#one day i will revisit and finish her fic. mark my words

[sohypothetically]

Post 3: Cookies From Mellark's

It's time for another installment. And boy, is this one a doozy.

So pick up a snack and your beverage of choice, and join me as I revisit the memory of my next fic, Cookies From Mellark's! It's the fic you'll either love or totally despise.

FF.net

A03

This fic was my:

First contemporary AU.

First world building.

First longer fic. (it's about 60K words)

First non-canon fic.

First M for adult content.

First original characters.

First gay couple.

First description of major character death. (Mr. Mellark.)

First description of abuse.

November of 2012 I participated in Nanowrimo. It was a more niche thing then, without all of the fancy trappings (and the side of controversy) that it has today. My hubby, Doc (for those of you who don't know him), participated the year before and has every year since.

Cookies was written during that time. It's not great. But I hit the mark of 50K words, and it's not awful. It definitely moved the bar for me as a writer.

I got a lot of hate about this fic. People hated that Katniss calls Peeta "Peet". People hated that Katniss is awkward, standoffish, and obtuse. The said I wrote Katniss with no agency. I definitely had people say they wanted to toss their laptops on the floor just reading it. People despised what I did to Prim.

I've never deleted it.

I've never re-read it (nor do I ever, ever read the reviews).

Until today.

The good: See the firsts. I'm pretty proud that I finished it. The sense of humor here is fun. The food descriptions are many (although not as many as one of my later fics).

The bads: head jumping, some stilted dialogue. The descriptions of abuse don't thrill me. Katniss is absolutely obtuse, but she was taken mostly from canon. I can easily see how people hated my representation of Prim.

What I wanted was to build on an almost-fairytale beginning. The establishing shot prologue here is supposed to invoke the voiceover bit in stuff like Beauty and the Beast. There's supposed to be this feeling that Del Mar may be present day, but it's still this very idealized view (think A Cinderella story and the like) with archetypes and characters who are placed in a world where things are more black and white. Mrs. Everdeen bails on the girls, Mrs. Mellark is unnecessary harsh. Mr. Mellark dies. Prim idolizes her older sister, but feels a competitiveness (think 10 Things I Hate About You). It's not a happy world.

If you want a taste of this, check below the cut. It's a scene between Peeta and Haymitch and it's pretty funny.

Peet cleared his throat. "Hello, sir. I'm from Mellark's…"

"…Obviously. It says so on your shirt." The man pointed a shaky hand at the logo across the front of Peet's chest.

"I thought I would bring lunch over." Peet held the bags out as an offering and smiled his best customer service smile.

"Well aren't you the boy scout." The man leaned back and took a sip of something that was most definitely not water. He eyed the bags. "What did you bring?"

"Um, turkey and cheese panini, extra mustard, pickle on the side and brownie. A cheese…" Peet stopped as the man held up his hand first to stop him, then to take the bag. He took the bag and ripped it open, then bit into the sandwich.

With his mouth full, then man said, "Have a seat." Peet snuck a look at the door to the repair bays, wondering if Katniss was there.

"You're the youngest Mellark boy. What's your name? Bun, Cupcake, Loaf…" The man took another bite.

'Peeta. Everyone calls me Peet."

"Well, Peeta," He dragged out Peet's name for emphasis, "My name's Haymitch. This here is my place and Katniss is my responsibility. You think you can just waltz in here with sandwiches and I'm going to let you have a go at her? What makes you different than all of the other boys I've seen sniffing around?"

"Sir, I don't want to have a go at her. She's a friend." Peet's clear blue eyes clashed with stormy gray ones.

Haymitch stared at him for a moment, a mustard smear next to his lip. Then, he threw back his head and laughed. "How many times have you practiced that in front of the mirror? Does it work on other girls' parents? No – wait." He held up his hand to stop Peet from defending himself. "If I thought you were serious, I would tell you to get out of here right now - that you don't have the pluck for that firecracker of a girl. Now, try me again. Why are you here?" Haymitch bit into his brownie.

Peet swallowed. He stared past Haymitch to the wall behind him. Finally, he started speaking. "I've liked her for what seems like forever. Recently, she helped me. I mean, really helped me through something rough. I thought that I might be finally catching a break, like she might even be interested in me back. Even if she's not – interested in me, I mean – I'm here to help her through what could be a rough time for her: some of the guys at school, well, they have decided that Katniss deserves their attention. And I don't want her to get hurt like that."

He finally met Haymitch's eyes. Haymitch chewed thoughtfully. When he finished swallowing, he dapped his mouth daintily with a napkin. "I have responsibility for two teenage girls, which is a fate that should not be wished on any man. Katniss, she's especially challenging - if a girl ever needed a date, it's her. She talks about you a fair amount. I have to believe that means something in her girl-head. You seem like a nice guy – you even have a job - which is more than half the kids in this town. At the same time, I have her welfare to think of. You say she's involved in something at school?"

When Peet nodded, Haymitch continued, "As long as you can protect her, you have my support. You come to me if you get in over your head. Understood?

Peet nodded again, unsure what to say to Haymitch's speech.

Haymitch leaned back in his chair again. "And for God's sake, wear a condom!"

#10 years of fanfiction #sohypothetically writes #10 years of fanfic

[thelightsandtheroses]

Weekly Wrap Up #2

This Week’s Fic Recs

These are just a few of the fics I’ve enjoyed this week. As always. please be mindful of any content warnings and I believe all fics/ blogs are 18+. I haven’t read as much this week so for this week I’ve included some fics on my TBR as well.

Frankie Morales Aren’t repulsed by me - @undercoverpena started her new fwb!Frankie series and it is 🔥🔥🔥

On My TBR

October 500 @trulybetty is marking October with a series of short fics (500 words) every day I can’t wait to check out

take the weight off his shoulders @thetriumphantpanda has started a new Javi P series I cannot wait to dive in to

Surrender @ezrasbirdie Joel Miller/OFC fic is on my TBR for next week

Paranoid Heart @goodwithcheese just started her new Javi P series and I have been anticipating this a lot

Stay In Bed @psychedelic-ink updated Stay In Bed which is a brilliant Joel Miller series

My Writing This Week

No updates this week but I’m over 4k into chapter 3 of Your Hand In Mine and I’m hoping to finish it this week. I’ve also started a one-shot for Javi P (think secret relationship, I Can See You by Taylor Swift vibes?) and I’m revisiting the ex!Frankie at the beach wip too.

Here’s a snippet of the Javi one shot draft so far:

What I've Been Up To This Week

I have not had a great week if I’m honest and this weekend I haven’t felt as well as usual, but I’ve watched some cosy films and managed to have some relaxing moments.

Next week, I’m hoping things will settle down a little at home and work and that I’ll have some good writing time. I’m also trying to get back into my spin classes and yoga where I can too. Finally, I’m very excited for the Lessons in Chemistry adaption to start on the 13th, I think?

What I've Been Up To

It’s October which means Spooky Season is here. I watched Practical Magic for the first time this weekend after seeing it on some of my moots’ dashboards and thinking it looked like my sort of film. I loved it so much and it's a new favourite.

I’ve been enjoying some dirty chais recently so I’m buying some chai latte so I can make my own at home.

I didn't finish any books this week but I did start a couple of books. I’m currently thinking about starting the new Ava Reid, A Study in Drowning, too as it’s on my tbr and the cover is so pretty.

I’ve been watching Still Up - a lovely UK comedy series about two insomniacs who chat on FaceTime in the middle of the night. By the way, I did not know about this before Your Hand In Mine and the vibes of this show are very different - but I have said since I was about 15 there is a story there with people meeting with insomnia so I’m kind of glad the collective universe agrees.

After friends at work and on discord encouraged me, I’ve succumbed to trying out Baldur’s Gate 3. This is not my usual type of game, but I’m enjoying the story based approach and richness of the characters and the fun of playing something new and different to me.

How was your week?

#lolabee’s weekly wrap up

[jaehyunfirstlove]

Inked - part 2

*Part 2 of this, I recommend reading it first before this one :)

Pairing: tattoo artist!jaehyun x f.reader

Genre: smut (18+ only)

Warnings: unprotected sex, rough sex, oral sex (f. receiving), dom/sub, praise kink, cum play, dirty talk, swearing

Word count: 1.9k

Taglist: @jaehyunnie77 @mrg-jjh @keeach @the-universe-in-you-jjh @nootnoot-yoonoh @winniet @jaejoongiewifey-blog @iknowyuno​ @bbyqngels​ (send me a message/ask if you want to be tagged in future fics)

A/N: because of this anon, I decided to revisit this :)

You’d walked by the tattoo shop several times already, too embarrassed to go in considering what happened the last time you were there. You tried not to recall the memory too much, because your panties would dampen every time you remembered how the tattoo artist had railed you in the chair. He wasn’t able to finish his work though, since you’d hurried out of there afterwards, mortified at your own behavior. Now you had an unfinished tattoo, and you figured enough time had passed that he should’ve forgotten about you, but still you couldn’t bring yourself to open the door and walk in. Feeling like a creep, you eventually left, resolved to try again another day.

---

“What’s up with your tattoo anyway? Is it supposed to look like that?”

You were at the beach with your friend, Yuna, and she was interrogating you about your unfinished tattoo.

“Oh, he didn’t get to finish it.” You said dismissively, hoping she would drop it.

“Why not?” she asked, wrinkling up her nose, “I hope you didn’t pay him for it then.”

You coughed. “Uh, I paid him alright.”

She looked at you, confused, then shook her head. “You’re too nice, you know. You shouldn’t pay people for unfinished work.”

You just nodded, thinking she was probably right, when a shadow suddenly blocked your sunlight. Shielding your eyes you looked up, right into the dark sunglasses of your tattoo artist.

“Hm, that art looks familiar,” he said, a smirk on his face as he pointed to your tattoo. Your jaw dropped open as he stood there above you, Yuna lowering her sunglasses so she could get a better look at him. He was holding a surfboard and he looked like he’d just come in from the water, his hair wet and dripping as he pushed it back from his face. His skin glistened from the sunlight hitting the water droplets on it, highlighting every curve and dip of muscle along his chest and stomach. You swallowed dryly.

“Oh, hi-” you stuttered.

“Jaehyun,” he offered, the smirk still on his face, “I hope you remember me.”

How could I forget, you thought, but just nodded, as you could feel Yuna’s eyes boring into you.

“Why don’t you come by the shop, we’ll finish what we started.” He said, taking off his sunglasses to wink at you, before he nodded politely to Yuna and walked away.

“Y/N, what the actual fuck,” Yuna marveled, as she watched him walk away, “you never told me your tattoo artist looked like that.”

---

You entered the shop hesitantly, rubbing your sweaty palms on the sides of your jeans. The sound of the bell tinkling as you opened the door made you jump, but as you entered the shop you were calmed again by the sounds of cascading water from the zen waterfall, and the soothing scent of lavender. Jaehyun once again appeared from behind the curtain, but made no move towards you. He just stood there, hip jutted out in a cocky stance, head tilted to the side as he regarded you with a look of pure mischief.

“Well, well. Look who it is.” The corner of his mouth turned up into a smirk, as he looked you up and down. You started to get even more nervous under his gaze, and you started to feel very hot with the way he was looking at you. “Lock the door.”

He said it almost lazily, motioning to the door behind you, but his tone was unmistakable. You did what he said, clicking the door locked and turning back around to face him. He still stood where he was, still watching you.

“Come here,” he said, and once again you obeyed, your feet almost moving of their own accord. Once you were in front of him you stopped, but apparently it wasn’t close enough for him, because he suddenly reached out, slipped his fingers through the belt loops of your jeans and pulled you towards him until you were practically pressed up against him. You inhaled sharply at his sudden action, your chest heaving, and he smiled widely at your reaction.

“Mm, always so responsive,” he breathed, eyes roaming over your body. “Let’s have a look at my work,” he unbuttoned your jeans, slipping them down just past your hips. You were breathing heavily in anticipation, arousal pooling in your core as you felt his fingers on your skin. He traced his finger along the lines of your tattoo, and you had to turn your head to the side as your breathing became more and more labored.

“Hm, this is where I was so rudely interrupted,” his finger stopped its circuit on your skin, and he smirked at you again. Leaning towards your ear, he whispered “do you want me to finish?”

The heat of his breath against your ear, the closeness of his body, and how he smelled so sexy you wanted to devour him, all had such a mindblowing effect on you that your knees went weak, and you fisted your hands into his shirt to support yourself. He just picked you up, laying you on a nearby couch and peeling the rest of your jeans and panties off.

“Should I prep you first? Make sure you don’t make a mess on my chair again?” he asked slyly, his hands on your knees as he waited for your response. You bit your lip and nodded, and given the go-ahead, he slid his palms down your thighs. You were breathing heavily but once he reached your core you held your breath, and as soon as his thumbs touched your wet folds to spread you apart you moaned loudly.

“So expressive,” he smiled, as he leaned in, watching your face the entire time. You were gripping the leather of the couch so tightly, watching him, and as his tongue met your pussy you cried out, an embarrassingly loud noise that made you slap your hand over your mouth. He chuckled at first, but as you continued to be vocal, grabbing at the couch cushions and writhing and bucking your hips, he intensified his pace and fervor, keeping your thighs apart with an iron grip.

“You taste so good, baby, so fucking sweet,” he murmured, lapping up your juices like you were the tastiest dessert he’d ever had. You paused to breathe, but not before he suddenly slid two fingers in between your folds, pumping them as he watched your face.

“I wanna see you come,” he said, because your head was lolling back as your orgasm started to build, “Look at me.”

The low, commanding tone of his voice and his sultry gaze when you locked eyes with him was enough to send you over the edge, a stuttered moan all you could manage as your pussy pulsed around his fingers. You were barely done when he slipped them out of you, pulling his own pants and boxers down and sitting on the couch beside you. He pulled you to straddle him, and once you were situated on his thighs he pumped his half-hard cock, his eyes never leaving your face.

“You’re sexy when you come,” he said, regarding you with a smirk and a tilt of the head. You felt your cheeks warm up but you didn’t know if it was because of his compliment or the fact you just had a mind-blowing orgasm.

“Th-thanks,” was all you could say, your voice already hoarse from how vocal you had been when he ate you out.

“You’re welcome,” he grinned, before he positioned the tip of his cock at your entrance. “Now, ride me.”

You bit your lip, clinging to his shoulders as you sunk down onto his cock. Your eyes rolled to the back of your head at the stretch, your head falling back as you took more and more of him in.

“That’s a good girl,” he said, holding your hips, “so fucking tight for me.”

When he was all the way inside you, you paused to breathe, resting your head on his shoulder. You had a good close-up view of the tattoo on his neck, and you remembered how you had wanted to mark him up. You kissed along the lines of his ink, then traced the design with your tongue, sucking here and there to see if the marks would show up. He groaned as you worked, his cock twitching inside you, and soon enough it encouraged you to move, grinding your hips against him.

“Fuck, baby, that feels good,” he moaned, fingers digging into the flesh of your hips. You increased your pace, snapping your hips and varying the angle until you found the perfect one, and you cried out as his tip hit your sweet spot. He took your cue, thrusting upwards into you as you rode him, your combined action sending you hurtling towards your second orgasm of the day.

“I’m gonna come!” you warned, wrapping your arms around his neck and burying your face there.

“Give it to me, baby,” he growled, reaching between you and thumbing your clit vigorously. You came with a muffled scream, your face still buried in his neck, your entire body convulsing as your pussy throbbed. He kept going, controlling the pace now, his thrusts never faltering. He lifted your shirt over your head and unhooked your bra, pulling you back so he could look at you. With appreciative eyes he looked you over, smirking slightly even as he pumped into you.

“So fucking sexy,” he mused, eyes roaming over your curves. You bit your lip as he watched you, arousal once again building in your core. He saw it in your face, your mouth parting slightly and eyes widening, so he bucked harder and faster, watching your face the entire time.

“That’s it,” he said, reaching up to tweak your nipples, “give me another one.”

His eyes never left your face as you reached your climax, watching you with lust in his gaze. He didn’t give you a chance to recover, flipping you onto your back on the couch and throwing your legs over his shoulders.

“Fuck, baby, you drive me crazy,” he grunted, driving deeper into you, still watching your face with hooded eyes. “So fucking sexy, so good for me, aren’t you?”

You nodded, falling apart at his praise, and his cock hitting so deeply. “Oh my god, Jae, oh my god,” you panted, you didn’t think you had it in you anymore, but you felt yourself coming again, this one threatening to be a big one.

“That’s a good girl, I know you got another one for me,” he bent down and sucked a nipple into his mouth, all the while keeping his eyes on your face, not wanting to miss a single second of the look on your face as you came.

“Oh fuck! Jae!” you screamed as you came, your limbs shaking as your orgasm reverberated throughout your body. He grunted as he started to come inside you, before he pulled out and pumped the rest of his cum all over your pussy and stomach.

“Another mess,” he smirked at you, sitting back on his heels to admire his work. You just lay there, exhausted and unable to move, but he had to admit, the way you looked so fucked out was really attractive to him. Reaching over to a nearby shelf he pulled out a fresh towel and started to wipe you up.

“Let’s get you cleaned up and finish that tattoo.”

#jaehyun imagines #jaehyun x reader #jaehyun smut #nct imagines #nct smut

[sfb123]

Sapere Aude - Part 15

Book: The Royal Heir

Pairing: King Liam Rys x Queen Riley Brooks

All characters belong to Pixelberry.

Catch Up Here

If you’re new to Sapere Aude, please click the link above to start from the beginning. There’s so much going on right now that you’ll be way too confused to start from this point. Plus, there are some major bombshells that won’t be as fun if you read this and get a bunch of spoilers.

Series Description: I developed a theory of what I think will happen in TRH Book 4, and I was encouraged by some very lovely people to turn my theory into a fic, so here it is. Basically, Riley is recruited to join the Via Imperii, this series will follow her as she joins them to try and bring them down from the inside, and all of the drama and bombshells she learns along the way. Sapere Aude is Latin for “dare to know” it seemed like an appropriate title.

Rating: PG-13 Adult language, discussions of death, conspiracy, blackmail, and other adult themes.

Trigger Warning: A brief moment of physical abuse.

Warning: The Royal Heir Book 3 Spoilers all over the place.

Disclaimer: I have no current affiliation with any other Via Imperii themed stories. Any claims that I have pre-read anything are false.

Word Count: 3,435

A/N: Guys, we’re really in the home stretch now, we’re slowly but surely getting some resolutions. I finished this up the other day, and am already halfway through the next chapter. I’m hoping to have the series completely written by the end of the weekend or early next week. I have some really exciting and unexpected things coming, and I can’t wait to share them with you!

Thank you, as always, to the amazing, @phoenixrising308​ (<--- my fandom soulmate, you may know her as @jessiembruno​, follow her new account so you don’t miss a second of her incredible work) & @txemrn. And to @twinkleallnight for my lovely moodboard!

Tags: Listed below, hit me up to be added or removed.

Liam’s eyes fluttered open, his wife slowly coming into focus in front of him. She was already awake, and smiled at him as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. “Morning.” She greeted him softly.

“Hi.” He placed a hand on her cheek and leaned in, leaving a lingering kiss on her lips. 

“Do you want to talk? Drake texted me, he got Eleanor out of bed, so we have some time.” Liam silently nodded his head. Riley removed his hand from her cheek and kissed his palm before sitting up and leaning back against the headboard. 

Liam rolled onto his back, stretching his arms over his head with a groan before sitting up next to Riley, taking her hand in his. “And I thought our wedding was an eventful day.” He chuckled lightly. 

“Liam, real talk.” Riley replied, combing the fingers of her free hand through his hair.

“I...I feel like I got some closure. I needed that moment. When it was just you telling me that she was alive, it was easy to ignore, or pretend it wasn’t real. But with her standing in front of me, I had to face the truth, face what she did to me. And now she truly knows how much she hurt me. I can move on now, and truly put her in the past.”

Riley smiled at him. “That’s great, I’m so proud of you. I also noticed that you told Thomas you still wanted a relationship with him?”

“He holds no responsibility for what happened, he was born into a life that he had no control over.” Liam’s expression became more pensive as he spoke about Thomas. 

“And you understand the feeling, so you’re cutting him some slack.”

Liam nodded. “Sort of, we were both born with certain responsibilities and expectations, I can understand his feelings of obligation. As much as I missed out by losing my mother, and him, he lost out on even more. He was supposed to be a prince, he is a prince, and he’s lived as a commoner his whole life. We both missed out on so much by not having each other, like we should have. I can’t get that time back, but I can try to make up for it moving forward.”

