#I haven't worked on this in a couple months but now that I read beyond what I am posting it has me intrigued again

[reallygroovyninja]

The Lottery

Lexa returned home from her job at the local library, tired after a long day of shelving books and assisting patrons. The comforting aroma of her homemade dinner filled the small apartment as she settled down at her modest dining table. Just as she was about to take her first bite, a sudden, unexpected knock on the door interrupted her evening. 

Startled, Lexa rose from her chair and made her way to the door. She peered through the peephole, finding a tall and imposing alpha standing on her doorstep, holding an official-looking envelope. He wore a serious expression, and his presence radiated an air of formality. 

Taking a deep breath, Lexa opened the door just wide enough to peer outside, her heart racing with a mixture of curiosity and unease. The alpha glanced at her, his gaze unwavering, and asked, "Are you Alexandria Woods?" 

Lexa nodded slowly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Yes, that's me." 

The alpha's stern features softened just slightly as he extended the envelope toward her. "Congratulations, Ms. Woods," he said in a low, authoritative tone. "You have been chosen for the National Marriage Lottery." 

Lexa's hand trembled as she accepted the envelope from him, her fingers brushing against his for the briefest moment. She felt a chill run down her spine as the implications of the moment sank in. The envelope bore the official seal of the Ministry of Matrimonial Partnerships, confirming the gravity of its contents. 

As she started to read the letter inside, the alpha turned and walked away, disappearing into the dimly lit hallway. Lexa's mind was reeling as she closed the door, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn't believe she had been chosen, and the thought that she would have to be at the Ministry's office in just seven days to learn the name of her future alpha left her with a whirlwind of emotions. Her once quiet and ordinary life had been irrevocably altered, and the journey into the unknown had just begun. 

Lexa's dinner lay forgotten on the dining table, growing cold and untouched. She made her way to the living room and sank onto her couch, her eyes never leaving the letter now resting on the coffee table before her. The weight of its significance seemed to press down on her, and she couldn't tear her gaze away. 

The apartment was quiet, save for the soft hum of the city outside, and Lexa's thoughts raced. She replayed the alpha's words in her mind—congratulations, chosen for the National Marriage Lottery. It was a phrase she had never expected to hear, and the implications of it left her feeling both apprehensive and intrigued. 

Her fingers traced the edges of the envelope, almost as if she expected it to reveal more secrets by touch alone. The official seal of the Ministry stared back at her, a symbol of the life-altering journey that lay ahead. Lexa couldn't help but wonder about the alpha on the other end of this unexpected twist of fate. Who was he? What would he be like? Would they be compatible, or would this be a tumultuous forced partnership? 

Minutes turned into an hour as Lexa sat there, lost in thought, her heart a mix of uncertainty and curiosity. The future was suddenly uncertain, and her once familiar routine had been disrupted. But beneath the anxiety and apprehension, a flicker of excitement simmered. Lexa knew that whatever lay ahead, she was about to embark on a journey that would forever change the course of her life. 

Anya leaned against the sleek, metal frame of the window, her gaze fixed on the bustling city below, aglow with the neon lights of the signage. She turned her head, her sharp alpha features softened by concern as she looked at Lexa. "You know it's tomorrow, right?" she asked, her voice carrying the weight of the unspoken – the National Marriage Lottery.  

Lexa nodded, her fingers absently twisting a strand of her hair. "I know," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. The room, adorned with minimalist decor and the latest technological advancements, felt colder than usual.  

Anya pushed away from the window, her movements decisive, a natural leader's poise. "Are you ready for this, Lex?" she asked, her eyes searching Lexa's face for any sign of doubt or fear. "Being paired with a stranger, an alpha you've never met... it's not something to take lightly."  

Lexa's eyes lifted to meet Anya's, a certain resolve burning within them. "I don't really have a choice, do I?" she said, a hint of bitterness lacing her words. "It's either enter the lottery or face the penalties. And you know how I feel about the government dictating our choices."  

Anya sighed, her protective instincts as an alpha kicking in. "I just don't want you to be forced into something you're not ready for," she said, her voice tinged with concern. "Especially with an alpha. Our kind can be... overwhelming, especially for an unpaired omega."  

Lexa managed a small smile, appreciative of her cousin's concern. "I'll manage. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and be paired with someone decent. Someone who understands that this... arrangement is as new and awkward for me as it is for them."  

"Or maybe you'll find someone who's more than just decent," Anya suggested, a playful glint in her eyes. "Someone who could actually make you happy."  

Lexa's smile grew, a rare moment of optimism breaking through her usual guarded demeanor. "Maybe," she conceded, allowing herself that sliver of hope.  

Anya placed a reassuring hand on Lexa's shoulder, her alpha presence both comforting and empowering. "No matter what happens, I'm here for you, Lex. We'll face this together, as family."  

As Lexa nodded, a silent bond of strength and support passed between the two women. Tomorrow would bring uncertainty, but tonight, they found solace in their unbreakable familial bond. 

[lianaloverr]

𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫

paring: Sam Golbach x fem!reader

Summary: You and Sam have been together for 7 months, but you slowly come to realization that your just shadow of someone else..

Warnings: very sad😢, no happy ending

word count: 1k

hii guys!! Wait, don’t hate me, ik I said I would rewrite something but…. be happy! I’m write the pt 2 to 4 page letter, and pt 3 to i hate you, right?

“Did I cross the line?”

(∘⁼̴⃙̀˘︷˘⁼̴⃙́∘)

You have been with Sam for 7 months and it's been the best time of your life. You got together in August of last year. He always took you on dates, cuddled, and he's always telling you how much he loves you. Seriously, everyday, every minute, every second. As if he's trying to say something beyond that. But it never really bothered you, all you needed was love and affection from him.

Flashback

You were about to go out with Kat to a party hosted by your good friend Jess, it was her birthday and she said you could bring a plus one.

“Kitty Kat, are you ready?” you shout from down the hall. “Almost, let me touch up my make-up really quick.”

“Hey, y/n. Have you got a text from Sam lately? It seems like he's been getting distant..” Kat says as she walks into your room. “I haven't, maybe it's just work, you know doing all that traveling.” you respond, trying not to let her mind go to conclusions. “You always read my mind y/n.”

She was your girl, you showed her the world

People often mistaken you and Kat as twins, you dressed, looked, and acted eerily similar. “Yea Kat, that's why I'm your twin.” You chuckle. She cracks a smile and looks at you, trying to convince you that she believes you.

She was crying on my shoulder, all I could do was hold her

Kat was currently in your arms sobbing outside of the birthday girl’s house. She had just caught Sam, with Jess. Not dancing as a birthday celebration, grinding and kissing each other. “They weren't drunk y/n! I know how Sam looks when he's drunk!” she choked out with her tears.

“Kitty Kat…” Your heart ached for her. “Are your sure it was him?” you ask. “Yes, it was him! With his blond hair and blue eyes you wouldn't miss it.” She says with no signs of her stopping anytime soon. “8 years y/n…. 8 years down the drain..”

Only made us closer, until July

You and Kat were no longer friends, after you got with Sam. He ended up pursuing you to go on a date with him, which turned into a couple dates, then all the sudden you were dating.

“Sam?” you appear around the corner of his room. “Yes kitty?” he says, looking away from his computer to get a view of your face. “I have a question. Don't you ever feel bad?” you answer without giving him a chance to say anything. He looked dumbfounded as he said “What about?” “You know, for dating me?” You say, barely below a whisper. “Why would I feel like that?” he talks as he inches closer to you. “Kat was my best friend Sam.”

“Y/n, I love you. Kat is the past, for me and you. I would be better if you just moved on and forgot about it, stay focused on me and your life.” Sam says looking in your eyes with a certain look, but not a look of empathy. “I know that you love me, you don't need to remind me.”

I should put it all behind me, shouldn't I?

“Hi Colby! Have you seen Sam? He hasn't been answering my calls.” you ask. “He just left, and y/n, i've been meaning to talk to you.” he says with a look of concern. You sit down with a confused look on your face, signaling him to continue. ‘Look, there's no easy way to say this but.. Sam isn't over Kat. After she caught him and broke up with him, he's been depressed ever since. I don't think he will ever get over that anytime soon at the rate this is going. What I'm trying to say is, I think you're just a distraction. I'm so sorry y/n.”

Well good things don't last, and time moves so fast

It all made sense now. How he always told you he loved you. You always knew you recognized the places he took for dates, it was always the places that he took Kat to. The way you looked, talked, and acted like Kat. No wonder why he would go after you, Even the way he called you kitty. You couldn't believe what you did.

I’d never ask who is better. Cause she couldn’t be, more different than me

“Sam! Are you kidding me?” You screamed at him. Your once soft and loving eyes were now replaced with fiery and dead ones. “I don't know what you're talking about y/n! Colby lied to you, I can't believe you trust him over me!” Here we go again, with the gaslighting.

“Sam! Why didn't you tell me?” you say, breaking down and sliding your back against the door. Now you know how she felt, left in despair as she finally learned the truth. “Fine y/n, do you really wanna know? Yes, I still miss Kat! I miss her so much! You're just her shadow, someone I needed to distract me. You will never be like her!” he concluded. “you know what..” you mumble as you leave the room, slamming the door.

You say no one knows you so well, but every time you touch me, I just wonder how she felt

Now I wonder. Did he see her, in the back of his mind. In my eyes?

You slowly come to realize, you lost 2 important people in your life. Due to your selfish ways, you lost your best friend and a good friend because you let him gaslight you into distancing yourself away from her. He wanted her to be jealous that you was with him, that's all he wanted. He never loved you, he loved the way you were like the person he wanted the most out of everything.

I know you didn't mean to hurt me, so I kept it to myself

*: ･ﾟ

[mumms-the-word]

Mumms do you know of any fics where inqui lavellan gets sent back in time to the times of arlathan? So far I've found one but it was before lavellan was the inqui ����

My original answer was that no, I don't know of any but then I was like....I'm a master at googling and research. I can FIND some.

