#constructive criticism is always welcomed!

[bapeach]

Boombastic

Just a short story while I try to get back into writing. Don't love it, but it's better than nothing 😁 Constructive criticism is always welcome. Find my masterlist here :)

Pairing(s): Nika Mühl x female!reader  Word count: 1.3k+ Summary: You catch Nika watching TikTok edits of you.

------------

When you enrolled in UConn, your only plans were to play basketball and get a degree. You didn’t care about making friends or getting a girlfriend. You only really wanted to play ball, but you knew you needed to have a backup in case something happened and you could never play again. So a degree in communication it was.

It’s not like you struggled making friends, you just didn’t ever have your own little friend group. You hopped from group to group, always a friend to everyone, but never letting anyone get too close. Well, that was before you came to university. If you really thought you were going to be able to only be teammates with your basketball team, you thought wrong. Joining that team means joining a family. And thank God for that. You loved those girls to pieces and were happy to call every single one of them your best friends.

You were especially close to Nika, however. Which was a good thing, seeing as she was also your roommate. And maybe you also had a tiny crush on her, but no one needed to know that. Sure, you two playfully flirted with each other all the time, but that was all just a joke. To the Croatian, at least. You meant every single thing you said to her. Things like how she was the prettiest girl you’d ever seen, how her smile could light up the darkest rooms, and how if she were yours, you’d treat her right.

There are moments when you think she might like you back. The way she looks at you isn’t the way friends look at each other. Friends also don’t blush the way she does when you lean in close to mutter a compliment. But then you start overthinking it and make yourself believe that you’re just imagining things. Because there is no way that the goddess that is Nika Mühl will ever like you.

----

You hum your favorite song to yourself as you walk through the hallways. You’d just gone out for some errands and were on the way back to your dorm. You wonder if Nika is already there or if she’s still with Paige. You hope she’s home, maybe then you two could finish the show you’d started a while ago. You quicken your step a little as you near your dorm. When you open the door, you take a step inside to see Nika already on the couch, her back towards you. 

A grin appears on your face as you quietly put your stuff down on the table next to the door. You open your mouth to say something, but you know that wouldn’t do much. Nika is wearing those annoying headphones that you complain about at least once a day. They’re great for the person wearing them, the sound is clear, and outside sounds are completely muffled. They aren’t so great for the people around them, though. You can clearly hear everything the wearer is listening to, while they can’t hear you yell at them to turn it down.

You start taking off your shoes as you hear the song playing on Nika’s phone. You smirk a little as you recognize the music. Boombastic by Shaggy. The song has been all over your fyp all week, so you figure the brunette is scrolling on TikTok. Your face scrunches up in confusion when you’ve finally taken off both shoes. The song was playing on repeat. “I swear to God if she’s watching an edit of herself to that song,” you think to yourself as a mischievous grin grows on your face.

You walk over and pause behind her, watching her phone from over her shoulder. Your mouth drops open as you see yourself in the video. A smirk appears on your face as you watch Nika play the TikTok over and over again. You see that she’s already liked it and has it saved to one of her folders. You shoot forward, snatching the phone out of her hands as you quickly back up.

The brunette bolts up as she looks at you with wide eyes, her cheeks blazing red in embarrassment. “Y/N, give me back my phone!” She huffs. She tries to take it out of your hands, but you hold your arm away from her as you look at her cockily. “Damn, I look good,” you hum, pursing your lips.

“Y/N, please,” she begs, looking at the floor. You tap her profile as you check out in which folder she saved the video. “Oh. My. God… You have a folder with 102 edits saved of me?” You laugh in shock and amusement. The Croatian girl burns an even brighter red as she stops trying to steal the phone from you, having accepted defeat. She sits back down as she puts her face in her hands. “Shut uppp,” she whines.

You look away from the phone towards the brunette, your smile softening. “God, she’s adorable,” you think. Nika huffs as she hears you take a screenshot of the number and send it to yourself. She wishes the ground would open up and swallow her whole. Once you’re done, you throw the phone next to her, not looking as it bounces against her thigh.

You grab your own phone, saving the screenshot before opening your TikTok. After a few swipes, you put your phone back in your pocket as you look at Nika with a grin. Feeling her phone buzz, the brunette grabs it and unlocks it to check your message. She stares at the picture you sent for a few seconds. It was a screenshot of your own TikTok account, a folder with her name on it visible. The number “253” on display.

“You… you have 253 TikToks saved of me?” She says as she looks up at you, her eyes wide. “102 is a rookie number. I thought you liked me?” You tease as you cross your arms. She rolls her eyes as you walk over, a smirk forming on her face. “253 of me? People are gonna think you have a crush on me, Y/N/N,” she grins. You grab her hand and pull her up from the couch. Her cheeks flaming as you pull her against you. “Hmm, and so what if I do?” You say with a low voice as you grab her chin. 

“I’m not sure I believe you,” she replies, looking up at you with doe eyes. “Is that so?” You mutter, leaning a little closer to her. “Mhm… Why don’t you show me how much you like me?” She mumbles back. She barely has time to finish her sentence as you pull her face towards your own. You kiss her hard and deep as you grip her a little tighter. When you’re out of breath, you back up a bit and smirk. “How was that for proof?”

She rolls her eyes at you, a grin on her face. You soften a bit as you look at her. You move your hand to cup her cheek as you rub your thumb across it. “I really like you, Niks,” you say, your voice barely louder than a whisper. You don’t care about the fact that you’re looking at her with vulnerable, desperate eyes. You needed her to know. 

She grabs your face in her hands, pulling you close. You stare into her eyes, only being a few inches away from her. “Then why haven’t you asked me out yet?” She murmurs, her lips a small pout. You look at her in adoration and a hint of regret. “I’m sorry for being too scared to… Let me make it up to you? Dinner at 6 tomorrow?”

She grins at you, pulling you in for another kiss. “Deal.” You beam a wide smile at her before smirking. “So… Do you often watch TikToks of me on repeat?” You let out a deep laugh as Nika slaps your shoulder, pushing you away. You grab her wrists, pulling her back against you in a hug. “You’re a jerk,” she mutters against your chest. “Yeah, but you love me,” you reply, feeling her smile against your shirt. “Hmph,” she huffs, but squeezes you tighter.

