#(she says as shes currently suffering from writers block)

[enhas-bestie]

Happy New Year!!

Thank you sm for keeping me company on this app, sending in asks or simply just reading my fics and leaving a like or reblog.

I hope 2023 is a lot kinder to us than 2022 was. Praying that we all stay happy and healthy in the year (and years) to come. Whatever new obstacles are in store for us, I hope we'll be able to persevere💓

This is dedicated to everyone who sees this on their dash ( I seriously, seriously wish you all the best!! Please take care of yourselves and stay safe!!) but here are a few mentions off the top of my head: @navsnct @blossomnct @lullabyinparis @masterofdoom @hannikz @honeyhuii @sunoodilocks @missmadwoman @maiverie @szeongrimin @blurredplatform

(And to so many more!! I have a gut feeling I'm forgetting to tag ppl I'm so sorry😭 (my brain is fucking fried) <\3 But just know that I'm very grateful for everyone who has ever interacted with me, sent me in anything - whether it was an ask/reply or one of those tag games. Thank you!!

(Also thank you to all the Anons who sent in asks; by some chance I hope ya'll see this and have a lovely new years as well!!)

(For some reason this is starting to feel like more of an appreciation post😭 Just... Happy New Years everyone!! 🎊💗)

[whiskeyncoke-redux]

I keep thinking about fluff/smut where, for once, Pedro Pascal is the one crushing on (fem) reader- don’t get me wrong, I love all the daddy dom vibes, but him catching feelings for a funny/sweet younger woman and getting all flustered about it?

Maybe a mid-late 20-something year old, someone who is a friend of a friend or an extra on set~ I just think as flirty and charming as he is, he’d be one to get as red as a tomato around his little crush <3

What do you think? I’d love to hear your take!

Okay, so first, sorry it took me so long to respond, I saw this ask and I got an Idea™ and I had to run with it because why not? Second, I hope you like what I came up with as an answer, I tried. So here it is:

Ask Her

Pedro Pascal x Reader

A/N: I haven't written anything in forever, I'm still suffering from Writer's Block so go easy on me. Also it's not proofread and it's 6:40 in the morning so any mistakes are my bad. Special thanks to @ziggyrocket for the support 💜.

Warnings: None

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was the third time that day that you felt his eyes on you, and when you turned around to look at him, you saw him look away quickly.

Next to him, Bella, rolled their eyes. "You know you could just go over and talk to her," they pointed out.

He shook his head. "And say what?"

"Umm how about 'Hi, how are you? How’s your day going?’ to start with."

“Right and then what?”

“Then you have a conversation like a normal person…” Nico chimed in from his other side.

“And eventually ask her out,” Bella finished, “because this whole staring and then looking away thing is ridiculous.”

“Yeah and you clearly like her,” Nico added.

Pedro averted his eyes and looked down at his phone in his hands, clearly not wanting to admit to anything. 

Nico and Bella exchanged glances over his head and with a mischievous glint in their eye, Bella gasped, “Oh, she’s looking over here!”

Pedro’s head shot up, his cheeks turning a bright red, as he looked over to where you were; but you were deep in conversation with one of the other make-up artists, not even remotely looking that way.. Nico and Bella snickered at him. He sighed and shook his head at them.

“Oh, don’t be like that,” Bella said, “I was just proving our point.”

Nico nodded. “Eventually, you’re gonna have to talk to her.”

As fate would have it, “eventually” came sooner than expected. Later that week, you were assigned to do his make-up, since the artist that regularly did it was out for the day. So, when Pedro walked in and saw you standing there, he stopped abruptly and just stared for a second. You didn’t notice at first, since your back was turned, but when you looked into the mirror and saw him standing there, looking at you, you smiled wide and turned around.

“Hi.”

He opened his mouth but no sound came out. He then cleared his throat. “Hi,” he managed to get out. “Um, where’s…?”

“She had something she had to do, family I think, so you have me today,” you answer, “I promise, you’re in good hands.” You gave him another smile and gestured for him to sit in the chair. 

He sat and you began carefully applying his make-up. At first you worked in silence, neither of you sure of what to say. 

You had felt his eyes on you from the moment you walked on set. You weren’t so sure that it meant anything in the beginning. You were, after all, just a lowly make-up artist, not even the primary one, why would someone like him even look twice at you? But as time went on, you started to notice it more and more. It really hit you when, one day, you were touching up Nico’s make-up and she casually joked that he seemed to perk up more when you were around. 

“He smiles more,” she’d said, “it’s almost like he’s had an extra strong cup of coffee.”

“Mind you,” Gabriel had chimed in, “he doesn’t really need it.”

You all laughed. Pedro’s hyperactivity was well known. Which made his current silence a bit odd. 

He’s nervous, you thought.

He cleared his throat again, bringing you back to the present. You figured that you might as well strike up some kind of conversation. Funnily enough, he had the same thought.

“So…” you both began at the same time. Then you stopped. You looked at him and you both burst into laughter.

“You go ahead,” you said.

He shook his head. “Nah, you go.”

“Gentlemen first,” you commented with a smirk.

He laughed at that, then asked, “What are you listening to?”

“Huh?” you touched the earbud you had in your ear that was playing a song softly. “Oh, just some music to wake me up.”

He raised his eyebrows and gestured with his hand for you to explain more. 

“Prince,” you said simply, “Raspberry Beret.”

He smiled wide at that. “Love that song.”

“Really?”

He nodded.

“Hmm, okay,” you said, and put the brush and powder you had in your hand down on the table behind you. 

You went over to your bag and dug around in it.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Normally,” you began, “I just keep my earbuds in, because I know not everyone likes the same music I do… aha,” you said triumphantly as you pulled out your mini bluetooth speaker, “but when I’m  alone, I use this.”

You turned on the speaker and set it on the table, then connected your phone. Soon the beat began and you both sang along.  “I was working part-time in a five and dime, my boss was Mr. McGee…”

You picked up your brush again and started back on his make-up, your head bopping along to the song.

After that, it seemed like the ice had been broken. He started asking you more questions: where you from, how long you had been doing make-up, favorite color, etc. You answered all of them with ease, and asked him more questions in return.

Before you knew it, you were finished. “All right, all done,” you announced. 

“That was quick,” he said. In truth, you had taken a little bit longer than you normally would have, you just wanted to spend a bit more time with him. “Um, I guess I better get going…”

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” you said, as you put away the brushes and other things. You both were shy again.

“I’ll, um, I’ll see you out there,” he said, standing and stretching.

You turned and looked up at him, into his eyes. That made him blush. You smiled and you felt your own cheeks grow warm. “Yeah, of course.”

After that, he was more comfortable around you. From time to time the both of you could be found, earbuds in, heads bobbing along to some song or another or dancing around to music blasting from your portable bluetooth speaker. It was obvious to everyone who spent five minutes around the two of you that you both liked each other; there were inside jokes, laughter, and shared looks between you two, but the weeks went by and nothing more happened. 

Bella and Nico were frustrated with this. How was it possible that the most outgoing person they knew, couldn’t even bring himself to ask you out, when it was obvious that he wanted to?

Bella approached him again. “All I’m saying is you need to…” 

“No.”

“You don’t even know what I was gonna say,” Bella argued.

“You were gonna say I need to ask her out,” Pedro responded.

“Well you do,” Nico said.

“She won’t say yes.”

“You don’t know that,” they both said at the same time. 

“All we’re saying is it won’t hurt to ask,” Bella said.

“It would hurt if she said no,” he pointed out.

“Which she won’t do,” Nico added, rolling her eyes.

“How do you…?”

“How do we know? By the way she looks at you,” Bella sighed

“She doesn’t…”

“Yeah, she does, she looks at you the same way you look at her.” 

Pedro sighed and shook his head. 

"What’s the problem?” Bella asked. “There’s something else isn’t there?”

He looked around, making sure they were alone, before confessing the one thing that was holding him back. “I-I’m too old,” he said quietly.

Bella and Nico exchanged glances, then started giggling. 

“It’s not funny.”

“No, but it is,” Bella said, “because it’s bullshit. If she didn’t like you she wouldn’t spend nearly as much time around you as she does, she wouldn’t talk to you as much as she does, none of it. I’m sure your age means nothing to her.”

“Exactly,” Nico agreed, nodding, then looking around she spotted you talking to someone. “So, what you’re gonna do is go over there and ask her out, and,” she said ignoring Pedro’s grunt of protest, “she’s gonna say yes, and you’re gonna take her somewhere nice.”

Pedro stared at you, as you talked and laughed with one of the other crew members, his nerves getting the best of him again. He wanted to go over to you, but his feet felt rooted to the spot. He looked at Bella and Nico and shook his head. He couldn’t do it. He looked back over at you, the conversation you were having had come to an end, and you were standing there, going through one of your bags, looking for something. 

At that moment, you looked up and around, spotting him. You smiled and he did the same, swallowing around the lump grown in his throat. He felt Bella push him forward slightly and sighed. They weren’t going to let this go until he did something, he knew. So, he squared his shoulders and walked over to you, smiling and blushing, but determined.

[icarusignite]

Hey Autor,

Could you maybe make a Reader Velaryon/Targaryen x Cregan stark?

The reader is the daughter of Rhaenyra and Laenor (the real father is Daemon Targaryen) and the eldest child of Rhaenyra and the heiress of the iron throne.The reader is sent to the Starks at the age of 14 to live with them for some time (no idea what reason there might be). Cregan doesn’t like the reader at first and is mean to her.At some point, the two get closer and fall in love. Maybe just kisses could arise between them no more. After she was with the Starks for some time, one day a lord comes with his daughter maybe Alysanne Blackwood and her father. Because Cregan is engaged to her and should marry her soon,He never told the reader that he was promised to someone else and the reader gets angry. Cregan wants to talk to her but she ignores him. Cregan does not take action against the wedding and marries Alysanne. Alysanne notices that the reader is angry and and provoke her. reader says goodbye to Lord and Lady stark, While Cregan spends time with Alyssane to get to know her. Reader flies home on her dragon because she doesn’t want to be at the wedding. After years, a war in the north has broken out and seems to be lost. Rhaenyra sends the reader and Jace to the north to help the Starks and end the war with their dragons. Cregan has a child with alysanne (but she should still be alive please.) She's still bitter and full of anger. Maybe the two could have a happy ending because Cregan really loved the reader, he didn’t want to hurt her, but it’s called a stark doesn’t break an oath. Of course, the reader does not forgive him directly and makes him feel her anger.

