#at first I just wanted to skip through chap 6 because I wanted to get to Diasomnia BUT NOW I'M INVESTED

[up-in-space-reading]

Average Weekly Screentime - Chap 5: Happy Holidays

pairing: Jake Peralta x Amy Santiago

word count: 1323

warnings/tags: college au, texting, drunk texting, text fic (mostly, there's prose a few chaps in), bets, bisexual!jake peralta, jake peralta has adhd, parties, drinking and alcohol, sexual references, implied sexual content (nothing explicit, just suggested its going to happen/has happened), friends to lovers, swearing, mentions of cannibalism, lighthearted threats of violence (typical rosa stuff yk), fluff

read on ao3

Average Weekly Screentime masterlist

Story Summary: texting fic college AU with the squad! It's the beginning of the school year and while everyone else thinks it'll be the same as the previous year, Gina has a feeling things are going to be different and wagers a bet with Rosa and Charles. Told through all the various group chats everyone is in.

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

authors note: This is a bit of a shorter one but I wanted to get something out before the previously talked about NYE party!

[07:12pm, Saturday]

Cameron: 1 image attached Cameron: It’s delicious in case you were wondering

Ferris: SO mean to send me pics of soup rn

Cameron: Haha sorry, not sorry Cameron: If it’s any consolation the soup comes at the cost of my sanity

Ferris: do elaborate

Cameron: My nieces and nephews are ensuring there is not a moment of peace and/or quiet in this house

Ferris: one day we can trade spots Ferris: u can sit with my mom and d a d (gross) all by urself

Cameron: Your dad is there??

Ferris: worst christmas present ever tbh

Cameron: That sucks, I’m sorry.. Cameron: And sorry for complaining

Ferris: nah that’s okay Ferris: im handling it by giving him dirty looks whenever he turns away from me

Cameron: If it gets you through the day then I support that Cameron: I used to do that to my brothers sometimes (and maybe still do)

Ferris: am i surprised that you do that? no lol

Cameron: Hey! I’m not that predictable

Ferris: not entirely but a little bit lol

Cameron: Sorry, gotta go. My mom asked me who I’m texting and when I said ‘my friend Jake’ it opened a whole can of worms

Ferris: hahaha have fun with that one

Cameron: Thanks lol

-

Jimmy Jabbers

[08:35am, Monday]

Four Eyes: Happy Christmas guys

Pineapples: merry chrimmas

Mr Grapes: thanks Amy! Merry Christmas everyone :)

Queen G: yeah same

RoRo: cool

-

Skipping School Is(n’t) Cool

[07:45pm, Thursday]

Ferris: when r u coming back?

Cameron: Tomorrow, why?

Ferris: just wondering

Cameron: The time will fly by, I promise

Ferris: if u say so

-

The time wouldn’t fly by. He was convinced time was moving slower without her. It was pathetic, he was fully in it now, even his mother said he talked about her a lot and he didn’t even notice he was doing it.

Having his dad home was hard, and his mom seemed to be fine with it but Jake didn’t come around as easily anymore. You can only be fooled so many times he’d say to himself. He wanted to talk to Amy, he wanted to forget his dad was back and just be with his mom. Jake from a year ago would’ve kicked himself for thinking this, but he missed studying in the library with her.

Jake just wanted to be back in the environment he’d gotten so comfortable in so quickly, with his friends and his dorm and his Amy. He was going back on the same day as Amy, he asked when she’d be back because he missed her, and in a moment of weakness after too much spiked eggnog he actually messaged her.

It took a lot of will power to resist calling her, eventually putting his phone under his pillow and going to sleep just to stop himself. When he woke up the next morning he realised how hard New Years is going to be; his walls come down when he drinks, and right now the walls were the only thing stopping him from just pouring his heart out to Amy.

He missed her so much.

-

She missed him too much.

Amy didn’t want to admit it to herself at first but it didn’t take long, when she found herself messaging Jake about soup of all things. She just wanted to talk to him about something- anything! She kept thinking about how her brothers would love Jake, he’d fit right in despite the crazy atmosphere being so different to his own family holidays.

A few glasses of wine too many finally let her think about her feelings for him, and that’s how she ended up shedding a few tears on the floor of her childhood bedroom deciding that she really did like Jake – a lot. But after some hours of being frustrated Amy let go, she decided to give in and let herself miss Jake.

She let herself laugh at his messages, she let herself smile at the thought of him and look forward to the study dates after the holidays. She even let herself be excited for the day she went back to campus and the New Years Eve party, and in the middle of the night when she couldn’t sleep and everything was quiet, she considered being with him.

Only one more day until she saw him again.

-

Skipping School Is(n’t) Cool

[02:07pm, Friday]

Cameron: Finally on my way back to campus!

Ferris: i just got here like 10 mins ago Ferris: have u had lunch or do u wanna get something?

Cameron: My mom made me eat before I left, but if you’re going out I’ll tag along

Ferris: cool cool cool

Cameron: When does everyone else get back?

Ferris: tomorrow

Cameron: Cool cool

-

[02:40pm, Friday]

Cameron: Back now, sorry I was so long. If you’ve already eaten and don’t want to go out that’s fine

Ferris: thats fine Ferris: im good to go!

Cameron: Meet you in the courtyard then!

Ferris: see ya

-

[04:27pm, Friday]

Ferris: 1 image attachment Ferris: when u see this when u get home: sorry lol

-

[06:48pm, Friday]

Cameron: You’re so evil for that! Cameron: I was in the middle of sneezing

Ferris: hahaha im sorry ames it was just perfect timing

Cameron: …it IS a bit funny..

Ferris: you have full permission for payback

Cameron: Didn’t need permission, already started plotting

Ferris: oh no…

Cameron: :)

-

Jimmy Jabbers

[01:23pm, Saturday]

Queen G: guess whos back on campus and still hot af

Pineapples: ginaaaaaaaaa girl I missed u

Queen G: i know Queen G: everyone misses me when im gone because im wonderful to be around

RoRo: good god what did the holidays do to you

Pineapples: i dont notice a difference??

Four Eyes: Welcome back everyone!

Mr Grapes: Back in town and ready for new years tomorrow!

Pineapples: cant believe the year is over already Pineapples: anyone got new years resolutions?

Mr Grapes: I wanna raise my average grade

Queen G: im literally perfect so no

Four Eyes: I haven’t thought about it to be honest

Pineapples: mine is to actually finish my work as i get it

RoRo: fix up my bike

-

Skipping School Is(n’t) Cool

[01:28pm, Saturday]

Cameron: draft message: My new years resolution is to ask you out

Ferris: draft message: kiss me tomorrow at midnight??

Cameron: Excited for the party tomorrow?

Ferris: of course! Ferris: you?

Cameron: Surprisingly yes Cameron: draft message: because you’ll be there

-

Girls, Girls, Girls

[10:30am, Sunday]

Amy: Quick question, what are you guys wearing tonight?

Rosa: black Rosa: something warm, its fucking freezing

Gina: i was thinking a fur coat but idk Gina: i dont want a drink spilling on it and ruining it

Amy: Right okay Amy: Could I get away with jeans?

Gina: depends what jeans and what top Gina: if ur gonna go jeans then go black

Amy: I can do black

Gina: what r ur top options??

-

Queens, Legends, Icons

[10:35am, Sunday]

Rosie: what are you doing gina?

Ginaa: what?? Ginaa: im helping amy

Rosie: you’ve never offered Amy fashion advice before Rosie: why now?

Ginaa: because theres a party tonight rosa

Rosie: oh my god

Ginaa: idk what ur accusing me of????

Rosie: you want them to kiss at midnight

Ginaa: i said no such thing!

Rosie: what about your bet? Rosie: they get together tonight and you lose

Ginaa: i dont even care that much about losing anymore im so invested

Rosie: no meddling gina

Ginaa: this technically isnt meddling ;) Ginaa: im just being a good friend

-

Girls, Girls, Girls

[10:43am, Sunday]

Amy: 1 image attachment Amy: 1 image attachment Amy: These are some of my options at the moment, thoughts?

Gina: im coming over

Amy: What??

Gina: im coming over Gina: im bringing more options and we r gonna workshop this

Amy: Uh okay then Amy: Thanks Gina

Gina: np

-

Queens, Legends, Icons

[10:47am, Sunday]

Rosie: fucking hell

Ginaa: love my life

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

authors note: Thanks for reading and for commenting and leaving kudos, everytime i get a kudos notif it motivates me to write more so I appreciate all the love <3

[spacejammie-eimmajecaps]

For the fanfic writing meme...YOU pick 10 numbers YOU want to answer! I want to see which ones of those most excite your or you have the most to say.

My attention span is horrible right now tbh, I couldn't even read through the whole list. So these are the 10 that stood out to me when I was skimming it over:

Do you prefer writing one-shots or multi-chaptered fics?

One-shots because they are quick and easy (for the most part). Multi-chaps take so much more effort. Although, multi-chaps are more satisfying to finish. Pros and cons with each. I do miss one-shots, though. Been a very long time since I've written one.

Do you plan each chapter ahead or write as you go?

I used to only write as I went, which was honestly so fun. I'd surprise myself with unintended plot twists and stuff like that. But now I plan ahead, and that's very necessary for a story like SGB, which is very long, detailed, and packed with subplots. I will say, though, that while there is a plan, I let the chapter change as needed if the plan isn't working or I think of something better while drafting, and sometimes I add scenes last minute (or cut entire scenes if it just doesn't feel like it's working). Having a plan is good, knowing when to be flexible is also good.

Do you like constructive criticism?

Depends on what that looks like.

If someone wants to point out a typo, I'll be appreciative (and I do actually have a fandom friend who used to message me when she found typos in my posted works, which I am grateful for). And if there is an obvious mistake, I don't mind it being pointed out (for example, I was messing up the serve order in games and someone very kindly pointed that out, so I fixed it, and I'm very happy that they pointed it out so that I didn't keep making that mistake).

But if someone said things like, "I don't like how you wrote that" or "that character would never do that" or "you should write that differently" or anything relating to like, personal preference, I'd be annoyed and not grateful at all.

On average, how much writing do you get done in a day?

I used to be able to bang out 10-12k words in a day, back when my health wasn't so bad. Granted, the quality of those 10-12k words wasn't great at all, and part of why I write slower now is because I'm thinking about a lot more technical aspects that I used to be unaware of. Anyway, these days I can maybe get 3k written on a very good day, but 500-1000 in a day is more realistic for me now.

What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block)

Take a break, read books and watch shows, rest, re-read what I've already written, etc.

What’s your revision or editing process like?

1. Rough draft

2. Fill in details and missing elements

3. Focus setting/sensory details and add last minute details

4. Check that dialogue/body language matches each character (usually end up adding a few more little details as well)

5. Make sure the chapter as a whole makes sense, cut anything unnecessary, check for consistency

6. Proofreading (check line by line for typos and grammar issues)

Do you tend to reread fics or are you a one-and-done kind of person?

There are some fics I like to re-read maybe once a year or so, and sometimes I read a fic twice in a row if I really liked it. I'd probably re-read things much more frequently if I wasn't so busy writing.

Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?

Hopefully not still writing SGB😭😭😭

Why do you continue writing fics?

Because I'm bored and have nothing better to do, and more importantly, because I enjoy it.

What order do you write in? front of book to back? chronological? favorite scenes first? something else?

Chronological. I have to use my favorite scenes as a reward for getting that far in the story, so I don't allow myself to skip ahead.

[pondflirtingwithherself]

6, 7, (look at me blatantly looking for fic recs oops) and 19

6. What’s the last thing you read that made you laugh?

Is it bad that I genuinely don’t remember 💀 I will say that the last piece of media that made me laugh was the latest episode of The Broski Report podcast when Brittany talks about that dude from Angus Thongs & Perfect Snogging, like I literally don’t even know who she’s talking about but she’s just so fucking unhinged and out of pocket I can’t help but laugh even though it sometimes scares me 😅

7. What’s the last thing you read that made you cry?

Oh man I just read the bestest Elliot/Olivia hurt/comfort fic, “everything I want comes at a cost” by Flowersbooksandthemoon. I don���t read this pairing that much (or any straight pairing really lmaooo) but it hit me right in the feels. Basically it deals with Elliot finding out about what WL did to Liv and going straight there to be with her. Kathy and his kids are super supportive too. Ugh it’s so good but I stopped midway through because the WL trauma is very triggering for me to read and if I’m not in the headspace for it will straight up ruin the next 24-48 hours of my life while stuck in my brain🤪🤘 that being said, first couple chaps are graphic so skip if you gotta for sure, but author handles things pretty well when it comes to the recovery process and Elliot is so good to her in this (as he fucking shoulda been in the show!! I still can’t get over him leaving her sorry not sorry) Idk man I stumbled across this and I’m such a sucker for a healing fic that gives you that hope that things can get so much better after horrible unfair things happen in life 🥹

19. What’s your favorite character headcanon?

EEEEE so many. I’d say lately my faves have been autistic Alex Cabot because god she’s such an autistic coded character! ! ! And hmm… I love when people write that Alex and Casey went to college together. I’m always a strong believer in Regina Mills secretly being a huge softie that likes cuddles and hand holding and forehead kisses from Emma in private. I think Agatha Harkness has hella trauma that could be explored beyond her badass villain persona. And this might actually be straight up canon somewhere but I like the idea of Nebula’s new arm being made of vibranium from Wakanda.

Thank you!! 💗

[slightlysaccharine]

SPOILERS FOR CHAPTER 6 3.1 UPDATE BELOW CUT!!!

@therainbowcrowe said something very interesting when we were watching Otome Ayui’s translation video for parts 51-54. 

At the part where Idia agrees to help Ortho, she goes “Wait....is he going to force himself to Overblot? To help Ortho get out?!” 

AND I HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO STOP THINKING ABOUT IT BECAUSE HOLY SHIT THAT WOULD BE INTENSE

ALSO GRIM???? BABY??? SWEET BABY BOI, PLEASE DON’T TURN INTO A GINORMOUS MONSTER AND BREAK OUT

And Liliaaaaaa, what do you mean it may be the last time? Don’t end up dying! :’ )))

[dameronology]

6 from the angst prompts with frank please🤲🏾

frank castle + 6) "why does my mind go back to when you used to hold me?"

ok. i'm gonna be real with you. this started by following the prompt, then it...it went somewhere else entirely. but we move.

You should have been happy in your lover's arms.

Anyone else in the world would have been fucking elated; wrapped up in a blanket on the sofa with a five-foot-eleven guy, with his ginger tousled hair and broad arms. Your first date together had been a favour to your sister, but you'd never found a reason to stop seeing him. After all, he looked after you. Texting you to make sure you got home safe, bringing you lunch at work, fixing your broken kitchen cabinet in your shitty little apartment. He was nice. Too nice. He was a sensible t-shirt made out of husband material.

So what did that make Frank Castle? The leather jacket that your parents had forbade you from buying? The stupidly ripped jeans that made your relatives ask dId yOu bUy tHeM lIke tHat?

But truthfully, there was no stupid, cliche metaphor for Frank Castle. He was absolutely indescribable; a walking contradiction, a fucking confusion. He was rough and soft and giving and taking all at once. He stole the air from the lungs and breathed it right back into you; stole the show, but never came out from behind the curtains. He'd ruined your life for twelve straight months and yet, you looked back on that year as the best time of your life.

Frank was gone now - gone to the wind, wherever his next crime took him. You still thought of him, though. Constantly. About how your new boyfriend's arms didn't hold you as tight; about how his hair was a lot softer than Frank's, and didn't scratch you in the same way his did whenever he buried his head in your neck. His hands weren't as large and protective. He didn't make you black coffee every morning - oat lattes and fancy cappuccinos, yeah. But not the shitty, sugarless crap that Frank served to you in a chipped Coney Island mug every day at 7AM. The new guy cared enough to walk you home, but not enough to elbow his way into your apartment at 3AM because he'd heard sirens four blocks away and panicked. Frank Castle had had a weird way of loving you - and now, everyone else's attempts at it paled in comparison.

Like I said before - anyone else would have been infatuated with the new man sat beside you. Admittedly, you'd only found one problem with him.

He wasn't Frank.