So I went down a rabbit hole of procrastinating stuff I'm supposed to do and instead scanned AO3 works tagged "ancient arlathan" and I found a few fics that seem to have both Ancient Arlathan and Time Travel. Idk if they’re exactly what you’re looking for and I haven't read any of them because the deadlines are deadlining me rn (some may be AWESOME, some may not be your vibe) but I figured I’d link them anyway!

(And if you happen to be the writer for any of these then you're welcome for some free advertising haha)

In Another World - The Fade exists in all times and all places. If there is a way to change the Dread Wolf's heart, Carys Lavellan thinks she'll find it there. She finds more than she expected.

my notes: ao3 summary is a bit vague but this fic is about a post-DAI Inquisitor who gets tossed back into Ancient Arlathan times. easily the longest fic on the list and the stats show that it is VERY popular. even a quick scan has me intrigued!

Sulena Nadas'din - In the wake of Corypheus’ defeat, Ellana Lavellan is given no chance to celebrate her victory for the orb Solas sought lay broken at their feet and the man vanished from her view… Before she, too, vanished from the Inquisition’s sights. When she awoke, she found herself in a strange time, where castles float in the skies, and gods roam the land. She has fallen into the hands of the Dread Wolf who wears the mask of Pride, and must find a way to win his favor to make her way home. If only it were so simple.

my notes: another fic with promising stats, it's unfinished but the writer posted an update a couple of months ago saying they're interested in finishing it now that veilguard is out! if you love it, send them some encouragement!

More fics under the cut!

RECENT FICS

The Veil Between Us - Ellana Lavellan thought she had left everything behind—her title as Inquisitor, her army, her love for Solas—when she dismantled the Inquisition and vanished into obscurity. But when a golden rift pulls her into the heart of the ancient past, she finds herself in Arlathan, face to face with a younger, arrogant, and dangerously captivating Solas. As his personal servant, her duty is clear: to serve, to obey, and to entertain his every whim. But their connection runs deeper than either of them realizes, tangled in a timeless bond that ignites passion and threatens to consume them both.

my notes: newer fic! there are 24 chapters planned, but only 3 uploaded right now. Show the writer some love!

Longing for Home - A fic where Lavellan has found herself traveling through time and becoming an agent of the Dread Wolf's rebellion . . . Lavellan, Seren, accidentally travels to ancient Arlathan and joins the rebellion in an attempt to find her way back to her time . . . intended to be a bit of a reversal of the solavellan dynamic in Inquisition - with Seren having a secret she's hiding while she finds herself teaching the young Wolf about leadership - as well as Seren befriending some nobodies and turning them into rebels worthy of the Dread Wolf's cause.

my notes: this is the newest fic out of the list and only one chapter, but it seemed interesting to me! they said they have a longfic of more sooo...maybe they need some encouragement? :)

Din'Lathsuledin - On the heels of the Dread Wolf, Pellam Lavellan is pulled once more through time and space unknown, into powers beyond imagination; Ancient Arlathan and the reign of Elvhen magic. Sundered from the Fade and marked by Fen'Harel, she must learn to survive the deadly Evanuris and return to her time without destroying the future in the process.

my notes: a 2024 fic, so it's pretty recent! also probably the smuttiest option on the list; if you love it, encourage the writer to keep going!

OLDER FICS

Facing the Wolf - AU Prompt Fic. A mishap with an ancient artifact sends Isii through a portal, dropping her into a time and place that is completely foreign to her. At first she is happy to see that Solas is there with her... until she realizes it isn't Solas.

my notes: I vaaaaguely remember seeing this writer circulating back in the day (this fic is 2015) so I grabbed this one for you. The writer has also linked out to another time travel Ancient Arlathan fic called "Wolf's Den" that may also be of interest?

Only Time Will Tell - At Redcliffe instead of Dorian and the Inquisitor being thrown forward in time, it's just the Inquisitor... And instead of going forward in time, she goes back. A LONG way back. Back to the time of the ancient elves, before Arlathan fell and the gods were locked away. Possibly before the elves even really knew of humans as anything more than primitive creatures on far-off shores. But in this strange, beautiful and cruel world of her ancestors she sees one familiar face, except his name is Fen'Harel.

my notes: another popular fic!

Making Fen'Harel - An AU in which Rihari Lavellan accidentally stumbles into Ancient Arlathan. Mistaken as a slave, she desperately looks for a way back to her own time. Until she meets a familiar man.

my notes: pretty straightforward! a finished fic from 2016

The Past is the Past - After the Temple of Mythal, Soora is left in pain and confusion as the Well of Sorrow is swimming in her mind. The night after the Well of Sorrows, the voices wake her up and force her into Morrigan's Eluvian and into ancient Arlathan. Waking up with Fen'Harel and Mythal standing over her, she starts to realize how right Solas was.

my notes: part of a series, I think this part is all the ancient arlathan stuff while another fic in the series is when they get back to the present day

The Wolf Has Your Scent - A strange rift north of Kirkwall sends Solas and the Inquisitor back through the ages to a time when gods roamed the earth. Forced to work together so soon after their parting hurts them both, but they must work through their differences to get home. Only things go awry when Fen'Harel recognizes the magic pooled in her palm.

my notes: Unfinished, alas, but the description is intriguing. Post-breakup time travel for you?

Temporal Arrangements - A strange object sends Solas and Iwyn Lavellan back in time, right into a situation neither can control. Raw and emotional from their recent breakup, they have to pretend to date to avoid raising suspicion, and work together to find a way back home.

my notes: Similar to the last one, but this one IS finished.

Perennial Dues - In this day and age, she's nothing special to him. Nothing other than a shemlen, even though his people have yet to come up with the term. She had been unique to him once, but today, the god is surrounded by his people. People that share his ideals and way of life. People worthy of his time and affection. Better people than her, in his eyes . . . The hard reality of their wasted bond catches up with her, stabbing her in the heart and twisting the knife for good measure.

my notes: okay this one is human Trevelyan/Solas instead of Lavellan, but if you're looking for inspiration, it may still be worth a read?? the summary isn't very helpful but from what I can tell she was trying to time travel back to a DAI date and overshot into ancient arlathan. oops!

Constant Stars - Inquisitor Lavellan and Dorian are on a mission to take down Venatori when they are magically transported to the ancient past. Elves rule this world without a Veil and they find that a rebel leader wears a familiar face. Takes place post-Inquisition but pre-Trespasser.

my notes: unfinished, but it has PICTURES so that's neat. Also, dorian x iron bull, can't hate that

OKAY I think that's everything in the ancient arlathan tag on AO3. That should give you plenty to read over the next few weeks!!

[ecoterrorist-katara]

hi! i recently joined the zutara fandom and i've been seeking to read more fics of them! the first one was once around the sun (a famous one) and i'd like to know more about of the most classic zutara fanfics

Hello & welcome to the fandom! Once Around the Sun is one of my favourite fics ever. It’s so beautiful and gets under your skin.

Just a note, in case you're new to fanfic: please leave kudos for the author if you enjoyed their work, or even better, kudos + a comment! Not every popular fic will be your cup of tea, so make sure to check the tags and ratings before reading.

I think “classics” can be a ymmv situation, but a lot of people get into a ship with sorting by kudos on AO3, so I'll go through the ones I've read on page 1 that cover a bunch of different popular premises. S3 forced collaboration? The Color of the Stars by bluenebulae. Arranged political marriage? The Blackfish and the Dragon by ama. Ambassador Katara? such selfish prayers by andromeda3116. Canon divergent post-TSR? i'm still here by owedbetter. Katara-is-captured fic? Sparrowkeet by audreyii_fic. Painted Lady x Blue Spirit? Rumour Has It by FictionIsSocialInquiry. And of course, one of my fave fics of all time, Southern Lights by colourwhirled.

If you sort by favourites/comments on FFN, you'll come across some older-ish fics, like Stormbenders by Fandomme (fab undercover adventure from late s3!), His Majesty Prefers Blue by ShamelessLiar (post-canon), Tempest in a Teacup by akaVertigo (Katara grows up in the FN AU), The Black Games by MrsPettyfer (Hunger Games AU), Enslaved by sharkflip (Zuko is kidnapped and given to Katara), and The Undying Fire by Boogum (a veritable epic!).

That said, there are soooo many amazing fics in this fandom, and some of my favourites don't show up on the first couple of pages on AO3 or FFN if you sort by kudos/faves/reviews. I have a list of my lesser-known faves here, but since I made that post I've read a few more fics that I LOVE, including: akaiiko's they call you refugee (you'll see why), Lykegenia's The Things We Hide (fave Hama & Kya arcs ever), and DariusSobreitus' Annakpok (Iliad-inspired AU). I also didn't include any WIPs on that list, but following WIPs can be really fun, like emletish's hilarious The Worst Prisoner and ShamelessLiar's Call Me Katto AU. So: feel free to explore beyond rec lists and kudos! I found some of my favourite fics just by reading summaries.

Also, we got a whole SLEW of new fics between Zutara Week now and Zutara Big Bang a couple of months ago, which I haven't even begun to dig into (I currently have Wolfstar brainworms so I've been distracted from my Zutara fic hyperfixation). We’re a very spoiled fandom indeed. Happy reading!

[profoundbondfanfic]

Hi there!

I have been looking in vain for fics with Non-verbal Dean or Castiel. I've read a couple but haven't been able to find anymore and the tagging system only seems to give me junk results not actually related to that.

Thank in advance for your help!

Hey! Here are a few fics we could think of:

All Cats Are Gray After Dark by squirrelofcelestialintent (Explicit, 19k words)

1992, NYC. Dean is a Gulf War veteran working in the grimiest ER in the city, and he’s holding his life together. Kind of? Maybe. But he’s got secrets. No one at work knows that he’s not physically mute due to a war injury, but rather selectively mute from way back in the day, because that is almost impossible to explain. Nobody but Sam knows he’s a rare, male Omega, and the discovery of that secret was why he got kicked out of the army. And nobody, absolutely nobody, knows that he occasionally sneaks out to have anonymous sex with men. Until he meets Castiel freaking Novack - anonymous hook up turned new boss - who in less than a month manages to find out all three.

