#can't even read my book i borrowed from the library

[todaysromano]

10.14.2024

Today, Romano took a shower and was happy with his soft hair.

Arab.com link

[totallynotreadingatwork]

Told myself I was only going to read books I already owned this year because I have a massive stack in my bedroom I need to get around to reading, so that means no library books (sorry library), no borrowing from other people, and no buying new stuff (unless it's part of a series I'm partway through).

Thus far, out of the 50 books I've read this year, the breakdown is a follows:

Borrowed books; 7

Library books: 23

My books: 20

And of the books I've read that are actually mine there are 5 that were bought this year.

Oops.

[erwinsvow]

𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬

summary: how you and rafe got started <3

author's note: if i could stop losing my brain cells over rafe cameron for a minute that would be great but i can't so here it is <3 this is mostly cute but in the shea cinematic universe this establishes the beginning of what can only be a hopelessly codependent relationship <3 more parts to come! also none of this would be written without the surge of inspo i get from reading every single one of @princessbrunette's posts but in particular this one, this one, and this<3 one!

now spinning: one of the girls by the weeknd & jennie

Rafe’s always thought you were cute. 

Cute, he’d think to himself in passing, on a hot summer day when he was getting ready to take beers from the fridge and go find the boys at the country club. He didn’t need to steal anything, the waitress at the club always gave him whatever drink he asked for, but he just felt like taking them from the house today. 

You were dawdling around the house with a bored Sarah, all dressed up with nowhere to go. Sarah was texting on her phone, likely engaging in a virtual fight with Topper. He’d feel bad, but the two of them did it to themselves. You were at the counter with Wheezie, leaning on your elbows while the two of you discussed something. He didn’t really care, until he met your eyes for a second. 

Cute. The way you met his eyes and then looked away, face heating up. You were in a bikini and a coverup, probably waiting for his sister before spending the day on the beach or at the pool. The cover up was white and see through, covering everything to the point where no one could see anything but the faint yellow of your bikini underneath.

Leaning on the counter, when you looked away, he got a glimpse into the top of your dress. He could make out little yellow flowers on the material of your bikini and the outline of your tits squeezed against each other. 

He grabbed a beer and opened it with his back tooth, spitting the cap out on the counter next to Wheezie’s book.

“Ew, Rafe, get your spit molecules away from my book.”

“Who reads in the summer anyways? You should be glad for my spit if it makes you stop.”

“It’s my summer reading, Rafe, not everyone can just skip their assignments and get away with it.”

“Please, what have I skipped?”

You and Wheezie turn to look at each other and start laughing. He cracks a smile too, unexpectedly.

“Actually, it’s a great book. You’re missing out, Rafe,” you say, with a smile gracing your face, and he realizes he’s never actually heard the sound of your voice. You’ve maybe said hi to him twice, and both times Sarah had dragged you away within seconds. You even sound cute. His name on your tongue sounds even cuter.

“Really? Maybe I need to give it a try.” You laugh again, meeting his eyes this time. 

“You can’t have my copy, I already put my annotations in this one-“

“Stop yapping, Wheeze. I’m not gonna take yours.”

“Actually you have a copy in the library upstairs. I borrowed it last summer.”

“Really, kid? Wanna come find it with me?”

Your face heats up so much you turn away. He smiles then, and he smiles again when you follow him up to the library.

“This one is fantastic too, it’s about this young girl in England-” your voice continues to describe the plot of the book in your hand. You shelve it and then your eyes immediately land on another, another classic, another favorite. You ramble off the description but Rafe’s hardly paying attention.

He’s trying to recall when you had become so cute, so pretty. He thinks he’s never noticed you after you walk away with Sarah, or when he walks away from you two lounging on pool chairs, your nose in a book like always.

This is different. When had you become so irresistible?

Your pretty hair falls down your back. It sticks to your neck when the two of you are outside in the sun, in the heat. He has an urge to lick the sweat off just to see how you’d blush and feel how you’d squirm. Your eyes are warm and bright, but you’re still too shy to meet his blue ones, even when it’s just the two of you.

And it has been. Just the two of you, recently, almost all of the time. Sarah’s always off with her stupid friends and Wheeze is at home doing her summer work. 

The two of you travel to every ice cream parlor in the eight in the next few weeks. Conversation comes easily, even though you have nothing in common. He hasn’t picked up a bag from his dealer since he started talking to you, he realizes. Hasn’t felt the need to get high.

You’ve never even smoked weed, much less snorted coke. You’ll drink at a party with Sarah, but not too much, and you always end up being the sober friend holding back the vomiting girl’s hair. At the bonfire that he invites you to, your eyes keep darting around, seeing if anyone needs your help. 

Rafe moves so he’s standing right in front of you, blocking your view.

“Hey, kid,” he says quietly, leaning in. You’re boxed in, with Rafe and only Rafe on your mind. The clean, attractive scent of his cologne. The way it lingers on his clothes, like the button up you’re wearing over your pink dress.

He picks up the red cup in your hand and places it on the log beside you, balancing his beer next to it. His hands are cold from the bottle but you don’t mind much. He takes your wrists first, holding them in place, and then slides down so your hands are touching. 

“What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” You were looking down at the hands, where the two of you were connected, but his voice makes you look up. He’s looking at you, and you want to hide your face. Your fingers twitch beneath Rafe’s grip. He holds on even tighter. “Don’t look away, princess. We gotta work on that, huh?”

You feel your face heating up at the nickname. You wish you were home so you could scream into your pillow.

“Sorry, sorry,” you scramble, trying to look up but you can’t find the strength or the will.

You’re embarrassed. Of course you are—this is Rafe, and you’re just you. Rafe is the one you’ve had a crush on since you knew what crushes were, and you are still the awkward little thing you were the first time you met him. 

His gaze burning holes through you makes you want to run and hide. Because this is Rafe, and right now you’re one of his girls. The ones Sarah’s complained about the whole time she’s known you—they get too attached, act all clingy, and then are replaced before long. 

You hear Rafe’s quiet laughter. You’re still boxed in, feeling hot and clammy even though he’d given you his button up not thirty minutes ago because you felt cold. 

“What’re you saying sorry for?” You look up quickly, and then look back down. Then Rafe’s hands leave yours, and he holds up your chin until you’re looking right into his eyes. “Hmm?”

You feel like puking. 

“I-I just, well I just-”

“You just what?”

“I don’t think I can be, um, be one of your flingy, uh fling-type girls. So, you know, maybe all of this isn’t a good idea.”

“Fling-type girls?” he questions. He’s holding back a laugh, which makes you irrationally upset. You shove hard against his chest to free yourself from the cage of his arms. 

“Yes, your fling-type girls. You have a new girl on your arm every week, and everyone knows it, and I refuse to be one of them, because it’s just embarrassing and dehumanizing,” he watches you ramble on. He smiles, but you don’t notice. “And frankly, I deserve better than that.”

“Are you done?” You glare back at him.

“Yes, and not because you said that. I was done anyway.”

“Good.” Your face drops for a second, thinking you overstepped and totally overreached regarding his intentions, but then Rafe surprises you—he leans in and kisses you. 

You weren’t expecting a playground peck, but the way he’s kissing you completely surpasses any and all expectations (and fantasies) you’d dreamt up. His grip on your hips is hard, and his tongue is almost down your throat. It’s messy, and wet, and when he pulls away, there’s strings of spit connecting you to each other. 

You should wipe your mouth before anyone sees, but you don’t. Your heart is racing, and you can barely speak, much less move. 

“If I wanted you to be one of my girls, I wouldn’t have spent the last three weeks listening to you blab about books and buying you ice cream. You’re gonna be my only girl, and that’s that, okay?”

You nod dumbly—words and motions still not quite back yet. You feel flushed. People’s eyes are on you both.

“Now, do you wanna head out and go get a cone?” You nod again. “Good girl. And watch your mouth.”

[seonghrtz]

𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 ✶ sukuna ryomen

꒰ true beauty ! ꒱ an arrogant prince falls under the spell of an enchantress, who turns him into the hideous four-armed beast until he learns to love and be loved in return.

❛❛ in the end, she was his salvation and his downfall ❜❜

pairing. prince!sukuna ryomen x (belle)fem!reader.

contents. the beauty and the beast alternative universe, fluff, slight angst, enemies to lovers (?), he fell first he fell harder, royal!au, sukuna true form as the beast, occ sukuna.

amy's note. hi sweetie, this is amy!!! this is the first story in the fairy tale series, starring sukuna ryomen in the beauty and the beast universe. initially i was going to put sukuna in the cinderella story, just because of the fandom memes (jjk x disney princess), but i think he as an arrogant beast who has never loved anything would make much more sense and fit in better. anyway, that's it, i hope you like it!!!

comments and reblogs are very much appreciated!

𝕺𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐔𝐏𝐎𝐍 𝐀 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄, in a kingdom far away, there was a handsome young prince who lived in a magnificent castle, and even though he had everything he wanted, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and rude. But one winter night, in the middle of a storm, an old woman came to the castle and offered him a simple rose in exchange for shelter from the cold and rain. Disgusted by her ugliness, the prince scoffed at the offer and sent the old woman away. But she advised him not to be deceived by appearances because beauty lies within people and in their hearts, and when he sent her away again, she was transformed into a beautiful enchantress. The prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, as she realized that there was no love in his heart. And as punishment, she turned him into a hideous four-armed monster and plagued the castle and everyone who lived there. Ashamed of his monstrous appearance, the prince hid in the castle with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world. The rose she offered was enchanted. It would bloom until the twenty-first year, if he learned to love someone and it was reciprocated by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be undone, otherwise he would be doomed to remain a monster forever. Over the years, he fell into despair and lost all hope. After all, who could love a monster?

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ ✶

The day began with a flurry of activity in the small village. Residents greeted each other as they went about their morning chores, and others opened their shops. Y/n, a beautiful young woman, made her way through the crowd with one goal in mind: to get to the village library. After buying some fresh bread and gathering the missing parts for her father's latest invention, the young woman made her way to the small library to return the book she had borrowed last week.

"Good morning, Mr. Higuruma." Y/n said as soon as she saw the man from the shop holding a pile of books. "I'm here to return the book I bought last week."

"Miss Y/n, good to see you again," the brunette said, placing the pile of dusty books on the table in the corner of the shop. "Unfortunately, the delivery of new books has been postponed until next week."

"Oh, no problem." Y/n approached the bookshelf, put the book she had picked up the week before back in its place, and ran her finger along the spines of the other books, looking for one in particular. "I think I'll take this one!" She took the book from the shelf and showed the cover to Higuruma, who just laughed.

"That must be the tenth time you've read that one."

"But this is the best book, certainly my favorite. Distant kingdoms, battles, and a princess who saves the prince. Sometimes, it's hard not to see myself as the protagonist. Living an adventure and finding her true love, something much bigger than life in the country.”

"Since you like this one so much, I'm giving it to you as a present."

"Mr. Higuruma, I can't accept that!" she looked at him, astonished at the idea, while the man in front of her just smiled.

"You're my most loyal customer. You've read all the books I have in the library. And maybe the only one with a real interest in reading."

"Thank you, that's very nice of you." Y/n smiled happily at the gift and the bookseller's gesture.

"You're welcome. Next time I'll have some new books for you!"

"Thank you, Mr. Higuruma!" Y/n waved, smiled, and left the shop. The young woman stared at the cover of the book, the worn blue leather and the worn gold lettering, it was a simple book, but with an extraordinary story behind its simplicity.

The young girl was so busy studying the book that she barely noticed Gaston's not-so-subtle appearance at her side.

"My beautiful lady!" Gaston said, thickening his voice and stopping in front of Y/n, preventing her from continuing on her way.

"Gaston..." she rolled her eyes and looked away from the book in her hands to the man in front of her.

"My beautiful Y/n, when are you going to realize that we are soul mates and forget about these books, which by the way have no figure, how can you like this so much?" He said, taking the object out of the girl's hands and giving her (or trying to give her) a gallant smile.

"Well, you just have to use your imagination while reading and I think you're reading the wrong signals about us," the girl took the book back and turned away from the man, "I have to go now, have a nice day, Gaston."

Y/n walked quickly back to her house, which was a short distance from the village. When she got home, she left the fresh bread on the breakfast table and picked up the tools her father had asked for before going down to where he was conducting his experiments and inventions.

"Dad? I brought what you asked for."

"Thank you, dear!" The girl's father came out from under the machine and took the object his daughter had offered him.

"Dad..."

"Yes, dear?"

"Do you think we'll live here for long?"

"Oh, dear, when I become a great inventor, we'll travel the world!" Her father stepped out from under his invention, ready to finally put it into action. "Let's hope it works, dear!"

As soon as the machine was turned on, the parts began to move and a sound was heard, the axe on top moved down and cut the wood on the bench.

"Dad! It works! Your machine works!" the young woman said excitedly.

"And the axe didn't fly away!"

"Dad, you're going to be a great inventor!" The young girl hugged the older man, finally her father's dream would come true and he would become a great inventor.

"Oh dear! I must run and pack my things to go to the city!" The old man said excitedly, pacing back and forth, "You don't mind being alone for a few days, my child?"

"Of course not, Dad. Go after your dreams." The young woman smiled openly and hugged her father once more. "Come, let's pack your things for the trip."

