#hopefully this is the beginning of a good trend

[enchantedephiphany]

this time around, i'm not going to hide from reality. i'm going to do something-- although it may not be much. i'm going to look and observe, and react accordingly rather than putting my head in the sand like before January 6 shocked me into knowing that if I do nothing, i'm partially responsible. doing nothing... really does nothing. at least if you do something, you have a chance it'll make a difference.

[14dayswithyou]

How cutiesai made 14 Days With You

I've received quite a few requests in the past asking how I made 14DWY, what resources I used, how I organised my lore, etc. — so I figured I'd make one big post and share it with everyone else as well! It features a buuunch of helpful stuff I wish I'd known when I first made 14DWY, so hopefully this will help others too!

⚠ This is all copied & pasted from a Discord post I made back in early 2024! I'll also be adding to it over time, so feel free to check back every so often! ^^

What engine do I use?

14DWY uses the Ren'Py engine!

There are two preinstalled games (called "Tutorial" and "The Question") that give you a basic rundown on how to use the program!!

Zeil Learning's video called "Ren'py Tutorial For Beginners" is also a good place to start for those who have no idea where to begin with Ren'Py!

I also really recommend these Ren'Py resources:

Lemma Soft Forums

Ren'Py Discord server

Ren'Py subreddit

Zeil Learnings, ElaineDoesCoding, Visual Novel Design, and Ess Ren'Py Tutorials on YouTube

Searching through the "Ren'Py" tag on itch.io for community-made assets and resources (make sure to give credit if you use someone's asset(s))!

Feniks and Wattson offer some really helpful stuff!!

Not Ren'Py related, but helpful for creating a VN:

Obsidian and Notion for planning and worldbuilding

Visual Studio Code and Atom (comes preinstalled with Ren'Py iirc?) for scripting/coding

Pixabay and Pexels for royalty-free images and stock photos

DOVA-SYNDROME for music

Clip Studio Paint (paid) and Krita (free) for drawing

Toyhou.se to store your littol guys (If you need an invite code, I have over 300 to give away lmao ^^ Send in an ask to @cutiesigh if you'd like one!)

An itch.io account to upload your game for free and share it with others

General tips to keep in mind:

Make games for fun, not for fame. Too often, I see new developers create VNs with "trending tropes" because they see how successful it is and want the same level of popularity. As harsh as it sounds, this only makes your game feel hollow and superficial, and players will notice.

When using Ren'Py, it's better to have multiple .rpy files rather than putting everything into one large file!! It makes organising and finding things easier, and if something gets corrupted... at least you won't lose everything!

Plan everything beforehand, but give yourself room to expand and implement new ideas.

Start small and slowly expand over time. Don't start off with an overly ambitious project, as it can be disheartening when you put all this effort into something just for it not to gain any traction. Also, be grateful for your earliest supporters, as they're the ones who will lift your project off the ground!!

This is a personal preference, but I recommend starting off with itch.io as your main distribution platform. Most storefronts take a cut from your donations and revenue, and sites like Steam require a $100 fee just to publish your game on their platform. Itch is free, and you can even toggle off revenue sharing in your profile settings! (I like to keep it at 10% though, because I'm grateful for everything the site provides ♡)

If you ever need help with Ren'Py, you're always welcome to join the 14DWY Discord server and ping me in the help channel!

[tcrocky14]

ONESHOT: MERRILY ALONG—tennis! star x Paige

((Okay I’ve been writing on Wattpad and never thought to put my work on tumblr so here we go! Plz be gentle I’m still new at this but I love manifesting life with P))

———————————————————————————-

After the 2024 WTA Finals(which you won) you were excited for a real break. Grant you it's less than a month, and most of that will be spent doing sponsorship work and photo shoots, but you still couldn't wait.

After winning the Finals, you hopped on a plane to Miami still wearing your photo shoot dress from winner's photos. You were so excited to be sleeping on your own bed and to see your family. Life could slow down at least a little before you were back on Tour.

You were given two weeks to truly rest and exercise like a normal person before training would start back. You planned to visit Paige, but her season at UCONN was really just beginning. The timing couldn't have been worse but you knew she felt most comfortable on the court, just like you.

Since college basketball was firing up, her name was beginning to really skyrocket in the press. And her partnerships were increasing too. With you as the highest paid athlete in women's sports and P as the highest paid CWBB player, you were unstoppable!

Her shoe with Nike just dropped and you genuinely cried the day every player for UCONN wore them at their game! You wish you could wear them for a day for support but New Balance is your shoe home. It's so surreal that P has a shoe while in college but you believe she's always meant to break records and set trends. You're just happy the world mainly agrees with you on that.

On December 21st, UCONN & USC play each other, at arguably the biggest game of the year. You knew you wanted to be there because everyone's eyes would be on Paige and JuJu, which could get stressful. Maybe having you there as moral support would make it a bit better .  She's born for the world stage, but that doesn't mean you don't worry about her mental health.

You promised your team that you'd be back in Miami right after Christmas. They wanted you to play United Cup, especially since you didn't plan on defending the ASB Classic title , but you were prioritizing your relationship....for once.

This is Paige's (likely) last year in college and you want to be there for her. There's so many moments you both have to miss because of your athletic careers, and it's easy to feel disconnected when you're constantly in different time zones. Once she's in the WNBA, it'll hopefully be more flexible and you'll spend more time together. 

But for now, you weren't going to miss big moments for a WTA250 or United Cup. Your team wasn't the happiest about your plans, and tried convincing you to change your mind. But it was already set: you'd fly to Storrs, CT that day and watch Paige. Then you'd both fly out to Minnesota to see her family for Christmas. Her next game is the 27th so you'll fly back to Miami while she goes back to school. Even a few days together has you anxious to remind her exactly why being long distance is worth it.

You haven't told her, but you've picked out the perfect presents for her dad, stepmom, and Drew. You've also found something for your perfect gf. Drew has a game of his own the very day after her game, so you guys will be jet-lagged but supporting him. You've met Paige's family a few times now but you still feel jittery before arriving. You don't know why because they're the nicest people, yet you always want to show you're a great girlfriend with good energy.

——————-

You were still in Miami trying to pick out what you could wear to the game Saturday. It was Thursday night so you needed to start packing, especially since you wanted to pack light. Living life basically out of a suitcase made packing during the offseason a disgusting experience. The less you had to travel the better, yet it seemed you were never home for more than a few days. The life of a "celebrity" was taxing and companies knew offseason was a better time for your brand dealings. You wished you could do photo shoots  from home but you try to remember how many people would KILL to be in your position.

For the game, you're thinking of a look you saw Bella Hadid wear a few years back. A green NorthFace jacket with black barrel jeans and black loafers. You'll definitely be wearing your glasses to the game for an even more comfortable experience. Then, for traveling to Minnesota and for Drew's game you'll wear an oversized grey New Balance sweatshirt with sweatpants and a camo hat. Cute-comfy— your favorite!

You began folding the clothes not so neatly when your sister came in. She's back home from Tulane for the holidays and you're really going to miss her the few days you're gone. Having a younger sister is one of the best things in life and you miss when she's away for college. Although you guys text and call each other almost everyday it's different when she's in person.

"Whatcha doing??," Anna asked, using her best Isabella voice from Phineas and Ferb. "Packing for my trip and failing to fold my clothes neatly," you said. You're definitely going to need a steamer when you travel because your clothes are going to be wrinkled from this lazy folding.

"I wish I could come with you!" Anna said. And honestly, if it was just to watch the game, you'd for sure bring your sister along. But Christmas at the Bueckers' house is for their family only and you're just getting used to joining.

Most of the time, Paige visits your family because she loves the Miami weather and enjoys the area. It's difficult in Minnesota when it's cold more often than not and her family has normal jobs .

The Heller family feels like it orbits your tennis career, something you wish wasn't true but definitely is. Tennis is so demanding, even compared to other sports, and your family has sacrificed a lot for you to continue being a top player. Basketball is difficult and can be expensive, but college helps ease the journey a lot. While Paige is at UCONN her family still maintains a normal life. While for you, the matches and your traveling schedule can affect everything.

That's why this Christmas is so special. You have a few days to hang out casually before the holiday and really soak it what being a Bueckers is like. You'd never tell anyone right now, but you're hoping this is practice for the rest of your life. Although it's only been a year, you picture growing with Paige and starting a family of your own. You look at people like Stewie and can't help but hope to have a little family of your own someday. Being in good cahoots with her family right now is important and luckily, it's been great so far

—————————

Friday passes quickly, thank God, because you leave for CT Saturday morning. The plane ride is a bit bumpy but it's the cold that stings the most. As soon as you step off the plane you're hit with the bite of a Connecticut winter. It felt weird boarding the plane in multiple layers but you're so happy you didn't dress Miami-Style for this trip.

Since it's the day of the game, Paige has practice most of the day. That means her good friend Kayla volunteers to pick you up, and you're very excited. As a fellow Black girl, you and Kayla get along too good. Each conversation leads to cackling and you even have a few inside jokes together. As much as KK and Ice are your girls, Kayla's super cool people. AND she's not on the team, so she can help with times like this!

