#i do have ideas for other numbers though but idk if i'll ever get to writing them bc the concept is cool and i want to explore it

[moldygreenblue]

An Account From The Man Over There

(In which I decided to write a Cats musical fanfic where the beginning of the Jellicle Ball is shown from The Man Over There's perspective.)

Thomas did not have a good day today. What makes it worse is that he knows it could have been a good day. And a good final work day would be the perfect start to his days off.

His penultimate appointment of the day was for a new patient; a dear little cat name Euthymia, or Mia for short. Mia has the biggest eyes Thomas has ever seen on a cat before. She was also the sweetest, compliant cat he cared for at the clinic. Mia is very much like her owner in that regards. Mrs. Covey is also kind and sweet. Both of them are a matching pair, and Thomas wishes they were the last appointment of the day.

But they weren’t.

The less Thomas thinks about the final appointment of the day, the better. He doesn’t want to think again about how the pet owner believed a cat could survive a no-meat diet. He doesn’t want to recall how the owner told him shamelessly about switching their cat’s diet without asking a vet about it. He doesn’t want to think about how lost his cool, and how he barely kept his job.

As Thomas slumps down to the floor, his back right up against the door, he sighs. He’s tired and hungry. But he doesn’t want to finish his leftover takeout from yesterday.

Thomas instead decides to go to sleep early.

Thomas stands back up, and goes to his bedroom. He strips out of his clothes, remaining only in his boxer trunks. Picking up his trousers, Thomas reaches into the right pocket and pulls out his keys, setting them on his nightstand. And after setting his alarm for eight-thirty, Thomas flops stomach-side down onto his bed. He can throw his clothes in the hamper tomorrow morning.

Thomas rolls onto his backside, and stares at his ceiling. He stares, and soon eventually finds himself drifting off into sleep.

When Thomas wakes up again, the first thing that he hears is soften sounds of unexpected meowing and screeching from outside his bedroom window, where the nearby junkyard is. While there is the occasional cat or two (or more; Thomas once when sick counted the number of cats there, and counted seven) at the junkyard, the noises never get on his nerves.

Until now. And Thomas is not happy.

I already had a bad day yesterday, thinks Thomas. This isn’t what I need now.

Thomas groans as he gets out of his bed, rubbing both of his eyes. He soon finds himself staring at the racks of shoes near his closet. With an idea flashing into his mind, Thomas walks towards the pile of shoes, and picks up his good boot from the top rack.

Thomas then goes to his bedroom window. He slides open it up, and chucks the boot out.

And there’s nothing. It’s just a beautiful silence.

“MEOWMEOWQUEENMEOWOFTHEOWMENIGHT!”

“Oh for—”

Really? thinks Thomas. They didn’t scatter and leave? Well, that’s just great! Just great! Now I’m missing one boot. Why the hell did I threw my good boot? It wasn’t cheap!

Thomas slams his window close, and quickly goes back to his closet. He grabs one of his pajama bottoms and a knitted pullover, putting them on as fast as he can. Thomas then grabs his keys from the nightstand, slips his feet into a pair of slippers, and rushes out of his bedroom.

Thomas leaves his flat (but not without locking it; he’s not risking anything), and makes a dash to the junkyard. The quicker he finds his boot, the quicker he can go back home and get whatever shut-eye he can get before his alarm rings.

As Thomas approaches the junkyard, he can still hear the screeching and meowing. It’s louder than before, and more in sync, like a choir.

Now, when Thomas bought his flat from Mr. Faber, he was told the junkyard nearby is forbidden. No one can enter, unless they have a key. And Mr. Faber has the only key in existence. However, Thomas over time in his observation discovered that there is a way inside: through a broken fence piece at the entrance gate, located by the street lamp.

Thomas never thought he would enter the junkyard, especially by sneaking in. There’s a first time for everything, perhaps. And upon entering the junkyard —breaking into the junkyard— Thomas couldn’t help but think something is feeling…off.

He only took a few steps, but Thomas thinks that everything gotten bigger. A lot bigger, as if he shrank in size. And he thinks this more and more as he continues walking, realizing that it’s taking longer to walk to the center of the junkyard, where he knows his boot landed.

It’s at this point does Thomas realizes something isn’t right. Something about this night is wrong. The earlier meowing and screeching are gone. Instead, Thomas can now hear a group of people singing. And they’re singing. About cats.

“Romantical cats, Pedantical cats

Critical cats, Parasitical cats

Allegorical cats, Metaphorical cats

Statistical cats and Mystical cats!”

“I don’t think one can be metaphorical, cat or human,” mutters Thomas.

“Political cats, Hypocritical cats

Clerical cats, Hysterical cats

Cynical cats, Rabbinical cats!”

Thomas finally approaches the center of the junkyard. And he stops. He stops and carefully crouches behind something. A hat-box. He’s crouching behind a giant hat-box.

This can’t be real, thinks Thomas. This has to be a dream.

Thomas crouches behind the giant hat-box, and sees it. He sees it, and can’t believe it. It’s impossible, yet he’s witnessing it right before his very eyes.

Right before his eyes, Thomas sees a group of cats dancing and singing. The cats are singing like humans, and they look like humans. They resemble humans in stylize and detail costumes that are feline-like, fitting for a mega musical. The cats are dancing together in sync, their voices in unison. Voices he can understand; Thomas wonders anytime he was tipsy on a near or full moon and heard cats —or rather, one particular cat— speaking wasn’t his imagination.

“Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats

Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats

Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats

Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats

Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats!”

And out of everything to be thinking about in this moment, Thomas wants to know of one thing:

What is a Jellicle cat? Nothing of what I heard earlier actually define it…

Thomas makes the mistake of letting go of his hold of the hat-box. He slips and falls onto the ground of the junkyard. Thomas quickly scurries to hide again. If there’s a chance that one of those cats heard him falling—

A brown-greyish tom cat rushes to the front of the junkyard center. He slightly resembles the frail-looking cat who used to visit The Victoria—Gus. Gus is also incidentally, the cat who Thomas now wonders could speak all this time. But Gus is to use human terms, a senior. The cat up front of the junkyard center, is middle-age. Older than Thomas himself, perhaps.

“There's a man over there with a look of surprise,

As much as to say, ‘Well now how about that!’”

Thomas slowly sulks to the ground. He was not only spotted, he got ratted out, and he got ratted out through song. Thomas likes a good musical. In fact, he even participated in one in his younger years. But Thomas isn’t sure how to feel about being sung to in this particular context…

A younger silver-grey tom cat soon joins the other cat. He looks quite puzzle. And exasperated.

“Do I actually see, with my own very eyes…

A man who's not heard of a Jellicle cat? What’s a Jellicle cat?”

“What's a Jellicle cat? What’s a Jellicle Cat?”

Thomas doesn’t like the smirk on the brown-greyish cat’s face as the question was ask.

Despite being against all sense of logic, Thomas instead of running away from the preoccupied cats and their question, he decides to walk closer to the center of the junkyard. Closer to them. What in the world lead to his current predicament?

Oh right, thinks Thomas, smacking his hand directly onto his forehead. The BOOT. The BOOT that I THREW AT THEM.

Thomas is certain he hears a soft chuckle from one of the cats. It sounds very male. Thomas wouldn’t be surprise if the chuckle came from that cat from before.

The clowder of cats is now in a pyramid formation. They’re all staring him dead in the eye, ready to sing again.

There are so many different cats in the formation. Different colors, different markings, and different patterns, or having no patterns at all…they are so many. One of the cats is on the older side. She has white and golden fur, and a woven collar. The collar looks soft to touch.

The cat looks identical to Anne’s cat, Apricot. Anne could never make Apricot a permanent indoor cat. Anne always said that Apricot comes and goes whenever she felt like it…

“The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,

It isn’t just one of your holiday games;

You may think at first I’m as mad as a hatter

When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.”

The cats are once again in unison. But they are not singing, not really. They are all speaking low and solemn. The solemness in their voices matches their equally solemn faces. What they’re saying together sounds like a chant. It’s…terrifying.

It’s terrifying to hear this unexpected hush chant. It’s terrifying to hear the chant, feeling the many pairs of eyes on him. It’s terrifying to know that they’re looking at him due to being an outsider, looking inside a world he doesn’t belong to, and should never have learn.

This night is certainly going to be a different night from all others.

“First of all, there’s the name that the family use daily,

Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo, or James,

Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey—

All of them sensible everyday names.”

But what if one has a sister and she name her cat after a fruit, thinks Thomas. Apricot is a sensible name, sure. But it’s not exactly a formal name like the ones they just mentioned.

“There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,

Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:

Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter—

But all of them sensible everyday names.”

Well, that answers my previous question, thinks Thomas.

“But I tell you a cat needs a name that's particular,”

The collective of cats moves towards him suddenly. Thomas quickly walks backwards, and falls back on the ground. He quickly scrambles backward, hoping to feel something hit his back.

“A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,”

He feels nothing. Just the cold air of the night.

“Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,

Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?

Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,

Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,

Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum—

Names that never belong to more than one cat.

But above and beyond there’s still one name left over,

And that is the name that you never will guess;”

The pyramid formation breaks apart. The cats are separating into three sections. But they are still surrounding him. Do they think he’s going to attempt an escape? Thomas doesn’t think he even has a chance to escape at the moment.

“The name that no human research can discover—

But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.”

One of the cats, a pure white cat with the most expensive jeweled collar Thomas have seen before, suddenly leaves her section. She slips away near the back and sits, staring into space.

“When you notice a cat in profound meditation,

The reason, I tell you, is always the same:

His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation

Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:

His ineffable effable—”

The white cat is now on her tiptoes.

“Effanineffable

Deep and inscrutable singular name.”

As the cats continues to whisper ‘name’ they all start to disperse. They disperse, and disappear. It’s now just the white queen and him in the junkyard. She’s standing up, prepare to dance. The spotlight —Thomas isn’t sure where it came from, as well as the music that he hasn’t commented on until now— is all for the cat.

It’s a very interesting dance solo. Thomas isn’t sure why the cat is obsessing with her foot. But Thomas admits that there’s an air of elegance to her dancing. It’s very similar to how a ballerina dances. The grace that she has reminds Thomas of a ballerina friend he had back in his university days.

A cat residing the pipe —he’s a tuxedo cat— soon sprints out. The spotlight gotten bigger and brighter. The tranquil music of the white cat’s solo is now livelier, and jazzy.

“Jellicle Cats come out tonight

Jellicle Cats come one come all:

The Jellicle Moon is shining bright

Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball!”

As the tuxedo cat sings and dances along with the white cat —both of them are smiling, having a nice time together (very much how siblings who are having fun and enjoying the same shared activity), the rest of the clowder reappears.

“Jellicle Cats come out tonight

Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball.”

The silver-grey tom cat from before makes his way up to the front. To where Thomas is at.

“Jellicle Cats meet once a year

At the Jellicle Ball where we all rejoice

And the Jellicle leader will soon appear

And make what is known as the Jellicle choice.”

Oh! There is a reason why there’s a clowder of cats at the junkyard tonight, thinks Thomas.

“When Old Deuteronomy just before dawn

Through a silence you feel you could cut with a knife

Announces the cat who can now be reborn

And come back to a different Jellicle life.

For waiting up there is the Heaviside Layer

Full of wonders one Jellicle only will see—”

As the silver-grey cat raises a paw...hand into the air, the rest of the cats —all have been dancing together again, all in the formation of a circle— are looking upward to the night sky. The white cat is in the center, and is also raising her hand into the air.

The silver-grey cat also sticks up his pointer finger, emphasizing that yes, only one Jellicle can go up to this Heaviside Layer. No exception.

“And Jellicles ask because Jellicles dare…

Who will it be?”

“Who will it be?” repeats the rest of the cats.

As Thomas feels the hard stare of the silver-grey cat, he decides on one thing:

He is going to have to embrace the unexpected weirdness of tonight.

He has a feeling that it’s the only way to keep his mind intact.

[seaofreverie]

The Me who bought tickets to see TMBG in february 2023 and the Me who's going to actually go to the show next month are two completely different people

[melswifeasf]

Safest in your arms pt 10

previous chapter || next chapter || series page

Pairing: Georgia Miller x fem!oc

Summary: fall fest was supposed to be a fun activity for Samantha but it turned into nothing but a huge disappointment.

Warnings: (18+) MDNI, cursing, age gap relationship (18 and 30) grooming.

HALLOWEEN WAS THE BEST time of the year which all six friends could account for. they could dress slutty, get drunk and go to parties the whole weekend. it wasn't until their sophomore year they ditched the whole 'binge scary movies and stuff their faces with candy' deal and started going out instead. they had wanted to go to a party that night but none of them had planned a costume and Ellen had said she preferred her daughter to just go out on Saturday instead. Samantha didn't push it, it wasn't like her to do so.

the group of friends were in Matthews like most weekends. they were all sitting on the couch except for Natalie and Oliver who were on the floor like they had been last time they were there the last they were there. it was almost midnight and she thought by now she would be with a certain blonde but her friends were very persistent on her staying and she couldn't say no. even then that didn't stop her from texting her.

