#I really wanted to draw little scenes but I’m finding myself with less and less free time with work and pregnancy stuff 🥲

[keri-mcberry]

Heya I were wondering

Lyla love flying and quidditch?

What is her role in quidditch? Seeker? Beater ? Guardian or keepers?

Yes, Lyla fell in love with flying the moment she got on a broom! In her Sixth Year, she joined the Hufflepuff Quidditch team as the Seeker! ✨ I like to think the Quidditch captains would be scrambling over themselves to recruit the MC, especially hearing rumors of them beating Imelda at her own flying courses.

@theinstagameremily Oooh, this was a good question, and it took me a while to decide! But I think Lyla and Imelda would be cute together 🥰 I love how Imelda is initially rude and arrogant towards the MC but slowly grows to respect them and open up more to them as their relationship progresses. Plus, I’m a sucker for Slytherpuff relationships if that wasn’t obvious already 🤭💚💛

[demaparbat-hp]

hi dema! i’m learning how to do digital art, would you mind sharing your coloring process? coloring (and lineart) is the hardest thing for me to do T_T… what brushes do you use for coloring and how do you not make it look muddy? i’ve been trying to follow tutorials from different artists on youtube but i find my work to look so muddy… thank u in advance >__<

Hi, and thank you for thinking about me for advice! I'm honoured to share a bit of my process, nerve-wracking as that is for my shy self, and hopefully help you out as much as I can. Forgive me if I don't express myself very clearly—I have a bit of a hard time explaining these things. Now, let's get started, shall we?

I'll be using the first panel of this artwork as an example.

My process is pretty straight-forward for most artworks. Make a sketch, draw the lineart, and follow a self-made guideline for coloring and rendering.

Sometimes I'll throw the guideline to the trash bin and start experimenting with brushes and chiaroscuro and color palettes, but that doesn't happen most of the time and, when it does, it's more a challenge than anything else, and not really what I think you're looking for.

I'll include my usual steps here, however, and like I said earlier, these steps are more like what you'd call guidelines than actual rules.

(I just realized I didn't save the sketch for this artwork. Oops)

This is the lineart!

I tend to think that details bore me and are actually pretty exhausting to do, but then I go and make things as clear and detailed as I can. Because I'm a hypocrite like that.

I did try to keep things simple here, though, mostly because I had to go through three other panels and didn't want to burn out my fuel mid-process.

Base colors! The blush (and Zuko's scar!) I draw in a different layer in case I need adjusting the brightness or saturation later.

It's time for shadows!

Pick a color depending on the atmosphere you want the artwork to have. Is it a cozy, warm scene in a honey-tinted room, or is it a moment shared under the moonlight? The color choice should come as an answer to those questions—deep red for the first one and dark blue for the second.

Choose a color and make it dark and saturated. Then, play with the layer opacity! A darker shadow means harsher light, while less opacity works best for a softer look. See the difference? It's subtle, but it's there.

Of course, this is my personal choice. The way shadows are drawn and color is chosen depends on the artist and the artwork. I choose to play with a more simple coloring style, keeping shadows from blending into each other, but you may like a more realistic approach to shadows and colors.

My best advice? Try doing it every way you can, but in the end choose what works best for you. Whatever feels more comfortable, whatever you enjoy drawing the most. And then work to improve it. Love the little proof that you've gotten better, even if it's subtle.

And talking about subtlety...

I love to play with gradients. I use them mostly to give the artwork some form of atmosphere, and make it look cohesive and whole. A light gradient in the color and direction of the shadows will help the characters blend with the background, as will another gradient in lighter colors for the light.

Get creative with gradients! Use them so the lights feel brighter and the shadows darker.

Now it's time to work with the lineart again.

The pure black lineart makes the artwork look harsher, sharper, so I tend to give it some color to soften its edges and compliment the rest of the drawing. In darker shades as the rest of the colors, growing more saturated as the light comes closer.

I love to make the characters' eyes pop and glow! It's really fun what you can do by just messing a bit with the tones of the lineart.

Finally, I play with the level correction. A high contrast will help your artwork stand out and look brighter. See the difference?

And it's done!

Sometimes I like to add other effects or details, but this is the very, very rough shape of my usual process, and thus what I thought you'd like to see.

Once again, I'd like to point out that this is what works for me, and a large part of improving as an artist is just fooling around and messing up until you find the tools and tricks you're most comfortable with.

So keep drawing those muddy shadows and colors! They're only a step of the process.

[wsdalt]

TRIPLE AAA FELPS IS SO REAL I've had that headcanon sitting in the back of my mind for so long... I figured it was the "being aspec will make every character you write be at least a little bit aspec too" talking because I never really had anything to base it on other than Vibes but I'm glad you agree. (also "gender: felps" is great I love it. yes. very true)

listen I’m not going to lie it’s definitely probably a bit of that for all of us pfft (well… for you and me at least)

I just like it! felps is a character who’s dear to my heart, so headcanoning him with being arospec is the next logical step—especially since there isn’t really anything to suggest he’s not (again: emphasis on the spectrum in the headcanon. his crush on pac is romantic in my eyes, but tinged with the aromantic experience i am headcanoning him with)

you're the second person who's cited him having aspec vibes, and i so i wanted to get into it a little \o/ and really like…point towards what is probably causing those pfft (disclaimer throughout this entire thing that i am aroace and i am drawing on my own experiences when i say this stuff. and that this is less pointing out coding, and more looking into an arospec reading of the character)

under the cut we go, because this is long oops:

firstly: we really have to acknowledge fanon. as in… i would say i'm a fairly big player in terms of felps interpretations when it comes to things in english + things on ao3…? at least now, and especially for felps ship content. i feel like this is a fair thing to say about myself, right? i'm currently 40% of the felpac ao3 tag and all that

and i write felps as arospec because… well it's a headcanon i like. especially if you're a mutual/follower of mine who reads my fics, you're maybe picking up on that

and i don't want to speak for factorial (the other person i think maybe writes the most for him, especially romantic content), but i would say he writes--especially in xcom2 au--a lot of nonromantic stuff? not aromantic necessarily, but romance isn't really a focus (except for the few moments where it is of course). the main point is these people care about each other, it doesn't really matter how

basically--yes. a lot of felps ship content on ao3 can be passed off as ambiguous relationships (especially considering i write a lot of them kissing, but not actually together romantically/not as a "getting together" mechanism), which adds to an aromantic vibe--kissing doesn't inherently equal romance and all that. if this is the main way you interact with felps ship content, this is probably colouring your interpretation of him a little, i think is fair to say

to canon:

i have to say his overall passivity as a character probably plays a big part. especially in regards to romance and attraction, he's a lot more reserved than the other characters on the island. a lot of characters who are into romance/are attracted to others are very verbal about that, while the characters who aren't are also verbal about that. (or they do both like bad)

philza and missa are maybe the others who are a lot quieter? and their relationship comes across as very aromantic to me (not that people can't interpret them as romantically involved, just… you know. and even then--they're loud about being married/partners from what i've seen). the final category i would say is people who romance or attraction just doesn't come up for them at all, but they're not loud about not being into it. it just… yes, doesn't come up

the difference between that last category and felps, is that while felps is kind of quiet about his crush on pac, it does very obviously comes up. but it’s so much subtler compared to a lot of the other relationships (except for that one scene where he let his jealousy run wild for a bit when he finds out pac is flirting with other people after their kiss). in a story where people are so loud about being romantically involved/attracted to others, a quiet unrequited crush kind of slips through the cracks. it's not that the feelings are any less intense or important, but they feel different. and aspec attraction is different to allo attraction i would say (in my experiences, at least)

to me, being aroace has always felt kind of passive compared to my allo friends' sexualities. even if they've had long crushes on friends like this, they've also like… gone out dating. i think the fact we only see felps with this crush on pac and not really going after anyone else + the implication he's had it for a long time both kind of speak towards a specific flavour of aspec pining

+ the most active thing he does regarding the crush is seek pac out so they can go to the kissing booth together, and even then he's constantly minimising it as just something they're doing for fun. he starts off the conversation by saying he wants to see how it works, and then they constantly refer to it as "just testing"--which is something felps started

while this is like… a way to hide his crush if pac doesn't feel the same, it also gives off the vibe of engaging in your attraction to someone else, but without that necessarily leading to a romantic relationship. kissing doesn't have to be romantic. you don't have to start dating just because you kissed someone. and this is an aromantic point of view i suppose (casual hook ups obviously exist, but doing this with your friends instead of strangers is sort of looked at differently by society--you get it)

(this sort of falls apart a little when you realise he was hoping pac would interpret it as a romantic gesture and talk about the kiss with him, but i would also argue this specific flavour of 3D chess is aromantic--no i will not elaborate)

(also there's the fact he doesn't want to be the one to define their relationship/ask pac out even though he's perfectly comfortable asking pac to kiss him--i think you could argue he's trying to look towards pac to set the terms of their relationship. push the boundaries a little, and see how pac reacts. "pac's allo, right? he knows what to do about this, surely…")

(i'm reaching a little, but that's why i've said this is a reading, not an analysis/not pointing out coding)

as a secondary thing to combine with the passivity: I would also say the way the the saint thing fucks with his emotions a bit + his tendency to distance himself a little from things in general is a safe bet as to where the vibes come from. again, it's not that he feels things less intensely it's just that there's a disconnect between him and the rest of the world in some way--either intentionally, or through the saint stuff

and i don't know about you guys, but as someone who did not have any kind of aspec friends for a good few years while identifying as aroace (+ even before i knew i was too), i did feel a disconnect between me and everyone else--both with cishet people, and with queer people. so i, at least, am picking up on that, filtering it through my own experiences, and spitting out an arospec reading pfft

my final note: obviously this is incredibly subjective and biased, and is really just me trying to dig into whatever vibes people may be picking up on. as i've already said--i'm projecting with my arospec headcanon, and this whole post is less me pointing out coding and more me doing an arospec reading on the character

