#and im already invested in the characters so its too late to be practical about it

[sneepity-snoop-snorpity-sneep]

i want spinner to get the quirks eating his brain matter removed and get medical attention, i want the 1A kids to not have to fight a war, I want kurogiri to get his memory/freedom back, I want shigaraki to be freed from AFO, i want dabi to get healed, i want miruko to NOT LOSE ANY MORE LIMBS she already lost TWO and part of her ear, i want toga to get therapy and quirk counseling, i want magne and twice to be alive, I want AFO dead, i want the todoroki family to be a family again*, i want the PLF and league to stop trying to trigger anarchy-armageddon, i want all the younger characters who had to shoulder so much shit to get hugs and have their elders shoulder it for them, i want eri to grow up happy, i want someone to tell izuku he isn’t responsible for solving every problem and him wanting to help who he can is enough, i want bakugou to survive and grow as a person, i want to see acknowledgement and reparations for how heteromorphs are treated, i want uraraka and toga to reach an  understanding of one another, i want the heroes to decide to break down their corrupt instutions, i want society to stop using ‘villain’ as an actual legal term, i want all might to live to see a society where people don’t need a symbol to be hopeful, i want stain to see a psychiatrist, i want aoyama to get compassion and help, i want hawks and lady nagant to live and testify against the hero commission and stand trial for what they need to be held accountable for, i want someone to science a way to fix the noumus and let them be people again, i want any and all trials hypothetically held after the war to not just be emotion-fueled spectacles to satisfy the public’s want for punishment but actually FAIR trials that examine all the factors in each case, i want the story to subvert the ‘redemption by death’ for all applicable characters, i want amajiki to grow and become more confident with himself, i want hagakure and yaomomo to get an ACTUALLY-FUNCTIONAL HERO UNIFORMS, i want midnight to be alive, i want tartarus to be closed, i want the hero industry to stop using a ranking system, i want the hero industry to add ‘social service heroes’ as a branch of hero work, i want mha’s society to teach history better and put the due responsibility back on its citizens to hold it up, i want inko midoriya and rei todoroki to be friends, i want shinsou and monoma to become a great heros, i want izuku to become a great hero and talk about his life pre-One For All and advocate for change, i want hatsume mei to become a great support-item inventor with melissa shield, i want the hero students to get a official government apology for being unofficially drafted, i want the villains to get an official apology for being let down when they were innocents*, i want tsukauchi all might and nedzu to tag-team-investigate the hero commission, i want all my blorbos to get a bowl of warm soup and a soft blanket

i want sO MANY THINGS TO HAPPEN and i KNOW!!! i know i’m setting myself up for disappointment and i am crabby about it

*not endeavor. for the rest of the family to heal, he has to be put in indefinite time-out - he also has to stand trial for all of the shit he pulled so no one has the chance to make him a martyr

*not including re-destro and any of his close right-hand folks in the original MLF- he was a rich dude whose goal wasn’t to fix the issue of how people are treated for their quirks or how they’re forced not to use a part of themselves except in government service, he wanted to create an opportunistic, supremacist-style society where the current attitudes towards not-strong/undesirable quirks would be amplified to ‘those with these praised and acceptable abilities get to do whatever they want and everyone else has to take it because we shouldn’t have to care about people if they can’t force us to respect their rights as people’

[noelle-holi-gay]

Good day Hazel! Just wanted to ask ya how on earth are you so consistent in writing? Whats your process like? I know you for Dare To Dream and im honestly fuckn impressed how you wrote 25k in... a month? I could barely manage 11k in two months! Admittedly I havent read a bunch of your other Suselle and Kriselle fics, but I'm still impressed how consistent you are, even with the recent concert one I'm surpised how fast you were.

Life kinda gets in the way sometimes, I haven't written in like 7 months because I've been absolutely hammered out with irl happenings, and I wanna know how you manage your schedule and momentum when writing.

Hey! Sorry I didn't answer this sooner, the past few days have been actually insane as I'm sure you can guess KDSJHGFSDHFGSDF

So, I don't know, this is kind of always a hard question to answer because process is always so personal, you know? But I do have a few tricks I use to make it as painless as possible, so that when I sit down to write I actually get words on the page. First, though, don't knock your pace, friend; 11K in two months isn't bad at all. Sometimes you can do a lot more with a lot less, anyway.

Primarily, I have outlines, and I outline constantly in my head. I don't always write down my outlines explicitly, but I think about my stories allll the time when I'm walking places, in the bathroom/shower, doing chores--whatever occupies my body and not my mind, I'm usually thinking about my stories. Sometimes down to the details; I've blocked out entire conversations between characters in my head before while in the shower or something, including which versions of 'said' i use for which lines and where I cut the dialog with actions, and all that shit. If you've already got it in your head, then when you have free time to actually write, it often just dumps out of you onto the page.

If I don't have a really strong idea for a scene already loaded, though, it can be a bit harder to jump that first sentence hurdle; but it gets a lot easier over time. I have had to start so so many scenes over the years that at this point I just run through a bunch of different potential starts--starting with fast-paced action, starting with dialog, starting with a character's internal thoughts, starting with a description of the setting, starting with sensory imagery that the POV character is feeling--and then find one that works and write it down before I can second-guess myself, just so I can get over that initial hump. It becomes quicker and quicker with practice. And once I break that hump, the rest of the scene usually flows pretty easily.

If I'm REALLY struggling with how a scene should go, thuogh, that usually means there's something missing from it structurally--its too boring, or its too convoluted, or something like that. In that case, I'll really think about what I'm trying to accomplish with the scene, what the best way to get there is, and if there's any sub-conflict I can leverage within the scene to chug it along. Oftentimes in scenes, you want there to be two parallel 'conflicts' happening that can bounce of of one another (though I use 'conflict' pretty loosely here). For example, maybe Kris and Noelle are having an emotional conversation about their childhood; but at the same time, maybe they're walking down the street. The 'walking down the street' part may sound horribly insignificant, but keeping things in motion like that is very useful for breaking up the conversation: maybe Noelle looks away to admire the scenery before going on, or Kris trips after hearing something particularly unexpected, or they both stop walking for a minute, even though they're going to be late for class, because they've realized this is more important--the secondary 'conflict' in the scene gives you something to bounce the primary conflict off of. If I'm having a lot of trouble getting invested in a scene, in my experience, it's usually because I need to give it a secondary conflict.

From a logistic standpoint, too, a lot of my productivity literally just comes from having google docs on my phone, because if I'm in like for two minutes at the grocery store, well, that's two minutes of writing I can accomplish. The little things add up, especially since I don't bring my computer everywhere -- if I were limited to just writing on my computer instead of when im walking places, eating lunch, running errands, etc, my fics would never ever get done. It's at least 30-40% of my writing time these days.

Hope some of that was helpful and/or interesting! Hope you have a good one.

