#bephanie

[rickie-the-storyteller]

Incorrect Quotes Tag Game - Ships Edition

So, I've actually done this before (I was tagged by @writinglittlebeasts).

Here's the link to it:

But I've been playing around with the incorrect quote generator website for fun, and I've come up with some more hilarious interactions that I really wanted to share! This time, we're focusing more on the ships - Bephanie (Ben and Stephanie) and Brelise (Bret + Elise).

Here's the link to the generator:

Hope you enjoy these!

Bephanie:

Ben: What are you in the mood for? Stephanie: World domination. Ben: That's a bit ambitious. Stephanie: You are my world. Ben: Aww… Stephanie: Ben: Stephanie: Ben: OH.

Stephanie, throwing her head into Ben's lap: Tell me I'm pretty! Ben, lovingly stroking her hair: You're pretty fucking annoying, that's what you are.

Ben: Did it hurt when you fell- Stephanie: From heaven? Wow, I didn’t think you were such a flirt- Ben: No, I meant when you fell down the stairs. Stephanie: … Ben: You just laid there for 15 minutes.

Stephanie: Ben, can I speak to you for a minute? In private. Ben: Ooh, someone's in trouble... It's me. I don't know why I did that.

Ben: Did you know you remind me of all 26 letters of the alphabet? Stephanie: What? Like J F K W S Q X- Ben: No, like, U R A Q T. Stephanie: Awwww!

Ben: This is a very powerful artefact. You’d be messing with some forces we don’t fully understand. Stephanie: That sounds like a dare to me. Ben: Oh my God.

Ben: Vegetable oil is made from vegetables, and coconut oil is made from coconuts, so BABY OIL- Stephanie: CAN'T WE JUST HAVE A NICE FAMILY DINNER FOR ONCE?!

Brelise:

Bret: Ugh, crushes are so dumb. Elise: I know. Whenever I’m near the person I like I just start acting stupid. Bret: But you’re always acting stupid? Elise: … Elise: Yeah, don’t think about that too hard.

Bret: Okay, but what if we went to dinner not as friends this time? Elise: AS ENEMIES?! Bret:

Cop: What are your names? Elise, whispering: Don't tell him, Bret. Cop, writing: Bret… Elise: Crap. Bret: Nice going, Elise. Cop: Bret: Uh oh.

Elise: Two wrongs don’t make a right. Bret: *sighs* That’s true… Bret: But two negatives make a positive!!!

Elise: My life is a mess. Bret: Elise relax, go get a beer. Elise: I don’t want a beer. Bret: Who said it was for you?

Bret: I am so cool. I am an absolute Chad. I am the epitome of coolness and awesomeness— Elise: Hi. Bret: *melts down in a flustered heap of softness*

Bret: You look good in that hoodie. Elise: You know where else I'd look good? Bret, zero hesitation: My bed. Elise, at the same time: By your side- wait, what?

__________

There we go!

Love these lol (Some of these actually lowkey fit perfectly characterwise... I put them in an order that chronologically kind of works in terms of plot/character development).

I think I'll tag some other writers to do this for some ships in their own works as well...

Gently tagging all these folks: @fayeiswriting, @kirsten-is-writing, @e-s-willswriting, @jay-avian, @clairelsonao3, @sarahlizziewrites, @mjparkerwriting, @silverslipstream, @winterandwords, @exquisitecrow, @elizaellwrites, @writingalterras, @thecreakywriter, @sam-glade, @mysticstarlightduck, @hollyannewrites, @ryns-ramblings, @autumnalwalker, @toribookworm22, @mousedetective, @blind-the-winds, @falesiacats, @j-1173, @gummybugg, @jessicawestonauthor, @saviournelwinter and @thelavenderwriter.

I know, it's a lot of people. But I'm curious to see some other versions of this!

#rickie-the-storyteller #writerblr #writing #steph's crew #original characters #my ships #Brelise #Bephanie #incorrect quotes #tag game

[loopyhoopywrites]

Find the Word tag

Thanks @autumnalwalker for tagging me in my favourite writeblr game! I didn’t have ‘flustered’ anywhere, but here’s the others.

Single

“Eight wonderful years next month,” he rhapsodized to a young duke in an eyesore of a suit that rivalled Llanedd’s dress in terms of ugliness. “Alas, we spent three of them cruelly torn apart by the brutal and terrifying Flutterby Wars, my poor Bonothan still has the most terrible nightmares, but we wouldn’t change a single day. Isn’t that right, my beautiful butterbean?”

Children

“Oh, we would love to,” Llanedd said the next time one of them had the gall to ask if they were thinking of ‘starting a family’, “but I’m afraid my darling Bephanie has the most awful allergy to children. Contact with anyone under the age of fourteen sends him breaking out into hives, it’s so sad.”

Playful

Smoothly, Trickster pulled his vibrant knife from his waistband, letting the feeble light play off the pink hue of its blade. As the goblyn hoard finally reached stabbing distance he flipped it expertly in his long fingers and, with a smirk, opened his mouth to utter his last words, something cool; something clever; something memorable.

Unfortunately, before he could think of anything, the nearest goblyn stabbed him through the heart.

Recognize

“Ink Malarkey,” Llanedd repeated, baffled that Trickster didn’t immediately recognise the name. “World renowned writer for the Buckbourgh Post and the Somerstrop Standard? Go-to expert for the Saturday Night Travelling Talk Show? You have to have at least heard of them?”

“Hang on,” Trickster said, “Are they the one who writes all those fluff pieces? Stuff like ‘Top 10 Tips for Getting the Most Out Of Your Visit to Nottly-Upon-Heath! and ‘Size Matters? Is Sir Dayvee’s lance truly all natural?’.”

“I… do you have those memorized?”

Tagging @pga-books @ahordeofwasps and @dreamwanderingpoet to find Loud, Love, and Long :)

#tag game #teq #teq:excerpt #bonothan and bephanie are llanedd and tricksters aliases btw

[radley-writes]

If I might introduce the inimitable Bephanie - an Aasimar warlock belonging to @loopyhoopyfrood ! Rich, spoilt, and armed with an arcane charm bracelet, Bephanie is off to explore the world - and maybe learn a bit about responsibility on the way...

I drew this pic as part of a promotion for my book, Strictly No Heroics <3 Thank you for pre-ordering, bud!

#my art #others' work #HER!!!

[littlefluffbutt]

Since it’s Easter meet Bephany Bunny! (Yes, it’s Bephany, not Bethany. I thought it sounded more bunny-like) She is older than probably half of Tumblr, being at least 27 years old:) I have a fondness for lop eared bunnies (I was a huge fan of the Leo the Lop books) and so most of my Easter plush rabbits were Lops.  Bephany is one of the the few I still have; she got me through being away at college and was with me when I got my diploma. She has occupied a spot of honor on my bed through several moves and now spends her retirement snuggled in with the other favorites.

Mom found this pic of when I got Bephy! While the pic is not dated the clue to her age is the fact that there are 4 baskets: me and my three siblings and also I remember the baby bunny being for my youngest sister who was a toddler at the time. She is a little faded now but still very huggable and I hope to have her for another 27+ years!