🍑 : are you gonna be at the festival

tomorrow?

S: prob? depends on if my friends

are going

S: are you?

🍑: i have to since Paul is running for

mayor again, he needs everyone in

the office with him.

S: does this mean Georgia Miller is

going to dress up?

🍑: i have to do that?

S: ofc you do, ur in the Mayors office

you kind of don't have a choice

🍑: does that mean your dressing up?

S: for the festival? no lmao.

S: i prob will later though, i think we're

going to some party

🍑: will i be able to see your costume?

S: i'll send pics;)

🍑: i'll be looking forward to it

🍑: what will your costume be?

S: idk tbh, we're all dressing up together

but they can't decide on what it should

whilst she waited for a response from the blonde she put her phone face down in her lap and turned her head to look at her friends. she was laying her head on Jades lap, her hair was being played with softly. Nia had Samanthas legs on her lap and Matthew was sitting beside the brunette with a respectable space between them. it was understandable that they wanted to keep things between them under wraps, especially considering they were still taking things slow and Oliver was overly protective when it came to Nia and her love life. she only ever had one boyfriend during her Junior year but it only last six months because Oliver would always try and scoot himself in between them. it wasn't fair, Nia never did that with him and Nat.

"i think we should go as nuns" Matthew said and looked up from his phone. they all laughed.

"the day i see you in a nun outfit will probably be the day that i die." Jade said with a chuckle.

"you putting that on would be an insult to nuns and i'm not even religious like that," Natalie said.

Matthew rolled his eyes, "okay i get it, i like sex." he shrugged. Samantha wondered if he was actually offended or if he was just acting like that because he always did. a part of her would believe he was offended, especially since the girl he currently had a thing with was sitting right beside him and listening to everything. although that shouldn't matter, Nia knew who Matthew was since the day they met and it's not like all of that knowledge would disappear now that they were figuring things out.

"more like you get around." Jade mumbled with a small chuckle making the girl in her lap slap her arm softly in warning.

"what about the avengers?" she proposed, trying her best to differ the conversation from him and to something else. "there's six of them so the numbers check out" she continued.

Oliver scrunched his nose, "i don't think any of us want to be hulk"

"or hawkeye" Nia mumbled.

Samantha sighed, "okay. any other ideas?" they had been going at it for a while now and it was starting to annoy everyone in the room. it was just hard, none of them wanted to pick something basic but there weren't that many group costumes, especially with six.

"we could all just wear purge masks" Natalie shrugged making both Samantha and Nia grimace.

"ew that's like super 2019. that is the most boring shit ever" she said shaking her head. Natalie sighed.

"okay then i don't know"

the room fell silent once more as they thought about more ideas. Matthew was on his phone searching for ideas but he seemed to be coming up with the same things over and over.

"what about toy story" Nia said making the raven girl point at her in agreement.

"i can be barbie. she's hot" she said earning a small smile from Jade.

"true." she agreed.

"holy shit," Oliver muttered making them all look at him in confusion. "Matthew and i could be Kens and you girls could be barbie." he proposed with a huge smile. that didn't sound like a bad idea at all, she doubted anyone else would think of doing that. it just surprised her that Oliver was the one to think about that over everyone else. she'd expect that from Nia or maybe even Jade but Oliver? that was something she never saw coming.

"why are you actually kind of a genius" Nia said matching her brothers grin.

"i think i'm more of a raquel though," Jade said, her lips twisted to the side as she was looking at the space in front of her in thought.

"i totally see that" Natalie nodded then gasped as she looked down at her boyfriend in excitement. "we could be Ken and Barbie from the Toy Story movie." she said happily.

Oliver's grin grew wider, "you're a genius babe" he said and the blonde shrugged sheepishly before she leaned down to press a soft kiss on the boys lips.

"i'll be howdy Ken," Matthew said, his lip curling into a smirk.

"valid, valid." Samantha nodded, "i never thought i'd see you in a cowboy costume and honestly i love that for you"

Nia frowned, "but then what would i be? i don't want to be in some horrid 80's work out jumpsuits" she said sadly.

"you could match with me" Matthew offered, his smirk gone and replaced with a small smile that everyone else in the room messed but Nia couldn't.

"yeah, you guys would look great." Natalie said to try and encourage her friend. they really needed to come to a conclusion so they could get the costumes the next morning.

"that just leaves you," Jade said looking down at Samantha.

"i'll be og barbie. you know, with the pink dress? god i'm gonna look so hot" she sighed out a bit dreamily causing them all to laugh.

"i sometimes forget how obsessed you are with yourself," Natalie chuckled.

"whatever, it's called self love." Samantha bit back and threw up her middle finger at everyone in the room.

they all started to talk about what they needed to buy which wasn't much since most of them already had clothes that could go with it. the only person who didn't was Natalie and Oliver because he needed a hawaiian shirt. Samantha figured her dad would have one though she offered to try and look for one for him. Samantha would just wear a pink dress that she already had and wear glittery eyeshadow along with pink heels to really seal the deal.

Samantha didn't feel her phone vibrate any more meaning Georgia hadn't texted her back. she tried not to overthink it, the blonde was probably asleep by now. it's not that she needed to talk to Georgia every minute of the day but the blonde had been a bit distant since the morning and she wondered if she did something wrong. the day that they hooked up Samantha and her stayed up another hour before the blonde grew tired and fell asleep, as soon as she did Samantha snuck out through the balcony. it was thankfully still slightly dark outside, the sun had just began to rise so it wasn't completely light outside. things were fine even the morning after, their dynamic didn't change but she was starting to wonder if the blonde had just now started to regret it, the reality of it all finally sinking in. the thought alone made her stomach hurt.

now that she knew what being with Georgia was like, life before her seemed so boring. nothing compared to the night they shared, the chemistry, the passion and overall it was just so fucking hot and every time she thought about it a light shade of pink would cross her features. her overthinking was cut short by Jade who locked her phone and threw it on the empty spot beside her.

"guess what i heard," she said a small smirk playing at her lips. everyone stopped to look at the girl, each of them just as confused, including Samantha who was looking at her with furrowed brows.

"what?" Oliver chuckled.

Jade looked down at Samantha, "Sophie Sanchez and your sister are talking." she said, her smirk never leaving.

"holy shit, are you for real?" Matthew laughed in slight amazement. Samantha didn't say anything as she waited for Jade to respond to him. there was no way Max was talking to someone - specifically someone she knew and wouldn't tell her. the thought alone hurt her feelings more than she thought it would.

Jade nodded, "yeah. i heard it from Kate. i think she even invited her to some party Brodie's throwing." she laughed and anyone who had common sense knew she was making fun of Max.

the raven haired girl didn't even care to comment on that. all she could think about was the fact that her sister was talking to someone and she didn't bother to loop her in. maybe she was a hypocrite considering she didn't tell the girl about her ex girlfriend but that was different, she couldn't tell Maxine because she knew it would ruin a lot of friendships and she didn't think it was fair for that to happen when all she wanted to do was to be happy. Maxine didn't have that problem, it's not like Samantha would get mad if she talked to Sophie. she just wished she was important enough in Maxs life to have been in the circle. maybe she was a shittier sister than she thought she was.

the girls mood had drastically changed and the only person who seemed to notice was Nia who began to rake her fingers through the girls hair. "you okay?" she asked softly, her eyebrows furrowed in worry.

Samantha shook her head as she tried to form a smile, "yeah." she whispered.

both of them knew she was lying.

the next day the group of friends all rode together to the festival. they had all gotten everything they needed for their costume and there was a while until they needed to get ready so they decided why not go. Natalie Oliver were still parking the car seeing as there wasn't any empty parking spaces so they dropped the four friends off before driving off to try and find a space. as soon as Nia and Jade saw that there was fresh apple cider they each broke away from Matthew and Samantha leaving them on their own. they were each waiting for the two girls near the face painting station where Samantha could clearly see her sister and her friends.

what she had heard yesterday was still fresh in her heart and seeing her sister only made it sting even more. she never thought she would be left in the shadows of her sisters life and yet here she was.

she wasn't the only one overthinking though. Matthew glanced at the shorter girl briefly, his heart was beating faster than usual which he had never felt before. why was he nervous? he only felt like this before games. he sighed, "can i ask you something?" he spoke up breaking Samanthas stare in her sisters direction and directing her sight toward him.

she had an idea of what he would be asking but nodded regardless, "what's up?"

"has Nia told you anything.. about us lately?" he asked a bit hesitantly, he paused to try and get the words out without seeming too n invested.

Samantha shook her head, "about what?" she asked feigning confusion. she didn't want to throw her friends under the bus like that, especially not with the literal guy she was crushing on.

Matthew looked at her with 'seriously' look on his face. "you're her best friend and she hasn't said anything? i don't believe you" he said and crossed his arms against his chest.

the raven girl rolled her eyes, "if you already knew the answer then why'd you ask."

Matthew shrugged, "i want you to be honest."

"she has."

"what did she say?" he quickly responded.

Samantha looked at him with raised brows, not at all used to seeing him this desperate. "just that you guys talked during Sophomore sleepover." she said honestly. they hadn't really spoken since and she assumed it was because they were taking things slow.

Matthew nodded, his face turning so he was looking in front of him and not directly at the shorter girl. "that's it?"

"did you want her to tell me something else?"

he shook his head. "i just.. i know she likes me and all but i don't know if she would want to actually go on a date with me." he said scratching the back of his neck nervously.

Samantha's expression softened, she now understood that it wasn't just one of his usual conquest, he actually care for Nia. "i think she'd say yes"

"really?" he asked his head snapped back toward the girl. she nodded with a gentle smile.

"yeah."

the boy couldn't contain his smile so he turned back around, "okay" he confirmed. neither of them could continue their conversation considering the sole topic of it was walking toward them with a cup in hand. she was laughing at something Jade had said and Samantha didn't miss the way the boys eyes shinned at the sight. she loved them together.

the brunette and Jade approached them, each holding a cup of cider. "want some?" Nia offered Samantha as she held her cup out but Samantha shook her head.

"im good. thanks though." she said earning a smile from the brunette as she went back to talking with Jade.

soon enough Oliver and Natalie were walking toward them hand in hand, once they were caught up with the group they walked around a bit to see what they could do. there were some activities which they participated in which really just means Oliver and Matthew would compete with one another. they spent half an hour carving a pumpkin which both looked equally as bad, none of them had the heart to tell them that though. that thankfully didn't last long since they all went toward the stage when they heard Paul begin to announce who had won the decoration competition. they all knew who the winner was even before so it was really pointless.

Samantha could see Georgia up on the stage, their eyes met for a second, each of them sharing a smile before the blonde turned to talk to her coworker. the six teens were in the crowd, half of them whispering to each other whilst Nia and Matthew were watching Samantha and the blonde exchange small glances.

"bootylicious really takes the whole costume thing seriously." Matthew said with a small smirk knowing the name he called her would annoy her.

he was right, the raven girl rolled her eyes at him. "shut up" she mumbled making both Nia and Matthew glance at one another in amusement. she looked so hopelessly in love and yet couldn't see that herself.

"best window decoration," Paul announced, a small card being pointed at him so he could read off of it. he was wearing a suit that was unbuttoned to reveal a super man costume, he was even wearing a black wig and glasses to complete the look. "goes to.. Liz Chavez" he finished earning an applause from the crowd. they watched as a trophy was brought up to Paul before her gave it away to the winner. "winner of best apple pie," Cynthia which isn't a surprise at all. "to the surprise of no one, goes to Cynthia Fuller." as they all expected. everyone began to clap once more but neither Samantha nor her friends did.

"bitch," Jade muttered under her breath making them all laugh.

"careful, the witch might hear." Matthew quickly whispered before turning back toward the front so they could watch the red head take a picture with the mayor. Samantha saw the small and cold interaction between her and Georgia when she grabbed the trophy from the blondes hand. that made a smile form on her lips, she loved that about Georgia. the camera snapped a quick picture and the redhead pulled away from the mayor and behind him on the stage.

"and now a very exciting announcement from the mayors office. we are going to be renovating the Wellsbury public library." cheers erupted from the crowd once more, even from the six teens who were glad they were finally going to do something different in the town.

not everyone had the same reaction though, Cynthia walked back up toward the front of the stage clearly upset with what she had just heard. "but the library is one of the most historic buildings." she said.

"exactly. this is why it deserves upkeep." Paul nodded. "we're gonna be adding a third floor. we are going—"

he was quickly interrupted by the red head who sounded even more upset, "upkeep? sounds like your plan is to depreciate a beloved landmark." she said in a condescending tone then reached over to snatch the mic causing it to make a slight squeaking sound making everyone cringe.

"fuck." Samantha muttered knowing whatever was going down wouldn't be good.

"what Wellsbury deserves is a mayor with a vested interest in preserving that standards in this town. i mean, first the drugs, now the library. where does it stop?" she said. cameras were snapping pictures repeatedly, each of them wanting the hot new story for the day.

"bitch needs to get laid," Nia joked earnings snickers from the group.

