#(ive tried to make an ao3 account)

[sri-rachaa]

I’ve been in the fandom for over a year now but just in that time I’ve seen so many things change. At this point I’m in it just for writing fics (which I put on pause for the exact same reason) and reading them, and the fanart. Like I love the story and I made so many amazing friends through this and there are so many talented creators, like you! But a lot of the rest is just… it feels like a disaster

Chrys my beloved bean!! <33

Fun fact, you were one of the first creators i knew by name as well as one of the first I ever interacted with :3

I joined the r.asmr tumblr as a “lurker” back in probably October of 2021, and started posting that later April. I’ve remembered seeing your stuff in my lurking days and recognizing you primarily from AO3! And to this day, I still…idolize you, basically!!

Another fun fact: I have stalked your AO3 so many times I hope you do not mind <33

I’m not going to lie, I’m in the exact same boat as you. I’m primarily looking at fanart and fics (except I will admit I am horrible at finding fics here as I typically resort to AO3 first out of preference!!) in the tag now and that’s about it. I love seeing what people create here, but lately it’s been hard to even ignore the bad stuff to see the good.

It’s been a blessing, a later a curse it seems :) I’ve met so very much wonderful people as well [THIS INCLUDES YOU YOURE AMAZING AND ILYSM AHHH] and I absolutely would not trade them for anything! And, in the end if it does continues as is, I absolutely plan to stay in contact with these people even if we don’t regularly talk now outside basic blog interactions.

It’s sad to see the love I had for a fandom at one point disappear by the day, and I cannot promise that sticking around for a lot longer is confirmed for me, BUT I’ll ALWAYS have time for my favs such as you, Chrys! <33

[aliensunflower-fics]

My Recommended Fic List

So, I got this ask awhile ago, and since I have been re-reading a bunch of my old favorite fics as a way to cheer up after work I figured why not. This list will be long... and varied but mostly its older fics cuz idk there my favs. Now lets go:

Fashion Upgrade - By @soap-lady : Straight up one of my favorite fics ever, its fun, its creative, it never fails to make me laugh when I need something warm and wholesome after a bad day. Also go check out the rest of her stuff there's so much good okay like shes just a writing queen. Shes on AO3 I don't want to spoil you on her other stuff just GO experience it for yourself.

Ode To Decoy pt 1 / 2 / 3 - By @a-marlene-s : Ive always liked this short sweet little fic about Lila getting caught. Its Lila + class salt though so avoid if that's not your flavor.

EVERYTHING - By @unmaskedagain : They have salt, they have sugar, they have funny, they have crossovers. Like honestly they are a just a great writer with so much variety so go check out the masterlist I linked and I guarantee there will be something there you like.

@ravennm84 Is a writer on the saltier side but they have a wonderful selection of weird wacky tales from the salty but oh so well written Damning Evidence that sees Lila get caught in the best way to the 3 part Horror inspired Serafina other great fics from them include Marinettes Family Court Circus pt 1 / 2 and Of Moldy Bread and Cockroaches / Be Kind to Servers honestly its worth giving there blog a look.

@mochinek0 Is another writer with several beloved fics. They write a lot of Maribat and we love them for it. Ones to check out would be Blind Date / Bruce vs Gabriel just go check out there tag list of daminette for more.

Accidental Crime Boss Marinette - By @lady-literature : This is a wonderful idea and a wonderful little fic and I just... I just like it okay. Sadly I haven't read a lot of there other stuff... But I might after finishing this list considering how much I enjoy this one.

@nobodyfamousposts I love a LOT of there fics. They are one of the best when it comes to striking that sweet spot of calling out the show for some of its garbage while not getting so salty that you cant have fun lighthearted goodness. I have been looking for a masterlist of there work but cant find one so just go stalk there tags. I do recommend there Chloe's Lament Series 1 / 2 exploring how certain 'wishes' would backfire. Guardian Assistant Kevin is also a good one Miracle Queen Aftermath pt 1 / 2 / The 8 parter Burn the Witch series / The Wisdom Teeth Reveal / Kagami Vs The Wall of Faces / Resigning With Grace & Spite / I tried to give a lot of links cuz they have a lot of stuff

Kill Them With Kindness - By @luki-fanfic : Well written, good salt without going overboard. Just good vibes. I havent stalked there other stuff but if its anything like this fic its probably excellent quality.

Stephen Vladislav pt 1 / 2 - By @stormiclown : Adrien centered salt on the idea of finally giving Adrien his own proper rival. I like the idea of Adrien having a rival because its usually Marinette and this was just the right length to get those creative ideas flowing. Also just well written what more can you ask for.

Power Trip - By @storygirl000 : This was the first fic that made me go... Wait would it be more fun if Lila was actually competent? And that set me on the path to writing my own fics where Lila is more villainous and more capable. Its short, well written. Good.

Your Wish is My Command - By DemiGoddess28 on AO3 : A great 11 chapter fic looking into Lila's life if she were to win and get a miraculous wish. Its got sugary goodness for our protagonists and the class and salt for our dearest friend Lila.

LadyBugOut AU - By Miraculous-Content on AO3 : A 50 chapter fic made up of snippets and ideas. I found it really inspiring in many ways. I also love how it redeems Marinettes classmates showing how and why they were tricked but holding them accountable anyway its just... Good.

Juleka vs The Forces of the Universe - By goldenlaurelleaves on AO3 : For those of us not yet ready to accept the death of luka/mari we have this wonderful fic showing Juleka being the biggest wingman as she helps these idiots find there way together.

ChaoticNeutral on AO3 has there own Chloe's Lament fic as well as a Gabriel's Lament fic for people who need sweet salty of those two characters.

BroadwayCutie16 was Inspired by the person above and DemiGoddesses your wish is my command fic to write Lila's Lament fic going over Lilas failed wish. Honestly I always love these fics because there just so interesting and the way wishes can be taken and twisted is always a fascinating idea to me.

#WayneAngel - By Tired-Writing-Teach on AO3 : For us Maribat lovers. Its fun and lighthearted with some good gags and some light fluff.

Damian in Paris - By Lilliesandliveries on AO3 : A sweet Maribat series showing what would happen if Damian ran away from home and found himself in Paris and getting therapy.

How a Demon Commissions an Angel - By AlixAnonymous : Damian blackmails Marinette into letting him be her client so he can get his bros the best gifts, they end up becoming penpal buddies.

Mythomania - By LadyEnna_50 on AO3 : Proof that I dont hate Adrien or Mari/Adrien. In this fic Adrien's spine gets titanium plating and he sees just how bad Lila is hurting Marinette and does something about it.

The Contingency - By AbyssalGuardian on AO3 : SALT. Also Tim/Mari but even still I love the way this was written, the style, and some of the ideas just ugh love it. Its not for those who dont like salt so just avoid at your own discretion. Its about a chaotic Marinette done with her life running away to Gotham where she meets her true black cat, and gets her life back on track.

The String That Binds Us - By FaithAndATypeWriter on AO3 : Okay so is there any Mari/Bat fan who hasnt already heard of this one? Who cares its good, its cute, I love it. May the author be blessed with snacks.

The Great IKEA Game - By @batsandbugs : Okay again... I think every Mari/Bat fan has probably heard of this one already because its just that good and that popular. But who cares I am recommending it anyway. Don't read if your allergic to fun I guess.

If this list still doesn't somehow have enough salt for you then try @goggles-mcgee fics here is a link to there Masterlist. They are in a way a professional at salt and angst and they make you want to adopt Marinette and pop her in a blanket fort.

Honestly I could keep going but this list already feels so long for other great recs though I can link you to @jayphoenic who has some great Daminette Fic Recs and some Lila Salt Fic Recs!

Feel free to reblog this and add some links to stuff you would think I or others might like! Also lets just acknowledge how many talented authors the community has like wow.

[twosdays-trash]

Marquee Moon Part 1

2k Shapeshifter AU- Alex Marquez/Marco Bezzecchi

this is my first fic ive posted, so please give me feedback! Its also on ao3 if you want to read it there!

title is referencing Marquee Moon by Television

Bez, on all accounts, had a decent race. What he considered a “decent” race had previously been a “Bad” race, capital B. He has been struggling with the change from a top-five and highly competitive bike to a mid-field bike that has more issues than solutions. He tries to tell them what's wrong, what he's feeling. He stays longer in the meetings after races to learn the data, where he went wrong, why he isn't fast enough, and it's been piling on him. 

He's been so unbelievably stressed out from trying to make the bike better he has hardly been aware of anything else. He still goes to the ranch in his free time, and he still hangs out with Pecco or Luca or Franky or whoever after a particularly bad race, but he just can't get his mind off the bike. 

Maybe that's why he's so nervous to see if Pecco is willing to cheer him up. The race was incredibly boring and he only gained one position the whole race, finishing in an unimpressive tenth. Still, regardless of his nerves that feel like they're going to buzz right out of his skin, he knocks on the door of Peccos motorhome.

Bez waits for a minute. Maybe Pecco didn't hear? Bez’s heart thuds in his ears and he knocks again, harder and faster than he did at first. Still no answer. Bez can now feel sweat dripping down his neck, he feels like ice has been dumped into his veins and a fire was lit at his feet to counteract it.

He thinks for a second, maybe he's not here. Maybe he's out. Yeah. He's probably not back yet. So Bez stiffly spins himself around climbs down the stairs as fast as possible and walks swiftly to the side of the motorhome to get by, but he pauses just in the middle and looks up at the window to see if the lights are on inside. 

Huh, they are.

Bez feels like he's going to pass out or vibrate out of his skin. Maybe he will do both. He sits down under the window for a second so that he can catch his breath when he starts to feel it. The tingly sensation that appears every time he needs to shift. Fuck. he doesn't want to shift outside, but Pecco isn't opening his door.

