#everyone i know uses it to draft things that would take like 30 seconds to do on ur own

[salbei-141]

Be honest with me (Roman Roy x reader)

Masterlist

word count: 1.1k

warnings: 18+, pure fluff and comfort, mentions of verbal abuse

a/n: Inactivity who? A rare update I know lol. Anyway y’all I’m so in love with him - honestly in love with all the Roy siblings, but Romulus got a special place in my heart <3

I love how late I jump onto writing trends for characters, but in my defence I've had this in the drafts for MONTHS. Anyway, hope you enjoy my loves <3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The apartment was silent, it felt too out of character, especially for Roman. The both of you lay in silence on his bed, still in today's clothes.

You move your hand slowly - scared that a sudden movement would cause him to suddenly get up and leave without warning. Tentatively, you inch your fingers onto his own - he said nothing, nor did he move. Gaining more confidence and desperate to comfort him knowing how loud his mind must be right now - you encapsulate his hand within your own. They’re soft and warm - Roman was always warm to touch. You feel his hand squeeze your own back - still no words being said.

You take a deep breath, feeling the need to break the silence finally, but before you can, Roman cuts you off.

“Please don’t,” his voice came out weak - he was usually so quick witted…he just sounded tired.

“Okay,” your voice was soft - a complete dichotomy to the tone he was used to from his father and siblings.

Another 30 minutes went by in complete silence - the both of your steady breaths being the only thing heard. Your hand still lay in his - he hadn't moved an inch unless it was to gently squeeze your hand every so often.

You turn on your side, slipping your hand out of his - he still didn't move. You decided to move closer to him, laying your head on his shoulder and draping your right arm across his chest that rose up and down with each breath he took.

You studied his face - he looked like he wanted to push you off of him, and yet simultaneously he was aching to pull you closer to him. Your touch was the only touch he felt safe feeling - you'd never hurt him, and he never doubted that thought for a second, but he was just so used to being alone and pushing people away.

You were desperate to hear his voice, to understand what was running through his head. You knew he was probably going to say some stupid quip to hide how he really felt, but you'd see straight through him; he knew this and it was the scariest thing to him - that you actually saw him.

"Ro...," you were gentle - a part of him just wanted you to shout at him and tell him he was a waste of space just like his father had - it was all he knew. However, you were just too kind, you actually cared for him, and not in the way his father cared for him - if you could call it that - but in a way that was so genuine and pure that it felt wrong to him, but he craved every second of it.

His gaze moved from the ceiling to your worried face - you looked beautiful he thought, he had always thought you were the most beautiful person he knew. "Yeah," his voice sounded small and tired.

"Are you okay?" the question was stupid, you knew he wasn't, but you wondered if he'd answer you honestly - if for once he'd be vulnerable with you, and truly let you into what was going through his mind.

"What? Pfft yeah I'm fine, real fucking good...just thinking about who has bigger tits - you or Gerri...I think Gerri does," there it was...he couldn't be honest with you for a minute if he tried - he'd rather say some crude shit and hope you'd be weirded out enough like everyone else and just leave him so he could avoid sharing his emotions.

You sat up, leaning on one hand as you stared down at him while he tried to avoid your gaze which was slowly glazing over with unshed tears. "Roman...please I-...can you just be honest with me?" your voice had a slight shake - scared that you were going to push him over the edge and he'd run.

He made eye contact with you, his heart clenching in his chest, no one had made him feel the way you could make him feel, and that scared him. He didn't know what to do - his mind was screaming so many things at him all at once that he couldn't really make a decision, so he stayed silent.

Several minutes passed of you both just holding each other's gaze then he opened his mouth tentatively, "Why do you care about me? Why can't you just call me a freak or a perv and leave?" You watched as his eyes reddened and glazed over as he tried his hardest not to cry in front of you. Had you cracked him? It felt bittersweet that he might finally just be honest with you, but the pain in his eyes was tearing at your heart.

You smiled, giggling softly as you lifted a hand to his cheek and wiped away a singular tear that had managed to fall, watching as he turned his face to meet your caress - he trusted you. "Because I fucking love you Roman".

"But why?" he interrupted you like a child would trying to understand such a foreign concept that you were trying to explain.

"There's no reason - I mean there is, you're...you. I love you Roman." You were so soft with him, it felt alien to him. It broke you that he couldn't fathom the concept of someone genuinely loving him, and in such a pure way too. This love wasn't like the love from his father, nor from his siblings - it was something so foreign that he couldn't understand it, but he liked it...he liked this.

You laid back down beside him, "Come here Ro...please" your eyes had such a soft stare - they were so warm and inviting, he couldn't object to the embrace you were offering him.

Roman inched across the bed over into your arms, wrapping his arm around your waist and burying his face in your chest, while you wrapped an arm around his back, holding him close to you. You fell into a comfortable silence, holding each other without a care in the world - it was just the both of you.

"I love you too, you know?" he muttered it so quietly that it almost went unheard, but a smile spread across your face at his confession. You knew that he had probably been having an internal argument with himself on whether or not he was actually going to say it to you; without any sarcasm too.

You felt your heart fluttering in your chest and you pulled him closer to you, "Yeah I know". You tilted your head down slightly and pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head. He went to open his mouth to say some sarky comment, but immediately shut it - he didn't need to feel defensive around you, not now, and not ever.

[milkhwi]

Casino Nights - Gambler! Chenle

Summary: Gambling and more gambling, that’s all that mattered to Chenle. The probability of him winning was always high until one day you showed up and decided to change that and his life, too.

genre: gambler! chenle x  gambler! reader

word count: 2.8k

warnings: illegal gambling & swearing probably not proof read enough

a/n: originally was supposed to be a bulleted scenario but honestly,, think this came out better idk anything about gambling dont do it kids- also it’s been in my draft since 2020 omg..4 years yeah last fic ever probably i’ve retired from my good old days. idk if anyone will read this but i’m proud :3 also my longest fic of my entire career who else cheered!

masterlist。

—

Dies being rolled, cards being shuffled, chips being placed, and bets being made. The casino was always full of gamblers- especially on a Saturday night. The casino was like a second home for Chenle. Every Saturday he would be there- gambling. Chenle, only being an eighteen year old, wasn’t allowed to enter a casino. Reason: age. Of course, it was no secret that gambling at that age was illegal. But Chenle was an exception. He knows how to gamble. In fact, he’s very good at it. The only reason he was allowed in the first place was because he’s rich. Being rich was an advantage to him. He put down exactly $10 million on the line- to which of course, anyone would accept if it was that amount of money. To make things worse, he was going to gamble against one of the best known gamblers. “If I win, I’ll be allowed to gamble and get twice the amount I’m betting. Alright?” Chenle said, with no tone in his voice.

Chenle’s opponent chuckled and smirked at him, “Alright kid, it’s a bet.”

Not long after, the best gambler out there was not only dethroned by an eighteen year old, but exactly 20 million in debt. Chenle chuckled slightly, “You were really that confident, huh?” His opponent gulped, he knew this was something so embarrassing that it would even haunt him in his dreams, “You cheated, didn’t you? Let’s go again, I’ll prove you wrong.” Chenle pretended to think about it, then nodded, betting down $30 million this time.

“Watch me close if you really think I’m cheating.” Everyone watching the game taking place was already sweating. Not long after, they were neck to neck- this made Chenle’s opponent laugh, relieved about the fact that he had a higher chance of winning, but since misfortune was on his side, Chenle won.

50 million in debt.

Suddenly his opponent stood up to say something, but immediately fell to his feet. Shaking at the realization. Chenle leaned towards him- towering him, “Wanna go again? Want to try proving me wrong again?” He said as his eyes darkened.

Everyone was shocked. How could someone so young be so deadly?

From that day on, Chenle became the youngest gambler. No one really opposed the idea of him becoming a gambler- especially at the gambling den and if they did, Chenle would ask them to play a few games.

Chenle did gambling as a hobby. For fun. No one really knew how he was so good at gambling. “He’s rich so he was probably taught in order to bring money to the house” or “What do you expect? It probably runs in the fucking family.”

The truth is, the first time Chenle gambled, he was at stake of losing everything. He wasn’t driven by money. He only gambled because he wanted to see how easy it was to see someone else defeated. He didn’t use his emotions- he used logic. After that, surprisingly- he didn’t get addicted to gambling like many do. Luckily, his parents weren’t aware of what he did in his spare time and they didn’t really care, either. 

His parents only cared that when he finally turned 21, he would take over the company- or when his dad retired and handed him the company. Chenle was completely fine with that but wanted to have a hobby that was amusing to the eye.

Once he got home back from gambling at an ungodly hour, he headed to his room. There was a golden envelope with his name written in calligraphy. He turned his head slightly, murmuring a slight “huh?” and opened the envelope. His eyes turned wide at the contents of the letter. He was invited to go to the most important event of the year, held once a year, the talk of the year- NCT, something anyone would die to attend. The only thing that went through his head was how much money he would make if he would gamble with the rich people attending the event.

-

“You’re gonna have to attend, alright?” His mother said, taking another sip from her coffee.

“I know. It’s next week, right?”

“Yes, so after your meetings and lunch go and get your suit tailored.” She smiled, and grabbed her bag heading out the door.

Chenle sighed, at the sight of the empty house and how alone he was in the morning. Once he finished his breakfast he headed out to his meetings.

-

The day finally arrived and his mood was going downhill. ‘It had to be on a saturday, didn’t it?’ Chenle rolled his eyes, knowing he won’t be able to go to the casino. He silently sat in the dining room waiting for his father to finish going through documents inside his office. “Your father is ready to see you.” His mother said, opening the door to the office, making Chenle stand up and head inside.

His father glanced at him and then back at his computer and continued typing. Chenle walked over to his father’s desk, causing him to stop typing and clasped his hands, “I heard your friends are also going to the event.” Chenle noded, a barely audible ‘yes’ coming out of his mouth.

“Well, besides that, put out some good words for the company and try to get us as many new customers you can.”

“Yes, father.”

Chenle’s head swayed back and forth, making his eyes flutter shut at the soft jazz music playing in the background while people talked amongst themselves. As his head was about to fall to the table, Jisung smacks the back of his head, causing him to jolt awake. Jisung laughs and says, “At this rate, you might as well go home.” 

Chenle looks at his watch and sighs, “It hasn’t even been an hour.” 

Jeno sits next to him and says, “Did your father tell you to promote his company?” 

“Yeah- like always.” 

Suddenly, two plates of food were placed in front of him, “While you’re at it, you should eat lots of food!” Jaemin grabbed one plate and started digging in. 

“He’s not wrong. We’re all probably gonna be stuck here for the rest of the night.” Renjun said, trying to grab food out of Jaemin’s plate. 

Chenle checks his watch again, realizing only two minutes have passed, sighing. He looked around trying to come up with a plan on how to leave without anyone noticing in order to go to the casino. He stands up waving slightly, “Anyways, I’ll catch you guys later.” 

“Where are you going?” Donghyuck says, his mouth stuffed with food.

“It’s a saturday.” 

All of them collectively sigh at Chenle- knowing he was doing something he wasn’t supposed to do, but allowed him to do it anyways since they were all friends.

Chenle wandered around aimlessly around the building. Trying to find an exit that was not the front door seemed harder than he thought. At times he got distracted at how many people he had to greet or how the lights oozed an unexplainable aura. He goes up the flight of stairs trying to see if there was a way out. As he looks around, he stops and gazes at you- because of how dark it is, he doesn’t recognize who you are.  But all he knows is, he has never seen you before at these past parties. Even though a lot of people attend, he knows everyone by memory. He continues going up the stairs trying to get a closer look at you, trying not to lose sight of you either. He shakes his head, thinking about how he should find an exit instead. 

About two hours later, he enters the gambling den and a familiar smell lingers around causing him to smile. It has only been a week but he already missed the sounds of the slots and the ambient music playing in the background. As he was walking to the furthest part of the den, he noticed how many people were causing a commotion around a table of blackjack. There you were. Betting with some random old rich man. Chenle shook his head lightly, sighing at the fact that you most likely have lost- if not thousands by now. He signals towards a dealer near your table and shifts his eyes towards you, asking what you were doing here. 

“They’ve been here for an hour. And they’ve won all their games already.”

His ears perked up to that new piece of information. All games won? Chenle loves a challenge. As he walks towards your table, watching you win. He reaches his hand out, “Let’s play a simple game of poker, shall we? I heard you’re pretty good for the hour you’ve already been here.”

“You’re not afraid to lose?” You say scanning Chenle’s face.

“Absolutely not, I have faith in myself.” 

You were in his territory after all, why would he be afraid? Especially if he’s never seen you around. So he put all his chips to bet. 

“Already? But it’s just the first game” You furrowed your eyebrows debating whether to believe if he was really good at this game. 

“One game is all I need.” Chenle said, as he sat down. 

You smirked, realizing how confident he sounded, you placed all your chips down, too. 

And so, the game began with the dealer handing both of you 7 cards. People were already gathering around the both of you. Watching and waiting for this weird tension to be cut. With your poker faces on, the game began, rotating from one another. 

“Raise” You said, causing Chenle to look up from his cards again. Although Chenle looked unaffected from the outside, he was confused, why would you raise again? Was your hand actually that much better than his? Or were you just bluffing? His hand wasn’t all that good, but he needed to win. He always wins. But this game seemed to feel like it was taking too long. 

“Raise, too” Not wanting to back down, Chenle was determined to win. He never felt like he was going to lose against you. Maybe you had a one hour win streak, but he was about to break it. 

Full house. A tie. Everyone started murmuring around the table. A tie? Against the infamous Chenle? Even Chenle looked slightly upset at this. But even this had a solution, he had the highest kind of a full house, automatically winning. 

“Congrats, I’m Y/n by the way. New to the area, heard the rumors, and I guess they were true! Let’s do this again next time, shall we?” Before Chenle could speak, you were heading out, and he was too stunned at the fact that he almost lost a game to some newbie.

“The Zhong Chenle.. almost lost?” Haechan said, bursting out in laughter. Jisung and Jaemin seemed to hold in their laughter in order to not hurt his ego, but hearing Heachans contagious laugh, they couldn’t hold it in.

“Guys stop laughing, this should come off as surprising instead. I mean, a newbie? And a tie at that?” Mark said, while also trying not to laugh. Jeno shook his head, looking at the ground, not wanting to add fuel to the fire.

“I lost my mind that night. I don’t know what to feel.” Chenle sighed, still astonished by what happened almost a week ago.

“Are you gonna go tonight?” Jeno asked, out of curiosity.

“Take us with you this time! I wanna see you get your ass kicked!” Renjun hit Chenle’s shoulder playfully.

He sighed and nodded, “Fine, just don’t say anything stupid.”