Together with her father, the girl went up to the house and helped him prepare the small suitcase along with some snacks for his trip to the city. Ever since they had moved to this small village in the countryside, her father had been working tirelessly on various inventions that had failed one after the other, causing his reputation as a madman to grow among the locals. However, she had seen him fail and never give up, that was his dream, to become a great inventor and help people with his inventions and there was nothing that would stop him until he managed to make his inventions work. And if his invention surprised the judges in the competition and managed to win first place, maybe Y/n would not have to settle for a life in the country while her father could work on his "crazy gadgets".

The young woman stroked the horse's copper-brown coat while her father checked the bag with some tools.

"Be careful on your way, Dad." Y/n hugged him and helped him onto his horse.

"I'll be back in a few days, don't worry about me!"

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ✶

The next day, Y/n awoke in high spirits, hoping that her father's trip to the city would be smooth and without danger. She put on a simple blue dress and headed for the kitchen, but before she could prepare breakfast, a knock on the door echoed through the house, along with a voice she knew well. On tiptoe, Y/n reached the door and looked through the peephole, seeing Gaston from an unfavorable angle.

"My dear Y/n! Are you home?" Gaston thickened his voice and puffed out his chest, even though no one could see him, "I have an offer you can't refuse!"

The young woman took a deep breath and opened the door with a fake smile on her lips. "Good morning, Gaston. Don't you think it's a little early for one of your proposals?"

"Oh, my beautiful lady, it's never too early for my irrefutable proposal!" Gaston said as he walked past Y/n and sat down in the dining room chair. "You know, my dear, I think you've noticed by now that I'm the best suitor in the village. It would be a shame for you to let me go. And lately, I've been thinking of certain ways to take our relationship a step further."

"Our relationsh–" The young woman's speech was interrupted by Gaston, who abruptly rose from his chair and spoke again.

"Think about it, a little house in the country, a small herd of cattle, a plantation, seven, no, ten children with my beautiful face, and you know what else I see?" Gaston looked at Y/n, but before she could answer, he continued, "My beautiful wife greeting me after a day's hunting.”

"You've been using your imagination a lot..." the young woman whispered to herself.

"And do you know who my wife is that I see in this beautiful future of mine?" Gaston approached the young woman, pressing her against the wall.

"How could I imagine?"

"It's you, my beautiful Y/n."

"Oh, Gaston!" Y/n held back the urge to make an expression of disgust at the scenario the man in front of her was describing, "I'm... flattered...? Yes, flattered by such affection, but I think this is wrong, you know, I think you've made a mistake.”

"How can I be wrong? You're the only one in this village whose beauty is on my level.”

"Beauty? Is that all you care about?" Y/n looked at him confused, she knew Gaston was shallow and self-centered, she just didn't get that he was trying to get her to marry him just because she was "the most beautiful girl in the village".

"And what else should I care about?"

"Well..." The young woman took a deep breath, "I think it's time for you to go... oh, I just heard Lefou say he's spotted a huge, fast deer that can't be caught!”

"A huge, fast deer that can't be caught?" Gaston's eyes widened. "Well, call your crazy father later so we can decide about our marriage."

"That won't be necessary because I'm not marrying you!" Y/n closed the door and locked it with all the locks her father had created. Ignoring Gaston's cry that she would be his one day, the young woman turned, leaned her back against the door, and slid to the floor.

Marry Gaston? It was a terrible nightmare. Not even if Gaston was the last person on earth would Y/n marry him. She had so much to do, so many places to explore, so many people to meet. And if she was going to get married, it certainly wouldn't be to someone as shallow as Gaston; she wanted someone who really liked her and her personality, not her looks.

The girl slowly got up, unlocked the door, and looked outside her house to see if the man had already left and wouldn't come back when he realized the huge deer was a lie. She did, however, notice a familiar copper brown horse galloping quickly toward her house.

"Phillipe?" She left the house, closing the door behind her, and walked toward the animal. "Where's my father, Phillipe?" The girl said, noticing her father's absence and the horse's exhilaration. "Phillipe, take me to my father, please!" Desperate to think of the worst that could happen to her father, the young woman pulled out the cart containing her father's invention and quickly mounted the horse, asking him to lead her down the path to where her father was. Phillipe raced through the dark paths of the forest, causing Y/n to shiver at the eeriness of the forest, while her mind wandered far away, worried about her father's current situation.

Phillipe began to slow down as a huge castle appeared on the horizon. It was so large and terrifying that it looked like something out of a horror book, though it seemed to blend into the desolate landscape around it. But perhaps what intrigued Y/n most was that she had never heard anyone in the village talk about the place ⸻ and it intrigued her even more because the castle didn't seem to be secret at all.

Y/n dismounted and looked around, trying to find the courage to open the gate in front of her. She would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't afraid of this dark, unknown place. But the important thing there wasn't to prove her courage, but to find out where her father was. The gate was cold and made a terrible noise when it opened, but that didn't stop her from continuing.

"Hello!" The young woman said loudly as she entered the castle. "Is anyone here?" She narrowed her eyes, trying to see in the pitch black, but quickly found a lit candelabra. "I'm sorry to barge in uninvited, but I just came to get my father! Please... help me find my father!" Y/n walked aimlessly through the castle, following only her faint intuition of where he might be. "Hello? Is anyone there?" She spotted a staircase that seemed to lead to the top of one of the castle's towers. "Dad, are you there?"

"Y/n, my daughter?" Her father's weak voice called out.

Quickly, Y/n left the chandelier on the stone near the wall and ran to her father, who was trapped. "Dad, what are you doing here?"

"My dear daughter..." the girl's father coughed before continuing, "You must run before he arrests you too..." Before the girl could say anything, footsteps echoed through the room.

"Who's there?" She looked around for the person who had just entered the scene.

"I'm the one asking the questions, impertinent girl." The stranger's gruff voice sent a shiver of fear down the young woman's spine.

"Please let my father go!" The girl pleaded.

"I'm not in the mood for that."

"What? How can you be so cruel? Can't you see he's in bad health?"

"He should have thought twice before he broke into my castle."

"Please let him go! I promise we will never see each other again!"

"Empty promises. I'm not really interested in that."

"Then..." the young woman took a deep breath, "let me take his place."

"My daughter! Don't do this!" her father said with tears in his eyes. How could he lose his daughter right before his eyes.

"Things are getting more interesting..." the person in the darkness laughed. "A fair trade, the old flesh for the new... uh, I'll take that trade, impertinent girl."

Before Y/n could speak, her body was thrown into a cell. The young woman quickly approached the iron bars and watched as her father was brutally removed from where he lay. Her father screamed her name and tried to get away from the person, but it was impossible to escape.

In the darkness, the girl could see the castle owner's back. The broad shoulders were adorned with black lines that ran the length of his back and, most shocking to the young woman, the four muscular arms that protruded from the side of his body.

Y/n was not only the prisoner of a shady castle owner with a serious personality problem but also of a giant monster with four arms who could finish her off with a snap of his fingers.

Minutes later, the owner of the castle reappeared and abruptly opened the door to the cell Y/n was in. The girl looked up at him, her eyes watering, afraid of what might happen to her from this moment on.

"Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to follow me?"

"Where are we going?" she asked confused and scared as she followed the four-armed man.

"The basement..." his voice came out loud and clear, making the young woman shudder. "Shall I take you to a room, or would you rather stay in the tower?"

The girl had no answer, just followed him through the dark corridors of the castle.

"What's your name?" Y/n asked without thinking and quickly pressed her lips together, regretting her sudden action.

"Dinner will be served at eight." He said, opening a door at the end of the corridor, "If you don't come, you won't eat."

"Do you want me to have dinner with you?" the young woman asked him incredulously.

"It's either that or starve to death. You're lucky I'm giving you a choice..." he rolled his (four) eyes.

"I'm not having dinner with you!”

"THEN STARVE!" The four-armed man shouted angrily, frightening the girl, and slammed the door with a loud bang.

The young woman stared at the door in front of her, feeling tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She began to feel overwhelmed and staggered to sit on the bed. She had lost the two most important things to her on the same day: her father and her freedom. Now, she would have to live with an arrogant and rude being. Slowly, she raised her trembling hands to her face and wiped away the hot tears.

"Who's there?" she asked, startled when she heard a knock at the door. The girl got up and opened the bedroom door to find nothing there. She breathed a sigh of relief, but was startled to see a pot of tea and a cup in front of the door. "Tea?"

"Hello, Miss!" The cup said smiling, startling the girl.

"Itadori, what did I say about scaring our guest?" The teapot said, rebuking the cup's attitude.

"I'm sorry, Nanamin, and I'm sorry, Miss, for scaring you.”

"What... what's going on?"

"Forgive our rudeness," the teapot said, "I am Nanami Kento, I work as a mentor for the young Itadori Yuji, who is the younger brother of the master.

"Master?"

"Uh, Sukuna, the big guy with four arms."

"Sukuna..." Y/n whispered his name. The name actually suited him. "So this is like a magic castle?"

"You could say that," Nanami said, "Anyway, we came to ask you if you would like a cup of tea."

"If you don't mind, I'd love to." The teapot approached the cup and poured the warm liquid into it.

"Miss..."

"Please, just call me Y/n."

"As you wish, Y/n." Nanami said, being quite serious for a teapot, "I apologize for Master's inconsiderate and rude attitude."

"Mr. Nanami, please don't apologize for his actions, it's your master who should apologize, not you."

"She's right, Nanamin!" Itadori said with a cheerful voice, "My brother should stop being such a jerk and start learning not to be rude to people!"

"You two are quite different, Itadori," the young woman smiled at the cup in her hand.

"Let's just say I got the good genes from the family."

"Well, I'm afraid we've talked too much already, we have a feast to prepare. Come on, Itadori."

"Do you need any help?"

"Of course not, Y/n, you are our guest of honor!"

The young woman watched as the teapot and cup left the room, then threw herself back onto the bed. She had just been talking to a teapot and a cup... perhaps the things in there were not the most conventional she had ever seen in her life.

Filled with curiosity about the place, Y/n got out of bed and walked almost on tiptoe to the door, slowly opening it. She poked her head out of the room and looked around to see if anyone was guarding the door to the room she was in. When she realized that no one was there, she left the room, closing the door behind her, and began to wander around the castle with a curious look on her face.

This castle was certainly different from all the castles that appeared in the stories in the books she used to read. The decor was gloomy. The curtains looked as if they hadn't been opened for years, leaving everything in a darkness that the young woman was beginning to get used to.

Y/n climbed a flight of stairs and continued her exploration of the place. When she reached a dead-end hallway, she was about to turn around and return to her assigned room, but a faint glow from the slightly open door piqued her curiosity. Before entering the unfamiliar room, she looked around to make sure no one was around and entered, making as little noise as possible.

The darkness of the room prevented her from noticing the clutter and some upside-down furniture in the corner of the huge room, but also the glow of a beautiful rose near the glass door of the balcony that had captivated her. Before she could touch the glass that held the rose, Y/n felt a large, strong hand grab her wrist.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING HERE?" Sukuna's hand closed tighter around Y/n's wrist.

"I was just–"

"I THINK YOU BETTER GET OUT OF MY WAY BEFORE I KILL YOU!" Sukuna let go of the girl's wrist, not caring how much force he used against her, and turned to look at the rose in front of him.

The words frightened Y/n more than Sukuna's tone. Fearing that the threat would become reality, the young woman ran as fast as she could, looking for an exit from the castle.

When she found the huge door, she opened it without a second thought, feeling an icy wind against her body. Her thin dress wasn't enough to keep her warm in the cold or protect her from the falling snow, but it was all she had and she wasn't going back to the castle just to find something to run away with ⸻ the chances of meeting Sukuna were high and something she didn't want at the moment.

A wolf's howl echoed through the forest, and Y/n tried to run as fast as she could in the snow. Her body was freezing more and more with each passing second, and her head was spinning since the only thing she had eaten during the day was the cup of tea Nanami had offered her. Dizzy, the young woman's vision blurred, and she stumbled over a branch that was in her way. Turning around, she saw a wolf staring at her with a hungry look and wished that the animal in front of her wasn't staring at her. But before she could get up and run away in a lousy attempt to save herself from a natural predator, Y/n noticed a huge figure coming up behind the wolf and picking a fight with the animal.

Gradually, the young woman felt her body tremble with fatigue and the cold, but she soon regained some consciousness when she felt large, muscular arms holding her. "You've come to kill me, Sukuna...?" her voice came out weakly.

"Shut up, you impertinent girl."

Before she could respond to Sukuna's words, the young woman felt her body give way completely, and everything went black.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ✶

When Y/n finally regained consciousness, she felt something soft underneath her and a pleasant warmth, but the sound of an argument brought her headache back. Sukuna's voice, the only one she could recognize, was loud and angry, and he didn't seem to mind shouting.

"I SWEAR, GOJO, THE NEXT TIME YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH, I'LL MELT YOU INTO LIQUID WAX AND THEN BREAK YOU IN HALF.”

"Master, I'm sorry to bother you."

"WHAT THE FUCK, WHAT'S WRONG, GETO?!"

"Miss has just woken up."

"So you finally decided to wake up?" Sukuna turned to the young woman, his four arms crossed in front of his broad chest, and approached the sofa where she lay.

"What happened?"

"You fainted"

"How long was I unconscious?"

"About three days."

"What?" The girl looked at him, startled by his answer. Could she have been unconscious for so long just because she hadn't eaten?

