#WOO EXTENSIVE TAGGING

[epicbuddieficrecs]

Weekly Recap | October 1st-13th 2024

Hope all my fellow Canadians had a good long weekend! Had a week from hell last week so I didn't have time to put up the rec, and it's even a bit late for today, but I did it!

If you know anyone who's not tagged, please don't hesitate to tag them in the comments!

Complete

Siri, Call... by Tizniz/ @tizniz (Sickfic | 1,5K | General): Buck is sick and needs to call for help.

for thy true-love take by lecornergirl/ @clusterbuck (Outsider POV, Established buddie | 2K | Teen): OR: Chimney Han and the ethics of slipping your coworkers love potions

watch out, you might get what you're after by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Getting Together | 2K | Mature): Buck unintentionally woos Eddie. And then has a hell of a time processing the way he feels about that.

i hate accidents (except when we went from friends to this) by bellabrady (Getting Together | 2K | Not Rated): Or: How Buck and Eddie's first kiss leads to someone calling the police on them.

Put To Good Use by kittyeddie (PWP, BDSM | 3K | Explicit): Or, Buck and Eddie finally have a kid-free day at home, and take advantage of every second of it

At First Scent by Inell/ @inell (Urban Fantasy AU | 4K | Teen): When Buck visits Maddie, he meets Chris, a magic user needing his sister’s help learning how to use his powers. He also meets Eddie, Christopher’s dad, and feels a connection that he’s only ever dreamed of finding.

Bears, and Foxes, and a Three-Legged Bobcat by Tizniz/ @tizniz (Pre-Buddie, First Date | 4K | General): Buck and Eddie go on a non-date date to a wildlife park. Cuteness ensues.

Just Right by Inell/ @inell (Future fic, Getting Together | 4K | Teen): After getting injured on a call, Buck wakes up the next morning and tries to piece together what happened, accidentally changing his relationship with Eddie in the process.

to adam, from your ribs by justhockey (S8, Getting Together | 4K | General): And the thing is, Buck is so good at being alone; he’s been doing it almost his whole life. But when he’s reminded of the way love tastes, drizzled like honey on your tongue - the way it feels, like the warm glow of sunlight on your skin. That is when he truly aches. Not the breaking, because he’s done that a thousand times over. It’s the knowing that really does him in. The having, for just a little while, before it’s snatched away so quickly he can still feel the burn on his fingertips from trying to hold on.

Hall Pass by Inell/ @inell (Post-S7, Getting Together | 5K | Teen): After Buck and Eddie take Jee and Mara trick or treating, Chim and Maddie play a trick of their own to help Buck finally make a move on Eddie.

it's leading me on, every time we touch by lightyears (Post-S6, Getting Together | 5K | Explicit): Eddie doesn’t think anything of it when he reaches across the table to pile some pasta onto his plate, says, “Just my back. It’s been giving me a bit of trouble.” “You’re hurt, Eddie?” Bobby asks him, and Eddie’s sure that his intention isn’t to capture the rest of the team’s attention, but by way of being Captain, it happens anyway. “I promise, Cap. I’m good. But if it helps, I can go speak with a doctor, make sure nothing else is going on.” Chim chirps up: “A physio probably makes more sense than a doctor.” “Or an occupational therapist,” Ravi suggests, and Eddie’s sure it’s to stave off a Chim-Hen showdown. “Even a massage therapist would probably help.” And then Maddie says, “Buck used to be a massage therapist” and everyone goes quiet, heads all swinging in Buck’s direction.

sweet sunbursts of flesh pink magic by Underhung_Aura/ @eddiebabygirldiaz (Canon Divergent, Witch Buck, Sex Pollen | 5K | Explicit): Buck’s magic has always been a bit volatile. Jittery. Fluctuating. A touch reckless. Messy and bright and loud. Maddie says that a person’s magic is supposed to match the person themselves, that the form it takes isn’t happenstance or random, that it’s a reflection of your purest self, an extension of your soul that you can manipulate. Safe to say, Buck’s never cared for that assessment. or, buck has magic and eddie gets doused with sex pollen

Happy Accident by Inell/ @inell (Post-S8E01: Buzzkill, Friends to Fiances | 6K | Teen): When Buck gets some good news, he accidentally kisses Eddie, which leads to a conversation that changes their relationship.

Kissing On The Corner, Wait For Just A Minute by fruitsdoesnotknow/ @tayf-ghost (Secret Relationship | 6K | Teen): Buck and Eddie think they're so smooth. They're cool, calm, collected. Normal, in fact. Just two normal best friends. Nothing to see here. Nobody is convinced.

Does it bite at your edges? by noxeratum (Infidelity, Post-S7, Getting Together | 6K | Explicit): Eddie Diaz is so repressed that he thinks his jealousy is bigotry and feels bad about it.

Talk Dirty to Me by ameliahart (Post-S7, FWB | 6K | Explicit): In which Buck has recently ended things with Tommy, Eddie wants to explore his sexuality, and they decide to start sleeping together. As friends, of course.

Through the Looking Glass by jukoist/ @beforejuko (Post-S8E01: Buzzkill, Getting Together | 6K | General): Buck likes Tommy. He does! And he definitely isn't in love with Eddie. He's just... worried. Because Eddie keeps vanishing on Sundays, leaving Buck with the boyfriend he definitely likes as much as he should. Everything is fine. Or, a post 8x01 coda.

Basics, Understanding Basics by fruitsdoesnotknow/ @tayf-ghost (Post-S7, Getting Together | 7K | Teen): Chris gets sick, loses part of his memory, and reassures Eddie and Buck they can still kiss in front of him. That's really thoughtful of him, except for the fact that Eddie and Buck aren't dating.

🔥All The Things You Want From Me by giselleslash/ @gigi-gigi (Post-S7, Getting Together | 7K | Teen): “Can I ask you something?” Eddie shrugs. “Sure.” Tommy looks nervous, unsure. Tommy never looks nervous, or unsure. “Do you think Evan would move in with me if I asked him?” (Or the one where Eddie feels Buck slipping through his fingers and can’t let him go, so he tells him not to move in with Tommy and blows everything apart.)

My Carpet’s Got Crop Circles by fruitsdoesnotknow/ @tayf-ghost (Eddie & Karen, Getting Together | 9K | Teen): Or, five times Karen tries to use wine nights to get Eddie and Buck together, and the one time she didn't need to.

🔥Late Fines by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Canon Divergent, Librarian!Buck | 12K | Teen): Buck is a children's librarian at the branch closest to Eddie's house. When he gets himself involved in the lives of a cute kid and his handsome single dad, he gets a glimpse of what he wants in life. It might just take a few years to get it.

Eddie Diaz VS The Buck's Boyfriend Agenda by songbvrd/ @songbvrd (Post-S7, BuckTommy Break-Up | 23K | Mature): Eddie starts gathering information about why no one trusts Tommy. As he grows to hate their relationship more, he learns more about himself and what he wants.

🔥 ice cream before dinner by cloudydaisies (Post-S7, Getting Together | 58K | Teen): or, gerrard messes with the team's schedules and eddie 'i just drove my son to flee the state' diaz is the only option to watch mara and jee-yun after school on tuesdays, which, shouldn't be a problem at all, right?

🔥 Any Other Way by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Canon Divergent, S2 | 102K | Mature): In a switcheroo alternate universe, Buck spends young adulthood in the military, while Eddie, who has no idea Christopher exists, spends his twenties messing around, finally enjoying freedom away from his family’s expectations. When they both end up in Los Angeles, at the 118, some things are different, and others will be the same in any universe.

WIP

Gentle On My Mind by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Canon Divergent, Shannon Lives, Buck/Eddie/Shannon | 5/? | 32K | Explicit): In which Shannon lives, tells a lie, and sends hers, Eddie's, and Buck's lives down a very different path.

🔥 go and kill, go and die by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Zombie Apocalypse AU | 9/14 | 40K | Mature): The 118 are a group of survivors in a small California town in the wake of a zombie apocalypse. For months they've been isolated and safe. But the arrival of some new players, the search for some missing loved ones, will shake everything up and put their little team in jeopardy.

Podfic

[Podfic] déjà vu by NC Pods (N0Connections)/ @n0connections // fic by peaktotheocean/ @peaktotheocean (S7E07: Ghost of a Second Chance | 10-20min | General): It is completely possible that Buck put too much thought into buying his couch. But Eddie can’t think of anyone else in his life who would buy a couch just so his kid would be comfortable.

🔥 [Podfic] With a Little Help From my Friends by MeggieJolly/ @meggiejolly // fic  by extasiswings/ @extasiswings (Post-S3, Feelings Realization | 10-20min | Teen): “You know…several of us parents get together once, maybe twice a month or so. You’re welcome to join us if you’d like. I can add you to the email chain.” Not for the first time that day, Eddie’s surprised. It’s not that he’s opposed, more that the invitation is unexpected. He’s not particularly social—when he is it’s with the team or with Buck or with his family, all of them in each other’s houses, in each other’s lives both at work and away from it. Outside of them… It occurs to him that he’s never really known how to make friends. [Or: Eddie makes friends outside of work and realizes that Buck might not, in fact, be just a friend]

🔥 as lucky as us [Podfic] by blackglass/ @blackestglass // fic by hammersmiths/ @henswilsons (Ravi POV, S7 | 20-30min | General): One of the first things Ravi learned when joining the 118 was to, under no circumstances, think too hard about Buck and Eddie’s relationship. But brother, they could try make his job easier. “I mean, I get it,” Buck’s saying, overhead, and Ravi’s knee-deep in literal human crap and even he can smell that shit from a mile away. “You and Tommy have a lot in common.” or, Ravi continually suffers as a third-wheel.

🔥 [podfic] baby, can i hold you? by All_I_Ask/ @alliaskisthepossibilityoflove // fic by fleetinghearts / @shitouttabuck (pre-Buddie, angst/comfort | 30-45min | Teen): Eddie’s eyes are squeezed shut, and Buck feels something inside him crack when this helpless, devastated sob wracks his body, eyelashes clumped with tears he’s not letting fall. “What do you need?” Buck asks again. “What can I do?” Eddie makes a frustrated noise. “I don’t know. I don’t know why this won’t stop.” or, eddie panics. buck holds him.

🔥 Heart, I Implore You [Podfic] by ReformedTsunderePodfics (ReformedTsundere)/ @film-in-my-soul // fic by @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels (Vampire Eddie, PWP | 45-60min | Explicit): When Buck finds out his best friend isn't exactly human, he volunteers to help keep Eddie from dying. It's definitely just to keep Eddie from dying. No other reason. None whatsoever.

Re-Read

Down to the Bones of Me by giselleslash/ @gigi-gigi (Post-S7E10: All Fall Down | 5K | Teen): The morning after Christopher leaves Eddie gets in his truck and drives. Buck lets him go, and Eddie fights to come back for both of them.

[copaline]

WOO! WIP WEDNESDAY!

ISTG this has been a long and exhausting week. BUT I MADE IT! I hope to get a lot more writing done this weekend, fingers crossed!

@man--eater (I know I'm hogging the spoons but GIMME YOUR WORDS!)

@sunsetofdoom (You're just out here being a menace and you know it)

@i-prefer-base-twelve (Ma'am are you alive? The council is worried about you.)

@punedrr (Ok midterms should be over. TELL ME YOU GOT SOMETHING!)

@ancharan (After that stream? I want, nay, demand all the doodles and or writings!)

And as always, if you see this and want to join in, please do! Consider yourself tagged by me! The banner is free to use!