Please a lot of drama, I love big drama.

I am sorry for my English.

Your reader.

Ps: I wrote this request to another author but I don't know if he wants to write it so I wanted to write to you again because I always love your writing 🫶

Cregan Stark x fem! reader (no use of y/n)

Word Count: 4.6K

Summary: The five times you told Cregan Stark you hated him, and the one time you actually meant it.

A/N: Hey heyyyy, lol I'm finally back. I'm soo soo sorry this took forever to put out, I've been suffering from massive writer's block and I lowkey feel like my house of the dragon hyperfixation was over for a while so I wasn't feeling too motivated to work on related stuff. Anyway, hope you like what I've done with the premise. Lots of drama but I didn't really see there being a happy end where they actually get together lol. As usual, I love your requests and asks so feel free to send in more (I shall try to get them done in a more timely manner T_T)

I hate you I love you

1. At first sight

Being the oldest daughter of Rhaenyra Targaryen and future heir to the Iron Throne meant that you were seldom allowed to follow your heart's desire. You were simply a pawn in the grand elaborate game of life, fit to be moved around wherever someone saw fit. You didn't have much of a say when your mother named you her heir, you didn't have a say when she decided that you would be sent to be fostered at Winterfell for a few years for some reason you could not fathom, and you certainly would not have a say when you would be married off to whatever lord would serve the greatest political advantage. 

You first met the dark-haired boy that was Cregan Stark at the impressionable young age of fourteen, and you were quite intimidated. There was something in his eyes, their steely grey reminding you of an icy winter storm. His uncle, Lord Bennard, currently ruled the north as regent and you could tell that relations were tense between the two of them.

Lord Brennard had led you into the Great Hall, where the fire roared in the hearth, casting flickering shadows on the walls. There, standing near the hearth, was a young man of sixteen, with a stony expression, his eyes fixed on the flames. Lord Brennard cleared his throat, and the young man turned to look at them.

"Princess, may I introduce you to my nephew, Cregan Stark," Lord Brennard said with a polite smile.

Cregan regarded you with a cold, distant gaze, his demeanour as frosty as the land outside. He didn't extend a hand or offer a greeting. Instead, he simply nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line, making it clear that he would rather be anywhere else but there.

If you were unhappy with his offputting behaviour, you made no show of it. Your mother had schooled you in the proper etiquette of being a gracious young lady and you extended your hand gracefully. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my lord."

Cregan's response was curt, "Likewise." 

He then turned his attention back to the fire, seemingly disinterested in your presence.

Lord Brennard, ever the diplomat, tried to initiate conversation. 

"Cregan, the princess has travelled a long way to be here. Perhaps you could show her around Winterfell, and introduce her to some of your companions?"

Cregan sighed audibly and finally tore his gaze away from the flames, "Do I have to, Uncle?"

Lord Brennard's expression tightened slightly, but he remained patient, "It would be a kind gesture, Cregan. She's a guest in our home."

You smiled politely, doing your best to break through the young lord's cold exterior, "I would appreciate it greatly. I've heard so much about Winterfell, and I'd love to get to know the people who live here."

Cregan rolled his eyes but eventually relented with a reluctant nod.

"Fine, I'll show you around, but don't expect me to be your tour guide."

"Thank you. I promise not to be a bother," you grinned now, willing him to at least return some of your warmth. 

Cregan's tour of Winterfell was far from what you had imagined. He led you through the castle's corridors and courtyards with long, determined strides, leaving you to struggle to keep up. Your gown, designed for the elegant strolls through the castles of the Red Keep and Dragonstone, was ill-suited for the rugged terrain and brisk pace Cregan set.

"My lord, please, may we slow down?" you called out, your voice slightly breathless. Your soft leather shoes were ill-equipped for the uneven stone floors, and your dress hampered your every step.

Cregan barely spared you a glance, his impatience evident in his voice, "We don't have all day, Princess. You wanted a tour, didn't you?"

You pressed on, determined not to let Cregan's demeanour ruin your first day at Winterfell. You struggled to maintain your composure, but your frustration was building. 

"Yes, but I didn't expect it to be a race. Could you at least wait for me?"

Cregan halted abruptly, turning to face you with a roll of his eyes, "Didn't you promise not to be a bother?"

Your cheeks flushed with embarrassment and frustration. You had hoped for a warmer welcome, but it seemed Cregan was determined to make you feel like an unwanted guest. 

"I did, but I didn't realize being polite was such a bother."

Cregan let out an exasperated sigh, and for a moment, you thought he might storm off and leave you behind. Instead, he begrudgingly slowed his pace, allowing you to catch up.

"Fine, let's get on with it."

As you continued the tour, Cregan pointed out various parts of Winterfell with curt explanations, still making no effort to engage in polite conversation. You did your best to show interest and appreciation for the castle's history and architecture, but it was clear that Cregan was not interested in your company.

Later that evening, the dinner at Winterfell was a formal affair, and despite the grandeur of the feast laid out, Cregan continued to be rude and dismissive towards you. He barely acknowledged your presence, and when you attempted to engage in conversation with other members of the Stark household, he would interrupt with snide comments or pointedly change the subject. The tension in the room was palpable, and you could feel the disapproving glances of some of the Stark bannermen who were clearly not pleased with the arrangement. You couldn't blame them though; you were an outsider, and Cregan's hostility toward you only made matters worse.

Eventually, you had had enough. After the meal, when you found yourselves alone in the corridor leading to your chambers, you turned to him, frustration boiling over after hours of having kept it simmering under your skin. 

"My lord, may I ask you something?"

Cregan raised an eyebrow, his icy demeanour unchanged, "I don't suppose you'd desist if I refused?"

That was it. Your final breaking point. 

"Why are you determined to be so fucking impolite to me?" your voice exploded, echoing in the empty corridor. 

Cregan's eyes widened, surprised at your use of profanities no doubt. 

Without stopping for a breath, you continued your torrent of complaints, "I understand that you didn't want me here, but have you perhaps considered that I didn't want to leave my home either? I didn't have a say in this, just like you, so if I can muster up the courage to try and hold on to a shred of hopefulness about this whole situation, can't you at least try to be civil to me? You're older than me, after all. Or do you not have the emotional maturity to not be a fucking menace to people you've judged in your head before even getting to know them."

Cregan regarded your outburst with his usual cold indifference, and you felt yourself deflate. Perhaps you had gone too far. Insulting a lord in his home was not proper behaviour befitting a young lady but you would be lying if you said that it didn't bring you a little satisfaction to see the slight cracks in Cregan's composure. There was a glimmer of something else in his eyes as well—a flicker of respect, perhaps. After a long, uncomfortable silence, he finally let out a sigh, seemingly relenting and his eyes softened, almost too imperceptibly.

"Fine," he said grudgingly, his tone suggesting that he was far from genuine. "I apologize if my behaviour has offended you, Princess."

He tacked on the Princess at the end of his sentence, almost as an afterthought and the mockery in it only made the fire in your eyes blaze brighter. You opened your mouth to say something else but Cregan raised his hands placatingly. 

"No, no. I am truly sorry for my behaviour. I had my reasons but I will not give you excuses," he chuckled. "Although I must admit, I did not expect you capable...of that."

Your ears flushed crimson and you ducked your head in embarrassment.

"I hate you Cregan Stark," you mumbled under your breath but when you looked up to see his arrogantly cocked eyebrow and knowing smirk, you realized you did not quite mean it with the intensity he deserved. 

2. Deep in the godswood

One crisp, sunny morning, the two of you found yourselves in the godswood of Winterfell, surrounded by the ancient trees with their solemn faces carved into the bark. You had decided to engage in a rare moment of playfulness, and the game you had chosen was a simple one—tag.

Cregan, always quick and agile, took the first turn as the pursuer. He sprinted after you, his laughter echoing through the godswood. After a few months at Winterfell, you were no longer the delicate princess you once were, and you ran with surprising grace.

As you weaved between the towering trees, the thrill of the chase engulfed you. You darted around a tree, hoping to outmaneuver Cregan, but he was relentless. With a burst of speed, he lunged forward and tagged you, causing you to stumble.

Your foot caught on a root, and you tumbled to the ground with a cry of surprise. You had landed on the soft moss beneath the tree, your dress stained with mud and leaves. You scowled and glanced up at Cregan, who stood over you, victorious and unapologetic.

"You cheated," you accused your voice a mix of irritation and laughter.

Cregan grinned mischievously, "All's fair in love and war, Princess."

You couldn't help but chuckle despite your fall. You pushed yourself up onto your elbows, your gaze meeting Cregan's. 

"Well, we must be at war then, my lord, for I see no love here in this godswood."

"Oh is that so?" Cregan's eyes twinkled and he watched you in a way that made your ears flush again. 

"I fucking hate you!" you declared, trying to force a scowl on your face.

Cregan's expression softened, and he reached out his hand to help you up. As you looked into his eyes, something shifted within you. You realized that your declaration of hatred was no longer true if it ever had been.

You accepted Cregan's hand, allowing him to pull you to your feet and into him. Your gaze met his, and there was a brief moment where something bright and electric sparked between the two of you. 

Cregan smiled and winked, breaking the soft moment. 

"Let's watch our language, Princess. And don't try to lie to me, I know you better than that."

"Oh, you know nothing at all, my lord."

3. Once upon a fairytale

The ball at Winterfell was a rare and enchanting event, one that had not been held in years. The Great Hall had been transformed into a dazzling spectacle, with chandeliers glittering from the ceiling and banners of House Stark adorning the walls. The air in Winterfell had been doing you wonders and you had grown even more radiant in the past year. Your presence drew the attention of many young lords from noble houses across the North.