You suppose those damn headphones aren’t so bad after all.

[nekrosmos]

Cw: 18+ (MDNI), first time

Nikolai had thick fingers.

Which was a good thing, as there was no way that John would have been able to take him fully during the first weeks of their relationships. Someone more experienced than he was could have, but John needed time, needed gentleness and care.

When the two first shared a night together, back in John's Liverpool apartment, Nikolai had him shower, clean himself up as he prepared the bed. Clean sheets, a large, soft towel for him to lay on, and a tube of lube on the nightstand. He dimmed the light, a certain shyness still very much ingrained in a recently out of the closet Price. Nik understood, of course, and was happy enough to offer him the perfect setting, hoping to have his friend and lover relax. He knew that the captain was nervous. Excited, but nervous, and he wanted to make sure that John felt safe around him, no matter what.

When Price came out, slicked wet hair, skin red from the hot water and smelling like the most enticing thing Nik had ever smelled, all Nikolai could do was smile, the view so hypnotizing he almost forgot what they were here for.

Gently, he guided John, taking his hand, kissing it, kissing his skin, his face, his lips as he had him sit on the bed, then lay on his stomach as he climbed on top of him.

Nikolai wouldn't go too far with him tonight, that was their deal. Small steps, one at a time, as John grew accustomed to him and his own pleasure. 

So, Nik laid next to him, an eager hand running against the naked body of his most trusted friend, lips kissing his freckled shoulders while his fingers wandered lower and lower, making sure that John was alright, every step of the way.

He felt him tense up slightly when his fingers reached his entrance, caressing it slowly, carefully for a moment, while his dark eyes observed his partner for any reactions. John was flustered, hiding his face in the crook of his elbow, groaning when he felt Nik touch him.

Even then, with John's face almost fully hidden, Nikolai thought of him as the most beautiful thing he ever had the pleasure to have his hands on. The perfect shape of his body, his ruffled hair, the blue eyes peaking through their hiding spot to glance at him from time to time, and the way he reacted to his every touch. It was intoxicating. Nikolai placed a kiss against John's forehead, his free hand running through his hair before grabbing the small tube, opening it and spreading the cold liquid against his fingers.

From the corner of his eye, he could see John's hand squeeze the pillow he was laying against. Nik smiled again as he placed more kisses against his skin, this time his back, almost as freckled as his shoulders were.

"We can stop any time, John. I won't hurt you."

This got a reaction out of him, John's head turning and glancing at Nik, his cheeks flushed with red.

"I trust you, Nik. I'm just nervous." 

Nik nodded, moving himself up so he could kiss John’s face again, and then his lips, both of them eager, hungry as Price groaned against him, leaving him almost breathless, until Nik began to push a finger inside of him, the groans replaced by moans as they kept kissing sloppily. 

The resistance against Nik’s finger was natural, the heat of John’s body almost intense against his fingertip. He was slow, gentle, listening to every single sound coming out of John, ready to move back if something was wrong. 

He was barely a knuckle deep when John tensed up again, Nik immediately stopping himself. A few more kisses and sweet praises whispered in his ear and John’s body relaxed, his hole opening up as Nik pushed deeper. 

The way John’s body was able to take his finger was beautiful. Nik could feel his entrance stretch around him, but slowly give in, soft muffled moans coming from John as he was experiencing something new, something intimate and special that Nik knew he had been craving for a long time, perhaps even without realizing. By the time he had pushed his finger as deep as he could inside of him, John was fully relaxed, limbs limp as he laid on the bed, head in the pillow he was holding. 

The moans and groans echoed louder when Nikolai began to withdraw his finger before pushing it back inside, making sure to make it as pleasurable as he could for John. His hips began to move as Nik’s hand moved, looking for friction against the bed, his cock probably hard under him, although Nik wanted to wait a little longer before touching him there as well. For now, he wanted John to experience the pleasure of penetration, relax into it and allow himself to discover what he liked. It was going well, judging by the swears now leaving his lips. 

“Fuck, Nik, That’s already so much.” 

“Da, but you will be able to take more, in time.” 

This got another swear out of John, and another one as Nik pushed deeper again, fucking him so thoroughly with just a single finger, his thighs shaking ever so slightly under Nik’s touch. 

This continued until Nikolai could feel John getting closer, his body heating up and his moans getting more desperate, hole fully relaxed around the intrusion. 

So, Nik rolled on to his side, guiding John to do the same so that his free hand could wrap itself around his hardened cock, slick with pre-cum and begging to be touched. The sounds escaping John’s lips were outright sinful, a perfect melody to Nik’s ears as he dragged his palm up and down his shaft, thumb playing with John’s tip as he quickened the thrust of his finger inside him. 

It didn’t take long for John to finish, hot white seed spreading inside of Nik’s palm and on the towel he had laid under him earlier, body tensing up for a second before giving up, the bliss of his orgasm spreading through him, unable to form a coherent sentence as he rested against Nik’s bigger body, shielding him, protecting him as he felt John’s ecstasy coursing through him. 

John was breathless, his skin burning hot, cheeks red and lips parted as he tried to compose himself. 

It was getting difficult for Nikolai to ignore how hard he himself had become, his cock pressing against John’s ass under his sweatpants. 

One day, he would take John, fully. But not tonight. Tonight was not about him, but about John and his pleasure. 

Nik smiled as he pressed another kiss to John’s temple, then his cheek, stopping right under his ear lobe, the skin of his neck sensitive to his touch. 

“You did so good, John. I think you could take another finger, da?” 

The shiver that ran down John’s spine was all the answer he needed, as he leaned back to grab back the tube of lube. The night would be long, and he would make sure that John enjoyed every inch of his fingers as he basked in the bliss of his pleasure.

[chomfoolery]

hellooo every1… ctubbo art 4 u…

[sir-heichou-smith]

I had just finished a lil thing with poly!141 x fem!reader. However, I'm still new to the Tumblr posting mechanisms, and I accidentally deleted the draft I had saved 🤦‍♀️

Should anyone like me to rewrite it, I gladly will. Just know it wasn't very good lol, just a thought. Maybe once I get the hang of this more I can start turning them into actual fics.

