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[ INTRODUCTION ]
>> Be mindful that this will be forever under construction and continuously updated <<
Sup!! Welcome to my blog!! I mostly go by Sphny.This is my Transformers fan blog! I usually just draw, write, review, and reblog about stuff that I like.
Some I, admittedly, like more than others when it comes to this franchise’s wide array of options. These are just the ones that take up larger capacities of my headspace 24/7/365. Hell, this isn’t even all of them.
| Transformers: ONE — AHHHHH THIS MOVIE CHANGED MY LIFE FUNDAMENTALLY—I will never be the same because this movie is such a masterpiece the art, the animation, the writing—OMG THE WRITING—I’m so happy that I was able to see it while in the fandom.
| Transformers: Rescue Bots — Good God, this show was like the very first layer of my TF hyper fixation—not my biggest fixation just my first.
| Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy — THIS SHOW is my biggest fixation it’s so cute and wholesome and clever and fun it is such a good show I love the characters so much.
| Transformers: Robots In Disguise (2015) — Hear me out, this show is actually kinda funny in a non-ironic way I promise, and the designs aren’t half bad.
| Transformers: Prime — Amazingly alien, and I say that with the upmost adoration I can muster, because OMG I seriously regret not appreciating the art and character designs in this show (I hate noses on transformers now).
| Transformers: Cyberverse/Transformers Bumblebee Cyberverse Adventures — PLEASE—this show is AWESOME, I praise it for the characters, the story, the character designs, the animation, the EVERYTHING (this is where I personally think Soundrod first originated).
| Transformers: Earthspark — This show, oh my god, I have a love-dread relationship with it; it has so much care-free positivity, an adorable group of characters, nice designs with world-building being amazing so far, but I know for a fact it will destroy me sooner or later (P.S. it already has).
| Transformers: Animated — This show SHOULD be more popular, and it’s the main reason I have my artstyle today (and please don’t bully me but when I found out my fave characters dies I stopped watching….. like immediately………. I didn’t even finish season one.
| Transformers: Botbots — This show… Where do I begin… Oh right, literally the TF fandom parody—like I know for a fact that 85% of the characters’ personalities are inspired by random TF tumblr posts, you can’t deny that.
| Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye — I have read zero TF MTMTE comics and I never plan to, because I would actually die from dehydration after crying so much; but the fandom makes me laugh and I like the art.
| Transformers: Lost Light — I have only read three issues of this series—#23, #25, and #27, because they were the only ones available to me (and fyi for in-between comics I just read the TFWikis).
| Transformers: Last Bot Standing — HOLY SHIT—This made me so… so very sad, and at the same time I was ABSOLUTELY INSPIRED, the premise was amazing and the characters were awesome (oh and uh, I didn’t read the actual comics I just read the TFWikis… again).
| Transformers: IDW (2005/2019) — Okay, okay, I might’ve read a few IDW comics but trust me when I say this—I LOVE reading about IDW’s take on Transformers, I’m forever in awe of its storytelling and fandom.
[ ABOUT BLOG ]
#sphny arts (𖦹w𖦹)•*°⊹ is my main tag for all of my original art
#sphny reblogs (𖦹Q𖦹)•*°⊹ is my main tag for any and all reblogs
#sphny speaks (𖦹<𖦹)•*°⊹ is my main tag for small IRL commentary
#sphny answers (𖦹0 𖦹)•*°⊹ is my main tag for when I answer any asks from my ask box
[ DNI ]
Do Not Interact with me, or this blog if you’re an advocate for: Homophobia, Transphobia, TERFs, Sexism, Racism, Proshipping, or Ableism etc.
[ ASK BOX ]
Asks about my art, writings, WIPs, and reviews are very appreciated, I’m honestly not the best at answering them right away, but they’re still appreciated nonetheless.
Requests for art or writing aren’t usually what I like to receive in my Ask Box casually, so in the nicest way possible I will reject any Requests I get from Asks, unless I make it very apparent that I’m opening/seeking Requests.
[ SIDE BLOGS ]
@transformers-bold-bright-brisk is my Transformers-Fan-Continuity blog that I’ve been using for my AU side project(s): Transformers: Roll Call Rescue Recruits and Transformers: Reach Out To Reassemble.
[ SOCIAL MEDIA ]
BLUESKY @sphnyspinspin.bsky.social — I’m loving the vibes here in general 10/10 would recommend to chat in.
CARA @sphnyspinspin — I haven’t used this in a bit, but I like it so far.
TIKTOK @sphnyn23 — I literally only have three TikToks uploaded and they are cringe, please don’t bully me.
INSTAGRAM @sphnyspinspin — I deleted EVERYTHING on here, and I’ve mostly been using it to “interact” with other artists whose main platform is instagram.
#blog introduction#sphnyspinspin blog#transformers#maccadam#maccadams#this update was a long time comin
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You’re awesome for posting fic updates not only consistently, but daily! Any tips for keeping up with writing?
Thank you so much! I love updates and writing being a part of my routine and I'm glad other people enjoy it too!
And sure, I can think of some tips:
First, there's a mixture of inspiration and forcefulness. I remember when I was really little I read a post somewhere about how if you want to take something seriously, you have to take it seriously on the days when you're inspired and on the days you're not. That changed how I treat art forever!
But years and years later I learnt a more important lesson, to never overlook the power of inspiration.
It's through a mixture of both that I can really keep up with writing. If I only wrote when inspired, sooner or later I'd get a loooong writing block that would leave me simply paralysed. But I'll often do the 'just one chapter' method, and often writing just a few paragraphs will get me back into the flow. But if I'm still very blocked after a chapter, that's fine.
But if I am inspired, I will follow that. Even if it takes my story in weird directions that weren't planned! A good example is that Caine rescuing Cass in the final S1 fic wasn't planned, she wasn't planned to come along in S2 and certainly did not expect her to fall in love... A lot of their scenes came from me writing while inspired.
Now, stuff such as Eugene's near death in S1 finale, the way Koto framed him, the way Cass had to deal with accusations of witchcraft, those stuff were planned way ahead of time!
It's really important to keep that balance, to have plans and also leave room for inspiration to run wild!
An added bonus, if you feel an intense desire to go write a fic that's completely different to the one you're trying to work on, just let inspiration win. I was struggling a bit with the 'Day of Animals' arc in tangled sisters the other day, then I got the urge to do a little Cass oneshot, so I wrote the oneshot in one sitting and have had zero issues writing since.
Sometimes you can unblock writing block with MORE writing! As long as you're letting inspiration guide you.
Second is to take breaks! I update every day but I do not write every day. I write a few times a week and usually have at least one really long session!
One of my currently updating fics 'Always By Your Side' I wrote half of it in like a week, took a few months break, then wrote the rest and started publishing!
Sometimes long breaks can really help. I've taken several long breaks with Tangled Sisters.
Third is stay ahead. With 'Always By Your Side' I have it completely written so I just proof read on the day of upload. Tangled Sisters I keep track of in Notion:
Look how cute my fanfic section is!
I'm usually at least 30 chapters ahead but I did take a writing break recently. Soon as I get the next arc done I expect to be well ahead again.
Fourth, motivation! This one isn't entirely your control, but a huge factor for keeping up is just that I'm super motivated! I can thank the amazing people who comment every day, those who comment occasionally, those who leave kudos or send nice asks like this one!
It does sooo much to make me smile and excited for the stories I'm telling.
And if you look at my fanfic section of notion, I have that little box titled kind words, the content actually changed every time I reload the page, it's linked to a little table where I keep track of all the kind words regarding my fics that I've gotten on Ao3 and tumblr! (I also have several bits of fanart by the amazing @rebecagpfs in that page who I cannot thank enough!!!)
So, although you don't have full control over motivation, having a notebook to collect those kind words can help!
Fifth would be talk to people. Have at least one person who's cool with spoilers cause brainstorming is just easier with somebody else! For me @the-writer1988 has got me through sooo many writer's blocks! Often times I just ramble at her until the problem resolves itself, other times it'd be a more active back and forth. But writing friends supporting each other, always great!
And hey, to anybody who wants to ramble about their fics to me I'm always open! I love hearing about people's fics and am huge on the writer supporting writers sorta mentality!
Sixth is just have fun! If you enjoy what you're writing it's going to be sooo much easier than if you don't.
I do want to point out though, every writer's different! I can sit down and write 10k words in one sitting, but a lot of people can't, just like I need five hour to do a drawing many artists can do in an hour.
Writing is an art and you get faster with experience.
Also, I do daily updates because I adore consistency! Having that routine is amazing for me and I think it's lovely for some readers. But I also accomplish that via very short chapters! Sometimes as short as just 600-700 words. Many authors opt for longer chapters that upload weekly but there still writing the same amount!
So yeah, I do hope this helped!
Thank you so much for the ask :D And if anything didn't make sense, please tell me, it's almost 1am here I just noticed but I really wanted to answer this before bed!
#ask answered#writing tips#writing advice#writing tip#writing trick#write consistency#writing resource#writing resources
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Sup. xD
No, but really. Hi guys! Long time no see.
I see that Tumblr's changed, and believe me I'm re-learning how to use it. xD
So, um...usual life update I guess, you don't have to read this but I have to get this out of my system or I'll go crazy xD.
Honestly I really miss blogging and talking about fandoms, hobbies and whatnot. It's literally been over a year since I last blogged and there's a reason for that: literally no work-life balance at my old job. I say 'old' because I finally quit this year!! I'm really glad to be out of that soul-sucking hellhole xD For reference, I used to work at one of the Big Four accounting firms as an auditor, think hard before going in haha. The pay may be good...but at what cost?
For a while even when I left I couldn't stop thinking about work, I would always worry that there's something that hasn't been finished yet, and believe me at that kind of job the workload is endless Orz. On the plus side I did get experience, but I'm waaayyyy more glad to be out than in, believe me guys, work-life balance is something that everyone should have, I don't know what it's like in other countries (do feel free to share, I'm quite curious) but there's a reason so many foreign professionals choose not to work in Taiwan:
The pay is low. Especially compared to Japan and South Korea. As of now minimum wage is NTD 26,400 (USD 836) per month, and NTD 176 (USD) per hour, the thing is it's seriously not keeping up with inflation here. Bento used to cost NTD 60~70 when I was in college! Now it's NTD 90~100 on average.
Hours are long. Not all jobs are like this, but you are expected to do overtime without additional pay in most.
A lot of bosses here just...don't know leadership skills? Like they know how to work, but are awful at teaching and leading subordinates. Both Mom and I complain that the EQ of some locals is quite low ^^" No seriously, you do something well and somehow it's always your fault xD People here can be too materialistic sometimes and don't spend enough time on enriching themselves and others. It's really the fault of long work hours as well as the cram school culture here.
So yeah..welp.
My new job (accounting staff at a SME) may be lower pay but at least I get to come home earlier now, which honestly is a relief. Also weekends off. You'd be extremely lucky to get a weekend off at the old job xD
In a way, my Dad spoiled our family xD Because he was too nice we got really used to this rosy portrait of Taiwan and the locals xD But yeah, Mom, Bro and I will find ways to carry on.
Well enough about that! I hope everyone's getting on well with their lives, even when it's tough, there are always ways to carry on. ╰(*´︶`*)╯
I haven't been 100% offline actually xD Just a lot of lurking xD
Some things I've been up to:
You are now looking at a JoJo's Bizarre Adventure fan xD JJBA lives in my head rent-free and I don't regret it at all, I want to slap past me for not following JoJo sooner, especially as an avid fan of music and fashion. My brother’s pestering of me to watch it finally came to. I don't read manga, have watched Parts 1~6 (and made my Mom watch it with me ha xD she practically got almost all the music references xD) and am excited for a Part 7 anime!! Which could take forever sadly :( Along with Arcane Season 2, it’s been a while since there’s a show that I really look forward to watching, what with the current state of TV and movies nowadays. Too much on content and not enough on quality or well, basic storytelling even.
But I'm sad that I can't go to JOJO WORLD. QQ I really have a knack for getting into things too late.
My personal ranking: 2>5>3>4>1>6. This is just personal favoritism xD Each part has their own strengths and weaknesses and the writing in later parts is better as Araki has really matured as a mangaka and writer. But Part 2 is amazing. Period. I will not have it any other way. Special mention goes to this guy for simultaneously stealing my heart and *ahem* crushing (sorry) it, I have only cried for him:
He and Joseph should kiss.
2. I got into gaming again! Thank Steam really for letting lots of players save money on not having to buy separate consoles xD I got my brother to help me invest in a good gaming laptop, and it's just lovely. Some of my favorite games:
METAL GEAR RISING: REVENGEANCE
I got to experience Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and my god it's a MASTERPIECE. The OST also is just *chef's kiss*. The composer really did a great job with the music. The animation that plays every time Raiden uses Zandatsu is an absolute joy to watch xD My brother introduced this game to me through the memes, and he immediately regretted it when it was all I could talk about for a while xD But god slicing a Metal Gear in two while Rules of Nature plays in the background, how can you not squee?! xD
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Mind you this is the tutorial boss xD I highly recommend this game, pure unadulterated adrenaline rush xD It’s so over-the-top and unapologetic, and just damn cool.
SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE
I also beat Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. And as of now, it's still the best sense of achievement that I got from a game, it's the most difficult game I've ever played and let me tell you guys I'm good friends with the death screen xD
The adrenaline rush I got from beating Genichiro for the first time (and throwing the lightning back at him!!) as well as beating Sword Saint Isshin was unreal. At some point, the gameplay for me clicked, and it was immensely satisfying being able to perfectly parry the enemy's attacks. The clanging of swords is a sound that I absolutely love.
Though fuck Demon of Hatred xD. Joke I love the Sculptor character who I affectionately call 'Sculptor Dad' but come on you had to unlearn the game's combat system just to beat him. I agree that he's more of a Dark Souls boss than a Sekiro one.
Well deserving of 2019 Game of the Year 👏
DEVIL MAY CRY V
So you can probably see by now that I love action and hack and slash games xD I used to play Devil May Cry 3 when I was a teenager and even watched the Madhouse anime, the over-the-top-ness and Dante's quips won me over. Dante’s even the whole reason why I tried strawberries and now I love them xD So! It was only natural that I wanted to play DMCV, and I wasn't disappointed.
There’s a total of 4 characters you can play as, each with their own SSStylish gameplay, and I had lots of fun just sending the demons into the air while the extremely enthusiastic cast cheers me on xD
Also V is that Edgy Guy who’s a hit with the ladies xD My brother hates him but I adore him. He even said that I’m a sucker for the “starving artist” types xD Well…
HOW CAN I NOT BE A SUCKER QQ That smirk, dear god.
HADES
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0:34 sold me haha 😂
You play as this really sexy Prince of Hell with daddy issues.
While Sekiro would frustrate me sometimes with constantly dying, every time I died in Hades it encouraged me to keep on playing, as whenever you die it actually advances the plot and unlocks new dialogue with the various characters, who are based on Greek mythology. If anything the game encourages you to die xD There was a time I was so determined to make it to the surface and when I did it was the next morning already xD
The art by Jen Zee is also just extremely gorgeous, and the OST by Darren Korb (who also voices Zagreus) is amazing. I also recommend Supergiant’s other games Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre. They are one of the best indie game developers out there. They put a lot of heart into their games, which is something a lot of AAA games lack nowadays.
Also I headcanon that Zagreus listens to Coldrain while hacking and slashing through hell. It just seems like a band he would listen to xD
And not to forget, but thank Supergiant for giving the option to romance this really sexy grim reaper xD I'm a sucker for the 'tsundere' types too, and let me tell you every bottle of gifted nectar and ambrosia was worth it. When he finally realized his feelings weren't unnecessary I squeeed.
DISCO ELYSIUM
Last but not least, an underrated gem.
Disco Elysium is one of those games that shouldn’t exist, and boy am I glad that it does.
It’s a choose your adventure game in which you play as a detective trying to solve a murder case with your partner, all the while getting to know the seaside town of Martinaise. Which once you get to explore it, isn't really that big and yet somehow feels huge, there's a whole fictional history that was created for it and for places outside Martinaise even, the worldbuilding for this game is insane. It also seems very real and similar to our own and yet it's all fictional, I really admire that level of detail.
I actually first heard of this game through an artist I follow on Tumblr, who draws True Detective and Disco Elysium fanart. I adore the first season of True Detective and never knew that MartyxRust does things to me. Read reviews about this so-called "True Detective/The Wire-inspired" game and was sold.
Also the developers really hit it out of the park with Kim Kitsuragi, god I love Kim 😭 One of the best companions that you can have out there. Whenever I felt bad and by extension made my player character feel bad (the game is choice-based, there's even an achievement called 'World's Sorriest Cop' xD), Kim would always be helpful and encouraging and god just the sweetest.
The humor in the game is also something I just found so charming, and the voice acting is perfect for every character, I find myself having fun mimicking the voices a lot. I kept pestering my brother to play this game, and his Evrart Claire impression is so spot-on, I myself like to impersonate the Fritte clerk with my 'm'kays' xD
Oh, and you can start a nightclub at a church. And believe me when you experience this scene in the game, it is glorious.
