#Rough Post Construction Cleaning

[twittercleaningservice]

**Expert Post-Construction Cleaning Services for Dallas Restaurants**

[loganbcrnes]

Mine

Logan Howlett/Wolverine x female!reader

Tags/Warnings: Smut, Fluff and Smut, Rough Sex, Dom/sub, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alpha Logan (X-Men), Feral Behavior, Rut Sex, mention of frank castle, Explicit Sexual Content, Breeding, Impregnation, Marking, Blow Jobs, Logan has a big cock, and hes very hairy yes, Reader-Insert Authors note: originally posted this on my ao3, but decided to just upload the full one-shot here as well. link. Not beta'ed and no description of reader Summary: Logan unexpectedly goes into rut and you're there to help him through it.

You had no idea what you were anticipating when Logan came home from work. Before he left in the morning, he was acting stranger than normal. His temper was short, his motions were labored, and he wasn’t himself. His scent was also stronger than normal. It didn’t take you long to realize something was wrong, the bond felt stronger between you two like it was during the war and before you even began to make lunch, you received a text from your Logan.

Logan: I don’t want you to be alarmed, but I think I’m in rut.

This caught you by surprise. Most alphas these days didn’t get ruts and omegas didn’t get heats either. Just like they’re becoming rarer as time goes by. it’s sad really, back before the war, before Hydra - you were able to go into heat. You always spent it alone back in the 30s, you even got time off from your part-time job as a nurse when you were temporarily staying in Ireland. Logan could go into ruts too before Project X. during the war you both would help each other out, which led to you both bonding until the train mission fucked all of that up.

But now it’s 2021, over 70 years have gone by and 3 years since The Snap. You are forever thankful that both you and Logan survived it. You don’t know what you would have done if your beloved alpha was taken away from you once again. Since then you both decided to get a nice cabin in the mountains to get away from everything. You both were done fighting, tired of constantly losing people you loved. 

Logan got a job in construction in town about an hour away. So he didn’t usually come home until around 6 pm. You were thankful when you got the news that Frank Castle and his pack of alphas were moving a few miles away from your cabin a few months ago. You know it can get isolated in this area, so to have friends that you consider family to come and visit was nice.

There was no time to think about the next course of action though, it was clear what you had to do and something you thought you wouldn’t ever do again. Logan would be back in about half an hour, which gave you time to set up the room and go for a nice shower. 

You immediately went into one of the cupboards in your walk-in wardrobe for blankets. Logan didn’t necessarily like making nests, he always said and his quote: “ya’ don’t need to make those things no more lady, you use your alpha.” in his deep gruff tone. So you resorted to cuddling at least 2 times a day instead and he would fuck you into the mattress just how like it every time. 

Once you got a mattress onto the floor with a ton of blankets and pillows littered onto it, you went into the bathroom and stripped down. You cleaned up and once you were done, you slipped on a white silky nightie that reached down to your thighs. After that you got some nice cold water bottles to put beside the nest. As you were done you heard the door click open.

Logan could smell you before he even got out of his truck. His heightened senses were even more sensitive and he could smell just how wet you already were. All he could think about was knot, breed, mate- over and over as he got closer to the door.

It was rather embarrassing when he started to sweat and get a hard-on on his lunch break. He didn’t understand at first, but then recognized the symptoms to be a rut. Thankfully Frank was there to get him to leave, but damn did that hurt his ego a little.

Once he entered he was hit again with your strong scent. It was so sweet, sweeter than usual that he was beginning to think that maybe his rut could trigger your heat. He sure hoped so. Your scent was a mixture of roses and strawberries, he used to hate strawberries before he met you, but now it’s one of his favourite fruits.

You looked up from your iPad as Logan walked in and put down his backpack. “Hey,” you said as you got up, but were cut off by a squeak when he immediately jumped you. He picked you up by your thighs, making his way to your bedroom, his lips never leaving your neck. He nipped and sucked little bruises into your soft flesh. He put you down gently onto the mattress and started groping your breasts. 

“Fuck, I’ve been thinkin’ about this all day, Darlin’”. Logan growls as he starts kissing down the valley between your breasts. He pulled back and slipped off your nightie, revealing your breasts and wet cunt. You blushed and looked away, but your alpha immediately notices. “Hey, no looking away from your alpha now,” Logan says as he grips your jaw to look back at him. 

“Sorry, Alpha” you shyly say. Logan only grunts back in reply as he stares down at you. You grip at his clothes, “off, please” you whine at him. Logan immediately starts to strip down, you stare at his glorious beefy body as he takes off his pleated shirt and jeans. Your eyes traveled the trail of hair down to his already hard cock. You lick your lips wanting to taste so badly. 

Logan notices as smirks, he leans back down to press his lips against yours, just as a whimper escapes through your lips, giving you a smoldering kiss which leaves you breathless within seconds, distracting you as he continues to run his hand up and down the curves of your body, getting closer to your sensitive parts.

You are gasping for breath when he pulls away, and in your complete haze, you watch him as he slowly climbs down your body, his lips never leaving your skin as he trails his hot kisses on you all the way down. He parts your legs further so he could get more comfortable between them, then when he presses a kiss at your nether lips, his fingers parting your folds so he could find your slick entrance and give a long, hungry lick right at where your desire is centered until you cry out. “Taste so fucking sweet ‘mega”. Logan growls as he licks your clit. You hear him moan and you open your eyes to look down at him, to see that his eyes are closed, totally blissed out as he sucks on your cunt, licking your entrance. You feel the hard tips of Logan’s fingers right at your opening, you moan when you feel two fingers parting your hot pussy, your walls instantly begin spasming around them, sucking them inside your depth.

“So hot, baby,” Logan growls, his warm breath falling on your sensitive folds as he whispers between the kisses he is giving you right at your heated core. “I’ve wanted to taste you since I could smell your sweet scent before I even got outta my car.”

You can’t think straight, you’re totally blissed out and your mind is filled with alphalphabreedmatealphabreed constantly, you reckon he has triggered your heat, but you don’t even realize and neither does he. His cock is stiff and swollen, you notice the center of his length has a bulge, showing that his knot is starting to form.  Your cheeks begin to heat up realizing that you’re doing this to your alpha. 

You go deeper and deeper into submission, surrendering yourself to your alpha, letting him know he can use you however he wants. Logan feels everything you feel, your bond is so strong that it’s overwhelming for the both of you. 

He continues to tease you with his fingers for a few more seconds and then the warm rasp of his tongue sends a series of shivers trembling through your body. He licks across your sensitive bud leisurely, biding his time with his eyes on you to take in every single reaction you are giving him through every lick, every swirl of his tongue. He has never seen anything so beautiful. He flicks his tongue from around your clit, down to your slit, moving back and forth as he continues to plunge his fingers into you. You begin to shake as you are nearing the edge.

He must have felt it, because he continues to lick at your cunt, slick pouring out as he slurps it all up, growls deeply against your pussy. “Come for me, little mate.”

You let out a whimper at his command but feel helpless to resist him. You can’t hold it in anymore as you come to your release. “Alpha!”. You moan out as you arch your back, Logan continues to milk through your orgasm and makes sure to gather every drop of cum.

Once you come down from your high, Logan pulls back and climbs up the bed kneeling right beside your head. Keeping one hand at your chin, he raises your head up as he uses the other hand to pump his cock, aiming the crown tip on your swollen lips. “Go and put your pretty mouth to use, Darlin’,” Logan says. A drop of pre-cum leaks from the slit, making you drool at the taste, while the heady scent of his cock fills your senses as you breathe him in.

You eagerly nod, barely catching a breath from your strong orgasm, he slips his cock through your open mouth, wanting to satisfy your alpha.

Groaning, Logan reaches down and squeezes your nipple as he thrust in and out of your mouth with almost the same force he would use if he is deep inside your pussy. 

“Love these tits of yours baby, love to see them jiggle when I fuck your tight cunt” Logan continues to grope your tits as he dirty talks. He thrusts into your mouth hard and you moan at his words, cheeks reddened at how dirty he’s making you feel.

You suck the entire length of him each time, loving the feel of the head of his cock at the back of your throat. Using his other hand, Logan grabs onto your hair, keeping you steady as he plunges deeper inside your mouth, pummelling deep into your throat each time he reaches to the brim.

His heavy balls filled with seed, slaps against your chin, loving the sensation and feeling dirty all at the same time. You dig your nails into his thigh with one hand and into the sheets with the other, holding on tightly as your lover uses your mouth for his pleasure. “So fucking good, baby. Always taking my fat cock so well. Look at you choking on it” Logan rambles as he thrusts into your mouth. He groans as you suck hard. You continue to choke as his knot is forming. 

Logan’s cock falls out of your mouth with a pop. The spasms of your climax remain. You close your eyes trying to catch your breath. You feel movement and blankets being moved on the mattress. After a few minutes, you feel a hand caress your cheek, tucking your hair behind your ears. You open your eyes to see Logan, his pupils are dilated to the point you only almost only see black. “You okay, Honey?” Logan asked. He leans down to press soft kisses to your cheeks and down to your neck. You hum as you lean into his touch, “Want you now Lo”. you said, “please knot me, need it so bad”. 

You’re a whimpering mess now, grinding your clit against Logan’s muscular thigh. Logan growls as he pulls back, he grabs a hold of your hips, flipping you over so that you're laying with your chest pushed flush against the mattress, legs bent, and the knees with your ass and pussy on full display. Your smell consumes him; all that he can think about is the taste of your arousal on his lips and how badly he needs to be inside you now.

His long fingers trace your slit as arousal floods from your entrance, coating your slick on his fingertips. Anticipation pangs at your chest as you wait for his next move. Everything in him wants to drive his hardened cock into you and knot you full of his seed.

Logan’s eyes screwed shut as he brings a finger up to his mouth, basking in the taste of you. A wanton moan erupts from his lips at the taste – so perfectly sweet he would never be able to get enough.

Dire thoughts rush through your mind as you rest on your elbows, face turned to the side to try and see Logan out of your peripheral vision. His pupils are completely blown, eyes focused only on your center as his chest heaves in anticipation. “Please Alpha, breed me, I’m ready,” you say to him. 

Logan is always less talkative during sex and now that he’s in his rut and possibly gone feral, his mind is screaming to him to knot and breed your tight cunt, to the point he can’t form words.

His hand is quick to line himself up with your entrance, grasping onto your hips with such pressure that it is sure to leave bruises tomorrow, even with your fast healing. Sharp fingernails dig into your skin as his tip meets your entrance. It’s fiery and red, inflamed and veins popping out alongside his length from how hard he is. The precum that leaks from his tip coat your slit, combining with the wetness dripping down your thighs to create a delicious mixture.

One last reassuring squeeze of your side is all he gives before pushing into you ruggedly. A sharp gasp leaves your lips as he makes his way into your core, feeling the familiar sensation you felt back during the war. His size is bigger, so much thicker and longer than his normal length when he is not in rut. It’s a lot to take in at once, and he’s trying his best to let you relax as your body adjusts to his size. 

“You can move,” you say, lip caught between your teeth as your walls stretch further around him.

With your fists grasping for the sheets, Logan begins thrusting his hips slowly into you– holding out a second each time he bottoms out to let you breathe. His nails only dig into your sides further, barely giving him a grip onto reality to hold back his animalistic instincts.

Deep grunts leave his mouth as he tries to hold himself back, but he can feel his humanity slipping further and further away with each clench of your pussy. His heavy balls slap against your clit.

“Can’t hold back much longer,” he bares his teeth, “need to breed you now.”

You moan out loud “please, please alpha, need you to fill me up with your pups” you continue to beg him. 

Quickly, his hips snap into yours, his thick muscles flexing as he holds your body steady, fucking into you deeply. Breath is sucked out of you as his pace increases; stars forming at the back of your eyelids as you squeeze them shut, mouth salivating at the increasing pleasure bestowing upon you. His length is a lot to get used to again, even though Logan tried to avoid knotting you back then because you both didn’t have enough time, there were times when he would sneak into your sleeping quarters to knot you in the middle of the night, his hand pressed against your mouth to reduce your loud moans as he thrusts his large cock into you; but the everlasting pressure against your g-spot was making the pain melt away.

Logan thrusts in and out of your pussy effortlessly, your slick coating his cock and making it easy for him to slide in and out of your velvety walls. With each thrust, he bottoms out, and it becomes difficult for you to remain upright. Limbs shaking from pleasure, your elbows begin to give way, landing you flat against the mattress.

Your mouth opens, but the only thing able to escape is a silent scream, too immersed in the feeling of him battering your walls and hitting your cervix to make a sound. A loud moan leaves your lips as he pulls you back up, his arms wrapping around your waist to use all his strength to hold you in position. His sweaty hairy chest is pressed flush against your back, the heat radiating off his body soothing you as his mouth meets your ear. A quick nip is placed on your earlobe as he catches it between his teeth.

“Taking me so well.”