“You’re amazing Liam, you know that right?” Riley looked at him adoringly. 

He brought his hand to her face, caressing her cheek with his thumb. “You may have mentioned it once or twice before.” He leaned in and kissed her. “You know, I didn’t get a chance to properly show you how happy I am to have you home and safe.” He kissed her again, this time pulling her into his lap. 

She giggled as his lips began working their way down her neck. “Liam, we don’t have time right now. I’m sure everyone is waiting for us. Rain check?” 

Liam lifted his head and placed his forehead against hers. “You promise?” He kissed her softly on the nose.

“Have I ever let you down in that department?”

“Never.” He kissed her deeply, running his hands down her back until they rested on the curves of her ass.

“Good, then let’s go.” She kissed him one last time before getting out of bed and heading to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Once they were ready, they headed downstairs and headed to the smaller dining room. Eleanor noticed them immediately and charged at her mother. “Mommy!”

Riley lifted her daughter into her arms and held her close for a moment before pulling away and giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Hey baby girl, were you a good hostess to our guests while mommy and daddy were away?”

“Yes mommy, the best hostess!” As Riley brushed some hair out of Eleanor’s face, Eleanor noticed the marks on Riley’s wrist where she had been bound the day before. “You have a boo-boo mommy.” 

“I know baby, I do.” She held her wrist out so Eleanor could look at it. 

“I can fix it.” Eleanor grabbed Riley’s hand and brought her wrist to her lips, kissing the marks with a loud smacking sound. “There you go mommy, all better now.” She smiled at her mother proudly. 

Liam looked on, quickly swallowing the lump that formed in his throat at the sight. In that moment, it hit him again that not only would he have lost his wife, the best thing that had ever happened to him, but Eleanor would have lost her mother. He quickly shook off the thought, everyone was safe, and they were about to take steps to eliminate their greatest threat.

“Thank you Eleanor, it feels so much better.” Riley gave her one last hug before putting her back down. “Why don’t you go see Miss Gladys, she’ll take you into the kitchen to get something to eat. We need to have a grown up breakfast.”

Eleanor nodded and ran out of the room in search of Gladys. Riley and Liam approached the table as their friends stood to greet them. “Sit down weirdos, this isn’t a royal function, this is breakfast with friends.” Riley waived them off as everyone sat at the table. It was silent for a moment, nobody quite sure how to break the silence. “So I guess we should start by addressing the elephant in the room. Neville and Mara kidnapped me yesterday. Before you start with me; I’m fine, Neville has been arrested, Mara is dead.”

“Good riddance.” Olivia interrupted. The group laughed at her comment, breaking some of the tension in the room. 

Their friends listened with bated breath as Riley and Liam recalled the events from the day before. Riley told them about the kidnapping, and everything that transpired between her and Neville. She told them how Eleanor had come to her rescue, Liam tensing slightly, as this was the first time he had heard that part of the story. She went on to explain that Liam had come face to face with Eleanor, and how proud she was of him for confronting her and lifting that huge weight of his chest. 

Liam picked up the story from there, explaining that he said what he needed to say to get the closure he needed with his mother, and that he wanted to try to build some kind of a relationship with Thomas. He still wasn’t sure what that relationship would look like, but he was excited to find out. 

“So where do we go from here?” Maxwell asked, once the group had been fully caught up. 

“Well, we need to squash the Auvernal thing once and for all, and I think there’s only one way to do that.” Riley said. It was something she had been thinking about since the meeting where revisiting the alliance came up. “We’re going to have to release the information we got when we destroyed the alliance the first time. The only way we are going to put an end to this is to tell the world that the twins are not blood heirs to the throne.”

“But what if this group tries to spin it, or screw with the records?” Drake asked. Nobody was quite sure how to answer that, but it was a legitimate concern. 

“We out the Via Imperii. If they’re a secret society, announcing that they were behind the kidnapping of our Queen, and were trying to push forward a marriage alliance with heirs that do not have true birthright to the throne will knock them off their high horse.” Olivia stated. 

“But how do we know they know?”

Riley tapped her fingers against the table, thinking for a moment before chiming in. “We don’t Max, that’s fair. But they probably do, they seem to know just about everything else. Even if they don’t, they’re not going to hold their own press conference to contradict us. It kind of goes against their whole being a secret thing.”

“Very well, I will make sure to get a press conference scheduled in the coming days to make the announcements.” Liam chimed in. “I will also set up an emergency council meeting to inform them of our decision, and also move things forward with Neville.” 

“What are you going to do to him? Can I be the executioner?” The excitement in Drake’s voice made Riley and Maxwell giggle, while Olivia rolled her eyes.

Liam chuckled lightly before responding. “I have thoroughly thought out his punishment, we will review it in the council meeting tomorrow.” He cleared his throat before moving on to the next open item. “Finally, I have promised Thomas and his mother that the crown would protect them for their assistance in saving Riley. Nobody knows about Thomas’s connection to the crown, or my family, so he will not need to remain in hiding. However, he is going to be a target of the Via Imperii, so he will no longer be able to guard my family. I do have a position in mind for him, I would like him to work with Bastien and I to completely overhaul the guard program.”

“It’s about damn time.” Olivia scoffed. 

“I agree, Olivia. Regrettably, I have let the current program go far too long, and it almost cost my wife her life.” He reached over, taking Riley’s hand in his, offering an apologetic smile. “We absolutely cannot let another Mara slip through the cracks. With his intimate knowledge of the Via Imperii, I feel that he would be a great asset.” He paused as the room nodded in agreement. “As for his mother, she was a notable figure in Cordonia for many years, so she will need to remain in hiding. We will need to set her up in a safe house with a team of guards.”

Olivia cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention. “I can house her in Lythikos.” All heads snapped in her direction, and she sat a little taller in her seat to overcompensate for the discomfort she felt in that moment. “When I was a child, she showed me a kindness I had never known at a time when I needed it most. Liam, I respect your decision not to reconnect with her because of what she did to you, I hope you can respect my decision to want to help her because of what she did for me.” 

Liam nodded. “Absolutely Olivia, as long as she and I do not cross paths, I will put her in your care.” 

“Ok, so we have all the work stuff out of the way. There’s a plan, nobody is in any immediate danger. Can we please relax and have a nice breakfast and enjoy what’s left of our getaway weekend?” Maxwell asked dramatically. 

“Amen to that.” Riley replied, pulling her napkin from the table and placing it in her lap. The group dug into their food, the mood much lighter than it had been when Liam and Riley arrived.

The next day Liam walked out of the state room. He had just adjourned the emergency meeting of the Royal Council to discuss everything that had been uncovered during their trip to Valtoria. He rushed to catch Drake, who had slipped out while Liam was still shaking hands and saying his goodbyes to the other council members. “Drake, hold on a moment.” 

Drake stopped walking and turned to face his friend. “Hey Li, what’s up? I was just going to head home.”

“I was actually hoping you could help me out with something. I’m heading down to the cells to personally deliver the news to Neville.”

Drake’s lips curled up into a devious smile. “And you want me to be there to see it all go down? Liam, I’m speechless. It’s not even my birthday.”

Liam chuckled and patted his friend on the shoulder. “Well, it’s not just for you to bask in his misery, I need your assistance.” His expression turned serious before he continued. “Drake, after what he did to Riley, I don’t trust myself alone with him. I need you to be there to pull me off in case I go too far.”

“Li, you know I’m always there for you for anything you need, but do you really think I’m the best person to stop someone from hurting Neville? Honestly, I can’t even guarantee that I won’t jump in and throw a couple of punches myself.”

“Then we will bring Bastien along as well, but I would really appreciate it if I had you by my side for this.”

Drake nodded, and the two of them headed for the cells with Bastien in tow. When they arrived, Bastien took Neville from his cell and put him in one of the interrogation rooms. They waited before entering, giving him time to sit alone with his thoughts. Once Liam felt he had waited long enough he looked to Drake and the two entered the room together. Drake stepped back into the corner as Liam approached Neville, who was sitting at a table, but stood immediately upon the King’s entry. 

“Ah, so you are capable of showing respect to your betters. I had heard otherwise.” Liam took a seat, signaling for Neville to do the same. 

Neville scoffed. “Your majesty, I always have. Your queen just doesn’t happen to be one of them.”

“Oops, wrong answer.” Drake chimed in from the back corner. 

Liam shot up from his seat. He charged at Neville on the other side of the table, lifting him by the front of his shirt and holding his gaze. “How dare you speak of your queen, my wife, that way.”

“Liam, why don’t you give him the good news, before you beat the shit out of him? That way he’ll be able to fully appreciate it. I know I will.” At Drake’s words, Liam released Neville who shot an angry glance in Drake’s direction. Drake winked at him. 

“Of course Drake, thank you for keeping me on task.” Liam straightened his jacket and returned to his place at the table, sliding a folder across it to Neville. “Neville, you have officially been stripped of all of your titles and lands. This paperwork will provide you with the specifics, but as of about an hour ago, you are no longer a noble.”

His eyes widened and his jaw dropped, shocked at the new development. “You mean I am a…” He trailed off, unable to utter the word. 

“You’re a commoner, just like me!” Drake cheerily finished Neville’s sentence for him. 

Liam raised a hand to silence his friend. He was enjoying this just as much as Drake was, but as King he did need to keep an heir of levelheadedness about him. “You will also be tried with treason for kidnapping Queen Riley. Your trial will begin next week, and I don’t think you need me to tell you, but I will. It is not looking promising for you Mr. Vancoeur.” 

Neville crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes. “Wonderful, just let me know when the execution is to take place.”

“Oh Neville.” Liam laughed as he stood, once again walking to the other side of the table. “Do you really think you are going to be let off that easily?” Neville cocked an eyebrow as Liam got in his face, his demeanor calmer than before. “I have final say in all sentencing, and for you I have something in mind that will make you pray for death. You will be spending the remainder of your days in your cell, eating food that doesn't even register on the Michelin guide, knowing that you have no status, no pull. The life you once knew, a distant memory as you sit here for decades to come. That is the worst possible punishment I am able to bestow as your King.” Neville leaned back and audibly gulped. “As far as the punishment I am able to bestow as a husband…” Liam squared his shoulders and brought his fist back before thrusting it forward, making hard and fast contact with Neville’s jaw, knocking him out of his chair and onto the floor. As he laid there holding his face, Liam approached once more, this time kicking Neville swiftly in the ribs. “How dare you lay a hand on my wife.” He crouched down on the ground, lifting Neville by his shirt. “Please know that there is more I would like to do to you, but you are not worth any more of my time. Just remember that my American commoner wife will be up there enjoying every luxury in the world, as she deserves, while you rot away down here dreaming of the life you once had.” 

Liam landed one last punch to Neville’s face before letting go of his shirt and watching his head hit the ground. He then slumped over, breathing heavily as the adrenaline began to wear off. Drake approached him and patted him on the shoulder lightly. “C’mon buddy, let’s get out of here. You got what you came for.” 

Liam nodded silently as his friend helped him to his feet. Drake draped an arm around Liam’s shoulder and walked with him out of the room. He looked at Bastien, who had been waiting at the door and signaled for him to return Neville to his cell. Bastien gave Drake a curt nod and retreated to the interrogation room as Drake and Liam made their way back to the main area of the palace.

When they reached the foyer, Drake stopped Liam before he reached the steps. “Hey, are you okay? Do you want to go to your office for a drink or something?”

Liam brushed him off. “I’m fine Drake, I’m just going to head up to my quarters and relax with my family.” He extended his hand to Drake. “Thank you for coming with me today.”

“Of course man. Any time, any place. You know that.” Drake shook his hand and pulled him into a hug, clapping him on the back before pulling away. “I’m going to call you later to check in.”

Liam gave him a small smile before turning and heading up the stairs towards his chambers. Upon entering, he was greeted by an empty living room. “Riley?” He called out.

“Bedroom.” He heard her faint reply from the hallway and followed the sound of her voice. 

He entered the room as she was exiting her walk-in closet holding multiple hangers. “I mean honestly, I love my life and how much you spoil me, but do I really need this many black dresses?” She let out an exasperated sigh before looking up and noticing Liam. “What happened? What’s wrong?” She dropped the dresses she was holding and rushed up to him.

“I just got back from the cells.”

“Liam Rys, what did you do?” Riley placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. 

“He’s fine, the medics will bandage him up. I’m sure losing his title hurt him much more than I did.” He grabbed her hands off of her hips and brought them to his lips. “He hurt you, Riley. He tried to take you away from me. I know he’s going to be punished for what he did, but it won’t ever be enough.”

Riley lifted his hand, examining it. It was red, bruises already beginning to form at the knuckles. She kissed each knuckle softly. “Come on, let’s ice it before it gets too bad.” She held onto his hand, leading him into the kitchen. “Sit.” she pointed to the kitchen table. 

Hey obeyed, sitting at the table as she went to the freezer, pulling out an ice pack and wrapping it in a dish towel. She joined him at the table, sitting on his lap, and taking his injured hand in hers once more. She pressed the ice pack to his knuckles, he hissed slightly at the feeling. She pressed her lips to his in a lingering kiss as she continued to hold the ice to his hand. “To distract you from the pain.” She said with a wink as she pulled away.

“You have always been my favorite distraction.” He brought his free hand to her face, pulling her into a deeper kiss. “When is Eleanor due back?”

“Mmm..a little over an hour.” She cooed.

“Perfect, that will be more than enough time.” 

“For what?” 

“For me to cash in my rain check from yesterday.” Liam removed his hand from under the ice pack and lifted Riley bridal style to the bedroom, kicking the door closed behind them.

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Sapere Aude:

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Liam x Riley:

@jared2612​

Liam:

@amandablink​ @ao719​ @yourmajesty09​

#choices #playchoices #choices stories you play #pixelberry #choices fic writers creations #choices trr #choices trh #trr/trh #trr fandom #trh fandom #trr fanfic #trh fanfic #the royal romance #the royal heir #the royal finale #choices the royal romance #choices the royal heir #choices the royal finale #king liam #Liam Rys #trr king liam #trh king liam #merli sapere aude #liam x riley

[gwendeeagain]

How I wrote the Demon fic

Don't draw devil's traps in janitors' closets is one of my longest fic series I’ve ever written, the most notable of which would be my Demon Gakushuu fic, if you’ve seen it. 

In partial response to an ask post (link here), I’ve decided to revisit my writing of this fic series! It was quite a long journey for me and I think it might be fun (?) sharing it with everyone. It’s rather long, so I’ll tag it under “keep reading”. 

FYI this thread contains major spoilers for the fic (and would honestly make no sense if you do not have prior knowledge of it).

I'll just refer to the first fic in the series as Books because it has an insanely long title. Subsequent fics are in order Burgundy, Potential, Illuminate, Illuminate rewrite, and Addendum. The main series is linked here.

Addendum is not linked in the main series for reasons I'll explain below. (link here)

Books

I think one of my biggest mistakes writing Books is my lack of plot planning, and subsequently how thematically inconsistent it became. I start off most my fics with a rough idea of how I want the story to end, and a few good themes to carry me through the plot as I write, but for Books I started off with the first chapter and nothing else. If you followed the notes of my fic you'd probably have witnessed my gradual descent into uncertainty and despair as the fic spiralled out of my control due to how wrong I felt it was becoming.

The fic took a surprisingly hard toll on me. I absolutely hated it. I refused to mark it as complete because I was dissatisfied with how it ended. I thought that everyone was out of character, that I lost the original ending and goal in my head, that it was thematically messy such that I couldn't justify any ending I tried to come up with, and I was just grasping at straws trying to make it work. 

The three things that bothered me were Gakushuu’s wings, Koro-Sensei and the introduction of Aina. When I started this fic I had plans to kill off Koro-Sensei at the end, however as the fic went on it became a celebration of life and learning how to live, and I knew I couldn’t bring myself to have any death in this fic... but at the same time I had Gakushuu find a lot of meaning in Koro-Sensei’s (to-be) death and I didn’t want to undo that. The wings were on a similar note, because Gakushuu spend 50k words finding out who he is and accepting that he was different. Turning that message around and making him go back to being “the same” ate me up inside, but at the same time I set-up the Demon Society in such a way that they would kill Gakushuu if he didn’t have his wings, and it’s supposed to be a happy ending, dammit! Aina was a particularly egregious case because I threw her (and Ikeda) in without any prior warning at the very last minute. I already had a whole world and setting planned for them which I never got to expand on in the previous chapters because I was so anxious about the other two points, and when it came down to the last chapter I realized I had no set-up for these two, who were supposed to be major players in the finale. Basically I was bad at writing.

Even now I cannot fully articulate why it was terrible for me, but compounded with my real-life stressors, I suppose it just became a bit too much to deal with. (This is a piece of fiction that I am creating from scratch. If I can't even get this under control, what hope do I have for everything else?)

((For come disclosure I was never formally diagnosed with any mental illness, but my parents are the sort of people who don’t believe mental illness exists anyways. I would say that I’ve had depressive episodes when I was younger and sometimes even now, but I’ve learnt my ways of dealing with them!))

Burgundy

Four days later I published Burgundy, a short sequel to Books, very shortly after only because I had already finished writing by that time. I actually do still have several half-finished follow ups at that point, but I couldn't bring myself to complete any sequels because I couldn't even come to terms with the ending of the main story. (Those wips are lost to me now.) I think I was hoping that forcing myself to publish the sequel would show me that it was "no big deal" that the main fic didn't end the way I hoped it would, but it succeeded in making me feel worse.

Potential

About one month after that I wrote Potential. It was a three parter, somehow a fifth of the length of the main fic, that followed Gakuhou's perspective prior to the events of Books. It was a prequel which imo made it easier to write, because I still couldn't move on from Books yet. I think writing Potential was me trying to remind myself why I wrote Books in the first place, to perhaps reignite my original passion for the series. It's kind of funny to think about in hindsight, and a little meta, because Potential was a lead up to the events in Books. It worked... a little bit, I think. I still couldn't reconcile my feelings for the whole thing, but through it I got to revisit the original premise that I fell in love with and expand more on worldbuilding it. I could reprise Aina and Ikeda and finally write about the world I planned to introduce them in in the first fic and give more context and insights to how the demon society was supposed to work.

Illuminate

Six months after Potential, I ran into a comment that said, "what would Gakuhou have done if Gakushuu had died?" And for some reason it struck an epiphany in me. After that I wrote Illuminate in one night, cried myself to sleep, waited one more night to proofread it, and then published it. Illuminate was an AU to the first three fics in the series, and it was a fic about grief and mourning. Spoiler alert: I straight up killed Gakushuu in that fic. And somehow that was what I needed.

I quite literally killed my first fic - I upended the terrible ending I hated from Books - everything I had been uncertain about at first? I killed it. Plot points didn't fit my original plans? Killed it. (When I reread the death scene, I... honestly think I was unnecessarily cruel. I must have really been out of my mind when I wrote it, hah!)

And then I wrote myself a love story about missing it, grieving it, and finally letting go of it. It was heart wrenching for me - I made Gakuhou cry about what he lost, what could have been, what he realized he loved, and at the end of it all he could say "I love you and I can move on from you." And I did!

Illuminate (Rewrite)

Illuminate Rewrite, one year later, was me revisiting Illuminate to reflect on myself where I've come with this series. I actually just swapped the places of two paragraphs to change the mood at the end for something more contemplative. I elaborated a bit more on this in my notes for Rewrite, so I won't repeat them here.

Honestly, I still have a hard time coming back to reread Illuminate even after the whole debacle has happened. I attached a lot of emotions through my journey with this, and revisiting it each time takes quite a bit out of me.

Addendum

Addendum was just me having fun! After Illuminate, I managed to reconcile my feelings with the fic series. I was finally able to mark Books as complete and move on from it, and afterwards I wrote a fun little au sequel to Illuminate so that Gakushuu can live again. I could creatively expand on ideas and just do... whatever! It's more of a loose connection of plot points than a real fic, honestly.

Addendum follows Gakushuu in a future hundreds of years later, after every human who he's once known in Books has died. And... he moves on! Gets a job, makes friends, lives his life, and most importantly move on.

I chose to publish in a separate collection, however, because it was an incomplete story and I didn’t want to have a half-complete fic tacked on to what I have settled in my heart as a complete fic collection.

And that’s about it! <3

#karushuu #gakushuu asano #gwentriestothink

[eleanorfenyxwrites]

Hi y'all!