[straighttohellbuddy]

i accept the ring!! also it’s coming up to a year of me pestering you i think and that’s pretty rad. but ye. i love your work and how you tel a story. it captivates and you out so much hard work in and it’s clear. you’ve created works and worlds (htlgi universe my beloved) that being genuine joy and a form of comfort when i’m feeling the need to just. not exist for a lil bit. you’re amazing and i love you and i’m proud of all that you’ve done 🥺 🧡-🐈‍⬛

I LOVE YOU SO DAMN MUCH DUDE🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

Its never pestering, I love your asks and i appreciate that you let me use your asks to ramble about things in my fics that im excited about (📍put a pin in that)

I put so much love and passion into my works I genuinely don't have the words to tell you how much your kindness means to me. The idea that I can bring you joy from my silly little stories,,,,, everything is worth it. Im trying to be the joy I want to see in the world.

But also Also 📍 please excuse me but I've been writing idiots to lovers finale and I've gotten too invested in the dsmp for that universe and I really want to talk about it!!! Im already too invested.

Sorry this is going to be long and rambly!!

So the reader is Sam's younger sibling in the smp canon, and he introduced them to Dream and they ended up being incredibly fond of Dream ("In my defence, it happened because we have natural chemistry, I didn't realise it would be foreshadowing." - cc!reader)

They're far more on the creeper side of their hybrid nature than their brother, which includes the fact that cc!reader has alluded to the fact that Yes, it's been coded into the game that they can detonate, they just haven't used it . Yet. They have all 3 of their canon lives still.

They were always seen as kind of sweet and naive, the stereotype younger sibling who was practically raised by their older brother and looks up to him as their hero, and their whole character arc is about how they're sick of people treating them like a child, and they end up working security at Las Nevadas (because the reader is, like I think I've said before, scary good at pvp, and yes the smp is partially scripted but still).

HOWEVER because they were usually on Dream's side in the early days of the smp, and because they're canonically pining for him, they're kind of a Dream apologist, and as such their view of Sam and their relationship with him had shattered to where they barely speak to him anymore. they haven't been allowed to visit Dream, and so Quackity has kept his mouth shut about his visits so they don't know the truth because they're good friends and he'd like to keep it that way. AND ANOTHER THING since their role of older brother/father figure is open, and they've become close with the Las Nevadas gang, they've decided to cling to both Q and Foolish to fill those roles respectively.

The widely established canon is dnf has always been closer to being canon with pining reader on the side. Sometimes, lately however, it has been dipping into SLIGHTLY, VAGUELY yandere territory from the reader. Slightly.

Their aesthetic shifted over time from VERY cottage core to the vaguely mafia aesthetic Las Nevadas has going on. The fanart usually depicts them with green hair or even possibly green skin, sometimes scales, sometimes it looks more like moss or tree bark. Canonically only a few inches shorter than Sam but Everyone acts like they're looking down on them. Even the literal teenagers. Hence, the Tough Guy Arc.

Notable Fanfics Include:

- Always Be Eating Our Own | 12k (one-shot) | Teen

Fundy says they're not allowed to call them daddy issues since Sam isn't even their dad, and his dad blew up a country; he'd know from daddy issues. Quackity tells him not to be a dick; Sam raised them, he can give Y/N daddy issues if that's what they want to call them. Y/N, for the third time this week, considers quitting.

OR: Everyone in Las Nevadas likes to focus on a problem that's not their own, and this week everyone but Y/N has decided it's Y/N's turn to try and be fixed.

(Some Tags: #Y/N & Awesamdude , #Y/N & Quackity & Foolish , #Y/N & Las Nevadas Crew , #Y/N/DreamWasTaken (mentioned) , #Team as Family , #Sibling Rivalry , #Fluff & Angst)

- sharpest tools cut the deepest | 60k (ongoing) | Explicit

Contrary to popular belief, Dream isn't blind to how Y/N feels, but to him they've always just been Sam's kid sibling; even if they weren't a kid, it still kind of felt like puppy love. Maybe the reason he'd never outright rejected them at first was to simply boost his ego, as selfish as that may sound. However, considering his predicament, if they haven't moved on, they could very well be the linchpin for his best escape plan yet.

And they haven't. At first a blessing, perhaps a curse.

-

"we use each other in bad taste

and i can't change. i can't change. i can't."

(#Y/N/DreamWasTaken , #Manipulative Dream , #Manipulative Y/N , #Yandere!Y/N , #Alternate Universe: Canon Divergence , #Unhealthy Relationships , #Power Dynamics , #Breath Play , #Praise Kink , #Friends(?) to Lovers(?) to Enemies(?) , #bruh they need Therapy , #idk how to tag sibling loathing but sibling loathing)

- EYE-CATCHING HEADLINE (and add an exclamation mark) | 2.6k oneshot | Teen | <- Part 6 of the If I Knew It Came With Reaponsibility I Wouldn't Have Kept The Powers series ->

Nobody reads newspapers anymore, Tommy reasons, so why is this one so passionately talking shit about him with the confidence of the whole world watching.

// Powers AU except Y/N just runs the local paper, doesn't realise their best friend is the local villain The Chessmaster, and that the teenager who keeps @ing them on Twitter in rants is the hero Dodger they keep calling a menace.

(#Y/N & DreamWasTaken , #Wilbur Soot & Tommyinnit , #Alternate Universe: Modern Setting , #Alternate Universe: Powers, #y/n is just jonah jameson , #i wrote this instead of sleeping)

- Butcher; noun. | 8k (oneshot) | Mature

They called themselves butchers, an army, but turned around and called Y/N cute in a bloody apron.

(#Y/N & Awesamdude , #Y/N & Dream , #Y/N & Quackity , #Y/N & Technoblade , #Character Study , #Villain Arc , #Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings)

Mini playlist for idiots-to-lovers dsmp!reader:

Teen Idle by MARINA

Motion Sickness by Pheobe Bridgers

Crave You by Flight Facilities

Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths

Heather by Conan Gray

And finally, animatic set to Achilles Come Down about Y/N finding out about Dream being imprisoned, confronting Sam, and being distraught, eventually found by Q, who offers them friendship, and is the first person to truly take them seriously.

Okay Jesus I'm done I promise!! But I just had this idea that sparked in the back of my head abt what their character would be like in the smp and now I care too much. This isn't even going to be that relevant to the idiots to lovers fic beyond a passing mention. I care too much 😅😅

[awsugawara]

nekoma hcs with a k-pop stan s/o

EDIT: I’m adding the page break thingy because it is quite long of a post!

t. kuroo

> depending whether your a soft or a hard stan, kuroo is probably someone who would stan with you

> the simp couple™

> would take notes from the types of outfit styles the idols wear and that you simp over

> one time he dressed with a choker and girls WOULD NOT leave him alone and you left him to be bombarded by his “fangirls”

> kuroo-choker-ver.exe has stopped working.