He says in his deep voice. The praise quickly soothes your nerves, helping you relax into him as he holds your body close, closer than you had ever felt to him before. His tip is repeatedly hitting against the sensitive spot deep inside of you, you know he’s not ready to let up just yet, but you’re too on edge to hold on.

“Logan I-I’m gonna–”

“I can smell it,” he groans, mouth meeting your bond mark as he sucks harshly on it. 

A string of cuss words falls from your lips as your eyes clamp shut, relishing in your release as your pussy spasms around his cock. His movements don’t slow either – his pace is still erratic, plummeting into you at an ungodly rate.

Feeling your release over him only makes him thrust harder, deeper. It sends him into a full-blown frenzy, unable to keep himself from chasing his high. “Smells so sweet, gonna breed you, Baby, have you pumped up with my pups. Gonna look so sexy with your tits filled with milk and your pregnant belly.” he rambles, the more he talks dirty the closer you get to the edge. 

And you knew what this meant. You both finally have a chance to have children. Something you have always wanted when you first got together with Logan. Before meeting him, you never had high hopes to find a man and have a child or two. You were insecure and no one wanted a 26-year-old virgin omega. Especially since omegas were looked down upon back then.

But that time is over now, you're with the love of your life 70+ years into the future and everything you have ever wanted is here right now.

“God, do it, Logan, please knot me,” the words slip between cries, still shaking in the aftermath of your orgasm, “Breed me.”

So he does.

His eyes slam shut as his mouth finds the crook of your neck, breaking the flesh as his sharp teeth sink into your skin, reclaiming you once again. Screams blow past your lips as blood begins to trickle from the wound on your shoulder. Your chest tightens in pain, loving and hating the sensation all at once. Relief takes over once his tongue meets the small incisions made on your skin, his saliva filling the holes and alleviating the wounds as he licks up the blood.

“That’s it ‘mega. Doing so good for me. So perfect.”

Your heart flutters at his claim, have never felt as close to him as you do right now. Firecrackers lit through your veins, the connection between you and Logan binding stronger than ever and you couldn’t be happier. It felt like you were floating in thin air. Your body is unable to focus on any pain right now, you’re too blissed out from the shock of him reclaiming you to notice how his cock is beginning to swell inside of you.

Cum shoots out of his member, filling you up to the brim until your abdomen begins to feel heavy and swell. That floating feeling quickly begins to fade as his orgasm keeps coming and coming, no inch of your insides gone untouched by his seed. It seems like it's never going to end, and you can feel the pressure from his release building and building inside of you. Your sensitive walls stretch as his cock expands, your body doing the job it’s supposed to; knotting to plug you up and make sure none of his cum drips out.

“Logan,” you whine, tears spilling from your eyes as his cock continues to inflate inside of you, “Logan it kinda hurts.”

“Shhh It’s almost over, baby,” he comforts you, stroking your hair before guiding you onto your side, laying behind you. After such a rough round, his familiar touch eases your pain. The light kisses he places along your spine let you sink back into him, focusing on the feeling of his soft lips instead of the balloon-sized cock stretching your vagina. Gentle hands trace circles up and down your arms as you listen to the sound of his calming breath. His chest heaves as he tries to come down from the adrenaline rush.

Soft kisses soon turn into small licks running over the length of your back as you lay there, still speared on his cock. Now that his animalistic needs were met, it was all about you.

“What are you doing?” you frown slightly.

“Cleaning you up,” he answers calmly, his even more heightened senses finding nothing strange with this new method of aftercare. You’re too immersed in your thoughts to question him any further; if this is what his alpha side was telling him to do then so be it.

As Logan’s knot begins to subdue he doesn’t let go. His tongue soothes over the spot of his mark, all red, but could see the bond mark more visible than it was before. 

“Do you really think this will work?” you ask Logan. You don’t know what you will do with yourself if you aren’t able to get pregnant by this. “It will trust me, Darlin’. And if it doesn’t, we’ll try again and again until it does,” he says as he kisses your shoulder.

“You’re so beautiful, I’m so happy you’re mine after all these years.”

Butterflies flutter in your tummy as a smile stretches across your face. All you want to do right now is to turn around and kiss him, so you do. His face is just as bright as yours when you meet his eyes. His hair is messy and his skin is shining with perspiration, but he looks handsome as ever. He welcomes your kiss like he’s been waiting for it all day. Mouth chasing after your lips, capturing them in a quick kiss before pulling away.

It's the first time he’s seen your eyes since you’ve gotten home, and even then he couldn’t appreciate them as he could now. There's a different glow that he didn’t notice before. Maybe it's because he’s reclaimed you and knotted you after all these years, but he is willing to do anything and everything for you.

“I love you,” you sigh, pressing your palm to his cheek. He looks so innocent now, the blackness in his eyes now faded back to the hazel color you love so much. All the years and pain he’s been through, disappeared. 

“And I love that you’re mine.”

[angelsnkisses]

nsfw headcanons - spencer reid <3

‼️ NSFW - MDNI ‼️

warnings: smutty!, sub!fem!reader, dom!spencer, mild degrading, brief mentions of overstimulation, brief mentions of choking, unprotected sex (please wear a condom when u have sex, life is not a fanfic!!). lmk if i missed something!!

• i just KNOW he would love giving you head. his hair pulled back, your legs over his shoulders, and his large hands gripping your pretty thighs as he absolutely devours you.

"you taste so good, baby.. i just can't get enough of your pretty little cunt~"

• even when you're overstimulated and crying, he would keep going, eating you out like a starved man, ignoring your feeble attempts to push him away.

"aww don't cry princess, you can do it. just one more for me, hmm? one more."

• spoiler alert, he'll probably keep going after the 'one more.' he can't help it, he loves seeing his pretty girl squirm.

• oh, and he definitely has pictures of you in his phone. you're falling apart while he goes down on you? snap. he gets a picture. you're all fucked out and messy while he drills into you? snap! another picture! don't worry though, he's the only one who ever sees them <3

• did i mention how possessive he is over you? he loves when your legs are spread as he slams into you in missionary, so he can wrap a hand around your throat and lean down to whisper filthy things in your ear.

"you're mine. all mine. my special, slutty girl. nobody's ever gonna get to fuck you like this but me. do you understand me?"

• if you don't answer right away he'll fuck you even harder, enunciating his question until you manage to babble out a response.

• when he's cumming, he can't stop praising you, mindlessly saying whatever comes to mind.

"oh, fuck! oh baby, you feel so fucking good~ fuckfuckfuck, i love you! i love you, i love you.."

• he'll just chant how much he loves you over and over, his hands rubbing over your thighs as he fills you up.

• despite all that, his aftercare is nothing short of a miracle after how rough he is with you.

"there you go, baby.. all done. you did so good, i'm so proud of you."

"let me clean you up, honey. don't want my sweet girl to be all messy, do we?"

"did you like it, my love? you were so good, such a good girl for me."

• ugh he just loves you so so much <3. expect him to put on your favorite movie, make you tea, and cuddle with you until you fall asleep! :)

***

(A/N): this is so random 😭 this is my first ever post on tumblr, and i haven't written in general in ages! if you have constructive criticism let me know! requests for drabbles or fics are always open :). hope you enjoyed, theres still plenty more to come <3.

[astralnymphh]

okay likeeee mom!ellie playing with the kid at the park or something and it’s just SOOO CUTE😭😭😭😭😭🙊🙊🙊

mom!ellie certainly has a chosen tote bag that has everything her child could ever need— it's slightly worn at the straps and probably has a hole struck through the bottom corner, but it's got charm! packs snacks, devices, stuffed animals, and other various styles of toys to show off. ellie wants her kid to be the coolest and most fun to be around, so she obviously brings some kind of mini drone— that she ends up fiddling with herself and accidently flings it into the nearest bough. and once that idea fails, due to her own shenanigans, she'll just cede her handy bag and belongings to you for the hour, "gonna go join 'em, since i brought my skateboard. love you babe, don't feed the pigeons without me— mwah." pecks you on the forehead and gives your shoulder the old reassuring pat–pat prior to her ass darting towards the main playset and maneuvering through the labyrinth that is playground construction. her converse screech on the tongue of a slide as she (unlawfully) climbs up to go and pursue her kid, only to get told off by some rule–abiding kid, or a literal supervisor, "shit, my bad! just trynna' find my kid! uh— ignore me!" and once she does find them, ushering them over to the outskirts of the woodchip filled area, she'd mess around on her skateboard (totally not to impress her kids' friends) pulling out the neatest tricks in the book before getting a tad too cocky and tripping over herself, button of her nose meeting the hard, rough edge of the curb. "fuck! ugh, shit— n't again— nope nope, you didn't hear that! i did not swear!" scrambles to get up; pushes onto her knees and notices the blotches of crimson freshly drawn upon the slate gray stone, dabbing the hem of her hoodie sleeve in without thinking. park day— without fail, routinely concludes in ellie trudging hand–in–hand with your kid, her dismantled drone, perfectly in–tact skateboard, and a nosebleed, which you selflessly oblige to clean up later, her head nestled in your lap as you dab a balled up tissue along the bridges of her nostrils, those dumb, out–of–it eyes blinking repetitively, rolling around the ceiling bounds, staring up at you, mumbling somethings along the possible translations of, "that was a good day, i think. y'know, next time you shouldn't—" points her finger up at you, "let me on that playset. could end up with a sprained ankle, and you'll have to carry me to bed.. how bad would that be? eh, actually, that sounds kinda—", "ellie. don't sprain your ankle, please."

DAILY CLICK . IMPORTANT TLOU POST . PALESTINE INFO

nosebleed in question:

[theroyalsims]

GUS TAKES ANYA ON A DATE WEARING MUDDY BOOTS - INSIDERS WORRY HE MIGHT NOT FIT IN WITH ROYALS

Lovebirds Anya and Gus were once again photographed holding hands, this time while strolling around the Harbour District here in the city.

Gus, Anya's new-old-boyfriend (a.k.a her first love), seem to be unfazed by the massive media scrutiny and attention they've both been receiving, after going public with their relationship.

While many royal watchers seem to approve of down-to-earth Gus, what with his seeming love for flannel, unkempt hair, bushy beard and lowly work boots, Anya's new boyfriend has also ruffled some feathers, especially those within the "institution."

A well-placed palace source reveals that there have been some concerns about how Gus might not be the right guy for Anya:

"He seems very... simple, very 'everyman' type, if you will. Now, most people might think that's adorable, you know, future Queen slumming it with a man in flannel and denim and all that, but it's already causing trouble within the palace walls."

"As early as now, there are some growing concerns about Gus and whether he's the right man for Anya. They have history, yes, but they did also break-up at one point. What was the problem that they had to go their separate ways? That right here might be an indication that this relationship will again break down."

"And then of course, there's Gus himself - he's no longer just Anya's teenage love... he's evolved into this lumberjack-looking wall of tattooed muscle with his messy beard, wrinkled clothes, and long hair. People at court just cannot imagine him attending a state banquet or a formal reception. They're worried he might trudge around in his muddy work boots, and soil the carpets."

Speaking of muddy boots, the "concerns' about Gus and his fashion sense might have some weight to it. For yesterday's date, Gus chose a red flannel shirt, which he paired with his go-to jeans and very, very muddy work boots. His long hair was at least kept neat in a man-bun. His rough look was in stark contrast to Anya, who opted for a simple white shirt, skinny jeans and §1,700 slingbacks.

Just as the source shared, people online are already split about Gus. One commenter wrote:

"FFS, how hard is it to clean off the mud? I get that you're looking for the humble, blue collar vibe, but really? You're going out IN PUBLIC with a freaking FUTURE QUEEN. The least you can do is look presentable. Maybe iron that shirt, wear something else other than your work clothes. You're going on a DATE, not to one of your construction sites."

Another posted:

"Maaan. Anya traded down. Mario was kinda psycho stalkerish, but at least the man knew how to look good. Come to think of it, even the boxer vet was a better dresser than this bloke. I don't get the appeal. I like my guys looking like they've showered... or at least heard of soap... and maybe buy clothes from real shops, not just thrift stores or their dad's closet."

Meanwhile, some were also quick to defend Anya and Gus from the bashers:

"THIS is exactly why Anya fights super hard to keep her private life out of the public eye. She's finally comfortable enough to flaunt their love and people are nitpicking again, questioning her choices and tearing down her boyfriend. For what? Some mud on his boots. Ridiculous. He's insanely handsome, like a romance novel hero come to life! What are y'all talking about? And the only thing I think should be improved is his beard - it's a shame because the scruff is hiding his lovely dimples! A bit of a trim should do the trick! "

Another Anya fan wrote:

"If people could just back off and let the poor girl and her man breathe! Why are you all so triggered? You're not dating him, she is! If she likes him the way he is, who are you to say otherwise? Anya really can't do anything right... when she's single, she's being pressured to find a man and pop a baby. Now that she's dating, she's being told that she's dating the wrong guy. And for those claiming that he's a no-good gold-digger, please! I'm Tartosan. The man's company is huge and the guy is loaded. I think Anya looks happy - they both look very happy, and at the end of the day, that's what counts.""