Casicorn by everandanon (Explicit, 56k words)

When Detective Dean Winchester suddenly finds himself with a new roommate, a mysterious man who doesn’t speak but seems to somehow be connected to the department’s recent vigilante problem, he has no idea what he’s in for. The guy doesn’t know how to work a TV, brush his teeth, or even take a shower, and he stares at Dean all the goddamn time. Not to mention he insists on sleeping in Dean’s bed. While Dean is in it! Weird, right? Except the longer Cas sticks around, the less Dean starts to mind; the more he kind of dreads Cas leaving for good, actually, even though nobody really knows who Cas is or where he came from. And then, one night, Dean happens to witness their vigilante firsthand and realizes he knows Cas even less than he thought . . . (Loosely inspired by The Little Mermaid)

Finding You In Every Sign by casblackfeathers (Explicit, 99k words)

Castiel was content with the constant flow of his life. He had his brother Gabriel, had his coffee shop and the weekly book club meetings as well as a small but solid group of friends. If there was one thing his hateful family had taught him, it was how fast things could go wrong if he let too many variables shape his life. So when he met Dean, a gradual regular at his shop, Castiel knew he was trouble, because Dean was like a comet, beautiful but beyond reach. Ever since his father died, there wasn’t a single constant in Dean’s life. Moving on, never stopping, never getting attached to one thing for too long had made him a drifter for the past seven years. Being the only hearing person in his family hadn’t been easy with a father like John Winchester, so as soon as Dean saw an escape, he took it. Settling down to open his flower shop was anything but easy, especially when he met the elusive deaf owner of the coffee shop next door. The more he discovered about Cas, the louder the voice in the back of his head whispered that maybe Castiel was the person finally worth staying for. And maybe, just maybe, Dean was willing to listen now.

Hear You Me by through_shadows_falling (Explicit, 84k words)

Castiel is a college graduate stuck in two dead-end, part-time jobs. Oh, and he’s Deaf…which to his oldest brother Michael makes him something to constantly fret over. It’s not Castiel’s fault that he doesn’t know what he wants to do with his life, right? Not like it’s Michael’s business anyways. Enter Dean Winchester. A chance encounter with the man has the power to change Castiel’s life - and in the end, maybe, just maybe, it will help him finally understand and accept who he is and what he’s meant to do.

i saw the light by LoversAntiquities (Mature, 14k words)

“Sam, you gotta hear about this ghost story I found the other day,” Susanne says over the speakerphone, just as loud as she has been for the last half hour. For the most part, Castiel ignores her—or tries—and concentrates on the beads dangling from between his fingers, centerpiece pressed to his forehead. Praying doesn’t work, but some mornings, when the coffee doesn’t get him going and the walls feel more like a prison than a home, he sits at the library table and whispers empty words into the crucifix, like Jesus can ease the festering ache in his chest. He can’t—no one else can either.

late july by thanks_tacos (Explicit, 26k words)

'I would like to take in your most abused one,' Castiel says, looking at the rows of doors in the yellow corridor. 'Give him a good home.' After his accident, Castiel needs someone to help him around the small brick house he lives in and the bookstore he owns. So, he adopts Dean; an omega who barely survived being dumped in a ditch and left for dead. Dean doesn't talk, but that's fine; they learn to live together in the quaint, rainy city surrounded by a green forest. Castiel just wants to give Dean a peaceful life he deserves, and maybe also - become his mate?

Looking for a Sign by emwebb17 (Mature, 70k words)

Dean can't figure out why the hot guy on the train is ignoring him…that is until he realizes that the man is profoundly deaf. After an unpleasant misunderstanding, the two become friends. It isn't long before Dean wants more, but Castiel sticks steadfastly to his rule about not dating hearing people. When Dean starts to date other people to try to get over him, Castiel starts to wonder if maybe Dean is the exception to the rule.

No Words by Ltleflrt (Explicit, 112k words)

On the run from his very powerful family, Castiel does his best to get lost. Because if he doesn’t know where he is, his brothers won’t be able to find him very easily either. He ends up in Silverton, a small mountain town nestled deep within the Rocky Mountains where he meets Dean Winchester, a very beautiful and very grumpy omega.

sunflower by unicornpoe (Teen and up, 4k)

Castiel comes home on a Sunday.

Still Waters Run Deep by thisisapaige (Explicit, 41k words)

In the darkest depths of the ocean, sealed into the ma'lak box with Chuck trapped behind the Mark, Castiel loses the battle against God's rage. When Sam and Dean find Castiel on a dark patch of highway— the Mark missing and his grace weak— he cannot speak. It rains. It rains and it rains and it rains. It is a Great Flood. In order to stop God, save the world, and resolve the issues simmering between them for years, Castiel and Dean need to communicate. Perhaps they should build an ark instead.

The Hanged Man by orphan_account (Mature, 87k words)

After Park Ranger Cas Novak saves a mysterious stranger named Dean from an attempted murder in the woods, he finds himself drawn into the man's secretive life. Someone tried to kill Dean, but he's not telling who. In fact, he's barely speaking at all. If he's going to have any hope of helping Dean, Cas will have to convince the man to trust him — all while trying not to fall in love with him along the way.

We also have a mute tag with more fics like these. Also if you search for 'selectively mute dean' or 'mute dean' (or cas if you prefer cas) on ao3 you might get lucky as well.

[midnight-mourning]

I'm back! (for the most part)

Hello, hope everyone is doing alright, needed a few more days than I expected. BUT, here now and slowly working on being more active. May take me a bit but plan to get caught up with everything and the likes. Going to release promptobers throughout the next couple of days, along with anything else I'm currently working on. Expect some updates on the oneshot, ch. 35 and so on as well ^-^ Thank you all for your paitence and hope to be back to regularly posting soon!

some medical/mental stuff below the cut if you're curious, I was going to save this for the ch. 35 note, but figured I might as well just say it now as it's part of the reason my return was delayed

SO, haven't really spoken on it but I've had a sinus infection for about two months now and gonna be so fr with you all, it's sucked. Like, i've never had one this bad before and it just totally knocked me on my ass. I've been tired, dazed/brain fog, some bad headaches/face pain, all the really fun stuff. I made the joke that I spent like two days of being 23 healthy and the rest of the time I've been sick lmao

But anyway, I kept waiting to see if it would clear up on it's own (and for like a week or so there my health insurance was messed up so there was that to deal with) and it just, didn't. And with everything going on with research (esp this past week) I just made myself tough through it hoping it would get better, and it didn't. So, finally went to the doctor and got on some meds and I'm feeling a LOT better.

The point to all this is to say, I've had no motivation to write beyond very small bursts and thus why I've been putting out promptobers but not the latest chapter of CS. My energy has just been super low, and I had a lot of brain fog for several weeks and I just, couldn't bring myself to do it. Maybe it was a little bit of writer's block from stress too, not super sure

I took the break mainly bc things with research just got, really shitty for a few days there and I just needed time away from everything for bit esp with the sickness issues. Thankfully, things are working out a bit better this week people-wise and hopefully we'll continue to go up from here.

As for why I was gone the few extra days, the stuff they put me on made me feel physically great, but it also made me feel like doing absolutely nothing for a day or so. But, figured out the timing for those so now it's manageable to get through the next week and hopefully I'll be fully back to normal by then ^_^

TL;DR if you can go to the doctor when you're sick, go. It is NOT worth the discomfort, stress, etc to not. Also, take a break when you're stressed, does wonders for your mental health

well, since you took the time to read all of this, enjoy these pictures of a cat that showed up at my parents place a few days ago. She’s a bengal! Which makes her the second stray that's shown up that is incredibly rare/bred to look like that (the first is Nubs, my idiot who eats everything if any of you recall). Not to worry, she went home to (hopefully) her forever family early yesterday :)

[ninja-muse]

So yeah, that happened… (Not as bad as it looks, though. The top half is books I own and read this month, not books I've acquired.)

November has been a month of highs and lows for me. Mostly lows, if I'm being honest. The US election kicked my brain back to 2020 for a couple days and I don't think I've really reset yet. (It's taken me three years and counting to reset from 2020 itself so I'm not surprised.) For any American reading this, I'm still very saddened for you and I wish there was something I could do beyond listening and sympathizing. I wish the world was a better place to live in.

And speaking of 2020 mode, I haven't been writing. I was at a crossroads at the end of October with a difficult scene, and even though I've fixed it so it's better, I still haven't continued. It's hard for me to write cheery, upbeat things when I'm scared and angry, and work's getting busier for the holidays, and both Bake Offs I follow were airing and that just seemed more important. At least this time, it's definitely writer's block rather than a terror of traumatizing people by writing diversely. (2020 was fun, y'all.)

And I also didn't write for five days because my mom and sister and I went to Disneyland. This was, of course, the high of the month! It was good to spend that time together, and do the rides and the whole experience, and see Disneyland as an adult. I'm especially glad we went when we did because I don't think I'm ever going to visit the States again.

It was also a fairly lukewarm reading month for me, which I don't think it helping the mental stuff. The best book I read was intense and heavy, a few of the others also dealt with dark stuff, and pretty much everything was "fine". No new favourites, though I've added the rest of Claudia Gray's Austenian mysteries to my TBR and I'm still thoroughly enjoying the Lady Trent novels. A couple of the other books (the Clarke, the Stearns) were ones I was hyped for but which didn't live up to expectations.

That said, for all that it's my lowest ranked book, The Price of the Stars was surprisingly fun. It's completely mindless, cliched space opera that reads like an off-brand Star Wars novel and I'm sure I'll have just as much fun with the sequel (also on my physical TBR). But I also recognize that the writing's on par with mediocre fanfiction or cult 1980s B-movies.