[abandoned-quiche]

question for any and all monsters; if you were human, what soul type do you think youd be?

(ooc list so mod doesn't have to go look em all up)

HELLO !

IT APPEARS THAT, FOR ONE REASON OR AN OTHER, OR PERHAPS NO REASON AT ALL, YOUR QUESTION HAS FOUND ITS WAY TO ME.

WHAT A JOY !

SO!

"SOUL TYPES"!

IT HAS LONG BEEN DEBATED IN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE THE CAUSE OF DIFFERENT COLORS OF SOULS IN HUMANS.

IT APPEARS TO, IN SOME WAY, RELATE TO THE PERSONALITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL, BUT IT IS UNCLEAR HOW.

I UNDERSTAND THAT,

ONE WAY OR AN OTHER,

IT HAS BECOME YOUR BELIEF THAT THESE ARE THE SEVEN "SOUL TYPES".

BRAVERY.

JUSTICE.

INTEGRITY.

KINDNESS.

PERSEVERANCE.

PATIENCE.

"DETERMINATION."

THIS IS NOT SO.

THOUGH,

I CANNOT BLAME YOU

FOR COMING TO THIS CONCLUSION

WITH A SAMPLE SIZE OF ONLY

EIGHT.

IN REALITY, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS "SOUL TYPES".

THESE ARE MERELY

CHARACTER TRAITS

PRESENT IN THE SIX FALLEN HUMANS BEFORE FRISK.

MOST HUMAN SOULS ARE SOME SHADE OF ONE OF THE COLORS ABOVE,

BUT A HUMAN SOUL CAN COME IN JUST ABOUT ANY COLOR.

A BEAUTIFUL RAINBOW OF HUMANITY'S PUREST ESSENCE.

ISN'T THAT WONDERFUL?

. . .

AS FOR "DETERMINATION."

THIS SUBSTANCE IS PRESENT WITHIN ALL SOULS.

IT WAS DISCOVERED BY MY SUCCESSOR, DOCTOR ALPHYS!

SHE IS A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL PERSON.

IF ONLY SHE COULD SEE THAT AS WELL.

. . .

I'D LIKE TO THINK, THAT IF I WERE A HUMAN, MY SOUL WOULD BE A NICE SHADE OF

PERIWINKLE.

NOT FOR ANY PARTICULAR REASON - I JUST LIKE THE COLOR!

. . .

THANK YOU

FOR THE QUESTION,

EVEN IF IT WAS NOT MEANT FOR ME.

IT IS ALWAYS

A DELIGHT

TO CONNECT WITH YOU ALL.

. . .

OH, AND MY APOLOGIES IF ANY OF MY TEXT IS HARD TO READ DUE TO THE COLORS.

I AM BEST SEEN IN THE DARKNESS!

[the-one-who-lambs]

Lamb design be upon ye. Some Lambert outfits for The Risen Lamb and the Fallen God: standard outfit, casual fleece, and wedding outfit.

[benkeibear]

I need some feedback please 🥹

Ive gotten an ask stating that I should stop writing hcs (reasons: they're too long, no one likes reading hcs anymore) and write more full length fics or short scenarios.

While I do understand that fics/scenarios are nice to read, some things just either feel rushed if I put a word limit on it or the idea just isn't enough to be a full length fic...

(Please keep in mind that my hcs are quite long and rarely ever under 500 words per character)

[effervescentmelody]

Day #11

Repost of day 11 of my art challenge. It was brought to my attention that in my original posting I used a skin tone for Kenji that was inappropriate and played into harmful stereotypes. This was not my intention. I apologize and will be conscious of these decisions moving forward.

[mad-hunts]

so... what if i told y'all that i wanted to make one of the theme's to barton's character basically be like the richard silken quote that goes 'how much can you change and get away with it, before you turn into someone else, before it's some kind of murder?' as he slowly but surely becomes almost like the monster in frankenstein. so, he replaces every part of his body with other people's... disembodied ones (yeah... sorry, guys. i know it's a pretty messed up / gross concept 😬 )

and as a result, he essentially BECOMES one of his twisted creations?? because i originally decided to scrap the idea, but i've been thinking, maybe — just maybe — it could really help kind of give barton's dehumanization of himself a 'face' or physical manifestation and just exemplifies how disconnected he actually is from reality

[lorebird]

I really wanna use art fight as an opportunity to practice with fundamentals I’m struggling at. I’ve been in the pits of Unsatisfied With My Art for over 6 months now and it’s daunting to figure out where I should even begin? I know one thing I really want to improve on is my sense of scale and use of shapes, but I would really really appreciate outside suggestions/constructive criticism!! If anyone has input on what could make my art stronger I’d really love to hear

[1dont-really-know]

Unfortunately, I had to split the childhood chapter in half since it's getting to be way too long and I have to focus on the finals week that's starting next Monday, so I won't be able to write much if at all. I'll start writing again once it ends, but I'll probably save the second half of the chapter for a memory/flashback chapter.

Without further ado, here's the first half of Malva's childhood! 4422 words long! Enjoy ✨

~~

Malva remembers the day she was allowed to finally meet 'Leanor's friends.

She remembers how close of an eye her guards had on her, watching her every move as if afraid she was going to bolt into the forest the moment she had the chance. That was the main reason she was not allowed to go outside unsupervised, after all. She ran away and into the lush green paradise far too many times for Mother’s liking.

She remembers waiting anxiously near the entrance to the palace gardens, counting and and re-counting the numbers of petals of each flower growing from the bush next to her. What if they don't like me? She had asked herself, what if 'Leanor decides that she doesn't want to play with me anymore because her friends don't want to?

Looking back on it, she doesn't quite understand her thought process anymore. It had seemed so straightforward back then, so obvious that Maleanor would no longer want to spend time with her in favor of her friends.

Malva remembers how her fears were quieted.

She remembers 'Leanor's grinning face as she raced towards her, pulling her into a hug before she introduced her to her friends.

