#good luck trying to figure out what it’s about

[mixingandmelting]

hey so how do you think the bat boys would deal with a sweet yet fiesty crush? Your jealousy post got me thinking. How the boys deal with jealousy over a crush, but what they do with a crush who isn’t prone to jealousy? the boys ask if crush ever gets jealous over a crush and s/o is like “no. I don’t own him. I have no right to feel jealous over him since we’re friends. And if we date, I’ll just trust him. He’s not my property. If he does cheat on me, I’ll hunt him down and kick his ass cuz I imagine we’d agree about committing at some point”?

Dick:

You don’t get jealous. Huh. 

He slouches on the sofa, arms crossed and cheeks puffed out. No he’s not sulking, he’s just stumped. Your words make sense and give him another reason for him to like you. But what does that make him? Here he is, getting bothered by everyone close to him trying to show off how much closer they are to you while looking at him. Especially Wally, yes bros before hoes but he really needs to stop putting his arm around your shoulders whenever the three of you hang out. Not to mention the smug smirk the red head sends him knowing he won’t be able to do anything about it. “Oh, I’m just being friendly” his ass. 

He suddenly feels something tugging at his pants. Looking down, a tiny smile forms on his face as lifts Haley up to his eyes. 

“Haley, would you get jealous over your crush?” 

He heaves a heavy sigh when she tilts her head questionably. Figures. 

Plopping her on his face, Haley barks energetically most likely from him blowing raspberries into her tummy in attempts to vent out his frustration. He has it so bad for you… Why does life enjoy making things harder for him including his desire to simply ask you? 

Jason: 

Welp. That’s a problem. Don’t get him wrong, it’s great and a relief for him since it means you're a green-flag, pro-healthy relationship type of a person. Problem is that he likes you. And he’s trying to gauge if you like him back so he can know if he has a chance with you. Jealousy is one of the biggest indicators of figuring out if a person likes another person seen in books, TV shows, movies, real-life (he’s totally not talking from first-hand experience). 

But you don’t get jealous. He’s not a jerk to plan to purposely instigate you into jealousy but considering it’s one of the more obvious signs, he was hoping he can use it as a form of proof that the feeling was mutual. So much for that plan though. 

Feet propped up on his desk, he slumps deeper into his chair and takes grumpy chomps out of his chili dog. Seriously, what does a guy gotta do to figure out if he’s able to ask someone out around here? 

Apparently everything that annoys him when the chili slides off the hot dog and onto his white t-shirt. 

“Shit.” 

Mentally he flips a finger into the air as he makes his way to the sink. To whomever is sending back luck towards him, he sincerely expresses fuck them. 

Tim: 

He’s not bothered by it. It’s a perfect response that shows the positivity in being in a relationship with you. So, he’s not bothered by what you said whatsoever.  

That’s what he tells himself, approaching his third hour of searching up if it’s normal to not feel jealous when crushing on someone on top of all the other signs of having a crush. Aggressive mouse clicking and tapping of the keyboard filling the room as his eyes drill holes into the screen.

All the articles say that it’s fine and usually points towards a good sign. He’s thinking the people who wrote them have never been in a relationship before and don’t know what they’re talking about. 

Groaning, he leans back and spins himself in circles. It’s not them. Or you. It’s him. He’s the problem. He’s grasping straws, hoping his feelings aren’t one-sided. That he’s not being odd or -wait. Hold on. Is he being a red-flag???

His eyes shot wide open, he rolls himself back to his desk and fills the room again with clicking and tapping. Only for his phone to ring. 

“Hey, Tim! Do you want to-”

“Do you think I’m toxic?” 

By the end of the phone call, he’s offended. He was asking a genuine question; what did needing sleep have to do with this?

Duke:

He flips to one side. Then to the other. No matter what he does, counting sheep, listening to black out noise, he can’t fall asleep. 

One part of him falls for you even harder. Your response was so cool and mature. Like, that’s how he’s going to be treated when the two of you go out. Loyal, couple goal’s commitment from you to him and him to you. There won’t be any drama. No you did, he did, who’s that. A strong, wholesome relationship. Thinking about this part makes him want to start planning how he’d ask you out. Where, what time, flowers or food. 

But then there’s the fact that you may have someone you like. Who it is, he wouldn’t be able to know since you won’t express it. What he does know is that he might not have a chance with you. Even if he were to ask you out, you’d reject him. As he thinks about this,  he isn’t sure which is worse at the moment: him getting rejected or him not being able to confess from the start. 

Grabbing his phone next to him, he considers texting his Batsibs until he remembers: none of them were normal. Slowly he puts his phone back down. Maybe he’ll ask his friends at school. At least he’ll get a somewhat decent advice from them. 

Damian:

He thinks you’re lying. It’s part of human nature to feel jealous, especially for romantic reasons. But you don’t feel jealous? Bullcrap. 

He angrily scribbles his answers onto the paper, maintaining neat hand-writing as it would be unbecoming for it to look like chicken-scratch (full on shade to Jon everyone in his family other than Alfrend and his father by the way). There’s simply no way you would answer as such unless you truly have feelings for someone. And that fact he doesn’t even know who it might be from how tight lipped you’re being-!

Snap goes his pencil. He bites his lip, frustrated and agitated all over again. He won’t admit to anyone else other than to himself but he has a crush on you. But if you like someone, he doesn’t want to continue harboring them. He has no intentions of getting in your way of happiness or causing pain to you and himself. So why can’t you at least drop a hint or something? 

He goes back to working on his homework with the broken pencil until the lead breaks this time. He’s quiet for a second. Then slamming his pencil down, he heads to the Batcave to get ready early. Nothing gets better as he endures teasing during the whole mission. He’s not being broody and it’s not because of a crush!

[uceyliyahh]

FRIENDS

Summary: “Heart on your sleeve like you've never been loved,” After being in an abusive relationship Imani decided to close herself off until she gets drafted over to the Raw Brand bumping into her best friend Jimmy as she started to catch feelings for him, but will her heart let her fall for him?

Jimmy Uso x Imani Blackwood

word count: 3879

AWFUL GRAMMAR IM GETTING BETTER I SWEAR LOL.

smut warning; it’ll come in the story randomly so PLEASE PLEASE look out for it I’m not really good at writing ✍🏽 smuts but I’m improving at the moment.

comments, likes, repost are appreciated I would love the constructive feedback in what area I need to approve in. 🤍

ALSO! I don’t not want nobody stealing my fanfics or take it as theirs that will be an issue fasho so keep it cute respectfully.

I only own my OC along with the make up scenarios

Again mdni you have been warned.

TAGS ⬇️ lmk if you wanna be tag 🏷️ @pinkwithhearts @420days @jstarr86 @empressdede @angiedawn02 @biancasreign @ctinadiva @celesteheartsjey @duhitzkay380 @luuvprincess @bunnnyyys @mzv11 @nbanenefrmdao @xbriexx @prettyfilmz @usoinked

@bebesobrielo @skyesthebomb @aikosilo @papireigns-05 @punksyeet @paigereeder @magnificentbouquetmusic @clubsoft @sharmelasworld @mjonthetrack @serenity-noble @alyyaanna @animellver

@hunnidmilly @ctinadiva @charmed-dreamssss @fearlesschimera @partypoison00 @mselenalovebug @bloodlinesbabe93 @luvrsluxe @4milly @xbriexx @trippinsorrows @yyaktayak @yana3sworld @theusotwinzcom @bossbitch-22

Ø5

FLASHBACK 5 Imani wrapped up her match, surrounded by the sound of cheers from the crowd. She had initially felt uncertain, wondering if the people watching would support her. To her delight, they did, and that filled her with a deep sense of joy and validation.

