#for the first two it's based on a ficlet im writing

[simonsquest]

Sketches under the cut. All Simon. Some Requiem stuff.

[psychosith]

Stars Around My Scars

luke skywalker x reader

summary: luke sees you shirtless for the first time since you escaped the empire

warnings: mentions of torture, injuries, nudity???

a/n: guess who’s back from their lengthy, unplanned hiatus? me! i’m back! enjoy this little ficlet while i decide what im gonna write next!

two long months you had been held in a star destroyer, subject to endless torture as the general grilled you on various rebellion happenings. it had destroyed you, body and mind. you thought you would die there, alone and bleeding in the cold cell, until you’d been saved by some rebels in stormtrooper getup. it was tricky, but you managed to make it back to the rebel base and reunite with your boyfriend, luke. he gave you space, let you heal from the traumatizing experience.

through your period of recovery, you continued to aid the resistance as best you could. you met with rebel leaders almost daily to plan attacks and missions, and it was after one such meeting that luke followed you back to your bunk.

flashbacks from your time in the empire’s clutches haunted you, and they were looming particularly large today. you were plagued by the memories, and you longed for the sort of comfort only luke could provide. so you asked him if he would stay in your room tonight to keep you company.

the door to your bunk whirred as it slid open and you walked straight to your closet. the dress shirt you had donned for the meeting was itchy and tight and you wanted to get it off. you grabbed a loose t-shirt and headed to the bathroom to wash off while luke settled on your bed. you had been so comfortable with him before your capture that it felt weird to be showering without him, but you knew if he saw what they had done to you he would be too disgusted to stay with you.

so you would bathe separate from him. you didn’t bother locking the door behind you as you shucked your dress shirt off and made to turn on the shower. the warm water let off a gentle steam and fogged up the mirror. you stepped under the spray when the temperature was to your liking and sighed in relief. a warm shower was just the thing to help you relax. the water washed away all your thoughts and feelings and replaced them with a sense of calm.

you took your time in the shower and by the time you got out your fingers were pruned and wrinkly. you had your back to the door and you didn’t register it opening.

“babe…” your whole body tensed when you heard luke behind you. while you were naked. all your scars were on display.

you felt a calloused hand reach for your hip. “don’t touch me,” you bit out. you couldn’t stand to look back at him, the disgust you knew you would find in his face would break you. “it’s gross, i know. just let me put on my shirt.”

“is that what you think?” luke snatched your wrist before you could tug the shirt over your head. “you think that i find you too gross to look at? that i don’t want to see you naked because of these?”

he traced a scar with his fingertip. “yes,” you said, “i know that’s what you think. don’t tell me, please. i couldn’t bear it if you thought me to horrible to be with.”

“i don’t think that at all.” he took your chin in his hand, turning your head up so you were forced to look at him. “you’re so beautiful, don’t you see that? these scars don’t change that. they just show how strong you are, that you could overcome such a thing. don’t ever think they make you ugly. ever. you’re still the prettiest girl i’ve ever seen.”

against your will, you smiled softly. you didn’t even entertain the idea that he might be lying, for the intensity of his words was too strong to be a lie. he took the shirt from your hands and discarded it, leaving it abandoned on the tile floor.

luke led you back to the bed and laid you down, snuggling close beside you. he pressed featherlight kiss after featherlight kiss to your scars and traced them with the tips of his fingers all throughout the night. in that moment, you wondered why you ever thought he would think you less for the trauma you went through.

in that moment, you had never felt more loved

[forlorn-crows]

Oh Crow, may I humbly submit a ficlet request? Please, please, please could I please have a ficlet about Mountain shedding his antlers. -Ghoulette Anon

@ghouletteanon it has become apparent to me that every time im sad, i write about creechur mountain being sad. hmmm, will i ever unpack that?

Every year, without fail. He should know what to expect by now, but every time it’s like pulling teeth. Shedding almost adds insult to injury, always immediately following the earth ghoul’s seasonal (usually taxing) rut. It starts with a dull ache that radiates from the base of his horns all the way through to his temples. Much like a headache that refuses to ebb, it’s a steady pressure that blooms at any time of day and doesn’t stop until the shed is over. After a few days, the itching starts—sharp and insistent, a need barely satiated even by the deepest reach of quintessence. The sensation nearly drove him insane the very first time and had him pressing his horns to the stone abbey walls until the sound of cracking marrow filled his ears. He was inconsolable the moment he saw himself in the reflection of the nearby window panes, eyes wild and red-rimmed, hair knotted around the bases of two freshly-shorn off horns. He looked bald, for lack of a better term. Juvenile. Wrong. 

Mountain’s used to it now, after many years. Even with the playful teasing from his packmates. He admits he does look a little funny until the regrowth starts. It’s all worth it when he gets their undivided attention when the velvet forms, the soft and addicting texture keeping them coming back to pet and caress him, rubbing their cheeks against his horns like kittens.

This shed though? This shed has him wanting to flee to the woods and never come back. Immediately within the first forty-eight hours, his right horn dropped. Which would be a relief if the pain hadn’t migrated to the left and lingered, the damned thing refusing to drop for three days. It’s the fourth day now, and Mountain sits slumped over at the kitchen counter, throbbing head buried in his arms. The cool of the granite helps some, but the itching sensation makes his ears twitch and his claws dig into his own arms. 

“Are we still a unicorn today, big guy?” Dew’s voice is surprisingly quiet, but grating nonetheless.

“Leave me alone,” Mountain groans, tightening the grip of his arms around his ears. Thankfully, there’s no retort from the fire ghoul. Mountain grumbles through another wave of itchiness, fighting the urge to grind his forehead into the edge of the counter. 

“Do you want coffee or tea or anything?” Dew asks softly somewhere in front of his head. He hears the little ghoul rummage around in the cabinets, followed by the clink of two mugs being set on the counter. 

Mountain shifts his head slightly to peek at him over his arm. Dew looks at him expectantly, but not impatiently. If he squints hard enough, he can see the concern start to furrow his brow. “Tea,” he rasps. Dew doesn’t have to ask what kind, he knows. 

“‘Kay,” he says easily. He fills one of the mugs with water, a chunky beige one that Mountain frequently uses. Dew plucks a teabag from the tin, the scent of orange peel and chai already wafting over. 

Mountain hums approvingly, but the sound quickly becomes another groan as the itching sensation grows. His ears pin back low and he grabs frustratingly at his scalp. 

“Can I help?” Dew asks in a small voice.

“Don’t touch me,” Mountain snaps. He immediately regrets it, seeing the way the fire ghoul flinches. “Sorry, I didn’t mean—”

“It’s okay,” Dew reassures him. “You’re hurting.” He reaches out his hands across the counter, palms up, beckoning Mountain to inch forward. The earth ghoul lifts his head with great difficulty and shuffles close enough for Dew to take his head in his hands. Mountain winces when his fingers roam his face and move towards the base of his horns. 

Dew traces the outline of the one already shorn. “Does this one hurt?” Mountain makes a noise in the back of his throat, not daring to shake his head no. “Just this one then,” Dew answers for him. 

“Yeah. Kinda want to just yank it off at this point,” Mountain says sadly. The fire ghoul frames the base of the still-attached horn with both of his hands, pressing feather-light. A slow bloom of warmth begins to radiate from his fingertips, seeping right into his skull beneath the pedicle. 

“Oh,” Mountain chokes out; the heat relieves the gnawing itch almost immediately, leaving only hints of a dull irritation. He has to catch his head in his own hands, the weight of it increasing ten-fold as his eyelids droop with the sudden onslaught of relief. “That is . . . so much better,” the earth ghoul practically purrs, tipping his head further into Dew’s hands. 