> kuroo thinks its cute when you cry when watching a new m/v release

> when ATEEZ’s m/v inception was released, you were bAWLING

> “but BABE! THE DANCING AND- AND- SEONGHWA’S ABS AHHHHHH”

> kuroo doesn’t get v jealous OFTEN, but he does when all you can talk about is the idols

> “hush, kitten, i think you’re going on too much about these idols of yours...here, let me give you something else to think about~”

> NOSEBLEED- IM SORRY 

---

k. kozume

> kenma likes listening to the music but isn’t one for visuals just cuz he’s playing games 

> he thinks its cute you gush over these korean boys

> unlike kuroo, he doesn’t get jelly much since he does invest most of his time on his games

> helps you dye your hair another color, if you wanted it changed

> just because he doesn’t make subtle convo about the k-pop boys, doesn’t mean he doesn’t pay attention to who your biases are

> i like to believe that he secretly watches stage performances and the comedy skits like RUN BTS or GOING SEVENTEEN while he eats his food while taking a break from playing games

> it surprised you because he sent you memes on ig about a recently released ATEEZ interview

> boy did you simp over your bf for DAYS

> “ aw! you do care! “ -you

> “ who said i didn’t-” -kenma

---

m. yaku

> he pretends he doesn’t care, but is actually a k-pop stan himself

> i see him being a stan for boy groups over boys groups (idk could just be me)

> he does stan a good amount of girl groups like ITZY and TWICE and maybe even RED VELVET

> he’s a soft stan. perIODT.

> you two secretly trade pcs for your biases and such uwu

> #brokebitchgang

> he NEVER wants his team to know he is a k-pop stan 

> lev almost found out when he tried to peek over his shoulder, while he was watching GOT7′s new release for NOT BY THE MOON 

> rip lev lmao

> he surprised you with hi-touch tickets for one of your ult groups for your birthday and you DIED on the spot

> yaku knows how to take care of his girl because he’s a SIMP for YOU

> protecc this mans because he is an innocent stan maybe

---

t. yamamoto

> ive been waiting for this one mwhuehuehue

> GORL GROUP STAN. A HARD STAN. THAT IS ALL.

> no but seriously he loves his girl groups sm

> him, tanaka, and noya TRADE PCS

> you and him have girl grp and boy grp battles

> “oh YEAH! my SVT hip hop unit can outdo your whole TWICE group."

> taketora wants to style his hair like the kpop boys, but he’s insecure about not pulling it off

> you encourage him, but if he’s really unsure about it, you tell him that he looks perf to you already and doesn’t need some k-pop hairstyle to impress you

> he may simp over his gorl groups, but he’s an even bigger one for you :)

> and I.M. changkyun oop-

> he LOVES MONSTA X, STRAY KIDS, and NCT 127 with a PASSION

> he owns practically all pcs for I.M., felix, and mark lee

> you love your simp of a bf pftttt

---

l. haiba

> another gorl group stan

> he doesn’t get too insecure about you liking boy groups, but at times he will cling with his 194cm lookin ass

> anyway, lev is that one stan that is like 3 days late 

> “THEY RELEASED THIS 3 DAYS AGO?????”

> you gotta keep him in up to date to be able to talk about stuff...just sayin oop

> he appreciates the korean boy style v much that he goes and buys clothes to dress like them

> he gets his sister to hook you up too bcuz he’s a SIMP

> korean fashion + you and your tol bf = hawt couple goals

> a good handful of members are jealous that his s/o pulls off the korean fits so well

> his sister is a simp for you dressed in that fashion font too eheehee

> i like to think lev has bad luck pulling the pcs he wants, like he’ll pull your bia(es) pcs but never his unless it is like BLACKPINK

> you happily trade with him with the ones you traded with your good ol’ friend tendou uwu

---

s. inuoka

> inuoka is like the clueless one, like it’s not a bad thing, but it just ain’t his flavor

> i can see him more of a gaming/otaku kinda guy

> he’s not really bothered with your k-pop obsessions

> but like i said, he can be CLUELESS

> one day you were crying after watching TXT’s 4K vid for ‘Can’t You See Me?’

> he saw you crying while you were waiting for him for practice to end, and he FREAKED

> you had to explain to him that you were so caught up in how good the performance was that it made you tear up

> he still freaks out when you cry or get so excited

> for your birthday, he bought you BTS albums and JUST BTS albums

> you weren’t complaining, but as a multi-stan, you would’ve liked some other groups

> nonetheless, the puppy boy will forever and always protecc you even if he doesn’t really get it 

---

> i would have done kai, teshiro, fukunaga, and shibayama, but i think i’ll include them in a side character post with some others,,,sorry! <

[haikyuu-imagines-and-others]

WHAT A FUN IDEA! I would like to request Oikawa for 7 minutes in heaven and/or Kuroo for spin the bottle! If either of these boys have already been suggested just ignore. I just wanted to add them as a request for this fun prompt. I Look forward to seeing any and all characters requested that you write! As well as any other request because darling you are a phenomenal writer and I adore your writings 💕keep up the great work!

Lol well I did get Kuroo taken care of - I’ll link him below Oikawa’s BUT!!! I haven’t done an Oikawa one yet! You are an absolute delight, love - when I read your request I pretty much smiled all day - I’m so thankful you enjoy my writing

Oikawa Tooru: 7 Minutes in Heaven

Were you lucky? Not in the least.

Were you great at making it seem like lucky chance? Hell yes.

You’d called all your friends over to your place for a party. A friend of yours being Matsukawa, who knew the young man you’d had your eye set on for a while now… Oikawa Tooru. And of course Mattsun knew this, and Makki, and Iwaizumi. Though the latter didn’t really seem to care all that much in who you were interested in as much as the first two, he still helped play wingman when he could.

It was plainly obvious to everyone looking in that you had the biggest, cutest, awkward crush on the one guy that every girl in university had a crush on.

Did you care? Not in the least.

Though your plan had a specific start time you wanted - not until halfway through the game. Not yet. The bottle had already been spun by everyone in the group at least twice. You’d ended up in the closet with Kuroo, who only seemed to throw pun after pun at you, with Tendou, who kept hinting that he’d spill the beans on your crush if you didn’t give him half your lunch after your shared class, and lastly with Suga, who made pleasant conversation with you about the future and what you had planned for it.

Oikawa hadn’t really seemed to notice your being taken away, didn’t really seem to notice anything beyond his teasing Iwaizumi for going into the closet with Kiyoko, a girl who’s WAY out of his league. To say you felt disheartened at the fact would be an understatement. You’d completely deflated by the time the third round had started.

He hadn’t even looked at you. Not once. Were you wrong to find interest in him? Were you really so beneath him that he wouldn’t even acknowledge you?

Mattsun bumped his shoulder against yours, “Stop frowning, your face will get stuck that way.” You pouted up at him, silently showing your cracking heart, but he simply bumped you again. “I think everyone’s getting bored of the game… Plan ‘Trap the King’ is a go.” He winked over at Hanamaki, who, without so much as a warning, grabbed Oikawa’s drink and immediately dumped its contents onto Oikawa’s lap.

An outcry of surprise, Oikawa jumped to his feet, trying to brush off what liquid hadn’t seeped into his pants already, “What the hell, Makki?”

“Whoops.”

Violently blushing as the group laughed at his misfortune, Oikawa huffed angrily, “Now I’ve gotta go clean up, you dick! It’s gonna be all sticky.” Embarrassed, humiliated, his pout quivered in his rapidly draining strength to not let his flustered tears slip past his control.