"someone get her a broom so she can fly away." Oliver added making his girlfriend shove him softly, not able to contain her amusement at his words.

"green gardens actually allowed us to have a surplus that far exceeds—"

"i saw Mayor Randolph last night on a date." she interrupted him, talking louder to drown his words out. murmurs erupted in the crowd causing her to nod, "yes. with his assistant" she confessed pointing at the blonde in accusation.

the crowd fell silent at her words just like Samantha felt her stomach drop, her before amused expression replaced with a blank expression. the three oblivious teens began to whisper their surprise whilst Nia and Matthew looked at their friend worriedly. they glanced at one another, each of them trying to have a silent conversation so try and figure out what to do.

Samantha's eyes locked with Georgia who looked nothing short of regretful but she quickly looked away, turning her attention to Paul making that horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach intensify. this was why she had been super distant they day before. she probably couldn't find the balls to tell her that she wanted to end things then. it shouldn't even matter, they aren't even together but that didn't take away the absolute pain she was feeling in her chest. was this what all of her one night stands felt when she didn't talk to them anymore? was this her karma?

she chuckled softly, her head shaking in disbelief. she felt stupid for ever thinking her and Georgia could be anything but a simple fuck.

"let's go." she said dryly, not even turning to look at her friends as she began to walk away from the crowd. not even Cynthia making a skeptical of herself could make her feel better and all she wanted was to get that horrible feeling out of her body and never have to talk to Georgia again. the pettiness of her words didn't matter to her, she didn't care that it had only been two months since they met, or that they only had sex once and that they never agreed to be exclusive. it was the fact that Georgia didn't tell her, the fact that she kept her in the dark and even texted her asking if she would be able to see her after she went to the halloween party because Ginny would be out til late. did she think she could just keep her little date a secret?

no, fuck her.

none of them questioned her as they walked to Oliver's car, at least not until they were actually in it. "why'd we leave? i wanted to get my face painted." Oliver said when he began to pull out of the parking space. his words earned him a slap in the back of his head from his sister who was sitting directly in the seat beside him.

"ouch, what the fuck?" he said his hand rubbing the impact to try and soothe the pain. Nia shot her brother a look through the rear view mirror which cause him to shut up a second later. Samantha wasn't paying attention to Jade and Natalie who looked extremely confused by the whole situation.

thankfully Matthew was the one who solved the problem which meant more to Samantha then she could ever really express. "Sam was having an attack." he lied. well, it wasn't a complete lie, she was having a sort of anxiety attack but it didn't have to do with the crowd around her.

"are you okay?" Jade asked quickly after, she turned her head to look at her friend with worried eyes.

Samantha nodded softly, "i'm good. i just didnt take my meds today." which also wasn't a lie. since she stayed the night at Matthews she didn't have her pills. she was planning on taking them before going to the party since she wasn't planning on drinking, the idea of driving to Georgias house drunk was incredibly irresponsible but that wasn't the case anymore and she was starting to regret it. in fact the only thing that could make her feel better at this point would be blacking out so she didn't have to think about her shitty love life. funny how she went from not having one just a month ago and now it was more complicated than ever.

[klaissance]

Do you have any dad klance headcannons?

Thank you so much for asking dear sweet asker I appreciate you so much. I actually,,, lowkey don't? Dad!Klance is not something I think about that much, I think bc as a teenage girl in my 20s I am not in a parent/family space that often BUT FOR YOU IMMA TRY HERE WE GO:

for starters I think they're really good at it let's get that straight from the jump

Lance always wanted to be a parent I think--comes from a big family, has watched his siblings become parents, is obsessed with his cool uncle status, has always seen parenthood ahead as something to look forward to

Keith is the opposite, never in a million bazillion years thought that was in the cards for him

he's gay so that came with its own list of things to be worried about that would be difficult in terms of, like, acquiring a child, plus he just sort of had a shitty time as a kid, has a funny relationship with the words "parent" and "dad" and hasn't had the time to hash that out with a therapist because he's been in space

really truly Keith is a feral desert child and when presented with the thought of turning a small being into an adult suitable for society his brain shorts out

...until they get together

actually, both of them flip on this while they're in space OKAY NOW WE'RE COOKING

Lance, my poor sweet darling prince, is a little less sold on children. He grows up hard and fast and violent in the intergalactic war they're thrust into, sees terrible things happen to good people all over the place, sees kids left parentless and parents lose a child, sees himself nearly die more times than he can count (oop that one time he did die lol), and suddenly the idea of kids in the future isn't tinted golden and sparkling with the memories of his childhood. He's an adult and anything could happen and it's terrifying and hard and he knows he loves what he does--loves helping people, loves interacting with children, wants to teach or something later for sure maybe--but the actual parenting is soured by the thought of his mom back home thinking her son is dead and not even having the closure of a burial or anything. He learns that nothing is certain in the way he used to think it was, and stops expecting specific things for his future

Klance gets together [how?? girls idk any infinite number of ways that is every post I'll ever make until the end of time but not this one--trust though it was juicy] and they stay together while they're fighting the space war, and slowly and then all at once Keith "Lone Wolf" "Not A Family Man" "Feral Desert Orphan" "Kids What Are Those" Kogane is, like,,,, thinking about his life and his future beyond like,,, the next hour,,, and is imagining kids in the picture??? trust it shocks him too

This actually is a version of their relationship that I really like thinking about! Lance pivots on all of his hopes and dreams that he'd had all his life about certain milestones for things--marriage, kids, the white picket fence and all that jazz--and throws it all out the window. Because piloting magical sentient lions in a space war is fucking crazy and life is nothing like what he thought and what is important to him reshapes; it isn't the milestones it is the feelings they represent, the security and companionship he is seeking, the fulfillment he can find from interacting with others in different ways. Keith is the opposite; he never thought any of the milestones were important because he assumed they were for other, non-broken people. People--not him--who could have nice things like spouses and houses and children to raise in their image or whatever. And to make a long and introspective story short he gets to hold Lance's hand and suddenly all of those nice things are back on the table and he gets to want them and finds out that he does

I guess this is where it gets fuzzy for me I've seen some things where they space adopt and that's really fun and fresh

Or they wait until they get back to Earth after having the Cool Uncle Era with Lance's nieces and nephews which is my shit i love cool uncle klance

I do think I subscribe to them adopting older children out of the foster system as opposed to however infant adoption works

but any way you slice it Keith is So Pressed About Getting It Right he's reading books he's asking Shiro and then wanting to die because Shiro is So Cringe about his caretaking advice UGH

and Lance is back in a comfy phase about it now that they've decided to do it, regaling Keith when he freaks out with tales of times he and his siblings totally almost died or that crazy shit happened or that his parents did x y z totally sideways--his point being: and look how well it turned out anyway

the important thing is that when they do have children they love them more than anything and demonstrate a positive healthy relationship for them and they try to meet them where they are and also give them opportunities to grow and be happy and therefore it all works out perfect :)

Also as an added bonus here are some of my favorite depictions of dad!Klance for your perusal:

deerstalkerdeathfrisbee's True Love or Something ok these were like my earliest favorite fics ever when I tell you this raised me and reset my brain chemistry I am being so serious. They aren't dadding until later in the series [THIS ONE] but actually the whole thing is so excellent

that,,, actually is the only one coming to mind right now but people SOUND OFF IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE PLS <3 i will return to this post with more if i find any

I hope this was good for you obviously I just stream-of-conscious dumped into the text box but it was super fun to do, if anybody has any other prompting thoughts I would love to ideate more I just,,,, love thinking about them so much,,,, ok everybody have a great day!!

[gauloiseblue]

Ok so, you don't have to do this if you're not accepting requests. But I am way too insane about IOFAB and idk why. It has been in my head since the beginning of May. I couldn't focus for weeks, that's how good it is (it didn't really help that the Kendrick v Drizzy beatdown happened).

Can we have more stuff in the IOFAB verse? Maybe something from König's POV (this guy has to be aware that he's just making her hate him even more)? Maybe life after the last escape/shooting incident can't believe the guy actually did multiple rounds with a bullet in his shoulder that's gotta hurt, pregnancy, or kids? Or maybe domestic horror fluff (if that's actually a thing)? Or something about how he managed to keep reader as his lawfully kidnapped wife (this guy definitely put trackers in her ring)? I just realized that I keep referring to reader/darling as his wife even though they ain't married yet Or maybe even an alternate timeline in which deals with what would happen if they did meet but those guys had to actually disclose that they found those survivors which would mean König would not be able to have her?

IOFAB König is so different from the other yandere Königs because he actually shows his hand right in the beginning. Like he's not just some oWo shy guy that is a yandere that goes “maybe I should keep you here with me so that you wouldn't leave me, schatz haha jk... unless 🙂”. He just straight up “You're with me now. Sooner you accept it, the better it will be for you”. He wouldn't hurt reader but he definitely wouldn't hesitate to drop kick a kitten or even his children if they would somehow aid her in her escape.

Something something he would put the world at her feet but wouldn't ever let her see her family ever again. Something something you could put the world through eternal winter and starvation but he won't ever let his goddess go, not even for 6 months. Something something he would hunt her down in their next life. Something something God never blessed him so he's taking one of His blessed angels for himself. Something something he's worshipping the ground her chained feet walk on. Ok now this is getting too long. In short, this guy warrants the “Why are you like this” microscope and “You're not a human nor a dog but a secret third thing” and you don't have to but if you want to, please please please please please can we have more IOFAB?

Zero, you're now officially the number one fans of IOFAB XD idk if I should be glad or concerned about it.

I mean, if you wanna theorize about their future and stuff, I'll gladly answer it. But for me, the story already ended here. I don't really plan to write a continuation of it. Maybe I'll write a lil bit of it in other people's POVs but that's it.

As for König's POV, I think we've covered a lot about his psychology. Like, of course he knew she hated him, but it wouldn't last. If he keeps on giving her what she needs (tolerance, space, care, etc), she'll eventually come to love him, or at least tolerate his presence. It's like a 'trust the process' situation.

I won't really write about pregnancy and kids, because it's more fun when I let the reader decide what's best for her. My actual HC is she'll only have 1 kid, and it's a boy. That's it.

There are 3 endings that I've thought about, it's either; (1) she manages to escape with the help of the maid (The Handmaiden storyline, wlw), (2) she's staying with him until the end (Göth's dream), (3) she's rescued by the third party, there's a possibility that he or the reader dies in this scenario (the realistic ending). But I won't make either of them canon, bc where's the fun in that?

As for the AUs, I haven't got the right idea for it. I think yours is good, but I honestly don't know where to start 😅

Personally, in my humblest opinion, I think shy yandere shouldn't exist in fiction. I fucking hate it, because it's very manipulative in the cheapest way. Like, they'd appear "harmless" like a weirdo, but would go 180° at any given chance. And what makes me hate them the most is that they'd go back to their shy shell when they're being cornered. They can't and won't take any responsibility for their actions. Oh, he kissed you without your consent? Well, that's your fault bc you seduced him (even if you didn't). Every time I read about a shy yandere man, I just wanna bash his head with a bat. Like, you're not fooling anyone with that attitude. Just take what you want and admit it, even if it means you have to be ruthless.

I must admit, IOFAB König does hold a "secret third thing" vibe, because I don't think he exists irl in terms of personality. He's like, if patience is taken too far, and if patience is the source of horror. He doesn't really worship her, but he views her as the rarest and the most exotic thing. If you ever read about the exotic animal keeper, or the curator of the rarest arts, then you'll understand why he behaves that way. They're very patient, and they're very possessive of their treasure. If the tiger that they keep bites their arm, they won't put it down. They'll find a way to tame it—they'll try to win its affection instead. If one particular art requires so much maintenance, and so much cost to keep it in good condition, the curator would pay for it. They won't abandon the art piece, because they know how much it's worth. That's how König views his wife.

I know it sounds like he's objectifying his wife, but sometimes humans love their things more than other humans. I'm just using that feeling as the base for IOFAB König.

Maybe I'll write about the domestic horror stuff, but I still don't know how, so no promise 🤔

[ugotnojamzzz]

Mistake Prequel Pt.1

California

Word Count: 2.3k

Pairing: ex!Jungkook x Reader

Genre: kind of Angst, Hurt, ex!Jungkook

Synopsis: idk at this point, sorry. But here’s the jest of it: Y/N, a very successful singer-songwriter was close friends with the members of BTS for several years. She had a relationship with Jungkook that ended painfully. Now they’re stuck trying to navigate the whole exes-to-friends dance, and somebody is bound to get their toes squashed.

Disclaimer: English isn’t my native language, so I apologize in advance for mistakes and awkward wordings to come.

Chapter soundtrack: California – Lana Del Rey

(By the way, for every ‘Chapter Soundtrack’, basically the idea is that it’s a song that YN eventually wrote with that chapter of her life in mind)

Oh, I'll pick you up, If you come back to America, just hit me up. 'Cause this is crazy love, I'll catch you on the flip side. If you come back to California, you should just hit me up.