Back on the Horror Vacui bandwagon! Making progress on the upcoming chapter 10:

Leaf was well acquainted with pain. Psychological, emotional, physical… her experiences ran the gamut but she had never considered herself much of a masochist. The complex variety of pain’s flavors were lost on her. Truth be told there was surprising little that could genuinely hurt her anymore, so the pain was just another futile exercise in unpleasantness. So why was it she once again found herself unconscious and gritting her teeth to bear it? As though to answer, Ford's smiling face flickered in her mind. That's right.  This all happened because she was an idiot. Leaf didn’t fight the pull and effortlessly fell away into the abyss. If she went deep enough away, she could muffle the pain behind ice cold nothingness. Far away where everything felt numb, there she could think properly and take stock of the damage. It certainly looked bad. Bill had added his own twist on the impact, but most of the destruction was simply the universe taking its due. Meddling always came at a price, the only thing Bill had done was give the thing shotgun physics.  That little cheat with the Neverwere and Dr. Dipper had landed her three broken ribs. Then there was the dimensional skip, more temporal distortions, breach of contract, obstruction of death, soul prisage, liminal bleeding, spatial breakage, misappropriation of potential, even more temporal distortions…  The Axolotl might grin and look the other way, but Time Baby was surely throwing a tantrum over it. Hence the pain. Idly she wondered if this time the damage would be extensive enough to kill her. If anything could manage to take her out, it was probably this. However, a cursory glance at her injuries showed that none of them were life threatening. Agonizing and inconvenient? Yes. Deadly? Not even close. How disappointing. Leaf sighed only half-joking. There was a comfort in the familiar notion that everything and everyone eventually came to an end. It would be rather nice to have death find her in the comfort of her bed instead of in a battlefield. A peaceful end… that's all anyone could ever hope for, wasn't it? She drifted in the darkness longing for dreams to materialize and fill the nothingness. They would never come. Yet another thing she’d lost in the exchange between mortality and the eternal. ‘Mostly human’ was not human enough to dream.  Dealers had little use for dreams. Those little bursts of inspiration were reserved for more malleable creatures that could continue to change and grow throughout their lifetime. Leaf was already everything she would ever be.  Things had been different when Bill was around. Every night, he had a habit of singing lullabies and unwinding the coils of existence. His gift was to allow for even more possibilities than what reality granted. She had dreamt back when Bill was still around. Back when everyone was still around…

[fueledbysano]

𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐖 Izana Kurokawa

ligaw. [noun] courtship; dating; woo. the university's local rockstar tries to win your heart in his classy ways ♡

♱ izana kurokawa x fem!reader

♱ tags, and for my favorite people in the fandom, Izana stans 🖤 : @hiraethsdesires @fuyuluvr @izanazqueen @iluvizana @half-baked-biscuit @ask-the-insect-hashira @sukunassuka @izanapogi @em-plosion @chrofeisnightmaregf @mattsune

♱ a/n: belated happy birthday to our king 🫀 I'm sure all my filipina girlies will agree when I say that Izana is that expensive guy who hangs out a lot in bgc and is probably famous in campus.

Izana Kurokawa was quite a popular guy on campus at his university in the Philippines. He was a part of the “Tenjiku” band, playing the guitar, and he was known for his love of motorcycles and his skill on two wheels. He was known to make quite an entrance when he parked his bike before his classes.

Izana had always been a bit of a control freak when it came to his precious guitar. It was the day of the university’s annual festival night, and his band was going to perform. Izana's instrument was like an extension of himself. He took great care of it, tuning it to perfection before each show and making sure that no one else touched it without his permission. Not even his band mates, he knew they were professionals themselves, but he trusted it to no one but himself.

So as Tenjiku bandmates were doing a soundcheck on the empty stage, Izana’s heart dropped when he saw a stage crew carrying his guitar. Her name plate read “[ Y / N ]” at the front, carrying his guitar carefully. If she wasn’t wearing the pass, he would’ve mistaken her for another performer, considering how attractive and how nice she was styled too.

He usually would’ve thrown a fit, but it wasn't just that she was touching his precious instrument, but the way she was carrying it. She was holding it with such care, like it was a priceless work of art rather than just a tool for playing music.

“What are you doing with my guitar?” he asked, his tone serious.

“Some amateurs and I think… fans managed to get backstage and peek at your instrument,” [ Y / N ] explained. "I couldn't let them touch it, so I took it to you. Sorry if I intruded."

Izana was impressed by her care and consideration. He knew how much his guitar meant to him, and he was grateful to have someone like her who understood that. “I’ll get someone to bring you guys’ your water bottles too, the performance starts soon.”

And so as Izana was performing on stage, his guitar ringing out over the crowds as they cheered and clapped. He was in his element, the music flowing through him like blood, the energy of the crowd pulsing through his veins.

But as the set went on, he started to notice that his guitar was sounding a little off. It wasn't much, just a slight distortion that seemed to be coming from the speakers, but it was enough to rattle his concentration. He couldn't focus on the music, constantly worrying about whether the audience was hearing the same thing.

Luckily, [ Y / N ] seemed to be listening in, because she quickly rushed up to the sound booth to fix the distortion. "There we go," she whispered, her voice low and calm. Izana quickly peeked at her from a distance, grateful for the assistance. She quickly started to tinker with the equipment, checking the cables and fixing a few loose connections after giving him a quick nod.

Izana couldn't help but feel a pang of attraction at what she just did. She seemed so passionate about her work, and he couldn't help but admire that.

Izana was still riding the high of his band's performance at the end of the night, when he spotted [ Y / N ] at the parking lot. As he made her way towards her , he felt a sense of anticipation, eager to see her again. “Hey.” he said, catching up. “Thanks for all the help again today.”

[ Y / N ] couldn't help but feel her heart rushing as she looked up at him. She felt a mix of emotions– admiration, attraction, and a bit of nervousness. “Of course,” she said, a hint of exhaustion mixing with her kind tone. “You guys did so well. I liked your set.”

Izana smiled at her words, feeling a sense of pride and satisfaction. “Thanks,” he said. “You know, I never let anyone touch my guitar, but you carried it like a pro. Not to mention, you noticed the off-distortion in the middle of my performance. I must say, that was really impressive.” He smiled. “At least let me take you to your place. It’s getting late too.”

As they rode through Taguig City, [ Y / N ] couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and adventure. She loved the feeling of the wind in her hair, and the way the city lights stretched out before her like a dazzling kaleidoscope. Izana was the perfect driver, making their trip smooth and comfortable.

Despite the late hour, the streets were still full of people– college students, young professionals, and tourists alike. The city was alive with energy, and it felt as though they were being called in.

As they neared the corner, Izana spotted a food bazaar and immediately made a left turn. [ Y / N ] followed his lead, smiling as she took in the sights and sounds of the bustling night market. “I love this place,” Izana said, dismounting the motorcycle and helping [ Y / N ] down. They were immediately met by the colorful stalls, the sizzling sounds of meat cooking, and the call of the vendors. [ Y / N ] followed Izana through the maze of tents and stalls, trying to make sense of the smells, sounds and smells that attacked her senses.

Finally, they reached a stall that seemed to capture Izana's attention, and she watched as he ordered a plate of sisig (spicy pork dish) and a serving of white rice while [ Y / N ] settled with a simple order of Lumpia (egg rolls).

[ Y / N ] couldn't help but smile, appreciating the joy on his face. She had never seen a grown man enjoy food so much. As they sat there, she couldn't help but think about how much they had done together in such a short amount of time. It had only been a night, and she had gone from never having heard of him to having a well-deserved late dinner together after a long day of putting up a show for everyone in the university.

The night air was cool and crisp, and the sounds of the street vendors and bustling crowds filled their ears as they walked. The vendor poured the frosty coconut juice into two glasses and handed them over to Izana, who smiled and held out one of the glasses to [ Y / N ]. She took a sip, and the cool liquid refreshed her after the long, hot day. The juice was creamy and sweet with a hint of coconut, and [ Y / N ] found herself finishing the glass before she knew it.

As they rode through the city, the lights and billboards shining brightly against the nighttime sky, [ Y / N ] couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder and amazement. It was one of those moments that made her feel tiny and insignificant, like she was just a spec in the vastness of the universe.

Izana rode with a sense of ease and grace, his eyes scanning the streets for any potential hazards. She felt safe and secure in his arms, like he was her personal guardian from the world's dangers.

As they neared her dorm, she couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness. The night had flown by in a flash, and she wasn't ready for it to be over. But she knew that it was only the beginning of their time together. She knew that there would be many more nights like this, many more adventures and experiences to share.

and she was right, it was just the beginning of something beautiful with Izana. Him being a man of class and culture, Izana went on going above and beyond to truly show [ Y / N ] that he was serious about her.

He would surprise her with gifts, take her on unforgettable dates, and become her personal rider as they go to and go home from school together on his bike. He was a true gentleman, and made sure she was comfortable.

He was a natural leader, someone who was always in control, always focused and driven. And yet, he was also sensitive and compassionate, always putting [ Y / N ]'s needs above his own. He was a man with a kind heart and a fierce love for those he cared about, and [ Y / N ] knew that she was one of the lucky ones to have him in her life.

Izana was a true connoisseur of the finer things in life, and he loved sharing that with [ Y / N ]. She was flattered that he took such joy in showing her the luxurious and artistic side of the city, and she knew that these experiences would be forever etched in her memory. These activities not only brought them closer together, but also made them appreciate the beauty of life and the world around them.

So as an arts lover through and through, he loved taking [ Y / N ] to art museums and galleries, where they could spend hours gazing at the incredible works of art, appreciating the beauty of each piece. From the historically rich walls of Manila into the imposing architecture in Bonifacio Global City, they would stroll along the streets, surrounded by high-rise buildings and lush greenery. The city was alive with energy, and there was always something new to discover.

As much as they loved high-end corners of Taguig, Izana and [ Y / N ] would often venture out to Cubao, the place to be for the local music scene where they could catch local bands jamming out and performing live music. It was a unique experience, and they could feel the energy of the crowd as they watched the bands on stage.

They enjoyed exploring different venues and checking out different genres, from rock to indie to even jazz. Izana was a big fan of rock and indie music, so they often frequented places like the Hard Rock Cafe, which featured local bands playing these genres. [ Y / N ], on the other hand, enjoyed exploring different genres and discovering new bands that Izana loved. They loved the experience of trying out different sounds and seeing the different reactions of the crowd.

It was during these moments that [ Y / N ] felt the most in tune with Izana. They would rock out to their favorite songs, sharing headphones and singing along together. It was a way for them to express themselves, and even though they had different music tastes, they found common ground in their shared love of live music.

[ Y / N ] couldn't help but feel grateful for the love and commitment that Izana showed her every day. She was truly blessed to have found someone like him, who was not only her lover, but also her best friend, her confidant, and her soulmate. She knew that their love was something special, something that would last a lifetime.

So when [ Y / N ] gave Izana her sweet "yes", everything was worth it. As Izana held [ Y / N ] in his arms, the whole world seemed to fade away. All he could see and feel was her, and their shared love. He had waited for this moment for so long, and now it was finally here. Everything had led up to this moment - the long nights of studying, the late nights of conversation, and the sweet moments shared together.

It was now as if they were one, united in their love for one another. They had started as friends, and now they were partners, companions, and lovers. It was a journey that had taken them from strangers to soulmates, and it was one that they would always share from now on.

[dancinglikebutterflywings]

Be With You - Prologue

Pairings: Photographer!Kim Hongjoong x Widow!Reader

Summary: After a traumatic event, Hongjoong skips town and finds himself in a small village on Jeju Island. There he meets Choi Y/N, a widowed mother of one and finds out he's connected to her in more than one way.

Warnings: Mentions of grief and loss. Full list of warnings and disclaimers on masterlist post.

Word Count: 516 (chapters will be longer)

Tag List: Open. To join - leave a comment the masterlist or fill out my permanent tag list form.

Be With You Masterlist

©️ 2024 DANCINGLIKEBUTTERFLYWINGS. DO NOT COPY, MODIFY OR REPOST ANYWHERE.

Two people 465 kilometers from each other, abruptly awaken, their hearts racing and breaths shallow after their peaceful slumber had transformed into a haunting nightmare. They throw back their blankets, one getting up from his bed while the other got up from the thin mattress on the floor that she shares with her daughter. 

Kim Hong Joong walks to the balcony of his one-bedroom apartment, feeling the cool city air embrace, waking him up the moment he steps outside.  

While Choi Y/N walks to the back door of her small one-bedroom home that she shares with her daughter. The moment she opens the door, a gentle ocean breeze caresses her face, carrying with it the salty scent of the sea. 

Both Kim Hong Joong and Choi Y/N carry the weight of their nightmares, haunted by the events of the past and present they both can’t seem to escape. 

 Hong Joong looks back inside his apartment. A chill runs down his spine as he takes in the emptiness of his apartment. The once vibrant room now feels empty and devoid of the warmth and joy it once held. The walls that were once adorned with colorful photographs of his family and friends now stand bare and the room that used to be filled with laughter and conversation is now still and silent. His camera, once a source of comfort and an extension of him, sits on the coffee table, longing to be used once more. He contemplates destroying the camera, but the sentimental value it holds stops him. 

The stillness of the apartment becomes suffocating, prompting him to retreat inside and lock the balcony door. Instead of wallowing inside the apartment, he decides to leave everything behind and escape to Jeju Island, the farthest place in South Korea from Seoul. 

Y/N, on the other hand, reflects on her home in the small village on Jeju Island. What was meant to be a temporary escape from her past has now become her permanent residence for the last five years.  

And then there is Sun-Hwa, the little girl who bears the name of her father, a man that Sun-Hwa never had the chance to meet. Yet, Sun-Hwa serves as a constant reminder of the husband Y/N had loved and lost far too soon. 

Y/N's gaze shifts to the young girl peacefully sleeping, curled up under a thin blanket. This small village is the only world Sun-Hwa has ever known. The only connection she has to Seoul are the stories Y/N shares about her father and the occasional visits from her Uncles Jong Ho and San, and her godfather Woo Young. She knows nothing of how they came to live in the small village they call home. She knows that one day, Sun-Hwa will have questions and she’ll have to answer them, but for now, Y/N is content to shield Sun-Hwa from the hurt and pain she’s been dealing with for the last five years. 

Moving back inside, Y/N lays back down next to Sun-Hwa, wrapping the small girl tightly in her arms as she drifts back into dreamless sleep. 