Night fall came, which meant gambling night! Chenle brought the boys and was looking around to see if you would show up again. And so, you did.

You walked up to Chenle, tapping him on his soldier, innocently smiling, “Hi! I sure hope you weren’t too hung up on last week’s match” To that remark, Chenle felt his neck burn up, out of embarrassment. The boys looked at him, their jaws almost dropping. They didn’t expect that to be the way the night was starting, but it was probably going to go downhill from that. 

-

After a few games, that Chenle obviously won. Your interest in him peaked, you were the same age as him after all, and wanted to know what made him more special than the rest. But your ultimate goal was to win a game against him in less than 5 months. This caused you to show up to the den even on the days Chenle never showed up for. But of course, he found out a week after, so he started showing up more, just to see what you were up to. It was strange, really. Both of you were gamblers, but the fact that he felt a connection with you since he tied a game with you was what kept him wondering. The fact that you kept coming and blowing up thousands of dollars just to play with him was also strange. You were a good gambler, keeping Chenle invested in your games. And so, you would meet outside of the gambling den, during the daytime to eat lunch or even dinner. He learned your hobbies, besides gambling all your money away and learned you were an exchange student with rich parents in the other side of the earth that would send you pocket money every weekend to treat yourself. Of course, they didn’t know you were blowing it off to some games every weekend, as long as you kept it hidden and kept a low profile, everything would be fine. 

Chenle felt like the closest person you’ve met in your life. You cherished your friendship with him, but after realizing it’s been 4 months since you’ve known him, you felt a strange sensation of wanting to be even closer to him. And you didn’t know if he felt the same. You didn’t want to risk it anyways. The fact that you managed to figure out how to beat him after 8 weeks of gambling with him and keeping up an act to let him win was something you didn’t wanna tell him. But you were going home for the summer soon and wanted to know if you were even coming back. So you decided to wait 2 more weeks and win against him officially. 

“I can’t believe you’re leaving soon.” Chenle said, sitting down at your usual table. 

“And I’m spending my last days at the casino, how funny is it?” You smiled feeling a sense of competitiveness rush up. “By the way, can I pick the game?”

Chenle nodded realizing they haven’t played a few certain games in a while. And one of them was poker.  “Poker it is.” 

As always, people were dying to see Chenle play against anyone, knowing he would win. But this time you weren’t gonna hesitate. As the dealer handed you  cards, you realized you had to win no matter what.

A straight flush. Everyone cheered around you. Chenle seemed to have gotten the second highest hand out of the deck, and there was no way your bluff was going to work against him. So, you showed your cards. A royal flush. The highest hand. Everyone stood quiet. Even Chenle couldn’t believe his eyes. He clapped, slowly causing everyone around you to cheer, “I knew you could do it, I always believed you.” 

As if it was the adrenaline or the amount of people around you, you suddenly spoke and said “Chenle, I like you”

People took this as a cue and fled to different directions, not wanting to know what was going to happen next. Chenle’s eyes widened slightly and chuckled lightly, “I like you too, so come back as soon as you can”

- 

That summer, Chenle would finally take over the company, which meant he would stop gambling if he didn’t wanna risk the future of the company. And you were working under your parent’s company but managed to land a sweet deal with Chenle’s company while his father still ran it and was allowed to work back with Chenle. 

Taking trips to Sin City was something you adored with Chenle. The faces of other gamblers were priceless when you or him managed to win flawlessly, and with no “record” of ever gambling before. You hardly ever lost any money, so it was only ever done for fun. 

“Chenle, I want to tell you something..” 

“Go on”

“I figured out how to beat you and let you win multiple times afterwards.”

“Oh, it clicked to me the first time we met, I think I got lucky the first time we met.” 

“Wait- really?”

“Yeah, but I was also really lucky that we met that night, I mean what were the odds?” Chenle says, planting a kiss on your lips gently, causing both of you to reminisce about the first time you met.  

[kimberlyannharts]

ftr I loved the return, namely for the kim content, but am I alone in feeling like Olivia's role basically being morpher delivery girl after all the months of build up is a bit of a letdown. like everyone was excited for the tomberly daughter green ranger before the comic said anyway thanks for saving us now immediately give back the dragon coin in favour of an approved Girl Coin That's Way More Your Colour. I feel like I came to this series for her and barely saw her 😅

This is an interesting critique because while I would definitely say Olivia's reveal was the thing that got people talking about The Return after the initial novelty of "the original Pink Ranger is writing a Power Rangers story" wore off, the premise was always meant to be Amy's contribution to the 30 year anniversary; centered on the actual MMPRs and their lives thirty years after this traumatic event and coming back to finish things once and for all, not Olivia. And you guys know I love her more than anything but that was ultimately for the best, I think.

Thinking back to Once and Always, Minh is absolutely the best thing about the special because she had the most depth and was the emotional core of the whole thing, but that's kind of.....not great? For a special supposedly meant to celebrate the classic characters and concepts from thirty years ago giving all of the good material and focus to a completely new character? It's why there was so much discourse about Simon and BeccAlwyn not being the right ones to work on such a special; because they're great with their original concepts but don't really understand the classic ones beyond "hey! Mantis Style was a thing Trini did in the original show, right? idk what she's done with her life in the thirty-year-timespan or even how Minh came into existence or what she thinks about being a Ranger while being a parent. But I know she was scared of heights!"

The Return makes better use of the actual show characters and treats them like people beyond what you can read about them on the wiki and that's why it's a far more successful 30 year anniversary celebration. I don't think it would have if it went the OaA route and made it all about the OC kid we only just met. Especially when BOOM giving their OCs more and more priority these days is starting to get noticed and criticized by fandom.

As for your second bit I think implying that Olivia ended up getting the Pterodactyl Coin because that's the Girl Color is a bit unfair? Like first of all Olivia getting Pink was ALSO part of the early drafts. Second of all it makes sense for the narrative presented about Kim's trauma and attitude toward Rangerhood that she feels she needs to step back and let someone else take over vs how the Green powers are the only stable thing in Tommy's life after he was gone for twenty years. (I know the theory of him getting White was tossed around but if we're being real idk how that would have happened outside of "well Tommy was White in the og show, so......") Third of all I just like that Olivia has now had her hand in both parents' legacies. The fact that Tommy and Kim are BOTH important to Olivia's character is one of the best parts about her, versus how JJ was all about Tommy with Kat being inconsequential and Minh's dad never being considered at all. (I do hope being pink means she won't ditch her jacket though. It's already an iconic design.)

In the end while I am hoping and praying we'll get a sequel because Olivia will absolutely be the focus character then - going back to the early drafts again, she WAS the main protagonist there! - I think she got enough personality and presence that I'm very happy with what we got. I like that she wasn't immediately a pro with the powers and was mature enough to know she had to hand them off to someone more qualified but at the same time had notable contributions of killing Finster and bringing back Tommy in the first place. I like how she and Kim clearly love each other more than anything. I like that she's canonically kind of stupid just like we hoped. I like that she wears tops that are way too big for her. she's just like me fr

[perpetualexistence]

Leap of Faith: A Total Drama Hug a Giant Day Submission

So, fun fact I absolutely hadn't forgotten at all: July 21st is Hug a Giant Day! Don't. Don't look at the timestamp, it's still before midnight somewhere-

As someone who's trying to bring more giant/tiny into Total Drama, it's only fair I contribute a piece into the fandom. Have a nice, fluffy Nowen giant/tiny fic! You can read it as platonic or romantic.

I'm putting it under a read more only because it ended up being like 1K words and that's a lotta words. I might end up putting this on AO3 too. And editing it slightly since this is the first draft that I put together to try to make it in time for the day.

Anyways, enjoy!

"Hey little buddy!" a voice called from around Noah's feet.

He never cared much for people on the best of days. And ever since his...unexpected growth spurt, people didn't care much to be around him either. It was fine. Nothing new. Being taller just meant it was easier to walk away from situations he didn't want to be in. It was the best for everyone, really.

Except for a certain blonde who still insisted 'once a nickname, always a nickname'.

Noah looked down to see Owen standing at ankle-height. He'd be impressed at how far Owen's voice could carry if he didn't already know how loud Owen could be when he wanted to. It used to be grating, but now it made things easier. Noah hated having to crouch.

"What?" Noah asked.

"I wanna show you something!"

"Can't you just tell me what it is from down there?"

"Nope! You've gotta come down so I can show you!"

So much for not having to crouch. Knowing Owen, this would take a while. Which would mean he'd have to crouch the whole time. His new height didn't grant him new athletic ability, so he could probably only do that for about five seconds at most before losing his balance. Which wouldn't be good for anybody.

With a loud sigh, he slid down the tree he had been leaning against. The tree groaned in protest, but it held firm. Good thing he was still a lightweight. He drew himself into a sitting position with his legs crossed.

"Well?"

"Okay, now lift me up!"

"Hey, you didn't say anything about having to lift you."

"It's part of it! Come on, lift me!"

Okay. Well, this was fine. It's not like he'd never grabbed something small before. He carried many a book before, and that had been fine. This just happened to be a much smaller book. That was also more fragile. More like a hamster if Noah thought about it. A very lovable, fragile hamster. That was the only person who had bothered to come check on Noah after he'd become giant. And if broken, wouldn't want to see him again.

No pressure.

Noah reached a hand forward to grab Owen. God, it felt so wrong that the guy who would crush him with bear hugs was now so easy to crush-

"Wait!"

Noah did his best to keep his expression as apathetic as it normally was. He knew even Owen had his limits-

"Not like that!" Owen chuckled. Wait. Chuckled? "You've gotta hold your hand flat. Like you're holding a pizza! And then I can climb on. It's for the surprise, I promise!"

Owen was still beaming up at Noah. The smile was almost blinding. It threatened to release more laughter if Noah indulged it. None out of malice though. That wasn't Owen's style.

"Whatever." Noah shrugged. It was a better idea than Noah's instinct, but Owen didn't need to know that. He moved his hand from a grabbing position to a flat one as he lowered it for Owen. Owen stepped on without hesitation.

"Great! Now lift me up, but stop when I say stop!"

Okay, this was kind of weird, but nothing too difficult. Noah lifted the normally heavy boy as if he was a glass figurine. Past his knees, his stomach, his chest-

"STOP!"

Noah's hand jerked as he stopped it. Owen stumbled, but kept his balance. Which was good. It'd be a 30 foot fall if he stumbled off. Survivable, but not without injury.

Owen stared at Noah's chest. He was close enough that he wouldn't have to shout anymore to be heard. Still, Noah didn't get why Owen was looking at his chest rather than his face.

Noah was even more confused when Owen actually started backing away from Noah. He was still mindful enough to make sure he was still on Noah's hand. Thank god for small miracles. Still, he couldn't figure out what the big guy was doing.

He got his answer when Owen started running right towards Noah. Before Noah could intervene, Owen jumped off of Noah's hand with a scream and towards Noah's chest.

Noah couldn't stop the scream bursting from his own chest. He shot his hand forward to clutch at the fabric of his shirt around where Owen landed. He only stopped squeezing at fabric when he could feel Owen's skin. Warm, and sweaty, and right there.

"Woohoo!" Owen cried. The little maniac.

"What was THAT?!" Noah screeched.

He was vaguely aware of the birds that flew away at the sound of his booming voice. He didn't care. Maybe he could use the volume of his voice to get through Owen's thick skull.

"Little buddy, it's okay! You can let me go. I've got this!"

"No, you don't have this. I have you. If I let you go, then the ground will have you."

"Okay, okay. At least let me see you?"

Noah forced himself to loosen his fingers. He slowly tilted his hand so that Owen's feet would stay standing on it.

Owen was holding onto Noah's shirt. His arms were outstretched. His face was planted into Noah's chest. If Noah didn't know any better, it almost looked like-

"I know you can't really hang out with people like you used to. You keep saying you're fine, but you seem pretty bummed out. So I wanted to cheer you up! I'd give you a bear hug, but it's really hard to do that now. This was the next best thing!"

Huh. Owen noticed more things than Noah gave him credit for. Noah wouldn't really call being around others while reading and snarking 'hanging out'. Or say that he was bummed. But maybe Noah had missed it more than he'd like to admit.

"You're going to give me a heart attack before I'm 20," Noah sighed, "What if I hadn't caught you?"

"I just knew you would."

Noah had a feeling that asking why Owen had so much faith in him would be pointless. Owen was just too trusting in nature. One day it would get him killed.

Noah would just have to make sure that didn't happen anytime soon.

"Next time just ask, okay?"

"Promise."

Noah cupped his hand around Owen again to gently press him against his chest. He didn't need to see the slight smile on Noah's face.

[iamamythologicalcreature]

Can I be real for a second?

I’ve gone back and forth in my head about whether or not to post about this very real side of me online or not. There’s nothing shameful about being disabled, but I don’t want to be known as my disability, either. I don’t want that to be my identity.

But I’m hoping to post some of my writing tomorrow for Six Sentence Sunday. Post something I’ve written, albeit just a small bit, online where anyone can see it. It will be the first time I’ve done so since the car accident three years ago. And the truth is, the terrible truth is, my writing is what hurts the most.

Stories have always been a part of my life. They have always been my motivation, why I slogged through everything else - my reason for existing. I wrote novels and hoped to publish, and I fell in love with the writing community and made it my home. I volunteered and organized events. I created an extremely successful and fulfilling teen writing club where I taught creative writing. I was in love with stories, and writing them. I have never not been in love with stories.

(Before I was a writer I was an artist. I’m not going to go into that part of my life in detail, but it was just as heavily affected.)

At the beginning of 2020 I was in a car accident. The driver at fault was pulling out of a bar parking lot in the middle of the day. Make of that what you will. The accident he caused left me with more than a few issues, but for this post I’m focusing on the vision impairment.

Because of COVID, I wasn’t able to seek any diagnosis or treatment until June. I didn’t even begin physical therapy until August. Due to a myriad of issues and unfortunate reasons, I couldn’t complete my treatment. That meant a year and a half of work and struggle went down the drain.

This continues to affect me in many ways. Sometimes it’s things that you might expect - I can’t read Tumblr, or books, most days. Some limitations are less obvious, like how I’m afraid to ask questions (e.g. “what kind of car did Fiona drive?”) because the resources to find the answers myself are out there. Why don’t I just google it? Or reference that amazing spreadsheet someone did? Why am I asking other people to do the work for me? Am I just lazy?

People don’t mean to judge (and I’m sure there are plenty who don’t). But my issues aren’t apparent, so they won’t know unless I take the time to explain it. Able-eyed people should be able to find these simple answers. Just look in the book.

So I don’t ask. Or I apologize a lot for asking. Because it’s just too hard to explain why I need such basic help. (And sadly, some people still don’t believe me and treat me as thought I’m making excuses.)