Will Gus' lifestyle really be an issue? And considering their previous break-up, is history bound to repeat itself? For what it's worth, Anya does seem very happy and very secure in their newly-rekindled love. I guess only time will tell if these two have staying power the second time around.

[e-vay]

The Sonnet of Domino & Phlox - Ch2

[A/N: Click here to read the previous chapter. This story is also available to read on AO3]

“Aren’t they something?” an older gentleman asked with a sigh, adjusting the glasses on the edge of his long snout.

Domino continued affixing a spray nozzle to a hose but shifted her eyes in the direction of the shrew’s gaze. “Uhh…” she hesitated, unsure what to make of the orange, mechanical bipeds that stomped down the street. With each weighty step, the ground trembled and rattled the ladder the hedgehog was standing on. “What exactly are they, Mr. Mayor?”

“Our ticket to the future, that’s what!” The politician boasted. “Two months ago this eccentric human rides into town on a floating caravan! He requests a meeting with me, claiming he’s some kind of genius inventor who wants to help this great city reach its full potential,” He adjusted his vest with pride. “That’s when he showed me the blueprints for these beauties.”

Hedgehog and shrew watched as the two large robots paused in the middle of a large patch of untouched earth. With a metallic groan, the crude “hand” of one of the machines retracted into its arm and was replaced with a long drill head. It stiffly bent forwards and began boring into the ground. The bots were impressive but noticeably rough in their assembly, including large clunky bolts and bright orange paint hastily splashed onto the metal framework. The designs didn’t have the polish and finesse that one would normally find on something like a car, but perhaps that was to be expected from a budding inventor. Domino certainly didn’t know any better. Still, something about the eerie “smiley-face” logo that was stamped on each mech didn’t sit right with her…

“He told us these were cutting edge technology, that they would put us centuries ahead of neighboring towns, and golly was he right. They were only delivered a few days ago but they’ve already streamlined our building processes and made huge improvements to the city.” The mayor’s speech was interrupted by the sound of townspeople cheering as the two robots completed their construction – a well with a hand pump – in record time. Young children ran towards the well, heedless of the metal giants, and used the pump to draw up fresh water that they then splashed at one another. 

“Huh…” Domino mused. She returned her attention to the hose in her hand and sprayed a steady stream of water in the freshly cleared gutter that hung along the roof she was leaning against. She tilted her head either way, making sure no drips escaped from the seams of the gutter, before looking down at the rain spout and assuring that the water ran clear without any blockage. Satisfied with her work, she turned off the hose and descended down the ladder. “Gutter’s clean. You should be set for the winter.”

“They might be a little crude now, but with our investment, he promised the models will only get better,” The shrew said more to himself than the girl next to him. “Soon enough there’ll be smaller models, capable of doing just about anything!” He suddenly turned to the girl with a wide smile. “Just think! You’ll never have to be bothered with odd jobs ever again. It’s like he told me: ‘The Botniks are here for you!’”

Domino did her best to force a smile but couldn’t help but rock on her feet from discomfort. Odd jobs were how she got by. What was she meant to do if these “Botniks” started popping up everywhere? Well, best not to fret about it now.

“Um… Mr. Mayor?” the teal hedgehog hinted awkwardly. “I finished clearing the gutters.”

“Ah! Right, your payment!” The shrew took out his wallet and began counting the contents before hesitating with a pained smile. “Uh… You’ll have to forgive me… The salary posted on the job board is… outdated. We used most of the city’s annual budget investing in our ‘little’ robot helpers here so I can only give you half of what was originally offered.”

Domino’s quills bristled. HALF?! She nearly screamed out loud. Gee, would’ve been nice to know that BEFORE I scaled this blasted roof! She bit her tongue and took a deep breath in. This meant she’d need to take on more gigs than planned, and letting loose some snarky remarks to the mayor of all people would definitely get her kicked out of town before she’d made enough money. She forced a tight smile and politely pocketed the payment handed to her. 

“Nooooooo sweat…  If there’s anything else ya need that your big bots are too bulky for, just holler!” 

She turned on her heel before she said something stupid. 

Glancing up at the town clock, Domino’s grimace was quickly replaced with an excited grin. She sprinted towards the city gate with glee. After all, it was difficult to stay glum when she was promised an adventure with a charming purple hedgehog.

—

“Did those ‘very important duties’ of yours involve drinking 8 cups of coffee?” Phlox teased. He briefly took his attention away from the instructions in his notepad to look up, noticing the teal hedgehog jumping from tree to tree above him. 

Domino seated herself onto a branch and swung backwards into a knee hang so she could lock eyes with Phlox. 

“What makes you say that?” she winked. 

Phlox trepidatiously hopped over several large rocks to meet up with the girl who had gotten far ahead of him. “Oh, I don’t know-” he shrugged as he squeezed his way through some dense bushes. “-all the running and leaping about like a grasshopper could have something to do with it!”

Domino giggled. Phlox may have called himself a nature photographer, but it seemed he had the enthusiasm (or lack thereof) of a city dweller. Escaping the city walls and going on an escapade–however small–always filled Domino with energy. She simply couldn’t keep it in! The lady hedgehog laced her fingers behind her head and closed her eyes, swinging casually from the branch as she waited for her hiking partner to catch up. “I’m just in my element. Besides, I’m itchin’ to see this hidden treasure of yours. You need to keep up!”

If her eyes were open, she’d see a devilish spark light up in Phlox’s eyes. He might have been the quiet type, but he was extremely competitive and loved a challenge. He secured his camera tightly to his side and took off in a sprint. Keep up? Oh, he’d show her. 

“Like this?”

Domino’s eyes jolted open as she felt Phlox’s breath tickle her nose. She let out a high pitched squeak upon realizing the guy she thought was several yards away was nose-to-nose with her. The shock made her loosen her grip on the branch and she was in for a quick plummet to the ground. 

“Whoa!” The indigo male threw his arms out and caught her, holding her securely to his chest. He was strong! Of course, her transient lifestyle and meager diet left her on the smaller side, but Phlox held her as if she were weightless. The muscles in his arms were dense and firm against her slight body.

“I didn’t think you’d startle so easily,” he teased.

“Yyyeah, well-” Domino began to excuse herself, but couldn’t find the words. Geez, what was it about this guy that made her so tongue-tied? Sure he was plenty sweet, certainly nicer than most people she’d ever met. And yeah he was good-looking—she couldn’t deny that. Now she noticed how nice he smelled, too; something woody, earthy, almost sweet, like sandalwood. And his fur, so warm and soft…

Her fingers combed through the shaggy, wheat-colored fur of Phlox’s chest, sending a shiver up his entire being. His heartbeat quickened against her fingertips and she swiftly withdrew her hand realizing what she’d done. Domino looked up to find his muzzle as scarlet as hers surely was. “Uh…”

Phlox felt the urge to say something, but his shyness got the better of him. He instead cleared his throat and set the young woman back on her feet. “Sorry for scaring you…”

“Nah,” Domino replied. She twirled the tuft of fur near her cheek bashfully as she ruminated over what just happened. She shouldn’t be getting close to someone like this. Letting someone in only led to betrayal or disappointment. Besides, what did she have to offer him? She had no home, no money. Relax. She reminded herself. It’s okay to have a little fun…

“Besides, you just gave me an opening.”

Phlox’s eyes went wide. With his voice barely above a whisper, he asked, “To do what?” 

“To do… this!” Domino snatched the notepad from Phlox’s hands and bolted away.

“H-HEY!” The boy shouted before swiftly chasing after her. He was not nearly as graceful navigating the woods as she was, especially with a camera slung over his shoulder, but he managed to stay close on her tail. 

Domino cackled over her shoulder. “I thought you said we needed to see this grotto at a certain time of day! So hurry it up! Or are those cool jeans of yours slowin’ ya down?!”

“These pants provide full mobility!” he shouted. The two laughed as they weaved their way through the forest, Domino skimming the instructions in the notepad and leading them the rest of the way to their destination. 

She abruptly stopped in front of a wall of weeping katsura trees and Phlox had to clumsily skid to a halt to keep from crashing into her. Domino looked back and forth between the green palisades and handwritten notes. “I’m pretty sure this is it,” she confirmed. She returned the booklet to Phlox before presenting an arm to the curtain of emerald leaves. “This was your goal. After you.”

Phlox shook his head with a smile. “Together.”

A little taken aback, Domino simply nodded in agreement and squared herself up beside Phlox. Both hedgehogs drew back the partition of leaves and stepped forth.

The grotto was truly a sight to behold. Dozens of large trees stretched and twisted amongst each other as if embracing in a circular huddle, leaving a medium-sized clearing in the center. Fountains of leaves and vines draped about the branches, painting the enclosure every shade of green. Tiny sprigs of yellow and white wildflowers dotted the forest floor, their blooms diminutive and modest but still serving as a beautiful compliment to the rich viridescence of the grass they sprouted from. Silky, golden rays of sunshine poured through the canopy in beams so crisp, they looked as though one could reach out and touch them. The early autumn breeze glided along the treetops and the soft pitter-patter of the leaves tickling each other echoed down into the grove. The willowing trees all made for a perfect shelter, completely cloaking this little slice of heaven from the rest of the world. It was only the two hedgehogs and a sparse flight of fluttering insects that were privy to this space.

Domino’s breath wavered in awe. She silently stepped deeper into the natural arbor and sat down with her knees pulled to her chest. Even though she spent the entirety of her life out on the road, the planet never ceased to amaze her in new and spectacular ways. She folded her arms over her knees and rested her head on them, sighing with a soft smile.

Phlox took a deep breath, letting his lungs expand entirely with the crisp fresh air before releasing it and setting to work on adjusting his camera. As he delicately fiddled with the device, he couldn’t help but notice Domino’s silent reverie in the corner of his eye. His heart filled with pride knowing the young lady seemed just as touched by the setting as he was. He walked over to her, whispering as not to break her daydream.

“This is why the timing was so crucial,” Phlox said softly. “I’m sure this spot is beautiful all the time, but at this exact moment, at this exact time of day? It’s-”

“Heavenly,” Domino concluded. It was true. The sunbeams filtering through the trees managed to diffuse the light to give the space an ethereal glow. Anything that was lucky enough to catch the direct sunlight appeared to have a soft, colorful halo as the light bounced off its surface. Phlox nodded and headed off to document the scene.

Meanwhile, Domino reached forward and let her arm glow in a sunbeam as she let all the worries that normally plagued her mind dissipate. Here in this cove, she didn’t have to concern herself with the upcoming winter. She didn’t have to think about how–or when–she’d find her next meal. Even the looming threat of “Botnik workers” that would soon replace her managed to escape her mind. Right now, she could just be. Her eyes studied every leaf, every blade of grass, every sway of the branches that hung above her head so that even on the bad days, she could look back at this moment and feel peace.

Eventually, her attention shifted to the indigo photographer at work. He walked so carefully and quietly it was as if his boots weren’t even making contact with the ground. At one point, the boy managed to approach a flutter of blue butterflies that didn’t seem phased by his company, shining and dancing in the late-afternoon sun like fairies. She wondered if it was possible to capture the serenity of this moment in a photo. It would be nice to see if he succeeded, but he likely wouldn’t develop his roll of film any time soon. She’d be long gone before those photos would come to light. The thought caused a strange weight in her chest, a sinking feeling she shouldn’t allow herself to feel. She diverted her attention to some of the wildflowers beside her.

Neither were sure how much time passed as they each quietly enjoyed the space, together but individually in their own ways. Once satisfied, Phlox walked over and took a seat next to Domino. “I didn’t get to ask you earlier...” he broke the silence, but his soft, honey-smooth voice was so reposeful it might as well have been part of the ambient melody of the forest.

“Hm?” Domino hummed, looking over to the boy beside her.

“What’s your dream?”

The girl leaned back with her palms behind her and surveyed the shelter of leaves above them as she pondered. Her dream. Such a big question. What should she make up this time? What would impress this guy the most? ‘To conquer a mighty dragon’? ‘To soar among the stars’?

“I want to make a difference,” she found the truth slipping from her lips. She shook her head and shrugged with defeat as if that goal was too ambitious for someone like herself. “Even if I can do just one good thing.”

Her words were so simple but there was such a bitter heaviness to them. Did she really think she was of such little significance? Phlox hardly knew her, yet he sensed something positively great about her. The brief hours spent in her company were already changing him, encouraging him to become more of the person he was striving to be. What or who made her think so little of herself? He wanted to ask, but wisdom told him if he did, she’d likely withdraw even further.

Instead, he placed his hand on hers and gave it a firm squeeze. 

“You will.”

Domino turned to Phlox with a soft gasp. His words sounded so genuine. Oh, how he looked at her, too. The way those green eyes surveyed her made her feel like she was the only thing in the world. It was intimidating. It was exciting.

