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strange-pass · 2 months

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Hello! I saw you had requests open! I was wondering if you could write something that's like... just domestic life fluff. Maybe they're in the human world together and just chilling. I don't know. But just some nice domestic life fluff. Either with Barbatos, Solomon, or Simeon. I cannot decide as my heart is longing for all three of them right now 😂

Up in the Human World

Domestic life Headcanons

Pairing: Simeon, Barbatos, Solomon x GN! Reader (separately)

Synopsis: Simeon, Barbatos, and solomon go to the human world to visit MC

A/N: These were so adorable to write. I was so excited that anon requested these because I haven’t written fan fiction in a bit so I’m glad people want to see more work! I decided to try out a new divider because I find this one so cute honestly. I may try out a couple depending on what I’m writing. This was written as romantic by the way! Have a lovely day 🫶

Requesting here

genre: Romantic fluff, no warnings!

word count: 1270+ altogether

💐 Simeon:

-Simeon loves visiting you in the human world because he barely gets to go, he’s either in the celestial realm or in the devildom. When he does go, he stays with you for a month or two before he absolutely needs to go back. This visit is considered his break and he loves spending it with you.

-You and Simeon have a movie night every week, just you two in order to spend time together. There are some human movies that are available in the celestial realm, but rarely. He suggests two types of movies, bad movies, and romantic movies. Since he’s a writer, he likes to criticize the direction and story telling of the movies, he cannot believe how bad and cliche some of the movies you have, get. He tends to gravitate towards romance movies when suggesting a genuine movie, this is because he likes the emotional closeness to you. When he’s watching these movies though, he sometimes thinks that you two have way better chemistry than the main characters in these story lines and thinks of how you two would handle situations in the movie. He likes when you pick a movie though, he likes to explore different options and styles of writing. One thing that will never change is how he loves to cuddle you, if you’re alright with it of course.

-Since he has a garden in the celestial realm, he grows various flowers outside of the home. He grows the, outside because he thinks direct sunlight is better for the flowers. This is also for your own good in case you have an allergy to the pollen. On occasions, he grows plants inside that don’t smell in case the weather isn’t ideal. He’s still a bit naive since the celestial realm has the same kind of weather every day. When he brings seeds to your home, sometimes you need to tell him that they don’t grow in this region of the world. Once he gets used to the technology you use, he makes sure to check what grows in your part of the world. He tries to grow your favourite kind of plant, and gets you to water the plants with him.

-The first time he’s asked to sleep in your bed, he’s a bit red in the face. He insists that you don’t need to offer him the bed.. the real reason is because he’s nervous of being so close to you, he’s not sure of the habits he does in his sleep, or how you’ll react if he accidentally pulls the blankets off of you, or something bolder like pulling you closer to him. No matter what, he’s happy that you wanted to sleep in the same bed as him since it shows you trust him.

💐 Barbatos:

-Barbatos asks for permission to visit you in the human world when he has a vacation. The downside is that he can’t stay for very long since he serves Diavolo, but comes as often as he can.

-Whenever he visits you, he has a habit of serving you like he would Diavolo. He does not mean to do this, but since he cares about you, he automates to his butler personality to show how he feels about you. You need to remind him that he can sit and relax around you. He listens to your advice for a while, until he gets antsy and ends up cleaning so you have a perfectly tidy place without any worries.

-He loves baking together, it’s not just a way to spend time with you, but both of you can sit at a table and enjoy your handiwork. Depending on your baking level, he will pick a recipe that’s a bit above your level so he can teach you how to bake it properly. He finds it to be a fun challenge for both of you, his part of the challenge is making sure that it’s fun for him and you to do.

-You have different foods in the human world, and he wants to make sure he tries all kinds of cuisines. This gives him new ideas for his own cooking, and a fun date idea. He suggests something new for dinner every night he’s there, so you go to different restaurants in order to try dishes. The thing is… going to new places all of the time can be a bit exhausting, so you ask him about delivery and he’s a bit surprised by it because he’s never tried ordering food through an app. They have akuber in the devildom, but Barbatos always makes supper, so he never needs to order out. After some time, the money adds up so Barbatos just makes the food himself since it’s cheaper for you and he makes excellent food, even if he’s never cooked the dish before.

-Barbatos always sleeps by himself, so he seems like he is glad to be joining you for sleep. In reality he’s a bit hesitant BECAUSE he always sleeps by himself. It’s a bit of a vulnerable position for him, but as long as he keeps reminding himself that it’s just you, he’s having the most comfortable sleep of his life alongside the person he cares about the most.

💐 Solomon:

-Solomon visits you a-lot since he doesn’t technically work anywhere, he goes wherever he’s needed. The downtime between him going somewhere is spent with you, at your home in the human world.

-He loves cooking for you! Mostly to your detriment… He has so much passion for what he makes for you, but you can’t tell what he was trying to make most of the time. He says that he put his own spin on the original dish, and then questions why you look so shocked as to what recipe he was trying to replicate. He always thanks you for making food or ordering though, just as long as he’s no where near the kitchen.

-When you’re doing something in your home, you’ll find little love notes in random places from Solomon, he leaves these in hopes that you’ll find them and feel loved. They are always in little envelopes that are stamped with a red rose to signify his love. He hides them in the weirdest places though, in a shoe, the back of the freezer, between the cushions of a couch, and the pocket of a coat you haven’t worn in a while.

-Whenever he goes out, he almost always comes back with a game for you to play with him. It could be a game as big as monopoly, or a dice game like Yahtzee. What he doesn’t want you to know is that he is great at all types of games because he’s been alive for so long. The only thing that gives him away is how overly confident he is, sometimes a bit cocky as well. This can also be his loss because he doesn’t replay games for long periods of time since he doesn’t have many people to play them with. When he loses, he feints being sad, but loves seeing the smile on your face when you win.

-Solomon is actually the first one to suggest sleeping in the same bed, he’s a bit cheeky like that. He has absolutely no problem in sleeping beside you, but he never shows just how excited he is. This is his own little dream, being beside you and making sure you’re safe through the night. Maybe in the morning he’ll surprise you with breakfast as well, made with all his heart, of course! Seeing you is his motivation for working, and he glad he visited.

#obey me barbatos x reader #obey me x mc #obey me x you #obey me x gender neutral reader #obey me fluff #obey me x reader #obey me nightbringer #obey me shall we date #obey me barbatos #obey me barbatos x mc #obey me solomon #obey me solomon x reader #obey me solomon x mc #obey me solomon x you #obey me simeon #obey me simeon x reader #obey me simeon x mc #fluff #obey me

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drowninginredink · 4 months

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WIP List

I always like it when people talk about their WIPs. I live for that. So it's my turn. But I am a one-shot writer at heart with way, way too many ideas, so here is a list of everything I'm toying with. For the record, some of these don't even have a single word written yet, and none are that far along, so don't get your hopes up too high.

Smosh One-Shots

"Feelings are so fragile" — Platonic Shaymien thing where I project really hard onto Damien. (Yes it's for the aro collection)

"Most euphoric I've ever been" — A spetney fic based the fact that yes, they're technically a m/f couple... But like, no. Put them together, you've got nonbinary lesbian vibes. Sorry Spencer, you're getting your gender transed because there's no way you and Courtney are straight.

"But what's a home?" — A Damian QPR fic. Damien/Ian is already such an interesting rarepair and then you make it a QPR and it's like... They end up living together just temporarily because Damien's housing falls through and turns out they both really miss when they used to be living with their best friends and look I know everyone likes romance but do you know how good QPR fics can be? I love the idea of them as a QPR so much?

A thing for @aro-soulmates-fest about Anthony getting all his tattoos to hide the fact that he doesn't have a soulmate one.

A murderverse one shot about Arasha because God I fucking love gang AU!Arasha

A vampire!Spencer fic where Shayne plays the role of Johnathan Harker

"And I lie like the right thing to do" — me taking @generaltrashshecox 's whole "Anthony sleeping with Damien to cope with unrequited feelings for Ian thing that I love so much and just doing my own version of it where I lean into the angst so hard. With permission from bun, don't worry

A (platonic) nintendogs fic where I decide to do a little bit of own voices stuff on the fact that The Chosen is suuuuuuuuper schizo-coded

I bought a new ray and it's time to use it. Let's make Ian aplatonic this time.

"Then it's done." Killing off Spencer. Very one-sided Spommy.

A lil smut based on Anthony asking Tommy to choke him.

Hey @generaltrashshecox infected me again and now aro4aro Antmien needs to exist

This post into a real fic

Smosh not a one shot but also kind of a one shot?

14. "Once in twenty lifetimes" — A no smosh AU that's going to go through all the different ways Ian and Anthony could have ended, choose-your-own-adventure style. And as the title suggests, only one of them is the reunion. Most are things falling apart. And also to fit the title, it's going to be in twenty chapters (although that does not mean 20 endings. I don't hate myself.). So it's multichapter, but also it'll all be posted at once so it'll basically be a one-shot. It's going to end up as kind of an epic and God I hope it turns out as good as it is in my head. Inspiration for the good endings is "Cardigan" by Taylor Swift, and for the bad endings and a lot along the way is "San Cristobal" by Mal Blum.

15. Partners (in crime) — my Changela QPR fic that was supposed to be a one-shot right up until I wrote the thing, and actually wrote a chapter one. Not sure how long that's going to be, but I like it so far.

Smosh Multichapter

(The fact that my very one-shot oriented self has multiple of these is such a problem)

16. "Puppy Love" — I don't need to say anything about this. There are already 5 chapters on AO3. Either it's extremely your shit or you're wondering what the hell I'm doing and why I'm writing this extremely specific concept. If you're wondering why I still haven't posted chapter 6, it's because that has sex in it and I fucking hate writing sex scenes so I'm procrastinating really hard.

17. "I'll use you as a warning sign" (aka the evil fic, so named because chu-tea thinks I'm evil for coming up with the plot) — yeah so what I planned for PL was just a straightforward kind of fluffy ianthony piece. And then a certain friend of mine (*cough* chu *cough*) accidentally inspired me to think of a different ending that is such hardcore angst and hurt that I absolutely needed to make it happen and have been obsessed. It's interesting when you've already made the bad decision to start a long project and then oops, now you just really want the next 6 chapters to be done already so you can write the alternate ending. This one will *really* not be everyone's shit because I will rip your heart out in 6 different ways. But God I'm obsessed. Anyway, if you want details... I'll just say "major character death" and leave it at that. Oh and rarepair.

