#[jots down more notes for that particular dynamic]

[rippedlovelines]

point to consider : neil’s capacity to annoy is bumped up by several levels when it comes to kevin and jean. he loves it, u see. irritating them is his greatest joy in life, second only to exy. he’s like a cat who delights in ruffling the feathers of delicate birds.

yes… i am considering it v much.

[pedgito]

MILLER'S GIRL ✎ SERIES MASTERLIST

Chapter Three: Forbidden Fruit

Chapter Summary: Mr. Miller receives your assignment in it's full detailed exposé and despite his reaction, doesn't seem as pleased as you anticipated. It leads to a tense interaction that lands you in his office with more questions and confusion. [4k]

[student/teacher relationship, age gap, no outbreak, power dynamic]

Chapter Warnings: fem!reader, professor!joel miller (his teacher persona is v different from outside of the classroom, so if he seems slightly ooc....close your eyes), dom!joel, sub!reader, reader is a little obsessed with joel (and delusional), background tess x joel, inappropriate relationships/actions, masturbation (m), confrontations, joel manhandling reader (kinda roughly), panty ripping, one (1) forbidden kiss

— AO3 | PLAYLIST | PINTEREST

↝ other fics | requests? | ao3 | update blog | fic rec

Joel takes the plunge into the assignments the following night—it was a small class so he knew it wouldn’t take a large chunk of time, a couple hours at the end of his day and he’d have it out of the way and grades posted before the following morning. It was always easier to do things this way, hidden away in his office to force his focus and block out the rest of what was going on. 

He flies through the assignments with a detailed precision, giving proper and full notes on things he thinks the students could work on or tweak, give some personal thoughts on creativity, and allow some encouragement where it was needed.

But, your name sits in the bottom of his inbox, bold lettered and unread—he saved it for last.

He could lie and say he didn’t do it on purpose, but he’s come to thoroughly enjoy your writing, so he pushes it off until it’s the final thing he has to grade that night. He knows Tess should be arriving home soon, so despite his want to give you his full, undivided attention—he intends to give it a quick skim.

Joel knows there’s no real notes he can give you. You always had a clear idea on your work, so meticulously planned out that it reminded him of himself in a way.

He takes a sip of the quickly dissipating bourbon in the cup sitting on his desk, ice clinking against the glass as he clicks on your essay and watches it expand onto the screen.

He likes to jot down his thoughts on paper as he goes, making it easier to format and type as he replies—he grips the pencil tight, reading the title of your essay.

                      ill-suited innocence 

In a crowd she finds herself searching, looking for him. Days and days of tense glances and inappropriate thoughts—he must share them too? While she can’t be bothered by the fantasy of mythical creatures and things that only made sense in fiction, she did believe in the fantasy of wanting what she couldn’t have. Him.

Much older, wiser—grim around the eyes and a deep sorrow that burrowed its way into his chest and made home. He couldn’t fix himself, but she could. At least, she thinks she could.

Joel straightened his back, leaning into the screen to assure himself he wasn’t misreading. It was…an interesting take on the assignment he gave you, but he’ll bite. He’s used to your stuff being a little more unorthodox. 

Something along the lines of forbidden fantasy? A tale of love? It wasn’t his particular choice of fiction but he wasn’t opposed to it. He squints, reading more.

He drops the pencil for a moment

Their lives mundane and unassuming, they traverse through life with little enjoyment. Two sides of the same coin and he was too oblivious to realize. He offered smiles and kind words, guidance that seemed from a good place but only allowed her to feel more misdirection. He was an enigma, difficult to decipher and she craved him.

And though he tries to fight whatever attraction he may feel, she can see it in his tense gaze. The lingering touches he leaves on her body. Secret meetings, talks that allowed themselves to be more deep than should be allowed. He was allowing her in little by little but she needed more.

She just had to ask, so she did.

Joel feels a tightening deep in his gut that wasn’t there before, reading between the lines of text and allowing faint glimpses of memories with you to match themselves with the words—his brow furrowing under the guise of…anger? No, frustration. He shouldn’t be equating his perfectly…appropriate relationship with you to this. In fact, it shouldn’t cross his mind. But, it does.

All of this from a dream? He could lie and say he wasn't intrigued, but that wasn't the case.

Joel doesn’t expect the full 180 turn as he glances down at the chunk of text that follows.

“You’re my student,” He whispers to her, “I can’t allow this.”

She bites at her lip, noticing the subtle click of his heels as they hit the floor, back them against his desk as she takes a seat, plastic cup full of pencils falling to the floor but neither of their eyes leaving each other.

“You can,” She encourages, “I’m hardly a student anymore. I’m a friend. We’re friends, right?”

And given his ability to let her in so easily, he also considered her a friend. Naively. He’s gotten himself into this position and he can’t find a reason to not give her what she wants—what he wants.

He captures her lips in a searing kiss, much less polite than a friend would, her fingers quickly undoing his belt—

Joel feels his cock hardening under the confines of his slacks, clearing his throat slightly. He should stop reading—he knows he should. The glaringly obvious lines being crossed are blurred for a moment. He shouldn’t have led you on like this, allowed you to cook up some depraved illusion of what you thought things could be.

Because they couldn’t. That wasn’t what this was. Joel had told himself over and over—he was helping. He didn’t think you’d take advantage of the scenario like this. Still, he finds himself loosening the buckle of his belt as well, unzipping his pants enough that he can stuff his hand into the tight space between his bare cock and briefs, palming himself impatiently.

And he skims—words sticking and fading in his mind. It starts of with a slow, sensual make out and a messily described handjob that has his cocking throbbing with every tight stroke he pulls at his shaft, eventually tired of fighting the tight space he’s allowed with his slacks making it impossible to move, he leans back and pulls his cock out far enough that he has free, unrestrained range. The bourbon glass leaves a sweat ring on the oak of his desk but Joel can’t be bothered, he scrolls down further, taking in the last few scenes that allowed him a full idea of just what exactly you thought was going on between the both of you. Or, what you wanted to happen.

He allows himself a moment to slip out of his headspace and imagine, selfishly.

Bent over the desk, items scattered to the floor he pulled at her skirt, something she wore necessarily—easy access, she whispered against his lips before he bent her fully over the desk, chest pressed against the solid wood.

Joel imagines it vividly, his breath quickening as he tugs at his cock in rough, fast strokes and pictures it—you, bent over his desk and your ass presented to him like a prize and how good it would feel to squeeze the flesh between his hands. He knows your sounds would be sweet, divine, and it drives him wild. 

He’s thought about you before like this, hand wrapped around his cock, but never in full detail as you’d written out.

And then he slips his cock inside of her, a small gasp of, “Just like that, professor.” falling from her lips and it only spurs Joel deeper into his despair, tugging himself until he feels his orgasm creeping up on him, a churning in his gut that feels too good to quit and he reads out the last few lines, as he comes deep inside of, recklessly and without much decision making.

He thought you were smarter than this. Expected more out of you.

There’s a creak of a floorboard down the hall that sends his world crashing down on him, dampening his orgasm almost immediately as he scrambles to shove himself back inside of his slacks, buttoning and buckling his belt hastily as he clicks out of his browsers and feigns exhaustion, Tess’s fingers curling around the doorknob as she peeks her head in, watching as Joel’s fingers circled the glass of liquor.

God, he hates her.

Not you. Tess.

He figured his reasoning was valid, but truthfully—he just couldn’t stand her any longer. He's been battling the decision to go through with his divorce, but this seemed like as big a sign as ever. It's the unbridled rage he was tired of harboring around her, trying to act like things were fine.

Nothing was fine and his life was imploding.

He was lusting after a student and worse, he know you were after him—actively, clear in the boldness you showed through your assignment. 

He thinks back briefly on the video call that he shouldn’t have allowed, your question that seemed…vague but unassuming. Had you planned this the entire time?

Was he just that stupid to not see it?

“Coming to bed tonight?” Tess asks hesitantly.

Joel offers a clear and concise, “No.”

He wasn’t sure if he could even sleep, contemplating over how to handle this…situation.

He couldn’t allow it to stray further.

It would damage his career and ruin his life.

But truthfully, he felt like he’d already reached that point, so what did he have to lose?

-

You wake up on Monday with a deep pit in your chest, knowing that grades were posted that morning. You knew it was a risk, being so open with him—but he couldn’t fail you. You followed the parameters of the assignment and made sure to clear the few questions you had with him.

Part of you is expecting another email from his private account, wondering his thoughts beyond what he would address appropriately. But, the moment your eyes drag along the screen, still blurry from sleep, you feel your heart stop.

0/100. A complete failure.

No comment besides—Rewrite and resend immediately. No extension. Due by the end of the day.

Your jaw clenches in frustration.

Oh, you were not being ignored that easily.

You storm into his room later that day during your free hour for lunch, knowing he’d be saddled up at his desk eating his own lunch. 

You couldn’t even think about eating, full of anger and annoyance that kept you full and ready to strike. He can hear your footsteps before you approach and is wiping at his mouth with a napkin when you stop at his desk.

He holds a hand up, face steely and emotionless.

For a moment, you think he might break. Crack a smile and say it was an excuse to get you here.