"I'm just going to make some tea," you said. "I'll be back in a second."

The auburn man looked at you. "Should I pause the movie?"

"It's okay, I've seen it before," you forced a smile.

Shrugging off the blanket, you stood up and stalked through to the kitchen. It was a separate room from your living area - Frank had always given you spiel about how cramped it felt. But the minute you spotted a pair of combat boots on the fire escape? You were just thankful for the privacy it now gave you from the man you should have been falling in love with.

Hopping up on the counter, you slid open the window and stuck one leg out onto the metal stairs. Frank naturally leant forward to help you, a large handing wrapping around your wrist and pulling you up. The sky was pitch black, lit only by the starry facade of the Lower East Side. Hell's Kitchen was beautiful from this angle - probably because the man who constantly tore it to pieces was stood on your fire escape.

"You look like shit," you greeted him. It was true; his hair was cropped and neat, and he was clean shaven like usual, but there was a fucking massive shiner on his left eye.

"So do you," Frank shot back. "Who the fuck does that t-shirt belong to?"

"None of your business," you said.

"It belongs to your ginger friend, doesn't it?" he deduced. "What's his name?"

"Again - none of your business."

"Fine. I'll just call him Ron, then."

"Okay, Frank," you huffed. "Why are you turning up on my fire escape at 1AM and giving me spiel about Harry Potter?"

"I was just checking in," he shrugged. "Am I not allowed to do that anymore?"

"No."

"Fine," he held his hands up in defence. "But I know you're thinking about me."

"I'm not thinking about you," you countered. "In fact, the first person I think of when I hear the name Frank is Frank Reynolds from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia."

"You're a terrible liar, sweetheart," he reminded you.

"It's true. I really love Danny Devito-"

You abruptly stopped talking when Frank grabbed you by the waist, pulling you towards him. Your lips crashed against his - warm and familiar and chapped - in a passionate kiss. Time might as well have fucking stopped in that moment. It was a feeling you'd craved for so long; begged for, prayed to every god you believed in and even those you didn't.

"You love me more," Frank murmured. "More than the man inside."

"Frank," you murmured.

"Just say it," he pushed. "I know you love me - not him."

"Is that why you came back?" you asked. "Because you were worried I'd found someone else?"

"I came back because I missed you," he confessed.

"You went upstate to get away from all this," you half-heartedly gestured to the city below.

"And I came back for all this," he gestured to you with a large hand. "It's nothing to do with you being with someone else. It doesn't mean I don't want to left hook the guy for putting his hands on you, but..."

Frank trailed off. You, meanwhile, were still in disbelief. It had taken so much effort to move on; to force his remaining belongings into a box under your bed. Even more so to let another man in to said bed.

In a swift movement, he'd taken off his hoodie and pulled it over your shoulders. The zip was done up in mere seconds, thick hood pulled over your head. It smelt of Frank - domestic Frank, not I've gone bat-crap crazy on a gang in the middle of the night and come back looking like the prom scene in Carrie Frank. It was a mixture of cheap laundry detergent and a little of his spicy aftershave. He rarely wore the stuff, but you deducted he probably put it on for tonight. What kind of fucking weirdo put on expensive aftershave just to creep around on his former lover's balcony? Frank. The answer was Frank. Just...quintessentially him.

"You really hate the look of me in his clothes, huh?" you teased.

"You looked cold," Frank lied. "Does Ron give you his hoodies?"

"He'd give me his damn wardrobe if I asked."

He snorted. "Yeah, okay. I'm glad to see you that you still enjoy dancing around important conversations-"

"- you know I love you, Frank," you cut him off. "But I'm not skipping into the fucking sunset with you at 1AM when it's freezing as shit outside. Especially not when there's a man on my couch, who thinks I'm making a cup of tea when I'm actually kissing a man out on the fire escape."

"I love you too," Frank gave you a lopsided grin, completely ignoring the second half of what you said. "I'll come back in the morning."

"Yeah, okay," you pressed another kiss to his jaw. "See you then."

You slipped your hands away from Frank's, sliding your legs back through the window and onto the kitchen counter. Leaping off the side, you shut the window and reached to turn on the kettle - you did have the whole cup of tea lie to keep up with.

And with a smile on your face, you reached for the chipped Coney Island mug on your shelf.

[gohyuck]

the purge: society

pairing: firefighter!san x reader

genre: purge au, angst, some fluff

warnings: mentions of violence (especially violence against cops), murder, blood, injury, weapons (guns, knives, metal baseball bats)

word count: 2.4k

note: this was originally meant to be a drabble and it’s still pretty short so i didn’t get to elaborate on the characters but honestly maybe i’ll explore a purge universe with ateez someday because this was fun (i’ve never watched any of the movies though so i’ll have to get on that)

“What the fuck?” 

He hadn’t expected to see anyone left alive on this street.

“Shut up and get down,” You hiss, reaching your good arm up to grab onto the man’s jacket collar before unceremoniously pulling him towards you. He stumbles, falling gracelessly onto you. A scream bubbles up in your throat as he accidentally puts pressure onto your already free-bleeding bicep, but you get ahold of yourself just in time, only letting the quietest of wounded moans escape you. 

“You’re the first person that hasn’t tried to kill me before talking to me all night - oh, shit,” The stranger trails off, swearing when you effectively stop him from speaking further by placing your switchblade right under his skin. It’s only then that he even pauses to take you in: your back is up by the police car door, sure, and your left arm has a massive gash in it, but you’re armed. There’s a pistol laying idly in your lap, kept company by a metal baseball bat. 

Not to mention, the knife at his neck. 

“What the hell are you doing, walking around unarmed and with a first aid kit? Also, how the hell are you unarmed and with just a first aid kit? What the fuck?” You let the questions out in a rapidfire fashion, and he can’t help but clock the slight rasp in your voice. It’s easier to recognize than the pained wheeze you’re trying very, very hard to suppress, but neither escape him. He’s trained to notice the little things, anyways. 

“You need to bandage that shit up,” The man ignores your questions, moving his head just enough to miss your blade but also enough to be able to look you in the eyes. “How long has it been bleeding?”

“That’s none of your business,” You grit out. “Answer my questions or I’ll kill you right here and now.”

“If I answer yours, will you answer mine?” For some reason, he doesn’t seem to be panicking just yet. His gaze is sincere, but it’s too solid to be that of a bona fide idiot. You suck in a breath of air. Threatening him would be so much easier if he didn’t seem like a nice guy. It’s hard enough to live through the night, you don’t need guilt on your hands, and you know you’re going to feel guilty when you kill him. And you will kill him.

You need that first aid kit. You’ll do anything for it.

Anything, starting off with lying. 

“Sure,” You reply, steeling yourself for any sudden movements he might make now that you’re faking amicability. Maybe he’ll believe you to be vulnerable and try for your pistol or your bat, or maybe he’ll be properly cruel and finish off your arm. You don’t want to think about it. He lets out a sigh of relief, and you can’t help but wonder if you’ve actually affected him after all. “Now speak.”

“Not unarmed, there’s a police-issue pistol in my jacket and a tactical knife in my jeans. I’m not totally nuts. First aid kit’s for my buddy, though, I’ll be real, you need it way more than him.” There’s something resembling concern in his expression as his eyes flit between your torn arm and your face, but that barely interests you. You haven’t truly registered anything after ‘police-issue’.

You lean in, pressing the edge of your knife against the skin directly above his adam’s apple. For the first time since you’d cornered him, your mystery purger’s breath hitches. His eyebrows draw together in confusion. It’s no matter. You no longer regret the fact that you’ll have to tear his jugular out yourself. 

“You’re a hog, huh,” You stare him down, any sympathy you might’ve had gone. For a moment, it seems as if he has no concept of what you’re saying. A second passes, though, and his gaze clears. 

“Firefighter,” He responds, though the word is garbled due to him attempting to keep his movements to a minimum. You pull back slightly, very slightly, to let him explain. “I… found a dead cop, jacked his pistol. I’ll show you my ID, if you want.” 

“Let me see it.” You nod your head at him as if giving him permission to live a little longer, though you both know full well that identity theft and identity fabrication are legal, too. Might as well see how much effort he puts into a fake. The man waits until you pull back just a bit more, enough to let him slowly reach his hand into his back pocket before producing a lanyard. 

You grab it out of his grip with your hurt arm, not willing to move your knife too far away from his throat. You simply don’t have a good enough read on - you glance down - San Choi, ACT Firefighter, Employee ID: 018-102-4 to allow yourself any leeway with him. 

His gently smiling face stares up at you from the plastic card, protected only by a clear sleeve connected to a red lanyard. San’s photo has black hair and an undercut, styled so his forehead is on display. A pair of dimples makes a guest appearance, and, overall, he seems like a genuinely sweet guy. The ID looks real, too, so maybe you aren’t totally fucked. 

The San under your knife has bleach blond hair that almost falls over his eyes, though you suppose you can’t blame him for skipping out on the hair product tonight. He seems slightly tanner than his photo, his skin beautiful even now as dust from the aftermath of the explosion starts to settle against it. 

Right. The explosion. 

Recalling the events leading up to you meeting San forces you to remember that you have a gaping, bloody gash in your left arm. You’re honestly lucky to be alive, having ducked and used the car you’re against for cover from flying debris after a building down the block had exploded. You’d just finished driving your knife into a cop’s side - third cop of the night, eighth of your career as a purge cop killer - to make sure that he was dead when you’d heard the bomb go off, and you’d dropped before even thinking about it. Something had hit your arm on the way down, and when the adrenaline had finally left your system, you’d taken note of your blood-soaked sleeve. 

You’d closed the car door after that, sealing your third murder of the night in the vehicle just so you could lean up against the door. It had been 6:31 in the morning then, and you had figured that someone would come by and kill you in the last moments before legality ensued again. You’d assumed that you’d fight, of course you would, but your arm being totally fucked definitely put a damper on your belief in your ability to overcome anyone or anything else. 

Instead of the disgruntled, trigger-happy purger you’d expected to eventually find, though, you’d been found by San Choi. San Choi, who’s currently staring at your wounded arm like it’s grown eyes and can stare back. 

“Come on, let me fix it up,” He pleads, lifting the kit up with the hand that’s farther from you. “You might not trust me, or whatever, but the purge is about to end as it is. I have a paramedic friend, Seonghwa, who’s taught me the basics of -”

“Shut the fuck up.” You tell him, though you’re quickly losing your bite. He obeys regardless. God, your arm really, really fucking hurts. Before pulling your knife back, you check the watch on your wrist. 6:47. Stay alive for 13 more minutes, 780 more seconds. You’ll be fine. You take the shakiest breath you’ve ever taken. 

You pull your knife away from him. 

Nothing happens. 

“I’m going to use an alcohol free wipe and then wrap gauze around your arm, okay? You’ll just have to hold out until we can get you to a working hospital after that,” San speaks as if he’s talking to a child, or a scared animal, and you can’t blame him. He doesn’t seem like a purger, but you technically are one. You wouldn’t put it past yourself to attack on a whim if you were him. He, very slowly and with his hands in your full view at all times, opens the kit and pulls out the requisite materials. 

“Gonna need you to rip your sleeve off above the cut.” He continues, leaning back as you bring your knife up to your clothes and slit the cloth right above your wound. You tear the remainder of the sleeve off your arm before throwing it behind you somewhere. San gently grabs ahold of your elbow - his palm is calloused in a way that tells you he lifts regularly, and you’re sure of this as he discards his jacket and you watch the muscles ripple in his arms under his thin black shirt - and places the wipe against your cut. 

Your reaction is instantaneous: now that you’re completely past the adrenaline stage, the feeling of something, anything against the gash has you reeling to cry out. Before you can even process that you’ve made a sound, a hand presses hard against the back of your head, shoving your mouth against San’s. 

He doesn’t know how else to shut you up. 

His lips are chapped, but the sensation of being kissed so suddenly jars you out of your pain. San attempts to pull back, and you can already feel the apologetic wince he’s about to give you, but he brushes over your wound with the wipe again and your pain doubles back. It’s you that pulls him in this time, pressing your lips to his sloppily but forcefully as if it’ll alleviate the burn in your arm. 

Kissing him only slightly muffles you at best, but you no longer care. The purge isn’t over yet. You could both die at any second. Hell, San could kill you at any second. His hand moves from the back of your head to cup your face as he leans in towards you to deepen the kiss. His lips are chapped, yes, but they’re soft. He tastes like mint and copper: there’s a cut in his lower lip. You don’t mind. 

San pulls away for a moment, but only does so to grab the gauze from the kit. Once he’s wrapped it around your arm once, twice, thrice, he leans back in and your mouth accepts his own eagerly, your other hand coming up to drape over his shoulder. Neither of you know why you’re doing this, kissing a stranger with such fervor as one of you bandages the other up, but you both know that there’s really nothing else to do. 

It’s only after he finishes taping you up that the two of you pull away fully. His eyes are still just as kind as you’d thought them to be at first, though his lips are far more swollen than they’d been mere minutes prior. You admire your handiwork, eyes tracing his features as he admires his own, thumb very, very gently running over your gauze. Both of you raise your heads to smile sheepishly at each other at the exact same time.

Three things happen in rapid succession. 

“Good?” San’s voice is barely above a whisper, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. Just as you’re about to speak - 

“San!” A voice, low and hoarse, interrupts you, and you look up to see the barrel of a gun pointed directly at the space between your eyes. You’re frozen in place for a split second before you start reaching for your own pistol. Your fingers brush the grip when - 

The clock strikes seven, and sirens go off all around you, signalling the end of the purge. 

The gun is out of your face. Your hand moves off of your own.

“San,” The owner of the gun pays you no mind, suddenly, his entire focus on San. The gun-owner reaches a hand out, and the firefighter beside you takes it, allowing himself to get pulled up to his feet. “You okay?” 

“Yeah, Yunho, I’m totally good,” San responds, giving the taller man a cat-like grin of reassurance. Yunho’s got a fireman’s helmet on, and you suppose it’s good as protection. He must be a fellow firefighter, then. He’s tall, and though he’d seemed nothing short of severe mere moments ago, he seems softer, kinder now that the purge is over. The transformation is enough to give you whiplash. His right hand is wrapped in bandages, and this catches San’s sight at the same time it catches your own. “What the hell happened to you, though?” 

“That policeman you killed had buddies,” Yunho replies with ease, but you don’t miss San’s wince. Seems like he hadn’t just happened upon that police-issue pistol. You can’t help the small grin that fights to make its way across your face. “They tried to get into the station, we had to fortify ourselves. We’re mostly fine, just that Woo’s lost a finger. He’ll live once he stops whining about it. We were mostly worried about you, honestly, taking fucking forever just to find a first aid kit. Who’s this?”

Yunho moves the topic of conversation over to you so naturally that you barely even realize what has happened before San is reaching a hand out to you to pull you up to a standing position. You grab ahold of your pistol, though you shove the bat off your lap before allowing yourself to be brought up. Without thinking, you practically plaster yourself to San’s side. Now that he’s for sure what he told you he was, and now that you’re no longer in danger of dying, you can’t help but feel inexplicably connected to him even though neither of you know each other. San wraps an arm around your waist naturally, and neither of you miss Yunho’s eyebrow raise. Neither of you acknowledge it, either. 

“This?” San asks rhetorically, turning his head slightly to look at you. He’s smiling again, and you find that you want to see it more often. Maybe you’re experiencing the onset of delirium. You hope not. “This is…” 

“(Name),” You reply, being honest. There’s no need for you to lie. Besides, you owe San answers, right? You stick your uninjured arm out, letting Yunho shake your hand. San’s grip tightens around your waist. 

“I’m (Name).”