I'd really love to hear if anyone else has a way to put the vibes into words. i feel like there's things i've missed out on, but i feel like the big thing is just… the way he doesn't necessarily act on his attraction the way most other characters do, + with everyone also being queer so you can't say him being queer is the cause of the difference, the difference can instead come across as aromantic

and to talk about the asexual side of things briefly, i will point towards the way he reacts to most innuendos. which i will not list out here. if you know you know, i suppose

(people in the house are watching a movie really loudly right now, so it was a little hard to focus oops. I hope this all makes sense…)

[chuuyadelune]

now that i have recovered from the emotional shock of seeing *that* akutagawa scene from chapter 88 animated in HD 4K (i thought i’d have another week to emotionally prepare myself LMAO), i just wanna be a little bit of a nerd and say that i really liked the cinematography/composition this episode.

in particular, i really enjoyed the anime’s decision to draw visual parallels between this fight and previous fights (in particular, the fight against francis, which is important because it is the first time they worked together).

after all, this fight is the culmination of everything they’ve done together. from the combining of their abilities, coming to an understanding with each other, realising the potential of beast-beneath the moonlight-rashoumon… bringing back similar shots that were used in previous fights is SUPER effective at highlighting the parallels and how far they’ve come, in my humble opinion.

here are a few things i noticed:

- first of all, both of them activating their abilities one after another is an explicit nod to S2’s fight;

- the confrontation/conversation in the hallway from S2 (to an extent! they’re on the same sides, which caught my eye);

- akutagawa blowing up the engine room on the ship, and kyouka doing the same during the first fight between him and atsushi (S1);

- and a similar angle being used for black tiger claws / koukko zessou as a nod to the fight in the S3 finale.

the parallels — though maybe less explicit, *are* still there in the manga? like, the entire “structure” of the fight so to speak is very similar to the francis fight in S2 — akutagawa finding atsushi, taking place on a(n air)ship, breaking away from the fight to strategise before confronting the final boss (then, francis, and now, fukuchi) is undeniably a nod to that fight? i love that this is given its due in the anime as well.

another thing about the cinematography this episode i loved was them using the clock as being the indicator of fukuchi’s fuckass space-time sword doing its thing. that was a really nice touch, in my opinion; the cuts in between were jarring and disorienting and really helped put us into sskk’s shoes.

and as for the background design alongside the clock itself — there were a couple of things about them i enjoyed:

- the number of floors / levels of the ship in the back (5, as a nod to the five ways an angel decays, the DOA)

- the blue of the clock is meant to be reminiscent of fukuchi’s sword, i’d argue, with the way both of them pops out of the sunset/orangey-red lighting

- the clock’s design being super ornate and gold plated reminds me a *bit* of a tabernacle (where they keep unused eucharist in a church) — and thus brings up connotations of sacrifice. that white bridge-thing beneath the clock as well reminds me a lot of an altar, too (see the image above the last to see what exactly i’m referring to, because image limit)

okay, yeah, that one might be a bit of a stretch, sure. but its placement as being above them, combined with the two tables/boxes to the left and right of the ship’s bow (which looks very much like a cross, btw) gives it a distinctly religious, altar-kinda feel, i’d argue. and crosses have been used in S4 as symbolism as well!

(tbh, there could even be a bit more imagery i’m missing, because — the angels of the DOA refers specifically to the buddhist conception of an angel. i’m not too familiar with buddhist imagery, but i thought that this was worth pointing out regardless!)

the last thing i want to say is that the red and blue symbolism went CRAZY this episode. i don’t have much else to say because it was super obvious — they even reused the same “black tiger claws” shot from S3, after all — but i do wanna point out that the symbolism even went into the carpets. the fucking carpets.

like, the shift: it’s red when akutagawa’s leading the conversation but changes to blue after atsushi’s suggesting of the submersible as a strategy? i mean, i don’t know if this (or anything i’ve said, to be fair) was intentional or not, but it’s a cool detail anyway!

personally, i enjoyed this episode, the action was great, and all of this too was a really neat addition as well! and now… uh. we wait for the chaos to get worse i suppose !? (laughs nervously)

[mimbotomy]

more writing asks!! 5, 9, 28?

5. What's a tag you never want to use for your works even when it applies?

If you asked me this a few months ago, I would have had a different answer for you, but I recently feel like I got over some of my weirdness about tags! For a long time, I was super picky about my tags because I didn’t want to overwhelm anyone like I’ve been overwhelmed scrolling through my feed and having to keep scrolling and scrolling through a fic that tagged absolutely everything the author could think of. So while I would sometimes include personal notes like “I don’t know how the Isu work and I don’t care,” which fyi that applies to all my fics, I wouldn’t necessarily tag all the major characters or even all the ships. I didn’t tag any ships for the Children of Kephallonia until a few months ago because I was worried doing so would make it too long, but I got over myself eventually.

I also don’t really tag genres like angst or romance or fluff, although all of my fics tend to be majority fluff, but I think that’s because I don’t think any fic is just angst or just romance or just fluff. There’s always so much emotion in a fic because the author had to have a lot of emotion to write it, and so searching for one specific genre just feels like a disservice to the author a little bit. And tagging it sorta feels like a disservice to me if that makes sense?

9. Thoughts on cliffhangers.

I have a love/hate relationship with cliffhangers, which I’d argue is the norm lol. I think they’re hard to get right though, and while I’ve definitely read some stories that do cliffhangers so well, a lot of times I feel like they’re just mean and done for shock value rather than to add anything of value to the story.

For me though, I don’t feel like I use cliffhangers in my work that much. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say that I don’t really see them as cliffhangers? I like to have each chapter tell a relatively self contained story, so any cliffhanger I might have feels less like a cliffhanger and more the natural end of one storyline and the jumping off point for the next, at least to me. Plus I don’t think my work is that groundbreaking or full of twists, so I feel like it’s pretty obvious that whatever trouble the characters find themselves in will be resolved pretty quickly lol.

28. Any writing advice that works for you and you feel like sharing?

Not going to lie I think these are all pretty weird but they work for me 😂

First off, I act out a lot of my scenes, albeit in my head so my dog and husband don’t look at me weird, kinda moving around the space as I run through and refine dialogue in my head. Like I will legitimately stand on one side of the room pretending to be one character and then go to the other side of the room pretending to be the other. I think it helps me figure out people’s vibe and mannerisms and visualize the scene before I put it onto paper.

I also draw a lot, although I don’t finish a lot of my drawings to the point of being comfortable posting them, but those are more to force me to think about character relationships. For example, for my drawing of Kassandra, Barnabas, and Herodotos all hugging, I sat there for a long time thinking about how they would hug each other, and there’s a lot of symbolism in like the ways their arms are wrapped around each other, at least in my opinion. Down to explain that in the comments if anyone’s interested but that would make this way too long and it’s already too long lol.

Lastly, and I’m not quite sure how to say this without sounding like an asshole, but I literally just write until I can’t write anymore. Like whenever I find myself stuck, whether I’m stuck on a specific line or a transition or even an entire scene, I write XXX and either add a short note or a little drawing about what I’m imagining and move on. And then I’ll go back later and search for every instance where I wrote XXX and fill in the gaps. Or if I’m unsure about which direction I want a scene to go, I will write brief snippets of all my options. Sometimes they aren’t very brief - for example I have five different half written versions of the Arkadia arc of my fic the Children of Kephallonia because I know how I want that storyline to end but I just keep changing my mind about what should happen in the middle RIP.

But if I’m just totally stuck on a story in general, I will literally open up another doc and work on that one, and I do that again and again until I am all out of time or creative writing energy. I’ve talked before about how I have way too many WIPs, but those are also just the ones I talk about. I have a bunch of stories that probably will never see the light of day but are fun to write, like a super weird modern AU or ridiculous crossovers that make no sense or just a bunch of random unconnected scenes of various Kassandra ships. So if I’m stuck on all of my actually published or planned to be published fics, I go work on one of those until I become unstuck on one of my real fics or need to close my laptop/put my phone down for a while. Probably why I’m pretty slow at updating but it works for me!

Imma be honest this doesn’t read overly coherent to me, but I’m really tired and I have a lot going on this week too and so I will probably continue to be tired. So I’m not going to edit 👍🏼 If you would like to read more my semi incoherent ramblings about my fics, more prompts can be found here! These are always fun to do and I could definitely use the mental break this week.

[remy2fang]

A.K.I. Birthday Commentator Audio in SF6, a Rant, some Copium, and perhaps Additional F.A.N.G Content in Future DLC. LONG Post!!

A.K.I. Birthday Commentator Audio

From the sounds of it, I don’t think a lot of English speaking players use the commentator audio in SF6. If they did, they would’ve posted about the special commentary about A.K.I.’s birthday on Twitter. Even EventHubs didn’t mention about the special commentary:

For sure, Japanese players uses it:

This is the English commentator audio, extracted by me:

Truth be told, I actually heard the English commentary version more than a month prior to A.K.I.’s birthday, so back in early October then. I extracted and search through audio files within the AKI patch. The time when I found it, I honestly thought that it’s already available in-game if you switch the commentary audio on, but that’s really not the case. This particular line can only be heard on A.K.I.’s birthday. Another thought that came to mind when I first listened to this audio was, “WHEN is AKI’s birthday?” A month later we all found out that it’s 11/11.

-RANT TIME-

Everything about that special birthday audio for AKI sounded nice and lovely until the part with “…she MAY end up killing him (FANG) herself.” I know it’s been foreshadowed in AKI’s World Tour dialogue and how FANG had to kill his closest Nguuhao brothers for his first assassin job in the Toxicity story, but damn, it’s a reminder that AKI’s happiness (and mine too 😭😭) MAY eventually have a grim ending. After listening to that audio, it prompted me to write these posts a long while ago:

I much prefer the Japanese commentator audio because it said that “AKI almost poisons FANG” rather than “she MAY end up killing him herself” like in the English one. It’s far less doom and gloom in the Japanese version. Plus, FANG is already immune to poison lol.

