#Back when I was writing a certain fic many years ago I'd put up my sources in the author's note section but it was bc I just Liked providin

[amadryas]

Do you think authors of mythological retellings should put a disclaimer when they add their own, original ideas in the story? Personally, I do not

[siriuslyprincesssarah]

A little vent session

I find it so funny that the same people who are getting onto me about supposedly not properly tagging my story are now getting onto me about tagging my story improperly when the endgame is Harry and Hermione, and I have tagged it so from the beginning. Soulmates can be platonic and Harry and Hermione are for NOW, but soon it will change.

Hermione and Draco are a separate story, and what is of them within Enchanted will last four 1/2 total chapters. Two 1/2 which are already posted. The rest will be back to Harry and Hermione fighting each other until when they finally get together near the prologue. I did, in fact, tag it appropriately. As I stated to one reader, when we read a book in real life, we don't have pre-tags. When I started writing fanfiction, there were no tags at all. Many don't tag their fics, but I try my best to tag them to give people a heads-up. A few people just don't like it because I am including Draco. Who is important to the storyline starting during the next chapter.

I finally had enough, and I'm screening reviews. People are being rude and think they know everything and how it is going to be planned out. NO ONE knows everything. I have no beta. All I am is a school teacher who writes her ideas of what she wishes would have happened after the books out into the universe.

This story was conceived on a road trip to Washington, D.C., over one year ago. On my way down, I listened to Spotify and somehow was stuck listening to Taylor Swift's complete collection. Many of the scenes were Google transcribed to my notes after I heard a song and sent myself a note while driving. Since then, I've had an outline of how I wanted it to go. After sightseeing, I'd return to the hotel and work on my outline.

This story was never meant to go this long. Initially, I meant for it to be one chapter a year from 1998 to 2007, then end there—ten chapters total—but I couldn't end it there. It got away from me. Ten turned into 20. Twenty turned into 30. My outline has it sitting at 45 if I end it where I originally planned. I may or may not end it before that and create a sequel, though. We will see. Looking back, should I have gotten them together before 2007? Yes, but I started it in 2007, and the way things fall to make it there for certain things, it has to be 2007. I see Hermione as career-oriented and not settling down straight out of school. Of course, I was that way too.

Ending this rant, I beg my readers to please trust the process. I know there is a period right now that some are unhappy with. When the idea came to me, I knew people wouldn't like it. But putting her with Draco worked for four reasons. First, she has a relationship that no one would think she would and briefly tries to move on from what she feels she will never get with Harry. The second will be revealed next week. The third will be revealed in chapter 35. The fourth will be revealed in chapter 36.

Just bear with me and for those who have stuck around and have supported me here. I'll thank you for doing so. The father is. Harry :) Because, of course, it is, and it never was a question. I just wanted to build a little suspense.

Thank you so much for supporting me and reading this if you did.

[longeyelashedtragedy]

What are your most vanilla headcanons? Line what are your missionary position thoughts about Frank et al

Ohh at first I read this literally and was like hmm, is Frank a fan of missionary? This is a good one, I'm really horn dogging it these days but I'll take a peek into my soul for the vanilla that lurks within:

-Maybe this is kind of basic, but I think Frank really likes to be able to lie around reading a book with his uh, partner. This then becomes a bit tricky with Mason (and with Jamie who totally does not read books, but--secondary headcanon--I think Jamie loves Frank to read to him) because Mason isn't a reader. I think this might cause a bit of an internal challenge for Frank over time. As we kind of see in "couples try new things" there's a point where Frank breaks and can't keep playing the Daddy role--like, it's only natural for him up to a certain point. I think he'd grow frustrated not being able to Read Books with Mason, but wouldn't know what to do with that frustration. Then on the flip side, when he gets with Anthony he is threatened by Anthony's intelligence (which I haven't written about yet, but I'd really like to.) My man just can't win!

-Canonically, Frank Senior still lives in the same house all the kids grew up in. At least one of his two daughters lives right around the corner from him, and both daughters have fun going to his pub. Frank could drive over in an hour, hour and a half, but he...doesn't. So, here's where the headcanon comes in: sometimes Frank Sr goes into Franko's Little Bedroom (we got to see it in this ancient Chelsea video and the interactions between the two Franks sure are something alright) and just sits on the bed and lets the sadness? melancholy? wash over him. How did it end up like this?

-When Frank was a younger adult, I think he enjoyed being handy in the kitchen, but now he's taken on that Man Of The House persona (though from all I've taken in he doesn't give like...domineering asshole husband vibes) and sits around uselessly watching tv during cooking times. EXCEPT that I think his 90s sitcom marriage (as you so accurately called it!) winds up reinforcing this because I can definitely see Christine being like "omg, you're a hot mess do not come into my kitchen you'll ruin everything." (I can see this because she has said as much on Loose Women, lol.) Wonder who his role model is for Being a Good Husband? Uncle Harry I bet.

-It's funny, because some headcanons I've had then turn out to be true? For example, that Frank's spoiled to death by his in-laws (the Son they Never Had!) And god he must totally eat that shit up. I imagine that they were hesitant about Frank at first. A big shot footballer? Sure, he's rich, but there are so many bad stories about footballers...! But Frank Isn't Like the Others! He's smart and reads and pays attention to politics and writes in his journal on the team bus! He was able to make a good impression. How lucky that he Isn't Like the Others!

-Related...I headcanon that Frank Sr (back like over 10 years ago when his opinion still mattered) likes Christine's family's uh, philosophies on the UK. This actually comes up very briefly in the threesome fic because...what better place to put that than a threesome cmon

-When they were younger, Frank happily did Jamie's homework for him. Since Jamie's legendary neuroatypical brain made it hard for him to eat most foods, Frank would eat his extra unwanted food at family dinners. We know food was always a comfort for Franko, and this way no one would yell at Jamie for leaving food on his plate. They were always there for each other <3

-Has this come up in my fics? Probably. I'm not sure how to articulate this the right way--but I think Frank has never been in denial to himself about his sexuality. He's been ashamed, scared, all of that, sure. But I think he almost doesn't even wish he was straight? Like the only reason why he'd wish that was for the convenience. But he loves men and wants them with every ounce of his being! So he can't even imagine being another way. In my mind, he ultimately uses this to justify being a cheater, asshole, and a creep to younger lads, which is very fun to write.

-Is this one too spicy? I've been thinking this basically since the foundation of the Lampardverse lol--There's no way in hell Frank could have gotten married to a lady with a very "classically feminine" body type. Like noooooooo way. I think he'd freak the fuck out! His kinsey 5 powers can only go so far.

-Anthony has toooootally challenged Frank to a chess match. And Frank doesn't know how to play. So Anthony teases him about how he should be able to learn it quickly what with that IQ he has. Frank of course is stressed out by this because he can't have Anthony beat him in something.

-In the Derby era (digestif!) I think Frank fooled himself into thinking he was truly in love with Mason.

-It took Frank until 2021 to have a son and while I don't doubt that he loves his kids, I think he might have some mixed feelings about Having A Son--or if he doesn't now, he did then.

-I think Jamie Jamie Cousin Jamie and Christine must have an interesting relationship. She's definitely way smarter than he is, but they seem to get along quite well, and it's fun that they're in different parts of the same Industry--I think this puts Jamie at ease--she can treat him as a peer and not as Jamie the pretty face but total joke--and I'd like to think she appreciates Jamie a lot for actually treating Frank nicely, as I headcanon her as being a Frank Sr anti at this point too. Of course, as always with anything in the Lampard universe, there's a lot going on behind the scenes. Oh and--Christine and Frida (Jamie's wag) don't like each other at all.

-Oh, and I think this might actually be @protect-daniel-james 's idea, but it's so delightful that I have to put it out there--Mason was the snitch in the Utd dressing room last season!!!

shit did you want things that aren't Lampard related? this is kind of all I think about 😭. Except this:

-Nobody knew how much Mikel's sanity depended on Granit--not even Mikel 😭

[argisthebulwark]

Ao3 20 Questions

thank you @kagedbird for the tag!! <3<3 i will tag some friends @daedrabait @miraakswhore @somethingscarlet13 @queerbashir if u wanna participate <3

How many works do you currently have on ao3? Currently 25. holy shit, i thought it was more than that lol

What's your total ao3 word count? 98,336. Used to be like 200k before i cleaned out some old works i didn't care for anymore.

What fandoms do you write for? Skyrim and Star Trek TOS & AOS

What are your top five fics by kudos? Sorry Lass, Make Me Feel Mortal, Don't Shut Me Out, Fascinating, and Destroy Rebuild

Do you respond to comments? Sometimes! Honestly it depends on whether or not i'm online and see them. if i don't respond right away it feels rude to respond weeks after the fact, but for repeat commenters or usernames i recognize i try to!

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Idk i used to like to emotionally beat up Jim a lot, so probably one of the short stories where i explore all his traumas

What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Probably Sorry, Lass. I originally wrote it in 2015 and i'm fairly certain it ends with a mushy marriage scene.

Do you get hate on fics? Surprisingly, no. I think i got a few rude comments back when i first started, but honestly everyone's been too kind to me.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Hell yeah brother that's what i do!! I love angsty, emotionally charged smut. my personal favorite to write is angry, hatefuck type of stuff. or when they're using it to avoid talking about feelings.

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? Not that i've ever posted lmao. I don't usually post non canon compliant fics for whatever fandom i'm working in.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Kinda. a few years ago someone let me know that my work had been reposted to a fic site i don't use and one quick message got them to take it down. Also, i once posted a fic as a one off, forgot that i'd done that, and used the same scene much later in a larger story - and some nice commenter on the original let me know that someone had stolen my idea lmao

Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope, never had anyone request that and don't want to do so incorrectly.

Have you ever cowritten a fic? Kind of? an old friend and i used to write separate chapters of our self insert marvel fics and mush them together into one story lol. never posted it anywhere, it was just shared emails and google docs.

What's your all time favorite ship? God, that's hard. probably McKirk. as i've gotten older and unlearned all the internal shame about self inserts it's gotten easier to do a self insert story instead of an established pair.

What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Every few weeks i pluck away at my regency au Miraak fic. i don't think i'll ever actually finish it because it's just so big in my head it's hard to get on paper, but i hope i do someday.

What are your writing strengths? I'm very comfortable writing sex scenes. I think that often when the author is uncomfortable about writing explicit sex the reader can really feel it in the story and i put in a lot of work to get over those mental hurdles. i've been told i'm good at characterization, which is awesome! i love getting in a character's head!

What are your writing weaknesses? Very often i find myself bogged down with the need to describe every little scene. it's a major reason i haven't posted a longfic in a while - i want to write these big stories but find myself getting lost in the little details. i also have a terrible habit of editing myself while i'm writing, which just gets me stuck in an unproductive loop.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? Since i'm only fluent in English, this isn't something i am confident in. i've written in a few fictional languages for fics before but would probably reach out or suggest another author if a reader wanted something that heavily involved this.

First fandom you wrote for? Twilight babey!!! self insert oc to smooch Edward Cullen when i was a little middle schooler!!! i didn't know what fanfiction was but i knew i had a big ol crush on him.

