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tragedybunny · 4 years ago

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The Bargain - Lemon, 18+

An AU - ish fic where Katarina initiates a scheme to get away from her family just before the invasion of Ionia.

Father is prattling on in his usual grandiose manner, candlelight playing off the fork he is gesturing with. By his side, shifting my weight in the uncomfortably ancient chair, I fix a serious expression on my face and pretend to be deeply invested. Truthfully, what he’s saying should have my full attention, he’s speaking on the invasion of Ionia, a matter that’s likely to involve the three of us present. I can’t seem to bring myself to care though. He has been even more irritatingly overbearing since we were recalled to the Capitol from Shurima. I know something has provoked him to watchful suspicion, but once again, he doesn’t believe it is my place to be involved. I should just be a good girl and stab who I’m told to. He never ceases to condescend toward me. The plan that I have for this evening will change that though.

From across the lavishly set table, our host interrupts. “You’re too cautious Markus. It will take nothing to defeat these disorganized, primitive, superstitious, farmers.” The deep, rich tone of his voice causes a shiver to cascade down my spine, perhaps it’s the slightest hint of something cold and unyielding beneath it. “Do you not agree, Katarina?”

His eyes catch mine across the table, a self-satisfied smirk on his features. “I...well...it is not my place General.” I turn my attention back to poking at my roast squab and desperately hope that satisfies them both.

“Pity. I was sure you would be on my side.” Now that grin takes on a predatory feel.

“Don’t tease her Jericho.” Father practically growls. Old friends or not, I have the feeling aggression is not a tactic General Swain will respond well to.

He rolls his eyes, dismissing outright the act of bravado. “I wasn’t teasing. She’s supposed to be your heir. I am genuinely interested in her thoughts.”

“She can have thoughts on such matters when she’s proven herself in the field.” That is the source of my problems, I haven’t had a true kill, a real target. I have taken lives, traitors and deserters spoon-fed to us so we would know the feeling of taking a life. Father uses it as his excuse to continue to treat me like a child, a condition that has only worsened since Mother almost died. He’s stifling me and I cannot endure it.

The General simply shrugs, leaving the conversation behind before it can become an argument. “Tell me how Shurmia has been treating you.”

Dinner drags on and Father continues to keep me on the fringes, not allowing me more than a few words here or there. I end up letting my mind wander and only hearing snippets of what they’re discussing. “This is all very generous of you Jericho. Isn’t it Katarina?” Eyes wide, I finally look up, fork full of tart. I missed something. “By the Wolf’s maw girl! Are you incapable of paying attention? Thank General Swain for his hospitality.”

Inwardly I seethe with the reprimand. “Thank you for being a most gracious host.” Our journey back to the Capital had been somewhat secret, another aspect of this paranoia. It meant our house and servants were unprepared for our return; our rooms still shut up and the larders nearly empty. Thankfully Father’s old friend had invited us to dinner and suggested we stay the night. He’d been one of the few to have been informed prior to our arrival.

It had been years since I’d seen him, I was still very much a child when we left for Shurima. Once we were shown in by a servant, I felt my breath catch in my throat at his appearance. Dark, intelligent eyes were set sharp, proud features; long black hair flowed over his shoulders. His whole bearing was one of a man who knew power and control were his. Perhaps I would’ve acted even without my plot.

“You are most welcome. Now, I believe we will have an early morning tomorrow. Grand General Darkwill has summoned all of High Command for the War Council.” I rise in unison with him and Father, following as they make their way upstairs.

I steel my nerves for what lies ahead, the chance I’ll take to free myself of Father’s control, and make my life my own. As we walk down the darkened halls of the upper floor of the manor, I mark the door General Swain enters after some last few words between the two of them. We continue toward a set of rooms we were shown earlier in the evening. "Good night Father," I say blandly, playing the obedient child. Pushing through the door, I turn and quickly lean back against it to listen for the sign he has actually retired for the evening. A creak and soft thud tell me when he enters. I wait a breath, two, ten, until I’m satisfied I won’t be caught. The risk is low enough, he’ll want to be well rested to face the War Council tomorrow.

Rifling through the bags that were brought with us, I dig until I find my it, a piece stolen from Mother’s closet for the thrill of it. Haste is required, I quickly discard the day’s clothes and slip on the nightgown of midnight silk. Stopping before the mirror, I brush the tangles from my red locks, hoping I look at least something akin to desirable, and tie a robe around me. At the door, I hesitate, not just waiting and listening, a moment of doubt sinks in. Am I really going through with this? No sound can be discerned and I fortify my nerves, finding the courage of a true Noxian to push onward. In my heart, I know this is the only way to secure my freedom. Slipping into the darkened hall I shut the door silently behind me.

Creeping through the shadows, hoping my “target” has yet to sleep, I rely on the stealth that has been drilled into me for years. From one end of the hall to the next, no sound escapes me as I weave in and out of the deepest bits of darkness. When I reach his rooms, I hear the telltale sound of a door opening and soft footfalls echoing in the emptiness behind me. If it is Father he’ll not look upon this kindly. Before I can overthink, and momentarily feeling a hint of panic, I charge through the door.

I stand staring after securing it and feel the rapid beating of my heart begin to calm. It stirs again when I glance to the side and realize I’m standing in General Swain’s private parlor. I stop breathing, this was a mistake. I should retreat now, tail between my legs, and admit defeat. “Is there something I can help you with, Katarina?”

My body freezes as that commanding voice comes from directly behind me. I’d been distracted and hadn’t heard him, it’s an affront to all my training. Now there is truly no going back. I turn to face him and try to gather up something resembling confidence. “Actually, yes. If you have a moment that is.”

“Hmm.” He studies me for a brief second, his gaze giving me the uncomfortable impression he can read my mind. With no more words, just a gesture of his hand, he beckons me to follow him into the adjoining bedchamber. No sooner are we in that inner room than he slides a bolt into place on the door, a noise that sets fire to my already frayed nerves, and turns to face me. Arms crossed and eyes narrowed, he exudes thinning patience. “Well, go on. What thought emboldens you to sneak about my home in the middle of the night.”

I draw a breath, the only delay I can allow myself. “I have come to a realization that we both have a problem that the other might solve. My Father has become increasingly overbearing and controlling, I must be rid of him. It has not escaped my notice that despite your wealth and status, you lack a spouse and an heir.” Will he hear my pulse still thundering away in my veins, will he see me gasping for breath?

Fingers now steepled in front of him, lightly tapping against his chin, his gaze never waivers. Though I see the impatience has vanished. “And how do you propose we solve these pressing issues?”

“We marry. You will get a wife fitting to your station, with other talents you can take advantage of, who will provide you with heirs. I will get the freedom that I desire.” If fate is kind, there is no scarlet flush creeping over my face. I doubt that though.

“You offer up your talents, yet you are an unproven assassin with not a single kill to her name.” He scoffs.

“That will change soon enough.” My confidence is wilting but I hold firm, keeping my eyes up.

He closes in on me, and despite my grandiose plot, I suddenly feel very much like a lamb left to the mercy of a wolf. “And what if your family were to refuse us?”

“When you return victorious from Ionia, no one will dare refuse you anything.” A bit of flattery can’t harm anything.

The last of the space between us vanishes and I can the feel warmth of his body against my skin. An arm around my waist, pressed against my back, prevents me from retreating. With his other hand, he grips my chin forcefully, ensuring I have nowhere to look but into those fathomless black eyes. My breath catches in my throat, it is a cruelty of fate that he is both exceptionally alluring and intimidating. “And you’re confident in the conclusion of this little scheme you’ve so brazenly concocted?”

Of course, I’m not. This mad notion seized me on the journey here as I was rocked to sleep by the ocean one night after learning who was expecting us upon our arrival. Those close quarters with Father, enduring hours with him and no one else, I knew I needed a way out. The General would be one of the few who would be hard to refuse if they pressed for a union with me. So here I am, clad in a stolen nightgown, proposing marriage to a man twice my age. “Absolutely.”

He lets go of my chin. “A point of clarification, though I have no desire to control your every moment, when I do give you an order, I expect your obedience.” I swallow harshly and nod. He takes a step back, finally freeing me. The relief that washes over me is short-lived. “Take off your robe.” A moment of hesitation and I obey, letting it pool on the ground at my feet. “Now the nightgown.” I gape, losing my senses for a moment, my chest tightening, my breath stopping. His impassive demeanor gives way to sternness at the delay. “I wish to see what exactly I am getting in the bargain.” Am I so naive, that I didn’t predict this? With rising dread, I push it off my shoulders and it joins the robe. My arms move to cover myself but he insistently pushes them back to my sides. “None of that.”

Circling around me, I feel his eyes roving over me, inspecting me like I’m one of his soldiers. His hand grazes the small of my back traveling down to the top of my thigh and returning, squeezing one of my cheeks hard enough that I reflexively jerk forward. A quiet noise escapes him that I believe is a stifled laugh. Facing me again, he roughly grasps one of my breasts, a thumb brushing over the nipple, before releasing it. I whimper, from desire or fear I’m not really sure. “Sensitive little thing, aren’t you.” Amusement creeps into his tone, and I drop my eyes to the floor. “Hmm, I do believe I find this proposal of yours quite agreeable.” I did it, I won him over. I start to smile very slightly when both hands roughly grip my face and I’m forced to look at him again. “Understand me clearly though, Katarina, from this moment onwards you belong to me alone.” His lips roughly claim mine, his tongue forcefully finding its way between them, leaving me gasping for air and shaken, when he pulls away. “I believe we should celebrate our agreement.” He begins to undo the buttons of his shirt, leaving my pulse thundering in my veins as I try to keep myself breathing normally. I have miscalculated this whole plot so badly and failed to see the logical conclusion. I can’t back out though, it’s far too late and I still have no other options. What will I do if he notices how childish I’m being and guesses the truth?

“Come here.” He grasps my hands and brings them to the front of his trousers, wordlessly commanding me. Fingers dig into my hips as his lips leave a burning trail down my neck. A tiny moan escapes me as I feel his teeth dig into me, a warmth that is decidedly not an embarrassed flush spreads from my stomach down between my thighs. “That’s right, let yourself go.” He breathes into my ear, now as bare as I am.

For a moment I drink in the sight of him, the lean muscle of a soldier, the scars of battles past adorning his skin, and his desire plainly evident. A thrill courses through my nerves, he wants me. Another unconsidered factor, the previously unknown feeling settling a pleasant sort of haze around my thoughts. I’m still wrapping myself around that when he scoops my legs out from under me and starts toward the bed. My arm wraps around his neck as I find my balance, another kiss takes my breath away. He settles us on the edge of the bed, holding me steady in his lap, and continues his exploration. His lips start back at my neck, working their way down until I feel the sharp sensation of his teeth digging into me. I hiss and arch into him, trying to sort pain from pleasure. I’ve lost myself in the fire that’s burning through me as we trade caresses and kisses, the feel of his skin against mine like an intoxicant. All the fear comes crashing back as I feel his hand moving between my thighs, dangerously close to my sex.

Reflexively, I try to close my legs in my panic, but he nudges them apart. The feeling of his finger teasing at my entrance causes me to jerk back as though burnt. He stops but lets out of a sigh. “Let me guess, you are still ‘untried’ as it were.”

My gaze finds an interesting spot on the floor. “Yes,” I mumble, feeling like a child caught in a lie. There’s no doubt about the crimson tinge creeping over my skin this time. I can’t bear to look up and see the derision and mockery in his eyes.

“Do you wish me to stop? Or shall I be a tad more delicate with you?” I can’t comprehend it, this moment of sudden gentleness. His soft voice and a feather-light kiss on my cheek leaving me insensible for a moment.