You wait for your luggage and a teenager comes up asking for a picture. She seems shell-shocked from meeting you, something you never get used to. You're almost positive the picture will be on "Frances Heller" and "Paige Bueckers" fan accounts in the next hour. People will surely speculate but this is a big game, and who can blame you for wanting to see it in person?

You spot Kayla, or rather hear her music, right when you step outside the airport gate. She gets out to help with your luggage but you've only brought two carry-ons: your Glossier duffle and a New Balance black backpack. Like you said: packing light was key for this trip.

You guys catch up on all things life before pulling into the apartment complex Kayla and the girls live in. You go to text Paige you've made it but you see she's already texted that she's in practice, but can't wait to see you.

"She was obsessing over your location on the Find app," Kayla says. "She literally was refreshing it every second before they had practice even though SHE KNEW you were on the plane and undetectable."

Just hearing Paige's name makes your heart beat faster. It's corny, you know it is, but imagine being so in love with someone and NEVER getting to see them. You can literally count on your hands how often you and Paige see each other throughout the year and that's with big compromises in both schedules.

You go up to Kayla's apartment and patiently (very impatiently) wait for bball practice to be over. Since it's game day, there's one short-ish practice during the day and then real practice before game time. You mimic Paige and begin refreshing all the apps you guys communicate through: text, Snapchat, Find, anything to see whether she's out.

Eventually, her DND status on text goes away and Kayla has to watch you become an absolute fool as you wait for your girlfriend. Paige gets back and knocks on Kayla's door which you open with every cell in your body.

"FRANNY!" "SWEET P!" You two collide into one another with the same energy. The hug says: "I miss you, I love you, how are you?, all at once. It's like every event and moment that's been missed since the last time you've seen another culminated into a tight hug that lasts forever.

"I miss you so so so much Paige," you say, trying not to cry. You're not necessarily sad, just overwhelmed and relieved . You can feel in her hug that she must feel the same, and any insecurities from a long-distance relationship go away like a puff of smoke.

You go back to their apartment while Paige makes a quick snack. Once she's finished eating. She lets you know she misses you in another way. Thank goodness you can't detect blushing on your skin tone because you feel like you're about to burst into flames.

It's been SO LONG since you've been intimate with anything besides a silicone toy and you miss Paige's body. After her shower at the facilities, her hair is still wet and slightly curly. It's one of your favorite looks on her and doesn't help your desire to absolutely devour her.

She tries to casually insinuate your unexpected trip to the car but everyone knows what's going on. You'd rather have sweet moments in her bed, but it'd be unfair to her teammates/roommates. And you can't kick everyone out of the apartment either, totally not cool. So instead you head out to Paige's Grand Cherokee at an excited pace and allow her to drive you to the back of the parking lot.

It's still romantic with the snow falling and your tight space to work with. She turns on the warmers in the SUV and asks you to head to the backseats. Her playlist designed for these *moments* begins playing softly and you savor every minute in the backseat of her car....

———————-

Once you guys finished (no pun intended) you head (maybe a bit puny) back upstairs. You try taming your hair and fixing your swollen lips as best you can. But let's face it, the women in this apartment are going to absolutely clown you both.

"Oh y'all back? It's been almost an hour! Where'd you say y'all was going again??" Kk, per usual, is the first person to say something. Everyone else smirks to one another and Jana even films to put on her private SC later.

"We was busy." That's all Paige says as she blushes, smirks, and daps up Ice and KK. Your eyes roll to the back of your head as she exemplifies pure fukboy energy. You so badly want to hate it but it's kinda hot...which she definitely knows because she continues smirking in your direction. You sit next to her and try to redirect the conversation to ANYTHING else but it takes a minute.

They're superstitious about talking about the game so it's talk about your stuff instead. You tell them your plans with Paige for the next few days and how preseason warmups are coming along. Before you  know it, everyone's getting up because it's time for pregame. You give Paige a million kisses as she gets ready to leave and then wait around until it's time to get dressed and leave.

—————-

You're not sure Paige would love your mode of transportation to the game but what else could you decide? Uber's are booked the entire way and the school shuttles are only for actual students. If you didn't have to show a school ID you would've hopped on or hoped a driver was being super nice but few have even passed. So instead, you're walking to the XL arena.

It's really not that far, so you don't mind the walk. Except for the fact that it's FREEZING. You can feel the inevitable sickness building in your body as you continue walking but that's what you do for love. You'd laugh at how ridiculous you feel, if you could feel your face.

Finally you get to the game and it's beyond packed. You knew it was a big game and sold out but it's bonkers trying to get inside. Even with a special pass you have to wait to get inside, letting the frost continue to harass you.

Once you make it inside you see a few girls get out their phones to video your entrance. It's weird, because you feel slightly conceded about it. But you also feel violated. And you never feel quite important enough to be taped walking into a gym. Yet here you are, and there's the phones capturing every moment.

You're not sitting courtside since that's reserved for paying members. Instead, you're a few rows up. Nothing crazy, but not on the ground. You realize how awkward you feel without somebody tagging along and wish you maybe would've brought your sister. Or even your twin Jack. But what would they do while you loved up on Paige all day?

So instead you got on your phone and waited for the starting lineup presentation. You filmed the whole thing and couldn't even hear the announcer say Paige's name because of the screams. It made you feel so special being Paige's girl when plenty of college girls, and adult women, fought for her attention. From shirts and fathead signs to homemade posters, it was obvious she grabbed people's attention.

From the moment the game began, UCONN had a difficult time. You didn't know why, but something just wasn't clicking that clearly worked better for USC. You really like JuJu Watkins and had a hard time rooting exclusively for UCONN, but your girl comes first.

After fighting tooth and nail they finally started coming back. With 8 seconds left, the game was only being won by two points . You knew how badly Paige wanted to win, with the country watching....if not the world. But sometimes, it's not just about who wants it. Being a super-senior meant Paige had some great highs and some lower-lows. This, would in fact, become a low.

—————

It was obvious how frustrated P was with herself. She was SO hard on herself, as most athletes are. But as the oldest on the team, she really felt like she was letting everyone down. You could see it in her demeanor and how she spoke to press. You only hoped she'd be able to see all the positives from the game and release herself from the pressure of it all. It's much easier than it looks though, you know from experience.

After speaking to Fox sports and Holly Rowe, Paige was making her way over to you. A literal LINE OF PEOPLE had formed while she was being interviewed who wanted to take pictures and get her autograph. You knew she wouldn't leave till everyone was satisfied, something you admired about her. Each person felt important in her eyes and she made sure to let them know. How lucky you were to be with someone so humble and kind to anyone.

She told the crowd to wait one sec as she walked over to your section. Now you really knew people would film  this and talk about it for a while. But honestly , who cares. You were shocked she even saw you in the section because of how intense the game had been.

The security guard removed the tape so Paige could slip by and give you a big hug. You whispered in her ear that she was so amazing and you hoped she'd known how bright she shines on the court. She nodded but didn't seem affected by your words which kind of stung. You knew at least be a few hours had to pass before she was truly cheery again, right now was just a performance of her fans.

She asked you to wait around until they were leaving the arena and to join them on the team bus. You felt like this was a big overstep and didn't want to piss Geno off, especially after the loss. You made her promise it was fine and already approved before you agreed to join them on the bus.

The rest of the night was a blur until suddenly, you were laying on Paige's purple sheets with her head on your chest. You continued to stroke her head and tried falling asleep because your flight tomorrow was super early.

———————————-

At the airport, a few fans asked for pics with you and Paige. It was so funny how fans of Paige began "stanning" you like an extra piece to the Paige puzzle. At 5 in the AM you only could pray you didn't look awful in the fan photos since you knew that'd be on social media later. After taking pics you sat at the terminal and then boarded the plane. It really wasn't a bad experience, even with a connecting flight.

Paige's dad picked y'all up and you could tell she missed Minnesota. With the photoshoots and games and everything else she visited home less and less. When her dad got out of the car she turned into Baby P again, rushing to her dad's arms. It was so sweet and made you feel fuzzy that she collapsed in his hug. Maybe she was feeling better now!

Mr. Bueckers brought you into the hug and the three of you laughed as people watched. He was arguably the coolest guy in Minnesota besides Gov. Waltz. You guys left the airport and picked up Culver's on the way to Drew's game. Even with an early flight you guys were making it right on time.

Drew's game was so well and they won! Even better, Drew won MVP and got a comically large MVP chain to wear. You guys gassed him up hard and he blushed the entire time. It was cute seeing Paige loving on Drew like a child of her own. ...you really needed to stop thinking about Mommy P and focus lol.

——————-

Once Christmas rolled around, you'd gotten comfortable at the Bueckers house. The past few days had been so chill yet never boring. And you didn't feel like you were walking on eggshells around the family.

You wore an Oxford shirt with a sweater vest over it tucked into a plaid mini skirt with black tights. You looked adorable, like a Christmas present.

Y'all went to church and then headed home to unwrap presents. Drew wanted to open presents before Mass but it was way too early for that.

You got Paige's parents a gift they'd told her about a while back, a bar cart and a Baristia machine to make cocktails. Drew got a new game for his PS5 and promised to play with you whenever you were in town.

