#(less details with the other 3 since they are not my muses)

[ashenwinds]

sailor @gamblingluck sent a message in a bottle. . .

hey hey-- more meta time. tell me about Flameheart's decisions for each of the ashen lords

send  [ META ] + a word / phrase / person / etc  and i will write a head  canon around it

( note that this could change depending on if there are others who end up writing the Ashen Lords but this is sort how I see it happened ) Pretty much all 4 of the Ashen Lords were taken on more from a whim than something completely planned out. Haven't seen it mentioned but all 4 Ashen Lords were human w/ flesh before they took on the Ashen Curse. Ruth and Grimm were the first, Ruth taken on because of her reputation as an alchemist + tactical prowess, and Grimm for his intelligence in fortification of a fortress + savviness of collecting ill begotten treasures. Call it something of an intuition from Flameheart, hearing whispers about the two and then finding them -- having a similar outlook on the Sea of Thieves growing weak from alliances. Horatio was not too long after, found to be a very skilled shipwright and somebody who was good at convincing the skeletons to join them. And Chi was last, one that had no reputation amongst the Sea of Thieves, one who was a newcomer when encountered by Flameheart and his crew. There was no way to tell just how skilled they were except for the fact they could hold their own against the crew when the ship they were on was boarded, and just how Chi's philosophy aligned with Flameheart's. Their true skill of interrogation and torture was not seen until they had their initiation into the crew by torturing an ex-pirate for information. Thereafter it was set that they would be in charge of the prisoners and the dungeons, ensuring the most troublesome of people would be unable to die and use the Ferry to return to being a thorn in Flameheart's side. His decision to have those 4 specifically take on the Ashen Curse came from just how vital they were to his plans, and the most loyal and trusted of his crew despite them not having a skeletal curse. So, upon discovering the Ashen Curse, Flameheart did not tell them entirely what would happen ( recalled from the Heart of Fire tall tale, Flameheart mentions with Sticher Jim that "an unwitting sacrifice" must be made to "summon forth an Ashen Lord" ) but they were all trusting of their captain. ( this detail is remaining to be verified // debunked ) Theoretically, if it is similar to the ritual done with Jim, each Ashen Lord has their own Chest of Rage which were constructed specifically for them then hidden. He knew the 4 of them would be willing to go through the pain of the transformation, perhaps even more painful than what he himself went through drinking from the cursed chalices that turned him into a Skeleton Lord

[ckret2]

please more evil ford please i stare with my puppy eyes for this i am obbsessed

Yeah all right, I've been working on some art. (For context, we're talking about this Evil Ford.)

Evil Ford is Evil as in "cheerfully works with Bill even after learning his full plot" and "is totally ready to conquer and/or destroy the world." But other than the shocking lack of basic ethics and the supervillain objective he's mostly the same guy—which means he still cares about his family. He's hoping to get them to join in on the world conquest plan.

Forty-odd years ago he went off to college promising someday he'd be a big shot scientist who changes the world and he'd make his family a fortune. If taking over reality doesn't qualify he doesn't know what does. The family can join him and his buddy Bill and rule the universe together. Pines Pines Pines Pines!

Unfortunately for him, the rest of the family still has normal moral compasses. And also they've met Bill.

Bill can't currently possess Ford due to Reasons; but even though he can't get in the driver's seat he still has permission to ride shotgun at any time. Ford talks to him pretty regularly. He HAS been caught doing this. Stan thinks he's just gone a little nutty from thirty years of isolation.

Naturally, since he was always on Bill's side, Ford's perception of events during Weirdmageddon is a bit different:

I finally made an official Evil Ford New Costume Character Design, check out his exciting totally different brand new look:

I decided that, since Ford is still basically the same person aside from his terrible life goals, he'd probably have the same fashion sense. And so... nothing changes except two tiny details lmao.

But he DOES have tattoos:

I traced a canon character model and took off its top to get a base to slap tattoos on, and then went dang... they gave him a big head and arms. He looks goofy. Anyway,

His forearms have less incriminating tattoos—just a birch tree and a sunrise. (The sunrise looks like the Journal 3 "The Muse Has Spoken" page.) The red text is the "triangulum entangulum" ritual; if anyone asks he'll go "it's uhh an ancient Sumerian poem about how great science is." It's not until he's topless that it's like "oh so he's a CULTIST cultist." The one exception is an unconcealed Eye of Providence on his right palm—but it's in an ink that's only visible in certain lighting. It's there so at any time he can point his hand at something and go "Bill are you seeing this BS?"

Of course, he still has the "hey now, you're an all star" neck tattoo. I didn't have room to draw it.

As you can see, he's made being Bill's right hand man a core part of his personality. Rather than spending 30 years scrabbling around the multiverse desperately searching for a way to destroy Bill, he spent 30 years chilling in the Quadrangle of Qonfusion as Bill's specialest favoritest Henchmaniac, and only scrabbling around the multiverse occasionally for fun & profit.

Here's a photo Bill & Ford took at a Nightmare Realm house party like fifteen years ago, three minutes before Bill started an argument and set the house on fire.

Most people have their wild party years in college, Ford has his in his 40s.

[fallstaticexit]

Prev / Next / Beginning / Pillowfort

AN: Next update will post Monday the 23rd , same time and same place! Going to start working on updating my game etc. <3

Transcript under the cut

Siobhan: There you are! Our guest of honor tucked away in the corner. You’re not hiding, are you?

Nancy: I never really liked crowds.

Siobhan: That won’t do, Nancy. Come. Lets chat.

Siobhan: You know, the way you handled Becca the other night is admirable. I wouldn’t have done anything less if it were my man she was pawing after.

Nancy: Listen, I’m not a violent person. I shouldn’t have hit her.

Siobhan: It hardly matters. It’s about respect.

Siobhan: You have the means to be the most powerful woman in the world. Your family runs a multi million dollar company. Your name is on every recognizable building across the globe. Girls like Becca will dream of the day they can write you a check so she can raise her brood of rowdy children in one of your flawlessly designed properties.

Siobhan: You’re a star, Nancy. It’s time you show everyone what it means to be a Landgraab. You can start by becoming a Theta.

Siobhan: By the way, your mother just arrived!

Nancy: Hello Mother.

Queenie: Nancy.

Nancy: Father couldn’t make it?

Queenie: No, I’m afraid he’s tied up in a prior engagement. Besides, I try not to bore him with my personal affairs. [murmurs] How provocative, these pieces.

Queenie: So you’ve made friends with the daughter of an adulterer. Is that what you thought would impress me? Well, at least she’s proactive. Your lack of involvement in any clubs or organizations shows just how lazy you are. It’s almost as if we’ve sent you to university to piss away our money yet again. When will you prove to me that you’re worth half the trouble you put your father and me through? And for the love of God, stop biting your nails! It’s disgusting.

Professor Munch: -right, Nancy?

Nancy: I’m sorry, what was that?

Professor Munch: This model is absolutely stunning! Marvelous, even.

Nancy: R-really? Thank you, Professor.

Professor Munch: Ah! No wonder! Your drawings are very compelling. The way you blend functionality with aesthetics is brillant! A true prodigy!

Professor Munch: I am very proud of you, Nancy. Keep it up.

Nancy: Hi Professor. I know I’m a little early for office hours, but I really wanted your thoughts on my blueprints.

Professor Munch: Nancy! Are you kidding! Anything for my star pupil. Take a seat.

Professor Munch: If I’m being honest, I don’t have much critique.

Nancy: Staying on top of my grades is really important to me. My GPA is 3.7 but I know I can do more to improve. I can do better-

Professor Munch: [huffs affectionately] Nancy! You are my brightest and best student! I’d say it’s in your blood. I haven’t seen such vision and passion in my student’s work since I taught your brother.

Nancy: Nathan was your student?

Professor Munch: Oh, Nathan was my star! In the short time I spent with him, he has shown me what true artistry looks like. That kid had an eye for detail. He always spoke so fondly of his little baby sister, Nan; he’d call you. [sighs] I miss him dearly.

Professor Munch: I thought of quitting and getting back into the field after he passed. I was devastated when I found out about the accident. My partner pushed me to continue teaching. She knew there was nothing I loved more than handing the tools to brillant kids like you and Nathan to shape our future.

Nancy: Partner? [frowns] Your...partner?

Professor Munch: Monica. We were roommates in college and have been stuck to each other like glue since!

Nancy: So, she’s your best friend?

Professor Munch: Oh certainly. My best friend, my muse, my partner.

Nancy: What about your husband?

Professor Munch: Husband?

Nancy: I- sorry. Nevermind.

Professor Munch: Talk to me, dear. What’s on your mind?

Nancy: I guess I don’t understand. You’re wearing a ring but you have no photos of your husband. You seem...close with her, in the photo.

Professor Munch: I was married once. We have three children together. Sweetest man alive. We’re still friends to this day. We both realized that we had our hearts in different places. In the end, I had my Monica. My soulmate.

Nancy: [sobs quietly]

Professor Munch: Oh, no. Nancy? Dear, are you alright?

Professor Munch: [softly] Oh, sweet darling. You’re hurting, aren’t you? Can I hold you? Is that ok?

Nancy: [nods once]

Professor Munch: You let it all out, you hear me? Just let it all out. I got you.

Nancy Narrates: [I wondered what kind of person I’d be had my mother held me like this]

Professor Munch: There’s a small club that I support that meets every Friday in the commons. I think you should stop by.

Nancy: Thank you Professor but, I think I’ve already decided to join a sorority.

Professor Munch: I’ll tell you what, it’s not something you have to join or commit to, but I think there’s something to gain by coming. Plus, there’s someone I’d like you to meet. You two have a lot in common.

Morgan: Holy shit, hey! It’s Nancy Landgraab! Get over here!

[greenerteacups]

Hey GT, glad to see you're back! I'm still halfway thru Lionheart (just read the world cup chapter, what a delight) and your notes got me wondering.

I'm sure you've probably answered this before but how do you manage to make the world feel so rich? I'm not that into the fandom so I don't know If there are some things fanon agreed upon or if it is your own musings about the magic world. Like Draco explaining to Hermione about portkeys or how many languages Krum speaks.

How do you decide what's important enough to get a mention? Where do you go when you need answers and Canon is not enough to provide it?

Thanks for the kind words, and for the question! It's a matter of personal taste, like anything. Some writers prefer an athletic, streamlined plot, with only as much worldbuilding as you absolutely need (how does Panem run a command economy of 4.5 million people primarily on fossil fuels when its coal district has a population of less than 10,000? fuck off! who cares! they're Y/A dystopias about a TV show where teens beat each other to death!). Some writers, on the other hand, won't bother to start the story until they know the pH of the soil in every region of the world they're writing about. I'm somewhere on the second half of the scale, in that I'll give details that aren't strictly necessary to the plot, just because I like to feel like I'm writing about a world where real, extraneous things can happen. Some details are foreshadowing; some details are Special Mouseketools that will Help Us Later; and sometimes, you just get to know a cool fact about portkeys.

I guess part of the fun of building out a world is getting to think about Everything, which is what my brain normally does. I have a pretty broad body of literature as a starting gate, so there's plenty of room to play. E.g., when I started writing Krum, I thought about how he's not super fluent in English in canon, and that naturally made me ask why, because he clearly has taken English, so either he only started lessons recently or it hasn't been a priority for him; and then I went "wait, what's his first language? Bulgarian, right? But Durmstrang isn't — hang on—" and then I pulled up an actual map of Europe, which led me to realize that he wouldn't likely be speaking his first language at Durmstrang, which means he already had to become bilingual just to start his wizarding education, and that explains part of why he doesn't have a ton of time/effort to spare for a third language, plus he'd probably have a translator available whenever he traveled with a team because he's a B.F.D. — etc., etc. And then you keep thinking about that until you remember that you're supposed to be writing a fic, and you scramble to get back to doing that. Only now, you have worldbuilding! Congrats.