[theesteemedladydebourgh]

2021 in review: fanfic writer edition

thank you @missgryffin for tagging me! the past year months (since i started writing fic in August) have been crazy and wonderful, and i can’t wait to dive into 2022!

i’m pretty sure everyone’s done this by now, but if anyone hasn’t, feel free to consider yourself tagged! 🥰

BY THE NUMBERS *as of 12/30/21

words written: 370,993 

words published (AO3): 344,537

# of published one-shots: 2

# of completed multi-chaps: 2

# of one-shots in progress: 1

# of ongoing multi-chaps: 4

# of fic ideas waiting their turn: Oh...14

longest work: Jingle—Holy F*ck (130k+ words)

shortest work: The Last Sad Love Story Ever Told (6,410 words)

most chapters in a fic: 24 (Jingle—Holy F*ck)

highest # of kudos: 481 (Jingle—Holy F*ck)

highest # of hits: 15,454 (Jingle—Holy F*ck)

top 3 fics by kudos: Jingle—Holy F*ck, Good Old Fashioned Love Letters, When We Lost One Another

top 3 fics by hits: Jingle—Holy F*ck, Good Old Fashioned Love Letters, When We Lost One Another

BEHIND THE NUMBERS

most challenging fic to write: When We Lost One Another

fic that came easiest to write: The Tale of You & I

most true-to-the-outline fic: The Tale of You & I stuck exactly to its outline. my most well behaved child.

most unlike-its-outline fic: Jingle—Holy F*ck decided about 1/6 of the way through that it wanted to do something completely insane and i went along with it. (yes, it’s the sequel)

favorite reader freak-out: the fight scene in GOFLL 5, when everyone was screaming ‘James wtf are you doing???!!’

most controversial scene: not necessarily a scene, but basically jily’s entire 2008 breakup in JHF (so james)

hottest ask box topic of the year: people mad at 2008 JHF!James 😂

most loved OC: I think the only two true OCs I’ve written are Olivia and Roger from JHF, so by basis of least-hated...we’ll go Roger

most hated OC: Ms. Olivia Briar has several hit squads out on her currently 👀

favorite things about writing our heroes: getting to explore how these two fell in love. we know that they were in love and extremely compatible, but that’s about it, and it gives us so much creative freedom (and fun!) to explore all the ways it could’ve happened. 

favorite villain to write: I’ve got to say, I do enjoy writing Olivia’s scenes even when they’re super angsty for Lily and James 

favorite marauder to write: obviously the answer to this is James, because i (shockingly) love him to bits. if he’s out of the question since he’s 1/2 of jily, definitely Sirius. He’s just so easy to write with anyone, because he’s always got something to say 

most i've cried while writing a scene: well, the most recently I’ve cried is the ending bit of JHF ch 20, but there’s a scene quite a ways on in my jily Normal People AU to love, softly that just made me sob like a baby while I was writing it.

most i've laughed while writing a scene: all of the GOFLL scenes with Trelawney 😂i had such a fun time writing her chaos.

smuttiest smut scene: JHF Ch 9 (the car scene 👀). I had a moment while writing it where i was just like...wow this is rated E. like, so E.

favorite jily kiss i wrote: ohhh. probably the first kiss from to love, softly. I love this line: “All I know is one second there I stand there, seventeen years old, wearing a yellow sundress and un-kissed by James Potter, and the next second I’ve kissed my best friend.”

hardest trope/thing to write: anything drawn out! which is why i’m so surprised that JHF was super drawn out and long, because normally i like to skip over the waiting to get to the good stuff 😂

easiest trope/thing to write: smut is very easy to write for me, as long as i’m not thinking about it. as soon as i start trying to focus, it just won’t come. i also find love declarations/falling in love so fun and sweet to write.

proudest fic moment: finishing GOFLL, because i’d never finished a fic before and that was huge for me! (also...that i successfully kept The First Time Divorcees Club a secret until the last chapter of JHF)

any fic regrets? i don’t tend to dwell on fics once they’ve been published, because i feel like they’re out in the world and people have read them and i can’t do anything, so best not to panic. i think i might’ve liked if I’d waited to post to love, softly until it was all written because it’s a fic that goes best in one flowing piece and this long break wasn’t in my plan 

2021 fic habits to break: starting a million different things. 

2022 fic habits to make: finish things before i post them! i'm very good at keeping to deadlines once i’ve set them—if I post that something will be coming out on x date or x time i will definitely do it, but it causes me a lot of stress and there was a point towards the middle of JHF where I was midway through exams and i felt so mentally and physically exhausted keeping up with the chapters 😅preferably i’d like to do less of that. 

[dothwrites]

Hey, ummmm..... could we get destiel with “H-how long have you been standing there?”

---

set in a nebulous s5 where Sam has conveniently gone out for drinks. a little nsfw-ish underneath the cut

Dean Winchester’s life doesn’t leave him much room for privacy. The majority of his time is spent in a car which, while roomy compared to most other cars, is still a car when all is said and done. He’s been attached at the hip to his brother for five years now (barring his 40 year Hell vacation, and the less said about that, the better). The motels he frequents have walls thin enough to be classified technically as curtains. 

So whenever Dean gets the opportunity for privacy, he snatches it with open arms. 

Sam begs off that night, saying that he’s going somewhere quiet to research, but there’s a pinched look around the corners of his eyes which means he’s lying. Dean thinks it’s more likely that he’s heading back to the diner to hook up with the cute waitress from lunch. Well, mazel tov, Sammy. Dean’s left with the opportunity to spend the night as he pleases, and that’s not a bad thing. 

(It is undoubtedly a bad thing, but it certainly doesn’t stop him.)

Dean takes a shower. Without Sam banging on the door and whining at him to hurry up, it’s a leisurely affair. He can almost fool himself into thinking that the warm bordering on tepid water is scalding hot and that the motel towels are plush and comfortable. 

He walks back into the room gloriously naked. His nipples pebble in protest at the chill air, but the anticipation warms him enough to keep him comfortable. He can taste it on the tip of his tongue, the potential ripe in the air. As he unzips his duffel bag and starts to paw through the carefully arranged layers, he notices the small shake of his hands. Fuck, but he wants this. 

Dean’s fingers brush against smooth satin, and he pauses before unearthing his treasure. 

He lays the panties out against the comforter, allowing himself a moment to splendor in them. Against the dark paisley of the motel comforter, the soft pink color stands out, along with the soft white lace ringing the waist and leg holes. Tiny bows circle the waistband, delicate and delightful. The panties are large, the elastic at the thighs slightly stretched from use. He’s held onto this pair for years, kept them carefully tucked away in an old flannel shirt that he never wears. They’ve been kept a secret from Dad and Sam (if Sam came across them while Dean was in Hell, then he’s never said anything). They’re his naughty hobby, his filthy habit, his little kink that he just can’t manage to kick. It’s only in the increasingly rare moments of solitude that he can indulge himself. 

Tiny shivers chase across Dean’s body as he takes the panties in hand and bends over. There’s something deliciously vulnerable about the curve of his spine as he lifts first one foot, then the other. The fine hairs on his calves and thighs stand in salute as the satin fabric sweeps over them, almost like they’re craving the touch as badly as Dean himself. He drags the panties up to his crotch, adjusting the fit of them over his interested cock. By the time he tweaks the elastic around his hips, the shivers have increased, shaking through his body, down to his tingling fingertips. When he looks at himself in the mirror, he already looks wrecked, his eyes wide and pupils blown, his lips pink and swollen from having bitten them. A pink flush spreads across his skin, just a few shades darker than the panties. 

Dean closes his eyes and thumbs over the lace. The callouses on his thumb catch on the delicate fabric, and he has to remind himself to take this slow and savor it. Sam won’t be back for a few hours at most; if both Winchesters get lucky, then they might stretch that to the whole night. He has time to explore and reacquaint himself with this territory. 

He traces his fingers over the swiftly growing bulge in the panties before rubbing the fabric against his skin. Electricity jolts through his veins at the smooth friction, and, almost against his will, a tiny moan falls from his lips. 

Dean opens his eyes, ready to watch himself come undone, and looks into two dizzying pools of blue. 

He falls backwards with a shout, luckily landing on the bed behind him. His legs are parted in an ungainly sprawl, and he regains enough presence of mind to snap his knees shut, hiding the worst of himself. He curls protectively over his crotch, but at least retains enough dignity not to pull the blankets over his lap as he looks at Castiel. 

“H-how long have you been standing there?” 

Despite his anger, the question still comes out stuttered. Dean silently curses as heat, unrelated to arousal, floods his cheeks. Castiel tilts his head, blinking, while he considers the question. 

“Not long,” he answers, in that low smoke and whiskey voice that never ceases to make a slow curl of interest crowd in the pit of Dean’s belly. Too wide blue eyes flick down towards Dean’s lap. “Long enough.” 

Dean’s dick, traitor that it is, twitches. Dean curls his fingers into fists and thinks of all the grossest things in the world to make his half-chub go away, but underneath Castiel’s watchful gaze, it’s useless. 

Castiel, meanwhile, stands at the foot of the bed. He either looks supremely uncomfortable or entirely at ease. It’s hard to tell the difference. Either way, the sense of other still hangs on him, tied to his eyes, his hair, his hands, and the coat he wears like armor. Even though he’s become closer and more familiar, Dean can’t ever erase the sense of not human not human that screams at him whenever he looks at Castiel. Something about the way Cas moves, or turns his head, or stares, reminds Dean that he’s looking at an ageless being shifting underneath a human skin. 

The thought should be a little more disquieting than it is. 

“I thought I would find Sam here,” Cas says, craning his head to look past Dean, as though he thinks Sam might be hiding behind the bed. 

“Sam’s out for the night,” Dean says, a little shortly, because, well hell. It’s not like he really wants to talk about the pink satin elephant in the room, but it’s a little insulting that Cas just seemed to skip right over it. “You think I’d walk around like this if he was here?”

Cas’ eyes travel over Dean’s form, slower than before. “Your undergarments?” he finally asks, and fuck, that shouldn’t be as sexy as it sounds. “I did notice that they were different than your usual, but you seemed embarrassed by them, so I didn’t mention it.” 

Oh. Cas wasn’t oblivious, he was just being...tactful.

For a wild moment, Dean wonders if he’s talking with a shapeshifter, but then Cas looks at him, and he immediately dismisses the thought. No shapeshifter could have eyes that fathomless. 

It’s not like Dean hasn’t thought about it. He’s thought about Castiel, maybe more than he should have, considering that Castiel is an Angel of the Lord, and he’s a high school dropout with $6, a handful of stolen credit cards, and one (probably) expired condom in his wallet. But even though Castiel is of the stuff that grubby little grasping gremlins like Dean can only dream of, Dean’s dreamt. He’s wondered how those chapped lips would feel against his, how those huge hands would span acres of his skin, how Cas’ stubble would scrape against his thighs, how he could bury his fingers in Cas’ hair. He’s thought, in his wildest and most unhinged moments, of how Cas would react to him in the sight of his panties, laid out before him like a feast. 

Judging by the wild look in Cas’ eyes, if he hasn’t thought about it before, he sure as hell is thinking about it now. 

Cas stalks forward. He moves like a tornado tearing through the Kansas plains. He moves like the ocean, which would make the Dean the moon, caught in his relentless tide. Or is the other way around? He doesn’t know, and he can’t muster the wherewithal to really ask, not when Cas is dropping to his knees in front of him, thumbs pressing gently against the knobs of Dean’s knees. 

“Show me,” Castiel asks, and Dean could no more refuse him than he could refuse the tug of the waves. He parts his legs, revealing all of himself to Cas’ stormy blue gaze, and lets himself slip under. 

[wwitbeyondmeasure]

Summer at the Burrow / r.w. fan fiction

Previous Chapters

Introduction / Author’s Note / Chapter 1: The Journey to The Burrow / Chapter 2: Hidden Letters / Chapter 3: Ron’s Return / Chapter 4: Nighttime Conversations / Chapter 5: A Morning Surprise / Chapter 6: The Quidditch Match / Chapter 7: Girl Talk / Chapter 8: Aphrodite’s Push / Chapter 9: Mistakes and Love Potions / Chapter 10: You Would Be Fine / Chapter 11: Spell It Out

Chapter 12: Long Overdue

Author’s Note: okay i know the gif is romione but just pretend it’s y/n okay? okay! enjoy this chapter!

This was it, you thought.

Ron was towering over you, his hands cradling your face so gently it was as if you were the most precious thing in the world to him. He licked his lips slowly, seductively, and leaned even closer. Now your lips were almost touching. If you would lean forward just the slightest inch, you would be kissing. But instead of doing that, you waited, your heart in your throat and your knees weak, for his next words.

These next words, you thought, are going to change everything. What he says next will be years worth of pent up desire and longing and finally he was going to tell you he loved-

"Nice dress," he whispered.

You remained still, stunned.

Ron broke out into boyish laughter.

"Ronald!" you yelled, slapping his chest with the palm of your hand.

"Are you kidding me?" you demanded, equally hurt and embarrassed while also trying to suppress a laugh. This was him complimenting your cheesy shorts instead of kissing you in his room all over again.

Ron laughed a little more, before turning back to you and almost closing the gap. Almost closing it completely, but not quite.

"What were you expecting me to say, y/n?" he asked, his voice dropping an octave lower as his eyes searched yours. The atmosphere between your bodies quickly changed to something more serious.

You shrugged. "Dunno, something a bit more romantic than that," you replied.

Ron put his fingers up to his chin and pretended to think. He was back to his goofy self and no matter how annoyed you were with his antics, you still found yourself madly in love with him, faults and all.

"Alright," he said, drawing out the word. "How about this?" His hand dropped from his chin to your waist, pulling your body flesh against him. Your heart skipped a beat and you knew that if he kept this teasing up, you were going to have a heart attack.

"Would you have wanted me to say that I've dreamt about holding you every night since we danced together at the Yule Ball? That every time I see you with Bill I get crazy jealous because I wish you would want me as much as you wanted him?"

He looked like he had more to say so you stayed silent as he kept saying those words that made your heart melt.

"Or would you rather me have told you that every single time we took walks around the Great Lake together back at Hogwarts, I thought about kissing you? Every damn time. Would you have wanted me to tell you that I keep every single one of your letters in a box under my bed because  I miss you so fucking much in the summer that they are the only things that get me through?" he said, a little breathless, cheeks pink, and looking more vulnerable than you've ever seen him.

"Would you have wanted me to tell you how desperately I'm in love with you?" he finished.

It was dead silent between you, the only sounds the distant fireworks in the sky. Their vibrant colors reflected onto Ron's skin, his face turning shades of blue and red as the fireworks erupted. In that moment, he was the most breathtaking thing you have ever seen.

"Yeah, I probably would have wanted something like that," you joked quietly, flashing him a small grin. He returned it.

"C'mere," he mumbled, lifting your chin with his fingers as he finally closed the distance between you.

Even despite the fireworks exploding in the night sky, you could have sworn sparks were flying.

You had been dreaming about this kiss for the longest time, and it was already exceeding your expectations. His lips were soft against yours, but his rhythm was passionate. As soon as you connected, he had parted his lips, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Your lips molded to his and parted as well. He pushed your back up against the tree, kissing you harder, more passionately. Standing on your tiptoes to wrap your arms around his neck, Merlin he was taller than you remembered, you pulled him in closer. He responded immedietly, tender hands finding their way to your hips and squeezing lightly. And you continued like that, mouths connected, hands roaming, finally sharing the kiss that you had both been wanting for years.

You don't know how much time had passed, it could have been 5 minutes, or perhaps an hour, but at some point you had to come up for breath. Pulling away from him, you leaned your head back against the wood of the oak tree as you caught your breath. Your knees were so weak from the kiss that the only thing keeping you standing up was Ron's strong arms holding you in place.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," Ron whispered, breathing heavy.

Giggling, you replied, "Probably not as long as I've wanted to."

He leaned down next to your face and pressed a light kiss to your cheek. "I seriously doubt that," he mumbled against your skin.

The fireworks continued filling the sky as you stood with Ron under the oak tree, leaning against one another like you were the only people in the world.

"Y/n," he said, lifting his head to look you in the eyes. "I'm sorry that I've hurt you, I'm an idiot sometimes."

Laughingly lightly, you nodded your head. "Yeah, you are." He laughed too, kissing your forehead. Despite how happy and full of love you were in that moment, a question still nagged in the back of your brain like a parasite.

"Ron, why did you say what happened in your room was a mistake?" you asked, trying to keep your voice steady but the words ended up quivering anyways.

He shook his head, trying to find the correct words.

