#AND you wrote in a dialogue that immediately makes me like them together more

[httpsserene]

𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 - 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐬 & 𝐨𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫 𝐩𝐢𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢

summary: you know a thing or two about baking, because you’ve baked a thing or two.

pairing: lando norris & oscar piastri x fem!black/poc!reader (in my head? there’s no physical description of reader.)

content warning: fluff. attempt at banter. dialogue heavy. c0vid lockdown mentioned. baking soda vs powder plagiarized from reddit; thank you redditor fowler311.

˖♡ - ̗̀ ⇢ qatar, you were magnificent until you weren't. this post alone is me putting good energy in the atmosphere for the boys in abu dhabi. is this platonic or not? idk, it's up to you—i just happened to write it. (college semester is over !!! i will be so active you'll wish i never came back xxx) no part two requests, pls 🥺 enjoy reading, loves < 3

⌕ join taglist | upcoming chapters | table of contents ↻

you grocery shop on saturday night because no one else living in monaco would consider doing the same. usually.

as you’ve been grabbing items off the shelves, you occasionally stumble across two young men—they’re the only other customers in the store with you this evening. 

the first time you shared an aisle with them, you offered a polite smile before redirecting your gaze to the various shapes and brands of pasta. the second time, you shyly murmured an “excusez-moi” and they apologized immediately while stepping out of the way, allowing you to grab a pack of chocolate chips. the third time, your polite smile widened in amusement, as you watched the man drowning in an oversized hoodie shadow-box his friend, who remained unfazed at the whooshing fists as he inspected a carton for any cracked eggs.

the fourth time, you realize that the two men are lando norris and oscar piastri—the driver lineup of the mclaren formula one team. and, they’re arguing about the difference between baking powder and baking soda, very loudly. in a carrefour. in aisle three. at eight in the evening. on a saturday night.

surely, these two have more interesting plans for their weekend besides grocery shopping.

“they can’t be that different, can they?”

“hmm. once is soda, and the other is powder. that’s quite different, i reckon.”

“yeah, but, they both start with ‘baking,’ so, i figure they’re more similar.”

“if they’re similar, why would they make two different products?”

“greed? consumption—oh, no, wait—consummate? no.”

“consumerism?”

“consumerism! that’s it.”

“i would agree, but i don’t think that’s the case with these two.”

“well, think harder. it’s freezing in here, osc.”

“i think you’re iron deficient.”

“what?”

“never mind—look, mate, this is your fault, really.”

“woo-oooow, i can’t believe this! so, you’re blaming me now?”

“you wrote the list, lando! how is your handwriting so terrible that i can’t tell if you wrote ‘baking soda’ or ‘baking powder’?”

“first of all, you told me to write the list! nobody writes grocery lists anymore, grandpa! secondly, why would you make the dyslexic kid write the list? it’s cruel and unusual—you know i can’t spell for shit.”

“lando. the word ‘powder’ has two more letters than ‘soda.’ i know that you know that. how did you make—whatever the hell that says—look like it could be either one?”

“osc, you’re hurting my feelings. are—are you saying i’m stupid?”

“i literally never said that. the word ‘stupid’ didn’t even come out of my mouth, you muppet—“

you bang the front of your cart into the end-cap of the aisle, sending a few rolls of bagels to the floor. your cheeks warm as their banter halts and heads snap over to look at you awkwardly rushing around to pick up the floor bagels. the last package rolled unbelievably far to knock against lando norris’s shoe. aren’t you just lucky?

you see lando press his lips together to avoid laughing (you appreciate the effort), and he dismisses your apologies as he scoops the bagels off the floor and moves to help place them back on the shelf.

“uh, t-thank you,” you stutter, as oscar piastri walks over just in time to catch a roll that was eagerly looking to return to the supermarket floor. the two men offer smiles in return—lando’s wide and gap-toothed, oscar’s boxy and toothless.

“soda spreads and powder puffs,” you blurt out, because you left you brain-to-mouth filter at home. maybe they sell replacements here. in the aisle furthest away from the two formula one drivers, preferably.

“what?” lando questions, a matching look of confusion plastered on his teammates face.

“sorry, i overheard your conversation,” you shrug, trying for nonchalance, “baking soda influences spread and browning, whereas baking powder provides puffiness and lift. they’re both leavening agents but, baking soda is sodium bicarbonate and baking powder is a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and an acid. soda needs and an acid to activate but powder needs moisture and heat. so—i guess which one you need depends on what your trying to make.”

you think you failed to portray nonchalance, if the perplexed expressions the two stare at you with are any telling.

oscar blinks, “…we’re trying to make chocolate chip cookies. i tried to convince him to buy cookie dough but he wanted to make them from scratch, even though neither of us can bake.”

“it’s more fun if we do it from scratch,” lando crosses his arms huffily, “you didn’t have to tell her that we’re absolutely hopeless in the kitchen, though.”

“i reckon she already knew that from overhearing our lack of knowledge about baking ingredients, lando,” the australian chuckles quietly, shifting the shopping basket from one arm to the other.

“do you have the recipe on you?” you ask kindly.

oscar hands the scorned grocery list over without complaint, “it’s my mum’s recipe. sorry if it’s hard to read—you’ll have to blame him for that.”

lando scoffs in indignation, “you’re exaggerating, oscar. my handwriting isn’t that bad, is it?”

you feel them watching as you decipher the hieroglyphics that are lando’s letters. you bring a finger up to trace underneath the scrawl, eyes squinting to force the words into focus—oscar snorts and lando sighs in played-up dejection.

“i can understand what you’ve wrote just fine,” you smile at lando, “i’ve seen worse. you know, my younger cousin’s handwritting is miles more dreadful than this.”

the brit knocks his shoulder against oscar’s teasingly, “hah! maybe you just can’t read, osc. have you thought about that?”

you tap your finger against your chin in thought, “—but my cousin is like, five-years-old, with terrible fine motor skills. so, i wouldn’t say that’s a fair comparison.”

the two are caught by surprise, laughing delightedly at your ribbing. the sound of their amusement is contagious enough for you to crease with your own giggles.

“i didn’t expect to be bullied in a carrefour’s on a saturday night by a stranger,” lando says with a grin, after he’s calmed down.

“sorry,” you shake your head playfully, properly introducing yourself before continuing, “i forgot you usually spend your time here arguing about baking soda. which—by the way, your mum’s recipe calls for both baking powder and soda, oscar. which is very smart and unique! in most cookie recipes, most people usually opt for baking soda alone, for the spread of the batter. but, your mum must’ve liked her cookies puffier and fluffier as well! anyways, that explains why it looks like lando could’ve written either word here—because he meant to write both.”

they thank you profusely for helping them overcome the challenge of lando’s handwriting, oscar returning to the aisle to place each ingredient in his basket.

“sorry, could you grab me one of the baking soda, as well?” you ask, “that’s the last thing off of my list tonight.”

“we’re all done, too,” the australian walks over with your box, hesitating briefly before you gesture for him to drop it in your filled cart.

the duo walks towards the registers with you, lando asking, “are you a baker?”

“no,” you chuckle, “i had a phase during lockdown.”

“ah, i should’ve known,” he teases, “i mean, that’s how you know that baking powder is sodium carbon-fiber—“, oscar echoes his teammates ‘sodium carbon-fiber’ with a soft smile, “—just a baking phase, right. makes sense.”

“oh, come on, lando norris,” you scold him jokingly, “baking powder is sodium carbon-fiber and an acid. keep up—we’ve been over this already.”

you separate from the two as you near the registers, unloading your cart onto the conveyor belt and exchanging polite conversation with the cashier as you hand over your stack of reusable bags. you don’t realize that they’ve waited for you until you start to think about the logistic of carrying all of your groceries home.

“uh,” lando pushes oscar forward with a firm hand on his back, the tips of the australian’s ears are reddening, “would you like help with those? we don’t mind holding a few.”

“would you mind?” your shoulders sag in relief, “i do this in one trip routinely but i don’t think that’s happening tonight. i only live about four blocks over—my doorman will help me get them all up to my flat, so i won’t be keeping you longer than necessary.”

that’s how you find yourself walking home, on a saturday night, with two formula one drivers holding the bulk of your groceries in their arms. you’re going to the casino directly after you put the groceries away because your luck is too good to miss out on right now. your doorman heads inside to grab a cart as soon as he catches sight of you. your two helpers exchange a glance in your peripheral vision as you come to stop in front of your building.

“well, this is me,” you start, pausing to thank your doorman, gabriel, as the boys carefully unload the bags onto the cart, “thank you for the assistance, you are both too kind.”

“mr. norris and mr. piastri are always kind,” hums gabriel, winking at the two men, before rolling the cart inside.

“wait, what? you live in the same building as me?” you’re flummoxed. you knew the rent was too expensive, but you didn’t think it was formula-one-driver-expensive.

“i live here,” lando reveals, holding the door as he lets you and oscar walk inside, “osc doesn’t. i feel like i would remember your face if i’ve seen you here before. what floor are you on?”

“i don’t know if i should tell you that,” you side-eye them flippantly, “i fear for my safety.”

“well, i shouldn’t have told you that i live here,” lando sniffs.

“gabriel blew your cover, mate,” oscar rolls his eyes, “also, she would’ve found out anyways. we would’ve had to follow her in to make the cookies in your apartment.”

your doorman squeezes into the first elevator with your groceries, while you and the boys opt for the second. oscar’s hand hovers over the button while he waits for you to clue him in, pressing lando’s afterwards.

lando clears his throat as the elevator begins to rise. “seeing as your thrilling saturday night activity of grocery shopping is over, what are the rest of your plans for tonight?”

scratching at the nape of your neck, you say, “don’t judge me anymore than you have tonight…i was thinking about watching the entire how to train your dragon trilogy.”

oscar gasps quietly, his eyes bright, “i love those movies.”

“would you like to come up to my flat and make chocolate chip cookies from scratch with us? and watch the movies, too?” lando’s question is sweet, and his eyes are earnest.

“i feel like it would be very dumb of me to visit the apartment of a man i just met in the grocery—formula one driver or not.”

“sorry, i can see how it’s weird. better safe than sorry, i know. i promise we’re not like going to try anything, or we’re not, like, serial killers or anything. oscar’s too polite for that, and i’m too squeamish. seriously, it would be just for the cookies. we didn’t have a baking phase in lockdown like you did, so we’re lost on a lot more than the different between baking soda and powder. sodium carbon-fiber and acid, or not. if it’s uncomfortable for you, that’s fine. maybe we can plan for another day when you know us better.”

“yep,” oscar offers in support of lando’s statement.

you smile, “you remembered about the acid this time.”

the elevator dings before softly jerking to a stop on your floor. the doors begin to slide open, “honestly? i think i’m more afraid about you guys possibly burning our building down rather than killing me in cold blood.”

you step out of the elevator, seeing gabriel waiting by your door with the cart.

turning back to face the two men, you survey them with a serious gaze before breaking into a grin, “don’t turn on the oven without me. that part requires adult supervision. let me put my groceries away and then i’ll be right up.”

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[physalian]

What No One Tells you about Writing #3

Opening this up to writing as a whole, because it turns out I have a lot more to say!

Part 1

Part 2

1. You don’t fall in love with your characters immediately

But when you do, it’s a hit of serotonin like no other. I’d been writing a tight cast of characters for my sci-fi series since 2016 and switched over in a bout of writer’s block this year to my new fantasy book. I made it about ⅓ through writing the book going through the motions, unable to visualize what these new characters look like, sound like, or would behave like without a ‘camera’ on them.

Then, all of a sudden, I opened my document to keep on chugging with the first draft, and it clicked. They were no longer faceless elements of my plot, they were my characters and I was excited to see what they could accomplish, rooting for them to succeed. Sometimes, it takes a while, but it does come.

2. Sometimes a smaller edit is better than a massive rewrite

Unless you’re changing the trajectory of your entire plot, or a character’s arc really is unrecoverable, sometimes even a single line of dialogue, a single paragraph of introspection, or a quick exchange between two characters can change everything. If something isn’t working, or your beta readers consistently aren’t jiving with a character you yourself love, try taking a step back, looking at who they are as a person, and boil down what your feedback is telling you and it might demand a simpler fix than you expect.

Tiny details inserted at the right moment can move mountains. Fan theories stand on the backs of these minutiae. One sentence can turn a platonic relationship romantic. One sentence can unravel a fair and just argument. One sentence can fill or open a massive plot hole.

3. Outline? What outline?

Not every book demands weeks upon weeks of prep and worldbuilding. I would argue that jumping right in with only a vague direction in mind gives you a massive advantage: You can’t infodump research you haven’t done. Exposition is forced to come as the plot demands it, because you haven’t designed it yet.

Not every story is simple and straightforward, but even penning the first draft with your vague plan, *then* going back and adding in deeper worldbuilding elements, more thematic details, richer character development, can get you over the writer’s block hurdle and make it far less intimidating to just shut up and write the book.

