#bc I think they added to the flow of the piece

[enthusiastic-nimrod]

A fairytale inspired shadamy! It was mostly inspired by Rapunzel, but now that it's done it's giving me Romeo and Juliet?

[cassandralexxx]

The Great Wave of Kanagawa; Water Lillies (1919); The Starry Night

by Catherine Rollin

I’ve uploaded my playing of Water Lillies(1919) and The Starry Night before. However, I wanted to upload a performance of the three pieces done consecutively!

[furuu]

HEAR ME OUT

Reader tries to convince Sukuna to do cute matching costumes and at first he doesn't agree and ends up saying no :(

But halloween comes and u decide to do a costume of a matching [without him bc he did not want] but when he sees how stunning reader looks h3 agrees last minute "just so you don't go alone" [he actually wanted to watch reader in that costume all night while u take pictures w kids and all] <33

𐔌 . ⋮ You had it all planned out—a costume inspired by the Heian era, elegant and haunting, reminiscent of the ancient nobility. Silk robes flowed around you in layers of crimson and deep black, each piece adorned with intricate patterns, your hair styled in elaborate coils, ornamented with delicate pins and flowers. You’d even painted your face with a pale powder, adding a touch of dark red to your lips and lining your eyes to make them bold, fierce… as if you belonged by his side, as if you were his queen from ages past.

It was the perfect idea, something that would mirror Sukuna’s origins and make you look as if you’d stepped right out of his own dark history.

But when you first suggested the matching costumes to Sukuna, he’d only sneered, crossing his arms. “You’re serious?” he asked, his tone dripping with skepticism. “Do you think I need a costume? I’m a curse already.” He’d huffed, dismissing your idea without a second thought.

So, you decided to go alone, despite the sting of his rejection. You still wore your costume with pride, though—there was no reason to give up just because Sukuna didn’t understand the appeal. Under the evening lights, you looked like something out of a Heian tale, mysterious and regal as you handed out candy to the kids who wandered by, watching their eyes widen at your otherworldly appearance.

But then, as you were setting up for the night, you felt a familiar presence behind you. Turning around, you saw Sukuna standing there, arms folded, his gaze locked onto you with an unreadable intensity. His eyes roamed over every detail of your costume, lingering on the delicate patterns, the deep red of your lips, the way you looked like you’d just stepped out of his past.

He raised an eyebrow, his expression still hard to read. “This is what you were so eager for me to match?” he asked, but there was a softness in his tone, something almost reverent.

“Well,” you replied, a bit shyly under his gaze. “I thought… it might be nice. To look like your queen, if only for tonight.”

His lips twitched in a faint smirk, his eyes narrowing slightly as he seemed to wrestle with his pride. “Fine,” he muttered, as if the words were dragged from him. “I’ll go with you. Just… so you don’t draw any more attention on your own.”

And so, with a reluctant sigh, he joined you. As you passed out candy and took photos with the neighborhood kids, Sukuna lingered close, his presence intense yet somehow protective. His gaze never left you; every time someone complimented your costume, he’d bristle slightly, a possessive glint flashing in his eyes.

He may not have agreed to matching costumes, but the way he watched you, so fixated and almost proud, said it all: Tonight, he was there, keeping you close, as if you really were his cursed queen from long ago. And as the evening wore on, he softened, even letting you take a photo or two with him—a rare, fleeting memory that you knew would be cherished long after the night was over .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱

[pastel-greene]

The Daughter | king!sukuna x curse user!reader

Prologue | Chapter 1 - The Summons | Chapter 2

Summary: The mother of curses happens upon a blind child and decides to impart a portion of her power to them as an experiment of sorts. The power morphs the child in their image until they are part curse and part human. So what happens when they get employed by the King of Curses? Will humanity bloom as newfound emotions flow between the two? Or will they usher in an era of never ending terror?

Notes: not all of this will be canon, it will be loosely based off of the jjk universe :) taglist is open, comment ur request on any chapter to be tagged in the next

Genre: female reader, fluff, angst, ‘loads’ of smut, violence, sukuna true form but like not with the weird face just two sets of stuff, dark reader

Warnings: profanity, explicit smut (two dick sukuna, sadistic sex, sub reader, dom sukuna, biting, oral m & f receiving, pet names, more to be added), violence, depictions of gore, dark minds cause yk, mentions of rape, toxic relationships, chaotic neutral reader, trauma, possessiveness from reader and sukuna, torture, vampire themes (reader’s blood is infused with the Mother of curses so if a curse user is to drink it it basically gives them a temporary stat boost bc what can i say vampire sukuna seems hot), and more to be added as the story progresses

Word count: 7.3k

This work contains mature content, so absolutely no minors I will block you if I find out :)

His eyes glaze over as they roam your body. The need within them allowing you to twirl his inhibitions around your finger and use them as a leash to guide him. He knows he shouldn’t let you close, but closer you get and god does it feel good. He knows he shouldn’t follow your command without an ounce a dignity, but oh how he wants to please you. He would do anything for you without a single question now that all his pesky thoughts were gone. The perfect toy to play with.

The man before you is the leader of a growing religious faction that preached about being able to save people from damnation for only a small price. He made promises of how his newfound god could protect anyone from the horrors of the world and all they needed to do was follow a set of rules— and of course money. It started with one bronze coin before growing to three silver coins. It also started as something one could choose to participate in before it slowly turned into a cult you were forced to be apart of. If you didn’t have money to pay the initiation fee, then you had to give up something else. If you were a married man, you could give up your virgin daughter and be granted a higher position in the hierarchy. If you didn’t have a daughter then you could give up your wife for general admission. If you were a woman without a husband, then you often were never seen again. If you didn’t willingly give one, then they would come and take what they falsely claimed was theirs and justify it with the name of religion. Sometimes even if you gave one, they would come back to take the other.

This contract came to you from a woman whose husband had sold their daughter. She didn’t offer anything material, but begged you to take her offer. You’re not one for charity, but you are one for dark pleasures. You asked if she would kill her husband and then herself, as punishment and payment for not protecting their daughter’s safety. She didn’t even hesitate to say yes. All she could think about was freeing her daughter from their grasp, her loss of life was of no consequence, and killing her husband… Killing her husband for selling their daughter away like a piece of meat would just be an added bonus.

So here you are, in the preacher’s chambers showing him a facade of paradise. Your smiles, your laughs, you lingering touches driving him further and further away from reason. Your power seeped into him, you could do it immediately and have him never see it coming, but that would be too easy. You wanted him to remember making the decisions that led to his downfall. You want to see the mortified look on his face as he realizes he chose this fate. The way his face would contort from panic as the weight of his sins crashes down on him. The way the panic would blend into fear fueled hysteria as he started lashing out and revealing the rest of his true colors. So you’re taking the long way. You’re setting everything into place so everyone can witness a showcase of reality that’ll send them into chaos.

”Mistress please, let me touch you,” he says begs while blindfolded to a chair. A chair he didn’t know had been transported to a very public area that people started to flock to. Horror and disgust on their features as they watched the man who boasted about how high and mighty he was begging for sexual pleasure. Your powers infected his senses so he couldn’t hear or feel anything you didn’t want him to. They also kept any party crashes from getting too close to the scene.

”Wrong line,” you said before letting the sturdy piece of wood in your hand lash against his skin. He let out a scream accompanied with a melody of sorries.

”Mother I have sinned,” a smile crept across your face at the ode to your Mother.

”Is that so? List me your sins and oink after each one to show what a filthy fucking pig you are.”

”I have lied to the people in this city. The god I made is not real, I made them up from a story I heard a few towns over. They were all just stupid and desperate enough to believe in it and hand over all of their valuables, oink!.”

The crowd’s faces were painted with disbelief and anger as the truth was unveiled. Dark thoughts started brewing between them making your blood hum as they continued to watch the scene unfold.

You let the wood crack down on the tops of his bare thighs once again, “What else are you guilty of?”

”I took their wives and daughters for my own sadistic pleasures. Me and the higher ups used those filthy bitches while they kicked and screamed against us. We would use them until we had our fill. Then I sold them off to the highest bidder. Some continued being sex slaves, others became mediums for sadistic fantasies, oink,” he said this line with a smile on his face as he recounted all of the deeds he had done to the girls.

Mothers that remained sobbed and some broke down in the street while others started taking their pain out on their husbands. Blood started to spatter as the number of fights spread like an airborne illness. Men started shouting and punching against the barrier you had put up, some fought out of love for their stolen family members and other fought out of spite for the harmed ego.

You let the wood smack down directly onto his dick and his scream echoed throughout the night skies before being silenced by his thank yous. “What else are you guilty of little piggy?”

”I told the higher members that I would get them into heaven. That all they had to do was listen to me and it would all turn out okay, but we are all damned now. I wanted everyone in this town to be as damned as me and now they are. They think there is a higher god but I am the god here. My words are law, my will is reality, those fucking sheep will give up their own fucking innards if I asked them, oink,” his words started carrying a laugh the more he went on. He actually believed that in this world he held power. You let out a laugh at the thought and he thought you were laughing with him.

”Tell me the names of the men who did this with you.” He started spewing out a list of names and with each one read a new fight began. The crowd dogpiled on whichever one they first laid eyes on and started bludgeoning them to death.

”What a good pig. I have a gift for you for being so good,” you said as the girls and women who survived his kidnapping came out from the building behind you each holding their preferred weapon. The crowd went still at the site of their neighbors, wives, and daughters. The abuse and torment they had undergone was evident as in the faces, clothes, and bodies. But it was their eyes where it showed the most. There was no light in them, no, currently that light was completely consumed by the darkness of revenge. They gathered around him in a circle, quietly waiting for their part.

”Mistress you are too kind to a soiled pig like me,” he said clearly thinking the present would be something splendid he would receive in the privacy of his own quarters.

You drew closer to him and brushed your hands along the sides of his as you removed his blindfold from behind, allowing him a full view of his victims. His eyes grew wide as he took in his surroundings.

”Wh-w-what-t’s happening? Where am I,” he asked in a panicked frenzy as he saw the girls and the bloodied crowd before him.

You walked around to the front of him, “Do you not recognize your own subjects?”

”You witch this can’t be real, we-we were just in my quarters. I would have heard them, I-I would have felt us move!” He started pulling against the restraints but they remained the same. “Don’t believe anything! This is all a lie! A facade put on by her! She is a witch! You need to kill her! Whoever kills her gets to join me at the top!”

You smiled down at the pathetic man, “Goodbye, little piggy,” you said as you started walking.

You looked to the girls, “You have 20 minutes before the others can approach him.”

They nodded at you and started circling the man as you walked into the building they came out of. You could hear the way they made him sing as they tore into him. You had fed enough of your energy into him that he would stay alive and conscious until the barrier fell no matter how much damage he took. He would feel every ounce of revenge they had for him. Inside, there was still one girl. The girl in your contract. You took her hand and told her you were taking her home. She had heard and saw what you had done. She gave you no hesitation as she walked behind you. Upon getting to the house, the mother rushed to her daughter with open arms. They both sobbed as they hugged each other and fell to the ground.

