#i just want to offer some really basic advice to anyone interested in starting out with digital!

[corviiids]

"i suck at summaries": a dubiously helpful list of tips for how to do a summaries

by no means am i an expert. but in the hopes that this is helpful.

fic summaries have two main purposes:

tell a reader what the premise of your fic is in one glance, and

provide a 'hook' that convinces them to click on it.

based on those two purposes, here's what you should aim to do:

pack the key information into something that can be read while scrolling, and

make your fic stand out.

how do you do that. there are many different ways. ymmv. here are some starting points which may help if you are really, truly stuck.

details under the cut. in summary:

know your premise

keep it short and sharp

demonstrate your style

1: can you describe your premise in maximum three lines?

fewer is better. im not saying your summary has to BE fewer than three lines, you just need to be able to describe the premise as concisely as possible. not the whole fic. not everything that happens. just your premise.

being able to condense your ideas this way will improve your understanding of the work and make it easier to summarise.

sometimes it's a bit hard to isolate what exactly your premise is, especially if you were just writing into the void. so here are some questions you can ask yourself to figure it out:

what was the idea that spurred you to write the fic?

what is the climactic action in the fic?

if the fic is an au, canon divergence, what if, etc - what is the point of difference between this and canon?

if the fic is based around a trope, a genre, a particular device - how did you apply it, what makes the work familiar, and what makes it different?

this is important, because:

2: brevity is the soul of wit

now that you know your premise, it's time to jazz it up. turn it into a one-liner or similarly catchy pitch. give it a makeover.

it doesn't have to be literally one line. however, do not make your summary super long. do not make either your summary or your tags a massive block of text. the reader is scrolling. they have not yet decided to invest time in your fic.

the ideal summary is stylish and concise. your reader should be able to take it in without pausing for too long. it gives them a good impression of you: you know how to be economical with your sentences, which means your writing is probably easy and enjoyable to read.

and on that note:

3: including an excerpt is always an option

an optional option. but if you're stuck, it's a free card to play.

readers want to know that your writing style matches what they like to read. showing off your style can help you stand out to an interested reader.

try and find a few lines which are representative of the premise, representative of your style, and sufficiently intriguing. an excerpt is a try before you buy. you just wrote a whole fic. you want people to read the whole fic and enjoy your work. so show them what you have to offer.

what is an example, postmaker

look im not more qualified to give this advice than anyone else, but here's what i do if it helps. i typically pick out a short excerpt and include a short pitch underneath it. that way the reader knows what i sound like and what the fic is about.

here is a baldur's gate 3 fic summary

shadowheart says, “kill l–” “not lae’zel, darling, it’s too obvious. in fact, both of you are banned from killing each other.” astarion thinks for a moment. “in the game, at least.” -- the gang plays fuck, marry, kill.

this fic has a basic premise and hinges on dialogue, so i picked some sample dialogue to demonstrate what my grasp on the character dynamics looks like and then added one line to explain what the fic is about.

here is a death note fic summary (death note spoilers) (i guess)

The night Ryuzaki dies, L appears in Light's bed. -- (every night when light goes to sleep, his dreams place him in a romantic relationship with his newly-dead rival. it makes him sick.)

this fic has a more abstract premise, so i picked a short excerpt to demonstrate what the tone of the fic is (a bit mysterious). then i added two lines: just enough information to explain what the catalyst of the fic is, but no more than that, so that the reader will be intrigued.

here is a persona 5 fic summary

Ren grins. “You want me to date Goro?” “Pretend-date Goro,” Ann corrects. “And make his crush jealous.” “This is not going to work,” Goro says. “Sure, I’ll do it,” says Ren, still grinning. He does his own rendition of Ann’s eyelash bat. “Go out with me, Goro-kun?” “I’m older than you, so show me a little respect,” Goro says crossly. “Our relationship is off to a bad start, Ren-kun.” -- (or: what not to do when you're fake-dating your real crush.)

this fic is based on a premise everyone knows well (fake-dating trope), so i picked dialogue that samples the tone of the fic and of the key relationship so that readers can decide if i write the dynamic in a way they personally vibe with. then i added a line to tell them what the trope is, so that fake-dating trope enjoyers know that's what it is.

anyway. hope that helps

[buckevantommy]

theory: buck and tommy go back to the Italian restaurant - maybe for an anniversary meal, and maybe buck plans on telling tommy he loves him (he's in his head about how it needs to be an official, intentional moment). the hot waiter on imdb then flirts with buck - tommy clocks it and gagues buck's reaction, maybe a giddy stuttery blush bc he's aware these days of when guys flirt with him, or maybe buck unintentionally flirts back. hell, maybe the waiter flirts with both of them angling for some 'fun', and tommy brushes it off bc he's been out and dating for years and it's happened before so he's used to it and knows how to turn the offer down without making a scene. and buck has a little questionmark moment of: wait, what just happened?? tommy explains and buck goes red and swallows and is like: oh.

so then, what if: tommy floats the question - not about a threesome, but - about buck dating other people, ie. an open relationship opportunity like david and patrick in schitt's creek? tommy doesn't want to lose buck but he's starting to wonder if buck might need to (or deserve to) explore his bisexuality a little before he committs in the way tommy wants ie. moving in together.

it's not a breakup, more a posing of the question: do you want to experience what it's like to be with more than one guy (dating, sex, flirting and dancing)? ie. tommy would wait for buck while he allowed himself to be with more men in order to figure out what he really wanted, to be fully informed. tommy was closeted for most of his life whereas buck was just unaware and tommy has been all of his firsts - which he loves, but he's been holding back on being the first to say ILY bc he promised not to pressure and to go at buck's pace.

all this to say: buck is very taken aback by the offer, but he agrees to think about it bc.. now he's worried buck 1.0 might be rearing his head again and he doesn't really know what to do about it. does he need to see what it's like dating other guys?? this is why we get buck spiralling and asking people for advice - it's about him, not tommy. he talks to the people who have known him for years, through his fuckboy era and other relationships, and josh who has experience in the queer dating world and being queer.

meanwhile tommy (perhaps unseen, perhaps in a short convo with someone) is worrying that while this may be what buck needs it's not actually what tommy wants. he wants buck to be happy of course, and he needs buck to be fully in this with him, but he's selfish and in love and knows he'll be heartbroken if buck actually decides to see other men - it's not the exploration that scares him, it's the possibility of buck falling in love with someone else and choosing them over tommy.

and either: tommy or buck or both of them said ILY at dinner, and buck says it again with more certainty on the other side of this when he tells tommy he doesn't want anyone else and doesn't need to play the field bc that's not who he is anymore and maybe never really was bc he's been searching his whole life for a love like this with someone who sees and accepts wants all of him OR no one said it at dinner and buck gets to say it first and have his little monologue moment about himself and his love for tommy.

and maybe tommy had mentioned moving in together at dinner or maybe he mentions it now. he still doesn't want to move too fast but he tells buck he sees a future with him and wants buck to move in with him if that's what he wants - and buck is so insanely happy and basically throws himself into tommy's arms with yesyesyes!

so we get ILYs and potentially moving in plans. It's a lot for one episode but i think it's possible.

i don't think i want this exact theory to pan out but it is an interesting thought exercise for buck and tommy's characters and the status and strength of their relationship before, during, and after this whole thing.

[sophswritingthings]

ruin my life -- chapter 1

| warning(s): light swearing |

| a/n: modern mizu had such a grip on me, and now were here. |

| summary: an overlook into mizu's life before you enter it. |

| song rec: ruin my life -- zolita (for the story, in general) |

| word count: 776 words / 4,211 characters |

______________________________________________________________

mizu always kept to herself, she was never the loud type. always played a background role, even if people thought she should be in the spotlight.

never had she believed that before she met eiji.

eiji was an alumni at her school.. one of the many famous actors the school had produced. the amount of actors they had produced is why she really wanted to go to the school, in the first place.

and meeting him kind of changed her whole perception of her own talent, of her own mind. if someone who was so great could tell her all these great things about herself, they were true, surely.

"listen here, kid, nobody ever did anything by sitting on their ass and never getting anything done," he furrowed his eyebrows as they walked side by side, through the halls of the marbled school. "I know that better than anyone. you remind me of myself, when I went here."

she arched one eyebrow, "how come? im.. nothing like you, I mean.. you're this great actor and im just.. a college student who can barley pay their own tuition."

he gently gripped her shoulder, nodding, "exactly. do you think I was some great guy while I was in college? I didn't come from riches, kid, I could barley pay for this college when I was your age."

she adverted her gaze, a little sigh leaving her lips, "suppose that's true," mizu mumbled.