For Paige, you got her a custom stack of cards with paintings of you guys on it. She always loved sentimental gifts more than expensive ones and she really liked this! You also gave her a Tiffany necklace similar to yours with F+P engraved inside. She put it on and never took it off, even to sleep.

————

After a full day of festivities and meeting a few Bueckers you'd never met, it was time to go to bed. It was hard to fall asleep because tomorrow, you'd be on your way back to Miami and she'd be going back to UCONN. These few days were so good, you wish you could bottle them up for when you miss her most.

Right before you start falling asleep she tells you she has one more gift for you. She reaches in her bag and pulls out the most adorable stuffed bunny in a Christmas outfit. She gives you the bunny and tells you to press on her paw. When you do, Paige's voice starts to speak.

"Anytime you miss me, just press the paw, and I'll be right there!" She gives you the cutest little smile while she waits to see if you like her extra gift. "ALSO, I sprayed her clothes with some of my perfume, so hopefully she'll smell like me for a while too."

You try not to cry your eyes out at the audacity of your girlfriend to be so sweet. You never would've thought of such a unique and kind gift.

"Thank you so much Paige, I love it!" You see her relax a bit at her successful gift. "I can't believe you're real sometimes, you're too good to me!"

You don't meant to sound insecure or anything, but she shuts anything like that down. "I'm so happy we're together Franny, I'd go to the moon for you."

"Maybe even the North Pole?" You joke, since it's Christmas.

"I go to college in the middle of nowhere Connecticut Frances, that's basically the North Pole."

You two laugh and then settle into a comfortable sleeping pattern. You know tomorrow you'll have to say goodbye at least for 2-3 months. But right now, you can't think of a life without Paige Bueckers in it.

——-❤️‍🔥END❤️‍🔥——-

🎄Happy Holidays!

[lovedrruunk]

Hi! I saw that you were taking requests! Is it alright if I can request venture with reader that loves placing kisses all over their face? Hopefully this is alright with you if not feel free to ignore this!

'Kisses galore ⊹.(⸝⸝ ˆ ³(⁎˃ ᴗ ˂⁎)˚.

Venture (Overwatch x GN reader)

[Established relationship!]

Authors note!!! (;° ロ°); third....venture.... post......I have like 5 posts in total... well anyways!!! idc cuz i luv them! and i love YOUUUU AHH tysm for requesting this it was super fun to write i hope u like it !!!! also sorry its pretty short! I kinda wrote it on a whim wanting to post it before I went out so its not proof read either (Im actually so late rn its not even funny okay srsly gtg bye!)

Y’know that one tiktok trend that was popular last year where someone would be reapplying lipstick and then the camera would turn and its their s/o covered in kisses yea yea that’s just you guys all the time lol

In the beginning of your relationship they’d get all flustered and have this goofy grin on their face whenever you’d smother their face in kisses. Oh? And how do they react now? The exact same! Literally nothing has changed since the first time you’ve kissed them, they still giggle and look away. No matter how long its been they just can’t seem to get used to your affection

They could be hit by a bus going 200mph, in critical condition and one kiss on the nose from you would get them up and doing a little jig going yippee!

They might pretend to be annoyed or irritated but really that's just because they love playful banter and it’s pretty obvious how they feel about your kisses by the way they laugh and refuse to let you pull away

Their favorite moments with you are when you're laying over them somewhere enjoying each others company with your hands on their cheeks and your lips all over their face

They're pretty ticklish overall so kiss sessions usually turn into laughing fits

Although 99% of the kisses you share are all in good fun there are those times when they're sad or angry and you're kisses can't help but feel a bit more intimate and loving (please kiss their tears away!!!)

They appreciate you so much like they literally can't get enough of you. They cherish every kiss like it's the first and definitely act like it too. If you tell them they're blushing they'll deny it with their whole chest meanwhile looking like 🟥

“Augh! You’re suffocating me!” You and Sloane had been neglecting all your duties for the day in order to lay on the couch and bathe in the warm sunlight seeping through the windows. You both had been watching some random brainrot on their phone when you got bored and decided to pounce on them planting loving kisses all over their face. "Oh shut up" you playfully roll your eyes as you kiss them on the lips this time.

"One of these days I'm gonna die and you'll regret not listening to me" "Boo hoo" you giggled at their melodramatics deciding to pull away from them, but before you could you felt their hands tighten around you holding you in place.

"I mean... Dying in your arms doesn't sound so bad..."

"Yea yea whatever" You mumble happily as you lean down again pressing a kiss to their cheek.

[billskeis]

im begging make more fluffs anout tom like jealous and sum or idk PLSSSS

ᡣ𐭩 tom is jelly and silly

laughs and cheers filled the room as the five of you attempted to complete the challenges of the game show. partnered with bill, you were tasked to do silly little activities such as cup pong (with water ahem) or darts.

yours and bill’s chemistry were insane!

although not officially apart of the band, you were known to be a close friend of theirs from their childhood. you met the four of them while they were still known as devilish and have been with them ever since.

it never came to mind that you wanted to date any of the members, especially tom.

oh how he was always constantly flirting with you behind closed doors, that being the both of you knew how paparazzi is and how crazy their female fanbase was. it was just too risky to do anything.

not only that but, you just didn’t really like him like that, or you believed so.

you and bill cheered as you successfully completed the task once again, on a winning streak against tom, gustav and georg. gustav and georg moped and whined claiming that the two of you ‘cheated the system,’ but tom was standing there, farther away from the two of them crossing his arms and staring at you.

bill pulled you into a hug which you excitingly reciprocated the embrace, jumping around in joy at how the two of you were just that good during the game show. you got along with bill so well, he was so sweet and pure.

“okay, and now a question for you bill,” the interviewer flipped the postcards to reveal the next question. tokio hotel was scheduled for a talkshow the day after to which you, obviously attended. however not in the interview, you were on the sidelines near the back of the stage, where people still had the ability to see you.

full attention is on the interviewer and bill while the rest of the room remains quiet, “i’m sure we’ve all seen the gameshow yesterday where it featured one of your close friends, y/n, is there something going on between you two? i mean—you seemed awfully close!”

it’s true, ever since that night the media couldn’t get enough of it, it begun trending the night of and the internet is going crazy about it. you begun to get tons of hate, but a good portion of the fandom supported it even though it wasn’t true. it humoured the two of you as you made jokes but really thinking nothing of it. you were friends is all.

everybody giggled and bill just smiled brightly, bringing the mic to his mouth, “nono, nothing’s going on me and—” “yeah actually it’s nothing so can we move on?” the mic was stolen in the middle of bill talking by no other than tom. he started intently at the interviewer to hopefully transition to the next new question wishing to divert to any other topic than this.

whispers filled the room, what was this outburst about? you had so many questions in mind you had nowhere to begin with.

the interview ended and bill was able to ease up the tension and awkwardness that had risen after tom’s intervene. he however had absolutely nothing to say and as soon as everybody said their goodbyes he left the stage without saying anything.

running, you skip towards tom who beelined for the washroom, grabbing his arm, “tom?”

he turned, looking angry almost, but his expression softened upon seeing you. thank god it was you and nobody else or he would’ve lost his shit.

“oh, hey, sorry you had to see that.” he rubbed the back of his neck with his arm, staring off into the distance, you moved your arm that was once on his shoulder to his hand, he intertwines his fingers with yours and swings your arm around playfully.

“is something wrong? you know you didn’t have to do that i don’t care what people say about me—” “but i do! okay?? i do, and it’s pissing me off that the rumours are..” he quiets down, looking at the floor.

you lean down to level your head with his gaze, what’s wrong with him why won’t he finish his sentence? “the rumours are what tom?” “about you and bill!” your eyes widen, this could mean one of so many things and you didn’t know what.

he now grabs your opposite hand and holds both of them, he straightens up his body to be fully directed towards you, looking at you with expectation and need. “i like you, y/n, and seeing you and bill that night drove me NUTS!! this is not how i wanted to confess..”

he holds his breath and waits for your reaction, your mouth was agape, body frozen. THE tom kaulitz likes you!?

“why?” you ask, “why do you like me?” “i-i don’t know! i just do, it feels right, y’know?” he brings one of your hands to his chest to feel his heartbeat. and man, when i tell you the pace it was going was FAST oh it was fast.

you feel your face heat up a bit, this whole confessions thing was new to you and tom was your first. all you could do was smile at him.

“so?” he asks, “so?” you repeat after him, “can we go out?” “like the five of us?” “oh my god y/n no just the two of us please i never get any time with you! “hmmm i don’t knowww me and bill were planning to hang out later,” “y/n! you’re making me crazy!” “so did your flirting!” “saying that you liked it?” “shut up tom!” he uses your hands to pull your body closer to him, hugging you and swaying you side to side.

if this was a start to a new romance, to which you, ahem, did not EVER have, it sure as hell felt good.

“finally! i couldn’t stand to hear him talk about her anymore! like cmon now we couldn’t even fully finish practice with him bringing her up!” georg complains and gustav agrees nodding, “aww don’t be like that i think it’s cute! my little brother who’s so promiscuous finally found the one!” “but you’re younger..” gustav chimed in, “shut up gustav.”

