#kat's ficlet fridays

[txemrn]

Book: The Nanny Affair

Pairing: Sam Dalton x MC (Brynn Schuyler-Dalton)

Word Count: 657 (+/-)

Warning: language; angst; Dirty Dalton

A/N: I was super excited this past weekend to issue an impromptu angst prompt challenge to several of my TNA-fan friends, and boy, did it get fun and deliciously intense (the submissions are on WattPad; if you would like to read through the ficlets, let me know!)! I thought I would share my prompt and submission with my tumblr family! Special thanks to the lovely @kat-tia801 for pre-reading! My prompt that was chosen at random: "You... you never had a problem with it before."

***

The sweet smell of lemon and basil greet him at the elevator doors. As he stumbles into the foyer of his pristine penthouse home, he catches a glimpse of his disheveled appearance in the reflection of a large framed family picture hanging on the entryway wall. Sam quickly finger-combs his waves into submission as he slips off his crooked tie.

He freezes when he hears the sudden roar of laughter coming from his dining room. He shakes his watch around his wrist. He texted Brynn that he wouldn't be home for dinner hours ago. It's now close to 9:30, and-- another exuberant resound of chuckles and squeals echo from the other room, including two little voices that should be in bed.

Sam abandons his briefcase with his trenchcoat on the marble breakfast nook before he bounds to the dinner table.

"There he is!" announces Robin, lifting a glass of pinot.

"Hey, baby!" Brynn delightfully greets, "did you--?" Her words muffle as Sam zeroes in on the arm resting casually on the back of his wife's chair, an arm connected to his newly hired laboratory supervisor, Dr. Casey Stevenson. Even though Sam had the ultimate say in his employment, Brynn would be Casey's boss. Also a UMass alum, she was impressed with his research and credentials; Sam jealously noticed his physique and charm.

Sam is brought back to reality with his eleven-year-old twins tackling him with hugs. "Go get ready for bed," he callously demands, pulling the boys off of him.

"But, Dad--"

"Go. Now." Sam's voice becomes louder, gruffer, causing the room to fall silent.

"Oh, c'mon, Sammy, it's Friday night--" chimes in Robin, chuckling into another sip of his wine.

"Baby, is everything okay--?" Brynn gently stands, reaching for his neck.

"Robin, I think it's time for you to leave," interrupts Sam, dodging his wife. He points an accusatory finger at Casey. "Take him with you."

"Samuel," Brynn warns, frowning in shock.

"Dude, Sam," Robin stands up, clapping Sam on his shoulder. "Loosen up. Let me get you some wine. Casey has this hilarious story about--"

"Get the fuck out of my house," Sam snarls, "now."

Casey gingerly wipes his mouth with a cloth napkin, nodding at Robin. "Thank you for the lovely hospitality, Brynn." He stands, exiting the stifling room with Robin by his side. "See you Monday, Mr. Dalton." Sam's jaw twitches as he fixes his eyes onto his wife, listening for the elevator to close.

Brynn begins to collect the dessert plates, carefully not looking at Sam. As she turns to exit to the kitchen, he puts his arm out, stopping her. "You're not to host men over here for dinner unless I'm here."

Brynn smirks, furrowing her brows as she pushes past Sam. "You," she scoffs, "you never had a problem with it before--"

"Well, now I do," Sam barks. Brynn glares at Sam before rolling her eyes. "I'm serious, Brynn. Don't pretend for one moment I don't know what's going on--"

Brynn drops the silverware into the sink, turning her attention to her husband. "What the fuck has gotten into you? You really think I'd throw this--" she steps closer, motioning her hand back and forth between their bodies, "--us, our love, our marriage away? For that?" She chuckles, the idea being completely preposterous to her.

Sam begins to anxiously chew on his bottom lip, beads of sweat gathering on his brow as he breaks his gaze away from his wife's stormy blue eyes. "Hey," her voice becomes smoother as she slips her arms around his neck. "Look at me." She lovingly pecks his lips, but she can sense the tension. "Sam, I love--"

And that's when it hits her. Brynn's eyes grow wide as the subtle feminine smell of Chanel No. 5 wafts from his clothes, from his hair and even his skin. Her body grows limp as she realizes her husband isn't accusing her of anything.

He's confessing.