Though her heartbeat grew louder in her ears, she still managed to pick up a faint assortment of sounds off in the distance. Chattering? Shrieking? She wasn’t sure but it was quickly growing louder. At the same time, she and Phlox looked towards the barrier of trees and noticed the branches and leaves beginning to tremble. Something was rushing through the forest and rapidly making its way towards the grotto. The tops of the trees shook and the roar of what sounded like a crowd was quickly upon them. Domino only briefly saw a flash of color burst through the curtain of leaves before closing her eyes and throwing herself on top of Phlox to shield him from whatever threat found their hiding spot.

The roaring now completely surrounded them, making its way over their heads and echoing all around them in the grotto. Domino tried to flatten herself and Phlox as close to the ground so they wouldn’t be hit. But despite the overwhelming noise, nothing struck them. She heard Phlox gasp. “Minnie, look!”

Domino opened one eye to see Phlox looking skyward, a wondrous smile on his face. She hesitantly turned just enough to peek over her shoulder and gasped as well. Hundreds–no, thousands of colorful birds were flying in mass above the canopy. Despite their numbers, they all moved together in perfect harmony, creating a magnificent, undulating patchwork of color in the sky. Domino rolled onto her back and the two hedgehogs watched in awe. She knew that birds were likely to migrate before the winter months hit, but she never witnessed something quite like this. The setting sunlight shone through their wings as they fluttered above, painting the entirety of the sky with a brilliant rainbow. Just as quickly as they had approached, the last of the birds flew past and the grotto returned to the peaceful silence once again.

Phlox and Domino both blinked. The moment had come and gone so quickly, it was almost as if it didn’t happen at all. They turned to each other, Domino’s head still resting on Phlox’s arm, and at once they both giggled in breathless bewilderment. 

“What are the odds of that?” Domino grinned, placing a hand on her forehead in disbelief.

Phlox smirked confidently. “Right place, right time.”

“Ah yes, your ‘super power’,” the girl rolled her eyes and began to shove herself away. However, Phlox quickly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight to him. She squealed with laughter and fought against him in protest.

“Don’t mock my talent,” he chuckled while Domino squirmed in his grasp.

“Lemme go, you brute!” The teal hedgehog shoved her palm into Phlox’s face, making him laugh even harder. Still, he held her close.

“Naht ‘til you apahlagizsh,” he muttered under the pressure of her hand. 

Domino removed her palm and leaned in with a playful scowl. “Never.”

Phlox met her smug glare. “Then I’ll never let you go.”

Domino stopped struggling and her smile faltered a bit. She knew he was joking; after all, she started this game, but something about those words… Something inside her wanted them to be true. She enjoyed the feel of his embrace. She wanted him to hold onto her endlessly, and the thought made her curse to herself. ‘Wants’ were stupid, frivolous. Her lifestyle only allowed for ‘needs’: shelter and sustenance.

Domino was beginning to realize that Phlox’s presence caused an entirely different kind of hunger within her.

The male’s chuckles diminished as Domino stared at him quietly. His cheeks and chest grew warm as he suddenly registered just how tightly she was pressed against him. Phlox searched her cyan eyes, wondering what she was thinking. Was she upset? He was inexperienced with flirting; had he gone too far? She wasn’t pulling away, though. Her gaze briefly flickered to his lips and his heart raced faster and his purple fur prickled up. 

“...Do… you realize what that was?” Domino whispered.

Phlox’s eyes widened. Was she asking about his sudden shiver or the display of birds they just witnessed? He hoped it was the latter.

“Uhh… a… murmuration…?” 

“A-K-A…?” she nodded expectantly and a smile began to curl on her lips.

Phlox’s eyelids dropped with realization and he sneered, “Don’t. You. Dare.”

Domino sat up and poked at Phlox’s chest to punctuate her words. “Those were FLOCKS of BIRDS!”

“That’s it!” He went to snatch her again, but Domino was too quick for him this time. She sprinted to the edge of the grotto and giggled while she waited for him. Phlox hurriedly packed up his gear and threw his camera strap over his shoulder. “You’re in for it now!”

The girl squealed and darted away as Phlox chased her all the way back to the village.

—

Domino let out a long yawn after collecting payment from her most recent task. Despite completing her fourth odd-job of the morning, she still found herself struggling to stay awake. Then again, she did have a hard time falling asleep last night…

It wasn’t the cold that kept her awake. No, she was plenty used to sleeping outside in all manner of harsh weather conditions. What kept her up were thoughts about that damn boy. That quiet, dazzling boy. 

She didn’t recognize herself when she was around Phlox. Talking to him either led to embarrassing, truthful slip-ups (she still couldn’t believe she’d told him her “dream.” How stupid!) or left her unable to speak at all! And that stunt she pulled in the grotto to try and save him… What was that?! She’d lived her whole life looking out for herself. Her entire existence was all about self preservation. So why did she throw herself on top of him when she thought they were in danger? Domino was annoyed with how quickly her priorities were shifting. And even more annoyed by how good it felt to care about somebody other than herself for once. 

Tossing and turning over all these thoughts left her with little shut-eye last night. 

An idea came to her suddenly. Perhaps a cold dip would wake her up! Besides, after doing all the dirty jobs that the townspeople didn’t enjoy and the “Botniks” were too clunky to complete, she could use a bath. 

She exited the city and headed downhill. Her years traversing the wilderness trained her to easily find rivers, and after carefully listening for running water and taking note of the ways the trees leaned, she found what she was looking for.

It was a serene creek with blue-green water that was clear enough to see the bottom of the river bed. It would be plenty deep enough for a proper swim. A medium-sized stack of boulders allowed for a steady flow of water to gently trickle down into the larger body of the creek. On days where the weather was more severe, she imagined the waterfall would crash into the river with a thunderous roar. But on this mellow autumn morning, the water was calm and tranquil. 

It made her think of Phlox. 

“Chaos,” she cursed to herself. The Domino she knew would have just shrugged it off and gone about her business. But this new, thoughtful Domino realized this was the exact kind of scene Phlox would love to photograph. The idea of gifting him with this little treasure and seeing the look of excitement on his face was too much to resist. “So much for ‘priorities’ huh?”

She convinced herself that this would be her way of repaying him for the grotto trip yesterday, nothing more. Satisfied with that reasoning, she hurried back to town in hopes to find that photographer that seemed to be making a home in her mind’s eye. It didn’t take long for her to spot him. The young man was sitting under a shade tree, writing in his notepad. Butterflies filled her stomach at the width of his smile upon hearing her call his name. The feeling intensified with how quickly he agreed to go with her. 

“I’m telling ya, you’re gonna make this place THE travel destination once the world sees all your photos. Especially of this spot I found!”

“Had I known you were a location scout, I’d have hired you sooner.”

“You can’t afford me. Heiress, remember?” Domino teased with a wink. “I’m offering you this location on the house.” Phlox laughed his mischievous laugh as he followed the young woman. Once they reached the creek, Domino raised her arms into the air and spun around with a triumphant, “Ta-daaaa~!”

The purple hedgehog placed his hands on his hips and his grin was brighter than the sun. His reaction was even better than she had pictured.

“So, whaddya think?”

“I think,” Phlox chuckled, lowering the camera from his shoulder and placing it on the ground. Domino blinked as he kicked off his boots. “This is going to be so cold!”

“What?” Domino scoffed while Phlox removed his beloved pair of jeans and pried off his gloves. “You’re really gonna jump in there?”

“Like you aren’t?” Phlox raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile plastered on his sandy muzzle. “That’s why you came out here in the first place, right?”

“I-” she scratched her quills and shrugged, “I guess I just took you for the prissy, hot-shower type.”

The boy turned to face the girl while walking backwards and used his fist to make a stabbing motion into his heart. “Minnie, you wound me!” He spun on his heel with a laugh and ran towards the creek before leaping into the air, curling into a spinning ball, and crashing into the water with a mighty splash. 

Just as quickly as he had jumped in, he resurfaced and his voice cracked as he shrieked. “I WAS ᴿᴵGᴴᵀ! SO CₒᴸD!”

“PFFTT!” Domino burst into a fit of laughter, doubling over and holding her stomach. “Gaia! I had no idea your voice could reach that high!”

“Shu-shu-shushhhh up and guh-get in here!” Phlox demanded through chattering teeth. He swam to face the other way so Domino could strip down to her undergarments without him watching. 

Domino shook out her hands to mentally prepare herself for the cold plunge before jumping into the water, wailing. She resurfaced with a gasp. Well, she certainly wasn’t tired anymore. 

“Whu-whu-whyyy duh-duh-did we d-do thissss?!” 

Phlox’s ears were pinned flat to his head. “‘Cuz wuh-we’re young and sssss-stupid!” 

“C-c’mon Young, ssswim with Stupid,” Domino laughed despite her shivering and waved him over to follow her as she began to swim. “The mmmore ya move the w-warmer you’ll be.”

The two hedgehogs made a game of who could swim the fastest from one edge of the creek to the other, and before long they had quickly adjusted to the temperature of the water. It turned out that Phlox was an excellent swimmer, capable of doing laps around Domino. The girl rolled her eyes as he gloated over his many wins.

“Ya know, I think I liked you more when you talked LESS!” She startled him with a tackle and dunked him under water.

He sprang back up and shook off his quills. “You opened this Pandora’s Box, there’s no putting it back now.”

“Oh yeah?” She went for another tackle, but now that he was onto her, he dodged and left her rolling face-first into the water. Domino made several more attempts, but Phlox would either stay so still it was like slamming into a brick wall, or he would use her momentum against her to make her plunge face first into the water. 

Her most recent effort left her clinging to Phlox’s side, trying to push his face into the water with no success. “Grrrrr why won’t you go down?!”

Phlox laughed and pried the girl off him with ease. “I love your enthusiasm. But you won’t beat me in a battle of brawn.” He tapped his temple. “You’ve got to assess the situation and play to your strengths.”

The teal hedgehog let her head fall back and groaned with frustration. “You said it yourself: I’ve got no strength.”

“I meant ‘do what you’re best at,’” Phlox scratched the fluff of his muzzle as he pondered for a moment. His green eyes suddenly lit up and he snapped his fingers. “I know a game we could play!” He swam a distance away to make room between the two hedgehogs. “I’m going to guard this end of the creek. If you get passed me and make it to the bank, you earn a point.”

Domino’s shoulders sank. “You’re the better swimmer and you’re bigger than me. I’m never getting through you.”

Phlox smiled with encouragement. “Assess the situation, Minnie. You’re smaller, but that makes you faster and more slippery. Use that to your advantage to get around me.”

“Hmm,” Domino considered, her pout turning into a genuine smile. “Okay, I’ll give it a shot!”

“But!” Phlox held up a finger. “To prove that I’m not going to just let you win, let’s raise the stakes. If I catch you, you have to answer a question. Truthfully.”

“Pfft,” Domino sputtered. “That’s not much of a reward.”

“It is to me,” Phlox grinned. He stretched his arms out to either side. “Now show me what you’ve got!”

Domino’s eyes twinkled with determination and she rushed forward. She originally tried swimming to the side of Phlox’s reach, but he was able to quickly catch up to her. She panicked at the last minute and tried to charge him, but he caught her and she went limp in his arms in frustration. 

“Next time, don’t give up so fast. There’s still a chance to break free.” Phlox shifted the girl in his arms so he carried her bridal style and swam them back over to Domino’s side of the river. “So, how many siblings do you have?”

“70.” She moped. 

“Hey, I won my prize. The truth. How many do you really have?”

Domino rolled her eyes and shoved herself off him. She muttered quietly, “It’s just me.” Her answer was guarded, but Phlox couldn’t help but pick up the loneliness in her tone. He tried to lighten the mood with his own response as he made his way back to start-position. 

“Wow, the center of attention, huh? We’ve got two litters in my family. 3 brothers and 1 sister. I’m right in the middle.”

“5 guys in one house? I bet the place stinks!” Domino teased, finding her sense of humor again. “Ugh, you have no idea!” Phlox joked and rubbed his nose. “When I first started out on the road, I felt like I could breathe for the first time in my life!” The girl attempted to swim by him again. Phlox grappled for her and though he did briefly get his arms around her, she was able to wiggle through his forearms and kick off his back to propel herself to the creek bank. Domino couldn’t help but dance along the shore at her win. 

“See that’s it!” Phlox threw a fist into the air. “Show me what else you can do. Besides those sick dance moves.”

Domino hurried over to her side again and strategized. She knew he would just keep catching her if she tried to swim around him, and though she could wiggle free, she’d get exhausted in no time. She looked down and noticed how similar the blue-green shade of the water was in comparison to her own fur. 

She squeaked as she was suddenly rushed and held tightly in Phlox’s grip. 

“What the HELL?!” she squirmed. This time he locked her forearms across her chest and she couldn’t wiggle loose. 