You let them have a minute before clearing your throat. The mother looked up to you and then back down to her daughter. She held her face and then wiped away her tears, telling her something you didn’t bother to catch. The girl looked up at you while still on her knees and started begging and crying. It all fell on deaf ears as you took the mother into their house where her husband was currently tied up. You handed her the dagger your Mother had given you all those years ago and she grabbed it tight in her hands.

”Thank you,” she said while smiling at you through watery eyes. She then turned around and stabbed her husband over and over. Each plunge accompanied by a scream of liberation. She looked down at his mangled torso before taking a deep breath and looking at the moon “Thank you,” she said again before plunging the dagger into her own abdomen. You grabbed the dagger and left, walking past the daughter who was still on her knees outside.

When you finally made it back to your home the sun was rising, you were exhausted. You grabbed an already open bottle of sake and took it to your bed deciding to forego a glass. Most crimes didn’t bother you but you always hated ones they dealt with girls being sold. It made you want to take the whole town off of the map for letting it go on for so long. The way that mother ran to her daughter irked you too. You couldn’t remember your parents or really anything before being sold. You had always assumed they realized you were blind and got rid of you as quickly as they could. You knew there would never have been anyone waiting for you with open arms after going through the traumatic events you did. It would have always been you having to comfort yourself, telling yourself it was okay. And that was okay…

You awoke sometime around noon to a fight happening in the hallway of where you were staying. Some man didn’t have something he owed the other man blah blah blah. Didn’t they know where you were? This was the city of night. Arguing that loud while it was still light out was a death sentence. You opened your door to look at them. It was two well dressed men—obviously not from around here. Your guess is that one of them was hiding from some debts here and the other came to collect.

”Keep your fucking voice down before I rip out your vocal cords and shove them up your ass”. Heh then he could really talk out of his ass.

”Mind your own business whore. Where’s your owner to keep you in—,” his sentence was cut short by your hand around his throat.

”Go on, finish your sentence,” you said without letting up on his throat. All that came out were gurgles as his face started to darken. You were fully ready to kill him when your friend Ieriri opened her door and sighed.

”Can’t we have a morning without a body in the hall?” She leaned against the doorframe clearly feeling the full effects of a hangover, her lips pouting into a plea.

”I thought you would enjoy a new body to experiment on Ieiri,” you said returning your own pout as you slightly loosened your grip on the man’s throat. “Plus he was so mean to me”.

”Ple-ease am- sorry,” the man choked out as he held onto your hand.

Ieiri put her hands together as she begged you to just let it be. You sighed and eyed the man that he was obviously here for.

“Both of you, out—now”.

The other man went to rebuttal but immediately shut his mouth when he felt your aura pierce through him. You released the man you were holding and he grabbed the other man by his hair before dragging him down the hallway and out of the building. You groan as you haggardly waltz into Ieiri’s room, still exhausted from your interrupted sleep.

”Well come in,” she jokingly says since you’re already on laying on her bed. She closes her door and comes to lay with you, “rough night?”

You sigh and nod your head. “I had a job a few villages over that required a lot of setup and was extremely fucked up. Like I will think I am fucked up, but when I see towns like that, I almost feel like a fucking saint,” you laugh.

”Fuck I know, right? I almost like going to towns like that though because I enjoy feeling like a saint and holding myself over people”, she says while literally holding herself over you which makes you laugh.

”Oh hardy har. Please madame teach me the ways of civility, turn me into a real upstanding lady!”

You both can’t help but laugh as she crawls into bed next to you. You had found Ieiri when you first came to this town 12 years ago. You were both children stealing for food, but she had gotten caught and almost killed on the spot for it. You had saved her and she had been glued to your side ever since. At first you kept telling her to go away, after all, you had never had a friend before. You didn’t know what to do with it, what she wanted. So you dealt with it the only way that made sense to you. You made it a partnership. She had knowledge of the town and you had power. You guys became town menaces in a town already full of them. It was the perfect paradise for you. Now you both knew it was more than a partnership, it was true companionship. You considered her to be like a sister and would turn the world over if anyone ever hurt her, but you would be surprised if they could. You had been teaching her how to use cursed energy ever since you felt a trace of it within her. She could easily hold her own against an average human. Your giggles died down as you both found rest in each other’s arms.

You walked the streets of your home. Some people gave you friendly greetings, some even approached you for a hug, while others hurried past you and didn’t dare to make eye contact. In a town full of criminals and assassins, they knew you were at the top of the food chain. Those who had challenged you in the past were either never heard from again or had come back so altered it was like there was no one home behind their eyes. Just walking zombies. Those were the ones you let Shoko play with. After running whatever experiments she wanted on them, they came out a ghost of their former selves.

You made your way to your favorite bar and as you came in the barkeep brought out an imported bottle of tequila that he knew you loved. Your eyes lit up as you beelined towards him. “Kentooo you shouldn’t have,” you said as you reached for it.

He pulled it back to your shock, “Oh I shouldn’t have? My mistake I will sell it to someone else then”, he said with an apologetic bow reeking of sarcasm. You put out your lips in a pout but he didn’t budge so you sighed.

”Thank you so much my knight in booze plated armor for remembering my favorite drink and fighting the terrifying trade company to retrieve it. I give you my most sincere thanks for bringing it back to me in one piece. Your efforts shall not go unacknowledged, what shall thy knight’s request entail,” you said with laughable grandeur.

He tried his best to keep up his end of the rouse but once one laugh fell through they all did. “You’re a little shit (Y/N)”, he said while opening the bottle and pouring you both a shot.

“And you’re an idiot for not taking up the invitation for me to grant you one request,” you said while clinking his glass and downing a shot with him.

”We will just say you owe me one then,” you were about to rebuttal but he remembered something,”By the way, you have a client in the back room waiting for you. He said he was a messenger for Lord… uhm well you know who.”

It wasn’t often you saw Kento get nervous but whoever’s name he was referencing definitely did it. You motioned your eyebrows to ask who but he acted as if a customer called him and walked off.

”Hey, where are you, KENTOOOO,” you shouted behind him to no avail. You sighed and grabbed the bottle as you walked towards the back to meet a messenger of Lord Spooky apparently.

In the back you saw a man in a very expensive garb and figured that was who you were looking for. You sat down at the table he was waiting for you at and took a drink.

”What do you want,” you said with little regard. Lords usually wanted some other Lord killed or a crime hidden away. They were also usually stingy and tried to slip payments thinking you couldn’t touch them. Man you hated dealing with them.

”I am a messenger of King Sukuna, he has requested your presence,” he said showing the same lack of regard to you. To him, you looked like a wench with a drinking issue. Not an asset.

You just looked at him, “Get out of here you fucking liar. The King has no interest in people here. We’re all just swine to him.”

His eyebrow twitched in annoyance, “While I don’t rebuke you being swine”, ohohohhh this motherfucker wanted to walk out with his head facing his ass, “he did indeed request your presence in the throne room, by 10 tomorrow.”

You blinked a few times, “So let me get this straight, the King wants me there by 10 tomorrow? It is currently 2 in the morning, and it takes 7 hours to get to his shrine. So within an hour I am supposed to drop everything and go?”

”Well you see, I arrived here 6 hours ago but this forsaken town doesn’t wake up until the sun is down, so technically you were going to have 2 hours to get ready, we would have left four hours ago, and then had plenty of time to fix your appearance for the king. But now, we will be leaving immediately and hoping there is time to wash the stench of booze from you and find out if there is a presentable version of you”.

Gobsmacked. Your jaw was left open at his onslaught of words and you were about to shove your fingers through his neck and beat the rest of his body with his skull when he held up the King’s stamp. Holy shit. You grabbed it and looked at it closer. It was real. It was really fucking real. The King wanted to see you. The King that had so many fucking horror stories written about him that maybe it actually should be Lord Spooky instead of King Sukuna.

”Uhm, well give me 20 minutes and I will meet you back here,” you said while getting up still feeling a little surreal.

What did the King want? Was this going to go bad and turn into a fight? There were very few people you didn’t want to seriously throw down with and he was one of them. From what you have heard, he is a powerful curse user like you surrounded by other less powerful curse users. Fuuuck if you were going to fight you wanted to do it in a neutral area not his fucking shrine. That’s not even fair. Although, it also made your blood tingle at the prospect of fighting someone at your level. Someone who also used cursed energy and was absolutely fucked in the head. Maybe a fight wouldn’t be bad.

”You have 10 and if you run the King will come here himself to retrieve you and take out this town in the process,” he said while getting up and walking towards the door where his carriage was ready, “Don’t. Be. Late.”

Kento who had heard the last bit of the conversation looked at you in shock before inching closer. “What was that about? Why would the King come here? Why does he want you? What the fuck did you do?” He was directly in front of you while rambling off questions. You just hugged him. “Don’t touch my tequila while I am away.”

You hurriedly ran to Ieiri’s and told her the gist of the conversation and your goodbyes. She was reluctant but knew you could handle yourself, even if it was against the King. She knew you would come back home, so you hugged and then left.

You made it back to the carriage with a just a small knapsack. You didn’t keep much with you. You had your dagger, some snacks, money, and some changes of clothes. Not that you expected to be able to wear the clothes as your usual attire wasn’t really fit for where you were going. You assumed they would continue to “make you presentable” while you were there.

”On time. I suppose you do have some class,” the messenger said as he opened the door for you and motioned for you to enter.

You gave a sarcastic bow while holding his eye contact, “Opening the door for me, I suppose you do know your place, peasant,” you said with a grin as you got in and he followed with a face so red it was almost purple.

The ride was very long, and very bumpy. “Soo, what’s your name,” you asked.

He just scoffed at your question and refused to look like you.

”So you’re just going to act like a child then?”

Nothing. More silent treatment.

Act like a child? Two could play at that game. “Hey, hey, hey, HEEEEEEYYY-“

”WHAT”, he cut you off seething.

”I asked you a question.”

”I don’t answer to you.”

”Do I have to repeatedly scream my questions to get you to answer them?”

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, “Geto Suguru”.

”Seeee that wasn’t that hard,” you said much to his annoyance, “so what does the King want with me?”

”He will tell you when we get there. And before you scream at me that is all I am allowed to say so please let me ride in peace.”

You sighed. You guess you can ride in silence with him but there will be no peace for you. You wanted to be a little shit and make sure there was no peace for him either but given his obvious disdain towards someone of your class you were sure it wasn’t peaceful for him either. Whatever you thought as you leaned back into your chair and looked at the ceiling of the carriage.

At some point you had dozed off because Geto kicked you in the leg to get you to wake up. Or well tried. As soon as you sensed his foot near your leg you stood and raised your leg to the side of his throat. For the first time you saw his expression change from annoyance to shock. He was sure you were dead asleep from how you were snoring and drooling, but here you were with a kick that left air to blow in his face from the sudden stop next to his neck. He didn’t even see it coming. Maybe you could be an asset after all.