3. I had one of those 'happiest days in your life' moments: I went to see the GazettE's MASS final concert in Japan!! And the crazy thing is I specifically flew in just to see them, I was there in Japan for the concert and went home the next day. At the time I had booked my airline ticket thinking I would still be clocking in to my old job on Monday and well, I never thought I would quit xD
And silly me never thought that even Japanese trains could be late (the local trains at least), I was almost late to the 05:30 PM assembly time xD
By the time I got to the Budokan I was confused by the lack of banners and signs at the entrance at first, then I saw this procession of people in black heading to MASS (ha) and just knew. xD
And I thought I was the only one silly enough to fly to another country for a concert, then I heard Mandarin, English, Spanish in the crowd and thought: 'ah, music really brings people together'. It was beautiful.
Seeing the bouquet with the 'From overseas fans (Overseas fans より)' made me all warm and fuzzy inside.
Too shy to take my own picture xD But glad to know I'm not the only one extremely happy to be there.
I tried to take a picture of this Uruha banner and it just kept flapping in the wind like Uruha during the heavier songs, so I just gave up xD
The setlist for that night, when they played Miseinen (未成年) I think I started tearing up QQ Frankly the whole night was so surreal I couldn't stop thinking about what I experienced on my way back to the hotel. And I stayed at a capsule hotel for the first time! Specifically this one.
The song they played after the concert was an instrumental version of Knockin' On Heaven's Door, and it was absolutely lovely. They even teased a trailer for a new release next year(!!) and a trailer for their Christmas concert A HYMN OF THE CRUCIFIXION ver.2
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Their trailers are needless to say, cinematic. I'm sad that they removed all their older trailers off YouTube though :(
As of writing this, there are still stuff I want to share and fangirl about, but unfortunately I have to wake up to a job tomorrow xD If I could, I'd spend my days just doing what I love and not having to deal with stupidity at work. I just want to say I'm glad that there are things in life to enjoy and make going through the daily grind even just a bit easier :)
#personal stuff#jjba#jojo's bizarre adventure#mgr#metal gear rising#sekiro#sekiro shadows die twice#dmcv#devil may cry v#hades#disco elysium#the gazette#life is better now especially with the job change#even when my boss can be unreasonable sometimes xD - I now think that any treats to lunch are obligatory for the work I put in hah#seriously guys no shame in clocking off work on time#I truly hope that Taiwan starts looking out for its employees and students more#when Steel Ball Run the anime gets announced let me know asap#I already know I will love Gyro QQ#and if anyone has any JoseCae/CaeJose fanfic recs let me know too xD#I've been devouring that ship in an unhealthy amount#then again when have I been healthy with shipping xD#curse Joseph for being so god darn charming#and Caesar for being the Spongebob to his Patrick
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cg_sangmin: 운동은역시 #하루하루 #알차게 #새벽 #운동 #조깅 #공기 #좋음 #힘든거는 #덤 #산뜻 #화이팅 #빡시게 #데일리 #상민 #너무좋아 #샾민 #sangmin
#cross gene#sangmin#kim sangmin#crossgene#- yeah im back sorta#- they changed tumblr and now it takes forever to do my updates the usual way ugh#181018#v:instagram
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— i think it’s been a year and a half since i posted my last tutorial! with a few more requests (and me learning new things) i decided to make a new and updated tutorial 💎 — this is a VERY image heavy tutorial and it is also very long! i’ve put it under the cut <3 like there are OVER 50 images...this is more of a masterpost really. if there is something that does not make sense, feel free to ask!! i will more than happy to clarify! — i promise the header gif was once good quality but for some reason, i did something to it and it became weird. please ignore that 😭
the first step is to make the gif! i’ll try to go through everything, step by step! there are different methods to make gifs but i’ll only be explaining the method i use. but i’ll link some incredible tutorials from other content creators later :D
i’ll be using photoshop. make sure you use a version of photoshop that allows you access to the timeline option! there was a weird update where the adobe timelines were not compatible with the m1 macbook chips so look out for that!
— the first thing you need is an .mp4 video. i use the in-built screen recorder on a macbook (which you get by pressing command + shift + 5). i usually just record the section of the video that i need but some people use programs such as 4k video downloader (which also works very well but i stopped using it because i was worried that i was using too much data downloading longer videos!)
— i’ll be using a clip of jeonghan from the hot music video! when you open photoshop, go to file > import > video frames to layers
— this will open up your files and from there, you should select the video that you want to make a gif out of!
— once you have selected the video, you will get a pop-up and it has a little trimmer (that i’ve highlighted in the blue box!) that you can use to find precisely what you want to gif. the little triangle that i’ve placed in the yellow box is like a slider than you can use to preview the video!
—now your specific video clip will be opened as a bunch of layers and you want to press the small button (i am so sorry 😭 i don’t know what it’s called) and it will do something (which, even after three years of making gifs, i still don’t what its called) but just press it!! i’ve highlighted it in the yellow box!!
— then select all the layers and right click and then convert to smart object. this will make it a lot easier for you to sharpen and colour your gif at a later stage.
— if you still think your gif has unnecessary frames/scenes, use the small trimmers in the timeline to trim the gif even further!
— now at this stage, your gif is technically ready but the chances are that the gif is too large to be posted on tumblr. tumblr has a 10mb gif size limit (praying that they don’t go ahead with the bad updates) so we want to bring that gif size down into a gif that can be posted onto the dashboard.
— go to image > image size! something very interesting that you can also do when resizing your gif is changing the resample settings (look at this post by @usergif here!)
— now there are many sizes you can make your gif but if you want a recommended size for a single gif on the dashboard - check this out! the width should always be 540px but the height can vary!
— now that your gif is ready (unsharpened and uncoloured - but this is just the base gif tutorial) we can now save the gif! go to file > export > save for web. don’t make the same mistake as me back in 2018 when i was trying to make lotr gifs but i kept clicking save as...and it would save as a still image.
— saving settings can vary! but these are the ones i use and they usually work for me! make sure that your looping is set to forever otherwise your gif will play out and then stop :(
— and this is our final gif! it has no sharpening or colouring but its a functioning gif on its own :D
— i enjoy this part the most!! there are so many different ways that you can colour a gif and it is all up to personal preference! but this is first the basic colouring on a gif. you should go to layer > new adjustment layer > curves.
you’ll see three eyedroppers on the side (black, grey and white)! we’re going to be using the black and white ones! when you click the black eyedropper, you’re going to click it onto the darkest pixel in the gif. and then take the white eyedropper and place it onto the whitest/lightest pixel in the gif! it makes a huge difference!
— as you can see, the difference is immense. that cyan sort of washed tone has been lifted from the gif!
— the gif on the left is a comparison of only the curves layer against the original gif. the gif on the right includes some extra adjustments that may help your gif :D
the two little skin-tone rectangles compare jeonghan’s skin tone without selective colour and then WITH selective colour (respectively). the rectangles near the bottom-right corner show just one example of how you can play and adjust hues with selective colour!
— now i’ll show an example of how this might with a more yellow/darker toned scenes. for some reason, so many shows love turning the brightness down on their scenes and its up to gifmakers to actually make the scenes visible 😭 i’ve taken a small clip of halime sultan from dirilis ertugrul!
— i resized the gif but i have not added any adjustments yet to it!
— i created a new curves layer and i took the black eyedropper, placing it on the darkest pixel i could find (a fold in her headdress) and this is how the gif looks now. arguably it looks worse but this is a necessary step for the final gif.
— so now i took the white eyedropper and placed it on the lightest pixel i could find. it was a reflection on the metal decor on the headdress. and it brightened the gif up quite a bit!! but here is where things can get interesting...
— this is an alternative use of the white eyedropper! in this case, i placed the dropper on the highlight reflection on her cheekbone (which was originally tinted a more blue with red on the edges) and this also brightened up the gif but it gave it a more green/yellow hue!!
this is important and something that is so useful for me because basically if your gif is too BLUE-hued, find the lightest blue-ish pixel but if it is too YELLOW-hued, then find the lightest yellow-ish pixel. you can easily manipulate the tones in the gif this way!
— so on the left i have the final gif!! and on the right i have a comparison on how the lighting has improved so much from the original gif!
— now i could go on forever about all the ways you can colour a gif but we would be here forever, and you would be scrolling forever so instead, i put together some colourings that you can download here!
— cheers: it brings out the reds and orange and it turns greens into teals and blues! — selemzar: if you’ve watched historical turkish dramas, especially ones with tribe/city sets you know that they love their yellow hues! this one gets rid of the yellow cast on a scene <3 — httyd: a very basic psd that turns blues into greens and brings out skin tones! — up: i use this one very often (and named it after the mv in which i first made it). its a psd for bright and vibrant gif colourings that focuses on making the blue colours as bright as possible!
— i’m gonna be honest...i am not a huge expert in this area and my knowledge of sharpening is limited to photoshop’s own features. there are so many softwares and programs you can use to clean up a video and to make it smoother and sharper such as avisynth and topaz!
— this is the sharpening i use the most nowadays! it has two layers of differing smart sharpens and then a layer of noise on top. it usually works well for me except noise increases the size of the gif a LOT so my gifs are never too long 😭
— this is one that i used to use all the time. it gives a very glowy look to the edges and i’ll use it if the video is lower quality as this sharpening covers up some of the weird pixel squares!
if you would like some more clean and comprehensive sharpenings, then take a look at these!
this tutorial by most beloved @woozi / this tutorial by @trashcora / this tutorial by @haleths / or this one from @hyunfelix
— another thing i like are matte gifs!! i haven’t made many of them but they are such a neat effect to add onto gifs - especially stage/live gifs! so here i’ve made my base gif of heeseung and given it some base colouring (curves and selective colour)
— now i saw this tip from another blog (an nct/wayv blog im so sure but i cannot remember the url for the LIFE of me) but what i remember is that you add a levels layer (and with the three numbers under the graph in order: it’s 20 / 1 / 250 and then with the numbers next to output levels it’s: 20 / 240) and then you add a solid fill colour of #2f2f2f and set it to screen and you get the results below!
— often if you’re giffing a music video / a film / a show, there are people speaking and you want to add subtitles!! i like to use the font: arial rounded mt bold and then i open the character window and click on the bold and italic T <3
— now we have the basic subtitles, but they are not as easy to read against jeonghan and seungkwan in the background so we’re going to right click on the text and go to blending options and then you add a shadow behind it!
— i personally find that subtitles look nicer with a stroke as well, so you can add a stroke (any size of your choosing) and set the position to outside.
— and here we have subtitled gifs!!! if there is more than one person speaking, you can change the colour of the gifs and my go-to secondary colour is #fda700 :)
— if you want to learn how to blur captions, i recommend this tutorial by @chanstopher
— now that i’ve gone through the basic tutorials for making gifs, let’s take a look at some fun effects!!
a place that i really recommend learning these things from is @usergif as they have super cool tutorials and a directory as well that you can access here <3
— if there is one thing i love...it’s gradient backgrounds. and also this video of seventeen and thus i will show both in this next tutorial! i’ve started off with this seokmin clip and i’ll add some adjustments to it.
— so now that i’ve added curves, exposure, colour balance etc (all the basic adjustments) we’re ready to add the gradient!
— go to layer > new fill layer > gradient!
— a small pop-up comes up and click on the gradient (in this case that blue-transparent bar) and another pop-up will appear! here you can make your own gradient or choose a pre-set gradient (there are heaps of good options)
— once you’re satisfied with the gradient, you can click OK and then set the gradient layer to hard light. you can play with different settings but this is the one that i prefer the most!
— now convert the gradient to a smart object!
— in the small yellow box, i’ve highlighted the layer mask button and you should add one to your gradient layer! a layer mask will be useful because if you make a mistake later on, you can simply make another layer mask and start again! also bring out a soft brush (hardness set to 0%) and make sure the brush colour is BLACK. a black brush erases the layer mask and a white brush brings it back. use the brush and you can erase over the subject in the gif!
— so now we have a seokmin-shaped hole in our gradient (if he is not a heart🧡 why heart shaped?) but the edges (even with the 0% hardness) are still too sharp and we want to soften the gradient!
— go to filter > blur > gaussian blur and play around with the blur settings till you find a gradient edge that satisfies you! you don’t want it to be so soft that the gradient ends up covering the subject again but not too hard either.
— and this is our final gif!! the gradient background is really so versatile and it adds pops of colour to your gifs (and can be very useful in covering pesky pixel ugly-coloured backgrounds!)
— another effect that i love so much is adding gradient text and pngs to gifs! i feel like they just make the gif so much more fun and interesting <3 so here i’ve got a gif ready (its been coloured and resized) and i want to add text and an image onto it!
— in any font you like, and any size you like, you can type out your text but make sure that the text is WHITE (otherwise you won’t achieve the same gradient effect)
— i love adding transparent pngs and a site i like to use is called nicepng.com as they’re free to use and they have a great selection of transparent images! i looked up an angel image (for beloved jeonghan ofc) and i downloaded one! i prefer images that have a thicker outline as this helps the gradient appear more clearly!
— i downloaded the png and placed it on the gif. but the original png was NOT white so i need to make it white. for that, i made a small white rectangle and placed it in a clipping mask over the angel wings and then merged the layers. then you can reposition the text and png to wherever you want them to sit in the image.
— now we’ve reached the gradient part! set the text to EXCLUSION (this will let your text have that see through property and if you don’t want it to look transparent, then you can keep it on normal). then go to BLENDING OPTIONS and go to gradient overlay. here you can select the gradient that you would like!
— once you’ve selected a gradient to your liking, click OK and then make sure that the blend mode of your gradient (in the gradient overlay box) is set to HARD LIGHT. in the previous step, if you did not change the white text to Exclusion, then you can keep the gradient blend mode on normal. i also like to add a shadow on my text as it helps it stand out a bit more!
— so i did the exact same process to the angel png (exclusion > blending options > gradient on hard light) and there we have our final gif! its such a versatile and fun effect that can liven up your gifs!!
there are countless more effects and tricks and tutorials that you can use to make your gifs but we would be here for another fifty years so i will add some links below of some incredible tutorials that i often refer back to!
if there was anything that i said above that didn’t make sense (because after a while, my brain turned to mush), you can always come and ask for clarification :D
colour isolation tutorial by @simoneashly
my own tutorial on blending over @kgifsource
an amazing guide on colouring those heavily yellow tinted scenes by @nobodynocrime as well as this amazing glitch effect tutorial!
the tutorials from which i learnt blending gifs together are these two: this one by @jackarthurdavenport and this one by @yenvengerberg
a guide on vapoursynth and colouring by one of my favs @wonublr
and this comprehensive guide on gif making in general by @soonhoonsol <3
#tutorial#gif tutorial#usergif#allresources#photoshop tutorial#completeresources#pshelp#kpop gif tutorial#photoshop#usernik#userbecca#cheytermelon#userjoanna#userkitty#tusermanny#usershreyu#usermarcy#aleksbestie#ANYWAY 48 hrs later...
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I don't want to be all "hello random stranger, I think your art is cool please give me advice", but I saw your webtoons post and I'd like to ask where/how you'd recommend putting webcomics on the web? For me and also for my friend who does have a comic on webtoon.
Hi! you're good, I don't mind talking about this at all haha
Before Webtoon got to be a thing the usual procedure for making a comic was to start out posting pages on your social media for a while so you could test the waters before making the jump to a dedicated site. That way you could build up a little bit of a reader base on an existing platform who would be interested enough to make the extra click, maybe start generating some revenue to pay for the real site, but also you got the chance to see if you even want to make comics without dumping too much time and effort into a site. I posted Kidd Commander pages on deviantart (now deleted) and its tumblr blog for about six months before I decided to change over, but to be honest if it's just a hobby or it suits you you can keep doing that forever if you want.
Personally, I think if your comic is important to you (and ESPECIALLY if you're getting income from it) I would strongly suggest making a home for it that you own. Make your own website and funnel people to it from social media. I know that's a tall order for a lot of reasons, but if you really can't do it, Drunk Duck is fairly reliable option that even lets you customize your vanity links and such. It's also not a terrible idea to MIRROR your comic on other sites as long as you have at least one independent place, although the quality of your reader base varies wildly between locations. There's your answer from Me Personally, but I wanna talk about why I'm so adamant about this so people reading this can make more informed decisions maybe.
Hosting and making your own website is always the safest thing you can do for a project. I don't know how well-known this is outside of the webcomics community but an issue we have come up every few years is that The Current Aggregate Site, like tapas or webtoon or even patreon, gets big enough that they decide to throw queer/marginalized voices under the bus for the sake of advertising. The biggest one I recall was Tapastic leaving a lot of queer creators in the lurch because their (then new) rules about smut pinged queer content too, as these rules tend to. If you'd built up your comic's following and community on this website it could all just disappear, you lost your archive and your comic's following and had to start over. Patreon has been tightening its policy on 'indecent media' for years too. Even tumblr, arguably the best social site for hosting a comic rn, is unstable because the site is so glitchy and unstable. I had a friend have to painstakingly rearrange their archive because a tumblr update jumbled all the pages overnight, and that's small compared to getting your blog randomly deleted. Webtoon already DEEPLY disrespects comics as a medium and has no love for small creators, given they make most of their ad money from Scandalous Content I don't know what their Moment will look like but I assure you it'll happen like it does everywhere. There's that saying about how if a service is free then you're the product; if you establish your webcomic in a place you don't own they can take that product away at any time. Along those lines, you're also tied to their ship if it ever goes down.