After her match, Imani entered the locker room and opened her locker, gathering her belongings. She was eager to head home for the night, as she had no intention of staying for the main event; her focus was on creating music back at the studio.

"You not gonna stay for the main event?" Zilla asked causing Imani to flinch while turning around seeing him standing there.

"Jesus, Isayah you can't be scaring folks like that. I thought about it," She said.

"I mean you can stay and go home afterwards, don't worry about Jordan and his boys trying to get you Imani just know I got your back fasho," he said as Imani smiled at him while nodding her head.

"A'ight, I guess I can stay who's going against who?"

Zilla laughs at her comment about him pursuing the title tonight, and Imani feels a surge of excitement for him, wishing him luck as they both step out of the locker room together.

"I like that moonsault you be doing though Mani, it looks cool as hell,"

"It took a lot of practice to perfect it without feeling like I was going to break my damn neck," Imani replied as she was eating her dinner in the front row seats since the place was small.

"I can tell, have you been keeping touch with Jey and them?"

Imani shook her head in dismay. Ever since her family relocated to a new state because of her father's job, she had lost touch with everyone, including not having their phone numbers anymore.

"Nah, I haven't talked to them in a while. It would be nice though to see them," She said.

"I mean can send out a message to them, we suppose to be having a family outing soon."

Imani fondly recalls the moments when her parents would allow her to visit the Fatu's home to enjoy the company of Jimmy and Jey during family gatherings. Their mother always ensured she had a hearty meal before she left, making those times truly special.

"It's fine I'll probably run into soon or one day,"

FLASHBACK OVER.

JIMMY I was at the gym with my twin brother, working on some bench press reps while he stood by to spot me, ensuring my safety. As I focused on my sets, I suddenly heard him asking me something.

"So, Uce. What's goin' on between you and Imani?" Jey asked.

"She's given herself three weeks to figure out if she's going to keep runnin' from me or let me love her correctly," I said while focusing on my reps.

"If she's runnin' from you do you know the reasoning behind that?"

I paused in the middle of my set, setting the equipment on the rail as I sat up on the bench and turned to look at him. "yeah, she told me why. And I told her she can do allat with me you know I'm not goin to hurt her,"

Imani may try to escape from this situation, but I will always pursue her, regardless of the challenges we face. I am determined that she will be with me, and I truly believe that. I understand her fears and her hesitation to open her heart again, but I promise that my love will be a different experience for her.

"I lay it out there for her what it is and what it ain't, so if she wants to keep runnin' I don't mind chasing." I responded while shrugging my shoulders hearing my brother chuckling at me.

"Mane, you a trip for real dawg. Then what about Trin then? You know she's goin to find out eventually about this,"

"Let her find out about me and Imani I don't care, she wasn't making me happy anyways. I always hated playing pretend in front of the fam Uce it started to become draining, and then her wanting sex every single time shit get bad mmcht was so tiring I don't get that feeling when I'm with Imani," I expressed to him.

I couldn't keep pretending about my feelings anymore. The constant ups and downs with Trin made it incredibly difficult to put on a brave face during family gatherings. Whenever people asked how we were doing, we would just say we were fine, but deep down, I knew I wasn't truly happy.

Seeing Imani at our last family gathering was an overwhelming experience; it felt like a jolt of electricity ran through me, leaving me with goosebumps. She looked absolutely stunning and radiant, especially after not having seen her for so long since her move. When we found ourselves alone together, I struggled to contain my feelings—she is far too precious for someone like Jordan to ever lay a hand on her.

"I understand you fasho Uce, I could tell that you weren't yourself until Imani showed up. I saw that spark in your eyes that I haven't seen in a while."

"I don't know what it is but...Imani has that effect on me so bad...like down bad..I'll do anything for her you know?"

"I can tell you can't keep yo' hands off of the poor thing, just dicking her down every single chance when you get to see her huh?" I pushed him while chuckling as we both began laughing with each other.

I really missed her and was wishing she would reach out to invite me over or something. It's been a while since I visited her at the studio, and I haven't heard from her since then. I hope she's doing okay. I think I'll reach out to her soon just to check in.

"But enough with allat, c'mon so you can spot me uce." Jey said as I rolled my eyes at him while we switched places.

After returning from the gym, I was relaxing at home and scrolling through my social media when I noticed Imani had shared something on her story. She looked absolutely stunning, and I couldn't help but quickly react by liking her post. Just seeing her made my heart race, but I managed to keep my composure.

I could hear Trinity's voice echoing as she made her way down the stairs, her footsteps heavy and determined. She approached me, playfully weaving between my legs while I looked up at her.

"What's up Trin?" I asked.

"Where do you be going after work?" She questioned me as I raised an eyebrow at her.

I didn't want to hide the truth from her about my plans after work. I do spend time with Imani, my best friend, and it's natural for me to be with her often.

"I be with Imani, I'm not finna lie to you Trin. If that's what you wanted me to do ." She let out a bitter laugh at my remark, wishing I would fabricate a story about where I had been, just to stir up some drama, fully aware of how exhausting this situation can be.

"That figures because you smell like her every single time you come home, are you fucking her?" And there it was the question about me fucking her which caused me to chuckle a little bit. "No, I'm not fucking her Trin. I'm only spending time with her that's all." I said lying through my teeth knowing damn well I be fucking her shit in.

She crossed her arms over her chest, clearly unconvinced by my lie. It felt as though she had already figured out the answer to her own question. So why did she feel the need to ask me about what was happening between Imani and me at this moment?

"If you're here just to start some shit Trin, I'm not here for it aight? I'm tired of this on and off shi," she had scoffed at me while rolling her eyes.

"I know you're fucking her! I mean who spends a lot of time with their best friend in the middle of the night?"

"She's working on her new singles album and she just wanted some support Trin what else is there to say?"

"Some support or some dick from you?"   I was taken aback by her unexpected outburst. Even though I had been expecting this moment, it still left me feeling uneasy. I stood up from the couch and headed upstairs, recognizing that I just didn’t have the strength to face the situation at that moment.

She trailed behind me up the stairs, her words spilling out carelessly as I chose to remain silent. Entering our shared bedroom, I felt a wave of frustration wash over me, as if I were carrying a heavy burden of unexpressed anger within.

I silenced her by gently holding her throat, pressing her back onto the bed, my legs positioned between hers, fully aware that this was what she desired from me.

"What you want from me huh?" I asked gazing deeply into her eyes.

She had a smirk on her face knowing that she had me right where she wanted me to be, "I want you to fuck me and forget about her you know that we are meant for each other regardless of what people say," I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her comment, but to steer clear of any more chatter or her endless talking, I leaned in and kissed her. Our lips met passionately as we lost ourselves in the moment.

As we were making out with each other I pulled her shorts down along with her panties beginning to rub her wet folds causing her to moan at my touch.

"This is what you wanted right Trin? Lemme' do all of the work,"

ೃ⁀➷

IMANI I recently spent some time with my best friend Kehlani at NXT, wanting to reconnect and share everything that's been going on in my life. I really needed her insight regarding my situation with Jimmy, especially since I felt lost about what to do once these three weeks are over. To be honest, I've been avoiding him because I've never encountered someone like Jimmy before—he just acts so unpredictably, and it's been overwhelming for me.

