#and in the numerous fix it fics I am about to go read

[atlasisnothere]

just listened to house of the dead for the first time and yeah I'm doing totally fine ahaha btw completely unrelated but if anyone needs me I'll be in the corner definitely not sobbing or anything

[xanwyn]

animation for THE NEON VOIDD BABYYYY

this post is for @sugarpasteltmnt

‼️‼️MEGA YAPPING AHEAD PLEASE BEWARE‼️‼️

this might end up being really long and rambly and sappy but maybe not who knows.( it was) (and also featuring numerous spelling errors i am way too tired to fix and i am not re reading what i just wrote) SO. yknow how when chap idek..25(?) came out and i was all like “yeah so i made this animation for TNV and ill drop it when the fic ends” in your ask box? so. I FINISHED IT RAHHH. technically it has been finished since i sent that ask but ohhh my goodness did it need polishing. i haven’t animated in 4 years before that and omg it felt so good getting back into it but IDFK SOMETHING IS STILL NOT UP TO MY STANDARDS. i feel like i could have done so much more with it and i deffo wanted to but as soon as i told myself “oh yeah this is basically done” art block literally sucker punched me in the gut out of NOWHERE. I COULD NOT PICK UP MY I PAD. I COULD NOT DRAW. I WOULD STARE AT THE WIP ANIMATION AND BE UPSET BC I DDINT WANNA WORK ON IT AHH. that goes with saying. i kept having this thought in the back of my head “you need to finish it. you have a wip sitting. finish it. go do it. what are you doing are you STARTING ANOTHER PROJECT??? anddd yeah i got super distracted with other stuff and other projects and then i started spending my free time rewatching 2012 turtles and omg this summer has been a mess. i have all the free time in the world and i choose to be the least productive as possible with it even though i have a job that lets me literally sit on my phone and do whatever i want if no one is there. (i’ve brought my switch to work numerous times ☠️) what i was trying to get at is the fact that TNV has inspired a lot of the old me to come back and i lowk missed her. i really missed the point in all those words up there but im here now so whatever. BUT. TNV made me make a tumblr account, i got back in to animation AND digital art in general, got back into longfics that are ongoing, AND it also helped kickstart ideas for writing. i’ve got so many stories now!! you are such an inspirational person pastels i just- every time i read a new chapter of yours it made me wanna go get up and do something. i wanted to create something. because at the end of each chapter, i would think- “woah. a person out there just wrote this. they just sat down one day and committed. i wanna do that” so i did that. just huge thank you and shoutout to you pastel. like damn. idk no words from me here. just a bunch of platonic hugs and kisses and thankyouthankyouthsnkuou for this lovely heart wrenching but also sweet story. i love this fandom (tmnt) so SO much and i think it’s so awesome how interactive you are with your own personal NV fans. crazy how we’re all here because of a bunch of turtles. 

STUFF ABOUT THE ANIMATION:

okay i really like to talk and if you let me, i will run my mouth. this is the internet so im gonna do just that. so more words for you to read 😁. AHEM. so like i stated before in the genuinely scary mess of words up there, i haven’t touched animation in a while, like, 4 years a while. yes i’ve done digital art here and there along the years, i haven’t been doing it nearly as much as i need to to use some programs to their full potential. layers are still confusing, and don’t even get me started on multiply and all that jazz. shading never comes out right on digital for me, i gotta work that one out. so, for this animation, i decided to go with a very rough style. nothing needed to be perfect, i just wanted to live my little life of trying to experiment with a bunch of different things all at once in one short animatic. I wanted to do that little ball bounce thing all animation artists start with (i kinda included that with the key). i also wanted to have a go at lip sync (no hate it was my first time) and also timing the animation with the music. i wanted to see how smoothly i could move a figure in and out of and out of the screen as well, which honestly, i think that part might be my favorite. i think i did a good job, and thats what matters. the animation itself lost a bunch of quality on importing it- no clue how it happened but now the ending is grainy af. ignore that pls lol- but it was sitting in my flipaclip for god, i dont even know, 3 months now? i kept going back and forth on if i wanted to share it or not, so im throwing it to the wolves and i guess whatrver happrns happens and im good with that. yay. im actually rrwlly tired now sooo *leaves this absolute pile of words with a video attached at your feet and stumbles away quickly*

also i’ve genuinely never posted anything so i’m learning how to use tumblr too ☠️

[jacesbeloved]

ladylike ✷ j. velaryon

✷ ⎯ summary: wherein the battle between the blacks and the greens has one of the most feared sellswords picking a side—for the right price.

✷ ⎯ tags: jacaerys velaryon x afab!reader (18+)

✷ ⎯ notes: happens before luke d-worded, also this is not beta read sorry!!! anw i hope u like this new fic since i tried something new with it (+ the cover)! comments and likes r very appreciated <3 if u want to chat or request for something, my asks r open :D

"This is not enough. If we are to show our power, I say we make the first move at Harenhall. Burn their blockade to send a message." Daemon's suggestion was full of fire, turning to the Queen with an intent of starting and leading this war.

The figures around the painted table shake heads in their dismay. Looking at the Queen with worried looks as she stares blankly at the table in front of her with revenge in his eyes.

"We cannot wager on just yet, your grace. We may have the dragons but our men our far too short in amount," Bartimos Celtigar argues.

Rhaenys expresses her agreement, "I agree with Lord Celtigar. If we are to win this war, we need to approach it with careful thinking both externally and internally. I suggest not making any haste decisions, your grace."

"Haste decisions? What a jest." Daemon scoffs. The jab at the princess results in nothing, choosing to ignore the Targaryen prince.

The rest of the table on continues on about their plan. It was Daemon against majority of the council members; he was pushing for Rhaenyra to attack, get the starting advantage while the others disagreed.

They may have numerous dragons, but it is still hard to gauge their capacity especially with the beastly Vhagar in service of Aemond Targaryen.

By the time when every member has dispersed to their own affairs, Jacaerys and Lucerys head back to their chambers. The younger Velaryon sighing as he rests his head on the thick wooden frame.

"Are you...are you nervous of where Mother is sending us?" Lucerys asks Jacaerys, who had already been fixing his stuff for tonight's trip to the North.

Jacaerys noted the look of nervousness on his brother's face. Halting in his actions to reassure him. "I am worried, a bit, but we are doing this to defend our mother's rightful throne. The Greens have no right to steal it from her."

"And anyway, you will be going to the Stormlands, am I correct?"

"And you to the North," Lucerys says, beginning on arranging his stuff as well.

After which, Jacaerys made his way back to the great hall, two guards approach him. Apparently, Daemon is asking him for a word outside of the castle. Somewhere near the edge, he figures.

And he was correct, Daemon is by the edge. Overlooking the busy seas and cloudy skies with his hand on the butt of his sword, the usual tout look on his face as Jacaerys makes his way to him. He doesn't notice his stepson approaching until Jace is calling him first.

"What is it that you want, Daemon?" Jacaerys questions.

Daemon does not move, except for glancing at him with a raised eyebrow. "Each second we waste, the Hightowers are celebrating their usurped throne. Westeros think of them as the rightful heirs of the iron throne."

Jacaerys' jaw clenches, remaining quiet. Daemon calls him closer. Caraxes appearing to his sight as the beast flies above them and around the other mountains of the island.

Daemon pauses for a minute, "It has seem as though your mother could do all but launch this war."

"Mind your words, Daemon," Jacaerys warns. "Mother has decided no action be done until her word. Your men are well to know that."

The older Targaryen lets out a deep exhale as he turns around, leaning on the stone block, his eyes set on somewhere away. The two of them stay there in silence before Daemon speaks again.

"Two days from now, your mother will send you to the North for Lord Cregan Stark. I am advising you not to."

"Not?"

"Instead, you will go to King's Landing this evening. I have men there that will take you to the place we need if we want to win this war before it even starts. No bloodshed needed, as you and your mother so prefer. Am I correct?"

Jacaerys looks at him wearily. The tone of his mother's husband sounding suspicious enough as the smile on Daemon's lips.

"Why me? Why not you?"

"I am needed at the blockade," Daemon answers simply.

Silence is what Daemon receives as a response. "It is up to you. As the heir to the throne after your mother takes back her rightful place at the iron throne, it is your responsibility, already, to start thinking as the future king."

More silence follows. By this time, Daemon is smirking at him as he toys with a small piece of paper that he had received earlier through a raven from King's Landing.

"Is mother aware of this?" When it was Daemon's turn to be silent, Jacaerys already has his answer.

As the day passed, Jacaerys watched his mother struggle with her unborn child. Every now and then looking outside the window. Lucerys has been everything of help to her, aiding her in possible ways while Jacaerys pondered on about what Daemon told him.

As the words of Daemon echo in his head, Each second we waste, the Hightowers are celebrating their usurped throne...

"What am I even doing here?" Jacaerys sighs to himself, the hood of his cloak hanging lowly on his head whilst various chatters and lewd noise from the sketchy alleyways fill his ears.

"Here you are," the men—man that Daemon apparently knew halts him at a seemingly plain brown door. It was clearly at the back of some building, some brothel Jacaerys guesses.

"Are you not going to accompany me inside?"

The armored man shakes his head, looking side to side, "My payment only serves me up to here," he pauses. "Go inside and whatever is in that paper is what you seek. Ask for a Lady." Jacaerys sighs at his instruction, throwing him the bag of gold coins that Daemon had given him.

Jacaerys takes a deep breath before he goes inside. A circus of lights and cloths dance around his sight. The busy environment with numerous naked women pulling around men of various stature.

"Good evening, my lord," one woman purrs, draping her arms across the expanse of his chest. He coughs awkwardly, shaking his head.

Look for the biggest woman, she is the keeper.

Jacaerys need not to move for a few minutes of standing there, he is pulled away by three women. "What—Hey, I am looking for the keeper," he tried to say but the women ignored him. Pushing past numerous people before they arrive at a room.

"Jacaerys Velaryon," a woman with a gold-colored dress speaks. An eyebrow raised at him before he even gets to pull down his hood.

"Prince Daemon had already informed me of what it is that you seek, however I fear it is not here."

She will tell you a Lady is not there. But a Lady is there.

"I was informed you would say that. However, Daemon told me she is here. A Lady is here." The keeper grins, waving off the women that clung on his arms.

"If that is what you believe, then I shan't hinder you from finding," she looks at him up and down, "The Lady."

"You may explore the brothel...confidently. We will help you no more than ensuring your protection inside of this establishment. If you are unable to find a Lady befit for your liking, your protection outside of this is not of our concern anymore, my prince."

"What does a Lady look like?" Jacaerys asks the keeper.

The keeper merely shrugs, waving at the women around Jacaerys. "Those are ladies, my prince. Everyone here is a lady."

Jacaerys clenches his jaw at the useless answer, leaving the room with the keeper's chuckles echoing in his ears.

She has a scar on her left. Burgundy hair with embellishments.

There is one that catches his eye. The burgundy lady showing off skin with a light pink fabric covering her body. He does not quite see the scar but the hair, he does.

The woman was pretty occupied with bringing this one guard somewhere. The guard had his hand in hers, eyes longing with hunger.

"Her. I need her," Jacaerys calls out quietly, fast in his steps to follow the couple. He loses sight of them for a moment before he sees them once more, finally entering a room.

Multiple women hiss at him as he follows them. Taking one more breath before he goes inside of the room only to see no one but the lady.

"It is rather uncourteous to barge into a lady's room, is it not?"

Jacaerys takes a look around, it was only the two of you inside of that room. You were leaning lazily on of the bedposts, the darkness hindering Jacaerys from seeing your face.

"Where is the guard?" Jacaerys asks.

Your eyebrows furrow in feign innocence, "What guard, my prince?"

"The guard—you came in here with a guard. Where is he?"

"I do not know of such guard that you seek, my prince," your purr strikes that one chord inside of his chest.

"If it is a man that you seek, my apologies but this is a brothel. The street of silk has a different brothel for those that seek men."

Jacaerys shakes his head. "A Lady is what I look for. Burgundy hair, your height, has a scar on her rib."

You hum, silently disposing of the blade in your sleeves to get on the bed. Alluringly pulling off the sheer cover that you wear on your shoulders.

"Burgundy hair is most definitely, the scar, however, I am afraid you would have to find out for yourself," you grin at him, slowly making your way towards the end of the bed where he stood.

"I do not seek such service. I was told a Lady is what you are."

"We are all ladies, my prince," you cock your head to the side, standing on your knees as you finally see his face thanks to the very dim light above.

You were the most beautiful woman he had laid his eyes on. It was as if he was enchanted the moment you put your hands on his shoulders, lips stretching side to side.

Once you are in her grasp, it is all but a pleasurable transaction. You would have to act fast, not to—

"What is it you ponder on about, my prince?" You break him from his thoughts. Trailing your hand down his tunic as you kept your eyes on his. He was speechless, unsure of what to do. "You only have to say the word and I assure you, I will make you forget about them before next morrow."

I must think straight, he repeats in head over and over again until your lips have already touched his neck. Hands expertly unbuckling his cloak before he can even notice.

Jacaerys is then left there, in his tunic and trousers, blood awfully rushing through his lower regions as you now grab his hands and place them all over your body.

Your lips suck and bite tenderly at every skin you come across, grinding your body in his hands as you whisper sweet nothings. Slowly, but surely, pulling him to the bed.

Jacaerys' eyes roll to the back of his head when your hand falls to palm his growing erection. A soft gasp leaving his mouth as you do so.

Refer to her as Lady if you want to get her on our side. Offer her whatever she wants.

He bites his lips, inhaling deeply before he stills himself from your ministrations. "The Queen is in need of your services, Lady."

You chuckle, "The Queen? The prince seems to be in more dire need of my..." you pause, "...services."

"We have gold to offer. More than you may think of. More than any has offered you, I am confident," Jacaerys stammered on with his words, unable to speak straight especially with your gaze on him.

"I do not need gold, my prince. I have gold to spare," you reply back, slipping off the bed to turn Jacaerys around.

"Then what is it that you want?" Your hands grip his shoulders firmly, pushing him to sit on the edge of bed.

"I want you to tell me what you want, my prince. After all, I am a Lady and you are a prince. I live to serve my prince," the words roll off your tongue way too smooth for Jacaerys' liking, your ability to flatter seemingly too good.

You get down on your knees, brushing away your hair as you look up at Jacaerys. The prince breathes heavily, his open mouth unable to let words leave.

"Just relax, my prince. Tell me, is this what you seek?" You breathe in his ear, palming his hard-on as you await his word. He is like stone on your hand, his shoulders tensed and extended.

"I—N-no..." shaky words leave his mouth.

You halt, "No? Do you want me to stop, my prince?"