Favorite fic you've written? not to be cringe on main, but most of my favorites are things that never got published. they're the little things still hanging out in my google docs that i go back to over and over. i rewrote all of star trek into darkness word for word just to make bones and jim kiss, i made a self insert just to smooch skurge after hyperfixating on thor ragnarok, and the weird time a few months ago where i wrote like 40k words of a cowboy romance. i read them often and wish that i'd written more on many of them but i do not read my published works.

thanks to anyone who read my rambling lmao. love you all sososo much, thank you for reading my silly little stories and caring about them. <3<3<3

[nube55]

Hey lovely Nube 💕

Finally, finally, I have the opportunity to jump into your ask box & get to know you better!!! We're both huge fans of fanfiction so this ask game was made for us! As usual, I can't stick to one question only so, if you're ok with that, may I ask you: A8 | B5 | C2 | D8?

Looking forward to reading your reply 👀

Lots of love 💕

<><><><><><>

PS: your comment/reblog of Lucy's post about this stinky comment on her fic was perfect 👏

Hello Val!! 🎊 awwww thanks for stopping by!!! Hahaha don't worry, we'll get to all of them!

(Adding a read more cause this got LONG sorry I'm physically incapable of summarising)

What was your first fandom? Are you still in that fandom now?

My first fandom was Harry Potter. I am not in that fandom still and do not wish to engage in it anymore for a number of reasons, but it was my gateway to reading from an early age and it was an excuse to bond with someone I cherished a lot and who sadly isn't here anymore. I met some awesome friends through it too, friends that put up with me to this day! Hahaha

Which story have you read more than any other? How many times?

You know... come to think of it, I haven't read an entire fic all over! 🤔 (regarding multichapter fics). I do want to highlight the ones I've been going back for certain chapters/scenes that I love! This list shows a variety of writing styles that leave me on the ground swooning (Warning!! no concrete spoilers buuuut references to scenes):

Holy Ground by @lucysarah-c (ongoing): Lucy can pretty much give a masterclass on poetic writing and I'm not exaggerating. I come back to it for my faves: chapter 9 (aka Levi's quiet morning gets interrupted in the funniest of ways - for us readers, not for him lmao), chapter 11 (aka not knowing how to play Scrabble leads to interesting outcomes), chapter 15 (one OF THE BEST LEVI POV I'VE LAID MY EYES ON), and chapter 17 (when you can feel yourself in the scene, it's just that amazing)

North Star by @sixpennydame (ongoing): such SUCH a special story. I love coming back to chapters 6 & 7, the whole Mount Aspe arc is exquisitely written.

Spectrum by @19941117 (finished): I have nothing but praise for this story and the incredible talent of its author. It focuses on an AoT character I've never seen explored before, and has the most breathtaking of endings.

Silver Underground by @amywritesthings (ongoing): this girrrrl leaves Easter eggs everywhere so I had to go back an re-read many parts to come up with theories lmao. I really enjoy the first chapter, the pace in it, the dialogue, the tension. And the whoooole bit on the Underground arc makes my heart become pudding.

Please tell me I didn't f*** up any link hahaha.

What word or expression always makes you cringe when you read it?

Usually I cringe when I see a sustained behaviour that feels excesively out of character to me (in those cases I choose to opt out). I also feel cringe-y in NSFW scenes when intimate parts are refered to overly poetically for my taste. I'd rather have them refered to in a filthy way tbh 😂

Which fandoms do you read fic for?

Currently I'm 99% dedicated to AoT (had a YoI phase a couple years ago!). Buuuut I wouldn't mind reading some Vinland Saga stories 😏 (@atruewarrior I'm looking at you)

.

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Well I think that's it!! Thanks for the questions Val, have a wonderful week! 🌻🌻

Ask a reader meme

[writerscafehub]

MEET THE BARISTA: Stella

@a-lumos-in-the-nox

From one to five stars, how would you rate your writing? (No downplaying yourself!)

4.0, I've gotten better over the years, especially with just sharing over two ish years ago. I'd like to go back and brush up some descriptions but other than that I say it's good! 

What do you think makes your writing stand out from other works?

I say the characters I decide to make each one of my characters are their own person that I can see being real. They are definitely my favorite part of my stories.

Are there any writers that inspire you?

Right now, Brandon Sanderson. I'm reading through his first novels now. The way he uses descriptions to worldbuild is amazing! And I love his characters

And all my friends on the server, the people over there write some incredible stuff!

What’s the fic you’re most proud of?

Stella Archer, I wrote that story in college it's a decade old & I never thought I'd finish it let alone share it! Stella's been with me the longest so you can see how I used to write then vs. now all in one series. 

Which character(s) do you find easiest to write and which do you find most difficult to write?

Easiest to write: George Weasley cause anything goes with him. He's goofy, sweet, confident and a wildcard. That's really fun to play with. 

Hardest/Challenging: Neville Longbottom & Druig. These two are my heads & tails. They are complete opposites. Druig's is inquisitive and there's a depth to him that I can relate too, and hes smart mouth, my favorite kind of guy lol. 

Neville is soft, confident, brave & empathic. There are things i can have Druig do that i can’t do with Neville and vice versa. I could talk about their differences forever but they are still a fun challenge to write. 

Who or what do you find yourself writing about most?

Usually whatever idea I haven't done yet or I want to try. I write a lot about superheroes or powered individuals. Often with my own spin 😏. Friends to lovers mostly. 

Tell us about a WIP you’re excited about!

im working on the ending of Bloom, it's the last character arch for Neville. His eldest will be looking at school brochures and some of his past students will make a groundbreaking medicine for people who have pain caused from curses & his parents being among the ones able to get the medicine. Meaningful things happen & I'm excited to write it!!!

First fandom you ever wrote for?

Harry Potter; 😂 nothing has changed I still love the universe.

Any guilty pleasure trope(s)?

I dont feel guilty about them their all pleasures; so Soulmate AUs, soft dark, Coffee Shop AUs, threesomes, genderbending.

A trope you’ll never, ever write for.

A/B/Os the structure would be all over the place. 

Wildest fic you’ve ever written?

Never Too Late, I put as many of my favorite tropes in there as I could. Soulmate AU, Coffeeshop AU, gross loving couple, old married couple, Tall boi, short girl…etc. And they fucked for a hobby. It was so nuts I made a game out of it in that universe had it's own rules & everything 😂 So much unhinged stuff happens in that fic & I don't regret any of it 😂. 

Favorite pairing to write for? (platonic or romantic!)

OCs x main character. Which is usually an extension of me somehow cause i said so. Even the very few readers stuff i have i always pictured myself. 

Do you listen to anything while you write?

I have a playlist for each story i have & i cycle through thoes whenever i need the vibes 

One-shots or multi-chaptered works?

Both, I like both 

15. Have you ever daydreamed about side adventures/spin-offs from your fic? Tell us about them!

My ficts are day dreams haha. Hmmm I have a bunch of daydreams about Daphne & Charlie spending time with their parents as a family in some of the places they have traveled to when they didn't have kids. That and the adventures of Daphne & Lottie growing up. But I'm really stubborn about aging my OCs kids so most of them stop at a certain age.

16. Is there anything you’ve wanted to write, but you’ve been too scared to try?

Not scared, I just don’t know how to write it. I want to make my own villain somehow but i gotta figure out so many things first. Or the villain's spouse or something, it’s still on the drawing board. I don't do many dark things so it would be a challenge for me. 

What’s the nicest comment you’ve ever received?

All the comments on my first dark oneshot, Sweet Dreams. It was just me playing around with Druig’s powers to a higher level then flooring it. It was fun & the ones of my first series Stella Archer that story is a decade old. So to get comments on that was special 

Have you ever gone outside of your comfort zone for a fic? How did it turn out?

For Between the Shadows I did cause i was trying to portray my OC for that a certain way without making her sound boring. That was a hard fic for me in many, many ways. But it turned out great! I’ve never introduced an OC in a more profound way than I did with Juni and it was refreshing to experiment with that OC. 

Tooth-rotting fluff or merciless angst?

I'm a sucker for both. I’ve written both. 

Do you have any OCs? Tell us about them!

I have 13 fully developed ones and the rest are side ones. But here are some of my favorites!  

Stella Archer-Asgardian Demi-god think of Gaia with all the powers of the elements. She has 4 kids. And married her highschool sweetheart George Weasley. 

Flower- a nymph of mythology origins. Her power is growing flowers and plants from anywhere as long as she has a water source. She carries a pouch of soil around with her for such an occasion. She stayed with her love even though he was cursed by the flying dutchman. 

Ruby Morgan- Charms professor, classic style of dress, her magic specialty is levitation she can make anything levitate with a snap of her fingers. She grew up in France raised by her Dad and her Grandmother. She can read Latin, speak French and loves cats.  

Angus Kohler- Scottish, loves to drink. His magic specialty is tracking. He teaches Care of Magical Creatures. Head of Hufflepuff house. Werewolf, he’s Neville’s best friend and Ruby’s too. Plays the bagpipes at every graduation in full kilt attire that matches Hufflepuff.  

If you could enter the universe of any one of your fics, which would it be and why?

I’d enter Never Too Late cause that OC is the closest to me irl and I basically gave her everything I wanted and didn't skip any details lol. I would gladly love to be in that universe. 

Is there anything you wish your audience knew about your writing or writing process?

Have you ever daydreamed about side adventures/spin-offs from your fic? Tell us about them! My ficts are day dreams haha. Hmmm I have a bunch of daydreams about Daphne & Charlie spending time with their parents as a family in some of the places they have traveled to when they didn't have kids. That and the adventures of Daphne & Lottie growing up. But I'm really stubborn about aging my OCs kids so most of them stop at a certain age. Is there anything you’ve wanted to write, but you’ve been too scared to try?

Copy and paste an excerpt you’re particularly fond of.

From Kissed by the Land; Cursed by the Sea.

In a tavern miles away sat a bard playing a tune and weaving a tale.

Let me tell you a tale about a mortal man forced to sail the reaper of the blue…His eyes as blue as the cursed seas, and hair as black as the night, it's true…

He's fought sirens, an sailors, an swamp monsters too, all while sailing souls lost to the depths, to their final steps…it's true.

The reaper of the blue captured this man, for a century or two. Till it was over. An he returned home, to his dearest its true…

This is the tale of the reaper of the blue, and a man forced to sail it's sails wide and true for a century or two…

Ramble about any fic-related thing you want!

I wanna go back and write Kissed by the Land; CUrsed by the Sea as a darker tale but i have NO idea how but I totally could!!! I just played around with Fairytales in that one. Um my current series Bloom is almost over & I’m thinking of making a spin off of it only for Angus cause I love that man he’s my wildcard in every sense of the word lol. 

I love writing main character x OCs so i have an excuse to run around in all my favorite worlds as different personas!

[bellaxgiornata]

12 & 19 for the writer asks c:

Ahh Soulie!!! Thank you for the asks, my friend!! 💕 I'm also going to put this answer below a cut just because it's SO LONG and I'm sure not everyone wants to scroll through this.

