#and i will hopefully be able to write an actual fic based of the prompt
Note
if you ever want to write something for Protagoneil again I would love to request something where it's the Protagonist who takes care of Neil for the first time. Neil was always the one to save his ass and now it's time for John to do the same. Perhaps Neil got drugged on a mission and he's really out of it so John takes care of him while drugged Neil looks at him all lovingly.
I'm so sorry that this got buried in my ask box for 3 years, but thank you for your prompt and here's the finished fic! You can read it here or on AO3.
To Think That We Could Stay the Same
Earlier—later—in Neil’s other life, he was a little bit dramatic. A little bit cocky, a little bit of a risk-taker. But he was also careful and rational.
This later—earlier—Neil is reckless. Bold, bordering on stupid.
John blames it on Neil’s youth. Of course a fresher-faced Tenet has something to prove. He wants to be valuable, worthy of John’s praise, and first in line for promotions. John wishes he could tell him he’s already proved himself—will prove himself. That John already trusts him with everything he has.
He can’t, though. And it’s like Neil knows there’s some secret between them. Neil, before, he was so good at lying. Pretending at ignorance, feigning that he didn’t feel … whatever it was—hopefully is—that he felt, feels, for John.
Lying is standard operating procedure, and the policy is to suppress. Fine. John’s good at restraining his feelings, but not at burying or concealing them completely. It causes Neil to be desperate to be deserving of those secrets.
He recalls Neil in Mumbai. That’s not possible, he had said. But to this Neil, everything is possible. It scares the hell out of John.
They’re in Tokyo. John’s there to supervise the retrieval of a large inverted munitions shipment. Ives is there to run security. Dark suit, concealed weapons, beard shorter than it’s ever been, and hair longer than it’s ever been. John wonders when he’s going to shave it off.
Neil, of course, is bouncing between Ives’ and John’s teams. Ives has been teaching him the militaristic ropes. John has been preparing him for his inevitable leadership role. Between Ives and John, they should be able to keep track of one overly ambitious rookie.
As it turns out, they’re wrong.
“What the hell happened, huh? You were supposed to be watching him!” John shouts.
He bursts into the med room of their Tokyo base like a man possessed. It’s clean and white, bright and sterile. John hates it. He wants it to be as ugly as his mind right now. Uglier, actually—as awful as what he wants to do to the men who hurt Neil.
“He said he was on his way to you,” Ives replies calmly.
“And you believed him?”
Ives raises an eyebrow, and John knows he’s being unfair. He’s angrier than he ever has been with Ives. Even counting the time Ives let Neil invert himself and die for them.
John closes his eyes. Exhales. What’s happened, happened. Neil was going to, will always, die for him. And Neil was always going to wander off and get himself drugged by an idealistic bunch of thieves.
They’re Yakuza. And after the guns, nothing more, nothing less. Still, Ives has them all rounded up and is on his way to question them. He’s lost patience with John already, but he’s waiting, stiff and at attention, anyway.
Then there’s Neil, opposite at every angle.
The medical team told John that Neil’s been injected with a benzodiazepine cocktail, but John thinks Neil looks half-okay, considering the circumstances. He’s sitting in the corner of the room, wearing a light blue button-down, open a bit at the chest with the sleeves rolled up, and light gray pants. No shoes. One gray sock. His bare skin shines with sweat. There’s red high on his cheekbones and an uncharacteristic glassiness to his eyes. His head lolls as he tries to listen to John and Ives’ argument.
“I found them, y’know,” Neil interrupts. “Before I… Iv…” He gestures to his commanding officer. “He did. I wanna… wanted you to… know…” He trails over, looking confused. “Who put me on the floor?”
“Tell ya what, we’ll flip a coin,” Ives says. “For him or the Yakuza.”
John sighs. “That’s not really your call. I’ll take care of him. You’re dismissed.”
“Yes, sir.”
Then, John and Neil are alone together. John feels it in his blood, like a cord tied around his veins. It tugs at his heart until he can’t breathe. He thinks of the freeport, and inhales sharply.
“There you go, hiding things again,” Neil says. With his inhibitions gone, his accent is a little less refined. Posh but kind of sloppy, like how he dresses.
“I’m not hiding anything. Don’t get up.”
Although he’s tried several times by now, Neil never made it off the floor. Instead he’s now fully on his back, hair askew, shirt completely open. The fabric hangs by his sides and his hands slide from his ribs to that soft linen.
John envies those hands. He tells Neil, “You compromised the mission.”
“I saw something suspicious,” Neil protests, sputtering through the last difficult word. “I, I saved the mission.”
“You made a move on your own because you were trying to be a hero,” John hisses. “Look at yourself, Neil.”
John walks forward. He crouches, trying to meet Neil’s eyes. It’s difficult when they’re fluttering closed every second or so, but eventually John manages.
“How did a trained agent get jumped by a bunch of gangsters? Hm?” He doesn’t want to be cruel. He can’t favor Neil, though. Telling himself any other soldier would get the same treatment, John continues, “What if Wheeler didn’t find you?” Or.” John clears his throat, bombarded with memories of Stalsk-12.
Neil is beaming. His smile is beautiful, and it blindsides John like it always has.
“You were worried about me!” Neil yells. His joy ricochets around the room in cascades of laughter. “You care!”
John looks away. “You’re not sober enough to have this conversation.”
He attempts to stand, but suddenly there’s a palm pressing down on his knee. Reckless.
“Neil.”
“Wait.”
Against his better judgment, John does. He pushes Neil’s hand away, but he also sits on the floor next to Neil’s prone body. More than anything, he wants to draw Neil’s head into his lap. To brush that damp blond hair out of his face, check for a fever. To kiss it better.
John clasps his hands tightly in his lap. “Of course I care. Everyone on this team is vital to this operation.”
Neil shakes his head. After some flailing about, he manages to right himself, sitting with his legs crossed to match John. “No,” he says.
“No I don’t care? You just said I did, so make up your mind.”
“You… about me… differently,” Neil explains. “More…ly.”
“Wow.”
“S’not a word, is it?”
“No it is not. I’m not sure you’re capable of coherent sentences at the moment, actually.”
Despite the curt comment, Neil is looking at John with such adoration. Puppy love, that’s the term John’s heard. Utter devotion. As if John is Neil’s entire world. But when John insists that he’s leaving, Neil’s eyes brim with tears.
He lunges forward, wrapping his arms around John. Now he’s really putting some weight into it, holding John here. It’s John’s turn to be amused. Chuckling, he extracts himself—easily, with Neil’s drug-addled, pliable limbs and lean frame—enough to speak face-to-face.
“Let me go.”
“Okay,” Neil replies. Yet his grip doesn’t loosen.
“That’s an order, Neil.”
“Right.”
When John returns a few minutes later with food and water, Neil is slumped over on his side, asleep on the floor, an unhappy expression on his handsome face. John sets the plate and cup down on the nearest surface before walking gently over. He slides his hands underneath Neil’s knees and back, picks him up.
After putting Neil in the med room’s small bed—still on his side, facing the door like he’s always preferred to sleep—John pulls up a chair. He washes Neil’s face with a cool, damp cloth. He tends to the few cuts and scrapes Neil got fighting off his assailants. He brushes Neil’s hair, and buttons his shirt. Finally, John tucks a blanket around Neil’s shoulders.
“‘More-ly’ still isn’t a word,” John murmurs, thumb brushing Neil’s jaw, “but you’re right. I do.”
And then he leaves again, exactly the way he arrived: with a guilty conscience, carrying a love confession in his hands.
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-Alright I’ve been tagged by @stealingyourbones to do the WIP Challenge. Rules Here!
Feel free to ask me about any of them and I’ll be happy to let u know what it’s about! :D (please i need encouragement to write about them and I don’t want them to be left in WIP hell forever)
Most of these didn’t previously have titles so I’m going to make them up as I go with some having brief summaries.
As I have chronic carpal tunnel so many (but definitely not all) of these are generally short prompts or fic outlines I need to iron out but many have surpassed 3k so I can safely declare some as fics. And there’s a Lot of stuff here so sorry that this is super fucking long but I’m still not including a shit ton of ideas so I can keep it under 100 for now.
I focus a lot on world building and ideas just keeps expanding to the point where I feel like I can’t write it out without having to explain everything else & so I tried splitting them into the smaller ideas & hopefully that’ll help!
@die-erlkonigin6083 ur being tagged now:
Ok so my written ones:
- Stuck In An Adventure: (Wally West getting stuck in a The Adventures of Superman reminiscent universe (radio show that ran from 1940-1951)).
1) Fawcett City: Through A Child’s Eye:
1.a) Sovereign Nation
1.b) Child Logic: A Brief Rundown of How Things Work in Fawcett City In This AU.
1.c) F’s in Math: Fawcett City Education Standards
1.d) Childlike Misconceptions (x40 I have so many ideas about this)
1.e) Fawcett City Food Culture
1.f) Plan to get Captain Marvel back into continuity in a way that's entertaining, makes sense, and would keep it relevant in the DCU while being able to keep more of it’s original Golden Age tone and make the worldbuilding so much cooler.
1.g) Currency of an allowance
1.h) Robbing Bank Customs
1.i) Issues With The Education System
1.j) Magic Taught In Fawcett Educational Programs
1.k) Medicine & Injury Differences In Fawcett Citizens
1.l) Ambient Knowledge of the Radio & Past Lives: Billy Batson
2.a) Booster Gold. An Exploration into a Modern Version Adaptation of His Online Rise to Fame and His Downfall
2.b) Booster Gold: TikTok Sensation (this is kinda fused with the one above but is more lighthearted in tone)
3) Booster Gold: The Backstory and Rant About an Underappreciated and Massively Relatable Hero.
4) Billy Theorizing Back.
5) Linda Finding Out She Had Twins (but retold based on a real story)
6) The Daily Planet’s Gossip Mill
7) The Worries of the Daily Planet Employees over the one & only Clark Kent/ The Daily Planet thinks Clark’s a Meta but for Different Reasons Than You Might Think.
8) Jimmy Olsen Needs Therapy
9) The Softness Behind A Mask
10) Office Gossip
11) An Electric Charge: All Powered Up
12) Psychic/telepathic Clark (apparently this was a fairly uncommon but still very much existing fan theory that I just thought of independently. But once I found out that it already existed, I lost hope and stopped writing it but it's Very much a theory I enjoy and love that explains literally most if not all of Clark’s abilities.
13) “You mean, you Don’t actually look human?!
14) SO MANY KRYPTONIAN BIOLOGY IDEAS:
14.a) FUN (x so many just give me a number and I’ll give you a certain amount of short prompts for kryptonian biology ideas)
14.b) Inconvenience for the Kents
14.c) Braces
14.d) Biology Discussion
14.e) Different Nutritional Needs. Turns Out Invulnerable Teeth Mean You Can Eat A Lot Of Weird Shit
14.f) Humans stood on two legs to punch things. Why the fuck did kryptonians have the same
14.g) Eyes: Windows To The Soul The Size Of An Orange
15) Man of Steel, Unable to Feel: The issue of Clark’s the association of pain with touch.
16) A brief complaint on the lack of depictions of Batman’s Diet and Workout Regimine in fics because there’s so much comedy potential
17) A Meal Even The Flash Won’t Eat: Bruce’s Protein Shakes
18) Inside-out Space and Time (Dissecting the rock of eternity & it’s ability to travel time without the Speed Force)
DP X DC:
18) Critique on DP x DC twin AU
19) Guide on realism in twin interactions for twin au fics & how twins actually work.
20) Jason Todd’s Fenton Family Reunion
21) Discussion of Theme Similarity of 90’s Superboy and the Danny Phantom Cartoon.
22) A Summoning Going Dead Wrong (an ask commandeered from @stealingyourbones that got stuck in WIP hell and is FINALLY nearly done. I just need someone to unfuck my formatting & it’s all set.)
23) Wait What Do You Mean There’s Two Of You?
24) DP x DC What Do You Mean You Thought This Was A Nuclear Blast Zone?: Explaining the Metagene’s Existence in Amity Park, How Amity Park Was Hidden from the DC World, and the Discovery of It Not Being A Wasteland.
25) A Brief Reminder of Death and Revival: Blood Blossoms in Gotham
Based off of this post (which I am making a reply to but i gotta generate more ideas that fit with the theme first. Got the lore part done tho which is nice)
26.a) Wally West trips into the Backrooms.. wait why’s it all floating and green?
26.b) Speedsters can get healed by GZ
26.c) Speedsters get hurt by GZ contact
26.d) Speedsters gain extra powers when in contact with GZ
26.e) Too Much Of A Good Thing: Ectoplasm Overload (Flash Family)
26.f) How The Fuck Is This Working: Bafflement of the Fenton’s Building Conventions (Flash)
26.g) Lichtenberg AU Flash x DC (x2)
27) Familiar Branching Scars: Lichtenberg AU Captain Marvel x DP where I go way into specifics of magical theory and magical lab procedure than I should’ve
28) Danny’s Not Alive: The Issues That Come With Collecting a Ghost’s DNA
29) Ambient Ectoplasm Quality Warning: Health effects can be immediately felt by sensative groups. Healthy individuals may experience difficulty breathing and throat irritation; consider staying indoors and rescheduling outdoor activities. Please retreat to the GZ for your own safety.
30) tired TA Peter Parker who works a job at a university sponsored lab doing microfluidics
31) College Wally West complaining to his friends about his lab job & the difficulties trying to be a “real scientist”
32) They didn’t tell you being a Clone would come with an inferiority complex and the necessity to tell everyone around you that Not The Same Person Don’t Compare Us (yet I still I want to stand by their side and not in their shadow). (Kon-El)
Brainworms i need to write but have them recorded in my audio app & not transcribed yet:
33) Dash & Booster Gold, Ex-Star Quarterbacks
34) Frozen in Time (DP and the Flash Family)
35) I’m Not the Black Flash!