“Who said I couldn’t leave my post? You were taking too long and I have questions!” 

Domino slumped against Phlox’s furry chest, defeated. Her voice was monotone, “What is your question, O devilish Phlox?”

“If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?”

Domino giggled before her eyes went wide. “Ohhh, those hash browns from yesterday!”

“That’s it? Hash browns?” Phlox cocked an eyebrow. Domino shoved off him so he could return to his position. 

“I’m not a picky eater and those were good! Why, what would yours be?”

“Chili. The spicier, the better!” Phlox answered before whispering under his breath, “Hmm. I could learn to make hash browns,” Meanwhile, Domino returned to her plan that she was formulating before she was last captured. She took a deep breath and submerged herself completely underwater. 

“Uh-oh,” Phlox panicked. The only patches of Domino’s fur that weren’t teal blue were her cheeks, stomach, and the inside of her ears, and while she was underwater, she was just about invisible. His eyes searched frantically, trying to figure out which side she would attempt to get around him. He yelped when he felt something brush the undersides of his paws. Once he realized it was Domino swimming below him, it was already too late and she was on his side of the river. 

“HaHA!!” She cheered and shimmied her shoulders in a victory dance. 

“Very clever,” Phlox grinned. “I’m onto you now.”

Their game went on for several more rounds, with Domino taking the lead by a substantial amount. Still, Phlox was determined and managed to get a few more answers out of her before their game was through:

“What’s your biggest pet-peeve?”

“When people are snooty. Get outta here with that crap!”

“Morning-bird or night-owl?”

“Of course you’d ask a ‘bird’ question, ‘Flocks.’ I always start the day bright and early.”

“What’s your favorite thing about yourself?”

“Oiiiii… Hmmm. My resourcefulness.”

“Excellent choice. I’ve never seen anyone wield a roll of tape better than you.”

“And you never will~” 

“Would you ever want to have kids one day?”

She had to think about that one for a moment. Logistically, her lifestyle wouldn’t allow for that kind of thing. It wasn’t responsible. But Phlox did ask her to answer honestly. A soft smile formed on her lips. 

“Yeah. I would.”

Phlox bit the inside of his cheek in hopes to suppress his smile and the blush creeping up his neck.

Domino attempted one more round, but at this point she was drained and Phlox caught her without much struggle. 

“Okay, okay,” she panted and the young man released her. “You win. I’ve had enough.” The girl huffed and puffed, struggling to tread water with the amount of energy she’d exerted. 

The boy chuckled and took her hands into his. “Here, catch your breath.” He was surprised that instead of merely holding onto his hands, Domino pulled herself close to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She rested her chin on his shoulder and closed her eyes as she attempted to regulate her breathing.

Phlox was certain she could feel the pounding of his heartbeat, but surprisingly he wasn’t all that ashamed this time. Domino had a way of making him feel excited and calm all at once. It encouraged him to be bolder, braver, more accepting of his quirks. 

“I can tell you wanna ask me another question,” the girl teased. 

“I do,” Phlox admitted, his voice much softer and reserved, like the first time they met. “But it’s not part of the game.”

“C’mon, you caught me so you earned it,” Domino leaned back enough so she could look Phlox eye-to-eye. Her mouth curved up into a smile at how red his face was. “What?”

Be bold. He told himself. Be like her.

“Can I kiss you?”

Domino’s jaw dropped with a soft gasp. Of all the things he could’ve asked, this was the last thing she expected. Before these last two days, nobody even bothered looking her way. Now not only did she have the undivided attention of this dashing young man, but he wanted to kiss her? Phlox could easily have any girl he wanted, so why would he waste his time with somebody like her?

Well, she thought, probably because he doesn’t actually know me. If he did, he’d leave. 

It would be smart to say no. But when would she ever have this opportunity again? She’d be gone by tomorrow, having never kissed a boy. A beautiful, kind, lovely boy.

“…Yes.”

As soon as the word left her lips, Phlox took her face into his hands and kissed her. She was alarmed at how quickly his mouth was on hers considering how shy he’d been just a moment ago, but it was a welcome surprise. Her arms remained wrapped around his neck and she closed her eyes as she returned his kiss. 

Phlox sighed happily into her lips, his thumbs stroking her cheeks as he cupped her face. He’d never kissed anyone before, but from the moment he first laid eyes on this young lady it was all he could think about. She was so unique and adventurous and funny! Oh, how she made him laugh like he was a little kid again. He was generally in good-spirits most of the time, but he hadn’t felt happiness like this for a long while. Being in her company was like floating in the clouds. The kiss broke just briefly as his mouth subconsciously curved into a smile, but he did his best to force it down and match his lips to hers once more. 

One of Phlox’s hands gently combed down Domino’s long cyan quills and that burning hunger flared up in her lower belly once again. His lips were too lovely, his touch too wonderful. This was dangerous. 

Regrettably, Domino broke away and rested her forehead against his as they both attempted to catch their breath. “I’m not so good at multitasking… We should probably get outta the water now,” the lady hedgehog suggested. 

“Yeah, okay,” Phlox chuckled breathlessly. The two swam to the edge of the creek and Domino pulled a towel out from her backpack. She dried herself off as much as possible before tossing it to Phlox while she got dressed. He pulled on his pants and boots then laid in the grass next to the girl and quietly admired the clouds with a smile on his face. 

Domino was grateful for the silence, trying to make sense of all the weird thoughts and feelings swimming around her mind. She knew it was a bad idea to let somebody in like this. The closer Phlox got, the sooner he’d realize what a joke she was. She knew she would need to leave before that happened. So why, why did she feel this constant urge to let him in? She chewed on her lip but silently cursed to herself as she could still taste him. 

“Hey, so…” she started, despite her better judgment. Phlox turned his full attention to her. “I’m no chef, but… I make a pretty good stew. And you said you like chili, so, uh… I was wondering if you’d…” she clapped a hand over her face and sighed. “-If you’d let me make you something. You know, to pay you back for… everything.”

“Pay me back?” Phlox asked, his brows furrowed.

“For breakfast, and the grotto,” she threw her hands into the air, “and all the tactical combat lessons you just gave me!”

“Hey, I did those things because I wanted to. You don’t owe me anything,” he did his best to reassure the girl. He propped his head up with his hand and gave a mischievous smirk. “But if it’s a date you’re suggesting…”

“Chaos,” Domino muttered. Still, she couldn’t help but smile. 

“You have to ask me proper. I’m old-fashioned like that.”

“Ugh,” she rolled her eyes before turning to face the boy who was all but wiggling with anticipation. “Phlox. May I make you dinner? As a date.”

“Yes.” He gave her a quick peck on the cheek before rolling over to grab his camera. His face was bright red, but his smile was confident as he removed the lens and adjusted the settings. “Now, to capture this little gem you found me!”

Domino packed up her bag before swinging it over her shoulder. “I’ll meet you at the inn you’re staying at, yeah?”

“Okay!” He snapped a few photos. “What’re you up to today?”

Oh, just buying a cheap jacket and a bunch of nonperishables so I don’t starve this winter. Impressive, right?

“More business meetings. I heard the mayor’s a big-time investor. I’m gonna see if he will fund the latest board game I’m developing.”

Phlox slowly lowered the viewfinder from his eyes. Why was she telling stories again? He thought after what just happened… Why couldn’t she just tell him the truth? He closed his eyes and sighed. Who was he to tell her what to do? Besides, it was like he told her: she didn’t owe him anything. All he could do was hope that she’d learn to trust him eventually. 

“Knock ‘em dead, Minnie. I believe in you.”

The girl gave him a playful salute before heading back into town, leaving the boy alone to his thoughts. 

Domino hadn’t even made it to the market before hearing a thunderous crash and the screams of several townspeople. People sprinted away from the townsquare in a panic. The old Domino might have followed their lead and scampered away as well. But over these last couple of days, she found herself evolving. Even more important than self-preservation, she felt a stronger urge growing in her heart: the need to protect. Without hesitation, she raced towards the sound of the commotion.

[CHAPTER 3: Coming Soon]

[A/N: I used the art of Nathan Fowkes as visual inspiration for many of the scenes in this chapter. If you aren't familiar with his work, I highly recommend checking it out!]

[chubs-deuce]

@drawmanda ik I already dmed you about this but my inbox ate your ask up so I'm responding to it this way now! <3

first of all thank you so much!! sdkjhsdkfh

And well, technically I also draw almost everything by hand too :o

I understand the frustration of being slow, but "fast" digital drawing actually has very little to do with not drawing things by hand (a trap most people infatuated with this terrible AI ""art"" trend unfortunately keep falling into) so much as optimizing your workflow!

admittedly a lot of this is also a matter of both personal preference and practice - but you can hardly practice and have preferences on what you can't know should be a focus right?

Under the cut is a list of the things I do that speed up my own digital art workflow (this one got hella long, sorry):

1) I sketch very loosely and often often skip the lineart entirely.

Something that's imo really important for actually almost all artists to practice is reducing sketches to their essentials!

A good working sketch should be rough and block in the shapes and placement of the features you have in your mind - the details don't come in until later, so they actually have very little business being put in at this stage!

It's meant to be a guideline and foundation for the upcoming detail work after all, not a finished, tidy drawing in and of itself.

Use quick, airy brush strokes to roughly pencil in some vague shapes and don't be afraid of indecipherable scribbles or flyaway lines! All that isn't needed won't be visible later anyways (either bc you turned off the sketch layer or erase the offending bit of sketch away)

Naturally, cleaned sketches are a thing people post plenty of online too (me included), but I promise you most artists that do proper lineart and/or render out insanely polished pieces have a very rough and probably barely legible sketch underneath those pieces lmao

And guess what! Most of my own "lineart" is nothing but cleaned sketches! :'D

I erase the construction lines like the circles for the heads and redraw a few bits and bops, re-trace some lines for legibility and/or to make them more visible and voila! Sometimes this is faster than lineart and keeps the original flow and energy that's in the sketches, other times this takes me just as long as lineart would lmao (highly depends on the amount of details and how lost you get in those).

Note how I didn't even "finish" a lot of the lines in the rough versions and many pieces of the og sketch were kept unaltered? I also tend to focus more on detailing out the faces than the rest - this is one part pure laziness and one part knowing that the faces will draw the eye's focus the most lmao

But see, sometimes I don't even bother with all of that noise! I just color the sketch as is:

This is a bit of a "trust the process" thing sometimes because a sketch can look utterly incomprehensible until you block out some colors and/or silhouettes to give your eyes context!

All in all most sketches take me between 10 minutes and half an hour, if it's a more complex pose or set of poses of interacting characters it can take closer to 2 hours, but in that case I also tend to use multiple layers for various iterations of rough sketching and to separate the characters on their own layers so it's a bit easier to keep track of the limb placements etc - it's best to keep a flexible mind when it comes to your approach to sketches.

Not every drawing will need the same level of care put into its sketches, don't be afraid of being rough with it and trying out different things if your usual way of doing things doesn't feel right!

2) Understanding the tools at my disposal!

Imo something every learning digital artist needs to get in the habit of is experimenting around with the tools at their disposal :D

It can seem incredibly daunting, especially when a program is absolutely packed with functions, but the more you work with different things and figure out what you like using and find ways to use them in your workflow, the easier it gets and the quicker you become! You'll be surprised what knowing your way around well can do to your work speed :D

Dick around with different presets, settings, colors, layer blend modes, filters etc

One of the first things I did when I first downloaded CSP was to just pick up every tool in the list one by one and doodle a few strokes across the empty canvas - no real goal or direction in mind, just getting a feel for it and then did a few drawings using different sets.

Imo even if you end up never using certain tools, it's still handy to know how they work!

3) HOTKEYS!!!!

