#a fic I may or may not have already started planning out 🙈

[stvrlighttrena]

okay I’m almost finished with the stuff for the Ao’nung fic I’ve been working there was a slight setback: work but now I’m free and now back into the swing of things but I wanna ask people if they be interested in a crossover fic 🤭🤭🤭 it’s been running through my mind for so loooooong that I’ve already made a playlist for it. Basically its a Guardian’s of The Galaxy x Avatar fic where the reader is Jake and Neytiri eldest daughter who feels like a outcast in her own family and ya know all that eldest daughter trauma who

gets abducted and adopted by thanos who trains her along side Gamora and Nebula as assassins/mercenaries who eventually meet Peter, Rocket, Drax, Groot (and Mantis as well at some point ) who become a family amongst themselves and form the Guardian’s . The reader eventually has to face and confront her family when the guardians crash land on her home planet Pandora but doesn’t want to reconcile cause she finally found a family of her own with the guardians

[prettyboybuckley]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

tagged by @saybiwithme @bi-buckrights @zainclaw

How many works do you have on ao3?

160

What's your total ao3 word count?

1,070,239

What fandoms do you write for?

I've mostly written for 9-1-1, though I started off with Shameless (6 fics) and I have written some for Teen Wolf (5 fics). There's one 9-1-1 crossover with Schitt's Creek.

Top five fics by kudos:

parents always yelling (telling us to get our acts together)

i just want something to hold on to (and a little of that human touch)

I will come to you (even in my sleep)

open up again (i believe in second chances)

exes and the oh's

Do you respond to comments?

Always, even if it takes me months. I actually just caught up again (there's still a bunch to go, but right now the oldest is 17 days ago instead of 250 days...). It's just a rule I have for myself, and even with the backlog I've kept it up so far, so I'm not going to stop doing it now.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I'm not a big fan of angsty endings, I generally try to at least make it a hopeful ending or, in the case of the college au, use an epilogue to fix things.

But I guess sunny skies & summer highs qualifies as an angsty ending simply because of the cliffhanger (and yes, there is still going to be a continuation, I'm working on it 🙈).

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Choosing one out of 160 is really hard, but I think tell me, will you stay or will you run away is definitely one that deserves a mention here, because it already has a happy ending and then the epilogue just makes it even better 🥰

Do you get hate on fics?

Not commented on the fic itself, no. I've had some people talk shit about my fics on twitter, though, and not even vaguely but calling me by (user)name.

Do you write smut?

Is grass green? Yeah, I write smut 🤭 Thanks to two times kinktober, I have 95 explicit fics, by far the most used rating for my fics.

Craziest crossover:

let's have some fun tonight is my 9-1-1/Schitt's Creek crossover fic for 9-1-1 Rarepair Week, and my only crossover fic

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

My head over feet Buddie valentine's two-parter got posted as one chapter in Wattpad work with over 30 fics once. Filed a DMCA and Wattpad took it down within two hours.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Two of my fics have been translated into Russian afaik, one on ao3 and one on Ficbook

Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Nope. It may be a nice challenge for the future? Not sure who I'd do it with.

All time favourite ship?

Gotta go for Buddie on that one, lol. Especially if you look at my writing history. But I often tend to hyperfixate on one ship at a time (current reading obsession is McDanno)

What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Buck's POV of if love is art then you might be my masterpiece. I really want to, but at this point it's been two years since the original so I don't know if it'd be worth it either. (I know not everyone was happy about how I ended it, but I doubt any of them are still waiting for more). Writing a different POV of the same fic takes an amount of planning that my brain just really struggles with. And I could pick up where the last chapter (before the epilogue) picks up, but I think that way there would be some crucial information about Buck missing.

What are your writing strengths?

I've been told quite a lot of times that I am good at keeping characters, well, in character, even when putting them in partial or complete AU's. Of course, what is in character or not is subjective, but I do always challenge myself to work as much of the canon backstory and personality into who they are in the AU as possible.

And I like to think I'm pretty good at writing smut.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm terrible at pacing, which multiple of my long fics prove. It'll be drawn out first and then suddenly rushing. And being ESL I do struggle with things like sentence structure and grammar pretty regularly still.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

As long as there is some kind of translation provided somewhere I like it, but I'm not so quick to use it myself. Not beyond a few Spanish words here and there (generally pet names between Eddie and his family we've seen on the show or the occasional curse word when I feel it fits better than an English one, but I usually need to employ help from Spanish-speaking friends for those).

First fandom you wrote in?

Shameless! I binged that right before I started 9-1-1 and combined with the creative writing minor I was doing, it was actually what got me back into writing in general and what made me write my first ever fic.

Favorite fic you've written?

My in your arms i feel safe-series (which I always lovingly refer to as the ace kink fic) is definitely one of my favorites simply because of how personal it is to me and for the reason behind me writing it in the first place.

Other strong contenders are i would've loved you forever (it's never enough but i wanted it to be) and i'm begging you, come home to me (Teen Wolf, Thiam)

tagging @monsterrae1 @rogerzsteven @loserdiaz @watchyourbuck

[angelanimedesaray]

Soooooooooooo--

*Rocks ball off foot to heel back and forth with arms clasped behind her back, innocent face, cauldron with cotton candy pink color contents bubbling behind her*

Let me start by swearing that this is CONCEPT ONLY right now, and will stay in the planning stages, I will not write for it, until I get back in the groove with my big three, I refuse to neglect my passion babies for a shiney new idea, especially after promising their return for you guys and having a few already with chapters ready to be posted when im ready.

HAVING SAID THAT--

...

I'm cooking up a ModernAU!Chef!Levi x Baker!MC idea, and this time it's actually fluffy fluff fluff (some dashes of drama maybe a splash of peril for plot) and I doubt I'd do more than 1 book on it.

I said it gave me some hallmark movie vibes with less cheese and corniness with how I envision it, a friend I pitched it to said it was giving fluffy almost rom com vibes. So yes. FLUFF FIC.

I'm thinking main concept of mysterious background, avoids the public eye Chef!Levi--no surname--runs an upscale restaurant renowned for having first class food at prices that don't burn the pocketbook or lose the restaurant money. Despite the mystery surrounding the chef and owner who avoids and doesn't even try to garner fame, the restaurant enjoys a sparkling reputation and is well known for its amazing food.

However, Levi is ready to admit that the restaurant is lacking in one area thanks to a low tolerance for the usually abundantly sweet and rich course: desserts. Enter the new Baker/Pastry Chef/Dessert enthusiast Levi has hired on to fill in the area his restaurant needs to improve.

And he may be getting a bit more than he bargained for.

Details are still being figured out, backgrounds and roles and details to the plot and FOOD and DECOR and EVERYTHING ELSE pretty much.

There is (obviously) going to be lots of fluff and romance, kitchen shenanigans, sweet secrets unearthed, I'm sure you'll all see how much I love my Chef Ramsey cooking shows 🫣 and how obvious it is that I have a mom that looooooves baking and sweets and passed that on to me 🙈

Some drama and mystery because PLOT between critics, rivals, and SOMEONES mysterious past.

I think it'll be fun 🥰

And maybe by the end of this I will finally learn to spell restaurant the correct way instead of resteraunt.