________________

YN sat on the sandy shore, her satin robe gently swaying in the breeze as she stared out at the endless expanse of the ocean before her. She was on the set of a fellow artist's music video shoot, patiently waiting for her turn to be on camera.

The rhythmic crash of the waves provided a soothing backdrop to her contemplations. In her hand, she held a Berlin postcard, its surface adorned with her friends' familiar scrawl.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she traced the words with her fingertips, savoring the sense of connection it brought. It had been ages since she'd received one of those.

With a soft exhale, she reached into her purse and retrieved her phone, fingers deftly navigating to dial a familiar number. As the call connected, she brought the device to her ear, anticipation fluttering in her chest.

“Well, well, well,” Jimin’s voice echoed, “to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Hello to you too,” she smiled, “am I interrupting?”

“Not in the slightest” he replied, “we just got back to the hotel.”

“Shit-” she muttered, running a hand through her hair in frustration. Time difference, you idiot. “You must be drained. I can call at another time if y-”

“And wait another two months for a phone call?” her friend interrupted, his laughter cutting through her concerns. “Not a chance.”

There was a beat of silence. She knew she should’ve reached out earlier.

"I got your postcard," she finally said, her tone warm. "How did you even get my new address, Jimin-ssi?"

"You know I don’t kiss and tell," he teased, his voice tinged with amusement. “Why? Don’t fancy mail anymore?

"Oh, you know, I can never be too careful,” she quipped, a playful smirk tugging at her lips, “so many stalkers out there."

"Guess that means you found the strand of pubes I slipped in there," Jimin joked.

"Gross," she groaned, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

“Eh, you love it” he replied without missing a beat.

“So, how is Europe treating you?" YN asked.

"Well, we’re in Stockholm right now, you know how it is," he replied, a hint of amusement in his voice, “people are very… tall and morally upstanding."

"And how is everyone doing?" she inquired nonchalantly, though her curiosity lingered beneath the surface.

"Good," he replied, but there was a moment of hesitation before he continued, "Jungkookie’s doing okay, I guess." YN almost sighed in relief, grateful that Jimin had spared her the need to ask.

"You guess?" she pressed, sensing his uncertainty.

“Was Hobi unavailable today?” he asked.

YN winced. She had been found out. She usually talked to Hoseok about Jungkook stuff. Of course she did, Hobi was one of her closest friends. Only, after a while, he had called her out on her shit and told her that she should have the balls to ask for news herself. You do know you won’t be friends again if you don’t try and talk to each other from time to time, right? She'd been pretty much in the dark ever since.

A heavy silence lingered between them before the boy broke it, "You saw the articles, didn’t you?"

YN didn’t reply, but her silence spoke volumes. There had been a bunch of articles in the press lately, and a lot of fans on social media expressing concern over the looks and demeanor of BTS’s maknae.

“Well, you know,” Jimin continued, his tone reassuring, “he has been a little more off than usual. Then again, it’s hard to know if it’s the touring schedule that’s getting to him.”

She sighed inwardly, wishing she’d had the courage to pick up the phone and dial Jungkook's number. She had wanted to reach out so many times but was always held back.

Just then, a commotion erupted in the background, the distant sound of voices and laughter coming through in indistinct snippets.

"Hey, I got YN on the phone over here," Jimin declared to whoever was there. YN's heart skipped a beat as she realized that other members had joined, their boisterous greetings suddenly echoing through the phone.

“YN, I HAVE A NEW VIKING HELMET TO SHOW YOU!”  Tae, of course.

“Tae stole my helmet after he lost his, actually.” And there was Joonie.

Suddenly, a voice, rough around the edges yet achingly familiar pierced through the chaotic backdrop of their conversation.

"Hi, superstar."

Her breath caught in her throat at the sound.

"Hey, Jungkook," she replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

She heard the click of a door on the other end of the line and quiet finally returned. They were alone. "So, what's the occasion?” Jungkook asked casually, “Don’t tell me you’re missing us already."

Her lips curved into a wistful smile at his playful tone, "Oh, you know, just wondering when I’ll get to see your faces again," she replied, "if you ever come back to America, that is."

His laughter echoed through the phone, a comforting sound that washed over her like a soothing balm. "Yeah, who knows when that’ll happen," he admitted, the weariness of their never-ending tour evident in his tone. "Don’t worry, though," he added, "your favorite band will probably play the city of angels soon enough."

A grin tugged at her lips as she teased, "Are the Beatles planning a reunion?"

Jungkook's laughter filled the air once more. "Oh, come on," he chuckled. "And then they wonder why we’re taking the long way home," he mumbled, his words laced with mock-offence. In that moment, as their laughter mingled, she felt a sense of peace wash over her.

"For real though," she said, her smile softening as she spoke, "you should come by sometime.”

"Meh,” he shrugged, his tone nonchalant, “California weather isn’t really my cup of tea."

Of course, she thought with a hint of amusement. He never liked the dry heat. Always complained about it. The boys used to joke that it was the Busan in him. You can take the man out of the city, but not the city out of the man, right?

Still, YN wasn’t discouraged. They'd always found a way to make the best of it before. They could do whatever they'd want. They could hit up all the old places, reminisce about the good times. Maybe throw a rager of a party, get his favorite liquor off the top shelf and dance 'til dawn. Like old times. LA had many flaws, but it had always been a great time touring there with the boys.

"Come on," she insisted, her voice gentle yet persuasive. "I’ll even pick you guys up from the airport."

"Princess treatment, huh?" he teased, "Tempting."

There was a beat of silence. This was her shot.

"So," she said softly, her voice betraying a hint of apprehension. "Everything's alright with you?"

“Didn’t get the dirt from Hobi, huh?” he taunted.

“Answer the question, punk,” she replied gently.

"Yeah, yeah,” he replied, his tone casual and breezy, “everything's been great."

YN played with the sand absentmindedly. She wished she could tell him that he didn't have to act all strong and cool with her all the time. She wished she could only reassure him that she would always think the world of him, always see him as the brightest of the brightest stars. No matter what.

But instead, she remained silent, her words trapped within the confines of her mind.

"What about you?" Jungkook's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

Caught off guard by the sudden shift in focus, she found herself faced with yet another dilemma. There was plenty new with her. Too much, perhaps. Or too much for small talk over the phone, at least.

"Well, you know,” she replied with a forced nonchalance, “same old, same old."

“Oh," he paused, "okay.”

She winced at his noticeable disappointment, knowing she was keeping him at arm's length, too. On top of being a coward she was a hypocrite.

"Hey,” she interjected, changing the topic in an attempt to lighten the mood, “guess where I am right now."

"Oh, I’m not falling for that one" he chuckled, his amusement evident even through the phone. She once had a habit of ending up in the most unexpected of places, much to the group’s amusement and occasional frustration.

"It's nothing like that, Jeon," she reassured him, a small smile playing on her lips as she thought back to their past adventures.

"Well, go on then," he urged, curiosity piqued.

“That little beach in Santa Monica,” she revealed, waiting for his reaction.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, and she couldn't help but wonder if he remembered. After all, there had been many beaches over the years, and the beach bars hadn't exactly helped them keep track of them all.

"The one right across from Jack’s," she added, hoping to jog his memory.

“Aw shit,” Jungkook blurted out, “the one where Tae-?”

“That’s the one,” she confirmed with a chuckle.

Yeah, it had been quite a night for them. A soft smile played on her lips as memories flooded back with vivid clarity. Drinking and dancing on the beach, the salt on her skin, and the pink cocktail umbrellas in her hair.

Jungkook had drunkenly written out a love declaration on the wet sand, to which she had responded with a nauseous heave, both from how horribly cheesy the gesture was and from the alcohol churning in her stomach.

Only it was Taehyung who had ended up bearing the brunt of their drunken escapade, his stomach unable to handle the excesses of the night. She remembered the sight of him retching into the sand, the clear water tainted with vibrant hues of Tequila Sunrise.

“Any remains?” Jungkook asked, his tone light but tinged with curiosity. She found herself wondering whether he was referring to the remnants of Tae's unfortunate mishap or to his own words carved in the sand. She shook off the thought.

“No,” she shook her head, “seems the tide took care of it.”

“Lucky for us,” he remarked.

“Yep,” she echoed, “lucky for us.”

There was a brief moment of silence between them.

“So, are you taking a day off to call old friends while you work on your tan?” Jungkook inquired, breaking the silence.

“Uh, well- not really,” YN replied, her voice faltering slightly. “I’m here for, uh, it’s- like- like a work thing.”

“Oh shit,” he began, “well, I don’t want to hold you up-”

“No, no, it’s fine,” she interjected quickly, not wanting to end the conversation just yet, “I’ve got plenty of tim-”

"Y/N, time for your closeup!" a booming voice interrupted her, and YN's head snapped to the side to see the director in the distance, holding a megaphone.

"…You were saying?" she could practically hear Jungkook's smirk, and he could practically see her eyeroll.

"Okay," she mumbled reluctantly. "Rain check?"

"For sure," he agreed, "you haven’t even gotten to tell me what’s new with you."

"Right," she said, waving to the filming crew to signal she’d be there in a moment.

There was another moment of silence. They’d never been any good at saying goodbye.

"I meant it, by the way," she said suddenly, her voice filled with sincerity.

"Huh?" Jungkook replied.

"If you come back to California, you should hit me up," she reiterated.

She heard him sigh gently. "Alright,” he said, his tone soft and warm. “I’ll catch you on the flip side, superstar."

"Catch you on the flip side, playboy," she replied, a bittersweet smile tugging at her lips as she hung up the phone.

She got up, brushing the sand off her robe as she made her way towards the set.

As she approached, her heart skipped a beat when she saw pretty-boy hopping towards her, his sparkling green eyes lighting up at the sight of her.

"There you are, love!" he exclaimed, sweeping her off her feet and spinning her around in a whirl of excitement.

"There I am," she replied with a smile, her heart fluttering at the warmth of his embrace.

"Thanks again” he said, “for doing this, I mean," he continued with a radiant smile.

"Are you kidding? You couldn’t keep me away if you tried," she beamed. “And you’re not shooting my face, anyway, right? So, it’s not like anybody will recognize me," she added with a playful wink, slipping off her robe to reveal her bikini and handing it to one of the stylists.

He eyed her with a gentle grin, admiration evident in his gaze."Alright, I'll swing by craft service, and I'll be right back. You do your thing, love," he said, his voice filled with warmth and affection. "I trust you." With a final smile, he headed off, leaving her to prepare for the shoot ahead.

She was quickly ushered to the filming spot, where she was briefed on the various angles the director had in mind as the stylists worked on final touch-ups.

"Not a bad day to be Y/N, huh?" a makeup artist declared with a knowing grin.

Caught off guard by the comment, YN hummed inquisitively, "Uh?"

"Well, it's not every day your boyfriend writes a hit song about you," the makeup artist elaborated with a wink.

“Oh,” YN nodded, "right."

As she looked to the horizon, her mind involuntarily drifted to the countless songs another boy had written and sang about her, what felt like ages ago. Most of them had never seen the light of day, let alone the inside of a recording studio; destined to remain tucked away tenderly in the corners of her memory, along with images of messy sheets and late-night drives. But that soft, gentle voice echoed in her mind, still.

“Totally,” she added with a polite smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

After a moment, the styling team scattered. The music started playing and the cameras finally began to roll.

“Tastes like strawberries, on a summer evening…”

___________

Guess who’s baaaaack???? Hope you all liked it! Please interact lol, I am desperate for any reaction at all. Help a girl out, army. Xxx

[uriekukistan]

Fanfic Writer Interview

thank you @alonelystargazer for tagging me!

no pressure tags @earthtodora @sunnyyflowerrs @kentuckyfriedmegumi and @kat-likes-writing !!!

How many works do you have on AO3?

counting the ones i moved to "anonymous" i have 36 for 3 fandoms

Your top 5 stories by kudos/likes:

Family is Embarrassing

Dancing With a Stranger

summer lovin'

koi no yokan

honey and lavender

all itafushi. i write other fandoms/ships sometimes but yeah im mostly known for itafushi. if i can even call myself known.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

okay so i DO but im just really slow right now because of uni. like i have 100+ comments stacked up im so sorry guys. uni is kicking my ass. but usually i try to bc i like to let readers know that i appreciate the support <3

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

....this is hard i have a few that are pretty bad. the one that hurts me the most is right where you left me (ghost au)....idk it's like sad and happy. they both sortaaa get what they need but also like they dont get to be together, and i think (hope) it was obvious from the start that a happy ending wasn't on the table for them

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

contrary to popular belief i write a lot of happy endings!!!!!! i want to say koi no yokan even though it's not out yet, not because it has the objectively happiest ending, but because the whole thing is so angsty and a lot of people have said they doubt that i'll actually give a happy ending. and i will! anyway, i'd say its the happiest because its like. relieving at the end. without giving too much away.