Books and otherwise, here's hoping for a better December.

And now, as always, here’s my list of everything I read this month, in the rough order of how glad I was to have read them.

Submerged - Hillel Levin

A journalist dives into a 1990s murder case—the disappearance, the first suspect, the second investigation, the innocent man in jail, the family secrets…

8.5/10

warning: grooming, molestation, rape, victim blaming, failures of the justice system

reading copy

The Murder of Mr. Wickham - Claudia Gray

The Darcys, the Tilneys, and sundry other friends and relations are attending the Knightleys’ house party when Mr. Wickham (uninvited) is killed. The murderer’s still in the house but everyone had motive.

7/10

major autistic character

warning: homophobia

off my TBR

The Empress Letters - Linda Rogers

A mother in the 1920s writes her life story in a series of letters to the daughter she’s searching for in China.

7/10

🏳️‍🌈 protagonist (bisexual), Jewish protagonist, 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (sapphic, gay), Jewish secondary characters, Chinese secondary characters, 🇨🇦,

warning: death of parent, sexual exposure, adult-teen relationship, anti-Chinese racism, fetal remains, homophobia

off my TBR

The Voyage of the Basilisk - Marie Brennan

To create a taxonomy of dragons, Isabella Camherst takes a voyage around the world—but as always, she runs afoul of politics, social mores, and other perils.

7/10

Middle Eastern-coded secondary character, 🏳️‍🌈 secondary character (third gender), Polynesian secondary characters

library book

The Secret History of Audrey James - Heather Marshall

In 1938 Berlin, piano student Audrey steps into danger when her Jewish hosts are arrested and she must turn housekeeper to Nazis to protect her best friend. In 2010, Kate takes a job at a hotel to restart her life after tragedy—and must convince Audrey, the owner, to let her stay.

7/10

🏳️‍🌈 protagonist (sapphic), major Jewish secondary characters, secondary character with partial leg paralysis and a cane, 🇨🇦

warning: antisemitism, murder, police brutality, misogyny and sexism

library book

The Wood at Midwinter - Susanna Clarke

A young woman enters a midwinter wood alone and encounters a fox, a crow, and a bargain.

6.5/10

library ebook

Under a New and Brilliant Sky - R.E. Stearns

Elys, on the run from Republic authorities, is brought to Alyansa to fix a failure in their city’s AI. But the Republic knows where to find her, and she can’t quite trust that the Alyansans will keep her safe.

6/10

🏳️‍🌈 protagonist (sapphic), protagonist with auditory processing disorder, 🏳️‍🌈 secondary character (trans woman), brown-skinned secondary characters

warning: xenophobia, colonialism

digital reading copy/won

Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble - Alexis Hall

Paris isn’t really sure why he’s on Bake Expectations and he definitely isn’t sure how he feels about the contestant he keeps flirting with, if you can call it flirting, oh god, how do you relationship when anxiety?

7/10

🏳️‍🌈 protagonist (gay), protagonist with anxiety disorder, 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (gay, sapphic), major Bangladeshi Muslim character, fat secondary character, Bangladeshi Muslim secondary characters, Chinese-British secondary character

warning: realistically depicts anxiety disorder and panic attacks

library ebook

Rivers of London Vol. 12: Stray Cat Blues - Ben Aaronovitch and Andrew Cartmel with José María Beroy (Illustrator)

Abigail and the foxes are “hired” by a cat-woman to break her fellow hybrids out of a brothel. Easy, right? Out in December.

7/10

wajor Black British characters, disabled secondary character

warning: sex trafficking

purchased/off my TBR

The Price of the Stars - Debra Doyle and James D. MacDonald

When Beka’s politician mother is assassinated, her father gives her his warship in exchange for her tracking the assassins down. Cue a pan-galactic adventure!

6/10

warning: sexual assault, gun violence

off my TBR

Currently reading

The Stardust Grail - Yume Kitasei

Maya’s put her thieving past aside to pursue academia, but when a chance to find the legendary stardust grail (and save her friend’s species) falls into her lap, she can’t help but be tempted—even if Earth wants to use it to save itself.

protagonist with Japanese heritage, 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (achillean, nonbinary, alternate gender system)

library book

Music from the Earliest Notations to the Sixteenth Century - Richard Taruskin

A history of early written European music, in its social and political contexts.

The Penguin Complete Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle

Victorian detective stories

disabled POV character (limb injury), occasional Indian secondary characters

warning: racism, colonialism

Monthly total: 10 Yearly total: 116 Queer books: 4 Authors of colour: 0 Books by women: 6.5 Authors outside the binary: 0 Canadian authors: 2 Classics: 0 Off the TBR shelves: 4 Books hauled: 5 ARCs acquired: 2 ARCs unhauled: 2 DNFs: 0

January February March April May June July August September October

[wowzask1]

Seethe Part 1, KM x Reader

Warnings: angst, profanity, toxic relationships, not healthy

Word Count: ~ 1.6k

You scrambled through your purse, fishing for your phone for the fourth time tonight. You were angry. No, beyond that. You were fucking furious. This was millionth time Mingyu stood you up. And you'd made up your mind as you sat in the freezing cold outside of your favorite restaurant, — the one in which he had confessed he had loved you, that it would be the last.

He hadn't texted, he hadn't called, hadn't nothing. He didn't even read your array of texts. Did he even care about you? Was it this easy for him to disregard you that he couldn't even take a few seconds of his time to reply?

The sound of giggles and snickers took you out of your trance. You glanced to your left. There was a couple walking towards the restaurant's entrance, hands interlocked and eyes filled with fondness. They looked like they were in love. Your heart hurt. You looked away, careful to not stare for too long. You hoped they wouldn't think you were some sort of creep. 

The hostess had refused to let you in, even with the reservations paid full and under YOUR name. She quote, "Miss, your whole party must be present in order for us to seat you," unquote. In which you relied,

"I'm sorry. Could you make an exception? I don't understand. You're still receiving the deposit for both of us. My boyfriend is just running a bit late.. can't you just seat me? I'll even pay extra. It is freezing out here," You pleaded.

I mean would one unoccupied chair really be that detrimental to a michelin, million dollar restaurant?

She hadn't budged. Instead, She huffed, clearly annoyed. "Look, ma'am I'm sorry that your boyfriend stood you up, but that's your problem not mine. Okay? Now if you'll execute me I have other people to tend to. Goodnight." And of course she couldn't wait to leave your eyesight before dramatically rolling her eyes.

Ouch. She was right, and you knew it. Maybe that's why it hurt even more. Because it was the truth. Because you were pathetic.

This was your last straw. Your feet were starting to numb from your six-inch red bottoms, the ones he had gifted you the last time he couldn't make it last time he left you in the cold. Even worn them he still managed to tower over you.

Kim Mingyu was a busy man. You knew that. He knew that. Hell, the whole world knew it. So it was expected for him to be busy all the time. You understood this. Yet you still chose to fall for him. You chose to be in this relationship. The promise ring that rested on your finger said as much. Now that was undoubtedly your fault. Still, you didn't expect your lover to basically ignore you, to pretend you didn't exist.

You both promised to put in the effort, make your relationship work, to communicate. Clearly, only one of you meant that.

You haven't seen him in 9 months. You both planned to meet several times prior, but of course that was interrupted by his demanding schedule. And you understood. Well, at least you would have, if he would've told you.

Everyday you you texted him, and everyday he replied late. Some days he wouldn't even bother to. On the very rare occasion that he answered yours calls, he was elsewhere. Your calls would last for a few minutes, before he would have other pressing matters to tend to.

When he couldn't meet you the first few instances, he would call you up, apologizing, explaining himself, and it would end with you two falling asleep to each others voices. Now he would just send you something expensive, in place of an apology.

And you could imagine the pain you felt in your heart when he would hang up your phone call only to receive a notification of his ongoing livestream. Or to see yet another video of him flirting on a fan call. You can't not say you were jealous of how much attention he have to his fans, but that would just be a sad excuse of the truth. In verity, you wish that he paid as much attention you as he did them, if not more. Was that too much to ask?

It was no doubt your relationship was falling apart. Three years, you thought. Three years for nothing.

You wondered how low he thought of you. Did he think you were some sort of loyally blind  dog? A dog that would follow its owner wherever he went, even if it was towards a burning building, it's impending death?

You opened the camera roll on your phone. And there was your reflection. Your face was swollen, hair undone, cheeks drained of color from your future frostbite. Your eyes were starting to sting. Fuck. It was coming, and you knew it. You were not about to have a meltdown in front of the humongous window which behind sat a floury of people.

I have to get out of here. You wiped your tears before they could even fall.

ʕ•̫͡ʕ•̫͡ʕ•̫͡ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

The ride home was the worst. You were huddled in the corner of your Uber, sniffling and trying your hardest not to break. And clearly you hardest was not good enough, which was apparent through the visibly uncomfortable expression painted on your Uber's face.

After what felt like multiple, excruciating hours, you finally arrived to the entrance of your apartment building.

"T-thank you," you croaked, throat dry. You were dehydrated from your overflow of tears. The Uber mumbled nothings and drove away, racing to get away from you. Geez. Were you that unpleasant to be around?

You scurrily walked whilst rummaging through your purse. The only thing that could soothe your evening was your warm bed and takeout.  You couldn't wait to — you felt something grab at your arm.

"Seriously?! I'm not in the mood for this. Abduct me another time you piece of —" You tried to shake off whoever gripped your arm. In great impatience, you finally look up at your left. Your eyes widened, and mouth gaping at the man before you.

Mingyu.

Kim fucking Mingyu.

Suddenly, at that moment, all the self-pity you felt somehow dissipated. And your wallowing sorrow conformed to rage. Hot, red, burning rage. Your composure cracked.

"Hah! Are you fucking kidding me right now? Now you decide to show up? After making me wait in the freezing cold for an hour? What do you take me for?" You shoved him off.