“I’m glad,” Dew smiles. He removes one of his hands briefly to slide the mug in front of Mountain, dropping the tea bag in and wrapping his hands around the pottery. The earth ghoul trills happily when the smell of simmering spices fill his nostrils, Dew’s fire quickly bringing the brew to life. Steam soon caresses his face, bringing with it its relaxing aroma. 

Dew shifts the mug slightly closer and removes his hand. “Don’t faceplant into it,” he teases. He moves to take his other hand from Mountain’s head, but the taller ghoul lets out a low growl in protest. “Okay, okay,” Dew laughs, “a little longer.”

[jovenshires]

here are some fun lil hints about the universe iwks is set in:

this setting is something i have directly experienced (though not in a long time)

i have used the english to latin function in google translate more than once while plotting this out

i have multiple charts mapping out where the characters are standing in certain scenes

said this before but ive never read an au like this organically in the wild (although i sought some out before i started writing this fic). idk if there's ever been a smosh take on this but i highly doubt it bc its just that niche

i explore a LOT of different dynamics in this fic but i think theres a very good reason to do so here

this is loosely based on some spencer lore he's dropped a couple times but i don't think any of us have ever spoken about AND a video he was in

i made an accidental reference to the suite life of zack and cody while writing this and its too late to change it

this au is a combination of two other aus that are slightly broader but still both also niche

i told my best friend what the plot is and she laughed at me and said "this makes sense for you"

and some other additional thoughts:

every minor character in this my absolute beloved im insane about all of them (specifically jeremy. oh my fucking god cannot wait for you all to meet my nuanced jeremy take)

i have added a special lil detail in the background of this fic Just for mauricio and im giving brownie points to the first person who points it out

(there are also a couple other extra lil easter eggs in here... references to other fics... bonus shoutouts to other smosh affiliates/collaborators... we'll play a lil game of search and find)

every dynamic between Every character is so intricate in this and i genuinely cannot fit all of it into one fic especially not w spencer "unreliable narrator" agnew at the helm so youll just have to wait for the lil ficlet sequel ! <3

[raccoonfallsharder]

florescence❀ (a meetgroot*) masterlist

navigation | fanfiction masterlist | art masterlist

18+ only MDNI | no use of y/n | f!reader | 5/6 chapters | word count: pending. “The only chance we got is to get to the other side of the universe as fast as we can and maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to live full lives before that whack-job ever gets there.”

rocket & groot leave their friends behind on knowhere, despite the latter’s protests, and end up hiding out on a nothing-planet (with a non-extradition policy) at the edge of the shi’ar galaxy.

it was the flowers that drew you in.

mcu-based, slight au, medium-burn, eventual smut circa Year Four? tentative allies to friends to lovers. the middle is angsty but there are only happy endings here. more notes below the cut.

main masterlist fluff ✮ | spice ✩ | some smut ❤︎‬ | much smut ❤︎‬❤︎‬

Chapter 1/6 Year Zero: Seed ⋆˚✿˖° [9/24] you meet groot and his cranky friend. ✮✩ Chapter 2/6 Year One: Sprout ⋆˚✿˖° [11/1] fruit cobbler & other sweet things. ✮✩ Chapter 3/6 Year Two: Growth ⋆˚✿˖° [12/12] rocket begins to put down roots. ✮✩ Chapter 4/6 Year Three: Flowering ⋆˚✿˖° [4/27] rocket brings you a present. ✩ Chapter 5/6 Year Four: Formation ⋆˚✿˖° [9/24] everything blossoms. ❤︎‬❤︎ Chapter 6/6 Year Five: Dispersal⋆˚✿˖° [??] second chances. ❤︎‬❤︎

this fic is my loveletter to the rocket fankid community ♡ because you're all fuckin golden little maple seeds spinning around a blue autumn sky and i adore you and if i could scrunch you up and steal you away and never let anything hurt you, i would. ♡ and it may not be everyone's thing (which is fine) but please know i am writing it with all the adoration and good will in my silly little heart

*meetgroot is a collection of unrelated drabbles, oneshots, and ficlets im working on where reader/oc meets rocket through groot. because i am cheesy as hell. this will be the first fic in the collection but i'm already working on a doubleshot meetgroot called windfall.

dividers by @/thecutestgrotto • banners by @/saradika-graphics

[petit-etoile]

Its a bit of a prompt request, but one you probably won’t expect.

Would you write something with ur tav and astarion? Im rlly curious on the relationship for these two < v <

i  decided  to  do  this  a  little  bit  differently  &  make  it  mostly  a  headcanon  post,  because  i  feel  like  there  is  still  a  lot  that  is  undecided  for  me !!  the  reason  this  is  a  headcanon  post  rather  than  a  little  ficlet  is  mostly  because  aerea's  class  changes  depending  on  my  mood  ( she  went  from  being  a  cleric  of  selûne  to  being  a  thief-assassion  to  being  a  bladesinger  to  now  being  a  blood  hunter )  but  there  are  some  consistencies  to  their  "story"  that  don't  change  for  me  based  on  the  incarnation  of  aerea  i'm  playing:

aerea  is  a  young  elf  only  around  sixty-four  years  of  age.  she's  reincarnated  ( &  this  is  where  i  either  don't  know  enough  of  actual  dnd  lore  or  am  choosing  to  ignore  it )  &  her  soul  was  plucked  by  bhaal  to  be  corrupted.  the  emperor  appears  to  her  as  her  "ancestor".

astarion  knew  her  in  her  previous  life  when  they  were  both  young !!  they  were  "courting"  &  one  of  their  major  memories  together  is  that  aerea  &  astarion  crafted  perfumes  for  one  another  as  a  gift.  because  astarion  is  undead  &  can  no  longer  access  meditation  to  remember  his  past,  he  only  understands  that  he  recognizes  aerea's  scent  but  doesn't  know  why.  aerea's  memories  are  corrupted  by  bhaal  so  she  doesn't  understand  why  she  knows  astarion  either.

aerea  starts  off  the  journey  very  one-note  and  monotonous,  hardly  reacting  to  anything  that  is  thrown  at  her  until  the  death  of  alfira  which  shakes  her  so  much  that  astarion  becomes  suspicious  of  her.  her  "true"  personality  doesn't  come  out  until  act  iii  where  she  slowly  begins  laughing  &  finally  opening  up  to  the  others  even  though  she  does  have  a  minor  heroic BSOD  episode.

aerea  is  a  very  nervous,  very  afraid  person.  when  faced  with  the  choice  to  take  the  noblestalk  herself  or  give  it  to  shadowheart,  she  practically  insists  shadowheart  takes  it  so  that  aerea  doesn't  have  to  face  her  memories  of  whatever  it  is  that  she  did  before  her  memories  were  taken  away.  she  is  shaken  after  the  death  of  alfira,  being  in  moonrise  towers  makes  her  physically  ill  &  she  is  inconsoable  after  her  fight  with  orin.

i  need  to  find  the  tiktok  user  who  said  this  first  so  i  can  credit  them,  but  aerea  becomes  the  chosen  of  jergal  which  is  how  she  she  becomes  immortal.  elves  already  live  long  lives,  but  this  comforts  astarion  more  than  it  comforts  aerea  &  puts  them  in  a  better  place  relationship  wise  as  no  one  has  to  fret  about losing  the  other.