Levan, ‘Leanor had said his name was, a boy who seemed to be around 'Leanor's age, was the first of the two strangers to greet her. Malva remembers his gentle smile and calm disposition, and she remembers wondering how in the world someone like him would befriend her sister.

But then she saw the way 'Leanor had looked at him, and she understood that it was not a simple friendship that tied Levan and Maleanor together.

The second boy looked younger than both Levan and 'Leanor. He greeted Malva awkwardly, as if not quite sure how to address her. She remembers his eyes first and foremost; a pair of shining red that looked like sunrise over a raging sea, the hues shifting like the waves, magenta one second, then back to red, then to a mix of those two colors. His eyes were mesmerizing to watch, but Malva tears her gaze away from them before things turn awkward.

Malva had known of the boy with sunrise eyes before this, of course. The boy had been an orphan her mother had taken in, but she had yet to meet him prior to this.

What was his name again?

Ah, but she supposed she should introduce herself first.

"I am Malva Draconia," she had said, dropping into a curtsy once she remembered her lessons about manners, "second princess of Briar Kingdom, younger sister of Maleanor."

‘Leanor had scoffed at that, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. “You need not be so formal with them,” she had told Malva, nudging her towards the two boys, “they are my friends. I have told them of you.”

For some reason she, herself did not understand to this day, Malva had not thought that ‘Leanor would have talked about her to her friends.

Still, Malva smiles, “It’s nice to meet you regardless,” she had said.

The boy with sunrise eyes nods stiffly, while Levan just reassures Malva that it was fine.

What was the other boy’s name again? Malva can’t seem to remember, though she’s sure he had already introduced himself.

“It’s nice to meet you as well,” Levan’s eyes are kind. Malva had decided that Levan would be a wonderful partner for ‘Leanor right then and there.

°•°•°•°

In truth, the forest usually was not Malva's destination. It was just where they usually find her.

Looking at her reflection on the river’s surface, she adjusts her cloak, making sure no one could see her horns. Thankfully, with her technically being a hatchling, her horns weren't that hard to hide. Her tail had been bunched up to resemble a backpack under her cloak, hiding it from view. It is only once she's confident that she looks like any other fae and not a princess that she finally sets off.

Was this dangerous? Sure.

Will she get scolded if she was caught? Of course.

Would she care? Ehhh…

Her destination this time was a town not too far from the palace. The bustling streets would have overwhelmed her had it not been that she had been taught to be used to crowds at revels. He was here somewhere. She just needed to look for him.

A head of sunflower blond hair, far shorter than the rest of the humans, and ears too pointed to be those of a human.

There.

Altair, a half-human she had met during a revel.

Malva's friend.

Not an acquaintance, not a mere ally.

Her friend.

She grins brightly, weaving through the mass of people to get to him as quickly as possible. “Altair!” She greets, excited to see him.

“Finally got away from those guards, huh?” Altair grins back at her, giving her a pat on the shoulder before turning to the library. He raised his hand, trying to get hold of the door handle, but was much too short to reach it.

Malva snickers at his failed attempt, “same goes to you. Did your parents finally let you leave the cabin again?” she didn't have any right to laugh, however, as she herself was also too short to reach the handle. She was older than him, sure, but with his human heritage he was a bit taller than her and looked older than her as well.

They ended up having to wait for an adult to open the door for them.

°•°•°•°

“When do you think you’ll finally accept ‘Leanor’s proposals?”

Malva had invited Levan to tea not long after she had met him and his and Maleanor's other friend. This was a very important subject, after all, and first (or in this case, second) impressions were important. Levan needed to know that Malva is and always will be on Maleanor’s side.

The sudden question makes Levan choke on the tea he had been drinking. Malva just watches him, waiting for him to stop coughing and answer her question. “So? What’s your answer?”

Finally, after he has his breathing back under control, Levan looks at Malva, his jaw open in bafflement, “are you proposing to me in Maleanor’s stead? For Maleanor?”

Malva shrugs, taking another sip of her own cup of tea, “you seem to have a problem with answering Maleanor when she asks you to marry her, so I’m going to ask you to marry her,” a pause, then she looks him right in the eyes, her gaze blazing, “marry ‘Leanor, Levan. I know you like her.”

Levan is at a loss for words. He opens his mouth, about to say something, before he thinks better of it and sighs instead. He looked at her, resigned, before speaking, “tell me why you’re doing this again?”

“Well for starters,” a little bit more of Levan’s will to live fades from his eyes, “you like ‘Leanor. That much is easy to see from the way you look at her. And you know ‘Leanor is fond of you as well, since she’s always looking for a reason to spend alone time with you. Furthermore-”

This is going to take a while.

°•°•°•°

“-Finally, you have rivals, dear brother-in-law. Others who yearn for my sister’s attention and affections. She could have anyone in the kingdom, but she chose yo-” Malva’s eye twitches in annoyance and she pokes Levan roughly on his ribs when she notices his vacant stare, “are you even listening?” she frowns. She can tell how much Levan means to ‘Leanor. She wants nothing more than for their happiness, but if Levan doesn't make a move soon, she fears what ‘Leanor would think.

Levan, who had been zoned out for the better part of an entire hour of her explanation, winces in pain, his hand over the rib Malva had poked. “I was listening,” he grumbles. His thoughts seem to be elsewhere, however.

Malva sighs. She needs another approach, something that could worm into Levan’s mind and conscience and will refuse to let go until he tells ‘Leanor how he feels. Maybe…

“Y’know, Lilia is exceptionally close to ‘Leanor,” Levan’s ears perk up at her words. Perfect. She has him right where she wants him, “It’s not hard to see why, truly. Lilia is… something. He’s hardheaded and rather brash, like ‘Leanor is, but he also always makes sure she’s alright. In fact,” now this is a risk, but it’s a risk she’s willing to take, “I’d say, in a way, he’s in love with her as well.”

Lilia was a friend to both ‘Leanor and Levan, and though Malva felt a little guilty for using his name for her schemes, she assures herself that she'll apologize to him for it once she finally gets to meet him.

In all honesty she doesn't even know if Lilia actually likes ‘Leanor in that way or not, but regardless.

Levan was quiet, seemingly thinking through his options. He looks away from her, looking off into the distance, “you know what? You're right. Perhaps Lilia is better suited for Maleanor after all.”