To try for an even halfway useful answer to your question: worldbuilding becomes most important when it creates limitations, because limitations define your characters and give them chances to develop/reveal themselves. So the details of portkeys become important because they explain the limitations of magical travel, which is a big nebulous ??? in the original series, since the introduction of teleportation via Apparating means that all other forms of transportation become inefficient by comparison. It also means the limitations introduced by travel — that is, not all characters can be in all places at once — also go away, because anyone can be anywhere immediately. From a narrative perspective, this sucks massive horse ass. Hence: I dumped a shit ton of limitations on Apparation (i.e., (1) it requires a ton of energy, (2) it's really fucking hard, (3) it's really fucking dangerous, (4) it's more of both the farther away you're going, (5) it's more of both the more people you take with you, (6) you can't Apparate without a clear destination in mind which means (7) you need to have been there already, and so (8) some people prefer not to do it). Hence, I also put limitations on portkeys (i.e., they have to be set up well in advance, you need to identify out both destinations precisely beforehand, and the calculations are difficult to do). Those limitations, and the Watsonian explanations you create for them, are your worldbuilding. They're what make the world feel real, because they give it grit and character. They give you a more complete sense of what you can and cannot do.

The rest of it is taste and preference, really; it's what interests you, and what parts of the world you want to explore. That's going to be unique to every author, and that's the beauty of worldbuilding — it reflects the parts of the world that you like to think about.

[nerdieforpedro]

Weekend update 05/05/2024

Hello! It’s been awhile since Nerdie has done one of these. 👀

Yes it has! Why have you only been lurking and popping up with random things?

Well, my smut fairy is playing hide and seek. Has been more hidden as of late. Inspiration has led to different fics than I planned on. And I’ve queued so many posts that my current queue is posting things up until June 5th. 😂

How does one even queue that many things? And what do you mean the smut fairy has been playing hide and seek? We read that Frankie series! And that Dieter update! Nerdie, stop trying to be coy, it doesn’t suit you dear.

I’m not sure how to respond to that. And yeah both of those had smut but it was….I did say the fairy was playing hide and seek. I did not say they were hidden the entire time. 🫣

Details, details. You also changed the title graphic color, why?

Stories are made by their details. Wise advice said by…some smart person somewhere. It reminds Nerdie of a bahama mama. It’s a drink that she enjoys like a pirate. Yohoho! 🏴‍☠️(I’m very sorry. 😣)

Anyway, thank you to the following lovely people who sent me beautiful person asks and who reached out when I was not doing so hot. I know better than to argue with any of you:

@rhoorl @yourcoolauntie @grogusmum @avastrasposts @megamindsecretlair

@westside-rot @laurfilijames @inept-the-magnificent @bitchwitch1981 @secretelephanttattoo

@angelofsmalldeath-codeine @connectioneverywhere @604to647 @mysterious-moonstruck-musings @morallyinept

@yorksgirl @sweetercalypso @schnarfer @soft-persephone @maggiemayhemnj

@magpiepills @paulmescal-s @lotusbxtch @wannab-urs

As for Nerdie’s fic recommendations, they are here! She’s keeping track of them and is going to put the whole list out at the end of the month because, promoting fics is fun and means she can type more randomness. 😆

1. Torment Part 1 Fear by @djarinmuse (Din Djarin x fem OC)

2. Tempered by the Fire by @ladamedusoif (Din Djarin x f reader)

3. Talk Dirty to Me by @morallyinept (Marcus Pike x fem reader)

4. Nightingale by @rosecentaur1916 (Miguel O’Hara x plus size fem reader)

5. Daffodil by @starstruckunknown-princess (Javi G. X reader)

6. Into the Deep End by @magpiepills (Joel Miller: the hole filler x AFAB reader)

7. your favorite kryptonite by @kedsandtubesocks (Comic Bookstore Owner!Dieter Bravo x F!Reader)

8. Kings & Queens by @joels-shitty-puns (Joel Miller x reader)

9. Insatiable by @lowlights (Pero Tovar x fem reader)

10. Top Me, I deserve it by @for-a-longlongtime (Santiago Garcia x Francisco Morales)

11. Fifteen Minutes by @whocaresstillthelouvre (Din Djarin x fem reader)

12. Raining in Baltimore by @schnarfer (Marcus Pike x f reader)

Nerdie did post a bit this week. She’s mainly been posting on AO3 since it takes less time and she can slap things up there with reckless abandon (and sufficient tags).

Part VIII of Only Parts of you Mr. Morales (Frankie Morales) *completed*

The Intended determines their Meaning (Javier Gutierrez)

Sure inside, but will you stay for more after we’re done? Chapter 5 of Weddings 101 with Dieter (Dieter Bravo)

Lastly there are a few ongoing challenges and fun things. Make sure to read individual challenge rules and fun things.

1. Help Wanted: Summer Reading with @strang3lov3 They’re asking for self-recs, recs of fics that have stuck with you, fics that you think others should read. Send them your Pedro boy goods. The best kind of summer reading.

2. Jett’s Flora and Fauna Challenge by @morallyinept It’s the incomparable Jett! Making her own challenge to being your fics, art, Moodboards or all any combinations. It just has to have a Pedro character and flowers. Any length (because we like all kinds here) and can be as many submissions as you want.

3. Jamie’s Ocean Challenge by @mermaidgirl30 Pedro characters, the ocean, fun, fics and moodboards mixed together for this one. Again any length (all are welcome and enjoyed), must have a Pedro character and the ocean in your fic or Moodboard.

4. @pedroscouts The Pedro Scouts have descended upon us to give us badges (gotta collect ‘em all), fun tasks and general tomfoolery to make Tumblr fun! Make sure to read through the rules if you’d like to join.

5. May Drabble Challenge courtesy of the @dieterbravobrainrotclub It features our favorite Kit Kat lover Dieter Bravo and aliens 👽 with a meet-cute. 👀 Not weird enough for you? Then write it extra strange.

So that’s about it. There was a lot of ground to cover but we got it done. Nerdie is going to go see a man about a goat 🐐 and also another guy about some teasing or edging? Maybe it counts as edging. Nerdie is 🫤 unsure. She’s only wrote like one of these before. 😆 She also has to look for boots, maybe she’s gonna go to her second concert 🎵

Stay safe and hydrated everyone!

Love Nerdie! ❤️ ❤️❤️

[rebelfell]

every time you post pornstar!Eddie I feel like that picture of the wolf tearing his shirt open

if I didn't have a fear of being perceived and also digital footprint I'd be in your comments posting that image 0.2 seconds after you hit the publish button

but since I am and tumblr won't let me send images from anon, just know that I am thinking that picture so hard hoping the vibes go through my little device and to you <3

WAIT ALSO

I have a lore questions

What do they do outside of the porn stuff? Like they can't be doing that 24/7 but what are reader's hobbies? Also will Eddie be using more of his masseuse skills (reader probably needs it in their shoulders from nights spent hunched over the editing software)??

Also what about interactions that are outside of the porn realm? Do they get coffee? Do they stumble upon each other at the store? Can Eddie even go to the store as porn's new hot star or does he have to go in disguise? What's it like without all the cameras and the moans and the nakedness? Is it more vulnerable with their clothes on??

I know there's still more content to come but I really want to just dive head first in and swim through all the details and longing. no more dragging out the plot!! I'm slobbering against the glass. let me in please. I promise I don't have rabies :D ignore the foaming at the mouth I'm just excited!

I’m so glad you like them, bubs! And ohhhhhhhh my gosh so many good questions! You gave me lots and lots to think about the last few days…

I’ve not thought too much about the lore of this story because it started as a horny drabble, BUT I’ll throw some too many thoughts under the cut.

I think at least in the beginning, there was not much outside of work that R had time for.

In my head, you were kind of carrying out every task on your own cos you just really wanted this new endeavor to work. It’s not that you “hated” porn, you just always had felt like you were more suited to being behind the camera and you finally had the opportunity to prove your mettle.

So it wasn’t 24/7, but it took up a fair amount of your time and didn’t leave room for much else.

And I think the basis of your connection with Eddie was in your working relationship, so most of the things you do together would be work stuff. He absolutely offered massages and you initially turned them down, not wanting to cross any boundaries or blur any lines (nice try).

But after one particularly long editing session… it’s just too good an offer to pass up. Plus, it led to him telling you about massage school, and...

Well, we know how that turned out.

I would also like to think R is a big movie buff. Sort of like a less-annoying Dawson Leery where you made movies with a shitty camcorder in your backyard and just really enjoyed the idea of bringing an idea in your head to life.

Definitely a very creative/imaginative type.

And I feel like you got into the porn industry thinking ‘I can do this for money and then work on my stuff in my down time’ and eventually got to a point where you were just phoning it in, and you weren’t working on anything, just kind of going through the motions. A little lost.

Then Eddie shows up and he becomes your muse and collaborator all in one neat and tidy package. You feel inspired again and you get this urge to Create that you haven't felt in a long time.

Outside of work, you are definitely friends. But I think Eddie had to do a lot of coaxing to get you to ease up on work. Once you start generating some buzz and revenue for the studio and start getting more funding/crew etc, Eddie is the one who has to remind you that you don't have to do everything anymore and you can (and need) to take time for yourself once in a while.

With him, if you want 🙃

I could see you two walking around a museum or art installation and talking about the pieces and getting into long debates about them. I don't see Eddie as a big ArT gUY, but I think he likes looking at the things you look at and trying to see them through your eyes. I think he's just fascinated by your mind and your vision and that's one way he's able to somewhat experience it.

And it’s during these moments away from all the lights and the cameras and the grunting and the moaning and the squishy noises that he feels so much more intimate with you. Because neither one of you is being your Work Self.

Eddie also feels 1000% more vulnerable with his clothes on. For someone who is naked for a living, he feels so much more exposed when he reveals something about his personality like a band he likes via a t-shirt or something like that.

He's still carrying around that Hawkins-induced shame about being a "freak" for the kind of music he likes or being ostracized for his hobbies. And I think there will always be a part of him that fears the judgement of that side of himself.

And for you, seeing him in clothes feels almost more intimate than seeing him naked? Because when he's naked, he's working, he's got his game face on, his bareness is like armor almost. When he is in his regular clothes, he doesn't have those walls up anymore and you feel like you're seeing the real him. That's not Eddie Munson, Pornstar.

That's just...Eddie.

for your viewing pleasure

[sharkneto]

hi!!!! I was rereading the shifting mirrors and holding it together since you finished joining together recently (it’s SO good, it’s so so SO good, your writing is always so well done and flows so well) and I had a couple questions. Sorry if this is weird - if you don’t want to answer them feel free to ignore this ask, I’m just curious!

1.) did you start writing joining together while you were still posting holding it together? a lot of the details I noticed in HIT were referenced in JT, and I was just kind of like ‘that’s a LOT of details to remember’ so I was wondering if you were working backwards !!

2.) have you ever thought about what happens at the end of HIT? do you think they would actually end up stopping the apocalypse, or would the commission try to come and correct them? I thought that was interesting - that the commission said they were done with five, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re done with the offshoot timeline ; if they hadn’t interfered prior, that would mean they were still on track for an apocalypse, right ? I like to speculate about this. with sheer strength of will I think that five would probably end up stopping it, mostly because he knows how to work through his rage rather than act on impulse again - and now he has the knowledge to try and connect the others so that viktor doesn’t feel so isolated.

3.) what was your favorite part of writing the story / what kept you motivated to keep it going ? I’ve started a couple chaptered fics, and then I get three or four chapters in and lose it completely.

I love, love, love the world youve created - I love the characters youve built and the personalities behind them. the dedication youve held on to to keep the series going is admirable; I can barely write 20k, much less hundreds of thousands of words. I was actually thinking of asking your permission to maybe write an offshoot of your offshoot (it might be the thing that gets me back into writing for tua) but idk if I’d have the imagination or creativity to make it nearly as compelling and fun as yours. Congratulations and great work on finishing it !! <333

this got long - feel free to ignore it if it’s overstepping or weird, lol !! I hope you’re doing well - have a great night, shark :)

Hey Toby! Glad you enjoyed it all so much and thanks for the kind words! It's a little surreal to have it done, JT has been a WIP almost as long as I've been into TUA.