"and ive heard you do fencing," he tapped his cane against the ground, "as did i."

"oh--yeah. yeah, I know," a small smile crossed her lips. "its part of the reason I wanted to start. sort of, I guess."

"its a noble practice," he nodded, smiling a bit. "may I request to meet you, again, mizu? after your classes, tomorrow."

her eyes widened, gazing at him. someone as great as him, wanted anything to do with them?

"um, uh, yes." she stammered, "I'll meet you here."

and from then on, that's what they'd do. hours turned into days, and days turned into weeks that she would meet eiji for both fencing practice, and acting/college advice.

eiji was basically the father she had never had, someone to inspire her, push her forward.

her college life had improved, a little. not by much, but a little. she still lived in a small-ass college dorm with three other girls, sharing two sets of bunk beds in the room the size of a walk in closet.

"mizu? hey?" one of the girls, carrie, seemed to take an interest in her early. and of course, she had settled on the top bunk of mizu's bed. the girl popped down, swinging her head over mizu's bed. "you doin' anything tomorrow? me and some friends were going out and--"

mizu's head had almost immediately blocked out any word she said. she didn't want anything to do with this girl, nor what she was offering. she seemed to be the kind of girl to cling and never leave, and she was not about that. she'd come home crying over some new girl every week, she could guess, crying that they said she was "too clingy".

"uh--yeah. im working," mizu hissed, never looking up from her phone.

that wasn't a lie, actually, she had work at her average pay job as a barista. she had been working there ever since she got accepted into the college, how else would she pa her tuition?

not that it helped, much, it wasn't the best pay ever. and her tuition was more than 50,000 dollars a year--she was going to be in debt for more days than she thought she could count. but if she managed (and hopefully she would, with eijis help) to get a good gig, or few, she could pay it off in no time.

the coffee shop wasn't too bad, though. customers were usually quiet, besides the few that would come in every so often. she'd get okay tips, considering she tried to be as respectful as she could.

she had her friends. none of which attended the same school--they all had different majors. whom she considered her best friend, akemi, was in harvard law school miles away from them. taigen had gotten into law school, too, just not the same. (he definitely wasn't smart enough for harvard, that's for sure.) and ringo, the sweet culinary major she'd met going out for drinks, one night, with akemi. he was a mixologist, and despite his lack of hands--he was a wonderful one.

her life was calm. her life was quiet.

there was never anything absolutely interesting, about it.

that was--until you walked into it.

______________________________________________________________

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for the way I’m handling my friend’s request?

🌸🌸🌸 to find this

So I (27X) have this friend (24F) I’ve been close with for a while. She’s very sensitive and that’s not a bad thing. But she does often react to very basic things with panic such as worrying about being a little late to an agreed meet up time with other friends (like. I’m talking even a minute or two late), slight changes in her dog’s behavior like him napping when he’d normally be asking to go outside, restaraunt orders taking a little too long, stuff like that. Usually when that happened I’d do my best to steer her away from the panic and her immediate “this means something really really bad” and offer alternate reasons things might be happening and it did seem to work most the time. Ironically for being so concerned about mundane things, she also seemingly isn’t worried at all about things most people are, like giving strangers very serious details about her past, burning a candle directly on top of a piece of paper, walking alone through a known sketchy apartment (like cops are there daily, they found a body somewhere on the complex at one point) complex’s parking lot as a shortcut home, being interested in very dangerous hobbies. I swear she also has a creep radar that just is not quite functional, every guy that’s come in to my job when she’s been there (she doesn’t have a job and sometimes hangs around since it’s a shop that’s super slow, right near where she lives and I’m often working by myself) that has set off massive red flags has not set off any alarms for her. Usually when she’s doing something I recognize as possibly dangerous like that I have previously tried to advise against it.

However, about 4 months ago I’d noticed she’d been getting a little strained towards me. After much gentle prodding, since she has trouble communicating issues with people, she finally admitted that she feels like I’m coddling her, or babying her since I’m older than she is, when I give her those advices, or that I’m ignoring her concerns when I try to help with her panic. She asked me not to anymore and it did seem like if I continued anyways it would affect our friendship further.

So I’ve done my best, I haven’t given her any advice on what seems like a dangerous situation or anything. It was fine at first, as much as I felt bad she was runing into some problems by doing stuff I’d have previously advised against, but her slight frostiness did go away. But, in the last month or so I’ve been noticing she’s been saying things to the effect of “I thought you’d have something to say about that” or “Oh, I was hoping you’d know what to do” and stuff like that.

But, I haven’t reacted to any of it yet. She asked me not to and as I said she has a lot of trouble openly asking people to do things, which is something I found myself bothered by at times since I do struggle with “hints” and prefer things said directly to me. This time it’s gotten so obvious that I can tell what she wants me to do but even knowing I’ve still not given her any advice or alternate solutions, hoping she will just come out and tell me that she changed her mind.

Here’s the AITA part— AITA for doing that? Should I just take the hint and start advising again? As much as I’d like her to learn to just be honest with me about what she wants from me as a friend, I’m genuinely worried about her getting into a dangerous situation if I don’t start advising again since I don’t know how long that will take. A little bit ago she went home with a guy she just met without telling anyone. It worked out fine, but the idea of that really startled and concerned me. I’m worried if I don’t start stepping in again something bad WILL happen.

What are these acronyms?

[theflyindutchwoman]

And you're so concerned about my love life because? Because I don't want to drive around on patrol with you while you are moping about screwing this up. Look, if you like this girl, you should listen to her.

| ANATOMY OF A SCENE - CHENFORD EDITION 4.10 - Heart Beat

For a scene that is supposed to be about Tim and his relationship with Ashley, it is very interesting how it actually highlights the bond he has with Lucy… Something that is made perfectly clear with the way it parallels this moment from The Bet : 'Why do I care if Tim dates? […] You just want everyone to be happy'. (2.03) This exchange completes this scene so well, showing how this is really all about these two. How they just want the other to be happy. How she has often helped him in his relationships, how he has always listened to her and this, from the beginning. Lucy may not be particularly fond of Ashley but Tim is and that's all that matters to her. That's why she basically runs after him.

There might be a slight hesitation at first, where she realises that she might be overstepping a bit here, but she also knows that he needs to be made aware of her conversation with his girlfriend. The fact that Ashley felt more comfortable talking about her fears with her, instead of Tim, already speaks volume. And while Lucy might have joked around in the shop, I think that phone call shed a different light on the situation and made her understand that Tim didn't fully get what was going on. That what he interpreted as a dislike for Kojo is instead a fear of him. And she is so taken aback by how cavalier he is at first. I don't think she expected him to react this way. Though that is a thing with Tim : he can be dismissive but he listens. He takes the time to reflect on his own behavior so he can change it. Like when Lucy called him out for the way he treated the gardeners in the pilot or when she was upset that he was getting the credits for her hard work. And this is what is happening here, he's following that same pattern… He needed to hear this. More specifically : he needed to hear this from Lucy herself. Which makes her statement later all the more ironic.

This is really in-character for Tim to deflect a bit. But there's also a genuine curiosity when he asks her why she cares so much about his love life. They're still in this space where they're testing each other in some ways. It says a lot that he doesn't even think of biting her head off for interfering in the first place, like he used to. They are so far passed that. And it is a very good question… One she asked herself after setting him up with Rachel. And yes, this is who she is : she wants the people around her to be happy. But this is different. We have yet to see her set up anyone else on a date or try to help them mend their relationship the same way. Even when Jackson was having issues with Sterling, she simply offered a shoulder to cry on. That little extra is reserved for Tim, and Tim only. That's what makes this parallel so good in my opinion. Because he himself didn't even question it back then. But now that things are changing between them, he is. Their hug, that almost-kiss, their blatant flirting at work… The fact that he needed her at his side when he confronted his father… This is all adding up and there's an awareness that is starting to grow… But what makes this parallel even more special, is how it underlines their selflessness. They have always helped each other in their respective relationships, regardless of their opinions and feelings. The other's happiness is what matters to them. Even here, it's hard to know whether Lucy is aware of her own feelings for him at this point, but either way, she simply sets them aside to help him - consciously or not.