18. "I've come back changed and I can feel it in my bones" — an AU where "what if Anthony left because he got psychosis." Basically very hardcore projection on my part. This is on the back burner for a while because obviously when I have projects that aren't going to be emotionally gutting to write, I'd much rather work on them.

Non Smosh Stuff

(I'll be honest, I'm so deep in the smosh obsession that you should not get too excited about any of these. I know myself, so I know the smosh flame will eventually burn out but these are based on things I will be obsessed with until I die. So I know they'll happen. But not for a long time)

19. A Phantom of the Opera one-shot for @aro-soulmates-fest. This is the one thing I will actually write within a reasonable amount of time, because it's due March 17.

20. "Baby, please don't bore me" — A Series of Unfortunate Events — Sunny (well, Sorrel in this version because oops I transed their gender) teams up with Olaf to find their siblings after years of separation. I find them to be a very interesting chaotic, morally gray, bantery duo.

21. "Because the same night awaits us all" — ASOUE — A Klaus/Lemony fic that I swear I will write someday. Very morally gray, very much a codependent relationship, very leaning into the age gap. Basically they're together because they do not have anyone else in the world. It's just so delicious a dynamic that I will explore I swear.

22. ASOUE — I'm still not entirely convinced I'll ever be bothered to actually write this one, but I might do a Kit/Fernald FWB thing. I'm not sure where on earth the idea of that came from, but it's been living in my head for a long time now. Long enough that there's an early one-shot version of it that I don't really like anymore on *gasp* fanfiction.net

If anyone actually bothered to read all the way to the end of this long-ass post, you deserve a medal.

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thebreakfastgenie · 3 months

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Songs are often not about just one thing I'm not saying I have a deep spiritual connection with Billy Joel that no one else does, but I do have a good track record at understanding the meaning of Billy Joel songs, even when they're widely misunderstood (because I have a deep spiritual connection with him that no one else does) and I think at least to some extent Turn the Lights Back On is about his music.

[Verse 1] Please open the door Nothing is different, we've been here before

The door to the recording studio perhaps... it's also less literal, just opening something back up. It's something familiar! He knows about writing lyrics and recording songs. It's this reassurance that he remembers, that it isn't new.

Pacing these halls Trying to talk over the silence

Silence... from the lack of music.

And pride sticks out its tongue Laughs at the portrait that we've become

Pride could refer to a lot of things, but it's certainly a feeling that can go with creativity. Taking pride in his work... In some ways he has become a portrait of himself. He's been playing music that reflects who he was thirty forty, fifty years ago.

Stuck in a frame, unable to change I was wrong

He hasn't changed, he's been playing, in his words, the same old shit. He thought he was done writing songs, that he had nowhere left to go artistically, but he was wrong.

[Chorus] I'm late, but I'm here right now

His last album was in 1993. He's also been touring and playing his residency for over ten years now, and he hasn't released any new music. People have asked, and he's always brushed them off. So maybe he's late. It's been a long time. But he's here now.

Though I used to be romantic I forgot somehow

He used to write a lot of love songs. He hasn't written any for a while, or any lyrics. He feels like he forgot how, or forgot what he liked about it. He's also used romance and being romantic as somewhat of a metaphor before.

Time can make you blind But I see you now As we're laying in the darkness

It's easy to forget how much you loved something when you haven't done it in so long, but he remembers now.

Did I wait too long To turn the lights back on?

He wonders if it's too late. After all, it's been decades, and he's turning 75 this year. Turning the lights back on evokes literally turning the lights on in a long empty room, like a recording studio, but also more generally suggest starting again, starting back up.

[Verse 2] Herе, stuck on a hill Outsiders inside the homе that we built

Maybe the hill is an obstacle, a thirty year bout of writer's block. Or maybe it's a peak. Maybe he hasn't written songs all these years because he felt like he'd already peaked creatively and there was nowhere left for him to go. He feels like an outsider in his own career now, because he's not writing. He's also influenced a lot of younger musicians, so maybe the home we built refers to that too.

The cold settles in It's been a long winter of indifference

He hasn't cared much about writing songs in a long time, but now he's starting to notice it feels like something is missing. The Genius annotation also tied this lyric to the early fall references in Famous Last Words. The teaser video showed him turning a page from Famous Last Words to Turn the Lights Back On so there's definitely some level of connection there. Famous Last Words was about feeling he had nothing left to say, but even then he left hanging the possibility of other words some other day. These are the words.

And maybe you love me, maybe you don't Maybe you'll learn to, maybe you won't

I think you here refers to both the personification of music--his muse--and the audience. Maybe his muse will be good to him, maybe not, maybe he'll get back in the swing of it, maybe not, this is new and he's trying. Maybe the audience will love his new music, maybe they won't like it and won't buy it. I think this also works in the reverse, where he's the second person. Maybe he realizes he loves songwriting again, or maybe he doesn't at first but he does with time, or maybe he doesn't and this song is it, just one experiment.

You've had enough, but I won't give up On you

He had previously had enough of writing songs, maybe his muse had had enough of him, but he's not giving up on doing this art.

[Chorus] I'm late, but I'm here right now And I'm tryin' to find the magic That we lost somehow

He wrote some really magic songs. As much as he claims lyrics are just what you have to write to sell songs, he wrote twelve albums worth of songs over twenty years, there must have been some magic in it for him. He lost that along the way and he's trying to rediscover it now.

Maybe I was blind But I see you now As we're laying in the darkness

He couldn't see what he liked about songwriting for a longtime, what the draw really was, but now, after all this time in the darkness not doing it, he sees it.

Did I wait too long To turn the lights back on? [Chorus] I'm late, but I'm here right now Is there still time for forgiveness? Won't you tell me how?

He's wondering if he still has a chance to go back. He's old, he's been away a long time. But he wants to figure it out.

I can't read your mind But I see you now

It's not easy to understand. Maybe it's his own mind he can't read, he can't understand where his creativity comes from or how to turn it on and off. But he sees that it's there.

As we're layin' in the darkness Did I wait too long To turn the lights back on? [Outro] I'm here right now Yes, I'm here right now Looking for forgiveness

He affirms that he's here now. Maybe the thing he's looking for forgiveness for is how negative he's been about the songwriting process, and how dismissive he's been about the idea of going back to it.

I can see as we're laying in the darkness Yeah, as we're laying in the darkness Did I wait too long To turn the lights back on?

Putting all of this in the context of his first new song in decades and the deliberate connection to Famous Last Words, which is also about his music, I think it makes sense. He's also done a lot of things in the last ten years or so that at one point he thought he was done doing: playing concerts, getting married, having children and now, writing songs. Or at least this song. It's about trying to find the lost spark in a relationship, not with a woman but with music. I think it does suggest the possibility of more music from him, although it's very far from a guarantee.

#billy joel #turn the lights back on

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scorpio-marionette · 1 year

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Suprise!

5 - Her (Once More)

Letter 5 of the Surpise Writing Game

(Please see masterlist for more information)

Pairing: Frankie Morales x F!reader

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Implications of masturbation, sappy romance, being hopelessly in love

Word Count: 314 words

Banner by @toomanystoriessolittletime

Her

Frankie,

God, you still know how to make me blush! I don't look as good now as I did then in that skirt, but no, I don't mind. In fact I love that you still think about that night... just like how I love that you want us. Me and Mia. You picked the perfect name!

I'm going to need a minute (or more) after reading your letter (again) to compose myself. How do you have such an effect on me and you're still so far away? And is it wrong to say that I can't wait for you to come home? I want to hear your voice so much! But I also want Bean to hear you too. I just want to watch you whisper to her. Letting her hear her papa's voice finally. I'll settle with facetiming if that's all I can get right now.

Bean hasn't been too hard on me. She's still a bit small though she's getting bigger. My breasts on the other hand have tripled in size over night or something. They're heavy and need a lot of support so I'm making the switch per the doctor's orders. I get dizzy once in a while, but I have to take time to stretch so that my legs don't cramp up on me.

Your mom has been an absolute delight. She showed up with bags of groceries and new supportive shoes for me. She caught me completely off guard (and I teared up a bit too).

I really hope they approve your leave. I want to make plans for you to be here when she finally starts kicking, and for her birth.

Yours completely,

Bubbles

P.S. Would it be okay to ask your mom for one of your shirts? I want to wear it to bed and think of you. It's okay if it's too soon for that though.

Tagging @boliv-jenta for the next part

Tag list: @misspearly1 @misspearlssideblog @supernaturalgirl20 @sturkillerbase @writer-darling @amneris21 @kirsteng42 @trickstersp8 @harriedandharassed @writing-darling @boliv-jenta @minky77 @heythere-mel @littlemisspascal

#steph's writing game #frankie morales x f!reader #frankie morales #frankie catfish morales #the surprise #writing game

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on-a-lucky-tide · 2 years

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Back on my Author Eskel bullshit.

I'm going to turn this concept into a longer thing for either the Witcher Summer Camp or Eskel-pades (or maybe both). Eskel is as soft as a marshmallow, so I'll need to add an edge to him, but I love Author Eskel. Do I do this, or my Gerskel Bodyguard AU with Author Eskel and Bodyguard Geralt? Who knows.

Anyway, Eskel is a well-known crime novelist. The sort that rivals Patterson for bookshelf space. His books are all over the world, in multiple different languages, there's a deal with A Big Name Streaming Service for a series and talk of a movie.

He does most of his writing in a tiny little coffee shop in his home town. No one bothers him there, because he will always be the large, bespectacled, dorky kid who used to run amok with his best friend, Geralt. No one cared then, and no one cares now.

He also writes gay romance novels under a pseudonym. They're very niche. Focus on men like him in small rural towns looking for love, so they're not super mainstream. He kind of prefers it that way, because the massmarket is cut throat and he can be himself in those novels.

His coffee shop gets a new barista. He's sharp, sarcastic and efficient. Name badge says Lambert. Face says Get Fucked. So, despite finding Lambert hotter than a jalapeño in the Sahara (he notes that down for later), Eskel is polite but gives him a wide berth.