I use my pc's keyboard hotkeys for. Every. Fucking. Thing. Mind you I'll be mostly talking in the terms and list hotkeys specifically for Clip Studio Paint since that's the program I use for my art, so if you use something else please do your own research on what the corresponding hotkeys are for your program if the ones I tell don't work!!! I promise you most of them have very similar functions just on different key combinations and will also usually let you edit them in the settings :D (this comes from someone who's at least tried out most of the available ones - Such as Medibang, FireAlpaca, Gimp, Krita, Rebelle 5, Paint Tool SAI (this one used to be my main before CSP) and I even tried photoshop and procreate on someone else's devices in the past)

The reason I use hotkeys is so I don't have to drag my curser around and click things by hand unnecessarily, the hotkeys save me a ton of time in the drawing process!

some examples of hotkeys I use for basically every drawing:

the classic undo (ctrl+Z) and redo (ctrl+alt+Z, other programs often use ctrl+Y for this tho); on touch-input compatible screen tablets you can often tap with two fingers to undo and 3 fingers to redo

zooming (this has multiple methods, you can use the ctrl+"+" and ctrl+"-" combo to zoom in and out, you can use the scrollwheel on a mouse or you use what my personal preference is: hold ctrl+space and drag the stylus to zoom in and out; if you have a touch-input compatible screen tablet you can also use two fingers to zoom in and out like you would on phone!)

rotating the canvas (technically has more than one way as well but I'm ngl I can't remember the way that isn't what I use anymore lmao, hold shift+space and drag the stylus - pro tip, you can reset the rotation with the Pos1 button, in the navigation window if you have it docked or in CSP's case also at the bottom of the screen!)

mirror canvas (in the viewport only! permanent rotation requires a transform!) using the M button (this is handy for checking proportions and when you just can't get your hand to do a curved line that goes against the natural range of rotation of your dominant hand's wrist)

drag viewport (i.e. move along the canvas by holding space button, then clicking and dragging)

merging layers (ctrl+E)

selecting multiple layers (click on layer, then hold ctrl and click on any other layers you want selected individually; if you want to quickly select a long and uninterrupted list you can also click on the first layer, then hold shift when you click on the last, this will select all layers in between too)

grouping selected layers (ctrl+G)

deselect all (ctrl+D)

transform selection (ctrl+T)

bring up hue/saturation/luminosity sliders for currently selected layer for quick color adjustments (ctrl+U)

switching between tools (I memorized which keys correspond to which tool categories in CSP and then use the "," and "." keys to move between presets within the category; I also have my CSP set up to have multiple presets in my tool bar that I can cycle between using the same tool button)

changing brush size (hold AltGr and drag cursor to increase or decrease brush size)

switching between drawing colors This is an especially big one for me!!! Did you know that using the little transparent color underneath or near your front and back colors turns your currently selected tool into an eraser? It keeps all of the texturing and blending settings too! I often use larger round brushes to block out an area and using this I can just use the same brush as an eraser to taper the strokes or refine corners without losing the texture using the C-key :D When I'm coloring switching between front and back colors helps a ton too, and for that I use the X-key! Here an example of how that looks executed in practice:

Notice how I never have to stop moving my cursor away from the drawing unless I'm picking new colors? :D I also use this a lot for my shading process! I will often use two tones on a layer with its blending mode set to add or multiply in order to shade and quickly switch between them for easy blocking and blending! Tumblr doesn't allow more than one vid per post so here's a youtube link to a little demo to show what I mean!

4) I aim for vibes > visual accuracy, especially in backgrounds!

(though this applies to how I approach character illustrations too)

A background doesn't have to be mega detailed or coherent to get across what you need it to!

I often use blurred photographs and video game screenshots as backdrops for my art, other times I roughly block in some squares and silhouettes to give the viewer some implied context of where they're at

Detailed backgrounds, unfortunately, will almost always cost you tons of time to do, so the speed with those unfortunately really does come from extended practice more than any shortcuts I can offer :')

for at least big room layouts like this tho I can recommend building the scene in sims 4 or something similar first and roughly tracing the screenshot for proportional guidance, something I've done in this one^ for example!

5) STENCIL BRUSHES <3

BOY THESE THINGS CAN BE DAMN USEFUL!

None of the things in this image below were hand-drawn by me!

These are just some of the ones CSP comes with by default! I downloaded quite a few handy custom ones over time too lol

I really implore you to not get too overly reliant on them however, they can be a huge help for when it doesn't need to be super accurate, but unless you're really good at making them match your style they can stick out a little sorely, so use them sparingly and only where you can easily make them blend in with the rest of your piece!

Also I've seen your lovely art in the tags I frequent a few times now and while the insane amount of detail you lovingly pour into it makes it a really cool and recognizable style that genuinely wows me anytime I see it, I can also see how time consuming it'd be to create it!

I do however think it's a gorgeous style that is worth every minute you put into it, so please don't be discouraged by any slowness! :3

I do of course still hope that any of my tips helped even just a little bit!!!

Keep up the amazing work and take care <3<3<3

[peterpohls2]

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[rileys-battlecats]

as someone who isn't really into doing line art but still wants my drawings to look clean, do you have any tips? for instance, patchleaf's line art has that sketchy yet tidy vibe, and i love it. it seems easier and less exhausting than traditional line art tbh

(In reference to this post)

I tend to do my work in stages, going from Extra Rough Sketch, to my Cleaned Up Sketch, and then to my Final Lining. Not always, sometimes my first sketch is nice enough that I feel confident going straight to lining, but lots of times I end up doing it in these stages!

The ‘extra rough’ stage is where I’m doing a lot of exploratory sketching; I’m not worrying about the appearance as much as I’m looking for the vibes I’m trying to capture. It’s lots of rough shapes and ‘construction’ if that makes sense! I determine the proportions and general angles in this stage; it is very ugly

The ‘cleaned up’ stage is where I go over my first sketch and figure out where those exploratory lines from before will coalesce into something closer to the final drawing! It’s still fairly quick/rough, but much cleaner than the first iteration.

After clean up, my final lining stage is where I go over the sketch with strong, solid lines, varying my line weight where it feels right, and that’s my final “line art” step haha

In the patchleaf drawing, that was me stopping at my ‘cleaned up sketch’ stage :P so it wasn’t a first sketch, but also not finalized line art either! My first sketch can be as messy as I need it to be, because I’ll be making a new layer over it and cleaning it up anyway, so I spend a lot of time giving myself a general area/groundwork for how I want things to look. Then the cleaned up sketch is much faster, since I’m basically looking at the mess of exploration lines from before and deciding, THIS is where I want that line to fall. Even if it’s not a super pretty line, it’s where it needs to be, if that makes sense?

In any case, don’t feel obligated to do line art if you don’t have fun doing it! Letting yourself use less structured/perfect lines should take away a lot of that stress and energy-drain you talked about :)

[ricewithbunnies]

Saul Goodman Pet Play Headcanons

I have no where else to post all the deranged and deplorable ideas that come to my head </3

Probably a part 1 to a series if i think this is good enough :3

This accidentally devolved into a pet play post woopsies (it was meant to be just regular hcs)

Content: Transmasc Reader, Masculine Terms for reader, Dom!Saul, Hes either bi or pan I haven't decided yet :3

CW: Pet play

You guys met from either being friends with Jesse Pinkman, a client, or working with him

First time he saw you he looked you up and down, confused with himself. "Why am i attracted to a man??" type thoughts in his head (poor babygirl)

Upon finding out you're trans, he tries to justify his attractions "W-well its not REALLY gay!!" (it is)

(Also after a while of you two being close he'd probably get PISSED if anyone misgendered you)

Cutting the fluff crap tho he would be an absolute simp for you.

Service Dom whenever hes not feeling rough 🫣

"That feels good, huh? You like that sweetheart? Mmh.. tell me what makes you feel good handsome."

Thigh. Fucking. He'd have you sit in his lap with your pants off during a 15 minute break, pushing his cock inbetween your warm thighs and holding onto you for dear life.

He would buck his hips up into you as he makes out with you and whimpers and when he cums on your thighs he'd clean it up for you ❤️

"Fuck.. f-fuck.. that feels so good darling" as he thighfucks you.

He absent-mindedly says "Good boy" to you one day and you fold.

After that he'd fuck you filthy while saying it

"Good boy.. thats my good boy.. taking it all like a champ.. you like being my good boy, huh?"

Will. Not. Shut. Up.

Constantly in your ear during sex, whispering, moaning, anything to feel your hole tighten around him.

After a while of your intimate relationship, he'd open up about some absolutely filthy kinks.

You'd be unsure at first, but after tje first session, you'd be at his feet begging for more, and he'd eat that shit UPP.

"Yeah? You liked that fucking from Master, huh? You wanna be my good boytoy?"

After that he would get you to quit your job and be a house husband full time, spoiling you with goodies and also in bed.

He'd BEG like a bitch to put a leash on you, giving you the worst case of puppydog eyes.

"Pretty pleaseee 🥺🥺🥺"

He'd make you learn hand commands such as rolling over, taking off clothes, bending over, etcetera.

He'd DEFINITELY put a large pet bed for you under his desk at home.

If he's at home working and having an especially frustrating task to do, afterwards he'd make you take his dick down his throat.

"Ahh.. good boy.. you really know how to make Master feel better huh, pet?"

Would probably get some bougie diamond encrusted pet bowl for you LOL

If you were good for him he'd get you stupidly expensive gifts, just because he can and he enjoys spoiling you.

Possessive as fuck. You two are out and you are talking to someone a little too long? Hoo boy you'll spend the rest of the night tied to his bed with him pounding you into the next day.

"Mine.. all mine.. my pup.. my sweet pet.. you belong to me.. right? Say it. Say you're mine.."

His aftercare would be so sweet though, running a warm, scented bath for you and washing you.

Thank you for reading!

This is my first proper post on here, so i appreciate anyone who read it and even more if you enjoyed. I'm just now getting back into writing fanfic from when i was younger so i appreciate any constructive criticism or advice :3

[theboywithburninghands]

The End. I’ll post a big mushy thank you post later since I’m posting this at work, but this is the end of the story. Hope it’s good! @fernstarsblog @noble-crimson

TW: Vomit, drugs, childbirth

Epilogue: Sweet Child O’ Mine

Upon first moving to Ediacara after collecting their dowry, Pomni and Jax moved into a small house near the town of Jezioro Niedźwiedź, or the much simpler to pronounce Bear Lake. As soon as the couple had unpacked completely, Pomni set to work learning Ediacaran. Jax was admittedly skeptical about her ability to learn such a complex language so quickly, and had in fact been a bit wary of moving to Ediacara at all due to the language barrier. Pomni studied the language for eight hours every day, and could speak and write it at a conversational level in about three weeks. By their fourth month, she was completely literate, shocking just about every prospective employer she met with her heavily accented yet completely accurate Ediacaran.

Pomni began her search for an occupation as soon as she spoke enough Ediacaran. It was rough going at first. Pomni may have been quite knowledgeable about law and been articulate, but she had little experience to actually put on paper. No diplomas or references, only cases she had helped her father with. She was offered at least four jobs as a secretary, but turned them down. Such a position would only make her depressed, being at the beck and call of a man…

But she hunted tirelessly, and eventually caught her first break as a stenographer for Bear Lake’s courthouse, specifically the misdemeanor accountability court. This was where soaks who had made a nuisance in public after a fifth too many of Ediacaran red wine ended up, or children who had pilfered sweets from a chemist’s shop, or frustrated citizens who wished to dispute moving violations and truancy notices.

Pomni remained quiet and kept a stern countenance, and, despite being fairly new to Ediacaran, made precious few mistakes. Magistrates and even the judges complimented her impeccable memory, being able to repeat back transcripts that she hadn’t gotten the chance to write down yet. Her penmanship was clean and she was unfailingly polite, even to the rare belligerent defendant.

Then came the day of a high profile felony case. A Dr. Kaczmarek had been arrested on charges of selling cadavers from the local hospital to a shady medical supply company. The usual stenographer for the felony court was abruptly hospitalized after an errant kick from a horse, developing a tremor in his hand that prevented him from writing as quickly. Pomni was asked to transcribe in his place. Although the judge was skeptical of her abilities, Pomni performed remarkably well, her affect cool despite the rapid-fire speech of the magistrates or mumbled testimonies of the witnesses. The court staff, impressed by her performance, brought Mrs. Krolik on for more high profile cases, and she soon became the court’s mainstay stenographer.

In her free time, Pomni had begun work on a novel. She initially thought of penning an autobiography, but she needed to be an established author first. No one would have any interest in the life story of a stenographer, even if her life was rather interesting. So, she began a novel. It was a character study of five children of a single mother and their lives from childhood to adulthood. She was still drafting the story, having to omit a good amount of unnecessary detail from just the first chapter alone. Luckily Jax was there to read through her drafts and offer constructive criticism while on the road to recovery.

As soon as they settled into their new home, Pomni put her husband back on the process of tapering him off of opium. They only had a single bottle of laudanum left and no easy way to get ahold of it anymore, so it would be the final dosage before completely excising the drug from his life.

His symptoms resumed after reducing his dosage from a single drop of opium to a half a drop. However, they were significantly less severe. He was weak and bedridden and struggled with body aches and cold sweats, but he had thankfully ceased vomiting and was at last able to get some sleep, although he woke frequently. Pomni cared for him, bringing him vegetables from the local market, not even attempting to cook them. It would have been dreadfully inconvenient to burn their new home down after just purchasing it.

Soon, he wasn’t on laudanum at all. After two weeks without poppy, he was up and walking about. His regular countenance returned come the third week. On that Friday, Pomni went to the edge of a bridge.

“Are you ready?” Pomni asked, holding his hand.

“I am,” Jax replied. He took the half full tincture bottle out of his jacket pocket. Jax looked for a long while at the small bottle that had ruled his life for the past five years. He lobbed the bottle over the railing. It plummeted thirty feet into the rocky gulch below, bursting with a splash on a boulder.

“Goodbye, cruel mistress. You’ll bewitch this soul no longer.” Jax said, giving a short wave to the gulch.

“Did you plan that little farewell or did it come to you just now?” Pomni asked with a smirk.