His breath quickens, panicked. The tingling spread from where it started in his chest and rapidly moved out towards his arms and to his fingers, as well as down his legs into his toes. His limbs feel incredibly heavy and his head is now feeling tingly and full of cotton when the switch happens. 

In the blink of an eye, the once-human Bez now sits, panting. His now considerably smaller form sits in the middle of the walkway, a small and lean raccoon with a piercing in its ear. 

Bez, now a raccoon sighs, grabs what he can of his wallet and phone, and drags them towards the stairs of Peccos motorhome. Even if Pecco doesn't want to see him he will at least house his raccoon form for a while until Bez is feeling good enough to shift back. 

Dropping his things on the doorstep Bez stands up on his hind legs and reaches for the door handle, pulling down with all his might, and pushing the door open. To Bez’s surprise, the door opens with ease. Maybe Pecco oiled the hinges. Letting go of the door Bez leans down grabs his things and drags them in the door before dropping them again so that he can push the door shut. Or just closed enough that it looks shut. 

Bez decides that he can leave the phone and wallet on the floor for now, and he can pick them up later when he needs to shift back. Walking into the living area he looks around and finds that it's both cleaner and dirtier than what Peccos motorhome looks like normally.

There is a bowl of something on the counter, from what Bez can tell, it smells like a bowl of cereal, but since its smell isn't too strong he assumes it's been eaten and left behind. Confused he keeps walking to the couch, where there's a pile of blankets and hoodies and something else he can't figure out. 

Sniffing the air a bit doesn't help. It's a smell that he can't discern. A new smell. Which is odd considering he, as a raccoon, has smelt most things there are to smell. Climbing up the couch and onto the table, which he knows he's not supposed to do but does it anyways to annoy Pecco. 

looking down at whatever is in this pile of comfort and is shocked when he sees a pair of wide green eyes staring up at him in the shape of a cat. This causes a very loud and scary chain of events.

The cat jumps up onto the floor and starts hissing, tail and fur standing on point. Bez, still on the table, hisses back. And just like how Bez shifted, in the blink of an eye The cat that was once on the floor now stands at a wide eyes and angry Alex Marquez. Bez pauses his hissing briefly as Alex scruffs him and tosses him to the floor, where he accidentally shifts back into human form.

Alex stutters, mouth gaping and moving like a drowning fish, and Bez makes a scramble for it. Trying to stand up as fast as he can and bolt for the door without being caught by Alex, in which he only partially succeeds to his distress. 

In his fear, Bez had tripped over his own feet and hit the ground hard, laying halfway in the entranceway and halfway in the living space of the home. His prone and groaning form seemed to snap Alex into action. He took two quick steps over to the side of Bez and asked “Are you ok?” in a deadpan tone.

With Bez’s face still facing down, he nods and breathes in a shuddering breath. He cannot break down now in front of his sorta kinda enemy. There is silence for a second as Bez tries to steady his breathing when Alex asks the question Bez dreaded the most. 

“Why are you in Marc's motorhome?”

Fuck. That's right. Marc is teammates with Pecco, of course. his motorhome would be right next to Marcs. Bez wants to bash his head into the ground and curl up in a ball to never be seen again. With a muffled and wavering voice, he responds “I was, eh, looking for Pecco?”

“Hm.”

This is where Bez dies, at the hands of Alex Marquez. he can hear a little voice in his head that sounds suspiciously like Vale saying “I told you those Marquezes are evil.” 

He feels like he's counting the seconds until Alex cracks down an axe or starts torturing him for information. Maybe this is the payback to Vale for whatever happened between Marc and him, Bez doesn't know what happened but from what Vale had told him and the energy in the room when Marc is mentioned something bad must have gone down between the two. 

He hears Alex move, maybe to grab a knife, but he feels a hand tap his shoulder a few times before Alex speaks up, “Can you sit up?” 

Bez holds his breath for a second before taking a breath, gathering all his courage, and pushing himself upright so that he's sitting on the floor with Alex squatting in front of him. He tries to keep up his composure, controlled breaths, tapping a random rhythm on his knee, clenching and unclenching his jaw, anything to keep up this facade. 

Alex studies him during this time, looking Bez in the eyes, occasionally flickering to his hands, observing Bez like a hunter preparing a strike on its prey. Alex blinks and some complicated emotions flick over his face far too fast for Bez to recognize. 

Alex's mouth purses, like he is choosing his words carefully, “Are you…” he kisses his teeth, looks away briefly then looks Bez in the eyes again, “Are you ok?”

That was the last question Bez was expecting. maybe “Are you a shapeshifter” or “Are you lying” or anything other than “Are you ok.” He stares blankly at Alex for a second, eyes wide and burning while his lip wobbles dangerously trying to keep his emotions inside. though, Bez has never been the best at holding in his emotions.

It is then that Bez snaps, large hot tears finally break loose after he blinks and a choked-out noise is ripped out of his throat. He brings his hands up to his face either to wipe away the tears that are falling or to hide the ugly face he must be pulling. 

After fruitlessly trying to wipe away the tears he can see the blurry form of Alex move, maybe to leave him sobbing on the floor or to grab a tissue, but instead, he shifts forward and softly lays his hands on Bez’s shoulder. Slowly and hardly with any power he pulls Bez's shoulders forward towards his body. 

Then the hands shift. the right hand slowly moves its way to the base of Bez's neck while the other slides down to the spine, right between Bez's shoulder blades, and squeezes. Squeezes his neck softly and holds his back like his mother would, which probably isn't the connection Bez should make between Alex and his Mom, but the comfort is undeniable.

This soft but strong hold only shatters Bez further. He shoves his face into the crook of Alex's neck and shoulder and wraps his arms around Alex's torso squeezing an almost painful amount.

Bez is full-on sobbing, he's a blubbering mess occasionally throwing out a wobbly “Sorry” before it's shushed by Alex. Bez, rather than calming down keeps working himself up further and further, heaving and wheezing out sobs and apologys. He can hear Alex taking a couple of deep breaths before he hears him murmur “Deep breaths.” which Bez tries to do as best he can.

He pulls in a long, shuttering breath, before letting out a cacophony of sobs, “I can't!” he wails. 

Alex shushes his again, “Shhh it's ok, just follow my breathing, ok?” 

it feels like hours of breathing and tapered-off sobs before Bez is breathing calmer, but still stuttered breaths. After another deep breath, Alex pulled back a little bit to get a look at Bez before asking “Do you want to shift? We can move this to a more comfortable place, ‘cause I don't know about you, but my knees are starting to hurt.”

This startles an ugly snort out of Bez and he gurgles out a week and wet little “yeah.” Before Alex knows it his lap is full of raccoon that are clinging to his shirt. He stands, groaning at the lingering pain of being on his knees for a long period, and makes his way over to the couch where Alex grabs the blankets and hoodies with his unoccupied hand. The other supports the back of the now raccoon Bez on his chest.

Swiftly Alex makes his way into the Bedroom where he internally apologizes to Marc, placing Bez in the center of the bed. Alex shuffles the bedspread around as Bez curls up chittering sadly at having been let go.

Alex sets down the blankets and hoodies that were in his offhand around Bez like a little barrier to prevent him or Alex himself from rolling off the bed. Only after the circle barrier is set up does Alex relax a bit, shifting into his Cat form and jumping up onto the bed to join Bez in the Comfort Circle he has since dubbed it in his brain. 

After he climbs the walls and enters the circle Alex trills at Bez to show him that he's there now. Bez chitters back quietly all while reaching for Alex's now smaller form. Flopping down on the wall and rolling onto his side, Alex raises a paw and trills again, signaling for Bez to come to him. and that is exactly what Bez does.

 He throws himself at Alex's cat body and starts petting and grooming the fur on his back and sides. This goes on for a little while before Bez settles down and he shuffles himself to lay alongside Alex, before going to sleep. 

Bez however doesn't sleep for long, waking up after 20 minutes and resuming his grooming on Alex. Having only just started picking and petting Alex, Bez is in the zone until he starts to get an itch.

Specifically that itchy feeling that happens he gets when he's being watched, so he looks up, hoping to quell the itch only to see him.

The man he has been trained to hate and destroy.

The only person who can cause him to crash at just a glance.

The Devil himself.

Marc Marquez.

[phoenixtakaramono]

OPERATION BABYLON - PART VII

aka the butchlander sugar baby AU.

Tumblr Navigation (note I have not shared the prologue here with its premise setup; I’ve only started sharing this twitter threadfic on tumblr starting from the 2nd 🔞 scene): I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII

Update Schedule: weekly/ biweekly

(You can read the rest of the threadfic update here!)

Keep in mind, all of my AU Butchlander threadfics on Twitter are the unpolished first draft versions of what’ll eventually be polished up into long fics on AO3 under the Shock and Awe series. So you may regard this threadfic as an experimental first prototype and exclusive preview whose contents may or may not be changed in the future final draft version. We’re just loosely playing around with ideas and concepts for now!

If you don’t have a Twitter account, screenshots are provided below the line break so you can read this update on Tumblr as well:

A/N - ...I shouldn't be surprised but it's always a surprise to me seeing the effect whenever I switch POVs in my fics (because, depending on who's POV it is, it somehow always humanizes the male chara whose POV I'm in and makes him seem...softer than were I to write in the opposite POV).

In Billy's POV = HL is provocative and manly

In HL's POV = Billy is provocative and manly

Maybe it's just me imagining this strange phenomenon but I feel the dynamic has certainly flipped a tad when this happens, haha.

Next update we'll get the stereotypical rich sug*r d*ddy spoiling and pampering his wide-eyed sug*r b*by scene. Tbh I tried to fit it into this update but it didn't feel like it's the right placement yet and it needs buildup (to set up the next spicy scene). Homelander has to earn that D 🍆 💦.

