#I don't enjoy writing. it was.. almost thrilling. to like the process

[malachitezmeyka]

I think That Woman is genuinely trying to kill me

[moronkombat]

Can you write MK men doing a fatality on someone in front of their s/o and they get a little scared at the sight. (Not scared of the men btw) I think realistically seeing someone die like that wouldn’t be easy to witness at first

Reiko is proud to kill someone in kombat in front of his lover. He would also like if his partner joined him in delivering the final blow

If his partner were to become frightened, he would be confused. Reiko would have a hard time understanding someone who is not fond of the thrill of the kill

Kenshi has been saturated with the sight of death and he forgets that. When he kills in front of his partner, he doesn't even think about what he's done

When his lover is just staring at the corpse of someone who was breathing moments ago he finds himself feeling quite guilty. He'd ask if you're alright and tell you that he shouldn't have made you see something like that so casually

He kills someone in front of his lover out of necessity. He would prefer to avoid doing so otherwise as he often kills foes while in his true form

Tells you to look away, not to watch what's going to happen. He's honestly more worried you'll be scared of his appearance over anything else. Once the deed is done, he is unsure how to comfort the reader. He worries hugging you, while covered in the blood of someone else, will only haunt you

Havik is not one to comfort his partner when it concerns the death of another by his hand. If he notices his lover is shaken up he will get them used to it

He'll cover his hands in the blood of the fallen and drench his partner in it, bathing them in death while wildly proclaiming just how beautiful it all is

Rain is initially very proud of showing off his prowess in front of his lover. However, he would quickly notice that his lover looks a bit stunned

He's quiet for a moment before telling them that the sight of this will get easier even though right now it feels like it wont. He'll squeeze your hand in reassurance and offer you a nod

Shang Tsung isn't a fan of hard work and killing someone can be quite the daunting task so he makes sure to kill them in...exciting ways

He thinks you would enjoy the view but seeing you so stunned makes him realize just how far his mind has gone to think killing is so casual. He pauses and knows he should address the issue. But he can't, he won't. Shang Tsung, instead, ushers you away quickly

Quan Chi likes to get a bit fanciful in how he kills someone and doesn't really see killing anyone as anything heavy. He's seen many people die before

If his partner were to be unsettled he would struggle in how to comfort them. No one had comforted him when he witnessed someone being killed. He'd...try but it comes off as awkward and stiff

Tomas has killed many people before. It's part of being the Lin Kuei. He's grown accustomed to such tasks but recognizes that his partner has not

He is comforting to his lover. Doesn't want them to see him commit the act but he knows it can't be helped. Tomas would tell them that it's okay to be scared and to feel frightened. He knows what it's like to witness the death of others before his eyes

Raiden is still not completely accustomed to killing someone. It's a relatively new concept for him so he is empathic with his partner

He is very tender with them, gentle and kind. He knows they probably need space and time to process what they've seen so he will not pressure them to talk about until they are ready

Kung Lao gets a bit absorbed in the moment and almost forgets that his partner is there until he looks back at them and sees their face

He rushes to them and asks if they are okay without even realizing that he's bloodstained. He repeatedly asks if you're doing alright and that you don't need to worry anymore because it's all over now. Very talkative as trying to reassure you

Never would he want his lover to see the gore that is to take a life. Bi-Han would actively try to avoid exposing his partner to anything like that but he cannot

The only time he'd kill in front of his lover was if he absolutely had to and he is not very tidy about it. He's rageful and consumed by wrath as he murders them and you are only left to watch life cease to be. He feels incredibly guilty afterwards but struggles to find words. In actually, you would end up comforting him because he feels so lowly about exposing you to something like that

Johnny is a showoff and is always doing the absolute most with everything. This includes taking someone out

He thinks he is impressing you and turns to you expecting a big reaction and cheering but he doesn't you just look...zoned out. He asks you what's wrong and didn't you see how high the dude's head went up in air? It takes him a bit to realize that witnessing someone die can be heavy and then he will awkwardly start to comfort you and apologize

Shao is not a comforting lover. To kill someone is show that he is better than them in every way. He enjoys taking down his opponents

If his partner was stunned to see someone die he would tell them that they will quickly get used to see the death of thousands because he will no one standing who gets in his way

Would prefer his partner not having to witness someone die as he knows it can be extremely difficult for someone to witness. Geras is unbothered by the death of others but he is mindful of his partner

He would try to shield your eyes from it. If you saw it he would apologize to you and validate all of the feelings you are experiencing while also promising to help you through them

Liu Kang has been accustomed to killing for many years now and yet he still knows that it will have an impact on you. You are not like him. You haven't been alive for thousand upon thousands of years to adjust to this life style

Killing in front of you is not easy for him but he knows it's much worse for you having to witness it the first time. He is kind and gentle with you and tells you that it is alright and to let him take your worries away

The last thing Kuai Liang wants is to bring his lover discomfort but he knows that is unrealistic to shield you from everything

That is why when he kills someone in front of you, he is quick to be by your side but also give you the space you need. Kuai Liang says that it is okay to not be okay in this moment or even for awhile after that. He speaks on how he will be your strength just as you are to him

Baraka's kills are often brutal and messy even when he doesn't intend them to be but Tarkat cannot be helped

He wants to comfort you, take you into his arms and tell you he is sorry but he can't. Not when he is covered in blood and still feeling the itch from taking a life. It's a difficult thing for him to do but he tries to comfort you as best he can but Baraka struggles with saying the right words that will help

[medecineformelancholy]

"He was Trent and there was Ted and there was somewhere to put the love he had hid in his heart."

------

For Chapter 16 of I Really Enjoyed Getting to Spend This Time With You by @rngaredead 💙

I know I will never do justice to all the heartbreakingly beautiful moments you write for these two. So if anyone stumbles on this and gets intrigued, please head to the story and see for yourself! (You will also see why Ted is without his mustache).

This story has been a beam of light in my dark days for months. As you said, my friend, we all spend time in the dark. Sometimes our light goes out on its own - not because we are powerless and choose to find comfort in melancholy, but because we feel strongly, wired to resonate with all the sadness around as much as with all the beauty, and it all becomes too much. Sometimes our light is taken from us. But it's important to remember that it cannot be out forever, and we can always fight to get it back. It's hard to hold by yourself, and sometimes it would burn our hands, but it would be all worth it. So thank you, @rngaredead, for letting me sit by your light while you tell this beautiful story, and take some of it with me. I won't let it go out.

Now do you all have a story that made you feel like that? Let the author know! Whether you turn to these stories for comfort, or a good cry, or the thrill of exploring the characters through someone else's eyes and getting to see whole worlds built in the process. Fanfiction writers are giving all these gifts for free and deserve all the love back.

I hope you all enjoy this journey with us as it's coming to an end! 💙

(Now a bigger quote from the scene because LOOK AT THIS!!! But also don't look if you want to avoid SPOILERS)

------

"But there he was—in Kansas with Ted Lasso asleep in his lap, like this was normal and how Sunday afternoons were meant to be spent. He wasn’t Trent Crimm, The Independent or even Trent Crimm, Independent. He was Trent and there was Ted and there was somewhere to put the love he had hid in his heart. Sliding it in between the lines of his book wasn’t actually all that tangible, but saying it, showing it, feeling it was. And while that deadline of being able to do it drew ever closer, in that moment it felt like almost more than enough."

[shall-we-die]

Hello, I have an ask with the obey me dateables, and Luke (platonic) if you write for him ofc, with a fem! Mc who reads ALOT and constantly talks about them, I'm talking about shelves upon shelves of books that have been read.

Have a amazing day and remember to talk care of yourself!

╔‌‌‌‌═══════════════•⊰•°༄༚

{Loving a

talkative sheep}

☰[Main list]•⊰ Obey me!

↬[A/N]•⊰ Thank you so much for requesting dear anonymous 💕

But sorry, I don't write for Luke.

╚═══════════════•⊰•°༄༚‌‌‌

Diavolo always listens intently to MC talking about books with his chin resting in his hand and a smile on his face.

"You have a gift for finding the most interesting stories," he'd say, his eyes gleaming with warmth and affection.

"And the way you weave them into our conversations is nothing short of magical. I could listen to you talk about books for hours on end and never grow tired of it."

He'd lean in a bit closer, his hand nearly brushing yours. "Please, continue. I'm all ears."

As the conversation continued, Diavolo's interest deepened. He would ask thoughtful questions about the characters, their motivations, and even the symbolism behind certain scenes.

His laughter would ring out whenever you made a witty comment, and he would sometimes share his own insights about the books you were discussing.

He would even occasionally recommend some of his favorites for you to read, each recommendation accompanied by a warm smile and a subtle touch on your shoulder.

You could almost feel the warmth of his presence, wrapping around you like a cozy blanket.

Barbatos would listen intently as MC enthusiastically discusses their books, showing genuine interest in the stories, themes, and characters.

Barbatos would admire MC's passion for reading, finding their excitement contagious.

He would use his knowledge of the past and future to offer additional insights or historical context to the stories MC shares, sparking further discussion and appreciation for the books.

Barbatos could find creative ways to incorporate moments from books into special surprises or gifts for MC.

Barbatos would regularly surprise MC with a new book that aligns with their preferences, demonstrating his understanding of their reading tastes.

Barbatos might even playfully challenge MC to engage in intellectual debates about books, fostering an atmosphere of intellectual stimulation.

Barbatos would create a cozy reading nook filled with plush pillows and cozy blankets for MC to enjoy their books, ensuring a comfortable and relaxing environment for their bookworm moments.

Simeon would listen carefully and patiently as MC passionately discusses their beloved books, finding joy in their enthusiasm and the depth of their insights.

