#I'm gonna finish up and post her story later (hopefully) but for now here she is~

[archaeren]

How I learned to write smarter, not harder

(aka, how to write when you're hella ADHD lol)

A reader commented on my current long fic asking how I write so well. I replied with an essay of my honestly pretty non-standard writing advice (that they probably didn't actually want lol) Now I'm gonna share it with you guys and hopefully there's a few of you out there who will benefit from my past mistakes and find some useful advice in here. XD Since I started doing this stuff, which are all pretty easy changes to absorb into your process if you want to try them, I now almost never get writer's block.

The text of the original reply is indented, and I've added some additional commentary to expand upon and clarify some of the concepts.

As for writing well, I usually attribute it to the fact that I spent roughly four years in my late teens/early 20s writing text roleplay with a friend for hours every single day. Aside from the constant practice that provided, having a live audience immediately reacting to everything I wrote made me think a lot about how to make as many sentences as possible have maximum impact so that I could get that kind of fun reaction. (Which is another reason why comments like yours are so valuable to fanfic writers! <3) The other factors that have improved my writing are thus: 1. Writing nonlinearly. I used to write a whole story in order, from the first sentence onward. If there was a part I was excited to write, I slogged through everything to get there, thinking that it would be my reward once I finished everything that led up to that. It never worked. XD It was miserable. By the time I got to the part I wanted to write, I had beaten the scene to death in my head imagining all the ways I could write it, and it a) no longer interested me and b) could not live up to my expectations because I couldn't remember all my ideas I'd had for writing it. The scene came out mediocre and so did everything leading up to it. Since then, I learned through working on VN writing (I co-own a game studio and we have some visual novels that I write for) that I don't have to write linearly. If I'm inspired to write a scene, I just write it immediately. It usually comes out pretty good even in a first draft! But then I also have it for if I get more ideas for that scene later, and I can just edit them in. The scenes come out MUCH stronger because of this. And you know what else I discovered? Those scenes I slogged through before weren't scenes I had no inspiration for, I just didn't have any inspiration for them in that moment! I can't tell you how many times there was a scene I had no interest in writing, and then a week later I'd get struck by the perfect inspiration for it! Those are scenes I would have done a very mediocre job on, and now they can be some of the most powerful scenes because I gave them time to marinate. Inspiration isn't always linear, so writing doesn't have to be either!

Some people are the type that joyfully write linearly. I have a friend like this--she picks up the characters and just continues playing out the next scene. Her story progresses through the entire day-by-day lives of the characters; it never timeskips more than a few hours. She started writing and posting just eight months ago, she's about an eighth of the way through her planned fic timeline, and the content she has so far posted to AO3 for it is already 450,000 words long. But most of us are normal humans. We're not, for the most part, wired to create linearly. We consume linearly, we experience linearly, so we assume we must also create linearly. But actually, a lot of us really suffer from trying to force ourselves to create this way, and we might not even realize it. If you're the kind of person who thinks you need to carrot-on-a-stick yourself into writing by saving the fun part for when you finally write everything that happens before it: Stop. You're probably not a linear writer. You're making yourself suffer for no reason and your writing is probably suffering for it. At least give nonlinear writing a try before you assume you can't write if you're not baiting or forcing yourself into it!! Remember: Writing is fun. You do this because it's fun, because it's your hobby. If you're miserable 80% of the time you're doing it, you're probably doing it wrong!

2. Rereading my own work. I used to hate reading my own work. I wouldn't even edit it usually. I would write it and slap it online and try not to look at it again. XD Writing nonlinearly forced me to start rereading because I needed to make sure scenes connected together naturally and it also made it easier to get into the headspace of the story to keep writing and fill in the blanks and get new inspiration. Doing this built the editing process into my writing process--I would read a scene to get back in the headspace, dislike what I had written, and just clean it up on the fly. I still never ever sit down to 'edit' my work. I just reread it to prep for writing and it ends up editing itself. Many many scenes in this fic I have read probably a dozen times or more! (And now, I can actually reread my own work for enjoyment!) Another thing I found from doing this that it became easy to see patterns and themes in my work and strengthen them. Foreshadowing became easy. Setting up for jokes or plot points became easy. I didn't have to plan out my story in advance or write an outline, because the scenes themselves because a sort of living outline on their own. (Yes, despite all the foreshadowing and recurring thematic elements and secret hidden meanings sprinkled throughout this story, it actually never had an outline or a plan for any of that. It's all a natural byproduct of writing nonlinearly and rereading.)

Unpopular writing opinion time: You don't need to make a detailed outline.

Some people thrive on having an outline and planning out every detail before they sit down to write. But I know for a lot of us, we don't know how to write an outline or how to use it once we've written it. The idea of making one is daunting, and the advice that it's the only way to write or beat writer's block is demoralizing. So let me explain how I approach "outlining" which isn't really outlining at all.

I write in a Notion table, where every scene is a separate table entry and the scene is written in the page inside that entry. I do this because it makes writing nonlinearly VASTLY more intuitive and straightforward than writing in a single document. (If you're familiar with Notion, this probably makes perfect sense to you. If you're not, imagine something a little like a more contained Google Sheets, but every row has a title cell that opens into a unique Google Doc when you click on it. And it's not as slow and clunky as the Google suite lol) (Edit from the future: I answered an ask with more explanation on how I use Notion for non-linear writing here.) When I sit down to begin a new fic idea, I make a quick entry in the table for every scene I already know I'll want or need, with the entries titled with a couple words or a sentence that describes what will be in that scene so I'll remember it later. Basically, it's the most absolute bare-bones skeleton of what I vaguely know will probably happen in the story.

Then I start writing, wherever I want in the list. As I write, ideas for new scenes and new connections and themes will emerge over time, and I'll just slot them in between the original entries wherever they naturally fit, rearranging as necessary, so that I won't forget about them later when I'm ready to write them. As an example, my current long fic started with a list of roughly 35 scenes that I knew I wanted or needed, for a fic that will probably be around 100k words (which I didn't know at the time haha). As of this writing, it has expanded to 129 scenes. And since I write them directly in the page entries for the table, the fic is actually its own outline, without any additional effort on my part. As I said in the comment reply--a living outline!

This also made it easier to let go of the notion that I had to write something exactly right the first time. (People always say you should do this, but how many of us do? It's harder than it sounds! I didn't want to commit to editing later! I didn't want to reread my work! XD) I know I'm going to edit it naturally anyway, so I can feel okay giving myself permission to just write it approximately right and I can fix it later. And what I found from that was that sometimes what I believed was kind of meh when I wrote it was actually totally fine when I read it later! Sometimes the internal critic is actually wrong. 3. Marinating in the headspace of the story. For the first two months I worked on [fic], I did not consume any media other than [fandom the fic is in]. I didn't watch, read, or play anything else. Not even mobile games. (And there wasn't really much fan content for [fandom] to consume either. Still isn't, really. XD) This basically forced me to treat writing my story as my only source of entertainment, and kept me from getting distracted or inspired to write other ideas and abandon this one.

As an aside, I don't think this is a necessary step for writing, but if you really want to be productive in a short burst, I do highly recommend going on a media consumption hiatus. Not forever, obviously! Consuming media is a valuable tool for new inspiration, and reading other's work (both good and bad, as long as you think critically to identify the differences!) is an invaluable resource for improving your writing.

When I write, I usually lay down, close my eyes, and play the scene I'm interested in writing in my head. I even take a ten-minute nap now and then during this process. (I find being in a state of partial drowsiness, but not outright sleepiness, makes writing easier and better. Sleep helps the brain process and make connections!) Then I roll over to the laptop next to me and type up whatever I felt like worked for the scene. This may mean I write half a sentence at a time between intervals of closed-eye-time XD

People always say if you're stuck, you need to outline.

What they actually mean by that (whether they realize it or not) is that if you're stuck, you need to brainstorm. You need to marinate. You don't need to plan what you're doing, you just need to give yourself time to think about it!

What's another framing for brainstorming for your fic? Fantasizing about it! Planning is work, but fantasizing isn't.

You're already fantasizing about it, right? That's why you're writing it. Just direct that effort toward the scenes you're trying to write next! Close your eyes, lay back, and fantasize what the characters do and how they react.

And then quickly note down your inspirations so you don't forget, haha.

And if a scene is so boring to you that even fantasizing about it sucks--it's probably a bad scene.

If it's boring to write, it's going to be boring to read. Ask yourself why you wanted that scene. Is it even necessary? Can you cut it? Can you replace it with a different scene that serves the same purpose but approaches the problem from a different angle? If you can't remove the troublesome scene, what can you change about it that would make it interesting or exciting for you to write?

And I can't write sitting up to save my damn life. It's like my brain just stops working if I have to sit in a chair and stare at a computer screen. I need to be able to lie down, even if I don't use it! Talking walks and swinging in a hammock are also fantastic places to get scene ideas worked out, because the rhythmic motion also helps our brain process. It's just a little harder to work on a laptop in those scenarios. XD

In conclusion: Writing nonlinearly is an amazing tool for kicking writer's block to the curb. There's almost always some scene you'll want to write. If there isn't, you need to re-read or marinate.

Or you need to use the bathroom, eat something, or sleep. XD Seriously, if you're that stuck, assess your current physical condition. You might just be unable to focus because you're uncomfortable and you haven't realized it yet.

Anyway! I hope that was helpful, or at least interesting! XD Sorry again for the text wall. (I think this is the longest comment reply I've ever written!)

And same to you guys on tumblr--I hope this was helpful or at least interesting. XD Reblogs appreciated if so! (Maybe it'll help someone else!)

[frenlom]

Footsteps, softly making their way down the corridor, was the only sound that could be heard in the house that night as they made their way towards the attic.

Inconvenient, yes, dreadfully so, and yet they knew that was exactly where she would be.

It was the same place she always was, that she'd unknowingly told them earlier that day.

A confession, it seems, that would seal her fate~

Whistler grinned to themselves as they approached the small ladder up to the attic.

If they were wrong, of course, then this was most likely the point where their career ended, where they went to their grave or worse, jail.

The thought should have scared them, and yet it only thrilled them further.