[huntressdarkness]

Huntress' Fics

Note: All my fics are explicit and 18+ unless I say otherwise, and they are all private, so you will need an ao3 account to read them. :)

Anakin-centric

Covenant - Heir to the Empire under Emperor Kenobi, Anakin is instrumental in bringing peace to the galaxy. Though the clones have rights and a way out, Rex chooses to stay with Anakin, especially in the wake of his arranged marriage to end the budding rebellion. - (Anakin/Rex)

Her Majesty - Anakin is captured by the Zygerrian queen. - (Anakin/Miraj)

The Art of Seduction - Anakin struggles with his responsibilities to his men, and Hunter offers him a distraction. - (Anakin/Hunter)

Bad Batch-centric

Aloft - Echo rescues Crosshair on a prison transport to Tantiss, and the Batch join him on Rex’s Yavin IV hideout. Having Crosshair back doesn’t automatically erase what happened or mend the rifts that have been torn. - (Hunter/Crosshair)

Alight - Sequel to Aloft - (Hunter/Crosshair)

Deep In Their Bones - Post-E4 in S3 when Crosshair comes back. - (Hunter/Crosshair and Hunter/Crosshair/Wrecker)

Devotion - Hunter struggles with his jealousy over Phee and insecurities over Crosshair. Tech helps him. - (Hunter/Tech)

Fade Into the Dawn - Crosshair and Echo track down Hunter to bring him home. Imperial!Hunter - (Hunter/Crosshair/Echo)

Lead Me Unto Temptation - On their first mission for Cid, Hunter is captured by Zygerrians and sold off to be a sex slave before he and the Batch can escape. He contacts Crosshair for an extraction, even though that means calling the Empire. - (Hunter/Crosshair)

Lead Me Unto Freedom - Sequel to Lead Me Unto Temptation - (Hunter/Crosshair)

Of Feather and Bones - Hunter and Wrecker get captured and taken to Tantiss in a bid to rescue Omega. But with Crosshair as uncooperative as ever, Wrecker injured, and Tech alive, albeit now a brainwashed operative of Hemlock’s, Hunter’s plan of escape is not quite as clear or easy as he’d hoped. - (Hunter/Crosshair, Hunter/Wrecker, Hunter/Tech, and Hunter/Crosshair/Tech/Wrecker)

Poisoned Waters - The Batch rescue Crosshair from Tantiss, but that doesn’t automatically fix everything. A “treasure hunt” with Phee goes badly, exposing Crosshair to an aphrodisiac toxin… and leaving Hunter to “help” him through it. - (Hunter/Crosshair)

Rapture [Series; WIP] - When Crosshair discovers that Tech is behind the mask of CX-2 on Tantiss, he tries to reach out to him to see if something familiar might bring back the brother he knew. And he has to face the consequences of his failure alone. - (Polybatch)

Salvation [Series; WIP] - Hunter and Crosshair get assigned to a mission with the 501st Legion... Turns out that the regs have things to teach them, too. - (Hunter/Crosshair, Hunter/Crosshair/Rex, and more to be added)

Silhouette - Hunter is captured and taken to Tantiss instead of Omega... where he reunites with Crosshair. - (Hunter/Crosshair)

Stardust [Series; WIP] - Captured on Zygerria, Hunter and Crosshair become prisoners of Queen Miraj Scintel. She will try and break them, and their fellow captives, Anakin Skywalker and Captain Rex, through every possible way, stopping at nothing, even rape. But when Hunter and Crosshair have yearned for each other, it may only bring them together the way they've always wanted - and maybe even win them other lovers on the way. - (Hunter/Crosshair to Hunter/Crosshair/Anakin/Rex)

This Is How We Rise Up [WIP] - A darker version of Hunter from the future shows up on Kamino when the Batch are having their standoff and drags Crosshair along with them when they leave. - (Hunter/Crosshair, Hunter/Echo, Hunter/Hunter, and Hunter/Hunter/Crosshair)

Worlds Apart [WIP] - Though the pregnancy was an accident, Hunter didn’t regret it. How could he? He can’t deny what Crosshair means to him. But the child doesn’t make it, or so Nala Se tells him. Forcibly transitioned from omega to alpha, Hunter has to cope with his new designation as well as grief for the child he never got to know. And then the Empire forms and all his attempts at rebuilding something come crumbling down. - (Hunter/Crosshair to Polybatch)

Written Down in Eternity - Crosshair noncons Hunter after his capture on Daro. Recovery is not easy for Hunter. Slowburn Crosshunt - (Hunter/Crosshair)

[i-sveikata]

Hello Author! 261 pages??? Wow!! THATS A LOT!! If I'm not mistaken your biggest chapter is about 90.000 words (I think). How many words is this one? And for the game the words money, sleep, finger

yeah omg i tried to upload the draft and i hit ao3's CHAPTER CHARACTER LIMIT (which is 500K characters). so its TOO LONG AND I HAVE TO REDUCE THE CHAP TO MAKE IT FIT aAAAARRGRH!!!!!!!!!!

so downside there's less chap than i wanted to post this time around but i need the length since it'll get longer because i also write when im editing to flesh scenes out a little more- especially if its just back to back dialogue sentences going on for too long etc etc.

but the plus side is ive just moved it to the NEXT chap so now i've got heaps of that already pre-written and the break between posting chaps won't be nearly as long as its been in the past before chap twenty is coming along next? i can't believe i HIT THE LIMIT THIS IS WILD. i dont' know how many words it is currently but im very aware that i only have 78,494 characters left. lmao i will use them wisely!!! yeah sure here you go!

"I’ve got money. So do you.”

“They’ve got cops on their payroll. They’re probably watching my account for when and where I make the next withdrawal. And as for you- they’re in your house, they’re in your IT systems. Doesn’t that give them access to your passwords. Your accounts?”

Pete thinks this is a lot more complicated than Vegas thought it would be.

\

Pete doesn’t know if he’s trying to sleep or trying to keep himself contained as if he’s some kind of wild animal trapped in a cage but he’s stubbornly trying to convince himself that he’s not.

\

Pete’s sinking but he’s hasn’t completely dozed off when there’s warm fingers stroking at the side of his head.

He’s relaxed against the window of the car, his jacket still bunched up beneath his head like a poor excuse for a pillow but this touch, stroking through his hair, along his exposed ear brings him back to semi alertness.

[nimata-beroya]

20 Questions For Writers

This was sitting on my notifs for a few days and i finally took the time to do it. Thank my darling @takadasaiko for the tag!! 💕💕

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

I have 88 works in total, 31 of which are for Star Wars.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

574,873 words.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently, I'm only writing for Star Wars. But I used to write for Arrow and Supergirl, and ASoIAF, Dark-Hunters and Chronicles of Nick are in standby. I'm waiting for right motivation to come back to any of the last 3.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

I'm only talking about Star Wars fics here...

Kadala (The Mandalorian) [and 4th place in most kudos of all my works]

Rough Awakening (The Bad Batch) [and 5th place in most kudos of all my works]

Welcome to Yavin IV (Rebels)

An Explosive Situation (Rebels)

Rescue on Ryloth (The Bad Batch)

And the the rest of my all-time fics with most kudos are

Take Your Breath Away (Arrow)

Undisclosed Desires (Arrow)

Made For You (ASoIaF/Game of Thrones)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try my best, but sometimes I forget, and then it's been weeks and months since I got the comments that I'm embarrassed to reply them after so long. Even though, I think it's important that a writer let the reader/commenter that they appreciate it, even if it's with a simple "thank you" or an emoji. I know I'm being a hypocrite here since I fail to do what I preach, but it doesn't make it less true.

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I think that would be Drifting, because it's kind of open ending, left to be interpreted, so it could end however the reader wants. Although, I left an author's note at the end saying what's my preferred ending, which always will be inclined to the happy side.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

High Above the Ground because is the happy ending i want for Commander Fox and Riyo Chuchi. They deserve only the best!

8. Do you get hate on your fic?

No, not really. I've gotten only 1 stupid message of someone criticizing a fic, but that was years ago when I still posted on FF dot net. The joke was on the reader because I moderated all the comments there so I just deleted it and nobody saw it but me. Honestly, I just laughed about it cuz their argument was just stupid.

9. Do you write smut?

I do, all kinds -from the most tame thing to the most perverted. But I used to wrote way more in my old fandoms, especially for Arrow. I think for Star Wars I've written just 1 or 2 smutty fics, and tamed at that.

10. Do you write crossovers?

I've tried a couple of occasions but never finished them. I'm not opposed to them obviously, but I do think the combination of fandoms has to be just right to work. Or at least, when it's me doing the writing.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes! Many, many years ago in the first fandom I ever wrote for. It was awful and hated it! You see, this was in the stone age of the internet when fandom specific sites abounded and not everyone had an account on FFnet yet (and Ao3 was not even a dream). The site I published on was split in 2 sections because the ships war in the fandom was bloody and ruthless, so to avoid the slaughter, I kept myself in my preferred side. But one day, a friend who read fic on both sides told me that someone stole my fics. Avoiding to get caught, the person who did it published them under a pen name that was almost exact to mine, she only added a period at the end, which could easily go unnoticed. Oh, and she interchanged characters names so it'd fit the other ship.

At first, my friend thought I had posted them but she knew I'd never write for that ship, like ever. In the end, it turned out that I wasn't the only one who had being plagiarized. Several people ON BOTH SIDES were. Thankfully, the person was caught and banned, but we almost burned the site down because of the whole shitshow.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

By me, yes, several. All into Spanish (my mother tongue). By others, not that I know of.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Yes! A couple of times for different fandoms, and I loved it. I hope I'll do it again. The thing is that you need to find the right partner for it, or it can be a nightmare.

14. What‘s your all-time favourite ship?

I don't appreciate this question, let me tell you. It's hard to choose. But I think I have to go with Olicity. I love them still (even if the show ending ruined it for me). Close second would be Braime (and I'm glad that there's still hope for them on the books, because as usual the show fucked them so but sooooo bad)

And as Star Wars specific, I don't think anyone will be surprised if I say it's Kalluzeb, right 🤣 They're my babies and I adore them!