A feeling of safety settles around me as I recover my wits, and that pleasant heat from earlier is returning, even more fierce than before. “Don’t stop.” I breathe out. “Teach me.” I finally look up, only to find myself in another deep kiss that steals my senses from me. A soft moan escapes him as I dig my nails into his shoulder in an attempt to keep myself grounded.

I don’t shy away this time as his hand parts my legs. A lone finger caresses me, finding that sensitive, hidden little bud and gently stroking it. A whimper escapes me at the pleasure of this touch and I find myself nearly shaking in his arms. He penetrates me, still applying that same sweet pleasure with his thumb. There’s a moment of anxiety that bleeds into bliss as his fingers work inside me.

I’m no stranger to caring for myself in this manner, but the touch of a flesh and blood lover is entirely different. I should be embarrassed at the sounds that issue from me, but all I can feel is a rising fire, his sweet touch, and a need I didn't know I had. Relentlessly he moves inside me until I feel myself letting go. “Come for me.” He orders and I obey, losing myself in the exhilaration that rolls over me. “Good girl. Go lay down.”

Nervously, I slide from his lap and lay back against the pillows, my pulse now an insistent ringing in my ears. His hands firmly grip my hips as he kneels between my legs, an expression on his face that I can’t name but almost seems tender. “You really are quite lovely.” He leans down, lips brushing against mine once again, the press of his hardness against me a source of bittersweet anticipation. One quick thrust and he’s inside me. I hiss at the pain and he stills himself, letting my body accommodate him.

Arms wrap around him, nails digging into his back, as he begins to move. Each thrust slow and measured, the sting begins to fade, mounting euphoria replacing it. My lips and teeth rove over his neck, down to his collarbone, little red marks blossoming in my wake, drawing a deep moan from him. “Jericho.” I breathlessly call his name as I feel myself building back to the edge of that glorious precipice.

As though spurred on by the sound of his name, his pace increases relentlessly. Breath coming in gasps, I cling to him tighter. “Katarina,” he growls. And as though commanded, I am driven over the edge, ecstasy bursting forth, tearing a cry from me. He keeps going his movements wringing small sparks of pleasure that pile one on top of another until I feel drunk on them. Tightening his grip, he drives deep inside me one last time, and I feel myself being filled with his release.

When he withdraws to sit next to me, I find myself able to breathe again. “Well, it would seem you do have a few talents I could make use of.” He smirks at me.

For what must be the dozenth time that night, I feel myself blushing, lost in awkwardness once more. “I should go.” I sit up, trying to recall where my clothing went. Just as quickly though, I’m pulled back down, until we're lying next to one another.

He brushes a strand of hair from my face. “I did say you were mine from now on didn’t I?” His fingers trace a line down my cheek. “Stay, talk to me, let me know you.” I open my mouth to protest but I’m cut off. “Don’t worry, I’ll ensure Markus doesn’t find out.”

It’s not a request, it is an order, even if it lacks a stern note. The notion of safety is dissolving into doubt, but I have gone too far to turn back. I let myself relax, enclosed by his arms, or perhaps caged by them. The distinction matters not. “If you insist.” His hand moves to trace his fingers down my spine, something almost akin to triumph in his eyes. “What do you wish to know.”

#swain #katarina #swain x katarina #league of legends #league of legends fanfiction

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bakageta · 4 years ago

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Okay idk if there's a certain number of items you're supposed to pick for these memes but I have a lot of them. 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 20, 29, 38!

I don’t think it matters how many you pick so long as it’s not all of them, lol.

1. Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

Anything with an element of fish-out-of-water. I love fish-out-of-water as a trope: characters learning about new situations, about each other, and coming to new understanding. The potential for it is why the Venom fandom got me writing again after 7 years, and almost all of my fics have some degree of it. It’s incredibly fun for me to write and to read, and I’ve yet to get tired of it.

2. Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to?

There’s two: wingfic and bodyswap/roleswap. I’ve tried and gotten nowhere with a couple ideas in the Venom fandom, so I’m open to prompts or discussion!

5. Share one of your strengths.

Lately I’ve been really proud of my dialogue! I’m always very happy with the way it turns out.

7. Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

From You In Me In You:

Instead they move in concert through the steps of Eddie's morning. They take a warm, languid shower washing the sleep away and marvelling at the feeling of hot water sluicing over their body. After, Venom sheets the water from their skin and Eddie dresses them in his softest clothes. Their breakfast is bacon and way too many eggs. It eats some of their food raw and Eddie doesn’t do anything but smile and fill their blood with tasty neurotransmitters.

They spend the rest of their morning wandering by the piers, people watching. It’s a weekday and the crowds are as thin as they ever will be in a port city as large as San Francisco. Sunlight glimmers on the surface of the bay and the two of them spend hours wrapped in each other surrounded in turn by constant murmur of humanity.

It brings a new appreciation to both of them. These are the people he would have died for, and this is the world it had glimpsed from the top of the network building. The air isn’t quite as bogged down with exhaust as it is deeper in the city and it tastes good in their lungs as they inhale. They exhale heavily, satisfied.

This is from the last section of the fic. Eddie’s just woken up to Venom surviving the rocket explosion, perfectly aware that they’re there and that they’re aware of him. I wanted it to read like rolling over, finding your significant other still in bed, and realizing that neither of you have anything pressing to do. Peaceful and comfortable. By the end they both see the results of their efforts and know it was worth it. It came out exactly how I wanted it to.

8. Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

From Sight Seeing:

“Hah, the great investigative reporter, Eddie Brock, at a loss for words.” Venom laughed aloud as they clambered out of the shadow of the building and onto the roof.

Shut up, asshole, Eddie grumbled. Before he could say anything else he noticed that there was a new sensation tickling across their surface as they stood on the quiet roof. Why is our skin tingling?

“We are in the open, in the light.” Venom casually turned to face the half-moon completely, and a wave of prickling sensation rolled over their face and chest as they moved. It felt to Eddie like the moment before something happened. Like the building tension of a suspense movie but without the release of a reveal or a jump scare.

But I’m not anxious about it; you’re not tense; we don’t feel exposed. He couldn’t think of any other reason they would feel so strangely. Why is our skin crawling?

“Crossed inputs,” Venom explained after a moment of thought. “I am not used to seeing light, and you are not used to feeling it.”

Feeling it? They felt light?

“I do not have eyes, Eddie,” Venom clarified, “but we do. Alone I cannot detect anything beyond the presence and intensity of light. What you feel is your brain’s interpretation of my sense of light.”

The whole point of this fic was to compare and contrast Eddie and Venom’s senses and this is the first bit in the fic where the differences come up. Eddie starts to realize just how alien Venom’s senses are and Venom realizes that they should explain and maybe even adjust how they interpret things. I’m proud of how well I explained the differences in their interpretation of light while keeping the banter interesting.

9. Which fic has been the hardest to write?

Good Things Ahead was definitely the one I had the most difficulty with. I had to get out of my comfort zone with multiple aspects of it because it was an exchange fic, and I had to do that on a time limit. I wasn’t very happy with it while I was writing it, but I’m pleased now with how it turned out.

10. Which fic has been the easiest to write?

Probably Runalong, probably because it was so very self indulgent. I remember being able to write it all in several sessions, picking it up and continuing it easily. It was a great flow.

14. What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

Any advice that flat out tells you not to use certain words is bad advice. Also that post that went around telling writers to use words that had wildly varying connotations instead of certain ”overused” words.

20. Describe your perfect writing conditions.

Cool enough that I can comfortably wear a light jacket/sweater, either ambient noise if I’m outside or familiar music that I can tune it out if I’m inside, and snacks!

29. If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

Assuming that I’d have permission, manage a similar style, and also manage to finish: I’d do the next fic in Vathara’s Blades of Blood series. There’s multiple plot threads I’d love to see continued and it’s ripe for more character interaction. Both of the written fics are exactly my kind of shit, and I would love more.

38. Talk about a review that made your day.

A comment on You In Me In You left by @shards-of-divinity

I love all of your Venom stories. You have a unique way of writing them that's immediately recognizable as you and pleasant to read. ❤

I compare my writing/stats to other authors a lot. It’s something that I’ve been trying not to do and I’ve gotten better at not doing it lately. It means so much to me for someone to specifically say that my writing style is recognizable and pleasant to read, and it makes me feel seen as an author.

#saja-star #fanfic ask meme #venom #venom fanfic #long post

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nlights37 · 4 years ago

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12, 18 and 20 please!

@aenarsnow gets FIRSTIES which means I answer with extra love, of course:)

Let’s GET IT

12. How do you deal with self-doubts?

Well, I get ‘em a lot, just like everyone else, your standard, run-of-the-mill ‘”This is shit, why am I wasting my time on this, it’s crap, I’ve used the same adjective like 15 times now and also how many ways can I actually describe eyes I should be doing productive things instead of writing fanfic people are gonna hate it anyway, half the people that used to read my shit ghost me at this point ughhhhh this fandom suuuuuucccckkkkkkssss and so do I!!!”

Inevitably, at that point, I email whatever I’m working on to @noordinarylines, who has explicitly good taste, and who I KNOW will be honest with me if she doesn’t like something or doesn’t quite thinking something is working.

Then she reads it an emails me back and tells me I killed her in a good way and how dare I leave her hanging there, where is the rest, hurry the fuck up because it’s crazy mean to cliffhang her like that.

That usually gets my head right. :) There are a handful of people that I interact with that are some real, genuine, ride or die people (mostly because I am horrible at things like chatting regularly, etc - like I will genuinely completely fuck up my IRL day if I allow myself to get sucked into things like chats because I get tunnel vision and forget everything else, my full blown inattentive-type adult ADD in full effect). But there are some real ones out here, and they know who they are, and if I think an idea is maybe worth a shot but I wanna bounce it off someone, or I want another set of eyes on something because I’ve stared at it so long I genuinely cannot tell if it’s any good, I reach out to them, and they set me straight.

Once I post something, tbh, I just let it ride, because it’s out there, and the people whose opinion I care about the most have already told me what they think, so I’m pretty satisfied with that. If other people don’t like it they can suck my ass at that point, because I ain’t changing SHIT hahahahaha.

18. What’s your revision or rewriting process like?

Well, here’s the thing about me. I write it as it comes, and a lot of time I can feel when I’m writing it if it just isn’t fucking working. I will backtrack then and there and start over. For me, if I’m in the groove and it’s really rocking along I go with it. There’s a flow to it, and then suddenly it’s been 5 hours and you’re like ‘IT’S GOLD, JERRY! GOLD!”

If it’s like pulling teeth to write it I stop and come back to it later. With a husband, three kids, ‘virtual learning’ and quarantine, my time to write is limited, so I try to make the most of it. I run scenes for fics in my head a LOT, while I’m in the shower, or doing dishes, or folding clothes, so that by the time I get a chance to write I’ve made my mind up on exactly how it will go and I don’t have to sit there and look at a blinking cursor.

I don’t typically use a beta, not because I don’t think I need one (my frantic spotting of every damn mistake I made AFTER I post can attest to that) but more because once I’m done with something, I’m done, and I wanna post it. I just get too excited to wait, you know, like a damn puppy who pees in excitement when someone knocks at the door. I just wanna SHARE IT!

So, the tldr: I do a lot of revision in my head before I sit down to write. I don’t usually rewrite because the minute something stops flowing I scrap it :)

20. Post a snippet of a WIP you’re working on.

Here’s a sneak peek of what @noordinarylines and I have been cooking up for the second story in the Remember the Time universe:

There was something soothing, Daenerys had found, about the line where the sea met the sky, the view afforded from her council chamber one that seemed the best suited for calming her ever-frazzled nerves.

It had been five days since she had taken her tumble on the far end of the island, five days full of the most piercing grief she’d ever experienced, which was truly remarkable. Her losses, ‘til now, had been great and agonizing, but she could not shake the forlorn mood that had fallen over her since she’d found herself ripped away from what she was now classifying as a sweet, indulgent fantasy, borne of the trauma of her injury, nothing more.