He would actively engage in conversations about literature, sharing his own thoughts and recommendations, creating a mutual exchange of ideas and perspectives on the world of books.

Simeon would be happy to accompany MC at the local library or bookstore, exploring new titles and discussing their favorite characters and plots.

He might even surprise MC with a thoughtful gift of a rare or special book she has been longing for.

Simeon might even surprise MC with a personalized bookmark or a handcrafted journal to jot down their reading notes and reflections.

During quiet evenings at home, they would curl up together to read aloud, taking turns in different voices while enjoying the simplicity of shared stories.

Simeon could encourage MC to write their own book, serving as their trusted confidante and supporter throughout the creative process. He'd offer insightful feedback, helping them shape their story into something truly special.

Solomon would be thrilled to engage in deep conversations with them. He would love to hear about their thoughts on the stories and characters, and  would share his own insights on them. They would discuss themes, symbolism and even have debates on different interpretations. It would be wonderful to have someone who shares the same passion for the written word and he would love to hear their opinions on the books they had read. would also be very interested in discussing the author's writing style and background, as well as the historical or cultural context in which the books were written. They can geek out together and talk for hours on end about the stories, characters and worlds that they have come to know and love.

[santakinard]

WIP Wednesday

Tagged by my beloveds @bidisasterevankinard and @confetti-cupcake tysm babes!

So I saw this gifset from the amazing @cafecitoeddie and got this instant need to write an Eddie x Terry fic (don't worry I'm still working on my buddie longfic and all my prompts). I'm not sure about what I've written so far but here you go

If Eddie were to say that today was a day then that would be the understatement of the fucking millienia. After what felt like forever, they had finally found a bloodied and bruised Chimney. Tommy had even flew in a fucking helicopter so the groom could finally marry the bride – after getting thoroughly checked by Hen of course.

And now here they are, everyone happy and dancing like Chimney didn’t almost die, again. But that’s okay, because if any of them learned anything from their job and all the trauma, is to enjoy what you have when you have it.

At that thought, Eddie looks away from the bride and groom carefully but still lovingly dancing to see Buck and Tommy in their own little world swaying to the sweet love song. He quickly turns around and walks towards the drink table to grab another flute of champagne.

Eddie downs the entire glass and sighs.

It’s pretty damn awful timing to break up with your girlfriend because – surprise! – you realized that not only you’re gay but you’re in love with your best friend only after said best friend also discovered his queerness but is starting to date a guy that you’re pretty sure you also had a crush on as well.

The universe is a cruel, cruel bitch.

“Hey, Eddie!” A voice comes to break himself out of his thoughts.

Eddie turns to see a face he hasn’t seen since working at dispatch.

He pushes all his anguish aside for now for him to process later with Frank, and lets out a genuine smile.

“Hey, Terry! Long time no see.”

The other man gives him a bright smile in return. “Yeah, it’s been a while. How’ve you been?”

Feeling like a sad gay disaster, he thinks. He says, “Great. How ‘bout you?”

“Pretty good.” He looks tentatively at Eddie for a moment before continuing. “I know you’re where you belong but I have to say I was kinda sad when you left dispatch. The LAFD twitter is just not the same without you.”

Eddie laughs.

That was a dark time in his life. But where Josh made him feel like an outsider, Terry – along with May, Linda, and Sue – helped him feel welcomed there. It’s nice to feel like he was missed.

“Yeah, I do not miss that. But I do miss y’all over there.” He pauses. “Even though I'm so glad I left.”

Terry laughs, his smile wide, and something in Eddie's stomach flutters. Like butterflies.

It then hits him. He’s attracted to Terry. He likes Terry.

That both terrifies him and sends thrills down his spine.

Tagging: @wh0re-behavi0r @honestlydarkprincess @monsterrae1 @saybiwithme @eddiediazisascorpio @parva-noctua @steadfastsaturnsrings @insecuregodcomplex and whoever wants to do it

[nowoyas]

Legs Spreadable Arrangements (NSFW)

M.list (Edible Arrangements) - M.list (General) - Read on Ao3

A/N: hey do those of you reading EA right now want a spinoff that's Not Doing That right now? here, on me. I don't remember writing this but I'm glad for the chance to use my EA after dark banner again! if you're not an EA reader, you don't need to be to read this! it works as a standalone just fine.

Summary: You dream sometimes, too.

Warnings/notes: this is just smut. I'm not gonna "under 18 dni" y'all but if you ARE under 18 I don't want to hear about it. LOTS of biting, bloodplay, afab reader, dubiously dubcon, a bit of aphrodisiacs coming into play. vampire!Izuku x reader. this is a spinoff of Edible Arrangements and takes place after EA 28, but reading EA is not necessary to understand or enjoy this spinoff. this is also a companion piece to Almost Wet. As with Almost Wet, you do not need to read this to understand and appreciate the greater EA fic!

Word count: ~2200 words

“Um, [n-name]?”

You pick up your nose from your book. You’d been glancing over its pages, over and over again, processing not a single word of it. You’re not sure when Izuku entered the library, but he’s here now, looking at you with lip caught between his teeth. Immediately, you notice the thirsty look in his eyes. “Need something, Izu?”

“Well… um…”

You smile, set aside your book. He comes to sit on the opposite side of the library’s new couch—a recent addition, though you can’t remember when Izuku bought it to begin with. It’s nice, though, the texture lovely against your skin as you find your one spare moment this November to just read something. “Come on, spit it out.”

“I’m… I need another drink,” he blurts.

You blink slowly, tilting your head. “Another? I just fed you last night.”

“Yes, but... I’m just… please, [name]. I’m so thirsty.” He’s leaning closer, and you’re adjusting to it, turning to face him. He’s not even lying, not even the faintest hint of a glow to him as he pleads for even one more drop of your blood.

“If you’re really that thirsty, then…” You let out a good-natured sigh, running a hand through your hair. “Have at me. Watch out, though.” You waggle an eyebrow at him. “You’re starting to act like you’re addicted or something.”

He leans over you, and then, again, he’s crawling over your body, muscular arms caging you in.

Today’s been quiet. You haven’t focused a moment, not since last night’s drink. The truth is…

“You’re the one addicted, aren’t you?” he mumbles against the flesh of your neck. He’s so, so close to danger, and that thrill courses through you all over again.

You shudder, let your head drop back to allow him greater access. The second his fangs touch flesh, you can’t fight the shaky breath that leaves your lips.

“You have got to stop teasing me like this,” he mumbles.

“What do you—ah—“ This time, like every time, feels downright sinful, fangs effortlessly piercing skin like they were crafted to do. Of course a tiny moan leaves you. Of course he hears it. Your stomach drops—you’re in deep shit this time. You expect him to jump off of you, to flurry apologies your way until you find a way to convince him that really, it’s fine, but he doesn’t.

He pulls back, slow, lathing his tongue over the new wounds even though he must have barely gotten a few drops from you. “See, that’s exactly what I mean. D-do you have any idea what you do to me?”

He’s back again in a moment, switching sides and moving you to do it without question. You let him, feeling the sweet pain of his teeth on your neck, the sweet rush of his venom flooding into you. It’s small, at first—just enough for the pain to slip away, but quickly, that fluttery, woozy feeling rushes to your head.

It’s so… nice.

“I’m not wrong, am I?” he says as he pulls off again. That, too, was barely a bite. “You love this.” A graze of his teeth, further up your neck. His hands move to reposition you firmly, but not painfully, gripping your shoulders. You shudder with each flash of his teeth on your skin. “You’d let me bite you whenever I wanted.” Again. “However I wanted.” Again. “Wherever I wanted.” Again. “Isn’t that right, [name]?”

You nod, words dying in your throat. “God, Izuku, you tell me to stop teasing and then you—“

He captures your lips, and there’s not another word to be had between you.

Izuku is a surprisingly good kisser, especially for someone who likely hasn’t kissed anyone since he was human. (Or maybe he has. That would be a long time to go without it.) Every sensation of it has your synapses firing, the world a cascade of nothing but experiences. Already you’re dizzy, already your head’s spinning. You kiss back with a fervor that has him moaning openly into your mouth.

This is what you’ve wanted. This is right.

Before long, hot, open-mouthed kisses trail off your lips and trace your jawline. Before longer, he’s on your neck again, sucking hickeys into bite marks and kissing each and every one.

“How are you ever going to be able to move on from me if you let me keep this up?” he mumbles into your throat. “After all I’ve done?”

You shudder, eyes half-lidded. “Whaddaya mean?”

“You’re going to be covered in scars,” he breathes. “I’m going to have you marked everywhere.”

You laugh, feeling delirious from the speed of it all. Perhaps also something else taking hold—each successive bite has left you ever loopier, ever more sensitive. “You bite too pretty to scar. You’re gonna have to be a bit rougher with me if you want the marks to last.”

Though his cheeks are red, it doesn’t impede him. “I-I could do that. I could bite you places future boyfriends will never be overlook. Harder, deeper, to make sure the bites never leave.”

You regard him with hot cheeks. “You could.”

“May I?”

“Please.”

The flurry of heat, teeth, and blood descends on you. You’re overtaken by Izuku’s mouth—buttons of your button-down top popping away, flesh decorated with new smears of blood, new open wounds dotting your neck, your collarbone, the swell of your breasts. And again, with each new bite, each lathe of his tongue over your wounds, your head grows hazier. Each bite is small, closed up quickly—you don’t think it’s blood loss carrying you away. (Not that you can think.)

“I’ve seen the way you look at my teeth, you know.”

“Zuku—“

“You like this, don’t you? Love it, even?”

“Zuku—“

He’s moved away from the exposed swell of your breast now, taken your left hand—your unburned hand—in his. Your wrist is wrapped completely by his large hands, and he meets your eyes with a viridescent smoke as he takes your wrist to his lips. “Even if I could change you. Even if I could control you. Even if I could make you do anything I asked?”