Honestly, I’m happy that “almost” no one heard the English commentator audio on AKI’s birthday and Eventhubs never even mentioned it. I can imagine the barrage of dumb comments from F.A.N.G haters wanting him dead. Come on, give A.K.I. a break on her birthday. Telling her to kill F.A.N.G, the most important person in her life, would make her truly upset.

-END RANT-

Now the Copium

Shortly after finding that audio, I kinda formed a headcanon-pseudo fanfic to make myself feel better. I don’t normally make these kinds of things because I generally just stick to canon…but also I lack creativity when it comes to story telling. Anyway, this was what I wrote:

“I hope FANG stays a coward. The day when AKI and FANG must face each other and FANG finds out that AKI finally surpasses him, he’ll plead for his life in front of AKI. AKI will say that she’d never want to kill him anyway and they could live happily together. FANG says he’ll do whatever AKI wishes. AKI says there’s no need and they should live as equals…but she has one request. The scene changes where AKI is in a Victorian style cafe and FANG is the sophisticated stylish butler with a monocle serving AKI tea and desserts. AKI claps in excitement like a little girl.”

And of course, I had to draw this idea because I thought it would be cute. A lot of people have seen it already on AKI’s birthday:

This was the result of making my little made-up scenario. The best thing about it was Street Fighter Official retweeted this art. It’s like they’re validating it or something lol. It’s kinda ironic really. Me hearing that birthday audio more than a month prior, and then me drawing my fantasy picture for AKI’s birthday and Street Fighter Official retweeting it. It feels like poetic justice. I know this is reaching here, but I think the social media staff saw it as AKI’s longing to have a truly happy moment with FANG. Perhaps to the staff that this image, my very own coping fantasy, closely aligns with what AKI truly wanted. It’s like I am A.K.I. or A.K.I. is me. Lol. There were better, more popular art that came out on her birthday, but they often leave out on what’s most dear to AKI. Though there were also a few birthday artworks where FANG is included…I don’t know why they weren’t retweeted and mine was. I don’t know. I’m just making conjectures on why my piece was chosen when there were much better ones that came out on AKI’s birthday.

Additional F.A.N.G Content in Future DLC

Anyway, speaking of how important F.A.N.G is, I think we’re going to see more of him in World Tour Mode when Ed DLC drops. Yes, it’s pretty obvious that he’s going to turn up later because of AKI’s arcade ending and FANG’s WT cutscene that has JP and Ed in it. But those aren’t the only reasons why FANG will come back. The same time I found out about the AKI commentator audio was also the time when I uncovered additional FANG audio. He only said a few lines in WT, but there are more lines that were not used in the game as of 11/15/2023. I extracted them all, both in English and Japanese.

ENGLISH

JAPANESE

I uploaded these audio clips on October 11, exactly one month before A.K.I.’s birthday. Go figure.

From the sounds of it, he has more varied reactions, some more missions for you to complete, and mentions M. Bison’s name twice in unknown contexts. I believe these voice lines will be utilized in later dlc, if not in the upcoming Ed release. I found the AKI birthday commentary audio long before her birthday was even announced, so I’m betting that we’ll hear these unused FANG voice lines in the future. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any battle voice lines for FANG, but perhaps in a future dlc he might be a fightable NPC?

If you’ve finished reading this, thanks for bearing with me lol.

[theluckywizard]

WIP Wednesday!

Thank you @melisusthewee and @nirikeehan for the tags!

I've been writing a bunnnnch since I got back from vacation and have been working on a Hawke and Rose smut scene on Giant's Staircase in the Western Approach for an academic-style smut writing exercise. It will feature in my long fic In the Shattering of Things down the line at some point! "With this caution and exhortation in mind, write a sex scene for a story in which you know your fictional characters well. Objective: To gain access to this rich material indirectly so that this experience often considered universal can feel singular, as though come to be for the first time in history." As with all smuts, I believe the set up is just as important as the business. So here is some set up! CW: spicy but probably mostly SFW

“Cats again, is it?” asks Dorian, smirking at us both. “A proper hunt. I spotted a half dozen at least. It’ll take all night,” says Hawke. I slip my arms around his waist without hesitation and Dorian salutes us both. We stroll lazily toward Hawke’s chosen destination, my insides humming with the intensity of my delight as his lips meet my hair, inhaling deeply. “Always upping the ante, aren’t you?” I remark, my eyes sweeping up the ruins. I can see the orange dance of firelight on the sandstone blocks above. He promised to find us a place we could wrap up in each other’s arms all night. At least we’ll have the high ground. “I challenge you to find a better place to canoodle than this,” he says, handing me up. We scramble up the crumbling structure which time has miraculously stabilized, hanging on to each other for balance. The tower top glows from the light of a small brazier he brought up, blankets laid out across the stones. To my left I regard a humanoid skeleton that Hawke has clearly sat up against the parapet wall, a dusty bottle inside its bony clutches and a desiccated, ages old wheel of cheese by its side. I turn to Hawke slowly, eyebrows raised high and his fingers tap over his cursed grin the way it always does when he’s desperately trying to contain gleeful laughter. “He was like this when I got here, I swear.” “I don’t know how you’ll ever plan to top this one,” I remark. “And the pile of varghest carcasses was pretty outrageous.” “Mm. Sounds like a dare. And you know I can never pass up a dare.” From up here we have a clear view of the camp below, far enough away that I assume they can’t hear every detail of our conversation, but if they looked up, they would know that something was afoot on top of the tower. Hawke claims my hand as I continue to survey the scene and draws me close with a sudden tug, knowing full well the effect of that little acceleration, my insides molten with anticipation. I assert myself though, aware of how I could passively ride his passion to several climaxes. I cradle his face in my hands, at least to prove I’m not resigning myself to another night with him, surrendering to his persistence the way I had for months. His chin and jaw are freshly shaved and his cropped locks fall over his forehead, too short to be tucked behind his ear the way they used to be. I run a finger over his handsome brow and then down to his soft lips which part on a wisp of a sigh. The intensity of his look dissolves into a vulnerable entreaty for more of me, the same look he’s given me since before that time in the tower when he’d first unlocked me. We meet in a feverish embrace, our kisses having greater urgency now like they’re somehow more fleeting in spite of being less so than ever. Something to desperately cling to while bashing our way through impossible danger. “You must have something planned,” I say, kicking off my sandals and standing on his big feet. “Aside from ‘make my beautiful lover come several times’? Not really,” he says, his fingers grazing over the hardened peaks of my breasts, my stay joyfully abandoned back at camp. “A bit ambitious. What if I want to turn your knees to jelly for a change?” I ask, my head dropped all the way back to gaze up at him with a grin. His brow lifts high, his smile slightly agape, his chest heaving on the deep, amorous breaths he draws. “Anything you want.” “Anything? What if I’m secretly some sort of depraved monster?” he says, bending for another kiss. “Well, I can always say no,” I remind him, pressing a brazen hand over his hardening length. “Oral. In a sailboat. With a squid and a sweetroll.” “Tempting, but no.” “Like a dog. Covered in honey, wearing our helmets.” “You’re going to make me guess, aren’t you?” I say, poking him gently in the belly. He shrinks back slightly, his hands leaping up protectively. “Lie down.”

Tagging in case they have WIPS to share! @crackinglamb, @rakshadow, @about2dance, @warpedlegacy, @monocytogenes, @rowanisawriter, @skyeventide AND YOU

[chicgeekgirl89]

Packing a Piece

Fandom: 911 Lone Star

Characters: Carlos Reyes, T.K. Strand

Rating: T

Summary: 

“Yeah, I’m not really a talk-it-out kind of person,” T.K. mumbles around the lip of the glass as he takes a sip.

“So I’ve noticed,” Carlos tells him, a knowing smile on his face. “I believe your motto is ‘punch first, questions later?’”

“You’re never going to let that go, huh?” T.K. asks, wincing at the reminder of his recent bar brawl.

“The image of you in handcuffs, looking like a cranky, beat up alley cat? Probably not.”

A/N: I always love the early days of a ship. The will they/won't they. The longing looks. The miscommunications. Here for all of it. So when a happy little fic involving the darts scene came into my brain, I took it and ran. Also this fic has one of the dirtiest lines I've ever written, so if my mom ever finds this...I'm sorry.

Read on AO3

This was not how he’d planned to spend the evening. He glares across the room at Judd Ryder, chomping on the straw in his drink as the activity of the bar swirls around him. God, he’s literally never met someone more infuriating, someone more rude…who the hell does this guy think he is?

“Your turn.”

Carlos’ voice draws T.K. back to the game at hand and he looks up to see the other man smiling as he holds out a couple of darts. Right. He’s on a date. One he should definitely have said no to given his current fury at his teammate.

Two hours ago he’d stormed out of the firehouse and run smack dab into a firm torso. 

Strong arms grabbed hold of him to keep him from toppling over. “Whoa,” Carlos said. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sorry,” T.K. said, distracted by his bad mood. He just wanted to get out of here and as far away from Judd as he possibly could.

“Trying to add assaulting an officer to your rap sheet?” Carlos asked.

That got his attention and the uncertainty must have shown on his face because Carlos smiled. “I’m kidding.”

“Right,” T.K. said. He frowned. “What are you doing here?”

Carlos actually blushed and it was so fucking cute it made T.K.’s heart skip a beat. “Oh, I, um, I…kind of came to see if you’d give me another shot.”

T.K. raised his eyebrows. 

“Listen, I—I guess I wasn’t completely honest with you, or myself,” Carlos said. “The one night stand, fuck buddies kind of thing…it’s not me. And I don’t want to put any pressure on you or anything but…I like you. So I thought I would take my chances and see if you wanted to go on a date. With me. Tonight.”

The word “date” immediately made T.K. balk. That wasn’t a lifestyle he wanted anymore. Love ‘em and leave ‘em seemed like a much better, less heartbreaking option. Plus he’d already bared far more of his soul to Carlos than he was comfortable with during his brief incarceration. Better to walk away while he still had at least a little dignity left.

