#I had to do a bit of self promo sorry

[montypythonswine]

If you want to watch some of these videos I have a Monty Python playlist; https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDPplNn3owfZ8lQf1BWm2JMf7UYhr5zUC

[desperate-daydream]

can I request Seth Clearwater x male reader

where male reader is Bella younger brother Seth age but he phases and becomes a shifter and nobody knows how or why Seth and male reader imprint on each other and just being cute and wholesome with each other but Jacob is giving male reader a hard time saying thing like Bella should have been to phase and if did she imprint on me and ECT but Seth put stop to that put Jacob in his place after he make male reader cry

🍎 Twilight

❀ Seth Clearwater x male (shifter) reader ⚣︎

A/N: thanks for the request and sorry for the long wait, I had a terrible writers block until today and then I just wrote the whole thing in one go XD, and I know ugh, self promo but I have a twilight story on Ao3 with the main being Bella’s twin and Jake imprinting on him (maybe some of you will like that too even if it’s not that similar to this story) (that’s also why it felt so weird to write Jake so mean XD I basically just finished a chapter from that story before writing this one, but I hope you like it)

tags/warnings: set in eclipse (aka the movie where Jake is kinda toxic), Jake is mean and has some issues, reader is Bella’s younger brother, also I wanted Bella to be a good sister, reader is a shifter and imprints on Seth

here‘s the link to the story on my Ao3:

so that’s what imprinting feels like

“What happened?!”, Bella came jumping out of her car. Jacob had called her as soon as possible when Paul and Embry had found you in the middle of the forest. You had been scared - not just because there had been two giant wolves in front of you but also because you had just shifted into one too. They had managed to calm you down enough until Sam arrived. He had brought spare clothes from one of their “emergency supplies” that you put on after shifting back. Then they guided you to Jacob’s place. They had thought it would be the best idea since you had technically also grown up together with Bella although now you didn’t really have anything to do with each other anymore. And he was able to call Bella who had rushed over as fast as possible when she had processed what Jake told her. While waiting the other four wolves had already told you the essentialities of being a shifter and basically destroyed your whole world-perception. 

As nice and caring as he had always been, Billy stayed by your side. You had gained a better relationship to Jacob’s dad than to Jacob himself. Especially since you still spent a little bit more time with your dad and therefore also Billy - even if it was just watching a game in your living room. 

Bella came straight to you, only sparring Jake a sideways glance as she was too focused on you. 

“Hey”, her voice was quiet and soft, “oh god, you’re shivering.” She placed her arms around you and pulled you closer. You hadn’t even noticed it until she said it. 

“Just a bit much right now.”

“I know. Let’s go home so you can rest a little, mh?” You nodded. 

“Wait, we still have so much to do now”, Jake said persistently, “You have to tell Charlie too. And what if he shifts again and hurts you?”

Bella now turned completely to him. “You can still do all of this tomorrow. He needs to sleep right now.” 

Jake wanted to start again: “But what if-”

“Jake, let it be for now.” 

That’s all she said before getting up with you and walking to her truck together. 

“How did this happen?”, she asked on the drive home.

“I don’t know.” You put up your legs and put your arms around them even though you felt way too warm. 

“I wasn’t feeling good and wanted to take a walk because it usually helps but then.. I don’t know.”

You big sister sighed and looked at you shortly before focusing back on the road. “Let’s worry about it tomorrow. It’s getting late and you seem tired.”

You only nodded while your eyelids already dropped. 

When you arrived you walked straight to your room and the moment your head touched your pillow you were gone. 

— 

“We’ll do it step for step”, you stood next to Sam who would teach you today how to control your shifting so you would hopefully not hurt anybody around you or yourself - not to mention keeping the secret of the pack. 

What he didn’t tell you then was that they’ve had a discussion just yesterday after Bella had picked you up whether or not they should officially include you in the pack since you were a new and special case. In the end they came to the conclusion that you would need and deserve the help and guide the others could give you. He also didn’t tell you that Jacob seemed a bit too disapproving of this new situation and that he guessed it had something to do with the thoughts he had heard from him that were once again centered on none other than your own sister. 

“Okay”, you nodded; also to convince yourself that everything would be okay. 

“Also, you’re not the only young member, don’t worry. Seth Clearwater, he is your age and has also shifted. You will meet him later at the fire.” 

You had already agreed to come when he and Billy had invited you and Bella to come. Bella had added another dimension to this whole situation when she had told you about the Cullens and the vampire that was going after her. She had calmed you a bit when she reassured that she was as good as always protected by either the vampire family of her boyfriend or the wolves. 

For the rest of the day you tried to shift on command and Sam and his fiancée Emily gave you a few tips on how to control your anger. 

Then you went to the fire where you saw your sister again who immediately asked you how it worked. You still stood a bit away from the others as you told her about your training when you heard a voice. It was directed at Jake so didn’t turn around until the person came to a halt at Jacob’s side.

“Hey man, I saved you some burgers but if you don’t hurry Paul will-” 

The boy stopped in the middle of his sentence when you turned around and your eyes met. Your first thought was: “Holy shit, he’s cute”. Your second one was: “So that’s what imprinting feels like”. And your third was once again: “Holy shit.”

Butterflies started fluttering in your stomach and the heat rose to your cheeks as you looked at the boy in front of you with wide eyes who still hadn’t closed his mouth. 

To your luck Sam and Emily were still next to you and immediately understood what was happening. Sam suppressed a chuckle and introduced you to each other.

“(Y/N), this is Seth, the boy I told you about today. Seth, this is our newest pack-member, (Y/N).”  

You saw his mouth form your name before he stuttered out a “hi”. 

You willed your body to move again and said “hi” back just as stuttery. 

“Uh-uhm..”, Seth started and was once again saved by Emily. “Why don’t we go to the others already.” 

You nodded and then followed the other boy your age closely. What you didn’t notice was the pissed expression that had appeared on Jacob’s face. All of you was focused on Seth.

You sat next to each other and soon the gossip made it’s round so soon after Billy was finished with telling the first legend everyone knew what just happened. 

Leah, who Seth had introduced as his older sister, looked at you with narrowed eyes but didn’t do anything else. 

Throughout the evening your hands had brushed together a few times which had sparked the fluttering in your stomach everytime. And you had probably inched even closer together after some time too. 

It was a bit awkward at first but it didn’t change the fact that you felt comfortable sitting next to him while listening and laughing with the others. 

You were sad when saying goodbye but then Seth gave you his number and asked you to meet up tomorrow which you had agreed to almost too enthusiastically to not be embarrassed. It didn’t help that Bella giggled the entire ride home about her baby-brother having a crush. 

“Naw, you grow up so fast.”

“Ughhhhhh, please stop.”

Bella laughed while pulling into their driveway: “Never, that’s my job as your sister.”

“You’re horrible”, you said drily while she just continued giggling. 

But then she changed the mood quickly. “You decided to tell dad tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah.. Billy and Sam are gonna be there too to answer questions. I’m still not the best at wolf-knowledge.”

“Mhm, it’ll be okay, don’t worry too much. If you want I can be there too.”

You nodded and earned yourself a short side-hug from Bella before you went to your rooms. 

—

You were close to emotional exhaustion after the conversation with your dad but it had a good outcome. Afterwards Edward picked up Bella and you went to meet up with Seth. Sam and Billy were so nice to take you with them to the Black’s home from where you would go to Seth. 

Billy went inside while you waved at him and went to go. 

But shortly before you arrived someone came to stand in your way. It was Jacob. And he didn’t seem to want to talk to you in a friendly way. 

You still tried to be nice; he was like Bella’s best friend so you really didn’t want to make him dislike you more than he apparently already did. 

“Why?!” 

You were perplexed when he almost spat it at you. You also didn’t have a chance to respond; he just continued talking.

“Why was it YOU?! Why did YOU shift?! It should’ve been Bella if anyone else were to shift at all! But no! It was YOU! If it had been Bella then she could imprint on me! But it was you! It doesn’t even make sense! Why would nature want YOU to be one of us?! You’re unable to do anything! You’re weak! And now you’re just supposed to protect others?! To protect Bella?! Hah!”

His accusations that in the end didn’t even really make sense but still hurt carried on. You didn’t actually hear anymore what he said. You were about to cry and just wanted to coil into yourself but at the same time you had to suppress the anger rising in you. Your whole body shook from the exhausting try to hold yourself together. A few tears escaped your eyes and Jacob was still not done, probably just repeating himself by now but that didn’t change the fact that he was more than angry. 

“Jacob! Stop!”, before you could register anything else a person appeared between you and the other. You felt relief wash over you immediately when you saw that it was Seth. 

“How dare you scream at him like that! Accusing him of being the source of your stupid self-centered problems! How dare you make him cry! Don’t you ever even come too close to him again!” 

Jake seemed to want to say something more but Seth turned to you, took your hand into his and gently pulled you with him. You only noticed that you were still shaking when Seth stopped after arriving at a clearing and pulled you into his arms. You couldn’t stop the tears from flowing and Seth pulled you closer while you clutched his shirt in your hands. 

After you calmed down you whispered a “thank you” against his neck where you had hid your face. 

“Of course”, he whispered back, “nobody is allowed to talk to or about you like that. Nobody." His arms tightened around you again and you felt his face hide in your neck this time. You smiled when you noticed him taking a deep whiff of your scent and then place a kiss there.

[amakumos]

first skate — yang jungwon.

synopsis. you and yang jungwon are both figure skating olympic gold medalists. deciding to teach your three year old son yejun how to skate, you two both realise that you might have a future olympic gold medalist in your hands. perhaps… it just runs in the family.

genre. fluff, established relationship, figure skating au, dad au, sequel to kiss and cry (would be best if you read that fic first before you read this one!)

pairing. figure skater! jungwon x fem! figure skater reader

word count. 1.5k

warnings. nothing really

authors note. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUNGWON! i know this fic is a lot shorter compared to blue birthday from last year but! my most recent fic before this was 22k monster kiss and cry which is the fic that this one is the sequel of! i actually love kiss and cry ynwon so much they will forever hold a special place in my heart and i am glad to be bringing them back for wonies bday <3 also i am bad at fluff so </3 im sorry .. anyways pls enjoy and (shameless self promo) but go read kiss and cry too if you haven’t!

“Okay, all ready now!” Jungwon says, tying the laces on his son’s skates with a smile. “You ready, Yejun?”

Yejun nods, a helmet on his head and knee guards on. Jungwon helps his son get off the bench as you watch the father and son duo with a fond smile on your face.

Jungwon takes Yejun’s hand as he guides his son towards the rink, Yejun wobbling on his skates. You two had specially booked out the Taereung ice rink for a few hours before Irene and her students showed up to train for the day.

Yejun shivers slightly, and you know that the jacket he’s wearing right now is a little too thin. You pull out one of Yejun’s puffer jackets from your bag, handing it to Jungwon so he can help Yejun zip it up. “Better?” you ask, and Yejun nods.

“Mom and I are going to teach you how to skate today.” Jungwon says, and Yejun nods. When Yejun takes his first step into the ice, he wobbles a little bit, due to how slippery the surface is.

Jungwon guides his son around the rink, the 3 year old boy wobbling around as he walks across the ice. You skate around the rink, Yejun looking at you in awe.

“Wanna try and walk to mom alone?” you say, skating closer towards Yejun. “Go, go, you got this, Yejunnie,” Jungwon says, letting go of his son’s hand.

Yejun looks a little hesitant to walk towards you without his father’s help, but he takes one step forward, wobbling as he holds his arms out, as if he’s walking a tightrope. “Good job, Yejun! Keep going.” you say, clapping your hands, a bright smile on your lips.

Yejun takes another step closer to you slowly, and Jungwon proudly smiles as his son takes more confident steps towards you. Yejun reaches you quickly, and you pick him up, giving him a hug. “Good job, Yejunnie!”

Yejun giggles as he’s held in your arms, and Jungwon looks at you two with the softest look in his eyes. He had retired not long ago, just a few months before returning to the rink now with you and Yejun. Coming back to what he considered his first home with you and Yejun made the moment all the more special.