Then, one day, the grumpy bastard slumps down on one of the deep sofas nearby and pulls out a tattered paperback. Eskel does a double-take. It's one of his. Not crime fiction, a feckin' romance novel. One of his earlier ones. For the first time in years, he gets that jitter in his chest. The one a writer gets when someone has picked up their work, is reading it, perceiving the gods damned words. And he... has to ask. Eskel clears his throat, "What're you readin'? Any good?" (Please say yes please say yes).

Lambert's eyes roll up from his book and he slurps noisily on his iced latte before he replies, "Yeah. S'my favourite author. Must've read this one about ten times, maybe more."

Eskel feels his neck redden. "Wow, must be... Uh, pretty good."

"It feels like he gets it."

"Gets what?"

Lambert levels him with an intense stare, as if weighing him up. Then his lip quirks at the corner and he waves airily at the coffee shop. "Being queer in the middle of bumfuck nowhere."

A pause. Waiting for a reaction.

Eskel nods, hoping his heart isn't audible.

"That's... rare. Stories for us."

Lambert's shoulders relax a little and Eskel lets out a breath. Lambert returns his bookmark reverently to the chapter end, and rocks to his feet. "Break's over. Want a top up?"

"Sure."

Lambert whisks his cup away and Eskel pretends not to notice Lambert's glance at his screen.

They talk more after that. Lambert's fun and witty; he loves dogs and he used to live further north, but left for a fresh start. Eskel learns that he likes cinnamon and can't cook; he has a degree in some kind of biochemistry, but none of the desire to use it. He longs for the open road, but it feels like his feet are made of lead and the world doesn't want him anyway.

The world might not, Eskel thinks, but Eskel does.

In his forty-odd years, he's never really had a crush. Plenty of hot and heavy encounters when he was young; fleeting, meaningless and shallow. But now he's faced with someone he wants to impress. So, he does the one thing he's confident in. He writes.

He writes Lambert a novel. A new character, a new setting, but both will be familiar. It's a love letter and a soft request. He places the manuscript in front of Lambert during one of his breaks. Asks him to give the first chapter a read cause he's not written the genre for a while.

Lambert needles him, but takes it home with him. Eskel spends a sleepless night staring at the ceiling of his one-bed apartment, not even pretending he's able to sleep.

He sits in the coffee shop the following morning. Lambert's not on shift so Eskel isn't expecting him when he slides into the seat opposite, the manuscript placed on the table in front of him. "I knew it."

"Knew what?"

Lambert pulls his beaten up old novel from his satchel and places it down on top. "You're him. This is you."

Eskel nods. His neck reddening.

"Bitch," Lambert whispers, and Eskel's shoulders droop. "I've been waiting ten years for a fucking sequel. Are you for real with that cliffhanger? Do you know the fucking p-- wait, this needs a coffee. Wait the fuck here."

Eskel stays frozen while Lambert darts off, returning with two steaming mugs he made himself. Eskel clears his throat. "How did you know?"

"When you've been listening to a voice for decades, when it's pulled you through the worst fucking moments of your life, you'd know it in a crowd at fifty paces."

"You don't read my other--?"

"Not my thing. Now, this," he ran an affectionate hand over the new manuscript, "this is my thing. And I accept."

"What?"

"You asked me out for dinner. I accept."

"I did?"

Lambert flashed all his teeth in the most disarming grin and Eskel's insides turned to jelly. "Yeah. I'll pick you up at 7, old man."

#lambert #witcher lambert #eskel #wticher eskel #lambskel #eskel x lambert #eskel/lambert #tw3 #modern au

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ahiddenpath · 11 months

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Do you have any advice for a-spec writers who struggle with writing allo characters or just allo things like attraction, romance, and sex?

OH MAN what a great Pride Month ask?!?!?! Thank you for trusting me with this. (For anyone who might not have the bg info, I'm a-spec myself, and I do write romance and sex).

There must be so many wonderful ways to answer this q, but I'll take my shot beneath the cut!

1.) Intimacy and sensuality

I think my biggest tip is to try to reframe how you think about romance and sex as intimacy and sensuality. Maybe an a-spec person doesn't relate to how it feels to be magnetically pulled towards someone, to feel their pulse beat faster when you see them, to want to, ah, engage in consensual adult activities with them. But maybe they do know what it feels like to worry about someone, to want to help them and see them smile, to want to experience the "feel good" hormones that are released from a hug. These things are also present in platonic relationships, but they're a huge part of romantic relationships, too! If you focus on them, you might be able to portray a romantic relationship in a way that feels comfortable and relatable to you.

For me, my favorite aspect of a relationship- any kind, really- is showing how it makes the characters feel as though they are home. They are safe, they are loved, they are accepted, they belong. It's an achingly human desire, and while this isn't the only way to portray a meaningful relationship, romantic or otherwise, I think it's a good way to convey what love is like without getting into sexy stuff and attraction.

I wrote a bit about this concept in the first two qs of this ask game, if you're interested!

2.) Songs and poetry

If you want to try your hand at conveying a character experiencing attraction, songs and love poems are an amazing resource! Obviously, don't plop lyrics and poetry lines in your work, I'm not asking anyone to plagiarize. But maybe google greatest love songs/poems and explore what language is used.

Attraction tends to be associated with physical signs like an elevated pulse, feeling physically hot, or being distracted. A character may act clumsy/nervous/shy around their crush, or try to do silly things to impress them, especially if they are young. You can try googling signs of attraction for writers, too.

These physical signs and "falling in love" behaviors are linked to powerful emotions, which is why I'm recommending the songs and poems. These feelings will move your readers far more than listing physical indications of attraction- those are mostly there to signal to the reader what is brewing.

3.) Utilize the off-screen sex scene

Real talk, it once took me over a year to write a 14,000 word sexy story. I usually update my fics with a 4-7k word update every other week. Sex scenes are one of the most challenging topics for me, is what I'm trying to say!

That's why the off-screen sex scene is one of my favorite maneuvers! You can imply that characters had a sexy encounter and discuss what it meant to them without getting into it. This is. So much easier.

4.) But what if I WANT to write the sex scene?

I don't think there's a quick solution for this- or if there is, I haven't found it. I start by writing what I want the characters to get out of their sexy encounter. How does the sex reflect where they are in their relationship? With their own body and physical/mental health? What needs do the characters have in this moment (physical or not), and how can they help each other fulfill them? If they can't, what does that mean for the relationship and the individuals?

I have no clue what is sexy/hot, and I don't experience attraction. But I do know that sex is a complex topic that means wildly different things to different people. Sometimes, people experience an urge that they want to scratch, without or without a partner or partners. Sometimes, people feel lonely or stressed, and sex can alleviate that. Sometimes, people like to think of fun scenarios and role play with their partners, or explore a new facet of their sexuality, or...

Man, I'm sure there are a zillion other things I could mention here. Basically, as a writer, you can approach sex from many different angles. Some of them might be comfortable/relatable for you, some might not. There's room to explore here and see if something works for you :D

I hope that helps! Thanks for the q, and happy Pride!

#a-spec #asexual #pride month #asexuality #aspec pride #ask hidden

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softguarnere · 2 years

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Friends That I Barely Know

David Webster x reader

A/N: Two fics within 24 hours? Who am I? I'm procrastinating, actually, all of these assignments that I have to finish over break that are crushing me. School policy says that we're not technically allowed to be assigned work over breaks and holidays, but since I was given assignments to do on what was supposed to be my time off, I'm extremely bitter and feel justified in writing for BOB instead of writing about a book I did not understand :) I started this fic when I was going through a Webster phase, and it was just supposed to be a short reunion piece that took place during The Last Patrol, but then it got waaayyyy out of hand. My bad. (As always, this is written for the fictional depiction from the show -- no disrespect to the real life veterans!) 💕🕊️

Warnings: the usual HBOWar stuff: language, blood, war, death, some angst, more clumsily written romance from yours truly (read: someone very inexperienced with romance)

Webster is nothing if not a writer.

At least, that's how he sees it. He spends more time than the average person narrating things in his mind as they happen, taking note of small details, stringing together sentences that he words and re-words until they're just right so he can put them on paper when he has the chance. And in all that, he's spent a lot of time writing about you.

He's mentioned you in letters to his parents, describing your beauty, your fearlessness in combat. But in his head he knows how he would write your speech cadence, how he would describe the endearing way you stick your tongue out of the corner of your mouth when you concentrate -- all of it. Yes, he could probably write the other people in E Company just as well, but he could devote pages upon pages of spilled ink to you. Because, he realized at some point after the D-Day jump, he's in love with you.

Being separated from the rest of Easy is hard. Webster is fine, really -- or for the most part -- and doesn't need to be taking up space in the hospital when there are people with worse injuries. At least, that's what he keeps trying to explain to the nurses, who probably think that he's going crazy with the way he keeps trying to get out of bed and the way he keeps talking about rejoining his company.

The only thing keeping him in check is writing. Even when there's no paper, just writing in his head, readying the words that wait for the moment they can be preserved on paper. And most of that writing is about you.

He wishes it were to you, but most of the letters he tries to send to anyone in E Company have been returned, or lost. He tries to tell himself that this is normal, that this is just what happens in wars, and that something isn't horribly wrong.

Finding out that he will be returned to Easy feels like a crushing weight has been taken off his chest. Returning to the friends he trained with back in Toccoa feels like returning home after being lost. The thought of seeing you, though -- the thought makes him almost giddy.

A giddiness that soon hardens into something too familiar when he's told to find second platoon. He tries not to feel the eyes and the scoffs that follow him from truck to truck as he tries to find a place with his company -- his company, who are all acting like they've never seen him before in their lives.

Rejection. He can name the sour feeling in his stomach because he felt it enough times during childhood. But much like the way that the rest of Easy is treating him, the feeling had become an afterthought that he had hoped to never come face to face with again.

"You must have liked that hospital," Liebgott is saying. "because we left Holland four months ago."

Why does he feel like he's on trial, having to build a defense for himself? "Well I wasn't there the whole time. There was rehabilitation, then the replacement depot --"

"Well, I'm not sure why you didn't bust out and try to help us in Bastogne, Web." Liebgott sniffs.

"I don't know how I would have done that."