@staytiny2000 - @rainydayteacups - @everythingboutkpop - @qwonyoung23 - @mountiiny

@busanbby-jjk - @oddracha - @skittyneos - @ateezswonderland

To join - leave a comment the masterlist, send in an ask or fill out my permanent tag list form

[chaotic-iguana]

bruh.

what. what the fuck.

writing started off as an exploration; a hobby that i was just trying out. something new, to pass the time. but i feel like it has now evolved into an extension of my art. over time, my stories starting having more and more elements of the poetry-inspired commentary i like to have in the forefront of my paintings, or very simply the imagery i used to include in my poems themselves.

but that isn’t even the best part.

i’ve been writing for around a month, and i absolutely adore literally every single mutual i have on here. @breakfastatjoels, @mandoisapunk, @josephquinnswhore, @bastardmandennis, @nostalxgic, @pedrosaidsheispunk, @theywhowriteandknowthings @millerscoffee

you’re all such inspirations im so glad to know u all thank u all for existing i gen would not have kept writing/still be on this site without yall and i promise im wrapping up i just think its a little fucked that im…gaining traction? how? and the crazy thing?? that list of ppl tagged up there are like just the ones i could remember off the top of my head!! there’s so many more! @imherefordeanandbones, was my first follower and the first on my taglist, and one of the first people to make me think my writing was actually not that bad for a beginner!!

anyways while i literally question everything and melt in gratitude, i hope you all have great days. thank you very much. let’s hope we see many more!!

enough sappy shit.

as a celebration, im gonna write fics, blurbs or hcs (saw/nsfw) based on the following prompts:

this is from @havenoffandoms 800 follower celebration! just send me your character pairing and prompt. list below the cut

“I’m in love with you. Please, don’t leave me.”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

“It’s really not that complicated.”

“You’re in love with them, aren’t you?”

“We could get arrested for this.”

“I thought you were dead.” 

“You’re never going to let that go, are you?”

“Love is overrated.”

“If you think I’m going to talk to you while you’re dressed like that, you’re wrong!”

“Do you ever actually use your cellphone?”

“You don’t need to protect me.”

“You fainted… right into my waiting arms. You know, if you wanted my attention you didn’t have to go to such extremes.”

“You have to make a choice.”

“You have to remember.”

“You heard me. Take. It. Off.”

“You know, it’s okay to cry.”

“You lied to me!”

“You make me feel like I’m not good enough.”

“You need to wake up cause I can’t do this without you.”

“You’ll be the death of me.”

“The only thing hotter than seeing your orgasm is seeing your smile.”

“Where do you think you’re going dressed like that? Your body is for my eyes only.”

“From the minute I met them, there was no choice. They’re smart. They’re strong. They resent their parents enough to go for a person like me. Also they’re crazy hot.”

“What do you mean, I’m not scary? I literally nearly scared the life out of a man?” “You literally scared a little saliva and a little urine out of him.”

“When someone your age dies, you instinctively want to hear it was of something that could never happen to you. Well, it’s the same with divorce.”

“I get to stay home and plan the death of Dora the Explorer. Fill her backpack with bricks and throw her into the Candy Cane River.”

“You don’t ‘take a run’ at a person. You woo them. You make them feel special.” “Hey honey, look at this. It’s a picture of my butt.”

“I don’t like you.” “I’ll get over it.”

“You’re one of the most beautiful person I know, and you don’t even know it.” “No, I know it.”

“Why do you always have to throw wet blankets on my dreams?” “I do not.” “Yes you do. And you know what I end up with? Wet dreams.”

“So you’re gonna throw me under the bus?” “Oh, I’m gonna throw you so hard I might even win a stuffed animal.”

“Who wouldn’t be angry if you ate all the cereal and faked your death for three years?”

“Quick, catch the cat it stole my coin pouch!”

“I feel like I was just hit by a car… wait, I did? And it was YOUR car?”

“I can’t believe I’m sitting in a dungeon with you of all people.”

“So why do I have to punch that guy?”

“I may have accidentally sort of adopted five goats.”

“I hope you know that my name is actually _____”

“Please stop petting the prisoners.”

“Please put me down, it’s just a sprained ankle.”

“So what if I broke my arm, I’m still doing it.”

“Why exactly do you need chloroform at 2am?”

“I’m like 75% sure this won’t explode in our faces.”

“You know how my people are, we would destroy ourselves just for spite.”

“Wait, is that what you were trying to do? I’m sorry, I would’ve taken you much more seriously if I knew.”

“Let’s not blow the extortion charge out of proportion. My boss was just a sore loser.”

“Of all things, you would have thought that the rain was innocuous enough. Turns out, nothing is innocuous in this Gods forsaken place!”

“It’s illegal to make unauthorized species. But it’s also illegal to kill endangered species. Thankfully, I only did one of each.”

“The secret ingredient isn’t human flesh, that’s all I can say.”

“Where’s the king?” “He’s being chased by a wyvern. It’s an old tradition, you see.”

“If I serenade for you, will you strip for me?”

“This is new.”

“Make me.”

“Shh. Stop fussing. I’m just braiding your hair.”

“If you steal the blankets, I’m going to put my cold feet on you.”

“Don’t be stubborn. Try it.”

“You are very endearing when you are half-asleep.”

“I heard you talking in your sleep.”

“The thought of losing you scares me.”

“Don’t smile at me like that. You know it drives me crazy.”

thank you. love you all.

[toriafiction]

Flowers For My Love

One of my Dick /Jason wips. This one just won't get out of my head recently.

It's a soulmate hanahaki fic. 🌸

Check tags for possible tw / cw

Dick has known since Jason was Robin that they are soulmates. Jason didn't know because, at that time, he was too young for the bond to wake on his end, and Dick didn't tell anyone because he didn't want anyone or anything to influence Jason.

He's still a kid and he deserves to explore who he is and what he likes and have his own experiences like Dick did. He should make friends and date whoever he wants and not feel guilty for it. He refuses to take that from him.

So Dick balances his time with Jason very carefully. He makes sure that he isn't around too much. He's absent more than present but when he is around he makes sure that they spend some quality time together and have fun.

It doesn't matter if that's just sitting in the library talking about what book Jason is reading, playing a game or watching a movie together, going out, or even patrolling together. Sometimes Jason comes and stays with him at Bludhaven. Dick shows him his city and takes him train surfing.

It really is a balancing act for Dick. He doesn't want to woo Jason and doesn't want Jason to slot him into the brother role either. His plan is to be a fond yet distant presence in Jason's life until he is old enough to decide what he wants Dick as without Dick having influenced his decision. It's the only thing that seems right at this point.

He wants Jason to grow up with the same freedom he had and to decide what he wants them to be when he is old enough.

Then Jason dies and all Dick can do for years is mourn all the lost time and the future they didn't get to have together.

After Jason comes back and has really started to settle from the pit madness, Dick tries to tell Jason that they are soulmates. He had tried waiting for the "perfect time" to tell him before, and Jason had died. Dick isn't going to make that mistake again.

This time he has rushed it too much.

The remaining effects/magic from the Lazarus pit are still blocking Jason's side of the bond from waking, and without that connection Jason doesn't believe him. The pit rage surges with a fury. Jason thinks Dick is lying to him, trying to manipulate him and Jason is deeply hurt and feels so betrayed. Dick knows how much having a soulmate means to him, and the belief that Dick would use that is crushing.

Dick coughs up his first petals that night.

He doesn't have hanahaki yet. This is a precursor, a warning. There are no ill effects, just the occasional petals. Jason didn't reject him. He just didn't believe Dick.

But things get worse.

Jason is furious. He avoids Dick and, by extension, the rest of the Bats. Everyone is confused by this sudden change. and not so secretly blaming Bruce. Dick is desperate and scared. He just wants to talk with Jason. When he does, it turns into a huge blow-up that becomes incredibly vicious and cruel. In the end, Jason leaves Gotham. Dick leaves the fight heartbroken and not only with hanahaki but the aggressive variant that can kill in a few short months.

Bruce finds out about the hanahaki first, but even he doesn't figure it out until it has already reached the point that it's dangerously critical. He has to hospitalize Dick in the cave and within just a few days Dick requires extensive medical assistance to survive.

Bruce has had the surgery for hanahaki and they have a conversation that turns into a fight. Bruce is demanding that Dick get the surgery and Dick adamantly refuses.

Bruce has the same problem that everyone who has the surgery has. He can't feel love or any of the connected emotions such as compassion, affection, fondness, or tenderness. He can, however, still feel off shades of happiness or pride, a detached sense of pleased, satisfaction, or contentment. He can feel frightened, angry, and responsible.

He can feel deeply possessive.

Bruce can feel all of his negative emotions just fine but the good ones are so much harder to get to now and they aren't as full and complete. But those few bright and beautiful moments in his life are all connected to his family and he can still vaguely remember what it felt like to love his son.

So, he logics it all out in his head that Dick is emotionally compromised and can't be trusted to make this decision. That he knows better than anyone that after the surgery, Dick will be okay and even thank him for this. Dick doesn't need love like he believes. He can use logic and the code to navigate life like he does.

Bruce sets up the surgery for Dick.

He uses Dick's trust in him to drug him and take him in for it.

The hospital staff doesn't account for a Bat's tolerance, and Dick wakes up while they are still preparing him. Dick absolutely freaks out. He tells them he hasn't consented to the surgery. That he doesn’t want it. The staff already knows. Bruce has already taken care of that. Dick tries begging. He's crying and pleading with them.

"Please, don't do this to me." They just put him under. "You'll destroy me."

Dick goes under but never really comes back up.

He is not okay. Bruce thought Dick could live on cold logic and reason. He thought that Dick followed his code because he believed in it. Bruce believed that he was doing what was best for Dick and that when Dick woke up, he would see that.

Bruce was wrong.

There are a few reasons it is so extremely illegal to force someone into this surgery. One of those reasons is because the state of mind they are in has an enormous impact on how they come out of the surgery. Things like depression, suicide rate, or probability to turn violent are deeply affected by there mental state before their surgery. Patients are supposed to have as much therapy as they can manage beforehand. Then afterwards they need a strong and dedicated support team for the rest of their lives.

Another reason is that because without love or compassion it's nearly impossible to forgive.

Dick wakes up with a screaming void ripped into him. It radiates a cold so severe it burns his soul. Dick is furious. Bruce has betrayed him. Bruce has ruined him. He has literally torn apart his soul and stolen all of Dick's love, extinguishing any hope he had left with it.

Now there isn't anything to stop Dick from pouring his fury and pain out onto Bruce and all of Gotham. If Gotham thought it had seen the worst a Bat could do under the Red Hood's fury. Then it hasn't seen anything yet.

Because Nightwing no longer has any mercy left to give.

The streets of Gotham will run red with his wrath and pain.

Meanwhile, space and time to think is exactly what Jason needed to get his head on straight again. He is doing much better when word of Dicks condition reaches him. When Jason hears that Dick has hanahaki, he rushes home to find Dick.

He's two days too late.

If Bruce would have waited just two more days.

When Jason does find him, Dick is standing in the middle of a warehouse turned bloodbath. They talk, and Dick tells him precisely what happened and about just how broken he feels now. He spares no detail, but neither does he embellish anything.

Jason clutches Dick as tight against himself as he can. Like, if he holds Dick close enough, he can merge his heart with Dick's. As if their broken pieces can heal together and make something whole and new.

"I love you, I have always loved you," Jason breathes the words against Dick's skin like an apology from deep within his soul meant to reach the same depth within Dick's.

"I loved you once," Dick murmurs back. "I meant to love you always."

Jason coughs up his first petals.

Jason's hanahaki is the excruciatingly slow variant. Dick didn't reject him, the exact opposite in fact. However, now, by no choice of his own, Dick is unable to love Jason.

Jason feels crushingly guilty for what happened to Dick. The way he sees it, if he would have just trusted Dick or at least not ran away then this would have never happened to him. It makes Jason cling to Dick all the tighter.

"I don't want to lose you again, please, will you let me stay with you." For a long moment Dick just stares at him. His expression having never been more impossible to read before.

"I don't think I want to be alone," Dick answers after a painfully long silence.

Dick is set hard core on his revenge path against Bruce and this is something that Jason understands in spades. The thing is that Dick is really unstable right now. Just like Bruce, he's unable to feel any kind of love anymore and that includes all the adjacent emotions to it as well. Dick remembers feeling the full range of emotions. He remembers fond affection, passionate love, warm compassion and just being able to care. He remembers what it felt like to love his family and remembering hurts.

So instead, he burns with his anger, betrayal, hate, and pain. It's an icy fury that can't be banked and knows no end.

He's hurting and he doesn't know how to stop anymore. Not when the anger is the only thing keeping him going.

This leaves Jason as the voice of reason and as the one who has to throw the brakes on when things start to go too far. Jason has to help Dick realize when enough is enough. Dick always listens. If Jason is saying, "This is too much," then it has to have gone too far. He doesn't question Jason. He trusts him.