”Y’know a simple hey would suffice next time ass wipe,” you said while lowering your foot and exiting the open carriage door. The attendants kept their heads bowed but you could tell they were just as shocked from the scene and some had to stifle laughter from your insult to him.

You stretched your arms up over your head as you got out and let rip a hearty yawn. As you finished you started taking in the shrine and palace. It was so clean, obviously Sukuna had some very good help with how spotless this place was. You looked at the attending and noticed that even they were well kept. With all the rumors about him you almost expected them to be in haggard loin clothes covered in dirt. Instead they all wore black and red kimonos. They were simple but still nicer than what you wore when in a hoity toity setting. You wore a simple loose shirt that hung off your shoulder when knocked out of the center, loose pants with deep pockets, and an expensive pair of boots with steel on top of the toe. It wasn’t fancy but with how much blood got on your clothes there wasn’t a point in buying nicer ones.

“Weapons are not permitted. Hand over all that you have,” Geto said as he walked up beside you.

You figured it would be like that so you had used your magic earlier to slip the dagger your Mother gave you into a pocket realm and handed the rest over to Geto.

He looked down at the daggers you gave him, “Anymore?”

”Nope,” you said before trying to continue onwards to which Geto reached his arm out and barred your entry. “Oh what now?”

”I don’t believe you.”

You sighed and spread your arms and legs, “Go on then search me”.

He felt up your legs to your thighs to your back pockets. His body towering over you as you stared into his chest. His hands slid from your ass to your waist and then started moving up until they cupped under your breasts.

”Oi they’re not bombs they’re my tits, although I can understand the confusion since that sour look you wear makes it seem as if you’ve never been laid,” you said while looking up at him.

”I know what they are, although given their size I almost thought they were little bombs,” he said with a smile while moving his hands to your back and then finally up your shoulders and down your arms.

You just laughed at his comment. Your boobs were not the biggest but not the smallest either. You never had any complaints from past lovers so you felt indifferent about it.

”Well now that you know that they aren’t a bomb but just the bomb, are we done?”

He shook his head at your comment but you swore there was a ghost of a smile on his lips. Maybe all it took for him to start to like you was almost kicking his head off. He jerked his head to the side in gesture for you to follow so you did. Once on the grounds, you got to see how diligent his servants truly worked. They worked very obssesively all with their heads bowed, refusing to make eye contact with anything aside from what they were doing.

”Why are everyone’s heads bowed,” you asked.

”It is a rule. Keep your head down so you don’t make eye contact with the King on accident. If they do they are killed right where they stand.”

“Why can’t I look at him? Is he… y’know not quite-“

“I’m going to stop you right there. You may be a requested guest but you will be killed all the same for disrespecting the King. He is fine, it is a sign of disrespect to look him in the eye so don’t,” he said while guiding you into the servant’s wing of the palace.

You couldn’t help but giggle, “So you think he is fine, huh? That why you don’t like boobs?”

”Gods you’re insufferable”, he led you into a room with a bath waiting and a few female servants. “Bathe and get dressed—quickly. I expect you outside in 20 minutes”, he said before closing the door and leaving you alone with the other women.

They came to help you undress but you gave them a gentle wave of no while smiling and thanking them for the offer while you undressed yourself. You noticed them staring at your body. You were probably the most muscular woman they had seen and you had a few scars on your back and abdomen from before you were gifted by the Mother. You just smiled at their stares and got into the bath helping them quickly scrub you clean. The products they were using smelled like lavender and bergamot. Scents you didn’t realize you were quite fond of until basking in them. You got through the bath quickly and moved onto dressing. They put a black and red robe on you that was made of a nicer material than theirs and had designs along the inner trim and bottom of the sleeves. They went to put socks and sandals on you but you protested asking to just wear your boots. They looked mortified and panicked. You wondered if they would get killed if you showed up differently than planned so you just sighed and put on the socks and sandals. They tied your hair up into an intricate bun with black pins donning red tassles holding it into place. They moved onto your face applying a dark stroke of black to line your eyes and dark red lipstick that reminded you of how you look when you bite people.

You were sure they normally do more given all the beauty products laying in front of you but time was up. You bowed and thanked them to their dismay, a smile forming on their lips, as you went to the door. When you open it you meet Geto standing there waiting. “Alright time to go”, he said but as he turned towards you he stopped. Once again, surprise bloomed across his features.

“Oh piss off. A sprinkle of makeup didn’t transform me, let’s go”, you said while walking off.

“Wrong way”, he shouted which made you turn around and start towards the opposite end of the corridor that he had already started walking towards. He had found your features to be attractive before, so no you didn’t transform, but gods did you look good like that. If only he could wash and redress your attitude.

Before opening the door Geto reminded you to not look at the King, not to cuss, to be respectful, not to speak unless spoken to, and basically go against all of your natural instincts. To which you sarcastically thanked him and took a deep breath. You had played many roles over the years and this was no different. You calmed your energy down until you could feel it was perfectly poised, put on a friendly yet neutral face, put your hands together in your kimono sleeves, and kept you head down as Geto led you into the throne room.

You could feel the King’s presence as well as a less stronger presence beside his throne. There were a few other people in the room but you and Geto were the only other ones with cursed energy. The odds of winning a fight against all of them would be absolutely rough, unless you put them in your domain. There it would be them against an army of your creations, but you wanted to keep your domain under wraps for as long as you could.

You could feel all of their eyes on you, sizing you up as well. Gods it was so fucking stupid that you couldn’t look at them as well. The hypocrisy made you want to look directly in his eyes and flip him the bird. Shit you almost let out a little giggle at that. Keep your thoughts cool dammit.

“Welcome (Y/N), I have heard a lot about you”, a voice with a deep timbre and light rumble said. You didn’t have to look to know it was the King.

“I wasn’t aware you had heard of me my King, but I am honored at your invitiation”, you said with a practiced voice that had Geto side eyeing you wondering where the fuck the actual you went.

You could hear him getting up in his seat, but didn’t give into the desire to look.

“Do you know why I called you here, (Y/N)”, he said as he started descending down the steps leading to his throne.

“No, my King. I-“, you feel a wave of cursed energy shoot towards you and step out of the way of it before feeling the King’s energy approaching you rapidly. You brace yourself and he appears in front of you, you manage to keep up with his speed and dodge his incoming physical attacks while using your cursed energy to fend off his own. His attacks have no malice behind them and he is keeping you two in a small radius clear of destroying anything, so you assume this is likely a test. You keep your head down and your arms in your sleeves. You feel as if you’re doing well at the test until two more arms appear from nowhere.

What the fuck is this asshole part spider? How many fucking arms does he have?

Just when everyone in the room thinks that he has you in his grasp, you disappear. They’re left in confusion as they look around for you.

”Do you know why I am here my King,” you ask from in front of his throne with a slight hint of sarcasm on ��my King’, your places now switched from how they began.

He smiled before appearing right in front of you again, “Serve me”, he whispered in your ear.

”Why?”

He let out a maniacal laugh, “Well one, you have no choice in the matter. You will serve me or die by me. I will be nice and give you a two though”, he said while circling you like a predator, “we are the same. Well maybe not in power, but I have heard of your work. Seen what remains after you're sent to do a job. You don’t just do what the client tells you, no, you sow seeds for cursed energy to grow from, don’t you? I can feel the hunger inside you, the pit that demands chaos paid in blood. Feed it with me”. He is behind you, his face beside your ear again.

“What are the terms of my treatment? Am I stuck here or do I get to go outside the palace? Also, what is your end goal? Why rule, why dominate? What world are you hoping to get out of it?”, you ask turning around to face him, this time staring right into his eyes.

He grabs your throat when you make eye contact, but quickly lets go in slight shock. “Were you draining my power just then?”, he asks with a wild smile on his face.

”Yes my King. I wouldn’t advise touching me against my will. It only takes a few seconds for me to send it to that pit that you mentioned,” you boldly take a step towards him, still maintaining eye contact, “I will work with you but there will be conditions. You will find that I am much nicer to work with when I am happy and that I am very easily made happy”. You say with the smile you learned from your Mother while unleashing the veil you always kept over your power and could feel the others’ spike in response to yours. The humans in the room launched their heads back before looking at the King, eyes matching the color of yours. All of the sorcerers, could feel your power tapping around in the heads, not in them, but letting them know they could end up out of control if they slip up.

Sukuna’s POV

This annoying little bitch coming into my throne room and challenging me. I could stick my fingers through her fucking brain until she has no choice but to be an obedient slave and part of me loves that idea, but the other part loves where this is going. She can disappear from even me and reappear without being sensed, tap into others minds, and drain other users of their power. She may not be as strong as me, but fucking hell are her abilities useful. And something about her presence makes my power hum with a feeling I can't place. Lust? Hate? Familiarity? Fuck I don’t know but I want her near.

I sit back in my throne, eyeing her up and down. With me sitting we are closer to eye level than before. Her eyes look like pools of blood, begging to drown the world in them. “What are your requests then, brat?” I can see the shock on the other sorcerers' faces, but also understanding on Geto’s. He must also realize she is an asset.

“I require alcohol, casual wear fit for fighting, an area where I can train but it doesn’t need to be private, and while I understand I may not be able to leave often, the ability to visit my home for 24 hours at a time not including travel time,” she said while still fucking staring me down. Cheeky bitch. But none of those are terrible, I suppose.

”Oh, and I would like to be able to have sex”, she added while nodding.

”With who?”

”You—“, Geto and Uraume both choked on air at her request as my eyebrows raised. Who does this fucking wench think she is demanding stipulations and then to fuck me I—“ Kidding, sorry. I didn’t really have anyone in particular in mind I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t off the table since this is kinda a shrine”, she said as if she hadn’t just informally joked about having fucking me—her fucking King.

I just sit and stare at her for a minute wondering what the hell goes through her mind that compels her to speak to me so casually. What happened to the demeanor she had in the beginning? Speaking like a bratty fucking whore now that she is close to me. Normally, I would grab her by her fucking throat and slam her around for such insolence, but I can still feel the hole she drained from my power. That ability is pesky as hell. Maybe I can get her to lower it and then smash in her skull. Hmm that would be nice.

“I will agree to your terms, but you will only drink after the sun sets, wear the clothing I choose outside of daily routine, and you may leave three times a year upon my approval and failure to follow those terms will results in losing one of those visitations. You will also speak to me with respect for here on out. I will not hear more slander about fucking a ran through whore like you or I will snap your neck, power drain or not. Are we clear?”

She gives me a shit eating grin before slightly bowing her head, “Crystal clear my King. I look forward to working for you.”

(Y/N) POV

Holy shit why did I say him? What demon inside me fucking compelled me to risk my life over that? Although…everyone’s reaction was funny.

“I will agree to your terms, but you will only drink after the sun sets, wear the clothing I choose outside of daily routine, and you may leave three times a year upon my approval and failure to follow those terms will results in losing one of those visitations. You will also speak to me with respect for here on out. I will not hear more slander about fucking a ran through whore like you or I will snap your neck, power drain or not. Are we clear?”

Except the end. Ran through whore? I am sorry, but who is it that has MULTIPLE concubines? Hypocrite.