4. It’s okay to let your characters take the wheel

I’ve seen writing advice that chastises authors who let their characters run wild, off the plan the story has for them. Yeah, doing this can harm your pacing and muddy a strong and consistent arc, but refusing to leave the box of your outline greatly limits your creativity. I do this particularly when writing romantic relationships (and end up like Captain Crunch going Oops! All Gays!).

Did I plan for these two to get together? No, it just happened organically as I wrote them talking, getting closer, getting to know each other better in the circumstances they find themselves in. Was this character meant to be gay? Well, he wasn’t meant to be straight, but you know what, he’d work really well with this other boy over here. None of that would have happened if I was bound and determined to follow my original plan, because my original plan didn’t account for how the story that I want to tell evolves. You aren’t clairvoyant—it’s okay if it didn’t end up where you thought it would.

5. Fight. Scenes. Suck.

Which is crazy because I love fantasy and sci-fi, the actiony-est genres. Some authors love battle scenes and fistfights. It comes naturally to them and I will forever be jealous. I hate fight scenes. I hate blocking and choreographing them. I hate how it doesn’t read like I’m watching a movie. I hate how it could take me hours to write a scene I can read in 5 minutes. I hate that there’s no way around it except to just not write them, or put in the elbow grease and practice.

Whatever your writing kryptonite is, don’t be too hard on yourself. It won’t ever replicate the movie in your head, but our audience isn’t privy to that movie and will be none the wiser of how this didn’t fit your expectations, because it’s probably awesome on its own. It could be a fight scene, sex scene, epic battle, cavalry charge, courtroom argument, car chase—whatever. Be patient, and kind to yourself and it will all come together.

6. Write the scenes you want to write first

And then be prepared to never use them. It can be mighty difficult working backwards from a climax and figuring out how to write the story around it, but if you’re sitting at your laptop staring at your cursor and watching it blink, stuck on a tedious moment that’s necessary but frustrating, go write something exciting. Even if that amazing scene ends up no longer working in the book your story becomes, you still get practice by writing it. Particularly if you hate beginnings or the pressure of a perfect first page is too high, you’re allowed to write any other moment in the book first.

And with that, be prepared to kill your darlings. Not your characters, I mean that one badass line of dialogue living rent free in your head. That epic monologue. That whump scenario for your favorite character. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out anymore, but even if it ends up in the trash, you can always salvage something from it, even if that’s only the knowledge of what not to do in the future.

7. “This is clearly an author insert.” … Yes. It is. Point?

No one likes Mary Sues, because a character who doesn’t struggle or learn to get everything they want in life is uncompelling. The most flagrant author inserts I see aren’t Mary Sues, they’re nerdy, awkward, boring white guys whose world changes to fit their perspective, instead of the other way around—they don’t have anything to say. I’m not the intended audience to relate to these characters and I accept that, but I don’t empathize with the so-called “strong female character” who also doesn’t have flaws or an arc either.

A good author insert? When the author gives their characters pieces of themselves. When the “author insert” struggles and learns and grows and it’s a therapeutic experience just writing these characters thrown into such horrible situations. They feel human when they’re given pieces of a human’s soul. They have real human flaws and idiosyncrasies. I don’t care if the author wrote themselves as the protagonist. I care that this protagonist is entertaining. So if you want to make yourself the hero of your book, go for it! But make sure you look in the mirror and write in your flaws, as much as your strengths.

[atlabeth]

all of me | luke castellan

pairing: knight!luke castellan x princess!reader

a/n: sooooooo i know that i said i would work on something else but this hit me and suddenly i could not rest until i wrote something for it so you're getting headcanons since i can't formulate proper thoughts. some of this is dialogue but most of this is pure stream of consciousness. im already kind of obsessed w them ?

wc: 3.7k lollll this got away from me but it was so much fun.

warning(s): parental death, fighting, normal royal stuff. fluff, angst, all that good shit

princess!reader and knight!luke

yeah

and they're childhood friends bc they grew up in the castle together

YEAH

luke is the son of a kingsguard and he wants to be just like his mom 

his father is out of the picture (booo) and his mom never really talks about him but she’s raised luke the best she can

shoutout to may castellan, she was the first female kingsguard! and definitely the first to personally guard the king 

you are the heir to the throne and the only thing you're sure of is that you want luke to be in your life

you basically spent all your time together because he was kinda the only one your parents would approve you hanging out with

most of the crownsguard don't have children and those that do have them live with their spouse outside of the palace, and your parents didn't want you spending time with the children of servants

and luke's mom is your father's closest friend because she's the king's personal knight and so everything’s basically already vetted and they don’t have to worry about you accidentally getting murdered by him 

so you and luke basically spend every moment of your free time together!! 

even when you’re not free tbh 

sometimes you beg your tutor to hold your lessons outside so that you can sneak glimpses at the knights training and luke training alongside them 

whenever he sees you, his face always instantly brightens and he will lose focus in whatever tf he’s doing because he’s only thinking about you now 

and instead of either of you doing what you’re supposed to do, you just spend the whole time making faces at each other and trying to grab the other’s attention 

after his mother tries (and fails) to get him back on track a million times and your tutor realizes that you’re never going to listen to her historical prattles they allow the two of you to talk for “FIVE MINUTES AND NO LONGER MY BOY” and your tutor is all “i ask that you do not delay our lessons any further, your highness” 

and tbf you and luke could notttttt care less. you immediately join up and you start teasing him about his form and how he was holding his sword and he just makes fun of you for having to be a princess

“Your form is horrendous, Luke! How do you expect to beat anyone holding a sword like that?” 

“At least I’ll be on the battlefield one day. You can bore our enemies to sleep with your recounts of Aureldan history.” 

“Oh, I bet I could beat you right now. I’ve got royal blood in my veins.” 

“And I’ve got knight’s blood in mine,” he says. “I’ve at least got a sword. That’s more than you have.”

You huff. “Mother says I have to learn propriety before I even think about picking up a weapon.” 

“Do you want to hold mine?” he asks immediately, his eyes lighting up as he offers it over. “It’s just wood because Mom doesn’t want me to hurt myself, but that means it’s safe for you.” 

you do. obviously. 

You’ve got soft hands, untouched by the world, and the sword feels foreign in their grasp as you realize this is in fact the first time you’ve ever held a weapon. You cut it through the air a few times and Luke is grinning wider than ever 

“I think the role of a warrior princess suits you,” he says.

“It is nice,” you muse as you turn it over in your hands, already growing used to the feeling of it. 

“And you look great with it,” he says. “Powerful.” 

“I’d give myself a splinter before I can do anything with it,” you retort as you hand it back to him. “It’s a nice thought, though.” 

His eyes light up. “You should train with us sometime. My mom is the best at teaching— she’d teach you everything you need to know!”

You glance back at your tutor, who is very clearly eavesdropping, and you sigh as you look back at Luke. “Maybe in a few months.” 

Luke’s mother calls his name and it’s obvious that your time is over. You hug each other and promise to meet up as soon as your responsibilities for the day are over, then go back to your respective duties. 

Your tutor takes you inside because she doesn’t want anymore distractions, and you wave at each other like crazy as you’re walking back into the castle.

so yeah. you’re best friends and you have been since you first met as children, and though it is a battle for your betters to keep you on task if you’re near each other, you just light up when you see each other and it actually helps 

You’re learning dining etiquette and if you get told that you’re using the wrong spoon again, you’re going to lose your mind. 

luke is hurrying through the halls to catch up with his mother and you both catch a glimpse of each other. 

your posture straightens, he stops in his tracks, and you both smile at each other. then luke’s mother calls his name again and he’s on his way again. 

spoons aren’t that bad, you think 

you’re mulling over history books in the library that make you want to fall asleep.

luke just happens to be walking past on the way to his chores, and when he spots you, he yells out your name and waves at you. you wave back, and you both stifle laughs as your tutor shushes you 

suddenly, you’re not feeling so down.

Luke is training on his own out in the yard before dinner and he’s about ready to break his sword over his knee because he can not get this damned move right. 

he hears your voice across the way and sees you, all dressed up and with your parents about to get into a carriage. you’re on your way to a ball, he remembers you telling him earlier, and he finds himself smiling. 

You had been complaining about it, and Luke had told you to just think of the two of you hanging out whenever you were bored. You said you were already planning on it.

His smile widens. He’d be thinking of you too, wondering what it would be like for him to attend with you. Dressed in the same gaudy outfits as the rest of the court, having to go through the same dull niceties that you’d been raised on, listening to stories from other royals he couldn’t care less about. 

Standing beside you as an equal. 

Luke’s young, but he already doesn’t care for nobles and their court. But he thinks he would wear any amount of uncomfortable suits and listen to any number of dull proposals for you. 

for the rest of the night, he trains better than he thinks he ever has. 

and of course, you break the rules together. GOD HELP YOUR CHARGES YOU ALWAYS BREAK THE RULES TOGETHER 

your tutor cannot count how many times you’ve slipped out of lessons and she’s found you in the halls talking with luke, him smiling brighter than she’s ever seen as he listens to you go on and on and on 

your mother cannot count all the times you’ve talked about what you and luke did that day instead of describing to her any of the history or arithmetic you were supposed to be learning 

May always keeps watch over her son, but she’s been known to turn a blind eye when Luke thinks he’s being sneaky to go off and see you. 

and of course, sometimes you actually hang out when you’re allowed to hang out lol 

you’ve run around every bit of the palace grounds together, you ride horses together (with parental supervision of course), and once you’re a bit older, you’re actually allowed to practice with luke and the rest of the knights! 

typically, it’s a shorter session with May teaching the two of you, and typically, it ends with both of you ready to die because you’re just kids and even though Luke is a prodigy, you are sooooo bad at swordfighting. it’s honestly not even funny how bad you are at it the first couple of lessons 

But May just pats you on the shoulder and promises to work with you until you’re as good as her. 

(luke pouts and says he wants to be better than you. you forget that you’re holding a sword and just start complaining at each other) 

(“you CAN’T be better than me luke I’m the princess”) (“YES I CAN MY MOM’S THE GREATEST KNIGHT EVER”) (“SHE PROTECTS MY DAD WHICH MEANS I CAN BE THE BEST EVER”) (“THAT DOESN’T EVEN MAKE SENSE”) (“YES IT DOES”) (“NO IT DOESN’T”) (“I’M YOUR PRINCESS YES IT DOES”) 

(the lesson ends when May has to pry you two apart) 

but we haven’t gotten to the knight part. 

because it’s a bit sad. 

what happens to may in pjo canon is awful but 

May Castellan dies when you and Luke are sixteen. A month after your birthday, in fact. Four months after Luke’s. 

(he’s always held those three months over you, especially as you get older.) 

(it doesn’t seem to matter as much now.)  

rumor has it throughout the kingdom that she slowly went insane and then fully lost it, ultimately dying in an attack against the king during a ball that turned out to be a set-up. 

the only one who knows what really happened that night is your father as he was the only other person there at her death that still lives, but he refuses to talk about it, only saying that “Head of the Kingsguard May Castellan died a hero and shall be remembered as such”. 

Luke… does not take it well 

besides the king, he obviously spent the most time with his mother and it was obvious to anyone that she loved him with all her heart and wanted him to follow whatever dreams he may have had 

she’s given a knight’s funeral and you are beside Luke the entire time, holding his hand or him leaning against you as you listen to eulogies or even just sitting next to each other because your presence is enough for him. it doesn’t matter what—you’re always connected in some way, and no one says a single thing. 

he needs you, and you need him. it’s as simple as that. and no one dares to correct the princess when she’s icier than they’ve ever seen her.

You put on that front to protect Luke—you don’t want anyone bothering him, and you don’t want him to have to worry about you at a time like this. 

Because you know he would. He always does. 

When Luke gives his speech, barely able to hold back tears, he looks at you the entire time. he doesn’t tell you, but you’re the only reason he’s able to get through the day. 

Luke becomes a ward of the royal family. 

There’s no chance you’re letting him leave, and Luke doesn’t want to go either. The memories of his mother all around are painful, but he takes some small comfort that she’ll live on in Aurelda forever. 

Your parents have no objection to it—he grew up in the palace anyways, and he can practically provide for himself. You wouldn’t have let them say no. 

You’re thankful beyond words that Luke is still here. Because everything feels like a mess, and things are a little more manageable with him by your side. 

Someone tried to kill your father. They killed Luke’s mother instead. Both of you are broken in different ways.

Obviously, this sparks the beginnings of war both in Aurelda and in Luke’s entire being. 

but that’s a topic for another day. 

May’s death changes your relationship. 

She was his mother, obviously, but you were close to her as well. you could never forget every time she ruffled your hair and complimented your sword fighting, or every time she would acknowledge you in the midst of a crowd with a smile and a nod, or every time she would act like a mother and not a knight. 

she had the best hugs in the entire kingdom. 

But her death changes your relationship because Luke changes. 

He’s angrier. His edges have all sharpened, honed by his own spirit. He softens when he’s around you, but to the outside eye he’s impenetrable. He thinks you’re the only one that understands him. 

Others pity him, fear him, are jealous of him. 

You treat him the way you always have. Like your best friend. 

That’s all he needs. 