So I realized today that it's been about three months since I started cross-posting my stuff to ao3 (those of y'all who were here for After Each Midnight while it was still a wip will know that I've been writing for longer than that but anyway). With the latest fic I just posted, I now have 30 works published to ao3 within those three months! Which is wild to me!

Since that averages out to ten fics a month and I like round numbers, I decided to celebrate by listing my 10 favorite fics...of my own lol. Narcissistic? Maybe! But it's fun anyway!

This is a really long post as each rec includes a summary, an excerpt (or a few), and some personal notes/anecdotes about the writing process or what inspired me to write the fic, etc. so I'm putting it all under the break. If this doesn't sound like your cup of tea then of course please just skip over this one, but for anyone who wants to revisit some of my older works with me, or if you're curious about which fics I personally like the most, or if you want to talk about your favorite fics of mine in the replies or anything, then that's cool too! I just wanted to find a way to mark this down because it feels like something of an achievement ^_^

Thank you!

1. After Each Midnight Begins A New Day, (54,401 words, Rated E) Ship(s): 3zun, Wangxian Summary: When Lan Xichen wakes up the morning after the fifth anniversary of his life crumbling to rubble around him in Guanyin Temple, he's shocked to find both Nie Mingjue and Meng Yao in his bed, both whole and alive and...married to him?! (A time travel fix-it in which the time traveling and fixing of things has already been done by Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, and Lan Xichen accidentally gets dragged along for the happily ever after.) Excerpt(s):

1. “Poor da-ge,” [Meng Yao] teases again, this time with a bit of an edge, and Lan Xichen cracks one eye open just enough to see him stripping first out of his shoes and socks, then his third layer of robes, then his second, until he’s dressed much as he had been the prior evening - in nothing but a black under-robe so sheer that it actually almost looks gray. It clings to all the petite, lithe curves of him and the sight makes Lan Xichen’s mouth practically water. “What if I want my turn with you now? What if I’m jealous that er-ge got to have you all to himself for hours , while your poor A-Yao had to go have a drink with Xian-didi just to pass the time.” “Oh gods you’re a beast too,” Nie Mingjue groans as Meng Yao slips on top of him gracefully to lean down and pepper kisses up and down his neck and shoulder. “Get off of me, foul creature. Go tempt our husband, I’m temporarily immune to your wiles.” “You’re never immune to my wiles, da-ge, and er-ge is meditating oh so diligently. He’s certainly not smiling and watching us through his lashes as if we’re not well aware of his tricks and what he likes to watch.” - 2. “It took years of practice, you with your painting and I with my answering, but when you were a teenager I finally decided on the best advice I could think to give you: Do not seek for every answer in this life all at once, Xichen,” he instructs with a smile as he returns to painting. “Let them come to you gently and in their season, and trust that all will be as it should in the end.” Lan Xichen takes another breath and returns to his painting with a slightly trembling hand - a trembling that ends up creating a lovely branch on the tree he is painting that, when he turns his head to look, is modeled almost exactly after the one growing in the garden behind the Gentian House, just beyond the window. “I don’t remember ever seeing this tree,” he whispers and Qingheng-Jun hums across from him in clear understanding. “And yet it flows from your brush all the same. Now we can all know that you have nothing to fear, your memories will also come to you in their season. Until then, allow yourself to rest, and remember that you have the support of your family whenever you need it.” “Yes, father,” he replies with a whisper and a tremulous smile, feeling lighter than he has in days. - 3. “I will go into seclusion.” The statement is a stone dropped into the gently rippling water of a spring-fed pool. The stone is jagged and pitted with all that the world has done to chip away at it, to make it rough and painful to the touch. It is sharp in his hands, heavy with all the hurts he still carries in his chest, all the grief he has no more room to hold. He feels lighter with it out of his grasp, the words settling into the ensuing silence with some bittersweet relief.

Notes: I know I've said it before but it bears repeating: this entire fic exists solely because of the smut scene in chapter 1. I thought of the smut first, and then the lead-in to it, and I intentionally left the end of chapter 1 ambiguous - it could have ended right there as an angsty one-shot with Lan Xichen believing that it was all a hallucination, and there's nothing really in the text to say that it's not because Lan Xichen is a very unreliable narrator in this fic. But then I wanted to write the backstory for the smut if, in fact, it wasn't a hallucination - and everything kind of...butterfly-effected out from there to become what it is now, along with all the extras in the series that's now roughly 120k long altogether and still not finished. Oops. Oh and also: this fic that started the ball rolling only exists because for some reason the servers for Omegle went down for months where I live, and prior to that I used to spend hours rp'ing. Without that creative outlet, I filled the vacuum with writing fic instead and now here we are. So if you're grateful for my fics then thank Omegle for sucking for a few months lol --//-- 2. Loving, Loud, Wild, and Theirs (7386 words, Rated T) Ship(s): Xuanli & Gen (kidfic), 3zun (briefly) - an extra for AEM Summary: A brief look at how in this kinder world, Jin Zixuan managed to find and legitimize his three siblings as well as a snapshot of the chaos of love and fun that is his family with his siblings, his beloved wife, and their seven children. Excerpt:

He had listened to [Madam Qin] and her handmaid, and he had believed them, and he had been unsurprised to find himself thinking quite uncharitably of his father following his promise to Madam Qin that he would do everything in his power to make it right, as much as he could. [Jin Zixuan and Meng Yao] return to Jinlintai the day after the next, once their business is concluded. He’s relieved when nothing needs his immediate attention as it means he’s free to retreat into his and Jiang Yanli’s quarters so he can tell her everything that’s weighing on his mind. “No more surprise siblings from now on,” he sighs into the comfort of Jiang Yanli's chest when he’s finished outlining what has happened and his plans to prepare a new suite of rooms in the family wing of the tower. For Qin Su. His sister. Jiang Yanli just laughs her tinkling laugh and kisses him, her hands gentle as she combs his hair back from his face with her fingertips. “You’ve got more siblings now than any of the rest of us,” she teases with a mischievous smile down at him that is a bit too reminiscent of, weirdly, both Wei Wuxian and Mo Xuanyu for comfort. “Two brothers, a sister, and of course we must keep Mianmian in her spot on the list. If you would like to count brothers-in-law as well you’ve also got A-Xian, A-Cheng, Huaisang, Wangji, Xichen, and Mingjue...” He groans and hides his face properly in the soft silk of her robes even as she laughs again over his head.

Notes: This fic is actually a request fill for someone and I had some trouble ending it because there's a lot more I want to write with this wild family, though I did eventually find what felt like a good place to cut it off with 3zun arriving in Jinlintai for the visit they leave for at the end of AEM. There is something of a follow-up floating around my wips that - if it ever gets written - is a direct sequel to AEM that continues where this extra leaves off, with 3zun getting to spend time with their hoard of niblings in Jinlintai. No promises about if/when that will get written though. --//-- 3. Performance Art (8106 words, Rated M) Ships: 3zun, Wangxian (briefly) Summary: A Modern AU inspired by the 'Hysterical Literature' performance art project. Lan Xichen, Nie Mingjue, and Meng Yao take turns doing their best to read aloud from chosen written works as they're filmed. The twist is that they're trying to do so as they're being pleasured with a vibrator controlled by one of their partners off-camera, each of their turns ending when the partner being filmed/played with has an orgasm. Excerpt(s):

1. “Engage people with what they expect; it is..- it…it is what they are able to discern and.. ngh.. confirms their projections. It settles.. ah settles them into predictable-“ He cuts off suddenly to set the book down flat and slap one hand down sharply on the tabletop. Meng Yao simply clicks another button and Nie Mingjue groans as his newly unoccupied hand twitches back to rest on the edge of the table closer to himself, as if about to drop down beneath it. Lan Xichen and Meng Yao both shift forward in their seats but Nie Mingjue catches himself before they have to intervene, returning his hand to the middle of the table and forcing a deep breath into his lungs so he can continue. “-Predictable patterns of..of response, occupying their minds while you w-wait for the ex- extra-“ he huffs out a sharp breath and curls his hand into a fist as he tilts forward and forces out the rest of the sentence in a rush. “Extraordinary moment — that whichtheycannotanticipate. FUCK!” - 2. It’s a few hours of quiet, peaceful work later when Lan Wangji shifts his weight in the way that means he wants Wei Wuxian’s actual attention and not his ‘ I’m sculpting so I’m periodically looking at you ’ sort of attention which he is, of course, quick to grant. He pauses in his muttering half to himself and half to Lan Wangji to say, “Hm? What’s up Zhanzhan?” “From Xiongzhang,” he says by way of explanation, holding his phone out for Wei Wuxian to squint at the screen. It takes him a moment to understand what he’s looking at, his eyes needing a second to adjust to the small black and white video that’s playing after having spent hours looking between Lan Zhan and the clay form taking shape under his hands. “What is this?” he asks as he leans in closer and squints a little harder. He blinks and his eyes go wide in the next moment as he realizes what’s happening on the screen as the woman’s tension climaxes ( literally ) - and then it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump to figure out just why he’d been asked to create an eerily similar setup in his own studio the previous afternoon for three men he might as well consider his sort-of brothers at this point. His next exhale is a wheeze as his ears go hot and Lan Wangji is instantly shrugging into a robe to stand from his lounging position and approach, concern written all over his features. “Wei Ying?”

Notes: I don't really have too much to say about this one except that it brought me so much joy and laughter to write and it honestly kind of surprises me that it's one of my less popular fics - it's nothing but a fun, sexy time! But I'm also terrible at guessing trends/what people will want to see so that might be on me haha. Oh! Also - a minor thing but something I'm very mildly proud of: the narrator voice is dependent on who's behind the camera! I wanted a way to make the person filming feel just as involved as the other two and I thought that was a fun way to do it since within the narrative it's technically going to be their perspective used for the video they're recording. Just to give y'all a little insight into my decision-making when it comes to my writing style for this one. --//-- 4. Anything For My Nie-Zongzhu (6411 words, Rated E) Ship: NieYao - pre-canon (just barely) Summary: Meng Yao is Nie Mingjue's trusted right hand, intelligent and valued by his Sect Leader, at least, who has learned lately to appreciate him a hell of a lot in private too - and for much more personal matters than the minutiae of running the Nie Sect. Seeing as Nie Mingjue trusts him so much, he finds it in himself to ask for something new - for Meng Yao to top him. [Technically an extra for AEM but can be read as a standalone] Excerpt:

“Am I to play into this boorish act you’re putting on tonight?” he teases instead as he steps closer until he’s near enough to feel the way the steam from the bath has turned the air sticky and humid. Nie Mingjue finally looks up at him and Meng Yao is internally crowing with triumph as he watches the lines of tension around his eyes and mouth fall away, his expression smoothing into quiet contentment. He did that. His presence alone is enough to help Nie Mingjue relax. It feels nearly as good as the day the man had angrily defended him to his own disciples and promoted him on the spot. “It’s not an act, I’m plenty boorish,” Nie Mingjue gruffs, returning his gaze to the letter, but this close Meng Yao can actually watch his eyes do nothing but try to glare a hole through the center of the page. “Of course you are, Zongzhu,” Meng Yao allows, his tone openly humoring - as is the smile tightening the corners of his mouth. “Therefore I can only suppose that you would prefer it if I returned to my walk and left you to continue your...correspondence in peace.”

Notes: Once again not really many notes on this one! I just love NieYao, I think their dynamic during Meng Yao's Nie Sect days has so much potential and I love exploring it every so often. --//--

5. Bite The Hands That Feed (1590 words, Rated E) Ship: XiYao Summary: After being forced out of the Nie Sect, Meng Yao has to come to grips with the hunger that's been chasing him his whole life, and he finds temporary satisfaction over and over in Lan Xichen, who is always so generous with his time and his body and is willing to help him feel less empty even just for a night. Excerpt:

He would never bite the hands that feed him, that stuff him full enough to make him believe for a moment that he’s no longer starving. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t inflict pains. He bites and he scratches and he plants himself in the bloody furrows until flowering moans reward his violent care, until pleasure bursts sun-warmed and sweet between them, berries ripe for the picking. He stains his mouth red with them, his fingers purple with the bruises he paints so delicately on his devotee’s body. If Meng Yao is being clawed to a slow torturous death from within, then it stands to reason that his other half will be ripped to shreds from without. He keeps his nails sharp and his teeth bared to tear into his flesh and drink sweetly of the vintage he offers - sweat, spend, blood, saliva when their mouths meet for crushing kisses. All of it is his to consume. He puts his mouth to the feast of Lan Xichen’s body and eats until the hunger pangs are satiated, drinks until he feels dizzy with it.

Notes: So I wrote this one when I was getting a little tired of the straight narration style of all my other fics and I wanted to try my hand at something looser, a little more prose-like but also a little darker than my usual fluff. I'm not sure how successful I was - this is actually one of my absolute least popular fics, number-wise! - but it's one of my favorites anyway. --//-- 6. A Figure, A Mouth (2788 words, Rated M) Ship: Wenzhou Summary: A quiet, intimate evening spent in the comfort of the Four Seasons Mountain Manor sometime between their arrival/fixing up of the place and the confrontation with Ye Baiyi. Excerpt:

After a while of warming each other up Wen Kexing urges him back up to push the bed under the window just as he’d said he would. Zhou Zishu takes the opportunity to blow out the candles before he rejoins Wen Kexing in their bed, the sudden darkness leaving them free to admire each other clothed in nothing but broad swathes of cool, sweet blue light bisected by deep black lattices of shadow from the trees out in the yard, the shadows from the contours of the wall and decorations around the window blocking and revealing them in turns. Lao Wen is, of course, as beautiful like this as he has been in every way Zhou Zishu has ever seen him, and he takes the time to savor it, to indulge in the decadence that Wen Kexing presents for each of his remaining senses. He’s a feast for the eyes, all hard muscle and skin glistening with glittering diamonds of sweat along his shoulders and the soft curve of his cheek. He’s a symphony for the ears, breathless desire and tender calls of his name that Zhou Zishu never lets go unanswered when they’re like this. By now Wen Kexing is an expert at drawing pleasure from him in every unlikely way there is to make sure that the effects of the nails don’t keep him from reaching his peak at least once, occasionally more in spite of his fading sense of touch.

Notes: Wenzhou makes me so soft and emotional, y'all. The next one on the list is also a Wenzhou fic and I just can't seem to stop writing them in fluffy/smutty situations because it's what they deserve. I really don't have anything more interesting to say about this fic, I just love them haha. --//-- 7. Tease Him Just Enough (2537 words, Rated M) Ship: Wenzhou Summary: A possible outcome if the conversation post-face reveal in episode 6 had gone differently - i.e. if Zhou Zishu had called Wen Kexing out on all his flirting and challenged him to do something about it - and then he does. Excerpt:

They don’t need words to communicate that at least right here in this particular moment there’s no one else they would rather have in their arms, pressed up against their bodies, no one else’s tongue who would find a new home in each other’s mouths or any other body their hands would rather explore. Wen Kexing has already known that they’re fated, but for the first time it feels like they’re agreeing to be so. Even if it’s just for a night. (Not that he thinks it will be just one night for them, but getting Zhou Xu to agree to anything remotely of the kind is like trying to drag a stray back-alley cat into a bath so he’ll take what he can get.)

Notes: My first fic for Word of Honor! The whole time I was watching the show (read: obsessively binge-watching) I was like 'Okay I like this show a lot but it's not nearly as compelling as The Untamed, idk if I'll be motivated to write anything for it'. Then I got to the end and I was like NEVERMIND YES I AM. I played myself. --//-- 8. You Need Tending (12,108 words, Rated T) Ship(s): Lan Wangji & Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji & Lan Xichen, Lan Qiren & The Jades & Wei Wuxian (this is a kidfic so nothing romantic!) Summary: Wei Wuxian is alone and homeless on the streets of Yunmeng, unaware of the presence of his parents' old friend so nearby. Lan Wangji is a child grieving for the loss of his mother in silence, overwhelmed by the world his uncle keeps dragging him out into. It takes their paths crossing more than once for Lan Qiren to realize just who Wei Wuxian is and that he needs their help, but he gets there eventually. Excerpt:

He watches on as the man comes to a stop next to the boys and squats down to check over the one who had been lost and suddenly he remembers lying on the ground and looking up at a stern-faced man with gentle hands and a ribbon across his forehead. The man who had given him medicine and bandages after a small boy had defended him from dogs, and an older boy had talked to him so kindly and helped him to sit up off the dirt. Wei Ying gasps as the memory hits and he scrambles back down off the roof, landing on the packed dirt of the space between the buildings with an oof, excitement bubbling in his chest. Along with the memory comes a name and it flies from his lips as he scrambles up off the ground to push his way into the crowd again. “Master Lan!” he shouts, his tiny voice lost in the din of the market. He tries to shove closer but the little family is already walking away, their backs to him as he strains against the flow of people much bigger and stronger than him. “Master Lan!” he tries again, desperation lending extra strength and emotion to his cry. Wei Ying stops struggling as he watches the two boys in white walk away, the pair of them flanking Master Lan in his sky blue robes as they move through the market, radiating serenity in the midst of the chaos. His vision blurs and he scrubs his forearm against his eyes angrily to dry them, trying to keep the three of them in his sight for as long as he can just in case they turn around and spot him. Just in case they remember him and maybe want to tell him to come with them.

Notes: Baby Wei Ying T-T He just hits me right in the heart, and so does baby Lan Zhan! And baby Lan Xichen. All the babies. This fic was actually completely inspired by an utterly adorable fanart of Lan Xichen giving a grumpy baby A-Zhan a piggyback ride! I'd been wanting to write a kidfic type fix-it for a while and that art was the spark I needed to come up with something workable. (Edit: here’s my reblog of the art I’m talking about!) --//--

9. Familial Circumstances (5393 words, Rated G)

Ship(s): Lan Qiren & Original Characters, Lan Qiren & Jin Zixuan, Lan Qiren & Qin Su, Lan Qiren & Mo Xuanyu - An extra for AEM

Summary: Another kidfic extra for the horde of children in Jinlintai, this time as seen through the lens of their beloved Great Uncle Lan. It's a simple relationship-study-type look at how all the children love their Great Uncle and how much he loves and treasures them in return.

Excerpt:

An unusual stillness accompanies [Jin Ruhai's] playing. Jin Lu stops fidgeting with her fingers, the twins slip into the perfect stillness of those who are utterly aware of themselves at all times - a trait [Lan Qiren has] noticed in every skilled fighter he’s ever come across - and even Jin Ye relaxes, slumping further and further backwards until she’s slouched down against his stomach, legs dangling over his crossed shins.

The piece isn’t a terribly long one, nor as complex as the next score Lan Qiren intends to teach the boy, but Jin Ruhai’s mastery of it is impressive. Again, Lan Qiren is forcefully reminded of Lan Wangji, always most at peace when behind his instrument to play with and/or for the people he loves.

There’s silence in the room until the last note fades with a shiver into the air and Jin Ruhai pulls his hands back from the instrument. The stillness lasts for one more moment before it’s interrupted by Jin Lu sneezing suddenly and her siblings laugh as the quiet breaks.

“I had to hold that in the whole time !!” Jin Lu laughs as she rubs her sleeve under her nose, one eye screwed shut as she giggles. “I didn’t want to mess up A-Zhuang’s song, it’s so pretty!”

Notes: I'm definitely biased because they're all my oc's except for Jin Ling, but I genuinely love all of the Jin children in the AEM AU. If anyone is ever interested in knowing more about their individual personalities and the like please don't hesitate to ask me, I've actually put quite a bit of thought into all 6 of the kids I created wholecloth and I have a lot of feelings about Jin Ling getting the chaotic siblings and loving parents he was robbed of.

--//--

10. Opportunities To Practice (5710 words, Rated M) (*WIP)

Ship: Xuanli - An extra for AEM

Summary: Jin Zixuan is nervous for his..marital activities with Jiang Yanli - after all, who could he possibly ask for advice? His father? No thank you. Thankfully Jiang Yanli is sweet and patient and knows her husband well - he just needs a bit of time and he'll get it figured out.

Excerpt:

She shivers with an interesting combination of want and intense vulnerability as she stands there, feeling bare in spite of her remaining layer. It’s of a material so sheer as to be practically nonexistent, nothing more than a delicate veil of a red so pale it’s nearly pink that sits on her body like a second skin. Until it falls gently away at the knee to flutter around her ankles, it clings to every curve, every contour, and as she watches Jin Zixuan doesn’t even bother to hang the robe he had just removed on the screen. He lets it drop into a soft pool around her bare feet, his gaze roaming her newly exposed figure - she would perhaps feel strange about it did he not look so devoted , so in awe of seeing her practically naked in front of him.