Wait, what?

No! This wasn't how it was supposed to go!

“I'm not saying you should give up on wooing her!” Malva hissed, standing up and trying to get him to look her in the eyes, all while Levan looks away from her, his shoulders slumped in defeat, “‘Leanor doesn't love Lilia! She loves you! All you need to do is court her and all is well!”

Levan was supposed to use that as inspiration for him to pursue Maleanor more overtly. Lilia was just supposed to be an imaginary obstacle. He wasn’t supposed to matter in the equation!

… Malva feels guilty just thinking about it. She should really find Lilia and apologize for using his name like that.

Malva shakes her head quickly to clear her mind. No, that didn't matter for now. What matters is that Levan is giving u-

His shoulders are shaking. There's… there's amusement in Levan's eyes.

He's laughing at her.

Not only that, he's laughing at her in such a way that someone would have thought he was crying!

The heat of embarrassment rises up to Malva's cheeks, and with an indignant huff and a puff of fire, Malva smacks Levan on the shoulder as hard as her little hands can. “Stop laughing!” she all but cries, her voice cracking, “it's not funny at all! I'm trying to get my sister a husband here!”

Levan just kept laughing, but at least he stopped pretending to cry, clutching his sides as he almost fell off of his chair, “s-sorry, I- pfft- haha! It's just adorable how insistent you are in this.”

This just makes Malva even more indignant. How dare he? Sure, he was a noble, but he was still just a noble. Not yet a prince; not yet ‘Leanor’s husband. “I'm the Second Princess of Briar Kingdom. I know how to control my fire breath. I know how to fly. I am feared. I am powerful. I am not adorable.”

Levan is still laughing.

“I'm telling ‘Leanor you were being mean to me!”

“W-wait, no-”

°•°•°•°

Look left? Check.

Look right? Check.

Perfect. Nobody is watching her. It's time for her to-

“Moonlight? What in the world are you doing?”

“Ack-”

Malva whirls around, almost tripping over a root in her haste, only to see Maleanor standing behind her. Her mind scrambles for an excuse as to why she was slowly inching to the edge of the forest while the ball was commencing, any reason that would not end in her being scolded, but Maleanor narrows her eyes at her before she could respond.

“Yet again you try to run away from an event,” Maleanor sighs, shaking her head. Malva shrinks into herself, shame bubbling up in her stomach though she feels like she hasn't done anything wrong. Without a warning, Maleanor grabs her by the arm and drags her back into the center of the celebrations.

Planting her feet on the ground in vain, the younger of the two sisters squirms wildly, trying to free herself from the older one’s grasp, “I have plans, ‘Leanor. Plans that do not involve nobles sucking up to me in hopes of me giving them something,” she huffs, looking around the palace grounds for someone that could help her or at least be a distraction, “besides, it's not as if anyone here actually likes each other anyways. It's all one big ploy for each of them to get more power.”

“That’s just how politics are, Moonlight,” wait, it looks like they're going away from the center now- oh great, she's dragging her towards Levan and that sunrise-eyed boy. What fun. “You must learn to live with that.”

Maybe if she'd just use a little gravity magic- no, it didn't work. “That's not how I want it to be. What's life without genuine friendship? Without genuine love?” Maybe she could grow some vines from the ground to anchor her- aaaand Maleanor ripped out the vines.

“You've been talking to that half-human boy, haven't you?” They're getting incredibly close to Maleanor's friends, the chance for escape is slipping through Malva's fingers like sand. Maleanor didn't seem to care, “I've told you before and I'll tell you again, sister, those fantasy books are just that, fantasy. It's not how the world works.”

Escape is nigh impossible now. They're right in front of Maleanor's friends, which means if Malva did escape, it'll make her look bad. But does that mean that she'll back down? No. Malva is far too prideful for that. “Well you genuinely love Levan, don't you?” She snaps at Maleanor, her tail swishing in agitation. Still, she inwardly grins at the way both Levan and Maleanor's cheeks redden at her proclamation, “that means that genuine love and care does exist, even in politics, and it should exist more.”

Maleanor grabs Malva by the face, squishing her cheeks in a tight grip, “I told you not to say that in front of him!” She hissed, “have I not already told you I do not need your help to court him?!”

“Now now, let's both calm down, alright?” Levan tries to soothe, placing a hand over Maleanor's in an attempt to make her let go of Malva's face, “there's no need for this, hmm?” Unfortunately, Maleanor still doesn't let go, her eyes locked with Malva’s defiantly. Levan sighs, “Lilia, help me a little, will you?”

Ah. So he's Lilia. Malva really messed up by using his name to try to make Levan confess to Maleanor, then. Her current “featherdragon” project needs a new sacrifice.

Lilia looks at her, then at Maleanor, then at Levan. Then, he sighs, “Maleanor, your sister’s still a kid. She doesn't know any better.”

Oh? Oh!

Throwing Lilia a ‘thank you’ glance, Malva mentally notes to give him a gift later to show him her appreciation. Also as an apology, even if she'll never tell him what the apology is for. Taking a deep breath, Malva then turns her attention to Maleanor.

She imagines someone yawning, making her have the urge to yawn as well, but she keeps her mouth shut. Her eyes still water, though, and by holding back the yawn, it makes it look as though she's holding back tears. Look at me, she tries to hold back her giggling as she thinks the words, making herself look as sad as possible, how could you be so mean to me? Aren't I your baby sister? I'm not even a century old yet and you're already being so cruel…

She makes her bottom lip quiver, just for good measure.

The steeliness of Maleanor's eyes waver for a moment, her grip loosening, and Malva takes the opportunity to make a mad dash away from all three of them.

Success!

°•°•°•°

Sitting by the stream, Altair watches as fish of many colors swim by. The cool autumn wind tousled his hair, bringing with it a sense of calmness.

“Sunflower!”

From behind him, Malva emerges from the forest and sits down beside him. She grins widely, opening up her palm and making a magical fire in her hand to light up the area around them. “Pretty great, huh? I've been practicing.”