And like I said earlier, her advice is full of irony : 'if you like this girl, you should listen to her'. Because he does already follow this to the letter… with HER. She is the one person he always listens to. The one that makes him want to be better. Tim being offended at her implication that he mopes is downright hilarious - especially in light of season 5a. Her little smirk when she walks away… His epic eye roll… The more things change, the more they stay the same.

[bots-and-cons]

Hi, I would like to ask for a reader who sees Optimus, Bulkhead, and Rachet as a father figure and the reader tells them about this person they really really like. So basically how would Optimus, Bulkhead, and Ratchet react to hearing reader has a crush? (Can it be LGBTQIA+ friendly?) Thank you!! Love your work!

A/N: Aaaw, this is cute. (As an aroace person, I have a really bad grasp on how it is when you have a crush on someone, since the only “crushes” I have, are on fictional characters.) I wrote it gender-neutral as usual, otherwise I don’t really know what you’d mean by LGBTQIA+ friendly. You can interpret the gender of the reader and the crush however you want. Didn’t do Bulk, because I kinda ran out of steam after the Optimus one.  Also thank you for liking my writing, it means a lot to me :D

~Ratchet~

•Ratchet had noticed you had been acting a bit odd lately

•Texting someone a lot and laughing and smiling at seemingly every text you received back

•But somehow you also seem kind of anxious as of late, even though you also seemed really happy

•Ratchet doesn’t really know what to make of this, so when you ask him one day if he could hear you out, he’s relieved, because maybe you’ll finally tell him what’s going on

•So you sit down with him, making sure no one else is in hearing distance and you seem pretty secretive

•Ratchet asks what’s going on as you try to figure out how to tell him as you pace back and forth in front of him

•You finally stop pacing and just sigh, before telling him “I have a crush”

•”You have a what?” Ratchet asked, he didn’t really know what the word meant in that context

•”I like this one person in my class…” you muttered

•”I assume they’re the one you’ve been constantly exchanging messages with?”

•”Yes, and they’re great… I just don’t know what to do going forward”

•”What do you think you’d need to do?” Ratchet asks

•Ratchet is a bit hesitant on giving you any kind of advice, because cybertronian courting is probably a bit different from how humans do it, and he doesn’t want to get it wrong

•He’s like a father to you and while you’re not expecting much advice, you do still want some

•”I just… I want them to know I like them, but I don’t know how” you sighed.

•”I must admit, I’m really not very good at giving advice this topic”

•”Well, what did you do when you wanted to tell someone you liked them?” you asked

•”I have never really been the one to make the initial move, so it’s a bit hard to say”

•”So you have no advice for me?” you sighed.

•”If I were to give you some advice, do what you feel is right. You already have their contact information, so perhaps you should just ask them to do something you’d both enjoy?”

•You think about it for a moment, and decide that was actually a really good (and obvious) idea

•You thank him and ask if he’d like to help you formulate the text to your friend

•What Ratchet thought would be a good way to ask, was pretty much an essay and very formal, so you just decided to figure it out on your own

•Ratchet is of course very happy for you, and he wishes you all the best, encouraging you to be yourself

~Optimus Prime~

•One day you just come to Optimus, asking if you could talk with him

•There’s not really anyone else around, so you just sit on the couch and explain the situation to Optimus

•He nods and shows interest the whole time, but on the inside he’s like “Oh dear Primus, what?”

•Optimus isn’t particularly experienced with romantic relationships, so he doesn’t really know what kind of advice he can offer

•Also he thinks the cybertronian ways of dating and courtship may not apply here

•He was still kind of young when he became a Prime, and then the war started so he hasn’t really had time for longterm, serious relationships

•So Optimus is understandably a bit nervous, because he wants to get it right and not give you any bad advice

•”Do you think I should tell them that I like them?”

•”Yes, I think you should, life is too short to wait” Optimus says, glancing at Ratchet with a yearning look in his optics

•”How long have you waited?” you couldn’t resist asking as you followed Optimus’s gaze to Ratchet, realizing you weren’t the only one who was at a loss with liking someone

•”What do you mean?” Optimus asks, turning his optics back to you

•You don’t want to turn into a matchmaker or anything, but for god’s sake this big mech doesn’t even know how he’s feeling

•To you it’s pretty obvious Optimus is deeply in love with Ratchet, but you’re also pretty sure neither of them know it

•”Anyway, I think you’re right. Life is too short to wait, and you never know what might happen”

•”I’m proud of you young one, and I hope your love is reciprocated” Optimus smiled a little, before his optics wandered back to Ratchet

•He’s not gonna be a single mech (dad) much longer if you have anything to say about it

•Optimus is honored that you would come to him with something so personal and something that requires a lot of trust

•Proud bot dad!

[partyanimal167]

My Internet Helper- Crocodile x F!Reader

Here's my submission for @fuwushiguro and @duckiez s' Cyber Sex collab. It's my first time doing a collab, but I read some from the JJK girlies, and some ideas started rolling. I hope this idea is interesting enough. Thanks for stopping by and check out the other works too~

Intro: Things started out innocently enough, and that probably should have been the first sign. Everyone knew that the internet was a place where people can find nearly anything to satisfy their desires and curiosity. You, on the other hand, weren't trying to go to those deep, dark places. You just wanted some company. And that surely came in its own way.

CW: nsfw, online sugaring, dirty talk, praise kink, black fem reader in mind

Things were simple. Easy. You told yourself that companionship came in all sorts of forms...but damn, you never imagined these kinds of benefits at all.

Streaming online was something you didn't think much about. You didn't think that you had something interesting to offer people or that any one would want to listen to you at all. However, you tried going live on a simple social site when you found yourself across the country and struggling to click with people outside of work.

You told yourself that talking to internet people was different than when you were a child. People were more open to accepting companionship from different avenues. So one time when you were eating dinner by yourself, you started the stream and stared absently waiting to see if anyone would join.

After a few minutes, a few people did and you greeted them. Some left immediately while a few started asking questions about yourself. They were basic ones: your favorite food, music you hate, if you were into celebrity gossip. You were shocked by how easy it was for you to openly chat with these strangers. When the stream ended, you found that some type of satisfaction was gained. Maybe this could be a hobby.

So you found yourself going live a few times a week. Sometimes you would be eating dinner. Other times you were just reading a book or fanfic. Or you would talk to your viewers about their latest work drama and give some comforting advice. It was starting to become a little small community of watchers and you; all together just existing in a shared space.

Every now and then, you'd get a creep or spam bot asking for inappropriate things, but that didn't bother you too much. You weren't there to show off any skin or fulfill fantasies. There wasn't anything wrong with it, but you left that type of work to those good at it. You were shy about showing yourself off.

One time, you were simply set up and reading a book. You had a cup of tea by your side with some lofi in the background. Every now and then you glanced up to see if anyone had any comments or how many people were streaming. Tonight, there weren't that many people tuned in which was fine. It had been a long day at work, so you weren't really in the mood to spill some tea with your digital peers. Your eye caught on a comment.

MrSandsandCo: That's a classic book your reading. I'm shocked that there are people who know that author.

You smiled a little to yourself after seeing that. It had been a book you read a few times that not so many people knew about. You thanked the commenter and explained that you enjoyed the plot and story development.

After that occasion, you started to notice more comments from that same user. They seemed to enjoy your lives when you did mundane things like reading, journaling, or simply listening to music. They made it a point to ask about your day and interests.

Later on, slow season approached at work, and hours were being cut. You went live while you searching for a second job--rambling about how money would probably be a bit tight with the way you just had to repair your car on top of everything else. You read job listings and shared silly work stories. Near the end of the night, you were getting ready for bed when a distinct notification rung. What the? You checked your phone.

Sir Sands has sent you cash.

You nearly choked seeing the amount. You recognized the name since it was similar to that user who frequents you. You didn't know what to say. It was late, so you decided to wait until morning to ask about it.

~~~

Self: Hi!!! Uh, I hope you're doing fine. I saw that you sent me some money last night. Thank you so much! It was really unexpected. I feel weird about taking it though...

Mr Sands is typing...

MrSandsandCo: Don't worry about it. I know you're independent, but see it as a gift. No need to fret.

You chewed the inside of your lip a little trying to think of what to say.

Self: Ah a gift...but I want to say thank you in some way. I honestly can't imagine why you'd even be so generous.

MrSandsandCo: Your presence is unique and genuine. I am not one for digital entertainment, but I enjoy what you bring.

You blushed a bit while reading.

MrSandsandCo: As for your appreciation, well...how about we just have a video chat? Just the two of us. So we can get to know each other a little more?

Hmmm....that wouldn't be too bad. It made you a little nervous thinking about talking to a stranger, but then again, that was what you did on a daily basis any way. There could be nothing wrong with that.

Self: Sure! Let's do it!