“Yeah, I don’t think so,” he said slowly.

“Just one drink,” Carlos urged. “Well, I mean, not a DRINK drink, obviously because…” His hands fluttered around aimlessly as he tried to recover from his verbal fumble and he let out a nervous half chuckle. “Okay I told myself I wouldn’t screw this up, but I guess I did. So, never mind. It’s fine.”

The sight of strong, brawny, hot-as-hell Officer Reyes looking for all the world timid and shy made him weak. “Okay,” he’d said before he could stop himself.

Carlos had frozen. “Really?”

How could he say no to those beautiful, soft, guileless brown eyes? And he really did kind of owe the guy after being such a dick the last couple times they’d been together.“Yeah. Sure. Let’s grab a drink or whatever.”

And now here he is, in a bar, pissed as hell, and the subject of his ire is across the room, further souring his mood. He can’t even have a date in peace. Judd “Stop Acting Like the Coach’s Son” Ryder has to ruin that too.

He needs to relax, to blow off some steam, and forget that the people working alongside him at the firehouse are the most judgmental, ass-backward, hillbillies he’s ever met. And hopefully, if he plays his cards right, there will be some blowing of other things later. Judging by the way Carlos keeps checking out his ass when he thinks T.K.’s not looking, his chances seem pretty good.

Although T.K. might ruin everything if he keeps complaining. Nobody wants a cranky lay.

“You know, if I was a less secure man, I might be bothered by the fact that I worked up the nerve to ask you out, and you’ve spent the entire night talking about another guy,” Carlos finally says after T.K. mouths off yet again. 

He should apologize. But he doesn’t. Instead he presses on, practically goading Carlos into calling time of death on this miserable date over his assholery. He doesn’t deserve to be with someone as good as Carlos anyway. This is the third time in a row that he’s been a jerk to the man, and he really doesn’t understand why the guy keeps coming back for more. 

A tiny voice in the back of T.K.’s mind whispers that he’s self-sabotaging yet again, but he tells it to shut up and reminds it that at least he’s not shooting up or getting the crap beat out of him to deal with it this time. 

“You think he’s right?” he asks. It’s a challenge, a test, one designed to make Carlos fail so T.K. can prove to the world that he’s still a screw-up that no one could possibly ever want.

Carlos doesn’t say anything, just tosses another couple darts at the board, then waits for T.K. to go collect them.

“Do you?” he finally asks.

It makes T.K.’s blood boil. Because yeah, that is one of his greatest fears. That he’s only here because of his dad. That he’ll never be good enough on his own. And he doesn’t like anyone to push on that particularly tender part of his ego. “You know I’m holding a dart?” he says, sending Carlos a pointed look.

Carlos’ answer is immediate. “And I’m packing a piece.”

T.K. freezes in surprise at the snappy response. It’s just enough to break through his inner monologue and get him to fully pay attention to the gorgeous, completely ripped, incredibly good at sex stuff, man in front of him. “That’s hot,” he says, thoughts of Judd Ryder and his terrible day slowly melting away.

Carlos gives him a charming little smile. “Do I finally have your attention now?”

T.K. leans closer, amusement and desire swirling in his gut. “Yes.”

“Good.” Carlos cocks his head to the side and then swipes the dart from T.K.’s hand. “Because I want you fully present when I kick your ass.”

Carlos does kick his ass, not a surprise considering the man wears a gun as part of his uniform. But T.K. doesn’t do too badly either. And despite the fact that he came into this with a chip on his shoulder…it’s fun. Carlos is sweet and snarky and unbelievably good. He’s kind to T.K., the bar staff, the people who walk by. And god help him, T.K. feels something stirring inside himself that he’d thought had died on the floor of his New York apartment five months ago.

“Okay, how are you doing that?” T.K. asks when Carlos hits his sixth or seventh bullseye of the night.

“Practice,” Carlos says with a shrug. “I can show you if you want.”

He steps up behind T.K., his lips right by T.K.’s ear as he speaks. “Relax your body,” he says, his hands skimming gently over T.K.’s frame, positioning him just so. “I like to line my shoulder up with the bull’s eye.”

The warmth of his breath on T.K.’s neck causes goosebumps to rise along his skin. Carlos’ hips bump up against him and he sucks in a sharp breath. This is…beyond a turn-on. 

“Then you just draw back and let it go,” he says, giving T.K. a quick pat on the ass before he steps back. “Go get ‘em champ.”

The heat T.K. was feeling seconds ago immediately turns into annoyance at the obvious reference to Judd’s words. He sends Carlos a scowl. “I’m glad my workplace harassment is funny to you.” 

“Are you going to take the shot? Or should I have your dad come over here and coach you from the sidelines?” Carlos asks, a sassy grin on his face as he needles T.K.

T.K. rolls his eyes, but he draws his arm back and gives the dart a toss. It hits only millimeters off of center.

“Nice,” Carlos says. “Keep practicing and maybe next time you’ll beat me.”

Next time. Like this isn’t a one time thing. Like Carlos wants to see him again even though T.K. has tried his damndest to fuck this evening up. Who the hell is this guy?

“So I was thinking—“

“You want to get out of here?” T.K. asks, cutting him off.

“Yes,” Carlos says immediately. “Let me close our tab.”

He’s back in less than two minutes and then it’s a short drive to his place where they immediately lose themselves in an already familiar rhythm of lips and hands and teeth and skin. 

“Well that was fun,” Carlos says when they’re both laid flat out on his bed, a satisfied smile on his face as he pulls his briefs back into place.

“You deserved some fun after I was such a crappy date,” T.K. tells him as he reaches for his own briefs, which have gotten hung up on a lamp.

Carlos’ face immediately drops. “Wait, you didn’t—T.K. you didn’t come over here because you felt obligated to, right?”

God this man is so damn good, it almost physically pains him. “No,” T.K. says quickly. “No, I—that’s not what I meant I was just…”

“Because if you felt like I pressured you into any of what just happened or thought I had some kind of expectation—“

“No, Carlos, it’s okay,” T.K. says, reaching out and putting a hand on his thigh for reassurance. “I was being self deprecating. I promise, I wanted everything we just did as much as you.”

Carlos relaxes. “Okay good.” He looks down at T.K.’s hand. “You’re really hard on yourself, you know that?”

“Not hard enough according to Judd,” T.K. says with a roll of his eyes, then inwardly cringes for bringing that up again. He truly is a terrible date. No wonder Alex left him for someone else.

“Have you ever thought that maybe whatever Judd is saying, it’s not about you?”

The question catches him by surprise and so does the earnestness in Carlos’ eyes. “What else could it be about?” T.K. asks.

Carlos shrugs. “His marriage. Money. His truck.”

T.K. snorts a laugh. “You think he bit my head off because he’s upset about his truck?”

“You’re in Texas now. Men love their trucks. Sometimes more than their wives,” Carlos tells him as he gets up and heads into the bathroom. “What I’m saying is, usually when people are mad, it’s about more than what they say it is.” He returns with two glasses of water, one of which he hands to T.K. “I’ve known Judd a long time. He’s a good guy. And he’s been through a lot lately. Might be worth it to try and talk it out.”

“Yeah, I’m not really a talk-it-out kind of person,” T.K. mumbles around the lip of the glass as he takes a sip.

“So I’ve noticed,” Carlos tells him, a knowing smile on his face. “I believe your motto is ‘punch first, questions later?’”

“You’re never going to let that go, huh?” T.K. asks, wincing at the reminder of his recent bar brawl.

“The image of you in handcuffs, looking like a cranky, beat up alley cat? Probably not,” Carlos says, leaning back and giving T.K. a spectacular view of all the muscles in his abdomen. The man is built like a freaking god.

“An alley cat? Seriously?” he asks.

Carlos shrugs. “I saw what I saw.”

“You’re very lucky that you’re hot,” T.K. tells him with a roll of his eyes. He takes a peek as his phone. “I should probably get going.”

“Or…”

“Or…what?”

Carlos leans forward and presses a searing kiss to his lips. “Or you could stay a little longer. And give me a new memory of you in handcuffs,” he says, soft eyes going dark and stormy.

T.K. stays.

“I had a good time tonight,” Carlos says a couple hours later as he walks T.K. to the door. He had made it very clear that T.K. could stay over but…he’s not there yet.

“Good,” T.K. says, throwing on a cocky smile. “I’d hate to think all my hard work upstairs was for nothing.”

Carlos gives him an exasperated look. “I mean the whole thing T.K. The date, the sex, all of it.”

“You are not going to tell me you think tonight falls into the category of a ‘good date,’” T.K. says incredulously. “I was being a dick the entire time.”

Carlos shrugs. “You had a rough day. It happens. I still had fun.” He steps forward and runs a finger flirtatiously down T.K.’s chest, toying with the top button of his shirt. “Besides, I like being someone who can put a smile back on your face.”

Stunned is an understatement. This is…he’s really not used to being treated like this. Like he’s allowed to have bad moments. Like maybe Carlos isn’t going to just use him and then walk away. Like maybe Carlos actually…likes him. Not just tolerates him or wants him for sex.

“Can I see you again? Maybe this weekend?” Carlos asks, that sweet, innocent look in his eyes. The one that turns the “no” in T.K.’s throat into a “yes” by the time it reaches his tongue.

T.K. nods, uncertainty shifting around inside him like the open seas in a storm. “Yeah.”

“Great.” Carlos smiles and then leans in, capturing T.K.’s lips in a soft kiss. “It’s a date.”

T.K.’s mind whirls as he slips into his cab. What the hell is happening to him?

[yukidragon]

I don't know how this site works and if this question has been asked before, but I can't stop thinking about it. After a night together with Jack, which was very significant for both of them, MC goes to open the door for Shaun and spends a lot of time with him, as if forgetting about the naked lover in the bedroom. She doesn't go to him to put him in a situation, but sits with Shaun and talks about crap. I don't know how to interpret it, but it seems sooo weird to me, What can that mean?