Also, the amount of cooking puns and jokes was totally unintentional I swear 😭😭😭

( @l3visthighs you wanted to know if I write this, consider this the heads up that it's stewing in the background while i write my other babies )

[killemwithkawaii]

Some rambling bc I've been AFK:

>God, I've been having so many polyship feels lately... Sal is still 100% my main man, but throwing Lar-bear in the mix is a lot of fun, too 🙈💘 I really want to talk about it more and draw some stuff for it when I have my current projects done! (I also need to nail down a ship tag for the throuple ship if I'm gonna start posting about it hmm.... is 'throuple trouble' too close to 'double trouble' or...? 🤔)

>I've become very interested in the Uncanny Valley universe and have kind of adopted John Doe as an f/o, specifically as my bff/big brother! c: I'm working on making a Regular Guy sona for myself and have been gradually building a selfinsert AU(s) with @stormcellarwitch (which may or may not be an SF crossover sksbxjx)

>I'm getting SO HYPED for 'Strange Nightmares'!! Steve said that the game will be an alternate retelling of the original story, which I am so fucking here for 👏 I love that multiple realities (possibly infinite realities) are canon in SF- the possibilities are literally endless (keep going nuts with those fics yall), and I'm very interested to hear about the different story routes Steve came up with himself. (It looks like Larry might be in trouble... 😰)

>On that note, I have to admit, I went through a period recently where I thought my interest in SF was fading, but I realized that that feeling was a combination of general disinterest in Everything and a need for some variety. I've rewatched playthroughs and the dub of SF more times than I can count and have basically memorized it, and I was finally getting kind of bored with the same old thing... BUT NOW, Steve is effectively filling a hollowed-out pumpkin with raw ground beef and is about to roll it into my enclosure. I can SMELL IT. I am SCRATCHING AT THE BARS. LEMME AT IT GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME >:3c

>Related to 'GIMME': Steve also announced that an SF subscription box will be launching this summer (with exclusive merch and puzzles) and I'm over here budgeting already 😂 (I seriously want to have enough SF merch to create an SF themed decora outfit at some point, been shopping around for a fitting ita bag for it and everything) 🛍

>Related to 'need some variety': I've been watching playthroughs of some horror games (including John Doe, House Hunted and Needy Streamer Overload) and have really been enjoying them! If you have any recs (preferably for relatively short games), feel free to send them my way! 🎮 🔪

>I am (tentatively) planning on opening new commission slots sometime in February! I'll keep you guys posted~ 🎨

[a-force-dyad-in-space]

I feel like it's time for another "What the Hell is Up with Your WIPs, Jen???? Any Updates?????" post, so let me tell you what the current status is on all them. 🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈

This includes both fics I've already started posting (marked "on AO3") and fics I haven't posted yet, some of which you might not even be aware of because I haven't talked about them before. 🙈

The Untamed

The Angsty SongXue Fic (on AO3)

I gotta be honest, I haven't really worked on it since, like, May or June because my brain keeps semi-fixating on other fandoms at the moment. Chapter 52 is still a work in progress, but I hope I'll get back to it soon.

The It Follows AU (on AO3)

Has it really been TWO YEARS since I posted the first five chapters???? I know, I really need to get back to it and finish it.

The XXC Grew Up in a Cult Fic

I know, I haven't even started posting this fic yet and tbh, at this point I don't know if I ever will, but it is more or less fully outlined and I've written the first chapter, so I don't know, maybe the mood will hit me again one day.

The Color Rush AU

This one I haven't touched in several years and, similarly to the one above, I don't know if I will ever write enough to start posting it, but the first chapter is already done and I have a plan for how it's supposed to go, so maybe one day.

The Observer series (on AO3)

I did write the first chapter of part 2 several years ago, but I have yet to write the other two chapters in this part. I'm not in the biggest smut-writing mood in the moment, so this one will probably stay on the side for a bit longer, but I definitely want to continue it.

The Fierce Corpse Therapist SL meets Reincarnated XueXiao Fic

I don't remember if I ever told you about this one. I wrote a little bit of the beginning for this one and I have an outline for a good portion of this story, but it will probably be a while before it sees the light of day. I do still really like the premise, though, so I will hopefully pick it back up at some point.

Others

There are some others that I have outlines for, but haven't actually started writing, so I won't mention them for now, but the ideas exist and are simmering at the back of my creativity dungeon. Maybe they'll see the light of day, maybe they won't, we'll see.

Word of Honor

The Xie'er Deserves the World Fic (on AO3)

I just realized I only posted the first four chapters of this fic, even though chapter five has already been done for years. I guess I wanted to use that one as a buffer while I work on chapter six (which still isn't done because I haven't worked on it in ages). Even though I haven't worked on this one in a long time, I still eventually want to finish it. Guess I'll post chapter five in the meantime. Really, completely forgot I never posted that chapter, even though it's one of my favorites so far.

Night Has Come

Night Has Come...Again

Remember when I was semi-fixated on Night Has Come and made several gifsets for it? I also started working on a fic that basically picks up where the end of the drama left off. Unfortunately, my semi-fixation died before I could get more than 1.5 chapters into it. I do want to come back to it at some point but right now, my brain is jumping around too much for me to focus on it.

Sailor Moon

Sailor Moon Celestial

Ah yes, my Sailor Moon epic that I've mentioned a few times. I do come back to it every now and then, and I will definitely finish it some day, but it will probably be a while before it will see the light of day, aka AO3.

Love and Redemption

Five Times Linglong Tries to Forget (And One Time She Doesn't)

Another one I have fully outlined and started writing, but since I'm not in the mood for writing smut at the moment, it will probably be a while before I finish it.

Star Wars

The Episode IX Fix-It Fic

Also come back to this every now and then. I WILL get it fully out of my system one day, I just don't know when yet.

Crossovers

Twilight × The Chronicles of Narnia

I've been back in my Twilight era recently and had a look at a crossover with the Narnia movies I started writing like 10+ years ago again. I still really like the premise and I had a good portion outlined back then, so I started rewriting it from the beginning. I hope this time I'll really pull through. At the very least I already got farther into the story now than I did when I first started writing it, so I'm gonna see that as a good sign. This one's angsty.

Twilight × MCU

I wrote 8 chapters with the ninth as a work in progress back when I started working on it. I've done some editing in the last few weeks because I wasn't really happy with a few of the scenes, but other than that I still like what I wrote. We'll see how I'll get into it.

[witchcrafting-kitten]

Neville longbottom x misunderstood slytherin girl who everyone thinks is bad and is going to like, betray him but she genuinely loves him🥺 anything from fluff to smut is fine🙈 thanks so much and sorry if you dont wanna or if this doesnt help your lack of inspo for neville fics❤️

It's cool, anon. Thank you for the ask 😄 the idea was interesting to write.

Genuine (Neville x Slytherin!F!reader)

Trigger Warnings: fluff; some of the Gryffindor's being rude; light swearing

A/N: sorry for it taking a little long to write. Had to rewrite different parts a few times. I also forgot to proofread so there may be a mistake or two somewhere. Added in a random oc Hufflepuff to keep Y/N company.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Why and how Neville ended up with a girlfriend from Slytherin has astounded every one of his friends. Y/N Y/L/N wasn't much for hanging out with her fellow housemates. That didn’t stop any of the Gryffindor's whispering things about her though. Always thinking she'd crush Neville's heart eventually or that saying yes when Neville asked her out was secretly some kind of poor joke. Neither let on that they minded, but Y/N always worried what he thought about it.

With their one year anniversary coming, Neville and Y/N started to plan how they might want to celebrate. Neville was sitting outside in the courtyard with Seamus and Dean enjoying the weather before lunch. Y/N had been looking for Neville a good 20 minutes by the time she finally did. The other two Gryffindor boys weren't to pleased to see her coming.

"I thought I might find you enjoying nature. Surprised it's out here in the courtyard vs one of the Greenhouses, but certainly something I love about you," she giggled watching Neville's face turn red.

"Hey, Neville, don't you think we should head back to the dorms?" Dean suggested.

Neville looked at Dean and Seamus, about to say something before being awkwardly tugged away from where his girlfriend was standing. "Guess I'll see you in potions then," Neville hollered to her, earning a smile and wave in response.