"That's funny. Because Popeye found a way. So did Alley, right? Back in Holland." Beside him, Heffron nods in agreement; he won't even look at Webster. "And (Y/L/N) --"

"(Y/N)?" Cold dread floods Webster's stomach. You had been hurt and he hadn't been there.

Jackson shifts as the truck moves, like he's trying to put distance between himself and Webster, even if it means leaning into the man on his other side. "Sergeant (Y/L/N) is fine now."

"Sergeant?"

"Christ, Web," Liebgott scoffs. "You missed just about everything, and somehow you still seem shocked."

Not shocked, Webster wants to correct him but doesn't. He's just surprised by all the news coming his way all at once. And surprised that he hasn't seen you, especially if you're okay and a sergeant. Shouldn't you be with the platoon?

The order to move out drags him from his contemplation and into the present moment. (Because he can be present when he really tries; he's just very good at day dreaming and it's a habit.) The feeling of being judged sticks to him like paste all the way into the CP, but then at least the arrival of the new lieutenant takes some of the focus off him. Being relieved that the new replacement -- an actual replacement -- is taking the same flak as him shouldn't make him feel better, but he can't help it.

"We'll find a place for you, Webster," Lipton assures him.

And then it happens.

"Find a place for who?" Even after four months, he would know the sound of your voice anywhere. It's different, somehow, like the war has dulled some of it's shine, but it's still you. And then you walk into the room with Lieutenant Speirs and freeze, just like his heart does upon seeing you.

Back in Toccoa you had been a bright and shiny new-recruit, always smiling and laughing when you didn't have to be serious during training. But now the grime of Haguenau has settled onto your face, just like everyone else, and you look so serious.

Webster has pictured your reunion a thousand times. Any time that he needed strength back in the hospital, he would imagine seeing you among the company, how you would look up and catch his eye, break into a smile, and how the two of you would run to each other -- friends, reunited at last. (And then after that, he would finally tell you everything, because he knew back in the hospital exactly what he wanted to say. Maybe that sweet reunion would lead to something more than friendship.)

Instead, you stare at him with a blank face, like you can't believe what you're seeing. His heart fumbles, finally picking up the pace, and it begins to race; he's grateful that his ribcage holds it in place, or else it would have run to you without him.

"Webster?" You finally ask.

"(Y/N)," he breathes.

"Sergeant (Y/L/N)," Lieutenant Jones says, standing up even straighter than before. Webster could smack the guy on the back of the head for making it so formal, but he doesn't.

Your expression shifts. From beneath your helmet, he can see your eyebrows furrow in thought. You don't look happy; it's like a storm is clouding your face, making it hard to recognize you. "What are you doing here?"

"I just got back from the hospital," he answers for the hundredth time that day. "I'm waiting to see what platoon I'll --"

"No. I mean here."

"What does that mean?"

"(Y/N)," Speirs interrupts. "We're needed elsewhere. We need to go.”

“Right. Sorry, Captain.” You fix Webster with one last stern look, then grab some papers from Sergeant Lipton and follow Speirs from the room. Webster feels like he’s stuck until he hears the last of your footsteps echo away.

What are you doing here? Well, that certainly hadn’t been how he hoped you would react. And from the glances and pitying looks being thrown to him by others in the room, they weren’t expecting that kind of response either.

“Captain?” Webster says finally, both for the purpose of breaking the awkward silence and for piecing together more of what he has missed. “What happened to Captain Winters?”

“He runs the whole Battalion now,” Lipton says. There’s no elaboration. If Webster wants an explanation, he’ll have to find it elsewhere, because everyone starts in on a conversation about a patrol across the river – a conversation that’s he’s not included in, and that makes him feel awkward and guilty for hearing it, like he’s once again a child eavesdropping on his parent’s late night dinner parties, wishing that he were old enough to join in instead of observing from the fringes.

At least they tell him which platoon to join before he leaves.

The news that you will be on the patrol just feels like one more trick of the universe to keep the two of you apart. No, not even a trick. From what information Webster has managed to glean from the others and piece together, some higher power must have it out for you, what with everything you have had to go through the past four months, and now this added to it.

Having rich parents gets you a lot of things in life. Webster learned that quickly over the years. Positions, memberships, almost anything. That was why he was so determined to not rely on their money and status once he joined the army. For once, he wanted to know what it was like to be just like everyone else. He sometimes felt like a journalist, stepping into a role and going undercover to get the inside scoop. But he enjoyed being amongst the other men and feeling like one of them. Not like his life before the war, where even when he was among people from similar backgrounds, he felt like he was only being tolerated.

So far he has spent the war decidedly not chasing any promotions or volunteering for things that might get him noticed. He doesn’t want to stick out, but he also doesn’t want to be left behind; there is a grey area that he has learned to operate in in order to survive the military. Now, though . . . Now is different.

“His German is just as good as mine,” Liebgott had spat as they made their way out of the briefing. And before Webster really had time to consider what he was doing, he was marching up to Winters and asking to be the translator on the patrol. And, to his relief –

“Liebgott,” Winters had called as you and the man in question start to walk by. Good, Webster thinks. There’s no need for three translators on the patrol. You’ll be safely on this side of the river . . . But then he catches what Winters is saying, and it’s not to you. “You aren’t needed for the patrol tonight.”

Webster’s heart drops. Liebgott nods, thanks Winters, and shoots Webster a wink before leading you off, throwing an arm around your shoulder as you go. Once again, your expression contorts into one of confusion and hurt as you cast him a horrified look before allowing Liebgott to lead you away.

Liebgott’s arm stays around your shoulder as you walk out of sight. You two had always gotten along, but when had that happened? (Or had it happened?) Just one more thing that he had missed in four months. His heart feels even heavier.

He had just been trying to help you, but he’s left standing in the street, feeling like he’s just done some sort of irreparable damage.

“Jackson, listen to me! You’re not gonna die!” Doc Roe is trying to reassure the boy on the table while simultaneously keeping him still and examining his wounds. The room around him has descended into pure chaos as he tries to help the boy in front of him, which is not the ideal condition to work under.

The German prisoners are yelling, Easy men are having to hold back their fellow soldiers from rushing them. People are trying to help Doc Roe and to hold Jackson down while others still stand towards the corners of the room, eyes wide as they try to take it all in and decide what to do.

Your gentle fingers card themselves through Jackson’s hair while you whisper reassurances to him. Under better circumstances, Webster could pen whole verses about your duality – how you can fearlessly take charge in combat, but also be a gentle beacon of hope for soldiers who need it in their final moments.

“Jackson, you’re gonna be alright buddy,” Webster tries to reassure the boy on the table as he convulses. “It’s gonna be okay. Just stay still – “

The lies drip from his tongue until the second that the nineteen-year-old goes still in front of everyone. The already foul mood in the room becomes even heavier. You help Roe and a few others take the body away, and then you disappear.

There is no sleep for anyone. Not on a night like this. The first rays of sunlight streak themselves across the sky soon after anyway, and then everyone is crowding themselves into a room to meet with Winters. Webster barely takes in anything that’s said, he’s so busy trying to read your guarded expression.

Everyone leaves the room in a slightly better mood than when they entered, the promise of a good day of rest ahead of them. There’s a bunk somewhere calling his name, and Webster knows that he should get some sleep, but after everything that has happened, he really just needs a minute alone to register it all. He’ll probably crash at some point later in the day.

He’s pulled out of his thoughts by a hand latching onto his elbow, bringing him to a halt. Other soldiers push their way out of the room as they head towards the beds that they claimed as their own, but you tilt your head down a hallway. Something heavy rests in your eyes. You don’t look disappointed or angry anymore. Defeated and tired, maybe, but no longer like you want to slap him for just existing.

Webster follows you down the hallway, painfully aware of the echoing of his and your footsteps as they trail off from the sounds of the others. You push open a door at the end of the hallway and nod, beckoning Webster to enter before you shut it behind you.

The bedroom is small, but at least the bed looks decent, compared to some of the bunks with paper thin mattresses with the springs poking out that he saw some of the others lounging on yesterday. But then again, after what he read about Easy experiencing in Bastogne, anything other than a whole in the ground probably feels like sleeping in a palace. He’s about to wonder aloud whose room this is when it hits him – Sergeant (Y/L/N); getting your own room is now one of the perks of your new rank.

He draws a breath to speak, but you beat him to it. Once you've closed the door, you keep your hand upon it, leaning heavily onto it and not meeting his eyes when you ask, “What are you doing here? Why did you come back?”

There’s that question again. Maybe it would hurt less if you stomped on his foot and ran off laughing. Always too expressive for his own good, he can’t keep the hurt out of his voice when he quietly replies, “The hospital let me go.”

“No, I mean – “ You turn abruptly, and the first thing that he notices are the tears brimming in your eyes. You wipe at them, but to no avail. “Christ. Why did you let them? You would have been better off staying there.”

“Did you not want me to come back?”

“Of course I wanted you to come back! Every day after they took you to the hospital, I wanted you to come back. Then your letters stopped coming and mine started getting sent back unopened because we were moving around so much, and I worried for you. But then with everything that happened in Bastogne, I told myself that at least you were safe. At least you were warm and had food and were away from the line. If it had to be one of us, I was glad to be the one living through that hell because you got to be safe.”

With every word, his heart feels heavier. “You didn’t think I could handle Bastogne?”

“That’s not what I’m saying.” Your sigh comes out as more of a strangled cry, and now the tears that you’ve been trying to hold back stream down your cheeks in angry rivulets. “Not all of us are writers, and I can’t make the words do what I want them to. I’m trying to say that I’m glad it was me, because if something had happened to you, or if I had to see you miserable, it would have broken me. I wouldn’t have been able to handle it. But knowing that you were okay gave me a reason to keep going. To keep fighting.”

“So that’s what you meant when you asked why I was here?”

“Now you’re in just as much danger as me.”

For as good as Webster might be with words, he can’t find the right ones for this. Instead, he takes a tentative step towards you. He’s only just started to open his arms when you charge towards him, barreling into his arms and wrapping yours around him as you let out a sob into his shoulder.

As close as you had been earlier in the war, as tight as your friendship was and as open as you were with each other, Webster has never actually seen you cry. Something about it is very vulnerable; it’s like you have handed him your exposed heart and he has to show you – wants to show you – that you can trust him to hang onto it.

“It’s okay, (Y/N),” he whispers, rubbing a hand up and down your back. “I’m not in danger.”