And so it was with excitement that they made their way up the ladder, doing their best to tread quietly all the while, until they finally set eyes on the girl they came to see.

She was young still -- late teens, perhaps early 20s -- and completely unaware of them for now, back to the room as she scribbled away in that notebook of hers, radio in hand as she chatted to someone on the other end.

It was far too easy, really, to sneak up on her slowly, mentally rehearsing what they wanted to do.

Easy, that is, until they stepped on a board looser than the rest, the loud creak betraying them even as they tried to quickly move off of it.

The girl turned to look at them, taking in their appearance, and simply sighed.

"Hey, is it alright if I call you back later? I have some business to attend to."

Without waiting for a response she turned it off and swiftly pulled out a knife, pointing it towards them with such fierceness they braced themselves for a stabbing.

"So you're the Whistler then?"

They couldn't stop themselves from laughing at that statement.

"In the flesh~"

They held their hand out to her, meeting her gaze all the while.

"And you, if I'm not mistaken, are Radio Silence~"

[neoyi]

We've reached a point in our lives where nostalgic bait is at an all-time high. From the thousands of reboots; remakes; and sequels to beloved cult classics from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, it is shameful how many of these we have, all varying in terms of quality and almost always with the intent to pocket money off of us peons.

What can I say? We were desperate for anything because we hardly ever got anything back then.

Even the darling favorite of many a fandom back in the mid-2000s, Avatar: The Last Airbender, was hurting for merch back in the days. And Danny Phantom's was practically non-existent. It is astonishing this comic exists, but not at all surprising because now, Nickelodeon knows to cash in on the products that fans have carried a torch for decades later.

I'm sounding really cynical here, I know. And while Ol' Nicky is seeing dollar signs, it is worth noting A Glitch in Time was clearly made with the most utmost love and respect for the show. Gabriela Epstein gave so much of a damn crafting this near 200-page behemoth, covering almost 90% of the hanging plot points the show never got the time to answer and simultaneously wiping off the backwards series finale that left a bad taste in a lot of people's mouth.

Like altogether, this comic explored Danny's story and what his purpose is post-"PP", Vlad's redemption arc, Pariah King's artifacts (and why Vlad was collecting them), and Dark Danny's return, all while working around a plausible narrative that retooled "PP" using time manipulation and newfound lore. And it's amazing how seamless it flows.

This comic isn't just incredible, it's a miracle.

And in spite of all that, the author still had the balls to leave some of the dangling plot threads and character arcs unfinished for a potential sequel hook, as if they knew this comic would sell enough to justify one.

Well, as of this writing, this motherfucker is still the #1 top seller in Amazon's all-age for graphic novels. Fool on me to rely purely on that hell site's sale counts to accurately know how well it did, but I imagine that's pretty damn good. If you had told me years ago anything DP-related beyond lame ass Box Lunch shirts would officially come out of the woodwork, I would have laughed. That the possibility of a second comic book seem plausible would be chuckly-worthy, but now... damn, I think it genuinely could happen.

And I hope it does, because A Glitch in Time still finishes with a couple of snags left to untangle.

The first major incident is the controversial matter of a one Miss Danielle Phantom. Now that Vlad has been given a second chance to raise a child, and do it right this time, what does that mean for Danny's clone? How will she feel knowing Vlad has changed? Or that he has a son? Would he have been a better father by the time she flies back to Amity Park? What has this kid been up to in the few years since "PP?" How would Danielle feel when she reunites with a Vlad that looks to be genuinely trying? Distrustful on his true intention? Angry that this man had the gull to change? Jealous that Dark Danny had Vlad's unconditional love when his fatherly affection is all Danielle ever wanted?

Dani is never mentioned at any point in the comic, with any hints that she still exists the Danny clones lingering in Vlad's secret base. I understand why she wouldn't be relevant for this comic. Dark Danny, for one, is such a huge entity that an entire spotlight dedicated to him and him alone would be worthy of a full graphic novel. But Dani's existence, her dilemma as a lone wanderer with only a distant relationship with Danny, and the unresolved tension between her and Vlad means her story is worthy of a full comic, too.

Now that Vlad is on the path of redemption with promises to be a better person and a father, his relationship with Danielle is going to invite a lot of questions, conflicts, and hurt feelings before it presumably and hopefully treads into happier paths. And Danny is likely gonna be stuck playing the awkward monkey-in-the-middle family member in all this. But damn, the setup is there.

The other Big Huge Plot left is Valerie.

In her last major role prior to this comic, Valerie was confronted with a moral dilemma: will she take the life of a human if said human is a half-ghost? Danny, in desperation, had to confess to Valerie that Dani is a half-ghost, meaning Valerie would have the blood of an actual mortal on her hands should she kill her.

And mind, this was the best Danny could do. We've seen that ghosts in DP are their own species with their own (dead) lives and free will. I'm not sure if Valerie has killed any ghosts or if she's just thermos'ed them back into the Ghost Zone, but her unscrupulous and, by the end of the show, downright brutal nature, seem to imply if she hadn't already murdered any ghosts, then she's more than willing to should the issue arise.

And so we have Val in A Glitch in Time, still doing her ghost hunting thing (her father hasn't been seen since season two, is he okay with her doing this or is she hunting ghosts regardless of any concerns he might have), a job I'm sure she's positively thriving in now that Amity Park is gung-ho for some ghostbustin'.

Indeed, though she's not as prominent as the main trio and Vlad, Valerie gets enough time in the spotlight to meet Dark Danny. In a particularly brilliant callback, she gets a couple of one-on-one battles with Dark Danny, with both the tone and even color scheme echoing so much of what her alternate, older counterpart has countered with Dark Danny from that timeline.

And I'm sure Dark Danny is just thrilled at the deja vu.

The damning part is how Valerie reacts when she realizes Dark Danny is, well, Danny.

Keep in mind, this is post-"Phantom Planet." This is post-Valerie has known Danny Phantom is Fenton. She says this after knowing the town's hero was a fellow student she once liked and dated, and whom she nearly gave up her ghost hunting career for.

Yeah.

This has implication.

Valerie's first reaction to meeting a future Dark Danny is to straight up tell him, "you're evil." Is that how she felt about Danny Fenton after "Phantom Planet?" Did she feel betrayed that the boy she fell for was secretly half-ghost? Did she feel manipulated into saving Dani? Given the exceptional story Gabriela Epstein has expertly crafted, this one piece of dialogue cannot, under any circumstances, be accidental.

Valerie saying this straight up to Danny fuckin' Fenton after everything that has transpired is one of the biggest bomb drops in A Glitch in Time.

The end of the comic implies she remembers the old timeline, meaning she's still aware of Fenton as Phantom. The tragedy of her character is that Valerie has always been strictly one-minded in her goal. Her downright hatred for ghosts and the absolute destruction of Amity Park before Clockwork fixed everything means in her eyes, she has justifiable cause to kill Danny Fenton. The current Danny Fenton. After all, if he is capable of turning into Dark Danny, then why shouldn't she get rid of him before it's too late?

Valerie is also intricately connected to Dani through "D-Stabilized", meaning there could be a way to tie all of these into another Big Damn Comic Book down the line. And while I had problems with how Valerie's dialogue was written in that episode (sounding deviously supervillainy as oppose to her feeling like her actions are justified), having her as the central villain in the next book sounds about right.

I've always been opposed to the idea of Valerie being an outright baddie (as oppose to a just being a dangerous obstacle), but the potential dynamic and high stakes tension for her to be the biggest obstacle to Danny, Dani, and Vlad (since she also knows what the latter is, too) in her pursuit to kill all ghosts and protect her home has nuances and character exploration that I think Gabriela Epstein is more than capable of dissecting.

Whatever the outcome may be, should another DP graphic novel come to light, I, for once in so many, many, many years, look forward to it.

[nittroy]

In anticipation,, a bit about this blog

You might have seen my art and been wondering wtf is happening in it. Well, tbh sometimes I also have no idea. But most of the time it's my OCs from one of my stories!

This blog is like a larva… It's just been lying there but soon enough it will just stir and become the strange creature: a blog for both serious long posts about my story and some absolute shitposts.

I want to do this post to talk a little bit about the process behind the stories I'm planning to tell: how they were created at first, what are they called, and how I'm gonna try and organize this blog! :D

Below is a long post with me talking about my stories and what I plan to do with them!!

DOZENS OF ASPECTS

"Dozens of Aspects" (or DA) is the main story that I'm currently working on. It's a detective fantasy story set in space!! It's also got lots of fantasy science and cosmic ace lesbians.

The supposed form for it is an illustrated book. The stage I'm at — character designs & script preparation!

It takes place in the year of 3012 in the cosmoopera-like universe, and the main characters are scientists who work with anomalies. One of them, Eli makes a particularly strange acquaintance (well, tbh, they kinda randomly adopt a kid. He is called Kayleigh and he has a secret. A secret anomaly friend...)

That gets them on a trail of a pretty strange series of events…

It's a story about different societies, plants, flowers' memories, red skies, and many other strange things... There's a detective story that has a complicated plot and shows life inside some of the planets in this universe.

Funnily enough, originally it was supposed to be a prequel to the DLG (the next story this post tells about), but the plot grew so complicated this story became its own thing. I've been working on DA for like 4 or 5 years now, but I haven't done much, as a couple of years of work have been taken from me by depression and health complications… Right now I have finally started somewhat digging the vibes again and, hopefully, I'll be able to progress with it soon! :D

Main tag for this story: #da_nt

DOPPELGANGER

"Doppelganger" (or DLG) is the next in line after the DA story, it follows the life of one of the main characters - Kayleigh. In DA they were 12 yo, and DLG tells about their adulthood after the DA events.

Supposed form of the story — maybe a comic? Or also an illustrated book? Idk I need to write DA first. The stage I'm at — idk I just draw OCs from there sometimes :D

(No, the tattoo-ed person is not grown-up Kayleigh, that's Qiyong, she is just very hot so I love to draw them A LOT) The events take place at 3019, Kayleigh, now grown up, goes back to Alta-Costar, one of the cities where DA events took place, to dig up more info. He makes some new friends and meets some older frenemies… And btw also there's a revolution boiling up in Alta-Costar.