Back at the Gryffindor Common Room..............

"What the heck was that for?" Neville huffed. "And don't say that it's because you don't like Y/N."

Neither Dean nor Seamus said a word. A few moments passed before one of them decided to speak. "We know how much you love her, mate, but -."

Neville groaned, "Honestly guys, she's not going to backstab me, alright? If she was, wouldn't she have done it already?"

Meanwhile in the courtyard..................

"Y/N!" Stephanie hollered. "You get a chance to talk to Neville?"

Y/N sighed, "His friends rushed him off to Gryffindor tower before I could get a chance to have an actual conversation with him."

"Can't believe I'm saying this, but they're idiots. Absolute idiots. Thankfully I have two hours of History of Magic with Gryffindor's after lunch, so I might be able to help," she looked at Y/N with a grin.

"Thanks, but I'll about it," she replied as they hugged.

×××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

The End

(I wasn't sure what kind of ending I wanted to write, so I went with one that kind of on the open-ended side.)

[tswaney17]

Ice Skating

So, I was going to attempt to do the Elriel 25 Days of Solstice, but life is just chaotic right now. And seeing how this is already three days late... 🙈 I may try and pick some random prompts to do and sporadically post them throughout the month, but I can’t guarantee them, nor them being posted on the right date. It’s been hell these last few months and it’s not slowing down. Anyways, please enjoy these totally cheesy, fluffy ice skating fic that I wrote in like two days, barely edited, and I don’t really like but I’m posting anyways. 💙

My fanfic account: @tswaney17fics​​​

My ao3 account: tswaney17

Please let me know what you think about this update. I love getting your feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome. 💕

Trigger warnings: brief language and mild NSFW thoughts. 

Word Count: 1,262

Azriel was sitting on one of the benches next to the ice rink, watching his best friend fly across the ice, brown hair a torrent behind her. Beside him sat a pair of unused skates, purchased by her in a feeble attempt to get him on that godforsaken frozen pond.

He was good at many things, playing the piano, tearing up the lacrosse field, or breaking down the most complicated trigonometry problem. But standing on two thin blades on slippery ice—nope. He just couldn’t do it.

Elain came sliding to a stop in front of him, stepping outside of the rink. Her face was positively glowing, smile radiant.

Gods, he had loved her for years. And he was such a chicken shit for being so damn afraid to tell her.

“Are you just going to sit here like a bum all night?” she asked, cheeks pink from both the cold and her exertion.

He raised an amused brow at her. “You’re well aware of my lack of coordination on those razor blades you call skates.”

She snorted in the most adorable way. “You have all coordination and talent in the world, but put you in a pair of skates and you’re just a dandelion in the wind.” Elain stepped forward, putting on her best attempt at a sad face.

Az tensed. “No, El. Don’t you dare,” he started, holding his hands up. He was a sucker to that face; it could get him to bend to her will as easily as breathing.

“Come on!” she whined. “Why did you even agree to come if you weren’t planning on skating.”

Azriel leaned back on his palms. “Because you’re my best friend and I enjoy watching you have fun.” And because he couldn’t say no to her—not really.

“It’d be much more fun out there if you’d just get up off your ass,” she teased. “I promise to hold your hand the whole time.”

He smirked. “That’s more of a danger to you than a safety net for me.”

Elain laughed, eyes sparkling.

Fuck, she was stunning. He really needed to get a grip on his emotions, lest he do something stupid. Like, kiss her.

Mischief danced in those gorgeous golden-brown eyes. “I think I can handle it. Please come skate with me?” Again, those damn puppy-dog eyes as she reached forward and took his scarred hand—such a contrast to her perfect ones, dusted with calluses from her hours spent gardening. She really was using everything in her arsenal tonight.

“I just ate a package of M&M’s. I need to wait an hour before getting in.”

“The water is frozen your sarcastic butt. And it’s an ice rink, not a swimming pool.”

He groaned knowing his will was slipping. “Fine! But if I break an ankle, you’re going to be my personal nurse until I can walk again,” he stated, taking a swig of his hot chocolate.

“Deal, but only if I can wear one of those sexy little nurse outfits.”

Azriel choked, staring at her wide-eyed. Did she just… Was she flirting with him? His cheeks turned a light shade of pink. Fuck, now he was picturing it. Elain in a slinky little nurse costume, her hourglass figure on full display. A short skirt stopping at the top of her perfect thighs—her fucking gorgeous, round ass. He tried to shift subtly in his seat, praying he didn’t pop a boner here and now.

Clearing her throat, she stepped back, leaning back to rest her elbows on the little wall around the rink.

He wiped the hot chocolate from his mouth, tossing the cup in the trash. Giving her a once over—because he was a glutton for punishment—he murmured, “You’d look good in it,” before he shucked off his boots and pulled on the pair of skates.

Glancing back up, he caught Elain staring at him, cheeks flushed with color. “What?”

She blinked, shaking her head. “Nothing.” Holding out her hand to him, Elain hauled him up onto unsteady feet. Azriel wobbled dangerously, but she situated herself under his shoulder, wrapping her arm around his waist.

Getting him onto the ice was a feat in itself.

Elain was desperately trying not to laugh, but her shaking form pressed into his side told him everything.

“Laughing at me isn’t helping,” he muttered as they glided on the ice.

She chortled, covering her mouth with a hand. “I’m sorry! You just remind me of newborn fawn right now.”

He glared down at her. “That’s it, I’m done. I am not going to stand here and take your teasing,” he said dramatically. Twisting to glide back towards the edge of the rink, his foot slipped and they went down onto the ice.

Elain yelped as he took her with him, but Azriel reacted, cradling her to his chest and taking the brunt of the fall flat on his back.

He grunted upon impact, head thumping frozen ground and leaving him dazed.

“Azriel!” she called, though it sounded fuzzy—like he was underwater. “Shit, Azriel, are you alright?”

A chilled hand pressed to his cheek forcing his eyes to blink open. Twinkling lights gilded Elain’s unbounded hair, making her glow like the sun at dawn. She reminded him of an angel coming down from the heavens above and for a split second, he wondered if he was dying. Snowflakes dusted her hair.

His eyes refocused on hers, golden hues glittering in her brown irises. Without so much as a second thought, he slid his fingers into tresses, feeling the soft, silky strands slip over his skin.

Elain’s breath caught in her throat, but she didn’t move, let him touch her how he wanted to.

And then he tilted her head up, and brought her lips down to his, kissing her so softly, so magically, Azriel was sure this was some dream he cooked up in his imagination. Her lips were soft and warm against his.

But Elain was responded eagerly, giving it back to him with just as much intent. She slid her knee down his hip into the ice to get more leverage to kiss him properly, sighing into his mouth. Her nails dug into his chest and shoulders, and when she pulled away, she was grinning. “Finally,” she breathed

Azriel stared up at her. “Finally?” he spluttered.

Elain laughed softly, shaking her head, her hair a curtain around them. “I’ve only been waiting for years for you to finally make a move. You are so oblivious, Azriel, I swear to the Mother. I’ve been sending you signals for years, hoping that one day you’d see it and actually do something about it. The constant touching, me baking for you, cuddling while watching movies.”

He stared at her dumbfounded. “I thought you were just comfortable around me…”

She rolled her eyes in utter exasperation. “I was more than comfortable around you, Az.” Then they were kissing again. Kissing like they were dependent on each other’s oxygen, ignoring the huffs of other skaters having to go around them on the ice.

He wasn’t sure how long they were on the ground for, but it was long enough for one of the rink employees to skate over to them and ask them if they were okay and to leave the arena if they weren’t going to keep it PG.