I lost most of my friends simply for being unable to chat online, particularly during lockdown. I kept three people in my life - the three people willing to break with their comfort zones and talk to me on the phone instead of via text or chat. Those people probably saved my life. I know everyone went through isolation issues in 2020. But I went through them unable to even use a computer or read a book.

Since I’m typing this, you can guess that I’ve recovered somewhat, or made some accommodations that help. Yes. I have. Both of those. But I still have more bad days than good. Typing too long, or playing a phone game, surfing Tumblr - anything done for too long can break my eyes and send me back into total isolation for days.

I was a really good writer. I would regularly write 10-20k every weekend, and I wrote well. I wrote great stuff. (Rough drafts are always rough drafts, but I felt good about what I wrote.) I would sink into a character and go for hours.

Here’s the part that’s relevant to me now: I can’t do that anymore. I can’t write for hours, I can’t take the time to slip into character. I’m doing really well if I can pound out a speedy 1k in 30 minutes and have it not break my eyes. (It usually breaks my eyes.)

If you’re a writer, though - or any kind of creative - you know that the need doesn’t just go away.

(I have tried to record notes on my phone, but I just cannot dictate writing fiction. Only my fingers know how to speak well, and in character. And no, I’m not going to learn braille. It would not be helpful.)

So I’m going to try to write. It’s going to suck, because the things I did to write well before are things I can’t do anymore. I will cry. And then I will wait a week or however long it takes for my eyes to chill the fuck out, and I’ll try again.

(I’ve also started treatment again, just this month. I have to start at square one again, which means it will get worse before it gets better. It will take time, and money - lots of both. Like years. But I can’t give up.)

Anyway. This is why I chose the Simon Snow fandom to try again, for the first time in forever. Because that’s the story, and those are the characters, and these are the people. I know it. So. Hi.

[elizaditton]

TSTBA And Life Update

Hey everyone, I thought I'd give an update on what's going on with me and on my progress with Too Small To Be Afraid. TL;DR at the bottom for those who just want the quick deets.

I've been struggling to work on the story since the start of the summer, mainly because I got a "real" job (as part of the IT department at a local high school). Despite the fact that it's only 17.5 hours a week (3.5 hours every weekday), it was a lot more than what I was used to (which was literally doing nothing except for volunteering at various places maybe one to three times a week), and it took me a really, really long time to adjust to that mentally. I would come home dead tired and just... not feel like writing. Or doing anything at all. Sometimes I'd come home at 3:00 pm and proceed to take The World's Longest Nap™ only to wake up when it was time to go to bed anyway. Part of this, I realize, is probably the result of an undiagnosed sleeping disorder of some kind (my psychiatrist says maybe sleep apnea) mixed with ADHD telling my brain to Not Work™. But yeah, this has been a major contributing factor in my lack of writing time recently. And on top of that, I got another job working for my church on Sundays as a Production Assistant, which has so far been awesome, but it means I'm also exhausted on weekends. Not only am I working 7 hours on Sunday (setup + rehearsal + service + do all that again for the second service), but I'm also waking up at 4:30 am now at the very latest on Sundays depending on what campus I'm working at. And on top of all that, I'm still working occasionally for my old boss one Saturday out of every month until he wants me to start coming in more frequently. So all in all, I'm pretty much working every day but Saturday, except for when I'm also working on Saturday. And I do enjoy working all of these jobs, it's just that I've been struggling to adjust to working so much and how to balance that with my hobbies and my home and family life. So there's been little time for writing these past few months.

The writing club I was a part of also lowkey disbanded as we haven't been meeting for several months. (Hi if any of you are reading this, I miss you guys lol.) Before we stopped meeting, I was pumping out a new chapter at least every two weeks, and it was amazing! I was part of a group that encouraged each other to write and on top of that even edited/critiqued each other's writing. I really do miss it. The group always got me so motivated to write during the week and to write during our meetings, and I haven't felt that same joy about writing since we stopped meeting. I'm thinking I'll start another writing group, either online or at my church. Leaning towards at my church since I need in-person contact with people, but idk hit me up if you're interested in an online writer's group??? Or being a beta reader???

Lastly, something that's actually related to the story itself. The plot. Hoooooooo boy the plot. The plot is... a thing that exists. There's things I want to tie into the story that I want to be a big deal, but I'm not sure if I introduced enough elements beforehand for things to make sense if I go the route I want? Then there's the fact that I look back at the first few chapters and sort of cringe, thinking of all the things I'd change if I would let myself have at it before the first draft is done. But yeah. Things are... going. I've been very, VERY slowly but surely working on fixing up things in my outline so I know where I'm going, but yeah, all the aforementioned has kinda made it hard to actually write.

So that's where I've been. So where do we go from here?

For one thing, I'm at least somewhat confident that chapter 18 WILL come out in the next few weeks, before the end of the month. It's going to be a long one, and I hope it's worth the wait.

I previously had a goal of finishing my first draft by the end of the year, but if I'm honest, I'm thinking I won't get there until at least the spring of 2025. And then, of course, after that comes editing, revising, rewriting, and so on. I'll likely be writing at least a second draft before I even think about printing.

But can you expect me to update more regularly from now on? To be honest, I have no idea. All I know is that this book is still my dream, and I haven't given up on it yet. As long as this fire continues to burn within me, I'm going to continue to write. As long as it takes. Until it's done. But maybe starting another writing club would help hold me accountable for regular updates, ha ha.

Thank you all for your unwavering support as I've gone through this journey. Whenever I see someone's been enjoying this story, it fills me with so much joy, you don't understand. I hold every little comment close to my heart.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you soon with an update to the story!

TL;DR: I suddenly acquired three jobs and am very tired all the time. This combined with no accountability after my writing club lowkey disbanded has made writing difficult. I'm still writing, slowly but surely. Expect a new (and long) chapter this month for sure. Hmu if interested in starting a writing club/being a beta reader btw

[ashcoveredtraveler]

So ummm I have been thinking about editing and changing some details for my long-fic, "Could We Have Peace?" This isn't a decision I have fully made so these changes may not even happen. I am just rambling here.

So this wouldn't be the first time I changed an aspect of my fic. I have already done it twice before.

I have an old draft of the fic which I uploaded called 'what could have been peace?" And in this old draft Ghost went back during the climb out of the abyss and Howl is still a young vessel. I only had 8 chapters written, and I hadn't uploaded any chapters at that point, so I have able to change it pretty easily.

The second time I changed the fic was when I uploaded chapter 14. At that point I didn't like how soft Orrin was. I thought he would need to get through some character development before becoming a 'good person'. He is a king, he doesn't quite know how to be soft to a personal level. So I put the fic on pause, edit the Pale Kings part and then resumed uploading chapters while putting the note in chapter 15 that I edit PK personality.

Now, I uploaded chapter 33 of my fic, and I would like to change Howl's ability to see.

I have thought about this change for a while, but recently after seeing this artwork, I was actually thinking about doing it.

If I do this then I would have to change Howl's character and how they perceive things. In the fic I always wrote how they liked seeing all the different colors, from clothing to environment. But then if they were blind then they would have to describe what they are hearing, and feeling. Let me go section to section to see what has to be changed

- Howl would escape the Palace as their injuries are catching up with them, meaning their blindness. They would have to wander through Kingdoms Edge blind. I like this image, just them stumbling around until they eventually find Markoth.

- (I initially thought their communication style would change, but I think that they could write just very sloppily)

-(while they are still in Kingdom's Edge they could bet a better sense of their surroundings though the void. They could sense little hoppers and booflies and practice at sensing life.)

- Howl would have a lot more trouble getting out of Kingdom's Edge, which means that Markoth practically has to be attached at the hip to make sure they don't fall. So when their arm eventually falls off, he would only know mere seconds before they collapse.

-The Resting Grounds shouldn't be too difficult of a place to traverse through. They will for sure bonk their head multiple times, but this is their chance to sense other living beings and actually sense their surroundings. I mention in the fic that they loved the colors of the tapestries throughout the Seers hut, so she might let them touch them and explain what is on them. They would certainly love the texture of them and pretty much anything in the hut.

-when they get to Blue Lake, they would enjoy the salt washing over them. In the fic I wrote how they loved the color, and I don't want to take out their hyper-fixation of the lake. They would recognize Quirrel by the sound of his voice when he comes in.

-(now I was thinking if Howl was blind, there was no way Markoth would drag them through Crystal Peaks, Howling Cliffs and then the Emerald Caverns. But I think he knows he doesn't have much of a choice. Besides, they have been getting better and are able to sense lifeforms. So Markoth would assist them though some portions).

- In chapter 26 when Howl has their panic attack, they could have simply gotten stuck anywhere.

-Another tricky section is when Xero and Howl have their conversation in chapter 30, I don't know if Howl would willingly leave their bed and wander when no one is awake. Though they could simply sense where everyone was and check the campgrounds before hand so they know where to go.

- Yet another tricky section is when Quirrel almost falls into a cavern and Howl saves him. How could they have done this? Will I use void as a way again?

- the Howling Cliffs has the same solution as Crystal Peaks

-The Festival I bet Howl would need assistance to get through the Emerald Caverns simply cause there are so many more bugs around. I think they would have the same mentality for dancing and would do it. They would recognize Ghosts name and then sense their siblings.

Now, even if I can make those changes with current chapters, there are a few things in planned chapters that make their sight important.

I know this post was a bit rambling, but I wanted to play around with this idea as I like the concept of blind hk.

[lennoxlorian]

WRITING: GETTING THROUGH THE DRAFT

It’s been a couple of years since I’ve done NaNoWriMo and I am looking forward to jumping back into it full force this year. And as I start prepping with outlining, last minute research and setting up a special Scrivener file for the project, I remembered a post I wrote of the things I did that helped me smash NaNoWriMo the second time and wished I’d had these tips the first time around.

I found the post I wrote but over the years, (you can read that here) and since then I’ve gathered more practical tips to getting through NaNoWriMo. Remember, these tips are basically, to push through and get that first draft - which seems like the hardest part. How can you revise and edit something before you have something to even revise and edit, right? So, here are my original tips, plus some extras.

Set up a “Notes” file. This may seem like a weird tip. But I promise that it will be worth it at the end. The “Note” file can be a word document, pen and paper or even a Scrivener type program that has a notes section attached to the file. This will be a place where you will be jotting down every comment, note and idea you have as you write your novel. The purpose is to keep yourself from going back and falling into the downward spiral of self-editing/editing as you go. Because we know that it tends to lead to a novel in a perpetual unfinished state. My suggestion is to divide your notes into “Chapters”, “Parts”, “Page Number-Ranges” - depending on how you’re writing your novel and writing subsequent notes and ideas under that particular one. This helps you to find relevant information during the editing process.

Keep moving forward. No matter what. Don’t worry about the details. Don’t worry about changing something, even if the scene seems really long, dialogue heavy or you are describing the heck out of the setting. Don’t waste time thinking about how to change a small detail. Chances are you will probably not end up using it anyway. Just make a note of it in your “Notes” file and keep pushing forward.

An outline helps - even if you consider yourself a “Pantser”. Not everyone has an outline. For me, I LOVE outlines and mine tend to get crazy detailed. But what I appreciate about having an outline is that it helps me to keep my story in the direction it needs to go. Mind you, even with an outline, sometimes I do get into a flow that deviates from my original outline (It’s the tiny, rebellious pantser inside of me!). And that’s okay! I do suggest, even as a pantser, that you create a simple action breakdown. You want to have a clear idea where your characters are headed. Even a little.

JUST WRITE. Simple as that. Moreover - and this is important - write as if no one will ever read it. Don’t get caught up with how you think your novel should sound or even how you want it to sound. Just write it because it will create a voice of its own. YOUR voice. And that’s pretty freaking awesome. Putting myself into that mindset took away all of the inhibitions and self-doubt that I had and it created much of my best work. So write those cheesy action scenes or embarrassing love scenes. At the very least, it’s good character/plot development, it will get it out of your system and you’ll realize, later, that those scenes weren’t even needed. No harm, no foul.

Over write. Though many of the tips I'm giving can be applied to writing your first draft, this particular one is mainly for NaNoWriMo. As much as we would like to sit in front of our computers everyday or 30 days and just write, the truth is that we have lives and responsibilities that oftentimes takes us away from writing more than we’d wish. Sometimes for a whole day! (Boo!) But life happens. So over write. Write more than your daily word target. Especially, when you have extra time. That way, you won’t get behind and you’ll probably reach your goal sooner than you thought.

Stick with it. If you get #PlotStuck, don’t give up. What helped me, was to write chronologically. Meaning, I forced myself to get through whatever writer’s block I thought I had. Even if it’s introducing a new character, object or location to get the juices flowing, again. Some may say to skip over it and come back to it later but that’s how I got into a habit of not finishing novels. For me, waiting to get over that barrier - whether it was taking a quick break or a walk or reading - got me through several of those hurdles. What I’ve learned is if you’re serious about writing, you have to get through it because writing is not easy and it won’t be the last time you’re Plot Stuck. Trust me.

These are some things that helped me write and finish my first drafts. They may not work for everyone so take what you can and leave what you can’t. These aren’t the only tips I have but just the ones I have at the moment. I’ll be sharing more of those tips when they come to me. Or if you have a different question about my writing or my process or the blog or even my first draft, just ask me!

[sorcerous-caress]

hope this isn't weird to ask but how long have you been writing and how old are you? did you ever take any courses related to writing or have you been improving through writing as a hobby?

Hey it's not weird at all, I'll happily answer!

I'm 20 years old, and I have been writing non-continuously since I was 12.

My first fic was written with colon punctuation for spoken dialogue instead of quotation marks bc I didn't know what those were at the time. For example:

Bob: nice weather we're having today (he said with a smile)

Bob2: I signed the divorce papers, they're on the counter. (Sighing at the other's stubbornness)

I posted it on wattpad.

Afterwards, I never wrote anything else, but I learned about Ao3 and kept enganging in fandom spaces. At 14, I joined roleplaying group chats, which made me think and write faster to keep the rp going. Eventually, it became one on one rp with another person where we would take our chat history log, freshen it up a bit, then post it as a fic.

By 16, I joined a fandom server with a semi serious writing subcategory in it. People more experienced and much older than me would beta for other's story. It's where I picked up the habit to write drafts in google docs so I can easily share the link for a beta reader to add suggestions to.

I still haven't written another fic by then, not by myself, at least. I got very insecure at the time about my writing and lack of knowledge. Mind you, I joined the server, not knowing what punctuation was. It took several beta readers adding punctuation for me until it finally clicked that I should use it.