in  the  moonlight  (my  darling,  do  not  fear)  is  heavily  inspired  by  aerea/astarion !!  she  does  get  severely  injured  fighting  the  orthon,  but  the  suggestion  that  astarion  ought  to  drink  her  blood  as  she  dies  actually  comes  from  aerea  rejecting  bhaal.  she  panics  while  dying  &  begs  astarion  to  do  it  as  she  has  no  idea  jergal  is  about  to  resurrect  her.  he  almost  obliges,  but  jergal  saves  the  day.

aerea  helps  astarion  become  "a  better  person"  by  helping  humanize  him.  astarion  rebuilds  aerea's  lost  confidence  &  although  it  means  abstaining  from  being  a  dastard,  he's  slowly  able  to  see  who  she  has  before  the  possession  from  bhaal.  she  begins  laughing  again  ( &  he  learns  she enjoys  poetry  [ he  begins  writing  some ]  &  cats  [ they  own  two !! ]  &  raising  children  [  they  reopen  cazador's  mansion  as  an  orphanage  post-endgame ].  they  raise  yenna  until  they  very  end  of  her  lifespan.

they  get  privately  married  the  night  astarion  takes  her  to  his  grave !!  they  exchange  rings  &  perfumes.  they  get  married  again  in  obnoxious  elven  fashion.  karlach  is  there  because  i  said  so  ( they  found  a  wish  scroll. )

[devondespresso]

1, 25, 81, 94 for the fanfic ask game! <3

KOKO HELLOOOOOOO ad thank you so much for the ask 💕💗💖💞💝 i went a little wild and had to reign it back in a bit and its still pretty long so apologies in advance

(ask game we're talking about is here but i also have questions next to the answers)

1. do you know how you want the story to end when you start, or are you just stumbling through the figurative wilderness hoping to find a road?

for the vast majorty of my fics i think i have a pretty good idea of where its going to go, i think because i get the ideas of these cool scenes usually set in act 2 or 3 or i at least the vibe i want from the start and The Point is usually clear the second i put thought into it. currently the only exceptions are 1) this super secret (woooo~~~) ficlet im working on that came from a prompt so i had to spend like 3 or 4 days writing it to properly understand the direction i wanted to take it, and 2) the steve henderson au, which is fucking massive already and it's even bigger in my head stnzgns. that one you obviously know how it ends y'know, it aint the steve henderson au if steve doesnt become a Henderson, but for all the arcs i have along the way it took a while to properly figure out what i doing and how to do that and im just now figuring out what that looks like for the first major arc.

so tldr: usually i know, sometimes i gotta figure it out, but i do need to have it figured out before it can really take shape

25. what’s your revision or rewriting process like?

oof ok so i tried writing this and good fucking god explaining everything i do in editing took up so much space. so this is the short answer for convenience but if anyone wants a long answer im foaming at the mouth to talk about writing stjsnystn (the rest under the cut)

the majority of my process is editing and sometimes first drafts are literally unrecognizable from the final. a lot of how i edit line by line is intuitive/vibes based, and whole scenes/arcs/pacing/flow/theme etc etc is based on a really deconstructed thought process for storytelling, to put it as briefly as i can (because this is one of the parts that got really long) its about The Why of everything going into the story. Picking details or making decisions not based rigidly on formula or trends but instead whats best for the kind of story you want to tell (and then making sure to implement it in a way that actually does that in the story).

for small works i prefer to just change shit as i see it and not worry about doing focused passes through the work, but in the steve Henderson au i literally cannot its too fucking big smhdmyxyn so in that case i do passes that span like whole writing sessions just hyperfocused on this one thing. one of my favorite passes is in-character passes where i pick one person (often dustin bc hes a main character), rewatch them a ton to get in their headspace, and go back and make sure everything they say or do fits them as if they were the sole focus if the story. I'll also do passes to focus just on medical accuracy, passes for a specific character duos to keep their story progressing and consistent, passes for ideas that stay between the lines making sure they stay consistent and understanding how much information im conveying, character's specific mindsets that their arc is about and making sure they dont have any unintentional exceptions, literally if its a thing in the text i probably need to do a pass for it so i know its consistent

also more lighthearted stuff tends to need wayyyy less editing time and its a more balanced half solo half beta process. the easiest was the claudia henderson drabble because it was really just a backstory with an active scene or two all rooted in her outside persective.

also sometimes i just start from scratch halfway through, like mr crayola henderson has one previous half-complete version in my doc fhdlas tho i guess thats how drafts are supposed to work

and this is the tldr im sorry i dont want to cut it down any more just read this one its my favourite fdhaskl

81. if you could go back in time and give your younger self a piece of writing advice specific to you, what would it be?

honestly i wouldn't have much to tell them. i didn't start writing fanfic until july of last year?? something like that and i started with the steve henderson au. maybe don't write that one about the triggering thing lol.

actually wait no. id tell them its okay to abandon projects (and maybe tell them not to make some purchases dgnxngsyn) but ye i spent a while mourning projects because they felt like they ceased to exist, but i had several screenplay outlines that probably helped me a ton. in my writing and those experiences never leave me so their existence still had a purpose and value

tldr: dont write your very recent triggers silly goose, dont cry over abandoned art

94. do you prefer dialogue or description?

i definitely prefer dialogue, and with it action descriptions because i still think in movie-medium (tho i am getting better at understanding how the FUCK prose works and especially prose pacing oh my god why can't i just hold on an actors face for several seconds of silence gAAH!!). i like saying things without saying them, i like subtly building towards something body language until a snap, i looooove making blocking relevant in a medium where you're not even seeing the movement with your eyes, and i love getting into a characters head so far that each person has a different way to word something or a different detail they focus on or a certain tick that tells the other character whats in their head.

but i struggle with internal monologue sooooooo hard, its a practiced skill im actively working on to write a characters internal logic about something but still keeping it from being too on the nose about whats really going on. like i can do it but i struggle to fill page time with it because exploring ideas at least for me usually leads to the source and thats decidedly not where the characters going! its a tuesday afternoon! they're not unpacking shit they're trying to have a third coffee!! i also struggle finding the best words for the reader to feel the text, like idk man maybe im using the onelook dictionary wrong but it just does not get me what im looking for in under three looks zgnshnsyn

tldr: dialogue and blocking, good description is witchcraft

_

but yee thank you again for the ask dude!! this was so much fucking fun i fucking love talking about writing and the logic process behind everything. thanks anyone seeing this for actually reading this far 💕

[merakiui]

just a quick question.. how should i write the insert prompt from ur event? im kinda new to this and quite confused hehe 😓

It’s okay! This is also my first request-based event, so I’m also new to it! Please forgive me for making any mistakes. orz

As for how requesting goes, here is an example of the format:

- specify the menu (midnight or morning) you are ordering from. miscellaneous menu is mandatory because i will need to know the type of writing (oneshot, headcanons, or ficlet) and dynamic unless you would prefer me to choose!

- write two treats from miscellaneous menu (i.e. the type of writing and the dynamic) and two treats from either the morning or midnight menu. write the names of the guests (characters) you wish to have in the request. the total is three guests.

- please also make sure to add any specifications such as reader’s gender, whether you want it to be sfw or nsfw depending on the prompts chosen, and anything else that might be necessary to add so that i can deliver an order you will enjoy!!! :D

Here is an example of very basic order format:

May I order assorted macarons + sparkling champagne from the misc. menu with azul and riddle, with banana pudding + red bean mochi from the midnight menu?

I hope it isn’t too complicated or confusing. ^^;;; if there are any questions, please feel free to ask!

[ashafox]

HI IM BACK WITH ANOTHER FIC This one is dedicated to everyone who was so sweet about my little ficlet yesterday! Y’all are right!! Fuck everyone who was mean! I’m writing self indulgent bad fics and I don’t care!