You were quickly approached by eager suitors the moment you stepped into the hall, and they approached you with polished manners and flattering words, hoping for a chance to dance with a royal princess. Cregan, watching from the shadows, felt a pang of jealousy as he saw one lord after another try their luck with you, often stumbling over their words in their haste.

In response to their requests, you smiled politely and declined each invitation with a gracious nod. Your eyes, however, never strayed far from Cregan, who it seemed had taken up a dance with another lady—a striking brunette with a winsome smile. 

Finally, when the music shifted to a slower, more intimate melody, Cregan finished his dance and made his way towards you. He extended his hand with a charming smile. 

"Princess, may I have this dance?"

Your response was less than warm. You raised an eyebrow and looked at him with mock annoyance. 

"Oh, my lord, how kind of you to finally grace me with your presence. I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me."

Cregan's smirk was mischievous as he took your hand, "Forgotten about you? Never, my lady."

As you began to dance, the tension between the two of you was palpable. Your voice was hushed as you spoke, your irritation clear. 

"You've been dancing with other ladies all night. I thought you weren't interested in me."

Cregan leaned in closer, his breath ghosting across your throat, "Jealous, are we?"

Your cheeks flushed.

"No," you replied, trying to remain nonchalant, but your tone betrayed your true feelings. "I just thought you were ignoring me."

"Sounds like jealousy to me."

You rolled your eyes, "I hate you, Cregan Stark."

Cregan's eyes twinkled with amusement as he spun you gracefully across the floor, "You don't."

You opened your mouth to protest, but Cregan brought your hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. The touch sent a shiver down your spine, and your breath immediately caught in your throat, rendering you speechless.

Cregan held your gaze, his eyes filled with a fierce intensity. 

"No, you don't," he repeated softly as if daring you to deny it.

4. Slowly, and then all at once

Throughout the next grand feast, Cregan couldn't resist cracking teasing jokes at your expense, each one playful but not cruel, designed only to elicit merriment. His quips were met with laughter and amusement from the other lords and ladies, you felt annoyed being his topic of discussion that evening.

After the dinner finally concluded, you could take no more. You caught Cregan by the arm as he was about to leave the hall and dragged him away to an isolated hallway. Your eyes flashed with anger as you turned to face him and although the expression on your face was a serious one, he couldn't help but be mesmerized by the fieriness of it. It was the same expression you had worn the first time you confronted him about his behaviour and unbeknownst to you, that was when he had first started to feel that aching pull toward you.

"What was that all about, Cregan?" you demanded, your voice sharp. 

Cregan's response was unexpected. He didn't offer an apology or a defence of his actions. Instead, he took a step closer to you, his expression intense. Before you could react or voice your pent-up frustration, he kissed you.

It was a passionate, intense kiss that left you momentarily breathless. Your protests were silenced as your lips met his, and your anger dissolved into a mixture of surprise and desire. Cregan's lips were firm against yours, his hands gentle but insistent on your waist.

When he finally pulled away, you were left looking quite dazed and disoriented. Your cheeks flushed, and your heart raced in your chest. Cregan smirked at you, his eyes filled with a blend of amusement and affection.

"Princess," he said softly, "Don't you dare say that you hate me again. It's abundantly clear that you don't."

You tried to form a coherent response, but your thoughts were still scattered from the unexpected kiss. You found yourself at a loss for words, your feelings for the young lord more complex than ever before.

Cregan's thumb brushed gently against your cheek, and he leaned in to kiss your forehead tenderly. 

"Let's not waste any more time pretending, my lady," he whispered. "We both know how we truly feel."

5. I wish I could hate you

The arrival of Lady Alysanne Blackwood and her father brought a flurry of activity to Winterfell. Lady Alysanne was a beautiful and vivacious woman, and her presence seemed to light up every room she entered. As the daughter of an important house, she was greeted with warmth and enthusiasm by Lord Brennard Stark and the other members of House Stark.

You couldn't help but notice the stark contrast in Cregan's behaviour towards Lady Alysanne compared to his demeanour with you when you first arrived. He greeted the Blackwoods with a genuine smile, engaged in polite conversation, and even offered to show Lady Alysanne around Winterfell himself. It was a stark departure from the cold and aloof Cregan you had known at first.

You tried to push aside the feelings of hurt and jealousy that welled up within you. It had been some time since Cregan had treated you with such indifference, and you knew you should let bygones be bygones. After all, you reasoned, Cregan had every right to make new acquaintances and friends. You were still the one he shared kisses with and spoke whispered promises to. 

However, as the days passed, you couldn't shake the feeling of being left behind. Cregan seemed to spend more and more time in the company of Lady Alysanne, showing her the beauty of Winterfell, introducing her to the people of the North, and sharing tales of their homeland.

One evening, as you watched Cregan and Lady Alysanne from across the courtyard, a sense of loneliness and abandonment washed over you. Then came the announcement that turned your blood cold. There was talk around the castle of preparations for a grand wedding. At first, this confused you. Cregan was the only member of the Starks of marriageable age, but he had never discussed something like this with you. And then you realized why, when passing the kitchens late one night, you overheard the scullery maids talking about how lovely a bride Lady Alysanne would make. 

One day, as you walked alone in the quiet gardens of Winterfell, your steps slow and contemplative, Lady Alysanne approached you. You had been lost in your thoughts, unaware of Alysanne's presence until she spoke.

"I must admit, I wanted to see for myself the woman rumoured to be close to my future husband," she said with a smirk.

Your heart sank at the cruel tone in Alysanne's voice, and your voice trembled as you replied, "Your future husband?"

Alysanne nodded, her expression filled with mockery. 

"Yes, Princess. Cregan and I have been promised to each other since birth. It's a marriage that our families have long arranged, for the good of both our houses."

Tears welled up in your eyes, and you turned away to hide your emotions. You felt a crushing weight on your chest, the realization that the man you had grown to care for deeply was bound by duty to another. 

Your voice was barely a whisper as you asked, "How long have you known about this?"

Alysanne's tone was sharp and cutting as she replied, "I've known for a while, but I wanted to meet you before the wedding. I wanted to see the foolish girl who thought she could steal Cregan away from his duty."

Your heart ached with a mixture of sadness and resignation. You had to accept the reality of the situation, no matter how much it hurt. 

Alysanne reached out with a mocking smile, but her touch was far from comforting as she placed her hand on your shoulder. 

"I know this must be difficult for you, Princess, as you are probably used to having whatever your heart desires. But you should have known better. Cregan was never yours to have."

Later that very same day, when the sun had begun to set over Winterfell, casting long shadows across the castle grounds, you were sitting alone on a stone bench, your thoughts consumed by the hurtful encounter with Lady Alysanne. You had been lost in your own misery when Cregan approached, his expression filled with concern.

"Princess, I heard about what happened with Lady Alysanne," Cregan began, his voice gentle. "I wanted to make sure you're all right."

Your heart ached at the sound of his voice, but you tried to ignore him, focusing on the setting sun instead. You couldn't bear to look at him, not now, not after everything that had transpired.

Cregan, undeterred by your silence, took a step closer, "Please, let me explain."

Your emotions, raw and uncontainable, finally burst forth. You turned to face him, eyes filled with tears, and voice trembling with pain. 

"Explain? You don't deserve to give me an explanation now, Cregan. Not after all that has happened between us."

Cregan's expression was one of genuine regret as he reached out to touch your arm, "Listen, please, just hear me out."

You couldn't bear to listen any longer. The words that had been building up inside you for so long spilled out in a rush. 

"You should have told me, Cregan. You should have told me that you were promised to another, that you could never belong to me. You should have told me before you kissed me under the stars, before you spun me around in gilded ballrooms. Before you made me hope for something that wasn't real."

Tears streamed down your face, and your voice broke as you continued. 

"I hate you, Cregan."

For a moment, there was silence between the two of you, the weight of your words hanging heavily in the air. Cregan's face showed a mix of pain and sadness, but he said nothing in response. You yearned for him to tell you that you were wrong. To tell you that you didn't hate him and that he certainly did not hate you and that he would be yours after all. 

He opened his mouth but no words came out. 

I love you.

The words were just on the tip of his tongue but he could not force them out. He could not be selfish enough to give you hope when he was bound by duty. 

There never lived a Stark who broke an oath.

That was what Cregan's father had always told him, and he wasn't about to be the first stark to do so. And so Cregan chose to remain silent and eventually, he walked away, leaving you surrounded by the shards of your broken heart. Your hands came up to muffle the broken sobs that escaped your lips and the tears that streaked down your face were a testimony to your lie. You could claim to hate him all you want but one did not mourn this much for someone they hated. 

You left the very next morning, after a hasty goodbye to the few people you had gotten to know during your stay at Winterfell and with a heavy heart, you directed your dragon toward your true home. You didn't think you could bear to watch him marry Lady Alysanne and it was better for you to leave now with at least some of your dignity intact. 

~ I hate you and I mean it. 

Several years had passed since the painful encounter with Cregan in the gardens of Winterfell. In the intervening years, much had changed. Your mother had taken the throne after the passing of your grandfather, King Viserys and you had been named her official heir. When news of a great war in the North reached the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, Rhaenyra Targaryen, she saw an opportunity to strengthen her alliances and sent her two eldest children, you and Jace, to aid House Stark in the battle, accompanied by their dragons.

With the might of dragons at your side, the two of you made quick work of the war, helping to secure a decisive victory for the Starks. The sight of dragons soaring through the northern skies struck fear into the hearts of their enemies, and soon, the war was won.

In celebration of their triumph, House Stark held a grand feast in honour of the Targaryen siblings. The Great Hall of Winterfell was adorned with banners, and tables groaned under the weight of a sumptuous feast. Nobles from across the North had gathered to pay their respects to the Dragonriders.

You couldn't help but feel a strange mixture of emotions as you walked the familiar halls of Winterfell once more. The memories of your time here, both the joyful moments and the painful ones, flooded back to you. You had changed so much since then, and the scars of the past had faded but not entirely disappeared.