"Fuck, baby I can explain. I'm so sorry. I just got caught up in  a meeting, and —,"

You scoffed. "Oh wow. Really? All it's been these days is caught up. Caught up in this, caught up in that, fucking hell Mingyu. When are you never caught up in something."

"That's not fair Y/N. You know how busy I am. I didn't choose to be late."

"Late? You weren't just late. You didn’t even show up!" You could tell he had something to say, but you weren't finished,

"And you know what's not fair? The fact that my boyfriend puts in no effort in our relationship. And I'm left looking like a fucking idiot. I’m not just one of your fan girls, Mingyu. I’m your girlfriend for crying out loud!”

"Are serious right now? How could you even say that? I have a priorities Y/N. I cant just abandon them the moment you call, okay? I'm not the only person who suffers through my actions," he scowled.

"Hah. You're right. So what does that make me? Am I just a fucking burden to you then?" You were absolutely livid.

"Y/N. For fucks sake. Don't play stupid. You know what I meant —,"

"You know you could've called me right? You could've texted me, at least gave me a heads up. But I guess I'm not a "priority", huh Mingyu?," you questioned, getting even more heated up by each passing second.

He rubbed his temple, heaving out a breath.

Oh. Seriously? He was irritated? What a fucking joke.

"I tried, alright? My phone fucking died. I would've called if it didn't."

"Oh, did it? Was your phone dead the last few months too. Cause it sure seems like it.” You crossed your arms, hoping to find warmth in your own embrace.

"Y/N, I am trying my best here! Why are you being so damn difficult. I don't want to fight right now. I'm tired, alright? Can we just head inside and talk about this some other time? Please," he urged.

No. Not this time, you thought. No fucking way. You were tired too. Tired of this bullshit. Tired of burying things deep. And tired of feeling sorry for yourself.

"Well maybe your best isn’t enough for me,” you shot. “I’m done.” You stormed off, rushing to your door. You couldn't let him see you break. You refused to.

Mingyu’s eyes widened.

"What are you —," it took him no time for him to follow after you.

Once again, he grasped your hand as you were about to open the door. Only this time his grip on you was tightened. He spun you around and pinned you to your door. Your hands were clasped together and constrained.

You looked glared at him. “Let me go, Mingyu. I’m serious.”

"Don't walk away from me." His tone was stern, his voice hoarse. He was breathless and pissed. You could tell he was fuming. The veins on his hands and neck appeared more evident. His eyes glowered down at you. Though it was delivered as a command, it sounded like plea.

"For the last time, let me go. You don't wanna talk? Then we won't. Ever, even." His grip on you only tightened. Shit. He didn't respond. He just stayed quiet.

"Let go of me Mingyu! It fucking hurts." You true to writhe your hands away from his grip, but it was no use. He was much stronger than you. "If you don't let go of me, I'm going to fucking —,"

His lips were on yours. His kiss was rough, tense. You could feel the unease. But you couldn't give in. If you did, the what would it lead to? Would things go back to what they were? You didn't want that.

When you didn't kiss him back, he stopped. He looked in your eyes, desperation in his features. This is all that you need. But you didn't want to go back to before. You wanted change.

"Y/N. Please." He leaned in again, mere centimeters away from your lips. He was breathless and so, so close. You wanted him. You needed him. But, you had to fight against it.

And just when you thought you had it all figured out and mind made, his lips latch onto yours. And in the end you couldn’t resist it, because your body betrays you, and you kiss him back.

Part 2

[bluestar22x]

Finding Eden: Chapter 6

Summary: You and Zach spend the winter at the cabin

Pairing: Zach Wellison x F!Reader

Rating: 18+

Warnings: Smut, fluff, angst

Word Count: 2,510(ish)

Author’s Note: Back at it and I hope this was worth the wait over holiday break

xxx

So I found this tiny notebook in the kitchen "junk drawer" and thought if Zach has a journal, why not me? Not that he really writes in his, he just uses it to try to keep track of time as best as he can. The more years that pass, the less accurate he'll be. He knows which months have 30 days or 31, but he doesn't know which February will have a leap day or if he's ever forgotten to make note of a day or two. It all adds up, but he says it's better than nothing. Knowing a little something about the time that has passed matters to him, so it matters.

I'm feeling silly about starting this journal now. I haven't kept a personal one since I was fifteen years old. Why bother now? No one's gonna read it. And where do I start? Do I explain everything - what happened to the world, how I met Zach, etc.? Or do I just jump right in?

I think I'll start with: We found a cabin. This cabin. It's been a couple months since then. The fishing in the lake has been surprisingly good and Zach's managed to kill a deer and a few hares since we've been here, so we haven't gone a single day hungry since we moved in.

The back up generator is getting low on fuel. But when we run out, we'll just do our best with the lamps and fireplace. We have already been using the latter to cook.

Huh. I think I know why I started this now. I miss telling other people what's going on in my life. I miss telling stories about my week. I miss my family. My brother...he was a shockingly good listener. Wise beyond his years. I miss telling him stuff. Zach's good at listening too, but I don't do much talking nowadays. I don't want to think too much about the past, and he knows everything about my day cause he's always there right beside me.

You'd think we'd get on each other's nerves, but usually the most heated argument is over when we should do a chore. He likes getting them done in the morning, but I like working in the afternoons.

I do have my ways of convincing him that delaying the chores is better. Ones tried and true throughout human history. Turns out Zach is not immune and we both benefit.

Anyway, we're doing well. Athena (sweet doggie) is also doing well. I hope wherever my family is, whether they're dead or alive, know this. I miss them, but I'm okay. I miss them, but I've found some good again. And I am trying not to feel guilty about that because that's what mom taught me. That I can only do my best and that I shouldn't be ashamed for living my life.

At least I can promise I won't take any good fortune thrown my way for granted.

x

You put down the blue ink pen in your hand and shut the notebook on your lap before standing from the couch to put it away in the empty nightstand - the condoms that you'd found there that first day at the cabin long since used up.

You and Zach spent a lot of time working inside and outside the cabin daily, doing anything from snow shoveling to cleaning ashes out of the fireplace, but the nights were for exploring each other, for doing something more than surviving.

Night was still hours away after you'd finished your first journal entry so you bundled up and left the warmth of the indoors to head for the frozen lake.

You could see Zach and Athena out on it from afar, the dog a moving tan mass, sniffing around with great interest while the man sat relaxed in a collapsible camping chair by a small hole he'd carved in the ice, a fishing pole held in his right hand.

It was a cold day, but not too cold. The sky was cloudy, but it wasn't snowing. It was as close to perfect weather for an inland winter day in Canada, a time when and a place where clear skies usually meant brutally low temperatures.

You reached them in a few minutes, rubbing your gloved hands together. "How's it going?"

"Got enough to last us another few days," Zach replied.

The fishing line became taut and you reached for the pole. "Let me reel this one in."

He smiled. "Be my guest."

You were no noob to fishing. It had been your father's go-to outdoor activity, his way of bonding with you, since you'd refused to go deer hunting with him, unable to bear the idea of killing anything with fur on it. You'd eventually learned how to prep deer meat with your parents and brother, but even after the US failed, you couldn't bare pulling the trigger on a cute, innocent animal. You'd tried a few times, but had missed every shot despite you knowing how to use a gun, so Zach had designated himself hunter.

The fish on the line was surprisingly fast, but you'd pulled in a 25 pound lake trout once, and this felt much smaller.

Sure enough, with some patience, the fish tired and you reeled in the twenty inch long whitefish and threw it in Zach's cooler with the handful of smaller fish he'd caught throughout the late morning and early afternoon.

"Maybe I should leave you to this," he mused. "That's the biggest fish I've seen all winter."

"I already told you I'd gladly take over fishing duties," you said. "I'm not afraid of a little cold. But you insisted."

"I like it out here," he reminded you, "And there's only one fishing pole."

"Oh, so it was purely selfish, I see," you teased.

You knew the truth. Zach was a tiny bit old fashioned. He liked being the provider. He didn't expect you to be the caretaker, but you'd also fallen into old ways and become the cook and cleaner. You both helped each other when you could though, by no means limiting yourselves to the roles.

"Got me." He shut back the lid to the cooler and stood up. "With that, I think I'll head back and gut these unlucky few."

"I'll help," you offered.

He simply nodded.

x

Night came fast, as it always did in deep winter, but with your bellies full, you and Zach didn't dread it. Nights were your time together, to just be and to enjoy each other. That didn't always mean sex, but it often did.

Some nights you'd guide him to the bedroom, kiss him, undress, and climb onto his lap to eagerly to slide down onto him, and he'd hold you tight as you started to move, bury his face into the curve of your neck.

Other nights you followed him to bed.

Still other nights you'd be lying in bed together side by side, perfectly content, only to find yourselves tangled in the sheets together again moments later, giving and taking. Your sharp inhales and exhales mixing, filling the room.

You'd had a few boyfriends before Zach, but you'd never wanted them so often as you did him.

It wasn't just because you lived in a world more uncertain than it had ever been in your lifetime, or because it made you forget for a time that the world was crueler than it had been less than a decade before.

It was also because without using words, Zach made you feel loved, wholly, without exception.

Your mother had once told you that real love was messy, that it couldn't compare to the ones in the novels teen you once read with fervor, but you think it's just way more scarce, if it wasn't better. Zach had his faults, but he had been your safe person, your sanctuary, since the day you met, and you had never felt more understood by any other person in your life. Your trust in him deepened with every brush of his calloused fingertips, every kiss stolen by his soft lips, and therefore your connection did too.

That night after the successful fishing day you took each other to the bedroom as soon as the dishes were washed and Athena had gone on a potty break outside, shutting the door behind you to make sure she couldn't interrupt.

Neither of you wasted any time, quickly finding yourself flat on the bed naked, his body on top of yours and his hands everywhere, consuming most of your thoughts. Where they were, how big they were, and how rough they were yet paradoxically gentle at the same time.