“You don’t need to enthrall me to do that.”

“But you’d like it if I did?”

You don’t even hesitate to nod. In that moment, all you can see is vivid green eyes and stark white fangs. In your mind, he moves, sinks his teeth into the flesh of your wrist, stares at you so sweetly as he takes over your head. In your mind, he wants you to give yourself completely to him. In your mind, you would have been compliant, but you lose that choice willingly. In your mind, neither of you looks away.

In this reality, however, he places a single, soft kiss there and firmly places your wrist on the sofa. He has other plans for you, apparently. He pulls you by your legs with ease, until his hips slot against yours and you’re flat on your back. You’re glad you chose some of your shorter sleep shorts today. Glad he has access.

His teeth brush against your inner thigh with barely an effort from him. You flinch in spite of yourself, and he reaches up to hold your leg firmly in place. "Careful," he mutters, more to your thighs than you, "it's dangerous here."

It is. It is dangerous, and danger is delicious, especially with your head swimming the way it is.

Izuku, you think as he moves in, because it's all you can think.

"Izuku," you gasp when he begins to suck on the soft flesh, because it's all you can say.

"Izu—" you barely manage when he pulls away to reveal the already-forming hickey he's left there, because it's all you can manage.

He's shifting position again, now, hungry eyes devouring your form as he pulls your clothes away. Your shirt had been hanging on by a thread before, but now, it's gone, your bra pulled out of the way before you can process or even blink, lips closing over your unloved nipple. This isn't happening. It can't be, and yet, all you can see is the fluffy mass of curls on his head as his tongue swirls around your bud. However, even when he's making you see stars—too much, it's all too much, why is this so much—he can't shut up.

"I'm glad to have you to test on," he says when he comes up for air.

"Nn?"

"I had a theory that vampire venom was a bit more than just a painkiller, you know? And I think we're proving it quite nicely. Can I test it out some more?"

You nod, shallow. All you can comprehend is that last word—more—and that's more than enough for you. Every touch he leaves on your skin, every kiss, every bite, every tease, leaves your skin singing out for more—heightened, sensitive, sweet.

Time has blurred. You process when he bites your unmarked thigh, holding you down with a firm grip (later you'll think it was for your safety, though the ease of it alone has you shuddering). You process the feeling of heat flooding through you, a new wave crashing down on you, and you process that when the heat clears, his eyes watch from beneath your legs with a sharp, calculating look. Only then do you feel his tongue. Only then do you realize you've been keening out his name this whole time, a mantra, a chant—Izuku Izuku Izuku—until it doesn't sound real anymore.

And damn, is he good with his tongue. Or maybe he's just good at reading you—the way your voice pitches when he moves just right, the way your hips threaten to buck if not for his hands holding you down. He's certainly good enough to know exactly the right moments to pull away from you to leave you whining.

"Be patient," he tuts, "I'm not done with you yet."

You tug at him, finally find the strength to move an arm and bury fingers in his hair. And then, he's back on you, a man starved, building, tongue lathing over your clit and dipping inside of you until that knot's back in your stomach, pulling tighter, tighter, taut—

"Izuku please," you nearly cry when he pulls off of you again.

He laughs, and it sounds sadistic to you as he presses soft kisses to your thighs again. "I can't help it. This isn't just about you, you know."

He sounds too sweet as he takes the time to once again leave small bites on your thighs. Like you needed even more of that damn aphrodisiac to—to—

There's his tongue again. This time, you're determined to hold him down until he makes you cum, tugging at his hair, but you find your hands weak with the pleasure. He pulls off of you and you find that you are crying, even as he pulls away entirely and mumbles soft apologies your way.

When he slides into you, you see stars. It's easy, you're slicker than you've ever been—you're well-prepared but he's big. You didn't even see him undress—a true tragedy, but one you can't find that you care about now that his cock's speared you. The edging had been necessary, even with all the help of vampire venom flooding through you and turning you stupid.

He's so, so gentle. He has to be, with the way he stretches you out. It takes ages for him to move, and when he does, you feel every inch—slow and deliberate and so, so good. Worth the hell of the wait, even as you find yourself now chanting more instead of his name. It feels like it takes years for him to pick up the pace, and then he's losing himself, pressing into you to the hilt again and again.

"More," you cry.

"I wanna make this last," he replies, but he only thrusts faster. His speed and force, more and more of both, until all that's left is to let your mouth hang open and feel it. It's so good, so good, so—

Your eyes open, your will to keep them closed nowhere to be found. Being awake is unpleasant—the heat between your legs damp and slick and your stomach fluttering with the effects of a dream you could have happily kept having.

And then you remember.

You fell asleep next to Izuku last night.

You shoot up, sitting bolt upright as you take in your surroundings with a sense of dread. You're expecting to see his face, red, eyes wide with disgust because you're stupid, so stupid, how could you—

But he's not here. In fact, you're not on the floor next to him and Sbeve anymore. You’re in your room, in your bed (not slept in for a good few nights before this), fully dressed and alone, the door shut. He must have woken up before you and carried you to bed.

You decide two things:

One, that there’s no reason not to finish the job. (Your hand slides down to the heat between your legs.)

Two, that after this, you’re going to forget any of this ever happened.

It’s all you can do.

Tags: @tooloudarts​ @xxangelpridexx​ @lirinstaalem @izoodles​​ @denise-the-death-goddess @themerpenguin​ @sincerelybubbles​ @fudobaby​ @imabootywarrior​ @chickynn​ @fuc-kingmonkey​​ @the-secret-thief​​ @kc-korra​ @kiliakit​ @hay-leeeah​ @meowkid1000​ @mha-baku-todo-deku-kiri​ @jojo-buttercup​ @starfishlovingbnha​​ @wwwwyamd​ @omiwashere​ @emilytheeggy​ @subwayslander​ @thelittle-witch​ @sparkexplosive​ @shoutaaizawas​ @vanilladyfics​ @stargazerunlimited​ @chaoticevilbakugo​ @deeplightgarden @stxrrielle @idonthaveanameideayet @snowymaltese @bnha-babygirl @graywrites20 @dusstory @sky-angel101

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[lilacsandpetals]

First of all, I want to say thank you for making this beautiful fanfic Frozen Bloosom. It was almost perfectly written. I barely attached to any fanfics x readers before, especially from MK franchise. But When I discovered your writings, I was hooked up and couldn't stop re-reading all the parts. And this is the first time I have written my admiration for someone this long.

You described Bi Han accurately and fit the current situation. And you didn't force us (readers) to steal the spotlight or make us mary-sue-ish.

And I like that you gave us (the readers) a position as apprentice fighters in the Lin Kuei instead of making us the typical main characters who get miracles directly. You make us (the readers) humble individuals, willing to sacrifice for the sake of our family and the clan involved by marrying someone who doesn't seem to want us in the beginning. This is very relatable to life in the real world.

You successfully made this fanfic quite correlated with the timeline created by Liu Kang and not too contradictory. When I read it, in my headcanon, I felt that in his other timelines, Liu Kang deliberately made the marriage between the two clans happen so that there would be no more divisions and conflicts that would destroy the order of Earthrealm.

I feel like when you wrote it, Liu Kang chose us (the readers) to be Bi Han's redemption. Liu Kang aspires for us (the readers) so that one day we would be able to melt Bi Han's cold heart and prevent a major conflict in the earth realm or with his brothers.

Love takes time, and I like the process experienced by Bi Han and the readers. not too straightforward but also not too draggy. You didn't make Bi Han look 'simp' towards us, in fact, you created us to also make an effort to open Bi Han's heart and accept us as his partner.

I like how you keep our lore (the readers' lore) to a minimum so that we (the readers' lore) have the freedom to select and build our own OC lore (this may be due to my poor habit of shipping canonXheadcanoon or is it me who never read fanfic reader, but whatever).

The point is that I adore Frozen Bloosom. It's beautifully written and not forced.

Thank you much for the compliments, I really appreciate that 💖 I'm so happy that you've been enjoying my writing as well, and I appreciate you leaving such kind comments 💕💙💕

Yeah I tried to write Bi-Han as carefully as I could and I try to keep a balance of him and the reader for each chapter. Initially I was worried about how Bi-Han might come off because my main knowledge of him comes from MK1. I played the other MK games here and there but I don't remember too much.

I tried to make the reader's position as nuanced as I could. I didn't want to make them seem like they came off as perfect right from the start. I wanted some development throughout the story. I usually prefer flawed or complex reader x character stories so I'm glad that's the vibe it gives off. Plus I'm a sucker for characters caught in an arranged marriage they aren't thrilled about.

I like that headcanon of yours! And yes that's why I tried to set it as an AU for the MK1 timeline. In my mind, it would make it harder for Bi-Han to turn towards a darker path.

Yesss I love slow burn romances so I definitely wanted to make sure I portrayed that correctly. It takes two to make a relationship work so it was important for me to show that evolution of effort on both ends. Balancing the line of not moving along too fast and not dragging it can be a bit difficult, so hopefully I can keep up that balance :)

Mhm I try to keep the reader's background minimal so it's easier for them to self-insert or insert an OC, etc.

Again, thank you much for reading. 💕✨💕✨

[ceeturnalia]

🍓& 🕯️

🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction? 

picture it, if you will. a farmhouse in the early 80s. a young girl is obsessed with The A-Team. she loves it when a plan comes together. wouldn't it be great, she thinks, to write a story about the A-Team outwitting the feds once again? and so she does. why she does it in crayon on her bedroom wall, however? we'll never know.

🕯️ ⇢ on a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy editing? why is that?