[queuestarter]

daybreak

(johanna mason x reader)

cw: none- just two girls in love

link to the request → grumpy x sunshine during training for the quarter quell

open to submissions/asks

You watch from across the room as Johanna strips off her training uniform and begins to rub oil all over herself. You shake your head in amusement and refocus on the conversion you’re having with your district mate and close friend, Beetee.

“I wonder what the reason they put the forcefield up this year is,” he comments offhandedly while observing a piece of wood as he attempts to figure out how to start a fire. You sit opposite him, not having much luck either.

You didn’t win your first games by fighting or learning survival skills. You won by appealing to the audience.

“Maybe someone attacked them. Or maybe one of the Gamemakers fell over the balcony,” you giggle, throwing down your two sticks as Katniss walks over to you.

You’ve never met her, but of course you know all about her. Who doesn’t at this point?

“Hello,” you friendlily greet her. She stands over you and Beetee awkwardly. “Do you know how to make a fire with two sticks? We’re awful at it.”

She sits down at the station with you. “Yeah, but I haven’t done it in a while. Let me see…” she grabs some sticks and begins to rub them together.

For the next ten minutes that you three spend at the station, a friendly rapport grows. You talk about many things, like the forcefield, productivity in your districts, and a few other topics. Eventually, she starts asking if you’re going to join any alliances.

“I think so,” you say hopefully. “I know me and Beetee are going to stick together. Johanna, too.” 

“Johanna?” Katniss asks, raising her eyebrows.

You smile, finding your girl across the room. She’s arguing about something with Finnick, shoving his shoulder and getting shoved back in response. 

“Yeah, she’s great. She’s just really, really great.” You can feel a blush growing on your cheeks which you hide behind your hands.

“I didn’t feel that way when I met her.” You furrow your eyebrows at Katniss.

“Oh. While I’m going to go see if I can try to make a lure with Mags. Beetee, want to join?” You want to be nice considering she doesn’t know about your relationship with Johanna and your girlfriend does come off as rude sometimes.

“Oh, yes. That could be very helpful,” he comments, getting up from his seat. “Thank you for helping us, Katniss. Maybe we would keep up that trend in the arena?”

Katniss nods, getting up as well. “I should see what Peeta is doing.”

You don’t talk to Katniss again until the next day of training. 

You’re sparring with one of the trainers, having decided that it might actually be important this time around to work on your physical skills rather than just relying on your brains and public appeal. 

When you finish the spar and are bent over trying to catch your breath, you feel a hand cup your ass. You let out a gasp of surprise.

“Johanna!” You shriek as you return to an upright position. Ignoring the shocked gazes of the people around you, you wrap your arms around her neck and pull her in for a quick kiss. “You can’t just scare me like that when I have a deadly weapon in my hands!”

She looks beautiful with her signature smirk on her face. “I just wanted to let you know how good you were doing. And let everyone know that you’re mine.”

You giggle uncontrollably, holding onto her for a few more seconds. With one final kiss to her smiling lips that end up more on her teeth than anything, you back away from the sparring station to allow other people to enter, namely Finnick and Katniss. Katniss has a look of disbelief on her face.

You say a quick ‘hello’ to them before Beetee is calling your name from across the room. “Can you identify the metal that comprises this beam? It seems to be steel but the density is all wrong.”

As you walk across the room to help out Beetee, you can hear Johanna talk to the two others, none of them being too quiet. 

“What a woman,” she says, causing you to smile once more.

“You two are…? Her?” Katniss practically hisses.

“Why not?” Finnick teases. “Johanna needs something good in her life.”

“Shut up!” You turn your eyes back towards your girlfriend just in time to see her try to knock Finnick over. 

This is what it means to be in love

-

[you-remind-me-of-the-babe]

Thank you for tagging me @run-for-chamo-miles @emeryhall @artsyunderstudy @roomwithanopenfire @j-nipper-95 @best--dress @noblecorgi @prettygoododds @ileadacharmedlife @nausikaaa @rimeswithpurple @forabeatofadrum @monbons! It’s amazing to see the creative out put of this fandom this year!

I have written a lot less this year than in the past. When I first started writing in late 2021 I published roughly 80k words in 4 months, followed by 120k in 2022 and 83k in 2023. This year clocked in at only 46k. Despite the downward trend, I still wrote some stuff. Here’s a list:

🛼 Keep the Skates On - Explicit - 4k

Self indulgent roller skating fic for Erotic Grope Fest that I say is just a blowjob on wheels but in reality has some good backstory built in via flashbacks of their meet cute.

This story was also immortalized via art by the crazy talented Rimeswithpurple. Even just the shot of Baz’s skates and Simon’s shoes is so cinematic and big brained it still blows my mind.

💦Swimple Times, Swimple Pleasures - Mature - 2.5k

Baz and Simon rent a backyard pool for an hour while in Nebraska and sexy times ensue. Hopefully no one is watching…

This was a gift fic meant to immortalized an interesting yet lovely afternoon with friends in Omaha at SSCONE. Good times.

⏱️Back and Back and Back - Mature - 21k (WIP)

My time travel, canon divergent AU in which Baz is visited throughout his childhood by a Dragon Man he comes to find is an older version of his Watford roommate and nemesis.

My poor abandoned WIP. What can I say? It’s fully plotted via outline but I just lost steam writing this one. The school year took over in the fall and it just seemed unwieldy to come back to. But I love this story and playing with what might change in canon with this twist and what could have stubbornly stayed the same. I’m a completionist in many ways so there’s a good chance I’ll come back to this but without anything like a fest deadline lighting a fire under me it may be a while.

🕺The Wedding Planner - Teen - 6k

Baz, the wedding planner for a high profile wedding, gets roped into standing in for the bride in a dance lesson with the groom. The only problem is the frustratingly handsome groom and him have a past…

This fic was written in collaboration with Rimeswithpurple for CORB. Arianna killed it with the art, and it was such a joy to bring words to her idea. This story is a 40k fic disguised in a smaller package. I used a lot of flashbacks to build out the backstory (a similar strategy that I used in Keep the Skates On) which was wonderfully helpful because without it, I doubt I would have been able to write either fic. I think I was really feeling incapable of writing plotty stuff after temporarily shelving Back and Back and Back, and for both of these fics I found I could not write from the beginning because I didn’t want to do the slog through the set up. What ultimately worked for both was opening a new doc, starting the story in the middle, and filling in backstory as I went where necessary. This worked wonders, especially when I was crunched for time or feeling uninspired. I wrote the parts I wanted to write, which helped me get invested, and then the other bits followed easily. I’m such a linear writer that I never thought this strategy would work for me (starting with the scene I wanted to write) but! Cheat code! Start there and still write straight through! Amazing!

🎁 From the Heart - Teen - 12k

Watford, truce era, canon divergent story in which Simon finds Baz’s list of gift ideas for his Secret Santa assignment and freaks out when he realizes it’s for him. Baz? Trying to be thoughtful toward Simon? Cute gift giving crises soon follows.

This was a gift for @bookishbroadwayandblind for the Carry On discord server’s Secret Snowflake Exchange. This was so fun to write. Just fluffy, cute, pining with very low angst and a satisfying get together. Come for the silly premise, stay for the feeeeelings.

It’s nice to see these all stacked up because even though I wrote a lot less this year, AO3 still says I had 3k hits, 391 kudos, 109 comment threads, 77 bookmarks and 42 work subscriptions in 2024. That ain’t nothing! Thank you to everyone who engaged with these stories ✌🏻

Other notable fandom highlights:

-Meeting up with friends in Omaha for SSCONE!

-More meet ups for the Slow Dance release in LA!

-Mod’ing the Carry On Reverse Bang and Secret Snowflake Exchange!

-Tons of beta reading, which I really love doing <3

-Sooo much lovely fic and art was digested. My tbr is still so long but I suppose that’s not a bad problem to have.

Playing my tiny violin for a moment because sometimes we gotta keep it real and share the struggles:

-This was the first year I struggled with keeping up with people’s tumblr tags and posts and I feel a little sad when the notifs pile up and I haven’t responded. Sorry fam!

-Similarly, my AO3 inbox is full of comments I haven’t responded to which also bums me out. I kept it at zero for 3 years (I never delete, I either respond or mark responses as read) and my damn WIP has made me feel incapable of responding to nice comments because I’ve left it languishing. I love our comment culture in this fandom and I would like to get around to responding at some point.

-While organizing and helping to facilitate CORB can be really fun, there were a lot of behind the scenes challenges this year, some of which are still buzzing around my head.

Looking ahead to 2025

As many have said in their own posts, the community and friendships are the best parts of fandom and I hope to continue to cultivate those in 2025. That’s my main goal. Keep these relationships and keep vibing with y’all. I’m sure I’ll still be reading fic and ogling fanart. I’d like to get back to doing more fic rec posts and organizing them in some way. Maybe I’ll finish my WIP. Hopefully I’ll reply to all those lovely comments in my inbox. I might help mod some other fests. CORB is in need of new mods. I’ll organize a way to either get myself some help or possibly pass the torch if there’s interest in it running again.