It felt like I was an outcast in a way? Sure, everyone treated me just as nicely as others there, but I noticed the little things that added up over time. Like how no one would react or talk about the stories I post, but if someone else shares theirs, then the entire server gushes over it. Or how one time I reacted to my own story with an emoji, only for someone else to mention how it's me who clicked it and I shouldn't do that. It was a very unhealthy environment for a 16-year-old surrounded by 30-20 years old, but I stuck to it because I wanted to improve my writing.

Even if I was ignored, they'd still beta for me as a chance to offer "constructive criticism." Artists can be very petty when a low skilled person joins them.

My skills improved, and I posted my second fic! It was nothing remarkable, but it felt like the first stone into the stairway of improvement, yk? I loved that fic, it was my crowning jewel.

But as a result, I started to hate writing. It was a struggle, I'd spend hours on two sentences while others on the server were bragging about their 50k fics. I hated my own inability to perform better, to write better.

I got sick of reading my own writing from the number of times I'd rewrite it in an attempt to format it better. I couldn't even bare look at other's writing or read fanfics on AO3 because I'd always compare their writing to mine. Break their style down and analyse it in an attempt to spot what I'm doing wrong.

I left the server eventually, abruptly too. It was for the better.

I swore off of writing.

For two years, that was true. I gradually came to reading fanfics again, but just looking at a blank document was enough to get me nauses.

By 18, Aot happened, and the boom in x reader fanfics.

Everything I've written up to this point has been ships. Not once did I consider the idea of an x reader. For a while, I used to scoff at it and label it as cringe, as if the ship fanfics I was reading wasn't cringe either. Elitism, I tell you.

I saw these request blogs and how posting on tumblr seemed less intimidating than AO3. How intimate it felt to have an anon talk to you about your own fic that you wrote for them, to have people discussing your writing and stories with you! And they ask for more!

Sign me tf up.

I started my first writing blog, and I didn't know shit. I learned as I went. The new formatting, the tumblr tag system, creating a masterlist.

How important presentation is in here.

In AO3, your fic has the same chance of being read as any other one. Only your description is there to judge it by. But on tumblr? The shiny bookcover was almost as important as the material inside. In here, you have to market your own fic, present it with a lovely bow on top, add a pretty eyecatching header, and all the right trending tags.

Luckily, it clicked easy for me. I used free domian paintings from past centuries to make my covers, and they stood out amongst the anime cover galore. It was a little pretentious, I admit, but I also was a little pretentious, so it's alright.

I played my cards right, answered requests enthusiastically, and delivered fics at a fast rate. Paid attention to what styles worked best and what genres attracted more attention. At that point, it was a numbers game for me. Play marketing right, and you'll win at capitalism.

It felt very degrading and dirty.

My personal style fazed out, and my fics had a sanitised safe for mass consume feel to it. It was written to appeal to you rather than written out of any real love or passion.

It was soulless garbage.

Not to mention at the time I still used the same unhealthy and needlessly convoluted writing method I learned from that server. Yes I cut ties with them but I still didn't have any other alternative writing method to use.

What's that? Just write however I want? Are you crazy? What like my 12y old self wrote on wattpad? My 18y old self would rather die than actually be true to themselves.

I was extremely insecure and afraid of being labelled as "cringe" I completely ereased any stray stains of personality that managed to trickle their way down into my writing. Not once did I write for myself during that time, and not once did I actually enjoy a single piece I made.

I hated all of them, I couldn't bear to even read the fics I wrote. But I still made more and more to appease the requesters, still forced myself to sit and write each morning for hours on end.

A tight timeline, an exhausting production and no friends or hobbies to fall back into and relax. It was a fucking nightmare.

What ircked me the most was how people would just keep requesting more without a thank you or even a fuck you afterwards. It's like it's a fast food drive-through and I should be grateful for any attention I get.

But I never said a word. I never complained because complaining drives away people and engagement. No, I needed to keep my happy chill imagine and never show any emotion or talk about my struggles in real life or writing.

Instead of realising I hated my writing because of its lack of essence and soul, I convinced myself instead that it's because my skill level is still too low.

So I searched online. I found writing courses I couldn't afford, and neither could I ask my family for money for anything at the time because of personal reasons.

So I put on my pirate hat.

Apparently, people don't bother uploading the scam writing tips courses to pirate websites. That's fair.

Instead, I pirated books from famous authors talking about writing. Read them and tried to apply their methods, ignored my own preferences, and wrote to fit their subjective standards of what good writing is.

I signed up for free trials courses that didn't require a credit card and copied every single file into my hard drive before the trail ended.

I had so much material to study. I watched youtube videos about writing. I really really tried everything I could.

But I still loathed every fucking word I put down on these pages.

And I hated how a general advice in writing was to "follow your heart" what is that supposed to mean? I can't do that. Others do not like my heart, It has been proven many times before so how about you just give me some useful advice instead you useless wrinkled piece of shit book?

.

..

...

You can't force or fake creativity.

You can fake an elegant writing style, you can copy interesting lines from famous books and apply them to your own writing, you can include every trendy word in all the right places.

But you can't fake creativity.

I wished I was 12 again. Writing fics on wattpad, where my style was worse than garbage, and yet I loved it. People loved it.

Because it was garbage with a soul, a garbage that had empty chocolate milk bottles and spilt sprinkles. A garbage that showed personality and where my priorities were. With kids' fingerprints in colourful paint and a toddler's fridge artpiece.

A garbage that mirrored my love for the art.

And I ruined it. I traded it all for stupid punctuation that I didn't even care for.

I was happy.

Like every other probome in my life, I ran away.

I hit my breaking point. The requests were never ending, the studying and writing books were getting more and more pretentious and contradicting themselves. I barely had time to eat, I don't talk to people or go outside.

I do not have the time for anything, I missed having friends.

I left the blog. I stopped writing, it was too anxiety inducing.

I got into videogames again, I enjoyed the text heavy ones. I chose to ignore what that implied.

They were so...beautiful.

And fun!

I made some friends, I was happy for a while.

Then, one of my favourite characters in my video game mentioned missing their parents, how hard the funeral was.

It hit home.

I'm not writing, I convinced myself with a lie, I'm just gonna put down my thoughts on them...in a google document.

See just around 1k words, easy peasy. I AM NOT WRITING. It doesn't count.

But I did write it. Not with any calculated formula or method. I wrote my thoughts like how I hear them in my head and what I felt, what I imagined the character would feel.

Then, I added some dialogue, trimmed the corners, and sprinkled in euphemism.

It was simple and bare, vulnerable.

I posted it. It never got much traction.

But I was happy, I liked it, even loved it and kept rereading it.

I was 19.

I nervously showed it to my friend. They mentioned how much they can't stand reading books or fics because the words overwhelm them courtesy of their ADHD.

But they managed to read mine. Very smoothly.

Because my style, my own personal style that is set to my preference, makes me write in small paragraphs and straightforward. I never linger on details or focus on one thing for too long, I always give breaks and seperate events from each other.

And it clicked for this one person who struggled with reading, a style that will get criticism in any serious writing circle for being too simple or childish.

They liked it.

I hate needless convolution.

I just turned 20 years old, I asked for Baldur's Gate 3 early access as my birthday gift.

I received it, I played it.

I fell in love with its writing.

Then I made this blog, and I promised myself not to follow rabbits into any holes again. To reject the requests I don't want, to write because I love to, because I find it interesting or fun.

To never feel obligated to any thing or person. Only write if I want to, only post it if I want to. And if I don't want to? Then I simply won't.

And yes this blog gets much less attention than my first one but the people in here, the anons and my readers, they interact much more with me and my writing. It feels much better to have a handful of people genuinely excited and curious about your stories than a hundred people who would only leave likes and leave.

I have never touched a writing course or a helpful book since then. I block every writing tips blog, I see. I hate each and every single post about writing tricks and immediately skip past it.

I don't care if I improve anymore. I don't care if people don't read my stuff. I do not care if my style degenerates so much and reverts back to wattpad. All I care about is the fact I love writing and I enjoy it, I plan to keep it this way.

-

It's also funny that I'm writing in English since I when I first started writing at 12 it was in Arabic. My first fic? In Arabic.

And I was willing to go down that road yk. Keep true to my heritage and culture, write in my own beautiful language.

But. I wrote about queer topics and stories. Homophobia is still a massive thing in our society. My story was more infamous and taboo than famous and beloved.

I had so many people coming to my dms to "educate" me about religion and sin. How what I'm doing is wrong and the message I'm spreading is haram.

It was funny at first especially when it was the quran that made me want to write in the first place. Because it's actually a collection of poems! It just loses its rhythm when translated to English. It was so beautifully written, I'd listen to it always as a kid.

But then those dms became unbearable and I decided to learn english to join the western fandoms instead. A 12y old just deciding to fuck it and learn a whole new language to write gay fics.

A lot of my struggles in writing at 12-17 was because I was still learning English at the time.

This was fun. Thank you so much for asking this, anon! I had the chance to reminisce about the past.

I made so many mistakes. But I'd rather having made them and reached this point of content with myself than not having made them at all.

[nanase-haru]

{A.M.V.} Free!! x Uta no Prince-sama / Mamoru Miyano (Inspired): “Canon” (Second opening theme of Uta no Prince-sama Maji Love 2000%) {In that series, Miyano voices “Tokiya Ichinose”. This is not sung by “Tokiya” technically, but might give Tokiya’s image.} I used Miyano’s inspiration to make a Free!! A.M.V.! {It is my very first for this fandom, though I watched as it aired!}

Series: Free!! (C) Kyo-Ani “Canon” (C) Broccoli-Games / ELEMENTSGARDEN {Note: This is a FAN-work}

Characters/Pairs Featured: - RinHaru {Rin x Haru} - Rintori / NitoRin / RinAi {Rin x Aiichirou Nitori} - Ai x Rin x Haru as poly-ship or open relationships; (implied by the end) Feel free to view your preference!

My Commentary:

I would like to propose a Concept - Haru, Rin and Ai all have MULTIPLE HANDS. (This A.M.V. showcases the dynamics / story progression of all three; each of Haru and Ai with Rin, briefly, all acknowledging each other) Contains spoilers for: Free!! Seasons 1 & 2; {Rin; Haru; Ai scenes} “The Final Stroke” Part 2 start; but nothing specific from Final Stroke’s ending {Yet?}. (TFS Part 1 shows only in ‘scenic’ scene.) Others appear as support.

(Though I admit I am personally biased towards RinAi fandom-wise, I’ve also enjoyed the canon dynamic between Rin and Haru.) However, this work was partly made / inspired by an old mutual; this mutual really loved Rin+Haru dynamic too, so this is made in support! {They also like everyone as friends, as do I.} I’m not able to make much for this fandom usually (in the past, I did briefly rp {role-play} Ai, but do not actively write fic or anything much outside rp) but for the most part, this A.M.V. was very fun to make! Happy 10~ years anniversary to Free!! Time Spent: - About an hour and 30 min on the 1st verse + chorus. - Almost 4 and a half hours / a whole evening on the rest. - I am not even kidding when I say this thing must have crashed my editor (Windows Movie Maker... it’s an older version, sigh) at least x30+~50 times while attempting to finish Nitori’s scenes timing and the ending. As a result, this is technically a “first draft” (I know ending’s bit rushed, but I tried!) until I can go back and add in more timings and scene cuts! (Someday!...) - My editor tends to crash pretty frequently if I attempt 50+ clips; sometmes even after 20~ clips or so. This one has just about 40 clips, with bonus KyoAni’s own timings helping to smooth out the rest! - Sub-titles cannot be included at this time; I apologize! (However, lyric{s} below the ‘read more’!) It is recommended you view them in full (or in sections) before watching! - If you watch, I’d really love to hear your thoughts; I put a lot of effort in!

Summary:

“I only swim FREE!.” - Haru

... DO YOU?

“I feel so useless.” - Ai

“A sight you’ve never seen before...”

{Lyric[s] Preview!}:

Distant feelings on a {‘SILENT’} hill, … all of my love… (Get ready!)

“Do not tremble in this cruel world…” Through the kiss of a song, better than thousands of words

We can give something up ({I} swear to you) Just to live in this moment (Hold my hand) For your sake and for mine, we’re ready to take off now…together!

“SO, let’s GO!”

Your beloved voice becomes a powerful impulse That makes dreams reality As our heartbeats synchronize… Ah, exceeding even miracles, (Feel your song!) Up among the stars, (Feel my song!) Until that dream Reaches the unseeable FUTURE, I’ll PLAY this song! {“Free”}

I was scared of truth’s LIGHT…

(Lyric{s} via Uta-pri Wikia!)

“Canon” (description via Wiki): {no, not the fandom term.} In music, a canon is a contrapuntal (counterpoint-based) compositional technique that employs a melody with one or more imitations of the melody played after a given duration (e.g., quarter rest, one measure, etc.). The initial melody is called the leader (or dux), while the imitative melody, which is played in a different voice, is called the follower (or comes). The follower must imitate the leader, either as an exact replication of its rhythms Rand intervals or some transformation thereof. Repeating canons in which all voices are musically identical are called rounds. (For the meaning behind the title / theme!) {In the A.M.V., I semi-relate (if vaguely) this theme to all three characters; plus, more directly, make the comparison to Haru + Free!! AND Relay Medleys.} (There is vague inspiration from the original Uta-pri as well, but not intended directly comparable.)

The final chorus of the A.M.V. is one I had in mind ever since first hearing this song way back around Apr 2k13, when the second part of Uta-pri aired. It may be slightly more modified in a “final” version, but for the most part!...

Lyric[s]:

Distant {“Haruka”} feelings on a silent hill, all of my love… (Get ready!) [Haru <-> Rin] (+Haru; specifically...) “Do not tremble in this cruel world…” Through the kiss of a “song”, better than thousands of words We can give something up (I swear to you) Just to live in this moment (Hold my hand) For your sake and for mine, we’re ready to take off now…together! “So, let’s go!” Your beloved voice becomes a powerful impulse That makes dreams reality As our heartbeats synchronize… Ah, exceeding even miracles, (Feel your song!) Up among the stars, (Feel my song!) Until that dream Reaches the unseeable future, I’ll play this song! I was scared of truth’s light... [Ai -> Rin] Even at this great a DISTANCE, it’s too DAZZLING An unspeakable LONELINESS (No more crying) Thirsting for an impossible cure (Save my heart) [Ai <-> Rin] Since I met you, I’ve sworn to start living! The overlapping melodies of your voice seem to scorch my heart Resonating dreams echoing for eternity Like a sense of déjà vu, I knew today (Feel your love) A bloom of hope (Feel my love) An infinite rainbow Now our feelings are merging as we become one [Ai <-> Rin <-> Haru] The stars are waiting for the sky, they want to become a dream(?) The day will come when they bloom like a flower, and a rainbow awaits us on that day We’re ready to take off now…together! “So, let’s go!” Your beloved voice becomes a powerful impulse That makes dreams reality As our heartbeats synchronize… Ah, exceeding even miracles, (Feel your song!) Up among the stars, (Feel my song!) Until that dream Reaches the unseeable future, I’ll play this song! Feelings tied together on a shining hill…

[bereft-of-frogs]

✨ Fic Writing Review 2023 ✨

@aurorawest tagged me in this an age ago but there was always a chance (however slight) that I'd maaayyybe finish something else before the end of the year (I did not) so I held off. But! It's time for the 2023 review.