Instead, he has your essay printed out and ready to shove at you, your fingers curling around the stack and crinkling the edges. 

“You can’t fail me,” You start tensely, “I did your stupid assignment and I followed the steps you asked for.”

“I expect a new one by the end of the day. Appropriate to the topic. End of discussion.”

You scoff, not daring to look at the glaring zero he drew out on the paper just to prove a point. It lands in the trash as you throw it down, “No.”

Joel’s chair squeaks as he rises and it startles you slightly, and suddenly he’s invading your space, the muscles in his neck tightening as he pointed an accusatory finger at the trashed papers.

“In what situation did you think any of that was appropriate to write and send to your professor?” Joel asks, noting the way you blink quickly, backing away slightly.

He almost…feels bad? No. He quickly wipes the thought away as more anger crosses your face, eyes dilating in rage.

You lean in slightly, thankful that the halls were quiet around this time of day and that you had closed the door behind you. 

“You started this,” You argue, “You crossed that line when you messaged me on a private email. Telling me that you liked the time we spent together. I’m your student—maybe you should’ve taken that into account first.”

His fist clenched at his side, almost to restrain himself, knowing he’d rather shove that finger into your chest and blame you. But, you were both to blame. And he even more so. Still, he doubles down.

“Rewrite it or I’ll fail you for the entire semester.”

Your mouth gapes open, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 

“That’s…completely unfair.” You settle, voice softer as you drop the act. “I just—”

“Rewrite it.” Joel responds firmly.

“Mr. Miller—” You begin, trying to find a feasible way to get him to listen.

“Or I fail you.” He says with finality. “You’re lucky I don’t take this to the board.”

Which, he never would. He’s just as much at fault. But, he’s taking his frustration out on you. An easy target, slim pickings. 

You weren’t playing into that though, not now.

“You won’t,” You challenge him, “because if you do—I can assure you, you won’t appreciate the results.”

It was a threat. Cold and plain.

“Rewrite it,” He reiterates again, his voice softer now. “I have to submit these assignments at the end of the semester and if—that cannot be in there. I need a real essay. Real. Not some fucking delusion.”

It’s the first time he’s talked so…out of term. It feels like him, the real Mr. Miller.

Fine—you’ll write the goddamn essay as he intended. You roll your eyes and Joel relaxes slightly, seeing your defeat as you settle your shoulders back.

“I want it on my desk by the end of day.”

Sure, you could manage that.

If anything, it gave you more of an excuse to drag out his torture a little longer.

-

You spend the entirety of his class working out a new essay, bullshitting your way through an hour of class and typing up something feasible enough to get you a decent grade, knowing that his views of you were already tainted. But, that didn’t matter. 

You had plans.

When evening rolls around and classes are finally done for the day, you make the long trek across campus to his class, finding it empty but spotting the light in his private office is still on, a low and muted orange that shined through the window. You approach slowly and knock on the door, hearing his muffled greeting on the other side.

You peek inside, noting his position as he rests with his fist pressed against the side of his face, seemingly nursing a headache as he rubs the fingers of his free hand over his forehead and sighs, closing his laptop as you hold out the small stack of papers for him to grab. He does, skimming through it briefly. You toss your bag off your shoulder and rest it in a nearby chair, standing quietly.

“Something bothering you?” You ask politely, hands crossed over your front as fiddled idly with your fingers, “Mr. Miller?”

He looks up tensely, eyes darkened and foreboding.

“What did you mean earlier?” He asks suddenly, reading your essay with a careful eye. Scribbling something down before he pushes it away, fingers clasped together under his chin as he gives you his full attention. “That I wouldn’t…appreciate the results?”

“Oh, that was—”

A threat. He knows it. You know it.

And he voices it.

“It was a threat, wasn’t it?” He asks coarsely, his voice sounding rough. 

He seemed worse for wear, with good reason.

The dignified squeak of his chair is like deja-vu but you don’t back away this time, turning to him as he rounds his desk—his tie is gone, starch pressed shirt unbuttoned to a dangerous degree and his belt is missing, your eyes tracking it in a nearby corner where it’s slung over an empty chair. 

He allowed you in here, the small glimpse of his relaxed state. He wasn’t shutting you out necessarily, which was good. But, you still felt unwanted. It was almost like he was dangling a myriad of fruit in front of you, ripe for the taking, but riddled with poison. Forbidden.

“No—”

He grabs your wrist suddenly, tight and gasp-inducing as he pulls it up until it’s level between you both, right at chest level and you’re waiting for him to let go, but he doesn’t.

“Tell. The. Truth.” He says pointedly, a small jerk of your arm with every syllable as he pulls you undoubtedly closer, “I want to hear it.”

Instead of admitting that you did openly threaten him, you switch gears.

“What? That I want you to fuck me?” You ask innocently, pulling your wrist away harshly. “Joel, come on—don’t act like you haven’t thought about it.”

His name is like a gut-punch, a reminder that he gave you that information under the idea that you would keep it safe, but now you were using it against him.

“Don’t—” He warns and your hands press into his crisp button-up, scrunching the fabric in an effort to wrinkle it, feeling the solid press of muscle under your hands that makes your mouth water, eyes widening slightly at the touch and for a split second, he allows it.

He had to escape the situation before he acted on something he would regret.

“Get out.” Joel responds through gritted teeth, shoving your hands away harshly and in turn, forcing you back a few steps with the urgency of it. “Now.”

Still, you step closer, chest against chest as you can feel the distinct bulge in his slacks against your front, tongue clicking in your mouth as you cocked your head to the side mockingly, a finger tracing along the buttons of his shirt until you can curl the tip of it around the hem of his pants.

“You can do it, you know,” You offer, “You could fuck me right now and I wouldn’t tell a soul, not even your wife—or…ex-wife? I’m not sure since you never wear your ring.”

Fuck this and her smart ass mouth, Joel thinks.

Joel’s nostrils flare and he snaps, backing you into the wall by his hand pressed against your chest, the bookshelf beside you shaking with the force. His hands creep up your neck, pressing rigid against the skin and he keeps you there, trapped.

“I can feel it,” You tease through strained vocal cords, his finger squeezing against your neck–not quite cutting off air flow, but the pressure is there and you feel it. It makes your head swim, squirming against his hold as he shifts closer, body pressed against your own firmly, “is that why you asked me to turn the paper in by the end of the day? You wanted me here, didn’t you? I guess my essay did strike a nerve after all.”

The laugh that follows is sickening, a grin appearing under his sneer. His fingers move up a few inches to grip your face. Hard. Squeezing until he feels the solid press of your cheekbones under his thumb and he speaks, so quietly into the space you can barely hear him, “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

Your eyes drift to his, his head tilting up slightly away from your ear that he had whispered into and there’s glint in your eye. It’s exactly what you wanted. You wanted to burrow yourself under his skin so he couldn't get rid of you.

He feels your fingers continue to trace along the seam of his shirt, tracing over the bumps of the material until you meet his slacks, pressing your palm flat over his cock, hardened under the material and straining–and he can’t help the way his breath intakes sharply, the full body restraint it takes to not rut into your hand. He knows he has the upper hand here, but with the small amount of effort it takes to break his revere for himself, he doesn’t know how much longer he can keep this up.

“I would,” You nod slowly, eyebrows furrowing as he tightens his grip with your admittance and in turn, you squeeze him just a little harder. He hisses and leans in, letting go of your face to return to your neck–he isn’t squeezing this time, but his hand is a solid presence. You move, he moves. And if he doesn’t like how you move, you would end up exactly where he wants you to, “Come on, Joel. You read all about it. I can do so much more than whatever your wife is doing—isn’t that why you reached out to me?”

“Don’t—stop saying my name.” He warns, trying to keep what little line of professionalism he had between you there, unblurred. “I reached out to help. As your mentor.”

“Well, I’m sure there’s a few things you could teach me.” You say sweetly, the deft sound of his zipper being undone by your hand, popping the button on his pants, “Joel, please.”

He stops your hand in it’s decent, fingers tracing along the hem of his underwear before he’s gripping your arm and turning you with little resistance on your end, front pressed harshly against the stucco wall, a sharp gasp emitting from your throat as he crowds you in again, whispering harshly into your ear, “Mr. Miller. Not Joel. You don’t get that privilege. And stop talking about my fucking wife.”

You moan brokenly at the feeling of his cock pressed against your ass, skirt riding up your thighs and you were sure—positive that Joel could see the fabric of your underwear clinging to your hips from how high up and mused your skirt was now, but he can’t take his eyes of your face, anger emitting from his own and suffocating you like a blanket.

You were pressing his buttons just right and he hated it.

“So, no marital troubles then?” You pester him and he shuts you up immediately, palm covering your mouth tightly as his free hand grips at the hem of your underwear at your hip and tugs—yep, he saw them. Some soft color, all lacy, meant to be attention-grabbing. And if Joel couldn’t have you the way he truly desires, he’d make you wish you could have it even worse than he wanted it. “You—huh, you can’t even wear your wedding ring, Mr. Miller—don’t lie to me.”

He pulls at the material of your panties until they’re riding up your ass slightly, pulled tighter against your cunt and the drag of the material against your clit is almost unexpected. He’s pointedly avoiding touching you so intimately, teetering on the edge of not enough and too much.