15. What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Anything for Arrow or Supergirl. I sworn off those fandoms after their respectively awful endings.

No promises, but there's still hope for all if my unfinished works for Star Wars 😅

16. What’s your writing strengths?

Coming up with ideas. So, so many ideas. All the time and I want to write them all.

17. What’s your writing weaknesses?

Finishing writing the above-mentioned ideas. I tend to splay myself too much when I'm writing, and it takes me forever to get to the portion I really want to write (usually the idea that sparked the whole writing process) and I lose steam. That's why I have so many unfinished WIPs. I wish they'd write themselves.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

It's ok if used sparingly. A word here, a phrase over there is fine, but if a wall of dialogue that the reader needs to scroll down to the notes or click on a tooltip to find out the meaning it's the worst!!! A better solution for a writer that really needs/wants to have a whole conversation in another language for plot reasons or whatever, then all they need to do is to say once that the characters are talking in the other language and put the dialogue in the same language they've been writing the rest of the narrative and in italic.

The characters who don't speak the language won't understand what's being said, but the reader will and their reading will be more pleasant and fluid.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

An Argentinian show called Floricienta. A modern retelling of Cinderella.

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

I don't like this question either! All my fics are my babies! How do you want me to choose?!! There are so many I'm proud of. I guess I'll point the most recent one: Feed Me Poison, Fill me till I Drown I really like how this story is coming along. It's not done yet (what else is new? 😅) but what's coming is so so good!

Tagging (no pressure): @renee561 @thecoffeelorian @genericficerblog @airlockfailure @mistr3ssquickly @insertmeaningfulusername @fanfictasia

[ladymirdan]

I've had such an amazing day today.

I guess there is no secret that my interest in 40k has waned slightly recently.

I feel I get less and less comments on my posts/fics/art, despite getting a lot more followers (and with that, a lot more unhinged hate DMs) Ive started to feel like the hobby had lost that spark for me.

I've been into Warhammer for a loooong time.

I first got into the hobby (WH Fantasy) in 2003 and I was immediately hooked. I was blown away by how cool the worldbuilding was, but more importantly how friendly the community was.

My FLGS let me, a broke-ass student, sit and paint my army in store for literal hours on end. Always so happy to see me, despite me hardly ever buying anything. And let me tell you, I was a shy and awkward kid, and they always remembered my name and made me feel so welcome.

I haven't really engaged with Warhammer online until about a year and a half ago when I created my ao3 account. At first it seemed just as friendly as my offline experiences. But recently? I feel like I'm either ignored whenever I comment or try to interact with the community or worse, get told I suck or should go kill myself.

So I just felt it was time to maybe leave, (but I admit, the sunk cost makes it difficult) The only thing I really looked forward to was the minipainting classes I take once a week.

But today I got that magick feeling back. And remembered how much I love this hobby.

I went to my local GW for the new 10th edition 40k release. I’m a time pessimist as usual and arrived 1,5h early 😅 and found out there was only one other guy in line before me, but rather soon a bunch of other people showed up.

Everyone was sooo excited to be there and I made a bunch of new friends in line.

Then I got in and ordered my box (and I also managed to snag the special edition signed book that is a tie in with the box! That felt so much fun, I have never managed to get one of those before despite really trying).

I also got some of the new Death Guard Space Marine Heroes packs. A kid behind me in the queue also got some because he wanted a specific hero (that he unfortunately didn't get) I suggested I open my packs and see if I got one and then we could trade. I did get that model, and he was so excited and thankful, it really made my day since I didnt care that much for that particular model, but to him it was everything.

Everyone in the store was so hyped, and the mood was so great I didn't want to leave, so when I overheard some of the guys I hung out with in line ask if there was a mini of the month they could build, I tagged along.

The store staff was as amazing as always and brought out not only the mini of the month, but also three other models they still had in stock from previous months.

So I ended up building 4 minis in the store along with a bunch of other people.

I met a really nice couple that was pretty new to the hobby and they asked if I was excited for the new box because half of it was Ultramarines (I told them I love the Ultra boys, big chock 😅) but I explained that there was nothing Ultramarine specific in the box and one could paint them as any chapter they wanted.

And boy, they were amazed! They had no idea that all space marines are generic models and they were so curious about other chapters and I tried to explain that there was a chapter for pretty much anything and any colour.

The girl ended up really liking the Soul Drinkers and the guy was on the fence between Blood Angels and sticking to Ultramarines :D

So my advice to anyone else that feels like the hobby is toxic, or is tired of the “my army is soo much cooler then yours/everyone who likes this sucks”, please join the real world.

This hobby is soo amazing, and it is filled with so many happy, passionate people, all loving this weird little hobby.

Over 20+ years, a dozen or more game stores/clubs; I have never had a bad IRL experience with Warhammer. I really wish I could say the same thing about the online experience.

[ghuleh-witch]

And We Are Tied As One Eternally-VI

Fandom: Ghost Rating: Explicit Warnings: (For Future Chapters) NSFW, 18+, unprotected sex, p in v sex, oral sex, mentions of past abuse and domestic violence, references to suicide Relationships: Papa Emeritus IV/Copia x OFC Additional Tags: soft!dom Copia, eventual smut, developing relationship, kind of a slow burn, no beta reader Chapter Word Count: 2031 Summary: Ellie Moran just wanted to make a new life for herself. Running to escape the people in her past, she ends up in a small town in the middle of nowhere that happens to be home to a Satanic church. She never expected her life to change again after she started attending the public masses at said church.

Ao3

Chapters: 6/? Previous Chapters

Tag list: @sodoswitchimage

“Cara…”

Ellie opened her eyes to find Copia in front of her. He lifted a gloved hand to her cheek, cupping it and stroking his thumb across her skin. He smiled, his mismatched eyes crinkling. He looked gorgeous. “So beautiful.”

She couldn’t help but smile and lean into his touch. She closed her eyes and hummed in response as his hand drifted down to her neck. 

“You killed our baby.”

Ellie’s eyes flew open and Copia no longer stood in front of her. Instead, it was a man around her own age with short chestnut hair and hazel eyes. His stubbled face was twisted in rage as his hand squeezed her neck. Ellie choked, trying to suck down air. “You killed our baby, Elenor!”

Ellie sat straight up in bed gasping. She panted as she felt her heart hammering against her chest. “Just a dream,” she muttered. “Just a bad dream.” She glanced at her phone. It was nearly four in the morning. Ellie let out a groan and flopped back down against her pillows. Ever since she thought she saw her ex-fiance, Ethan, watching her outside the bookstore days before she’d been having nightmares.Her former fiance was the whole reason she’d been moving from place to place, and Ellie feared he might have found her once again. She looked around her apartment. Unlike the last several places she lived, she actually unpacked and made her new home a home. Ellie was so confident that Ethan wouldn’t find her again that she started to let her guard down. She started to let people into her life and now she was going to have to leave again.

Ellie sighed as she looked at her bank account on her phone. She couldn’t afford to get up and move again. The money her father left her was down to a couple hundred dollars from the thousands he had left her. She didn’t get paid enough to save money for another quick move. Ellie was stuck there and would have to deal with Ethan whether she wanted to or not. She looked up the phone number for the local police station. Trying to get a restraining order was going to be useless. Every time she tried before she was given the runaround. “There’s not enough evidence,” the cops would tell her. And the one time she did manage to get a restraining order, Ethan violated it within twenty-four hours. It was easier to just keep moving. Her mind drifted to Copia. If she moved, she’d never see him again. That thought alone made her heartache. She didn’t know why. Copia was nice and he was handsome, but she didn’t know him, not really.

But you want to know him, the little voice in her head said. Call him. Tell him what’s going on. You can trust him. 

“I’m not calling him,” she argued with the voice. “He doesn’t need my nonsense in his life.”

Ellie couldn’t get back to sleep and decided to just get up. She grabbed the papers Gemma gave to her a couple of days before and looked over the material, memorizing the Minisry’s mission statement and beliefs. Gemma said she’d test her during mass that morning. 

She went through the motions of making herself something for breakfast and getting showered and dressed; today’s outfit was black skinny jeans and a black knit sweater with knee-high leather boots that had seen better days. Ellie anxiously paced around her apartment until it was time to leave, and when she did walk down to her car, she kept looking over her shoulder.

I’m safe, she told herself over and over. I’m just worried he found me and I’m just seeing things and having bad dreams. 

A few minutes later she was parking her car and walking into the Ministry. She nodded at the ghoul standing at the door. Gemma started to teach her their names, but Ellie couldn’t tell who was who while they were in uniform. She knew their helmets were different and that’s how one could tell them apart, but Ellie felt like she was never going to remember all the little details. 

She walked into the sanctuary and sat down next to Gemma, Brianna, and Micah. She waved to them as she yawned and blinked rapidly to help herself wake up.

“You look rough,” Micah said. “You okay?”

“Didn’t sleep well,” Ellie said. 

“Awww,” Micah cooed before smirking. “You can always take a nap in my room after mass if you want.” He waggled his eyebrows at her making her laugh.

“Where is she going to sleep, Micah? Your bed is covered in old Taco Bell wrappers,” Gemma said rolling her eyes.

“Hey I cleaned those up,” Micah retorted.

“Shut up, mass is starting,” Brianna said as the organ’s music filled the space. 

Ellie tried her best to focus on what was going on in front of her, but she couldn’t. Her mind was stuck on the dream she had of Copia and Ethan. She caught snippets of Copia’s sermon. He was talking about pride and how being prideful in one’s self wasn’t a sin.

“We should be proud of our accomplishments and celebrate our achievements,” he said at one point. “Even if those achievements are tiny. Perhaps making your bed in the morning? You should be proud of that because it’s not always easy to do.” 

“Hey, you doing communion?”