And so Luke throws himself into his training, vowing to become the youngest kingsguard in Aureldan history to honor his mother’s memory. He wasn’t able to save his mother, and he needs to become strong enough to protect the ones he loves from anything. 

(You don’t know it, but he thinks of you every time he closes his eyes and sees the night his mother died. He’s in the place of his mother and you’re in your father’s position, and Luke knows that he would sacrifice himself for you every single time.) 

So you don’t have as much time for each other anymore. Luke is on his kingsguard mission, and you’re starting to come into your own as the Crown Princess of Aurelda. 

You can’t sneak out of lessons anymore to go talk with Luke, because you’re starting to learn about the nuances of politics. 

Luke can’t let you interrupt his training, because he’s on a warpath and he won’t be stopped before he reaches his goal. 

You can’t neglect your responsibilities because they’re more than just etiquette or history lessons. War is going to come to Aurelda sooner or later, and you’ve got to be ready when it does.

You’re only sixteen, but neither of you are children anymore.  

But you’re still best friends. Nothing can change that—it’s just changed the way you show it. 

You take your morning walks with your mother past the training grounds, and Luke always smiles at you and salutes no matter what. You bow your head in a very refined, princess-y nod, and you continue on. 

Luke makes sure he’s always the one that gets to deliver news to you, even going so far as to make deals with other servants and messengers just to make sure he gets to see you at least once a day. 

Most of the time, you end up seeing each other at night. Just happening to end up in the kitchens at the same time for a midnight snack that results in hours of talking with each other. Bringing Luke to your balcony to look at the stars together. 

Even some midnight training has occurred together, though you always end up a sweaty mess and having to make a bath for yourself because you can’t alert your servants. Luke says he likes you best when you have that vicious glint in your eye while you’re training with him. 

Luke still has horrific dreams, and though he weathered them on his own for a while, one night he finds himself outside your door. When you open it, seeing his haunted eyes and disheveled appearance, you let him in immediately.

It’s not the first time you’ve slept in the same bed after nightmares, and you know it won’t be the last. 

(You spent the whole week together after his mother’s death. Not even your parents could complain when they saw the change in both of you.)  

And Luke does it. He completes his training, having become one of the fiercest and youngest warriors Aurelda has ever seen. Traditionally, knights are older, but an exception was made for Luke—he’s got the Castellan name and a childhood spent with the greatest knights in the kingdom to back him up.

You’re the first person he tells when he finds out, and your scream of pure joy must have echoed throughout the entire castle. You hug him tighter than he’s ever been hugged before, and for just a moment, in your embrace, he feels like you’re both kids again. 

Weeks from his eighteenth birthday, your father knights Luke Castellan in an official ceremony. 

Not just as a member of the kingsguard, though—he is sworn in as a knight, and as your personal bodyguard. 

Your father didn’t tell you beforehand, and you thank a childhood of courtly influence to keep the shock off your face. One hand tightens ever so slightly into a fist, and you let it out just as quickly. 

You can’t see Luke’s expression, kneeling and head turned downward. You would pay all the gold in the kingdom to know what he was thinking. 

“Sir Luke Castellan.” Your father’s voice booms through the hall, and a shiver even goes down your spine. “Do you swear to serve Aurelda as her loyal knight, through war and peace, through riches and debt?”

“I do,” Luke says. 

“Do you swear to protect the Crown Princess of Aurelda—” your father says your entire title, and for the fifth time you wonder how many middle names a princess needs, “—my daughter—with everything you have in you, until your dying breath?” 

Your breathing stills for the slightest moment. 

Luke doesn’t flinch. “I do.” 

The thought of Luke dying for you is unimaginable. It’s something you’d never ask of him—you don’t think you could live in a world without him anyways. You know it’s what knights are expected to do—for king and country, my life for yours—but that’s for any member of the royal family—any member of the court. 

Luke is assigned solely to your protection. 

And he doesn’t even falter when he bonds his life to yours. 

As soon as the ceremony is over and Aurelda has gained three new knights, you’re on your way to Luke. You don’t care if anyone else wants to talk with the princess, you don’t care if your parents need to tell you something—royal propriety be damned, you need to talk to Luke.

He doesn’t look surprised when you march up to him, but there’s already a different air about him. 

Maybe it’s because in these past couple of years he’s absolutely shot up in height, maybe it’s because his insane training regimen has toned every part of him, maybe it’s because he’s done what no one else has done before, or maybe it’s just because he actually accomplished his goal. 

But when he smiles at you, that crooked slant to his lips that always meant mischief when you were younger, it’s enough to make that train of thought immediately shut down. 

“Princess,” he greets. “I think we’re going to be spending a lot more time together, these days.” 

“Yeah,” you say, the warpath you’d intended to be on fading away almost immediately with his words (and that goddamned smile that will certainly be the death of you someday.) “Maybe this is our way to make up on all that lost time.” 

“...I’d like that,” Luke says. 

“Can I hug you?” you ask wryly. “Or is that unbecoming of a brand new knight?” 

“I don’t think anyone will tell the princess she is doing something wrong,” Luke says. 

So you do. You hug him, and he immediately wraps his arms around you, and you hate that you had any doubt that he would. You’ve always felt safe in his embrace even since you were children, and now that he’s four times as strong and much taller, you feel it more than ever. 

He truly does look the part of a perfect knight. You remember the days of wooden sword fights and afternoons by the lake, wondering what your future awaited, but sure you would be together no matter what. 

You feel like you’ve aged a century since then.

“I’m proud of you, you know,” you say as you pull away. “You’re incredible. I mean— you always have been, but this… It’s everything you’ve ever wanted. So I’m proud of you.” 

Luke brushes his curls out of his face with a gauntleted hand, his smile turning a bit more genuine. “It means the world, princess. You are… one of the main reasons that I even made it up here. So I have you to thank.” 

You feel your cheeks heat. “I haven’t done anything.” 

“You’ve been you,” he refutes. “You’ve stood by my side through everything, and you’ve always been there when I need you no matter what. You’ve done everything.” 

You’re thankful for the sheer sleeves of your gown, because now your entire body feels warm. And maybe that’s why you practically blurt the question out, but it’s been burning in your mind since the moment it happened. 

“Did you know?” 

He frowns. “Know what?” 

“That you would become my personal guard,” you said. “You’ve wanted to be a part of the kingsguard since you were a child, and now…” 

“Princess,” Luke says, “I asked your father for the honor.” 

That throws you off. “What?”

“Do you think he would entrust your wellbeing to just anyone?” he asks. “It’s part of the reason I’ve been training so hard—I wanted to prove to him that I was worthy of the position.” 

“Luke—” you start, but he shakes his head.  

“War is coming to Aurelda whether we like it or not,” he says. “All I want is for you to be safe. This way, I can ensure it.” 

“You said you would die for me,” you say. “You vowed it.” 

“That is generally how knighthood works, yes—” 

“Luke,” you interrupt forcefully. “I don’t want you to die for me.” 

“The goal is for nobody to die,” he says wryly. 

You cross your arms. “You know what I mean.” 

“Your safety is my number one concern, princess,” he says. “That’s all you need to know.” 

You stare at him. He stares back. 

You win, because Luke sighs and shakes his head. “We don’t have to worry about that at the moment. Right now, you have to get back to change before you sit in on an advisor’s meeting with the king and queen.” 

You frown. “How do you know?” 

“I’m your guard,” Luke says. “It’s my job to know.” 

“You were just sworn in!” you protest. 

“And I am always prepared,” he remarks. Luke holds his hand out in a gesture towards the door. “After you, princess.” 

You shake your head as you start walking. You hear Luke’s footsteps start soon after, much heavier than yours in full armor as opposed to your ceremonial dress. “You are ridiculous.” 

“Which is also my job,” Luke muses.

and so luke becomes a knight, but not just any knight.

your knight.

good luck handling that crush on him you've harbored since childhood now.

[endereies]

ENDEREIES' CHRISTMAS

Finally! It's fucking Christmas, cannot believe I didn't crash out just yet. To be honest, with a few more days left of the year I have all opportunity to do so. With it now being this festive holiday I thought it would be nice to give my mutuals a little bit of that festive cheer. I know not everyone celebrates Christmas so this won't be entirely Christmas themed, yet, it will be a cute little paragraph dedicated to a few of my mutuals or followed blogs. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I PRESENT ENDEREIES' CHRISTMAS!!

@phone4pills - I am on my way to wrap a wreath and ribbon around you and Robot!Chris' dick. On a serious note, you are so fucking talented and it blows my mind every time. The amount of thought and dedication that you put into your work is so admirable. I hope your holidays aren't as drab as this UK weather but nonetheless I'll be creating Robot!Chris as soon as possible (we are sharing custody). LOVE YOU AND YOUR WORK SO MUCH

@pasteldreams - OH MY FUCK, CAN WE TALK ABOUT YOUR MOODBOARDS FOR A MOMENT. I am so impressed by them all and if you see me stalking... no you don't! The images are perfect for each colour and you bet your ass that Avery and I were going feral on them. I'm so excited to read your fics when they surface. On my way to stalk the moodboards right now. But I love your moodboards and of course, the person who created them

@strnilolover - Gabby!!! Oh fuck I have too many things to say to you. You're so talented, I know I have yapped about your au's so many times but it's because they are STUNNING. They are produced so well. Everything you write is. When I am sent your works early, I am blown away. The descriptions, the dialogue, it is perfection on my screen. But all work aside, you're such a sweet person and I love talking to you every day. Even with our time differences, we still spend hours talking. Either about tumblr, fic ideas, edits or just random shit. In your post, you said you saw me as a bigger account and were slightly intimidated to talk to me BUT THATS HOW I FELT ABOUT YOUUU. I was in AWE over your work and the way you wrote (I still am) it's crazy to me how we are mutuals BUT I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK BABY

@hearts4werka - YOUR INBOX MESSAGES MAKE ME SMILE EVERY TIME. I know we don't interact as much as every fucking hour but when we do we have such nice conversations through our inboxes, I just wake up to a message from you and I am immediately smiling ear to ear. The first interaction was about my profile and the last was about seeing a biker look like Matt. Duality of friendship for SURE. Buying you merch bc yes.

@streamermattsgf - SAGEEEEEEEE We are fairly new mutuals and I thank Cece for showing me your account which then led to me seeing the Sturniolo Tumblr Awards. That idea was so sweet and creative and definitely brought the community together. I was even on there at one point which actually blows my mind but I digress. You're so sweet in everything you do, when there was hate about the awards you handled it in the most perfect way which I will always give credit for

@thenickgirl - MY FAVOURITE NICK ACCOUNT ON THIS APP YESSIR. Nick and Jalen are my babies, you cannot change my mind. Tumblr definitely lacks in Nick content and I will forever love yours. Everytime I'm drawing Nick or I see a tiktok, I immediately think of your account. AND YOU'RE SO KIND WHATTT ILY BBYYY I cannot wait to continue reading about Nick and Jalen as you post about them. I have to interact with you so much more than I do.

@lovesturni0l0s - ASTRIDDD I love you so so much and everything you do. We became mutuals and started talking quickly about random shit in our inboxes and they still make me giggle. They always end in appreciation too which is everything to me. I love yapping with you over random things hehehe. Your fluffmas is PERFECTION, I will always read every single one as soon as I see that it is released, just how you did on my NNN posts. You are SO supportive of everyone and it is truly so nice to see. I just want to talk with you whenever I can

@chrisweetheart - LIAAA We do NOT interact as much as I want to but whenever we do you're the kindest person everrr. Talking with you or reading your fics is always a highlight of my day. Your blog is so fucking pretty and I could admire it for hours, and I know you are the exact same. I am literally on my way with my basket of kisses.

@flouvela - My fucking bae. I've been following you for so long and when you followed me back I had a heart attack. Your writing is so cute and I love reading all of them. I still remember the one where Matt held your iced latte when it was cold outside so that you could stay warm. If she wasn't warm, my heart definitely was. You're so kind and thoughtful and definitely someone that I look up to within my writing.

@y3sterdaysproblem - Avery my baeeee I'm so so proud of what you have managed to accomplish this year. Your talent is actually so immense and anyone can see that in anything and everything that you post. Your series 'smoke and mirrors' still has me in a chokehold (I have read it 4 times). I cannot wait to see what you end up creating further along next year but just know I will support and love it all.