36) Ghosts In Space (do x dc)
37) The Contrast of Life and Death (Flash Family x dp)
38) Inhuman amounts of Speed. (Flash)
39) Opposing Forces: Same Energy (flash family x dp)
40) Metagene: How the Activation of an Integrated Virus Changes That Much Shit if it Activates
41) A Ghost and An Alien Walk Into A Bar…ow
42) A Ghost from the Future: A Mentor in the Past (Bart Allen)
43) Billy Batson: learning magic theory
44) Jimmy Olsen: Traumatized Beyond Belief (Taos discussion about how the character is handled)
45) Jimmy Olsen: A Neglected Superfamily Core Member By The Fans
46) A Parental Bond and Parental Worry: Clark Kent & Jimmy Olson
47)  Trust and Betrayal: Clark Kent Losing a Child’s Trust
48) Help I Think I Accidentally Adopted A College Student What Do I Do
49) A Brief Dissection of the Broad Symbols the DC Hero’s Stand For and Goals they Want: Personal Characterization Help
50) Anger Feels The Same As Happiness (The Feeling Is Just As Intense) (Bart Allen)
51) Shadows of the Future, Traces of the Past: Bart Allen is Not Okay (YJ cartoon)
#bones replies#bones speaks#dp x dc#clark kent#flash family#flash#jimmy olsen#bart allen#captain marvel#sorry for tagging this but if I don’t my organization system is gonna be trash to find this later#if you can’t tell I’m on a superman. captain marvel. and flash kick rn#dpxdc#dc x dp#batman#wally west#barry allen#impulse#kid flash#dp x dc writing prompt#dpxdc prompt#dc#dc comics#billy batson#superman#danny phantom
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Ugh I’m so sorry and hope it’s a quick recovery! I would love to hear any insight on what drove your choices of events to highlight in When All Other Lights Go Out. Each vignette was so compelling and evocative and I’m always curious to learn how those are picked out of all the possible scenarios. It was such a beautiful piece!
Thank you for the ask! I'm grateful to have all these sources of distraction.
Grundy's lamp was such a wonderful visual prompt for When All Other Lights Go Out. I loved writing from it. She did specifically code it as Feanorian, and as a nightlight, so that set some limits on what I could do with it. And her DNWs for the work helped to frame some of the choices. She wanted a complex family dynamic but not Bad Dad!Feanor, so that pushed me in the direction of having the story be more positive (well, as much as is possible, overall, with the Feanorians), and allowed me to stretch the definition of "complex family" to include Fingon, Elrond and Elros, and Aragorn/Arwen.
As a specifically Feanorian light it could be gem-based, rather than flammable, which made it sturdier and meant that it could travel and be useful in a wider range of situations. And the fact that it was a nightlight set up a dynamic of care that was really interesting to play out. What fears might it have been made to address, and whose fears were they? Making Maglor the recipient really allowed me to play with that in a way that wouldn't have worked with, say, Celegorm, and linked more naturally to the Maedhros-centered pieces of the tale and the ones that involved Elrond and co. And of course Feanor's original fears framed the whole thing.
I find long works very daunting to write, so the series of vignettes was a practical solution (don't write a long fic; write a lot of short ones that connect!), and having such a tangible artifact to anchor the story meant that it could move believably through time (the same trick you used to such marvelous effect in Atanatarisse). But I did need to write around moments when a light of that kind might actually be present and useful. So, no rescue from Thangorodrim, for instance. The moments I chose are mostly moments when love wins, in the best Tolkienish sense. The fact that it won't light in Doriath hopefully drives that point home.
I thought about having it end up back in Valinor with Maglor somehow, but that wasn't as satisfying as the symmetry I was able to achieve with the actual conclusion. And leaving that light of love to burn in the new Age felt more consistent with Tolkien's misty, ambiguous endings.
I'm so glad you liked the piece. It was a delight to write, and I really enjoyed learning about stained glass crafting from @grundyscribbling as I was working on it. I suspect I'll be dropping little stained-glass easter eggs in lots of things moving forward -- my forthcoming Innumerable Stars piece is loaded with them, I have realized, although that was not deliberate.
Thank you again for the ask...I'm always happy to chat about writing whys and wherefores. :)
** I'm still taking random questions about my old fics to tide me over as I wrestle with Covid. If you have any, send them on in! **
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this is late! but i'm always curious with rpf writers: how do you consider the 'characters' you write about against the real person? as in, how do you personally manage the separation between the two? especially in regards to shipping as the fandom as a whole seems to veer more towards truthing and an assumption that we, as fans, are able to truly perceive these people.
i see you're very respectful of the creators boundaries in regards to personal information that hasn't been freely given. has this ever been a struggle for you? it's almost impossible not to learn things about creators that has been obtained by shady means as there's an obviously toxic community dedicated to stalking and doxing creators and then using that information to harass fans by shoving it in their face. hopefully this hasn't happened to you but if it has and you've been unwillingly shown personal information about the people you're writing about, how do you personally deal with that while writing to ensure you're respectful of their right to privacy?
sorry if this is a bit more esoteric than you were asking for! i won't be offended if you choose not to answer :) love your writing! you're definitely one of my go-to authors if people ask for recs!
It took me a while longer to get to this ask because I wanted to think on it, hope you don't mind :)
Also, this got super long so it's below the cut
I never for one second have thought I actually know the ccs, in any of the rpf fandoms I've been in. I was trying to think of how I've always felt that distinction, and honestly, I think it's because I've read so many AUs that it's easier to separate fic!cc from irl!cc - dunno if that helps, but for me it's like the written versions in stories are so different because they always have the tone of the author in the style of the piece, the "characters" are filtered through their eyes, no matter how grounded in their quirks and vernacular the author is, they can't 100% take themselves out of it. That's how I always see the distinction, i guess. No idea if this is making sense to anyone else.
Moreover, I've also always believed the ccs deserve their privacy, so for someone to write a story about them and think they haven't missed any nuances of who these people are as people, is like so dumb? We can't 100% know them, and we SHOULDN'T 100% know them. There should be a wall dividing us from them.
As far as writing them--some stories they are completely different but you have to reach at something true about them and expand on it. I'm talking mostly about AUs like thief and cop AU or king and knight AU because those obviously have dynamics that aren't inherent in our Dream and George. For the style of fic I like to write, which is mostly IRL or "reality" based with a twist, you can only guess at what you think is real and true to each one of them and focus on drawing that part of them out, in regards to whatever the plot needs. With "Fallen," George's mom's divorce is the catalyst that draws them together, so we needed the angst of George seeing that relationship fall apart and wondering if his relationship with Dream will inevitably go the same way. In "Deep in the Dream of Game" their lives are at stake and so the protective side of each of them comes out and the strategist side of Dream that works to get them home and keep everybody together and alive. I hope that makes sense. In "Shine Here to Us" George's jealousy of Dream having a child with someone else prompts him to rearrange his life (again) in order to be the closest person to Dream, to do it with him.
We've seen snippets of private George, of how he keeps information close to his chest, how he doesn't talk about past relationships, etc and I channeled that into Fallen. We've seen Dream be protective over George -- the cooking stream and telling him not to put his hand in hot oil, "Tiktok fix your shit", etc and I channeled that into Deep in Dream. Anytime Dream expresses interest in someone else, George gets jealous (I feel like this happened with Foolish) -- and thus a nugget for Shine here to us.
I do try to be respectful of their boundaries. Before George's last name was in his meet-up vlog, I'd seen it in lots of stories and that never sat right with me. Not in a way where I'm passing judgment on those writers, I wouldn't, it's just a line I myself wouldn't cross. I've made guesses at things based on stories they've freely told us, but I've been lucky enough to avoid doxxed info. I came into fandom twitter space (where most of it seemed to leak) after that seemed to die down--or I was lucky enough to avoid it, I dunno. My friends said there were times doxxed info would be in replies to cc'd tweets and I never saw that, which I'm grateful for. I've been on tumblr a LONG time, but on this account, I've never gotten critblur asks like most of the big blogs did (So I've been told after the fact, and also THIS IS NOT AN INVITATION TO SEND THEM TO ME, DO NOT). So, I don't go looking, and I don't incorporate private information into my stories.
I think if I had been shown private info, I'm pretty good at forgetting things. I have to double check stories with my friends and betas all the time, so I think I'd be okay at not using that info.
It's interesting to me to see the line of fandom moving as I've aged in fandom. A lot of people in this community are young (which is great!) but the "rules" of this fandom are a lot different from other fandoms. Though, I do think it's really cool to have the main three--dream team--cool with being shipped and written about. I think Dream made a really smart choice when he was blowing up. (not to say I think he played into queerbaiting--he's a person not a corporation and can't queerbait. I'm pretty sure he and George are just like that.)
I firmly believe he did a lot of research on cultivating a fandom when he started popping off and when he realized his audience was primarily LGBT and leaning female, he embraced it and encouraged them in things that female leaning people tend to do in fandom, which is, mostly transformative works. There's an interesting article that i can't find that talks about the traditional "roles" of men vs women in fandom spaces and men do more archiving and collecting ((think racecars, pokemon cards, mcc reddit spreadsheets, etc)) which is not to say women can't do that, but apparently women lean more towards writing fan fiction and drawing fan art. I think that article didn't talk about trans or nonbinary people but I see a LOT of them in this space, which is, again, amazing.
Anyway, Dream's growth in large part is tied to not only his creative videos and terrific editing skills, but the cultivation of a fandom that he allows full creative freedom--edits, tiktoks, analysis videos, fanfic, and fan art!! I don't know any other cc who encourages artists as much as Dream and I think that's really helped him.
But I do think that sometimes people confuse him being open with his fans to being open in the sense that they are owned information about him. They aren't. They never will be. He tells us way more than we deserve to know and way more than other ccs tell their fans. I block those people and keep it moving.
Sorry that this got way off track, lmao. Clearly I just needed to ramble about fandom stuff for a while. Sorry.
Thank you for reccing my fics, that's lovely to hear! I really love writing for this community :D
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First of all: happy new year, hope this year will turn out great for you
I was actually just checking your blog today and was wondering what ur up to.
Idk, got anything to ramble about? What about Walls, or any other kind of fanfiction, have you made any progress or got new interesting ideas? I am honestly very curious about any kind of new information lol !!
thanks so much, same to you!!
it has been,,,,, very hard to write for the past several months. I have completed like. a single one-shot and a drabble since last August. my job is just so soul-sucking, the people who shop at the store I work at can be very unkind and entitled and dehumanizing, and I'm finally coming to grips with the fact that it is actively damaging my mental and physical health and it's not worth staying even if it's more convenient for my bosses. I will miss a lot of my coworkers, but I just can't keep doing this. I'm hoping to find somewhere quieter to work with a different clientele, and to stay part-time this time so I'm not expending all my energy at my job.
fortunately, just the thought of leaving is giving me a little more energy, so I'm planning on getting back to writing today, hopefully more regularly. one of my friends made a little Papyton Christmas prompt list over the holidays and I really want to write for it even if Christmas is over, lol. I also want to do some drabbles for the Asgorecember event I (barely) helped run, start a couple new series, and work on some old fics that haven't been updated in a good while. I also really want to take requests again, so I might do that later this month.
as for Walls, I haven't really had a chance to convene with Pixie (now a co-creator of the universe/timeline Walls takes place in) lately because of the holidays, so not much has been done on that front, but if I'm lucky and I'm able to find a better job, we might be able to set up regular times to work on it. we are still aiming for May 2024 for the release of the first chapters.
I've explained the current plans for Walls in this post, but to tldr (since it's a bit of a long post), the main story is now going to be split into 3 fics due to the large cast and the complexity of the material I'm working with--one fic will be Papyrus's POV, one will be Mettaton's, and then the last fic, when both individual arcs are wrapped up, will be a mix of both for the final arc.
I've been trying to avoid titling anything, but I listen to too much music so I've already got tentative plans from song titles/lyrics. I've been dying to share them so I'll put them under the cut at the end of this ask in case people don't want to be spoiled.
so uhhhhhhh yeah that's that. very excited to hopefully make a writing comeback!! I've missed sharing things with you all.
potential titles for Walls fics under the cut, please do not look under the cut if you don't want to be spoiled!!
Papyrus fic - "R.E.M." (based on "R.E.M" by Ariana Grande)
Mettaton fic - "song of the caged bird" (based on "Song of the Caged Bird" by Lindsey Stirling)
Final arc - "sweetener" (based on "sweetener" by Ariana Grande) (still waffling a lot on this title tbh)
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Coming Attractions!
First Monday of the month, so here we go.
As per usual, this also means an open question night--my askbox is always open, but I'll be actively keeping an eye on it tonight. I do take prompts, but am not necessarily fast in filling them. Any fandom I've posted about here or on AO3 is fair game, as is any of my original stuff.
Short one this month, because I didn't get much done last month, whoops...a big work project took up more brainmeats than I expected it would, ah well.
Mostly moved, mostly everything is sorted; a few things I still need to finish organizing/putting away/etc. But that should also free up some brainspace hopefully!
Anyway. Actual updates.
Star Wars:
Pretty much the same as last week--need to catch up on OTP meme fills; poking back at my original plan for last year's SWBB so I can use it for this year. Not a lot of progress, but hopefully this month will be better!
BSG:
Big Bang matches have gone out! I'm excited to see how everything turns out. And hopefully get actually back into writing the many plotlines that are floating around in my head, lol...particularly The Other Battlestar which still needs an Official title and has been waiting to come out of my head and get Shared for like. over a year. even discounting the like 8-10 year gap when I wandered away from the fandom...
I should be picking up my rewatch soon, too! I have the back half of season 3, plus season 4, and maybe the webisodes (I have access to Face of the Enemy but not Resistance, so we'll see if I actually watch those). Which does mean we're coming up on my absolute least favorite episode in the entire series, haha. I haven't even gotten to it yet and I'm already mad about it (and have found an Additional Reason to be mad about it that I hadn't had before! Yay!) But also after that I get Lampkin, who I love, and while season 4 is a mess in terms of cohesion/continuity it has some of my very favorite episodes in the entire series, So.
Castlevania:
I haven't actually sat down and watched Nocturne yet (mostly because of the aforementioned work stuff), so I haven't quite fallen back into this fandom yet. I do want to get back to Incinctus, and I had one other plot thread idea for another fic based on the first series (essentially, shifting Alucard's S3 timeline by six weeks so the night Sumi and Taka plan to attack him is the same night Greta's messenger gets there, and then see where things go from there).