Yanli gasps softly as he suddenly drops to his knees at her feet and oh - that’s heady. Her body, which she hasn’t really thought of too much in the past beyond the occasional irritation that it’s weaker than she would prefer, has put the man she loves on his knees. He’s looking up at her now, his eyes wide and his hands reverent as he raises them to rest on her thighs, thumbs caressing her too-warm skin through the barely-there robe that bunches up softly under the pressure of his grip.

“You’re right,” he finally breathes, sounding slightly strained. “I’d like this to stay on. If that’s - are you alright?”

“I am,” she reassures.

Notes: This last fic is technically a wip, the only one in the list! However! - it's going to be a collection of one-shots centered around Xuanli and their sexual exploits that lead to their seven children, and possibly also the ones that are just for fun (horny Yanli rights forever). It's not currently high on my list of priorities or anything and the one chapter that's up so far can stand on its own so it's a wip but it's not? I just love Xuanli so much and I want to explore their relationship in my happy fix-it AU whenever the mood strikes, and whenever that happens this is where those one-shots will go.

--//--

And that's it! My personal top 10 favorite fics of my own as of right now. I thought about doing my top 10 according to statistics like hit counts or kudos, but I genuinely love some of these unpopular fics and I wanted to give them some love and attention even if it's just for me. I know there's a lot here to sift through but if any of y'all enjoyed the list or any of the specific fics on it let me know! I liked taking this little pause to take a look at what I've actually been producing these last few months.

Thanks for reading!

#the untamed fanfic #gonna tag the main romantic ships listed: #3zun #NieYao #XiYao #Wangxian #Xuanli #Wenzhou #y'all I legit spent hours formatting this and writing all this out #I also went looking for the fanart that inspired You Need Tending so I could link it and my page refreshed #which I suspected it would do so of course I hit Ctrl+A and copied it all - #only to find out that doing that doesn't extend past the readmore break which I had already put in #so I lost the whole introductory bit and had to rewrite it #T-T I didn't even find the fanart I'm gonna look for it again on mobile cuz it's easier #ANYWAY - literally no one asked for this and I don't even know if anyone was curious to begin with but I wanted to make this anyway soooo #It's also lowkey one of my goals to write something one day that becomes popular enough to end up on rec lists #So this is me kind of indulging that in a very 'tooting my own horn' kind of way that I refuse to apologize for #No shame in my game #Also if you see any typos or formatting weirdness No You Don't :) I've been doing this for 5+ hours and I'm hUNGRY

[t0wnspersonb]

Chocolates and Confessions (Nishinoya Yu x Reader)

Anonymous said:

hello 👋 You‘re writing is not as cringe as others (haha jk I like your writing a lot actually) Can I request Noya Tsukki or Bokuto (whichever you‘re more comfortable with) going into the locker room while their new manager is changing. I think it would be cute if they already picked an interest in her but aren‘t sure if it’s a crush yet. You can also add whatever you like :D I trust you I also wanted to let you know that your blog is the only one I have notifications on for 💕 Thank youuu!~

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Anonymous said:

Bro you know what would be a great fic? Reader getting asked out for Valentine's day and they say no because they only like Noya and when they're telling Noya about it he gets jealous and says smth like "Why would they ask you out?" not meaning to be rude but reader takes it that way and gets mad at Noya and he doesn't realize what he said until it's too late and yeah that's really all I have