“You’re in a war zone,” you sob.

“We’re in a war zone,” he corrects gently. “We’re here together. You don’t need to worry about me, okay? Nothing is going to happen to either of us. We’ll be fine.”

“You can’t promise that.” You’re right. Making promises in a place like this is like that old saying about telling God your plans to make Him laugh. Webster isn’t trying to tempt the cruel, cold hand of fate; he’s just trying to comfort you. Still, his father always taught him that a man is only as good as his word, and Webster always carries a full arsenal of those. He will use as many of his best ones as he can to show you that his intentions are good.

“It’s not a promise – it’s a piece of hope. Do you know why we’ll be fine?”

You shake your head against his shoulder.

“Because now we have each other,” he explains. “I’ll watch your back, and you’ll watch mine. Just like we used to.”

“Some good that did. I let you get shot in the leg.”

Webster freezes. “That wasn’t your fault, (Y/N).” God, have you been blaming yourself for that the whole time? Is that why you wanted him away from the line – to guarantee that he wouldn’t be hurt on your watch? “Nothing that happened was your fault.”

“I’m sorry,” you whisper. You pull back a bit, still keeping your arms around him, but leaning away enough that you can look into each other’s eyes. “I wish we had reunited differently.”

He does too, but he doesn’t want to make you feel worse, especially when he’s starting to understand your actions. Gently, he wipes away a fresh tear that’s running down your cheek. “It’s alright. All these months, I’ve just wanted to run to you and hug you, and I got to in the end.”

You hesitate, and he feels his face heat up as he wonders if he chose the wrong words. Instead, you bring your hand up to his cheek. He sees you swallow back your tears and sees your breath hitch.

“Well I’ve wanted to do this.” You lean in slightly, then pause, like you’re asking for permission. Webster’s own heart stumbles as he realizes what’s happening, and he nods, and then closes his eyes as he leans in for your lips to settle over his.

The kiss is salty from your tears, but it’s more tender and welcoming than anything he’s experienced before. When you pull away, your eyes are cast down.

“Sorry, I – “

“Don’t apologize,” he assures you, unable to help the smile that’s pulling at the corners of his mouth. “I’ve wanted it too.”

Your smile is watery, and the sound you make is somewhere between a giddy laugh and another sob, but you lean into his shoulder again, hugging him tight. “God, David. I’m happy you’re back, truly.”

David. For so long he’s been nothing but Webster. It’s as if you’ve restored some piece of who he was in a past life. But he’s not that man anymore. When you call him David, it’s as if he’s been re-christened into something new – something better, something more than he once was.

“I’m glad I’m back, too. And that we’re together.” When you look up at him again, he caresses your cheek, and his heart feels full when you lean into his touch; he’s imagined things like this before, yes, but it’s sweeter to actually experience it. “And don’t worry about me, okay? We have each other now.”

“We have each other again,” you agree.

After all, what more can someone in a war zone ask for than to have somebody who cares about them by their side, watching their back?

#me 🤝 webster #🤝= outsider who's distractedly writing in their head at all times #band of brothers x reader #david webster x reader #david webster #david kenyon webster #band of brothers #my writing #band of brothers fanfic #band of brothers imagine #joseph liebgott #babe heffron #eugene jackson #dick winters #carwood lipton #ron speirs #eugene roe #it's finally done #after all this time

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nebulouscoffee · 1 year

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🛒✨💖❌🤗

All great questions, thank you!

🛒 What are some common things you incorporate in your fics? Themes, feels, scenes, imagery, etc.

I've noticed a lot of my fics play around with time/perception/reality, whether it's interconnecting flashbacks with the present or having nonlinear and/or unreal shenanigans going on. I think this is because I mostly write ds9 fic, and one of the main fascinations I have with that show is how almost every main character has a somewhat distorted or extraordinary perception of reality!

✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it. 😉

Aww thank you <3 uhhhh well more than one person has commented that I'm good at capturing character voices and sometimes I read my writing and think "hey they're right actually" :)

💖 What made you start writing?

The childhood urge to Make People Up and then Put Them In Situations! Fanfic specifically, it went like: pandemic -> ds9 rewatch -> unexpected obsession with the doctor lizard ship I somehow never cared about before -> getting into fanfic for the first time (I'd only occasionally read gen fics before, or b/7 lol) -> wanting to process complicated feelings I was sitting with & feeling inspired by some incredibly good fics I'd read -> voila we got 'Home'

❌ What's a trope you will never write?

Haha I've learnt to never say never, I mean if you'd asked my early 2021 self if I'd ever attempt writing romance or ship fic you'd've gotten a resounding "lmao no???" and we all know how that went

... I guess, demonising and/or killing off a character just to get OTP together? (Not a "trope" but definitely a trope y'know😂)

🤗 What advice would you give to new fanfic writers that are just getting started?

KILL 👏 THE 👏 CRINGE!! 👏 (or embrace it, whatever works :D)

Never forget you're doing this for fun! And for FREE! You don't owe anybody anything! Not so much writing advice as outlook-towards-your-writing advice, but (as long as your fics aren't like. racist or otherwise harmful lol) be proud of yourself and all your babies!

As time passes, you will inevitably come to look at your first works differently. This is where you must be vigilant against the cringe😂

Instead of "my older work is bad", think "I hadn't written much fanfic yet so I wasn't as good as I am now, and it's so cool that there's actually visible improvement"

Instead of "this fic is sooo out of character I hate it now", think "I wrote this back when I read the characters differently"

Instead of "I can't post this thing until it's perfect", think "I've gotten so used to improvement my standards are just unattainably high now, but the people reading liked what I wrote back then because something about it was good, and they'll probably like this too"

Instead of "I hate that my cringey old fics are still being read by people", think "This thing I created out of love and shared to connect with fellow fans brought them joy, and is still bringing people joy even after I've moved on, which is really cool of me actually"

Always remember your target audience is fellow obsessives with brainrot, NOT snarky people on the internet who don't care about the stories you're telling (esp if they don't even write fic! They'd never understand how hard it is to put your work out there.) Like 90% of the time when something's called "cringe", it's really just... sincere? Well, fanfic is literally a medium where people care about a show so much they voluntarily write tens of thousands of words for zero profit. It doesn't have to be good; there's published literature for that. People come to fanfic for the passion!

Don't write your blorbo with the main goal being distancing yourself from the basic girlies who like them wrong. Don't water down your favourite dynamics to cater to the people who "don't get" your ship. Fully unhinged fan content made out of love and Too Many Emotions will ALWAYS be better than painfully self-conscious works that are too afraid to be sincere imo (I don't read much smut but I'm sure this applies here too- just commit to it fully and people will find it hot! Nothing kills the vibe like being able to tell the fic writer was embarrassed they were writing this lol.)

Doesn't matter if you're writing for a rare pair that most people just go ??? at, or a popular character/pairing that's slowly starting to get hate because it's everywhere- don't be afraid to be sincere. Be fully and unapologetically insane about your obsessions and never ever get baited into being cynical about your work. Be true to yourself and have fun with your weirdo friends, and your fics will reflect that <3

#sorry I kind of went off on a ramble there and wrote a whole essay that no one asked for hahaha #but you know what!! I meant every word!! it was SINCERE #also thanks so much for the ask fancy! one of my fav things about your work is how unironically you lean into the feels :D #my fics

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elijahrichardwrites · 2 years

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Find the Word Tag!

I was tagged by both @fearofahumanplanet and @inkspellangel (you absolute dears, I appreciate you both <3) so I'll be combining their words into one past!

Jane's words were: grave, essay, cat, tidy, tax and Koumori's words were: hate, understand, bridge, against & people (and of course, for every word I don't have, I'll give a fun fact)

cw: slight mention of someone dying but that's all! fairly tame one this time around

Everything under the cut per usual <3

GRAVE

Even though Google Docs told me I had all these words (except this one actually), apparently I don't so here's my first fun fact ft the dumby thing: I use Google Docs as a backup place (although once upon a time I only wrote here) and I write using Quoll Writer which is my absolute love

ESSAY

Since I don't have this either the next fun fact is: I used to be able to pump out 40-60 pg stories without really plotting a thing. Now I'm lucky to write a couple pages flying by the seat of my pants haha

CAT

“I know, I know. I wasn’t planning on bringing him with us. I just have never seen a baby cat before.” He put the kitten on the ground and gave it a pet.

TIDY

What is up with all these words I don't have??? Anyways, next fun fact: I have never made a playlist for a single one of my WIPs, OCs, and/or ships. I genuinely don't know how to find songs that fit

TAX

MAN WHAT THE HECK. Here's the last fun fact because apparently I write using very limited word choice: Speaking of ships, I'm a hopeless romantic at heart so I write a lot of romance sub-plots and I tend to ship a lot of characters together, regardless if they end up together! But don't fret my aro/ace beloveds, I also have characters who don't end up with anyone at because they are also aro/ace or because I find that they're better off without someone (;

HATE

Allieret was unamused with his question, the wound from the memory still fresh. The man seemed to take no notice of his discomfort and continued forward, beckoning Allieret to follow him when he saw that he was not. “You don’t hate me.” He stated after they had walked for a while. He turned towards Allieret when he gave no response. Allieret stopped in his place and sigh.

UNDERSTAND

“What is so wrong with Latin? Shouldn’t all boys your age know at least some?” Caeles stopped and gave him a glare. “Not all boys my age know, clearly. But that’s beside the point, isn’t it? What’s the point in learning Latin? That’s the part I don’t understand.” He closed his mouth before eventually murmuring out, “It’s not like you need to know it in order to do magic.”

BRIDGE

If he had to describe it accurately, it was something along the lines of ancient and modern architecture. It had the roughness of age and with its high stone walls lining along a river bank and a large stone bridge passing over, it seemed like something out of a fairytale. But the smooth and shiny look of everything and the stone platforms that stepped down towards the river held the sleek modernness of cities he had only been to a handful of times.

AGAINST

The crunching of leather shoes against broken asphalt returned Crash to the reality before him. He was dying and now standing before him, water dripping from the brim of their hat as they stared down at his face, was none other than the one who had killed him time and time again.

PEOPLE

Daye tried hurrying back towards his apartment but with people beginning to clog the walkways from the lunch rush, Daye was finding it difficult to quickly move past all of them.