~~~

You were nervous.

After agreeing on a time and platform, you didn't think much about your meeting with that overly generous user. It was nice having internet friends, but you definitely have to remind yourself that these were people like you on the other side of the screen. They had names, fun facts, jobs, problems. Even when exchanging knowledge on the web, there was still some things unknown.

The call ringtone snapped you out of your thoughts. Okay, well let's do this. You answered the call.

"It's a pleasure to formally meet you, Miss."

It was like your soul left your body. That voice.

You were greeted by an older gentleman who looked like he was sitting a dimly-lit office. He was more well-dressed in a white dress shirt with two buttons undone and sat in a dark leather chair. His hair was mostly put together with a strand or two loose. There seemed to be smoke in the air coming from some hidden source and bright gold jewelry shimmered in the little light. His golden eyes seemed tired yet amused based on the look he gave you.

He had money. Definitely. He probably was running several businesses--possibly why he was in an office at this time of night.

"He-hello, Mr-,"

"Crocodile. No need to call me Mister or Sir for now."

You were slightly confused by what meant by that but carried on. You returned your name, and the conversation flowed naturally. He told you about a couple of his pressing responsibilities related to his line of work while you listened intrigued. You answered questions about your hobbies, your dreams, your friends and family. You returned and asked about his family--wife and kids--which he chuckled at and simply stated that he had neither.

You talked for nearly an hour before you remembered the situation that brought this all about.

"Oh what am I doing! I'm so sorry. I haven't even properly thanked you. I still can't believe you decided to...help me out." it felt weird wording it as such. You were sure you wouldn't have to worry about getting another job for awhile. It's weird just thinking about it.

The man chuckled again. "You're still concerned about that, beautiful?" your cheeks warmed up. "I'm glad to do so. A woman like you should enjoy the finer things in life."

You were curious about what he meant by that, but quickly the conversation carried on. Before long, you two ended up wrapping up for the night. Crocodile let you know that he appreciated your company and clearly expressed that he would love to speak with you again. You beamed and agreed.

After washing up and getting comfortable in bed, you were drifting to sleep when that familiar notification ring went off.

Sir Sands has sent you cash.

~~~

"Girl be fucking for real."

You chuckled awkwardly while you brought your iced coffee to your lips.

"So you telling me that this man has sent you money for just talking to him. You ain't showing him a titty or nothin'?" one of your other friends chimed in.

"Omg, no!" you gasped and scratched your cheek in embarrassment. "We just...talk." There was a collective grunt from the table.

"Babe, you need to milk that man while you can. I can't believe you got somebody sending you money...just for existing! I'm jealous."

You smiled a little while you thought about the situation. It was...a nice little set up to say the least. You didn't talk on video with Sir Crocodile a lot, but it was nice to speak to the man. He never brought up the money, but he seemed to have known it was there when you didn't bring up your financial worries in your daily lives. In fact with the less hours and generous allowance, you were able to indulge a little in your hobbies and wants. These things Crocodile would want to know about. He liked hearing that you went to brunch with your friends or bought a handmade outfit from a seller you had been following for quite awhile. In a way, they were like indirect gifts from him.

"I'm happy for you, but what if he wants a little more?"

You hummed in thought for a moment before shrugging. "I don't know. It depends I guess." your friends gasped in unison. "Don't do that. I didn't say I'm gonna go show off my whole cat to him online, jeez. Maybe I'd just...hear him out. I don't think he's like that."

"Shit girl, I'm just shocked you got yourself a sugar daddy. When will it be me?"

~~~

You laid lazily in bed eating chips and sipping on a drink absentmindedly scrolling online. You were taking an impromptu break from streaming and just wanted to be digital consumer. You were off the next day and weren't sure how to entertain yourself. None of the usuals were hitting like normal. You were close to shutting down early for the night.

(Incoming Call...)

You popped up at the familiar call sound and were shocked to see that Crocodile was calling. He always scheduled his chats ahead of time, but it wasn't like you were doing anything important any way.

"Heyo~" you greeted all cutesy and rested your head in your palm.

It seems you were blessed with the after-hours look of Crocodile: slightly disheveled hair, suit coat lost, dress shirt a little more unbuttoned, a mischievous gleam in his eyes as smoke surrounded his frame.

The man grinned at you. "Hello darling, how are you?" You started going on about your day and the few little hobbies you tried out to fill your time. You were starting to shop more too since it was time to update your closet. You went on and on about your purchases and newfound pleasures.

"I even took my friends out a few days ago. It was fun," you giggled to yourself as you remembered the conversation that was had, "but they kept calling you my sugar daddy which was embarrassing." you bit your bottom lip and looked off to the side.

There was a dark look in Crocodile's expression that you hadn't seen before. "Mmm, and what did you say to that?"

He didn't deny the claim, so you were a bit shy to keep the topic afloat. "I mean, I said no. You never ask me to show any...nudity or anything."

Crocodile found your shyness amusing though everything you said was true. He let you set your boundaries in this unique relationship, and he wasn't going to risk you disappearing. If a pretty girl liked talking to him and spending his money, then he'd indulge for sure. That didn't mean he never considered. "I haven't." he said simply.

You weren't sure what to say. It wasn't like you didn't have a little crush on the older man. How couldn't you? You got spoiled and had the freedom to go about your business without anyone blowing up your phone asking for your location and demanding things. "Well...would you want me to?" you peaked at the screen.

Crocodile's body language was cool and collected, but those golden eyes of his were telling a story. "I want whatever you'd give me." he replied. "I can admit that I've thought about seeing that beautiful body of yours in a different light." you felt your body heat up and fidgeted slightly in your seat. "My precious darling, is something wrong?" you shook your head. "Look at me."

Those eyes looked hungry. You didn't know you could have such an intense effect on another person, but it gave you a little more courage. The man went on. "Send me your wish list. How about we play dress up?"

...

You scheduled your private fashion show for your next weekend. Throughout the week, packages and packages arrived with outfits you picked out--most of which you thought you'd only imagine wearing. Every night, you took them out, washed and ironed, redid the order in which you'd show them off to Crocodile.

It was finally the big day. You ate a good lunch and decided to put on a light beat face to change things up.

Right on time, that telling ringtone rung from your desk. You had soft lights in your bedroom which framed you as you answered with a sweet smile. You wore a robe to cover what was underneath. "Hi Crocodile,"

The man looked quite put together and the background seemed to be his personal home office. He grinned and leaned forward a bit. "Ah ah princess, you gotta call me Sir today. After all, you're showing off what I bought you."

You immediately felt your face warm at the rule. It was probably the first time Crocodile told you what to do and brought up who was funding your fun. "Yes Sir."

"Good girl." He rested his head on his hook. "Now let's start the show."

You had all his attention as you.took off your soft robe and showed off a cute summer fit of a crop tee and some low-rise capris. You twirled and pointed out your favorite details and how it hugged your body. The next hour was spent changing into different outfits and accessories that ranged from casual to formal and increased in appeal. It was time for your big reveal, and you fidgeted after putting on the lingerie.

Crocodile could sense your hesitation though you were out of the frame. He was painfully hard under his desk. You looked great in every outfit you picked, and he wished he was there to tear off those clothes. This was both entertainmentandtortureforhim. "What's wrong pretty? You said you had one last surprise."

You shifted on your legs. "I, I'm not sure-"

"Oh don't do that now. I must see what is if you're so flustered wearing it." Crocodile chuckled. You took a deep breath before stepping in front of the camera.

You had on a sheer body suit in your favorite color that had a lacy bust and straps that resembled a harness. Your nipples were obviously hard and your pussy was barely contained in the fabric. You couldn't look at the screen, but you swore you felt how Crocodile stared at you. You couldn't help but rub your thighs together.

The man groaned loudly. Your eyes flicked up to the screen. "Oh princess," you nearly moaned just hearing his voice "what a good choice." He praised. "Are you happy you me proud? Hmm, you look so delicious. What do you say?"

You played with your hands nervously. "Tha-"

"Look at me."

You obeyed. "Thank you, Sir."

"Mmm well since you like showing off so much, get on the bed and spread those legs. I want to see how wet my pussy is."