You set Yejun down, making sure he doesn’t fall over on the ice before letting go. “Okay, walk to dad.” you say, and Jungwon skates a little further to see if Yejun can make it without falling.

The boy wobbles a bit, but he manages to make it to Jungwon without falling over. “That’s my Yejunnie,” Jungwon says, holding his hand up for a high five. Yejun gives him a high five with his gloved hands, and Jungwon smiles.

“I think our son here is a future Olympic gold medalist.” Jungwon says, and you smile. “Definitely.” you nod.

“Yejun, let’s skate around the rink for a bit, hmm?” Jungwon asks, and Yejun nods. “Okay.” he says.

Jungwon takes a hold of Yejun’s hand, but the young boy shakes his head, telling his father that he wants to try and do it alone. “Oh?” Jungwon says, smiling. “Okay. Go, Yejun.” he says, as Yejun makes small, hesitant steps while you and Jungwon watch from behind him.

“He’s doing really good.” you say, skating up to Jungwon. “I know. Way better than my first skate.” he says, lacing his fingers with yours. You two watch as Yejun makes his way across the rink, getting more confident with each step he takes. He speeds up, and you and Jungwon watch in amusement.

“Look at him go.” you say, and Jungwon nods. But just then, Yejun falls over, and both of your eyes widen in alarm. “Are you okay?” Jungwon asks, and Yejun simply uses his hands to help himself get back up, looking at both you and Jungwon as if nothing happened before continuing to make his way back to you both.

“Oh my god.” Jungwon says. “I’m giving him all my medals.”

“You’re right. Our son is a future Olympic champion.” you say proudly, watching as Yejun smiles brightly when he finishes a whole lap around the rink.

“You’re so good at this, Yejunnie!” you say, and Yejun’s smile gets wider. “You guys skate good.” Yejun says, pointing at you and Jungwon.

“You skate good too, Yejun.” Jungwon says. “If you like it, we can sign you up for lessons.”

“Okay.” Yejun hums. “Can I see you skate?”

You nudge Jungwon closer towards the centre of the rink, and he laughs, skating towards the middle before stopping and turning to look at you and Yejun. “What do you wanna see, Yejun?” he asks, hands on his hips.

“You wanna see Dad spin, or jump?” you ask Yejun, who puts his hand on his chin as if in thought. “Jump.”

“Jump?” Jungwon asks, and Yejun nods. Jungwon nods, skating around the rink for a couple seconds before taking off into a triple axel — he hasn’t done these in a while, but he lands the jump well, even if he thinks the landing is a tiny little bit shaky.

Yejun looks at Jungwon in awe. “Woah.”

“Cool, right?” you say, and Yejun nods. “I want to see you jump.” he says, tugging on the sleeve of your jacket. “You heard him!” Jungwon says, skating back towards you two.

Jungwon ruffles Yejun’s hair as the father son duo watch as you skate around the rink, taking off into a triple lutz—triple loop combination jump. “Woah. Mom did two.” Yejun murmurs in awe, and Jungwon nods.

“Yeah. She’s pretty awesome, hmm?”

“Yeah.”

“Still got it.” you say with a smile. You don’t jump very often now, since you had retired from competition after you won your Olympic gold medal, claiming that you had achieved everything you wanted to do in your wildly successful career. You were glad that you could retire feeling fulfilled with what you’ve done across the years.

“Of course you do. You’re the greatest.” Jungwon says, pressing a kiss to your cheek. You smile brightly at him, slipping your hand into his.

You two turn to look at your son, who seems to be trying to replicate what you had done. He tries to jump up like you did, but can’t get enough height. He pouts, looking up at you. “I wanna do that.”

“I am sure you will be able to someday.” you say, and Yejun looks at you and Jungwon happily. He skates off (or rather, walks off) on his own, wobbling a little bit at times, but he's doing great considering it’s his first time on the ice.

“I think we may have a prodigy here.”

You and Jungwon are startled by the voice of Irene, who had coached the both of you. She looks at Yejun with a fond look on her face. “How many times has he been on the ice?” she asks.

“First time.” Jungwon says proudly, and Irene’s eyes widen in surprise. “Really? Oh my… that’s raw talent right there.”

“I think he likes it.” Jungwon says, watching Yejun skate on the ice happily. He doesn’t even need one of those skating aids.

“I would be happy to coach him, if you two would like that.” Irene says, and Jungwon looks at you. “Let’s ask Yejun.”

“Yejun,” Jungwon says, skating up to his son. “Hmm?” Yejun looks up at his father with a bright smile. “Auntie Irene is over there.” Jungwon nods towards Irene, and Yejun looks at her.

“Hi, Auntie Irene.” Yejun says, waving at the coach. She waves back, with a small smile on her lips.

“Auntie Irene says that she can teach you skating if you would like that. We all think that you have talent, Yejunnie. You know, Auntie Irene was our coach too.” Jungwon tells his son.

“You don’t have to if you don’t like it.” you tell him, and Jungwon nods. “And you don’t have to take it seriously if you don’t want to. It can just be a hobby.”

“I wanna be like you guys.” Yejun says.

“So do you wanna skate?”

“Yeah.” Yejun nods excitedly, and you and Jungwon smile at each other.

You give Irene a thumbs up, and she nods. She lets you three stay on the rink for a little while more, with some of her students getting a chance to meet Yejun, who greets them all with a bright smile.

When you three head back home, you and Jungwon pull out your gold medals from the cabinet that holds them. You two head over to the couch, where Yejun’s watching television.

“Yejunnie.” you say, sitting down next to him.

“Your dad and I think that one day, you’re going to win one of these things.” you let Yejun hold your gold medal, and he smiles. “Very shiny.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Jungwon says, draping his own medal over Yejun’s neck.

“If you decide to be a skater like your mom and I, I bet you’ll win tons of these.” he says. “You’re a legend in the making.” You and Jungwon smile at each other whilst Yejun looks at the gold medals in awe.

And with each and every lesson Yejun takes, he seems to get better and better — and it fills you two with nothing but pride.

What can you say?

It must run in the family.

[hologramcowboy]

Okay, well, Jensen finally showed up on television again. This time, playing Russell Shaw on Tracker. I'm curious if you watched and what you think of his performance.

Personally, it felt like Dean Winchester never left. It didn't help that there were numerous (and obvious) SPN easter eggs in the episode. I'm curious if that's happened before when guest stars come on. Do the writer's play up that actor's previous roles as much as they did Jensen's?

I'm also curious about a few tweets I saw from people who attended the FBBC event. Apparently, Jensen talked about his role on Tracker.

https://twitter.com/kunerksterphoto/status/1789808856576487771 and https://twitter.com/kunerksterphoto/status/1789808858505888136

I know we get dude in #Tracker tonight, so a little story. I wore my “I Miss Dean” shirt to the brewery event last weekend and as soon as dude saw it he was like “you know that episode of Tracker I did? I asked how they saw me playing it and they told me to do what I know best. So if you miss Dean, you’re going to get quite a bit of Dean on Tracker because he’s what I do best.” So it was a conscious choice and I am so excited by this.

https://twitter.com/kgauck/status/1789821196839637236

He told me I'd probably see a lot of Dean in his role on Tracker. I joked that he was dressed a lot like Dean in the promo pics, and then he made a joke about being typecast.

It sounds like Jensen's basically thrown in the towel on improving his craft since he apparently doesn't mind playing Dean in all his roles, or being typecast.

I read things like this and I can't imagine that he'll ever get another lead role. It's all going to be guest spots for characters that are similar to Dean Winchester. It's disappointing because he's definitely had the time post-SPN to take classes and improve between Covid and the strike. I suppose if he's happy doing guest spots and conventions, good for him, but as a sort-of fan/nearly former fan, I'm just sad to see his career come to this.

He's becoming a sad cliché. He is confusing a character for his main type and that is why he will never be A list and definitely never be Batman.

Thank you for this lovely post, anon.

I did tune in for the episode and, quite frankly, I was disappointed. Casting him seems to have been a gimmick, right down to the beer mentions.

First off, his acting initially seemed to be improved, right up until he started using that fake voice again then it all became cringe after cringe. I am so saddened that Jensen can't see past Dean and that he can't be himself. I know now that he'll never make it, an actor that stagnates can't ever reach A list.

Justin, in comparison, acts naturally, he has a natural instinct and this really just made Jensen look even faker. For the for the first time, Jensen played a completely meh character. He's turning into one of those dudes that star in various shows that no one even remembers because they are just there to advance the lead's plot. Right down to his superficial, mediocre, unnatural choices and I am sorry but in no way did he have the layers of someone who served in the army. That was a key characteristic of his character and he completely missed the plot on that and that's because the mention of it was a Soldier Boy easter egg. Jensen gets so caught up in flaunting his celebrity persona he forgets to embody his characters realistically.

I've read comments from AAs who claim Russell is different compared to Dean and I just want to say: gimmick casting, the whole script was written to callback to Dean, easter eggs included. Stop lying to yourselves and admit that Jensen has thrown in the towel. He is a one trick pony and that one trick will soon expire because, you know what? It's not an interesting character, it's not someone to root for, it's not someone fighting for something. It's a bored, self centered man faking a rougher inner and outer state and mimicking (yes, that's right, mimicking not acting) an idea of his old character. Mimicking poorly. As someone who loved Dean Winchester( when he was well written), I really need Jensen to stop because he is ruining the memory and disrespecting the legacy.

Thank you, anon, for sending me this ask and for asking my opinion, it pains me to say but I agree with you, lead roles aren't feasible.

[inmyblueparadise]

Hi there! Idk if you're taking request but if you are, then could you do something where after the hiatus y/n is promoting her new album and a sexist interviewer basically suggest that now that she doesn't have the boys her career will go down? And basically she just handles it in a badass way? Maybe the boys defending her...

Its a bit long but if you are not able to do it then its ok! 🙂

love you works tho!! ✨💕✨

Hii lovie, I'm so sorry I'm just awsering this right now ! But thank you so much for the love, it made my day babe !

Let me know what you think :) xx

Deciding to go on a hiatus, was probably the hardest decision you had to take. It's not that you didn't want to stop, but as of right now you just couldn't. Mentally and physically, all of you were exhausted. After 5 years of touring, recording, and putting albums out, promoting, interviews and so and so. You just needed a minute to breathe. 

And you did it. You went on a looooong vacation, sleeping and tanning for most of the time. You also reconnected with your family, spent time with your friends, and just lived. You also needed this time off to discover yourself. Who were you ? You were not just the girl from the band, the 6th member, you were now a grown woman, with ideas and dreams. 

That is what you tried to put into your first solo album. Your growth, your story, your style..Your album « A Letter to Me » came out to the world. It was your baby, an homage to the boys, to your family, and your younger self, because you made it. But there is one thing that you were less excited about. THE PRESS. You knew you had to give interviews as part of the promotion for the album, but you were not excited about it. While you were in the band, it was fun. You were never alone, always with at least one of the boys if not all of them. You made jokes and you relied on each other. But now, you were going to have to face it all alone. The first week of the promo went by quickly you were excited. to perform for the fans, the journalists were nice enough, so it was a good start. But you knew it could change reallllllly quickly and boy you were right ! 

You were actually sitting in a hotel room, all dolled up and dressed for your last interview of the day. A man walked in and gave you a smile before sitting in front of you, and introducing himself. 

Hello Y/N, I'm Joe from People Mag. How are you ? 

Hi Joe, I'm good thanks how are you ? 

Good, shall we start ? 

Let's go.

The interview started pretty much like the others, with questions about the songs, and the album. He was insistent on your relationship status but stopped when. he saw you wouldn't give him the answer he wanted, and that's when the interview took a weird turn. 

"So, Y/N, you started your career while in the band One Direction". 

"Yes, I did"

"All of the members put out new music, album, and singles, and they are doing pretty well, do you think you would do as well as them ?" 

"Well, when you put out a project, you want it to do good. Like every time we put out an album with the band, we wanted the fans to like it. And now that I'm on my own, I have to say it's a little more stressful because it's only, and I don't know < how the fans will react to the styles and everything but it's also exciting to be able to do this. You said, avoiding the question about the boys, but he came back to it." 

"Because, and I don't mean to put any pressure on you, but Harry for example did really great with his album do you want to do better than him ?" 