Fruk, oneshot, 1600 words

Arthur has to be cheered up by his husband after he receives a bad review on his novel.

Francis Bonnefoy is having an exceptional day.

It began early morning, when he woke up a split second before his alarm went off, refreshed and ready to take on the day. His beautiful little rat of a husband greeted him with a soft “g’morning, love.” And a peck on the lips (which he rarely does, often complaining of morning breath or Francis’ loud alarm ).

Francis went on to make the most delicious and stunning golden poached eggs for the two of them, actually receiving a compliment from Arthur. Not only that, but his hair cooperated beautifully with him, his golden curls dancing around his face and framing it wonderfully.

After fetching the groceries for the week Francis discovered an old friend of his had moved back into town, and the two scheduled drinks for the following weekend. He hadn’t seen Gilbert since the two were in college, so it was a wonderful surprise bumping into him in the parking lot and getting the fright of his life.

Yes. Francis Bonnefoy was beaming today. He’s in his element, pouring all the passion and inspiration he’s received into his and Arthur’s dinner, a wonderful fresh salmon. You can imagine his surprise when his front door is burst open as if someone was about to rob the place.

Startled, Francis abandons his masterpiece to poke his head into the hall, fully convinced a murderer was about to ruin his day. Maybe he should be disappointed it’s not a murderer, as the sight in front of him isn’t exactly pleasant.

Stalking into the house comes Arthur, kicking his shoes off at the door and slamming it behind him. Francis notes that his husband hadn’t even bothered to place them neatly on the rack. That’s a bad omen in itself. Francis watches as Arthur mopes off into their living room, crashing into the coffee table as he goes. Sighing over the string of poetic profanity, Francis makes his way in after his fireball of a husband, smoothening down his apron.

“Please, hold in your excitement Arthur. I’m not going anywhere.” Francis hums, testing his husbands mood based on his reaction to his one liner. He isn’t even dignified with a response. Arthur is roughly thrown onto his favourite seat, an old dusty thing he refuses to let Francis get rid of. That’s not good. Either someone is dead, or Francis is about to be. Concern knits in Francis’ eyebrows as he moves over, taking a seat on their loveseat next to Arthur. He watches the tremble in his husbands wrist as he rubs his temples, reclined so far back his derrière is barely on the seat. Francis thinks back to what could have brought this on. His questioning look is answered by a tired sigh as Arthur sits up, unbuttoning the topmost button on his shirt.

“The reviews came back from the early access crowd today.” Arthur says, solemnly. Francis chides himself for forgetting- Arthur’s final manuscript had been released to a select few reviewers before it was to be released to the public. This is by no means his first rodeo, Arthur is a well established author. Enough so to keep the two of them afloat on his income alone. But this new book was his baby, a true labour of love if Francis had ever seen one. The first book Arthur seemed genuinely proud of.

Arthur continues. “That… That infamous journalist from the Northeast Times. He absolutely slated my book. Called it a ‘disgrace to whatever beat up computer it was written on. A dry, mediocre attempt at writing that left much to be desired, with prose that read as a dying man desperately attempting to signal for help’. Whatever the fuck that means.” Arthur scoffs, idly picking at a loose thread on the arm of the chair. He can’t look Francis in the eyes, and it’s clear he’s memorised this review from how he retells it.

Francis hates the look of shame on Arthur’s proud face. This tiny lion should be wearing nothing but pride, Francis thinks. He reaches over and places a gentle hand on Arthur’s knee, the Englishman stiffening, and averting his gaze to the side. That breaks Francis a little more.

“Oh, Arthur… I’m so sorry. You expected as much though, right? You know he only gives awful reviews to stay relevant. That’s all they do, those journalists. They find a lovingly crafted work, and they write something sharp and entertaining to read, it’s not personal.” He tries, squeezing the bony knee in his hand. Arthur is cold to the touch.

Arthur lets out a puff of air, sinking back into the seat. “No, I understand that, Francis. I just thought… I don’t know. I’m not even angry at him. I’m angry at myself for letting him get to me. I’m Arthur bloody Kirkland, for fucks sake. I’m on the New York Times bestsellers list! Twice! And this- this article writer is what breaks my confidence?! It’s laughable!”

Arthur throws up his hands in exasperation, letting Francis pull his hand away. Arthur doesn’t normally bring up his achievements. He’s more one to smirk on the side when it’s brought up. Francis winces, this really got to him.

Francis looks to the coffee table and picks up the small stack of documents haphazardly thrown aside by Arthur. He just wants to occupy his hands, to be honest. Keeping his attention off his fuming husband might make him feel more at ease. Arthur hates being observed in his ‘weakest’ moments.

The thought is shoved out of Francis’ head by what he’s reading, however. His eyes quickly scan the sheets of paper in his hand, and he can’t help but balk at what he’s seeing. Every single review, apart from the one negative, is overwhelmingly positive. Each one is a five star.

“Arthur Kirkland- You must be joking.” He scolds, standing up and slapping the back of his hand to the documents. “Have you even read past the one negative?” He clears his throat.

“A thrilling read bringing new insight to the fantasy genre, Arthur Kirkland has done it again.”

“Masterfully written, surpassing my high expectations from the start.”

“I wish I could forget this book so I could reread it again for the brilliant twist at the end.”

Francis slaps the pages back down onto the coffee table and meets Arthur’s slightly shocked expression. His husband stares up at him as though he has grown another head and spat at him with it.

“Now, I’m no expert on writing, but what I am an expert on is my husband and I can tell when he is being a fool. I’m no stranger to masochism but this just takes the cake, Arthur! You can’t be seriously letting a single bad review, and I will repeat, single bad review spoil the whole bunch! Look at these!” He gestures to the pile with as much passion as he could muster. “They loved it, Arthur- and even if they didn’t all that matters is that you love it! And if you’re going to be so stubborn as to interpret what’s in front of you as negative I will personally march you down to the hospital to get your tiny brain checked myself.” Francis huffs, finishing his impassioned rant with the folding of his arms.

Arthur stares up at the slightly reddened face in front of him with his mouth in a tiny ‘o’. The pause causes Francis to falter slightly, Arthur should be far quicker to react with an insult of his own. His worry is washed away, however, when Arthur begins to laugh.

The Englishman snorts, bringing his hand up to his face to cover his mouth as he lets out full on, honest to god belly laughs. Francis frowns, his cheeks heating up with embarrassment at the unexpected reaction.

“What?! I don’t-“

“Good Lord Francis Bonnefoy, you are something else!” Arthur smiles up at him, getting to his feet to meet his height. “Only you could take me at my worst and throw it back in my face!”

Arthur runs a hand through messy hair, looking down at the papers scattered across the table. There’s a small smile to his face, one only containing fondness. It instantly calms Francis down at the sight. Crisis averted.

“You somehow know exactly what to say to me when I get in my own head.” Arthur muses, allowing Francis to side step over and wrap a loving hand around his waist. “It’s a talent, truly.”

Francis smiles, gently leaning his head against his husbands shoulder. “Yes, well. I worked in a nursery. Dealing with spoiled brats was just something you had to get good at- Agh!”

Arthur lovingly flicks Francis’ pointed nose, another soft laugh bubbling up from his throat.

“Honestly,” Francis continues. “I don’t know why you listen to anyone else besides me. I’m the only critic you should worry yourself with, and Iloved your book.”

Arthur hums in agreement, leaning into Francis’ soft embrace. “That’s very true,” he begins. “And I will say, I’m no food critic, but I do believe you’re burning our dinner.”

Francis stiffens, his head whipping around to face the kitchen as the smell of burned salmon fills his delicate nostrils. “Oh, crap! My fish! Arthur Kirkland you rotten little monster, your bad mood surely caused this!” He shouts, rushing off to the kitchen to try to salvage the burned meal.