"I didn't mean that you and I, us, was the mistake. I meant it was a mistake for me to act like that when I was drugged up on Love Potion. I wanted our first kiss to be romantic, I guess, and in that moment I wasn't thinking clearly enough to tell you how I felt. I wanted you to know I loved you before we ever had our first kiss."

You were taken aback by his words. Ron had always come off as a goofy and silly guy, you never knew he had this romantic side to him. This only made you fall deeper in love as you grabbed his face, dragging him down to meet your lips again.

The second kiss was just as magical as the first, gentle yet passionate and as soon as it was over you couldn't help wanting more .

When the kiss ended, you stayed wrapped in each other's arms.

"So what do you say," he said, biting his bottom lip and swaying you slightly by the hips.

"What do you mean?" you asked, melting into his touch.

"Do you love me back?"

Now it was your turn to mess with him, just like he did with you.

"Hmm, I don't know, I'll have to think about that one," you said, your voice sing-songy as you grinned at him.

Ron rolled his eyes and brought you back in for a another breathtaking kiss. When you broke apart, he looked at you again, the question still in his eyes.

You nodded, pulling him closer, your lips ghosting over his.

"I love you, Ron, I always have," you whispered against his lips. The smile that spread across his face made every single emotion of this rollercoaster of a summer worth it. He kissed you again. By the end of the summer, your lips were going to be so swollen and chapped but you couldn't really bring it upon yourself to care.

As the kiss deepened, Ron's hands squeezed your hips again and you moaned in his mouth before you could think of stopping yourself. He froze immediately, and you winced, wishing you hadn't been so eager so soon.

He didn't miss a beat. "My room, tonight?" he whispered, holding you closer against him. So maybe he was equally as eager as you were...

You nodded, before replying, "Your bed is always open to me, right?"

He grinned, kissing you in response.

Your brain was so full of Ron and his lips and his hands that you forgot there was a party going on behind you. The fireworks had stopped a while ago and neither of you had even noticed.

But you noticed now when you heard loud, boisterous cheering. You and Ron froze as you looked towards the sound of the noise. From across the garden, Fred and George were jumping up and down, cheering, and high-fiving one another. Next to them stood Harry and Hermione who were both grinning.

"Bloody FINALLY!" Ginny shouted at you. Her shout brought the attention of Mr and Mrs Weasley to you and Ron. Mr Weasley gave his son a thumbs up while Mrs Weasley gave you a loving smile.

"We're never going to hear the end of this, are we?" he asked you.

Smiling, you replied, "not likely."

Ron grinned as the two of you walked back towards the crowd, hand in hand.

[up-in-space-reading]

Average Weekly Screentime - Chap 1: Let's Make a Bet

pairing: Jake Peralta x Amy Santiago

word count: 2472

warnings/tags: college au, texting, drunk texting, text fic (mostly, there's prose a few chaps in), bets, bisexual!jake peralta, jake peralta has adhd, parties, drinking and alcohol, sexual references, implied sexual content (nothing explicit, just suggested its going to happen/has happened), friends to lovers, swearing, mentions of cannibalism, lighthearted threats of violence (typical rosa stuff yk), fluff

read on ao3

Average Weekly Screentime masterlist

Story Summary: texting fic college AU with the squad! It's the beginning of the school year and while everyone else thinks it'll be the same as the previous year, Gina has a feeling things are going to be different and wagers a bet with Rosa and Charles. Told through all the various group chats everyone is in.

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

authors note: So I attempted writing a text fic for another fandom i used to write for buuut abandonded it when i left the fandom. But i wanted to give it another go!! I think it helps me be a bit more creative, and I had some content that I hated going unused. I've tried to make everyones nicknames and stuff in group chats obvious so you don't get too confused who is who but I do have a "key" written out in my notes I can include if you need, just comment and lmk!!

Jimmy Jabbers

[9:05am, Monday]

Four Eyes: Jake has fallen asleep in class, bets on how long until he wakes up?

Queen G: The whole class

Mr Grapes: 30 minutes

RoRo: Professor?

Four Eyes: Wunch

RoRo: She’s gonna wake him up in 12 mins

Four Eyes: Will keep you updated

-

[9:17am, Monday]

Four Eyes: Rosa you terrify me

RoRo: I know RoRo: what do I get for winning?

Four Eyes: I’ll make Jake give you $10

Vic Kovac: not happening

RoRo: you say that now RoRo: but you will give me my money

Vic Kovac: is anyone else feeling threatened

-

Skipping School Is(n’t) Cool

[11:37pm, Wednesday]

Ferris: hey santiago Ferris: i have a super important question Ferris: how did fountains work way back in time Ferris: or did they not have fountains and fountains r a recent thing Ferris: has media ruined my perception of fountains

Cameron: You do know that google exists?

Ferris: i wanted to ask u first bc ur smart

Cameron: Jake, I’m working on our essay that’s due in two weeks, google it yourself please

Ferris: ur so boring

-

[11:59pm, Wednesday]

Ferris: it was gravity Ferris: gravity made the fountains Ferris: fountains are like SUPER old

Cameron: Yeah that makes sense Cameron: Now please let me go to sleep

Ferris: goodnight!!!!!!!!!

-

Jimmy Jabbers

[8:43pm, Thursday]

Queen G: okay losers gather around Queen G: we are partying this weekend, no arguments Queen G: its happening and EVERYONE will be participating

Vic Kovac: YES G LETS GO Vic Kovac: whats the plan?

Queen G: one of terrys housemates was thinking of having a party and terry said he can persuade him to have one

Mr Grapes: oohh a party! I’ve been wanting to take my new slacks for a test run

RoRo: @vic kovac how bad are the slacks?

Vic Kovac: so awful

Mr Grapes: you guys hate my style! Its not fair :(

Queen G: because Charles the clothes you wear make you look like a background extra of a movie set in an office but not a new york office more like a used car salesman office in ohio

Mr Grapes: message received loud and clear :(

Four Eyes: Count me in for the party!

-

Skipping School Is(n’t) Cool

[8:47pm, Thursday]

Ferris: YOU are gonna go to the party?

Cameron: You’re acting like I never go to parties

Ferris: just surprised is all

Cameron: You’re weird

-

Dance Squad

[9:02pm, Thursday]

G-Hive: okay we need to start a bet NOW

Charlese: what are we betting about??

G-Hive: it’s the beginning of the school year, the two of them seem different this year G-Hive: i think this might be the year! G-Hive: rosa, u in?

Scary: of course I am, dumb bets are my specialty

Charlese: I’m in!!!

G-Hive: ok, start date is today, place ur bets now and u can change them until the clock strikes midnight tonight G-Hive: after that they are locked in

-

Bi Besties

[9:06pm, Thursday]

Dagger: what r ur feelings towards amy?

El Baboso: she’s my friend El Baboso: why r u asking??

Dagger: dont worry about it

-

Dance Squad

[9:07pm, Thursday]

Scary: three and a half weeks after we get back from winter break

G-Hive: weirdly specific i like it

Charlese: in three months

G-Hive: awful guess but sure G-Hive: im gonna go with a month before the school year ends

Scary: fair enough

G-Hive: okay im writing all the dates down in my notes G-Hive: remember u have until midnight to change G-Hive: how much is everyone putting in the pool?

Charlese: $50 – feeling confident

Scary: you shouldn’t beScary: I can match that

G-Hive: same G-Hive: its gonna be an interesting school year babes

-

Jimmy Jabbers

[4:36pm, Friday]

Queen G: party at terry’s tomorrow is ON! Queen G: he said “BYO booze, I’m not made of money” Queen G: hes my fave

Vic Kovac: as ur childhood best friend i resent that statement

Queen G: i said what i said

Vic Kovac: ill find a new bestie

Queen G: you do that pineapples

Four Eyes: HA pineapples

RoRo: pineapples lol

*Jake Peralta has left the group chat*

-

Skipping School Is(n’t) Cool

[4:38pm, Friday]

Ferris: amy add me back pls

Cameron: I’ll think about it

Ferris: pllllleeeeeaaaaassssseeeeeee

-

Jimmy Jabbers

[4:39pm, Friday]

*Four Eyes added Jake Peralta to the group chat*

*Four Eyes changed Jake Peralta’s nickname to Pineapples*

Pineapples: im gonna find better friends

-

Queens, Legends, Icons

[3:13pm, Saturday]

Ginaa: babe what r u wearing tonite????

Rosie: what i usually wear

Ginaa: so real of u

-

Jimmy Jabbers

[9:27pm, Saturday]

Pineapples: charles and i on our way!!!!!

Four Eyes: Rosa, Gina, and I will be leaving as soon as Gina is satisfied with her hair

-

[10:46pm, Saturday]

Four Eyes: LOUNG ROM NOOW Four Eyes: JAKE ON TABLE

-

[11:22pm, Saturday]

Queen G: i can’t find rosie Queen G: has anyone seen rosa

RoRo: in the bathroom RoRo: DONT COME FIND ME

-

[12:34am, Sunday]

Pineapples: me and charle takin amyyy home

Four Eyes: one more daaance

RoRo: freaks

Pineapples: NOT LIKE THAT ROSA

-

[10:04am, Sunday]

Four Eyes: I want to die

Mr Grapes: seconded

Pineapples: thirded

RoRo: gina and i are getting brunch in 20

Pineapples: count me in

Four Eyes: Me too

Mr Grapes: me three

-

Skipping School Is(n’t) Cool

[3:15pm, Sunday]

Ferris: ik ur embarrassed but drunk amy was kinda fun ngl

Cameron: As bad as I feel today I will admit that I did have fun

Ferris: in a few weeks when u forget how bad u felt we shall do it again!

Cameron: Whatever you say haha

-

Jimmy Jabbers

[1:37pm, Wednesday]

Queen G: this class is KILLING me Queen G: someone entertain me pls

Pineapples: ok so if human skin is like pig skin would u be able to make pork crackling but like with human

RoRo: probably if u prepared it properly

Four Eyes: You most probably could. Part of me would want to say that human skin would react to being in an oven differently, but I think if you just used a part of the body most similar to a pork roast it would be fine. Pat dry, oil and salt, all good to cook. The only issue would be knowing how long to cook it for and what temperature so that it does crackle

Pineapples: jesus christ amy…

Queen G: amy i think i just gained a bit of respect for u

RoRo: me too

-

Skipping School Is(n’t) Cool

[2:55pm, Thursday]

Ferris: im SO bored rn

Cameron: Focusing on the class is usually a good way to cure boredom

Ferris: i tried Ferris: its not happening

Cameron: You’re distracting me

Ferris: come ooonnn we both know u already know the lesson plan

Cameron: That’s not the point

Ferris: stop replying to me then

Cameron: If I don’t reply you’ll just continue to bug me

Ferris: i believe that is what they call a rock and a hard place Ferris: check mate to me Ferris: always get what i want Ferris: do u think holt will get mad if he sees me texting Ferris: probs will Ferris: worth it tbh Ferris: im hungrryyy

Cameron: I’m going to kill you

Ferris: amy pls, get in line behind rosa

-

Jimmy Jabbers

[7:23pm, Saturday]

Four Eyes: Need movie suggestions, please

Pineapples: mamma mia

Queen G: the mummy Queen G: Brendan Frasier is way too fine to pass up

RoRo: Somethings Gotta Give

Mr Grapes: Dirty Dancing

Four Eyes: Hm okay Four Eyes: No documentaries?

Queen G: NO

Pineapples: n o

RoRo: no

Mr Grapes: Blackfish?

Four Eyes: That’s a bummer Charles…

Mr Grapes: YOU WANTED A DOCUMENTARY!!

-

Skipping School Is(n’t) Cool

[7:30pm, Saturday]

Cameron: I decided on Mamma Mia, thought you’d like to know

Ferris: i knew u were smart

-

Bi Besties

[6:45pm, Tuesday]

El Baboso: do u have the notes from yesterdays lecture?

Dagger: yeah, why?

El Baboso: can i borrow them? El Baboso: i lost mine

Dagger: no, u never returned the last notes i let u “borrow”

El Baboso: :(

-

Skipping School Is(n’t) Cool

[6:47pm, Tuesday]

Ferris: amy Ferris: ameesss Ferris: ur my bestie right

Cameron: What do you want, Jake?

Ferris: can i borrow ur notes from holts class yesterday Ferris: PLEASE

Cameron: Yes you can

Ferris: THANK U SM AMY I’LL GIVE THEM BACK ASAP

Cameron: Don’t worry about it, I made an extra copy of mine after class when I noticed you hadn’t taken any notes

Ferris: this is why we r friends

Cameron: So you can steal my notes?

Ferris: uuhhhh

-

Sleuth Sisters

[6:50pm, Tuesday]

Rosa: cant believe u gave jake ur notes

Amy: I keep hoping that if he has all the material then he might try and study more

Rosa: optimistic

Amy: I know..

-

Jimmy Jabbers

[9:32pm, Wednesday]

Queen G: a girl in my class just text me that theres a party happening this Friday at her friends place Queen G: which one of u bitches is in

Pineapples: obviously im in!

RoRo: feel like even if i said no i’d be forced to go

Mr Grapes: who’s gonna be there?

Queen G: definitely NOT the professor you have a weird crush on Queen G: just say yes

Mr Grapes: i don’t have a crush on her…

Four Eyes: I can’t do Friday, sorry. Have fun though!

Pineapples: amy pls just forget your study schedule for ONE night

Four Eyes: I’ll think about it, but no promises

-

Skipping School Is(n’t) Cool

[10:03pm, Friday]

Ferris: i knew u would come

Cameron: Shut up and bring me a drink, if I’m going to miss studying then I at least want to make it worth it

Ferris: 3 drink amy coming right up!

-

[10:42pm, Friday]

Cameron: rosa just gave me SHOTS

Ferris: GET IT GIRL

Cameron: you’re weird lol

-

[11:14pm, Friday]

Cameron: JAKE COME DANCE WITH US

Ferris: COMING

-

Jimmy Jabbers

[01:11am, Saturday]

RoRo: anyone seen amy?

Mr Grapes: ive lost jake too

-

[01:20am, Saturday]

Pineapples: amy threw up in the garden Pineapples: taking her back home in an uber

RoRo: k

-

[11:24am, Saturday]

Four Eyes: Can’t begin to explain how terrible I feel right now..

Pineapples: im not surprised based on how u were when i took u home

RoRo: drink some coffee and you’ll be fine

Four Eyes: Don’t even talk to me about food or drinks unless its water or plain toast

-

Skipping School Is(n’t) Cool

[11:27am, Saturday]

Ferris: sorry u feel crap today

Cameron: I knew what I was signing up for when Rosa handed me the tequila shots

Ferris: if its any consolation i just remembered i have an essay due on monday that i havent done yet

Cameron: If you need help let me know

Ferris: dont make promises u will regret santiago

-

DDC

[01:07pm, Saturday]

G: what was with u taking amy home last night???

Jacob: nothing was with it Jacob: shes my friend and i helped her Jacob: id do the same for u or charles or rosa

G: hmm okay G: ill accept that G: for now

Jacob: despite being friends with everyone im friends with ur still at the top of the weird list

G: thank you sm <3

-

Jimmy Jabbers

[08:27pm, Wednesday]

Pineapples: guys im so booorreeddd Pineapples: someone talk to meeee

Queen G: we could play a game?

Pineapples: like what???

Queen G: ive been saving this screenshot for a rainy day Queen G: what movie is this, wrong answers only Queen G: 1 image attachment – screenshot of movie review which says “These two fuck like they’re gremlins in a rainstorm”

Pineapples: Home Alone surely

Four Eyes: Point Break

Mr Grapes: Dumb and Dumber

Queen G: @four eyes point break isn’t a documentary, you know that right?

Four Eyes: I don’t just watch documentaries, Gina

RoRo: Saw

Pineapples: do i wanna know who in saw ur talking about

RoRo: no you don’t

-

[10:07pm, Wednesday]

Pineapples: how long has the concept of whiteness been around

Four Eyes: For the love of God…

Mr Grapes: this feels like a conversation I should stay out of

RoRo: take a guess or google dumbass

Pineapples: b* idk like 12 AD

RoRo: don’t hide it under your little asterisks Peralta, call me a bitch like a man so I can slap you like a woman

Pineapples: if my dead body is found tomorrow use this gc as evidence

-

Skipping School Is(n’t) Cool

[05:03pm, Friday]

Ferris: dark academia has been done to death

Cameron: Yeah?