12. Do you prefer writing in silence or to music?

So back when I used to write my two Matt Murdock x OC stories Life Worth Living and Caught in the Undertow at the beginning of the year, I had playlists I listened to while I wrote both of them. Usually the playlists had certain vibes if I was writing something angsty or lighthearted or if it was a tense fight scene with Kilgrave in LWL. I even had some playlists for characters in LWL (Phantom has an entire playlist for anyone who's read that series because I LOVE HER). But for some reason when I write my Reader fics I simply cannot listen to music at the same time. It's far too distracting. I have no idea why. I have playlists for each of the Reader fics that I'll zone out to and think up plot ideas, but it's far too distracting for me to write with music on lately. So I write in silence now, but my thoughts are usually very, very loud as I write.

19. How has your experience as a fanfic reader impacted your experience as a fanfic writer?

Honestly I feel like as I re-entered fanfic over this past year, reading fanfiction has really opened my eyes to taking closer looks at the characters themselves. Back in the day--years ago when younger me first got into fanfic and was reading and writing it--I was focused on the romance aspect of fics, but generally I just wanted the romance. But reading fanfics now as I've come back to it after a few years away and I've grown and matured myself? OMG there's like...so many wonderful in-depth looks at characters that I love that I'd never really thought to look at before. I've become far more interested in more than just writing the romance and the smut now, which is why I think I love FFTD so much. I get to explore not just the romance aspect (and all the crazy smut), but I also get to take look at Matt. I get to put him into different situations and truly try to get a better understanding of his character (in my view of him at least) and how he would navigate a situation and how he would feel. And I think it's given me a better grasp on character development and growth as well as understanding the importance flaws even more--because let's face it, Matty boy is very flawed in some aspects. And that's true of me stepping into writing Michael Kinsella and Frank Castle, too, not just Matt. It's been fun really looking deeper into the characters I'm writing, more than I really ever did before with them. And I think it's made me love those characters that much more.

And also, I will say, reading fanfic smut has also had a huge impact on my writing, oddly enough. I never wrote smut before writing for Matt. I grew up in a super Catholic and conservative household and I'm actually a very, very socially anxious and quiet person. The thought of me writing smut used to make me want to blush and hide under my desk. But seeing all of the smut out there for Matt, even if it's not all necessarily my thing, really helped me become vastly more comfortable with writing it. Writing smut doesn't really affect me anymore, and I feel like it truly came from me seeing so many other talented writers doing it so well and so comfortably.

[charlotterhea]

I'm working on a new translation of one of my old stories and since I have so many feelings reading it again but am not yet ready to start posting, I thought I'd share some thoughts about it.

Follow me if you're ready for a lot of rambling and a bit of my personal fandom history.

'Inter Spem et Metum' - or ISEM as I resolved to call it - is my oldest Harry Potter fic. When my passion for this fandom grew and I thought about writing with these characters instead of Buffy's, I quickly found that Severus and Hermione would be my comfort pairing and OTP.

And quickly the plot formed in my head, at least partially. Contrary to today, at that time I had no problem with starting to write a story even though I didn't know how I wanted it to end. I knew that Hermione should witness more about what Severus was doing for the Order than she was supposed to know. And that she wouldn't be able to let it go. Today I know that there are probably thousands of Snamiones with exactly that premise but I didn't know when I began to write ISEM. Book 6 was just out, we still didn't know how all of this would end and so it was just logical to write a story within this setting. Plus I was new to the fandom and positively burning for this plot. ^^

So much so that there were days at which I would write three chapters, all of them about 4k in length. It was an insane experience, I was haunted by the plot, by Severus and Hermione and all I put them through. If it had been possible, I would have written this story in one go, without sleep, without food, without any break whatsoever. I only ever experienced something like that once again afterwards but I hope I will again sometime. Writing like that is a bit like being high. ^^

But I was 20 when I wrote this story and as it is when you're young and write something you're really burning for it was a mess. XD My beta at that time was a big help to me, adding some lightness to the overly dramatic story I'd written, putting some blatantly lacking Harry Potter spirit back in. And although it was still far away from perfect even with her help, this story opened the doors to a new fandom for me. I've met so many wonderful people through the comments to this story, one of them I'm still in contact with, 15 years later.

For all of these reasons, this story is really close to my heart - and that's why it was so hard to rediscover it a few years ago.

I'd grown as a person and as an author. I'd been through a hard time, I'd got older, I understood so much better what I had been doing to Severus because suddenly I was almost his age and couldn't see the romance between him and this Hermione happen anymore. This story was my epitome of cringe - and I wasn't ready to let it stay that way. I couldn't chalk it up as a sin of my youth, it just meant too much to me.

And after all, I somehow still liked the plot - but not the way I wrote it. I somehow still liked Hermione and Severus in this plot - but not the way I portrayed them. I saw what would have been possible if I had just been a tad bit more mature when I wrote it. I saw all the possibilities, the drama, the feels and I wanted to fall in love with this story again, just like I'd been in love with it when I wrote it - and so I sat down and revised it. Thoroughly.

I know, the opinions are divided about revising old stories. Some say it is a record of how far I've come as an author and I shouldn't erase it. Some could understand what I resolved to do. Probably because they'd read the story as it was. XD But anyway, I wouldn't have let myself be talked out of it. I couldn't find peace with the story as it had been.

But I admit, I underestimated how much it would need to find peace. I rewrote so much of it... The whole last 20 chapters are written anew because combing through the plot up to a certain point made it almost impossible for me to use anything I initially wrote afterwards. It was a hell of a lot of work and more than once I thought about screwing it. I thought about just deleting the story and being done with it. But I couldn't bring myself to do it and after I'd been more than halfway through I would have been stupid to not go through with it completely. But I did it bitching and whining. ^^

And I'm glad I did. I'm so happy with how the story turned out! <3

It's still not a plot I would write today; I prefer Hermione a bit older and I like to write after the war now. And it still contains some plot points I'm not exactly happy with. But it also has some absolutely wonderful chapters and moments that live in my head rent-free. I did fall in love with this story again and that's why I decided to translate it next. ^^

It will be a hell of a lot of work again because the story is 70 chapters long, about 380k words, and one of my longest stories ever. But once again, I'm blessed with an amazing beta and I'm slowly working my way through the story. And oh, the feels... XD

I'm really excited about posting it and I hope I'll meet some of you over at AO3 when I'm ready. Although the premise isn't really new, I think I did a good job giving it my own touch, sneaking my way through and around canon and making it an enjoyable story. I am once again proud of it and all the work I put into it.

Oh, and I'm proud of this story pic as well! I did it all by myself, even the photo of the coins I needed to create it. I brought them back home from Denmark on my own and I was really happy that I could put them to use for this story. They are beautiful and just perfect for the meaning these coins have in the story. ^^

Okay, enough gushing and musing. I hope I was able to intrigue you. If so, stay tuned, I will start posting it soon. :D

[loserchildhotpants]

Get to know your fic writer asks please 18-22, 67, 39, 54

fic writer asks

18] Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process? How do you come up with titles?

Titles are my worst enemies. The answer to your question is that it depends on the fic. A monster of a fic i've been writing for a few months now [42k words today and abt halfway through] is STILL untitled, but my ficlet Lost in the Sauce (a food kink prompt fill) was named as I put the first few sentences down lol. What i CAN say is that i have NEVER named a fic BEFORE writing it. Vibes determine too much and i never know what the vibe is gonna be til i start writing slkdfj so i only ever title during or after, and if im unable to come up w something wholly original myself, i use song lyrics bc im basic. Usually tho i like titling my fics after some important or key piece of narration or dialogue from the fic itself, so that u can have that Dicaprio Meme Moment of pointing at your screen

19] What is your most used tag on your AO3?

It appears to be a tie between Mutual Pining and Love Confessions sdkjfhsd

20] Have you noticed any patterns in your fics? Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?

oh my fics definitely have recognizable patterns slkdjhffksjdh i think my writing style is a specific flavor and so if u open one of them up, u basically know what you're getting. not that that's a bad thing!

words/expressions -- idk! there's the obvious overuse of 'sigh' 'says' 'glances' -- stuff like that, but that's just the curse of writing so many interpersonal interactions lol tbh im unsure! if anyone wants to call me out on words or expressions i abuse in my fics pls let me know kjdsf

common settings: i am a canon-divergence lover so sets get reused all the time skdjfhsdlkj

themes: living, working through, or succumbing to grief, dealing w fear, finding forgiveness for past selves, reconciling who we are w who we thought we would be, generalized queer panic/denial and other identity crisis issues... uhh... i mean i also like to think im romantic tho sljkdfhsjkldfh

21] Would you ever collaborate with another writer for a story?

I have! This is a recent development! I don't usually collab bc i am fearful of Judgement sjkdfh like i get scared of what people will think of my writing process or how clunky or bad it sounds when it's just a draft -- i don't usually like anyone seeing what i'm writing until it's finished, but i've recently started collaborating a lot w majorly 2 of my friends : ) growth ✨

22] Are there certain types of writing you won't do? (style, pov, genre, tropes, etc)

hmmmmmmmmm. years ago i switched from writing Past Tense to Present Tense and i'll never go back lol i LOVE writing in Present Tense. i feel like it adds an element of tension and the feeling that the future is still v malleable.

i don't know that i could write something good in first person POV :T like, i don't have anything against first person POV, i just don't think that's where my skill set lies and my execution of it would probably be really bad and cringe skldjfhfjk lol so i probably won't do that

there's no genre i can think of that i'd be opposed to trying my hand at and that goes for tropes too. there's loads i haven't tried yet, mostly bc they don't like, independently spark inspiration in me, but if given a prompt for it, i'd probably try! there's lots of dead dove topics that'd probably be really fun to write and i just haven't tried yet bc i am Soft and tend towards pining and love confessions skdljfh lol

39] Share a snippet from a WIP

"“Oh — oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to — oh, I always muck this stuff up, that must have been so out of line, I’m so sorry —”

“Samuel,” she interjects gently, her voice practically a whisper, “I don’t know that I’ve ever met someone with a kinder heart. I don’t know that anyone has ever made such a well wish on my behalf. You’ve just startled me is all… you do that.”

Feeling that Rowena crying is very simply, unnaturally wrong, Sam stops resisting the compulsion to touch her and reaches with his free hand across his chest to swipe at the tear near the apple of her cheek.

The tips of his fingers on that hand come in contact with a lock of her hair and the outer shell of her ear, and he gets chills up his arms and back from that alone; Dean was right, he might spontaneously combust at anything more.

“I didn’t mean to make you cry,” he says, though he thinks she already knows that, “I would never mean for that. I had rather hoped to make you smile.”

“You tread carefully now,” Rowena warns him, her lips twitching, eyes shining, “or I’ll steal you for myself, Samuel, like some terrible witch of the woods, and I won’t return you to whatever world you come from.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad to me,” Sam confesses softly, smiling back at her.

For a thrilling moment, he sees Rowena’s eyes gentle, sees her consider him seriously, as if she might just be thinking of him the way he hopes beyond hope she might.