***

TNA Tag List (please let me know if you need to be added/removed): @ao719 @charlotteg234 @chemist-ana @choiceskatie @forallthatitsworth @kat-tia801 @khoicesbyk @lovelyladyk88 @lucy-268 @neotericthemis @phoenixrising308 @sfb123 @shannonsaid @shannonwrote @shewillreadyou @somersetmummy @taniasethi @thefrenchiemama

#the nanny affair #m!sam dalton #m!sam dalton x mc #sam dalton x mc #robin flores #m! robin flores #choices fanfiction #choices fandom #choices tna #choices the nanny affair

[chemist-ana]

Day 63 of #101Smiles is a spa day before Sam and Ana have a gala tomorrow. Also Robin visits Monica and I am going to try and have a little ficlet about that tomorrow. Happy Friday and I am so beyond happy it’s finally Friday. Have a blessed weekend and I hope you get to celebrate with the ones you love the most! 🇺🇸

Edit Tag list: @genevievemd @txemrn @thefrenchiemama @mainstreetreader @somersetmummy @lady-calypso @lucy-268 @shewillreadyou @itsjustwinter @jennieausten @melalicious8383 @kat-tia801 @pixie88 @sfb123 @gardeningourmet @forallthatitsworth @shannonwrote @jerzwriter @nestledonthaveone @obsessedwithdool

#the nanny affair #101smiles

[arizonapoppy]

20 First Lines (Tag Game)

I was tagged by @roninreverie . Hello, friend!

RR's list is here.

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories.  See if there are any patterns. Then tag more of your mutual authors!

These are the last 20 stories that I've posted on Ao3, however I've been clearing out my story fragments lately, so some of them were written several years ago.

1. The Wild of the Helcaraxë

"Snow and rime crunched under their feet as the Noldor trudged onward."

2. Thorongil's Letter

"Chief Archivist’s Note: this letter was found in the personal papers of Finduilas of Dol Amroth, wife of Denethor II. Collection number 0478, box 3."

3. An Honest Ghost

"A gentle knock on the door startled Faramir out of his reverie."

4. Notation and Improvisation

"Despite the slight fall chill in the air, the sun baked through the high windows into the seminar room."

5. Double Helping

“Honey, I’m home!”

6. First Snowfall

"Despite your better judgement, you had started watching a new Neftlix series on a lazy Friday night."

7. A Present for Master Billaba

“The key to being a consul,” Master Billaba intoned, “is negotiation.”

8. Relicts

"The comm on Luke’s wrist hissed with static."

9. The Storyteller of Esfandia

“Keep your ear to the ground, and you may hear profit coming your way.”

10. Game Night

"Dinner was over."

11. Fall into Thryce

"Mornings on Rentor were beginning to have a bit of a chill in them, and the sun definitely went down earlier."

12. Repairs

'“I’m done back there,” Hera announced as she walked through the Ghost’s cockpit door.'

13. Chevalier

“Cousin! It’s been ages since I’ve seen you!”

14. Waffle's Tooka

"Waffle’s Tooka was a tiny gray scrap of fur with an injured ear when he found her as an orphaned kitten in the wreckage after the victory on Batonn."

15. The Gif Farmers

“Jungkook’s nipple sure is popular lately.”

16. Thranto 400 Works Celebration Ficlets

"The market was just like any other market on any other planet for their brief shoreleave."

17. One Week

"Arihnda moved smoothly around the galley kitchen."

18. Tooka in the Meal Bin

"The thief was back in Kat Saka’s again."

19. You've Got a Friend in Me

"The ribbon-cutting for the Howard and Maria Stark Wing of the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles was a success."

20. Forging Old Links into New

"Faramir studied the drawing in front of him."

Guess I like to set the scene first?

I'm going to tag @myevilmouse and @jadesabre83

#tag games

[lesetoilesfous]

Author Interview

Aaaah so I was tagged by @hollyand-writes and this is delightful. Here are her answers!

I’m gonna tag @wanderingnork, @fairandfatalasfair, @fustianriddles, @cartadwarfwithaheartofgold, @contreparry, @midnightprelude aaaand @pinkfadespirit

Name: Lesetoilesfous, or Kat, or Ella! 

Fandoms: Currently, DA2, DAO, DA:A - I’m sure I’ll get to Inquisition but atm I’m on a replay loop. In the past, BNHA, Critical Role, and miscellaneous other stuff

Where You Post: Ao3 for big stories, tumblr for ficlets!

Most Popular One-Shot: For anything - a BNHA Tododeku oneshot I wrote called Dibs, for DA - it’s a Fenders oneshot I wrote after a brainstorming session with @fairandfatalasfair called Temporary Reassignment! 