"It's not a competition. You said, trying to keep a smile on your face. There is enough of that in the music industry. Every time one of the boys put out a song or any project, I'm the first to listen to it, and send my love. I know firsthand how talented they are, and I am extremely proud of Harry for putting together such a great album that he is proud of and that his fans are happy to listen to. Do I hope the fans like my album, sure, but I'm not here to try and sell more than my friends, it's not what I'm about." 

"Good for you Y/N, and I mean you probably won't have the same success as them anyway.."

That's when you started boiling inside. 

"And why is that ?" 

"Oh, I mean that you were just the girl of the band, and people were fans of the band and now that you are alone, you are just a girl in the industry.."

"So you think that because I don't have the boys with me now that I won't do good ?" 

"Yes exactly, I mean don't get me wrong you are stunning, but you cannot expect your career to be successful without the boys..."

"Let me stop you right there. I have been in the industry since I was sixteen, I have been writing songs since that age and I have also been performing since then. I was not just "a girl" in a band, I was a member just like any of the boys, I have given my all to this band just like them and I earned my success." 

"Yes but," 

"No no, I'm still speaking, Joe. I find your question, not only offensive to me, but to all the women in this industry. So because I started in a band and I am a woman it means that I am less talented or deserving ? I think that you are forgetting that some of the biggest names in this industry are women. Or do you not consider Beyonce, Rihanna, or Stevie Nick talented enough ? Or Arianna, Celine Dion, Adele, I could go on ! "

"I am not here to teach you a lesson on feminism, even though it is clear that you need one desperately. But let me tell you this. Putting this album out has been one of the hardest things I had to do in my career, because yes I am scared to start over alone. I don't expect the same level of success I had with the band, because what we did was extraordinary, it was insane. And if I'm honest, I'll be ok with not having the same success as a solo artist, because I actually experienced this kind of love and dedication already. I'll be fine not touring stadiums again or having my album at the top of the Billboard 100, because I already did it. I just want to make stuff that is right, that is fun, in terms of the process, that I can be proud of for a long time, that my friends can be proud of, that my family can be proud of, that my kids will be proud of one day. And if the boys managed to get the same success, I will be on the front row cheering and dancing my ass off." 

After that interview, you left, surrounded by your team. You knew people would talk about it, and everyone liked the drama, but you felt good about what you said. What you didn't expect was the number of celebrities reacting to it. Barely a day after the interview was put online your social media profiles were flooded with messages. 

@tswift : Why are women still looked over in this industry because of our gender ? Your album is amazing @y/n congrats ! 

@AriannaGrande : Letter to Me by @y/n is on repeaaaaaat ! Go girl !

@Beyonce : Nothing more to add @y/n

But what people were waiting for was the boys reaction. And they got it.

Louis posted a picture on his Instagram. Of you and him, surrounded by trophies won with the band over the year, the caption saying. 

@LouisTomlinson : For 5 years, I was lucky enough to work with a kind, talented and unbelievable singer, whom I get to call my little sister. She is not only an incredible performer but also a songwriter that has the talent to make me dance and cry with her lyrics. I am incredibly proud of her new album, and I know she will go far in this industry, so all your sexist ass can fuck off. I love you @y/n.

Niall addressed the interview during an instalive. "Yes I have seen, the interview, and all I can say is how proud of y/n I am. She is one of the most talented people I ever worked with and she deserves the world, so go listen to her album ! "

Liam's tweet was simple. @LiamPayne : So my sister has no talent ? #sheisnumber1 with a screenshot of your album at the number one spot. 

Zayn's reaction was a surprise to a lot of people. He didn't mention you in the tweet, but everyone knew he was talking about you. @Zayn : She's not afraid, she is shining. 

As for Harry, well mister mysterious posted a beautiful picture of you, on stage, in black and white. With a simple caption 

@HarryStyles : Proud. 

[antiendovents]

hi again!!! the others (val mostly) started calling me mauve! may-v. she spells it differently though, thats how the color is spelt

she spells it something like mauebhe i think

i dunno

i like the name, and also im happy this makes it easier to read

also turns out me and flower and different alters!! so thats cool

may i ask what polyfragmented means specifically bc i think we're that bit im not sure and googles the most unhelpful thing for that stuff

anywho!!

self promo:

we officially (kinda) opened commissions!!! atm we dont have money stuff set up so we're doing "requests" too

theyre like mini commissions that are free and not very detailed

but theyre fun

we do various things, val draws nafw stuff sometimes but the rest of us dont

anywho yeah

thats all i think

-anxiety/mauve

OH THERE IS MORE (sorry for caps)

"if we had a nickel for every version of someone else's anxiety we split a fictive, we'd have 2 nickels. which isn't a lot, but its weird that it happened twice. right? "

-val

(the other fictive is virgil from sanders sides)

k baiiii

thats a cool name!!! Also yeah! We struggle with reading large paragraphs without gaps so it's nice when people put gaps! :D

Polyfragmented / complex DID is a more severe form of DID, usually characterized by complex splitting patterns, high fragment counts, complex innerworlds, lots of subsystems and a few other things. There aren't many sources on it, or at least most sources only end up saying it's 100+ alters but that isn't true :(

Also I'm so sorry it took us so long to answer this, we got stuck on the polyfragmented question and saved it to drafts and then forgot we didn't actually respond to it

But we we hope commissions go well

Also that is funny— we have an alter that is literally the embodiment of anxiety (not sourced from any media, just the embodiment of anxiety within itself) lol

[starlingflight]

Fan Fic Humble Brag Tag

Sometimes we love something we wrote so much we want to knock on every door spreading the good word of our little story. But sometimes we fear being seen as rude or too self promoting. Here is your chance to do a bit of self promo and bragging without fear because some asked you too.

Answer the questions and then tag five writers who you think deserve to brag about their work.

Thank you to @thelighthousestale @ginnyw-potter and @sophie-hatter-jenkins for the tag, I'm sorry this took me so long to do but I am chronically bad at being nice to myself so this was the hardest thing ever.

Answers below the cut (if you read, you might get a sneak peek of a new WIP! 👀)

Tagging @merlinsbudgiesmugglers @lanaturnergetup @artemisia-black

1. The funniest bit of dialogue you've written:

From A Two Step Process (Chapter 2):

Ginny nodded slowly and Harry could practically see the cogs turning in her brain as she tried to work out what had caused this sudden burst of romanticism from him. “Are you pregnant?”

Harry choked on the air he’d been inhaling, causing Ginny to laugh hysterically at his reaction. “What?” Harry spluttered, fighting to regain control of his lungs. “What kind of question is that?”

Ginny shrugged, her laughter easing to a light chuckle. “I couldn’t think what else was causing this behaviour and y’know, you’ve performed impossible feats before.”

“I’m not pregnant,” Harry said, briefly wondering how he'd reached the point of needing to say that out loud. “Are you satisfied?”

2. A story you wrote that made you cry?

Because I Knew You, when Ginny tells Andromeda she held Tonks' hand when she died and promises to make sure Teddy knows what she was like.

3. A story that makes you laugh every time you reread or think about it?

Probably Countdown! Little Teddy is always a source of entertainment.

4. Best moment of canon compliant characterisation?

The whole of ‘Forgetting’? I think this is the closest fic I have to a character study and I loved writing it because I really got to explore a lot of what I think makes Ginny Ginny. 

5. Something you wrote in a fic you secretly (or not so secretly) think is canon?

Ginny trying to fight the Felix Felicis in HBP because she no longer trusts anything that interferes with her perception. (Everything I Wanted, Chapter 10)

6. The most romantic bit you've written?

I actually don't think it's a hinny moment (which has shocked me). I think it's in Homecoming Draco asking Astoria to run away to Paris with him and then revealing that he's already found a stables/yard for Artemisia, closely followed by a decade later when he turns Malfoy Manor into a Hippogriff sanctuary for her (Wayfinding).  

7. A fic you wrote that everyone else sleeps on, that you know is excellent?

Because I Knew You - I love this fic but it's easily my least engaged with, probably because it’s gen. 

8. Wow us with an excellent excerpt?

First look at the Historical friends to enemies to lovers AU: 

“What on Earth do you think you’re doing?” Ginny demanded, wrenching the window open with one hand and dragging Harry through it with the other. “Do you not think one funeral to be sufficient within the space of a week?” 

Harry spared a glance over his shoulder, peering at the ground two stories below as his feet met the soft rug that covered most of her bedroom floor. “A fall from that height would hardly be fatal,” he said unconcernedly. “I may have suffered some injuries, but I’m confident I would make a full recovery.” 

The window rattled in the pane from the force with which Ginny slammed it shut. She closed her eyes and released a deep breath against the vision of him laying broken and bruised in the flowerbed below her window, she had seen quite enough death and injury of late without imagining yet more dire scenarios.  

 “And what do you expect people would say, upon discovering you'd grievously injured yourself falling from my bedroom window?” 

The question did not require an answer, they both knew what would be said in response to such a thing. They were both perfectly aware of what the consequences would be; special licences had been procured for rather a lot less. 

“I've never fallen before,” Harry said, sidestepping the topic of such consequences with aggravating deftness. “I've made the climb many times.” 

“Not in a very long time,” Ginny reminded him. 

It must have been at least five years since he had last attempted to climb the trellis that stretched from the the garden below all the way up to Ginny's window ledge, the trellis which had become rather more hazardous now that it played host to Fleur's beloved roses and their many thorns. Not to mention that Harry was no longer a scrawny young boy, and carried considerably more weight in the form of lean muscle he’d developed in the intervening years. 

Back then, he had utilised the trellis not as a means of seeing Ginny, but as a convenient means of accessing Ron's room, which was two floors above and impossible to reach by scaling the walls of the house. 

Ron, however, was not home at present, a circumstance which begged Ginny to repeat her earlier question. “What are you doing?” 

9. Five words to describe your writing? 

Descriptive, fluff, longing, tension, romance

10. The fic you are most proud of?

Someone Else's Life, it has a plot which I’m notoriously bad at so I’ll always be especially proud of that and I just really loved watching everyone trying to figure out wtf was going on as I was posting.

[myheartalivewrites]

Self-promo Sunday

Thanks @cha-melodius for tagging me to share five works I'm proud of! Sorry to everyone who's tagged me for Fanfic Friday/Seven Sentence Sunday, I'm still keeping away from my WIPs so this is all you guys are getting today.

Here we go, these are all rwrb bc these boys are all I know, and all E so make sure to check tags before reading!

Down by the Water, I Saw You (E, 63k): my first long fic, and the thing I've written that I love the most. Exes to lovers, dreamy locations, so SO many feels.

Pumped (22k, E): my first fic! I'm just proud of myself for having started and finished it and then PUT IT OUT THERE IN THE WORLD FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO READ 😂 OMG, the nerves! I really leaned into things I'm familiar with (climbing, London, inability to communicate properly) and then just let the boys pine away, as they are wont to do.

Have One (On Me) (10k, E): bartender!Henry! This was my most popular fic in the olden times (pre rwrb movie) and I love the fact that it found an audience all on its own, nobody knew me, no tumblr, nothing. I had to really pull away from my every instinct to flesh things out and add loads of backstory and development, and I love it when that works out bc it feels riskier somehow.

Oxford Days (6k, E): I'm proud of it for just being... unapologetically fun. Slutty Henry's having fun, Alex gets some too, and even though there's a bit of pining, there's no angst and I love that bc I find it hard to not put angst in lol.

In His Wildest Dreams (11k, E): I love it because even though it's tagged for kink, to me it's about a sexual relationship developing and evolving over time, and two people learning together. I've not seen this subject tackled like this before, and I'm so, so proud of it 😊

Tagging some people who have a lot of truly excellent fics and I can't wait to see what you pick! @rmd-writes @dumbpeachjuice @kiwiana-writes @indomitable-love @historicallysam @14carrotghoul @celaestis1

[foxssleeplessness]

Hello there! I’ve been going through your list of codywan fic recs from when Kenobi aired and was wondering if you had any others! All have been so wonderful so far!