Words and Fics

103, 870 words posted

Technically only 1 fandom, but then like...3 subfandoms? (Star Wars: Fallen Order, Prequels/JA-era, and A New Dawn/The Last Padawan)

14 fics

1 ongoing WIP, 2 multi-chapter, 10 oneshots, and 2 chapters added onto my OC repository, 2 series

most recent drop: we are made of our longest days

longest: technically the whole of the dark ocean duology at 50,304 but also just part 2: to stand at the edge of the sea (25,752)

shortest: found a tape that was blank (1,392)

Top Fics by Kudos

closure, and the lack thereof (98)

omens and all kinds of signs (72)

with teeth, we've come this far (66)

(dark ocean duology) part 1: the deep sea is a haunted house (63)

(dark ocean duology) part 2: to stand at the edge of the sea (59)

and some love for the bottom 5 because my favorite is among them: 1. a shadow resides by night (13), 2. follow me into the endless night (16) 3. p.s.: wipe the salt off of my skin (30), 4. I feel like I'm borrowing all my time (33), 5. take in a breath, fill your lungs (34)

My fandom fic events in 2023

just the usual whumptober taking up most of my autumn

Upcoming Events and Projects for 2024

for 2024 I think I'm going to try out like a 'leapfrog' method, where I focus on finishing a first draft, then let that percolate while I work on the next first draft on the list, then backtrack for the second and so on...I think this makes sense. I liked focusing on one project at a time last year and I'm hoping that gets me to make progress on the 4-parter that I really, really want to write and keep putting off.

omens and all kinds of signs (chapter 3)

manipulation/hostage thing (?) (part 1)* - I really need a better working title for this, this is not actually describing what's going on

the haunting presence / serial (part 4)**

the haunting presence / serial (part 3)**

manipulation/hostage thing that turns into an undercover thing (part 2)* - god these working titles are just so pithy aren't they

the haunting presence / serial (part 2)**

the haunting presence / serial (part 1)**

omens and all kinds of signs (chapter 4)

We'll see where that brings us in the year....and if I get derailed haha. If I make it through this I have a sick!fic in development and a myriad other bullet points of vague ideas, inspiration lightning might strike on one of them.

Last word: I spent the first third of 2023 so convinced I would never write again and in a not-great place, to clear 100k posting on ao3 was truly a relief and sharing all of this with you all has been a joy. Thanks for being there and I hope everyone has a happy New Year!

Rules & Tags below the cut! ***(ok let's be real, you all know me, I didn't actually tag anyone because I'm a mess of social anxiety and I always feel like I'm bothering people with tags (even though I am NEVER bothered by tags, but I can't apply that to myself for some reason, in my own mind I'm just uniquely annoying, but we don't have time to unpack all that--) but anyway, I put the rules there and the summaries for the two mystery upcoming fics if you want to see those or reference the rules!

Rules: Feel free to show whatever stats you have. Only want to show Ao3 stats? Rock on. Want to include some quantitative info instead of stats? Please do this. Want to change how yours is presented? Absolutely do that. Would rather eat glass than do this? Please don’t eat glass but don’t feel like you have to do this either.

I am too shy to tag anyone but if you're looking for an excuse to post some stats and goals use this as an open tag!

That should probably be one of my '2024 goals' to get less shy. ah well.

*This is a holdover from the 'psychological' whumptober prompt, I started it in October but knew it deserved more time and energy that I could give it on a deadline. The sort of core of the first part is my take on a 'fandom staple': the Haxion Brood finally gets the jump on the crew and they get entangled in a plot that's perhaps unnecessarily complex due to the interference of a...like 'HR consultant' Sorc Tormo hires, who attempts to manipulate them into carrying out their dirty work. Part 2 (it's a duology again folks!) picks up a bit after the end of part 1. Because to get out of the part 1 situation they end up owing someone a favor, and the calling in of that favor sends the crew on an undercover mission to a super-secret Imperial construction project. Clearly still developing some stuff, I don't have a working title or a good way of summarizing events, but I have a lot of dramatic scenes and everything pretty well outlined.

**Ah, my four part serial killer drama that I have been saying I've been saying I was going to work on for months. Years. This is going to be my year, I swear it! 'Why are you writing it in reverse order' it just makes more sense to work backwards, and part 4 I have the most clear plot outline for. Yeah it's fairly straightforward in general, a mysterious serial killer stalks Jedi through 4 generations. Possibly inspired by My Literal Nightmare, aka 'someone is secretly living in your house' (aka phrogging??? I learned there was a term for it while doing research for nanowrimo, I just thought I was being paranoid and sleep deprived during an insomniac period a few years ago lol) (it's a long story haha). But yeah this mysterious murderer who seems to not really exist at all, and vanishes like a ghost for years at a time.

[rexobibang]

Artists FAQs

Artists FAQs

What kind of art is accepted?

We accept any type of art, including (but not limited to): traditional art, digital art, manips, banners, icons, wallpaper, gif sets / picspam, vids, podfics, and fanmixes. If you want to do physical art (crochet/knitting, pottery, bookbinding, etc), that is TOTALLY OKAY and accepted too!! 

If you have a question about if what you do would be accepted as art for the Bang, please ask a mod!

What constitutes “finished art”?

For writers, we ask them to complete (bare minimum) 50% of their work. We ask the same of artists: sketches. IF you’d like to go beyond sketches and provide line art, or even full colored art? I’m sure your writer would be over the moon. 

WAIT! What about [me]? I’m a [fanworker]! What’s my bare minimum?!

Right, everyone has different art types and not everyone has a “sketch”. How about this for a breakdown of what could be considered a bare minimum? This should be all right for a 10k/Mini Bang fic. If you have feedback on this, please reach out to a mod and let us know. We are still adapting this rule (2025 is our first time enacting this).

Traditional Art: At least a sketch, black&white

Moodboard: Minimum, three images

Gifsets / Picspam: 2 gifs/4 icons

Poetry: A pair of haikus or 8 line minimum

Podfics: 5-20 minutes in length, depending on writer’s track

Fanmixes: 5 songs

Fanvids or Fanedits: 30 seconds minimum

For physical art, please speak to a mod and we will work with you on your bare minimum. I think concept sketches might be sufficient, but I believe we might need to work with you depending on your project and your writer.

I’m a [fanworker]. Why do you keep using the phrase “artist” or “fanworker”?

Because mod Karma is writing all these FAQs and documents and they are old school and bangs are typically writer and artist. Mod Karma is trying to be inclusive and capture all types of artists – podficcers, poets, fanmixers, etc – at once and yeah. Cut me some slack lol I’m sorry if you don’t like the term. You can provide feedback on any of the check-in forms.

Wait, writers don’t have to have a finished fic? What do they give us?

For 2025, Art Claims will happen the first weekend in May (May 2-4). Mods will match up fanworkers with writers that following week and emails will go out once we have made matches. So you can reasonably expect that by the second week in May that you will have your writer. 

If all goes accordingly, a writer should provide their draft to you within this timeframe (between the second and fourth week in May). The last week in May is when fanworkers have the ability to drop out without issue, 100%. If there are issues with your writer, that’s taken on a case-by-case basis.

By art claims, a writer should very hopefully have at least 40-50% written. That should give you enough to work with:

We will flag anyone who has not met the 40-50% threshold to let you know ahead of time. We will also request that those writers submit at least a document with a brief outline/blurb of what they expect the shape of their story to take so you have an idea of where the story is going. That could be bullet points, a paragraph, however the writer best plots. 

When you connect with the writer, they will hopefully be able to provide you with more details.

Okay, that’s a little weird. What can I expect from this bang?

Above all things, mod Karma believes in collaboration. A fanworker and a writer should be able to meet each other halfway and create something together. That’s not to say a writer should be able to dictate to the artist what they want to see. And the artist shouldn’t just take the story and ghost the writer and create in a silo. What should happen, ideally, is that an artist and writer come together and create something together. With input from both sides. Truly a collaboration. 

If that’s not your thing, then you can both (as a team) decide what works best for you. But communication is key. Please don’t ghost each other. That would make us cry. :(

How many stories can I sign up for?

Honestly, as many as you think you can handle. We won’t stop you. You can sign up for 10 Mini Bangs, or 3 Mega Bangs. Or just 1 Big Bang. But, please, for the love of all things soft and squishy, take care of you and your mental health and your body first. No one wants you to burn out for the sake of fandom. It’s just an event. It’s just fandom. You are more important. 

What’s the drop deadline for fanworkers (for 2025)?

May 23-25, 2025

How do claims work for the Bang?

So claims work by a Google Form. We send it out the first weekend in May (2025). We ask artists how many fics they would like to claim, how many pieces they believe they have time to create (1-5+) and if they mind being paired with another artist on a story. Last year, we had more artists than writers, so we did something called Bonus art (so a Mini Bang got 2 pieces of art, but the Bonus art wasn’t required if the artist couldn’t finish it). We also ask if there’s anything the mods should take into consideration when making matches.

Then, on a scale of 0 (Triggering AF) to 5 (GIMME THAT RIGHT TF NOW), we ask artists to rate at least x-amount of fics a 4 or 5 to match with their top pick. I say x-amount because I’m not sure how many we may get in 2025. In 2023, we said 2 fics. We provided the summaries via PDF and Google Slides ahead of matching. We provide the title, the track, and rating. We also state if the writer would prefer not to receive a certain type of art. 

How do I post my finished art?

This will be determined between you and your writer. Art can either be embedded in the story on AO3 or can be posted as a standalone piece on AO3 that the writer will link to. But it must be posted to AO3.

I don’t have an AO3 account.

We can hook you up with an invite.

Can I share my progress art?

Yes, but only during the promo period(s). Please see the timeline for those date(s).

Can I write as well as produce art?

Of course! We have a role for that!

Can I also sign up to pinch hit?

Absolutely! We’d actually really appreciate it, just in case.

Can I pull out if my writer doesn’t appropriately tag/warn?

If your writer fails to disclose all warnings on their fic and it makes you uncomfortable (including trigger or just flat out squicks), please reach out to a mod. We take tagging very seriously. 

Short answer – yes. You may drop that project. We can rematch you with another writer if you would like.

Is there a discord? (Do we have to join it?)

We have one! You can join it here.

And you are not obligated to join it. Our primary method of communication will be email. Please verify with your team, once teams are assigned, how they would prefer to communicate. Please also be aware that some artists (and writers!) may not have Discord.

[thinkingnot]

this was in the drafts im airing it im airing it out this read lowkey batshit insane typed out my bestfriend really does got treating an elderly in a nursery home patience with me

A Jackfruit convo: tldr

cw: procrastinating calc homework, all over the place, none of the topics pursued was brought home.

viewer discretion is adviced

sorrey fruit bruised cus i was poking at it onehandedly to type + say this rant

So you ever boiled jackfruit’s Sees this like if you have boiled and ate them like they gave you like really bad gas like you would pass gas for a whole 30 minutes after eating them I think or something I don’t know like that was my reaction it was when I was at my grandma was like I got some boiled jackfruit seeds because I was curious what they tasted like OK so I was like what does you can boil these and eat them my grandma was like yeah and then I think she said you can do that with durians too but I’m not sure maybe I’m imagining it because they’re both like sharp spiky fruits in this one the spikes are just smaller spikes there’s still spikes anyways so if you eat it and then you would pass a lot of gas is that a type of of medicine or some thing that makes you have diarrhea and like it was used in a scene in the other woman with Cameron Diaz she was like pouring powder while she was on the date or was it the other lady I don’t remember like I don’t know who but like if she was pouring it until like some that I think a guy was called king because of his surname was king and then yeah I was he was cheating with like three women at the same time and one of them being his wife one of them being his girlfriend and another it was like I don’t know actually I don’t actually know what do they call eachother I think is also his girlfriend or lover I don’t know how they but like they were all really pretty and then he cheated all of them so they were *gasps* laxatives!

OK so second part of the train of thought I just I’m using text to speech I’m using speech to text I mean because I’m I’m not gonna type all of that I’m lazy I don’t like one handedly doing this I’m all this is from speech OK now you’re gonna know my speech pattern and you’re gonna find out where I live your parents ever like show you like robots taking over the world are apocalyptic movies when you were kids really young ones and I will tell you that your room but I could one day like for you in your sleep and in your family actually had a room by in the house and then you also wash that Will Smith movie would like robot I robot yeah and then like I didn’t save a little girl and you didn’t wash that part but like you nailed the robot didn’t save the little girl and then and you’re kind of scared of robots and AI technology but he also find it really cool but you’re also scared of it so I like one time your aunt was like can you want to Buy an Alexa Alexa first came out and he was like oh I don’t know maybe I should’ve agreed but also like I feel lucky I didn’t agree because those things are scary as hell like they always listening what they listening to all the time they got a report on me she was discussing a murder or something I don’t know actually I don’t discuss murderers murderers that often like no I don’t talk about murderers at all I don’t think I maybe I do I don’t know but like I talk about evading taxes and everyone in my country does not so maybe it’s OK taxes sucks or shucks like corns that was a pun from Charlie slimecicle or ryan higa IT WAS FROM BO BURNHAM

[ibelongto-tylergalpin]

Could you do a Steve Harrington HC where the two of you take all the kids to the pool? They could tease you about being mom and dad 🥺

SLAY IM BACK!!! idk for how long tho cause my motivation to write is disappearing and appearing every few days so LETS HOPE ITS BACK FOR A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME (also this has been in my drafts forever im so sorry it took so long) also this was not proofread just like any of my other shit and its 3:30 am so sorry if the end kinda sucks I TRIED.

~It was almost the end of summer, and you could tell that the kids were miserable

~Mainly because El and Will had just moved to California and they had no idea when they would see each other again, but also because school was starting soon and they didn’t wanna go back yet

~You were sure that they were at home with the windows open and multiple fans on because it was a little over 90 degrees out, so Steve called Dustin and invited him and the rest over to his house to chill in the pool since his parents were gone for the week

~Before you knew it everyone was at the front door with their towels and swim suits (Everyone meaning Dustin, Mike, Lucas, Max, and Robin)

~As everyone was waiting for the bathroom so they could change, Dustin was bothering Steve because he had no good snacks 

~After a few minutes of Dustin’s nagging, Steve eventually gave in and told everyone that Robin was in charge while the two of you went to the grocery store

~The two of you were walking down the aisles, Steve pushing the cart while you grabbed chips and drinks. You also got things to make sandwiches for everyone when they get hungry and ice cream.