“Crystal clear my King. I look forward to working with you.”

With that he waves his hand in dismissal and I walk away with my head still bowed and Geto following behind me. Once out of the room he smacks me on the back of the head.

”Fuck you actually do drain people’s energy don’t you?”

”Yea did you think our King was lying? You accuse him of being a liar? Don’t you know that is direct disrespect to him and punishable by death”, you say with a dead serious look as you stare at him.

He stares back absolutely baffled. “If anyone needs advice on how to not get killed by the King it's you. You flat out asked to fuck him like a goddamn maniac”, he says while guiding you to where you assume your quarters will be.

“Yea imagine if we got into a real fight. I wonder how it would go? I think it’d be pointless. We are stronger together. I am more of an asset than any of you know, killing me would suuuuck”, you say with an overly playful tone for the topic.

“How can you be so sure that you’re such an asset that he wouldn’t kill you?”

“Can any of you do what I just did?”

”Teleporting yes and—“

”I didn’t teleport. I went to a different realm that is in this one but not. Can any of you walk between realms?”

”I don’t even know what that means or what to do with that information. You make my brain hurt, for many reasons”, he stops and opens the door in front of you, “these are your quarters. I am sure your servants will be by to take your measurements and specifications for clothes and alcohol preferences soon. Do not leave this room without your attending servants until you have been told you may wander alone. Okay?”

You smile as you walk in and do a few spins in your room, “Yes, I understand. Wait for my servants and don’t leave without them”, you say without looking at Geto as you take in your room. You hear your door close, leaving you to your own devices

Notes: chapter one ayoo hopefully you guys like it. Some notes about the reader and Sukuna

- The reader’s cursed powers follow many techniques just like the Mother’s. The realm in between she mentioned is the Mother’s domain. Her domain is so big it is literally separate realm that exists on top of the other one without detection. The Mother and reader are the only ones that can travel to it. This realm is full of stored cursed energy and curses crafted by the Mother and reader. The Mother and her spawn stay in a palace that the reader cannot reach in that realm as they are taking a hands off approach for a while, so the reader can only use creations made themselves. Similar to Geto’s power but on a larger scale. This will actually make the two of them a good combo in the future.

- Sukuna had someone watch the events described in the beginning. He is interested in the reader because he has heard many accounts of their power and the technique is always different. He has also heard accounts of them lifting grown men twice their size as well as other items of great weight. Her speed has also been made a point of interest. Her bloodlust has also reached his ears and the depictions of gore she has left behind. Her killing didn’t discriminate on age or gender, but he had noticed her scenes were more intense when involving rape.

- The more cursed energy a sorcerer has the more of a pull her blood will have on them because the purer their energy is. It can feel the Mother within it and yearns to feed on it. This is why the King will let her get away with more and will act more erratic around her because he doesn’t know why he feels the way it does but he is oddly possessive/protective of her now. He would still beat her for the insolence if it wouldn’t drain him, but he has no intention of killing her.

- Ieiri knows more about the reader’s powers than anyone else and experiments on people to come up with new ideas for curses. She finds out what hurts the most but keeps the patient alive, different things that affect their vitals, tests on humans and sorcerers to ensure effectiveness, different ways to get inside people’s minds, and an array of ways to attack people in general. This has allowed the reader to create curses completely different than the Mother’s.

- If it came down to a fight, the reader would win in cursed energy, but Sukuna would win in brute strength. It would come down to how both played their cards throughout the match. The reader’s domain is able to open within Sukuna’s and is the inside of the Mother’s palace. So while he may have Malevolent Shrine, she has Malevolent Mother but the reader would rather die than run to her mom, so y’know.

Taglist: @missroro

[bless-my-demons]

Redamancy: Chapter Twenty-Three

Series Summary: What happens when your soulmate is a vampire that struggles to maintain a diet of trying not to kill you? Common sense says run for the hills, nothing is worth your life - but my heart is whispering why not, what’s there to lose?

Warnings: Just fluff, y’all deserve it lol

Notes: I’ve had this chapter written for a long time already and this week I’ve just kept adding to it lol I also tore my thumbnail off at work so I’ve been typing on my phone with my index finger and it’s pissing me off, I apologize if I fuck up some spelling bc of it. Enjoy our boy being back and not holding anything in anymore🥰

Word Count: 3500

Series Masterlist

•March 18th, 2006 • Home •

Reader

I don’t know what’s worse. Watching Jasper leave, or standing in front of him months later completely unprepared to see his face ever again.

Jasper Hale is here, he’s real, he’s home.

I can’t breathe all over again. I just-

My body collides with his before I even realize I’m moving. Wrapping my arms around his neck feels like a puzzle piece clicking into place. He’s solid against me, slightly chilly but real. I can’t believe it, I inhale for the first time since opening the door and it really is him-the scent of pine and everything Jasper slides right into my lungs and clicks against my heart. My breathing is noticeably choppy and I can barely contain the sob lodged in my throat. One hand wrinkles his shirt in a fist at his shoulder while the other grips his beautiful blonde hair at the base of his head, my eyes squeeze shut to hold in the tears from the overwhelming feeling of having him this close again.

“You-you’re home.” I choke out, the lump in my throat almost impossible to slip words past.

His arms close around me delicately picking me up off my feet, like I’m made of porcelain. He hasn’t moved an inch otherwise, almost as if he’s thinking that I might be a dream too. I feel his chest expand and his arms cinch down a little tighter, bands of steel that aren’t releasing me anytime soon.

“I’m here darlin’, I’m home.” Jasper whispers into my neck.

“You can’t-don’t leave-“ I stutter, words failing me, hands starting to shake.

“Shhh sweetheart, I’m here.” He smooths a hand down the back of my head and cradles it against his shoulder.

Tears start to fall in a steady flow at the reassurance in his voice, words I’ve needed to hear for a long time now clanging through my soul. He’s here and I don’t know for how long, but he’s here.

Jasper steps forward into my house with me still enveloped in his arms, nudging the door to slam shut with the toe of his boot, he stops.

“Couch?” He asks, as if he’s unsure what to do next.

I nod into his neck, I could probably let go and walk myself, but I can’t release him just yet. He moves us over to the couch and as he sits, I pick my legs up to lay across his lap, a hand drifting down my thigh to guide me into a comfortable position. It’s like time picked up right where we left off, a shudder running through me at the familiarity of him.

“Darlin’, I need to see that gorgeous face of yours.” He says in that southern accent that’s like a spear to my heart. I want to shake my head, I’d prefer to stay in this bubble locked around him. Instead I do the reasonable thing, my arms relax the death grip I have on his neck as I lean back to look into his eyes.

“There you are, sweet girl.” He whispers with a grin, dark brown eyes tracking the tear stains running down my cheeks. His thumbs reach up to swipe away the wetness as he places a kiss to my forehead before taking a deep breath.

“Why on earth would you try to-to kill-” He struggles with the words in a way that clenches my heart.

“I wasn’t trying to kill myself. It was recreational diving.” I pick at the edge of my sweatshirt and I feel him shift.

“Alice couldn’t see you come out of the water, I was so scared, you… You can’t do that.” Jasper pushes some fallen strands of hair behind my ear, staring at where his cold finger meets my warm skin.

“Can’t do what?” I challenge, meeting his eyes as defiance flairs in me.

“Scare me. Put yourself in a situation where I might lose you.” His answer is warming and bold, but it delivers a blow to my chest.

“Like when I lost you six months ago?” Fuck, the lashing is out of my mouth before I could think, but I stand by it nonetheless.

He takes a deep breath, glancing around the living room before nodding.

“I’m sorry…” my voice is small as I whisper the apology, I truly didn’t mean to snap.

“Sweet girl…” he drifts off and closes his eyes, missing the pink on my cheeks from the nickname. “You have no idea, it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. The most scared I’ve ever been - that night in September and today.”

“You have no idea, Jasper. It’s not so easy to live without you either. To wonder if you’re alive. If you’ve moved on without me.”

He opens his almost pitch-black eyes and gapes at me like a fish out of water. How could this man think so low of himself that he can’t see how much I care for him?

“Have you been feeding?” I ask him, worry lacing my tone as I take his cheeks in my hands.

“When I need to, it turns out that not a lot matters besides you. You also scaring me to death kind of does that to a man.” He responds with a pointed look and a smirk tugging on his lips, his hands tightening their hold on my waist.

I blush again, not used to him being so open with his thoughts and feelings. “Oh hush.” I flash a sad grin back, the dark circles under my eyes an obvious sign I know exactly how he feels.

“You look tired sweetheart, maybe-“ he begins.

“No.” I interrupt him, there’s no way I’m taking my eyes off him any time soon, not even for a nap.

Realization dawns on him as I stare a hole into his chest, the grip I have on his shirt unyielding like it’s the only thing tethering me to earth. “Y/n, let’s go upstairs and you can take a nap, I’ll stay with you the entire time. You need some sleep, doll.”

“You-you’ll stay with me? You won’t leave?” I ask as he picks me up bridal style in his arms and begins walking to my room.

“I won’t leave, not until you ask me to.” He reassures my fears, no doubt catching the distress pouring off me in droves at just the thought of letting him go even for a simple nap.

“You’ll be okay laying with me?” I ask, concerned about making his hunger uncomfortable.

“Sweetheart,” he starts while ascending the stairs, “I’ve gone too long without you, I can wait a little longer to take care of myself.”

I sink into his arms a little further, my eyelids beginning to feel the weight of all the sleep I haven’t been getting since he’s been gone.

“Sleep, I’ve got you.” He murmurs into my hair, placing a kiss as he turns the corner to my room.

He sets me down on one side of the bed, the sheets unmaid making it easy to pull up and cover me. He speeds to the opposite side of my bed, toeing his shoes off before sliding under the sheets with me. He keeps his distance, facing me on his side with an arm propping up his head so that he could study me.

I turn my body to mirror his, “You’re not staying all the way over there, are you?” I ask mildly offended.

He lets out a chuckle, “Guess not.” He opens his arms to let me wiggle in closer, I press my nose to his chest and pause. “What is it?” He asks, immediately sensing my hesitation.

“Can I?” I lift my leg a little as if in question, too scared to ask something so intimate out loud.

He slides a chilly hand down my leg to grasp the back of my knee to hike over his thigh, leaving goosebumps in his wake and not just because he’s cold from the lack of sustenance in his system.

I sigh as I settle in, body finally able to relax for the first time in a very long time. I feel myself drift off as he rubs my back and whispers, “Sweet dreams darlin’, I’ll be here when you wake.”

Blissful all-encompassing darkness finally drags me under peacefully for the first time in months.

Jasper

I’m in Y/n’s bed, actually holding her and breathing her in. It’s like a soothing balm spreading over the exposed live wires of my sanity that have been buzzing uncomfortably since the day I ran from her. Gazing down at her sleeping face, I can tell the last few months have taken their toll on her too. Her forehead has more crinkles from stress, the dark circles under her eyes standing out against her delicate skin. Her lips aren’t quite as full as I remember, no doubt related to the volume missing in her cheeks from lack of nourishment. She’s still gorgeous, devastatingly so, but I know her well enough to notice the small changes.