For this, I would like to draw attention to MC’s thoughts in the demo at a few scenes. First, here is their thoughts after Ian’s phone call when Jack goes to comfort them.

I’ve felt so bad for so long…I almost feel guilty, how he seems to make it all just disappear… How I think I… Maybe I might just… … ... No. No, something isn’t right about this. I feel for him...But something about this is too good. I won’t use him as a bandage, to cover up the feelings I don’t want to feel.

Then a little later...

After all this time… Is this. Love? Does Jack really make me feel whole, all on his own? Or…Is this just a hallucination too. Is this even real? Do I want to love…A hallucination?

MC regards being with Jack as being in a dreamy haze, as they themselves remark on in the “yes” route.

I can’t help but feel odd when I’m grounded in reality. The things I can see and hear and touch for myself. At the moment. Jack is all that I can see. He’s the most real thing there is. But after that, when anything else has my attention, I can see the utter ludicrousness of the situation. Is it intoxicating? Is that what this is? What is this dreamy haze that I find myself consumed by when it comes to him? …And I still don’t quite know what he is. No. No, I really shouldn’t be giving him this kind of power over me.

Jack’s presence in MC’s life is supernatural, and seems to feel like something out of a dream. When reality snaps us out of that dream and demands our attention, we usually tend to forget about the daydream for the most part and focus on the here and now. This could be the case whenever anything else distracts MC from Jack that he feels less real to them in the same way.

However, it could be something much more mundane than that. MC remarked that they were not quite awake and coherent when talking with Shaun. They forgot he was coming and panicked at that fact. These two things, plus their reunion, could serve as enough of a distraction to make them forget that their lover is waiting for them in the other room. Sometimes people are just awkward that way, and we’ve seen MC get distracted at times when engaging with people, as Jack, Shaun, and Ian comment on in their own ways.

Shaun Jeez. Nice to know you’re still a total space case, huh?

Ian Alice?…Are you alright? I snap out of my blissful trance. Alice Oh. Uh. Yeah! Yeah, no, I’m alright! Ian You’re totally spacing on me…Is everything okay?

Jack Alice? Are you okay? Ack. I jump as I return from the realm of warm fuzzies and back to reality.

I hope you don’t mind that I saved these quotes with my version of the MC’s name in them.

Anyway, it seems to be a plot point in the game that MC is the type of person to “space out” on people. This mild disconnect from reality could be part of why they struggle to believe Jack is even real and wonder if they’re just hallucinating his existence entirely.

If MC has this sort of habit of wandering off inside their head, only to snap back to reality when someone is asking for their attention, they could be used to just pushing everything to the side to focus on what’s immediately in front of them until they’re reminded of other things they should be focused on. This could just be something normal for them, or it could’ve been affected more strongly by their fatigue, Jack’s supernatural nature, or any combination thereof.

This tendency to disconnect from reality might also be another reason why MC is running away from nostalgia so desperately. They need to focus on what’s ahead, not what’s behind, though they can’t seem to help wandering off and getting lost inside their head, as we’ve seen in their narration in the demo.

@channydraws @earthgirlaesthetic @sai-of-the-7-stars @cheriihoney @illary-kore @okamiliqueur  

[is-she-suffering]

06/2000 - Dazed and Confused

QUEEN ADREENA WORDS: ROGER MORTON

AGAINST THE HARSHLY LIT BACKDROP OF CALIFORNIA, QUEEN ADREENA’S SEXUALISED ROCK THEATRICS APPEAR AS A WELCOME BEACON OF DARK.

“I think childbirth is pretty fucking amazing,” says Katie Jane Garside. “I think that sex isn’t golden copulation. I think sex is like childbirth really I do. It’s blood, it’s blood and it’s caring and it’s breaking out.” We are trying to draw correlations for Katie Jane’s rock'n'roll band, but somehow even with prompting in the direction of Frida Kahlo and some edging towards Anais Nin, we keep slipping out of highbrow into something more amniotic. It is disconcerting, particularly because the Pre-Raphelite dryad of a singer is intermittently slurping pink slush through a straw with matching coral vampire lips.

If the job of an artist is to make you reinterpret life, then Queen Adreena’s ectoplasmic chanteuse is due for promotion. It’s been a long time since a band came along with such a powerful, prenatural, psycho-sexual aura. Drop the fourth ‘e’ out of their name and you find its derivation in the notorious American dominatrix Queen Adrena, a six foot four giantess who specialises in crushing submissive men. A fascination with the fetish world surfaces again in Martina Hoogland-Ivanov’s Victorian postcard style short films made to accompany the album Taxidermy. In one scene guitarist Crispin Gray crawls on all fours with a bit in his mouth while a naked Garside rides forth. In another, the singer towers spookily, a 12 foot child giantess in a 19th century ballgown.

In less skilled hands the Adreenal vision of insane sex faery rock would be in danger of descending into the dungeon of camp, but Garside and Gray plus bassist Orson Wajih and drummer Billy Freedom have taken extreme pains and a good few years to perfect their current incarnation. In 1991 Gray and Garside were the creative core of the briefly mesmerising Daisy Chainsaw. Their electric chair punk and Garside’s damaged doll charisma made a sizeable impression, but only one album - LoveSickPleasure - emerged before “fragile” Katie ducked out of the spotlight, shaving her head and literally heading for the hills. Most of the '90s was spent recovering. “I haven’t ever not been involved, I’ve always just done music,” says Katie. “It’s the one thing that’s been consistent in my life from the moment I can remember. I’ve always sung and it’s always given me solace, sanctity. It’s what’s kept me safe. Because I think art, or whatever you want to call it, it’s not, in my experience, a choice. If I don’t do what I do, I get very sick. I don’t want to make it sound too melodramatic, but what it does is allow me to be a witness of myself so I’m not absorbed by the other stuff that’s going on around me. That’s what I mean by it keeps me safe.”

In the intervening years before she met with Crispin again and reconciled their differences, Courtney Love had popularised Garside’s ripped petticoat and lace “kinder-whore” chic (“I adore Courtney, I think she’s amazing”). But no one apart from PJ Harvey proved much cop at the lid-off-female-subconscious volition. Backed by a ridiculously great band, Katie Jane is now the most stage-articulate and daring woman performer in music, making Tori Amos look like Sarah Brightman.

In LA, showcasing he Taxidermy album, she terrifies the crowd at the Viper Room. Her voice is now beautifully controlled, cutting from petal-child to succubus harlot. Eyes rolling beneath the flowerpinned snake tresses, she approximates possessed sex with the mic stand and spends half the show upside down. Then she heads to the nearest strip bar to study.

The music and the performance express a version of sexuality that goes against the norm. Is that a political act? “I’m not sure that I want to be political, but I think the true feminine has been denied and is really being written out. It’s got just a tiny little edge of the screen and I think that’s why so many women are so down on themselves. You don’t really witness the true feminine at work very often at the moment, but I know that she’s bubbling underneath, and things like eating disorders, they’re symptomatic of that, because she’s being denied. She’s being forced out of existence, but whenever you repress something or deny something it comes back with such a force.”

Unlike her very distant relatives the goths, Garside does not melt in the tungsten sunshine of LA. She’s of a different shade. Her complexity and the close partnership with Crispin shine through in Taxidermy. “Madraykin” is a blues in calipers; “Hide From Time” a creaking womb; “Sleepwalking” a dreamscape and “Cold Fish” is bloody bones violence. It sounds like Jane’s Addiction fronted by Ophelia. Katie’s addiction however, is not going to fuck her up this time.

There’s a track called “Are The Songs My Disease?” which appears to be saying all this might be bad for your mental health. “Yep, that’s true. But that’s what I meant in the beginning about if you’ve got a choice about this stuff don’t do it. But I’ve got nothing left to lose in a lot of ways. See, when the struggle really comes on, it’s taken me to some really, really crazy places that I wouldn’t have anyone else go to. It’s the place where people become Jim Morrison and Napoleon Bonaparte and where you become God and omnipotent and you think you’re the only thing alive. That’s the most frightening place I’ve ever been to and that’s also a kind of living death because there’s nowhere to go after that.”

[flowerandblood]

Ahhh, hello Hagi!!

I heard it was officially Q&A time, and I thought I’d drop in a message! What are some ways you’ve gotten better at writing emotional/intellectual detail/scenes, and how do you battle writers block? I have so many things planned but I’m struggling to force myself into officially starting.

What are some ways that help you find out how to begin your series/fics? I think that’s what I struggle with the most.

Also, I am so sorry you’re in such pain, I am sending all the wishes for your comfort and relaxation these next few days! 🫶🏻

- Autumn 🍁

Hello, my love!!! Great to see a question from you!

As for the first part about writing and the experiences, feelings and intellectual part of the characters' thoughts, I usually draw from my own experiences or try to imagine myself in the hero's place. In my opinion, the biggest mistake is unfounded exaggeration, using big words to describe experiences that are not really so.

For example, you could write a sentence like this:

He couldn't live without her, he only thought about her, his little girl.

In my opinion, something more appropriate, closer to the real thoughts that flow through people's heads, would be something like this:

He thought about her before bed or as he drank his morning coffee, surprised by how much she filled his mind now, his little joy, his sweet girl.

The point is that, we rarely experience emotions in our lives that are extremely bad or good, they are usually a mixture of several things at once, desires and doubts, in my opinion, by giving up on them, the authors deprive the relationships they write about of realism (which is not necessary, after all, in fanfics, what I mean is that if you want your story to be realistic, it's worth remembering such things).

As for writer's block (which I actually have lately, haha), the most important thing is not to force yourself to do anything. If I don't feel something at the moment, I leave it. I only write what I feel inspired to do. I don't blame myself for writing and publishing less than usual.

As for the beginning, I always start from the middle, pushing the reader into the centre of the events. I believe that excessive thinking about the beginning, about how to present the characters, that they must first be properly described, kills the desire to write. The reader can get to know the character through conversations between the characters, through the thoughts of someone who reacts to them, not everything has to - or even should - be written directly.