It takes a minute for everything to register in Jacaerys' head before he's speaking again. "No, my lady. Don't stop."

Your lips stretch into a grin, getting on your knees as you untie the string of his trousers. Jacaerys hastily helping you take them off. When he pulls it off, he's pulling you up by your face to plant a kiss on your lips.

You were caught a bit off-guard and so you pull away, the two of you staring at each other. Jacaerys is staring up at you with heaved breaths.

Pushing him down again, you get on your knees and push your head back. Hand gripping his hard shaft. He lets out a deep guttural groan as you do so, the man biting his lips as you start moving your hand.

You pull your hand away to spit on it before going back to jerking his cock again. Head tilted up to watch his reaction as you put your lips on the head of his cock. Tongue swirling around the head making him thrash his upper body around. Groans and whimpers leaving his mouth.

Soon enough, the prince is all but calm as you bob your head up and down his cock. His arms flailing all around as he looks for something to grip.

"Does it feel good, my prince?" You ask innocently.

Jacaerys breathes, "Yes, oh gods, just like that, my lady. It feels so good."

The encouragement shakes your core when his hands come over to rest on the sides of your head, his hips thrusting up shyly which made his tip reach the back of your throat. Jacaerys' release evidently coming up.

"Don't stop! Please, don't stop," he whimpers desperately trying to reach his high. Hips now moving on its own as you focus on breathing through your nose. The rough movements of the known gentle and calm prince igniting your core.

Sounds of gags and deep moans fill the room. Next thing you know, you're pushing his thighs back down on the bed as you take back control. Sucking his cock with hollowed cheeks while swirling your tongue and hands around the length. My lady was all that was pouring out of his mouth.

"I am near," he informs you. "Do not stop, my lady."

A loud groan sounds through the room. Jacaerys' chest heaving up and down as he explodes inside of your mouth. Quick tingles running through his body the moment your tongue licks around his tip, jolting when the overstimulation hits him.

You wipe your mouth. Spitting out his seed in a random towel on the floor while keeping a keen eye on his body.

"My lady," he pulls himself up to his shoulders, taking a look at his surroundings only to see you dressed in a top. You raise an eyebrow at him, coming close until you're both an inch away from each other's lips.

His eyes shift from your eyes to your lips, internally debating with himself before he seals your lips.

You return the gesture, swiping your tongue on his plump lips before biting something inside of your mouth. The sides of your lips stretching when you see his eyes slant.

And from there, Jacaerys' sight goes black.

For hours on end, you navigated through the darkness. An unconscious prince with a sellsword in the middle of the Blackwater Bay, sailing with hope in a dark heart.

Slowly, the prince's eyes flutter open to a dark and unfamiliar surrounding. He froze. The wood against his body prompting him to jolt upward. You, who was rowing the small boat, watched him unfazed. Much more irritated at the unnecessary commotion than the sword that Jacaerys draws to point at you.

"Where am I? Who are you? What have you done?" his questions shoot at you like a crossbow.

"Calm down, my prince. If you do not think of jumping or killing me with that sword, we may arrive at shore no less than an hour."

He inches the tip of the sword closer to your neck, moving with caution, "Where are we?"

"Calm now, my prince," you let go of one oar to slowly move the tip of his sword away from your neck. Maintaining eye contact with the prince as you smile, "That wasn't how you were acting earlier."

Jacaerys' cheeks faintly flush, gulping silently. You snicker at that, answering the prince. "I am bringing you back to Dragonstone, my prince."

if you liked my writing, you might want to consider buying me a ko-fi <3

[naushtheaspiringauthor]

You know how there are those fics where a runaway noble reader ends up on Sturmhonds ship and she doesn't know who he is but he knows who she is and shenanigans ensue

Picture this: both Nikolai and Reader ended up doing the whole "tailor myself and sailing the seas" thing but Reader figured out who Sturmhond is while Nikolai has no clue. Because there's no way two people had the exact same idea. Basically a reversal of the trope. Now let the shenanigans ensue

The one left behind - Nikolai Lantsov x reader

A/N- I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it😽😽 Tysm for sending this request!!

Summary- When a rather intriguing girl joins Sturmhond's crew, he finds himself quite drawn to her. However, he still reminisces about the one he'd left behind.

You closed your eyes for a brief moment, allowing the cool breeze to wash over your skin. It was comfort, a sense of hope and most importantly, your freedom. 

You'd finally gotten out of your wrecked household that withheld a father who wished for you to be dead only because you'd refused to abide by his terms. 

You were the daughter of a noble, one who had esteemed relations with the royal family, with you having become friends with the youngest prince. Who was however long since left the country and even though you missed him with all your heart, had no way of reaching him. 

From education to numerous life skills, your parents had provided you with all. However they both had different paths chosen for you to tread upon. 

Your mother had wished for you to acquire a position in Ravka's council. 

Your father however, had wished for you to go to Fjerda and work as a spy for your country. 

 Though no one had ever bothered to ask you what you wished for. 

When your mother had passed, your father had been forcing you to leave for Fjerda.

When you'd opposed, he'd only wished to get rid of you in whatever way possible. 

So you had ran, from a life that was none less than a prison, from a father who no longer wanted you because you opposed to living your life his way. 

….......................................

You took in your new features in the scroungy mirror at the small boarding house you'd been living in. 

You'd gotten a tailor to alter your face so that you wouldn't be recognized as your father had organized a search party for you. 

Your hair was still the long black locks, but your nose was now far sharper than it'd been, and y/e/c eyes were now a light blue, rather tacky for your taste but it was necessary.

The tailor had told you that she'd put in her best efforts to make it last as long as possible, but you'd still need to get it fixed up occasionally. 

 ……............................... 

The next morning, you set out to meet with some crew member of the infamous Volkvolny, a ship commanded by some young pirate as you'd heard. 

You sat at one of the tables of the inn you were supposed to meet at. However, the girl hadn't even shown up yet. 

Just when you were about to leave, you noticed a girl with close cropped hair entering. She had two axes slung around her back and her features stated that she was Shu. 

However, you observed that she hadn’t come alone. She had some red-haired boy wearing a teal coat by her side.

“You’re the Tamar I was to talk to?” You asked, raising an eyebrow as she and the boy sat across you.

“Yes. Sorry for the delay. The captain wished to talk to you himself” She responded, glancing at the boy

You eyed him with your eyebrow still raised. Few strands of his red hair fell near his eyes. His hazel eyes gleamed in the light, and his nose was slightly crooked. He appeared no older than twenty, too young to be a captain.

“You’re the captain?” you asked, giving him a rather judging look.

“I believe I am,” he spoke with a proud grin. His voice sounding familiar to you for some reason. “I happen to be the infamous Sturmhond” he continued to grin

You glanced at him for a moment. There was something familiar about his eyes, but you just couldn’t place it. Perhaps you’d just started feeling so homesick that you’d begun to imagine things now.

“Novak, Evanna Novak” you finally respond, clearly not returning his expression

“Well’ he cleared his throat. “Miss Novak, to have you as a member of my crew, I must ask you what skills do you happen to possess?” he asked

“I’m an engineer, can help in fixing up your ship but I’ve also got training in combat” you spoke

The boy leaned back and finally spoke after a short moment, “Well, I believe we do happen to need an engineer aboard the Volkvolny. Name your price”

“I just need enough to fulfill all my requirements, no more no less. But there's another” you responded

“What's that?”

“I get to keep my freedom” you lifted up your chin, you'd come all this way for one thing only and you weren't going to let it slip away again. 

“Well, I believe we have a deal then” the boy responded. He clasped his hands in front of him as he stood up, “We leave at sunrise, meet us at the docks”.

He walked out of the inn with Tamar by his side. Though there was something strange about him that you couldn't quite place. 

.......…............................ 

“I have an idea” Nikolai sprang up from his chair

“What's that?” you asked, not even bothering to look up from your book. 

“Someday, I can get a ship that I'll be captain of and then we can sail the seas together” he spoke with great zeal. 

You set down your book and met his gaze. “Do you really think my parents would let me?” 

“We'll be adults by then, you could make your own decisions” 

You chuckled slightly, “No one cares about what I want, Nikolai. They'd still take all the decisions of my life”

“I do, I care about what you want” he responded, giving you his innocent look that would make you agree to whatever he'd say. 

..........................…..................... 

You reached the docks at the exact time you'd been given. You hadn't exactly slept the whole night. Whether it was thrill, fear or something entirely different, you didn't know, you no longer cared. You only wished to be free. 

You stepped on the sleek schooner that was the Volkvolny. The ship was quite a marvel and you were intrigued by the fact that the young captain had somehow managed to acquire it. 

You were introduced to the crew by Tamar and her twin brother Tolya who perfectly resembled the structure of a massive tree and had the habit of reciting random verses of poetry mid conversation. 

Sturmhond too, had greeted you as you'd come. And seeing him shouting orders to his crew and grinning along with them made you wonder how he'd managed to do it all. 

......…...............................… 

“I don't like these parties in the slightest” you grumbled, leaning against the railing of the balcony. 

The queen had thrown yet another ball for some reason and the only reason you'd come was because you'd get to see Nikolai. Though your immense hatred for the event hadn't deteriorated in the slightest. 

And what made you even furious was how perfectly Nikolai managed to do it all. Making small talk with the guests, occasionally annoying his brother Vasily and being the center of attention. 

He was far cheery and great at conversing for a sixteen year old boy. 

“Me neither, these people are so fake it's maddening. Nothing coming out of their mouths might be true” Nikolai agreed with you

“But you do it all so perfectly, it's very annoying” you rolled your eyes

“Well, for being a royal, learning to charm people with words is a necessity. Even if it's not true in the slightest” He shrugged. 

You grimaced at his words and turned to look at the starry sky, without the slightest hint of his gaze on you. 

He was mesmerized by how beautiful you looked. You were majestic to him at all times, but there was something entirely different about you tonight. 

Your long flaunty dress that you'd been forced to wear, hung perfectly at your shoulders. A few loose strands of your hair fell near your eyes and he had to fight the urge to tuck them behind your ear. 

Your eyes gleamed in the moonlight. 

You were majestic. 

He slowly slid his hand near yours on the railing and gently placed it on top of yours, making your gaze turn to him. 

You gazed in his perfect hazel eyes, fully unaware of how red your cheeks had become. 

“You look marvelous” he spoke, his voice a mere whisper. “And I'm not only making it up to charm you” he added with a grin. 

“Like you ever could “ you rolled your eyes, a smirk playing over your lips

…..........................................… 

You'd been aboard the Volkvolny for about a week now. And you'd already become quite popular amongst the crew for not only your work but your quick wits and splendid sparring skills. 

Sturmhond would always attempt to make small talk with you and charm you with his idiotic grin. 

You helped him with his designs of a flying ship he was attempting to make along with his other erratic inventions, whilst he tried his best to learn more about you. 

“So, why did you really choose to have this life?” he asked, abandoning his work as he turned towards you

“Well, I simply wished to live a life free from all kinds of burdens” you responded, not willing to share your entire life history. “I believed I could live my life by my own rules here, at the sea”

“I have to admit I agree. It's one of the reasons I'm here as well. Though I do think of all I've left behind” he glanced at a far corner of his desk. 

For a moment, he appeared as a lost prince stuck in another fantasy. 

That was when you noticed the massive deep green gem fixed on his ring. 

You'd seen the ring before, but you hadn't really looked at it. 

The Lantsov Emerald

Very similar to the one Nikolai had on him. 

How had he gotten it? Perhaps he had stolen it from him? What had happened to Nikolai? Was he even alive? A thousand questions filled your head. 

But you brushed them off, quickly regaining your composure. 

Nikolai had stopped writing to you a long while ago, there was no point in thinking of him anymore. 

He no longer cared for you.

…....................................… 

You'd tried your best to keep your composure intact when he'd told you. 

When you'd found out that he was leaving to attend the university at Ketterdam. 

It was best for him of course, you'd known. But it still hurt you to part from him. The boy you'd been with since you were children. 

The boy you'd known as every line from your favorite book. 

You sat alone in the garden, the moon gleaming above you. Nikolai was to leave the following day, but you needed to be strong for him. 

You couldn't make a fool of yourself in front of him. 

You suddenly heard the shuffling of footsteps behind you. “You know you aren't as stern as you show yourself to be. You can be quite emotional” you turned around to see Nikolai. 

He was dressed in a white shirt with the sleeves folded up. 

He looked marvelous. 

“I am not” you rolled your eyes. 

“Come on, you've got to admit that you'll miss me” he grinned as he sat beside you. 

“Well, I guess I might miss hearing your annoying chatter all the time” you shrugged

“See? Acceptance isn’t so bad” he grinned 

You rolled your eyes, “Whatever”

You looked down at your feet. You were going to miss him, you knew it. And you had no idea when you might see him again.

You wished to speak up, to tell him how much he meant to you, how much you cared for him. 

You wished to let him know how much you’d come to like him, even though you never showed it.

You wished to let him know how much you loved him.

But you couldn’t, you couldn’t muster up the courage to do it. And you believed it was for the better. Perhaps he wouldn’t even care once he’s gone. You hated the thought of it.

You reached your hands over to your neck and took off your pendant. You held it out in your palm, “Keep it with you, it’ll remind of you of someone waiting for you to come back”

He glanced at you before nodding. “I wouldn’t even dream of forgetting you” he smiled, taking it from your palm

You smiled, a slight tilt of your lips, perfectly displaying your melancholic feelings. 

He brought his palm forward, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. He then held your hand in his as he gazed deep in your y/e/c eyes. 

“Promise me that you’ll write to me. That you won’t slip away” you spoke, your voice a mere whisper

“I promise. No matter where I am, I’ll never stop thinking of you”.

You gazed at him, your eyes speaking the words your mouth never could.

...………………………………..

After several weeks on board, you woke up one morning and noticed the change in your features in the mirror. 

The effects of the tailoring were wearing off.

You’d gone to Tolya and had him tailor it back. You’d explained to him and Tamar about your need for it and they’d promised to keep your secret safe.

Later during the afternoon, you’d went to Sturmhond’s cabin to retrieve the designs of your latest project from him, only to find that he hadn't been there.

As you thought to leave, you noticed the very document you’d come for was on his desk. However, as you picked it up, you heard a sharp clatter.

As you bent down to pick up whatever had fallen down, you truly realized what it’d been

You felt as if your heart had stopped beating. You couldn't fathom the sights in front of you. 

It was your pendant. 

The one you'd given to Nikolai as a parting gift. 

The Lantsov Emerald and now, your pendant? You couldn't formulate a plausible explanation for all of it. 

Sturmhond, the captain with a terribly made up name. The Captain who was too young to be one. The boy who had far too polite manners to be a Pirate- Privateer as he'd say. 