11. 15. 27. i love it so much. the writing is in the editing, man. writing is rewriting. i can't post WIP because i need a multi-draft process to be satisfied with a work of any substantive length. and i get off on it. this makes me so happy. it also makes me want to walk into traffic, but in a good way?

i don't do it often anymore but on LJ i used to write to strict word counts, usually with a prompt or two provided by my flist. by this i mean i'd have 10 people give me 2 words apiece and then construct the finished work as ten 200-word segments which also had to contain the prompt words. writing like that is almost entirely editing. it's an intellectual and creative challenge. like that really is what editing is about, or at least editing yourself is.

sidenote: if you can develop the skill of writing to tight word counts while expressing ideas in both clear and interesting ways, i guarantee you there's a nonprofit who needs a grant writer and they will be thrilled to turn your yaoi-honed abilities toward not going broke.

sidenote sidenote: one. hundred. fucking. words.

[irisbleufic]

i’m so new to your dm fic and i can’t fathom the sheer volume of work you’ve put out! it’s amazing and i’ve so many questions for you!!! how was the writing process for caldera? did you have everything written before posting? was it ever daunting just how much you figured you could write for these two??? i see you’re a novelist so this may be light work for you, but as someone whose never written over 40k at once, would you have any advice for writers who want to write something as long as your series one day? thank you so much for sharing your fic! it’s wonderful :’3

Hi there, anon! Thanks for giving me a fantastic ask to focus on between fits of grading and writing on this rainy, rainy afternoon. I'd be glad to answer your questions here; I'm so happy to hear you're enjoying the stories across my Devil's Minion series. It's been an absolute thrill to write so far, and it continues to be.

The writing process for Caldera is ongoing. I didn't have everything written before posting; I never write that far ahead even if I have a mental outline or a running file where I dump broader series plot-related notes. Over the years, I've developed an incredibly compulsive average daily writing quota. The rule is that I can spend that time on whatever kind of writing I'd like, and when I'm between projects for publication? That is always, always fanfiction. So, I manage to clock about 2k words on low-output days and 4k-ish on high output days. In a fanfiction context, 2k-4k is, for me, the average length of a fic chapter. Between that and my baseline unusual hyperfocus for writing in particular, that's how I'm able to manage those daily updates (and, if not daily, certainly every other day or every couple; at the moment, the main reason for those rare gaps has been shaky health).

It used to be daunting to me, when I was a younger writer, when I started to realize how ambitious my plot arcs for fandom writing series were turning out to be. The first fandom series project that reached around 200,000 words was my last year as an undergrad, and that was almost 20 years ago. I'm right around 40 now, so to say that I've spent literally half my life working out what I can do and what I can't do is no understatement. Spend enough years persistently writing, fuck-ups and all, and you will eventually get to the point where you can say, all right, this pairing, this fandom, this is going to be a long-haul for me. I have a lot I'd like to do with it, so let's buckle in and see what happens. I realize that not all writers get to this point; it's different for everyone. But many writers who write daily for years on end will usually find that whatever once daunted them, whatever that happens to be, no longer daunts them. And that's when you can really, really start to have fun. It's still work, but it doesn't feel like work anymore, if that makes sense.

My advice to you would be: take a look at where you are right now. How many years have you been writing? If not years, then how many months? What are your writing patterns? Do you manage to write daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly? If so, start charting these finer details. Get a handle on how often you tend to write, or how often you can find the time to do so. How much do you manage to write in a session? How many sessions does it take you to reach a completed project of 40k? If you can start to understand what your patterns are (look, I'm deeply Autistic about this whole process, but I suspect you'd gathered that by now), then you can start to assess what you have the potential to accomplish. You can start setting concrete goals for what you'd like to accomplish. If you're not sure how to break an ambitious series arc for which you don't yet have all the details down into beats, maybe just start with the first quarter of it. Gauge how many stories you'll need to get that far. Then, once you've reached that point, do a continuity re-read and reassess. My method is a combination of organization and fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants, although I admit that I can get by on pantsing alone if I really want to. You start thinking on your feet; you start writing reactively to your own content. And experience will make this easier.

I hope that some of this resonates with you, and if it doesn't resonate, at bare minimum I hope it makes sense. I wasn't the kind of kid anybody ever expected to become a writer. Nobody thought it would be possible. A lot of things weren't supposed to be possible for me. But I stubbornly latched onto something I learned that I loved; stubbornness and love can get you farther than you'd think. Be stubborn, and just...love them. Love the characters and the worlds you find in your hands. That's why most of us end up in fandom in the first place. So many kinds of love in the world fail us, but loving the imaginary lets us create even when other forms of love do not. Sappy as it sounds, that's a literal miracle.

[techramonic]

you wanted to do investigative journalism for a while, right? How’d you get into that?

Yes anon, thanks for asking! This is going to be a bit long haha, but I enjoy this question a lot.

I've always been interested in journalism. In 4th grade, I had already been joining competitions for news writing and broadcasting. That's when I started seeing patterns with the consistency of crimes being on the headlines. Of course, it didn't matter so much to me at the time. Overtime, I started being more curious about the news and watching shows and documentaries about scene of the crime opperatives. I inherited my curiousity from my dad, whk consistently kept up with the news either on telivision or newspaper.

Those that get reported almost always include violence. Murder, war, human rights violations. What impacted me was that I began to notice the detachment of peers around my age to the matter. You know, the “Who cares? It's cool to own a gun anyway.” mindset that the media embedded. As if violence is a virtue. I didn't want to be indifferent or supportive of that idea. I was totally against it. To them, crime is a normal everyday occurence, to me, it's a societal epidemic that needed to change.

I've tried out academic debates and while I was good and even won a medal for my speech about pro-vaccination in 10th grade, it wasn't for me. By junior year, I was more involved in campus activism and journalism. I am currently joining the news writing for my high school and last year I was the head editor of our humanities and arts writing journal. In competitions I have joined like writing, slam poetry, and art, I've voiced out about agricultural disparities, recognition and protection of cultural minorities and LGBTQ+, anti-war, anti-political apathy, etc. I've won several of them and at the same time, I also jumped back into researching true crime. I shifted from serial killing to mass murder because I saw that media is more prevalent with the influence on mass murderers. With this, I thought I could at least provide readers a more in-depth prespective on what contributes to such phenomena occuring.

Plus, I've also been a big fan of Sociology. It became a cornerstone for me to focus on the complex aspects of human behaviour and how society shapes us. I figured that with it, I could learn more on the sociological imagination behind crime, specifically how criminals have the tendencies to be very drawn to violence, and how this is primarily due to how our society and the media plays a crucial role in subconsciously provoking and enforcing the mindset of romanticisation. People always blame the media all the time, but we're forgetting that the media is what society wants us to see. It's the manifestations of the reality we live.

The kill count on journalists are high, especially with politics involved. Guess you can call me kick buttowski for being a daredevil. My family and friends have always been worried, even my dad. However, they know that it's my ambitions and as long as I stay safe, they'll be happy. I'm well aware that I might get a bullet through the head in a field like this and I have to process paper after paper about the gruesome realities of life, but if that's what will help the people, then so be it. Some people have said that I'm "empathetic" or "big-hearted" for being so courageous and wanting to pursue a career that isn't necessarily stable and in actuality, dangerous, but in truth, I'm as normal as anyone else. Everyone can be help people. The only thing is I don't want to do it for the thrill or just for fame, I really want to help people and make a change on our society, even if I have to build it brick by brick and the process is excruciatingly slow.

I think dying for that would be a good cause, and truthfully speaking, I am not hoping to die anytime soon because I want to help people out, you know, collectively. I want to be able to better understand the patterns behind the perpetuation of crime and also help others be aware and understand instead of being indifferent or supportive of crime. I want to be able to contribute to the public discourse on justice and accountability. I aim to not only inform the public but also to provoke critical thinking and inspire action in advocating for societal change.

[lady-of-endless]

JJBA part 3 & part 6 match-up for @critter-paw

Author's Note: I love writing and talking about matchups. The whole process is fun so thank you for another trade. I also appreciate all the matchups that I got from all!

(Lovely gif is not mine, I'll thank the owner for it)

From part 3, I ship you with...

Kujo Jotaro

(Again. Yes. I know. But I'll adapt it to his personality from part 3. I just can't get enough of you two.)

- This stoic guy is secretly a sucker for kindhearted people, and he notices you being one from the start, even if you're reserved. He still understood that. Jotaro will see how you always listen to others and secretly wish it was him the one you paid attention to like that. But then he remembers he doesn't like opening up to someone forcefully.

- So it is known, he's not too open nor friendly to people at first. He enjoys that your presence is not pressuring him into weird conversations. In time, everything feels more natural and you two start warming to each other and surprise (not) it feels good.

- And to know that you have brains too? Where are you coming from?

- I already said that he would admire your interest in Psychology and Criminal Justice but now I want to mention your interest in Botany. He finds it peculiar in a good way. I imagine that seeing you talk about plants motivates him to indulge in his own interest in Marine Biology.

- Too nice? Perfect. It will balance with his apparent harshness. Imagine Polnareff asking you to ask Jotaro something because he looked kind of angry and he's scared. All of the Crusaders will do that. Hot-headed? He loves it. He's looking at you proudly when you have a fiery reaction from time to time.

- He sighs deeply when he hears you apologize so often and to people who don't deserve your attention. It will reach a point when even with the rest of the group around, he'll cup your face with both of his hands and tell you to stop apologising. Even if his tone is serious, his hands are gentle.

- Another power couple coming through, not only because of how well you're completing each other but also aesthetically wise. I feel like this is available with each style you mentioned, I can't say which one he likes the most, his reactions differ. For example, when you go for gothic, he'll feel even more confident next to you. When you wear something pastel, his cheeks will have a rosy tint he'll hide with his hat.