Tagging some friends if you’d like to share anything about your year @cutestkilla @bookish-bogwitch @shrekgogurt @facewithoutheart @skeedelvee

@thewholelemon @iamamythologicalcreature @orange-peony @leithillustration @whogaveyoupermission

@mooncello @fiend-for-culture @aristocratic-otter @ic3-que3n @blackberrysummerblog

@talentpiper11 @alexalexinii @laura-art77 @whatevertheweather @bookishbroadwayandblind

[probablylia0]

Pumpkin duo Pet names?

Quackity😨

((This might suck im not very into quackity lol))

He’d probably call you many things in like spanish n shit.

Like ex: Amor, princesa/príncipe, mama, mami/papa/papi

But maybe like english wise he’d be like probably call you like babe or baby.

His viewers would probably catch wind of this shit cause you’d probably walk in during a stream to give him water or food or sum other shit and he’d be like “Thank you Amor,” while giving you a slight peck on the forehead or just blowing a kiss at you.

Imagine..? ⬇️😨

Quackity had been streaming for a while now and you start kinda over thinking about him. A shit ton of questions run through your mind such as, “Is he hydrated” or “what if he’s hungry…”, “when did he last eat..? “So you decided to be a good person and make him ramen or something. You’d finish the ramen and get a glass of water then head up to his room. After many failed attempts at getting the door open with your hands full, you finally open it and it seems he didn’t notice you walked in. He jumped a little when you placed food on his desk but then asked “For me?” You smiled and nodded and he smiled warmly back. He stood up and hugged you “Thank you amor.” And followed it up with a kiss on the forehead. Suddenly the next day you and quackity’s ship name was trending on twitter… 👀

Jschlatt 😉

Oml this man😩🙏

Nicknames are a mess for this man.

It’s either “aww c:” or “what the hell-“

Like its either Sugar, honey, baby, Angel, babe, dear, pumpkin, beautiful/handsome.

Or

Broad, bitch , maybe whore😨

Like you’d be like checkin up on him cause you heard a crash in his office, (probably throwing a fit over a wii game😭) and he’d be like “Don’t worry pumpkin, im fine.”

Or you’d be on his stream or something as a special guest to play mario cart and you’d be in the back distracted by something before the game starts and he’d say “Get over here broad, the games about to start.”

If you beat him he’d quietly say into the mic “Fuckin bitch..” and when he wins he’ll stand up and yell “HAHA SUCK MY COCK YOU FUCKIN WHOR-”

Imagine??⬇️⬇️

Schlatt had asked you if you wanted to be a special guest on his stream, of course you agreed knowing he’d convince you anyway. Turns out it was a mario kart stream. (Yippee🥳) As soon as the stream started you’d talk for a while and you be in the back drawing messing with his shit while he sets up the game. He’d begin the match and notice your in the back and he yells “GET OVER HERE YOU BROAD IT’S ABOUT TO START.” You scoffed and said, “Alright you big baby im coming.” He was baby raging most of the race and you were just chilling there. When you beat him you threw your arms up and yelled “YAYY I WONN!!” And he’d throw something behind you guys, making you gasp. He starts rubbing his forehead and mutters under his breath, “ Fuckin bitch..” you’d probably smile and giggle knowing he’s joking but if you show any signs that your upset he’d wrap his arms around you and whisper “Im sorry pumpkin, i didnt mean to make you upset.” You’d hopefully hug him back and forgive him. This started trending on Twitter and saying that people loved it would be an understatement.

Other info!!⬇️⬇️

This is my first serious post on tumblr so i apologize if it isn’t good. I hope to post more though! Maybe some nsfw?? 😨

[kunikinnie]

a/n: an old trend but I wanted to do this for these three anyway HAHA I think culture plays a big part in this so I tried to reflect it... sort of

not saying I love you back as a prank

featuring: Fukuzawa, Mori, Fitzgerald x GN!Reader

Fukuzawa Yukichi

It's rare for him to say it so when he does, it's either in a serious or thoughtful mood. Usually you're huddled next to each other when he whispers it to you.

So when you only thank him in reply, he doesn't notice it at first until he finally sensed a disturbance in the force.

"Is something wrong?"

"No," you answer plainly. "Why?"

He stiffens a bit and you try your best to maintain your composure. You could literally hear the rapid grinding of the gears in his head.

"It's just you usually... hmm, what do you call it..."

The truth is, there was a time in the beginning of your relationship when he didn't return your I love you's (he's just awkward like that), and now that this is the first time you didn't return his (and frankly he didn't expect to be that affected by it), he wasn't sure how to convey these thoughts to you. Saying "I want to hear you say 'I love you too'" out loud was simply beyond his capabilities.

He doesn't continue and only tightens his embrace. All his anxieties suddenly rush to him - did he finally break the final straw somehow? Did he do something again? Or was this a sign that you just... you just didn't want to-

"I'm sorry," he finally says, although it was barely audible.

"Hmm? Why?"

"I'm sorry," he says once more. "For all my shortcomings, if I did something to hurt you... forgive me. I love you so much, Y/N."

Here's another fact of the day: you've pranked him several times in the past, and at each and every instance you always ended up feeling guilty - this one was no different. Why you never learned, no one would ever know.

"I-I love you too, Yukichi," you said as you gently pushed away his bangs to place a soft kiss on his forehead. "I should be the one apologzing. It was- I just wanted to see how you'd react- I'm so sorry I should have been more sensitive."

He stared at you blankly in confusion during the whole apology. Was this another prank of yours?

Once it all settled in his head, his body finally relaxed through a relieved and exasperated sigh. Thank God it was nothing serious, but still...

"Please don't do this again, Y/N. Please." What would he ever do with you?

Mori Ougai

He's not one to drop the L-word often either. It usually occurs during or after a period when you're physically separated.

This time, he called to check on how you're doing. Was your day alright? Did you need anything? Good. It seemed you were doing well.

"Alright then. Good night, I love you."

"Good night too."

You deliberately left the line on to see if he noticed, and to your surprise (or expectation) he did.

"...Good night, I. love. you," he repeated with emphasis on the last three words. His tone hardened, annoyance apparent.

"Yes, I heard you. Good night."

You had to pull the phone away from your face to avoid him hearing your stifled laughter.

"What do you think you're doing, Y/N?" His voice switched to his cold persona but you could still tell he was upset. "Do you think it's funny?"

"I'm not doing anything, darling. I promise it's just your imagination."

The line remains cold for a moment. You regretted not doing this in person now that you were left to only guess his facial expressions right then.

"Tell me, Y/N. My imagination tells me I should be worried about the future of our relationship."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic-"

"Really? I don't know if I am. I don't know what you're thinking if you don't tell me, Y/N."

"There's nothing to be worried about, I swear." You tried to reassure him - you had to. Things would go serious fast if he felt like it.

"Then say it."

At this point, there was no use in continuing this any further.

"I love you, Rintarou," you said as sweetly as possible. Hopefully he wasn't too offended by your little prank.

"Good." His usual cheer returned, thankfully. "Don't pull something like this again, okay, dear? It won't end well next time."

"I won't. Promise."

Francis Scott Fitzgerald

He says it before leaving for somewhere important. No, scratch that. He says it before leaving for anywhere. Period.

So you only saying "take care" registers quickly in his brain, preventing him from exiting the doorway entirely.

"I love you," he hollers again from the door, extending his back to make sure you heard him this time.

"Take care!" You say again with no change in tone.

He's suspicious but he's not exactly as worried as the previous two, being the most secure in terms of your relationship. Still, he walks back to where you were and repeats himself.

"I love you, Y/N."

"I know. You should go now or you'll be late-"

"I'm not leaving until this is matter is resolved," he says with an official yet melodramatic air. "This is very important."

You chuckle, pretending not to know what's going on. "What's important?"

"Your reciprocation of love, of course. You're more important than any sort of business - you know that."

You'd be lying if you didn't like hearing that from him. He was quite verbal (and even physical at times) with his affection, but it never hurts to be affirmed either way.

"So, what's bothering you? Tell me what you want - are you bored with the house? Is the new cook not up to your tastes? Feeling lonely recently? Something else?"

"It's nothing, really."

"Nothing?" He asks, shock completely taking over his features. "Nothing is bothering you, yet you won't even say 'I love you' back to your husband who works day and night just to provide you the life you want?"

A few moments of tense silence pass as his blue eyes stare into yours. You've had many of these spontaneous staring contests to know that the first one to break the silence or eye contact was the loser. Today, it was you.

"...do I have to?"

"I'm staying here until you say it, Y/N."

With a sigh of resignation, you finally give in. "I love you, Francis, so please go now."

"There we go. See you later, then."

tagging: @menshusband (this is what I was talking about lol) @stygianoir

[kaycynyrs]

Let's talk about Christopher Diaz in fanfic

I want to preface this by saying I'm pretty new to the fandom. I joined a few months or so before season 7 started dropping. So I'm probably not the best source for information when it comes to the show, but I definitely wanted to throw my hat into the ring. I'm aware that Chris is aging during the course of the show, and that he was much younger when he was first introduced, but it seems to me that a lot of fanfic writers and/or people in this fandom kinda struggle to realistically write and/or portray accurate representation of a preteen/early teenager as Chris is now.