Ellie was pulled from her thoughts as Gemma nudged her. “Oh? What? Oh, no, not today,” Ellie said, her gaze fixated on the pew in front of them.

“You okay?” Gemma asked. “You seem distracted.”

“Just a lot on my mind,” Ellie responded snapping her gaze to Gemma. “I’m okay. Thanks for asking.”

“Well, if you want to talk, I’m here,” Gemma said as she stood to get in line for communion.

Ellie watched as one by one the Siblings stepped up to the Papas and took their wafers and wine. At one point she caught Copia’s eyes and he gave her a questioning head tilt silently asking why she wasn’t in line. Ellie looked away. She needed to get this whole Ethan situation under control. When she got home she’d dig out the previous restraining order she had and take it to the police station and try to get another one filed. If Ethan had found her, it would be better than nothing. 

“Hey I gotta get home,” Ellie said to Gemma, Brianna, and Micah when mass ended. “I’ll be back up this week for our study session.”

“Okay,” Gemma nodded and frowned. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yea, yea, I’m fine,” Ellie reassured her. “I’ll see you later.”

She forced herself not to look at Copia as she hurried out of the sanctuary.

XXX

He wondered if he had done something wrong.

Copia watched as Ellie hurried out of the sanctuary after mass. She didn’t take communion, and Copia was a little disappointed by that. He wasn’t ashamed that he wanted to see her on her knees before him again. But when she didn’t stay for lunch after either, Copia knew something must be wrong. He raked his brain trying to figure out if he said something or did something to drive her away. No, he hadn’t, he concluded. When they last spoke she was looking forward to coming back to mass and seeing his rats again. 

“Excuse me, siblings,” Copia said when he came to the table Gemma, Micah, and Brianna were sitting at. “I couldn’t help but notice Ellie didn’t join us all for lunch. It seemed like she was in a hurry. Is everything alright?”

“I think so? Maybe?” Gemma said, not sounding sure of herself. “She seemed like she was distracted and she said she didn’t sleep well. Maybe that’s it.”

Copia hummed in response. “Thank you. I just wanted to check in with our newest initiate.” 

Copia turned and made his way out of the dining hall. He was stuck in his own head and didn’t even notice Sister Imperator standing right outside the doors.

“Oh, shit, sorry,” he said, refocusing to see her standing there with her arms crossed.

“You seem distracted,” she said.

“I’m not,” he said. “Just…thinking.”

“Hmmm,” Sister Imperator mused, lips pursed and eyes narrowed. She looked like she wanted to say something more, but she shook her head. “Anyway, I need the budget report for the next tour on my desk tomorrow morning. We really need to start getting the ball rolling on the Re-Imperatour.” 

“I know, I know, you’ll have it tomorrow morning.” 

Sister Imperator nodded and coughed. “Excuse me. I’m coming down with a cold it seems.” She turned and walked off leaving Copia to stare after her. 

He shook his head and began making his way to his office. He wanted to spend the afternoon catching up on his video games, but the budget report was a priority it seemed. He just pulled out the report from the last tour when his phone rang.

XXX

Ellie was walking up the stairs to her apartment. As soon as she left the Ministry, she had the feeling that she should have turned around and went back. She fumbled for the key on her keychain as she went up the last set of stairs in the three-story building. She still had the feeling she should turn around and go back. Ellie couldn’t explain it. She felt this intense pull towards the Ministry and to Copia. It was strange, but not unwelcomed she decided.

She came to the landing her door was on and looked up from her keys to her door. Ellie blinked as confusion clouded her mind. Her door was ajar, wood splintered around the doorknob. Inside Ellie could see all her lights on and her stuff thrown everywhere. Someone broke into her apartment.

And Ellie knew who had done it.

Ellie refused to step inside. For all she knew Ethan could still be in there waiting for her. She pulled out her phone and dialed 911. When the dispatcher answered, Ellie gave her address and explained what happened. The dispatcher took down her information and told her an officer would be there as soon as they could.

“They’ll all out working a four-car pile up on the highway. It might be an hour or two,” the dispatcher explained. “Don’t go into your apartment. If you can, close the door and wait for the officer. In the meantime, I would contact your landlord.”

“Thanks,” Ellie said before the call ended. She sighed and pulled the door closed as best as she could, but the door knob was busted and it wouldn’t latch.  Ellie leaned against the wall and let out a frustrated groan.

“Fuck, what am I going to do?” She asked herself.

Call Copia, the voice in her head said.

Ellie didn’t argue with the voice. She pulled Copia’s card out of her purse and dialed the number for his cell. The phone rang once before his voice came through the line.

“Hello?”

“Copia? It’s Ellie,” Ellie said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. “I’m sorry for bothering you. I didn’t know what else to do.”

“Ellie, cara, are you okay?” Copia asked, concern heavy in his voice.

“Yea, yea I’m fine, but someone….someone broke into my apartment and wrecked the place,” Ellie explained. “I called the cops already. They won’t be here for a little bit.”

“Where is your apartment?” Copia asked and Ellie could hear the sound of a chair being pushed back. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.” 

“What?” Ellie asked, involuntarily stepping back slightly. 

“I need your address, tesoro,” he said again, urgency slipping into his tone.

Ellie spouted off her address. “Wait, what do you mean you’ll be here in a few minutes?” She asked just realizing what he was doing.

“You’re not waiting around for some useless cop by yourself,” Copia said. 

“Oh, well, thank you,” Ellie said. She didn’t expect him to drop everything and come to her. She just thought he’d keep her company on the phone while she waited. 

“You don’t need to thank me,” Copia said. “I’ll be right there.”

[muiitoloko]

hiii! i stumbled upon your stories in ao3 and now im here in tumblr waiting, supporting your works <333 ive been checking your blogs or ur ao3 account reading, rereading, reading again ur worksssss EVERY. SINGLE. WORK. IS. A. MASTERPIECE. 😩😩😩 i need moreeeee, im craving and thirsting over for any update from any storiesss 🥵

btw i have like an idea for an Alan Rickman x Co-star! Reader (platonic relationship), where the reader already met alan before like when the reader was younger (young reader asking for his autograph and her saying stuff like “one day i’ll be like you and work with you! i’ll be a star!”) just the reader being so adorable and innocent. next meeting, the reader meets alan again but in the set of harry potter, she likes goes to him immediately and tries to make alan remember her but he doesn’t and she shows him like an old picture of them and like the autograph stuff to remember. next meeting is like Eye in the Sky shooting and another meeting is like alan being sick with reader finding out. last meeting is like the funeral (IM SORRY I KNOW 😭😭😭) and the ending being like the reader receiving an award and dedicating it to alan <333

its like “5 ‘serious’ meetings with my work dad and a meeting dedicated to him..” I JUST IMAGINED THIS WHEN I WAS WATCHING A SAD “FOREVER YOUNG” EDIT OF ALAN 😭😩😭😩😭

Hiii! First off, let me just say—you are the absolute sweetest! 🥹 Thank you so much for all the love and support, it truly means the world to me! I'm over here blushing like crazy reading your message!

As for your idea—oh my gosh, it's amazing and so heartwarming (and, yes, a little tear-jerking too)! I can totally picture the whole "work dad" vibe with Alan, and the progression through the different meetings is just chef's kiss. I’m definitely going to tuck this idea away and see what magic I can create with it. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful concept! 💖

And don't worry, I'm working on more updates—I promise to keep you well-fed with new stories soon! Stay tuned, and thanks again for being so awesome! 😄💫

[alexandraisyes]

dhdkdkkfkd the TSBS hunger games?

IVE BEEN SUMMONED.

please tell me this is gonna be a series. please, I need to see this. I tried doing something like it a while ago but I couldn’t finish it because I had to give the iPad I was using back to my high school. I NEED to see this happen.

also your drawings are way better than mine so there’s also that-

Thanks for the ask!

This is absolutely going to be a series, the fic is gonna be posted on my main ao3 account (due to the content it’s gonna be 18+) but all of the artwork, rambles, etc are going to be posted on tumblr. The AU itself is only 16+/mature, the fic is something else altogether and not required to understand and enjoy the au on tumblr.

I got really inspired by the first TSBS Hunger Games video posted on EALS, since TSBS is my current hyperfixation and hunger games was a childhood hyperfixation. I’m considering making an entirely separate blog for the AU, maybe. . . Possibly making it an ask blog. We’ll see. It would be funny to do asks for it while I work on writing the actual fic.

Fnskfkkskcjdn. I wouldn’t say that, art is subjective. Anything you put effort into is going to be worth it! It’s taken me years to get to this level of skill, and I’m still learning.

[losersroom]

twenty questions for fic writers

tagged by @tetrapod7! thanks man, this was a fun one.

1. how many works do you have on ao3? 17 on my current account. there's more on my old one and obviously that doesn't count everything i published on other platforms (livejournal, ff.net) in the ancient days, lol

2. what's your total ao3 wordcount? again just on the wolfspider account, 168,153. i cant tell if that feels low or high to me

3. what fandoms do you write for? right now, just wild hrpf. in the past it's been mostly anime and various cartoons.

4. top five fics by kudos: i'm hitting the skip button on this because like. wrt my own work i think it's not a very good metric of EITHER how popular those stories actually were OR the quality of them; they're mostly the TUA ones and im chalking that up to that fandom being Huge when i was active. my most kudos'd fic of all time is still how much was mine to keep, though, and i think that one holds up.

5. do you respond to comments? i try to now. i went through a long phase of not engaging with comments due to Social Anxiety and also being kind of fed up with the hyper-combative culture in the fandoms i was in. like i wanted to just yeet my work out there and be done with it. in hrpf fandom i'm actually interested in the community aspect though so ive been trying to get over myself and respond as best i can.

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? the brodsfabes time loop fic, hands down. it's weird because as a reader i am um. not very into unhappy endings or unconsummated angst but every once in a while when i'm writing i'll get into a Mood and write something viscerally upsetting. anyway that one was pretty clearly me processing some grief that was happening in my real life, lol.