Do you write crossovers?

i don't think i'd write a crossover in the traditional sense where characters from two medias interact, but i've written au's where i put the characters from x show into the universe from y show. that's probably as close as i'll get to a crossover.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

four times...ngl i was a bit confused abt one bc it felt like they hadn't read the fic, one time they just hated the ship and took it out on the fic, and the other was recent......that once kinda upset me bc of the second ask they sent.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

uh. hm. i have. i'm very shy abt it so i would never post it in a way that'd tie back to me, and only a few ppl actually know abt the details.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i've seen.........but im also chronically offline these days

Have you ever had a fic translated?

also no, but i do frequently get comments in spanish which is cool

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

tbh i think it'd be fun, but i'm also so particular abt my process that i think it'd frustrate the other person. however....there would potentially be a few ppl i'd be interested in writing with. but once again, i'm shy

What’s your all-time favorite ship?

itafushi ofc. my number one forever, i don't think a singular ship has ever grabbed me by the throat like this before

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

sigh theres so many. i recently published a new fic and i'm like not even feeling motivated to write the next two chapters......i feel bad abt that bc i did already share it. this is why i need to write all if not most of the multichapter before i share it. most of the things i have rn are just ideas tho bc i havent had time to write much that's new

What are your writing strengths?

oh god......um i think i do a good job creating an emotional atmosphere and taking the reader inside the pov character's head

What are your writing weaknesses?

description for sure. i'm just not good with visual things, whether its art or descriptions in writing. i'm also not observant which doesn't help like i couldn't tell you anything about what's happening around me right now which is Not Good. either way it hinders my writing fs. also i think sometimes i struggle w pacing and characterization. and dialogue. um. honestly i think i have a lot of weaknesses, i'm not the fondest of my own writing unfortunately.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

hm. i think it has a place ig, but personally i would never do it, despite the fact that i'm trilingual and definitely have the capacity to.

also this is an unpopular opinion, and i think it comes from my time studying japanese in university, but when i see like "gojo-sensei," or "itadori-kun" type things, it does make me cringe a bit. like i know that is what they are saying but like if i did that in class it would be marked wrong so i've just been trained to read it as incorrect.

What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

ngl rn im only interested in writing for itafushi. i would like to write more for tokyo ghoul soon though

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

at this present moment.....right where you left me. there is also a budding au in my drive that i'm quite fond of but i'm waiting to share more details on that

[loremaster]

rain code dlc thoughts

watched em all (spoilers obviously)

desuhiko:

can't believe this guy literally tried flirting with a child. he has gone unchecked for too long. we need to beat him up

enyne is good. i would love to see her in a cool thief outfit

not worth $5

fubuki:

the interactions between the detectives were cute. but i wish she'd gotten a chance to shine more on her own

it was kind of aggravating how slow they solved the mystery though. all that wondering about what the numbers could possibly mean... y'all the die was right there

not worth $5

halara:

kind of a shame that this one was the only actual investigative one. it was great!!! i liked the mystery setup and i liked figuring out how the culprit pulled it off even if the identity of the culprit was obvious the moment he showed up

"Good girl, Sugar" lololololol

good to know halara can be bought with cats instead of shien. love that yakou's totally onto their shit

and the cat they have a picture of is REAL!!! IT'S NOT A RANDOM JPG FROM THE INTERNET (WHICH I HAD ASSUMED)

worth $5

vivia:

i love how before it came out we were all like "please... one conversation with yakou... even just a mention of him would be okay" and then we got hit with a flaming rainbow fist #LoveWins

vivia all like "i wish i had something in this world to care about" and yakou literally forcing open the doors to his cold dead heart in response

the way he keeps flashing back to all the little things yakou has done to care for him... vivia you can't deny the truth anymore. you can't run from these gay thoughts

fellas is it gay to be another man's reason for living? (only if you share an umbrella)

for those who don't know, sharing an umbrella is like the most romantic thing you can do in japan. the only way this could have been more explicitly textually gay is if one of them pointed out how beautiful the moon was.

where's my Melt amv

'i'll enjoy the scenery along the way' *yakou seductively swaying his hips back and forth* HELLO???????????????????????

i hope after that is when vivia finally agrees to that dinner date

honestly up until now i've been very attached to the idea of vivia being head over heels for yakou the whole time and yakou not ever really noticing but now???? my god. this chief really can bisexual

speaking of bi i'm also not opposed to the idea of vivia/ryo... them both being like 'i'm interested in you' 'i'm interested in you too' oh are you now? hmmmm...

and they were both ghosts (oh my god they were ghosts)

I was saying to my friends while we were playing it that it makes sense the first suicide was 5 years ago, before the blank week incident... because otherwise she wouldn't have been a ghost at all, just a walking corpse

loved that line btw. 'all humans are just walking corpses' good news vivia, you're among peers here in kanai ward

worth $5. i mean technically since vivia/yakou dlcs are bundled together (gaaaay) it only cost $2.50 so it's extra worth it.

the amount of fanfiction that will inevitably come out of this is worth way more than $5

yakou:

his hips still do the little wiggle even as a zombie. can't slay the sashay away <3

him thinking of all the other detectives.... UUU....

yuma's flashback is from ch5 after yakou's already dead (but clearly there's still enough of him left...)

desuhiko's... is it from the dlc? idk. he said "i won't cause any problems" and then went on to cause many problems

halara's scene from the dlc is clearly a moment that made a big impression on yakou LMFAO... i mean if halara nightmare sat in MY chair it would make an impression on me too :flushed:

fubuki's i'm pretty sure is from ch.4 as yakou is dying on the floor?? he must have felt so bad, hearing her cry so much while he was fading away and couldn't do anything about it... his last moments UUUUUU

vivia gets the FUCKING aforementioned umbrella scene. sad wet cat man. learning to accept kindness and finding something (someone) worth living for... the exact moment vivia falls in love with him lmfao. and this is the moment that sticks out in yakou's zombie brain. seeing someone in need and actually being able to reach out and help them (for once). ;_;

and then SHE!!!!!!! SHEEEEEEEEEE

i shrieked when i saw her

mad she STILL doesn't have a name but oh man. i love her. i mean i already loved her when i saw the labcoat + turtleneck combo but the GLASSESSSSSS. and her VOICE AARGGGHHH they picked the perfect va for her

She must've given him the glasses while she was still alive, since he's the one wearing them in The Photo. good call, he looks naked without them

and now we really understand why yakou is as pitifully broke as he is, because he can't bring himself to make the corrupt choice that screws over innocent people for the sake of money. love that for him. he suffers so much for the sake of his city

very funny that he couldn't recognize his childhood friend (i'm assuming she recognized him immediately from across the room lmao). love the idea that she's trans. they're t4t your honor

she asked the most useless man to be her bodyguard but we all know who's protecting whom lmao

i feel like she must have been the one who proposed to him. or at least knowingly coaxed him into it haha

AND THE BADGE... UUUUUU.... and her ghost led him to it.... she had such an important job to do...

need to see vivia talk to her now. ghost 2 ghost communication. yakou simp 2 yakou simp

i think she would tell yakou to go kiss that goth boy silly

and most importantly... the medicine. the research... her dream lives on... i thought it was stupid that makoto literally cancelled everything about the homunculus research - sure they didn't need to make any more but how about research into alternate diets? or uv protection beyond like. sunscreen. WHAT ABOUT HER RESEARCH MAKOTO. PLEASE

so the existence of a possible cure for zombie homunculus begs the question... what's next for yakou? we thought his story was done but turns out it's far from yakouver, bitches. he's coming back one way or another.

what will he do with this magical macguffin - bring it to somewhere they can analyze it and duplicate it, or just take the pill himself? how complete is this untested theoretical cure? will yakou Come Back Wrong? is he gonna struggle to speak? (though that'd be a waste of kaiji tang)... is he gonna struggle with the urge to, you know, eat human flesh? i think that would be pretty hot cool

of course there's the chance it won't work at all. or will just straight up kill him, speedrun to reuniting with dead wife

definitely worth $5. or $2.50.

but at the same time since it actually does continue the main plot of rain code in an interesting way (or hint at it) i think they should bundle it with the main game instead of vivia's dlc

i mean if i had it my way they'd ALL be free but... i get it. they gotta gauge popularity somehow (and pay the devs/vas for extra work)

anyway. i should be working on homework but no. this game has absolutely ruined me

[blue-eyed-moon-child]

Last one for now. What's your 3rd favorite sbg character and why? You're not allowed to compare how much you like them with how much you like other characters (such as their rank, or even if you like them more or less) in the explanation

You bastard you gave me conditions for this I'll try but sorry if I bend the rules a little. I'm going to try to handle this as a pros and cons rather than a numbered list.

I'd say Tyler is my third favorite.

Pros: I do enjoy that he is the "protector" and it's gotten him hurt really bad at one point for him to have to take a step down and realize that he has to also let other people take care of him too. That trope always made me think "ahh yes a baybeee" for characters. His idea that he has to take on a parental role only to realize he is a kid is something that I always felt akin to? (I took care of my brother and mom for a while so...Tylercore ig) I do enjoy that he is a sarcastic bastard sometimes! The humor makes him well rounded and I know that he is "Just A Kid" so watching him be a little silly sometimes is reason that I always look for him in the background too. Little guy (he's so much taller than me) has a lot to learn and it's like a little brother that you can't wait to watch him get his heart broken for the first time, smile the biggest smile youve ever seen at graduation, and finally get a taste of adult freedom when he gets his license after painfully teaching and getting frustrated. Cons: Though, I sometimes roll my eyes and smack the wrinkles off my forehead a little bit when he decides that instead of working together as a team, he just immediately goes into pointing fingers, trying to find someone to blame. The anger and wanting answers for a situation where its very obvious that no one has answers is the most frustrating part about him. I jsut wanna grab his shoulders and scream "CALM DOWN PLEASE JUST LISTEN BEFORE YOU GAIN STRONG OPINIONS" soo bad but unfor he is but a comic character. I did respond to a post earlier that I really wish he would play to his own strengths (use a baseball bat as a weapon instead of almost immediately getting a gun) and planning for the worst with all the other characters in his mind. As someone who tends to protect the other people in their life, I'm always constantly thinking of the worst case scenarios and it makes me come back and basically wrap everything in bubblewrap so no one else gets hurt. I'm constantly checking the ground for glass and I wish that Tyler would do that too instead of being such a "I'm shrugging my shoulders cause I dont care about you but if you get hurt I'm going to tell you how useless you are" LIKE???? BROTHER???? HELP THEM THEN! <- which makes me say "uuughhh SHUT UP!!" sometimes soooo idk

I'll leave it at that for now but I can honestly do this for each character if I had the time to (plus no one would actually read it so eh)

(Also this is absolutely not dogging on Red's writing whatsoever. I love how rounded a lot of her characters are, even the side ones, they feel more human than some of the other webtoons I've read. They're flawed!! I like that about all of them. In the end, they're just teenagers. They're gonna suck! You're gonna like parts of them! They're teenagers in a really really shitty and unfortunate situation. They are constantly being lied to and gaslit into what is true and what isn't. They are literally fighting for their life ALL. THE. TIME. Give them - and Red - a break! PLEASE! )

[ladytauria]

💖 and 🧠 from the ask game <33

💖 What do you like most about your own writing?

my writing voice! i used to hate re-reading my own writing but now i can do so comfortably, even when i pick up on mistakes i missed or things i would change <3

i'm also fairly proud of my imagery, lol. that was something i worked hard to develop, and while i DO forget to like... describe things still when im writing, when i do remember/go back to add that in i feel more confident in my results lol

🧠 What’s an idea you have that you can���t quite call a WIP yet?

i have SO MANY of these

okay. i counted up the ones i have fleshed out outlines for, since there's more to talk about, and then i rolled a die <3

so! it's a jaytim fic inspired by the lyric, "why do you make me want to leave the world behind?" from the song stardust by new politics. the rest of the song doesn't actually fit, & i'll probs end up not using that line as the title, lol.

my outline for it is almost more of a not-fic than an outline, so... i'll just paste that in here, ig. pls excuse my brackets <3

why do you make me want to leave the world behind?

Jason couldn’t tell you what the final straw was. Maybe it was the last argument he got into with Bruce. Maybe it was hearing Joker’s laugh, again, echoing through the streets of Gotham. Maybe it was the gunshot he took to the shoulder, a few weeks ago. It— The point is, it could have been any number of things. Whatever the final straw, one thing is clear: he can’t do this any more.

And it’s not that he wants to abandon Crime Alley, or his people, it’s just—

He’s tired. He’s been tearing himself apart for the mission since he was twelve. He died, even—only to come back and keep doing it. And now… He’s just… done. He wants to live, and he can’t do that when the mission controls his life. He needs out.

Thing is…

He can’t leave Tim.

Tim is… somewhere along the way, Tim has become his rock. They’ve moved in together. When Jason suits up, Tim is at his side. When Tim needs stitches, it’s Jason holding the needle. When Jason comes home, knuckles bruised and lip split, it’s Tim there with the ice pack. And when they’re finished tending each other’s wounds, large and small, they fall into bed together—sore but together.

Jason doesn’t want to give that up.

He knows Tim won’t leave Gotham. Knows that Tim views Robin/Red Robin as the most important thing he’s ever done, the thing that gives him purpose, makes him feel real. He can’t ask him to leave it. He can’t.