I have absolutely no idea if maybe it's some kinda weird way of seemingly (kinda horribly) trying to portray disability, or maybe people in the 911 fandom just do not spend time around pre-teens, but as someone who does spend a lot of time with a pre-teen (specifically my 12 y/o brother) I definitely figured I could give some insight into this topic.

Now I do want to clarify before I begin, that in no way shape or form am I talking about the disabled portion of Chris' experience. I don't have the knowledge or firsthand experience or anything like that to even begin to try and be a voice on that topic, and if anyone else could give insight into that portion of Chris' experience, I welcome it gladly. Especially because it's an integral part of him and introduces some experiences that other pre-teens won't have to deal with which can change how Chris reacts/deals with situations.

What I can accurately talk about though is the things I've noticed in my brother as he goes through this phase of his life. I can also compare his experiences to what I remember from when I was his age, and I'm noticing he's going through certain things that I went through too. I know everyone is different, but hopefully this insight can help some people begin to understand Chris as he is now.

Now, on top of all the slow but noticeable bodily changes, these little sass masters are emotionally volatile. As in, the littlest things seem to be the end of the world. Especially if he's (my brother) is overtired. He tends to have tunnel vision, and he wants things to go his way. If it doesn't immediately go as planned, he tends to get very very frustrated. When that happens, he tends to blow up then go into his room until he's calmed down. After he's calm, then productive conversation can happen.

Kids Chris' age also tend to enjoy video games (like Roblox, or console games) more than they do coloring or legos or any physical toy. Not saying my brother has stopped playing with them all together, but it's definitely slowed down. If he were to play with legos, it'd more likely be a complicated lego set. Or complicated arts and crafts. His most recent projects being origami swords and origami paper dragons. Like, please don't forget that Chris is a good artist and is capable of drawing accurate human hearts.

I've also noticed that kids will go through a collecting phase. They'll collect anything and everything and it'll be the weirdest shit you could never predict. My brother when he was a bit younger literally stole every single sock in the house for his "sock collection" and stuffed an entire drawer full of them. Now he's moved on to collecting golf balls.

And, whether we like it or not, these kids are on the internet. My brother at least is very very influenced by online trends. Half the things he's interested in he saw on social media first. But that means that these kids have a rich meme culture. They have their own in jokes and concepts, same as we did growing up. And sure, some of the jokes are the same. I mean heck, my brother won't shut up with the "your mom" jokes, but they also have things like skibbidy toilet, chippi chippi choppa choppa, and other memes. (I have a list of current tween memes in my notes, but that can be a separate post if people truly want it)

Like it's such a missed funny opportunity! To have Chris reference current memes or current sayings like "gyot, what the sigma, and womp womp," and just having every single adult within the immediate vicinity be confused as fuck, and of course the kids won't explain, because why would they. It's funny to them that the adults are confused. Which also pairs with the amount of sass contained in their tiny orifices. Their come backs are insane and not to be trifled with. My brother has burned me so many times and so well that for all intents and purposes I should be a pile of ash on floor, honestly and truly.

Now, when it comes to romance, I have no idea when that changes. I think Chris is around 14 in the most recent season? And he's gone through a little heartbreaker phase, but currently, my brother at 12 is absolutely disgusted by romance. I myself am demisexual so I'm not a good reference for that, and can't really comment on when people start feeling attraction for others. But considering it's being portrayed in the show, I think it could be something to lean into as well.

All of this to say, Chris won't be this picture perfect baby all of the time. He'll get angry, frustrated, sad. Give people the silent treatment. He'll be weird and strange and say stupid shit. He'll also probably occasionally get confused over certain sayings he's never heard before. (E.g similes commonly used in writing) He'll try to get out of chores, and homework, and he'll whine and complain. His body is changing, he's probably experiencing growing pains, and he's probably starting to discover more adult things. But he'll also have his moments of insightfulness and humor. He's a little adult! And he should be allowed to be portrayed that way! Let Chris be a multidimensional character! It's what he deserves! And just to make it clear, this goes for every pre-teen on 911. I've just noticed the infantilisation of Chris a lot more than say Denny.

Please let me know your thoughts on this matter! I'd love to hear them! Have a wonderful day!

[withlovelunette]

How to create “complex” characters

– Introduction

I wanted to make a post about creating complex and multifaceted characters, since character creation is something I'm very passionate about from both a craft and storytelling perspective. Specifically, I remember I had this tendency to apply flaws as an afterthought to my characters in hopes of making them balanced and seem more complex, and this could often make the characters feel a bit artificial to me. I'm obviously not any sort of authority figure on the subject, but I do have one tip that really simplified the process of making characters more intricate, and I wanted to share it! This is probably more helpful for people who might still be at the very beginning of their writing journey, but hopefully others can get something out of this as well! It's a bit lengthy, but I hope it's somewhat enjoyable to read ^^; Enjoy!

For a bit of background, back in the early internet days, there was this trend of judging various OCs on youtube, deviant art, etc. where people would essentially evaluate your character and determine whether or not a character was well written. During this time, the term "Mary Sue" would get thrown around a lot (which is a whole can of worms I won't be touching on here). For simplicity though, Mary Sue generally means a character who's "perfect" (again, heavy oversimplification here). To counter this, people began creating these lists of character traits where they'd list off a character's good and bad traits, and people who didn't have equal amounts in each category would often be scrutinised for it.

And I see this advice all the time. If you want complex characters, people will usually tell you to just throw on a bunch of flaws, but I think this can be a bit misleading, because most traits exist on a spectrum, and aren't a perfect dichotomy of good and bad.

Thinking of character traits as neutral

My biggest advice is honestly to just think of all character traits as neutral. Because what really is a character flaw? A flaw is a very ambiguous and subjective term after all. What might be considered a flaw in one character could be considered another character's greatest attribute, and vice versa. Functionally, a character flaw should be a trait that creates conflict within the context of the story. Any trait a person has could be good or bad, it just depends on how it shows up in practice and how it's applied in daily life. It might be tempting to think that certain traits are inherently good or bad, but again, flaws aren't really about good or bad. They're about conflict and tension, and just about any trait can work to a character's detriment or in their favour.

I'm going to list off two examples of hypothetical characters below; one who most would consider to have a lot of "good" character traits, and one that would be considered to have "bad" character traits. Then I'll show you how you can easily flip those traits to create nuance. (And again, I really don't think good or bad are relevant terms here, but it's just to exemplify what I mean more easily!)

The "Good" Character

This character is empathetic, creative and incredibly supportive of others. They always do the right thing, and are a very responsible individual. They're approachable and friendly, funny, and generally enjoyable to be around.

The "Bad" Character

This character is cunning, manipulative, and don't care if their words hurt other people's feelings. They're largely apathetic and unreceptive, don't care about rules, and don't go out of their way to get to know people.

Their flaws & how it can affect the story

For the "good" character, you can look at what the downsides of empathy can be; very reactive emotionally, perhaps even a bit emotionally impulsive. Maybe they have a difficult time recognising their own needs, especially since supportive is also a trait listed above. Maybe they even use this empathy to figure out other people's needs and use it to their own benefit. Someone who's creative can often have a difficult time committing to their passions and ideas because there's always something new. Maybe they feel out of place or easily stifled by rules, but because they always want to do the right thing, they're hesitant in outright breaking rules and social norms. If they use their empathy and approachability to manipulate, perhaps this is their way of subtly regaining a sense of control because they're too afraid to explicitly go after what they want in life. Maybe they care a lot about how they're perceived, etc. Or maybe they really are a compassionate and kind person, but they're often a doormat to others because they don't know how to set boundaries or even how to recognise what they want. Maybe they don't trust their own judgment because they're so used to doing the right thing "just because it's the right thing to do", and don't actually reflect on their actions beyond that. There's a lot you can do with these traits!

For the "bad" character, which might seem a bit more tricky at first, the easiest way to figure out what the nuance of "bad" traits can be is to break down the why. Maybe this character became cunning because they've had to think long term a lot. They're good at waging the odds, they're good at reading the room, they're good at putting things together and seeing how the dominos will fall. Maybe they're even the person responsible for setting up the dominos, because they don't trust anyone else to make sure that there's a desirable outcome. If they're manipulative then it likely means that they're good at reading people, and they must know how to appeal to other people to some degree, otherwise they wouldn't really be able to manipulate anyone. They're likely used to having to look out for themselves, and they might even be good at spotting their own kind and knowing just when to avoid them. They don't care much for rules so they might not be as harsh in judging others, maybe they even have an easier time getting along with people who dare to defy social norms. Maybe they're even supportive of other people breaking the rules, because why the hell not?

Creating nuance

If you look at the two characters above, you'll quickly realise that they could hypothetical be the same character, because... They are. The "good" character is the "bad" character when they were younger. The "bad" character is the "good" character's future. An empathetic character can easily turn that empathy and their social skills into cunning manipulation. A character who previously felt stifled by the rules might choose to defy them. A character who got sick of caring how others perceive and judge them might choose to stop caring about what others think, and might even go out of their way to seem off-putting and un-approachable, because they refuse to ever allow themselves to care about others and be treated like a doormat again.