I'm leaving this an open tag!

Your words are: sky, card(s), home, through, and just

#tag game #find the word tag

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belletristicarts · 9 months

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Ghostwriting the Wrong Way (?)

I began ghostwriting romance novels in the early days of the pandemic, when I was stuck at home and waiting for my own YA novel to make it through the traditional publishing submission process (still waiting, three revisions later!). It's been fun, but with no professional contacts I started my ghost journey on Upwork, where the pay is peanuts. It may be better for blog writers, copywriters, nonfiction writers, and memoir writers, but ghost writing for fiction pays very poorly. Luckily, I write well, and fast, and enjoy what I do. I love telling a good story. But when I'm struggling to get $0.02/word, it can be a bear. Still, it keeps our self-publishing/author services business afloat. So anyway, I just finished a contract and the client loved the novel I wrote for her, but when I started looking through the listings for another gig, it became obvious what was going on. All of these "authors" on Upwork are posting jobs for ghostwriters with the exact same specs, even at nearly the same price. I believe they're taking a course in how to launch a publishing business, throw ghostwritten novels up on Amazon under their own names, and make a fortune. I don't resent them for that: everyone is trying to make it somehow. Fine. But it occurred to me that with the experience I have at writing and editing romance novels, I can do this for myself and not for two cents a word. I wrote out character sketches and a plot outline this morning, sat down and wrote the first 4000 words, and I'm on my way to a finished MS by the end of the week. The formula that they're using is this: ~ Plot a series of three novels ~ First novel: 10,000 words ~ Second novel: 30,000 words ~ Third Novel: 30-50,000 words ~ Each novel follows the format: Chp. 1: Her POV/Chp. 2: His POV/Chp. 3: Her POV/etc. with each chapter written in alternating first person from the point of view of either the hero or heroine of the novel ~ Pay a total of $1200-$1600 for the series ~ Pay a cover illustrator a few hundred dollars to design the covers for the series ~ MAYBE get an editor/proofreader to read through (although I believe most of these people are doing that themselves) ~ Hire a formatter for $49 to set up the book ~ Post it for sale on Amazon

And repeat. I won't post the name of this particular training, but here's a screenshot of their pricing:

Pretty overpriced, if you ask me. But this is just one of MANY people offering similar courses.None of the ghostwriters are making a decent living for doing this very exacting writing/development/editing work. Maybe it buys groceries. But at two cents a word/15,000 words per week/$300 pay minus the Upwork cut, the pay is pathetic. I am going out on my own, and see if I can sell my intellectual property for myself, while waiting for my trad pub career to start. Writing is tough, I won't lie. But maybe someday it will be my name on the books I write and not someone who paid me two cents a word.

#ghostwriting #workforhire #writinggigs #romancenovelwriting #nondisclosureagreement

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thebirdandhersong · 3 years

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HE’S HER TRUE NORTH Y’ALL

#i am surfacing from a pile of coursework to tell you that Oh Boy mal and alina really are All That #i do SO love it when writers use the word 'home' when they're writing romance #loved it in rogue one and love it in shadow and bone now #not gonna lie i had a pretty different mal and alina in my head when i was reading the books #but my oh my jessie mei li and archie renaux as alina and mal have my whole heart #also???? jessie is so incredibly beautiful #and i've caught my first glimpse of genya and am now grinning like a clown i love her #grishaverse

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m-jelly · 2 years

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Hi Jelly! First of all, I want to tell you that you're an amazing writer.

Today something really bad happened to me, I was betrayed by my own family because they didn't told me something really important that is affecting our lives permanently (in a bad way). They don't trust me and I feel really hurt at this moment that I feel I don't trust them anymore. I was already very stressed because of school, and now I feel truly drained, I even tried to start writing yesterday, but now I really can't.

I'm not the type to ask for request, but I really need comfort and I would like to request a fic of Levi comforting reader in a similar difficult situation, just pure fluff and he being supportive.

I know you have a lot of request at this moment, so please take your time with this. I'm very sorry I came to you with such a long and pity ask, but it's just that I feel very alone in this world, and it would be nice to have Levi's comfort, even if is only through a story. And also sorry for my bad English.

Sending you all the love and good vibes I can at this moment, and thank you very much in advance.

🤍

So, I saw this and I see it as an emergency ask and I need to acknowledge this. First off, this isn't a pity ask at all. You needed comfort and you reached out. I'm always here for those who need a shoulder to cry on and have support. Second, your English is wonderful. Third, I'm so sorry about your family. Sometimes they don't tell us the truth because they want to protect us. Parents withhold things from their kids because they believed they're doing the right thing and protecting their children. A lot of parents don't realise that their kids grow up and they can handle adult issues. They will always see us as their precious children. You should talk to them about this situation, find out why and if they don't want to share why, then leave it with them and focus on you and what you love and your work. You've got this. <3 Levi will put it in a better way below.

You are loved.

Pairing: Levi x Reader

Genre and tags: romance, love, couple, comfort, emotional comfort, supportive Levi, cuteness, Modern AU

Concept: After you discover your parents hid something from you about something big happening in the family for the worse, you feel a little betrayed that you weren't kept informed and found out by accident. Overwhelmed by your family and your university studies, your boyfriend provides you with words of wisdom, comfort and love.

Levi looked over from the sofa at you walking in through the front door. "Welcome home, sweetheart." He frowned when you threw your bag, and your phone. "Well, someone's in a bratty mood."

You walked forwards, then started welling up. "Levi."

He launched off the sofa and ran to you. "Who hurt you!? Who the hurt dared to hurt my sweet and precious brat?"

You clung to Levi. "I want to crawl into a hole and sleep for many years."

Levi hummed at your words. "Well, I wouldn't like that. If you're in a hole the whole time sleeping, then I won't be able to talk to you, cuddle you or kiss you. I'd be very sad."

You huffed and knew he was right. "You're right. It's just, I'm having such bad luck."

"What's been going on?"

You pulled back and opened your heart to him. You told him about your family, how something bad is happening to them and it was going to change things for good in a bad way. You started struggling to breathe as you cried. You told him about how stressed you were with your university work and you were just so tired.

Levi let out a long sigh. "Okay, let's tackle this one at a time, okay?"

You nodded as your rubbed your tears. "Okay."

He guided you to the sofa. "First, you need tea and a blanket." He sat you down, then draped a blanket around you. He made you a cup of tea to soothe you. He sat sideways on the sofa and gazed at you. "Okay. Let's go through this. University first, alright?"

You sniffed. "Okay."

He wiped a tear away. "Split up your workload. We'll work together and set a goal for each day. It'll be small things, then we'll slowly build up when you feel more confident and happy. Eventually, you'll be back to powering out work like a beast." He played with your hair. "Just remember sweetheart, it's okay to feel this way, it's okay to get tired, it's okay to get upset and it's okay to want to take a break."

You smiled at him. "That's...I like that."

"And guess what? Every hour you work hard or take a break for your mental health, you get a reward from me to give you a boost and to keep you going."

You stared at Levi. "What kind of reward?"

He leaned closer and kissed you. "A kiss." He smiled. "A smile and." He whispered in your ear. "I love you and I'm so proud of you."

You blushed. "I feel motivated."

"Great." He let out a long sigh. "Now for the tough part, your family."

You shuffled closer to him. "Yeah."

He held you against him. "It's a difficult one. Being an adult is hard and being a parent is even harder. When we start a family, we'll face difficult choices and we won't always get it right. Parents pick options that they think is the best. They have the best intentions at heart and want to protect their children at all costs. We as kids might not fully understand their choices, but it's theirs to make."

"I just wished they trusted me."

He kissed the top of your head. "They do. Them not telling you doesn't mean they don't, they simply didn't tell anything to you because it wasn't your choice to make and it wasn't your burden to take on. They know you have a lot going on with university and you have your own life, your own little family with me. I know it's hard to understand sometimes, but they really thought they were doing the best and acted with you at heart and with love." He hummed. "How can I put this. Well, my mother never told me she was sick and instead of using the money for medicine to save her, she used it to feed me and keep me alive. When I first found out, I was angry and felt betrayed, but as an adult now wanting kids, I understand." He sighed. "Even though it's a horrible choice and doomed her and left me without a mother, it was the better choice in her heart and mind because I would have died if she chose the other option."

You frowned a little in thought. "You're making a lot of sense."

"Don't take it as an offence, okay? Unless your family actually says we didn't tell you because we don't trust you, then fuck 'em. If they don't say that, then don't assume it's true." He kissed your forehead. "I know humans naturally assume the worst, but it might not be in this situation, okay?"

You nodded and sighed. "Yeah."

He took your cup from you and put it on the table, then he pulled you into his arms and to sit between his legs. "Leave this problem with your parents for now. If and when they need you, they'll come to you. Just let them know you're here for them whenever they need you. I'm sure they'd appreciate it if you told them that. It might not be right away, or in a few days, but they will come to you and seek that comfort and olive branch."

You smiled and kissed his cheek. "You're so smart."

"I'm just old and wise."

You giggled and hugged him. "You're not old."

He hummed and rubbed his hand up and down your back. "Thanks. Anyway, remember that you are loved, okay? You are loved. You are valued. You are appreciated. You are cared about. You are adored. You are valued. Most importantly, I am fucking proud of you." He cupped your face and kissed you. "So proud. I love you so much sweetheart, I really do. You've got this. You're incredible and I'm honoured to call you mine."

You wrapped your arms around Levi's neck. "I love you, Levi. I really do love you."

He rubbed your back. "I love you always."

#levi ackerman #levi #fanfic #levi fanfiction #aot fanfiction #snk levi #levi x y/n #levi x you #aot x you #aot levi #levi x reader #levi ackerman x reader #levi ackerman x you #levi ackerman fluff #aot fluff

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interact-if · 3 years

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Day 5 of A/PI Heritage Month featured authors interview! The lovely Parker, everyone!

Parkerlyn, author of The Nameless

A/PI Heritage Month Featured Author

Legend goes when the world was formed, the mortal races, mortalis, were created with the gift of magic. But as time passed their hubris grew, and the sheevra were created to curb their pride.

When it comes to these chaotic and malevolent beings, the lands are full of cautionary tales. Though some would tell you that the stories are just that. To them, names have no power. There are no mysterious deals to fear, and the figure who seduces you into an alley at midnight is certainly no malicious spirit.

