022...and it's currently 2024. I just kinda lost steam for that fic. I am very proud of all the fics I've written for it, though. Maybe I should revisit it...
❣️What are your writing strengths?
Nothing.
Ahem, knowing how my dearest besties would respond to that...I guess my flexibility with writing styles? I talked about this with my friends before, but I have multiple writing styles, five to be specific. I can switch between them pretty easily, and I like to think they're all distinct from each other but still being undeniably me. God, I really don't wanna sound like I'm bragging XD.
❣️What are your writing weaknesses?
NOT KNOWING WHEN TO SHUT THE FUCK UP. I literally cannot shut up for the life of me. It is a curse. My fics would be SO much shorter if I just shut up lol.
❣️Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?
Oh!!! Actually, so about this! For reference, I'm Filipino, born and raised in the Philippines. I can speak Filipino and Tagalog pretty well, and I can understand Bisaya (Cebuano is its official name, but everyone in the Philippines calls it Bisaya) well, but I can speak it only a little bit. Anyway, I've always wanted to incorporate Filipino and Bisaya into my fics but didn't know how...and then I thought of Filipino Phoenix! Happy to say that I'm planning on writing that soon :3
So yeah, happy to include languages other than English! Especially my native language. Otherwise, for languages I don't know. I use Deepl, it's a very useful tool!
I'm all for using different languages in my fics, and when I get something wrong, I'm quick to correct it!
❣️First fandom you wrote for?
Ace Attorney. I have had Ace Attorney brainrot for SO long.
❣️Favorite fic you've ever written?
.....
.........
.........
YOU'RE MAKING ME CHOOSE OUT OF ALL OF MY BABIES?
Would it be cheating to choose a series? XD
But yeah! My Defense Attorney Maya Fey series contains my favorite fics of all! The top ones of my list being Ace Attorney: Maya Fey and Yours Truly, Franziska von Karma. I just...love these fics so much...I especially love Ace Attorney: Maya Fey. That bitch has been my baby since like...2021?
Now! Who to tag...that would be my besties @mikaharuka, @aislinnstanaka, @udaberriwrites, @kayedium-writes, @justanotherpersonwhowrites, @mikaharuka @fattybattysblog
21 notes
·
View notes
Text
Writeblr Intro circa 2024
Hi writeblr!! Sooo, I've been around here since about 2014. (Yes, I am ancient.) However, I've been dormant for the past 4-5 years. Blame college and a brief stint on Twitter. Now that I'm active again, I thought I should make an updated writeblr intro so ppl know my Deal. Basically, I want to engage with other folks who write fiction (esp original SF), and that's a little easier if I have a clear post that outlines what I do. Here to make connections and hear about your blorbos :)
About me
Hi, I'm Vee! They/them, 23, 💖 🤍 🧡
I do journalism/comms in western New York
My literary jam is feminist/adult SF and gothic lit (OG or modern) 🥀 ⚔️ 🌙
Enthusiastic about gay people, body horror, and sociopolitical allegories
I cook, run, play tabletop games, and occasionally draw. Other than that, I'm mostly writing (for work and for fun)
If you were on pre-2020 writeblr, you likely know me from my eight billion daily tag games. (I still like tag games and appreciate u for tagging me. I have also gained adult responsibilities and better mental health, so I respond very slowly now. <3)
Always happy to get asks or dms, tho as I've noted: I may reply slowly.
Sometimes open to beta read! I only read one longer project at a time, but it's always super fun :)
I tag very consistently – happy to tag triggers for followers/moots
Fun fact: I love mushroom hunting and worked as a mycology TA. #cottagecoreera 🍄 🧚♀️ 🌱
About my creative writing
I write,,,, feminist/adult SF with gothic leanings (surprise!)
Longform and short! Trying to do more short writing this year, and I'll likely share a bit on Tumblr. It's easier to clip a short story than a 150k novel, god bless.
The Aesthetic: moral g(r)ays, Victoriana, androids/cyborgs, Women™, monstrous femininity, incessant Hamlet/Frankenstein motifs, extremely boring socioeconomic worldbuilding, evil queens and/or dilfs, psychosexual witchcraft, probably a cat. Also, an ominous, plot-relevant letter laced with anthrax from your unhinged and brilliant ex-wife. Open if you dare.
Major projects
I'm going to be writing some short work this year, but these are the longer projects that I have going in the background. If I reblog blorbo-related text posts, they probably have something to do with these.