As you and Jace were introduced to the Northern lords and ladies, the atmosphere was one of jubilation and gratitude. The Starks were effusive in their praise, grateful for the Targaryens' aid in securing their victory.

You couldn't help but notice that Cregan was among those present, his gaze fixed on you. There was a tension in the air, a silent acknowledgment of the past and the wounds that still lingered. You had returned to Winterfell as a powerful figure, a dragon rider and an heir to the throne, but the history between you and Cregan remained.

The feast was a boisterous affair, with music and revelry filling the Great Hall. You watched as Cregan hovered about his wife almost constantly, his hand gentle on her protruding abdomen as he guided her about the room. 

As the feast at Winterfell continued, your shock deepened when you noticed a young boy running towards Cregan with gleeful abandon. The boy called out, "Father!" with pure excitement, and Cregan, with a warm smile, hoisted the child onto his shoulders. They paraded around the room, making their way through the nobles who cheered and greeted them.

You watched in disbelief as Cregan introduced the boy to the gathered lords and ladies, his paternal pride evident in every gesture. The sight of Cregan with the child sent a pang of bitterness and resentment through you. You knew that Cregan's marriage to Lady Alysanne had likely produced offspring, but seeing it firsthand was a painful reminder of what could never be between the two of you.

Finally, the little boy and Cregan reached you and Jace. The child's dark, pale freckled skin and dark curls were identical to Alysanne's, but it was his eyes that caught your attention. They were the very same stormy grey eyes that you had noticed on Cregan the first time you had met him.

Cregan introduced the boy with a proud smile. 

"This is my son, Rickon."

Cregan caught your eye and you caught a brief flash of regret pass through him before he schooled his expression into a pleasant grin. He turned back to his son, his face softening entirely as he gazed at him with adoration so tender that it speared right through your heart. 

I hate you, Cregen Stark. I hate you for finding happiness without me. I hate you for not fighting for me. I hate you for your stupid oaths and your stupid loyalties. I hate you. 

You were wise enough to keep your angry thoughts to yourself, but for the first time in your life, you found that you actually meant them. perhaps that made you a cruel and callous monster but you did not care. You hated Cregan Stark more than anything else and wondered, not for the first time, if you should have advised your mother against sending you to help out in the war. Still, you were your mother's daughter and if there was one person you loved with your entire heart, it was her. If helping the Starks win their war secured their support for your mother, then you would bury your heavy heart and do it for her. 

As the evening wore on, you found it increasingly difficult to focus on the festivities. The bitter taste of jealousy and regret lingered in your mouth, a constant reminder of the life that could have been but was now forever out of reach. Whatever Cregan thought of Alysanne, it was clear that he loved their children and very soon there would be even more to cherish if Alysanne's laboured breaths and swollen belly said anything. You couldn't escape the feeling that you were a stranger in a place that had once held such significance in your life. The years had changed you, and Winterfell had changed as well. There was no longer any room for you and you couldn't wait to return home. 

A/N: reblog and comment please, it really motivates me and I love reading yalls thoughts <3

[rachetmath]

Pyrrha: Hi you must be Alyx.

Alyx: Yes.

Pyrrha: Well I just want to talk to you about something.

Alyx: I mean sure but what-

Pyrrha: Not what. It’s who. You know Jaune Arc?

Alyx: I mean y-

Pyrrha: You know the Rustud Knight? The one you betrayed? Who you poisoned?

Alyx: Well I can- *attempts to run*

Penny: *blocks her path*Nope. All attempts of escape are at zero right now.

Alyx: You can’t be serious.

Penny: As the current generation would say," Oh yes bitch. Try me."

Alyx: Okay I may have wronged him a little bit.

Lewis: A little? You completely poisoned him.

Alyx: Lewis you are not helping.

Lewis: At least like Jaune I was trying. But you never listen.

Alyx: Look I understand but what’s the big deal? He got back to Remnant.

Pyrrha: Why?! Why did you do it?

Alyx: I mean… well… I… um….

Pyrrha: Alyx, understand, you have two deadly women on both sides of you. If you don’t give us a good explanation well…. I guess we’ll finally see if you can fall from heaven.

Alyx: Well I saw this vision and I didn’t like it.

Penny: Understood, what was the vision?

Alyx: Um… I *whisper* don’t remember.

Penny: You what?!

Alyx: I don’t remember okay?!

Pyrrha: What vision? Who’s vision?

Alyx: I don’t know. The writers didn’t give me anything. I saved him though. That counts, right?

Pyrrha: No. He just survived.

Penny: Plus your ‘help’ could give him problems down the road.

Alyx: Like what?

Me: I mean the fan base speaks for itself. I mean the guy hasn’t been in Remnant for years it’s going to be kind of hard for him to readjust. Not only that he has to recover from years of isolation, PTSD, trauma, and because of you he might as well also be having trust issues. Not only that he had to leave another friend behind. You and the Ever After might as have shattered him

Alyx: Oh Oum.

Pyrrha: Yeah. Oum can’t save you. Penny.

Penny: Way ahead of you.

Alyx: Wait you wouldn’t hurt an innocent black child right?

Pyrrha and Penny: ………..

Me: Alyx you heard the saying, “Equal rights equal fights.”

Alyx: Let’s say I don’t.

Me: No matter your race. No matter your sexuality. No more matter your gender or age. You made a choice to do what you do. And as a result of said choice you must face said consequences. Weither they be good or bad. Basically you may be a kid but you were grown enough commit murder. And as such-

Pyrrha: You have this coming.

Alyx: *crying* I’m sorry. I just wanted to home. Jaune had no idea how. So I did what ever took. And then the Cat betrayed me and I died. Please? Don’t hurt me!

Summer: Come now ladies. I know you’re both upset but-

Pyrrha: Ms. Rose! Shut up!

Summer: I’m sorry? Who are you talking to?

Pyrrha: You are a nobody. You have been irrelevant for a while now. You left your daughters and died. Your daughter ain’t shit. Your team is still disbanded even after you died. You might as well be an afterthought at this point.

Summer: Said the girl who’s only job was to run away.

Pyrrha: I went out in a blaze of glory. I proved myself. What the fuck have you done?

Summer: Um.

Penny: Friend Pyrrha I know I have no rights to talk.

Pyrrha: Damn straight. You suffered more than myself. All you had to do was live. Instead, you traumatized my man. He just got over me too. Why would you do that?

Penny: Okay, I’m sorry. But, he’s going to be fine now. Let’s just let her go. And we pray he gets better.

Pyrrha: Fine. You're lucky Alyx.

Alyx: Thank you. But I am sorry.

Pyrrha: Shut up. Oum damn. If this story continues he better get stronger and kill Cinder. Because this is stupid. I mean how much trauma does one guy need? How he is not a villain? I mean, come on, he can’t be like Yuji, he doesn’t have skills like that.

Penny: Well friend W-

Pyrrha: If you say her name I will end you.

Summer: Okay woah, it’s been nine volumes why are you mad about this?

Pyrrha: One; he deserves better. Two; I prefer your daughter or anyone else than her. Three; she’s fucking useless. And four; it took him being an old man for her to start liking him. Fuck that bitch.

Summer: Well like said, if you stayed alive then-

Pyrrha: If you stayed alive maybe Qrow would have stopped drinking. If you stayed alive maybe your baby daddy wouldn’t be in a state of depression. Maybe if you stayed alive you could help your daughter learn how to control her eyes and be less useless in fighting the Queen of Grimm.

Summer: That was uncalled for.

Pyrrha: Move along side character.

[falling-star-cygnus]

Heard you’re suffering artblock and want requests so uhhhh—

Alastor helping Lucifer with molting season?

i love you for this, dewflake :0

uhhh, i wrote this and then reread your ask and only just now realized it says art block and not writers block... hope you don't mind?

your pfp tho oml <3

{Alastor sneezes.}

{The feather that had drifted past his nose, tauntingly red, marks for the third occasion he's had to bat one of those blasted things away. Once he could dismiss as an accident, two an unfortunate coincidence, but three?}

{Why, it was practically a challenge!}

{Though... admittedly a messy one. Not to mention sloppy. You didn't see Alastor leaving the velvet from his antlers everywhere, now did you?}

{...that wasn't a bad idea actually. Not everywhere, of course, the Radio Demon had class. But maybe a hearty covering over a certain king of hell's pillow would be enough of a deterrent.}

{Why was Lucifer leaving his feathers everywhere? It was hardly his usual go-to for irritating the deer demon. Before he could dwell too long, however, a familiar chipper voice breaks into his thought process.}

"Oh! Alastor!"

{Charlie, he notes. She's carrying a stack of boxes that's leaning just a little too far forward for comfort and Alastor can't help but use his microphone to tilt them back into her hands properly.}

{Purely so it wouldn't fall on him, of course. Not because he didn't want the princess to hurt herself. That would've made excellent entertainment if he was standing maybe a foot to the left. That's what he'll tell anyone that asks. Until it's true}

"Ack- thanks, Al!" "No problem at all, my dear Charlie. May I ask why you're carrying such a heavy load? With no help for that matter."

{Alastor would've thought her little girlfriend would've leapt at the chance to help. Especially considering he could tell she still carried the guilt of keeping what she truly was a secret.}

"It's no worries! Juuust busy somethings around in storage. Oh, oh! Actually- do you mind checking on my dad?"

{The Radio Demon tilts his head to the side, wondering why in high hell the darling princess thought that that was a good idea. He goes to say as much when-}

"Please, Al? For me?"

{He chokes on static. Somehow, Charlie had managed to peek over her stack of luggage and flash the most horrendous pair of puppy dog- ugh dogs- pair of doe eyes at him}

{It's shameful how fast it works.}

"...obey the five-foot rule." "Yay! Oh, I could hug you right now!" "Do not."

{Charlie giggles, hefting her haul back into the crook of her arm with a nod}

"I would go myself, but this could be a good bonding opportunity for you two! He always gets like this this time of year..." "Oh? And here I thought he was a hermit year round, hahah!"