#I lover her dearly #I was so homesick in college #I got through it #SHe's still very squishable #she is boss bunny #Bunny #plush #collection

[rickie-the-storyteller]

Bephanie Snippet

I've been looking forward to sharing this one.

Hope you guys enjoy!!

___

I ignored the terrible pit of dread in my gut as I knocked on the door. I had been travelling for almost the whole entire day. I was here on a mission - determined to rebuild what had been broken.

What I had broken, to be more specific.

Something that El always says is that when you make mistakes, you have to take full responsibility for them and take the necessary steps to make things right. This was me doing just that. I was scared, but I knew that I had to put my own feelings aside... like how I should have done, to begin with. This isn't about me. This is about making amends with my husband. Ben. Who I haven't seen or spoken to in weeks.

"It's going to be fine," I told myself. Aloud. I needed to hear those words.

I stood at the familiar front door, my heart pounding with a mixture of nervousness and hope. Sooner or later, the door swung open, revealing you-know-who on the other side. I don't know if I was expecting that.

I mean, he was who I came here for. Of course, I was going to see him eventually. I wanted to see him. I guess I just didn't want to see him first. And I didn't think I would see him first, either... he's staying with his family. But I guess it's better this way. Get over the initial awkwardness of all this. Like ripping off a Band-Aid.

We both kind of stared at each other in stunned silence. It wasn't a tense silence, there was no deep sense of uncomfortability around it. But it wasn't happy or peaceful either.

I mustered up the courage to finally speak (since he clearly wasn't going to). "Hey," I greeted casually. At least, I tried to sound casual. In reality, I probably sounded like a robot.

I was expecting a lot. I was expecting rage, pain, yelling, and some good old-fashioned passive aggression. Maybe even tears, like how he reacted when he first found out.

I wasn't expecting what I got.

"Steph?"

Just my name. Barely above whisper volume. It sounded like a question, a plead, a forgotten feeling. Or maybe that's just how I heard it.

It gave me a small amount of hope that I didn't have going in. I don't know what it was exactly... maybe it was the fact that he didn't immediately slam the door in my face. Maybe it was the fact that he didn't scream at me about what a gross and pathetic slut I was (like somebody said he would... thanks, Reginald). Or maybe it was the look in his eyes. His face was a mixture of conflicting emotions. I could see surprise, pain, fear and uncertainty. But there was something else beyond all that in his eyes, something I hadn't seen in a while – a warm glow. Light. Hope. A glimmer of the old love that had once been the foundation of our relationship. Maybe even a hint of forgiveness?

Ok, perhaps that one was a stretch. But he wasn't completely angry. There was a bit of hurt and anger there, but not as much as I thought there would be.

It gave me a renewed inner strength that I didn't know I needed. I allowed myself to relax a bit and smile.

Maybe there was hope for us after all. Everything can get back to normal. Things can be ok in my life for once!

Stop it, Steph. This isn't about you.

Before I could say anything else, the sound of laughter and chatter filled the air.

I glanced past Ben to see a lively scene unfolding in the living room. His family – parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews – were all gathered, sharing stories and joy. It was a warm, chaotic contrast to the heavy atmosphere between Ben and me. And I wanted in!

I think Ben could tell, because the next thing he did was step aside to let me enter, saying, "You want to come in, then?"

I nodded, my smile growing even wider. In I went.

_

"Stephanie!" Ben's younger adoptive sister, Emily, greeted me with a tight hug. "We've missed you!"

I returned the hug, laughing. "I've missed you more, Em."

Toby (Ben's older adoptive brother) came up from behind me and joined in on the hugging action. "Highly doubtful, Steph. No, but seriously, it's been way too long. How have you been?"

Where to begin... maybe stressed out of my damn mind with this investigation? Guilty for almost wrecking my own marriage? Miserable for hurting all of my friends? Confused about where I stand with Bret (or what my relationship with Bret even is now... this has been going on for months now, and I still have no idea what it is. I don't even really know how I feel about him anymore. Not that any of this even matters. Man... I can't believe I've spent this long talking about Bret - none of this is about him!)?

All because I was bored. And because I could. I didn't think about the potential consequences. I didn't care about how my actions could affect other people.

Man... I'm such a callous bitch sometimes.

Self-loathing rant aside, it was around this point when I began to notice how curious Ben's family was. Everyone seemed to have a new question to ask. I felt like I was being interrogated or something.

"You remember Aunt Thedra, right?" Toby asked, gesturing toward a kind-looking woman with greying hair, who was engaged in animated conversation with a man I distinctly remembered to be Emily's husband Gareth. I nodded without saying a word, despite not recognising "Aunt Thedra" at all.

"You want to say hi to the kids, Steph?" Emily asked, picking up one of her children - a small boy, probably no older than 4 or 5. I found out that his name was Jacob, and that he was the middle kid in Emily's family of 5(!) young children. But he didn't seem too pleased to see me (the kid straight up burst out crying when he noticed my presence), so I said no for now.

"Stephanie, darling!" called the sweet, gentle voice of Ben's mother, Marian. "It's lovely to see you back here again. I'm making some dinner, do you want beef or vegetarian casserole?"

Such a kind woman. Right as I prepared to open my mouth and respond, however, I heard this:

"How come she gets to pick what we have?!"

It was Lily. Jacob's big sister. I say "big" but she really doesn't look that much older than him... maybe a year or two.

"That's Stephanie, Lily," Marian calmly replied. "She's our guest for the night, so she gets to pick what we're having for dinner."

Lily grumbled a little bit more, but eventually, she got the message. I'm assuming she's heard about me in the past because she seemed to have an idea of who I was. How do I know this? Well, once she was done talking to Marian, she turned to me and went, "So, are you Uncle Ben's special friend?"

I kid you not. Straight up said that to my face!

I had no idea how to respond to this question coming out of a five-year-old girl's mouth. But I didn't have to, because just then, Ben's father, Paul, welcomed me with a genuine smile, and yet another warm hug. "Steph, love. How are you? Thought you were avoiding us!"

"No, Paul," I smiled back, returning the hug. "I've just had a lot on my plate lately."

Ben has a pretty large and chaotic family. It's nice to be surrounded by all this noise at a time like this - when your heart and mind are fighting for your attention, and you're hurting after weeks of nonstop despair, it's almost nice to have a room full of distraction. Being in a stimulating atmosphere like Ben's childhood home was a refreshing break from the cold dead silence I struggled to get used to when he left the house.

For a moment, I could almost forget the storm that loomed between Ben and me. But I knew that I had to face the music sooner or later.

_

The evening went by pretty smoothly, honestly - much smoother than I thought it would. Of course, it helped that Ben and I were kind of trying to avoid one another. Mostly to maintain the peace. But also because I had no idea what to even say to him. Which is weird, since I've had hours of travel time to think of things to say to him!

I caught him looking at me from across the room at several points. His gaze held a weird mixture of curiosity and something else I couldn't quite place. I don't know what it was... I didn't want to give myself more false hope by convincing myself that it was forgiveness or understanding. It might be... but it was probably more along the lines of confusion. He seemed more conflicted than anything else.

I don't blame him. I'm confused, too. Not with him. With me. What's wrong with me?! I came here to fix things between us, and I have yet to figure out how to achieve this goal.

...That's a massive lie. I knew what to do. I knew what it would take. I just wasn't sure I had it in me. I was afraid.