The boy with the too familiar eyes and voice.  

Was it truly him? 

Was it truly, Nikolai? 

..…....................................... 

Nikolai had never been this conflicted in his entire life. 

He couldn't stop himself from glancing at a certain new member of his crew whenever she'd be working. 

He couldn't stop himself from attempting to strike a conversation with her at any given opportunity. 

He couldn't stop himself from falling in love with her. 

But he still thought of her, the one he'd left back home. He still yearned for the sight of her, the gleam of her eyes in the moonlight, her rare but marvelous smile, he still yearned for her. 

Though he knew he'd abandoned her. He had stopped sending her letters when he'd left the university and had decided to be at the sea. 

Part of him believed that she'd forgotten him, that she'd have moved on, no matter how much he despised the thought. 

He wished he would have spoken when he had the chance. He wished he'd told her how much he loved her, how much it broke his heart to leave her, how much she meant to him. 

But he hadn't, and he despised himself for it. 

...........................................… 

You noticed the effects of Tolya's tailoring were wearing off. However, you chose to leave them be for a while. 

You needed the real you for the moment. 

You saw Sturmhond standing by himself near the railing.

You noticed the moonlight making something in his palm gleam. 

The pendant, you realized. 

He had it in his hand. 

You stepped closer to him as you spoke, “Captain's having trouble sleeping?” you asked. 

He hastily put the pendant away in the pocket of his overcoat. He regained his composure before speaking, “Yeah. Could ask you the same though” he shifted his gaze towards the sea again

“Well, I was going to, but then I happened to see a certain melancholic boy. Something on your mind?” you asked, furrowing your brows. 

“No, not really” he shrugged as he looked down

You raised an eyebrow, clearly not fooled by his lie. 

He wasn't okay, you knew it. 

You'd seen it. 

And perhaps, it was time you'd told him the truth. But you first needed to know what was on his mind. 

“You can talk to me, you know? Something's off with you, and you aren't very good at hiding it” you rested your hands on the railing

He sighed, as he lifted his head up. 

“I- When I decided to leave home, I left a lot behind. There's a lot I don't really miss, but one” He took out the pendant from his pocket. “I yearn for her. And- and I don't even know if she even thinks of me anymore” his voice trembled as he continued

Your heart stopped. 

He believed you'd forgotten him. He thought you no longer cared. If only he knew how much you'd missed him, how he'd never left your mind. How you'd always thought of him during the sleepless nights. 

“I, I don't think she would've forgotten that easy” you attempted to keep your voice steady

“I abandoned her” his voice trembled, he sounded immensely hurt. “I stopped writing to her, I- I never saw her once. Maybe it's for the best. Maybe, she's moved on, she has a better life, she is happy. That's all that matters to me” tears began to well up in his eyes. 

His state, his words, shattered your heart. You weren't happy, you didn't have a better life until you'd come here, you couldn't be happy without him.

You couldn't take it any longer. 

You took a deep breath before speaking, “She isn't happy, not without you, Nikolai” 

He stilled. 

He turned his head towards you in a haste. “Wha-” he looked utterly perplexed

“I know it's you” your gaze softened

“Wait,” His eyes widened as he finally realized. “It's not you, it cannot be” he turned away his gaze. 

You gently held your hand in his, “Nikolai, look at me” you said. 

He slowly shifted his gaze to you and looked, really looked at you. 

The effects of Tolya's tailoring were now fully gone. Your true features had returned.

He let out a breath as he took your name. “Is it truly you?” he asked, his voice a mere whisper

You nodded, gently smiling. 

“How? What are you doing here?” he asked

“It's a long story. It was either I went off to Fjerda or die. So I chose none of those” you shrugged

“What!?” he asked in pure shock

You sighed, “My mother passed away, Nik. I- my father, he wished for me to become a spy, go to Fjerda. I refused, so he wanted nothing more than for me to die. So I ran. That's why I needed the tailoring” you explained.

 “I had my doubts but I wasn't sure if it was really you, not until I saw that” you glanced at the pendant. 

His gaze softened as he realized the whole thing. 

“You still have it” you grinned slightly

“Of course I do, it's the only thing I have that reminds me of you” He smiled with teary eyes. 

“I, I'm sorry, for not writing to you. But you never left my mind, I never stopped thinking of you” he spoke after a short moment. 

“I believed you no longer cared” your voice shook as you glanced down. 

“I would never stop caring for you, love” he said. 

He gently cupped your face in his hands, making your gaze turn to his. “I would never stop loving you” his voice grew lower.

Your eyes widened at his words. 

You'd loved him. You had loved him all your life, more than one could ever think of. But you'd never anticipated him to ever feel the same. 

You felt as if time had stopped at that very moment. There was none other but you and him, two hearts beating as one. 

“I love you, I always have” he said, his teary eyes gleaming

Your gaze softened. 

Your face broke into a soft, relieved grin as you spoke, “I love you too Nik, I always will”.

You gazed deep in his bright hazel eyes before pulling closer to him. 

You gently pressed your lips to his, the action making a part of you heal that'd been broken too long. 

You pulled away from him in a short moment. You met his gaze before he pulled you in, kissing you in the way he'd always longed for. 

You smiled as you pulled away from him. 

“I have to admit I had no idea it was you” he spoke with a beatific grin

His expression grew somber. “You've changed,” he said.

“Time and experiences change all of us” you responded, glancing down. 

“Not you though, you're still the same annoying blabbermouth you were” you joked, regaining your composure in a haste. 

“Oh admit it, you love it” he grinned, teasing you. 

“I believe I do,” you smiled.

“Promise you'll remain by my side from now?” he asked after a short moment

“Only if I get a promotion” you shrugged, grinning. 

“Alright then” he chuckled, and took your hand in his. 

Your fate had brought you back to the life you'd once been stripped of. It had brought you back to him, and you were entirely grateful for it. 

please lets just pretend he had the lantsov emerald before when his mother gave it to him in ruin and rising it was necessary for the plot okayy

anyways i hope i wasnt the only one giggling by the end

[itsclydebitches]

It's weird to think Vol 10 of RWBY just straight up might never happen. much less further volumes. No matter how bad it got I would still have loved some form of ending but Barabas comments don't paint a hopeful picture. Alas fics of RWBY will go until the end of time.

It's very weird. Most shows I come across have either already concluded, or give their audience an estimate of when things will wrap up ('We're planning another two seasons and each takes us about two years to film, so...'). I have shows that unexpectedly get more content after providing an ambiguous, but still satisfying ending (Alice in Borderland), shows where each season is self-contained so it can end whenever without issue (Bake Off), shows that were cut short and had to scramble to wrap up (Sense8), and of course there are always shows that are straight up cancelled and can't do a thing to mitigate that... but RWBY feels almost, almost unique in this combination. It's a webseries rather than a traditional TV show. It's gone on for a decade with absolutely no indication of where it's heading. Each season feels threatened to the point where the fandom can no longer differentiate between a real cancellation concern and Internet exaggeration. The story has hit what's arguably its most important narrative peak - the team has traversed an alternate world, Ruby has "overcome" drinking the tea, Summer finally appears on screen - only for news of the story's future to remain frustratingly vague. Not only have we never had a sense of when RWBY's story will end, now we don't even have confirmation of whether it will end. That's such a frustrating way to approach storytelling given that your audience relies on some level of commitment to remain engaged.

I too want RWBY to finish up because I am not immune to the Sunk Cost Fallacy: I put this much time into the series and it needs to satisfy me with a conclusion, even if the conclusion itself will inevitably be unsatisfying. Outside of any normal disappointment with a story you love getting the ax, I generally don't mind embracing unfinished works. I read abandoned fics, watch cancelled shows, browse barely started comics, because getting a taste of the world is always worth it if it's compelling to me. I never regret meeting characters whose stories go untold because as a writer myself I can at least imagine that on my own terms. But RWBY? Losing it now would be a real kick in the teeth. I personally don't think the story is salvageable at this point, but at the very least fans deserve a conclusion: one that will likely please a lot of devoted viewers and allow critical fans to put a satisfying tick mark on the box in our heads labeled "RWBY."

Given its popularity I wouldn't be surprised if RWBY wound up cancelled and then concluded in a comics run, or a one-off movie. Beyond the fact that this would no doubt mess up the writing even more (now you have to iron out this mess of a plot on a time limit, in a new medium, with new authors!) it would, unfortunately, be kind of hilarious too:

[generic tour guide voice] "Hello. Welcome to RWBY. Our fandom is known for having copious side stories connected to the canon in confusing ways. Some are incidental to the main series. Some outright contradict it. Some are crucial to your understanding of the primary plot and must be engaged with in a timely manner. These texts range from comic runs to random bits of information in abandoned mobile games. Please note that this corpus did not grow naturally across decades of storytelling, as is the case with fandoms like Star Trek and Star Wars, but was rather cobbled together by RT in an attempt to 'fix' numerous, ongoing issues with the webseries. Our latest addition? The ending. Yes, if you would like to finish RWBY please refer to this index of sources that together provide a semi-cohesive conclusion to a ten year show. Now, on your left you'll see the ongoing brawl as fans attempt to determine whether this index is canonical or not. Please watch your step..."

[starilicious]

mere haath mein (echo x gn!reader)

》 summary: reader and echo's love story from strangers to friends to lovers throughout the clone wars (a 4+1 type of story)

》 series masterlist: (please read the masterlist before continuing on!)

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 4.5.1 | part 4.5.2 | part +1 📍 (you are here!)

click here to read on AO3

》 part +1 word count: ~2.2k

》 part +1 warnings: none

》 part +1 spoilers: none

》 a/n: this is it! thank you to everyone who read this story ^_^ this fic started out purely self-indulgent bc i am an echo girlie at heart, but i hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it. this scene is what inspired me writing all the previous parts and is therefore the longest part (because i still cannot believe people write off the clones like objects instead of people with emotions and hopes and fears :( ) please do let me know your thoughts on this fic and if you could like to see any additional parts in this series! enjoy this last chapter :DD

+१ (+1)

At first, it’s the little things. How sometimes he can’t tear open a meal packet easily, or how he takes longer to put on his armor. How he adjusts his grip on his blaster, or he types up reports slower on his datapad.

Of course, Echo never complains. It’s not in his nature to, especially not while you’re at war, and there are arguably bigger and worse things to worry about.

But you notice anyway.

It takes a month or two for you to realize his struggles. Even though you officially transferred to Clone Force 99, you still mainly work with the 501st and other legions thanks to Tech’s precise expertise. His knowledge combined with his training as a soldier and experience in the field meant you rarely accompanied them on missions. So you put your skills to work elsewhere, not wanting to remain idle.

You would come back to the Kamino barracks you shared with the boys only a few days a week at most. Long trips just to get back to the squad wasn’t exactly a good use of the Republic’s dwindling resources, so you make do with the time you have.

It’s not until you request to have your office transferred to Kamino do you observe Echo’s constant conflict with being one-handed. The extra time on your hands allows you to be with Clone Force 99 more often, giving you time to get to know them and how they work together.

Echo is so incredibly subtle about his pain, his exhaustion, and the numerous issues with his scomp link that it’s really only because of your engineering training that you detect the problem. At this point, your mind unconsciously latches onto anything that you perceive as a potential source of trouble. You’ve practically hardwired your brain to find anything and everything that could be a complication, no matter how small.

And you would be damned if you couldn’t fix this one.

So you shove all your impending datapad reports aside and pull up your CAD software and, with a little hacking, Echo’s medical records on your monitors. (You doubt any of the higher-ups will care anyway). You crack open your old notes from university, poring over them and Echo’s reports, scrutinizing every detail and writing down notes in your precious engineering notebook.

Frankly, you are livid over the fact that the Kaminoans or the Republic didn't give Echo a prosthetic to make his life easier. He's an ARC trooper for Maker's sake, constantly going on missions deemed too dangerous for any regular clone. Doesn't that warrant at least a little respect?

You don't dignify that question with a response, already knowing the answer to it. It pisses you off how little they care, how clones are viewed as expendable, how they're nothing more than sentient droids. Even someone at as high of a rank as Echo is still written off even though he has sacrificed everything for the Republic.

For the next week or so, you work in earnest, staying up late nights and waking up at early hours to continue working as you regain the knowledge you temporarily lost while working as an astroengineer. As cool as starships are, nothing can compare to the satisfaction of completing a project that changes someone’s life–it’s why you wanted to be a biomedical engineer in the first place.

Not to mention your constant rage acting as fuel to keep going with the project and refuse to stop.

You build prototype after prototype, constantly adjusting and readjusting your designs, scrapping ideas and thinking of new ones. It’s an arduous process, especially for a challenge you have never faced before, but you put in everything you have to give because this is for Echo.

And Echo is worth it.

You meticulously note down every flaw and success, wanting to have something to look back on for future iterations--after all, there are always more ways to improve.

There are times where Echo is close to figuring out your surprise for him, often walking in while you're mentally elbow deep in your designs, the exploded-view of the parts up on your monitor as you solder together the 3D-printed parts. You luckily throw a cover over the prototype and switch to a different project right before he sees. He glances at you in surprise, but decides not to push, much to your relief.

The worst (and, arguably, best) part is when Echo worries about you, concerned about your lack of sleep and how you practically live in your office makerspace. You come into the barracks long after Echo is asleep and leave long before he's awake. And there are nights where you just don't come in at all, often having too much work to finish because of how much time and effort your job demands of you. Echo does what he can, dropping off meals whenever he's able and cushioning your head with a pillow whenever you fall asleep in your chair. He hates that it isn't enough.

Every time he asks, you deflect his questions and his concern, choosing to inquire about his most recent mission or how his kinship with the Bad Batch is coming along. He reluctantly answers you as he watches you multitask, eagerly listening to him while you repair another starship in the main garage.

But finally, Echo has had enough.

He barges into your office in the middle of the night as soon as he gets back to Kamino after a particularly long mission, heavy footsteps startling you as you scramble to cover the prosthetic.

Echo seethes out your full name, hand curled into a fist as he points at you with his scomp link, and you know you're in deep shit now.

"That's it. I’m going to bed right now and I am taking you with me,” he declares, anger and exhaustion dripping from every word.

“But–”

“No buts! For the past month, I’ve been patient. I do my best to support you and ask you what you need and you can barely even give me the time of day!” Echo exclaims, exasperated. You bite the inside of your cheek, the guilt beginning to weed into your heart as he continues.

“Every time I ask you what’s going on, what’s keeping you here, you just shrug me off and answer with a question of your own,” Echo scoffs, throwing his arms up. “And forget me, what about you? You don’t sleep, you barely eat–when was the last time you did your own damn laundry?”

Your body curls into itself, head hanging down. You can’t meet his eyes, ashamed of how you were so caught up in making his life better that you inadvertently made it worse.