You couldn't help but moan. You quickly repositioned your laptop and laid on your back. Spreading your legs, your lower lips slipped into view. You moved the cloth to the side and spread yourself. You were aroused and embarrassed, but you liked it all the same. You could barely keep your eyes open, but you definitely heard and followed all the praise and instructions Crocodile told you.

You played with yourself, wetted your fingers, fucked your clit soft then hard and stop your orgasms when he told you to. You kept going when you needed a break just to hear "what a good girl" or "I'm gonna reward you so well." It made no sense how someone could have such an effect on you and not be right with you. You didn't think about it though. Crocodiles talked you through it several times, and by the end, you knew you needed to change your sheets and maybe a warm bath.

You blushed while you sat wrapped in your fluffy robe again.

"That was beautiful, princess. " All the same, Crocodile looked just perfect and unaffected. You couldn't see how his pants wrinkled and the loads and loads of cum he pumped on the floor by his feet while watching you. He was going to have fun shying from his housekeeper with that one. "Take the week off." Another demand.

You turned your head a little confused. "Huh? Why?" You were still a little dazed from your previous activities.

The man chuckled and grin shined brightly. "Well I'm going to fly you out of course."

~~~~

Aaaah, I can't believe I got this done! I've been wanting to write spicy Crocodile fic, and this event gave me a chance to get the ideas together. I hope you all liked it. The idea of just spending this man's money how ever I want is so hot.

Here's the masterlist for the event. Please check out the other writers works! Thanks for reading~

[nereidprinc3ss]

so um, you’ve probably have been asked this many times but how do you start writing fanfic without cringing at yourself? i already feel silly for reading it. i noticed you have gained recognition outside of tumblr which i believe to be an achievement but i can’t allow myself to go through that.

i work in the finance sector at a big american firm, i can’t have my coworkers knowing i’m writing fanfic. i already get teased for watching disney animated films (which it’s not that bad) how do you deal with this? ik you’re still at college and ofc, this doesn’t mean you’re stupid but i bet you know what i mean? do you have some advice on this?

⚠️me not shutting the fuck up and getting way too personal below the cut

honestly at first i DID cringe at myself. i cringed so much that after posting my first fic in like november i dont think i posted again til january because i was writing and would just get so humiliated despite being alone and no one knowing who i was or what i was doing LOL but honestly the way i got over that was just to do it more because i truly love writing and why would i let feeling “cringe” stop me from doing something i love and that makes me happy? that would be so heartbreaking, life is hard enough, we deserve to do things we love and are passionate about without judging ourselves so harshly

as for not letting other people know well yeah i just don’t tell my friends or anyone ik in real life that i write fanfic lol, they know i love to write and they know im obsessed with spencer reid but that’s as much as i’ve told them! i know it’s a thing that maybe most people would consider “weird” but as someone who has a crushing fear of intimacy this is kinda my outlet lmfao. and it made me feel really insecure and weird at first but then i realized like… i try to be kind and caring and thoughtful, i have a lot of good qualities and the fact that i write fanfic doesn’t actually detract from any of them. it also helped for me to accept the reason why i write fanfic which is (and we’re abt to get real personal) i’m deeply afraid of intimacy of any kind and always have been so writing fiction abt the stuff i’m too scared to do isn’t a bad thing. there are a lot of people who wouldn’t understand it but they don’t have the same experiences as me and i don’t need them to understand it because i know that they never could. like they don’t understand what it’s like to so terrified of being known by another person that you obsess over the hottest guy in your school district for six months bc you want the validation of him liking you back and you do everything in your power to make him like you and then when he actually does reciprocate you immediately start icing him out to the point where he says hi at a party and you ignore him to his face cause you’re so afraid of men😂😂😂😂😂 they don’t get those vibes!!!

anyway basically you just have to remember that you’re doing it for you and it actually doesn’t mean something is WRONG with you if you enjoy writing and the safety and control that fiction offers you. it just means you’re one of billions of people living an entirely unique experience, just like anyone else, and honestly i think it makes you interesting. having hobbies and passions is rlly sexy and cool, regardless of what they are, and you deserve to do stuff you like doing. if anyone else is giving you shit abt it it’s probably because they genuinely don’t understand what it’s like to have interests and that makes me feel bad for them lol

[seaside-lovers]

🩸 Hank & Kit ⛓️

picrew credit

Ship name/tag: 🩸 my most wanted

Anniversary: February 10, 2022

F/O source: Madness Combat/MADNESS: Project Nexus

My backstory: I'm a grunt who never ends up aligning myself with any particular faction, so I live on the outskirts of Nexus City, scavenging things I need to survive and selling what I don't need to make some coin. Two of my regular customers happen to be Sanford and Deimos, who drop by every once in a while to peruse my wares. Unfortunately, due to my association with them, my base gets raided by the A.A.H.W. and cleaned out, leaving me with nothing but the clothes on my back.

I'm able to offer up some of my skills (scavenging, basic medical care, one-on-one fighting) to S.Q. in exchange for shelter and food. I start working primarily as 2BDamned's right hand man, helping deliver orders as needed and gathering useful supplies, along with any other odd jobs that help open up his schedule.

How we meet: I happen to meet Hank when he tromps in, pushing past me and holding out his nearly severed arm to 2BDamned, asking for help. 2BDamned has me assist him in repairing Hank’s injury, figuring it would be useful for me to see how medical repair is done. I happen to give Hank a quick greeting during this moment.

First impressions: Hank's an asshole, and that fits my first impression of him. He's rude and doesn't really care about anyone but himself. While this does slowly get "better" over time, Hank's concern for no one else makes me dislike him initially, though I find him physically attractive.

Hank just views me as another tool of S.Q.; someone who can provide him with weaponry and other supplies as needed. He doesn't feel any particular way toward me.

Getting closer: I work on my fighting skills with Sanford and Deimos, becoming better at using guns as well as fighting with other weapons, learning to turn the battle my way when my opponent is significantly bigger than me. This leads me to eventually joining both them and Hank on missions instead of just staying back at the base.

Hank and I very slowly begin to develop a friendship this way. While we are technically acquaintances, it takes awhile for our relationship to develop into a close friendship due to how little he communicates with others. While I thought for awhile that Hank didn't like me, I later discovered that outside of battle where his confidence and prowess shines, he's really awkward and kind of shy. Both of us being autistic and not great at starting conversations means it takes time for us to truly become comfortable around each other and our relationship to evolve into truly being friends, though we start to connect more when we discover our shared interest of animals (especially cats).

During this time as well, my physical attraction slowly develops into a crush as I get to know Hank better. He is very coarse in his language and general attitude but slowly begins to show a more protective side toward me as we get closer (and toward Sanford and Deimos, too, as they work toward repairing their relationship).

Beginning our relationship: Hank finally accepted that he had a crush on me quite awhile after he had met me - romantic love is not something he's really experienced before, so he ends up talking to his most trusted friend, 2BDamned, about it, since Doc has a romantic partner (Jenn). Doc gives him some good advice - be open about it to me but don't force it if I don't reciprocate his feelings.

With Valentine's Day coming up, Hank approaches me with a small, handmade card and admits that he's pretty terrible with relationships and has no clue if he'll even be a good partner, but he wanted to start dating me if I was interested.

I end up reciprocating his feelings and we start officially "dating" on that day.

Ship trope(s): Battle Couple, Headbutt of Love

Aesthetics: Weaponry, birds (especially vultures), fences

Our song(s): "I Was Made For Lovin' You" by Kiss, "Antimatter" by Silent Planet

Favorite forms of affection: Hank's prosthetic/metal jaw means he can't kiss properly, but I don't care too much for kissing, so I don't mind at all. We find that our favorite way to show affection is by touching our foreheads together; usually I'll give him a kiss as well. Hank also likes to nuzzle me.

Hank adores hugs as well, and I enjoy being squeezed tightly, so he'll sometimes give me hugs as well (usually in private; he's not super comfortable with PDA).

Favorite kind of date: We don't often have a lot of down time (and Hank prefers to do something productive) but we like spending time together by drawing. It's fun and relaxing; plus, a good way for us to bond as we share our doodles and even sometimes collaborate.

Ways we comfort one another: Hank likes to get out any negative energy/feelings via physical activity, so I like to spar with him when he's feeling upset in any way.

Hank likes to bring me trinkets when I'm upset - something shiny, rocks, feathers, whatever he can find that I might like. It's a nice pick me up when I'm feeling down.

What we love most about each other: Hank admires me pursuing him. He's used to people not wanting to get to know him (and he can't really blame them), so when I actively start pursuing him as a friend (and later work on improving our romantic relationship), he really likes that.