“You thought it would be that easy?” Joel asks testingly, jerking your head slightly when you don’t answer. You figured it was redundant but clearly not. You mumble against his hand, overwhelmed by his touch that all you can do is nod, forehead pressed against the wall as he breathes down your neck. “You’re mistaken.”

There’s a distinct rip of fabric as he removes his hand from your mouth quickly using his hands to grip your panties in tight fists, tearing it apart as it falls from your body and you think he might just do it—shove his slacks just far enough down his thighs and slip inside of you, bring an end to all of your suffering.

And his own.

Instead his fingers tighten around your forearm, spinning you in his hold and shoving the ripped fabric into your hand, leaving you bare under your skirt and exposed and Joel doesn’t mistake the wetness on the material. His fingers linger over your palm and you scoff, adjusting your skirt and slightly skewed shirt.

“Keep them,” You challenge, shoving the material into his chest before he allows them to drop to the floor, eyes trailing your departing figure as you reach for your discarded bag, “a gift for your wife—you know, the one who you avoided to spend time with me. Right?”

You want the words to linger and sting, bag slung lazily around your shoulder as you depart for the door, ignoring the quickly approaching footsteps. Joel, unbeknownst to you, had already pocketed your panties, torn to shreds in the pocket of his slacks. But, the words cut deep and he can’t leave things like this and allow you the final word.

Joel yanks the strap of your bag and backs you against the office door, the wood rattling against your conjoined weight as his lips press against yours in haste, messy and uncoordinated but your brain quickly assess what’s happening and joins, your lips parting to allow his eager tongue into your mouth. His kiss is biting and furious, mean and full of nothing but tense emotion. It’s months of suffocated lust pouring into you, out of him, and you swallow it down eagerly. His hand holds your chin forcefully, sloppy exchanges of spit and forceful bites, a battle for dominance that Joel quickly won out on.

And you think that maybe that comment was the final straw, that he might just give you what you want, but your delicate moan that slips into his mouth as chase him, his head pulling back slightly at the noise—it had him falling back to reality, right on his ass.

There wasn’t any line left to cross anymore. He’d obliterated it.

“Don’t threaten me again,” He warns, “ever.”

There’s one solid shove against the door as your head hits the surface gently, his touch quickly dissipating and his disheveled appearance a tell-tale sign in your mind. He was fighting his own battle and losing terribly.

“Of course,” You agree sardonically, “Mr. Miller.”

The silent click of the door is deafening and Joel retreats to his desk, punching a fist into the solid wood, the papers of your assignment flying to the floor. He can't be bothered to pick them up or even allow them the proper glance they deserve.

Because you—in his mind, don't deserve it.

And he's not going to give you that satisfaction.

It's unprofessional, but he'll allow it this once. It only takes a few quick clicks and he's adjusting the assignment out for your new one.

Poof. Gone. Like it never existed.

But, the grade is unchanging and he knows that will make things tremendously worse, but he can't be bothered to care anymore.

You'd be back and that's exactly what he wants.

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is:  judasofsuburbia! @judasofsuburbia has 31 fics in the Stranger Things fandom and 24 of them are in the Steddie tag!

@cheatghost recommends the following works by @judasofsuburbia:

shake this world off my shoulders

the seventh heaven (when i kissed the teacher)

wanna be the only one for miles and miles (except for maybe you)

you make my life worthwhile (it's all about you)

get up and shake the glitter off your clothes

If you were to ask Emily what they think about their work, she'd probably say something along the lines of, "haha, it's just silly smut!" And even if that may very well be the case with some fics (and I'm so, so grateful for it), the one true constant in all of Emily's writing is the heart. They are truly an expert at weaving genuine emotion and care into their work, infusing every moment, every scene, every fic with so much passion. -- @cheatghost

Below the cut, @judasofsuburbia answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

I’ve been a fan of Stranger Things since it came out in 2016 and of course, I fell in love with Steve’s character right away. But never in the show did I think they gave him a good love interest. His relationship with Nancy is obviously a catalyst for a lot of plot devices and it was important to the growth of both of their characters but it naturally had to end. Then…in walks Eddie Munson. I remember watching the forest scene for the first time and little alarm bells went off in my head. They have a great jumping off point of being the big brother figure of these dweeby teenagers, both being older and stuck in Hawkins, both being endearingly lame in their own unique ways but still having that opposites attract energy. Their dynamic was so fun to me, even in the limited scenes that we got, and I finally thought “Yeah. This guy. That’s Steve’s love interest.”

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

I’ll read just about anything if it’s recommended to me or a beloved friend writes it but I have a particular soft spot for future fics. Getting to see these characters grow and heal from what happened to them while also being in love or falling in love really hits home for me.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

I write a lot of AUs for this couple. It seems I love putting my boys into situations lmao BUT I think I adore writing love confessions the most. Like no matter what universe they’re in, they’re going to have this realization of love and it’s going to just pour out of them.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

My 252 bookmarks are shaking in their boots at this question so I’m going to shout out just a few! Bright Things series by @cheatghost, took you for a working boy by pukner, Catch Me (I’m Falling) by @fragilecapric0rnn, driving in your car by @kkpwnall, and carve your name into my chest by @hexiewrites.

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

I would love to explore a Monster AU. I’ve technically written Kas!Eddie but I’d love to explore something more like demon/creature/werewolf SOMETHING because I always find those stories so interesting.

What is your writing process like?

It usually starts with like one line or one idea that I hurriedly jot down in my notes app or in a new document. Then, I find songs that relate to that premise or scenes from other media that help inspire me. Usually, I plan it out bullet point style in a physical notebook and then start writing bit by bit!

Do you have any writing quirks?

Somehow making everything cultivate into something sexual lmao. It;s now a joke amongst me and my friends that I can always make something horny. But really, I love what can be discovered, what can be said, what can be revealed, and what can change a character throughout a sexual scene. Not every fic I write has smut in it but a vast majority do and it’s because I love getting to use smut as a tool for something else.

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

Definitely once I’ve finished something. When I was first starting out, I posted chapters for long fics as soon as they were done and that led to me abandoning fics because I simply ran out of spoons to write them. Now, I’m much more conscious of what I’m putting out there and making sure it’s completed before I start posting. I might make personal schedules for myself but I very rarely stick to them lmao.

Which fic are you most proud of?

Definitely my zombie apocalypse series “the darkest hour is just before dawn”. Those fics came together in a matter of a few weeks and I just loved being able to dive into each of those couples (the spicy six) and figure out how they would react differently to their circumstance. It started with me picturing Eddie with a southern accent but only when he’s stressed, angry, or drunk. What’s more stressful than a zombie apocalypse?

How did you get the idea for get up and shake the glitter off your clothes?

The song “Waking Up in Vegas” by Katy Perry came up on shuffle and my brain said “Oh, there’s something here.” It started as just a blurb of Steve waking up extremely hungover, noticing Eddie’s in bed with him, and then seeing Eddie’s mood ring on his left ring finger in a hotel mirror. I posted that blurb just to Tumblr and my brain just kept thinking about it and now it’s a whole fic!

When writing you make my life worthwhile (it's all about you), what was something you didn’t expect?

That it is so, so hard to write breakup fics. Because you never want one of them to be “the bad guy” or to be toxic in a way that leads to heartbreak. I struggled with shaping the narrative in a way that you could understand the hurt from both sides but I’m really happy with how it turned out (them making up of course!!)

What inspired you make my life worthwhile (it's all about you)?

It was 100% my days being in the 5 Seconds of Summer fandom when I was a teenager. I remember having to defend that band to people, saying “It’s not a boy band! They all play instruments! They’re just a band!” but now I can see how their marketing was catered to teenage girls and how that led so many people to believing they were similar to One Direction. The first thing that came to mind was Eddie having to fight for his music to be taken seriously and that spawned this idea of him, Steve, Argyle, and Jonathan being in a similar band and Eddie wanting out.

What was your favorite part to write from wanna be the only one for miles and miles (except for maybe you)?

I’m a sucker for wound care so writing Steve sitting a grumpy Eddie down to tend to his wounds with kisses and jokes was a lot of fun!! I’m also a cowboy enthusiast so that AU was a hoot and a half for me all around.

How do/did you feel writing the seventh heaven (when i kissed the teacher)?

MUSHY. Mushy as all get out. I love, love, love writing Steddie with kids. I just think there is so much domesticity and softness to kid fics, especially if a character is a single parent. I was seriously a pile of mush writing that fic and making them all lovey dovey.

What was the most difficult part of writing shake this world off my shoulders?

Candidly, it was figuring out how they were supposed to be alone so they could have sex. They’re always traveling as one big group, sleeping in unconventional places, and taking turns being on watch. Finding a realistic setting and a realistic circumstance was very difficult!