But he’s not sure he can stay, either.

It’s a big, tangled mess, and Jason is no closer to figuring out what to do when Tim approaches him one evening. He sits down with him, holding his tablet, looking like he’s got something on his mind. He doesn’t bother with much preamble.

“My parents bought a place in [idk, some nice coastal or country area] a long time ago. A small vacation home, I think. It was one of those things we didn’t lose when Dad went bankrupt. I think… It looks like a nice place to retire, don’t you think so?”

Jason can hardly believe what he’s hearing, even as he agrees with feeling. He has to pinch himself once or twice, as they start making plans. They’re as methodical about it as they are everything else, hashing out all the details. It doesn’t feel real; not even when they inform the others, not when they start packing. Not even when they finally make the move, or unpack, or settle into the house.

It’s not until the second morning that it starts to sink in. This is real. It’s happening.

They grow roots. Befriend the neighbors. Tim gets back into photography, dragging Jason out with him on long walks to capture the scenery. He gets a job, too, working on cars, and talks Jason into pursuing a degree, the way he always wanted.

They gets visits and calls from the bats, and their friends—some more than others—and they usually even remember to leave business out of it. It’s… everything Jason wanted, honestly—though it’s not always easy. There are still nightmares, restless nights, and times when neither of them can watch or read the news without the urge be out there. Especially when there’s a crisis.

The worst of it, though, is the itching, nagging feeling in Jason’s chest. The thing that tells him it’s too easy. Too simple. Eventually something has to break—and each nightmare, each restless night makes Jason more and more certain it’s going to be Tim. One day, he’s going to wake up and decide that a quiet life with Jason isn’t what he wants after all.

He’ll leave.

Jason keeps his worries to himself. Just—tries to bottle up the good days, tucking them close under his heart, to keep him warm when he’s alone.

Before he knows it, though, a year passes. Tim still hasn’t left. Jason wakes up first, like he always does, and puts on the coffee before starting breakfast. Tim stumbles out of their bedroom just after Jason finishes the pancake batter. Even with a regular sleep schedule, he’s still not a morning person.

He goes for Jason first; winding his arms around his waist and sneaking a kiss before he pours his coffee. He slips out of the way, leaning against the wall to sip his coffee and watch Jason. And somewhere between the first batch of pancakes and the fourth, he glances over, and—he sees it.

Tim is smiling at him over the rim of his cup, still a little hazy from sleep. His eyes are no longer laden with bags. His skin is clear, a little tan. He’s got freckles, just a few, dotting his face. There’s a light, a glow to him that once Jason only saw in glimpses.

He’s happy.

Here.

With Jason.

It knocks the breath from him. He doesn’t know what his face is doing—only that Tim is at his side in an instant, coffee forgotten on the counter. Wrapped in Tim’s arms, Jason finds himself spilling everything, every thought and fear that’s plagued him for the last year. When he’s done, Tim smiles sadly, his hold turning into something like a cradle, despite their size difference.

“Robin was the most important thing in my life for a long time. First because watching you both, knowing what I knew… made me feel part of something bigger. Something amazing. And then because it gave me purpose. I was doing something that mattered, and so that made me feel like I mattered. And being good at it… It made me feel like I belonged, like I was wanted.” He strokes Jason’s cheek. “But… It always felt like it could be taken away. There were times when I thought it had been. And then… us. Jason, I don’t need Robin anymore. You make me feel like I matter—and I don’t… I don’t have to… to be perfect, or prove myself. I can just be here, with you, and that’s enough. I’m enough. And that… It means everything, Jay.”

Jason is tearing up. Supposedly, he’s the one who’s good with words—and Tim has pages of love poetry and sweet letters tucked away that can attest to that—but right now? He has none. All he can do is kiss him, and hope that everything he wants to say comes through.

The gratitude. The awe. The agreement. Tim does matter, and he doesn’t have to do anything to earn it, because Jason loves him. And fuck—the reason Jason stayed, the reason he couldn’t just leave on his own was because with Tim…

Tim has always taken him as he is. He doesn’t ask Jason to be anything more than he is, and because of that… Jason wants to be. He feels like the best version of himself when they’re together, and to hear that he gives Tim that same feeling—

It’s everything.

Tim’s coffee grows cold. Breakfast burns.

Neither of them care.

[ fic writer ask game ]

[moorishflower]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thank you @landwriter for the tag <3<3<3 Answers under the cut!

How many works do you have on Ao3? 227!

What's your total Ao3 word count? I broken two million this year! :)

What fandoms do you write for? I guess you'd say my "main" fandom is still The Sandman, because that's what really started me writing again, but I'll write for any piece of media that inspires me. I've written for The Terror, the D&D movie, Dungeon Meshi, Supernatural, Sherlock, and Homestuck at various points.

Top five fics by kudos: 1. aulon raid - In which no neonazis are allowed in the New Inn. 2. Curse of the Green Hag - The one where Xenk Yendar is cursed by a hag and he and Edgin have to fuck about it. 3. Ecdysis - Undressing and armor and bathing. 4. That I Should Wedded-Be - This was my first attempt at something longer. It's definitely not one of my better ones at this point but it was one of the first ones so it has a lot more kudos. 5. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow - The one where Hob fucks Dream on his desk.

Do you respond to comments? I would really like to, but I find that I often don't have the energy, and because I want every response to be unique and thoughtful and just for that person, it means that I feel really bad if I give a simple "thanks!" and nothing else. Inevitably the bad feeling of not responding in a meaningful way outweighs the good feeling of getting the comment, so now I really only respond to comments if they address me directly or ask a question.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? the long way down maybe? It has a more open "hopeful" ending. I don't usually let things end on a low note!

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Hallmark-Adjacent, I think. Literally ends like a Hallmark movie lol.

Do you get hate on fics? Once or twice it's happened. If it's happened since then I haven't been aware of it. I'm sure a lot of conversation goes on in like, discord channels and such that I don't follow. I'm not particularly interested in debating with people about the intentions or morality of my writing. I try to be as authentic and inclusive and respectful as the setting and story allow me to be, but I'm also human and fallible. *shrug* I grow and learn more every day. Expecting perfection from people is an exercise in frustration and futility.

Do you write smut?

yeh

Craziest crossover: Wrote a BBC Sherlock/Homestuck fusion. That was fun.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I'm aware of. If it was like Cocoon or Maybe sprout wings I think I'd be really upset about it because I put so much into those, but I don't know if I'd feel particularly devastated if it was anything else. BSN, maybe. I mean it would suck? That's a shitty thing to do, but also, you're not earning any real clout or money by doing it, lol.

Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes! A number of my fics have been translated, mostly into Russian (thanks chainsmoking and Bonniemary!), and one into Spanish (thanks Dhixi!). I'm incredibly flattered every time someone takes the time and effort to do a translation. It's an incredible art.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes, though not recently.

All time favourite ship? Listen I write so much for Sandman but truthfully? Mulder/Scully. Alpha and omega ship. Don't know if anything will ever compare.

What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? At this point, The Whole of Love Contained is so far removed from my current writing style that I would have to restart from scratch, I think. I'm not counting it out forever, but there are other ideas I've had that I'm more interested in pursuing first.

What are your writing strengths? I really like sentence construction. The flow of it. How you can use punctuation to make it stop -- and then carry on, giving it purposeful structure. I've been told I have a talent for inserting life-altering sentences into the middle of things so that they hit you like a punch. Idk I'm bad at listing my own strengths. I like to research things a lot?

What are your writing weaknesses? Pacing, definitely, and action scenes. I always feel like my action scenes have low-stakes feel to them. And dialogue. I think a lot of people struggle to write realistic dialogue, though, so that might not just be me. Keeping the momentum going. Sometimes I'll be so focused on reaching one specific scene that I'll lose track of how to actually get there, and I'll stall out. I feel like I have a lot more weaknesses but I struggle to articulate them beyond a sense of deep dissatisfaction with my own writing, especially in comparison with other writers whom I greatly admire. I feel often like I'm churning out things that are easily-digestible and entertaining, but not necessarily meaningful, or not conveying what I would like them to do. Logically I know that "entertaining" is a value unto itself, and nothing to scoff at, but still. The writer's hubris, maybe.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language? Kind of depends on what you're using it for, I suppose. I tend to stick with one narrator's POV, so it can be useful if the narrator doesn't speak that language, but we, as the readers, can pop the sentence into translate and get the gist. I tend to use that sparingly as a gimmick, though, because I'm not multilingual except in the very most basic of terms and I prefer being correct to being aesthetic, lol.

First fandom you wrote in? If you want to be technical, it was Harry Potter. But the first fandom I wrote seriously for was Heroes.

Favourite fic you've written? I'm still proudest of Maybe sprout wings. Not sure if I'll ever write something like that again, where so much of it just felt right. And it got a compliment from a writer I admired very much in Homestuck fandom, so I reckon I did something right with it.

I'll tag @arialerendeair and @dsudis because I know you've both been in fandom for a while and I want to hear your stats <3

[chic-beyond-the-wall-oc-acct]

13, 15, and 19 for lovely Abigail?

13) Does your OC have a good relationship with their parents or no?

Well, we all know Abigail's mother died, she died in childbirth. Abigail has a wonderful relationship with Tyrion. Sometimes it's more like he wants to be her friend and not her father. For the first several years of her life she didn't even call him father, but she called Cersei 'mother.' that was of course Cersei's idea, it was something that definitely hurt Tyrion. But by the time of the first book, Abigail's around 16, and Tyrion is basically her number one person.

15) Has your OC ever fallen in love before who their intended love interest is, or is the intended love interest their first love?

I'll say it right now, Abigail's role models for love are terrible and she's definitely not good at it either.

So, Abigail is the type to fall hard, fast. I'll start with Joffrey because he can technically be considered her first love. Abigail and Joffrey grew up attached at the hip and many thought that they'd get married one day. The biggest pusher of this was Cersei, who basically just wanted them to be like her and Jamie. As manipulative as their relationship was in later years, Abigail still loved him.

Her second 'love' was Robb Stark...they knew eachother for a week. Abigail had her eyes set on the position of Lady of Winterfell the second she heard Robert was thinking of betrothing Joffrey to Sansa and the royal family was taking a trip north. She did her research and practiced and had a wardrobe made in advance-- she didn't really expect to fall for Robb but boy did she. She was DEVASTATED when Cersei betrothed her to Tommen. Literally cried herself to sleep that night.

Her third 'love' was Sansa Stark. This-- is a bit complicated and I'm not sure if it even really counts as love. Abigail wanted to be Sansa's friend, though they didn't really get along at the beginning despite Abigail's best attempts. She doesn't even really consider having feelings for Sansa until Robb's death. Her feelings are mainly just rooted in Sansa's relation to Robb.

The last one I'll touch on right now is Tommen. It takes a long time for Abigail to see him as anything other than her little cousin (I promise I aged him up for this--) even after they're married. But we all know Tommen and Abigail are endgame. I think they balance eachother very well.

Now a few friends have suggested Abigail have a pollycule (idk how to spell) adding Dany and Griff and a couple others. Idk if I'll do that but I do love a good pollycule

19) Does your OC have any close friends?

Other than her ladies in waiting, Eragon and Osferth are Abigail's ride or dies. They're like her older brothers. They've always been there and next to Tyrion, they're her biggest support system. She doesn't stand for anyone that gives them shit for being bastards. She knights Osferth (why she's allowed to do that is a whole nother story) and makes Eragon the head of entertainment in the Red Keep, their biggest dreams.

[angelfevr]

spill the roleswap au!

YAYAYAYAY OKAY

so basically i don't have everything planned out yet but what i have in mind is that akane takes junpei's place in the story and vice versa, but also aoi's in a sense??

she's a college dropout who was initially studying fashion design, but couldn't keep going due to her poor mental health. she has severe survivors guilt bc of what happened 9 years prior . and wishes it was her who died instead. i also want the characters' outfits and bracelet numbers + code names to be different. i have a headcanon that akane wears menhera fashion so i wanted to integrate that here

as for junpei he essentially is in akane's situation as indicated in canon. hongou kidnapped the wrong person so instead of it being aoi, it's junpei though tbh i might change that.. and junpei is the one who dies and gets trapped in a paradox.. eventually he and akane reunite and he asks her to plan the nonary game and it doesn't take her long to accept the offer. akane doesn't tell aoi anything that happened so he's sorta in the dark kinda like how lotus is w her daughters

other things of note:

akane got into college via financial aid

nona and ennea replace the field siblings

akane's backstory stays the same and so does junpei's, their circumstances have changed. in a post 999 world, you'd still get akane's descent into saviorism though

personalities r generally the same otherwise

can u tell who my favorites are from this post alone DHAKDJKAJD i do plan on figuring out how everyone else fits into this.. hongou's role is the same tho. or maybe not who knows lol

idk if i'll ever write this idea, this is moreso smth i think abt for fun and an alternative to other roleswap aus i've seen for this fandom and others,, also i've been meaning to play around w the zeropei idea

[moreespressoformydepresso]

Okay so I have zero idea how ask games work or if it’s currently active but….