The fight bleeds out of Echo as fast as it entered and he lets out a resigned sigh, posture slackening as he stands in front of you. He lifts your chin up to meet his gaze. The swirl of distress and disquiet is rampant, as clear as the dark shadows under his eyes.

“Just tell me what’s going on,” Echo pleads, the statement coming out as a whisper. You swallow the lump in your throat as you nod. You didn’t want to give it to him today, preferring to wrap it up and hand it to him after he’s well-rested, but at this point, you feel as if you have no choice.

You reach over the durasteel table and uncover the prosthetic hand in a flourish. Echo chokes on air in shock as he stares, frozen and rooted to the ground. You gently pick up your prototype and hold it out to him.

“This is what’s going on,” you reveal, the apology laced in between your words.

Echo is silent as he takes it from your hands, examining the prosthetic in awe before looking at you, tears in his eyes. You smile at him, your face mirroring his own as they begin to fall.

“I-I don’t even know what to say–”

“A thank you will be enough,” you tease lightheartedly, and he laughs in spite of himself, voice caught in his throat as he begins to cry.

“Thank you,” he murmurs, pulling you into a bone-crushing hug that you eagerly return. When he lets go, you begin explaining yourself and the prototype.

“I noticed you were having difficulty doing stuff now that you’re one-handed and I wanted to do something about it since clearly no one else cared,” you frown at the last part, your fury seeping through your words. “This is what I’ve been working on. It’s painful enough trying to have a body readjust to the regular world, but you have it worse because we’re in the midst of a galactic war. So I decided to do my best to make it a little easier for you.”

You sigh as you watch him admire the prosthetic, turning it over in his hand as he listens to you. Your fingers tap lightly against your work table. “When you put it on, it accommodates the scomp link and hides it within, making it look just like a regular hand.”

“I thought you were an astroengineer?” Echo cuts in, confusion written plainly on face as he glances at you.

You chuckle in response to his hidden question. “Technically, I’m not. I’m a biomedical engineer by training. I learned astroengineering on the fly for the GAR,” you smile fondly as Echo blinks in surprise before rolling his eyes at your awful pun. He smiles.

You continue then, demonstrating the hand for him, pulling the prototype out of his grip and gently latching it onto the mechanical part. “I put in a kind of cloaking technology too.”

You tap the interface on the inner wrist and the metal fades away to the exact color of his brown skin. Echo gasps in surprise as he flexes his muscles, the hand smoothly curling into a fist.

“This way, it literally looks and acts like a normal hand and you can go on more covert missions,” you say proudly as you watch him play with it. This feature was the hardest part of making the prosthetic. Converting neural impulses into something a machine could not only understand but actually translate into action that didn’t look clanky and awkward was probably the most frustrating challenge you have ever faced.

You tap the interface again and it fades back to metal. “Inside each finger is a tool you can use out in the field,” you continue, having each finger retract to show knives, cutters, and even a poison vial.

“And lastly…” you make the fingers reverse their action and then retract the entire hand, revealing the scomp. “If you want to use the scomp link, you can do so without having to take the entire hand off!”

Echo stares at the scomp link uncomprehendingly. He’s doing that a lot. Echo doesn’t say anything, hesitantly touching the prosthetic with his flesh hand.

“Right–uh, well, this is only the first prototype, so there are still a lot of problems with it. I have to run a debugger through the code again and make sure the cloaking tech holds up in the field since planet environments can really impact the way everything works. There are a bunch of tests I need to–”

“I love you.”

You stop abruptly, mind short-circuiting as you glance up at Echo in surprise, clearly not expecting such a phrase to cut off your anxious ramble.

“I–what?” you ask rather eloquently. You mentally facepalm. Nice going.

“I love you,” Echo whispers into the space between you, a shared breath holding the weight of the phrase in the charged air. You search his eyes in question–does he mean it? You find your answer amidst the sparkling galaxies and twinkling stars in his warm gaze and you breathe in his confession before exhaling your own.

“I love you too, Echo.”

The smile that breaks out on his face is unrivaled. He scoops you up in his arms, much to your surprise, and spins you around, a laugh bubbling out of you both when your foot hits your chair.

Echo sets you down ever so gently, mellow kindness permeating his every action as he leans in. “Can I kiss you?”

Your heart melts at the patient question because of course he can. Echo is so careful about never pushing boundaries, constantly taking the time to make sure you’re comfortable. And so, you answer him with a nod and shift your face to meet his lips.

It’s chaste and slightly awkward–Echo doesn’t know where to put his hands, instead hovering over your waist, and your nose bumps into his when you move. You both let out a quiet laugh of peace as you rest your head over his heart, his arms engulfing you in a hug. The cool, white lights of your makerspace shine down on you both as you breathe in the light sandalwood incense you light when you work. Rain patters the window gently and you sigh, listening to Echo’s calming heartbeat.

“Let’s go to sleep, cyar'ika.”

---

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 4.5.1 | part 4.5.2 | part +1 📍 (you are here!)

please consider reblogging! it really helps me and is super encouraging ^_^

[navstuffs]

The Wedding of the Decade (Carlos's version)

Pairing: Carlos Oliveira x GN!Reader (main), Chris Redfield x Jill Valentine (background)

Summary: It is the wedding of the decade, and the tall man with dark, messy hair invites you to dance.

Warnings: FLUFF!, first meeting in a wedding, implied references to reader having a past crush on chris and carlos having a crush on jill, reader can't dance, shy!reader when the flirting starts, alcohol consumption, image taken from google

Author's Notes: hello! as a huge valenfield fan, i have decided to write a fic with them and WHAT BETTER THAN FINALLY MARRYING THOSE TWO? i plan on doing a leon's version for the same night! enjoy your reading!

my carlos's masterlist

You weren't surprised to get an invitation to Chris and Jill's wedding, or what some would call the wedding of the decade. You were part of Chris's team for a few missions in the past, enough to become his friend. Enough to know about his love for Jill Valentine, of how highly he spoke of her.

That didn't stop you from inviting him out, which Chris politely refused. Not much of a surprise, but one could still try, right?

You are pleased when you arrive at the small, intimate venue in a garden on the wedding day. Thankfully, it is not too warm or humid, and the dress code is casual.

As the rest of the guests start sitting, you are blessed with the vision of Chris wearing a suit. He looks nervous and blushy, his big smile showing how content he is. Claire fixes his tie numerous times, probably trying to calm them both down, and you can't help but smile at the vision.

The wedding ceremony is perfect, and there are many teary eyes among guests when Jill enters with her dad. They had decided on a civil ceremony, more informal. As they read their vows, you are happy that Jill and Chris were able to find love between fighting zombies and bioterrorism. There is really no one more deserving than both of them.

And then, the party.

You are surprised to see many colleagues dancing drunkenly on the dance floor, which is not part of your skill. You would fight an army of B.O.W's before setting foot on the dance floor. After congratulating Chris and Jill, you decide to hang around the bar. You aren't used to those social situations, so just taking a sip from your drink here and there is your best and safest choice.

"Doesn't like dancing?"

You are surprised by the sudden masculine voice near your right side. You had seen his face on the Racoon City files incident: Carlos Oliveira, who helped Jill during the outbreak. You recognize the black hair, but he looks completely different today. Carlos is wearing a suit, which falls well on his muscles, and also looks slightly uneasy.

"I am not going to wake up tomorrow to tons of videos of me dancing, thank you very much," You answer.

"Fair enough. Carlos."

You shake his hand, telling him your first name. The bartender places your drink in front of you, and you thank them, taking a sip.

"So, who do you know? Groom or bride?"

"Both, but I know Chris longer. What about you?" You ask, even though you know the answer.

"Jill."

You nod, picking up the tone Carlos says her name. There is some affection in there. You sip in your drink again, analyzing Carlos in the corner of your eyes. You know how easy it is to develop a crush on someone so amazing as Jill. You decide to test him a little out of curiosity.

"Ah, don't worry about it. I can tell you Chris would be the last man on this Earth to hurt her. He is head over heels for her. They took too long to marry if you ask anyone who knows them."

"Oh? I know Jill can take care of herself." Carlos takes his drink to his lips before continuing, his voice deep in thought, "I guess it is nice to see someone finding happiness in the middle of this mess, right?"

"Right."

You two fall into a silence that is strangely comfortable. You can see Chris and Jill in the middle of the dance floor, holding each other together, and you sigh, looking down at your drink.

"Would you like to dance?" Carlos suddenly asks, making you look at him, shocked. Then you look at the dance floor.

"I don't know how to dance."

"I don't either. Heck, I wouldn't call half of what those people are doing dancing," Carlos chuckles, shaking his head at the dance floor. He is right. Besides the married couple, everyone is dancing whatever they want. "No one will care about two more weirdos in there. Besides, we all deserve to have a little fun, right?"

You ponder for an instant. You know you will look ridiculous as everyone else, but fuck it. Carlos was right. Everyone deserves a little fun. You turn your drink into your throat to gather some courage before placing it on the counter and nodding. Carlos opens a charming smile, offering his arm, and you quickly accept, ignoring the flustering feelings in your chest.

Carlos is patient as you figure out what to do with your legs and arms. The music playing now is at least a high tempo, so you can do whatever you want and move with the beat. You still feel ridiculous, rolling your eyes as Carlos follows your lead, his eye focused on your moves.

"I have no idea what I am doing," You say, making him laugh. You give a quick look around you, but no one seems to care, which relaxes you a little more.

Of course, the song changes to a slower ballad. Clearly meant for couples. You roll your eyes, thinking it was good while it lasted, but Carlos stops you with his hand in the air before you can leave.

"If I may?"

You nod, and he grabs your hip, holding your hand. Not interlocking your fingers or anything more daring, just holding, and you let him. Your hand goes instinctively to his shoulder. Carlos keeps a safe distance, smiling as you let him lead you. It is not a bad feeling, just a strange one. You look anywhere except at his eyes, ignoring how stupid your heart seems to be beating now.

"Still feeling silly?" His voice sounds closer, though Carlos keeps a safe distance from your body. You feel so stiff as Carlos feels more natural. You are starting to wonder if he didn't lie to you before about being a terrible dancer.

"A little. I am like a dead body going into rigor mortis," You answer, and Carlos chuckles.

"Just relax. Remember, don't care about the others. Let me take control, okay?"

You ignore (again) the hot feeling that passes through your body, with Carlos whispering so softly like that. You wonder if Carlos notices how he is affecting you; you wonder if he knows he sounds like he is flirting with you. The smile on Carlos's face tells you that, yes, Carlos Oliveira might be flirting with you.

Instead of making you nervous, however, it relaxes you. Ignoring the feeling of being watched, of looking silly, you let Carlos guide you, his hand strongly holding onto your hip. When the song ends too soon, Carlos lets you go.

"You are a terrific dancer." Carlos declares, and you snort despite being overjoyed at how Carlos complimented you.

"I think you meant terrible." You joke nervously while Carlos shakes his head.

"No, I meant terrific."

"Yeah, well, all thanks to my partner." If dancing had been hard, flirting is definitely on another level. The last time you remotely flirted was with Chris, to which you failed miserably.

"Your partner would be very pleased if you continue to dance with him," Carlos's voice sounds so smooth. Oh, Carlos is definitely flirting now. You move your weight from one foot to another, the consciousness of being watched hitting you back again. Not sure of what to do.

"I am not very good at this," You mumble, hoping Carlos understands the meaning. Carlos nods, touching your arm to bring your attention back to him.

"Just follow my lead."

[loelysian]

metanoia

(n.) the journey of changing one's mind, heart, self, or way of life

pairing: moon knight system x isis!avatar reader

word count: 2.3k

summary: following isis’ orders, you head to cairo in search of an ancient artifact that could threaten the exposure of the gods. the problem? marc spector was deployed on the same mission.

note: after reading up on isis, i thought she was the most exciting goddess to write about and have y/n represent. i plan on having steven show up next chapter and jake will be present here and there since much like the show, he isn't exactly a known alter yet. like i mentioned in my namor x reader fic, since i am a jewish-arab writer, it is hinted that y/n also belongs to those cultures but if you do not, that is completely fine. if i've offended you, feel free to let me know so i can fix my mistake and apologize to you personally. thank you and enjoy chapter one.

warning: depictions of violence and choking. if you are easily squeamish, this might not be the fic for you.

Breathe.

As you dipped behind the corner and hid among numerous street vendors, you took the time to catch your breath. This wasn’t the first time you’d been chased and it certainly wouldn’t be the last, but you had to admit whoever was after you was fast. He’d nearly cornered you numerous times, demanding you hand over the amulet. You only held the satchel you had over your shoulder closer to your chest as you baselessly kicked out, hoping to make contact with some part of his body—anything to get as far away from him as you could. Thankfully, you’d made contact with what you thought was his stomach and lept over him as he reached to grab for you. One thing you could always appreciate about Cairo was how busy it was, even at night. The lights were always on no matter what, people were always out selling things and music was always heard from every direction of the city.

In and out.

To be discreet, you grabbed a cloth you noticed one of the shop-owners had on a vacant table and did your best to wrap it around your face, hoping the man didn’t remember what you were wearing. Distantly, you felt Isis’ presence. Oftentimes, she followed you around on your missions to make sure you were following her directions. She spoke to you like a mother would to a child but to you, she felt more like a teacher—a mentor in many ways. Right now, you felt she was reminding you to stay focused—to stay alert. To breathe. Sometimes you forgot to do that.

Stay focused.

Slipping down a darkened alleyway, you used this to your advantage as you shut your eyes, focusing on the energy around you. When you became Isis’ avatar, she’d given you abilities you hadn’t thought were possible. You could heal any living being with the right intentions and while you were only still learning, you’d discovered you also had telekinetic abilities that stemmed from the magic Isis was known to perform.

Climb.

Once you opened your eyes, you noticed a ladder to the right of you and climbed up as quickly as you could. This would give you the advantage as you would be able to scan the crowds and pinpoint where the man was. As you made it to the top, you were glad to find you were the only one there. In Cairo, most buildings were connected so if you had to make a run for it, you were confident you’d be able to best him. Crouching by the ledge, your scarf blew in the wind as you peered down from overhead, watching people go about their days with varying expressions on their faces. Some were smiling while others wore frowns. Since you were so full of adrenaline, you weren’t sure how you felt.

He’s coming.

The hairs on the back of your neck stood as an array of goosebumps trickled up and down your arms. You knew what that meant. You dropped the satchel containing the amulet and hid it behind a vase that happened to be to your left. You’d have to make sure you kept it in your peripheral vision.

Know who you represent.

Was the last thing you heard from Isis as the man grew closer and closer. For a moment, you thought you were being surrounded until he revealed himself. He didn’t look very happy. You glared at him.