Webcomics has always been a medium for voices that are unwelcome in the mainstream, and that means we need to be careful about who we throw our lot in with because all these companies WILL sell us out when they get the chance. We cannot rely on them to take care of us. It's incredibly difficult to build a following, and building it in a place that could disappear as rules change over time pivots neatly into a hostage situation. Getting people to visit an independent site is definitely more difficult! But I've always been able to rest much easier whenever these periodic upheavals happen because my community has a place to reconvene and my archive is safe no matter what I post. The quality OF that community is also much higher since everybody is actively choosing to be there, I'm not just borrowing people who happen to be on an unrelated site anyway, and honestly not having to tailor my comic's story around a company's guidelines fucking rules lmao
Webcomics is a bizarre landscape these days and I'm certainly no authority on what every individual should do. Maybe your friend is just posting for fun and webtoon works for them! There's nothing wrong with using tumblr indefinitely if you're comfortable with that! Everyone's different. But if you're serious and want to have the most control over your work, try to own it all the way down. I hope some of this was helpful! Best of luck with your comics!
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ML Fic: Soulmate Survey Part 35
(Master post)
(Insert excuse on why it took so long) (Insert comedic joke on why I didn't update sooner) (plea of trying better) (Heartfelt compliment on why all of you are awesome and patient)
Okay so now that we got that out of the way. But in all seriousness. Thanks for your patience and I hope you enjoy.
If you do enjoy the fic, please Comment and reblog. Reblogs are like Gold on Tumblr and being a writer and posting to Tumblr is difficult. So every little bit helps.
Alright so now lets get to it.
_____________________________________________________________
The nurse heard the commotion going on in the halls. She knew that shortly after Chloé left, things outside the office became… restless. She turned off all the lights and locked the door to the nurse’s office. She did her best to stay quiet and not draw attention to the room. She knew those akuma were out there and she needed to focus on stabilizing her patient.
“I hope that Chloé managed to get that message out.” The nurse whispered to herself.
The woman felt weird pinning her hopes of escaping this place on a spoiled teenager, but at this point, beggars can’t be choosers.
She heard someone approach the door. The nurse felt her blood turn to ice. She refused to move a single inch. She hoped and prayed that the person would go away. She could hear the screams of students outside. She knew the akuma, whoever they were, were out there, and they were taking anyone they could find. Right now, all she could do was pray they don’t check.
“Please… for all that is good… let them leave.” She prayed under her breath.
After what felt like an eternity, she heard the sound of footsteps away from the door and everything returned to eerie silence.
She felt her essence sigh in relief.
She got up from the ground and went to go attend to the unconscious woman in the cot.
“Its strange for someone so young to be so exhausted… but then again, when I get into the line of work I am hoping for, it is likely I will be seeing a lot of cases like this.” Angela joked, trying to keep herself in good spirits. “Society is such a mess.”
Angela checked Nathalie’s pulse. It was present, but it felt off. It was weaker than she was expecting from someone of her age. Perhaps she has a much more serious medical condition. Angela would probably recommend that this woman see a professional when this is all said and done. Though for now, she was stable and calm, which was a very good sign.
The nurse considered that maybe she wasn’t getting an accurate reading, was something off with the assistant’s breathing? She would need to check. The nurse grabbed a stethoscope and moved closer, getting ready to check again.
“Ow!” She yelped as she felt something grab her arm. Nathalie had awaken and she had a firm grip on the woman's wrist.
“What are you doing!?” The surprised assistant exclaimed
“You're awake!? Oh, thank goodness.”
“Awake?”
“Yes, you passed out at a most stressful time. Right now, I recommend we keep our voices down.” The nurse hushed.
‘S***’
Nathalie mentally cursed to herself. She knew it had to be Masquerade. Her little episode resulted in her being far too late to get in and out without issue. She was planning on getting Adrien out of here before things went south.
She got up from the cot she had been laying in.
“Hold on a second.” Angela called out. “You need to stay and rest. I am glad you are conscious. But that sudden fainting spell could be indicative of…”
Nathalie did not have time for this. She gave an ice-cold glare at the nurse.
“If you intend on making me stay here, you will need to do so by force!”
The nurse felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. This woman’s eyes clearly showed intent on fighting. Angela was not a fighter, she helped people, not hurt them.
“You are my patient, and there is a lot of danger outside. You are in no condition to go out there.”
Nathalie had to respect the woman’s guts for standing up to her, despite the nurse’s knees shaking as she maintained eye contact.
“Okay, so how will we deal with the akuma breaking in then.”
“What!”
Angela turned her back to Nathalie, who took full advantage, giving the school nurse a fierce chop to the neck. Causing the nurse to drop like a sack of potatoes.
“Rest up.”
Nathalie put the nurse in the cot that she had previously been resting in.
“Seems I don’t have time to be subtle. Duusu.”
The blue Kwami popped out.
“Nathalie! Do you want to play?”
“Yes Duusu, the game is find Adrien and get out of here.”
“Horray!”
“Duusu! Spread my feathers!”
_____________________________________________________________
“Get down!” Ladybug dived into Chat noir, helping them both avoid the pause symbols and deadly bubbles headed their way. The akuma on both sides of them managed to avoid the incoming attacks they had sent towards the heroes.
“Thanks LB.” Chat noir thanked. “While you are the second person I want to be dancing with. We can't keep dodging forever. Even if their moves are predictable. Maybe those masks are the key to stopping them."
“Hardly a dance, its ettiquette for the boy to lead if it is. And I don't think so. Those masks appear to be unbreakable and impossible to remove” Ladybug said as she pulled her partner quickly back up, both noticing the akuma were ready for more.
“We still haven’t tried cataclysm.” Chat noir comments as he runs and jumps over a trashcan to avoid getting nailed by Bubbler’s attack bubbles.
“Right, but that would leave you exposed. Call it a hunch, but we will need to save it for later.” Ladybug responds as she jumps away and opens a door to block several pause symbols. "Besides, do you want to be mask-less at this Akuma calamity?"
“I was going to say it was more like a Masquerade ball. And no I would not."
Ladybug rolled her eyes at the lame joke, but still had a bit of a smile. Lightening the mood.
"Silly kitty"
"But seriously, we need a plan. If we can’t free them, what can we do?”
Ladybug focused for a moment. She noticed the way they were attacking, it was predictable and slow. Normally the akuma change up their attacks, or at least seem more aware of what the heroes are doing. The akuma were acting a lot more like controlled puppets. Much like when she had to deal with Puppeteer. Seems this akuma had some drawbacks that could be exploited. This was where Ladybug realized there was a way to deal with them.
“We disarm them. Break Bubbler’s wand and I will terminate Lady Wifi’s phone plan. Their reflexes are way more sluggish than usual. My bet is that having so many servants is starting to have a drain on the effectiveness of her forces. We just need to act quick.”
“Alright, sounds good to me.”
“On my mark we charge.”
Ladybug kept an eye on both akuma, after they sent a flurry of attack, they would usually have to take a moment to recharge. Bubbler would need to dip his wand back into his bubble pack and Lady wifi would have her hand cramp after sending 10 swipe symbols and would need to pull her hand back.
“Now!”
Chat noir and Ladybug both pounced at the two akuma, moving fast enough that their foes couldn’t retaliate as the heroes swiped the weapons from their respective wielders.
“Sorry to burst your bubble.” Chat noir joked as he snapped the bubble wand.
“And you’ve reached your data limit for the month.” Ladybug chimed in as she crushed Lady Wifi’s phone.
Both akuma began swinging their fists at the heroes, trying to turn the fight into a bare-knuckle brawl. But Ladybug’s assessment was correct, their attacks were too predictable. Ladybug caught Lady Wifi’s fist and flipped her over her shoulder to the ground.
Chat noir ducked under bubbler’s punch and slipped behind him. The cat used his staff to swipe at the feet of the forward moving akuma and knocked him mask first onto the floor.
“Alright, their disarmed. Now what?”
“Move him over here.”
Chat noir picks up the akuma by his bubble pack and throws him over to ladybug like a curling stone.Ladybug uses her yo-yo to tie the two dazed akuma back to back.
“Let’s put them somewhere where they won’t cause any trouble.”
_____________________________________________________________
“Next!” Masquerade called out in annoyance.
She had gotten her akuma servants to capture as many teachers and students as possible. She had the element of surprise and with the amount of akuma she had at her disposal, it was easy to capture several. Though she figured none would escape and cause panic, Timebreaker was guarding the parameter and kept her informed of any people she ‘Tagged’. Horrificator finished sealing all of the exits so no one would be able to come in or out.
She figured there was a good chance for adding more akuma to her rank. The problem was, most of the akuma sucked. She ended up developing a system for them. If they turned out to have no useful ability, she would humiliate them, have reflekta turn her into replicas of herself and then have Princess Frangrance spray the rejects to turn into obedient servants, this way she had something useful out of them. Make them get snacks or whatever. There were multiple uses for mind-controlled students and teachers. So far, she didn’t find a single one worthy of her time.
“I SAID NEXT!” Masquerade shouted louder.
Masquerade sized up the black-haired girl that one of the Reflekta duplicates had pushed forward. She recognized the shy smile from television. She was one of the weather girls on the KIDZ+ network. That was a contest Lila would have KILLED to have been a part of. She mentally told herself she would have won if she had entered.
“Your Mirelle aren’t you?”
“Y-Yes, please don’t hurt me.” She pleaded.
Masquerade rolled her eyes.
“Let’s, see what the deepest parts of your mind hold.”
“Stop!’
Masquerade stopped to turn to the person that shouted.
“Well, well, well, seems we have both weather girls that go to this school.” Masquerade commented. “What a coincidence.”
Masquerade’s eyes went to the honey blonde weather girl. The akuma had to respect the fierce glare the girl was giving her.
“Aurore don’t.” Mirelle tried to plea.
“Fragrance, shut her up.”
The perfume akuma moved from the wall and sprayed the shy weather girl.”
“No!”
Masquerade felt her bracelet glow, indicating that there was an akuma victim present.”
“So, stormy weather, does this rain on your parade?”
“Don’t call me that!” Aurore spat with disgust.
“That loss still bothers you. How the city voted and you were blown out of the water.”
“I know your trying to get under my skin, it won’t work.” Aurore said. “I’ve dealt with Chloé, and she is way meaner.”
Masquerade kept her smile.
“You’re right, that wouldn’t bother me. The comments by everyone else questioning why you are there would. All of those people wondering what the point of that vote was. So now you have to constantly push harder and harder to prove you deserve to be there with Mirelle. It has become your obsession; the way people perceive you. You need to be the perfect weather girl, with the good looks and the good grades. You can’t let anyone begin to doubt your ability.”
Aurore felt her heart shatter at the comment. It was like this akuma had reached into her chest and pulled her heart out. She could see her biggest fear.
“Shut up! I am good enough! You can’t tell me otherwise.”
Masquerade felt a twinge of annoyance, but a sinister idea came into her head. She touched the perfume bottle charm, her colors shifted to match the color scheme of the Perfume akuma.
“Mirelle, tell her what she needs to here.”
The controlled weather girl felt something intrude in her mind, for a brief second, she winced, before turning into a creepy smile.
“Mirelle?”
Aurore felt her skin crawl as she turned to see her coworker and friend staring at her, a creepy smile on her face.
“You aren’t good enough. You were never good enough. You tried so hard to be charming and cute, but the network thinks your redundant. They were going to get rid of you as soon as they could. I hear they are aiming for the end of the month.” She sing-songed.
Aurore dropped to her knees. Her confidence shattered. She broke down, tears streamed down her face. She covered her hands to cry. To hear her say those awful things, was it true? Was she gone? Was all her work for nothing?
Mirelle’s creepy forced smile stayed, but from the corner of her eye, a single tear began streaming down her cheek. Unbeknown to Aurore, Masquerade was using the controlled teen like a ventriloquist dummy.
“Excellent work.”
Masquerade shifted back to her original colors and grabbed a mask from her dress before she flung it right at the depressed weather girl. She took joy in watching it clamp onto her face like an alien face-hugger. There was a brief moment of struggle, but Aurore was no more. Stormy weather had taken her place. Masquerade laughed as a new charm appeared on her bracelet.
“Finally, some better servants. And these powers are no joke.”
Stormy weather raised her umbrella at Masquerade.
“Oh? Are you trying to resist?”
The akuma’s arm was shaking, but then dropped. Her body becoming inactive, like a toy robot with its batteries removed.
“And there goes the last of your resistance. Now go out and find Ladybug and Chat noir. Lady Wifi and Bubbler haven’t returned.”
Stormy weather nodded and headed out of the classroom.
Masquerade noticed the cowering captured students and took a moment to appreciate the power she wielded. Sure, she would have preferred to have been loved by the school, but being feared is a close second.
Her joy was cut short when something pinged into her mind.
Requirements met for new akuma. Confirm merge?
‘Merge?’
Masquerade tried to figure out what that meant. What was merging.
‘The components for the akuma Oblivio are now available, would you like to merge the two akuma to make new akuma?’
“Oblivio? I don’t remember an akuma by that name?” Masquerade said to herself. “Well, if two people are needed to make it and it is making something new, it must be good. Confirm!”
A new charm appears on her bracelet, one in the shape of a question mark.
"Creating Lady Wifi, Bubbler, Oblivio fusion.'
“I wonder what this will bring.”
_____________________________________________________________
Hawkmoth got felt a sudden shift in the mood of his akuma.
"So Lila found a way to merge akuma with multiple different forms into one. And now she is able to create a completely new akuma. Perhaps Ladybug and Chat noir have finally met there match."
The butterfly villain rubbed his hands smugly as he continued observing. Though part of him wondered if Nathalie was able to secure Adrien safely.
_____________________________________________________________
“Okay, these should work.” Chat noir exclaimed as he opened two empty lockers.
Ladybug removed her yo-yo that had tied the two akuma together and shoved the two of them inside each locker before slamming it shut.
“We need something to lock them in for a while.” Ladybug exclaimed as she held the doors closed. The akuma started trying to break free. Moving in any way they could to bust out.
Chat noir looked around, looking for something to shove in front of the lockers.
“Ugh, there is nothing to barricade them with!” Chat noir exclaims.
“Just seal the doors.”
“Right!”
Chat noir put his hand on the lockers where the doors would open, he focused all his strength into his hands and crunched doors by the lock, making it impossible to open in the conventional way.
“That should hold it.” Chat noir exclaimed with relief.
Ladybug slid down the door as resistance finally ceased.
“I think they realized they can’t escape.” Chat noir eased.
Ladybug got up from the floor. They give each other a fist bump on their success.
“Well thankfully that deals with two troublesome akuma. Now we need to get to Lila before we get overrun with them.”
The two heroes quickly leave the locker room.
"By the way, you mentioned earlier I was the second person you wanted to be dancing with. Who is the first?"
Chat noir felt a faint blush on his cheeks.
"How about we talk dances later." Chat noir dodged the question.
Both heroes hurrying down the hall to try and get to Masquerade.
But after they left, the lockers they had left the akumas in started to shake wildly…
_____________________________________________________________
“Heads up!” Viperion exclaimed as he pulled Ryuuko out of the Akuma’s range. The vanishing miracular was a far more difficult opponent then both reptilian heroes were expecting. The akuma vanishes just before Ryuuko could retaliate.
“Every time we lose sight of her, she vanishes and I can’t get a clean hit!” Ryuuko grumbles.
Viperion looks around frantically.
“Yes, but I do believe we have some interesting intel. The akuma seems unable to use both her powers at the same time. She needs to turn visible in order to try and attack us with those Tonfa of hers” The snake hero explains
Ryuuko backs up, looking around to see if she can notice anything that could help her locate the sneaky servant.
“And whatever its other power is seems to involve using those Tonfa. Call it a hunch but we can’t let her use it on us.” Ryuuko discussed her instinctual feeling.
“Guard my back, she can’t sneak up on us if our backs are covered.” Viperion instructs. “Her strategy is very straight forward. We just need to wait for an opening”
“Got it.” Ryuuko says just as she notices something from the corner of her eye. “There you are.”
Ryuuko makes a charge at what appeared to be a wall, but her sword contacted Miracular’s tonfa. Forcing her visible again.
Viperion took noticed of the poor stance that Miracular had while blocking Ryuuko. He wasn’t an expert but even he could see that an unexpected hit would knock her off her feet.
He threw his lyre right at the akuma’s knees and made contact, the force causing her to buckle and Ryuuko disarmed the akuma by parrying her tonfa.
Viperion caught the weapons and broke them over his knee.
“Well that takes care of her weapons.”
Ryuuko noticed the akuma tried to get away but she dove tackled her before she could turn visable.
“Nice work. But what are we going to do to stop her from getting in the way?” Viperion inquired.
Ryuuko band the akuma's face repeatedly against the floor in order to break the mask. Sadly there was not even a scratch on it.
"Well this mask is durable. Might need to lock her somewhere."
The snake hero thought for a moment. he remembered back to a previous akuma attack. Chat noir had put him in a locker to be safe. He still remembered the playful wink the cat gave.
"Any ideas Viper piper?" Ryuuko inquired as she maintained her hold on the akuma.