I don't know if it will help you anyway, these are just my thoughts, which are not an obligation to anyone except me, because this is the type of writing I like the most. Kisses and hugs!!!

Ask me anything you want Q&A

[acefaun]

Lol once again I am here to bless you with wacky request. What if all 12 gods (including our lovely King) watch Labyrinth and they all tease Leon about it and make him dress like the Goblin King for a whole day. RIP David Bowie 😭❤️

The King’s Labyrinth

Synopsis: Being the notorious trickster that he is, the King uses a film you’ve recently watched with the gods as inspiration for his latest entertainment. It doesn’t help that Leon looks like the Goblin King… Putting the thirteen of you in the Labyrinth, it only takes a little mind persuasion to get everyone to cooperate.

✨Masterlist✨ Female goldfish! 

A/n: Okay, this idea, but more in depth. More dramatic! Because the King wouldn’t settle for less. This trickster is my soulmate, by all means. He’s going all out. He IS making Leon the goblin King. And who’re the goblins? The other gods. Who’s helping you through the labyrinth? We have Ichthys(a mischievous shape shifter) and then we have Dui and Shadow Dui(who are two separate people that can never agree with each other. “One of us always lies and one of us always tells the truth.”). And finally, we have Aigo, a sleepy faun who really shouldn’t be much help.  That’s all I have as far as a draft goes. I’m breaking this up into chapters because I have IDEAS that are slowly building. I rarely do chapter stories. Let me get away with it just this once. 🙏🏻☺️ I’ll also cross-post on AO3 because I don’t do that enough… 

Chapter 1 // Chapter 2 // Chapter 3 // Chapter 4 // Chapter 5 // Chapter 6 // Chapter 7 // Chapter 8

–Word Count: 2.6K–

Chapter 1: Leon, the Goblin King

“Perfect,” I muttered, a grin on my face. “Perfect, perfect. This is just a blessing that I’ve created upon this Earth.” Despite the big grin I wore, I added, “He’s gonna hate me… I’m printing him a picture!”

Aigonorus watched as I rushed excitedly around my room, his eyebrows furrowing. “What did you do…?” 

“A wonderful question,” I beamed at him, turning around with my ipad in my hands to face him. “I’ve drawn the most beautiful picture of Leo and the rest of you. It’s my biggest accomplishment as an artist. I deserve the highest praise for my top-tier work. I’m so underrated!” I shoved my ipad closer to his face so he could see it from where his head poked out from under the blankets. He stared at it for the longest and most silent time. Sighing… I relented, “I’m a joke.”

His eyes shifted back up to me as he admitted, “I might be too sleepy… but I don’t know what I’m looking at.” He rubbed his eyes with his fist before looking back at the digital drawing. He could recognize it as the scene in the throne room where the Goblin King was holding the baby. He supposed it did look like Leon in there. But the goblins looked pretty funny to him. 

I pulled my ipad back, throwing myself back onto the bed beside him. “It’s supposed to be Leon and the rest of you looking like goblins! You’re there at the bottom laying on the floor. If you were a goblin, I bet you’d use Leo’s boot as a pillow.”

I felt accomplished at hearing a chuckle leave Aigonorus’s lips. He turned over, wrapping his arms around my torso as he pulled me closer to him, leaning his head against my shoulder, his nose nuzzling into my neck. “If I were a goblin… I’d still want to use you as a pillow. You smell better than a boot.”

Putting my ipad on my nightstand, I hugged Aigonorus, nuzzling into his hair in return. “Well, thanks. I’m glad I don’t smell like a boot. That’ll make it easier to sleep, won’t it?” He hummed in agreement and my head fell back onto my pillow. “G’night, Aigo.”

***

“(Name) (Last name).” 

I groaned, turning onto my side, hoping that Aigonorus would let me sleep longer with him.

“(Name) (Last Name).”

Wait… Where was Aigo? I turned over onto my stomach, not finding him next to me.

“Wake up.”

I muttered, “Five more minutes…” I wasn’t ready to get up. What was the rush? I wanted Aigonorus to wrap me up in the warm blankets again. Where was he? I peeked my eyes open, scanning my surroundings slowly before shooting up onto my knees in a sitting position. I quickly wiped the sleep out of my eyes, my gaze falling onto a glimmering ethereal figure before me. My mouth was open slightly as I scanned the figure up and down before breathlessly asking, “Your Highness?” Was I in the throne room? Was I sleeping in the throne room? I prayed to every god I knew that I didn’t use the King’s boots as a pillow.

“I’ve called you here because I require your assistance.” 

He watched me amusedly as I scrambled to get to my feet. I was sure Zyglavis would have my head if he knew I was lying around on the floor in the King’s presence. “I… Uh… I can help?” 

The King’s face relaxed back into a smile, though, even I could sense the ulterior motives behind the smile. He then requested, “I’d like to see that drawing you’ve made of the gods.”

Just as when I first found myself at his feet, I was speechless and wasn’t sure what to do for a brief moment before I found my ipad hovering in the air beside me. I flinched finding it so close beside my head, but this made me sure that he was being completely serious. Okay, now I was certain Zyglavis would kill me for feeding the King human entertainment rubbish. Hesitantly, I grabbed my ipad, searching for the awkward drawing that I’d made as a joke. Quietly, I prayed, “Please, tell me there’s more required than this embarrassing drawing…” Refusing to meet his gaze, I surrendered my ipad over to him.

He didn’t take it. Rather, he stared at the image from where he was sitting and my heart raced in anxiety. Was his smile growing? Did he look even more entertained than he did two minutes ago?! I was going to be murdered by the gods, my fate was sealed. 

“Yes,” he finally spoke, his eyes returning to me. “You’re going to be the most important piece. Here.” He snapped his fingers, a ring shimmering in the air before me. It looked like a normal, average band of silver; but I knew better. “You’re going to wear this for me. So long as you do, it will make things much simpler… and far more painless.” 

I glanced between the ring and the King just long enough to stall for time before I hesitantly took it between my fingers. There were odd engravings on it, but nothing I could recognize. Pursing my lips together, I dared to argue, “Your Highness, I don’t think the gods are going to like whatever you have planned.”

Oh, yeah… Now he was smirking, making me internally groan. “Fortunately,” He drawled, “You will not defy me.” I shook my head, silently agreeing with him as I slipped the ring onto my finger. “I’ll reward an obedient human for doing well in my Labyrinth.”

“Labyrinth?” My eyes widened. Now I had an idea of what he was doing but I couldn’t say anything to stop it. He had already snapped his fingers, my vision fading. 

“Should the ring be removed…” He paused cryptically. “Well, I would enjoy seeing the results far more than you…”

***

“(Name),” I flinched as my name was called, turning my attention to the intruding god that wasn’t supposed to be in my apartment. But Partheno looked amused that he startled me. “You’re jumpy today, aren’t you? What’s that lovely new ring you’ve got there?”

“What are you doing here?” I asked, pulling the headphones off of my head as I glared at him. 

He grinned as if he were proud of himself. “I’m here to visit you, of course. Things seem quiet in the Heavens for some reason… I had no reason not to come see my favorite human. Don’t you feel blessed?”

“I’d feel blessed if it weren’t a demon visiting me,” I shot back, turning away from him. Though, for some reason, his words resonated with me. Ever since I woke up, I felt something was missing… 

“Hey,” He called out, offended that I had just verbally lashed out at him. “There’s no need to be like that. I’m a god now, remember? Besides, I came to return something I found…” 

He trailed off, and I spun around to see what he could’ve stolen from me. “You- You took- Partheno, give him back!” My eyes were glued to the little stuffed goat in his arms. It was clearly mine, but I couldn’t recall where I got it from. All I knew was that it was important to me. “Give Nashira back!” 

I lunged for it, but all Partheno did was hold it higher, just out of reach. Before I could shout at him again, he offered, “What if I traded it for a kiss?”

I hissed in response, “Why would I kiss someone who’s so mean to me? Give Nashira back and go away!” My hands pressed into his chest, trying to usher him out of my room and toward the living room door as I simultaneously grabbed for my stuffed goat. 

It wasn’t that I didn’t like Partheno. I loved him as much as… as much as…

My brain refused to finish that sentence. For some reason, the thought escaped me. Regardless, I was trying to get rid of an annoyance. Partheno needed to visit me when I wasn’t feeling on edge and when he wasn’t returning a stolen item!

Still, Partheno refused to be shoved out of my door so easily. “My love is clearly having a mood swing today. I should stay to rectify her mood.” Smirking, he lowered the stuffed toy, not surprised when I aggressively snatched it from his hand. 

I rolled my eyes, turning on my heel as I retreated to my room. “I wish you would just…” I trailed off, my thoughts pausing again. But this time, my mind wasn’t blank with missing information. My mind provided me with just the right words to say. Only… it was ridiculous. “Seriously? To a god?” I glanced back at where Partheno was hopefully standing in my living room. Seeing that stupid love-struck look on his face, I hissed, “I wish the goblins would come and take you away, right now!”

Partheno looked surprised at what I’d just said, but I didn’t stay around long enough to hear his reaction. I stormed into my room, setting my stuffed goat back onto my bed and patting its head as though comforting it for its traumatic experience. I stayed there for a moment, anticipating that he would follow me, teasing me for what I’d shouted at him. But… the living room was silent. Turning around, it also appeared that the living room was dark. I glanced around my room as if waiting for Partheno to jump out and scare me. But the scampering I heard through the living room made my heart race. 

My hands shook as I stepped out of my room. If there was any time for Partheno to jump out and scare me, it was now as I was walking through the dark living room. But a thud made me anxiously turn around and find that the light in my room had gone out as well. “P- Partheno…?” The only light I could see was the light that was streaming through the windows from the moon outside. It only made things appear eerier as I could swear the shadows were moving around my space. “Partheno, that’s not funny. Where are you?”