Guilt immediately overtook your heart. You didn’t want him to cry. You hadn’t meant to completely humiliate him in front of his closest friends…. Was it possible to deflate a second time? You curled into yourself, bringing your knees to your chest and staring at the bottle with a blank expression. You’d done this. All because you were too scared to just tell him to his face how you felt.

While he’d quickly escaped to the bathroom to clean himself up, Hanamaki smirked as he went to work. Flipping the cup over, he taped a flat magnet to its center - so it didn’t tilt when set on his base. Then he grabbed the bottle, hooking a paperclip into the lip of the bottle and spinning it. The magnet wasn’t strong enough for the paperclip to immediately be drawn to the cup, but the spin of the bottle was a bit slower, and where it would have continued it’s path would stop and point directly at Oikawa’s cup.

“Plan ‘Trap the King’, phase ‘Plant the Attraction’ completed.” Hanamaki responded around what you could only understand as his attempt at a walkie talkie’s feedback static.

“I don’t feel good about you do-“

Mattsukawa nudged you a bit harder than you expected, making you cut off mid admonishment and slightly lose hold of your legs. “Shush, this is gonna help. Give it to him.”

You frowned as you held the liter of Oikawa’s favorite soda in your hands…”You guys are really pushing for this, huh?” Now was your turn to blush at how quick they were to help set the stage for you. You’d simply told them you’d wanted to get into the closet with Oikawa… and they’d taken it from there without any further direction from you.

Iwaizumi shrugged noncommittally, though the desperation in his eyes plainly showed what a blessing your interest in his best friend was doing for him. “You dating him is literally giving us all the break we need from babysitting him.”

“As much as he is entertaining, and easy to prank… It’s just too easy sometimes, there’s no chase there anymore.” Kuroo admitted with a rolled lip scowl, Makki nodding in agreement silently as he tried the bottle once more, seeing the same results.

“He’s really annoying.” Was Kiyoko’s deadpan admission, having Suga almost choke on his drink as he went to swallow. Harsh… But true, he’d have to agree.

The bathroom door closed, making you let out a sigh filled with anxiety and fear, everyone who’d been so invested in convincing you further now breaking off into smaller conversations and pretending they hadn’t just been planning or helping. Oikawa entered the living room, a sour scowl on his face as he took his seat, pushing against Hanamaki’s shoulder roughly, “Dick.” He muttered, making the pinket smirk with pride. “Who’s turn is it?” His voice was a bit more… frustrated than you were used to, but you simply raised your hand, “Then go?”

Was this really a good idea? He was obviously in a bad mood now… Did you really want to trick him while he wasn’t… himself? That in itself, you knew, was wrong thinking - since Oikawa now is the same as Oikawa 20 minutes earlier. The changing of his attitude didn’t make him a completely different person, it’s just who he is.

Steeling your nerves, you reached forward and spun the bottle, feeling everyone’s eyes turn to watch the glass clicking against the hardwood floor. You’d tried to spin it with the same force as Hanamaki had for his testing of the trick.

Too late, you remembered the soda Matsun had given you - reaching it out towards Oikawa silently. His light brown eyes easily showed his surprise as he took it from you, but didn’t open it. “What? You going to dump this on me, too?”

Hanamaki smirked still, glancing at the bottle of soda before looking back t Oikawa, “Is that an invitation?”

“Oh…. Oh… OH!” Bokuto called from behind Kuroo, leaning on the tall cats head as he watched the bottle point directly at Oikawa; Who had missed the weird way it’d wavered away from landing on Iwaizumi. “Looks like you’re saved from a soda shower, Tooru.” Oikawa looked at the bottle… Was that a blush you saw? Blinking, the color was gone, and you figured you’d just imagined it.

You didn’t wait, standing from your place and pointing at Matsukawa, “7 Minutes.”

He nodded, “Right, an hour. Gotcha.” You rolled your eyes, deciding not to put up a fight, knowing he would keep the right time regardless of his teasing. Oikawa practically stomped to the closet, walking in before you and leaning against the back wall with crossed arms.

Was he angry he got picked by you? Or just embarrassed about the soda spill still? You closed the closet door behind you… finding this closet was much much smaller than you remembered it being. The silence followed almost immediately, and for a split second you forgot how long you’d been in the closet… The weight of the quiet room had you feeling like you’d been in there with him for hours.

“Are you angry wi-“

“I bet you wanted to be in here with someo-“

Both of you stopped, not wanting to interrupt the other, or talk over each other… But both stopping, neither continued. Not until you finished his accusation in your head. “You.. You think I wanted to be in here with someone else?” You couldn’t see his expression, but you could feel his dejection rolling off him in waves. “What gave you that idea?”

He huffed, like a tantrum throwing child, “You didn’t tell Mattsun to keep the time any other time you came in here. Didn’t want to spend too much time with someone who looks like they peed their pants, huh?” Was he serious? Your look of disbelief was having a hard time remaining on your face, a smile wanted to break out - you wanted to laugh just a bit.

“That… That was more for your benefit..” You whispered, piquing his curiosity.

“My benefit?”

You shrugged this time, “I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable in your soiled pants.” He could hear the smirk in your voice, making him whine out in distaste, “Tooru….” You reached forward and found his hand in his crossed arms, pulling it free so you could hold it in both of yours, “I’m sorry… About earlier…”

Oikawa, again, huffed.. though this time it was to brush off your apology, “You didn’t do any-“

“Yes, I did.” Now or never, right? You’d wanted to be in a close space with him, but now it was all ruined because how you’d gone about it. Or rather, how Makki had gone about it. “I… I wanted to….” You sighed tiredly, trying to find the words that just would not come out. He waited. Patiently, it surprised you he hadn’t interrupted with a tease. “I wanted to rig the game so I’d choose you or you’d choose me….”

None of the dots connected in his head, yet. “So what does that have to do with my soda bath?”

A snort came out, unintentionally, and you quickly apologized for its escape. “I… Well… I kind of told Makki and Mattsun… About my wanting to rig the game.” The pieces came together in his head, and he went to take his hand away, but you held it tight, “BUT I didn’t tell them to do that! I would never tell them to embarrass you.” He stopped struggling, “The truth is… I’m too scared to confess anywhere else than a rigged closet game with you.”

“Wait….” Oikawa couldn’t help but smirk, “Makki spilled the soda on me, so you could confess? How does that even work?” Had he just… ignored the fact that you’d confessed?

“Magnets.”

“oh….”

You nodded, holding his hand still in both of yours, “I’m sorry… Really sorry… So instead of this closet being remembered for your rejecting my confession, it’s going to be remembered for my apologizing for a rigged game gone wrong..”

Oikawa smirked as he leaned down and kissed your forehead. No warning. No telltale of his proximity. Nope. Just a quick peck to your forehead before he was pinching your cheek like an old grandmother would, “You’re cute, ______, but you really need to work on your plans more…” Heart hammering in your chest, you leaned your head forward to rest on his chest, embarrassed now in his reaction. “Good thing your amazing boyfriend is going to help you out.”

Reeling back, you stammered in confusion, in shock, “B-bo-boyfriend? I- We- Wait-“ He leaned down and kissed your lips tenderly, but too quick for you to really enjoy the feel, pulling back again.