What other thoughts you had related to his smell. You had become acutely aware of what Zach smelled like by then. His scent was a lot like yours due to your living conditions - woody, earthy, with a pleasant tinge of sweat. The only difference was the unique masculine scent that he had that you couldn't put into words. You just knew you liked it.

You found a rhythm together soon after, working equally to build each other up, sharing glances and touches and encouraging words that were both sweet and dirty. With all your practice, it wasn't long before you came undone with one last look to where you were joined together, and he pulled away from you to finish on your stomach.

Once your breathing evened out you both cleaned yourselves up and you snatched a jar of honey from a kitchen cabinet to snack on in bed.

Zach joined you again in an increasingly more common relaxed state, casually sprawling upside down in the bed, eventually finding himself pinned under one of your legs, kissing up your bare thigh. You had put on a tank top and underwear that matched his black pants, but he didn't try to remove them. Instead, he gave you a peck to an exposed patch of sensitive skin near you knee and you pitched forward, giggling.

"How are you ticklish there?" he asked incredulously, chuckling.

You dipped your right index finger into the honey jar for another taste and shrugged. "I don't know. Why are you ticklish behind your ear?"

He grinned. "Fair point."

"Want some?" you inquired, licking your finger clean before digging for more honey.

"Sure." He leaned over you and you slipped your honey coated finger into his mouth so he could suck on it, wrap his tongue around it. "Mmmm."

It was erotic, it reminded you of what his talented mouth could and did do to you, but you were sated and satisfied with lounging around with him for the time being, so you just smiled at him.

It faded when you thought about spring being just two months away.

"I wish we could stay here," you confessed. "It's nice, just the two of us and Athena. Am I crazy for thinking that?"

Zach stroked your thigh reassuringly. "You're not. It is nice here. But it'll only be nice until the propane is completely out and the fish stop biting or one of us gets hurt and needs medical attention. If Eden's real, it will be better for us in the long run."

You nodded and sighed. "I know. I know. I'm romanticizing this place."

He shrugged. "Hard not to. It's idealistic. Quiet. And it's not like I miss society. I miss the conveniences that came with it, but in case you've never noticed, I'm not extremely social, and never was. When I was in the marines, that was as social as I ever got. My squad. They meant a lot to me."

There was a hint of melancholy injected in his words, and you wondered silently if he was thinking of any teammates lost in the war, or if he was thinking about the odds of the ones who survived it still being alive. It hurt your heart, knowing from your father that the bond between fellow soldiers was often tight. It had to be for their survival.

"You mean a lot to me," Zach added softly, drawing you back to the present and making your chest warm.

You beamed at him. You hadn't needed the confession, but you were grateful all the same to hear it in words. "You mean a lot to me too."

You traced his chiseled cheekbones with your fingertips fondly.

"Promise that won't change in Eden?"

"Promise," he murmured seriously, kissing your palm after.

"Good."

x

It was only a couple weeks later that things started to go south. For one, the last propane tank emptied and you were forced to rely on the fireplace and oil lamps scattered around the cabin.

Most importantly though your food supply became low. You and Zach hadn't seen a deer or rabbit in weeks, and had finished off the cans in the cupboards. The fish weren't even biting like they used to, and it seemed the ones you both caught were getting smaller and smaller.

Your luck was running out, and it weighed heavy on you both. It was still early to leave, but the cabin's safety and warmth wouldn't be worth starvation.

Mulling over what to do, when to pull the trigger and leave, Zach spent a morning chopping wood, not sure if he was ever going to feed them to the fireplace, but not caring. Sometimes hard work brought clarity to him.

Around mid-morning you joined him outside. He could feel your presence before he saw you, his back turned to the front door when you walked through it.

When you didn't speak right away, he couldn't help but smile, knowing that you were watching him. Admiring the view, as you'd put it before. You'd mentioned once or twice that you loved how his arm muscles twitched and flexed while he worked. He knew you couldn't see them under his thick winter jacket, but he doubted that stopped you from recalling what they looked like the night before, holding you.

He kept working, letting you observe him, admittedly enjoying the flattering attention.

"Should we leave now?" you questioned, and he could picture the look on your face, the way your eyebrows pinched and you bit your lip in worry. "Would it be safer to stay or not?"

Zach turned to you and seeing that expression on your face made him wish he could make it disappear, but he couldn't lie. "It's a risk either way, you know that. But more and more I think it'll be worse if we stay here when the wildlife has clearly moved on."

You deflated, disappointed, but you nodded. "I'll start packing."

Early the next morning, you both were on the move once more, backpacks stuffed as much as physically possible.

You didn't look back at the cabin in fear you would decide to turn around if you did, but Athena paced for a while, and you could've sworn she whined as you left the opening in the forest that had temporarily been your home.

You'd never related to an animal more.

xxx

Tagged: @musings-of-a-rose @morallyinept @harriedandharassed @love-affair-with-fandoms @captain-jebi

xxx

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[innocentsandsofdreams]

Trans Simon x Reader Head-cannons

Tags: Soft Simon, family man Simon, reader is AFAB coded, writer is POC and AFAB Nonbinary, non-descriptive birth mention, reader has no descriptive features/bit mentions, breeding kink, dirty talk, very quick writing, reader is higher rank unspecified

Word Count: 647

Both SFW and NSFW under the cut, Minors and ageless blogs DNI

-Simon has a T-dick, but it is referred to as a dick

For context: reader is a higher rank than Simon, Simon and you met by Price asking you to help on a mission for 141; it was basically love at first sight. You and Simon got along very well and had quite the amount of similar experiences that bonded you two together. Together you guys got help and grew together, no doubt you made it official. Here you guys have been together for seven years, and out of the seven you guys were married for three

-Let's say Simon was able to use his bone marrow to make sperm (it actually doesn't exist yet but one day though!) and impregnate you. Simon is trans in this, and you both are trying the needle fertilization

SFW HEAD CANONS

Simon brings up children first. Given his trauma, you confirm that if he doesn't in fact want kids you are fine with that. You love him so much; it truly doesn't matter what his decision is.

Simon contemplates/thinks on this for a while, months even

Simon brings up the conversation again and tells you that he would love to have children with you and that it will work out.

Simon and you do research for possibilities on how you could be impregnated

Turns out, there was an experimental trial about turning bone marrow into sperm for fertilization

The trial is for people who can't conceive, people with other issues, same sex couples or couples like you and Simon

You and Simon decided to give the trial a go. You two did all that was asked and needed to do and all you could do now was wait.

A few months go by and on base and a shipment came in and it's for you and Simon, it included syringes, and the proper directions of use.

Simon wanted to wait until you started ovulating to have maximum effect.

That being said you and Simon meticulously planned and kept trying

Months go by and finally you start showing symptoms of pregnancy: morning sickness, fainting spells (on really bad days)

You and Simon haven't noticed because there were several missions that needed to be completed and required a shit ton of paperwork to be done

Some new recruits were gossiping, and it eventually reached Captain Price. Price decides to bring it up with Simon and you.

You and Simon go to the med bay and lo and behold you are pregnant!

Simon is beyond thrilled and excited because now, he can prove he's a better man and not his father's son.

NSFW HEADCANONS

Simon starts to really feel it. The urge to just breed you

Simon keeps touching your belly as fuck you

"Yeah, I make you pregnant ye? Parent and have all my kids? Just for me?"

From then on you were constantly bent in all angles being fucked until no other thought existed

Each thrust and each desperate thrust as a gleeful smile stays on Simon's face

Pregnancy Progression and Birth

Your pregnancy progresses and as so, get bigger however you don't have any complications!

You were induced into labor; that baby did not want to leave

Grueling hours go by and finally the baby is born! (HORRAY!)

The baby is healthy weighing in as a whopping TEN POUNDS AND THREE OUNCES

Simon cries; so in love with you and his beautiful baby

To him nothing is more amazing than this moment

A/N: This is my first time writing stuffs, especially for a fandom, please be kind! Thank You for reading!! (Also, you can choose the gender of the baby!!)

[seaseren]

Fuck it, little spur of the moment thing. Stopping here because I wanna check the dialogue in game b4 I write more- there's a couple other things I should check out too, while I'm there, but I'm lazy rn. I haven't written much in a while cut me some slack

It was sort of a spur of the moment thing.

Alisaie had been unfortunately idle these past few months. Since she and Alphinaud had been kicked out of Garlemald (or, if one was feeling generous, been begged to take a vacation) the both of them had been aimless. Alphinaud has checked out as many tomes as he could find on the topics of cultural change and recovery, but the fact of the matter was that he had read many of them already for some class or another. Theory was, in this case, not really giving them anything new to work with. They had been spending time with their parents, of course- Father had, in his own way, been overjoyed- but Alisaie felt awkward in the home she had grown up in. She was used to roughing it by now, used to being on the move, used to being treated like a colleague and not constantly surrounded by parents and staff who all still saw her as a child.

Alphinaud must have felt the same way, because about two months after they arrived back in Old Sharlayan he disappeared.

Alisaie hadn’t worried, at first- not that she worried afterwards!- when she went a day without seeing him. It was easy enough to assume he’d lost himself in the library and would either surface around suppertime or would have to be fetched. But supper came and went, and night fell around across the island, and it was only when Alisaie had been to the Noumenon and back and resorted to clambering through the secret passage that led to his office- which she found, to both her satisfaction and her annoyance, she was much too large to easily clamber through anymore- that she found the letter.

It read-

Dearest Sister, Parents, and Assorted Loved Ones

I have found myself invited to a most curious opportunity, and have resolved to fulfill this request to the best of my abilities. Worry not, I am in good hands, and much love to you all.

-well, it said quite a bit more than that, but she was good at summarizing. She, along with their parents, spent some time pouring over it, searching for any actual details. It was certainly Alphinaud’s handwriting- at age nine he had spent a laborious summer perfecting his script, determined to make sure his hand could never be mistaken for another's- and she was able to convince them both that Alphinaud could almost certainly take care of himself. Still, it rackled that he would just run off like that, with barely a clue as to what he was doing! And it rackled even more that he would simply leave her behind.