And yet…

Tucked up the sleeve of her coat, always with her, was a rolled scrap of parchment, upon which she’d documented every single aspect of that lovely hallucination that she could remember. She knew she ought to squirrel it away somewhere safer, hide it from view, leave it behind so she might stop dwelling on these imaginary losses, but she could not.

It had become a talisman, of sorts, something that gave her comfort, just the scrape of it against her skin when she moved her arm as she walked.

She would be mortified, of course, if it were discovered. She was half-terrified it would slip free, and be found by another, her deepest longings read aloud. But for now, it eased the walk from her chambers to whatever task lay ahead, and so she kept it. “Your Grace?”

Daenerys turned from the wide, carved windows in her council chamber, to find Tyrion lingering, watching her with marked curiosity.

Quirking a brow, she did not answer, merely waited. Her Hand came closer, his fingers trailing down the Riverlands on the painted table as he approached. “Are you certain you are well?”

“I’m faring well, Tyrion.” She managed a tight smile, coming to stand at the head of the table, her eyes travelling over the surface rather than meeting the scrutiny in his. “A few lingering headaches, that’s all.”

“Hmmm.” Tyrion took another drink, then plucked a carved piece from the table, turning it over in his hands. When she peeked up, however, he was still staring at her. “As you say. Perhaps there is something else that troubles you?”

Dany smoothed her suddenly damp palms down the front of her coat, and kissed her teeth. “I think we shall all rest easier once we receive word from Casterly Rock, that your plan has succeeded.” It was enough to shift his focus, and there was a measure of truth in it; Missandei had been beside herself with worry over Grey Worm, and she reminded herself to ask her dear friend just what, precisely, had occurred between them.

Tyrion affected a confident air, and tucked away his wineskin, clasping his hands behind his pace and beginning to pace. “Yes, a victory is just what we need right now. And I have every confidence that we will prevail.” He kept moving, rounding the table, stopping by the depiction of the Northern Kingdom and plucking the wolf from the surface. His eyes met hers, and she froze. “How are things with our openly-rebellious friend? Have relations,” he paused, smirking, “thawed, perhaps, now that you have given him access to the mines?”

She wondered, at the keen tone of his voice, what it was he was truly asking beneath the rather mundane question. In truth, she had been avoiding Jon Snow, these past few days, at least as much as she could. The daytime hours were no issue; he was busy down in the mines, and she had seen several carts of the dragonglass he’d been so desperate for, so it seemed his search had been successful.

It was harder once the sun had departed, for they had taken to dining in the main hall, all of Dragonstone’s occupants, and though she tried desperately not to look at him, there were several times at every meal that she couldn’t quite resist. One night, in particular, he’d been seated beside her, had asked in his low, rumbling voice if her wound pained her, had inquired with a gentleness that had broken her heart anew.

When she’d told him she was well, and not to worry, that she had survived far worse, he had frowned fiercely, as though such a notion troubled him greatly, and it had taken all her strength not to kiss him then and there.

She had resisted the urge, and made cordial, cool conversation with him as necessary, but by the time she’d returned to her chambers she had thrown herself onto her bed and wept. She was tired of this, tired of weeping, of missing a life that hadn’t even existed, had not been hers to begin with.

Thank you for the ask, good sir!!!

#writer asks #ask game #jonerys #jon x daenerys #fanfic questions #I should be ASHAMED of my process #but I can't do it any other way #remember the time Part 2 sneak peek

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scoundrels-in-love · 5 years ago

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4, 8, 20 for the fic writing ask, please and thank you :)

Hi lovely, thanks for asking!

4. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

I literally made a list the other day! Which you can find here. The bullet list itself is some 22 points long and some points have several fic content in them. I am particularly fond of the Rusalka AU, as I call it, because I don’t think there’s anything quite like that in the fandom yet, but it’s been on such a back-burner by now that by time I get it done, it probably will already exist. Same with my hanahaki idea. ... Which I realize I forgot to include in the bullet list. Welp. But yes, that IS a thing that’s also happening and also has a start written for it as well as I’ve researched all flower ideas already and decided on the closing lines (vaguely) which I think are quite good, because they don’t offer a magical ‘snap of fingers’ solution as it’s just not what they’re about in this story.

8. Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

I am so bad at dialogue, why would you pick this. /shuffles off awkwardly

Well, here’s something from Have you got color in your cheeks? (Have you no idea you’re in deep?)

“You should probably stop doing that.”

Her fingers freeze where they’ve been trying to discreetly tug the skirt of her short black dress down at the seam. It doesn’t look horrible, but Sansa’s jealousy of her long legs manifests in fierce attempts to have Brienne show them off as much as possible and sometimes she succumbs, only to regret later.

She finishes the tug, out of principle, but when she looks at Jaime’s face, it’s not the usual light, amused expression her displays of stubbornness. Instead, there is something tense in the line of his jaw, quirk of his mouth.

“Every time you do, I end up staring at your legs even more.”

Her first instinct is to coil up in defensive position at the echo of hurt, reminiscent of their early acquaintanceship days. But she knows Jaime now - this isn’t the tone, the expression with which he’d imply her legs are so unsightly redirecting gaze to them is an offense.

She’s seen this tension, too, but never deciphered quite what it means and it unnerves her, makes her wonder if she knows him after all.

“Sorry?” Brienne keeps her tone neutral, trying not to show the mounting irritation, but doesn’t succeed entirely.

He shifts closer to her, as if to slip by the barrier she is building. “Oh, I don’t mind in the slightest.”

I do remember I agonized over it quite a bit, because I had set idea at what phrases had to be said, but I couldn’t get them transition smoothly, especially with emotional aspect. But overall, I now think it turned out okay. There’s a push and pull game here, a bit of UST both in words and what’s in the air and that was my first time writing something like that. I think it sounds like something this Jaime and Brienne could say, something I would enjoy reading in another fic writer’s work and go ‘oooh yes, that’s them and that’s GOOD’. Plus, it’s followed up by vulnerable Jaime who sort of asks for consent to keep oggling her legs, so I think that’s pretty solid, too.

20. Describe your perfect writing conditions.

It’s dark outside and I am settled in front of my PC with some snacks. I have had satisfying day of puttering around my house and spending time with friends and still have energy left over. There is music playing and maybe a friend online that I can bother with complaints or little snippets of writing, in exchange of encouragement.

Or, alternatively, it’s sunny day and I have done everything I should, so I can just sit down and write, feeling the sunlight drip energy and confidence in me. Maybe I am still huddled up in my bed, tapping away on phone and my fears and insecurities have not waken yet. But it is warm and I feel safe somehow, which in itself is a treasured moment.

In an ideal world, this would also maybe include an open window through which I can see a garden by which the desk is, or a shadow-y patio on which I can sit with my laptop.

Send me fic writer asks?

#ask games answered #it-may-be-dull-but-im-determined #sent on a cloud

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lovestruckay · 7 years ago

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WIP Game

Talk about the WIPs you’re intending to work on this year.

I was tagged by @crimsonriley and this looks like a good opportunity to taunt all my readers lot of fun!

I’m going to tag @vesperlionheart, @shyyynobi, and @beyondthemoor to join in on the fun. And, because I absolutely count WIPs as including art, I’m going to tag @yomi-gaeru, @byelawliet, and @maybe-please! <3

I have a number of WIPs (over a dozen) but there are only a few that are going to be actively worked on this coming year.

Homeward

MadaSaku, Time Travel AU, Eventually Mature

[FF - AO3]

This is my most popular fic and my main focus as a writer. It’s an AU where Sakura is thrown backwards in time during the battle between Danzo and Sasuke. The majority of the story so far is her amassing a reputation as a miracle healer and as an incredibly powerful kunoichi. I thought it would be more realistic for Sakura to have to survive and eventually thrive in the past before she came across one of the major clans (well, except for the poor Fuma clan).

The story has already gotten to the point where she meets Madara and Izuna (in a pretty flashy way). This is my pride and joy and it’s a fic I’m very happy to write. I love writing Sakura as this incredibly powerful and indomitable woman who demands respect wherever she goes while simultaneously being this sweet, openhearted healer and friend. And I love writing Madara as being this powerful, intelligent and calculating, yet kind man who people have to work to earn a way into his heart. I always envisioned Madara as being a man who needed a indomitable woman like Sakura to make him happy. A woman who could challenge him yet encourage him at the same time. And this woman would certainly be Sakura.

Snippets

“But you have blood on you,” she pointed out, taking a step towards him and reaching forward to touch a splatter of blood on the neck of his high collared shirt.

He nearly shivered as her fingertips brushed his clothed collar bone, his sharingan flickering on of its own accord. The world around him became sharp and crisp and the sight of her reaching out to touch him embedded in his mind before his sharingan returned to inactivity in the span of a heartbeat.

“It’s not mine,” he muttered in a tone deeper than normal as he stared at her concerned expression.

...

He turned his head to face her and could feel heat rising to his cheeks as he noticed how close they were, their noses nearly touching. All he could see of her was her half lidded eyes and her dilated pupils, the black heavily encroaching on the sea green of her irises. She stared right back into his lazily spinning sharingan, her own cheeks taking a red hue.

Uchiha MC

MadaSaku, Outlaw Biker AU, Mature

[FF - AO3]

This fic was actually the beginning of me rejoining the fanfiction world. I had written a couple fics but this was the first one I actually went out and posted. It started as a oneshot but I combined it with a couple other WIPs I had and created this awesome story that I was just giddy to write. It has turned out a long longer than I had anticipated although it has been so much fun to write.

It has just begun to rapidly escalate. The story is a little more than halfway done but there is going to be a lot of incredibly intense and “holy shit” moments coming up that are going to keep everyone on their toes! The story is really at a pivotal moment right now so any snippets will give away what’s going to happen. Sorry!

Untitled ObiSaku

[FF - AO3]

ObiSaku, AU where Obito comes back to the village, non-massacre, Mature

EDIT: I posted this fic while I was doing Sakura Week 2018. It didn’t turn out as absolutely filthy as I had previously planned as another fic (a MadaSaku fic - FF, AO3) I wrote decided to take the whole choking kink. While this fic is still smut, it’s not as dirty as I had originally planned.

This fic is one purely written out of spite. Some random user on AO3 was talking poorly about one of my MadaSaku fics and asked if I was going to do an ObiSaku fic too (because that’s soooooo ridiculous). So I replied with a “you better fucking believe it” and put together an outline for this pure filth with a heaping of fluff and plot.

Some aspects of this fic: Rin will be alive but her, Obito, and Kakashi will be non-romantic best friends. How Kushina and Minato will live and how Minato be Obito’s mentor as he trains him to take over as Hokage. Kakashi will still become the sensei for Team 7 and how Team 7 will split up to train individually, Sakura and Naruto going on journey’s with Tsunade and Jiraiya respectively and Sasuke going with Shisui to train with the Military Police. There will be a lot of self hate, kink self-shame, angst, and a wide age difference.

Nesting

MadaSaku, alpha omega beta AU, founders era, Mature

This fic was entirely inspired by the “nesting” phenomenon in ABO fics. And the fact I very much wanted to write a MadaSaku ABO fic.

Sakura is the leader of the famous clan of healers, the Haruno clan. The Harunos are close allies of the Uzumaki clan, hailing from the same region, and Sakura and Mito are such close friends they consider each other sisters. It is because of Sakura’s influence that Hashirama puts fourth a peace treaty in exchange for him healing Izuna (much to Tobirama’s horror). When the village if finally founded, there is a meeting where all of the clan leaders that are allies of the Hidden Leaf join together to discuss the future. And this is where Madara and Sakura finally meet and everyone makes the catastrophic (at least for a city block) decision of trying to drag them apart.