Arthur turns his attention back to the documents. Leaning down, he gently piles them up and turns them face down, before moving off to join his husband in the kitchen.

[starstainedtea]

some Drabbles i Might revisit in the future::

if you don't enjoy oc x canon,or just ocs interacting w canon characters it's okay. just a buncha hcs and shit anyway. but i'm going to write about it. im going to draw. im going to lore. LAKAN AND THE BOYFS I GUESS, TO THE LIKE, TWO PEOPLE WHO WOULD READ THIS DERANGED THOUGHT PROCESS AIGHT GIVE ME A BIT

FUCKING i hate that chamber is a potential love interest for lakan because OMEN LIKEE HEAR ME OUT GUYS THE FLAVORS HERE ARE ASSORTED BUT THE TOP TWO IS

its basically either

(OMEN) co-workers to best friends to lovers type thing w a monster finding love and humanity in another monster who treats him like a human

or

(FRENCH FUCK) enemies to lovers who wants what's best for the world and has had a prior relationship w a semblance of trust while they try to bring it back for the sake of working together to save the worlds they care for lakan and chamber based on what we have so far (wHAT IFS. COULD BE SCRAPPED IF THE SITUATION CALLS FOR IT) ::

lakan and chamber met a lot before considering lakan is a viable component in the creation of the collider.

chamber might've tried to coax them to join him, but considering he didn't have the best entry and professor doesn't immediately trust people in high stakes situations (funny because of their character developm-)

but they would chat. meet up in the same cafe while they try to understand more about the other, hmm, could write a ficlet about that.

god i just wanna write about lakan's internal struggle in working w someone who betrayed their trust

but it's for the better balance of the two worlds

BUT

?????? HELP ME, DEAR GODS AND GODDESSES

based on my soty w lakan, first time they meet chamber again after all these years, he gets a bigass punch on the face. i mean, it's only fair since he destroyed the collider, amirite.

lakan had a short period of time wherein talking to them is like a gamble: you either have a civil conversation or you get thrown out of their vicinity by a buncha tikbalangs. t tension w the two of them fr fr

the distrust and yearning slowly morphing into a beneficial partnership, then friendship again, huhu

must be nice for chamber to have someone be his friend other than himself, yknow?

but omen on the other hand.

SWEET

ABSOLUTELY SWEET.

OMEN DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO GIVE BACK THE AFFECTION THEY GIVE HIM

like, he was basically their babysitter at first when they were new to the protocol.

their monstrosity makes him feel things, man,they look,, decently normal save for diamond cutting lookinass eyes and the blood drinking thing, but they are someone thats normal enough to pass the radar in people's eyes

and for them to give him such affection and makes him feel good about himself? *heart hands* this shadow was attached and loved everything about them

well, most things, they can be a little too stubborn

omen kinda just

started trusting them more? they're such a sincere and kind person to him that it made his heart melt???

and lakan?? trusts him?? not to hurt them??

ah, the hesitance on his part while lakan easily makes their way into his heart

i am spitballing the fuck here THESE TWO WERE THE ONES THAT R SUPPOSED TO BE

ROMANTICALLY RELATED

BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

LAKAN HAD TO HAVE CHEMISTRY

FUCKING

[lazywonderlvnd]

Top 5 of 2020

ty @tackytigerfic @sitp-recs and @bluebutter-art for the tags, i love u all with my whole CHEST ❤️!!!!

i just came back to the fandom in??? idk august i think and it’s been so overwhelmingly lovely here, truly my heart is so constantly warmed by the kindness and inclusivity of the community. i write drarry for three reasons: i love writing, i love the boys, and i love the hp series. writing fic gives me so much pleasure in the way it lets me explore that world beyond the boundary of the books, and bc it gives me smth to write abt that i rly like writing about, which means i do more writing in general. i get mad at myself a lot for not writing original stuff (with the intention of publishing) but i’ve been reminding myself more and more lately that it doesn’t have to be about that, and furthermore, enjoying writing and having a talent for writing doesnt mean u have to strive for being published. hello!!!!! it’s so healthy to have a hobby u enjoy where the pleasure of the act itself is the point.

anyway! onward to the tagging of people im so grateful for and whomst i love seeing on my dash. if i missed u pls know ily and it’s bc i’m the spaciest person in the world!!! @dracoladon @l0vegl0wsinthedark @faevorite-main-blog @bitozeirs @bisexualronaldweasley @maesterchill @laurisophi @cibeewastaken @drarryruinedme7 @the-starryknight @10pointstodrarry @kinkybazsmolsnow @shealwaysreads @quicksilvermaid @veelawings @marleneingray @peachpety @amortentiaboys yall are the best ❤️

and. finally. my top 5 faves ive written this year! (in no order)

a midsummer affair

this one really just. flowed out of me! i had sm fun writing it and it was the first time i dabbled in a nonlinear narrative too. i love the aesthetics of it, i think it’s one of my best in that regard. thanks to @kinkybazsmolsnow for the prompt that inspired it.

two hours later

this one came out of me in a whole ass torrent of emotion. i started it when i was rereading the series and on book 5 i think, anticipating the end drawing closer and being excited for it and also dreading it bc i know it always leaves me a touch unsatisfied, as much as i love it. and then i finished most of it after i read the 7th. so this was cathartic as well as fun to write. and again, i like the aesthetics a lot. nailed it!

little spaces

this has been so much!! fun to write!! @dracoladon is literally such a gem and makes writing this rp fic an absolute trip. i’m so grateful for it bc it’s been hard for me to get myself to write my longer fics or prompts atm so this keeps me writing and is also an amazing project to boot. so excited for where it’s going.

inside your mind

i’m proud of the length of this one as well as like. the story itself and the way it flows. i owe a huge thanks to @l0vegl0wsinthedark for that, she was literally essential to the planning!!! 

my nonsexual intimacy ficlet

this was a whim based on a poem i wrote for one of my classes and it turned out way better than i expected. kind of in love w it tbh! and the art by @bluebutter-art is.........deeply iconic, and im so wildly grateful for it

[bisexualoftheblade-old]

how many wips do you have? like what are they all, and not the number of wips in a fandom? what are all the names?

okay. fuck you. fuck you so much. fuck you.

i’m putting this under a read more cut no one else deserves to see this shit. a lot of these are requests, and for those i will just write out the request itself

Shadowhunters:

domestic polycule fluff with tem, jessa, and will because im not a coward

Supernatural

- hehe hoho i request destiel hehehe

- request 61/? cai cai cai cai i need you to rewrite the destiel scene but yk. GOOD. not like i'm in the know about the spn fandom or anything, it's been years for me. but DO IT

Bright Sessions

- caleb/adam grisha AU

- mark bryant vs. united states aka sue the AM

- caleb/adam college fluff

Umbrella Acaademy

- request 31/? i want a ben and klaus drabble please spare me some brotherly bickering

- AND SO BEGINS NIGHT 4 with request 13/? oooh oooh can i get a raymond and allison playlist??? i think their vibes together would SLAP

- hi there night 2 is technically morning 3 but who's counting not me anyway request 5/? can i get a ben moodboard? gotta rep my tua bb

Percy Jackson

- request 9/? can i get a percabeth moodboard or quote edit?? like god they're the og couple goals take me back to high school cai

- For the 100 follower things :D Jercy getting caught in the rain

- request 29/? a drabble about literally anything to do with pjo. i’ll be happy with anyone and anything i’m love these children

- *somersaults in like I’m a real fancy acrobat* hello ello ello may I request some camp half blood chaos possible involving *does a flip* ✨side characters✨ <3

Penumbra Podcast 

- request 52/? drabble about the penumbra podcast. this is for ren bc ren likes it and i don't actually know anything about it. juno? i think? that's the one ren likes. write it for ren

- Tpp ghost hunting / buzzfeed unsolved au

- sad juno smut

- final resting place fic go brrrr

Marvel

- request 6/? i'm going to my roots y'all can i get a spider-man playlist? if not a playlist then i'd honestly be happy with literally anything involving spider-man

- request 15/? i'm going crazy this is recorded evidence of me actually losing it ANYWAY can i get a quote edit for something from iron man? literally anything that man says is gold so cai's choice :D he deserved better in endgame i'm still bitter

- request 42/? do another spidey thing that differs from the other spidey thing

- request 73/? you have Opinions. rant about infinity way and/or endgame. go.