I started writing JT before HIT. This whole series was supposed to be a Just For Me Fun Project while I rotted alone during the pandemic that I ended up sharing with permission from orsumfenix and encouragement from friends. I was a bit into JT, I think, when I started thinking about how fun it would be to get more siblings in here, and those musing became HIT. HIT got posted first because it had a lower barrier for entry, with more focus on the Hargreeves we know instead of OCs. So, because the stories were written more-or-less simultaneously, it was easy to reference one or set up something for the other. Working forwards and backwards, with the end of JT already written (in a rough draft) when I was writing HIT, so I knew where Rob, Sarah, and Number were coming off of at that point. (The tiny detail I'm most fond of is Allison in HIT noting that Number broke his nose at some point, and then in JT we get to see the stupid scenario in which he broke his nose.)

(rest under a readmore because I ramble)

I do have thoughts on what happens after HIT! More of a time jump, to Number's Apocalypse Week, and I've got words in a WIP started about that (and a few snips shared in my snip tag, although some I think I've changed some of the details, now). It goes... less smoothly than it should, for a guy who has (almost) all the details he needs. If motivation continues, I'll share that eventually. If it doesn't, I'll word-vomit an outline so at least people who are interested can know how it goes down. I don't see the Commission coming back - the people obsessed with Five are dead, and the organization is done with him. They don't have the resources to spare to keep going after him, so at least in Five and Number's timelines, they're out of the Commission's scope.

What kept me going was a combo of things. 2020-2022ish, I had a fuckton of time. I only worked three days a week because of covid protocols, I couldn't go anywhere because of covid, and I couldn't see anyone because of covid. I had four days a week to fill, and a lot of that time got filled with writing - all of HIT and the first draft of JT happened during this time, plus all the other fics I published throughout that time. What kept me going is that I was having a ton of fun writing and fun interacting with other people about my fics. Love, love, love talking about them (so never apologize for an ask like this, every fic writer is begging for an excuse to ramble like this). I liked thinking about the characters, thinking about Number doing mundane things I was doing made them more interesting, I liked thinking about Rob and Sarah's little romcom life, and I'm fascinated by Five's whole deal. My favorite part of writing these is Five (both versions of him) - thinking about him and how he'd react to x or y, how others react to him. I love that, at his core, he's kind of a loser. I love what an incredible vehicle for grief he is. He's a character of all time for me.

How to keep going, I don't have an easy answer for it. Some people outline, so they have the skeleton of what they're doing and where they're going. I'm not one of those people, I have an idea of the general shape and trajectory of the story and go from there, splitting up chapters as needed. I think it's important to not force it, or the writer's block gets worse and then you're stressed about writing instead of having fun with it, and that's no good - the point is to have fun. If you run out of steam, you run out of steam and you have to take a six-month hiatus until life calms down and you have words again (as a hypothetical example). Don't be afraid to poke at other ideas even if you have a giant fic unfinished. For having 25 fics on AO3, I have 35 other WIP files on my computer. Some of them have a couple hundred words, some have tens of thousands of words, some of them I'll come back to finish, some of them I won't. Such is life - some ideas have legs, others don't. I don't set out thinking "Oh this fic is going to be 50k words with 10 chapters". I just write until it feels done; sometimes that's 2k words, sometimes it's almost 200k words. The point I'm trying to make, here, is that we're all just fucking around having fun, and words flow easier when I'm remembering that and not stressing about being done or trying to finish for a self-imposed deadline. You've got it :)

Feel free to write in my little world! Would love to see what others are thinking about, what stuck with them. Just give me (and orsumfenix, if you use Number) a shoutout if you share it! And don't sell yourself short - I'm sure you've got great ideas and the chops to write them out. Don't compare yourself to me; you might write in a world I helped shape, but you've got your own voice and style to give it. I, for one (if you end up writing and sharing it), would love to hear your version of it all :)

[cotharach]

#COTHARACH: an affiliated flayn rp blog, loved and cherished by mik (20, they/them, gmt +8). a little fish swimming through the tides of a new world. rules and portrayal notes may be found under the cut!

RULES

ON AFFILIATION: this blog is affiliated with the officers academy. as such, personal blogs and rp blogs not affiliated with toa will be softblocked or blocked.

ON SHIPPING: i won't prioritize it but i am open to shipping with chemistry and ooc familiarity. my other caveats are that i am NOT open to shipping with non-students or non-minors and that i would like for things to be plotted out.

ON FORMATTING: i use small text with icons in my writing. if you have any issues with readability or would like me to change my format, please let me know! as for my personal preference: i would prefer it if my partners could use small text in their replies so i can read it more easily <3

ON OOC CONTACT: as tumblr's IMs have been acting up recently (for me at least) i prefer discord dms. my username is emblian! i am part of toa's discord server so you may also ping me there. i will let you all know now that, while i have grown more comfortable speaking with others ooc, i am still prone to bouts of anxiety and may pull back at any given moment. please don't take this personally! i may just need some space and time to get myself together.

ON REPLIES: my schedule has gotten considerably less free since i'm starting my semester so expect me to take anywhere from a week to a month to reply. i'll do my best to avoid having my partners wait for too long, of course, but i just want to be clear just in case you think i might be ghosting you or forgetting our thread. though that's not out of the question—i'm also a pretty forgetful person, so feel free to ping me if you feel that may be the case!

ON TRIGGER WARNINGS: i will use general trigger warnings for things such as gore, extreme violence, suicide, and other topics that i deem sensitive enough to warrant it. i will be using "tw // (word)" as a tag. if you have any triggers you'd like me to tag, please feel free to let me know through a dm. i also tag spoilers under "spoilers" but... for a series this old, i don't know what else there is to spoil JDFNLKDSJFG

ON OTHER FIRE EMBLEM GAMES: i am most familiar with three houses, thracia, heroes, and awakening but have a general grasp on most of the other games. it can only take me so far, though. for games/characters i'm not too familiar with, i hope you don't mind if i ask questions!

PORTRAYAL NOTES ( NOT SPOILER FREE) (IT'S BEEN FIVE YEARS)

it has been 3 years since flayn was last here, so i understand that it may be confusing to have her suddenly drop in with all of the progress she's made. the explanation i have (detailed more in this post) is that she has been on a holy mission around fodlan this whole time.

my interpretation is based mainly on her in academy phase, once you've recruited her. so you can assume she has already been kidnapped and rescued and all that jazz.

three hopes revealed to us that flayn is prone to overexertion due to her actions in the war. this was something missing from my old interpretation that i'll be integrating into things i see fit.

people who know seteth may also be familiar with flayn; students of the blue lion house should also be familiar with her (and she will be similarly familiar with them) so you're free to skip the pleasantries and go straight to action. for ease of interaction, i assume that our muses have been introduced to one another in mission threads or settings that are official school business (i.e. an assignment), but do let me know if you prefer otherwise.

flayn is a nabatean, and while fellow dragonkin (or even particularly nosy humanfolk) may sense or suspect something up with her identity, it's a fact that won't be explicitly known by people who aren't seteth or rhea. so even if you and i know who she really is, your muse won't. having her reveal this to other people is not out of the question, but will take a long time and lots of trust.

similarly, her identity as seteth's daughter should be secret to everyone except for her, seteth, rhea, and other nabateans. so your muse wouldn't know the true nature of her familial relationship with seteth unless she says so (but this is something i feel she has less reason to reveal, as it implicates seteth too)

[mysecretlittlelibrary]

Just Let Me Adore You Pt. 8

Pairing: Stucky x Reader

Word Count: 3.7k

Warnings: none actually this is pretty cute they just go on a date lol

Genre: Pretty much ALL fluff, it's cute

Summary: You’ve been dating your boyfriend, Bruce, for 3 absolutely blissful years. He’s a scientist and professor who is as smart as he is kind and if anyone asked, you were sure you’d spend the rest of your life with him. That is until two mysteriously charming men that Bruce swears are dangerous take an interest in you that threatens to turn your entire life upside down. I mean… what exactly are you supposed to do with two gorgeous men telling you something that suggests that basically everything you think you know is a lie? And why does part of you have enough doubt to wonder if they might be telling the truth?

Series Masterlist

***

You watch curiously as Wanda shuffles through one of the boxes sitting around the guest room in her apartment. Even though you've been here a few weeks you're avoiding fully unpacking your things since you snuck them out of your and Bruce's previously shared apartment.

"You should really unpack this stuff like how do you find anything if it's all in boxes?" Wanda huffs.

"All the important stuff is unpacked. I didn't really expect to be going on dates. I mean at this point it's a good thing I even managed to go back to the apartment and get the rest of my life from my old place." You shrug. "I dunno if I should bother because like- it's not at if I'm moving in permanently."

"You could! I mean I have the extra bedroom, it's yours if you want it, you're already here. Why not?"

"We'll- talk about it later."

"OH! Where's the dress they bought you?! It's not like you could wear it with Bruce I'm sure. You could break it in now!" She says.

"It's in the other box." You point to where the dress should be and Wanda quickly pulls it out. The dress is a red floor-length off-shoulder number that looks as good now as it did when you saw it in the store. "I can't believe they bought me a dress because they liked my voice." You shake your head.

"I mean the dress is gorgeous. Put it on we have less than an hour before they're meant to arrive and you still have to decide on makeup and shoes and accessories." Wanda hands you the dress and you laugh at her frantic list as you take off your tank top and shorts to put on the dress.

"I need a different bra." You mutter.

"Do you have strapless bras?" She asks.

"Yeah I've got one- I actually hate it but I do have one." You say. You shuffle through a box until you find the bra and switch out your loungewear bra for the strapless. You shimmy on the dress and turn for Wanda to look at it. "Well? What do you think?"

"You know, exactly what looks good on you." She says with a nod.

"Lucky me since I didn't try it on before Bucky and Steve decided to purchase it." You muse.

"Okay, makeup. Do you wanna keep it simple and dramatize with accessories or go with dramatic makeup and keep the accessories simple?"

"I dunno I really like dramatic makeup." You hum throwing a t-shirt over the dress to do your makeup.

"So do dramatic makeup. We can give you a cute pair of earrings and one of those dainty necklaces of yours." She shrugs.

"The sun."

"What?"

"They gave me a sun necklace. Would it be too much to wear that and the dress they gave me? Too definitive on where we stand even though I have no idea how I feel about them?"

"Well it's gold, you'd have to match it with- wait what bag are you carrying?"

"I was gonna go with a black clutch."

"Is it black and gold or black and silver?"

"I have both."

"Well you have to go with the gold one."

"Okay." You laugh.

"Shoes? What shoes?"

"You can pick." You tell her.

"Are all your shoes in the closet?"

"Yes, those I unpacked." You tell her.

"Black heels. That way something in your outfit matches your bag." Wanda holds the shoes in question up. This particular pair of heels has gold detailing on the stiletto, a gift from your mother a couple of years ago.

"Perfect." You tell her. You finish your makeup and slide the shoes on. Your final makeup look is gold eyes and a red lip that matches your dress. You complete your look with the sun necklace and a pair of simple gold hoops.

"You look amazing!" Wanda gushes when you look over at her for a final assessment.

"Well, that's good since it's five after. They should be downstairs already." You say loading your clutch.

"I'll go down with you so I can let them know that if they mess this up I'll have their heads." Wanda says following you out of your room.

"These are mobsters Wanda please remember that before you threaten them."

"What they are is men taking my best friend out. Mobster or not I expect them to treat you perfectly and they should know there will be consequences if they don't."

"Do you intend to tell them you're a witch?" You ask her.

"Absolutely not. Then I lose the mystery factor that makes my threats that much scarier." She shakes her head and you laugh. When you exit the apartment building a man exits the vehicle parked right at the front and walks over to you.

"Miss y/n. Miss Wanda."

"Do we know you?" Wanda quirks an eyebrow at him.

"I'm Mr. Rogers and Mr. Barnes' driver. They're waiting in the car." The man explains leading you both over and opening the door. Steve gets out of the car to allow you to slide in between him and Bucky.

"Y/n, you look gorgeous." Steve kisses your hand and helps you into the car. Well, it's actually a truck, with tinted windows and spacious seats even with three of you in the back.

"Thank you Steve, hello Bucky." You say. When Steve settles back into his seat, Wanda sticks her head into the car before the driver can close the door.

"Gentlemen. Hello." Wanda smiles and you roll your eyes at her.