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Word Count: 2,141

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I HAD SO MUCH FUN WRITING FOR NOYA. I decided to combine these two together! I hope you don’t mind! Also you guys are so wonderful! I hope you guys like it and let me know what you think:)

~~~

You hadn’t planned on this happening. 

 Your face burned in embarrassment as you stared right back. The shirt you were about to put on still lingered on your arms, luckily it was covering your chest, but your back was entirely exposed, which meant so was your bra.

 “I-I I’m so sorry!” Nishinoya yelled, bowing his head before turning rapidly to leave the room, his forehead slamming into the door frame.

 “N-Noya! Are you okay!?” you panicked, your shirt dropping completely from your arms as you reached for the hurt libero, not even registering that your upper body was now completely exposed.

 He was grabbing at his head in pain, but when he felt your soft hands press against his shoulder, he looked up at you quickly. His face was bright red, and then his nose started bleeding. 

 “B-B-Boobs!” he stuttered out, staring at your white bra and cleavage. A small pink bow rested in the middle.

 It was a beautiful sight.

 You stared at him dumbfounded, before realizing what he had said. Your face was just as red as his now, your arms coming up to wrap around yourself, covering your chest in embarrassment. 

 “Noya, you dumbass!” you screamed.

 He started screaming back, apologizing profusely as he attempted to cover his eyes and leave the room again, only for him to stumble about.

 This was pure chaos.

 You grabbed the nearest piece of clothing to you, hurriedly throwing it on. Which just so happened to be Nishinoya’s team jacket. You zipped up the jacket all the way to your chin just in time for Kiyoko and Sugawara to run into the locker room at the commotion.

 You were sitting on the floor, clutching at the front of the jacket, face flushed as you looked away from Nishinoya, who was holding his nose and looking away from you, equally as red.

 “What happened?” Sugarawa asked, scratching his cheek as he looked between you guys with a sheepish smile.

 “N-Nothing! Can you guys please get out!? I need to finish changing! Noya hit his head and got a bloody nose! You should help him!” you said hurriedly, urging them out of the room.

 Once it was cleared, you slammed the door shut, sighing in exhaustion.

 “Y/n isn’t that Nishinoya’s?” Kiyoko asked curiously.

 You blushed furiously once more, hurriedly removing the jacket and grabbing your shirt, stuffing the jacket into your gym bag.

 “We’re late. Let’s go!” you grumbled, grabbing the third year’s hand and tugging her away from the room.

 The girl’s changing room was being renovated, meaning that you guys were using the boy’s changing room. An incident like this only happened because you forgot to put up the sign that it was in use. 

 A mistake on your part since you were rushing to change, you were running late to practice, and now Nishinoya was injured because of you.

 You felt terrible.

 Well… maybe not that terrible, considering that he was completely fine, minus the red mark on his forehead.

 He met your gaze and both of you immediately averted your eyes from each other, an evident blush on both of your faces.

 Nishinoya hadn’t meant to run into the changing room like that, he had forgotten his knee pads and the sign wasn’t up. But… if he was being honest with himself, he was glad he did.

 The image of your exposed chest was forever burned into his mind now, the white of your bra and the bow… he was going to treasure that forever.

 You had joined the volleyball club only two weeks ago. While you were still adjusting to everything around you, you had already formed strong bonds with the team.

 But one member in particular had his eye on you in a different way. 

 Nishinoya found you incredibly beautiful, you were smart and funny, incredibly reliable and kind… and you were shorter than him.

 He wondered how he wasn’t aware of you before, considering that you were a second year as well, but in one of the higher classes.

 “Noya.” your sweet voice interrupted his thoughts. Your small hand holding his knee pads were presented before him. “You forgot these.”

 “Y/n I’m really so-” you held your hand up, interrupting his apology.

 “Don’t worry about it, it was an accident. I know you didn’t mean to. Let’s just forget it happened yeah?” you asked smiling brightly at him despite the blush in your face.

 He nodded gently, taking his knee pads and watched as you jogged off to help Kiyoko.

 But he definitely couldn’t promise that, he couldn’t forget that incident if his life depended on it, in fact he would revisit that moment later tonight, he was sure of it.

 ***

 It had been several weeks since the incident, and no one talked about it luckily. You were starting to get the hang of the manager duties, and your bond with the boys deepened.

 It was pure chaos managing the Karasuno boys with Kiyoko, but it was incredibly fun. 

 “Are you planning on giving out chocolates this year?” You asked Kiyoko one day, both of you were hanging up the volleyball net.

 “Chocolates?” she asked.

 “You know! For Valentine’s Day!” you said brightly. “It’s tomorrow!”

 Several ears perked up at your guys’ conversation.

 Valentine’s Day was every man’s dream. A day of receiving chocolates from a cute girl.

 That was pure heaven.

 “I usually don’t do stuff like that.” Kiyoko said quietly. “Do you?”

 You nodded excitedly. “Of course! I do it every year for my friends! I was thinking about making some for the team. Do you think that would be okay?”

 You were… you were going to make the team chocolates? 

 “Y/n-chan! You would do that for us!?” Tanaka cried suddenly appearing right next to you. 

 You laughed nervously, sweatdropping at his interruption. “If that’s okay…”

 “That’s more than okay!” He cried, “You’re a pure angel!”

 “I- I wouldn’t say that…”

 “Y/n-san is making us chocolates tomorrow Kageyama! I bet that’s the first time you’ve ever received chocolates from a girl!”

 “Boke! The same could be said about you!”

 “The King is right, who would want to give you chocolates?”

 Chaos.

 Complete chaos. You shouldn’t have said anything, you thought as you watched Daichi yell at everyone.

 “Y/n-chan!” Nishinoya called out to you as he entered the gym. He smiled at you brightly.

 While you had felt awkward for a couple of days after that incident in the locker room, the relationship between you and Nishinoya was still the same.

 “Noya! How did you do on your quiz?” you asked walking over to the short male. He grinned brightly, pulling out a sheet paper and giving you a thumbs up.

 “I did fantastic! Thanks for helping me study!” he said boisterously.

 “I mean… it’s better than your last score.” You laughed; the grade was still low to the point that he shouldn’t be bragging but… it was definitely better.

 “I know right!?” he grinned.

 Before you could say more Ukai called attention to the practice, meaning that you were going to run around and finish your manager duties.

 As you worked your mind wandered over to the small libero. Ever since the incident, well you were watching Nishinoya a lot more closely than you had before.

 He was… really cute, now that you thought about it. Surprisingly he was also really cool when he played volleyball, that was something that you hadn’t expected to think. 

 Dare you say it… you knew you started harboring a small crush on the male.

 You already had plans on making his chocolate a little more special than everyone else’s.

 Valentine’s Day couldn’t have come at a better time.

 ***

 “So, are you going to give it to him!?” your friends asked excitedly after you had given them their own chocolates.

 You yawned loudly, you had stayed up late making the handmade chocolates, specifically making sure Nishinoya’s was tasty and immaculate.

 You carefully pulled out the neatly wrapped chocolates, it was in a different bag and wrapped differently than the others. A hopeful display of your affections towards the libero.

 “It’s so cute! He’s going to love them!” your friend squealed.

 A small smile twitched at your lips. “I hope so… I hope my feelings can get across to him… he’s not the smartest…”

 They giggled at your statement.

 Suddenly an arm wrapped around your shoulders, one of your male classmates leaning against you cheekily. 

 You guys weren’t the closest, but you guys could be considered friends.

 “Oh! Good, you’re here! Here I made chocolates for everyone -” you reached to grab one of the other chocolates from your bag. Until Nishinoya’s was suddenly taken from your other hand. 

 “W-Wait -”

 “Thanks Y/n-chan! These are really cute! You made them just for me!? You’re the best! Receiving chocolates from a cute girl like you makes me so happy!” he said cheekily, already opening up the chocolates and popping one in his mouth, he pecked your cheek briefly before walking off with his group of friends that were teasing him.

 Did he really just do that?

 You frowned, biting back tears. What were you going to do now?

 “Y/n-chan do you want us to go get that back?” One of your friends asked gently.

 “He already ate them.... Oh, shoot I’m going to be late!” you said, noticing the time. You ran off after a brief goodbye.

 Unbeknownst to you, Nishinoya had seen that exchange from afar. But under the wrong context.

 He had thought that you had given that guy those chocolates, and the way he kissed your cheek… you must’ve confessed to him. Especially with those incredibly cute chocolates.

 A fire burned deep in Nishinoya’s stomach as he walked towards the club room, he should’ve known better that someone as beautiful and kind as you wouldn’t be interested in someone like him.

 He didn’t look at you throughout the entire practice. 

 It made your stomach twist unpleasantly as you tried to remember if you had done something wrong.

 It wasn’t until the end of practice that you began handing out the chocolates to everyone as they went on their way home.

 It was just you and Nishinoya now, he was adjusting his bag over his shoulder when you approached him.

 “N-Noya.” you stuttered out, the bag of sweets resting in your palm and you extended out your arm. “These are for you.”

 “Thanks.” he muttered, half-heartedly taking the bag, and stuffing it into his uniform pocket. He brushed past you to leave until you caught his sleeve. 

 “Did I… do something to make you mad?” you asked in a small voice. He was being so cold to you… you didn’t understand why.

 “You should’ve told me you were already interested in someone else.” he snapped yanking his arm out of your grasp. 

 You blinked at him in confusion. “What are you talking -” “I saw that guy earlier! The one you gave those chocolates too.” he interrupted. “It was obvious that those weren’t obligatory chocolates like everyone else’s were! I thought that you might’ve liked me back but obviously you were just playing with my feelings!”

 You felt your lower lip quiver, tears gathering in your eyes at his harsh words. “You idiot Noya! Those chocolates were for you! He ate them before I could tell him that they weren’t his! I do like you!”

Nishinoya’s eyes widened at your confession, immediately feeling bad at how he was treating you. He reached for you, grabbing your wrist and yanking you into his arms. 

 “I’m sorry.” he murmured quietly, his hands rubbing your back soothingly. “I didn’t mean to make you cry… I misunderstood the situation. I’m sorry.”

 You sniffled, pulling back slightly to look at the libero. “You’re so stupid Noya, I was going to use those chocolates to confess to you and -”

 “I like you too.” he interrupted, a large smile stretching across his face. “I’ve liked you for a while now.”

 You stared into his dark eyes, blush creeping into your cheeks at his statement. You weakly slapped at his chest, grumbling to yourself at how annoying he was. 

 He laughed loudly before gently grabbing your face, making you meet his gaze, and then his soft lips pressed against the side of your cheek. 

 “I don’t like other guys touching what’s mine.” he stated smugly, pulling away as he stared at your flushed face.

 “Y-Yours!?”

 “Yeah.” he leaned, pressing his lips to your briefly before pulling away. “Mine.” he grinned cheekily at you before running off. 

 Leaving you standing with your fingers pressed lightly to your lips. 

 ***

 “So you think it’s okay to take my friend’s chocolate!? Those weren’t for you!”

 “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t know! I don’t even know who you are!”

 “HUH!?”

 “Tanaka! Shut up! You’re disturbing everyone’s lunch!”

 “... Sorry Daichi.”

#haikyuu!! #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu x you #haikyuu fluff #nishinoya yū #nishinoya x reader #reader insert #nishinoya imagine #requests #noya fluff #haikyuu noya #noya x reader #noya one shot #nishinoya x you #one shot #nishinoya yu x reader #nishinoya yu x you #haikyuu requests #fluff

[what-big-teeth]

Admire (Male Naga ; Fic Raffle)

And done! @glugenash​ requested a meet-cute between a male reader and a naga of any gender. I decided to go with a male naga and let my imagination take hold to make this wonderful idea even cuter. I hope you all enjoy this fic! Male Reader (POV) x Male Monster If there’s one place you can truly relax while curling up with a good book, it’s the library.

Ever since you moved into town for a better job opportunity, you attempted to combat the new stressors that turned up as a result. Exercise, meditation, doing the bare minimum on the weekends. Nothing could compare to the public library and its innate charm. This is why you’re seated at your favorite table.

Tucked into one of the historical building’s many corners beside a large window, there’s always just enough sunlight to happily bask in and use while reading. These simple reasons—and the woodsy, vanillin scent of the surrounding book collection—are why you’ve decided to revisit an old series. Something about embracing a nostalgic memory at your table alleviates your pent-up stress like nothing else.

Which is why the sensation of being watched feels so foreign.

You’ve attempted to look around as discreetly as possible. But your eyes haven’t encountered anything out of the ordinary. Just the usual, book-lined shelves and wooden lectern holding an old, massive dictionary.

Still, you can’t fully shake the feeling. Your gut has rarely led you astray, which is why you keep glancing around. After a fleeting moment, you think you see a dark shape shrink away behind a nearby shelf. You stand up, intent on finding out who your odd observer is. But an insistent buzzing from your jeans pocket breaks your focus. Knowing that your library hasn’t made the full transition to a ‘loud facility’ yet, you step away from your spot, leaving your book behind to take the call outside.

Unsurprisingly, it’s work. Or rather, your boss. One of your co-workers has taken ill suddenly, and he needs you to fill in for her shift until he recovers. There’ll be extra pay as compensation, which helps to sweeten the deal. But when your boss mentions the project your co-worker has been toiling over for the last few weeks, you silently wince. You honestly would rather not take on the extra work, but the extra money would really help.

Your boss says your name in a questioning manner. Looks like you accidentally zoned out.

“Sure thing,” you say with a forced, cheerful tone. You can already feel the mounting stress that’ll have you on edge. With a final, merry “thanks!” and farewell, the call ends. This new development calls for some extra self-care.

You head back inside the library, making your way over to the built-in cafe. It’s a welcomed new addition, especially since they make some of the best, homebrew tea and pastries you’ve ever had. With your cup of honeyed chamomile and warmed confection in hand, you return to your sunshine laden table.

Your book is in its usual spot, but it’s been closed with a tasseled bookmark keeping track of your place. You didn’t pick up one while greeting Jason at the circulation desk. After mentally marking which page you left off on, you untuck it from between the pages. The design is, well, it’s amazing. Hand drawn swirls of complimentary colors balance each other out while being lined with careful, fine-tipped black lines. And the tassel is uniquely soft to the touch, the threads feeling similar to silk. You’re so drawn to the workmanship of the bookmark that you almost overlook the neatly folded piece of paper on the table.

The Farandale Chronicles is one of my favorite series. If you’d like to read something similar, I’d like to suggest the Crystal of Might series, written by Malkus Morak.  — D

You re-read the note a few times. But no matter how much you attempt to place the neat handwriting, you can’t. There isn’t anything untoward about the suggestion, honestly. And the bookmark is an unexpected, if creative gift. Decision made, you replace the bookmark and head over to the Science Fiction section.

It doesn’t take long to find the suggested book and read the blurb on the jacket’s interior. You can’t deny that it sounds like something right up your alley. Even better, there are three more books in the series.

“Think I will try this out,” you mutter to yourself. “Thanks for the suggestion, D.”

You bundle the new book together with your old favorite, being cautious of your food, and fall in line before the circulation desk. It doesn’t take long for you to reach the front and greet the tawny, curly-haired minotaur behind the counter with a smile.

“How are things going, Jason?” He nods in reply, stalwart as ever as he carefully checks both books for possible damage before checking them out to you.

“Three weeks, as usual,” he murmurs with a deep voice. He gestures to the new book you’ve decided to read. “Should I put the sequel on hold for you?”

“That’d be great!”

After nimbly using the keyboard to complete your request, he hands both books to you with a gentle puff of air.

“Anything else I can help you with?”

Wetting your lips, you tug the handwritten note from between the cover and first page of Morak’s book.

“Would you happen to know whose handwriting this is?”

Jason gently takes the note from you, his warm brown eyes scanning the contents. With a small cough, he hands it back to you.

“Sorry, I don’t. But I’m glad they wrote on a slip of paper instead of damaging the book.”

You can’t help but chuckle. Ever since you met him, Jason’s always been a stickler for the rules when it comes to the library. Quiet yet firm. You pocket the note, being careful to not crease it any further.

“That’s fine,” you say. “It was worth a shot, anyway.”

“Be sure to finish your food while on site,” he says. “The Director is still leery about folks taking off with the cafe’s food.”

“Don’t worry,” you say, smiling. “There’s a bench outside that called to me when I stepped out earlier. Take care.”

As you leave with your new reading materials and food, you can’t stop the thrill of excitement that wells up inside you. Besides being a place of reprieve, you beloved library has provided an interesting mystery as well. And it’s one you intend to solve.

_______________________________________________

Like clockwork, you return the same day next week. Thankfully, your boss was kind enough to give you the weekend off after you took on your duties and that of your sick co-worker. It gives you just enough time to destress at the library. This time, you make a beeline for the cafe, ordering some calming tea and a new, but delectable looking pastry. Jason greets you at the circulation desk and checks out Molak’s second book to you. Once you’ve checked that your usual spot hasn’t been taken, you swiftly lay claim with your purchased items and settle in your seat.

After drinking your tea and eating your pastry, you find yourself feeling better. You open the hardback’s cover, highly interested in seeing what’ll happen to the protagonists next. But two slips of paper flutter out from the book, like before. The material is thicker this time around, similar to reinforced sketchbook paper. Your eyes widen as you realize why.

The subject of the drawing is someone you know too well. It’s you. The sketch depicts a past you sitting where you are now, looking content with a soft smile on your face as you read. Little details jump out as you take in the entirety of the work. The slight dents on the side of the old table you graze your hand over time and time again. The way you hold a book that you find immensely but surprisingly pleasing. The almost starstruck expression lighting up your features as you leave this world for another while reading…

Underneath, in familiar elegant writing, the caption reads ‘Entranced Beauty’. Heat wells up within your cheeks as you read the words over and over again. Your fingertip glides against the lettering as you pick up the other slip of paper from the carpeted floor.

There have been many times I’ve wanted to tell you how wonderful you look when you’re lost in your own world. But I’m afraid that, verbally, words fail me. At least this skill of mine can say more than what I could ever hope. For a while now, I’ve hoped I could be invited to come along with you as another book takes hold of your imagination. But I refuse to think that such lofty hopes can be achieved, considering what I am. I’m merely glad that my suggestion was pleasing to you, and I hope I can continue to provide doors for you to walk through when you need a break from this world.  — D

Your heart pounds loudly inside your chest and head as the heat in your cheeks spread throughout your whole body. All you can think about is discovering who your admirer is and meeting them face to face. After all, someone who can write and such sweet thoughts and draw so beautifully can’t be as bad as they think. With this thought as encouragement, you find Molak’s collection and take the third book of his series from the shelf. You wait in line behind a couple, a gorgon and gargoyle, as Jason helps them with their items. Once they’re taken care of, you step up to the circulation desk and set the book down.

“Find everything you were looking for?” he asks.

You’re tempted to say ‘yes’, but stop short.

“No,” you say. “I...I need your help.”

You show Jason the sketch and note, asking once again if he happens to know anything. After all, the note and sketch had to be put in place before you checked out the second book. And all holds are reserved behind the circulation desk for all patrons.

A strange silence falls between the two of you. It’s broken by Jason coughing into his closed fist as he averts his gaze.

“You do know something, don’t you?” you murmur.Jason glances your way before letting his eyes drop to the computer screen in front of him.

“I get it.” You pause to reign in your voice, surprised at the sudden loudness of it. “I understand you’re trying to protect D, especially because they feel like they can’t face me. But you know me, Jason. I won’t hurt them. I just want to meet them and tell them my appreciation.”

Once more, you bring out the sketch and place it on the circulation desk before you. “Please, help me.”

Jason’s gaze finds the sketch and settles on it. He finally lets out a soft huff of air then rubs the back of his neck with his hand.

“I didn’t realize how deeply D fell for you,” he says. “I thought it was just a crush. Alright. I’ll help you out. Not only do you deserve a happy ending, but so does D. Just...be gentle with him, alright? He’s been through a lot.”

“I will,” you say, letting your words carry your promise. “Thank you, Jason.”

“Don’t thank me just yet,” he mutters. “Gonna have to see how this goes, first. Alright, D always comes like clockwork on Wednesday evenings...”

You take Jason at his word and return to the library at the time and day he suggested. Sure, it involved rearranging your work schedule somewhat, but your now-well co-worker was more than happy to return the favor you showed her. Probably helps that she’s somewhat of a romantic and readily agreed after you explained the situation to her.With careful steps, you make your way towards your usual spot. The last few rays of the setting sun fall onto the table and the naga sitting at it.

The quiet breath you’re taking in stalls at the sight.

With rich, golden brown skin, you can’t help but wonder why D would think himself unattractive. More so thanks to his jet black hair, which is pulled back into a bun, and his matching scales. Even the slight creme of his underbelly, which you can barely make out due to his button-down shirt, is charming. Remembering Jason’s advice, you carefully approach the table as he remains lost in a book held in his clawed hands. It’s the third book in Molak’s fantasy series. You can’t help but smile at the realization.

“Excuse me,” you say.

D startles, tensing at your soft voice. His pupils dilate somewhat in reply as he looks at you. With him looking head on at you, you notice the scaled skin on the sides of his neck. A hood, like that of a cobra. He looks close to bolting right then and there, but you gently press on.

“By chance, are you D?”

D gulps down a few breaths of air.

“N-no, I’m…”

Your body intuitively moves, laying a gentle hand on his upper arm in what you hope is a soothing gesture.

“I want the same thing,” you say. “I want to let you into my world so that we can make one of our own. Together.”

The scaled hood at his neck flares somewhat, but you don’t feel any fear. If anything, you’re entranced. How can such a charming, handsome naga think he’s anything less? After a few tense moments, D finally relaxes then nods.

“I...I am D.”

He meets your gaze, and you almost feel yourself fall into the molten gold of his eyes.

“I didn’t want you to know because not too many people want anything to do with me. My lineage is from a King Cobra clan, which makes me venomous. And that tends to make others uncomfortable. I-I didn’t want you to feel the same, but I couldn’t hide how I felt about you after I first saw you a few months ago. Jason thought...he suggested I could let you know anonymously and I agreed. I thought that would be best. I’m just surprised you’d want to seek me out.”

You can’t help but smile while gently gripping D’s upper arm.

“You left me with an amazing mystery to solve. And as much as you want to know me, I found myself wanting to know the person behind the ‘D’ moniker. I still do, if that’s alright with you.”

D gives you a soft smile in return, which reveals a hint of his sharp fangs. They’re rather cute, just like the rest of him. He stands up and extends a hand towards you.

“Then, let me officially introduce myself. I’m Danilo.”

You take his hand and shake it while giving him your name. When he attempts to pull his hand away, you gently squeeze it. Danilo’s breath catches as you maneuver your fingers so they twine with his.

“B-by chance,” he nearly squeaks out, “do you like Filipino food? I know a place that serves dishes similar to what I grew up with back home.”

“I haven’t had it before,” you say, “but I’m excited to try it out. I hope you don’t mind acting as my culinary tour guide.”

Danilo gives you another soft smile as he huffs out a laugh.

“Not at all.”

You both head towards the circulation desk, where you see Jason positively beaming at the two of you. As Danilo tells you about his work as a graphic designer and animator, you find yourself hanging on his every word. As he hands Jason the third and final book of the trilogy, you smile.

You can’t wait to see what else you both have in common.

#monster boyfriend #monster/human #monster romance #exophilia #naga boyfriend #terato #300 Follower Raffle #I hope you all enjoy!

[yeoldontknow]

🖊writerly conversation tag

tagged by @j-pping to do this amazing interview/reflections tag. of course she put together one of the most amazing tags ever because she is brilliant. thank you for tagging me angel! 

questions below the cut!

2020

what was the most challenging part of writing this year?

gosh...i think for me the hardest bit was staying both motivated and inspired. a lot of my inspiration comes from being out in the world. im an introvert but i enjoy being out in the city around the noise and the people and the buildings on my own. the majority of my writing used to be done while riding the subway or on a weekend after id gone out somewhere. a lot of my fics are inspired by locations, and experiences within those locations. being inside for the majority of the year made it hard for me to remember how...people interact with or relate to the spaces around them. so i felt like a lot of the time staying inspired was coming from places within just me that felt inauthentic. i think my writing benefits from my ability to see multiple perspectives, so i felt like a lot of dialogue or writing itself was suffering just coming from me alone. it took a lot of work to ensure that it wasnt like that. 