“I’ll reject your confession, but now you can remember my accepting your heart.”

Simple. Easy. Clean, cut, dry. Done deal.

The doors opened, “Times u- Hey!” You had reached out and pushed Mattsun back, pulling the doors closed once more before wrapping your arms around Oikawa’s neck and bringing your lips to his. He didn’t hesitate, didn’t pause or poke fun at your wanting more time with him. “Alright… Hour it is, then.” You could hear Matsukawa chuckle.

Kuroo Tetsurou:

7 Minutes in Heaven Here

Spin the Bottle Here

Additionally, if you felt either of the above didn’t hit his character - I am 100% open to hearing what you think and if you’d like a request redone! No problemo!

[cutaepatootie]

41, 50,52,53,46, 17, 13, 35 (any story for you), 36(animal 7 hehe) omg i’m so sorry for too many questions i hope i’m not too late 😅

Hahaha, don’t be sorry! I’m glad you asked bc I love this type of things hehe. You’re not too late dw. There are some answers I’ve already answered, but I’ll copy and paste them. Lots of love sweet! 🖤

41. How many stories do you work on at one time?

Rn I’m working on 4 hehe. But I like to post one at a time bc I lose interest really soon and I know that if I’m posting one and I start posting another story, I’ll get more invested in the second one. Tho, rn I’m working on one that I’m planning on posting soon even if I haven’t finished posting Animal.

50. Weirdest story idea you’ve ever had.

You can read it here.

52. How did writing change you?

I don’t know if it changed me bc I’ve always written and imagined stories, even when I was a kid. But posting them has changed me for sure, I can share my stories - my thoughts - and see how people think about them, I can see people enjoying what I write and that makes me feel... Full? hahaha I don’t know how to describe it with words, it just feels right, like it’s what I should be doing.

53. What does writing mean to you?

The whole world! I think I’d suffocate if I didn’t write. It’s like my mind is always working on new stories, always imagining and creating, and I feel that, if I didn’t write them I’d explode or something hahaha. I’ll put a really visual example. When you want to pee so bad that you feel as if your bladder is going to explode and you’re going to die? Well, the pee is my stories and the bladder my brain xd.

46. What would your story _______ look like as a tv show or movie? 

Hmm I’d love to see how the new Fantasy Tales I’m writing would look like if it was a tv show. I’d love to think it would look like Game of Thrones, but I think that’s wishful thinking hehe. About a fallen bookmark on a Thursday afternoon, I think it’d look like a Makoto Shinkai movie, so sad yet beautiful, with the cherry blossoms, the train and all.

47. Do you start with characters or plot when working on a new story?

Hmm... Whoa, such an interesting question. Guess I never thought about it. Usually I come up with the plot first, and then I guess I adapt my characters to it. But again, I usually get inspired by people, their personalities and all and then I create the story. It depends on the story? There are stories inspired by characters and their personalities and there are characters inspired by stories that my mind created (sorry, that was such a bad answer hahaha)

17. On avarage, how much writing do you get done in a day?

It depends on the day. If I’m really busy, I don’t write. Yeah, I love writing, but it’s not my priority :( If I’m not busy I usually spend 2 - 4 hours aprox. if not more.

13. How do you deal with writers block?

I HATE WRITERS BLOCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HATE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FUCK YOU WRITERS BLOCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, it’s so frustrating... UGH! I don’t deal with it as you can see by this answer hahaha, I just let the frustration take my body. I guess I just stop writing and go on with my life, and as I said, I need to write, so eventually I start to feel the need to write and I write again. 

35. Tell some backstory details about one of your characters in your story ________.

Hmmm... I’ll tell you the backstory details about Jungkook in Animal Don’t know if this is the answer you wanted hahah but I’m telling you the backstory of how Jungkook’s character in Animal was born. Okay, so I think I’ve already said this, but Jungkook’s character was insipired by a patient I met during my practices at the hospital this year. I was his nurse, and he was this really tall man (195 cm I think) broad shoulders and all that. He was old but he had eyes that looked like crystals of how clear they were, white hair and strong features, he sure had been really pretty a long time ago. A bit grumpy, rude sometimes and jumpy and scary. He hated most of the people at that floor, but somehow he grew fond of me and we became friends. I would talk to him and accompany him because he was always alone, like, no one ever came to see him or called about him. Me and my nurse grew curious of him and searched his name in Google. Turns out he had been a famous underground boxer in Russia and had had troubles with the law and he had scaped from them. I was talking one day with him when he told me that, when he was young he had loved a girl that reminded him of me. I think he grew fond of me bc I wasn’t scared of him and I always took time to speak to him or visit him. He never told me about that girl anymore, but that’s how Animal was created (he wasn’t dying either, he was sent to a refuge bc he didn’t have a home) 

36. A spoiler for story _________.

Akhsjfkhgads 😈😈 do I have to answer this? You know how much I love creating hype and not telling anything about my new chapters... But I’ll do it for you! (maybe it’s a shitty spoiler but it’s the only one I can say for now) I’ll tell you okay!!Jungkook’sbeenshotanddramaisgoingtohappen. AJKLSHDLGASJDGHAJH

[therealestatesparkblog]

How to Build Credit From Scratch

Some people have no credit at all, and some people have bad credit. Understanding how to build credit is particularly important to investors who are looking to use their score to help build their wealth. A good credit score allows them to take advantage of leverage (aka debt such as loans). To access the most funding options to invest in real estate, chances are youll need good credit. There are numerous ways you can boost your credit score, depending on where you are today. But first, we must understand credit. How Are Credit Scores Calculated? The definition of credit is the ability of a customer to obtain goods or services before payment, based on the trust that payment will be made in the future, according to the Oxford Dictionary. There are multiple things affecting your credit score. The length of time accounts have been open, ratio of outstanding debts compared to the credit youve been extended, types of credit owned, and number of late or missed payments are all factors that can raise or lower it. Carrying a high balance on credit cards, opening and closing accounts in a short amount of time, and of course late payments will all ding your creditas much as 100 points in one go. In addition, the amount of inquires (companies checking your credit to open credit cards, get loans, etc.) can and will ding your credit, even if temporarily. Be smart about taking on credit, and learn as much as you can about what it is before you engage in accounts reporting to credit agencies. Heres a quick rundown of credit scores: 800-850: Exceptional 740-799: Very Good 670-739: Good 580-669: Fair (Note: Its common practice to require a 600+ credit score for leasing properties.) 300-579:Poor With fair/poor credit, one may experience higher interest rates on loans/mortgages. If renting or leasing, you may be required to pay higher security deposits. A co-signer may even be required in certain instances. The terminology and ranges associated with these labels do vary by source, but its more important to have a general idea of where you fall on the spectrum. Youll qualify for the best rates if you have a 740 or higher score, with some institutions that even call for a 760.