(And out of my tumblr ones, it’s a DADWC Fenders one for the prompt “Come here”!)

Most Popular Multi-Chapter Story: For anything - a BNHA Tododeku fantasy AU called Save the Last Dance. For DA, my only multi-chap so far, a Fenders canon divergence where Anders is taken to the circle in Act 2, called A Song of Love from Long Ago

Favourite Story You Wrote: It’s got to be Song of Love at the moment, mostly because I got to write about revolution. Though the post-script to that fic, They Danced, was pure self-indulgent joy, so maybe that one.

Story You Were Nervous to Post: Everything always?

How You Choose Your Titles: Oh god literally either it comes to me in a dream or I just scramble for the first thing that makes sense. Kind of joking, kind of not, I always have such a struggle choosing titles! Song of Love was easy because the idea started as a Hades and Persephone Fenders AU and I’d been listening to a lot of Hadestown. But other stuff is, almost impossible.

Complete: A Song of Love from Long Ago, a couple oneshots, and all my DADWC ficlets!

Incomplete: So I don’t post fics I haven’t finished any more because it stresses me out. The one I’m working on at the moment is an AU where Anders is a mage in Anora’s court following the Blight, and Fenris is a recently knighted member of the same court - given his title in recognition of his courage defending Ferelden. It’s called Physician, Heal Thyself

Do You Outline? Yes! Normally just bullet points somewhere. And normally I write just, continuosly a to be stream of consciounsess. I’ll rehearse and memorise a story outline for a few days / weeks, and then when I feel ready start writing. My current project I’m trying to get out of my comfort zone, so I’m writing out of order and filling in scenes. It’s..weird but fun, definitely stopping me from writing too much. It’s been really interesting, and I’d have been lost without an outline

Coming Soon/Not Yet Started: Oh a couple!! A possible collaboration with a very dear friend on an older Fenders dealing with Anders answering his calling, the possibility of a cure. An AU where Anders (in this one, Lukas) grew up and lives in a sheltered, safe valley free of anti-mage prejudice, and meets a fresh from Tevinter Fenris. A Fox and the Hound AU where Leto meets Anders as a teenager, and is tasked by Danarius with his capture. A Grey Warden AU where Fenris is recruited by Duncan before the Blight, and then they recruit Anders too on one of his escape attempts (despite Fenris’ vehement protests). Possibly a modern au visual novel???? Maybe

Do You Accept Prompts? Yes!!! I take part in @dadrunkwriting every week - so I’m always accepting prompts from here, and I post them on Fridays!

Upcoming Story You Are Most Excited to Write: HONESTLY THE COLLABORATION. It features ZevWarden which I’m extremely weak for, and the person I’m collaborating with is awesome, and I just really really want to write a Fenris and Anders who’ve grown together and healed together and gotten old together. I’m so excited for it

#ask meme #about me #my fic

[starchasertonight]

In your personal hc, do Kadena have any sacred traditions? Like maybe during holidays or even something as simple as date night every other Friday? I know balancing kid/s and careers can take a toll on quality time in a marriage so do they do things to ensure they have special time for each other?

i definitely think they have some traditions around the holidays. but tbh i’m really not familiar enough with different persian traditions and my understanding of muslim holidays to feel like i can do a hc justice. like, my holiday headcanons are very vague in part bc i’m not well-educated enough on what those traditions could look like to be able to form good headcanons. 

as for the more everyday stuff, i know i haven’t really shown this in my ficlets yet but i do imagine that kadena has a strong community network. like yes kat and adena are jalil’s parents and they live in their own home, but there are several adults involved in jalil’s life and other families with kids. so jalil definitely has cool people to hang with when kat and adena need some of their own quality time, and that’s quite common. these are not just people who “watch” jalil but are actively involved in his life.

i def imagine that kat and adena plan special dates/outings for each other. but i also imagine that they have cultivated this sort of home environment where they are regularly connecting with each other. they eat dinner together as a family (and sometimes with other family friends also present, because adena loves having people over to share meals). after jalil goes to bed (or when he’s older and working on homework) they talk to each other about their days and genuinely care about each other’s responses. basically what i’m trying to say is yes they have date nights and stuff and those are important, but the most significant rituals are more embedded into their everyday home life and the intimacy they maintain there. that’s not to say that issues don’t come up because of course they do and there are times when life gets busier and they get a little disconnected. as for the dates, kat likes to try new restaurants and adena likes to explore different creative things happening in the city. so when they do go on dates, that’s the kind of stuff they do.  

#bz family verse