Or you can treat them as two separate characters that function as foils to one another. They both overlap in a lot of traits despite it not seeming so at first glance. My point is, I find that if you treat all traits as neutral, you don't really have to manually "add" flaws. Most traits have both upsides and downsides, and which side of those traits create conflict in the story is often what determines whether something is a flaw or not.

– Outro

Sorry for the lengthy and possibly rambly post, I just thought it might be advice worth sharing as it's something that really helped me flesh out my own characters more when I was still very new! Plus, as mentioned before, character creation and analysis is one of my favourite aspects of storytelling, and I'm also very passionate about psychology and philosophy and such. And again, this is all in good fun and 100% not a rule on how to write characters! There's exceptions to everything and everyone's process is different, and while this advice might be helpful to some, it might not be helpful whatsoever to others, and that's completely fine!

I'd love to make more posts on topics like this in the future if people enjoy it, or if anyone has any specific requests on anything! :,)

[connieisthesun]

Wildest Dreams (Conrad fisher x y/n)

You see me in hindsight

Tangled up with you all night

Sweaty bodies, the dizzying aroma of alcohol and a pounding remix of trending tiktok audios. It was nothing more or less than an infamous college party.

As a studious individual, I never usually partake in such fickle activities until my best friend Angelina begged me to go the night before as pay back from eating her last packet of instant noodles, what can I say, it was 2am and the hunger hit different!

Aside that as she was partying it up with some ran-do named Allen, Alex? - I didn't catch his name. I was standing in a corner to avoid the excessive grinding of drunken kids, unbeknownst to me a pair of sapphirical diamonds, piercing deeper than a lustful cesspool was the gleaming and most respectful eyes of you guessed it Conrad Fisher. The most sought out guy in college.

Lost in thought, I was quite rudely bumped into a deeply intertwined couple was making their way upstairs to conduct more "business." My legs entangled before me, I tripped and fell into the arms of the infamous fuckboy Jason.

"You don't have to hurt yourself to get my attention"

I quietly revolt in my mouth, who does this guy think he is?'

"Thank you, I was just leaving." I mumble.

"Leaving y/n darling, already? The party just started, why don't you be a good girl and lead the way upstairs." He whispers with fake innocence.

I could not believe he thought I would give my virginity to him, a guy who had the ego of the president but the looks of a furless moleskin rat!

Disgusted, I visibly grimace and attempt to break free of his grasp, before I could do so his hands began sliding its way up my thigh and his hand around my waist tightening ever so slightly. I am frightened, is this really happening?

"Jason!" called a distant figure who's silhouette was only visible to me.

Jason's breathing quickens with his distraughtful presence still looming over me, an air of vindicative energy fills the room.

"Leave her alone, she obviously doesn't want to fuck you or be seen 10 feet within you so leave her the fuck alone before I punch you shitless."

Gob-smacked by this behaviour, you rustle out of Jason's arm's to be met by the warm embrace of the one and only Conrad. Your heart pangs a little as he grips you assuredly.

"Look at me, are you ok? He exclaims.

You begin to speak before-

"I swear to God, just wait until I get my hands on him, hurting a sweet pretty thing like you."

"Conrad! I'm fine - thank you."

"Sorry for overreacting, do you want me to walk you to your apartment for safety y/n" He looks intimately in your eyes as he hopefully awaits a response.

"Yes sure, please. I don't want to have another encounter at a party again!"

"Tell me about it, all guys want these days is sex." You feel relieved that Conrad isn't a misogynistic brat though that's just the bare minmum. You engage in a meaningful conversation on the way home, talking about various topics before your arrive at your front door step.

"Thanks Conrad, it really means a lot to me that you care."

"No problem, I'm here if you need me y/n."

"Wait, how do you know my name, we've never formally met before."

"Lets just say a girl like you no matter the name is unforgettable." He offers a quick smile before muttering goodnight and leaving. As if in a delirious state you clutch your chest and make your way to your bed only to dream about the night you just had and the wildest possibilities of you and Conrad.

Thanks so much for reading! This is my first fic so go easy on me lol but honestly I had to feed you girlies as season 2 has come to a close and conrad fics are slowly disappearing. Let me know if you want a part 2, I'll make sure the parts are more longer and get into the backstory of both y/n and Conrad but for now see you later!

P.S -> I'll add you to my taglist for future content if you comment your name :)

[jungwnies]

partners ✰ 1 your chemistry sucks!

masterlist | next

"maybe if you read your cue cards properly you wouldn't be so unprepared on stage." you argued with the australian boy who stood beside you. "it's crazy how everyone thinks you're this sweet golden retriever boy."

"it was a mistake y/n." jake replies back, sighing, "it won't happen again."

"i would've never agreed to become an mc on this stupid show if i knew you were going to be my partner." you scoffed as you put down the cards and took a sip of water. "it's getting tiring jake."

let's rewind though.

you were seated in the living room of your dorm along with the rest of your members as your manager blabbed about some show you guys were soon to be on. it was often you would just tune your manager out and completely ignore what he had to say, but today he had some news. specifically for you.

"y/n, can i talk to you for a second?" your manager asks putting down his stack of papers he always reads off of.

you nod and stand up following your manager outside the dorm, "the public seems to really love you, and music bank has asked if you could be their new mc." your manager hands you a paper, "it'll be the same kind of thing as soobin and arin. if you agree, i need these papers signed by tomorrow."

you look through the papers and nod as you read through, "do you happen to have a pen on you?" you ask, putting your hand out. your manager places a pen in your hand and you put the paper flat against the wall to sign it, "do you know who will be my partner?"

"unfortunately, i do not." your manager tells you as you hand him back the signed papers. "i think it's going to be someone from enhypen."

"hopefully this goes well then." you tell him, smiling and walking back into your dorm as your members begin to bombard you with questions about why you were asked outside.

fast forward to the present...

your manager walks into the room as you and jake and continues to read through the cards for the next segment, "fans are starting to notice the tension, you need to stop side-eyeing jake." he scolds as his voice is slightly raised. "and you need to start remembering your lines jake, you spend more time reading the cards than looking at the camera." he adds sighing and plopping down onto the couch annoyed.

you roll your eyes followed along by jake's scoff.

it didn't take long for the directors to come and call you guys outside. the two of you exit the dressing room and go onto the stage as fans cheered. you slow down your walk to stand besides jake and whisper, "don't fuck this up." jake subtly rolls his eyes and stands in his spot as you make your way to the right of him.

the cameramen make their way to their spots and begin rolling as the fans' screams die down. "okay, rolling!" one of the men shouted.

"y/n!" you exclaim, followed by jake's, "jake-eu!"

"today on music bank we got to see ive sunbaenim's wonderful comeback stage for after like, along with blackpink sunbaenim's pink venom." you say to the camera as those two groups stand behind jake and you.

the camera's continue rolling until you guys talk to every group that performed.

"jake-eu!"  jake finally exclaims at the end followed by your, "y/n!"

"thank you for tuning into music bank, we'll see you next friday!" the two of you shout, waving sweetly at the camera making a heart at the end.

the camera finally cuts off and you two walk off stage and let out deep breaths, "finally." jake mumbles.

you roll your eyes and walk back to your personal dressing room pulling out your phone to check twitter to see #jakeyn trending. everyone believes that you and jake were the most friendly mc's. "little do they know." you think to yourself, chuckling before changing out of the matching clothes you were wearing for today's show.

as you walk out of your dressing room you bump into your manager, "good job on fixing your chemistry on stage, enhypen's manager and i are proud of you guys."

the two of you walk outside bombarded by paparazzi and you put on a fake smile and wave to the cameras making your way to the van. but your day didn't end there when you realized who else was in the van. "what... the... fuck." you say, confused by the situation at hand. "why are you in my van?"

"why are you in my van?" jake asks back with an angered expression.

"get in the car y/n, before dispatch gets a picture of who else is in the car." your manager orders from behind you as you step in fully sitting down.

"i hope this is a group uber, because i had no intention of doing anything except showering and going to bed once i got back to the dorms." you say as your manager got into the front seat.

"you guys need bonding time." the driver, who happened to be jake's manager, says pulling off. "we can't risk fans thinking you guys hate each other."

"hashtag jake y/n is literally trending on twitter, i think we've got our relationship handled." jake argues in hopes for the managers to agree.

"for the first time, i'm going to have to agree with you." you say, sinking into your chair, upset that you were now stuck in a car with whom you would consider to be the most annoying person on earth.

word count: 951 thanks for reading! 🩷

taglist: @whois-alexis , @hanienie , @reikofruitloops , @baldi-2 , @yelleloww , @aetzensvct , @moonshoon , @kimipxl , @shinsou-rii , @giraffeass , @ghostiiess , @ohbeomgyu [open - bolded could not be tagged]

2022 © jungwnies

[strangevamp]

ok, so, normally i don't share deeper feelings on here, but this is important:

i first heard the term asexual when i was 15 and i am still so grateful that there was a person who introduced me to it. she was by no means a good person, but ever since than i at least had that: asexual.

after a few years, after i had already involuntarily broken a few hearts, after time spent in delusions, that's when it creept up to me that i might be aromantic too

and that wasn't easy for me, it was both a huge relief and a fuckin burden and i was pushed into coming out far too soon

i am 21 now. i am content with my identity. more than ever before. i am even kind of proud. i never felt pride when i still thought i was bi. but these words - asexual and aromantic - they really were the beginning of something great.

and i am sharing this, not because aromantic, asexual and aroace have been trending lately and i want to add my own experience, i share this because the last 5 posts i saw were all aphobic bullshit and goddammit i don't want any more people to see those. so here i am, sharing a piece of myself to hopefully push those fucking assholes as far away as possible.

sincerely, a aroace person who just had their heart shatter a bit more

[gunsatthaphan]

~ Monthly BL Breakdown: May 2023 ~  

💫 🏳️‍🌈 Happy Pride Month!!! 🏳️‍🌈 💫

Disclaimer: ALL shows can be streamed here or here, as well as on Youtube and other platforms. For more info on where to watch what, check out this post!