- request 74/? quote edit for deadpool!!

- spideytorch relationship character study

- peter parker as a tired grad student monitoring the young avengers (send help)

Six of Crows

- okay listen i wasn't going to request anything bc i worry about you but also? if you want to/have the time hit me with a playlist for our girl nina zenik

- request 43/? fuckin give me the ending anya should have had. she is alive and with her new son and having a great time

- request 45/? inej moodboard?

- request 47/? will you make literally any meme of your choosing for six of crows?

- request 48/? write a drabble for kaz, my favorite bastard

- okay so i don't actually like nina or mattias that much but i still wanna hear about your thoughts (and also see if you'll change my mind)

- kaz brekker turning 18 fic. birthday party, everyone singing, whole shebang. i need it stat

- religious trauma fic aka i started shipping kaz/alina/inej and i can’t stop

- kaz trauma soup (he has D.I.D. and you can’t prove me wrong)

- my two redacted fics for @grishaversebigbang​

- wesper fake dating

- six of crows bright sessions crossover: everyone gets therapy

TMA

- uhh... s1 gang having a nice time? melanie getting to have some Pride™️? some "fun" horror thing?

- request 7/? spare steph and jason bonding? please sir? spare some for a humble child such as myself?

- okay so this was meant for night 3 but i had midterm shit SO this is honorary night 3 let's DO THIS request 8/? i want a moodboard of extremely out of context magnus archives shit like i mean confuse the FUCK out of me i don't go here i know Nothing about it

- request 11/? OKAY so i need tim stoker meeting tim drake now i need my timmy to meet your tim plus i want to see character differences no i'm not trying to create a tim stoker in my head so i can read a's fic while NOT thinking of tim drake whaaaaaat you're crazy

- request 18(i think)/? i need a quote edit of every time within the first like. 15 eps of tam where jon is like “sounds fake but go off” thank u bb

- request 40/? i challenge you to write a tma drabble based only on the episodes i've heard. i'm currently halfway through episode 23

- Jon being lovingly bullied into taking a break. I'm aware this has been written a million times but it is one of my favorite things.

- spiral!sasha AU

- extinction martin go brrrrr

- high school era timsasha. they've both been friends for years, and everyone always asks when they will be a couple. they decide to fake date, to prove everyone wrong and show what a bad couple they would be. turns out that's a bit trickier than they thought

- after sasha comes back, tim is broken. he can't let go, scared that if he looks away for even a minute he'll lose her again. sasha suggests shibari as a way for him to give up control

- sasha pov mag 19 au, sacrificing herself to save the others, knows that if she gives herself up to the not!them it will let the others live

- this is the "tim finds a polaroid of sasha" trope

- early archives days,, long nights in research,,, clothes sharing,, somft. late nights and falling asleep at their desks warm and safe in the other's presence

- two parts: timsasha as kids, each picking a constellation that is "theirs". just soft kid antics. tim at sasha's grave glancing up to see their constellations

- continuing your job’s a joke (you’re broke)

DC Comics

- TIMSTEPH HADESTOWN AU,,,

- my redacted fic for @batfam-big-bang​

- request for you to get a decent amount of sleep? serious answer, dickkori, SAL's Venus

- request 4/? timsteph morning after 👀 mayhaps?

- a concept: nonbinary stephanie brown

- teehee hi mom, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, but can i request damian angst for your accomplishments 100 followers?

- hi you can ignore my first request if you want, or you can ignore this one. but bls possibly write some bikini ra’s? -the bikini bitch

- request 27/? jay is asking through me for a jondami playlist but tbh i also want it so win win yk?

- "I don't know how to help you but I can help you find someone who does" with bruce and jason? im just craving bruce being a good day to jason for once

- “I am putting you in time out because you need to understand the consequences of your actions.” with steph and jason as dumbass disaster bi best friends pretty please?

- request 32/? timsteph patrol date!!!

- request 33/? timsteph *gala* date? mayhaps??

- request 37/? tim drake drabble but make it Edgy cai

- request 39/? drabble of a prank war between tim and damian

- joyfire cuddly fluff please? or like just any outlaw fluff if joyfire isnt your thing (feel free to add every member of the outlaws, dont feel like u gotta stick with jason, kori, roy i love them all)

- barbara and robin! jason fluff? bonding over books or something?

- request 62/? i need a drabble about the chaotic trio jason, tim, and steph i'm love them ty

- request 63/? batfam x mcu crossover. batfam meets ironfam. give me ALL the cliches. ALL OF THEM

- request 64/? young justice x young avengers - jay cuz idk SHIT about the young avengers

- request 66/? jondami moodboard pls and ty

- request 67/? timsteph moodboard!!!!!!

- request 69/? HEHEHE kinky 😏 i would v much like a timsteph drabble of the almost first time. does that make sense? like i don't want you to go all the way NSFW cuz i know that's against the rules and i'm a rule follower. but like they *almost* go all the way. this could be fade to black or some shit i don't care just make it a lil steamy and have Fun

- i request damian angst! all of it

- hmm... maybe i request? jondami?

- mayhaps,,,,some batfam,,,,,committing crimes? ily be gay do crime <3 - lu

- How about a ficlet with Steph and Cass?

Found Family Bingo Prompts

- no powers au

- tunnel

- first day

- join the club

- hurt/comfort

- experiment

- playing favorites

- hold on

- possession

- 10 o’clock

- singing

- road

- snitch

- curfew

- timer

- fantasy au

- zombie au

- dreams

- campfire

- are you okay

- movie night

- games

- scared

Miscellaneous

- a request: Write A Drabble, Coward

- is it too late to request a moodboard for me?

- request 20/? i’m going off book because i’m in a Chaotic Mood™️ can you just absolutely vibe check me like go off cai demolish me

- request 21/? i formally request that you pick a favorite cai. i don’t care what that favorite pertains to, just pick a favorite something

- request 23/? roast me

- request 24/? can i have a buzzfeed unsolved spoopy playlist but spoiler alert it’s not spoopy bc shane doesn’t believe does this make sense it has been a Day™️

- request 25/50 i want a jake and amy fic make it Soft cai i’m love them b99 is so good

- request 28/? i know nothing about the lord of the rings so make something that will confuse the shit out of me

- request 34/? malvie and jaylos moodboards 😈

- request 35/? a moodboard for the bbb mods!! perceive all of us!!!

- request 36/? moodboard for the tua mods too???? mayhaps??

- request 41/? doctor WHO? idk but i want a drabble of him and the one character i know from doctor who which is rose

- request 46/? make an alignment meme with our group, have fun!!!

- request 49/? i want you to kin assign me a character from every fandom you can/want to. go feral

- request 50!!!!/? this is a special request. the most special request. can you make a bastards tbh playlist? i want our vibes encapsulated. i want us in music form. i want to hear those songs and be like "that's me and cai" and smile.