"Hello Wanda." They say in unison.

"I just want to make sure they we're all on the same page here. If y/n comes home with anything negative to say about this evening I will put you both in so much pain you won't even be able to scream. Are we clear?"

"We have no intention of seeing anything but happiness on y/n's face tonight Wanda, don't worry." Steve says kindly.

"Good. I will be holding you to that. Y/n, have a good night okay?"

"Thank you Wanda. I'll see you when I get back." You say. The driver waits for her to back up and then shuts the door before getting into the car.

"You look amazing y/n." Bucky says.

"Thank you Bucky." You nod. "Where are we going tonight?" You look between the two men.

"If it's okay with you we'd like to keep it a surprise." Steve says.

"Alright sure. I did give you permission to pick the place." You nod. You watch the streets of New York go by as you're driven through the city until eventually the car stops and the door is opened for you. Steve exits and holds a hand out to you to help you down from the car and then Bucky climbs out after you. Steve keeps his hand in yours and Bucky places one of his at the small of your back as the three of you enter one of the fanciest restaurants you've ever seen. Steve talks to the maitre d but you don't hear what he says, you're too busy looking around at the ornate interior of the place. Everyone in here is dressed to the nines, and despite knowing your outfit matches the environment, part of you feels out of place with the clientele of this place. You're all led to your table in a more secluded area of the restaurant. "This place is- very fancy." You say once you're seated and left alone by the maitre d.

"Are you uncomfortable? We can leave if you'd like." Bucky's voice is soft as he makes the offer.

"No, I'm fine. It was just an observation. I'll admit this isn't my usual scene but I am okay here. Thank you for checking though." You say.

"So this is one of those places that has a set menu, and they just bring out the courses for you once you've sat down. We thought it'd be simpler this way." Steve says.

"Oh okay. That's cool." You say. Just then a waiter brings your first course, a seafood tartlet.

"How have you been handling the new information y/n?" Steve asks.

"Which piece of new information are you referring to? Being a werewolf, my boyfriend lying to me for at least a year, you two being total stalkers, or the fact that your infatuation with me is totally out of your control?" You ask.

"All of it really. Whichever you want to talk about." Steve shrugs.

"Well, the werewolf thing is- somehow the least shocking bit of all of this honestly. That was pretty easy to accept, it didn't inherently change much for me, plus my mom has been pretty open to talking about it all so I at least have help navigating it."

"And- things with the hunter?" Bucky asks.

"I've moved all my stuff out of the apartment so as far as I'm concerned I'm done with him." You say.

"Can I ask what happened? How you, found out that we were right?" Steve asks. Your first course plates are then replaced with the entree which you miss the name of when it's brought but you enjoy the dish anyway.

"I called my mom about the werewolf thing and when I brought that up to him I just asked him if he knew and I could tell he was lying when he said no." You shrug. "It turned into a big dramatic blowout but the details aren't important really. He lied so I left. That's the moral of the story." 

"I'm sorry. That kind of betrayal can't be easy to deal with, and if you ever want to talk about it more we can lend an ear." Steve says.

"It is what it is, you live and you learn." You say.

"Just say the word and you'll never have to see him again." Bucky says.

"Hm that- sounds like a threat on his life." You muse and Bucky simply shrugs. "Is that just how it goes with mobsters?"

"When necessary." He says casually.

"Interesting. I have an unrelated question though, that I've been wondering about all week."

"What's that?" Steve asks.

"If this... werewolf infatuation with me, however it all works, is affecting both of you... am I expected to make a choice at some point here? Between the two of you, I mean."

"No. You don't have to." Bucky says.

"I don't have to? You'd be able to handle that kind of dynamic? Where I just, date both of you indefinitely or, permanently? Because if you're gonna like kill each other over this I don't want anything to do with either of you. I have no interest in being the subject of some sort of contest."

"We've done it before." Steve says.

"Oh so this is just normally how you date?" You ask.

"Well- it's not exactly our default no but, this isn't our first rodeo either." He chuckles.

"You don't think it'll cause problems? Not having me to yourself?" You ask curiously.

"Not at all." Steve says and you turn to Bucky who hums his agreement.

"We told you before, we share most things." Bucky says.

"Okay. Well as long as that's the truth, moving on. I know what you do for work, theoretically, so what do you do for fun?" You ask.

"Theoretically?" Steve quirks an eyebrow at you.

"I mean I've got an idea of what the whole mobster thing could entail yeah but it's not like you're gonna give me the details, are you?" You shrug.

"Do you want details?" He asks.

"We'll tell you anything you want to know." Bucky says.

"Anything? Really? You don't think I'm too innocent to know the inner workings of your crime empire?" Your question is kind of sarcastic but you are curious if they'd seriously tell you about it.

"As much as we want to protect you, we also know that if we want you to be part of our world you need to be prepared for what's in it." Steve says.

"If you choose us we want you as our equal y/n, in all things. Even our business." Bucky says placing a hand over yours.

"So- like I could be part of decision-making?" You ask, mostly to gauge how far this equal partner thing goes. Bucky and Steve glance at each other with a look you can't really interpret.

"If you want to be." Steve nods.

"It's that simple?" You ask skeptically.

"When it comes to you, things will always be as simple as if you want it, it's yours. We'll give you anything you ask of us. Always." Bucky says.

"You two are dangerously charming. Saying all the right things." You hum.

"We'll never make a promise we don't intend to keep." Steve says.

"That's easy to say now." You scoff.

"We know that hunter betrayed your trust in him, so we'll do whatever we need to, to gain your trust and we will treat it with the respect it deserves. The respect you deserve." Bucky says.

"I take it trust is very important to you? Especially with the kind of work you do." You say.

"Precisely." He nods.

"That's good to know." You hum. "So, hobbies. Do you have any or does work take up all your time?"

"We have a few hobbies. I like woodworking." Steve says.

"I like drawing and reading." Bucky says.

"We both do hunting." Steve offers.

"Like with guns or as wolves? Also is it just for sport or do you eat what you kill?"

"Why would we hunt with guns?" Bucky scoffs.

"I mean humans hunt for sport and obviously they use guns and since- I don't think we have the same dietary restrictions as like vampires I imagine there's nothing stopping you from just shooting things for fun because you can." You shrug and Steve chuckles. Your entree plates are then swapped out for a dessert, a layered slice of cake.

"We hunt as wolves. Usually, just things we can eat." Steve says.

"It's not really valuable to kill just for killing sake. We aren't monsters." Bucky offers.

"Monsters no but mobsters yes." You say and Bucky smirks.

"Hunting isn't work, it's a hobby." Steve says.

"Okay, hunting, woodworking, drawing, and reading. Anything else?"

"We- dedicate a lot of time to work. So, not really no." He shrugs.

"How do you intend to have a relationship if you're both basically married to your work?" You ask.

"We aren't married to it. We don't have much else to pour energy into yet so we dedicate our time to work but it's not the kind of thing that would take over our lives if you were in it." Steve shakes his head.

"How do you know?" You ask.

"The job hasn't always been our life." Steve says.

"And we have capable people working for us. We feel confident stepping away when we want to. There just hasn't been much worth pulling us away." Bucky says.

"Don't read into this question, I'm just trying to learn as much as I can so I make an informed decision at the end of tonight. Do you realistically believe I'd be worth pulling you away from work?"

"We already know so." Steve says immediately. Bucky pulls out a phone from his pocket and places it on the table.

"This phone only calls your security detail. They are the only ones with the number." Bucky says.

"Sorry, are you still having me followed?!" You blink at him. Your gaze snaps between the two men. "I want an answer and it better be the truth." You say when neither of them speaks.

"We don't trust your ex." Steve says.

"That is not the question I asked you." You frown.

"Not... fully." Bucky says.

"Not fully?"

"They aren't following you like before they just check in." Bucky says.

"I don't need your men to check in on me. That's ridiculous. You make it sound like I'm in danger." You say.

"We won't call them off. I know you don't like them but we have to take precautions especially because you've been seen with us. We- have enemies and we will not leave you vulnerable to them." Steve says firmly.

"I don't like this. But I also don't like being an exposed target so- I'll yield." You say crossing your arms.

"Thank you." He says quietly.

"I have one last question, and then we can call it a night." You say.

"Anything you want to know." Bucky says.

"Since you guys have been like- basically stalking me for a few months is there anything you don't know about me? I feel like I'm at quite the disadvantage here."

"We didn't do a deep dive into your personality or anything. We really just know general things, your job, your old address, age, birthday, and some things we could observe like that you'd rather walk than take a cab and you'll sooner call someone than send a text, and at work when the store's empty and you're reading at the counter your face gives away all of your thoughts when you're enraptured." Bucky says.

"Woah." You mutter.

"We don't know much, not anything that anyone who worked with you wouldn't be able to find out but you learn a lot from observation." Steve says.

"Clearly."

"Any last questions y/n?" Bucky asks.

"What do you want out of this? Out of me?"

"We want to make you happy. Whatever that means." Steve says.

"No, I want you to be selfish with your answer, not diplomatic. What do you want out of this? What is the ideal outcome in your minds? If you two were writing this story, how would it end?" You ask. There's a pregnant pause as you're sure Steve considers another careful answer.

"We'd marry you. Devote our entire lives to you and in turn, you'd do the same. You'd come into our world, learn every bit of information and run it all with us. You'd walk into every room with us on either side of you. You could say jump and everyone under us would ask how high. In my version of the story, we make you a queen, adored by all. It doesn't all have to be tomorrow but that is how it ends." Bucky says. Steve sighs at the end of Bucky's answer. You're quiet for a long moment as you consider his words. It's dramatic and intense and realistically it should scare you because from anyone else it would come off as psychotic.

"Is it always like this with you two?" You ask after a while.

"What?" Steve asks.

"Steve you're more calculated with your words, everything you say is meticulous, thought out. While Bucky, you seem to be a little more impulsive. If you open your mouth you will say exactly what it is you're thinking, it's why you don't talk as much as Steve, right? You're more likely to say something reckless and Steve stresses when he thinks your words might cause trouble. The if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all rule." You explain. Steve and Bucky blink at you with clear shock on their faces. "You two aren't the only ones with observational skills." You say proudly.

"That is impressive." Steve muses.

"If she chooses never to see us again after this Steve I will never date another person. I simply can't imagine settling for less, because anyone else would be less." Bucky says to Steve which makes him chuckle and you giggle.

"To answer your question, yes that is usually how things are." Steve says.

"So what happens now?" Bucky asks.

"Now, I'd like you to take me home." You say standing up. Steve and Bucky follow your lead. Steve tosses bills on the table as Bucky walks you towards the door with his hand at your back. By the time you step outside the car you came in is waiting at the curb and the driver is standing by the door. Bucky helps you into the car before getting in behind you, while Steve pulls the door on the other side open and slides in, sandwiching you between them. The drive back to Wanda's is pretty much quiet, only once the car stops in front of her building and the driver gets out does one of them speak.

"Will we see you again?" Steve asks. The driver opens Bucky's side of the car and he steps out to help you out of the car.

"I only promised you one date." You say. "But, if you leave me with the best way to contact you, we'll see." You take Bucky's hand and climb down from the car.

"Your phone." Bucky says. You unlock the device and hand it to him. He inputs his number and then Steve's and gives it back to you.

"Goodnight boys. Tonight was nice." You say.

"Goodnight y/n." Steve says.

"Goodnight." Bucky nods getting back into the car. They watch you walk into the building and don't pull off until you're in the elevator. When you enter the apartment, quietly in case Wanda is asleep, you kick off your heels and let out a sigh.

"How was it? Tell me everything!" Wanda comes rushing down the hall and nearly gives you a heart attack.

"Fucking hell were you just waiting for the door to open?" You ask her clutching your chest.

"Obviously. You went on a date with two super hot werewolf crime lords I won't be able to do anything until you tell me about it!" She says pulling you to the couch excitedly.

"It was great Wanda. They're a little intense honestly, but they were perfect gentlemen and answered all my questions even though I basically spent the night interrogating them. I think I like them." You bite your lip shyly.

"Where did you go?"

"Dinner at some really fancy place. One of those restaurants with a set menu where each course is predetermined and it probably costs like a hundred dollars per person."