and then, motivation was also so hard. the internet and the news and everything about america, the planet, the everything was unrelenting and draining. we as people were privy to so much trauma this year, to the collapse and fracture of communities, lives, governments. there were several weeks at the end of may and into june where i just...couldnt. i had no energy for anything. it happened again in november after the election and the windfall of it. energetic tensions were so high it just felt so hard to push out words when things were breaking everywhere. like there were more important things i needed to focus on, and healing was one of them.

what was the most enjoyable/rewarding part of writing this year?

i enjoyed the new community of writers/friends i found by writing for bts again. they challenged me and pushed me to better myself. @jamaisjoons is so inspirational in the way she generates community and encourages relationships between storytellers. doing the summer bucket list pushed me out of my hermit hole for camp nano, and i cranked out molotov cocktail and felt so proud of it. it mattered so much to me because it was the first long thing id written after a period of feeling deceased, and it was so enjoyable because there was a sense of community around it. its easy to forget how essential having a support system in your creative community is.

what piece has left the most impact on you and why?

probably ciperion. words cannot express how proud i am of that story and the direction its going in. i read it back sometimes and i realize that my writing was elevated because of that piece. tbh molotov was responsible for that lift, but ciperion was just a whole other tier. ive also never written anything like that story before and it felt so good exploring the themes of seafaring and pirates. 

what have you learned about yourself through the process of writing in the past year?

that i absolutely am someone who took for granted how inspiring the world is even if i see it as a stressor. but also that writing isnt necessarily about being inspired. its about pushing on when its hard. some of my best pieces came from that kind of push this year. 2020 felt like...a slog through most of it, but i kept pushing myself to write even when i was low and tired. i realized that some of my best writing comes from that push, when its not easy and when its difficult and i have to think harder. thats where i grow. 

how has your writing changed in the past year? how have you grown?

i think im more syntax and detailed focused than i used to be. lately ive been experimenting with making the act of reading feel like pleasure. my favourite books are the ones where i read a sentence, and im moved because it felt nice to read or it felt powerful. the sentence itself had power, not the image it was trying to convey. somehow separate, if that makes sense. theres a lot i need to learn before i could go off comfortably and try to write a book, and this is what ive been trying to master. my attention to detail has grown, and sometimes i think thats a detriment. i think sometimes im too detailed and i dont leave my reader enough power on their own. im still finding that balance, but i think im pleased right now with what im trying to push myself to master.

2021

ignoring your wips for a second, if you had all the time and energy in the world to write your magnum opus piece, what would it be about? why is that the dream story you’d write, all other things controlled for?

ive had two books in my mind forever. one was originally being written as a fanfic in a different fandom before i stopped and realized its too big and so much more important, and is worth being a book id like to write. if i wrote an opus like this it would actually be a book id submit to publishers but ~

- hundreds of years in the future, society has learned how to cure most diseases. for those we cannot, the sick person can be cryogenically frozen for a period of time until a cure is found. there is, however, a limit to the length of time they are frozen. no one has ever been frozen for over 100 years, and the main character is a scientist embarking on the experiment to do just that. it is, effectively, time travel. the main character is rash, selfish, sarcastic - not a very nice person; invested in their work and science and little else. they freeze themselves and wake up in the future. during their time in rehab they have to confront the horror theyve made of themselves, the horror people have made of the future, learn to be vulnerable. they end up falling in love with another scientist etc etc. theres so much more to this story and the world is enormous. one day ill revisit it

- a fictional play on orpheus in the underworld where a female main character’s brother was sold by their mother to the goddess of the underworld (helena instead of hades) for eternal youth. the gods all live in a hotel (the concept of this main thing is being used in elysian fields but its not remotely the same) after they were removed from the heavens. main character (ophelia) must gather several totems from the gods to prove her worth and survive her trip into the underworld to rescue him. id like to not focus on a woman finding romance, and instead a woman finding herself, her strength, her devotion to family, her power, and connecting with her history.

how do you want to grow in your writing this year?

this year id like to find balance, like i mentioned above, with my need for detail and my trust in my readers. the balance between detail and dialogue. i want to try to condense my writing again so not everything is a goddamn series. the ideas i have are huge and thats great but i need to remember how to parse things again, while still maintaining impact.

what’s one thing you’d wish to see in the fan-writing community this year?

i want more community, in general. as a multi fan, i see pockets in the kpop fandom where it exists and im well and truly aware that its recently become incredibly hard to foster on the exo side. ill just say that. maybe i dont witness it or its happening amongst blogs i havent found or have not found me. i want to see less dialogue about ‘popular blogs,’ whatever that means; less focus on notes; less worries about statistics. i want people to remember that fandom is not about numbers, and the moment you make it about that is the moment you stop having fun. i want less fear from writers regarding sharing work they read and liked, less shame around it. i want to see more vocal communication for the things people like and don’t like, more engagement and more interaction. the concept of popular blogs is so ridiculous to me, because no one has any control over the metrics. no one has control over who follows them or reads their work except the person doing the actual reading. i want people to realize they hold so much power - a person with 10k notes has as much power as a person with 2 notes because sharing is what fosters community. i want this fandom to remember to share again.

name one new thing you want to try doing in your writing this year.

gosh i really love postmodernism in writing. think like mark z danielewski, who plays with the shapes of words or the act of holding a book - the physicality of it. id like to maybe write a choose your own adventure, or do something that encompasses multiple platforms. or even, more importantly, finish as still as sound and time runner. those are more reasonable goals. time runner actually is done, i just need to stop pressuring myself about it and edit it to get it up. asas, too, is largely done i just need to get my ass together. i have so many other ideas no one has ever seen i need to finish what ive started. thats a real goal.

tagging: @yehet-me-up @jamaisjoons @kyungseokie @jenmyeons @luffles424 @yoonia @shadowsremedy @chillingkoo @onherwings @inkedtae @ninibears-erigom @imdifferentshadesofpurple @readyplayerhobi @ditzymax @sugaurora @snackhobi @yeojaa @sahmfanficbts @xjoonchildx @johobi and anyone else who wants to do this. as always please only do so if comfortable or you want to!

#writer conversation tag

[wildbootsappeared]

Continental Divides Chapter Discussion #0: Humble Origins/Editing and Rewriting

I recently enjoyed hearing Negrek talk about the behind-the-scenes of the most recent chapter of Salvage and was inspired: I figure some of you might be interested in hearing some of that type of thing for Divides, too. CD touches on some pretty complicated subjects (historical events and politics and glazed-over-science) that are worth teasing apart a little more. So I’m going to start slowly adding in some chapter reflection posts! Keep in mind that these will probably be full of spoilers, and you’ll want to get caught up before you read em. 

If you want to hear me talk about something specific, feel free to shoot me a question.

(By the way, if you’re not reading Salvage yet—fam, get on my level. I’d describe it as a black humor odd-couple tale of … friendship??? Hm, that’s definitely not the right word, is it? Anyway! Featuring: an absolute goblin of a pokemorph, dismemberment, corruption, and Very Good Decisions. And lovely prose, by the way.)

With that, let’s get into it!

(CD spoilers below!)

Art by Giulia Bernardelli 

From Humble Origins

I’ve mentioned before that Mark and Natalie were my first original characters. They were side characters in my first ever fic from … god, 2003 or 2004-ish? So in many ways, they’ve grown up with me.

I learned about fanfic shortly after Ruby and Sapphire came out in the US, so of course baby OSJ had to try her hand at a Hoenn journey fic. I’m really sad that I don’t have a copy of the original text anymore because it was hilariously bad. You see, Brendan and May had to run away from home (instead of just … journeying like every other trainer?) because they were IN LOVE (after, like, a day and a half at most) but their parents WOULDN’T LET THEM BE TOGETHER. The story featured dazzling moments of creative genius like … Brendan and May “sneaking” into Rustboro at the wee hour of 10 am, whereupon May ran into a lamp post somehow. 

Later, Mark and Natalie appear to yell at our poor heroes and then at each other. Lots of yelling. In their first inception, Mark and Nat were basically discount Jesse and James but with less dress-up and queer subtext. Mark had a glorious moment of running while dragging his feet (?). Also, during a double battle against Brendan and May, I forgot about his zubat, so it fainted because “it was tired from flying,” despite having no feet and despite taking zero hits during the fight. Then Mark took shelter from the rain under a tree, where Natalie yelled at him some more and decided for both of them that they had to team up “temporarily” to get the red and blue orbs back from those meddling kids or something. I had grand plans for this whole plot where Natalie would kidnap May to get the orbs, but then May would end up in Magma’s hands (like a human hot potato), and Brendan would have to rescue her??? Something, something, Mark and Natalie see the error of their ways and team up to help Brendan and May … do stuff?

Anyway, I never finished it, and that’s definitely for the best.

I did revisit Mark and Natalie a few years later, though, this time for a story of their own called Out of Hand. I didn’t finish that one either, but I do have the original text this time (plus snarky comments and a “review” from me ten years after the fact). I can’t honestly tell you it was … good. Maybe good-for-a-highschooler. But! When I stumbled upon it again in 2018, there was enough in it that almost worked that I started to think about how I’d handle those themes and characters as an adult.

A lot has changed since then, but that 2010 draft of Out of Hand established some of the skeleton of Continental Divides. For example, that was when Archie became Natalie’s brother to help explain how she got involved in Aqua. I decided to keep that structure because it was a good way to let Natalie start as a neutral party/reader proxy and then quickly become embroiled in the conflict. It was also the first time Mark’s sister appeared, though I don’t think I’d decided what to do with her at the time except to use her as decorations in his angsty dreams, haha. His smoking habit also started in 2010. I, too, thought he’d quit “years ago,” in literal real time. Jokes on me—it turned out to be a useful way to signal the start of him losing control, the negative influence of Cora/Magma in his life, his hypocrisy, and his guilty feelings about things he’s burned. Scarlet appeared for the first time in this draft, too. I think I was equal parts trying to humanize Archie and to write my way through feelings about growing apart from/pining for someone. Her backstory took up a disproportionate number of pages in the old draft, but I liked the idea of keeping her around as a figure who could complicate Natalie’s relationship with Aqua and with Archie. The 2010 has  a couple fights between Mark and Natalie that I respect for bringing real danger to the protagonists ... but also can’t help laughing at. They literally fight until they tumble over a waterfall, like a cartoon. Silly as those scenes are, you can also see how they laid a foundation for scenes like the fight in Chapter 9.

CD is basically me responding to Out of Hand with, “I see you and I raise you.” 

2010-OSJ had some vague feelings about inequality and environmentalism, but none of it was very well thought-out. She mostly wanted to tell an enemies-to-lovers story, in part because she thought she was living in one IRL. Nowadays, I’ve got a lot of feelings about climate change, political divisions, activism and responsibility, corporations, policing, and whether or not violence is a good answer to certain kinds of questions. Hoenn is a safe space to explore those feelings. (It’s got pokemon, so it’s inherently more fun, right???) 

Kyogre and Groudon are such obvious parallels to sea level rise/more intense storms and rising temperatures/wildfires respectively that I couldn’t resist. And in Magma/Aqua I see a lot of parallels to political conflicts happening in the US right now. The far left and the far right don’t share a vision of what a “better world” would look like, but they do share a mutual mistrust of “the swamp” and all the ways the government tag-teams with corporations to dunk on ordinary people. I’d love to believe that someday we could team up across the aisle to fight corruption together. It’s certainly hard to imagine how we could get to a better world with one half of the country pitted against each other … Something has got to give eventually, probably not peacefully. 

My versions of Magma and Aqua aren’t exact parallels to the US political left and right—both are pretty left-leaning, for one—but I still find a lot of hope in the idea of two enemies from rival factions learning to (eventually) care for one another and work together towards common goals. At the very least, it’s something I can manifest and control on the page, and that makes me feel better about all the things I can’t control.

Editing and Rewriting

My first attempt at Continental Divides was inarguably an improvement on earlier versions of Mark and Natalie … but it still took quite a bit of rewriting to get to the draft that’s available to read now. The first draft in 2018 opened with what’s now Chapter 3, the protest in Rustboro. I had the right idea with “starting at the beginning,” but starting with an action scene was the wrong move: we didn’t know enough about Natalie to care when she was in trouble or to understand why she was making any of those choices. Moreover, even though the political content is important, this is ultimately still an enemies-to-lovers story: the beginning needed to center Mark and Natalie’s relationship. You know, to establish some interest before it all implodes. The next attempt ran a little long, though, and the current version condenses their initial meeting and Nat’s backstory much better. Maybe the next time I start a new project I’ll have an easier time knowing what makes a good starting point, but this time there was a lot of swinging back and forth to find a balance.

If you’re interested in seeing how my first chapter changed over time, you can see that here.

I’m really happy to have a first chapter I know is a solid representation of the subject matter, tone, and writing level of the later chapters. Getting stuck in an editing loop is a real danger … but if you’re ever going to edit part of your fic, let it be the first chapter. A good first chapter is critical to keeping potential readers onboard. I can tell from feedback that I’ve stuck the landing now.

Hope you enjoyed this not-so-little reflection on the origins of this story!

Some music (Spotify links):

Night of the Long Knives - Everything Everything

MMMMHMMMMM - Four Fists

#continental divides #pokemon fic #pokefic #pokemon fanfic #team magma #team aqua #fanfic #writing about writing

[uncultureddirt]

Waiting (3/3) - Mark Lee fic

~REQUESTED~

“I have to do something about this.”

PART ONE ||| PART TWO

He thumbed through the book recklessly, quickly passing over the dog-eared pages and sighing helplessly. Mark told himself that he didn’t know why he felt so frantic to get this project done. It was Friday night; he knew he had the entire weekend. He really wasn’t worried about finishing it. No, his mind was whirling for another reason. Subconsciously, he was denying how he felt and attempted to avoid confronting his emotions again. He tried to direct his energy into something productive to distract himself, which ended up being his English project.

But as he held the book in his hands and stared at the words before him, his distraction began to fail. He was reading the words, but not understanding them. All the letters and blobs of ink seemed to collide, come together at the edges, bounce off each other, and nothing registered in his head. 

And then his plan collapsed altogether, because his mind replayed the concluding moments of class that day anyways. 

After a long class of writer’s block something finally came to him; an idea had finally danced across his brain. He began writing frantically as the fear of this thought escaping him had presented itself and there wasn’t much time left before the dismissal bell would ring. But mid-sentence he was stopped, the thought was gone. He forgot it altogether. It wasn’t because he had a poor memory; he was just easily distracted, and something more important had taken hold of his attention. 

Mark felt your eyes on the side of his face. He felt your stare. He noticed you stopped writing and out of the corner of his eye became aware of your gaze shifting to him. He fought with himself to ignore it, and act like he didn’t notice. But, truthfully, he enjoyed being the center of your thoughts for a while; he wanted to prolong that experience. The downfall of that wonderful feeling was that he couldn’t focus. He imagined you looking at him, thought about what you were thinking, and played over hypothetical situations in his head where he would turn to you and apologize, telling you what he was truly thinking. His mind was swimming far from the once relevant sentences on his page; he had drifted too far from the land and was lost completely at sea. Lost completely in the thought of you. It was funny; he appeared not to care, or not to notice, when the reality was entirely different. 

He shook his head, bringing himself back to the present, back to his room with Romeo and Juliet held tightly in his grasp. 

~

You walked into Darten’s class on Monday morning silently and wondered if Mark finished his section of the presentation. 

You were a bit of a control freak when it came to group projects, always making sure everything is beyond perfect, but this time you did not have the slightest clue what Mark prepared. Maybe he didn’t prepare anything at all. 

You saw him walk in and sit down, fumbling through a stack of index cards. You saw his mouth moving as he flipped through them. You could tell he was nervous. 

‘I guess he did prepare something.’ 

You sat back and watched as the presentation before you commenced. You couldn’t recall what Luke and Jamie had talked about. For all you knew, the whole thing could have been in French. You spent the time somewhere else. Your mind drifted to laying on the back of your car. You swore you could feel the breeze dragging over your skin, and as you stared up you were met with a clear sky, the sun bathing what felt like the whole universe. You turned to your left to see his face, Mark’s face, and he was smiling. He was happy. He placed a hand on your cheek and looked to your mouth. You felt your stomach swirl. A light feeling had consumed you and held you hostage. You wanted to stay there. Remain in your hazy daydream. You wanted it to be real. But as Mark began to bring his face to yours, you were brought back to the classroom.  

The sound of clapping filled your ears. You looked around, seeing your classmates begin to applaud as Luke and Jamie took their seats. You were confused for a moment, then utterly disappointed. You looked across at Mark, hunched over his cards.

That’s all it ever was. A daydream.

“Y/n, Mark.” Mr. Darten called out. 

You looked across the room and met eyes with Mark.  

Smiling softly, you nodded. ‘Maybe that would chill him out.’

You and Mark made your way to the front of the room. You stood in front of Mr. Darten’s computer and began typing, searching through his shared documents to find your presentation. 

‘Sorry if this is basic Darten’

‘Found it,’ you said internally. You had named the document, and you thought it was a national treasure, ‘Wow I’m funny.’

“Y/n stop laughing at yourself and start presenting please,” Mr. Darten said, teasing you from the back of the room. He had his feet on the desk in front of him and his signature mug held tightly in his hand. 

You moved next to the board, opposite of Mark. He looked flushed as he bent the index cards in his hand, trying to outlet his nerves. You noticed. 

You were first to talk, so you began, “Hello guys, today we will be talking about probably the most recognized Shakespeare work, Romeo and Juliet. Our goal was not to bore you with the plot, nor revisit ideas you’ve heard every time the names Romeo and Juliet exited your mouth,” you made eye contact with Darten and raised your eyebrows as if to say, ‘told you so’. 

You tapped the title slide to bring you the actual presentation. You weren’t the best public speaker, but you felt good this time. Confidence had washed over you and you spoke neatly, with clear inflection and perfect articulation. You began delivering your findings passionately, walking through thematic elements and symbols in a way you hoped was different and appealing to listeners. 

You reached your last slide and stumbled on your words slightly as you remembered the boy standing next to you. He would be speaking in a few short seconds. Your content was running out, and it was time for you to pass over the stage. You clicked the next slide; it turned into a photo of a girl sitting in front of a window. There were no words, just the picture. You turned your head slightly. You had no idea what he prepared. 

He glanced at the white cards in his hands, and then he tucked them into his pocket. “I chose to look at characters, and uh, how their external actions, remarks, even physical appearances correlated to what they were, uh, feeling on the inside.”

He began speaking about the photo on the screen and did so for the next seven pictures. He analyzed each photo gently, touching upon the subject’s face and aligning it with their internal thoughts and emotions. Each picture was to represent a character in the story, and it all matched elegantly. The words flowing from his mouth were colorful and potent; they filled the room in a way you’ve never experienced. Who was this boy? Since when was he so knowledgeable? Since when did he understand feelings so well?

He tapped the screen once more and two photos came up, side by side. It was a boy laying in a field, his face touched by the sun. He seemed calm and relaxed. Peace was flowing within him. Next to the first image was the same photo, but it was dark. The sky was cloudless, but absent of stars. The boy lay beneath the blank sky, and he no longer looked tranquil. Without sound or expression, a coldness was conveyed through the picture; a sadness stained the screen. 

You looked at Mark as he spoke. You no longer felt like you were a part of this project, you were an observer, a member in the crowd. 

“Romeo’s a very interesting character to me. Upon my initial reading I um, I was confused why he was so dramatic. He seemed fragile and conflicted. In Shakespeare’s time, men were never traditionally portrayed as weak, let alone their cause of weakness being inflicted by a woman. It was very different, and I couldn’t understand why he was so, uh, soft I guess?” Everyone laughed quietly at Mark’s word choice, and you did too. He started again, “Romeo was experiencing love and heartbreak, two things that can’t really be seen, but can be strongly felt. The only way to properly express this was to completely defy the norm and break the toxic male archetype. By showing a male acting this way, Shakespeare properly depicts the power love has on an individual.”

You weren’t sure if you were dreaming. You couldn’t tell if your brain had drifted helplessly back into your hazy daydream. Mark, who couldn’t say ‘hi’ to you now, was standing before a group of people and describing the depths of love? You shifted your weight, moving back and forth as you listened to him speak. His words were entering your ear softly, and then a string of words, so familiar to you, exited his lips. 

 “I mean love does make you act all strange.”

Your eyes widened and you stared at the floor in front of you. It all was coming back, the day at Sunbelt’s. Your conversation in the parking lot, the way he laughed nervously when he talked, and how the wind pushed his messy hair back. Every detail about that day came back with those words. 

“Your thoughts can switch very easily. You can move from a place that feels warm and inviting, to one that feels familiar, but changed and cold, like these photos. The boy isn’t changing his location, it’s simply the time of day; the passing of time can transform a place and transform feelings. A confident boy like Romeo, faced with love and heartbreak, acts strange. He fumbles his words, he spends his days thinking of her, he can’t seem to focus because she, uh, Juliet, is uh all he sees,” he paused for a moment and you looked over, noticing his face grow red. Slowly you realized it wasn’t the book he was talking about. After recollecting his thoughts, he concluded the presentation and smiled softly. 

 “I mean love does make you act all strange.”

His words replayed themselves once again. 

You looked back at Darten who nodded approvingly. You knew you guys killed it, but you had no clue how. Your dialogue was limited for weeks, but you guessed that Mark’s mind wasn’t as absent as it appeared. He must have been thinking about it a lot, and it showed. You were happy for him. You wanted to tell him, but you didn’t know how. 

‘Holy shit, Mark. What in the hell just happened?’ you thought to yourself as you went to sit down. You sat at your desk antsy to talk to him, to ask him questions, to say sorry for being so short with him. You wanted to say so much, but you didn’t know where to start. 

~

“Hey!” you shouted at Mark. You were walking to your car after class and you noticed him quite a bit ahead of you. You didn’t mean to yell, it just escaped you, impulsively. 

He turned around, confused at first, but once seeing you he looked slightly surprised. 

“Hey!” he called back. 

You furrowed your brows as he stood frozen, “I don’t like yelling, can you come here?” Your voice grew louder as a car passed by you, concealing your words. 

“What?” he shouted back.

“Mark come here!” you yelled. 

He mouthed an ‘oh’ before lightly jogging towards you. 

Once you two stood face to face, it became too real. All the words you had inside vanished. You felt your heartbeat quicken as you stared at his face, your ears swirling with the words from his presentation. You didn’t know why, but you were slightly out of breath, “Um, where did all that come from? Like all that you said?” 

He pulled the index cards he was flipping through before and handed them to you. 

You felt frustrated, “No like where in your head did all that come-?”

He interrupted, “Go to the one that says ‘last’.”

You flipped through the cards, confused as to whether he really understood what you were asking. Your eyes gazed over his messy, boyish handwriting until you saw the card he was talking about. Every card preceding it was packed with markings and covered in highlighter, but this one was almost empty. Your eyes scanned over the words slowly.

‘Talk about your feelings.’