"It's been two hours at most, now stop complaining because the food is getting cold." Sukuna turned his back to the young woman, allowing her to notice several scratches along his length, surely acquired in his fight with the wolf.

"Excuse me, miss, it is a pleasure to meet you, I am Gojo Satoru, currently your candelabra, but always at your service!" The talking candelabra approached the young woman, "If you would allow me, I would like to take you to the dining room, as some are incapable of doing such kindness!"

"That's very kind of you, Mr. Gojo," Y/n smiled slightly and got up from the sofa, following the chandelier into the dining room. She sat down at the end of the table laden with food and shivered slightly when she saw Sukuna join her in the meal, taking a seat at the other end of the table.

Dinner took place in deep silence, on the one hand there was Sukuna who didn't know how to start a conversation politely and on the other there was Y/n who was in an internal discussion with herself about Sukuna's heroic act of fighting a wolf hand to hand after she had run away. He saved her life even when he didn't have to ⸻ and even after he threatened to kill her.

When she finished her dessert, the girl picked up the glass bowl filled with water and a cloth from the table and slowly approached Sukuna, "Do you mind if I help you with those bruises?" she asked in a low tone, but audible enough for the man to hear.

"Whatever." Though he seemed indifferent to the girl's request, Sukuna moved and turned onto his back, giving her better access to his bruises.

"Does it hurt?" she asked as she dipped the cloth into the water and gently wiped the bruises.

"Not a bit."

"I'm sorry, I'm to blame for what happened to you.”

"I'm glad you know. If you hadn't had the stupid idea to run off in the middle of the night, I wouldn't have been hurt," he said in a rude tone.

"Well, I wouldn't have run away if you hadn't scared me and threatened to kill me."

"And I wouldn't have yelled at you if you hadn't entered the forbidden wing."

"You have never forbidden any wing of the castle, just like you never said I couldn't explore it." The young woman's words left Sukuna speechless. In fact, he had never forbidden her to go to his room. She had done nothing to deserve being cursed and threatened. "You should learn to control your anger. Otherwise, you'll only drive away those who love you." The room fell into such a deep silence that neither of them dared to speak for several minutes. When she had finished cleaning Sukuna's bruises, the girl placed the cloth on the table and turned to leave. "I think I'd better go back to my room. Have a good night," she whispered.

"Y/n..." Sukuna's calm voice brought the young woman to an immediate halt. It was the first time he had called her by name.

“Yes?”

"Have breakfast with me tomorrow."

"Was that supposed to be a request?"

Sukuna rolled all four eyes, "Could you have breakfast with me tomorrow?"

"Yes, we could." she smiled broadly, showing her teeth, amused by Sukuna's frustrated look, "I would love to, thank you for asking."

"Yeah... whatever." Sukuna looked away to some random point. "Go to sleep, impertinent girl."

“Good night, Sukuna.” The young woman smiled openly.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ✶

When Y/n rejoined Sukuna the next morning, her first reaction was to examine the cuts on the man's back. The young woman felt guilty about the injuries, for if she had thought twice about what she was doing, the fight might never have happened, and Sukuna might never have been hurt.

Breakfast was eaten in silence, with discreet glances exchanged. For some reason, after being rescued by Sukuna, the young girl had a new vision of the four-armed monster. It's true that he was rude and arrogant most of the time, but there was something about him that had the potential to be a kinder being. Sukuna wasn't purely evil. She could see that at dinner last night when something started to blossom between them. Sukuna, on the other hand, tried to remember that the girl was kind to everyone around her. He was no exception to her kindness and sweet touches.

"I want to show you something." Sukuna said, controlling his tone, which surprised the young woman.

"What is it?" She said curiously.

"Could you..." he sighed deeply "Could you come with me?"

"Of course!" She smiled at Sukuna's attempt to be polite.

Sukuna led the young woman through the castle, which, unlike the day before, had its curtains and windows open and didn't look so frightening in the light.

"This is... an apology... for scaring you yesterday..." Sukuna's voice was lower than usual, and the tips of his ears turned red as he looked away from the girl in front of him. He certainly couldn't look into the young woman's eyes, not when he thought her eyes were as beautiful as the starry sky.

The four-armed man opened the doors in front of him, revealing to Y/n a vast library filled with books from floor to ceiling.

"Oh my! That's wonderful!" Y/n smiled and looked around, "How did you know I liked books?"

"A hunch."

"Sukuna..." The girl approached the man, "I accept your apology, and thank you for showing me this place. I admire you for trying to change." The young woman's hand reached Sukuna's upper right arm, and she gently smoothed the boy's skin under her hand, sending a shock through Sukuna's huge body. "So, which book shall we read first?" she asked after noticing the sudden and strange silence of the man in front of her.

“We?” Sukuna looked at the woman in disbelief.

"Yes, us!" Y/n smiled, pulling Sukuna with some difficulty to look at the books in the large library. "I think we started our relationship in a very bad and strange way, but I think we can change that... if you want to, of course."

"You are too good for this world..." Sukuna whispered.

"What did you say?" Y/n turned to Sukuna, puzzled by what the other had whispered.

"That you talk too much and that you're very curious," he crossed his four muscular arms.

"Aren't you the least bit curious about the world?"

"The world is a cruel place full of arrogant men who dream of being gods, I don't think that arouses my curiosity.”

"You have a very dark view of the world..." The young woman looked at him in surprise.

"It's just reality..." Sukuna shrugged.

"And why don't you try to change that reality?" The girl ran her finger along the back of the books, "Maybe if you looked for a new perspective, you might be surprised by the result."

"I have a feeling I don't have time for this anymore.”

"And why not? There's a whole world of possibilities out there, behind the bars of the castle."

"Do you think I've been stuck in the castle all these years because I want to be? Ever since they turned me into that four-armed monster, I've been hiding. What do you think would happen if I walked around the village like a normal person? People would hunt me down and try to kill me.

"I'm sorry, I hadn't thought of it that way..." Y/n stared at the floor as she clutched the book in her hands, ashamed that she had never thought of it from that perspective.

"Whatever"

"Why did you turn into a monster?" The girl's words were out of her mouth before she could think twice. "Oh, I'm sorry for being so pushy."

"An old witch cursed me..." Sukuna shrugged as he sat down on one of the sofas in the library.

"And there's no way to break the spell?"

"It's more complicated than you think..."

"Sukuna... why are you hiding under this rude and arrogant personality?" The young woman approached him and sat down beside him.

"I've always been like this, so stop giving me a hard time." He rolled his eyes and looked away from the girl.

"You can trust me, I won't tell anyone. Everything you tell me here will stay here." She put her hand on Sukuna's hand, which was resting on his thigh.

"Which book did you get?" he asked, diverting the subject.

"One of adventure and romance," the young woman smiled, respecting the man's decision not to talk about his past, "would you like to read it with me?"

Sukuna sat down on the sofa with a false expression of disinterest and watched as Y/n smiled excitedly as she opened the book, ready to tell her favorite story to the man next to her.

Neither Sukuna nor the young woman noticed the passage of time, and they were only slightly surprised when Geto, the clock, and Gojo, the candelabra, entered the library to announce that lunch was served.

They ate lunch and dessert in silence, both afraid to break the pleasant atmosphere between them. When they returned to the library to finish the story, the young woman noticed the snow falling outside the castle.

"Sukuna... instead of reading again, why don't we go outside and enjoy the weather?" The young woman suggested with a slight smile on her face.

"Do you want to go outside?"

"Come on, it'll be cool!"

After they were properly warmed up (this was the first time the young woman had seen the boy with some kind of cloth covering his upper body), they both went out side by side into the castle's huge garden. Slowly, the girl walked away from Sukuna, and suddenly, in her actions, she bent down and picked up a handful of snow in her hands, forming a ball, and then hit the four-armed man in the face.

"Is this a request for war?" Sukuna bent down to form two snowballs with his four hands.

"Are you telling me you're too old to have fun?" she smiled, hiding behind a tree as she made another snowball.

A snowball fight ensued, with the young woman laughing every time she hit Sukuna with a ball. Y/n ran through the snow, laughing awkwardly, until she felt her body thrown to the ground and pinned by a body more than twice her size.

"What? Have you run out of things to do, you impertinent girl?" Sukuna smiled sideways, bringing a blush to the girl's cheeks beneath him.

"If you stand over me like that, it won't be as much fun..." Y/n looked away.

"Ah, but I find it very funny," he laughed anasally. One of his hands reached for the girl's chin, pulling her face (gently) so that she was facing him again.

"You have beautiful eyes..." the girl whispered, but because of the short distance between them, Sukuna was able to hear her perfectly.

"All four eyes? Or just a pair?" He smiled provocatively but was secretly curious to hear the girl's answer.

"Hm, I meant all four."

Sukuna's heart skipped a beat and he felt a warm feeling grow in his chest. He knew from the moment he saw her that his heart had chosen her, it was as if it broke into song every time she appeared in his field of vision. He knew he was lost the moment she was kind enough to take care of a monster like him and tend to his wounds. But there was still a problem. There had to be reciprocity, and he knew it wouldn't be possible to be loved, not by someone like her. In the end, she was his salvation and his downfall.

Sukuna stepped down from the young woman and lay down on the snow beside her, looking up at the clear, cloud-filled sky. "My parents never loved me. They said I was useless, a scum, a terrible curse in their lives. They never cared about me or Itadori."

"You deserve so much more, Sukuna, I can see it now." Y/n turned her head to meet the man's face in profile. "It can't have been easy, but I'm glad that you're here now," by my side, she added mentally.

“Y/n…”

“Yes, Sukuna?”

"Is there anything you've always dreamed of doing if you were in a castle?"

"Ah, well, there's only one thing I always dreamed of when I read fantasy books..."

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ✶

"That dress looks magnificent on you, miss!" Shoko, the wardrobe, said with a slight smile on her face, she had chosen a long, voluminous yellow dress that looked like gold.

"I love the dress," the young woman smiled sweetly and smoothed the skirt with her gloved hands, "It's the most beautiful dress I've ever seen. Thank you for helping me, Shoko."

"Go ahead, dear." Shoko said with her calm tone and a lazy smile on her lips, "Have fun with Master Sukuna."

Y/n left the room, feeling her heart beating hard against her chest. It was as if the organ was ready to jump out of her body and run away. Perhaps the girl was worried about the extent to which her feelings had grown since meeting Sukuna ⸻ and especially after the new vision she had after being saved by him. Though he had his monstrous appearance and rough manner to keep his vulnerability from being exposed, the girl knew that deep down, Sukuna could be good and kind.

"Not bad." Sukuna smiled sideways as he met the girl in the hall. He was wearing one of his prince suits, which had been transformed for this very situation.

"Can you really dance?" she asked, trying not to sound so doubtful about the supposed waltzing skills of the man in front of her.

"Since I was five years old." Sukuna replied, taking the girl's hand and placing it on his shoulder while holding her other hand tightly. His lower arms found a place around her waist together with the upper one that was already there. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." She said with a smile.

The music echoed around the room, and Sukuna led Y/n, swaying from side to side until the girl got used to the dance moves. Their eyes met for a moment, and Sukuna lost himself in the depth and brilliance of the woman's eyes before him. The man had always found her beautiful, ever since that dimly lit night in the tower when they first met, she was certainly the most beautiful woman in his eyes, there was no beauty that could compare to hers. As time passed, Sukuna realized that her outward beauty was perhaps only comparable to her own inner beauty, which managed to be much more beautiful. Y/n was much more than a pretty face, her manner, her personality, and her admirable kindness and empathy were some of the things about her that enchanted him every moment he spent with her. And sometimes he thought that maybe he could have a place next to her, even with his monstrous appearance and questionable personality ⸻ she always made him want to be the best version of himself, even if he didn't know what that was yet.

"Y/n..." Sukuna's voice came out with a softness that startled him, "I want to take the chance to tell you something."

"You can tell me anything you want, I'm all ears."

"I..."

"MASTER! MASTER!" Gojo, the candelabra, ran toward the couple, who were lost in their own world.

"What is it, Gojo?" Sukuna's voice came out harsher than the tone he had used before.

"The castle is being attacked!" Gojo said in despair.

"By whom?" Sukuna's hands tightened slightly around the girl's waist, pulling her closer to his body.

"I think they are villagers, and your father is with them." Gojo turned to the young woman.

"My father? Is my father here?"

"Yes, but it looks like he's under arrest."

"Gojo, take Y/n to a safe place. If they want to come, let them come."

"What? But what about you, Sukuna?" the young woman looked at him worriedly.

"Don't worry, just do as I say." Sukuna slowly released the woman from his arms. "I'll take care of any disturbances, just stay safe."

"But I don't want to leave you."

"You're not leaving me, you're just protecting yourself from danger. That's what's best for you."

"I can decide what's best for me!"

"I'm well aware of that." Sukuna laughed weakly, "Just let me take care of it, and I'll get back to you safely."

"Promise me?"

"I promise."

The young woman followed Gojo to one of the farthest rooms in the castle, promising the chandelier that she would stay there until everything was settled. As soon as Gojo left, Y/n paced the room, thinking of a plan to rescue her imprisoned father. Sukuna and the castle staff would be busy fighting the townspeople, and it would be the perfect time for her to act in secret.