Hi!! I am SO sorry I took this long to respond. I entered new fandoms and lost contact with Codywan for a bit but I'm back! 4 fic recs and one shameless self-promoting just for you :)

Codywan Fic Recs Part 2

Pave Your Way with Stones Well Chosen by TrickyTricky (18 899 words) Mature

Summary: Cody has always been a man of singular focus and exceptional skill. When he suddenly finds himself loosed from the chip’s control, after years of service to the Empire, there is nothing to be done but to use every resource in his arsenal to carve out a new life for himself. He will free what brothers he can. He will find the Jedi his hands were forced to betray and make things right. He will build them all a haven to shelter from the cruelties the galaxy has never stopped inflicting.

And perhaps, somewhere in the midst of all that, he can find a way to make peace with himself again, as well.

One of my all time faves. It's very Cody and Vod'e centric, which I absolutely adore. I also really liked how Tricky handled and wrote Cody and Obi-Wan's reunion seeing as they are traumatised people who have lived through and done horrible things. Graphic Depiction of Violence, so if that's not your thing, I suggest skipping this one.

Next three (3) are Sith!Obi-Wan AU

different kind of danger in the daylight by Serie11 (29 202 words) Explicit

Summary: The Clone Wars are hurtling towards their third year when a new actor enters the field – a Sith with mysterious goals and an even murkier history.

Cody leads the 221st, and reports to General Jinn. But when he finds himself entangled in a dark plot that spans from one edge of the galaxy to the other, the only thing to do is cut the knot at the centre – no matter the cost he will have to pay.

Obi-Wan hates war, hates what it does to people, hates the Jedi, and hates himself. Qui-Gon’s Commander was meant to be a means to an end – but when Obi-Wan falls too deep, trusting Cody might just be the only way out.

I fucking looooove Sith!Obi-Wan. I'm picky about how it's handled tho. I like when there's a background with Qui Gon and a whole moral dilemma for both Cody and Obi-Wan. Their interactions are filled with ''I know I shouldn't but I love you oh so dearly'', yk?? It is well used and represented in this fic, Serie is an amazing writer who uses everything to make their stories flow slowly but 120km/h at the same time. IN PROGRESS

I Got My Head Checked by frostbitebakery (75 010 words) Mature

Summary: Below the observation deck, the Marshal Commander of the Third Systems Army is being divested of his armor and weapons, shackles heavy on his wrists. He doesn’t struggle, only a mulish stubborn twist to his jaw showing his displeasure at the situation.

Obi-Wan opens his eyes, steps back from the observation window. “I need a week.”

OR: In which Cody wasn’t trained for a Sith sliding into a moral dilemma because of him

IGMHC is the first Sith!Obi that I read and I cannot stop returning to it. It's got a tractor beam locked on me 24/7, I swear. Again, loved how the dilemmas and morals are handled, you can see both characters' thought processes throughout I absolutely cannot get enough of it. 1000000/10

Name of the Game by esama (40 088 words) Mature/Explicit

Summary: There's a new Dark Sider on the battlefield, one who has it out for Cody's General.

SIMP OBI-WAN!! That man has whole plans made to achieve his goal and all it takes is one, ONE, millisecond of attention from Cody and he's caught. He's gone. Whole plan needs to be adjusted to the new circumstances. Can't get enough of it from my screen, I need it in my veinsss. 1000000000000/10. Masterpiece.

AND A SHAMELESS SELF-PROMO

thunderstorm stories by foxssleeplessness (aka ME) (5027 words, Ik, short compared to the others) Gen

Summary: During a humanitarian aid mission on Kashyyyk, a thunderstorm hits. Cody absolutely hates thunderstorms. Sharing stupid stories about your ''childhood'' with your general is a pretty good distraction.

You get to meet briefly my OC Kosand maybe Tonedeaf, I can't remember.

ANYWAY!! Hope you enjoy these like you enjoyed the first ones, Anon! Have a lovely day :D

Part 1

[bedknees]

I see ur kind of back in the eene fandom. Favorite and least favorite headcanons about the Ed's if your feeling up to it?

Lol hi. And yeah I'm here. Arcane has had such a relentless chokehold on my brain for the past year and a half and it's finally loosening it's grip (inb4 inevitable Season 2 promo shit lmao).

HCs for the Eds? Let's goooo-

HCs I like:

Ed

-I like the HC he has ADHD. It fits him well and has direct canon evidence. As an ADHDer, he fits a lot of the basic stereotypes.

-The kinda popular fandom idea that he will be involved in the filming or general crew of B-tier horror movies when he's an adult. Career path is honestly among the most likely. Can also dig him being an Art Bell-esque radio or podcast host of weird conspiracy stuff.

-Love when he's paired with May. I feel that they'd be the only Ed/Kanker combo that'd work imho.

-Even though he's a fun loving character at heart, I like the idea that we see more of that serious and angry side he showed in Little Ed Blue and BPS. Like as he gets older and more seasoned he learns to stand up for himself more. Not his default at all, but learns to put up with less shit.

-I don't see him caring much about gender or sexuality. I don't ever see him labeling himself or thinking much about it, but I also don't see him as fully straight or cis.

-Can see him really being into Astrology and star charts. He probably has an Ancient Aliens phase 😆

Edd

-Like to think he starts taking college classes in his Junior or Senior year of high-school. Probably gets offers from Ivy-League schools, picking not the one he wants to go to the most, but the one that leaves him closest to home.

-I think it was @eddbedandeddy that came up with the idea that he has trichotillomania, where one pulls out clumps of hair as a very maladaptive nervous habit. Love this and I fully support the HC that it's why he wears his hat.

-Dig the idea he goes on to become a doctor of some sort.

-Is a really bad cook. Underseasons and overcooks a LOT. Usually keeps it to cup noodles, sandwiches, or takeout if the responsibility falls on him.

-Definitely has big bi or pan energy.

-Though he can't cook, Edd is very good with gardening and plants in general. Super good at keeping them healthy and cultivating them.

-Mellows out a bit when he gets older. Still a tad neurotic but not a full blown nervous wreck.

Eddy

(So warning: Eddy is my favoritest, most special little guy(TM) so there is a little bias for how many HCs I have for him compared to the others. Sorry lol.)

-It's funny when you think about it, because in terms of Eddy's personality after BPS it's actually pretty nebulous to nail down. Despite being one of the brashest, most outspoken characters he's actually the most mysterious when it comes down to who he truly is. He hid behind a facade for the majority of the show's runtime, after all, so what he truly is like underneath that leaves a lot up to the imagination.

-HOWEVER, I HC Eddy returning to his Season 1 and early Season 2 personality after BPS, with a decent amount of self reflection and maturity tacked on. I think how he acted in Season 1 is the closest to who he really is at the core. A good example of how I see Eddy (as a teenager, at least), is that he would share a lot of traits with Amethyst from Steven Universe, I guess? Closest example I can think of, tbh.

-He's closeted gay kid. Home of sexual. 👬🏳️‍🌈🌈 I used to see him as a bi, but rewatches changed my mind a lot. (Part of it is that he's always been my favorite and I was projecting tbh.) It takes him till his mid-to-late teens to start to accept it.

-Excellent cook. His mom's side is 100% Italian in my personal HC and she and her side bestowed a ton of culinary knowledge on him from old family recipes etc.

-Piggybacking off this, I see Eddy being a line cook for quite a while if not as his staple career. I can also see him doing car sales and bartending and even working at a deli. Bounces around jobs a lot, but always is employed in some way or the other.

-He loves baking and is very good at it. Don't give him shit about it or he will cry in private.

-Eddy is ADHD like Ed, but on the more impulsive and moody side of the large spectrum ADHD consists of. He also is bipolar af.

-Is heavily into music in general, especially as he gets older. He also has a penchant for musicals and Broadway, but he WILL get defensive if you tease him for it. But yeah, music is his biggest hobby and interest by far.

HCs I don't like:

Ed

-That he's too stupid to live. Leave him alone, he's dim but functional.

-The idea he can't function independently from Edd and Eddy. He absolutely can and is his own person!

-When fanfics or works in general make Eddy and Edd act like parents to him. He's their equal 👏

-Anytime he's explicitly third-wheeled when Edd and Eddy are paired. You absolutely can write the former two paired up without excluding him.

Edd

-When the fandom makes him an uwu softboy. Stfu. He's a little asshole with a smart mouth and a truckload of sass. Erasing that makes him so BORING 😴

-The HC that he will 'outgrow' Eddy and Ed and move on from them. He's right where he belongs and they complete each other. Stop.

Eddy

-Where do I begin? Firstly, him acting the same exact way as he does in the show after what happened in BPS. The entire movie was explicitly about Eddy becoming a better person and learning his lesson. At least show some growth.

-Him becoming an even more ruthless and corrupt scammer as an adult. Paired with the above point, but still.

-Any HCs that he's heterosexual 🤢

-MAKING HIM TALL.

-Fanart that makes him skinny.

I could go on but those are the main ones. Ty anon!

[snowbellewells]

Self Promo Sunday: "Carolina Moon"

First off, let me say that I know it has been ages, and I am really sorry for that. I sort of lost my muse and my energy - as well as my time to write - there for a bit. I am grateful if you have stuck with me and are ready to see where else this story goes. Finally, FINALLY, I have a new chapter almost edited and proofed and ready to go in the next couple of days, so I thought this week's self-promo might serve as a recap for the story so far to refresh everyone's memory (mine included!) The new chapter should be up in just a day or two, and if all goes well, another by Friday, to then return to my weekly (or closer to it) posting schedule.

In the meantime, I do hope you enjoy this little look back, and I'd love to hear what you think.

Thank you SO MUCH to @eastwesthomeisbest for the gorgeous cover art, and to @xarandomdreamx for being my beta. I am very grateful to you both.

Can be read from the beginning HERE on Tumblr or HERE on AO3

Summary: Emma Swan has returned to the town she grew up in, and the past that has haunted her no matter where she has run. She seeks answers and peace at last. Despite the years that have passed, some things haven't changed very much in Storybrooke, South Carolina, and one of those things is Killian Jones. He never forgot the gangly girl with the world on her shoulders and pain in her eyes, but will he finally be able to slip past her defenses and help her find the answers she seeks?

Chapter Three: Fresh Starts and Stumbling Blocks

The following morning, Emma rose early to the sun on her face, streaming in warm and bright through the windows where she hadn’t yet hung curtains. A noisy mockingbird called brashly to his mate in the trees outside as she sat up, rubbing her eyes and pushing back the rumpled covers, resolving to go ahead and get an early start on the day. Though her body might still be weary, her mind already seemed fully aware and was running through all that needed doing before Saturday’s anticipated grand opening.

Standing and stretching out the cricks and aches, Emma sighed, shaking her head while she straightened the bed clothes as best she could over her mattress on the floor. It had arrived on time, with the other household items she’d sent with the movers from her apartment in Boston. But the antique brass bedframe she had ordered had yet to arrive. Still, she’d slept in the end, and she had spent so many nights in much worse discomfort, she could make do for the time being with an accepting shrug.

Trailing into the kitchen while yawning, Emma pulled an old terrycloth bathrobe over her oversize tee and shorts, threadbare and comfortably soft with years of washings, as she went. She reached up into the cabinet for her coffee, opened it and took a grateful whiff, before she grabbed a measuring spoon from the drainer to fill the coffeemaker. It was only as the life-giving brew began to percolate that she was startled by the sound of three crisp knocks on her front door, making her jump and jerk her robe more tightly closed as she spun to face it.

Not sure who would be calling on her so early in the morning - and when she had barely been back in town three days - Emma almost didn’t answer the summons at all. Still, she couldn’t help both her curiosity and the concern that someone could genuinely need her. She crossed the worn wooden floor of the simple kitchen and unlocked the door, pulling it open only to catch her breath in surprise at who stood on her porch. Emma couldn’t help stumbling back a step and unconsciously running a hand through her still sleep-rumpled hair, for what little good it did.

What was Cora Jones doing there?!? She cursed herself fruitlessly for wearing her most comfortable, but rattiest, pajamas and robe, and she floundered for something to say. Cora, meanwhile, seemed to only stand taller, an eyebrow arched as she looked down her nose at Emma much like she would something rotten which had been smashed on the bottom of her designer shoes. “Might I come in, Ms. Swan?” the older woman finally deigned to speak in frosty tones. “Unlike some people, I have numerous things to do this morning, and cannot afford to lounge around until noon.”