Dick struggles with both raging fury and stretches of deep depression. Sometimes swinging straight from one extreme to the other. Jason tries to help Dick modulate his emotions and mental state. Their relationship is rather unhealthy. Jason clings to Dick, refusing to leave him, and Dick ends up becoming really possessive of Jason.

Jason is with Dick nearly from the very beginning of his new life, and he is his grounding point. Dick knows he's better when he is with Jason, and he feels better around him. Just because Dick can't love that doesn't mean that he can't feel any good emotions. He still feels shades of happiness or excitement. Dick can't love Jason, but that doesn't mean that he can't enjoy him. He still has physical needs, and the way he sees it since he and Jason are supposed to be soulmates, it makes sense to go to him for sex.

He means it as a kindness. He doesn't want to hurt Jason, and Dick understands that him sleeping with other people would hurt Jason. So, if Jason meets his needs and keeps him satisfied, then he will only be with Jason. Even if he sees someone else he wants, in order to keep things good between them, he'll abstain.

He basically hands Jason an ultimatum though he doesn't actually mean to.

It doesn't occur to Dick that sex with him now might be heartbreaking. That, because it will mean more to Jason than simple gratification like it is for Dick. It will be a special kind of torture.

He has no idea why Jason cries in the shower after they're done that first time. He doesn't ask though, Jason had obviously been trying to hide it and Dick isn't sure he actually wants to know.

So with Jason as both his grounding point and the source of most of his positive feelings Dick becomes highly possessive and dependent on him.

"How long are you going to stay with me," Dick asks into the dark, sad and hurt and so very scared.

"My entire life Dickie. I won't leave you until the very end," Jason promises.

They both know that end is coming too soon.

Another problem is that Dick knows he isn't really good for Jason. Even though he really does try there are still times when he is unintentionally cruel. Despite this Dick can't let Jason go.

"I'm going to keep hurting you, and sometimes I won't even care that I am." Dick is going through another bout of depression.

"I know Dickiebird, and I'll let you, I'll forgive you, and I'll stay." Jason does his best to take care of him and reassure him. To help his soulmate claw his way back out of the darkness he has fallen into.

The people of Gotham quickly take notice of Nightwing becoming a merciless killer. The few that still believe in law and justice mourn the fall of a hero. The good but down trodden of Gotham that are starving for protection, relief and change see him the same as they do Red Hood. As what Gotham really needs. As someone that will be the catalyst for a change for the better. The criminals only see death.

A lot of theories get thrown around. The most prevalent is that he just finally snapped. That someone can only face the worst of humanity every day for so long before they can't take it anymore. After all, what change do the Bats see? They just face the same goons and villains every night on repeat.

But there are a few who see and recognize the signs, and they know.

Nightwing, a beloved hero, went down and never got back up.

Jason lasts a couple of years with the slow, torturous progression of his hanahaki. If he got the surgery, he could save his life, but that isn't even a consideration. He doesn't want it, and even more than that, he could never do that to Dick.

Jason had read once that the flowers are a physical manifestation of the shattered pieces of a person's soul after being rejected by their soulmate, like petals falling off a dying flower. He had always thought that it was people romanticizing hanahaki.

He isn't so sure now.

He thinks that someone stripped Dick of all his soft and loving petals and cauterized the wound where he was bleeding out, leaving only a thorny stem that remembers and mourns when it was once a flower.

It's cruel.

But he sees how hard Dick tries. Even now, with no love left in him, Dick still tries so damn hard for the people he remembers once loving. He shows it to most by refusing to see them. By telling them over and over when they hunt him down that the Dick Grayson they knew died on that operating table. That he is just the ghoul left behind to haunt them, seeking vengeance for the sin committed against him.

God, does Jason get it. He understands exactly how Dick feels.

Dick is different with him. He clutches tight to Jason and never lets go. Not even when Dick cuts deep into Jason and leaves him emotionally bleeding. Even then, Jason is grateful. There isn't anywhere else that he wants to be than with Dick.

When Jason's condition gets to the point that he has to be hospitalized, Dick stays with him. He feels a sense of responsibility for him and is grateful to Jason for all he has done for him, and frankly, he wants every last second he has with Jason before he loses him forever. So, he stays with him through long days and sleepless nights. Even when the rest of the family comes to see Jason, Dick doesn't leave.

There isn't much the hospital can do for him. Jason is mostly there for comfort care, but he refuses most of the pain meds. They mess with his head too much and make him sleepy, and he doesn't want to waste any of the time he has with Dick. He has been living with this pain for years now. He knows how to endure it.

It's close to the end, and Jason will have to be fully intubated soon. They have put it off as long as they can. When they intubate him, he will have to go on sedatives until he passes. Dick is lying in bed with Jason cuddled close to him.

Dick sets up and leans over Jason to look him in the eyes. “Let's try again in our next life. This was all wrong, but if we hadn't had our chance stolen, we could have been beautiful together. So promise me that we will try again.”

“I promise, for all our lives, however many that may be.” It's obviously painful and a herculean task, but Jason does it even as it leaves him struggling to catch his breath.

Dick holds his gaze and dredges up every last scrap of memory he has of love. He digs up the warm soft, and tender affection and hot and deep passion. He tries to fill himself with it. He kisses Jason and tries his hardest to give everything he used to feel, all that had always belonged to Jason, back to him in that moment.

“It's okay, Little Wing, let go. I'll be right behind you.”

Jason never sees Dick slip the needle into his IV. After Dick injects the lethal amount of morphine, he simply falls asleep and never wakes.

Dick wouldn't let Jason needlessly suffer through the last few days, and he wouldn't let the hanahaki steal his life. It belonged to him.

After he is certain that Jason is gone, he slips out of the hospital. He makes a single stop by a florist to pick up an order he had placed two days earlier. It is a truly massive bouquet with what a casual observer would consider a bizarre mix of flowers. To Dick, it's perfect and terribly beautiful.

Scabious - unfortunate love

Carolina rose - love is dangerous.

cypress flower - eternal love, memories of past love, or love that's unrequited or in vain.

Orange Blossom - Innocence. Eternal love

Primrose flowers - I can’t live without you

Hyacinths - Please forgive me

Blue hydrangeas - forgiveness, rejection, and regret - gratitude, grace, and beauty.

Sweetpeas - Departure, remember me, good-bye, a tender memory, thank you for a lovely time.

wisteria - devotion that transcends death

marigold - the brevity of life, despaired love, grief, sorrow, despair, and mourning, remembering the dead, power, strength

cyclamen - a new path in life, separation, goodbye or resignation

Love-lies-bleeding - hopeless love or hopelessness

Bleeding Heart - Unconditional love, Heartbreak and sadness, unrequited love

All flowers that Jason had coughed up and choked on over the years. Flowers that Jason had grown just for him.

Flowers for his love.

Dick heads to the top of the highest building overlooking Robinson Park, the place where Haly's Circus performed. He very carefully situates his bouquet by the edge and then climbs up onto it.

“Dick, what do you want?” Bruce asks from behind him.

It might seem like an odd question, but for them, it isn't. They both know what he's doing, and Bruce knows that it's because Jason is gone. What he doesn't understand is what Dick is hoping to achieve by doing this.

Dick looks out over the park where his parents fell to their deaths. Bruce had been there that night. It seems fitting that he will watch the last Flying Grayson fall as well.

“I just want to be with him,” Dick answers without turning to face him. “We'll get it right next time.”

Dick had grown his flowers for Jason when he wasn't there to receive them, and they had been stolen away before he could make it back to Dick, but now Dick falls for Jason just like he has so many times before.

Jason is waiting for him, and they will get it right next time.

[booksteaandtoomuchtv]

Witchy Woman (0.5/10)

AO3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

LOOK AT THIS STUNNING ARTWORK BY @cocohook38

Summary: When Emma came into her position as Storybrooke Coven Leader, she ended things with the powerful Vampire Overlord, Killian Jones. She’s spent over a decade working alongside him and ignoring the growing tension between them.

During his best mate’s wedding, Killian decides he is done waiting. He is ready to have his mate back in his arms (and bed) again. Emma is not an easy woman to woo, but Killian has never backed down from a challenge.

When Emma’s jilted ex-boyfriend returns to town and Emma goes missing, Killian will stop at nothing to get her back and ensure that nothing can ever separate them again.

Rating: E

CW: Mention of domestic abuse, blood and blood drinking (vampires), threatening situations, minor violence, death, mention of parental death

Entry for Captain Swan Supernatural Summer 2023 (@cssns)

Tagging: @kmomof4, @undercaffinatednightmare, @jrob64, @zaharadessert, @elfiola, @anmylica, @tiganasummertree, @stahlop, @xarandomdreamx, @teamhook

Author Notes: Some aspects of this are based on the Stay a Spell series by Juliette Cross. If you haven’t read them, the books are very fun paranormal romance novels that you can devour in a week and apparently keep thinking about them for a few years until you do a rewrite and make it your CSSNS fic. (For clarity: The storyline is new, but the relationship arc is loosely Ruben and Jules.) I hope everyone has had an incredible Captain Swan Supernatural Summer. It has been such a treat reading everyone's amazing stories and seeing all the lovely art.

I could not have written this without the cheering and support of @kmomof4 and many other ladies on the CSMM Discord. They continue to be the most encouraging group. I am always excited to share my silly words and little sketches with them.

A massive thank you to @ultraluckycatnd for her time, patience, and feedback. Beta-ing is always hard work. Beta-ing for a self-conscious tinkerer is all the more challenging. Thank you!

A tremendous thank you to @cocohook38 for the beautiful artwork. I have always adored your work and having something drawn by you that was ‘inspired’ by my silly words is a bit of a dream come true. (I squealed with utter delight upon seeing your initial sketches the first time. AMAZING!!) Thank you! <3 <3 <3

As always, a thank you is owed to my spouse for being "volunteered" to be the alpha-reader and writing partner for this fic and for bringing so many cups of hot tea and snack plates at odd hours.

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

Fifteen Years Ago…

Emma’s breath caught at the beauty of the vampire before her; the waves of his dark hair begged her to run her hands through it, his sharp jaw, framed by auburn stubble, was softened by a crooked smile that was melting her resolve. She didn’t think she would ever get used to the way just the sight of him affected her. It wouldn’t be a problem much longer.

They’d only been together for a few weeks, but Emma felt lost in the depth of the connection that she shared with Killian. He seemed to read her moods and her thoughts as naturally as breathing and she felt him as if he were an extension of her own heart and mind.

As she approached where he worked, she tucked those thoughts away.

When he looked up at her and cocked his head, eyebrow raised, she savoured the adoration and openness that she saw in his eyes. She wasn’t ready for him to stop looking at her as if she were the most incredible thing that had ever happened to him. Just rip off the band-aid, Emma.

His expression changed to one of concern as he took in her erratic heartbeat and the sour scent of stress radiating from her. “Swan?”

The gentleness of his voice and the worry in his tone made her eyes prickle. She held on tightly to the tears; she would not cry. Not yet.

“Killian, I can’t… we can’t…” Her voice was stronger than she expected, but the words tore at the depths of her soul and shattered her heart. She took a breath and stored her heart away - the burning and ripping sensation too much to bear - before she continued. “We’re done.”

“Do I get a say in this?” Killian asked. The words were mild and light as if he were asking after their supper plans, but his eyes were narrowed- gauging the situation and seeking out alternate avenues.

Emma let out a humourless laugh. “It won’t change anything. We can’t be together.”

He stared at her for a long moment, before he replied. When he did speak, his voice was broken with emotion, “One day, Emma, you will have to open your heart for someone. If ever you are done playing the coward, I hope that you will find whatever it is that I couldn’t give you. And, I truly hope that you never feel even a quarter of the pain that I feel now.”

A storm of emotions flashed in his eyes, but he quickly hid it away beneath the calm and collected demeanour he had honed over the centuries of his long life. He kissed her gently on the forehead before he vanished into the evening.

Once he was too far for her to sense, her knees buckled and the ground rushed to catch her. His warm embrace was replaced by the damp grass soaking through her jeans. As her tears fell heavily down her face, she balled up against the sobs slamming through her. She was in too many pieces scattered about too effectively to ever be whole again.

[jjsanguine]

Rules: list 10 of your comfort shows and then tag 10 people

Tagged by @bengiyo . I actually don't rewatch shows very often, or at least not the same ones every time, but here's some shows I've watched a lot of in no particular order.

Alien Biospheres. This is a YouTube series but I've watched it a lot. If you watched James Cameron's Avatar and don't care about the plot but would watch a documentary on how they designed the creatures + plants this is the webseries for you. If you like spec bio then I would also recommend Serina.

Cherry Magic. I write songs for fun and my life is too boring to be great inspiration, so most of them reference scenarios in shows I'm watching that I find funny or just stick with me for some reason. Kurosawa's personality inspired one of my best ones.

Coffee Prince. This got me into kdrama + so much of it still holds up. Like, remember how homophobic the 2000s were? That's a feat.