Determined, she opened the glass door leading to the balcony and assessed the distance; fortunately, she wasn't too high up to take a fatal fall. She opened the wardrobe and took out all the cloth she could find, tying the end of each into a tight knot to make a makeshift rope. With the rope in her hand, she threw it across the balcony, tying one end to the railing. A little clumsy, this being the first time she had done anything so radical, she jumped off the balcony, holding tightly to her rope, and climbed down calmly, looking straight up. Once on the ground, Y/n ran as fast as she could, looking for an exit ⸻ or entrance ⸻ that would lead her to the castle gates.

"Dad!" she cried in a low tone so as not to draw attention to herself when she spotted a cart stopped near the entrance to the castle.

"Daughter?" Her father's weak voice caught her attention.

"Dad!" she ran to the wagon, worried. "Are you all right?"

"I wonder if you're alright! Did Gaston manage to save you?"

"Gaston?" she asked as she searched for a stone to break the lock.

"Yes! When I returned to the village, I asked Gaston and the others to help me free you from that monster."

"Dad, Sukuna is not a monster!" The girl used all her strength and smashed the stone against the padlock, breaking the object and freeing her father.

"How is he not a monster, dear?"

"He's kind and brave, he can be polite when he wants to be. I realized that he's not a monster." The young woman hugged her father.

"Oh dear, you're in love with him..." the older man said more like a statement than a question.

"What? No, we're just friends." She looked away, embarrassed by her father's words.

"I think we'd better stop Gaston then, he's come with the intention of killing him," her father said worriedly.

"What?" she looked at her father wide-eyed, "Father, stay here, please!" The woman grabbed the hem of her dress and ran to the castle entrance, watching the chaos unfold around her. The townspeople were fighting the castle furniture, which was actually its bewitched inhabitants.

"Miss!" Gojo's voice caught the young woman's attention. "You're supposed to be in your room. What are you doing here? Master Sukuna will kill me if he finds out you're not safe!"

"I have to find Sukuna," she said desperately, climbing the stairs, "Gaston will attack him, I can't let that happen!"

"But Miss, that's dangerous!" Gojo tried to stop the girl, but to no avail.

"And Sukuna is in danger!"

The young woman ran until her feet hurt, and when she reached the hall where she and Sukuna had danced minutes before, as if they were the only two in the world. However, the sound of a gunshot and an agonizing scream caught the girl's attention and pulled her out of her thoughts.

“SUKUNA!”

"Y/n?" Sukuna turned to the girl, looking frightened, as if he had seen a ghost.

"Gaston..." the young woman whispered as she saw the brunette stand up and point his gun in Sukuna's direction.

Without thinking, the young woman ran up to Gaston and threw herself on him, knocking the gun out of his hands. Y/n stood up and threw the gun out of Gaston's reach.

"Oh, my beautiful lady! I've finally found you! Your father has been worried about your disappearance!" Gaston stood up with a smile, "If you'll excuse me, I have a monster to kill!"

"He's not a monster, Gaston!"

"Oh dear, don't tell me you're going to defend that monster?"

"Like I said, he's not a monster. And if anyone is the monster here, it's you, Gaston!"

"What did you say?"

"That you are the monster here!"

"You bitch–" Before he could finish his speech, Gaston punched Y/n in the face, and as the girl fell to the floor in surprise at the sudden impact, the man kicked her in the stomach, sending her rolling across the floor of the hall. And before Gaston could do anything, Sukuna punched him in the face.

"I'll make sure you never lay a finger on her again." Sukuna grabbed Gaston's neck and led him out onto the balcony.

"Please! Please don't kill me!"

"You should have thought twice before you touched her with your filthy fingers."

"Sukuna!" The young woman's voice made Sukuna lose focus on the man he was holding by the neck. "Don't kill him!"

"But he-"

"Please"

Sukuna took a deep breath and looked back at the man, who was almost out of breath. Sukuna left Gaston on the ground, coughing to catch his breath as he turned and headed for the girl on the ground, but something hit him in the side of his body. He staggered backward in fear, seeing the dagger in his waist, and fell with someone else. Gaston, who was behind Sukuna, overbalanced and fell off the balcony, letting out a pained and desperate scream.

"SUKUNA!" Y/n ran over to the man crouched on the ground.

"Are you all right?" Sukuna asked, reaching for the young woman's warm cheeks."You should be safe. Why are you here?"

"I was scared..."

"How could an impudent girl like you be afraid?" The man smiled provocatively as he lay on his back on the floor, feeling the blood run down his side.

"I went to save my dad," Y/n controlled the urge to cry, "and I wanted to know if you were okay."

"Did you really think I would lose to a guy like that?"

"Sukuna... I'm scared..."

"It's okay, I'm here. I promised I wouldn't leave, I'll keep that promise."

"I want to be with you... by your side." The young woman leaned down, resting her cheek against the man's bare chest.

"Y/n... I have something to tell you." Sukuna felt his heart beating heavily against his chest.

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"Do you..." Y/n stood up in surprise and looked at Sukuna, "Do you love me?"

"Very much."

"I... I love you too." A broad smile formed on the girl's lips.

Sukuna's hand reached Y/n's face before reaching her neck and pulling her into a soft kiss. Sukuna's heart, which had been celebrating the mutuality of the girl's feelings, melted as soon as the young woman's soft, delicate lips met his ⸻ a warm, comfortable feeling settled in his chest. When they pulled away, Sukuna found his forehead on hers, and their breaths became one. Slowly, Y/n pulled away and opened her eyes, surprised by the sight before her.

"Sukuna... you..."

"What about me?" The man looked uncertainly at the woman before him.

"You no longer have four arms and four eyes!"

"What?" He stood up quickly and looked down at himself. The wound from Gaston's dagger had disappeared, as had a pair of arms. Around him, the castle was angelic and glowing again, shedding its monstrous appearance.

The spell was broken.

And he was free again.

"Thank you..." Sukuna hugged Y/n tightly.

"Why do you thank me?" The young woman broke the hug and got up from the ground, standing in front of Sukuna.

"For loving me even when I was a monster." His voice was lower than usual. Maybe he wasn't quite used to all this new feeling.

"As I said, you deserve many of the good things the world has to offer."

"Speaking of which, I think we can get to know the world now, as you said, look for new perspectives."

"We?"

"And why shouldn't we?"

"You really want to take me with you to see the world?" Y/n looked at him excitedly.

"I promised to stay by your side, didn't I? And by the way, I don't think I could have a better partner than you to look for a new perspective on things." Sukuna smiled and pulled Y/n around her waist, pressing their lips together once more in a sweet, quiet kiss. "I want you by my side, forever."

"If you thought that impertinent girl would ever let you go, you thought wrong." Y/n wrapped her arms around Sukuna's neck, bringing their faces closer as she smiled, "I love you too much to let you go. Whether you're human or monster, I'll stay by your side, forever."

"Just so you know, there's no turning back. You'll be by my side forever from now on." Sukuna smiled teasingly.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea." The young woman quickly sealed her lips with Sukuna's.

Sukuna was free of a spell that condemned him for his past actions, and now he would fall under the spell that was the love he felt for the girl in front of him without any regrets.

© seonghrtz, 2024. all rights reserved, please do not copy / steal / translate / modify any of my works !

[writingquestionsanswered]

hiya! for writers who are complete beginners, kinda sorta maybe write at a high school level, can't describe to save their lives, have overall bad flow (as in they can't decide what little moments scenes to think up and even write, if they do, they're no good), have been told countless times to write daily and just read more but that doesn't cover the basics or foundations of creative writing, not like they can learn from a book bc they're a hands on learner anyway and p.s they're super broke so can't afford writing classes and no library near them offers free ones ---- aka me :( --- do you have any advice? lol i feel kinda doomed and that maybe writing isn't for me, but I don't wanna get my hopes down!! with the right tools, it's possible.

Free Resources for Learning How to Write

I want to start with addressing why you've been told so often "to write daily and read more" as a way to learn how to write. It's very difficult to learn and excel at a craft if you have no experience with said craft. You can read all the information in the world about how to forge a sword, but that doesn't mean you'll be able to pick up a hunk of metal and be able to forge a beautiful sword. You need to spend a lot of time watching other people forge swords, and spend a lot of time actually practicing each step yourself if you want to get good at it. Writing works the same way. Reading lets you experience what fiction should be, writing lets you practice each step for yourself.

Fortunately, there are lots of ways to read fiction for free. You can borrow books from friends, family members, and members of your community. You can check out books and e-books from your local library if you have one. You can look for Little Free Libraries in your neighborhood. There's also a lot of legally free fiction available online. Project Gutenberg, Planet E-Book, Bartleby, Literature.org, Classic Literature, Classic Short Stories, Wattpad, Archive of Our Own, Library of Short Stories, Levar Burton Reads, and sites like Kobo, Amazon, and Audible often offer freebies of both e-books and audio books.

Other free ways to learn how to write:

1 - Follow bloggers and vloggers and authors on social media who talk about the craft of writing. Some of my favorites are: Joanna Penn/The Creative Penn, K.M. Weiland, Liselle Sambury, Abbie Emmons, Hannah Lee Kidder, Brittany Wang, Alyssa Matesic, Bethany Atazadah, Lindsay Puckett, Alexa Donne, Shaelin Writes, Ellen Brock, The Writing Gals, and Sincerely, Vee.

2 - Follow writing craft blogs here on tumblr: (some suggestions) @writingwithcolor, @howtofightwrite, @heywriters, @cripplecharacters, @lgbtqwriting, @fixyourwritinghabits, @wordsnstuff, @yourbookcouldbegayer, @lizard-is-writing

3 - Watch writing craft videos on YouTube: If there's something specific you want to learn about, say, "how to structure a scene," type it into YouTube and many different videos will pop up that walk you through how to structure a scene. Just look for one that strikes you as appealing!

4 - Look for free writing resources online: many authors (especially indie authors and writing gurus/coaches like Joanna Penn, K.M. Weiland, Bethany Atazadeh, Brittany Wang, and Abbie Emmons) offer free writing resources on their web sites or by signing up for their newsletters. Often you'll see writers participating in free online writing summits/workshops which you can sign up for and either watch the videos live or via video playback that is offered for a short period of time (like 24 hours.)

5 - Do a Google Search: believe it or not, there's not a single thing you could want to learn about writing that you can't find for free on Google. If you want to learn how to improve your grammar, go to Google, type in "tips for improving grammar" and you will get a million articles that will tell you how to do just that. Want to learn how to improve your story's flow? Google "how to improve story flow" and you'll have your answer. You can even search for free worksheets, guides, and workbooks on just about anything you want. "Free character development worksheet" brought back a ton of nice looking free worksheets. "Free worldbuilding workbook" brought up several free workbooks and worksheets to help you with worldbuilding. Everything you could want to know is out there.

And, bonus: you can always read through the posts in my WQA master list to get help with a wide variety of craft and writer-related issues.

Happy learning! ♥

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[haunted-headset]

he looks just like a dream ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

summary: dating headcanons w/ remus lupin

a/n: hello!! this is my most recent fic on this account and my first Marauders fic, so sorry if this is bad!! also, please keep in mind that even though i'm writing a fic about something tied to the Harry Potter universe, this does NOT AT ALL mean i like JK Rowling. i've liked her books since i was a child and have been separating the art from the artist for quite some time when it comes to this. also, i've written Remus in more of a modern situation, so keep that in mind :)

tags: @back-totheoldhouse @daemontargaryennn @o-kye @unbeleevable @mochamuff1n @call-me-frosting-or-not-idc @dangerouslyyour (this is me just guessing who would be interested in this, please let me know if you would like to be removed/added from the taglist!!)

warnings: nicknames with "girl" in them but otherwise gn!reader, mentions of crying, mentions of scars

boyfriend!remus who's memorized how you like your coffee or tea. or if you don't like either, he's memorized your favorite drink and has perfected it every time he makes it. you tell him it's not needed, that you can make drinks yourself, but he says it's worth it just to see the smile on your face.

boyfriend!remus who wouldn't dare tell you to cover up with a dress or outfit you're wearing when you go out ("any guy who tells their girlfriend/partner to cover up because it makes him uncomfortable or insecure instantly just proves he has a fragile ego accompanied by a micropenis.") and he'll only suggest a jacket if he knows it'll be cold outside. if you're happy in what you're wearing, why should he stop you?

boyfriend!remus who reads the books you're reading to have an extra thing to talk to you about and to ensure he understands what you're describing when you rant about how much you either love it or hate it. "yeah I know, I can't believe he did that!" "seriously, the way the writer set up the plot is terrific." "what was the author thinking? the plot makes no sense."

boyfriend!remus who always gives you his clothes. his soft beige knit sweater? of course you can wear it to our date. you need to borrow his beanie because it's cold outside? please do. you want to wear his shirt to bed? just keep it, he thinks it looks 10x better on you.

boyfriend!remus who takes you on all sorts of dates. library dates, lego building dates (which turn into laughing hysterically because one of you doesn't understand the instructions and the other one does understand, but can't find the right piece), cafe dates, aquarium dates, baking/cooking dates, late night walk/drives dates...the list goes on (i will happily elaborate on any of these if asked). he may or may not stalk your pinterest to find out what dates you like

boyfriend!remus who subtly shows you off to the marauders. he's usually a little bit touchy with you in public (a hand on the small of your back or intertwined with yours, his arms around your waist or shoulders, etc.), but he does it more around his friends. it's not any sort of intentional possessive thing (like "grrr my bbg is mine you can't have her raaah"), he just likes people knowing he has a gorgeous partner :)

boyfriend!remus whose room is littered in random trinkets, some of which he'll randomly gift to you. a silver pocket watch he found with intricate details because he thinks you'd like it. a rock or crystal he says looks like your eyes. a flower that he found because he remembered the one time you said "what a pretty flower" when you accompanied him on a walk. a stuffed animal he found at a yard sale because it was your favorite animal. the list goes on.

boyfriend!remus who mainly shows love through acts of service and physical touch. your shoe's untied? he's getting down on his knee to tie it. your books are a bit heavy? he'll carry all of them for you. you're not feeling good? he's doing your homework.

boyfriend!remus whose nicknames for you are mainly "dove/dovey", "baby", and "darling". he calls you "sweet girl/pretty girl" when you're sick, under the weather, or sad, "my love/my dearest" when he knows you're upset, and "sweetheart" when you're in an argument.

boyfriend!remus who would be terrified of showing a lot of skin around you because of his scars mainly because he doesn't want you to be disgusted. he knows deep down that you wouldn't, but it's a deeply-rooted fear for him.