Ferris: its time for stripper academia

Cameron: Is this you trying to tell me you want to open up a strip club cross with a library?

Ferris: amy ur a genius!!!

Cameron: Oh god no…

-

Bi Besties

[02:42pm, Tuesday]

El Baboso: would u rather meet a ghost or a vampire??

Dagger: why??

El Baboso: im curious El Baboso: also ur a deeply unreasonable and angry person so i wanna know ur answer

Dagger: that checks out Dagger: now go away

-

DDC

[02:45pm, Tuesday]

Jacob: would u rather meet a ghost or a vampire?

G: vampire obvs

Jacob: good answer

G: i know

-

Skipping School Is(n’t) Cool

[02:46pm, Tuesday]

Ferris: would u rather meet a ghost or a vampire?

Cameron: I’m not sure, I’ve never thought about it

Ferris: well nows the time

Cameron: Maybe a ghost, they couldn’t really do anything to hurt me unlike a vampire

Ferris: what if the vampire is very sexy

Cameron: That does change things

-

The Night Boys

[02:50pm, Tuesday]

Deathblade: charles Deathblade: would u rather meet a ghost or a vampire??

Sidewinder: ghost

Deathblade: what if the vampire was sexy?

Sidewinder: if I get bitten by a vampire then I can’t eat food ever again, only blood Sidewinder: no vampire is sexy enough to make me give up food

Deathblade: fair enough buddy

-

Jimmy Jabbers

[02:53pm, Tuesday]

Four Eyes: Who else has been asked about ghosts and vampires by Jake today?

RoRo: me

Queen G: me

Mr Grapes: me

Pineapples: you weren’t supposed to talk to each other about it!! Pineapples: you have ruined my important data collection

Four Eyes: What data??

Pineapples: … Pineapples: which of you could be swayed by a vampire

-

Jimmy Jabbers

[11:12pm, Saturday]

Pineapples: just thinking about if the hudson flooded

RoRo: what would you do about it?

Pineapples: get a big straw

Queen G: girl what

-

Skipping School Is(n’t) Cool

[11:14pm, Saturday]

Cameron: You alright, Jake?

Ferris: yeah Ferris: why?

Cameron: You’ve just seemed a little all over the place this week

Ferris: ah right Ferris: yeah idk just been a bad brain week i guess

Cameron: Fair enough. If you need anything I’m here :)

Ferris: thanks amy

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

authors note: Thanks for reading, i love u <3

[sashaarielle]

Walks: Across the river, chap. 1

check my masterlist for the other chapters!

Mom and I live in a two story house on Crossing avenue and we live right in front of some hiking trails and a river. The river is right in the middle and goes all the way across town and keeps going. I always wondered where it ends and where it begins.

...

 Right now I'm in my room laying on my bed reading a book for some school project. As I'm reading I broke out of thought when I heard someone calling my name. “Forest, come down here and take Cooper for a walk and i'm leaving in about an hour for the airport and I want to tell you some things I need done while I'm gone!” 

 I groan and roll out of bed, Moms a real estate agent who travels around all of Oregon. She works hard for the both of us. I wish she was home more. It gets quite lonely here by myself.

 I go downstairs to see my mom rushing around and getting a last minute dinner ready before she leaves. “Mom, I know how to cook, you don't have to make something every time you leave” I say while putting Coopers leash on “I know honey but I want too, leaving you is hard enough. I wish I could be home more for you. Sadly these people want to buy this house and it could be a big opportunity for me, for us.” I sigh and put my headphones on. She makes a decent amount of money, but she’s been working extra hard so she can put me through college someday. I feel bad knowing that she has to work to provide so much for us. I offered to help and get a job but she wants me to stay focused on school and live that high school experience. She used to tell me all about her days in high school because that’s where her and dad met. They were high school sweethearts. I understand that she needs go, but I feel like a lot of her stress is about me and how its harder without dad. 

“when are you leaving?”

“I'll be leaving around 6 so I'll finish this dinner and then my Uber will be here”. 

As I'm getting my shoes on for the walk she's telling me a list of things to do while she's gone such as making sure I feed the dog and going grocery shopping while she's gone. When she's gone I usually go out with my friends a lot and stay at school for extra studying. I enjoy staying home by myself. But it’s  lonely sometimes.  

 She hugs me a nice tight hug that gives off love and emotion. I hug her back and give a last goodbye before walking out the door. Cooper pulled me towards the trails right near the river and we were off on our little adventure even though we've been walking this trail for a while now. We moved into that house about 4 years ago so Cooper knows his way around. As I'm walking I start to think about high school and what comes after. Im 17 and I don't really know what I want to be yet. I spend half my nights studying for tests that don't even matter. Teachers put us through so much. like they need to chill.

 As I continue walking. I see a guy up ahead across the river. 

he’s skipping rocks?

 Brown hair, tall like tall, tall, i'm 5’5 but trust me he's tall. He's skipping rocks into the river but he looks up and we make eye contact. I look away instantly and continue to walk not even glances at him. 

 “Hey! You!” 

Of. course. he has to say something.

I stop and turn to him, he has a smile on his face. “Hi? Sorry I didn't mean to stare. its just I've never seen you before” I say. he gives me another smile and says “ It’s alright I take it as a complement for a pretty girl to stare at me. So what's your name, stranger?” 

 “And why would I tell you my name? seems kinda creepy..” I say I mean come on forest he can't do anything with a name he's on the other side he can't get you. whatever fuck it.

but before I could tell him he goes first. “ I'm Levi Nott , I just moved in, I have a dog named Luna and I'm an only child, and I start school at Rose-mont on Monday. there we aren't strangers anymore!” he yelled back at me.

  Wow, Rose-mont? the rich all boys school? I look at him thinking whether or not to answer him. Maybe ill have some fun with this.

so as the sweet girl I am. I don't tell him my name. 

 “Thats nice, nice to meet you and welcome to Windbrook, I have to get going now!” and I put my headphones back on and started walking. “Wait! Wait, come back, I didn't get your name!” he started walking along the river with me. “

Maybe next time! I have to go, things to do, people to see” And I start my way back to my house. I get home with Cooper trailing behind me and I see that moms Uber was here I run and give her another bone crushing hug.

 Once she leaves, the house is still. It's Just Cooper and I

...

Thank you all for reading the first chapter of my new book! Please check my masterlist for updates. 

[eleanor-devil]

Boruto: Sacrifices [Remade] | Chap.13 - What Matters Most

Written by: Eleanor-Devil & @mirage-05​​

Prologue | Chap.1 | Chap.2 | Chap.3 | Chap.4 | Chap.5 | Chap.6 | Chap.7 | Chap.8 | Chap.9 | Chap. 10 | Chap.11 | Chap.12 | Chap.13 - You’re here

The chill of the earliest hours of the day were gaining upon them as the large group made its way through the woods, as discreetly as possible. But no chill could've rivaled the one that was growing in Sasame's heart at that moment. She couldn't help the way in which her thoughts kept drifting to her husband. It had been twenty years since she had known Hideyoshi, they had met briefly before she left for her mission to find her cousin. He had always been honest, caring... Especially for those younger than him. And he had always been a man of honor... That was the trademark of the Oberatsu after all, their penchant for honor... Why would he attack a child? Was it possible... that she didn't get to know him at all...? "Mama?" The voice of her eldest, Kazuhiro, was enough to snap her out of it. The young boy was looking at her through worried dark brown irises. Sasame's sad eyes took a softer look. "Kazuhiro..." (1) "Are we... going to see my dad again...?" That was the question she had feared. The orange haired kunoichi closed her eyes for a moment as memories flooded her mind...

[Flashback] "I am begging you, you mustn't go!" The woman's eyes showed nothing but desperation as she watched her husband packing his weapons. The arrows, his small bow... And the truth that she could do nothing to stop him made her heart ache, so much so that it was almost unbearable... "This is a great honor. You should understand..." "What is a great honor?" Sasame almost cried out. "To build a village from the ashes of another? Where is the honor in that?" "Our village was destroyed, shunned, cursed... All because of that one cursed ninja who was pardoned for his crimes while we stayed aloof, fending for ourselves - barely..." "And blaming everyone else but ourselves for it!" the woman yelled. "We couldn't form a unity because each one of the clans are too egoistic to put personal matters aside and name a leader for the prosperity of Otogakure! Why should we go wage war on an innocent nation because of this?! Why can't we make allies out of them instead of enemies?!" "No, we suffer because of Orochimaru!" Hideyoshi spat, spinning around to look at her. "And if disrupting his peace meant attacking his former village, so be it! What did that so-called peace treaty bring upon us?! Otogakure was cast aside as if a useless doll - no one gave us a second thought!" "No one has to. We could solve all of our problems ourselves if we had enough backbone and a clever and selfless enough leader!" "That's enough." The man's voice was cold and hard. "You ordered Fuma out of this mission but the others all agreed to it." "And your leader hand-picked you and brainwashed you enough to repeat his own words to me. You can fool anyone but me - your heart is not entirely in this mission, either." Hideyoshi only avoided her gaze for a second, but when he looked back at her, his gaze was determined. "I know where my loyalties lie. Oto will be reformed, brought to glory. If it was to be on the blood of your friend, the Hokage..." His words were like a knife through her heart. "...so be it." Regaining her composure, Sasame straightened her back, her gaze and voice just as cold. "If you get out now... You can't come back as Fuma Sasame's husband." Hideyoshi stopped dead in his tracks as he reached to get out of the tent, and turned to look at her with sad, almost heart-broken eyes... And for a moment, Sasame couldn't even breathe as guilt and sadness washed upon her... [End of Flashback] Sasame opened her eyes with a tear, and saw Kazuhiro was still gazing at her carefully. "Mama..." "Kazuhiro, you have an important mission from now on." she mused softly, looking at the boy with a broken smile. "You are gonna have to take care of your brother and sister..." "He is not coming back..." the young boy stated, not as a question, just as a means of voicing the simple truth. "I'm afraid not, my dear child..." Sasame tried to control the trembling in her voice. "So you will be the one to fill his void... The best as you can..." As he nodded grimly, the woman was wondering how she was ever going to fill the void in her heart... ... The young woman knelt before the other two, who were finishing their preparations. "God dammit! They are here! There are twelve Konoha ninjas out there!" Hearing that, Suzume's heart skipped a beat, her eyes widening. That was what she had feared - although now to think of it, most likely what the Yoshida and the other clans planned when they left her with this punishment. She was a disgrace... If she could manage to go back unscathed, she would be allowed to have a clean slate. If not... It didn't really matter if she died here. She had just counted on the possibility that the Konoha ninjas wouldn't reach Oto this quickly. "Okay, we have to come up with a plan. This means four ninjas for each..." "Wait. Who told you we would be fighting?" The woman's head turned to her comrade. "What?" "They are here for you, not us." the second woman said matter-of-factly. "We are not gonna stand here and risk our skins." "Together we have a better chance against them!" Suzume spat, a fire burning in her eyes. "What makes you think they won't come after you if I don't make it out?!" "Then you better make sure to stop them. After all... that's the least you can do after how you failed so miserably." And with that, the two women sprinted towards the trees, leaving a horrified Suzume behind... ... The forest was quiet. Only sounds of nature waking up surrounded him as Konohamaru walked further into the clearing, his keen eyes searching everywhere, detecting every simple movement. Letting his breath out in one curt sigh, Konohamaru took another step forward... And came to a stop as he felt the sharp and cold tip of a kunai against his throat. "I assume you are looking for me." came the cold, unconcerned voice of a woman behind him. The young jounin didn't even think about it as instinct took over. In one quick motion, he dodged the blade, bent down on his knees and spun around to kick the woman's legs out from under her. Then he jumped back a little to put some distance between them and as the woman got up, he got his first glance of her. And he did take in all aspects of her appearance... Recording all of the details of this hated woman into his memory... from her black hair tucked back into the bandana of her protector with only two bangs falling before her eyes to the black eyes, black as coals... "Yoshida Suzume." he practically spat out her name, his voice filled with so much disgust. "I am here to exact justice on you for the crimes you committed against Konoha." His eyes narrowed. "And for harming my student." The woman chuckled. "Oooh, how touching... But for that..." There was a flash of light, and the next second the brunette looked, Suzume was no longer standing a few feet away from him. "...you have to catch me first." came her voice from above, from the canopy of trees. ... "Lord Sixth," Kakashi heard Kiba's voice in the ear piece. "We are closing in on them. What is our next..." Before he could finish, there was an explosion of a loud, high-pitched and ringing sound and Kakashi had to pull out the earpiece in the nick of time to protect his hearing. As the powerful blast died down slowly, the former Hokage brought the piece to his ear once again. "What is going on? Is everyone alright?" No sound came, only a weird buzzing. Cursing under his breath, he did a quick hand seal, and was suddenly surrounded by lightning... ... "You moron!" The woman ran to her friend. "I told you not to do it! You're still not an expert on sound blasts!" The woman on the ground tried to get up, but it was apparent that she wasn't doing a good job - her balance was too set off. "We needed to stop them - they were about to catch us!" Hearing a buzzing sound, the other looked up and around, gritting her teeth. Nothing could be seen, but she was sensing a powerful chakra... an insanely powerful chakra. "Good luck with that, you idiot! I'm out of here!" "What?!" the woman yelped, positively alarmed. "Wait!" But the former had already started to disappear through the trees. Clenching her jaw, the woman got to her feet, slowly, shakily... Her hands then moved to the crossed swords on her back, extracting two thin and long swords.

If it had to come down to a fight, they might as well have a taste of the Fujaku Hisho Shoken. (2)