@chrislilcumslvt - Marls I will be forever thankful for you and your account. On anything that I post, whether it be a fic or me just yapping, I can always count on you to be one of the first people to like it. I will never get bored of your inbox messages, they are such a highlight of my week. LOVE YOU FOREVER

@issysh3ll - ISSYYYY MY AUSSIE GAL You will never fail to impress me LIKE OMGGG phases was and still is one of my favourite ever fics made in this fandom. It's so descriptive. educational which applying to the smut that this horny community love. I don't think I will ever get tired of your inbox messages, I always want to know how many wine glasses Chris can balance on his ass. If I ever have any questions I now know who to turn to

@sturnioz - CAS There are so many things about you that I could happily yap about lmao. My first introduction to you was a fic from the beginning of July, not that I even knew it then. Then your au's came along and it is safe to say I fell in love with everything you made. I am always drawn to your account and reread blurbs more times than I can count. When you followed me on your alt account I was giggling to my friends because I was stunned (I still am) I always wanna yap in your inbox but I never know what to say and lowkey I'm a little intimidated but I digress. You're so sweet whenever I am in your inbox and then I fangirl to Cece buttttt Love you and your work forever baby

@x0x0bunny - THE ONLY MUSIC ARTIST EVER, like you're talented in literally everything?? gimme some talent. And your fics are so so good. I'm so hyped to start talking about music production with you for my Producer!Chris au like it's so yummy you don't understand. I wish I interacted with you more and that shall be my new years resolution FOR SURE

@colorthecosmos444 - My big sister forever. Cece, you're literally everything to me ever. You're so kind, considerate, thoughtful and understanding at the same time. I will never get over our need for Emo!Matt, I am barking whenever he is mentioned. But I'd pick you over him any day. I love sharing my ideas with you and helping each other with everything. I WISH WE TALKED WHEN YOU WERE IN LONDON I'd rush to you in a heartbeat and show you everything. I could spend hours talking with you even if its 4am for me. Your work is perfection and no one can replace the true Emo Queen. Love you forever sis

@sturniolosiphone - AALIYAH MWAH You have the prettiest blog I ever did see and you give off the biggest Clairo vibes ever. You're work is PERFECT and no other word is fitting enough than pure perfection. Not to mention how cutsey you are when we interact with one another. You're so supportive and I will forever love talking about the triplets with you!

@missmimii - My inactive queen lol. When I first found your blog is the most heavenly thing I set my eyes on. The layout, the wording, the descriptions and such cute fics were and still are my roman empire. You are pure fucking honey and I still smile whenever your username is on my screen, it's so perfect. I will read your work so often and I will never ever get bored of it.

@55sturn - STAR one of my first mutuals on my account and I've been obsessed since day one. Your Loser!Chris x MeanGirl!Reader au is chiseled into my future gravestone so that I can read it after I die. The timeline and structure is just YES. You've been through a lot and I am forever proud of you. We may not interact a whole bunch but I love you dearly

@muwapsturniolo - PEACHESSSS It still shocks me how we are mutuals because you are the baddest bitch ever. You're like a celebrity role model to me and I'm just in awe. Not to mention how stunning your writing is, I could stare at my screen until my eyes burn just staring at your writing. LIKE I JUST LOVE YOU SO MUCH

@bernardsbendystraws - ROSEYYYFIGEDUHIJW MY DAY ONEEEEEE Baby you mean everything to me. Part of my Discord family that I cherish so much. I was honestly so intimidated by you when I met you on that server simply because of your energy. You seemed so confident and easy going which was something I could only dream of. And now we are friends and mutuals and someone I trust dearly. I will be forever proud of just how far you have come, with yourself, writing and followers. I'm forever grateful for our friendship in ways I wish I could show you. But I will always have your back in anything you do or have against you because you have done so much for me that is simply irreplaceable. We have also became so similar in how we speak which is hilarious to me as well. Love you forever and ever baby

@raysmayhem-72 - RAYYY Ugh where do I even begin. My fellow Londoner and yet we are yet to meet? That has to be fixed immediately. Talking to you is one of my favourite things ever and I love listening to you yap about books LIKE YESS LET ME SEE THOSE FICTIONAL CHARACTERS. You'll forever be my Discord family, you can't escape. Forever grateful for all the yummy conversations about everything and how willing you are to support and listen to me, it means more than you could ever know.

@pattyshome / @patscorner - PATTY CAKE You are so fucking special to me in every fucking way. Talking you is free therapy and I love you for it all. You've been through so much and every single time you still manage to have a smile on your face and continue to spread irreplaceable kindness that is too pure. Even in your current situation the efforts you make with your friends are so special. I'm so proud of you and I hope things ease up for you, I will move you to England if I have to

@bueckerrss - ARI MY EDITING PARTNER IN CRIMEEE Your edits are impeccable and your improvement is so clear to see. You've supported mine since day one and I'm so grateful for that. Even if ride or die was initially meant to be a collab with you and it wasn't, I still think of you whenever I read it again and it's now an au! Your performances are also just so satisfying to look LIKE YES POP OFF QUEEN. Another one of my day ones and I love you so fucking much.

[meanbossart]

I appreciate how you write Astarion so, SO much. I feel like way too many fic writers infantilize him to a point where I honestly start wondering if I'm the one who misinterpreted him so badly.

I'd love to know more about what you think of his character and his arc. Personally I saw him and immediately went "oh god this guy is gonna be the irritating tumblr sexyman of the year🙄" and it took me until Araj basically to warm up to him. What were your initial thoughts and did they change much while playing the game?

OH thank you so much!!! That's a shame if it's the case, and a little surprising to me, to be honest! While he's definitely written be an aloof jerk a lot of the time, I always found him to be surprisingly mature and introspective whenever he's not dishing out witty remarks. He comes off to me as the kind of person who learned to benefit from seeming dumber than he actually is, overall.

HAHA I had a VERY similar experience, not just towards Astarion but all the characters, really (I really disliked Shadowheart at the beginning, too). I had only seen pictures of him and pretty much expected a vapid character that was being carried to stardom because of a talented VA - and because people go nuts for anne rice style vampires lol.

While I was definitely enjoying his voice lines from the start (Again kudos to Neil) I definitely wasn't expecting much else. He piqued my interest after so devastatingly turning my character down at the tiefling party without me even having inquired, and that's when I, the gamer, was like "well, alright, I GOTTA fuck this guy now" (this is also where DU drow's personality began to come out as you can probably guess)

Obviously, if you have two neurons to rub together you can gather pretty quickly that he's not trying to woo you because you're so interesting and wonderful, so I started getting curious! With that dynamic being so different from what you usually expect of romances in these types of games, plus the charming way in which he is written, I started being won over.

I think what really did it was how gradually his attitude changed when responding to new, mostly trivial dialogue options and doing his greetings as you earned his trust, and ESPECIALLY with how he responds to your tav when you express any kind of fear or insecurity during his romance - which was with a lot of sincerity and confidence in his resolve to support you, and in you as a person, a complete 180 from his usual front - Which, again, makes me all the more surprised to hear that he's often painted with such an immature brush.

And obviously he has a DEEPLY ugly side to him (if you've read ANE, hopefully it's clear that I know this, and that I like to explore it just as much as anything else lmao) but it's very interesting to me how it seem to always come in the form of outbursts, rather than a constant evil-streak, usually followed by a glimpse of self-awareness. It feels very much in line with someone who's actually making a great deal of effort to manage their RAMPANT emotions and going through a lot of internal conflict in the process.

GAH. Yeah if you can't tell by this friggin' thesis I just wrote, I love the way they wrote this character a lot and I was definitely proven PROFOUNDLY wrong in my first impression of him - which, if that's not irony at it's finest I don't know what is.

And as an aside! I also very much appreciate that he's a "queer" coded character who's effeminate (in the Old Homo kind of way, but I digress) and flamboyant, but taken Dead Fucking Seriously. With as much progress as we've made in LGBT rep in media, I still often feel like gay men will only get that kind of treatment for as long as they "Aren't That Gay" (I know Astarion doesn't have a set sexuality - But lets not mince words: stereotypes exist, and he fits into most of them) and as a thin-wristed gay guy who's a little too found of linen shirts, I can honestly say that experiencing a character like that helped me with my own confidence.

[amethystviolist]

Fanfiction Author Interview Game

Thanks to @shipper47 for tagging me! I'm a bit late to respond but very excited to participate :)

How many works do you have on AO3?

Looks like 32! Wow, a lot more than I expected.

What's your total AO3 word count?

174,720!

Your top 5 stories by kudos/likes:

I don't think this should be the only measure of fic worth, but sure, here we go!

A Hairy Misunderstanding [Bagginshield]

Merlin Has a Dragon (And Other Revelations) [Merthur/Gen]

Impacts of Literal and Metaphorical Natures [Merthur/Gen]

Pine For a Bead (Or, Girlfailure Greenleaf) [Gimleaf/Gigolas]

Anything [...Destiel]

Do you respond to comments?

Yes, I reply to almost every comment! I love getting them, and it's often a great excuse to gush about the characters or my behind-the-scenes writing thoughts.

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

Definitely Phone Call. On-screen major character death hits hard!

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

Oh, almost all the rest are very happy endings! Off the top of my head, I'm thinking of my most recent fic Home Looks Like You - 4k of ReShirement and Parentshield fluff, ending in a family cuddle pile.

Do you write crossovers?

I've never written crossovers with characters meeting each other, as that's not usually my jam - but I've dabbled in putting characters into another fandom, like my abandoned WIP The Order of the Silver Ship [TAZ: Balance characters in the world of ATLA].

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Thankfully no, never. I've gotten the occasional "off" comment and once a spammer of some sort, but nothing truly vile. Let's hope it stays that way!

Do you write smut?

Yes! It's fun! I think my only AO3-published smut is Iron Must Suffice [Bagginshield].

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Also thankfully no! Not to my knowledge, anyway. I'll hope that streak continues as well!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! The two previously-mentioned Merlin fics were translated into Chinese, though the website that hosted them apparently scrubbed all queer content a while back and sadly lost those translations with it.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes and it was so much fun!! I participated in an event called The Hobbit: An Unexpected Collaboration (THAUC) this past October, and my assigned partner @mrmrbaggins and I wrote Of Kin and Courtships [Bagginshield] together. I loved plotting together and trading off scenes, it was fun to have immediate feedback and support. And they're a great writer, too!

What's your all-time favorite ship?

All-time? Man, that's hard to say. I think I definitely cycle through them and I love many. Currently it's Bagginshield, but there may be a different answer this time next year!

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

Hmm. Most WIPs that I want to finish I do eventually finish, even if it takes me literal years to do so. I think the one that's bugging me the most currently is All I Want For Candlenights [Taakitz], which only needs its final chapter finished. I never got a gift in that exchange event which kind of unmotivated me, plus I've just not been deep into the Balance fandom lately.

What are your writing strengths?

Hard to say, really... And that's not fishing for compliments, I just mean it's hard for me to analyze what I like about my writing when I spend most of my editing time looking for my weaknesses instead. If I have to choose, maybe characterization? I get a lot of compliments on it (thank you readers!) and I do put a lot of thought and effort into getting into the characters' heads and their resulting dialogue/inner narration/etc. And for Tolkien works specifically, I'm very good at piecing together TDS Neo-Khuzdul translations, and find a lot of joy in making them, too!

What are your writing weaknesses?

Oh so many things... though I think I'm always improving! Pacing is a huge issue for me. Also scenery and action descriptions. Also TITLES are the bane of my existence most of the time. In a more meta sense, I always struggle to get out of my editing mode and just put something (anything) down on the page so I can actually finish my WIPs.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I'm a huge fan of using other languages in fic and fiction as a whole, as that's actually what my undergrad thesis was about! Though in a fic I do really need a translation attached somehow for it to be enjoyable. I tend to get a little irritated if there's no translation provided anywhere, even if it's "unimportant" tidbits, because I want to know things, dammit!! /hj

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

Oooo interesting question. I'd love to write a Leverage fic someday, but I really love those characters so much because canon already treats them so well! They're such well-developed characters that I find myself a little hesitant to dive in and potentially get it "wrong" (a silly worry I'd tell any other writer to ignore, ofc, but it's my worry unfortunately).

What's your favorite fic you've written?

That's like choosing a favorite child, oh no! ... I've just spent a few minutes scrolling up and down my AO3 stats list, but I really can't choose a favorite. They're almost all special to me for one reason or another, even ones I'm not very happy with in quality! I can say with confidence my current baby is the untitled Bagginshield mega fic, but idk that it will be my favorite even when it's done/published.

Thanks again for the tag, this was so fun! I'd love to see answers from @mrmrbaggins/@xkingevelynx, @thylocalbard, or @thatfancygirlinblack/@thatfancygirlinwhite, but absolutely no pressure to any of you :)

And if anyone else seeing this wants to do it, feel free to claim I tagged you! I won't snitch about it.

[cartoonistcoop]

ShortBox Comics Member Interview: Seosamh Dáire

Throughout the month of October, the Cartoonist Cooperative will be sharing interviews with members of the Co-op who have a new comic available at the ShortBox Comics Fair 2024! 

NOTE: The Cartoonist Cooperative is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way formally connected with ShortBox.  

Today’s spotlight is Seosamh Dáire ( @saint_vagrant ) and their new comic for ShortBox, THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

We’d love it if you could introduce yourself and tell us about your background in comics.