“Which would be more impressive to you?” Jax replied with a smirk of his own.

Jax took on a job as well to keep the pair from exhausting their savings. He quickly found one as an accountant for a trading company that had previously worked with Krolik International. Being the son of the founder, it looked quite good on a resumé, although he was careful to omit anything about recent goings on with the company.

Jax and Pomni saw Drexl Krolik for the final time a few days before their departure to Ediacara. They returned to the Krolik Estate to collect some of Jax’s belongings, and encountered two constables from Blackshell Bay speaking with Drexl in his foyer. Jax said nothing to his father, who said nothing in return. Pomni met her father-in-law’s eyes only once. Though his gaze was incensed, his eyes were drained of the fierceness they once held. Pomni and Jax had his belongings on the carriage within an hour, thanks to assistance from Zuzanna, who had put in her two weeks' notice and was planning to start a job at The Rooker Estate.

As for Jax’s brothers, he wrote to all three regularly. Altonicus and Kali, although they did not receive the funds necessary to open their pharmacy due to Drexl’s behavior, remained as stable as ever. Alton continued his work at the hospital, and Kali started a book club, which had around a half dozen regulars, including Mirella Shutnyk.

Osvaldo was elated to be living on Primum Peccatum, free to pursue his music career. His performance at the wedding put him on the map, and he began performing original compositions at other weddings, and he had been accepted into the prestigious New Hirnantian Choral Ensemble. He flubbed his first audition due to stage fright, but conquered his anxieties for his second audition. To help with the mortgage payments, he had accepted two tenants. Dawson, the son of Lawrence, Drexl’s former business partner, happily moved in with Osvaldo. The two of them became inseparable partners, often seen around town together, and the keen-eyed had spotted Osvaldo occasionally stealing a quick kiss from his larger companion. Assuredly in a platonic way.

The other tenant was Boone, who was allowed to stay with them on the conditions that he refrain from any churlish behavior and get an occupation that would help him pay for the house. It was slow going at first, Boone applying to many jobs in several different trades. Although he was politely declined positions at the fire brigade and The Gray Church, he found that he was a rather gifted editor. He got a job at a small ad agency, finding minuscule details to fix in ad copy or business documents. His ever-drifting focus was curbed somewhat by caffeine tablets prescribed to him by his eldest brother. He struggled, of course, and often found himself reprimanded at work, but remained steadily employed and was thus allowed to stay with his brother.

Pomni wrote to Mr. Kinger, Sister Ragatha, and Zooble regularly. When he remembered to respond, Mr. Kinger was thrilled to hear from his surrogate daughter, and Pomni gifted him several books on Ediacaran insects to add to his collection. Kinger said that Zuzanna was an excellent housekeeper, tidying up the dust and cobwebs while keeping his reams upon reams of notes and sketches untouched and in their place. Sister Ragatha was pleased to learn that Pomni had secured a job, chasing her dream to be a working lady just as the Gray Sister knew she could. She sent Pomni a string of beads to pray The 13 Steps should she ever feel the need to. Although Pomni remained agnostic, she kept the string in her handbag at all times. Zooble kept Pomni up to date with the goings-on at the Shutnyk Estate, and was always free to offer their candid yet insightful advice.

Although it took some time, two years to be exact, Pomni eventually decided to write to her parents. They offered their congratulations on her job acquisition, Vladimir remarking that he could have used her sharp eyes while working on some new cases, and, inevitably, told their daughter that they missed her terribly. Pomni missed them a bit as well, but was so busy with her career that she had precious little time off to come visit them. She assured them she would one of these days, but a major event occurred four years on that stopped her tireless work in its tracks.

Pomni awoke early one morning and was sick into the toilet, and remained at home to hopefully recover from her sudden stomach illness. When her symptoms returned the following morning, she sent a telegram to Altonicus inquiring what course of action to follow. Altonicus replied, politely as ever, if she and Jax had consummated their union recently.

Pomni was midway into asking what that information had to do with anything before she stood up straighter.

“Ohhhhhh blazes…” she whispered.

Four months on and Pomni’s belly had grown significantly. Jax was over the moon with excitement, and Pomni, while initially very hesitant, relaxed when she learned that she would be granted paid maternity leave in the third trimester. Her anxieties continued to smolder, however, when she remembered how many times her mother miscarried. She took the utmost precautions, moving as little as possible, eating very bland food and taking no medication apart from the prenatal vitamins the town’s doctor prescribed. By the seventh month, she was at home on leave, her belly firm and round and the tiny life inside it doing just fine, according to the hospital.

Leave was quite simple, as Pomni had a number of books to catch up on that she previously could not read due to not speaking Ediacaran, as well as her novel to chip away at. Jax had busied himself making preparations for the infant, clearing part of the house to serve as a nursery and reading countless childcare books. Pomni, as usual, did not require much attention, but did occasionally burst into tears or snap uncharacteristically at her husband, and she would sometimes burn with a physical desire she had never known before. It mortified her how unstable the developing life inside her made her act, and she would have been ashamed at acting so erratically had Jax not been his pleasant yet dry self.

Pomni told him one winter evening to please remove a pair of black leather gloves, as the scent was bothering her. Jax smiled.

“Why of course, my dear. In fact, I’ll see to it that I personally scour each and every surface these malodorous gloves have touched!”

Pomni silenced him by playfully lobbing a book in his direction.

Nine months in, Pomni’s water broke on the way to the restroom one morning, and she was rushed to the hospital. Labor proved to be an ordeal, as Pomni’s slight stature made the delivery process especially excruciating. Pomni said things to the doctors and nurses she hoped to never repeat to a single living soul, and it was the first and only time she repeated The 13 Steps, mostly because she wanted something else to focus on other than her entire lower body being torn asunder.

What felt like an eternity of suffering later, and there was at last a tiny voice crying out into the world. Pomni saw her child and the pain was instantly forgotten. Her child. Her baby. She was here.

Jax was the first to hold her after the doctor snipped off her umbilical cord. She was perfectly tiny, little more than a bundle of blankets and damp, blue-violet fur. Jax looked at her with a fondness Pomni had only seen on her wedding day. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he looked from his minutes-old daughter to Pomni, damp with sweat and rested atop five pillows.

“She’s beautiful, darling…” he said, gently handing her over to Pomni. Pomni feebly took her daughter into her arms, motherly instinct taking over as she rocked the infant to soothe her cries.

“Hello, Esther…” Pomni managed to say before drifting into slumber, equal parts relieved and exhausted.

—

“That’s it Esther, come to daddy!”

In the foothills of the Waga Mountains in Ediacara, on a grassy knoll, a red and white checkered blanket was spread out for a family of three. The father, a periwinkle-furred rabbit beastman, the mother, a petite human woman with shoulder length raven black hair, and their one-year-old daughter. The child’s fur was a deep, umbral blue, with twinkling green eyes like peridots. She had a small tuft of violet-black hair between her long ears, her cheeks, arms and legs still cushioned by baby fat. She wriggled about on the blanket until she was sitting up, clad in a small gray dress and puffy white bloomers.

“You can do it, dear! Up-up!” Jax said, patting his knees.

Esther rocked forward onto her hands and knees. She shakily rose onto her feet, pinwheeling her arms with a squeal and dropping into a crawling position again.

“There’s no need to rush her, darling. We should be cheering that she can stand for a little while.” Pomni said, smiling.

“Oh, I know.” Jax replied. “I was just so thrilled to see her come waddling towards me this morning. It was like she had forgotten that she was supposed to crawl. She dropped right to her hands and knees when I gasped.”

Esther babbled.

“Oh, I’m sorry Esther, I know you were just as shocked as I was.” Jax said to his daughter.

Pomni smiled, holding her squirming daughter in her lap as Jax reached into the basket. He took out a few tins of vegetables, a jar of puréed ham and potatoes, and a salmon filet.

Esther fussed, continuing to try and wriggle free from her mother’s arms.

“Now you be patient, young lady. Your papa went to a lot of trouble to make all this.” Pomni chided.

“Baba,” Esther said. That was her way of saying “papa,” as P’s were a bit difficult for her. It was also her first word, her second being “night night” and her third being “mama.” It came as no surprise to either parent, since Jax was by far the one who spent the most time with Esther. He quit his job to raise her at home full time, allowing Pomni to focus on her career while also saving them the trouble of paying for a nanny.

“So, just about everyone is on the way, eh?” Jax said. “I’m amazed they could even afford roundabout passes to Ediacara…”

“Kinger paid for them. I insisted he not, but he had already sent off the crowns by the time the letter got to him. I know Kinger has a considerable fortune, but he will run out of money eventually should he spend so frivolously…”

“Babaaa!” Esther cried.

“Yes, dear, on the way…” Jax stirred a teaspoon in the jar of puréed food and withdrew it, placing it into Esther’s mouth. “You’re fretting too much again, darling. Your family will get to see your daughter! And just how much she’s grown.”

“Baba,” Esther said. Jax gave her another spoonful of food.

“I do love it here, certainly… But if someone wishes to come visit us, it shouldn’t cost them an arm and a leg. Although, that’s true of most things…”

There was a flash of color on the endless, verdant expanse the family sat on. A mote of red on a quilt of green.

“I suppose that’s true, but he should really visit while he has- Pomni?”

Pomni looked at the blot of color. There was a glint, and she gasped.

“Pomni, dear, what is it?” Jax asked.

“Hold Esther a moment,” she said, standing up and running towards the red figure in the distance.

“Mamaaaa!” Esther cried sternly.

Pomni hurried down the knoll, just about running out of her shoes. Sure enough, coming into focus was a shapeman in a red tailcoat, clutching a black walking stick with a golf leaf tip. He had an enlarged pair of dentures where his face should be.

“You-” Pomni gasped. “You, how did you get here?”

The Gentleman in Red tilted his head. “I’m sorry?”

“I… I asked you, sir. How did you get here? What are you doing here?”

“Why I’m here to see you, Mrs. Shutnyk. I believe your friend Kinger Rooker issued everyone an invitation.” He held up a boat ticket.

“You… you came with them..? No, they’re not supposed to be here for a week! Sir, please…”

Pomni swallowed.

“I’ve been left pondering for years. The night at the church, when you defended me against Boone and Mr. Krolik… Why did you do it? Why?Could you… could you at least tell me your name?”

The Gentleman in Red put both hands on his cane and tilted his head to the other side.

“You look happy, Pomni.”

Pomni blinked. “I… I am happy? I’m-”

He nodded. “Then I shall move on. Enjoy the rest of your life, Mrs. Krolik.”

He kicked his cane, twirling it in his hand and walking away.

Pomni watched him leave. She wanted to run after him. But she understood. She laughed incredulously.

“Pomni, is everything alright?” Jax said, having had to walk to avoid not jostling Esther.

“Mama,” Esther scolded.

Pomni turned and looked her husband in the eye. She smiled.

“…Why, yes. Yes it is. Shall we eat?”

Fin

[laurfilijames]

Admit It...

Pairing: Fili x female reader

Words: 2,044

Warnings: Rated E, 18+. Oral sex (female receiving). Masturbation (male). Unprotected intercourse.

Summary: After being away on Royal duties for a fortnight, Fili returns home later than promised to find you busy in the kitchen, and you make up for lost time on a meaningful day.

A/N: Surprise! I did my best to bang out something short for one more contribution for the Deano Bingo, so I hope you enjoy! My final fic will be posted tomorrow evening.

Prompts used were Kitchen Sex and "Admit it, you missed me."

(In this fic Fili and reader live in a small cabin just outside Erebor, cause you know, why not.)

---

Dough and flour coated your hands as you listlessly kneaded the forming pastry on the wooden countertop, your thoughts not at all focused on the favourite dinner you were carefully constructing, but rather on the dwarf you craved who loved it.

Having not clapped hungry eyes or needy hands on Fili in a fortnight now, your heart ached for him, missing him wholly and with every part of you that lived and breathed, and although today was not necessarily a monumental anniversary, you longed for him impossibly more.

A faint smile tugged at your lips as you recalled the day that was not all that long ago; his fingers weaving your hair into a courting braid, each passing of your strands signifying his love and devotion to you, claiming you as his One with the mark of the sigil on his bead that secured it but not more than the way his body proved so time and time again.

Sighing as you wiped your brow to try to erase the flush that was quickly reducing you into an inferno, you glanced out the window to see the quickly approaching darkness, and you wondered if you would get to see Fili at all today as had been intended when he left.

Knowing that discussions of contracts and settling on agreements took time and his royal duties were both grueling at times and chiefly necessary, you took a deep breath and prayed for patience to grace you, aware that he would be eager to return home and never purposefully neglect a day that meant so much to you.

Night soon took over what was left of the day, and after having meticulously cleaned the kitchen and did your best to keep dinner warm with still no sign of your love, hope drained from you as much as the fire had that you worked at stoking, the embers coming to life again slowly to lick at the new logs set upon them.