She goes to say something, but —"

54] What's your favorite part about the fanfiction writing process?

i just love looking at a blorbo and being like 'let's put that guy in a situation.' top tier writing experience. i love taking an established character and really thinking hard abt what i know abt them, whether i want them to grow or i wanna study who they are without forcing evolution, thinking abt how they'd navigate some circumstance or conflict, consider what has already been written for that circumstance or conflict in fandom, and what new interpretation, in my own style, i can bring to the table to offer something new and interesting. it's like taking a beloved recipe of something that can't fail, and just seeing what cool new thing ur own perspectives and styles can do w it!

67] Do you prefer prompts and challenges, or completely independent ideas?

Sort of a mix of both? I love prompts, they send me on Brain Trains (destination: Dissociation Station) and the thing is, i usually stray from hard lines. like, i sometimes work off of being INSPIRED by a prompt rather than following the actual prompt? challenges sometimes scare me off bc once i have a Due By Date my brain will shut off creativity and get frightened lol i really love my independent ideas, but i have my best independent ideas while discussing prompts and challenges w other folks and spinning limbs off that original prompt or challenge until what i want to do is outside the guidelines of that prompt or challenge.

that said, i LOVE getting prompts from anons and stuff. there's something really flattering and happy-making abt someone popping into my inbox to be like 'i'd like to see YOUR specific take on this' ; u ;

anon thank u so much for sending me so many asks!! T A T <333

[candlewaxandp0lar0ids]

i see so many people not understanding the feedback debate. us writers don't expect anyone to make up stuff to compliment us because we need constant validation even if our fics aren't good, we just want the people who DO read and who DO like the fics to just drop a reblog and a "hey, i really liked this" IF they did. if they didn't like it then that's fine, we don't expect anyone to lie, and they can just exit the page and continue with their day.

for some reason, people think we demand feedback but will get mad if people have negative things to say, which, again, if people don't like it, then that's perfectly fine and you don't have to say anything (a lot of people don't want to receive constructive critizism on here, i know i don't). and if a fic doesn't get any notes then sure, maybe it wasn't our best work but the thing is that many of us still get a bunch of notes in the form of likes, which means that a portion of those users actually read and liked the fic but didn't even reblog it with an emoji in the tags. and that's what can feel dejecting.

and about authors dropping stories, it's the other way around. it's not that readers don't comment because they're scared a fic will be dropped, or at least i hope it isn't because it doesn't make any sense, motivation COMES from interaction, but writers drop fics because no one seems to like the fic when there is no interaction.

also, if any anons haven't tried it yet, i can promise you, the rush from sending an "fyi, i stumbled upon this fic you started a year ago and it really spoke to me, i loved this thing about it" and seeing the author most likely respond and say that it motivated them to pick it back up, is amazing. the trick is not to guilt or say how sad it made you that it hasn't been updated, just say what you liked about it!

Hi anon! Sorry I took a little while to reply to you, I have lots of thoughts on the question of 'constructive criticism' (a term which, to be fair, I think has been overused in an inefficient way) and I wanted to take the time to gather them.

I'm totally with you on what you're saying about expecting the readers who do like the stories to comment on them. I've written in a lot of small fandoms, and what they had in common was that people wanted to encourage writers to write more fics for the fandom, hence, interaction. In bigger fandoms like skz/bts, you'd expect that, without that effect, there are enough people who are reading you for a decent amount of people to interact (even if it's a smaller percentage in the end). The problem is that it isn't really the case (imo, in my experience, etc.).

Also yeah, to go quickly over the anon thing, 100% agree with you on your last paragraph and it also doesn't make sense to me that someone wouldn't comment in case the fic gets abandoned. I wonder if anon meant that they don't want to invest time in writing a comment in case the author then drops the fic which, oh, the irony considering how much time authors put in fics to get little in return :')

Okay, so, when it comes to the criticism, I do feel very strongly that authors have every right to cater their online experience and not want to receive it. I also don't like the term 'constructive criticism' because I feel that the implication is that it's criticism that should lead to certain reactions, which, y'know, I feel that it doesn't have to. I know I wish it was fine to just let the author know that you, personally, didn't like the one thing and move on, because it doesn't engage either party all that much.

Like, I know I'll sometimes not comment on fic that I liked fine because there are a couple of points that I'd like to discuss in a comment and I don't feel like I can (sometimes just the one line where I'd like to say 'didn't read/like that one thing because of personal preferences, totally fine don't expect you to change anything). I guess you can reply with something along the lines of 'well leave the comment without that part' and sure I could, but writing comments is fun for me and I don't have fun being dishonest. It ends up sucking the joy out of both reading fics and writing comments for me.

(I also think people don't learn to leave comments but that's a whole other can of worm) (Also also, I suspect that as a French person criticism has been written in my DNA and I can't escape it and that there are some fundamental cultural differences about both the school systems and the way societies function at play here that influence my thinking)

I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I see writing fanfiction as such a communal, social experience that the way its dynamics are working these days just... aren't working for me. And maybe it's a me problem, you know. But it reads to me as 'authors do their thing in their corner and readers should be nothing but grateful' and I think this whole conversation about the lack of comments, which has been going on for years at this point, shows how badly both sides of the coin need each other.

Again, I do very strongly feel that authors have every right to not want a certain type of comments on their fics and I 100% support it — not to mention some fandoms have their share of assholes that'll already be dicks regardless. I just... wish maybe some aspects of it were slightly less defensive.

I am quite curious to know where you've seen people say that authors just want people to make stuff up — it's not a sentiment I've been seeing on my dash and I wonder if there have been things said about that somewhere. Are blogs on Tumblr defending that idea? Or is that usually an 'on anon only' mindset? 99% of what I've seen on the issue has been writers talking about it and I have been wondering what people who are primarily readers feel about it.

Thank you for sending in this ask anon, it was very interesting to read and think about and I hope this doesn't feel like an unpleasant answer, this is in the continuity of conversations that I've been having with author friends for a while now so I have lots of thoughts about it!

[the-kipsabian]

🥺 🎢 ✨ ⛔ ❌ 🎃 🎯 👀 🧠 (orange cassidy :3c) 📚

🥺 Is there a certain type of moment or common interaction between your characters that never fails to put you in your feels? answered here ~

🎢 Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride? i dooooont? really think i have one that would count in this? im leaning towards immortal fears but its not that obvious yet, but thats probably one with the twists and turns its promised to have so. that one lol

✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it. 😉 im allowed to answer this one again, right lol? i like my characters with distinguished voices and i think i give them to them. and i think im good at it so

⛔ Do you have a fic you started, but scrapped? oh so many.. somehow most of them include chris lmao. the reunion fic with him and kip. so many with him and drew. the caring taking one after chris popped his shoulder. the blindfold fic. so so many

❌ What's a trope you will never write? answered here ~

🎃 Do you write fics for certain holidays? Which is your favorite holiday inspired fic? i dont think i have any up tbh lol, but ive always been very fond of christmas themed fics. i'd love to say halloween, but due to cultural differences thats never been a staple for me. even christmas is difficult cause of the same reasons, so i guess its more about seasonal stuff than holidays for me, really? so in that case yeah fall and winter tropes my beloveds

🎯 Have any of your readers accurately guessed major plot points? Care to share which? years ago when everything i did was longform yeah. these days not so much, buuuuut ive had few correct speculations in tags of immortal fears. i'll leave it at that lol (and im always so happy when i see people speculating and guessing things, especially if they grab onto hooks im setting up cause nothing makes me !!!!! more as a writer actually planning my stories than that! so!!)

👀 Tell me about an up and coming wip please! this is probably a copout lol, but i have a three parter hanahaki fic with kip and chuck coming out hopefully soon! i personally really like it so far so i hope it hits more people too, but yeah its gonna be angsty! and sad!! and i love every second of it!!! i hope youre ready :)

🧠 Pick a character, and I'll tell you my favorite headcanon for them. this is no secret, but agender!oc. hes just so beyond of caring about how he presents himself (he cares a little about how he is perceived tbh but usually he doesnt take it personally, its just how it is) and what he identifies with. hes not a man, not a woman, not in the binary. hes just orange <3

📚 Would you ever want to turn writing into a career? i have.. wanted this for like twenty years lol. unfortunately its incredibly difficult thing to do, even more so in my corner of the world cause our circles are so ridiculously much smaller, that theres. only a handful of veeeery famous names that make a living with writing. which i guess is what always puts me back in my hopes and dreams, but maybe one day. i'd love to at least write and publish something, even if its self published. i have plenty of ideas that i would just need to write tbh, but then theres language barriers and everything so.. its a difficult thing

short answer - yes absofuckinglutely. ive always wanted that, just getting there is really hard for me

fanfic writer asks ~

[nolawrites]

Hello, I'm a big fun of your fic "The tin can man" !

There are a million things I love about it, however one that stuck me just now, as I finished re-reading your fic, it's how interesting is/was the relationship between Mustang and Van, Ed's father.

We didn't see many interactions between them, but their whole history creates an interesting dinamic that for me resurface everytime we see Mustang.

It makes me wonder about how he feels about leaving Van all those years ago, now that he knows how wrong Van's life went. He lost his wife, he abused and neglected his children. I think he feels guilty about not being there to protect Ed and Al. But I don't know how he feels about Van.

When the fire happened, he seemed almost sorry that he saved him and thinks that slowed him down and resulted Al's coma. Later it's showed that he tried to get Van out of the mental hospital and into a rehabilitation program. For me, that shows that he still feels cares about him and wants to help him. Am I interpreting this correctly?

Also does Mustang even knows he is dead? If yes, does he think he killed himself or that he was murdered?

Thank you for writing such wonderfully complex characters ans such a captivating story!

Hi, thank you so much! It means a lot that you're enjoying my fic. I'm sorry for the late reply, I missed the notification, I hope it makes up for it that I'm answering now.

This is such an intriguing question. Honestly I put a lot of thought into character interactions and relationships, even the more minor ones, and long story short, yes Roy does care about Van, but he also feels extremely conflicted knowing who he became.

He blames himself to a certain extent, because as someone who knew Van before he fell apart, he feels he could have prevented it somewhat. Or could have taken care of the children. Roy sees van as someone who is family and so is more forgiving than perhaps he would be if that weren't the case, as is quite common when it comes to families. I'd say you are interpreting it correctly, and I love that it stuck out to you, because when I was writing it I really tried to get across that connection between them and you're right that it is going to affect Roy's appearances and interactions with the younger Elrics.

Also, Mustang does know he's dead and that he was murdered. The suicide story was just a story told to Winry's mother, because as a civilian without access to police records there's no way for her to know otherwise and iacov has connections. It was a power play for Ed. Whether it comes back to bite either of them, only time will tell....

thanks so much for this comment, it was very insightful and I enjoyed reading it :-) <3

[kookiecrumb]

jjk|| Your Head

"tags": @kazthebrekkerofinej

word count: uhhhh

summary: Jungkook is the heir to the throne of your Kingdom! In this tale of duty versus heart, will love prevail victorious?

tags: Royalty!Jungkook x Peasant!Reader, oneshot, smut, fluff, slight angst, some crack, pining, forbidden lovers, Jungkookie has a sweet tooth, strangers to friends to lovers

warnings: explicit language, impact play, birthday sex (technically), fingering, oral (m receiving*), love marking, alcohol consumption, s&m themes, horny grinding, praise kink/body worship

a/n:

hey guys!