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

It’s hard to choose just one but I do think about this passage a lot from hey now, don’t dream it’s over: “Because even if Steve didn’t think he’d get this far. Even if he thought he wouldn’t see 21 let alone 30. Wouldn’t keep in touch and love with all his heart a gang of misfits from Hawkins. Wouldn’t fall in love with a wonderfully crazy man and adopt two beautiful girls with him. Wouldn’t be held when he cried or celebrated when he smiled. Wouldn’t wake up each morning and wipe sticky faces, talk high school seniors through college doubts and fears, wave his hand through the wind out his car window listening to pop radio in Chicago traffic, scoop mac and cheese onto Disney-themed plates, get kisses from his partner that make his kids groan, hear about their days, all their imaginations, their creativity, and everything they love and hate about the world, bath time every night, putting their hair in soapy mohawks, hearing their bright giggles, and tucking them into bed. Ending up in bed with the one person he loves more than anything just to wake up and do it all over again. He never, ever thought he would actually get this. But he did and he loves it. He doesn’t want to feel guilty for loving it anymore. He pulls away from Eddie’s neck and just beams at him. Eddie, who is more or less confused by the range of emotions he’s sporting, smiles right back at him. Steve kisses him deeply and feels Eddie wipe away his tears throughout their kiss. Steve Harrington is thirty years old and is enamored with the very thought of it.”

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

Nothing huge in the works right now! Mostly just waiting for inspiration to strike again.

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

Just that this fandom has changed my life in immeasurable ways. I am so happy that this community exists and the various types of showstopping art I get to engage with because of this show. I have made some of my very best friends in this fandom and I wouldn’t change that for the world. Thank you for all the love and laughter, thank you for nominating me (seriously that is so incredibly sweet), and thank you for loving these boys as much as I do.

Thank you to our author, @judasofsuburbia, and our nominator, @cheatghost! See more of judasofsuburbia's works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[palettepainter]

I'm going to try and start compiling some ideas for the next Zoot cousins doodle dump. I've already got a few in mind but if you guys have anything in particular you want to see, you're more then welcome to suggest ideas! Even if I don't use all the suggestions in one doodle dump, I will certainly keep the ideas jotted down for future reference because drawing the Zoot cousins is a lot of fun!

Here are some ideas I've had in my notes for a while I want to illustrate for a Zoot cousins doodle dump at some point:

-Zephyr interacting with the cast of Muppets Tonight. I genuinely love the vibe of Muppets Tonight, Johnny Fiama, Clifford and Seymour especially! I want to play around with Zephyr's dynamics with some of the characters when she was first hired onto the show

-Penny at work. Penny is the most work driven out of the cousins and runs a tight schedule, she can be a bit intimidating at times when it comes to her work but she means well (related but Penny interacting with Deadly and Gloria Estefan, Deadly and herself like to meet up and gossip)

-Younger Zephyr and Floyd shenanigans and younger Teeth with the twins shenanigans

-Something with younger Liv and Zoot, and then something with older Zoot and Liv. I was thinking something like younger Zoot carrying Liv, and then a drawing of Liv carrying Zoot (who probably conked out during the morning meeting at work)

[thevikingwoman]

I wanted to do one of these this year, as I've been really pleased with what I've written this year, especially in the back half.

For November and December I tried writing or working on my writing (outlining, editing) every day, and I was able to do so almost every day. I think it unclogged something, and I'll try to keep going with this in 2024.

This year I tried out a new fandom, FFXIV, it's been an interesting experience. I love what I've written and where it's taking me. I've had fun developing Meryta and getting to know her, it has taken a bit for her to let herself get known to me, and it's still a process! I'm enjoying having something new to dig into. I've also written a few shorts for Wayfarer IF, and my MCs do live rent free in my head - but for now they're mostly biding their time.

I'm looking forward to writing in 2024!

Overview

Fandoms: 2

Fics Published: 10

WIPs (actively working on): 3

WIPs/ideas (back burner): 5

I haven't tracked my words all year, so I can't properly tell. I've split up my in-progress fics as I tend to get ideas and jot down the gist or even write a little and then abandon. Some of them will never see the light, but some of them have more than 2000 words in them and I do want to finish them up.

For me, it's a constant balance of following the new idea or buckle down and finish something. I will work on this, I have things I want out in the world.

Fic List

Reprieve - FFXIV | E | Meryta x Emmanellain | 4206 words

I started this fic as a sweet kiss, and decided later to add the whole encounter and the morning after to the fic in November. I'm glad I did and it's been so fun exploring the sweetness between Meryta and Emmanellain.

Distance - FFXIV | M | Beatin x Gairhard, Meryta & Beatin | 1542 words

I have such a fondness for the DoH quests, and the ARR carpenter ones in particular. This is one of the favorite things I wrote this year, and one of the first.

Wayfarer short trio - View (G), Alone (G), Flirt (T) | 1474 words total

I wrote three short fics for @wayfarer-week, one for each of my MCs. They are all pre-game, and I'm very happy that I got these done, and the moments I choose.

Wrong - FFXIV | G | Meryta & Urianger | 691 words

I wanted to explore how Meryta felt about Urianger after the HW patches, and how this could lead to a beginning friendship

Under Familiar Stars - FFXIV | E | Meryta x Tansui | 2085 words

I so enjoyed Tansui when he showed in MSQ, and by mid Stormblood I had the idea of Meryta having a fling, so I wrote this. I really love how SB was both a homecoming and turning point in her maturity and confidence, and this fic does explore some of this - along with the smut ;). I'm really happy how this turned out.

The Perils of Ishgard Publishing | FFXIV | G | Meryta & Emmanellain | 428 words

A fun note on (fake) wol romance novel became this, and I really love how I was able to write off the cuff - and get to explore Meryta and Emmanellain's friendship after their fling.

Stress Relief | FFXIV | T | Calantha x Hien | 527 words

This was a gift for @galadae, and I'm so happy I got to write Cala and Hien. I love their relationship, and I'm so happy I got to write this, and that my writing has unwound itself enough to write a small gift fic.

Passing Through | FFXIV | E | Meryta x Tansui | 4518 words

By the time November rolled around I'd went off cliff on Meryta and Tansui's relationship, and this fic is my favorite of the year. I'm having so much fun exploring their dynamic, and writing some pretty fun smut. This one made me happy.

End notes

this was the year of FFXIV writing, and it does feel different writing for this fandom than other's I've engaged with. I don't know if I can or will set words on it, but I do look forward to exploring more ffxiv writing and reading next year.

The past two months have been so fun to me, and I've been pouring more words out than the entire year. For next year, my goal is to feel more free, to keep writing what sparks interest, and especially not worry of fitting everything perfectly into a fixed timeline. Not worry about living up to other's or my own expectations or bar for "making this thought a fic", not worry about pairings or topics, and just have fun.

happy writing to us all in 2024!

[nikofortuna]

JTTW Chapter 34 Thoughts

Chapter 34 for the @journeythroughjourneytothewest Reading Group!

As was the case for the last chapter, in the other two translations it is made much more clear which one is Silver Horn and which one is Gold Horn.

The demons in this Arc in particular are some of the most casual and sympathetic ones yet, with the Great Kings having their sibling dynamic and being very lenient with their little fiends even when they make a mistake. Also they are actually quite reasonable in their consideration of just returning Tang Sanzang and the others.

Plus they are nice to their mother and their mother is also rather kind. Though oddly enough she is somewhat harsh with the girls that tried to tag along as her attendants. That might just be another small men writing women detail.

It is very clever writing for Silver Horn to know the spells that come with the yellow-gold rope and using that to turn the tide of battle in his favour precisely when Sun Wukong was trying to turn the tide in his favour with the rope himself. It is not out of left-field either, it makes a lot of sense, so very nice!

The chapter overall was very fluent to read, as in I only took notes afterwards when I usually jot down anything that comes to mind right away when reading.

[nice-to-meet-you-im-a-crytid]

How To Be a Magical Girl (Introduction)

This is an introduction to my original story as the title states. This will not be a comprehensive lore dump just a ramble of what the story is like and the many (many inspirations behind it

Disclaimers: This is a story in EXTREMELY EARLY production, This is mostly for fun and for me as a writer to both build a fanbase around my work and get used to jotting down ideas.

Inspirations: I'm staring with my inspirations for the story since they heavily explain where I was heading for pretty much the rest of the story.

First really big one is the anime Madoka Magica, so there's a lot of cutesy-ness mixed with body horror and some darker themes too in my writing. This also effects my art style quite a bit if you've seen any of my work on my tumblr page. Of course there's the magical girl aspect and an obvious school setting. Speaking of school settings my other inspiration would have to be My Hero Academia. I'm mostly referring to the slice of life/school aspects and the earlier class focused episodes. I think the world building in My Hero is really cool and I think it shows quite a bit in my own world. Also the technical aspects of becoming a hero in the earlier episodes have given me a good idea of how I'd like my own story's made up profession to work on it's own technical scale.