Runner-up: Kakyoin Noriaki - He's secretive about his fascination for you. However, you'll still find him looking at you from afar way too often.

From part 6, I ship you with...

Narciso Anasui

(I know it feels like I've pulled the uno reverse card with this one but hear me out.)

- Anasui is utterly fascinated by you once he notices how you're teasing the people you care for, affectionately. He wishes to get with you to that level too. You'll be able to see the fascination in his eyes crystal clear even if at first he doesn't verbalize it.

- Your emotional intelligence comes in handy when trying to understand his complex personality.

- Psychology and Criminal Justice? He finds it both worthy of admiration and scary. He might feel a bit anxious that you'll judge him and his sins. He'll try to act differently when you're around, trying to be excessively nice but you see right through him. Once you pull him aside and let him know that he doesn't have to act differently and just be himself, he's almost already on his knees to propose to you.

- However, he might still feel just a little exposed when you're around, vulnerable even. It's bittersweet. To know that someone can see right through him but that someone is you? It thrills him in a good way.

- Might also think you're too nice but he's not at all worried about you. He's seen you stand up for yourself before (and he was your biggest supporter, shouting to kick that idiot who tried to disrespect you). He's your fan and a smooth talker too when he wants so expect a good amount of compliments from him. Hell, he'll even go for poetic sweet words just to impress him. He'll put in a lot of work, you're worth it after all.

- About betrayal...He knows how it feels, very well, and hates it that you had to go through it. Someone so lovely and nice. And because he hates betrayal, expect to get pure loyalty from him with no exception.

- I can see him getting baffled an entire day if he sees you in gothic or pastel outfits. Everyone will tease him all day for being whipped and he won't even be able to have a comeback.

Runner-up: Weather Report (ofc): your presence is just so calming to him. He simply finds himself so drawn to you. You'll be the very few people he will open up to.

[alexanderlightweight]

If I missed the window it’s okay! But maybe non-virgin Alec. But he doesn’t consider it anyone’s business so he just doesn’t mention it and is super confused as to why everyone thinks he’s a virgin.

And maybe warlocks can tell so Magnus is also super confused as to why they all think Alec is a virgin?

Mostly I just really hate that we’re still using the whole virginity thing in 2023.

thank you! i had a great time writing this and i really enjoyed the prompt!

You did not miss the window at all and I was happy to get your ask!

i'll explain real quick the direction this fic takes and why some of my fics are the way they are because i've mentioned it but this give's me a chance to expand ^_^

i hardcore headcanon Alec as demi-sexual and the reason I have him be a virgin for most fics is because a lot of demi/ace/aro people force themselves to have sex because they feel like they need to fit in. Like it's expected and required of them to have sex. and it messes a lot of people up because of the stigma of virginity and how it's a bad thing. because they end up having sex with people they think they should be attracted to but aren't really. or they have sex with people they aren't entirely comfortable around or they don't trust completely. for people on the ace/aro spectrum (and this is not true for everyone, experiences vary) there are sometimes a couple people you meet and trust or feel comfortable automatically and also because of that immediate connection and trust, you feel attraction in a way that you normally don't experience and so it's hard to process it.

also i hate the virgin shaming in shadowhunters and how much Alec is put through because of it and i just hate it.

i don't write alec flustered and shy because he's a virgin, i write him flustered and shy and overwhelmed because it's Magnus and the force of what Magnus makes him feel is shocking for him and confusing and daunting but he also wants it. i hope that makes some sense because i feel i went a different way than was expected but i hope you still enjoy!

-

Alec’s never found sex the same kind of thrilling as Jace and Izzy have but, as with many things, he keeps it to himself.

It’s something he’s tried out a few times with downworlders, mainly seelies and a warlock or two. Alec stays away from vamps and werewolves, he knows better than to tempt his fate when he’s vulnerable, especially with the song angelic blood sings. 

Alec’s topped and bottomed and yet neither experience has explained why Jace and Izzy run around like hunters high on a battle and bragging about their exploits while mocking Alec for his apparent lack of.

Which Alec tries to ignore because it’s really none of their business and if he did tell them, he’d have to explain why he doesn’t join them in their casual crassness and public endeavors. Because Alec’s not going to make himself vulnerable for someone in public that he doesn’t trust. Has barely managed to get through the half a dozen tries he’s made at forcing himself to be normal.

It’s a slippery slope however and Alec grows less and less inclined and builds his walls higher and higher, layering himself protectively away.

After all, there’s hardly a need to give his siblings more ammo. They do enough damage with what they do have.

—

Magnus is charmed by Alexander, who flushes when Magnus holds his hands and whose gaze lingers almost longingly on Magnus’ mouth.

Alexander is delighted but confused yet Magnus doesn’t think it’s because he’s a man.  If anything, while Alexander doesn’t seem upset by liking a man, he does seem confused by how attracted he is to Magnus.

It’s flattering in a way that Magnus has long been bereft of it and soothes a wound in his heart as he realizes that Alexander is slow, careful with himself because this is new.

Oh, not the sex with a man part, it’s very clear that Alexander has tried that out. His energy is the flourishing storm of someone whose energy has tangled in passion. However, it’s a muted storm and Magnus notices how it perks up when he’s nearby.

“You’re a wonder, Alexander.” Magnus murmurs, lips pressing to Alexander’s neck as he’s held. Magnus may not have been as weak as he let Alexander believe, but he’d let his reputation take a significant hit if it meant being held like this. Close enough that his mouth kisses the thrum of Alexander’s carotid artery, and he can feel every shiver that his breath induces.

“You intrigue me, darling.” Magnus admits later, as he watches Alexander clean on his knees as to save Magnus’ magic and energy. “Now up, I will clean it later.” And Alexander listens, curious and intent as Magnus pulls him through the loft. 

“No one will bother us here.” Magnus promises and its dark, almost a threat and Alexander looks relieved. “Now come here, you’re a mess.”

Alexander seems confused but eager, his steps quick as he gets to Magnus’ side.

Magnus hums and uses magic to clean up the blood and potion from Alexander’s face and hands and then he reaches out, his fingers hovering over a button.

Alexander says nothing, like he’s afraid to break the silence as if some spell with unravel, but he steps forward and presses up, into Magnus’ hand like a willing sacrifice.

Magnus unbuttons him slowly, one small loop at a time until he can push the shirt down over Alexander’s broad shoulders and let it drop.

“Oh sweetheart, we’re going to have a good time. You and I.” And Magnus means it, knows it’s true with every way that Alexander responds so sweetly to him.

“Magnus I haven’t—” And Magnus waits, hands patiently rubbing circles into Alexander’s hipbones. He knows it’s not sex that Alec’s trying to explain, so he stays patient and quiet. “I haven’t felt like this. Before. Sex, it was. I wanted to try it. To know what I was missing and—” Alexander shrugs and looks embarrassed. “It wasn’t bad it just, I didn’t care. It wasn’t interesting, almost boring but now, with you. I’m—” and his eyes lower, his face ducking down. “I don’t know what’s happening. This is all new.”

“Oh.”

Magnus can barely breathe for the avarice filling him. The gorgeous, darling boy who wants to be so good for Magnus and is so surprised by his own, reciprocal attraction that he doesn’t know what to do or how to handle himself.

“We’ll take it slow.” Magnus promises, “nothing unless you enjoy it. Unless it feels good, only if you want it, crave it.” Magnus lowers his head and mouths at the rune on Alexander’s neck and earns a low, shocked moan. “I’m going to ruin you, pretty boy. I’ll show you what the strength of a connection like ours can mean, hmm?”

Alexander moans, soft and needy and with an excitement that only flames Magnus’ own hunger.

“Yes, please."

[cowboyjen68]

Hey Jen! I hope that the fall season is bringing you good times & gorgeous weather. I’m writing because I really need some advice on how to find some balance & get my brain to behave right now. I’m almost thirty and I’ve dated a handful of women who I’ve thoroughly enjoyed, but I recently met a woman who seems to have taken over my brain in a way that has never happened to me before. The feeling of having this intense, thought-consuming crush is brand new for me, and it’s frustratingly distracting! I enjoy her so much, but I find myself practically consumed with it, and unable to focus on almost anything or anyone else. The thoughts of her are nearly constant and I’m worried that it’s going to ruin my connections with other people & the focus on growth within myself. Do you have any advice on how to gently balance the feelings of an intense crush so that it doesn’t…well, crush me? This seems like such a silly, high school question for me to be asking this far into my life but I’ve genuinely never felt this way before and its a lot to handle!

Love and crushes can dominate our thoughts and bodies and I don't think this is a rare experience. I personally believe that chemistry is a real thing and we can't control how intense it is with another person. It just happens and then we have to figure out how to deal with it.

If you haven't spoken to her about it I would suggest that you are honest with her at least in letting her know you have romantic interest in her. Friendships that fall apart over one not returning more intense feelings are probably not that strong to begin with. You don't have to divulge that you are "obsessed" or go to deeply into the intensity of your feelings. Speaking with her and getting an idea of her interest can help to manage your feelings.

If she is not interested that sort of clarity or closure can help you to work through it more quickly and to "reset" your brain and heart to see her as just a friend. IF you spend all of your time wondering how she feels or if she would be upset or happy at your emotions you end up wasting precious energy that can be spent enjoying your time with her, either as a romantic interest or a friend.

Sometimes writing down a list or journaling can help to get some resolution to feelings that feel over whelming. It is one part getting it all out and one part distraction and one part time spent focusing on it so that you can process things. Walking though Reasons why you like her can give you a good feeling and at the same time start to work out reality vs the idea of love. The idea of some one is often way more impressive that the reality.