Seosamh Dáire: Hey thanks for having me! I’m Seosamh Dáire, aka Joe (him/sé.) i have a BFA in Illustration, but more importantly I made a 200-page comic when I was 13 about fantasy angels, and after all that work, dropped it unceremoniously when I realised it wasn’t gay enough. So i’ve been filling the void ever since. Ironically, part of filling the void necessitates making comics about holes, like mine and my partner Anka’s ongoing sci-fi story SUPERPOSE. Recently I was part of the Ignatz-nominated HOME anthology, a collection of autobiographical comics about being of or in Ireland. My work is largely targeted toward mature readers, and last year I made the short 18+ comics TERESIAN for the Noah’s Ark anthology and OSHA VIOLATION (just for fun) and contributed illustrations to the BOOK OF SHADOWS anthologies.

I’ve been making little comics for most of my life, but now i make bigger comics. SUPERPOSE launched in 2016 so even if the clock started at that moment, I’ve been at it for a minute.

Tell us more about your new comic?

SD: Told in a little over 100 black and white pages, THE SOLAR SYSTEM is a trans/anti-military/sci-fi comic set in four timelines. There is Jack, equal parts soldier and experiment, and his mother and father, at odds with what they have made. He meets Nour, a displaced prodigy sniper, an intended footnote in the list of consequences of his parents’ work. With Jack as a vassal and Nour a resistance soldier, they find each other on opposite sides every time in a fight over the control of a superweapon, whose detonation puts the timelines into motion.

Tell us about your creative process; how did you develop this comic and what are the steps you took to bring it to the final stage?

SD: As with most of my work, I got smacked over the head with the frying pan of an idea and immediately went for it. There were some loose concepts floating around prior, but my acceptance to the fair gave me an excuse to solidify it. I wrote (plotted out, scripted) three different versions—I like each one tremendously. THE SOLAR SYSTEM is the third pass, and actually incorporates aspects of that process in the story itself by way of distinct but interconnected parts. the format also took a lot of concentration, as it’s all interwoven, and while not linear, i wanted each next thing to unfold naturally from the last.

The development of the story held all my focus, whereas art was less of a concern since I didn’t expect to draw in a different style, but rather make myself comfortable with a different level of finish, and confined myself to only a couple select tools to accomplish this. It’s the first comic I’ve made using Clip Studio, drawn straight into it without using anything other than a few modified brushes. Then I finished (text/dialogue, any extra painting or effects) in Photoshop.

I value the time I spend fleshing out each character regardless of how much they feature—how they move and how talk, their idiosyncrasies, are all so vivid to me and finding a way to make that as real to a reader as it is to me is part of the fun. I love challenging myself with “what if?” or “if x then y” and making connections that way, heightening the significance between elements, editing and cutting them together to build to each “aha, there it is” moment; I know it when I see it! Ultimately, even if the themes and ideas of the work aren’t identifiable at first, I care most about conveying emotion and that telling a story. Seeing a stranger cry and not knowing why can still stir you all the same. I do think the comic reveals more upon each return, though��

My comic did require a fair amount of research, which is something for which I enjoy any excuse to do. Starting off broadly helps me narrow with more intentionality, although it can get a bit overwhelming—there really is always more to know, and it takes me some time to find a solid place to settle. For reading, I revisited old and new writing/listening from Irish socialists as well as that in the Caucasus, and destabilisation by American interests, also referred to some surreal papers on combat tactics by American colonels which is unsettling stuff, but endlessly interesting.

I owe much inspiration to the IRA, PFLP, YPG/PKK, and Soviet partisans, among many others. 

Do you have any creative rituals or routines to prepare yourself to make comics?

SD: As much as I seek out new resources, I return to the things I’ve always loved. It reminds me what drives me—I’m very emotionally, creatively satisfied even just by select moments within a larger work, such that I get something new out of the experience every time even if it doesn’t directly apply to the project. I rewatched Into The West, The Manchurian Candidate (2004 version), the Escaflowne film, Spriggan, Solaris, I watched Heat… and then rewatched the ending of Heat. Obsession is my ritual, really.

Read the rest of the interview HERE! And dont forget to check out the Shortbox Comics Fair to support these lovely creators!!

[fangdokja]

Fang, listen. I've been looking forward to The Red Ledger ever since I saw your announcement/rules post. And let me tell you, it was soooo worth the anticipation.

The thing that stuck out the most to me was how deliciously menacing the fic is. You jumped straight into it and the reader kind of has the same experience as the MC. Thrown into it and trying to figure out where they are, what the context is. You start to realise it at the same time the MC does and it's such a slow dawning horror. Standing ovation - it's the perfect use of format to just drive home the tone of the fic.

I loved the way you wrote the yandere too. The dialogue, the description, just the tone of his interactions with the reader. They paint such a clear picture of a character that's only around for a few hundred words. Being able to do that is such a testament to your writing craft.

Your writing was so sensual too, so absorbing. You've created such intense imagery that I could picture every movement so clearly.

I've personally also been working on improving my erotic writing, and you've just given me a new standard to strive for.

That's all, just wanted you to know you had my heart racing.

Thoughts and prayers. Hope you're having a good day 😘

♡ WC. 1238.┃♡ I’ll respond to this as thoroughly and comprehensively as possible. I’m currently balancing work deadlines and writing projects, so I’m running on sheer willpower. That said, I genuinely appreciate the effort you put into this message, and I want to make sure I respond with the same level of thoughtfulness.

♡ Drabble Story (WC. 542). There’s a split second between sleep and wakefulness where your body doesn’t understand what’s happening.

First, Regarding the Anticipation for The Red Ledger

I’m honestly surprised you saw the announcement post and had been looking forward to it. Given that Tumblr’s algorithm doesn’t always push those kinds of posts, I wasn’t expecting it to reach that many people. But I’m glad the anticipation paid off for you. It’s always interesting to hear how others perceive my work because, from my end, I’m too immersed in execution to step back and analyze its effect in real time.

I also want to acknowledge that I struggle with responding to compliments, especially when they’re direct, well-articulated, and genuinely appreciative like yours. I do receive praise frequently, but it’s still something I haven’t fully adjusted to. So, if my response feels awkward in any way, that’s likely why.

On the Tone and Immersion of The Red Ledger

You mentioned that the fic had a “deliciously menacing” tone, which I appreciate because that was the intended atmosphere. The Red Ledger isn’t extreme horror or even my most intense work—it’s simply non-con without immediate life-threatening stakes. However, the psychological weight and gradual realization of the MC’s situation were the core focus. The goal in this particular piece was to create a slow-blooming horror that settles in rather than something that immediately overwhelms the reader. If you felt that creeping sense of dread as the MC pieced things together, then the structure worked as intended.

The sensation of being “thrown into it” with no context was deliberate. I wanted both the reader and the MC to experience the disorientation simultaneously. Unlike some of my other works, where the structure is more methodically laid out, this one leaned into a more ambiguous, foggy progression. It wasn’t something I meticulously planned from the start—it was more of an instinctual approach that I refined as I wrote. That kind of writing is a challenge, but I wanted to experiment with how much atmosphere and immersion I could maintain without over-explaining.

On Writing for Maximum Reader Immersion

One of my personal writing philosophies is that a story should not just be read but experienced. Whether or not the reader is familiar with the scenario, the writing should be impactful enough to evoke something in them—whether that’s unease, tension, or something more visceral. Writing for immersion is a principle I adhere to regardless of genre. Even in horror or erotic horror, where the subject matter itself is intense, the execution still matters. The words alone shouldn’t be what disturb or enthrall; the structure, pacing, and delivery should create the full effect.

In this case, the format was a new approach for me. I usually write longer-form content where there’s more room for buildup and development, but for this, I had to ensure that every word carried weight. When you have limited space, the challenge is to create the strongest possible impact with the fewest words. This is something I continue refining over time, and it’s a skill that requires deliberate practice.

On the Yandere’s Portrayal

I’m glad you liked his characterization. He’s actually one of the softer yanderes in this collection. While his presence is still unsettling, he doesn’t exude outright malice the way some of my other yanderes do. This was intentional—I wanted to establish a character who was still possessive and controlling but without the immediate looming threat of violence or death. There’s a different kind of horror in restraint rather than overt brutality.

That said, as I get more comfortable with this experimental style, the future drabbles will lean more into my usual horror and erotic horror style. This one was more of a controlled introduction, but later works in the series will explore more unsettling dynamics.

On Writing Concisely Without Losing Impact

Writing within a limited word count while maintaining depth is an ongoing challenge, but it’s something I actively push myself to master. The ability to convey a clear and immersive experience with minimal exposition is something I’ve honed over years of writing.

Horror and comedy, despite being vastly different genres, both rely on similar mechanics—timing, pacing, and impact. In horror, every word needs to contribute to building tension or unease. In comedy, every word needs to serve a punchline or comedic beat. Both require precision. Practicing one inherently strengthens the other. So while I didn’t set out to write The Red Ledger with these mechanics in mind, the principle of efficiency in storytelling applied nonetheless.

On My Writing Process and Approach

You mentioned that my writing feels highly polished and immersive despite the short length, which is something I appreciate. However, that level of execution is a result of years of practice. I’ve written every single day for several years, though I only began publicly posting recently due to external restrictions. My writing isn’t a casual hobby—it’s something I’ve committed to long-term, both as a necessity and as a craft I want to master.

Writing, for me, isn’t about fleeting inspiration. It’s about deliberate and consistent practice, even when I don’t feel like writing or when I think my work isn’t good enough. The process of improvement comes from repeatedly challenging myself with formats, structures, and styles I find difficult. The Red Ledger was one such challenge.

On Style and Description vs. Dialogue

You also noted that my writing has a poetic quality. I’ve heard that before, though I don’t intentionally aim for poetic prose—it’s simply how my descriptive style developed over time. I have an easier time with descriptions than dialogue, though I’ve worked extensively to refine both.

Dialogue, in particular, was something I struggled with in the past. It took years of practice, exposure to various media, and even direct guidance from my husband—who naturally has a strong command of tone and speech patterns—for me to improve in that area. Now, I’m able to balance both description and dialogue more effectively, but it’s a skill I’m still refining with every new work.

On Your Own Writing Journey

I appreciate that you see my work as a new standard to strive for, and I genuinely hope it helps you refine your own approach to erotic writing. From what I’ve observed, your writing already carries impact, particularly in the way it resonates with readers. Creating emotional or visceral responses in a concise format is difficult, yet you’re already achieving that. The key moving forward is to refine your technique while maintaining the elements that make your writing distinctive.

Writing is a process of constant refinement. As long as you continue to enjoy it and challenge yourself, progress is inevitable.

Final Thoughts

Thank you again for your detailed, thoughtful, and well-organized message. I wasn’t expecting to wake up to such an extensive response, and it genuinely caught me off guard in a good way. While I don’t always know how to properly express appreciation for compliments, I do want to acknowledge the effort and sincerity behind them.

I wish you the best with your own writing, and I appreciate the support. Hope you have a great day as well. God bless :))

❤︎ Fang Dokja's Books.

♡ For Reader-Inserts. I only write Male Yandere x Female (Fem.) Reader (heterosexual couple). No LGBTQ+:

♡ Book 1. A Heart Devoured (AHD): A Dark Yandere Anthology

♡ Book 2. Forbidden Fruits (FF): Intimate Obsessions, Unhinged Desires.

♡ Book 3. World Ablaze (WA) : For You, I'd Burn the World.

♡ Book 4. Whispers in the Dark (WITD): Subtle Devotion, Lingering Shadows.

♡ Book 5. Ink & Insight (I&I): From Dead Dove to Daydreams.

♡ Library MASTERPOST 1. The Librarian’s Ledger: A Map to The Library of Forbidden Texts.

♡ Notice #1. Not all stories are included in the masterpost due to Tumblr’s link limitations. However, most long-form stories can be found here. If you're searching for a specific yandere or theme, this guide will help you navigate The Library of Forbidden Texts. Proceed with caution

♡ Book 6 [you are here]. The Red Ledger (TRL): Stained in Lust, Written in Blood.

♡ Notice #2. This masterlist is strictly for non-con smut and serves as an exercise in refining erotic horror writing. Comments that reduce my work to mere sexual gratification, thirst, or casual simping will not be tolerated. If your response is primarily thirst-driven, keep it to yourself—repeated violations may result in blocking. Read the RULES before engaging. The tag list is reserved for followers I trust to respect my boundaries; being included is a privilege, not a right. You may request to be added, but I will decide based on trust and adherence to my guidelines. I also reserve the right to remove anyone at any time if their engagement becomes inappropriate.

[ghostcorazon]

One year - Michael Bluth x Reader

Michael Bluth x Reader

Set in the 1st episode, Michael is caught between his family drama, the best decision for his son, and his romantic relationship.

Note: I just got my period which explains my sudden reemergence of attraction to Michael Bluth and I just remembered I have free will so I wrote a fanfic GODBLESS 🙏I haven’t written since I was like 13 so pls let me know if you have any suggestions, feedback or advice for the future. Anything is appreciated!

Word Count: 3.5 K

Warning/details: Use of (Y/N), she/her pronouns , lots of dialogue from 1st episode (sorry), brief mention of spanish speaking/heritage reader, I just wanted to add some lore my bad yall plus we know michael loves latina women god bless ✊

-------------------------------------------

The day that Michael had been waiting for for so long had finally arrived. He would finally be named partner of his Father’s company. The same place where he’s spent the last 10 years working to help expand and advance the family company. 