Let me know if you want to be added to any project-specific taglists 😎
Heart of Lead – Series
The big one
Perpetually evolving
Never ceasing
Pls send help I can't stop adding shit
5-book gothic fantasy epic that I'll definitely publish one day but probably no time soon! My bastard child, my wicked firstborn, my greatest love <3
Character-oriented political drama set in a pseudo-Victorian, dystopian oligarchy where everyone's heart is made out of metal. It's about coming of age and discovering queer identity in a world that is absolutely fucked. God is an extraterrestrial lesbian who gives ppl very traumatizing magic powers. There are cyborgs, shapeshifters, and morally gray women in STEM. It's tight as fuck idk what else what to tell u.
Book 1 is about achillean monarchists, and book 2 is about sapphic anarchists. There are only two genders, I guess.
At this point, I've drafted most of the books at least once. Working to refine a lot of raw material atm!
Tag: "heart of lead tag" or "hol tag"
Lost Letters – Book
Aka the current active HoL WIP, and book one in the revised series structure
Length: 80k as of now; around 120-140k when the first draft is finished, I presume.
Genre: adult fantasy, gothic, noir detective drama?? um?? If you want me to frame it in BookTok terms (why?) it's a dark academia villain x villain tragic romantasy. Hrgh.
Summary: Cyborg soldier goes to college, joins a shady socialite frat, and falls in love with the jilted heir-apparent to the throne. Hilarity ensues.
(By "hilarity," I mean a militant revolutionary faction and a tragedy of Greek proportions.)
POV characters: Charles (the cyborg), Dale (the heir), and Cecelia (Charles' sister, a junior detective, the love of my life and potentially the Chosen One???)
This book is twisty and dark and immensely fun to write.
I'm about halfway through the first full draft! Hoping to share snippets and vaguepost about my children here.
Tag: "lost letters tag" (also "hol tag," tho that one's less specific)
The Last of Mortal Tourists – Book
The next longform project on the docket!
Length: a standalone work that will hopefully fall on the shorter novel/novella spectrum.
Genre: literary SF, cyberqueer, psychological space quest
Summary: The consciousness of a dead coding genius, trapped inside a spaceship, seeks a new planet to sustain their sister, the last surviving human, after the destruction of Earth.
If you're here to get wildly philosophical about gender and the myth of essential self, this is the story for you! That's why I'm writing it, lol. 🏳️⚧️ 🚀 🤖
This one started out as a short story (100% finished) which I want to expand.
POV: Archer Alto, the coder. Spaceship? Human? Soul?
Supporting Cast: Pandora, the last human, and Abby, a holographic impression of Archer's childhood consciousness
Tag: "the last of mortal tourists tag" or "tlomt tag"
If you read all this way, you get a whole bouquet of flowers that are certainly NOT poisonous: 🌸 🌹 💐 🥀 🌺
<3
#writeblr#writing#writeblr intro#for my mutuals#scribble-dee-vee#project intro#hi writeblr!#original post#hol tag#heart of lead tag#lost letters tag#tlomt tag#pls feel free to tell me abt u in tags/replies!!#would love to expand my active writeblr connections#and yah like I said lmk about those tag lists#I def want to post more snippets/tags this year
23 notes
·
View notes
Text
Fanfic Tag Thingie
I am choosing to be tagged by @miss-ingno because this sounded like fun and I need an escape from the realisation that I am literally on the edge of burnout and my life is a mess. So here we go! :D
How many works do you have on AO3?
76
What's your total AO3 word count?
2 237 636
... and I have around 200k more just sitting in my WIP folders. I can't write short things x'D
What fandoms do you write for?
Right now it's mainly various Kdramas (The Devil Judge, Black Knight, plus my bold venture into Strangers From Hell) but, before that, it was mostly The Losers, Marvel, Pacific Rim, and Teen Wolf. With the occasional detour here and there.
What are your top 5 fics by kudos?
Who Holds the Devil (The Devil Judge, Gahan) at 3 390
Tech Support (MCU, Winteriron) at 3 217
Autonomy (MCU, Winteriron) at 3 137
I Won't Hold My Breath (MCU, Winteriron) at 2 914
Conflict of Interest (MCU, Winteriron) at 2 173
It's honestly a little wild to me that Who Holds the Devil has somehow managed to race to the top despite the other fics being at least four years older (sometimes more). And for a much bigger fandom, at that. You guys are not fucking around.
Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?
I do! Every single one if I can, though it can sometimes take a while before I get to all of them. And I just can't help it, I guess? Partly because I want to show that I've read the comment and appreciate the time and effort that went into writing it, but also because it often gives me an opportunity to talk about my writing and the choices I made in the fic.