There will of course be ABO smut with mating bites, pupping, womb sex, etc. But a huge aspect of it will be Sakura and her “nesting” behavior as she chooses a place to make her nest and have her pup. Very sweet and fluffy.

Nonsensical

[FF - AO3]

ShisuiSaku, soulmarks AU, Mature

A cute and kind of funny little one shot made because there is a drastic shortage of ShisuiSakura fics. Depending on how long it turns out being I might break it up into smaller bites. It’ll be a non massacre fic with a healthy amount of angst, some super bad first impressions, some happy endings, Sakura being a badass, Team 7 being bffs, and Hokage Itachi.

Here are a coupe snippets although they are very rough because they are part of the outline and not actual written material.

Snippets:

Shisui didn’t get his soul mark until March 28th when he was eight years old.

He had gone to bed that night with clear skin and woke up that morning with his soul mark written across his left pectoral in a flowing, feminine script. He was excited to learn that he did in fact have a soulmate but the fact that the phrase now inked across his chest was the most random, nonsensical bullshit he had ever read in his short life dampened the feeling. Was his red string connecting him to a psychopath?

He couldn’t think of any other reason as to why someone’s first words to him would be “Pants are not ripe water grass bastard”.

What in the hell does that even mean? Was it some sort of secret code? Was she going to be drunk? Was she insane?

...

Sakura has had her soul mark since she was born although she didn’t learn this until she was a young girl.

When she had asked her parents why she didn’t have one, at the tender age of five after her friend Ino had shown off hers, her parents had laughed with mirth, given her a hand mirror, and told her to find it. After a solid fifteen minutes of searching and acts of stretching that contortionists would be proud of, she located her soul mark printed in a small, professional script in the crook where her inner thigh met her hip. While part of her had been disappointed it was in a very personal place, a spot she could never show up, she had been overwhelmingly satisfied with the words on her soulmark.

I didn’t know angels had pink hair”.

Other Fics (may or may not get written)

Broken Trust

ObiSaku, Uchiha MC branch off, lots of angst

Guardians

MadaSaku fic where Impure World Reincarnation is never outlawed and instead becomes a technique for raising “Guardians” to protect the village. Izuna becomes the first guardian and leads to the formation of the village. Madara, Hashirama, Tobirama, all the hokages, Itachi, etc become Guardians and never technically die, instead being treated as well respected protectors

Fighting Dreamers

MadaSaku MMA AU, Sakura “Cherry Bomb” Haruno and Madara “Wildfire” Uchiha

The Chances

MadaSaku soulmark AU, takes place during the war

Three Rejects

NaruSakuSasu, dark fic where the trio runs away from Konoha after suffering through years of abuse and neglect. Sakura is an orphan, stolen from her clan of incredible healers following the massacre of her family. They can only trust each other and only love each other, ends in tragedy for the rest of the world but bliss for them

Wake Up

MadaSaku fic where Sakura, Madara’s wife, is in a coma in the Warring States Era and imagining her life in the future

Like the Ocean

IndraSaku fic where Indra goes on his journey to help the distant village to determine if he would become the next leader of his village and comes across a strange woman on the beach, part of an even stranger clan of healers and mystics who live on the ocean’s edge

Cosplay

I have a new wig from Shippuden Sakura that I’m very excited to try out. I even got a pair of customized boots that are pretty incredible! I even met a Sasuke cosplayer who is so incredibly sweet and is just as into cosplay and Naruto as I am! So you may or may not see me and Sasuke at Anime Matsuri in Houston, TX this year.

#wip #fanfiction #madasaku #obisaku #shisaku #shisuisaku #indrasaku #homeward #uchiha mc #my fanfiction

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thetypedwriter · 7 years ago

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The Wicker King Book Review

The Wicker King Book Review by K. Ancrum

Wowie, wowie, this book was a trip. Unfortunately I don’t mean that in the wow-what-a-fantastic-new-Miyazaki-movie-way because let’s be real, all of Hayao Miyazaki’s movies are a mind reel and anyone who actually understood all the intricacies of Spirited Away the first time they watched it is a bloody liar. That being said, The Wicker King is a fairly new publish by unknown author K. Ancrum that brings you the story of two very sad young men and their battle with negligence and mental health amongst a slew of other issues.

This was one of those books where nothing has been written about it and is largely ignored on every major social media platform. It’s hard to say why some books such as The Gentlemen’s Guide to Vice and Virtue seem like they have daily advertisements on Tumblr and Goodreads, while other books like this one are as noticeable as my Harry Potter fan fiction from 10 years ago. That being none at all.

I happened to stumble across this black little book on the shelves at Barnes & Noble over the holiday highdays on complete accident. Every few months I scour the shelves for anything and everything that captures my limited attention when it comes to young adult literature and this little beauty popped up for two reasons: the color of the pages and the synopsized fable of two tragically intertwined best friends.

Male best friends. Immediate zinger right there.

Unfortunately, good LGBTQ+ young adult literature is still highly limited and those that do exist are saturated with stereotypes and one dimensional characters flat enough to slip under a doorway. So, when a story so much as whispers about two best friends of the same gender needing each other and strongly hinting at not-so platonic feelings I am going to pick it up and I am going to read it.

Enough said.

However, that does not always mean I enjoy them (ie. The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich was an absolute train wreck). In the case of The Wicker King, I enjoyed some aspects of the story but found myself more disturbed at the end then hopeful. Let’s get down to the nitty gritty then.

Step one: the characters. It took me almost 20 pages to be able to differentiate between Jack and August, our two main protagonists. Although they're both described on the inside jacket as a pyromaniac and a golden sports boy respectively, it was difficult to figure out which one was which. And although Ancrum made it quite clear that the two boys are in two completely different social circles and don’t interact at school because it would confuse people, she yet starts doing that exact same thing almost immediately with no consequences or thoughts outside of a few petty comments.

As for the characters themselves I liked them. Jack seemed a little off kilter for reasons I won’t give out in fear of spoilers, but I did end up liking August despite everything. Ancrum also portrays some interesting female characters who seem tough and mean. Mean female characters are always fascinating to me (Blair Waldorf for the win anyone?)

Step two: the writing itself was staged and written chronically but in a way that delivered almost as snapshots. Ancrum didn’t so much have chapters as she did little sneak peeks into Jack and August’s lives. Each “chapter” was maybe a page to three pages before it would end. It was an interesting way to read in that it felt like you weren’t getting the whole picture but instead little peepholes that kept you guessing.

If this sounds like a turn off, don’t let it be. The way in which the scenes played out was smooth and cohesive, it was actually quite refreshing to read something that wasn’t an uber long chapter. It was easy to be sucked in and say, “okay, just one more, one more.” Just like me when I’m eating Cheetos.

Step three: graphics and coloring. In this aspect The Wicker King gets a 10/10. Ancrum was incredibly creative in a way that I found deeply impressive. The pages start off cream with black text as is pedantic for almost all novels. However, her pages slowly start to change from white with black text to completely black pages with white text. The transition follows the seamless progression of the plot: as the story gets darker so do the pages. The idea is so simple, and yet I’ve never seen it done before. Kudos to you Ms. Ancrum.

There is also something strangely satisfying about seeing the pages darken in front of your eyes as the main characters start to hallucinate more and lead to events like drowning and catching fire. In addition, Ancrum also includes little snippets of digital media that are scattered across the pages systematically: a brain scan here, a Police report there, a photograph, or a torn page of a notebook. I liked how they added to the story and filled in some holes left out by the snapshot writing process.

So you might be wondering, wow, this book sounds super creative and impressive, what’s wrong with it? That leads me to step four.

Step four: it was sad. Not in a Fault in Our Stars way sad, but sad in a way that leaves you cringing and looking for comfort food. The Wicker King is disturbing in its realistic portrayal of child abuse, neglected mental health, poverty, and just full blown ignorance. It’s frustrating to know that if Person A had just stepped in here or if Person B had actually paid attention, Jack and August could have had much better, healthier, happier lives. Alas, that doesn’t happen.

Sometimes I like reading about sad things in real life-like serial killer cases or child abduction or listening to any news station honestly. However, those instances are few and far between. Personally, reading is an escape from life that can sometimes be too harsh and unforgiving and so when I have to escape from my escape, it’s always a despairing occurrence. I realize that this is not the case for everyone. If you like to read about forlorn and melancholic characters, this is definitely a novel that might intrigue you. K. Ancrum personally wrote characters like Jack and August to relate to other kids who have lived the same dismal existence. If the rest of you are like me, you might be better off skipping over this one.

Recommendation: Unless you feast on the woebegone, love being inconsolable, or are studying pictorial representation and graphics in literature, The Wicker King is best left as an unknown book on the shelves that you always notice but have no interest in picking up unless you feel like sobbing.

Score: 6.5/10

#the wicker king #k ancrum #book review #book blog #teen books #ya fiction #books recommendations #lgbtq fiction

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scarletjedi · 7 years ago

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My wife, gentlepersons

Brig was already aboard the boat when Gimli and Legolas arrived, attending the rigging for the simple sail and making ready to depart.@brydylcai: All of the writing asks because I worry you don't have enough to do

so.

all the ones I haven’t answered yet. Behind the cut because long

1. Tell us about your WIP!

Heh, which one? I’ve started writing chapter three of We Are Made Wise because I’m finally getting over my block (I think there was a little burnout). I’ve just updated Old Man Luke, and Pineapple 2 is next. I’m almost finished with my next original short, I’ve figured out where to go next in my novel, and...yeah. :)

2. Where is your favorite place to write?

Where it’s quiet and I can focus. Sometimes that’s the living room. Sometimes it’s my office. Sometimes it’s the Starbucks on the corner.

4. Do you have any writing habits/rituals?

Depends on where I am. I have to have some sort of ritual to get focused. In my office, I light candles. In the living room, I put on music. At the coffee shop, I have a snack.

6. Favorite character you’ve written?

My original character, Jamie, from my book is a HOOT. He’s a gay Jewish teen whose convinced that *he* will be the one to capture definitive proof of the Jersey Devil. He’s the non-magical pov in the fic, and his voice is fun.

7. Favorite/most inspirational book?

Well, on the one hand, I re-wrote the Hobbit, so that’ book is clearly an inspiration.

8. Do you have any writing buddies or critique partners?

@brydylcai is my in-house sounding board, the same way I am for her. I don’t have a regular beta, but I’ve worked with several depending on the project/story, and they’re all lovely people.

9. Favorite/least favorite tropes?

I love revelations/coming out stories. I hate deliberate misunderstandings.

10. Pick an author (or writing friend) to co-write a book with

@brydylcai and I have discussed writing a book together already, so Imma go with her :)

11. What are you planning to work on next?

I have the doc with We Are Made Wise open, so either that or my next short, depending on if I write more tonight or wait until tomorrow.

12. Which story of yours do you like best? why?

Comes Around Again is the one that earned me what little notoriety I have, and Old Man Luke is doing the same in Star Wars, but I’m most proud of Drowned in Moonlight. That fic was written to excise some grief over Carrie Fisher, and I think I did her proud.

13. Describe your writing process

I’m tempted to say “Incoherent screaming into the void” but that’s a joke that’s been made before. My process. Hmm.

I tend to write by the seat of my pants. I like to see what develops and grows naturally. Once I get to a certain point, I’ll stop and make a plot sheet/note page, but I usually have the rough shape figured out before I start to write.

Once I have a draft, I’ll edit. Sometimes I’ll print and edit on paper. Sometimes I edit online. My original works tend to get more editing than my fanworks.

14. What does it take for you to be ready to write a book? (i.e. do you research? outline? make a playlist or pinterest board? wing it?)

ha ha ha ha - My original novel has been 15 years in the works, and has gone through many drafts. It’s working now, but I need familiarity. So, I think what I need is research for context and an outline for plot, and a good enough knowledge to feel like I’m winging it.