How does that old expression go? "He who dares, wins?"

I came here to win.

I sat next to him on the sofa and tapped his arm to get his attention (he was on his phone).

"Hello," he mumbled awkwardly.

"Hey, Ben," I responded with a bit of that same awkwardness. "So, can we talk?"

"I think we should."

"Great. Should we go somewhere private, or-"

"DINNER TIME!" Marian yelled from the kitchen. For such a soft-spoken lady, she sure knows how to yell.

Patching things up with my husband is going to have to wait a little while longer.

_

Ben and I exchanged glances all throughout dinner. I was glad. Non-verbal communication was better than NO communication. Frankly, I was rather pleased that I no longer had to avoid eye contact with him.

Eventually, dinner finished up. Ben, being the kind soul that he is, helped Marian with the dishes and the clearing up of the kitchen. I stood outside and watched him help his mother out, and eventually, even Paul came in to do his part. He turned on some music, and the three of them had a little dance party as they did the chores. Marian called me in to come join the fun, but I didn't want to intrude on a sweet family moment.

"Nonsense," Paul laughed. "Steph, you are family. Come join us, love."

Why did hearing him say that almost make me cry, damn it

Anyway, once we were done with all of that, Ben, who was in a much better mood, took my hand and guided me to a more private part of the house, away from his family's curious eyes and ears.

We found ourselves at the bottom of the back garden. It was a place filled with memories of simpler times in our relationship - barbecues, surprise birthday parties, lazy Sundays, and stolen kisses. The air was charged with unspoken words as we faced each other.

"Your parents are so nice."

"I agree," Ben smiled. "They're the best parents I've ever had, that's for sure."

I laughed quietly at that one. Partially because I just wanted to laugh, and partially because I didn't know what to say. Or maybe I did, but I was scared of saying it. I had a feeling of where it would lead the conversation, and I didn't want to go there.

But he who dares, wins.

I want to be that "he." Even though I'm a she.

"How have you been?"

"Much better now that I have these guys," Ben replied, gesturing to the house full of music and family noise. That sweet sound of comforting chaos.

"I can imagine. You look great!" I offered, trying to keep the conversation nice and light for as long as possible.

"So do you," Ben sighed, his tone inscrutable. "Although you don't need me to tell you that, I don't think."

I sighed, too. "Oh, Ben. I've missed you so much."

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Have you?"

"Of course! God, these past few weeks have been a nightmare without you. Did you really think I wasn't going to care at all when you left without a word?"

"I don't know, Steph. It's not like you need me all that much anymore. You have someone else to play with when you're lonely and bored."

I mean... ouch. But true.

"Ok... I deserved that."

"Look, Steph... nothing you do or say is going to change the way you've made me feel. I appreciate you coming all this way. I appreciate that you probably feel bad, and that you might want to make things right, but what you need to understand is-"

"I do! I do want to make things right!"

"Let me finish. It doesn't change anything. I don't need or want anything from you. No apologies, no nothing. All I need is time to move on."

Sounds simple enough. That doesn't mean I'm satisfied with that answer, though. There's a lot more that needs to be said.

"I need to give you an apology, Ben. Because you deserve it, and because after all the hurt I've caused, it's the least I can do. I'm so sorry. I messed up. I know that completely, and I take full responsibility for it. It's not your fault in any way, so I hope you don't feel like it is, even a little bit."

Ben was quiet for a while after I said that. "Steph," he began, "I need to understand. I need to know why."

I'm still searching for the answers to that question myself. "I don't know," I admitted to him. "I guess it was a way to unwind. Or forget about how stressed the investigation was making me."

Ben's face sank when he heard that. "You could've just talked to me about it," he said.

It's true. I could've. But the thing is, that's not really the reason. I don't know what the actual reason is, but it sure as hell ain't that.

"I have no idea. It didn't mean anything to me, Ben. It still doesn't. And neither does he. We've stopped seeing each other, by the way."

"That's great! Problem solved. Yippee."

"Ok, stop. I know that things aren't going to get better between us overnight, Ben. I can accept that. What I won't accept is your decision to give up on us."

"What do you mean?!"

"'I just need to move on'? Sounds like quitter talk to me."

"You quit on us first!"

"It's not a competition, Ben! You and I are married! Married. Do you know what that means?"

"I don't know. Do you?"

Another excellent question.

"Yeah. It means that when things get rough, you deal with things together. As a team. Instead of fucking off to the other side of the country to stay with mummy and daddy because your wife is hurting your feewings. Actually fighting for your relationship and actively trying to make it work, instead of being a damn baby about it. That's what it means."

"Oh, my God..."

A little harsh, I know. But the longer the conversation went on, the more I knew that this was going to take more than a simple apology or a gesture of kindness and love. This was a trust issue. Ben just doesn't trust me anymore. And much like Rome, trust can't be (re)built in a day.

The argument went on until it finally reached its peak, with both of us standing on the precipice of emotional exhaustion. Silence lingered, filled only by the echoes of harsh words exchanged in the confined space. That was it. We ran out of stuff to say. We were done.

Except... not really.

Suddenly, it was almost as if he and I were being drawn together by an invisible force. Our eyes locked in a moment of shared vulnerability, and the charged atmosphere shifted. The anger and hurt that had fueled our fight transformed into a different kind of intensity. I felt my breath getting caught in my throat as I gazed at him. I still couldn't quite read his expression, but I had a feeling he was thinking what I was thinking.

Without a word, without a conscious decision, our lips met in a desperate and passionate kiss. It was a collision of conflicting emotions, a fusion of anger, desire, and the lingering traces of love that had not completely faded.

It was a disjointed, chaotic dance, a paradoxical blend of frustration and longing. It spoke of a history shared, a connection that, despite its fractures, had not entirely disintegrated. At that moment, the outside world faded away, and the only reality that existed was the collision of two souls desperately seeking solace in each other.

It was so... weird. And random. And beautiful.

When we broke away from each other, our eyes met again, now clouded with a mixture of confusion and a hint of something deeper. Hope?

I've got to stop seeing everything as a sign of hope, man.

Anyways, later on in bed, we continued having this conversation. Sort of.

"This whole thing has completely destroyed what we have. I don't know if we can even put things back together... at least not the exact way it used to be. Things'll probably never be the same ever again."

I swallowed hard, the reality of his words sinking in. "I don't want it to be the same, Ben. I want it to be better. I want us to be better. And I believe we can make it better, too. Don't you?"

Ben's expression softened, a hint of vulnerability breaking through. "You don't even know what 'better' means right now, Steph. And neither do I. That's something that'll take a while to figure out."

"Yeah..." I agreed, sighing. "But that doesn't mean we can't try."

I mean, look at us. We're practically halfway there!

___

Book 2 is so dysfunctional, y'all. I'm just realising lol.

But yeah. This is a long one, but it's pretty packed. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Let me know your thoughts!

Also, who is your favourite member of Ben's family? I love his mum, personally <3

#rickie-the-storyteller #writerblr #steph's crew #bephanie #snippet

[rickie-the-storyteller]

Happy Tender Tuesday! If you could choose your favorite traits in any of your character's romantic relationships, what you it be? What would you say is the most important thing in said relationship for each of the characters involved?