"Remus, your friends have scars. Does that make them ugly or bad people?"

"No."

"Some of the teachers you like have scars. Does that make them ugly or bad people?"

"No."

"I have scars. Does that make me ugly?"

"Of course not, dove."

"So then why do you think scars make you ugly if they don't make anyone else you care about ugly?"

[genderqueerdykes]

in searching for queer books to borrow from my library, i realized something. it is very important to read what publications are there, however, when folks ask me for book recommendations on certain queer identities, it becomes difficult, because publishing books, zines, and other writings is difficult while queer.

in many places in the world it is quite literally illegal to publish any queer material whatsoever. in other places it is so heavily stigmatized it is overwhelming for many. some queers don't have a talent for writing, and that's okay. a lot of queers live turbulent, busy, and often dangerous lives. it's hard to write when you have a lot going on in your personal life, especially when it comes to transmisogyny, transandrophobia, biphobia, and other big queer issues.

in many places in the world, outing one's self as a trans woman or transfemme could result in death. it would be extremely risky to publish something talking about lived experiences in places where trans women & femmes are constantly in danger. in many places in the world, this same struggle affects trans men, and other trans people. it can be literally a matter of life and death to publish writings or art about one's queerness depending on geographic location and circumstance

also, getting something published and distributed takes time and money, something many folks don't have. many people do not have access to queer charities or organizations that will help them publish. many people can't get an editor. many lose access to their computers, phones, files, electricity, internet, and other resources. many become homeless, or encounter housing insecurity. many queer people unfortunately live very short lives.

many intersex people don't get to even discuss our experiences, let alone write and publish them. many intersex people had procedures done to them and ages far too young to remember- and paperwork stating what ACTUALLY happened is generally totally unavailable. many intersex people live their entire lives not knowing they're intersex. there's a huge deficit on literature when it comes to intersex experiences and lives and it's because we're actively being silenced

it's not to say publications aren't out there, and i'm not going to start posting recommendations, but if you can't find a lot of published books on a certain queer identity, it's because that it's hard to write about queer experiences in general and get them published and distributed. keep searching, but if you can't find what you're looking for at a book store or library, try finding anecdotes, stories, comics, zines and other writings from people online. people talking about their experiences online is credible. not for citing as a source in a paper, but it is just as valuable as anecdotes published in a book.

[loves0phelia]

Hey, how are you? Could I request something for Zach Maclaren, where the reader and Zach are spending the night together for the first time (no smut) but the reader can't sleep because she's wearing a bra, afraid of making Zach uncomfortable if she doesn't, and Does Zach figure this out?

Bra insecurities

Summery: The request.

Words: 1,1k

Warnings: grammar mistakes.

A/N: I'm great, i hope you feel good too and i hope you like this! thank you for the request xxx

You and Zach have been together for a couple of months, yet somehow you haven't had a sleepover together. Every time he asked for you to come over to his house to spend the night something came up (more like you gave him excuses)

You knew Zach would never comment on your body. He adored everything about you, from head to toe, inside and out. He was completely smitten. But knowing that, didn't stop you from overthinking.

You had eyes, you could see how your breasts looked without a bra. They slumped down instead of being held up and the outline of your boobs could easily make someone uncomfortable especially when you wore a tank top. You didn't want to risk Zach looking at you differently. Your relationship was perfect the way it was.

"Hey baby," his delicate voice rang in the quiet library as he laid his head on your shoulder, wrapping his muscular arm around your waist from behind.

“Hi,” You turned in his hold to face him.

“I have soccer practice after class but do you want to come over tonight? We haven't spent any time together this week. I miss you so much” he dipped his head to meet your lips. 

“You could spend the night, my sister is staying at a friend's house for the weekend and my parents are away on a couple's weekend. I promise no funny business, I just want to spend time with you.” His digits gently rub against your cheeks and his eyes have that small glimmer you can't refuse.

“I don't know…” You bow your head down towards the floor, avoiding his begging gaze.

“Please, please, please, please” Between each “please” he placed a kiss on your cheeks and your forehead. 

“Fine” Your voice was barely above a whisper when you spoke but Zach did not fail to hear you. His eyes widen as well as his smile.

“Yes! You're the best!” He picked you up and spun you around as if you weighed nothing which made him earn, from the librarian a few feet away, a shush.

“Alright join me at the field after my soccer practice okay? see you tonight baby” he pressed one last rapid and excited kiss to your cheeks before running out the door leaving you giggling from the spot he had left you. 

You spent the rest of the day studying and reading your newly borrowed book until it was time to join Zach. When you got to the field you already had your backpack filled with your toothbrush, skin care, PJs and a change of clothes just in case. 

You saw him wipe his face with the bottom of his shirt which revealed his perfectly sculpted abs. Your face reddened instantly and his eyes met yours.

“You ready to go babe?” he met you with a small welcoming kiss. Still flushed from the previous sight your boyfriend gave you, you could only nod in agreement.

Taking your hand in his, he led you to his car. And like the gentleman he was, he opened the door for you. You offered a small "thank you" as you climbed in.

The ride was silent yet comfortable, his thumb was rubbing softly on your thigh as his other hand clutched the steering wheel. Your knee couldn't help but bounce anxiously at the thought of sleeping at his house tonight. 

But Zach had planned everything perfectly. the second you entered his house he rushed to get everything ready. He laid out plush blankets on his bed, with multiple pillows and your favourite snacks. The scent of freshly popped popcorn merged with the faint chocolate aroma of your favourite candy bar.

"This is amazing, Zach," You said, turning to him with gratitude and affection after he prepared everything. At this moment you couldn't even remember why you were nervous to begin with.

"I'm happy you like it, babe," he grinned and replied, his voice tender as he pulled you into a gentle embrace.

He reached for the remote and he started your favorite movie after settling down on his bed. 

"I'm so glad we're finally doing this," he whispered, his eyes meeting yours in the dim light.

“Me too” you replied shyly before letting your lips meet his.

After the movie ended, you and Zach both started getting ready for bed. Once again your anxiousness came back.

“Hey, do you want to sleep with one of my shirts?” He asked, he always loved seeing you in one of his shirts.

“Sure” You mumbled and took the white t-shirt from his hand, slowly you turned so your back faced him and removed the shirt you already had on. Just as you were about to put his over your head his voice stopped you.

“You gonna sleep with that? isn't it uncomfortable?” You turned your head over your shoulder and saw him looking over at the clasp of your bra on your back

“oh yes, it's ok” You pulled the shirt down he didn't ask more questions. He didn't know much about what girls wore to bed.

So you got in his bed and acted like everything was normal. Truthfully nothing was normal. The clasp dug into your skin as well as the straps, and the metal strings inside the bra felt like it was cutting underneath your breasts.

“Do you want me to remove it for you?” Zach spoke up in the dark and silent room.

“No!” you said harshly. “It- it's fine” 

“Baby come on it's hurting you” his hand softly stroked your arm.

“I don't want you to see my boobs” you admitted and you saw his brow furrow in the dark.

“You don't have to worry about that, you have my shirt on, I won't see anything I promise” His voice was honest and sincere, you knew you could trust him but you were still scared of judgment. 

“I don't want to make you uncomfortable, you can see them through the t-shirt and… they aren't pretty without a bra, they slouch down”  Your voice got even quieter and you avoided his gaze at all costs, but he grabbed your chin to make you look at him.

“Y/N I love you” Your eyes winded at the confession. “I love everything about you, even the things you don't like.”

“Really?” 

“Yes. I absolutely adore you, you could have the biggest or smallest boobs on earth and I would still love you!” He laughed and kissed your cheeks almost eagerly which also made you giggle.

“Now please let me help you remove it. I can't bare to see you uncomfortable.” you nodded and slowly his hand slid inside the shirt to unlace the clasps. Immediately the bra fell and your breast fell free.

“See? much better” His hand massaged your shoulder and he pressed a gentle kiss to your neck.

“Thank you, Zach, I love you too” 

[tinytalkingtina]

Wiggly 🧠🪱 Wednesday

@devondespresso Tagged me in this forever ago and I finally had one wiggle its way into my brain!

This week been fiddling with the idea of a true role reversal Steddie, with Eddie as the popular jock and Steve as the metalhead (as opposed to a punk). This got a little away from me, haha. No idea for a story or how other characters might fit in, but if anyone wants to take the concept and run with it feel free!

Eddie

Eddie is still poor, and still lives with his uncle (let's pretend he had to repeat a grade due to the chaos of moving in with Wayne). But he's Hawkin's star track runner/lightweight wrestler, channeling his energy into sports and competition. His grades are probably still not great, but since he's winning awards at meets, teachers let a lot more slide, and he skates by most of his classes with low C's. If he's loud and excited, then well, that's just what jocks do, right?

Wayne works nights, so Eddie is usually left to his own devices. Sure, the trailer can't hold that many people (and maybe Eddie has a bit of a chip on his shoulder that he lives in the trailer park), but this is the Midwest, and Eddie is creative. He hosts big bonfire ragers out in the woods, deep enough that the cops can't easily break them up.

Eddie's "Munson Doctrine" is from the perspective of being a jock. Mixed with his insecurities, it becomes about staying on top, no matter what. That means dating around, taking girls out most Fridays. He likes girls and has plenty of fun. And if he occasionally slips in a fantasy or two about drug dealer Steve Harrington pinning him against a wall with that knife of his, no one needs to know.

Steve

Then we have Steve. Steve's had piano lessons since he was 5. A framed picture of him in his bow tie and tiny suit at his first recital sits on his mom's desk. He's good at sports and does Little League as a kid, but they don't hold his interest, not the way music does. When he hits middle school, him and his dad have a huge fight over him refusing to try out for any sports. The cracks were already there, because his parents are louder than they think when they argue. To drown them out, he turns on the radio, spinning the dials. By chance, he finds a Black Sabbath song. Something in it speaks to him, gives an outlet to the frustration and anger he's feeling.

Steve picks up drums to play in band at school, but he also borrows books from the library and teaches himself guitar after begging his mom for one for his 13th birthday. He makes a few friends, they start a band. As he enters high school his parents fight more. His grades, never great to begin with, slip further, so no more allowance for Steve. The first time he tries to steals a tape, he's caught almost immediately. But he gets better at it over time. Can't steal tattoos though, and Steve's not a great artist. So maybe he starts dealing. His parents work late most nights, so they don't need to know about his...extracurricular hobbies.

Even if he's not at the top of the high school food chain, Steve's still good at reading people and social situations. I don't think he would have the desire to DM AD&D, but I think Steve makes a good player, always solid at strategizing. In the hallways, he sees and overhears things, enough that he's able to keep the heat off him and his friends with some clever insinuation, and the threat to cut off anyone who tries something.

He sees the way that loudmouth jock Eddie Munson's eyes flick down to his lips when he buys weed off him at parties too, the guy isn't nearly as subtle as he thinks he is. Steve would love to take him down a couple pegs, if Eddie'd let him.

Thanks to @little-annie for some ideas on fleshing metalhead!Steve out more :D

Edit: check out the role reversal steddie tag for snippets of what Annie and I are writing now :)

No pressure tags to some folks (and if anyone wants to be tagged in the future let me know!): @augustjustice @hbyrde36 @puppy-steve @soaringornithopter

@hairstevington @eyesofshinigami

[ilivingonmyway]

Something, something, some headcanons about the Ninja team that I have this is in alphabetical order. Part II here!

Cole

• Being the Earth Elemental, he knows several types of rocks, earth and minerals, as each one has a different structure that can interfere and/or contribute to a task/fight.

• Even though he hated dancing for a long time, he still practiced some steps from different dance styles, because some of them were very similar to moves that could be used in battle he did it in secret thought.

• For a long time he always acted a little distant from the other team members, but he was still there to support them if they needed it.

• He's a mama's boy, and he loved seeing Lilly and Lou dancing together.

• It was his grandfather who chose his name. He was bedridden, but he held on until Lilly gave birth to the baby, and when Grandfather saw the little one he cried, because he knew he wouldn't survive to see the child growing up, So, Lilly asked him to name him, as if it were an "I'll always be here" gesture from grandfather to grandson.

• His favorite game is the one where there's a bunch of food falling from the sky and you have to catch it, he's already broken a record 3 times in this game.