Setting/Plot:

How To Be a Magical Girl is a novel in the works centered around the coming of age stories of a large cast of girls (15-16 yr olds) who go to a magical school and as the title states learn how to be a magical girl both as a job and as people. One really big theme is light academia which includes love of learning, friendship, and overall loving life. Another is also perspective as many of the mini stories are written is different POVs and hopefully if I can get a book or two into the world each one would also be in a different POV. This does lead to a large cast of characters all of which have different backgrounds, cultures, and unique dynamics with each other along with different places in each others stories. This is also one big coming of age story which is very dear to me as I, myself am coming of age as a young author, so this story is a huge reflection on my own experiences. The biggest most prevalent theme besides light academia is trauma and more importantly healing! The main monsters that these magical girls fight in fact come from trauma and each of the girls have their own troubles to work through along the course of the story. The literal setting of the book is of course the school: St. Amia's International School for girls! Pretty much think Hogwarts but made of quartz. Legit though lots inspiration came from European design and architecture (Scottish castles, French Chateaus, etc.) in alignment with the book's theme. Here is link to the Pinterest mood board Worldbuilding: Obviously there is magic in this world. It takes place a couple hundred years into the future, magic is very well integrated into the modern world, i.e it's used as an energy source, magical creatures are common place across the world, it's even a normal and often required course in schools. Magic itself is a learned skill that all people can have the ability to advance in and excel at. My best analogy for it is it's like sports, if you run everyday you gradually get better and you could even make it a profession with enough training. And also like sports there are certain skills and abilities that are better for each one, flexibility and strength are both good for all sports but would be best used and trained in particular ones. This also translates over to types of magic and skills. (These are not the best comprehensive notes of my story's world so I might make an in depth post for the whole thing, tell me in the comments if this gets enough attraction!)

If this post somehow reaches you and maybe you even like it give it a reblog so others can have the chance to find it too in mess of an algorithm. And maybe even leave a comment if you'd like to see more from me!

☆*: .｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆

[tarnishedxknight]

Headcanons: Noah's Amber Eyes In the Greater Context of His Nethicite Poisoning

{out of dalmasca} I wanted to jot down some notes about the appearance of Noah/Gabranth's eyes, since my use of faceclaims without the right eye color I feel sometimes makes these details get lost. Inspired by a gif in the bottom left in this gifset, I wanted to describe what his eyes look like, why they are that way, and why they are different from Basch's eyes. Although it is canon that his eyes are an orange/yellow/amber-ish color in the game, it isn't really discussed, so much of this information will be my own headcanons to develop this aspect of him.

As seen above, Noah's eyes are typically described as "amber-colored," but the irises are not a normal flat or even banded color as some people's eyes are. They are actually a rather unnatural, lightly glowing, sometimes even swirling or smoldering sort of color. So it is not only their color which makes them unique, but the magical "fire" contained within them. (View the gifset and zoom in on that particular gif to see the dynamic nature of the color in his eyes.) Depending on his mood, his level of fatigue/injury, and/or if he is preparing to cast a spell, you can actually see the golden glow of Mist moving in the irises of his eyes.

The reason Noah's eyes are this way is because of the Mist his body absorbed in his youth while living through the Archadian conquering of the Republic of Landis. Noah remained in Landis after it was destroyed by nethicite with his mother and other survivors long enough to become dangerously poisoned.

When nethicite explodes, there is an intense amount of magical energy, electromagnetic energy, light, and thermal energy in the form of heat that is emitted from the central point and out across the blast radius. What isn't destroyed physically or degraded chemically by the force of the blast or the dangerous particulates that are cast into the air becomes bathed in Mist. Mist is a visual, physical manifestation of the magical residue that results from nethicite explosion. Simply put, it's a magical fog cloud that, when dense enough, becomes visible to the naked eye even to those without any magical ability or sixth sense for detecting it. It manifests in the form of a shimmering, glowing, golden orange cloud that lingers until something drains the Mist from the area or absorbs the Mist's power into itself.

While in Landis following the devastating nethicite explosion, Noah's body became permeated by Mist. Because of the thermochemical properties of Mist, it is extremely toxic to biological organisms such as plants, animals, and most sentient races. The best comparison in the real world is radioactivity. The longer your exposure, the more health detriments you will incur. Stay in it long enough, and it becomes fatal. Mist is much the same, especially when it is very dense. Through breathing and even just being inside the large cloud of Mist that engulfed Landis, Noah's internal organs became permeated with the magical substance, resulting in chronic poisoning and disease.

The Mist has long since dissipated from his skin and outer body layers, but it still saturates his internal organs, has left him almost sterile, and has had lasting health effects. These health effects range from lung disease to bouts of fatigue, as well as mental effects like decreased impulse control and damaged emotional regulation.

The only reason he has not died of his chronic nethicite poisoning is because of his link to Basch as his twin. They share a soul, and so Basch, who left Landis quickly following its destruction, passively helped to mitigate some of the effects of Noah's poisoning. As Noah's health declined, so did Basch's, but as Basch began to manifest symptoms of nethicite poisoning, Noah's stabilized. Almost like balancing scales, the two twins shared this condition, even across incredible distance and for over two decades, through the bond their shared soul allows.

Over the years, Basch has become stricken with symptoms of nethicite poisoning and was healed by Ashelia, who possesses the ability to weild a rare form of Dynast magic capable of curing nethicite poisoning. As Noah's poisoning continues, the Mist in his body slowly grows in amount and power as it accumulates magical energy from his surrounding environment. This would have caused his health to fail and him to die, if not for Ashelia healing Basch. In so doing, she inadvertantly also partially healed Noah as well. This has allowed him to remain in a kind of balanced dynamic with the Mist in his body.

This sustained chronic poisoning without the finality of the usual fatal outcome for which it is unfortunately known does come with some benefits. The Mist inside his body is perhaps just short of sentient. It isn't truly, but it does want to accumulate itself and to consolidate its power. When Noah sustains injuries in battle or from the illnesses the Mist causes, it will also ironically begin to slowly heal him. This is not typical healing magic, but rather a physical patching of his body by Mist particles that gravitate towards preserving themselves. Put more simply, the Mist in Noah's body "recognizes" him as a vessel for itself, and therefore seeks to preserve him. This means he is able to survive greater numbers of injuries and more dire injuries than humans who have not been touched by Mist.

Other benefits center around his eyes, the only exterior parts of his body that reflect his nethicite poisoning. It is unknown why Mist collects in certain parts of the body more so than others, but it is known that the eyes are one such area that it does tend to pool. It is this pooling of Mist in parts of the eyes that results in the dynamically changing amber glow. Mist specifically accumulates in the irises and retinas, conferring some abilities that normal humans do not have. Noah is able to sense and even sometimes see magical auras around him, because they are all Mist-based. He can also see very well in the dark without the aid of light sources. Finally, he can see Mist in very low amounts, below the detection limits of normal humans.

Basch and Noah naturally have very vivid blue eyes. Because Basch was not poisoned by the nethicite to nearly the same degree that Noah was, he recovered enough from it for his eyes to return to their natural blue. Noah's have been amber since he was sixteen and in Landis. However, as Basch became more affected by the Mist through his bond with Noah, his eyes began to change to amber as well, and he began suffering other adverse physical and mental side effects. Each time he was cured of this poisoning by Ashelia, Basch's eyes returned to blue... and so did Noah's. The difference was that Noah's would return to blue for only a few hours and then revert back, or one eye would change but then quickly change back.

Because the Mist in Noah's body was the source of both twins' poisoning, healing Basch could only do so much. Were Noah to ever accept the help of one with Dynast magic like Ashelia's to permanently cure his nethicite poisoning, his health would improve, he would regain full fertility, and his eyes would permanently revert back to the same vivid blue as Basch's.

The Mist in Noah's body has become one with him, in a sense. It affects his mentally, most notably with emotional regulation, impulse control, and if it is allowed to progress to this level, eventually his sanity as well. Because of this, the intensity of the amber glow of Mist in Noah's irises will wax and wane with the intensity of his emotions. His eyes tend to glow more brightly when he is angry, riled up, afraid to the point of aggression, or feeling otherwise aggressive. Volatile emotions cause his eyes to glow more and the Mist in them to swirl around, like fire moving ethereally glowing embers within coals.

Conversely, if he is exhausted, badly wounded, sad, afraid to the point of cowering back, or some other sedate or weak emotional and/or physical state, his eyes may still be amber, but they may lose much of their glow. This is because Mist throughout his body is being reallocated towards necessary healing and repair of his mind and body.

That's all I can think of right now, but if I think of more, I'll add to this post. Feel free to comment on any of this or to include information in this post in threads/starters as you like. =)

[selfproclaimedunicorn]

⭐ for how you came up with the particular plot for SOTF. It's got such juicy and dramatic and far reaching stuff all shoved in there. How did it come to be?

Ahh, thank you for the ask!

So, even before I actually sat down & watched the show, the idea of "what if this pairing George never actually explored &, for all intents & purposes didn't even need to include, had something." So, just, like, little basic ideas (dad/child rivalry, vengeance, I name someone after a Hamlet character--is this Hamlet? No, certainly not! My MCs don't die!--, Vermithor is there, at least one woman is into the idea of arson regardless of if she commits it) were cooking. I even had a big thing in my notes app on my phone where I would just jot down little ideas, & I talked about it with people as more & more stuff started taking shape during my first watch of s1 till I got to: twins & their younger sibling who serve as someone to be more of a "peer" to Rhaenyra & Alicent (because watching the show: they are isolated in terms of their own age group), angst, world shaking daddy issues, & an excuse to explore some really complicated emotional stuff that must certainly come from "Targaryen parent/Non-Targaryen parent." Also, the fact I was watching The Borgias for the first time at the same time as my first HOTD watch probably flavored a lot of stuff. I'm not gonna say SOTF is a true shout out to that show, or that any sibling dynamics are reminiscent of what's going on there (none of my Roycegaryens are fucking each other, for one)...but I will say that, thinking about it now, there is potentially some Juan Borgia in my Daemon Targaryen. I do not apologize for this.