I sat in Kehlani's locker room, scrolling through my timeline, when I heard the door creak open. I looked up to see Kehlani chatting with Jaida. A smile spread across my face as I watched her break away from Jaida and rush towards me.

"Oh my god! What are you doing here?" Kehlani gasped as we separated from one another.

"I had to come see my best friend whoop some ass tonight right? And besides I got a day off today so I didn't want to miss anything," I said.

"Oh, I love you so much. But Imani this is Jaida and Jaida this is Imani my best friend I've been telling you about," she introduce us as me and Jaida shook hands with each other.

"Girl, you have to tell me everything like now."

I couldn't help but laugh a little as she told Jaida she'd catch up with her later. I began to share everything that's been going on while I've been away for so long, including finally seeing Jimmy and the others, but then I paused for a moment.

"What happened Mani?" She asked.

I sighed softly, " Jon and I are navigating a situation after we shared a kiss during their family outing, and he's someone I haven't encountered in this way before, Lani." I explained before continuing on.

She raised an eyebrow at me in confusion, "so what's the problem bestie?"

"He's with Trinity and I kept telling him that it was so wrong to do this behind her back but he was so adamant about it, and he's different but I don't think I'm ready to handle something like that he makes me so nervous and flustered every single time he's around Lani...I'm just running from him."

"Girl, is this the same Jonathan Fatu we are talking about?" I nodded my head fiddling with my fingers as she patted my back. "Mani, you can't be running away from a good man like him I know he's dealing with Trin but if he's showing you that he wants you then there's no reason for you to be running," she said.

Kehlani had a point in her words. I realized that if I kept pushing him away, he would eventually grow weary of the chase I was putting him through. Yet, I found myself uncertain about whether I was truly ready to let go.

 Navigating my relationship with Jordan and his manipulative behavior took a significant toll on me, especially on my mental well-being. It felt as though he had no genuine concern for me; his primary focus seemed to be exerting control over my life. It was truly distressing, and I found it unbearable.

"I never dealt with someone like Jimmy Lani," I said.

"You've been knowing him since high school Mani, what's the problem?"

I sighed, "I never dealt with a man that wanted me as much as I wanted them and it scares me because he's so different from Jordan and every single time I'm with him it's like my brain malfunction,"

"Mani, you should be able to let new things happen instead of running away constantly and that's your problem you always run away when something good happens whenever things get bad," she said.

It's true what she said; I tend to retreat when things start to go well. I made a promise to myself, and I often wonder how different things might have been if I hadn't moved away as a teenager. Maybe Jimmy and I would have connected instantly, but there were factors beyond my control that shaped my path.

Kehlani knew me better than anyone well except for Jimmy and Them, I wasn't sure if I wanted this to happen between him and I.

"I don't want to look stupid Lani, that's all I'm worried about right now it's bad enough Jordan embarrassed me who knows what Jimmy can do."

I was just about to say something when I received a notification from Instagram. Someone had sent me a message in my DMs. When I opened it, I was surprised to see a picture from Trinity, showing them and someone else in what appeared to be an elevator. It really caught me off guard.

trinity_fatu: this is all mine so little girl you better back tf off of this one 😘

I felt really unsettled by that message. It made me wonder if she was aware of what was going on between him and me. Was she trying to provoke jealousy on purpose? I can't deny that I felt a twinge of jealousy, but I know I shouldn't. The truth is, he isn't mine, and I don't belong to him—it's as straightforward as that.

Kehlani noticed the shift in my expression, which turned frustrating. I really didn't want to find myself caught up in drama with his girlfriend.

"Was that Trin? Let me see," she said as I showed her the message that Trinity had sent me.

I saw her facial expression changed into as she looked at the picture then the message that Trinity had sent me. "You see why I'm running away from him, I don't need all of this drama between her and I Lani...it's just too much,"

"Mani, don't run away from him. Just talk to him okay?" I nodded my head listening to her as me and her hugged each other.

Kehlani was heading toward the gorilla for her match tonight, and I couldn't help but let out a deep sigh as I read the message, fully aware of the challenges that awaited me with this man.

I just ignored her message, rolling my eyes as I got up from the couch. I made my way to the locker room, heading to my front-row seat. As I was doing that, I received a text from Jimmy, and I couldn't help but let out a deep sigh, feeling reluctant to respond to him.

Big Jim😩 sent a message

Big Jim😩: You good mamas? I haven't heard from you all day just checking in.

I haven't received any messages from him all day. It's amusing to think he was likely with her the entire time. I just left him on read, shaking my head in disbelief.

ೃ⁀➷

After watching Kehlani's match and the main event tonight, I made the decision to head home. I completely overlooked the fact that Jimmy had texted me, but honestly, I wasn't too concerned about it. He should really be focusing on Trinity instead of reaching out to me.

As I neared my apartment, I noticed a car I recognized parked in the lot. A wave of anxiety washed over me as I silently hoped it wasn't Jimmy, ready to confront me about my lack of response to his texts. I switched off my car and gathered my belongings from the back, the sound of my keys jingling echoing in the quiet as I made my way up the steps to my apartment door.

I was caught off guard when I heard someone clear their throat behind me. When I turned around, there was Jimmy, and I instinctively shot him a disapproving glance, rolling my eyes at his unexpected arrival.

"What you want Jimmy?" I questioned firmly as I opened the door to my apartment, realizing that allowing him inside was my first misstep.

As I closed the door behind us, I walked past him, setting my belongings down on the couch. I made my way to the kitchen, intending to prepare something to eat, while he remained still, his gaze fixed on me, as if he were captivated by my every move.

"What's up with this attitude mamas? You left me on read," he responded as I scoffed at him.

"Nigga, we aren't together so what's is there to discuss right now? Shouldn't you be with Trin right now?" As I seasoned the salmon with a blend of spices, I couldn't help but respond with a bit of sass before placing it in the air fryer.

I felt his footsteps approaching from behind, and suddenly, he took hold of me by the back of my throat, forcing me to meet his gaze while my body was pinned against him. "Fix yourself before I do sweetheart,"

"Jonathan, I'm not dealing with this with you. I told you the last time we seen each other,"

Jimmy shook his head, "why are you being like this with me Mani when I wanted to check up on you?"

I stood there with my arms crossed, glancing at the timer on the air fryer, and then I gently pushed him away as I met his gaze.

"Should've thought about that before fucking her, and then have her ass text me some bullshit," Jimmy raised an eyebrow at me in confusion of what I was talking about at the moment, I let out a deep sigh as I walked over to the couch, pulling my phone from my purse. I turned it towards him to show the message she had sent, along with the picture.

He met my gaze, and I could tell he recognized my frustration. I had tried to warn him about this, but he had chosen to ignore my concerns.

"I didn't know she was going to text you Imani," he said.

As I was about to speak, the air fryer chimed, indicating that the food was ready. I walked by Jimmy, who was eagerly waiting, and opened the air fryer. The delightful scent of spices filled the room as I carefully removed the salmon, placing it on a plate before reaching for some hot sauce.

"It doesn't matter, I don't want this and I don't need this drama between me and her just work things out with shawty," I said.