Jay

• He's the fastest and most elastic/flexible on the team. This guy's ability to put his thigh behind his head is insane, you DON'T want to be his partner in stretching exercises.

• He knows the Kyusho-Jitsu. This is a technique/type of fight used to stun/paralyze the opponent by striking pressure points (Curiosity, this is the technique that inspired Ty Lee's Chi Blocking technique from ATLA). He uses this on normal criminals, like thieves, assassins, and smuggling gangs, that way they don't get hurt. However, he also use it on Krypytarium criminals, but with the addition of a mild shock to ensure the criminal is rendered unconscious.

• Edna taught him how to cook, so he has the ability to make really good food. Although he prefers to make roasts and stews.

• Jay is a sleepwalker. Not daily, but during really bad lightning storms. Master Wu often found him sleeping on the highest point of the Monastery after the storm. Once, the Ninjas tried to keep him inside the room during the storm. They locked the door and windows and kept watch. But somehow, Jay still managed to get out of the room and get into the storm. No one ever found out how he did this.

• This one I got from Lloyd’s Guide To Surviving The Merge, a lovely fanfiction of @omgjayaaa, I really loved that one He's a medic. He knows how to treat illnesses, injuries, concussions, etc. It started out more as a hobby. Check out medical books from the local library and spend hours reading and applying the teachings on the Monastery's training dummies (sometimes Zane was the victim) just as a "strange diversion" (Kai's words). However, one day, there was a training accident and Cole dislocated his arm, while everyone was worried trying to call the hospital, in an incredible act not to mention strange of calm, Jay grabbed Cole's arm and relocated it back into place, then he borrowed some materials that were in his room and made a sling for the Earth Elemental's arm. No one ever forgot that day, because while Jay was "Just another normal day" the others were staring at him like "What the fuck was that?"

• I also got this from a Ninjago chat fanfic, also from @omgjayaaa He is a natural with children. You can't say otherwise, that this super sensitive and humorous man doesn't have a natural ability to calm/entertain/do anything involving children. And he really enjoys that, being able to make a baby stop crying and go to sleep or helping a child that got lost from the parents. Your honor, this man has everything it takes to be a good father and you're not going to change my mind.

Kai

• He hates super spicy food, being the Fire Elemental doesn't mean his taste buds are pepper/wasabi approved. He just likes a small amount in his food. Ironically, spicy food can kind of serve as fuel for the fire, so the hotter the pepper is, the more heat the fire emanates from it. Although he hates this ability.

• He's not very good at reading/writing, he left school very early to take care of Nya and the Blacksmith, so he lost most of his literacy skills. However, he took some lessons from Wu, so he didn't feel so out of place.

• In fact, his natural hair is like his mother's, but it's as untamable as his father's, which is why he uses so much hair gel. Like, you can't say that wavy and stubborn hair is not hard to care.

• He's that kind of person who sings in the shower, he often forgets that there are people in the Monastery and starts singing so loud that you can hear it from the training yard.

• He and Jay, often in secret, hang out together. Where? Karaoke. Kai sings and Jay plays the guitar, sometimes they change roles Kai prefers to play the bass. It's a lot of fun for both of them, but they don't want to let others find out, because they know none of them, especially Nya, would let it go.

• As much as many people think otherwise, of the RGB siblings, Kai is the most "stable". Not because he wants to, but because he is Nya and Lloyd's support. He feels very embarrassed when the papers change.

• He is super attentive to people close to him, especially Lloyd, who is the youngest on the team. However, now with the addition of Wyldfyre, Sora and Arin in DR, he is as protective as he was with Lloyd.

[sephirthoughts]

crisis core but if cloud was aware of his cuteness:

zack: hey, tseng, i forgot my wallet at the office. can i borrow ten gil for lunch?

tseng: you being irresponsible with your things is not my problem. i hope going hungry teaches you a valuable lesson

cloud: tseng-gege, can i—

tseng: here's my wallet take whatever you need

zack:

later on the helicopter to modeoheim:

cloud pouting and rubbing his ass: ow this seat is so hard

zack still mad about lunch: why don't you sit on tseng-gege's lap

tseng: wouldn't be any better

zack:

zack: OH GOD GROSS

after they crash in modeo ravine:

zack: fuck! my leg's broken!

tseng: you SOLDIERs are supposed to be tough. use a cure materia and walk it off

cloud leans against tseng: sorry, tseng-gege. i'm a little dizzy

tseng scoops him up like a princess: i better carry you. can't take any chances with your health

zack: what about his rifle and gear?

tseng: good thinking. make sure you grab those. and pick up the pace, will you?

zack: a̵g̴s̸h̴f̷l̸a̶g̶s̴h̸f̶g̷a̵k̷

later outside the mako extraction facility:

cloud shivers: wow it's pretty cold up here

tseng: zack you can handle a few hundred enemies on your own, right?

zack: well not—

tseng: excellent. take care of this and meet us in town afterward. we'll be at the hot spring baths

zack: COME ON, MAN

years later in nibelheim:

tifa: not goin' too fast for you, am i?

zack: of course not. we're just trying to pace ourselves

cloud: actually, my feet kind of hurt

sephiroth turns around: your feet hurt? you are a shinra trooper. when we are in the field, you represent all of us. you should—

cloud: -takes off his helmet-

sephiroth: —be looked after with the utmost care, like the precious treasure you are. as such, i am duty bound to carry you the rest of the way up the mountain.

zack: IT'S ALL HAPPENING AGAIN

tifa: cloud…?

later in the shinra basement library:

zack visibly twitching: hey, sephiroth. what you got, there?

sephiroth reading a book to cloud, who is sitting in his lap: oh, zack, it's you. you'll never believe this. i'm not even human. turns out i was created in a lab, from the dna of an ancient creature they dug out of a sedimentary rock layer. isn't that cool?

zack: HOW IS THAT COOL? AREN'T YOU DEVASTATED??

cloud snuggling up to sephiroth: i think it's cool, sephi-chan

sephiroth: see? cloud thinks it's cool. i guess you just don't get it. actually, you'd better leave. you're kind of killing the vibe

zack: i̴̘̥̕ ̷̨͗͝å̶̱̝ḿ̴̡̕ ̶̰͋̕b̸̢͚́u̴̘̯͊͂r̸̼̭̐n̵̢̿ȋ̵̜n̴͙̠͒͘ģ̷́́ ̶̦̀t̵̼̗͑h̸̠̺̾͒i̷͚̗̿s̴̡̥͐ ̶̤͝f̵̤͐u̴̖͖͌c̷̱̲͑͗k̸͔̃̾i̵̮̥̊n̴͕̆̓g̸̨̒͝ ̴͎̈́t̵̼̞́̍ṏ̸͚w̷̡͗̃ń̸̫̈́ ̵̟̎t̸̞̓o̶̼̎ ̶̢͔̈́ẗ̸̼̩ḧ̵̳̮́e̴͚̋ ̵͎͚́̅g̴̗͒̈́r̸͉̓̕o̴̗͌̕u̶̹̓n̷̛̘̹d̴̙̑

[hotchfiles]

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ❝ [GLASS TIES] ❞

request by lovely anon who loves isaac and pain. pairing: isaac lahey x reader. summary: isaac and you share the perfect summer fling. those ties don't last when summer ends. content warnings: mentions of sex and death. there's like a huge teen wolf spoiler but i mean the show is over for years now. word count: 1,4k+

working during summer wasn't your ideal way to enjoy the warm days and freedom from school work, unfortunately the city library needed help and you needed all the extra crap possible to make your resume look nice, full and interesting for colleges, so you'd spend three afternoons a week helping nerdy teens and old ladies find the books they wanted, register it as they borrowed it and more recently, read to a group of children once a week.

it wasn't the worst job, it could be quite fun... but it was mostly just silence, quietness and a bit of boredom, you enjoyed having access to that many books, but even you got tired of reading after a while, so when the most beautiful guy you've ever seen waited for you to notice him, you were busy laughing at your phone like an idiot.

and he could've faked a cough or anything of the sort to call you out, but instead he decided to simply lean down and insert his head in between your face and your phone, looking directly at you as he did so and making you screech from the scare. "oh my god, what're you doing?"

"getting your lazy ass back to work, apparently." he's nonchalant, his smirk makes him annoyingly handsome, and you'd remember those eyes and those curls anywhere.

isaac lahey, a year older than you, blue eyes, golden curly locks, greek god possibly. you blinked quickly and shook your head, so nervous you couldn't even think of a comeback to his sneaky comment. "so-sorry, do you need help?"

"need a book."

"good, we have some of those here, yes." you found your breach to tease him and you took it without even thinking, trying not to panic as the words left your mouth. isaac enjoyed it though, laughing and nodding along.

"sure, yeah, sorry. werewolves, uh, the less... fictional the better." you're about the laugh it off, yeah right. but he was completely serious, if only a bit concerned about having to ask for those.

you nodded and thought for a minute, putting up key words on the system to see if you could find anything. "we have some really old ones in our more special section, but they can't leave the building. also i wouldn't call them non fictional... i mean, werewolves right?" you shrug, chuckling lightly and he's oh, extremely amused, genuine laughing and you're not sure why. "but uh... they're quite old and kinda damaged, so we don't really know what the purpose of it was."

you take him to the back of the library and shows him the two books you mentioned, they are big, old and dusty and isaac has the time of his laughing laughing at how much you were sneezing back there. "glad you're having fun, but lower your voice, funny boy." you whisper shaking your head disapprovingly, but your smile was too difficult to hide.

you go back to the reception after telling him the library rules again, thinking that would probably be it; but it wasn't.

he took the books to where you were working, taking the closest table to you. he would spend minutes on end just reading, looking beautifully focused, but then he would glance at you and catch you staring at him, isaac would then smile, tell you to go back to work as you told him to keep his voice down.

it was the most fun you had since the summer started.

isaac went back to the library every day after that, shamelessly leaving if you weren't working until he memorized the days you would be there. he truly wasn't much of a library guy, but he enjoyed spending time with you there. it was quiet, much quieter than his mind and his life, but still, it wasn't boring, at least not for him.

after the first week the books didn't matter, not giving him much more information for what he was going through, making you blush though, that mattered a lot and he noticed he was quite good at it.

he was getting used to having girls looking at him more, but something in you stood out. he figured out soon it was simply the fact you've been secretly glancing at him even before he changed. turned.

you would make comments as he walked you home after your shift ended, and he knew you didn't even notice how endearing it was or how much of a tell it was, so not a bike guy anymore? or you gained some weight, right? like, not in a bad way, not that gaining weight is bad, you're just... stronger now.

isaac felt connected to you somehow because of that, you had no idea of what he was, or how bad his life was before, but still, you liked him even then, even when he was broken and you didn't even know him. knowing someone paid some attention to him back then gives him conflicted feelings, but most of them are good. warm. tender.

you make him feel soft. and normal. and wanted. and he knows he could've made his move on you much sooner, but oh, he enjoyed the pining, the blushing, the way you bit your lower lip and tucked your hair behind your ear whenever he complimented you. he enjoyed the teasing too much.

after he kissed your lips for the first time though, he figured out what he enjoyed more than the teasing.

you.

being a werewolf in a freak city meant he didn't always have the amount of time he wished he had to spend with you. but that summer, all the time he had at his dispose was spent with you. calling you, texting you, working with you.

he would take you to late night movies, bowling and ice cream, so terribly charming even when he awkwardly ended up meeting your mom after sneaking in and cuddling with you all night, she adored him. gave him a pass to sleep over as long as he didn't sneak in and the door to your room was always open.

you both followed the rules strictly, but your mom wasn't a light sleeper, so what started with you guiding his hand down your pants ended up with him taking your virginity. slowly, quietly, tenderly. he locked eyes with you and didn't glance away for one second that night. told you words that were probably too soon to be said.

the three words left your lips like a secret, matching his.

things changed when summer ended, school coming at you in full speed.

and maybe it was your fault, with all ap classes, extracurricular, volunteer works you put yourself through, or maybe it was the naivety of not asking what you two were, of not labeling what you both shared before the outside world came into play.

or maybe it was isaac's fault, and the way his outspoken personality sometimes served as a shield to his secretive actions. whatever it really was, you would barely see each other at school, each with your own little friend group, different classes, you were lucky to catch him in the hallways, where he would smile at you and touch your hand lightly as if you two were a secret.

were you? not exactly, but isaac wanted to keep you away from the mess, away from the killing, the blood, the fear. he didn't want to taint what you both had, so the more you didn't have time, the more he got away from you, slipped from your fingers.

and before you could even fight it, try anything to keep him, there was allison.

laughing with him, touching his arms, knowing things about him you would never dream about, you could see it, even from afar, the eyes of two people who connected.

confidants.

it broke you. but you couldn't do anything about it, you felt like it was your fault, as if your oh so busy academic life pushed him away. you let him go, no more texts, no more looking for a glance and a soft touch pass the hallways.

for weeks it was almost like it never happened, like your life was ever the same, like it didn't change past summer. of course you would go through the texts you shared from time to time, shed a few tears and pretend to get over it. and it worked.

until he was at your door sobbing. bloody. completely lost.

allison was dead. and nothing would ever be the same again.

[waywardducks]

I just can't stop thinking about the idea of y/n and Jason having a meet-cute in a bookstore! It's so cozy and sweet. I’ve had this idea in my head for days now.