- requests 51/? i know jack shit about good omens. explain it to me in the most confusing way possible. make me know less by the end than i know now

- request 53/? can you write a mel aesthetic? i'm Curious

- request 54/? give me a list of book recs cai i want some good book recs pls

- request 56/? edit a picture of US together too

- request 58/? oooh can i have a disney edit? like. hm. i just really love disney and i want anything to do with disney. like a quote or an aesthetic or an aesthetic edit i just want disney.

- request 59/? i would v much like a recipe for carbonara. i've never had it but it sounds fucking delicious

- request 60/? ooh hey can i get a makeup tutorial? i know you like makeup, i'm shit at doing makeup. teach me

- request 65/? i need the most emo playlist you can make that vibes with dear evan hansen thank you

- request 68/? i want a superwholock moodboard. this can be serious, with the actual fandoms in mind, or literally what the era felt like. the insanity. the horror.

- request 70/? ooh ooh ooh do you have a good bread recipe?? i wanna get that bread

- request 71/? i want a playlist with the vibes of summoning a demon. please don't ask questions. i don't have answers. and if i do, no i don't.

- For the requests, how about writing something based on a friend?

- request 75/? MMMM i want literally anything to do with natasha, pierre, and the great comet of 1812

- request 76/? i want some healthy recipes. help a girl out

- a feral bbb quote or two?

- you perceive my plant but now I dare thee to perceive mine own visage

- okay this is a two for one request. 1. you did the bee movie script so now we need a shrek two script edit 2. sleep please

- Pansexual mb for my lil queer soul?

- my (probably) final request is just for you to ramble about something, i don't really care what

- HI ILY CONGRATS AS WELL CAUSE IM LATE BUT CONGRATS. could i request a pirates of the caribbean (or just pirates) or whatever you what to do, free range.

- mood board for the beluga whales who got brought to the animal sanctuary in Iceland please?

- 100 follower request: Moodboard for my stuffed cow Oaky?

[phoneybeatlemania-bit-the-dust]

Uhhhh, idk if I'm asking for this late and somebody already asked you to write something, but for the dribble/ficlet ask, could you try writing a story based on the dialogue prompt on number 9? “You know, it’s okay to cry.” With John and Paul of course, but you don't have to do it if you don't want to.

SORRY sorry sorry this took so long, ive just been lazy busy this week! @johns-diqi also asked for no. 9, so here you go my lovelies <3 

PS. I haven't written in a long time, so the writing is pretty awkward, but I hope you enjoy anyways!

***

April 17. 1999

One year since Linda had passed – this isn’t going to be an easy day.

Paul turns to the clock sat beside the bed he now shares with John, 06:32 am. He decides he'll never get back to sleep, and lying awake trapped alone with his thoughts would serve only to dispirit him, so he might as well get up.

He’d been back with John for a few months now, neither of them had planned on initiating any type of romance – simply after Linda had passed, they started getting in touch more and more; John started taking flights to see Paul more often, and Paul always welcomed his company.

After about 2 months or so, Paul invited John to stay the summer with him, and John accepted, since he had divorced Yoko some years prior, but had failed to find a sustainable relationship since. At some point they’d started drunkenly kissing, just like when they were two teenage boys in Liverpool; but that light-hearted kissing was quick to turn into something more – and eventually they realised their relationship had not just been renewed as something sexual, but had reverted back into the deep romance they’d felt for each other all those years ago through the 60’s.

Despite his overall contentment in his long, though deeply complicated, relationship with John over the years, Paul still wasn’t over Linda. Of course, he never would be, they were married for however many years, and some part of him would always love her – but he was happy to be with John now, and given time he knew he could move on.

He was standing by his kitchen counter, brewing himself a cup of coffee, and though he was deep in his thoughts, he could hear the sounds of Johns footsteps. His partner wrapped his arms gently around his torso, and kissed his cheek, then adding “Are you okay?”

“I’m alright love” he replied with his best attempt at enthusiasm.

For someone who barely knew Macca, it would be quite a convincing act – but John knew him the best, and had learnt over the years all those tricks Paul was inclined to use to dissuade people from ever getting too close. Pausing, John then continued with, “Paulie…I won’t be hurt if you aren’t okay. I know you love me, but you love her too, and that’s okay.”

Paul turned his neck to look at him, “Thank you Johnny. But really im okay. Okay?”

“Okay” John said half smiling, then untangling himself from Paul. He understood that this easy-going attitude was a façade, but he wasn’t going to push him into talking if he so clearly didn’t want to.  

“Are ye having breakfast then?” Paul asked.

“Nah, im gonna go take a shower” John said, already half-way across the room.

“Okay love – my kids are gonna be here at 9:00 by the way!”

***

It was Mary and her family who’d arrived first – Paul had seen her not too long ago, after she’d given birth. Then came James, then Heather, and finally Stella; there’d also been some slightly more distanced relatives, as well as close friends of Linda’s.

It was a nice day – Linda would have wanted it that way. They cooked and they drank, and they joked and they laughed, and though there was a beloved presence missing, they still had a good time together.

But sooner or later, after everyone was just about surpassing tipsy, and had been telling and retelling those nostalgic memories from the farm, or from the studio, or from wherever it may be, Paul had disappeared upstairs. Noticing he’d been gone for 20 minutes or so, John snuck off to look for him.

He found him sat on the edge of their bed, looking out the window, though clearly caught up more in his thoughts then anything outside that window.

He knocked gently on the door, then asked, “Are you okay Paul?”

“Im fine, yeah, thanks” he rapidly retaliated.

John took a few steps closer to his partner, then muttered “Paulie…”

Sat beside one another on their bed, Paul sighed and continued, “I just- I just miss her. Cause she was here for so long, and now she’s gone y’know.” His voice was closing up more with every word, but he still persisted in saying, “And im getting along okay now, and im not depressed so often anymore, but looking at those photos…I dunno. I-” he paused as a tear slid down his face, he swiftly brushed it away.

John replied carefully with, “Y’know, Paulie, it’s okay to cry.” then wrapping an arm around his partners waist.

“I don’t need to cry…” he replied defensively, though it was clear that by now there was a plentiful amount of tears running from his eyes already.

“You don’t need to, but its fine if you do. We’re not in Liverpool love, you can let your guard down.”

He tried to reply sternly with, “Johnny…” but he couldn’t even finish the word without his voice breaking halfway through. With all defences abandoned, Paul simply curled up into Johns arms and wept and whimpered, for all that he missed about Linda; John understood any resolution he could offer him would simply be futile, and knew it was best just to let him weep – and so he held Paul in his arms, affectionately rubbing him, as his boyfriend held his face in his palms pouring out all those emotions, all the shame and regret and pain that is unfortunately so imperative to grief.

***

After some time had passed, Paul started to calm down, and soon enough he’d stopped pouring his eyes out. And it seemed that suddenly he was enlightened by that newfound liberty a person feels after they’ve cried – as though they’re no longer confined with all those emotions that had been clogging up their head for so long. And just like John had been murmuring to him all day, it really did feel okay now.

“I love you, Johnny…” Paul said quietly, now smiling as he bundled his arms around his partners neck. He brought him in for an impassioned kiss – but he was quick to break it off by adding “I love you, but my kids are gonna be wondering where the hell we are, so we better get back!”