While DLG is kinda frozen at the moment, it has the coolest cast of characters and immense vibes, so I still feel like drawing it sometimes... ;w;

Main tag for this story: #dlg_nt

GREAT LIVES

"Great lives" (or GL) is a story (it is frozen for now) that happens in the other corner of the same universe as the other two stories. It's a series of cosmic road-movies following one spaceship captain and her new alien girlfriend. Just fun and gay stuff.

Supposed form - a comic? Also illustrated book? Idk!! I haven't been working on this story for a while but one day I will!!!!

Old art!!!!! Not finished art!!!!! ARRRRRrrrrrr

Fun fact: I've invented GL when I was like 12, and I felt that this story can be REALLY COOL, but I'm not cool enough to tell it yet. So yeah, about 7 years later, I'm still waiting to become cool enough. But the main characters already went from a messy triangle to an nb lesbians polycule, so I think we are getting somewhere-

Main tag for this story: #gl_nt

That's all for now, hopefully, I'll work out the tag system here and will be able to post some lore soon! Other tags I have for now: #my art / #my OCs- for art on acc, as usual #generallore_nt - info for all stories, a bit about their universe maybe #kbnq_nt - Kayleigh, Benji & Niquole, very specific part of DA and DLG + name tags for characters that will appear later!

[chayscribbles]

chayscribbles’ monthly writing update ☆ october 2022

☆ STATISTICS.

words written: more than last month. that must count for something

projects worked on: Andromeda Rogue, Andromeda Rising

proudest accomplishment: hit 100k words written since the beginning of 2022 across all my wips!!!

books read: Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir; The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri; Memoria by Kristyn Merbeth (in progress)

☆ GENERAL COMMENTS.

(i know i said i was gonna make a separate post for reading updates but then i didn't oops. if more than like, 5 people say they're interested i'll make an effort. maybe.)

(both Nona and Oleander Sword were 5 stars btw.)

writing continues to be hard (both for writing reasons and also Life reasons) but on god imma do it. i'll emerge shaking and covered in blood perhaps but imma kill this draft before it kills me.

more specific wip-related comments + featured excerpt below.

☆ COMMENTS: ANDROMEDA ROGUE (rereading)

i'm about halfway through this reread! i sort of stopped near the middle of the month as i switched back to AR3 but rereading this draft right away was actually such a good decision. it's been nearly a year and a half since i finished it so i'm constantly finding little things i'd written and forgotten about. like finding 5$ in the pocket of an old jacket.

i've been pleasantly surprised at how... not bad it is lol. obviously it's a first draft, there are plenty of things that need patching up, but while i thought i was gonna have to carve out its guts in the second draft, turns out it only needs a bit of a facelift. maybe even just a new haircut. if anything, it's motivating me to keep going.

one of the most jarring but amusing things is being reminded of how all the characters have developed since the beginning of their story. ESPECIALLY the dynamics between Finn and Petra hehe. let's say they've come a long way from being begrudging, mistrustful teammates.

☆ COMMENTS: ANDROMEDA RISING (drafting)

this is probably the worst decision of my life but i'm gonna try to finish AR3 for nano and just. clenches teeth. get it over with. lord help

at least i've figured out .... something for the rest of my outline (climax + epilogues). deciding what the gang is up to after everything was really hard and i'm still not sure i'm satisfied with it. oh well it can always be changed later! (<- repeated to myself under my breath as i rock back and forth on the floor hugging my knees to my chest)

hopefully i can take advantage of the collective writer energy of nano to blitz through it before i start doubting myself and paralyze myself with fear! head down eyes closed full speed no regrets !!!! (please give me all the encouragement, i'm gonna need it😭)

☆ FEATURED EXCERPT.

it is literally impossible to post AR3 excerpts at this point bc even if i find something that's not spoilery, it would require 3 books of context to understand, so here's some AR1 i rediscovered in my reread.

this scene is SO funny to me for some reason. for context this is Petra and Finneas within about fifteen minutes of knowing each other.

Petra placed her hands on her hips, hoping it would make her look more authoritative. “All I’m asking is for you to not insult anyone at team meetings.” “Do I have to attend team meetings?” Finneas groaned. “I’d like for you to,” Petra replied, although she was pretty sure her scowl said otherwise. “You’re part of the team.” “I don’t do teams.” “You could at least try.” “Mm, hard pass. You may have your job, but I have mine,” he said finally. “And I’m just the pilot.” With that, he whirled around and started for the exit. Petra wasn’t sure what it was, but something prompted her to call after him. “Pilot.” He paused in the doorway without looking back. “I’m not expecting you to like me,” she began. “I’m not planning on it,” he replied curtly. Petra bristled, but chose not to engage. Now was not the time for a fight. “But as long as we’re on this ship together,” she went on, “I need you to try to respect me, and I’ll do my best to respect you. Alright?” Finneas remained silent for a moment, his back still turned to her, and Petra wondered what was going on in that hard head of his, behind those cold green eyes. Finally, he said, “Whatever you say, Commander.” From his tone, Petra had little reason to believe he meant it at all.

...and we all know how THAT'S gonna turn out 😏

🦇thank you for reading and happy halloweeeen!! 🦇

☆ TAGLISTS. let me know if you want to be added/removed to either.

general taglist:

@nicola-writes @dgwriteblr @the-orangeauthorr @stormharbors @quilloftheclouds @ashen-crest @writeblrfantasy @celestepens @stardustspiral @pepperdee @extra-magichours @avi-why @lefttigerobservation @chazzawrites @bardolatrycore

andromeda trilogy taglist:

@bebewrites @nicola-writes @dgwriteblr @the-orangeauthor @stormharbors @akindofmagictoo @quilloftheclouds @nora-theteawriter @ashen-crest @corpsepng @writeblrfantasyy @toboldlywrite @celestepens @stardustspirall @pepperdee @cheerfulmelancholies @extra-magichours @writeouswriterr @cilly-the-writer @lefttigerobservation @rose-bookblood @drowsy-quill @chazzawritess @cynic-and-chief

[nokingsonlyfooles]

Art Week Hangover! Here's Maggie!

Finishing my art week a little late, 'cos I ran into a brick wall emotionally LAST week. These are illustrations for my longrunning story, if anyone cares - it's free, and everything's Creative Commons BY-NC-SA - and I'll give you some more art and description under the cut.

It's only a 7 pointed star because I needed something glowy-shaped I could fit a soda bottle inside. Maggie has drawn a lion because that's in the Rider-Waite version of Strength. And all the chalk art is on the ground now because it read better that way in this style.

Here's the old version with the shading:

Sometimes I regret not just cutting her title down to "The Apprentice" but that's a shitty reality series I don't care to be associated with, even accidentally. It's a lot of letters to fit into an image, though.

This are liable to get out of hand with Maggie along, just like that mouse with the brooms, but not because she doesn't know what she's doing. She knows exactly what she's doing, she just doesn't know when to STOP.

The fleur de lis is in all of Maggie's family's cards, signifying loyalty. They are definitely loyal to each other, and more-or-less to their homeland - albeit in different ways. Maggie's mom has a crown appearing near her head, while Maggie has drawn one at her feet, and she could easily scuff it out if she wants. She and her mom both know how to turn into birds - not necessarily like the city birds in the air behind her, but Maggie is definitely an urban phenomenon. Changing your whole body like that eats up pieces of it, so, at her age, Maggie can only store enough body mass to do maybe one or two changes a week. If she's going to cause mischief, there are less expensive ways.

It's way harder to get a smug smile across in only two contrasting colours! I think I managed, but, again, this might change before I put it up on my site. I've almost got Milo's card finished too, so I'll either be back with that later tonight or tomorrow. Once I have the first few illustrations front-loaded, I'll check out Tapas as a host for Tin Soldier. If I can reformat it well enough there, I'll post the whole thing in order... Possibly with the swearing bowdlerized, we'll see how that works.

My next eye doctor followup is on June 17th. I'm not doing badly with most of the exercises, but my eyes are still messing with me at the moment. Maybe I pushed too hard last week, but I think middle age is making close work harder with no correction. (I fear how bad my most recent art will look once I get some!) I'm going to have to see what's the best option to treat presbyopia which a binocular vision dysfunction. I got more dumb doctor stuff this week too, but not until Wednesday - so I'm still gonna be all distracted.

I have almost got my Canadian finances straightened out! I have access to money, now I just need access to credit. Hopefully, they'll approve me for a card of some kind next week, then I can get into debt and prove I can pay it off.

Okay, thanks for your patience with the combination art/update thing, and here's Maggie's original crappy artwork.

(I kinda like that one.)

[totaldramafan-lauri]

2023

The year that kept on giving and giving.

While not everything was great, I can confidently say that this year was overall positive for me, and thank god, since the last few months of 2022 left me so depressed and exhausted that I was legit pessimistic about recovering from it.

And I did.

Despite some lingering feelings, I'm happy to say that I'm mostly over it. I've chosen not to dwell on it anymore, and I accepted that I can't influence the thoughts of other people I have no control over. All I can do is...improve.....and I have. I've improved a lot this year. Which....actually, that WAS my new year's resolution for 2023, wasn't it? Just to get better? In that regard....can I be proud of myself....? I know it isn't much, but...

I have a lot to thank for making this a good year for me. My interests were VERY kind to me, from Eurovision being great this year, Helluva Boss releasing a LOTTA episodes including three that I absolutely adored, getting to fight on Team Shiver in Splatoon 3 and winning, ushering in the Era Of Shiver, and finally.....CRK continuing to not only be my comfort game all year, but then not only topping itself, but BLOWING MY MIND with releasing Golden Cheese and me reacting SO STRONGLY to her that I'm STILL r-reeling from it....o/////o

Not only that, but....I'm still writing. I can be proud of that, too.

I know things will never quite be the same as they were, but....that's fine. I'm still in a pretty good place.

Three characters that made my life better in 2023 (if you're reading this, did you have any?):

As for 2024....I have two goals for this year, but technically, one isn't all up to me right now, and it's more personal, so I'll save it for (hopefully) later when I'm ready to share.