... So that was how she wanted to play it, huh? He had made his plan as soon as she got lost between the trees. Without wasting any time, Konohamaru used a fire jutsu to create a huge fire wall in front of him, then punched the ground, which caused a whirlwind to be born. Using the air currents to his advantage, the jounin then sent the whirlwind, powered by the flames, directly to the cluster of trees. She wouldn't just stand around to get roasted. She would have to come down. Sure enough, he saw a flash of blue that probably meant she was using a water technique to meet the inferno. Light smoke began covering the area - which gave him a chance to prepare his second attack. Inhaling, the brunette let out a huge cloud of ashes from his mouth and then, jerking his head back to activate the trigger, he watched as flames instantly covered the area... A huge explosion went off, illuminating the dark sky. Konohamaru then took out eight shurikens, one in between each finger, and waited... "Geez, you're indeed going all out, aren't you?" Turning around quickly, he saw the woman for a moment before he threw half of the shurikens at her, but the next he looked, she wasn't there at all. "That kid must have really meant something to you." Turning to the second direction, Konohamaru threw the second group of the shurikens. Suzume tut tutted, her voice almost sounding like she was enjoying herself. "Now now, these rash actions won't do, will they?" "You bit-" "Hey, watch out that tongue. This is not how you talk to a lady." "News flash, I will never consider you a lady." "Hah. Guess I will have to show you, do I? Torpedo Nails!" When he heard that, the brunette jumped into the air and away from where he was just standing, just as small pieces of whatever weapon she was using embedded themselves into the ground. Not wanting to take any chances, Konohamaru put his hands together to create shadow clones. Precariously, three of the clones walked forward. As soon as they tried to take another step, though... They couldn't. Then hundreds of nails shot from the ground, and Konohamaru jumped behind a tree as the clones disappeared with a poof sound. Suzume had also hid herself behind a tree, hiding with the camouflage technique. Damn, this wouldn't do... She needed some extra help. ... Just before she used the swords to launch herself into the air, she saw someone, someone shrouded in a bright armor of lightning as it seemed, running into the clearing she had just been. Okay... lightning shouldn't be hard. Landing on a branch, the woman quickly did a set of hand signs, and then held her hands in a triangle, positioning them so that she could see the person in between them. "Curse Mandala!" she shouted, and her opponent came to a dead stop as a glowing green pyramid shape materialized around him, trapping him inside. Smirking, the woman began pulling her fingers closer. As the pyramid got tighter and tighter, though... Suddenly there was a poof sound, and the man was no longer there. "Excuse me," then came a drawl from behind her, and she immediately turned back, only to gaze into the face of a white haired man. "But I think you got the wrong one." Thinking quickly, the woman used the swords to slash at him, but next she saw, he was not there. Losing her already unsettled balance, she fell from the tree, but thanks to her wind cutter technique, she landed safely. "Passing Fang!" Without catching her breath properly, she saw something... a ferociously spinning something, which looked like a drill, heading to her way and raised her swords to counter it, but hard... it was so hard to maintain her ground like this... The power forced her to take a few steps, driving her back. Gritting her teeth, she tried her best to resist it... But it was futile. Not long after that, she felt the force of the technique throwing her back, like a rag doll, right into a rock. As she tried to get up, bringing a hand to her head, she heard the two men talking among themselves. "Are all of you okay, Kiba? What happened back there?" "It was nothing we couldn't handle, Lord Sixth, we were just caught unprepared for a second." Lord Sixth?! The woman's eyes widened. Did... a village leader... come seeking them out?! Well, shit. "That's right. I'm the Sixth Hokage, Hatake Kakashi, and it’s not possible you could escape judgement after attacking the Leaf." she heard the drawl once again as she straightened herself up. "It would be in your better interest if you surrender now without resistance..." "Well... I'm sorry, Rokudaime-sama," the woman said from between gritted teeth, emphasizing the last word sarcastically. "But I'm Kamiko from the Yoshida clan, and the Yoshida knows no such thing as surrender." She then brought her hands together to create balls of flame and threw them randomly towards the space between them, causing explosions and creating an opening for her to go into hiding. On Kakashi's signal, Kiba jumped towards the trees to take another place. "If you think you can run from us forever, think again." the former Hokage said, bringing his hands together to create lightning. Out of the charge came two hounds, who growled at him in recognition before running away. ... Suzume bit her thumb and let a bit of blood trail from the wound before slamming her hand on the ground, creating a black shape. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" A huge, poisonous green and yellow snake erupted from the ground, coiling around itself before meeting her eyes. "Kessha, bury him to the ground!" Hissing once, the snake rose high into the air before slamming on the earth with a huge bang that shook almost the entire forest, and slid underground. Konohamaru had heard her move. Acting quickly, he also slammed his palm on the ground and yelled, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" A huge monkey wearing a Konoha headband appeared in front of him, and as soon as he did, he yelled, "Jump!" Without hesitation the brunet did as he was told, and just when he jumped, a snake burst through the ground, baring his fangs at him. With a primeval shriek, the monkey transformed itself into a long, black and yellow staff and cloned itself right before Konohamaru landed, creating some sort of a prison wall in front of him. The snake's bared fangs collided with the many staffs that had made the wall, but the prison itself wasn't even shaken. At that time, the snake caught the eyes that were protruding from the staff, and its eyes widened. Without going for another attack, it slid back into the hole and disappeared from the view. The staff returned to its original size, releasing Konohamaru from where he was trapped, and the jounin held the staff in one hand in an attack pose while reaching for a kunai with the other. "Enma..." (3) "No words needed, boy. Better not let your guard down." the monkey king spoke from the staff. "We have faced this enemy before." ... The woman's eyes widened when she saw Kessha returning to her. "What do you think you are doing?! Keep attacking, he is not dead yet!" "Are you serious?!" the snake asked in a feminine voice, obviously furious and panicked. "You want me to fight with the fucking monkey king Enma?! Are you out of your mind?!" "So what?!" Suzume yelled, equally pissed off. "Stop being a hebiko (4), and finish them off!" ... "Wait, what do you mean we faced them before?" Konohamaru asked with a frown, thoroughly confused. "You remember back when you summoned me in the orphanage attack?" Enma's arm stretched out from the staff and he touched the adamantine with it, as if tapping his nose. "My nose never failed me. That snake the woman just used was one of those who were present in that attack." For a moment, the brunet didn't even know what to say. "W-what...?" "As you just heard it," the monkey said, glancing at him. "This woman was definitely involved in the attack against Konoha." Konohamaru's mind was reeling, so many questions and thoughts... What did this even mean? That the Sound was once again playing as Orochimaru's pioneers? Was there an even greater scheme behind all of these? Or... he didn't want to think of this, but he was a jounin and he was supposed to look at it from all angles, no matter how disturbing they might be... Was there a possibility... that the sannin wasn't involved in it... at all? He was lost in thought for a moment, he didn't notice the impending threat until Enma called out. "Watch out!" Looking up just in time, the brunette used the staff to ward off the lights, but one of them came too close to his arm, and he hissed in pain as something seared it. Then he heard the woman's high, cold laughter. "Uh oh, guess we just got busted, aren't we?" she said in a sing-song voice, which irritated the man even more. "You couldn't deny the mastermind behind the plan, though, admit it! You numb skulls didn't even suspect a thing!" "What the hell are you talking about?!" "Did you know it took us a lot of time to finally copy that damned curse seal so we can frame that bastard? It was no easy feat, and even harder to create three snakes all at once - just a couple of months ago I could only call forth two." "You..." words were failing him, he was so outraged. There was a whoosh sound right behind him then, and using the kunai he drew out earlier, he slashed, only to meet the air. “Oooh wait… did I see that blade somewhere before?” These words drew the young man’s gaze back to the kunai, and he did a double-take. He hadn’t even realized he pulled out the kunai he had gifted Mitsuki the one he found, still buzzing with lightning, on their way out of the village. His grip only tightened more on the blade as he heard the woman laughing once again, only her voice sounded from far away. "Wait, just answer me this... was that child in some way related to that snake bastard? I thought as much when he looked up at me... Was that the reason you guys kicked him out of the village? Wow, now even we couldn't have planned that!" "What does it matter if he is related to him or not?" Konohamaru yelled in rage, creating another set of clones. "He is still a child!" He then used the clones to throw shurikens towards the woman's voice from all directions. "Did you know that he begged for his life?" the woman then said, from right behind him. This time, his body acted before his mind. Lightning fast, he reached out to grab the woman's shoulder and flipped himself over her in one quick motion. As soon as he landed, still holding on to her, he threw her over himself, basically slamming her into the ground. Without giving her a chance to recover, grabbing the adamantine staff tightly, he brought the end of it, hard, to Suzume's head, seeing her eyes widening in shock. "Cranium crusher!" Just before the staff touched her, though, the woman had disappeared in a flash. The jounin stood there for a moment, enraged. How the fuck did that just happen?! A few feet away, crouched behind a rock, the Oto kunoichi brought a hand to her chest. That... had been close. ... Hearing the growls of the lightning beasts as they drew closer, Kamiko gritted her teeth, she had to do something about them - fast. Turning around, she once again used the swords to create powerful air blasts - slice after another slice - and sent them after the hounds. Easily dodging them, one of them came running at her, its fangs bared, at which the woman dug one of the swords to the ground, swinging around it and kicking the air currents at the creature's face. Although it stopped the hound, its lightning did catch her left foot and the woman cursed as she knelt on the ground, holding it. Damn, this was going to make things hard for her. Hearing a sound right then, Kamiko took a dozen shurikens and threw four of them randomly, towards the cardinal directions. She saw a ninja rushing towards her from one direction, and she pulled the strings attached to the shuriken to make it fly towards the enemy, but the weapon passed through him and the body disappeared. A clone... The real ninja then jumped her from a completely different direction, forcing her to get up, which caused pain to shout up through her left leg. She didn't have time to concentrate on it, though, as she saw the opponent's fist soaring towards her face. So he was going to rely on taijutsu, huh? Well, that was just fine with her. Gathering chakra to the tips of her fingers, she prepared to launch her attack. This was meant to cause the sound waves emitted by the body, the heartbeat for example, to respond to her chakra and make a pressure powerful enough to cause some serious damage. Bonus points if she managed to hit the enemy in the chest area. So they fought, but her opponent was good. It was apparent that he was very skilled, as he managed to dodge her every move. Her hand did come close to his body once or twice, but caused nothing more than a flinch. Just when she made another move, the ninja suddenly brought up his left arm and right leg and before she knew it, her arm was caught in between them. A crack was heard. Crying out loud from the pain, Kamiko fell on the ground, holding the broken arm. Seeing that the man was still advancing, she tried to reach one of the swords using her left arm... Out of nowhere, tiny wires wrapped around the sword and before she could touch it, the weapon broke into tiny pieces. Eyes widened in shock, she turned around herself to reach for the other, but before she could do that, a powerful blast of power sent her flying. Just when she was about to get up again, she felt something... a powerful, burning electric surge directed to her back, not piercing it, but its presence so threatening that she found it impossible to even take another step... "Chidori. A thousand birds." came the voice of the sixth behind her. "One hit and you will die the worst death... Suffering as your insides burned on with hundreds of volts." Feeling the kunoichi shiver before him, Kakashi continued in the same cold tone. "Surrender now. It's over." There was really nothing else she could do. Slowly, cursing under her breath for it... She raised her hands up. ... Suddenly hearing a buzz from his ear piece, Konohamaru concentrated on it, while his keen eyes searched everywhere for Suzume. "We are done here, Konohamaru. It's all up to you now." Hearing that, a big grin etched its way on his face. That was it... "Did you hear that?" he yelled towards the woman, although he knew that she probably didn't. "Your little friend is finished. You are all alone now!" "Oh. Just like how you left that kid alone?" came the woman's voice. "I know what you did. I know how you trapped him so we couldn't hear him!" "Bet you didn't know how he was crying when we were finished with him, though?" came her whisper from right behind him then, and for a moment... everything came to a stop as the jounin froze... literally froze. He didn't believe her other words from before... He knew Mitsuki would never beg for his life and he knew for sure that no matter what that woman believed, he wasn't sent away from Konoha, Lord Seventh would never allow that... But... he... was crying...? How deeply must he have been hurt - not just physically but emotionally too - after what he had gone through in the village...? And they could do nothing to stop it... He himself had failed as his sensei... "Boy look out!" he heard Enma's voice, but then it was too late. He hadn't noticed Suzume sneaking up behind him. There was an explosion and Konohamaru felt himself thrown into the air, with a burning pain in his back. He landed a few feet away, and brought a hand to his wounds as he tried to get up. Enma was beside him in a second, with a disapproving look on his face. "Didn't I tell you not to get distracted? Zoning out is the last thing you would want to do with someone like her around! Get a grip already!" "I-I know," the brunet mumbled. "I'm fine..." Then he once again heard the voice of the Lord Sixth coming from the earpiece, although his tone was harsher than before. "Konohamaru. If you are going to be careless, I will have to step in." Then his voice softened a little. "You have come this far this good. You wanted to fight her alone. Don't let me take this chance away from you now." Those... were just the words he needed. Closing his eyes, Konohamaru straightened himself and got up, forgetting about the pain for a moment to concentrate on ending this. Focusing on his chakra, he called upon a rasengan... A big one... and watched it as it got bigger... [Flashback] ...this... this was not happening... It felt like time had stopped, trapping Konohamaru inside his own personal hell as he watched, too shocked to even breathe, his student... passing away... right before his very eyes… What he wouldn't give to be dying in Mitsuki's place right now... He was too young... Just barely thirteen... He did not deserve this - he deserved to live!... "...Sh... Shall I announce the time...?" When he heard the nurse... all of a sudden, he snapped back to life. Without seeing eyes, he strode to the door and burst it open, rushing inside... Two of the nurses managed to barely stop him before he reached the bed, and Konohamaru tried to control his breathing as he looked at an unmoving Mitsuki. "Konohamaru-san, please..." one of the nurses mumbled, tearing up. "Mitsuki!" the jounin yelled, barely recognizing his own voice, filled with so many emotions. "You can do this, kiddo, don't give up! You are so much stronger than this! Come back to us!" "Konohamaru-san, please you have to step back...!" said one of the nurses, she barely had the strength to push back a man like Konohamaru and he was clearly not accepting his student's death but... there was nothing more they could do...! The kid... was gone... his heart didn't respond... "Tsunade-sama...?" murmured the second nurse, looking at the former Hokage. "Wait... wait just a second..." Sakura mumbled in Tsunade's place, her eyes still on the machine. "Sakura-san... It might be too much already..." One of the nurses warned her. "No... no, please... please don't give up on him... He's strong, he'll pull through... I'm begging you, please don't give up..." Konohamaru said, almost as if in a trance. "Let's just leave the child in peace..." another nurse said, her voice shaky. Tsunade snapped back to herself and hastily hushed the nurse, staring at Sakura. "Sakura-san..." But as the nurse was about to mumble the same words as before... a tiny but sudden sound erupted from the machine, causing everyone's eyes to immediately set at it. As the heart rate slowly, very slowly fell back to a steady rhythm, Sakura broke into a smile, and laughed softly, while tears fell down from her eyes. "You really do like your surprises, don't you?" she mused fondly, leaning over to kiss Mitsuki on the top of his head. A tear fell on the closed eye of the child. Tsunade smiled too, but it was a broken smile. "Really, kid... I'm not a young woman anymore, don't scare us like that..." Konohamaru was hit by such a huge wave of relief that he almost couldn't stand his ground. He brought his hand over his mouth as he began to softly cry himself. He didn't object this time as the nurse told him he should really wait outside, and silently retreated out of the room, his eyes on Mitsuki all the time. [End of Flashback] He heard a sliding sound, trees crushing as the giant snake once again made her way to him. His eyes, however, were locked on the woman, who stood behind the beast, a disgusting smirk all over her face... And Konohamaru stroke forward. He swung the adamantine staff towards the snake, enlarging the staff. Enma burst out at the end of it, wrapping his arms around the snake before he pierced her throat with his fangs. And before she could do anything... Konohamaru had grabbed the woman by her collar, slamming her into a tree... Suzume's eyes widened for one last time before the rasengan hit her chest with full force. It was over... ... Enma turned to his normal form as the other Konoha ninjas gathered around, all just silently looking at the brunet. The monkey king had a small smile on his face, his look both exasperated and proud. 'You have quite the grandson, Sarutobi...' he thought to himself. ... Dropping the woman's body to the ground, the jounin looked at her expressionlessly, feeling only... relieved... a whole... [Flashback] Konohamaru felt so proud of his students... The second round of the Chuunin exams was over, and they had managed excellent teamwork. Much better than what he expected, really, what with Boruto being Boruto... Speaking of which, he noticed two genins in his team were approached by their family, receiving cheers and congratulations, big smiles on their faces... and of course, Boruto had been in a gloating mode... The next thing he noticed was his third student... standing all by himself, a couple of feet away from them, just looking at his two teammates and their families with a small smile. And something about that bothered the young jounin. About how Mitsuki had no one to cheer for him, at least for that moment... Making his decision, he started walking towards him. The blue haired boy was surprised when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to gaze into the smiling face of his sensei. "Well done, kiddo, great job," Konohamaru said encouragingly. "I knew you guys would do it." And slowly, the boy's face broke into a full-on smile as well... [End of Flashback] 'Thank you... sensei...' Hearing the faint voice brought by the wind itself, the brunet's eyes widened for a moment. Before he knew it, he had fallen on his knees beside Suzume's body, his head bowed low as he started weeping softly, and the sun's first rays began seeping through the trees...        

--

A.N:

(1) Remember or note down these names. They are gonna be very important in the following projects. (2) You can search this and almost all of the technique names listed on this chapter on Narutopedia. (3) This Enma is the Enma who was Hiruzen's personal summon. We do not use Konohamaru's canon summons, the toad or the monkey, in our storyline. (4) This literally means snake child, but I used it here to mean "baby snake", as in Suzume telling Kessha to stop acting like a scared baby.