I take a deep breath to let her scent flow in me, to heal the piece I’ve been missing for months, her hand tightens it’s hold on my shirt. I had no idea my absence would have such a prominent effect. I figured she could live without me simply the way she had before me.

As I gaze around her room to take in the disorganization, I hear her breathing pick up. Glancing back down I spot her nose scrunching up and a scrunch in her brow, in addition her heartbeat begins a steady increase. A nightmare, I can sense the fear and loneliness in her emotions.

“Darlin’,” I murmur softly into the soft skin of her temple as I run a hand down her back, “Wake up darlin’, it’s just a dream.”

She snaps awake with a sharp inhale, “Jasper?” Y/n asks, “You’re still here?”

“I’m here, do you want to talk about your dream?” I ask while I hook some loose strands of hair that escaped her bun behind her ear.

“Doesn’t matter now, you’re here.” She replies, her hands roaming my chest like she’s trying to convince herself of her own words.

God I’m so stupid for leaving this girl.

“Let me… Let me go take a shower so I can feel like myself again. You…?” Her question drifts off like she’s afraid to ask me to stay, like it isn’t her right to make demands like that.

“I’ll be here when you get out sweetheart, take as long as you need.” I end my reassurance with a kiss to her forehead, I can’t get enough of touching her again.

“Okay.” She whispers as she peels herself from where her body is intertwined with mine. I’m not used to the intimacy, but I’m more than happy to oblige my girl.

My girl.

That would require me to make her my girl. Require me to talk about my feelings for her, to make up for my horrible actions, for leaving her alone when she needed me.

I watch her shuffle around her room gathering clean clothes to wear for the night as I scoot back on her bed to lean against the headboard, hands folding in my lap content to just observe. The organization of her room only known to her as she picks up and discards articles of clothing that don’t satisfy her.

I lean forward from my resting place against her headboard and reach a hand back to grab the collar of my hoodie to remove it. As I’m yanking it off, my cotton T rides up flashing her a view of my stomach and I know she catches it based on the change of her scent.

A smirk graces my lips as I extend my hoodie towards her, “Here, sweetheart.”

Stunned eyes blink back up to my face as nervous hands grasp my jacket, “Thank you.” Whispered quickly from her lips.

Once she has what she needs, she pauses in the doorway to the hall, turning back to look at me.

“Go, before I’m tempted to undress you myself.” I smirk at the blush that dusts her cheeks, having reached my goal of bringing color back to her beautiful face. Effectively flustered, she rushes down the hall to her bathroom.

Reader

Wiping the condensation from the mirror, I grimace at the reflection. When did I start to permanently look tired? I let out a huff and check the time on my phone, I slept less than an hour in his arms. Not bothering to blow dry my hair, I ditch my dirty clothes in the hamper and walk back to my room.

Jasper’s eyes immediately find mine, “What’s wrong doll?” He asks, definitely having heard me fuss over my reflection in the bathroom.

“I’m just… still tired.” I offer as I turn to hang up the towel I used for my hair on the back of my door.

“C’mere.” He slides back down the bed from his position at the headboard and opens the blankets for me

I climb back into bed and scoot close to him, my forehead inches from his as I gaze into his dark eyes. I half expected him to be a figment of my imagination when I returned from my shower. We don’t say anything to each other, but it’s like he can’t keep his hands to himself and it’s new, but also not at the same time. Don’t get me wrong I absolutely love it and I can’t stop touching him either, but it’s different now-I’ve gone so long without him.

“Jasper?” I whisper into the quiet of my room.

“Yes sweetheart?” He responds, halting the hand drawing circles on my arm.

“What are we doing?” I wonder out loud, unable to continue this limbo with him, my nerves shot to hell.

“Well,” he leans in, one hand moving to cup the back of my head, “I’d like to…” his nose bumps mine and I can’t breathe. He’s going to kiss me, Jasper Hale is going to-

Right when I feel his lips ghost mine, his phone rings, ruining the peaceful moment. With a groan and a clench of his jaw, he turns to grab his phone from my nightstand, Alice’s name flashing on the screen.

“This better be important.” He says by the way of a greeting to his adopted sister, as he’s staring at me with those pitch-black eyes. There’s hunger there and I’m not entirely sure it’s for blood this time, I shiver and he catches the movement immediately.

“Mary Alice-“ he manages to force her full name from a clenched jaw.

“Yes-yes I know, I’m sorry, but it’s Edward.” She proceeds to launch into an explanation as he sits up, concern taking over his features as I overhear Alice explain their situation in Volterre.

Wait-Volterre as in Europe? Are Alice and Bella in Europe? What’s wrong with Edward?

Jasper turns to give me a reassuring half-smile, sensing the turn in my emotions.

Shortly the call with Alice ends and he turns to me fully, “What’s going on?” I question before he can manage an explanation.

“I chose to come home the same time Alice came to check on Isabella, after you two decided to do some… recreational cliff diving at the reservation and Alice couldn’t see the outcome. I decided to come with her because I had to see you with my own eyes, the opportunity to see you again was something I couldn’t pass up anymore.” He began, looking down at his hands nervously. “Edward… He called Bella’s home phone requesting to speak to her father and Jacob answered. Informed him that Charlie was planning a funeral, but didn’t mention that it was for Harry Clearwater. So now… now he’s in Volterre asking for death from The Voltouri.”

“Who are the Voltouri?” I asked, worry creeping in for Edward. “Why would he ask them for such a thing?”

His eyes meet mine, soft even though his hunger shines clear. “Darlin’, he thinks Bella is dead. The Voltouri are the governing body to our vampire race. They’re judge, jury, and executioner rolled into one, full of very powerful beings.”

“Okay, but clearly she’s alive! And on her way to meet him, why would he want to die?” I press him harder, worried for my friends.

“He isn't answering his phone, his mind has been made up, which is why Alice is racing the clock to get to him. Isabella is his singer, honey-“ his hands reach for mine as I interrupt him.

“Singer? What in the world is that?” I demand, my patience thinning at the anxiety of the situation.

“A blood singer is a vampire’s greatest temptation,” he begins, now unable to meet my questioning gaze, looking at our intertwined fingers instead. “They’re blood sings, or in other words, is irresistible perfection for their vampire. In some cases they are the potential mate for the vampire. A singer isn’t like that for all vampires, usually just for the one. A life without them is extremely dull in comparison once you’ve found them.” He concludes.

“Sounds like you’re familiar with the feeling,” I mumble self-consciously. “Have you had a singer?”

The sharp exhale he forces out snaps my eyes to his. “Yes.” He answers truthfully.

“Oh…” My heart sinking, I try to pull my hands from his but he holds tight. “That’s-“

“You, darlin’.” He states matter of factly, one of his fingers lifting my chin, so that he could find my eyes. “You are that for me.”

“I-I’m your singer?” Disbelief and awe seep into my tone.

Jasper’s fingers drift down my neck following the path of my pulse, his dark gaze following their trail. “Yes Y/n, you’re mine.”

I shiver at the pure possession in his voice and the dangerous glint in his eyes. I wonder if he knows how that sounded, like there was no room for negotiation - like it’s more than my blood he wants.

“Honey, you keep those thoughts up and we’re in trouble.” He grinds out, a war raging behind his eyes.

“Jasper…” I trail off as I climb over the remaining space separating us and into his lap, like a magnet drawn to its counterpart.

“Does this mean we’re… Mates?” I ask, not really sure of what that implies.

“Yes,” Jasper takes a moment to seemingly gather his thoughts, “you need to tread very lightly, little one.” His voice a deep vibration in the quiet room, his hands flexing on the comforter of my bed.

“Oh my god, you haven’t eaten and I-“ I stutter out as I rise from my position in his lap. I’m his fucking singer and I’m pushing his limits while he’s hungry!

“Now that you know everything… I need to hunt. I think I’ve tested all the patience and luck I’m going to get today.” He states with his black eyes still locked on mine.

I leaned against my dresser a few feet in front of him and fold my arms over my chest, a little insecure under his intense gaze now that his proximity isn’t overriding my rational thoughts.

“Go, go hunt. But please, come back to me?” I ask him.

He rises from the edge of my bed, slowly closing the gap and resting a hand on my cheek softly. I lean into it, closing my eyes and turning to press a kiss to it before meeting his eyes again. His lips part as if he wasn’t expecting that kind of reaction, “I’m yours now - have always been, but now I know I don’t have the strength to do that again, to abandon you.” He reassures my fears quickly. “It’ll be a few days, to properly prepare myself, but I promise you’re my first stop when I’m back.”

“I’ll hold you to that, Hale.” Feeling better about him leaving now that I have his word. Jasper leans down to place a lingering kiss to my forehead, his cool lips feeling like heaven on my heated skin.

“Be safe while I’m gone, please.” He whispers into my hair, his thumb sweeping my cheek back and forth adoringly. I nod since my throat feels like I’ve swallowed cotton, sad that I’m forced to be without him for a few days after just getting him back.

He steps away from me toward my open window, where the cool spring air drifts in. Glancing back for one last look before making his exit, I catch his eyes scanning every inch of my body.

He’s out of the window in the next fraction of a second, not even a whisper of footsteps in his wake. I wrap myself a little tighter in his hoodie, his intoxicating scent soothing the ache that’s beginning to return, reminding me he’s here.

He’s home, Jasper Hale came home to me.

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Taglist Part 1:

@aoi-targaryen @Min-jianhyung @pbbsl @timelordhunterandmysterysolver @sheerangermany @clearwater-hoe @Blackbluerose666 @ivy-plays @random-human02 @delightfulbluebirdstarlight @steh-lar-uh-nuhs @gaymazinglula @l3ejm @angelfuzzy2 @losa12308 @thekinkpopstandsforkrackheads @flyawayprincess @ropickle @catbusloki @deviat3dsn0wf0x @lovesanimals0000 @unrevived @h-naec @cutesnakemum @zudooms @itsmytimetoodream @stinkii-boii @acoolnight @anothercoffeeblogx @irishblend10 @from-now-on-im-switzerland @kyraslife2 @naolvshan @kiiwiigii @rosedpetal @kiaraandrea @foolsgoldxo @heartfilia01 @azuredgalaxies @geekysimmerthings @graciereads @ramen-girl-2424 @0hmydekiru @creeqvealley @cherriebat @whichwitchisthebitch @dragon-rider-with-a-book @secretfairytailpetscookie @psychobitchsthings

[sunsh1n3s]

— he doesn’t talk much ( don hume x reader )

a.n. after long demand and long wait- here is my first don hume piece. one should be coming out soon also. not the real don hume, just thought to preface that. and take my writing lightly, it’s been a minute.

contains. swearing, gn!reader, if you squint could have some fem!reader themes only bc im feminine so it may slip in accidentally

a party celebrating the winning hometown rowing team was the biggest talk. y/n couldn’t imagine themselves actually paying attention to the sport. they were busy with their own things, but with convincing they ended up one of the thousands of people who watched in the crowd.

what also added to their interest was the stroke of the boat, don hume. y/n had him in a class of theirs, he was quiet, studious, and was like the others; just wanted in and out of the class. they missed small segments of notes to look at him. nobody noticed their interest, hardly noticed him until he beat the schools biggest rival.