And the other one is pretty simple, and that's just Finish The Damn Fic.

---You can stop reading here if you don't care about this topic---

Seriously, this thing has been an undertaking, and working on it DAILY since October has been both tiring and fun at the same time. At this point, even if no one reads it, it's gonna feel SO GOOD when it's all done. SOOOOO GOOD! >.< Like I said before: I don't think this'll be my fav fic I've written (Naivete is just so special to me), but it'll be the biggest project I've EVER put my name on. I don't wanna rush any part of it.......I wanna get it as good as I can.

Cuz....H-Her Radiance, she....d-deserves it....

Regarding the fic, for those who care, I have two bits of good news! One is that, according to the outline of the chapters I have yet to write and the number of scenes in each one.....I think- I THINK- I'm near the halfway point of the story. That, or I JUUUUUST reached it. I'm working on the longest chapter. Once I finish chapter 3, I have three more full chapters, and I think 4 and 5 are gonna be shorter chapters than 3, with 6 being definitely the shortest.

Which leads me to the other point: I'm coming up on a good stopping point for chapter 3. It isn't the ending I WANTED, but the chapter is just so big that I'm gonna have to stuff all my leftover ideas into chapter 4.

This means that, yes....in the next few days, you guys are getting the next chapters.

P-part of me is nervous about this, since....again, it isn't the ending I wanted....b-but I don't wanna wait to post until I finish the WHOLE NEW CHAPTER 4 I didn't plan for. I dunno how long that's gonna take, and....

Well, something I'm looking forward to is coming in a couple weeks, and I wanna enjoy that thing and give it my attention without stressing about the fic too much. I wanna post on AO3 sometime in January, then release the rest of the chapters as I finish them.

It's looking like 2024's gonna be starting out on a good note....I'm nervous, but excited at the same time.....>__<

I really hope that I'm ready for this.....

[alexzilver]

Queen of Comics

Hello guys! welcome to my new post! I am late to this fandom and even later with writing for it. However I've build up the courage to scribble something out. Enjoy!

______________________________________________________________

Pairing : Present! Carol Denning/Reader ( gender is not specified )

Warnings : None except the canon typical swearing and suggestive talk here and there

______________________________________________________________

Carol likes drawing. Little doodles here and there, violent fight scenes between cartoon figures, to full blown comic books. Luckily for you, she occasionally makes one for you.

It was lights out. You and Carol were sitting on her bunk. An idea ran through your head. ''Hey Jingles!'' You said while throwing a jolly rancher at her head. She looked up "Ow! The fuck is wrong with you?" She asked, unimpressed. She knew exactly what this is about. Kinda. You either hadn't been getting enough attention and were feeling bold, or maybe you wanted sex. Carol likes sex. ''When are you gonna finish 'Steve and the Soap Monster?'' Your voice shook her out of her thoughts.

Oh. Well that is a surprise. She really thought you'd go for sex. 'Damn it.' Carol had a liking towards drawing. One day, when you were coming into your shared cell you saw her scribbling away on some paper. It turned out to be a cover for a comic. After a little bit of bribing she let you flip through the pages and of some others as well. Not before promising to not utter a word about this to anyone though.

''I will break your arm into pieces.''

Turned out, You absolutely loved it. You didn't know how she came up with the stories but they were incredible. You read through every single one within the hour and had complimented Carol so many times, a blush was covering her cheeks. You smiled. 'She's beautiful like this'

''wanna make more? I 'll reward you.'' You asked suggestively. Her eyes widened. this change of demeanor was not anticipated at all. Needless to say; As soon as you fell asleep she spent all night drawing.

It wasn't as if you were exploiting her. Not at all! She was getting paid! with lolly-pops and many, many orgasms. Not money, but still a quite worthy payment. "Look, I get that you're busy and all, I mean, Bridge is a serious business." Carol cocked her head to the side, eyebrows raising. "But I am bored out of my mind." A very fake scandalized look made its way on her face. ''And when I 'm not bored, I-"

"Am I not good enough for you?" She asked, sarcasm as obvious as Baddison's stupidity. ''-great anxiety for my buddy Steve- Shut up- Carol, when are you going to write a part two? I'm addicted and your talent is my drug.'' She looked at you with a small amount of annoyance. '' Flattery ain't magic, Sugar-pops.'' You stuck your tongue out. ''Asshole.''

She stood up and made her way over to her treasure of magazines and candy. ''Excusing your behavior.'' She said, giving you a side eye before rummaging through the pile of stuff. ''I think you might like this.'' She exclaimed before throwing it at you. You made a surprised noise. Looking at her as if she killed your dog. 'Karma' She mouthed teasingly.

Your eyes focused on the object that was thrown at you. Caught by your very own face. Holy shit! Not only a part two, but also a part three?! You looked at her shocked. ''W-what? How?!'' She shrugged, 'Bastard.' You didn't need an answer ''Carol, baby, I love you so much.'' You uttered in awe. ''Pretty rad huh?'' She chuckled. She said as she made her way over again. Straddling your hips Carol looked at you hopefully.

'' I get a double reward now, right?''

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

byE

[msviolacea]

reading when the wicked play again after years and oh god it's as good as I remember. not sure if it'll ever get updated but are there any sneak peaks/story points you can share? I'm craving knowing what happens next

Lovely anon, I have bad news and good news for you. The bad news is, I've finally given myself permission to consider this story permanently abandoned, so I can hopefully rid myself of the occasional crushing guilt over not finishing it. The good news? Twofold!

One: I'm gonna make a post later with a bunch of random stuff I never got to write.

Two: I got partly through the garden party before my brain refused to work anymore, so here, have approximately 2300 words of the next chapter that never made it to AO3!

(And if you're newer to Critical Role/Vox Machina and have some vague interest in nearly 25k words of a permanently unfinished modern AU in which event planner Vex and prime minister's son Percy meet while playing an MMO, well ... here you go.)

*

By the time 10:00am rolls around on Sunday, Vex has discovered all new levels of stress and anxiety. She’s been at the park since 6:00am - she was actually contemplating sleeping in her office overnight Saturday, but Keyleth caught her and marched her out to her car before midnight. “Sleep. Shower. Dress. It will all be fine.” Which is easy for Keyleth to say, since her part in the festivities is technically over now. (And she’s done a wonderful job, Vex tells her readily - the gardens have never looked brighter or more eye-catching.) “I’ll be here tomorrow,” Keyleth tells her. “Vax and I will keep an eye on the hired staff while you problem solve. We’ve got it covered. I promise.”

And boy, are there problems to solve. Vesper emails her with changes to the seating arrangements four times in the last 24 hours, moving various people to avoid any diplomatic incidents. After the fourth time, Vex sends a newly arrived Kynan to track down an extra table while she redraws the diagram to fit another one onto the porch, because it’s impossible to take care of all of Vesper’s requests without a new table. Adding a new table means one of the smaller bars needs to be relocated, which then triggers a cascade of minor changes that ends with Vex throwing her hands up in the air at the idea of having to reconfigure the TV camera positions. “They’ll kill me, the techs spent all day yesterday rigging this stuff. Everyone will just have to deal with stepping over some wires to get to the dessert table.”

As soon as she starts walking back towards her office, Kynan catches her. “Um. The caterers need to talk to you.”

That conversation makes Vex see red; she’s raging enough that she doesn’t see Percy walking toward her on the garden path until she’s walked directly into him. “What the - oh!” She blinks up at him. “Hello …”

“Everything okay?” he asks, his fingers circling her wrists. Her traitorous brain flashes back to the way those same fingers looked wrapped around his cock, and she feels heat rise into her cheeks. “I was looking for you, your assistant told me you were over here …”

Then her brain catches up to her. “Fuck! Your family is here already? I’m not even dressed, I was going to go back to my office and change but then the fucking caterers decided to throw a diva fit.” When he releases her, she rubs her eyes. “Oh god, is this over yet?”

“Calm down,” he says. “Vesper and I came early. She’s doing a walk-through of the seating arrangements with your assistant. Mom won’t be here for another hour or so.” Percy gives her a small, comforting smile. “Everything looks good over there. Trust me.”

Vex relaxes, just a bit. “Oh good. I’m so not ready to meet your mom yet.”

“You’re going to be fine, I promise.” He smiles, and Vex finally takes him in - he’s dressed in an impeccably fit blue suit, his white hair slicked back from his face, a gold pocket square decorating his chest, the color matching the subtle stripes in his tie. He looks amazing … and yet, her mind overlays his image with that of him sitting naked in his office chair, sweaty and wrecked. Which is absolutely not the image she needs in her head right now. “Is there anything I can help with?” he asks.

“No, no, you’re a guest today, and we’re doing fine.” She takes a deep breath. “We’re doing fine,” she repeats. “The caterers will do their job, because they want to impress the prime minister. And if they try to shake me down for more money again afterwards, I will make sure no one in local event planning ever hires them again. It’ll be okay.”

“Yes, it will.” They stand there staring at each other for a long moment - gods, she can’t think about him right now, she’ll go mad. But she can’t stop staring, not until he scratches his head and laughs. “Okay, you have things to do, I won’t keep you any longer.”

On a whim, Vex goes up on her toes and kisses him on the cheek. The contact feels like an electric jolt. “Thank you, Percy,” she says. Then she flees, before she’s tempted to do something stupid, like make out with him in the garden while she has a million things to do.

She heads through the back hallways to get to her office - no matter how many assurances Percy might give her, she doesn’t want to see Vesper today until she’s fully presentable. Her dress is hanging on her office door; a simple blue dress, comfortable and unobtrusive, one that will help her blend in with the crowd without being mistaken for one of the very rich attendees. Her low heels are the kind she can run in without twisting her ankle, and she’s able to put her hair up in a decent braided style even without her brother’s help, thank you very much. A bit of makeup, a spritz of fragrance to try to counteract the sweating she’s likely going to be doing very soon, and voila, she’s ready for the day.

With a deep breath and a couple of silent affirmations, Vex heads out to the garden to face the party.