15. How do you deal with self-doubt when writing?

I put it down. If I’m not confident on one project, I’ll put it down and turn to another. (This usually means putting down my original work in favor of fanfic, because I’m more confident with that overall, but...). I know what sounds right to my ear, and if I’m not hearing it, there’s usually a reason. Distance/time often lets me see it.

17. What things (scenes/topics/character types) are you most comfortable writing?

I’m a Jersey Girl, so I tend to set things in Jersey. I love dramatic conversations, so I’m comfortable there. Queer characters.

18. Tell us about that one book you’ll never let anyone read

That I wrote? Or that I read? Twilight/50 Shades.

19. How do you cope with writer’s block?

I beat it with a hammer unitl it’s writer’s pebbles.

20. Any advice for young writers/advice you wish someone would have given you early on?

Write what you love. Write the truths that you know, and research to write the things you don’t know. Don’t be afraid to break your characters; you can put them back together in new and interesting ways. You’ll be given a lot of advice over the years--read enough to recognize what you like. Develop your taste. Take the advice that helps taylor your work to your taste. Reject the advice that changes it away.

21. What aspect of your writing are you most proud of?

Subtle meanings and implications.

22. Tell us about the books on your “to write” list

Here are 3:

a) The Lesbian Werewolf Romance Novel.

b) The Teenage Zombie Novel.

c) The American-Teenager-Falls-Into-Fantasy-Realm-and-there-are-also-dragons novel

23. Most anticipated upcoming books?

Jer Keene’s next book. I read the first as fic, and then read the novelization, and now I REALLY want to know what comes next.

The Kingkiller Chronicles book 3

25. What’s your worldbuilding process like?

Seat. Of. My. Pants and flailing. Seriously, I write something because it sounds right, and then figure out how it works after.

26. What’s the most research you’ve ever put into a book?

I wrote parts of CAA with the hobbit, the lotr, the unfinished tales, and the moves on and open in front of me.

I became a pagan, and my research for that has influenced my writing of my book.

27. Every writer's least favorite question - where does your inspiration come from? Do you do certain things to make yourself more inspired? Is it easy for you to come up with story ideas?

I mentioned I was pagan? My patron, Brigid, is among other things, a muse. She pokes, and I start thinking (or I think, and she eggs me on. I’m not sure of the order. could be either or both). But, most of my ideas come from things I read. When I want inspiration, I read.

Ideas don’t come as easily as I would like, but the fact that I have several projects at once means that it comes easily enough.

28. How do you stay focused on your own work and how do you deal with comparison?

I have a hard time focusing period, so that’s a challenge. I have put effort into being less jealous because it’s ultimately a useless exercise.

29. Is writing more of a hobby or do you write with the intention of getting published?

I want to be published like JK Rowling or Stephen King - one thing that gives my financial security, or with enough frequency to do the same.

30. Do you like to read books similar to your project while you’re drafting or do you stick to non-fiction/un-similar works?

tbh, i read mostly fanfic these days. Most Genre fic makes me angry because there’s something missing from the text. it’s usually women/gay people.

31. Top five favorite books in your genre?

scifi/fantasy

a) American Gods - Gaiman

b) Foundation/Elijah Bailey mysteries - Assimov

c) The Hobbit

d) Guards!Guards!

e) Years of Rice and Salt

32. On average how much do you write in a day? do you have trouble staying focused/getting the word count in?

Depends. There are days i can’t get a word out. There are days I’ve written about 10k. It depends on if I’m having a good focus day.

33. What’s your revision/rewriting process like?

long.

34. Unpopular writing thoughts/opinions?

....like what?

35. Post the last sentence you wrote

““The things I do for the greater good,” Gimli grumbled, his frown softening as Legolas’s laugh rang out to echo through the cavern. “

36. Post a snippet

from Old Man Luke, chapter 11 (probably):

Obi-Wan stood just to the left of the closed door, hand stroking his beard ad the sight of those assembled. It took all of his focus to keep his eyes from growing wide, or let his hands tremble the way they wished to.

Before him, sitting at a conference table, was Asajj Ventress (scowling at the table like a chastised Padawan, though she had submitted to the indignity of the locking cuffs easily enough), and the adult twinned children of Anakin Skywalker.

Luke sat much as he had before, calmly and with no outward signs of concern, reminding Obi-Wan uncomfortably of his own master. Leia sat back from the table, her arms crossed and her expression sardonic. She, too, was apparently unconcerned, if outwardly exasperated, and Obi-Wan knew that if hadn’t already been told, he would be able to see the resemblance between father and daughter in a heartbeat.

Still, Obi-Wan had the distinct and uncomfortable sensation of not quite living up to her expectations.

The bulk of her resentment, however, was aimed directly at the only other occupant of the room—Anakin.

Their father.

Obi-Wan needed a drink.

37. Do you ever write long handed or do you prefer to type everything?

I write long-handed when I’m having focus issues. It’s slow enough to make me focus.

38. How do you nail voice in your books?

I talk to myself. Out loud. Constantly.

39. Do you spend a lot of time analyzing and studying the work of authors you admire?

When I read, I’m known to stop and think “that was a perfectly crafted sentence!” or “How did they do that?”

40. Do you look up to any of your writer buddies?

all of them. They’re all awesome, though in different ways.

41. Are there any books you feel have shaped you as a writer?

Harry Potter. I’m not sure how, but I’m sure it has.

42. How many drafts do you usually write before you feel satisfied?

Depends on how fully formed the story was in my head before I started. Fanfic gets 2 - rough and beta. Original fic gets rough, first, second, etc

43. How do you deal with rejection?

Badly at first. Then it evolved into a desire to prove them wrong.

45. First or third person?

Third.

46. Past or present tense?

Past.

47. Single or dual/multi POV?

Depends on the needs of the plot.

48. Do you prefer to write skimpy drafts and flesh them out later, or write too much and cut it back?

the first is what I do. The second is what I’d like to do.

49. Favorite fictional world?

A Galaxy Far, Far away. (Then Middle Earth).

50. Do you share your rough drafts or do you wait until everything is all polished?

depends on the fic. I like to show things to @brydylcai, but only in the fandom’s she’s in. I have been known to invite friends into docs as I’m writing, so...

51. Are you a secretive writer or do you talk with your friends about your books?

I’m more open than I used to be about fanfic. I’m less talkative about my original works.

52. Who do you write for?

She knows who.

53. What is the first line of your WIP?

Of this chapter: “Brig was already aboard the boat when Gimli and Legolas arrived, attending the rigging for the simple sail and making ready to depart.”

54. Favorite first line/opening you’ve written?

my book begins with a ghost hunt. that’s fun?

55. How do you manage your time/make time for writing? (do you set aside time to write every day or do you only write when you have a lot of free time?)

I try to set aside time while not working, but i also tend to write in whatever little moments I have. Between classes, standing in line, etc.

#brydylcai #ask meme

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subcorax · 8 years ago

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Fic: Aubade (ch. 5)

Rating: Teen

Pairing(s): Kageyama Ritsu/Suzuki Shou, Background Teru/Mob Characters: Ritsu, Shou, Teru, Mob Tags: Future fic, college setting, fluff, slow burn Chapter Word Count: 4703 Total Word Count: 21341

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4

Summary: Ritsu and Shou have been orbiting around each other ever since they were thirteen years old. Really, something like this was inevitable. (Based off of a prompt!)

Read on Ao3

There were six trains leaving Seasoning Station on the day they set off: two in the morning, and four in the afternoon.

Ritsu had immediately and vehemently vetoed the 6 AM train, whereas Shou had objected to taking another night train, on the grounds that he couldn’t sleep on trains at all, and he needed Ritsu awake to keep him company, so that had ruled out the two trains leaving after 6 PM. They’d both been kind of iffy about the early-afternoonish trains, knowing they were the most likely to have families and tourists and the like.

So, their little group had ended up huddled together on the platform, waiting sleepily for the 9 AM train to pull in.

Ritsu’s parents had said their goodbyes the night before at the house, so it’s just Mob, Teru, and Reigen who’ve shown up to send them off at the station. As usual, their group is receiving some odd looks from the sparse groups of people scattered around the station, although every employee they’ve met has recognized Reigen and Mob on sight.

Shou is, Ritsu thinks, not actually awake. Oh, sure, he’s standing, and he’d showered and gotten dressed and dragged luggage behind him on the walk, but he hasn’t actually formed a coherent sentence yet, and he’s been leaning on Ritsu more and more heavily for about the past five minutes. He has no less than three times flipped off Teru, who actually had the nerve to jog ahead of them to the station, is wearing neon pink running shorts, and is drinking something that looks like shit and smells like the ghost of bananas past.

Reigen, for what feels like the thousandth time, starts to drill Ritsu. “You have your phone? Your wallet?” “Yes, of course.” “Your chargers?” “Yeah, we-- wait.” It’s always worth double-checking the chargers. He leans down and partially unzips one of the pockets of the suitcase at his feet, and finding a horrifically tangled ball of two phone chargers and two laptop chargers exactly where they’d been when he’d last checked three minutes ago, nods. “Got the chargers.” Reigen still looks dissatisfied. Between his supply checks and Mob’s constant drifting back and forth from where the train schedule is posted, Ritsu thinks that the two of them are going to worrywart each other into a full blown panic. “Do you have your passport?” Ritsu blinks in confusion. “My passpo– Dad, we’re not fleeing the country!”

“Not yet!” Reigen replies, waving his arms frantically as if this is a legitimate possibility that Ritsu should’ve prepared for. He snorts and doesn’t reply, instead opting to mull over what’s more likely to get someone from his family deported from the country: Reigen’s scam business, or Teru’s fashion choices. While, sure, aspects of Reigen’s business are technically illegal, Teru’s outfits are simply in bad taste.

They hear the train before they see it, a distant chugging that breaks through the annoying bird noises and the vague chatter of the other people at the station. Around them, Ritsu sees most of the other people waiting on the platform straighten up, readjust their backpacks and jackets, start shifting around in anticipation. Surprisingly, Shou’s the same, pulling himself away from Ritsu’s side and blinking around them, looking fully awake for the first time that morning. Ritsu pushes down the handle on his little wheely case and hefts it onto his back, reaching out to take the larger suitcase from Mob. He’s not sure how he ended up carrying the most stuff, considering that out of the three bags they’ve brought, most of the stuff inside of them belongs to Shou. While Ritsu had only grabbed the bare necessities and a few jackets and shirts from his room, packing up Shou’s belongings had been a goddamn ordeal, including doing three loads of laundry from his already packed suitcase, and a two-hour long argument about whether or not it was appropriate to bring an entire desk lamp on a new move.

(“It’s my oldest friend!” Shou had argued, trying to wrestle it from Ritsu’s hands. “Six years I have known you, Suzuki, and never once has there been a working bulb in this lamp.”) Ritsu is eternally grateful that he doesn’t have a family that sobs as they send him off somewhere. The sadness he’s feeling is familiar, a pre-emptive homesickness that sinks into his stomach, makes him want to look around and take everything in so that he’ll remember the exact details of Seasoning City forever, makes him want to call the whole thing off and just stay home. Mob is smiling though, just a little, when he pulls him in for a hug, and all he feels from the aura that envelops him is warmth. “Be safe,” he murmurs into Ritsu’s shoulder. “Text me when you get there.” He receives quick but back-breaking hugs from Teru and Reigen that leave him gasping for air, but he finds that Shou got the short end of the Farewell Stick, because he looks over to see Mob giving him a hug that has him flailing with his feet a good few inches off the ground.