Emma caught a defensive retort on her tongue, biting it back with painful effort. If it were anyone else, she would have given them a piece of her mind, but this was Rose’s mother. Some small part of her, a skinny, lonely pre-teen who had never known a mother other than the proper Jones matriarch, still ached to prove herself to this woman. Oh, she knew it was impossible. It always had been, even before the awful day that forever altered her world. But deep within, that needy child wanted to please her best friend’s parent, to feel some semblance of a parent’s love for herself, and it would not be completely buried. So she held back speaking at all and simply opened the screen door still separating them, motioning Cora through.

Moving toward the kitchen table, Emma offered coffee and a seat, grateful that though the small piece of furniture was chipped and rickety, it was at least cleared and clean. Looking as if she would rather do almost anything else instead, Cora declined abruptly. “I’ll stand, thank you.”

Emma shrugged wordlessly, trying not to let the clear derision make her shrink. She was right where she was meant to be, intending to lay old demons to rest once and for all. She’d like to make peace with Mrs. Jones as well, but she also knew it wasn’t meant to be, and was not about to be run off. Not now, not after she had waited so long. Instead, she reached up into her cabinet again for a mug for herself, poured coffee into it with as steady a hand as she could manage, and forced herself to wait. Let Cora broach the topic Emma knew she’d come to discuss; she didn’t need to make the woman’s job any easier.

Much as though she had read Emma’s thoughts, the Jones matriarch’s eyes narrowed, and she raised her chin haughtily when she spoke, her voice a whip crack in the taut air of the quiet kitchen. “Let’s not pretend this is a social call. I’m sure you know quite well what I have in mind. It is merely a matter of how difficult you wish to make things.”

Emma merely hummed low in her throat, the slightest nod allowing that she had heard and understood Cora’s words, but still not answering aloud. Inside, she ranted, ‘Me?!? You’re the one making things harder than they have to be!’  But she didn’t give Mrs. Jones the satisfaction of needlessly protesting or taking the bait. She simply met the older woman’s stare head-on and held her tongue, biding her time.

“I do not want you here. Not on our family’s property, not in this town, nowhere near us. I trust you understand that much? Neither my children, nor I, want you around, unearthing painful memories again after all these years. I realize you have already leased space in town for your little shop, ordered merchandise and so forth…. So, Ms. Swan, what will it take?” As calmly as if she were discussing the weather or ordering a latte, Cora Jones withdrew a fine leather checkbook from her designer purse, poised with pen in hand. “Tell me what you need to pack up again and clear out of here, to start over elsewhere, and I’ll make out a check here and now.”

Unbidden temper flared in Emma’s gut suddenly, no matter how she tried to remain unaffected. No matter how far she had come or what she had made of herself, to people like this woman she would never be anything but poor white trash - a mess to be cleared away out of sight. Her presence made them uncomfortable or guilty or angry - she’d never quite decided which. And she was tired of it. She might not have come from anything, and she might not possess some fancy pedigree stretching back generations, but Emma was not nothing; she never had been. Pure, unbreakable steel seemed to fuse her backbone, bringing her voice and fighting spirit to the fore. She wasn’t for sale - not at any price - and it was time that “Her Highness” learned that fact. 

“You must be mistaken, Mrs. Jones,” Emma replied, slow and plain, each syllable as intentional and measured as any of her adversary’s had been. “You seem to think I would consider relocating. Let me be clear: I’m not on the market. You can’t buy me out. You can’t run me off. Not this time. I’m staying.”

If she’d been at all in the mood to laugh, Cora’s perfectly painted mouth gaping open, then snapping shut in stunned disbelief would have been comical. As it was, Emma just kept staring her down, holding firm until the oldest money in Storybrooke had nothing left to do but withdraw. “This isn’t finished, Ms. Swan,” she hissed, her stare sparking dangerously like a match against flint. “You would be better off to take my money and make your way more easily elsewhere.”

Emma followed her to the door, arms crossed tightly over her chest as she watched those classy heels cross the warped board threshold. Anger had restored her nerve and then some as she clipped out, “Well, nothing’s ever been easy in my life. Why should it start now?” Facing off stonily with the woman she had finally, once and for all, given up trying to impress, Emma was determined that this time she would not be the one to crack.

Then, just as Cora stepped off the porch, Emma couldn’t help adding, “And, in case you haven’t noticed, both of your children are grown now. Maybe you should find out what they actually think before trying to speak for them.”

The older woman whirled, but Emma had slammed her door closed, ensuring the final word on the matter. She deflated quickly, falling back against the solid barrier bonelessly and trying to catch her breath, but it felt good to stand up to the woman at long last rather than taking any more judgment she didn’t deserve. She was sure Cora Jones wasn’t finished yet, but she had made up her mind. She was through running.

*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*

Despite the upsetting and inauspicious start to her day, by the time early afternoon rolled around, Emma found herself pleasantly puttering about it her shop, humming to herself as she hung pictures in just the right place for best appreciation and then stepping back to take in the overall effect. Things were coming together nicely, and somewhere beneath the anxious concern she wouldn’t be ready in time and the only half-buried dread that no one would come to the opening because it was hers, Emma was beginning to feel proud excitement. She had found a real outlet upon discovering photography in college and had kept it up ever since, developing and honing her knowledge and skill in the art. In the quiet of the dark room and the simple, calm repetition of the developing process, Emma often found the whirling thoughts and visions that screamed inside her head went silent, a rare moment of peace as she worked alone to bring to light the images she had captured. Just as she had told Killian the previous evening, it was the one time she actually found a benefit in her ability to see more beyond the obvious existence on the surface. That she could bring out some aspect or nuance of her subject because of the burden she’d borne all her life was not really any sort of relief, but it felt like some tiny bit of restitution to make up for her trials as she looked around the gallery she was slowly forming, full of moments worth remembering, caught for as long as the pictures might last. She was gradually daring to hope that others as well would wish to glimpse the images she’d brought to life, ones which otherwise might have remained unseen.

She was turning to the back where she kept a small refrigerator to get a pop and take a breather when the bell over her door announced the arrival of a newcomer at her store front. Emma paused at the end of the long counter, turning to look over her shoulder curiously and prepared to greet the guest, but explain that she wasn’t open to customers quite yet. However, something about the young woman she saw standing just inside the door anxiously shuffling her feet and offering Emma a nervous but hopeful smile told her this one wasn’t there to buy framed photographs or picture-taking equipment, but had something else entirely on her mind. 

Rephrasing the speech she’d had ready to deliver, Emma instead offered an encouraging smile of her own and inquired curiously, “Hello, I’m Emma Swan, the owner. How can I help you?”

Upon closer inspection, Emma could see the visitor was quite young, and clearly rather shy as well. She couldn’t be long out of high school, or college at the latest, and she blushed with another quick smile before looking down at her hands, then back up at her to answer. “Hi, I’m Violet Clemens. Fresh out of college actually,” she added with a self-conscious little giggle, “and new in town. I’ll start teaching art at the middle school here in a week or so, but I was wondering if you might need any part-time help here in the meantime. What with moving and student loans and all, I could do with a little extra income.”

Understanding dawned on Emma as the girl continued, and she seemed so genuinely sweet that it was impossible not to grin right back at Violet in welcome as she came forward to shake hands. It would really come in handy to have someone who could focus on manning the register and wrapping up purchases for customers while she focused on book work, restocking, and troubleshooting. Unfortunately, Emma had sunk nearly all she possessed in the move, leasing the space, and procuring the merchandise she hadn’t created herself; it might not be possible to hire on any help until she saw if she could start making back some of her investment.

She told Violet as much gently, making clear that she truly did regret having to be so cautious, but the younger woman easily understood. Nodding sagely, Violet took the disappointment in stride. Glancing out the large front window to the sidewalk, she shrugged good naturedly and gestured toward the large, rather scruffy, dog Emma just then noticed, tied by the leash to the bike rack and lounging on the cement with its tongue lolling contentedly. “It’s alright. Honestly,” she piped up, cheer still evident in her voice. “I knew it was a longshot, dropping in unannounced and all. But Norman and I,” here she beamed at the dog who seemed to sense her affection through the glass as his tail began slapping the sidewalk and his ears perked up, “were taking an afternoon walk, and I couldn’t help but notice your lovely store front - it’s really coming together, you know that, right? And I had to try. I’d love to work somewhere like this.”

As an afterthought, Emma quickly asked before Violet could leave, “I wish I could say for sure I could hire you. You seem like a wonderful fit, and I could use the help. I just need to see how things progress on the business side. Might you have a resume or a card you could leave? Then, if I’m able to hire later, I can call and find out if you’re still interested.”

Violet’s head was already nodding enthusiastically, even before Emma could finish speaking. “Yes, I do! Right here,” she chirped triumphantly, pulling it out of the shoulder bag she carried and then flushing slightly as she smoothed the proffered resume against her leg before handing it over. “I’m glad you’re willing to take a look at it. This will be such an intriguing gallery, and I need something that can fit around my hours at the school once classes are in session. Between you and me, it took nearly every cent I had to get me and Norman here, and it was worth a try to make a little money until my paychecks start coming regularly. But I apologize if it’s a bit rumpled - my partner out there can be a bit of a handful.”

Emma waved off the concern, not in the least bothered about slightly bent paper, and wishing even more that she had a definite opening. She remembered all too well just the spot this young woman was in - and she wasn’t that far removed from her situation even now. Instead, she grinned as they both looked out toward the irresistibly floppy-eared dog who absolutely knew he was being watched and leapt to his feet, tail wagging in excitement.

“He looks like a sweetie though, all the same,” Emma smiled indulgently, feeling a pang in her heart at the memory of all the times she had wished as a kid that she could have a pet of her own, particularly a dog that would have been by her side when she was alone and in need of someone to understand her and lend her comfort.

Violet nodded readily in confirmation, grinning at her dog as if he was hearing and comprehending every word. “Yeah, he really is,” she agreed, turning back to Emma once more. “Sad as it might sound, he’s probably my best friend.”

“It doesn’t sound sad at all to me,” Emma assured, thinking to herself that choosing to depend on such an inherently loyal and devoted creature made perfect sense - especially if one were alone in the world otherwise. Giving Violet Clemens one more hopeful promise that she would call if she was able, Emma began walking with her back to the door, before adding as the girl turned the doorknob and moved to step out. “Thanks again for your interest. If things go well, maybe we’ll see each other again soon.”

She stepped outside into the mild sunshine, turning her face upwards for a moment to drink in its gentle warmth. Then, with a curious nod toward Norman, who was wriggling and writhing with enthusiasm at both his mistress’ return and the proximity of a new friend, Emma hesitated only until the expected indication that it would be just fine before squatting to the dog’s eye level to scratch him behind the soft, velvety ears and accept a sloppy lick across her cheek.

“Norman!” Violet chided, even while giggling at the same time. “Really! You’ve no manners at all, bud. Sorry about that, Ms. Swan.”

Emma chuckled too, not at all put off, and the simple affection that flooded her at the dog’s sweet, uncomplicated reception made her want to wrap her arms around his neck and bury her fingers in his thick ruff of gray fur. “Don’t worry about it,” she assured, stroking the dog’s back and chest several more times before standing again at the protest of her knees and calves. “I pretty much asked for it,” she added good naturedly. “He’s a handsome dog, but unusual looking. What breed is he?”

Violet shrugged unconcernedly, stroking along the top of his head as Norman came to lean against her side, his head nearly even with her hip, and gazed at her with the sort of obvious and complete devotion that only a good dog could muster. “The people I adopted him from had an Irish Wolfhound that guarded their sheep, but they didn’t really know about the father - it wasn’t an intentional litter of puppies.” She gave a playful little “oops” sort of grimace to Emma before gently rubbing under Norman’s furrily bearded chin for a moment, crooning, “You were a bit of a surprise there, weren’t you, Normie?” to the dog. “Anyway, best the vet back home could figure, he’s some sort of wolfhound-shepherd mix. And he may be huge, but I’m pretty glad of it. He’s all bark, but it’s an intimidating one if someone is around who shouldn’t be. I feel a lot safer having him with me, that’s for sure.”