*

Percy has a problem, and her name is Vex. This is nothing new, of course, but if Vesper notices how much he’s watching Vex make her way back and forth across the garden - instead of giving his full attention to the random rich people she made him sit with for the day - it will be an even bigger problem than usual. Luckily, he’s got some practice making inane small talk without really paying attention. (It’s a necessary skill when your mother is a politician.) So he lets his eyes continue to follow Vex whenever he can. She’s wearing a knee-length dark blue dress that shouldn’t be anything special, but Percy can’t help but notice the way the fabric clings to her hips as she walks. But aside from that, he sees a side of her he hasn’t yet been privileged enough to see - the professional, the incredibly competent woman who gets the sound system working again with one ten-second phone call, who jumps in to serve mimosas to a table when one of the wait staff is stuck helping another guest figure out the drink menu, whose expression doesn’t change from the pleasant smile she’s been wearing for the whole party even when she’s obviously listening to Minister Ryndarian complain about something. He can see why Vesper likes her so much - they’re cut from the same cloth, clearly.

Eventually, he tries to pay attention to the people at his table - at the wrong time, apparently, because when he glances back over Vex is striding towards the path to one of the smaller gardens, followed by a party guest who Percy knows he should recognize, but can’t quite place. The carefully blank look on Vex’s face makes Percy’s stomach clench; something’s gone wrong. He’s out of his seat, making excuses to his table mates before he can even think about it. “She’s a professional, she can handle it,” he mutters under his breath, even as he casually makes his way toward the same path. But the look on her face hadn’t struck him as a professional problem. “And maybe you’re just imagining things,” he tells himself.

None of his muttered words stop him from heading deeper into the park, in the direction Vex went.

He treads carefully, and nearly turns back when he doesn’t hear anything as he approaches the next small garden. But then he hears Vex’s voice, coming from behind a patch of trees. “... my job,” she’s saying. “I’ve been working on this party for months.”

“It’s more than a bit embarrassing, Vex’ahlia, to look up and realize that my children are waiting tables at a party for the prime minister.” Oh. Her father. The asshole. Percy’s hand clenches into a fist without thought.

“I’m in charge of the whole damned party, Father. I was serving drinks because some woman at your table was holding up my waiter with questions about the brand of orange juice in the mimosas. Vax is waiting tables because he wanted to help. And quite frankly, it doesn’t matter what we’re doing, it doesn’t concern you at all.”

“It very much concerns me. It’s my reputation on the line, if someone recognizes you and asks me why my children are the help at this event.”

“You have no idea how little I care for your reputation,” Vex says, practically spitting the last word. “But if you’re that worried, tell them we’re not your children. It’s practically the truth anyway.”

“It doesn’t work like that.”

“Oh no? It’s worked like that for the last ten or fifteen years, why can’t it continue? We’re all happier that way.”

“I don’t want - I just wish,” he says, sighing, “that you’d become something better.”

Percy can’t stay silent any longer. He’s not sure if Vex will appreciate the intrusion, but a cold, terrible anger settles into his chest, and he walks around the trees that have kept him hidden. “If you’re looking for someone better than Vex’ahlia,” he says, channeling all the haughty asshole attitude his family name entitles him to, “then I seriously question your judgement, Ambassador.”

Both Vex and her father turn sharply - there’s panic in both their expressions, but after a split second, something slightly warmer comes into Vex’s eyes, and Percy feels his breath even out. “Ah,” Ambassador Vessar says, recovering quickly, “Mr. de Rolo - Percival - my daughter and I -”

“Mr. de Rolo will work,” Percy says coldly. “And I believe you’ll want to return to your seat, my mother’s speech will begin shortly.”

The ambassador looks at him for a long moment, then gives only the slightly glance back to Vex before walking back down the path. Percy and Vex look at each other silently for a long moment, until they can no longer hear his footsteps. Then they both speak at once. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know if -”

“Oh my god, thank you -”

They both stop in mid-sentence. Percy feels himself flush red, Vex lets out a little laugh. “Seriously,” she says. “That was - well, maybe the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me about my father, aside from Vax.”

“He’s an asshole.” The rage is still simmering inside of Percy, but it’s slowly changing to another sort of liquid warmth at Vex’s expression. “I’ve never - I mean, I have my issues with my parents sometimes, but gods, I can’t imagine either of them ever saying anything half as terrible to any of us. I’m sorry you had to hear that.”

“It’s nothing new,” she says, shrugging.

“That just makes it worse.”

“Let’s not talk about it.” She walks over to him, comes up on her toes, and kisses him on the cheek. It’s the second time she’s kissed him today, and each time, the contact has raced straight to parts of his body that really shouldn’t be engaged at his mother’s birthday party. “If your mother’s getting ready to give her speech, it’s later than I thought it was.”

“I may have exaggerated the time a little.” Percy grins down at her. “There’s probably a good half hour until that happens.”

Her laugh is bright and clear and everything it feels like he’s ever wanted to hear. “You’re an asshole, and also my favorite.” Then she takes a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. “But I should still get back to the party. Oh! Wait, were you looking for me for something in particular?”

“No,” he has to admit. “I just … well, I saw you walking back here, and you didn’t look very happy. It may have been none of my business - it probably was none of my business - but I couldn’t … I mean …” He stumbles over his words, knowing how stupid they sound, given how little time they’ve known each other in real life.

Vex’s smile softens; it makes Percy’s heart do a little flip in his chest. “Thank you,” she says. “Really. That means a lot.”

They stare at each other for a moment, before Percy rubs the back of his neck. “Ah. We should probably get back, anyway. Vesper will kill me if she notices I’m gone.”

“And I need to make sure nothing is on fire anywhere.” Vex brushes unseen debris off her dress. “This is almost over. I just need to get through the speech and dessert,and everything will be fine.”

“Everything is fine. Trust me.” Percy pauses, then smiles. “You look fantastic today, by the way.”

She visibly brightens at the compliment. “Oh! Thank you, darling!”

Percy blushes. She’s used the endearment online many times, but there’s something about hearing it when she’s right here - gods, he’s in bad shape where she’s concerned. He tries to cover his reaction by gesturing to the path. “After you.”

They go their separate ways when they rejoin the party; Percy sits back down at his table and starts a superficial conversation with a woman he knows came from Emon just for his mother’s event. He loses track of Vex as the meal winds down. When his mother gets up and starts speaking at the small podium built on the east side of the garden, he gives her his full attention. She’s a good speaker - she has to be, to keep her position for so many years. And she sounds genuinely touched to see so many people here - she probably is, because despite the fact that she knows a lot of this is for politics, his mother is the kind of person who recognizes and appreciates those who show up for more than political gain. And the others, well, they won’t recognize that the prime minister’s smiles for them are a bit sharper than they are for others.

[agentmarymargaretskitz]

So... I was kinda disappointed with Buck Begins... NOT ENTIRELY. Just...

Major spoilers ahead. You should definitely watch the episode before reading my complaints... because I have a lot of them, and you shouldn't have the negative thoughts going into it...

But I'm gonna start with the good stuff.

The Buckley Siblings are everything to me. I love their relationship, and watching Buck grow up with Maddie protecting him? *chef's kiss* Perfection.

Buck being a daredevil because it was the only time that he got positive attention from his parents as a child? Absolutely heartbreaking and I hate his parents for *so much* for that.

Maddie doing whatever she could to help her baby brother, even when she was terrified and probably knew how bad it was going to get? I love her with my whole heart.

And I absolutely love the way they highlighted their relationship and how important Maddie is to Buck.

The moment when the team comes in to help Buck and save him and the other person? Cinematic excellence, I applaud them for that scene. His team loves him and will always have his back, and he *knows* that now.

And now for my grievances and where I think they missed the target...

It focused on Maddie too much for a "Buck Begins" episode. I get that she's a huge part of his life and that she would be in the childhood flashbacks, but even once Buck was out on his own, all we got to see were the postcards (with handwriting that did not look At All like Buck's handwriting, might I add) and the one scene of Buck bartending in Peru where he decided to move to LA and become a firefighter.

We already basically got a Maddie Begins episode, when Doug came back and kidnapped her. I didn't need another one. (I love Maddie and I loved the flashbacks, but... it just should have focused more on Buck. It was his episode, after all.)

We should have gotten to actually *see* what Buck did with his life before he made it to LA. They could have shown Maddie receiving a postcard, then done a montage with a shot of Buck writing one of the postcards. That montage focused more on Maddie than it did on Buck, which kind of frustrated me.

And then in present day? They made such a big deal about the family secret, and it just fizzled out. Like it didn't matter anymore. And I honestly don't see them doing much more with it, unless (God forbid) in a later season the Madney baby gets leukemia or something and Buck is a perfect match to save his niece. (Actually I could see them doing that and I would definitely cry. That would maybe give them a pass with this plot thread.)

Then with the factory fire? Idk, it didn't feel intense enough for me. NOT that I wanted Buck to horribly suffer more, but... Eddie being buried alive in his episode was So Much More Intense. Chimney's episode happened while he was literally bleeding nearly to death. I was hoping for more.

And maybe it has something to do with the lack of reaction from the entire team when the building exploded. Not only did we not see Eddie panic, even briefly, about Buck being trapped, we didn't see Bobby or Chimney of Hen panic either! Bobby sees Buck as a son, this is basically canon now. And Chimney and Hen see him as their little brother.

The exploding ladder truck and the tsunami both felt way more intense for Buck than the factory fire in this episode.

And then to top it off, NOBODY GAVE BUCK A HUG AFTER THR FACTORY FIRE! And Eddie and Chimney weren't even there by the ambulance! Like, what the fuck? Yes, Bobby, Athena, and Hen told him what he needed to hear, but they all should have been there! Supporting him! Where were they???

Also, they missed the perfect opportunity to casually make Buck canonically bisexual. Instead of meeting a girl who taught him how to surf, he could have met a guy. Then things didn't work out, just like they didn't with the girl.

UGH, these writers! They're either *really* amazing or *really* miss the important stuff... there was so much potential, and they just wasted it!

Anyway, enough of my ranting. I did enjoy the episode, but it was definitely not the best Begins episode in my opinion.

What are your thoughts? I clearly have too many.