Scrambling off the ice like a pair of giggling teenagers, they returned their ice skates in favor of making out back at Azriel’s apartment, on the comforts of his couch and between his sheets.

[gerrydelano]

hiii fellow Very Long Fic writer ron! assuming you may be familiar with the (arguable) dilemma of writing styles changing / getting more advanced over time, might i ask- the instinct to go back and edit Every Chapter so that they better match up with current skill. in your opinion, does it usually pan out to be worth it?

i've seen your occasional posts abt how you'll go back and edit your published works, which is v encouraging re: mistakes not being set in stone, yet writer brain operates in extremes i think 🙃

hello, very long fic writer (assumed) anon! i am Very familiar with that dilemma yep hkbjndf drives me Nuts!

TL;DR right off the bat: let yourself go back and make minor edits for sure, but don't get lost in the weeds trying to rewrite the whole thing directly from inside what's already done. in my experience, being able to track your own growth is far more rewarding.

usually, when i go back and edit a chapter after posting it's just to fix typos/clarify something when i'm hit with the OTHER dilemma of "my beta reader has known all of my plans forever and so things go over both our heads sometimes when we KNOW the answer and aren't seeing how it might not come across to a reader with no inside knowledge." which! also sucks! but it's fine, and i always want to go back and make sure it's understandable without giving away any mystery that'll be revealed later on.

when it comes to THIS kind of editing though, i don't really bother? when i go back to things to make changes, it's usually because i've changed a big internal element of the story/a character that will have new bearing on where it goes, not to like. change my writing style wholly. to do that, i'd be going line by line with the idea that i can improve a sentence at a time and i'd run into sentences i LOVED and then get into a war with myself about whether they're "good enough" and honestly end up with a result that is not as natural as it was when i just let myself write it the first time, even IF my newer stuff independent from this might feel like it's more "advanced."

ren said they'll add a sentence or rephrase something here or there, but wouldn't go back and change the entirety of something. if they wrote RTD today it'd be so different, but they're not going to undo what's already been done! especially when it's a metric for growth now, too, which i hugely agree with on the whole.

i definitely did some of this when i edited breathing like i never did, though. that was my first TMA fic and my georgie HC actively changed, which changed big elements of the whole story! and when i edited the earlier chapters of TSP, i came out a thousand times happier with the result, because i was adding things that carried more weight and tied into larger themes that i didn't have in mind when i started writing it. TSP was supposed to be a four chapter bittersweet tragedy! LIKE. no way, man. editing that was extremely rewarding, but again, it wasn't just my writing style that i was fixing.

but mistakes in writing do NOT have to be set in stone! if you're not happy with something, you can go back and rework it until you feel better about it, and recirculate it to say so, if that's what you really want to. i personally wouldn't go too far with full rewrites, like i said, but everyone's different! start with fixing little things that might've been bugging you for a while, and leave it. if there's still more you aren't satisfied with, you are free to look through it more and find the problem. at the end of the day, though, something you wrote in the past doesn't have to be up to date with your current skill level to still have been enjoyable to write, AND for someone to read!!!!

it's not just natural to look back at our old stuff and go "oh, g-d, who was i 🙈" and agonize a little over it, it's GOOD. it means you HAVE improved! and it's up to you whether you leave that little time capsule of past skill as it is, or change it to reflect who you are now.

but no one who loves your work will be looking at the older chapters going "this really sucked, wow, lol." if they notice a quality shift at all from beginning to end, they're a LOT more likely to be really impressed! my friends and i talk SO often about how great it is to watch each other's art and writing styles evolve over time. being ABLE to compare them contributes to that awe! it's one of the most beautiful things in the world to me, i honestly LOVE looking back at even other people's old art because i love to see where we all started and who we've become right next to each other. it's okay to leave that stuff up. you deserve to feel that joy looking at your own stuff, too!

my only advice is that if you change something you've published, you should still keep the old version somewhere!!!! it IS good to have tabs on who we used to be to track all this progress and growth. hell, sometimes? i've even found that some of my old stuff is BETTER, and i want to know how i managed to lose a particular skill along the way, and how i can get it back into my current stuff.

but if it's encouragement you're looking for, then here it is! follow your gut, keep your copies, and make (or don't make) whatever changes you feel are necessary to showcase what you're most proud of. at the end of the day, seek joy. good luck!

[angielalalu]

I’m bringing back this old post bc ranting about my writing struggles and progress here somehow seems to help lol

I think I solved some of my struggles w the fic but I also got new ones 😅

The og plan was that Venti was the only archon to not survive the fall of Celestia. The comment that started this whole post implied that none of the archons did so now none of them do 😅🙈

(They don’t really die, it’s more like they get sealed away by Celestia in a last attempt to control/“erase” them. When they’re unsealed the effect from being sealed away can be seen in different ways corresponding a bit to how they were before they were sealed.)

I’ve decided to go with the multi part series option, starting w the main story.

The first chapter of the main story had a shifting pov at first but that’s scrapped bc it messed with the pacing n just made stuff weird 😅

The other pov will be the start of the “time skip” story, taking place between ch 1 & 2 of the main story.

(It may or may not also be an excuse for me to write adepti found family and a Xiao chara. development arc).

Other side stories will mostly take place post reincarnation and focus on other characters but I have some pre main story ones for xv too x3

Finding out more about irminsul in game really helped me figure out how to explain some stuff and not just go “that’s just how it is”

(some things will still have “just because” as an explanation but it’s more “because ley lines” or “because irminsul” bc they’re still a mystery to me and can probably be the reason for pm anything lol)

Funny enough the last GAA event also fixed some plot problems by giving us the communication device lmao.

(I kinda already had a plan for it (“bc ley lines”) but this kinda saves me the trouble to figure it out myself lol)

It all starts w the fall of Celestia which, at first, is gonna cause a lot of problems for Teyvat as a whole bc the ecosystem is gonna go through a drastic change

Elemental energy is still gonna be a thing. Beings who are naturally attuned to the elements (ex. adepti, yokai) can still use it

Visions go bye bye but not right away, no new ones are given out but it takes a while for the old ones to “stop working” (when they do it causes some problems)

Humans can’t use elemental energy like w visions anymore but have developed a way to “harvest” and use it like energy (kinda like electricity). I don’t really know how to write this into the story in a good way (I might just leave it out), just know that this is kinda how I’m imagining it lol

I have more thoughts and things I’m trying to figure out but Imma leave it at that for now xD

you ever just work on a fanfic and realise that you’ve written something opposite of what you planned/wrote in your notes?? it might only be a small detail but it would bring a lot of changes to the story if it’s kept like it is now...

“but hey it’s fine! it’s just a throwaway comment for now, it’s an easy fix! just change it!!”

but instead of fixing it, and rewrite it as it should be, you add a comment on it in the document “to remind yourself to go back and fix it later”...

but you don’t go back and fix it later... instead you keep writing now... in the comment... you just keep developing it...

I now have a +1200 words comment of info and plot to add to this fanfic bc the brainrot was too strong and threw me down a rabbit hole... hELP

[theshelbyslimited]

I am so intrigued as to how this story is going to plan out bc the little request snippet doesn’t give away too much, but regardless, I am excited.

“Not well enough to marry him! We’ve never even said hello to each other! I think I’m going to be sick. Pull over, please!” no but I feel so bad for Y/N. it’s always kind of irritated me how Tommy sees his family members as expendable and uses them as a means to benefit the business when he sees fit.