Reigen ushers them onto the train before they can be idiots and miss it, and Shou half climbs over Ritsu in the seats to wave out of the windows as the train starts to move. A quick jolt sends Shou sprawling, and it’s only bracing himself between the table and Ritsu’s shoulder that stops him from whacking his head on the window. Ritsu’s laughing even as he pushes Shou out of his lap, trying to get him to sit in his own goddamn seat for, oh, two minutes? Admittedly, there’s been an odd feeling of dread tinging his excitement, keeping him subdued over the past few days as they planned. It was the lingering worry that even though their plans, their situation, was becoming more and more concrete, that it wouldn’t actually happen. That some intangible, nonexistent problem would suddenly pop up and stop everything. He feels it settle, dissipate. He watches Shou move into the seats on the other side of the table, settling with his back against the window and his legs stretched out in front of him, and thinks, We’re actually doing this. It sounds almost stupidly awed to his own mind, and it’s threatening to put a giddy sort of smile on his face, and he manages to tamp down on it only because he knows that if Shou notices, he’ll ask about it, which will eventually lead to Ritsu being forced to admit that he’s feeling things, which, well, no.

Shou, for his part, manages to stay quiet and relatively still for all of three minutes before he starts fidgeting. He pulls out his phone, but seems to think better of it, because he puts it down in favour of looking over at Ritsu. “Can I borrow your phone?” On autopilot, he reaches into his pocket to hand it over, but stops himself. “Why…?” He asks, squinting, knowing he probably doesn’t want to know the answer. Shou leans over the table, making grabby hands at the phone, pouting when Ritsu moves his hand so that it’s just out of his reach. “Please? It’ll be funnier if I do it on yours!” On one hand, Shou’s desperation is kind of hilarious, and Ritsu isn’t sure he wants to know exactly what he’s planning. On the other hand, he’s got another ten hours on this train, and if he doesn’t give in now, Shou will literally carry on at him the entire time until he does. With a resigned sigh, he hands his phone over, and then groans when Shou immediately points it at him, obviously taking pictures. Instinctively, he flips Shou off, sending him a death glare, before looking at the camera and throwing up a peace sign with dead eyes. He relaxes when Shou finally puts the phone down and starts tapping away at the screen, and contents himself with staring out the window until Shou breaks the silence. “What the fuck is a Shigeo?” He asks, incredulous. Ritsu reaches out to try and snatch the phone back from Shou. “It’s my brother, you fuck, what are you sending to him?” Shou holds the phone out of his reach, contorting himself so that he can keep typing with it held above his head. Finally, he finishes and hands it back to Ritsu with a self-satisfied grin. Like the cat that got the cream, he thinks, and then two moments later, Oh god, what did he do. He taps in his passcode and finds his messaging app already open. TO: SHIGEO, TERUKI, DAD, YOUR FAVOURITE ;) [Picture Attached] [Picture Attached] we r. on the fuckin train.

FROM: DAD Language.

FROM: SHIGEO Be safe!!! <33

FROM: TERUKI Don’t look up anything inappropriate on his phone or he might kill you ;p

TO: SHIGEO, TERUKI, DAD, YOUR FAVOURITE ;) wow r00d TO: SHIGEO, TERUKI, DAD, YOUR FAVOURITE ;) I have my phone back. ignore him entirely.

FROM: YOUR FAVOURITE ;) WOW R00D

Shou, when he’s jetlagged at least, is a little like a windup toy.

He’ll run around at the speed of sound for a while, and talk your ear off given half the chance, but after a while he starts to grow noticeably… slower. Of course, he’ll protest the fact, still make a decent imitation of a hyperactive kitten, but all in all, it grows more sluggish until finally, inevitably, he keels over.

On the train? He doesn’t even last an hour. It’s easy to get drawn into a conversation with Shou, even easier to let him jump from topic to topic as something new strikes his fancy, and so Ritsu learns about Shou’s year overseas in a patchwork of unrelated information, one minute hearing about the godawful coffee served by this one particular Korean hotel, and the next about some strange western kids’ cartoon he’d seen at some ungodly hour of the morning. It’s always a fun little game with this, trying to piece together the snippets of information like puzzle pieces, except he’s working with about three different puzzles, and he can’t find any edge pieces. In this state, waving his arms around wildly to emphasize his points and cutting himself off every other sentence, Ritsu thinks it’s basically impossible to get a coherent story out of Shou. The probability goes even further down when Shou pauses mid-sentence to yawn. Ritsu finds himself yawning in response, but he manages to ask around it, “You tired?” Shou snorts. “Pff, nah. I’m great. I slept for like, seven hours yesterday.” Now, Ritsu, because he actually wanted to be awake in time to, oh, catch the train, had gone to bed at a half-decent time the previous night. He had, however, woken up for the bathroom at some point, and he knows for a fact that Shou is rather generously rounding up from not much more than three. While Shou looks awake, it’s a bad sort of awake, an ‘I really should be sleeping now oh god’ sort of awake, an ‘I am awake out of sheer determination not to be asleep’ sort of awake, the type of slow-blinking, faux-happy sort of awake that Ritsu forces after he’s just pulled an all-nighter for an essay. God, at least he’s usually had coffee or cereal or something. Shou, with a bad tendency to get nauseous in the mornings, hadn’t so much as been able to touch the water Ritsu had offered, let alone the leftover smoothie Teru had tried to shove in his face.

He tugs a jacket out of his bag and hands it over wordlessly. Shou eyes it for a moment, like a deer liable to be spooked, before reaching out and snatching it from him. There are a few moments of adjustments before he settles, arms folded on the table and the hoodie bundled on top of it as a pillow. Ritsu sees him blink heavily for a little before his eyes fall closed, and then he’s out like a light. He’s vaguely disturbed by how quickly Shou manages to fall asleep, especially in a weird position like that. Sure, he’d managed it back in high school, when his only options for quick naps had been to rest his head on the desk or risk it falling out of his cupped hands when he nodded off. Still, it had always left him stiff and vaguely sick, his stomach protesting being bent over in the single laziest yoga position in existence for any length of time. So, he doesn’t really understand why it’s Shou’s first choice, when there’s a perfectly good window right there. For his part, Ritsu isn’t quite drowsy enough to sleep, so he messes around on his phone for a while, switching from app to app until it buzzes with an email. FROM: [email protected] TO: [email protected]

Mr. Kageyama,

This email is to inform you that we have received your notification of residence change.

You will be required to vacate your dormitory at least one (1) week prior to the beginning of the new academic year, on June 30th. You must notify the University’s department of Student Housing within three (3) days of your vacating your dormitory. The department of Student Housing can be reached at +81-429-884915 .

Ritsu leans back and pulls one knee to his chest, sighing.

This was what it came down to, really, actually finding a place to live. Somewhere within walking distance of the university, with four walls, a roof, and a floor, two bedrooms, working plumbing, and included appliances. It seemed impossible. This, he had thought, this is where it will all come crashing down. And yet. They’d spent most of yesterday looking at online listings, emailing and calling landlords, setting up viewings. The less time spent in Ritsu’s dorm, the better, after all. They’d actually had to narrow down their choices, from ten to seven to about four or five places that they both agreed looked promising. He decides he might as well get something productive done while he’s here, and starts to tap out an email. FROM: [email protected] TO: [email protected]

Mr. Nishigori, My name is Kageyama Ritsu; we spoke a few days ago on the phone, about a possible tour of your apartment on Rye Street. My friend and I will be in town later tonight, and were hoping to set up a time as soon as possible. We would greatly appreciate if you could give us a set of times that work for your schedule over the next couple of days. Thank you for your time,

Kageyama Ritsu +81-9064625949

He sends a couple more emails along those lines, even gets a couple of replies, before it suddenly hits him again, this light, giddy feeling, like his heart is filled with helium and it’s trying to float into his throat. We’re actually doing this, he thinks, and stifles a vaguely hysterical giggle.

On instinct, he gives a cursory sweep of the train to make sure that nobody actually noticed the weirdo laughing to himself. Thankfully, the only other people in the compartment with them are a small family that seem to be occupying themselves with some travel game, the kind of “what can you see out of the window” tactic that his parents employed on him and Mob when they were kids in the car, and then a few more people scattered around in individual seats, either occupied by their own phones or fast asleep.

He’d shrugged on a thin hoodie this morning, to face the early morning chill as they walked to the station, but now that the sun has properly risen he finds himself uncomfortably warm and vaguely sweaty. He pulls it off, leaving it bunched at his back, and notes with absent interest that they’re driving through a forest of some sort. For the most part, the sun only manages to break through the foliage in bits and pieces, painting the compartment in shadowed, dappled greens. Occasionally though, there’ll be a gap in the trees allowing the sun to hit him. Right in the eyes. Inevitably, they chug past the forest, and Ritsu is left completely defenseless against the ball of burning hellfire in the sky. He tries holding his hand in the exact position needed to block it out, but, well, his arm gets tired pretty quickly. He tries draping his hoodie over his head, but the cavern of black fabric gets too hot to breathe in pretty quickly, and Ritsu has little-to-no interest in becoming a baked potato. He’s pretty sure this is a decent argument as to why they should’ve taken the night train, but whatever, he can’t really be bothered to wake Shou up to make a point.

Heaving a greatly put-upon sigh, he stands, steadying himself on the table. He grabs Shou’s backpack from the spare seat and chucks it unceremoniously across to where he was just sitting, and plops down beside Shou. Now that the sun isn’t making a concerted effort at blinding him, he can see the light glinting off of Shou’s hair, lighting it up like some sort of precious metal. There are a lot of dust motes floating around his head.

Shou only wakes up once in the next six or so hours, and then only briefly. By the three and a half hour mark, Ritsu has done everything he can think of to keep himself occupied, including looking for shapes in the clouds, doing terrible little stick figure doodles in his notebook, doing what little he can without wifi on his laptop (about fifty seven games of solitare, not that he’s keeping track,) and a short-lived and incredibly uncomfortable nap. He feels like he should be able to sleep, given the easy, lazy warmth of the train, given how easily Shou has been able to slip into it, the soft lines of his shoulders in his white shirt rising and falling as he breathes, blending seamlessly with the almost ethereal summer light.

He’d managed to entertain himself with his phone, for a little while, but once it had hit less than half battery he’d decided to turn it off and definitely not think about it at all, in case he needed to use it for something actually important.

So, he half jumps out of his skin when it starts vibrating like mad in his back pocket. He fumbles with it until he can see that Matsuo is calling him.

“Hey! Kageyama! My bro! Rumor around here is that you’re ditching us, bro!” Ritsu forces himself to bite back ‘I’m not your bro, bro,’ instead deciding on a polite, “Hello, Matsuo. Yes, I’m moving out.” “Ha, dude, nice! Did you score with some chick? Are you actually moving in with your girl? You always seemed like a player, bro!” Ritsu squints. How in the fuck would I strike anyone as a player? A movement to his left draws his attention, and he looks over to see Shou stirring, propping himself up on one elbow to blink blearily at Ritsu. There are red lines in the pattern of the hoodie fabric all over his cheek, and Ritsu has to hold back a laugh at the knockoff Two-Face vibes. He waves dismissively at Shou’s questioning look, a sort of ‘tell you in a minute’ kind of gesture that he hopes Shou understands. “Yeah, about that,” he starts, unsure how to breach the topic. “I’m actually moving in with a friend of mine, but he just got back from overseas, so neither of us actually have a place yet. Is it cool if he sleeps on the couch for the next couple of days, until we’re good?”

“Ha, I can do you one better, bro! Daichi’s still chillin’ with his girlfriend until the end of break, so your dude can just crash in his bed instead!” A pause, and then, “...Yo, Kageyama, is this buddy of yours the one that drank five Red Bulls when you were skyping him, like, to prove that he could?” Ritsu sighs. Naturally, Matsuo has his priorities straight. “Yes. Yes it is.” “Tell him I said hi, yo. He’s hardcore.” A hardcore dumbass, Ritsu thinks, but what manages to come out of his mouth is, “Will do. Thanks, Matsuo.” “Anytime, bro!” As soon as he hangs up he turns to Shou, who’s back at it with the questioning eyes in full force. He’s not quite upright anymore, having slipped downwards so that his head is half-pillowed between the crook of his elbow and the hoodie. Ritsu shakes his head, summarizing. “Just my roommate. He wanted to know if I was actually leaving. Also, Daichi’s gone, so you can take his bed until we get a place.” Shou nods, which is an action really more to the effect of rubbing his face against the jacket, but Ritsu gets the general idea.