"Impressive." She nods.

"Everything with them is. They are-"

"Don't say too good to be true." Wanda points at you.

"I was going to say a surprise actually but too good to be true might be the reality. They talk about me being their equal in all things, like their business, and about making me queen of their empire and devoting themselves to me. It's a little love bomb-y."

"It's only love bomb-y if they can't keep the same energy. Some people just love that intensely and I'd say the fact that they've spent months adoring you without really any promise of reciprocation suggests that's just how they are. Plus werewolves are dedicated partners by nature, I mean it makes sense. Sure it's intense for someone that didn't know they were a werewolf a month ago and it's okay to be cautious, especially after Bruce, but I already told you they're not ill-intentioned." She shrugs.

"All very true things."

"So you'll see them again?"

"I'd like to." You nod.

"Oooo I'm so happy for you!" She squeals jumping up.

"Wanda calm down." You laugh but nothing could possibly chill her out now. Things are changing for the better quickly and Wanda has always been the biggest advocate for whatever makes you the happiest.

***

Part 8/???

Tagged Users: @cjand10 @vicmc624 @mandijo17

[veeples]

writer interview

thanks for tagging me @narrativefoiltrope! <3 ik i don't really answer these ask/tag games v much anymore but i appreciate being tagged!

tagging: @lilas @bceky (teehee! i think it'd be fun if you answered on your game dev blog) and whoever wants to answer!

when did you start writing?

I definitely have clear memories of writing stories as early as 5th grade, so when I was like, 9-10 years old on an old Windows computer. And not too long after that, I started writing fanfiction for Inuyasha since I was obsessed as a kid.

I don't know if this counts, but in my professional job, I've been editing and sometimes writing policies for my lab for maybe four years now, but that's more technical writing than creative.

are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

I end up reading a lot of what friends recommend to me, but what I read the most are sci-fi, speculative fiction, memoirs, and horror/thriller/mysteries! I'm open to quite a bit tbh and have more fun talking about shared reads than reading itself.

is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

LMAO nah, I haven't published fanfic in 2 years at this point so there's really no reason to compare me to anything at all. Professional I follow a template my co-worker made since I find the break down to be helpful for ease of use. I like authors who are really, really good with economy of language and pack a lot of punch with less words but I can't think of a good example right now.

can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

It's either my phone at 11 pm when I should be sleeping or my dinky lil Target desk! I use two screens at work so I can compare other policies or bring up websites for product information though, so that feels kinda fancy.

what’s your most effective way to muster up a muse?

A lot like Erin I get inspired just chatting about OC head canons! Making up scenarios, usually in a jokey way, and wanting to explore it a little bit more in a drabble since I don't really do longform writing at all.

what’s your reason for writing?

For work it's just an extra project for me to have and do when I have free time, and I'm generally OK with it. It looks good on my yearly eval. Otherwise I just write as a hobby! Most of my writing I don't even share with other people </3. It's fun for me to do, I like my lil dolls and smacking them together. Art is harder and harder for me to do these days, so sometimes it's easier to just write a lil something when the need to create hits me.

is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

If I do share my writing w/ friends a good keysmash or emoji reaction makes my day! <3 Or I love when people point out particular lines they really enjoyed.

how do you want to be thought about by your readers?

For my work, I just want the policies to be comprehensible, easy to navigate, and a useful source of information. I write them with the intent that if I were to come into the lab as a new person, I could refer to the technical documents and know how to perform that particular bench work.

Otherwise: my readers are just my friends, if they're having fun than I am too! And if you hated it don't tell me :(

what do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Professionally I think I'm good at really getting down the nitty gritty details of how something is done. I know how I'd want it to read as someone who needs carefully detailed instructions, so I write for myself and I think it comes off as clear.

Creatively, I really don't know! I don't think I'm good at writing. Maybe my greatest strength is that I also don't give a fuck if I'm good or not??? If I'm not confident about it I'm just not sharing it lmao.

how do you feel about your own writing?

It's a creative outlet! I like getting to be indulgent, and I'm not as critical with my writing as I am with my art. :) I can be as experimental or serious as I want! But I also desperately want to delete old TWC fics/microfics that I posted on my main blog because I feel intense cringe at them at this point and don't want them to be seen anymore.

[baziutawrites]

Greens and greys

Xavier Thorpe x Female OC

Beginnings part 1

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Part 8]

Other smut fics through my Masterlist.

WARNING! There is a smutty part towards the end of this piece. Proceed with caution if you are under 18 yrs old.

Xavier Thorpe always thought he was attracted to the unconventional. Being an artist and all, it supposedly came with a peculiar taste in beauty, aesthetics and also something as ordinary as past-time activities he picked up during his stay at the school, like fencing or archery.

Even when surrounded by outcasts at the Nevermore Academy, he still looked for something different, something uncommon, something - someone - unusual. That's why he completely could not understand why this one person kept invading his mind. It's not that she wasn't pretty or anything - but she was, to put it simply, regular.

"Earth to Xavier! Do you copy?"

Ajax's voice shook him out of his musings. He looked at him, blinking stupidly as if he has just been woken up.

"Man, you're acting weird af. Staring off and shit since the year've started." Ajax waved his arms around, a tiny paper bag in one of his hands. Faint smell of weed lingered in the air. "I asked you if you wanted to chill before 'the meeting' and you do this… this thing instead."

He moved to sit next to Xavier, handing him the paper bag. He took it, feeling the contents inside.

"You're creeping me out, dude. What's wrong?"

"It's… nothing. Just– weird dreams, that's all." Xavier rubbed his eyes with his fingers and leaned back on the bench, his head resting on the wall behind them. "No, really, it's prolly nothin'."

He added, seeing the unconvinced expression on his friend's face. Even the snakes peeked from underneath his beanie, almost as if they too were doubting his words. Before Ajax could speak however, Xavier slapped his knee and stood up swiftly, shaking the contents of the bag slightly.

"Now, wanna get some Lemon or what?"

***

Valerye sat beside her new roommate, Yoko Tanaka, still in awe of the entirety of her new shared dorm room. It was quite elegant, gothic in styling and details with two big stained-glass windows overlooking the main courtyard in the middle of the Academy. They even had a balcony, although not as big as her roommate's friend - Enid, who had the most luck, having the topmost room entirely for herself.

Val however wasn't about to complain. Yoko seemed to be relatively laid back and chill when it came to the dorm rules and the past few days since starting the year were overall less stressful thanks to her. It wasn't easy being thrown into an entirely new, unknown environment all by herself. She never had a dorm room or a roommate up to this point. Not to mention, she wasn't well versed into the social life laws that were clearly set up in between the social cliques at Nevermore. She was lucky to become a roommate with someone who already was a part of a quite prominent one - it earned her an easy way in.

Thing is, it wouldn't be enough. She would still have to prove herself, show her worth in order to be accepted.

"What did you say you were calling yourselves again?" Val peered into the mirror Yoko held in front of her face, laser focused on the tiny eyeliner brush on her eyelid.

"Wha- oh. The Nightshades." She chuckled, eyeing Val's tense expression. "Don't worry, no one's gonna give you a pop quiz before entering."

When she didn't look convinced, she added.

"Just be yourself. I'm sure they are gonna like you. I mean, I already told them everything about you and they all agreed to bring you in, wanna finally see you. This doesn't happen often, so don't fret. You've already got yourself some leverage, honey."

"Yeah, no pressure at all..."

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to bring some gifts." Yoko glanced at the bag on Val's bed. A few bottle necks were peeking out from underneath the semi closed zipper. "But I see you've already thought of that. Good."

***

The corridors were eerily quiet, only their two pair of steps echoed between the stone walls. Val followed closely behind Yoko, cursing under her breath quietly as she felt goosebumps erupting on the exposed skin of her arms and shoulders. It wasn't supposed to be this cold this soon, so she left the sweater back on her bed and went with a sleeveless black turtleneck only. At least she listened to her roommate and opted out of the skirt.

"Too preppy." She simply stated and threw her a pair of high wasted pants.

They came to a halt in front of a statue so suddenly, Val almost walked into Yoko and gave an apologetic smile when the bottles inside her bag clinked loudly. Great, her causing them to get caught this late outside of their dorms with bags full of alcohol surely wasn't a great way to make a good first impression. Yoko however, unfazed, lifted her hand up and snapped her fingers twice, loudly.

The statue of what turned out to be Edgar Allan Poe moved and slid back, exposing a hidden entrance leading down the stairs into a circular room with a high ceiling and walls covered in bookshelves. There were people down there already but they didn't notice them yet. Val squared her shoulders and took a deep breath as went down after her roommate.

"This is Valerye, say 'hi' everybody, be nice, cuz she brought gifts."

Loud cheers erupted around the room and Val could not help but smile.

***

Xavier could not help but stare at the newcomer more and more bluntly as the drinks, expertly mixed by Yoko, kept coming in and the little relax sesh he had with Ajax right before they came down there surely didn't help. He couldn't shake off this weird feeling he got since he laid eyes on the new girl. It's almost as if he saw her already - somewhere, someday - but from what he gathered, it was impossible.

From what Yoko told them before the meeting, she just moved from quite far away and for the past few days she wasn't attending classes due to some supposed paperwork she and her family had to do. She also came from a very prominent and old family name from over the ocean, one that made Principal Weems give the new girl some leeway when it came to the strict rules about attendance. So, he didn't see her in class and didn't see her in the corridors and surely he didn't see her out and about anywhere at any point in his life. So why in the hell his eyes seemed to gravitate towards her and why did he had this strange feeling in his chest every time she locked her eyes with him?

She wasn't extraordinary by any means. Well, Xavier did think she was quite pretty - but nothing out of the ordinary, like Bianca or Yoko. And yet, he kept staring so bad, his friends finally took notice when he ignored a question directed towards him for a third time in a row.

"Well, someone's got his mind elsewhere." Rowan teased as the rest of the boys laughed. It brought Xavier's attention back to the group and he was met with knowing smirks. He could feel the heat creeping up his face as he realised they noticed his weirdo behaviour.

"What? No. I wasn't staring."

"Noone said you were, bud." Kent laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "Think we should go and introduce ourselves properly, what you think, Ajax?"

"Ye, we should, shouldn't we, Rowan?"

Rowan snorted into his drink he was taking a sip from, just as he was swept alongside Xavier by the other two boys. The latter's weak protests were completely ignored, lost in between the sounds of tipsy laughter.

***

Val quickly felt at home within the girls' part of the Nightshades. Yoko seemed to loosen up a bit more, Divina was an absolute sweetheart with a sharp mind, yet quite an introverted demeanour at first, and Bianca was radiating confidence and open mindedness, although she seemed to be quite stubborn in her ways when challenged nonetheless. The drinks were quite helpful when it came to loosening their tongues and soon, the girls swept her into a whirlwind of the newest and most important gossip of the Nevermore Academy.

She noticed, however, a one particular member who acted quite odd. The tall one with long hair kept stealing glances at her more and more blatantly as the time and drinks went on. He had a weird name, she didn't quite catch it over the blasting music. She caught his big, mesmerising green eyes burning holes in her head several times so far and smiled when she noticed him act surprised every time he got caught, his cheeks a bit pink either from embarrassment or alcohol, or maybe both, she didn't know but it made her quite flattered.

When the boys joined them again, he stood on the opposite side of the circle as he now seemed hellbent on getting drunk, swinging one cup after another instead of joining in with the questions the group now asked about her previous endeavours. That's why she didn't expect his voice behind her, when they all turned to Yoko, arguing about what drink she should make next.

"Do we know each other?" The guy's voice surprisingly not slurred considering how much he just drank. Great, very creative pick up line, she thought as she turned around to face him. It took her by surprise how close he was now, she had to crane her neck to look him up in the face.

Xavier's breath hitched in his throat as he finally took in her features. He could almost feel her breath, as he realised he was very close to her now. A bit too close in fact for a first conversation. He didn't have a well adjusted judgement of distance when drunk, he had just realised. And when she cocked her eyebrow at him, he quickly added.

"I mean, I'm sure we've met already."

"I think so too." She gave him a side smile and traced her fingernail along the hem of his button up. It made his loins tingle. "In fact, I'm sure of it."