"Huh? Oh right. Why not take to the locker room and throw her into a locker. She isn't super strong so we could easily just toss her in and lock it. Also, what is with the nickname?"
"I heard that giving people nicknames helps endear people to you."
"Okay, well you can keep trying, but I don't play pipes. What other ones do you have."
"... That was the only one I had... Ill try and come up with more as we go."
"Looking forward to it ... Dra-girl"
Ryuuko paused to look at him as she stood up with the akuma.
"Yea... It felt wrong as soon as I said it. Lets just go."
_____________________________________________________________
Chloé had given most of the akuma she encountered the slip. Not from expert hiding of fighting skill, she simply walked passed them. A normal individual would realize how amazing it was that as long as you don’t freak out, the akuma basically don’t notice. But to Chloé, it felt insulting. Did the akuma seriously believe she was not worth chasing?
“Un-be-lievable.” Chloé huffed. “Most of these akuma would have been chasing me like crazy by now.”
She grumbled to herself as she made it to the front entrance, which she realized had been slimed on.
“EWW, they got that nasty slime monster on their side.”
The mayor’s daughter felt a mix of disgust and annoyance. With this door sealed, she would need to get to one of the other exits, on the other side of the school.
“This would be a really good time for Ladybug to show up and let me be Queen bee.” Chloé stated aloud.
But the area she was in was practically empty.
“Figures.” Chloé sighed. “Why do these gross rejects always have to make things so annoying!”
Unfortunately for her, her complaints did attract some attention from a group of Reflekta copies roaming the halls.
“We order you to come with us!” The three reflektas sang in unison. Chloé didn’t know or care if the original was among them.
“How about no.” Chloé scoffed. She pushed one of them down and walked past them. The other two rushed to her to capture her. But Chloé easily knocked both of the reflektas down easy. The servants were not use to walking in heels. They may be controlled, but Chloé can tell when an amateur walking in gaudy heels from a mile away.
“You 3 need to learn how to walk and a lesson on fashion before you can even THINK of taking me hostage.” Chloé flipped her hair and smugly continued walking, as the three reflektas tried to get up.
Hidden from view, hiding in what appeared to be an abandoned janitor’s cleaning cart, an old man popped his head out slightly.
“Ladybug does need all the help she could get right now…But would she be the right choice?”
_____________________________________________________________ (End of Part 36.)
What other akuma will be joining Masquerade's ranks?
Will Ladybug and Chat noir be able to face the old and new threats?
Will Mayura cause more problems or solve em?
Also, what do you think this new akuma fusion will look like?
I would love to see your takes.
#ml#miraculous ladybug#ml soulmate survey#soulmate survey#ml fic#ml fanfic#miraculous fanfic#ss fic#ml au#slight lukagami#chloé bourgeois#masquerade akuma#fan akuma#drama#action#new akuma#ladynoig#ladybug#chat noir
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OKAY I WAS GONNA SAVE THIS FOR THE EPILOGUE BUT DUE TO YOUR REQUEST I SHALL SHARE IT WITH YOU NOW AHSHAHA (warning: very long message ahead)!
OKAY SO the very first time I came across cry for me was on September 19 if I remember correctly, and I was reading through fics under the suna x reader tag because on that day my guy bff who i’ve liked for quite a while told me that he had a girlfriend FOR LIKE A MONTH ALREADY without me knowing and i was obviously heartbroken because i actually thought he liked me back because he started becoming really clingy and would always message me more often through out the day than usual. SO I GOT MY HOPES UP cause im dumb BUT THEN I LEARNED FROM A MUTUAL FRIEND THAT HE HAD A GF so i confronted him about it and he confirmed that he did so i asked why he didn’t tell me first bc if i was the one who got in a relationship he’d probably be one of the first people i’d tell AND I KID YOU NOT he said that he didn’t want to tell me because he “didn’t want anything to change between us” AND I GOT MAD because hello?? u have a gf i’m obviously gonna respect her and your relationship and put boundaries for her sake and yada yada we fought etc. GETTING BACK ON TRACK after a few hours of just like moping i hopped on tumblr bc this is my comfort site. Since i was feeling angsty i wanted to read more angst (i do not want comfort pls thank u i want to hurt) and obv i went with suna bc i do not know what kind of crack writers put in suna fics but they are the best haikyuu angst hands down. THEN I CAME ACROSS CRY FOR ME and i was HOOKED i couldn’t not ask to get added to the taglist (BTW THANK U FOR ADDING ME AS THE V LAST ONE ILYSM 🥺) I didn’t think that this series would affect and impact me the way it did but i kid you not when i say that out of all the series i read on tumblr this was the one i awaited the most for updates. although it wasn’t the best for my heart and my mental health, i couldn’t help but get addicted. I love how complex everything was, how you portrayed every single emotion of each character and how I actually cried on most chapters because I sincerely felt y/n’s pain because of how you wrote it. I love how you plotted the story and how it took years before y/n and suna actually got together because it’s so realistic. With how suna was so tied to the bitch who shall not be named, and how much y/n got hurt, it wouldn’t have been wise for them to get together after without taking the time for themselves not only to heal but to forgive as well especially for y/n’s sake. NGL the last chapter had me worried i really thought rin was the one that was getting married and i had some *ehem* choice words i wanted to say but i reeled back because I knew suna and y/n weren’t just finished yet. Your last chapter was the most emotionally satisfying chapter i have ever read and not just in tumblr. You literally broke my heart into a million pieces throughout this series and managed to put it all back together with a single chapter. I will forever treasure this series and the way you portrayed these characters. A huge sincere thank you for creating this art. I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY/NIGHT ILY 😽🤍
(also me and the bff are still friends, we managed to make up but i put a log of distance between us. his gf broke up with him two months ago to get back with her ex (turns out the girl just used him as a rebound 🥲) and no we’re not together, we’re just really good friends esp since i no longer have feelings for him :) )
awww my baby thats such a wholesome end to the story hes kinda like ur irl sakusa 😭🙏 im happy you're still friends and this ask literally gave me BUTTERFLIES oh my god thank u so much i love u AND I DO REMEMBER ADDING U OMG im so happy i added u last
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Tumblr Writer Q&A
Thank you for the tag, my darling @oonajaeadira!!!!
1) How many complete fics/one shots do you have that you have not published (yet)? None. I have a couple of chapters for multichapter fics that are kinda done but that I haven't posted yet because I'm unsure of where to take the story next so I want to wait with posting in case I need to go back and change something. But generally, I post stuff as soon as I finish them.
2) How many WIPS do you have right now? Ehum... 19. Most of them are just nonsense notes or plot ideas though.
3) Do you take writing requests or write original ideas, or both? I do both. I tend to be very slow with actually responding to the requests though, so send them in at your own risk.
4) If you do take requests, how many do you currently have? 7. I think 3 of which are from the wonderful and beautiful @thegreenkid who sends in the most amazing requests that I spend a lot of time thinking about. There's an Oberyn one that I'm just trying to come up with the right plot for, and a follow-up...ish to Nemesis that I've already started plotting in my head.
5) How many fandoms do you write for? Just the Pedro Pascal Cinematic Universe
6) Are there any fandoms you wrote for in the past that you no longer write for? I used to write a bit for the SPN fandom back in the earliest seasons.
7) Do you write for ships, reader inserts or other? Reader inserts, mostly. But I've been known to dabble in writing for the Mustache Boyfriends.
8) Niche fandoms/characters you write for? ...I don't think so
9) Do you read fics as well as write them? I do. Not as much as I wish I had time for, though. But my To Read List is a mile long.
10) What is your favorite genre to write for? Romance and angst.
11) What is your favorite trope (to read/write)? Oh gosh, I have so many. LOVE a good Fake Married/Dating trope or a Soulmate one. Adore the Friends to Lovers and the Only One Bed tropes. I live for the slowburn fics and the mutual pining.
12) What do you do to get motivated to write? I am so incredibly easily distracted so most of the time I have to force myself to sit down and write, regardless of how motivated I'm feeling. Listening to the movie or tv show soundtrack usually helps get me in the mood too.
13) Is there a trope/genre you like to read, but not write? Domestic fluff. I think it's very sweet but I can't write it without also sneaking some smidge of angst in there.
14) Any characters/fandoms you want to write for that are never requested? I don't really care about what's requested when I write. I write the stuff I want to read and if anyone else happens to like it then great. But I write primarily for myself.
15) How long have you been writing fan fiction? I wrote my first one 17 years ago... It was SO BAD
16) Did you read fan fiction before you started writing? No. I actually started writing fanfiction before I discovered that other people did too and that I could read it.
17) Do you only post on Tumblr, or any other sites as well? I have an Ao3 account as well. I share most fics there but not always the prompts.
18) What do you personally consider the word counts of "Drabble", "One shots" and "fics"? Hmm, never thought about this. But I guess a drabble would be anything under 1k. The others don't really have a specific word limit.
19) Which do you prefer to write more? HC, drabbles, oneshots/fics, multi chapter stories, other? I am a multichapter fan. but only if I can binge them. Otherwise, I tend to lose track of them, unfortunately. I have a few right now that I'm desperately trying to remember to check for updates. ...And I only now realize that it said "write" and not "read". *facepalm*
I prefer writing the oneshots but way too often they accidentally turn into multichapter fics.
20) Are there any stories you have discontinued? If so, why? No. I have some that I haven't updated in FOREVER, but I don't consider them discontinued.
21) What is one of your main "pet-peeves" as a writer on Tumblr? Hmm...maybe the fact that tumblr always fucks up tagging people for my taglist? idk. I think I have more pet-peeves as a reader than as a writer.
22) Do you write a particular time of day? Usually in the evening after work or after breakfast on the weekends. I try to write a little bit every day, even if it's just notes. But sometimes I'm just so exhausted that I literally can't keep my eyes open enough to do it.
23) Do you listen to music, ambiance/noise, etc to write or do you need silence? A lot of the time it's the soundtrack for the movie or show in question. And sometimes I get a certain song stuck on my mind for a specific fic. Then I just listen to that song on repeat for hours. I'm sure my neighbors hate me by now.
24) Do you outline your fics at all before writing? If it's a multichapter fic, then yes. Oneshots I sometimes outline and sometimes not.
25) Do you post your writing as soon as you finish it, or do you schedule it to come out at a specific time/day? Generally, I post it as soon as it's done, unless I'm waiting for someone to beta read it. I don't schedule when I make my posts.
no pressure and all love tagging (with request to start a new post if you partake): @yespolkadotkitty @acourtofsnakes @magpie-to-the-morning @foli-vora @keeper0fthestars @radiowallet @honest-shite
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to my beloved // h.p
pairing : harry potter x reader
summary : when harry learns you’ve gone missing, he hits rock bottom. no one can reach out to him until a peculiar letter ends up in his possession.
warnings : ANGST (happy ending???), swearing, post-war, alcohol/implied alcohol abuse, violence (against inanimate objects), missing person/presumed dead, mentions of food
word count : 1.3k
author’s note : hi!! this is my very first fic posted on tumblr, so i hope you enjoy. i’m actually really proud of this one, as it was inspired by my favorite song “play this when i’m gone” by machine gun kelly. also, thank you for the support on my masterlist! it means the literal world. also my favorite writers followed me and i am freaking out. sorry for the this long note,,, i tend to ramble. enjoy!
( disclaimer : gif is not mine! )
It had been months since the war had ended. While the wizarding world was still healing, the future for it had become hopeful. The threat of war had hung over the heads of the community, so once it had been taken away, everything was reborn. Bustling crowds and children’s laughter had filled Diagon Alley once more; the boarded up shops had now opened up, gleaming with pride. Many felt grateful for this new age.
The last person people expect to be so devastated was Harry Potter. Afterall, he was the one that killed Voldemort. Good things don’t happen to heroes, as someone had once told him. He gave everyone that hope, but he couldn’t find it in himself. Why, you may ask? Well, my friend, he found out you were among the missing people in the aftermath of the war. The love of his life, his sunshine, his darling had been snatched from him.
Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but sometimes he wishes that he hadn’t gone to the forest to face Voldemort. Sometimes he wishes he had hid away in Shell Cottage with you and grown old together. When he decided that was selfish, he tried to find other ways he could have won that war with you by his side.
He knew he couldn’t. What happened was the only true ending.
A sigh fell from his lips as the bottle was barely held by the tip of his fingers. The bedroom reeked of firewhiskey, which wasn’t a surprise since there was a surplus of them scattered across the floor. He took a final sip before letting this bottle join the rest.
Of course, Ron and Hermione had attempted to help. They had kept it up for a couple months through staying at his home and making meals for him. Hermione tried reading to him, while Ron kept his friend updated with Quidditch and the Weasley family. This had come to an abrupt halt, though, after a particularly angry outburst from Harry. They had given him one last look of sympathy before apparating.
That had been months ago, and since then, Harry had been trapped inside his mind and flat.
“You never do anything fucking right. First, you lose the love of your life. Next, you ruin the relationship between you and your best friends. You’re fucking alone, and you’re going to die that way.” He seethed with anger just looking at himself in the small mirror. He continued to glare at himself for a few more minutes before grabbing the mini dresser and slamming it into the floor.
Glass shattered, while his old Hogwarts uniform and merchandise tumbled out. Violence was an often thing for the items in his home. Usually after a bottle and self-degrading speech, he’d destroy something to let the anger fizzle. The aftermath of this, though, was a bit of a coping mechanism, as he would fix things by hand instead of using magic. It let his mind breathe; focus on anything but his self-hatred.
He crouched down to pick up his Gryffindor scarf, wrapping it around himself and relishing in its warmth with shut eyes. It reminded him of the freezing wind that nipped at his skin whenever he went out to visit Hagrid, or the times his roommates were challenging who could put on the most layers. These memories let him be at ease. They always transported him from the harsh reality to the happier days.
Once he allowed himself to come back, his eyes scanned for something that would ground him to the real world. He expected to find a bottle to do so, but instead laid eyes on an unfamiliar envelope at his feet. It couldn’t have been his Hogwarts letter, as this one did not bear the mark to close it. However, there was a date written at the top in an all too familiar handwriting. Then, it clicked.
Your handwriting.
Harry scrambled to grab the paper. It was sliding all over the hardwood floor when he kept grabbing at it recklessly. After a struggle that felt like forever, he held the envelope in his shaking hands. Yes, that was definitely your handwriting within the date that read “31 July 1997.” He flipped it over to find “To My Beloved” written across the front.
It felt as time had stopped, as he carefully pulled the flap from its seal. To him, it was like he was touching a part of you. Granted it was written over a year ago, but the small spark of hope held onto it anyways. Slowly, he pulled out the folded up paper inside. Deep breaths, he thought. He did quite the opposite, though, as his breath hitched when he read it.
Hi there, Harry. I hope you’re doing well.
If you find this, there’s a good chance something happened to me.
Already, tears pricked his eyes. He continued, despite his semi-blurry vision.
Please don’t fret though. Things happen for a reason, remember? If you hadn’t stayed in the hospital wing after your bone disappeared, you wouldn’t have met me and my major clumsiness. I’d like to think that’s another reason Lockhart’s git self had ended up as teacher; for our chance to meet.
It’s ok to cry, but please don’t think that it’s your fault. I am so in love with you, Harry James Potter. I dedicated my life to you. I promised you I’d follow you until the end, and I followed through.
Since I filled my promise, please promise that you’ll live; that you’ll find that happiness in your life again. You’re the best damn seeker I know, so don’t go telling me that you can’t. I mean, I’m sure you killed Voldemort and brought light into the dark world. You deserve to be in that light. Don’t dwell on the past, my love. Focus on the future. All I want is for you to be happy.
I know we never got married, but I knew you were mine from the beginning. The box with this letter; I thought I’d give it now before it was too late. In marriage, you want the best for your partner. That’s exactly what I want. When you wear this, please remember to do whatever you can to be happy. If not for you, then for me.
I love you, Harry Potter. I am so proud of you.
Yours, Y/N
The letter would be covered in wet spots if his glasses hadn’t taken the fall. He let out a choked sob as he clutched the letter to his chest. His eyes scanned the area for the aforementioned box, and found it between a few bottles. One hand darted out and snatched it up, while the other kept a tight grip on the now wrinkling letter. Slowly, he flicked open the lid with his thumb.
A wedding band glistened against the little light peeking through the blinds. Upon seeing it, he hesitantly let the letter fall onto his lap and went to take the jewelry instead. His hands shook as he grabbed it and slipped it into his finger. A perfect fit, of course.
Maybe, just maybe, the ring was magic. It must be, as there was a strange feeling bubbling in his chest. Happiness? Love? Hope? He sifted through a few emotions before landing on a feeling of content. This letter was the closure he had been subconsciously grasping for. Now that he had it, he felt reconciliation with his mind.
Harry pushed himself up to stand, and with shaky legs, he made his way to his home phone. He made sure one hand held the paper that brought him much peace, while the other dialed the number. It rang a few times before a familiar voice answered. A final deep breath before he responded.
“Hermione? I think.. I think I’m ready to change.”