Firstly, I want to say how proud I am of myself for growing so much during this fic. I learned a lot about what I'm comfortable with, what I'd like to work on, and where my confidences lie.

I won't lie and say it's been easy, because writing this meant dealing with a lot of my fears? I'm excited for all the works that are to come.

The only thing I can do is be as receptive to growth as possible, so I'm looking forward to learning...

*I actually learned that Vaseline wasn't invented until like the 1870s? The fic is written in the 1810s, so I actually had a choice between having them do it with vegetable oil or spit. Spit won.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

5 years ago

You bend over to pick up an apple that had rolled over under your father's produce cart, praying that it isn't bruised so that you have to pay for it out of your dinner, when a crumpled piece of paper hits you in the ass.

Confused, you crawl out from under the stand and unwrap the paper.

The paper itself is of the finest quality you've ever seen. It's a sturdy cardstock, bleached white with gold etchings on the borders. The print on the top of it reads "His Highness Jeon's Royal Study," and scribbled in some kid's amateur cursive below, "Nice butt."

You directed your gaze upwards, towards the towering castle walls. Sure enough, a boy no older than 15 had his noggin popping out from the top of the rampart, with two wide eyes staring down, curious as to your reaction. This was Prince Jungkook, heir to the throne of your kingdom.

"Shouldn't you be equestrian horse riding or playing polo or something?" You shout. He furrows his eyebrows, apparently offended at your assumption, and then disappears behind the edifice.

Moments later, another paper hits your shoulder as you're practicing your caligraphy behind your cart. It lands between the apples, so you reach your hand over and fish out out.

You glance up at the anticipant, and sure enough he's there with his doe eyes and his coconut head, ogling.

"No, dumbie. That's at MID-day." Well how were YOU supposed to know the royal schedule of the crown prince, it wasn't just common knowlegde you learned from being a humble farmer's daught--

Ah!

"Will you STOP?!" You put your foot down. "Unless you're here to buy my apples, then you're not getting ANY, little Prince." Oh, shit. You gave him ideas. Now it was really over for you.

In less than half an hour, half a company of men arrived at the marketplace, asking about your little old apple stand, and sure enough, Jungkook had bought out the entire cart so that you were forced to help with the transaction.

The young prince had eyes frankly too big for his head, with the most prominent cupid's bow you've ever seen. His nose slightly outgrew his face and his ears were hidden away behind his short, black hair. "Now you can talk to me." He gave you a rose he'd stolen from the royal garden. "I am Jungkook, heir to the throne of--"

"I know who you are." You interrupt him, documenting His Highness' total in your calligraphy book.

With a hand perched on his chest from surprise, he scoffed. "And I happen to think you're really pretty, so I was going to ask you to be my very first consor--"

"You're 15, you have playmates not consorts."

"And how old are you?!" He's had it, raising his voice and taking a bite out of one of your apples with force.

"16, old enough to have suitors." You tease. Jungkook hangs his head a little. He just needed someone to talk to, it would seem. Reluctantly, you scribbled down your address down on a piece of note paper and handed it to him.

"Look, if you buy more of my apples, I'll have an excuse to tell my Dad so I can hang out with you." You spoke in a low voice as to not raise suspicion.

Your dad is standing negotiating with the guards about prices, his usual embarassing haggling gruffly overpowering the guards elegant twiddle-tones.

"Wonderful! See you soon, my sweet!" He resumes his confident demeanor, tucking the paper into his overcoat with a small smile. He salutes you boyishly and marches away with a year's supply of apples.

For the next week, the royal kitchen had baked 3 apple pies, made 5 fruit salads, 4 batches of apple muffins, and threw the rest of them in Sangria; that's the same Sangria as King Jeon finds himself drinking in his wife's drawing room on Sunday.

"Call Chef, fetch him up here." He waves to his assistant, keeping his eyes on the outside. He was deep in thought, his hands stoicly behind his back.

The Kingdom had been prosperous for over many years now, and war had not come close to threatening its borders in a lifetime. Negotiations were always successful, and quality of living was high. The work of a King, in a situation such as this, was to perfect the image of the royal family as strong rulers, and to paint his daughters as desirable to foreign heirs.

"Your Grace," the assistant called his attention, "Head Chef Sung." The dainty man bows and scurries off somewhere else.

Chef Sung is a portly man, who carries himself heaving with every step, his great belly inflating with each hefty inhale. He approaches the King, and kneels down to kiss his hand with his fat lips.

The King recoils in disgust, but quickly collects himself and his words. "Where are these apples from, is it France or Spain?" He demands.

"Neither, Your Highness." Mr.Sung lifts up his eyes. "They are from our Holy Kingdom; by order of Prince Jungkook, an entire cart was purchased of these apples and we have not been able to get rid of them." Tears threatened Chef Sungs eyes at the very mention of the fruit.

'Well, there's one thing the kid's done right.' King Jeon now faces the Chef, setting down his drink on a mahogany table, leaning against it casually. "Well! Good. I'd like to meet the owner of that cart, invite him to my Sunday brunch."

"Oh, yes, of course sir! You'll never see them in our kitchen aga--What?" Chef Sung takes out his handkerchief, waving it around in the air and drying his tears at once. "So you like them! Why...Yes! Yes, of course!"

Your father thought it would be valuable to have you around the kitchen, learning from the skilled men and women employed by the Jeon family. He only visited once a week to drop off fresh produce, (he'd been officially hired to handle restocking of goods) but you, after showing promising signs of being a gifted baker during one of your father's restocks, were granted scholarship by Ms.Kang to be her aid.

You were now, officially, a resident of the Jeon Estate, residing in the servant's quarters, immediately adjacent to the kitchen. This was convenient. It was far too convenient for a certain little Prince to get the idea of wanting a midnight snack and wandering downstairs.

One day, he does just that. He finds his way into the first bedroom to the right of the stairs facing the kitchen, and that happens to be your bedroom.

He pokes you awake. "Ow! Ow, whyyy~" You whine and toss yourself over to the other side of the bed. His irritating poking persists. You grab his fingers and your eyes shatter open.

You sit up, alarmed. "You could have me arrested, what the fuck are you doing?!"

"I wanted a midnight snack! Besides, I wanna talk to you." He pouts, still holding a small teddy companion.

"Fine. I'll bake you ONE sheet of cookies." You slip on your night shoes and shuffle to the kitchen, and Jungkook tags along.

By the time Jungkook's 18th birthday comes around, he's in the kitchen helping you whisk buttercream to top his cake while having a tease at the Austrian Princess' mole.

"You have one right under your lip, look!" You take a little buttercream from the bowl and stain the dark spot with it.

He licks it up and hastens to add, "it needs more sugar, lady!" as he turns to grab a puffy bag of confection sugar.

"You're impossible to please." Snatching the sugar away from him, you smirk. "You can gobble down as many sweets as you want when the ball commences. Remember, this is the year you're supposed to be keeping your eye out for a girl of a good fam--"

"Yada yada, must have hips for childbearing, yada yada yada..." He mocks the speech his mother had told him that morning when he got dressed.

"Exactly." You set your bowl aside to fix Jungkook's tie. "Yes, and that's your duty, as our heir."

You step back and examine Jungkook one more time. He'd grown so tall in the last year, his legs like spider's and he was just beginning to grow into his features. Handsome boy.

You, too, had grown into an elegant young woman. You had a poised complexion, ready-mannered and graceful. Your hands seemed out of place in your otherwise feminine frame, carrying an extra bit of girth from baking. You were 19 years old.

Marriage was becoming an uncomfortably frequent topic during your visits home, as your mother had married young, herself, she expected the same of you.

Truth be told, there were plenty of offers for your hand. You were a skilled and very esteemed individual, who had broken into thr artisinal class. But your father knew better than put a dowry on your happiness. So long as you worked, he saw no reason to marry you off just yet.

"Now, go. Your sisters must be worried sick! Go out there." You shoo him, pushing him out the door of the kitchen despite his flailing arms.

Throughout the party, you'd been carrying a platter of your own baked goods, serving them to the aristocrats attending the Princes' coming-of-age ball. Accents from all over Europe and some from Kingdoms as far East as Cyprus jubilantly engaged in artful conversation which filled the air with good spirits.

Jungkook, himself, was busy being introduced to as many women as possible, a medley of presenting duchesses, ladies, and even Princesses of your Kingdom. They were each more qualified than you'll ever be, ten-fold.

One was a Greek Princess, her hair cascaded in darling curls down her shoulders and her eyes were deep-set, her voice a flirtatious trill.

Another, a Prussian Princess', posture radiated excellency, and whose complexion sparkled like powdered snow. Jungkook greeted her warmly, pleased with her appearance.

Distracted, you tripped up your skirt and dropped the remainder of your pastries. With that, you stepped off to use the restroom.

The sound of Strauss' Rosen aus dem Süden faintly loomed in the air as you wiped tears from your waterline in the mirror. That was just the way it was, wasn't it? Princes come of age, and they find wives who they commit their lives to.

"Married men don't have friends who are girls." You say out loud, just to realize it. Jungkook was now expected to find a mate within the season, and he was, in fact, quite the eligible bachelor.

Little did you know that Jungkook had been keeping an eye out for you throughout the party, not only because you were carrying his favorite Danish pastires, but because he knew your company was his greatest comfort.

He's in the midst of greeting the Duchess of Kent when he excuses himself to go look for you. He finds your mess first, frowning as he realizes something has gone terribly wrong.

He catches you in the hallway, face puffy and shaky. He grabs your wrist to keep you from darting back to the kitchen.

"Please don't do this, it's my birthday, y/n." It's as if an unspoken rule had been broken between you, and he feels it. Something is making you uncomfortable. "Was it the girls? You told me about this, it's my duty to at least greet them and--"

"Yeah, you sure did greet the Prussian woman nicely." You speak through tears. "She's the girl you were born to be with, huh? Your birthright?"Jungkook is silent. "Every girl at that ball wants to be your wife, want to have your children. They haven't known you for a day and yet they're ready to be your bride."

You search Jungkook's eyes for any sign of coherence, hoping that he would defend against you, that he would speak up and tell you otherwise. No such argument comes.

You yank your arm from his grip and march to the kitchen to remake the pastries you spilled.

You had the job of clearing off all the tables upon the departure of the last guests. It is midnight, and the windows of the castle stream moonlight down on the carpet beneath your feet. The glow of candles soothe you as you hum the waltzes which echo in your mind. It's a brilliant evening.

The centerpieces of the tables were gardenias, lush rose-like flowers with yellow pistils.

Summer, 1809

"Jungkook, wait! You're going to make me trip!" You shout from the top of the hill.

"You've gotta come see before the sun sets! It's the only way we'll get there on time, now run!" Jungkook's speeding down the terrain towards the Sycamore tree which grew deep and wide beneath the banks of a great rushing river.