“Daichi’s the one you sleep with, right?” He murmurs. “Again, phrasing, but yeah, he’s in my room. I emailed a few of the landlords for the places we were looking at, so hopefully we can decide within a couple days what we’re–” He interrupts himself, in favour of asking the real questions. “Are you… alright? Shou has buried his face entirely in the hoodie. Ritsu isn’t sure exactly how he can be breathing. After a few moments of complete silence, Shou turns his head back to face him. “Not to be creepy, but this jacket smells like your house. It’s. It’s good.”

Ritsu blinks, raises one eyebrow. He feels like he maybe should find that creepy, but it’s not the weirdest thing Shou has ever said to him, and in this state, delirious and actually nuzzling his jacket, it’s almost… is cute the right word for it? Flattering, maybe. Endearing. Something like that, some word he can’t name for the fond exasperation colouring his smile and his voice as he says, “Oh? And what does my house smell like?” “Hmmmmmmmmmn.” Shou makes a long noise of consideration, burrowing his nose into the fabric again. “Smells like you.”

He’s asleep again before Ritsu can even try to think of a response to that one.

He’d had to physically drag Shou away from Matsuo, who had a six pack of some godawful energy drink and some very, very bad ideas which were right up Shou’s avenue.

It feels oddly intimate, having Shou sitting across from him in a pair of faded Sonic boxer shorts on his tiny, creaky bed in his tiny, creaky dorm room. He’s cross-legged, coveting a pile of snacks he’d pillaged from the communal pantry in his lap, but he doesn’t complain when Ritsu snatches a chip from his hand every now and again. Ritsu’s been trying to keep them on-topic, but it’s difficult, when Shou’s been wound up again, and he’s bouncing off the walls. He chews thoughtfully for a moment, then asks, “Do you guys have any soda?” Ritsu sighs. “The last thing you need is more sugar.”

At that, Shou perks up, and then he’s gone, bouncing off of the bed and running to the other side of the room with a force that Ritsu thinks must’ve woken up everyone in the next three floors below them. Somehow, his pile of snacks is still on the bed, looking relatively undisturbed. He rummages around in the pockets of his backpack, dumped on top of his suitcase at the foot of Daichi’s bed, until he eventually comes up with– “Shou, no.”

Shou jumps back onto the bed, and this time, a granola bar goes flying. Shou doesn’t seem to notice, because all of his attention is on the bag of melted chocolate and broken dreams that used to be his mother’s cookies. “No, nonononono no,” Ritsu says as Shou starts to open the bag, and leans back so that he can dig his heels into Shou’s back and forcefully push him to the floor. Shou goes willingly, rolling onto his back with the cookies curled close to his chest, and giggling like a maniac. It makes him laugh in return, despite himself. “No. You eat that on Daichi’s bed, you little shit, or you get nothing.”

Shou already somehow covered in melted chocolate, scurries over to Daichi’s bed and hops on with an evil sort of grin that almost makes Ritsu feel sorry for Daichi, the poor ass. Ritsu dumps the rest of the snacks onto the floor and stretches out on his newly free bed. “As I was saying,” he begins, as if it hadn’t been twenty minutes since he’d last been derailed, “We’re looking at three apartments tomorrow, so we’ll need to leave here kind of early. I know a place we can get lunch. Most of the ones we’re looking at are pretty much fully furnished, so if we do decide on a place tomorrow, we might be able to talk the landlord into letting us sleep there tomorrow night. Especially if we can wave some money around, or whatever. If we can’t…” he sighs. “I can’t say I want to spend much more time here, but it won’t be the end of the world.” He turns his head to look at Shou. “Sound alright?” The look on Shou’s face is something Ritsu doesn’t get to see much out of him: awe. He’s staring, wide eyed and blank for a few beats before he seems to shake himself. “Yeah,” he says, firmly, and then, “Yeah, that’s…” this time, much less so. The silence hangs in the air, pensive and waiting to be filled, so Ritsu waits. Eventually, Shou rolls onto his back, staring resolutely at the ceiling. He starts. “You’re so… on top of this.” Ritsu bites back his immediate retort of ‘well, one of us has to be.’ It’s a joke, but from the vulnerable, almost reticent tone of Shou’s voice, he has the feeling it might hit a little too close to home. At a lack of response, Shou keeps going. “I guess I thought… I, I don’t know what I thought! I didn’t think I’d get this far, I didn’t think you’d agree to this in the first place! It was just some… some dumb idea I had that seemed fun in my head and you’re…” he waves his hands around in some gesture that could mean anything, that sends panic deep into Ritsu’s mind, because he’s sure that Shou is about to finish that sentence with “You’re actually taking this seriously.” What he says instead, is “...You’re actually making this work!” And then he puts voice to what Ritsu’s been thinking for almost a week now, spoken softly, like if one of them finally says it aloud, then, then is when it becomes real. “We’re really doing this.”

Ritsu breathes, “Yeah, we are.” It’s a stupid worry, really, but he can’t help but pray that this isn’t the moment Shou decides he regrets it.

“Thank you,” he says, and it’s almost painfully earnest. “I seriously don’t know how any of this stuff works, and I was just sort of going to, I don’t know, wing it? When I thought I was doing this on my own. But you’re just sort of… doing it. We’re actually looking at apartments tomorrow. And I’m…” And this time, Ritsu can’t resist the jab. “Lying on my roommate’s bed covered in chocolate?” Luckily, neither can Shou. “At least I’ll always bring the sex appeal to our duo,” he says, glancing quickly over at him with a barely veiled grin. “Hm. Debatable.” “Hey!” Ritsu makes himself turn towards Shou, after a while, propping himself up on his elbow. “It’s fine, you know. That you’re not really doing the organizing stuff.” Before he can tell himself not to, he more or less blurts, “I wouldn’t want to do it half as much if it were anyone other than you.” Shou hasn’t moved, hasn’t looked away from the ceiling above him, and Ritsu doesn’t think Shou knows he’s watching him, because the smile that spreads across his face, slowly, and then like a flashbang, like a grenade, God, it could’ve outshone the sun. Shou laughs, a small, shaky thing. “Well, someone has to provide the comic relief.”

#fic: aubade #jack writes #mp100 #mp100 fic #ritshou #iTS FUC K I N G DONE #i would seriously recommend reading on ao3 tho #my formatting gets fucked by tumblr #and my author's notes don't get transferred bc i cant be bothered

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avecorviidae · 5 years ago

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Fic: Aubade - Chapter Five

Fandom: Mob Psycho 100 Rating: M Relationship(s): Kageyama Ritsu/Suzuki Shou Word Count: 4703

Ao3 Link

There were six trains leaving Seasoning Station on the day they set off: two in the morning, and four in the afternoon.

So, their little group had ended up huddled together on the platform, waiting sleepily for the 9 AM train to pull in.

FROM: DAD Language.

FROM: SHIGEO Be safe!!! <33

FROM: TERUKI Don’t look up anything inappropriate on his phone or he might kill you ;p

TO: SHIGEO, TERUKI, DAD, YOUR FAVOURITE ;) wow r00d TO: SHIGEO, TERUKI, DAD, YOUR FAVOURITE ;) I have my phone back. ignore him entirely.

FROM: YOUR FAVOURITE ;) WOW R00D

Shou, when he’s jetlagged at least, is a little like a windup toy.

Mr. Kageyama,

This email is to inform you that we have received your notification of residence change.

Ritsu leans back and pulls one knee to his chest, sighing.

Mr. Nishigori, My name is Kageyama Ritsu; we spoke a few days ago on the phone, about a possible tour of your apartment on Amaranth Street. My friend and I will be in town later tonight, and were hoping to set up a time as soon as possible. We would greatly appreciate if you could give us a set of times that work for your schedule over the next couple of days. Thank you for your time,

Kageyama Ritsu +81-9064625949

So, he half jumps out of his skin when it starts vibrating like mad in his back pocket. He fumbles with it until he can see that Matsuo is calling him.

He’s asleep again before Ritsu can even try to think of a response to that one.

He’d had to physically drag Shou away from Matsuo, who had a six pack of some godawful energy drink and some very, very bad ideas which were right up Shou’s avenue.

“As I was saying,” he begins, as if it hadn’t been twenty minutes since he’d last been derailed, “We’re looking at three apartments tomorrow, so we’ll need to leave here kind of early. I know a place we can get lunch. Most of the ones we’re looking at are pretty much fully furnished, so if we do decide on a place tomorrow, we might be able to talk the landlord into letting us sleep there tomorrow night. Especially if we can wave some money around, or whatever. If we can’t…” he sighs. “I can’t say I want to spend much more time here, but it won’t be the end of the world.” He turns his head to look at Shou. “Sound alright?” The look on Shou’s face is something Ritsu doesn’t get to see much out of him: awe. He’s staring, wide eyed and blank for a few beats before he seems to shake himself. “Yeah,” he says, firmly, and then, “Yeah, that’s…” this time, much less so. The silence hangs in the air, pensive and waiting to be filled, so Ritsu waits. Eventually, Shou rolls onto his back, staring resolutely at the ceiling. He starts. “You’re so… on top of this.” Ritsu bites back his immediate retort of ‘well, one of us has to be.’ It’s a joke, but from the vulnerable, almost reticent tone of Shou’s voice, he has the feeling it might hit a little too close to home. At a lack of response, Shou keeps going. “I guess I thought… I, I don’t know what I thought! I didn’t think I’d get this far, I didn’t think you’d agree to this in the first place! It was just some… some dumb idea I had that seemed fun in my head and you’re…” he waves his hands around in some gesture that could mean anything, that sends panic deep into Ritsu’s mind, because he’s sure that Shou is about to finish that sentence with “You’re actually taking this seriously.” What he says instead, is “...You’re actually making this work!” And then he puts voice to what Ritsu’s been thinking for almost a week now, spoken softly, like if one of them finally says it aloud, then, then is when it becomes real. “We’re really doing this.”

Ritsu breathes, “Yeah, we are.” It’s a stupid worry, really, but he can’t help but pray that this isn’t the moment Shou decides he regrets it.

#/#//#///#////#/////#robin fic #mp100 fic #fic: aubade

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forlawfirmsonlymarketing · 5 years ago

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Recovery From November 2019 Google Update via @martinibuster

You know how Google says you can’t “fix” your way back to position one? That seems unhelpful but it’s actually useful. It helps one understand what not to waste time on. In my opinion, based on my experience, once you know what not to focus on, it will help you understand more productive areas to focus on.

Things to Fix

According to Google, fixing things won’t help you recover. What does that mean? It may mean that the traditional things SEOs focus on, mainly technical SEO, have little to do with fixing an update that’s highly likely about relevance. Some SEOs say that every site they audit that has experienced ranking drops has serious issues with technical SEO factors. Well, that statement loses impact when you consider the fact most sites technically challenged, particularly with page speed. Did you know that page speed is getting slower? If you check the top ranking sites, they’re probably not doing well with technical SEO factors yet ranking in the top three regardless.

Page Speed

Page speed is important. But even Google’s own John Mueller has indicated that page speed is one of many ranking factors, many of which are more important than page speed. If you have any doubt, check out how slow the top ranking sites are for any particular query. In a Webmaster Hangout, a publisher was frustrated because his site was optimized for speed. But he was being outranked by slower web pages. The publisher asked John Mueller:

“What about speed for the mobile version? …Why are a lot of the top sites still so slow?”