-
!taglist! @/empty :(
#harry potter#harry potter imagine#harry potter oneshot#harry potter x reader#harry potter fanfic#fanfic#harry potter fic#fic#hermione granger#ron weasley#fred weasley#george weasley#draco malfoy#neville longbottom#ginny weasley#luna lovegood#pansy parkinson#taylor fics
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All I Want For Christmas Is You Chapter 9 ~The Christmas Spirits~
Previously in Christmas Eve Rush
Her hand flew to her chest, and her eyes almost popped out at the realisation. "Good Lord. You're in love with her, aren't ye? It's all over your face. Oh my God!"
"Please? We dinnae have a lot of time," he whispered, almost close to tears. "Ye're the only one who can get through to Claire."
A few heartbeats passed as he held his breath.
"Fine! Let's do this!" Suddenly spurred by excitement into action, she quickly grabbed a piece of paper and pen and handed it to him. "Write down your number, and I'll update you after I've called Claire."
"Ye will?"
"Yes, yes ..." she muttered. "Come on, chop-chop!" She clapped her hands at him.
Elated with the turn of event, he didn't waste any more time and rapidly scribbled his number and pushed the piece of paper back to her. "Thank ye. I owe ye big time." When an afterthought came to him, he shoved his hand into his pocket, took out a spare key to his cottage and placed it on the table. It was meant to be for Claire. "Another favour, I have a dog and kitten in the house and ..."
"I got it." She grinned and made a shooing motion. "Now go!"
If you wish to read this on AO3, here is the link.
If you wish to read this from the beginning:
AO3 link
Tumblr link
Claire sat at the airport's cafe, every sound of someone's laughter and the sight of happy couples holding hands, driving a knife into her chest. She still had a few hours to go before its time to go through security. With a heavy heart, she miserably flipped the pages of a glossy magazine, unseeing its pages' articles and pictures. It had taken every iota of her resolve and will power to leave Broch Mordha, and now Annalise had made her book a later flight because her friend was on the way and wanted to talk. Damn her for making this more difficult! In truth, she wanted to know what Jamie had told her friend and wondered what he would have said if she'd confronted him instead of running away. Now that she was finally out of his life was he even thinking about her? Staying in Broch Mordha would have most probably increased the likelihood of her believing his excuses and running back into his arms. She just couldn't handle the emotional fallout.
"I beg your pardon, is this seat taken?" a soft feminine voice asked.
Claire briefly glanced up, offered a weak smile and motioned for the woman to sit. She wasn't in the state nor mood for small talks so she put her head down and pretended to read, hoping the woman would take a hint.
Restless, she glanced again at her phone to check the time. Annalise should be here soon. Is she planning to fly with me? I hope not! She noticed the cafe was beginning to get busy with people waiting for love ones to arrive or the check-in counter to open. Tomorrow at this time, she'd be home. The thought of spending Christmas in London in the cramped apartment made her doubly miserable. She loved the open spaces of the Highlands and quaint villages. Although the weather could be quite grim, the landscape's natural beauty and loads of fresh air more than made up for it. With its tranquil settings, it was an ideal place to start her writing career. She'd put it on hold for far too long, working for a publishing company that gave her very little satisfaction and yesterday she'd even fantasised of moving to Broch Mordha and making it a reality to be closer to Jamie. How could I have been so stupid?
"Highlands in December is romantic, isn't it?" The woman sharing her table smiled pleasantly. "I love this place. There's something magical about it, don't you agree?"
Ah, another English woman to fall for the Highland charm! She was about to give some generic answer about the Highlands' ancient history lending the romance a hint of mysticism when the harsh truth chose that moment to free itself. "Kind of deceiving though, isn't it? I got caught up in that so-called magic, but some wanker decided to exploit it and use my heart to make fertiliser. I've only known him for a couple of days, but I can't stand being in this place anymore without thinking about him and his stupid, stupid handsome face. And the way he looked at me." She blew a breath and blinked back the tears. "I guess I was just plain naive and a bloody dimwit for thinking smooth talkers only existed in big cities like London. I tell you what, they're rife everywhere and you can never be too careful."
If the woman had been surprised by Claire's outburst, it didn't show. "Now, now, I'm quite sure there is a perfect explanation. Lovely and sweet as you look, I see the wisdom that belies your age in your eyes. You don't seem like a person to be taken by someone's smooth line at all."
She let out an almost deranged laugh. "Well, obviously, I am. I took one look at a beautiful face, and all logic went south. So there," Claire huffed.
The other woman looked away and sipped her tea. She was much older than Claire thought - in her forties maybe or could be fifties, but it was hard to tell. She had a dark, sleek modern bob hairstyle that contradicted the mumsy grey slacks, woollen jumper and lack of makeup and accessories. Her face was kind though, and there was a serenity in her demeanour she found comforting and familiar.
Claire regretted her oversharing and decided to shut her mouth and continued reading.
"I met my husband many years ago here. Not far from where we are now. A place called Broch Mordha."
Claire's head shot up. "Oh! Is your husband Scottish?"
"No, he's English. We met one summer while watching a Highland game. He lived in Broch Mordha while doing some research for work, and I was on holiday. We fell in love and eventually married. And every year from thereon we celebrated our anniversary here. It's a very special place for us."
"That's very sweet," Claire remarked, trying not to think of Jamie and what could have been for them if he hadn't been a knobhead.
The woman let out a soft laugh and daintily wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Sweet isn't the description I would have used to describe the circumstance of how we met; nevertheless, it turned out my darling husband is my soul mate and marrying him had been the best decision I've ever made in my life."
"Good for you ..." Claire whispered, subtly glancing once more at the time on her phone. She hoped Annalise would be here soon because the last thing she needed right now was to hear someone else's happily forever after. But in the end, curiosity got the better of her. "So what made you change your mind about him?"
The woman sighed and took out her book. "My husband was an insensitive clod, and when he eventually saw the error of his ways and asked for forgiveness, I gave him a second chance. Forgiving him didn't change the past, and I realised in the end, if I hadn't forgiven him, my actions would have robbed me of the best years of my life. And of course, a beautiful daughter who turned out to be everything I've ever hoped for and much more." She smiled and then turned her attention to reading. Obviously, oversharing was now over.
"I see ..." Claire muttered. Well, what had she expected? A magical solution? She almost laughed out loud. No such thing!
It was too late for her and Jamie anyway. She was on her way to London, and he'd probably moved on now that she was gone. It was definitely better this way. Out of sight, out of mind.
**********
He switched off the ignition of his car and texted Annalise to inform her he'd arrived at his destination. She'd messaged him earlier letting him know Claire would be at D'Lish cafe. Scanning his vicinity, Jamie drew in a lungful of air. He'd only been in Inverness Airport's parking lot a few minutes, and already his nerves were on tenterhooks. From the congested traffic and beeping cars to stressed people madly rushing about, Jamie realised how far from his world he'd strayed, and the distance was only under an hour's drive.
He hadn't even stepped out of his car, and already he was counting the minutes till he was back within the peaceful haven of Broch Mordha. But he'd made up his mind. He wasn't going back without Claire and had taken his passport with him just in case he would have to follow her all the way to London. How he was going to manage that with his unpredictable episodes, he had no idea. He hoped he would be able to keep his panic attacks at bay long enough until he found her and convinced her to come back home.
"I'll walk in with you," Harry said quietly out of the blue as if he'd sense his trepidation. "My flight isn't till later, and my wife is probably enjoying her cuppa tea somewhere."
The tightness in his body relaxed, and Jamie nodded gratefully. Harry seemed to always understand his situation, popping out of the blue at the strangest times. Jamie had never questioned it and put it down to simply Harry being unusually perceptive and a good friend.
They quietly walked side by side towards the airport and when they entered the building, moving bodies and a sea of faces swarmed his vision. The racket and clamour of people going about their business surrounded him, and Christmas crowds trying to make it home before Christmas jostled too close, their cacophony of voices chattering excitedly.
Jamie swallowed the mounting panic and fixed his thoughts on Claire, breathing deeply in through his nose and with a heaving chest, letting it all out with a whoosh. His eyes darted and saw people smiling and nodding animatedly, laughter and children's squeals infiltrating his consciousness, their sound accompanied by an air of anticipation that told him it was a season of joy.
Jamie managed to put a grim smile on his face and concentrated on getting one foot in front of the other, apologising now and again whenever he accidentally bumped into someone, almost stumbling like an intoxicated man. Although aware of Harry's presence, perspiration coated his skin, and he could feel a bead of sweat running down his temple. The usually comfortable soft fabric of his sweatshirt chaffed and squeezed him like a clamp almost suffocating him. The chaotic din typical of an airport during the holiday season came in a huge rush of waves, at first faint, then building to a deafening sound that roared in his ears, shattering his foundation and foothold.
Oh, God, please, not now. Jamie knew it was happening. Attempting not to panic, he began to employ a technique that more often than not worked. He tried listening to his mother's singing in his head, the one that stuck most in his mind and brought him comfort when he'd been amidst a conflict in a war zone, a song that sang him to sleep when he was a wee bairn.
He stopped a few metres away from the cafe where Claire was supposed to be waiting and took a moment to draw in oxygen, clinging to his mother's singing in his head. Goodnight, you moonlight ladies. Rockabye, sweet baby, James. Deep greens and blues are the colours I choose. Won't you let me go down in my dreams? And rockabye, sweet baby, James.
He dimly recognised where he was, busy eateries, cafes and shops lined a wide area, a focal point for those waiting for love ones to arrive or passengers before heading to security that led to the departure area. Someone's child screamed nearby, and the sound of suitcases dragging on its wheels seemed to rumble and reverberate on the ground. Christmas light decorations that normally shimmered unobtrusively and gave a soft glow suddenly seemed to flash all around him, and the Christmas songs playing in the background became disembodied sounds. Jamie froze, gripped in the throes of a colossal panic attack that forced him to sink halfway to his knees.
Everything seemed to fade in and out, but it was Harry's voice he eventually clung to, his mother's singing hushing into the recesses of his head. The Englishman repeated his name and grabbed hold of his elbow, preventing him from collapsing to the floor and leading him firmly away from the moving crowd. Jamie pitched himself against the giant column and fought the crippling dread chipping away at his sanity.
He glanced around frantically, but Harry's hand grabbed his face and forced him to look straight into amber eyes.
"Breathe, Jamie. Everything is going to be alright. Just keep breathing."
"H-Harry ...I n-need to ..."
"It's alright. I know. I'm not going anywhere. Just breath."
Jamie unzipped his jacket and fought for air, sucking in a lungful. And then, again and again, gasping and coughing as he doubled over, bracing his hands on his knees. Harry's strong hand massaged his back in a circular motion, the older man's presence calm and controlled, breathing with him, encouraging to gradually take in more air.
It took a while to normalise his breathing, his heart to calm down and the cold sweat to evaporate. As he regained more control, though wobbly at first, he straightened up. Gathering his bearings, he ignored the odd looks from passersby, by now already used to it.
Harry gave him a reassuring smile. "Feeling much better?"
Jamie managed a nod as the initial feeling of shame and embarrassment took over the panic attack. Why am I even here? Claire deserved so much better than this and all his fucking issues. On top of it all, he'd managed to make her feel cheap when he was nothing but just half a man. There was no way she'd go back to Broch Mordha with him.
"Oh no, you don't. I know that look in your eyes. You've made it this far, old sport," Harry whispered fiercely, straightening his jacket. "Don't you even think of going back home without trying!"
Jamie blinked, confused. What the fuck? What does Harry know? But there was no time to ask questions, as he caught a glimpse of Claire past Harry's shoulder. She was in the cafe in the motion of getting up, her head bowed down while speaking on the phone.
Last night, he'd held Claire in his arms and now, the reality of the moment hit him hard as he saw her hand gripped the suitcase next to her, reminding him she's waiting to board a plane. He could hardly think over the furious pounding in his chest as a combination of relief at seeing her and fear of rejection surged through him. He barely registered himself, moving towards the cafe when Harry put a hand on his arm. He turned to meet his friend's eyes. "You're on your own now. For now. Remember to breathe."
Jamie swallowed hard and nodded.
"Now go and hurry."
**********
Claire panicked, her eyes darting around the cafe. Annalise had just called and confessed Jamie was on his way to talk to her. Her friend had insisted on giving Jamie a chance to explain and that he'd made a mistake.
But Claire couldn't do this. She didn't have this sort of experience nor the emotional strength to handle this kind of situation. All she knew and was aware of was how much Jamie had hurt her with his words.
She quickly stood up, said goodbye to the woman sat on her table, grabbed her bags and made her way out of the cafe. She kept her head down and tried not to look around in case Jamie spotted her. She began to walk faster, weaving through crowds of travellers as she wheeled her suitcase, images of Jamie encroaching her thoughts. A new voice was trying to make itself heard, telling her maybe she ought to listen to what Jamie had to say. But what was there to say? She'd seen what he wrote with her own eyes, and there was no explaining himself out of it.
She was just getting into the queue for the security check when a shout cut through the hubbub surrounding her.
"Sassenach!"
She stiffened, and her hand went slack around the suitcase's handle, sending its bulk toppling to the floor. It took a few heartbeats for her to turn around and face Jamie, afraid her resolve would collapse if she looked at him. When she finally saw him, he stood a few yards away, suspended in a sea of bustling chaos. Perspiration beaded his forehead, his face pale and eyes a little wild as they searched hers, snagging on the way she snatched her suitcase to an upright position and pulled it closer to her side. As always, ever since she first laid eyes on him, his unusual male beauty made her chest ache. A head taller than most, he looked out of place in the busy surroundings, his blue eyes penetrating through everything in their wake to reanimate her heart.
She waited for something to happen, but he just continued to stare at her, his body swaying a little. He looked like he was about to faint. Worry, combined with fear prickled her skin when she recalled his accounts of his PTSD condition. She'd made it this far, and now she was torn between going over to him and making her way to the security.
"What are you doing here?" she said a little harshly.
"Dinnae go in that plane.”
"It's too late for that."
Anguish fogged his handsome features. "I need ye to hear me out, Sassenach. Please."
Claire shook her head. "What is there to say, Jamie? That text you wrote, told me everything already."
"Please let me explain ..."
"I already know what you're going to say, Jamie. You're going to say you didn't mean to write that text. It's classic and cliche at the same time and utter bullshit." Claire's shoulders sagged, and she swallowed hard. "No, I'm sorry, I can't ..."
She started to step into the queue, but stopped, her heart caught in her throat when a passerby in a rush accidentally bumped into him, and he almost vaulted over. She saw how much it took out of him just to remain upright. She made a move to come to his aide, but he stopped her with a motion of his hand, telling her he would say his piece without any help. Squeezing his eyes shut, he took several deep breaths, discomfort, and distress in this busy environment evident on his face.
"You don't look well, Jamie. You should go home," she said, glancing around, aware of people looking at him.
"Damn it, Sassenach," he wheezed. "I'm gonnae make ye listen even if it kills me."
A stabbing pain went through her heart. "I can't do this, Jamie. I'm going."
"No!" He took another unsteady step forward. When Claire stayed put, relief washed over his face. "What I wrote to my sister about you was wrong ..."
Rage replaced the hurt she was feeling. "You made it sound I was just a notch on the bedpost," she snapped, angrily.
Jamie winced as a woman nearby gasped and glared at him, but they both ignored her. "No, Sassenach. You were never that ..."
"Your words winter fling said it all. What else could it mean?"
"Sometimes, what I think and what I feel doesn't translate into words ..."
"Or you don't think at all," she interrupted, tipping her head back to keep the tears from falling.
His head dropped. "No, I didnae think. What I said was inexcusable, and no explanation or apologies would take any of the hurt I caused ye back."
"It was a horrid thing to say about someone!"
His face flickered with regret and self-loathing. "It was, and I'm an arsehole for it."
"They why? Why Jamie? Is that how you talk about your conquests?"
His face paled even more. "No! You're not that at all. What we had was special, and I've never felt like this about someone before."
"You could have fooled me ..."
He took a careful step forward as if afraid she would bolt. "Sassenach, I said what I said not because that was what I thought about you and that's the truth. Partly, I text those words to get my sister off my case. She was badgering me for getting involved with ye because she was worried about me falling for someone from the city due to my condition. Another part of the reason I wrote that had to do with my fear of getting emotionally attached. I thought by labelling what we had as temporary, it would be easier to let ye go when the time comes. It was wrong ...so wrong. I wish I hadnae said it."
Claire could barely see him through the blur of tears. The awful pain she'd had in her heart all morning waned a little. She forced her feet to move, but the emotion in his voice kept her rooted in place.
"Christ, everything happened so fast between us. And I was rushing ahead before I could comprehend what was happening. When ye told me ye live in London, I was convinced that nothing could come out of this ...us ...whatever this is we have ....because I wouldnae ken how to live in yer world and it wouldnae be right to ask ye to give up yers. When I asked ye to extend yer stay, my intention was to make as many memories with ye because I needed to face the truth of my limitations. I was determined not to be that someone who held ye back and made ye regret what ye could've done. I said to mysel' whatever time ye could give me, I'd be grateful. Yet, here I am, begging ye not to get on that plane."
She wanted to go to him, take him in her arms and forget what had happened, but she needed more. She needed to know that this thing between them was more than just a handy itinerary with chemistry tossed into the mix. For her, it had always been more, but he's a man, and maybe it's just all about sex for him.
"Sorry, Jamie." Bracing her shoulders, she pulled her suitcase behind her and joined the line for security check-up.