CW: Fluff, a bit OOC, mentions of fighting and of Jason’s death, Gn reader

⋆ ✩₊˚ ʚ♡ɞ ˚₊✩⋆

Jason was fighting with Bruce, which meant Jason would not be going to the manor for the next few weeks. At least not until one of the men decided to give in and apologize. Which would be a while this time. Usually, when it is Jason’s fault his brothers will talk him into apologizing and help him recognize where he was wrong. But this time Bruce is wrong. Meaning no one, not even Alfred will be able to get this man to pull his head out of his ass. Maybe they could if Jason fought hard enough, and threw enough hard-hitting insults to breach the stony exterior that is Batman. But Jason doesn’t feel like breaking his own heart right now, so he’s opting for the long run, waiting (im)patiently as far from Batman as possible. Bruce will come back and apologize eventually when the silence and lack of his second son start feeling too close to when Jason was dead. When memories start to surface grief begins to overwhelm the man.

For now, though, Jason is content to sit in his apartment and read. The only real downside is that the book he had been reading was currently still in the manor’s library. Technically Jason could just ask one of his siblings to retrieve it for him, but he’s still hurt from his fight with his father and doesn’t feel like doing something vulnerable, like asking for help.

So he heads to the bookstore. He’s been to this particular bookstore a million times. It’s cozy, nestled on the edge of Blüdhaven, close to the border. Sometimes Jason would head to Dick’s apartment afterwards, since he was in his brother’s neighborhood. The shop has a little cafe area, indoor and outdoor seating, a covered patio with a couch that Jason enjoyed sitting on when it was raining.

A bell chimes his arrival as he entered the small shop.

“Welcome in!” An older woman greets from behind the counter.

Jason gives the woman a smile before making his way to the Shakespeare section. He began browsing the titles, trying to find the exact one he was looking for.

The bell chimes and again, but Jason paid it no real mind, only acknowledging that a third person was now in the store.

“Oh! Y/n. How lovely to see you again.” The woman at the front exclaims.

“Hey Mrs Goodmen! How’ve you been?” The newcomer asked.

“Just perfect, thank you for asking dear. What brings you in today?”

“I need a new copy of a book I love. I let my friend borrow it a year ago and I don't think I'm getting it back.”

“Well, you go find it, let me know if you need any help, okay?”

“Of course, thank you!”

There was silence again as the person began browsing aisles. Jason smiled as he found the book he was looking for. He pulled it off the shelf and began flipping through the pages.

“Oh, how funny.” A voice startles Jason out of his skimming and he looks up. It was the person that had been talking the lady.

“What's funny?” Jason asked, closing his book.

“That's the book I was looking for.” They say, pointing at paperback in Jason’s hands.

Jason smiles. “Oh, that is funny.”

“Great minds think alike.” The person jokes. “I'm Y/n, by the way.”

“Jason. Nice to meet you.”

“You too!”

Jason watches as Y/n grabs a copy of the same book off the shelf.

“I've read this like 8 times now. I'm planning on actually annotating it this time. It's just so good. Oh! I should check to see if they have that new book I wanted to read.” Y/n mumbles.

Jason thinks it's cute how distracted they got all of a sudden. They themselves were cute. The oversized sweater they’re wearing, the concentrated look on their face as they search for the book they need, even the way their hair looks like they just rolled out of bed.

Jason pulls a small notebook out of his pocket and writes his name and number on it quickly. He doesn’t normally do this sort of thing, maybe it was because this person had similar taste in reading. Jason isn't sure, but he did know that this person is cute and he wants to get to know them.

“Are you a Shakespeare fan?” Y/n asks all of a sudden.

Jason chuckles. “I suppose you can say that. Though I suppose I'm more of a classical literature fan.”

Y/n smiles a bit wider at that. “Me too! I especially love Greek mythology and Gothic romance. Oh! They do have it! Perfect, I've been so excited for this one!” Y/n plucks a book off the shelf and does a triumphant little twirl.

Jason takes note of the book in her hand. “Biography of Mary Casset?”

Y/n shows Jason the books. “Yep! She was an impressionist painter whose main focus was on the relationships between mother and child. She also used traditional Chinese printing methods. She was a hardcore feminist and never stopped even after facing backlash for being a female artist in a male-dominated industry. I adore her.”

Jason can't help but stare at Y/n as they gushed over the artist. The way they ramble and are so passionate about it has his heart beating a lot faster all of a sudden.

“She sounds pretty fucking cool. I might need to grab me a copy of that as well.” He says. “Oh yeah, said you wanted to annotate this book,” he lifts the book that brought them both here in the first place. “We should get together sometime, compare notes maybe?”

Y/n blushes. “Yeah. That sounds like a lot of fun.” They smile brightly.

“Awesome! Here, take this.” Jason hands them the paper with his number on it. “Text me, we’ll make it a date?”

Y/n’s blush darkens. “Of course! I, uh, maybe a cafe or something? I’ll, umm, I'll have to check and see when I'm free.” They stammer as they carefully place the paper in their bag.

“Perfect. I'll be waiting to hear from you then.” Jason winks before turning and walking to the counter. He checks out and makes his way back to his apartment.

⋆ ✩₊˚ ʚ♡ɞ ˚₊✩⋆

What do y'all think? I tried to keep the book nondescript but then went I ranted too hard about Mary Casset. My bad. I hope that my little explanation at the end there makes up for how ooc Jay is. Let me know if you want more! Feel free go request and give a prompt as well! I love writing and I want to do more of it!

Also, I apologize for any mistakes. I have major Dyslexia and Grammarly doesn't always fix everything. I hope you Enjoyed! 🌼🐛

[sleepy-vix]

i went book-shopping at a second hand store today look at the haulllll

i'll take front cover pictures tomorrow. it's night time right now and the books are outside to get rid of bugs and stuff so i can't grab them rn

anyways here are my thoughts on the books i bought:

1. the catcher in the rye - i read this 2-3 years ago and i remember liking it alot! i borrowed it from a library back then but i really wanted my own copy so when i saw it at the shop today i was like hell yeah why not. i can't wait to reread and really carefully annotate it and just have it all to myself

2. the great gatsby - this one was a little expensive ($9.5) for a second hand book but i really wanna read it and it's about 11$ at a normal book store anyways so it's still like $1.5 cheaper and it's better for the environment so i decided to just buy it at the second hand store

3. dying, in other words - i've never heard of this book before but the title immeditaley captured my attention and the cover is really cool (i'll show you tomorrow i promise) and the premise is really interesting too ! i can't wait for this read. i hope it doesn't let me down

4. maurice - AGAVZJSBSJSABSJDVSUES I SCREAMED INTERNALLY WHEN I SAW THIS. for $8.5 this BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL copy of maurice was ALL MINE!?!?! i nearly fainted istg. i've been wanting to read maurice in sooo long it seems so so so interesting and this cover version is so gorgeous and well priced i'm so happy with this purchase

5. a room with a view - i don't actually know what this is about but i have heard of the title in good light and it's by e.m. forster and the copy is super pretty so i had to get it

6. bodily harm - margeret atwoodddd !! this is my 2nd book by her. i've read the handmaid's tale and it's so good, i liked it alot. i want to read new testaments aswell but its $20 in normal bookstores so i'm on the lookout for it in second hand stores. sadly haven't found it yet but i found bodily harm! it seems interesting and the cover is pretty cool. i'm a little ehh about it because the reviews are 3.3 which isn't too good... it's fine though because i'm on a reading frenzy and i'll get through it even if it's not good. i just hope it doesn't let me down

so yeah that's my haul. i hope your day was good, whoever actually stopped to read my post

[bitterbutblue]

august 1998

~ hii guys sorry for dying! but here is the first chapter to our new series for all our robin lovers, called remember me, 1999! ermm in case u guys r confused where this is set the answer is unclear its a fun little combination of east asia cultures

summer evening is perfect for falling in love, right? so let me show you a world you've long lost before.

tw asian parents idk~

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────

The familiar ding! of the bell hanging above the door has you heaving out another sigh as you put down the book you were reading, looking up to see whichever customer had walked through the door. An old man- was he here yesterday? He came here once in a while, always got a pack of sweets and cigarettes. You don't ask him much, you always just smiled at him. But today he only gets the cigarettes and you decide it's just best not to ask.

"Thank you."

The gravelly voice cuts through the humid air, hitting you with this chill you can't quite put your finger on but you just nod, swallowing.

"You're welcome. Have a good day."

Scoffing, the man turns to leave and you wonder what you did to piss him off but whatever. With an eyeroll, you lay your head down on the countertop again, flipping open a new magazine to find something entertaining. The flashy photographs of random celebrities really didn't catch your eye, nor were you fully interested in it. But what else can you do when your mom asks you to man the countertop of the convenience store instead of letting you go out with your friends for like, the eigth time this week?

"Again?"

The cheeky voice is like a disruption of your silence, but you can't stop the feeling of your heart leaping slightly.

"Shut up, Stelle."

A tall figure walks in, throwing a bag over the counter and you feel it plop down right next to you as she moves to lean against the counter.

"Seriously, you never go out anymore."

"I'd love to be able to, seriously. How about you ask my mom and tell her to let me out?"

"Oh please." Stelle scoffs "I'd rather jump off a bridge than confront your mom."

You look up, head propped up against the palm of your hand as you eye the girl up and down, a suspicious feeling growing in your gut.

"What's in the bag? Why are you here?"

"Summer's almost over. Bag's full of the stuff I borrowed from you earlier. I just finished delivering newspapers." She shrugs "Got nothing to do now. March is busy. Dan Heng is... god knows where he is."

"Library?"

"Makes sense."

Pause.

"So you don't need anything?"

"Why would you assume I need something!"

She got way too overprotective, pushing herself off the countertop and staring at you with eyes that just screamed 'oh FUCK'. You groan, burying your head in your arms.

"Again?"

"Please, it's the last time I’ll ask you to come with me!”

Another familiar ding, a customer walks in and Stelle pipes down. Her voice quieter, but still holding the same pleading tone as she now throws in the bonus puppy-dog eyes that have you cringing in disgust every time physically but inside you hated how it made you feel rather... warm.

"Please?"

"Oh fuck you, fine." You curse, shoving Stelle away as she whoops and cheers, pushing herself off the counter and you shush her before the customer starts seriously judging you two. "So am I meeting you at 8?"

"Yeah! Same as always, my house. Love you! You're the best!" She calls out as she dashes out the door, the bell ringing through the now empty store once more. You don't realise you're smiling until your face drops at the voice behind you.

"She's always so eager."

You turn around at the sound of your mother's voice, not saying anything as she helps the customer pay for their snacks.

"You shouldn't get distracted-"

"I know, I won't." You mumble "I've been looking at universities already, I swear."

"You apply next year, don't fool around." She warns, her purple eyes narrowing at the magazine in your hands, and you feel a stirring irritation in your stomach you try to suppress. "School's in two days. Pull yourself together."

"Yes ma'am." You mumble as you stuff the magazine under the counter, moving away.

"You have training tomorrow, by the way!" She calls out after you as you head out the door, and you just do throw a thumbs up over your shoulder before shoving the door open.

The humid air hits you before anything else and you half-regret leaving the safety of your very much cool and well ventilated shop that your mom runs. You huff, forcing yourself to walk up the hill across the street up to where Stelle resides as the sun begins to set over the view of the city over the railings. You take in the sight, the city tucking the now-tired sun in for the night as the moon prepares itself for another day of watching over the city. Watching over you.

Stelle had always told you about wanting to travel beyond the skies one day, and you've always just laughed at her or teased her for her antics but you can't shake off this twinge in your chest as she discusses what lies beyond the stars. The idea of growing up haunts you, every day feels like a ticking time bomb and you feel like it's about to implode inside you. Lost in your thoughts, you feel your eyes glaze over slightly as you just move your body, one foot forward, another foot forward, another-

"Hey!"

A sharp tug on the back of your shirt has you letting out a choked cry as you stumble back. With your left foot tripping over your right, you fall to the ground with a dull thud, a searing pain shooting up your back as you land comedically onto your butt.

"What the fuck-"

Roaring, a car speeds by along with a gust of wind that slaps you right across the face. You scramble to your feet, pushing yourself away from the edge of the road you hadn't even realised you reached.

"Are you okay?"

A soft voice next to you causes you to flinch slightly, turning around with a quick whip of the head.

The girl that stood in front of you adorns the greenest eyes you've ever seen, like a lake on a summer day. The same green eyes you saw almost every day as a child, lilac hair now much longer and a shade darker.

Maybe it is best to pretend to not recognise her.

"I'm fine. Thanks." You say hoarsely, quickly getting up onto your feet. You wince at the quick movement, feeling the sharp pain on your lower back and you just know there's gonna be a bruise forming there tomorrow.

"Y/n?"

"Yep. Nice seeing you again, Robin."

You straighten up, looking the girl dead in the eyes now. She looks much more mature, but to be fair the last time you saw her, she was nine. She holds herself with the same elegance and grace, in a way you never could do yourself. She's still the same child you played with at the park, that you saw after school, that you shared snacks with on the swings. You never thought you'd see her again after that day. You never thought you'd want to talk to her after that day but-

"What are you doing here?" You ask awkwardly, shifting your weight from one foot to another. Her face darkens slightly, shock fading into a look that you can't fully decipher.

"I live here now. I just had a meeting with the school."

You take a small step back, taking in her full appearance. She's wearing school uniform- your school's uniform with the same badge adorned on the left patch pocket.