“I’d imagine so,” Emma agreed, nodding her head in easy agreement.

“Well, we’ll let you go for now,” Violet said, unlooping Norman’s leash from the bench and readying to lead the two of them off down the street. “Thank you for your time, and I’ll hope to hear from you, but I’m sure I’ll stop in again once you’re open, either way.” She gave an easy wave, which Emma returned, and then started away along the sidewalk.

Emma turned to reopen the shop’s door and get back to work inside when a strange movement caught her eye, seemingly in the alley between the law offices and the jeweler’s on the opposite side of the street. Squinting in concentration, she tried to focus on the dark blur she was certain had slipped through her peripheral vision mere moments ago, but without any luck. Whoever or whatever she had seen was gone, vanished into the shadow of the narrow space between the buildings, or - more likely - never there at all. Shaking her head, Emma re-entered her own building and returned to her unpacking, pricing, and display efforts, doing her best to put the strange sense of having been watched out of her mind, and to ignore the nervous energy crawling along her skin. There was nothing there, and she was being ridiculous.

Soon, she was swept up in her work again, and the pleasure at seeing the pictures all side by side and ready for viewing at last, the way the whole thing was taking shape, had shoved the anxiety from her gut, letting the warmth of pride and accomplishment take its place. She’d slipped into her own little world to such a degree that when David Nolan charged in a couple hours later, followed by Killian Jones, both of them projecting a sort of restless upset and overflow of adrenaline, she was startled enough to whip around with a surprised exclamation from where she was perched atop a ladder, hanging a large landscape she’d captured. She wobbled slightly at the sudden movement, and Killian was across the room in a blink, steadying the ladder with one hand, the other at the back of her calf - warm, strong fingers clamped around her leg impossible to ignore, and sending all breath whooshing from her lungs even as it restored her balance. The heat and pressure ran tingling all the way up her legs to the juncture of her thighs, feeling like a bubbling of molten lava at her core. Even when she had been deeply committed in a years-long relationship with Neal back in Boston, she’d never felt anything like the burning intensity that gripped her with the mere touch of Killian’s hand.

If the breath of shock that escaped him, his widened blue eyes meeting hers before they darted away, and how he withdrew several steps promptly when she moved to shakily descend the ladder, were any indication, he had felt it too. Emma could feel his gaze still flickering over her back as she turned to David with hands crossed over her chest, trying to gather enough air to speak normally, and asked, “What is going on? You two charged in here like the place was on fire and scared me half to death!”

That was a bit of an exaggeration, but she was trying to lighten the moment and deflect attention from her churning insides and the fact that her body’s reaction to Killian Jones was what truly frightened her most.

David bobbed his head in a sheepish nod of acknowledgement, his tense shoulders dropping only a bit, though he did have the decency to look apologetic. “Sorry about that, Emma. It wasn’t our intention at all. Just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

Emma immediately caught his tone and the concerned, nervous energy radiating from both of them, even as they saw she was just fine and seemed to try to reel themselves back in. Tilting her head to study David’s face more carefully, she pressed warily, “Alright? Why wouldn’t I be?”

Killian stepped up closer to her side again, clearing his throat as he did, immediately upping Emma’s awareness further with his nearness, though he didn’t speak. David, meanwhile, shifted from one foot to the other restlessly, glancing away from her to meet his friend’s eyes before drawing in a deep breath and answering her question as calmly and succinctly as possible.

“I was notified an hour ago by one of my contacts in the city that Vic Franken - your former foster parent - has broken parole. He was facing five years for possession and reckless endangerment, but plea bargaining and so-called ‘good behavior’ have him up for parole sooner.” David’s tone and the practically audible air quotes in his voice made the huffs of disbelief and derision from both Emma and Killian seem all the more justified. “At any rate,” David continued, leveling his gaze on Emma seriously after a long-suffering sigh, “he’s in the wind, and it’s more than likely he would head this way. He might have been arrested elsewhere, but his last known address was here in Storybrooke, and he tends to return to what he knows. We’ve all borne witness to that pattern over the years.”

The sheriff paused there to both catch his breath and gather his thoughts. His well-muscled arms were crossed over his broad chest, almost looking as if he planned to plant himself right in front of her like some sort of stubborn protective barrier for the foreseeable future. The frown of consternation that marred his naturally open and amiable face completed the look all too well. Emma felt a surge of affection for Nolan at his obvious show of concern, and found herself wanting to ease his worry - even if the idea of her former abuser being on the loose and nearby had made a quivering fear run through her. She wasn’t trapped in a house with Franken anymore, didn’t have to deal with his presence any longer, and she was not about to let the idea of him reappearing rule her mind or emotions.

She gave a cool, measured nod, standing to her full height and making certain to look David right in the eye as well, not flinching for a second, no matter how much she wanted to. Waiting until she was sure there would be no tremor in her voice, Emma offered, “Thank you for letting me know so quickly, David. Truly. Being prepared is about the best defense I can have, as far as I’m concerned. Turning around to find him standing right there would be a hell of an awful shock to the system, but at least now I know to be on my guard.”

She wasn’t oblivious to Killian’s coming to stand just behind her, as if slightly flanking her against an attack, but she resolutely ignored it for the moment, determined to show she could face down the threat before her, regardless of the scars and horrific memories just the mention of Franken’s name brought flooding back. Facing David with fire in her eyes, she added reluctantly, “If he’s smart, he’ll run somewhere other than directly back here where he’s expected and bound to get caught. Still, we all know sensible, intelligent behavior is not the man’s leading characteristic, so I’ll be keeping a wary eye out. It won’t be the first time I’ve had to face him since I ran anyway.”

“What?!” David burst out incredulously.

Just as Killian swung around to face her with a hotly uttered, “Emma, what are you talking about?”

“He found me in Boston,” she shrugged, fighting to hang onto her calm air of nonchalance, even in the face of their volatile emotions. “Several years ago now. Startled me right in the street outside my apartment building - wanting money to stay out of my way and keep leaving me alone, essentially. It wasn’t a hard choice to pay it and have him gone. I was rattled that he was able to track me down, but he left, thankfully… and that was the end of it.”

Killian’s dark brows furrowed intently over his eyes that had grown stormy like a squall amidst the pretty ocean blue. Gently taking her arm to turn her to face him fully, his voice was quietly intense when he argued, “The end of it?! Are you serious, Emma? What are you thinking? He’s a dangerous man, particularly toward you, and you’re acting as though we’ve just told you something as minor as the weather for this evening.”

Emma gave him a cool look, not about to back down or fall apart in front of either of these men who were clearly concerned for her and expecting just that. She might feel as if her stomach was suddenly sloshing around like a sickening bowl of jelly, but she wouldn’t let Vic Franken take any more time from her or waste any of her concern. He’d made her early life a living hell - much more than Killian or David could imagine, whatever they thought they knew. It had taken years for her to stop biting back anything she might have noticed or seen for fear of being punished for her “unholy visions”. She’d looked over her shoulder, jumped at the slightest touch, been unwilling to accept the simplest compliment, continually unable to fathom that others might find her interesting, worthwhile, or important. It was still a work in progress, but she wasn’t moving backwards or scuttling to hide like some crawfish beneath its rock at the first hint of the man’s existence or mention of his name. She’d face it without flinching; he had no power over her now.

“I understand,” she finally gritted out as steadily as possible, eyeing Killian and David in turn, seeing that they took in her resolve. “I’ll keep my guard up, and I’ll call you the moment I see him - if I see him - but I’m not cowering or letting him ruin what I’ve worked toward. I have a store to open the day after tomorrow, and I’m not stopping for him or anyone else.”

David was already shaking his head, not liking her stubborn response, but being wise enough to recognize a battle he couldn’t win. “Well, see that you do. Keep your phone on you at all times. Try not to be alone any more than you have to. Call me anytime - day or night, whether I’m officially on duty or not, I mean that. We can’t ignore the facts. We may not have been able to do much to help when we were kids, but I’m not giving him a chance to lay a hand on you again, not on my watch.”

“Nor mine,” Killian echoed gravely, his voice a low rumble that shuddered through her pleasantly, no matter how she tried to ignore the effect. He was right there at her elbow, radiating anger, protectiveness, and something else delicious and unspoken which she didn’t dare put a name to. Even in the nightmare situation being threatened, a small, neglected corner of her thrilled at the sensation, savoring it for all it was worth.

“What? Nolan’s deputized you, and I haven’t heard about it?” she queried sarcastically, arching a sardonic brow at him in effort to hide just how touched she was by the care they both showed and the amount of comfort it lent her. Shaking her head, Emma regarded both men with knowing resignation, shrugging her shoulders helplessly. “Look, I appreciate the thought, but do you really think I don’t understand the danger here? Or that I plan to leave myself vulnerable again? I don’t. But I won’t stop living my life either. It’s finally mine, to live as I choose.”

“But Emma…” David began again, seeming to forget his earlier decision to abandon a futile struggle - at least until she sent a quelling look his way to freeze the words on his tongue.

Killian was undaunted though, and picked up where the Sheriff had left off. “At least don’t allow him to catch you all alone, Swan. You shouldn’t go anywhere by yourself until Franken is back in custody.”

She’d  placed her hands on her hips then, facing off against him squarely, even as he stepped closer too, moving to cradle her elbow in his large, calloused hand, much as he would aim to soothe a skittish animal. That still didn’t keep her from countering frustratedly, “And just how long might that take? Who’s planning on uprooting his life to follow me around like a babysitter, you?” She shook her head wildly, seeing that he looked every bit as stubborn as she did. “You don’t have time for that - no one does. It’s not practical.”

“I’ll make time,” he shot right back, without so much as a blink or a moment’s pause. “Practical or not, it’s necessary, and you’re stuck with me.”

She huffed in dissatisfaction, but turned from him to plant her hands on the counter and force several deep breaths rather than continuing to fight - in front of David, no less - when they were both so riled up.

“Well, glad that’s settled,” David breathed out with a brisk energy, pointedly ignoring the obvious tension in the room and smacking his hands together loudly, as if to accentuate the issue being resolved. He tapped a hand twice on the sturdy counter in farewell. “Everyone’s looking for him; he won’t be loose for very long,” he predicted, giving Emma a bolstering smile. “Until then, you’ve got a little extra insurance, right? Just to be safe.”

Emma only offered a half-hearted grumble and roll of her eyes, but David unaffectedly allowed that to roll right off his back with typical good humor, slapping Killian’s shoulder on his way to the door. 

Once they were alone, Killian turned to her with an exaggerated sort of leer and waggling brow, as if knowing she needed to lessen the anxiety surrounding them. “So, Swan, it would seem I am at your service. What would you have me do?” He leaned closer to her with the words, lending them a hint of temptation, especially when she could see his tongue swipe along his bottom lip seductively.

She had to tease him back; there was simply no other way her pounding heart and heated blood would allow her to respond. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” she purred with a salacious wink, batting her lashes for added effect.

If possible, the heated expression on Killian’s face grew more scorching, little flames of awareness licking up and down her arms and all across her skin. Emma flushed involuntarily, knowing her response showed, and that realization only making her embarrassment and arousal climb all the higher. Her gaze fell to the counter in an attempt to escape his intense regard; eyes following her fingers as they fumbled over odds and ends lying about, scrambling to look busy.

Still, her head jerked back up at his response, unable to avoid eye contact when the warmth of his words washed over her, still lightly flirtatious, but no less sincere, as he answered, “Perhaps I would.”

There was no way she could question that he meant it honestly. Along with the ability to see things average eyes could not, Emma could also sense when someone spoke the truth, and knew most usually when the truth was withheld. She might have lost her faith in that skill for awhile; her emotions too involved where Neal was concerned to see he had not meant all he had promised, and her ability to interpret her visions compromised by heartbreak in the case that sent her city life and purpose crumbling down. But, for all of that, she could still read Killian with absolute certainty, like the printed font on the page of a book. In fact, he was the most unmistakably clear, open person she could remember facing since Rose herself. It was impossible to misread him, and more than that - though it set her heart to fluttering at triple speed - not only does she trust him, but she finds that she wants to.