"Wait!"
She and every person within hearing distance in the queue turned around to look at him.
This time, Jamie didn't flinch and looked at her straight in the eyes with unwavering intensity. "I cannae let ye go without giving it my best shot. I've used my condition as an excuse for far too long, yet not once did ye ever look at me as someone damaged. I dinnae want my condition to stop me anymore from going after what I want. I swear to God, ye havenae seen persistence yet, Sassenach. Ye have nae idea what it looks like until ye've seen it on me. I've fought for my life in a war zone before, and I'm doing it again now. If ye get on that bloody plane, be rest assured I will be on the next flight behind yours. I will show up in every God damned place ye go to until ye give me the time of day. And I willnae stop until I get it through yer pretty head how much ye mean to me. And if ye come back to me, I promise ye, I'm gonnae work my arse off to prove to ye every day how special ye are. Even if it means moving to London to be closer to ye. All I'm asking for is a second chance."
Looking at him, she knew he meant every word, and there was an intensity about him, that told her he would go through with his threat of following her to London. A lump stuck in Claire's throat, so huge she could barely speak. Her face crumpled, and she let the unshed tears she'd held all morning flow. Unable to stand a moment longer without feeling his arms around her, she let go of her grip on her suitcase and began to make a move towards him. Jamie fell back a few steps, both hands flying to rest on top of his head, relief and disbelief visible in every line of his body. She covered the distance separating them in three steps and flung herself into strong arms that circled around her without hesitation. Applause, cheers and whistles from passengers who had witnessed the scene erupted around them, making them both laugh through tears.
"Jesus Christ, Jamie," she stammered with a hiccup. "You really know how to cause a scene and really make it count."
A hand tunnelled through her hair, gripping her neck so he could angle her head and kiss her. "I'm so sorry, Sassenach. Oh, God, I'm so sorry," he muttered against her lips. "I was an idiot. I thought I wasnae gonnae make it."
A shudder passed through her. "I almost got on a plane and spent Christmas on my own."
Jamie fell back into the nearest seat, taking Claire with him. Obviously spent from all the emotions. "Dinnae remind me ...ever again, please. But just so ye know, I have my passport with me. I was ready to come after ye. Today."
Claire clung to him tighter. "It's Christmas, and we're together. Let's just focus on that."
"Christ, I thought I knew fear." His breath shook and fanned her skin. "That was the scariest situation I've been in."
She let out a sigh, inhaling his scent from the crook of his neck. How had she thought for one second that running away would have been a better option? She thought of the woman she spoke to earlier in the cafe and smiled.
Jamie shook her a little. "Ye're going to think this is mad, but I dinnae want to take another second for granted, so I'm just going to say it, so ye ken once and for all."
"Say what?" she whispered. Jamie tilted her face up for a slow, deep kiss, then stood, lifting her in his arms.
"I'm in love with ye, Sassenach. I ken it's too soon, but I want it out there just in case something happens and I dinnae get another chance to say it, or I do something stupid like making ye cry. Life's too short for over-analysing things and keeping something like that to myself."
She smiled through fresh tears. "I'm in love with you too, Jamie. And next time you say something stupid, I'm just going to get into a fight with you about it, instead of running away."
Jamie's laughter rumbled in his chest before his face turned serious. "Merry Christmas, Sassenach. May it be our first of many more to come."
Claire reached out and clasped his face with her hands and laid a soft kiss on his lips. Her heart broke open, and for the first time, all the pieces clicked together in a perfect puzzle, and everything made perfect sense. Because she'd learned early on you needed to take the bad with the good and embrace it all. Despite Jamie's condition and fear of uncertainty, she'd taken a gamble and trusted her guts, and by giving him a second chance, they'd ended up with the best thing of all.
Love at Christmas.
She knew it wasn't going to be smooth sailing forever. There were going to be long talks of how they ought to proceed with their relationship, compromises to be made, and probably many teething problems during their phase of getting to know each other. But as long they both keep their hearts open, they should have a fighting chance.
"Merry Christmas to you too," she whispered, her voice raspy with emotion.
"Shall we go home?" he murmured, smiling.
"Yes, let's go home."
Hand in hand they left the airport and headed back to Broch Mordha to celebrate Christmas.
Dear Readers,
Firstly, thank you for your best wishes and feedback from the previous chapter. This latest update was supposed to be published on Christmas day. Unfortunately, because I was so overly ambitious about the storyline, I was unable to deliver. I didn't want to rush it after having gone through the story in my head many times. Rushing it probably would have made me miss many of the elements I wanted to put in this story.
Anyway, I had a lovely quiet Christmas. With everything that's happening globally, it was more of a time for reflection for us instead of celebration. I am just grateful that my love ones are safe and healthy and hope you're own dearests are as well. As for this story's direction, I don't know how many chapters there are to go, but I can safely say there is another one after this. I will try to publish before New Year, and if I am unable to do so, I wish you all a New Year full of exciting possibilities, good health and lots of love. Keep the good vibes rolling and take care. X
#melodyheart#all I want for christmas is you#claire beauchamp#jamie fraser#Claire Beauchamp/Jamie Fraser#outlanderfanfic
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get to know me tag game !!
tagged by the lovely @hauntedlilies !! thanks sweet m! these are always fun :))
as usual i rambled and got a little personal with the answers so you know all you followers keep building up the blackmail material i guess LOL
When is your birthday?
january 15!
What is your favorite color?
ahhh it’s always changing but rn i’m vibing with purple, pink, green, and yellow :))
What’s your lucky number?
7, 10, 15 :)
Do you have any pets?
yes !!! two cats and two dogs and i adore them !!!
How tall are you?
5′8″ (watch out jimin!! based on the evidence i have seven years left to outgrow you !!!)
How many pairs of shoes do you own?
i haven’t a clue
Favorite song?
my go-to answer is always seesaw but tbh it’s so hard to pick !!
Favorite movie?
agghhhhhh how do you choose???? i’ve mostly been watching animated movies recently bc it comforts me so probably your name or monster’s inc :)
What would be your ideal partner?
...park jimin?
LOL in all seriousness... i tend to like extroverts and just people who are super passionate about something !!! both romantically and in any relationship!! honestly oikawa tooru is the template i would drop everything and marry him he is a precious petty idiot and i love him the most
Do you want children?
fjdslgkhsdlkfjlsd not right now !!!! i tend to not answer this question too directly because i have plenty of time to think about it and i don’t want to tie myself to any direction !!!
Have you gotten in trouble with the law?
lol no but i think after a quick scroll through my tumblr you could have guessed that
What color socks are you wearing?
no socks !!! unless it’s winter and i’m freezing sleeping in socks is a crime >:( but earlier i was wearing pink and purple socks !
Bath or shower?
depends !! but i never feel clean after a bath and still end up showering, the bath is just for me to chill
Favorite type of music?
hmmmm kpop, musical theatre, minecraft music LOL
How many pillows do you sleep with?
four !! SLFKJLDSGH lol
Which position do you sleep in?
depends !!! i used to sleep exclusively on my stomach but i’ve changed a bit and honestly any position is possible! but no matter what i am cuddling a pillow (with the other three piled around me) and probably holding my own hand LOL
What don’t you like when you’re sleeping?
being cold :( i can deal with hot but being freezing is terrible !! i like to spread out but when you’re cold you have to like curl yourself up to preserve heat
What do you have for breakfast?
cold leftovers are the ideal breakfast <3 i used to like breakfast foods but most of them just make me nauseous now so i end up just eating leftovers or coffee/tea
Have you ever tried archery?
like once? like literally did one shot. was not good
Favorite fruit?
strawberries !!!! yum yum yum (after that probably mango)
Favorite swear word?
i don’t know that i have a favorite but i say fuck the most LOL
Do you have any scars?
yes !! i’m clumsy so i have many burn scars on my hands from cooking or curling my hair (the biggest one was very creatively named Mark by my bestie and beta reader @delayedimperfection). i also have several scars from my psycho/lovely cat on my arms and hands (and then i went in the sun after getting several of them and yeah they probably will never go away it’s fine)
Are you a good liar?
nope !!! especially if you know me i think my tells are just easy to pick up on!! i rarely win as imposter in among us :( tragic
What’s your personality type?
infp-t!! i think that’s what this is asking
What’s your favorite type of girl?
all !!!!
Left or right handed?
right !! my left hand is useless <33
Favorite food?
sushi !!!! it’s filling but a lot of food makes me nauseous nowadays and i never feel that way after eating sushi
Are you clean or messy?
messy !!
Favorite foreign food?
well i guess sushi LOL but i am always down to try something new!
How long does it take for you to get ready?
depends on how greasy my hair is!! anywhere from five minutes to an hour-ish
Most used phrase?
lol probably “oh my gosh” and “oh my god.” i also say this phrase that’s like from a specific city but i honestly do not even know to spell it it’s like gibberish i don’t even know
**update (not that anyone was asking) but i did some research and the phrase is jeezle petes!! it’s not exclusive to the city i picked it up from but that one city is how i learned it :))
Are you a good singer?
lol i’d like to hope so !!! i did musical theatre for several years so if i’m terrible well whoops? lol
Do you sing to yourself?
of course !!!
Biggest fear?
ummmm idk i am such a scaredy cat so i’d say most things spook me !! i guess i’d say abandonment as a serious answer and ghosts as a silly(ish) one
Do you like long or short hair?
i generally like shorter hair (on myself and other people) but i mean different hairstyles suit different people !!
Are you into gossip?
idk i don’t like to speculate and i try to always give people the benefit of the doubt but !!! if it’s me and my mom in the car well then no fucking mercy
Extrovert or introvert?
introvert !!!! if you message me first i’ll love you forever (also hence why i love extroverts, they balance me out !!)
Favorite school subject?
i love love love chemistry and any kind of science !!!! (definitely haven’t projected that into any of my fics no no no...)
What makes you nervous?
being in unfamiliar places !! i hate feeling lost or feeling like people can tell that i’m lost
Who was your first real crush?
fjdlsghsdlk idk... i have such a hard time expressing and processing romantic feelings that i’m not really sure that i’ve had one !!! my best guess is probably my best friend a few years ago but honestly i don’t really even think i had a crush, i was just trying to reciprocate how he felt SJLDGKJLSDGKH this is soooo personal anyways~~~~~
How many piercings do you have?
i used to have three in each ear but due to some unfortunate circumstances two (in each ear) grew in :( i plan to get them re-pierced soon though !!
How fast can you run?
GJLSDGHLDKF idk ????? i’d like to think i’m relatively fast because i have longer legs but honestly that’s such a lie i have to be in fear to really be fast LOL
What makes you angry?
hmmm!! tbh it takes a lot to make me mad, i’m pretty chill and usually i get sad/upset rather than actually angry! but the quickest way to make me mad is to like expect something from me and never communicate it!! i can’t read your fucking mind i’m the biggest people pleaser i know and would probably bend over backwards for you if you just told me GJSLDKFHL yes this is about a very specific set of instances <3333
Do you like your own name?
yeah, actually !! naomi is an alias, i chose it just for fun, but i like my irl name too :)
What are your weaknesses?
my crippling self doubt :’) also i’m so ticklish it isn’t funny. hmmmm i also tend to put other people’s needs before my own and then let them take advantage of that GHLSDKFJS it’s fine. AND i need everyone to like me all the time especially when they are mean to me (which makes me easy to manipulate unfortunately flsdkghdlskfj why am i giving out this info)
What are your strengths?
i think i give okay advice and i’m good at teaching other people things !!! i’ve also been told i’m very genuine and honest :)
What is the color of your bedspread?
grey !!
Color of your room?
lol grey, white, and then honestly just an assorted bunch of colors
this was fun !!! tagging @softbobamilktae, @moon-write, and @jtrbluv !!!
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Thanks to @onereyofstarlight for the tag!
1. What fandoms have you written for?
This is embarrassing but I actually had to look at both FFnet and AO3 because I couldn’t remember all of them. TRON: Legacy, Assassin’s Creed, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, Sherlock, Final Fantasy VII and XV and Kingsglaive, Voltron: Legendary Defender, Merlin, Skyrim, and, of course, Thunderbirds. I have a couple other fandoms that crop up in various wips, including a Tom Swift/Thunderbirds crossover that I really should finish.
2. How many works do you have on AO3 &/or FFNet?
FFnet has 45, and AO3 has 41. There’s also a couple stories lurking on tumblr, notably a final chapter for Reflection.
3. What are your top 3 fics by kudos on A03 &/or Favs on FFNet?
AO3 dominates in this area, if I can use a word like “dominates” for stories that have less than 125 kudos each haha. Oh well, the numbers don’t matter!
1. 118 kudos on tell the shades apart (my world is black and white)
2. 94 kudos on Reflection
3. 91 kudos on The 43rd Hour
4. Which 3 fics have the least kudos & Favs?
Again on AO3:
1 kudos on I Am You (And You Are Me)
5 kudos on The Dragonborn Chronicles
6 kudos on cynosure
5. Which Fic has the most comments and which has the least?
Reflection has the most at 29 threads, and I Am You (And You Are Me) has the least at zero.
6. Which complete fic do you wish had gotten more attention?
Lodestar, definitely. Sure, it’s for something of a rarepair, but they aren’t that rare, and I just really really like the way the story came together. On the other hand, of course my unfinished Merlin fic has gotten probably the most attention, because that’s just the way it goes, eh?
7. Have you written any crossovers?
None that I’ve published! I have various crossovers lurking in mostly unfinished states, including the aforementioned Tom Swift/Thunderbirds crossover, and an Assassin’s Creed/Thundeerbirds crossover that is very good and I should also finish. There’s an Expanse/Thunderbirds fic lurking in my brain that I may or may not ever commit to paper, who knows. I’ve also very vaguely toyed with a Batman/Thunderbirds crossover, in the sense that “nebulous” is too strong a word for the kind of toying I’ve been doing.
8. What is the craziest fic you’ve written?
I don’t really write crazy or crack or humor in general, so probably the closest thing to “crazy” is On the Lam, which was the result of wanting to throw Scott and Penelope toward an Egyptian stud farm. It ended up being the host for a bad joke about that, courtesy of one @thebaconsandwichofregret, who consistently gives some of the best dialogue advice I’ve ever encountered.
Actually, the true answer is probably a chapter in Glimpses into a Supernova, maybe the one about blood? It seems bonkers when I think back on it now, but I admittedly haven’t read it in many years. Possibly I am misremembering. Glimpses has some weird ones, though.
9. What’s the fic you’ve written with the saddest ending?
It’s a tossup between The Painting and a place where the water touches the sky. The former deals with a prior off-screen death; the latter is (maybe??) an on-screen death. People seemed upset by it, at any rate. I said it was ambiguous!
10. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?
“Happy” is probably a matter of perspective? Depends on the overall reading experience and the ending within that context. Either septet or Three Towels and a Tracy, they’re both pretty fluffy overall.
11. What is your smuttiest fic?
protoinstincts, which I completely forgot I wrote and then rediscovered like a year later and realized “hey, this is actually pretty good” and you know what, despite it not being overly spicy, it is pretty good.
12. Have you ever received hate on a fic?
Not hate, per se, but someone left a review on Less Than Nothing saying they “didn’t like” that I “wrote the story as a series of drabbles.” Cool, I didn’t write the story for you, random guest reader, and the back button exists, friend 😂 It didn’t bother me on a personal level because I wrote the fic for an audience of one (incidentally, not myself and rather the recipient of a secret santa event), but I was mad because the reviewer had no way of knowing where I was at as a writer, and I know from longtime observation how that kind of comment can crush less experienced or confident writers.
Don’t leave flames, kids, you don’t understand the power your words have. Don’t like, don’t read.
13. What is the nicest comment you’ve received?
The nicest? Goodness. Hmm. I’d have to go hunting to find the nicest, but in recent memory, @ayzrules sent me a couple passages from Spanish texts she’s been studying that reminded her of my writing, and I was honestly so touched by the fact that she even thought to make such comparisons, much less mention them to me. Taking the time to familiarize yourself with someone’s style until you can make comparisons between it and someone else’s work is so much more meaningful to me personally than a basic “Nice story!” or “Loved this!” type of comment ever could be. <3 Ayz <3
14. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
Not that I’m aware of, but I’ve never gone looking on any sort of copycat site or whatever either.
15. How many fics do you have marked as incomplete?
Two. First is The Dragonborn Chronicles, which is a retelling of Skyrim from Lydia’s perspective via her journal, to complement the in-game journal. It’s a slog of a style to write, though, even for someone who loves writing first person and doesn’t really want to write a lot of dialogue, and the outline is huge, and the story will be many times more huge, and just. Some day. Some day.
Second is tell the shades apart (my world is black and white), which has always been unfinished because the outline itself is over seven thousand words and the fully written story would undoubtedly land between 100,000 and 200,000 words, and there’s no way I’m writing that. I’ve always meant to upload the outline, but I got kind of self-conscious about the way I formatted it, and ugh I just haven’t bothered. One day, one day, right?
Moral of the story is I’m intensely a short story writer, and I’ve really found myself settling into that role over the last couple years. Better a clipped, punchy short story than a bloated slog of an epic.