Altair rolls his eyes, setting down the book he had brought and moving closer to take a better look at the green flame. Much to his surprise, the flame isn't hot even when he puts his hand right next to it, “you didn't need to, you know. I'm a half-fae, not a human.” He can still see perfectly well in the darkness, and he can still see the amusement in Malva's eyes.

Malva, for her part, snaps her fingers and summons a book, placing it down next to his.

“You're just jealous you don't know how to cast this spell,” she nudges him with her shoulder playfully. For someone of such high social standing as her, she’s remarkably friendly in his eyes. Her eyes, however, lock onto the book he brought, and she turns it over so she can read the title, “what's this?”

Plucking the book from Malva's hand, Altair opens the book to where he last left off, Malva reading from over his shoulder. “It's my mother's herbarium.”

“A book about herbs?”

Altair nods, tilting the book towards her so she could see the pages better, “yeah, and it has the uses for the plants here too. See, here's yarrow, and here's a list of its uses, like slowing down bleeding…”

Malva listens intently to Altair's every word, her eyes locked on the pages of the book as he points out every interesting detail he could find. He suddenly remembers the thing she said about having been given a garden by her mother, (garden-hoard, she had said Princess Maleanor had called it) and its many plants. To find out that they have uses is something he would bet she had not thought she would be learning today.

But hearing that the herbarium used to belong to Altair's mother seemed to have reminded her of something.

“Didn't you say that your mother is a healer?”

Altair is taken aback for a moment by the sudden question, “Hm? Oh, yes, she is. Why do you ask?”

That's… odd. He could have sworn he saw something flash in her eyes. Something akin to glee.

“How exactly does someone become a healer?”

Suspicion creeps up Altair's spine. He answers, though hesitantly, “well, you have to learn about medicine on your own, then find a healer willing to be your mentor, then if you're good at it, you have to go to a special academy…” wait- why was he telling her this? Why did she want to know this anyway? “What are you planning?”

The surprised expression on Malva's face is too exaggerated to be genuine. “What? Am I not allowed to be curious about these things?”

The half-fae just stares at her, deadpan. He looks her up and down, slightly narrowing his eyes.

“Okay, yes, I want to be a healer. But that's because–”

“I don't think just wanting to add to your botanical collection is a good enough reason to become a healer.”

“I don't like seeing when people get hurt either!”

°•°•°•°

By the time Malva gets back to the castle, she finds that most of the guests have left, with only a few people hanging around the drinks table and Maleanor and her friends talking near the gates. She would have thought they’d all gone home by now, but she supposes that they have something to discuss. Walking towards them, she starts to be able to hear bits and pieces of their conversation.

“Aww! You were paying attention to her!”

“She's your sister! Of course I pay attention to her!”

“Even I didn't notice the book she was holding~”

“Stop trying to hide the obvious, Lilia.”

“Levan! Not you too!”

“What's going on here?” It's likely because of how immersed in their conversation they were, but none of them seemed to have noticed Malva standing beside Maleanor. And they seemed to have forgotten what she had said about Maleanor’s feelings for Levan, which is good.

Maleanor turns around and grins at her, catching her before she could run and squishing her cheeks again– much gentler, this time. “There you are, my dearest sister!”

“I don't like where this is going.”

“Yes, regardless,” much to Malva's annoyance, Maleanor waves away her words like they were nothing. She points to Lilia, who looks like he would much rather be anywhere but here, “this boy, right here,” Maleanor starts, her eyes positively gleaming with mischief, “has eyes for you, Moonlight.”

“What.”

“For the last time, I don't!” Lilia was seething, very clearly embarrassed by the whole situation. Malva, on the other hand, was too confused to really react.

“Don't lie, you were watching her enough to notice that the reason she was trying to flee the party has something to do with the book!”

Book? Oh, Altair's book.

Maybe this isn't the time to tell them?

Who was she trying to fool, this was the perfect time. She owed Lilia for her escape earlier anyway, so the least she could do is distract Maleanor and Levan from his embarrassment.

“Aside from accusations about ‘having eyes’ or whatever you three were talking about, I have an announcement.” Malva said, before anyone could interrupt her.

This seemed to have piqued their interest, as Maleanor released her hold on Malva and let go of her cheeks. Good. They were getting sore from being squished so much.

It was Levan who first spoke up again, “so, what was this about an announcement?”

This was it. A reason for her to distance herself from politics and add to her hoard in the process. Finally. This way Mother will stop pestering her about hoarding “real” treasures. Finally she can be of use to the kingdom.

“I'm going to become a healer.”

…

An awkward silence envelops them.

“That's it?”

“What do you mean ‘that's it’?” Malva's tail twitches in annoyance, “I just told you I'm going to be a healer.”

Is that not a big thing? To decide your own path in life so soon?

“Are you sure about it?” Lilia asked, “I mean, you're still only, what, seventy years old? Are you sure you're not going to change your mind halfway?”

She had distracted the other two from pestering him and this is how he repays her? How rude.

“You're a princess first and foremost,” Maleanor chimes in, “if you want to run around in your free time messing with plants, then you can. But being a healer is a whole other thing.”

Are they even listening to her? With an exaggerated sigh, Malva turns away from them, starting to walk back to the palace. “You know what? Fine. I'll just prove to you that this is the path I'll take regardless.”

Malva felt like a sulking hatchling. Which, to be fair, she was.

But she wasn't seventy years old; she was seventy nine.

°•°•°•°

“Has anyone seen my sister?”

The servant bows his head respectfully, taking a step back from the confused princess, “no, Princess Maleanor. None of us have seen Princess Malva today.”

Maleanor's brows furrow. Where was she? She hadn't seen Malva since the younger dragon fae said she was going to become a healer. Was she really that upset that Maleanor had pointed out the obvious?

With a sigh, Maleanor forces herself to nod. If Malva was anywhere nearby, she didn't want her to accidentally get hit by her lightning. “Alright. Keep an eye out. I need to have a talk with her.”

This just keeps on happening. No matter where she searched– how many servants she questioned, Malva was nowhere to be seen.

That was, until she got to the palace library.

She found Malva there, hunched over a table, a pile of books about medicine and herbs and plants scattered around her as she slept.

Huh…

She was serious about wanting to be a healer, then.