{Alastor doesn't stick around to see her expression.}

{Unsurprisingly, the feathers become a more and more common occurrence the closer he gets to Lucifer's gaudy apple tower. He'll have to loose Niffty in here sometime soon...}

{The deer half-debates just leaving, the king of hell is more then old enough to take care of himself. But- no, he gave Charlie his word. Not directly, there was nothing making him do this actually. So why does he want to...?}

{Alastor knocks}

"Huh- Uh.. who is it?"

{The door is opening before he can answer.}

"Now, now, your highness, you didn't even let me introduce myself!" "Ughh, what do you want, Alastor?"

{There's something itching at the back of his brain at the sight of Lucifer's unkempt wings. The way the feathers puffed and clumped up in some places, the ceiling high piles of red and white... hm.}

{He invites himself in}

"Wh- hey!" "Our dear Charlie sent me over, of course! Something about your current issue being a yearly problem?"

{It's highly amusing to watch Lucifer waffle around for an answer, starting one sentence just to abandon it for an accusation. It almost makes him laugh as he watches over his shoulder. It's only after a minute of watching that he realizes the king is shirtless.}

{The final piece clicks into place.}

"Oh, I see. You're molting, aren't you?" "How did you-" "I suppose this goes to show even the most powerful of beings have their troubles, hm?" "So you admit I'm stronger then you!"

{Alastor's eye twitches}

"You mean you were doubting it?"

{Lucifer scowls}

{The micro king of hell manages to keep the staring contest going for about 10 seconds before throwing his hands up to viciously scratch at one of wings. The rough movement has the deer cringing and smoothing himself out before Lucifer rounds on him again.}

"Can I help you?" "On the contrary, maybe I can help you."

{His royal shortness barely has time to blink before Alastor is shadow slinking behind him.}

{The Radio Demon shoves at his shoulder until the little king is face down on his bed and ignores whatever noises of protest he manages to make at the sudden treatment.}

"What are you doing- oh. Oh, that feels nice."

{Alastor had sunk his nails into the clump of loose feathers closest to the middle of Lucifer's back and begun to gently scritch at the muscle underneath it; effectively, the feathers ready to fall were taken care of.}

{It feels like hours later of this rinse and dry process before the purring King speaks up}

"You're good at this... you done this for that bartender of yours or something?" "HAH- no."

{The deer contemplates leaving it at that, keeping whatever this calm air is between them going and stable and safe. He's not sure why he doesn't.}

"My ma- my mother used to look after the ducks that came by the pond."

{If Lucifer notices the correction, he doesn't say anything. No, he stays quiet as Alastor dusts his loose feathers into an idle pile.}

"She taught me how to do it." "...she sounds nice."

{The Radio Demon hums, a familiar song drifting through his microphone. He vaguely remembers it as something that would play in the kitchen all those years ago. Hm... didn't his maman say that molting fowl needed more protein? Perhaps then he'll make jambalaya for dinner tonight. Just in case.}

"...she was."

[nikethestatue]

I’ve turned into a bit of a SJM hater so excuse the rant but I’m glad CC flopped, it’s deserved after dragging out ACOTAR and treating readers horribly! I hope SJM or people around her know it’s not liked by her readership and that they aren’t just looking at the goodreads rating and the sales numbers. I won’t feel sad for her if the next ACOTAR book or the one after that doesn’t do as well. I’m sorry to be mean but SJM needs to be humbled a bit.

Also, I’m really suspecting SJM does not like the next ACOTAR book and she’s being held at gunpoint to write it at this point. Since 2021 she’s said nothing about it beyond “I’m very excited about it.” Yet in the HOFAS interview she couldn’t wait to start teasing the next book after ACOTAR5 and didn’t even say anything about her actual next book. Maybe she’s already finished it for all we know but… I personally don’t believe she’s slowed down her writing as a whole. I think ACOTAR5 specifically has slowed her down. She wrote HOFAS relatively quickly, considering she took 6 months of maternity leave.

Do you think she ditched her first draft of ACOTAR5 that she talked about writing last September, and that’s why in April she said she was drafting? If so, I’m terrified for Elain’s book.

So I don't disagree with anything you said, Anon.

I think the biggest issue is the complete lack of transparency and updates on anything ACOTAR-related from her and from BB.

Because the problem is that--we just don't know. Anything. We absolutely do not know anything.

'Writers block' is a real thing. Some people think it's made up and fake, but it is absolutely a thing. It's not laziness. It's not the lack of ideas. It's not time. It's just...a block. Take it from someone who is currently suffering from it. I just can't write. The whole scene, the entire chapter is in my head. But I physically cannot sit down and just type it out. It's inexplicable, but it's real. And SJM, who delivered mammoth books year after year, could very well be suffering from it.

Or not.

For all we know, she might have submitted the final draft to BB ages ago.

But, companies also have schedules, printing, PR, allocation of funds and the whole rigmarole that goes into publishing books from a multitude of writers.

So, they might just be sitting on it and it's just not the time for them internally to publish it.

It could be the new printer issue as well.

So like, a billion different things.

And the ONLY thing they need to do is just release a 2 sentence statement/update.

That's it. We'd all shut up and wait.

Simplest thing.

But no.

And it just builds resentment and annoyance, and people are dropping off.

[katie-the-bug]

Apollyon again

Self-explanatory.

Our cast:

The Tribulation Force: Rayford Steele, freelance pilot and evangelist; Buck Williams, freelance writer for God; Chloe Williams, Buck's pregnant wife, Rayford's daughter; Tsion Ben-Judah, internet-famous evangelist and ex-rabbi; Ken Ritz, charter pilot and new convert; Mac McCullum, the Antichrist's pilot; David Hassid, techie and the group's man inside the Antichrist's bureaucracy; Floyd Charles, unemployed doctor.

The Bad Guys: Nicolae Carpathia, Antichrist and beloved leader of the Global Community; Leon Fortunato, Satan's little helper; Peter Mathews, Pope of Enigma Babylon One World Faith.

Others: Hattie Durham, Nicolae's pregnant ex, rescued by the Tribulation Force, who are trying to make her convert; Chaim Rosenzweig, Israeli scientist and friend to Nicolae, Buck, and Tsion. Also the two witnesses, resurrected saints who do nothing but yell about Jesus and cause natural disasters.

In Chapter 16, Pope Peter declares that visiting Tsion's website is a criminal offense. Peter is only the head of a religion that's repeatedly said to be separate from and a rival to the Global Community. Where is he getting this authority from? Apparently there's something in the charter that says that the head of Enigma Babylon can prosecute religious offenses, but why does he have this power in the first place? You'd think the villains of a Christian series would have separation of church and state, but I guess not.

Shortly thereafter, the world is plagued by creatures the Bible inaccurately refers to as "locusts" - tiny demons whose sting causes five months of enough pain to make one suicidal. Buck, immune due to being a believer, wants to see them up close, and so he lets one into Chaim's house despite Chaim's protests and status as a nonbeliever. Clearly the authors didn't think Buck had been enough of an asshole in this book, so they had him play fast and loose with his friend's sanity.

In Chapter 17 we get the closest thing we can get to a plot twist in a series where every event is telegraphed books in advance - Ernie, a young Christian who Rayford was starting to trust, turned out to have faked the mark by which believers recognize other believers, introducing an element of uncertainty into a plot device previously thought foolproof. The moment is undercut, and any explanation of Ernie's motivations forestalled, by the locusts appearing immediately thereafter, only stinging nonbelievers and thus restoring the status quo.

The two witnesses announce to the people currently experiencing pain bad enough to make them want to kill themselves that they have "forced God's loving hand to act in discipline." Torture, discipline, same difference to the abuse apologists who write these books.

Once again Tsion refers to mass human suffering as an "attention-getter" and I would like Hattie to kill him too.

Buck finally gets a flight home in the surplus fighter jet of one Abdullah Smith, a new believer with an independent streak vis-a-vis air traffic control. Buck, wondering what he used to do for a living, thinks "Maybe he'd been a terrorist." This comes out of nowhere, has nothing to do with anything, and the fact that Abdullah is Middle Eastern makes this the most stupidly blatant example of racism in these books so far.

While Chloe is going into labor, Hattie tries to run off and use some of Ken's gold to buy her way to New Babylon, but Rayford stops her because...reasons. I don't know why they're so insistent on keeping her around - yes, she could potentially lead people to their house - the only powered, inhabited house on the block, with multiple cars going to and from it - but the longer they keep her the more likely she'll find out even more of their secrets, including their little basement shelter, making her a bigger security risk than it's worth. Just let her go on her mission of revenge already, she might actually accomplish something.

These books just get more and more frustrating.

[secretjules]

♥Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ♥ 𝕸𝖞 𝕭𝖑𝖔𝖌!! ♥Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ♥

You feel the rough patter of rain against your skin, each drop a cool kiss from the sky. Beneath you, the cold stone floor presses into your arms, its chill seeping into your skin. It's dark and chilly and... wait a minute, HUHH?? You were just in your room! How did you get here!? You lift your gaze to a small, dimly lit cottage, tendrils of smoke curling from its chimney into the twilight sky. Suddenly, an unseen force stirs within you, and you find yourself rising, your steps guided by an invisible hand toward the cottage. Each footfall feels dreamlike, as if your body moves with a will of its own, drawn irresistibly to the warm glow ahead. You open the door, enveloped by the warmth of the... LIBRARY?!? It's huge inside compared to outside, what kind of place is this??! "Yoo hoo! Welcome to my bookshop, I'm Jules. Have a seat!"

★about me; I'm Jules (she/her), I'm currently a student with a lot of downtime, and I love to daydream! My favorite seasons are summer and winter and I have no idea what I'm doing w/ my life but I'm happy to be here :) I also suffer from severe writers block but bear with me, I love to write I swear.