-Quarantine Anon

So I just finished watching. Spoilers beneath the cut

So here’s what I knew going into this- everyone was going wild with theories and ideas and great fics of what was going to play out. Which is great. But I do think it got hyped up because of that.

The flashbacks to the Buckley childhood hurt so much. Margaret seemed to take it out on Evan so much because in her eyes- he failed her by not saving Daniel. BEGONE, Margaret! You can’t put that on your child if your own plan was to use the child to save a sibling and then deem him not deserving of love because of nature and genetics. But Maddie and Buck? I love a pair of siblings while being in agony over the hells they’ve walked through.

The use of ‘So Far’ and the team helping him? Poetic cinema. I felt so many emotions and had a bit of a cry.

I actually liked the postcards. I think if they had gone to film all of what he did, it would have gotten jammed packed. The bartender was stated in canon, so that felt worthy of a flashback (and oh wow, that was not the revelation I needed that I try to know cool things to impress cute people. Buck is not straight, I don’t care what anyone says). Plus, with Covid-19, I bet there would be some filming issues. Also, it felt the ups and downs in Buck’s postcards paralleled Maddie’s injuries from Doug. They were both lost thinking they were living, except they weren’t. It was all about survival. And the worst part is that sometimes, you will lull yourself into a sense that survival=living when that’s not the case. That’s what happened to the Buckleys I think.

We don’t know what’s to come, but the family secret might come up again in therapy. Which they better freaking continue and not drop like the Flash did.

On the factory fire- I think we hyped it up more than we expected. Eddie Begins and Chimney Begins were really serious episodes with their lives on the line. And I think about Buck talking about giving up after he gets out. He wasn’t going into this fire with a clear head. I think he saw himself as the replacement baby still who couldn’t ever live up, who couldn’t do things right. He wouldn’t leave despite ordered because that was showing Saleh he didn’t matter. To Buck, he did. He gets being left behind and in those situations, you’d rather someone else be happier and fine while you take the impact. Like the world would keep turning and everyone would be fine (eventually) after you left it.

The ladder truck and tsunami were physical pain. The factory fire was emotional pain. (which reminds me, I need to make a post about the element symbolism in Begins episodes)

If we didn’t see a hug in the episode, then we write the fic for it. Missing scenes can be created ;) Not to mention they’ve all still got work to get done on the scene. After events like that, I think everyone needed time to process it.

I get bisexual vibes off Buck big time in this episode. And I think there is repression and closeting that comes into play here. Your parents are constantly disappointed in you, so why disappoint them further? Bury it down deep and deeper who you really are. It was the attention-seeking that would work out for him. Also, bisexuality is more than one. You identify as bi and your partner uses she/her? Bi. Partner uses he/his? BI. Partner uses them/they? Still bi. (Also, how much do we know about the postcards he wrote. Maybe he didn’t give her the full story. There’s only so much room in a postcard and she was the one person in the world who still believed in him. Was he afraid to disappoint her?)

Overall, I did enjoy the episode. Eddie Begins always holds a special place in my heart as the first ever episode of 911 I saw enough of to get me interested in the show. The thing is that I can’t pit the Begins episodes against each other. They all show a journey in some way. 

Hopefully this was coherant enough and I’m sorry for my little bisexual rant.

[dobrikobx]

Babysitting||JJ Maybank

A/N: In this story JJ was adopted by a loving family cause JJ deserves better than Luke fucking Maybank. I hope you guys like it! BTW thank you guys for all the love on my last post.

Summary: JJ has to watch his little sister and calls you for help.

Masterlist

//////////////////////////////////////////

You were at the château hanging out with your friends, the only person missing was your boyfriend, JJ, because he was babysitting his little sister, Scarlett. JJ had been adopted by a kook family after the last time Luke beat the crap out of him. Someone finally noticed and called cps on Luke. The Morgan's were great people who took a liking to JJ and hired him to work at their house, even before they adopted him or knew what was going on at his old house they treated him like a son.

Your broken out of your thoughts by your phone ringing.

"Hello."

"Hey y/n, I need you to come over right now."

"JJ what's wrong?"

"Scarlett is throwing up and nobody is answering the phone."

He says clearly stressing out.

"Okay baby, everything’s gonna be fine, put her in the bath I'll be over in ten minutes."

You tell him while gathering up your stuff. You say bye to your friends and run out the door. A few minutes later you pull up at JJ's.

"JJ!"

You yell as you walk inside instantly hearing Scarlett screaming.

"Upstairs!"

You hear JJ yell back.

You run up the stairs and follow Scarlett’s cries to the bathroom that is connected to JJ's room. When you walk in you see Scarlett in the bathtub and JJ sitting down next to the tub, his hair is sticking up every which way and he has tears in his eyes, and Scarlett is still crying.

"My mom is gonna kill me. They're gonna beat me or give me back."

He says quietly

"JJ you can't help that Scarlett got sick they will understand."

The tears start falling from his eyes you unplug the bathtub and grab Scarlett from the tub wrapping her up in a towel.

"JJ baby you need to calm down. Baby, look at me"

JJ looks at you sitting beside him holding Scarlett

"I'm an awful big brother."

He says crying harder

"No, J, no you are not. You tried to call your parents, when they didn't answer you found someone to help. They love you and they would never hurt you or give you back. Now hold Scarlett I'm gonna go get her some gator aid, hopefully it will help settle her stomach."

You go to the kitchen get a red gator aid and a pour it into a sippy cup. When you walk back you see JJ on his bed with Scarlett in top of his chest and he is softly singing to her. You walk closer kissing his forehead handing the sippy cup to Scarlett.

"Your doing a great job with her, JJ."

He smiles at you

"Will you hold her? I need to go clean the puke out of her room."

"I'll clean it babe, she prefers her big brother to her big brother's girlfriend."

You leave JJ's room and go to clean Scarlett's. About fifteen minutes later you finish up and take out the trash. When you come back inside you almost run into JJ's parents.

"Y/N what are you doing here?"

His dad asks

"Um well, Scarlett got sick and JJ tried to call you guys but didn't get an answer so he called me to help please don't be mad at him."

You say quickly

"Where are they?"

His mom asks

"In JJ's room"

They both walk to his room when they open the door you see JJ asleep with Scarlett fast asleep on his chest. His mom smiles and takes a couple of pictures before trying to grab Scarlett to put her in her own bed, but JJ is quick to wrap his other arm around her so she can't move.

"JJ, honey, let go of your sister."

She says laughing at him. JJ shoots up.

"Mom, Dad, I'm so sorry please don't be mad I tried to call. But no one would answer so I called y/n to help and I'm really sorry please don't give me back."

He says quickly holding Scarlett tighter against his chest and closing his eyes like he's ready to get hit. It makes your heart sink knowing that Luke engraved that in him.

"JJ, son no one is sending you anywhere. We're sorry we didn't answer the phone, but we love you and you aren't going anywhere, ever."

His dad says sitting next to him so he can give him a hug. His mom grabs Scarlett and kisses his forehead. His dad pulls him closer and kisses his forehead.

"I love you son so does your mom. You two kids take a nap I know it's been a long day for both of you."

He gets up and pats your back while walking out the door. You go and lay down next to JJ putting your head on his chest.

"I've never had someone love me the way that they do.”

He says playing with your hair

“Big John loved me like I was his own but I wasn't his. With them I know that I'm their son even if I'm not biologically theirs. I don't have to worry about getting beat up on for a little fuck up or anything."

You smile up at him

"I'm so happy for you baby."

Of course you were, you never had to worry about JJ showing up at your house with a black eye from the one person who is supposed to love him more than anything. You kiss his chest.

"So after we wake up do you want to go surfing?"

He ask

"JJ how do you go from being all sweet to wanting to go surfing?”

[krysyuy]

hi! i'm currently shoved in the world of cdrama (😭)and would like to ask what's your most recommended cdrama? current or finished drama will do! thanks!! <3

First off, anon, I’m shocked that you would come to my inbox to ask me this, lmao. I don’t think I’ve posted very much cdrama content, which is actually quite strange, since I’m watching them almost exclusively at the moment (and I went through a cdrama phase earlier this year and last year too). I haven’t touched a kdrama since Flower of Evil, though Tale of the Nine-Tailed is supposed to be next on my list. The timing just hasn’t been right on my end…

Anyways! Enough about kdramas, you asked about cdramas. Now I’m not sure what genre you’re looking for, so I’ll just throw out my personal recommendations across the map. I’m incapable of recommending just one, lol.

Please note that while I’m watching cdramas currently, my pool of cdramas actually isn’t particularly deep compared to others. I may not have watched any of the classics or what would be considered top-tier dramas that other blogs may recommend (e.g. Nirvana in Fire, etc).

I’ll “spoil” whether the endings are happy or not, but I won’t go into detail.

- General’s Lady (2020) !!!!! - I’m watching it on YouTube, but I just found out Viki has it too, lol. The subs are up to Episode 15 (out of 30). This is currently airing. I adore it and am absolutely obsessed. I plan to gif this series eventually. The story isn’t complicated, but this drama hits all my fluff kinks. The OTP has great chemistry, and the sweet moments (the kisses! the skinship!) are off the charts. Cheesy? Yes. 110% down my alley? Absolutely, lmao. Caesar Wu has managed to capture my heart with this role (an icy general who ends up head over heels for his lady), and he’s been added to my list of favorite c-actors to look out for. The female lead is smart and spunky, and she’s very proactive which is refreshing. She can also be very cute without it getting annoying. I couldn’t resist watching raws ahead and - to no one’s surprise, I imagine - it’s a happy ending. There’s also a mystifying scene at the end, which I hope subs will provide context for. A strange but not unwelcome surprise. I’m also kind of hoping this means the team is open to a Season 2, lmao.

- The Rise of Phoenixes (2018) - Completed. Watched it on Netflix. This was actually my first cdrama. It set the bar quite high in terms of the fantastic overall quality with the actors, production value, etc etc. Unfortunately, while this drama is very well-done, it did not escape the clutches of the censors and it got a bit chopped up towards the end, iirc. And a happy ending, this does not have. But I still think it’s worth the watch! Heartbreaking OTP and all.