And, apparently, the fact that I reply to all comments has become a bit of a thing at least when it comes to Who Holds the Devil, where readers will search through my replies looking for tidbits and extra information about the fic, characters etc.
(you guys are so weird and so dedicated and I love all of you xD)
What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
Grief (The Losers (Comics)). Because it is, predictably, about grief and how to keep living after someone you love has died. Though I would argue that the ending has a hint of hopefulness to it since it's also about moving on from said grief?
But yeah. Definitely that one since it's Major Character Death that I choose not to fix.
What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
Literally every single fic except for the one above xD I LOVE my happy endings, okay? And it's kind of difficult to rank them since it depends a lot on the setting, characters, and the personal preference of the reader.
Heck, I even managed to give my Strangers From Hell fanfic a sugary sweet happy ending! That's dedication right there!
Do you get hate on fics?
Yeah, from time to time. I've gotten everything from childish insults calling me a bad writer to backhanded comments questioning my choices, writing style, grammar, spelling, dedication, intelligence, etc. I've even received more targeted, personal hate where people I thought I could trust were making fun of me behind my back in private chat rooms.
Most recently, though, it's less hate and more the "I simply must tell you that you're not writing this fic as I want you to write it" type of deal. Often paired with "It's my personal opinion and I have every right to express it." Which, fair enough. But that means I get to do the same, which I've noticed is something those kinds of commenters kind of hate. Especially when I point out that they've now made me a lot less keen to write the fanfic they're supposedly so fond of.
Turns out people don't like being reminded that their actions have consequences.
All in all, though, I've learned to just delete the comments I find too offensive or hateful.
Do you write smut? If so, what kind?
Oh god no. Sex scenes are the bane of my existence and I spend the entire time writing them looking like this: ლ(ಥ益ಥლ)
I've been told I'm not bad at writing them (the ones in Until Death Do Us Unite were quite appreciated) but anything involving sex or sexual tension is just a nightmare for me. Even more so when it's supposed to be kinky or extra spicy.
So why is one of the main ships I write for right now clearly a Dom/sub ship, you ask?
Because I'm an idiot. That's why.
Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you've written?
I rarely do. The only crossover I've written is Resurrection where Derek Hale ends up in Purgatory together with Dean Winchester and they fight their way back to the world of the living (so Derek replaces Benny, basically).
I also have this one random fic (yet unposted) where Tony Stark and Eddie Brock are a couple (from the MCU and Venom movies, that is). But they're technically both in the Marvel universe so I'm not sure if that counts?
Long story short, crossovers aren't really my thing. I rarely write or read them.
Have you ever had a fic stolen?
Not that I know of, no.
Have you ever had a fic translated?
I have! Several, in fact, from various fandoms. Mostly into Russian, Spanish, or Mandarin. And I am honestly so flattered every time someone asks me if they can translate one of my fics 💜
Have you ever co-written a fic before?
I have not, no. I made plans to write a fic with a friend once, but we never got to the point of actually writing it. And, in all honesty, I think that might be just as well. I'm a perfectionist and writing a fic with me would probably be very exhausting for the other party xD
What's your all-time favourite ship?
I really don't know. Like, I'm tempted to say Jensen and Cougar from The Losers, or maybe Destiel or Stony, but I think that's partly founded in comfort and nostalgia. My ships change as I do and I really can't pinpoint an all-time favourite.
But CURRENT favourite? Definitely Kang Yo Han and Kim Ga On because they present such a wonderful challenge to someone like me, who loves to go real deep into character motivations, behaviour etc. They're a delight.
What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?
I'm not sure. I plan to finish all the ones I've started posting but there might be some in my folders that I'll decide to abandon if I truly can't revive my interest in them. But, usually, I can.
And, speaking of that, to all my MCU peeps (if there are any of you still out there): I know you've waited six years for the Tech Support sequel but it's finally been written and just needs to be edited. It's coming, my darlings. I promise.
Basically, when I say I'll do something, I will do it — even if it takes me six goddamn years, apparently x'D
What are your writing strengths?
Characters, tone, and emotions. I'm good at capturing the essence of the characters and write them in a way that feels believable and close to canon. I'm also really good at making people feel things with my writing, I've been told. According to testimonials, my readers can often see what's happening play out inside their heads like a movie, and feel the characters' emotions as they're living through them.
What are your writing weaknesses?
Aside from the aforementioned sex scenes? I think it's my inability to keep things short. I use a lot of unnecessary words and could definitely get better at being more concise. In a similar vein, I sometimes focus so much on the details with lengthy, wordy descriptions that I accidentally forget about the big picture, which is understandably confusing to my readers.
Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?
I've done it from time to time (since my man Cougar speaks Spanish) but I'm pretty careful with it. And if it's longer sentences I always make sure to double-check with a native speaker.
First fandom you wrote for?
Teen Wolf! Which, admittedly, was because I didn't care if I fucked it up x'D I enjoyed the first two seasons of Teen Wolf, make no mistake! But I chose it mainly because it wasn't the ship I was the most emotionally invested in and so I figured it wouldn't feel as bad if it turned out that I sucked. Luckily enough for me, I didn't xD
Favourite fic you've written?
Just like with the all-time favourite ship, I'm not sure if I can answer this one. Because I like all of my fics but in different ways.
I'll always have a fondness for that first huge Teen Wolf series I wrote, for example, and had a lot of fun with Autonomy because of the world-building. Same goes with Hyperborean. But Who Holds the Devil is definitely my favourite when it comes to character work. While Allies is my favourite when it comes to tone, since it ended up just the way I wanted it to. And Until Death Do Us Unite was an absolute BLAST because I got to write horror and some really weirdass shit, which I've never done before.
So, truly, I can't say. Each one I've written has something I cherish and while some definitely stand out more than others, I wouldn't be able to just pick one.
___
And that's that! I tag whoever wants to do it! :D
#Amethystina Does Tag Games#Fanfic Tag#I know the sex scene thing might surprise some of you#If you've read Until Death Do Us Unite or Gravitational Pull#But I'm dead serious#I have no idea what's sexy or not#So sex scenes are a nightmare x'D#And they take FOREVER to write because of that#I am DREADING all the sex scenes I'm going to have to write in my various Devil Judge fanfics#But I'm sure I'll get through them somehow x'D
20 notes
·
View notes
Text
a not-so-brief announcement:
I have a lot of unfinished WiPs. Having so many WiPs (entirely my fault: too many ideas + not enough time) has been a large source of anxiety for me in recent weeks, to the point where it's been difficult for me to write at all.
Logically, I know that I'm doing this for free in my free time—I am under no obligation to create other than the one I set for myself. Realistically, I often feel like I'm letting you all down when I don't post/write enough. I know it isn't true, but it often feels like my value to this fandom is measured by how much content I can contribute to it. I've only been here for a little over a year, and I still often feel like a new kid trying to prove their worth.
Thinking this way sends me down a very unproductive spiral of putting pressure on myself to write/create and feeling guilty when I can't do as much as I want (my self-imposed expectations are also too high.) Instead of being a fun creative outlet, writing fic hasn't been enjoyable recently. That saddens me.
I hate feeling this way, honestly, because I love writing, I love storytelling, I love this fandom and these characters and the community I've gained here. I want to be here and I want to be writing because I have so many ideas and I love the stories I've already told/started to tell. But I also need it to be fun for me.
My list of WiPs, combined with all of my tangled feelings about writing, currently have me feeling like Sisyphus standing at the bottom of the hill trying and failing to catch a glimpse of the top around the massive boulder in front of him. I don't know how to find the joy that I've lost, but I do know that taking some of the pressure off of myself is a good place to start. This brings me to the reason I started writing this post.
The modern AU fic I started writing for Elucien Week has, in that classic turn of events, turned out to be far more extensive of a story than I intended. I estimate a total of 7-8 thick chapters. I have 10k words already written but that's only the first 1.25 chapters.
For the sake of my mental health, I will not be posting what I've written so far tomorrow as I originally had planned. I just can't deal with another WiP hanging over my head right now, I'm sorry.
I'm also going to give myself a break from writing/posting writing for the next few weeks because I think that my being burnt out is likely a major contributor to why writing fic hasn't been fun. I'll still be around, don't worry. Hopefully, this break will give me time to catch up on reading everyone else's fics.
Wow, it turns out I really needed to get that off my chest. I know this was long, thank you for listening <3
#announcement i guess#I'm very grateful for all of you and I just want to give you my best#my best only happens if I'm having fun and taking care of myself#elucien fanfiction#this also applies to#azris fanfiction
66 notes
·
View notes
Text
20 Questions for Writers
Thanks for the tag, @musewrangler! This looks fun.
1. How many works do you have on AO3?
94.
2. What’s your total AO3 word count?
852,051. (Holy cow.)
3. What fandoms do you write for?
A lot! Tolkien, Star Wars, Marvel, and Hornblower are the ones I've written most for, but I've also written stories for the 1985 movie Silverado, and for The Three Musketeers, Dune, The Hunt for Red October, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
4. What are your top five fics by kudos?
Jat'ca'nara, The War of the Ring, Pirunir Sur'haaise, break my bonds and be bound to me (what. the. heck.), and Ba'slan Shev'la.