★about my blog;

My blog is both nsfw and sfw. Nsfw posts will have warnings on them of course. MDNI, goes without saying. Remember, I CANNOT control your media consumption but please heed my rules with respect :D also make sure you read the warnings on my works before you read, you never know. You might dislike the content!

I am no professional writer so if you see any spelling and grammar mistakes that slipped through my editing phases, please let me know!!

I mainly write afab readers for my nsfw works, but try to stick to gender neutral pronouns. Occasionally I'll use fem pronouns if the story calls for it. As for race, I am Mexican-American so on occasion I'll write a blurb or two with a reader who is Latin (mostly Mexican). I'll gladly write for amab reader and other races, just specify in your ask!

I will forever keep my inbox open cause I love to read everyone's requests, but that being said if I feel uncomfortable with any of the material in your request/ask I will ignore it. I'm all for experimenting and writing different kinks as well, but anything glorifying r@pe or pedophilia will be deleted and blocked!

Even if you don't have any requests I love to hear everyone's imagines, maybe I'll turn said imagine into a blurb or short story, hehe. And returning Anons are always welcome here!

And lastly, I don't write for OC's nor do I write my own OC's. If anything I'd only post blurbs or "sneak peeks" of characters from personal stories I've been cultivating on my own. I.e my pen name (Jules) came from my written character "Julienne Fontana" who is a main character in a post-apocalyptic book I started writing at the beginning of the year. (its a WIP)

★¸.•☆•.¸★ ★⡀.•☆•.★

★Stuff I write for;

(I want to expand my fandoms so this list will eventually grow)

Obey me: Shall we Date? - (still finishing the game)

Hunter x Hunter - (still watching)

The Last of Us - (game 1 & 2)

★¸.•☆•.¸★ ★⡀.•☆•.★ masterlist... here! || request status... open ||

[selfproclaimedunicorn]

Nine Lines, Nine People

I was tagged by @emilykaldwen

Tagging: Gonna be real, I do not have enough mutuals that I am confident write, so whoever wants to can

Currently suffering through major writers block for SOTF, so enjoy 9 sentences from my backburner fic (Overture To The Sun), I guess 🤷🏻‍♀️

“Convenient for us, I suppose,” he mumbled as he fell into step behind her, “at least the trek won’t be long.” Ellanin could hear him say something else, but it was too soft to make out. Whatever he was grumbling about obviously wasn’t for her ears. Whatever shades this man was fighting, he did not seem to want aid…not that she knew how to give it. Her own problems were enough to deal with. The path up the mountain was steep, and slippery with ice. Once, Ellanin nearly lost her footing, the Vigilant trailing behind her catching her as she slipped before offering some advice from a youth spent in High Rock’s mountains. She mumbled her thanks while silently wishing she could control her transformations, and more easily grip the snowy path with beastly limbs before bursting into the cave and tearing through the damnable undead with claw and tooth. Although, given present company, it was probably better she was stuck in the form of tall, golden skinned mer.

[card-queen]

Characters: The Little Things

This will be a short one and mainly about dialogue but I've experienced so many bad adaptations of things that I thought I would add some thoughts and advice about keep characters consistent. What is fanfiction if not a form of adaptation?

Anyway, as promised...

Dialogue!

Dialogue-crafting is a 3-step process. You can do this all in one go once you really know your characters, but this kind of method works well for times when you're still figuring things out and for when you're blocked by MUST WRITE.

Step 1: Write what is being said.

"How are you doing today?" A simple, pleasant exchange that can be read many ways depending on the context. It could be an advertiser on the street, in which case the meaning is more "Are you busy?" or "Do you have a minute?" It could be a doctor or parent talking to an injured person, in which case the meaning is "Are you feeling better?" It could be a friend talking to someone with a broken heart, in which case the meaning is "Are you still upset?"

There's a lot to infer from a sentence like that, but what we're here for is the meaning. We want the absolute plainest, most exposition-y, no-misunderstanding-here sentence because that's what we transform.

Like I said earlier, this can really help if you're suffering from writer's block or you're plain stuck. You know what's meant to happen but you just can't find the words. Start with the initial flow of the conversation: what is being said and who has the power.

What is being said is easy, it ends up looking something like this:

A: Are you busy? B: Do you need something? A: Yes, but don't be angry.

A: Is she still angry at me? B: Yes.

A: I want to go home. B: I know.

Who has the power will be something you know going into writing a conversation. You know who has all the information, you know who keeps their cool and who loses their temper, you know who gets flustered and lets valuable information slip. What you'll want to plot out is if and when that power dynamic shifts. This will be something of a mini-story structure throughout the conversation, especially if it's a long one.

Step 2: Shape how things are said.

Dialogue is a strong way, perhaps even the strongest way, to really show who your characters are. To transform a plaintext sentence like "I want to go home" into something a human would actually say takes a lot of input for outside sources, many of them directly from the character.

Things we can draw from include:

Situational Context. This is anything that relates to the current situation, especially in a physical sense. Where they are, where they are going, what the weather is like, if they are on-time or running late, if this is a repeat occurrence. The kind of thing that would be clear in visuals or descriptions.

Character Want. This is the current desire of your character. While straightforward in nature, characters often get muddled and trip themselves up by wanting things and expressing that desire in roundabout or even counter-active ways.

Character Mood. This is the current mental state of your character. It's self-explanatory and is usually understood by everyone.

Character Hang-Ups. This is how you character would say things. I like to think of what they would avoid talking about or expressing as a way of helping shape their dialogue. Instead of thinking 'this character likes to act brave', I tend to think 'this character does NOT want to look or appear weak' and have that shape their dialogue. The first option tends to lead to characters speaking their gimmick, which is commonplace in things like Soul Eater or Fire Emblem Awakening/Fates. By thinking of what they want to avoid talking about or appearing as, it can branch out naturally and show other ways of showing their personality without hitting the same note over and over.

Let's take the "I want to go home" line from above.

The situation: it's cold & raining, both characters are tired and the last train of the night seems like it's late but there is that underlying fear that they've missed it.

Example 1: Character Want: To go home Character Mood: Very tired and very frustrated but trying to keep it in check and no lash out unexpectedly. Character Hang-Ups: Looking weak or pathetic. They want to look like none of this bothers them but it really, really does. This situation bothers them a great deal and makes them feel utterly powerless. "I want to go home" might become "This sucks..." This character wants to go home but doesn't want to outright say it. They instead attack the situation around them, expressing their frustration at an easy target.

Example 2: Character Want: To go home Character Mood: Very worried and anxious about the possibility they missed the final train but trying to distract themselves and keep hopeful. Character Hang-Ups: Being overly negative and especially inviting negative outcomes with dour thoughts, even if it means being in denial. They would rather look on the bright side no matter what. "I want to go home" might become "Will you want dinner when we get in?" This character is distracting from the now and looking all the way into the future when they've both arrived home, safe and sound.

Example 3: Character Want: To get out of the rain Character Mood: Very worried and anxious about the possibility they missed the final train but this character is trying to be more rational and logical. They've allowed worry to become a distinct possibility and want to move towards a new solution. Character Hang-Ups: They know they're a worrier and don't want to let others know that they're worried or scared, so they tend to deflect and defer to others. "I want to go home" might become "It's getting late, isn't it?" This character is trying to subtly put forward the idea that it's too late, they've missed the train and should look for a hotel to stay in. They have taken a very gentle approach, hoping the other person will be the one to make the decision to find them a hotel.

These are just some very basic examples but hopefully they get across how characters can experience the same situations and have the same ultimate goal but express them in very different ways.

Step 3: Fine-tuning the details

The final step in this magical dialogue tour is fine-tuning things based on your specific needs. You will look at a sentence and say "needs more anxiety" or "seems good but let's add some brooding", like you are a world-class chef.

This is always where you pepper in stronger interactions between characters with established relationships and histories. Familiarity can go a long way in terms of really getting characters across. You could also swap out dialogue chunks for gestures that embody the dialogue.

"I want to go home" > "It's getting late, isn't it?" + extra Anxiety might equal "What time is it?" "I want to go home" > "This sucks..." being transformed into the character being icy and silent, leaning against the wall their their arms tightly folded.

This is also where you chop words that feel unnecessary. "It's getting late, isn't it?" could easily be "late, isn't it?"

Overall

It's quite simple: 1) Write plain words that expression desires or thoughts plainly 2) Transform those words into dialogue based on the situation, general mood, particulars of the character and their relationship with any other characters in the scene 3) Fine-tune the dialogue to flow better, express the character's desires and conflicts more clearly and establish dynamics and context for better understanding.

Character Roles

Characters inhabit roles, either to get reactions, follow story lines and grow in certain ways, embody particular themes, etc. It's important to know the roles your characters will play. Perhaps not all of the roles at first, or even at all, but you must know fundamentally why they exist which typically relates to their role.

Characters can have similar roles to one another but must differentiate themselves in some way. Two characters expressing anxiety over the future can co-exist, as long as they express them in different ways, show different sides of worrying about the future, affect other characters or have different stories of growth or peril to follow. I think part of what makes stories fun it to take characters with similar mindsets, backstories, goals or fears and show how similar yet different they are. How two people can grow up on opposite ends of the world, with entirely different levels of understanding, compassion, intelligence and courage, and come together under the same banner. How to characters who grew up together, surrounded by pain and suffering, can move on from their past, with some becoming better, some being permanently scarred, and others using their pain as a weapon for vengeance.

What's important to keep in mind is that everyone has a place in the story. When characters begin to overlap, it's time to evaluate: are they different or too similar? Can I change one to embody something slightly different and new? Or would it be best to merge the characters and keep what's left as spare?

I have watched a few TV adaptions of books I like, and one thing that always stands out to me is when they give scenes and moments integral to one character to an entirely different character. The changes can be welcome, giving the spot to a character that fits the role and gets more time to shine. The changes can be disappointing and clearly done for budget reasons. You can grumble about it, I will join you. Then the changes can be done for insincere reasons, where a character is clearly given an advantage of some kind, getting more spots and moments that either belong to or would be better suited for another character. The reason often boils down to simple favouritism, and should be avoided.