I passed by him once more as I made my way to the living room. I settled onto the couch and switched on the television, all the while he remained there, taken aback by how I was treating him.

I was just about to enjoy my meal when I felt him pressing me back against the couch, positioning himself between my legs and looking deeply into my eyes.

He gently pressed his lips against mine, and I felt myself surrender to him as I wrapped my arms around his neck, drawing him nearer until our bodies met in a warm embrace.

The kiss lingered, unfolding gently and profoundly.

I could feel his tongue exploring my mouth as my fingers tangled in his curls, craving more of him in a way I had never experienced before.

I felt his fingers entwined with mine as he pressed his lips against my neck, sending shivers through me with every kiss. I couldn't help but moan his name, overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment.

"Tell me that you want me mamas, tell me." He murmured softly while tugging on my shirt.

I found myself lifting my shirt, revealing my black lace bra, completely losing my composure around this man, and it was driving me wild.

But was I going to break my walls down for this man?

Jimmy paused for a moment, gazing into my eyes as our foreheads touched. I noticed his lips, a soft shade of pink and red, stained from kissing my neck, leaving a noticeable mark behind.

"Tell me baby, tell me that you want me as much as I do, fuck them three weeks I want you now all to myself."

And he was serious about it too.

"Jimmy...I'm not—"

"I don't want to hear none of that Imani, when you gon' stop runnin' from me?" He cut me off as my innocent eyes looked at his seductive ones.

"I'm not though Jon...I'm just...."

I hesitated for a moment, trying to keep my emotions in check. Perhaps I wasn't prepared for the kind of love he was offering, or maybe I felt unworthy of it, especially knowing he was with someone else. I didn't want to feel overwhelmed or pressured by the situation.

"You're though, why do you keep fighting this?"

"I don't know...I literally don't know Jonathan." I said feeling him getting off of me.

I propped myself up, noticing him standing there, adjusting himself while casting a glance in my direction. His face told a story of frustration and pain, and I felt a wave of regret wash over me—I never intended for things to turn out this way. As I slipped my shirt back on, I watched him turn and walk toward the door, feeling the weight of the moment.

I caught up with him stopping him in his tracks as he looked at me. "Jon...please,"

He shook his head yanking his arm away from me, "when you figure out what you want, then you can hit me up." Jimmy said while placing a kiss on my temple before slamming the door shut.

I lean against the door, tears streaming down my cheeks as I quietly sob, struggling to stifle my cries with my hand while the hiccups start to take over.

 Am I really throwing away something valuable in my life just because I feel the urge to escape? Was this my one opportunity to experience genuine love?

Did I really just mess this up?

FRIENDS

A/n: do you think Imani will finally let Jimmy love her correctly or keep playing games with him.

But I hope yall enjoy this chapter lmk in the comments below.

STAY UCEY.

04.

[mehiwilldoitlater]

PLZ DO A SEQUAL TO YANDERE DESTINED ONE

PLZ PLZ PLZ

(Only if u want to ofcs Marry Chrismas and happy holidays!)

first part

You could only see red around you. They say it was a lucky color, and it was normal to adorn every surface of everything with that, and you truly wanted to believe that even. But you didn't, and that color just reminded you of how unlucky you were.

You used to wonder about your wedding., when you were small, dreaming of a white dress, not a red one, and you wondered of your future lover, waiting for you at the aisle. You dreamed of people being happy for you, coming to celebrate your magic day, a hope for your love story.

Instead you were there, drenched in a red that meant nothing to you, lonely without a single member of your family, with a collar on your neck and him.

He was your friend….you believed that…. You believe in him... Instead, he forced you there, with him, forcing you to coronate his dream that you never wanted to be a part of. For months they tried to train you in remembering every aspect of the ceremony for this big day, every detail, every passage, and instead you kept on begging him to let you go, to remove the circlet.

He ignored it, pleading for you to just stop it, that it was better like this… Then he used the circlet. In those moments, acute pains started to make your body contort in agony, not enough to kill you but enough to make you behave. And you begged him to stop, and the monkey ignored your cries, at least if you promised to do what you needed to do.

For months the pain kept going on, and you learned the ceremony to the core. You didn't even try again to feign ignorance; the pain that the circlet was a good lesson in those cases. You tried to run, and he caught you every time, like his brothers and sisters. They had enough love for him to snatch you up; even the young ones had that kind of devotion towards him.

Maybe they believed the same as him, that you needed to stay there as his queen... The new king needed one after all.

You just stopped to fight, letting everything happen…After all, it wasn't like someone cared to rescue you…

You were alone.

"…It's bad luck seeing the bride before the ceremony…."

His figure appeared in the mirror in front of you; his silent step came into your chamber, alongside that look of him. He didn't look happy or angry… instead, he had that sad expression on his face, the one that he had when something was on his mind.

How much you hated how you could read his state of mind now.

"…We're ready to begin… My sisters would like to tie the red string in your hair…since…you know…"

"…Yeah, I know why…"

He looked at the door; it was everything he needed to say to you, but he hesitated. He looked back at you, your eyes glued to the vanity in front of you, admiring the excellent job that his eldest had done to you. You were perfect, radiant.

Maidens, celestials, immortals—everyone shadowed in your presence, but your eyes were the only thing that refused to shine. Those are the eyes that he wanted so desperately to protect and hold with him, wanted so desperately to run away. And he knew who was the cause of it.

"…I know that…This is not what you planned… But believe me, he said, finally facing you, "believe that I only want the best!"

"Um…like putting me the circlet?" Your words must have moved him somehow, because he did look confused.

"Y/n, I…" He stopped again; your eyes didn't even care to lay on him.

"…Don't be late." And so, he exited the room.

The click of the door, the sound of the lock set again to prevent you from getting out of the room… You raised your eyes, admiring that you were indeed beautiful in that color.

In a fit of rage, you screamed, launching the mirror away from the vanity.

///

The room was utterly silent; everyone was too excited to speak over the grand ceremony. Monkeys never used the concept of marriage; they only took the one they wanted, and that's it, but Yuán fèn insisted on doing it.

He explained that it was to celebrate in a more solemn way, in the human way, to make you feel more connected, but you knew it was just to force you more in that role.

Your eyes fixed on the small cup that he has sipped before you, the exchange of the wine from the same one was a symbol of the unity of the goods in some way…

They were now putting a small stray of your and his hair in a small red sack, bound by the red ribbon that was before on your head. Another tradition, the union of heart and soul… But you were so far away from that, and everybody knew that.

Your eyes fixed now on the scissors on the table, shining in the light… there was still some wine there; maybe, if you were fast enough, you could at least reach it… Maybe you could still-

A small cough from the elder that was celebrating the function.

"My lady..."

The cranky voice took you back from this… and you gulped the wine. You couldn't get out of it; there was no way to do it, and, deep down…you didn't even have the strength to do it. You were tired…tired of fighting, to resist... tired, that's all.

His hand holds yours, with a delicate touch that feels almost like he knows how broken you are and is afraid to do more damage.

The exchange of the vows…It wasn't so different from the one in your world, a small similarity…empty words.

"No matter death or life, near or far, we pledged our word: Hold your hand and grow old with you together."

His words echoed in the room; his faithful eyes looked at you with that desperation and love that made you sick by now. His hands gave you a small squeeze, faring your esitation.