The easiest answer is time. Finding a new person you click with, even just a friend, can be very exciting and stoke powerful feel good emotions. Time can ease that thrill into just a comfortable companionship.

Also to reassure you. It is normal and common for use to get into a "bubble" with a new friend and forget to put energy into those that already exist. Good and solid friendships can handle those lapses and eventually you get back to normal. No good friend is ever surprised when they see a buddy "fall" for a new person in her life and most can just wait you out or even be an ear for you to bend in order to figure out just HOW much you like this new woman in your life.

I know none of this is a black and white answer, but I hope some of this will let you know you are not the only woman in the world who finds themselves intensely attracted to a new friend nor will you be the last. You are experiencing a very normal path that many lesbians navigate daily.

[justagalwhowrites]

On writing & reading

Hi Besties!

I'm sorry for clogging up your timelines today, I just finally had some time and had a few things I wanted to reply to and now a few things I'd like to say.

I've been seeing a lot of discourse on my Tumblr about writers supporting writers and how to engage with other creators on this platform. For starters, I feel like I haven't been doing this right? And for that, I apologize. I don't interact as much as I should when I read and when I do, I have a tendency to like and comment but not always reblog. Partially because, for me, comments are my favorite kind of interaction I get? I love anything and everything but hearing your thoughts just makes me feel so good and I try to do that back to people. But it's mostly because I feel like I'm going to clog up people's feeds (the EXACT THING I'm doing now - so sorry!!) and it feels almost narcissistic to be like "yes, my opinion is so important that you all should see the things I enjoy!" But I realize now that this isn't helpful to writers who want more people to see their content. I've already started making a conscious effort to reblog things I enjoy (I don't read as much as I would like and I often read on AO3 so grain of salt all around) and if you're a writer who wants to be friends or for me to see your work or think I'm not doing this right or anything at all? Please let me know! I really do try to build a kind, supportive, loving little corner of the internet here and I want to do better for other creators and for the folks who are nice enough to be here with me.

On a related note, something else I see on here a lot is the desire for readers to interact with the work they're reading. I want to start this off by saying that I TOTALLY GET where other creators are coming from. Getting comments and interactions is very validating and it makes the creative process feel really, really good! There's a sense of collaboration as people comment and follow along as I write a story. It's such a beautiful thing to create and see people enjoy it and want to be a part of it. It's part of the fic writing adventure that I treasure.

That being said, please never feel obligated to interact with my fics in any way. I'm not discouraging you, of course! I LOVE comments and reblogs and asks and DMs and likes. Your words are often the highlight of my day - if not my week - and I feel a little spark of joy every time I see a Tumblr alert on my phone. BUT I don't want that to come at the expense of you and your reading experience. If you're not comfortable interacting and would rather lurk? That's more than fine. I'm so glad you're here. Want to send me a DM because you want to reach out but not publicly? I'd love that, please do. Just want to tap the like button and don't have the mental space to write a comment? Thank you so much for reading and liking, I love that you're spending your time with my work. I decided to write something and give it to anyone who wants to read it, you don't need to pay me for it by way of interaction. I'm just thrilled someone's reading something I made, that's wild to me! I don't want you to hold back on reading something because you don't have the emotional space to interact or are worried about what other people might say if you do. Of course, this is just for me. If other creators hold different boundaries, please respect them. They work hard and deserve to have their work enjoyed in the way they feel it should be. It's their work and we're lucky that they're kind enough to share it with us <3

Anyway, all that is to say, thank you for reading my ramblings and for being a part of this fandom space and making this hobby so fun. When I say I love you, I mean it. I really, truly do.

Thank you for being here. Love you!

[keep-the-wolves-close]

Steady Heart

Chapter 12: Heaven in Hiding

* Pairing: Slow-burn Kayce Dutton x OFC Stella Daniels

* Rating: M? (Still figuring out the rating system) (might eventually be M anyhow)

* Warnings: language, stressed Stella, threatening a police officer(eh? I think? Technically lmao), I think this chapter is pretty tame?

* Word count: 4,711ish

I would love to give credits to @dameronscopilot and @deanscroissant for being sounding boards for me during this whole process, giving outsider insight, being cheerleaders, and allowing me to screech at them about things that have happened during the writing process. I seriously couldn't have gotten this far without y'all

Author's note: I hope everyone is enjoying so far! I hope you love this chapter as well! This one is a longer one too, so thank you for sticking around. I think this is one of my favorite chapters so far.

Rip opened the door for Stella to the foreman’s lodge and quietly told her to make herself at home. She plopped her sleeping bag on the couch that was inside the door. She wasn’t particularly thrilled with having to sleep on it, but it was better than the floor again. Placing her backpack on the table next to the couch, she took off her coat and hung it by the door. Stella could feel Rip’s eyes on her. He must have been trying to figure out if she was going to have a breakdown.

She didn’t bother to stop what she was doing to look at him before she spoke. Opening the scrunch bag her sleeping bag was in, she said tiredly, “I’m fine, Rip.” With a bit of struggle, she wrestled the sleeping bag out. When he didn’t say anything in reply, she broke her focus to find him leaning against the kitchen counter. His arms crossed and his face stoic. Even with the stoicism she could tell he didn’t believe her. “What?” She asked, walking around the back of the couch and mirroring his posture.

He almost broke and let a smirk escape at her crossed arms and the cute little scrunch that had taken over her full round cheeks. Lloyd’s words of them being similar came back to him. He had to think about how he should approach this because he didn’t want her to get angry with him again and hightail it.

“How are you okay with this?”

“I mean, is it tragic? Absolutely.” Stella leaned her hands against the back of the couch. “But one thing y’all have taught me is don’t get stuck in the what ifs. So I’m trying not to. I’m just focusing on what we’re gonna do tomorrow with the sheriff.”

Rip removed his hat and set it down gently on the counter. When he turned back to Stella his eyebrows were raised. “We?”

Stella frowned quizzically at him. “Uh, yeah? We were both involved.”

He shook his head. “No, I don't think we’re gonna mention you.”

“But we can’t just throw you under the bus by yourself! They’re gonna see two sets of footprints, two sets of hoof prints. It was my rope that was used, and I don’t have any sort of alibi, not to mention my finger prints are on your rifle,” she counted all the reasons on her fingers. “How could we keep my involvement a secret? Especially when the feds are probably getting brought in? Killing that bear was a federal offense. Self defense or not.”

He breathed out loudly, almost like a scoff. “You’re overthinking it. You’re brother and Colby, hell any of the wranglers would lie for you in a heartbeat. Hell, we could even get Kayce to say something. I’ll go up the mountain with John early before the sheriff gets here. We’ll take care of second tracks.”

“Someone has to think about it, Rip! You’re acting like we didn’t just witness people die and then kill a federally protected species! And I will not have someone else put their ass on the line for me for nothing.”

“Well we all would. And that’s because we didn’t do anything. It was all me.”

“You realize I’m not going to let you take the fall alone, right?”

“I’ll hide the horses.”

“You think that’ll stop me? We have four wheelers.” She straightened herself but kept her arms crossed. “Hell, I’ll sneak out early and walk up there before y’all even open your eyes.”

Rip bit his tongue. He knew he was walking in thin ice. “Alright, how about this?” He stepped closer to her. He figured he would take both of their opinions out of the equation. Stella looked at the floor, expecting to be scolded like a child. “We’ll let John decide in the morning and whatever he says, goes.”

She snapped her head up at him, taken aback that he was being patient with her. The way things had been between them the past few days had been rough. She automatically expected the worst. She uncrossed her arms and stood up straight and pushed her lenses back up her nose. “Does this mean we’re good now? You’ve got whatever gross out about me being friends with Kayce?”

It was a loaded question, but Rip understood why she asked. Whatever qualms he had with Kayce didn’t have anything to do with her. He knew she was smart enough to deal with whatever Kayce brought her way.

Stella continued with a smile gracing her lips. “Because you remember saying something about getting me into all kinds of shit or whatever?”

Rip had a feeling he knew where this was going, but nodded anyhow.

“Well who’s done it now?” She locked innocent but mischievous eyes with him.

He smacked his lips at her and gave her shoulder a gentle nudge. Stella giggled and stepped backward. “Alright Stella-belle. Go on and get to bed. We’ve got an early morning. I’m takin’ the couch and your sleeping bag as a blanket.”

She made a noise, about to complain, but thought better of it. She didn’t want to fuck the good vibe that was between them again. “Yessir,” she gave him a mock salute and strolled to the bedroom of the lodge.

Once in there she took a moment to herself. The last time she had been in here, she had been waking Lee up because he uncharacteristically overslept. That made the room heavy. It was almost like Lee was here. She wasn’t exactly sure where she stood on the whole ghost thing, but she wouldn’t mind if he did visit her.

Stella went to the lamp that was beside the bed and turned it on to brighten the room. The bun that sat atop her head started to hurt. Her glasses came off, she laid them down on the small bedside table, and unwrapped the scrunchie letting her hair fall around her shoulders. She swiped her hair to the left and realized she wanted out of the jeans she was in. She poked her head out of the bedroom door to see Rip sitting on the couch in quiet contemplation. Leaning on the door jamb she cleared her throat.

Rip’s head swiveled in her direction. He swallowed, not used to seeing her with her hair down or without her glasses. She looked soft and feminine to him, not the scrappy spitfire he was used to seeing. “Yeah?”

“Do you have sweatpants or something I could borrow? I’m tired of these jeans.”

He jumped up off the couch. “Oh yeah, let me get them for you.”

She laughed. “I can get them, Wheelie. Just tell me where they are.”

He stopped short. It had been a long time since she had called him that. He grinned affectionately at her. “Top left drawer of the short dresser.”