It's kind of interesting--I have approximately zero knowledge of the games, apart from a few bits and pieces I've picked up from reading fics and/or hanging out on a discord server. Which, of course, has been talking a lot about Nocturne...but almost entirely in the context of how it relates to the game characters/plotlines it's drawing from. Which means I'm both...more and less hyped for it? I don't know, I'm not sure how to word how it's impacted my interest/excitement/etc. for the followup series, because a lot of the comments about certain characters/choices completely fly over my head but they Dominate the server and I'm like "...okay?"
Anyway, we'll see how I feel about it when I watch the series. And if I do end up building a VC crossover in my head (because like. armand and the theatre are right there and while I was able to confine myself to a quick Easter Egg reference in Incinctus...lol.)
Les Mis:
The next chapter of P&J is coming, I swear. Also planning to debut Acheron this month because...I mean I know it's technically a Groundhog Day AU set in June, but it feels appropriate to start posting it around Halloween? IDK XD
Original Fic:
Again I do need to catch up on OTP memes. I do like the one piece I put out this month, which was about the Horsemen in Lux. They're a Delight and I love them.
...yeah, that's about it. Like I said, short post this month because I didn't get much actual writing done last month. Hopefully October will be better for me (if nothing else, hopefully I actually will catch up on all the backlogged OTP Meme fills, lol...)
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Hey! This is a bizarre ask but hopefully a welcome one after *gestures at the destruction and fire*. I’m completely new to the Loki/thorki fandom, having essentially come in via the exit door by watching the Loki tv series first. I was honestly just watching it for junk value to have something in the background while I knit. However, when I realized that I didn’t understand anything by the middle of Ep. 1, I went back to watch Thor 1 so I could get what was going on. And HOLY SHIT I was utterly captivated by Loki’s character in the original movie, as well as by the Loki-Thor and Odin family dynamics. I’ve now watched through the films and have been increasingly disappointed by the portrayal of Loki (since Avengers 1 frankly) save a few glimmers of good characterization here and there.
I can’t believe that I’m getting myself into another queer coded (and now more than coded wtf) “villain” with a tragic backstory who’s done dirty by the fandom at large, but here we are! I’m also super into thorki because goddamn… they sure do have a Dynamic™.
So I guess my question is, what is actually good here? I feel like I’ve been trying to fight my way back to Kenneth Branagh!Loki, and have been largely unsuccessful within canon content. Do you have suggestions for a newcomer re: fics, fanart, and meta that actually treats Loki seriously? (and thorki as well?)
Hey! Welcome! Sorry about the mess *gestures at the garbage fire that is the TVA Show The Larry Show The "Loki" Show*
And this isn't a bizarre ask at all. It was really nice to receive actually! And yeah! I'm so glad you went back and watched the originals. The TV Show character is a completely new character played by the same actor who has nothing in common with the original character (who yes is absolutely fascinating and captivating and multilayered). Honestly I just think of the tv character as Larry, Loki's dumb lookalike cousin bc they have nothing in common lol. So glad the show led to you discovering good content...and thorki. And yeah Thor 2011 is amazing! It's so underrated. If you want meta relating to that and also just gushing about the film you can def check out my Thor 2011 tag.
My thorki tag of course has thorki stuff including art etc. I've also got an art tag which has both thorki and non-thorki works. If you want fic recs you can look in my fic rec tag which has a bunch of good stuff both thorki and gen.
Also here are some good thorki fics to start out with that I've really enjoyed. Most are ones I read early on when I just discovered the ship. Also @illwynd has a great thorki blog btw that you should def check out (and also their sideblog @throwbackthorki). Edit: I’ve also added some gen fic recs.
Thorki Fic Recs:
Chaos War by astolat (words: 34,203 | rating: E)
It was never easy to find Loki when he wanted to hide, but he wasn't doing a particularly good job of it at the moment. Probably he didn't think anyone from Asgard would be wasting their time hunting for him while the shining ones churned their way steadily through all the realm.
Loyalty at Any Price by seidrade (words: 22,663 | rating: E )
“This whole time, I’ve been searching the Nine Realms— alone— for answers to questions I barely know how to ask. I thought Heimdall at his watch, our father upon the throne, and most grievously… I thought you lost to me forever.” Thor’s resurgence of anger gives way to something like despair. He can’t tell whether he wants to pummel Loki into one giant bruise, or hold him and weep like a child.
When Thor returns to Asgard and exposes Loki’s deception, his demands for answers and Loki’s reluctance to give them soon bubble over into a cathartic confrontation.
Born to be Kings by Kadorienne (words: 66,618 | rating: T)
When the princes of Asgard made their ill-fated jaunt to Jotunheim, Odin arrived to fetch them before the frost giant grabbed Loki's arm. Odin was able to carry out his plan to make Loki his puppet king of Jotunheim. But how long will Loki remain an obedient puppet?
Yidrigar by epistolic (words: 5,174 | rating: M)
Sometimes I am envious, but never doubt that I love you.
The Heavy Crown by orphan_account (words: 10,024 | Rating: M )
Odin is dead. Loki must take up the mantle of King even as war threatens Asgard, Thor remains bereft of both Mjolnir and his immortality, and stress coupled with the knowledge of his heritage drives Loki to the brink.
No Common Thing by ravenbringslight (words: 8,283 | rating: E)
Loki follows Thor to a brothel and gets the shock of his life.
On the Eagle's Wings by illwynd (words: 2,975 | rating: T )
After Loki falls from the Bifrost, Thor begins to write him letters every day.
How long we were fooled by Ark (words: 28,227 | rating: E )
Loki is not a good man, he knows; there is something rotten in the core of him; and even a much better man might let Thor kiss him, since Thor still tastes of sizzling lightning, like gathering rain, like a desire so fierce and so awful to him that when released it could bring Asgard to its knees.
sunshine by thorvaenn (words: 18,257 | rating: E )
A post Infinity War fluffy piece.
Thor and Loki are among those who are trying to pick up the pieces, but must first fix each other.
Edit: And Some Gen Fic Recs too:
lose my idols to find my voice by Lise (words: 1,548 | rating: T)
This is no homecoming.
monstrare by Lise (words: 1,174 | T )
Loki is Asgard's second prince, brother to Thor, son of Odin and Frigga.
Isn't he?
farewell hope, and with hope farewell fear by Lise (words: 3,113 | rating: T)
Loki and the terrible, horrible, no good, very long delayed reckoning.
Five Times Loki Could Have Been A Villain by Kadorienne (words: 3,344 | rating: G | Character Death)
Five AUs where Loki is not a mere antagonist, but an actual villain.
He would have acted very differently.
When It Sings, When It Lies by dreamsthebirds (words: 14,145 | rating: G)
Thor AU, based on an awesome norsekink prompt for a scenario in which Heimdall doesn't open the Bifrost to Jotunheim, Odin doesn't ride to the rescue, and Loki is forced to take matters into his own hands.
Interdimensional journeys, shattering emotional revelations, and walking trees ensue.
Ichor in Violet by tirsynni (Words: 14,574 | rating: T)
When Thor learns that Loki can travel to other realms without Heimdall seeing, of course he convinces Loki to take them both to Jotunheim to hunt Frost Giants. There an accident unravels centuries of lies and threatens to unravel Loki, too.
The Sinking Feeling of Anticipation by JaggedCliffs (words: 8,624 | rating: G)
When Æsir come of age, they receive a gift from their parents, one meant to aid them in their adult lives. When a prince of Asgard comes of age, their gifts are not just for themselves, but for the realm.
Loki watched Thor receive Mjolnir at his coming of age ceremony – one of the greatest weapons in the realms, for one of its greatest warriors. Now, it's Loki's turn, and he knows Odin will grant him something just as magnificent.
Won't he?
Exsanguination by Lise (words: 8,610 | rating: G)
exsanguination /ex·san·gui·na·tion/ v.intr. To be drained of blood. (And all the rest.)
#asks#fic rec#thorki#thorki fic rec#thunderfrost#Loki#Thor#Marvel#MCU#loki fic rec#loki fic#loki tv series#loki show#Loki Series critical
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heyyy!!! first of all I j want to say I love all of ur stories sm and ur writing is breathtaking <333 uve actually inspired me a lot!! One of my friends is also rlly talented at writing and she's started taking commissions but she's a bit unsure about the process so I'm asking u for some help ab it , how often do u get commissions and how do you know what to charge? it'd be great if u could help out but no pressure !!
hope u have a wonderful day keep shining love ❤
First of all, thank you for the kind words!! And hopefully the information below will be helpful in some way.
Process:
It all starts with people reaching out and requesting to discuss a commission. This has been through asks/dms/Instagram for me. Once I know they're interested and we're moving forward with the commission, I will also offer them my email or Discord if that is their preferred way of contact. It will vary depending on what your friend has as contact information and what they're comfortable with.
The next step will vary a lot for every writer. I personally get a prompt and ask the person if there is any moment or specific details they'd like in the fic. I then give them a timeframe of when the fic should be done (determined by my schedule and length of commission) and then I just write. I'm not one to outline my fics or do multiple drafts. So when I find the flow and get in the right space, I just write. Some writers will send 1st drafts and then the final piece. Some will even send multiple drafts as well as fic outlines. It's really up to the writer and their process.
I send the final piece in multiple forms and depending on the fic, I will request if it's okay to post to AO3 and other media.
Also note that before I start writing the actual piece, I will receive payment. If it's a larger sum, I have the person pay half upfront and the other half at completion of the fic. Don't be afraid to charge upfront because not receiving payment after you've given your time, effort, and more is really shitty (luckily nothing I've experienced). Don't take that risk.
Pricing:
Commissions are complicated due to everyone's prices varying. This is due to their experience, what they write, if they're full-time, part-time, or just doing as a side-gig, and many other factors.
On top of this, writers can charge in a multitude of ways. I use a base price system, some writers opt to charge by time, and others by word count. I personally am on the lower range of pricing due to doing commissions as a side-gig and for fun. I know some writers who are charging 4-10 cents per word, which would then translate as $100 for a 1000 word short-fic.
For your friend, they should take this all into consideration, but also know their worth. They need to make sure not to undercharge and charge at a price that works for them. I want to reiterate that my prices are purposely lower so that it's more accessible and viable for my readers to commission me. Another reason for the lower price and for me not using price per word is the speed at which I can create. Some people have a longer process, which I personally see as a reason to have a higher price due to giving more time for a singular piece. That does not mean your friend or other writers should be using prices that are similar. I'd highly recommend looking up other commission sheets/prices of other writers to gauge where they want to fit into.
Frequency:
Due to not pushing my commissions on AO3 (where my audience really is) I personally do not receive commissions too often. I receive them here and there and most times it is the lowest price point. Personally this works for me due to having a full-time job along with other responsibilities.
But if your friend is looking to do this more professionally, I would recommend advertising more and actively promoting themselves as often and in as many places as possible. Obviously don't spam, but make people aware of what they provide.
Lastly, I hope your friend is able to do what works best for them. Don't feel obligated to do what everyone else is doing and figure out what's best for their life. And if they set-up a pricing system, process system, etc that they learn doesn't work for them, then they can always change it (obviously not if you're in the middle of a commission though)! Nothing is set in stone because it's in their hands, it's in their control. So change the prices, change the process, change whatever is needed to make sure this fits into their life the way they need it to.
Commission Sheet for reference (art by @xaibaugrove):
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Hiii!
So it’s not exactly a milestone follower celebration, but being the dirty-minded woman I am I couldn’t help but make a little tribute for reaching...
*drumroll please*....
💥69 followers!!!!!💥
“It ain’t much, but it’s honest work.” I say to myself as I once again write a filthy, self-indulgent smut piece starring the one and only Anders Johnson.
He was the natural choice for this, the PIN numbers for all of his credit cards are 6969 after all…
I have been wanting to write Anders fics for a while now and have a couple of abandoned WIPs stashed away so hopefully this will inspire me to write more for him since there simply is not enough content for such a sexy asshole like him.
I appreciate each and every one of you and it still boggles my mind that you choose to follow me and my smutty nonsense, so thank you!!! You all mean the world to me!
(E rated fic below the cut!)
Lip Service
(A 69 Followers Celebration)
Words: 1,433
Pairing: Anders Johnson x female reader
Warnings: Rated E. Smut. Oral sex (M/F receiving). Swearing. Implied casual sex. Unprotected sexual acts
Summary: Anders spends the night. Your activities continue on into the morning and your current sleeping position prompts Anders to engage in the exciting act of 69’ing.
————-
You woke up slightly confused. When you opened your eyes, you looked up to see the usual view of your room from the other way around, which meant you had fallen asleep upside down in your bed.
How did that happen?
Oh. Of course.
You smiled and bit your lower lip, recalling a particular position in which you were-- well, it was very creative to say the least.
You propped yourself up on your elbows to see if your generous guest remained beside you, but you were alone.
Anders must either be in the shower or making coffee.
You laid back down, your body exhausted from a long night consisting of multiple rounds of intense sex, deciding it was best to fall back asleep and ignore the mess of pillows, clothes and the contents of your nightstand strewn across your room.
Thankfully you were off of work today, so you could stay in the comforts of your bed as long as it pleased you and you hoped Anders would stay and add to that pleasure too.
He had wound up in your bed almost every night this week, not that you were complaining, but you typically only heard from him occasionally and it made you wonder if he was finally wanting to commit to something. That, or he just appreciated your time together as much as you did. Either way, it was perfectly fine with you.
You heard him stride confidently into your room, but you were too tired to open your eyes again to see what he was doing.
Letting out a contented sigh you allowed your body to relax into its deliciously sore state, the blissful sensation of sleep starting to take you over again.
Anders approached the bed, still naked and freshly showered, and took in the display before him.
You were looking divine, blankets barely covering the perfect curves of your body and making his dick harder by the second.
You had this way about you that no one else could compare to and Anders found himself never able to get enough. And it wasn’t just the sex either, he wanted to actually spend time with you. But even if that meant spending time in your bed, it was a perk he was willing to accept any opportunity it was presented.
As much as he was the one who was a god, he couldn’t help but worship you as if you were a goddess.