[mediawhorefics]

Hi marie! I am interested on how detailed tts is! And i love the fic generally. May i know how you wrote the fic?? Like do you find the info abt the place first or you are actually live there haha? Also do you plot first before you write a full fic?? How do you know abt this place?? SORRY IF IM ASKING TOO MUCH! YOU CAN IGNORE/ DONT ANSWER IT ITS OKAY! 😅

hiya :) 

so tts was kind of a weird one in terms of how it was made. i’m a huge researcher when it comes to writing in general & i write a lot of historical aus, so diving in and researching a lot is often the first step for me when it comes to writing. but tts was a little different in that it was a combination of my research for a different project, my lifelong love of lighthouses, a prompt sent to me by an anon & my own experiences in/love of scotland. i lived there for two years, though not on any of the islands. 

so a few years back, as i was finishing uni and preparing to move to scotland, i signed up for this exchange where the concept was you received a quote as a prompt and had to write a fic based on that. i can’t remember the quote i had but it was something a oscar wilde one and i got really interested in writing a murder mystery/dark fantasy story set somewhere remote and isolated. i wanted to write a story where a series of shocking & slightly supernatural murders take place on a remote island with a very small population and a journalist comes to the island to write a series of articles about it. i got to busy with real life and had to drop out of the challenge, but i had found & thoroughly researched fair isle as the perfect setting for this story. harry was going to be the journalist coming in from london to investigate and louis was a sculptor who lived in the lighthouse at the tip of the isle; a recluse and an outcast; everyone’s favourite suspect. i made the choice of him living in a lighthouse because i love them and it’s been a dream of mine to own one and live in one for literally decades haha.

obviously, this story didn’t end up happening. but many months later, after i’d already moved to scotland, i received an anon essentially saying ‘ i wish you would write a story where recovering alcoholic/addict harry shows up to louis’ little b&b to recover’. now i rarely take other people’s prompts mostly because i’m very picky & fussy with ideas, but this one really inspired me and i basically said ‘okay, but it would HAVE to be set in scotland and the b&b HAS to be in a lighthouse’ and i just wrote a mini drabble outlining the main plot of the fic. people got really excited about the mini-outline/ficlet; i had lots of messages asking me to make it a full-length fic and big bang season was starting and tbh.... the idea wouldn’t leave me alone. so i signed up to write it and the rest is history i guess! 

but because i had done all this research on fair isle already, it was the only place that made sense for me as a setting. i’ll be honest though, not all of it is accurate; i used inspiration from other scottish islands and my own imagination to create this fictional version of fair isle. and some info in the fic is no longer up to date; like the whole no power at night thing! that changed while i was writing it :) 

so yeah, i def. found the info about the place first and no i don’t live there. from what i know, it’s a very tiny very closed community. and unfortunately, even though i lived in scotland, i never had the chance to visit. it’s not thaaaat easily accessible haha 

and yeah i def def plot first before writing. i rarely have a fully detailed outline before i start writing, but i’ll normally have the ending (or the Big Emotional Catharsis moment) planned as well as all the big beats. i research, make decisions on vibe, atmosphere, aesthetic, first, then i outline and then i write. though i guess with historical stuff, the research lasts the entire time you’re writing more often than not haha. 

anyways hopefully that answers your question <3 thanks for reaching out and for reading the fic x 

[lo-fi-charming]

tagged by @callmearcturus

Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Send me an ask with the title that most intrigues you and I’ll post a little snippet of it or tell you something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

god it’s not gonna be ALL of them, and only the TMA ones, bc otherwise ;lskdjf;laks (also im not tagging anyone else, anyone i would’ve has already been tagged and it would be too many anyway lol) 

the taste of midnight - we know this one, it’s the magic au

Turning Pages - hanahaki au, almost finished though! final chapter’s basically written, just needs a proof

peterjon - silver comm - what it says on the tin! a commission for a friend~ arranged marriage au

fairytale jondaisy - another obvious one (the beast of the new moon)

jst - secreeeet hehe

petermartin - shoulder to shoulder - the wip of my pmart week fic, which i need to try updating soon... next chapter’s about half done

TwiTMA Quick Prompts - i guess i’ll count this one sorta? it’s the doc where i keep all the short prompt-based ficlets i write, based off suggestions from folks on twitter (mostly m/e-rated)

In Pursuit of Clear Blue - this is the witch!martin / monster!jon au that i started posting but put on pause! 

jonmartin cnc - this is the doc for The Shadow of A Dream

Sashay Days - the doc for what i’ve properly written of me n zyka’s buckwild peter/martin/elias au

sexy leitner fest - the doc i was keeping my entries for the event on. currently it’s got a starter for a hypno martin fic and the outline for a micro elias fic on there

optical allusions - a martin/michael (distortion) au fic i started writing a long time ago! it’s one of the first tma fics i had in mind and started working on. stalled indefinitely due to my interest in other things, but i still like the idea for the fic and would like to get back to it someday

werewolf daisy YES - KINDA SELF EXPLANITORY ;lskdjf

honorable mentions for things that are no longer wips but have amusing names: 

jondaisy TWO *airhorns* / size queen martin / nap problem 

[its-tortle]

2020 fic year in review 

sorry it took me so long to get to this! i was tagged by @godfreysroman @justice-for-plums @metalbvcky @hbalbat @buckybees @hawkeyeandthewintersoldier and @musette22 💖 thank you all so much for tagging me! i love you all!

Total number of completed stories: 16! some of them are super short, but definitely 10+

Total word count: 88,215

Fandoms written in: MCU (Captain America), MCU RPF, Stranger Things, Wonder Woman (DCU)

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d expected? i literally was not writing in the beginning of the year, so definitely more. it’s actually crazy to think about.

What’s your own favourite story of the year? there’s a few, i think. the first fav that comes to mind is my stucky ficlet you call me late at night, i pick up every time, just because i really like the way its written. content-wise, it might be begin again. honorable mention to what you had and what you lost because it was first and it’s longest and it’s most well-developed.

Did you take any writing risks this year? i did, i think. i think that getting back into writing in and of itself was a jump i had to take, and i for sure doubted it at times. i also had a few instances where i felt shitty about something i wrote, and then posted it anyway (usually because @hi-im-red is my rational brain) only for it to get a whole lot of love. i’m ever grateful to you guys for that.

Do you have any fanfic or profic goals for the new year? yes! first things first, i want to finish both of my wips. i want to post at least two more longer multi-chap things this next year and also try my hand at some evanstan.

Most popular story of the year? going by kudos, it’s what you had and what you lost. for the mcu, it’s begin again closely followed by if u love me now.

Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion: my wonder woman x mcu crossover passed down like folk songs! i’m thankfully not too bothered by it, because it is quite niche, but it really has not gotten a lot of love lmao. i’m quite proud of it nonetheless and am well aware than because it’s so unique, it could well get some more love later on. i just need to focus on finishing the last chapter now.

Most fun story to write:  passed down like folk songs.it was just so much fun to find ways to fit diana into the mcu and outline her friendship with steve rogers.

Most unintentionally telling story: ooh this is tough. maybe if you’re thinking that i’m gonna act like those boys, because it’s just so self indulgent and based entirely on a scenario/conversation running through my mind while trying to fall asleep. it’s plotless and imo not that great, but it’s just something my brain spat out without much of my input.

Biggest disappointment: i’m truly bummed at myself that i hit such a wall with my christmas story. it just did not work out and i feel kind of shitty about it.

Biggest surprise: all of you guys. i started writing in march, and now i’m at 88k+ posted words, and it’s because of your continued love and support. i honestly did not think this would happen.

thank you all so, so much for sticking with my fics and i this past year. i hope to deliver more goodness in 2021 💗💗💗

i’m not tagging anyone because all my writer friends seem to have done this already, and if not they’ve almost certainly been tagged. if you haven’t done this and would like to, go for it! consider this your tag :)