Types of Credit There are quite a few types of credit; however, Im going to focus on the two most common. One of the most utilized types is revolving credit. Credit cards fit into this category. With revolving credit, one is expected to pay a minimum each month but is not required to pay the entire amount. Another common type is installment credit. This refers to such things as automobile loans or mortgages. A certain amount is borrowed, and every month the same amount is paid until the balance is paid in full. How to Protect Your Credit To protect yourself and your credit, you should check your credit report annually. More often than youd think, individuals find out their identity was stolen or some sort of fraudulent activity occurred months or years after the fact. Dont give criminals a bigger head start than they already have. Protecting your credit starts with you. Monitor your bank accounts and credit card accounts, and go over your statements to ensure there arent any discrepancies. In instances where you may be vulnerable or in order to be extra cautious, one can go a step further and implement credit freezing, monitoring, or other services to help ensure you dont become a victim of fraud. Related: How to Improve Your Credit Score How to Build CreditApply for a Credit Card Dave Ramsey may not support this advicebut to each their own. If you cant trust yourself to use a credit card appropriately, you may want to disregad this advice. However, opening up a credit card, using credit, and making timely payments is a great way to build your credit score. The key is paying off your balance monthly and always making payments on time. If youve never had a credit card and/or are building your credit from scratch, you may need a secured credit card. This acts as a prepaid card until you establish somewhat predictable spending patterns with the institution. Keep Credit Cards Active As mentioned, the length of time an account has existed is taken into consideration when determining credit scores. However, banks have been known to close inactive cards after a certain length of time. To prevent a credit dip as a result of a closed account, its useful to add a tank of gas here and there on cards you may not use much. Adjust Your Balances/Records/Limits It happens to so many people for so many reasons. There may come a point when you are unable to pay off your balance in full. If this is you, concentrate on paying whichever accounts have outstanding balances down to less than 30 percent of the associated credit limits. This in and of itself will help boost your score. Do you have a late payment on record? If its out of character, it never hurts to ask for this late payment record to be removed. Many institutions will be happy to do this for first-time offenders. Do you have autopay set up for any of your accounts? If something happens and your payment account is compromised, you will be assigned a new account number. This will interrupt your autopayments. Pay close attention to your credit card accounts in these instances so that missed autopayments dont translate into late or missed payments, thereby dinging your credit score. If this happens, again, reach out to your creditors and explain the situation. If you arent a repeat offender, theyre likely to help you out. In some cases, adjusting your credit limit can improve your credit. It can essentially push your revolving credit balance percentage down. This is not recommended for everyone, however. Prior payment history and the status of your outstanding credit will be taken into consideration. Not everyone may be granted a higher limit when they ask. Student Cards/Credit Building Loans Some banks even offer services like credit-building loans. Participants are required to make timely payments on these loans, and the institutions report this activity to the credit agencies throughout the process until the loan is paid in full. Normally, services such as these are offered by local banks. But it never hurts to ask your current institution if you already have an established banking relationship. Sometimes student credit cards are a good way to go, too. These cards are classified as higher risk due to the inexperience of customers who open said accounts. As such, these cards typically have higher interest rates for those who carry a balance. Be aware of these rates, and try not to charge more than you can afford on these cards.

Authorized Users and Co-Signers For those who are looking to build or rebuild credit, one option is to be added as an authorized user to someone elses account. You may consider adding an authorized user to your account for similar reasons. In either instance, this situation is going to be detrimental to one or both parties if you are not committed to making timely payments. The relationship requires trust. But if both parties are responsible, this is one way to go about boosting your scores. For best results, before utilizing this tactic, establish the following: How often will this card be used and for what purposes?Do you both have a history of paying in full and/or on time?Can you trust each other to not abuse this card? In many cases, mortgages, credit cards, rental leases, other loans, etc. may require a co-signer for those who apply and do not meet the optimal credit criteria. A party with good credit co-signs onto the credit agreement with the party that has lower credit. In doing so, the co-signer is accepting a certain level of responsibilitythey are now on the hook for paying creditors should you fail to do so. This is simply another way to lessen the risk on the institutions side while still allowing for credit building opportunities. Rent and Utility Payments Another possible way to build your credit is through rent and utility payments. Certain programs are available whereby a company will collect your rent for a fee, pay it to your landlord, and report your timely rental payments to credit agencies. Some landlords themselves may have such a system in place. The same situation can be set up for utility payments. But be aware that many utility companies themselves dont report to the credit bureausunless you fail to pay. In those instances, they will report you. Related: Why Credit Scores Matter & How to Improve Them How to Rebuild Credit People experience all sorts of situations that may bring them to a point where they need to rebuild their credit. While this article is more about ways to increase your credit score or build it from scratch, its important to quickly note that there are ways to work with collection companies. In some instances, you may be able to reach a compromise where you pay them a lesser amount than was owed in order to settle an outstanding debt. But this isnt always the best optionits highly dependent on the individual situation. Obviously the best option is to avoid a debt from being turned over to collections in the first place. This isnt a forum for legal advice, however, so consult the appropriate financial professionals for the best course of action. If you find yourself in a position where youre rebuilding, explore all of the aforementioned options to help get yourself back on the road to success. Avoid further late payments. Avoid being sent to collections. And know that credit issues from yearseven decadesago can continue to haunt you down the road if left unresolved. Conclusion This is by no means an all-inclusive look at credit, but for those starting out or trying to build their credit, its a great place to start. Understand how credit works, the factors playing into your credit score, and how monitoring your credit report can help you protect your score. The higher your score, the more of a ding your credit takes should you have an issue with any of the above. Building credit takes time, but it can be done faster if you have the right tools and use the correct strategies.

Do you understand what can hurt your credit score? Do you have a grasp on what can help it? What other questions can I answer for you? Leave me a comment! https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/how-to-build-credit

[outcastsuggestion]

Do you have any reasons on why I should keep living cause I'm ready to leave

there are so many little things to keep on going for! i know a lot of times it’s hard to think about but sometimes it’s good to remember:

- the feeling of laughing so hard your chest aches, your face gets warm and your sitting there absolutely in tears- hugging someone for real, like chest to chest, squeezing each other so tight you don’t want to let go- the feeling of excitement and adventure you get when you’re visiting someplace or you’re hiking and oh my fucking god the sun is on your face, the wind is stinging your cheeks from the cold and youre practically on top of the world- the feeling of validation, of appreciation you get from when you just made someone smile or laugh is amazing honestly- the first taste of your (favorite) food after a long while, you can’t get that anywhere else can you? it’s practically euphoric- the thought that there’s so many people in your future that are going to love you and who you’re going to love later in life- the wonder you get when learning about other cultures in the world, like holy shit sometimes the world is just bigger than you realize and there’s so many ways to go about life in such bright colors and fun traditions- the impact you make in daily life! it’s hard to think about i know but keep track of your interactions during the day, who do you talk to? who do you help? who sees you everyday as part of a routine even though you may or may not talk? what works have you contributed in school, programs, etc? you make a print on this world that’s more obvious than you think!- animals, namely dogs and cats. they have so much love to give in their lives, ask yourself if they can give some away so freely why not you too?- the feeling of being in love, romantically or platonically. it’s the jittery feeling you get and oh my god the person you keep thinking about is so wonderful how are they even real? and so many people may think of you this way too!- rainstorms and the calm, the excitement, the memories is brings when the first drop falls- your favorite content that keeps going on, don’t you want to see what happens next? what the character do? what song is next released?- the possibility of the future, scary as fuck i know but sometimes you have to take the leap of faith that everything has a pattern and so does your good/bad days. you’ve gotten so far in this life already, worked so hard and there’s still more. why not keep going for a little more to see and experience the world for yourself?- doing what you love. is it music? learning an instrument? writing? eating? cooking? acting? playing sports? sewing? solving complex problems? discovering a ‘truth’? delving in philosophies and psychologies? making cool science shit? there’s so many things to invest yourself in, and the happiness you receive from it is so priceless, be passionate about what you love- and so so so much more

i know there have been so many nights where i have stayed up late thinking the exact same thing and had barely gotten up the next morning. i know the realization in class, at home, anywhere really and asking yourself “oh my god, im tearing myself up for what exactly? god, is it even worth it?”