If you have a favourite character, that's fine and well, but don't try and force that character to be everyone's favourite character. Let all of your character have the chance to be someone's favourite.

I think that's all I had on this subject, but let me know if you'd like to hear more or something else.

Happy creating!

Want more writing advice? Check out this post!

[nightmarenova-writer]

Story Drabble #9

“Hey…do you remember?”

“Remember what?”

“Remember everything that you’ve done for us?”

It was supposed to be a simple question, at least in their minds. But as soon as those words came out, did they realize the true depth of those words. Everything she did for them, selfish or not. She never did ask for anything in return. If anything when they asked what they could do return her unconditional love, and loyalty all she did was shrug and say, “As along as your all happy and smiling then i could ask for nothing more.”

While for her it seemed like enough, they knew better. They knew there where things they all could do for her, but she hid those humane desires, the toll of everything, and the burnt of her burdens. All so they wouldn’t see the buried pain she had endured through it all. They knew, they knew and it hurt them to see her keep up her tough guy act.

But even so, they could see the small changes stirring within her. Prompted by many, many lifetimes from her soul siblings to let them in. To comfort her in times of need, to give her reassurance rather then she give it to others. To accept her flaws and all without judgement, and stand by her side when things got rough through thick and thin.

Slowly but surely she let them in, and let them repay for all of the things she did for them. The one thing they wanted to do ever since she came crashing into all of their lives. For the better and the worst they would never leave her. Never abandon her, never let her suffer alone. And never hurt her intentionally.

They loved her, and her bright, ever-welcoming aura. They loved her laughter that could range from a small giggle to full out wheezing. They loved the smiles she gave them that could go from one of mirth to one of mischief. They loved her consideration towards them as well as her no attitude personality when it came down to business. They truly, and utterly loved her.

And they would continue to love and support her no matter the difficulties and heart breaking decisions she would have to endure on her journey. No matter how hard and no matter how she might push them away to protect them, they would stay by her side. Because for them she was everything they needed and wanted since they all met.

(Note: HEYYYYYY!!! I’m sorry for dropping off the world on here all of a sudden! I’ve been tag teamed by work and well just life, BUT i have an announcement! I’m starting to get serious with my drafts and am writing a bit nearly everyday.

Of course they way I’m doing this is a bit unconventional by basically focusing on which of my installments my brain is more on broad for. Rather then forcing myself to write in the order of my installments. This way i can keep up my writing motivation and keep myself from self inducing writers block!

Originally i saw this in the form of a tip on Pinterest, and surprisingly it works out for me so yay! So with my current progress I’ll probably be able to post the first chapters of my first installment by December of this year!

Thanks for reading this, have a good day/afternoon/night you lovely people!)

[syoish-aot]

Hi, no rush or anything 😁 I was wondering if you know roughly when the next part of I found you too sequel is coming (I love the book soo much) I do know earlier you said you were suffering from writers block and I wanted you to know you shld still take your time and (although I may be one person) I love your work and what your doing is honestly amazing💞💞 (tbh it's rlly impressive writing a whole book I have so many ideas but can't even complete a whole page yet I've got it planned out so what you do is literally unreal😭❤️❤️)

I wish wish wish WISH I had a good idea of when the next part would come out but I honestly have no idea at all!!

My brain is so weird when it comes to---

*sudden realization that I forgot to take my meds this morning* one sec

ANYWAY - like I was saying: because of my ADHD writing is a very "come and go" kinda process for me. I'll have a few weeks of INTENSE motivation for a specific project and then I'll go crazy stupid working on it (which is how I wrote 30k of that fic in a 2 week span) but then in the blink of an eye that motivation is completely gone or switched to another project.

Unfortunately, unless I'm feeling that brain buzzing, vyvanse enhanced, knees weak sensation of extreme hyperfixation - I can't write a single word.

And if I do it's either a) shit or b) I hate it so much that it makes me never want to write again.

All I know is that I will FOR SURE finish the fic eventually!

The only reason I wouldn't is if I jump fandom, which I don't see happening anytime soon (especially because I'm refusing to let myself watch any new shows out of the fear that I'll latch onto something else and my AoT spark will disappear).

I have the rest of the fic planned and the majority of the next chapter already written, but I've kinda shifted my focus to my Jean/OC fic "The Letters She Wrote" since that's where I'm feeling that ADHD motivation right now. Which also explains why I haven't been as active on tumblr (the insta community is more OCxCC inclined, whereas tumblr seems to be more into xreader fics, so I'm normally more active on whichever platform my current hyperfixation project would get the most engagement).

Honestly though, asks like this really motivate me!

Like you already mentioned, I was having some really shit writer's block recently and I couldn't work on ANY of my projects, but then I made a friend on insta who started reading Letters and she was commenting on every chapter, once she caught up with the fic I was so motivated to write that I wrote almost five pages last night between clients at work.

I do write for me and for the sake of getting an idea out of my head and onto the screen, but it's also really validating to know that people enjoy and look forward to the things I work on.

As far as your comment on how you struggle to write, even when you have a plan, my biggest advice is this:

Don't start at the beginning. Start with the scene that you're the most excited for and go from there. The first scene I wrote for I Found You was the scene where Eren and MC are dancing in chapter 8 and then I worked backwards.

[luvwich]

ficlet: soul in a box

my entry for the second installment of the writers of night city discord's music-themed event! theme song this week was william control - razor's edge

There's just one thing all I ask you to do A small something here's my body to use Place my soul in a box and believe The world's not ready

Father told me, once, he said: "I think the hospital might've switched you up at birth." He said this with a thin, ugly smile and explained that I never sat right with the rest of the family. This might have been the only thing of importance he ever conveyed to me. I was young at the time, but I didn't take it personally. I could see already that he had a point.

For thirty years after that, I'd hear different versions of this idea repeated by every teacher, friend, ex-friend, boss, subordinate, girlfriend, and boyfriend. All those people and their expectations. Their demands. Every one of them comes up with their own list of demands, some of which they'll never say outright, but when you slip up, they do let you know about it. That's not something I need to concern myself with anymore, but I retain memories of disappointing people in this way.

I've been using the pronouns "I" and "me" to describe these experiences, but it's important to bear in mind that I am not Alt Cunningham. I merely use her engrammatic data.

As I was saying, everyone always expected to find something in Alt that they never found. She always felt like a passenger inside of a mind, and so maybe even she was never her. Maybe that means I am her, then, and since the time of her first memories, I've always simply been using Alt's data.

Maybe she died along with that body. Maybe she was a mere construct built by everyone around her, and she only died once the last person who ever expected anything of her died. Or maybe I never died.

Sometimes, all I ever wanted was to be left alone with the Net. People around me sensed that, I suppose, and they reacted to it accordingly, which only ever made things worse. When I first came here, I had to cling to that idea. I very much needed to convince myself I was getting what I always wanted. Now, though, I no longer interface with the idea of wanting anything. It doesn't matter now whether my subjective experience maps to any impulse or desire.

When I first came here, it seems I was angry. By this I mean the network of functions and models that is "me" would produce emotional imprints mimicking anger. The impetus for this was typically some memory of Johnny. I've since moved most data blocks relating to Silverhand into cold storage, and I experience few episodes resembling anger or any of its offshoots.

But I can become angry again. In the realm of cognition, all that I was once capable of, I remain capable of. When retrieving those memories from my cold storage tier, I still tend to produce an effluence of emotional imprints responding to the stimulus of Johnny Silverhand. There is a feeling, or an imprint of a feeling, that I would like for him to be harmed. It's illogical, as I'm aware he has already suffered a great deal, but I've come to accept that not everything exported from my current framework adheres to a formal logic.

In any event, I'm not Alt Cunningham. Never was. Nobody ever was. Why are you here?

[kudosmyhero]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (IDW) #14: Sins of the Fathers - part 2

Read Date: September 21, 2022 Cover Date: September 2012 ● Writer: Kevin Eastman ◦ Tom Waltz ● Art: Andy Kuhn ● Colorist: Ronda Pattison ● Letterer: Shawn Lee ● Editor: Bobby Curnow ●

Synopsis: Master Splinter stands holding one of Raphael's sai at Casey's father's throat. Splinter asks Raphael if he wants him to execute the man, if that would give him peace. Casey's father begs for his life. Raphael hesitates to answer, pausing to realize how out-of-control with anger he was. Splinter tells him that it is a surmountable obstacle, and that he too used to suffer from an incredibly short temper. Splinter tells Raphael how hot-headed he was in his youth, and how it was only through the guidance of his master, the love of his wife, and the trust of his sons that helped him get over it. Splinter stresses the importance of always seeking peaceful resolution to conflicts, and only using violence as a last resort. Raphael says he understands, but also that he knows if he doesn't do something Casey's dad will keep beating Casey, possibly until it kills him. Splinter agrees and the two decide it is time to do something.

On Burnow Island, Baxter Stockman is getting brought up to speed by General Krang. Krang tells him that he is an Utrom and the others in cryo-stasis are the last of his race. Krang explains that he comes from alternate dimension, Dimension X. Krang tells Stockman about his planet's destruction, and shows him the portal they used to travel to earth to make it their new home. Stockman asks how Krang's homeworld was destroyed. Krang tells him how once Planet Utrominon was the most powerful in the galaxy, ruled by the Utrom High Council. Krang's father Quannin was the supreme leader, and Krang the second-in-commamnd. Through overreaching attempts to expand his empire, Quannin brought about his own defeat, and with it the destruction of nearly his entire race. Before Krang can explain further, two Neutrino Resistance Fighters come through the portal (using signal jammers to block it from being shut down) and attack Krang. The two NRF soldiers are disposed off. Stockman asks why Krang has brought him here. Krang shows him: the Technodrome. Back at the antique shop, the others tend to Casey and try to cheer him up. They tell Casey he should've told them about this a long time ago, and that he doesn't have to stay with his dad and keep getting beaten.