I will admit, I was not expecting all of those. The Star Wars ones (all the Mando'a titles) make sense, WOTR is my first and longest fic and also in the Tolkien fandom, but break my bonds is one of the RAREST of rare pairs and despite it being in the Star Wars fandom too, it's focussed on some comparatively minor characters, so I am...very surprised by that.
5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?
Yes! Always. I love receiving comments so the least I can do is respond to them. Also, I nearly always have thoughts to share with my readers in response to their thoughts on my fic.
6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
Unquestionably Cuyan'e. It's a character study of two very deeply broken men who have both lost everything, one at the hands of the other, and it earns its 'hurt no comfort' tag. The title means "Survivors" because they're both the last survivors of their families. It's very unusual for me to write a fic this painful without putting in a happy ending, but that story pretty much showed up to my brain written the way it is, and when that happens I write what I'm given.
7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
That's much harder to answer than the last one! A significant majority of my fics have happy endings, or at least happier ones than canon. However, I'll have to go with Tegaanal, the climax of my Star Wars fix-it series, because it's such an earned happy ending and we watched the characters fight for it every step of the way.
8. Do you get hate on your fic?
Nope! I review my comments on the first couple of fics of any series, until I have an idea of what my reader base is like, and that seems to ward off the weirdos.
9. Do you write smut?
Heck no. I don't need that in my head.
10. Do you write crossovers?
On occasion! Usually because the muses show up and start jumping on the table banging pans together until I write them something.
11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
Not to the best of my knowledge.
12. Have you ever had a fic translated?
No, but I HAVE had a piece of music inspired by a fic. I wrote a poem (in Mando'a and in English) for Partaylir, and the absolutely fantastic Siena_Alexandria actually wrote a tune for it and recorded the result. If you like Mandalorians, Mando'a, conlangs, or just good music, listen to it here! (Each chapter is a different version of the poem.)
13. Have you ever co-written a fic?
Yep, several! Mostly with @musewrangler.
14. What‘s your all-time favourite ship?
I don't really have one, as I don't tend to get all that deeply invested in ships. Characters, yes, but not specific ships. I guess I have a soft spot for Walon Vau/Shmi Skywalker, though, since it's a canoe I launched all by myself (see my boggled reaction to break my bonds and be bound to me being one of my most-kudosed fics above).
15. What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?
*grits teeth* I. Will. Finish. All. My. WIPs. (There's only one that is arguably in danger of abandonment, Of the History of the White Tree, and I'm going to come back to it as soon as I've reread the source material.)
16. What’s your writing strengths?
Hmm...I would say it's my character writing, above all else. Once I have a clear mental picture of what someone would or wouldn't do, I can basically drop him into situations and just let them play out and see what happens, pretty much trusting the character to respond the way he should. A lot of my fics consist of this, and the consensus from my readers has been that I do it well.
17. What’s your writing weaknesses?
Strong emotions, and people who are open with their emotions, are difficult for me to write. Whenever I write a scene that involves feelings and vulnerability, I have a holy terror of becoming kitschy. And people who actually show their emotions voluntarily by default are kind of a mystery to me, so I don't really write them because I don't understand them.
18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?
Fun to do when I know the language and/or enough of it to get by! I put in quite a lot of Mando'a for my Star Wars stories and I enjoy working within the constraints of its limited vocabulary because it forces me to pare down my usually verbose writing style into just the core of the meaning I intend to convey.
19. First fandom you wrote for?
Tolkien! My first, most lasting, and perhaps dearest fandom.
20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?
HOW CAN I PICK JUST ONE???? My favourite fic is nearly always the one I'm writing now, though, so right now it's So We Can Learn to Pick Ourselves Up, the latest instalment of what started as post-Endgame MCU fix-it and has now grown into a live-action Spider-man multiverse fix-it.
No-pressure tags for @ramblingsofachristiannerd, @hollers-and-holmes, @lady-merian, @ghosts-and-blue-sweaters, @thatonebasicfan, and anyone who'd like to jump on!
#winter says things#tag game#my writing#the war of the ring#cin vhetin#requiem fic#tolkien#marvel#star wars
19 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
xxsmile-for-the-cameraxx
𝖕𝖔𝖐𝖊𝖗𝖋𝖆𝖈𝖊
asmogorna
asmo / chris !
mylittleflowersintheuk
my little flowers in the uk
anyataylorsjoint
gia carangi’s wife
looopylupin
looopylupin