[thewriterowl]

Do you have a standard writing process? Particularly with long fics? I start out plotting everything to some degree and then start writing but then usually what happens is I get too excited to share it so I start posting before I finish and then my mental health just kinda goes "and we're not finishing that"

Hello! Well I try to sort of do the same--that’s how I did it with Stars. But yeah, getting all the details out can burn you out quicker than what’s fair :/

So what I’ve sort of learned to do (especially coming out from What the Stars Let in, since that thing was nearly 500 pages in like three months) was the following:

1) I had major focus points already confirmed in my head: I knew Din and Luke would have an arranged marriage, I knew I wanted Luke to share his story to the Mandalorians, I wanted Luke to fight Dark Troopers, I wanted Din to have a moment or two of jealousy, I wanted there to be a “betrayal’ from Din, I wanted Luke to sacrifice himself by stopping and moving a cruiser, i wanted them to be separated, I wanted Din to have a moment facing darkness, and then I want them together. Besides a bare skeletal structor of a story (din and luke fall in love in an arranged marriage) i focused on story-points I wanted to see happen and made it a goal to get to one....and then get to another and it made me more excited for the plot point coming next rather than trying to rush to that ending.

2) For the scenes I was really excited about I wrote a rough draft instantly. I pretty much had a draft of Luke stopping the cruiser and then “dying” since chapter two because I knew I wanted that to happen. Same with the Dark Trooper chapter. Of course a lot of details were added or changed as the story progressed but i was able to really plan things because not only did I know I wanted those scenes, I had them written out so I could figure out how to foreshadow things in regards to them easier.

3) Although I am influenced by my readers and I try to keep things “Realistic” in the story (aka, why I didn’t turn Din dark though it was a temptation) I write what I want to read. This, of course, can hinder the writing process cause you’re putting a lot of extra love into it because, being honest, i want it to inspire others to write things like it so I can read something next so if it is not well received then it can be a bad sucker-punch...but I was just like, i gotta get these moments out there regardless of the response.

4) This isn’t the best advice...but I wrote when i wanted to...basically I am mostly working from home and in a job I loathe who has drained me of most all my happiness for the past three years and has used me something bad, but I’m shackled to them cause money. Well...I write on their time now (not on my work computer lol) so I sort of had this momentum of MASSIVE writer’s spite. “Oh, you’re gonna call me in to work on my day off AGAIN????? well, ok then...tomorrow from 8 till 5, I’m writing this space-dad fic and only answering some emails”. Maybe not risk your job for a fic...but i would recommend see if you can find some sort of spite to influence you case man, that stuff works maaagiiiic. 

5) Push through the block but not necessarily in a way that burns you out. If you can’t write out the chapter you are currently on, then don’t. Skip five or more scenes ahead and just start there and then go back later and tie things in. You do not have to write your fic in chronological order, so don’t shackle yourself to it. You on a scene with Din and Luke talking about the Force, it’s needed and important, but eh, you’re not feeling it? Go on and write their love confession scene. Or their fight scene. Or something you actually DO wanna write. Go read fics, maybe go and talk to artists and writers about general things and chat. Talking to others about things, not necessarily in detail, can be huge.

6) Bringing in the things I’ve said before; this is not something you need to write chronological--so don’t. The writing can be a fun puzzle. Write the parts you want first (aka the corners as many start with as they do a puzzle) and then start connecting things. I found it a lot easier and a bit more fun to do that way.

7) If possible, and this can be hard, try to be a chapter a head of your updates. With a good chunk of Stars, I was like seven chapters ahead of myself. Not so much with this new one (and for sure not with Little Bird) but it sort of releases some worry and pressure off of you. If you have an idea for a fic, try to see if you can upload it once you have two or there chapters written (not edited, that can come as you get read to upload) and it makes you have a deadline but one that isn’t looming.

8) I also gave myself a deadline. I wanted to update at least once a week. This may not work for everyone, so it’s just about figuring out what works for you...but I think I would recommend you set up a realistic goal on how often you update.

9) Just focus on one chapter at a time as you upload. A multi-chap fic can be so easy to get lost in (I may not update some of my Avengers fic) and that’s fine. It’s disappointing and sad, for yourself, but it happens and it should not be a burden on you. You’re writing these things for fun and if it doesn’t work out, well sucks...but there was no harm or waste to it. Some free content just won’t get finished. Happens every day and it’s all good. You just take up the next wave of inspiration and try to get it finished.

10) Ensure you have fun and keep other fun projects available. That mental stuff loves to take away fun, passionate projects. it’s a miserable monster that just wants to suck you dry from it. Take yourself from the project on occasion and write a one shot (these things are miserably hard for me) and use it as an exercise. It challenges you in a different way, gets you to do something new, and can give you and your mental-monster some whiplash so that it can’t instantly take it away from you.

11) If you lose your hyper fixation/love for a pairing, don’t grip on to it for the sake of a fic. I love DinLuke now and I don’t see that changing anytime soon...but when/if it does, I’ll need to just step back and let it go and wait for it to hit in another wave later. Just enjoy the fandom as a fan and you should have a lot more joy and ease in taking part of projects that way.

Those are my little tidbits that’s helped me with stuff so far at least!

[icharchivist]

first: WAHHHHHHHHH 😭😭😭 I got so emotional!!! so emotional!!!! so much that I can’t even do this first second pattern bc I have SO MANY thoughts!!!!!!! I’m writing this in my notes instead of straight into the askbox so u know it’s serious business™

ok so debut night!!! I was like ahah yeah it’s a tragedy whatever it’ll be fun to start out with and then the voice acting was SO good that it knocked me out of the park and I almost cried haha. it’s crazy how good the voice acting in a3 is like I love how the dialogue and voice acting works well together bc like it’s limited but so effective!! u can so very clearly see and understand the style they’re going for. especially like tsumugi’s death scene... the Talent jumped out it really did... uh and ok so. I think I may be a littleeee confused abt the play bc I had always interpreted tasukus last lines as raphael to be like abt his being secretly in love with michael. but now that I’m actually reading the line that’s like oh don’t fall for a human it only ends in misery I know that all too well or whatever... ig the implication is that raphael was in love with another human / the same lady michael was in love with in the play. side note I had to go back and edit the proper names in instead of tasuku and tsumugi lol... but speaking of!! speaking of the voice acting and the play itself I 1) love how blatantly obvious it is when tsumugi goes for that grander, tasuku like style of delivery!! like u could just so easily feel the difference it was wild... and 2) tsuzuru is once again spot on with his writing, lol... I felt that like raphaels inability to save or help michael really parallels how tasuku feels abt tsumugi so well, and it’s wonderful that they r able to resolve things and tasuku can properly compliment him on his acting where the angels fail to do so. it’s very good. and I think the play rly highlights (for me at least) that like. to tasuku, it was tsumugi who was sort of an unreachable existence. like were he to idolize and respect someone’s acting, it would be tsumugi. and I think that like caring carries over into their roles really well, because I think in michael’s love for a human tasuku sees like... tsumugi’s style of acting. the heart that he’d lost while within the god troupe. mb I’m losing my mind a little but ah. the play rly works with their relationship so well!! im very excited to see the other winter ppl get main roles tho—same for all the troupes!!! now this ask is too long so I’ll have to do another part lol

going to start off this second part of the ask abt hisoka bc oh my GOD. hisoka. like I was just thinking “hm where r the winter troupe cgs anyways” and then BAM. hisoka CRYING???? especially since he doesn’t seem that emotional it was a really hard hit!!! and who tf is august.... ok well actually theory time!! skipping ahead to the end theres that note that like mentions December and April and. not to expose my friend but very many years ago (a couple years before a3 was launched, at the very least) she wrote this story where there were like 12 orphan assassins and they were all named after months. I remember the main dude was named dec lol. coupled with my “hisoka is capable of murder” bit? listen.... I’m not saying anything but I’m also not not saying anything if u feel me. also I feel like assassin / thief with mysterious background is a common trope!! that was silver from the pokémon adventures manga too... why is this my reference point lmao. anyways I’m unclear if assassins would make it into a3 but like.... if the yakuza and supernatural stuff makes it in...

okay moving away from conspiracy theories and into emotions!!! the quotes from like EVERY mankai actor before the final production made me SO emo... and yay!!! they won!!!! (though admittedly I almost had a heart attack when no one clapped) but they won!!!! that ending cg!!!! and I adore how sakyo immediately goes after god troupe man (I know his name is reni I just don’t feel like calling him that) for the money lol it’s just so sakyo-like. also I love the lil mixed troupe interactions!! I found the game night ch so fun.... ahh, now I wanna reread that ch since it was so good lol

all in all I was super satisfied ahh!! I am SO excited to start up spring troupe again (HELLO character development!!! and chikage) and I’m even MORE excited to get thru all the act 1 events!!!! as a final note, is there any way to reread or replay the flair conversations? I didn’t want any spoilers for the plays while I was doing the practices for them so I kinda sped thru the first time ahah...

HELLO FRIEND IM SO HAPPY TO GET SUCH A LENGHTY ASK ABOUT WINTER IM LKDJFLKDJFLKFD  Winter makes me feel shrimps emotions (i know the whole “shrimps can see more colors than humans can’t comprehend” thing has been disproved but i’m not letting go of that expression, i REALLY feel emotions humans can’t comprehend anymore and i’m going to make it everyone else’s problem)

1) First about the voice acting, rIGHT this is just so fascinating to me!!! I remember after act 2 i came back to reread the main act 1 chapter and i was so thrown out by how GOOD the voice acting was, especially for the first few troupes having to convince you they’re not comfortable or good at acting yet. Winter whole thing is that they’re more subtle and mature and you really feel that with their voice acting, Tsumugi’s voice especially knock it off the park anytime he’s on screen. 

2) Second: what does it say about me that i’ve never, ever considered your reading a possibility because i was so set on “oh Raphael you’re in love with Michael sooooo bad you see it as a tragedy already because you can see him throw his life away” i didn’t even consider “maybe Raphael went through that too”. Though i guess if we’re going with that reading i can totally see “The Woman” they let themselves consumed by easily be a representation of acting or even more the God Troupe, with Raphael/Tasuku knowing to step away before it consumes him completely while Michael/Tsumugi, by his love and passion, pushed himself until he broke, which fits and it hurtsssss god Winter plays hits so hard.

3) Third: oh god yeah when Tsumugi goes for Tasuku’s acting it’s just. It makes me SO uncomfortable, i’ve experienced this scene like three times by now and the third time i was just “can i skip it i can’t go through this again i can’t Tsumugi i love you i can’t do this”. It doesn’t match the play at all and it just throws everyone off balance, and Tsumu you could have told theM YOU WANTED TO DO THAT.... god

4) Fourth: I LOVE YOUR READING SO MUCH I LOVE IT I LOVE IT YES YOU’RE RIGHT!!! Just as we follow Tsumugi let his passion consumes him until he breaks, Tasuku’s character arc really jumps out in Raphael, like, everything you say!!!  The way Tasuku/Raphael knew how the feelings Tsumugi/Michael felt would hurt him on the long run but he didn’t know what to do about it until it was too late, the regrets and the way Raphael voices his frustrations.... Tasuku struggles to be honest without acting (Tasuku pls i love you) but having such a role really help him expressing all he feels about Tsumugi and i’m HHHH this is so good so so good!!! but yeah i also love that Tasuku finally manages to actually compliment Tsumugi naturally, that he understands he can’t let him destroys himself again and it’s just gnhhhhh Tasuku is so kind and considerate and i care about him so much....!!!

5) Fifth: “i’m losing my mind a little” winter mood, winter mood winter mood- (though every troupe’s mood tbh but Winter is gnhhhhh kdhd hdhjf??? you feel me) (i am BIASED i can’t help it TwT) but yeaH i’m looking forward to see how you react to the others plays because the roller coaster juST BEGUN!!!

Onto part 2... Winter Troupe Chapter Feels... 2!

6) Sixth: DLFJDFKLDF HISOKAAAAAAAAAA I LOVE HIM SO MUCHHHHH. Hisoka crying fucked me up so bad!! so so bad!! Like on my first read i didn’t know what to think of him as he starts out very apathic to his troupe and then the more it goes on the more you can feel he starts to open up and i’m soft for this sort of slow burn, but then this whole scene happened and it HIT ME IN THE FACE, he was crying, i was crying, we were all crying, the Unopening Door opened a flood of emotions i can’t cope with. He sounds SO VULNERABLE during that scene and i know all of the Winter Troupe united on “taking care of him” but that’s really the moment i went “i care you and i will keep taking care of you” and look at me now. Thanks funky little scene for ruining my life. I’m glad you liked it i’m aldhjflkjdfkd Hisokaaaaa.....

7) Seventh: I am not commenting on the theory but 👀 that’s so highly specific your friend has a galaxy brain i love it. and i love the idea of “well we have yakuza and supernatural entity what’s an assassin adding himself to it” dLKFJDLKF i know everyone in Mankai calls Izumi out everytime someone joins but that’d be peak. I’m not going further about what December and August and April are all about but i love this plotline sO much, the few mentions of August when Hisoka regained his memories for a minute still haunts me, the guilt he seems to feel and this pain i’m just... godddd such a good set up. I love this plotline.

8) Eigth: EMOTIONS!!  Oh GOD YEAH THE ENDING WITH ALL THE OTHER ACTORS... I cried so hard it’s just. It really shows you it’s not just the culmination of the Winter chapter but of all the act 1 main plot and it really makes you feel how much of a journey you’ve been onto!! A3 is so good at showing you the growth of its characters that especially by the end of Winter you really saw how all of them grew in their respective chapters and how cozy they felt in their new home in the remaining chapters, and the fact this chap has those defining character arc’s lines really drive home “oh my god that was a journey” i love them sO MUCH.... 

9) Ninth: wE WOOOON!!! They’re all so good i just. i’m gonna cry just thinking about it dlfdjlfk i know like, the game has so many content so you know it can’t end at the end of Winter but the suspense really was there. BUT YEAH LMAO I LOVE SAKYO DOING THAT IMMEDIATLY, man sure has the eyes on the prize and we love him for that.  AND THE GAME NIGHT SCENE they are all sO CUTE and sWEET and they’re a family now and i’m hHHHHH i love a3 a normal healthy amount that isn’t just making me cry thinking about how all of them grew so close even through mixed troupes.

10) Tenth: I am SO happy you were satisfied with the plot so far!! I’m genuinely so happy that you decided to take that journey with us and that you shared all of this with me, and i’m so so happy you liked it!! There is still so much content and all of it is so worth it! 

11) Eleventh: Yes!! The flair conversations are all readable on the Mini-Chat tab! So they’re easily accessible and they’re sorted in a way that’s easy to read so you can feel comfortable skipping the flairs if you want until you have seen the stories the flairs are all about. They’re all kinda set during the rehearsals (except for some crosstroupe conversation that wouldn’t make sense if they were like how the Summer Troupe talks with the Spring Troupe in their Flairs DKLFJDF but it’s okay what is a timeline anyway) so some of them are set pre-development and it’s wild to get back to them. I love rereading Flairs i get emotional everytime.

ANND That’s it for this ask! i had a blast reading through your thoughts and i’m so happy and excited!! i’ll send you the drive now so you can start digging through it whenever you feel like it :3c good luck grinding for act 2, meanwhile i hope you’ll have fun with all the act 1 events i compiled for you!!

(side note i need to update the drive too but it’s mostly act 2 content anyway, the only two act 1 things i need to update on it is Sakuya’s birthday card i think?? i think Itaru’s is already in act 2 so i’ll try to get around to it eventually but it’s so far away anyway) (edit: i forgot that the three cards i got for the latest revival are from act 1 DLKJFD okay so i’m missing three cards -)

The drive has backstages and event stories and it may be a lot and overwhelming ahah. Focus on the event stories for the plot and go back to the backstages whenever you feel like it, no need to read them at the same time, unless you want to in which case everything is set up for you :3c and there’s a file with cards that aren’t associated to events too so... lots of goodies hanging around. I’ll send it to you in DM ;O 

Take care and thank you so much for all your thoughts! my inbox remains wide opened for any others thoughts you may have as you go further into it :3c

[imnotwolverine]

The Englishman Jack - Eve’s Apple

Henry as Jack x OC - multi-chapter

< Chap 9 | Chap 10 Eve’s Apple

Disclaimer: NSFW - reference to smut, some strong language, but also some fluff to make up for the previous chapter (sorry not sorry)

Summary: When dreams may come? It’s all a question of time and one well placed advertisement. 