You looked back at the gathering of the people of the mountain…faces that you knew in these months, that you cared for months…but no one that you really wanted. There wasn't your mother, crying for her girl, your father proud and barely holding together, your friends that would giggle. …you were alone…

You would be utterly alone forever.

Your eyes watered, sighing in desperation. Another squeeze, stronger this time.

Just say those words.

"No matter...no matter the—"

The scream of an eagle roared in the sky above you, above the red fabrics and the trees. The sound of powerful wings followed a mighty wind that shook the place like a storm, alongside the howling of a dog.

Something black like the night launched itself towards Yuán fèn, starting to attack like its life depended on it. A dog…wait…you knew that dog?!

"X-Xiaotian?!"

You couldn't believe your eyes; the celestial hound was now attacking Yuán Fèn with such vigor and ferocious intent that made you make mistakes. It's for a wolf!

Yuán Fèn tried to cover himself from the mawls of the canine, screaming in pain when his paws scratched the unprotected part of his body. He was able to free one of his arms, launching away the hound, only for it to suddenly jump again on its feet and run in front of you, barking and growling.

Xiaotian was protecting you… Why? It was—

The roaring of the eagle screamed again in the sky, and, while noticing a shadow over your head, you finally raised your gaze. There was no Eagle, but two piercing eyes, a white vest, and a sharp blade that collided with the ground, causing a wave that made everyone fall.

Yuán Fèn, holding his bloody face, finally stood up and realized who interrupted his wedding.

The piercing eyes of the Sacres divinità looked at him with hate and disdain; he freed his weapon from the ground, pointing it towards the monkey, shielding you with himself.

"I don't know what made you loosen your mind, Destined One, but," his baritone voice rumbled, "I won't allow this cruelty to go on.

"E…Erlang Shen?" You voiced your surprise, looking in surprise at him. He allowed himself to Look at you, smiling gently.

"Forgive the late hour, Y/n…I was delayed … But I'm here now."

You couldn't believe what you were seeing; you felt only your heart beating like a drum.

Erlang Shen came…He came for you… You weren't alone.

You couldn't hold a tear in your eye, feeling finally an inch of hope come back to you. You cleaned your face from it; it wasn't over yet.

Yuán Fèn looked at him ,gnashing his teeths at the sight of the Immortal in front of him.

Why! Why did he have to come?!

He thought that he had ALREADY dealt with him; why did he have to come back?!

Why did he have to come now, running this festive day?!

Why couldn't he just give up on you?! Why did he have to fight again against him?!

He summoned the Jingubang staff, pointing it against Erlang Shen, trying to control the urge to smash his head.

"Y/n, come here." His voice was firm, but there was an undertone of anger in it.

You felt a shock; your body started to tremble, feeling what strength Erlang brought to you leaving your body. You gulped, your eyes darting between the two immortals, conflicted about staying behind the newcomer or just doing what you were told.

"Y/n! Come!" His voice, now more authoritarian, made you jump from the fear.

Erlang could not ignore this iteration. You were trembling, divided between following that order or keeping standing behind the man. Then he noticed something else, something that made his blood boil.

A golden glimos on your neck.

Then, his eyes fell on the Destined One, noticing his finger starting to rise in a certain position.

They told him that he could have used that object to avoid every attempt of escape by you, but he didn't want to believe it. He hopes that, from the new king of the monkeys, they would be Just a rumor or disinformation.

Instead he had done something that the same Sun Wukong would find despicable and without remorse.

"For someone that would know about that circlet," his voice, a thunderous whisper, "you sure had some NERVE to use it on her!"

"…I'm not proud of myself," she said about what once you believed was your friend, "but my feelings are true… and I refuse to give up on her."

His venomous voice came to you like a death sentence, you grasped, making a few steps back, while the dog kept on staying in front of you, guarding you alongside his master.

"Stand aside, Erlang Shen. I defeat you once; I can do it again."

Erlang scoffed, emitting from his chest a small chuckle, amused by the words of his opponent, the one that he had contributed to setting on that throne, the one he held, he could change everything.

"Oh, Destined One, you're forgetting two important details…"

They started to move, Yuán Fèn searching for an opening towards you and Erlang Shen keeping standing on guard.

"First, last time I fought believing you could defeat me…hoping it even…now this…" He moved his hand towards you. "Is personal… and…"

The temperature... why was it so hot?

"I'm not alone."

A series of flames started to appear in thin air, xircolating around you and the hound, that wagged his tails for greetingnthe newcomer, the ally that Erlang Shen relied on. Yuán Fèn had to cover his face, the hate so high that he felt his skin burn only from it, his fur starting to emanate that unique smell.

You, besides, could only feel a hearing sensation on you, like a summer day. What you felt was the feeling of two hands holding you in a pair of thin arms.

Red eyes like fire, like the long silk strand that surrounded you both. The smells of Lotus radiated in the air, the sound of metal circles that moved fast as the wind.

"Nezha!"

The third prince looked at you, sighing.

"Why do you have to get into this kind of trouble, huh?"

Yuán Fèn couldn't believe his eyes… Why were they there?! Why Nezha was there?! He growled again, marching towards you, only to be stopped by the first comer.

"This dispute is between us, oh young sage."

You looked at him, fearing for his life. Last time…Last time was different, yes, but now Yuán Fèn was stronger…stronger like Sun Wukong!

Erlang must have felt your worries, his gentle gaze having fallen on you.

"Trust me, Y/n… I'll set things right."

Before you could say or do anything, Nezha, with you in his arms, and Xiaotian were ALREADY moving on a fire wave, escaping the other monkeys, with the scream of the Destined One behind you.

///

Swirling snowflakes danced in the sky; the only sound was the howling of the wind and the hand of the third prince that tried to open the circlet.

"Ugh…Can't do," he sighed in defeat. "Only a Buddha can remove it… Well, we just need to wait for Maitreya…"

Honestly, you couldn't care less about the circlet right now; your brain was still processing the fact that…you escaped. The two immortals came to your rescue…they came… You weren't forgotten…

The tongue of the hound on your cheek made you wake up from your thoughts, laughing for its effusion. Of course he had missed you, as you did too!

Nezha smiled a little, still concerned for your well-being, while, on the Mountain Path, your savior was coming back from the fight, hoping to set things right this time.

@thepoweroffiction @angryvampire @the-little-devils-chaos

@sleepingdramaqueen @nerium-lil

@ibelieveinfairytales606 @freeflowhighway @crosspunzel @mymultiverseofmadness @twisting-echo @crimsonflameproxy @phoenixeclipse-lmkau @miifu666

@blackknight-kai

[multific]

More Than Enough

Nathan Bateman x Reader

Warnings: talks about wanting a baby, possible infertility

Summary: For almost a year, you and Nathan have been trying to conceive, but it hasn’t happened.

Nathan always told you the truth.

It was one of the first things you had learned about him, he never sugarcoated things, never danced around the facts.

It was part of what made you fall for him.

But sometimes, the truth hurts.

Almost a year of marriage. Months of trying. And yet, nothing.

You weren’t sure if it was you, if it was him, or if it was just bad luck, but month after month, hope slipped through your fingers.

Some nights, it ate at you.

But you never kept it from Nathan. If there was one thing you were certain of, it was that silence would only make the pain worse.

And so, you told him.

You told him about the nights you lay awake wondering why your body wouldn’t do the one thing it was supposed to. You told him about the days when every happy pregnancy announcement from friends and strangers felt like a knife in your chest.