The next morning she ate a long breakfast with her parents, who were trying their best to disguise their anxiety, then headed over to the Annex. As much as she teased him, Alphinaud and Krile were close, and with Storm gone, if Alphinaud was to tell anyone what he was up to, it would most likely be her. It was midmorning by the time she arrived, but the air was already warm, the usual morning fog burning off to reveal a clear early summer's day. Sharlayan was not exactly hot, but after nearly a year in Garlemald even these mild temperatures felt like a warm blanket- Alisaie hoped for his own sake that Alphinaud’s mysterious business was not taking him to Thanalan or anywhere else with a real summer. 

The Lalafell at the front desk- Emmica? Olrika? Tsun…something?- waved to her as she entered. “Joining the meeting, Miss Leveilleur?” he asked politely, and Alisaie nodded, though she had known about no such thing. She convinced herself it had something to do with Alphinaud- though why he wouldn't tell her was beyond her still- and pushed open the doors to the main hall.

“-kind of mighty warrior just up and retires?!” 

Alisaie started, just a bit, at the voice that seemed to fill the space as soon as the heavy doors were open. She couldn’t recognize it, or even the accent, but they sounded incredulous.

“People are allowed to retire, you know,” came the clipped reply. That voice Alisaie definitely recognized, and she cast her mind about trying to conjure a face that went with it, before she gave up and just looked for the speaker. It was that Viera gleaner, the one who had helped them get info out of the Forum members in Labyrinthos, the one who was named…who probably had a name. Erenville, that was it, she remembered Storm mentioning it.

“Well sure, people are allowed, but Father would never!” said the first speaker again. Alisaie narrowed her eyes a bit. Even in diverse, cosmopolitan Sharlayan she had never really seen a girl Hrothgar, and this one was in a style of dress that certainly didn’t look Bozjan. She wasn’t that tall- at least, for a Hrothgar, she certainly towered over Alisaie- but she had a presence to her that has Alisaie wondering how she had managed to overlook her, even for a second. She paced the hall in front of Erenville, who was draped across a chair, one foot tapping pointedly, and Krile and Raha. It seemed Raha had been the one to break the bad news- his hands were still up in a conciliatory gesture. Krile seemed distracted, her gaze fixed at some desk along the wall, eyes narrowed in thought. There was no sign of Alphinaud. Things could never be easy.

Raha’s ear twitched, and he turned to face Alisaie as she fully stepped into the room. He smiled over to her, slightly rueful, as the Viera and Hrothgar continued their argument behind him (“Your father retiring is the whole reason we’re here.” “Well that’s different! He’s old!”)

“Alisaie! I didn’t know you would be joining us.”

“I didn’t know there would be anything to join,” she said. “I came to ask Krile if she had spoken with Alphinaud recently. He’s disappeared, and left naught but an ominous note behind.”

[hyukassubi]

SUBI'S EXTRAVAGANT REVIEW ON GROSS!

A couple months ago, I have read, dare I say, the most dramatic fic I've ever laid my two eyes upon (in a good way!!).

It was (nearly) everything I thought I would NEVER enjoy: situationships, flawed main character, drama.

Yet here I am... Absolutely pleased with the drama-filled, humourous rollercoaster of a romance that supposedly had no chance of growing into something more.

Warning, this review is bound to contain spoilers so if you haven't read @moamidzyism 's 'Gross!' yet, read it here! Now that that's out of the way, ON WITH THE REVIEW!!!

Yes, you can like unlikable characters, actually!!

Never would I've thought in a million years I'd end up rooting for a 'bad' main character. I assume a good chunk of us have been shoved in the face countless of times by the media what 'good' main characters are supposed to look like. Like we were programmed by society to like the good heroes and pull out our stakes and pitchforks for the evil villains.

I was in a reading rut for the longest time (I still am tbh 😭😭) and I always thought perhaps the stuff I was reading didn't fit me anymore? Was it the genre? The writing style? No. None of that. I was simply bored of always reading 'perfect' stories with 'good' characters and expecting plot lines.

It is genuinely so very astounding how, in my lifetime, I stumbled upon a 'badly written' y/n and still ended up enjoying her journey and the overall plot of the fic. Moral of the story aside, 'Gross!' has absolutely helped shift my perspective on 'reading what I enjoy' and 'enjoying what I'm reading'.

Character dynamics

I love how everyone has their own little friend group and super top secret bestie groupchat convos, definitely adds to the drama and complexity of the story as a whole.

All the friend groups are so different and although the 'yeonjun-taehyun-yuck!yn' gc is my favorite of them all (a buncha sassy silver-tongued fellas (ESP YUCK!YN, what's not there to love?) I LOVE THE 'B🐶s WHO BRUNCH' SO MUCH TOOOOOO.

I'm not into itzy but Chaeryoeng and Yeji y'all, Chaeryoeng and Yeji UGHH THEY'RE SO SUPPORTIVE AND LOVING ESP TO GROSS!YN, TRULY RAISING THE STANDARDS FOR FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS AND BEING A GIRL'S GIRL

I can definitely learn a thing or two from them too, growing up as someone who's always taught to 'love someone for their gains' which can be partially true but that's not the trajectory of healthy friendships!! You can be besties with a complete Mary sue but if you're not they're biggest hypegirl then literally what's the point????

Notable scenes that devoured, left no crumbs and did the dishes!!

SOOBIN, CHAERYOENG AND YEJI HAVING A JOINT SLAY TOWARDS THE END OF THE SERIES 😭😭😭😭

Sungchan being right but we all still mutually despise his character in the fic purely because he's Gross!y/n's ex... Something I never knew I needed until now. Ex-boyfriends are typically portrayed as candy-stealing 🍑 holes (which he was!!) but to have them actually spit facts that are right and raw and brutal but he's right???? My new favorite trope ✍️the 'bad but right but we still hate him' Ex✍️

Every. Single. Kai and Yuck!yn cameo. Couple goals. *Throws hands in the air* COUPLE GOALS!! IM TRULY NOT EVEN TRYING TO BE BIASED, THEY CAN BE CHARACTERS IN A NOVEL AND I'D STILL FIND THEM SO SO CUTE!!

GROSS!YN HATE TRAIN RUN BY YUCK!YN GODDD THOSE WERE ALL SO SO FUNNY I'D EITHER MASSAGE MY FORHEAD OR LET OUT A WHEEZE

THE GC INTERVIEWS!! THE GC INTERVIEWS ‼️‼️‼️‼️ (ps, Fay you wrote yourself so we'll here 🫶🫶🫶 talented author AND interviewer wowowow your talent is BEYOND me 👏👏👏👏👏👏)

Gross!YN'S miscellaneous items: Spotify playlist, notes about YJ and THE BLOODY VOICE CALL GAAAAAAAAAH

...THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!

This segment does not need any further explanation.

I loved making the 'video essay' on 'Yuck!' A couple months back and so ofc I'm back making yet another compilation (2 WHOLE MINUTES BTW) for this lovely work indeed 🫶🫶🫶 (Fay, if you're seeing this, take this as a late birthday present ^3^)

(if your guys' short attention spans lasted all the way to the very end, you'd see what I'd be on for the next couple of months moving forth nyehheheheEHEHEHEHEHE MUAHAHHAHA TYUNNING HERE I COMEEEEEEEE)

(PS TYSM FOR READING THIS REVIEW OKAY BYEE 😄🏃‍♀️💨)

[comfortlesshurt]

Skyler's November 2024 AO3 Recs

Doing another one of these even though I spent all my free time writing this month, so it's short! Again, in order of least to most hits to try to get the less popular fics the attention they deserve.

As always, I enjoy stuff that triggers others, so review the author's tags and warnings if needed.

More Whump-Focused

Keith Whump Snippets by actress4Him: gen. series of snippets, incomplete. I haven't gotten a chance to finish yet, but what i read so far... *chef's kiss* and this does NOT have the hits it deserves, so top of the rec list, it goes. keith-focused, but a couple chapters are about Shiro, Lance, and Pidge.

found you in my head again by existwound: Klance. complete oneshot. again, it's astra. what more do i need to say? this is the perfect level of toxic for klance. basically canon.

A Million Miles Between Us by existwound: Klance. finished chapter fic. when i tell you i was SHOCKED there was something left by astra that i hadn't read yet???? the klance is there, the whump is excessive, it is literal perfection. 10/10, no notes.

Life is Hard and the Living Rough by DeerstalkerDeathFrisbee: Klance. complete oneshot. some whump, some getting together. 10/10.

Even the People in Your Dreams Will Lie to You by popering: "skyler, you rec'd this last month--" STFU, i read it again this month and it still fuckin slaps. also new chapter dropped. incomplete, but only one chapter left and while sometimes the wait is long, it is so worth it because op drops beefy 20k+ chapters.... if i do not have the will to work on my own writing, op's fics always put me back in the mood to write canon compliant fic. anyway, if i haven't convinced you to read this by now, you're beyond saving :(

Blast Zone by mareepicurean: gen. complete oneshot. possibly baby's first langst fic? I know i've started a couple, but this is the first i remember getting into enough to finish. (the others were good! lance is just not my typical blorbo!) lance is temporarily deaf from a bomb during a mission and there's a bit of angst before the team figures that out.

More Ship-Focused

throw a wrench, solve the puzzle by likeadyingstarr: Klance. EXPLICIT. modern au. unfinished chapter fic, but appears to be active still! gotta out myself for this one, fellas ._. I'm a trans Keith & pregnant Keith enjoyer. I'm sorry you had to find out this way. pregnancy is a major focus for this fic but it's also def a klance fic. this was 30k words when i found it and i binged the whole thing in a single day.

competitive spirit by bfys: Klance. EXPLICIT. complete oneshot. look, this is straight up pwp so i will say nothing more beyond: recommended.

no effect by jilliancares: Klance. finished and older but I just read it for the first time recently so there. lovebug au where keith gets bitten BUT he and lance are already secretly dating, so he's out here pretending to be affected. flawless, no notes. nice little oneshot.