You looked up at him. His face was serious, maybe even partially embarrassed. Mark kept his eyes fixed on the gravel. His heart was racing, you just had no idea. You opened your mouth to say something, but his voice beat your words. 

“It’s what I wanted to say to you. I guess it was harder to say to your face than to the class,” he stopped and looked at you, "because uh, they think I’m talking about something fictional written on a page by some old guy, something I don’t feel for them. It’s hard when you’re looking at me. I guess I was waiting for the right time, and then the right time became an excuse because I was scared. I started to forget what I was even waiting for.”

You felt your heart burning a hole through your chest. He was only confusing to you because he was confused with himself. He was wrapped up in a feeling he didn’t know how to feel, nor how to express. 

You felt words exiting your mouth; you weren’t sure who was controlling them, your brain suddenly worked separately from your body. “Your presentation was perfect. I secretly hoped it wasn’t about the book,” he laughed and looked down, “and it’s all okay. I like you Mark, even when we didn’t talk. I still liked you.” 

He bit the inside of his mouth to stop from smiling, “I like you too.” 

The air was still after he said it, but not in an awkward way. You both were basking in the words that still sat in the air. Words that you both waited for so long to hear. There existed some sort of comfort within all the silence, within the faded sounds of cars leaving the parking lot, within the cloudy voices of kids walking out of the school, within the small space between you and Mark.

The End.  

#kpop #mark lee #nct dream #NCT 127 #mark lee imagines #mark lee fanfic #mark lee scenarios #nct imagines #nct fanfic #kpop fanfic #HEY GUYS so here it is all completed and suchhhhhh hehehe #i had this done for so long but I felt it wasn't complete or ready - so I revisited it this week and had it edited and Im super excited #about it #I really hope you all enjoy it and are staying happy during this time #dont forget to reach out to me if you need it #love you all VERY much

[ayakashiramblings]

First Time: Twilight Faction

Oh ho, I totally get what you mean. 👀

Ok, but read past the first three italicised bullet points if you really want the real NSFW part. Also, I’m sorry, I just had to.  :P

Also, it kinda got super long so I might have to do them individually in fic prose next time. I think this should be done as a series honestly so I will revisit this because I kept it still relatively general here.

Finally, I really struggled with this one so I’m sorry if this was late and super bad. :C

Gaku

It was super hard. Yet, even as you stroked it gently, you couldn't help but bring it closer to you. You needed it closer to you.

“Oh my god, I can finally tell the time!”

I mean, you couldn't help but squeal at seeing your very own pocket watch for the first time. 👀

Ok, but really, he was getting sick of you not knowing what time it was unless you consulted with someone. 

And by that, I mean the several HOT AND INTERESTED Ayakashi surrounding you.

He is totally not jealous. He just wants you to be less inept and get his brother’s sweets on time instead of having to ask some random person. 

Yura knows he’s jealous. You know he’s jealous. 

It was only a matter of when you guys will make him admit it. 

But in the meantime, there you were, admiring your new accessory while helping Gaku finish his last rounds of delivery.

There was some respite along the way as you guys unloaded the remaining devices.

You were sorting them out when Gaku actually went up and hugged you from behind...

Ok, it wasn’t a hug, he was just making sure the watch was telling the right time because damn, you were slow in organizing everything.

Yet you giggled and he really couldn’t complain as you guys just rocked back and forth even as he was trying to adjust the length of the chain for you.

But after one little twirl to get away from his small chiding session... you heard a horrifying snap.

No, not the snap of your sandal. 

Somehow, your bra had been opened amid the dancing.

Both of you paused. The streets were becoming slightly more crowded as the evening rush kicked in. There was no way you could discreetly reach for the back without looking awkward. 

"... Let's go somewhere to adjust that." 

Along the way to the nearest inn, you noticed him trying to shelter you from other men while you held up your currently dangling bra. 

His whole stance was like that of a feral wolf, guarding what was his. 

"... I know I shouldn't be worried. But... Finally having you after 1000 years... I guess..." 

At that, their room was booked... but you were letting Gaku remove your bra and other items.

Needless to say, it was passionate and somewhat... reassuring. The events that transpired were blurred together into a warm, fuzzy memory of hot bodies desperately seeking each other to be aligned together and their names being the only words exchanged.

Gaku interestingly leaves... a lot of hickeys, as if wanting to really mark you as his. And even more interestingly, each one, coupled with some hot touches and kisses had left the both of you aching for the other.

You keep the pocket watch on the whole time. 

Kuro

As soon as he placed it in, he started pumping with reckless abandon. What soon followed, however, was the grim realisation...

“MC! I need help, I can't inflate this balancing ball for the next act!”

The first time ever breaking your back while giving air to Kuro’s prop is definitely memorable, eh? 👀

Ok, but really, he is ironically the most resistant in taking initiative. 

Yes, the same man that literally swings on Gin-Gin’s arms like a tree, glomps Gaku, randomly dips Toichiro and even cuddled with Nachi (because who the hell doesn’t want a cute kitty?).

He really wants her... but he also wants to reassure her that it isn’t just a ‘naked hug’ and to really treasure the moment. 

You’re probably the one who takes the reigns because as sweet as his whole reasoning is... you ain’t gonna make love until he was Gaku’s age.

It doesn’t matter your level of experience is, so long as you know what you want and you know Kuro also wants it.

Screams at him to touch her.... well, not really. But she would try when congratulating him after a very hard-earned successful performance. 

Especially if she had seen and helped him train, from nutritious meals, giving honest critiques and even being his partner as clearly evidenced above.

I would have tackled him, ok?

So what do you do when you want to praise them?

Why, of course, reenact everything they just did. 

Seriously, he even joins her at one point and they basically twirl around the tent in intricate twists and turns.

And with each act, you would try to get into the role of a vixen, coyly brushing your hand around any exposed part of his, and literally pressing into each other to the point you could hear his erratic heartbeat caused by either sheer exertion... or suppressing something...

... Until he goddamn giggled. 

AND THEN JUST SWUNG AWAY!!!

Maybe he that was his way of telling you he swung another way... which you would totally respect after having a serious talk on boundaries so that you don’t harass him further.

Until the rope snaps. 

Probably the reason why you aren’t a professional performer (well unless you really are Nonnie... then let’s just say it was really bad luck...)

Either way, he has to dive in and swoop you up to the top level.

The thing is, it had to be at an awkward angle so you guys landed... with him on top of you. 

And you both heavily panting against each other from the shock.

... And evidence of why he wasn’t so graceful as usual because... well, he was nursing something... hard.

But he was too preoccupied with checking your bodies for injuries, literally prodding you like a dead fish...

Until he accidentally... touched your lips.

And you... actually tentatively met his fingers through the gap he had created with a simple tongue flick before fully engulfing the digits. 

Looking into his suddenly darker eyes, she could see the reflection of her sucking on his hand. 

Let’s just say the moment he pulled them out with a soft pop, the sexual tension snapped for a good 3 rounds... with you on top.

Shizuki

He reached into his pants and pulled out the longest, hardest thing she had ever seen.

“You have to admit, the scroll from the Elders is longer than usual.”

Who knew that your first time working together with Shizuki would make you mourn for the loss of a tree... or two... or three...  👀

Ok, but really, being Toichiro’s valet was hard work. 

Seeing him scramble back and forth, you decided to treat him in the servant quarters.

So why not an ice-cold foot bath?

Look, I know a lot would prefer warm but we want him to relax, not die.

The thing is, he REALLY showed his appreciation.

No, sexy time isn’t now, wait.

He let out the most guttural moan.

And marked you as scared (because his rough nature was starting to appear) and horny (because his rough nature was starting to appear)

Scooping the chilly water in your suddenly warmer hands, you poured move over his feet and let your fingers trail after the stray droplets.

Encouraged by his purr of approval, you picked up one foot and began to gently rub at the heel, eliciting a throaty growl.

It was like you were discovering his repertoire of sexy cries.

His calves would make him gasp slightly, carving out the quadriceps rewarded you with a purr and even a very, very, very muffled expletive when you grazed over the hamstrings.

And the thing is, YOU were starting to whimper at how firm his muscles were with each caress of your hands, feeling each one tensing at your once-innocent assault.

So, you tried to retreat to the very cute toes and ONLY THINK HOW CUTE HE WAS...

Until he bloody grabbed your hand and splayed it over his thigh.

Ok, NOW is sexy times.

The thing is, the Dude is A FLIRT.

Like, even more wretched than Oji if I’m being honest. 

So you know he has been with a couple of girls.

I can’t say how much but well, you did have to wonder if this could be compared to what others may have done with/to/for him.

Until you saw that bloody smirk somehow mixed with uncertainty.

“If you don’t want to do this, if you don’t want any of this..”

Of course, we all the answer if you are here, reading this.

“I want anything you give me. And everything you have.”

So yes, it starts with you sucking his popsicle.

But he also wants you to at least have a taste of his skills (pun intended) 

So it’s a 69. 

At the servant quarters.

Toichiro dismisses the others for a day and decides to harass Koga to cope with unrequited love.

Toichiro

He stroked her, firm and determined until his fingers were glistening...

"Fine, I concede MC. This facial oil really defines the cheekbones and eye area." 👀

D'aww, don't you find a couple's first time doing each others beauty regime so cute???

Ok, but really, somehow you covered in goop was... strangely sexy. There you guys were, chilling in the chic pyjamas after torturing Salesgirl #8 and sipping wine far away from Shizuki.

So, naturally, Toichiro decided to pull a prank on you.

Your eyes were covered by cucumbers (probably by some kappa or something)

It would be perfect to just use the top tip of his centre tail and just tickle you under the chin.

The thing is... it backfired. 

While adjusting yourself into a more comfortable position, you had shifted upwards. 

Meaning the tail MISSED your chin.

And tickled... somewhere else.

And Toichiro may be adaptable... but even he couldn’t help but be stilled at your whimper.

Let’s be honest; the last three guys here are most certainly NOT virgins. So he thought he could control himself until you outright broached the topic or he found a suitable time to test waters.

This was not one of the envisioned scenarios.

A bit pouty that all of his greater schemes went to waste but then he remembers your very, very, very vulnerable body. 

At the same time... you were clearly not prepared for this. 

So he tried to brush it off. 

“Huh, maybe we should get masks for this part as well.”

... He is floored by what you do next. 

“Then... I guess we better shower this off... together.”

Yup a roonie, shower sex.

Honestly, you panicked because of OMGITISSOSLIPPERYTOICHIROWTFAREYOULAUGHING?!

But him holding you steady against the bathroom wall, with teasing kisses that reached everywhere BUT where you needed them the most QUICKLY distracted you from any hazards.

You only did 1 round because Shizuki just HAD to enter with desserts at that moment. 

But let’s just say the night was not the time for sleeping.

Oji (THIS ONE IS THE MOST PROBLEMATIC CHILD. I UNDERSTAND YOUR PAIN AOI)

She opened her mouth, gasping as the thick white substance filled her mouth and throat immediately.

“Yeah, sorry Oji, but your cigarettes are too much. Count me out.”

Oji is disappointed he won’t get a smoking buddy after their first time sharing a light. 👀

I... would like to think you guys have found some sweet meadow of flowers.

The man seems to have an affinity towards them, and I know it’s ideally filled with bellflowers.

But I don’t think they are in season and if they are, congrats, you are not in a boiling pot. 

Yes, you can see where I am heading with the deflowering.

It was quiet, the stars were shining, your eyes were shining with love and Oji was really wondering what did he do in his 100 years to deserve you. 

As he weaved some daisies into your hair, he couldn’t help but be tempted by your nape as his fingers got closer and closer.

The first time was surprisingly the most vanilla out of the whole lot.

Don’t want to break his back, LOL.

But you know he knows what to do as he peppers each loving word, praise and pet names with hot and long kisses.

Maybe it was the power of the daisies somehow trying to make him a BIT purer.

Refuses to let you jerk him off (yet) because well... you guys were technically still out in the open and he didn't know how plants would take to such fluids and well, he didn’t have THAT many condoms.

The standard missionary was ideal in your situation.

His pace was incredibly slow at first but quickens at your request and when he’s close to coming, his rhythm becomes kind of off-balance and erratic. 

Yet, even though the constant rocking motion, not one daisy fell from your locks.

#twilight #ayakashi romance reborn #ayakashi: romance reborn #ayakashirr #ayakashi rr #voltage inc #arr #i guess technically koga and yura #and gin-gin #And aoi #ok fine #dawn faction #ayakashi shizuki #ayakashi oji #ayakashi kuro #toichiro yuri #ayakashi gaku

[ltleflrt]

LTLEFLRT’S WRITING YEAR IN REVIEW

As with every year I’ve done this review, I don’t feel like I’ve done much writing.  But I have written, and that’s something to be very proud of.  I finally started working on my cyberpunk idea that I’ve been kicking around for years, and as much as it’s fighting me, I’m still excited for what it’s becoming.

Total 2018 Word Count: 135,086 Total 2018 Kudos: 5,355 Total 2018 Hits: 45,231

And for comparison here’s last year:

Total 2017 Word Count: 152,215 Total 2017 Kudos: 9,408 Total 2017 Hits: 87,832

My fics:

In It For The Long Haul: 25,495 (5,690 from 2018)

Long haul trucking can be a lonely business. Sure, Dean can chat up other drivers on the CB, and when Sam’s not in class or drowning in homework he’ll let Dean talk his ear off on the phone. But it’s still hours and hours of staring at the road and scanning the radio dial for local stations because he’s too lazy to upgrade the truck to satellite radio. And then a flirty waiter in a 24 hour truck stop restaurant sits down with him to chat while he eats his dinner, and suddenly his life no longer feels quite so empty.

Photography doesn’t pay much, and insomnia is a bastard. Which is why Castiel accepts his cousin's offer of employment at the truck stop restaurant. The graveyard shift is perfect for his fucked up sleep schedule, and Gabriel doesn’t mind if he sneaks a free meal now and then. Besides, all the most interesting people come into the restaurant in the middle of the night. Including the gorgeous man with the sad green eyes that makes Castiel want to pull out all the stops to make him smile.

I actually started this fic in August of 2017, and got burned out.  But I came back and finished it this January.  It’s only half of what I wanted it to be, but I think it wrapped up nicely anyway, and I can always come back and write the other parts that I’d originally planned as a part 2.

I'd Rather Have You: 698

Dean catches a cold...

I honestly never thought I’d revisit the Cursed or Not universe, but due to a cute conversation on Tumblr, I finally had an idea for a timestamp.  It’s fluffy (or spiky), and I love it.

Beat the Heat: 3,057

Dean's in heat in the height of summer during a power outage. At least there's a sexy alpha willing to help him beat the heat.

I wrote this instead of working on Dreaming in Digital because I needed a break, but I also felt like writing porn. I also felt like writing an a/b/o fic where there's no stigma over fucking strangers for funsies, and there's no such thing as STDs.  Sometimes ya just gotta play a little, ya know?

For Better Or Worse: 11,638 (973 from 2018)

It’s been four years since Kaidan woke up from a failed suicide attempt and a little over two years since he married the scarred ex-soldier who helped him put his past behind him. He has an amazing marriage, new friends, and a job he enjoys. He’s got the perfect life, and nothing can bring him down now. Not unless he lets it. But an accident forces him to face a demon from his past that he had hoped to avoid forever.

Sequel to Feels Like Home

This isn’t actually a finished fic.  I started it in May 2015, right around the same time I started writing for the Destiel fandom.  I ended up abandoning it entirely, and always felt guilty.  So I went back and wrote a this-is-what-i-had-planned chapter, so I could mark it complete.  There’s a part of me that wants to go back to it, but I probably never will.

Descent: 31,287 (323 from 2018)

Anders is so ashamed of his loss of control that he can't bring himself to help with the mage underground. But can he help one young mageling escape her fate?

Part of the Peace Begins With A Smile universe, but can probably stand alone.

This is another unfinished fic that I started in May of 2012.  I abandoned it just a few chapters to the end because it was sad and difficult, and also I was starting to write Mass Effect fic which had a stronger hold on my attention.  Like For Better Or Worse, I decided to wrap it up with a last chapter explaining my plans.

Twice in a Lifetime: 3,479

Blood bonds are a once in a lifetime kind of thing, and Dean's already experienced--and lost--his. No alpha would ever want an omega that already smells mated to someone else... would they?

Another a/b/o fic that I decided to write to play with the trope in a new way, and also to take my mind off of Dreaming in Digital.

Blood in the Water: 5,047

Dean is the monster that goes bump in the night, and when it's time to dispose of his latest victim, he ignores the signs warning him to stay out of the forest because there's not much out there scarier than him. But that doesn't mean there's nothing...

I’ve always wanted to try my hand at dark fic, and I think I pulled it off nicely with this one.  I think it’s hilarious how many people told me “it’s not dark, it’s fluffy!” and I’m just like THERE IS SMUT AND FLESH EATING GOING ON AT THE SAME TIME YOU SICK MONSTERFUCKERS.  This fic is just proof that I’ve found a lovely circle of weirdos to be friends with, and I love you guys :)

Dreaming in Digital: 129,676 (WIP)

When Dean finds a deactivated sex bot, he knows it's his lucky day.

Such a simple summary for a fic that’s anything but simple.  I started it in February of this year, and it’s taking me a long time to write because it’s so much more than the smutfest that it sounds like it should be.  I’m about halfway through, and I doubt I’ll have it finished by February of 2019 because it’s such a beast.  I’m proud of what it’s becoming though.  Very proud.  And also entertained af every time I get a comment suggesting I change the summary because it sounds like it should be mostly smutty, but is in fact hardly smutty at all.  

Maybe I should change the summary to make it sound less porny so that it’ll lure in more readers, but I love those comments soooo much lol

So anyway!  That’s my writing this year, the stuff I’ve shared publicly anyway.  I’ve also got a bunch of stuff squirreled away in WIP folders.  I’ve got a dark fic where Angels are monsters that can change their victims, and Castiel has decided to change Dean against his will, and I’ve got a Fake Marriage/Mafia AU that’s actually got a couple chapters written.  I’ve also poked at a story involving Cas as a sentient wolf, and a Snowed In fic that I’ve been trying to finish by tonight, but that definitely won’t happen.  So I’ve got about 25k in WIPs that show I’ve been working even during my down times.  

Here’s hoping 2019 is just as productive, if not more!  

#year in review #2018 year in review #oops i ficced

[traincat]

If you're still taking word meme requests, how about the spirit of the internet: cat/camera?

I’m not, but since you picked ‘cat’, I’m going to take the opportunity to fic amnesty this accidental kitten acquisition Spideytorch WIP. This was originally supposed to be the sequel to New York Minute, which I wrote after CACW came out to play around with what we knew of MCU Peter at that time, hence the appearance of Claire Temple in this fic. I told myself I should finish it before Homecoming came out, which I obviously didn’t, and then that all happened, so I’ve kind of lost the taste for finishing it now, but a pretty big chunk of it is written. I was going to turn it into an established Spideytorch version of The Coming of Galactus, so I cut those parts in case I want to use them in a separate fic later. What’s left is fluff:

Itwas raining when Peter found the kitten. Three pounds of soaked fluff, it was staggeringaround down in the gutter on Mott Street, so light in Peter’s hand when hescooped it up that it seemed to weigh less than nothing, at once the lightestand heaviest thing he’d ever held.

“Heythere, buddy,” he said to it. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Thenoise it made was tiny and pitiable, a squeak instead of a meow.

“Iknow that feeling,” he said, fumbling a one-handed swing up off the street andonto the nearest fire escape, out of the rain where it was dry, if stillmiserably cold. Peter’s breath ghosted up through his mask like fog. “Alright,let’s figure out where the nearest place I can get you dropped off is…”

Awarenessprickled across his neck as people down below gasped. His head snapped up justin time to see the final letters form fiery in the sky: WE NEED TOTALK.

“Seriously?”Peter said, squinting up at the bright flickering letters. “Right now? He’sgonna do this to me right now?”

Thekitten squirmed in his grasp, tiny little needle teeth and claws sinking intothe heel of his palm. Peter shushed it, wincing when it just earned him more ofa struggle.

Asecond message appeared under the first, a bad side effect of having beentangled up in each other for almost two years: RIGHT NOW.

The‘idiot’ was unwritten, but read all the same. Peter cringed.

“Man,the media’s going to have a field day with this one,” he told the kitten,bringing it up to his face. It squirmed in displeasure. “Okay, emergencyboyfriend detour. At least he’ll warm you up while he’s biting my head off.”

 They’dtalked about it early on and agreed that theirs was a relationship best kept secret,at least from the public and at least for now.

Itwas on both of them, really. Peter, obviously, had his dual identity – wouldJohnny date Peter Parker, or would he date Spider-Man? They went back and forthon it, unhappy with either option -- and his ten-ton bag of neuroses related toit – would someone try to hurt Johnny, if he was with Spider-Man? Johnny alwayssniped back that he could take care of himself, like Peter had never had tofree him from a glass cage and a team of supervillains before.

Wouldsomeone try to hurt Peter’s aunt, if they knew Johnny was dating Peter? Thatone made even Johnny fall silent.

AndJohnny had his life – his very, very public life, and the dozens of maniacalweirdos who regularly tried to blast him and his family into space or trap themin an underground kingdom. Spider-Man had enough enemies; Peter Parker didn’tneed to be a target on top of that. So that was that. Table the discussion,revisit at a later date, and keep Peter’s face out of any and all Snapchatstories

Johnnywasn’t built for secret-keeping, though. It weighed on him, made him squirmwhen interviews asked about his love life, if there was anyone special. Madehim angry when people accused him of making his mystery boy up. Made him twisthis fingers in Peter’s hair, head thrown back, begging him to bite instead ofkiss, leave a string of marks up his neck, proof of their time together that hecould see and touch and feel even when they weren’t together, to grip histhighs harder when he spread him out.

And,okay, Peter got a little jealous sometimes – Johnny, just turned nineteen andgorgeous, had celebrities and billionaires and other, mask-less superheroeslined up around the block to date him. How could Peter compete? Peter, who,when he was lucky, had enough money to bring snacks to movie night?

Movienight, which was always at the Baxter Building. Because Peter had a secretidentity.

Okay,so it was mostly on Peter. What else was new.

Andthen there was college.

“What’sso wrong with a gap year?” Johnny had asked, straddling Peter’s lap andplastering roughly three bandaids too many across a fresh scrape on hisforehead. Peter healed too fast for minor injuries to need patching up, butJohnny didn’t seem to care. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

Peterhad a handful of college acceptances; Johnny had a reluctance Peter didn’tunderstand and Johnny wouldn’t explain. With the Fantastic Four’s money, hecould have gone anywhere he wanted, done anything he wanted, and instead he’ddecided to stay home and help his sister pick invitations and tableclothcolors.

“You’vealready had a gap year,” Peter had pointed out, perhaps unwisely. Johnnyhuffed, dramatic. Peter squeezed his waist, apologetic.

“Butnot with you,” Johnny said, sliding out of Peter’s lap to put the first aid kitaway. “We could do Europe! The whole backpacking thing, it’d be fun.”

“Yeah,I, um, I’m picturing you in a crappy hostel and it’s…” Peter trailed off,laughing helplessly. Johnny smacked him over the head. “Ow!”

“Baby.You didn’t even feel that.” Johnny yawned, settling back down next to Peter onthe bed. He grabbed Peter’s hand, twining their fingers together. He droppedhis head to Peter’s shoulder. “I could totally do the hostel thing.”

“I’dget stuck carrying both our improbably giant backpacks,” Peter said, smirkingand abandoning Johnny’s hand in favor of his hair, curling sweetly across hisforehead. He tugged gently, forcing Johnny to look up just enough so Petercould kiss him. “We’d – we’d die on Everest, probably.”

Johnnylaughed. “That’s not even in Europe.”

“We’ddie on some big mountain in Europe,” Peter amended, just to keep Johnnylaughing. “Very tragic. Floundering around in the snow…” He tossed an armdramatically over his eyes. “Go on without me, Johnny!”

“Iwouldn’t,” Johnny promised, all sincerity. “I’d keep you warm.”

“Iknow,” Peter said, kissing him softly. “You gotta go to college.”

“Nextsemester, maybe,” Johnny huffed. Peter stroked his jaw with the back of hisknuckles and hummed disapprovingly, a poor copy of May’s signature tone. “I’mhelping Sue with the wedding. You know I’m helping Sue with the wedding.”

Becausepicking flowers really takes up all of your free time, Peter wantedto say, but it seemed unimportant in the face of Johnny swinging himself up andinto Peter’s lap, straddling him and running his hands down Peter’s chest, hismouth hot over Peter’s.

Peterslipped a hand up the back of Johnny’s shirt and decided to postpone the argument.

Whichjust meant that when they had the argument, it went much, much worse.

(blah blah blah)

 “Right,”Johnny said, voice tight and eyes damp, angry flushed all over, “because it’s reallymy brains you date me for.”

Itfelt like Peter had been sucker punched. It hurt a whole lot worse than that.

“Johnny,”he said, not fast enough. He reached for him, not fast enough.

“Getout,” Johnny said. When Peter didn’t move, he repeated it, hotter in more waysthan one. “Get out!”

“We’reat the Statue of Liberty, where am I supposed to go?” Peter demanded.

“Fine!”Johnny shouted. He lit himself all the way up and took off, an angry trail offire in the sky.

Peterknew he should have followed him. He still didn’t.