Soooooooooooooo sorry for the late response! I've been suuuuuuuuper busy.

Thank you for the ask. This is a really good question!

I personally believe that communication is a key element of a healthy, positive romantic relationship (or any relationship, for that matter - even with family). I mean, when you think about it, a lot of the biggest issues in most ships on tv/books/movies and stuff all come down to misunderstandings and disagreements that could have easily been avoided by having a proper conversation lol.

(It's super annoying to me when a pointless misunderstanding pops up in the middle of a movie JUST as a contrived way to trigger a "third act break up" scene...)

I don't typically want to give my characters this problem. This is why for most of the ships that I write, I tend to have at least one character that isn't entirely useless when it comes to effective communication.

For my two Steph's Crew ships, I try to incorporate this rule. I'd say that Ben is the emotionally mature one in his and Steph's relationship overall, but they have pretty solid and effective communication all around... mostly. I mean, at the start, it's great! But once they go long distance, things change a bit. Mostly from Stephanie's end. She kind of closes herself off and downplays how much she's struggling with the distance. The thing with her though, is that she hates not expressing how she truly feels, so this is all kind of building up to a moment when she has this huge breakdown, leading her to make a change in her life.

(Can't really give more away without spoiling future posts lol)

But I'd say that's probably the thing I like most about Stephanie (in regards to her romantic relationships). It's the fact that she's honest about her feelings and she has the nerve to make tough choices.

Bret and Elise are a slightly different case, though (mostly because they are a newly formed couple, not a long-standing one like Stephanie and Ben. They're in the honeymoon stage lol). I wanted to give them a few weeks of just happiness and sweet moments and fun times before things go off the rails... because of course it will.

These two are comfortable sharing stuff with each other - they're besties, after all. Bret loves being with Elise - she makes him really happy, and he just wants to make her as happy as she makes him. That's the nice thing about Bret, in my opinion - he's a sensitive soul (more so than he lets on lol). People that feel deeply tend to love deeply also. However, he has a lot of issues that he struggles to open up about (with anyone, not just El) for a couple of reasons, and this puts a lot of strain on their relationship later on in the story.

And Elise doesn't really know how to deal with him. She's out of her depth, for a couple of valid reasons - she's never been in a romantic relationship with anyone before, so she's navigating all this stuff for the very first time, she comes from a family that's kind of cold and private and rigid, preferring to deal with things like this in a particular way, so her upbringing may not be the best preparation one could have for dealing with matters of the heart lol, etc. But the good thing about El is that she's very mature, perceptive, and she learns quickly. She gets the hang of things and finds a way to deal with their problems properly. This is the reason why she's rather good at maintaining relationships in her life (she makes friends really quickly, despite the fact that she's naturally quite shy and super introverted, and she's the only person in her family that still has a close relationship with Adam after he got kicked out).

So yeah. Needless to say, there were already several issues going into this ship that they weren't properly taking the time to address (because they're just having too much fun on ~Honeymoon Avenue~ lol) until things start to go crazy later on in the story. That's all I'm going to say about that.

So yeah! These are the main traits from my ships that I admire a lot (from each character).

Hope this answers your question!

#rickie-the-storyteller #writing #writerblr #steph's crew #ships #stephanie smith and her friends #tender tuesday #writeblr ask game #character asks #asks #Brelise #Bephanie

[rickie-the-storyteller]

Happy Tender Tuesday!!!

Out of all your character's romances which is the most complicated? How do the different emotional intensities of your characters affected theif relationship? Who is more protective of the other and who is the most chill?

Hi! Happy Tender Tuesday!

Thanks for the ask. This is an interesting question.

I love to put a bit of romance into my writing (even if it’s a minor subplot or something), just because I love a good love story. 💖

In my main WIP, there are two main romantic pairings (which come with their own playlists lol. I make them for my characters sometimes because I love my music… it’s fun to think of a potential soundtrack for your stories):

Stephanie and Ben

Bret and Elise

I love writing for both! Probably because they are both really different and give different vibes.

Stephanie and Ben are already an established relationship from the start. They’re like the long term couple in the story (I don’t think I ever stated how long they’ve been together for, but I’d like to think it has been at least a year). So they are really comfortable together and enjoy each other’s company.

They also live together - after Steph ran away from her foster home, she moved in with Ben (he’s older, so he has his own place. I know it kind of sounds weird since she’s still in high school, but she’s 18, so it’s not like it’s illegal). Stephanie and Ben protect and support each other. They need each other. Stephanie has lived a life full of instability, and Ben is like her safe haven from all of that (because of this, I kind of characterise him as the “chill” one, but that doesn’t automatically mean that he isn’t protective of his lady).

They know each other really, really well because of this. They have this deep connection and understanding that is unique to them - Stephanie’s always talking about how she never truly felt understood or close to anyone before she met him. It’s cute… but it does have its flaws/downsides.

Steph lowkey becomes codependent in her relationship with Ben. She’s a strong independent young woman, but she’s also super attached to her boyfriend and she’s just used to him being there for her all the time. Which makes their long distance relationship even more of a struggle for her. Ben gets a work opportunity out of the country, leaving Stephanie behind for a year. She’s living alone for the first time in her whole life, and she gets really sad and lonely. She also worries that things will change between them while he’s away (and has nightmares about him cheating). She’s not doing so well… and this even affects the way she acts around her friends.

(More below)

Now let’s discuss the other main ship: Bret and Elise. These two are serving the “friends to lovers” vibes lol. Well, more like “childhood friends to lovers” vibes - they’ve known each other since primary school, and they’ve been close friends for years. Because they’ve essentially grown up together, they know each other quite well, too (not the same exact way as Ben and Steph, tho. Since they don’t live together. But they’ve known each other for a way longer duration than Ben and Steph have).

I think I might actually enjoy writing for them a little more (just a LITTLE bit. I still love Steph and Ben’s storyline), just because it’s that classic high school love story, you know? Like, it’s the story of two characters getting to know one another, seeing each other in a new light, and then falling in love. It’s beautiful. 😍

They are also really interesting characters together. They are very different (opposites attract and all that), and their dynamic is fun and engaging because of this. This also means that they argue quite a bit. 😅

They also just have a strong connection even before they start falling for each other - aside from the fact that El has had a minor crush on Bret for years, we see them reaching out to each other when they need support, and trusting each other with things that they probably wouldn’t share with the other members of the group.

Something about their relationship that I feel like I should probably mention, though, is their storyline is… a lot. The main gist of it is that Bret is a chaotic slacker troublemaking mess, and he decides after a while that he doesn’t want to be that person anymore. So he goes to Elise (his kind, agreeable, responsible model student friend) for some help with changing. She agrees to support him on his journey, and it goes smoothly at first, but he just can’t stay focused. He relapses into his old habits, frustrating her more and more, until he does something that upsets her so much that she just can’t take this whole “let’s fix Bret” mission anymore. And that’s not even half of it.

I don’t think this is the best way to start a relationship in real life. Bret becomes super dependent on Elise to become her coach at life, essentially, which is a lot of pressure to put on a person (especially someone that’s a teenager like you, who you also consider a friend, or someone you care about a lot). Add that to the fact that he never really followed her advice, either - not most of the time, anyways. And when you take all his trauma and emotional baggage into account as well… it’s a lot of stress for just one person. It’s understandable that Elise eventually snapped.