16. Which of the WIPS will most likely be finished first?
Literally no one knows that. I wrote 95% of the observable entropy of a closed system over five years ago, and then I proceeded to pull it out roughly once a year and write and rewrite various endings until last month, which was when I finally figured out how I wanted to end the story. septet, too, languished for about five years before I finally remembered it existed and managed to wrangle an ending. Endings are hard, man. So are those third plot points. Terrible creatures, those, bog me down every time.
17. Which WIP are you looking forward to finishing?
Uh... mm. See. If I were looking forward to finishing any of them, I’d be actively working on them. At this moment, writing fic isn’t exactly high on my list of priorities, but I am also coming off a four-day idle game bender, so I still feel like I haven’t quite reengaged with myself as a living person. Give me another few days and I might have an answer.
(I am always most looking forward to finishing this ridiculous Ignis-drives-the-Audi-R8 fic that’s been languishing in my wips for literal years. As mentioned above, third plot points. Killer, man.)
(oh and also the working-titled the art of murder. Scott and Penny attend a private art auction. Things don’t go to plan. It, too, is stuck at the third plot point. I know, I know I have a problem, shush.)
18. Is there a WIP that you’re considering abandoning?
Any wip has the potential to be revived—this year and the old wips I’ve unearthed, dusted off, finished, and posted have been proof of that. I don’t intentionally permanently abandon anything for that reason, some stories just probably will remain dusty old wips forever because I didn’t actually need or want to write the full story for one reason or another.
19. Which complete fic would you consider rewriting?
Now that’s an interesting question. Hmm! Honestly? None of them. Once I finish a story, I’m not inclined toward rereading it again any time soon, to the point of years in some cases, and I feel like I’ve moved on from the stories I wrote one, two, five, eight years ago in the actual writing sense. They’re finished stories, and on top of that are relics of their time, which doesn’t mean the stories don’t have any ongoing significance on a reading level—I just don’t have any interest in rewriting those particular stories. I’ve gotten them out of my head, to the point of not remembering at least a third of them on demand anymore, and I don’t have any desire to “retell” those exact stories. I do tend to tighten the wording and fix perceived errors/weaknesses whenever I do end up rereading an old story, and I usually silently update the AO3 version if I make any significant changes because AO3 makes it a breeze to update a posted fic. I might do FFnet too if I’m feeling up to it or have the time.
20. Which complete fic is your favourite?
Once upon a time I would’ve said Holding On, but I honestly find it kind of unbearably melodramatic now. the observable entropy of a closed system is equally melodramatic, as it was written in the same era, but at least it has the excuse of being told in second person and via a style that is a half step away from being poetry. Possibly I will reread it in a few years and find it equally obnoxious and overly dramatic, but it received some shockingly positive comments, which I wasn’t expecting at ALL, and I’ve been honestly blown away by the amount of praise it’s received. <3 to everyone who’s said anything about it!
21. What’s your total published word count?
141,000 on AO3, 160,000 on FFnet, but technically the light of my life SS wrote fifty thousand words of each. It’s too late for math.
I tag @velkynkarma, @lurkinglurkerwholurks, @writtenbyrain, @thebaconsandwichofregret, and anyone else who wants to play!
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❧ check in tag
tagged by the sweetest angel @propinqxity to do this little tag. this is such a cute list of questions, and some of these i dont think ive been asked before. thank you so much for the tag and the tumblr crush mention lovely. you truly are a bright spot on this website and i mean that sincerely <333
going under a cut because im certain i will ramble ~
1. Why did you choose this url?
its sort of like a pun between yall dont know and the fact that, hopefully, sincerely, chanyeol does not in fact know that i run this blog lmao i changed to this after a long time of being bread-jinie and i wanted to rebrand. i will, however, do my best to never change URLs again because the masterlist switch over was a complete hassle
2. Any sideblogs? If you have them, name them and why you have them
i have a fic recs blog called @yeoldontknowiread. as to why i have it, i know it hasnt been updated in ages since ive been kind of on hiatus, but i think reading and sharing work on this platform is immensely important. i actually read quite a lot of fanfiction, and i try my best to share the things i read. im very very behind on recs at the moment cause i try my best to write something substantial for every recommendation i make. as a writer, i know exactly the kinds of thoughts and feedback on fics that make my heart soar so i try to put in the same energy to my recs. community is only fostered when there is reciprocation
3. How long have you been on Tumblr?
hmmm since april 2017. i actually had my 4 year anniversary this year and i did have plans for things but i got roped into real life things and couldnt celebrate the way i truly wanted to :(
4. Do you have a queue tag?
no but sometimes i think i should. i view tags as a library on top of my knee jerk response to things. most of my tags are just my initial thoughts or feelings at any given moment, so those take precedence over a specific queue tag
5. Why did you start your blog in the first place?
when i was getting into exo, i was reading fanfiction like crazy. i used to write fanfic quite a lot in other fandoms, but at that time i hadnt written anything in about 2.5 years. exo was the first re-introduction to that feeling of excitement and inspiration. after about 3 weeks of straight reading, i decided i wanted to write again. i wrote the prologue to hero in about two hours and tried logging into AO3 to post it. sadly i forgot all of my log in information because it had been years, and was getting frustrated. i really wanted to put it somewhere out of fear that id lose interest if i didnt do something with it, and everything id read had been on tumblr. so i made a tumblr just to put hero lmao i didnt have any mutuals. it was a blog with straight 0. i hadnt even created an account to interact with writers before that moment, i really thought id be a silent reader forever. but exo woke me back up and for that i am eternally grateful.
6. Why did you choose your icon?
the yours music video is...so stunning? like the colour theory throughout the whole thing is truly so inspiring and gorgeous. and this shot of chanyeol looking at the painting took my breath away, truly. tulips and the color of peach, like do you know how evocative that is? ugh
7. Why did you choose your header
my header was made by @jamaisjoons for my birthday this year because shes literally the most talented person when it comes to graphics. and this was so kind of her to do, i cried a lot
8. What's your post with the most notes?
uhm....either the body through time or truth i cant remember which but i checked recently and its one of those
9. How many mutuals do you have?
honestly at this point im not even sure. i know ive lost a bunch while i was on hiatus because i was basically a dead blog, and some people do dash cleanses. and im certain others have left, too, for their own reasons. still, i have a good core of friends though who are active and that is enough for me
10. How many followers do you have?
more than i probably deserve
11. How many people do you follow?
399
12. Have you ever made a shitpost?
uhm i guess? there was a time when nng was not updated and every wednesday id post the days go by music video in sadness and grief but im not a big shitposter. if i make a text post its usually a life update or me crying about chanyeol, theres no inbetween lmao
13. How often do you use Tumblr every day?
tbh i havent used tumblr that often, not since march i think. i used to use it many times a day, checking in on friends and stuff, but once i started focusing on my phd applications i was only here sporadically. i didnt make an announcement either, just let my blog run on queue so i wasnt totally gone. i think i was checking in twice a week or maybe once every two weeks to refill my queue and check mentions etc. but now that my interviews are done im trying to get back on here daily to reconnect
14. Did you have a fight/argument with another blog once? Who won?
ive had my share of disagreements with people and any details about those situations shall remain as they are meant to: private
15. How do you feel about "you need to reblog this" posts?
in what context? like, you need to reblog this or your wish wont come true? or like, please reblog this to spread the word/spread awareness, etc? in the case for the former, i scroll right by. in the case of the latter, if im around and see someone raising a go fund me or some major event is occurring and i find a post with good sources or charities i will reblog. mostly though, the full extent my activism isnt really on this blog. its my escape from reality. my activism is usually placed on other platforms.
16. Do you like tag games?
i doooo!!! theyre so fun i love learning about my friends
17. do you like ask games?
i love those too! theyre so cute and usually a nice way to have interaction immediacy with people in the community
18. Which of your mutuals do you think is Tumblr famous?
no one. can we please abandon this notion of fame on tumblr? arent we all here to write about some dick and some smut and some fluff and then hang out together and log off? lmao tumblr isnt reality and followers/fame is so arbitrary on this platform, no one has any control over any of it
19. Do you have a crush on a mutual?
i am in love with so many people here. let me name a few:
@yehet-me-up @kyungseokie @jenmyeons @j-pping @jamaisjoons @inkedtae @kookdiaries @yoonia @dulcetvk @kithtaehyung @imdifferentshadesofpurple @ditzymax @sugaurora @sahmbtsficrecs @junghelioseok @yeojaa @augustbutwinter @joonscore @btssavedmylifeblr @cutechim @sunshinekims @kimtaehyunq @ouvuo @delhyun @exo-stentialism @sooibian @softyoongiionly @jinseunie @zibermuda @bratkook @1kook @luffles424 @xjoonchildx
and so many other people and mutuals that i am certainly forgetting. love is such an expansive feeling, and it encompasses platonic ardor and creative desire. i admire every single person listed for so many different reasons, and cherish and treasure them or what they provide to the community. love is such an important and broad experience. truly, i hope they feel adored every single day x
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Love can wait
Hi all,
i posted this fanfic on fan fiction.net in the New Year and thought I should share this on tumblr for those who are looking for more ZoNa, just like me. You can find this here.
This was one of my first fanfics but I haven’t updated the story in like forever so am looking to go back to writing fanfics. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy the chapter as much as I did.
You don’t need to read the other chapters as they are not really connected - sort of. We haven’t entered the main plot at all so not connected as of yet. But reading chapter 6 may help you understand some of the things in this chapter.
Summary: What if Zoro and Nami were childhood friends? How different would their lives be? Lot's of one shots set in an AU where Zoro and Nami are childhood friends. Mugiwara crew will also make an appearance. (It’s one of those close balcony friendship - cringe i know lmao, was young when I started LOL)
Rated: M (just to be safe)
Disclaimer: One piece is not mine.
Also, Italics are what the characters are thinking.
Zoro was completing his usual workout, but from home. He groaned, lifting the 15 kg weights for the 96th time. He needed to lift the weights 4 more times and he had to do it soon or Nami was going to barge in, ruining his schedule.
"97...98...99" he counted. He was lifting it for the last time when he smelt her signature fragrance.
"100" he grunted, dropping the weights and closing his eyes in peace. He felt her soft bosom on his back and her arms around him, as she completely pushed her body against him.
A single trail of sweat dropped from his temple to his cheek from the work out. He was too tired to push her away so he stood still, just breathing in and out to stabilise his heartbeat. However, this proved to be difficult as he could only smell her with every breath, and felt her soft small hands on his abs...wait... did he just feel her hands underneath his shirt?
"What the hell witch?" he spat, as his hands automatically stopped hers from outside of his shirt.
Nami was a flirt and loved teasing men, especially Zoro. She loved taking advantage of her beauty and loved getting her way. It was either her way or the highway. She was a greedy witch and she loved every part about it.
"Zoroooo" she said with a tone, a tone Zoro knew too well. It was a tone she used to get her way. A tone that often worked in nosebleed kun, which was not going to work on him.
"Seriously, what are you doing Nami?" he said, turning his head slightly to see what Nami was up to.
"I'm helping you remove your top." She said trying to move her hands, which was useless as Zoro clutched onto them.
"What do you want?"
"To eat." Nami said cheerfully. Today both their parents were out drinking while Nojiko was at university so it was only him and her. But their parents trusted them, hell they even encouraged to utilise their alone time and do something naughty. Nami's stepfather, Genzo, loved Zoro's wisdom and the way he respected elders. He would want nothing but for Zoro to take his no good spoilt daughter as his wife. While Zoro's father loved having Nami around and would be happy if someone, anyone could accept his muscle idiot of a son.
"And what does eating have anything to do with getting naked?" Zoro said with an eyebrow.
She withdrew her hand from underneath his t-shirt, away from his well built abs. Zoro was saddened at the departure of her warmth but was glad at the same time.
She pinched her nose, "well you kinda stink."
"Hurry and go take a shower. We are going to Baratie." she said, folding her arms, knowing Zoro was going to complain about meeting Sanji-kun.
"Baratie?" Zoro said, his voice slightly louder than he intended it to.
"Yes Baratie, Zoro, Baratie" Nami repeated it twice for her words to reach Zoro's head.
"We will be meeting up with Luffy there as well. Have a nice dinner and drink something nice. Well, Luffy won't. But we can." she said, making drinking gestures.
Zoro liked the idea of drinking with Nami. Maybe, they could resume their ongoing bet as well. Their bet of who can withstand drinks longer was still on hold as they either tie or come out drunk at the end of it. But seeing that shit head took the fun out of it.
He turned around, wiping his forehead clean with his left arm, showing off his biceps in the process. Nami's eyes fluttered to his biceps, enjoying the view he presented her.
"Will we see nosebleed kun as well?" he asked.
She made a face, "who is nosebleed kun? Don't make fun of Sanji kun." She said slapping his chest. Just to feel how hard it was and oh, it was hard.
"Just answer the damn question." he said, removing his top in front of her. His whole body seemed to be living as Nami could see each and every muscle in his body ripple against his skin whilst he removed his t-shirt. His nipples whispered hello to her and oh god, his abs. She trailed a single sweat that dropped from his neck, which made its way between his collar bone, past his chest, crossed his abs and disappeared in his belly button
"like what you see?" He said smirking at how fixated she was with his abs.
She quickly looked up to see him smirking at her, with that stupid grin. She was not gonna let him be the only winner.
"Nope, not at all." she said turning, throwing her hair to his face in the process, and moving towards the door. Zoro closed his eyes naturally and as he opened his eyes to shout some vain remarks to Nami, all he saw was her ass and hips moving side to side towards the door. She didn't need to say anything because she knew he was already looking.
"Be ready by 5 and come over as soon as you're ready." She said before leaving the room completely.
"Oh and invite law." she said with a wink.
///////////
Zoro was ready in 10 mins. He put on a simple white top, jeans and a simple black denim jacket. He looked over his balcony to the other side with a frown.
She is definitely still getting ready.
He went over anyways to pressure her into getting ready quicker, only to find her putting on a skirt that didn't fit. Zoro could see the plumps of skin near the waist of the skirt and her ass as she was struggling to put it on. She was wearing a pink lace thong that illuminated the pale skin underneath. His shameful eyes drank the scene in front of him; her buns juggled as she shook her ass to try to fit the skirt. Damn, that is one big ass, he thought. His hands twitched to slap her right cheek but he shook the thoughts away.
"I don't think that fits Nami." He spoke in a low husky voice.
His voice surprised her, causing her to trip over herself and lose her balance, falling face forward. As a result, her ass was high up in the air and Nami put herself on display for him. He choked on his own spit at the scene in front of her. And that thong was not helping, it practically covered nothing with her ass high up for him to see.
With a tint of blush, he turned around to give her privacy.
"What the hell Zoro!" she turned her head from the ground and was relieved when she found him facing the other way.
She got up and got rid of the skirt. The skirt was velvet and in the colour red. It was short enough to show her smooth legs and just long enough to cover the important parts. Although the skirt didn't fit her, she got it on a 80% sale and her first instinct was to buy it. It was a bargain and was the last piece after all! It's a shame it doesn't fit as it would definitely look good on her.
She was dressed casual for today and was wearing a white cami top with lace detailed front. She was going to wear that velvet skirt with it but decided to replace it with high waisted ripped jeans. She felt a bit exposed after Zoro found her in her thong trying to wear a skirt that didn't fit! So she decided to go with something that would cover her legs.
"Just so you know," she said putting one leg through her jeans, "I'm charging you for that." She said putting the other leg in.
"What the hell witch!" he complained.
"How dare you walk in here and try to see me naked. I didn't peg you to be a Sanji, Zoro." She said walking towards her makeup table to brush her hair. Sanji is a term they use as an inner joke to call men who basically, well, act like Sanji-kun.
After what seemed to be an appropriate time to Zoro, he turned around to state his dissatisfaction.
"Well, it's not my fault you're not ready yet. You're the one who told me to hurry and now you're the one who's not ready. How is it my fault that you're still getting dressed after an hour?"
"You tell me to come over and now, you tell me not to come over, make up your damn mind witch." He said with a frown.
"Zorrroooo, I'm a woman. I'm allowed to take time to look my best." She said in a haughty manner.
She stood up, happy with her hair and turned to him.
"This," she said waving at her body, "doesn't happen overnight. It takes me time to look this good."
He just scoffed. Although he wanted to disagree and say she wasn't all the hotshot she thought she was, he didn't want to make her change clothes, which is something she would do if he disagreed.
He went to sit on her bed and complained that she was slow again.
"Did you call Torao-kun?" She asked reapplying her lipstick one final time. She checked her makeup once more before spraying her setting spray.
"Yes woman, yes, I called your ride." He said with a displeased voice.
Zoro met Law as a child in a kendo club. He was 5 and Law was 10. Zoro was always working hard and stayed behind every time to train harder. He muttered about getting stronger and this piqued Trafalgar D. Water Law's interest in the little boy. Law always teased Zoro for being a little boy yet having big "goals", to which Zoro always challenged Law and they somehow ended in a draw everytime. After leaving the kendo club, Zoro was still close with Law and had been together in every stage of each other's life. Nami and Luffy met Law only after an incident that required Luffy to visit the hospital.