You groan and throw caution to the wind, rolling down the steep mount in your Sunday dress. Jungkook turns to watch you, a grin spreading across his handsome face. "Look at you!"

You land on your feet at the bottom and scurry off to join Jungkook under the grandfather tree, out of breath entirely. "Now, look what you made me do. You're such a boy, you know that?! Making me come out here just to see some bloody--"

Jungkook has plucked a gardenia and placed it behind your ear. "Would you shut up? We got here on time. Behold."

In all its glory, the sun bathes you in its vivacious rays, creating a feeling of heavenly bliss as it dips below the horizon. The sky blushes pink, its clouds mere whisps above you. Wind rustles the leaves of the grand tree, rousing the birds to chirp their afternoon song.

"Mom used to come here all the time with my Dad, because of these." Jungkook clasped the blooming flower in his tender hands.

After a while, he says "the bugs will come out soon, so we ought to go back," as if he's trying not to scare something away. He helps you up, and with one last look across the valley, you walk next to each other back to the East Quarters.

You take all the silverware and plates by the tub to the dish-washing station and toss all of the linen napkins into the washing machine. All you had left was to blow out the lights in leading upstairs.

"Prince! It is very late, and there are no guests left for you to entertain. What troubles you?" Jungkook's sitting on the stairs with his head in his hands, still wearing his best suit.

"I disappointed you, y/n...I didn't like any of them." He admits, lifting his head up to sulk at you. "I should have told you then, but I didn't want to make you upset!"

Did Jungkook mistake your jealousy for disappointment?

"I'm not upset because you didn't hit it off with the girls..." You sigh. A confession is due, and he's ready to hear the truth from you about how you feel about him.

"Well, the truth is, I didn't like any of the girls because I like you, y/n. But you know that, don't you?" You pause, asking him to elaborate.

"Remember when I bought all the apples because I wanted to be with you? Like...I told you that you were my consort and I kind of meant it?" He felt pathetic now, realizing that you weren't just ignoring his advances. "So you didn't friendzone me for 2 years, you actually didn't know that I liked you."

It was almost laughable, a situation you would read in one of your illegal novels which you kept tucked away in your pillow at night. "No, Kookie, I didn't." You admit to your insolence.

You can't bear to lead him on any longer. You needed to put duty over your own self interest for the sake of the kingdom, even if it shattered his hope. It was better this way.

"But, you do know that we can't ever be a thing, right? It's just silly." Your heart tightens with the words which fall out of your mouth. "It is. Nevermind what your parents would think, what would it do for your image? You're on the world's stage, Jungkook, and you're a selfish person if you think you can just throw all of your duties away to date a scum of the Earth like-- like me!" With your heart in your throat, dry your eyes with your sleeve. "And...I want to, I really really want to, more than anything else to love you, Jungkook. I love you! I...can't." Through the blur of your tears, the shapeless blob that Jungkook has become stands up.

Taking his thumb and swiping it under your eyes, he sighs. Words escaping him, he takes your trembling body against his chest and nestles his head in the crook of your neck. Your cold hands travel underneath his overcoat to hold his waist. The Princes' lips plant a gentle kiss on your neck, chaste yet deep and satisfying.

"I will not accept any bride if not you, my love." He draws back, meeting your fervid gaze. "To the world, I remain a bachelor for a few years."

"And after those years, Jungkook?" You ride your hands up to caress the man's jaw. "You will still love me after those years, and then what?"

"I don't know," he says, voice as soft as powder. "I don't know many things, y/n, that's why I need you to teach me." His palms are rubbing at your waist, beckoning you closer.

His breath quickening as you lean your body against his hold, and you figure it must be the wine he drank to calm his nerves. That was it, wasn't it? He was drunk.

"You're not drunk, are you?" Your face sours, really hoping it's not the case as you feel your body temperature rise.

"Y/N, I've only had a glass. You saw I was a wreck back there." His lips kept chasing yours in a dance you can't quite describe. "I have wanted to hold you like this since I saw you selling apples on the street. Give me the honor..." His forehead against yours and his strong hands supporting your back, he's already fucking you with his eyes.

"The pleasure of being your lover." He squeezes your waist tight with his forearms, planting brisk kisses behind your ear and breathing in your scent. He smiles against you. Your skin pebbles at his affectionate touch, purring softly as your eyes roll back in delight.

"Kookie..." You breathe, leaning on his broad chest. "Kook, the maids are wondering where I am, I have to go..." You slur, tugging at his collar.

He grunts in protest, taking your ear between his teeth and nibbling it.

"If you let me go, I'll steal some cake for you tomorrow at breakfast." If there's anything Jungkook likes more than Cream Ice, it was cake. He unravels you from his arms and nods, his eyes softening.

"Request my service tomorrow, from Ms.Kang. She's been sweet on me lately." You peck his cheek before stepping back. Your rouge has embarrassingly stained His Grace's cheek.

Jungkook bows and presses a kiss on your hand, eyes rising to meet yours. "Til' morrow, babe."

Jiyoo shakes you awake the next morning, handing you a cake and a note that reads: "Prince Jungkook has a commission he must discuss with you. Meet him at his chamber immediately."

Lacing on a simple corset over your nightgown, you try not to look too red in the face as you climb up the stairs to His Majesty's room. You'd be up there alone, as requested. The girls would absolutely start rumors based on that alone-- rumors which you realize are probably totally true. This was stuff of scandal, after all...

'There shouldn't be anything scandalous about love.' You decide as you rap on His Highness' door.

"Please enter...but only if you have my cake!" Jungkook says in his morning voice. He's so cute.

The simplicity of Jungkook's abode takes you by surprise. His bedroom is very well lit, a capital display of the flowered valley through his bay windows washed the room in gold, painting his porcelain white carpets and his cotton sheets a warm creme color. His drawers and vanity were etched in gold, with breathtaking detailing.

The Monarch himself was splayed across the bed, laying on his side casually. He held a glass in his hand, holding a white wine. He puts down his glass and sits up as your presence.

"We both know that you didn't come here as my servant." You lock the door behind you. "And I have no such commission to give you, darling." The innocence which undertones his usual speech is missing as he coaxes you towards him.

"This much I know, Your Majesty," You say, taking a bit of frosting on your index finger and smudging it on the Princes lips. His black eyes, as cunning as a viper, watch you dangerously as you push two fingers past his plush lips. He wraps his hands around your wrist and draws your hand away, his gaze fixating on you.

"Set the cake down." At his command, you carefully place the confection down on a nearby chest, feeling Jungkook's eyes on you, drawing you back towards his grip.

"Let me pull your laces apart," with your waist held by his Herculean hand, he hums "and then let me pull you apart. I want to memorize your pleasures and gratify your desires, I need it, y/n..." Your back flush against his chest and your thighs split, his hands knead into you as he litters your collar with his mark.

You gasp softly against the crook of his neck, giving into his hold of you. His hot tongue spreads under your jaw, closing into a hard kiss as his hands travel back up to undo your corset and free your tits.

One by one, his fingers pop open the buttons left on your gown until the collar hangs off-shoulder to expose your collarbone. At the sight of new skin, Jungkook's tongue darts to stain it.

His hands stagger above your breasts. "Is it okay if I touch you here?"

"Oh, Kookie, touch me everywhere~" Your hands form fists around Jungkook's shirt, beckoning him impossibly closer.

Grasping one ever so carefully, his thumb grazes your bud as he playfully bites under your ear. "ah-- ahh,"

Jungkook groans in response, he can't believe how cute you sound. Curious, he wants to hear more, so he traces your thighs and experimentally pushes up the outside your cunt.

You squirm, tensing up immediately in response. You bring your hands down to find the latch on his trousers and dip your hands below to rub him through his undergarments. He heatedly bucks up to meet your touch, a panting mess.

You face him now as he watches you ride his fingers while you grip his girth through his clothes. He takes you by the ass and places you on his prominent bulge, hips rolling into you as he hungrily kisses you, his firm hands grinding your core on his cock.

His face is a sinful red, panting under you desperately.

"I've been wanting to do this," His voice warbles through your touch, running your thumb along his underside. It's his turn to gasp. He sits up and collapses his lips into yours, softer than rose petals and his taste faintly like wine.

You place your hand on his chest, and his heart is pounding, a thin layer of sweat already forming on his honeylike complexion.

Hastily, you pull your dress over your head and lean back to allow him to familiarize himself with your stark form, a dainty chain hanging between your bosom. Jungkook bites his lips as he wriggles out of his clothing, desposing of it beside the bed.

He's giddy behind those sultry eyes, you know him well enough that he's overexcited to get inside of you. It goes straight to his cock, your playfulness as you feel up his bare shoulders and discover his abdominals, your fingers tracing his ridges with a sense of innocent wonder.

He takes your hands and looks at you in this way-- Butterflies fill your stomach instantly. Jungkook's thumbing at your pout with his intrepid fingers.

His eyes flutter when grip his base and submerge your upper body below his hips. You lick a long, thick stripe up his underside, causing his breath to hitch and his head to fall back on to the bed.

Those goddamn cupid's bow lips of his would whisper the dirtiest things under his breath, lewd thoughts that sounded completely alien coming from His Majesty's mouth, he said for you.

"Oh, such a pretty mouth~ It's so good, y/n, you swallow me so good--" he moaned like a mantra, trying to keep his hips from snapping up into you. Your hot, wet tongue wrapped around his throbbing cock was only a fantasy to him for years.

He fills your throat with his girth, his taste tantalizingly smooth. It leaves your mouth with a 'pop.' You struggle to keep your legs apart as you crawl up to kiss him.

He takes those fingers of his and slides his index and middle into you and languidly thrusts them, smirking against your lips. "Shit, you liked that, hmm..."

"Kookie...please," you whine as he squeezes your ass hard before smacking it. You yelp, the sting of his fingers radiating from your skin.

"I like it when you beg, y/n, it's so cute..." He pulls your ass up to his thighs. He's flush hard against your abdomen, already sticky with his precum and your spit. You marvel at the self control he has.

You don't finish your thought before he has his head inside of you, impaling you on his cock and stretching your entrance, hissing at how incredible it felt to have you around him.

His shaft reached pleasure points within you had yet to discover. You clench, feeling his tip brush against your cervix. "Wh... hngh," he groans, "how did you do that, do it again--" You wrap your legs around his thighs and clench around him, biting your lip. You watch as he shivers from pleasure, feeling his skin horripilate under your touch.

His thumb is softly circling above your clit as he pulls out of you carefully. He swirls back in, nestling himself inside your heat, hissing. "Ahh~ Jungkook~!" At the sound of his first name moaned out of your mouth, he groans and rolls his hips up to create messy friction. That familiar knot in your stomach tingles as he plays with the bundle of nerves buried within you.

He glances up at your ruined lips, clashing with them again as he lifts your knees up with his hands and thrusts nice and rough, making you yell with every jolt of his cock. The smell and sound of sex fills the room as he experiments with positions, laying you on all fours.