Which luckily for you means easy prey.

Author's Ko-fi | Discord

(INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT UNDER THE INTERVIEW!)

Q1: First of all, introduce us to your project! What is it about?

The Nameless is a mishmash of fey stories and a... teetering on apocalyptic setting? The world itself is almost completely covered by desert save for four regions and cities that have maintained life around them. The origins of that desert, the Arids, are said to have been from wars thousands of years ago where there was too much magic siphoned from the world, and the cost was desolation.

The reader enters the story as a sheevra (the fey-based race) who's been taught that all this was the mortal race’s doing in their desire for power. And that the sheevra were created to take that energy back from them via deals and names to slowly restore the world's more verdant state.

If you asked the mortalis though, they'd sing a different tune. To them, the sheevra are the remnants of the entity mainly responsible for the state of the Arids, and they're the reason why the world is stuck like it is.

Where does the truth actually fall? Well…

The game itself kicks off when one of the four sheevra clans in the world goes missing, and you're sent to investigate what happened. Though whether or not you really want to find out remains to be seen.

Q2: If it’s not too spoilery, what are you most excited about your project?

I'm definitely buzzing over some of the reveals behind the Arids and other features of the world, and how things are tied together. The puzzle will start getting filled in towards the end of Book 1 and will culminate in the final major choice of the entire story, and I'm really excited to see how people handle it.

I'm also looking forward to exploring more of the backstories of the romances and various characters, and also for more descriptions of magic-tech and how that's integrated into each of the cities (had a BLAST with this in upcoming content). Just in general, excited to continue bringing the world to life!

Q3: What inspired the current project you’re working on?

The Nameless was initially sparked by a D&D NPC, Oisein's predecessor who was far more bitter and not quite the sarcastic chaos gremlin they are today.

Specifically from Kobold Press' Courts of the Shadow Fey, this NPC was supposed to be just a one sentence rumor. But (of course) my players decided to pursue that route more in depth. Said character that I made up on the spot then ended up being a regular that I eventually made into a PC for another campaign. And...things sort of spiraled and transformed from there as I created their backstory and fell in love with the characters who would then become the four romances of the game.

There's also a theme I've been wanting to write about for a long time which might lend itself to spoilers, that I was finally able to find a home for in the world of The Nameless. So it's a dash of old and new ideas!

Q4: Do you pull from your own identity for inspiration? How has that been reflected in your work?

There's some indulgent, more obvious ones like the city of Han, which is directly named after the Han River in Korea and is, well, the City of Rivers. There's also small references to Korean folklore within the sheevra that will probably continue to show up, and you better believe Korean inspired food and clothing will make an appearance haha.

But below the surface level, I think a lot of the mannerisms and backstories of the characters may unconsciously be affected by my identity. Until someone asked me about modern ethnicities for the love interests, I didn't realize how much I had tied my mixed culture into these characters. But I'm happy to have that little piece intertwined in their personalities, their values, and their attitudes, as a small nod to my own Korean-American background.

This will probably become more evident in the settings too. There's a lot of mixed inspirations and sources in the architecture, environment, and culture of each city that I'm looking forward to expanding on.

So yeah, it's kind of funny to see that manifest in my writing, but hopefully it helps to build up an interesting and unique environment for readers to immerse themselves in!

Q5: What’s been your experience so far? With writing, with the if community...

For writing in general, this is by far the largest project I've ever taken on, and there was and is a learning curve when adjusting for interactive fiction. But I've enjoyed the freedom and variation I've been able to build into this story with this medium, and think it continues to take shape in ways I never initially planned but love to see!

For the IF community, it's definitely been positive! I kind of just chucked this story out there not expecting much from it and figured it would be hard for anyone else to get into. Honestly I thought that maybe just a few people would see it, but that it would mostly be self indulgent.

But the support from other writers and readers and the questions I've received has just been amazing, and I’m glad I dived deeper into the IF community. Especially when the self-doubt inevitably creeps in and you have those moments of "oof this is terrible". The positive words and encouragement mean so much, and I don't think I'll ever be able to express how much it helps. I'm also really happy to have found an overall inclusive community, and hope I can extend that space into this game!

Also the stories and games out there? Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectac-

Q6: Do you have any future projects in the works?

None at the moment, my focus is mainly on writing The Nameless and continuing to develop features for the Twine version!

Q7: Finally, what piece of advice would you give to fellow authors?

Don't let yourself get down by comparisons. It's easy to slip into, and I'm definitely guilty of it too! But no one's going to tell your story like you can and the way you want it, so it's up to you to share that with the world!

#if: events #Happy Asian and Pacific Islander month!!#Asian/pacific islander month 2021 #a/pi month #a/pi month 2021 #aapiheritagemonth #aapi month #interactive fiction #authors of color

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doggernaut · 2 years

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Fic of 2021

I’ve seen a few other fic writers do roundups for 2021, so I figured why not. It’s always nice to take stock at the end of the year to see what I’ve accomplished.

According to ao3, I posted 77,747 words of fic this year, which is much lower than in previous years but actually higher than expected considering I have been working on my 45K (possibly longer, when I finish editing) Check, Please Big Bang fic since June. That fic is finished and I will begin posting it tomorrow! Until then, here’s a look back.

Happily Ever After, After All

Summary: Jack Zimmermann and Eric Bittle have been happily married for years. Or so their kids think. Now that their secret's out, a wedding is in order.

Soon

It’s been four weeks since Bitty moved back into the Haus for his senior year. Usually he’s adjusted to life back on campus by now. But as much as the Haus will always be home, it doesn’t quite feel like home. Not the way it used to.

You See, it Feels Like I’m Starting to Care

Jack's always been most at home on the ice. But sometimes he does his best thinking while he's running.

The Placebo Effect

Everybody in Eric Bittle’s family has a soulmate. He’s heard stories about those unlucky people whose marks never come in, and he’s even heard a few stories about people who never connected with their soulmate despite being marked, but the Bittles and Phelpses have never suffered that fate. Until he came along. Eric Bittle doesn't have a soulmark, but that hasn't stopped him from longing for his soulmate.

Jack Zimmermann has never thought too much about soulmates, even when it was still a possibility for him. He’s not like Bitty, still holding out hope a mark will materialize, proving there’s someone out there just for him. He’s twenty-four. It’s not going to happen.

When Jack signs with the Falconers, pretending to be soulmates seems like an easy solution for both of them. After all, neither of them really wants to be alone.

Or, the one where two friends pretend to be soulmates until they realize they're no longer pretending.

take me out, and take me home (forever and ever)

Sometimes they’re both up. Sometimes they’re both down. And sometimes one has to carry the other for a little while. Right now Jack is down and it’s Bitty’s turn to carry the load.

And lord, Bitty is tired after this year that they’ve had. But when Jack made those promises he was in the middle of a playoff run, still so convinced he had something to prove, and he picked Bitty up like it was nothing.

That’s what love is.

It’s been a hell of a year. Bitty's just trying to hold it all together. But aging parents, Jack's impending retirement, and Bitty's own busy career sure are making that difficult. Then things really fall apart. And come together again.

Everybody wants the new model, but I’m a little bit more traveled

"Father’s Day begins the same way every day begins: at five in the morning, with a very small five-year-old climbing into their bed and making herself comfortable in between Jack and Bitty."

never knew the best was yet to come

It seems unfair that Ellie will have no memory of these moments, tender and tense in equal measure, when they’re the ones Bitty is certain he’ll never forget.

Not Quite a High School Romance

Bitty's pretty sure nobody had a crush on him back in high school. And if somebody did, it certainly wouldn't have been the popular baseball player he was only sort of friends with. Until a chance encounter on a visit home sheds a light on some things.

What Started in Beautiful Rooms

Eric just wants to do his job, but Jack Zimmermann keeps walking into his kitchen. They can’t keep meeting like this.

Patterns, trends, etc. in my fic in 2021?

Looking at this list, it’s evident that a lot of the fic I posted last year takes place post-canon, when Bitty and Jack are in an established relationship. (And maybe even can be considered part of the same universe, as their kids in these fics are the same.) I love writing getting together fic, but I really enjoyed exploring what their lives might look like 5, 10, 25 years down the line.

Many of the fics I posted last year are on the shorter side, and were written as prompt fills or expanded on headcanons. Again, this is because I was saving most of my longer fic energy for my Big Bang fic.

The Placebo Effect and take me out, and take me home (forever and ever) were both WIPs that I finally picked back up and finished in 2021. Despite the several false starts and long gestation periods, I’m really happy with the way they turned out. An idea I often come back to in my fic is that relationships (especially long term relationships) don’t just happen and they aren’t always easy; they take work to maintain. That idea is especially prevalent in both of these fics.

You See, it Feels Like I’m Starting to Care and never knew the best was yet to come (and the raising teenager parts of Happily Ever After, After All) were heavily influenced by personal experience.

#omgcp #2021 fic roundup

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dumblydork · 3 years

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Summer

Hello! I am SO sorry for having gone MIA all of a sudden on Tumblr and Ao3, but life caught up once exams ended and I was in a deep, dark place for sometime. But not to worry, because I'm definitely better now, and finally got over my writer's block/unmotivation (if that's a word) and what better way to start off writing again if not with a Hinny fic?

As usual, I hope you enjoy this sort of non-magic alternate universe, maybe a modern meet-cute of sorts? From the one and only Ginny Weasley's perspective, of course.

Again, you can find my Ao3 right here where I post quite fluffy Wolfstar one shots!

----

The summer was harsh in Cornwall, which was where Ginny's family home was situated. She went up to university in London, just having recently finished her second year in Drama. Last summer, she was on a long trip with her best friend Luna, and hadn't been able to make it down to be with her family. But this year, she fully intended to spend as much time as possible with them, even if her older twin brothers were being annoying arses.

"Fred, George, just wipe the bloody tables already!" She screamed, exasperated, even though the twins were not even 20 feet away. The only unique cafe-by-day/restaurant-by-night was owned by Ginny's family. It was a quaint place, serving the best coffee to tourists and locals alike, along with not such a sharply contrasted cosy restaurant theme the place adopted when the sun went down.