I got like two I desperately need to know about!!

🪸 & ♈️

🪸: I’m curious if any of your selections for the creatures coincide with their district or rather something from their personality and could you give examples of possible?

♈️ : Is the zodiac magic person to person or a whole wide district type thing that only ever occurs in said district?

Do they have certain techniques depending on the district?

Are abilities separated between the rich and poor in the districts?

Hi!! So technically this ask game was for me to write a snippet of the WIP's you pick and I can definitely still do that if you want me to! But expanding on these AU's can definitely be fun as well! So while I write the other requests I've gotten so far I'll answer yours since I'm a very slow writer. Also, finals has fried my brain and I'm so happy I'm almost done but I just cannot think straight enough to write right now so explanation it is!!

🪸 So the creatures aren't District-specific, I give the tributes whatever I feel fits their character best, but the variants are. It's bloodline related, but environment has impact on the people of the Districts. So for example: District 4 has a lot of sirens and mermaids, because they're so involved with the ocean, and their humanoid form only has legs so they can walk on land. They spend most of their time in the ocean anyway. Treech is also a siren, but he only has forest lakes as underwater domain. Therefore his humanoid form is practically indistinguishable from humans. Sea sirens have a very echoey voice, fitting for an open space as large as the ocean, but sirens like Treech have a more ethereal, magical, otherworldly sounding voice, associating them with a magical forest. Sirens in 7 also have more greenish colors where Sea Sirens have fully blue scales. My sirens always have some kind of hydrokinesis, but where Sea Sirens have full water control Treech would have a weaker control over water in exchange for being able to use his voice out of the water more effectively. Unlike Sea Sirens he can actually use his voice magic while talking, though it's most effective when he sings.

Lucy Gray is a faun because she has the nature-loving vibes to me and also she sings, but with D12 so focused on coal mining there just aren't many sirens there. Her magic is in any music she makes, allowing her some control over nature. Coral is a (water) dragon, because she's very protective over those she cares about and I felt like it fit her general anger at her situation in both the book and the movie. Mizzen is a fairy, because mythologically fairies tend to be very mischievous. Lamina is a firebird, but with added thunderbird qualities. She's like the wind, seemingly weak until it flings you through the air like you're nothing. Also, she has a hidden fire in her that you'll only see when it's too late.

There's a few examples :)

♈ohoho I have a lot to say about this AU but idk who to talk to because idk anyone who might be interested this specific one so I'll ramble about the magic system I created for this for a bit and wonder if anyone would want me to talk about all the plotlines I've thought up for this AU.

Is it person-to-person or district wide? Surprise, it's both! Every district has a zodiac sign (D13 has Ophiuchus) and the powers are vaguely based on that, but everyone has a mostly unique set of powers or combination of magic types. The districts aren't actually numbered based on zodiac signs though, they're still numbered based on in what order they joined Panem. This is long so I'm gonna put a cut here lol.

Virgo: I don't have a big explanation for this, it just felt right with the magic I could come up with, so I'll say a maiden in stories is usually beautiful, like jewelry and gemstones and stuff. Facet gets enchantment, he can bewitch people to basically fog over their mind if he can talk long enough for his magic to work or if he can get close and do magical hands around someone's head. Velvereen gets potion: she can take plants and combine them into potions with a positive effect and a negative downside to go with it, depending on what potion she makes. The downside gets bigger the less related the plants the picks are to what she wants her potions to do.

Sagittarius, because... Honestly this and 12 were the last ones I decided on and it was either Sagi or Scorpio. Sagittarius is fire, which feels like it fits more with weaponry. Marcus is connected to the archer part of the constellation, being able to basically influence people's odds in battle, including his own. He has stupidly good aim because he tips the odds of hitting the target in his own favor. He can basically boost his allies and make his enemies a lot less lucky on the battlefield. Sabyn, on the other hand, is more connected to the spirituality of Sagittarius (the optimism) by being able to influence people's emotions so strongly she can basically cripple them by trapping them in a mental breakdown spiral. She can push them to give her answers she needs, distract them, or help them gain the confidence to do what they need to do. Possibly the way her power works (influencing the neurons in the brain, essentially, and the chemical structure) allows her to also have mild control over people's perceptions of the world by blocking information from reaching the brain and maybe even enables her to use mild healing powers.

Capricorn is ambitious and goal-oriented, and I think you need some level of ambition to be an inventor. Teslee can create anything by picturing it with her mind. She needs to know its components and requires some kind of object to transform, but she can make virtually anything. She needs to imagine the inner workings too, though, so if she doesn't know how something works she can only make something that looks like what she wants. It won't actually work, because she didn't make the inner mechanism that makes it function. Circ has a form of spacial magic which gives him the ability of telekinesis and teleportation.

Pisces: Fairly obvious, I think. Their whole deal is fishing, so their sign is pisces the fishes. I briefly considered giving them aquarius but ended up going with the more cliche option. Coral clearly feels deeply, though we mostly see her anger at the world and her care for Mizzen. Coral's powers are basically energy manipulation. She can sap energy from around her and turn it into something else, whether that be light or a soundwave or electricity or a whole laserbeam. This is because Pisces is seen as a sign that's very in-touch with spirituality and stuff. Mizzen can turn his skin into protective scales that he can reflect light off of to blind his opponents and make some weaker magical attacks slide off of him like water slides past fish scales.

Leo is related to the sun. The sun gives energy. Sol can draw energy from the sun and turn it into both strength and laser beams. Hy can shapeshift into any cat-like animal and expel brief bursts of boiling hot air from his body.

Gemini because Mercury is apparently ever-changing and that reminded me of transport. Gemini apparently blends really well into any group because they can adapt to the vibe, so Ginnee can read people insanely well and just knows how to act and what to say to make them trust her or get them to do what she wants. Also, she will always appear like she belongs where she is, so even when people are actively looking for her, specifically, they'll look past her because she doesn't look 'out of the ordinary'. Otto gets the duality side of the deal and can speed up or slow down time within a specific radius around him. It doesn't have to include the whole radius, so he can slow down time around one person or speed up just his own movements.

Aries: I think it fits Treech and Lamina. The ram is usually associated with courage, confidence, and a strong personality, but before a ram is a ram, it's a lamb. Lamina shows she's fully capable of being strong and courageous, despite first coming across as weak like a little lamb. She ends up being a very offence-heavy fighter. Treech, meanwhile, is more on the defensive side. @ylvisruinedmylife's Electric Rebels characterization of him fits best here, where he's very insecure and not the fighting type, but he can show his horns when he needs to (on an individual level, Lamina's more Leo/Cancer while Treech is more Pisces/Gemini, but I digress). As for their magic: Lamina gets pyrokinesis for the fiery personality type Aries stands for, as well as 'reflect' where she cuts the air with her hand, creating a flash of light that will deflect an attack or even redirect it back at her opponents, inspired by diamonds being the gemstone for Aries. Treech has 'wool', where he can generate wool with his hands that absorbs any impact or attack that hits it. He can also use it as an attack but its wool so it doesn't do much damage on its own. It can trap people or push/throw them into a wall. He also gets 'impact' inspired by the way rams attack. It requires a lot of energy to use but he can aim his hand at someone and blast them backwards, nothing's hitting them but it feels like they get bodyslammed by a ram. He can also accelerate the speed of an attack with it. Both Lamina and Treech have small horns with a slight curl to them when their powers are activated. Their hair also gets very soft and fluffy like the wool of a sheep, though it's more noticeable with Lamina because her hair's longer, her tips are basically a cloud.

Libra, because it's associated with venus and thus beauty. It's scales, which work with gravity, so Bobbin gets control over gravity within a specific radius. He can only affect small areas at a time but hey, smashing a whole squad of peacekeepers to the ground is still fun yk. Wovey has the power to balance out anything. If you're very mad, she can balance you out with ✨aura✨ until you're no longer flipping out. If something's so heavy it's about to break something she can balance it out so the thing that's breaking is strong enough to hold. You have a laser canon? Guess what! She can balance out that energy to neutralize your laser! You wanna fire a gun? She can balance out that gunpowder and make it useless!

Cancer, because the moon phases reminded me of harvest phases. This is one of the spares, I fear. With the moon being so tied to the tides, Panlo's magic is magnetism. He can turn anything into a magnet, both himself and others. What is pulled towards the magnet is something Panlo can decide himself. Sheaf has the reflective properties of the moon (reflecting the sunlight) and can reflect anything away from her. If someone attacks her, she can reflect their attack back at them. She can reflect light like a mirror. She's basically a mirror with defensive properties.

Taurus, because Taurus is a bull and... Livestock. That's it that's my explanation (oh and disrespect for authority because Brandy and her response to Arachne's "authority"). The element of Taurus is earth, so Tanner gets... earthbending. It's basically just earthbending with the added fun that dirt and sand counts as 'rock' to me and you can't stop me. Brandy gets control over any precious metal or ore, because of Taurus' wealth aspect. I'm very creative (please don't judge my energy tank is rapidly depleting).

Aquarius, the giver of life, felt appropriate for the district credited with being the country's main food source (rip 9 and 10). Reaper has hydrokinesis. He can control the temperature and form, but cannot technically make it. He can just pull it from any source he wants, which means he's capable of some brutal stuff since humans are like- 75% water. Dill has plant magic. She can grow roots from the ground and control the plants around her.

Scorpio, occasionally said to have sly personality traits? Their spirit color is black like coal. Jessup has shadow magic, he can manipulate shadows and melt into them. Pretty straightforward, but since shadows are just the absence of light he has some extras most people wouldn't expect because people keep forgetting that shadows are just the absence of light. He's basically displacing the light (and thus warmth) and while he can solidify shadows because magic, he can basically blast people with freezing cold. Lucy Gray can negate magical spells or curses. Just destroy them or negate them immediately. She can absorb them for a limited time and possibly place them on something else too.

Ophiuchus.

[never-ending-fanfic]

OCD Kallus WIP

@sapphic-loser16 and @seth-shitposts thank you for asking about it 💙🩵💙

(Disclaimer #1: if you're a person with OCD and you don't relate to this or think this is unrealistic compared to your experience- idk what to tell you. I write this for me and it reflects my point of view, OCD is not black and white, it's different for everyone, so yknow, don't like, don't read

I did something similar when I was invested deeply into the Atla fandom and I'm doing it here- projecting my experience onto a character, as nice way to put my own mentality in perspective. In short: OCD is a bitch, so I'll use it to torture a character)

TW: mention of intrusive thoughts, compulsions, non-graphic violence. I'll place a cut here

The thing about OCD Kallus WIP is: do I think Kallus could have OCD based on the show? No. Will I give him one in fanfiction? Absolutely.

I don't really think I'll even publish it- it feels personal in this wild manner. I might change my mind sometime. But in the meantime, the general idea consists of this (and bear with me, it's long):

Kallus has had OCD ever since childhood, but he doesn't remember that well. He can recall a few strange things he made himself do just to be safe, but not much beond that. In the Empire he didn't have the symptoms, because when he was in the academy, a medic prescribed him meds for said symptoms and they worked (who cares that he had a ton of side effects like insomnia and stuff like this, it worked so he didn't complain). And slowly he forgot he's ever had to deal with that.

After he defects, it's logical that he doesn't take the meds anymore. For a while it's fine, he got a dose before Atollon happened so it still works for some time. Until it doesn't, of course.

All the intrusive thoughts, all the paranoia and all the obsessions hit him like a train one sunny, lovely day when he's having tea with Hera and they're talking gossip about the base. And then he gets a very visual idea to pull out a blaster and shoot Hera in the head. It's very explicit and he clearly sees every part of it happening almost in front of his eyes.

And he's (kriffing rightfully so) terrified. And because he's never been in therapy or recieved any sort of help except those blasted meds, he spirals into panic pretty quick. He gets more thoughts like that, about not only the Spectres but anyone he interacts with, about hurting them, assaulting them or killing them. The thoughts appear out of the blue at any moment and he's never prepared for them. Assuming that he's going crazy, he doesn't tell anyone, scared of what the people might thing and scared of loosing everything he has because of it. He tries to take care of it by himself- by distancing himself from people he's scared of hurting, by never going near weapons, by throwing his own blaster away, he's even avoiding kitchen knives and forks, because he know that with his training, it could be turned into a deadly weapon.

The others see it and try to help, but he only distances himself further and further, to the point that he's scared of leaving his room, imagining he might hurt someone if he goes out.

Oh right, add to that a huge number of rituals he has to do now, to keep everyone around safe from himself- he needs to turn the light in his room on and off five times, because if he doesn't, he's going to stab Sabine in the back, tap his fingers together in a pattern before settling for the night or else he will blow the base up. And he doesn't want any of that to happen, so he does all these things and more.