“We do things for this family, yeah? We go through hardships to make our family stronger. And I’m asking you (Y/N), please go along with this. If we can keep an alliance with the Gold’s, it will only bring us good. I wouldn’t ask you if I was desperate or if I didn’t think you could do it.” the way I would highkey punch Tommy in the face regardless of what excuses he uses to try and justify marrying off his own sister 🤣

“Just know that I hate this too. I wouldn’t-” PLEASE SHUT THE FUCK UP RIGHT NOW. I cannot stand him right now, like I would really lose my shit on him if I was Y/N 🙈

“Look, I’m sorry this has happened. We don’t know each other, back in there was the first time we’ve spoken, it’s a lot. But I want you to know that I’m going to look after you. We’ll go at your pace, whatever you’re comfortable with. I want us to be friends at least.” The way I love + adore Bonnie boy but I’d be too consumed by anger to even give his genuine words a single thought 🙈

“Of course she isn’t. This is all a big mistake, we should have come up with a plan to get her out of here.” No but I love how Ada is fully standing up and standing by her sister, you can truly always count on Ada to be a voice for her sister when it’s necessary 🙌🏾

“Thanks Tom. I guess it’s a start to your apology.” DON’T FEEL BAD Y/N. she honestly has every right to take all the jabs she wants @ Tommy, especially bc he seems to think buying her + Bonnie somewhere to live will somewhat make up for what he forced her into.

INTERLUDE: just let me say that I am so sorry for how much I am hating on Tommy this fic but I feel like he truly deserves it for basically using his sister as a pawn in his game of business, especially considering he didn’t even tell her about it until it was already settled.

“Fine, then I choose you having the master bedroom, and I shall go see what other room I prefer.” Oh how I want to love Bonnie and his sweetness so much this fic but I am just so hung up on the way him and Y/N came to be that it makes it harder for me to truly appreciate it 🙈

“A romantic gesture. He may be a tough man and a fighter but he’s a big sofite really.” This single line really summarizes Bonnie as a whole so well. I LOVE IT.

“And I’m not being rude about your brother. Bonnie has been amazing, he’s kept his boundaries, made sure I felt respected. But, your wedding day is supposed to be the happiest day of your life. Choosing your dress, what hair and makeup you want, the venue, the cake, it’s all part of it. I didn’t even have a proposal.” “And when those doors open, you’re supposed to look down the aisle and see your soul mate waiting for you. You both smile and start crying because the day has finally come. I had none of that. I’ll never have any of that.” PLEASE. I just want to hug poor Y/N so much bc I understand what she means, she truly deserved to experience all that rather than what she was forced into 🥺😭

“I spoke with my sister the other day. I wasn’t snooping, I just wondered how you were with her, if you told her something about me that I needed to change. She told me how upset you were that you couldn’t experience your wedding day properly, and I thought I could help with that. So, I asked Ada and Pol what your favourite food was, all types, and I thought we could have a romantic dinner together. “ OH. MY. GOSH. THIS IS SO GODDAMN ROMANTIC, BONNIE MY BOY YOU ARE MAKING ME SLIP W THIS ASDKDJSL

The ending was so sweet and although I am still extremely bitter towards Tommy on Y/N’s behalf, I adore the way Bonnie went out of his way to try and make Y/N feel comfortable and put so much effort into setting up a romantic date for them. yet another amazing fic from this brilliant writer, the erratic emotions were real this fic 🤣🙈

The Shy Bride-Bonnie Gold x Shelby!Reader

(GIF credit to @chimestims)

MASTERLIST

Requested by anonymous: 'Can you do a Bonnie gold fic where the reader is a Shelby and he has to marry her for a business deal and they end up getting to know each other even tho the reader is all shy and innocent and doesn't really like anyone that isn't family and the golds love her'

Characters: Bonnie Gold x Shelby!Reader, Shelby family x Shelby!Reader, Aberama Gold x Reader (in-laws), Esmeralda Gold x Shelby!Reader (in-laws)

Meanings: (Y/N)=Your name

Warnings: Arranged marriage, swearing, shouting/arguing, sadness, drinking, fluff

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As I returned home, I eyed up the beautiful dress hanging over the kitchen door, feeling the fabric and admiring it. I had never seen this dress before but it was gorgeous, an extravagant evening gown that every girl would be envious of. But why was it hanging up in Pol's kitchen?

"Pol, who's this dress for?" I asked.

"Would be nice if you greeted me first."

"Sorry, got distracted."

Polly smiled, but it didn't seem genuine."It's for you actually. A gift from Tommy."

"For me? Why is Tommy buying me dresses? He's got good taste actually."

"For a special occasion apparently. We're going out somewhere this afternoon."

"Oh, where?"

"I don't know (Y/N)." there was a slight snap in her tone, but I assumed she was annoyed by my questions."Sorry, just got a lot to do."

"Need help with anything?"

"No, I can handle it. Why don't you start getting ready?"

"Alright, as long as you're sure."

I brushed off Polly's behaviour. My family could have terrible mood swings at times. I understood why, we were in a gang, life could never be simple and sweet. Taking the dress, I quietly squealed to myself, excited to try it on and get myself dolled up. We must have been going somewhere really fancy, probably just to show our faces, show that Tommy was a real family man to benefit the legitimate side of business, give him a good image.

Luckily I had shoes and accessories to match the dress, spending time on how to style my hair and what lipstick to wear. I was never one to boast, but I looked lovely in this outfit. I didn't even question where we could be going or who we would be meeting, not if Tommy was going to buy me a special outfit for each occasion. Headed downstairs when I heard my brother's voices, I was surprised to see them all waiting in the hallway, dressed in their finest suits, and Polly also in one or her best dresses.

"Oh, sorry, am I making us late?"

"No, not at all." Tommy smiled, which was rare. It made me slightly nervous.

"Right. Um, when are we leaving?"

"Might as well head out now. Come on."

Tommy took the lead, walking out of the door, Arthur followed with his head down, whereas John looked at me a little longer, seeming angry. Polly had to nudge him to make him move. Once he walked outside, she held her hand out to me, giving me the same smile from earlier. Either something was going on that I didn't know about or they had just had an argument.

"Pol, me and (Y/N) are going to share a car. The rest of you in the other one." Tommy informed her.

Pol didn't even try arguing back. She squeezed my hand before getting into the car in front of us. Tommy had brought two chauffeurs, he didn't drive as much as he used to now. I wondered why he didn't just meet us at the place we were going to instead of driving all the way here, though I supposed it was for another photo opportunity.

Nothing was said as we set off, both of us just looking out of the window, watching the landscape around us change. My head turned to look at him as he started taking.

"(Y/N), do you know where we're going?"

"No, Pol didn't say anything."

"Good. Right, uh...This is to do with business."

"Oh, OK. Is it the usual, stay with you for a bit then mingle with Polly or the boys whilst you get on with business?"

"No, nothing like that. It actually involves you."

My heart rate had already increased."Me? What? Am I in danger?"

"You're perfectly safe. You're actually going to be even safer after today."

"Can you just tell me what's happening Tommy? The nerves are making me breathe funny."

"I...I had to arrange something."

"Arrange?" I let out a laugh as a thought came into my head."You're not marrying me off are you?"

He didn't reply.

"Oh my god, you are marrying me off!"

"If I told you before, you wouldn't have come."

"Of course I wouldn't! Who am I marrying? Why am I marrying them? Tommy, how could you do this to me?!"

I placed a hand over my chest, feeling like my heart was going to burst out of my chest, my lungs were so tight, I couldn't breathe properly.

"(Y/N), calm down, breathe."

"How can I? You're selling me, you're making me live the rest of my life with a stranger!"

"They're not a stranger."

"Who is it then?"

"It's Bonnie Gold."

"BONNIE GOLD?!"

This was so random. Why was I marrying him? I didn't know him, all I knew about him was how he and his family were now helping protect ours. Tommy also got him a boxing deal, but what did that have to do with me? Why was I being forced to do something? It was just like John all over again.