7. what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? probably entangled, from my spiderverse days. ngl i kind of hate it now though so let's move on from this. i think most of my fic has happy or at least ambiguously-positive endings, though.

8. do you get hate on fics? only one time ever and it was someone complaining that a ship i tagged for wasn't present in the story after One Chapter so. we're discounting that one. i've been pretty lucky!

9. do you write smut? yeah. my relationship with writing pornography ebbs and flows, like. sometimes i'll be really into it but sometimes i'll just stick a sex scene into a story where i feel like it's the least interesting thing that happens because people expect it and aren't going to read a romance that isn't leading up to that. i'm a horrible pervert and building up to a sex scene is an easy way to give your story a climax (...in multiple senses of the word) though so. why not.

10. craziest crossover: i don't write crossovers but if i did it would be the insane one ive been thinking about lately where the minnesota wild are stuck in the dungeon from dungeon meshi

11. have you ever had a fic stolen? not to a degree that i can prove it but part of the reason i left TUA fandom was somebody, in my opinion, ripped off large chunks of one of my fics and did just enough massaging of the language to make it defensible as Not Plagiarism. ruined the whole experience for me though.

12. have you ever had a fic translated? no, i think that would be one of the highest honors i could receive as a writer though. i wish i knew enough of a second language to translate my own work, but i'm still at like a kindergarten level in japanese so that will. Not happen.

13. have you ever co-written a fic before? tried to once with someone i am no longer friends with, it was a disaster. never gonna do that again. i am just too much of a control freak to relinquish any amount of creative decisionmaking i think.

14. all time favorite ship? don't have one! i tend to like hyperfixate on one ship for anywhere from one month to a year and a half and then when the brain juice runs out im Done and i never want to think about this concept again. im giving check please jackparse a point for being a ship i can read about post-fixation without getting bored but other than that. right now it's 725, in the future, who can say.

15. what's a wip you want to finish but never will? [stares at my overflowing gdocs draft folder. stares at the camera] i do not see it

16. what are your writing strengths? i like my prose, most of the time, and i think i'm pretty good at descriptive writing and like, internal character voice. sometimes i can accidentally stumble into excellent pacing

17. what are your writing weaknesses? INTENTIONALLY good pacing. writing dialogue that sounds like a human said it and not a sitcom character. i'm decent at line-by-line editing but awful at structural editing. recently ive become aware that i tend to subconsciously reuse certain plot beats a lot.

18. thoughts on dialogue in another language? like anything else, there's a way to do this that's fine and interesting and a way to do it that's insultingly terrible and it all depends on intent and execution. like if you're peppering in phrases in a second language just to show off that a character Is Foreign, don't do that. try to do it in a way that's realistic for how people talk. do it purposefully, i suppose

19. first fandom you wrote in? god dude i do NOT remember this was literally 21 years ago but probably either naruto or fullmetal alchemist.

20. favorite fic you've written? probably one of the unpublishable ones tbh. or the time loop one again. honestly i really like all my hrpf work, ive been putting out some bangers lately. it's nice to feel like ive been growing as an ~artist~ or whatever.

[elibean]

listen these boys have me in a vice grip ok, ive spat out like 5 fic for them in a week. this has literally never happened to me before lmao

anyway i signed up for an ao3 account and i should be done with that soon so i’ll stop spamming the tag with my fics. BUT UNTIL THEN, you’re stuck with me >:D

this runs with the “LG is from an alternate timeline” theory! 

when cxs first meets back up with LG and doesn’t think he’s alive, he ugly cries. When he is reminiscing abt lg when he thinks he’s dead, he ugly cries. I thought hey, lg isn’t very emotional. We really only see him get riled up as it pertains to cxs. What would it take for him to cry? And this is the product of that train of thought xD I’m sorry. Also whatever route s2 ends up taking, this will inevitably no longer jive with canon but hey for now it works!

           Every timeline, no matter how hard he tried, always resulted in this. Always, always, always. He should have stayed dead when possessed Qiao Ling stabbed him. It would have been better than reliving this over and over and over again. The blood on his hands; the way Cheng Xiaoshi looked at him; the touch of his hand to Lu Guang’s cheek; the way the lie “it’s going to be okay” was coughed out of his mouth; everything; all of it.

           He awakes with a start. Having nightmares; having THAT nightmare, isn’t unusual. But awaking to Cheng Xiaoshi’s voice calling out to him concernedly is.

           “Lu Guang?” he whispers. “You were murmuring in your sleep,” he continues. Lu Guang takes a minute to regain his composure. He’s sweating and his heart is racing a mile a minute.

           “Did I wake you? Sorry,” he stammers out, his voice unsteady, and that’s when he notices his eyes are wet. Shit, was I crying too?

           “It’s cool.” Back to silence. Lu Guang thinks Cheng Xiaoshi must’ve fallen back asleep. He should try to do the same, but he knows better. Knows he won’t be falling asleep anytime soon, if at all.

           “Lu Guang?” he murmurs.

           “Yes?”

           “You were…” he begins, but then pauses, like he doesn’t want to say it. A breath in. Then: “You were calling out for me in your sleep.” Lu Guang feels heat rise to his face. Embarrassing. But also, he’s mad at himself that Cheng Xiaoshi must have heard him being so pathetic, so vulnerable.

           Normally he’d deny it. Laugh it off. Call Cheng Xiaoshi an egotistical idiot for thinking Lu Guang would be calling out his name in his sleep, of all people. But. But the memory of blood is so fresh in his mind, of Cheng Xiaoshi’s lifeless body, everything, it’s all…Shit, he’s crying again.

           It must not be as quiet as he thinks, either, because Cheng Xiaoshi exclaims, “Lu Guang!” Hold it in, Lu Guang commands himself. He hears the mattress below him shift as Cheng Xiaoshi gets out of bed.

           “Lu Guang, get down here,” he commands, and who is Lu Guang to say no? He gets up and climbs down the ladder. Upon seeing Cheng Xiaoshi standing there, Cheng Xiaoshi who had been dead in his dreams moments before, who had been dead in another reality before, he breaks down, crumbling to the floor. Ugly, loud sobs. He thinks Cheng Xiaoshi looks surprised, but it’s hard to tell through the tears. He feels, rather than sees, the warm embrace of his companion, and oh, that makes it worse.

           “Hey, hey! I’m right here, it’s okay, everything’s okay,” he soothes, stroking Lu Guang’s back. There’s something ironic about being held and comforted like this by Cheng Xiaoshi, but he’s in no state to make a snarky comment on it. Instead, he hugs back tighter, digging his fingers into the fabric of Cheng Xiaoshi’s shirt. It’s too tight, it must hurt, he should apologize, but the only sounds that can come out of his mouth are sobs; sobs that make him shake and struggle for air.

           “Shh, shh. It’s okay,” Cheng Xiaoshi repeats, and how wrong he is. Sure, it’s okay now, but it won’t be okay, at some point, not if he can’t change things, not if…more tears.

           Eventually he quiets down, and reluctantly pulls away. He sniffles and wipes his nose with his sleeve.

           “Better?” Cheng Xiaoshi asks, his eyes full of concern, and something else Lu Guang can’t put a finger to. No, he thinks, but he doesn’t say that. He weakly nods.

           “Do you wanna talk about it?” No, he thinks again, but he’s tired, and sad, and devastated, and exhausted, and…

           “You died,” he splutters out. Tears threaten to spill out again. “You died, and died again,” and now he’s lying— the dream was only one loop, not the reality he’s lived over and over, but he’s already talking, “and again, and I couldn’t save you. I tried, I tried, I tried, and I failed every time, and—”

           “Oh, Lu Guang,” Cheng Xiaoshi breathes out, worry and concern lacing every syllable.

           “I just wanted to save you, that’s all I was trying to do,” he manages to get out. He looks up to Cheng Xiaoshi who is looking back at him, feeling helpless that he can’t make things better. Lu Guang breathes in. “Why can’t I save you?” he whispers, and shit, he’d screwed up, he should have said “Why couldn’t I save you?” This was supposed to be describing a dream, not the reality he’d lived over and over again, but it just slipped out. If Cheng Xiaoshi noticed, he doesn’t show it. He says nothing, but he grabs his hand.

           “Feel this?” he asks, and he does. He feels the warmth of Cheng Xiaoshi’s hand, of the hand he’s clapped and high-fived so many times before. The hand that’s punched him in anger, that’s gripped onto his shoulder as he cried. He feels the crevices in the skin, the nooks and crannies, the roughness that he’s offered skin cream to help with in the past. He feels his pulse thrumming through his wrist. Cheng Xiaoshi interlaces their fingers. “It’s me. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.” He’s wrong. Lu Guang can’t bring himself to look at him. “Hey. I mean it,” Cheng Xiaoshi says firmly, and releases his hand, which makes Lu Guang immediately miss the warmth. He brings his hand up to Lu Guang’s face slowly, and gently wipes away his tears. This makes Lu Guang look at him, and oh, oh, he loves him, he loves him and he’s going to die and there’s nothing he can do—

           “I’m here. It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere,” he repeats. He’s a liar. He will go somewhere, but Lu Guang can’t tell him that. So he only nods, feebly. Cheng Xiaoshi moves to hug him once more, and Lu Guang melts into it. This will have to be enough, for now.

           Later, Lu Guang will have to go back to work. Back to work to figure out how to save Cheng Xiaoshi, how to protect moments like these, protect him.

           But for now he hugs Cheng Xiaoshi back, maybe a little too tightly, and lets himself calm down. The boy is alive, and safe, and here, with him. For now, in this moment, everything is okay.

           For now.