The King's Affection. This is like the best girl disguises as a guy kdrama since Coffee Prince, and I watched a lot of them before I figure out I was nonbinary. I was glued to my seat. My writing project @the-prince-is-not-a-woman was partially inspired by me watching this so many times.

Mortel. It's like this show was made for me. Vodun, found family, polyamorus subtext, mystery, despising someone but having noone else to turn to, trauma, comedy, banger music. It was made by Netflix though, so of course it was cancelled on a cliffhanger.

Power Rangers 2017. This film is objectively goofy but I love it so much. Billy was the first explicitly autistic character I think I saw ever, and he set my expectations for canonically autistic characters high.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo. Apart from being a good show, Attorney Woo is the only other character on my list of canonically autistic characters that I like, which is funny because both attorney Woo and Billy were played by allistic actors.

The Path. I enjoyed seasons 1 & 2 but I've rewatched season 3 many times for my baby Caleb. I talked about a pastor's son and he's like the perfect example. If the show hadn't tragically been cancelled I would have loved to see what they did with his character, because after leaving his family for his boyfriend and by extension his boyfriend's daddy's apocalypse adjacent cult (which is a positive if you can believe it) socially speaking he was essentially in the same position he started off in, minus worrying about homophobia. He could have blossomed or spiralled, who knows. That's quality side character creation. This show also inspired the list "cheating on your girlfriend with your wife" which has to be the best of my lists of niche tropes.

Triage: time travel and time loop stories can so easily swerve into being terrible when there isn't enough thought put into the time travel mechanic but when they're good they're really good.

Shelter 2007: so many of the queer films I watched as a teenager were depressing, I could have given up on ql entirely if I didn't watch this heartwarming film.

Honourable mentions:

Be My Favourite. It finished airing literally 2 months ago so it really hasn't had time to gain the status of old reliable but yeah. I've watched episode 1 probably 10 times at this point, because I would pore over the whole show waiting for the next episode. I was writing essays.

Nowhere Boys: I love forced proximity + conspirationality. It's one of the reasons I love Mortel. It's a quality teen drama.

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Chat Noir, aka Miraculous Ladybug. This show is my Riverdale. It's ridiculous and I don't recommend it and I can't watch the english dub because I'd cringe too much so I watch it in French, but I started watching when I was like 15 so I'm locked in forever. It keeps dragging me back.

Going to try my hand at actually tagging people so,,,

@anotherlovr @writerwithoutsound @dudeyuri @irritablebovinesyndrome @gillianthecat @threezoz @sparklyeyedhimbo @respectthepetty @one-ghogh@heretherebedork

[seedsinmygarden]

HLC And Their Disney Prince/Princess Twin

I was (and still am) a HUGE fan of Disney Princesses (and their lovers!) and just generally of Disney overall! I loved figuring out these characters' Disney twins, it took quite a bit of reading between the lines I think. Enjoy!

Word Count: 1,538 words

Tags and Warnings: None.

--

OMINIS GAUNT - Aurora from Sleeping Beauty

He’s literally Sleeping Beauty?? Look at this man and tell me he isn’t beautiful. Look at him. LOOK AT—

Not only is he just as beautiful as her, he also sleeps. A lot. Is it canon that he just naps everywhere and anywhere? I think so. (I like to think he prefers to lay in the sun because the Slytherin commons/dorm room remind him too much of home.)

He also has a beautiful voice. Not necessarily a singing voice (that remains to be heard), but tell me you don’t fall asleep listening to audios of him… just me?? Well, this is awkard.

On a more morbid note, he was cursed at one point (thanks mom), very similar to how Aurora was cursed. (Their situations aren’t the same, granted.)

Also has a great sense of style— he is a PRINCE, he has to have a good sense of style.

SEBASTIAN SALLOW - Aladdin from Aladdin

Same ambition and mischievousness, and their ability to lie and steal? Unparallel to none.

We all know Sebastian is amazing with wooing a person to his side… it worked on us, didn’t it?

They both have besties that are so, so loyal to them (while also setting their boundaries) and willing to do whatever it takes to help them through whatever it is they’re going through, whether that be granting wishes or trying to get them on a better path in life.

Doesn’t care how he looks from time to time. Would probably run around in rags if he wouldn’t get detention for it.

AMIT THAKKAR - Mirabel Madrigal from Encanto

Amit is the type to love his friends and family, no matter what they put him through.

Willing to handle any sort of bullshit that comes his way because he’s scared of being alone.

Just like Mirabel, he doesn’t any powers and his extensive knowledge on astronomy doesn’t exactly do very much to when it comes to making his career… so he feels useless. It’s up to those close to him to let him know that he really is valued.

All the sad stuff out of the way— he has PASSION!!! That’s one area he and Mirabel really match. Whatever, whenever, he’ll do it and he’ll get it DONE.

Also!!! “The stars don’t shine, they burn… and the constellations shift. I think it’s time you learn, you’re more than just your gift!” (”All of You” is a banger)

GARRETH WEASLEY - Ariel from The Little Mermaid

Red hair, hand-me-down {trinkets}… must be a Weasley.

I was VERY CLOSE to picking Hercules, but Ariel fits Garreth a little more to me… and there was someone else that fit Hercules MUCH better LOL

Anyways. Garreth, like Ariel, has a lot of sisters! And he has a fascination for the unknown. (I personally headcanon that Garreth has five older sisters.)

He loves to explore and experiment with his potions, mixing and matching different ingredients in an attempt to make… whatever it is he wants to make. We won’t judge.

He also longs to be a part of the greats. There’s a lot of Weasleys, his name is gonna get lost among those that have done something, so he has to do something AMAZING, or be something amazing, for the world to know Garreth Weasley. Part of their world. (Not that he wishes to leave his family behind— he loves his family! He just knows there’s more out there for him than a slow, little life in a borough.)

NATSAI ONAI - Mulan from Mulan

Like Mulan, Natty would do anything for the people she loves, the people she calls her family.

She is also an incredible fighter, as we’ve seen in duels, and is willing to sacrifice herself for the good of the Wizarding World.

Similar to how Mulan disguised herself as a man (her father) to sneak into the ranks of the Imperial Chinese Army, Natty can disguise herself as an animal and sneak around the jungle should that ever come of use.

Natsai means to “make good.” That’s pretty much most of what Mulan is trying to do— she’s trying to make good by protecting her injured father from having to go back into battle, and Natsai is trying to make good in taking out Harlow to ensure he doesn’t taunt the Hogwarts Valley again.

POPPY SWEETING - Anna from Frozen

Like Anna, Poppy is brilliant, brave, and courageous. She would have easily been a Gryffindor had she not been such a hardworker and so, so loyal to those she loves.

Speaking of love and loyalty, Poppy loves and will do anything for the animals she sees as her own children half the time. Her Olaf is Highwing!

She’s a little quick to fall, I imagine, but she’s also quick to learn.

Such excitement and pride over one thing, or one person or one accomplishment, will have her in the stars! She has so much love inside that she’s always eager to exude it.

Also, Anna’s actually good with animals in general, too! Then again, so are many of the other princesses, hence why this point comes last haha.

IMELDA REYES - Vanellope von Schweetz from Wreck-It Ralph

This is a girl who loves racing with a PASSION, just like our Imelda. The adrenaline gets Imelda going, going, gone, just like Vanellope.

And she prefers her hoodie over a dress as we saw in the first Wreck-It Ralph movie!

Vanellope is very charismatic, very talkative… once you get her going, she is GONE. Imelda isn’t exactly talkative, but rather, you just have to know the right thing to talk about with her (cough cough Quidditch cough) and she’ll talk with you for hours on the topic.

I considered Lightning McQueen for Imelda… but he’s not a Disney Prince/Princess. “I am speed.” would have been my main point.

ANNE SALLOW - Anastasia from Anastasia

They’ve both got wits, they’re both strong, and they have a mouth of daggers that can and will make anyone SWEAT.

Anne also cares very much for the people she calls her family, as Anastasia does.

I also feel like Anne is one of those girls to gladly be someone’s love. Like if she falls in love, she’ll fall in love hard. Any hardships they go through are her hardships too. Maybe it’ll take a bit for the love to happen, but it happens.

Anne has lost a full year of her life thanks to the curse, while Anastasia lost multiple years thanks to her memory loss. Anne may not be a secret princess or whatever, but she certainly should be treated like one, goddammit!

EVERETT CLOPTON - Hercules from Hercules

Much like Hercules, Everett starts off as just kinda. Eh. Like he’s a guy. He’s just a dude. He doesn’t get his glowup until after Hogwarts and when he does, he gets MUSCULAR. He gets the hot-after-high-school kind of glowup. The glowup no one expected.

Hercules doesn’t quite understand what it means to be a hero, and Everett doesn’t understand what it means to be a good guy. They both learn eventually.

Both are dumbasses. Dumbass himbos. Enough said.

LEANDER PREWETT - Beast from Beauty and the Beast

He started off kind of cruel, but then you warm up to him, truthfully… or you help him learn the error of his ways in classic “I CAN CHANGE HIM!” fashion. (I don’t think I would have liked him as much if it wasn’t for Scarlet including him in the reacts!)

He has a lot to learn in being kind, and maybe a lover will help him with that much like how Belle had helped Beast.

I don’t know if he’s RICH rich, but the Prewett family is one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. Which essentially means royalty in the Wizarding World, whether that be rags or riches. Aka, Leander is a prince.

Leander is VERY OFTEN described as a bully, which certainly matches the criteria for how Beast becomes… well, Beast. He just has to be careful not to bully the wrong person… or get bit by a werewolf.

LUCAN BRATTLEBY - Merida from Brave

Not only do they have the same crazy curly hair, Lucan is all so determined to forge his own path.

He doesn’t need a romantic love to succeed in life, he has everything he needs right there with his amazing friends and family.

Speaking of his family— I headcanon that he has five younger sisters (like Garreth, but the opposite!) so he’s got quite a few to handle and many of them are fun to be around, much like how Merida has her triplet younger brothers always causing chaos.

They are also fighters. They like to fight. Lucan with his Crossed Wands, and Merida with her bow and arrows. Neither of them never miss.

PROFESSOR FIG - Merlin from Sword in the Stone.

Let me state the obvious… Old Man Mentor Who Is A Wizard Educating A Child. In the most barebones sense, that’s their character archetype.

Both are also very wise, yet kind of absentminded when it comes to others? I find it often unfair that MC was essentially thrown into this adventure, but I understand Professor Fig wanting to keep it going to complete what his late wife had set out to do.

Merlin believes in “Brain over Brawn” and that rings true with most of Professor Fig’s actions, interactions, and reactions!

[couldbebetterforsure]

I already gave out my big thoughts about the Final Performance arc of Suzu’s route in over a dozen different individual posts (sorry for spamming the Jack Jeanne tag 😞) so I won’t repeat myself too much on that.

Basically I am super duper wholeheartedly in love with Suzu’s route. It was incredibly well written, had great characterization of both Kisa and Suzu. I also think Suzu’s route flowed well from the common route, like a natural progression. I loved how the rest of Quartz was like on the route too, how supportive and loving they were. Once again, special shout-out to my boy Sou for being the funniest fucker during this arc. Boy really put the fear of God in poor Otori…Fumi and Kai were able to happily pass along their titles as Quartz’s Al Jeanne and Jack Ace to Kisa and Suzu with no regrets. Neji got to have fun with this last play and with how many references to the plays from over the year this one had, seems like he was feeling pretty sentimental. And Mitsuki really showed off how ready he is to be Quartz’s next leader, he knows his class so well! And yeah like I said before, Otori did end up growing on me, he’s such an entertaining gremlin!

Also all the people who tried saying Jack Jeanne isn’t romantic were definitely exaggerating. If you’re looking for spicy romantic contact or lots of physical affection, you probably won’t get it (at least that’s what I’m understanding after doing Suzu’s route). But to say it isn’t romantic at all??? LIES!!!! At the very least Suzu’s route is so incredibly deeply wonderfully romantic!!!!

I already mentioned this but Sissia of the Central Nation is my favorite of Quartz’s plays. Everything about it was beautiful, I felt like I was watching an anime, and like I said before if the developers wanna make a separate visual novel based on the play 👀👀👀👀👀 Though preferably with an ending that leans more towards the sweet side over the bittersweet (seriously you asshats you couldn’t wait for Sissia and Chance to get down first????)

The music was sheer perfection. Departure was a beautiful solo from Kisa, like no wonder Sissia was immediately picked to join Kielce. Kielce the Nation at the Center was without a doubt my favorite, it was such a catchy hype song for the circus troupe! Quartz Anima was a VERY close second, like it so narrowly missed out on being my favorite, it’s beautiful and has so many callbacks to Quartz’s past plays and I found out it also apparently references all the Quartz members’ names in the lyrics too!!! And Over the Wall was another gorgeous solo from Kisa!

The ending song, I think it’s called Where the Wind Blows, was absolutely beautiful and I loved that for me it was a duet between Kisa and Suzu 🥰🥰🥰

So yeah, Jack Jeanne is such a good game and deserves way more attention. I have only played the one route so far but I can confidently call it my favorite otome game and one of my favorite video games in general!