“come on y/n, support your guy.” joyce teased, making y/n let out a laugh. joyce watched as her friend smiled, “he’s not my guy, joyce.” y/n stated and walked into the study commons with her. “well he’s caught your eye and,” joyce looked around her, looking back at them “do you really think he’s gonna find someone else? he doesn’t talk to many.” joyce said. y/n sighed and sat down with their things. joyce sat across from them and stared, pleading with her eyes. “fine, you’re right.” they agreed.

joyce walked with y/n to their destination, joyce was there to support joe and y/n was there for don. they claimed they were there for everyone, but joyce knew it wasn’t the case. after admitting their crush on him to joyce, they knew they’d regret it.

with their flags and spirit, the two cheered on the team. they watched as the flag with down and the boys started rowing like crazy. it was impressive, the way they all moved in sync and flowed beautifully. joyce got y/n to scream and cheer, don’s name slipped out their mouth a few times.

as they passed teams and were head to head with california; their biggest rival, y/n swore from then on their hand was numb from joyce. they smiled at the strong grip she had on their hand, but it did hurt.

everyone cheered yet had the urge to hold their breath, “cmon boys.” y/n spoke, leaning on joyce. they passed california and everyone around y/n screamed. joyce and y/n embraced one another in a hug, moving down to the guys that finished the race, their guys.

the boys noticed joyce and y/n, as joyce locked eyes with joe, y/n caught a shared glance with don. they smiled at him and he smiled but looked away; obviously flushed. the coxswain looked up at them, back at don, and back at them with a grin. y/n covered their face and turned on their heel to joyce.

y/n awkwardly stood near joyce and joe, talking with roger until the coxswain came up. “hey, y/n right?” he asked, y/n nodded. “i’m bobby, and i saw your glances to my buddy donny, he’s not a talker but the look he gave you said enough. why don’t we go talk to him?” he rambled, without an answer from them, he led them to don.

“hi don, congratulations.” y/n greeted, don looked from the water to them. bobby’s hands left the sides of their arms and he walked away. don smiled, getting the courage to talk. “i-uh thank you.” he said. y/n smiled and he swore his heart was theirs. “so there’s a big party after, am i gonna see you dancing there?” they asked, their grin turned into laughter while he nervously smiled.

“i don’t dance.” he shook his head. y/n crossed their arms, somewhat smug, “and you don’t talk so much, but here you are talking to me, so would you care to dance with me?” they used the adrenaline of watching the competition as courage to ask for a dance.

don’s eyes widened and he tried to stay calm, “yeah-! yeah sure i would.” he stuttered. they nodded, smiling, “alright, i won’t drag much out of you now. but congratulations again, don. i’ll see you tonight.” they bid their goodbye and he waved, looking for bobby while they looked for joyce.

“you actually spoke to someone other than your team- plus someone attractive” “shut up bobby.”

the dance was one to remember. it was crowded and people were tipsy. it was a lovely night filled with celebration and happiness. girls left and right talked with the guys, but few of the guys had main interest in certain ones.

y/n entered much later than joyce, which was noticed by don. he even mustered up the courage to ask bobby, who asked joyce; who would tell y/n later on once they sat in joyce’s room thinking over their night.

don kept an eye out for them; afraid he was stood up. but they arrived, and it was like his nerves skyrocketed. don resorted to the bench that was placed in the room. there they were, dressed all fancy, beautiful. he looked around in case they caught him staring, but he failed to hide it once he looked back at them and they had just met his eyes. a smile spread across their face, and beside them a smile was seen on bobby’s. they walked over and sat next to him, “wanna dance?” they asked, face close to his ear because the music was so damn loud.

don looked at them, their faces were close. y/n flashed him yet another smile, without a word he nodded and they got up. they held out their hand and he took it, following y/n to where the rest of his buddies were. don felt more comfortable around them, but they didn’t help in the moment as they whooped and shook his shoulders. it didn’t seem to bother y/n, as they smiled up at him. he couldn’t help but smile back.

their hand in his and they moved with one another, y/n was impressed with his rhythm. he was probably the only guy in the gang that knew how to dance and stay with the song.

in the middle of their dance, tipsy bobby came up to the pair with the rest of the guys. “y/n have you seen don’s talent?” he asked, their eyebrows furrowed and they raised one while looking at don. “talent? no i haven’t heard nor seen.” they answered cautiously. “really? give me a sec.” he excused himself and ran to the stage.

“don’t embarrass me.” he said to his teammates, his hand gripping y/n’s. they laughed at the sight, squeezing his hand in a reassuring way. soon bobby made a speech and the guys dragged don over to the piano. a smile rested on y/n’s face and they watched as they forcefully sat him down at the piano.

the boys returned to y/n, nudging them jokingly but paying attention to don. he played and y/n’s smile grew, that’s how he knew how to dance or follow a rhythm.

in awe, they listened to him play and watched him relax. they joined the crowd in singing and dancing, moving around with bobby and taking glances at don. it was short, but he got up with a nervous small grin. don’s eyes met y/n’s as they beamed and clapped; and he bowed, to be polite but just for them.

everyone calmed and it was like the man couldn’t get off the stage fast enough, thanking the people he passed and they nudged or slapped his shoulders. he politely brushed off the girls who flirted or whoever’s looks lingered too long. he just wanted to return to y/n.

once he did, it was like he was safe. “you get more amazing everyday, don hume. did you know that? and even more attractive.” they complimented. his face got red and he smiled, “thank you.” he accepted.

something gave don the courage to make a move he’d never expect to make. whether it was the slight alcohol, adrenaline rush of the attention, or the urge to make a move forever; he didn’t care, he was thankful regardless.

don gently held their face and brought them to a kiss. they melted into it and returned the action. cheering from don’s mates and people around them made them both go red. they pulled back with beaming smiles; what a night to remember.

— j note. i hope you enjoyed! i don’t have any dividers yet i just don’t feel the urge to find or use any so if it’s sloppy formatting just tell me to get some. but i hope this didn’t feel rushed or too much- it’s been a while since i’ve written something.

[daily-teki]

Day 161: Finally announcing the winners of the DTIYS competition! Sorry it took so long to get around to lads TwT

I’m amazed at how many entries i got, and they were all wonderful! If you check out the #daily teki dtiys tag you can check em all out for yourself ^^!

It was really hard to pick between the top 5, (so much so that I changed having a top 3 for a top 5) so without further ado:

Coming in at 5th place, we’ve got @frenchgremlim1808 !!

I rlly love the bright colours and shading, plus your style is always absolutely iconic.

4th place goes to @nina-the-ninth !

The shading and more realistic style is spellbinding, and it’s composed rlly well- it was super tough choosing between 4th and 3rd place. This was 100% the reason I ended up deciding to do a top 5 rather than a top 3- I absolutely couldn’t leave it out

In 3rd place we have @bagofjax !!

The lighting and the textured hand drawn calligraphy contrasted to the bright pixel colours of the game sprites really got to me, and then seeing the strings of numbers making up the background absolutely pushed it over the line into the top 3 for me.

An incredibly close second place goes to @goldyluna !

I am such a sucker for the flow and styling of that hair- she looks like she could be right at home on a figurine shelf. I love the unique chains around her neck seeing as she doesn’t say a word ingame, and I love that you added more chains as well. I also love your font with the calligraphy, the spiky fringe, and even the spotted pattern in the background looking like someone’s watching. Overall I think it’s my favourite drawing of teki herself, and both second and first place are on a skill level I’d love to someday achieve.

And in 1st place is @averagecatdoodlesenjoyer !

The chromatic aberration adds extra depth, and I love the addition of the chains in the background. I flipped so many times between first and second place because they’ve both got so much going for them in so many different aspects. The lighting and composition is what ultimately won me over, and the slight change in pose really works too. It’s truly beautiful, it even looks like she’s under a stage light with the poses falling down like pieces of paper or giant confetti. And so it certainly gets the confetti from me.

I loved absolutely everyone’s entries for this, and a huge thank you to everyone who participated! I’ll have to think of something to give to all the winners seeing as just a thank you and a pat on the back seems a little cheap for everyone’s hard work on these.

[trickstarbrave]

sketched up some voryn outfits.... idk why he was much harder to wrap my brain around. i feel like a lot of his outfits would be similar so thinking up new silhouettes was hard. adding on top of it general difficulties with morrowind outfit styles

outfit inspo explained

high fashion inspired. i thought it looked cool and alien. this one is based heavily i believe on a christian dior opera coat [link here]

i wanted to think of a more cold weather or skyrim inspired piece... maybe what he wears when working with ysmir wulfharth??? or maybe traveling in skyrim or solstheim. big fur trimmed cape is a must

i tried to go with a delicate floral theme with lots of layers. dunno how successful i was in the sketch it might make more sense in a big version

tits out dagoth ur inspired outfit. ft a long flowing skirt

smth more casual, maybe for travel in colder weather like up in the ashlands

im not sure. ngl. i just wanted very loose flowing robes. this one feels the least morrowind to me but i do like the long draping

perhaps a battlemage outfit? theres armor over heavy robes here and emblazoned with the deal of house dagoth.

longer robes that def seem ceremonial. maybe for important meetings or ceremonial events. once again tits out bc i think voryn deserves it (i mean have you SEEN what he was wearing in that volcano???)

[imagineitdearies]

Hello! Just finished PS. I cannot praise you enough. Its easily the best thing ive read this year, and my resolution was to read multiple books a month. You surpass ALL OF THEM!

Saw ur authors note at the end abt an original queer vamp novel- is there anymore info yet? Im sure you've got ppl begging already but id truly love to beta when the time comes- or be first in line to preorder.

I feel like i read this at exactly the right time of my life.

The story was so painful yet rewarding bc i see so much of myself in Tyrus. Astarion and Tyrus truly feel like two different exstensions of my healing self. I wont go into it, but im a survivor to. Like tyrus, it happened when i was a young. Seeing his transformation throughout his decade of enslavement, his hatred towards himslef and the world, all bc of one man hit home. I kept telling myself that if it didnt have a happy ending id have to burn my phone or smthn lol. Seeing Astarion amd Tyrus not just defeat Cazador, but do it together, do it solely through their love of one another, broke me. The power of love, hope, and goodness. I havent cried over a fanfic since middle school. Im in my 20s now. I adored the final 2 chapters of the aftermath- im so grateful we got to meet his sister! And with Halsin, no less!

Im so thrilled you'll be adding oneshots and other stories to the universe. Tyrus is so real, so alive, id hate to see him contained in one story.

I love how Tyrus, ultimately, changeed. He didnt change into a monster like he feared, but what happened to him did changed him. Thats not a bad thing, tho. He's still Tyrus, simply a new version. And im still me, simply a new version.