"It was part of a deal."

"A deal you didn't think to ask my opinion on?"

"Would you have said yes?"

"No!" I tried to steady my breathing but nothing was working."Oh my god, oh my god, I'm getting married to someone I don't know."

"You do know him."

"Not well enough to marry him! We've never even said hello to each other! I think I'm going to be sick. Pull over, please!"

The driver did what I asked, and I immediately jumped out. My legs began walking along the road, I didn't even think about it. Tears were welling up in my eyes over my brother's betrayal. What had I done to deserve this? John needed a wife, he had loads of kids that needed looking after, they worked. What if me and Bonnie didn't? What if he was actually a horrible person? Tommy didn't know him as well as he thought he did, they could be hiding anything.

"(Y/N), get back in the car please."

"No! Why am I getting married for a deal? I'm not out of control, I'm not rowdy, I do what I'm told all the time and I'm nice to everyone! And this is what I get for following the rules, your rules?"

"I wouldn't let you two marry if I thought he would hurt you. Bonnie is going to treat you well (Y/N), I know he is."

"Am I going to have to live in a wagon?!"

His head tilted back as he sighed."Fuck me. No, you're not, you'll be living in a house."

"I can't do it, Tommy, I can't, I really can't do this."

"You have to, I have to keep my end of the bargain."

"Do you know how angry I am with you?!"

"I think so."

There were so many things I wanted to scream at him. Who else knew? Why did they let him do it? Who's idea was it in the first place? I couldn't though. My breathing was out of control, my eyes were stinging with tears, and loud sobs were coming out of my mouth.

Tommy gently put his hands on my shoulders, making me stand up straight."We do things for this family, yeah? We go through hardships to make our family stronger. And I'm asking you (Y/N), please go along with this. If we can keep an alliance with the Gold's, it will only bring us good. I wouldn't ask you if I was desperate or if I didn't think you could do it."

I contemplated running away there and then. However, I wasn't going to get far in these shoes. Home was too far away by now, the roads weren't clear and if anyone recognised me, I could be dead within hours.

"I really have to do this, don't I?"

Tommy nodded, cautiously wrapping an arm around me to slowly take us back to the car. For the rest of the drive I hung my head, staring at the pretty shoes I had picked for today. This was it. I was getting married. Married to a man I had only seen but never talked to, married to a man to settle a deal. My brother, who I trusted and loved, had thrown me to the dogs, not even glancing back to face the consequences of his actions; it was all to benefit him.

We pulled up at Tommy's house. He explained that since this was a quick arrangement it was easier to hold the ceremony there, it was more personal, they knew it was safe. My stomach cramped up as I stepped inside, spotting the bouquet of flowers everywhere. They even fucking decorated. Ada and Polly were at the entrance, both looking as pissed off as I was. Unfortunately, Ada held my own bouquet in her hands.

"You can't do this Tom. Just cancel it, go in there and say the wedding is off. She's just a girl." Ada spat.

"Ada." Polly warned.

"You can't go along with this Pol. She's being forced into a marriage!"

Tommy cleared his throat."Ada, Pol, please take your seats."

"Hold on," Pol pulled out her powder box from her purse, dabbing the brush on my face,"need that beautiful face of yours back."

I knew she was trying to cheer me up, and clean me up so I would look like such a mess. It would all just stream off my face later. My hands shook as I held the flowers, the petals and leaves slightly rustling. Polly and Ada left hesitantly, shushing everyone in the hall where I assumed the ceremony was taking place.

"Are you going to be sick?" Tommy asked.

"Not sure." I whispered.

"Just know that I hate this too. I wouldn't-"

"Shut up Tommy."

I never snapped at Tommy, or anyone really. But this called for it. I could have called him every nasty name under the sun there and then. When he held out his arm for me, I reluctantly took it, wishing I could sprint to the stables to steal a horse, ride off into the sunset. But it was too late, because the doors to the hall opened, and there everyone stood, watching intently as I walked down the aisle. I didn't even have a proper wedding dress.

It felt like I had never worn heels before, I was wobbling all over the place. Bonnie looked miles away, though I was beside him in seconds. His family were here, my family sat on the opposite side. Tommy gingerly pressed a kiss to my cheek before going to sit down. And here I was, stood next to my soon to be husband. He kindly smiled at me, though I couldn't bear to even look at him, eyes flickering away. I stared at Jeremiah who was officiating the wedding, the poor man must have thought I was evil the way I was looking at him.

The ceremony felt muffled, as if I couldn't hear anything properly. Jeremiah waffled on, until we had to say our vows and exchange the rings. I focused so much on his words to not get them wrong, only realising that after we had said them to each other, that was it, we were now married.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." Jeremiah announced.

Both our families clapped to fill the silence. Bonnie leaned down but I retracted out of instinct. He halted before moving again, slower this time, to kiss my cheek. Taking my hand in his, he walked us out of the hall, the doors closing behind us. I let out a shocked breath, looking at the ring on my finger. Bonnie went to speak.

"So, I-"

I snatched my hand out of his, scurrying to the kitchen to find a bottle of wine. I needed a drink, and a lot of it. I also wanted to get out of any awkward conversations that were about to ensue. There was way too much going on right now to start small talk.

Unfortunately he had followed me, watching as I popped open a bottle. I glanced at the glass in my hand, deciding to set it down and drink from the bottle.

"I'm not that bad am I?" Bonnie tried to joke.

I didn't say anything, leaning back against the counter.

"Look, I'm sorry this has happened. We don't know each other, back in there was the first time we've spoken, it's a lot. But I want you to know that I'm going to look after you. We'll go at your pace, whatever you're comfortable with. I want us to be friends at least."

He sounds genuine. When Bonnie first joined the Peaky Blinders, he hadn't been overly cocky like some of the others. Of course he was a bit more boastful when it came to the ring, though that was all part of his image. And he was the only peaky boy to not try it on with me. Ironic.

"Sorry for just going in for the kiss too. I thought a small peck wouldn't hurt."

"It's fine." I mumbled, casting my eyes to the floor.

He took a few seconds before speaking again."Never been much of a wine person."

I looked up at him as he stood opposite to me, also leaning back in a countertop.

"Suppose that could change." he held out his hand for the bottle, indicating that I pass it over.

He took a swig, scrunching up his face and coughing after. The corner of my mouth twitched at how silly he looked, but didn't show him that.

"God, that is so sweet. How do you chug it back?"

"I don't usually." I squeaked out."Just...just flet like I needed to."

He passed the bottle back to me."I won't lie, I don't exactly want my new wife to be drunk on our first night together."

My eyes widened.

"No, not like that! Nothing is going to happen. I just meant, I would like to use this time to get to know you."

I was being stubborn. I wanted to go against him, just to spite Tommy. But I was too shy, I couldn't even hold eye contact with him.

"I'll leave you alone for a bit. But please come up to the party, my family can't wait to meet you." he made his way to the door, stopping and turning around."You look beautiful tonight."

I didn't let him see me blush, turning away as I drank more from the bottle. I hated how easily I was embarrassed. Boys tried flirting with me, though I knew that was because they wanted to say they had shagged a Shelby girl. Of course I knew their intentions, hence why I was still a virgin.

After a few more swigs, I knew I had to go back upstairs. Setting the almost finished bottle aside, I took a deep breath, adjusting the bottom of my dress, checking my face in a mirror before heading to see my family and new in-laws.

When I returned, everyone was gathered in the lavish front room. Music was playing, champagne was being handed out, and everyone seemed relatively happy chatting with one another. Finn, John and Adawere the only ones not mingling, scowling faces on them as they observed the others.

"(Y/N)," a man caught my attention, it was Bonnie's father,"welcome to the family."