"Get your ass up for me." You obey, ever servile. You're reminded-- you're his servant. He owns your work, he owns your services, and now he wants you in the most lucrative way, he wants your soaked cunt around his imperial cock. He gets what he wants.

Jungkook's palms smack against your ass one more time, just to watch the way it jiggles for him. He smirks a little before he shoves himself into your pretty little cunt. You bury your face into the pillows in pelasure as he chases your orgasm with vigor, fingering your clitoris while you move your hips back to meet his hard thrusts.

You whine like a harlot, his cock allowing you every satisfaction as he works a head-spinning orgasm out of that cunt. "I'm gonna cum, Kookie~!" you warn as you spasm against his length, moans ripping from your throat as you coat him with your thick juices.

His hips stutter up and he just barely pulls himself completely from you as he paints your back white, a guttural groan escaping his mouth.

After a while of loud panting and scattered giggling, Jungkook reaches over for a wet cloth and cleans the both of you gingerly. You trail your hands up to caress his jaw and kiss his lips softly.

"You need to tell everyone that I had a long and extensive request for the Harvest party, that I wanted a lot of fall fruits and vegetables featured in the baked goods, make it as specific as possible and make sure that you mention that I want to meet with you again, over dinner." His labored breathing punctuate his words, as youd kisses consume him. "And..."

"And?" You cock an eyebrow, simpering.

"Doyouthinkmaybeyoucouldbringmesomemilktogowithmycake?" He mumbles, eyes glued on the bed.

"What?" (If you give a Kookie a Cookie...)

Disgruntled, he sighs and repeats: "Milk! Milk for my cake. I know it's moist cause you made it but I'm really thirsty, especially after..." His cheeks flush a cute pink. You wait for him to continue just to fluster him a little more. "Y/N, just please!" You can't ever refuse his pouty face.

Next week, Jungkook's got you pinned against the hallway wall, making out with you hungrily as his hands ride up your dress. Just across the hall, his Dad is negotiating war with Portugal over land in the West.

The next month, you have his cock buried in your throat underneath the table at an important conference about how to create jobs.

All this while the pressure for Jungkook to find a bride continues to rise as he reaches seniority, and as his father's grey hairs pronounce themselves.

Warm touches are always hidden away to the public eye, but often shared between two kindred spirits underneath the man in the moon's watchful eye. Jungkook, as he reaches his maturity, grows strong. His jaw sharpens, and his eyes darken. His hair grows long, and he gains weight. Now at the proud age of 20, Jungkook had become a man before everyone's eyes, including the eyes of foreign monarchs and their eligible bachelorettes.

One day, you're serving the Royal family at a private dinner, when the topic of marriage comes up for the first time since his birthday.

"Your mother has made friends with the mother of the Austrian Princess, and she's invited you to the cordial ball to introduce yourself to the Princess. An allyship with Austria would prove advantageous for our relations with France, so you are to make your best impression." The King wipes his mouth. Setting his fork down, he continues: "It is in the family's best interest for you to marry her, if the French Princess, Anastasie, does not present this season or the next." The Queen holds the King's hand firmly, reassuring him from his shoulder. She wears a slight frown on her face, her eyes worrisome, somber. The King hides his anxiety, as he's been accustomed to from decades of responsibility. Would this be the face of Jungkook soon?

For now, Jungkook's face is scrunching at the thought of marrying Anastasie. She's not the most delightful young woman, her imprudence ruined her enjoyment of any event. She couldn't keep an intuitive conversation about regional politics and domestic policy for the life of her. Her people were on the brink of overthrowing the aristocracy, he was sure of it.

"Yes, father," is what you hear from him before you disappear down the stairs to fetch desserts.

Jiyoo interrupts your quest for sweets with a letter, signed by His Grace. She has a naturally innocent demeanor, her cheeks rosy and her frame as delicate as a feather. "Y/N, you have another special request from His Majesty...can I ask you why you get so many of these?" She looks genuinely curious, not a single menacing thought behind those eyes.

"It's because the Prince really really loves his cake." I mean, technically it was true. Jungkook never passed up an opportunity to squeeze, smack, or dig his fingernails into your ass during your sessions.

"Oh." Jiyoo pouts. "So it's not because you're like, in love or anything?" Her eyes are glued to the floor. You were expecting this question eventually, as the other girls in the kitchen were already suspecting it. It was only a matter of time before word slipped into the girl's ears.

"As much as I enjoy the Prince's interest in my baking, it isn't my place to confess any sort of feeling for him." Your answer is straightforward enough, so Jiyoo nods and hands you the letter. Another request.

Outside the Palace, Winter came like the wind. Lakes froze over, and couples tied up their skates and danced on the ice. The trees were bare and brown, not a single leaf persisting through the chilling breath of Jack Frost.

Jungkook had left for the Winter Palace, to volunteer and raise spirits up in the North. As heir to the throne, he was to be Commander in Chief of the Royal Armed Forces, and therefore needed to undergo intensive training in order to boost morale.

You're back home, and in your wake is your father, who has now grown tangibly tired. He's been on a strict diet of warm vegetable soup for about three months, now. His eyes are sunken, but he still wears a subtle smile even during his most trying days.

Match girls make their rounds at night, you watch as the lamplighters illuminate the streets with their tall ladders and their taller peacoats. Shop windows glow warm shades of yellow and creme; inscriptions on the glass create shadows on the white snow.

"Wow. It's almost as cold as the King's heart out here." You step outside one day with a cup of tea, sneaking in a cheeky smirk. Yeah, good one.

"I heard that!" You turn towards the little voice. A child, maybe about 9 or 10 years old is pointing at you. You squint at it.

"Well, it's true..." You mumble. You have a bit of change in your pocket, so you walk towards a stand to buy a hot bun and a paper.

"Chilly today, hon...Best you take this on the house." The tenant hands you a steaming cake wrapped in a simple cloth and your paper. You stick the paper in your dress pocket and take back your change. You nod a 'thank you.'

You spill the contents of your pockets on the dining table and snatch the paper, snapping it open. Your eyes eagerly skim the headline: "Prince Jungkook Fires Up Royal Army." Below is an article detailing the happenings of His Majesty. All of it sounded very intense, the running, strategizing, first aid training...Was there anything Prince Jeon couldn't nail on the first try?

You set the paper down and pick up your now lukewarm tea. In the back of your mind you're coping with the fact that the Spring Solstice is next week, and that marks the beginning of Jungkook's last season as a Prince.

The King is ill with tuberculosis, and recovery is unlikely. If Jungkook is to marry, it is next season and that was final.

Sitting at the window of his Winter Castle study, Jungkook plays with a ring nestled between his fingers. He looks out onto the lake, as if he's trying to reach you with his gaze. His heart is tight knowing that it would be the season he chooses his bride. Actually, he'd already made up his mind long ago. If his duty was to marry, there was no way to evade such a responsibility. He had to fulfill it, despite his anxieties.

He straightens up and walks out of the hollow room with a firm step.

You awaken with the sound of horse's hooves thudding against the Earth. It is yet to be dawn, and in the distance, thunder roars mightily.

A figure wearing a long, black hood hoists itself off of the animal, tying it to a nearby post. It walks towards an obscure entrance, unknown to many staff.

Intrigued, you wrap a blanket around yourself and peek out at the stranger. His fingers are shorter than his palms, and that's when he tosses of his hood, his eyes set on you. "Y/N..."

You're bewildered by his guise, questions filling your head.

"I was horny, so I left camp" He sits down at the counter, catapulting a cookie into his mouth.

You roll your eyes. "And the guards let you?! Jungkook!" You whisper-yelled at him, readjusting your makeshift blanket-dress.

"Obviously not!" He puffed out his chest with pride. "I bribed them," he smirks.

"You're insufferable," you scoff, your eyes wandering down to observe his physique. His shirt is anything but conservative, highlighting the muscle he'd earned through laborious, sweat-inducing drills. You can feel his eyes on your face as you observe him.

"You can't hide it either," he crosses his arms. "You're standing in the kitchen with a blanket around your naked body." He flicks his tongue. He steps forward, putting a finger under your jaw so you're looking him in the eye.

Your eyes fill with lust as he speaks over your lips. "Look at yourself..." A crash is heard in the other room.

Jungkook's head darts up and in a flash, he disappears into the night.

'Fuck.' You gather your dress from the floor and shuffle back to your chamber.

The first event of the season commences with the most exaltant of spirits as friends of old greet each other with youthful smiles. Juicy exposés, enticing tales, and thoughtful greetings are exchanged in the most formal manner, and the conversation is lively; the most controversial topic of conversation, however, is the rumor that Jungkook is to marry this season.

So far, he's been to four different private residences within his own Kingdom and has been invited, by the secretary of King Louis XVII to meet their daughter. It would be an understatement to say that stakes were high for the pending King.

You were kneading your dough a little too hard thinking about it. "Not so rough, y/n!" Ms.Kang snatches the mixture from your hands. "What is up with you lately, you're so tense! It's really disrupting the kitchen's dynamic."

You shrug it off. "It's going to be hard sedating Anastasie's sweet tooth, I suppose."

"Well, you seem to be doing just fine dealing with Jungkook's addiction to cakes...She's perfect for him, really." Ms.Kang throws more flour on your kneading table and steps off. You give up on the dough, covering it with a cloth and letting it rise.

Jungkook is tapping his feet, munching on finger sandwiches as he waits on you to make an appearance.

"Dearest Prince, look, I am wearing Mediterranean violet!" A duchess shouts as she passes by him, to which he raises his eyebrows at. Another, with dark green eyes approaches and begins speaking rapidly in French at him. Frightened and undereducated, his canned response was: "Excusez-moi, Pouvez-vous répéter plus lentement s'il vous plaît," to which the duchess furrows her eyebrows before something else catches her attention, elsewhere.

Truth is, Jungkook is incredibly shaken at the thought of announcing his engagement tonight. Well, that and the fact that you had yet to pop out of the kitchen. Man, those finger sandwiches were good.

As the night progresses, Jungkook realizes that if he doesn't get up on that platform and say what he needed to say, he'd have to say it in London. Setting his fears aside, he plants himself on top of the orchestral stage and taps a champagne glass with a cheese fork. The music comes to a stop.

With conviction, he begins: "The time has come that I announce my engagement. To all of my beloved friends, who have introduced me to the most beautiful, talented, diverse, and benevolent ladies I've come to get to know over the years, I thank you from the depths of my soul." He swallows and continues, his confident voice masking his trembling. "The life of a Prince is defined by the virtues presented to him at birth. Those virtues are: duty, responsibility, grace, kindness, mercy and integrity." Here comes the part, oh shit.

"I am abdicating my throne to my Cousin, the Duke of Namseong."

Silence sweeps the room. You poke your head out to see what was going on.

"...to marry the love of my life, y/n." He points at you. Your face is cherry red, and you find yourself dropping those same Danish fucking pastries all over the carpet.

"Shit," you fall on your knees, plucking them from the ground one by one. You don't know whether to run as fast as you can or to present yourself, but your body seems to be currently doing the latter. You go along with it.