“I know what you are here for, and you will not get it.” you spoke calmly, yet demanding.

“Look. I don’t want to make this hard on the both of us, but only one of us is leaving here with that amulet and we both know who that’ll be.” so he wanted to play? You had him right where you wanted him.

“Yes, we do.” you muttered.

At your sides, you summoned two identical knives and charged toward the man. He clearly hadn’t been anticipating that at all.

He was as strong as you were—as resilient—none of your punches, no matter how strong, were doing anything and he wasn’t giving up at all. He’d had you pinned against the ground more than once and though you kept throwing him off, you were only human. There was sand in your hair, the scarf having blown away a while back. The sun was taunting the both of you as you battled on the roof, beads of sweat dripping off both of your faces in tandem. Any time you tried to spawn a weapon, the man was one step ahead, knocking it out of your hands as it scattered away and eventually vanished into thin air. The amulet was still in the pot and you couldn’t help but glance over every now and then to make sure it was still there.

“Just give it up,” you grunted out after a painful punch to the gut. He was relentless.

“I don’t talk during fights.” his voice was gritty as you pinned him to the ground, pressing both his arms into the concrete so he couldn’t grab you from behind.

“Well I do,” you snarled as he tried to free himself.

He’d been glaring at you until something from behind you caught his attention, his eyes softening. You noticed the multiple shadows that seemed to appear from nowhere and hesitantly, you let go of his hands to get a look at who’d shown up.

“Well what do we have here.” the voice came from a tall, frail man who was surrounded by a group of fighters. Your eyes shifted toward the pot and quickly shot back to the elder in front of you. Thankfully, your satchel was still in there.

“This doesn’t concern you.” came from behind you. It was from the man you’d been running from. You really had no idea who any of these people were.

“Oh, but I think it does.” the old man shouts. You were out of your element here. This was bigger than anything you’d done for Isis before. “You have something I want and I intend to leave here with it in my possession.” he spoke before coughing into his arm.

“What is it we have?” you tried to play it off like the amulet wasn’t sitting right behind them.

“The key to Isis.” what? “She will heal me if I have this in my possession. Inside the amulet, there is a map that will lead me to a pyramid. From there, I must place the amulet under the eclipse and wait for her to show herself.” no wonder Isis had sent you after it. If the old man went through with this, it wouldn’t just free her—it would free everyone.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” you said.

“Search them both.” the old man ordered. Immediately, two of the guards who stood beside the old man marched toward the two of you and pushed the both of you to the ground. Despite the sun beating down on the two of you, your blood ran cold when you noticed the guns they had in their pockets. Something told you they weren’t afraid to use them.

You had no choice but to sit there as they checked every inch of your body, including beneath your shirt, to make sure you didn’t have the amulet. It made you uncomfortable but you complied to appease the man and hopefully get out of there as fast as possible.

“Neither of them have it, sir.” one of the inspectors told him in a hushed tone. This only seemed to worsen the old man’s anger as his eyes trailed from you to your attacker.

He grabbed your chin, forcing you to look up at him.

“Tell me where the amulet is or I'll gut you right here!” he yelled in his anger, his grip on your chin tightening.

“I,” you struggled to get out. “I don’t know where it is.” you gasped when he let go, holding your face in your hands.

“She’s lying! She knows.” he held a shaky finger in your direction before it fell against his side.

Once you were certain the old man couldn’t hear you, you slowly moved your body toward your attacker.

“It’s in the pot.” you whispered. That caught his attention. “I couldn’t let you take it off of me.” you finished.

“We have to get to it before they notice something’s up.” he whispered back. “How about you distract them-” you cut him off. Absolutely not.

“What, so you can run off with the amulet and bring me back to square one? I don’t think so.” you rushed, your voice hot.

“Well that makes two of us.” you were about to give up until you thought of something.

“How about we take out the men and leave together with the amulet. There’s no way he can hold both of us off.” you whispered. He seemed to agree with you, nodding before he stood up.

Oh, so you were doing this now.

You quickly joined him and focused on two throwing knives materializing into your hands. You smiled once you felt the weight of them in your palms.

Your attacker was already handling the other guard so you snuck up behind the other and politely tapped him on the shoulder, waiting for him to turn around. Little did he know you’d already pocketed his gun so there was nothing he could do but surrender. Once he saw you and your knives, he barrelled toward you, hoping to knock you off your feet but you briskly moved out of the way, watching as he toppled into the man your attacker was fighting, effectively knocking both of them out.

Well, that was quicker than you’d expected.

Your attacker was lying on the ground looking up at you with something akin to what you thought starstruck might look like. As your knives faded away, you reached out a hand and helped him to his feet.

The old man had vanished completely from the roof and as your attacker tried to look for him, you grabbed the satchel and felt around inside for the amulet, smiling to yourself when the cold stone came in contact with your hand.

“I have it! Let’s get out of here,” you shouted before you felt someone wrapping their arms around your throat from behind, causing you to drop the satchel. You tried to punch at their arms but you were only so big and they had the upper hand.

“Get out of here,” you choked out. You weren’t sure how long you were going to last. Whoever was behind you was practically choking you to death. “Take the amulet. Run!” your voice was hoarse as your windpipes were struggling to intake air.

‘Marc. Save her.’ a voice you’d never heard before. spoke to the two of you from above. It was deep and you looked at who you assumed was Marc and hoped he’d stop wasting his time, grab the satchel and run but he didn’t.

He grabbed the gun he’d stolen from one of the guards and shot the man who was choking you square in the forehead. You felt the life drain from his body as he fell backward, the grip from your throat easing as you collapsed to your knees, gasping for air. Marc ran toward you and helped you to your feet as he grabbed the satchel and shoved it under his arm, leading you toward the ladder. You were still coughing and were certain there was going to be a nasty ringed bruise around your throat the next day. Wiping at the stray tears that had formed in the corners of your eyes, you quickly but cautiously climbed down the ladder, jumping once you made it to the bottom.

Once Marc made it to the ground, the two of you ran toward the crowd in order to lose the other guard who would surely be waking up soon. You made sure to keep an eye on your satchel as he ushered you toward a busy building that read hotel in Arabic.

“A treat for almost trying to kill me.” you stated sarcastically. Marc grumbled and led you inside where you waited at the front desk for an employee to check in.

“Hi! Welcome to the Horizon Nile. How can I help you today,” the man who was working the computer asked. He was speaking arabic. At Marc’s confusion, you stepped forward with a smile.

“We’d like two rooms please. Emphasis on two.” you replied. You’d grown up speaking Arabic and since you visited Cairo so often, it helped that you were so fluent.

“I’m afraid the only available room we have is a one bedroom suite. Couple’s fight?” he asked. You reeled back. You hadn’t expected him to ask that.

“No, we’re not together.” you rushed out, clearly uncomfortable. This seemed to peak Marc’s interest, who turned toward you.

“What did he ask?” he said, crossing his arms.

“Nothing important.” you mumbled in english before replying to the man in arabic. “We’ll take the room for a night.” you said, nudging for Marc to hand over your satchel so you could pay for it. However, when Marc noticed you pulling your wallet out, he stopped you and reached into his back pocket.

“You keep your wallet in your pocket when you’re chasing people?” you asked, hoping to get a rise out of him.

“Nobody ever gets close enough to touch me, sweetheart.” he muttered before handing the man his credit card. You tried to ignore the nickname he’d just called you to no avail.

“There was only one room available, partner.” you said, voice void of any emotion.

“Fantastic.” sounds like Marc was just as thrilled as you were.

This was going to be a long night.

[sweetadonisbutbetter]

Ur so pretty (WIP)

UPDATE AS OF 4/2/24: IF UR READING THIS BUT HAVENT SEEN THE WHOLE FIC HERE IT IS- it is also on AO3 on the same name. Thank you!!

A/N: hiiI!!! just want to note a few things before you proceed- this is meant to be read as a wlw. Tav isn't described necessarily so it can be read as a gn tav or even a male. but I wrote this with the intention of Tav being femme presenting. I do try to avoid using "he said/she said/they said" so if you see that please tell me so I can fix that since I do want this to be as gn as possible in case you don't imagine a femme Tav. also tav's gender really isn't relevant to what I am planning for the later part, same goes for tav's race.

tav is also meant to be a selunite, but I don't know a whole lot about it, I am actively reading a wiki on it but again, can't make everything lore accurate lolol. hopefully I was able to portray the character correctly! another thing to note is that this is the inbetween of her first romance scene but not in act 2 (aka post tiefling party). so at this point tav and shadowheart kissed. anything else that needs to be adressed i cannot possibly think of so with that, enjoy!!

Upon waking up, you already felt that it was going to be a long day, one that was longer than usual. The sores from numerous fights and hours of walking were ever present from the moment you opened your eyes; the feeling of the Astarion’s fangs wringing your neck numb. You mentally check off the numerous problems before you get out of your tent and set off for the day. Upon leaving the dimly lit tent, you were blinded slightly by the morning light. The smell of breakfast filled the air as idle chatter continued. You take a moment to look at your companions. Gale was the one cooking, making idle chatter with Wyll and Karlach, the latter who was most likely the one who started the fire. Lae’zel was by herself, sharpening one of her many swords. Astarion emerges from his tent, also having just woken up. You continue to scan the camp looking for someone in particular.

‘No sign of her…’ You think to yourself, pouting slightly. From the corner of your eyes, you see Astarion approaching you. Sighing, you can already tell it was going to be a long day. 

“Glad to see you didn’t die last night.” He greets with a smirk. You look at him, already feeling the regret of letting him feed and an oncoming headache. You pinch the bridge of your nose, hoping it will relieve some tension. 

“Well if someone didn’t take any more than he should have, I wouldn’t have passed out.” You quip, to which Astarion lets out a laugh. 

“I did not take any more than I normally do. You just lost a lot of blood yesterday.” He says as he crosses his arms and shifts to the side. You look at him blankly for a moment, thinking if it would be worth it to put a stake in his heart. Listing the pros and cons, it seems that keeping him alive has more pros shockingly. Sighing once more, which was something that happened a lot when Astarion was around, you cast lesser restoration and begin to walk towards Gale, Karlach, and Wyll. However, before you can even approach the trio, you see Shadowheart emerge from her tent.

Your heart skips a beat as you look at her from afar. From the moment you had seen her while on the nautiloid, you had some sort of feelings stirring for her. Just a glance at her tells you how much of a beauty she is. The way her onyx hair framed her face, her braid that swished and would often rest on her shoulders, and the soft makeup that furthers her beauty in a way that feels almost godlike. Not to mention her eyes. The soft hazel green stood out with her darker eyeshadow, luring in the very person who looked into them. However, it wasn’t just her physical beauty that lured you in, it was the subtle beauty that seemingly showed when she wasn’t paying attention.  The soft smile that creeps up her face when you were swarmed by children at the grove, or how she plays with Scratch when she thinks no one is paying attention. You would often find yourself looking forward to fights, just to get injured so she could heal you, watching how her hands would tenderly cover the wound. In essence, her mannerisms, voice, and beauty have bewitched you, terribly. Often you were left lying awake late at night, thinking back on any conversation or memories you have of her. 

Since the tiefling party a few nights ago, you have had numerous things to think of. Truthfully, you were elated that you had agreed to a drink with her, since in your mind it showed that she had a fraction of attraction towards you. While it was hard to tell how she truly felt since she was sharran and they were sworn to secrecy; you did not need words to know that she enjoyed the moment you two shared. The kiss you two shared. The morning after you two had talked about it, and she agreed that there was indeed something between the two of you. However, soon after she began to withdraw herself from you. She would avoid being alone with you, cut the conversation short, and even volunteer to stay behind at camp. It hurt to see her detach herself from any social interaction with you. You even knew that she was avoiding only you, catching glimpses of her talking to the others. However, you found it better to give her her space, something that she appreciated in the past, though it was showing to be harder than you wanted it to be. 

“You know, it is rude to stare.” A voice cuts you out of your train of thought. Blinking, you look at the voice and see that it is Astarion. Confused as to what he is talking about, you give him a look. He rolls his eyes and smacks his teeth. “You have been staring at Shadowheart’s tent for a good while, my friend. A bit too long, might I add.”

Quietly, you let out an ‘oh’ before you turn towards your tent. You decide to start getting ready for the day, no longer hungry. Stripping your camp wear and donning your armor, you mentally summon all your courage so you can ask Shadowheart to accompany you, Gale, and Karlach. Finishing the knot of your boots, you equip your weapons and leave your tent, the blinding rays of the sun stinging your eyes for a brief moment.

‘Moonmadein please guide me.’ You utter in your thoughts before you make your way to Gale and Karlach. Even though you were nowhere near them, Karalach seemed to notice you were heading their way. Turning her head from her conversation with Gale, she makes eye contact with you. Her face seemingly lights up as small flames rise out of her skin.

“Mornin’ soldier!” She hollers. Gale says something to her in a quiet tone, one that you can’t hear. Whatever he told her caused the flames on her to diminish. Looking back at you, she lets out a slightly nervous chuckle and says, “Sorry about that. Just excited to get on the road again.” 

“No worries, and good morning to you Karlach. You too Gale.” You reassure Karlach quickly before you greet the wizard. Gale smiles in return and greets a quick ‘morning’ before leaving, presumably to get his stuff for the road. You look back to Karlach and ask, “Have you seen Shadowheart?”

“Oh, I think I saw she went with Scratch into the woods,” Karlach says, her mood seemingly more down. She hesitates for a moment, before asking “Why?”

“I just want to see if she is us on the road. It has been a bit since she left camp.” You explain, hoping that you weren't evident in your real reason for talking to her. Truthfully you weren’t telling a full lie, you did want to know if she wanted to leave camp for a while. You also just wanted a moment alone with her, in case she didn’t want to go. However before anything else could be said, the bushes rustled slightly. You and Karlach turn to the noise, however, you don’t need to go and investigate since Scratch jumps from the bushes and runs toward you. He jumps onto your chest, tackling you to the ground before he starts to lick at your face. Laughing at the slightly ticklish feeling, you try to move him off of you, not too keen on smelling like dog breath or even having slobber on you. Thankfully he gets off with ease and goes to bother you someone else. Still chuckling, you get up from the ground, with the help of Karlach who is laughing with you. The rustling of leaves happens once more, catching your attention once more. This time it was Shadowheart who emerged from the woods. You briefly make eye contact with her, your heart skips a beat and you shift to move towards her. Though it seemed she noticed you moving, since she looked away first and headed back to her tent, not even uttering a greeting or looking back. Your shoulders sag, clearly dejected at her avoidance. ‘I can’t be like this all day. We have to move forward.’ You think to yourself, quickly shaking the feeling and standing up straighter, putting on the front that you were not bothered by it. 