Truthfully, I'm kind of surprised SOTF & my Roycegaryens made it beyond "a fun concept I play with in my head," because historically that's all I do with my OCs. But, conceptualizing story moments & interpersonal relationships just kind of made me, like, "I must share this." So with only slightly less vague notes than were in my phone moved to a google document, a steady diet of tv dramas, & the fuel of my main & expansive asoiaf AU (that I keep half plotting, scrapping, adding onto the lore, half plotting again, scrapping again, before then finally saying "this needs to stop" & just working on finalizing the lore before I do anything else) that I can use as practice I have been word vomiting onto google documents since January. Can I say what the entire plot is? No. Can I say that there are daddy issues & I know parts of where I'm ending? Yes, absolutely. Can I say that Rhea Royce & Daemon Targaryen made kids that grow up to be really, really hot? Yes, because this is an instance of my taste being good. (Ignore my Cullen Rutherford art prints under the bed. You don't see those)

[thelordofgifs]

Fanfiction writing ask: 4, 25 46?

(fanfiction writing ask)

4. How do you choose which fics to write?

Just inspiration really, tbh! I have six currently-active WIPs (and one that’s been put on the back burner for now) so deciding which of those to work on on any given day is just a matter of which I hate least at the time. When it comes to starting a new fic, I have SO MANY ideas jotted down that I’m really excited about, so I am constantly restraining myself from not starting another WIP! Sometimes I use them to bribe myself: “finish this one and then you can start that really exciting one I promise”. But sometimes I fall to temptation and the list gets longer.

25. What’s your favorite part of the writing process (worldbuilding, brainstorming/outlining, writing, editing, etc)?

It’s got to be the actual writing. Researching and outlining can be very fun, especially when I get excited about a particular idea (the tfs page in my notes app has so many random caps locks and exclamation marks), but they also just feel like whetting my appetite for the actual thing. Which is often horrible and painful and the worst, but when it goes well and you’ve produced a lovely profound sentence or a very moving interesting scene or whatever it’s the best feeling in the entire world! a controversial take, but I like editing, too! It’s definitely a lot easier than writing a first draft, but it also requires me to be more ruthless with myself.

46. If you could only write one type of AU for the rest of your life, what would it be?

What are the types of AU? My own categorisation is into “setting change” AUs like modern AUs etc and “canon divergence” AUs – is that the usual mode of division? Anyway, it would have to be the canon divergence AUs. I think setting change AUs are fun and very creative and I’d love to try my hand at one someday, but especially in the silm fandom the canon divergence ones are SO MUCH FUN and make you think SO HARD. I have three going at the moment: tfs of course, in which Beren and Lúthien steal two Silmarils, the Maedhros doesn’t swear the oath AU, and the Maedhros dies in the Nirnaeth AU, and they all have to be so strongly in conversation with canon and examine character dynamics so carefully, I love it.

Thanks for the ask! These questions are great, do keep them coming :)

[krello-png]

Need to jot down more notes on my little take on Caulifla and Kale, I'd like to add to what's already there in a loose sense without it feeling too outside DB's scope y'know?

Pretty tricky to pull off ngl!

Might wanna latch onto to the apparent fact that Cabba already met Caulifla before the events of the ToP for character dynamic stuff, just unsure how best to handle it.

Definitely want to give a little extra meat to C&K's relationship and in particular, why the hell Kale respects Caulifla to such insane degrees! Could easily just be a simple infatuation and nothing more but I can't help but wanna give it a little extra y'know?

[cryptorial]

An Ultimate Guide To Blockchain Wallets

A  Blockchain Wallet Is A Digital Wallet that allows users to store and manage their Bitcoin, Ether, and other cryptocurrencies. Blockchain Wallet can also refer to the wallet service provided by Blockchain, a software company Peter Smith and Nicolas Cary founded. A blockchain wallet allows transfers in cryptocurrencies and the ability to convert them back into a user’s local currency.

As mentioned in our blockchain entrepreneur’s guide, the simplest answer to what a blockchain wallet is is one of the three pillars of the blockchain industry, which contains the private and public keys of all the bitcoins you own. They are not physical wallets and do not store real coins or currency. It is a software program that contains your unique digital currency address. They not only store your cryptocurrencies but also execute them through blockchain transactions. This allows you to interact with the various blockchains in the system and maintain your bitcoin balance. It is like a PayTM wallet, except it has no physical currency. If you want to buy or spend bitcoins, you need a bitcoin or a multi-currency wallet.

Now that cryptocurrency wallets have been talks, let us move on to the next part of this guide, which lets us look at their work.

How Do Blockchain Wallets Work?

Users can request a certain number of bitcoins or other crypto assets from another party. The system will generate a unique address that will send to the third party or converted into a quick response or QR code. QR codes are like barcodes in that they store financial information and can be read by digital devices.

A unique address is generated each time a user makes a request. Users can also send crypto assets if someone gives them a unique address.

The sending and receiving process is like sending or receiving funds through PayPal but using cryptocurrency. PayPal is an online payment processor that acts as an intermediary between customers and their banks and credit cards, facilitating online money transfers through financial institutions. Users can also exchange bitcoins for other crypto assets and vice versa, known as swapping. This approach is an easy way to kill crypto without leaving the safety of the blockchain wallet.

Users are presented with a quote showing how much they will get based on the current exchange rate, which changes based on how long it takes the user to complete the transaction. Swaps take several hours to add transactions to each currency blockchain. However, the user must contact customer service if it takes more than six hours. The Blockchain wallet only allows six crypto assets to be exchanged: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Stellar Lumens, Tether, USD Digital, and Wrapped-DGLD.

Why Consider Cryptocurrency Wallet?

There are valid reasons why established brands launch crypto wallet apps. Reasons for the different ways blockchain wallet solves traditional payment problems are as follows:

Cryptocurrency wallets never run out of space.

These digital wallets let you hold and operate with multiple currencies organizationally.

They have a nifty balance checker that tells you instantly how much balance is available.

These wallets even have a notes accessory where you can jot down any special remarks about a particular transaction or Bitcoin to help you recall later.

Blockchain Wallet Fees

However, it is important to note that the Blockchain Wallet uses a process called dynamic fees, which means the fees charged per transaction can vary based on various factors. The size of the transaction and network conditions at the time of the transaction can significantly affect the fee amount. Only so many transactions can process in a single block by sophisticated computers called miners. Miners usually process transactions with the highest fees first, as they are financially profitable.

Blockchain wallets offer priority fees which can result in transactions being processed within an hour. There’s also a cheaper regular fee, but it is likely the transaction will take over an hour. Fees can also be adjusted by the customer. However, if the customer sets a fee that is too low, the transfer or transaction may be delayed or rejected.

Blockchain Wallet Security

Wallet security is an important consideration for users, as a compromised account may result in users losing control of their assets. Blockchain Wallet has several levels of security to protect user funds from any attacker, including the company itself.

Different Types of Cryptocurrency Wallets

Crypto wallets have three categories – software, hardware, and paper. Software wallets can be for desktop computers or mobile phones. A proper software crypto wallet is a software application or program that can download via a web browser. Hardware wallets can purchase at computer hardware stores. Paper wallets can print or written on a piece of paper. They contain your wallet’s public key in QR form. This code can print on paper, plastic, or other durable materials and make a seal for safe storage.

Here is a full breakdown of all Types Of Cryptocurrency Wallets –

Desktop Wallets – These software programs can download to a laptop or PC. These wallets work even when not connected to the net.

Mobile Wallets – Since handheld mobile devices are so popular, there are compatible mobile wallets. In addition to their obvious portability, they are compatible with QR codes, facilitating instant digital payments.

Cold wallets/ Hot wallets – All wallets can be divided into two categories – cold wallets and hot wallets. Cold wallets are “offline” and very secure. This can use for large bitcoin holdings. They are usually not hackable and can use offline. Hot wallets are “online” and can use with network access. They are less secure than cold wallets, but useful if you must make frequent transactions.

Online Web Wallets – Third parties maintain online wallets on the cloud. They require internet connectivity to work. Since the private keys of these wallets are accessible via the cloud, online web wallets are the least secure choice.

Paper Wallets – Paper wallets store the private key and public address in QR form. This information can print out and sealed for greater safety.

Hardware Wallets – Resemble a tinier version of flash drives. They are safe and easy to use. Unlike paper wallets, cold storage devices are great for transferring private keys and can withstand hazards.

Bitcoin Wallets – It used by the pioneers of the blockchain system. They have access to all transactions in the blockchain ecosystem. Some people believe these wallets are from Satoshi Nakamoto, the man who developed Bitcoins and its parent blockchain technology.

Reference: Cryptorial: An Ultimate Guide To Blockchain Wallets

[the-printed-words]

How Do I Plan? Tag

Thank you, @elizaellwrites for the tag! Much appreciated.