~You guys went to the register, paid, and left, but not before the cashier told you guys how cute the two of you looked together

~Steve trying to hide his beet red face>>>>>>>

~You guys got back to his place and saw that everyone was already in the pool

~“I thought I told you guys to wait for us?!”

~“You guys took too long” Lucas said as he shrugged

~“Where’s Robin? She’s supposed to be watching you guys”

~All of a sudden, Robin popped out of the water, causing Steve to scream

~“God, Robin! What the hell is wrong with you?!”

~“Nice shriek, Harrington. Very manly.” Robin said as she swam backwards towards the deep end where Max was relaxing

~You went inside and started putting the chips in bowls and you put the drinks in a cooler while Steve was getting changed. You were going through your backpack trying to find your swimsuit (shout out to everyone who can’t find shit in their bags because its like a bottomless pit)

~You finally found it and as you did you felt a pair of arms wrap around your waist

~“Hey beautiful”

~“Hey handsome” You said as you turned around and wrapped your arms around Steve’s neck. 

~“How did I get so lucky? You’re so amazing”

~“I know I am” You said as you rested your head on his chest. He pulled you closer and gripped you tighter as he rested his chin on your head.

~“And I’m...?”

~“Fishing for compliments” you said, teasing him

~“C’monnn” he whined

~“Fine. You’re amazing too. And very gorgeous. And you’re the perfect boyfriend. Happy?”

~“Very” You could hear his smile

~“Y’know, it’s really sweet of you to do this for the kids. It’s cute that you care about them”

~“Those little shits are nothing but trouble. I only did this cause I knew you felt bad for them.”

~“Yeah, sure. It’s okay to admit it Steve. You care about them. After everything we’ve been through with them, they’re like family. I know you love them.”

~He stayed silent for a second, not wanting to admit it

~“I hate it when you’re right”

~“Well then you must hate me all the time”

~Steve broke away from the hug and lifted your chin so he could kiss you. The two of you stood like that for a few seconds before you heard a soda can pop open next to you. You looked to the side and you saw Dustin standing there watching you guys

~“Dude. How long have you been standing there?”

~“A loooong time. You guys are cute. It’s disgusting”

~“Get out of here before I kick your ass, Henderson”

~“Steve! Don’t be rude” you scolded your boyfriend

~“He completely ruined our moment!”

~“Doesn’t mean you can threaten him with bodily harm!”

~“Uh oh! Mom and Dad are fightinggg!” Dustin yelled as he walked back to his friends in the pool

~“I’m sorry, what? Mom and Dad?” You said as you walked over to them

~“Yeah. Y’know since the two of you are always looking out for us. You’re the mom, Steve’s the dad.” Mike explained

~“Yeah and Robin’s like the cool aunt” Max added

~“Wow, high praise” Robin said as she floated towards Max and fist bumped her

~“That’s insane. We’re not your parents” 

~“Obviously, but whenever we’re out you’re parents of the group. Y’know?” Dustin said, trying to explain

~You just stood there not knowing what to say so you went inside to change

~When you finally got in the pool you were relaxing in the shallow end with Robin and Max while Steve was messing around with the boys.

~After a little while Steve and Lucas called you and Max over and suggested that the 4 of you play chicken fight (that one game where someone is on another persons shoulders and you have to knock down the other team)

~You get out of the pool and force Robin to help you make the sandwiches for everyone

~When everyone’s eating all the kids are like “Thanks mom”

~“I’m gonna push you all in the pool if you keep that shit up.”

~After you’re all done eating you sit there and talk for a bit before getting back in

~Since you were still a little full, you decided to just chill on a pool-floatie and listen to music on your walkman 

~You couldn’t relax though, seeing as the boys were starting to get rough again

~“Lucas! Stop throwing water in Dustin’s eyes!”

~“Mike! Be careful! The floor is wet and I don’t want you slipping!”

~“Max! Stop trying to drown your boyfriend!”

~“Dustin stop laughing at Max trying to drown Lucas!

~“Y/nnnnn! Lucas shot me in the eyes with a water gun!”

~“Lucas! What did I say about getting water in Dustin’s eyes?!

~“Steve! Y/n! Help!”

~You and Steve immediately jumped into the pool and swam over to Dustin who was yelling and when you got over he said he got a cramp and that he was okay now

~“I swear to god, Henderson”

~You were lounging on one of the chairs by the side of the pool, finally getting the peace and quite that you wanted, since the kids had started playing Marco Polo

~You just sat there relaxing when Steve went up to you and tried to snuggle up to you

~“Steve! You’re all wet!” 

~Instead of getting up he re-positions the two of you so that your legs are to his sides and he’s laying in between them against your chest

~“Ugh I swear to god, Harrington, you’re lucky you’re cute”

~He didn’t say anything in response, instead he just dug his head deeper into your chest and started rubbing circles on your thighs

~The two of you just laid there in a comfortable silence... that was until-

~“OW! SON OF A BITCH!”

~You and Steve immediately jolted up to see what had happened and who had gotten hurt

~You saw Mike on the floor clutching his ankle as Lucas and Dustin scrambled out of the water to run to him

~“What the hell happened?!”

~“I was running to get the water gun so I could shoot Lucas and I slipped and fell. Fuck, it really hurts. I think I broke it”

~“No, you didn’t break it” You said as you examined his ankle. “You probably just sprained it. What’d I tell you about running around the pool, Mike? It’s slippery as fuck! You’re lucky it’s just a sprain”

~You told Steve to run to get the first aid kit in the house, hoping there’d be something to wrap his ankle in. You used to work at the public pool over the summer sometimes so you knew exactly what to do in this situation

~Steve came running back with the first aid kit and you quickly but carefully wrapped Mike’s ankle

~You all decided it’d be best to go inside since the sun was starting to set and they would have to be home soon.

~Once everyone had gone home, you and Steve were laying down in his bed

~“You’re so great with those little shits, y’know? You’re gonna be a great mom to our future kids someday”

~“Our future kids?”

~“I mean, yeah... unless you don’t see us together in the future? Shit, never mind, I shouldn’t have said anything. Just forget it hap-”

~“How many?”

~“Huh?”

~“Our kids. How many?”

~“Oh, I don’t know. I always dreamed of having a big family. Having 5 or 6 little nuggets kinda running around”

~“6?! God damn, Harrington, my poor vagina”

~He let out a laugh and pulled you closer into his chest

~“I mean it doesn’t have to be 6. I could settle for 3″

~“3′s a good number”

~“3 it is. 2 girls and a boy”

~“We’d be awesome parents someday.”

~“Yeah, someday”

[mpregstory]

A ceo has been a asshole to all his employees. One employee has had it. During a work party, him and the boss had sex, which lead to the ceo pregnant with his quads, forcing him to give birth in his office to all of them

The CEO (Zack's POV)

It was the last hot summer day in the office. The air conditioners were once again out of order and the mood was tense. Zack Novak, 23, one of the 14 senior staff, was already waiting in the meeting room with his colleagues and an intern. You could already hear him in the hallway. Dorian Hoyos, 37, for everyone Mr. Hoyos, threw open the door annoyed and looked very stressed. He was always a real asshole to everyone, but today things were much worse.

"Okay you office rats…then put your ideas forward. More quickly! I don't have all day!" Mr. Hoyos rolled his eyes and tapped the table impatiently as the drafts and ideas gathered around him. Meanwhile, the intern whispered in Zack's ear: "He's always such an ass?" Then Zack answered back in the quietest tone: "Today is still one of the good days…He may not have any character, but he's hot, tho" The intern had to giggle a little at that.

"Quiet! Let me see through it…trash…trash…not quite that trash…okay guys what's this about? Do I have to do all the work again now? Because Mr. Novak had the best idea of all of you, and that doesn't mean it still sucks, please, Mr. Novak, take care of the rest of the business. I want the finished ideas on my desk before the end, yes? As an exception, we close 30 minutes earlier so that the other team can prepare the party early enough. I think then that I have to put up with you all again around 9 p.m. Happy anniversary..or something. 20 years of Hoyos Corp. and still only idiots here!"

Zack was in control. He not only took care of the remaining ideas, but was even able to keep the intern busy with other stuff full-time. Everything was ready at the right time and he said goodbye to his colleagues to go home and change.

The Anniversary Celebration

With two other colleagues, Zack was the youngest in the office or at the level of the other employees. He wore a black, semi-transparent shirt to celebrate. He was young enough that the whole 'showing his muscular torso' act didn't seem out of place. He also wore black suit trousers and Doc Martens in the same color spectrum. Like all other employees, he was punctual, but once again there was no trace of Mr. Hoyos. In general, it was always the case that no one but he was allowed to be late, but if he is late, everything is fine. And with this train of thought, he then entered the stage in the foyer:

"Hello everyone. Welcome to the 20th anniversary of Hoyos Corp. We've been setting trends for 20 years with our 34 different trend magazines. I joined as an intern at the time. I have inherited the leadership for 6 years and today I would like to thank you all (for once) for all the work! Let's have a pleasant evening together."

The celebration was a little sluggish in Zack's eyes. At some point he had plundered the bar and got himself drunk.

1 a.m.

Zack ambled to the elevator to go home and get on with his life. He had taken a slightly longer break from alcohol but had completely overdone it again today. When he got in, he hadn't even noticed that Mr. Hoyos got into the elevator, too. They both let the door go and Mr. Hoyos murmured, "That's a really nice…shirt". At this, Zack laughed a little, realizing that Mr. Hoyos was also totally drunk. "Thank you," he replied. There was a long eye contact and then suddenly Mr. Hoyos pulled Zack to him and kissed him intensely on the mouth for a few seconds. After Zack didn't react much, Mr. Hoyos then said: "Please come to my house. After show party just the two of us haha."

It wasn't the first time Zack had accepted such a favor and knowing that Mr. Hoyos owned a large property with a pool there was no reason in his condition to refuse. He already saw himself making out with Mr. Hoyos in the pool.

The Morning After

It was his cell phone that suddenly woke Zack up. Still completely dazed, Zack tried to open his eyes for more than a second to see where he was. The first thing he recognized was a large window front of a large house. What happened yesterday? I was at the anniversary party…then in the elevator and then…oh yeah. OH FUCK! Zack jumped up. Luckily for him he was completely naked and stood in a large bedroom with a huge bed. In a panic he looked for his clothes but he only found his retro shorts from yesterday. He then opened the door and found himself in a large hallway with a staircase to the lower floor. His clothes and a letter to Zack Novak lay on a large couch.

To Zack Novak, Nobody will find out about this! There's $300 in that envelope. Keep them and keep your mouth shut. See you tomorrow at work.

Apparently Zack was alone at Mr. Hoyos' house and so he didn't get dressed straight away but instead searched the kitchen to make breakfast. Only then did he go home.

The CEO (Dorian's POV)

He knew full well that it was a mistake. Not only had he slept and fucked with one of his associates, Zack Novak, but now he was allowed to carry his children. He couldn't realize it himself when he was told on the ultrasound that he was going to have quadruplets and then the idea of having to tell everyone? He was in the 14th week of pregnancy and everyone could already see a sufficient increase of his belly.

The News

Stressed out, Dorian drummed the team together again and Zack was there too. He couldn't say it to himself because he was speechless himself.

"Hello everyone. I got you all together to announce something. I'm pregnant." The whole office was clapping but Zack Novak looked at Dorian with a completely shocked face. After the announcement, he followed him straight into the office. "What the fuck?! Are you kidding me? Pregnant?! Fuck! Couldn't you have told me that sooner?" Dorian was speechless for a moment. But then he offered: "Sit down."

"Fuck, sorry! I was really shocked. Tell me, how did you imagine that?! We have a very big age difference. May I see your belly?" Dorian stood up again and lifted his top, revealing his stomach to Zack.

"Wait…why has it grown so much already", Zack asked.

"Because you got me pregnant with quadruplets."

"What the...! You're joking?! Oh my god! What should I do?! That will not do! This is too much! I have to go!" Zack didn't even let Dorian answer and stormed out of the office.

The CEO (Zack's POV)

Zack had to distance himself. There was silence between him and Mr. Hoyos. They saw each other occasionally at gatherings, but Zack mostly avoided him. For months.

End Of Spring

He stood in front of his property. Should I really go in? Zack took a deep breath and entered the property. It was one of the first really hot days of the year and he only had to walk around the house to see Mr. Hoyos in the big garden. He was obviously in the pool in this warm weather.

"Hey! Hey Mr Hoyos!" he called to announce himself. Mr. Hoyos held himself to the edge of the pool with the water up to his neck and watched as Zack stepped closer. The last time they two saw each other was two months ago, since first Zack and then Mr. Hoyos were on a company trip. "Sit down. I'm coming out," Mr. Hoyos offered.

First Zack saw the water beading off Mr. Hoyo's shoulders, but then he lifted his huge pregnant belly out of the water with a huge groan.

"Oh my god you're still pregnant! I thought you already had the babies." Zack said in a slightly shocked voice. "The four are very stubborn to be honest", Mr. Hoyos explained. Zack got up and grabbed Mr. Hoyo's stomach. "You should be in your…40th week by now…fuck."

I don't own the rights of the upper picture. You can find the original one here

"That's right." Mr. Hoyos grabbed Zack's left shoulder. He then leaned forward with a painful expression on his face: "Ouch! I have to sit down."

Completely overwhelmed and in a panic, he gave Mr. Hoyos assistance and got his two on the couch. "Is it starting!?"

"I don't think so. It's Braxton Hicks. I've had them for weeks. Bring me a glass of water", Mr. Hoyos begged.

Start Of Work

Zack is still concerned. That Mr. Hoyos still hasn't given birth is stressing him out. Yesterday evening, however, was still quite relaxing. Zack stayed for a few more hours and they swam in the pool and, with a few breaks in contractions, had sex in the hot tub. All relaxation at the memories, however, was completely shattered when Zack sees Mr. Hoyos enter the meeting room. He should actually be at home and resting. At least that's what Zack told him yesterday. It's quite hot in the building again and that's really getting to Mr. Hoyos. He's totally stressed out and drenched in sweat, which Zack doesn't like at all. "Mr. Hoyos, can I talk to you privately for a moment," he asks.

After Mr. Hoyos has closed the door behind him, Zack shoots out: "You should stay at home! You're heavily pregnant! Should I look at how you're exposed to all the stress here?!" Zack is on fire. "Mr. Novak. I can do whatever I want! I've been an adult for a long time and I don't have to let YOU tell me what to do and what not to do! I'm…very…fine, and I Got work to do now! Go back to the others! I'll follow you!"