I politely smiled."Thank you sir."

"Call me Aberama. I appreciate the manners though. And I understand you're not entirely happy with this marriage."

I glanced away from him."But believe me when I say that Bonnie has been just as nervous. Although he is also very determined to ensure you are comfortable and feel like a part of the family."

That was nice, I guess.

"He has multiple sisters who you might find easier to talk to rather than an old man."

He raised his drink to me, smiling as he walked away. I really didn't want to talk to anyone, scurrying to my three siblings who were most against this arrangement.

"You alright?" Finn draped his arm around my shoulders, and I quickly hugged him, clinging on.

I shook my head no.

"Of course she isn't. This is all a big mistake, we should have come up with a plan to get her out of here." Ada huffed.

John scoffed."Oh yeah, that would have gone down a treat with both families."

"You were just as much against it all as we were."

"No one was for this marriage, well, besides Tom. But it's done now, innit? I'll just have to keep a special eye on the new in-law."

"Can we stop talking about it please? Just talk about anything else." I asked quietly, realising some of the others were looking over at us, and that made me incredibly nervous.

Before we even had a chance to change the topic, someone from Bonnie's side of the family made her way over. I looked anywhere but her, until she was stood beside me. She was beautiful, probably around the same age as myself, though her confidence gave her a more mature look.

"I thought I would come over and introduce myself. I'm Esmeralda, one of Bonnie's sisters."

"Nice to meet you."

Get a grip woman.

"There's actually three of us, sisters I mean. Poor Bonnie didn't have any brothers to rough around with. Though I suppose it is only you and Ada amongst all these men."

Ada smiled at her, though you could tell it was out of sarcasm. I cringed, hoping Esmeralda hadn't seen that.

"I was wondering if you wanted to join us?" she gestured to where her other sisters were, who waved.

"Um, yes."

It sounded more like a question, but Esmeralda took that answer. I worriedly looked back to my own siblings, annoyed at my politeness. Where was my Shelby fire?

I sat by Esmeralda, the others sitting across from us. She instantly started up a conversation, it was easy to see she was fine around strangers. I only wished to half as confident as her. Her sisters also chimed in now and then, trying to involve me in the conversation. There was no talk about the wedding, just typical girly things; dresses, makeup, dances, they even spoke about their traditions. It slowly moved onto the topic of Bonnie, though past stories about him, tales of how he was as a child. I even managed to break out a smile.

"And obviously we'll all be getting to know each other a bit better once we're all moved in together." Esmeralda exclaimed.

"S-sorry?"

Esmeralda and her sisters held a serious look, bursting out laughing a second later. I was confused, had I missed a joke?

"Sorry, I was trying to lighten the mood. Of course we're not living with you two!"

"I don't even know where we're living."

"Well, neither do we, but I'm sure your brother has sorted it."

"Yeah..."

"Sorry, have I upset you?"

"No! No, I'm fine." I was tempted to excuse myself, but I went against that. I was going to be social."So, is there abythibg else I should know about Bonnie?"

Perhaps this was my way of getting to know my husband without actually talking to him. Even if it was a subconscious thing, I was getting information about him. And there didn't seem to be a bad bone in his body unless he was in the ring, or defending his sisters from a man who had disrespected them, though that was more chivalrous.

"Sorry ladies, may I borrow my sister?" Tommy asked, gesturing for me to follow him.

I smiled at the girls, catching up with my brother who was making his way to his office, grabbing Bonnie on the way. I faltered when he stepped in line with me, not used to having a boy so close to me. Bonnie let me go first into the office, closing the door behind him. Tom nodded his head towards the two chairs at the desk, sitting behind it. We sat down, waiting to hear why he had brought us here.

"So, seeing as you two are married now, you'll be needing a place of your own." Tommy started."And I have provided that for you."

"No, Tommy, we couldn't accept that." I protested, feeling awkward about situations involving money.

"I agree Mr Shelby, that's way too generous. You already let us get married in your house."

"It's my fault you two are married right now. And I just hope that I can gain back some trust and..." he glanced at me,"love, by doing this."

I picked at the skin around my nails, a bad habit."Are you sure Tommy? Nothing too big right?"

"No. It's a new build but out in the country. You also have a big patch of land, I thought you might appreciate that Bonnie. It's secluded, like this. Three bedrooms, kitchen, front room, all the other shit."

"Thank you very much Mr Shelby." Bonnie stood, reaching out his hand.

Tommy shook it, no expression on his face.

"Thanks Tom. I guess it's a start to your apology."

I felt guilty for saying that, but I wanted it to sting. He had really hurt me today, I wasn't going to fall to his feet because he bought me a house.

Tommy then informed us that it was time for us to leave. He had one of his chauffeurs waiting, and everyone had followed us outside. They had rice to throw at us as we went to the car. In a way, I appreciated the effort they were putting in to make it seem like a happy occasion, I also found it demeaning. You're now being forced to marry a man you don't know, but here's a pretty dress and some champagne.

"I don't have anything with me." I pointed out before I got in the car.

Polly stepped forward, quietly speaking so no one else would hear."Tommy made Ada pack some of your things before she came here. Obviously she didn't want to, but you need your clothes at least. I'll be round with the rest of it soon love."

Wow, they weren't waiting around to get rid of me. Sadly getting into the car, I didn't even acknowledge Bonnie as he opened and closed the door for me. Once Bonnie was inside the car, the chauffeur drove off. I coukd hear our families cheering for us, I didn't bother looking back, whereas Bonnie was waving.

"You alright?" he asked softly.

I nodded, pressing my lips together as I looked away, trying to hold back my tears. Thankfully he left it at that, he knew I needed time to process everything.

The house Tommy got us was no where near the size of his, though I didn't want that. It was still big for two people, and despite it being a new house, it had an old fashioned look to it. It had the feel of a farm house without the barn, different stones making the structure with vines growing all over it. I loved it, which was irritating because Tommy knew me so well.

"This is going to be strange." Bonnie said as he helped the chauffeur with the bags."Never lived in a house before."

"Oh...hope you like it."

It was a wonder why I never had a boyfriend.

I had wished that the chaffuer had taken more time with the bags. Because Bonnie was a gentleman, he insisted helping, and the task was completed far too quickly. Now it was just me and Bonnie, in our house, our house we loved in together as a married couple.

"Shall we take a look around? See what's actually in our house?"

Bless him, he was trying so hard. I agreed, letting him lead as we checked each room. It was all furnished, there was even some food in the kitchen, soap and towels in the bathroom, any little things we wouldn't have packed with us were provided. He was in awe of the place, I knew he was used to travelling to different places, it was just strange to see his expressions over a house.

"Your brother is very generous."

"Yes, though I know why he's given this to us."

"To make up for marrying me?"

"No, well yes, but not in the way you said. Sorry Bonnie, you must think I'm horrible. It's just...I'm really shy around new people, it took so much energy out of me talking to everyone today, not to mention the actual ceremony itself. I probably would have fainted if I wasn't concentrating on acting normal."

"I didn't think you were horrible. I knew you were scared. I'm afraid your acting skills need some work."

We had walked into one of the bedrooms as we spoke, my stomach dropping again. Was I going to have to share a bed with him? I had never done that before.

"Choose which room you like. I'll sleep in another." he said.

"Hm?"

"I'm not going to sleep in the same room as you, I wouldn't put you under that pressure."

"Oh, thank you. Then, you should choose."

He smiled at me."Fine, then I choose you having the master bedroom, and I shall go see what other room I prefer."

I managed to smile back, bashful over how sweet he was being. That was a huge relief lifted off my chest. If he hadn't mentioned anything before bedtime, I wouldn't have said anything, I didn't want to bring up topic.