His long-term girlfriend of four years would be moving back up to California when the news was official. She had gotten a promotion in her company, but the position was in Miami. She had moved down a year and a half ago. 

It wasn’t easy for the both of them to see each other just once every other month for a weekend. Not even for George-Michael, who had grown close to her. Seeing her as a sort of maternal figure for him after his Mothers passing.

Michael and (Y/N) had discussed on one of their weekends together that when Michael would be named partner, (Y/N) would transfer back to her old position at her job to move back to California. It was a big step up for Michael in his career. (Y/N), knowing how much he’s worked for it and how important his family was to him, agreed to move back. It was a tough position, she loved her job, but she loved her new little family with Michael and George-Michael even more so she agreed. 

Michael was so grateful that she understood and agreed, he knew the sacrifice she would be taking. Which is exactly why this night was so important to him, not only did it mean that his work at his Father’s company would finally be recognized, but his partner who he loved and missed dearly would be moving back with him and his son. She couldn’t make it to George's retirement party, but would be flying in the next day.

So as Michael listened to his Father’s speech, about to announce the new company’s C.E.O, he couldn’t have had a bigger smile on his face.

“I give you the new C.E.O for the Bluth Company, certainly the smartest Bluth, my favorite Bluth, and the… Sexiest creature I have ever laid eyes on, my lovely wife Lucille”

Michael felt a wave of emotions over him, immediately turning to look at his son and seeing his face of shock. Michael looked around at the scene around him, his family congratulating his Mother. Guests applauding. 

 His father came up to him, and in a hug whispered in his ear, “Sorry, It’s not the right time.” 

Michael went numb. 

It was right then that Michael decided to never speak to his family again and to move down to Miami with his son.

-------------------------------------------

“He got arrested??!” (Y/N) gasped.

“Oh yeah, defrauding investors and using the company as a personal piggy bank. But I guess the latter is not that much of a surprise.” Michael sighed, adjusting the phone by his ear and taking a sip of his whiskey, resting back on the couch. 

“Wow… Well I hate to say it honey but look on the bright side. Maybe it’s a good thing he didn’t name you C.E.O. I mean you would have been caught up in all this drama and left with this mess to your name!” 

“Yeah… I guess you’re right. It still hurts though. I mean after all the time and effort I’ve put in this company, I’m just looked over, like nothing.” He ranted “I’m sorry for our plans changing darling”

She feels for him, she’s been witness to all the work he’s put in and could see how much he really cared for his family’s business. (Y/N) had never been with someone who came from a family of money like Michael, but even with that he was different from any other person she’s met. He was incredibly hard working, humble and very family-orientated. 

“Don’t worry about me. I’ve seen how hard you’ve worked for the company. It really is a shame he can’t see that.” 

There’s silence over the call, each one trying to deal with the news.

“Well, I do have some good news though” Michael says.

“And what’s that?” (Y/N) hums, expecting another anecdote like Tobias taking Michael’s pirate party comment seriously, ending up on a boat protesting the yacht party. 

“Well, we’re moving to Miami!” Michael laughs.

“W-what?!” 

“Yep! I’m officially done with this family. I’m tired of cleaning everyone’s messes while they get to live their life. I just want to focus on my son now and you. It’s time to focus on my own little family. You know, George-Michael deserves so much more than living in a model house, and you deserve more than us only seeing eachother for a weekend every other month.”

(Y/N) almost couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She could understand where he was coming from, but still couldn’t believe that Michael was just done with his family. It’s normal to hear him rant, but at the end of the day, he’d always stick around and help.

“Michael... Are you sure?” she said softly. She didn’t know what was going to happen after Michael broke the news to her earlier, but was definitely not expecting this.

“I’m 100% sure, I’m just so done with all the greed and selfishness in this family.” He sighs, already feeling relief from getting to get away from this mess.

“You should still come tomorrow, we can spend the last few days here together. We can go on a bike ride, walk the pier, maybe go to Disneyland and then go back to Miami together. I’ve got good experience, I’ll find a job down there, and we’ll get George-Michael put into school and live peacefully, just the three of us.” He smiles. Already imagining the house they’ll live in by the coast. Not a model home in the middle of a desert. But sitting out on their back patio,enjoying the breeze drinking a mojito with his partner.

She’s excited for all of them to live together again, she’s really missed them, but she can’t help but have this nagging feeling that Michael shouldn’t just abandon his family like this. Especially in a time where they need him more than ever. 

She looks at her already packed suitcase and sighs. She’ll still fly to Orange County tomorrow. She’ll talk to him about this in person, maybe it’ll be easier than over the phone. 

-------------------------------------------

The past few days had been a dream. (Y/N) had called in work to extend her stay in California for a few extra days to help Michael get everything together for the move to Miami. All three of them had fun together on the weekend, having a last hurrah in California. When George-Michael went back to school for his last week, (Y/N) helped Michael pack, look for companies based in Miami that were hiring and getting all the papers together for the move. 

Even after (Y/N) talked to him the night she landed about if the move was the right decision, Michael was still set.

She felt bad that it had to come to these terms with his family, but excited for the three of them to be together again. She loved living in Miami, but the loneliness was bumming her out.

(Y/N) and Michael were out for lunch. Michael had just gotten out of a meeting for a job offer, both of them elated.

“I cannot wait for the three of us to be together again. No more drama, no stress, just us living our own lives. And I’m excited to get out of here. I want a fresh start, I want to experience new things, it’ll be the beginning of the rest of our lives,” he smiles

“I know, I’m already thinking of all the things we can do! I mean I didn’t want to say anything but there’s this beautiful house I found. It has t-“

Michael’s phone started to ring. 

He looks at her with an apologizing look. “I’m so sorry sweetheart, just a moment, I swear.”

He picks up the phone, “Hello?... What for?.... I mean I’m busy right now Mother… O-Ok ..”

“I’ll be there in a bit… No I’m not gonna force her to come.. I-... We’ll see… Ok I- .. Yes!  I got it Mother.. Ok.. Ok see you soon.”

He hangs up with a defeated sigh.

(Y/N) looks at him with a lifted brow. Michael lowers his head, stress already reappearing in his shoulders. 

“My Mom says she needs me to go to her apartment immediately. Something important about my Dad and the family,” Michael says.

“She asked you to come as well” He looks up timidly, “but don’t feel pressured. You don’t have to worry either, it’s probably something about his sentencing. It’ll be the last time we’ll see them anyways,” shaking his head.

She thinks about it for a moment. She wasn’t a big fan of his family really, from Gob’s obnoxious behavior, always trying to flirt with her, Lindsey’s lack of ambition and ignorance, Buster’s... well  he was there. However, strangely enough, his Mother loved (Y/N) . She had no idea why, she certainly did not like her, but never made it known to her obviously, she was still technically her mother-in-law. 

She really did admire how much Michael would help his family, even if they were crazy. Something she heavily related to. 

“Ok, yeah, I’ll go with you,” She smiles, raising her hand to intertwine with his over the table. 

He smiles back at her, “Thank you sweetheart, I don’t think I can deal with everyone again on my own” 

-------------------------------------------

Michael and (Y/N), both sat on arm chairs pulled next to each other, facing the family. 

When they arrived they were immediately pushed to the chairs, the rest of the family on the couches, all staring.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, what exactly is this intervention for?” Michael says, already fed up. Thinking this was an important meeting to then just be an ‘intervention’.

Everyone looks around awkwardly. 

(Y/N) already knew what was going to happen.

“We need you to come back and run the business,” Lucille speaks up.

“Ah, Ok, well then, so technically it’s not really an intervention. It’s more of an imposition if you think about it.” Michael says.

“Whatever you want to call it,” Lindsey says nonchalantly. 

“I’d love to call it an imposition,”

“We’re in trouble here Michael, and I can’t perform my magic.” Gob says. 

“Oh ok, now that you guys have tried running the business yourselves, you’ve finally noticed how hard it actually is. After all these years of just running around doing whatever you want, while I’ve been here, actually working, you guys are forced to work and can’t after.. Not even a week?”

“Michael,” Lindsey starts, “I mean you’re already familiar with the business and I mean, you’re the only one that actually went to school for it. You know, in a way you owe it to Dad after what he’s done for you,”

Michael scoffs, “Oh please, I’ve already done enough for him, for all of you and the company. I think it’s time for you guys to step up anyways,”

“(Y/N)  please, tell him he should stay and help his family, don’t you think? Like you, helping your family from Brazil, you understand how important family is.” Lucille pleads. 

“Well actually they’re from- nevermind. We also speak Spanish so I don’t know where you got Brazil from, but honestly, this is Michael’s decision to make. Just like Michael can’t tell me what to do with my family, I can't tell him what to do with his. He respects my decisions so I’ll respect his. This is entirely his decision to make. I’m just here for moral support,” She says, putting a straight smile, crossing her legs over and putting her hands on Michael’s that were on her chair, for moral support. Michael looks over at her and smiles.

“You’ve disappointed me, (Y/N)... My favorite child.. Betraying me.. What has this family come to dear god,” She scoffs, downing her drink.

“Mother..” Buster says with clear hurt on his face.

 “Well I’m sorry but it’s just too late. I’m moving to Miami, I got a job,” Michael says.

The whole family just stares at him.

“It’s something you apply for, and then they pay you to um, nevermind, I don’t want to ruin the surprise. “ Michael says sarcastically. “So no hard feelings, adiós, sayonara, see you when the first parent dies,” Michael starts to get up, giving you his hand to help you get up to leave.

“Well I’d rather be dead in California than alive in Florida,” Lucille jokes.

“George-Michael, grab your coat,” Michael says, putting his hand on (Y/N) lower back.

“I think Dad would really want you to help us out here Michael,” Lindsey says. 

“Dad’s in jail,” Michael responds curtly. 

‘Well the least you can do is say goodbye to him,” 

Michael looks at (Y/N) with a sigh. She looks at him, lifts her eyebrows and tilts her head to the side. Signaling that it was a good point. Michael looks at her and shakes his head. She nods back. He looks down to the ground and sighs, she was right.

-------------------------------------------

(Y/N) stayed back with George-Michael while Michael went to go see his Father at the prison. They were at the house, packing the final few things.

She was curious why there were daily-use things in the attic, like clothes, photos and board games.

“Hey George-Michael, why are these things stored in the attic? Just seems a bit odd considering you guys should be using these things pretty often,” She asks, taking out one of Michael’s ties that she swore she saw him wear the other day.

“Oh we’ve been living in the attic cause Dad didn’t want to mess anything up downstairs,” 

“What??!! How long has this been going on??” she says in disbelief. She had no idea about this. 

“The past year, everytime you came over we would stay downstairs. He told me not to say anything to you, but I guess it doesn’t matter anymore now that we’re leaving” he says, his tone getting softer near the end. 

She had a lot more questions, like a lot more, but seeing the attitude of the boy she’s helped take care of for the past four years crushed her.

“Hey.. what’s going on bud?” She asks, going up to him and putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Nothing.. It’s just that.. I was starting to like getting to be with the family again, It wasn’t so lonely. Especially after you left. You know, I could feel us growing closer with the family. I just wished you were here with us, and whenever you came to visit us and we would all be together, it was really nice. Things were starting to feel normal again.. I really enjoy it. I like having an Aunt and Uncle, and a cousin Not in a weird way of course, just fun having a cousin, but not too much you know just normal cousin love haha..” George Michael says. He was getting a little weird at the end but she just brushed it off to his usual awkwardness. 

Her heart broke hearing him say that. She knew how hard George-Michael had it with his Mom dying at such a young age, how busy his Dad was, even if he tried to spend as much time with him as possible. He just wanted to be with his family, have some normalcy and feel that connection. It made sense considering he’s seen how his Dad highlights how important family is.

“Hey, what’s going on, everything alright?” Michael asks, walking up the steps to the attic.

She knew immediately what she had to do, “Michael, I need to talk to you.” 

-------------------------------------------

They left George-Michael to finish the last bit of packing.

Michael and (Y/N) went into their bedroom, well what she thought was their bedroom but that’s for another day.

“Is everything alright? Don’t worry about what happened earlier at the imposition, we’re still moving to Miami.” 

She sat him on the side of the bed , sitting across from him and sighed 

“No, Michael… you have to stay,” She says looking him straight in the eyes.

“W-what? What do you mean honey? We already have everything set to go, I mean, what changed?” He questions, shocked.

“This isn’t good for George-Michael. If we just leave. He needs to be with all of his family, not just us. And I know, I know.. This whole ordeal is just- complicated and messy if you stay but for his sake, i think you should.” She says, holding his hands in hers.

“What do you mean ‘you’? What about us? Are we just going to keep on doing this forever? Flying back and forth?” His eyes are full of concern.

“No, well, I mean.. I don’t know Michael. George-Michael was just telling me how much he likes being with the family. We shouldn’t take that away from him. He shouldn’t be seeing you just abandoning your family like this either. You guys shouldn’t leave on bad terms.” She says with a heavy heart. She really doesn’t know what the future will be like, but she knows this move shouldn’t happen. 