Something I just wanted to say here is that I don’t believe that a romantic relationship (or any relationship, for that matter) is a solution to your life problems. It’s not a substitute for therapy. It’s not the job or responsibility of your partner to “fix” you, despite what many romance stories and movies tell us nowadays lol. I just came up with this plot for them as a starting point because I wanted to set up these two (both together, and separately) and their overall dynamic and vibes.

It’s not healthy to completely depend on someone else to give you stability, especially in this case (teenagers figuring out who they are while also dealing with the challenges of student life and all… towards the end of their final year of high school). Fortunately, that’s part of what Bret’s arc is about! Learning to build discipline and changing his life for himself, instead of depending on external factors. This definitely improves his relationship with El.

At least I’m trying to be self aware with things lol. 😂

But yeah. Both romantic subplots are great, in my opinion. I’m biased, but still.

Stephanie and Ben bring a lot of drama to the table, while Bret and Elise are a fun high school romance (with its fair share of drama as well, tbh).

And I think I’ll end it here, since I’ve been going on forever.😆

Man, this was a good ask. Thank you so much! I love talking about ships. 💕

I hope this is a good answer. And I hope that you enjoy the playlists!

#rickie-the-storyteller #tender tuesday #Brelise #Bephanie #creative writing #original characters #steph's crew #stephanie smith and her friends #character asks #asks

[rickie-the-storyteller]

Steph's Crew - Book 3 Summary

I was meant to post this last year to sort of close the Steph-related content and focus more on other projects. Actually, I was meant to post a lot of things last year...

Bretanie analysis (on here)

Season 1 of AU (on my second blog)

Jekyll and Hyde, but in the modern world (I've been working on that for fun on the side, and I've decided to post the full story on Wattpad)

Revealing the identity of the secret blogger (I'll probably do it in this post, since it is relevant to this part of the story as well)

I've been so busy, y'all. Sorry for the delays.

I just want to make sure I have time to do everything as best as I possibly can, so you can enjoy it. I think it was less pressure posting the Steph's Crew dialogues and snippets because they were old pieces of work, and since the time I first wrote them, I've neatened it up and made it considerably better than it was... I know that the stuff I've shared isn't the final product, so I don't feel the urge to make it perfect. At least not to the extent that I do with all these other projects lol.

Hopefully this can help make up for lost time. I'll get to the other posts mentioned on that list as soon as possible, but until then... here's a summary of the third and final instalment of Steph's Crew!

Enjoy!

Keep in mind that I'm still working on this one. It isn't finished yet, but I wanted to give you guys a rough idea of how it goes. And prepare for this, because it's pretty unhinged lol. I collaborated with my sister on some of the wackier ideas...

Book 3 is titled "Story of a Broken Thing." It picks up where Book 2 ends off, more or less (or at least, it fills us in on what went down since the end of Book 2). If you can't remember how UVC ended, then here's a link to that summary:

But to put it briefly, the crew have successfully solved the mystery, Brelise have split up again, Bret's gone on tour with his band, Dalice are together, Bephanie is over, and Stephanie got arrested... but then escaped from holding. Nobody knows where she could have gone.

Which leads us to Book 3. It is set a couple of years later (I think about 5 years after Book 2 ended), and a lot of stuff has happened in all that time...

Dylan and Alice have broken up. Wasn't meant to be, I guess. But don't worry - they're still friends, and there's no bad blood between them or anything.

Victor and Jen have unfortunately split up as well, leading to Jen moving back to Texas. Alice decides to go with her. She's doing alright - currently taking some classes at a local college, and helping out at her old dance studio in her spare time. She's also still making YouTube videos.

Bret's band is still doing well. They're not touring anymore at the moment, but they are super busy recording a new album, and filming music videos. Plus, they have been asked to perform at the Jingle Bell Ball towards the end of the year, which is very exciting. Even though he has moved back to the UK, because of the nature of Bret's job, he can't just stay in London with his aunt anymore like how he used to... but he still comes to visit her as often as possible. And he and Elise are still close friends, so that's cool. He's been seeing other people over the past couple of years, though.

Elise and Charlie are together. She decided to give him a chance. They're really happy together and they seem to have a pretty healthy, solid relationship for the most part (they've been together for two years straight by the time Book 3 has started). Charlie still harbours some degree of jealousy/wariness towards Bret, though, since she's still really good friends with him. He's never once brought it up to her, though. But it becomes a big deal in this part of the story... more on that later.

Ben isn't really in this part of the story... at least not until towards the end, when Stephanie randomly decides to call him for some reason. But he's doing fine. Moved back to his cooking job from Book 1 lol. It was good money, and now he doesn't have another person to share it with! Wait, that sad-

And by now, Dylan, Connor (who has finally moved on from Daisy! Thank God), Elise and Charlie have all finished their university courses. Yay!

In fact, this is what kickstarts the plot. Dylan's family (we get to see them again in this one! Specifically his mother, her new husband and his younger brother Sam. I feel like we didn't get enough of them last time) is very proud of him for finishing such a long, tough course (3 years, + 1 foundation year + 1 year of masters), and they decide to reward him with an epic summer trip to Australia. And it is during this holiday that he sees Steph again (she's not in Australia btw - he sees her when he goes with a family friend to the Samoan islands).

She fills him in on how she got there. I haven't neatly worked this part out... but basically, Reggie helped her leave the country (idk whether to make him a villain or some kind of loose cannon/antihero type of guy. Like, he's awful most of the time, but he's also one of Stephanie's oldest friends, and he can be genuinely nice when he wants to be. Especially to her. He needs to be in trouble tho lol. I think the thing about him is that he gets away with his awful behaviour easily, whereas Stephanie is kind of forced to be held accountable, even if she actively runs away from the consequences of her actions sometimes...)

After that, she was stuck on her own again for a while and needed a job. So she applied for a job at a local Natia hotel (Natia is a famous line of hotels... kind of like Hilton, to give a known real-life example). She didn't have enough money for a cab or bus, so she had to walk the whole way there through heavy rain. By the time she got there, she looked terrible lol. But when she arrived, she bumped into a handsome young man who kindly helped her out. He got her a room and some clothes to change into, which helped in making a good first impression and whatnot. She got the job!

Later, she found out that the guy's name was Jordan Natia. The son of the hotel line founder (he also owns the hotel she got a job at). She thanks him for her help, and he invites her for dinner... and the rest is history.

And by history, I mean she ends up marrying him lol. Dylan finds out that she now lives at the resort that he and his family friend are currently staying at. She also has a baby daughter named Mia (short for Miranda. Not suspicious at all). She loves her life so much right now. She's always prided herself on being a strong independent woman who can take care of herself, but she's surprised at how much she's enjoying being a stay-at-home mother and housewife lol. She loves spending time with her baby, and she loves her husband a lot, too. He takes good care of her. However, similar to Ben, he doesn't really know all that much about her (Jordan goes through a similar arc to Ben's in Book 2, where he finds out the truth about Stephanie, and it changes the way he sees her. Minus the cheating lol).

Dylan is shocked at how much Steph has changed since the last time he saw her, but he's happy for her at the same time. He can see that she's genuinely happy and seemingly at peace, which is great.