And then one day the Spectres decide to use force to get him out of his room and he finally agrees for the sake of looking somewhat like his normal self in front of them. They have dinner on the Ghost. Before he can grab a fork though, he claps his hands in a pattern. He reaches for a fork and hears Ezra snort, asking what was that he did with his hands. Kallus' blood runs cold at the thought that someone saw him and he's so stressed that he feels the urge to flee- he needs to perform a ritual, but he can only do that when nobody else is around. And he almost does so, before Zeb stops him and a whole mess starts because Kallus panics and says he absolutely needs to get out and go to his room and Zeb, misunderstanding the situation, is insistent on him staying. And then Kallus blurts out that if he doesn't go to his room this instant, he could kill the entire crew and he doesn't want to do that, so will Zeb please let him go, so he can-

And then Zeb let's him go. And they all watch stunned as Kallus bolts out of the Ghost.

No plot beyond that, I have no idea what goes on besides that, but I know that- the ending is gonna be happy, with the crew realising what is going on and chasing any info on what OCD is, Kallus goes to therapy, gets diagnosed and gets the necessary resources to battle that fuckery with the help of his family and they live happily ever after the end

I kinda felt like crying as I was writing this down

(Disclaimer #2: OCD is a fucked up thing to have and just to be sure that I said it, just so I can carry on with a clear conscience: intrusive thoughts are NOT some unspoken desires of your mind that you actually want to happen- intrusive thoughts are chaotic wild messes of things you fear you're capable of doing and you're so terrified of doing them that you must perform tasks so they don't happen- it doesn't make any sense and believe me, anyone with OCD is aware of how irrational it sounds, you don't need to tell us. But it works like that. Intrusive thoughts are things we would never do, but they scare us so badly to the point of making up inexistent connections between them and our compulsions.

And for the last fucking time, OCD DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE A CLEAN FREAK WHO JUST LOVES ORGANISING THINGS BY COLOUR- and if a person with actual OCD does that, it's certainly not because they like it)

[wawamouse]

Fanfic ask game but I answer all the questions on my own because I can and I want to lol (and you can too 😌)

What was your first fic and could you stand to reread it today? My first fanfic was a Harry Potter fanfic I wrote in 3rd grade from the POV of James Potter going to Hogwarts (I had read books 1-6 in 2nd grade). I thought I was a genius for this because I had no idea fanfic was already a real thing.

What’s your most recent fic and how far do you think you’ve come? My most recent fic was "Riptide", answered for a kiss prompt. I've come very far! I wrote a bit of fanfic throughout high school years ago but didn't get heavy back into it until 4 years ago, during the height of the pandemic.

In your opinion, what’s your best fic? Honestly can't judge this. I have my most kudosed fic, but it definitely isn't my best. I think I would have pick one of my shorter Miguel/Chico fics, or else one of my longer rongzhi fics.

In your opinion and without looking at any numbers, what’s your most popular fic? It would have to be one of my HxH fics. I wrote a series for it in high school or college (idr). The show had seen a resurgence in popularity at the time, I think, because it was around when the remake anime was released on Netflix. I think it must be "We Who Have the Souls" that is my most kudosed fic.

Is there any fic that makes you super happy to reread and remember you wrote that? Off the top of my head: "For Nothing Tender About it" (MiguelChico), "At Rise" (M/C), "Exit Wound" (Sui Zhou/Wan Tong), and "A Dying Eye" (Ding Rong/Wang Zhi)... I've been re-reading a lot of my shorter fics lately. I really like "Alibi" lately...

Is there any fic that makes you super embarrassed to reread and remember you wrote that? Probably if I reread one of the ones I orphaned or one of the ones I wrote in my early days which only exists on a thumb drive now lol.

What’s the fic you most want to continue (unfinished or no)? "The Nineteenth Year of Chenghua". Zombie apocalypse fic. Someday….

What’s the oldest (longest since last update) fic you most want to continue (unfinished or no)? Out of Nowhere, I guess. But I don't remember anything to finish it. Next oldest is The Nineteenth Year of Chenghua.

Have you ever written for a fandom without watching/reading/playing the source material? No.

Have you ever written for a fandom without reading other fanfic for it? Yeah, The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty (I started the tag), Hamlet (wrote fanfic for a class), Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead. I also think I wrote Need For Speed (movie) fanfic before there were any other fics to read, but I might be wrong about that.

Have you ever written a fic for a concept you know someone else has done before? How did it impact your writing process or feelings after posting? I don't think so? Not if 'concept' means 'same plot premise'. Yeah, no, I don't think so. There are some stories where something necessarily has to be written to cross canon point A to B to get to where you want to be in the fanfic, but… no? Maybe "Collision Course"? I wrote the in the car talking concept originally as what was going to be a remix of @/merelyafigment's tumblr snippet.

Have you ever written a fic and decided never to publish it? Why? I write really trashy smut and wattpad level indulgence in my notes app as a fun activity before bed sometimes. But those are never really meant to be published, though they're there for me to steal bits and pieces from for actual fics. Actually, a good chunk of "For Nothing Tender About It" and "Countdown" and probably smaller portions of some other fics I'm forgetting came from that notes app. Sometimes I'll read back stuff and be like "hey, that's actually not that bad" and polish it up, chop off the trashier bits, and then turn it into a oneshot.

What’s the biggest change between your style when you started in fandom and today? I'm a better writer? Lol. Idk, punctuation, probably. I used to write X-men fic exclusively (the comics) so I had a horrible habit of writing out accents (think Gambit, Rogue, Wolverine, etc). I've shaken off a lot of that style, though I still like capturing some of a character's voice.

What’s the biggest change in your taste between when you started in fandom and today? I don't think I had much taste in the past… There was a point where I was very undiscerning about what I read.

Have you ever purposefully written one fandom/fic idea over another because you knew it’d be more popular? No, I don't think like that. For the longest time, I didn't engage in fandom or actually make friends in the fandom. I just posted stuff and if someone read it, nice. I was more free 😂

Have you ever stopped writing a fic/for a fandom because it wasn’t receiving enough attention? I have a fanfic for a ship I am the sole writer of that has exactly 2 kudos.

In your opinion, what’s your most overrated fic? One of my most kudosed fic (496 wtf, just checked) is a Glenn/Daryl fic for the Walking Dead. It's not particularly good. But the fandom is big, I guess, so even rarepairs thrive there.

What’s your most underrated fic? I would point to any number of my Miguel/Chico fics, except that all eyes looking for that pair at a given time have likely already read the fic, so it wouldn't really be correct to call any of them underrated. Underrated, maybe, in the sense of wOULD You LiKE tO TaLk AboUt IT PerHAPS?! MaY I wOrd VoMIT AbouT It?? HeLLo?

If you had to pick one fic/scene/chapter of your work to describe your entire portfolio to a stranger, which would you pick? What a funny question…

Well. He could feel quite senseless sometimes. Idle-minded, it had been said of him; and if not idle-minded, then fixating on idle pleasures. That was all it was.

—Surpassing Corridors

Have/Would you ever rewrite a fic? If yes, would you take the original down? No way. That's too much work. I just make changes directly into the fic lol.

If someone starts kudosing and commenting your fics in a spree and has a few works of their own, would you go look through theirs? I'll often go to their profile and see what other fics they're into or what fandoms they've written for, if they have. If they write a fic later for the pairing, I'll make sure to read their fic and comment.

Has there ever been anyone who’s made you freak out because they read your work and followed/favorited/reviewed? I have a mutual who me and a friend always refer to as "AO3 User [Full URL]" because her fanfic was amazing. Even to this day, I don't like to bother her too much 😂

What’s the nicest review you’ve ever gotten? There's a couple of people who've read my fics or have gotten friends to read my fics despite not being in the fandom, and I really treasure that. Of course the long comments are always the best :D <3 But I also really like short comments, and this one was really touching (commented on a (sort of) vampire AU I wrote): "What a great premise - totally unexpected (which after 25 years of fic, hard to find) and beautifully written."

What’s the meanest review you’ve ever gotten? Do you think the reviewer intended it? Someone flamed me on an Xmen fic I wrote years ago on ff.net, criticising the plot and my grammar. I didn't really care, though; my response upon reading it was like "Dude I am literally 12 years old" LOL.

What constructive criticism, however well-meaning, always makes you feel bad when you see it in a review? Never gotten any reviews like this, except maybe the one I mentioned above. I don't think I get enough comments to have seen the breadth of the type of negative reviews people leave.

What aspect of your writing do you most enjoy to see praised? Uhhh… When there was a nice thing in the plot or the dialogue and people say Wow or when they say they could imagine the character saying it or something… (< imagine I said that in a weird low voice like Eeyore)

If you could only ever write crossovers or single-fandom fics ever again, which would you pick? Single fandom fics. I'm really picky about crossovers and don't read them often.

if you could only ever write for a single crossover or a single fandom again, which would you pick? I'm gonna say Oz because that's my current interest right now LOL.

Does the division of your writing across fandoms line up with your reading? What’s the biggest discrepancy? I don't know what this means. No? I've written nearly 60 fics for both TSOMD and Oz for pairings that don't have that many fics to read if you subtract my contribution lol. There's some fandoms I've read an enormous amount of fic for (especially in the past) that I've never written for, too.

Do you continue to write for a fandom after you’ve moved on or do you focus solely on the new one? I'll still write for the past fandom when inspiration strikes, but I have a small brain so I forget plot stuff and can't capture the tone as well, I feel like.

Who’s the one character you’ve just never managed to get perfectly right? Can't say. A character I've never written, probably. I'm delusional in a way so I feel like all my characterisations are valid, even if on the surface, I wring my hands and go "sorry for the OOCness!" Also, once I get into the groove of writing a certain character, it comes easier. But I guess there are still moments where I freak out and think I've not been writing them properly. I still think I write Miguel as too nice or something.

Who’s the one character who shines without you even trying? Omar White…?

Is there any particular character whose scenes always wind up being longer/more frequent than you expected? Does the quality hold up? Hmm. Hm… Sister Peter Marie, maybe? Got her in some unpublished wips as well as "In the Blink of an Eye". She's useful as a therapist character lol.

Was there any fic that you wrote that really surprised you in the fandom reaction? Was it just by the numbers or did they take it an entirely different way? Nope. I don't have stats like that.

Have you ever written a ship into a fic without meaning to? No? I've added ships into wips as they've gone along and things developed. Is that the question? Then yes, I guess.

Have you ever sincerely written a ship you do not support into a fic? I wrote a fanfic for a ship that I don't really like for a fic donation drive event, if that counts. Oh wait, yeah, I've written two other ships I don't like into fics before. For the angst.

Have you ever purposefully bashed a character/ship in a fic? Only if it's in character for a character to shit on another one. I don't insert my meta author opinion like that, though. Kind of tasteless as well as pointless.

Have you ever purposefully written something you know your readers would find uncomfortable/would not enjoy? If yes, why? I don't think so? I don't assume anything about potential readers like that.

Do you consider yourself to have a readership? Yeah, in a sense. It's easier to identify the repeat readers when there's only like 5 of them, plus guests. I don't really consider all of you guys readership tho because I feel like that implies some kind of interaction between author and audience.

Do you feel like you put out enough content? 🤣🤣🤣 I probably put out TOO much content. "Readership", as they say, has dwindled. But by god, I'm still going.

If you cross-post your fics on multiple sites, do you have a favorite? Are there certain fics you would only post on certain site? I sometimes post to Tumblr (ask memes) or Dreamwidth (community prompts) but I prefer AO3, especially because for the rare comment that I do get, I can find it again easily. I don't really like posting fic directly to Tumblr because if someone comments on it the fic or post or whatever, I can't find it easily. And I have a really really bad memory 😭 I like things in one place.

How many views has your most popular fic gotten? Highest hit count is 12,026 hits on "We Who Have the Souls," which is my top kudosed fic (751).

Your least popular? My fic with the least kudos, "Prey Animal" (2), has 47 hits, but my fic with the lowest hits is tied between "Movie Time" and "Sore Spot" with 10 hits.

Do you follow/favorite/kudos/comment/review more stories than you have received? Yeah, I've been trying to leave kudos/comments on every story I've read since like two years ago? Sometimes if I really have no energy, I don't comment, but then I feel guilty. I'm only subscribed to one fic, though, and I'm not super into bookmarking.

If you had to call yourself an author of a single genre (besides fanfic) what label would you give yourself? I wanna say Action/Adventure, but the more accurate would be that broader genre, Drama.

Do you consider yourself a diverse author? Idk what this means. I'm a gay chinese dude, is that what this is asking? lol

If someone you know in real life who isn’t involved in fandoms asked to read your work, would you let them? If yes, what would you recommend they read first? I would give them my Hamlet or RAGAD fics bc they are the most respectable ones by virtue of proximity to Shakespeare lol.

Does anyone you know from outside of fandom know you write fanfic? Are they involved in the same fandom too? My IRL friends from high school (now internet friends :') ) and my sister. No to HS friends (not anymore, anyway). And my sister isn't in fandom.

Has anyone in your life ever read your fanfic just because you wrote it? :D Yes <3

Has writing fanfic had a significant impact on your life? Would you say it’s entirely positive? Yes and yes. I think fanfic has made me a better writer. I've made friends through fanfiction, and it's pretty much the only think in my life, besides other fandom creating, that keeps me creative and not wanting to slam my head into a wall <3