Jungkook takes your hand tenderly on the stage. "I am unable to perform my duties as King, and therefore am ineligible for the throne." His touch gives you the will to continue beside him. You feel the pure fear rushing through your love's veins, and he knows that this is the hardest thing he'll ever have to do, yet he stands by his announcement.

So, if Jungkook doesn't get to be King of this World, he at least will forever be the King of Your Heart.

But all this, of course...is all in Your, dear reader, Head.

~

a/n:

hope you enjoyed.

[fleckcmscott]

🥺, 🤡, 🛒, ✨, 💖, 🤗 omggg I'm sorry they're so many but I want to know everything 🗣️🥺💙

Thank you for the ask, Fla! 💜

🥺 - Is there a certain type of moment or common interaction between your characters that never fails to put you in the feels?

Not particularly. That isn't a satisfying answer, I know, but I tend not to get swept away by emotion when I'm in the process of writing. It's like putting together a puzzle of words and thoughts. But their conversations about their relationship make me smile.

🤡 - What's a line, scene, or exchange you've written that made you laugh?

This from Twelve O'Clock:

'“I’d planned on moving a lot earlier. Ten years ago, before my parents got sick. Can you imagine running into one another back then?�� She blew lightly on the bread and popped it in her mouth. “You would have met my breasts before gravity did.”'

🛒 - What are some common things you incorporate in your fics? Themes, feels, scenes, imagery, etc.

My stories are about the mundanities of existence. Difficulties and how we work through them. Love and trust and forgiveness. The beautiful and ugly details in life, the universal experiences we all deal with. The everyday ways the powerful mistreat the powerless.

And, quite often, sex between two people who are crazy about each other. 😂

✨ - Give you and your writing a compliment.

It's gotten better. 😂

💖 - What made you start writing?

I wish I had a grand tale about the clouds parting and a chorus of angels telling me to write, but that wasn't what happened. In fact, I don't know why I started. I remember writing when I was eight years old, jotting pages and pages of terrible novels when I was twelve, completing original screenplays on and off throughout my teens and twenties.

When I saw Joker 2019, it stirred something in me that made me want to pick up the pen again. Arthur's story filled me with an outright need to write love all over the page. To explore a realistic but kinder outcome for him, to write a life full of joys, struggles, and dignity. 

🤗 - What advice would you give to new fanfic writers that are just getting started?

The same advice I'd give any writer:

1) Read a lot. 

2) Self-doubt and fear are part of the package. While they’re painful, try to take comfort in the fact that every writer who isn't deluded goes through them. 

3) The importance of drafting cannot be overstated. 

4) Learn to consider and take criticism. I've gotten criticism that I flat-out disagreed with, and for good reason. But I've gotten a lot more that has made me a better writer.

5) Be diligent about writing, but don't be too hard on yourself if you only get a few words out during a session. That happens! 

6) Plan breaks - and set a date to return! 😃

Writing is grueling. The act of creating is sweat and hard work punctuated by milliseconds of inspiration. But each time you go through the process is an opportunity to learn and hone your skills. When you finish your piece, it'll be something you can truly be proud of. 💜

[wiseatom]

hi! i was wondering if u were willing to share what ur relationship to writing as a writer has been recently or when you first started out? maybe also like how you envision a piece before you start writing it?

my problem is that i only seem to want to write when i'm REALLY entrenched in a fandom and that hasn't happened since i gave up on harry potter a few years ago. so i'm pretty out of practice, and i wasn't that good to begin with, and i don't even really consider myself a writer, but i just have so many ideas for the characters that i love that i feel like i need to write them down!!! any advice?

anyway i just love your content so i thought i'd ask. no pressure to respond tho haha :)

hello!!! i am absolutely willing to share because i’ve had a very similar experience to you!!

i’ve had a really weird relationship with writing fic. i wrote and published around 400k words of fic from the time i was thirteen to when i was sixteen, and then literally just. stopped. for several years, lol. i got really into art around then, and spent more time and energy on developing that skill set vs writing, and i just found it very hard to balance the two (and i still do!!). i wrote a little and posted a little when i was around twenty one/twenty two, then stopped actively writing again until last year. i completely get where you’re coming from as far as feeling out of practice, and i also really only want to write when i’m deep into a fandom — i can’t tell you how many unfinished fics i have sitting in my google drive because of how many times my interests have shifted over the years lol. it’s a crime ❤️

my best advice is to stop getting so caught up on whether or not you’re a “writer” (whatever that means to you! it’s different for everyone!) and whether or not what you’re writing is “good”. writing is a skill, and like with any skill, you can’t get “good” without being “bad” first. i put these in quotations because i use these terms very loosely — creative skills in general are annoying and hard, because your brain learns what “good” is faster than you are able to actually produce. that’s why blocks happen! because you feel like nothing you’re coming out with lives up to the learned standard you have in your head. sometimes your standard/your ability match, and then your standard pulls ahead and your ability has to catch up. something i’ve found that’s helped my writing so much is making sure i’m reading more, because being well-read increases that standard, and your ability WILL get there. you just have to fumble and flail a little for that to happen.

which leads to my writing process! it depends on what i’m writing — i mostly write one-shots, but i have a multi-chapter in the works that is Scaring Me because i haven’t written anything multi-chapter since i was sixteen lol. i don’t have any master doc with writing ideas, so each new idea gets it’s own separate document. once i make a new doc, everything i’ve thought of for that idea goes in there: dialogue, a certain sentence, concepts i can’t turn into a sentence at the moment but want to later, etc. with dialogue, i find it easiest to script it without dialogue tags. isolating the lines of dialogue like that helps me hear it in the characters’ voices, which helps me identify when things are out of character or worded weirdly. when it comes to actually writing the scene the dialogue is in, i just follow the script and re-write with dialogue tags, narrative introspection, etc. i usually have the beginning of a fic in my mind, script all the dialogue associated with the idea, and then go back and write (mostly) chronologically around everything. it’s very disjointed, but it’s what works for me! with multi-chaptered fics, i make a pretty rough outline so that i can make sure certain ideas don’t get lost and that themes are cohesive.

editing is a whole other process, because like i mentioned earlier, it’s not productive to get caught up on whether something is “good”/“bad”, so when i’m writing, i try to treat it as a very rough draft (emphasis on try, bc this is easier said than done, lol). once the draft is done, i go back through and absolutely tear it apart, like to the point of bullying myself lol. since i use drive to write fic, my first run through is just making comments on things i think need to be reworded, awkward parts, etc. then i go through the entire thing again on suggestion mode and make those changes, and do a third reread to see how everything is sitting. yes, this process does make you sick of your own fic before you even post it ❤️ after the third run through, if everything is good to go, i’ll plug it into ao3, fix the formatting, and then read again in post preview because i’m a little insane! i accidentally hit post instead of post preview for it’s a choice, so i am still finding formatting issues weeks later lol. but anyway! i find that doing it this way helps my ability match my standards a little better!

i am SO sorry that this is so long omg. i hope that this answered your questions and helps at all!! thank you for enjoying my content and letting me ramble for four paragraphs!!!

[starlightsearches]

Writer Q & A

Thanks for the tag @daydreamsofren! This was fun 🥰

1) How many complete fics/one shots do you have that you have not published (yet)?

Zero. Unfortunately I am not very good at delayed gratification, and so I typically post stuff as soon as I've finished. When I first started writing Office Romance, I had at least two chapters done before I posted the next, and then I got behind and I haven't been able to catch up since. I'd love to be the kind of person that could let something finished sit in my drafts while I work on the next part, but it doesn't look like that's in the cards for me.

2) How many WIPS do you have right now?

Around 20 apparently.

3) Do you take writing requests or write original ideas, or both?

I do both! I typically prefer requests, since it's fun to take a prompt and put my own spin on it. Prompts are also more motivational—I work on ideas I come up with on my own much slower.

4) If you do take requests, how many do you currently have?

I currently have 11 right now! I like to have somewhere between 10-15 requests in my drafts so that I can jump around if needed.

5) How many fandoms do you write for?

I tend to focus on individual characters, so I don't know if I'd really call it writing for a "fandom." There are a handful I like to write, but mostly I get requests for Hux (which makes sense because he's my favorite.)

6) Are there any fandoms you wrote for in the past that you no longer write for? I

Nope.

8) Niche fandoms/characters you write for?

It's gotta be Hux. I love that greasy little man 🥺

9) Do you read fics as well as write them?

Yeah, although I go through more ups and downs with reading than I do with writing.

10) What is your favorite genre to write for?

Uhh, I love angst, and fluff and probably smut

11) What is your favorite trope (to read/write)?

Mutual pining, friends to lovers. I'm more comfortable writing the beginnings of a relationship rather than something in the middle.

12) What do you do to get motivated to write?

Read other fics, or daydream. I'll also read back through old comments or read my own stuff that I liked.

13) Is there a trope/genre you like to read, but not write?

Fake dating. I don't know if I could do it justice but it is one of my favorite tropes.

14) Any characters/fandoms you want to write for that are never requested?

Not never requested, but I do really like Frankie Morales and Benny Miller from Triple Frontier, and Laszlo Kreizler from The Alienist.

15) How long have you been writing fanfiction?

A little over two years. I started at the very beginning of 2020.

16) Did you read fan fiction before you started writing?

A really long time ago. I used to read Star Wars fics about Kylo and Hux when TFA came out, and then I stopped before writing my own.

17) Do you only post on Tumblr, or any other sites as well?

I post here and on AO3, but I started on AO3. I don't think I could handle wattpad 🙃

18) What do you personally consider the word counts of “Drabble”, “One shots” and “fics”?

Idk, mostly I just go by vibes. I really don't look at the word count of most of the stuff I write.

19) Which do you prefer to write more? HC, drabbles, oneshots/fics, multi chapter stories, other?

I like oneshots/fics the most. Anything that involves planning suddenly turns into 4D chess in my head and I have a way harder time finishing it.

20) Are there any stories you have discontinued? If so, why?

I don't know. It's hard to say that anything is discontinued because when I look back at what I've written I really like it. I'd say Indecent Arrangements, but I still think about it all the time, so maybe there will be a chapter update soon.

21) What is one of your main “pet-peeves” as a writer on Tumblr?

Uhh, I guess it's hard to tell why certain stories get less traction than others. I don't like how much time of day/the tag function/whatever else plays into whether or not my stuff gets noticed.

22) Do you write at a particular time of day?

I'm a much better writer at night, probably because I'm too tired to be mean to myself.

23) Do you listen to music, ambiance/noise, etc to write or do you need silence?

I have two playlists full of slow-ish music that I listen to while I write. One is called Rainy Days, and the other one is called It's Folkin' Fall, Babey!

24) Do you outline your fics at all before writing?

Only if they're complicated. Indecent Arrangements and The Runaway both have outlines, but none of the others.

25) Do you post your writing as soon as you finish it, or do you schedule it to come out at a specific time/day?

Once it's done, even if it's the middle of the night. I should probably hold back on stuff more so that I can make edits before I post it, but I'm too impatient 🙃

No-pressure tags: @generalthirst, @thembohux, @girl-next-door-writes, @jynzandtonic and anyone else who wants to participate!!