I love Hank's willingness to compromise. He's initially not someone who really cares about me much but as our friendship grows, he becomes protective. Like, really protective. It's something I end up discussing with him because while I don't mind him basically being a guard dog/appreciate his care, I want to be able to go out and explore without him being over my shoulder. His willingness to listen to me and change is something I really love, and I try to do the same for him.

F/O headcanons:

He age regresses when he is stressed/angry

Hank is autistic; his special interests are kitchen appliances and cats

He primarily uses sign language to communicate; especially after getting his prosthetic jaw, he finds it painful to speak so sign language is much easier

[2ndalt]

i'm just sitting here in my corner, cackling as I translate Colette's letters.

We're gonna go out of order with this one, since I wanna start off with Colette and Violet's letter exchange. Last time we heard of their note-passing-in-class feud, Violet absolutely destroyed Colette w/ her clever insults and pettiness! How will Colette respond?!!

She starts off with an apology (kinda)? Colette recognizes Violet's distaste for nicknames and addresses her as Violet in every letter moving forward. yay character development

THEN she claps back with the "I don't like it when you act like a little mistress, like: "You should do that", or, "I told you so!"" and yeah, Violet can def be bossy at times. Then she says this:

"I prefer it when you're sleepy… because, when you're tired, you're less concerned about what you're doing and that you're not always there trying to be the best. And then you make a very funny face…" And we get this lovely picture:

And like- it's one of the most interesting ways I've seen someone offer advice? Like, Colette could've been like: "Yeah I like you better when you're tired because you aren't so b*tchy when you're half-asleep" but instead makes a valid point. Violet needs to relax a little, she doesn't need to be perfect all the time around her friends. Colette's approach to dealing with Violet's concealed insecurities and Violet's method of getting Colette to stop calling her childish nicknames is the only way they could've mended their relationship, honestly. They both needed to knock the other's ego down a few pegs in order to humble themselves and realize that they're not always right. And after that, they seem to be on friendlier terms with each other.

The next letter from Colette is addressed to Violet again, and she starts it with: "Hi, Naughty! (Hi, Violet)" Very clearly a little joke they have now, a callback to Violet's first letter. Colette then proceeds to invite Violet to come with her to the hairdresser (just the two of them??)

Colette goes off on a little side tangent;

"I just wanted to tell you that anyone who thinks orange is going to replace pink as the fashionable color doesn't know what they're talking about." ok, is Colette beefing with Paulina now? What did she ever do to you? :(

Then she signs off with "Kisses, Kisses, See you Tomorrow!" and a kiss on the paper. I'm not even kidding. Is this just a French thing-

Totally straight behavior

Anyway, the last bit I'll cover is Colette's "Get To Know Me!" section. She immediately starts off with "I looove pink it's my faaavorite color" and I have to sit there like "yeah i know." and then she's talking about how all her clothes are pink and

Then she says something interesting.

"Ah yes! As you'll have gathered, when I'm nervous, I give myself a shampoo or a hand treatment: it makes it all go away!"

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

THIS MAKES SO MUCH SENSE! In the books, Colette always makes such a fuss over her appearance. Now, it was never really addressed properly, but she usually resorts to perfecting her looks whenever she's in a stressful situation. And when she can't, she gets really upset. Like, it's basically a form of comfort to her. If a situation is way out of her control, she has to try and regain some feeling of stability by straightening out any flaws she sees in her near-perfect facade so she can manage at least one thing at the moment and in this essay I will

[imagobin]

Leorio friend head canons:)? Just like general stuff for being his friend

Ooooh yess been meaning to start writing about Leorio on my own for a while, but looks like the asks beat me to it lol Thank you for requesting this! I definitely have thoughts about being Leorio's friend

🩵Friendship with Leorio HCs🩵

Med school:

You and Leorio enrolled in the same med school at roughly the same time, and ended up in the same class.

However, he didn't seem really interested about making new friends at first, only interacting with you and other classmates if necessary and focusing on his studies. Though he'd occasionally show up to parties to pick up ladies.

You were admittedly curious about him, not only because rumors had it he was a Hunter, but also because of how passionate and determined he was to really make what he studied for into a career.

The opportunity to finally talk to him presented itself on a quiet afternoon in the school's library.

Oddly enough, Leorio wasn't busy studying that day; he was just sitting on a window sill, trying to call someone on his phone. You saw him sigh, concern plastered all over his face... then he noticed you staring at him, flinched and went back to acting as if nothing had happened. "Oh hey y/n! S-sup?"

You ask if everything is okay, and he tries to deflect the question at first, but eventually gives in and tells you about a friend of his, Kurapika, who hasn't been answering his calls lately, and he's very worried for him.

You listen to Leorio, offer some words of comfort. He's really glad that he got to talk about this with someone, and that if you ever needed someone to talk to he'd always be available.

Ever since then you two have made it a habit to chat during breaks and hang out outside of class, going out for a coffee or studying for exams together.

Caring to a fault:

The closer you got to Leorio, the clearer it was that he's willing to put the people he loves above anything else.

When for whatever reason you miss class, he's always the first one to send you a text asking if everything is okay.

He also tells you what topics were talked about that day, if there's any assignments, and even sends you the notes he's taken during class! He wants to make sure you don't fall behind on your studies.

Leorio would also take all your concerns seriously, whether they have to do with your mental or physical health. He's completely willing to offer unbiased advice, and genuinely gets concerned if you tell him you've been feeling unwell and you can't figure out why that is yourself.

Man's going to spend hours researching your symptoms, and find ways to make you feel better.

Once he develops his Hatsu he's even more efficient at that, and often jokes that he won't charge you a dime for a diagnosis. You know full well he wouldn't charge anyone money for that, that's just not the kind of guy he is.

He tends to behave as a big brother a lot of the time, even reminding you to eat and drink if you're one who often forgets to, and even makes sure you get enough sleep.

Basically, he's always looking out for you.

Good fun:

Of course, being caring isn't the only thing he's got going on for him, the guy is also genuinely fun!

There's never a boring moment when you're with him, whether it's because he's gotten himself into trouble or because he's just bringing you with him to a party... you never really know with him, sometimes it's both.

Really, only he can turn a chill party night into a game of 'run away from an angry boyfriend', just because he flirted with the wrong girl there.

And of course he drags you off with him, because buddies stick together!

On nights where things do go well, he has the bad tendency to get absolutely wasted, but it's alright, he's the funny kind of drunk, he gets all wobbly and starts talking nonsense until he falls asleep, probably on you. He's a mess.

Leorio at heart is a pretty adventurous guy, so whenever you guys are free from classes and exams, he often suggests to go on hikes and such.

Although a lot of the time, those hikes turn into him paying very close attention to the plants growing in the area you're exploring, taking note of any medical plant that could come in hand, because "You never know how much equipment you're gonna have on you to practice first aid!"

He's really resourceful like that.

[literaticat]

I don't intend this question to be rude so I hope it doesn't come off this way. Why is it the culture that poaching a client from another agent is rude? The rest of the professional world doesn't seem to go that way (you apply for a new job while still working, for example). Is it just because publishing is a small industry?

POACHING would be if an agent set their sights on a certain author. They want to rep them. Yes, they are already repped -- but so what? They want them! So they approach the author and say hey, I want to rep you, I can do better than your agent is doing, you should leave your agent and come to me. (And then they do). That would be a successful poaching, and that agent who poached is now a villain to the previous agent, as well as anyone else they ever speak to about it, which will be LOTS of people, FOREVER.

(If the author were to say "I'm fine actually BYE" than that's an unsuccessful poaching I guess, and hopefully they will tell their beloved agent about the encounter, and that would-be poaching agent will be a figure of fun for years to come.)

So... that's different from an employee wanting a new job and applying for new jobs while they are still working at the old one. (Which isn't a problem really, but still, you probably wouldn't apply for jobs in full sight of your employer and take interviews while at work!) It's more like a company aggressively headhunting a top employee of their competitor -- of COURSE the competitor would be pissed if that happened. And since they couldn't really be pissed at the employee, they'd be pissed at that other company.