Meanwhile, back in the UK, Charlie has decided to propose to El. He's taking it VERY seriously - even asked for her family's blessing and everything. They all said yes... even Adam lol (he's grown to like Charles by now). One summer evening, he pops the question (in a truly beautiful and romantic way btw), and Elise says yes in the moment, but she doesn't know if she truly feels ready for marriage yet. Something about the situation feels wrong to her, but she doesn't know what it is. However, instead of communicating her mixed feelings to her now fiance, she decides to distract herself with hangouts with her family and friends, as well as getting into her work and other hobbies, preferring to think about anything other than her problems (man, does THIS sound familiar lol). Charlie starts noticing a change in El's behaviour and it begins to really upset him (especially since Bret is one of the people she starts spending more time with, and we all know how she feels about him), causing more strain in their relationship. It only gets worse when they find out about Stephanie's whereabouts...

Dylan messages the others about his trip everyday through a group chat. One night he reveals that he's reunited with an old friend of theirs and sends a picture of him and Stephanie hanging out. The others are shocked. Elise especially.

The situation started becoming somewhat of a controversy in the news... people started talking about it more online, many blogs and news websites (including The Looking Glass) started covering it. Alice made a video on YouTube talking about it (and it came from the unique angle of her knowing the person from school and being their friend and everything. She didn't mention Steph by name, though). It blew her channel up.

The story of Stephanie's escape was quickly resurfacing back into people's minds after being forgotten for such a long time. And this wasn't good for Steph lol. Especially after finally making a life for herself that she was genuinely truly happy in.

But that's not the end of the story.

I'll tell you the rest in part 2 of this summary!

#rickie-the-storyteller #writerblr #steph's crew #original content #book 3

[rickie-the-storyteller]

Incorrect Quotes Tag Game - Ships Edition (Part 2)

It’s been a while since I last did this. Link to the incorrect quote generator:

And link to part 1 of this:

I’ve been starting to share more of the Steph’s Crew sequels with you all (UVC in particular), and there are so many more ships to explore in them. I only did 2 ships last time… the two main ones of TMM. So I think I’ll do 2 more here - Dalice (Dylan + Alice) and Chelise (Charlie and Elise). The two ships from last time are still pretty big ships in the sequel, btw. I just want to explore some different ships/characters this time around.

Here we go!!

Dalice:

Alice: I love you. Dylan: How many people have you said that to? Alice: Everyone. Dylan: What? Alice: I told everyone that I love you.

___

Alice: PEASANT. I REQUIRE SUSTENANCE. Dylan: You know there are other ways to say you want McDonalds. Alice: FOUL PLEBEIAN. YOU DARE SPEAK AGAINST ME— Dylan: *sigh* What do you want? Alice: Chicken nuggets please.

___

Dylan: I would let you ruin my life. Alice: Sorry, but I’m busy ruining my own. You’ll have to wait.

___

Dylan to Alice: Turn that frown upside-down! (a little while later) Dylan: What are you doing? Alice, trying to do a handstand: You told me to “turn that frown upside-down” but it’s not working!

___

Dylan: This is a bad idea.  Alice: Then why are you coming along?  Dylan: Someone has to help get your injured ass home.

___

Alice, texting Dylan: Any plans for tonight?  Dylan: No.  Alice: HA! Loser.

___

Alice: I can't take this anymore, someone needs to take me out!  Dylan: In a dating type of way, or an assassination type of way?  Alice: I don't know, surprise me!

___

Chelise:

Charlie: They don’t make them like me no more. I’m the last of my kind. Elise: Thank God...

___

Elise: You know, when I first met you, I really didn’t like you. Charlie, after a moment: …I thought there was going to be another half to that sentence? Elise: Nope! That’s it.

___

Charlie: Hey.  Elise: *pissed off* You… complete …ASS, Charlie!! You show up here after WEEKS, and you say “hey”?!

___

Elise: Oh shoot! Elise: Um. Excuse my vulgarity. Charlie: I’ll let it slide.

___

Charlie: El is playing hard to get… Charlie: Little does she know, I'm a master at playing hard to get rid of.

___

Charlie: I’ve been dropping them the most insanely obvious hints for like a year now. No progress whatsoever.  Elise: Wow. They sound really stupid.  Charlie: But they’re not. They’re really smart actually. Just dense.  Elise: Maybe you need to be more obvious? Like, I don’t know… “Hey! I love you!”  Charlie: I guess you’re right. Hey El, I love you.  Elise: See! Like that! Just say that. Charlie: *frustrated* Holy fucking shit. Elise: If that flies over their head then, sorry Charles, but they're too dumb for you.  Charlie: Elise-

___

Elise: Hey. So, about that love letter you sent me… Charlie: *blushes* Oh. W-what are your thoughts? Elise: The fourth sentence- Charlie: Yeah, that’s where I got really deep and emotional and I- Elise: It’s “you’re,” not “your”.

___

And we’re done! Woo-hoo!

Maybe I’ll do an update version of the Bephanie and Brelise incorrect quotes as well lol. This was fun! (I think my fave is the third Chelise one… reminds me of Harry Potter lol)

I’m also planning to do a part 3 for Rachel and Gordon at some point.

Anyways, I’m tagging these folks to do it next:

@mysticstarlightduck, @fire-but-ashes-too, @exquisitecrow, @toribookworm22, @winterandwords, @aziz-reads, @sam-glade, @waywardwizzard, @janec23, @rbbess110, @clairelsonao3, @ember-writer, @harleyacoincidence, and @writinglittlebeasts. Plus anyone else who wants to do it is welcome to. 🤗

Let me know what your favourite incorrect quotes were!

#rickie-the-storyteller #writerblr #writing #steph's crew #tag game #incorrect quotes

[loopyhoopywrites]

Find the Word

Thanks @drabbleitout for the tag <3 No 'riot' anywhere, surprisingly, but here's the rest.

Relax

It wasn't like Trickster hadn't seen Llanedd relaxed before, they'd been loose and laughing in the wake of their fake relationship's fake breakup, but back then Trickster had put it down to the adrenaline rush that followed a successful heist. This was the exact opposite of a successful heist, and yet Llanedd looked just as worry-free, limbs loose and brow slack, the tenseness that Trickster had thought part of Llanedd's natural state of being completely gone. It was like seeing a priceless diamond without it's arcane laser grid. Wrong.

Risk

“I imagine the queen and king disappearing like they did would throw a bit of a warhammer in the works,” she said. This time, she decided a comforting pat was well worth the risk, and placed a hand gently on his arm. It spoke to how far he’d come that her hand wasn’t immediately blasted into smithereens. Or maybe it was that she’d subtly moved his staff out of reach when he wasn’t looking.

Revenge

It slowly began to dawn on Llanedd that these people were so far removed from reality that ‘Lairde and Lady Gilwynne’ could say absolutely anything and their gossip-hungry audience wouldn’t even think to question it. Or perhaps things like that did happen in these sorts of circles, who knew? Either way, now fairly confident they weren’t suddenly about to be discovered as fakes and thrown into the viscount’s dungeons to rot, Llanedd couldn’t help but seize the opportunity for a little revenge. “Oh, we would love to,” Llanedd said the next time one of them had the gall to ask if they were thinking of ‘starting a family’, “but I’m afraid my darling Bephanie has the most awful allergy to children. Contact with anyone under the age of fourteen sends him breaking out into hives, it’s so sad.”