Before I get to the other routes I wanna take a break to play Radiant Tale! There’s another red haired genki sweetheart voiced by Yuma Uchida in that game but I can’t access his route until I woo all the other boys first 😡 So I need to get to work on that!!! When I come back to Jack Jeanne I likely won’t liveblog as extensively as I did Suzu’s route. I probably will give general thoughts at the end or make note of anything major.

But yeah, thanks everyone for reading my thoughts! And sorry again for spamming the Jack Jeanne tag so much! 😅😅😅

[jangmo-othewarrior]

DMC Questions Anon here!

Before you read this next question:

I was informed that it would be a good idea for my questions to be answered with a specific tag so if people wish to block it they could. Please tag your answers to any question I send you with "dmc questions anon" and I think that should work.

If you wish to be taken off the list, ask. If somebody wishes to be placed on the list, ask. If your anon asks are off and you wish to participate, just make a post answering the question you see going around.

Remember you do not have to answer every question, so please don't feel pressured to do so.

Please also remember to take as long as you need! Do not rush yourself, this is supposed to be a fun activity and I don't want anyone to feel stressed out by trying to rush to answer questions.

Now onto the actual question:

How would you rank the 5 games in the Devil May Cry series? (By story)

Separately, if you want, how would you rank extended material? (The DMC1 Novel, The DMC3 Mangas, The Anime, The DMC2 Novel, Deadly Fortune, Before the Nightmare, and Visions of V, all of which can be found (along with other stuff) here: https://originaldmc.github.io/DivinityStatue/Downloads.html)

If you wish, how would you rank all of it together in one big list?

DMC QUESTIONS ANON!! :D

Okay, I'm gonna do everything together, but i will preface this by saying i have a lot more exposure to some things than others, thus I will have varying degrees of 'much to say'.

DMC 5

I'm definitely biased for this (it's the one that got me into the franchise) but I digress.

FAMILY THEMES BABI MY FAVORITE THING

I just adore the main cast so much u do not understand. So much hype shit happens with em too, it's great. The characters are simultaneously over the top but also very real? Like Dante is the wacky woo-hoo pizza man but also horribly in control of his emotions and how to express them.

The Vergil reveal was so obvious but I dont care. It's good. The depths given to his character through V and Urizen are VERY good.

And NERO- lord everyone in this family has trauma

Also SDT was introduced in this game I'm sorry but no piece of DMC media will be able to top this because of it.

2. DMC 3

is anyone surprised

I love the bois so much, with their stupid catchphrases and horrible family dynamics. it's so weird looking at them like

I was nighteen once. I wasn't like them but I was nighteen.

Also the THEMES once again center around family, especially with the addition of Lady and Arkum. I also love this cast SO MUCH

except arkum fuck arkum all the homies hate arkum

Literally the only reason this is lower than DMC 5 is because no Nero, Trish or Nico. That's it.

3. Visions of V

i haven't talked about him much but I would also gently hold V (and by extension Vergil)

Really I just love this manga because of how much is shown and revealed through it. Everything is really visceral and hits so hard.

Literally everything in this manga stabs u in the feels especially the final shit GOOD LORD

but it really is tied with #4 because it can't really stand by itself? It needs DMC 5 to be whole, in a way.

4. DMC 4

I really wanted to put this above VoV but my DMC 5 bias shown through in the end IM SORRY

also yeah Sanctus as a villian is dogshit, i agree

and some characters REALLY needed more screen time (see: Credo, Angus, KYRIE) but also this game has the Shakespeare scene so....

also I just love Nero and his teen angst can u blame me

But GOD did Kyrie need more screentime

5. Before the Nightmare

Wow the DMC 5 bias strikes again, huh.

IDK man I just love the prequel shit. Like, Nico and Nero meeting is so fucking funny

Also Lucia makes an appearance for the first time since DMC 2 so thats cool

It also expanded the lore on how devil arms work through Balrog which I am SO thankful for.

Also Roc Goldstein exists now and everyone should know about one of the ONLY GOOD DADS in DMC history

Really the only other one I give my full respect to is Sparda, and he died when his kids were like, six. (Dante and Vergil r getting there tho, give em time.)

6. The Anime

Look Patty is the only reason this is so high I love her and if u look at my previous posts u can tell I love her and Dante's father daughter relationship u can pry it out of my cold dead hands

Also the lore with Sparda's apprentices, demon smoners being a thing, and the introduction to Morrison is very nice.

But also Lady was WAY off the mark almost the entire time, and the plot with Patty only really took center stage towards the end so :(

ALSO THEY DIDNT EVEN SHOW DEVIL TRIGGER IN FULL I WILL NEVER FORGIVE CAPCOM FOR THIS INJUSTICE

capcom if u put Patty in more shit I will forgive you (maybe)

7. DMC 1 novel

This novel is weird because it was written before almost all of the other shit so Canon often either ignored it or bent over backwards to avoid it until the DMC 5 era

But I like it. All of the new characters r very good and I love them all.

Grues death STILL hits me in the feels so hard.

Dante has lost so many parental figures ya'll

One of the only reasons it's so low is because of Gilver, the fuck

He made NO fucking sense for the longest time until the timeline rewrite and the retcon that he's a Vergil clone.

That fits his character so much more bur looking at him as Vergil makes no fucking sense. Everything about his character contradicts what we know about Vergil, even back with only DMC 3 as a reference.

Despite those issues, i am very happy we are seeing some rep for this book in the games and other media. U do not understand the screech I let out when Grue's daughters were shown years later.

8. DMC 1

is this sacrilegious?

Yeah the gameplay is good and it was a hallmark of its time but also Dante is as stale as cardboard here I'm sorry

Like his plot is the most uniform and overdone revenge plot I have ever seen and his relationship with Trish....

it's funky in this game, let me tell u. Thank whatever higher power exists that they leaned more towards siblings in later installments because I would be pulling my hair out otherwise.

But the quips r also really good and all of the Nelo Angelo stuff is my favorite part of the plot, so I guess that evens out?

This game was a very good launching point for the rest of the series except u know what

Also fuck mundus all the homies hate mundus he sucks

9. Deadly Fortune

Uhhh yeah it's just.... DMC 4 again with some things changed?

Honestly the reason this is so low is because of my preferred way of absorbing story is through video games than manga.

It's okay. Not trash or anything. It's just alright

10. DMC 3 Mangas

They're ... fine? I guess.

Like the first meeting between the twins in YEARS is very good, but also the manga is unfinished and all...

So I'll just leave it at that.

11. DMC 2 Novel

Gonna be honest I've never read this one.

So I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt

12. DMC 2

Yeah remember when I said Dante was cardboard in DMC 1? Yeah now he's silent, emotionless cardboard.

the villian is bad, the location is okay i guess, really the only saving grace for this games story is the concepts it introduces

Demon civil wars? Artificial demons created by people? Those are cool concepts! So cool that one was reused in a much better game, but I digress.

Honestly the story is probably one of the least sacrilege parts of DMC 2, and it still isn't the worst piece of DMC media based on story. That goes to our surprise contender....

13. DMC: Devil May Cry

DMC questions anon did NOT ask for this, but I'm putting it here so that everyone understands that this games story and characters are SO BAD that I'm putting UNDERNEATH DMC 2

But what can I say that hasn't been already stated?

Vergil is so far out of character he's basically an OC and his turn around at the end makes no fucking sense

Donte is an asshole who has functionally abandoned what made Dante likeable in ANY GAME

The plot itself is the most rehashed 'the government is evil and we must resist it' plot EVER

Even the new shit they added for this game doesn't even fucking work well.

Having demons that look like angels be the antagonists is much more interesting that just having angels and having them do NOTHING

Kat is literally the only thing that I don't have a super negative opinion on because she was NEW and I hadn't watched them fuck up a character I love. They just made a mediocre one at best

Needless to say, I utterly despise the plot of this game with my entire being.

Thank you for the question, DMC Questions Anon! I'm sorry I went a bit off script, but I hope it was at least entertaining.

[sidhewrites]

15! This one got long, it may end up being trimmed into two chapters. For now though, here's some exposition and research! Slight warning for suggested animal illness at the end, but I'll preface it with saying Renfield is fine and remains fine if a bit shaken throughout the entire book.

Project Info

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Magnus Sunthorpe, as it turns out, has a long history of paperwork that was only preserved due to negligence on the part of whoever cleaned out the archives. The file folder was stuffed full of moldering, century-old slips of paper, each in their own yellowed folder that had been stamped with date range of the contents inside, as well as a much more recent note that they had been digitally preserved.

"You think the old Librarian forbade anyone from throwing them out?" I ask, waggling my brows at Josie before, once again, being forced to contend with the fact that, actually, the Librarian could do exactly that. I bite back any discomfort, and force myself to say, "She seems the type to hoard everything."

She shoots me a distinctly unimpressed look while we request copies of each page from one of the living librarians back up on the first floor.

"What kind of research project is this supposed to be?" he asks. His name tag reads Carter.

I give Carter a smile. "A weird one."

"A biography," Josie clarifies.

He raises an eyebrow at me, correctly deducing that Josie is the brains of this operation. "These are gonna be due in two weeks, same as any library book. You need an extension, you gotta come in or call us so we can make a note." He takes us to the research stacks just past the children's library, and pulls two three-ring binders down, each labelled meticulously with dates and information. Carter deposits the binders in Josie's arms, and she promptly hands them off to me. "Is this for a class or something?" Carter asks.

"No." I barely manage to keep myself from adding that Josie's cat is possessed, and instead manage to stumble into a different, less suspicious line of conversation, "I think the lady who works downstairs doesn't like when you throw things out."

Carter pauses before placing the third binder on top of the other two. "Not in the least."

Josie's eyes gleam. "You know who she is?"

"I think I'd know my coworkers, yes."

"Don't you love this time of year?" I ask. "The weather is cooling off, the leaves are all red, and there seems to be spooky shit everywhere you turn. Especially in old creepy libraries."

"It's an old building. We're lucky the wifi works. Asking for things not to be spooky in the basement levels is just getting greedy."

"So you agree. The basements are spooky."

Josie kicks me lightly.

I give her my most innocent look.

"I just work here, ma'ams," Carter says, but he holds my gaze long enough to get the point across.

I nod, and Carter nods back, but there's too many people around to talk for long. He helps us check the records out and sends us on our way.

"So am I the only one around here who apparently sees ghosts, or do you think he's just imagining shadows and shit?"

Josie shrugs. "I'm sure you're not the only one. I wonder what the cause of it is."

"I had a near-death accident when I was fourteen. I was doing track and field after school and tripped over a hurdle. Nearly broke my neck. I was in and out of consciousness until I woke up and saw myself lying in a hospital bed hooked up to a hundred different machines and an IV. It was terrifying. I looked around and saw my parents there, red eyed and tired, and I looked out the window and saw this bright light, and a woman's voice telling me it's not my time yet. Go back, there were still so beautiful girls to woo and so much stupid shit left to do in this world."

She listens intently until i get far enough in to remove any doubt that I'm making everything up. "I can't believe you still don't -- I mean -- believe. You're literally dating a ghost."

"I'm not--" I start, and stammer. I mean -- I kind of am, aren't I? But my face flushes, and I get indignant regardless. "That's not --! We're not putting labels on anything yet!"

"So you're in a relationship. With a ghost."

"I..." I start. If I hadn't been carrying binders just then, I'd have thrown my hands in the air or gesticulated or something to burn off the sudden nervous energy building up in my limbs.

"It's okay, I'm not judging. Well -- I am, but it's not my place to tell you how to live your life anymore."

"It wasn't in the first place either," I mutter, and shake it off. We're almost to the edge of campus. "Lucy can only come out at night, so we've got some time until she can look things over. Should we...?" I shrug vaguely, not sure where I'm going with this.

[Transition]

Over the next few hours, Josie and I go through the bulk of the documents. Okay, she goes through the bulk of the pages, and I sit there and color code things with sticky notes. In my defense, research has never been my strong suit, no matter how interesting the subject, and I'd like a bit of praise for not giving up entirely and going on my phone.

The documents come together to form the story of a deeply unpleasant man. He brought his birth certificate with him when he came to Sutton, tracing his family back to a farm in Kentucky. He was one of eight kids, and moved in to town in [year]. He started keeping a journal a month in, which seemed to show him finally happy with his surroundings, surrounded by trees and peace and few people. Magnus hated everything about the people who lived in Sutton -- loud, friendly, often covered in sweat and sawdust, but he liked the solitude.

And then came the pages upon pages of formal noise complaints submitted to the mayor from [the year after he moved] all the way up until his death in [YEAR]. Seems like nothing got past him -- not a neighbor's hog farm causing a ruckus during feeding time in the morning, nor a colic baby being rushed to the doctor in the middle of the day. And if a party ran late in the bar, damn anyone who thought they could have a bit of fun on the weekend without there being trouble.