Adding to the drama is, yes, the publishing world is small, our reputations are all we have, we all know each other, and people gossip. Also, frankly, well, we work on commission. Basically, sometimes working for months or YEARS for free. That's fine, it's the nature of the beast, but also, once a client is finding lots of success, that's a major win for us. (Hey, I was there in the trenches! 15% of these successes are for ME, I earned them!) Not to mention, we are probably pretty tight with our long-standing clients, and hopefully have been good to them and feel a measure of loyalty, and vice-versa, so while I can't begrudge somebody wanting to move on if that's what's best for their career, I can absolutely begrudge some other agent swooping in and STEALING them!

To avoid any whiff of impropriety or potential accusation of poaching, again, a High Crime in the agent world, most agents will want to avoid talking to authors about representation if the authors are currently repped. If we are friends, I can talk to you / give advice as a friend, whatever -- but I can't offer representation if you are currently repped, you need to have left that relationship and have no outstanding contractual obligation to that agent.

That's why best practices is for you to leave your agent BEFORE you query other agents. After all -- if you know for a fact you want to leave, you should go, because not having an agent is better than having a bad agent. If you DON'T know if you want to leave, you just have some problems or are feeling restless, you should talk to your current first and see if the problems you have are solvable -- and if they aren't, then leave and query others.

I KNOW IT IS SCARY, but if the relationship is not working, and it's not fixable, just get out of it and start fresh.

(Also, not for nothing, but, again, since a lot of agents know one another, if it seems like you are still repped, you can assume that the agents you query WILL ask your current agent about that if you query them and they are interested. So... that'd be awkward if they don't even know you are looking to leave them! I guess that is one way to do it, it just doesn't seem like the BEST way.)

[smokescreenimusprime]

As someone who really loves Smokescreen but sees almost nothing with him in it, thank you for your valuable contributions to the enhanced quality of my life. I would love to see more of your AUs! I wonder if there’s something you could come up with where instead of being an Elite Guard and being mentored by Alpha Trion, our favourite Destiny’s Child got interested in the medical field instead? I think he might be a little squeamish, but still see it as a great cause!❤️❤️❤️

:DDDDDDD THANKEE!!!!!!

And I do actually have something like this! It’s not exact, but it’s pretty close in some aspects

basically, it’s an AU where Smokey wasn’t training to be an Elite Guard and instead was actually training to be a Rescue Bot.

Now, what Smokescreen was doing was incredibly dangerous. After all, given functionalism Smokey could very well be killed for what he’s trying to do since he wasn’t forged with a medic frame or hands. The only thing saving him from getting carted off somewhere is the protection being a Rescue Bot (albeit in training) offered. Maybe his superiors end up pulling some strings, maybe fudging some numbers, maybe offer him some secret classes, but as long as Smokescreen does well and avoids staying out of the spotlight, he can pursue his dream

And because I love characters crossing paths, he ends up befriending Heatwave :D

the two first met when they were sharing detention in the Academy together. Smokescreen was racing in the halls (it's not his fault it was the fastest way to his classes) and Heatwave had gotten into a fight (you should see the other guy). Smokescreen, being the slightly nosy but well meaning guy that he is, ends up fixing up some of the dents Heatwave still had because Hey What Better Way To Learn Than With Practice, and things just spiraled from there

now, these two were as thick as thieves, and their teamwork was impeccable. Anyone with working optics could see they were going to be a great team after graduation, and when Blades, Chase and Boulder join their duo to make a quintet that future only looks brighter. The 5 of them were among some of the best in the Academy in their respective fields, so combined they were going to do some great things

There was the slight hiccup in these plans with how Smokey was a year younger and thus would be graduating later, but they'd already made plans and started the paperwork for him to be transferred to Sigma-17

.........but then barely a few weeks before graduation, things don't quite go to plan :)

Smokescreen is...... absolutely DEVASTATED when they're presumed dead. His teammates, his best friends, all gone in one fell swoop

he admittedly starts spiraling a bit after that. He all but drowns himself in his work and studies, severely neglecting his health for a while. He actually ends up landing himself in the academy medbay a couple times, much to his shame. The rest of his final year passes by in a blur and when he graduates he...... really isn't doing a whole lot better. His superiors refuse to assign him to another active team because given how poor a track record he has with self care and how dangerous things have gotten because of the war that was practically sending him off to his death. However, they had to do something because if they didn’t Smokescreen would just get tracked down and killed by the Council

so he gets assigned to the Archives as the medic in charge of caring for the Elite Guard members there

And as much as Smokey hates it...... he also knows they're right. Hell, he's not even sure if he could handle being assigned to another team at all, and he sure as hell isn’t going to let himself die after all the work he put in to get here

The others wouldn’t want that

Alpha Trion is a god send and helps give him the space needed to work through his grief, plus some general good advice. He even commends Smokescreen for his bravery and determination to become a medic. Things are a bit…… awkward with the Guardsmen since they weren’t as open minded as Trion, but it’s easy enough to avoid them and he does eventually earn their respect when he shows them his skill

But of course, this just makes things hurt even worse when the Fall of Iacon inevitably happens

when he crashes on Earth, Optimus is then left with a decision, which honestly could lead to this AU going in two different directions. On one hand it would probably be best to send Smokescreen to Griffin Rock for his own safety. This is the middle of a war zone, and Smokescreen isn’t at all built for combat. However, because of his crash landing Megatron knows Smokescreen exists and that could potentially put the other Bots and even Griffin Rock as a whole in danger

however, regardless of how long it takes Smokescreen is eventually going to reunite with the rest of Sigma-17 and it’s going to be F U N :)

(also just the general chaos of Smokey being able to have multiple alt modes because it’s my headcanon that’s a thing mostly exclusive to rescue bots, with some exceptions)

[cryptidsurveys]

Saturday, December 21st, 2024.

What states have you been to in the past year? I haven't left the state. I haven't even gone more than an hour outside of town. Just trips to the Mountain Park.

Have you ever sleepwalked? I haven't. The thought is actually pretty terrifying, though, especially because there's a flight of stairs basically right outside my bedroom. I know some sleepwalkers can seemingly traverse such obstacles without any issue and even go so far as to drive, but still… Lol, I'd probably tie myself to the bed.

What year was your house built? I think it was built in the 1970s.

Do you feel like you have more in common with men or with women? I'm actually not sure. There are more women in my life and I spend a fair amount of time around them, so that might skew my perception. But it probably depends more on the individual than their gender.

What’s your favorite superhero movie? Not a big fan of superhero movies, so I can't say I have one.

Do you want children? Why/why not? I've never been particularly interested in having children. In the beginning, there was no clear, driving reason behind it. There still isn't, but now, layered on top of that would be mental health issues and the fact that I'm not very independent or established in my own life. I'm still trying to figure out my own existence; it would likely be disastrous to bring a child into the mix.

Do you have any credit card debt? No.

Have you ever been really late for work because you slept past your alarm? No.

Are you good at reading people? Naw. I'm pretty shit at reading people.

Who do you go to for relationship advice? I'm not in a relationship, but I go to my dad, my therapist, and occasionally my mom for work or coworker related advice.

What was your favorite way to spend a summer day as a kid? Riding around the neighborhood on my bike, hanging out with friends doing whatever, swimming at Rock Canyon, going camping, etc.

What’s the longest you’ve worked without a day off? I think six days would be the longest…? So obviously nothing extreme.

Have you ever been scammed? I don't think so.

Do you know anyone who works in the tech industry in Silicon Valley? I don't.

Do you wear eyeliner? No.

Did you ever take a personal finance class in school? No. As far as I can recall, at least in high school, no such class was ever offered.

How’s your mental health? Are you feeling well? My mental health is okay…I say even though I still have occasional thoughts of suicide…or hope that whatever physical symptom I'm experiencing means I'm going to die. Lmao. But it's all relative. I'm so much more functional than I was in the past. I'm no longer so self-destructive. I have hobbies and passions and at least a shred of hope for my future. Physically, though…I know you didn't ask for this, but things have been kinda weird lately. I started having some gastrointestinal issues in late November / early December and I feel like I'm on a roller coaster that gets better for a bit only to decline again. Yesterday, I had some pain near the bottom of / slightly below the middle of my ribcage that lasted all day and was practically debilitating by the time I got home from the animal shelter. I basically took a shower and went straight to bed. Didn't feel like a typical stomachache, bloat, constipation, or acid reflux. Looked up a handy-dandy anatomical buddy and it encompassed the area involving my liver, stomach, pancreas, and possibly transverse colon. And idk why I'm telling y'all this when I should be telling a doctor, but--

Did you have a Xanga page back in the pre-Myspace days? I'm actually not sure which one came first for me.