Tagging @surroundedbypearls @space-writes @ace-malarky (if you want) to find Ready, True, and Light.

#teq #teq:excerpt #tag game

[rickie-the-storyteller]

Another ship poll!

This one should be interesting…

I have been curious about people’s thoughts on the ships in Steph’s Crew for a while. All of the friends, family etc. that I’ve shared this story with have expressed their different thoughts on each ship, and so have many of you guys that follow my blog. But I don’t know which ship is the most popular. So…

I'll probably do this again once I've shared more about the sequel. Many more characters and ships get introduced there!

Oh, and I say “other” because a lot of people have expressed interest in non canon ships within the narrative as well… like Stylan (Stephanie + Dylan), for example. That one is especially popular among my school mates for some reason. 😂

I’m actually so excited to see which one wins…

#rickie-the-storyteller #steph's crew #original characters #original content #ships #tags

[rickie-the-storyteller]

Upcoming Steph's Crew Content:

Book 3 Outline (or, what I've got so far for it)

Dalice Snippet (either from book 1 or book 2. Sidenote - these two are underrated lol. Best ship in book 2 IMO. And arguably the healthiest ship overall. They unfortunately don't stay together for book 3)

Bephanie Snippet (specifically the two reuniting in book 2 after a period of separation. It's tense, but it's also kind of sweet in a way... and we also meet Ben's family, which is pretty cool)

Bretanie Snippet (specifically their first meeting in book 2)

Chelise Snippet (them having an argument basically lol. Or rather, Elise hanging out with Conner and retelling the story of an argument she had with Charlie in the past)

The Looking Glass blog post

Geek Heaven blog post (so you can compare the two blogs and see the different vibes they give. It's another thing that confuses the characters in the story as that mystery unfolds... how can these two different blogs be written/made by the same person?)

Fixing up and posting the updated Spotify playlists for this story (taking the new instalments into account)

Finishing and posting concept art for the other crew members

Stephanie's goodbye messages (both from book 1 and book 2. Book 3 is the series finale if you will)

I'm looking to post all of these by the end of this year. Next year I'm planning to change the focus of my blog a little bit. I'll post more about this later, but to put it simply here, I'm not going to post anything Steph's Crew-related on here in 2024. Or at least, not as much as I have been. The crew will probably pop up every now and then for a character ask or something, but I'm not posting any more snippets, plot twists or anything like that in 2024.

Next year I am setting a goal for myself to finish the Steph's Crew trilogy and give the story a satisfying conclusion, so the writing for these guys will still go on behind the scenes. And when I am finally done with the story, I will definitely let you guys know about it! For now, though, I want my blogging to focus on other things. Next year I'm planning to focus more on my @aurelian-university content (I'll finally be posting the story! So, so sorry for the delay lol. I've outlined 2 more seasons of it to make it up to you, so you'll be getting plenty of content for it soon enough), as well as my Wattpad adventures. Maybe I'll even share some fanfics in 2024. Who knows...

But yeah. Stay tuned for these posts. Man, this really feels like the end of an era. Like we're saying goodbye to these folks (in a way)... I'm excited for next year, though. I think we could do with a fresh start, and I'm looking forward to sharing my new content with you!

#rickie-the-storyteller #writerblr #steph's crew #original content #upcoming content #AU #writing #stephanie smith and her friends

[rickie-the-storyteller]

Happy Storyteller Saturday! Are there any tropes or character archetypes that you just can't live without in your works?

Sorry for the late response! I was meant to do this sooner, but I wanted to think carefully about my answer.

I think there are three main things that I include in my writing a lot:

Romantic subplot (e.g. in Steph's Crew, there are two)

A nerdy/smart character that typically doubles as the voice of reason (in most of my writing, that character is usually female. Like Elise, for example. I love a good smart girl character haha)

A super tight friend group (that is the main premise of Steph's Crew lol. I do tend to include this in other works as well, tho)

I don't mean to constantly include these things in my writing... it just shows up somehow. I surprise myself sometimes by how this stuff comes up - Steph's Crew, for example, was originally meant to be something completely different from what I usually enjoy doing. That was kind of the point. I tried to include more heavy deep themes, incorporate a sense of mystery, a bit of crime/murder stuff later on, etc. And Steph - my main protagonist - is a character completely unlike any character I've ever written as a lead. I wasn't trying to incorporate any romance or anything... but somehow, I ended up with two ships lol.

I don't know how that happened... it's a serious problem at this point-

(More below)

There are a few romantic tropes I particularly enjoy using:

Friends to lovers! (both Brelise and Bephanie arguably fit into this trope, with Brelise leaning more into the Childhood friends to lovers trope - something else I also really love)

Fake dating (not applicable to either of the Steph's Crew ships, but it's something I've done a few times before)

Enemies to lovers (also not really applicable to Steph's Crew, but I personally believe that it can be really good, as long as you do it RIGHT. Can be hella toxic if you don't handle it well lol)

Opposites attract (Brelise in a nutshell!)

Good girl, bad boy (also Brelise)

High school sweethearts (both ships kind of apply here, since the story is set in high school lol)

Long distance (Bephanie's conflict)

"I hate everyone but you" (both ships lean into this slightly at times, especially towards the end, but I think Brelise probably does more. Btw I don't think this mindset is particularly healthy, but it DOES make good drama lol)

There are probably others, but I can't think of any more right now...

Oh well. I hope this answers your question! Thanks for the ask, @silverslipstream!!!

#rickie-the-storyteller #writerblr #asks

[loopyhoopywrites]

Llanedd can have a little crime, as a treat

From The Ex Quest, Chapter Six:

As much as Llanedd was stoically opposed to theft, burglary, and crime in general, as they looked around at the slightly blurry crowd – most of whom were undoubtedly whispering about Alvehz and Bephanie behind their backs – they couldn’t find it in themself to be all that outraged. It wasn’t just the rampant nosiness, insensitivity, and complete ignorance of reality threaded throughout the room, but the sheer ostentatiousness of it all. A single jewel from a single bracelet, necklace, or cufflink could pay Llanedd’s wages for the next hundred years, and the people here had so many on display they probably wouldn’t even notice if one went missing. Llanedd watched a woman in a purple suit berate a page boy for some imagined slight; thought about the doorman stationed in the cold night air; remembered the man that had expected them to laugh along as he told how he’d evicted his tenets from their houses to build his third croquet court, and came to a firm decision.

Some people deserved to be stolen from.

From that moment on, it became almost a game. Trickster was the more experienced liar, but Llanedd was capable of some mischief of their own, and by the time the two of them finally completed their lap of the ballroom Alvehz and Bephanie had a courtship worthy of an epic ballad, as well as two necks, four wrists, and twenty fingers generously adorned with priceless jewellery that Llanedd would have called ‘stolen’ but Trickster insisted on referring to as ‘liberated’. They’d also managed to spot a largely-ignored warm-up band, two teenagers behaving highly inappropriately behind an even more inappropriately shaped ice sculpture, and at least forty-six “undercover” guards blending in about as well as a battle-axe in a quiver of arrows. But oddest of all, Llanedd realised they’d somehow, somewhere along the way, ended up acting like the couple they were pretending to be.