"Oh? Remember when? Because I'm sure I wouldn't forget a face like yours." He breathed, his lips curling into his signature smirk, as he leaned in. Two could play that game and the alcohol finally rushing to his head made him lose his wariness.

"Yea. Here. Two hours ago to be exact."

His smile faltered a bit and his cheeks reddened a little when she laughed. His eyes glided over her neck as she threw her head back a bit and he was sure he saw her like this up close before.

"Uh, I-ah, I meant, earlier than that." He fumbled with his words, not expecting her to shoot him down like this.

"Well, I don't remember you, so... maybe I was in your dreams then?" She winked at him and turned around, her hair brushing his arm as she went towards Yoko to get her cup refilled, leaving tingles in it's wake. She didn't notice the stupefied look on Xavier's face.

His visions.

***

The night after the meeting Xavier did not dream of the girl that invaded his dreams quite often for the past few months. She didn't show up even in the following week. Then almost a month went by, and he cursed himself for not paying more attention towards the details in his hazy dream visions. He had no other way of checking if Val was truly the one in his dreams.

The one thing he noticed and remembered from the dreams however, were those odd flashes of green that sometimes seemed to spark in the girl's hair when she moved. He could swear he could catch glimpses of it now in real life, just right out of the corner of his eyes. But whenever he turned around to catch the person behind it, they were already gone.

***

The next Nightshades meeting took place after a month since the last one. Xavier would lie if he said he wasn't excited to have a reason talk to Val again. He didn't really spoke to her much since the last meeting. She seemed so preoccupied with everything, she always slipped away before he could muster up the courage to ask her anything more than how she's doing and how was her day. He felt this weird pull towards her he couldn't explain, his eyes seemed to act on their own, gluing his gaze onto her when she wasn't paying attention to him. The drawing of her profile was now safely hidden in his sketchbook, yet it didn't seem to help at all.

And now he was almost running towards the Allan Poe statue. He was late because of his indecisiveness about his clothes - today, out of all the days before this one, he decided to be picky about his looks.

Val's eyes followed Xavier's lanky figure as he descended down the stairs and smiled apologeticly, mumbling some sort of apology towards Bianca, who wasn't happy about his late appearance. Her heart seemed to stutter a bit at the sight of it, as she smiled at him when his eyes landed on her.

"What's his name?" She whispered in Divina's ear.

"Xavier Thorpe. Why? You like him?" She gave her a playful nudge. "He's single from what I know, you know?"

Val just laughed. Well, she did think the boy was kinda handsome with his overall tortured artist vibe going on but she barely knew him from the short conversations they had in passing.

"Thanks, gonna remember that."

***

The two plastic cups crinkled under his fingers as he set his mind on finally talking to her. He could not shake off the feeling that lingered in his chest since the last party. It was driving him crazy. Why did his visions suddenly stop? Did it have anything to do with her or was it just pure coincidence? Maybe talking to her would bring him some answers. Also, he found himself longing for her presence as he watched Kent repeatedly making her laugh.

And there it was. This teeny tiny flash of green at the edge of his vision, just as he lowered his gaze to the side. His head snapped back up so suddenly he winced, feeling his mind swim at the movement. Once again, he could not figure where it came from and he cursed under his breath. He was going insane.

He watched Val put down her empty cup and Kent finally excusing himself. This was his chance. Now or never.

"Tryin' to get me drunk, Thorpe?" She laughed at him but took the cup from his extended hand. He bit his lip, stifling a chuckle. Thankfully it was quite dark, he hoped she did not notice his pink cheeks.

"If you can get drunk on water, I'm gonna be seriously concerned for your wellbeing." He leaned against the pillar, eyeing her surprised expression with a small smile.

"How considerate of you." Her face softened a bit. "Thank you."

"So, how do you find your stay here so far?"

***

He could not believe how easy it was to talk to her - it felt as if they were there for hours. He also found himself focusing on how she laughed at his playful jabs, or how her grey eyes trained on his lips whenever he took a sip from his cup. But just when he was about to comment on it, the dimmed lights turned a bit brighter and he noticed the green again. It seemed to glimmer for a second where the light bounced off of her hair and he choked on his water so hard he went into a coughing fit.

"Xavier, are you okay?" Val's concerned voice reached his ears as she patted his back. "What happened?"

"Forgot... how... to swallow." He panted, feeling himself go red in the face, fully aware of her hand still on his back. His teary eyes bore into her hair and even now with the blurry vision, he could tell her hair was light brown, without any green undertones. How on earth could it happen then? He wanted to touch it, to feel it under his fingertips. To bring it closer, to see if it glimmered under the different angles, to make sure it would do that again. To make sure it was as soft as he imagined it to be.

"Do you dye your hair?" He blurted out instead.

"No... never had. Why do you ask?"

"Good." He answered absentmindedly, his mind racing. His mind was playing tricks on him, that was for sure. How else would he explain it?

***

He found out he wasn't going mad some time after that first incident, however the way he did it made his mind even more dazed than it was before.

He caught himself drawing her more and more often. Thinking back about the conversations they had that day, smiling to himself as he laid in bed at night, Rowan long gone into the slumber. He reminded himself of every time he made her laugh, how she touched his hands during the newly implemented class, Foreign Beings and Legends, because she noticed his hands were stained with charcoal powder. He started to purposfuly hold a piece of charcoal right before that class so she could notice it when he pulled out the chair for her to sit next to him.

That day, the Nightshades agreed upon the Lake Party as a tribute to the last warm days of the year. Xavier, drained after the archery practice he had in the morning, fell asleep right after his head hit the pillow in his then empty room.

The dream vision was blurry, as it always was, however the girl in it seemed to be a bit more defined. She was laying down on her back on what seemed to be his bed, as he looked at her from above. She moved, but not in a sleepy manner. She was writhing, hands seemed to be gripping the sheets in feverish manner. Her hair, despite not quite focused, was sporadically glinting with that god forsaken green he told himself was a figment of his imagination.

And then he felt himself being pulled down towards her and he noticed she was naked underneath him. He could almost feel her breath on his face for a second and he realised she was moaning, her head thrown back, facing away from him the second he tried to focus on her features. He felt himself moving and looked down his body only to see that he also wasn't wearing clothes. But the part that hit him the hardest, was the fact his cock was slowly sliding in and out of the girls pussy, lewd sounds following every roll of his hips. His mouth fell open at the blurry sight before his eyes, as he watched himself slowly fuck her, almost feeling her heat around him.

His skin tingled and he heared a familiar voice call out his name.

"Oh, Xavier, yes."

He looked up only to meet the familiar grey eyes for a brief moment, before they rolled up and he actually somewhat felt her pussy clench around his dick while she moaned sweet nothings in his ear. It threw him over the edge instantly and he felt he was cumming himself.

His eyes snapped back open and it took him a moment to realise he was alone in the dorm room. The blurry vision of the grey eyes inching away from his mind. That's when he felt wetness in his pants and cursed, loudly. He was gonna be late again.

***

The bonfire they managed to get going was casting a warm glow over their bodies, as they drunkenly decided to go for an almost naked swim in the lake. Their laughter echoed between the trees and splashes of water soon disrupted the calm, moonlit surface of the water.

Xavier stumbled out of his pants, almost falling into the person next to him and swung his arm around their shoulders for support. His wide grin was met with a loud laugh from Val, as she held her hands against his chest to prevent him from falling further and onto the ground. She shook her head and looked him in the eye and said something he wasn't able to hear at that point. His smile faltered, as he stared into her eyes.

Grey. Her eyes were grey.

[saintship]

Hi, it's the anon from blown-up Reader!!! It was SOOO well written, holy shit! I knew I could count on you. I LOVE for whump and I'm not very proud of that.

Do you mind writing some more whump?🙂 Anything with confront at the end. With Konig❤️❤️ It can go both sides, reader helps him or he helps reader!

How are you doing btw? Is it hot out there? It sure is here😔

I had to look up the term whump😭 thank you by the way you’re so kind !

I went with König helping reader since most of my König works are the other way around, I hope you like it :)

This one is very long, please let me know if ya'll prefer more frequent, shorter stories or less frequent but longer, detailed ones

Thank you again, stay cool in that heat<3 !

Warnings: VIOLENT. Descriptions of graphic violence. Then fluff/unspoken confessions

Keep breathing

König x Reader

Why not make it snowy cause it’s so fucking hot

The cabin in the distance that would be housing the 141 was the first safehouse you’d ever seen in such a cold environment. The snow piled up a few feet, a path having to be dug beforehand to create access to the porch. It was early December; the quiet snowfall serving as an echo to what you associated this month with before enlisting. A warm bed, baking, good food, family. But as Simon had remarked once, reminiscing never turned back time.

The first night was quiet, though no one could get any sleep. It seemed you and the 141 could never get used to being settled in one place for long, especially with enemy forces on your tail. The fresh snow would cover most of your tracks, but sitting in one place could never be safe. By the time the last of the sunlight swept behind the trees, the weather had kicked up into a whistling storm, heavy snowflakes pattering on the windows and roof.

"Do you think it'll hold?" You sat near Price where he knelt to stoke the fire, gazing up at the creaking rafters.

"It'll have to." He murmured, getting to his feet. He brought back a pot to heat up over the fire and a few mugs, Soap and Ghost wandering over to wait for their share of coffee. You got up and walked to the next room, eyeing where König and Gaz were heating up their MRE's on the stove. The small clock on the far wall of the kitchen area read that it was nearing 2:00 am. You sighed.

"What is it?" Gaz looked over at your disappointed expression. "Thought you liked my cooking." He teased.

You smiled, shaking your head. "If I ever gave you that idea, I was shit-faced."

König laughed quietly at Gaz's expense, nudging his leg with one of his boots.

"Oi, what you laughin' at?" Gaz kicked back lightly. That instigated a back-and forth of kicking that nearly send Gaz reeling into the stove.

"Alright, go have some coffee, I don't trust you around fire." You took the wooden spoon from his hand, steering him by his vest straps so you switched places.

"I'm not a-"

"Gaz!" Price's voice called out from the fire as he held up a mug.

"Your name on it."

Gaz grumbled once more before relenting, walking over to sit with the others.

You turned the heat down, shaking your head at Gaz's impatience.

"Told him it was too high.." König's voice sounded beside you, his quiet remark making you smile.

"I think that man had heard 'I told you so' more times than his own name." You mused, stirring.

He looked over for a moment. "You are witty, aren't you?" König's tone held a bit of playfulness.

"I entertain myself." You correct, leaning on the dials to face him. "And you laugh, don't you?"

He paused a moment at that, a huff escaping his nose. He had no smart remark, as if the observation embarrassed him slightly. You leaned over to get a look at his own food, sighing at the smell.

"Did you put two of them together?" You ask curiously. "It smells really good.."

"I did.. if I had it my way I could do things like this more often. I still have things I'd like to learn."

The admission made you melt a little.

"Cooking, you mean?"

He nodded. "Since I was young." He killed the heat, bringing the pan over to the table to eat from as the cabinets were empty. You watched him for a moment, lost in the thought of a younger version of König standing over his parent's stove, or chopping vegetables carefully and dispensing them in a boiling pot. The idea was a warm one.

Finishing up Gaz's food that you'd almost burned daydreaming about your coworker, you brought it to the table before returning to the kitchen and retrieving two glasses of water, setting down the second one beside König's pan. He looked up through the gaps of his hood, surprise flashing over his eyes.

"Danke.."

You nodded. "No problem."

"Thank you!" Gaz appeared to air-kiss your cheek, making you shrink.

"Gross!" You laughed, squirming away. Gaz sat down, tearing into his meal at an unnecessary pace.

"You're going to throw up." Ghost grunted.

"Mhmm-mm!” Gaz grunted for the negative. You rolled your eyes, settling down with Soap, Ghost, and Price again. Behind you, König's eyes followed you carefully. He knew Gaz didn't really like you like that, he was just being playful. But Gaz made you smile. He couldn't explain the hurt that settled in his chest, jealousy winding around his throat and pulling tight.

"When's the last time any of you slept?" You sat with your knees to your chest, addressing the men around you. Their answer was the crackling and popping of the flames that warmed the room. You nodded slowly.