Humming softly under her breath, she accepted his admission without further comment, and with a cryptic, quiet smile she turned to find something she could have him do to help if he was determined to stay.

Once started, Emma was pleasantly surprised to find that they settle into an easy rhythm working side by side. She carried on unpacking, but could direct Killian up on the ladder with hammer and nails to hang various canvasses and frames for display, rather than having to do it all herself. As the afternoon sun crossed the sky and began to lower toward the evening, they shared various stories from the years between since they had seen each other last. Emma spoke warmly of the professor who took her under her wing, a Professor Ingersoll, who showed her all she could about camera, angles, light and shadow, and taking a shot which could truly speak to the viewer once captured. The older woman had also given Emma a place to visit for a homecooked meal some evenings, shared her secret of topping cocoa with whipped cream and cinnamon to make it even more decadent, and had become almost a surrogate older sister in Emma’s eyes, beyond being a brilliant mentor.

Meanwhile, Killian spoke less often, but with a wistful fondness that drew Emma nearer, allowing her to see that though he had possessed the money, fine home, seemingly perfect family, and advantages she had not known, he still had pains and regrets, wishes and hopes he had not yet been able to make come true. As strange as it might once have seemed to her barely teenaged self, they had much more in common than what held them apart. 

He spoke in easy, rolling vowels and smooth, deep rumblings of learning all that he knew at his father’s side, and of how much he had looked up to Brennan - practically idolized the man - until tragedy had brought him low and he had seen his hero crumble in his grief and vices. He even spoke falteringly of how he had blamed himself for not telling on Rose the evening before she had snuck out to her death. He had seen her bike - the one he then hated himself for teaching her to ride - hidden in the bushes at the end of the long drive, and had known she planned to slip away to some childish mischief after dinner. He hadn’t told, and it had eaten at him a long time, until he finally accepted that his inaction may or may not have changed anything, and that what happened to his sister was not his fault. 

Emma had to press her hands between her knees to keep from reaching out to cradle his tormented face between her palms at that confession. Her heart ached for him; she knew all too well what it was to dwell on might have beens and take on portions of the blame not meant to be her own. She might have never planned to meet Rose in their spot that night. She might have made it there to face down the killer with her friend or fall beside her. But she was not the one who had taken Rose’s life, and whatever others thought, she had finally come to see that her actions had not made the horror come to pass.

At some point they had ceased working, settling together at tall stools behind the counter and talking as evening shadows stretched and darkened the burnished shades of a Carolina sunset. Still, neither was ready to bring an end to the gentle comfort between them; the chance to speak of things long bottled up inside and receive understanding rather than judgement in return. It was only when Emma’s stomach growled so loudly that they both stopped speaking, wide-eyed before dissolving into laughter, that they finally gathered up their things and left, locking up the shop and driving off in search of some dinner.

She still didn’t think it was truly necessary for Killian to shadow her everywhere she went like some unofficial bodyguard. Yet, she also couldn’t deny feeling safer in the knowledge that he was there beside her and watching her back. Once they had decided to take his truck and leave her VW there on Main Street for the night, they headed for one of the local drive-thrus. She would be right back at work tomorrow, after all, and the car would probably be safer there in the middle of town under streetlights and regular patrols of the local police than it would be at her rented cabin.

Clambering up into the passenger seat of his tall pickup truck, Emma still felt she ought to protest once more, just at the upset to Killian’s schedule, the inconvenience of leaving behind his routine and all the chores of his own he no doubt had to do, not to mention the awkwardness of spending so much time - and overnight, at that - alone together, no more than they really knew each other. As expected though, Killian would hear no further argument, resolved that making sure she was safe was the most important thing to him. Then he deftly shifted the conversation with a wink and easy grin, asking where she wanted to eat.

It wasn’t until they were traveling along the rutted back road well outside the Storybrooke limits, along the edge of the wooded marsh near the place she was renting, that the peaceful companionship of the past few hours was harshly shattered. They had been rolling along under the deep midnight-purple sky sprinkled with stars, Emma savoring the last few salty French fries in her packet from the local diner and Killian slurping the last dregs of his milkshake from his cup, when her world suddenly swirled away from her; disjointed scenes from somewhere else flashing and pulsing wildly behind her eyes and the sight she both dreaded and couldn’t ignore swept her up more violently than it had done in years.

Gasping in shock, Emma bent forward over her knees, screwing her eyes shut even as the images playing behind her eyes invaded her head, growing ever more loud and vivid. “Wait, stop!” she rasped desperately, one hand clenched in her lap as the other fumbled blindly for the door handle as if to escape. Her voice scratched out ragged and plaintive as she begged Killian, “Please, stop! Right here, please!”

Alarmed, Killian pulled the truck over to the shoulder and threw it in park. He moved to reached across and take the hand she had reflexively balled into a fist, but even as they had barely come to a stop, Emma was out the door, stumbling sightlessly into the overgrown ditch. Hurrying after her, Killian called Emma’s name futilely while rounding the back bumper and plunging after her, but it was as though he were somewhere else from her entirely, unseen or heard as her arms flailed wildly while she climbed out on the other side of the ditch and into the field beyond, weaving unsteadily toward the treeline.

“Emma, hold up!” he called, trying to make it sound like a command, though his concern for her and confusion at what was happening overrode his intentions, making his voice echo shakily in the still night air. He jogged to catch up with her, abandoning any further entreaties that she was clearly past hearing. 

Just as he reached her, Emma fell to her knees, hands on the hard-packed earth barely stopping her from falling flat on her face. Heaving, she seemed to be either struggling to catch her breath, or trying to purge nausea at whatever she saw that was invisible to Killian. She shook her head violently, almost clawing at the earth as she rocked back and forth on her knees. Not knowing what else to do, Killian reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder, then when no protest came, to rub it up and down her back soothingly.

Some minutes passed, minutes that felt like excruciating hours to Killian as he waited, not certain but hoping she would come back to him. At long last, Emma seemed to still, her rocking motion calming until she nearly slumped against his side, drained. For several interminable seconds neither spoke, until Emma suck in a harsh, rattling breath and jerked upright, her eyes popping open as she finally came back to herself fully.

“Shh, shhh, Love… take it easy,” Killian crooned, trying to pull her back to his side and smooth her hair back from her face as she scrambled backwards and began anxiously trying to regain her bearings. “I know you’ve seen something awful… but you’re back now, aye? You’re going to be alright.”

But Emma’s eyes were wide as they focused on him, finally seeing him there before her. “No,” she mumbled, her voice struggling back to life. “No, it won’t be alright at all.” Grabbing his hand and holding on tightly, she stared at him as if pleading for him to believe her and beggin his forgiveness at the same time. “I saw her, Killian. Some poor young girl… hitchhiking on this same stretch of road.  He pulled over, gave her a smile… She didn’t know anything was wrong…” Emma’s breath hitched, but she pressed on. “She fought, but…but she couldn’t get away.  I was seeing it t-through his eyes…” She shuddered before her voice dropped even lower, “No feelings, no remorse, just drinking in her terror… like it was before.  That monster killed her. I saw it.”

The green of her gaze pierced his chest, causing Killian to struggle to breathe as well when she finally managed to tell him, “He killed her just the way he killed Rose.” Emma trembled all over as she finally let Killian gather her in his arms, though he was shaking now as well. “Rose wasn’t the only one. She was just the beginning.”

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FREE eBook — How to Write a Dynamic Act One: A Guide for Novelists

I'm still new enough to Tumblr that I don't really know the etiquette around self-promo, so please excuse this weird little ad as I excitedly announce that I wrote an ebook that's now available for free download!

How to Write a Dynamic Act One is exactly what it sounds like—a guide to putting together the first act of your story, offering creative and craft advice on tackling those tough early chapters. It includes some revamps of previous articles I wrote for AuthorsPublish (under my maiden name), as well as some brand-new advice!

A few things you'll find in this book:

— A breakdown of Act One's role in your story.

Why do you even need a first act? Why should you (a pantser) still try to outline your novel? I'll tell you all about it.

— A guide to essential scenes and questions to answer in Act One.

The not-quite template you always needed to help guide your writing without boxing you in. Checklist lovers, this is for you.

— A handful of tips to get you through tricky scenes.

Opening lines are the bane of my existence, and I refuse to pull the ladder up behind me. Learn from my former mistakes, and also get a few tips on writing inciting events.

— A bit of encouragement about self-editing.

It's not really the focus of this book, but I'd be a poor editor if I didn't at least bring it up. I promise you don't have to cut your draft to shreds during revision—most of your scenes can and should be salvaged!

— Poor formatting.

I'm sorry, there's really nothing I can do about this one. The spacing is a little messy and it looks like there was a find/replace fiasco during proofreading, which I had no control over. I've already cried about it a lot so please be nice to me.

Anyway, I'm extremely proud of this and I encourage you to check it out! It's free for a limited time, and is available in both PDF and ePub formats.

Thank you, and enjoy!

[chacusha]

Hi everyone! Time for a new sticky post. Here are some important, high-level things to note about me:

I am mostly inactive on Tumblr. I have uninstalled the Tumblr mobile app and use a siteblocker to limit how much time I spend on here. I do try to respond to personal messages and asks, but I'm pretty unreliable about everything else -- I mainly only use this blog for self-promo, sorry. See the bottom of this post for other places to find me.

Fandoms: Very many and change unpredictably. Star Trek is the main one at the moment, but I like various JRPGs (Mana, FF, KH, Bravely Default). Soulcalibur and ReBoot are some fandoms I find interesting and dabble in on Tumblr.

I am a proshipper. Not in the sense that I wade into fandom discourse (as I don't like it and so try to avoid it entirely) but that my opinions on fiction and fictional ships 100% aligns with the proshipper position and I avoid antis and people with anti opinions like the plague. More on what I mean by these terms below as there has been a lot of obfuscation (often purposeful) regarding these terms.

More detail on these under the cut.

Inactivity on Tumblr:

I have tried to make changes to make Tumblr more usable for me, but I still don't really have a healthy relationship to the site and still find it socially isolating, especially as a venue for artists who post art. I do respond to messages and asks, and I try to reply to replies and tags as well (sometimes they fall by the wayside, sorry...), and I reblog once in a blue moon, but I mainly use Tumblr for self-promo nowadays. Also, I don't really like talking about my personal life out in the open, so if you want personal updates on my life, I'm much more active on Dreamwidth, which has better privacy controls than Tumblr.

I tend to complain about Tumblr (while continuing to use the site) so much that I have a tag for it (#complaining about tumblr on tumblr). If that kind of negativity bothers you, you may want to unfollow me or filter that tag.

Some helpful links and resources related to my inactivity and frustrations with Tumblr as a platform:

Tips to new users to make Tumblr more usable

My Dreamwidth pitch (and the more readable Dreamwidth version).

Not mine, but here's a guide to using Dreamwidth for Tumblr users.

Here's also my pitch for why dA is not actually a terrible site for posting art compared to Tumblr (but Tumblr still has its advantages).

Some posts I made on why I find Tumblr socially isolating and why I don't tag dive on Tumblr, which are both largely still true.

Proship? Anti?

Most of the time, you can go through fandom without ever running into the proship/anti debate, and this has pretty much been my experience in my JRPG fandoms (Final Fantasy, the Mana series, Bravely Default, etc.). I have unfortunately not really had this experience in Star Trek fandom, sometimes being blindsided by people who seem chill in public then reveal themselves to have kind of unhinged views of fiction and immoral ships in private, so I have decided to just start proactively identifying as proship to ward those people away and will now only join Discord servers of people whom I know are not antis, or which have an explicitly proship moderation line.

Since it is often unclear what people mean by "anti" and "proship," I'll provide my own definition to make it clear what I'm talking about here.

Antis are people who oppose certain ships and the existence of certain types of fictional content because those ships/stories are immoral. While there is quite a bit of variety in where antis draw their moral lines, some common types ships/content that antis view immoral include incest, underage, rape/noncon, power differential, age gaps, etc. as well as being fans of dark (e.g. abusive, genocidal, villainous, etc.) characters, especially if this fannishness has a romantic/sexual attraction sort of element. The general anti approach to fannishness and fiction is to treat people who draw/write/consume fiction featuring these elements and themes as perpetuating harm (sometimes serious harm) through their fictional tastes. Such harm includes normalizing/endorsing/excusing abuse/rape, and grooming or normalizing/promoting pedophilia.