°•°•°•°

The moonlight is as gorgeous as always.

But something was wrong.

Looking around, Malva sees that she’s on a balcony. There’s some sort of celebration going on in the main building, a crowd of people dancing and chatting as music croons through the walls. A sense of danger crawls on her skin. Why was she here? What celebration was this? When…

The full moon shines overhead, lighting both the balcony and the grounds under her enough for her to study her surroundings decently.

Oh. Levan's here as well. He's talking to another noble that she hasn't bothered to learn the name of not far from where she's standing.

But where was Maleanor and Lilia? Those three are usually inseparable, so just seeing one of them and not the other two is uncanny to her. Well, unless it's Maleanor who's alone. She has her royal duties to attend to, after all.

Now that Malva thought about it, she doesn't see anyone she knows but Levan nearby. She has never liked being alone during these sorts of revels, so she makes her way to him quickly.

But that other noble… she feels like she knew him from somewhere.

“Levan!”

He didn't seem to hear her, still talking to the other noble calmly. The other noble, however, seemed to slowly lose his patience.

“You're too much of a coward to court her properly anyway, so why don't you stand back and let me court her instead?” The other noble said, his voice dark and threatening.

So that's where she remembers him from. He had been one of the many bachelors that had asked for Maleanor's hand in marriage a few decades ago.

Levan remains steadfast, his gaze and voice steady as he responds, “because she isn't interested in you. Dragon faes such as Maleanor cannot have children with those they do not love anyways, so even if you did end up marrying her, there would be no heir to speak of.”

“Is there a problem here?” Malva steps closer, hesitantly looking from the noble's face to Levan's, then back again. Something feels wrong. Something feels very wrong.

Before any of them could react, the noble pulls out a dagger and stabs Levan on the side.

Malva's heart felt like it had stopped beating.

Then, she wakes up.

She was in her chambers, her breathing panicked and afraid and she felt like she could faint.

What… What was that?

Didn't she fall asleep in the library?

~~

Word count : 4422 words (a nice number :D)

Tags : @kitwasnothere

[wackus-bonkus-maximus]

odnlb writing process/workshop

this is mainly for my own reference. however, if this post ends up helping you with yours, then even better! 😊

most of you know, i wrote this fic as a practice for using save the cat (aka snyder) structure, and so now that it's complete i have the outline to come back to in a way that i understand and can use in future wips! did i deviate from this structure? yes. a lot. did i still follow all the beats though? i think so! check out how i formatted my outline!

my starting point: marinette 🐞

want: revenge against monarque

need: replace hate with love

this gave me a very clear picture of the emotional journey she would undergo. once i figured out her emotional need and decided what she would do to fulfill that need, i was able to pretty much plot out the entire fic. we needed a hero (in her case, an anti-hero) we could follow through an entire 45 chapter fic, and odnlb marinette gave us a reason to care about her and root for her right off the bat!

here's what save the cat's 15-beat structure looks like at a glance:

(isn't it just beautiful? 😍)

for odnlb, i combined this structure with the 3-act, 9-block, 27-chapter method:

lol so i did not exactly stick to this, as was my plan (my huge cast of characters wanted more from me.) however, i did stick with the proper beats...it just ended up expanding into 5 acts.

this is how my outline ended up looking (orange = save the cat, purple = 3 act 9 block 27 chapters):

act 1 - ladybug meets the villains

block 1

opening image - marinette leaves a rose at chat noir's statue. her eyes are dead (like him)

introductions/setup - 6 years later, marinette works for chloe. adrien still models for gabriel & is estranged from her and his old friends

theme stated - alya says, "you're getting better." (marinette has not been focused on hatred, but her personal growth)

catalyst/ inciting incident - bunnyx steals the rabbit miraculous & draws out the villain team

debate/ immediate reaction / fallout - villain team decides to abandon plan to use rabbit miraculous & get ladybug's miraculous instead. marinette decides to get cat walker's miraculous & kill monarque with it.

block 2

actions - ladybug interrogates adrien agreste bc he is close to lila, chloe, and felix (primary suspects). he doesn't give her any information, but reassures her he is on her side.

consequences - volpina attacks ladybug, villain team overpower her

block 3

pressure - ladybug is outnumbered, cannot stand against all the holders & their power-ups. villain side: ladybug is onto them. ladybug needs an ally & turns to kagami (also close to felix), but kagami turns ladybug down (but why?).

pinch/plot twist - cat walker contacts ladybug: tells her monarque is going to resume akuma attacks unless lb gives her miraculous

break into act 2 - monarque attempts to akumatize ladybug, but cat walker saves her. realizes villains' motivations are split.

act 2 - rise of monarque

block 4

new world - luka and zoe come to town. adrien is in trouble but felix stands by him. su han abandons marinette; he cannot teach her bc she has too much hatred.

fun and games/ b story/ies - felix and adrien switch so adrien can meet his friends for drinks. chloe sneaks snake miraculous back to luka. felix and lila threaten each other. felix likes kagami.

bad guys close in - monarque akumatizes nino to punish adrien. marinette finds out cat walker is a sentimonster

juxtaposition/ old vs new - luka/aspik shows up & joins marinette's side (she's not alone anymore). adrien realizes he has to be alone bc of what happened to nino. kagami confronts felix and gets the dragon miraculous (war begins)

act 3 - adrien identity reveal

block 5

build-up - luka and marinette plot to find the sentimonster. luka confronts adrien indirectly, suspects monarque is gabriel. marinette sleuths on felix (suspected peacock holder) only to discover adrien is a sentimonster/cat walker. kagami finds ladybug & offers to spy on felix & the villain team for her. monarque akumatizes zoe to punish chloe. ryuko gets her felix's amok in the fight, but gets it back when ladybug uses it against him. to stop ladybug harming argos & ryuko, luka reveals chat noir is still alive.

midpoint - montparnasse scene: ladybug confronts cat walker, he admits the truth. stand off with monarque until aspik & mellona rescue ladybug.

reversal - marinette is no longer hate driven, but driven by love to save adrien

act 4 - angrybug reversal

block 6

reaction - due to big emotional distress, ladybug goes into the avatar state (foreshadowing 👀). luka and chloe calm her down. feligami get together. adrien pleads to his father not to harm ladybug.