And he listened.

Nathan always listened.

Even now, as you sat curled against him on the couch, his arm over your shoulders, he listened.

“Say it,” he murmured, voice low, rough with whiskey and exhaustion. “Whatever’s rattling around in that head of yours.”

You exhaled slowly. “I feel like I’m failing you.”

Nathan went still beside you. He turned his head, his dark eyes narrowing slightly. “What?”

Your throat tightened. “I know you want kids.”

Nathan sighed, rubbing a hand over his beard. “I want a lot of things, Babe. Doesn’t mean I need them.”

You swallowed, forcing yourself to meet his gaze. “But it does bother you. At least a little.”

Nathan was quiet for a moment, his fingers trailing idly over your arm. “You’re right,” he admitted. “It does bother me.”

Your chest clenched.

“But not because of you,” he added firmly. “Not because I’m sitting here keeping score, waiting for you to ‘perform’ or whatever bullshit you’ve got running through your head. It bothers me because I see how much it’s hurting you.”

You bit your lip, blinking against the sting in your eyes. “It’s just… I don’t know. I thought it would be easy. You and me, we’re good together. We love each other. It should happen, right?”

Nathan let out a dry chuckle. “Damn, Sweetheart, if biology worked like that, the world would be a much better place.”

Despite everything, you laughed a little enough for him to smirk and squeeze your arm.

“Listen,” he said, voice softer now. “I love you, alright? You’re not some goddamn machine that’s ‘failing’ just because shit isn’t working out the way we planned. We’ll figure it out. And if we don’t… we don’t. It doesn’t change us.”

You nodded, leaning into him. “Okay.”

“Okay,” he echoed, kissing the top of your head. “Now, go put on one of those sappy-ass movies you like. I’ll be in the lab for a while.”

Nathan disappeared into his lab, and you did exactly as he said.

You curled up on the couch with an old movie playing.

You weren’t sure how much time had passed when you noticed movement in the doorway.

Kyoko.

She stood just at the edge of the couch, her expression as unreadable as ever.

You had never liked her. Something about her presence unsettled you in a way you couldn’t quite explain.

Maybe it was the way she moved, silent, calculated. Or maybe it was the fact that Nathan had built her to be perfect. An image of precision and beauty.

She took a step forward, her head tilting slightly.

“You are a failure.”

The words were soft. Emotionless.

You blinked, your body stiffening. “What?”

Kyoko moved closer. “Nathan wanted a child. And you cannot even give him that.”

“Shut up.”

Her lips parted in something that could have been a smile, mocking. “Humans… not so great after all.”

"Shut the fuck up.

Then, she lunged.

You barely had time to react before she was on you, her strength inhuman, her grip vice-like as she shoved you back against the couch. Panic surged through you as you struggled, but she was too strong, her hands wrapped around your throat, pressing.

A sudden crash.

Then Nathan’s hands, grab Kyoko by the shoulders and rip her away from you.

She hit the floor with a mechanical whir, her body spasming.

Nathan didn’t hesitate, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a small device. With a single press of a button, Kyoko jerked once before collapsing completely.

Silence.

Your chest heaved as you gasped for breath, trembling as Nathan turned to you, eyes dark and burning with something dangerous.

“Are you hurt?” His hands found your face, tilting it up. “Baby, talk to me.”

You swallowed hard, trying to steady yourself. “I’m okay.”

Nathan exhaled sharply, his jaw tight. “She won’t move again,” he muttered. “I’ll deal with it.”

You nodded, still shaken, and without another word, Nathan scooped you up into his arms, carrying you to the bathroom.

The warm water of the bath soothed your skin, the tension in your muscles slowly unravelling. Nathan knelt beside the tub, running a damp cloth over your arms, his touch gentle.

You hesitated, then murmured, “She said I was a failure.”

Nathan froze.

“She said you wanted a child, and I couldn’t give you one.”

His eyes darkened, his grip tightening slightly on the cloth. Then, without a word, he tossed it aside, cupping your face between his hands.

“Listen to me,” he said, voice low and steady. “Kyoko was programmed to observe. To repeat. Not to understand. You think I’d ever let some soulless machine define what you are to me?”

You swallowed, looking away. “It’s not just her. It’s… me. It’s how I feel. She just said it out loud.”

Nathan sighed, pressing his forehead to yours. “You’re not broken,” he murmured. “You’re not failing me. You’re my wife. I love you with or without kids, with or without all the shit that’s messing with your head. That’s never going to change.”

Tears collected in your eyes, and this time, you let them fall.

Nathan kissed your forehead, his lips lingering against your skin. “You, me, and whatever the hell life throws at us. That’s all I need.”

You exhaled shakily, letting yourself sink into his hold.

And for the first time in a long time, you believed him.

~Masterlist~

ˇAO3ˇ

Wattpad

/DO NOT TRANSLATE, STEAL OR REPOST ANY OF MY WORKS TO THIS OR OTHER PLATFORMS/

[ashwhowrites]

I’m super curious to see what Friends would be like. (I don’t know why I never thought to look up fanfic of it? But I love your stuff, so I know yours will be good.) I don’t know what even to request though haha. Reader inserts? Or established pairings? Chandler is my favorite. Maybe a reader insert with him? Reader can be a friend of Phoebe’s and maybe it’s a mistaken identity thing? Reader wants to ask out Phoebes funny cute friend. Phoebe thinks it’s Joey but it’s Chandler?

This was in my drafts so I figured I should post it! I hope you find this since you requested it ages ago :(

Wrong person

"Joey! I have news for you!" Phoebe sang as she entered the coffee house. She rushed over to him, shoving Chandler over on the couch so she could sit. Chandler dramatically moved down, making Monica and Ross laugh.

"Tell me! Tell me!" He said excitedly, his hands wagging in the air.

"My friend, Y/N loved meeting you at Monica's party and asked me to give you her number!" Phoebe cheered, handing over the piece of paper with the number.

"Wait Y/N?" Chandler perked up, causing everyone to look at him.

"Yeah, why?" Phoebe asked.

"Nothing! It's just that-that uh- I thought she and I were sorta connecting." Chandler shrugged, trying to not feel disappointed that she was interested in Joey instead. Of course, she was, the girls always picked Joey.

"Oh Chandler, I won't if you like her," Joey said, giving Chandler a comforting smile.

"No, it's fine. She clearly likes you so you should go for it," Chandler smiled, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. Monica noticed his sad state and planted a comforting hand on his knee.

"Which one is she again?" Joey asked, the name not ringing any sort of bell.

Before Phoebe could answer, Chandler was daydreaming out loud. "She's the smart and funny one. She made that joke about Baywatch, who knew women even watched that show. She was drinking beer, but only cold. She works with Phoebe at the massage place."

"Thanks, man!" Joey said, not understanding why Chandler remembered every detail. "Didn't want to look stupid when I call her."

Chandler painfully laughed, watching as he walked out of the house with her number. Chandler pretended to grab a knife from the table and jab himself in the chest.

"I'm sorry, Chandler," Phoebe said.

"It's okay, I can't beat Joey."

~

Chandler walked into the apartment and found Joey sitting in the recliner.

"Hey man, how did it go?" Chandler asked, even though the question killed him to ask. He took the open recliner next to him.

Joey turned to him with an excited smile, like he was gifting Chandler a present.

"She doesn't want me!" Chandler looked at Joey confused.