 Johnnywas loitering out on the rooftop, the heat shimmer around him keeping the worstof the drizzle away. He jumped a little when Peter landed behind him, spinningaround. It wasn’t fair how the first sight of him after any time apart, be itminutes or days, took Peter’s breath away.

“Hi,”he said. He wanted to rip off the mask and kiss Johnny in the rain, like ascene out of a movie, but he didn’t know if he was allowed. People touchedJohnny without his permission all the time, like being famous meant they wereallowed, like his celebrity meant they owned him. Peter hadsworn he was never going to be like that, so his hands stayed at his sides.

Correction:one hand stayed at his side. The other one stayed on the cat.

“Hi,”Johnny echoed, sounding miserable. Then his gaze dropped to the tiny bundleheld in Peter’s hand. “Is that a kitten?”

Hisvoice had risen sharply. Peter blinked.

“Uh,pretty sure,” Peter said. “But did you ever hear the one about the little oldlady and the Chihuahua?”

Johnnywasn’t listening, though – he scooped the cat up out of Peter’s hold and, toPeter’s alarm, started cooing at it.

“It’sso little!” he said. The kitten didn’t try to bite Johnny at all, which Peterfelt was unfair. “Where’d you find it? Are you keeping it? It’s all cold! Weshould take it to Sue.”

“Uh,”Peter said, but Johnny was already headed for the rooftop elevator. Peter hadthe speed advantage when Johnny was flamed off, but he still had to scramble tokeep up.

  (blah blah blah)

 “Ifsomething’s not on fire, I’m going to –” Sue went slightly cross-eyed as Johnnyshoved the cat in her face. “Where did that come from?”

“Peterbrought it,” Johnny said, handing his sister the kitten.

“Oh,of course,” Sue said, rolling her eyes a little.

“Hey,”Peter protested, futilely.

Suetook the cat gingerly from Johnny’s hands and carefully turned it over. Itdidn’t yowl for her either; Peter couldn’t exactly blame it for being weak forthe Storm siblings.

“She,”Sue said. “It’s a she.”

  (blah blah blah)

 “Iwas going to apologize,” Johnny said. “I know I kind of blew up on you theother day. I was just being dumb.”

“No,”Peter said. “It’s my fault. I was – I was being my aunt.” He inhaled sharplythrough his nose. “I didn’t mean to be like that. I just – I worry about you.”

“Don’t?”Johnny implored, leaning into Peter. He tilted his head; Peter read the silentcue and kissed him. It was soft and sweet, an apology pressed to Johnny’s lips.

“Youknow, right?” Peter said. “That I don’t think you’re dumb?”

Johnnyshrugged, gaze fixed on the cat, eyes shadowed by long lashes.

“Idon’t think you’re dumb,” Peter said.

“Okay,”Johnny said. Peter waited, but he didn’t continue. 

Aftera moment, though, he reached out and took Peter’s hand. Peter rubbed a thumbover his knuckles and tried not to ruin the moment.

“Wehad a cat, before,” Johnny said, out of nowhere. He flipped Peter’s hand over,holding it in both of his. “Back in Glenville. Left her with the neighbors whenSue and I went out to California for Reed’s big project.” He was quiet for along moment, idly drawing patterns on Peter’s palm. He always got quiet when hetalked about life before the crash, like he didn’t really want to think aboutit. “They left the door open one day and she ran out. Didn’t bother to tell usuntil Sue and I went to get her, after the accident.”

Peterturned his head and kissed Johnny on the temple.

“M’sorry,”he said. “World sucks, sometimes.”

“Yeah,”Johnny agreed. “But you don’t.”

“Yeah?”Peter said.

“Yougot me a kitten,” Johnny said, settling his head down on Peter’s shoulder andlacing their fingers together. “Best boyfriend ever.”

Peterbit his tongue before he said anything to the contrary.

 Thecat didn’t love Peter.

Thecat kind of hated him, actually.

“Whoa,hey!” Peter said, spider-sense tingling. He jumped back when the cat, ears allpulled back, took a swing at his hand and only his ability to stick to wallsand spider-given grace kept him from toppling right back out of Johnny’swindow.

“Louis!”Johnny scolded, scooping the cat off the windowsill. Instantly the cat wentboneless and starry-eyed, letting Johnny skritch it under the chin.

Okay,Peter thought, shaking out his hand even though the cat had barely madecontact, he knew that feeling all too well. “Louis?”

“Vuitton,”Johnny said, putting the cat down on the bed. It purred at Johnny, and thenturned those eyes on Peter like it knew exactly what his evening plans hadbeen. “I’m doing an ad campaign.”

“Ofcourse you are,” Peter said, rolling his eyes under the mask a little. Not thathe cared what Johnny called the cat – Monster would’ve beenPeter’s choice. Louis Vuitton eyed him from Johnny’s bed like she knew as shedisdainfully washed herself.

Heswung a leg over the sill and Johnny met him halfway, sliding Peter’s mask upover his nose so he could kiss him. “Hi.”

“Hi,”Peter replied, sealing his lips over Johnny’s.

Therewas a crash. Johnny startled; Peter grabbed at him out of instinct, mostly,spinning them around so whatever Dragon Man or the weirdo with a sound hand orwhoever it was this day would have to go through him, first.

Thenhe realized his spider-sense was silent.

Hejust stood there, stunned at the lack of any explosion or ensuingultraviolence, while Johnny burst out laughing.

  (blah blah blah)

 “Sowe meet again, Spider-Boy,” Claire Temple said when he limped his way into herclinic on a Thursday night, blood dripping down his arm and making a mess outof her floors.

“Spider-Man,”he corrected. It was their usual greeting exchange. No hi, how are yous, savedany good cities lately for Peter, no, it was always with the name mockery.

“Upon the table,” she said. “Let me see what I’m working with here.”

  (blah blah blah)

 Petersighed, long and low, and rolled his masked head in Claire’s direction. “I’mMystery Boy.”

“Yousure are,” Claire said, still stitching up his arm.

“Imean, I’m that Mystery Boy,” Peter said. Claire’s faceremained blank of recognition, her gaze steady on her work. “The Human Torch’s?You know, Johnny Storm?”

“I’veheard of him,” Claire said mildly.

Petersquinted at her from behind the mask. “Do you like, not have the internet?”

Sheglanced up. “Don’t make the nice lady with the needle hurt you.”

“Hey,just asking,” he said, holding up the hand belonging to the arm not currentlybeing stitched.

“I’mfamiliar with his sister’s work,” Claire said after a beat. “And it’s hard toavoid his face when you’re in the supermarket checkout. Cute, if I were ten years younger.”

“TheHuman Torch has a boyfriend,” Peter said. “His face isn’t in anything buty’know, you can see parts of him in photos.” Claire quirked an eyebrow. Peterfelt his face heat up. “Not that kind of parts.”

“Good,”Claire said, returning to his arm. “Not that I can tell with the full bodycostume and the lack of ID, but you do seem on the young side.”

“Justlike. A hand, a knee. But there’s definitely a guy, um, a boyfriend,” Petersaid. “And that’s me. I’m Mystery Boy.”

Clairewhistled.

“MysteryBoy, Spider-Man�� you lead a complicated life, kid,” she said.

“Tellme about it,” Peter sighed. “I got him a cat.”

“Acat?” Claire repeated.

“Ididn’t mean to!” Peter said. “We were having an argument, and I showed up withthe cat, and then he had to go and fall in love with it!”

“Whydid you show up to an argument with a cat?” Claire said.

“Lady,look at what I’m wearing,” Peter said. “My life is just weird.”

“Noarguments there. Alright, we’re about done here. You love him?” she asked,looking him straight in the mask.

“I– yeah,” Peter said, sitting up and ducking his head. “Yeah, I love him. A lot.”

“Alright.”Claire smiled, pressing a cell phone into Peter’s hand. “Then call him to comeget you, because there’s no way you’re swinging anywhere on that arm tonight.”

Petergroaned. “He’s gonna yell at me.”

“Good.Someone should, and I have enough vigilantes to yell at as it is,” Claire said,cleaning up.

  (blah blah blah)

 “Nope,”Johnny said, kissing Peter square on the lips, short and sweet. “Bed now.Stupid argument later.”

Heshoved and Peter let himself be shoved, down onto Johnny’s plush mattress. Hesighed and pressed his face into the pillow, wiggling under the covers. After asecond Johnny joined him, knees knocking, warm toes against Peter’s cold feet.

“Hey,”Peter said without opening his eyes. He buzzed with awareness – not quitespider-sense, but a pleasant alternative, the electric tingle of Johnny in bednext to him, the soft sound of his breath and the bonfire-faded cologne scentof him. “You know I love you, right?”

Johnnybreathed out, slow, and settled his head on Peter’s shoulder. “I love you.”

“Nice,”Peter said, smiling.

Johnnyflung an arm over Peter’s chest and Peter hummed sleepily, relaxing into hishold.

Hewoke up around sunrise to the pad of paws on the pillow, a two second warningbefore five pounds of fluff settled on top of his head and immediately startedpurring. A tail swished in his eye.

“Ihate this,” Peter said without conviction.

#spideytorch #losers who deserve each other #myfic #Anonymous

[flamboyantommo]

Annual Writing Self-Evaluation

*All answers should be about works published in 2017.

@allwaswell16 tagged me to reflect on my writing this year. And because I’m a huge procrastinator, clearly, I’m doing it right now! 

(My GOD, this is so long, so if any of you actually read all of this, God bless.)

1. List of works published this year: In the order that they were posted

- What's Stopping You?

- Know It All

- Curveball

- Shut Up and Wink at Me

- One Day, Maybe Next Week

- It’s Hard to Say It, Time to Say It

- Got It Backwards

- NC-17

- Members Only

- Ready

- Aim

- Fire

- From the Floor to the Ceiling

2. Work you are most proud of (and why):

Um... Probably Got It Backwards. It was a pinch hit, written for @stnbutterflies, and she loved it! I churned that fic out in like, three weeks, and it got so long so fast that I had three betas working on it as I was writing it. It was... a lot, haha. I did a lot of literary research for it because Harry was a tutor in it, so he needed to know what he was talking about, and I wrote about 20K words of it - so, half - in a weekend because I was just going so fast. I think it’s the fastest I’ve ever done a fic of that size before, and it’s definitely something to be proud of. Oh, and Denise got it turned into a book, like an actual physical copy, and I think that’s pretty damn cool! 

3. Work you are least proud of (and why):

I can honestly say that I loved all of my fics this year, and there’s two of them that I want to write sequels to. But if you've been paying attention, then you know those sequels won’t be coming out for like, another year, hahahaha. 

4. A favorite excerpt of your writing:

(this is from Members Only, which may be the fic I had the most fun writing this year)

“Um… Save me a spot in there?” Louis stumbled.

“You do yoga?” Harry asked.

“Yeah. Every week.”

Fucking liar.

“Really? Oh, I’ve never seen you.”

“Yeah, um, it’s usually in the morning. Or during the day. But yeah, I’m waiting for my coverage to get here, and of course Perrie is running late, so… But yeah, I’m totally coming.”

Why am I like this? Louis wondered.

Harry grinned, though, so Louis supposed it wouldn’t be too bad. “Well cool, then. Yeah, I’ll save you a spot by me. OK?”

“OK.” Louis saw Perrie coming from the locker rooms, so he told Harry, “Be right in. Get us a good space.”

“Cool.” Harry was still smiling when he walked away, so Louis hoped Perrie would be a good person for once.

“Perrie!” Louis hissed when he approached the counter. “You love me, right?”

Perrie eyed up Louis and kept walking.

“Perrie Louise, get over here!”

Perrie sighed. “Yes, Louis?” She didn’t walk over to the counter, but she didn’t walk out of the building, either, so Louis figured that was a good sign.

“I need you to cover me so I can go to yoga.”

Perrie frowned. “I’m sorry. Did you just say you wanted to go to yoga?”

“Yes! Keep up!”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you once say that yoga was only for hippie vegetarians who needed to learn how to breathe?”

Louis shook his head. “Nope, wasn’t me.”

“What about that it was just for people who wanted to be flexible so they would be better in bed?”

“Can you just help me, please?” Louis whined. “Please?”

“Harry’s going to yoga, isn’t he?”

“Who?”

Perrie sighed again. “Go. Just know that I’m only doing this because you’ll never shut up about it if I don’t.”

“Thanks, Perrie! You’re the best!”

“You don’t listen to me when I talk, do you?”

But Louis didn’t answer her. He was too busy grabbing his water bottle from behind the desk and hurrying back to the training room.

When he walked in, Jade, the instructor, was just turning down the lights.

“Louis, what are you doing here?” Jade asked him. “You know this is yoga, right?”

“Yes,” he said through gritted teeth. His eyes darted over to where Harry was sitting on his mat, hoping he didn’t hear. Luckily, Harry was doing shoulder rolls to get warmed up, so Louis didn’t think he did. “Everyone has to start somewhere, right?”

“Yeah. Just never thought you would.”

“Why doesn’t anybody have any faith in me?” Louis muttered as he made his way over to Harry. There was a spare mat next to him, so Louis sat down on it.

“Hey,” Louis whispered as he took off his socks and sneakers. He was glad he wore basketball shorts today instead of actual pants. He was feeling warm already.

Harry just smiled at him, looking perfectly peaceful already.

Louis wanted to suck a mark into his neck.

5. Share or describe a favorite comment you received:

OMG I love my comments. But I’m going to put two here, and they’re from the people that my fics were written for. 

First is from @stnbutterflies on Got It Backwards. She wrote: 

I'm so in love with this story and I feel so honoured, that you wrote this story for me. The whole idea with the robin picture was wonderful and I might have shed quiet a few tears while reading. And liked how you put together the story with the flashbacks and everything. This really might be my favourite mpreg fanfiction I've ever read! Thank you so, so much! You really did great! xx <3

Second is from @harrystinychristmasshorts on It’s Hard to Say It, Time to Say It when Kat clearly knew I wrote it but wasn’t calling me out yet. 

i was going to wait until you were revealed to come talk to you but i couldn't wait any longer! by the looks of it the round of fics yours is in will be revealed next week and i'm just so excited because? i have a very vague idea of who you are but i really don't want to spoil the fun so. i'm forcing myself to be good and wait. but! i'm gonna come yell at you when i found out who you are because you deserve more than just comments on here! okay Xx

6. A time when writing was really, really hard:

Well, this year, I actually took a break from writing. It was only for a few months, just because I was just so stretched thin last year of fics I wrote. And this year is actually the year I’ve written the least since beginning to write. 

So the time for me that was hard was when I was trying to get back into it, trying to remember how to write a sentence and how to characterize people. That was tough. I got back into it with What's Stopping You?, and then of course, it was just continuous writing after that. But getting back into my routines was really difficult. 

7. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you:

Actually, in What's Stopping You?, when HL were finally finally about to hook up, the dirty talk part of their conversation had me in giggles because dirty talk is so not something I write on the norm. Like, it just felt so strange to me? But it fit the scene of the story, so it had to be done. 

8. How did you grow as a writer this year:

I think this is the year I stopped caring about how many kudos my fics got and focused more on writing because I enjoyed it. Of course, I want people to read what I spent all of my time working on, and I do think there are some fics that have been definitely slept on, but it doesn’t make me as upset or frustrated as it used to if my fics aren’t super read. 

And, I guess I tried new things. Like, I wrote two proposal fics this year (wow, I’m such a sap), and I took part in the Drabble challenge, after complaining forever to the gc about not wanting to because I thought it would be hard. (It was, but I still liked it and might do the spring one) 

9. How do you hope to grow next year:

Next year, I want to follow through on all of the sequels I’ve planned and have been planning for God only knows how long. *cough* Taylor Times, if anybody’s still interested *cough*. That’s literally it. Hopefully I can follow through! 

10. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc):

Let’s see... As always, @temporaryfixlouis for being my go-to beta, even if our schedules haven’t quite lined up in a while. I know I can still count on Michelle! 

Then there’s @harrystinychristmasshorts, who has become a new beta and friend this year, and is always there to boost me up. I loved being able to work with her and also write a fic for her and being super sneaky about it, lol. 

Then we have @wonderdaysoflunacy who I only met because she made me a moodboard for Runner on Third, and she always has a compliment ready. She’s also an amazing person and so so so easy to talk to, about fics or anything else. 

And of course, everyone in the Life Ruined But It’s Fine gc, because all of them are amazing writers and it’s an honor to be included with them and fangirl over each other, hahaha. 

11. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year:

Bahahaha of course. Nothing specific is really coming to mind at the moment, but it’s mostly the characterizations. In every fic I write, one of the characters is based on me, either a little or a lot. Also, the setting. Unless I actually say otherwise, just assume all of my fics take place in South Jersey/Philly, because that’s just where I live and where I spend a lot of my time. 

12. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers:

Don’t be afraid to find a beta. It took me more than a year and a half to start working with a beta, and all of the fics I wrote in between then and the time I started probably could’ve been much stronger. It also would’ve made less work for me, so I didn’t have to read over my fics four times. I could’ve just done two. And it doesn’t hurt to have extra eyes looking over a fic or get another perspective on something you’re writing. 

13. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year:

OK, let’s see. I have: 

- a fic for the @1dshortficfest due in February. 

- a fic for Rachel’s @moodboardprompts due... shit, when is that due? March 1.

- my next prompt for the 1000 Feelings challenge. I had an idea all ready, but then I read another fic with the almost exact same plot line, so back to the drawing board! 

- Thursday Deadlines! The last part of The Taylor Times series. I revisited what I had written the other day and have started adjusting the plot for it. It’ll be shorter than what I planned, but it’s been hovering over my head for the last year, and I need to finish. 

- Eventually, I want to write one more part in the Bottom of the Tenth series. Destination wedding? We’ll see. 

- A full fic to tie up the Your Move series (my winter drabbles)

- I’m working on an age difference fic that I’ve been thinking about for a while. 

- I’m still working on the famous/famous AU I started planning like, months ago

- Oh, and I’m working on a pinch hit for the @hlwinterficfest2017! 

14. Tag three writers/artists whose answers you’d like to read.

@harrystinychristmasshorts @wonderdaysoflunacy @tommostummie @harrygotthebee and anyone in the 1000 Feelings gc who hasn’t done this yet!

#my god that took FOREVER #but it's done #and i'm happy with the answers so #get to know #flamboyantommo #writing evaluation #kikikryslee

[tottwritesfanfic]

So, I was tagged by @gilrael for the following:

List all the things you’re currently working on in as much or little detail as you’d like, then tag some friends to see what they’re working on.

This can be writing, art, vids, gifsets!

HOO BOY.

Listen, my first reaction was pretty much “I can’t list all the things I’m currently working on. It’s...no one wants to read that whole list. It’s too long. There’s too much.”

I have been called out good and proper, but you know what? This is what the read more button was made for. These won’t be in any particular order, because I really don’t have an “order” in which I work on things? Also, some of these projects are so far on the back-burner that I really can’t say I’m actively working on them, but I never know when inspiration will strike next and divert me from what I should be doing. Essentially, if it makes the list, I think of it in my head as “imma finish this.” 

Buckle up peeps, because we May Be Some Time.

My Epic YA Fantasy Series Featuring Pretty Much Zero Romance. I neglect this series way too much for something I consider my firstborn, but this is my Passion, okay. My very username is derived from the initials of the series title. I’ve been writing and rewriting it for almost two thirds of my life now, and one day when I have something to show for that labour of love, I will be screaming about it from the rooftops. Mark my words. Also I counted this as one but there’s like...at least five novels, and also shitloads of maps and worldbuilding notes, and songs, and I have a boxfile of old pictures drawn by myself or my sister, and progress on three or four conlangs... It’s hard to really convey just how much of this shit there actually is, if I’m honest.

Hope’s Fire My first ever proper fanfic, and also sorely neglected of late. I love this story so much though, and once I push past the block I have for the current chapter I can’t wait to progress with it, because there are fuuuun times ahead.

A Standalone Novel (sucky working title is “The Aspect’s Choice”) Another YA novel, which...actually has a complete draft? Like, start to finish with no skipped scenes or anything like that. There’s magic and shit, and also no romance for the lead, it’s like this is a theme in my works or something (there’s a background romance this time tho, for those of you who like shipping).

A Fantasy Trilogy about paradoxes and multidimensional travel. I’m mentioning this one now even though I’m kinda...not working on it that much, because I’ve borrowed heavily from it for some fanfic projects. The first novel is a fantasy spy thriller, the second is a sort of...ensemble piece about a major disaster at a futuristic interdimensional traffic control place a lot like an airport/train station, and the third one is a journey through space and time on a sorta magic train which explains how the fuck the first two books are actually connected.

A World of Trouble (The Spy AU) Haikyuu fic! I started this for the HQ Brofest last year and it’s really taken off. The plot for this story was shamelessly nicked from the first book in the above trilogy, albeit with some fairly substantial divergences. 

Until We Move On My...actually, daaamn, this was my first HQ fic. I entered this fandom in a fairly definite fashion, with Suga already dead and Oikawa following shortly after - I swear it’ll have a happy ending for them both eventually tho.

Metanoia, Renascent, and Equanimity (the Trinacriform series) I debated listing these separately, to be honest. There’s no denying that Metanoia and Equanimity are higher up on my list of things to work on than Renascent is right now, but all three are still important to me and all three are going to be finished someday. Ultimately they’re here as one because holy shit this list is going to be long enough already.  Rest assured I do actually think of them as three separate entities in my head! 

The Triffid AU (just gonna list these because there are Several and holy shit I’m still so far from the end): Dangers Unseen - First in the series, Karasuno accidentally sleep through the apocalypse. Interview Transcripts - Set a few months after DU; tells all the side-stories I have to skip in DU for pacing reasons. Seijoh arc (current working title of “In Search of Silver” which will almost certainly change) - I haven’t posted any of this yet but it’s hecking angsty. A Bit Like Home - Sequel to Dangers Unseen, set a year or so after. Also hasn’t been posted anywhere yet. At the moment it’s mostly bokuaka stuff but the idea is for it to be a collection of sorta halfway standalone stories.  I have more ideas for this AU than just these, but I haven’t started writing them yet and I’m not GOING to until this list gets shorter.

An Error of Cat-Astrophic Proportions I’m not gonna lie, this basically started out as a stupid halfway-joking crack fic and it got out of control. 

Partner Fic to “The Carpenter’s Gift” I started writing this and got a couple of thousand words in and then basically started over. I’ll get there. Probably not before the following though:

KiyoYachi Soul Animal AU fic Set in the same universe as “The Carpenter’s Gift”, sorta...around the same time?

Another Original Fantasy Trilogy I love my fantasy, okay? The three novels in this series are all technically started, although only two of them have any substance: The Legend and the Lake is a novel about a Great Hero, and how he...actually isn’t as much of a hero as he’s going to be remembered as.  Spells and Fire is about a real fucking hero and her apprentices, and how she absolutely will not be given full credit for all she does (because she’s a bit of an arse) The Lake Guardian’s Child will be a story about a minor goddess who meets a mortal that immediately falls in love with her, and their journey to cure him of that love because he’s actually sorta engaged already.

Not Within This Restless Heart A HQ!! poly soulmate au which will probably piss off a lot of people by teh end, because no one who’s read it seems to have caught on about how complex the poly relationship is actually gonna be.

Digimon Frontier Fic - working title “Loss and Gain” I can’t really explain this one properly. It’s Angst, that’s all.

Best Laid Plans A secret santa fic I need to finish! I have part of the second and final chapter written, but life intervened and I lost my flow. Hoping to get back to it some time in the next week.

Bokuto Koutarou’s Excellent, Totally Foolproof Plan To Save Christmas As above, really (except it’s the final of 3 chapters, and it’s also the sort-of sequel to “An Error of Cat-Astrophic Proportions” ). I want to finish this up soon, so hopefully life will stop being annoying!

Lifetime Achievement Ennotana fic in which Ennoshita is a film director up for a highly prestigious award he’s dreamed of for his whole life...but he has amnesia and it currently means nothing to him.

Travellers AU - Yachi story For the HQ Brofest! Details are hush-hush for now but it’s the same universe as my time travel practical joke fics. Expect similarly ridiculous stuff.

Things We Misplaced Someone accidentally challenged me to write angsty smut which wasn’t hatesex. Smut is not my thing but I’m really stubborn okay, so I’m writing it.

BNHA Bang Fic Details are under wraps for now, but it’s gonna be fun.

A Zine Fic. It’s early days, okay?

Swansong It angst. Also not being posted to this account, for Reasons.

The Digital Fallout AU A ridiculously wide-scope Digimon AU featuring crossover appearances from like, almost all the series. It’s very much on the back burner for now but I still like thinking about it. Someday. Currently comprises of two kinda short fics: “Adventure’s End” and “The Home Frontier” but I’ve planned a LOT further.

Connection Problems This was going to be for the HQBB in 2017 but I got a massive block and had to put it on hold. I’m hoping to revisit it and finish it up by...maybe Halloween.

The Book An original novel I’ve intermittently been working on for a few years now. Essentially the titular book may or may not be sentient, but it is definitely malicious.

First Draft The..um...sequel to my standalone novel, and both my fantasy trilogies. In my defence it started out as a joke and spiralled out of control and now I want to write it for real but I literally have seven novels to finish first. 

...so yeah. That’s more or less all my active (on some level) writing projects. Hopefully I didn’t forget anything! There are a few more which I have ideas for, but I haven’t started them yet and I’m not going to until this shitstorm is a little less overwhelming. I also have costumes for my kids that I’m about to make, but...I’m not going into other creative ventures here because I will literally never finish. Oh, and there’s tagging, too... Huge apologies for dragging you to the end of this hot mess, but I’m calling on @draculasstrawhat and @ahiddenpath along with any other mutuals who didn’t already get tagged (I know I took long enough to do this that a lot of people already did!) No obligations of course, but I love seeing what people are up to!

#tag memes #progress update #tott's life #i'm pretty much hopeless I know