He took a quiet step forward, stopping when his knees hit the edge of the mattress and bent forward to plant a kiss on your forehead. You looked completely peaceful and relaxed, probably still feeling the effects of the many orgasms he had provided for you throughout the night. He thought of all the ways the two of you had ended up entwined together and he didn’t doubt just how tired you were.
Anders moved his lips forward, this time lightly grazing your fluttering eyelashes that rested on your cheeks. You hummed slightly, but he could tell you were still on the brink of sleep.
He moved further still, his lips landing on your nose and then your lips and Anders decided this was a nice place to linger. He softly brushed his lips over yours to part them and gently introduced his tongue to your warm mouth. The mismatch of your top and bottom lips created a playful challenge for him as he continued to move his against yours, each touch increasing the growing want he had for you yet again.
He kissed a trail down your neck to your collarbone, enjoying the quiet whimpers that began spilling from your mouth. Anders placed one of his knees on the bed in order to reach more of you, now hovering above you and very eager to place his lips on every part of your body.
His mouth skimmed over your breasts and the sensation of his wet tongue flicking against your nipple had you wide awake in an instant. You couldn’t suppress your excitement and you arched your chest into him to encourage more of his attention, a giggle escaping you when he complied with fervor.
“I knew you weren’t sleeping,” Anders said in a low tone. He brought himself completely onto the bed to lay on his side and he thought how convenient it was that you were positioned the opposite way.
You started to shift, wanting to move so you were no longer backwards on your bed and facing the same direction as him in order to continue kissing, but he had other ideas.
“No, no, stay where you are,” he ordered.
Before you could protest his mouth was on your core and his hand was pressing against your knee to spread your legs wider for him.
“Fuck, Anders!” you called out, praising his masterful tongue. You allowed yourself to indulge selfishly for only a moment before reaching your arm around him, grabbing his full ass to pull him closer to you. You were eager to return the favour and Anders didn’t offer up any hesitation as he shifted his hips toward you.
A moan of ecstasy made your mouth fall open, giving Anders the opportunity to nudge the tip of his oozing cock past your lips.
You gladly took him fully into your mouth, swirling your tongue around his girth and pushing him deeper until he was entirely encased by you. You pummelled your own throat repeatedly by bringing his head as far to the back of it as you could, each time slightly engaging your gag reflex but making you all the more determined to blow his mind.
Literally.
You loved sucking him off as much as he did, tasting him and breathing in his musk and every pass of your tongue on his length made more wetness pool between your folds from the pure satisfaction of giving him this much pleasure.
Anders showed his appreciation of your efforts by plunging his tongue even further inside you, the stubble on his chin scratching against your clit in the most exquisite rhythm. He ate at you vigorously, his enthusiasm clear and more than welcomed by you, causing you to reciprocate with equal excitement.
Whether his intensity increased from you expertly fucking him with your mouth or him simply enjoying your body’s response to his ministrations, you weren’t sure. All you knew was both of you were determined to shatter the other and savour everything that was given to you.
You were perfectly synchronized, fuelling each other’s fire and equally bringing the other closer and closer to the edge. You already found yourself beginning to tremble against his touch, every movement from him igniting all the nerves in your body.
The harder and faster you worked on him, the more pressure he applied to your soaked and tingling core, pushing you to your peak.
In another effort to bring him to his climax, you gripped the base of his throbbing cock with one hand and pumped in time with the movement of your head, causing Anders to groan against you. He gave a broad lick over your folds and turned his focus to your clit, adding two fingers inside you to expertly massage your g-spot.
The action tipped you over, your walls tightening and squeezing his fingers and you gave a muffled scream, ever so slightly loosening your lips around his engorged head, but not your grip on the base of him.
You felt him pulse into your mouth with three spurts just as you landed from your incredible high and you swallowed his thick cum appreciatively.
Both of you lay panting for a minute before Anders sat up and spun around, collapsing down beside you with a heavy sigh. His vibrant blue eyes stared into you with unspoken praise and you returned his look of fulfilment with a sated smile.
“Do you want breakfast?” you asked, having caught your breath and quite a hunger from all the calories you had burned since your last meal.
“No, I just ate,” Anders replied with a chuckle and he gave your bum a light smack.
“At least make me a coffee,” you requested.
“I can do that.” He gave you a long and slow kiss, making your stomach flutter and you hopeful that mornings like this could happen more often. When he pulled away from you his dimpled smile had you grinning just as it always did.
“Maybe I’ll cook you some bacon,” he said with wiggling eyebrows, “naked,” which made you grin even more.
“Just be careful you don’t burn anything...” you playfully warned.
#anders johnson x female reader#anders johnson#the almighty johnsons#the almighty johnsons imagine#anders johnson imagine#follower celebration
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The Cafe Pt.2 (Rewritten Barista)
OMG I’m back with the shitty Kamilah fanfiction! I haven’t written for a while - let alone for this series since I took a writing hiatus to focus on my classes so hopefully there aren’t any plot holes and the fic doesn’t suck ass. I’m slowly getting back into my writing but I still have finals (Up until next April 28) but after finals I will be writing more consistently and will finish my current series and WIPs (I will post my WIPs list soon so I can hold myself accountable and also keep track of what I need to work on).
Pairing: Kamilah x MC (Amy)
Word Count: 3682 words (I am trying to write longer fics but I prefer quality > length so I will post when the chapter feel right however I aim for this series chapters to be between 3500-4500 words each)
Taglist: (I know it’s been a while so if you’d like to be removed from the taglist just let me know - I promise it won’t hurt my feelings that being said if you’d like to be added to the taglist for just this series, my Kamilah x MC taglist or my perma tag - please let me know I’ll be happy to add you if I remember to even tag) @samanthadalton @beautifulandorganized @cloud9in @kwaj115 @hellyeah90sbaby @shows-simp-card @witchesplayatnight
Part I
“It’s...sweet and comforting,” her voice was soft as she spoke, Amy’s cheeks turning very red, “like you.”
Amy felt on cloud nine, her eyes glued to Kamilah as she watched her walk to her car and speed away like some rich movie character. Amy closed her eyes, replaying the entire scene over and over until the soft jingle of the bell startled her. Zig walked in, his shoulders drooped low as he carried a large duffel bag in his hand as his backpack slung over his shoulder.
“You look like shit Zig.” Amy jested before walking to him and taking the duffel bag from him, both of them laughing lightly.
“I guess the tides have changed since we went to Hartfeld yeah?” Amy snickered at Zig’s comment, recalling the time she and her friends had gotten so wasted they streaked through the quad only to be caught by the dean on their way back.
“I assume you’re leaving after your shift?” Amy placed his bag down and tossed him his apron, both of them moving to the front counter as Zig examined the cafe.
“Yeah, we aren’t technically leaving until tomorrow morning but Kaitlyn wanted to run over some of the more technical things with us. I could probably convince them to let you come, you’d definitely spice things up.” Zig waved his hands in the air and stuck his tongue out as Amy tried to glare at him, before breaking into laughter.
“And who would watch the cafe? The pigeons? Lily?”
“You’re right, I still feel bad about leaving on such short notice-”
“I’ve got this Zig, trust.” Amy held her head proud as Zig rolled his eyes, making sure Amy saw him. “Jerk.” She nudged his shoulder as a tall handsome man walked in, it took Amy and Zig a moment to realize who he was as he adjusted his tie.
“Adrian Raines? CEO of Raine’s corporations?” Zig’s head perked up as he approached the register, his suit was a steel grey, his hair a dark brown that resembled a fresh cup of coffee and his smile was so comforting and infectious Amy couldn’t help but smile at him.
“You must be Zig,” Adrian reached a hand forward, his teeth were so perfect, so straight and white he could have been in a toothpaste commercial, “and you must be Amy. Kamilah recommended this place. More specifically she recommended your special coffee. I had to come see for myself - she said if she had ordered one for me, it wouldn’t have made it to my office.” His voice was soothing, comforting and satisfying - Amy wanted him to read a bedtime story to her.
Amy’s eyes widened as she felt butterflies in her stomach, her palms growing sweaty as she smiled back at Adrian, his deep brown eyes very similar to Kamilah’s without the intensity. Zig gently tapped her shoulder, nodding towards the coffee machine as he rang Adrian’s drink up.
“Oh! Right!” Amy hustled, she was excited that she had two major CEOs trying her special coffee, it was a subtle flex that she found satisfaction in. She leaned back on the counter as the coffee slowly spilled out of the brewer, the strong smell prompting Adrian to turn for a moment before continuing the conversation with Zig. Amy took a moment to take him in, after all, not everyone gets to be within such a close proximity to a major CEO. Amy hadn’t noticed how muscular he was, his posture was so irritatingly straight, his hands were smaller than she expected and she tried not to laugh upon that discovery. His hair was slickly combed back, and his eyelashes were longer than Amy’s and his body complex was just muscular enough to be seen through the curves of his suit but not so muscular as to resemble Dwayne Johnson.
“This is a solid set up you’ve got for yourself Zig, you should be proud.” Adrian adjusted his tie to be straighter as Zig rolled his shoulders back with a proud smile on his face.
“It took a lot of work but it’s...something I have wanted since college. I’m sure you understand that feeling since you do run one of the leading technology companies in the world, not even just the United States.” Zig folded his hands into his arms as Adrian turned with a soft gaze, a twinkle in his eyes that Amy couldn’t quite put a pin on.
“Well I’ve had years to grow and create a base for myself, with the connections I have in other industries it was really only a matter of money and finding the right people to work with me.”
“How long did it take you?” Amy finished his coffee off with a generous serving of caramel and stirred it gently as Adrian blinked at her.
“A long time, I’m much older than I look.” He laughed and Amy couldn’t help but question why he was so vague, he was only 28 years old according to google.
“You don’t look a day over 22.” Zig interjected as Adrian and Amy held each other’s gaze, Amy couldn’t help but question his eyes, there was something he wasn’t letting on and she could feel it in her stomach. She handed him the coffee and watched his expression change as the warm liquid met his lips.
“I can see why Kamilah was so intrigued, this has to be one of the best drinks I’ve ever had.” Adrian’s phone rang with drumming that sounded like it was from a revolutionary war movie.
“Strange ringtone.” Amy remarked prompting Adrian to smile and shake his head.
“I love the revolutionary war, the fight for freedom will always be an admirable one.” He smiled at Amy before turning to Zig, “I need to head back to my office but I’ll be sure to invest in this cafe of yours, and for you Amy. Thank you.” He reached into his pocket and handed Amy what appeared to be $300.
“No wait it was just a cup of coffee!” Amy tried to shove the money back into his hand but Adrian had already dashed out of the door, leaving Zig stunned with a smile and Amy baffled. “What the fuck. I will never understand rich people Zig.”
“I mean hey, it’s a good tip and you need the money Amy. Now, about you watching the cafe, are you really sure you can handle it alone? It’s a tall order.” Zig furrowed his brows as he scanned the empty cafe, his hand reassuringly placed on Amy’s shoulder.
“It would actually be a venti order, but I’m sure. You need a break buddy, I can see it in your eyes and you should be there for Kaitlyn and her band.” Amy placed her hand over Zig’s as two women walked through the cafe doors.
“Alright then, now let’s finish the day.” Zig returned to the register as Amy began fixing the women’s orders.
The day passed by slower than usual, Amy kept replaying her interactions with Adrian over in her mind, with Kamilah’s earlier remark fading as Amy questioned Adrian’s shadiness.
“That could not have gone by slower.” Zig let out a long sigh and Amy watched the tension leave his broad shoulders as he locked the front door. “After today I don’t have any more doubts about that trip, I need a break.”
“That’s all I’ve been saying dumbass, go on. You need to pack and I can clean up here tonight.” Amy joked as Zig looked around nervously.
“Amy this place is a mess, we were so much busier. I can’t leave you to do this by yourself.” Zig reached for the disinfectant wipes as Amy smacked his hand.
“Get out of here and go pack or you’re straight.” Amy wiggled her brows at Zig who took a step back.
“Oh fuck off. All the tips from today are yours though. You take all the tips or you’re a vampire lover.” Zig winked at Amy who rolled her eyes and pointed towards the door. Zig stopped and patted her shoulder on his way out.
“Thank you so much Amy. I’m glad you’re working here and I’m glad we were able to reconnect.” Zig and Amy shared a nod in silence before Zig left the messy cafe to Amy.
“Now it’s just me I guess. Time to play some music.” Amy smiled and pulled her speaker out of her backpack, putting “Sit Next to Me” by Foster the People on and showly shaking her torso to the beat. She held the broom in her hands and started sweeping to the beat of the song, her head shaking to the rhythm as she sang her heart out. She finished sweeping the floor and began washing the blenders and wiping down the counters, stopping every five minutes to dance to the chorus of whatever upbeat song was playing.
“She wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts. She’s cheer captain and I’m-” Amy swung her hips around, the washcloth in her hands flying through the air as she swayed her head back and forth like a teenage girl.
“On the bleachers, dreaming bout the day when you wake up and find that what you’re looking for has been here the whole time.”
Amy froze like a deer in headlights as she turned to see where the voice came from - Kamilah was standing in the doorway with her arms crossed and a very amused look on her face as Amy slowly lowered her arms in embarrassment.
“How much of that did you see?”
“Oh no don’t let me interrupt you, please keep going.” Kamilah smirked and Amy felt a rush of adrenaline run through her. Instead of stopping and apologizing, she found herself hitting the play button and continued singing and dancing like Kamilah wasn’t even there.
“If you could see that I’m the one who understands you! Been here all along so why can’t you seeeeeeee, you belong with meeeee!”
“Standing by and waiting at your backdoor, all this time how could you not know babyyyy? You belong with meeee.” Amy blinked as Kamilah sang with her, the woman's voice was stunning and left Amy speechless as their eyes met in the dim cafe lighting. The way Kamilah’s voice sounded in combination with the low and heated gaze she had on Amy, it felt like she was just reading her thoughts out loud. In a flash Kamilah was standing in front of Amy, their bodies so close Amy could feel the woman’s warmth and smell her sweet scent as the music faded and Amy lost herself in Kamilah’s brown eyes.
“You belong with me. Have you ever thought...just...maybe...” Kamilah’s voice slowed from a singing tone to a low whisper, she leaned close as the song came to its end, Amy couldn’t help but sing back to her.