"Then why are you so excited?" Chandler laughed, a part of him happy that she wasn't into Joey. He wasn't sure if he could handle seeing her in Joey's clothes and having to share a wall.

"Phoebe messed up, she wanted you to get her number!" Joey cheered, "She likes you, man!" Joey planted a congratulating slap on his shoulder.

Chandler couldn't help but smile, "really? She wants to go out with me?"

Joey nodded and handed over the piece of paper, Chandler quickly ran over to the phone.

~

The date was planned and Chandler was nervously pacing in Monica's apartment. He knew he was bad with girls and his fear of commitment held him back.

"Chandler it's the first date, you don't have to marry the girl," Monica explained.

"Just be yourself! She already likes you so the hard part is already done," Joey said, thinking he was giving words of encouragement.

"Chandler, you'll do great," Phoebe encouraged, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Be your charming self and you'll be okay."

Chandler nodded as he tried to soak in their words. He hated how nervous he got when it came to women. Why couldn't it be easy like it was for Joey?

Chandler checked his watch and nodded to himself. "Time to go, wish me luck!"

Chants of good luck filled the room as he walked out of the apartment, walking to the coffee shop.

~

He saw her through the window, sitting beautifully on the big couch. He walked in, catching her attention. She smiled and stood up, he could feel his heart racing from the smile alone.

"I heard you've been asking about me?" He flirted, even though it sounded like a joke. He smiled when she let out a breathy laugh.

"Guilty," she said, together they took a seat. Both were a bit shy as they sat in a quick moment of silence. "Thanks for calling me. I thought Phoebe already knew who I was talking about."

"Eh I don't blame her. Joey usually is the one who gets the calls," Chandler's voice faded out as he thought about it. "But I'm honored to have been the chosen one."

She laughed at his joke, causing him to smile. She shifted so her body was facing him, and just like at the party they jumped right into a conversation.

~

Chandler flew through Monica's apartment with a huge smile. Everyone turned to the open door and questions began to fly.

Before he answered any, he placed his hand on his chest and dramatically declared,

"I'm going to marry that girl!"

[froldgapp]

I reckon I have it:

They're fighting this villain Grimm (not the Gorilla–we'll think of something that works), and he's blasting all around him with his magical storybook in an attempt to hit our gang and send them into his world with the aim to teach them that good and evil are not as straightforward as they think (this will be important later) [1].

Eventually, each of them are caught. They come to separately in this watercolour world in the style of old storybook illustrations. For the sake of demonstration, we wake up with and follow Cassie. She's in this room where everything is enormous, carrying an axe of all things, and she soon learns that there's a huge giant after her! [2] She manages to get out of that situation, and escaping down the Beanstalk she runs to the nearest farm/tower/town where she meets Bart (who according to the notes in the original post could be anything from three little Barties, to Rabartzel to The Bart Piper). She asks him if he's seen the others and he says no, but they can continue searching together. If he's the Bart Piper he's followed by his team of faithful rats. If he's Rapunzel... Hair fun!

Eventually, they catch up with a figure in a red hood (har har) carrying a basket of cookies. Cassie taps them on the shoulder to ask directions and it turns out it's Tim. What luck!

He's looking adorable in his little jerkin, booties and red, hooded cape (with yellow lining, of course). When she asks him if he's seen Kon, he answers no, but he has a pretty good idea where to find him (Prior to the action, Kon had been worrying over his origins and his innate potential for good or evil).

So they follow Tim's strange instinct to go into the woods: the ultimate final showdown location of yore! Reaching an old cabin, they see a wolf man in a leather jacket snoozing outside nursing a full belly. Looks like they found Kon! But he didn't eat... Did he?

He assures them that, no, he didn't eat anyone's grandma. He's just been enjoying some of the food in the house. He says he's been so hungry since he got here, and the food in the house looked so delicious and tempting. Seeing the cookies Tim brought, he gets even more ravenous and asks for some. Of course Tim shares them out, with each of them nibbling away happily but Kon really going to town. They catch up about their various experiences.

After a moment, Tim shakes off a fuzzy head... He looks down at the half eaten cookie in his hand and feels something's not quite right with it. In fact, does his hand look a little smaller? Perhaps a lock of long black hair slips free of his hood.

Meanwhile, something starts clucking inside Cassie's waistcoat. She withdraws a chicken who flutters off, leaving a golden egg behind in her palm. Let's say Bart is the Pied Piper, a lilting tune fills the forest as Bart begins to play confidently. Tim is just about to alert them to stop eating–there's something wrong with the cookies!–when the ground begins to shake with thundering footsteps. It's the giant from Cassie's first encounter! Then angry townsfolk appear (or Impulse's relevant adversary). The crew begin to gather round, ready for a fight. Back to back, they're shocked to hear ferocious growling from right next to them. It's Kon. He's grabbing his head and doing the whole werewolf schtick. "I knew it! I knew it!" he's saying. "I knew I was the bad guy!"

The gang try to reassure him, but a few seconds more and he's gone: a snarling, bloodthirsty wolf stands in his place.

The something something Kon is able to break through his spell and save the gang with his epic wolfie power + their help. The end. :D

[1] Jack and the Beanstalk isn't a Grimm fairytale?! I learned that when looking into possibilities for this. But I love the suggestion so much for Cassie that it simply had to stay!

[2] I'm reading Ursula K Le Guin's essays on fantasy at the moment, and I love her ideas about fairytales as vehicles for us to understand both our "daytime" and "nighttime" selves. How the individual, and its shadow, are inseparable, and in fact–by pushing away the shadow, we only harm ourselves and make the shadow twisted and more dangerous.

Also, when our "baddie," Grimm, shows up, he will do his villain monologue about why each of them were what they were:

Tim, the boy who sets out against the odds to rescue and care for his elders.

Cassie, the girl who begins with no abilities and "climbs" up to get them from a giant (Zeus).

Whatever the fuck Bart's deal is.

Kon, the boy who feels compelled to a fate by his very nature. The lesson here, of course, being that our "shadow" or wolf can be the source of real power and knowledge. Also, who's more evil in real terms, lads! Wolves or humans? :D

New silly AU just dropped:

Core Four battle an enemy called "Grimm" and are sucked into a world of Grimm's fairytales. Kon is inexplicably the Big Bad Wolf. Who is everybody else?

[you-are-my-neverland]

guess who actually finished the prologue!

[deoidesign]

Can you make a tutorial on how you world build and make ocs? I can't seem to make any people in my brain, but then when I try to come up with environments jobs, beliefs and little details to slowly come up with someone, I think: well I don't really know how people have influenced the world- it's a weird loop

To be honest, I don't think I can! Writing is an extremely personal process. The way I write is directly related to how I process things, what I find important in stories, years of my own analysis of my and other's writing, etc... The way you write will be unique to you, as well. But I can explain how I personally think of it.

The short answer:

Write. Write anything and everything, it's a tool to explore your ideas. Analyze your own writing, and write more. Then, as you discover which ideas you want to develop, write more to explore them more. You won't know what you want otherwise!

The long answer:

I think this kind of loop is common. It's easy to feel like everything needs to be done "at once," because our job as writers is to make elements logically fit with each other for our readers. But as you've discovered, developing multiple elements simultaneously isn't really possible, or at least is extremely difficult.