"Got no room to talk, lass." Soap pointed out, grinning through his exhaustion.

"Yeah.." You smiled half-heartedly, conceding to your habit of tending to every task possible before thinking of getting rest.

The four of you spoke for a long while, König and Gaz eventually getting up to join you. You moved over to make room, glancing up at König. He paused a moment before settling to the ground, facing away from the fire slightly so he could extend his legs.

"You tired yet?" You spoke softly to him, breaking away from the group's conversation. He blinked at your undivided gaze.

"Not yet.." He decided. "You?"

You shook your head before resting your chin on one knee. "Just worried.."

The militia tracking the task force had been at it for months; they were one of the most relentless and skilled enemy forces your team had ever faced off with. Their men were fast, and their threats were detailed. The messages they left in their trail were taunting, like they had better things to do than try to kill your friends. The things they knew, and the things they promised, they were what kept you awake. But you said none of that; it wouldn't help anyone.

Finally, some of your team started to lay down, and König's eyes fluttered shut. You, Price and Ghost remained, their eyes on the fire while yours watched the window compulsively. The wind had been steady; not picking up or slowing down. Eventually, you allowed yourself to lay on your back, the exhaustion seeping into your muscles. The fire's languid flames accompanied by Price and Ghost's gentle voices finally lulled you into an anxious sleep.

When you woke up, your cheek was rested against the side of König's knee, the material of his knee pad warm from your body heat. You lifted your head slowly, seeing that Ghost had dozed off and Price was nodding off, blinking firmly.

You turned to the window again to see the state of the storm, blinking away the spots in your vision that the morning light caused. When your vision adjusted, you managed to get to your feet, your tiredness still weighing you down. Walking into to the other room, your heart dropped through your ribs. At the kitchen window, the lock sealing it in place was gone, a jagged edge of material left in its place. Further, the wind whistled higher in pitch now, due to the crack that someone hadn't sealed all the way. Slowly, you returned to your position beside König, remaining calm.

"Sir.." You breathed, your voice hardly a murmur.

“What is it?” Price replied.

Shuffling from the other end of the cabin answered hm.

“Oh..fuck. Simon." Price nudged Ghost awake. "Break-in."

"Fuckin' hell.." Ghost woke the rest of the team up, ordering them to keep quiet. Price drew his pistol, crouching low and essentially crawling to the corner that joined the living room and the hall. Heavy steps could be heard from the other rooms—multiple people. Ghost signaled to spread out; you trailed after König, accepting the rifle he offered when he noticed you were unarmed. The team was now spread across the room behind furniture, the only sound being that awful whistle that the cracked window created. It seemed louder now that you were under attack. Something in another room clattered to the ground, and König moved to shield you. Glancing back to see your surprised reaction, he quickly retracted to crouch beside you again. It wasn’t that you were offended; quite the opposite. It was a twinge out of character for König to display such care outwardly.

Price signaled to you and König to go around back, leaving him, Ghost, Gaz and Soap to monitor the inside. Making it to the front door, you eased it open carefully, shutting it when the both of you were outside. The freezing wind bit at your scalp and hands, heavy snowflakes blurring your vision. König's form was dark against the white landscape, guiding your path. You made it to a window at the other end of the cabin, vaulting through once König had made sure no on was there. You dropped onto the hardwood after him, trying to minimize your noise level.

You had ended up in the far bathroom. Sliding the window shut, the sounds of the intruders speaking amongst themselves could be heard across the hall behind a closed door. Carefully reaching forward to try the handle, it proved to be locked shut. You signaled with your hand to your left, letting Price know you had an angle, before coming up to König and reaching for his vest pocket. He stepped back a bit, confused, before stilling at a pointed look you sent his way. He eyed you suspiciously before realizing you were reaching for his lock kit, opening the case and pulling out a pick before returning it to his pocket. Working slowly and quietly, you were able to unlock the door without much noise, shielded by the voices beyond the door. Stepping aside, you stayed out of sight, waiting on Price's go ahead.

"Catch the runners." He murmured, moving past you with Ghost and Soap on his tail.

You nodded, raising your borrowed gun once more. You heard Price repeat the same instruction to König, who readied his handgun.

Price kicked the door in, an explosion of gunfire and shouting ricocheting throughout the hall. An enemy soldier tried to bolt out of the room, but was intercepted by König. His opponent was small enough to weave past him and put up more of a challenge than he had likely expected. Another made a break for it, but instead of faking you out, tackled you to the ground by the waist. A jab of his knee discarded your rifle, which was too long and too heavy to utilize in such a range regardless. Pinned underneath him, your punches only seemed to further his anger. A flash of silver caught your eye before he swiped at your stomach, cutting open the flesh of your stomach. You cried out, grunting through your teeth before kicking up, hard. Your heels drove into his collarbone, sending him stumbling back a moment and giving you a chance to crawl for your rifle. Only when you got your hand around the handle did you feel another bursting pain, looking to your shoulder to find the knife he threw from his position, which was now embedded in you.

“Fuck!”

You could hear König struggle. Without another moment of hesitation, you aimed at your attacker and put a bullet between his eyes.

The pain only grew worse as you staggered to your feet, the voices around you dull and far from your awareness. You felt yourself begin to collapse, but instead of slamming into the wooden floors, you were caught by a dark figure.

Especially dark against the white landscape outside.

"Hey. Come on, you gotta wake up, love.."

Price.

"Come on.."

Your eyes still felt tired, but you eased them open, taking in your surroundings. Still in the cabin, sat against a wall near the fire. Someone had draped a quilt over your legs. Your torso was only covered by the tank top you wore under your uniform, which was badly torn at your stomach.

"Price.."

"Hey, soldier.." Price had laid a hand on your uninjured arm, his eyes a tad warmer than their usual stoic nature.

"My shoulder.." You reach a hand to feel the wound, only finding dry gauze. As sleep withered away from you, the pain returned. A quiet noise escaped you; it felt as though you would never have peace until this ended.

"Stay still."

You look up to find König kneeling in front of you, even in his position you tilted your chin a bit to meet his eyes. Price rose and went to talk to Simon, muttering something you didn't care to hear. You noticed the med kit in König's hand.

"You saved my life, König." Your words came out hoarse, but he heard them all the same. He blinked a few times, deciding to settle cross-legged beside you.

"There was no question." He said simply. "But I still need to look at your stomach; the way he did this.."

He paused, closing his eyes. Never in your time spent off the field had you seen him this quick to anger. But he was furious under a guise of calm. "The way he did this, it could get infected easily. I need to stitch the wound."

The description of your injury seemed to remind you it was there in the first place; aching, stinging, and relentless. You tried to control your breathing, shutting your eyes tightly.

“It’s alright..you’re going to be okay.” Before you could register it, König’s hand had found yours, holding it to his chest. “Keep breathing like that—that’s it.”

His words brought you back into the present world; still ringing with pain, but you were here.

“Can you stay awake for me? I cannot have you lose consciousness.” He was firm, unbreaking.

You nodded.

He pulled up your shirt a bit farther, the hem resting just below your chest. You watched, half uneasy and half fascinated at his skill. He cleaned the area, even using iodine before preparing a stitching kit. His eyes looked up into yours.

“This is going to hurt.” His warning was gentle.

“It’s okay.” You breathe. He nods, focusing once more. The battered tissue was a task to sew together, but he managed, closing the largest gaps and remaining extremely careful.

“Did you have medic training?” You asked softly, surprised at how adept he seemed.

He nodded. “By choice. When I first started in the military, I lost too many people because there was no one with us to treat them.”

You watched him, your admiration only climbing higher with every word of his explanation. He pulled the last stitch tight, cutting of the end and wiping the area down gently.

“This should be alright..I know you would probably prefer a true medic, but..” König gestured to the flurry of wind and snow outside the living room window.

“König, I owe you everything.” You leaned forward to rest a hand on his shoulder, telling yourself it was for stability. For a moment, you thought you had made him uncomfortable, before he removed one of his surgical gloves and placed a hand above your own. The warmth of his skin was nearly overwhelming.

A loud laugh from where Soap and Gaz were sitting seemed to snap you out of your trance, and König too; he took your hand and returned it to your side before getting to his feet to dispose of everything. Before walking off, he turned back to face you.

“Almost forgot..” he leaned over to pick up a sweater that was folded on the ground, handing it to you. “Since your shirt is stained. It should be warmer, too.”

You took it, smiling to yourself at his kindness, before watching him on his path to throw away his used supplies and gloves. As gently as you could, you tried to remove your shirt; you were wearing another garment underneath, and you figured your team shouldn’t care anyway. But the wound on your stomach re-ignited with a burning sting, and you couldn’t manage to lift your arms in fear that you would cry out in pain.

You noticed König approach, slowly, like you were a coyote caught in a fence. His eyes seemed to ask the obvious. You let your hands rest, breathing deeply.

“Could you..help me?”

König blinked a moment before nodding , returning to your side.

“This shirt is fucked anyway, could you cut it?” You didn’t realize exactly what you were asking when you said it, you were thinking with your head for once. You realized only when he obliged and flipped open his knife that he would be personally cutting your clothes off, and you had to act professionally while he did it. He cut just past your shoulder on your front side from top to bottom, carefully slicing at the bloodied fabric, before leaning away to let you reveal yourself at your own volition. It was much easier to slip off the shirt, and König handed you a rag to wipe yourself clean of the blood and grime as best you could. Before you could even ask, he was offering to pull the sweater over your head, and you nodded.

“König, I don’t know how to thank you..” you toyed with the hem of the sweater, exhaling shakily as another flash of pain echoed through your torso.

“Feel better..that’s all I ask.” He replied simply. His expression was a far echo from his usual hazy excitement, instead carrying the weight of the pain he knew you felt.

“König! You can hold down the fort for a while, yeah?” Price’s question tore away his gaze, at which he nodded.

“Yes, sir.”

“Right, won’t be gone long, just looking for stragglers.” With that, he led the rest of the team out the door, shutting it quietly.

You and König were left to sit side by side, the snowfall outside thinning to a softer pace. A good distance from the window, you noticed a deer looking around its surroundings, snowflakes decorating its large antlers. You knew König was watching too. Maybe you were delirious from your injury, or maybe it was the peace you found watching this wild animal, but your hand edged closer to his, skin brushing skin. You heard his breathing stutter ever so slightly, but he didn’t retract his hand. You dared to reach far enough to take it in your own, feeling the warmth of his palm firsthand. Neither one of you needed the aid of words to understand what you were implying; you spoke through the warmth between your palms.

[ansbobcar]

EP 15. Remember your brother

WORD COUNT. 1256

Link to overview

_ _ _

Swivelling in his chair, the recent graduate spun to face him. “Why don’t you just beat the crap out of him? People tend to listen with enough force. Oh! Or even court!?” She held her pointer up with a cheeky smile. Her knack for deducing details was uncanny as he put down a report on the desk. 

“The amount of connections and leverage my father has against others is what made us reputable,” he began. “Even with our powerful position, destroying my father would mean destroying half of our people as well. It’s inefficient and incurs too much loss.”

“What a partypooper.” He readjusted his glassed as she took off her shoes and put her feet on the seat.

“Plus isn’t court a bit too extreme?” 

“How young is your brother then?” She twirled a lock of her ashy brown hair. “Wait-wait! Lemme guess! He’s… 5 years younger than you so that means… he’s 17! Easton too?” 

He only nodded, to which she squealed. “He’s still a minor like you. I can’t grab a hold of custody over him if he goes to jail. Plus my mother’s just as bad,” reorganising the paperwork.  “And I can’t take over their duties if I’m working here, Alex.”

“AND FINALLY, FROM THE LANG HOUSE WE HAVE… WIRTH MADL!!” Cheers roared at the sight of the Magia Lupus’ 3rd Fang as he watched from behind the headmaster’s seat. Since he decided to take the extremely difficult honours roll exam, he wondered how he had the energy to do the Candidate Exam. Let alone start arguing with that girl of all people.

“And the first elimination round is… the 5-legged riddle race!” 

‘This one,’ he remembered it being played a few years back. When Rinka was a 2nd year at Easton.