“Ok.. yeah, you’re right. They’re crazy but it’s good for him to have more family around him. But.. what’s going to happen to us?” He asks.

She sighs, then moves forward to hug him. Digging her face in his neck, “I don’t know…”

-------------------------------------------

As the couple somberly walk back up to the attic, they see George-Michael talking to Lindsey.

“Well since Mom died, it’s been kind of lonely and I just wish we could all stay here,” George-Michael confesses. 

Michael and (Y/N) stop, listening to him. Michael looks at (Y/N) , now understanding more clearly where she was coming from. It was different to hear his own son say these things. 

“I-uh need help with the van please,” Michael says

“Ok,” George-Michael says timidly. He looks at Lindsey and embraces her, looking like he didn’t want to let go.

-------------------------------------------

After Michael had spoken to Lindsey, clearing some of their problems out and a nice evening just hanging out and playing monopoly with the whole family. officially deciding and announcing that they would be staying and that he would help the family, night finally fell.

Michael and (Y/N) had gone out to the pier to talk, they would have just gone on the front porch but something about being in the middle of nowhere, outside, at night, is not exactly the most comfortable setting for a tough conversation.

They were sat on a bench, looking at the gleam of the moon over the waves of the Californian water.

“I don’t wanna lose you,” He breaks the silence, turning towards you. 

“Me neither,” You confess, “This past year and a half away from you two has been tough. I can’t imagine it all just ending.”

“Give me a year,” he says.

She looks at him, confused, “What?”

“Just give me a year to fix this mess. George-Michael will be able to get closer to the family, we’ll be on good terms when we leave for Miami, or wherever we go. Let’s give him this chance to get to know them, especially during this hard time. Give me a year to try to get the family company out of this, try to get my Dad out of prison, get everyone settled,” he says, his eyes pleading her.

“I know this isn’t what we talked about, but move back to California, give me one year to fix this. Yes, we won't be as well off, I probably won’t earn anything while trying to deal with this mess, if you get your last job back, you’ll get a pay cut but please, just one year. After that, I swear, I’ll do or go wherever you want, we’ll be together no matter what happens.”

She felt her heart flutter, this dedication to his family was one of the things that sparked her interest in him. She didn’t care about how well off they would be, about any of that stuff, but seeing him trying to help them, even after all they’ve done to him really spoke to her. He 

was trying to have everyone’s best interest in mind.

“Ok, one year” she nods.

Michael smiled, gently grabbed her face and kissed her.

She pulls back, breathless, “But.. one condition”

“Yes, whatever,” 

“That I help you. You can’t do this alone Michael. I’ll help you in the evenings, I’ll go in with you to the office on my days off, lunch breaks, wherever. I’ll help manage finances, project management, even talk to investors, whatever you need help with, I’ll help.” She smiles.

He sighs in relief, “I love you so much,” He hugs her, face in her shoulder. He couldn’t believe this was happening but he was glad he wouldn’t have to go through it alone.

“I love you too,” She breathes. They stay in each other's embrace, under the stars and shine of the moon for some time. 

“We are NOT living in the attic though, that’s just crazy, I can’t believe you had that boy up there as if yall were Anne Frank, jesus christ”

“No yeah you’re right, it’s main house for everyone this year.” 

[this-is-krikkit]

Truth and dare:

- 🌵 yours or someone else's, fanfiction related or not

- 🍄 I think I saw you like Eruhan or maybe I am wrong so forget I asked for it

- 🧩 and does it happen often?

Thank you Kit 🩷

hey Kiyoshi! i'm working on an idea for the smut prompt you sent, thank you for this ask as well 😘🫴❤️

-> wanna play writer's truth and dare with me?

🌵 share the link to a playlist you love

i don't really use playlists! i have mood "playlists" that are a mess and a couple songs long only on my phone each, and i go through them depending on what feeling i'm trying to tap into, or i listen to That One Song when writing a fic (usually the title song, if there's one), but that's about it. and sometimes i write sweet lovey dovey sex while listening to screamo metal, so you know x)

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

i do love eruhan! i wrote a few fics where there's only hints of them being a thing or former thing and levihan's the real Topic, but i also posted one completely eruhan-centered fic that focuses on the ENDLESS angst potential those two have together imo.

one of my headcanons about them is that they're imperfect for each other and kinda ill-suited, in the sense that i think they highten each other's respective issues. for ex, i hc Hange thinks they love Erwin more than he loves them; thinking being the key word here, because of course Erwin loves them back just as much (in fact i hc he had a massive crush on them from day one and it took like, five years of him flirting and both Nana and Mike nudging them for Hange to realize what was going on) but he just sucks at letting himself express it and can be very cold and distant (in a totally different way from Levi's abrasive brand of caring, btw, if you were to compare them to levihan) which clashes poorly with Hange's whole-hearted and effusive nature (when they're not focusing on their research, obvi). on the other hand, i think Erwin likely tells himself he enjoys Hange's intense work ethics because he feels that allows him to detach himself from the feelings he has for them (since they're both hella busy), but i think he probably yearns to show the same kind of freedom they allow themself in how they express emotions when they do, and it takes him by surprise each time (now, whether he lets it show or not... is another story). i think he's jealous of them, in a way, of how responsibilities-free they seem (are not actually, obviously) even though he also ironically wants to be where he is, and his relationship with them's biggest flaw is how it reveals that his way of coping with his own feelings and pain in general is inefficient, painful and dangerous.

they're doomed as fuck though, i almost never hc them with a happy ending (unlike how i hc erurihan or levihan)

🧩 what will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately?

hmmm... i guess very shitty punctuation that makes it impossible to understand what's going on, completely ooc dialogue/actions that aren't put in enough context to make them believable or acceptable to me (and i'm veeeery open minded), non consensual shit that wasn't tagged appropriately.. that's all i can think of right now!

it does happen pretty often, because i like to add to my for later list every fic that fits the tags/ships i looked for that day, regardless of statistics, and that means i cast a wide net that needs reclibrating at a later date haha

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

listen, I'm not being dramatic at all when I say most people don’t know how exhausting being a fanfic writer can be. I mean I understand why they tend to think it’s an ‘activity we do in our free time’ where we just sit in our beds in front of our laptops and type something away when we’re bored. thing is, I wish it were that easy. but it’s not. sometimes we spend hours doing research, sometimes — most of the times — it takes us so long to think of words to form a sentence, because the sentences/dialogues you see in a fanfic aren’t the same as a conversation we have with people irl in our daily lives where we don’t have to worry about whether or not it’s ‘smooth’ or ‘in-character’ or ‘aesthetically satisfying’ enough. that one sentence you read in a fic could take the author so long to come up with, to craft the words and put them together, and as someone who also writes, this isn’t an exaggeration at all. I could say “he saw a girl with her mom today, and thought of his own mom because he missed her” to you as a normal irl conversation, but once I put that in my fic, it turns into “His eyes landed on a little girl, she couldn't have been older than six. She was with her mother, and they were both smiling. A soft smile tucked at the corner of his lips then, a wave of nostalgia washed over his heart as his memories led him back to his mother’s home, when he was little. He hadn’t seen her in so long, but he remembered the scent of her morning coffee; warm and cozy, just like her hugs.” and I'm not talking about the constant feelings that your works are never over. because once you finished a chapter or a one-shot, that you worked on for so long, and posted it, you’re almost immediately hit with the feelings that you have to start working on your next fic right now, otherwise you’re not being productive enough, and all your self-worth comes from how much/how fast/how well/how often you write. so instead of rewarding yourself with a night without any writing where you can give yourself a nice relaxing bath or binge watch a show or any other thing you enjoy doing, you start writing something new. and it’s just so exhausting, but we do it anyway.

now imagine you doing all of this. so other people can read your works. for free. while you’re also busy with work/life/your actual job. you get nothing in return — from pulling an all-nighter for 3 nights in a row, just to finish a chapter of your fic — except kudos and comments.

being a writer who published original works as their main source of income is super cool, of course, but it’s sad how fanfic writers are often seen as less than ‘actual’ writers when I've read a lot of fanfictions that were better written than an actual published novel. a fanfic writer is as much of a writer as any other writer who writes and publishes their original works as their main source of income.

anyway, my point is, we as fanfic writers don’t make any money from our works. we do it simply because of our love for the characters in the fandoms we’re in. please please please please always show your appreciation to your favorite authors by giving them kudos and commenting on their works. if you’re shy or if you don’t know what to comment, just say ‘I enjoyed reading this so much’ or ‘I liked this chapter so much’ or how reading it made you feel; it can be ‘this made me cry. thank you’ or ‘I smiled to myself while reading this *inserts a part or a dialogue from the fic* thank you for writing this’. literally anything. even if the authors don’t respond to you, I can guarantee you that they read your comments and it made them smile and they appreciate your support more than you know. literally comments are also what motivate them to write more fics for you to read.

that being said, if you’re a fanfic writer and you’d love to promote your works under this post. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DO SO.

PLEASE PROMOTE YOUR FICS. THIS IS A PLACE FOR YOU TO SHAMELESSLY PROMOTE THE BEAUTIFUL MASTERPIECES YOU WROTE ABOUT YOUR BLORBOS. ANY SHIP. ANY FANDOM. YOU CAN PROMOTE THEM IN REBLOGS OR TAGS. YOUR WORKS DESERVE MORE LOVE!

[blkkizzat]

Do you have any tips for writing fanfics? Like I wanna make my own but I’m scared people aren’t gonna like them 😭 Also how do you usually end a story? I’ve written before for school and stuff but it’s just kinda hard when I come to the end of the story…😓

-🪼

hey 🪼 babes! sorry i wrote alot so it took a min lol. take with a grain of salt though as what works for me may not work for you!

writing tips:

so first off: write for yourself. i know it's been said a million times and a worn out cliche but to break it down a bit— i feel like if you like your fic than other people will too. that is to say, we are all in the same fandom and are dorks/nerds, and like similar things even outside the fandom. i know people have their preferences on content but if you write it for your particular tastes and preferences, i promise there's other people in the fandom that will share in that too.

also even though my adhd works against me, i at least try to be organized and i always make an outline for a fic.

its super helpful to break everything up into small pieces. because then you arent staring at a blank page expecting a story to materialize from thin air LOL.

heres some things to include in your outline.

set the scene/world. where are we? what time is it? what are we initially feeling? which all Setting these things up from jump hooks in a reader as they want to feel like like are immersing yourselves in the world. especially x reader stories. i feel like x reader is so much easier to write then for two seperate characters, because if all else fails you can always call on how you personally felt or would feel in a situation then elaborate on it.

characterization. don't be afraid to make your characters a bit unlikeable, highlight their faults as you do their good parts. ex. my plug!choso fic, reader is a bitch lmfao. she takes choso for granted even though she's the happiest with him. the thing is—she knows that and it starts to eat her up. if a character can have self awareness and grow, then they have more depth than a character written with no faults.

conflict/goal. whats the conflict or what are we working towards? like even for a short pwp for ex: the goal is cum without getting interrupted/walked-in on because we are in a public bathroom. then from there you can work backwards and think. okay so what conflicts/problems would arise? where is this bathroom? what time of day is it and how many people are around? is anyone waiting on us/did we leave others to run off/will they come looking for us? you can make a conflicts out of any of those. conflicts drive the story forward and help you reach your end as its your beacon for how you progress.

ending. your ending only needs to tie the immediate conflict up. there could be an overarching conflict but you dont need to solve everything in your story. ex, continuing from the previous, y'all could be in the bathroom fucking and although the immediate conflict concerns no one interrupting you, the overarching conflict is that you both have significant others already and have yet to break this affair off. of course a pwp so you arent going to dive deep and explain the aftermath or the breakups, etc, but you can leave the story on a cliffhanger and lead the audience to guess whats next.

other tips.

don't write linearly: that is you dont have to write your story in the order of beginning, middle and end. start from wherever you want. skip around. its easier to write out the parts you do know you want then connect it together. even if its just a random piece of dialogue thats a sentence you know you want 2 scenes later, just write it down. writing is a messy process, not neat at all. which leads into... just write: even if you arent sure if you liking the idea 100% just yet write it down! you cant get to the next idea if you are stuck on why the current idea you are thinking of isn't good enough. lol this is why i say i get to a point in the process where i hate everything because ill be stuck with these meh-ideas but i know i have to get them out to get to the good idea.

edit: i edit my fics until l its something im having fun with. if you like it on first go around then thats great but just saying that to say its better to rework it or come back later to it (move on to something else in the meantime) than to put out something you aren't happy with. if you are proud of something you did that will definitely be reflected in your fic!

meditate to tap into characters: idk if you meditate often but i like to try to visualize myself in the character's shoes. what am i feeling? physically or emotionally? are there any distractions? how would i react to this? it helps with conveying character emotion, motives and makes the scene be more immersive. but in at same note, you don't have to give everything. focus on the most important aspect or two and the audience imagination will fill in the rest. some of the best compliments ppl have given me is they felt like they were watching a movie reading my fic (ty y'all the best) and i feel like its because of the immersive aspects in my fics which i take from my own reactions/experience. this also circles back to the point of liking your writing. because if you can convey what you are feeling well enough that you personally feel it re-reading your work, others will too. I hope these tips helped! 💕

[klausinamarink]

writers 20 questions

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

45 at the moment! I have a few more wips to post on the way so the number is going to go higher

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

130,657

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Stranger Things. I’m looking to branch to other fandoms though like The Locked Tomb in the future

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Standup, You’re Never Too Much, Recapturing the Sunset, Just Another Flesh Wound, One Kid Gone, Another Up and Vanished

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes!! But not always as sometimes I immediately forget to reply and when I do, it’s a few weeks or a month later skkshdk forgive me

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Biting Back in Anger. It’s Eddie having a bad day and blowing up at Steve, who leaves trying not to cry :)

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

uhhh most of my fics have happy endings but I think I can nominate The Tinsel Tradition. It has Steve, Eddie, and Robin building a home together in NYC, healed and happy in every queer way!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

nope, thank god

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I’ve been writing more smut recently and exploring some areas. I’m honestly gotten more comfortable though it’s still a challenge to get the right words without coming off as awkward lmao. but that’s Phil’s (@theheadlessphilosopher) job 🫶💜

10. Do you write crossovers?

I’m more of a fusion au writer who borrows the setting and elements and places my blorbos in there than a straight-up crossover. Unless that counts as a crossover? Those two terms are kinds confusing sometimes..