“It seems like she has no intent on leaving today. I suppose we could drag Astarion with us.” You jest lightly to Karlach. Wanting to leave sooner, you readjust your pack and look for Astarion. Thankfully, he seemed to have read your mind and was already in his gear. You look for Gale briefly and see that he is equally as ready. With a nod, the four of you leave camp and begin the day.

[kneelingshadowsalome]

GIRLIE I LOVE YOUR WORK ESPECIALLY THE ONES ON AO3!!! IM TRYNAA BE LIKE YOU BESTIE, PLEASE CAN I HAVE SOME WRITING TIPS/111!!!!???

(btw i really love man-sized, just finished it a couple days ago and AAAAAAAAA ITS SO GOOD I SWEAR!!!! LIKE MARRY ME PLEASE?!!?!)

Oh my goodness. You must be what they call a pookie 😘❤️ (I will marry you or adopt you, there's no middle ground.)

Thank you so much, you're making me blush!

I'm probably not the best person to give advice because I don't really know what's going on with my writing… It's a godawful mess. But I'll try!

So, writing tips under the cut ->

1. This might be boring and said a 100 times before, but... Show, don't tell! Obviously, I break this rule all the time when I go inside my character's head and explain how they feel and not just what they see, smell, hear, and touch. But if you're writing angst or fluff like I am, I'd say you must go inside the skin to dig into the character. (Also, f* the rules 😇)

2. If you don't know where to start, start with the dialogue. Even if it's just 4-10 sentences per scene. Then you can fill the gaps with some action, emotion/sensation and worldbuilding. But dialogue is actually the heart of your story and it creates some of the best tension; treat it with respect! Also: less is more with dialogue. Not always... but usually is.

3. Write from your own experience. We all have something to draw from, even if it's something as simple as how it feels to skinny dip in a cold lake. Or a hot bathtub. How does it feel to wake up from a nightmare or kiss someone you love? Like, truly feel? Don't tone it down!

4. If you want to sound more poetic, use metaphors and symbols and mythology. If you want to sound original, use history and culture and simply anything you have up your sleeve. All the "useless" knowledge: bring it on baby! When used sparingly, these can add to the depth of your storytelling.

5. Sculpt the paragraphs, then focus on the sentences, then hone single words. Whip out a goddamn dictionary. Search synonyms online (Thesaurus etc). Work with the words until they sound right for the story you wish to tell. Choose words that are most "alive" in your story's context, words that inspire feeling and stir emotion.

6. Read your story out loud or at least inside your head. That way you'll notice the errors and can fix the flow and rhythm of the story. Everyone loves a well-paced story! Sometimes just moving a sentence to a different paragraph or deleting it entirely can resolve an issue.

7. If you write a long fic, establish a core problem in the first chapter and remember to solve it before the story ends. For example in Man-sized, I presented an issue of trust. It was heavily inspired by my own lack of trust in men and the fear of getting played. Again, don't be afraid to draw from your own experience!

8. Music can help set the mood and bring out your creative flow. I have numerous playlists for writing or create a new one for the particular story in mind. If I want to write some heavyweight yearning, I'll blast some heavyweight yearning songs while I write. I don't know if this works for everybody; some people might need silence and space for creating.

9. The most important tip: WRITE FOR YOURSELF. Write the difficult, the overwhelming, the taboo. Write the most self-indulgent, shmexy scene ever! Or the fluffiest meet-cute that puts a smile on your face.

And if you're one of those writers who are not happy with their writing... write some more. Play with it, just don't give a shit. Let the inner demons give you courage and inspiration. Write about how shitty it feels to feel inadequate. You might find you just wrote some good poetry on suffering.

It's always better to write from love and joy instead of fear and shame – besides, life is too damn short to feel ashamed! Live a little and enjoy what you do, let writing be your escape. It's supposed to be a shelter where you can flee to when life is dull and hard and unfair. If other people's writing inspires you to write, then read. If other people's writing puts you down, save yourself some heartache and don't engage: just mind your own business and do your own thing.

Hope you found some of these tips helpful 💕 Much love 🩷💋 and happy, reckless writing!

[d1nnerd0g]

Hey it's that anon again. y'know that one from like a day ago. or a few days ago I don't have a good sense of time. it could be 2030 for all I know

I think my most major like, post-canon take is that I'd probably sorta hate it if I were treating it as a real completely serious canon continuation of Homestuck. Instead I read it more like fanfic than anything, just slightly more Creator Approved than most fics.

Not to say I lack standards of quality for fanfic, but I am more open to certain character alterations and interpretations (there are still more than a handful I don't like in post-canon) because I am more cool with seeing it as someone else's vision of a character rather than them being "utterly ruined" in canon or whatever.

I think it also helps that I read all of Homestuck a couple years after HS^2 paused so I wasn't in the active fandom during all of that (I almost was! I originally tried reading back in 2011 but I fell off of it within 500 pages because I had bad taste) so I didn't actually have my opinion particularly swayed by outside influences and was just more willing to give it a fair reading.

My next most major post-canon take is that, as an epilogues and HS^2 liker, the most recent upd8 is quite literally the best I've actually felt about the writing in ANY post-canon content. I think even if I DISLIKED HS^2, I'd still be interested in seeing where it goes from here, after that.

Hi! I waited til I read all of HS2 to reply so I actually know what I’m talking about. I get you on the benefits of backreading, reading this thing in one go I cannot imagine waiting month-long pauses in between scenes, boy can you really feel them in the text (in a way that wasn’t true in the original comic.)

I don’t find that either the AH-lessness or the divisiveness of the postcanon stuff changes the fact that this is the de facto continuation of the canon storyline - it is the reason any of us are reading it. Them framing the epilogues as an AO3 fic doesn’t make them any less on homestuck.com, rejecting this continuation is an active choice you have to make as a HS reader.

Anyway reading HS2 I was surprised both by how little plot occurred (except in Candy, ironically -- oh my GOD I cannot believe Meat decided to do 3 more years of The Yard/Meteorstuck) and how overall unobjectionable it was? This comic’s just been a lot of really nice art and decently written character banter, and that’s essentially it. Then both took a shocking nosedive in ch15/16, the worst writing I’ve seen in all of HS/postcanon, which was so egregious that I think… if the New Team honestly cares about this project shouldn’t they at the very least go back and revise some of that? At least fix the numerous typos?? Instead we get Terezi offering wry meta commentary that this time she’ll “do it right”, which already communicates a dismissive attitude I’m not impressed by. But hey all we've seen so far is two new conversations, everybody loves Sollux, let’s see if JR can fanfic his way into a compelling story.

…Seriously tho anon, thanks for sharing your thoughts and I absolutely just used your ask as an excuse to bitch some opinions out. It remains true there’s nothing in HS2 that I like that hasn’t already been done or done better in fanworks, except drawing Jane looking extremely bangin I guess, but I haven’t sought that out, as a fan, so it’s like the gift I didn’t even know I wanted, and didn't want

[causticsunshine]

Omg I want to read that new fic so bad, I loove your writing but I think I unfortunately have some trust issues when it comes to you finishing your wips😭 Which I really don’t blame you for but I don’t know if I can do this again, please give me some reassurance that you plan to finish it?

hello anon!

i know i have a lot of wips to get back to as well—forever my curse—so i totally get wanting to wait until something is finished to be invested or being generally apprehensive to start a WIP, but i want to put this out there again because i’ve been seeing a lot of these kinds of comments lately, not just regarding my work but some other peoples’ as well. i hope it doesn’t come across as pointed or passive aggressive, but:

it’s not really up to the readers or audience to dictate when something should be updated/posted/etc., simply because they want it to be. and consistently asking or hinting about wanting an update or even saying you might not read something just because it’s a wip isn’t very motivating for the author, even if it’s done with the intention of portraying hopefulness or encouragement.

not to be repetitive on my end or list out excuses, but in regards to why i have so many wips, i’m just a busy person and i have a lot on my plate. as i assume a lot of other people with wips are—at least partially.

as i’ve shared previously, i work a full time job, i do art and other creative things, i have a decently active social life, i also have issues with my mental and physical health that take time away from things i’d rather be doing / make things generally harder for me to do a lot of the time. i just have a lot on my plate 99% of the time besides the fact that most of my writing is done for fic fests, and because my pieces tend to fall on the actual book length end of things, i often fall behind when i don’t mean or want to.

it doesn’t help that i was also overly ambitious last year signing up for fests and didn’t consider how much time i’d actually need to write anything—plus, sometimes you just get stuck on stuff even when you know exactly how you’d like it to go, and that can affect your writing process just as much as not having the time, having other things that need tending to, what have you.

and ultimately, writing is still just a hobby of mine! despite my dedication, i don’t want to turn it into a chore just so i can force myself to constantly put stuff out. and i can’t write when i don’t have the motivation or want to; what i put out when i force myself is absolute garbage and takes more time to fix and rewrite than just waiting to write until i’m in the right headspace.

in terms of my 1d fics, i still intend to finish all of them. just as i’ve said before, i just can’t give clear timelines as to when for xyz numerous reasons, many of which i’ve already touched on.

and my dear anon, i 100% understand why people may not like to read wips out of fear they won’t be finished, or may wait until something is done to read it for that reason—i’ve done it too! guilty as charged!—but consistently or at least on more than one occasion asking for assurances that something is going to be finished, especially when an author has made such assurances that something will be updated/finished (which i very much try to do!) but has something going on which is preventing a timely update from happening, very likely isn’t going to help with that update coming sooner.

for the record, i do very much appreciate your passion and desire to keep reading my work! with this current fic, i’m spending my time after work, as well as on my days off where i actually don’t have anything going on, continuing to write and edit. i’ll also be finishing it before going back and working down my wip list just because i’ve been so proactive and motivated with working on it. if you’d still like to read but would like to wait, or whatever you may choose to do, go ahead! but i am actively and continually working to finish it before i go back to finish other pieces!

apologies for dumping this all in my reply to you—especially as i’m assuming you’ve already inquired about my wips before. this is just really the last time i plan to touch on this topic, and concerning any potential messages i get on this topic from anyone in the future, i don’t think i will be answering them.

tldr: anyway, anon, i once again do thank you for reading my work and liking it so much you feel compelled to check in on updates! all i can do though is assure you that despite the gaps in time you see between updates, my intention is always to finish my works (at least for this community). if that ever changes, i will make an announcement, but i don’t count on that happening anytime soon.

best wishes and thank you again—i hope when this fic is finished you will enjoy reading! 🩷

[niobiumao3]

Thank you so much @spacemagicandlaserswords for the tag!

If you see this and wanna do it, consider yourself tagged. (I find this easier than determining who hasn't already been tagged, lol.) I am serious! This is your no pressure tag.

Moving along…

Descent - AO3, Teen, post-Plan 99, fix-it

I was working on numerous other things when the finale dropped and I was so upset and then numerous people including shakoribe and eriexplosion posited the idea of Hondo Ohnaka saving Tech and my brain, already on fire with annoyance and 'No', latched onto it.

The Down Side of Me - AO3, Teen, AU from s2ep13/fix-it

This is one of the numerous things I was working on before the finale. I finished it in the setting it was conceived from because man I needed something fluffy and soft to distract me from all the pain. It's a ship fic, it's a navel gazing fic. Definitely not the most exciting thing I've ever written but it was nice and therapeutic.

Obliquity - Teen, Jedi!Phee AU, post-Plan 99, fix-it

Another one from people's ideas on tumblr, in this case hekclickadee's notion of (Former) Jedi!Phee paired with blessyo4's Jedi!Phee art. This was a 'should be short' fic which did not remain that way…like at all. The power of comments, people! I was going to write maybe 5-6k and then someone commented about Ilum aaaaaand the idea avalanche got rolling.

The rest of the SW fics are WIPs. I have a lot of older stuff but that's all MCU/Marvel and Trek and Inception.

Flood Traversal (WIP) - Teen, post-Plan 99, fix-it

This one is for Fix the Finale and has changed named about 10 times. This is a more cyberpunk look at Tech self-rescuing. Since it's a WIP, have a random bit:

“Oh no you don’t. Not with that head injury. Sit your ass down.”

Periapsis (WIP) - Teen, Hunter & Crosshair fic

One of the 'interrupted' batch from before the finale. This is a forward/backward fic about Hunter and Crosshair. There's not a lot of Hunter Whump in the tag, which this is chock full of. It's arguably in the same AU as Descent. Since it's a WIP, have a random bit:

“Hunter’s abilities evolved in a series of events. Nala Se referred to them as 'breakthroughs'. His senses would grown stronger or more accurate, and his neural pathways would need to adjust to compensate."

Axial Precession (WIP) - Teen, post-Plan 99, Mt. Tantiss smackdown + more

Obliquity sequel. I was unsure I would do this one and then I got an idea and the whole thing sort of unfolded. So now I just need a small break of reading and writing some other things and I can do this. Maybe later in the summer. Since it's a WIP, have a random bit:

Tech was glad Phee wasn’t present for this conversation for a whole new set of reasons. “She is very much not my General, and I would advise you to never refer to her as that where she will hear you.”

Begin Again (WIP) - Teen, Mayday Lives AU, Crosshair & Mayday

This is based on cloned-eyes' post about Crosshair and Mayday surviving and escaping, but then not going back to the Batch because Crosshair is still full of Issues, so instead they run around doing things but run into the Batch anyways, and chaos ensues. Since it's a WIP, have a random bit:

Crosshair had been in bad situations in his time—really fucking bad—but this was definitely the new record. Half-carrying a nearly-dead clone Commander in full armor after nearly freezing to death the previous night and surviving an avalanche right before that was absolutely a new low. Hunter would have been truly impressed.

The Incident (WIP) - Teen, pre-canon

"That's not going near my rack. I refuse to sleep next to a projectile again." Since it's a WIP, have a random bit:

At the back of the ship a loud clang and a thud preceded Tech shouting, "Wrecker!" in a strangled voice. Echo caught sight of Crosshair picking himself up off the floor.

Creator Self-Promotion

Rules: post the first lines of your last 10 fics you posted. If you have less than 10 fics posted, post the first lines of all your fics.

"But K, I don't write but I still create can I still play?"

Post your last 10 pieces and give us a play by play. What was the inspiration? Any fun facts you can share with us?

Anyway let's get on with it

1. Fishing for Compliments - Merman!Crosshair x F!Reader

A sigh passed the young woman’s lips as the sun began to disappear beneath the waves. The waves rocked her quaint vessel as if it were a mother soothing her child. Her meal as well as a plate of identical food remained untouched as she kept her gaze to the depths. Every ripple of its surface a reminder of the mounting minutes that her company kept her waiting.