“In your groups of 3, we’ll magically bind your legs together and you must acquire the given object written in this card!” the MC of the Candidate Exam began to explain how the race worked. “Reach the finish line with your object and team intact and you pass onto the next round!” 

Typically, the first object to get broken will result in other teams surviving (after passing the finish line). But nearly 7 years ago, it was the first showcase of the Blood Cane’s versatility in spells. Her team had their object broken near the finish line by an opposing team but she had managed to restore her team's object in order to pass. ‘It wasn't against the rules after all.' It's just that the passing condition is to finish the race with an unbroken object.

Thus, the sight of what seemed to be an extremely competitive yet incompetently cooperative trio seemed to reduce his hope in their passing. It’s less about your speed and more about destroying objects after all. It’s more common for this game to be used as the only elimination round since nobody other than Rinka Onoji was able able to utilise a restoration spell.

“There will be a time limit of 30 minutes! All the best candidates!”

‘I guess… all the best,’ he looked towards the rafflesian mirror as the competition began. Each group opened their cards and immediately, Darren Randel, that recent transfer student, declared with absolute certainty.

“It’s a stamp! A stamp!”

The two boys were dumbfounded. And without another moment to lose, they blitzed atop a large golden sword, towards the pile of objects in the middle of the forest and engulfed the large stamp in mud, pulling it towards them. 

Who the hell shouts out their team’s object? It was definitely unplanned. Otherwise, why would there be so much haste in their actions as they sped over to the finish line within mere minutes. Their unappreciative combination was almost a blessing in disguise.

To have Mr. Ames cruise them to the finish line, out of reach from the opposing teams whilst Ms. Randel simply dispelled incoming attacks was strategic. His brother holding onto their object and stabilising all of them on the blade didn’t go unnoticed by him.

“This round seems oddly entertaining,” Wahlberg mused to the two of them.

“I must agree with you,” the Flame Cane replied. “Especially, compared to last year.”

“What do you think, Orter?” the headmaster asked. Yet he only focused on how his brother seemed to move with vigour. Ready to throw his fist towards his teammate for the round.

It’s unusual to see his brother hold a face without fear. Without burden. What has he missed out on since then?

_ _ _

The first round ended up eliminating half of the participants leading to the final duels instead and with what seemed to be the gods cursing them as the clouds slowly darkened, Wirth Madl was up against Rayne Ames.

It’s a losing battle. But with what seemed to be a desperate drive to win against the odds, the Lang student readied himself to drown the his opponent in quagmire and inhibited his eyesight. Restraint. That’s probably all their father has ever instilled into them. He watched as the dulled boy overpowered him with a simple kick to the gut and pulled himself out of the pit before sending a barrage of swords without another moment to spare. And with that, “Wirth Madl has been knocked out! The victor is… Rayne Ames!”

The cheers of the crowd heightened at this sentiment whilst he pooled with bitterness. But bitterness for what? He wasn’t mad or disappointed in his brother. It couldn’t be helped. It was like that time too.

“I couldn’t care less about your perfect score in language,” that man uttered from across the door. The sound of paper smacked against skin cleanly. “You’ve proven yourself to be worthless again. Even if you get into the Bureau of Magic, it will mean nothing if your magic isn’t on par. Your brother’s already becoming a Magic Police Officer, is there really nothing left for you to do?”

It was the summer, one of the only times he could visit the family. But the look filled with hollow envy that plagued his eyes as they briefly looked at each other.

“Don’t bother looking back, Orter.”

As if disobeying his own habit, he took out his wand and cleaned his dirtied clothes even amidst the tears and apprehension the younger Madl had, it felt odd. Unsettling even as he sat. “Please don’t tell him,” he uttered barely above a whisper. Wirth Madl can’t bear it. He can’t go home. Not like this.

"I can take your place during the upcoming winter break if you want. I'll just tell father you'll be busy with internships then." although it seemed to be out of sympathy, it only caused the 2nd year to continue crying and reach out to bury his head into his chest. “M’sorry…”

He should comfort him, slowly patting his back. “You fought well.”

These words only won’t fix anything. But it’s worth a shot to start.

_ _ _

The Blood Cane spat out her drink at the older man’s words. Her eyes held more than mere disgust and doubt. “You’re kidding me.”

“What do you mean I have to interview Darren Randel? You should do it!” She pointed at the honey-freak. “I’m gonna plan a coup on your honey stock with Sophie. You better watch out, you fucking prick.”

“Why the hell am I here again?” Renatus yawned. “You’ll be interviewing the remaining 2 Easton candidates. Only allow one of them to pass.”

“‘Kay. Wake me up in 10 minutes, Inky.”

_ _ _

I'm questioning if I should incorporate a short miscommunication arc... genuinely speaking. But at the same time I feel like it's a bit late to incorporate it? Like it serves no narrative purpose except for fueling the romance drama. And there's already a lot. Especially with the upcoming winter ball arc that I have in the works before ending part 1/act 1. I genuinely want to end this act before ep 30 lol so chapters might get longerrr.

[forcebookish]

thank you for tagging me, @ariadnekurosaki!!!

1 . How did you get into writing fanfiction?

uhh, when i was twelve i wrote horrendously bad self-insert inuyasha (and bleach?) fanfic on a now-defunct website that doesn't exist anymore lol since then i've bopped in and out of fandoms under different usernames across many platforms. often, i'll lose the muse in 2-3 year chunks, but get sucked back in for new fandoms.

except bleach. i always come back to bleach 😩

2. How many fandoms have you written in?

oh god, if we count dc, marvel, k-pop, and thai dramas (+rpf) as all their own respective fandoms (ie. not distinguishing between arrow, the flash, young justice, etc.), it's twelve - if we don't, it's almost thirty. a lot of my exo fanfics only reference other groups/solo artists, so i think that's too generous. the point is, it's a lot lol

3. How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

on and off since i was twelve (although when i was five i wrote a picture book about the disney princesses hanging out with me), but probably a total of 8 years actually active?

4. Do you read or write more fanfiction?

write more. i rarely read fanfiction unfortunately D:

5. What is one way you’ve improved as a writer?

i'm less verbose and my voice is cleaner.

6. What’s the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

quebecois sacres.

7. What’s your favorite type of comment to receive on your work?

when i make someone cry 😈 nah i really love detailed ones with quotations, ones that pinpoint exactly what parts hit them or meant the most to them. but tbh i love short keymashes too!

8. What’s the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

hmmm🤔 i don't think i write anything that out there... yet. i guess i like to write about psychic connections and niche super powers.

9. What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

ones with a lot of worldbuilding. and porn lol

10. What is the easiest type?

ones with a lot dialogue and character introspection.

11. Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

my office, the tv room, my bed, sometimes outside. i used to write in coffee shops, at the library, work (especially when i worked at the library lol) before the pandemic and i became a hermit. in gdocs, because i write on my pc, chromebook, and phone. all hours.

12. What is something you’ve been too nervous/intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

there's this one prompt from the bleach kink meme that i've been thinking about for ten years that has the potential to be really gross or really hot. or both. i might write it for the >5k au event in august idk

13. What made you choose your username?

lapmonster: my twitter username for a while before i decided to start posting on ao3 so i made my ao3 to match; it's a pun on rap monster. kairumption: when i started writing exo fic this was my livejournal url; another pun, it's kai + kyrumption (from angel). it's also where my nickname rum comes from. farewellswords: my twitter username changed from lapmonster in 2019 or 2020 because bts got too popular and army were accusing me of being a namjoon anti lmao; it's a chapter title from bleach.

probably should have kept kairumption as all of them, but i like farewellswords 🤷‍♀️ tbh it would have been my url here if an inactive acc didn't already have it. because, i mean, come on.

COME ON

okaaaay let's tag: @pomslices @retiredficwriter @komari-maxx @ellasaru12 @athousandbyeol @bytheforcebook and anyone else who wants to participate! :D sorry if i forgot you!

[alchemic-elric]

Hello! Your automail studies are so interesting! It got me curious about what you make of Lan Fan's whole deal! You seem very knowledgeable and for everyone who is trying to write for her in fanfics or other, your analysis would be so very highly valuable! 🙏

Hi,

Thank you for your compliments and reading my automail posts but they are not studies. They're headcanon posts for a roleplay blog.

I had to start labeling my posts differently when it got deeper into me running my blog because even when I wrote 'please do not reblog' in the tags people did it any way and I just gave up. Automail part 3 starts like this

and it's still been reblogged without permission.

So my posts were not meant to be 'studies' but more over, headcanon posts analyzing what my muse is going through. They're not the be-all-end-all posts and/or claiming to be 100% accurate and/or apply to every version of Ed there is.

I even wrote the following in the bottom of the corner of his recovery timeline in part 2:

but those posts are my personal headcanon for my muse only. they've been reblogged and used by other muses countless times without my permission. The "Let's Talk About" series of posts on my blog are far less studies and much more headcanon for my personal take on Edward. I just have a habit of taking canon material and behaviors, etc apart to the last detail. I do this with my other muses too. With Ed I tend to draw from all sources of official material - not just the manga - that's why they're my personal headcanon.

Its just that when automail part 1 blew up it did so, so quickly there was no way to mitigate the damage. It got WAY outside the RPC and while I am flattered and honored that everyone took it it so well - they're not studies. They're headcanon.

So since this is an RP blog and speaking for someone else's muse is considered 'godmodding' and 'metagaming', I haven't put a drop of thought into Lan Fan's automail because she's not muse. In the land of the RPC it's not my job to tell other people how their muses function, its that writer's job to tell me. So even starting to think about how Lan Fan's automail works or effects her feels both "against the rules" and "rude" to me.

Sorry for this.

This is a roleplay blog. Not a fandom writing blog. I can't take apart someone else's muse here. My brain won't let me do it. If you wanna talk about Ed though, I can do that all day.

[convulsionofhonesty]

top 5 books of 2023

i read many less books (for fun at least) than i read last year but it was really nice to do this kind of post for 2022 so i'm repeating for 2023

--------

1. the idiot - elif batuman - making a reappearance from last year ... i know many people don't like to count rereads in their top books of the year since they weren't new favorites but for the impact this book had on me this year i simply couldn't omit it. i read this no less than 3 times in 2023 ... it became so much more relatable and painful than it was upon first read in 2022 and instantly became my current favorite book of all time. not a day passes that i do not think about this. stunning, meandering character study about a floundering 18/19 year old who is, unfortunately, in all the best and worst ways, the fictional character that most represents myself. i have already done 10x my share of pr work for this book on this account so i will leave the review here. but please read this.

2. contradictions in the design - matthew olzmann - almost dethroned siken's crush as my favorite poetry collection ... the tumblr girls will understand how serious this is. absolutely gorgeous. i teared up at a solid 50% of the poems. contains countless life altering lines and a really profound mixture of the abstract and the concrete, the general/philosophical and the specific/mundane. love.

3. when the emperor was divine - julie otsuka - quick read with deceptively simple prose that's absolutely drenched with symbolism. demands to be read with a highlighter in hand and a murder wall behind you to decipher each iteration of each motif. under 200 pages but you could easily spend weeks trying to pull everything out of it. just on a craft level this is absolutely sublime, fiction at its finest.

4. fun home - allison bechdel - this is of course one of the graphic novels that everyone has heard of but certainly not enough people have read. because if you haven't read this i implore you to change that. from the very first page i knew that this was crafted with such unbelievable intentionality. so many little details in the backgrounds of panels carry immense weight; this is a graphic novel masterclass. everything is perfectly balanced and thought-out. again on a craft level, and an emotional level, this blew me away.

5 - autobiography of red - anne carson - most inventive book i read probably? a disjointed yet fluid verse novel that follows a fascinating main character and winds effortlessly through mythology and reality, paying no attention to the usual borders of geography, time, or the body. i don't know how to describe this other than as a deeply confusing book that you will probably not understand at all but your body will somehow still feel everything. you will understand it on a subconscious level more than on a conscious one.

--------

honorable mentions (bc last year i did a top 10 but my opinions past this point are not as strong and also i don't want to write all that)

- body work by melissa febos

- sirens and muses by antonia angress

- comfort woman by nora okja keller