And then, finally, in [year], he faced his demise doing what he loved best -- being a dick. Magnus had come out on New Years Eve, lantern in hand, shouting to the good loggers who dared celebrate with drinks and music and shouting in town. He was shoved out of town and tossed into the stables -- which, the obit writer made sure to add -- hadn't been mucked in a few days.

A horse panicked and kicked him in the head. He was pronounced dead in the morning, presumably when everyone's hangovers became tolerable enough to leave bed.

In our search, we found a report someone put together of him back in the 1960s titled Sutton's Most Miserable Man by Oliver Proust. It seems, so says Oliver, Magnus was the reason Sutton created municipal complaint forms in the first place, as an unsuccessful attempt to put him off of whining so often to the mayor. He was also the main reason Sutton imported so much paper from a larger town before the mining boom caused the population to grow a decade or two after his death.

"Oliver was right on the money," I surmised, nodding resolutely at our handiwork. The pages had been sorted -- scanned diaries over here, municipal complaint forms over there. "The most miserable man in town, probably in all of history."

"See what Lucy has to say about it. Maybe she knows him?"

"What, like they haunt the graveyard together? You think they're ghost buddies?" Unfortunately, now that I say it, that sounds plausible. They may not be friends per se, but with how long and how sociable Lucy seems to be, I don't doubt that she knows some of the other ghosts in the cemetery. "I'll ask her tonight," I say, and then groan. That's going to mean breaking in. I'm getting frustratingly casual with breaking rules surrounding my job lately, and that's definitely going to spell trouble for me later.

While waiting for night to fall, I pace around my apartment, clutching my phone like it owes me money. I don't want to do this. I don't want to do this. It could cost me my job. It could ruin any future chances the graveyard might have of working with public figures. Mr. Ngo could be angry at me. A thousand worst-case scenarios play through my head, over and over again, but I just keep looking at Renfield, curled up next to the space heater.

At six, he doesn't get up for dinner. When I try to pet him, he lets out a quiet low growl.

I can feel him there. Magnus. Whenever I look away, I hear a rustling behind me, and I turn to see Renfield's head up, eyes open, pupils narrowed to a sliver. I know it's Magnus in there, watching me. Waiting to see what I'll do. There's no other option. I need help.

I pick up my phone and dial.

The number goes right to voicemail, but I plead my case all the same, begging for help. Or at least for half an idea what to do.

#

Come nightfall, I'm in the graveyard again, spreading the pages out on a bench for Lucy to look over as she stands off to the side.

"Does any of this look familiar to you?" I ask. My flashlight catches on her, and I have to remind myself that she's a ghost. Ghosts are real, and my kind-of-girlfriend is one herself. Even knowing all that, however, it's still so easy to forget. She looks as solid as I do, her face pale but catching the light like it should. There are such subtle signs of wrongness that, even looking for them, they're easy to miss. But her veil doesn't move in the slight breeze, and the grass below her feet remains undisturbed. Even the mud clinging to my shoes is nowhere to be seen on her outfit, the hem of her gown as spotless as if it was freshly cleaned.

She pores over the pages, either unaware or uninterested in my staring as she scans the pages, eyes darting back and forth from headline to municipal form to obituary.

"No, not a thing. I could ask around, of course. I'm sure someone from his time would have more answers than myself."

I nod. Magnus died thirty years before Lucy was born.

[conversation about ghosts and the different kinds? Lucy has vague acquaintances.] "But ghosts don't socialize in quite the same way. We're not...all here, not all the time."

"Like when the sun's out?"

She nods. "For me, yes. But the rules aren't wholly clear, and they seem to be shifting all the time for some spirits."

I shift my weight and wrap my arms around my knees. "What do you mean?"

[Orbs vs spirits with no corporeal/visual form, sometimes they're more aware of where thye are sometimes its just emotions or detached intentions of going home]

She stands and looks at the old tree, skirts rustling in a nonexistent breeze. It's like she has her own weather sometimes, the wind wherever she is entirely detached from the wind where I am.

"Do you ever miss it?"

"Miss what?"

"I don't know. Life. Touching things? Eating. Changing your clothes. That kind of stuff."

She presses her lips together, gaze falling away. "I'm not sure. I've been dead longer than I was ever alive, and the world is so...big. There's so much to it now. And my memories of my life aren't always..." She pauses, trying to find the right words, but I think I understand this one.

"Yeah," I say, and rest my chin on my knees. "Like they're right there in front of you, and you know they're there, but you can't quite reach them anymore. You don't know where to look for them, right?"

"Exactly, yes."

"I get that sometimes. I mean -- I don't know if mine is the same as yours, but I have that sometimes."

"But you're alive."

"Eh." I shrug. "My brain's broken, but it's less broken now than I was when I was a teenager. Caffeine helps though." I lift my coffee in a toast.

"I don't follow."

"You want a brief history on psychiatric advancements of the 20th century?" It's a joke, but Lucy [looks at me like she'd like nothing more.] "Okay, sorry, that was an exaggeration. Basically, I have issues reliably paying attention and remembering things, among a whole slew of other stupid issues."

She nods, but I don't miss the hint of disappointment in her expression.

Before I realize what I'm saying, I blurt out, "I'll get a book from the library tomorrow. We can read it together, and I'll turn the pages for you. Deal?"

"Deal." Then, after a moment of deliberation, she says, "But why does coffee help?"

"Stimulants calm my brain down."

"Why?"

I shrug, and take a sip. "Because it's broken."

When I put my cup down, however, Lucy is looking at me, a crease furrowed between her brows.

"What?" I ask.

"Is it really?"

"Is what really?"

"Your brain. Is it really broken?"

"Oh. Nah." I laugh. "I'm just being dramatic. I'm fine now. Or, mostly anyway. Nothing too much coffee can't fix." Just to prove a point, I tilt my head back, and chug. I am the epitome of feminine grace.

Her concern doesn't let up. 

I feel my smile falter under her gaze, and shrug. "It's fine, really."

"Kaz..."

I don't want to go into this. Not now. Not with her. "Look, I'm okay now. Really. I have some issues, but they're miles better now than when I was a teen."

Lucy makes a show of sitting on the bench, not even disturbing the papers I've set out, and patting the space next to her. Reluctantly, I gather the pages up and set them in my lap before sitting next to her. She doesn't talk first, just waits for me to be ready.

"Look...I mean it when I say I'm fine now, okay?  There's problems, but it's manageable now. When I was a kid, you know..." I shrug. "I don't know when they came up with the term, but I had a major depressive disorder. I lay in bed for days on end. I fought with my parents because it was easier than pretending to be okay. When they learned I liked girls ..." I frown. My dad's words never left my memory, fallible as it could be some times. "It got worse. I got worse. My parents got worse. I had the grades to go to an ivy league school in junior year, then by senior year it was a miracle I graduated at all."

I don't look at Lucy, instead focusing on my calloused hands, fingers gripping the library pages tightly. "I had to skip a year before coming here, and I just barely got in." My fingers won't stay still. My knee bounces. "I'm better now, though. Away from my family. I have people I love here, and Renfield makes sure I get out of bed in the mornings, if only to feed him breakfast."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Lucy's hand. She doesn't touch mine, but rests it gently next to it, our pinky fingers less than an inch from touching.

"I promise I'm doing okay, okay? I don't really mean it when I say my brain's broken. Other people have it worse. I just like to be a shit sometimes."

"Sometimes," she echoes, and there's a smirk in her voice, though it doesn't last long. When I look up, her gaze is distant. "When my husband passed, I thought I was dying. I don't remember his face, but I remember that...painful numbness. Like I was being torn apart at the seams, and yet like I was feeling nothing at all." Her brow furrows, mouth curving into a frown. "I lay in bed for days, not eating. I think I slept. And then..." She sighs. "I died. I woke up here, without him. If I saw my own funeral, I don't remember it."

I want to take her hand. I barely move my pinky out, feeling the icy static of her ghostly skin against mine.

"Do you miss him?"

"I loved him more than anything. I moved from the city to be with him." She pauses. "He was going to buy me a camera the second he had enough money. Every day he'd kiss me goodbye and promise that we'd have a million photographs -- of our home, of our family... Of us." She shook her head. "The only photo left was our marriage photo. I don't even know where it is anymore."

"I'll find it," I say without thinking.

"Kaz --"

"No. Listen. I'll find it for you, okay? You're a huge star in paranormal communities. If it's out there, someone has it, and probably posted it online. I'll find it."

She looks me dead on, the corners of her mouth starting to pull upwards once more. "I believe you."

"Believe in the internet," I say.

Lucy shakes her head. "I believe in you."

I'm still walking on air when I return home. I hum to myself, jingling my keys before putting them into the lock and opening the door

I stop dead in my tracks as soon as I step inside. The apartment has been turned upside down. Textbooks thrown off the table and shredded, dishes shattered on the kitchen tile. All my knickknacks and things litter the floor, chairs knocked over, couch torn to bits. Even the floor lamp has been knocked to the ground, the remains of light bulbs glittering in the carpet.

Renfield sits on the table, surrounded by his destruction. His fur is paler, pupils narrowed to a thin sliver in his yellow eyes.

"Have you had fun tonight?" Magnus asks. Black bile drips from Marius's mouth, and he launches himself at me with a wail.

Tag List

@adaughterofathena

@ambreeskyewriting

@carnelianflames

@feather-dancer

@halfbloodlycan

@nadunacreates

@serenanymph

@vigilantdesert

[quailfence]

[Image description: A series of illustrated infographic slides about how to use desktop tumblr. 

The first is titled "so you just joined tumblr. Duke's guide to desktop setup" with "tumblr." being the website's logo. there is an illustrated anthropomorphic shark underneath, smiling at the viewer, and holding hands out to the side, gesturing at smaller text which reads "it takes a bit more setup than other websites". the slides are as follows:

"Go into your Account Settings and scroll down. check "show" for all labels you want to see." - there are two screenshots of tumblr's account settings, one showing where to find it (the topmost category in the settings), and one showing content you can see (filtered tags, filtered post content) and community labels (mature, drug and alcohol addiction, etc) labelled "these are hidden by default". the shark is in the corner smiling and sticking a thumb out, saying "choose what you want to see"

"Important Dashboard settings" - there is again a screenshot of settings showing dashboard settings as the second category from the top. to the left is the screenshot of the dashboard settings page, with each option annotated: (the following are under the 'interface' category and are able to be toggled on and off)

Endless scrolling - endless scrolling makes it more like twitter, you dont have to go trhough pages and it makes everything easier

Show timestamps on posts, rebloges, and notes - tumblr regurgitates old posts often so it’s fun to see when stuff happened. Shorten long posts - tumblr has no word count cap and you can spam endless emojis, there are several joke posts that make rounds that will take minutes to scroll through

Sounds: Messaging sounds - turn off messaging sounds, they're obnoxious and staff sometimes changes them for halloween into jumpscare noises

Preferences: best stuff first, include stuff in your orbit, include "based on your likes!" etc. - turn these off if you're cool (except colorized tags) (you can have those on). The shark adds, “this fundamentally changes your browsing experience.”

Blog customization stuff 1/2. There’s a screenshot of the settings again, but this time it also shows a Blogs section, with one blog shown: DukeOfAsh. Below that is a button reading “Create a new blog”. Text next to that reads “Important Notes: use an avatar - people will block default icons thinking you’re a bot. Blog descriptions do not have a word cap. Go ham. Featured tags can be usefu to organize your blog.” The shark says, “you can have multiple blogs for interests, fandoms, work, and more.”

Blog Customization Stuff 2/2. There is a screenshot of various blog settings with annotations. The annotated ones are as follows:

Enable custom there (on) - Enable this, it will give your blog a unique page

Share posts you like, share the Tumblrs you’re following (both off) - keep your stuff private its ok here

Let people ask questions, allow anonymous questions, allow asks with media (all on) - Asks are off by default. I recommend keeping anons off

Only allow messages from Tumblrs you follow (on) - keeps bots away

Hide DukeOfAsh from people without an account, hide DukeOfAsh from search results (both off) - if you want to keep your blog private

The shark says, “all of this is is by taste so play around with it.”

Next up: (logo showing a purple box with NX on it) (New) XKit. XKit is a browser extension that enhances your Tumblr experience. You can just Google XKit and it'll be the first thing but also I'll add a link underneath ok? The shark says, “woo!”

What XKit extensions to use. It’s a list of XKit settings and what they do. They are:

Vanilla Videos, Audio+ - gives videos and audio volume sliders

One-Click Postage, Quick Tags - easy reblogs

Anti-Capitalism - removes ads

Notification Block, Post Block, Tweaks - general quality of life

Old Blue - old tumblr colors (nice, soft)

Next to these is a somewhat crude drawing if the shark, with color outside the lines. It says, “there’s also funny ones too”.