New breakdowns are coming at the end of every month - feel free to add stuff!  -> previous breakdowns

What came out this month? (green = seen/currently watching)

🌟 House of Stars - May 1st (Thailand) 

🌟 Love Mate - May 4th (South Korea)

🌟 ViAn The Series (TikTok series) - May 6th (Vietnam) 

🌟 My Partner (movie) - May 7th (Philippines/Hawaii) 

🌟 Star Struck - May 18th (South Korea) 

🌟 Stay - May 19th (Philippines) 

🌟 Ey Mi Amor - May 22nd (Vietnam) 

🌟 Tie the Not - May 24th (Philippines)

🌟 Sparks Camp (reality show) - May 24th (Philippines) 

🌟 Why You - May 25th (Cambodia) 

🌟 Be My Favorite - May 26th (Thailand) ✅

🌟 The Luminous Solution - May 27th (Thailand) 

🌟 Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari no Hajimari no Asa - May 27th (Japan) 

Monthly likes/dislikes

👎🏻 Our Skyy2 - it’s a shame because except for The Eclipse and NLMG none of the episodes have been good. The ABAAB episodes have been surprisingly entertaining and they were better than the show itself but overall it’s obvious that this whole production was rushed and most of them did not put the required thought + effort into creating these stories; especially the MSP episodes had me shaking my head for so many reasons. Maybe the concept of 16 episodes for 8 couples in the span of 3 months was putting too much on their plates but it’s frustrating because it had a promising start. Hopefully this season marks the end of this project altogether. 

New series & movie announcements

🎥 Every You, Every Me - Date TBA (Thailand) 

🎥 City Of Angels (novel adaption) - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Our Story (3rd sequel of My Day) - Date TBA (Philippines)  

🎥 Stay by My Side - Date TBA (Taiwan) 

🎥 Pray in Love - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 You Are Mine - Date TBA (Taiwan) 

🎥 Lovely Addict - Date TBA (Thailand) 

🎥 Chiang Mai Adventures - Date TBA (Thailand) 

🎥 Casanova Begins - Coming August 20th (Thailand)

🎥 Anti Reset - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 Love in Translation - Coming August 5th (Thailand) 

🎥 Crazy Handsome Rich (starring LongFrank) - Date TBA (Thailand) 

🎥 7 Days Before Valentine - Date TBA (Thailand) 

🎥 7 Times 4 Days - Date TBA (Thailand) 

Other news from the BL world

❗️ GMMTV actors Phuwin T., Prom T. and Foei P. came under fire this month for problematic behavior - Phuwin was criticized for ableist slurs he said in a live 3 years ago, Prom made sexist and pedophile comments in a recent interview and Foei published an anti-LGBT post on Instagram. Moreover, Mark P., Mond T. and White N. were also criticized for defending Prom and his opinions. Phuwin, Prom and Mark have issued public apologies. 

❗️ Actors Yoon DoJin and DoWon were announced as the leads in the upcoming Korean BL Love Tractor. 

❗️ The 2016 Chinese LGBT drama Addicted Heroin will get a Thai adaption. Further info such as cast have not been announced. 

❗️ The upcoming Thai BLs Hidden Agenda (GMMTV), Naughty Babe (Domundi) and The Sign (IdolfactoryTH) have started filming. 

❗️ The upcoming GMMTV BL Cooking Crush is officially in production. A release date is still unknown. 

❗️ After the public defamation scandal around Build Jakapan and his ex girlfriend, latter came forward on social media and admitted that her accusations against Build were fake - he was therefore proven innocent.

❗️ A second season for the Korean LGBT dating reality show His Man was announced. The show is said to air in June. Further details are unknown. 

❗️ The following BL actors/productions won at this year’s KAZZ awards:

GeminiFourth: Hottest Artists Award 

My School President: Most Trending on Social Media 

To Sir With Love: Best Drama of the Year 

Tay Tawan: Man of the Year

Nanon Korapat: Popular Male Teenage Award 

Nunew Chawarin: Popular Male Artist Award 

Zee Pruk: Best Actor of the Year 

Upcoming series & movies for June

👉🏻 Let’s Eat Together - June 2nd (Japan)

👉🏻 Ever After - June 3rd (Philippines) 

👉🏻 Tin Tem Jai (Special Episodes) - June 3rd + June 4th (Thailand) 

👉🏻 Twins - June 6th (Thailand) 

👉🏻 Love Tractor  - June 7th (South Korea) 

👉🏻 Stupid Genius - June 9th (Vietnam) 

👉🏻 Tokyo In April - June 15th (Japan)

👉🏻 Dinosaur Love - June 25th (Thailand) 

👉🏻 His Man Season 2 (dating show) - June TBA (South Korea) 

👉🏻 The Star Season 2 - June TBA (Myanmar) 

[kareenvorbarra]

🌷What is your favorite fan work you made this year? Why?

🌷Do you have any fan work projects for next year?

🌷 Was there a project you had for this year that you didn't get to complete (or begin)?

🌷 Is there a fandom you want to get more into or less into next year?

🌷 Was there any fan work you made this year that surprised you in any way?

🌷 Is there a fan work you shared this year that you wish had gotten more attention/reactions?

🌷 Is there a fandom trend you hope dies before the new year begins, or gets more popular next year?

🌷 Did you make more fan works this year than the year before? Why/why not?

🌷 what was your favorit fan work you've seen this year made by another person?

What is your favorite fan work you made this year? Why?

It's hard to choose, because I'm pretty proud of everything I wrote this year, but I think my favorite is Bed Trick. Not just because I think it's really good, which I do, but because it was my first time attempting to write certain things, and because I think the characterization is really interesting and complicated. Also more people liked it than I was expecting, which was really great!

Do you have any fan work projects for next year?

I really want to finish my very first successful longfic, What We Are Allowed! I started it in 2022, but I'm working on what should be the final chapter - I doubt I'll finish it before the end of the year, because December is always busy and I don't have much of the chapter written yet, but hopefully it'll be done sometime early next year :)

Was there a project you had for this year that you didn't get to complete (or begin)?

I have a post-TaT Marin fic that I started over two years ago, and I've written a pretty substantial chunk of it, but somehow I didn't manage to get it done this year! plus lots of other WIPs in earlier stages of being written.

Is there a fandom you want to get more into or less into next year?

I'm still pretty into Queen's Thief and I have a lot of ideas that I'd like to write, but I really want to get back to the Count of Monte Cristo fic I started this year 👀 I also have at least one Vorkosigan Saga WIP that is SO close to being done, and I'd like to get back into that enough to power through it!

Was there any fan work you made this year that surprised you in any way?

The fics I wrote for Weird the Tag 2024 (besides our TCoMC crossover) were truly things I'd thought about a lot but never expected to write or post, so that was an exercise in getting out of my own head and feeling less ashamed of the more unpleasant, violent things I find myself wanting to write.

Is there a fan work you shared this year that you wish had gotten more attention/reactions?

I would love for my Laela/Nahuseresh fic (Consequences) to get more attention, but I understand why it didn't - it's probably the most upsetting thing I wrote this year. There's a real dearth of Laela fanworks period, but there's almost nothing that reckons with her past relationship with Nahuseresh, and I want to talk about it!!!

Is there a fandom trend you hope dies before the new year begins, or gets more popular next year?

Next year I wish for more people in my current fandom to write more about minor characters and more fics exploring the fucked-up parts of canon :)

Did you make more fan works this year than the year before? Why/why not?

This year I posted 9 individual fics and 2 chapters of WWAA, last year I posted 12 individual fics and 5 chapters of WWAA. So not a huge difference, but still fewer this year than last year. I'm not exactly sure why, but I guess we moved in 2024, which took up a LOT of time in the second half of the year!

what was your favorite fan work you've seen this year made by another person?

YOU wrote one of my all-time favorite fanfics ever, Age of reason!!!! it's a really wonderful exploration of gender and sexuality beyond what the canon gives us, but also builds so perfectly on canon -exactly the kind of thing I want to read over and over again!!!! Plus you did the work of taking the slightly bizarre pieces of information about Themis from the books and turning her into a vibrant character who makes perfect sense.

in a similar vein, I absolutely loved @artino-c's Neighborhood Girl, which is a super compelling, sympathetic take on Costis' scammer girlfriend who is mentioned once in Thick As Thieves. I want deep dives into every barely-there female character who inconveniences the male protagonists!!!