How do you plot your writing?

Step 1: Beginning with the Characters

No matter how hard I try to start with a plot idea, the characters usually come first (though, this was not the case for my second novel – the plot came first, but I digress). I could be working or simply reading a story and the inspiration for my characters for my own novel(s) run through my mind. Inspiration may also strike when listening to a song, looking at art, in thinking back to my own past experiences – certain traits about them stand out to me, and automatically, I begin to construct a character based on even the simplest of details. If I can’t get it down on paper immediately, I try to make a mental note of the strongest elements that stand out to me about that character. Then I begin to develop them from there.

Step 2: Research for the Fictional World

Once I’ve created the characters, I tend to rush straight into developing the fictional world. I jot down my ideas (those that I call “cold ideas;" they're without research, only based on my initial thoughts) and determine what could work and not work for my world, for my characters. Research follows swiftly after. I go into a “research frenzy” for months at time (depending on how big my fictional world is and what I decide to put my characters through) before even putting a pen to paper. For my current fantasy series, I spent about 2-3 years researching before I began my first draft. I file all my research and return to it when needed. Even the simplest details are filed away. Once I’ve gotten a general idea of how I want my fictional world to look, I begin to look at the plot.

Step 3: Development (mixing plot, world-building, and characters together)

This is where I begin to mix plot, world-building, and my characters. Always, I ask “What if…?” about a particular theme/issue that I want to address within my plot, and I go from there when working on the plot. I ask the same question of my characters, when fitting the plot around them. If something in the plot doesn’t fit with how I perceive the characters, then I make changes (either to the character or to the plot itself). I also consider how the world I’ve created will affect the plot. I only spend a few weeks to a few months here at a time, creating a rough map of how I want things to go.

Step 4: Outlining

I’ve always hated outlining, but I find that it’s extremely useful, even if writing a short story. I tend to outline in detail, as I like to get all my thoughts out on paper about how a character arc will progress, how the plot will progress, how each affects others in the story. Then I go back and tweak it as I see fit. Of course, outlining doesn’t mean I’m not open to surprises; I am. They generally come, of course, in the writing process itself.

Step 5: Writing

After going back over my notes for weeks to months, I then sit down to write. Surprises, as stated earlier, can happen here. Rewrites happen in increments – if I’m not satisfied with a current chapter in my novel (even if I’m in the first draft phase), I go back and I rewrite it again. The refining and editing process can take a while, so I’ve learned to be patient with myself and remind myself that not everything is going to be perfect on the first – or even second and third – attempt.

What is your favorite part of the writing process?

I have two favorite parts – Constructing my characters/my world, and the writing process itself. With constructing characters, I love seeing how each come together and compliment (or not) one another. I love determining their dynamics, their personalities, their quirks, histories, relationships…you name it. I love making them feel more human, more relatable to my audience. I love seeing how they grow and how they progress over the course of the novel(s), how they mature and change.

In the writing process, I can finally see how everything comes together. I can see where there are plot holes (if I didn’t see them earlier), I can finally see, in written form, how each character interacts with one another or with their environment. I adore seeing if the world I’ve created takes precedence or takes more of a background role (in my books, I’m finding it does more of the latter, but is still…present). I love seeing when the draft (even if it’s the first) is done, and I’m holding a physical copy of it in my hands. Just knowing that a draft is complete is so rewarding.

[sevensided]

how did you get into writing fic? i'd love to start but idk even where to begin! I loved adats so I was wondering do you have any advice?

Oh my goodness! I am so flattered you’ve asked me this. Yes, I can absolutely help. I’ll throw a bunch of rambling under the cut.

I started writing fic probably when I was... sixteen years old? A lot of my early works were oneshots. I couldn’t figure out how to do anything plot heavy for the life of me, so I just stuck to AUs or whatever I felt like. I wasn’t in any particular fandom -- I really wrote whatever I had ideas for. I remember I tried once to do a plot-heavy story and I received a review absolutely ripping it to shreds. Like, it was so cruel I cried lol. I ended up deleting the fic. Years later, I get what they were trying to say (basically, more substance, less style), but at the time it cut to the quick. Really, it was only when I was in my twenties that I started writing work that was longer and/or better.

The fandom that helped me actually write plot heavy work was a historical-based fandom. As I’m a historian, it was perfect. I got to use my research skills and knowledge to create works that, above all, aimed to feel authentic. I mainly read historical fiction, so I was familiar with how that genre worked. Miraculously, people loved my work. I think I wrote about ~200k in the period of a year? These were several short stories (20-40k) and a few oneshot filler fics. While I was part of this fandom I also helped organise a Big Bang which was a lot of hard work but was extremely rewarding. Along with that, I interacted mainly with other fic writers, so I spent a lot of time chatting to people about ideas and encouraging other writers, and it just created a lovely medley where no concept was impossible or any line of dialogue too difficult. We supported each other and it was truly like a little commune. I gradually stepped away from the fandom mainly because it was just a part of my life at a very specific time, and almost as soon as that time was over, my love for that story/ship faded, but I firmly believe I figured out a lot of how/what I do now purely through that experience.

Regarding ADATS

With ADATS, it stemmed entirely from wanting to “explain” three months in canon (at the end of season three). I was interested in the idea of season four setting up Will/Mike in canon, and I wanted to test the source material to see if I could draw from what already existed to create something authentic. I began with that simple idea: what happened from July to October in 1985? Then I thought about the major themes I wanted to hit -- family, friendship, coming of age, sexuality -- and I nested them around the bigger concept: how do I get Mike from being ostensibly straight to realising he is gay? That meant thinking of two steps: Mike discovering his attraction to guys; Mike discovering his attraction to Will. Those two concepts were separate “arcs” that needed addressing in different ways. Balance was key to weaving them together and making the reader feel like they knew what was coming (and that they felt smart for putting the pieces together) without just rushing through and going “now kiss!” That’s partly why ADATS needs a sequel, lol: because it’s not finished!

Writing process

The first thing I do when I start to get an idea is I write it down. Sounds obvious. But when you have a killer line of dialogue come to you in the shower and you think “I’ll remember that” -- reader, you will not remember it. You gotta get it down ASAP! I do that the whole way through, as generally I’ll be thinking of scenes I’m stuck on and then it’ll just come to me and I’ll quickly jot it down.

The next thing -- or what I do in the meantime -- is start structuring. I plan. I try to plan a lot. Sometimes it’s okay to write “and something happens here to get them here”, because you’ll figure it out later, but for the most part I’ve discovered that planning is like gold and you can’t get enough of it. I break my work up into generally 3-4 parts/sections, and I treat each section like a mini story. So each part needs a conflict and resolution, and it needs to flow into the next section. You need to have a feeling of things evolving and maturing. Once I’ve planned those little bits, I start thinking about the bigger plot arc and how I can drop in hints along the way. I’m probably not a subtle or skilled enough writer to yet pull off that sort of gasping twist you get in really excellent books, but I’m trying to get there. It’s hard, is what I’m trying to say, but that’s okay, because we’re all learning.

Then I generally do aesthetic stuff. Sounds stupid, probably. But nothing helps me get more into a mood than doing a Pinterest board or -- most of all -- making a Spotify mix. I start thinking about the vibe and the general atmosphere, and then I almost exclusively listen to that mix when I’m working. Sort of like muscle memory? Just to get the creative juices associated with that particular selection of songs.

Another thing I’ll do along with plot structure is character structure. This is a biggie. I mean, a story is nothing without characters. So I’ll just jot down a bunch of bullet points of characters and particular aspects that I want to highlight or remember. I hate continuity errors in fiction. Like, if someone says they work on Maple Street but later in the fic they’re working on Pine Street. I hate that. So I keep note of specific things that my main character might notice at repeated points in the story (colours, places, smells, names, sounds -- so they’re all consistent even as the narrative evolves). That’s another thing -- your characters’ motivations. Not everyone is going to be a huge player, but they all do serve a purpose. The most important character is obviously your main character. I personally think it’s important to let your M.C. be an arse at times. They’re going to be mean, they’re going to misinterpret things or fly off the handle... just let ‘em. Let them be wretched humans, and then bring them back and make them realise what they’ve done. Let them learn! I love consequences in fiction, lol.

At the same time, I’ll probably start writing. We’ve already written down some snippets of neat dialogue or descriptions, but now we should start the actual process. For me, I used to start at the beginning. Usually this was the most fleshed out anyway: I’ll have a clear idea of the beginning and the end, but nothing in the middle. These days, if I have a scene in mind that I can’t forget, I’ll just write it. It will possibly get scrapped or rewritten, but that’s okay, because at least you’ve got it down and now you can devote your brain power to something useful (like figuring out what the middle is supposed to be). I’ll have half a dozen of totally out of context scenes just littered in my Word document that I’ll add to as I go along. Eventually, though, you’re going to start writing properly, and that’s when you write your opening scene.