I dont know if ill ever be able to reread, even skimming over the rougher parts was hard, but im so grateful i was able to see Tyrus and Astarion's journey. All of their triumphs felt like mine, all of their failures. Their never wavering love and trust in one another, that they understood it was Cazador that made them do those bad things. Ur right, pain and love must be intertwined, which is why this fic was so amazing. The highs would have never felt so spectaular without the lowest of lows.

Im rambling, i apologize. I do hope you read this, even if you dont respond. I hope my thanks and praise can give u something in return for what you've given me.

If you've made it this far, have you made any content on ur process? Ur planning? The flow was amazing, ur description, the flashbacks- did you go to school for writing? As a writer myself im almsot jealous at ur talent- but mostly curious :) id love to know anything you're willing to share.

Again, thank you. This was a gift, you know. I wont forget it.

Hi turtleurtle!! Great to see you over here, thank you so much for your kind words 🩵🩵 it means a lot any time I hear people enjoyed PS as much/more than published fiction!!

Speaking of, yes, since you ask I do have a little more to say now on my original story. I took a small writing break for a week or so but have now jumped back into the saddle for the next adventure! Lots of plotting, character creation, worldbuilding, and research happening right now.

Reuben, our first main POV, is almost fully fleshed out as a character and I’m so excited for you all to meet him (he’s an eloquence bard, for starters)!! The first book/part is almost fully outlined and I’ve written the first few pages. I’m really starting to get inspired by where the storyline is going.

Back to PS though—I’m so glad you felt seen with Tyrus’s character. He did inevitably change, but by the end he is (mostly) at peace with that and can still forge a good life and happy relationships. Meeting Cynda again was that last little piece of hope he needed to believe it 🥹

Haha the light does always seem brighter when you’re stuck in pitch darkness! On the other hand, it’s something Tyrus only thinks once, but I would argue love is not intertwined with pain more than anything else. Pain is just an inevitability. No matter what you do, you will experience discomfort, sorrow, loss, physical suffering (see Cazador, with absolutely zero love in his life). While love is not inevitable, it’s a choice. Love is a gift we choose to give and to receive in the midst of inevitable suffering and that is why it is so precious. Having that perspective has really helped me heal and have more hope for the future 🩵

Haha never apologize for rambling about PS! This thing has consumed my soul for the last 8 months so I love the chance to hear from/converse with people especially now that the full story is posted and all is revealed. Honestly wish I could sit down with you all and just discuss everything!! But seriously thank you for this message.

As for my writing, here’s a few writing advice asks I've answered, but i haven’t gotten too in-depth on my chaotic process yet. I will say long walks talking to myself, bullet lists, and brackets are my personal recipe for success (besides just writing for years and years) 😂 I did take a lot of classes in school too! If people have specific questions, I’m happy to give my best go at an answer.

Thanks so much 🥰

[nitazenes]

Things I wish were told as a beginning artist

1. Your art is not as bad as you think it is.

2. You will develop a natural style (or several) as you continue to practice

3. When it comes to people, break down the body into shapes. What is the head. An oval. You don't have to start with a circle for the head

4. You don't NEED to know fundamentals but having at least an understanding of perspective will help your art be more dynamic and realistic

5. You generally need to know the basics of anatomy before you can start manipulating it to fit a style.

6. There's nothing wrong with using methods from self-taught artists. For instance the Loomis Head Method is only a few simple steps and it enables you to draw a head in any position.

7. 3/4th turns are the hardest to get accurate

8. If you're an artist who uses color (paint, digital, pastels, anything that requires color) do not shade your shadows with black. In fact I would avoid black all together except for line work or yknow objects that are black. But instead use a dark blue or purple to shade.

9. Vary the weight of your lines. The outer linework can be thick, but for details try experimenting with thinner lines

10. Fabric is hard. What I did to learn clothing better is by adding folding lines to the clothes. Is your subject wearing a skirt? Look at a picture of a skirt flowing in the way you want and just practice movement and folds.

11. The spiral method is a perfectly valid method of foreshortening, which is part of perspective. If you don't know what that is, it's a game changer so Google that.

12. Do you struggle with thinking of what to draw? Take a picture of your hands in different poses and practice hands. Make a still life or just draw what's in front of you.

13. Push past the "ugly phase" what I mean by this is there is going to be a point where your art piece is coming together but it's messy and sometimes the colors aren't how you want. You get halfway through a drawing or painting and toss it bc it's ugly. I promise the more you add to your drawing or painting and start bringing in details, you will get past the ugly phase.

14. Finish your art. If you start drawing a person or something, see it through. Even if you think the piece is coming out badly.

15. You will improve your drawings of people if you just learn the general shape of a hand. Don't be afraid of hands. I used to struggle majorly with hands and now I draw hands just fine. Make the palm a stop sign like shape and use rectangles to sketch out the finger positions. You will probably make at least 1 art piece where you draw hands backwards.

16. only accept critique from fellow artists who know how to critique. A lot of people are afraid of having flaws in their art pointed out. That's not what critique is about. Maybe I notice you drew an object that doesn't follow the rules of perspective. I may point that out but I will tell you how it can be fixed in the future, I will also point out things you did well. That's art critique.

17. And finally, don't be afraid if you're 27 and your art looks "juvenile" or "like a kids drawing" don't give up-- as artists we ALL go through this phase.

18. Bonus point here but drawing a person the proper height is 8 times the size of the head. So draw an oval. Now draw 7 ovals about the same size down a straight line. Whatever length that is will be the correct proportions for how tall the body is.

Keep copies of your old art. It may be "cringe" to look back at but that feeling is actually telling you that you see improvement in your art.

Also sketchbooks don't have to be just for art. I kind of scrapbook on mine sometimes

Used mixed media paper, if you draw with alcohol markers put a blank page underneath the paper you're drawing on if it's in a sketch book so that ink doesn't bleed through onto the next page

OK I hope this means something to someone

[chiangyorange]

You ever think about how Isles added a. Checks notes. Goddess of flow. Because I think about that.

thank fuck isles canonically is not a real realm that exists

nah but fr tho i DO actually have quite a few thoughts on how isles fits in to the overall narrative of mianite being such a strange offshoot compared to s1 and s2 read more if u want, i will say that its gonna get rambly and also im going to drop a few of my design notes about the isles gods specifically if that interests you

i have been piecing together lore via friends and the mianite wiki (which is a fucking dumpster fire for anyone that's trying to look for a specifics in lore but i digress) so not everything people may care about will feature in here (like the whole light/dark thing. gandus, she shadows, w/e im just focusing on the overall story. sorry but there is only so much i can handle atm) i DO actually think that isles is really interesting despite my initial dislike for it towards the end (yes yes ik but i can admit that i was a little. too indulgent of myself at the time) ANYWAY i think isles was some sort of like... fucked up puzzle box reality???? of the s1 world because there are just SO many references to s1 like ianites heart being stolen and dianite slowly becoming more demon-like and all those theories way back when of isles really being s-1 like its a prequel of s1 world which i think its semi true?? basically my thoughts are; isles is an offshoot mimic world intended to emulate the life of the s1 gods in their youth for whatever reason, and in their timeloop is trying to create a trap? a new world? essentially perfect the mannerisms and legitimacy of a real realm like the realm of mianite and the realm of ruxomar. why tom n jordan got pulled into it interrupting the timeloop for a moment, who knows. (also in reflection? thats so fucked up and rude to karl like king is trapped in a timeloop for no goddamn reason) the 4th god is weird tho and i hated every minute of it stop trying to make trio into 4 challenge (impossible, apparently) i choose to believe that the 4th god thing only happened because of fucked up timeloop interruption consequence ONTO MY DESIGN NOTES

so. you probably noticed that their hands have visible joints like a doll or a marionette puppet. that is entirely intentional bc i legit think the isles gods are not real and instead constructs made with to have god-like powers. (shameless plug to the og post here if you wanna see every design ive made of the gods layed out all at once)

each design is supposed to be just a little uncanny like with all of them having pupils compared to the s1 and s2 gods who i draw them without. their smiles are a little too wide to match with their eyes. the green and red of ianite and dianite's eyes are a little too bright and noxious. overall i really wanted them to look as unsettling as possible if you imagine them limp and slumped over like a broken doll and theyre all dressed in something that is a little too perfect you know? like mianite looks like a friend you meet in the town square, ianite looks like a damsel princess, dianite is a handsome prince, like theyre all dressed a little too royal from a classic fairytale-- theyre too good to be true.

augh i think i have more to say but theres already so much in this one post that ill save it for another time

[maraudersmary]

hiya :) just a quick lil updates for Time is on my Side readers and anyone who enjoyed Brand New City!

i’m sorry i didn’t post yesterday! honestly, i’ve had a week to watch 102 episodes of criminal minds so i’m caught up for the new series so that was my priority!! (i have 25 episodes left and only til thursday!!). i promise that there will be a new chapter on the coming monday!!

i am also about half way through adding a second chapter to Brand New City (my spencer reid introspective piece) which i hope to also get up on monday but may end up being later in the week! i’m basically just continuing with the rest of the song:) so yeah maybe just anyone let me know if they actually would read that (also part one is on my ao3 here if you didn’t see it)

so yeah that’s all! i’d really appreciate if anyone would send me some asks about the characters in TiomS / the plot (questions or anything you desire) bc im entering a bit of a rut and i think that’d help get ideas flowing :))) love you all <333

[tacomedli]

rant abt writing and stuff

UUUUUUUUUUUGHHHGHGHGH

i love my book. i love the story i've created, the characters, the vision of it in my head, everything.

but my worldbuilding and plot and such have all changed so MUCH since i started writing it. i'm ok with that, since i have a better idea now of what i want the story to look like, and one day i'll probably go back and change a lot of things to make the cringey, confusing beginning flow a lot better.

here's the problem though:

i'm sharing this story with some irl friends as i write it. so they have to deal with this really shitty first draft that has me figuring things out as i go and changing the setting and time period and whether there's magical elements or not. because it was a modern time period at first! and now it's some weird dystopian steampunk something or other with a fashion style that i see very clearly in my head but i don't even know what year it's from! i see this world so well in my head but i don't know how to describe it in a way that i feel they'll understand! especially since it's changed throughout the story!

i really made this hard for myself. in some ways i wish i could go back now and get rid of some of the things that are bothering me and causing story problems, but that's also really intimidating to think about.

i know if i go back now i'll get all bogged down in the details, and i don't know if i can fully fix everything properly yet when i still don't know what i want the ending to be.

and i'm excited for where i am in the story. i've been on the cusp of these REALLY exciting plot points for so long, and now i'm finally, FINALLY starting to reach them! this is where the good stuff really starts! this is where i can start adding the scenes i wrote ahead of time months and months and even a year ago!