- Gank Your Heart (2019) - Completed. Watched it… elsewhere. E-sports drama. Romance! I had no idea “gank” was an actual word before this drama, lmao. Anyways, the characters are great, the OTP is sweet, and it’s just fun all around. Happy ending~ Give us a season 2!

- The King’s Avatar (2019) - Completed. Watched it on Netflix. E-sports drama. No romance. The novel this is based on is massive but fantastic. I actually just spent the last couple weeks of October finally binge-reading it, lol. The drama doesn’t remain true to the novel, which can’t be helped since the novel mostly focuses on stuff that happens in the game. The drama instead chooses to focus a lot on what happens outside of it, fleshing out the characters and building on what the novel gave us. (Or, for better or worse, going in a different direction for dramatization.) We see how our protagonist team comes together and develops, and their relationships with each other. I actually watched this while it was airing, and I remember eagerly waiting for each episode weekly. I didn’t realize until later that novel readers weren’t happy with it since it deviates so much. I think you just have to treat it as its own thing. Happy ending! Hopefully there’s a Season 2.

- Love O2O (2016) - Completed. Watched it on Netflix. I didn’t recall until afterwards that this was a pretty big hit while it was airing, lol. I watched this after The King’s Avatar because of the male lead, Yang Yang. Solidified my love for him, which was already pretty strong after TKA. A romcom set against the gaming world, it hits all the right spots. Happy ending ofc ♥

- Eternal Love (2017) - Completed. Watched it on Netflix (see a pattern? lmao). This one I actually remembered people loving, lol. Again, I was late to the game on this one, but I definitely got the hype. Epic OTP with an epic storyline, it’s responsible for my love of the xianxia genre with story elements like cultivation, immortal/heavenly characters, love trials, etc etc. Happy ending, which the OTP deserved after all their struggles.

- The Untamed (2019) - Completed. Watched on a variety of platforms while it was airing, but it’s on Netflix now, lol. Based on a BL novel. While it couldn’t be stated explicitly, it’s there as much as it can be without the censors coming after them. I actually almost forgot to recommend this? lmao You must’ve heard of it or have already watched it, but its popularity is well-deserved. Another epic OTP with an epic storyline. I’m not too up to date with the cdrama world, but I’m hoping the other works from this author get adapted to live action as well. I consider it a happy ending; it was as good as we were gonna get without the censors touching it.

- Love the Way You Are (2019) - Completed. Watched it on YouTube. Romcom. This kind of has a wacky premise, at least in regards to the female lead’s “disease”. It takes suspension of disbelief, but I was somehow charmed by both her and the male lead. Try to give it a chance, and the OTP’s chemistry may capture you too. Happy ending!

- The Prince of Tennis (2019) - Completed. Watched it on Netflix.  Not sure if you’re into sports dramas, but if you like the original Japanese manga this is based on or just the shounen genre in general, this is for you! The adaptation is fantastic and pretty true to the source material, physics-defying tennis and all. The characters and their relationships are a lot of fun, and my friends and I had a great time watching them. Netflix has 40 episodes, while MyDramaList lists 42 episodes. I personally think Netflix just re-edited the episodes for length (making each episode 45min instead of 35min) instead of it being a typo or there being a mysterious missing two eps. They’ve actually done this with a Taiwanese drama I was watching back in the day (can’t recall which one), so it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s the case here. Ofc a happy ending with hopefully a Season 2.

Anon, I’m not sure if you’ve watched or are currently watching some of these, but I hope this list helps! Enjoy!!! ♡✧( ु•⌄• )

[airis-paris14]

Starlight 2

Summary: Amani is an orphaned heiress who’s spent most of her life raising her younger sister. T’Challa is a widowed King and Father. Neither of them is expecting much from their night at the Lotus. But the coming months have many milestones in store for these young adults. Will becoming a family be one of them?

A/N: This is long overdue. I’m applying to school to continue my education, so life is a little crazy. Hopefully after November everything will slow down and I can update more regularly. A new chapter of this story is half done, as well as a chapter of Redemption and Dress Up. They should be out in the next few weeks, probably after November 15. Keep me in your prayers, I’m slowly losing my mind y’all. 

1| | 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 10 ||

Amani rolled over yawning as the sun streamed through her window. She grabbed her phone off the nightstand and walked into the bathroom. She shot her sister a good morning text and hopped in the shower. After she brushed her teeth and washed her face, Amani threw on a sundress and some sandals. 

She grabbed an apple from the kitchen and skipped out to sit on the porch. Amani sighed watching the sun creep up over the buildings.The young woman bit into her apple and watched traffic build up in front of Atlantic station. She noticed a limousine cruise through the traffic light and grinned. She tossed the apple core,washed her hands, and grabbed her small purse off of the couch. After grabbing her camera off of the kitchen counter she hurried back to the porch.

The untimely death of her parents gave her and her sister a lifetime of financial security. Faced with this reality Amani decided to give YouTube a chance. She started a vlogging channel a few years back and had a significant following. She had quickly discovered her passion for content creating. Checks from YouTube and waitressing were her means of income for shopping and travel. She double checked all of her necessities once more as the limo pulled silently to the curb. Amani forced herself not to run down the porch stairs, stopping herself halfway when the front door of the car opened. A woman in all black stepped out, opened the backdoor, and out bounded a very energetic Ada. The young princess ran across the yard into Amani's arms. "Hello to you too," Amani laughed as she hugged the little girl back.

Amani looked up to find T'Challa grinning and stepping out of the car. "Hello" he greeted. 

"Hi," the young vlogger breathed, before coming back to her senses. Ada pulled her over to the car. "Let's go Amani," Ada bounced as the woman in black opened the door. Amani laughed and followed the princess into the car. T'Challa filed in next to her. The two smiled at each other before looking away.

"Where are we off to first?" Amani asked the little princess, as the car pulled onto the highway. "Baba reserved the aquarium since they have the most visitors," the little girl explained as she looked at the buildings. "Look Baba, That building looks like a pink piano!" Ada exclaimed as she jumped up excitedly.

"I see princess, but what did we talk about ?" He gently reminded her. The little girl's mouth formed an “o” as she settled in her seat. "Sorry Baba,"She said, still looking out of the window. T'Challa smiled,"no need to apologize."

“Tell me about Wakanda.” Amani propositioned the king beside her. The father watching as his daughter eagerly stared at all of the buildings. “What would you like to know?” he turned to face her. “What do you want me to know?”

“It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. We have the best sunsets, and at night, you can see the stars like a blanket above you. There is so much to say that words can’t express it all,” T’Challa stared off outside the window.

The young vlogger grinned. "Well you'll have to show me around one day. A city tour for a city tour" she joked as they pulled up to the aquarium.

They stepped out of the limousine and the woman in black escorted them inside. The building was empty as the unofficial family wandered through together. “Baba! Baba! Look! Over here! Look!” Ada’s squeals tickled Amani. The young woman snickered as the four year-old dragged her father over to a tank. Amani wandered close by before settling on a bench. A smile spread on her face as T’Challa bent over the tank to pet stingrays with his daughter.

"You look beautiful by the way,"T'Challa said as he sat next to Amani on the bench a little while later. 

"Thank you," Amani blushed as T'Challa grabbed the camera."What’s this for? You haven't taken any pictures today." The handsome man looked at Amani expectantly.

“I'm a vlogger on YouTube. I make videos about my day to day life for a week, then I edit and post them." Amani explained. "Would you mind if I take some video?"

"Sure,” he stood up offering her a hand. "Everything will have to be approved by the public relations team in Wakanda before you could post it though." The couple stood up and followed Ada into the sea walk.

 Fish, sharks, and stingrays of all sizes swam the glass tunnel around them. The little girl ran from side to side pointing at fish as each new one swam by. Amani laughed and ran up to Ada, “Look princess,” Amani lifted her up so that she could reach for the ceiling. Her eyes growing huge as a whale swam directly by her hand. Amani placed  Ada back down as they moved further into the exhibit. The glass walkway opened into a large glass exhibit hall. Ada ran down to the front row. Her face pressed to the glass. She squealed excitedly as the animals swam by. Amani and T’Challa took a seat on one of the carpet terraces. 

“The video approval is fine. The approval by the relations team I mean,” The vlogger smiled, finishing the conversation from earlier. “I guess I should make sure I only get your good side huh?” 

“Every side is my good side,” the king teased.

"That’s the truth,” Amani muttered.

“Why thank you Ms. Okeke.” 

 Amani's face flushed red as she realized what she said. "You’re welcome," the young woman shrugged fumbling with her camera. She began recording the different fish and Ada, who was still running all around the aquarium exhibit. Amani and T’Challa followed along together in silence. The two stole glances at each other in between Amani recording, and T’Challa responding to his daughter. 

“How does she have so much energy in that tiny body,” Amani laughed. She waved back at the little princess as she watched the fish in the tank across from them.

“Her mother was the same way. Always lighting up the room when she walked in.”

“Will you tell me about her?” Amani turned off her camera. She studied T’Challa’s face as he watched Ada convince Ayo to watch the penguins with her. Her four year old body trying to drag the warrior with her. “We had known each other since high school. We dated in college, and then we married young. We were so happy, so in love. Then she became pregnant, and I was over the moon. We spent months taking birthing classes. I cleared my schedule to go shopping for the baby. As she got further along in the pregnancy I would stay up with her talking about baby names until we both fell asleep. She gave me my Ada, and I love her for it.” T’Challa sighed, twisting a ring around his left ring finger.

“She sounds wonderful,” the waitress smiled sadly. 

“Thank you, for doing this for Ada, I know she misses her mother when we go on these long trips.” T’Challa smiled, squeezing Amani’s hand. “Baba!” Ada ran up to the couple. “They have a penguin show! We have to go, they said I could meet the penguins” The little girl jumped up and down, pulling her father along behind her. 

Amani sighed, pulled out her camera, and trekked along behind the two into the auditorium. Guilt, jealousy, and hurt flooded her system and she watched father and daughter. She knew that she shouldn’t get attached. He just seemed too good to be true. He seemed to be a good father. He was royalty and he was charming. Him being single was just too much to ask of the universe. This day was for Ada and then they’d both go home to another woman. His wife, and Ada’s mother. Though, Amani knew she was already in too deep. She wouldn’t be able to stop her growing attachment now. 