Luffy unfortunately amputated his pinky finger from one of his stupid antics. Nami freaked out so much that she almost fainted when she heard the pinky land on her bedroom floor with a tap. Zoro fortunately knew Law who was a medical student. Law was from a family of doctors and his dream was always to follow his father's footsteps. He would spend hours reading on human anatomy and diseases when he was a child. Law was very smart as a child and eventually skipped grades before he entered medical school.
Zoro remembered law immediately and asked him for first aid through the phone. As they both sounded so distressed over the phone, Law asked them to visit his hospital where he was working as a placement. Zoro and Nami rushed Luffy to the hospital while Luffy was wailing and sobbing about his missing finger. Law helped Luffy calm down and proceeded to ask routine questions about the incident before helping to reattach his finger with surgeons (one of them being his dad). Thankfully, it was a success due to the first aid Law provided. Law was so surprised at how Luffy severed his finger, somewhere along the line due to his interests in Luffy's case, he became Torao and Luffy's friend without his approval. All he said was "so how did you cut your finger?" And Luffy hasn't left him alone since then. Nami thinks it's because Luffy was hysteric over his cut pinky and thanked Torao for (in Luffy's term) "saving his life."
Oh but Zoro knew. He's been with Law for a very long time and they grew up together after all. Zoro knew that wasn't the reason why Law still hangs around Luffy and Nami, and sometimes without Zoro. He's seen the stolen glances and the way law looks at Nami. Law wouldn't be wasting his time to drive them to Barati if he didn't fancy her.
A car honk was heard from outside of Nami's window. Zoro didn't miss the small smile that crawled on Nami's face and wore an annoyed look on his own. Nami sprinted out to her balcony and waved at her older friend.
She turned around and said "let's go!"
Zoro followed her with heavy footsteps. But he still followed her, he was compliant every time and he didn't know why.
As they got nearer to the parked car, Law lowered his passenger window and Nami leaned in on the opened window, revealing her cleavage to the driver. Zoro grimaced, acutely aware of what she was doing. Nami smiled and whispered a sweet 'thank you'.
That's when it hit Zoro. This witch knew. She knew Law had a thing for her and was using him like a Sanji.
Law's eyes followed the top that slightly slid down as Nami leaned over and settled at the cleavage that revealed itself to him. Law smiled in response and gestured Nami to get in the car. To save Law's dignity, Zoro shoved Nami aside and got in the front seat.
"Hey, what the hell?" She asked, ticked off at Zoro's actions.
"Sit at the back." he said gesturing behind him to the back seat.
She pouted because now she would have to sit alone at the back but got in anyways as she was hungry.
Baratie was a beautiful and a fancy restaurant owned by Chef Zeff, who Sanji admires and sees as a father figure.
Upon arrival, they were greeted by a well-lit restaurant with full-length windows around the whole restaurant for natural light. At night, the bulbs that hung on the ceiling were lit in different colours - purple, red, yellow, all creating beautiful lighting during the night. The wall was painted an elegant white, which matched well with the light pink velvet carpet on the floor. In the centre of the restaurant, one could find stairs leading down to the kitchen and up for more seating.
The receptionist recognised the distinct hair colours of Sanji's friends and she didn't even have to ask them about their reservation. She welcomed them and took them straight to the table reserved for "Sanji's queen" as was directed by Sanji in the morning.
"Here are the menus."
She didn't recognise the guy with the tattoos but proceeded to ask the other two whether they would like to order the same as usual.
Nami closed her menu and sweetly smiled before nodding her head. Her usual at the Baratie was a medium steak with chips and red wine, while Zoro's was a signature bacon burger with melted cheese and chips. Law read through a couple of pages before ordering a classic carbonara with white wine. She nodded before proceeding to head towards the kitchen.
Nami was sitting across Zoro and Law was sitting in between them. Zoro saw Nami looking around and guessed she was looking for Sanji.
"Where's Luffy? I thought we were supposed to meet him here." Zoro asked Nami. Nami finally looked at Zoro, he doesn't know why but it felt like she hasn't looked his way today at all. Frankly speaking, Nami was too embarrassed to look at Zoro after the whole thong incident.
With her cheek on her palm, she responded "You'll see him soon enough! He was supposed to come with us but he said he'll already be here by the time we arrive."
Zoro munched on some garlic bread and asked, "Where's nosebleed Kun?"
"Who's nosebleed kun?" Law asked as he didn't remember anyone who was called that.
"Yes, Zoro, who is nosebleed kun?" Nami asked sarcastically, tilting her head to the side.
As if Sanji heard her, he came running with the drinks while singing "Nammmiiiii-swannnnn!"
"My love, my body has been waiting this whole day for this moment." Sanji said, skilfully twirling towards her, without dropping any of the drinks on his way.
"Ah, Sanji kun!" she said clapping her hands together.
"Here you go mademoiselle, one red wine." He said, kneeling down for her.
"Hey, where's my drink?" Law questioned, but it was completely ignored by Sanji.
"Thank you." Nami said lifting her hand gracefully and touching Sanji's cheek.
"I missed you so much." She cooed.
"I can't wait to eat the food your very hands made." she said touching his hands now.
"Namiii-swannn, I know our love was meant to be. For you, I've cooked only the finest and delicious food."
"Ahhh, but I don't have enough money to pay for the finest meals in your restaurant." She said with an act.
"And it's all free for you Nami-swan." Sanji said holding Nami's hand on his and lifting it lightly to kiss her hand.
She giggled.
"Great thank you, expected nothing less from you, Sanji-kun." She said rubbing his chin before looking at the two pairs of eyes watching her in shock.
"You're going to hell." Zoro stated.
"And you, how can you be so dumb you idiot cook."
"It's not free for you shitheads. You guys have to pay." Sanji said to the boys coming out of his love trance.
"Nami-ya, if you can't pay for it then I will pay for you. You don't need to resort to such...err…" His words died on his lips when she sent an angry look directed at him.
"No, thank you law. You guys owe me money, not the other way around. I don't mind a free meal but I don't want to owe you." She said in a pompous manner.
If this was a cartoon, Zoro's eyes would've literally come out of their sockets.
"How in the world is it any different to what you're doing to nosebleed kun?" Zoro said facepalming.
He could hear the 'ohhh, he's nosebleed kun' on the background as law finally put two and two together.
After handing out the drinks including Law's and Zoro's, Sanji lit his cigarette and looked at the tattooed man before him.
"Who the hell are you and why are you calling Nami-swan without honorifics you shithead?" He said, trying to intimidate law.
"Now now, calm down Sanji-kun. He's a friend." Nami introduced Law to Sanji and vice versa.
"By the way, Sanji-kun, do you know where Luffy is?"
"Oh, you didn't know? He's working with us to pay for his tab because he's a big eater." Sanji said taking another puff.
"Are waiters allowed to smoke here? What a terrible service this restaurant has." Law said as a little bit of jealousy stung him when he saw how close Nami was with this "nosebleed kun".
"Huhhhh, what did you say you tattooed shit head. Don't think I'll be intimidated by the word death tattooed on your dainty little fingers." Sanji said rolling his sleeves.
"Oh boy" Nami shook her head.
"He's a chef, not a waiter and yes, why are you waiting our table you idiot. Go back to the kitchen. I don't want to see your face, shitty cook." Zoro said crossing his arms.
"You asshole, you wanna fight. I'll take both of you on." Sanji said making a commotion on his restaurant, causing many customers to look his way now.
Once the customers started whispering about Nami's table, Patty, the rowdy chef in charge of Sanji, came out stomping his feet.
"What are you doing here Sanji? You should be inside the kitchen. You're making a fuss and disturbing other customers." He practically screamed at Sanji, making things only worse.
"Now come apologise." Patty pulled Sanji and apologised to others by bowing to the customers and forced his neck to bow as well.
As Sanji and Patty were apologising to everyone, a corner table got Nami's attention when both the customers started acting a little strange. Zoro, on the other hand, was watching Nami instead during the commotion and had seen the table that caught Nami's attention. Nami's attention was then taken away from said table by Luffy.
"Oiiii Namiiiiii, everyone, you guys made it." Luffy said cheerfully while waving his arms.
Nami's eyes widen in shock, "Luffy be careful, you're carrying a lot of food, it might all come ….."
Before she could finish the sentence, she heard a loud noise which now caught everyone's attention in the restaurant.
Luffy lost his balance and dropped all the plates of food he was carrying.
"Luffy you bastard, that better not be Nami-swan's food." Sanji said walking towards him.
Patty just screamed, knowing it was the wrong decision to hire Luffy as a chore boy. They were losing more money than making money!
Law was quiet as he watched the scene unfold before him. Sanji was beating Luffy and Patty was beating Sanji while Luffy just cried and said "shumimashe". But if it is one thing Law knows about Luffy, it is that wherever Luffy goes, trouble always seem to follow him.
Nami sighed. Great, yet another perfect day, well night, wasted. She thought.
She moaned as she got up from her seat, she was tired of the same shit happening each time they went out together. Before she could walk away, Zoro's question stopped Nami on her tracks.
"Where are you going?" He asked.
"For fresh air and away from these idiots." She said pointing at the two chefs and Luffy who was also beginning to fight back after shouting "I didn't want to work as well." on the top of his lungs.
Oh but Zoro knew. He knew where she was going, he had watched her the whole day after all.
He watched her as she walked past the trio, who were still arguing about the wasted food, and saw the path she was taking. She was planning to go towards the back door, which leads to Baratie's beautiful garden where one could enjoy food and nature together. But the table that caught her eye earlier was on her way as well.
That clever witch.
She walked towards the back door, her waist moving from left to right and then finally stopped when she was next to the table in question. He watched her as she turned her head towards the table, as if someone called her name and saw the smile that creeped on her face. As soon as she looked at the table, the two people visibly jumped and looked towards the window, avoiding Nami's gaze. To their dismay, Nami started walking towards their table.
Zoro chuckled and Law made a mental note never to go anywhere with these psychos. Two were still arguing in front of him, his food all spilled on the floor, and his friend was laughing at the sight like a psycho. Psychos, they're all psychos!
Zoro got up to follow Nami. He started to become extremely curious and wanted to know who Nami found sitting at the table.
"Well, well, well." Nami said hand on her hip.
"Isn't this a beautiful surprise." She said looking at the couple in front of her, their date apparently interrupted.
In front of her sat the student counselor, Nico Robin and Zoro's home room teacher, Cutty Flam, also known as Franky. Franky was hiding behind the menu while Robin nervously laughed.
Zoro's jaw dropped as soon as he caught up to Nami. "Franky, what the hell are you doing here and why are you with herrr!?"
Although Franky was a teacher and should have authority over his students, he often behaved like his students and was seen as a friend rather than a teacher by his pupil. He was always seen hanging around his students and giving life lessons to kids in school.
"So what is this, a first date or perhaps, a proposal?" Nami asked, walking towards the table, trying to work out whether this was a serious relationship.
Robin finally processed all the information and her brain switched on. She picked up her wine slowly and brought it to her lips. She was thinking of numerous ways to play this and was planning her next move. She finally smiled and held Franky's hand that was on the table.
"Yes, we are on a date," She smiled, "aren't you both as well?" She asked softly, her smile provoking Nami further.
Robin knew how gutless Nami was when it came to Zoro. Robin knew Nami could charm the whole world, yet she could not charm Zoro, with whom she's spent all her life with. Zoro was the only man that didn't fall under her spell and it ticked off Nami to her bones. Robin knew that and while Nami waits to make her move, Robin already made hers and was proudly showing off her results to Nami.
Nami frowned, recalling their first meeting. This was Robin's win.*
Nami also reached out to grab Zoro's hands before responding, "Whatever we do is none of your business." Nami did not want to disclose any information and give Robin the satisfaction of knowing whether they were going out or not.
"Let's go Zoro." Nami demanded and walked the other way, back to their table. Zoro didn't have much of a choice as she was still grasping his hand and pulled him towards her.
"Hey, where are you going? I thought you wanted fresh air!" Zoro asked while following Nami.
Nami turned around to face him. She was exhausted; she just got defeated in the battle of wits with Robin and she was hungry! She was hungry and all she wanted to do was eat and drink. She looked at Luffy who was now planning on quitting the job as a chore boy. She wanted to get away, away from all the drama and just eat, something, anything. Just as she was about to suggest going elsewhere for food, as if Zoro read her mind, Zoro asked Nami, "Wanna ditch them and go to a bar for food and drinks?"
Nami has never been happier.
"But what about Law?"
"Screw him, he'll find his way back."
Nami was happy, extremely happy with where she was with Zoro. They are good friends and understand each other well. Sure, they argue from time to time but he (yes, I said he) will always compromise for her and isn't that what a relationship is all about. She has it all and she didn't want to lose what she has with what she could have. She would rather have him near her as a friend than lose him forever. So asking him out can wait just a little longer.
"Okay."
This time, it was his turn to pull her towards the exit of the restaurant. It was going to be just him and her, just the way it should be. And the rest can starve to death, for all Zoro cares.
"Zoro, that's the wrong way!"
"Damn, it!"
/////
* Reference to chapter 6.
Hope you enjoyed it.
Hope you have a good day/afternoon/evening/night. :)
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Content Creator Year in Review!
now that i have finally escaped the labyrinthine 2020 i may as well go sappy for a lil bit and chat about my creations i suppooooosee.... thank you very much to the thoughtful @ttttaehyungie @kkulfm-writing @flurrys-creativity and @nightowls388 for tagging me in this xx
first creation and most recent creation of 2020: my first creation of 2020 was my most recent creation is strawberry lemonade, which i wrote for a sapphic fic fest on twitter
one of your favorite creations from 2020: i didn’t write many oneshots, but i have a soft spot for florezco. i love writing gentle, passionate characters, and the jimin in florezco is the epitome of that. researching it was so much fun too, and i have nothing but fond memories.
a creation you’re really proud of: honestly, love is the warmest colour is one of my personal achievements because all the things the mc is struggling with, i was really having a hard time with when i was writing it. i poured a lot of my heart into this and it helped me process things for myself a little.
a creation that took you forever: definitely tgm. i guess it’s kinda cheating bc it’s a longform series but i feel like if i finished it all the way it would end up taking like 2 years fkjdsfksddjfsk in terms of oneshots, strawberry lemonade took a long time. i was so rusty that sometimes it felt like pulling teeth to get words on the page. i’m so happy i powered through though.
a creation from 2020 that received the most notes: technically my most popular 2020 post is the tgm masterlist. out of curiosity, i added all the notes for the masterlist and each chapter and bonus content (since the whole thing was written in 2020) and it’s over 27k notes isn’t that BONKERS ? tgm also currently has over 60k hits on ao3. i had never expected to even get 1k notes when i first started out in march of 2020. wow, even just working this out now makes me feel even more grateful for this lil community we fostered together and i promise i’m working really hard right now to try and find a way to bring it back <3
a creation you think deserved more notes: because i had a lot of direct interaction with tgm (asks, reblogs, discord) i had the luxury of no longer paying attention to notes. i know everyone preaches (and i have too) about how notes don’t matter but they kinda do, in terms of feeling like your hard work is being received with warmth. i do wish strawberry lemonade would get more notes but i’m unsurprised since it’s not the usual fic you’d find here, and i was inactive for so long. i know it’ll take time to build a regularly interacting community again like i had with tgm.
a new fandom you joined and a creation you made for it: ...crickets
a creation you made that breaks your heart: tgm. always tgm. i feel so unsatisfied with myself for not finishing it. i miss the days i was updating weekly like crazy. isn’t it weird that i could update a 10k chapter each week while working and being in uni, but now i’m graduated and unemployed and i spend a whole day on 1k? fksdjfkds madness luv
a ‘simple’ creation that you really love: honestly, i really loved making the tgm bonus contents. the social dummy app is a lot of fun and it was nice getting to kinda play in that world without having to pay attention to the grand arcs of the plot and stuff.
a creation that was inspired by another one: almost all of my oneshots have been inspired by the art style of ghibli movies. it’s that magical realism, the wonderful mixed in with the ordinary, the love given to the smallest of details. whenever i write, i’m picturing my story in that aesthetic.
a favorite creation created by someone else: this is so hard trying to choose just one but it’ll have to be The Songbird and the Sea by maia_archives. this fic is literally so good that it is now PUBLISHED (or at least available as a fiction ebook w name changes i believe) and there is even a sequel which i haven’t gotten too yet bc i’m putting off rereading the first one as long as possible so that it feels like the first time again THATS how much i adore this fic. i don’t think i’ve read any piece of fiction better executed than this. it literally does every genre better than anyone. it does the pirate au better than potc, it does slowburn better than pride and prejudice, it does worldbuilding better than jules verne, i cannot praise it enough.
some of your favorite content creators from the year: on the home soil: my best girls @dreamyhan @hongism @baekhyyun @wintertae @sope-and-shine @ironicarmy @minjoonalist and my absolute role model @joopiterjoon (i’m sorry for not putting down more, i really have not read on tumblr at all this year) on ao3: annie_vi, Arobeebee, GinForInk, minverse, SugarAndMint, Lilithgirl, moonflower1306, tendershipping, Only_A_Fangirl, maia_archives, elle_O_moonchild, jjks, spudcity
and for good measure, another couple more creations of yours that you love: my guy if i actually posted more things in 2020 maybe i could list them here
tagging: the people i have tagged above, as well as anyone who sees this and wishes to do it! please tag me so i can read about your marvelous creations ;;-;
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