Personally, when I think of writing, I break it into three major elements; characters, world, and plot. As much as possible every scene explores one or more of these, and as much as possible these three things tie back into what I personally consider most important: theme.

Everything I do is in service of the themes I want to present. Without them my events feel aimless. It can take a while to discover them, but they're the core of my work. You will have to discover what you feel is the core of yours. Analyzing other media helps with this too.

Concepts in your brain exist in a state of infinite potential. But when you start writing you have to start making choices, which removes potential as you move forward... But you have to move forward anyways. If there's ideas you want to explore later, you can always explore them later.

What this ends up meaning, to answer your question, is that I don't think of my characters as "people in my brain" or my worlds as something people have influenced... Not at their core, at least. They are tools that I use to represent specific ideas. Obviously they're also my blorbos, but mostly they're serving a specific narrative purpose.

So above all else... Write. Write, and discover what you're writing about, and then start over and write with that in mind. Keep doing this. But you have to write!

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

NaNo 2024: Victory!!

Hello, world, here's my tidied desk in the aftermath of FINISHING ANOTHER BOOK!!! It took me EXACTLY four (4) pens this year (I was literally writing my wrap-up stats in the back of the notebook when the in on the last one started to go!), on 82 pages across two (2) notebooks, and preliminary* word count is 71,541!! (*subject to change once typed--I count by hand and tweak as I type haha.)

Also featuring: the NaNo Earrings, Volumes 2 and 3 of the Bitch Journal (where I whine about writerly things and also Reflect On My Process--I learned very much this year and got a lot of dopamine from it!!), the tiny watch that kept me company in my tertiary writing space, the earplugs that made working at home Tolerable (mostly), and some of the frantic scribbles on scrap paper (I got a LOT of mileage out of a dead receipt that Panera misprinted for me lol).

Now, onward to TYPING!! I would love for this not to take most of December, so I'll probably have more Unhinged Goals About That (I don't know why I am the way that I am), but! The hard part is done!!

[liesonthefloordramatically]

okay, Midst is very good, PLEASE listen to it, but also I realized that part of why I am so gleeful about Midst is that it not only features one of my favorite things (unreliable narrators) but also features one of my other favorite things (the narrative standing directly behind the characters with a gun)

case in point: spent the entirety of the episode last week feeling an intense amount of dread because I DID see the narrative standing directly behind the characters with a gun and then this week felt an intense amount of vindication when the gun fired

Rowan has said before that I am way too good at picking up on foreshadowing (I think I am a normal amount of good at it, but also recognize that I seem to correctly predict where things are going substantially more often than many of my friends), but also I am so gleeful that A. Midst does occasionally manage to clothesline me anyway (yes! it's fun to stop dead in the middle of the street due to Events and Revelations!) but also B. the narrative is built to be even more enjoyable when you pick up the foreshadowing because then the narrative is making pointed eye contact with you while standing behind the unsuspecting characters with a gun

anyway, this metaphor is getting away from me, please listen to Midst, I'm having a GREAT time

[fox-guardian]

one thing about me is i fucking hate making new accounts

[hershelchocolateart]

GIRL HELP I WASNT EXPECTING THE SATURATION PSA TO BE THE MOST POPULAR DRAWING-RELATED THING IVE EVER MADE IN MY LIFE

[showyoumyfavoriteobsession]

Roughly once every four years I ponder the alternate timeline where I didn't get scared and quit college rugby after a single practice

[yourlocaleccentricscientist]

Perhaps I'm just too in love with the Daniel Fish version of Oklahoma, but I feel that centering all the tragedy of the ending of Yeomen of the Guard on Jack Point when there's a woman who's just learnt the man who she's basically the property of has been lying to her for the entire time she's known him, and for pretty much his own amusement and that alone, is. Wrong.

[chipped-chimera]

FOR THE TIRED PEOPLE: Some new research about Chronic + ADHD(inattentive) related fatigue, and BCAAs

[DISCLAIMER // I AM NOT A DOCTOR. I AM NOT A MEDICAL PRACTITIONER. I AM NOT A DIETICIAN. I'm just a big tired nerd with way too much time on my hands who likes science. I am however, sharing this because this could potentially help others and BCAAs are already safe for human consumption, widely used and easily accessible. If you are uncertain about adding BCAAs to your diet please talk to your doctor first. There are also some medications which interact negatively with BCAA's. Do your research. Also generally be careful about taking medical advice from the internet! ]

I was going to post about something else but I went down the rabbit hole of explaining this study I read and decided that no, this needed it's own thing or it's gonna be a mile long.

So in one of my usual weekly fatigue breakdowns where I was scraping the internet for any kind of information that might point out something I've SURELY missed to explain why I feel the way I do, I stumbled across this study published last year (2022) -

[ The relationship between central fatigue and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder of the inattentive type ]

The TL;DR on the paper - our previous assumptions about the tryptophan-serotonin system might be wrong (tryptophan being the precursor for a bunch of stuff, including melatonin which is the sleepy chemical - aka why people say drink warm milk before bed to help sleep, that's tryptophan) what was previously assumed was reducing tryptophan = bad because it could affect serotonin production.

Testing in rats (so grain of salt here) indicated that higher levels of tryptophan =/= higher levels of serotonin and when reducing the level of free tryptophan in the bloodstream it returned to baseline. High levels of tryptophan were associated with fatigue and inattention, and rats on a tryptophan deficient diet by contrast took longer to reach a state of exhaustion. I'm skipping over a bunch of stuff but basically - research is now pointing to both Chronic Fatigue and ADHD related fatigue being related to Central Nervous System Fatigue which up until now, has only really been associated with the fatigue athletes experience when exercising really hard (now just picture me doing jack shit and feeling like that every day. Yeah). I've only just stared to see bits and pieces pop up about this recently but nothing in relation to this tryptophan study.

Anyway, the thing about BCAAs: BCAAs (Branched Chain Amino Acids) are currently used to reduce the uptake of tryptophan in the brain for better performance in athletes, help with reduction of exercise fatigue (CNS fatigue) and muscle building. You can pretty easily find BCAA's added to protein-shakes or in it's own kind of supplement. It also occurs naturally in some foods (Beef, Chicken, Eggs, Lentils, Chickpeas, Brown Rice etc.) so it is absolutely safe to consume. It's also generally fairly affordable (especially compared to the lengthy process of treatment + medications that might not even work and you have to keep changing them, yes I am talking from personal experience).

Again, this is all very new and absolutely needs so much more research because up until now, no one has really been sure what causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but tests have shown that those suffering CFS demonstrate similar activation of their muscles as fatigued athletes - as in they could activate them but not to their full capacity. This connection is only considered 'possible' and it might take a good few years before we can say anything with certainty.

But as an extremely tired bitch who is extremely tired of being extremely fucking tired, I am sharing this because it's easy to get, safe, and affordable and if you're like me you're about ready to try anything. And it's not another goddamn pill (I'm on 14 a day).

Also for the ADHDers specifically: protein rich diets are usually advised for us because it helps with the metabolism of stimulants, and can help with softening medication crashes when they wear off. So adding a protein shake with BCAAs to your morning routine might be a good idea. Or just any protein shake in general.

There can be side effects to taking BCAAs, but it is considered rare and this depends entirely on the person. Cross check existing medications, talk to your doc etc. if you are not 100% certain adding BCAAs to your diet is possible. Stay safe peeps.

[stuck-in-the-ghost-zone]

what the hell is happening rn