“You belong with me?” She knew it came out shakily, the subtle smirk on Kamilah’s face said it all as they stayed locked in the moment. Amy knew they weren’t just singing to Taylor Swift’s new album, it was unspoken words between the two of them that neither had the courage to previously say. Amy felt her heart speed up, her palms growing sweaty as she waited to see if Kamilah would sing back to her or not.
“You belong with me.” Kamilah leaned forward to kiss Amy, both of their eyes fluttering shut as the music stopped and time came to a slow. Amy wrapped her arms around the woman’s shoulders as their lips almost met, before Amy’s ringtone blared from her backpack causing Kamilah and Amy to jolt apart.
Amy rushed over to check the call, scanning the screen and reading Lily’s name made her less annoyed that her almost kiss was interrupted, but still not happy.
“Hey Lil what’s up? Oh yeah, I’m sorry I let Zig get out early so he could pack so I’m not gonna be home til late tonight. I’m so sorry. Yeah. Oh that’s good, I’m glad! You can def tell me about it later. Yeah? Oh yes I gotcha, I’ll venmo you for the rent once I hang up. Yeah okay goodnight Lil.”
Amy hung up the phone and opened her venmo, sending Lily the $550 for rent, completely ignoring the fact Kamilah had made her way close to her again. As soon as she put her phone back in her bag, Kamilah turned her back around to face her, the woman’s eyes sparkling in the soft lighting that surrounded them.
“Kamilah, how did you get in here? We’re technically closed and Zig-” Amy was silenced by Kamilah dangling what appeared to be a copy of the cafe key.
“I helped Zig fund this cafe, I can come and go as I please, I just prefer to make his life easy and stay out of his way. He said you might’ve needed help cleaning up tonight since you let him go, so I came to help you clean, but instead I found you giving a world tour with no audience.”
Amy felt a blush crawl up her face, her heart pounding so loudly it rang in her ears as she felt Kamilah’s hand on her arm. She pulled her eyes away from Kamilah’s, unsure of if it was because she was embarrassed, scared, flustered or a combination of all three. Kamilah gently placed her index finger under the girl’s chin, softly pulling her to meet her gaze as she spoke slowly.
“You don’t have to kiss me Amy,” her voice was comforting and lacked the iciness it usually carried, “just say the word and I won’t come to the cafe while you’re here alone.”
“Kamilah...I...it’s not that...it’s just...” Amy stuttered but leaned forward, unable to reach Kamilah’s lips because of her height. Kamilah leaned down, tracing her index finger over Amy’s throat as their lips softly met. Kamilah slowly took Amy’s lower lip in her mouth, sucking on it and prompting a soft moan to escape Amy’s mouth as she draped herself into Kamilah’s arms. Minutes passed by as their mouths remained locked together, only pulling apart so they could finish cleaning.
“Come on Amy, let’s get this place clean so you can get home.” Kamilah picked up the roll of paper towels and began drying the blenders and stacking them neatly to Amy’s surprise. Kamilah was a powerhouse, which was something Amy had expected from her since she radiated power like a goddess, but it was her ability to clean so damn thoroughly that confused Amy.
“Kamilah?”
“Yes?”
“I don’t want to sound rude or anything but-”
“How did I learn to clean so well for an extremely rich person?”
“Yeah.”
“I wasn’t always this wealthy, and I still prefer to clean my own penthouse since there’s certain ways I like my things placed and kept. The safest hands are our own and I like to be self reliant. Cleaning also makes me feel quite liberated and I keep valuable artifacts in my home that I wouldn’t feel comfortable letting anyone else touch.”
“Oh, that makes a lot of sense. Thank you.” Amy spoke softly as she wiped the last chair down and stacked it. She turned as Kamilah slid her blazer back on and leaned against the door. Amy slung her backpack over her shoulder and grabbed the leftover pastries from the counter but stopped on her way out as she noticed Kamilah waiting for her by the door.
“You don’t have to walk me home Kamilah.”
“It’s 1 am in New York. I wouldn’t let anyone walk home alone at this time, besides it’s safer and I don’t think Zig would forgive me if something happened to you.” Kamilah lowered her voice to a faint whisper that Amy could barely make out. “And I couldn’t forgive myself if I let something happen to you either.”
Amy felt sparks up her body as she let Kamilah hold the cafe door open for her, before they both turned to lock it.
“Well I’ll let you do that since you’re running this place for the next week.” Kamilah took a step back as Amy shakily locked the cafe up, letting out a relieved sigh. She started walking and felt comforted knowing Kamilah was with her, because she didn’t want to walk home alone in the dark despite her earlier remarks. They walked in silence, Kamilah staying close to Amy as they passed by the food bank, Amy tensing as she passed by the same alley that had haunted her ever since she saw glowing eyes that one time. She hastily made her way into the food bank, dropping the bag off with the receptionist and hurrying out the door to get back before anything else could freak her out.
“Kamilah, how do you know Adrian?” Amy asked as they walked away from the food bank towards Amy’s apartment.
“I handle Raines Corporations finances. Raines Corporation does all of their financing through Ahmanet Financial and so we’re good business partners but we found good friendship through the years.” There was something suspicious about the way Kamilah spoke, it gave Amy the same feeling when Adrian was asked about her age but she just could not put a pin on why she had this feeling. “Amy? Are you alright?”
“Oh yeah sorry, my mind went off on a tangent.” Amy stopped at the front of her apartment building, she turned to face Kamilah who basically glowed in the dark. The moonlight illuminated her features, her brown eyes shining brightly and her hair shimmering as Amy felt her breath catch in her throat. “Thanks for walking me home..not that I can’t handle myself but-”
“Of course Amy. See you tomorrow.” Kamilah smiled softly, placing a gentle kiss on Amy’s cheek before turning and disappearing into the streets, Amy sighing as she walked through the lobby, getting in the elevator and finally arriving at her apartment door.
“Hey Amy, how was work?” Lily sat up from the couch, putting her PS4 game on pause as Amy collapsed on the couch next to her.
“It was alright, I let Zig leave early so he could pack and I was cleaning and totally jamming out and Kamilah saw me but she joined me and we kissed…” Amy giggled as Lily squealed in excitement.
“OHMYGODD what was it like?” Lily perked up like a child ready for a bedtime story, her hands shaking as she waited for Amy to explain.
“Electric. God Lily I don’t even have words for it. My head was spinning and the world just fell away.” Amy swayed back and forth as Lily hugged her.
“Well maybe you’ll have a date with her soon. Oh, I made beignets tonight, they’re on the counter! Let me get you some!” Lily stood up and rushed away, returning quickly with a beautiful plate of freshly made beignets covered in powdered sugar.
“I swear you’re the best suitemate ever. Absolutely unparalleled.” Amy bit into one of the sweets, savoring the softness and sweetness of the perfect sweet treat. “God Lily this has to be your best recipe yet!”
“Girllll no way, I saw this recipe for key lime pie that I’m dying to try this week.” Lily exclaimed as she pulled up the recipe on her phone, Amy taking another beignet from the plate.
“You should go to a baking school or something Lily. Maybe open a bakery?” Amy suggested as Lily passionately explained the process of baking her favorite desserts. “Maybe you could bake for the cafe?”
“Nah, this is a hobby. I want to finalize my website for my computer business this week. But that’s a nice suggestion.” Lily stifled a yawn at the same time Amy did, both of them laughing at each other.
“Damn so we’re both two tired dumbasses. It’s 3 am...we should get some sleep.” Lily suggested as Amy realized she’d only be getting a few hours of sleep.
“You’re right. Do we have any energy drinks in the fridge though? I’m gonna need one before work.”
“Yeah I bought more redbull and monster so you can take your pick, but I’m gonna crash harder than windows so g’night Amy.” Lily shuffled to her room as Amy did the same - collapsing in her bed and savoring the few hours of sleep she was going to get.
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Amy arrived at the cafe 20 minutes before opening time, her bag in one hand and a redbull in the other as she unlocked the cafe. She put her bag down and started the opening process, the redbull slowly kicking in as the time passed by quickly. Just as she finished counting in on the register, the door jingled open and Kamilah stepped through the cafe doors.
“Good morning Amy.” She smiled at her with those perfectly straight teeth and that damn irresistible smile.
“Good morning Kamilah, here’s your coffee. Both ways.” Amy handed the cups to Kamilah, their fingers gently brushing during the exchange.
“Amy...about last night…” Kamilah spoke softly, gently, in a sweet voice that Amy never expected from her.
“Oh...did...you want to forget it?” Amy’s heart dropped, a deep pain forming in her stomach as she awaited Kamilah’s response.
“No. I...I enjoyed it a lot.” Kamilah’s tone changed from sweet and confident to a shy and lower voice - was she flustered?
“So did I...maybe...well if you have time tonight maybe we can do it again?” Amy suggested as she wiped the counter down.
“I’ll be here.” Kamilah smiled, their eyes meeting for a moment before the jingling of the door interrupted their moment. “See you later Amy.” Kamilah waved as she left the cafe.
The day passed by achingly slow, but eventually after several strange tik tok orders, a bunch of big wall street assholes and a few sweet customers the cafe was ready to close. Amy began cleaning the cafe, starting with just wiping the blenders clean as the door jingled, Amy turned and expected to see Kamilah - but it wasn’t Kamilah in the doorway.
#kamilah sayeed#kamilah x mc#mc x kamilah#bloodbound#kamilah the bloodqueen post#uhh i cant tell if i love or hate this fic#anyways so i'm going to draft remember me next but i also got a few one shot inspos#I will post remember me as soon as i can#i cannot control my creativity or inspo so i work on different wips as i get inspired for them#if that makes any sense?#like if i feel angsty i can write remember me#but if i feel fluffy or smutty then it doesnt pair well so my writing wont match#but i am going to finish these two series and then start my other AU's that i wanted to write#but expect a lot of one shots once my finals are done
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🌾 A fic you really want to write but you haven’t (yet)?
Oh, @flamingveritas , there are so many. So so so many. I’m putting them under the cut so u can read them all if u like but u don’t have to
Thank you so much for this ask 🥰
Okay, so let’s ignore the fics that I need to continue/ update. Fics that want to write but haven’t include
This James Sirius Potter / Lysander Scamander story where Lys is a trans woman. I actually started plotting this bc of how much I adored the concept and it was one of those “daydream worlds I’d escape to when I’m bored” sort of things. I do want to write it someday (hopefully)
This kind of long modern AU that is centered around Aedion and Aelin’s friendship / cousin dynamic. Basically the prolongue would start off when Aedion moves in with Aelin and her parents when he’s around 6, go through her parents’ divorce and stuff, and the actual story would have a few chapters where the characters are in middle school but the main crux of the story would be in high school. The vibes I’m basing this off of is Aedion and Aelin drifting apart and Aedion being rly sad abt it. Aelin will introduce Aedion to her new friends (Rowan, + maybe the rest of the cadre) as her “second cousin” even tho she used to introduce him as her “brother”. So yeah those r the vibes. Oh also Aedion is gonna be best friends with Elide. I actually started writing this fic but idk I felt like I wasn’t doing Justice to it? Hopefully I will be able to write this
Another fic I started writing was this Rowaelin modern AU. It started off with mild angst in the first chapter which I wrote based off a prompt or smth, but then when I started writing ch 2 it went do RLYYY angsty, dark stuff. It would be the darkest fic I’ve written / thought abt writing so far (Before the Dust Settles is kind of dark in some ways I guess but that’s mostly just angst. This fic would be dark in terms of Aelin’s past trauma with Arobynn). I don’t know if I’ll finish it or not but I do think it could be an interesting story. If you’re wondering, it would be like the premise of Dark Roast No Sugar by but no coffee shop, Aelin and Rowan are exes when the story starts, and also like Rowan isn’t an investigator or anything and Aelin isn’t pregnant, and… yeah
A million Nessian fic ideas. I honestly might start doing what ppl like @ vidalinav have done where they just post the incomplete snippets of fics they don’t think they’ll finish.
I rly would like to write a Nessian fic where Cassian loses / almost loses his wings. I can’t remember the title rn but there’s a fic where Nesta shares Cassian’s pain when she touches him, so kind of like those vubes but not that premise?? It would essentially be Nesta explaining to Cassian that he is much more than his wings and his life isn’t over without them (it would sort of be a commentary of masculinity as well). Nesta would be going through her own shit abt turning into a fae, etc so Cassian would be helping her through that as well
It’s amazing that I still haven’t written a Lysaedion fic or a Teddy Lupin fic when those are some of my fav fics to read. I rly do want to write them someday
everyday I get more and more tempted to write a Regulus centric fanfic, soo I guess we shall see what happens 👀
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Wordplay 5.0 Reflections
I dunno what else to call it lmao it doesn't sound right to call this a meme, but whatever it is, here we are! lol @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed came up with these questions after @wordplayfics wrapped up last year and I love them so i'm gonna use them for this year as well.
I'm going to start out with listing the prompts and linking the fics i wrote for each one for everyone's reference, though I'll be linking them again through the answers as well. I'm also putting all the questions and answers beneath a read more because, as usual, I rambled lmao Alright! Here we go!
Struggle: I Said It Wrong, But I Meant It Right
Reduce: I Love This Feeling (But I Hate This Part)
Divide: He Carries The Key
Rise: Thou, Sun, Art Half As Happy
Sketch: I Heard You Talking
How did you come up with your ideas for the fics? Can you take us through your process after first receiving the prompt?
I don't know that I have a set way I come up with my fic ideas for Wordplay. It all depends on the prompt and what fic ideas I've got on my "to write list" that might fit that prompt. If nothing on my to write list fits or can be tweaked for a prompt, then I just go through my prompts tag until something strikes me for it, or I just ruminate on the different ways the word can be used and see if something comes up.
So, when I did the random word generator for the first prompt and "struggle" was the word that came up, I immediately thought of "struggle bus". lolllll and when I went looking through my to write list, I saw the girl Payneshaw fic I wanted to write and I was like omgggggg Nick ABSOLUTELY is riding the struggle bus the ENTIRE FUCKING TIME and I knew that was my fic for the week. lmaoooo and there you have it.