These are pretty weighty accusations, and needless to say, believing that (a) you can tell whether someone is an abuser/pedophile/groomer/etc. based solely on their fictional output or consumption (including what characters/ships they like), and therefore (b) your fandom is filled with literal abusers/pedophiles/groomers/etc. operating completely out in the open, led to people sending death threats, organizing campaigns to chase these "predators" out of fandom, and otherwise raising the cost of people existing in fandom while being a fan of "problematic" ships, whether through a private or public harassment campaign, by doxxing people, sending messages to their employer, etc. etc.

The proship stance/proshippers arose as a reaction to this harassing behavior of antis to basically establish an alternate approach to fandom that allows people to ship whatever relationships they like and which recognizes that fiction and reality do not map one-to-one, and which believes that treating fiction as if it is entirely equivalent to reality, treating fictional characters exactly how you would treat a real-life person, policing the immorality of fiction, etc. tends to lead to unhinged behavior like this (doxxing, harassment, etc.).

There was a very strong backlash to the anti movement and the anti approach to fandom has largely been discredited at this point by being portrayed as "fans taking fandom way too seriously," which is in some sense, accurate. But I don't think that this means that antis and their approach to fiction is entirely gone, just that they are merely more quiet/underground/cryptic about their anti positions. Also, I am a bit unusual in that I don't think that it was only the behavior that was wrong (doxxing, harassment, death threats, etc.), although it certainly was very wrong! But I also think that behavior was the natural consequence of a set of beliefs that generally equates fiction and reality; that is uncomfortable with the eroticization of the dark, immoral, and taboo; and that views the "point" or "main activity" of fandom and fannishness as being to write/consume/love "good" ships/content only. So long as people possess that particular approach to fiction, they are (in my mind) an anti at heart and their approach to fandom is probably antithetical to my own.

I take an approach to fiction that includes:

A recognition that there are plenty of reasons to want to write about certain characters having sex (even titillating, pornographic sex) that aren't "I am literally attracted to the characters and would still be attracted to the same characters if they were real."

Not harassing creators or other fans over shipping or creative output.

The view that "thoughtcrime" is not a legitimate concept.

Being against the idea that enjoyment of art can lead to moral contamination through association.

Art is not (and cannot be) the same thing to everyone. From "I couldn't enjoy this art for moral reasons," it is incorrect to conclude that, "If people enjoyed this art, that must mean they are immoral."

Just being chill about fandom, fans, and creators -- having a sense of perspective that fandom is a minor part of life and a minor part of pop culture, that fandom is a hobby filled with amateur, self-published creators who are learning their craft as they go, and often using fiction and art to explore their own sexuality.

I find this write-up to be a good outlining of the anti vs. proship debate and how antis tend to behave in fandom. People often also classify the anti phenomenon and approach to fiction as a kind of "purity culture" derived from an evangelical Christian upbringing (which views bad media to have a corrupting influence and the goal of reading/fictional consumption is to read "good" things only), but with the Christian social mores rejected and swapped out for non-Christian secular social justice values (consent, diversity and humanizing/"good" representation, etc.), and this seems to me a plausible theory and is largely how I understand the anti phenomenon as well.

Also, very tenuously related to anti/proship stuff, but I am generally someone with low tolerance for character/ship bashing, and for "I ship this problematic ship in the RIGHT way while other people ship it WRONG" type posting, and generally for making snide comments about other people's fic/art in public. Don't get me wrong -- I love a good rant about fandom, even a good public rant if it's not my fandom and I can eat some popcorn as I read. I have ships I can't stand and am happy to rant about them at the drop of a feather. But sometimes you have to pick the right audience for a rant, y'know?

Anyway, I generally try not to wade into fandom discourse (this is a self-imposed ban as I know if I let myself post about it, it will consume my brain), but I don't want my overall silence on this topic to be taken as neutrality or indifference in the whole anti/proship debate.

Oh yes, and if it wasn't apparent already, I am a very tl;dr person.

Where to find me:

Art Tumblr: https://denahi.tumblr.com/ 

Dreamwidth: https://chacusha.dreamwidth.org/ 

DeviantArt: https://www.deviantart.com/chacusha 

Discord: chacusha

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chacusha/profile 

Communities I run:

Quodo discussion/fan community on Dreamwidth: https://quodo.dreamwidth.org/ 

Quodo fanart archive on DeviantArt: https://www.deviantart.com/quark-x-odo/ 

My Discord for Quodo (18+ with a proship moderation line): https://discord.gg/VaCnMYvKu6

My Discord for the Mana series (all ages, also technically with a proship moderation line but the issue just never comes up in this fandom ¯\_(ツ)_/¯): https://discord.gg/6wFWwnRvJr 

[yallcantread]

If you haven’t yet I highly recommend you read this article. (Link in quote) interviewer also confirmed his relationship with Taylor Swift.

It’s almost like he saw my blog post about me ranting how none of this matters. Life’s kinda crazy innit?

Here’s part of the article where he addresses the podcast/The Adam Friedland show situation/Ice Spice.

“On “The Adam Friedland Show,” Healy and the hosts roamed more or less randomly around the cultural landscape, cracking jokes. One of the hosts asked if the rapper Ice Spice, who is of Nigerian and Dominican descent, was an Inuit Spice Girl, and the group then did crude approximations of an Inuit accent, veering from vaguely Chinese to quasi-Hawaiian.

Later, he laughed as the hosts did impressions of hypothetical Japanese guards at German concentration camps. He joked about watching the brutal porn channel Ghetto Gaggers. After the episode went up, outraged headlines and furious tweets—“matty healy, how are you getting on stage every night and mocking toxic masculinity and then going on a podcast and undoing the whole thing by being wildly ignorant, misogynistic, homophobic, racist, everything else under the sun”—predictably ensued.

I asked him about the podcast. He’d been doing so much promo, he told me, that he wanted to do something that felt more like simply talking with his friends. But, of course, he had done this all in public, on mike. Had he baited his fans on purpose? “A little bit,” he said. “But it doesn’t actually matter. Nobody is sitting there at night slumped at their computer, and their boyfriend comes over and goes, ‘What’s wrong, darling?’ and they go, ‘It’s just this thing with Matty Healy.’ That doesn’t happen.”

“Maybe it does,” I said. “If it does,” he said, “you’re either deluded or you are, sorry, a liar. You’re either lying that you are hurt, or you’re a bit mental for being hurt. It’s just people going, ‘Oh, there’s a bad thing over there, let me get as close to it as possible so you can see how good I am.’ And I kind of want them to do that, because they’re demonstrating something so base level.””

Part of the interview speaking on Taylor and Matty’s relationship. I hope people give them the space and best wishes they deserve. Many fans of hers have been hoping he does something bad to her so she realizes he’s no good for her? It’s quite disgusting.

“In May, tabloids reported that Healy and Swift were an item. Both of them, onstage during their respective tours, seemed to conspicuously mouth the words “This is about you, you know who you are, I love you.” Healy flew from the Asia leg of his tour, in the Philippines, to attend Swift’s show in Nashville. There was chatter, online, that it was a joke, or a publicity stunt, or perhaps simply two ardent self-chroniclers gathering material about intertwined egos for devastating pop albums to come. Neither of their representatives would comment on the record, but I kept getting texts from people who knew them, and who insisted: this time, it’s real.”

[asbestieos]

Riley please tell me more your shuffle units are soooo cool please diner shuffle unit?

weheee hello anon 👋👋👋 im in the tdeep throes of what i can only call Mysterious Stress Sickness (not made better by wee bit of sleep med ovrdose (not deadly) (but very sleepy) (coping ny watching mukbang videos)))sl bear with me if im ramblynor nonsensical,

shuffle highly dependent on vintage American diner aesthetic, maybe conbined with Japanese karaoke becos it sounds fun 👍 om mostly thibking of mv setting fewturing retro furniture and silly jukebox karaoke. shuffle’s reason for being a thing maybe becos a karaoke bar franchise wants promo for a pop-up karaoke place and gets ES in on it or something

for shuffle memvers. yuzuru souma leo hahime and then uhhhh fuckin hinata . hinata acenter with souma second 5* maybes. theres really n o particualr reaosn why these five i think i just want to see them rollerskating (or girlfailing at rollerskating). i read somewher eonce or maybe made it up in my head that hinata used to work in a restaurant so i think itd be a silly throwbac for him and hajime is probably used to doing oddjobs!! yhe story woith theshuffle would be like something something customer service jobs hurt + brings up painful memories. maybe a little flavor of aoi twins pain with hinata reflecting on their current relationship. souma sympathetizing bcos hes a little little bit like hinata like a teeeeny bit. its about the sibling self sacrificing. souma hasnt had much chance to self sacrifice but he Is an older brother and i want to think hes just like me fr and acted as a buffer for his younge rbrothers sake? hinata has been basically cannibalizing himself his whooole life for yuta. actually leo is also perfect dor this as older brother to ruka + hajime has like a bajillion younger shblongs, maybe the story is something something its hard to be an okder sibling we have to balance Not Killing Ourselves with caring for baby. Yuzuru Is Also Here )i do not know how he factors in)

so abuwau for shuffle outfit desifn something simple? classic bkntage waitress dress? excuse how crunchy this is i ha dto draw on m phone do you know how hard it is to drawign with finger whennyou are ultra skeepy and have the muscle strength of a newborn 💔　ティでcouldべfuck me sorry wrong keyboqrd this could be cuter but im too tired to com up with a better design whaugh. tldr blend+ but its set at a retro-themed karaoke bar . like kinda like nightclub + blend+ + American Vintage:tm: thank you for enduring my nonsense ranbjing ♡ my head hirts 👍

[romijuli]

Chel! What're your top 5 fave tsuzu cards? :3

SORRY THIS TOOK A BIT I HAD FAMILY OVER but!!! on to The Boye <3

i'm gonna grab three ssrs, one sr and one r. just for fun. also in no particular order!

Everyone from the Minagi Family (aka Last Planet SSR): the initial promo art almost sent me down the stairs. the unbloomed made me trip UP the stairs. i was not looking at the art on either occasion, i was just THINKING about it a little too close to the stairs. SO pretty what the fuck

MANKAI Memory: i was tempted to put glitter here, but oooough i love the memory card. the unbloomed is so nice looking and i just REALLY love everything he's got going on in the bloomed. also the backstage is SO sweet and imo a very subtle but very nice step towards the growth we see in literary impasse: his childhood item is a t-shirt he begged his parents to let him buy, like the ONE thing he ever let himself ask for, and that being his choice for the birthday bromide shoot plays SO nicely with the literary impasse story being about him learning to be self-indulgent.

At the End of the World: huh all of these are drama, that was an accident. YOU THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE THE DOG CARD DIDN'T YOU but it's this one. the unbloomed is aDORABLE and then whatever's happening in the bloomed. also i just really like liar night, it's not really relevant to the overall story or character development but tsuzuru struggling with the whole amogus thing because he's just too honest and doesn't do the best with improv is very cute.

honorable mentions to the dog card and the harlot.

Heroic Tale of the Pure Detective: i picked this one because it's actually the card that sold me on the summer outfit! he looks cute in it. why is he eating in so many of his cards. is that curry bread i want some. also hi Konjou i guess. i know everyone says Kanagi but according to the newly-voiced event story it sure is Konjou.

honorable mention to box boy, who i was so close to putting on here. also a note for initial sr tsuzuru who came home five fucking times in my first month on en and is directly responsible for tsuzuru being my fave. WAIT ALSO SUNNY SPRING. LOOK AT THAT FACE.

Chomp Chomp Cupcake: LOOK HOW CUTE THAT UNBLOOMED IS. honestly my fave r overall, with the possible exception of guy staring into the void thoroughly unamused. i wanna squish him and/or steal his cupcake.

honorable mention to the bastard (merlin) and also the hermes one i spent 18 real world dollars to bloom