My balcony doors bursting open made me screech in fear. The only logical thing to come to mind was that I forgot to lock the doors—that made it reasonable for the wind to blow them open. Rushing over to close them, I was forced to turn as I heard my chairs being shoved around the kitchen floor. “Partheno!” My hands shook as I backed from the kitchen. There was no way my words actually did anything, right? Partheno was a god… no one stole him away.

Turning back to address my open balcony, a firm chest muffled my pained groan. I prayed it was Partheno, but my heart jumped to my throat when I saw a face that looked too familiar to be ironic. My jaw dropped slightly as I frantically put space between us. “You… You’re the Goblin King…” Did he actually take Partheno?! “Please, I- I didn’t mean it. Please, give him back. I didn’t think he’d actually be taken. Where is he?” 

Leon tilted his head, less amused with my begging than he was with how I crashed into his chest. “You knew very well what you were saying. I granted your wish and you will never have to deal with him again. You know where I took him. You should be much more grateful.”

“I know you were just doing your job,” I acknowledged, but I still couldn’t let him get away with stealing Partheno. “But please, give him back.” 

“Return to your room,” he tried again, knowing very well that I would go against his wishes. “You have your toy. You’ll not be bothered again. Forget about the god.”

I pursed my lips together. Sure, Leon intimidated me… his presence was powerful. But I had to deny him. “I can’t. I made a mistake…” 

He hummed, silently agreeing with me. I wouldn’t have to be challenging him if I’d been more careful with my wishes. Still, he would not return the god no matter how much I pleaded with him. More than anything, he wanted to see if I’d continue to squirm and struggle. Curiously, he offered, “I’ll grant another wish of yours.” Snapping his fingers, another crystal orb appeared between his fingers. “Here, we can peer into all of your most precious dreams and grant anything you desire.” Glancing back to meet my curious gaze, he asked, “Do you want this? You need only give in.”

I quickly shook my head, trying to brush off whatever he was trying to bribe me with. I could tell he was only doing this for my best interest, but this entire thing was a mistake that I didn’t mean. “No, please,” I tried again. “I’m sorry I made that wish. I take it back! I understand what you’re trying to do for me and I appreciate it but I really didn’t mean to-”

“Oh-ho?” He interrupted, his head tilting, as he paced around me like a predator. “What’s said is said. I will not repeat myself. That god belongs to me now.” Waving his hand, a pale pink glass orb appeared on the tips of his fingers. Within the orb, my eyes widened as I saw Partheno. He looked lost… 

A wave of guilt hit me and I immediately reached for the orb, only to have it be pulled away from me, being held just above Leon’s head. “Wait!” 

I looked desperately up at Leon, but he didn’t look like he was going to be too merciful and hand over the orb. Instead, he looked peeved that I’d lunged at him. “Don’t challenge me,” he dispassionately glared at me as the orb vanished from his hand. “You’re no match for my power.”

That glare was enough to make me feel foolish for attempting to get Partheno back like that. Timidly, I asked, “Where is he?”

“Where do you think?” Turning to look behind him, Leon pointed outside of my balcony doors, showcasing an entire labyrinth with a castle at its center. “He’s in my castle, where he will stay. Well away from you.”

Staring at the scenery in awe, I whispered under my breath, “The castle beyond the goblin city…” Steeling myself, I decisively said, “I have to go there.” My eyes were glued to the castle in the distance. It looked too far away… but I had to get him back from the Goblin King.

Leon lifted an eyebrow as he witnessed my determination. “You still want to try to get him back?” He couldn’t admit how much he loved to see that look in my eyes. “You would go against my wishes to get that fool back? I advise against defying me, (Name).”

“I don’t have a choice,” I lamented, trying to gauge the distance between me and Partheno. “I’ll go to the castle beyond the goblin city… and I’ll get him back.” I wasn’t sure what kind of look Leon was giving me, but for the moment, I didn’t care. I was determined to find Partheno without his help. 

Seeing my powerful will, Leon smirked, deciding to turn this into a game. “Very well… I’ll return the god to you.” He liked how my eyes shot to him full of childish hope. “You’ll have thirteen hours to solve the labyrinth and find that god in my castle. Do that… and I’ll consider being merciful.” Seeing my new dead-set energy, he shook his head. “What a shame you had to pick the hard way…”

Snapping his fingers, not only did he vanish, but the surrounding room transformed until all that surrounded me was the barren landscape outside of the labyrinth as well as the immense walls that would take me into the maze. “Hm… Alright. Time to find my way to Partheno!”

[overheaven]

🌝 👖📥🧠💖

under the cut in case of mature themes discussed :>

🌝 Who is one character you haven’t yet written for that you would like to?

ooh fun one, there’s probably a lot of characters I’d like to write but i can’t say how much i’d write them you know? like, many characters would be fun to write as cameos and bit parts, but not more. for central figures, i’ve written pretty much everyone i really wanted to feature in some way. so i guess if it’s not cheating to say, i’d like to try Dimitri fireemblem some more. as of right now i’ve only really written him as a ragged beast and seen through Felix’s POV! so i’m playing around with him being a little more lucid and yknow, giving him time for introspection and dialogue.

👖 Are you a planner, plantser, or pantser? Is it consistent?

oh pantser for sure. i’m yearning to find a type of planning that works for me, because i really want to try longer fics, but unfortunately i’m subject to only writing when the demon possessing me wants me to.

📥 What is your fave fic to receive comments/messages on?

aw boo this is a hard question because most of my fics don’t get comments LOL so it’s like, do i pick a fic that’s my fave out of ones that have gotten comments, or do i go for fics i WISH got comments?

out of ones that have gotten comments, my sk8 fics have really touching feedback! “lift me up and get me out” comes to mind first but comments on “drink me, eat me” floored me, too!

🧠 What’s an idea you have that you can’t quite call a WIP yet?

ok remember how i said i wish i could find a way to plan so i can write longfic? that’s where i’m at with not one but two FE3H ideas and this is my blog so i say i can talk about both of them!! they’re both Dimilix because i have rabies.

one is about Felix getting pregnant because of a, uh, dubious night with Dimitri while he’s Unwell™, so Felix flees as soon as the Kingdom wins the war and Dimitri, now kind of Better™ (also very much in love and so so guilty) ends up spending years looking for him blah blah.. it’s like a bittersweet romance chase sort of thing, plus a little bit of kidfic cause i’m sappy. probably pretty tropey and cliche but that’s the point. i actually have some story arcs sketched for this so there is a slim chance i really could turn it into a WIP for real.

the other idea is even less fleshed out so maybe it’s a better answer for this question LOL it’s kind of dark and it’s making my brain zing a LOT, i have this idea about an AU where Byleth picks the Black Eagles and recruits Felix, so when the war comes Felix is, yknow, an enemy to his former friends and family. Buuuut the Kingdom ends up winning the war, and Felix is of course the only thing keeping Dimitri from descending into utter savagery (his words in 3hopes! not mine!!) so he’s just. he’s the king and he’s insane and if he wants the whole army to sweep the continent looking for his beloved little traitor then so be it!!! and yeah from there like, Felix gets found and kept on house arrest and eventually gets pregnant (because i’m me so of course he does) and yeah. yeah. this AU makes me batty.

💖 What do you like most about your own writing?

i think i’m gonna go with my illustrative qualities. :) it comes from my background in visual art, i’m sure, hahah. in fanart, i can just draw all sorts of little headcanons, but in writing i have to be deliberate and actively choose to paint those pictures with words. sensory details are very important to me so i really try to paint rich scenes or even just ‘portraits’ so to speak, like how a character looks, smells, sounds… i’m pretty good at it, if i do say so myself!

[xxxdreamscapexxx]

wow uhh you calling me cute made my brain melt ;m; thank you maam.

im okay, its late for me and i cant sleep :(( but your writing is a good comfort <3

but yeah! like i was saying— you are *excellent* at writing believable character dynamics, which is messy and frustrating to do well in a strict 24/7 dynamic like most of your stories are. a lot of the time it can feel forced or corny when people (me lol) write kink dynamics like yours? but you pair it so perfectly with this sort of… quiet domesticity that is SORELY needed to balance it out.

Im thinking specifically of your emphasis on cooking, in a lot of what ive read of yours but in this case with the new one, with the opening moment of the new fic being the reader running to her arms and burying her face in her domme’s neck, just to feel close to her and wrapped in her scent. it’s sensuous its tactile it’s warm, its a tiny detail but it really serves to balance out the scene, hinting at the much needed understanding that their dynamic is about more gentle and caring than the story’s scope, and since the story is sooo sex based you REALLY need that soft hit right at the beginning to prime the audience. its a really deft move that you pull often, like the way a dominant touches her submissive’s face in the heat of things, it’s grounding and stabilizing, re centering the reader and prepping us for whats next. little gentle moments to imply the broader relationship outside the sexual. it’s a really lovely touch.

ive also been thinking lately about your username, and how because your stories often orbit the same kinks and similar dynamics, it gives your broader library this lovely feeling like a recurring dream. i dunno about you but i get a number of recurring dreams, and with them its rare that the exact circumstance and narrative repeats, rather that there are a few central details or beats or images that appear in the same order, but the events of the dream between them shift and bend and warp as time goes on. for your writing it’s less that plot beats or narrative arcs repeat, and more that the central guiding points the rest orbits around are your kinks? if that makes sense?

the word mommy, the constant teasing and edging, the gentle lilt of wanda’s voice in the precise way you write her, the feeling i get in the pit of my stomach when the work presses my buttons… on a wide scale these become more than the sum of their parts, painting your blog into this alluring dreamscape where i find myself returning to the comforting sensation of your work, like a recurring dream that I’m relieved to return to, the consistent ebb and flow of tension and afterglow lapping at me and lulling me from sleep back to the waking world. it’s a really compelling feeling, and makes me appreciate your blog name for giving words to it. whether or not its intentional is irrelevant, the mere fact that i feel it when i see you post a new story is enough.

sorry for rambling so long maam i got a little absorbed…

thank you for letting all of us into your dreamscape <3 it’s no surprise i come here when I can’t sleep.