Llanedd had ended up practically glued to Trickster’s side, arms wrapped selfishly around his waist and head more often than not resting on his shoulder. Trickster was equally as affectionate, pulling Llanedd closer every time they began to drift away, dropping soft kisses onto Llanedd’s head and whispering sweet nothings in their ear in-between conversations. The ‘sweet nothings’ were actually scathing comments about the nearest noble’s outfit, haircut, or general vibe, but Trickster was careful not to let anyone overhear and Llanedd soon gave up pretending not to find him hilarious. Thankfully, it was easy to pass off their bursts of laughter as enamoured giggles.

There was nothing romantic about their contact – Llanedd had absolutely no desire to be in a romantic relationship with anyone, never mind a kidnapping conartist, and Trickster had made it clear he shared their distaste. Still, Llanedd couldn’t help but feel their relationship had changed. The witty remarks murmured in their ear were now amusing rather than annoying; the arm slung across their shoulder comforting where it would have been cloying; and the stolen rings and cuffs slipped onto Llanedd’s hands when no one was looking didn’t make them immediately spiral into a panic attack and call for the guards. It should have worried them, this change, should have triggered the anxiety that constantly simmered in a corner of Llanedd’s mind, but it didn’t. In this moment, trusting Trickster, having fun with Trickster, working alongside Trickster rather than simply by his side, Llanedd had managed to forget their anxiety completely.

As Trickster’s next question would highlight, they’d also managed to forget the entire reason they were here.

#teq #teq:excerpt #cute Trickedd moment in the read more! #I'm rewriting the end of chapter six and I just love this turning point in their relationship #also Trickedd say down with the rich #(Alvehz and Bephanie are their aliases btw)

[loopyhoopywrites]

It’s fake dating time, y’all!

In which Trickster makes the most of their fake marriage, and Llanedd starts to have fun.

Their plan to ‘case the joint’, as Trickster had so eloquently put it, had been halted in its tracks before it had even gotten off the ground, derailed by the first of what would turn out to be many bored guests who – here to be seen rather than out of any genuine May Day enthusiasm –immediately gravitated to anything, or anyone, new. Whilst the questions had innocently started at ‘So, where do the Gilwynnes hail from?’, they’d then proceeded to linger for a while in ‘Exactly how much land do you own?’, spent an uncomfortably long time in ‘Do the two of you plan on having children, you’d make such adorable offspring?’, and eventually spiralled into ‘Won’t you please tell us every single juicy and/or embarrassing detail about your definitely-not-fake relationship?’.

Happy to stand back and let Trickster take the reins whilst they stood back and tried to look down their nose at people, Llanedd found – despite their moral objections – that for once they were glad Trickster was such an exceptional liar. And as it turned out, not only was Trickster an exceptional liar, he was also an inventive one.

“My darling spouse only recently inherited their title,” Trickster told a gentleman sporting the longest moustache Llanedd had ever seen, “from their mother, who was tragically killed in an unfortunate trouser press accident.”

Llanedd, whose mother was very much still alive and well and had never used a trouser press in her life, covered their snort of laughter with a cough. Trickster winked at them when the gentleman wasn’t looking, taking Llanedd’s accidental amusement as the only encouragement he needed.

“Oh, it was so romantic,” he gushed to a middle-aged woman carrying a tiny three-headed puppy in her handbag. “My little sugarplum got down on one knee right in the middle of our estate being burglarised. The dastardly thief was so moved by my snugglebug’s interpretive dance that she immediately gave up her life of crime and devoted herself to teaching homeless orphans how to tango.”

“Eight wonderful years next month,” he rhapsodized to a young duke in an eyesore of a suit that rivalled Llanedd’s dress in terms of ugliness. “Alas, we spent three of them cruelly torn apart by the brutal and terrifying Flutterby Wars, my poor Alvehz still has the most terrible nightmares, but we wouldn’t change a single day. Isn’t that right, my beautiful butterbean?”

With each person that asked, Trickster’s response grew more and more elaborate. Yet, somehow, his audiences were lapping it up. Llanedd would have even sworn they saw one noble shed a tear as Trickster recounted the story of how they’d met, which apparently included a mob of nine-foot tall bananas, three and a half dragons, and a barrage of corrupt suitors who’d cornered Trickster in a dramatic duel to the death. Llanedd, predictably, was cast as the damsel-in-distress.

It slowly began to dawn on Llanedd that these people were so far removed from reality that ‘Lairde and Lady Gilwynne’ could say absolutely anything and their gossip-hungry audience wouldn’t even think to question it. Perhaps things like that did happen in these sorts of circles, who knew? Either way, now fairly confident they weren’t suddenly about to be discovered as fakes and thrown into the duke’s dungeons to rot, Llanedd couldn’t help but seize the opportunity for a little revenge.

“Oh, we would love to,” Llanedd said the next time one of them had the gall to ask if they were thinking of ‘starting a family’, “but I’m afraid my darling Bephanie has the most awful allergy to children. Contact with anyone under the age of fourteen sends him breaking out into hives, it’s so sad.”

#teq #teq:excerpt #trickedd #fake dating #Bephanie is probably my favourite name ive come up with #trickedd are becoming Friends y'al!

[loopyhoopywrites]

Find the Word

Thanks Dio @drabbleitout for the tag! I didn’t have error anywhere (which, considering how many my trio make, was a surprise), but here’s the others:

Delicate

In front of them lay a delicate stone structure, too big to technically be considered a tower, but a little on the small side for a castle. The walls were a faded but pleasant pink, dotted with white-rimmed windows and meandering greenery. Three light grey turrets could just been seen rising above the rooftop.

Nightmare

He could feel blood trickling down both his knees, and cursed. Getting bloodstains out of silk was a nightmare.

Flip(ped)

Llanedd gaped as they finally took a look at where they’d ended up. It was as if the whole world had been flipped upside down which, although oddly beautiful, didn’t do their stomach any favours. The ocean they’d plunged into now lay above them, waves still rolling and crashing but now completely ignoring the concept of gravity. The ground beneath them could have easily been mistaken for a mass of small islands, except each was a mess of green and brown that Llanedd eventually realised was a small bush. They nudged a leaf with the tip of their toe, and immediately wished they hadn’t. It was like kicking a boulder. One ill-advised glance into the endless purple space between the shrubbery was more than enough, and Llanedd immediately resolved never to think about the fact they were somehow standing in what had previously been the sky ever again. Instead they looked across the floating greenery, away from the cliff, where a giant stone castle sat surrounded by a dripping moat of molten lava.

Awful

“Oh, we would love to,” Llanedd said the next time one of them had the gall to ask if they were thinking of ‘starting a family’, “but I’m afraid my darling Bephanie has the most awful allergy to children. Contact with anyone under the age of fourteen sends him breaking out into hives, it’s so sad.”

Tagging @crowwrites2140 @the-lighthouse-lit @em-writes-stuff @inscrutable-shadow to find miracle, social, and faint :)

#tag game #teq:excerpt #sorry the third one is so long but i love describing the darkunder #also that last one is 100% the author projecting