Word count: 2.521

Reading music: Rita Hayworth - Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

(Link to my Masterlist)

--

Porcelain tinkled and laughter sprinkled as the lavish crowd conversed over their posh little lunch meetings. The whole room emanated richness; from the tuxedo clad waiters, their long tail coats swishing behind their stiff legs, to the curl of smoke that lifted from thin cigarettes all the way up to the high baroque ceilings, making the occasional person cough in dismay.

‘Bunny,’ The cough returned, this time closer by, ‘are you alright?’

‘Alright?’ I blinked my attention back to my friend and sat back in my slightly uncomfortable chair, my hand tapping my cigarette’s ash onto the crystal ashtray, grey dust falling in burning orange onto the cold glass. ‘If anything, I feel 10 pounds lighter!’

‘Well, it sure was one hefty ring he got you.’ The woman, Miranda, snorted, returning her gaze to the dapper old men who ogled her from the table nearby. Miranda may be older, but she sure was sex on legs, her short red curls coifed just so you couldn’t see the wrinkles that were starting to show on her Italian olive-hued skin.  

‘And I don’t miss it..or him..even one bit.’

‘You’re damn right darling, damn right.’ Miranda winked at one of the men and looked back at me, piercing brown eyes giving me a pitiful look. ‘You tell me if you need anything, yea? I can’t smell, but I can tell.’

‘I told you to get back to that surgeon!’ I deadpanned, before I burst out laughing along with her as we were reminded of the irony of her 3rd mildly botched nose job.

‘Let me first save up a few wrinkles before he lays a hand on me again.’ Miranda’s eyes wandered back to the reception door, interest sparking in her Bambi browns.

Oh, Miranda! 

‘You are incorrigible, you know that?’ I rolled my eyes at the way she lured like a predator on anything with deep pockets, her glossy pink lips smacking in delight.

‘And I don’t even have to work for it! Act normal. He’s coming our way.’

I scrunched my nose and killed my cigarette before I languidly turned to look over my shoulder, my eyes meeting with an apparition of 6 ft tall, a svelte long winter coat hanging from his muscular shoulders as he greeted a waiter, signalling he knew where he was going.

Of course, he knew where he was going. I knew those electric blues and they knew me, their owner’s lips curling in a sly grin while he traversed the packed lunch room. Even with our years apart, he had changed little, except of course for the silver that now dusted his temples, the line between his brow slightly deepened.

He looked good.

‘Jack,’ I whispered beneath my breath, suddenly forgetting how to act normal as I turned back in my seat, finding Miranda’s telling gaze of just how flustered I must have looked.

Old ladies don’t blush, Bunny! Get it together!

I straightened my poofy white blouse, my bracelets dangling on my wrists, when I noted the appearance of two pairs of snow kissed Oxford shoes next to me, followed by long legs that reached up to..

‘Ladies,’ He bowed his head slightly before he aimed his attention at me. ‘Henry Walker. I’m sorry to be of disturbence to your..-’

‘OH PLEASE! Mr….Walker. Do sit, do sit.’ Miranda interjected before his British accent could roll smoothly of his curled up lips.

‘Thank you, madam.’ He kissed the hand she proferred, Miranda’s chuckle filtering through the lunchroom chat like a bee’s buzz was to be heard in a flowery field. Jack, or..Henry..turned and gave me a warm, yet hesitant smile, my body unmanaging to even offer him my hand as his scent drifted into my nostrils. Suddenly it felt so very silly to have set out an advertisement to find an investigator. I mean, what could have been the odds of…

‘Bunny,’ He whispered quietly, leaning forward as if wanting to kiss my cheek, but then halting mid-air as he instead masked the move by settling down in a chair with a smooth pull of the armrests.

‘Henry.’ I tasted his name on my lips and was met with those electric blues again, his hesitant smile growing slightly.

Before we could continue the conversation, a butler halted his step next to Henry, the quick order of tea (sugar and milk separate) made with a smooth nod of the head. The butler disappeared and Miranda also killed her cigarette, intrigued by the new guest at our Thursday lunch table.

‘Well then…’ Her voice trailed off as she made little effort to hide her curiosity, my voice finally managing to reach through the ice that had frozen my limbs.

‘Yes. Eh..I set out an advertisement for an…’

‘Investigator.’ Henry nodded professionally, manufacturing two white with gold lettered cards from his suit jacket, scripting Henry Walker - Private Detective, his hand pushing the two cards to both of our plates before he filled himself a glass of water and took a sip from it.

Fair. He had changed a little. He seemed more sure of his business. Or, perhaps I had to take him on a nerve wrecking car ride to learn if he still had a mild nervousness somewhere in those strong bones of his.

I smiled at Miranda, then nodded: ‘We’ll talk business later, our lunch was just about to arrive. Do order along if you so wish.’

And he did. We had lunch, we walked, we dined, talked and fucked. Because that’s what --

--

‘Wait, grandma. Are we..are we talking about…’ Your voice lowered until it was but a mere whisper, your eyes keeping close watch on the kitchen door, grandma’s back turned to where grandpa could appear from any minute. ‘..grandpa Henry?’

Grandma chuckled and tapped her marital ring on the newspaper that lay before her, her finished breakfast moved to the side. ‘Ding ding ding,’ Her laughter warmed grandpa’s lips as he made his entrance, his knowing blue eyes appearing from behind a lifted up eyebrow.

‘Good morning..mi amor.’ He leaned in to press a slightly too erotic kiss - slip of the tongue - on grandma’s lips, your eyes quickly averting before you’d get a sense of what your grandparents did when you weren’t around. ‘Talking about me?’

‘Indeed, quite right.’ Grandma chuckled as grandpa grinned, picking up grandma’s coffee cup before he sauntered over to the kitchen island, hand grasping for the coffee machine.

‘Want some too?’ He asked, but you quickly shook your head, your eyes finding the mischievous glint in grandma’s eyes.

Oh god, now you had to think of old people sex. Your grandparents..like...OH MY...

Grandma’s smile grew as she casually brushed her hand over the newspaper that read: “Australian fires running wild.”

‘I mean. Henry sure left an impression on me before we went separate ways...’

--

The pool house was the nearest shelter Jack could find, ash falling down from the house that was slowly burning up to a crisp. Morning was soon to arrive, the sky burning along with the flames as emergency services came to rush and save what little there was left to save; a bunch of coaled up dead bodies and some ridiculously posh Italian decor. Nothing truly worth saving your life for.

And so here we were, hidden from the passing of firemen's feet, Jack’s hand twisting the lock of the pool house, where pink, blue and green pool floaties stacked like a generous bed beneath my stretched out limbs. I was still a bit frozen, dazzled and overwhelmed, my eyes blinking up at Jack as he kneeled down on the squeaking plastic, hands roving over my goose fleshing thighs.

--

‘Grandma..’ You cleared your throat as grandpa offered her the refilled cup of steaming coffee, before he too settled down.

‘What is it dear?’

‘You..you..made love, I guess? I don’t really need to hear all the..*aherm* details, yea?’

Grandma blinked and you gave her an exasperated look, after which grandpa burst out in a fit of giggles. ‘She’s a handful, always has been. Hahaha.’

‘Henry! This was just a good part!’

‘I know dear, I know. And you are most definitely going to tell me that again, some time later, but ..it isn’t the end of your tale yet, right?’

‘Oh no!’ Grandma sat up from her chair, making it squeak, her nimble wrinkly fingers wrapping around the hot mug. ‘You see we weren’t in love..’

‘Yet -’ Grandpa interjected, settling back in his chair and blowing over his coffee as he waited for grandma to continue.

--

I hadn’t been the only one who had dreamed of the land of the free; the US of A. From Georgio’s dying hands, Jack had confiscated two tickets. Boat fare for a cruise that would cross all the way over to the ports of New York City. The transatlantic escape I had dreamed off for so long.

And so, after we left the wreckage of my parents house, the two of us disappeared into thin air for a short while, only to arrive a week later at the Barcelona Harbour where a cruise ship the size of a sizable flat awaited us, white plumes of smoke dotting small clouds in the pristine blue skies.

People were all smiles here, suntanned faces hiding beneath large white hats as their elegant boat shoes stepped onto the walking planks before the personnel could drag up their heavy bags, packs and suitcases.

Me and Jack had very little to bring with us, and so we skipped most lines, finding the suite that had initially been Georgio’s great plan in prying my mother away from my father’s clutches. It was a wonderful suit. Heavy dark mahogany wood made out most of the wall panels and furniture and a large comfortable bed welcomed my travel weary back, quickly followed by Jack.

--

‘We made love again.’ Grandpa smiled from behind his coffee cup.

Grandma offered him a mischievous smile: ‘And not just that..Hmhm..’

‘Grandma..pa...PLEASE!’

‘Okay, okay. Yes, yes. So..’

--

The cruise offered us ten sweet days in heaven, my initial anticipation that we would get caught all for nothing. Jack appeared to be a good forger of fake papers and nobody ever seemed to check us, other than whether we wanted extra service when we were found in bed at 3 pm in the afternoon. The days were long, luscious and over far too soon, when Lady Liberty welcomed us with her dust green arm raised up high.

It was everything I dreamed of, and yet I felt sad when the ship reached the harbor and the rest of my life, alone, would begin.

Jack had been clear on his intention to separate ways, and I had foolishly agreed. I wanted to make myself believe that this was but a fling thing. That I needed time to settle down in a life of my own, like I had so long wanted. In the land of opportunity, it would be terribly immature to drag myself behind someone I barely knew, only because the people who had forced my life were suddenly gone.

I had grown wings and I had to learn how to fly, the wind caressing my brown tresses as we both put our travel bags down, which held the few items we had bought before Barcelona.

‘So. I guess this is it.’ I took a breath as I looked up in those electric blues, Henry’s jaw clean shaven, as seen in magazines. He nodded and quickly averted his gaze, his eyes looking up at the large white ship that pulled on the large ropes that had bound it to shore.

‘This is it.’ He smiled, hiding the slightly sad tinge in his eyes.

‘Freedom.’ I breathed, looking out over his shoulder, seeing the silhouette of the statue of the lady liberty, proud and dollar bill green in the late afternoon sun. It was quite hot that day, or perhaps it were my shattering nerves, but either way I felt a little sweat coat my palms.

‘The American dream.’ Jack licked his lips and looked at me, my lips, before haphazardly clearing his throat and picking up his bag.

‘Wait,’ I breathed before he could sling the brown leather pack over his shoulder. My fingertips grazed over his cheek before they hesitantly tangled through the back of his hair, pulling him in a rushed and heated kiss. One that would have felt so natural hours earlier, now felt desperate and breathless, our lips searing in something we both didn’t want to end until I did have to pull away for air.

Jack let out a soft pant and used his hand to pull my chin down, his nose resting against mine before he pressed his forehead into me, our eyes looking down at our feet.

‘I won’t forget you, Bunny.’ His voice was a little hoarse and rough with emotions that he didn’t want to share, his hand now tipping my head up so he could press one more kiss on my welcoming pillows. Our last shared breath before he stepped back and smiled, pulling up the facade of the smooth city man: ‘If it’s meant to be, Bunny, we shall meet again.’

--

‘It took him 7 years, and for me two failed marriages and 3 kids, but..there we were, in that lunch room.’ Grandma sniffled at the good memory and emptied her coffee cup in one big swig, a relieved sigh escaping her smacking lips.

‘And I remember it like it were only yesterday,’ Grandpa smiled, putting down his cup as he continued. ‘You see, I had been in these high bound places a lot. I knew the people. Knew how to play out my cards. But as I walked up to that brown mane, a nervous foot tapping on the floor, it was like I was back in Italy again; again the young man who was kind of hoping things would play out well. I could swear I could feel the mists lick around my sun kissed skin, could hear the children run after each other, screaming as their little school uniforms were but blurs of navy. I could hear the grumble of the bodyguards, speaking in hushed tones, their faces stiff. I could taste the coffee, but most of all I could feel my heart and its gentle drop for that one hot second as our eyes met.’ He looked at grandma and smiled.

‘Quite an investigator, that man. The only mist there was cigarette smoke.’

‘Ain’t all the rich folk but living a life of smoke and mirrors?’

‘Quite true, husband, quite true.’

‘And, in all those years, the most important thing I learned was that I didn’t want riches, fame or endless female company in a cold lonely bed. I learned, with the death of my mother and the slackening of contact with my brothers and sisters, that all I truly wanted was a family. I changed. I grew. And I came to the realisation, as I wandered through the streets of the Great Apple that all I wanted..was the apple of my eye..you.’

--

The End

--

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[xiu21chen99]

wait wait wait i kinda want a Titanic au for hisoillu where the Zoldycks aren't assassins but just top class business men and the Black Whale is the ship that sinks (not that we know of that yet) and Hisoka boarded bc he's being hunted by the mafia (the ryodan) AND I WANT THIS/ THINK THIS PROMPT WILL WORK FOR FOUR VERY SPECIFIC REASONS:

ONE ARTIST HISOKA! Like,, COME ON, (honorable mention but-) if you read Cigarette Teeth by hisokun then you would know exactly what a painter/ artist Hisoka would look like and why i fIND HIM SO DAMN APPEALING

TWO this is kinda a painful reason and image to think about but during the scene Rose was supposed to jump, y'know their very first meet? yeah, Illumi was about to do jump off of the balcony railing in deck 3 too, but Hisoka has been sneaking around jumping from deck to deck and he finds Illumi there

since i like adding fuel to my sad boi fires how bout we add that Hisoka is a bit of an asshole at their first meeting, and talked to Illumi while he literally held on for dear life; Hisoka would psychoanalyze Illumi, make fun of him a lil bc he's rich and he's "from a well off family so why the hell do you wanna do this?" to which Illumi promptly and quite incompletely explains why being the eldest Zoldyck son was the worst thing ever...

they talk like that until Hisoka starts hearing ppl and he deadass goes over behind Illumi and says "okay princess, the ship's about to wake up soon. let's get you back to your upper deck."

and Illumi struggles bc suddenly he remembers why he was there in the first place.

h: "you don't wanna jump,"

i: "yes i do"

h: "nah, princess, you want the people who hurt you to get hurt back. jumping off ain't gonna solve anything. come on,"

hisoka lifts illumi from the railing, flipping detaches him and carries him over one shoulder, illu's hair cascading down in silky black waves (also rmmbr that hc where illu's kinda weak combat wise? xD yeah let's apply that too since this is a no-nen world)

THREE the quotes would work so well!!

i: "you're crazy!!"

h: "with all due respect, pretty darling, i'm not the one hanging off of the railing of a whale boat"

i: "I know what you must be thinking. “Poor little rich boy, what does he know about misery?”"

h: "No, no, that’s not what I was thinking. What I was thinking was, what could’ve happened to this boy to make him think he had no way out?"

h: “I mean, I got everything I need right here with me. I got air in my lungs, a few blank sheets of paper. I mean, I love waking up in the morning not knowing what’s gonna happen or, who I’m gonna meet, where I’m gonna wind up. Just the other night I was sleeping under a bridge and now here I am on the grandest ship in the world having champagne with you fine people.”

i: "hisoka, i'm flying!"

i: "paint me like your-

h: “They’ve got you trapped, Illu. And you’re gonna die if you don’t break free. Maybe not right away because you’re strong but sooner or later that fire that I love about you… that fire’s gonna burn out.”

i: “I saw my whole life as if I’d already lived it. An endless parade of parties and cotillions, yachts and polo matches. Always the same narrow people, the same mindless chatter. I felt like I was standing at a great precipice, with no one to pull me back."

(ffff the shoe fits so well for this one but) i: “Now you know there was a man named Hisoka Morow, and that he saved me in every way that a person can be saved. I don’t even have a picture of him. He exists now only in my memory.”

and FOUR we get an image of Illu who didn't submit to his parents' will, an Illu that wanted to save himself instead of letting go of his identity to please others. ain't that what we all want? He'd make a pretty good Rose! on the other hand we have the free and elusive Hisoka, here i think he'd perfectly fit the character for Jack; loose with connections, all about living the moment and have been through hell and back but still has a skip in his step and a smile on his face. like, siR-

(bonus if Killu meets the squad there too! and the 6 out of 1500 that Older Rose talked abt who survived would be the gon squad + hisoillu or... whoever you prefer would survive :'))

anyways I'm @ chap 383 on the manga don't spoil anything for me please-