A small smile adorned her cheeks. “Thank you,” she mumbled quietly and turned around to go find the offered pants. She found the drawer and pulled the first pair of pants out, quickly slipping out of the offensive jeans and into the much comfier pajama pants.

She walked back to the door and watched Rip get the couch ready to lay down on. He unzipped her sleeping bag and flopped it out to use as a blanket. A soft smile came across her face and leaned her head against the doorway. Even though she wanted to strangle him for the last few days, she really was grateful for his existence in her life. One thing she knew she could always count on was the feeling of safety in his presence. She was so stuck in her own head, she hadn’t noticed him looking at her when he was finished.

His voice came through, sounding like it was in a tunnel as it brought her back to the present. “Stella? Is everything okay?” He took in her comfy appearance and noticed she had chosen his favorite pair of sleep pants.

“Uh, yeah. Everything is okay. I just wanted to say I found the pants and make sure you didn’t need anything else before I laid down.”

“I’m alright Stella-belle. You sleep good, alright?”

Stella smiled and turned around to head to the bed.

The alarm Stella had set for 4:00 am went off quietly under her head in the pillow. She wasn’t going to let Rip get to John first and convince him that she shouldn’t be involved. So she was going to get there first. As quiet as she could in this creaky bedroom, she got up, grabbed her glasses, and creeped out to the door to devise a plan to get to her back pack. It was, unfortunately, still on the table right by a slumbering Rip’s head. Standing at the door she watched him carefully to make sure he was still sleeping. It wasn’t often that she had seen him peaceful. She decided it was a good look for him. There was a slim to none chance of making it happen while he was awake. Unless he was with Beth.

She tiptoed from the bedroom door and around the back of the couch. Halfway around the couch Rip groaned and changed position. She stopped in her tracks. Her eyes closed, shoulders tensed, and jaw clenched. “Fuck,” she whispered to herself. A sigh escaped his lips as he got comfortable and fell back into his snoozing. Stella let out a slow breath that she had been holding. She continued around the side of the couch, and reached out to grab her back pack.

With a quick and quiet snatch, she padded her way back to the bedroom. “All this for the pair of clean underwear in this bag,” she muttered, annoyed at herself. She opened the bag and dug around to find the emergency pair she always carried. Finding it, she gave a quiet ha and changed back into her jeans from the day before. She thanked the gods above that her boots were in here, but had second thoughts of putting them on until she got out outside.

She looked at her bag and decided it would be safe here until they were done later. Picking up her boots, she inched her way out into the living room again. She stopped briefly when she noticed Rip was in a different position. Her eyes squinted in suspicion, worried that he might be waking up. This was about the usual time he started his day.

Carefully, she snuck back around the couch and grabbed her jacket. A swift movement brought the jacket over her shoulders and she slipped her arms through. She put her hand on the door knob and turned it, but it rattled louder than any alarm. The sound was way louder than she intended. A grimace took over and she looked one more time over her shoulder at the sleeping foreman. “Sleep tight,” she murmured.

Hurriedly she closed the door behind her as softly as possible and made her way to the end of the front walkway. Throwing on her boots, she sped off to her car. There was a back road that led up the mountain near that cliff. She would beat them all to the punch.

When she was almost to the barn where she had parked, she slowed her gait to a walk to catch her breath. She loved sneaking but also hated the adrenaline rush that came with it.

Stella made it to her car with a smug smile on her face. She reached out for the door handle. She pulled it rapidly but footsteps rushed up on her from behind. The door snapped closed out of her hand. She gasped and spun on her heel to confront the offender. Her face was in the person’s chest. Leaning back against her car she looked up. It was Rip and he was way too close to her.

“What’re ya doin’, Stella?” He looked down the bridge of his nose at her. The deadpan look on his face and the fact that she’d been caught red handed trying to escape had her mouth hanging open. The two of them huffed lightly in each other’s faces.

“Uh,” Stella struggled to find words, “um.” She swallowed thickly. “I was just coming out to,” her sentence cut short as Rip leaned closer and trapped her against her car with his arms on either side of her. She couldn’t breathe.

He smirked. Amused that he was able to catch her off guard and used it to his advantage. “To what?”

Stella remained speechless. She didn’t have any excuse to give to him.

He called her out, maintaining direct eye contact. “You thought you were gonna be slick and head up the mountain before everyone else so you wouldn’t be told no, huh? What happened to letting Mr. Dutton decide?”

Stella made a groan of complaint relaxing back against her car. She angled her face up at him trying to adjust for the annoyingly close proximity. “I just don’t see how we can logically lie me outta this, Rip.” She admitted in a soft voice. Her hand wound its way up to push her hair out of her face. Her mouth felt dry at being trapped. “Can you back up? I’m not gonna run.” He slowly dropped back a few inches just in case she decided to dart away. It was far enough back that she didn’t feel trapped anymore. “Thank you.” The words were soft when they came out.

“Miss Stella-belle. Always trying to do the right thing.” He chuckled. He grabbed her in a quick hug. “How’d we get so lucky to have heaven in hiding with us?”

Her eyebrows crinkled as Rip pulled away. She tilted her head to the left. “Rip, are you drunk?” She had only ever heard him talk about Beth like that. “I think you need to go back to bed.”

“No, I’m not drunk. Just seeing things in a different light.”

“Okay there, enlightened one.” She patted his chest, trying to get him to back up a few more inches. “Listen, you caught me okay? I’ll wait until he gets here.”

Rip breathed out and backed up. “Alright, I’m trusting you. I’m gonna go get my hat.” He took a few steps backwards and pointed to her, still keeping eye contact. “Don’t make me regret it.”

When he turned around, Stella sagged back in her car again. She was overwhelmed at all the emotions that swirled in her head about the whole situation. “Hellfire.” She breathed out.

Around her the sounds of the ranch coming to life for the day took over the silence. Off to her right she watched as Lloyd, her brother, and the rest of the wranglers filed out of the bunkhouse and toward the barn. None of them, except Lloyd, looked like they were awake yet. She smiled at the sleepy stumble they made.

From behind her car, she heard gravel crunch underneath tires. It caught her attention and she turned to look. John pulled up in his truck. He lumbered out of the tall vehicle. Making his way to Stella he took in the small smile that hung around her mouth. He was glad she was content here, but if they couldn’t convince the sheriff and fish and game what happened was the truth… things wouldn’t be so lovely in a few days.

“Stella, you’re to stay here.” John instructed, interrupting her moment of peace.

Her mouth dropped open with a scoff. “Excuse me?”

Rip added as he stepped up behind them, “she’s bound and determined to be involved.”

“Damn it, that’s because I was involved!” Stella turned and gave John a pleading look.

“I told her she’s overthinking it, sir.” Rip said.

Stella snorted. “Yeah and clearly someone has to because it appears no one has thought that far ahead. Except maybe Jamie if he’s aware of the problem.” She breathed out harshly, collecting herself before she fired off. “Sir, just listen to me for a second.” John waved her to continue.

“The feds are most certainly getting involved. If they see any kind of tampering, which they would pick up on no matter how good we did it, Rip would be tossed even further under the bus.”

She locked eyes with John. “Like I told Rip last night; they’re gonna see two sets of footprints, hoofprints, it was my rope that was used and his rope is still attached to his saddle. I don’t have an alibi and he needs someone else to back up his word about what actually happened! Not to mention my fingerprints are on his rifle and my DNA is on the rope.” John remained quiet as he waited for her to finish. “And I’ll be damned if someone takes the fall for something that I also had a part in and I have no repercussions. I wouldn’t forgive myself.”

John’s hands were in his pockets and Rip placed his hands on his hips when she came to the end of her rant. Each of them for different reasons, but fair reasons nonetheless. John didn’t want her to be in this tight spot, but as he listened to her reasoning he couldn’t deny that she made a good point. Rip was flustered at Stella throwing herself on the tracks for him and everyone she cared about.

“So I say I go.” Stella looked over at the wranglers warming up the horses in the round arena, put her hands in her jacket pockets, and sniffed; the cold making her nose run. She wasn’t sure what had changed in the last few weeks, but she was starting to get tired of the back and forth and constantly having to argue with people.

John cleared his throat. If being involved in the deeper side of things on the ranch is what she wanted, that’s what he would give her. “Okay Stella, you go, but you follow my every direction. Let’s load up on the horses.”

Stella spun on her heels and went to get Abigail ready before either of the men could change their minds.

The ride up the back road started to feel like it would never end. Every step the horses took almost elongated the trail even further. Things between the three of them had been silent the entire way. She zoned out in front of her and Abigail and tried to pass the time by imagining how the meeting with the sheriff would turn out.

John cleared his throat, slowing his horse's gait. “You sure you don’t want to back out now?” He glanced at Stella, eyebrows raised in suggestion. “Because you can turn back here.”

Stella scowled at John. “Damn it, yes, I’m sure. Whatever comes, we’ll work the problem and that’s that.” She heard Rip suck his teeth at her answer. She knew he was hoping for a different reply. “Look Rip, you can be pissed all you want. All I have to say is tough shit homeboy.”

John had to turn his head to the side to avoid his smile being seen. He was glad that his daughter wasn’t the only one giving his foreman a run for his money. He made the right decision to keep her around. That made his mind up. She would come out of this just fine.

They trotted up and the sheriff and his team were already here. John turned to Stella and Rip. “Don’t speak unless spoken to, and don’t give too many details. Bare minimum unless I say otherwise.” It was mostly a warning for Stella because Rip already knew how things went.

Stella nodded with a mock salute. “Yessir.”