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I’m aware of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

There are a couple folks who played around this idea with me but nothing concrete. Though I guess Phil’s beta work can count because he writes better lines and scenarios than me

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

You’re asking me, a Steddie blog—

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

oof. I have a TLOU steddie wip based on resande’s sketches, but it’s looking unlikely to be done because the person looking it as my beta reader over got busy with other things and I’ve lost the writing juice 😔

16. What are your writing strengths?

Many people tell me that I am very visceral with my descriptions, esp with horror, and setting the tension is top-notch 🥰 (I am a freak who loves gore and blood tehehehehe)

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I have too many ideas and a problem to actually write what I want that it comes off as juvenile to me. I also have a tendency to gloss over the editing of my fic which I’m trying to break out of.

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

I honestly don’t mind it at all. However, I do get taken right out of the story if the language is written literally (like kanji for Japanese, Cyrillic for Russian, etc.) and not romanized when the character is speaking because that’s not how it works

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Warrior Cats. We all started our writing careers from that series at some point in middle school lol

20. Favorite fic you've written?

Noooo, I can’t pick favourites- I love them all equally. But FINE, I’ll say it would be When Life Gives You Pickles, Make It Into Soup. I wrote this as mostly self-indulgent because I LOVE pickle soup and is the best comfort food of all time. I think anyone making soup in general for their significant other if PEAK relationship goals because who doesn’t love soup?? Of course I had to Steddie-ify it

thanks to Devon for tagging me! Tagging others with no pressure: @thefreakandthehair @pearynice @3minsover @penny00dreadful @chaosgremlinmunson

@cranberrymoons @dies-somniator

[velvet-games]

I went out to see the northern lights today.

I didn’t want to at first; honestly, I’ve been a little depressed lately, and even the idea of getting out of bed to brush my teeth sounds exhausting, so actually going out and walking around outside sounded like Hell.

But I remembered my regret from missing the recent eclipse, and that, along with my mother’s incessant nagging, was just enough to get me to pull on a pair of too-tight jeans and a giant black coat and hop onto the car.

There ended up being no walking. We drove to a park only to find it blocked off and went to a nearby lake instead. My mom opened the car’s roof (a feature we have probably used once prior to today) and she asked if I wanted to sit on top. An old childhood desire to climb on things with dubious levels of safety came up, and I immediately shimmied myself out of the small opening. Not my most daring venture, sure, but still just as fun as I remembered.

There were no northern lights. But I looked up at the sky and realized I could probably lie down to get a better look at the stars. It was a little awkward; I didn’t want too much of my body on the glass part of the roof, which meant I was far back enough that my head followed the downward slope of the car and had to tilt away from the little part near the back that pokes up. It felt a little dangerous. I held onto the railing on my left.

I looked for a while, and I finally realized why people wrote so many scenes of pretentious dialogue set under a night sky; it really does pull that mood out of you. I’ve looked at the stars before, obviously, but I’d never just lied down to stare at them.

I looked at the stars and had those pretentious thoughts. I was reminded of a conversation I’d had the week before with my journalism advisor, about how strange it was that some religious people felt like they were the center of the universe, or maybe how strange it was that we emphatically did not. I imagined for a moment that the night sky was made for me, that the Big Dipper (which I was finally able to identify without the help of guidelines for the first time) was arranged specifically so I could see it. It was surprisingly easy, and maybe a little beautiful.

But I like when I look at the moon, like really see it, and feel small instead of special. I like looking at it and realizing that an impossible number of miles away, there is a giant ball of rock held together by a warp in space-time that does not care about me at all. That beyond that, there are even more incredible things that I will never see up close. I like forgetting myself, forgetting judgement, and just being aware of the vast, incomprehensible network of celestial beings that exist. I started thinking of the stars that way, and wondered why anyone would look at what I saw and hope that they were being watched rather than realizing that they weren’t.

I also had a less pretentious thought about a fanfiction I’d read earlier in the day. In it, Lucifer—yes, from the Bible—created the stars. I thought about what that meant. I thought about the implications of the devil creating the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I thought about how Heaven’s clouds might cover them out of spite sometimes.

Part of me laughed at myself, imagined how I would make fun of my own words if they were in a comic book with a pretty painting of the sky, but another part of myself told me to just enjoy the thoughts. Again, I’ve been depressed lately. Maybe the stars helping me forget myself was what I needed.

I started thinking again, but I was broken out of my reverie by the car shaking. My brother had brought ice cream, and he shoved a cup of it in my face. It was half melted, chocolate and vanilla hugging each other, but I actually like melty ice cream. I enjoyed the sweetness as I looked at the surface of the lake. There were no northern lights.

I looked up at the stars again, and there was the Big Dipper, still clear as day. The star at the base of the handle was a little dimmer than the rest.

[hotcat37]

Meeting the family (38) would be so nice, with overly protective mikke in your deaf jere AU <3 thank youuu

this was the last prompt left in my inbox I'm glad I managed to do them all 💪💪 Fun fact I wrote the deaf! Jere AU before the Euro tour so Mikke was still very behind the scenes and not outspoken on socials and that's why his English is way too good in the AU☠ I wish I could retcon it because I love Mikke's rally English like Jere's but I don't feel like rewriting all his dialogue scenes 😭

38: meeting the family

Bojan hopes he doesn't come across as too weird or awkward. He's usually a smooth talker, a natural charmer, but right now he's practically trembling in his seat out of nerves. Jere beside him is much more relaxed, which makes sense given that they're in his childhood home sitting at the kitchen table with his parents. The deaf Finn isn't just relaxed though. Jere is happily wiggling in his seat, unable to contain himself, overjoyed at having the people he loves most finally sit together in one room.

The wiggly movements coax a genuine smile out of Bojan. But he quickly startles again once he catches Mikke's eye. That X-ray gaze is hyperfocused on him, staring right through the Slovene's soul. It still unnerves Bojan. He can't say that he feels like the older Pöyhönen hates him or anything but it is glaringly obvious that the blonde is still not entirely on board with this whole Bojan dating his little brother thing.

Which, okay, that's on Bojan for having hurt Jere. It's been several months since then but it still seems fresh on Mikke's mind. Understandable. Jere has been through so much in the past 26 years so Bojan doesn't blame the photographer for being suspicious when it comes to who his brother dates.

Jere's mom and dad are less outwardly hostile, constantly moving around and yapping about whatever so Bojan in turn doesn't feel as harshly judged.

"So, tell me Bojan, how you meet my son?" Jere's dad pipes up eventually, still lighthearted, eyes not as soul piercing as Mikke's. At least for the time being.

Jere rolls his eyes at the question, quickly typing something in Finnish on his phone before turning the screen towards his dad. Whatever the text says makes the older man burst out laughing.

"No, no! I just asking. Is not....interrogation!" The way the word gets completely butchered really does effortlessly remind Bojan that these people are definitely blood related. "Bojan not mind me asking, yes?"

"Not at all!" Bojan squeaks out, so desperate for approval that even he himself cringes at it. Okay, he's a (somewhat) grown man meeting his partner's parents, not the damn president. This feels much more important than any political meeting, though. "Uhm, so, I was running late for my first day at school. Or, well, I couldn't find my classroom. So I go up to Jere and ask him if he can help me."

He glances at his lover while recounting the tale, encouraged by Jere's cheeky grin. It really was a funny first meeting in hindsight. "But he didn't have his hearing aid in at the time and I couldn't figure out that he was deaf!"

Jere's mom briefly interjects in Finnish, presumably a small lecture towards Jere for not wearing his hearing aid in public. The youngest Finn just shrugs in response. Bojan dares to continue once Jere's mom urges him to share more of the juicy story.

"So I got a little mad because I thought he was ignoring me and being an assh-a jerk." The Slovene tries not to flinch at the twitch in Mikke's eyebrows. "A-and so I tap him on the shoulder and God when he turned around I just-kinda lost my words. Like his beautiful face just completely stunned me."

While Jere's parents coo in delight, Bojan turning several shades redder when the realization of what he just said sinks in, Mikke pulls a funny face. He seems rather unimpressed by the wholesome love at first sight thing.

"No way you immediately fall in love with Jere's face!" Mikke squints his eyes in suspicion as if somehow even Bojan finding Jere attractive at first sight is off putting.

Jere makes an irritated little noise, tapping at his keyboard with such attitude that Bojan can't help but giggle a little. The text is in English and Bojan is secretly smug about the fact that Jere clearly wrote this to defend his Slovene's honor disguised as a typical jab the brothers tend to take at each other.

You just jealous cuz no one fall in love with YOUR face 🙄🤯

The message triggers a chain reaction of bickering, which soon includes the parents as well, Bojan surrounded by broken English and fast paced Finnish he can't make sense of. But in all honesty, he's never felt more at home while meeting someone's parents.

[misc-obeyme]

Writing my fic made me really appreciate the way the dev wrote so many of multiple characters scenes If it's just one character, or at least 3 of my favs with mc, I am doing just fine and the scene flows But get all the brothers together and my brain melts going "Nope not handling this" I cannot not write the scenes too so... ctrl+A and delete the whole word pad? No that will just make me cry

Sending you organic white tea with Jasmin cuz that's my fav -🐆

It's really hard to write a scene with that many characters in it. Usually what I do is focus on two or three of the characters that matter.

For instance, if I'm writing a scene where all the brothers, MC, Diavolo, and Barbatos are all together in the student council room, I'll narrow in on the characters that are the focus of the story. For me that's usually MC and one of the others. I'll say what each of the other characters are doing, but then I'll zoom in on MC.

Assuming MC is the viewpoint character, it'd go kinda like this-

You were sitting at the table in the student council room. Lucifer and Diavolo were looking over the upcoming plans for the school festival together. To your left, Belphie was distracting Beel from eating the paperwork in front of him with a bag of spicy newt chips. Across from you, Asmo was painting Satan's nails. Levi was hunched over his handheld device while Mammon was muttering about horse race results while scrolling through his D.D.D.

You looked over to your right, where Barbatos had just finished making tea. He poured a cup and handed it to you. You took it gratefully and sipped it.

You gave Barbatos a look. "Is this...?"

"Indeed," he said, smiling. "White tea with jasmine. I know your favorite, MC."

-and then from that point you can just focus on MC and Barbatos. Everybody else is doing something, but they're not part of the immediate action unless you need them to be. Like if you needed Beel to actually start eating paperwork so Barbatos and MC would get involved in trying to stop him, you can do that. But if you don't need that, he can just continue to be distracted by Belphie in the background.

It's not really possible to focus in on every character when there are that many of them. So I find it's better to have the majority of the characters act more like part of the setting while focusing the action on the characters that matter to the scene.

It isn't really the same as the way the devs write, though. That's because the devs are writing in a different format. For us, we can describe what the characters are doing, as above. That allows us to illustrate that those characters are present without having to involve them in the story directly.

The devs, on the other hand, don't have the luxury of description. For them, it's all dialogue all the time. Which means that if they want us to know that all those characters are in the same place, they have to have each character say something. And if they want us to know what each character is doing, they have to have each character either say what they're doing (e.g. having Asmo say, "Oh Satan this new color of polish I found looks amazing on you!") or having one of the other characters say what they're doing (e.g. having Mammon say, "Can't believe you're lettin' Asmo paint your nails that color, Satan.")

This is why I often talk about how I think this format is limiting to how good things like event stories can be. It isn't that it's impossible, but I do think it can contribute to the lack of quality.

ANYWAY.

Sorry to take your ask and run with it, wow. I'm always surprised at how much I have to say about these things lol. You'd think I'd be used to it by now...

Anyway, I don't know if any of that rambling helps at all, but good luck with your fic!