Some final notes. The shark is reclining and giving a thumbs up. Next to it is the following text:

reblog things you like

tags are great and useful for organizing

you can also use tags to basically whisper your opinion

there's a lot of old inside jokes, just sit back and enjoy

Don't censor words, especially trigger warnings

you have unlimited words, have fun!

use the read more option, its awesome

don't trust every post

use kung pow penis responsibly

Enjoy your Tumblr experience

At the very bottom is tiny, barely readable text that reads “Potterheads, grab your wand. Whovians, hop in your TARDISes. Supernatural fans, get the shotguns. Sherlockians, hire your consulting criminals. Tributes, knock a arrow. Avengers fans, assemble. LOTOR fans, unsheath Sting. Les Mis fans, build a barricade. Gleeks, grab your slushees. Rizzles fans, grab your guns and scalpels. NCIS fans, grab your gear. Castle fans, alakazam that jackasss. ATLA fans, master your bending.” End description.]

@a-captions-blog

Howdy newbies and welcome to Tumblr, it takes a bit of setup to get this site running well so here’s what works for me. One of the neat things about this site is that its a different experience for everyone, so tailor these settings towards what you want from this site. 

New XKit 

[srishtijaiswal]

Getting the Most Out of WordPress Plugins: A Guide for Webmasters of All Levels

Due to its adaptability, ease of use, and extensive plugin repository, WordPress is one of the most widely used web development platforms worldwide. Whether you're creating a blog, a business website, an online store, or anything in between, WordPress Plugins are essential tools that improve your site's appearance and functionality. In this blog, we'll go over everything you need to know about WordPress plugins, including how they work, the advantages they provide, and some plugins that are essential for all kinds of websites.

What are plugins for WordPress?

WordPress Plugins, to put it simply, are pieces of software that can be added to your WordPress website to increase its capabilities. Think of them as web applications. Using plugins, you can enhance your website without having to write code or hire a developer by enhancing SEO, speeding up the site, or adding contact forms.

The official WordPress plugin directory contains over 55,000 plugins, so there is practically a plugin for every possible function. Knowing which plugins are best suited to your website and how to effectively manage them is the real challenge.

Why are plugins for WordPress so important?

The ability of WordPress Plugins to transform a basic WordPress site into a platform with a lot of features is what makes them so appealing. They are revolutionary for website owners for the following reasons:

Customization: Using plugins, you can tailor your website to meet your specific requirements. WordPress Plugins give you the tools to build exactly what you need, whether you want a sleek image gallery, advanced analytics, or a full-fledged online store.

Coding is not necessary: To utilize WordPress Plugins, you do not need to be a developer. The majority of plugins have intuitive user interfaces that make it simple for even inexperienced users to install and configure them.

Solutions That Are Economical: You can add valuable features to your website without spending a lot of money because many WordPress plugins are free or offer freemium models.

Scalability: Plugins let you add new features to your website or boost performance as it grows without having to start from scratch.

Time-Saving: Backups, security measures, and SEO optimization are just a few of the many tasks that can be automated by plugins that would otherwise take hours to carry out manually.

Types of WordPress Plugins Having an understanding of the various types of WordPress Plugins available will assist you in selecting the most suitable ones for your website. The following are some subcategories of plugins that can improve the functionality of your website:

1. SEO Plugins There are a number of SEO plugins that can help you get more visitors to your website. Yoast SEO, which shows you how to optimize your content for search engines, from meta tags to keyword density, is a popular choice.

2. Security Plugins WordPress Plugins like Word fence and i Themes Security offer protection against hackers, malware, and unauthorized login attempts. Maintaining your website's security is essential. These plugins check your website for vulnerabilities and send you regular security reports.

3. Performance Plugins Performance Plugins like W3 Total Cache and WP Super Cache are necessary to ensure that your website loads quickly and smoothly. By reducing load times, caching content, and improving overall performance, they help speed up your website.

4. Plugins for eCommerce Woo Commerce is a must-have if you run an online store. It transforms your WordPress site into an eCommerce platform with shipping options, payment gateways, product listings, and more.

5. Backup Plugins It is essential to regularly back up your website to prevent data loss in the event of a crash or security breach. Updraft Plus and Backup Buddy are plugins that make automatic backups of your website and store them in safe locations so that you can restore it if necessary.

6. Plugins for Social Media Incorporating social media into your website can aid in brand development and engagement. You can easily embed social media feeds, share buttons, and social logins on your website with plugins like Social Snap and Smash Balloon.

7. Plugins for Forms Interacting with visitors often necessitates the use of contact, survey, or booking forms. On your WordPress website, creating and managing forms is made simple with plugins like WP Forms and Contact Form 7.

Instructions to Pick the Right Modules

With so many WordPress Modules to browse, it's not difficult to feel overpowered. A quick checklist to assist you in selecting the appropriate plugins for your website:

Identify Your Desires: Start by determining what features your website lacks. Do you want better SEO, more safety, or just a contact form? You can find the right plugin more quickly if you focus on your requirements.

Examine Ratings and Reviews: Verify the plugin's functionality and dependability by reading user reviews and ratings before installing it.

Check for Compatibility: Check to see if the plugin works with your theme and version of WordPress. Problems with compatibility can lead to conflicts that can break your website or cause unanticipated behavior.

Think about updates and support: Look for plugins with active support and regular updates. As WordPress evolves, this guarantees that the plugin will remain secure and functional.

Avoid Overcrowding Your Site: Although plugins are extremely useful, too many of them can slow down your website or cause conflicts. Be selective and get rid of plugins that no longer serve your needs.

The following are some essential WordPress plugins that every website owner ought to take into consideration:

SEO by Yoast: for making your content search engine friendly.

Word fence Protection: to shield your website from hackers and malware.

Updraft Plus: for your site's automatic backups.

WP Forms: to quickly develop bespoke forms for your website.

Total W3 Cache: to speed up the site by caching content and pages.

Woo Commerce: if you intend to sell items online.

Monster Insights: for tracking the performance of the website and integrating Google Analytics.

[e-techshops]

Nitro - Best WooCommerce Theme for WordPress

Introducing "Nitro" – Where Excellence Meets eCommerce .The eCommerce landscape is ever-evolving, and your business deserves only the best tools to thrive in this competitive environment. Enter Nitro, the ultimate WordPress WooCommerce theme designed to redefine the standards of eCommerce excellence. Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur or an established business, our theme empowers your digital store with the finesse and flexibility it deserves. Why Choose Nitro? Best eCommerce Theme for WordPress: In an ocean of eCommerce website themes for WordPress, Nitro stands out, not just as another option but as the go-to solution for entrepreneurs who value quality. Our design is not only aesthetic but also performance-driven, ensuring your customers enjoy a seamless shopping experience. WooCommerce Optimized: Nitro is intricately crafted with WooCommerce in mind. As one of the leading WordPress WooCommerce templates, it integrates perfectly with the WooCommerce plugin, unlocking a plethora of features to give you full control over your store. Designed for Easy Digital Downloads: In today's digital era, the sale of digital products is soaring. Nitro is optimized for easy digital downloads, ensuring that your digital products are showcased beautifully and downloaded seamlessly by your customers. Customizable & Versatile: eCommerce stores are unique, and so should be their design. Nitro offers extensive customization options, letting you fine-tune every element to match your brand identity. Whether you're selling fashion, electronics, digital products, or anything in between, Nitro molds itself to fit your needs. Responsive & Mobile Friendly: With a significant chunk of users shopping on mobile devices, responsiveness isn't just an option—it's a necessity. Nitro is designed to look stunning and work smoothly on all devices, from desktops to mobiles. SEO Optimized: In the vast digital marketplace, visibility is key. Nitro isn’t just about good looks; it's coded for optimal search engine performance. With our theme, your eCommerce website on WordPress stands a better chance of ranking higher and reaching your target audience. The Nitro Advantage Ease of Setup: Setting up an eCommerce website on WordPress has never been easier. With Nitro, you're not just getting a WordPress Woo Commerce theme; you're getting a simplified setup process. Install, customize, and go live in record time. Regular Updates: The digital world moves at a rapid pace. To ensure your store stays ahead, we regularly update Nitro, incorporating the latest in web design trends and ensuring compatibility with the latest versions of WordPress and WooCommerce. Top-notch Support: Got questions? We've got answers. Our dedicated support team is always ready to assist you, ensuring your eCommerce website runs without a hitch. Innovative Features: From stunning product displays to advanced checkout options, Nitro is packed with features that not only make your site look good but also enhance functionality. Safe & Secure: In eCommerce, security is paramount. Nitro is built with the best coding practices, ensuring that your website is not only fast but also secure from potential threats. Affordable Pricing: Excellence doesn't always come with a hefty price tag. With Nitro, you get premium quality without burning a hole in your pocket. Conclusion In the modern digital age, your eCommerce website isn't just a platform to sell products; it's a reflection of your brand, your commitment to quality, and your dedication to customer satisfaction. With Nitro, you’re not just choosing a theme; you're opting for a partner that understands your business's intricacies and is committed to helping you succeed. Whether you're kickstarting your dream project or scaling your existing online empire, Nitro is the fuel you need. Crafted with passion, optimized for performance, and designed for success, our theme is the ultimate choice for those who refuse to settle for anything but the best. Embark on your eCommerce journey with Nitro – The universal WooCommerce theme that truly understands eCommerce. Elevate your online store today!   Read the full article

[shlokaconcepts]

What Are The Benefits Of Shopify App Development? | Shloka Concepts | Top Android Development Companies In Bangalore.

What Are The Benefits Of Shopify App Development?

Even while e-commerce was always thought to be the way of the future, now it is more apparent than ever. After COVID-19 hit our lives, we distanced ourselves from the outside world due to uncertainty, apprehension, social distancing, and as a precaution. It acted as an accelerator for numerous industries, propelling developments years ahead of where natural growth would have otherwise brought them. E-Commerce benefited from this trend as well. As more individuals were compelled to shop online, the many advantages of e-commerce websites for both firms and customers came to light.

With the growing digitalization of modern life over the past several years, eCommerce websites have grown to play a crucial role in the worldwide business marketplace. It should not be surprising that e-Commerce platforms are flourishing in every region of the world given the tremendous expansion in Internet availability and use as well as the growing demand for online transactions.

Shopify, Magento, Woo Commerce, PrestaShop, Open Cart, and Big Commerce are some of the popular e-commerce platforms. For online merchants who desire quality and efficiency in addition to simplicity and a wide range of features, Shopify is the best option.

Let’s see what makes Shopify a best suited e-commerce platform for your business.

1. Easy to set up & Easy to use

Shopify is a straightforward platform that takes no time to set up and operate. For those seeking a comprehensive solution free of any technical concerns with the creation and hosting of the online store, it is the finest alternative. The software and infrastructure required for the launch of the website are provided by the platform itself. Both the user interface and the admin interface are simple to use and appealing. Extensive documentation and video guides are available on the Shopify site.

2. Extremely Attractive Online Store

The platform has a few expert templates that make it easier to build distinctive and eye-catching online stores. It has a basic theme out of the box, but designers and developers may customize it to build a store with a rich user interface and excellent user experience.

3. Secure & Reliable

If you own an ecommerce marketplace, you will have to deal with impatient consumers and secure sensitive customer data, including credit card information.  For an e-commerce store safeguarding the private, sensitive, and financial information of its consumer is crucial. Website must therefore be quick, safe, and always accessible. The reliability that a hosted solution offers is one of its main benefits. Your business and shopping cart will always be accessible thanks to Shopify’s server maintenance and upgrades, which will also ensure that pages load swiftly.

4. Customizable & Mobile Friendly

People visiting the website through mobile are higher than the desktop. Looking at that having a mobile-optimized website is a necessary, not option. Shopify provides a free built-in mobile commerce shopping cart, and all of its themes are mobile responsive, your store will look fantastic on all devices and your customers will be able to easily shop wherever they are.

In addition, if you want to manage your store while on the road, there are free iPhone and Android apps available.

There are more than 160 free/paid themes available in the Shopify theme store. All of these themes are mobile responsive and full customizable.

1. SEO friendly

When your store is complete, it is essential to optimize it for search engines to increase visitors. SEO is essential to ensuring that customers looking for your products can simply visit your website. A key difference between Shopify and other e-commerce systems is its improved capacity to develop landing pages for the campaigns. Additionally, it supports SEO criteria like unique meta tags and title tags.

2. Marketing Tools

You can access a wide variety of marketing tools through the app store, such as social media integration, product reviews, and email marketing. Shopify gives you the option to create discount codes.    All themes contain icons for social media. Additionally, Shopify Kit has been created to assist if you feel a little overwhelmed by digital marketing and the potential time commitment. Based on your products, audience, and shop performance, it does market activities like a virtual employee by recommending them and carrying them out.

3. Own payment gateway

Shopify offers its own payment gateway that is powered by Stripe in addition to being linked with dozens of other gateways. You will not pay any transaction fees if you opt to utilize this, plus you’ll pay less for using your credit card. Additionally, using it does not call for a merchant account.

If you are looking for a Shopify website for your business, we are here to help you. Shloka Concepts is one of the top android development companies in Bangalore. 

Contact Details :

Phone Number : +91 90081 10927

Email : contact@shlokaconcepts.com

Website : https://shlokaconcepts.com/