[odiesdayoff]

Studying Pays Off

pair: edward nashton (professor!) x fem!reader (student but also not)

summary: Edward Nashton’s a tough professor, but you’re up for the challenge.

warnings: SMUT (MINORS DNI 18++++); oral sex (f. receiving); questionable student/teacher relationship (they are but they aren’t); age gap

slay. I’ve been posting this series on AO3 and decided to take it to my tumblr as well :)

part two

You heard horror stories about Professor Nashton. One of the two professors that taught advanced forensic accounting, a class that you needed to take for your major. Professor Ives was kind and very generous with extra credit. Unfortunately, the only class that you could take that fit into your schedule wasn’t with Professor Ives.

Most people complained about his lectures, usually long and boring and full of riddles that didn’t have much to do with the actual subject. He was strict about grading and the smallest error in a project might turn your A into a B. Unfortunately, you weren’t an exception to the normal borderline failing student that became the norm.

The thirty seconds that you stood outside of his room, too nervous to start your office hour session with him, felt like an eternity. It was common knowledge that nobody dared trying to go to his office hours. Students were too afraid to get on his bad side to even attempt to ask questions about the lecture. You were different, though. You were determined to get at least a B- in this class even if it meant spending an awkward few minutes with the man.

He didn’t look at you as you walked in and took your seat on the other side of the desk. You clutched your binder close to your chest, sheets upon sheets of printed-out homework and projects thickening it. You wrote your own notes over and around the notes that he gave you. You practiced everything that you wanted to talk to him about.

He wrote the grade with a large red marker on someone’s project. D. You hoped that it wasn’t yours. “I don’t offer extra credit if that’s what you came here for. And I will not be bribed by any means,” He flipped the stack of papers over, pushing them to the side and finally looking up at you. For a moment, you wondered what students might have tried to use to bribe him.

“That…That’s not what I’m here for, sir. I wanted to discuss the last project and what I could do better for the next time,” You opened your binder and nervously pulled the stapled stack of paper with a marked B- on the top out of the front fold. You offered the paper to him and he took it.

That project, in particular, getting a report from some made-up company and logging their accounts as well as any discrepancies, didn’t seem too difficult for you. You finished it with time to spare and found nothing wrong when you went over it, yet you barely passed. You began to wonder if you were doing everything wrong and you were in the wrong field.

He flipped through the pages faster than any person could possibly be looking at the content. You sat quietly, hoping that your breathing didn’t disturb his work. “While there aren’t many mistakes, the ones that you did make were those that should have been eradicated in basic accounting. It might be a problem with you rather than this individual project.” His facial features were soft, but that didn’t seem to translate to his harsh personality.

Your breathing halted, maybe you should have listened when you were told to avoid going to his office hours. Was he calling you stupid? “I’ve never had a problem before this class. Is there anything that I can do about that?” The voice in your head wanted to lean over the desk and slap the shit out of the man, but you knew that it would only make things worse for you. His words would get to you tonight when you were able to cry about it if you needed.

“I can’t fix what was broken from the start, I’m afraid,” he handed the stack of papers back to you and you took them with a shaky hand. At this point, you weren’t sure if the shaking came from anger or you fighting back the urge to cry. Your life’s passion, the one thing you were sure that you excelled at, he was telling you that you never had a chance. What an asshole.

You looked down at the papers in your lap, “Is there… any way to improve in this class? Even with my…problems?” You weren’t sure why this was such a blow to your self-confidence. You’ve had much worse said to you by your parents when you told them that you wanted to go into accounting. You nearly failed geometry and their hope for you fell down the drain.

He sighed as if this wasn’t literally the job that he signed up to do for a living. “Unless you want to dedicate your time to coming to my office hours every single time there’s an assignment to go over things, I suggest you drop the class before it affects your GPA too much,” He looked at someone else’s project and shook his head. It was like you weren’t even there.

And that’s exactly what you did for the rest of the semester. From the time that he started his office hours to when he kicked you out, you worked on your assignments. Maybe you were a bit delusional, but you started to wonder if he was finally warming up to you. Your grades definitely reflected a more positive relationship with the man. You were probably the only person in the class that had an A by December.

The final was in two days and you were still committing to your office hour sessions with Professor Nashton. “You intrigue me, Y/n,” He spoke out of the blue.

You looked up from your papers, “How so?”

He leaned back into his chair. It squeaked slightly, “Most students just give up after that first office hour visit. They…curse me out and then drop a shitty rate my professor review. But not you, Y/n.” He spoke along with his hands, “You never let me spend a class or office hour alone.”

“It definitely paid off. I think I’m one of the only people not either failing or borderline failing. Why do you grade like that?” You’ve been meaning to ask that question for so long, but it never seemed right. Now that you two felt like somewhat friends and he was getting personal, maybe he would find out.

He bit his lip, “This subject relies on precision. One mistake could jail an innocent person or let a guilty one roam free. Forensic accountants are crucial and perhaps the foundation of the justice system. Financially, that is. If I start my students with a work ethic that relies strongly on attention to detail and little mistakes, justice will be served in the future. Most of them just don’t want to work hard.”

You nodded along. You agreed with him to a point but thought that he should have been a bit less harsh in the way that he conducts this message. “That…actually makes a lot of sense. Maybe you should say that at the beginning of the semester,” You suggested.

He shook his head, “If they didn’t try before, it’s not going to make them suddenly start. Most people at this school are privileged little fucks that’ll go into their daddy’s firm once they graduate. Pardon my French. People like us work for our success.”

He wasn’t wrong there. Gotham University was built on nepotism and will always be that way, it seemed.

~~~

The final wasn’t bad, just as you had expected. It was exactly what you studied and discussed with the professor, so you were pretty sure that you got a decent grade. The other students filtered out of the classroom as soon as they wrote down their final number and rejoiced in their winter break starting. Once the last person left, you took the opportunity to talk to Professor Nashton one last time.

“How was it?” He asked, sorting through the stacks of finished tests all over his desk.

You shrugged, “It was good. Not to brag, but I think I got an almost perfect score.” This earned you a smile from him. You took a deep breath and adjusted your bag on your shoulder, “Now that we’re not technically student and teacher anymore, I wanted to let you know that I really enjoy talking with you. I work at this little diner by the Iceberg Lounge and if you’re ever in the area, you’re free to stop by. I’ll even throw in a free coffee and slice of pumpkin pie.”

“That’s very generous of you, Y/n. I’ll keep that in mind,” You had your suspicions that he was only saying that to be polite, but a small part of you wanted to see him again. Seeing him in a less professional setting and without the big label of instructor might do him some good.

Your winter break was uneventful. You worked, occasionally spent time with your friends, and avoided your family’s judgment throughout the holiday season. It wasn’t until the second week of January that things got interesting again.

Working at a 24-hour diner meant that you had to be available for work at all times of the day. You drew the short straw and found yourself behind the counter, completely void of co-workers and customers, at 2 in the morning on a Wednesday. You were halfway through Pride and Prejudice when you were startled by the doorbell.

Standing in the doorway was him. Your former professor in a large raincoat and informal wear. “What are you doing here so late?” You asked, smirking. You were relieved to have someone to talk to other than yourself and that he wasn’t some random creep.

“I could ask you the same thing. I couldn’t sleep,” He sat on one of the barstools and you turned on the coffee machine. If it were anyone else, you would’ve served the stale, hours-old coffee.

“What does your spouse think of your late-night diner runs?” You took a relatively hot slice of pie and placed it in front of him with a fork.

He took a bite of the pie, “Not married.”

You raised a brow, “I can’t imagine why not. You’re smart, attractive, and literally a tenured professor at an esteemed university.” You turned to grab a cup for the coffee.

Edward paused and looked up from his pie, “You of all people should not be saying that I’m attractive.”

“Why? Because you’re older than me?” You snorted.

“Because you’re beautiful. And frankly, I feel guilty even saying that.”

You poured the coffee in silence and placed it in front of him. He found you attractive. Now that there was no formal rule that could get him fired, you had all the opportunity in the world to mess with him. And by mess with him, you really just want to jump his arrogant bones.

“Are you sure that pie’s the only thing in here you wanna eat?” You put on your best seductive voice, making him slightly choke on his coffee. He glared at you, “Oh, come on. We’re not limited to roles anymore. We’re just two adults that know each other from university.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to, trust me, I’ve shamefully thought about it before. It’s just-”

“Just nothing! I’m offering to get on this counter, lift my skirt up, and let you eat me out. Yes or no?”

He sat in silence for a second, staring. The gears in his brain were turning. He grabbed the plate and the cup and pushed them to the side, “Get up.”

This was a first for you. Sex with a professor and doing it at work. Despite it all, you sat up on the counter and showed yourself to him. He stared for a moment, nervous, before hooking his arms under your legs and diving in.

Other than the buzzing of the various machines in the diner, the only noises in the room were of Edward licking and the moans that you held back. You didn’t expect him to be that good, no man ever was when it came to oral. He found your clit after a few seconds and began to suck on it, not giving you a chance to register the sudden rush of pleasure.

“Fuck!” You moved your hand on the counter, accidentally swiping the coffee cup off. It shattered, but Edward didn’t look up or stop. It wasn’t like you were going to stop and clean it up now, anyway.

“Y/n, you taste so good,” He whispered into your pussy. You grabbed his hair and twirled it with your fingers.

He pushed two fingers into you and you felt the pleasure fully begin to coil in your stomach. You moaned and tugged on his hair. That only made him go faster.

With Edward relentlessly pleasuring you, it took not long for you to see stars. The walls were not soundproof and you had forgotten if they had security cameras or not, but that didn’t stop you from calling out his name as you came around his fingers.

He finally looked up at you with a goofy smile on his face. Your face was flushed and your chest noticeably rose and fell. Now, you were more confused that he wasn’t married. “How was that?”

[gelataisa]

hi!

it’s so nice to see khr fans let alone xs fans existing today! do you have any fic recommendations?

thanks! <3

Dude!! Hi!!!

I'll always rise my XS flag high, worry not. they are the only thing i care about basically.

anyway, fic recommendations are not easy to give cause:

much has been lost to time, site purges and accounts deleted

for a long time ive read fics of them only in italian (ah, sweet old efp)

But ao3 has interesting stuff!! i can recommend:

anything by Lys ap Adin

anything by our one and only @masterdisastre (who has the same nick on ao3, it seems!)

and now i'll just paste stuff ive found in my ao3 bookmarks (some i dont remember right now tbh, but i must have had my reasons to put them there)

Licking Wounds and Nursing Egos (orphan account)

Secret Desire (youtomyme)

Bad Romance (The Dysfunctional Mafiosi Cover) (imadra_blue)

palermo. (SummerSol) this one i cannot recommend enough tbh, its not only extremely well written but also so well researched. i was practically squeaking while reading it.

also i want to make a honourable mention to that one series of two works that star female!squalo and are incredibly cute and honestly ic as well. i wont link them cause i dont have time to look but they are on ao3

ff.net ive tried to look into a few times but i shall be honest there isnt much that has survived the passage of time well and the absence of tags was killing me

but i hope this was helpful!! come back whenever you want

[puddlejumpingwriter]

"The Nine Lives of Kylo"

~ A Reylo Holiday Textfic ~

Author's Note: I'm posting these chapters in time for Christmas in July (with my cat supervising from his perch on top of my arm). Chapters 1-5 are also available on AO3. New chapters will post to both Tumblr and AO3 starting this week and wrapping up before the holidays.

Please note--the characters face a few hardships, but this story will have an HEA.

I hope you enjoy!