Zack can't understand how Mr. Hoyos got so callous after yesterday. After sitting down again, Mr. Hoyos comes back into the room and takes a seat at the end of the table. The next half hour consisted of briefings around the company, Mr. Hoyos overheated getting upset about everything, Braxton Hicks moaning and other details of the day.

The CEO (Dorian's POV)

But when the meeting ends and Zack storms out of the room, Dorian convulses on the table and realizes in a strong contraction that his waters breakes. While Dorian groans, the staff ask if something is wrong?

"God, call an ambulance! My waters broke!"

All of the staff, except for Zack who left the office earlier, are still there giving instructions to Dorian to track the contractions and help him. One helps Dorian take off his pants as he is begging for them as the first baby is coming. Even if Dorian's feeling of charm has already set in, he sees no alternative and no way back than switching it off completely and concentrating on the birth. Everything goes so fast. In the meantime, everyone in the room has realized that this must be a sudden birth. Even before the emergency services enter the building, Dorian has his first baby. When the second is born, the emergency doctors come to the door and help Dorian to bring the baby into the world. The doctors are quickly told that they are quadruplets and so they all make an effort to bring the other two into the world as well. After the birth, however, the emergency doctors find out that Dorian has lost a lot of blood and since he faints, they immediately take him and the healthy quadruplets to the hospital.

[ryosmne]

Tattoo Artist! Sukuna x reader (part 3)

Hey there again, I had a few ideas of where i wanted to take the third part, I'm very happy with what I came up with, it's very very fluffy, I hope you have a good time reading 💜.

Series masterlist here

Here's a playlist for fluffy Sukuna

Warnings: Language, suggestive tones, alcohol consumption (everyone is of age here, around 21/22), nudity? Not really described, that's about it.

Saturday was slow for Sukuna, he doesn't really like working away his weekends, but here he is, finishing up a chest piece that looked good if he had to say so himself. Everything was luckluster to him compared to the project he was still drafting for y/n.

Speaking of her she hadn't texted him all day, neither did Sukuna. He told himself he wasn't clingy like that, she texted him before she would do it again surely. Y/n didn't pay much mind to him not making contact, perhaps he was busy. She wasn't wrong, she also had initiated most of their text conversations, she didn't want to seem desperate. Sukuna was going to contact her when he was free.

On the other hand Sukuna was stressed, passing in the hallway between the reception and his work booth, checking his phone every once in a while, he was a bit snappier than usual, not letting Gojo's or Megumi's remarks go, he would answer back, his voice almost dripping with venom, he was very much pissed and it showed.

When closing time finally came he was ready to blow up, Gojo teasing him, only made him more agitated. Gojo knew something was bothering him and he wasn't planning on dropping the subject.

"Hey 'kuna, tell the truth, you took her out and she left because she couldn't stand you, that's why you're so mad."

The white haired man joked, you could see the smoke coming out Sukuna's ears.

"Don't call me that. For your information, me and y/n had a great time, quit being an bumbass I'm not mad." Y/n did enjoy herself right? It sure looked like it. Was Sukuna getting insecure? Yes. Could everyone tell he was lying about not being mad? Also Yes.

"Oh so it's 'you and y/n' now? You were right Geto, he's got it real bad, he's not even calling her 'some girl' or something."

Gojo continued to laugh, he was enjoying every single second of torment he was putting Sukuna through.

He had enough though, he grabbed his jacket and his keys, but just before he left the rest of his crew and Yuuji, who came to eat with Megumi to close, he called to the most rational person inside. "Geto, come on I'll drive you home." Sukuna needed someone to talk to, he needed to know he was in the right and not going totally insane. Nanami was really close to him but relationships wasn't a topic he would really touch on. Gojo was out of the question, the man was a womaniser, not that it was a bad thing but he wouldn't even take Sukuna seriously, he only wanted to annoy him for the time being. Megumi was also a no. He would spill the beans to Yuuji, he already had Gojo on his ass he didn't need two more idiots making fun of him, one was barely tolerable. That only left Geto, who has at least had a few solid relationships and he was trustworthy enough not to give him too much shit.

Geto grabbed the chance not to have to clean for one night, but he was very curious about Sukuna's sudden move to give him a ride home, he has never offered that before. Yuuji had tipped him off, he knew his brother wanted to get all of the attention, if y/n didn't make a move, his brother would go insane. He was surprisingly right, so Yuuji told Geto to try and get his brother riled up. Now Geto didn't exactly agree, but he wanted to give Sukuna a friendly nudge to the right direction.

Sukuna had already been driving for a little while, he couldn't find the courage to open his mouth and talk. Has he gone mad? Its not like he's clueless about girls, he's had many. Why was it different this time?

"So how come you wanna drive me around at night?" The raven haired man asked, eyebrow raised, ready to hear what his friend was so on edge for all day, even though he had an idea. Sukuna wasn't one to share feelings, he never did, he couldn't really tell anyone the reason why not a single word from y/n all day irked him so damn much. "Look, so let's say there's this girl right? You take her out, you have fun, everything is cruising perfectly, but then she doesn't really talk to you the next day." He said with a small pause "hypothetically speaking" He added, just to avoid further questions.

Geto looked at him with a blank face, although he couldn't really believe in his ears, Yuuji was right, he knew his friend was falling face first, it still surprised him. He saw the day that Sukuna was stressed for a girl, if someone told him even two weeks ago that this was going to happen happen, Geto most definitely would've laughed straight in their face.

"Well it depends really, for example did you text her and she didn't answer? Then yeah, she's not interested, but maybe she's busy, or she started texting first and she wants you to initiate." Sukuna blinked "You're right she's busy, she has a test too, maybe she has been studying, she'll come around." He said, the words came fast out of his mouth. Geto looked at him again more serious this time. "Look man, I know for a fact, you haven't texted first, you seem to really like her, don't be a pussy and send her one text." His tone was equally serious. "I'm just fond of her, that's all she's good company." Sukuna tried to brush him off, Geto wouldn't budge. "Call it what you want, I know you like the feisty ones, so do many people and you know how college kids are, one party is all it takes to lead to who knows what. Man up, when you do you can bring her around the shop too, you know we all would love to meet her." By the time Geto finished his sentence, Sukuna had already parked outside of his apartment to drop him off, they shared their good nights.

For the rest of his lonely drive home Sukuna couldn't help but think of that party his brother mentioned a couple nights ago, was y/n going to be there? And Geto's words kept replaying in his head.

Geto was smiling to himself walking inside his apartment knowing he did the right thing giving his friend a slight push.

With her hair just the way she liked it, her make-up done and an outfit that extenuated her best features, y/n was making her way down the street to meet up with Mai outside of Todo's place. The walk wasn't too long and y/n caught a glimpse of her short haired friend, who was also dressed to impress, standing right out of Todo's door.

"You didn't wait long did you?" Y/n asked, Mai smilled and shook her head, she was the late one most of the time, she did make it just a second before y/n arrived.

"Let's go, my sister and Nobara are waiting" she informed y/n, who nodded. "Really, I haven't seen Maki in a while, Nobara rarely shows up in class too." She said full of excitement, the girls were friends for a long while, even before college. Mai and y/n ended up forming closer friendship.

"Yeah they're about to remind us of how single we are." Mai loved her sister with all her heart, she was very competitive though and when Maki got with Nobara before Mai could strike up a boyfriend in college, she took it a bit personally. Then she focused her attention on finding someone for y/n, but that never went well. Hopping right up the stairs both girls were talking about what they would see tonight, more accurately who. "So Yuuji is probably going to be here, I asked Todo" Mai said her eyes hopefull, y/n rolled her's and her companion didn't let it go unnoticed. "I really don't get you, he's cute, you even said so." There she goes again, but y/n wouldn't let it slide this time. "You seem way more giddy to see him, than I do." She said, knocking on Todo's door who was waiting right behind it, answering in seconds. Mai was still dumbfounded, she hardly acknowledged Todo at the door and made her way inside with y/n.

Thankfully the sofa on Todo's living room they usually sat on was only occupied by Maki and Nobara. "Wow sis you made it on time for once without someone dragging you out the house." Maki hugged her sister tightly, "I didn't really have a choice, y/n said she would go home if I was late again." Mai, said with a bit of a whine. Nobara went for y/n. "She's giving you hell huh?" Her comment made the girl laugh. "Nah she's fine, she can be a bit of a baby." That line made Mai slap her arm playfully, even when they made digs at each other, it was all in good fun.

Y/n could see Mai out the corner of her eye scanning the room, it wasn't unusual for her to do that, but it was the fourth time the past 30 minutes they've been here. Something was definitely up with her, and when she raised her hand having finally spotted the one she was looking for, y/n was a hundred percent sure of what was going on.

"Yuuji, over here" Mai called hand in the air, a very friendly smile on her face. Yuuji eagerly walked over offering his greetings, his attention was on y/n "Hey, has my brother texted you at all?" That was an out of the blue question. Mai gave her a look "His brother?" She questioned, then looked back at Yuuji "You've got a brother?" Why did he have to say that infront of Mai, she wouldn't leave her alone until she told her everything about the guy, she was at least thankful he didn't mention a date, Sukuna probably hadn't mentioned anything to him. "Oh yeah, he's the one I went to last week and no Yuuji he hasn't, did something happen?" Mai stayed silent, so did the other girls, they planned on interrogating her later, judging by the looks they exchanged. "Oh it's nothing" Yuuji let out a breathy laugh, knowing he plotted with Geto to get under his brother's skin. Payback for the bagels he baked at 4 am was going to be sweet.

Yuuji took a seat next to Mai, who introduced him to her sister, Nobara already knew him short of and the two of them begun chatting casually. Y/n could see the chemistry between them as he complimented the dark haired girl on the way she looked tonight. She could see their eyes meeting, something more than friendliness resided in the looks they shared.

Y/n let her friend have her fun, at this point Maki and Nobara had adopted her taking shots, talking about the annoying situations that have occurred in the time they hadn't seen each other. Nobara in particular, was sharing her frustrations about men not taking her seriously as Maki's significant other and continuing to make moves on her partner. "I shut them down" Maki said proudly snaking an arm around her girlfriend's waist. "I know you do, I just want them to feel a bit threatened" Nobara's eyes drifted to the floor . "What are you talking about? Remember the time you just looked at that guy eyeing her and he mouthed 'sorry'? You're very threatening." Y/n took another shot laughing with the two girls. Her comment was quite comforting to Nobara and Maki knew that things always went Nobara's way, she just liked complaining sometimes, she was the jealous type.

Todo with Takada in hand, who arrived right after y/n and Mai, answers his door again for the multipluth time this evening, seeing the last person he expected. "I thought you were too old for house parties" he taunted at the grumpy man infront of him. "Screw you I'm 26, and I didn't come empty handed" Sukuna spoke, his tone getting a bit friendlier at the last words in his sentence. He passwd the two bottles of vodka he held to Todo. "Well come on in, Yuuji's brother is also mine" he said giving the pink haired man a friendly hug.

Sukuna's eye scanned his living room untill his eyes landed on the back of y/n's head, he headed straight her way.

Y/n heard a few girls around her making a fuss over some apparently really hot guy who just entered, but she didn't bother turning around. That was until she heard it "Huh, who would've known, you actually have friends" That voice was unmistakably his. Sukuna was here. Y/n's heart was fluttering in her chest but the alcohol in her system made it easy to come up with a comeback. "At least I don't pay mine to hang around me." She said, her voice laced with sarcasm, she still didn't turn to face him, she was frozen in place. Mai's, Maki's, Yuuji's and Nobara's eyes were wide and dancing between the two. There was for sure something going on here. Sukuna took a seat beside her casually draping an arm around the back of the sofa. "You're hurting my feelings doll, I'm not that bad" he spoke so softly, she almost got lost looking into his eyes. He looked way too good for her liking, same jewelry and eyeliner as the last time she saw him, his pink her strategically messed up, a silk black button down with the top two buttons undone, exposing his defined collarbones and the tattoos that extended to his chest and neck, black pants framing his thighs perfectly as he sat. Y/n was staring at this point, her friends were silent, taking in the image that was displayed before them. They had never seen y/n flustered or having difficulty forming words. Even Yuuji was surprised, seems like he was wrong about y/n's taste.

Sukuna was enjoying the look on her face a little more than he cared to admit, he would've taken his teasing further, but he didn't want to embarrass the girl anymore and her friends were already shocked. "Aren't you going to introduce me?" He asked her poking her cheek, and y/n could see Nobara was about to blow up.

"Right, Mai, Maki and Nobara this is Sukuna, he's um my tattoo artist?" What was she even supposed to say at this point? The guy she went on a date with and had the best make out session of her life?

Sukuna gave his hand out to the girls greeting them, he noticed his brother a few seats over who was concealing a laugh "you're here too brat" he briefly egnowledged him, Yuuji hummed back a hello in return, turning to Mai who was very eager to hear the details of y/n's and Sukuna's relationship, he sure as hell didn't look like just her tattoo artist.

"Tattoo artist? Really? you don't even have tattoos y/n" Nobara spoke, she just wanted her friend to be honest with her, if she had someone special, she could have said so, they've known each other for years. Sukuna wasn't surprised to hear that y/n hadn't shared that she got tattooed, he could tell she was a bit of a private person.

Y/n took off her jacket that she still had on from when she arrived, to show off the design to Maki and Nobara, Mai had already seen it and she was busy gossiping with Yuuji anyways. "Right, I forgot to tell you" she said, as Maki and Nobara scanned her upper arm with their eyes, so did Sukuna. He couldn't help himself, y/n looked so beautiful in his work. He wanted to cover every inch of her skin she was willing to give him, she could be his personal work of art, she already was one, but he wanted to decorate her in the best way he could and with the most beautiful art he could make. "That looks so beautiful" Maki spoke in awe, Nobara gave a little laugh "it's creepy, but it's really you. "

She took a look at Sukuna then back at y/n "It's very fitting, I don't know how to explain it." She continued.

Sukuna never took compliments that seriously, but hearing y/n's seemingly bitchy friend praise his work and the perception he had of her made him grin widely.

The four of them continued to speak, Maki and Nobara were very interested in Sukuna's line of work, Mai and Yuuji also took their turns in talking when they weren't too busy with one another. Y/n's friends were doing great with Sukuna, she thought he would be really difficult, he has a very explosive personality. Sukuna was putting in all the effort to make a good impression, both to y/n and the ones around her.