and i know the ones that care will stick with it, and honestly they're following along pretty well. i'm just ashamed at how much it feels like a jumbled mess. i feel like my stress is causing my writing quality to go way down, because the only way i can get myself to actually write is to say "it's okay, let the writing be shitty now, you can always go back and edit it later"

which is technically good advice in general for me, but lately i haven't been going back and editing it before i show it to my friends, so i just feel really bad. normally i love editing but with how jumbled my chapters have been lately (writing scenes out of order and trying to piece them back together, lines of dialogue i like too much and refuse to delete despite them causing problems, not knowing wtf im doing with this plot, etc) it's a nightmare just to think about, so i just. don't.

maybe i should slow down my update schedule. but i'm worried i'll be letting them down, even if only 1-2 reliably read it and leave comments anymore. i'm afraid that if i write completely at my own pace, i won't write at all. and besides, i NEED those few comments to keep me going. to remind me that someone else is actually interested in this book.

so i keep writing this way. "it's a mess right now, they're reading it as a mess right now, but one day, when it's finished, you'll go back and rewrite what you need too."

which is, like, fine. it doens't bother me TOO much, i think venting abt it helps a lot, but i really want to print a couple copies when this is done, but i dont wanna print the shitty version, i wanna print the fixed version. and im worried that i won't actually fix it bc i have at LEAST two other unrelated books that i've promised myself for literal years that i would finish/rewrite, and i think about those almost as much as this one, ie daily

so idk what will happen. i guess i'll cross that bridge when i come to it. anyway i hope i have the energy to edit this current chapter before i update bc my self imposed deadline is coming up very soon and this one's another mess lmao

[sunsafewriting]

Hey :). I was hoping that maybe you would have some nuggets of wisdom regarding story pacing and plot. Everything you published on ao3 is so well paced and worded in such a way that the reader can vividly picture every scene. Sooo.. question: how do you plan out the plot of a story? And when you don't necessarily have a plot, how do you make sure that the scenes you want to write are well-connected/paced within the bigger narrative?

Anyways, I hope you have a great day. And answer or not, I will keep enjoying your work just the same.

hey mate! thanks for thinking of me but you have actually come to a terrible place for pacing advice bc that is definitely the part of writing that i struggle with most lol . but i shall tell you how I cope and hopefully some of that helps you (?)

basically I cannot plan to save my life. fic or original writing --- if I set out to outline, I come up with bad ideas and stress myself out of even starting. all the stories I plan are MUCH worse than the ones I don't. for some writers planning works great and if that's you that's awesome!!! but I am doomed to walk another path

what I do instead of planning a story is think about what I (me, personally, bc I write fic from a place of indulgence) WANT out of it. like, what's the stuff I wanna see? to me, the essential aspect of pacing is making that stuff feel important and worth it and earned. it has to have emotional weight or it won't be what I'm after .

that's also how I try to make scenes are connected; they're all focused around a general Vibe or Feeling I want to construct.

for example, in Do A Flip, what I wanted was all of them getting to become a family. and so I worked backwards from that --- what are the steps within steps within steps that lead them there? what little aspects can we put together to create that kind of image?

for pacing it's also handy sometimes to ask what the best bit about NOT being where you're aiming for yet is. like, what is worth lingering on and enjoying that isn't the end goal? what fun thing can you only have at THIS moment of the story, rather than later? it makes each part more fun to write .

I started with a much shorter version of the fic (14k) where I wrote a shoddy draft of the whole thing from Diego's pov, and then I went back and added a ton more pieces.

that's also something I use to help myself out (and because personally I love to write this way) --- I write in pieces.

this improves my pacing, because then I'm not having to constantly consider the whole structure. instead, I'm thinking about what the point of an individual fragment is --- what am I showing in this scene, and what does it mean? often it's just something small (like I want to show that Beatrice is comfortable with Ava holding her hand, or that Lilith tries to be friendly to Diego) but I function much better with a hundred bite sized pieces than a massive whole.

in these piece-style stories, I rely on the reader drawing connections between different parts and inferring rather than a smooth flow. it's just something I enjoy as a narrative form --- I like gaps and spaces where you figure bits out yourself.

I also rearrange a ton. scenes get cut and pasted to be in a new spot all the time bc I realise as I go that they could be tweaked and fit better somewhere else. when I'm writing, I also often just leave a break and write SCENE, and then jump on to the next one --- like I don't know how I'm going to fill it in yet, but I know I need something to separate out two more similar bits, or a different POV, or to slow down before X Event happens. half the time I have no idea where a chapter is going until the first version is almost done.

the other thing about pacing for me is that devastatingly I rely heavily on rewriting, editing, and cutting beloved scenes that don't super gel. chapters take SO long to come out bc I rewrite them 2-4 times. a lot of better (and less highly strung) writers don't need to do that much so please don't feel like it's necessary but it's definitely necessary for me bc without it my work would be a total shambles lmao. I also find the promise of rewriting means I'm less likely to freeze up or stare at a blank page because I will go back and improve/tidy up later.

I also think paying attention when you feel pretty meh about something is helpful for pacing. for example, I wrote a 6k version of chapter 3 of Favourable Conditions where a lot more happened, but I didn't like it. I got my girlfriend to read it and she said "the whole first part feels like you're racing to get to the second part, and then it all settles down". and she was totally right --- I had a scene I was excited to get to so I gunned it, but the overall feeling of the chapter suffered as a result. I split the chapter in half and then rewrote the whole first half as a chapter in its own right, and decided to focus on what fun stuff I could do there, rather than just skipping through to get to the rest. I ended up adding scenes that were the ones people in the comments liked most. I also ultimately decided to change the next few plot beats afterwards, based on how that went.

I would also say that generally speaking, not a lot happens in my stories. like, I go for smaller stakes and smaller actions that slowly add up --- mostly bc I'm writing very chilled out stuff. but if you're trying to build a character to the point of doing something drastic, it's a different ballgame to escalating them to some minor change. both are super doable, you've just got to keep in mind what you're aiming for. I like minor stakes because I enjoy trying to make small things like washing dishes or going to the park matter. it's also just the vibe of where I'm at right now --- previously I've written things that were a LOT more dramatic.

if you're really struggling, I would also suggest starting with writing something short. your blog is blank so I couldn't tell what kind of writing you might be interested in, but it's much easier to tweak and change and judge these things if you're working in a smaller area --- like a 2-4k oneshot --- than if you sit down to write 80k. I literally never sit down to write 80k of fic I just accidentally end up doing it lmao.

I hope some of that is vaguely useful? I don't have a lot of wisdom to dispense bc as you can see most of my process is crutches for getting around having no natural sense of pacing. if you have any more specific questions about pacing a particular scene or idea I might be able to help more?

but good luck! 💛

[prettyboykatsuki]

the thing i love about following you on here is you genuinely have gotten me to read further outside of my comfort zone bc i trust your intention and the payoff. so i always go into ur new stuff with eyes wide open arms outstretched kink-wise bc u tag so well and are so communicative. that being said i am currently just basking in the the undercurrent of warmth your writing always like consistently has. the bits of fondness/pride and mutual respect oliver has during the hookup and vice versa.

i like how non-stressful and reciprocal this little peek into a casual (dare i say functional? lmao /j) dynamic is bc sometimes its just a steady flow of comfort in getting out of your head and doin' what grown folks do. like what i think i love the most about this piece is how you punctuated the entire scene with easy physical reassurance (cupping a cheek, kissing a jaw, interlacing fingers) it's a lil sweet which isnt a word i would ever think to apply to mr aiku. i'm currently fighting demons where this man is concerned: ive been idly wondering what he'd be like coaxing someone into subspace so the gentle approach in this fic rlly had me on the ropes ngl. will need 2-3 business days to recover.

ty for the food. adding it to my mind-palace and mental whiteboard xoxo ur resident oliver gremlin

this is so nice im about to throw up. that's so huge to me! thats always the goal!! i know this feeling very well and how sometimes it can feel like a trustfall trying to broach subjects u dont really write and i always hope to write the nuance so reading this just made me so !!! tagging and letting people read at their comfort level is sooo very meaningful this made me so happy..... crying and throwing up

NONSTRESSFUL AND RECIPROCAL!! it is pretty functinal for these two i wont lie to u. i really wanted to empahsize that the both of them are happy in their situation! like no one is suffering and nothing about them is fucked up - they just have sex and hang out. but doing that in even small way means u trust someone and that matters u know!!!

mr. aiku can be sooo very sweet and i will not hear otherwise okay..........also i would love to write a subspace thing for him but truthfully that fic would get emotionall raw for the both of them in a diff way akjfdkjsd.

TY FOR READING AND BEING SO KIND TO ME MY BELOVED

[scribefindegil]

22, 24, 29, and 58 for the writing asks?

22. Are there certain types of writing you won’t do? (style, pov, genre, tropes, etc)

I will never write a long-form tragedy. Can't do it. It would get inside my head and eat me alive.

Other than that . . . I have fewer hard rules and more preferences. I have my niche but I'm open to a lot of things if I find the right story for it. Like, I'm 99% a genfic writer and have very minimal interest in shipfic but one of these days I am gonna make Reigen Arataka smooch that ghost. There's a lot of horror content and tropes that I won't touch (though I can write more than I can read), but obviously Brassica Heresy is a horror fic. I don't care about smut but there is (theoretically) a fic I'm working on that has a sex scene because it's necessary for exploring the character's ace identity, something I do care about. So like . . . a lot of writing really comes down to the execution, and how the story element is being utilized in that particular piece of writing. I'm not necessarily going to throw any style or genre off the table entirely, even if it's not a tool I think I'm likely to use.

24. Worst writing advice anyone ever gave you?

Every version of "Think Critically About Your Writing" that spirals around to "You have to actively refute every possible bad-faith reading of your story in the text itself or you are a Bad Person who writes Problematic Things for Bad People" :/

29. What’s your revision or editing process like?

I do split-screen, with my Shitty First Draft on the left side of the screen and a shiny new blank document on the other, and then I completely rewrite the thing and edit as I go. Sometimes big chunks of the Shitty First Draft are actually very good and I retype them with only minor changes, but a lot of the time I end up adding and reworking huge parts of the fic. If I've been very cursed or ended up having to do first-draft-style writing for whole scenes or otherwise feel super unsatisfied with what I've written as Draft Two I sleep on it and if I still feel bad I copy the new version over the old draft and rewrite it again. But I can't rewrite more than twice; then I know I'll just start overthinking. And if I'm doing it more than once I need to pinpoint exactly what about the previous version wasn't working, as opposed to the first draft which I mostly treat like a helpful scaffolding. Once I have a draft I mostly like I read over it again for flow and diction and make any minor tweaks it needs. And then depending on how cursed I am I either post it or throw it at a friend while wailing bc I'm too tired to tell if it's any good or not. Usually it is Fine. I have not learned from this.

58. What part of the writing process do you enjoy the most? (Brainstorming, outlining, writing, editing, etc) 

The best best best part of writing stories is when you've been wrestling with a thorny little plot or character problem for days and Suddenly the solution descends on you as if from the heavens and you feel absolutely intoxicated with power as you think about how this is going to make all the little bits and pieces you've been worrying about Work!

The second-best part is editing when you get to fine-tune the Foreshadowing and the Iconography :)