Around what year did you start using the internet, anyways? I think I would have been in 4th or 5th grade, so maybe sometime around 1998-1999.

Do you have any uncommon interests or hobbies? I guess…? But as far as most of them go, even if they aren't super common, people are at least familiar with them even if they don't engage in such activities themselves.

What’s something that would make you incredibly happy right now? It would make me incredibly happy as well as incredibly nervous because I wouldn't want to mess it up, but getting a job at the animal shelter. Cattery is packed with staff so I doubt they're looking to hire anyone at the moment, but hopefully the next time there's an opening. Oh, and snow for Christmas, but I don't think that's gonna happen. :'(

What did you do for your 18th birthday? I don't remember anything about my 18th birthday.

What temperature do you keep your thermostat set at in the winter? It varies.

Have you ever been to the Caribbean? No.

Have you ever fostered an animal? No.

What did you have for breakfast this morning? A bowl of cereal and a few saltines with peanut butter. I can't trust my usual oatmeal bowl. I can't trust a lot of my routine foods these days.

What’s your favorite form of exercise? Hiking.

Have you ever drank so much that you passed out? No.

[lifmera]

Hello! Hope you're having a good day and that everything's going well! If it isn't too much to ask I would like to have a pairing with a Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel character, preferably male. * So a little bit about myself! My pronouns are He/They but actually like to present myself as feminine at times * Most people said that the first time they saw me they thought I was mean and actually scary and I think it was because of my stern look and whenever someone would ask me something I would give them short cold answers.. but I'm not that. I'm actually a little shy but once you know me I'm just super lively, loving to sing (even if I suck at it), always cracking a joke and just wanting to enjoy the moment. Despite all that I'm actually pretty calm at times and offer some heartfelt and harsh advice. Whenever that happens I just go full on serious mode and prefer to listen first and instead of solving the persons problems, I rather guide them in the right direction. * Likes! I love to do creative things, like writing and drawing, and to read, specially dystopian fiction. I also take a great interest in astronomy, magic things like witchcraft and bones (I can't explain it-). As for music it's basically a little bit of everything with both jazz and pop being way up. * In a relationship I prefer.. the less touching possible the better. That being said my main love languages are quality time and gift giving. Although I don't really enjoy touching, I wouldn't mind if my partner want hugs or something like that. And that's it! Sorry if it was too long and don't feel pressured to do it right away! Take your time and don't forget to drink plenty of water and rest! Hope you have a good day!

Hi hun!! Ofc!!

And finally my first Helluva req!!

And thank you sweetheart 💞 honestly i think Stolas would fit too.

I’ve decided to pair you with BLITZØ & ALASTOR!!!

Ill do Alastor first!

He’d definitely love and find you intriguing. Stone cold?

When he finds out more about you, he was honestly surprised.

Although he’d probably do duets with you, he’d LOVE to hear your jokes.

Especially if they are dad jokes cus … he is a huge dad joke.

He likes that you are able to be calm in situations, and help through situations too!

He would look to you for some advice, just to make sure he believes he’s right!

If you listen to Jazz? He’s spending all his time with you. And def listening to Jazz.

He would force you to chat about fav artists w him.

You both dislike physical touch, and he appreciates it. He would prefer acts of service and words of affirmation.

Now Blitzo!

He also presents feminine sometimes! He thinks it’d be fun to do together.

He definitely got attracted to you with that stone cold look, and short replies !! At first anyways.

Once he also gets to know you, he definitely would love to hang out with you!

Although you may not be the best singer- NEITHER IS HE!!! And he enjoys singing, or listening.

He is also always cracking jokes, so you both are cackling at EVERY MOMENT!!

He will always look to you for advice, and he doesn’t do that for anyone else either. He’s pretty reserved.

He would’ve probably confided into you about fizz, his mom, stolas and everything else at that moment in time.

Your interest in astronomy and witchcraft reminded him of Stolas, but instead of Stolas sexual nature- he has someone he really will care and show up for.

If you can draw, he will FORCE you to teach him. HE NEEDS TO DRAW HIS PONIES!! and obviously to make up for the shitty art lessons he got.

He would totally listen to your stories, because it would remind him of Millie and Moxxie, and he wants what they have.

He listens to more metally type of music, but boy will he listen to anything. Honestly i wouldn’t be surprised if he started listening to country??

I also think that Blitz isn’t big on physical touch either. He would be icked out. He thinks that words of affirmation and quality time are better. He knows you’re listening to him and willing to be there!

[kiefbowl]

Hi, so I’ve read your posts where you’ve given tips on how to be successful during an interview. And I was wondering if you could give me some advice on how to get a raise at my current job? I’ve been there for 2 and 1/2 years, I’ve doubled the amount of projects that I’ve been assigned to (started off with 3, now 6 projects and helping with 2 other programs as well) but I’ve never gotten more than a 2% raise over the last two years and that’s mandated by the university. When I’ve asked about moving up to a higher role, I’ve been told to be patient. But… I don’t think I can be patient anymore… and I found out that 2 people who’ve been there less than a year are getting a possible 10-20k jump in their salary. I’m going crazy, and I need some help if you have any guidance :(

Working at a university I think might be a little different than out in retail or in a corporate job, but some of this advice might apply. I'm just thinking of my university, which was public and got government grants, and I don't really understand all that beyond that, so there might be some stipulations about how to pay workers. In any case, I think this is a great question and hopefully it can help you and others out.

When asking for a raise, you are asking to enter a negotiation, which to be the aggressor can have some upside. You basically get to start the conversation by stating plainly what you want, and what you're willing to do to get it, and what you'll do if you don't get it. The finesse is making sure you're arguing for things that align for the person who holds what you want. You can imagine that if you go to your boss and say "I want 100K more a year, I want to do nothing about it, and if you don't give it to me I'll set my house on fire" they'll just be like "uhm, what does this have to do with me." Find the common ground between your interests, and theirs.

It's well understood by people who hire and manage people that hiring is more expensive than retaining talent, so the big token you have in your court is that you'll leave. The rub is of course people don't know how to leverage this, because in their heart it's an empty threat. Finding another job can be hard, and you don't want to put yourself in a situation where you're trading down because you didn't get what you want at one job so you took a different, suckier job. So, you have to harden your heart, and make sure when you talk about it, it's not an empty threat. One way to do this is to have a job offer already, which means patience as you job hunt. Another way to do this is to be confident that you could get a better job, and not be specific when you'll leave, but signal to them you will when you can. "I know my skill set is valuable" can be said in very casual, polite, professional, and pointed way to get your meaning across. Now that confidence shouldn't come from pure delusion (which, it doesn't have to, most people have things they're good at and are valuable!), but you do have to sit down and have a good think. What are your transferable skills and what are your billable skills, in tangible specific ways. "I'm good at customer service" is not specific, anyone can learn that - "I resolve my tickets within SLA 90% of the time" is specific. "I know how to write" is not specific, that could mean anything - "I've been creating and updating our knowledge base articles" is specific. "I work in marketing" is not specific, that just says where you work - "I designed the 2022 social media campaign that brought in 2% more business" is specific. Now, maybe these examples don't relate to what you do or sound a higher level of work that you do, but don't be discouraged, this is just creative framing. A social media intern could make a couple tik toks and do that last one, hopefully they have the insight to the data to make the claim that it increased business. The creative framing comes from understanding what your job wants from you. What is it doing? What does it make? What does it supply? How does it make revenue? For a university, I'm not sure how much it's tied into direct revenue for itself, depending on your department, but it does ultimately fit into the infrastructure of how the university makes revenue, so think about what your department is supplying to the university.

If you help manage an onslaught of freshman ding dongs who don't know their ass from their head (said affectionately) who barge in with complaints and questions, you handle "intake" so that your uppers in your department can focus on other efficiencies. If you serve food at a food court, your speed and efficiency equals faster lines which equals faster turn over which equals more students which equals more money (just like any restaurant). Any industry, anywhere in the hierarchy, a worker can frame what they do in these kinds of terms to make negotiation easier and really point blank: please give me x amount more, if you don't you lose abc from me because I will leave. I'm willing to wait y months/train a replacement/work more hours/work fewer hours/nothing more because I deserve this because I know so-and-so and what's his name over there make that much and I do the same job/etc.

Good luck! :)