What is your favorite fic you wrote for Wordplay this year?
oooohhhh this one is HARD AND MEAN lmaoooo i forgot this was a question asked. okay legitimately i cannot choose a favorite because i'm actually stupidly proud and happy with all of the fics i wrote this year.
If you’ve participated in previous years of Wordplay, what has been your favorite prompt from all years you participated in?
WELP. as the creator of this challenge, i've participated in all 5 years which means there've been 25 prompts i've written. lolllll and honestly i think my favorite prompt is STILL from the first year. it was "bloodsucker". like, how great of a prompt is that???
What was the shortest fic you wrote this year? The longest?
the shortest one this year was... I Said It Wrong, But I Meant It Right at 4381 words.
the longest one was... I Heard You Talking at 10580 words.
What fic of yours surprised you?
i think all of them surprised me in some way. that's part of the joy of writing fics, isn't it? lollll but i think the one that surprised me the most was Thou, Sun, Art Half As Happy. it was a last minute change (i'll elaborate in the answer to the next question haha) and it was a VERY different direction than i had planned. it was all based off of a photo i saw on tumblr, and there was no prompt with the photo. i got to just take in the basic idea of the sticker being placed on a bridge overlooking the city and what might make that spot a good kissing spot.
now, as an ace who doesn't actually ENJOY kissing, i... didn't think about the fact that i would be writing a lot of it. lollll i actually have a super hard time writing kisses and trying to make them varied while also relaying the emotional intimacy of the moment, and then add on top of that the fact that once i started writing the fic, both harry and louis let me know pretty much as soon as words started getting written that they were both genderqueer and that worked differently for each of them, so harry would use they/them pronouns and louis would use he/him still, it just made things more interesting. and the way the fic developed??? like, i had a very vague idea of what would happen in the fic. so the way it actually came about all surprised me.
long answer short, from the very start, this fic surprised me and i was just along for the ride. it was a BLAST and i sure do love it, even if it does have the second lowest hits of all the fics i wrote this year haha
Were there any prompts you struggled to find an idea for?
STRUGGLED HAHAHA sorry. just funny since struggle was a prompt this year. ANYWAY. the prompt i had the hardest time with was defo rise. i've had this fic idea ever since greg james tweeted with shawn mendes months ago about how shawn basically forgot his interview with greg on the breakfast show, so greg had to last minute wing a LOT OF AIR TIME AND SHOW CONTENT and he did a great job, but it brought about some funny content... anyway. that made me wanna write a triad a/b/o fic where greg is louis and harry's beta. rise was going to be used in a lot of different ways through the fic, as well. because breakfast show requires greg to rise from bed early, he gets a rise out of harry and louis with his behavior and overt flirtations with shawn, they have to rise above their jealousy, etc etc etc. i was VERY EXCITED.
except i only had three days i was able to write every week this summer, and those were really really difficult to get. if i wanted to write on tuesday or thursday, i was often curling up with my laptop in a dark room with some caffeine and candles burning to soothe me after the insanity that is my life atm, and write for as long as i could before my brain stopped functioning, which was often only around 30 min. but see, that particularly week was the worst part of my son's 18 month sleep regression, which meant instead of him sleeping and letting me write, i was driving him around or trying to rock him back to sleep or letting him play in an attempt to tire him out etc etc etc and by friday morning i had to admit to myself there was no way i could write that a/b/o fic in my one guaranteed evening to write every week (saturday, btw). so i was suddenly left with around 36 hours to find a new fic idea and develop it enough to be able to write it in one evening.
as i said in the answer to the first question, i usually go to my prompts tag to see what might inspire me with this prompt word in mind, but for this one that wasn't the first place i went. i tried looking at more definitions even though i'd done that earlier and nothing was inspiring me. so i then spoke to several friends and was still having a hard time finding any ideas that felt like something i would enjoy writing and could do so quickly.
by saturday morning, knowing i had less than 12 hours to figure out what i was writing so i could actually WRITE IT in only like 2-3 hours of writing time, i finally sat down and scrolled through my prompts tag. once i did, i saw the photo for the "good kissing spot", and i immediately thought of sunrise. so i ran with it. but i wanted to make it stylinshaw, so how would i work that in, etc etc etc. it was just very fast and very difficult trying to figure out how i would structure it so it could be a fun meet cute kind of fic, but also work into them actually building a meaningful connection etc and... well. it was a lot. haha so yeah, it was just a hard time overall that week, but i'm super proud of it in the end.
Were there any prompts you had an idea for but ended up writing something different? If so, what made you choose to change what you wrote? Do you think you’ll ever write your original idea at a later date?
HA okay well i already answered most of this above, but for the last part of this question, yes i will absolutely write my original idea at a later date. the whole reason i decided not to do it wasn't because i couldn't turn it into a fic that could be written in that one writing session, but because i had hopes for what that fic would be, and i didn't want to shorten and condense it enough to do that. i didn't want to have to lessen the dreams i have for that fic in my head, so i decided i would just put it back on my to write list and save it for later. who knows when, but that fic will absolutely get written.
What do you think was the most difficult as well as the easiest part about the Wordplay Challenge?
most difficult was 100% finding the time to write. that was insanely hard for me all summer, but by the time wordplay was going, things at home had ramped up to being very overwhelming regarding the demands on me and my time, and what i had been doing to carve out some time for myself and writing wasn't working anymore, so i had to adjust even more with the understanding that i was working on a really strict timeline too. so yeah. just finding the time was absolutely the hardest part for me.
easiest part was the actual writing. these fics really flowed from me, outside of the pack fic, that one was actually pretty difficult to make sure i was getting the dynamics exactly the way i wanted to have them turn out, but even with that aspect, it still was like it flowed from me most of the time. these fics really just took over and i was along for the ride. it was a blast.
If you participate again next year, is there anything you’ll do differently? If so, what?
lmao well assuming people still want wordplay to happen again, i'll run it again and very likely will take part. so... with the difficulty i had in finding any time to do anything this summer, i was actually ridiculously stressed when it came to the writing part, but also the modding aspect of it. so i am not sure that i'll run it during the summer again next year. i might have it go during the early fall once school is back in session so i at least have only one child at home instead of three to battle lol so that's one thing i'll hopefully be doing differently.
as for the writing aspect, i don't think so actually. i've done 5 years of this, and i'm having fun with it. haha if i ever find a fic idea i think could work for it, i would consider doing a series for it next year, but it all depends on if there's something i'd like to write that could work for that kind of set up with this challenge.
if you made it this far, thank you for reading!!! xxx
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7, 16, and 38 for the fanfic author ask game 🧡🧡🧡
[ask me about writing fic]
7. What story/headcanons do you feel the proudest of?
It's funny, because in trying to answer this question, I realized that all the BBS stories I would be probably wind up being proudest of are currently WIPs. Therefore I'm going to name a few too many things to cover my bases lol—there are stuff in other fandoms that I'm really proud of, but I want to limit myself a bit.
I really like how Always Been and Pressing the Advantage turned out overall; the endings in particular were ones I was actually satisfied with, which is rare. When I wrote This Mistake is Mine (Not Yours), I cursed myself a bit, because I'm pretty sure I'm never going to be able to achieve that level of atmosphere-setting ever again lol. In terms of headcanons/ideas, I love the 10 Things I Hate About You AU—I so rarely feel like the setups I find humorous are humorous to other people, but this one is so ridiculous and I love it.
16. What fanfic tropes do you avoid writing for?
I don't know if there are any that I actively avoid writing for, really. I guess I don't often write non-established relationship fics, but that's not really a trope unless you deduce that that therefore means I don't write slowburn. I think more than anything else, the tropes I avoid are the tropes I know require larger stories than I currently have the capacity to write: time travel/time loops, sprawling AUs, etc. Hopefully that will change, though. And by larger I really mean somewhere between 10k-20k, I don't think I could go longer than that.
38. What story of yours are you surprised that people liked as much as they did?
Okay, this one is easy because I was replying to comments last night. I've got two for it: A Little More Than a Little Bit and This Love.
The first fic holds 2nd Place for Most Comments I've Gotten on a BBS Fic, which is insane. I was expecting very, very little response on a Bollywood AU fic that's so sibling-centric, but I think I dragged every Pat & Paa lover and/or Desi BBS fan out of the woodwork.
The second one was a one-off prompt fill, and I knew it was cute, but I didn't realize that the way I worded the confession would have such an impact on people (and now I'm like darn, never gonna achieve that again). I got tagged on Twitter a few times, and way more engagement than I ever expect on things of that length (it's only 773 words!)
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learn to love without consuming (1/4)
fandom: knight squad
relationships: arc / ciara, minor or one-sided arc / oc and ciara / oc
word count: 4,603
a/n: eek. it's finally here. if you follow me here you know that i've been working on this for a few weeks (months?), but the idea has been sitting in my drafts for basically forever. almost since i watched the show to begin with. the recent resurgence of the ks fandom prompted me to dig this back up and gave me the motivation to actually try and finish, because fuck it! i love my babes and i want more of them.
so quick note is that this picks up pretty soon after the season 1 finale but disregards basically,,, everything that happens in s2. s1 and the finale proceed the same way except prudy never finds out ciara's secret, so she and warwick don't know at the moment. this chapter was initially gonna have more scenes that drove the plot/romance arc but once i got upwards of 6k with a few major scenes left i decided it would be best if i split the chapter up, so for now it’s just a lot of me trying to work around the convoluted knight squad lore to establish my own. i know that's not exactly what everyone is here for, but i promise things on the romance/action front will pick up soon. i'll place warnings as detailed as i can get without spoiling in the tags and notes as i go, but just anticipate fairly significant violence by chapter 3.
anyway! i have talked enough. the title is from thus always to tyrants by the oh hellos, the rating is t for swearing/violence, there are three more chapters that are in the process of being written, and reviews are like crack as far as i'm concerned. i really hope you like this! thanks for reading <3
dedications: this fic is first and foremost for @ciara-knightly, who is not only my amazing beta but also the whole reason this fic exists. she helped me so so much with the development of the plot and worked through it with me even way before i decided to really start writing it, and i wouldn’t have been able to do this without her. all of the notes she left after beta-reading were so so helpful and really made this whole fic make sense so basically i owe her my entire life. she inspires me to be a better writer all the time and i love her. everyone say thank you shona!!! also tagging my lovely friends and some people who have expressed interest, who are in no way obligated to read this; @juliesdahlias @mistyskiesrambles @dr-rigatoni @willexs @taylorswiftrulestheworld @onplanetmars @neshatriumphs @zackmartin @julies-molinas @soni-dragon @yagorlemmalyn @hopefulbeautifulfool @cactus-con @waterisntreal @onetwothreefarkle @bitchmilsky
summary: “Now that Ryker isn’t a threat anymore, the councils are supposed to resume as planned, and Astoria is set to hold the first one two weeks from now.”
“Okay,” he says slowly. “That sounds exciting.”
Ciara nods. “It is! I finally get to meet some of the other nobility, and actually get to be involved in Astorian politics for once. But my dad won’t let me go without an escort,” she says, and then hesitates. “Which is where you come in.”
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The morning before training that day, Arc is testing his skills against a heavy bronze padlock when Ciara enters the squad room and drops a brown paper bag on the table in front of him.
“These,” she announces as he raises an eyebrow at her, “are for you.”
He pulls open the package and is instantly greeted with a rush of warmth and the smell of vanilla. “Dragon puffs?” he says, half in awe. It’s a clear bribe, but he can’t help but shove a sugar-coated sweet in his mouth anyway. They’re an Astorian original and possibly the best thing he’s ever tasted; he’d tried them once at a bakery near the castle and hasn’t stopped thinking about them since.
“Okay, what do you want?” he says then, words muffled around the cream and pastry.
Ciara pulls a face at his manners, but still manages to blink innocently at him. “Can’t I just do something nice for a friend?” she tries, but it’s half-hearted.
He swallows and grins at her. “Nice try, Princess. Your dessert deliveries always come with an ulterior motive.”
Huffing a sigh, she sits down next to him. There’s this subtle air of anticipation lingering around her, one he can only sense based on how in tune they are after so long of being teammates. The two of them have this easy way of reading each other now; they’ve been spending more and more time together, something having shifted in their dynamic after the battle against Ryker. He can’t quite place what it is, but he knows it’s only brought them closer. “Do you know what the Council of the Five Kingdoms is?” she asks finally.
He shrugs. “Sure. Nobles from each kingdom used to have a big ball every year to talk trading and politics and other boring stuff…”
“Except there hasn’t been a council since Ryker’s invasion, because the kingdoms have been isolated and preoccupied with their own safety,” she finishes for him. Her fingers tug at the lacing of her leather gauntlets; she’s nervous, but he still isn’t sure why. “Now that Ryker isn’t a threat anymore, the councils are supposed to resume as planned, and Astoria is set to hold the first one two weeks from now.”
“Okay,” he says slowly. “That sounds exciting.”
Ciara nods. “It is! I finally get to meet some of the other nobility, and actually get to be involved in Astorian politics for once. But my dad won’t let me go without an escort,” she says, and then hesitates. “Which is where you come in.”
Arc chokes on his second dragon puff. “You want me to be your escort,” he says flatly, once he’s finished coughing, “to the Council of the Five Kingdoms?” Normally he’d jump at the chance to spend a night dressing up and eating castle food. But the council is a decidedly different scene; there’s a set of formalities, politics underlying everything, and too many chances for him to expose his lack of knowledge when it comes to Astorian customs. Not to mention that Catalias’ royals will be there. He doesn’t know if he can stomach looking them in the face, knowing what they did to Seagate.
Ciara grimaces. “Look, I know it’s not exactly your thing, but my dad won’t let me go alone. And this really means a lot to me.” Her eyes are pleading, and Arc feels his resolve chipping away.
“Can’t one of your actual guards go with you?” he tries. “Or, Prudy or Warwick or someone?”
“I’ve already talked to my dad about it,” she explains. “You’re the only Knight School student he’d let protect me, because you already proved you could when Ryker invaded. Besides, if something were to happen…you’re the one person who knows I can handle myself as Ciara.”
There’s this brief stretch of silence where Arc works his bottom lip, and Ciara looks as though she’s debating something. “Also,” she adds finally, with the soft flicker of a hesitant smile, “I thought it might be fun to go with you.”