Opening scenes: super important. Every time I write a scene I think: what is the point of this? What do I want the reader to learn or takeaway? Sometimes you do have filler scenes, but they also serve a different purpose (perhaps to establish a group dynamic or to explore/describe a character’s surroundings). Mainly, though, every scene should push something forward in some way, whether it’s character development or a plot point. So, with an opening scene, I always think you have to establish: where you are; who you are; what they are doing; where they’ve come from (in a philosophical and practical sense); and where they’re going (ditto). That doesn’t have to happen in the first paragraph -- that would be silly. But if you sprinkle that information in over time it’ll gradually build up a picture of your character and that way the reader can get an idea of who they are. You basically need to give a snapshot of what your story is about. This also goes back to the character creator stuff: where they are at the start should be different to where they end up. How that happens is, of course, because of plot, and because you’ve structured everything to the nth degree, we’ve got a very clear progression of that character’s growth (/s easier said than done lol).

General advice

Write down everything: every idea, a bit of dialogue, a description, whatever. Write it down. Doesn’t have to be neat. Just has to be on paper. You can’t remember everything, so if you’re spending time trying to hold those things in your head, it’s taking up space for new ideas to come along.

Structure, plan, structure, plan. Sometimes it’s boring and I hate it. Other times, when I’ve not written in a few days and I open the Word doc and think wtf is this supposed to be, I am very grateful for Past Me for leaving such detailed notes. Seriously, it helps so much. Oneshots don’t really need planning, in my experience. You just get those out there. But multi-chaptered stories really do, even ones that “just” focus on a relationship.

Whatever you want to write, commit to it. Space goblins invade Hawkins? Do it. Eleven and Max find themselves in a cult akin to Midsommar (2019) and must escape? Yes. Just... whatever you want to do, remember that you’re writing it for you. Write what most interests you, what makes you when you reread it go AHHHHH I LOVE THIS!! Because that makes it a thousand times easier to actually get on with the writing when you enjoy what you’re doing.

Write a lot. Every day, if you can, or at least at designated times. Occasionally I have a very specific headspace/vibe I have to be in, but sometimes it just hits me and I’ll say to my partner “I need to write now” and just disappear, lol. The more you write the more you write. It’s so, so, so true. Cannot emphasise this enough. When I wrote that ~200k in twelve months? It was because I literally wrote every. day. Or near enough. Remember that some days you’ll write 200 words, and other days you’ll write 20k (this happened to me with ADATS -- part of the reason I finished it so quickly was because I had sprints of writing 10k+ at a time that only happened because I was in the rhythm of it). Write, write, write. Who cares if it’s crap! No one will see it until you are ready. In the meantime, just write!

Probably last of all (although I could go on and on) is connect with other writers. If you’re struggling to start, sometimes just talking about it can help a huge amount. I hope it goes without saying that you can message me whenever you want, anon or not, and I will talk to you. We can talk about ideas or I can beta stuff, whatever you want! Find like-minded people and talk to them about what you want to do. Another thing this helps is in advertising your work when you do publish. I see a lot of first time fic writers get super down because they publish their magnum opus on AO3 but no one comments. Honestly, it’s because no one knows you’ve published! You don’t have to be tooting your own horn every which way, but just actively talking about your work and even collaborating with other content creators with get you hyped and other people too (and the input and encouragement other fandom members give is just... out of this world. Anon messages helped me finish ADATS when I was really worried I wouldn’t [that’s the truth]. Seriously, support is everything). When you have people excited about your work, you get excited. It’s really as simple as that.

I could go on but this is already horrendously long. I hope even a bit of this helps! If you want to chat or have any more questions, just hit me up any time.

[liangxinn]

love and drifting

d.s. al fine started: march 8 completed: july 14 ao3 link

Thoughts on the fic and the writing process below!

When I set out to write my first Pacific Rim AU, I wasn't exactly sure where I was going with it. What started off as a bunch of hastily jotted down bits of angsty dialogue would shape itself into dal segno, possibly my favourite work to date. Tender drift partners MW have carved themselves a special place in my heart, and I honestly wasn't surprised when I found myself back in the PacRim feels not too long after dal segno was finished and posted. Somehow, I wanted to tell more of their story (and perhaps more honestly, I just wanted an excuse to write MW being all cute and romantic).

So I wrote random scenes on and off for a few months like an epilogue-montage of sorts, and then it eventually began to form something cohesive. I settled on MW post-retirement, working in J-Tech in Nagasaki and navigating their relationship - now without the Drift. It was a point I'd wanted to address in dal segno ("Do I truly love you or is this some by-product of drifting together for so long?") but it ultimately didn't make the cut.

As you can probably tell by now, drift partners is one of my all-time favourite relationship dynamics in fic. There is something so insanely wonderful and terrifying about knowing someone and being known so intimately. To me, Mingyu and Wonwoo lend themselves particularly well to this dynamic. Something in particular that haunts me is Mingyu's 200406 birthday VLive and the infamous "How did you know I was going to sleep?" / "Your voice sounds just like your sleepy voice."

And isn’t knowing and understanding even the smallest things about someone such a wonderful way to love them? I intentionally avoided having MW say "I love you" outright to each other because I wanted to explore how else I could express it. In a way, "I know" began to feel like it could stand in place of "I love you" for them.

On that note, I just think that building a giant robot for someone is the greatest declaration of love ever. It’s only a tiny part in the whole fic, but I adore the idea of J-Techie Mingyu being so enamoured with Wonwoo that he wants nothing more than to build the best jaeger in the world to protect him. Real romance! Despite this, you don’t get to see MW in their giant robot all that much because I totally suck at writing action. Even now, I’m still not satisfied with the pace and overall quality of the later half of d.s. al fine, but I stuck with it. Otherwise, I probably would’ve fussed over it for eternity while it languished in the wip graveyard...

My initial plan had MW actually being forced to fight again and the impacts of that on their relationship. This included Mingyu being worried that they were no longer drift compatible, and possible communication issues caused by relying too heavily on the Drift. And then I remembered - the whole point of this fic was MW without the Drift. This was replaced with Mingyu briefly struggling with his guilt over not wanting to fight, which mirrors his feelings about retiring in dal segno. I think that segued better into the ending, anyway. I don’t think I’m skilled enough to handle the tonal shift of “deathly terrified while fighting a massive kaiju” to “sweet lovemaking” ^^; 

Rounding things off with my song rec, Restless by BIBI! I listened to it while working on dal segno as well, and it became the official theme song for my PacRim MW, in a way. The overall feel of the song is just lovely, and I had it on repeat for every scene where MW are alone and being especially tender. I mean, just look at the lyrics:

Tonight, know my everything Show me what's in your heart, whisper to me So that only I will know Tonight, hold my everything Engrave it into your eyes, kiss me I want to be a shining star, only in your eyes

Need I say anything more?

If you got through all of that, thanks for reading! I hope you got a little more insight into the fic and my love for drift partners MW ♡

[theburialofstrawberries]

hi! do you have any essential drarry fic recs? i've never gotten into it before but am all the sudden interested

hello yes I do! :-)

these are essential AUTHORS who hit my specific spot re: the character insight and the dynamic, which is big buff low-EQ repressed hermit (harry) meets slinking calculating low-self esteem hedonist (draco). also I just don’t get fics that prolong angst without indulging in humour so these are all funny    

olden & golden

all of lettered, especially the pure and simple truth, the boy who only lived twice (the ORIGINAL secret identity fic), away childish things (11 year old harry and draco are kind of heartbreaking) 

all of astolat, especially reparatio and house proud. it’s astolat i mean there’s not much to say

azoth by zeitgeistic was my official ‘favourite’ for the longest time. potential gravity is also chef’s kiss

drarry 2020 renaissance. I don’t know if its heresy but I’d actually start HERE instead of with the older classics, and specifically with GallaPlacidia

pretty much all of GallaPlacidia. start with adventures of a suicidal gentleman or the bucket list, and once you trust their narration you can start on the two kidfics (i know kidfics aren’t everyone’s scene but these are just exemplary). my favourite is lessons in grace and decorum, i was literally jotting down notes on life & living during that one.

aideomai, specifically nice things, sweet and plotless, they smoke weed in that one. my favourite is in the hand which is WILD, harrys and dracos from different timelines converge and get a good look at each other. pure fun, and breaks down fanfiction to the basics which is really an experiment in like, what would happen in this world if i turned a dial on this one variable slightly? and then dwelling which is what christopher nolan should’ve filmed instead of tenet

tepre writes flouncy 18th cent. outwardly jolly inwardly burning draco REALLY well, us in lieu is great and all the earnest young men was a trip. and then these three authors collab’ed on the bolthole recently, which i followed with the eagerness of a beverly hills divorcee following a celeb sex scandal. (IF you liked tepre’s drarry and the general repressed pride and prejudice vibes, amid this warm and steady sweetness by warmfoothills is the next step) 

misc. olden & golden 

here’s the pencil make it work, which is like the classic draco has a gang of protective muggle friends fic (i feel emily would never let me live it down if I didn’t rec this one)

domestic, the classic harry takes draco into his flat in what is supposed to be temporary situation 

both of waspabi’s are great, stately homes of wiltshire in particular

also more broadly here are my drarry bookmarks on ao3 which i think i basically vomited in post form above (and also bruna’s bookmarks for posterity she is my taste compass) 

TLDR these are a lot of links SORRY. start with GallaPlacidia!! feel free to follow up with questions/reactions if any