it is, it really is honestly. seeing my friends faces everyday and spending time with people i love is what keeps me going. focusing on the interests i have now gets me through the day. the possibility of maybe treating myself to s’mores this weekend or binge-watching my new favorite show lets me forget about all that stuff for a little at best. i can’t tell you that it wont be hard or life is going to continue this way because sometimes people can only go far to help you before a part of you has to wake up and shake yourself in realizing that you got to keep going.

its a constant war between being so very tired and realizing that there’s still so much to see and anticipate for the future. the world isn’t always nice, but there’s always people who are willing to lend a hand.

National Suicide Prevention Line

[thesffcorner]

February Wrap Up

Despite being the shortest month of the year, I read 7 books and 10 graphic novels, or 17 things in total. It was also another month where I read a lot of diverse genres: I read 10 contemporaries, 4 of which were thriller/mysteries, and 6 of which were romance; 4 sci-fi, 1 speculative historical romance, 1 fantasy romance and 1 historical fantasy. Instead of doing highest to lowest, since I have so many graphic novels and some are part of the same series, I decided to group them by the date read, so without further ado, let’s get into it.

Fence vol. 1-3 by C S Pacat and Joanna the Mad (3, 4, 3 stars)

I wanted to read this series for a while, and I finally binged it this February. Fence follows Nicholas, a young fencer with a complicated past and poor background who comes to Kings Row, a school with the fourth best fencing programs in the country. There, to his shock he finds Senji, a junior champion with Olympic aspirations; and the two can’t stand each-other.

This series is just a whole lot of fun. It’s written like a Western style sports anime/manga, and Joanna the Mad’s artstyle is very reminiscent of manga, with lots of action line, pretty boys and expressive, large eyes. The first volume is a fine set up of Nicholas’ first confrontation with Senj, and arriving at the school, while the second and third volume deal with the qualifications at the school for who will make the fencing team. As Nick is on an athletic scholarship, he has to qualify or he gets kicked out, but like many of these series go, he has some stiff competition, and develops friendships with said competition.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between all the characters, especially Senji and Nicholas, and if you’re a fan of sports anime, cute queer comics, or painfully slow-burn enemies to lovers stories, check this out.

Check, Please! Year 3 by Ngozi Ukazu (4 stars)

The first thing I read in February was the third volume of Check, Please! This was as cute as the previous 2 volumes, as it follows Bittie’s third year in college. What struck out to me upon rereading this specific year, is that it actually has way more angst and conflict than I remember it having; there’s a lot here about Bittie and Jack coming to terms with not just their long distance relationship, but also coming out and finding acceptance within the confines of a major sports league like the NHL. It also deals a lot with Bittie coming to terms with the hockey team changing as Ransom, Holster and Lardo graduate. Overall, a good continuation of the story.

Deadly Class vol 1-2 by Rick Remender and Wes Craig (3, 2, 2 stars)

Deadly Class is a series that if I had started reading when I was in late high school, early college, I know I would have loved. However now, as an adult, I find it grating, pretentious, and far too extreme for no real reason. The story aspects that I liked the most, I’ve also already seen or read in far better works; it doesn’t help that up to volume 3, there are only 2 characters left that I remotely care about, and one of them just got introduced in that volume.

The series follows a group of kids who go to an elite training school for assassins. We mostly follow Marcus, the son of a Nicaraguan expats, who ends up at the school after he meets Saya and a few of the other students during a stick up. Though the first volume started out promising, volumes 2 and 3 kept getting less and less good, and unless something drastically changes in my life, I can’t see myself continuing on with this series.

Contagion by Erin Bowman (3 stars)

This is a sci-fi book set in the near-distant future, and it follows the crew of Odyssey, a research vessel that is sent to Black Quarry to investigate a distress signal. Once there, the crew realizes that something bad has happened, as they find bodies and a potentially deadly thing haunting them; and the mysterious ‘young boy’ the engineer of Black Quarry warns them about is not making matters any easier.

This was a rather mediocre sci-fi, but I still enjoyed it. As it’s part of a duology I will definitely be finishing the story out, but as is it doesn’t do too much with this well-tread premise. Bowman does have a good grasp on action and suspense, but a lot of the character decisions in the novel were akin to ones characters in Blumhouse horrors make, and considering most of them are some form of scientists, that wasn’t an ideal route to take. Still if you enjoy stories about aliens, sentient viruses, isolated space incidents and horror, it’s worth checking out.

Prince Charming by Rachel Hawkins (4 stars)

This is the first book in a series of contemporary romances, all centering around the fiction crown family of Scotland. In this first novel we follow Daisy, the younger sister of Eli, who gets engaged to Andrew, the Crown Prince of Scotland. After an incident in a parking lot with her ex, Daisy gets blackmailed into spending the summer in Scotland with her sister and fiance, and get acquainted with the royal family; cue shenanigans, romance and lots of sisterly yelling.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book; it was very funny and entertaining, and I haven’t related to a characters quite like I did to Daisy, since Princess Mia Thermopolis. While there are some tropes these stories tend to have, Hawkins manages to avoid a lot of the cliches, and she actually has some really good commentary on the economy of the royal family, the outdated and outright sexist traditions, the close-mindedness, and the prejudice that both sides are steeped in at the start. I found the romance very cute, the shenanigans were funny and entertaining, and I will definitely be reading the sequel.

Heart of Gold Part 1 by Eli and Viv (4 stars)

This is an webcomic that I stumbled onto by complete accident, but it blew me away. It follows Ionel, a concert pianist who is slowly losing his sight, and Kasper a priest with the power to heal people. Ionel moves to the small town and starts attending mass, in hopes that Kasper will heal him, but every time it gets close to, or his turn, Kasper refuses to help him. Through his attendance, the two become close, with Kasper seeming to have a crisis of faith, all while people from the town start dying; and they might be connected to Kasper.

This comic drew me in almost immediately. The art is absolutely beautiful, and it’s hard to believe that this is a free web comic. The story too is very mature and interesting; it deals a lot with religion, faith, and sacrifice, and the slow build of Isonel and Kaspar’s relationship feels very natural. I can’t wait for Act 2, and I’m really hoping the answers to what is happening in the town deliver on the build up we’ve gotten so far.