2. Drop Me a Line - Wrecker x F!Reader

The young woman stifled a yawn as she continued to work the mass of dough to her standards to be plopped into pans to bake. She continued working the dough sparing glances to the chrono on the wall as the sky outside began to lighten with the sunrise. Her pulse spiked when the chrono was checked again. She abandoned the lump of dough as she snatched up a pastry box. The bell chiming as the door opened and closed.

3. Budding Romance - Rex x F!Reader

“And you’re sure you’ll have them there.”

“A bit of faith would be nice, Anakin.”

4. Skin in the Game - Wrecker x OC (Rina) (18+ Please view responsibly)

Wrecker was on the hunt. Thankfully the Marauder held only a few spaces to hide away as he searched the ship. His target tucked away by the sensors. Vibroblade twirling between his fingers while his idle gaze stared at the screen. The demolitions expert took a breath, hoping to find answers.

5. Hair Support - Tup x Reader

The days of the Clone Wars tended to drag on in between assignments. Thankfully, the Republic saw it fit to dispatch your research team with a clone legion escort to ensure the lush jungle planet would not eat you and your colleagues alive. It was in the sweltering heat of the afternoon that one of your study binges was interrupted. You shook your head knowing who dared tread into your tent.

6. Interrogations - Echo x F!Reader (18+ Please view responsibly)

The former arc trooper sighed. Another fruitless attempt at slipping free of his bonds. The chair he was bound to chilled any amount of exposed skin. The room kept dark to prevent him from gathering his bearings. He bided his time, waiting for the tell-tale clicking of his keeper. It was a whisper at first but grew louder as the automatic doors parted.

7. Personal Tastes - Hunter x F!Reader

Strands of meat sizzled and spat as she flipped the tangled mass. Her work distracting from the pair of eyes watching you from the doorway. Her culinary tasks from the staccato chops of a knife to peppers to the accented clink of a mortar and pestle offered a calming tune.

8. Just This Once, Everyone Lives - Rex x Reader

Your bottom lip remained captured between your teeth as the speeder came to a stop. The building looming over the city streets twinkled in the night. A beacon for personnel to gather while dressed to the nines. A hand curled around yours, smoothing over your knuckles.

9. Keep Away - UniversityAU Wrecker x Reader

You filed out with your fellow undergrads as your last class for the afternoon let out. the professor's voice offering mention of the end of the first sprint. You traversed amongst the student body's current before veering off to a corridor. The current loosening its grasp the closer you ventured toward the sanctuary of paper and ink.

10. Nothing Fight - Crosshair x F!Reader

It could be easy to say Clone Force 99 had a culture separate from the sea of clones. Clone medics would be reassigned in the blink of an eye and nat born medics often assigned whoever pissed off the higher ups. This led to your current long term assignment. Having a medic on board being the main reason one of your patients was released to his squad early pending observations.

NPT - @photogirl894 @rain-on-kamino @tecker @techs-stitches @littlemissmanga @annwayne @fakegingerrights @merkitty49 @moodymisty @starrylothcat

Wanna promote your work here too? Do it!

[annathesillyfriend]

Anna's August Fic Recs

Welcome to my August fic recommendations masterpost!! This has been quite a busy month for me but I'm holding onto last weeks of freedom. I am trying to read as much before uni starts and I had a pleasure of reading some brilliant fics this month. I am so excited to share them with you all! I hope your summer is going amazing and to those, who have just started classes - good luck!

To all the writers - I love you and I appreciate you so much!

To all the readers - please, share the fics you read and love. The reblog really makes the change! It’s the least we can do to show our gratitude.

HOLLAND & Co.

✨ Tom Holland

revenges is sweet by @t-lostinworlds

series, social media au, college!au, football player!tom, fake dating, idiots to lovers, all of our fave tropes, i am invested in this series more than i am in my own life, it's just that good

sunkissed by @duskholland

one-shot, 18+, surfer!tom x lifeguard!tom, exes to lovers, h's great mind at its finest 👏

souvenirs of the heart by @veryholland

one-shot, brought me to tears no joke, such a beutiful story, mila did such an amazing job!!

heartbreak girl by @lauras-collection

one-shot, 18+, lead singer!tom, based on 5SOS song, this is so goooood 😫😫 this story lives in my heart rent free right nextdoor to laura!!

act 1: scene 5 and 6 by @youandtom

one-shot, best friends to lovers, helping tom with learning lines, i loved this very much!

happier than ever by @vendettaparker

one-shot, tom being the great lad he is comes to save an awful date and we stan

the trial of the eldest holland by @reawritesthings

one-shot, ex!tom, welcome to the angst town! this is so deeply heartbreaking but so beautifully written!

lucky to be in love by @hollandsvogue

one-shot, rose is going staright for my silly little heart :')

slide in by @uglypastels

one-shot, frat!tom, i fall in love with this story time and time again

white winged dove by @muhollands

one-shot, 18+, conuntry!tom, insert country boy i love you vine here (also, i'd like to take this moment to kindly invite you all to go through d's whole masterlist cause it's brilliant. this mj blurb has sent me straight to hell but it's so worth it)

abide by @hazofmyheart

one-shot, 18+, mob!au, tom x reader x harrison, this made me feel some type of way 👁👄👁

getting ahead of ourselves by @/hazofmyheart

one-shot, 18+, college! lacrosse player!tom holland x tutor!reader, this is soft, this is cute, this is hot, this is everything! 12/10 would recommend

✨ Harrison Osterfield

little lune by @dovenymph

one-shot, celebrating your birthday with haz, made me want a refund for my birthday cause it's so lovely 🥺🥺

it will come back by @greenorangevioletgrass

one-shot, part of the rich kid!au series, 18+, richkid!haz x richkid!reader x actor!tom, there are no words in any language that would let me express how much i love ava and this au

✨ Harry Holland

wild side by @softholand

one-shot, 18+, best friends to lovers, that trope was made to be written about mister harry holland, i swear

lost in your light by @spider-barnes

one-shot, 18+, best friends to lovers, bloody lovely 💛

falling in love at a coffee shop by @/spider-barnes

one-shot, college!au, oh to fall in love with harry holland at a coffee shop 😫

hope is frightening thing by @peterplanet

one-shot, writer!reader x first da!harry, her book gets a film adaptation and harry is being is wonderful self 🥰

my forever by @unsaidholland

blurb, talking about your future with him, it's just 🥰🥰

circles by @farfromharry

one-shot, rich kid!au, enemies to lovers, so wonderful!

MARVEL

🎂 Suz's birthday fics

this total babe @samwilsons-pillowpecs gave us four beautiful gift on her birthday! we adore you, lovely 🥰 these stories are all wonderful anddeserve their own category 💛

you're the glitter in the dark

one-shot, 18+, mob!bucky

if i could touch you...

one-shot, 18+, boxer!steve

love you in a thousand ways

one-shot, 18+, ceo!sam

miss your kiss

one-shot, 18+, biker!thor

🎂@rodrikstark ’s 1.5k follower celebration!

collecion of headcanons with our favourite marvel boys as well as some other characters, i bloody love them all but my numer one has got to be joaquin teaching you spanish 😌

✨ Sam Wilson

book smart by @indyluckycharlie

one-shot, librarian!sam x PhD student!reader, such a warm and comfy little story by my dearest cate who i love very much 😌

he we go again by @/xbuchananbarnes

one-shot, idiots in love 🥰🥰

adventures in babysitting captain america and winter solider by @princessmisery666

one-shot, reader takes the boys to disneyland and it's just so amazing!

stay awhile by @lacapucharoja

one-shot, black!reader, a saturday morning with sam 😌😌

slow motion by @ambrosiase

one-shot, 18+, sam in baggy grey sweatpants and no underwear, need i say more?

✨ Steve Rogers

bullies, bullied by @anika-ann

one-shot, my main babe is blessing us with protective steve and i love her 🥰

there's a peace in dreaming by @babycap

one-shot, i don't have the words to tell you how stunning this story is, please go read it

✨ Bucky Barnes

timer by @xbuchananbarnes

series, soulmate!au based on the movie TiMER (2009). i could go on and on about how incredible that series is but with dani it's a given, sooo 🤷‍♀️

the kids will be alright by @imaginationintowords

series, social media au, lawyer!bucky x interior designer!reader, single dad!bucky, single mom!reader raising their kid together as friends, also reader x clark kent. honestly this is one of my fave social media aus of all time. and it's got a sequel is coming!!

quick fix by @ocean-bucky

one-shot, tfatws!bucky x ofc, vidra is the queen of ofc's, you simply can't not love her characters!

grant (part 2) by @coffeecatsandsarcasm

two-shot, bucky's in a relationship with a single mom with a little boy, it's so soft, i love this little family!

before sunset, i fell by @buckysbiota

one-shot, modern!au, when i get drunk i get myself cake, when reader got drunk, she got herself a husband. a very fine husband 😏

alcohol you later by @/xbuchananbarnes

one-shot, is it the 4th of dani's fics on this list? yes, she's just that powerful

three flags up by @starbuckie

one-shot, 18+, campcounselor!bucky x campcounselor!reader, best friends to lovers, buck being a cute little puppy in love and i adore him very much

and he kissed me right there by @sunmoonandbucky

one-shot, veteran!bucky, age gap, this is so full of feelings and it's gonna steal your heart!

lost and found by @sunshinebuckybarnes

two-shot, neighbour!bucky, alpine being the matchmaker of the year and we love that for her

hazy dreams and good mornings by @angrythingstarlight

one-shot, 18+, firefighter!bucky, i think that's enough encouragement to read this gem 😏

✨ Joaquin Torres

red by @remmysbounty

one-shot, a truly exceptional story!!

hold my words, keep us together by @/xbuchananbarnes

one-shot, soulmate!au, just simply stunning!

✨Peter Parker

love lies by @rosyparkers

series, social media au, y/n is silk but peter doesn't know it, peter is spiderman but y/n doesn't know it, sarah is the brightest star in the universe and everyone knows it

sunset lovers by @duskholland

one-shot, college! au, soulmate!au where what your soulmate writes on their skin, appears on yours. i don't think i have to tell you that eveything written by h, my beloved is pure gold. the softest thing!

always waiting (for you to come home) by @peterbenjiparker

one-shot, reader comes to peter cause she needs him to patch her up after patrol, it's so funny and sweet and i just love it so much, m is the bestest!!

perfectly a little late by @/t-lostinworlds

one-shot, college!au, reader forgets about peter's birthday. or does she 👀 please, give a round of applause for this wonderful writer who's been feeding us so well this month 👏👏

this fic by @peeterparkr

one-shot, last kiss with peter :') nancy knows all the most beautiful ways to break someone's heart

the plan by @spideyyeet

series, aveneger!reader, reader likes peter, peter likes mj, mysterio shows up, lots of angsty things happen. it's so bloody good, my mates, go read it!!

burning red by @spideyspeaches

one-shot, avenger!reader who who describes people's personalities as colors, it's just a stunning story with wonderful writing and i love it!!

this fic by @mcumendes

blurb, peter brings y/n flowers and is very very adorable!!

kiss me more by @celestialholland

one-shot, first make out with peter and i'm just 😫😫 in love

the reveal by @cloudybarnes

one-shot, best friends!reader where she finds out about him being spiderman, so lovely!!

always by @ptersmj

one-shot, an absolutely adorable best friends to lovers moment

red-handed by @/vendettaparker

one-shot, stark!reader, morgan interrupts y/n and peter's alone time 😏😂

OTHERS

✨ Spencer Reid

as told by flowers by @reidingmelodies

one-shot, story about the progress of the relationship with spencer told by flowers (duh 😂), it's just wonderful!!

✨ Frank Adler

thnks fr th mmrs by @wiypt-writes

one-shot, 18+, reader goes to frank the night before his wedding, i love this with everything i have

will you hold on my love by @writerwrites

one-shot, don't come anywhere near this piece without tissues!!

✨ Ransom Drysdale

undercover boss by @chase-your-dreams-away

series, reader's working at drysdales' company and hooks up with ransom not knowing who he is. this series is so bloody good! i love the reader in here so much!!

a/n: if you catch some kind of mistake or if you see that i miscredited someone - please let me know so i can change that!

[chanfictions]

Hi! <3

I read ‘until dawn’ a few weeks ago and I really liked it!

I’ve been thinking about what to request. I find that it’s harder to find fluff fics🤔 Can I request a fluff fic about reader and Kakashi on a first or second date?😊 Like how did they meet/agree to go out and how would they interact? (Could be a bookstore date perhaps, picnic/restaurant, dancing date…🤗)

Fluff can be kinda hard to come by. This was a fun one. Enjoy!

Fireworks

Kakashi x Reader

2.5k

It's barely even a real date… why am I so damn nervous?

Staring yourself in the mirror as you indecisively modeled one seemingly inadequate outfit after another, that question played on repeat in your head. Your fellow instructor and close friend, Iruka Umino, had casually orchestrated this little date after a discussion that revealed your curiously numerous overlapping interests with the village's own Copy Ninja.

That fateful conversation echoed in your mind as a shy heat flooded your cheeks. Of course, you were excited about this little date with Kakashi Hatake, who wouldn't be? He was undeniably handsome under that mask, surprisingly kind, and not to mention a fellow dog person. He checked all of your boxes, but you just didn't know if you checked any of his. Sometimes seeming a bit distant and unreadably aloof, Kakashi wasn't exactly one to loudly exclaim his alignments or feelings about other people, unlike one of his unabashedly boisterous students. Surely, though, he wouldn't have agreed to go on this date if he wasn't at least a little bit interested in you, right?

Shaking your head to dispel your doubts and fix your hair, you straightened your shirt with one last glance in the mirror before grabbing your purse from its resting place on a table near the entrance of your apartment.

"Be good," you paused at the door to crouch down to give your faithful pooch's massive, greying head a loving smooch and a playful scratch before handing him a biscuit. "No eating the couch while I'm gone. I'll be back in a few hours."

Mochi answered with a muffled, "Bwoof," around his treat with a happy wag of his tail before trotting off to hopefully munch on his snack and not your furniture.

"I mean it, mister," you called over your shoulder with a giggle, watching him waddle off to go chow his prize in another room before closing the door behind you.

As you walked into the gleaming rays of the setting sun that kissed the surrounding rooftops with a soft, amber glow, you smiled and inhaled deeply. The scents of fried food and sweet candies wafted toward your apartment from the direction of the festival, drawing in the residents of the village one by one, yourself included. It was an annual celebration that marked the founding of the village, bringing with it themed games, snacks, and fireworks for all those in attendance. In particular, the children and their unfettered excitement over comical puppet shows attended in enthusiastic droves.