"So, did you miss me that much you came to find me?" Y/n asked once the attention was taken off of them. Mai looked to be having a deep conversation with Yuuji whereas Maki and Nobara got up to dance. "And if I did?" Sukuna spoke, his face dangerously close to hers, when did he manage to get hip to hip with her? Then again y/n had grown so comfortable around him, she didn't notice.

"Well, if that's the case, I'm glad you did come." She replied, Sukuna could tell she was a bit tipsy, else he would be making out with her on that sofa not caring who was watching.

Y/n poured herself another drink, thank god she didn't have to get up to get a refill, but Sukuna's voice stopped her movements. "Maybe you should ease up there" he said watching her fill two cups.

Y/n raised a brow at him "since where are you a party pooper? come on it ain't a party without a drink" her voice was playful as she tried passing one cup to him. Sukuna liked this y/n too, she was a bit more giggly, she smiled a bit more, "I'm driving sweetheart". Y/n was satisfied with his answer and proceeded to gulp down on both the cups she filled before Sukuna could stop her. She laughed pointing at him with her tongue out "too slow". Sukuna could only smile and pat her head. She was something else.

Somewhere along the night, Maki and Nobara disappeared and so did Yuuji and Mai. "You better tell your brother to take good care of my friend" y/n's state was getting worse, or more hilarious, it depended on how you looked at it. Sukuna would straight up laugh with some of the things she said, and he was trying his best to keep all forms of alcohol away from her, for her own good. "I don't think you should worry, Yuuji is much better than me in these kinds of things." He replied honestly, but y/n didn't necessarily see it like that. "There's no way he's that smooth" she trailed, the corners of her lips tugging upward. "Well if I didn't know any better, I'd say you liked me, didn't you think I was a dick?" Sukuna asked "Still do" her smile only grew wider.

One thing was for sure, y/n was very demanding when drunk, Sukuna left her side for the first time all night to get her some water, cause she felt 'like SpongeBob under that lamp drying out'. Not even slightly bothered by her request, Sukuna was on his way back to her, that's when he saw some guy standing infront of her trying to talk to her. Y/n even in her not very conscious state didn't tolerate people who didn't respect her "Just one song, come on it won't hurt, you're alone after all" the guy, y/n didn't care to catch the name of said "look, I don't dance, not unless the company is worth it, and I'm here with someone, leave me alone, this is getting annoying" Sukuna observed laughing to himself. He didn't feel the need to intervene yet. Y/n didn't like getting bossed around that's for sure, nor did she need a knight in shining armour to protect her, not that he would mind doing that. Sukuna casually sat down beside her again, ignoring the guy who was still standing there for some reason. That irritated him, it was enough that he tried to make a move on her, but not leaving while he was right there rubbed him the wrong way, "Here you go sweetheart" He said handing her the glass, praying that she won't drop and break it, he threw a glare at the guy who finally took the hint and left. "Thank you 'kuna." Y/n spoke, in a tone totally different from the one she had moments ago.

The nickname alone made his heart jump. Gojo was quite annoying when he called him that, but hearing the same word rolling out of y/n's tongue was completely different. Sukuna couldn't tell why he was feeling that way, he didn't care though, all he knew was that even the air smelled sweeter, when he was around her.

"You don't dance unless the company is good?" He asked, genuinely curious "well yes, if I feel comfortable I'll dance, but I don't really do it that much" she said, eyes heavy looking all over Sukuna's frame. " I see, how about we dance?" Sukuna suggested, he rarely danced himself, y/n made him want to get out of his comfort zone, hell he's already at a house party thanks to her.

"Only if you take some shots with me." She smilled at him malevolently. "You're playing dirty, who's going to take you home if I'm drunk?" Sukuna just wanted to hear her drunken logic "It probably takes a bottle for you to get drunk, you're clumsy, drunk or not, you're probably going to kill me if I get in your car".

Sukuna was full blown laughing, but she was right, her head was still not gone, she could walk and talk fine, she was just more talkative and cheerful, couple of shots wouldn't hurt, he could walk her home after since she lived close by, he remembered the way and then walk back home himself. She also gave him the cutest look he'd ever seen, how could he deny her?

"Ok you win" he raised his hands in defeat and y/n couldn't be happier. She poured 4 shots for them, which they quickly consumed and they were off to dance.

She never pictured him as a dancer, y/n saw Sukuna as the very cool looking dude standing on the bar, probably drinking whiskey with a bit of ice.

Looks can be deceiving, Sukuna was spinning her around, their bodies were pressed together, guiding each other to the beat. Eyes were meeting, body heat was exchanged, they fit like puzzle pieces even like this. Y/n kept looking at the exposed skin of his neck, why did he have to look like that and be this close, her face only grew warmer once her eyes met his and then dropped to his lips. Its not that Sukuna didn't want to kiss her, he would most certainly prefer her to be sober and remember it clearly the next day.

Those last two shots y/n had, in addition to Sukuna's body against hers, made her vision a bit blurry and her knees weak. "Hey doll, everything ok? You with me?" He shook her lightly by the shoulders, he could tell she was growing tired and he noticed how her demeanor changed. "Mhm, I'm sleepy 'kuna" there she goes again, making his heart skip beats. Y/n would be giving him so much shit had she realised she made him feel like that. "Ok then, how about we take you home ?" Sukuna's voice was so mellow, almost like he was talking to a toddler.

He guided her out of the crowded house, Todo was nowhere to be found, so Sukuna couldn't really let him know he was leaving.

Y/n was leaning on him, walking slowly down the street towards her place, but she abruptly stopped and sat down.

"What's wrong?" Sukuna asked, his sound as mellow as before. She was down right adorable, sitting there with a pout of her face .

"My feet hurt" y/n complained, dramatically throwing her arms around, if it was any other person Sukuna would've droped them to fend for themselves. "Really? That's sad" he replied, dropping down to her level, she only nodded, women's shoes are the most uncomfortable thing in the world. Sukuna scooped her up in his arms and carried her bridal style the rest of the way, he couldn't have her complaining and it wasn't like she would remember much either. With her arms wrapped securely around his neck, y/n could feel the warmth creeping up her neck all the way up to her ears, she didn't see the satisfied smile Sukuna wore.

Today went a lot better than he expected. So well that the tiredness got to y/n before they reached her apartment. Sukuna watched as she fell asleep in his arms. What a strange girl, she had both shyness and attitude, she was dancing her heart out no more than 15 minutes ago yet she still managed to fall asleep as he carried her.

Reaching her building, luckily the main entrance was unlocked. Sukuna took a peek at her, he couldn't bring himself to wake her up, she looked so peaceful, but unfortunately he had to. "Hey, which floor are you on?" He whispered softly, that was enough to shake y/n awake. "Third" she whispered back. Sukuna took the elevator up, and he finally reached her hallway, he only wished she didn't get her floor wrong or it would look like he was trying to break into someone else's house. "Doll, can you point your door for me? I'll put you down for a bit, where are your keys?" Y/n pointed at her door, handed Sukuna her keys and groaned as he set her down to unlock it for her. "You're such a brat" he pointed out swinging the door open, her annoyed face looked even cutter under the barely lit hallway.

Lord knows how Sukuna managed to find the light switches in the dark but he made it, y/n looked completely out of it now. He picked her back up and tried a few doors to find her bedroom. He gently layed her on the mattress. Y/n groaned again and said something about being uncomfortable. Of course she was uncomfortable, with her clothes still on from going out, there's no way she wasn't.

He shouldn't care right? He should just let her be and go home, but Sukuna could already tell she would have an awful nights sleep and he wanted her to rest properly. "Were do you keep sleep clothes" he asked, y/n pointed lazily at some drawer. After briefly digging in the drawer, he took out a pair of sweat pants and a hoodie for her.

He reached her frame again, undoing her shoes, sliding them off, next he prompted y/n with her side resting on the headboard so he could have her sit up with her legs dangling of the side of her bed. His hands found the rim of her shirt, her voice stopped him "don't look ok?" Her voice was hardly above a whisper. "I won't look"

"Promise?" She asked holding out her pinky

"promise" he stated locking it.

Sukuna averted his eyes from her body and helped her into her comfy clothes. Only one thing remained "Now come on time to get your makeup off"

"Nooo, I want to sleep" she complained loudly, dropping her body backwards on the bed. "Come on, it's not good for your skin, it will just be a minute, just be good for me" he said grabbing her hand, but y/n turned her head away. That's when Sukuna threw her over his shoulder, the most she could do was weakly hit his back and tell at him to put her down.

Sukuna sat her somewhere in her bathroom, while she still mumbled about being sleepy. He got a washcloth wet, and took a look at the products in her cabinet, she surely had an oil cleanser he just had to find it... bingo.

He pushed her hair out of the way and gently applied and massaged the product on to her skin, giving her instructions to keep her eyes and mouth close, he was extra careful not to cut her with his nails, then he used the washcloth to remove all the make-up that melted off. Sukuna also wore liner, not all the time but often enough to know that some things didn't come off with soap and water. He takes care of himself, his skin, his hair, his nails, everything. He knows a bit more than he's willing to share. Next he followed the same steps with her cleaner, y/n was enjoying herself, half asleep under his touch. He finished everything by applying a serum and a moisturizer on her face. "You've got the cheap stuff." He joked. "Hey it works" y/n defended as he picked her up once more.

This time he layed her under the covers, he pulled them up over her body, looking at her with plain adoration, he leaned down to press a kiss on her forehead.

"Sleep tight, I'll text you." He whispered in her ear, turning around to leave. A hand tugged oh his wrist, the same way he had done to her a couple days ago. Y/n was looking at him with pleading eyes "please stay" she almost begged, "are you sure? Its really late" he said, y/n nodded patting the spot beside her, he couldn't say no to those eyes. He quickly got rid of his shoes and dress shirt, he disappeared to the bathroom to take off his eyeliner and got under the covers with her.

Y/n curled up next to him, laying her head on his chest, taking in all his warmth and scent while listening to his heartbeat, his arm was wrapped securely around her.

" Can I ask you something?" Y/n's voice broke the silence. "Didn't you want to sleep?" Sukuna teased, and y/n took the opportunity to ask anyway. "Why do you like me?" What kind of question is this? Sukuna blamed the fact that she was a bit out it. She had no reason to be insecure, she was stunning and she also had a personality to back up her looks. "Let's see... you're kind of a badass, no one really talks back to me like you do, you're quite easy on the eyes too" what he said was very true, but he was falling for the little details too. The way she picked mindlessly at her food as she talked when he took her out, or the way her eyes sparkled when something peaked her interest. Even her drunken self had him feeling things he never did.

"How come you were single? Judging by your friends it's been a while" The words came out of his mouth before he could stop them, but y/n didn't give any signs of being bothered by his assumption. "Honestly, I don't want someone to fall out of love and leave me behind" Drunken words are sober thoughts. Sukuna didn't want to ask if that had happened to her before, he didn't care, he would do better than whoever hurt her.

More moments passed with him rubbing comforting circles on her back, he was sure she was asleep, her breath was slow and steady against his chest. "I wonder, what would you say if I asked you to be mine?" Sukuna whispered, staring up at her ceiling. "I'd say yes, airhead" y/n mumbled. Sukuna's eyes widened, she wasn't supposed to hear that. "I'll make sure to ask you soon then" he said, y/n looked up at him, this time he couldn't help himself and captured her lips in his, in a very slow passionate kiss. It didn't last long but it was enough to keep y/n's head spinning around with him running through it. "Sleep already, brat"

"okay 'kuna".

The light coming in, beaming through her curtains, woke y/n from a very peaceful sleep, now all she felt was the vodka she consumed the night before. Her head was pounding hard, she reached for her phone on her nightstand. Instead of her phone, her hand made contact with a piece of paper.

Good morning doll.

You're most definitely feeling like shit, but don't worry you didn't do anything too embarrassing. Unfortunately I had to go to work early and you looked cute sleeping, I didn't want to wake you. There are pain killers next to you, you must have a hell of a headache. Don't forget to eat, I made breakfast for you in the kitchen (with all I could manage to find, you should go grocery shopping more often). Text me or I might think you died in your sleep. Have a wonderful day y/n.

- Sukuna

PS I took a peek in one of your notebooks. I was right, your handwriting is really fucking bad.

Of course he had to be his usual smug self, y/n found herself laughing at the words scribbled on the paper that was obviously ripped out of one of her notebooks. His handwriting was as pretty as his drawings, so aesthetically pleasing. He had even taken time to doodle coffee cups, and some trees at the bottom of the page.

The events from the previous night were starting to flood back to her head head. She took the pain killers Sukuna left out for her, he was kind enough to place a glass of water on her nightstand too. Y/n couldn't believe Sukuna not only stayed over, but he also put in so much effort for her, he certainly didn't look like the type to do so.

Walking in her kitchen, what she witnessed, exceeded all her expectations. When she read breakfast she thought he made her a sandwich, which she would've been extremely grateful for. Sukuna had gone all out, from pancakes, to French toast, an omelet and even her coffee served. She just stood there looking at her table, mouth almost hanging.

Her phone buzzed in the pocket of her sweat pants.

You should've told me you were going out with Yuuji's hot brother. I would've never guessed that's your type.

Mai seemed to be in a mood to tease her.

You're right I should've told you, your turn, where did you and Yuuji run off to last night?

Y/n laughed knowing it was going to take a while to get a response. She sat down looking at all the choices she had, wondering what to pick. It's safe to say everything was as delicious as Sukuna.

I'm impressed. You draw, you cook AND you didn't burn down my house, I'm very thankful for that (breakfast was delicious too).

Sukuna, stared down at his phone, all the stress he had two nights ago long forgotten. Only thing that remained was to get y/n right back in his chair.

Happy to hear you're alive and kicking and you enjoy my cooking. I've got to go through, some dickbag wants me to do a cover-up. I'll talk to you later.

He dealt with this client in an unusually polite manner. Y/n had brighten his morning from the moment he woke up next to her.

Bonus Domain shenanigans: "Yuuji was right, I had to push him" Geto said to an agitated Gojo, who wanted to get under Sukuna's skin for a little longer. "Then hopefully he will bring her over, that would for sure be fun, he's going to get so worked up if we give her any attention." Gojo was rubbing his hands together at the thought. "I don't think that's a good idea. I'm not that worried about what Sukuna will do to you, we've both seen y/n, she doesn't even take his shit, I think she'd hit you." Nanami pointed out ."Well I haven't yet seen her, Yuuji said she was nice to him." Megumi joined the conversation remembering his friend talking about the girl, he had zoned out for half of it though. "I haven't seen her either, I did hear her though, she doesn't sound like she would let you pull something like that to him" Geto spoke again. "Nah she looked friendly, we can for sure make him foam at the mouth" Gojo plotted. "I can guarantee, she will rip of your head of if you try your shit." Sukuna was sure of it too.

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