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (3 stars)

I heard about this book a lot when it came out, and I decided to check it out, since it’s a mystery following a girl who wants to become an FBI agent, coming to Ellingham Academy, a Montessori type private school, to solve an old cold case; that of the founder, Albert Ellingham’s daughter’s kidnapping.

I won’t lie; this book did not live up to the hype for me, though it was entertaining. I have a much longer and more detailed review of why, but it mostly boiled down to a few things. First, I didn’t like that it ends of a cliffhanger, and we get no answers; this is a bit odd for a mystery, especially a series which has more than two books. Second, I thought the way the past and present mystery connected wasn’t very well done, and I kept losing interest in the past, because of the way the book was written. And finally, I found some of the writing dry and lacking in proper atmosphere.

However, I still enjoyed the story, and the main character of Steve, and I will probably read the sequel, since I still want to know what happens.

S.T.A.G.S. by M A Bennet (3 stars)

S.T.A.G.S. is a British thriller, set in Saint Aidan the Great’s School or STAGS, a private boarding school with a long tradition. When new student Greer gets invited to a weekend of huntin, shootin, fishin at the estate of the leader of the most popular clique in the school, Henry, she accepts, not knowing what waits for her; and what does is a nightmare that might turn deadly, where the hunting, shooting, and fishing, might be a little too real and dangerous.  

I really enjoyed this thriller; I thought it was entertaining, fast paced and had a plot that kept me invested to the end. I also weirdly enjoyed the subtle romance between two of the characters, which isn’t often the case.

However, this book isn’t without it’s problems. The ending is a bit predictable, and having seen the Riot Club, I knew what I was getting into, in terms of what the weekend actually entailed. I also found that the book lacked a lot of tension, because we found out early on who lives through it. However, it was still enjoyable, and if you like these types of thrillers set in boarding schools or private estates, I think you will enjoy this one.

Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson (4 stars)

Like Prince Charming before, I was genuinely surprised at how much I ended up enjoying this book, because when I started it, I was really caught off guard by the humor. However, once I got used to it, this became one of the funniest things I read this month.

Undead Girl Gang is a horror/comedy that follows Mila, a Mexican-American teenager who practices Wicca. After her best friend Riley supposedly commits suicide, just a week after a double suicide of two of her other classmates, Mila decides to perform a spell and bring Riley back; but instead she brings all three of the girls back. The problem? They can’t stand each-other, and if they don’t want to be walking zombies, they need to stay within a 100 steps of Mila.

This book was hilarious and very dark. I really enjoyed all the relationships between the girls, and I found the look at grief very well done and moving. The ending was climactic, and the conclusions Mila comes to worked well for me; if you enjoyed the Craft, Mean Girls or Heathers, check this out, you will probably like it.

Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi (5 stars)

This was by far my favorite thing I read this month. I struggled writing a review for it, because I just didn’t know how to talk about it without just relegating to spoilers and gushing about the characters and the puzzles. It’s a book that follows a group of thieves, who steal magical artifacts, each with their own motivations and goals. When they steal a magical Chinese compass, the discover that it leads them to a Horus Eye; an artifact so powerful it can show them the way to the fabled Fragment of Babel.

It’s the Mummy, mixed with National Treasure, mixed with Ocean’s 11. It’s fun heist story, set during the Exposition Universelle, and if you are like me at all and like any of these things, you will love this book.

Sleepless vol. 1 by Sarah Vaughan (4 stars)

This was probably my favorite of the graphic novels I read; it’s a fantasy that follows Poppy, the illegitimate daughter of a King, and a famous star reader. When her father the King dies, Poppy is forced to navigate court life, as his brother takes the throne, but things become increasingly hard as several assassination attempts are made, and her Sleepless protector Cyrenic starts drifting.

There’s just something about this series that ticks all my boxes. The art is absolutely gorgeous, the story is interesting and a bit different from the usual fantasy I read, and the Sleepless vow is a very unique type of magic. To top it off, I really like the two leads, Poppy and Cyrenic and I’m curious to see what turn the story will take after the ending we get in issue 6.

Motor Crush vol. 1 by Brenden Fletcher (3 stars)

I’ve been meaning to start this series for a while, and I finally did in February, and man was it a great time to do this, fresh after seeing Battle Angel Alita.

This follows Domino, a bike racer, who is trying to make it big and qualify for the world circuit. However, to survive she needs Crash, an illegal substance that is used to fuel the bikes in this universe, but she needs to inhale it. Through the first volume we find out a bit about her mysterious past, her ex-girlfriend Lola, and a man who seems to either want to help her or kill her; all while she races to win the qualifications and the Crash.

This series was a fun, fast paced ride, but it’s not without its problems. The art is beautiful, but the story needs some more polishing; there’s too many plot threads and not enough time to develop them. I can’t imagine how things will resolve in the next volume after that climax, but I will definitely be continuing it; the world was gripping enough to have me enjoy it, and Domino was a character I definitely rooted for.

Umbrella Academy vol. 1 by Gerard Way (3 stars)

Since the show is all anyone talks about, I decided to finally start this series and boy is it cooky. We follow the Umbrella Academy, a group of 7, who were adopted by a crazy millionaire savant Reginald Hargreeves, after being born in a spontaneous event all over the world where 48 mothers gave birth. Hargreeves trains the kids to stop the apocalypse, and now 10 years after his death brings 6 of the 7 back to his house, unaware that the apocalypse is here; and it’s a direct consequence of their reunification.

There is a lot of good and a lot of weird in this series. The characters have glimpses of interesting personalities and the idea of 7 kids being raised from birth to be superheroes by a man who is a British version of Ra’s al Ghul is interesting. But unfortunately the series doesn’t fully explore this, and the ending is really abrupt. The humor is quirky, and sometimes it works, but more often it makes the tone weirdly uneven, as we swing from graphic, albeit cartoon violence to slapstick. I think the show does a much better job with the tone, and while this first volume gets a lot right, it’s by no means perfect.

Sadie by Courtney Summers (4 stars) 

This was by far the hardest book I’ve read in a long time. It’s a mystery that follows Sadie, a girl who disappears after her younger sister is brutally assaulted and murdered; and West McCray, a podcast host who is retracing her steps, trying to find her. It’s a book about grief, assault, pedophilia, violence and the lies we tell ourselves so we don’t have to think about what happens to girls in this world, and it’s dower, dreary and oh so real. It made me feel things I don’t normally do when I read, and if you can stomach the content, I recommend it. If you can, get the audiobook; it’s a full cast and the podcast bits are done like a real podcast, which makes the story feel that much more immersive.   

The Disasters by M K England (5 stars)

I needed something light and fun after the last two things I read in February, and this was the perfect way to end my month. This was my favorite book I read so far, maybe even more than the Gilded Wolves. It’s a sci-fi that follows a group of 4 rejects from Space Academy who have to work together to survive a terrorist attack, and prevent another one from happening. It’s fast paced, incredibly entertaining, and I fell in love with all the characters.

I absolutely cannot wait for whatever else M K England publishes, and I loved this to pieces.