You loved this yearly tradition and had since you were a child. The memories of family and fun it evoked were dear to your heart, despite the twinge of sadness they brought with them. Like so many shinobi in the village, your parents perished on a mission when you were younger, leaving you with only dog-eared photographs and the foggy snapshots of precious events preserved in your mind. Your annual celebration with the village was a silent homage to those you so missed.

Putting those bittersweet thoughts aside, you made your way through the thickening crowd, slowing to bask in the joy of the squealing little monsters around you as they blitzed between the legs of adults at a speed that could only be attained by consuming absurd amounts of sugar. You couldn't help but to giggle at their sheer, unbridled excitement that the next puppet show was about to start. Had you not been slated to meet up with your date in the next fifteen minutes, you probably would have joined them. Instead, you perched yourself on the bench designated as your meeting spot with the illusive Copy Ninja, twirling your fingers through the strap of your purse to steady your nerves as you waited. Despite knowing Kakashi's reputation for tardiness, your chest twisted into knots as the long hand of your watch slowly ticked its way across the number that marked the start of your date. As the minutes slowly crept by, that aching sensation tangled around your heart began morphing into a self-deprecating internal monologue.

Maybe he never really wanted to meet up with me in the first place, you sighed, digging the toe of your shoe into the soft, gravelly dirt. He's everyone's type. I'm just probably just not his. What was I thinking?

After what felt like an eternity passed, and the puppet show ended, you had all but resigned yourself to believing that you had been stood up. Chewing your cheek, you scanned the crowd one last time, looking for the bright tuft of silver hair that you knew you probably wouldn't find. You nearly fell off of your bench in surprise when you felt a light tap on your shoulder and suddenly felt the presence of someone standing beside you.

"Sorry, I'm late…"

The rest of his excuse buzzed into the background, as you were so distracted by the completely uncovered face smiling apologetically at you that your brain ejected the rest of the words that left his exposed lips. Sure, you had seen Kakashi without his mask on a few rare occasions, but never in this context. Never in such an effortlessly attractive, casual manner. You were left dumbstruck and needing a moment to swallow the out of control train of nonsense that was tangled up in your throat.

"No worries. I was so caught up in the puppet show, I didn't even realize what time it was," you finally managed to choke out with a nervous laugh. That was a lie. A terribly delivered one, at that, but you didn't want to make him feel bad about it.

"Can I make it up to you with some dinner? One of my favorite restaurants set up a stand just down the road," he said, both offering the words and his jutted out elbow for you to take to walk there, should you agree.

"Dinner sounds great." The tension wrapped around your chest dissipated with surprising ease as you smiled and took his arm. You made your way through the crowd together, making small talk about the lights and games, laughing as one of his students barreled through the throngs of people, completely oblivious that his sensei was arm in arm with a date amongst the other faces in the crowd.

The line for Kakashi's favorite restaurant was surprisingly short, leaving you with little time to idly chat before your orders were taken. Despite your protests, Kakashi insisted on paying for your meal, citing his tardiness as something that needed to be atoned for before steering the conversation back to an earlier topic.

"Like herding kittens," Kakashi mused, explaining what it was like to work with the graduated students of the academy as you each took your carryout boxes and found an unoccupied seat on the stony ledge of a fountain. "Drunk kittens, at that."

You nearly snorted, stifling a laugh as you covered your mouth to avoid losing the bite of food you had just taken. "And I thought working with the little ones was rough," you said with your mouth still half covered and a smile pulling at your lips. "Though I never had Naruto in my class. Iruka got him that year."

"He's a handful, but the kid has a good heart," Kakashi hummed, still seeming on the lookout for the aforementioned bucket of trouble.

"I have one of those at home," you said offhandedly. As soon as those ill-considered words left your lips, you realized you'd made a bit of an error.

Kakashi paused, blinking at you. "You have...?"

"No, no, not a kid, I meant my dog," you hid your face behind your hands as you shook with embarrassed laughter and continued to babble an explanation. "Mochi, he's a handful and eats my couch when I'm gone for too long."

"Oh, what kind of dog?" Kakashi seemed to have dismissed your earlier misstep and was now keenly curious.

"Some kind of mastiff mix, I think. His paws are the size of dinner plates and he eats half of my paycheck every month, but I wouldn't trade him for the world," you smiled genuinely.

As Kakashi listened to you fawn about your canine companion's shenanigans, he couldn't help but to feel a strange sensation slowly warming his soul. The way you talked about your dog reminded him of how he felt about his own hounds. It was a unique bond that not everyone understood, but you seemed to with ease, even without your dog being ninken like his. "Do you have any pictures?"

Heat washed over your head as you sheepishly pulled out a little photo album from your purse. "I have… many," you admitted with a laugh.

Kakashi leaned over to peer at the images as you paged through them, lightly touching shoulders with you as you told the stories that led up to each moment being captured. He couldn't help but notice how you grew quiet and quickly flipped past an old, faded scene of a cute little family, including a girl no older than nine or ten, all standing together at what looked like the very fountain at which you sat. It was a painful reminder that the shinobi world was cruel, and so many in the village lost loved ones thanks to the seemingly endless wars waged between lands.

"He looks like he could be Bull's brother." Kakashi's cool, easy tone pulled your attention back to the present as he casually produced his wallet, flipping past a picture of his team of genin to display a group photo of his hounds and pointing to the large facsimile of your own drool monster at the center of the shot.

"Ahh, look at his squishy face!" you gushed with a girlish squeal.

Kakashi's eyes crinkled into the smiling crescents you were so used to seeing as he tucked his wallet back into his pocket. A chilly breeze swirled about your bodies, reminding you both that the sun had set and that the long-awaited fireworks display would begin soon. "Looks like the big show is about to start."

"Want to watch from the roof?"

Kakashi hummed in thought as he scanned the surrounding buildings before pointing at a particular spot. "Right about… there should have a good view."

In typical shinobi fashion, the two of you vanished in a blink, leaping skyward and landing lightly upon the tiled roof of a nearby business. A teenage giddiness swelled in your chest as you settled down on the pitched surface beside your date, gazing up into the starry sky expectantly as you waited for the show to start. The crowd below buzzed in unison and heads began to turn as the first streak of sparkling light cut through the night with a shrill whistle. The thunderous boom that struck your body with bassy reverb still startled you, despite all of your training, leaving you laughing at yourself while the bright colors bloomed in the dark. "Gets me every time."

Kakashi chuckled softly, looking fondly at you for a moment before returning his sights to the splashes of light painting the skies. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me." While he found the chromatic display to be beautiful, he was more keenly focused on the warmth radiating from the person beside him that wrapped comfortably around his being despite the chill that lingered in the air. This was going better than he expected, even after his tardiness nearly ended the date before it began. Despite your nervous need to be early, you waited for him. And being with you was just so easy. Conversation was effortless. You seemed just as content to enjoy the moment without needing to fill the silence with chatter, though he did like listening to you talk. A quiet smile pulled at his lips, thinking about how you reacted to his drooliest hound's picture with the same amount of enthusiasm and love you exuded for your own pooch. Pakkun would surely have something to say about that.

As the loud display left a final series of bold, flashing colors cutting through the inky night, you exhaled happily, glancing over at Kakashi, who seemed almost lost in thought. "That was really spectacular." Your eyes sparkled as the last glittering embers slowly fell from the heavens and the crowd below erupted in cheers and clapping.

"I would have to agree," he replied in that smooth hum that just sent your heart aflutter. "I take it you need to get back home soon to rescue your couch from the jaws of Mochi?"

Glancing at your watch, you laughed quietly, rubbing the back of your neck. "Between the fireworks and me leaving looking different than he's used to, I'm afraid my couch is probably a lost cause."

Kakashi rose to his feet first and offered you a hand with that content expression still smoothed over his alarmingly handsome features. "I'd be happy to walk you home, if you'd like the company."

Taking his hand filled you with a schoolgirlish glow as you stood there together for a moment, faces illuminated by the moon and the sparkles of starlight hanging in the sky. It was nothing short of magical. Those warm, smiling eyes consumed you as you gazed past the long scar and mismatched irises into the guarded soul of the man before you. Your heart all but skipped a beat. "I would very much like the company."

Experiencing this kind of closeness to another person again left such a pleasant feeling wrapping Kakashi's heart that he just didn't want it to end. He was downright smitten, and judging by your behavior toward him, the feeling was mutual. You hopped down from the rooftop together, letting Kakashi offer more support in the landing than you actually needed, simply savoring the moment as he curled an arm around your back while you began the slow walk back to your apartment.

The comfortable chat quieted when you reached your door all too soon, making you wish time would just hold still long enough for you to soak in every last bit of Kakashi's pleasant company. Reality had other plans, however, as the sound of scratching paws and deep, investigative sniffing rattled your locked door. As you turned to your date, a soft smile played on your lips. "Thank you, Kakashi. I had such a great time tonight."

"So did I. It's been a few years since I really enjoyed going to one of these festivals." The warm expression you had been basking in all night was still perched on his face as he spoke to you. "Maybe next time we can take all of the hounds out somewhere together."

Next time… he wants...Your heart buzzed and fluttered, leaving you almost speechless. "I'd really like that. And so would Mochi," you added with a widening smile.

"Same time, next week?" He offered.

"That sounds perfect." You were nearly stunned when Kakashi leaned in and pressed a gentle, chaste kiss to your cheek, leaving the heat of a blooming crush in its wake.

"Until then, goodnight," he smiled softly, reluctantly releasing your hand.

Readying a bid of farewell to the notoriously late, seemingly aloof Copy Ninja who had just completely stolen your heart, you unlocked your apartment, pausing in the doorway to smile at him one last time before your wonderful evening came to an end. "Goodnight."

[whirlybirdwhat]

Is there any good one piece fanfic that you would reccomend to read?

SO MANY LETS GO

“stared at the sun and the sun smiled back and called itself pirate king (or: loyalty, on the high seas)” - by grainjew, a loyalty focused series of oneshots that absolutely devastate me every time I read it. My favorites are but the eternal pose points East (Lech L’cha)” and “a certain calmness” and - okay if I list anymore I’ll just list the entire series oops. Highly recommend!

In Which Higuma Doesn't Get To Get Drunk, Even Though He Really, Really Wants To - also by grainjew, Luffy goes back in time and everyone bullies higuma, delightful one shot, 2.5k.

The King's Will - my last rec (for now) by grainjew, a one shot focusing on Rayleigh and Luffy training on Ruskaina, and the application of conquerors haki, 2.3k, very, very good.

How it Should have Healed - by Wordlet, 36k, a hurt comfort series about Luffy’s numerous injuries over the years, and his crew taking care of him. Extremely sweet, hurts my heart, luffy please learn to take care of yourself, 100/10 reread all the time.

Coming Into Focus by DemonsLOver, 4k, focusing on Luffy’s trauma after Marineford, EXTREMELY good, I reread this one a lot as well.

Being there - by chali, 45k, another Luffy post Marineford fic that I love, focuses on his trauma and wounds left over in varying aspects and with each individual crewmate.

wish by spirit and if by yes - by midnightluck, 32k, in which sabo and ace reunite and they may have some issues but everything turns out alright in the end.

more under the cut!

Chasing Flowers by taizi - 4.7k, the Strawhats leave out gifts for luffy and he just has to follow, outsider pov, one of my absolute favorites of taizi’s fics!! Actually just gonna say rn go read all of taizi’s one piece fics, everything is so very good.

Already Forever by taizi - 1.8k, another of taizi’s fics that devastate me, nami realizing that the way luffy works will never be understood by any one else, really, really, really sweet.

Sea Shanties by Milo - 13k, luffy focused series of one shots, and the first one devastates me. zoro/luffy but it’s not romantic just platonic and this made me cry 100%, its just. So soft. Chapter 2 is with brook annd chapter 3 is with shanks and oh,,,, oh its so good. One of my absolute favorites of all time.

Twin Flames by SoccerSarah01 - 66k, a Marineford fix-it in which Sabo remembers, he and Ace call themselves not just brothers but twins, and everything changes. This is by Sarah whom I love and I 100% cannot rec this fic enough its so, so, so good. asl brother focused and the way the brothers are written im just the watery eyes emoji.

I'll be by your side (forever, always) by SoccerSarah01 - 1.5k this also by Sarah is another fix-it in which Luffy takes the blow for ace, and there aftermath and it hurts but ohh,,, its so sweet

Wind Beneath My Wings by SoccerSarah01 - 11.8k, last rec for me rn by Sarah, essentially the asl brothers celebrate Makino’s birthday and everything is good and wonderful and soft <3

Rising suns, free waters by Amazaria - 5k, vivi and shanks talk at mariejeoise fic how can you not fall for that like. Oh god the concept is so good, and amazaria executed it perfectly!!! 100% recommend, stays very true to the characters, and their like for one straw hat luffy.

Serendipity and other ordinary miracles by Amazaria - 2k, also by Amazaria, Straw Hat loyalty and discussion of dreams thats just so, so, so good. it hurts my heart, but luffy loves his crew and they love him so everything is okay.

All that we've yet to lose (burning, burning bright before us) by Amazaria - 1.9k, usopp and Gear 2’s effects on Luffy, dear god this makes me cry, like. Holy shit. Also some very good nami + zoro bonding in the background like!!! cries.

Who Knows (what could happen) by Chromi - 87k, the only unfinished fic on here but im putting it because HOLY SHIT! Essentially the journey of Ace and the Spades from Sixis to the Moby Dick, Ace/Deuce incredibly good writing I cannot stress that enough and also pining. So much pining. Deuce you are so gay. This fic is very lovingly and well written, does err on the more mature side than the rest of the fics I have listed here (just look at the tags) but not explicit by any means. Chromi also has like. Tons more ace/deuce fic, and I highly recommended checking out her Take My Breath Away [Tumblr SFW Prompt Fills] series!

Synthesis by KBstories - 4k, in which even Luffy has a breaking point and that breaking point Is sabo, but his friends won’t let that happen. I reread this fic so much and it’s so fucking good like all of KBstories like,,, cries??

I have so much more but I already procrastinated on the stuff I have to do today by writing this so - if u want more come back for round 2 and send another ask - in addition, check out the bookmarks of all these authors! I guarantee that you’ll find all the fics I would have recced that way haha. Enjoy!

(Also - Im sure u know as u sent me this ask, but I am also on ao3! My big works include Sea of Monsters, in which the east blue is the weakest sea because it is the demon sea, crown the king (with bloody flowers) in which luffy has hanahaki for the ocean, mother mother ocean (I have heard you call) in which luffy has the voice of all things from a young age, make a choice (turncoat hero), in which garp chooses his grandsonns over justice, and dearest brother (who you are) in which ace and sabo remember inn Alabasta and everything is okay. You can find my ao3 at Whirlybird70!)