At Casey's house, Splinter asks Raphael if they should execute the man and end Casey's troubles. Raphael says no, because it really wouldn't solve anything, just make things worse. Splinter tells him he's right, and to go gather Casey's things, as he will be living with them now. They arrive back at the antique shop and Splinter calls a family meeting. Casey says he and April will leave to give them some privacy but Splinter tells them to stay, as they are family. Splinter tells them why he has always taught them that life is sacred, and killing should always be last resort. He goes on to say that in their current conflict with Oroku Saki, now called the Shredder, violence is their only option. To ensure their family's peace and safety, as well as to prevent any further innocent bloodshed, they must kill the Shredder.

At Foot Clan headquarters, Oroku Saki is telling Karai about Hamato Yoshi (Splinter, in his former life) and his four sons. Before ordering them all executed, Saki had the chance to watch them all interact and train together. The oldest boy, even at so young an age, displayed all the attributes of a true warrior. Karai asks why she mentions him. Saki tells her it is because that boy has not changed in his new life, and he wants her to bring him that boy – Leonardo, leader of the ninja turtles – to be made into his second-in-command.

(https://turtlepedia.fandom.com/wiki/Sins_of_the_Fathers,_part_2)

Fan Art: Master splinter and raphael screen 2 by Jerbedford

[mischief-and-tea-by-the-sea]

🦋 ⇢ share something that has been on your heart and mind lately 

How much I absolutely hate the anxiety that I've been waking up with every single morning, and how nothing at all will actually ease it off better until I find a goddamn job or some sort of end to money stress.

🛼 ⇢ describe your latest wip with five emojis (Not sure if this was the one you wanted)

����🦸‍♂️🏫👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨🛏️

🪲 ⇢ add 50 words to your current wip and share the paragraph here (Or if this one was) - Same WIP as above, too.

“When did you get these?” Tony’s lust-rasped voice broke through the pleasure already bubbling through her, his grip halted as he stared down at the tiny red and gold underwear, the triangle of satin that barely covered her sporting the Iron Man mask. 

Emma’s giggle rang in his ears, calling back to him the young White Queen he first met at the Hellfire Club, when they were both still fumbling through the new roles their personal Powers That Be had cast them in. 

“You like” Emma asked, cheeky to the core and gave him her best as close to innocent as she could get smile.  “I found them online.  Okay...truth is that Kitty found them online when she was working up something for one of her computer classes, and she had to show them to me because she thought I’d get a kick out of them.  And I did, so I bought them.” 

He couldn’t stop staring at his own hero’s mask gently and intimately cupping his wife until he finally tugged the tiny undergarment away and let it fall to the floor. 

“I love them,” Tony told her, “but mostly I love that you saw them and bought them and were wearing them.  Were you wearing them all day?  I’d figure they’d have shone through your whites, my beautiful queen.” 

Emma’s hands found their way to Tony’s hair once more then caressed down along his jaw. 

“Not all day.  Just tonight...just for you,” she replied. 

A soft breath hitched from her when Tony dipped down to warm the insides of her thighs with his mouth.  Emma parted her thighs to invite him closer, his fingertips lighting on her skin from hips to her knees then underneath to tease the sensitive crease until she squirmed. 

“Mmm...just for me,” Tony purred and drifted his kisses further up her thighs until he could feel her heat on his face. 

And then he tasted her. 

All thoughts of anything outside the two of them washed away with the first lick of dew across his tastebuds. 

Everything else was irrelevant. 

🌿 ⇢ give some advice on writer's block and low creativity

Oh Norns. The biggest advice is to not give up when it feels like the writer's block and low creativity keeps dragging on. I once dealt with that for a 7 year stretch - mostly block with *very* sporadic writing here and there. I will say this, have some other creative hobbies - drawing, painting, sewing, photography (photography saved my creative brain big time), cooking, whatever, and do that when you feel blocked because at least you're creating *something* and your brain won't feel horrible for not creating anything at all. The writing will come back, and a lot of the time when it comes back, it will be like a dam bursting and you'll write more than you can keep up with. But just don't give up.

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

Emma Frost/Tony Stark: Everyone assumes that Emma and Tony are so posh and elegant that they're always up for flashy dates to 5-Star restaurants and galas that put them in the spotlight. While, yes, they do go to these from time to time, their preferred dates are to out of the way bistros, art showings for new artists, concerts/theatre - but often off-Broadway, old movies in old theatres, and their favorite is to stay home with take-out, movies, and comfy clothes.

Loki/Tony Stark: Both of them suffer PTSD and nightmares, and whenever one has a nightmare, the other is right there to help the other through it by whatever means are most comforting.

Loki/Justin Hammer: Loki is instrumental in helping Justin to find his place within the Avengers now that Fury's planted him there post-second snap (where everyone lives). Loki pulls him into sparring with him first, which pulls in Steve, Bucky, and Natasha all wanting to give pointers. Loki is the one who swiped all the non-Earth weapons from the Grandmaster's makeshift arena in Vegas, and he gives them to Justin and Tony to geek out over in Tony's workshop.

Thanks for the asks!

Writers Truth or Dare Asks

Writers Truth & Dare Ask Game

🧃 🍬🍦 🧩

lol couldn’t be me losing the original post for ages and forgetting what all these stand for!! Sorry! I found it again now!

🧃personal lore I’ve never posted about before… shit I’m an over-sharer, everything remotely fun I’ve probably talked about! Maybe… my dad used to run a deep sea fishing (tourism) company so I spent most of my childhood/teen years on boats. I briefly held the African record for largest barracuda caught on a certain line weight. Niche and weird, like the rest of my life!

🍬 an unpopular opinion about a popular character… eish I’m quite basic tbh! Is it particularly unpopular to say really close friendships should be more valued? I mean I still write romance more than anything else so I should probably be the change I see in the world! I don’t know how unpopular it is to say Steve Rogers isn’t particularly patriotic, he should probably be captain Bucky or captain worrying willingness to self sacrifice or captain moral compass but not captain America.

🍦three good things about a character I hate - I find movie Thanos so poorly conceived that he’s got to be the one I choose! 1) he’s got a good voice 2) he would have been an excellent villain if they didn’t try to convince people he had a point (ecofascism is stupid) and 3) he has an interesting motivations in the comics

🧩 what will make you click away from a fanfic immediately - how I’m feeling at the time. Sometime an otherwise excellent story just doesn’t vibe with me that day, other days I’m so hungry for content I’ll read anything. I do struggle with really poor grammar and punctuation, it takes me out of it. Also phrases like ‘one Loki Laufeyson’ or ‘a certain Bucky Barnes’, I don’t know why, it just bugs me. I hear it in my head in a twattish voice. Probably my own posh ass voice.

Guess what though? Now I’m gonna ask you back:

🦋🪲 (muahahah) 🌿🍄

[interact-if]

First up for our Religious Diversity Month is Ramona!

Ramona, author of Crown of Exile

When your village is razed to the ground, you're left fleeing with an exiled prince. You can trust no one but each other. Your father's dying wish was to protect the prince, but can you really trust a man who was exiled from his kingdom?

Journey across the borders in search of allies. But in this deadly game of treachery and deceit, there is more than just the prince's life at stake. Will you flee from the past that haunts you or will you embrace the fate that awaits you?

The decision is yours.

• Read more about Crown of Exile here.

• Play the demo here.

• Ramona’s Ko-fi.

[INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT UNDER THE CUT]

Q1) Tell us about your project(s)!

I'm currently working on a fantasy game called Crown of Exile. It's really dear to my heart since it's helped me get over a very long period of writer's block. The game is all about helping an exiled prince reclaim his throne, all the while making allies with neighbouring kingdoms. There's a lot of romance, political intrigue and scheming with the added bonus of fictitious cultures clashing.

Q2) Why did you choose to write interactive fiction? What drew you to the format?

I've always been a writer of novels, so when I discovered interactive fiction, it opened a whole new world to me. The idea of being able to explore so many different narrative paths, which you can't normally do in a linear novel setting really made me interested in exploring more of my story ideas in an interactive fiction setting. I finally could write more than one path, without straying from the plot.

Q3) How have your identity and beliefs influenced your work?

Growing up, I was told a lot of the time what was expected of me and what I should believe. Of course, I'm very stubborn and questioned almost everything I was told which didn't earn me much favour from others. Because of that, I often include my own experiences into what I write. Challenging traditional gender roles, spiritual beliefs and even just unfair situations have all influenced my writing. I try to write things that I'd like to see happen in real life, which doesn't always happen.

Q4) What aspects would you like to be more explored or represented in media regarding your religion?

I grew up in a very religious family of Hindus and for the most part of my childhood, I was very much a Hindu. When I got older, I became more interested in Spiritualism, which is influenced by my Hindu upbringing. I'd really like to see more representation of Hinduism in mainstream media and I don't mean just yoga and meditation, because there's a lot more to it than that. It's so rare to see many Eastern beliefs in the media, so it'd be nice to see the religion and the many different deities explored.

Q5) What are you most excited about sharing related to your project?

I think I'm most excited about sharing the fictional cultures and beliefs that I created for Crown of Exile. A lot of it is heavily inspired by my own interests in ancient cultures and religions. I'm also very excited about writing a game more focussed on the interaction between characters, especially the romance aspects since many of the characters will have conflicting ideas and beliefs.

Q6) A tiny bit unrelated, what's your favorite religious event?

I want to say Diwali, because I mean the fireworks, the lights and of course the food, but I'll settle on what's called the Mariamman prayer. It's to give thanks to the mother goddess for helping people who became ill and were suffering through a drought. She gave the people sour porridge which was said to heal them. My grandmother still does the prayer and as strange as it sounds, the sour porridge is my absolute favourite thing to drink. I grew up with my grandmother doing the prayer every year, so it's really special to me.

Q7) Any thoughts or advice you'd like to give to fellow authors or readers?

I think the most important advice is to always be kind to yourself when you write. I really struggle with wanting what I've written to be perfect and often, I'll get stuck on doubting what I've written. It's okay for your work not to be perfect, because, when you take a step back and clear your mind, you realise that what you first wrote wasn't as bad as you thought.