~~~

PART IV

~~~

The dinner is…tolerable, but the minute he feels his phone vibrate, Ben turns his attention away from the table.

~~~

Ben laughs and receives a stare from his mother, a smile from his nonna, and an eye roll from his father. His granddad starts talking again, and Ben returns to his phone.

~~~

Suddenly Ben’s tie feels too tight. He swore to his family he would never be the type to settle down, and any mention of a lifelong commitment should make him want to run.

But that subject coming from Rey’s fingertips is more interesting to him than it should be.

~~~

Worry hits Ben—as much for Rey as it is for Kylo.

~~~

Dots appear and then disappear, and Ben wonders what message Rey is typing.

~~~

Rey can joke, but Ben’s worry is back. She’s on her own at the house, and porch robbers are prevalent this time of year.

~~~

His phone vibrates just when he’s ready to bolt from the table, but the message isn't from the person he expected.

~~~

Another buzz draws Ben back to Rey.

~~~

Before he can agree to Rey’s suggestion, Ben hears from Baz again. And thinking about it, he’s more willing to believe Rey’s account of events than Baz’s.

~~~

Ben knows he’s already thinking clearly.

He tucks his phone away because more than one family member is giving him mean looks after his minutes of texting. But he doesn’t stop thinking about the changes he needs to make.

On Monday night, he’s going to end things with Baz. Breaking up isn’t something he wants to do over text, so he’ll tell her at dinner that night.

Baz has been saying lately it’s either her or the cat, and it’s painfully obvious to Ben his best choice is the cat.

Then Ben’s going to meet with Rey after that. It wouldn’t be right to talk to her before he breaks up with Baz. 

Not when he wants to ask Rey out.

Ben knows Rey may not say yes. She may be done with winter exams on Monday, but she still has the spring semester ahead of her.

But Ben still has to try.

“So Benjamin,” his grandfather says, drawing him out of his thoughts and back to the dinner. “Tell us how you’re doing.”

“Great, actually,” Ben replies, feeling a smile spread on his face. Several people at the table turn to look at him, making him wonder if he’s ever said something positive during one of these dinners.

His nonna smiles back at him. “Tell us more,” she requests.

“Well, I’ve decided to keep the cat I found.”

“Really?” his father questions.

Chewie clears his throat. “I thought your girlfriend hates cats.”

“I’m thinking about making a change there too.”

“Finally,” his mother mutters, still loud enough for everyone to hear her.

Padme’s smile remains bright. “I think it’s wonderful you’ve already found a vet to help you with Kylo,” she says.

“You must’ve gone to Amilyn,” Leia says. “She didn’t tell me you stopped by her clinic. You know she’s retiring next year. We’ll need a new vet for the dogs—and your cat now too, Ben.”

“Dr. Holdo hasn’t been helping me with Kylo.”

“Really?” Leia asks. “So who is this vet you’ve found?”

“I’ve met her,” Padme replies. “Delightful young woman. We’ll probably take Vader to her after Amilyn retires.”

“That’s assuming she stays in the area,” Ben comments, not knowing where Rey wants to go when she graduates.

“Well, hopefully,” Padme begins, “someone will give her a reason to stay.”

There’s a knowing look in his grandmother’s eyes. Ben tries to ignore her gaze and focus on a conversation between Lando and his father, but Ben still feels the stare on him.

~~~

Ben arrives back at home a few hours later with a large bag of leftovers. His mother insisted on giving him a sample of everything, and his nonna wrapped up a full plate for Rey.

He didn’t watch the women while they packed up the food, but Ben can tell from the weight of the bag there has to be a few pounds inside.

Ben debates knocking, but he doesn’t want Rey to think Baz has returned. He balances the bag in one hand and unlocks the door with the other. There’s no Rey bustling down the hallway to ask about the dinner, so Ben turns to the room where he can see a light on.

Asleep on his couch is Rey, with an open textbook and a napping orange cat sprawled out on top of her.

The sight is everything he never knew he wanted.

Ben considers letting her sleep, but Kylo wakes up and walks across her. A moment later, Rey’s eyes are blinking awake.

“Ben, you’re home,” she says, fighting to hold back a yawn.

“Yeah,” he replies. “Sorry to wake you. I know it’s late. Would you like to stay here tonight—either on the couch or in the guest bedroom?”

“I should get going. I need to start early if I’m going to be ready for this test.”

“Of course. Well Nonna Padme put together a plate for you,” he says, setting the bag down on a table and reaching in for the container of Rey’s food.

“That was too kind of her,” Rey says. “Did you tell her she didn’t have to do that? That I still owe her grandson a debt I can’t repay for making him kiss me in public?”

“That wasn’t exactly a hardship for me,” Ben replies. Rey turns away from him, a slight pink tinge appearing on her cheeks.

His focus returns to the bag, not wanting to make Rey feel uncomfortable. He finds a small box with a note attached from his nonna, then underneath he finds the food for Rey. 

She takes the container from him and offers him a sweet smile.

Ben does everything he can to keep from kissing her.

He walks her to the door, and Kylo follows them, rubbing against her legs.

“Goodnight, Kylo,” Rey says, before her gaze turns upward to meet Ben's.

“Thank you, Rey—for everything,” he says, holding back what he’s thankful for. Her help with his cat goes without saying, but the way she’s opened his eyes to what he wants—he can’t tell her about his gratitude for that yet.

“Anytime you need help with Kylo, just let me know,” Rey offers.

“I will.”

“Goodnight, Ben,” she adds, before standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. 

Ben has to clench his fist to keep from touching her, from pulling her toward him.

“Goodnight, Rey,” he utters, before she’s out the door.

Ben watches her drive away and then shuts the front door. He turns around to see Kylo staring up at him.

The cat lets out an annoyed sound.

“What do you want me to do? I asked her if she wanted to stay.”

Kylo quirks his head at Ben.

“She was the one who left. I didn’t tell her she had to go.”

A tiny orange paw swats in his direction, before Ben scoops the cat up.

“Okay, maybe I could’ve done more, but I just need some time. By Monday, things will be better,” Ben says, trying to convince himself.

He walks back into the living room and retrieves the leftovers before going to the kitchen. On the cabinets, he finds paper snowflakes Rey must’ve made for him, and Ben can’t hold back his smile.

He starts putting the leftovers in his fridge and again finds the small box from his nonna. This time he reads the note.

“It’s time you have this. If you find someone who makes you happy, give this to them.”

Inside the box is his grandmother’s ring.

~~~

Monday morning...

Baz doesn’t have much time. Ben will be working with the contractors in the kitchen for the next hour or so, and she knows they’ll use the back door. Ben wouldn’t want a mess tracked through the rest of his house.

If it’s anything like the last time he had workers in the house, he’ll keep the cat in the living room with the door closed—and hopefully he’ll have his phone in there too.

Ben’s broken a few phones at work or during his little projects, so Baz knows he prefers to leave it out of the way.

She leaves her car a block away and goes to the front door. Baz can hear people in the kitchen, so she carefully enters the living room.

There she finds the phone, the tablet, and that annoying cat. The creature glares at her, but Baz is on a mission. She does a quick once-over to see if there’s anything else she needs to take care of.

That’s when she spots an unfamiliar box on the bookcase. She gasps as she opens it. Baz wants to pocket the beauty, but Ben would definitely notice that. Still, the ring may help her drive her point home.

Baz unlocks Ben’s phone—the man needs to do a better job hiding his passcode—and she snaps a picture of the ring on her finger before putting it back in the box.

She finds the text message she was looking for and starts typing. A few well chosen words, that picture, and then hitting delete several times, and Baz knows one of her problems is solved.

The cat growls the whole time, but she ignores him.

Baz opens the tablet and makes sure the messages and contact are deleted there as well.

Then she opens up the large bag she brought with her. Baz knows the scratches are worth it, as she carries the little monster out of Ben’s house. One stop at the shelter, and her life will go back to just the way she wants it.

~~~

Rey breathes a sigh of relief as she leaves her final exam.

She turns her phone back on, and her joy disappears as she reads a new string of messages.

~~~

Rey feels broken.

She can’t believe Ben would act so differently than he had on Saturday, but how well does she even know him? These texts came from him—maybe he's more of a jerk than she thought.

Only one way to find out. She drives to the shelter to see if Kylo is there.