And currently, the cafe was a few hours away from opening as a restaurant, and was left in the care of Ginny and her older twin brothers. She had another older brother after the twins, but he was off with his university friends (being an year older) and had even MORE older brothers ranked above the twins. Her oldest brother Bill, worked as a vet in New York, also where the second brother Charlie worked as an art curator. The third brother Percy was currently obtaining his PhD in some sort of Math which Ginny was too 'humanities' to understand (in Percy's own words, that subject bigot). The brothers after Percy, twins Fred and George were as stated, being annoying prats but worked in some sort of prank shop, much to their mother and Percy's chagrin (Between us and her, Ginny never understood why Percy felt a need to voice this opinion, because if Ginny also opened her mouth to provide an opinion on every single thing under the sun, working in a prank shop was perfectly acceptable).

Finally the last brother Ron went to university in Devon, having recently finished his degree in Astronomy combined with Philosophy, and that was it. Growing up with 6 older brothers, Ginny was significantly hot tempered, a trait often made fun of because of her (and her whole family's) flaming red hair.

"Oh for God's sake the two of you, just shut up if you don't want to do any work!" She finally snapped, causing two identical pairs of brownish eyes to look at her.

"Okay!" They smirked, before actually rushing away to the back of the cafe. Ginny sighed, wondering for the tenth time that afternoon why she bothered to come down here in summer. The twins, despite being her favourite, were useless gits-

"Ginny! Where are Fred and George?" Her mother's voice flew out from the front of the store, removing Ginny from her trail of thoughts, where Molly stood with hands laden with grocery bags. Her father, Arthur, she saw outside from the huge floor to ceiling windows, was unloading the boot of their car of more paper bags.

"They ran away after being absolutely useless gits." She muttered angrily, almost aggressively wiping a glass and placing it on the shelves behind her.

Her mother let out a long suffering sigh, but nevertheless joined Ginny in tidying up the cafe. "They're quite irresponsible." Molly sighed, wiping down tables at a superhuman speed.

"Mum if it's okay, can I join Ron and his friends at the party happening down at the beach?" Ginny asked apprehensively. The question had been burning at the back of her mind since the morning when Ron actually invited her to the beach party being thrown by one of the local boys. He had brought his uni friends and girlfriend down from Devon, and Ginny had already met Hermione, Ron's soulmate, if their behaviour was anything to go by.

Being in an all girls school, Ginny practically grew up with her girlfriends gushing about boys and celebrities, often almost swooning like some Victorian women when boys from the neighbouring school passed by their grounds.

However, Ginny was smart- if having six brothers had taught her anything, it was that boys were annoying, and only a few handful of them were actually decent. But now, looking at how close Ron and Hermione were, Ginny was starting to long for her own sort of romance. It had been over a year since she broke up with her first and only boyfriend Dean. She was convinced the breakup had solidified her stance on relationships, which was that relationships were okay but there was no need to actively look for one. Ron and Hermione's lovey dovey-ness was revolting, but uncharacteristically had Ginny pining away for her love story as well. Not that she'd ever admit it, of course.

"Well there's nothing really to do, and if it's busy there's a lot of pairs of hands to help. So sure, go on." Molly finally said and Ginny could almost fist pump, if it wasn't for the wet rag she was holding.

The evening rolled around quicker than Ginny anticipated, and before she knew it, her and Hermione stood in Ginny's small attic bedroom, getting ready for the party. "So, tell me, how was Dean?" Hermione asked, looking behind at Ginny through the mirror, where the younger girl stood blinking away extra mascara.

"Oh well, he was alright. Nothing like fireworks or sparkle." Ginny flushed slightly as she processed her own words. Oh, how she sounded like a lovestruck 12 year old.

However, Hermione didn't seem to mind. She simply grinned. "I'm sure with the right person it's more than just sparkles and fireworks." Hermione winked, and Ginny wondered if there was more to the statement than she understood. However, Hermione was already done with the topic, now going on about her course and what plans Ginny had for after university.

They walked downstairs, finding Ron standing at the door, his eyes glued to Hermione as she walked down the stairs. To be fair, Hermione definitely looked stunning- even if it was for a casual beach party. Ginny noted slightly bitterly to herself how the simplest pair of jeans and top could make one gorgeous to the right eyes. She breathed deeply as Ron wrapped an arm around his girlfriend, the girlfriend in question smirking back at Ginny as she followed them. Okay, very confusing.

The walk to the beach from the cafe was short, and there was already a bonfire going in the distance, with some upbeat song playing from someone's phone. "So, where is Harry and everyone else?" Hermione asked, looking around. Ron still had a hand in Hermione's as the two of them looked around for who had to be Ron's friends. "Neville!" Ron suddenly yelled good naturedly, as a tall guy walked towards the three of them with a big grin on his face.

"Ron! Hermione!" Neville hugged each of them in turn, smiling broadly at Ginny.

"Neville, this is my younger sister Ginny. Ginny, that's one of our friends from uni, Neville." Ron introduced. Ginny waved, which was returned by Neville.

"Is your girlfriend here as well?" Hermione asked, to which Ron added, "Oh, do we finally get to meet the elusive To-Be-Mrs. Longbottom?"

Perhaps having noticed Ginny's confusion, Neville clarified. "These two here haven't had the chance to meet my girlfriend- well, fiance as of a week, yet. In answer to your question Ron, no, she unfortunately couldn't make it. But she's been inviting the two of you over for dinner since ages." He turned to Ron.

"Actually yeah, we should definitely go. Anybody seen Harry?" Ron asked, looking around the small crowd of people. Ginny moved away from the couple to sit next to the fire, and grab a cold beer in the process.

She had just made herself comfortable slightly away from the warm fire when a figure sat down next to her, causing shivers to go up her left side. "Hi, you must be Ginny." The figure spoke and Ginny looked to the source of the voice, to be met by the unruliest mop of black hair she had ever seen on a human, and twinkling green eyes. In the soft light from the fire, they glowed slightly amber.

"I am. But I don't think I've met you?"

Ginny didn't get an answer because Ron's voice interrupted them. "Harry, you came!" He shouted, the figure (Harry) getting up to tackle Ron in a hug.

"Of course I did, getting sloshed at your best mate's beach party is always infinitely better than home." Harry grinned, and Ginny started to feel her heart race.

"I see you've met Ginny." Ron said, sitting down in between her and Harry.

"I just did, yeah." Harry smiled mischievously. They had moved closer to the fire, and in the brighter light, Harry's face was more distinct. And boy was he fit. The hair, even though messy, was not unattractive (quite the opposite), and his face was slightly round, made rounder by the permanent grin which seemed to reside there. And his eyes were covered by round glasses, reflecting off the orange from the fire.

"Well anyway, Gin, this is Harry, my best mate from university. He just made it down here to Cornwall." Ron said, and suddenly got up to fetch more drinks, but Ginny didn't miss the glares Hermione was shooting Ron from across the fire.

"Do you reckon we go a bit further away?" Ginny, being so busy interpreting the look Hermione was giving Ron, hadn't noticed the boy had shifted closer to her.

"Uh, sure." She found herself slightly tongue tied, staring into green amber.

"Brilliant, Let's go?" Harry got up, and lent Ginny a hand. She took it, and a slight warmth, probably not from the fire, ran down her spine when their hands remained connected.

They walked away from the party, not too far that a search team would be required, but just far enough to hold a conversation in peace. The music slightly played in the background, a slower guitar theme, and Ginny turned around to see Ron and Hermione swaying around the fire, the brightest smile settled on both their faces. Ginny simply let out a happy sigh, attention darting down to entwined hands.

"So, Ron tells me you're in drama?" He asked, as they sat down near the water with their legs bent, just that the waves touched their toes and washed back.

"Yes, I am, final year now. Although I haven't heard a lot about you?" Ginny teased. Harry simply chuckled, a sound she realised she found much more attractive than she should have.

"Well it's a shame since I am his best mate but, Harry Potter, third year medic, at your service." He lightly bowed his head, eliciting a giggle out of the girl.

"Medicine huh, that definitely sounds hectic." She commented, as her fingers drew an absent minded pattern in the sand separating their sitting figures.

"I also captain the football team." He replied, eyes shining with humor. Ginny looked up, wondering if it was a coincidence that the man she found extremely fit also checked off all her criterion of 'boyfriend'.

"Oh- well I don't know how you found the time to be here, what with studying and football." Ginny smiled. Harry looked back at her, eyes boring into her brown ones. "Only because I was told someone stunning was going to be here." He said in a lower voice. Ginny flushed under the stare.

"I'm sure having those feelings for your best mate's girlfriend is not a good idea." She teased, feeling some confidence seeping into her. Harry scooted closer, placing a hand on Ginny's.

"And what if I said they weren't for the girlfriend, but for the sister?" His eyes darted down to her lips, her own pulse quickening. Then continuing with her sudden confidence, she unconsciously leaned in, her lips just millimeters away from Harry's. "The sister would definitely like that because she thinks you're extremely fit too." Ginny whispered, her lips just brushing against Harry's before he closed the distance completely.

The two of them sat there, away from the party, lips moving in slow sync as if they were doing the communicating. Getting to know each other in silent movements, a dance of attraction and dominance. Thee music faded in the background, as behind her closed eyes Ginny saw stars, and faintly made out the sound of fireworks exploding behind them. Not that she'd admit it to anyone, of course.

But in that moment, it was just her, Harry and the cool water playing with their feet. And when they finally pulled apart, Ginny secretly swore that she saw her reflection in green pools glow and sparkle.

Not that she'd ever admit it, obviously.

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TAGLIST: @amy-herondale-chase // @purplepygmypuffskein // @ginnypxtter // @alwaysmagica1 // @norakelly // @her-blazing-look //

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Okay, I hope you guys enjoyed that! I wrote that when I was half asleep, so I'm not even sure if most of it makes sense haha.

As usual, if you want to join the taglist and be notified whenever I write a new Hinny story (which will be much more frequently now), please interact with the pinned TAGLIST post on my account!

Thank you for reading, and please interact with the post! Reblogs are always appreciated but likes and comments are just as amazing! Loads of virtual hugs xxx

#hinny #alternate universe #harry potter #headcanon #harry x ginny #ginny weasley #romance #au #fiction #beach #summer #party #okay out of tags #writing #ao3 writer #taglist

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