Like Devo by surveycorpsjean: Klance. EXPLICIT. modern au. complete oneshot and definitely old for the fandom but someone just showed me this for the first time like a week ago so... excellent. even though it was published during the 1st season, the characterization is THERE.

[okayto]

Mini-Reviews: Game Demos I Have Played Lately

Vampire Therapist

Guide vampires through centuries of emotional baggage, decades of delusions and the odd bout of self-loathing with real cognitive behavioral therapy concepts and become a Vampire Therapist! Even vampires need a shoulder to cry on when a neck to bite just won’t do.

This visual novel is fun, humorous, and also contains actual cognitive behavioral therapy concepts. Protagonist Sam, a vampire turned during the age of the Wild West, realized that vampires have a tendency to some defeatist or self-destructive thought patterns, and has reached out to an ancient compatriot to better learn how he can help other vampires. I'm no therapist, but the concepts portrayed in the game seem fairly basic—basic concepts that let the player and characters identify surface-level things and move the story along, without going deep enough to mess up or portray ~woo~ (beyond the inherent woo of, y'know, vampires). (I recommended it to my professional counselor sibling, so I'll be interested to find out if they agree with my impression.)

The demo lets you play through your first two clients. That, combined with the opening story that sees Sam getting to Germany to meet the ancient vampire who'll train him (and meeting some other characters along the way), gives you enough to decide if you'd like to try the full game. It doesn't end on a cliffhanger, but it definitely left me wanting more.

Demo Playtime: Took me about 1.5 hours

Release Date: July 2024 (demo still available as of post date)

Find It: Steam, GOG

Do Not Buy This Game

Are you really reading this to find out more? ...FINE! If you DO buy this game, expect me to narrate in your ear for around 2 hours about your poor life choices, all while I'll try to create something resembling a game for you to walk around in.

This seems like it would be incredibly appealing to people who like The Stanley Parable, a game that mostly involves walking around an eerily-empty building while a sarcastic narrator repeatedly breaks the fourth wall, because this game also involves walking around a mostly-empty space while a nervous narrator repeatedly breaks the fourth wall. I really, really liked the narrator, and found myself wishing there was a way to respond. Or make friends. (Talk to me, narrator! Tell me why you don't want me to proceed! Play a game with me!) The phrase "comedy walking sim" wouldn't have sounded interesting before, but now that I've played it, I'm eagerly awaiting more. The game has a solo developer, so it seems slow-going, but he did update just a few months ago confirming it's still being worked on.

Demo Playtime: About 20 minutes

Release Date: TBD/Unknown

Find It: Steam

The Rise of the Golden Idol

Uncover the truth behind 20 strange cases of crime, death and depravity in the 1970s. The world has changed dramatically - the sins of humanity have not.

This point-and-click detective game has you initially investigating two unrelated crime scenes, discovering clues and keywords to make deductions by correctly filling-in-the-blank, before a third scenario shows that the scenes are connected and there may be a deeper conspiracy.

I've never played another game that works this way: when you investigate a scene, you discovered keywords (such as names, locations, and actions) that are put into a word bank; to solve things you must put the correct words from that bank into the correct spots. Intriguing! I did need to check guides a couple times, but I am notably bad at deductive games (as noted in previous game reviews), so I can't say that means this is actually difficult.

This is listed as the sequel to The Case of the Golden Idol (demo also available; I haven't played it), but at least as far as the demo goes, there wasn't anything in this game that was confusing or seemed to lack context.

Demo Playtime: ~60-90 minutes

Release Date: November 2024 (demo still available as of post date)

Find It: Steam (demo and game); game without demo available available on PlayStation, Switch, Xbox, and iOS/Andriod mobile via Netflix.

Blue Prince

Welcome to Mt. Holly, where every dawn unveils a new mystery. Navigate through shifting corridors and ever-changing chambers in this genre-defying strategy puzzle adventure. But will your unpredictable path lead you to the rumored Room 46?

A strange, shifting house, and you're trying to get from one end to the other. You have a limited number of times you can pass through rooms, and you choose which rooms appear from a limited selection every time you open a new door. Within you limits, can you uncover secrets, collect items, and find a path to the final room?

This is fascinating, and it was easy to forget I was playing a demo as I spent hours trying to navigate through the house. You won't get lost—you have a map showing all current rooms—but trying to balance the limited number of rooms I could go through with options, like "should the next room be this bedroom that replenishes me, but has not other doors? Or this room that costs gold to create, but has two more doors I could leave through, potentially helping me avoid a dead-end? Part escape room, part mystery, part luck of the draw[ing room], this has a small but dedicated fanbase already, and it's easy to see why.

Demo Playtime: 6 hours and counting

Release Date: "Spring 2025" (demo still available as of post; online comments indicate it has bounced between available and unavailable in the past year)

Find It: Steam

If you’re interested in a game described above, it may also be available in other formats or platforms than what I played. If you liked this post, click my “reviews” or “video games” tags below or search on my blog to find more.

[applestorms]

🛳️ 🐌 💥 🪩 for the ask game?

hell yeahhh (original post here)

🛳️ Are there any new ships you want to write for? (Platonic, romantic, or anything in between.)

birthdaymassacre is the first thing that comes to mind, though i wouldn't mind dipping my toes into the moonriver a lil either. i've also had this one really distinct yagamane fic idea plotted out for a while now, so we'll see if i ever get around to expanding that into a proper fic instead of like. two pages of notes LMFAO

in terms of non-romantic relationships, i am Always wanting to expand on wammy's house stuff, particularly in terms of lawlight interacting w/ meronia. The Potential. it's There. also more beyond-- getting a physical copy of LABB has really gotten me back into all of His shit again recently lolol.

🐌 What is one of your smallest writing goals?

hmm smallest in what sense? i suppose in the very short term, posting this fic i'm currently in the process of doing final edits on (it'll be out in a couple hours lol). this question is tough cuz i feel like most if not all of my writing goals are some kind of long-term practice thing =3=" i guess Get Weirder maybe counts. i've grown to really like superegos over the last few weeks since i feel like it ended up being a really interesting twist on the usual sex robot tropes (interesting to me, anyway) and i hope i can do something similar again. there's an honesty that i genuinely feel like i can't get at unless i allow my writing to be fully weird and/or off-putting to the degree that i want it to be, so. also-- really Committing to writing some proper horror. though that gets a bit into the next question...

💥Is there a chapter, scene, or WIP you're most excited to write? Share a snippet or tell us about it!

i have been Frothing at the mouth wanting to write the meronia sequel to praise the sweetness after K put the idea in my head however many months ago. thx for that. after my DJRBB fic this is my Top priority for fic writing moving forward. i fear talking about this in much more depth since i haven't gotten much down get and my ideas will inevitably change (also latent paranoia that the more i talk about something the more likely it is the fic will bury itself away to die a quiet death in my drafts. can't talk too much they can smell it and panic easily) but. yeah :)) putting mello thru the cult torment nexus 👍

also might post a little birthdaymassacre ficlet but We'll See, i'm still deciding if i want to commit to expanding on that or not.

🪩 Do you have any "good" writing habits you want to cultivate?

writing regularly!! and watching my tenses. screams. mostly just writing regularly. i think i got into a decent schedule last quarter but my classes are gonna change again after break so i'll probably have to re-figure my fic writing time again depending on how busy i get. the goal is always a little bit daily but frankly i don't invest too much in that while school is active since i don't want to totally exhaust myself or turn this into a chore that i hate. i feel like most other writing goals/improvement comes down to this though, thinking about writing means jack shit for me unless i actually try and Do It once in a while. i should also probably try to critically read my old shit to see what things i'd like to work on but, eh. we'll see.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

Hey Makenzie! Bookblr ask for you - have you ever read any of the books that Bridgerton is based on? Idk if you ever watched that show but the books are... interesting to say the least. They are all trashy romances set in the historical era (regency era England tho iirc the author is American). I've read a couple of them and they're a bit basic, but you mentioning your tolerance for bad shit in romances did make me wonder if you might like them? Deffo do think they have their moments of joy sparking although there's other questionable shit in them too. Anyway if you do ever check them out I'd love to know what you think of them!

hi! fun question!

I actually haven't delved much into historical romance, with the exception of Alexis Hall's A Lady for the Duke (it's EVERYTHING, very swoony and silly in the best. I wish the last chunk of the book had just been about the duke sucking Viola's dick instead of the very goofy plot that actually happened, but no book is perfect) and KJ Charles' Magpie Lord (it's fine, although I commend the use of jizz magic).

I first started the monthly romance reads last year basically because I wanted to study the genre and figure out how it works, but Romance as a category is so huge that I figured it made the most sense to focus in one area - in my case, popular contemporary romances rather than historical or werewolf stuff or romantasy (again, exception for the Magpie Lord) or whatever's going on in those ones that are about romanticizing the Amish. if I remember correctly, I only branched out to A Lady for the Duke last year as a little pride month treat for myself, because I wanted to get at least one trans romance in for the year (this was back when I thought I was only reading romances for 2023) and that book was really well-reviewed.

I haven't explored into historical romance beyond that. I think maybe it feels a little less interesting to me than contemporary romances for reasons I can't quite place - maybe because the image I have in my head of "historical romance" is very Bridgerton-y, and the particular set of tropes I affiliate with that isn't very compelling to me. say what you will about contemporary romances, but at least it's just a given that women can vote, you know? but I don't know, maybe that's exactly why I should give historicals a chance. I didn't know a lot about contemporary romance either when I first dove in, and now I can complain about them in a way that's way more detailed and informed. I need a theme for my July romance poll; maybe I could celebrate the 4th of July by reading a book about shitty dead white people?

if nothing else I have to say that it compels me that you think I might like Bridgerton specifically because of my high level of shit tolerance, that genuinely makes me more interested in the books than anything good you could say about them.