Arc blinks at her, caught off guard by the admission. There’s this sudden buzz in his chest that he can’t push away; in truth, he doesn’t like the idea of her spending the night with someone else either. Maybe, by some miracle, this will actually be a good thing. “Alright,” he relents. “I’ll be your escort.”
Ciara’s face breaks into a grin. “Yes! Thank you!” She throws her arms around him, and he’s shock-stilled, a rush of warmth flooding through him as he hugs her back. When she pulls away, her eyes are shining with excitement. “Okay, I’ve gotta go tell my dad you said yes, and there’s a million things to do, but I’ll see you at training later. You are the best.”
“I expect dragon puffs for life!” Arc calls after her as she disappears through her passageway. He leans back into the couch, lightheaded, and in that moment, he realizes abruptly that there’s almost nothing he wouldn’t do for her.
And he is so completely screwed.
*
Two weeks later, Arc is standing outside Ciara’s bedroom, waiting for her to finish getting ready.
It feels odd to be out here in the open. Generally his visits to her chamber are accompanied by an air of secrecy, but tonight, he’s a guest in the castle. He’s dressed like it, too, decked out in the guards’ typical formal wear: pressed brown pants, a white shirt laced up the front, and a navy leather jacket trimmed in gold, with Astoria’s crest on one shoulder. He looks kind of dashing, honestly.
Despite the confidence boost his new look offers him, his hand keeps drifting to the hilt of his sword. It’s sheer force of habit; he only associates this brewing sense of apprehension with battle, and his muscles are responding in kind. He’s glad, at least, that he turned down the other guards’ offer to lend him one of their ceremonial blades and instead has the familiarity of his own. Hopefully he won’t need it, but it’s a steadying presence all the same.
“Almost ready!” Ciara calls from inside, and Arc carefully unclenches his fingers from around the leather grip of his sword. He has to keep it together tonight; she’s made it clear how much this means to her. The last thing he wants to do is embarrass her in front of nobles from all five kingdoms.
Well, four, he reminds himself. Seagate won’t be attending. There isn’t anyone left to represent them.
The thought makes his stomach twist.
He’s saved from having to dwell on it by the sound of Ciara’s door unlatching. “Better prepare yourself, Princess,” he teases, leaning against the wall, “I look pretty good, and the last thing we want is for you to get too smitten—”
He breaks off as she emerges from the doorway, all the air in his lungs leaving in a sudden rush. He’s trying hard not to be the cliche of a guy scraping his jaw off the floor at the sight of a pretty girl in a dress, especially not like this, with Ciara—but he can’t help but think that it’s ridiculously unfair of her to come out looking like that. Her dress is a pale blue, falling gently off her shoulders and cinching at her waist, and her tight curls are weaved with strands of gold and tied into a low knot, some of them falling loose to frame her face. There’s a crown of gold leaves and rosebuds settled in her hair.
“You...um…” Arc searches for his voice, “you look amazing.” His mouth feels dry.
Ciara smirks and reaches up to adjust the collar of his uniform. “You don’t look so bad yourself. I’m definitely smitten,” she jokes, like it’s nothing for them to be flirting openly. It should be nothing. Except his skin burns where her fingers brush against his neck, and he suddenly wonders if she can hear his heart pounding.
He clears his throat. “We should probably get to the ballroom.”
She nods. “Give me your arm,” she says, looking at him expectantly. When he raises an eyebrow, she continues, “You’re my escort, remember?”
“Oh, right.” He lifts his arm obligingly, his cheeks warm.
“I really wish we’d had more time to go over Astorian customs,” she breathes as she takes it, more to herself than anything. “Between training and helping with preparations, I’ve been so busy…” His nerves must show on his face, then, because she squeezes his arm gently and amends, “Sorry. You’ll be fine, don’t worry. Just stay close to me, okay?”
“Not a problem,” he grins without missing a beat, and Ciara scoffs and shoves him, the smile tugging at her mouth taking all the bite away from it.
They can do this, he thinks. The two of them have kept up appearances for each other for months now, have fought and trained and battled Ryker together. They’re Arc and Ciara, unstoppable duo. One little party should be nothing.
As they make their way down the hall towards the ballroom, flanked by guards, Ciara lowers her voice. “When we get there, most of the nobles should be inside already. The herald will announce my father first, then us, and then each of the other three kingdoms. We’ll be beside the thrones as they come in—you’ll stand by me, left side—and once they’ve all been announced, we can leave the thrones and mingle. Bow to each of the rulers as they come by.”
They had, at least, practiced his bow. Arc swallows back the dread in his throat; all he has to do is stand beside her and greet the other royals, it’s easy enough. For a moment, they linger outside the entrance to the ballroom, until an official-sounding voice announces the King. “We’re next,” Ciara whispers to him, eyes glinting with excitement. “You ready?”
He nods back at her, and the voice calls, “Accompanied by Sir Arc...Princess Angelica of Astoria!” They step into the ballroom, greeted with applause. Arc doesn’t think he’s ever been in a place this lavish; the walls are white, accented in deep gold, and the floors are polished to a gleam. The ceiling looks hand-painted, ornately decorated in constellations and swirling designs, and crystal chandeliers dangle over their heads, casting a golden glow over the whole room. He tries not to look too awe-struck.
They make their way to the platform on which the thrones rest, Ciara nodding and smiling and waving at the other nobles as they pass. She stands next to her father, and Arc takes his place on her other side, placing his hands behind his back and trying, for all the world, to look like he belongs there. He wonders suddenly if he’s stood too close to her, and if it would make things worse for him to shift over now, and if his indecision is showing on his face—
And then, almost imperceptibly and hidden from the ballroom’s view by the folds of her dress, Ciara reaches over and links her pinky with his. It’s a tiny gesture, a friendly reassurance, but Arc feels a tide of warmth swell in his chest all the same. He lets his gaze flit to her for just a moment, and her lips are graced with a small smile as she tugs his finger gently.
His breath hitches, and he fights to keep his face a passive neutral as the herald announces the next kingdom and he turns his attention back to the doorway.
“Presenting King Hugo, Queen Luciana, and their son Prince Isaac of Catalias!”
Arc’s stomach turns as the couple enters, trailed by their son, all three of them swathed in lavish red and gold. Their reputation precedes them; he knows little about the prince, but the king and queen are infamous for their hoarding of wealth, their favorance of the rich nobles and landowners of their kingdom over the common people. Arc knows them best for what they had done to Seagate.
His hand twitches for his sword, but he fights against the instinct.
True to form, the two have a haughty look about them, all starched clothes and stiff smiles as they bow to Ciara and the King. The two of them return the greeting with Arc following their lead—grudgingly.
“I am so pleased you could join us tonight,” the King smiles, a little tight-lipped. “It is high time that Astoria and Catalias united again.”
King Hugo nods back. “I couldn’t agree more. The honor is ours.”
Arc detects a veiled sort of tension between the two of them, hidden well underneath the cordial formalities. He glances at Isaac, whose eyes are trained intently on Ciara even as he and his parents move to greet the other guests. Something about it is unsettling.
He’s so focused on Isaac that he almost misses the herald’s announcement of the next kingdom. “Queen Damyanti, and her children Princess Aadhya and Prince Kavan of Khurjan!”
Queen Damyanti is the picture of elegance, draped in silver silk that almost seems to glow against her dark skin. Aadhya looks around fifteen, with the same deep eyes and regal expression, and Kavan must be ten or so. He grins toothily as the three of them approach the thrones and bow.
The King’s expression is much warmer now. “Queen Damyanti. It has been too long. I trust Khurjan is doing well?”
“Not quite as well as Astoria, perhaps,” she replies, and it’s teasing, no sharpness to it. “This ball is absolutely lovely. Princess Angelica, you look so beautiful. Just like your mother. I was so sorry to hear of her passing.”
Ciara’s eyes go soft. “Thank you, Queen Damyanti,” she nods back. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you.”
“You as well. It’s a shame your sister couldn’t make it, but hopefully we’ll all gather again soon.” She gives a small, departing nod and joins the rest of the nobles, Aadhya giving them a bright-eyed smile and Kavan waving enthusiastically as they follow her. Ciara laughs.
“And finally...King Jesper of Vysalt!”
Arc is confused for a moment; he wonders if he had remembered the name of Vysalt’s king wrong. Then a young man with a head of dark curls and a smattering of freckles against tawny brown skin enters, his crown just slightly crooked. His eyes are wide and dark, and a jagged, white scar cuts across his cheekbone. He can’t be much older than they are.
“He’s the king?” Arc whispers to Ciara under his breath as Jesper makes his way over to them. “How old is he?”
Her expression twists a little in sympathy. “Seventeen. He wasn’t supposed to inherit the throne so soon. His parents were killed when Ryker’s army took over his kingdom.”
Arc isn’t sure what to say to that. He knows what it’s like to lose everything to Ryker—he can picture the flames every time he shuts his eyes. But he hadn’t known about Vysalt or the fate of its royals. They had been close allies with Seagate at one point, one of the only other kingdoms without much wealth, and their king and queen had been known for their generosity.
Somehow Arc had thought the damage had been done to Seagate alone, but now he wonders how the other kingdoms fared, if they suffered just as much. If any of them came out as unscathed as Astoria did.
“Your Majesties,” Jesper says as he bows, and there’s a note of pity in the King’s expression as he returns the gesture. Arc can only imagine how he feels about someone so close to his daughter’s age having to run a kingdom on his own.
“King Jesper. How are you doing?”
It’s a more personal question than he had asked the other royals, Arc notes. Jesper smiles easily; it’s soft, highlights his deep dimples and makes his dark eyes glimmer. “Well, thank you. Vysalt is recovering with time. As am I,” he adds, voice quieting for a moment.
The King nods back. “That’s good to hear. Let us know if there’s anything Astoria can do to help.”
Something flickers in Jesper’s expression, hard to read and gone so quickly that Arc wonders if he imagined it. The young king bows again before moving to join the others, but not before he catches Arc’s eye and smiles warmly. It surprises him—the other royals had hardly given him a second glance—but he returns it with one of his own. Beside him, Ciara lifts an eyebrow, her expression a mixture of amusement and something else he can’t place.
“What?” he asks quietly, and she shakes her head, glancing away.
“Nothing.”
He wants to pry, but the King is clearing his throat, getting ready to address the room. The chatter dies down as all eyes turn to him.
“My fellow Astorians,” he says in his deep, booming voice, sounding more formal than Arc has ever heard him, “and my guests from our neighboring kingdoms...I am honored to welcome you to our castle, and so pleased that we could all be in attendance tonight.”
Not all of us, Arc thinks, but no word of Seagate comes up.
The King continues, “For decades, our kingdoms have been isolated and divided by Ryker’s armies. We have long suffered under his forces, but his threat is gone for good. Thus, tonight is more than a council; it is a symbol of our victory, a symbol of our unity as we move forward and rebuild. So enjoy yourselves! After all, we have so much to celebrate!”
To Arc, the sentiment feels hollow. He got his revenge, and of course he’s glad that Ryker can’t hurt anyone else, but it doesn’t change the fact that Seagate is in ruins. It feels suddenly difficult to celebrate with the weight of his village’s absence lingering in the air around him. The rest of the partygoers don’t seem to share his hesitance, though; the room breaks into applause and cheers, several of the guests raising their goblets jovially.
Ciara gives him a subtle nudge, jolting him out of his thoughts. “Now we get to mingle,” she grins, leading him off the throne platform and towards the crowd.
He follows dutifully as she heads toward the table where the other kingdoms’ royals have gathered, Astoria’s king staying behind to greet the other royals. Queen Damyanti is in conversation with King Hugo and Queen Luciana, but she doesn’t seem entirely pleased about it, and Jesper and Kavan are laughing at something Aadhya has said. Isaac hovers next to them, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else. He has his father’s golden hair and clear blue eyes, but the frown on his face is entirely his mother’s.
It disappears, though, the moment he sees Ciara approaching them. “Princess Angelica,” he greets her, with a little too much enthusiasm for Arc’s liking, “I’m so honored to finally meet you. You’re even more radiant in person.” Before she can say anything, he takes her hand and kisses it swiftly. Arc narrows his eyes.
Ciara gives a forced-sounding chuckle and curtseys, pulling her hand back. “Thank you, Prince Isaac. I’m glad you could make it. Allow me to introduce Sir Arc, my guard and escort for the night.”
Arc bows—and if he never has to bow to another pompous royal again, he thinks, it’ll be too soon—and Isaac offers him a dismissive sort of half-smile. Any further interaction they would’ve had then is thankfully avoided by the other royals noticing Ciara’s arrival.
“Hi, Princess Angelica!” Aadhya says brightly, with a neat little dip of a curtsey, “I’m Aadhya.” When Ciara and Arc begin to return the gesture, she waves her hand with a tiny scoff. “Oh, you don’t have to do that. Formalities. Just come sit.” She returns to her chair and pats the seat next to her, and Arc decides right there that he likes her.
Ciara takes the offered chair, and Arc takes the only other open spot, in between her and King Jesper. As Ciara launches into conversation with Aadhya, Jesper turns to him.
“Hi,” he says, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I’m Jesper.”
Arc bites back a laugh at the unnecessary introduction. “I know who you are, Your Highness,” he replies lightly.
“I know. I was just trying to give you an opening to tell me who you are.”
Oh. That’s unexpected. There’s no prerogative behind his words, no assertion; Jesper’s grin is almost bashful, his voice easy and bright. He doesn’t sound like a king, just a seventeen-year-old boy trying to flirt. Arc can’t help but return his smile.
“I’m Arc,” he says. “Normally I’m a student at Knight School, but I’m the princess’s guard and escort for the night.”
“Wait,” Aadhya pauses her conversation with Ciara to lean over and look at him, “You’re the Arc who defeated Ryker?”
“I helped,” Arc says with a shrug, and the princess’s eyes go wide. She turns to Ciara.
“Were you there too?”
“I was—” Ciara pauses for a moment, “hiding. I was hiding. Arc got me to safety.”
He grins a little at her, tongue between his teeth, knowing it must be killing her to hide what she was actually doing. She narrows her eyes and kicks his leg under the table in response, a silent shut up. He lifts his eyebrows, like, I didn’t say anything, and she rolls her eyes in an entirely non-subtle manner.