~ 🙇🏽‍♀️🙇🏽‍♀️🙇🏽‍♀️ ~

Holy... I... I'm speechless! I've never, in my life, read a better, more flattering, more beautiful review of my work! I read it twice and I'm still in awe at how unbelievably alluring you make it sound! I love your attention to detail, and just the dreamy aura you wrap around the stories. I... I feel so flattered and so honoured to receive such high praise... Honestly, I draw so much of my writing from my own vision of a good, healthy, happy relationship, that I never knew how soft and sweet it must look from the eyes of the reader. I... I want to give you a hug and kiss your forehead, because I've never felt so appreciated! This is... Just heart-warming. Thank you for being so kind to me, dear!

[babeczka415]

Eternal Love - Chapter 6

It’s been a few months now since I’ve seen Jake. My heart hurts less when I do think of him or when Hannah and Lilly mention him by mistake. I guess he’s been in contact with them. That thought brings a smile to my face as that means even while on the run he’s trying to be their brother. Jessy and I have been having girl nights which are just full of horror movies, junk food, and laughing. But hey, they say laughter is the best medicine, right?

Dan and I ever since that night in the bar have gotten really close and tonight he’s over here for some movies and popcorn. He had put on a movie as I was making it. I walk into the living room with the bowl, and I find myself smiling at him. Not the way I used to but I find myself wondering why this man is still single. He loves hard for those he cares about and will do anything to protect them. I’ve seen this side of him way more than anyone else I feel.

He looks over and catches me smiling “hey boo, don’t let that popcorn get cold” he laughs.

I can’t help but laugh with him and I throw a piece of popcorn and he catches it and realizes it’s still hot. His face makes me laugh harder as I sit down next to him, maybe a little closer than I should but something is drawing me to him.

We enjoy the movie eating popcorn and laughing at the funny scenes. There’s a few spots that make me jump and I hear his laugh at me.

The movie ends and we both go to grab the remote to put something on and our hands touch. This is different from other times. I find myself looking into his brown eyes. I never noticed the hint of gold and different browns in them before. I notice he recently cleaned up his beard and his hair is let down which frames his face.

I find myself leaning in towards him but I notice he is too and our lips touch. I feel his soft lips on mine and I feel my body melting. Everything over these past few months with him just makes sense at this moment. How have I never noticed him like this before?

We pull away and I see a look on his face. It’s one of uncertainty. “I’m sorry if that went to face. ” His voice feels distant as I’m still thinking about that kiss. 

I shake my head “no we both leaned in Dan. Maybe we should give us a shot?” I ask, biting my lip.

The nerves as she stares at me makes it feel forever but in reality it’s only seconds before his lips crash back onto mine this time more demanding and I give in to him as I feel his hand on the back of my neck. 

I reluctantly pull away from the kiss and looking into eyes I see the love in his eyes. They aren’t like I’m used to but dang he knows how to make me feel good at least in this moment.

“Maybe we should take it slow and not tell anyone just yet” he states cupping my face.

“Yeah, I agree let’s see where this goes before we tell the gang. Even though they are going to figure it out fast.” I say with a chuckle.

He chuckles as well at that, “you’re so right. They might have figured out something already.” He stands up. He leans down and kisses me softly and quickly. “But I should go boo. Work in the morning and don’t want to mess this job up” he smiles.

“Goodnight Dan. Drive safe” I say following him to the front door and watch him get in his car.

————————-

It’s been a few weeks, Dan and I are keeping things quiet but everyone is starting to figure it out. We’re all heading to the Aurora tonight as there is live music. We figured tonight is the night to finally tell everyone officially. Dan had picked me up and are now standing outside the Aurora, we know everyone else is inside already. He grabs my hand and looks me in the eyes and then kisses my forehead. 

I would have never imagined Dan to be like this in a relationship and I love it. He’s not afraid to show the world I’m his but there’s always a thought in the back of my head of doubt. 

What if Jake comes back and is free? Can I really stay away from him?

I shake my head out to get back to the moment. No, I can’t think that way not now. I’ve done so well moving on from him that I can’t let what if’s ruin a good thing that is building.

We head inside hand in hand and walk up to the table. Of course my red headed best friend is the first one to notice us holding hands.

“I KNEW IT!” Jessy exclaims hugging Dan and I

“I think we all did at this point” laughs Lilly.

“Oh shush we’re happy” I say looking at Dan.

“MC do you have a moment?” Asks Hannah.

“Yeah lets go get a drink, I need one” I say with a smile as I let go of Dan’s hand.

Her and I walk up to the bar and I order my drink. “What about Jake?” She asks.

“I’ve moved on like he told me to Hannah.” I sigh as I wait for my drink.

“But what if….” She starts to say

“No, what if Hannah. He’s the one who pushed me away. I’m finally healing and happy. Dan isn’t a rebound like Phil was. I promise you that. Will your brother always hold a spot in my heart? Hell yes…. I still believe he’s my soulmate but obviously it wasn’t meant to be.” I see my drink show up and I grab it.

Hannah grabs my hand. “I just don’t want to see Dan or you hurt. I know what he did was wrong but I will tell you, he asks about you when we talk. It’s the first thing he types every single time.” She sighs.

I look into her blue eyes, they are just like Jakes. “I can’t say down the road I won’t forgive him but right now I can’t let him or the thought of him back into my life. I’m healing and happy with where things are. I need you and Lilly to accept that him and I might not be the end game like everyone thought.” I walk away from Hannah back to the table.

Dan instantly realizes something is wrong and holds me tight not wanting to ask what we talked about. He’s protective of me for certain but he won’t push me too far when I don’t want to talk about something.

We enjoy the night. I do notice Hannah on her phone a little more often texting and it’s noone in the group so I know who she is. She’s telling him everything I said.

[perexcri]

For the fanfic thing, please

2, 3 and 11 for To Hell and Back

4, 9, 13, and 15 a flower that resembles you

If that’s too many you can veto what you don’t wanna do☺️

I hope you are doing wonderfully, Perc!!

hi Vee!! i love all of these so i'm gonna answer them but put them under the cut because i don't know how to answer things succinctly lol

first off: To Hell and Back Again :D

2: What scene did you first put down?

basically Chapter 6: Castle!! i originally just wrote a one shot that was this chapter (with some parts that ended up in chapter 5 as well), and after a few weeks i started trying to turn it into the story that it became

3: What’s your favorite line of narration?

i honestly do not know? i remember this one less for the actual writing than i do the plot and characters, so i had to dig around a little, but i did find one line i think about fairly often:

Opening his mouth, Mike tries to get the words out–any words–but they won't come. They tangle in his throat, and his own tears pool in his eyes instead. Against the burning aches in his joints, how the backpack still digs into his shoulders, Mike reaches out on his own. He takes his bloodied, cut hand and presses it to Will's cheek, just to feel the pain and know it's real.

11: What do you like best about this fic?

first of all, i’m just glad i finished a long/time-consuming creative project T_T i hadn’t done one in so long and i always feel awful because i constantly start things and never finish them, but writing this helped me prove to myself that i can actually complete long projects

i also really like that i took my own spin on the apocalypse byler concept. i know it ended up definitely taking a more serious/angsty turn about halfway through, but i like that i tried to approach them getting stuck in the upside down with a more humorous lens. when i first wanted to do an apocalypse byler fic, i tried to think of ways i could make the concept more fun for me, and i’m happy with what i ended up with :D

now: A Flower That Resembles You

4: What’s your favorite line of dialogue? 

ooooh okay so my favorite line of dialogue is actually from the last chapter for the whole fic (which i already wrote because i was in dire need of some serotonin in church one day lol). so!! i can’t post it, but i’ll take this one from tonight’s update instead :D

“Do you hear it?” Mike asked in the silence of the dark one night. Just a few minutes earlier, the bells had chimed for midnight.

“Hm?” Will groaned into his half of the pillow, cheek squished up against one of his eyes.

Mike shifted a little, just enough that Will could tell he was craning his neck, trying to get a good look at him. “The sea. You can hear the waves in the distance.”

(it’s a few lines of dialogue but let’s just pretend it counts lol)

9: Were there any alternate versions of this fic? 

not of this fic specifically, but like my last a/n said, there’s a lot of the world-building that i’m borrowing from an original story i’ve had sitting in my brain for like 8 years now!! the biggest difference between this fic and my original idea is that my original idea took place in a more industrialized city - think the industrializing north in the US during the like 1870s-1890s. if i ever get to working on it some more, i definitely want to keep that industrialized setting!! i opted for the kind of medieval/fantasy setting here because i thought it would work better with the characters (and give me an excuse to draw from my many hours of watching Merlin lol)

13: What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading? 

ahhh i love music questions!! ok so i have the playlist for this fic, of course, but i listen to the full version that i have on private on my account right now. i listen to the whole thing about once a day while i’m at work, just to keep the vibes in my head so it’s easier to write!!

i do mainly remember/classify my fics by what albums and artists i listened to a lot while working on them (even if they do have an official playlist that goes with them). so, in my head, i classify this fic mainly as a Dance Fever, Get Behind Me Satan, and Love Yourself: Tear fic! Dance Fever for the vibes and religious undertones, Get Behind Me Satan because the entire album is centered around truth, and Love Yourself: Tear because that’s the album that The Truth Untold (the song this fic is based off of) is from :D

15: What did you learn from writing this fic? 

i’ve learned a lot about perseverance T_T i hit a point a few weeks ago where i was seriously considering dropping this idea for a while (for lots of reasons not wholly related to the story itself, but still). i’ve been stuck on it for a while and keep worrying i’m not gonna be able to tie it all together, but it’s a story i really want to tell, and convincing myself to finish it solely for that reason has helped me find a bit more joy in actually working on it (even if i am regularly banging my head on my keyboard trying to get from point a to point b)

AHHHHHH apologies for it being so long, but thank you so much for the questions Vee!! i loved getting to answer them :] 💜💜💜