John was the first off of his horse. He slowly made his way over to the sheriff. Rip got down and grabbed Stella’s reins. She frowned for a second, but recovered her face to neutral when Rip held out a hand for her to use to dismount. ‘What the actual?’ Stella questioned herself. Rip shook his hand at her telling her to get a move on and take his hand. She grabbed it carefully and swung her leg over, using his hand like a springboard to catch her weight as she hopped off of Abigail. There was a quiet breath of sound that left Rip’s mouth as he supported her jump.

Her feet hit the ground with a solid thud. “You know I could’ve gotten down just fine right?” She looked up at Rip underneath the brim of his hat, since they were still hidden by the large mare. Instead of dignifying her objection with a verbal response he clucked at her and wound his arm around her placing his hand in the small of her back, effectively turning her toward the problem at hand. He led her up to stand next to their boss who was at that cursed tree next to the cliff.

When the duo got closer to the cliff, Rip could feel Stella tense through his hand still on her lower back. Her feet stopped abruptly, not wanting to go any further. He rubbed his hand against her shoulders to reassure her that she was safe. Stella breathed out willing her feet to quit sticking to the ground.

John looked over the edge at the people bringing up the tourists. Rip placed Stella in between himself and the tree behind John. He wanted to hide her from the view of the police. He didn’t want her to be here at all if he was fully transparent with himself.

Stella wasn’t exactly thrilled at being that close to the edge. She’d almost fallen to the same fate of the tourists if it wouldn’t have been for Rip gripping her up. She was fine standing back in the shadows for the time being though. She couldn’t believe she had actually convinced John that she should be involved. Now that she was here, she wasn’t sure what steps to take next. She didn’t think she would have gotten this far.

“What a fuckin' mess, John.” Sheriff Donnie Haskell announced looking disappointed.

“You'd think these tourists would learn the wilderness isn't a theme park.” John said as he paced over to Donnie. Stella followed Rip’s lead and hung back by the tree.

“That's not what I'm talking about.” He motioned to the bear. “I'm talking about that.” Stella grimaced at the memory. Brown bears and grizzly bears were her favorite animals besides horses. It hurt that Rip had to do what he did, but they would be human pâté if he hadn’t.

Donnie continued. “Now I gotta get an agent up here from Fish and Wildlife. That's a federal offense. What's the ETA on Wildlife?” Stella had to hide the smirk that wanted to appear at having someone else tell John and Rip the same thing she did.

“Said a few hours.” One of the other officers answered from a few feet away.

John went in on the defense quickly. “It was self-defense, Donnie. Let's not overreact here.”

“They’re out here looking for a bear you told them to hunt.” Donnie fired back.

Rip leaned back against the tree and looked at the ground. Stella was feeling like they were in the principal’s office. She made sure the second part of the tree trunk was behind her and rested back on it and angled her body toward Rip. She couldn’t help herself and leaned against his shoulder for some safety. He put his arm around her shoulders and he gave them a squeeze. He knew she was out of her element, but he wanted her to know neither John nor himself would steer her wrong here.

“I told them to haze it out of here before it killed my cattle.”

“Here's the picture Fish and Wildlife are gonna paint. They are up here hunting illegally, kill an endangered species.”

Rip turned and let Stella go as he blew out a breath. He was getting angry at what the sheriff had to say. Stella tried to quietly keep him from exploding.

“Witnessed by two tourists that they then throw off the fucking cliff. Then he gives me some bullshit story about throwing them a rope… And both of them, John, both of them slip.”

Stella’s blood pumped through her ears like a drum beat. “It was actually me who threw them the rope. It’s missing from my saddle. You can check. And everything we’ve told you is true.”

“We’ll see about that, Stella.” Donnie’s voice foreboding.

“I'm calling Jamie.” John determined.

“You're gonna need him.”

John pulled out his phone “Jamie. I got a real problem, and you're not here to fix it. Call me back.”

“Look at me Rip.” He leaned to face her fully. “Everything is fine. We’re gonna be okay.”

“It doesn’t help that Haskell is being a prick about it.”

“I get it, I do. But the problem is, this is a huge fuck up. On our part, on his part, and he’s probably pissed he’s gotta fill out a bunch of paperwork.”

He gazed down at her speechless at her ability to stay lighthearted when the situation was far from it. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to his chest. Placing a solid kiss on the top of her head to let her know the message was received. He let her go just as quickly as he had grabbed her. Stella didn’t even have time to open her eyes before he backed up a few inches.

John marched over to the pair. “They're gonna make a real stink out of this.”

“That's what I get for trying to do the right thing. I should've just buried them all.” Rip sounded defeated. Like he had already accepted the fate of going down for this.

“Hey knock it off. What’s done is done and you were trying to do it right.” Stella nudged his arm.

John stepped away to the space in between her and Rip. “Where were you standing, Rip?”

“Both of us were right here. Stella scooted back a bit when the bear charged, but we were both right here.” He pointed to the animal. “I mean, if that ain't self-defense, I don't know what is.”

“If that's where you were really standing.”

At the same time Stella and Rip went in on the sheriff.

“Hey, Donnie!” Rip started.

Stella shouted. “Oh come off it!”

Rip stalked over to Donnie. “There's powder burns on his fucking nose, man. Why don't you do your job?”

Stella placed herself in between the sheriff and Rip. “After the tourists fell, the bear came up over the hill. It gave a warning stomp once, then charged. It gave no time for adjustment. At all. You’d be an idiot to not know that was self defense!” Stella put herself in Donnie’s face.

Donnie looked down at Stella unthreatened. “John, you better calm your attack dog and attack dog in training down here, or we're gonna have this conversation in town.”

Rip witnessed Stella’s fist ball up and knew she was about to crank that Soulja Boy back to let a solid punch fly. She stepped backward to brace herself to throw the punch. Rip grabbed her hand and forced her fingers to interlock with his. They didn’t need her catching a charge for assaulting a police officer.

“Rip, Stella. Go to the house and wait for Fish and Wildlife.” John called them off.

Rip pulled Stella away from Donnie with their still interlocked hands. He pushed her in front of him and forced her away from the problem and to her horse. Rip sniffed indignantly at Donnie and trailed after Stella. They briskly walked past John, to which the foreman and ranch owner shared a look.

John came up to the sheriff. “I got enough problems without you inventing more for me.”

Sheriff Donnie scoffed. “Look, John, somebody kills a bear, and ten thousand vegans send letters to their Congressman. They won't send one goddamn letter for those tourists.” He raised his voice when John walked away. “Now you should have buried that thing in a hole before I got here, 'cause I ain't the problem, the Feds are.”

[cinnamostar]

Hiii 👋🫶

I thought this would be a better way insted of commenting probably three parts 😅

Soooo this is about your newest chapter "Five dates to fall in love" :)

III LOVED THIS CHAPTER SOOO MUCH!!! 🫶🫶

Hyunjin's introspection on his actions and insecurities made him so relatable. I don't see him as a bad person, just someone tangled up in self-destruction, hurting others in the process. Yet, I find him relatable and approachable. Ofc this doesn't mean there shouldn't be consequences.

Another thing I wanted to mention: Your writing is a masterpiece—it's vivid, almost poetic. That sentence about guilt settling in his stomach was phenomenal ("The guilt that made its home in his stomach began to rumble, the bitter taste of it overpowering his sense [...]")! Reading it, I could practically see and feel his emotions (even while I was on work :D). Your storytelling creates such a immersive experience.

Now, back to the story—the market scene was super adorable, and their interactions were just delightful. The ending, though, that was the highlight for me. Reader struggeling between their anger and kindness felt so real.

I loved how reader reflected afterward and was like: "I can't place my emotions second." "There have to be consequences." (my word choices are a bit plain - I hope you get what I mean)

I mean - Reader doesn't have to be mean to him, but I'm so thrilled they prioritized their emotions and hurt over brushing it aside.

Even though I understand Hyunjin's perspective and believe in his remorse, it doesnt erase reader's pain. And that's why I appreciate how they stood up for themselves. It's not about being mean, but acknowledging and asserting their feelings. Your depiction of emotions is spot on.

In conclusion, I just want to express my admiration for your writing—it captures emotions in a way that feels incredibly relatable. I'm genuinely enjoying every bit of this story. Thanks a bunch for sharing your talent! 🫶🫶

I hope you are doing well & have a great dayy!! 🫶

OH MY GOSH HELLO :')!!! this is perhaps the sweetest message i've ever gotten abt my writing and it absolutely made my day, thank you so much <333

im so happy to hear it didn't come off as me trying to pin hyunjin as the bad guy in the story - i was worried it would feel that way with the beginning portion, but i also feel like its important to show that the reader isn't wrong in their emotions, and they also have a support system in place. that's also why later in the story i did my best to focus on hyunjin's own internal struggle with the situation because while what he did was extremely hurtful, he is still capable of recognizing his wrongs and can still feel guilty for it. and its not an easy change for him either! theres also the struggle of him accpeting this as truth now, which is hard when he has been living under another version of reality for two years! he's still human at the end of the day

i wanted the market scene to be exactly that, just a demonstration of the awkwardness of their relationship now, but as well showing that they can be friends despite everything that has happened. my issue with a lot of enemies to lovers stories is how easily the reader accepts the love interest back,,,, and i dont wanna do that because the reader's hurt still matters and one shouldn't throw their feelings aside bc someone else made a mistake and realized it. :o but still! i think it takes a lot of grace to be able to treat someone kindly after all that, so thats also why i added that layer of turmoil for hyunjin to struggle with LOL

my goal is just to show the depth of each of their emotions and perspectives! at the end of the day, theyre both good people trying their best in this silly mess theyre in

THANK U SM FOR YOUR COMPLIMENTS TOO ;w; this absolutely made my week and im sosoososos happy that i was able to portray everything properly!! THANK U I LOVE U AND I HOPE U HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY+WEEKEND <333 mwah