The rest of the afternoon she kept her distance, stayed mostly with Ada and avoided T’Challa’s gaze. That afternoon Amani found herself and Ada leading the way to the ice cream shop. “Which flavor are you gonna get princess?” Amani twirled the little girl as they walked down the street. 

“I don’t know. I’ve only had chocolate. It was my mama and baba’s favorite. It’s the only thing he buys.” Ada hopped over a crack in the sidewalk. “Then we’ll have to get a bunch of samples.”

“Not too many,” T’Challa walked up to the duo. “Of course your majesty.” Amani replied, winking at the young princess when her father wasn’t looking. 

Ten samples and a double scoop deconstructed waffle sundae comprise later, T’Challa watched as his daughter and Amani split the warm fluffy waffle covered in ice cream, syrup, whipped cream, and toppings. People milled around the open air mall as the incognito king and princess enjoyed their Saturday. It wasn’t hard for him to notice the distance Amani had created after talking about Nakia. He mentally kicked himself for possibly ruining it. It wasn’t hard to see that Amani had effortlessly melted into his little family. She and Ada were a joy to watch together and her smile lit up the room. He knew he wanted to cultivate a relationship, even if only a friendship. 

“Who’s up for pizza?” T’Challa grinned. Amani and Ada frowned at him. “What? I’m still hungry.” T’ Challa insisted as he cleared their double scoop waffle sundae from the table.

 “How about we get some pizza to-go and we can walk over to my house. It’s just a few streets over. By then Ada and I will have worked off our sundae. Just in time for pizza.” Amani suggested. T’Challa shrugged.  

“Is that a yes?” Amani frowned. “Please Baba, please?” Ada pouted. 

“I never said it was a no.” the king smiled, helping Ada down from her stool. He and Amani reached for her purse at the same time. The waitress grabbed her purse and quickly avoided his hand. T’Challa sighed as she sent him a soft smile and grabbed Ada’s hand. After a slightly amusing debate between Amani and Ada about pizza toppings the small band, pizza in hand, started the walk to Amani’s house.  T’Challa watched as Amani tried to lift an extremely sleepy Ada. 

“Trade you,” the king chuckled, handing the woman the pizza. Amani  grabbed the warm cardboard box and watched as T’Challa pulled Ada into his arms. The princess snuggled into her father’s neck and drifted off to sleep. Awkward silence filled the space around them. 

T’Challa cleared his throat, “Today was fun.”

“It was, thank you for inviting me along,” Amani replied. The two walked up the stairs to Amani’s house. As she fished for her keys, T’Challa grabbed the pizza box with his free arm. “Thanks, the waitress sighed using both hands to unlock the door. “No problem,” the king followed her into the townhome. Amani grabbed the box and pointed T’Challa towards the spare room, “You can lay her in there. There should be a blanket at the bottom of the bed, it can get a little chilly in there.”

“Thank you.” 

Amani nodded as she washed her hands and grabbed three plates and some cups. With T’Challa’s retreating footsteps Amani took her first deep breath of the day. “Get it together sis,” Amani mumbled. “ What am I saying?” Amani grabbed a plate from the stack.

“Do you often talk to yourself?”

Amani cursed as she dropped the plate back on to the counter. The porcelain shattered into a million pieces. “I did not mean to scare you,” the king chuckled, walking over to help Amani gather the pieces.

“Haha.” Amani hurried to grab the pieces. “Be careful. I would not want you to cut your hand.” T’Challa reached out to pull Amani’s hand back. “I got it,” she jerked away, consequently slicing her hand. “Frick,” she muttered tears brewing in her eyes. She pulled her hand closer to her chest, trying to stop the incessant shaking. 

“May I see?”

Amani nodded, biting her lip to keep from crying. The king wet a paper towel and began to wrap her hand. “Are you okay,” he looked up from wrapping to search for her eyes. He felt her tense as his finger traced the planes of her hand. 

“I will be,” Amani pulled her hand away, purposefully avoiding T’Challa’s eyes. “Amani just let me help you,” the king insisted. “The pizza might be cold before I get back. Feel free to eat as much as you want. There is lemonade in the fridge.” She hurried away as T’Challa called out to her. 

Amani took the time to gather her thoughts as she wrapped her hand. She sighed once the cut was cleaned, medicated, and bandaged. With nothing left to escape reality she walked back into the living room. The king was still sitting at the counter. The pizza was untouched. He looked up at her approach. “I cleaned up the rest of the pieces for you. And I took the pizza out of the box and put it in the oven to stay warm.”

“You didn’t have to wait on me to eat. I would have been fine using the micro-”

“I wanted to wait on you Amani.” the king silenced her. Her mouth formed an ‘o’ as she settled across from him at the sink. 

“How is your hand?”

“It’s all good. I took some pain medication too.” she raised the now gauze wrapped hand into view. 

“Good. I’ll take out the pizza.”

“Cool… Umm. It’s getting kind of late, you and Ada are more than welcome to crash here. Spend the night that is. I can put her in my sister’s room and you can have the guest room.”

“We would not want to inconvenience you.” T’Challa raised the pizza from the oven. “It’s not an inconvenience. Think of it as a thank you,” the woman shrugged. 

“Well, then who am I to say no eh?” the king smiled, reaching over Amani to grab her a plate. She backed away from his arm. 

“Did I do something wrong Amani?”

“No,psht, why would you think that?”

“You are a horrible liar,” the king sighed, placing the plate in front of her. He quickly made his own plate and went back to his seat. The two ate in silence. “I wanted to explain about earlier.”

“There’s nothing to explain. I understand-“ 

“Please Amani let me finish!” The king roared. Amani jumped slightly in her seat. “I am sorry I did not mean to-“ T’Challa started to apologize. 

“I think that we should wake Ada up now-“ Amani started, trying to shuffle away from the counter. 

“Amani-“ the king reached out to grab her hand. Amani practically leaped away from his touch. She hurried down the hall into Ada’s room. T’Challa sighed, his face falling into his hands. 

Amani listened silently as Ada rambled on with her father. She moved her pizza crust around on her plate before getting up to throw it away. “Amani?” Ada’s tony voice pulled Anahi out of her head. 

“Yes princess?” 

“Why are you sad?” She tilted her head to the side. Amani’s lip trembled and spread into a small smile. “I just miss my little sister,” Amani bluffed. “It always helps me and my dad to talk about mama when we are sad.” 

“Ada-“ T’Challa warned. 

“She is fine,” Amani stopped him, “Maybe tomorrow princess,” Amani watched as the little girl hopped down and ran to hug her legs. “Thank you princess, I really needed that.”  Amani picked her up and held the child close before letting her go. She grabbed her hand and began to lead her to Amare’s bedroom. “I got it,” T’Challa stepped in grabbing his daughter's hand. 

“Oh okay. Bedroom is upstairs, the second door on the left. There’s a bathroom in there, and some towels in the closet. I’ll bring a t-shirt for her to sleep in.” 

T’Challa nodded and led his daughter up the stairs. 

Amani sighed and grabbed the pizza box to throw away. She flipped off all of the downstairs lights and pulled out a pair of her father’s old pajamas for T’Challa to wear. She chose a set of towels from the linen closet and placed them on the guest bed. She trudged upstairs into her bedroom and grabbed a t-shirt for Ada to wear after her bath. She tiptoed down the hall to drop Ada’s shirt off. She smiled to herself hearing the child and her father singing a song together she listened for a few more moments before slipping back out into her room. She took a quick shower and pulled on pajamas and a bonnet. She sat down at her computer to edit. 

A few minutes into editing footsteps echoed outside of her door before T’Challa knocked. “Come in,” Amani’s heart pounded when the king walked into her room. “I just wanted to thank you for everything. You’ve been more than amazing and Ada adores you. Which is rare cause she’s always weary around strangers. She associates strangers with her mother being gone.”

Amani beamed, then let it fall at his last sentence. She swallowed. “I live having her around too. She’s so sweet.”

“Just like someone else I know,” T’Challa smiled leaning against the door frame. “Yeah you told me your wife used to light up the room like that,”Anani forced a smile. “Yes. But I was talking about a certain YouTuber whom I’d like to take out sometime.” 

“What would your wife think?”

“I think after four years she would  want me to meet someone new.”

“She left you?” 

“Amani, Nakia is dead.”

Amani’s eyes widened. “I…” she gaped at T’Challa. “That’s what I was trying to explain earlier in the kitchen.”

“Why didn’t you say that earlier at the aquarium?” 

“It did not seem relevant to the question.” 

“I asked about your wife?”

“Yes you asked about Nakia. She is more than just a dead princess. She was a friend and a mother.”

“I understand. That doesn’t make it right though. You don’t think you should’ve clarified that before asking me out on a date?” 

“I know and I apologize for making you uncomfortable,” T’Challa moved out of the door frame and into Amani’s bedroom. “I noticed that you avoided me for the rest of our day out with Ada.”

“I didn’t feel right flirting with a married man in front of his daughter.” 

“So now that neither of us is married..” T’Challa moves to sit on the bed. Amani stood up. “I think that we should call it a night. There are towels, toiletries, and pajamas on your bed downstairs.” 

T’Challa sighed and walked back towards the door. “Goodnight Amani,” he bowed. 

“Goodnight,” Amani responded facing the wall by her desk. Only turning to look once she heard T’Challa’s footsteps leave the room. 

She fell on to the bed and sighed before sitting up, “Shit. He’s single.”

 Taglist: @sarahboseman @waitingonafriend @thiccdaddy-mbaku @sarcastic-sunshines @ororowrites @derangedcupcake @mzbritt @leahnicole1219 @dramaqueeenamby @marvelheaux @skysynclair19 @halfrican-heat @kaciidubs @queertrex @kumkaniudaku @purple-apricots @autumn242 @thedelightfulone @90sinspiredgirl @royallyprincesslilly @wikiwakanda @chaneajoyyy @sisterwifeudaku @sarahboseman @tchoking @almostpurelysmut