Wind howled against the walls of your small home, the protection of the Lonely Mountain not able to shield it from the direction it blasted, and you wondered if Fili would be caught sleeping out in the elements for another blustery night.

Heavy footsteps tread hurriedly up to the door, and in an instant his wind-burnt, reddened cheeks and tousled blond hair burst through, his smile warming you despite the cold that followed him in.

"You're late," you chided, the seriousness in your tone dampened by the grin that pulled the corners of your mouth upward, your eyebrow hooking high on your forehead to aid in selling your feigned disappointment.

Fili gave you a playful look of warning, his own eyebrows raising on his head to show his amusement in your audacious greeting. His boots and coat remained on him as he strode through to you, capturing you in a heated kiss that forced your back against the countertop and made you arch into him. Finding your face with his chilled hands, he deepened your kiss, effectively stealing your breath while making your legs feel weak, and in turn you pawed at the layers of leather that hid him from you.

With a low growl he broke the seal of your lips, his eyes dark as he looked at how he had already made your lips swell from his kiss and the roughness of his beard, your body clearly forgetting how to handle him.

"What am I late for?" he asked, squinting at you with exaggerated curiosity.

"Oh, nothing, I suppose," you drawled, shrugging your shoulders as you shifted your eyes to the left where his dinner sat waiting under a towel.

Fili tucked his lip in his teeth as he removed his hands from your face and lifted the covering to reveal what made his mouth instantly water and stomach growl with forgotten hunger.

"You made this for me?"

"I had, yes, but seeing as you were late…"

He gave a hearty laugh that made your heart leap in your chest, the realization of just how much you missed him settling heavily in your bones.

"Would you care to know why I was late?"

His head tipped to the side as he looked at you with a playfulness in his eyes, and you knew even if you were truly upset with him, that feeling would be impossible to hold on to.

Fili reached into the pack that he had carelessly discarded on the floor beside him, retrieving a fair-sized package wrapped in a material you immediately recognized that was sealed with a twine bow.

You took the parcel from him as he held it out for you, not missing the prideful, and partially smug look on his face as you carefully unwrapped it; the sight and scent of your favourite dessert awakening your senses.

"So, am I forgiven?" Fili asked, his pupils dilating as he watched you swipe your finger through the sticky topping and bring it to your mouth where you sucked it clean with an appreciative moan and closed eyes that no doubt mimicked something else.

Opening your eyes, you slowly licked your lips, seeing how your display made Fili's pulse hammer in his neck and blush rise up his chest that was visible where his tunic sat open at the top.

"I'll have to think about it," you quipped, your grin stretching across your face as he shook his head and started to remove his jacket while kicking off his boots.

Wearing just his trousers that he had already opened the laces on, Fili stalked toward you again, his hands bracing on the countertop to cage your body between his, his lips ghosting beside your ear.

"Do I need to remind you how much I love you?" His lips pressed against your neck and made you shudder, your breath hitching and heat rising through you at his proximity, and yet you stayed determined to keep your hands to yourself for now. Nuzzling your soft skin with his nose, he inhaled your scent before continuing in a raspy voice that displayed his vibrant lust for you. "...How much I missed you?"

You squirmed when he rubbed his hardened front against your core, and pulling his head away from you slightly, he peered at you with a look in his eyes you could no longer resist.

Giving him a nod that made him chuckle with amusement, you took the opportunity to soak in the sight of him, feasting your eyes on the hairy chest you could never forget, how his belly rounded out slightly just above where his trousers hung loose, able to see down them now that his cock stretched them out to reveal the hairs that darkened the further south they went.

His dimples flashed beneath his beard before he placed a quick kiss on your lips, doing his best to coax you out of your pretend bitterness.

"Admit it, you missed me," he purred, his eyes flickering over your features, effectively making you crack. You gripped his face and pulled him against you, crashing your mouth onto his where he eagerly matched your fervor, and before long you were naked and lifted up to sit on the counter. Dishes and jars of spices were knocked over as he carelessly swiped them out of the way to make room for you, the one he was truly ravenous for, making a point to kiss, suck and lick at every portion of your body from your mouth down to your center that was spread before him.

Looking up at you with heavy-lidded eyes as he reached your aching core, Fili kissed your bud gently, then slowly pulled it into his hot mouth, his tongue joining in to alternate swirling licks and agonizing sucks that made you fly your hands back to find anything to help ground you.

More items were tossed about as you were forced to lay back on the counter, including the dinner that crashed to the floor, neither you or Fili paying it any mind as he pressed his face into you even more and feasted on your slick flesh appreciatively.

You rocked your hips against his mouth desperately, your high bubbling up through you wildly due to his talent and the amount of time since you were last given such pleasure.

Fili dove his hand into his pants that were now loosened so much they were being held up only by his stiff member, and taking it out, he let them fall to pool around his feet, a loud groan resounding through you as he pumped himself and smeared the oozing precum over his sensitive head.

With a few more strokes of his expertly working tongue, your orgasm ripped through you, coating his beard with your abundant wetness, causing Fili to cry against you as your release edged him closer to his own, his hand beating his cock furiously but stopping just before he came undone.

He growled ferociously as he emerged from between your legs and licked his lips, his expression feral and unabashed while his chest heaved with panting breaths. Clasping his strong hands under both of your thighs, he dragged you off the counter, your hands sweeping a mug and plate off with you, the sound of ceramic smashing against the wood floor mixing with your laughter.

Your feet carefully landed on the planks between bits of broken items, and you smiled against Fili's lips as he crashed against you in a heated kiss, his arms snaking around your back to hold you as close to his needy body as he could get you.

"Turn around," he whispered roughly, helping to guide you to a spot that was clear of your accidental destruction, his cock bouncing against your bum when he kicked a bowl out of the way with his foot.

He bent to line up with you as you leaned forward to give him better access, his hands spreading your cheeks to make you whine longingly. His cock slammed into you, stretching your tight, temporarily unused walls in one fluid motion, wasting no time in starting a mind-numbing rhythm with his sharp thrusts.

Your breasts bounced and your whole body jostled from his force, the smile on your lips changing into an open gape that allowed your unhinged cries to pour out, the assault he put on your deepest parts building another blissful peak within you.

Fili's hands roamed your body as he bucked into you, smoothing and massaging the parts of you he had missed so much in loving caresses before finding a place on your hips to settle on hanging onto as he set to finish his barrage.

Pulling you back onto him with as much power as he slammed forward into you, he wrecked you both, sending you into screaming bliss at the same time he filled you to the brim with his reserved seed, his unbridled cries muffling against your back as he collapsed forward to cover you with his weight.

He was quick to pull out of you and spin you back to face him, lifting your legs up around his waist to seat you back on his cock that remained hard, and stumbled over to one of the chairs beside the fire.

Collapsing in it with you still encasing him, he buried his face in your neck, peppering you with kisses that spoke his silent words of desperation; the vacancy he had felt in being apart from you for too long replaced by an overwhelming sense of fullness.

"I did miss you," you admitted genuinely, carding your hands across his warm back while placing tender kisses upon his crown.

"I knew it," he chuckled, rubbing his face back and forth against your neck to tickle you until you joined him with your own sated laugh.

You turned your head to glance over at the state of the kitchen and ruined dinner with a wince, and looked back at Fili apologectically.

"I'm sorry!"

He continued to laugh, and placing a kiss on the tip of your nose and then your lips, he hummed. "I think the dessert was spared. I'll be more than happy to share that with you…but it must be in our bed and you must stay naked."

---

Taglist:

Everything: @guardianofrivendell @midearthwritings @cassiabaggins @lilith15000 @trishthedishofreis @linasofia @unbeatablecurlgirl @the-poldarkian @lathalea @enchantzz @blairsanne @legolaslovely @middleearthpixie @i-did-not-mean-to @sketch-and-write-lover @jotink78 @medusas-hairband @feeweeeee @missihart23 @fortheloveofdurin @i-am-still-bb @roobear68 @ichoosechoasandbeingqueer @legolasbadass

Fili: @shethereadinghobbit @ragsweas @faeriefics

[nanowrimo]

Three Tips for Self-Editing Your Manuscript

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. ProWritingAid, a 2022 NaNo sponsor, helps you turn your rough first draft into a clean, clear, publish-ready manuscript. Today, Hayley Milliman, Head of Education at ProWritingAid, shares some tips on how to successfully edit your own manuscript:

So you've finished NaNoWriMo? Congratulations! You should be proud of the hard work you did to complete your manuscript.

Now is when the fun begins: editing.

For many people, the editing process is murky and complex. Drafting is straightforward: your goal is to end up with a finished manuscript. But how do you know what to do when editing? And how do you know when editing is done?

Often, writers rely on editors for support during this stage of the drafting process. But for many, hiring an editor is prohibitively expensive.

The good news is that self-editing can be just as effective, if you know what to do. In this post, we'll walk you through three tips for self-editing your manuscript to make your story as strong as possible.

Let's dive in!

Tip #1: Take a Break

Our best advice for editing is to take a break after writing before you begin any edits. It's tempting to want to start right away, but some distance from the initial draft will give you both needed rest and some perspective on the story.

When you wait for a bit before re-reading your manuscript, you'll approach it more like a stranger. Any confusing plot holes, unrealistic settings, or clunky dialogue will stand out more than they did when you were writing. This approach will give you a clearer understanding of what to edit when it's finally time to begin.

We recommend waiting at least one week before re-reading your manuscript and beginning your edit.

Tip #2: Edit in Stages

Editing is confusing for many people. How do you edit? What changes do you make and when?

Our best advice is to approach editing in three distinct stages where you focus on different types of edits in each. Here are our recommended stages:

Story editing

The first type of editing you'll do is story editing. During story editing, you will evaluate your story’s structure, plot(s), characters, and world to make sure you’re telling a story that your readers will want to read. This stage is where you'll answer big picture questions like:

Does my plot have enough conflict?

Does my story start in the right place?

Do my characters have believable motivations and clear goals?

Is the world of my story fleshed and immersive?

It's important to answer these questions first so that your manuscript is as complete as possible before you begin the next stage.

Line editing

Once your story is mostly set, it’s time to focus on your use of language to convey that story. During line editing, your job is to make sure that your word choice and sentence structure enable your readers to engage.

Here are the types of questions you'll answer:

Am I using too many dialogue tags?

Is my work written at any appropriate readability level?

Have I overused passive voice constructions?

Do I have any echoes or repeats?

Once the language of your story is clear and compelling, it's time to proofread.

Proofreading

Proofreading isn't actually an editing stage. During proofreading, you're polishing your manuscript to make sure it's ready for publication.

You shouldn't be making any substantial changes at this point. Proofreading is all about ensuring formatting is consistent and your manuscript is ready for people to read it.

Tip #3: Use Technology

Technology can support your self-editing process by giving you a second set of eyes on potential improvements. Even the best self editors often miss mistakes in their work like repeated phrases and awkward constructions. Software can help fill those gaps.

An editing tool like ProWritingAid can help you improve the clarity and consistency of your work with the touch of a button. Over 20 different reports allow you to make changes to everything from instances of passive voice to overly sticky sentences.

Plus, technology is affordable for all budgets. ProWritingAid offers a free plan that checks 500 words at a time, plus Premium options for those looking to work with longer documents more quickly.

Self-Editing: Final Thoughts

Self-editing your manuscript can help you make needed improvements so your manuscript is ready for readers. With the tips outlined in this article, you can start self-editing today.

As Head of Education at ProWritingAid, Hayley focuses on building engaging, helpful learning content for the millions of users who rely on ProWritingAid to make their writing clear and effective. Hayley has a robust writing portfolio and has written for dozens of publications on topics related to education, marketing strategy, history, entrepreneurship, and more.

Top photo by Mitchell Luo on Unsplash.

[antisocialxconstruct]

hi! my partner follows you, and showed me your first Pet Surprise post a while back. somehow i'd never heard about these toys before, and i've been enamored with them since seeing yours, lmao.

found this girlie in the thrift shop yesterday! she was in rough shape, & missing her puppies, but she was also like $2, so i took her home and am slowly cleaning her up. i'm considering getting her some replacement pups, but i'm conflicted about whether to go vintage, bc i prefer the head sculpts, or modern so they'll match her better.

anyhow i was wondering, would you mind terribly if i took inspiration from your project, and gave her a little pastel clowncore makeover? 🤡✨

ohhhh that's so incredibly charming, thank you for sharing her with me!! Look how nice and tidy her fur looks thanks to your care 😭 And I absolutely don't mind at all if you take some inspiration from mine! I'd love to see the finished makeover if you feel like sharing :)

I totally get the dilemma on the puppies too lol honestly if you want my opinion at all, I'd recommend going for the vintage puppies especially if you already like the heads better. They're just made of much higher quality materials and constructed better overall. Depending on how crafty you want to get, you could possibly even make new bodies out of pink material and transplant the heads and beanbags to them so they match her better? 🤔 But this is your project lmao