And John Mueller answered:

“…the good part is that we have lots of ranking factors. So you don’t have to do everything perfect. But that also means that you run across situations like this where you say, Google says speed is important but the top sites here are not so fast therefore it must not be important. So for us it is definitely important. But that doesn’t mean it kind of overrides everything else.”

That part about “overrides everything else” is important because in my opinion it alludes to things like relevance, popularity signals and other factors related to understanding what users want to see when they make a search query. It simply does not make sense to rank a site lower because of slow speed if that site is the most relevant answer to a user’s search query. The number one goal is to satisfy the search query. The fact is that mobile sites are getting slower. The following graph from HTTP Archive shows that the first contentful paint has actually increased by 24.1% from January 2019 to October 2019. Anyone who tells you that a site lost rankings because of page speed, fact check them by checking the page speed of competitors who are outranking you. Odds are that their page speed may be similar to yours. I am not minimizing page speed. Page speed is super important for conversions, ad clicks and keeping visitors engaged. I’m just saying that as a ranking factor, page speed has been vastly overrated.

Junk Links and Disavows

Every site that is top ranked has junk links. Google ignores paid links and junk links because what’s important is if a web page answers a search query. So if the page is good then Google will still rank the web page. Yes, paid links may boost a normal site for. But after a short period of time, from days to months, those links stop working and the site drops back to where it formerly ranked. That’s an example of how Google ignores links. In my opinion, based on experience helping sites recover from penalties, a manual penalty happen when certain thresholds of different spam signals are reached. For example, a normal site that receives thousands of keyword-optimized anchor text links from other normal sites may raise flags and be subjected to a hand review. Off topic keyword-optimized anchor text links from spam sites are ignored by Google. One reason is because the irrelevance of the links to the page that’s being linked to is a reason to not count the link. Another reason is because this fits the statistical average for normal linking patterns. Rogue link builders have been taking advantage of this loophole for years by paying for links and pointing them at their clients. It’s only after they reach a threshold that the links are flagged and come under review. That’s likely how JC Penney got in trouble eight years ago. It is a fact that Google ranks sites that have spammy backlinks. Google’s John Mueller is on record saying that Google will ignore spammy links if the content is good enough. This is the question:

“I see a disturbing amount of link networks and nefarious link building schemes being used… I reported these as suggested but is there anything else that we can do? This is really frustrating.”

This is John Mueller’s answer:

“…when it comes to competitive areas, what we’ll often see is that some sites do some things really well and some sites do some things really bad. We try to take the overall picture and use that for ranking. For example, it might be that one site uses keyword stuffing in a really terrible way but actually their business is fantastic and people really love going there, they love finding it in search and we have lots of really good signals for that site. So we might still show them at number one, even though we recognize they’re doing keyword stuffing.”

The point is that Google is not going to reduce a site’s rankings by 30% or 90% because of links. If people loved the site last week, then Google is still going to rank it #1 this week after an algorithm update. If your site has suffered ranking declines, it’s highly unlikely the declines are due to random spam links.

Missing Pages and 404 Error Response

404 response codes are normal. This is what Google’s John Mueller said about 404 response pages:

“…if we check those URLs and see a server error or the Page Not Found error here, then that’s something we’ll tell you about in Search Console. …and that’s fine. …if we check those URLs and see a server error or the Page Not Found error here, then that’s something we’ll tell you about in Search Console. …and that’s fine. …It’s not something you need to worry about.”

Why Do Sites Lose Rankings?

If you read and listen to what Googler’s say, one thing becomes evident: Google wants to match relevant web pages to search queries. Google stated that the recent BERT update was about better understanding of 10% of English language search queries. That’s about relevance. The reason Google changed the nofollow attribute from a directive (something Google is obligated to obey) to a hint (something Google can ignore if it wants) is because of relevance. Google’s Gary Illyes stated that the reason was because Google wants to use the nofollow link signal to improve relevance. My question to Gary Illyes:

“Is Google’s motivation for this change because Google wants to strengthen the link signal in order to get better search results?”

The following answer was relayed to me via a friend (Kenichi Suzuki) in Japan who asked Gary Illyes:

“Yes. They had been missing important data that links had, due to nofollow. They can provide better search results now that they consider rel=nofollowed links into consideration.”

Another example is last year’s poorly named “Medic” update. This update affected more than just medical sites. Many health related sites lost rankings. The reason appears to be because Google decided that users preferred science based web pages instead of pages about non-medical “natural” type remedies. That’s a relevance issue. The so-called “Medic” update appeared to be clearly about relevance issues, not about author bios or “expertise.”

Takeaway

There have been two recent changes at Google that should be considered.

The first one was changing the nofollow attribute from a directive to a hint. That means that many more links are being used as ranking factors.

The second important change is BERT, which is said to affect 10% of search queries, including things like featured snippets. The featured snippets aspect alone can account for some traffic declines.

Both of those factors, nofollow links and BERT are about relevance. I am not saying BERT and nofollow links are the update It could very well be there are other factors that are affecting rankings.

Relevance and Technical Issues

Fixing technical SEO factors is important. But identifying relevance issues may be even more important in order to recover from a ranking decline. Almost every update that Google has rolled out had “relevance” as a factor. A few updates were about other factors, like Google’s “speed” update that added site speed as a (soft) ranking factor. And when that was the case, Google notified publishers. Same with the Panda Update (content related) and the Penguin update (links related). In general, if Google isn’t talking about it, in my opinion based on my experience helping sites recover, it’s helpful to start looking at relevance.

https://www.businesscreatorplus.com/recovery-from-november-2019-google-update-via-martinibuster/

#googlesearchranking #localseo #onlinemarketing #dailydoseofmarketing

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conniecogeie · 6 years ago

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What Content Marketers Need to Know about Search in 2019

Unlike content marketing (which is centuries old), SEO is a very new discipline. It has been around for just a couple decades, and it quickly became the primary digital focus for many marketers.

Yet, SEO cannot exist without content, and I am happy to report that the search industry has reached maturity when it goes back to basics: recognizing that content is the most important and fundamental part of the marketing puzzle. Now, with SEO maturing so quickly, there are still many misconceptions and misunderstandings around it. Those misconceptions may impact the content marketing process in a not-so-positive way.

Let’s clear things up a bit:

1. SEO Has Become Much More Integrated and Diverse

SEO used to be standalone: no one had any idea what SEOs were doing and how they got pages ranked. Many SEOs would ignore very important digital marketing aspects, including user experience, brand building, etc. The only purpose was to get a page ranked.

These days it’s finally different: SEO is just one element of success. It’s next to impossible to achieve high rankings without building authority and brand awareness, or without ensuring users are going to have a good experience using the site.

#SEO is just one element of digital success. It's next to impossible to achieve high rankings without building authority and brand awareness, and delivering a great user experience Click To Tweet

Google has taken all of that in the account: they monitor how users interact with a website, how satisfied they are, and how quickly they find answers when landing on a page from search results. Google has made trust and authority important ranking signals.

As a result, there are fewer and fewer companies that focus on a single component of SEO (like link building) or even just SEO. Most companies are offering full-package internet marketing services that include video production, social media marketing and usability. Some companies even go beyond that by offering “integrated marketing services”. talkingAds, a company that oversees the entire marketing plan for its clients, describes the benefits of this approach in much detail and why it’s crucial for businesses:

The important elements in marketing communication are advertising, personal selling, direct marketing, public relations, website communication, sponsorship and social media presence. A disjointed approach isolates these functions that lead to non-consistency of brand value to the end-user.

Lonely Brand offers a few examples of integrated marketing and defines it as follows:

Integration means mapping your strategy to the reality of the customer.

Do you see where keyword research and data analytics fits in here? Exactly: like any other marketing channel, SEO goes back to the customer. If the customer is pleased, Google will catch on that.

2. SEO Is No Longer Focused on Exact-Match Strings

As an SEO, with a huge passion for writing, I think this is the most welcome development as far as I am concerned.

Remember the days when writers were given one phase and forced to use it a certain number of times within a copy?

Well, those days are happily over.

Search engines have moved beyond so-called “keyword strings”. They can now understand concepts, entities and topics. You can see the trend all over Google search results pages.

Try searching for something specific, like [good hiking spots], now scroll through those results. A few years ago, Google would focus on the exact match [good hiking spots] and show you results that have the exact phrase in their title tags. Now they’re much smarter than this. You’ll see a good mix of phrases that express the same thing, i.e. places nearby that are great places to hike.

Google understands all kinds of phrases that can satisfy the initial query and focuses on the quality of the results rather than matching to the query wording verbatim. Quality and depth of content have become much more important than the exact keyword you put on the page.

Action item: Use keyword tools that don’t focus on exact-match and give you a variety of phrases that can inspire more content angles. Ubersuggest is a great option. It’s open, completely free and offers a good selection of filters as well as a quick analysis of current search results for each query. But the best part is: it generates all kinds of keywords that relate to the term you type in.

Try it yourself: type in your term to see all kinds of synonymous phrases and varied angles.

For another example of how search engines have advanced, look at how Google clusters topics by entities (i.e. “brands”) they know about. If you type something generic, like [how to set up call forwarding], Google would know that the query may be multi-faceted, so it will allow you to quickly browse through a more specific answer right within the featured snippet:

Action item: When working on content, make sure you understand related subtopics and subcategories that need to be included in your article.

Use Serpstat to cluster your keyword lists by topics. They use Google results for each keyword in a list to identify how closely queries are related based on how many overlapping URLs there are ranking for each set of keywords. The fact that Serpstat isn’t using a traditional clustering technique (i.e. the one that groups phrases based on a common core term in each phrase) makes it a much smart and more up-to-date option to use nowadays:

[Read more about Serpstat’s clustering feature here.]

3. Search Gives Us Lots of Cues

Search has evolved. Google has become smarter at identifying search intent and giving their users exactly what they want. They have become better at identifying peoples’ struggles and serving the best answer within search results. They have learned to find questions behind queries and show their users more options for researching a topic.

The fact that all of that comes up in search results makes it possible for writers to learn more about any topic they are writing about. The key is to learn to see and interpret those cues to create more valuable and better-optimized content.

Let’s try to see that in action:

1. When searching, look at all kinds of “blended” search results that come up.

Is there a video carousel? That means Google has found users engage with videos more for this particular query, so maybe you need to put one together too,

Are there image results? That means Google has seen its users look for visual content when searching. Think about which parts of your article you can visualize to make it more appealing and engaging.

Are there shopping results? This signals of high commercial intent, so your article may not do so well here. How about finding a more informative angle? A product comparison may be a good angle to find, so research more angles.

2. When searching, look at “People Also Ask” results.

Google’s “People Also Ask” boxes show popular questions based on your query. These provide a goldmine of content inspiration. Click on some of those questions to see more questions show up underneath.

Featured Snippets Tool [Disclaimer: This tool has been developed by Internet Marketing Ninjas, the company I work for] will help you streamline the process. Simply put your domain or the URL of the article that covers a topic you are researching, and it will generate the list of all kinds of questions Google shows for a variety of queries this domain or URL shows up in Google for. You’ll see all kinds of related questions to expand and enrich your content.

3. When searching, pay attention to Google’s Featured Snippets.

Google has gone a long way at learning to understand any web copy and extracting useful information. Look at those featured snippets to learn to better structure your copy to make it easier for Google to understand as well as more useful for your users:

Define concepts

Focus on facts and numbers (e.g. if you are describing a tool, explain its pricing)

Use subheads (especially if you are using questions from the step above)

What prompted Google to feature this page instead of their own guide that ranks #1?

These days, instead of forcing artificial copy, Google makes your content better by teaching you to research more, structure better and use a more varied vocabulary.

The post What Content Marketers Need to Know about Search in 2019 appeared first on Convince and Convert: Social Media Consulting and Content Marketing Consulting.

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