Across the table, Queen Damyanti is watching their exchange with a raised eyebrow, Arc notices belatedly. She has a mildly amused look on her face, but doesn’t say anything about it. Instead, she states, “Battling Ryker face-to-face must have been quite the experience.”
“What was it like?” Prince Kavan asks eagerly from beside his sister.
Aadhya elbows him. “Kavan,” she hisses, but Arc just grins.
“No worries. It was…” he trails, trying to think of what to say and suddenly aware that all the royals’ eyes are on him. He shifts in his seat. “It was scary, obviously. He had the Armor of Astoria, and a whole army with him, and most of the Astorian knights under his spell. But, y’know. We Knight School students are pretty formidable. We all took him on together. Wouldn’t have been able to do it otherwise. I wasn’t half as scared as I would’ve been without my squadmates watching my back.”
He glances at Ciara, who smiles softly and nudges his foot, gentler this time. Jesper has that same unreadable look on his face and Aadhya has her chin propped in her hand, her expression amazed, but Queen Luciana gives a snide sort of scoff.
“It’s a wonder it took so long to defeat him, then, if a group of students cut him down so easily,” she says. “Perhaps Ryker was never as great a threat as we all made him out to be.”
There’s a cut of silence across the table in which Jesper visibly stiffens. “With all due respect, Queen Luciana, Ryker’s attacks were devastating. Or have you forgotten what happened to my parents?” he demands, without any respect at all. His eyes are blazing.
“I’m merely pointing out that the only real damage done was to the less...fortified kingdoms,” she sniffs. “Ryker only breached Catalias’s walls once, and he was driven out rather quickly.”
“Well, not every kingdom has Catalias’s resources.” Ciara sounds like she’s choosing her words carefully, frustration masked well behind them.
King Hugo gives a huff of a laugh; his blue eyes are cold. “My dear princess, you have no cause for indignation. Astoria lost the least to Ryker, what with your,” he waves a hand, “magic bubble.”
Ciara opens her mouth but falters, brow furrowed, and across the table, Queen Damyanti speaks up. “Nevertheless, Ryker was still a formidable enemy to all of us. We were only prepared for his attacks because he targeted Seagate and Vysalt first. And Seagate’s destruction is a clear example of his power.”
“Oh, even you can’t argue that Seagate was rotting long before Ryker got to it, Damyanti,” Hugo replies swiftly, and Arc’s breath catches in his throat. Queen Damyanti shrugs in agreement, her expression passive; Arc almost stands up, but Ciara’s hand on his leg underneath the table stops him.
“Don’t,” she hisses, just barely loud enough for him to hear, “Let me handle this.”
Though as it turns out, she doesn’t have to. Before she has a chance to speak, Jesper is already bristling, his voice sharp: “As if Seagate’s corruption justifies the destruction of its people?”
“It’s thieves and criminals, you mean?” Isaac scoffs. “Seagate was a wasteland. The kingdoms are better off.”
The words ring in Arc’s ears, alongside the pounding of his blood. They sound painfully similar to what Ryker had said to him on the mountain—rats and thieves, I did the five kingdoms a favor—and he thinks fleetingly that he’s going to be sick. He’s always known that Seagate was looked down on by the other kingdoms, but hearing them say so casually that what happened, the flames and the destruction and all of the death, was deserved—
“The people were only thieves and criminals because Catalias took advantage of them,” Jesper argues. “I hope I don’t have to remind you that it was your government that poured money into the gangs of Seagate for their own profit and allowed them to stage a coup in the first place.”
The words are deadly and cold, but Arc feels a flash of admiration for Jesper; the king has no obligations towards Seagate, and yet defends it like his own. King Hugo’s gaze hardens. “You’re blaming Catalias for Seagate’s problems?” he says with a derisive laugh. “If anything, Ryker’s attacks only revealed that Seagate was a kingdom full of people that weren’t worth saving.”
“That’s enough,” Ciara says abruptly. Her hand tightens on Arc’s leg, and he can no longer tell if he’s the one trembling or if she is. There’s this burning fire behind her eyes; she looks, Arc thinks briefly, the same way she does in battle. “What happened to Seagate was a devastating tragedy, and I won’t let you treat it as otherwise. Those who disagree aren’t welcome here.”
It’s a weighted statement, one she doesn’t entirely have the formal authority to make, but no one dares to contest it. A heavy silence settles over all of them. Arc doesn’t know how long he can sit there with all the heat under his skin; he doesn’t remember when his hand found the hilt of his sword, only that he’s gripping it tight enough that the leather bites into his palm. He wants to stand up and tell them that none of them would be here if it weren’t for him, a thief from Seagate. In truth, the only thing holding him back is Ciara. In a battle between her steady hand and the storm in his chest, she wins without even trying.
He doesn’t say anything or look at her, but her gaze flits to him for a moment and she just knows, standing up. Before she even opens her mouth, Isaac is on his feet too. “Going so soon?” he asks. “Would you care to dance, Princess?”
She looks at him coolly for a moment. “I would, actually.” And then, she turns to Arc, offering him her hand, “Sir Arc, dance with me?”
Arc blinks up at her and takes it as he stands. “Absolutely, Princess,” he says, letting her lead him away from the table and glancing back only long enough to catch the dumbfounded expression on Isaac’s face.
#oop#knight squad#knight squad fanfic#tiara thief#tiara thief fic#writing#my writing#fanfiction#arc#ciara#ks#//umanawrites#learn to love without consuming
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Out of curiosity how many prompts do you get? I am actually thinking about writing for MHA but it’s so hard to come up with ideas. I would want to set up an account similar to yours.
I’m also trying to improve my writing so do have any tips? I love each one of your stories! Thank you for your being the krbkdk we need!
asdfghjkl this ask is wildly serendipitous because last night I actually looked at the amount I have and just like kind of lost my mind. I have 90+ prompts at the moment! (°-°)
(I really need to do less starting and more finishing... >.<)
Not including the requests for sequels or unofficial prompts mentioned in comments, which I often squirrel away into a note doc for later. They trickled in at first and I tend to get them in little groups after posting a work but there's definitely plenty to keep me busy for about five years, lol. And they're all so good, too! The vast majority are things I WANT to write, I just need more time and energy. ^^'
Personally I think lots of people have ideas and things they want to share with you so once you get that first work or two out they'll be happy to!
Omg I can't believe someone asked me for advice on writing omg omg. (>.<) I literally still ask that question to all of my favorite authors. I definitely still feel a little new to publishing fan works but I've been doing beta work for 10 or so years now, so hopefully between the two I can offer something a little helpful?
1. Momentum is your best friend. Sometimes you might feel like stopping because 'things aren't coming out right' or you 'aren't sure what to put here', don't let that trip you up. (This is something I still work on but once you master this skill it's amazing!) If it's not perfect right now, who cares? Clean it up later. Or, don't! You're writing for fun! If you don't know what to put somewhere skip it and keep going, fill it in later. Put a place holder word/name/or write "in this scene x happened" and move on. Let that momentum carry you as far as it can in the moment and deal with that gaps later.
2. Write what you love. This one is hard, especially in fandom. I think a little part of all of us gets tempted by the kudos, comments, likes, reblog, asks, etc. and wants to just write whatever will bring in the most interaction but doing that will quickly make it feel like a chore. Write for YOU and if other people like it that's great, if not, life is too short to let it bother you~
3. A lot of people like to write based on personal experience and that can be great. It often means less research and it can be a more comfortable place to write from. You can use to work through things and share perspective. But I like to recommend using writing, especially fandom writing, as a tool to explore, too. Try new things, learn something about yourself, maybe connect with others along the way. Maybe there are things in your real life that will keep you from ever being able to do x, sometimes that's just how it is. But that doesn't mean a character in your story can't do x. Just approach things that may not be fully lived experiences of your own with respect and humility and who knows how you might change along the way.
3.2 Also highkey just write whatever is fun and makes you happy it doesn't always have to have some hidden meaning or crazy depth. Life is short, fic is fun and most importantly FICTIONAL so do what you want and have a good time.
4. Make friends! You can still maintain anonymity and write fic (I've met a lot of people who are uncomfortable having their identity tied to the fanfic they've written-- hi yes I am one of those people ope). And you can also maintain anonymity, write fic, and make friends! Fandom is a place of connection and the connection between writer and reader in fanfic is a classic, treasured relationship. I feel like there's a lot of opportunity to learn and grow from this. Don't be afraid to try and talk to people and share ideas. Friends and fandom can be one of the best motivators!
5. If one of your concerns is brushing up on editorial type writing skills, get in touch with a beta! There's lot of friendly betas out in the world usually happy to help collaborate on grammar, syntax, literary styling, etc. They're also great for brain storming with, working through plot holes, motivation, and just general support. 100 out of 10 would recommend. (But also feel free to not! Working with a beta isn't for everyone and that's a-okay, too!)
So um...this got quite long, sorry, but I wanted to give you some practical things and some feely things sooo yeah. ^^' I'm happy to answer other questions or generally chat about writing or anything, though!
Thank you so, so much that is very sweet and just makes my day. I absolutely had no idea I would end up here when I posted that random little one shot I'd sat on for months. People have been unbelievably kind and supportive from the very beginning and I'm so grateful to every single person who comments, kudos, reads, asks, chats, likes, etc.
Seriously, anon. Thank you. (*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡
#my asks#anon#I love all of you#everyone has been so supportive and wonderful#I don't even know what to do with myself rn#just a little ball of sleepy#feels#and happiness#I'm too wordy tho damn#this is why people don't send me asks isn't it#they don't want the text wall#I don't blame them tbh
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Hi I wanted to get more into writing and you’re one of the best writers I know so I was wondering if you had any advice/tips for a new writer? (Or good starting prompts I have no clue where to even begin)
hi, hello, sorry that i left this sitting in my inbox for so long. ive been alternating between forgetting about it and remembering it but having no idea how to respond, so i'm just gonna start typing while i'm thinking of it and hopefully some inspiration will come as i do.
first off: thank you!!! that's very kind of you to say. i'm flattered that you came to me with this inquiry. before i give you the rest of this, i can direct you to this other ask i answered, which also asked me for writing advice. that answer is more technical and more about the actual process of writing itself rather than sort of the "writer's journey" or whatever, which is what this is.
so...okay. advice. i can do my best, though i will admit i haven't been a new writer in quite a long time, so i don't know how much this will track. that said, i do have the perspective of being able to look back on my past self from when i was a new writer, so i guess here are some suggestions i can give you based on that:
read. this one is surpassingly self-evident but it is true for all writers everywhere and ESPECIALLY good for fanfic writers - read fic. trust me, the quickest way to get an idea of how to write characters is to see how lots of other people are writing them.
write what you want to see written. there's always something!! the best best best place to start writing is filling a gap for the content you would love to read but that no one else is writing. this trick has never failed me. you think anyone else is writing acappella AUs? nope, it's just me. (so far. eyes emoji.) have you ever thought to yourself, "man, i wish someone would write a fic where ____" ?? THAT'S YOUR FIC. write it. go for it. it's all you.
get an editor. a beta, if you will. a second set of eyes who - and this is important - will give you honest and helpful feedback on how to improve your story. genuine caveat: if you don't care about improving then fuck this step. sometimes you just wanna create and you don't want judgement or anything. that's totally valid. but if you want to hone your craft, you need a second opinion, and you need someone who won't just say "this is soooo good!" and omit all the parts that could use a facelift. constructive criticism is your friend. i still remember con crit someone gave me from like five years ago. it made me a better writer.
i am now at a crossroads, because as a fic-writing veteran i want to advise you to not post immediately, and to sit on your writing for a little while and leave and come back to it with fresh eyes, because that is genuinely a good piece of advice. however. i understand the urge to post a fic. validation is always nice!! and i am really not one to talk about delayed gratification. so i'm going to stand by this, but just know that i know it's hypocritical and a little preachy. but there is real value in leaving your fic for even just a few days, untouched, and then returning to it. you start to catch little details, or even bigger ones, and because you refrained from posting it, you have the opportunity to fix those problems. i have gone back and reread some fics that i wrote and then posted in a spur of the moment, and i wish i'd waited to post those ones. there are things i would fix.
obviously this has a dark side, which is that if you keep sitting on a fic and returning to it you're going to keep finding problems with it and then you're just beating a dead horse, but there's a sweet spot in the middle there and i trust you to find it.
and of course the most important piece of advice, which trumps all this other shit i've said:
write. write! just write something. whatever thoughts you're having, write them down. they don't have to form a cohesive story. they don't have to become anything. you have a picture in your mind? describe it. you see two seconds of a scene? put it in words. eventually an idea is going to grab you by the throat and threaten to throw you into the river unless you write it right now this minute. and on the other end of that, you'll have written a story, and that's awesome. writing anything at all is amazing, because you told a story where a story didn't exist. you put words together that had never been put together that way before. you created something unique. well done.
NOW as to prompts!!! i can direct you to my prompts tag. unfortunately i'm not sure how much more specific i can be with this, because everyone feels differently about different kinds of prompts. for example, i personally prefer dialogue prompts to scenario prompts, because i think dialogue prompts still leave the opportunity to write any scenario at all, as long as you can fit the dialogue in there. on the flip side i know there are people who prefer scenario prompts specifically because it gives you the exact scenario in which the characters find themselves, and they can be doing or saying more or less whatever you decide, but you don't have to choose the AU/circumstances because they've been chosen for you. different strokes, different folks! i recommend choosing one that inspires you and seeing what you do with it. if you get stuck, try again. there's no limit to the number of prompts you can steal for your own personal gain. go absolutely insane.
i hope this was helpful, though i know it may not have been. if i had left this ask in my inbox any longer it may have begun gathering dust and i didn't want to leave you completely hanging. good luck!!! i have faith in you. and feel free to swing by with any more questions/inquiries which i will once again try to answer to the best of my abilities. xoxo
#writing advice#ahhhhhhhhhhhhh#stress#i hope this is helpful anon! sorry for the late reply#i just rewatched endgame it was such a choice for me to do that at midnight#but it happened#and now i am eating salt and then now after this gonna go make some tea#ainsella tea party timeeeeee#ask#anonymous
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