action/trials (raise the stakes) - the more adrien breaks his amok, the more he breaks his miraculous. marinette is set up to "spy" on adrien for the villain team. villain team plot to corner ladybug at dj wifi wedding.

dedication - adrinette kiss scene. adrien promsies himself he will harm himself before he lets harm come to ladybug. marinette promises no more harm will come to him.

block 7

calm before the storm - lila flashback: she killed nathalie and has been akumatized/transformed for 6 years. balcony scene: marinette tries to keep adrien close to no avail.

pinch/plot twist - volpina and monarque attack chloe, luka, and zoe. vesperia and carapace get their miraculous back. ladybug tries to heal cat walker & free him with her power, but his miraculous is too broken. she can only save him by getting his amok.

everything goes wrong/ dark night of the soul/ all is lost - lila & felix flashback: lila is monarque reveal. ladybug confronts gabriel agreste & tries to kill him, but can't (bc she is no longer full of hate). realizes monarque is lila. monarque takes felix, but kagami takes the other miraculous back to ladybug.

act 5 - fall of monarque

block 8 - finale

power within - team assemble. chloe uses mouse miraculous to activate other holders. lila finds marinette's identity.

action - monarque attacks. luka sacrifices himself to get the upper hand. alya gets the fox miraculous off lila, all her illusions drop. lila akumatizes timetagger, bunnyx shows up to get him. team fights argos and his sentimonster, red moon, to the death. chloe incapacitates argos.

converge - monarque takes the senti-twins and runs. remainder of the team follow her to agreste mansion.

block 9

final confrontation/final battle - monarque tries to make felix fix her miraculous. ladybug and team show up. monarque morphs into monster and attacks. gabriel sacrifices himself to save lb, but monarque still gets the upper hand. chat noir cataclysms monarque with a broken miraculous.

climax - the broken cataclysm destroys the world, but carapace's shield protects remainder of team. with adrien gone, felix is free and emilie is awake. ladybug goes toe-to-toe with broken miraculous final form chat noir, but her power is too weak compared to his untethered destruction. then felix gives her the peacock miraculous and she uses it to create a new bond for adrien, tethering him to life with her love.

resolution/denouement - all of paris knows chat noir is alive! big parade for heroes. ladybug and chat noir do a william and kate kiss. alya shoos off su han. felix gives gabriel to chloe and decides to work for tsurugi tech so he can stay with kagami. zoe and luka decide to go back home for a bit then come to stay too. emilie wants to be close to felix and adrien, but she is def not the priority for them atm. marinette takes the butterfly miraculous back from emilie. adrinette go off on a honeymoon vacation. adrien practices his proposal on a beach.

final image - adrien and marinette playing in the water on a beach on la reunion. “camera” pans away from their silhouettes running around on the sand, back to their stuff on the beach. shows a ring box in adrien’s bag with plagg & tikki chilling.

if this helped you out, i'm so glad! it definitely helped me see how to organize a story. i think if i ever do a fic like odnlb again, i will definitely do this for it.

[hazbinhotel-confessions]

i have a confession about this confessions blog. back in the day people would copy paste the confessions into a barely legible font over a poor pixel quality cropped image released from the source material of whatever fandom the blog was about. i think this would rlly elevate your quality of silly thing you do in your free time and didn't ask for an opinion on. in my opinion. thank you.

This is actually a really good idea-- I used to follow a blog who did this and it made me giggle teehee every time. I'm going to start doing this for now on.

[former-general-geshu-lin]

oh myyy (another wuwa rp? yayayayya), hello there— you emo man. /hj

Geshu Lin scowled slightly at the greeting, arching an unamused brow as he glowered. “And just what is that supposed to mean? Attempting to provoke me? I suggest you spend your time more wisely than that.”

[wilsons-divorce-papers]

Swiftli Wip

Linc remembered how much he loved skating. The way his feet seem to meld with the skates, as if he were born to be on ice. The way the air around him was cold and wet, nipping at his skin when he picked up speed. It was the only place besides the soccer field he felt truly at ease. 

“LINC, LOOK AT ME!” 

Taylor’s voice brought him out of the contented daze he was in, and he suddenly became aware as everything real materialized around him. He was across the ice rink to the left, Taylor was opposite him, and they had it all to themselves. 

It was his first time skating and Taylor looked like a baby deer that had just learned to walk, gliding with wobbly knees and an awkward gait. But his smile had become massive. And his skating now was a significant improvement to what they had started with: Taylor digging his nails into Lincoln, holding on like he’d suddenly vanish. 

“That’s, like, way better than the last time you asked me to look!” Linc called out, his own grin evident in his voice. He watched as Taylor fist-pumped the air, tripped over his feet a bit, and then righted himself again. Linc quickly looked away, pretending not to notice when Taylor looked back at him with a small “heh.”

Linc started to skate again, taking long strokes and picking up speed so that the air whipped against him. It felt especially cool against the heat that had creeped into his cheeks during his interaction with Taylor. He wasn’t sure why, but that had started happening more and more. Sure, they had been spending a lot of time alone together recently – this idea had been his, for example, and he’d only invited Taylor. But it wasn’t what Scary thought. It’s not like he had a cr– 

“WATCH OUT!!” 

Lincoln was jerked from his thoughts too late. He felt a small body crash into his with frightening speed, sending them both tumbling onto the ice. The two of them rolled over each other once before they collapsed.

Luckily, the fall wasn’t a brutal one. Neither of them got a skate to the leg or anything worse than a bruise. But Linc was dazed when he realized he had landed on top of Taylor, who was now peering up at him through dark lashes. They were quite a bit closer than they’d ever been before, and Linc was keenly aware of the space between them. His own eyes darted around Taylor’s face, from the freckles on his nose, to the mole below his right eye, to his small grin with new fangs. He should’ve pulled away, but he didn’t. He stayed and let his eyes linger, not wanting to end whatever this moment was.

[loopsisloops]

what do you pick to do for a living (for the rest of your life!) when you're slightly okay at everything you do...?

(unnecessary brain dump in the tags)