"You- what? I thought you moved to the states."

"Things happened." Her tone seemed much sharper, much more strained now. She looks at you in a way that makes you feel like apologising for no reason and it's very unsettling.

She was nothing like the Robin you knew.

But it's been years.

"I'm sorry."

A soft look quickly returns to her eyes as she shakes her head, holding her hands out in front of her apologetically.

"Ah- that was too harsh, wasn't it? I'm sorry. I just don't like talking about it."

"It's alright, I'm sorry for asking."

Silence fills the space as you awkwardly look around you- taking in each tree and each rock, each flower that blooms, anything but her.

"I'll see you around?"

"Probably."

Robin nods, shooting you a soft smile that you think hasn't changed since she left, before walking down the path you came from.

"Fuck."

Out of all people to have saved you from a speeding car, you didn't expect it to be your childhood best friend who left to the US one day. Out of everyone, she was the last person you expected to see back in the city. Something must've happened that brought her back, and it was best not to pry.

Stelle is still waiting for you, so you quickly make your way up the rest of the hill, crossing the road that almost killed you before reaching her house.

"Bitch, what took you so long?"

You fight the urge to throw a rock at her when she opens the door.

"I ran into Robin."

Her eyes widened.

"Robin? The Robin who left before middle school started?”

“Yeah.”

“Isn’t she in the states? I thought her family was loaded.”

“Who knows” You shrug, kicking off your shoes as you step into her house, Stelle moving aside quickly before shutting the door. “What’s the plan for tonight?”

“Same as before. We can just sneak in through the back up to the roof.”

“Why can’t you do this yourself?”

“You’re telling me you don’t want to see the full moon at it's brightest? Come on!" Stelle groans, throwing herself onto you. You wince, stumbling forward with a small smile on your face as you shove her off you. Stelle shoots you a grin, indicating how she's fully aware of how she's succeeded already. "Oh, you wanna see it so bad."

"I don't! I'm just coming to spend time with my friend." You mumble softly.

Stelle's favourite place to go to was this abandoned building that was technically off limits and would be trespassing if they were ever caught, but she loves seeing the stars from that building so you always accompanied her because you can't deny how beautiful the sky can look even on the days where it's believed to be bad. You can't deny

"Yeah yeah, whatever." She takes your hand, pulling you into her room. You just follow her as she throws the door open to reveal her messy room. A small room, made even more cramped with how she throws her stuff around. Clothes strewn across the floor and books stacked in places it shouldn't be stacked in. The actual bookshelf itself is neglected, filled with random junk Stelle definitely has not touched since she was twelve- and one too many raccoon figurines.

She moves to pull out a backpack that was hidden beneath her pile of clothes, opening it up widely and moving to stuff a blanket inside alongside a notebook and whatever else Stelle needs on her astrology days.

"Should we bring snacks?"

"We're not watching a fucking movie."

"Might as well be." She shrugs, throwing a bag of chips into her bag as well before zipping it up "You hungry? I have leftovers in the fridge."

"I'm good." You nudge some of her clothes away with your foot to clear a space on the floor for you to sit down as she throws herself onto the bed with a grin.

"I'm so excited."

"If I get kicked off the archery team, I'm fucking you up."

"If we get caught, kicking you off the team would be the least of your concerns."

The only sound echoing through the nights was the sound of cars zooming by on the street across the old, abandoned building, and the cicadas singing under the lamp lights. The peaceful sound of a summer evening coming to its end is so graciously ruined by Stelle kicking down the back door to the staircase up to the roof.

"That was so unnecessary." You hiss as she tugs your sleeve, motioning for you to follow her up. You sit on the edge of the roof as Stelle sets up her equipment.

"Shut up. I looked cool as fuck."

"No you didn't."

As the headlights of cars zoomed by like laser pointers on a map, you take in the last of the summer days- the cool evening air brushing by and your heart is racing in your chest. The thrill of your feet dangling over the edge, the thrill of this moment with Stelle, the thrill of falling. You breath in deeply, letting out an audible sigh as you look up at the starry night. It's rare to get such clear nights, and you really would rather not be anywhere else.

"Dude, come take a look."

Quickly, you turn to move yourself off the edge as you walk over to Stelle's telescope set up. It was a rusty thing, something she got at a yard sale but she fixed it up herself with duct tape and whatever screws she could find. It creaks whenever she adjusts it and looks like it's on it's last limbs but she loves it with her whole heart. You can't help but swallow slightly when you take in the sight of her, grinning like an excited child in her oversized tee with a fiery look in her eyes that you only see in the dark when the stars are out.

Looking into the telescope, you smile. The moon itself isn't very clear, and given the status of the telescope you understand why. But its beauty still somehow prevails through it all.

"Looks nice."

"That's it?"

Stelle scoffs, pulling you away from the telescope as she quickly moves to look back at it.

"It's perfect."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

You stand next to her, watching her as she looks through the telescope with the softest smile on her face as she mumbles whatever astrological science stuff to herself. The way she's been making you feel for the past couple weeks has you feeling sick to your stomach, because you know you're not supposed to look at your best friend like that.

The sound of a door creaking open has the two of you whipping your heads around to the source of the sound- fuck, did someone see you sitting on the roof?

Stelle looked like she was about to bolt for it until the person behind the door walks out, revealing the girl you saw earlier today. Revealing Robin.

"Oh, I didn't realise people were here."

Her voice is quiet, softer than it was earlier today. You just sorta nod at her and Stelle's eyes widen.

"Robin?"

"Hello. You're...?"

"Stelle, same fourth grade class?"

"Ah, right."

It's terribly awkward.

"You're not actually allowed to be here."

"You're here too."

"Ah, right."

Stelle looks away, clearing her throat as she looks at you desperately, clearly wanting you to take over the conversation before it goes wrong.

"Stelle just likes dragging me up here for the stars." You say softly, gesturing at the telescope "Why are you here?"

"Needed space." Robin shrugs, not looking at you, but at the telescope. "It's suffocating at home. I've been coming here for a bit the past few days. I don't know why I'm telling you all this, I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise." Stelle smiles, and Robin forces a smile back. It feels weird knowing that you can't read her as well now, even though frankly it doesn't matter. "Wanna take a look?"

She just hesitates, looking to you before looking back at Stelle.

"It's okay. Sorry for intruding."

Before you can even say anything, Robin closes the door- leaving you and Stelle alone on the rooftop once more.

"She's different."

"It's been nine years."

Stelle shrugs.

"I know, but still. Change is weird."

"You've changed, haven't you?" You raise an eyebrow

"I guess. I don't see it though." Stelle fiddles with a part of the telescope that's sticking out "Have I changed?"

"Of course. From when I met you to now, yeah. But it's just hard to recognise exactly what the change is."

"Hm."

Stelle just leans back down to look at the moon.

"The moon changes once in a while to us, but at it's core it's always the same."

"Philosophical bitch." You grin, shoving her lightly as she laughs. And in this moment you want to take a photo of her smile under the beam of the moonlight, the last days before you're thrown back to a cycle of endless burdens and weights. The last days where you can just smile at the stars too.

Days pass by like hours when you can barely register your own thoughts. You find yourself standing with a backpack and archery bag in hand, standing right in front of the convenience store door as your mom crosses her arms.

"You need to-"

"Yes, I will talk to my coach about the competitions."

"And the-"

"Yes, I'll talk to Ms. Ruan Mei about the bonus credits in second semester."

Your mom heaves out a sigh, nodding.

"Good."

You don't look back at her, feeling her gaze on your back as she steps forward.

"Please start taking this seriously."

You grip the bag in your hand tightly.

"I have been."

You hear her footsteps, before her hand rests on your shoulders. You fight the urge to tense up.

"I'm just looking out for you." She whispers "I don't want you to end up like me."

You swallow.

"I know."

People are walking to school, shooting you weird looks and you notice a flash of lilac before your mother steps into view, forcing you to look into her eyes.

"I love you."

"Love you too." You mumble, looking down.

"Ms. Yukong?"

The voice has you frowning as your mother looks up in confusion, turning around.

"Robin!"

Robin smiles her perfect-girl smile.

"It's been so long, how are you?"

"I'm good." She nods "Transferring back is a large step, so I hope adjustment will be alright."

You just stand there, fingernails digging into your palms as the weight of your backpack starts a slight ache in your lower back but your mother talks and talks, and Robin smiles and responds happily in a way that you didn't see her doing earlier with you.

"Mom, I need to go. Robin, we'll be late."

"Right, yes. Please remember to ask-"

"I will! I will." You didn't mean to snap but fuck, that was the last straw. Robin hesitates at the sound of your harsh voice, looking between you and your mom quickly before bidding farewell with a polite half-bow.

"Why did you come up?" You hiss quietly at her as soon as your mother is out of ear-shot "Seriously?"

"What? You looked so uncomfortable, I was just trying to help." Robin whispers back as you both walk up the hill you almost got ran over yesterday.

"I don't need help." You grunt as you heave your bag onto your shoulder.

"Sorry."

The two of you just walk up in silence, chatter echoing around you but the two of you stay silent. The entire walk has you feeling like the bag on your back is growing heavier, and by the time you reach the school you feel exhausted. Your muscles ache, and you feel the searing pain of the strap of the backpack digging into your shoulders as you gently drop your archery bag down onto the ground.

"God. Fuck. This is a terrible start." You curse to yourself as you catch your breath. You feel this presence standing next to you, and you look up to see Robin just looking down, staring at you. "What are you looking at?"

"Uh- well." Robin shifts slightly, playing with a ring on her finger "I'm technically new, so... where do I go?"

You want to say no. You want to walk away from her.

"Follow me." You grit your teeth, picking up the bag. "We're taking a detour first. What class are you in?"

"4A."

Oh, just great. Same as yours.

"Wonderful." You mumble as you shove your bodyweight against the door to the locker rooms, throwing your archery bag in there before leading her out. "We're upstairs. I'll let you talk to Ms. Ruan Mei."

By the time you arrive, Stelle has already sat down in her usual seat, an empty one next to you. Her smile fades into a look of shock when she sees Robin walk in next to your very much disgruntled looking form.

"Robin?"

"Hi, Stelle."

You force a smile at Stelle.

"It's gonna be great. Great year. Just wonderful."

[aquagirl1978]

Meet my OC: Charlotte (IkePri)

Name: Charlotte Lelouch Paired with: Chevalier Michel Relationship: romantic Age: 27 Hair Color: dark red Eye Color: hazel green Birth Sign: Aquarius

Early Life

Charlotte came to live at the Palace in Rhodolite at an early age. Her mother, Clavis' sister, passed away when Charlotte was very young. With her father not in the picture, the now orphaned Charlotte moved into the palace to live with her aunt Leticia and cousin Clavis. Clavis and Charlotte were the best of friends, with Charlotte following her older cousin around and getting into trouble with him.

Incredibly intelligent and kind hearted, Charlotte was much like her cousin down to the matching birthmarks below their mouths. The one glaring area where the two differed was on their relationship with Chevalier.

Charlotte often acted as a buffer between the brothers. Clavis, never wanting to be alone with Chevalier, brought Charlotte along with him to make things more bearable. Chevalier, who tolerated so few people, allowed Charlotte to remain as, in his words, she, unlike her fool cousin, knew when to stay quiet.

After the death of the former queen and her aunt, Charlotte's future was unknown, until Sariel agreed to let her stay. He reasoned that it would be detrimental to her to remove her from her closest living family member.

Childhood Friends

When they were young, Charlotte had a somewhat distant, but respectful, relationship with Chevalier. She would remain (mostly) quiet in exchange for borrowing books from his library. They would sometimes read together, with minimal words exchanged. She was in awe of Chevalier - his genius, his grace, and as she got older, his looks. She never understood why Clavis hated him so much, and perhaps a part of her tried to get closer to Chevalier to improve their relationship.

There came a time in Charlotte's education when she, to put it nicely, outsmarted the palace teachers. Sariel was at a loss as to what to do with her - being the hellcat's cousin, no one wanted her as a student. That is, until the second prince agreed to be her tutor.

From that day on, they would spend time in each other's room studying together. Chevalier was impressed with her intellect, and found her thirst for knowledge refreshing. Unlike her cousin, she was not obsessed with besting him and was therefore able to focus her attention where it mattered.

It was during these study sessions when Chevalier first noticed he was experiencing strange feelings. They weren't unpleasant, a bit bothersome if anything. Over time, he grew accustomed to them, so much so that he even enjoyed these new feelings. He knew then it was time for him to stop being Charlotte's tutor.

Dating Chevalier

Now we get to the anti-climatic part of this story. I don't want to put anything here, because this is where it gets fun - flirting and kissing and teasing and more - and I have fic ideas planned for their dating journey. I'm gonna kinda just end it here, if I don't I'll ramble on until I can't write anymore words on this post. Charlotte has lived in my head for close to three years now, and I have a lot of stories in my head. Some I might share, some I won't.

On that note, I do welcome any and all asks about her, about her relationship with Chevalier and Clavis and anyone else in the palace. I will be reblogging OC ask games moving forward - always feel free to ask about her. I also have a modern AU for Charlotte and Chevalier which deviates greatly from canon. I might actually be more invested in that one, as I have far greater creativity there.

I also had so much fun working on this for Charlotte, that I have created another OC, this one for Ikemen Villains, and I hope to have her page up soon.