We both got changed (separately) into something comfier, weirdly emerging from our rooms at the same time. Deciding it was time to eat, we rummaged through the kitchen cabinets to see what we could muster up. I took charge, seeing as Bonnie had only ever cooked over a fireplace.

"Sorry it's not much, it's bits and pieces really." I set his plate down in front of him, thinking how much of a wife I looked right now.

"Thank you. Don't worry, I'm sure it will be delicious. We can go shopping for food tomorrow if you want?"

That's what couples do.

"Yeah, that's a good idea."

We kept to our food, eating in silence. I tried to eat as quickly as I could, wanting this dreadful tension to lift and be over with. I felt terrible because he was trying so hard to be a good husband to me already, or just a good friend really. And here I was, not even able to eat a meal with him, he must have been dreading the rest of his life with me.

As he finished, I quickly stood to clear everything away, already starting to clean up as he protested. We still had a whole evening ahead of us, what were we supposed to do? I caught him moving in my peripheral vision, grabbing two wine glasses and the bottle of champagne gifted to us. He held them up to me.

"Fancy sharing a bottle?"

We were sat in the front room on opposite ends of the sofa, the lit fireplace crackling in front of us. Bonnie was casually facing me whilst I stared into the flames.

"You surprised me you know, when I first saw you." he said.

"What do you mean?"

"When I first joined the blinders, I remember seeing you, and I obviously thought 'wow, she's gorgeous', though I knew to stay away."

There I went, blushing again.

"But you weren't like your family. You weren't harsh or outspoken, you were so quiet. I've seen you around your family, I know you are different with them, and I get that I'm a complete stranger to you so it will be different. I just hadn't expected a Shelby to be so....reclusive."

"A lot of people say that."

"That wasn't me saying it's a bad thing by the way!"

"It is a bad thing when you're a Shelby. I'm not trusted to do anything within the business. This is the first time they've used me. And they didn't even ask."

"That's a good thing though, isn't it? About not being involved in the business?"

"I guess."

"Let's talk about something else, eh? Uh, why don't you tell me...your favourite colour?"

"Favourite colour? Really?"

He laughed."I need to get to know my wife don't I?"

Although I had been answering his basic questions terribly (and boringly, I was just giving one word answers), Bonnie somehow made me open up to him. Not about anything deep or meaningful, just generic facts about my life; what I enjoy doing, funny anecdotes from my childhood, what I liked to do when I went out with friends. In turn, I began asking him questions. We were talking for hours, but we didn't realise that until I happened to glance at the clock on the mantelpiece.

The next week still felt awkward. We slept in our separate rooms, trying to work our different routines to fit each other. Although we were able to talk to each other for more than two minutes, I was always trying to figure out what to talk about next. I didn't want to be in a situation where we were stuck on what to say, I hated that. Looking back on it, I had never spoken to someone so much or so freely besides my family and my small handful of friends.

Both of our families came to visit us. Polly and Ada stayed for a day, mostly catching up but also helping me make the house feel more homely. Aberama only came some mornings to get Bonnie, doing whatever work for my brother, though he always made sure to say hello. Bonnie was gone for a majority of the day, luckily I liked being by myself. Surprisingly, Esmeralda also came for a visit.

"Lovely flowers." she pointed out as we sat in the kitchen, each with a cup of tea.

"Bonnie got them for me."

"Did he?" she smirked."He's a sweetheart isn't he?"

I couldn't help but shyly smile."Yes, it was a lovely gesture."

"A romantic gesture. He may be a tough man and a fighter but he's a big sofite really."

I hummed in agreement.

"Are you alright? How have you two been over the last month?"

I wanted to say that although I did like Bonnie, I knew I was lucky to be in an arranged marriage with him and not some fifty year old, slimy man, I didn't want her to get excited at the thought we might already be in love.

"I won't lie, it's been slow. That's not to say I don't enjoy Bonnie's company, it's just...everyday when I wake up, I still get a little confused at the ring on my finger, then in a second I remember I'm married."

"Yeah, that's never going to be something you can easily forget I guess."

"And I'm not being rude about your brother. Bonnie has been amazing, he's kept his boundaries, made sure I felt respected. But, your wedding day is supposed to be the happiest day of your life. Choosing your dress, what hair and makeup you want, the venue, the cake, it's all part of it. I didn't even have a proposal."

"Oh (Y/N)."

"And when those doors open, you're supposed to look down the aisle and see your soul mate waiting for you. You both smile and start crying because the day has finally come. I had none of that. I'll never have any of that."

She placed her hand over mine."I think over time, you and Bon will learn to love each other. And as frustrating as that is, I believe it will happen."

Esmeralda was a huge comfort. I felt better after talking with her than I did my family. I guessed that it was because she was a new person to talk to, I didn't know what she was going to say, so I wasn't listening to the same dribble I was used to.

It was like any other evening when Bonnie came home. I was reading a book in the front room, sprawled out on the sofa. He called out as he entered the house, I replied but didn't move. He was rustling around in the kitchen, things were being moved around, cupboards opening and closing. Perhaps he was hungry and needed a snack before dinner. I left him to it for a few more seconds, deciding to investigate when he didn't stop.

Just as I was about to walk into the kitchen, Bonnie blocked the doorway, trying to use his whole body to limit my view.

"Hi." he said breathless.

"Hello. Um, are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, just...just doing...something."

Whenever I tried to look around him, he moved in my way.

"If you've broken something Bonnie, I don't mind. I'd rather help clean it up."

"No, nothing like that. Could you just...jist trust me?"

I looked up at him, thinking about it.

"Please?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Is it alright if you wait in front room? It's nothing bad, I promise."

I turned around, glancing back at Bonnie before I returned to the sofa and my book. What was he doing? Was he trying to cook? It was sweet if he was, though when we had cooked together before he was never this clumsy. I couldn't ignore the racket coming from the kitchen, unable to concentrate on any of the words in my book.

"Bonnie? Are you sure you're OK in there?" I shouted out to him.

"Yeah!" he quickly replied. Only moments later was he in the front room, a huge grin on his face."If you would like to follow me to your surprise."

"Surprise?"

He nodded, holding out his hand to me. I took it, letting him guide me back to the kitchen. The lights were off, the only source of light was coming from a few candles in the centre of the table, more dotted around the kitchen too. There were two plates with nothing in them, instead, there were different foods on scattered on the table like a picnic.

"Bonnie?"

He stood in front of the table."I spoke with my sister the other day. I wasn't snooping, I just wondered how you were with her, if you told her something about me that I needed to change. She told me how upset you were that you couldn't experience your wedding day properly, and I thought I could help with that. So, I asked Ada and Pol what your favourite food was, all types, and I thought we could have a romantic dinner together. "

I was gobsmacked. A man who was forced into marrying me, who didn't know me, had put all this effort into a dinner together, something no other man would probably do.

"You did this for me?"

"Yeah. You deserve it. You deserve a lot more really, but I'm still learning to cook other recipes besides rabbit stew."

I giggled.

"I hope you don't mind, but they also told me how you've never been on a date before."

That wasn't embarrassing at all.

"And I want you to know, that's because of you brothers. Men tremble at their feet, what do you think teenage boys are going to be like? But I am very honoured to be the first man to take you on a date."

"This is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me. I'm shocked, honestly."

He pulled out a chair for me, and I sat, feeling giddy. Bonnie tucked me in, taking a seat beside me before pouring out a glass of wine for me. My mind argued with itself over my next choice, but I bit the bullet. I confidently leaned over, very quickly pecking his lips. I couldn't look at him when I next spoke.

"Thank you Bonnie. And thank you for being the best husband."

"Well thank you for being the best wife."

"What have I done to be a good wife?"

"Just being you."